Ethan Paulini+ (he/him)

ELEVENTH SEASON

Ethan has national credits as a director, choreographer, actor, writer, and educator. Favorite WV Productions include Stones in His Pockets, Cabaret, Blood Brothers, Bright Star, One Man, Two Guvnors, and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. He recently appeared in the New York Production of Maltby & Shire’s About Time. Drama Desk, Off-Broadway Alliance and Drama League nominations. Training: Emerson College. Proud member: SDC and SAG/AFTRA, and a member of AEA. More info at ethanpaulini.com and ethancoaches.com.

Phil Burns (he/him)

FIRST SEASON

Phil is a pianist and music director from Bangor, Maine.  Highlights include music directing 9 TO 5, THE WIZARD OF OZ, HONKY TONK ANGELS, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, HAIRSPRAY, THE FANTASTICKS, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, THE FULL MONTY, MAMMA MIA! and MATILDA THE MUSICAL.  He performs with A DAY IN THE LIFE: A BEATLES EXPERIENCE and co-wrote the score for LIVIN’ FOR DRAG: THE MAKING OF A QUEEN.  Phil is on faculty at the University of Maine and maintains a private performance studio with his wife, Tina, and three children.

Noah Huseman (he/him)

FIRST SEASON

Noah Huseman is a NYC based pianist, music director, vocal coach, and arranger. Before moving, he worked in Nashville performing, teaching, and producing music. Previous work includes NYU Tisch Opera Lab, Chickenshed NYC, Shuffles NYC, and Secret Theatre. He’s excited to be joining Weathervane this year!

Jacob A. Butler (he/him)

THIRD SEASON

is thrilled to be back at Weathervane! Jacob is a Ball State University Grad and Indianapolis-based actor/singer/director. Weathervane Credits: THE PRODUCERS, ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS, BEAUTIFUL. Regional Credits: TITANIC, KINKY BOOTS, LEGALLY BLONDE, ROCKY HORROR SHOW “Loveee to Logan!” @jacobabutler

Kaitlyn Lied (they/them)

FIRST SEASON

Kaitlyn is a recent graduate from the University of Northern Colorado and is excited to join the Weathervane for its 61st season, working backstage in the scene shop. They would like to thank their friends and family for their support. Enjoy the show!

Jeremy Baldauf (he/him)

FOURTH SEASON

Based in Vermont, Jeremy has been a freelance technical designer for 10+ years, traveling the East Coast and beyond. He is excited to be returning for his fourth season with the Weathervane! Jeremy is also an active member of IATSE Local #481.

Christa LeBlanc (she/her) 

FIRST SEASON

is a NYC-based scenic designer and artist, and is excited to be joining the Weathervane for her first season! Some of her favorite past works include designing CARRIE: THE MUSICAL (MMC) and scenic charging A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Engeman Theatre). Sending love to Rosco, her cat.

Claire Morgan (she/her)

THIRD SEASON

Graduate of SCAD with a BFA in painting and minor in costume design, and a local artist with 15 years of sewing experience. Costume designer for four productions, including Weathervane’s CLUE, and associate designer on more than 11, including A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM and EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE.

Chris Payne (he/him)

FIRST SEASON

Chris is excited to join Weathervane. He is a Chicago-based lighting and video designer who recently finished his MFA at Wayne State. Recent credits include lighting design for PLAY THAT GOES WRONG and TARTUFFE, and video design for ROCKY HORROR at Wayne. Recently, he was the lighting supervisor at APT.

Ashley Harkey (she/her)

FIRST SEASON

Ashley is a sound designer and technician from Longview, Texas, based out of Shreveport, Louisiana. She recently graduated from Northwestern State University with a B.F.A in Production and Design. She can’t wait to be a part of the Weathervane’s upcoming season!

Cass Burgess  (he/him)

SECOND SEASON

Cass is a multidisciplinary theatre artist and poet known for his meticulous attention to detail and unrelenting dedication to examining life’s hard truths. He is excited to return to the Weathervane for his second year as props designer. Learn more about him at cassburgess.com.

EGYPT DIXON*, she/her 

SEVENTH SEASON (Resident Stage Manager) Credits: National Tours (Asst. Stage Manager): PARADE, THE NOTEBOOK; Atlantic Theater Company (Production Stage Manager): ANATOMY OAS; TFANA (Assistant Stage Manager): FEFU AND HER FRIENDS; Weston Playhouse (Asst. Stage Manager): INDECENT. 

Sam Powers* (he/him)

SECOND SEASON

Select regional credits include: GableStage – EUREKA DAY, Act II Playhouse – PROOF, Olney Theatre – A CHRISTMAS CAROL, MWO- LEWIS AND TOLKIEN, Kennedy Center – SHEAR MADNESS, Round House – A HANUKKAH CAROL, Florida Studio Theatre – THE WORLD GOES ‘ROUND.  www.sampowersstage.com | @sampowersstage

RIEN SCHLECHT*, she/her

TWENTY-SECOND SEASON

Favorite Weathervane designs include THE TEMPEST, 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. 

HANNAH SHOWALTER*, she/her

SIXTH SEASON

This is Hannah’s sixth season with the Weathervane. Hannah graduated from Keene State College with a BA in Theatre and Dance. Last season, Hannah played Jan in GREASE! She is super excited about season 61! 

STEPHEN SONDHEIM (1930-2021) wrote the music and lyrics for Saturday Night (1954), A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (1962), Anyone Can Whistle (1964), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), The Frogs (1974), Pacific Overtures (1976), Sweeney Todd (1979), Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Sunday In The Park With George (1984), Into The Woods (1987), Assassins (1991), Passion (1994), Road Show (2008) and HERE WE ARE (2023), as well as the lyrics for West Side Story (1957), Gypsy (1959), Do I Hear A Waltz? (1965) and additional lyrics for Candide (1973). Side By Side By Sondheim (1976), Marry Me A Little (1981), You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow (1983), Putting It Together (1993/99), Moving On (2001), Sondheim On Sondheim (2010) and Old Friends (2023) are anthologies of his work as composer and lyricist. For films, he composed the scores of “Stavisky” (1974), co-composed the score for “Reds” (1981), and wrote songs for “Dick Tracy” (1990). He wrote songs for the television production “Evening Primrose” (1966), co-authored the film “The Last of Sheila” (1973) and the play Getting Away With Murder (1996) and provided incidental music for the plays The Girls of Summer (1956), Invitation To A March (1961), Twigs (1971) and The Enclave (1973).

He won the Tony Award for Best Score for Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and Passion, all of which won the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award, as did Pacific Overtures and Sunday In The Park With George, the latter also receiving the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1985).

Stephen Sondheim was born and raised in New York City. He graduated from Williams College, winning the Hutchinson Prize for Music Composition, after which he studied theory and composition with Milton Babbitt. He served on the Council of the Dramatists Guild, the national association of playwrights, composers and lyricists, and served as its president from 1973 to 1981. In 1983 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters and in 1990 was appointed the first Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre at Oxford University. He was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors in 1993, the National Medal of Arts in 1996, the MacDowell Medal in 2013 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. His collected lyrics with attendant essays have been published in two volumes: “Finishing the Hat” (2010) and “Look, I Made a Hat” (2011).

In 2010 the Broadway theater formerly known as Henry Miller’s Theatre was renamed in his honor, and in 2019 he became the first living artist to have a theatre named in his honor on Shaftesbury Avenue when the refurbished Queen’s Theatre in London’s West End was renamed the Sondheim Theatre to commemorate his 90th birthday, by Sir Cameron Mackintosh.

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.