Into the Woods Cast

Trexler Cook is a Junior Music and New Media major from Cincinnati, Ohio. This is his first production in Louisville and with the UOFL theatre department, and he is very excited to join the Louisville Theater Community. Previously he played Eli Whitney in Anything Goes and ensemble roles in Jesus Christ Superstar with Cincinnati Young Peoples Theatre. This semester he plays Jack in Into the Woods and will graduate next spring with a BA in Music and New Media. Enjoy the show!!!

Meg Booker is a first year Master’s student at the University of Louisville. She recently made her debut with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra as Micaëla in Carmen. Her other starring roles include Angelina in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury and Gasparina in Haydn’s La Canterina at Northern Kentucky University (NKU). She has won prizes in multiple international competitions including First Prize in the New York International Music Competition, First Prize in the NKU Philharmonic Concerto Competition two years in a row, and an Encouragement Award in the Matinée Musicale Scholarship Competition. She recently performed a solo recital with the Glow Music Concert Series featuring a newly-commissioned song cycle. She is an active freelance musician in the Cincinnati area, and serves as the music director and organist at Mother of God Church in Covington, KY. She currently studies under Dr. Katherine Donner.

Emma Schwertfuehrer is a second-year Master’s student in vocal performance at the University of Louisville. As a graduate teaching assistant, she teaches voice to non-majors. Emma’s previous operatic roles include Donna Prima in Mozart’s The Impresario and Holly in David Wolfson’s Rapture with UofL Opera Theatre, as well as Barbarina (Le Nozze di Figaro), First Spirit (Die Zauberflöte), and Flora (The Turn of the Screw) as an undergraduate student at the University of South Carolina. She also appeared in the chorus of La traviata with Kentucky Opera last fall. She is excited to return to the musical theatre stage as Cinderella in Into the Woods. Emma will graduate with her Master’s in Music this spring.

Luke Skorija is a junior studying music therapy at UofL. Originally from the Chicago suburbs, he has been involved in theater activities since he was in third grade. In high school, some of his favorite roles included George in Sunday in the Park with George and Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Most recently, Luke was seen playing Noel Gruber in Highview Arts Center’s production of Ride the Cyclone here in Louisville. Within the School of Music, he is involved in UofL choirs and is excited to travel with the Cardinal Singers to Germany and Austria this summer. He would like to thank his family and friends for their unending support, his voice teacher Chad Sloan for all he pours into his students, and the company of Into the Woods for making this process special.

Kristina Nguyen is a Louisville native and junior Industrial & Systems Engineering student. She carries a deep love for theatre, and you can usually find her on a local stage in her free time. Previous credits include: Spring Awakening (Anna), Thelma Louise; Dyke Remix (Blazer), Avenue Q (Christmas Eve), The Importance of Being Earnest (Miss Prism), My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding (Irene), Rent (Joanne Jefferson), and As You Like It (Jaques u/s). Next month, you can see Kristina take on the titular role in Alice in Derbyland!, Drag Daddy Productions' annual celebration of Louisville.

Carol Kittner is a Soprano from Davenport, Florida. She primarily sings musical theatre in a competition setting. She has won many local and regional NATS competitions for musical theatre throughout high school and college. This is her first theatre stage role since high school. She is graduating with a degree in music and speech language pathology in the spring.

Kylie Bennett is a soprano completing her undergraduate degree in Vocal Performance at the University of Louisville, where she studies with Emily Albrink Katz. She has been involved in choral singing since fourth grade and has studied voice privately since seventh grade. At the University of Louisville, Kylie has appeared as Gretel in Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel with the University Opera. She is a two-time NATS Regional Competition award winner, earning second place in 2023 and first place in 2025. Kylie made her orchestral debut as the soprano soloist in Jorge Lhez’s Stabat Mater with the University of Louisville Symphony Orchestra during the New Music Festival. Kylie is the 2025 Huang Aria Competition winner and sang “Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante” from Georges Bizet’s Carmen with the University Orchestra in February 2026. In March of 2026, she was featured as the Soprano I soloist in J.S. Bach’s Magnificat with the Collegiate Chorale and University Orchestra. Kylie is also a frequent soloist with the Collegiate Chorale and Cardinal Singers and has performed in concerts in Germany and South Korea. Coming up, Kylie will be attending The Herbert Summer Music Program in Salzburg, Austria in July of 2026.

Cory Daniel Spalding is a Louisville-born baritone with credits in opera, musical theatre, and concert performance. He earned his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Louisville, where he is now pursuing his master’s degree. Cory has performed with UofL Opera Theatre, Kentucky Opera, and other regional companies, with roles in Ophemon in The Anonymous Lover, Quinn the Bartender in Speed Dating Tonight!, Bobby Strong in Urinetown, and Ko-Ko in The Mikado. Most recently Cory was in All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 and played the Guide in Songbird with Kentucky Opera. Beyond the stage, Cory has appeared twice at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Most recently as soloist in the world premiere of Michael John Trotta’s Veni, Veni Emmanuel with the UofL Singing Cardsmen. He was also a featured vocalist in Mammoth by Teddy Abrams, in collaboration with world renowned celloist Yo-Yo Ma. With the internationally acclaimed UofL Cardinal Singers, Cory has toured South Africa, China, and Germany. In 2023, he was awarded 1st Place in both Classical and Musical Theatre at the NATS Murray State Regional Competition. In 2026, he was also winner of the Huang Aria Competition with “Dalla sua Pace” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Now in his 2nd semester of his master’s degree, Cory is grateful to share his love of performing with the rest of his cast in Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim.

Dylan Fisher is a second year MFA student. Dylan is an artist , hailing from Eastern North Carolina. He holds a Bachelor of Music with a concentration in Musical Theatre from The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Dylan's stage credits include roles such as Noah Curry (110 in the Shade) Zangara (Assassins) Duke Senior (As You Like It )(Taub), The Wizard (The Wiz))and Teen Angel (Grease)Calcifer (The Love of Three Oranges) Tiny Joe Dixon/Frank (DreamGirls) Dun(Pipeline)His directing credits include The Night the Reindeer Rocked, The Lion King Kids and Hestia Circus.

Elliot Meadows is a junior Theatre Arts major, with a track in Performance. He has been seen in shows and UofL such as ‘Miss Holmes’, ‘As You Like It’, and in the community in Pandora Productions ‘Avenue Q’. When not performing, he enjoys playing the piano, reading new plays, and exploring new avenues in the arts! Elliot is also assistant directing UofL’s production of The Laramie Project

Skylar Swalls is a Louisville transplant theatre artist. You may have seen her as Doctor Watson in Miss Holmes or Olive Ostrovsky in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at UofL, or as Clarisse in The Lightning Thief at Clarksville Little Theatre. This is her fourth semester working in the scene shop, where she was previously the scenic charge and is now props master. Skylar works in the UofL Box Office, creating flyers, websites, merchandise, and social media content for the Department. Into the Woods is her second favorite musical (right behind Cats) and she has been in the show once before, playing the notorious Milky White.

Kara Peters is a sophomore Music Therapy major at the University of Louisville. Originally from Lexington, she has performed in various theatre productions with companies near there and is excited to be back on stage. She will graduate in 2028 with a BM in Music Therapy

Heaven Taylor is a sophomore Music Education major with a vocal emphasis at UofL. I play the Cinderella’s stepmother in Into the Woods. I love Micheal Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Thundercat, in case anyone was wondering.

Katie Piatt is a freshman Music Education major at the University of Louisville. This is her first show at UofL!

Allie Hughes grew up doing theatre right outside of Louisville in Crestwood, Kentucky. She is currently studying music with a minor in psychology and will graduate next spring. She has done many shows including Mean Girls (Cady and music director) and Shrek (Teen Fiona and ensemble). She is very excited to be performing in her first collegiate production!

Andrea Hirsch is originally from Evansville, Indiana and is a sophomore music therapy major at UofL. She has been in various productions in Evansville throughout high school. Andrea is excited to be back on stage for her first college show!

Braden McCampbell is a Louisville transplant of over 20 years, having come from Amarillo Texas to pursue a BA in Theater Arts at the University of Louisville. Since 2015 He has been a staple in the Louisville theater arts community having worked with Everyone from Actors Theater in Sleep rock thy brain, to the Va Va Vixens in their Burlesque February shows. He is currently back in college to alleviate his training in the arts and is pursuing a minor in History. An avid nerd and lover of the absurd, Braden brings a depth of physicality to the characters he portrays thanks to a brief background comedia de arte and stand up sketch comedy, Playing various characters for D&D Live streams.

Bella Spencer is a third year Music Therapy student from Georgetown, KY. Glad to be back on stage for the first time in college Bella is excited to share this experience with friends from many corners of campus. This is Bella's third time performing in "Into The Woods" with previous roles as Red Riding Hood and Cinderella. Bella hopes to pursue a career as a Music Therapist and participate community theatre in the future.

Ariana Yanez is a Music Therapy student with an emphasis in voice here at the University of Louisville. She’s been performing most of her life and has played parts such as Anita in West Side Story, Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, Portia in Something Rotten, and many more. This is her first year at the University of Louisville and she couldn’t be more excited to be a part of this amazing team.