BHS Presents: 42nd Street

Rachel can’t believe that this is her 4th and final musical at BHS. She is grateful for the time she’s spent over the years with people who have encouraged her to do what she loves. She’s glad you’re here and hopes you enjoy the show as much as she does!

Drew is thrilled to be ending his senior year with the self-proclaimed highlight of his career! He hopes you enjoy the insanity, and thanks everyone involved for the opportunity, including his director!

Gemma is a senior previously in shows such as 42nd Street (Dorothy), I Remember Mama (Christine), Theory of Relativity (Julie), and Animal Farm (Napoleon), as well as the play Columbinus (Rebel) at the Albright Theatre. She also studied at Actors’ Training Center in Wilmette and Piven Theatre Workshop in Evanston.

After four years of high school theater at BHS, Matthew is clocking out. He thanks you all for being apart of his theater journey.

This is Clara’s twelfth and final show at BHS, but her very first main stage play! She has loved working with the cast and crew of Pride and Prejudice to bring this classic story to life. She hopes that this show inspires you to look beyond your prejudices and open your heart. Enjoy the performance!

Josue is a senior at BHS and is so excited to share this show with all of you! This is his second show at BHS, but he has always been involved in music through Swingsingers and Chromatics. He is so happy you are here and hopes that you enjoy the show!

Chloe is a junior this year and really looks forward to this years production of 42nd street! She was involved in the pit orchestra for Spongebob last year and now dances in the show this year. She loves to dance and sing and has had so many amazing times during rehearsals. She hopes you enjoy the show and looks forward to bringing 42nd street to life!

Ashlyn is a senior at Batavia High School, she can’t wait to be in her last show at Batavia Pride and Prejudice! She has has a wonderful year of shows including playing Maggie Jones in 42nd Street, and Edwina Dunbar in Murder on the Rerun. She will be going to Lawrence University next fall for theatre arts! She would like to thank her family and the Hunecke’s for always supporting her!

Abe is so thrilled for the last play of his high school career, and he is excited to share this fun show with you! He is grateful for this drama program and how much it has shaped him and his life. Previous productions include 42nd Street, Animal Farm, and the Theory of Relativity, as well as several shows with the improv troupe, But Seriously Folks… He hopes you enjoy all the hard work the cast, parents, crew, and directors have put in this performance. Enjoy the show!

Erin is senior performing in her seventh show here at BHS.  She is thrilled to be playing Elizabeth Frankenstein and can’t wait for everyone to see this show come to life! Erin would like to thank her family for their endless support as well as the amazing cast and crew who have worked so hard on this show!

T.J. is a senior at BHS this year, and this is his 9th show here at the high school. He will miss this program so so much, and cannot thank the directors, parents, castmates, and audiences enough. Assistant directing has been super fun, and he feels very lucky to have been given this chance! Casburn has taught him so much throughout this process, and they’re now best friends!! —

Jayden is a Senior and very excited to be the Student Music Director for this show! He thanks Mr. Barsch for allowing him help, and hopes you enjoy the show!

In his final high school production, Joey hopes to go out with a bang. While he only joined the Batavia High School drama program in his senior year, he enjoyed every moment of it and wouldn’t trade it for anything. He plans to focus on presenting a memorable performance as well as not taking any moment for granted. He dearly thanks everybody in the program that made his journey possible.

Kaia Olberg is a junior at BHS. She has been in theater her whole life and this will be her 5th show at Batavia! She is so grateful for this wonderful learning opportunity, and would like to thank everyone that made it possible! She hopes you enjoy the show!

Beth is thrilled to be a part of her fifth and final show at BHS! Beth is a senior and has been dancing for eleven years. She is so happy to be a part of The Monster: A Frankenstein Tale and has made so many great memories along the way. She would like to thank her family and friends who have encouraged her along the way. She hopes you enjoy Frankenstein!

Maddie Cooper is a senior at Batavia High School, and is thrilled to be a part of the fourth and final musical of her high school theater career! Her previous shows include The Spongebob Musical, 42nd Street, and Mean Girls. She is so grateful for all the friends and memories she has made in the past four years, and is proud of all the hard work everyone put into the show. She’d like to thank the show’s directors and choreographer, along with everyone in the cast and crew for bringing it to life. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Hailey Adams cannot believe this is her last show! After joining the program in her junior year, she has been overjoyed with all the opportunities given to her. She has loved not only being a part of Frankenstein as cast, but has loved assistant directing her second show. She has loved being a part of the process of the show and can not wait to perform it. Hailey wants to give a big thank you to everyone that is a part of the show, and especially a big thank you to Casburn for allowing her to be his assistant director for two shows!

This show will be Mitchell Moss’ eighth show done for the Batavia Fine Arts Centre, along with having his biggest role yet. Before Frankenstein Mitchell has really only had a couple named characters, and none of them being big story critical characters with emotion and passion. Mitchell has been performing since middle school with some roles in shows like Beauty and the Beast. Mitchell is astronomically excited to have the opportunity to share his passion by providing entertainment for members of his community, along with having the opportunity to see the profound effect that a fantastic theater program can have and offer.

Sydney is a senior and this is her second production at Batavia High School. She performed in 42nd street last year and is so excited to be back performing Mean Girls this year. She would like to thank her family and friends for always being there to support and encourage her. She hopes you enjoy the show! It’ll be fetch!

Charlotte is a junior and this is her third musical at BHS! She is so excited for you to see all the hard work everyone has put in and she hopes you love it!

Gianna is a sophomore and this is her second show at Batavia High School. She would like to thank her family, friends, and directors for making this experience possible. She is so grateful to be a part of this amazing cast and has had so much fun watching this show come together. She is looking forward to sharing this with you and hopes you enjoy the show!

Mac is a senior and she is very excited to be doing her 9th show with BHS. She would like to thank everyone who has helped to give her the opportunity to perform. She would also like to thank the audience for coming. She hopes that you enjoy the performance!

Ravyn is so excited to be performing as Lydia in her final production at BHS. This is her ninth show at the high school and she is so thankful to have been a part of such a wonderful program. Her favorite thing in the world is performing with her favorite people. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Kate Streepey is a senior at Batavia High School, and Songs for a New World is her 9th show at BHS. She can’t wait for everyone to hear all the beautiful music in this show and experience the uniqueness of a black box musical. She also would like to thank all the parent volunteers who made this show possible. Enjoy the show!

Lauren Smith is a senior at Batavia High School and this is her 6th show at BHS and 5th on the stage management team. She would like to thank the other stage managers, Senithi and Lexie, and all the actors who put so much time and effort into this musical. She is very excited for everyone to hear the beautiful music and voices in Songs for a New World, and enjoy the show!

This is Gianna’s 5th show at the BFAC. She’d like to thank her friends and family for encouraging her to join crew. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Senithi Hewamanage is a junior and this is her 5th show at the high school, but 6th show overall. She is so excited to be stage managing for a musical for the first time, and can’t wait to for you all to see the hard work everyone has put into these performances. Enjoy the show!

Naomi Gustin is a sophomore at BHS. Previously she’s been involved with productions at RMS, The Albright Theatre, and Vero Voce. The cast, directors, and crew have put so much effort into this show. Enjoy!

Lexie is so excited for the show! She is a senior at BHS and is heavily involved in the drama department. Songs for a New World is her 9th production at BHS and 6th as a member of the stage management team. She would like to thank her fellow Stage Managers, Senithi and Lauren, for all of their time and dedication over the rehearsal process. She would also like to thank her family for all of their support. Break a leg everyone!

This is Lydia’s first time doing crew for a show. She is very excited to be here and hopes that everybody enjoys the show!

Ronni is a Senior here at BHS and is so excited to be apart Pride and Prejudice. This is Ronni’s second year doing crew but has been in many other performances on the stage as well. Enjoy the show!

Tatj is a senior and is glad to be involved in her 11th and final show her at BHS. She would like to thank Mr Casburn, Mr Cattero, Joe, Mike, Heather, and Adam for all they’ve taught her. She would also like to thank her friends, family, and all those involved with the shows for the constant support they’ve shown to her and this program. She hopes you enjoy the show with its amazing set and talented cast and hopes you continue to come see the amazing productions that BHS theater creates. Good luck next year guys!

Alia Khan is a sophomore at BHS, and this is her fourth production with the Batavia Drama Program. She is very overjoyed for everyone to see the play, as well as for everyone preforming. 

This is Haley’s first year on stage crew and being involved at the BFAC. She is so excited to be able to help put on such amazing productions! She really hopes you enjoy the show!

Morgan is a senior in the Batavia Music Program and this is her first time performing in a pit orchestra. She plays a variety of instruments, but has simplified it to three for this show. She would like to thank her big brother for inspiring her to take this leap.

Abby is so excited to be a part of this production! This is her first production as a pit member at BHS. She plays clarinet and has been in band for many years. Shes so proud of how hard every member of this production has worked and hopes you enjoy the show.

Michael has played trumpet for 7 years, participating in several music extracurriculars at Batavia High School.

Tommy Gray is a guitarist currently taking residence in Batavia, Illinois. He is a prolific jazz and jazz fusion guitarist, however he also dabbles in the occasional thrash metal song. Some of his favorite artists include Casiopea, Jeff Buckley, and Ghost, Masayoshi Takanaka, and Julian Lage. He has been playing guitar “seriously” for about 4+ years, and currently plans to attend a college for music education or performance, with an emphasis on jazz guitar.

Emma Hirschauer

Riley has been an active member of different musical groups through all 5 years that he has been involved with BHS, namely concert band, jazz ensemble, and marching band. This is his second musical, having played in the SpongeBob pit last year, and is ecstatic to play in the pit orchestra again for 42nd Street.

Ariana Venecia

Kera Kennaugh is a junior at Batavia High School. She has participated as an actor in numerous theatrical productions but after learning trombone in 2020 she has now switched to the pit. Kera is very excited to play such fun music and work with the rest of the pit and actors to produce a great show.

Sebastian Arellanes is a senior who is very excited for the upcoming show. After 42nd Street last year he has been looking forward to participating in Mean Girls. Along with musical pit, he plays for Batavia Wind Symphony along with Batavia Jazz Ensemble.

Kyle is a senior at BHS and this is his second musical in the pit. He has played trombone for over 7 years and is a proud member of the Batavia marching band. He hopes you enjoy the show.

Alan is a 2017 alum from BHS and a recent graduate from Elmhurst University. During his studies he had the opportunity to study with local legends such as Doug Beach, Mark Colby, Tom Garling, and many more. He teaches and performs around the Chicagoland area primarily in the jazz idiom.

This is one of Madeline’s final BHS productions and she couldn’t be happier to share it with her closest friends. She hopes you enjoy the show!

This is Lily’s 9th and final show at Batavia High School. Since moving here in sophomore year, she has been an active member of BHS’s Drama Program. She would like to thank all of the people who work behind the scenes to help bring the show to stage, as well as the cast. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Ryan Anderson (he/him)

Ryan is a senior at BHS. He would like to thank all you who took time out of your day to watch this amazing show. Without Cast, Crew, and Production teams this show wouldn’t be possible. He would like to thank all who worked to make this show a success! He hopes you enjoy and fall in love with Kodachrome!

Lucy is a junior and is thrilled to be a part of this amazing and unique production. She would like to thank the wonderful cast, crew, pit and production team for working so hard to make this show a reality. Enjoy!

Mimi is a sophomore at BHS and is very excited for this year’s spring production. She’s been in 42nd Street and Mean Girls as a crew member, as well as Pride and Prejudice and Kodachrome as an actor. She is very proud of all the work that goes into this show, on and off stage! In her second year with the BHS Drama Program she hopes that she will keep making great memories with her fellow students. She would also like to thank all the adults that are part of the production taking time out their day to help the students make a great show. She hopes you enjoy Frankenstein as much as she does despite it being a little scary!

Quentin Ruffo is a sophomore in the BHS drama program, he has performed in Pride and Prejudice in the spring last year, and was in both of the recent musicals in the pit, he’s very excited to perform for you in Kodachrome.

Dominic Is a Batavia native, graduating from BHS in 1999, at which point he attended Illinois Wesleyan University, where he earned a BFA in Theatre Arts. Following a short stint as a freelance director, he settled in Quincy Illinois at Quincy Community Theatre and served as their Director of Student Theatre and Head of Education from 2003-2005 at which time he transitioned to the position of CEO and Managing Artistic Director from 2005 – January of 2011. Dominic has also been appointed and served a three-year term with the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and served as an adjunct professor of Theatre Arts and Acting with Hannibal-LaGrange University from 2008 to 2010. A Theatrical Dominic met his wife Miranda on stage in Grease and they have four children, Brayden, Delaney, Mirabella, and Bianca.

Directing Credits Include: The Sound of Music, Urinetown, The Producers, Little Shop of Horrors (twice), Miracle on 34th Street, Steel Magnolias, Jesus Christ Superstar, On Golden Pond, The Graduate, Chicago, Little Brother, Lucky Stiff, Forever Plaid, Footloose, The Importance of Being Earnest, All Shook Up, Jake’s Women, Everybody, Death of a Salesman, Lost in Yonkers, Shrek, Beauty and the Beast, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, I Never Saw Another Butterfly, Dear Edwina, The Theory of Relativity, 9 to 5 The Musical, Arsenic and Old Lace, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Bridge to Terabithia, I Do! I Do! and many more. He is also the founding Director and coach for But Seriously, Folks… improv troupe founded in 2003.

Awards & Reccognition
* West Central Illinois 20 Under 40 recipient
* Individual Artist recipient for Wes Central Illinois?SouthEastern Iowa/North Eastern Missouri
* Arts Educator of the year – 2009
* Enid Ireland Award
* Batavia/Geneva/St. Charles 30 Under 30 recipient
* Batavia Hall of Honor

Peter Barsch teaches all curricular and co-curricular choirs at Batavia High School. Mean Girls marks his 20th show as Music Director. In addition to the last nine years of BHS shows, he has worked on Les Miserables, Ragtime, Beauty and the Beast, Into the Woods, The Producers, and more. Mr. Barsch holds a Master’s Degree in Music Education from NIU and two Bachelor’s Degrees from the Honors Program at Loyola University Chicago. Mr. Barsch has been listed in “Who’s Who among America’s Teachers” and was a Quarter-Finalist for the Grammy “Music Educator of the Year” Award. Mr. Barsch and his wife, Annie, live in Batavia with their three children.

Kyle Donahue is thrilled to be working with the great cast and artistic team of songs for a new world! He has loved choreographing previous BHS productions of Mean Girls, 42^nd Street, Spongebob, Theory of Relativity, Mamma Mia, Chicago, and Cats!  He has choreographed and performed around the world on regional theatre, theme park and cruise ship stages. Some choreography credits include Pippin, Legally Blonde, Grease, All Shook Up, Oklahoma!, and Forever Plaid.  In the Chicagoland area, Kyle has been seen on stage at Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook, Steel Beam Theatre, Fox Valley Ballet, and New American Theatre, and has choreographed for Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, North Riverside Players, Fox Valley Repertory, Rockford University, and College of DuPage. He serves as the Assistant Superintendent of Recreation at the Geneva Park District, and resides locally with his beautiful wife Julie and their four kiddos Lulu, Lincoln, Finn and River. He sends a big thank you to Dominic for this opportunity and the cast and artistic team for their hard work and dedication!