Amadeus Bios 2024-02-01T23:55:39+00:00

Alex Barclay (Guiseppe Bono, Ensemble) spends his time as an agent with Exit Real Estate Professionals and singing with Spokane Symphony Chorale. He also enjoys being involved with the neighborhood council. His favorite roles include Audrey 2 in Little Shop of Horrors (Ignite! Community Theatre) and Mr. Lundstrom in A Little Night Music (Civic).

Dan Bisbee (Antonio Salieri) is pleased to participate in another Civic production, having acted in last year’s Bryan Harnetiaux Playwrights’ Forum Festival, The 39 Steps, and Bryan Harnetiaux’s Exile and serving as Assistant Director for A Sherlock Carol. He has worked on many stage, screen, and commercial projects since his days as a member of the Mask and Wig Club of the University of Pennsylvania. Many thanks to this cast, crew, production team and the whole Spokane community—vi saluto!

Becky Brilliant (Major Domo, Ensemble) After a performance hiatus dedicated to raising her family, 2024 marks Becky’s eagerly anticipated return to the stage in Spokane Civic Theatre’s production of Amadeus. A lifelong enthusiast for theater, performance, opera, and backstage work, Becky is thrilled to rekindle her passion and looks forward to additional opportunities to showcase her unique blend of comedy and finesse.

Abby Constable (Katherina Cavalieri, Ensemble) is currently in her third year teaching drama at West Valley High School. Favorite roles include Mary Debenham in Murder on the Orient Express, Daphne in Present Laughter (both with Civic) and Constance in Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning, Juliet) (Spokane Shakespeare Society).

Nathan Davies (Venticelli) is thrilled to be playing one of the “Little Winds” in his first production with Spokane Civic Theatre. In the past, he has performed with theater companies in California, Georgia, and Prague, Czech Republic while building credits in film and television. Nathan is grateful to his director, Melody, for casting him and providing him with the opportunity to share a stage with new friends. He hopes that audiences enjoy Amadeus, and wishes to encourage those reading this to be compassionate towards animals.

Jameson Elton (Venticelli) is ecstatic for his next production at Spokane Civic Theatre. Other Civic shows include Tommy DeVito in Jersey Boys, Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, A-Rab in West Side Story, and George in Our Town (Civic Academy). His favorite memories are of when he is on the stage and he can’t wait to share this new production with you. He wants to thank his family for always supporting him and being his cheerleaders.

Mitch Heid (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) graduated from Whitworth University with a B.A. in Theatre (Acting and Production), and is a licensed massage therapist with a focus on nurturing massages that soothe both the body and the mind. His other passions include mental health and horror. His recent credits with Civic include Jonathan Harker in Dracula, Nigel/Dormouse/Mock Turtle in Alice by Heart, Augustus Gloop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Max in The Play That Goes Wrong.

Jon Jordan (Count Johann Kilian Von Strack) is excited to be back onstage at Civic! His favorite roles include Mortimer in Arsenic and Old Lace, Geoffrey in The Lion in Winter (both with Ignite! Community Theater), Nick in Over the River and Through the Woods (Lake City Playhouse) and Jim Reston in Frost/Nixon (Civic).

Corliss Newman (Teresa Salieri, Ensemble)When not singing and attempting to act, Corliss can be found working as a mother, as an assistant professor of medicine, and as a hematologist/oncologist. Her favorite roles include Grandma Georgina in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Heide in Follies (both with Civic) and Iolanthe in Iolanthe (University of Aberdeen Gilbert and Sullivan Society).

Maxwell E. Nightser (Baron Gottfried Van Swieten) spends his time designing and selling tshirts through Teepublic and Redbubble. Working in a variety of performing and visual arts, Maxwell has performed Mozart’s Requiem at Carnegie Hall (New York) and worked on the television show Grimm as Sous Chef #1. Onstage favorite roles include Frank Lubey in All My Sons (Civic) and Swami Kree in Christmas at the Jupiter Tavern (Valley Repertory Theater).

Sarah Plumb (Constanze Weber) is currently finishing an AFA in theater at Spokane Falls Community College. Sarah’s recent credits include Gertie in Wild Dust, Ballard in Seven Minutes in Heaven, Kern in Important Hats of the 20th Century (all with The Upstart Players) and Essie in You Can’t Take It With You (Civic). Sarah would like to thank her grandparents for introducing her to theater!

Bridget Pretz (Salieri’s Valet, Ensemble) is thrilled to be a part of the fabulous production of Amadeus. Her previous roles include Dr. Van Helsing in Dracula, Bernice in An Aviary for Birds of Sadness, Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing, Mary/Spider/Simon Peter in Corpus Christi, Malvolia in Twelfth Night, and Alice/Susanna Shakespeare in The Book of Will. Bridget would like to give a big thank you to Melody and Lauretta, the amazing cast, crew, and production team of Amadeus, and her mother.

Alexander R. Reaganson (Joseph II) Well… There it is… A victim of the theatre kid to law school pipeline, Alex (29) hails from Ripley, WV, with childhood roots in Easton, PA. Alex joins us for his first show at the Civic Theatre, after a nine-year break away from the stage! Previously a theatre student at the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts (now Charter Arts), Alex most recently both directed and joined the ensemble in a small production of Much Ado About Nothing at Arizona State University, in 2015. His other acting credits include twice playing Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as Reverend Paris in West Liberty University’s 2012 production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. Prior to college, Alex worked with the Contemporary Youth Arts Company, out of Charleston, WV, in original works by playwright Daniel Kehde and his late musical partner Mark Scarpelli. A graduate of the Gonzaga University School of Law ’21, off the stage, Alex currently works as a Staff Attorney with Northwest Justice Project’s Native American Unit.  

Jeffrey R. Ridlington (Salieri’s Cook, Ensemble) currently teaches and runs the drama program at Lakeside High School in Nine Mile Falls. His recent onstage roles include Hamlet’s Ghost in Hamlet; Tragedian in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead; Othello, Tybalt, Professor Night and Juliet’s Nurse in Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet); and Prince Escalus in Romeo and Juliet (all with Spokane Shakespeare Society).

Sarah Vazquez (Count Franz Orsini-Rosenberg) After a 17 year hiatus, Sarah returned to the stage last season with Civic in Funny Girl. Sarah grew up onstage in Big Bear Lake, CA and has been in such plays as Brigadoon, Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story, The King and I, Sound of Music and many others. Always an ensemble member, this will be the first speaking role for Sarah.

Melody Deatherage (Director) has a long association with Spokane Civic Theatre where she has appeared in or directed 60+ productions. Directorial credits include Present Laughter, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, A Few Good Men, Kiss Me Kate, and Guys and Dolls. Melody is familiar to area audiences for her portrayals in a wide range of roles from serious drama to high comedy. Recent appearances on Civic’s stages were the special event, Parallel Lives (with Kathie Doyle-Lipe), Funny Girl (Rose Brice), and 2022’s Playwrights Forum Festival (Perspective-Audience Favorite). By day, Melody is an HR professional at Skils’kin. She thanks her co-workers for their support! Thank you to this wonderful cast and crew, and to you, the audience, for supporting live theatre in our community!

Lauretta Heaney (Stage Manager, Props Mistress) is excited to be doing her two favorite theatre jobs.  She has been most impressed with the cast and their commitment to the material. As props mistress, the desserts on set have been fun and challenging.  Lauretta would like to thank Jake and Melody for this opportunity and she hopes the audience enjoys the show.

Janice Abramson (Producer) has been involved with Spokane Civic Theatre family since the summer of 1975. Since then she has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at Civic and the Individual Arts Contribution Award from the Spokane Arts Commission. Janice also works full-time for Spokane Public Schools and part-time for Spokane Chiefs Hockey Club. She is very excited to be back at the theatre. “I want to thank my family and friends for being there for me.”

Morgan Walter (Assistant Stage Manager) is delighted to join Amadeus as our Assistant Stage Manager. She grew up deeply entrenched in the performing arts, focusing on dance and musical theatre. With this introduction to the creative field, she dedicated her career to filmmaking and has since cultivated a portfolio in documentaries and branded content. In her role on our crew, she combines a collaborative attitude with her love for artistic expression and technical expertise.

Jeremy Whittington (Scenic Design and Artist) is an accomplished artist, notably working as the Artistic Director at Stage Left Spokane and as a Professor of Drama and Theater Design at Spokane Falls Community College. Jeremy received a BFA in Design (Summa Cum Laude, 2014) from Sanford Brown. Recent achievements include the Governor’s Arts & Heritage Luminary Award (2022), Best Scenic Design: Pass Over (Washington State Kaleidoscope Competition, 2023) and Best Scenic Design: Pass Over (AACT Region IX, 2023). Recent scenic design credits include Dracula, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (both with Civic), Sun Home, Sweeny Todd, Admissions, Hedwig and the Angry Inch (all with Stage Left) and The Pajama Game (Public Theatre of San Antonio). Outside of the theatre, Jeremy serves as board president for Odyssey Youth Movement. www.JeremyCreates.com

Jamie L. Suter (Costume Design) holds a BA in Theater Design and Technical Production with concentrations in Costume Design and Directing from Marymount Manhattan College in NYC, studying under Broadway professionals Gail Brassard, Liz Covey, and Bob Anton. Her favorite credits include Costume Design for The Wonder!: A Woman Keeps a Secret (T. Schreiber Studio), Assistant to the Costume Designer for Sweeney Todd (Avery Fisher Hall), Assistant Costume Designer for The Lucky Chance (Theresa Lang Theater), Director/Costume Designer for Seven Femmes (Rathskeller Studios), and Costume Designer for The Lost Cabaret (NYC Fringe Festival). Jamie loves being part of the fun and frivolity of live theater, and is incredibly happy to do that at her home away from home, Spokane Civic Theatre.

Kim Roberts (Lighting Design) has been active in Spokane area theatre for almost 40 years as a director, actor, choreographer and designer. She earned her B.A. in Theatre – Lighting Design at Smith College and interned with designer Peggy Clark Kelley, whose lighting credits include original Broadway productions of Brigadoon, Bye Bye Birdie and Kismet, among 78 others. Kim served as the resident lighting designer for Ignite! Community Theatre from 2013-2020. At Civic, she has designed the lights for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Jersey Boys, Photograph 51, Present Laughter and As Bees in Honey Drown. Recently Kim tried her hand at stage managing with Civic’s special performance of Merrily We Roll Along.

Bryan D. Durbin (Master Electrician) has a BA in theatre and is very excited to be back as Civic’s master electrician and lighting designer following the long hiatus. “I want to thank my family Heather, Evie, and Abby for all of their support.”

Denny Pham (Tech Director) is a local actor and the Technical Director for Spokane Civic Theatre. He holds a BA in Theatre from Eastern Washington University in Acting (Stanislavsky, Michael Chekhov and Shakespeare), and Technical Theatre with focus in Scenic Design and Lighting. He was awarded a Merit of Acting from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival for his role as Doctor Nemur in Flowers for Algernon. He is a technical theatre veteran with 10 years of experience working professionally and locally in over 115 productions both on and off stage. Favorite credits Acting: Dennis Ziegler in This Is Our Youth, Caliban in The Tempest, Trekkie Monster in Avenue Q; Scenic Design: Cabaret, The Play That Goes Wrong, Murder on the Orient Express; Lighting Design: Chicago. He is thrilled and proud to be part of a company of artists that pushes for all degrees of creativity. @Dennydpham

Charles Blankenship (Sound Board Operator)  is currently studying Music Technology and Theater at Eastern Washington University in addition to working in the EWU Theater scene shop. Charles started his theater education at North Central High School in 2015, joining the Civic family in 2018, “I feel the people at this theater have only ever helped to further my abilities and understanding in theater and life.” His recent credits include audio engineer for Charlie and the The Addams Family, Chocolate Factory, The 39 Steps (all with Civic), RENT, She Kills Monsters (both with EWU Theater) and Twelfth Night (Spokane Ensemble Theater).

Elania Margaret Brown (Backstage Crew) This is Elaina’s first time involved with the Civic Theater and she’s excited to learn everything she possibly can about the theater. She wants to thank her mom, Sarah, and her sister, Emily, for being so awesome and good to her.