Ethan Paulini (he/him)

NINTH SEASON

In addition to being the Producing Artistic Director of the Weathervane Theatre, Ethan served as the Associate Artist Director of New York City’s Out of the Box Theatrics. He has national credits as a director, choreographer, actor, writer, and educator. Proud member of Society of Directors and Choreographers (SDC) and Screen Actors Guild/American Federation of Television and Radio Actors (SAG/AFTRA) and a member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA). More info at ethanpaulini.com and ethancoaches.com.

Andrew Morrissey (he/him)

FIFTH SEASON

Andrew Morrissey is a NYC-based pianist, music director, vocal coach, and composer. Experience includes educational, community, and semi-professional theatre in NH, NYC, and the DMV area. A NH native, regional credits include Interlakes, Jean’s Playhouse, Winnipesaukee Playhouse and Plymouth State University, where he received a BA in Music. He has an MM in stage music composition from CUA, and his thesis project grew into a fully-fledged staging of Lost In Wonderland with DC’s Pallas Theatre Collective. Current projects include a new musical based on Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray and another on the life of Rasputin. IG: Andrewmorrisseymusic

Jessica Chen (she/her)

SECOND SEASON

Jessica Chen is a choreographer and Artistic Director of J CHEN PROJECT. Credits: R&H Cinderella (Geva), Jersey Boys (Weathervane), Spring Awakening (MSU), The Messenger (PBD), The Portal (Minetta Lane Theater), New York Fashion Week (MoMA), Restart Stages (Lincoln Center), Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, MACY’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, TEDxSemesteratSea, and World Expo-USA Pavilion in Shanghai. Current: AAPI HEROES (NYC), Beautiful, and Cabaret.  www.jessicachen.co

Douglas McGrath

Douglas McGrath was a filmmaker and playwright. Most recently, he directed the HBO documentary “Becoming Mike Nichols.” He collaborated with Woody Allen on the screenplay for Bullets Over Broadway, for which they were nominated for an Academy Award. He wrote and directed the Oscar-winning Emma from the Jane Austen novel; Company Man; Charles Dickens’s Nicholas Nickleby, which won the Best Ensemble Cast from the National Board of Review; Infamous; and the HBO documentary, “His Way,” nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Nonfiction Special. His play Checkers opened the 30th anniversary season of New York’s acclaimed Vineyard Theatre. His book for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical was nominated for Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards. He began his creer as a writer for “Saturday Night Live” in what was incontestably the worst year in the show’s history. He has written essays on the arts and politics for the New Republic, the New Yorker, The Nation, The New York Times and Vanity Fair. Douglas McGrath passed away on November 4, 2022.

Gerry Goffin

Born in Brooklyn in 1939, Gerry Goffin met Carole King at Queens College, and their musical collaboration began almost immediately. They married in 1959, and that same year wrote their first hit song “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” (The Shirelles). The duo penned more than 50 Top-40 hits including “The Locomotion,” “Natural Woman” and “Up on the Roof.” In 1987, Goffin and King were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Goffin has left an indelible mark on American music.

Carole King

Pop music would be very different without the contributions of Carole King, who at age 17 wrote her first #1 hit with Gerry Goffin, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” for the Shirelles. The dozens of chart hits Goffin and King wrote during this period became legendary, but it was 1971’s Tapestry that took King to the pinnacle, speaking personally to her contemporaries and providing a spiritual musical backdrop to the decade. More than 400 of her compositions have been recorded by over 1,000 artists, resulting in 100 hit singles and six Grammys.

Barry Mann

Barry Mann has written the melodies of some of the most influential pop songs in musical history. In addition to “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” the most-played song of the last century, and the songs heard in Beautiful, he composed later standards like “Somewhere Out There” (winner of two Grammys), “Here You Come Again,” “Sometimes When We Touch,” “Just Once” and “Don’t Know Much.” Together he and Cynthia Weil have amassed an incredible 112 pop, country, and R&B awards from Broadcast Music Inc. for significant radio air play. He has been inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Cynthia Weil

Cynthia Weil was the acclaimed lyricist of classic songs such as “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” the most-played song of the 20th century. In addition to the songs heard in Beautiful, she set the words to later standards including “Somewhere Out There,” “Here You Come Again,” “He’s So Shy,” “Just Once” and “Don’t Know Much,” to name just a few. Weil was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, honored with multiple Grammy nominations and two Grammy awards for “Somewhere Out There” as the Motion Pictures Song of the Year and Song of the Year. Weil passed away on June 1, 2023.

Music Theatre International

Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world’s leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theatres from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theatre as a vibrant and engaging art form.

MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 100,000 professional, community and school theatres in the US and in over 150 countries worldwide.

MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre, and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway Junior® shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students.

Rien Schlecht (she/her)

TWENTIETH SEASON

Favorite Weathervane designs include A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (NH Theatre Award), GUYS AND DOLLS (NH Theatre Award), EURYDICE, BUYER AND CELLAR, and SWEENEY TODD (NH Theatre Award). Her New York theatre credits – Out of the Box Theatrics, including the Drama Desk-nominated BABY!, several seasons with Theatre For A New Audience, Radio City, Mark Morris Ballet, and many other theatres and TV commercials. She designed The Mysteries at The Flea (Drama Desk nom), The Jinx for HBO, worked on The Woodsman at New World Stages, and the stage and film productions of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM with Julie Taymor. 

Kimani Gordon (he/him)

FIRST SEASON 

Kimani earned his B.A. in Theatre Arts at Boston College. After working in California, Florida, and again in New York for several years, Kimani just completed the first year of his M.F.A. Program. Kimani is excited to join the Weathervane Family.

ROBERT SALERNO (he/him)

THIRD SEASON 

Robert is happy to come back to the Weathervane this season. Robert has designed shows at the Weathervane for the past two seasons. Some of his favorite shows here were EURYDICE, BLOOD BROTHERS, and JERSEY BOYS. He will start his MFA in design at the Yale School of Drama.

AP PIKIBEN (they/them)

SECOND SEASON 

AP is a professor of theatre at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. They reside there with their spouse Alexander and furbabies, Karma, the dog, Narley, Jadis, and Reaver, the cats! AP is excited to be back at the Weathervane for another amazing year!

BILLY SMITH (he/him)

FOURTH SEASON

While this is his fourth season at Weathervane, this is his first season living a full year in beautiful New Hampshire! Originally from Columbus, Ohio. He holds a BFA in Musical Theatre. He is constantly thankful that both the company and the community have taken him in so graciously. 

CLAIRE VOGT (she/they)

FIRST SEASON 

Claire is a scenic artist based in central Ohio. Having graduated last year with a BFA in Theatre Design and Technology, they enjoy collaborating with others to create amazing art and shows. They have recently been working as a freelance designer and are excited to work at Weathervane this summer!

Billy Smith (he/him)

FOURTH SEASON

While this is his fourth season at Weathervane, this is his first season living a full year in beautiful New Hampshire! Originally from Columbus, Ohio. He holds a BFA in Musical Theatre. He is constantly thankful that both the company and the community have taken him in so graciously. 

Reed Davis*, he/him 

FIRST SEASON

Reed is thrilled to join the Weathervane team for their 59th season! Born and raised in Maine, he has been the Resident Production Stage Manager at Penobscot Theatre Company for three seasons. He has also worked with Opera House Arts, First Stage Milwaukee, and Opera Maine.

Egypt Dixon* (she/her)

SEVENTH SEASON

Her credits are as follows: Atlantic Theater Company (Production Stage Manager): ANATOMY OAS. TFANA (Assistant Stage Manager): FEFU AND HER FRIENDS. Weston Playhouse (Assistant Stage Manager): INDECENT. Egypt recently received her MFA in Performing Arts Management from Brooklyn College. She is excited to return to the white mountains.

EMMA ALDRICH JORDAN* (she/her)

SECOND SEASON

Emma is excited to return to Weathervane as the Patchwork Stage manager! Favorite shows include WAITRESS (Scenic Artist, Ogunquit Playhouse), RAINBOW FISH (PSM, Weathervane), DROWSY CHAPERONE (Artist in Residence, Cayuga BOCES). Emma’s freelance artwork can be seen at restaurants around the North Country. Thanks to Nick, Lindsey, and Rockdog.

BILLY SMITH* (he/him)

FOURTH SEASON

While this is his fourth season at Weathervane, this is his first season living a full year in beautiful New Hampshire! Originally from Columbus, Ohio. He holds a BFA in Musical Theatre. He is constantly thankful that both the company and the community have taken him in so graciously.