I Love You Because
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JEFF TISSUE (Austin Bennet), originally from Pittsburgh, PA, is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University. He is ecstatic to be making his MTC debut as a member of this incredible show! In high school, Jeff played Javert in Les Misérables. At Cornell, he is also a member of Absolute A Capella. He would like to thank his family for their constant support and encouragement to always go one step further and his friends for always being there to catch him if he falls. Also, to everyone involved with this show, a huge thanks for their enthusiasm and love throughout the entire process.
TIM DYSTER (Jeff Bennet) is a sophomore biology major with pre-med in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences. I Love You Because marks the first production Tim has been involved with since high school, and he is incredibly excited to be returning to the stage. He would like to thank Juli, David, Adrianne and Jeff Cox for all their artistic assistance, his family and friends for their endless support, and his cast mates for their unwavering encouragement. Finally, Tim would like to extend a very special thank you to Sam Matthews, for her patience and faith in him. He wishes her the best of luck in all her future endeavors.
EMILY PUTNAM (Marcy Fitzwilliams), a sophomore Musical Theatre major at Ithaca College, is excited to be participating in her second MTC production, after playing Woman 1 in last fall’s Songs For A New World. This past summer, she appeared in Fight With Love, an annual benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Other credits include three seasons of A Christmas Carol at Geva Theatre Center, Leading Player in Pippin, In Love & Waiting (world premier) at Boston University STI, Laurey in Oklahoma!, and Jane in Jane Eyre: The Musical. Love to family and friends, LITF & DGB, “You’re the person I want to be better for.”
SAMANTHA MATTHEWS (Diana Bingley) is a senior at Ithaca College. Past work includes: MTC’s The Wild Party (Kate), Little Shop of Horrors (Assistant Director) and TTT’s Thoroughly Modern Millie (Ms. Dorothy). Samantha would like to thank everyone in the cast and crew for all of their hard work. Mom and Dad: Thanks for always making the trip; your constant support keeps me going. Alex, thanks for being there through thick and thin. Andrew, Jared, and Carolyn, you inspire me in ways you’ll never know. Thank you for being a part of my life and preparing me for the adventures to come! Love you!
LAUREN BAMFORD (Cocktail Waitress), originally from Attleboro, MA, is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University. She is so excited to be in her third production with the MTC! Past MTC credits include The Last Five Years (Cathy), and Cabaret (Fraulein Schneider). Other past theater credits include The Sound of Music (Maria), Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey), Chicago (Roxie), and Grease (Rizzo). She is also a member of Anything Goes. She would like to thank everyone in MTC for giving her such a warm welcome as well as her family and friends back home for their unending supply of love and encouragement.
MICHAEL J. CASHMAN (Bartender) is an Ithaca College student, originally from Long Island, NY. He is excited to be returning to the MTC! Past credits include Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors, Rolf in The Sound of Music and Roger in Grease. Thanks to the cast and crew, and to his friends and family for their love and support.
OLIVIA FECTEAU (Ensemble) is a junior in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell, pursuing a minor in Theatre Performance. Hailing from East Syracuse, NY, Olivia has performed on stage since junior high, appearing in such shows as Grease (Sandy - her favorite role), The Taming of the Shrew (twice!), Stage Door, Beauty and the Beast, Oklahoma!, and Cinderella, as well as MTC’s Little Shop of Horrors. She is grateful to be a part of such an amazing cast and would like to thank all the Melos - and of course, her family and friends for always supporting her and coming to see her shows.
DAN POWERS (Ensemble) is a senior history major at Cornell. This is Dan’s first production with the MTC and he’s excited to be involved, particularly with such a tight ensemble. Other credits include Inherit the Wind at the Schwartz Center in 2007, Cornell’s Student Lab Theater Company, and Ryan Oliveira’s The Last of Lucy and Mina at Risley Theatre. He enjoyed being a part of this show, and would like to thank the cast, the guidance of Director David Musselwhite, the Assistant Directors, the pit, and, of course, Jeff Cox.
KATIE VAN CLEAVE (General Manager & President) is a senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University, majoring in Atmospheric Science. She has served as Stage Manager for MTC’s productions of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street as well as Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party and served as General Manager for The Last Five Years, Songs For A New World, and Cabaret. I Love You Because marks her sixth season with the MTC. She would like to thank her ever-supportive family and friends. Congratulations to a wonderfully talented and dedicated cast and crew!
RACHEL MAYER (Assistant General Manager, Stage Manager) is very excited to be working for the MTC for her fourth semester, having previously served as Makeup Artist on company productions of Little Shop Of Horrors, The Last Five Years and Songs For A New World and stage manager for Cabaret. She is a junion at Cornell, majoring in Biology and Society, with a concentration in women’s health. Rachel is also in Kappa Delta Sorority. She would like to thank the directors, Katie and the rest of the company for putting together such an amazing show!
DAVID MUSSELWHITE (Director, Set Designer, Lighting Designer) is a senior in Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Hailing from the land of Jimmy Carter, Little Richard, peaches, and peanuts, David has spent the past two years educating Ithacans about the true charm of a Southern gentleman. Past MTC credits include Jamie in The Last Five Years and Assistant Director for Cabaret. Other theatre experience includes three semesters with Anything Goes, Andrei in Anton Chekhov’s The Three Sisters, Robert in David Auburn’s Proof, as well as directing a regional debut of Marsha Norman’s ‘Night, Mother. He would like to thank the MTC staff and crew for being such thoroughly lovely people, and his grandparents for their unending love and support.
JULI KLEIST-MENDEZ (Assistant Director)
ADRIANNE FEDORCHUCK (Musical Director) is a senior at Ithaca College, double majoring in Music Education and Vocal Performance.  She is delighted to be returning to MTC for this season’s production, having previously been on staff for last spring’s Cabaret.  Although she has been a part of numerous musical theater productions, herself, Adrianne loves being a part of the creative process as well.  Working on this show has been an absolute pleasure! Unending praise and thanks go out to the cast and the rest of the staff for being so incredibly talented and wonderful to work with.
JEFF COX (Assistant Musical Director) is grateful to be part of a fantastic production team and to have worked with a really awesome cast. A freshman at Cornell from Syracuse, New York, Jeff has been involved in other student organizations including Risley Theatre and Anything Goes. This is his first directing position; in the past he has enjoyed performing in musicals and various ensembles. Recent roles include Dr. Horrible in Risley Theatre's Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Andrews in a concert version of Titanic and Chad in All Shook Up at the Jamesville-DeWitt High School. He would like to thank the staff for a great first experience in music directing, his music teachers past and present, and his family for their constant support.
NANCY KANE (Choreographer) has been a professional performer, choreographer, and teacher for over twenty years.  Her works have been performed in London, New York, Italy, and France, using a wide variety of genres.  She recently began working with stage combat and is recognized as an advanced actor combatant by the Society of American Fight Directors.  Currently President of the National Dance Association (on leave), she teaches in the musical theatre program at SUNY Cortland and directs the dance program at the Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts.  To the cast and crew: as dancers traditionally say, “Merde” (which kind of means “break a leg”) and thanks for letting me be part of this production!
CHRIS TOLBERT (Pit Director) is currently a senior at Ithaca College majoring in Music Education. As a trumpet player, he is on the substitute list with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and is a member of the brass quintet Five Cents Sharp. Conducting has become one of his prevailing interests since his first production with the MTC in the spring of 2007. Since then, his involvement in musical theater has extended not only to conducting and playing in semi-pro and professional pit orchestras, but also to arranging and composing for Cornell’s Schwartz Center and other private theater projects.  Special thanks to the outstanding MTC staff, looking forward to another year of making great music!
JEFF PALEY (Technical Director), hailing from Cincinnati, OH, is a Senior at Cornell University studying biological engineering. He built sets in his high school theater, and has worked in the Schwartz center scene shop since his freshman year. This is his fourth season with the MTC.
CHRIS WOOD (Director of Marketing)
JESSICA WESTON (Director of Photography, Graphic Designer) 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.  I Love You Because marks Jessica’s second production with the MTC, having performed in Cabaret.  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!
ELIZABETH WHEELER (Costume Designer)
KRISTIN SUNDVOR (Business Manager)
BRYAN BOTTI (Props Master) is really excited for his fifth MTC production, having performed in MTC’s Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party, Little Shop Of Horrors, Cabaret, and having directed MTC’s The Last Five Years. He is a sophomore Biology major, premed, at Cornell University. He has been in various shows back home in Livingston, NJ as well as here in Ithaca. He’d like to thank the MTC for this opportunity.
TIM FASANO (Production Assistant), originally from North Haven, CT, is currently a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University, majoring in English and Psychology, with a concentration in biopsychology. MTC credits include The Wild Party (Eddie), Little Shop of Horrors (Mushnik), and Cabaret (Ernst Ludwig). Past credits include Rumors (Ernie), Twelfth Night (Toby Belch), and The Tempest (Caliban). Tim can currently be seen in Romeo and Juliet (Paris) at Cornell University’s Schwartz Center. He would like to thank all MTC members, new and old, for their enthusiasm and dedication.
ANDERS BENSON (Scenic Painter) is a Junior in the Hotel School at Cornell and plans to one day be a chef. He is a self-declared Renaissance man and enjoys creating in all forms. He has helped MTC produce shows since his freshman year and designed Audrey II for Little Shop of Horrors, served as Scenic Designer for The Last Five Years and Songs for a New World, and Assistant Scenic Designer for Cabaret.
BRYAN HAYES (Production Crew)
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 reviewer and has been published in David Hofstede's "5000 Episodes and No Commercials: The Ultimate Guide to TV Shows on DVD 2007." Robert currently lives in New York, NY, with his partner and somewhere around 400 DVDs and 500 books.