Krystle Dellihue (Mrs. Muller) is excited to be making her Open Book debut. She’s so grateful to be working with this talented group of artists on this timely piece of art. Her past credits include portraying Olivia in Ellipsis Theatre’s Twelfth Night, Jessica in Shakespeare in Detroit’s Merchant of Venice and most recently PTD Productions’ The Crucible where she played the complicated teenager Abigail. She wants to thank Wendy and Open Book for their support and the opportunity to explore the strength of this strong woman. She wants to thank her friends and family for their understanding and support. Sit back enjoy Doubt.
Margaret “Maggie” Gilkes (Sister Aloysius), is happily returning to Open Book. She previously was seen here in Good People as Dottie. between then and now Maggie has performed at BoxFest Detroit, Stagecrafters, Flint Youth Theatre New Play Festival, CMAP Detroit and the Farmington Players. Let’s also throw in some acting classes at Tipping Point in Northville. You are all pretty much all caught up. Oops… in January, you can see Maggie in Three Tall Women at Slipstream in Ferndale. Please enjoy this timely play, and many thanks to Wendy and Krista for your confidence in me. Closing night is my 45th wedding anniversary. Love you, Dave.
Joseph Sfair (Father Brendan Flynn) is glad to make a return to Open Book after his appearance in Recent Tragic Events as Ron. Joe holds a BA from Wayne State University. Other credits include Much Ado Para Nada, Hamlet, Macbeth, and the title role in Henry V with Shakespeare in Detroit; Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet with the Michigan Shakespeare Festival tour; The Glass Menagerie (Tom Wingfield) at Monsterbox; The People’s Temple , Ambition Facing West, and The Boy Who Cried at Puzzle Piece; Mating Calls and the world premiere of I‘ll Be Waiting with From Around Here Productions. Screen credits include the on-going Electron Blade, Stay, and the up-coming Normalton. Joe would like to thank his family for their support while taking on this role, and especially give thanks for the stories of love and doubt from his parents, grandparents, and Father Darrell over the years that helped inspire this performance.
Meghan VanArsdalen (Sister James) is thrilled to be back at Open Book Theatre, where you may recognize her from last season’s Be a Good Little Widow. She is a Michigan native who holds a BA in theatre from Siena Heights University and an MFA from The New School for Drama in New York City. Meghan has appeared onstage at The Actors Studio and the Hudson Guild Theatre in NYC. Locally, she has been seen in Constellations (Theatre Nova), All Childish Things (Roustabout Theatre Troupe), and Little Women, The Wizard of Oz, and Winnie the Pooh (Wild Swan Theater). Up next, Meghan is working on A Christmas Carol with Wild Swan in December and Welcome to Paradise at The Purple Rose Theatre Company in the spring. She enjoys spending her downtime exploring nature with her tail-wagging offstage scene partner, Roo, and attending trivia nights with her beau, Cary
Wendy Katz Hiller (Director) is delighted to be directing her second show for Open Book, having directed Time Stands Still last spring. She has previously directed for BoxFest Detroit and Theatre Nova’s 10-minute Play Festival. Wendy is perhaps better known for her on-stage work having performed in three shows at Open Book, most recently portraying Masha in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. Trained in acting at New York’s National Shakespeare Conservatory, Wendy has appeared with various Michigan theatres including The Jewish Ensemble Theatre, The Matrix Theatre, The Encore Musical Theatre Company, and The Michigan Shakespeare Festival where she received a “Wilde Award” for her performance as Mrs. Malaprop in The Rivals. She would like to thank Krista for giving her this wonderful opportunity, her cast and crew for their talent and hard work, and her family for their support.
Jillian Joie Dahl (Stage Manager) is a Detroit based stage manager, hailing from the East Coast where she received her BA in theatre from Susquehanna University and got her start with regional theatre. She is happy to return to Open Book after stage managing the Time Stands Still and Emilie last season. Past select credits include – Apprentice Delaware Shakespeare Festival: Midsummer’s Night Dream (ASM); Apprentice at The Purple Rose Theatre: 2AZ (HM), Casting Session (RA); Apprentice at Tipping Point Theatre: The Odd Couple (ASM), Stella & Lou (ASM), Don’t Dress for Dinner (ASM), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (ASM); City Theatre: Hockey the Musical (ASM,) Open Book Theatre: Emile (SM), Time Stands Still (SM); Outvisible Theatre: The JRB Musical Festival (SM). Much love and thanks to my Mom, Sami, Grandma, Sugar, Ferguson, Russell, this wonderful cast and crew. You can follow her on twitter: @BrunetteHeadset
Harley Miah (Lighting Designer) is a professional in the entertainment technology industry. He is a freelance lighting programmer for a large number of nightclubs, concerts and festivals across the country, and the chief lighting designer for IKO Global Productions. Harley is the resident lighting designer for Open Book and the Outvisible Theatre Company in Allen Park, as well as at Northville High School where he teaches students how to design lights. He has designed the lights for all of Open Book’s first four years, and designed sound for Boy Gets Girl in 2017. He earned a Wilde Award for Best Design – Lights for his work on Red in 2015. When not working in the theater, Harley spends his time painting, building Lego stages, loitering in museums, and seeing as many shows as he can in this great theatre community we have in Southeast Michigan. He hopes you do the same.
Cheryl Zemke (Costume Designer) is an award-winning fashion designer and owner of C. Creations Custom Sewing & Design. This is her fifth show with Open Book: she designed the costumes for Ada and the Engine, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Emilie and Picasso at the Lapin Agile. She loves working alongside directors and actors to help develop characters. Cheryl has her own garment label, C3, and sells her designs at shows and by private appointment, as well as provides custom fashion design and alterations (follow her on Facebook @c3fashions or www.cherylzemke.webs.com). Cheryl produces her own runway shows and participates in area shows like Fashion Massacre, Fashion in Detroit, Michigan Fashion Week, and RAINN. She was featured as one of the top Detroit area designers in the DIA: Samurai Beyond the Armor challenge. Awards include 2016 Best of Show and Judge’s Choice Stand Up Fashion Show, 3rd place Runway Repurposed, and 5 awards from the American Sewing Expo (2009-2012) Passion for Fashion.
Bradly Byrne (Scenic Designer) first tech directed in 1976 for the high school play The King and I, and picked it back up in about 1995 when his children were 8, 7 and 4 years of age. He got started with Youth Theater in Southgate and found it was a great way to be with his kids. His oldest recently turned 30 and he’s still at it! Bradly usually works on two or three productions year since then including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Once Upon a Mattress, Jesus Christ Superstar, Jekyll and Hyde and many, many more. Along the way he’s developed many techniques to produce a product as quickly as possible. Bradly was also a muleteer in Man of La Mancha and the lead in Smokey Joe’s Cafe.
Krista Schafer Ewbank (Producer) is the founding Artistic Director of Open Book. She recently received the Wilde Award for her performance in last season’s Emilie, and was previously nominated for her performance in Boy Gets Girl as well as for her direction of Peter and the Starcatcher. A native Michigander, Krista holds a degree in theatre from Northwestern University and has worked in theatres across the country. She also serves as the drama director for Grosse Ile High School (come see the fall play, Wiley and the Hairy Man, Nov. 16 and 17) and the Grosse Ile Boar’s Head Festival (Dec 6-9). Krista is grateful for her husband Sean, daughter Abby and Stouffer’s frozen dinners: without which none of this would be possible.