Theater Reunion Benefit Show

Labor Day weekend 2018

Cast members from the past 14 years traveled from both coasts to revisit songs from Bethany musicals:

If I Could Have Been (Working 2004-05 and 2017-18) featuring Emily Morgan Kisor ('05) and Olivia Lapadat ('18)
Joe (Working 2004-05 and 2017-18) featuring Mitch Stutzman ('07) and Philip Krabill ('19)
The Heather on the Hill (Brigadoon 2005-06) featuring Stephanie Hollenberg ('07) and Jay Mast ('08)
Raising a Child By Yourself (Adventures of Tom Sawyer 2006-07) featuring Stephanie Hollenberg ('07) and Mitch Stutzman ('07)
I Can Read (Adventures of Tom Sawyer 2006-07) featuring Emily Bowman ('08) and Jay Mast ('08)
We Beseech Thee (Godspell 2007-08) featuring Emily Shenk ('11) and Jay Mast ('08)
Children of the Wind (Rags, 2008-09) featuring Elyse Morgan
The Sound of Music (The Sound of Music 2009-10) featuring Sara Klassen ('10)
I’m Comin’ Out of My Shell” (Frog and Toad 2010-11) featuring Sadie Gustafson-Zook ('13)
People Will Say We're in Love (Oklahoma 2012-13) featuring Lucas Morgan ('13) and Sadie Gustafson-Zook ('13)
All 'Er Nothin (Oklahoma 2012-13) featuring Jesse Bontreger ('13) and Erin Bontrager ('15)
Does the Moment Ever Come (Just So 2013-14) featuring Katie Shank (Elephant's Child)
Thick Skin (Just So 2013-14) featuring Rachel A. Schrock (Rhino)
The Lights of Long ago (A Christmas Carol, 2014-15) featuring Erin Bontrager ('15) and Jesse Amstutz ('15)
Magic Foot” (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee 2015-16) featuring Kyle Snyder ('16)
Hold Your Head Up Reprise (Honk! 2016-17) featuring Dustin Miller ('18) and Sarah Leininger ('17)
Fathers and Sons (Working 2004-05 and 2017-18) featuring Gavin Rusel ('18)
Close Every Door (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat 2011-12) featuring Lucas Morgan ('13)
Go, Go Joseph (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat 2011-12) featuring Lucas Morgan ('13), Sara Erb ('12), Andrew Snyder ('13)

Emily Morgan Kisor (Class of 2005)

Emily Morgan Kisor majored graduated from Hope College and then Indiana University School of Medicine.

She is a pediatrician in Elkhart/Goshen area and has the privilege of working as a partner in the same practice as her mother.

Her music career now consists of singing Disney songs with her two-year-old daughter, Elowen, and her husband Jacob.

Emily says, "I am thankful to have been a part of Talashia’s first year at Bethany. Learning her choreography .... We finally had someone who could beautifully teach Mennonites to dance!"

Jennifer (Miller) Sears (Class of 2006)

I graduated from Goshen College with a degree in Music Education in 2011. I just started my fifth full year of teaching music at Chamberlain Elementary in Goshen.

Being a music teacher is the BEST! I get to sing, dance, laugh, and play all day with the most amazing kids in the whole wide world.

It has been a huge joy to see my former students start growing up into unique individuals and be involved with sports, music, performing, and many other things at the middle and high school levels. I can't wait to see where they go next!

Stephanie Hollenberg (Class of 2007)

Stephanie graduated with a BA in Bible and religion from Goshen College (2012) and an MM in vocal performance from the Longy School of Music in Boston (2016).

As a professional freelance singer, Stephanie wears many hats: church musician, voice teacher, Christmas caroler, recitalist, and opera singer.

Recent roles have included Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel, 2018), Papagena (Der Zauberflöte, 2017), Zerlina (Don Giovanni, 2017), and Holly (Rapture, 2017).

Mitch Stutzman (Class of 2007)

After graduating from Bethany, I completed an associate’s degree at Hesston College in music and theater performance and then my bachelor’s degree at Eastern Mennonite University in K-12 Special Education. In my professional career I have served in public school special education, student development in higher education, institutional advancement, and human resources. I now work for Everence Financial as a stewardship consultant serving individuals, organizations, and congregations with education and resources related to holistic Christian stewardship and financial generosity.

In recent years I have been able to scratch my music itch serving as president of the Kansas Mennonite Men’s Chorus, a 300-member choir based in central Kansas. My wife, Jasmine, and I reside in Hesston, Kansas.

Emily Bowman (Class of 2008)

I graduated from Goshen College with a double major in theater and psychology.

I then led out-trips for teenagers and program directed for Camp Squeah in British Columbia for several years and picked flowers in New Zealand for a season.

More recently I served with Mennonite Central Committee as the Connecting Peoples Coordinator for three years in Honduras.

Currently, I am working on my EMT certification and just completed a hike of the 550-mile Bruce Trail in southern/central Ontario.

Jay Mast (Class of 2008)

Jay Mast, MFA, moved to Chicago shortly after graduating from Goshen College and immediately began performing with classical and musical theater companies such as Lifeline Theater, Emerald City Theater and Benevolent Theater.

Jay was in the original cast of "Hansel and Gretel" by Justin Roberts and Ernie Nolan at the Broadway Playhouse in Chicago and is on the original cast recording (check it out on iTunes and Amazon). He has continued his work teaching, directing, and performing on stages in Houston, Fargo, and of course, Chicago.

He recently completed his MFA in acting at University of Houston's Professional Actor Training Program. He resides in Chicago and is enjoying friends and family, while furthering his professional career as an administrative artist.

Elyse Morgan (Class of 2009)

Elyse was part of an all-women’s a capella group Freshly Brewed at Butler University and graduated in 2012 with a BA in psychology.

She attended medical school at Indiana University and just started medical residency in June (2018) for combined training in pediatrics and psychiatry.

She uses her “extra” time to sleep, struggle in Barre work-outs, and sing along to musicals at the top of her lungs while cleaning and doing laundry in her downtown Indianapolis apartment.

Sara Klassen (Class of 2010)

I graduated from Goshen College with a degree in peace, justice, and conflict studies.

I have lived in Cambodia and travelled around southeast Asia for a year with the Mennonite Central Committee SALT program.

I was trained in Gestalt Pastoral Care, completed Yoga Teacher Training, and recently became owner/manager at Spacious Heart Yoga in Goshen.

Emily Shenk (Class of 2011)

I graduated from Eastern Mennonite University with a degree in elementary education.

I taught English at Academia Menonita Betania in Aibonito, Puerto Rico, for a year and a half.

I am now starting my second year teaching fourth grade at Model Elementary School in Goshen. I use my theater background every day in the classroom, leading theater exercises, what Talashia taught me, as brain break activities with the kids.

Sara Erb (Class of 2012)

I graduated from Butler University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Music in bassoon performance and in July received my Master of Music from the Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester, England). I have begun classes for the Doctor of Music degree at Indiana Univeristy’s Jacobs School of Music.

While my main focus is preparing for a career in academia and administration, I’ve continued to have a freelance performance career, have done several solo competitions, and am an active member of several chamber groups, as well as being a teacher/coach for undergraduate students and chamber ensembles at IU. I am actively involved with Sigma Alpha Iota, a professional music fraternity for women and an organization dedicated to the expansion of music education for youth around the world.

Jesse Bontreger (Class of 2013)

Since moving to Los Angeles a year ago, Jesse has been working as a production assistant on various film and TV projects. He spent most of this past year working on HBO's Westworld, followed by a few upcoming feature films. He is currently working on another feature for Annapurna Pictures that has just entered pre-production. Work aside, Jesse's taken up screenwriting and recently began classes in improv comedy at The Groundlings School in Hollywood.
Jesse is super excited to perform with a mix of his friends, older alumni he looked up to as a student, and younger alumni he directed after graduating. Bethany theater is incredibly valuable and the show is sure to be a wonderful celebration of all the artistic collaboration that has been passed down over the years.

Sadie Gustafson-Zook (Class of 2013)

I am living in Boston, Massachusetts, finishing my second and final year of a Master's program for Jazz and Contemporary Music at Longy School of Music of Bard College. I'm studying voice, which is fun and relates to Bethany theater because I first started taking voice lessons at Bethany so I could be in musicals! I also perform as a singer-songwriter and am in the midst of a number of projects, one of which is the folk band Theory Expats. We toured this July for the first time since 2016 and are happy to be playing together again. I'm very excited about this performance because I'll get to share the stage with old friends, new friends, as well as actors and actresses who I really admired as a middle and high schooler. I've been dreaming of a cross-generational theater reunion for years so I'm thrilled that it's finally happening!

Lucas Morgan (Class of 2013)

I attended Butler University, where I studied psychology and neuroscience.

I am currently a second-year med student at IU (on a satellite campus in West Lafayette).

This summer I conducted neuro-imaging research at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.

Music provides a great stress relief for me in my schooling, whether it be through playing the piano or singing with friends.

Amber Heydon (Class of 2013)

I am working on my Bachelor’s Degree in communications and film studies at Indiana University.

I have kept active in musical productions at The Lerner in Elkhart.

I have also ventured to Chicago and been involved in a few background roles in television shows on NBC, FOX, and Showtime, as well as a Netflix movie.

Andrew Snyder (Class of 2013)

After high school I attended Goshen College, where I earned a BA in sports broadcasting with a minor in mathematics.

Upon graduating I served as sports marketing coordinator for Goshen College athletics for six months before transitioning to my current job in accounting for StairSupplies/Viewrail.

Ming Woo (Class of 2013)

I took some time off of studying after a year at SUNY Buffalo, then transferred to Goshen College as an accounting major.

I’ve been enjoying my time in Goshen, including helping with the musical production at Bethany as an assistant director.

Rachel Schrock (Class of 2014)

I graduated from Columbia College Chicago in May 2018 with a BA in comedy writing and performance.

As part of my program, I performed in a Second City-style sketch review that featured one of my original songs.

I was also featured in Columbia’s comedy senior showcase, also held at The Second City.

I am living and working in Chicago full-time.

Katie Shank (Class of 2014)

I graduated from Goshen College in May 2018 with a degree in music education.

I now teach music at Parkside Elementary in Goshen.

I’ve also been to Peru on SST and worked at Camp Friedenswald.

Erin Bontrager (Class of 2015)

I am currently in my fourth year at Goshen College studying Biochemistry. I plan on applying to medical school after I graduate in 2019.

At Goshen College I have enjoyed multiple trips outside of the country, including a three-month trip to Peru for SST in 2017.

This past summer I researched gastric cancer at the Harper Cancer Institute in South Bend.

I am also enjoying coaching this season as an assistant for the volleyball team here at Bethany!

Hans Miller (Class of 2015)

I am a senior at Goshen College studying accounting, singing in the men’s chorus and playing tenor sax in the jazz band.

I completed SST in Peru and have worked at Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp.

Yejin Kim (Class of 2016)

I'm in my third year at Goshen College, majoring in Music (piano and music for social change) and minoring in Spanish. I have enjoyed staying in the Goshen community and am excited to reconnect with some of the performers and community members through musical theater.

I very much enjoyed playing Marcy Park, from 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. For those who are unfamiliar with the role, Marcy is a champion rugby player, loves Mozart and can speak six languages.

Sarah Leininger (Class of 2017)

I am in my sophomore year at Huntington University working on my Bachelor’s degree in elementary education.

During my summers after high school, I have worked at daycares and substitute taught.

Daniel Robles (Class of 2017)

I am a sophomore at Goshen College, where I am studying computer science.

I have continued my involvement in theater (portraying a pirate in the spring 2018 production of The Pirates of Penzance).

This past summer I’ve had the experience of working for Nuway construction, helping as cleaning crew and doing some demolition.

Sierra Campbell (Class of 2018)

I am studying at Goshen College and teach kids classes at GoDance Studio.

Jonah Hochstetler (Class of 2018)

I am a first-year student at Goshen College.

Gabriella Klopfenstein (Class of 2018)

I am a first-year student at Goshen College.

Olivia Lapadat (Class of 2018)

I attend Calvin College, majoring in biology as I prepare to be a vet.

Izzy Mujica (Class of 2018)

This summer I participated in Goshen College’s study-service-theology term to Guatemala for high school students and worked as a counselor at Amigo Centre.

I am a first-year student at Goshen College.

Abby Rudy-Froese (Class of 2018)

I attend Conrad Grebel/University of Waterloo, studying arts and business specifying in social work.

Gavin Rusel (Class of 2018)

I became a Certified Nursing Aide at Greencroft and am a first-year student at Goshen College.

Madison Swartzendruber (Class of 2018)

I worked at the Essenhaus all summer and went on a church service trip to Atlanta.

I'm now in my first year at Hesston College.