Porthouse Theatre

Adopt a Student Artist Program

2011 Student Adoption Program

Cost: $300.00 or two for $500.00!
Value: Priceless

Porthouse will proudly provide educational internships to over 80 young theatre artists who are currently working towards degrees in theatre programs across the country. By adopting any of the students pictured on the following pages with a donation of $300.00, you will be helping to defer a portion of the educational expenses that Porthouse provides for our students each season. More importantly, you will be instilling in our students the final piece of their education this summer; one that cannot be taught on a stage, in a shop, or at a desk.

To Adopt Any of the Students Shown Below, Please Call 330-672-3884 or email porthouse@kent.edu

We accept Visa, MasterCard or Discover and Cash or Checks.

Checks can be made out to Kent State University Foundation/Porthouse Theatre and mailed to:

Porthouse Theatre
Attn: Adoption Program
1325 Theatre Drive, MSP-B141
PO Box 5190
Kent, OH 44242

2011 Students Brittany Barnes – Box Office Brittany is a senior in the Theatre program at Kent State and is very excited to be joining the Porthouse Family this Season! When not involved in theatre, she enjoys dancing, watching old movies, and being a self proclaimed “book-worm.” She looks forward to her final year of undergrad and the glorious thrill of graduation -- just on the horizon!
James Baxter- Carpenter James Baxter is from Dallas, Texas and goes to Hendrix College. This will be James's first summer at Porthouse Theatre!
Aundrea Belhasen- Stitcher/Dresser Intern Aundrea Belhasen is from College Station, Texas and attends Texas A & M University.
Jennelizabeth Bice- Box Office Manager- Adopted by Elsie & Jack Joy Jenna Bice is a current graduate at Kent State University's Higher Education and College Student Personnel Program. This is her fifth summer working for Porthouse Theatre and is excited to get started as the Box Office Manager. When Jenna is not working she is enjoying a lovely picnic or baking her favorite cupcakes. She would love to have a Porthouse Family to bake for during this summer.
Emily Bowe- Stitcher/Dresser Intern Emily Bowe is from Chagrin Falls and is going to school right here at Kent State!
Holly Breuer- Scenic Designer of CHICAGO Holly Breuer is currently a Scenic Design MFA student at Kent State. She is a theatre props artisan by trade, and when she isn't working at Porthouse she spends her summers working for the Adirondack Theatre Festival in Glen Falls, NY. Holly likes outdoor activities like hiking and playing frisbee, but when the weather isn't nice she can just as easily be found curled up on her couch watching an old movie with her cat, Regan. Moving to Ohio for school is the first real time she's spent in this state, so she is looking forward to figuring out more about what there is to do around here!
*Dave Burrington –Costume Designer for CHICAGO and THE SUNSHINE BOYS* and First Hand** Dave Burrington is a second year Costume Design MFA candidate at Kent State, where he earned his BFA in Dance Performance in 2008. Hamlet marked Dave's theatrical drama design debut. He was the costume coordinator and designer for Kent's 2010 fall faculty dance concert, assistant costume designer for the American Music Festival's 2009 season, and has performed, as well as costumed for Travesty Dance Group/Cleveland and Verlezza Dance. Future costume designs for Chicago and Sunshine Boys can be seen at Porthouse, summer 2011.
Eric Byrer – Actor: Bye Bye Birdie Eric recently graduated in June from Ball State University, but his hometown is Shelbyville, IN. He enjoys swimming, playing board games, architecture, cooking, and traveling. He loves to eat chips and salsa and sushi. He studied architecture for a year before switching to musical theatre. He has a severe desire to travel the world and experience new cultures, although he has never even been out of the country. HE minored in Spanish and is actually ¼ Mexican. Someone should adopt him because of his positive and fun-loving nature.
Dane Castle – William Barfee in Spelling Bee and Mayor in Bye Bye Birdie Dane recently graduated from Kent State University with a BFA in Musical Theatre. Dane isn’t shy to the Porthouse Stage and is so happy to be returning! He would love to be adopted by a warm family who he can sing to.
Brian Chismar – Asst. Sound Engineer Brian is so thrilled to be working at Porthouse Theatre. This is his first time working here and can’t wait to get started, to meet all the new people and see how the shows come out.
Kelly Cosgrove – Stage Management Intern Kelly is so excited to work with Porthouse Theatre. She is currently a Kent State student pursuing her degree in Theatre. She loves to bake and can’t wait to eat a picnic with her adopted family.
Melissa Cotton – Gloria Rasputin and Deborah Sue in Bye Bye Birdie Melissa is a BFA student at Kent State University. This is her first summer working for Porthouse Theatre. She can’t wait to meet the cast and crew and start a new section of her career. Melissa loves to sing and hopes a family will adopt her so she can sing them a diddy.
Cameron Dashiell – House Manager Cameron is a first year acting graduate at Kent State University. She is looking forward to working with both cast and crew during the Porthouse Theatre Season.
Joseph Dunn – Box Office Joe is so excited to be working at Porthouse Theatre this summer!! Yay!! And he wants to thank KB for being Awesome! And JB for the same!! He loves to bake and eat food – he hopes to be adopted by someone who will feed him!!
Rocky Encalada – Mayor Wife Bye Bye Birdie – Box Office Rocky is a new MFA actor at KSU. Some of her favorite roles have included the Narrator in Blood Brothers and Lucille in The Cemetery Club. Originally from Miami, FL, she misses Cuban food and would like to find a random Cuban restaurant somewhere in Ohio. She spends most of her time off stage playing catch-up with her reading and relaxing with her husband, Eric, and their 3 cats. She has a slight obsession with penguins that has resulted in a huge collection. She would really like to be adopted by a wonderful family since she and her husband are so far away from theirs in Florida.
Christopher “Herby” Ersing – Mens Dresser Herbe is so excited to be working for Porthouse Theatre! He can’t wait to start working in the costume shop with all the amazing costumers. He hopes to be adopted by a family so he can tell all his crazy stories to!
Vincent Ester – Bye Bye Birdie Vincent is so excited to be in Bye Bye Birdie and and can’t wait to get started! He is currently a student at Kent State University. He loves to sing, play instruments, and dance. Adopt him and he’ll sing to you, while playing.
Bethany Ferry – Box Office Bethany is a junior at Kent State University where she is studying Musical Theatre. Her favorite roles include Cinderella in the Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s title show and an Indian in Peter Pan. When she is not involved with a show, she enjoys learning to play the piano. Her favorite colors are purple and green and loves chocolate! Bethany was involved in the first Porthouse Academy last summer and would love to have an Adopted Porthouse family this upcoming summer!
Vanessa Gabriele – Asst. Stage Manager Vanessa will be a senior in the fall at Kent State University. She is working toward a Theatre Major with a focus in Stage Management/ Minor: Public Relations. This is Vanessa’s third year working at Porthouse and is so excited to be returning! Her favorite kinds of shows are musicals. Even though Vanessa is from Canton, Ohio, she would love to be adopted by a special family!
Caroline Goddard Caroline is so excited to be welcomed into the Porthouse Family!! She loves singing, dancing, and doing crazy things with her friends. When she isn’t a student at Kent State University she teaches dance at a studio in Ravenna. Her favorite shows are Jekyll & Hyde and Phantom of the Opera. After graduation Caroline would love to live in the Big Apple either dancing on stage or creating costumes for shows.
Uriel Gomez – Asst. Designer for Spelling Bee Uriel is so excited to be on the Porthouse Team! He’s coming from a long way and hopes a family will adopt him so he can be loved this summer.
Charles Gwathney - Carpenter Charles is excited to be working with the Porthouse Family. He loves to build things and work in scene shops. His favorite part of a show is watching it all come together. He would love to have an adopted family this summer to watch the shows with.
Allyson Hammersley – Facilities and Concessions Allyson is so excited to be a part of Porthouse. This is Allyson’s first summer with the Porthouse Family and can’t wait to get started. Allyson loves to write, sing, and perform. When she isn’t studying for her degree in Theatre you can see her hanging out with her friends watching movies. She would love to be adopted by a family who enjoys Tim Burton.
Amy Harpenau - BYE BYE BIRDIE Amy will be a senior at Ball State University this fall where she is currently studying Musical Theatre and Dance. Originally from Floyds Knobs, IN, Amy will graduate in May 2011 and hopes to move to New York City. When she is not acting, singing, or dancing Amy enjoys playing tennis, learning to play the guitar, exercising, boating in the summer, and reading a good book. Her favorite colors are pink and yellow, and she loves Trail Mix and Gummy Bears! Amy had the opportunity to perform in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Edinburgh Scotland in 2007. Amy would be thrilled to have an Adopted Porthouse family since her parents live in Southern Indiana.
Renee Highley - Scenic Artist Renee is so excited to be a apart of Porthouse Theatre. Renne is coming all the way from Missouri State University and would love to have a family for her to visit and eat with while she is here this summer.
Joshua Hughes – Bye Bye Birdie Josh will be a senior at Kent State University where he is studying Musical Theatre. His favorite roles are Lefou in Beauty and the Beast and Ching Ho in Thoroughly Modern Millie. When he is not acting Josh likes to volunteer and hang out with his friends! His signature color is blue and he is addicted to cookie dough blizzards from Dairy Queen. Josh would love to have an Adopted Porthouse family seeing as how his lives four hours away.
Kaitlin Jones - Stitcher Kaitlin is a senior at West Texas A&M University in quaint Canyon, TX. Though not a native Texan, her time there has made her a Texan at heart. Kaitlin loves the honest comedy of Paula Vogel, and loves reading her plays with a cup of tea at hand. She also enjoys baking, and playing ultimate frisbee, though never at the same time. She would be grateful to have an adopted family this summer, and looks forward to a great season!
Kyra Kelley – Asst. House Manager Kyra is excited to be working for porthouse! She is currently pursuing her degree in Theatre at Kent State University. She can’t wait to get this summer started so she can have fun.
Molly Knight – Asst. Designer Bye Bye Birdie Molly is so excited to be working for Porthouse Theatre and can’t wait to start sewing!!
James Koehnle – Props Master Jim is so excited to be working for Porthouse Theatre and can’t wait to start making Props!!!
Nick Lentocha – Asst. Master Electrician Nick can’t wait to start at Porthouse theatre. He would love to be adopted by a family that loves to cook – because he Loves to eat!
Danny Lindenberger – Leaf Coneybear in Spelling Bee and Hugo Peabody in Bye Bye Birdie Danny is very excited to be a member of the Young Professional Company this summer! He is 21 years old, and from Bath, Ohio. He graduated in May with a Musical Theatre BFA from Kent State University. He began performing in theatre the summer before his freshman year of high school, and havn't stopped since. He plans on moving to New York City after graduating from Kent State. “Adopt me!”
Curtice Lockhart – Facilities and Concessions Curtice is so excited to be working at Porthouse Theatre! He can’t wait to meet his staff and work. He looks forward to all the great times at the theatre and meeting his adopted family!
James Lynch – Asst. Choreographer for Bye Bye Birdie, Box Office and Mr. Johnson in Bye Bye Birdie James is in his first year of the Graduate School program for his Masters in Fine Arts. When James isn’t on stage performing, he loves teaching or choreographing. James loves to dance and sing! And when he does – it melts your heart.
Kaylin Major – Box Office Manager Kaylin is a junior at Kent State University where she is studying Theatre. Her favorite roles are Elizabeth in The Crucible and Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. When she is not acting she likes to listen to music and play her guitar or piano! She is obsessed with the color teal and she adores smoothies and teddy bears. Kaylin would love to have an Adopted Porthouse family!
Bree Marks - Carpenter Bree loves Porthouse and can’t wait to start her first summer here working in the scene shop. Bree is a Kent State student studying Theatre. She would love to travel the world and experience new cultures. When Bree isn’t in the scene shop she is caught with her friends watching movies and hanging out. She would love to have a family this summer to play games with and eat a picnic or two.
Marissa McWilliams – Women’s Dresser Marissa is a sophomore at South East Missouri University pursuing a BA in Theatre. She has been on wardrobe crew for numerous years and a stitcher. She recently was a costume designer and would love to share this with her adoptive family!
Steve Meshenberg - Electrician Steve is a senior at Kent State University where he is studying Technical Theatre with concentrations in lighting, sound, and stage management. He is happy to be part of the Porthouse Technical Team as master electrician this summer. On the rare occasions Steve is found outside of the theatre, he can be found at Rec. center climbing the rock wall. He can also sometimes be found in front of a piano, or behind a sax or electric bass, and on extremely rare occasions behind and in front of all three. Steve would greatly enjoy being a part of your Adopted Porthouse family. Perhaps you could convince him to play you a ditty...from on top of the rock wall!
Megan Mingus – Concessions Manager Megan is from Homeworth, Ohio and is a senior at Kent State University where she is studying Theatre Design and Technology. Her past work includes: Grapes of Wrath, Ubu Roi, Twelfth Night, Jane Eyre, Three Sisters, and so much more. When she is not painting in the KSU scene shop, she spends quality time reading and collecting pigs. Megan is so excited for her second season at Porthouse and is looking forward to celebrating the summer with an Adopted Family.
Carolina Morones – Company Manager Carolina just finished her first year as a Masters student in the MFA program at Kent State. She is originally from Oakland, CA and misses her family and the beach. When Carolina isn’t working she loves to read plays and dance Samba. She hopes to be adopted by a family who loves to dance and have a good time!
Bailey Moulse – Alice in Bye Bye Birdie Bailey favorite food is ice cream and favorite color is PINK! She would love to be adopted because she has great comedic timing and has 3 rods on her spine. “So please….help a child in need. You can write me off on your taxes as charity work !”
Darren Nash – Rev. David Marshall Lee in the Foreigner Darren loves pizza and the color blue! His favorite hobbies are sports and outdoor fun. His favorite role was Petruchio in Taming of the Shrew. Some interesting facts about Darren are that he has a BS in Biology and was an internationally ranked swimmer years ago. He has also taught surfing lessons to many kids and adults. Originally from Laguna Niguel, California, Darren is a first year Graduate student at Kent State. He wishes to be able to come back in 10 years and share all of his experiences with future KSU theatre students
Derric Nolte – Box Office and Asst. Lighting Designer Derric is currently working towards his BFA in Theater Design and Production (concentration in lighting design) from the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music (anticipated graduation: March 2011). He discovered his love for lighting design through working with Dynamics Community Theatre and Weathervane Playhouse. He would love to show an adoptive parent(s) behind the scenes of Porthouse and how it all happens/comes together!
Zachary O’Connor – Asst. Company Manager Zachary is so excited to be at Porthouse Theatre! He is a Theatre and Communications Major at Westminster College. He loves to watch movies, eat spicy food, and dance the night away! Zach hopes to be adopted by a family that loves life and adventure!
Cassie Rea – Logainne Schwartzandgrubenniere in Spelling Bee and Kim MacAfee in Bye Bye Birdie Cassie is so excited to be at Porthouse Theatre! One of her favorite shows is Bye Bye Birdie and she is so excited to be Kim MacAfee this summer! She hopes to be adopted by a family with children because she loves to play games and eat picnics.
Dick Reiss - Facilities Manager Dick is so excited to be back at Porthouse Theatre! He loves the Porthouse atmosphere and spending time with his second family. When Dick isn’t working you can catch him enjoying a good play, spending time with his beautiful wife, or in the scene shop being a master of building. His favorite person in the world is Roe Green or how he refers to her – Mama Roe! He thanks her for all of her support and love throughout the years!
Maren Ritter – Olive Ostrovsky in Spelling Bee and Helen in Bye Bye Birdie Maren is so excited to be working at Porthouse this summer! She is coming all the way from Ball State University. When she isn’t performing on stage you can catch her singing, exercising, cooking, Bananagrams, and movies. Something not everyone knows is Maren is a PK (A pastor's kid). She has clubbed thumbs, can impersonate a rooster, and has never eaten at Kentucky Fried Chicken. Maren cannot wait to have a Porthouse family! She is a happy, hard-working, energetic person, who loves being on stage, meeting new people, and traveling to new places. She is so excited about the opportunity to perform one of her dream roles of Olive in Spelling Bee this Summer.
Jess Roberts - Carpenter Jess is a senior theatre tech major at Elizabethtown College in PA, where she has had the pleasure of working on shows as a carpenter, stage manager, sound designer and much more with her amazing theater family there! When not in the theater she really just enjoys spending time with friends laughing and having a good time watching movies, playing Frisbee or just hanging out! Jess would be so grateful to have a Adopted Porthouse family to spend some time with while in Ohio because her family is in Camp Hill PA!
Jason Samuel – Mitch Mahoney in Spelling Bee and Maude in Bye Bye Birdie Jason is so excited to be returning to the Porthouse stage. He has missed his second family and can’t wait to get started. He loves to sing and perform. He would love to be adopted by a family who can share a picnic or a game of catch.
Carly Shiner - Electrician This is Carly's first year at Porthouse Theatre! She just finished her first year at Kent State University, where she is a Theatre Studies major, with a concentration in lighting. Recently she was a Co-Master Electrician for Grapes of Wrath and her favorite on stage role was the fishmonger in A Christmas Carol! Last year she was a part of the State of Ohio's Academic Challenge team and travelled to Disney World for the National Competition. Her favorite color is purple and loves to eat popsicles in the summer. Carly would love to have an adoptive family to have picnics with this summer, and maybe eat a popsicle or two.
Emily Smith – First Hand Emily loves Porthouse and is so exited to work this summer with all the Faculty and Staff of Kent State University. When Emily isn’t in the costume shop you can find her watching movies and hanging out with her friends!
Jason Dean Smith - Carpenter Jason is so excited to start in the scene shop for Porthouse! When he isn’t building scenery you can catch him building paper airplanes and playing around in open fields with them. He hopes to be adopted by a family that loves to play in fields and throw paper airplanes. .
Christina Stephens – Asst. Props Master Christina is so exited to be working at Porthouse this summer. She loves making props and is really looking forward to making and baking food for the stage. She hopes to be able to bake cupcakes this summer for her adopted family!
Kalee Stoll – Facilities and Concessions This is Kalee’s first summer at Porthouse Theatre. She is a student in the Theatre program at Kent State University. When she isn’t working on or off stage you can see her with her friends hanging out and watching movies! She would love to be adopted by an amazingly cool family!
Hannah Storch – Stage Management Intern This is Hannah’s first summer and she is so excited to get started and working as an intern for stage management. She loves theatre and loves to watch it all come together. She hopes to be adopted by a family that loves theatre just as much as she does!
Mandy Swing – Costume Designer for Foreigner Mandy just graduated from Kent State University, and will be attending Rutgers in the fall for an MFA in Costume Design. Her favorite memory of Porthouse was working as a Dresser backstage during "Peter Pan" and hearing the kids in the audience gasp when Peter flew for the first time. When she's not working, she likes to read, cook, and go on walks. Her favorite color is purple and she loves eating Vegan pasta. Mandy would love to have an Adopted Porthouse family because she loves meeting new people!
Eric Tsuchiyama – Chip Tolentino in Spelling Bee and in Bye Bye Birdie Eric is an enthusiastic 22-year-old who enjoys photography, reading, and youtube surfing. Originally from Battle Creek, Michigan, Eric just finished his junior year studying Musical Theatre at Central Michigan University. His favorite foods are pasta and rice. Eric would love to be adopted so he can feel some great, Ohio family energy even when the Michigan folk can’t be there.
Jennifer Warfield-Lead Carpenter Jennifer is so excited to be working for Porthouse this summer. She loves to be in a scene shop! She hopes to be adopted by a great family!

Phillip Webster – Master Carpenter Phillip is about the enter his third year of the MFA program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale with a focus in Technical Directing. After he earns this degree he wished to find a technical directing position at a university. He would love to be adopted.
Annie Wessendarp - BYE BYE BIRDIE Annie will be a sophomore Musical Theatre major at Kent State University in the fall. Favorite past roles include Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie, the Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods, and Aida in Aida. My favorite color is purple, with pink and blue running a close second. Favorite food, though there are many, would have to be potatoes (in any form). Her interests include board games, Disney movie marathons, Frisbee, and picnicking; aka anything fun I can do with my friends and family. She would love to be adopted this summer because her parents live in Cincinnati, four hours away from Porthouse Theatre. PLEASE ADOPT ME
Emily Wilson – Stitcher/ Dresser Intern Emily can’t wait to get started at Porthouse Theatre!!
Lisa Wilson - Stitcher Lisa can’t wait to get started at Porthouse Theatre!!
Cody Zak – Bye Bye Birdie Cody can’t wait to get started at Porthouse Theatre! He loves to sing and dance and is so excited to be in Bye Bye Birdie. He is currently a Kent State student pursuing his degree in theatre. He would love to be adopted by a family who loves the arts.
Jonathan Zelezniak - Carpenter Jonathan is a senior Bachelor of Arts Theatre Major at Youngstown State University. He loves working on lights and designing them. He hopes to be adopted by a great family!

Adopt a Student Artist Program

2011 Student Adoption Program

James Lynch – Asst. Choreographer for Bye Bye Birdie, Box Office and Mr. Johnson in Bye Bye Birdie