POTUS - NMU Theatre and Dance

Amilee Alvarado - Amilee Alvarado is a senior in the BFA Acting program here at NMU. Proudly Texan, she is enjoying her fourth year in the UP. Previous performances include PUFFS, Frankenstein, and A Streetcar Named Desire. When not in a show she can be found working quick changes in FRT shows, bartending at the northern center or working for the ticketing office. While she knows her name is hard to pronounce she would like to note its said (uh-my-lee). Amilee has had the best time while playing Harriet and can't wait for you to see the show! Enjoy!

Isabella Fontaine - Isabella Fontaine is ecstatic to play Jean in her 5th Black Box show. Isabella is a senior in the BFA Musical Theatre Program and will be graduating this Spring! Some of her favorite roles here include Blanche Dubois - A Streetcar Named Desire; Fritzie Kost - Cabaret, and Bev - Clybourne Park. She hopes you pay attention to the fact that sometimes the alternative isn't as scary as it may seem <3.

Riley Joy - Riley Joy is thrilled to be making her return to the Black Box as Stephanie! She is a Junior here at Northern Michigan University, where she is pursuing her BFA in Acting with a minor in English. Some of her recent regional and educational credits include: Tragedy Sound, A Streetcar Named Desire, Crazy for You, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show! She is beyond excited to be performing in yet another all-female lead show alongside such a talented Cast, Crew, and Director, and hopes that everyone enjoys this show as much as she does. Bye-bye! IG: @therileyjoyofficial

Bo Marcum - Bo is so excited to be working on POTUS! This is their final show at NMU and they are thrilled to be wrapping up the year with Bernadette. Bo has been in previous NMU productions such as last years Rocky Horror as Eddie and in the Senior Showcase this past spring. Along with Assistant Music Directing many shows including Jesus Christ Superstar, Anything Goes and Rocky Horror. They would like to thank the amazing cast and crew for making this show what it is today, and they hope you enjoy POTUS!

Jailyn Johnson - Jailyn Johnson is thrilled to play Margaret in NMU’s production of POTUS. She is currently pursuing a BFA in Acting at Northern Michigan University. Her recent theatrical credits include Tragedy Sound, Cupid’s Cabaret, and The Rocky Horror Show. Originally from the Dallas, Texas, area, Jailyn is passionate about storytelling, performance, and bringing dynamic characters to life on stage. She is excited to share this production with audiences and work alongside such a talented cast and crew! IG: Nmu.Catcreator. jailyn

Elizabeth Planica - Elizabeth is thrilled to play Dusty in NMU's production of POTUS. She is entering her final year at NMU, pursuing a BFA in Acting and minor in Journalism. Some of her recent credits include Marie in Ctrl+ Alt+ Delete and Estelle in No Exit. She is so grateful for the opportunity to work with an insanely talented group of artists and hopes you enjoy this wonderful production!

Brianna Lowery - Brianna Lowery is a third-year student at Northern Michigan University, pursuing a BFA in Acting. She has loved performing for as long as she can remember. Being able to perform on stage in any way brings her immense joy, and provides a safe place for her to be brave, make crazy choices, and express herself in many different ways that she normally wouldn’t do in her daily life. Some past shows she has been in consist of, The Rocky Horror Show, both freshmen and sophomore year as the Narrator and a Phantom, and Much Ado About Nothing as a swing for Hero and Margaret. She has grown so much in these past three years here at NMU, and she is so grateful for being given the opportunity to showcase that growth in this amazing production. 

Aly Vega-Sanchez - Aly Vega-Sanchez is a proud Latina Actress from McAllen, Texas. Currently in her 3rd Year at NMU, where she is pursuing a BFA in Acting. She is part of The Diverse Arts Society Board and her Credits include in Night of Color 2025, Much Ado About Nothing as "Conrade", and most recently been seen in 9 to 5 as "Maria/Heel ensemble". She's had a great time working with these beautiful and incredibly talented women. I use my voice to advocate for the Latinx community, women’s rights, and immigrants in search for the American Dream. I am passionate about using my platform to uplift and always honored to represent those whose stories deserve to be heard. IG: @alyvegasanchez

Deyanna Milan - Deyanna Milan is currently a Freshman BFA Acting major playing Margaret/Chris Understudy. Some previous productions she's performed in include West Side Story, The Little Mermaid, Newsies, and Sister Act. Deyanna has also participated in productions as a wardrobe crew member and has been a costume designer on multiple shows, including Descendants Jr and Dot & Kangaroo Jr. You can also catch her this Winter in A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time as Mrs. Alexander/Voice Six and Your Romeo as Charlotte. She hopes you enjoy the show! IG: deyannamilan
 

Abby Brennan (Hair & Makeup Crew) - Abby is a Sophomore BFA Tech & Design student and this is her 5th show working as a hair and makeup artist. She is beyond passionate about her role in the productions she gets the opportunity to work on, and so excited to be a part of the POTUS crew. Working on a more comedic based show is a newer experience for her, and she can't wait for everyone to see such an energy ball of a show.

Abs Burkle (Run Crew) - Abs is an acting student with a minor in music. With a background in theatre and vocal performance, she’s excited to work on POTUS and explore another side of theatre by contributing to the technical aspects of a production as a performer. When she’s not in the theatre, you can find her singing, playing piano, or discovering new ways to combine her love of performance and music.

Ali/Kit Candiliotis (Assistant Costume Designer) - Ali/Kit Candiliotis is a sophomore at Northern Michigan University currently pursuing a BFA in Theater Technology and Design with a minor in Art and Design mostly focused on film. After graduation Kit hopes of becoming either a properties designer or a film editor. Ali has been doing theater for over 7 years some shows including Rocky Horror Show at NMU along with Sense and Sensibility at Interlochen Arts Camp. In their free time Ali likes to read, write, play video games, and draw with drawing they hope to one day get to work on a comic. The comic would be about a guy called Elliot Koji being framed for a crime he didn’t commit and becomes roommates with criminals.

Lucy Christoph (Stage Manager) - Lucy is so excited to help stage manage her first show at NMU! Some of her previous credits include Stage Management Fellow for The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition and Production Stage Manager of The Wizard of Oz and Antigone her senior year of high school! Enjoy POTUS!!

Jamie Downing (Technical Director) - Jamie Downing is a third-year BFA theatre tech and design major focusing in scenic design, stage management, and technical direction. This past summer they worked as a properties artisan with the Ohio Light Opera, and have worked previously as a production assistant for Live Design International’s 2025 trade show, and as the head carpenter for Tibbits Opera House’s 2025 summer season. At NMU, some of their favorite shows they’ve participated in have been as the production stage manager for Tragedy Sound, as the assistant technical director for 9 to 5, and as the scenic designer for Ctrl + Alt + Delete. They are excited to continue working on shows at NMU this year as the production stage manager for Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, and as the assistant technical director for CO/LAB’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. When they’re not making magic happen onstage, Jamie enjoys watercolor painting, embroidering flowers on their pants, going on adventures and enjoying what little sun they can find, and spending as much time as they can with their loved ones.

Trinity Hall (Hair and Makeup Crew) - Trinity is excited to be on her first crew position at NMU! She's currently a freshman pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre. She's worked on Wildcat Theatre Follies as an actor.

Lillian Luedke (Run crew) - Lillian is thrilled to be on run crew for POTUS! She is a freshman BFA Musical Theatre major here at NMU, and previously performed in Wildcat Theatre Follies in September. A Washington State native, Lillian loves hiking and exploring outdoors, cooking and baking, reading, skiing, and spending time with her friends and family. She extends her gratitude to this stellar cast and phenomenal team, and hopes you enjoy the show!!

Julia Neuman (Lighting Designer) - Julia Neuman is thrilled to be a part of the creative team for POTUS as the lighting designer. She is a junior working towards a degree in Theatre Technology & Design. Recent shows at NMU that Julia was a part of include Come From Away (Pit Orchestra Technician), A Streetcar Named Desire (Head Electrician), and Ctrl+Alt+Delete (Assistant Lighting Designer). This past summer, Julia was typically found behind a lightboard or in the catwalks at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis or theatres in Wisconsin. She loved working on shows such as The Pirates of Penzance and The Light in the Piazza. Julia hopes you have a great time at POTUS and other shows this season! IG: @junetheatretech

Evie Pylman (Light Board Operator) - Evie Pylman is enthusiastic to work on this production of POTUS and make her technological debut! She is going into her second year at Northern Michigan University where she is studying Theatre Technology and Design with a focus in lighting, sound, and media. Some productions that she has worked on recently are The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe and Annie. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to work and learn alongside this hard-working and talented cast and crew, and hopes the show makes you laugh as hard as she has!

Ashley Rinehart (Production Stage Manager) - Ashley Rinehart is honored to be the Production Stage Manager for POTUS. 
She is a senior BFA Theatre Technology ans Design student with a concentration is Stage Management. This is her 13th show here at NMU with recent credits in Ctrl+Alt+Delete, 9 to 5, Cabaret and others. 
She is so excited for you to see the wonderful work this cast and design team has curated for you! Instagram: @ashley.e.rinehart

Moss Schrock (Properties Designer & Properties Artsisian)- Moss Schrock the Properties Designer for POTUS, she is a third year at NMU and this is the second show she has designed here. She has previously been the Stage Carpenter: Crew Lead for Tosca at the Des Moines Metro Opera, she's also been a Stage Manager for Into the Woods here at NMU. Out of all of the productions that Moss has worked on in the past, this show has given the biggest challenges she has faced. Moss is ecstatic to rise to the occasion and provide the props the actors need to put on such an amazing show. With the amount of props and the amount of detail needed for this show, Moss is proud to say that she is ready for the audience to see all the hard work that every designer, actor, and crew member has put into this show. She hopes that everyone enjoys the show, and she can't wait to work on the next production.

Charlotte Somerville (Costume Designer) - Charlotte Somerville is thrilled to have costume designed POTUS at Northern Michigan University! A Senior in the BFA Theatre Technology & Design program with a minor in Dance, Charlotte is passionate about bringing stories to life through costume, character, and a healthy dose of whimsy. She loves approaching theatre as both an art and an engineering challenge, combining detailed research, creative problem-solving, and unconventional thinking to make theatrical magic happen. Their work spans costume design and construction, puppetry design and engineering, and hair and makeup, with credits including Much Ado About Nothing, 9 to 5, Ctrl Alt Delete, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. This summer, Charlotte joined PCPA's 63rd Summer Season as a Wardrobe Intern, expanding their experience in professional theatre and collaborative costume work. She’s especially drawn to the intersection of craftsmanship, technical innovation, and imaginative storytelling, and is always looking for new ways to make the seemingly impossible possible onstage!

Jamie Weeder (Director) - Jamie Weeder has always steered herself toward the dark, difficult, and discarded, with her chosen weapon of storytelling in hand. An artist, educator, and psychotherapist, her work explores the intersections of theatre, human behavior, social justice, and the beautifully inconvenient complexities of being alive. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University (B.S., Theatre and Music Performance) and Northern Michigan University (Master of Social Work), Jamie has spent nearly two decades performing, directing, devising, and facilitating theatre as a vehicle for both artistic expression and social inquiry. Her work has taken her from professional stages to correctional facilities, classrooms, therapeutic spaces, and communities whose stories are too often left untold. Jamie is the co-founder and artistic director of the Upper Peninsula Shakespeare Festival and Wolf's Head Theater Company. Her interdisciplinary practice draws from the Theatre of the Oppressed, applied theatre, grief studies, and the dramaturgy of human relationships, guided by an enduring curiosity about what happens when we dare to look more closely at ourselves and one another. She remains particularly fond of art that makes people laugh, squirm, think, and occasionally reconsider what they came in believing.