Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
RACHEL MAYER (General Manager, President) is a senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University, majoring in Biology and Society and Education. This is her seventh production with the MTC. She started in the company as Makeup Artist, and then decided that she wanted to become more involved. She served as Stage Manager after her fourth production and then moved on to Assistant General Manager and finally General Manager and President. Rachel is very excited to continue her work with the Company, and would like to thank all of the cast and staff who make the MTC possible.
BRYAN BOTTI (Director) is really excited for his sixth MTC production, having performed in the MTC's Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party, Little Shop Of Horrors, Cabaret, directed the MTC's The Last Five Years and served as Property Master for I Love You Because. He has also been in various shows back home in Livingston, NJ as well as here in Ithaca. Bryan is a senior biology major at Cornell University, and after graduation, he plans to attend medical school. He wishes the cast, crew, and staff to break all their legs and hopes you enjoy the show!
TIM DYSTER (Assistant Director, Co-Director of Marketing) is a junior biology major with pre-med in Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is Tim's third production with the MTC. Previous MTC credits include Candide (Assistant Director) and I Love You Because (Jeff Bennett). Tim would like to thank Rachel for her leadership, Bryan for his trust, and Jeff Cox for his existence. He would also thank the friends he has made at the MTC for giving him a place that feels like home, and, of course, his family, Maggie and Sam for their support and encouragement.
JEFF COX (Music Director, Conductor) is a sophomore music major at Cornell University. Previously, he served as Assistant Music Director for the MTC's production of I Love You Because. He has studied piano with Ellen Bacon, Blaise Bryski, and Paul Merrill. Onstage, he appeared as Dr. Horrible in Risley Theatre's production of Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog. Other show credits include Chad in All Shook Up and Andrews in a concert version of Titanic. Jeff would like to thank Bryan and the rest of the production staff for being great to work with, the cast for their professionalism and talent, his music and performance teachers for their guidance, his family for their love and support, and his friends for keeping him sane. Many, many thanks to the audience for supporting what we do.
TOM BONOMO (Assistant Conductor)
TYLER EHRLICH (Orchestra Director) is a freshman at Cornell University in the College of Arts and Sciences. As a clarinetist, Tyler performs with the Cornell Wind Ensemble and Big Red Marching Band. He has also played with the New Jersey Region I and All State Wind Ensemble. Tyler has performed as a featured soloist with the 2009 New Jersey All State Symphony Orchestra. Other musical involvement includes 1776 and Annie Get Your Gun. As a conductor, Tyler has led both onstage with the Paramus High School Concert Band as well as from the podium with the Paramus High School Spartan Marching Band. He would like to thank his family and friends for their constant support, and his past and present music teachers for all they have taught him.
MELINDA ZOEPHEL (Technical Director, Scenic Designer) is a junior architecture major at Cornell University. This is her second production with the MTC, having previously served as Technical Director and Scenic Designer for Candide. She has been involved in technical theatre and set construction for years, but the MTC has been her first opportunity to design for the theatre. She would like to thank the MTC staff for a great opportunity and experience.
CHRISTINA CHAPLIN (Director of Photography)
JESSICA WESTON (Director of Photography) is a senior English major and photography minor at Ithaca College, originally from Western New York. She is also in her third semester at The Actor's Workshop of Ithaca, where she studies the technique of Sanford Meisner under the inspiring direction of Katie Spallone. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels marks Jessica's fourth production with the MTC, having performed in Cabaret and served as Director of Photography and Graphic Designer for I Love You Because and Candide. She has previously performed in George M!, Guys and Dolls, Bye Bye Birdie, and How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. Jessica would like to thank her family and friends for supporting her in everything she does and is so excited to have the opportunity of sharing this experience with such a wonderful cast and crew!
KATIE TRETTER (Co-Director of Marketing, Business Manager) is a senior in the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University where she is concentrating her studies in marketing and food industry management. This is her first production with the MTC and she is extremely excited to work with members of the company over the next year! Katie is also the President of the Dyson Undergraduate Business Council, a Student Coordinator for the Cornell Fitness Centers, member of Ho-Nun-De-Kah Honor Society, a member of the Cornell Food Fellows, and a sister of Kappa Delta Sorority. She would like to thank her family and friends for their neverending support and encouragement. She would also like to thank the cast and crew for being so enthusiastic and making her first production with the company so memorable.
BRENDAN HAMMOND (Stage Manager) is excited to return for a second production with the MTC having previously served as Dramaturg for Candide last spring. He would like to thank all the wonderful cast and crew who put so much of their effort into this production.
STEPHANIE MEISSNER (Costume Designer) is a senior English major at Cornell University with concentrations in Theatre Production and Visual Studies. She thinks boas, bows and sequins make for a sartorial sensation, and thus she is thrilled to be designing costumes for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
WEILI SHI (Lighting Designer), originally from North Potomac, MD, is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University majoring in computer science with a minor in theatre arts. Most recently, she has served as Assistant Lighting Designer for the Schwartz Center's production of Big Love and as Light Board Operator for American Buffalo and Passing Strange at the Studio Theatre in Washington, DC. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is her first production with the MTC. She would like to thank the cast and crew for being really fantastic.
JOEY MORO (Sound Designer)
LAU OWENS (Makeup Designer) is a sophomore philosophy major and international relations minor at Cornell University. This is her second production with the MTC, and she is excited to be a part of the production process. She previously did makeup for the MTC's Candide last spring. Lao also does makeup for the Springfield Municipal Opera in her hometown of Springfield, Illinois.
DORA FRAEMAN (Graphic Designer)
ANDRE VALEZQUEZ (Assistant Graphic Designer) is a sophomore mechanical engineering major at Cornell and is happy to be returning to the MTC for a second production. Having done set painting for MTC's production of Candide he is excited to be working on graphic design for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Andre is a studio artist in his spare time and has worked on design projects and murals at West Windsor Plainsboro High School South. He would like to thank the MTC for giving him the opportunity to let loose some creative juices!
JOEY TRISKA (Dialect Coach) is a long-time actor, director, and all-around devotee of the theatre currently studying engineering at Cornell University. He enjoys playing many instruments - only a couple of them well - and amateur filmmaking. He has been studying, teaching, and generally imitating any accent he hears for as long as he can remember. This is his first year with the MTC and he has greatly enjoyed working with this talented cast and crew.
JASON McNAMARA (Construction Crew)
ERIC WELLER (Run Crew) is currently a freshman at Ithaca College, majoring in Music Education. This is his first production with the MTC. In the past, he has built sets for Oliver, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Sweet Charity, and Mame.
ROBERT BERG (Senior Copywriter) has been involved in the MTC since its first production of Assassins and has since performed such varied company roles as Lead Creative Consultant, Associate Producer and Dramaturg. Robert holds a Masters in Theatre History and Criticism from CUNY Brooklyn and a Bachelors in Liberal Studies from SUNY Purchase. He is also the proud co-founder and co-president of Striking Prose, Inc., a professional freelance copywriting company. Additionally, he is a critic with a popular website and recently appeared as an expert panelist on the TV Guide Network’s The 25 Greatest TV Characters of All Time special. Robert currently lives in New York, NY, with his partner and somewhere around 400 DVDs and 500 books.