Cast and Crew Biographies

So the cast and crew where asked to write a short biography of themselves as well as some thoughts on the show and here they are!

Mickey Brooks, Max
Mickey Brooks is currently a freshman at CSU with a major in theatre. He is very excited to say that this is his first show at CSU and it definitely won't be his last. His previous experience includes many shows with his high school troupe in Sugar Land, Texas, as well as a few performances with the Masquerade Theatre Company in Houston. Mickey would like to thank all of his friends for their support and love, and especially his family for always being there for him.

I'm excited to be in Bent because it's the first Holocaust play I've ever done. I know it will probably be the most challenging role I've ever played, and I'm sure I'll come out of it with long-lasting memories.

I think the audience can get a lot out of this show. I definitely think that there will be a renewed sense of the horrors of the Holocaust, especially for those victims who weren't Jewish. I also think that it'll help the audience become more aware of the homosexual community, then and now.

Christina Fontana, Assistant Director and Stage Manager
Christina is in her second year at CSU, studying Theatre and Pre-Dentistry. She was Asst. Stage Manager for reheats of The Miracle Worker, Asst. Master Electrician for multiple shows and performed in the 2006 Production, Too! one act plays and Murder for Words, a one act musical. She would like to give a special thanks to her parents, brother and friends for all of their support in everything she does and loves.

I’m thrilled to be part of Bent because it will be fascinating to watch such an influential script grow into a powerful show.

I hope that the audience will walk away from the show with a better understanding that victims of concentration camps were truly human and their sufferings should not be forgotten.

Meghan Gray, Lighting Designer
Meghan is a third year at CSU, but this is her first as a theatre major. She’s worked every main stage show since her freshman year as well as many of the smaller productions and is thrilled for her first design opportunity.

She hopes the audience will learn as much from this show as she has. Meghan would also like to give thanks to everyone who supported and helped her through her first lighting adventure. May there be many adventures to come.

Austin Hall, Uncle Freddie
Austin Hall is a senior Theatre-and-Technical Journalism double major who has been an ugly woman, a burgeois man, a soldier and a gravedigger in his shows at CSU (James and the Giant Peach, Cyrano and Hamlet, respectively). Austin has also worked on the technical aspects of many CSU productions and is currently developing his own senior thesis project for the spring.

Austin is excited to be in Bent because he believes that it will be an expanding experience, and he is excited to be a part of something that he believes that the audience will walk away from with an expanded view.

Andrew Katers, Horst
Andrew Katers is a senior in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Theatre. His previous roles at CSU include 1st lieutenant in Cyrano de Bergerac, a player in Hamlet, and countless parts in various one act plays and directing scenes.

I am excited for the role in Bent, because it will be a challenge; also, Bent is a very powerful piece.

What I think the audience will take away with them…Other than me having an orgasm onstage, I know that my character is proud of what he has and who he is, even when it isn’t very much. I hope the audience will take this away with them after the show.

Kris Nowak, Captian
My name is Kris Nowak and I am a freshman at CSU. I am currently majoring in Broadcast Journalism because I feel like that would be the perfect major for my personality. This will be my first show at CSU, so I am pretty excited about that. I haven't done all that much theater in my past so I am kind of new to all this but I am very excited. I consider acting one of my passions along with many other things.

I am excited to be in Bent because I feel as if it is going to be a very strong performance and everybody else's enthusiasm is just glowing so far, so that is good too.

I think the audience will take away some good knowledge on this period of time and I also think that they will be very blown away by the emotions displayed up on stage.

Josh Savage, Rudy
My name is Josh Savage, I'm a current Theatre major, and this is my first play at CSU. At Windsor High, I probably had the most fun portraying the mad hatter in Alice in Wonderland. But this, being a story of homosexuality in one of the most horrific events in modern history, is something of a challenge.

Hopefully the audience and I alike will walk away with a better understanding, appreciation, and reverence for what happened nearly seventy years ago.

Janell Sutton, Costume Designer
Janelle is a junior studying Theatre and Apparel & Merchandising. Her previous costume design credits include Catastrophe and 33 Swoons at CSU and A Year of Frog and Toad with the Children's Theatre Company of Sioux Falls, SD and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers with Up in Lights Productions in Loveland, CO.

Costuming Bent is a wonderful experience for Janelle to expand her knowledge and design skills.

She hopes that the patrons of this production will always remember what happened during the holocaust and strive to prevent history from happening again. History must be lived to be understood.

Erik Wood Holloway, Gaurd
Erik Wood Holloway is a double major in Psychology and Theater. He has assisted in the technical aspect of a number of shows, and was the voice of one of the disembodied men in the student run production of Low Level Panic.

I am excited to be in bent because it is a powerful play that will touch many people.

I believe that the audience will bring home with them just how powerful affection can be and how it can sustain a person, even during some of the most abhorrent abuse in history.

Joshua Wells, Wolf
Joshua Wells is freshman at Colorado State University majoring in Theater. This is Joshua’s first production at CSU and he couldn’t be more excited. He has had roles in many high school and community theater productions including “How to Make an American Teenage Quilt,” “Romeo and Winifred” and “Hair From the Head of a Prince.” Joshua’s favorite production was “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” in which he played Gideon.

He is excited to be in “Bent” because it is his first production at CSU and he knows he will learn so much.

After seeing “Bent,” audiences will walk away with a new sense of what went on during the Holocaust and maybe even tears in their eyes.

Dustin Demonja, Director, Scenic Designer, Sound Designer, Photographer
Dustin Demonja is a Senior at Colorado State University double majoring in Theatre, and Visual Arts Photography. Dustin has been actively involved in the theatre program here at CSU since his freshmen year. He has been involved in James and the Giant Peach, was assistant stage manager for Waiting for Godot, played several roles in Cyrano De Bergerac, Stage Manager for The Miracle Worker, Projections Designer for The Laramie Project, Stage Manager for Low Level Panic, and played several roles in 33 Swoons. Dustin has also been involved in theatre in the community working with Bas Bleu Theatre Company, and playing the lead role of Mickey in Bas Bleu’s Production of Greetings! last winter. Dustin is excited to have the opportunity to direct this beautiful piece of theatre and to be working with so many talent people. He would like to thank his parent’s for their continuing love and support, as well as his many friends.

I think Bent will leave audience members with a factual sense of what happened in the holocaust and how hate and prejudice can be taken to the extremes.

Stephanie McGowan, Graphic Designer
Stephanie McGowan is a senior at Colorado State University majoring in Graphic Design and receiving a minor in business. This is Stephanie’s first time designing a poster for a production here at CSU, however she hopes it won't be her last. Stephanie has designed posters for the National High School Rodeo Association, covers for Aurora Public Schools: Program Planning Guide, Logos for businesses, along with many other things She is so honored to be designing posters for such a great piece directed by a very talented friend of mine.

I think Bent will leave the audience with a factual sense of what happened during the Holocaust, while also touching on hate and prejudice issues that were present then and are still issues in today’s society.

Xandra Leigh Stegmaier, Greta
Theatre and Dance Major
Scapin, Murder for Words, Production 2, and worked on Picasso, Hamlet and Swoons.

I'm excited for Bent because I have never played a drag queen before and I was in love with the script the moment I read it.

This play will make the audience think and understand the lives of the characters. I expect people will stay silent for the first ten minutes after they leave and then start discussing how they felt about it.

Chelsea Reeverts, Hair and Makeup Designer