Meet The Cast and Crew-Heads of…
Ethan Vanden-Heuvel (Nick) is a senior at Waukesha West High School. This will be his tenth show and final show with the West End Players. Aside from drama, he is also the Center Snare for the Cadets of Waukesha West, sings, runs track, has tap danced for 10 years, and is involved in numerous other activities. Some favorite previous roles of his include Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Malcolm in Macbeth, and Robert in The Play That Goes Wrong. He would like to thank his family and friends for always supporting him, and especially his parents for introducing him to this activity that he has come to love. Enjoy the show!
Kevin Davis (Nigel) is a senior at Waukesha West High School. This will be his fifth show with The West End Players. Favorite previous credits include Ron Weasley in Harry Potter and The Cursed Child and Edwin in Miss Holmes. Kevin is really excited to be playing Nigel. He would like to thank all of the other cast members for making this show a memorable experience.
Maddy Hyland (Bea) is a junior who loves to be a part of the choir and drama program at West! Something Rotten will be her third production with the West End Players. Her favorite roles so far have been ensemble in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, and as Deb in Elf: The Musical. She thanks the directors, cast, and crew for making this such a great experience. She is beyond excited to perform and hopes to give the audience “a show they’ll never forget!”
Kieran Plautz (Shakespeare) is thrilled to be performing as William Shakespeare in Something Rotten! You may have seen him before, playing such characters as Buddy in Elf the Musical, Macduff in Macbeth, and Albus Potter in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Kieran has also participated in numerous performances in community/academy theater productions around the area. Kieran is grateful for the opportunity to portray the iconic “Bard of Avon.” He would like to thank the incredible cast, crew, and director for their hard work and dedication. He would like to give a special thanks to Mr. Berish for his invaluable guidance and mentorship and to his family and friends for their unwavering support.
Adyson Ries (Portia) is currently a sophomore at Waukesha West and is so excited to be performing in her 3rd high school production! A few of her favorite past roles include Rizzo in Grease (Sunset Playhouse), Catherine of Aragon in Six: Teen Edition (Box Theatre), and earlier this year as Delphi in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Waukesha West HS). She is so grateful for this opportunity, and she hopes you love Portia as much as she does!
Emma Feierday (Nostradamus) is a sophomore at Waukesha West. She is STOKED to be in this show! Having a big passion for theatre, Emma has been in every show at West this year, playing Sandra in The Play That Goes Wrong, and Lily Potter Sr. in Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. Outside of acting and singing, Emma does photography and has taken headshots for this show and HPCC. Emma would like to thank her family for always supporting her theatre dreams, French Emma for being the best exchange student ever, and Jay for listening to her sing constantly. She hopes you enjoy the show just as much as she does!
Calista Rux (Lady Clapham) is a junior at Waukesha West High School who is thrilled to be in her first musical! She’s been involved in many of our past plays such as The Play That Goes Wrong, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and Miss Holmes. Calista hopes to go to college on an acting path. She is always looking for new ways to expand her horizons.
Pearl Wismar (Minstrel) is thrilled to be in Waukesha West High School's production of Something Rotten. She is in her senior year and plans to attend university in the fall. Some of her previous credits include Six (Box Theater Co.), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Box Theater Co.), The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Sunset Playhouse), and Matilda (Waukesha Civic Theater). She hopes you all enjoy the show!
Luke Rice (Production Manager, Shylock) is doing his final show at West, and he is super excited to perform in this amazing musical. Some of his favorite roles in previous shows have been Dumbledore in Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, Santa in Elf The Musical, and Mycroft in Miss Holmes. He’s ready to see what the world after high school has to offer and where it will take him.
Isaiah Kooiman (Brother Jeremiah) is a junior at Waukesha West high School. Although this is his first performance for West’s drama program, he has also performed in productions of Elf the Musical and Les Miserable Jr. at the Waukesha Civic Theater. He is incredibly excited to have the opportunity to perform as Brother Jeremiah in this performance. Finally, I would like to thank his parents and loved ones for always supporting him and introducing him to theater at a young age.
Noah Marlega (Tap Captain) is honored to contribute his tap skills and dance expertise to his last show with the West End Players! Favorite recent credits include Harry Potter And The Cursed Child (Draco Malfoy), The Twelve Dates of Christmas (The Twelve Dates), A Christmas Story (Tap Specialty/Ensemble), and The Spongebob Musical: Youth Edition (Squidward/Dance Captain). Noah is grateful for the love and support of his family and for the excellent dance education he has received over the past eight years at Young Dance Academy.
Maddie Vanden-Heuvel (Dance Captain, Ensemble) is a sophomore at Waukesha West High School, and is super excited to be The Dance Captain as well as part of the ensemble. Maddie has been dancing for 14 years, and being able to do some of her favorite styles in the show is really fun for her. Maddie has also performed as Rose Granger-Weasley in the High-School Premiere of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and Watson in Miss Holmes.
Mateo Lopez (Peter Quince, Ensemble) is a junior at Waukesha West High School and is beyond excited to be able to sing and dance in this musical! After performing in Elf The Musical, Miss Holmes, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, as well as The Play That Goes Wrong, Mateo has grown to have such a soft spot for West’s amazing drama department. He would like to thank Kieran Plautz for getting him into drama, as well as supporting him through every audition and every role.
Flynn Curran (Snug, Ensemble) is excited to be in his first musical at West. Flynn is no stranger to theatre – you may have seen him in prior productions at West or the Civic Theatre downtown. Favorite past roles include Trevor in The Play That Goes Wrong, Gingy in Shrek the Musical and Schwartz in A Christmas Story. Flynn is also a proud member of West’s music program, performing with the marching band, drum line, SWAP, concert choir and West Gents. Flynn would like to thank his family and friends for supporting him, and hopes you enjoy the show.
Kemper Emrich (Tom Snout, Ensemble) is an aspiring actor who has been in the drama world for seven years. He has been in six productions with The West End Players, including Macbeth, Elf The Musical, and Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. Kemper plans on being in many shows to come and is excited for the future of the Waukesha West Drama program.
Sebastian Shera (Francis Flue) is very easy to spot on stage; he’s the tallest person by far. Oftentimes compared to Where’s Waldo and Jack Skellington, he loves doing drama and making people laugh. This is his 6th show in the West Drama Program, and he really hopes you enjoy the show!
Kayne Menden (Robin) is here, playing Robin in Something Rotten! He’s been involved in a few shows here and there, and honestly, he’s just happy to be part of this one. Kayne would like to thank the people who told him to show up and the ones who told him to do his best. He’d also like to give a shoutout to his sister for being cool. Enjoy the show.
Clare Brzeski (Ensemble) is a sophomore and is very excited to be a part of the spring musical. Her list of stage successes includes Shrek Jr., Elf The Musical, and Newsies Jr. Aside from performing, Clare also likes to play music, write, and dance. She would like to thank her parents for always supporting her, as well as Mr. Berish for giving her this opportunity. She hopes everyone enjoys the show!
Michael Barrile (Ensemble) is a freshman, and he is very excited to be in his first show with The West End Players. Although this is his first stage show, Michael is also involved in other extracurriculars, such as football and choir. Mike would like to thank his family for all the support they have given him throughout his first year of high school.
Natalie Cull (Ensemble) is a freshman at Waukesha West and is very excited to perform in her first high school show. She is a member of the choir program at West and enjoys playing soccer and dancing in her free time. Natalie is grateful to be part of such an amazing show and hopes you enjoy the performance!
Liliana DeLeon (Ensemble) is a freshman at Waukesha West High School, and she is so excited to be a part of her first high school production! Liliana has always loved theater. She is a veteran of the Waukesha West Summer Drama Program. She has been in Frozen Jr, Moana Jr, Lion King Jr, and Newsies Jr. She is very excited to grow as a person and an actor throughout her high school experience!
Emma DeMeyer (Dance Ensemble) is a sophomore. This is the 3rd show she’s done, but her first in the cast. She has spent her last two shows building sets and she’s had a lot of fun! But, for Emma, being in a dance cast is just as much fun. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Layne Kulig (Ensemble) is in his second year with The West End Players. After having so much fun acting in Harry Potter and The Cursed Child last fall, he was more than happy to come back. Layne’s favorite performance at West was Macduff’s son in Macbeth, a role in which he won an Outstanding Acting award at the WISDAA State One Act Competition of 2023. Enjoy the show!
Cas Lemm (Ensemble) is a junior this year and she is super excited to be a part of Something Rotten. She has worked backstage on every show since her freshman year, but this will be her second time performing as an actor. She’d like to note that Simone Kulvekoski is an amazing stage manager and hopes you enjoy the show.
Emily McCaskey (Ensemble) is a sophomore at Waukesha West High School. She has been in five other shows at West, but this is her first time being in a musical! She loves this show and is so excited for everyone to enjoy it too.
Connor Paulsrud (Ensemble) is a three-sport athlete and is so excited to be a part of Something Rotten! In his free time he enjoys spending time with his friends and playing sports. Connor has done the West Summer Drama Program for the past 3 years, acting in roles including Simba in The Lion King, and Jack Kelly in Newsies. He is so excited to show you guys what we have been working on!
Ireland Rafferty-Stumpf (Ensemble) is a junior and this is her eighth show at Waukesha West High School. Her favorite role while acting for the Players was Perkins in The Play That Goes Wrong. She is so thankful to the cast and crew for making this fantastic show possible.
Alison Schmidt (Ensemble) is a junior at Waukesha West, and she is beyond excited to be in her first musical! She has been acting for 8 years, but this is her 3rd year with the West End Players. Alison hopes that everyone enjoys the show – and won’t catch the Black Death!
Sage Schmitz (Ensemble) is a Junior at Waukesha West, and she is thrilled to be a part of her 8th show with the West End Players! Some of Sage’s favorite roles would be Hermione in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Watson in Miss Holmes, and Chris in The Play That Goes Wrong! She is excited to be a part of the ensemble for the musical, and she hopes you enjoy it!
Ani Warnes (Ensemble) is thrilled to be a part of an amazing production of Something Rotten. This her third high school performance after participating in the last eight shows through the West End Players Summer Drama Academy. She is grateful for this opportunity to make music while having fun, and she has loved learning how to tap with all of her friends. Please enjoy the show!
Mady Wissing (Dance Ensemble) is 16 years old and a sophomore here at West. She has been in many musicals, but this one is one of her favorites. She is learning so many new things, like tap dancing, which she really enjoys. Mady is also on West’s Marching Band Color Guard Team, and involved in the Student Board ‘27! She hopes you enjoy the show!
Morgan Washington (Ensemble) is a junior here at West, and she has been involved in shows all through high school both onstage and backstage. Morgan's favorite role to date has been Professor McGongall in Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. She loves being involved in theater and can’t wait for you to see the amazing choreography, singing and acting in this show.
Emma Patane (Dance Ensemble) is a Junior and French exchange student at Waukesha West High School. She is happy to be able to perform as a part of the dance cast! After being a costume crew for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and The Play That Goes Wrong, she is excited to be on stage for the first time in America.
Simone Kulvekoski (Stage Manager, Creative Director) is a senior participating in her final show at West. She has done theater all four years, but she never thought that she would have the privilege of stage managing such a large production. Past favorite shows at West include Little Shop of Horrors and The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, both of which she credits for igniting her passion for drama freshman year. Simone plans to attend UW Eau Claire in the fall and continue her passion for acting via a minor in Theater alongside a major in Art Communications.
Amelia Runte (Costumes Shop Supervisor) is a senior at West, and Something Rotten will be her 12th and final show with The West End Players. Some of her favorites productions she has worked on have been Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, as well as The Play that Goes Wrong. She hopes you enjoy this amazing show.
Maddie Kabitzke (Sets Shop Supervisor) is ecstatic to be working on Something Rotten as her senior show. This will be her 20th and final production with Waukesha West. In the fall, Maddie plans to attend UW Stevens Point for a degree in Family and Consumer Science Education. She’d like to give a special thanks to all of the hard working sets crew members and wonderful stagecraft classes; without them, none of these sets ever would have been possible.
Luke Dabols (Lighting Coordinator) is incredibly excited to make the renaissance come alive during this production of Something Rotten! After four years of dedication toward the West End Players, Luke is beyond himself to have the privilege to design the lighting for the show. Outside of drama Luke enjoys marching band, jazz music and practicing musical composition!
Leo Bertolasi (Sound/Mic Coordinator) is sophomore at Waukesha West High School. He is proud to be heading the sounds department for Something Rotten. Leo has really grown, from trying out different crews to becoming the Sound Supervisor. Leo has made a lot of friends in drama and would like to thank everyone who has supported him through his journey.
Ben Shelley (Co-Prop Shop Supervisor) has been a part of this program for three years, and Something Rotten will be his 12th West show. Ben is 16 and will graduate in 2026. This year, he’s the Prop’s Co-Head. He enjoys building, welding, metal fabrication, 3D printing, and other forms of engineering work. He also likes to hang out with his friends and his cows. This is his first show stepping in to help lead Props and he hopes that you enjoy his work.
Josie Greasy (Co-Prop Shop Supervisor) is a junior at West and has been a part of the program for all three years. She has worked both on the stage and behind it for three years and has a deep love for this program. Josie is more than excited to be serving as Prop’s Co-Head for Something Rotten. She would like to thank her family and friends for always supporting her through every show. She hopes all of you will enjoy the show.
Lana Dufek (Assistant House Manager) is a senior at Waukesha West High School. She is beyond excited to manage the house for this production! She has been participating in West’s Drama Program for a long time and is honored to take on a role of leadership. She enjoys working and doing drama with her friends. Lana plans to go to WCTC in August for a degree in Psychology. Lana would like to thank all three of her dogs, Lacy, Marley, and Shadow, for their support.