CAST
MEGAN ANDERSON (Gertie Cummings) is thrilled to be back performing with Home Made Theater. She was recently last seen performing as Osric in HMT’s Hamlet which opened this past March. Other performances include Home Made Theater’s Brigadoon in Concert (Ensemble), Bunbury Players’ The Diary of Anne Frank (Margot), Not So Common Player’s Footloose (Lulu), Schuylerville Community Theatre’s Cinderella (Ensemble/Dance Captain) and Confetti Stage’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Snout the tinker). She also serves on the executive board of Bunbury Players as their secretary. In her spare time she likes to read, exercise and run in 5k races. She would like to thank the production team for having her perform and would like to thank her parents and sisters for their love and support
SCOTT BROWN (Will Parker) is thrilled to be back with Home Made Theater for a chance to reprise a favorite character. Scott enjoys every minute in the theatre! Some of his most recent performances include Brigadoon (Ensemble) and Peter Pan A Musical Adventure (Smee) with Home Made Theatre, and Joseph… Dreamcoat (Gad) and School of Rock (Horace Green PTA) at SLOC. He hopes you enjoy show!!!
ERIKA BABUS (Ensemble) is making her debut with Saratoga Home Made Theater. In addition, her artistic outlets include Brain Medicine, an original Adirondack Bluegrass band as vocalist and founding member. In her free time she enjoys gardening with her neighbor; walking her dog, and snuggling her babies.
ANDREA BURGER (Virginia/Dance Captain) is excited to be returning to the Home Made Theater stage having last been seen as an Amazon in the ensemble of Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure. Andrea last appeared on stage at SLOC in Joseph…Dreamcoat. Favorite roles; Company (Kathy), Chicago (June), Nunsense II (Sister Mary Leo) and Anything Goes (Charity). Andrea would like to thank Shannon, Betsy and Julia for the opportunity to return to the world of Oklahoma once more, the cast and crew for a wonderful time, and her family and friends for their continued love and support. Love and hugs to my Angels!!
JESSICA CHAMBERLAIN (Ensemble) is excited to be back with Home Made Theater for Oklahoma!. Previously, she appeared with Home Made Theater in The Sound of Music (Nun). She has also been seen in Once on This Island (Storyteller/u/s Erzulie) with BTTUNY, Joseph… (Ensemble) with SLOC, and Nice Work If You Can Get It (Ensemble) with NSCP. By day, Jessica is a kindergarten teacher and loves to read. She would like to thank the whole cast, crew, and production team for this wonderful experience.
ISABELLA DICKINSON (Ensemble) is excited to be a part of Oklahoma! with Home Made Theater! She most recently appeared in Home Made Theater’s Holiday Cabaret. She has appeared in Miracle on LaCrosse Street two years in a row (as the toy Jesse, an orphan, a villager, an ELA signer, singer & dancer) She was a soloist in her Jackson Heights Elementary Spring Concert and this fall at Glens Falls Middle School as well. She just won 1st place with her friends in an airband competition that involved much choreography & dancing. She has also helped lead music at Kids Club at Pine Knolls church.
GEORGE DOHERTY (Cord Elam) has appeared at Home Made Theater in the murder mysteries High School Reunion 2024 (Helmett Headd) and Til Death Do Us Part (Jules Seller). He worked behind the stage in The Secret Garden. He enjoys kayaking, cycling, cooking, writing, and performing standup comedy.
ROBERT DUFFY (Andrew Carnes) is a teacher who began his career in Brooklyn 40 years ago and continues teaching in the Adirondacks. In the summer he is a lifeguard and counselor at the beautiful Forest Lake Camp. He volunteers his time as a NYS Tavern Inspector much to his wife’s chagrin. 25 years ago he appeared as a criminal in Home Made Theater’s Wait Until Dark and Cabaret. His method acting led to numerous arrests and so he left the stage. He would like to thank his daughter, Mary, for helping with rehearsals and his wife, Kim, for not killing him (yet).
SHEMP D. DRISCOLL (Prairie Dog) has been a regular at Home Made Theater since 2019. His two previous stage appearances were in Home Made Theater’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (Sandy) and Legally Blonde (Bruiser) with The Doane Stuart School. In his spare time, Shemp is a skilled sniffer of all things gross. He enjoys eating celery bones, play dates with his friends, and annoying his cat sister, Nessie.
ERIKA DURASKI (Ensemble) This is Erika’s debut performance with Home Made Theater and she is very excited to be a part of it! Her recent credits include: It’s a Flop Bombs Back at Bunbury Players; Willy Wonka (Mrs. Gloop) at Upstage Productions; The Bridges of Madison County (Ensemble) at Ghent Playhouse; Little Shop of Horrors (Chiffon) at Galway Players and Grease (U/S Frenchy/Ensemble) at FST. Erika is also a performer with Fantasy First Character Entertainment. In addition to performing she enjoys working with young children. Lastly, she would like to thank her friends and family for their constant support!
OLIVIA GULLESPIE (Ensemble) has never been in a production with Home Made Theater before Oklahoma!, but she is very excited to be here for the first time. Previous shows include, The Lion King Jr. (Young Nala), Xanadu Jr. (Ensemble), Into the Woods (Ensemble), and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Oompa Loompa), with BARC Theater. In her spare time, Olivia likes to make pots and bowls at the pottery wheel, travel, and bake desserts.
KENNETH KASCH (Curley McLain) is thrilled to be making his Home Made Theater debut. This is his third Oklahoma! and his first shot at Curley, having played Jud previously. A graduate of Wagner Colleges Theatre Department, other favorite roles include Sweeney Todd (Sweeney Todd), Les Miserables (Jean Valjean), A Tale of Two Cities (Sydney Carton) and Rehearsal for Murder (Alex Dennison). Love to the memory of his parents and thanks to Andrea for encouraging him to audition and for the carpool karaoke.
KENNETH J. KIDD (Jud Fry) has appeared in 3 National Tours including; Annie (Drake/Warbucks), Peter Pan (Noodler/Capt.Hook), and A Christmas Carol (Ghost of Christmas Present). Locally, Kenneth has appeared in over 75 productions at the Mac-Haydn Theatre including; State Fair (Abel), My Fair Lady (Doolittle), and Oklahoma! (Jud Fry), as well as productions at Capital Rep, Park Playhouse and The Theatre Institute of NY. On television Kenneth has appeared on The Blacklist for NBC and The Men Who Built America (William Jennings Bryan) for the History Channel. Many thanks to Shannon and the creative staff at Home Made Theater for this opportunity.
MICHAEL LONGO (Ali Hakim) is making his debut with Home Made Theater after a long hiatus from the stage. Some past memorable shows Michael performed in were Into The Woods (Jack), Little Shop of Horrors (The Dentist), and Bye Bye Birdie (Albert Peterson) just to name a few. Aside from making people laugh while on stage Michael likes playing the bass guitar and dabbling in the culinary arts.
KIMBERLY MARTIN (Fred) is excited to be working in the ensemble and as the fight choreographer for Her very first show with Home Made Theater. She recently worked on Classic Theatre Guild’s Lend Me A Tenor as costumer and intimacy coordinator. After Attending SUNY Oswego for Theater and Live Event Design Kim is ecstatic to finally be doing a musical again!
SHARON PIEGARO (Aunt Eller). This is Sharon’s second production with Home Made Theater. She appeared in Mamma Mia in 2019. She also appeared many years ago in Glens Falls Community Theater’s 70th Sensation Review. She’d like to thank her husband Frank and daughter Shannon for their support in this endeavor. Sharon also gives credit for her stamina and enthusiasm to her Zumba instructors Buffy and Ann at the Glens Falls YMCA.
LAUREN SCHIRHOFER (Laurey Williams) is an actor, singer, and teaching artist who has performed and taught throughout the U.S. and internationally, from Europe to South America. After receiving a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Boston Conservatory, Lauren studied theater at L’Ecole de Comédie Musicale in Paris, France. While in Europe, she taught English through music and theater, and was seen in the French premieres of new musical theater works Edges, Ordinary Days, Island Song, Next Thing You Know, and played Cinderella in Switzerland’s premiere of Into the Woods with the Collectif Sondheim in 2021. Now based in the Capital Region, she teaches voice from her home voice studio in Ballston Lake. She has hadthe joy of creating and collaborating with Curtain Call Theater, Saratoga Children’s Theater, Fort Salem Theater, Adirondack Theater Festival, Home Made Theater, and is honored to be a part of this vibrant theater community. This performance is lovingly dedicated to her grandparents whose stories, songs, and endless support sparked her passion for the arts. Love & gratitude to Grandma Lynn, Grandpa RG, Grandma Nancy, and Puppa. www.laurentaylorberkman.com
KIERNAN WOLPERT (Ensemble) is an 8 year old in third grade at Lake Ave Elementary in Saratoga Springs. His theater debut was Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure (Cubby, a Lost Boy) with Home Made Theater and he is so happy to be part of Home Made Theater’s family again. Other past credits include Secret Garden (Ensemble) with Glens Falls Community Theater, Babes in Toyland (Little Boy Blue/Soldier) at Malta Community Center, 13 Jr. (Richie) and High School Musical (Ensemble) at MCPA, Finding Nemo (Squirt) at Carpe Diem, Secret Garden (Mattie) at Young Actors Guild, Joseph … Dreamcoat (Children’s Choir) at Fallen Chandelier, Little Mermaid (Ensemble) at CDAI, and Wizard of Oz (Toto) at Debuts Theater. Kiernan enjoys spending time with his family, especially his older brother. He has always been fond of music and plays the piano. You can always hear him singing a melody he has recently heard! Thank you for this great opportunity to keep singing and dancing!
PRODUCTION STAFF
J.J. ALOJIPAN (Properties Designer) [she/her] is excited to be sharing her talents at Home Made Theater. She is an alumna of Syracuse University where she minored in Acting. While J.J. performs on stage, she also enjoys working behind the scenes. Recent property design credits include: Into the Woods (Fort Salem Theater), Spring Awakening (SLOC), A Little Night Music (SLOC), A Funny Thing….Forum (NSCP), and The Glorious Ones (SLOC). Thank you, Shannon, for the opportunity and most importantly your friendship. CMA thanks for my sweet new last name.
ANNE-MARIE BAKER (Sound Designer) is in her 14th season with Home Made Theater. She has worn many hats both on and off stage since her first show in 2011. She has also enjoyed taking a turn in other area theaters. Some of her favorites have been 39 Steps (Sound Op), The Addams Family (Ancestor), Calendar Girls (Ruth), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Spot Op), Dial M for Murder (Sound Design), and Sunday in the Park with George (Old Lady/Blair Daniels) at Home Made Theater; Joseph … Dreamcoat (Sound Op) at SLOC. She is very grateful for her steady sound team – without them there would be no show!
KELLY A. BLITZ (Costume Designer) has an extensive background in performing arts with over 30 years of experience as a singer, actress, violinist, costume designer, and seamstress. Recent stage credits include Head Over Heels (Gynecia) at Colonial Little Theater, Joseph… Dreamcoat (Narrator) at SLOC, and 42nd Street (Clara) at SLOC. Costuming credits include Heathers (Troy Civic Theater), Mary Poppins (SLOC), Mamma Mia (Scotia-Glenville High School), and Grease (SLOC). Kelly currently serves as a board member and Treasurer for Capital Region Festival of Theatre; other non-profit work includes serving terms as both Finance Director and President at SLOC. Kelly is the Director of Legal Operations for Homestead Funding in Albany, NY; she holds a Master of Science in Organizati Leadership from Quinnipiac University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. www.crftinc.org
MARC CHRISTOPHER (Scenic Designer) is a not a stranger to the Home Made Theater stage. He has performed with Home Made Theater in various productions over the years. He is currently a professional performer in various Regional Theatres in the Midwest and East Coast. He is a Singing Server at Gayle’s Broadway Rose in Times Square NYC. He has also designed sets at many theatres in the Capital Region including Home Made Theater. He designed Dial M For Murder directed by Dianne O’Neill at the Spa Little Theatre. He has designed for Playhouse Stage Company, SLOC, and Not So Common Players. He will be the season scenic designer for the Lake George Dinner Theatre this summer. www.marcchristopher.net
LAURA DARLING (Lighting Designer) walked onto a Sesame Street Live stage at 3 years old and decided never to leave. In her spare time, she practices law to feed her theater habit. She is a playwright, actress, director, set builder, and a props, costume and light designer. Recent credits include SCP’s The Revolutionists (Olympe), directing The Half-Life of Marie Curie at ACT, the playwright of MacWreck, at Confetti, and light designer of Peter and the Starcatcher at SLOC and Sweeny Todd at Fort Salem. Thank you so much to Joe for his love and support, and to the hard-working cast and crew for their work on this show. Support the arts in all its forms!
KADI J. DRISCOLL (Assistant Stage Manager) joined Home Made Theater in 2017, and has since worked on 23 of the last 30 productions. Some favorites include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Mamma Mia, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with friends, family, and her pets, Shempie and Nessie.
SHANNON ECCLES (Director / Ado Annie) is making her directorial debut with Home Made Theater after a long hiatus from working on the production side of shows. She has performed at Home Made Theater in Cabaret (Texas), Into The Woods (Baker’s Wife), Shrek (Dragon), Mamma Mia (Ensemble) and The Sound of Music (Sr. Margaretta). Other local appearances include: A Streetcar Named Desire (Stella), 9 to 5: The Musical (Doralee) at LAGS and And The World Goes Round (Women #1) at Not So Common Players. Shannon is excited to work alongside such a talented and gifted cast as well has fabulous production crew. A special thank you to Garrett, Kevin, Susan, Betsy, Julia, Kelly and Marc for all of their help and support during this process. She would like to dedicate this production of Oklahoma! to her late Uncle, John K. Fanning, who always supported her on and off the stage.
BETSY FOUST (Choreographer) is delighted to return to Home Made Theater in a new role! Previous choreography credits include work with SLOC (Tarzan, The Wedding Singer), NSCP (Nice Work if You Can Get It), and the Hudson High School Drama Club (Shrek, Fame, Footloose, and The Little Mermaid). Previous onstage credits with Home Made Theater include Mamma Mia and Young Frankenstein. Betsy would like to thank the cast, crew, and production team for making this such a wonderful experience. Thanks most of all to her best friend, greatest supporter, and husband, Stephen and their two boys, Cooper and Theo.
TOM MOELLER (Sound Designer) is happy to be out standing in the field again. Previous outdoor show design locations include Congress Park, Pitney Meadows Community Farm, the Mansion of Saratoga, SPAC, the steps on the East side of the Spa Little Theater, and the lawn on the South side of the Spa Little Theater. Otherwise he’s been kept in the dark doing sound indoors for Home Made Theater and other local groups at Saratoga Arts’ Dee Sarno Theater, Saratoga City Music Hall, Saratoga Springs City Center, the Canfield Casino, Fort Salem Theater, SLOC, Spa Catholic, Caffè Lena, and the Spa Little Theater. Huge thanks to Kevin, Anne-Marie and Barry for years of camaraderie in the trenches.
JULIA OMELKO (Music Director) makes her debut as a music director with Home Made Theater’s Oklahoma! She is a pianist and teacher in the upstate NY area, and is passionate about teaching and performing a wide variety of musical genres.
SUSAN TURNER (Stage Manager) is delighted to have the opportunity to work on this project with such a strong ensemble of talent. Susan stage manages regularly between Home Made Theater, Skidmore College Dance Department, and The Toledo Ballet. Susan sends love to her family, friends and all her “littles”, wherever they may be.
GARRETT D. WEST (Producer / Ike Skidmore) is excited to return to Home Made Theater after being a part of their youth conservatory when he was just a wee lad. Additional performing credits include Fiddler on the Roof (Motel Kamzoil), Guys and Dolls (Lt. Brannigan), and How to Succeed … Trying (J.B. Biggley). He is also the founder and artistic director of Bunbury Players. This June, he will be co-producing A Man of No Importance for Bunbury, and in November, he will be producing White Christmas for Not So Common Players. Special thanks to Shannon for bringing him aboard, Susan for her expert organization, and his friends and family for their love and support.