Directed by Joanna May Cullinan
Music Direction by Rachel Woods
Choreography by Amy Greene Nally
Stage Managed by Luke Lanning
Costume Design by Luke Scattergood
Set & Light Design by Patrick Ciamacco
Sound Design by Josh Caraballo
Sound Operation by Jenna Rhoades
CAST/STAFF/BAND
Brian Altman (Mendel) is elated to be back at Blank Canvas Theatre with this tight-knit family! He was last seen here in Into The Woods (Narrator). His favorite BCT credits include Little Shop of Horrors (Mr. Mushnik), Bat Boy: The Musical (Dr. Parker), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Judge Turpin), Little Miss Sunshine (Uncle Frank), American Psycho (Detective Kimball), Peter and the Starcatcher (Black Stache), and of course Silence! The Musical (Dr. Hannibal Lecter). One of his all-time favorite shows was The 25th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee (Vice Principal Doug Panch) at Cain Park, directed by BCT's founder Patrick Ciamacco! He thanks his partner Brendan, their much-loved cat, and his very old turtle for all their love. He also thanks YOU for supporting live theater!
Laura Binstock (Trina) is thrilled to be making her Blank Canvas Theatre debut (after being a season ticket holder for years) in such a beautiful show. She is equally thrilled to share this amazing role with you, completing her William Finn trifecta, as she has previously performed in A New Brain (Rhoda) and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Rona Lisa Peretti). Laura holds an undergraduate degree in Vocal Performance from N.Y.U. and just completed her Master’s Degree in Social Work at Cleveland State. She does NOT condone romantic relationships with your mental health professionals. Special thanks to Joanna, Rachel, Patrick, and the rest of the incredible cast and crew for making this dream come true. All her love to Bean (the Bat Mitzvah child), Goose, Big Al, Judes, A.J., Foo, and DG for all the love and support. To Michael Libassi, for teaching me how to make magic. For Jon.
Scott Esposito (Marvin) is thrilled to return to Blank Canvas Theatre. He was previously seen here in The Crucible (Rev. Hale), Kiss of the Spider Woman (Molina), Avenue Q (Rod), Hair (Claude), and 12 Angry Men (Juror #8). Other recent credits include Andy Warhol in Iran (Andy Warhol) at Beck Center, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Monty) at Ohio Shakespeare Festival, and Significant Other (Jordan) at Dobama Theatre. Scott’s next project will be directing All the Emilies in All the Universes for Seat of the Pants (seatofthepants.org), where he is a proud company member. He would like to thank Patrick, Joanna, and Rachel for this opportunity, and his husband Vince for his constant love and support.
Neely Gevaart (Cordelia) is excited to be on the Blank Canvas Theatre stage again! She has been seen here many times before in Texas Chainsaw Musical! (Kristy), Disaster! (Marianne Wilson), and Reefer Madness (Mary Lane), among others. She would like to thank Christopher, Lumi, and Taco for all their love and support.
Matt Gittins (Whizzer)is a professional actor, composer, writer, musician/conductor, and director from Chardon, Ohio. Recent professional acting credits include Brigadoon (Tommy), Grease (Vince Fontaine/Teen Angel), Jesus Christ Superstar (Judas - Cleveland Critics Circle Award), The Legend of Georgia McBride (Casey/Georgia), and Light It Up! (Reed Elf). His original musical, You Go On, will be Off-Broadway next spring at the Players Theater in New York City, and recently won the Audience Choice Award at the BorderLight Theatre Festival 2025 in Cleveland. You Go On is also a four-time semi-finalist of the Eugene O’Neill National Music Theater Conference, a winner of the Colorado New Musical Theater Festival, and a Write Out Loud finalist. Matt holds a B.F.A. from Otterbein University in Musical Theater Performance, as well as a graduate of the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s Cabaret Fellows program and former member of Actors’ Equity Association. www.matthewgittins.com
Dean Hollis (Jason) is thrilled to make his Blank Canvas Theatre debut! He is a homeschooled ninth grader from Mayfield Heights and an avid reader. His favorite roles include Finding Nemo, Jr. (Marlin) with his homeschool theatre group, Harmony Arts, Pippin (Theo) at Case Western Reserve University, Caroline, or Change (Noah) at Cain Park, and Shrek the Musical (Knight/Dwarf) at Heights Youth Theatre.
Melissa Pacetti Hollis (Doctor Charlotte) is thrilled to be back at Blank Canvas Theatre for her fourth show, her most recent being Into the Woods (Stepmother). She received a B.A. in Music with a Vocal Jazz/Musical Theatre emphasis from the Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music in Berea, Ohio. Melissa is a native of Cleveland, where she has performed in over 20 musicals. Favorite roles include City of Angels (Bobbi/Gabby), Grease (Jan), and Little Shop of Horrors (Crystal). She has also directed over 20 productions in Cleveland and at Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, FL, where she introduced and directed their Drama Ministry program, as well as being an adjunct music professor and voice teacher/vocal coach. Melissa recently opened her own business, Harmony Arts and Wellness, LLC, and started a theatre program for homeschooled children. She is a proud homeschool mom of three and is thrilled to be passing along her love of musical theatre to her children. She thanks her husband, Tim, for being so supportive and is so happy to be onstage with Dean!
Patrick Ciamacco (Lighting, Projection, and Set Design) is the Artistic Director and founder of Blank Canvas Theatre. He dedicates this show to the person sitting in the third row, fifth seat from the left.
Joanna May Cullinan (Director) is a freelance artist throughout Northeast Ohio and is thrilled to be back at Blank Canvas Theatre, where she previously directed Disaster! and Groundhog Day. Other favorite directing credits include The Secret Garden and The Fantasticks (Stocker Arts Center); Caroline, Or Change, Fun Home, Big Fish, School of Rock, Sondheim On Sondheim, Ragtime, Memphis, and Rock of Ages (Cain Park), A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (Ohio Shakespeare Festival), and Velveteen: A New Musical (Playhouse Square), which will launch a national tour this fall! Joanna is currently completing her M.F.A. in Directing through the University of Idaho.
Amy Greene Nally (Choreographer) is a Cleveland-based choreographer and theater educator, whose favorite choreography credits include Six, Mamma Mia, Godspell, School of Rock and Alice by Heart. Amy holds a B.A. from Indiana University (Bloomington) where she studied Communication Sciences, Psychology, and Dance. She is a proud alumna of AADCo at Indiana University, and also holds an M.A. from Case Western Reserve University. Amy is grateful for any opportunity to tell stories through movement.
Luke Lanning (Stage Manager) is a rising junior Stage Management major at Baldwin Wallace University and a proud Clevelander. Luke is excited to be making his Blank Canvas Theatre debut with this production of Falsettos. His previous credits include Mean Girls, Speech and Debate, The SpongeBob Musical, and Waitress (Beck Center); Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Near West Theater); [title of show] and Dido and Aeneas (Playhouse Square); Gross Indecency and Boy Gets Girl (Baldwin Wallace); and Escape to Margaritaville and Footloose (Fine Arts Association). Luke would like to thank his family and friends for their constant support! IG: @luke_lanning05
Jenna Rhoades (Sound Operator) is thrilled to be back home at Blank Canvas Theatre running the sound board! Some of her favorite past shows include Groundhog Day (Stage Manager), Disaster! (Sound), Pippin (Sound), Frankenstein: The Musical (Sound), RENT (Sound), Bubble Boy (Sound), Hair (Assistant Stage Manager), Shrek The Musical (Assistant Stage Manager), and Dead Man's Cell Phone (Assistant Director). Jenna attended Heidelberg University as a Communications major and was heavily involved in theatre there as an executive member of Heidelberg’s chapter of the National Theatre Honor Society, Alpha Psi Omega. Lots of love to Nana, Homey, and Zara for their love and support! Enjoy the show!!
RJ Rovito (Flute/Oboe/Clarinet/Saxophone) is excited to be back at Blank Canvas Theatre after playing reeds for Bubble Boy earlier this summer and Groundhog Day back in 2024. A hospital clinical pharmacist by day and multi-instrumentalist by night, he has performed in nearly eighty musicals throughout northeast Ohio and southwest Pennsylvania; favorites include Merrily We Roll Along, The Light in the Piazza, and Fun Home. He is also a member of the Cleveland Winds and North Royalton Community Band. Thanks to his family, friends, colleagues, and all of you in the audience for supporting the arts in Cleveland.
Luke Scattergood (Costume Design) is thrilled to return to Blank Canvas Season for another season. His costume design credits include Hair, Of Mice and Men, Sweeney Todd, Cabaret, Reefer Madness, and many others. Regionally, his work has been seen at Cain Park, CCC Western Campus, Lorain Community Music Theater, and beyond. Luke serves as the theater director at Bay High School and directs productions throughout the area. Including, the next show here at Blank Canvas Theatre, CARRIE The Musical. Heartfelt thanks to Patrick and Joanna for bringing him “aboard” once again, and endless love to his wife, Laura, and their three amazing kids for their constant support. Thank you for supporting live theater — enjoy the show!
Rachel Woods (Music director/Key 1) is thrilled to add another William Finn show to her résumé. She is the Assistant Music Director for the Baldwin Wallace University Music Theatre program and also serves as a staff collaborative pianist. As a music director, conductor, and keyboardist, she has worked on over 50 musical theater productions in Greater Cleveland since 2012. Some of her favorite recent music direction credits include 9 to 5 (Baldwin Wallace), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Baldwin Wallace/Near West Theatre; Cain Park), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Near West Theatre), and Fun Home (Cain Park). Rachel is a proud member of Maestra Music, an organization for underrepresented artists, including women and gender-expansive musicians, who work in the musical theatre.