Whitney Garner as Margaret

What a joy to work with such an amazing cast and crew! This is Whitney’s third show at CTC, and she is honored to be a part of this incredible production. She has recently been on stage with CTC in Grand Horizons and in Tiny Beautiful Things with Ellipse Theatre Community. This has been a busy, heart-filling season, and she is so thankful for the support of her family and friends.

Jeff Gorham as Big Daddy

Over the last 30 years, Jeff has worked as an actor, director, writer in theatrical productions, as well as film and television. Among Jeff’s credits, he is especially proud of his OTAS Award for best actor as Charlie in The Foreigner. Favorite roles include Claudius in Hamlet, Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night, and John in Coyote on a Fence. Jeff has been featured in many guest star films and television roles. Jeff would like to thank his partner, Michele for her support, as well as many friends and all his mentors along the way.

Rick Jenkins as Reverend Tooker

After a 30-year hiatus, Rick returned to acting several decades ago as Willie Clark in The Sunshine Boys. He recently appeared at CTC as Cheswick in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Selsdon Mowbray / Burglar in Noises Off. Other favorite roles include Nat Burton in Garden Politics and Buckingham in Richard III. Favorite CTC roles include Saunders in Lend Me a Tenor, Sir Peter Teazle in School for Scandal, and the Butler in An Ideal Husband. Rick played Uncle Billie and others in It’s a Wonderful Life – A Live Radio Play at CTC.

Deone Jennings as Mae

Deone is thrilled to be back at CTC in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof! Recent performances include The Lost Virginity Tour, Go Back for Murder and Noises Off. Other previous roles include Heidi in Look, No Hans! and Polly Perkins in There Goes the Bride, both at Okoboji Theatre in Iowa. She has played numerous leading roles at Twilight Theater and Hart Theater in Portland. Some favorite roles: Virginia Noyes in It’s Only a Play and Chick Boyle in Crimes of the Heart. Deone earned her BFA at Stephens College. She is elated to be part of this production, and grateful to be working with this cast.

Donovan Kelly as Gooper

Donovan has been doing theatre since the age of six. From doing sketches with his friends to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, it has always remained his greatest passion. This is Donovan’s fourth play with CTC this season, and every experience has been challenging and fun in equal measure. He is super excited to share the stage with this amazing cast!

Meg Knight as Big Mama

Meg was most recently seen as Christmas Present in What the Dickens! with Silent Echo Theater Company. Other past roles include Linda Loman in Death of a Salesman (Sunriver Stars), Shaindel/Villager in Fiddler on the Roof (CTC), Shylock in Something Rotten (Mejaski Productions), Gingy in Love, Loss & What I Wore (Ellipse Theatre Community) and Marmee in Little Women – The Musical (Musical Impressions). Meg is enjoying her return to theatre and credits her family with giving her the space and support to create. She hopes you will find a little place in your heart for Big Mama in this classic yet relatable story.

Perry Schwarz as Dr. Baugh

“A Tennessee Williams play serves as a master class for both actors and audiences alike, offering a profound exploration and celebration of the human condition.” Perry is deeply grateful for this opportunity. Most recently, he appeared as Bill French in Grand Horizons at Cascades Theatrical Company, and he is thrilled to announce his upcoming role as Dennis Dupree, owner of The Bourbon Room in Rock of Ages with Theater in the Park, to be performed August 15th and 16th at Drake Park!

Brandon White as Brick

Brandon grew up in Central Oregon, where he got his start in independent filmmaking, eventually moving down to Los Angeles to pursue acting. Soon after, he and his brother created the Buff Dudes, a now successful business and social media presence which features entertaining and educational fitness content. Early last year, Brandon made his onstage debut with an improvisational theatre group in Bend. This eventually led him to his first role in a play during the summer of 2024. He’s excited to be working alongside an awesome team of people at CTC for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, the third play of his theatrical career!

Mason Carstens as Sonny

Mason is seven years old and in the 2nd grade. He loves theatre and has been in three plays so far. Favorite roles include JoJo in Seussical the Musical and a Dancing Lobster in Alice in Wonderland. When not doing theater, Mason likes to snowboard and play basketball.

Juliah Rae – Co-Director

Juliah returns to CTC after a 5-year hiatus and is delighted to have been given the opportunity to work on this iconic American play, especially as she gets to partner with her friend, Richard Choate. She has been active in Bend Theater since 2002 when she began working at 2nd Street Theater as an actor and as a director in their short play festival Bits and Pieces. Plays directed at 2nd Street include The Gin Game, Steel Magnolias, I Am My Own Wife and Sondheim musical Sweeney Todd. She began directing at CTC in 2009 with All My Sons and continued with Rabbit Hole, The Dixie Swim Club, The Glass Menagerie, Vanya, Sonya, Masha & Spike, and The Columnist in 2019. In 2023 she directed Ellipse Theatre Community’s Silent Sky as a part of their ETC Roadshow Program which brings Theatre to communities throughout Central Oregon… a mission she wholeheartedly supports.

Richard Choate – Co-Director

Richard most recently directed The Mousetrap for CTC. Earlier this season, he directed Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors. For this production, he is taking on the duties of Assistant Director for his friend and colleague, Juliah Rae. Recently, Richard took a break from directing and appeared in TMP’s production of Cabaret and as Robert in Greenhouse Cabaret’s production of Proof. Additionally, he directed The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) (revised) (again), for Greenhouse Cabaret and Fiddler on the Roof, Noises Off and You Can’t Take It with You for Cascades Theatrical Company. Richard first appeared at CTC in Vanya, Sonya, Masha and Spike directed by Juliah Rae. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is his 17th production in Central Oregon since 2016.

Suzie Hughes – Stage Manager/Props

Suzie moved to Bend from the San Francisco Bay Area where she was a stage manager in community theater for over 15 years. Here in Bend, she has worked with BEAT Children’s Theatre, Central Oregon Symphony, Mejaski Productions and Ellipse Theatre Community. Favorite past productions here at CTC include The Mousetrap, Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, Noises Off, She Loves Me and Fiddler on the Roof.

Kathryn Amstutz – Assist. Stage Manager

Kat has been in theatre since her days at university. She has acted, directed, stage managed and was assistant director for numerous productions in Albuquerque, NM. She was the assistant director for CTC’s production of Revenge and Sorrow in Thebes, and assistant stage manager for CTC’s production of Fiddler on the Roof. More recently, she directed Levels, a one-act for Silent Echo Theatre.

Barbara Rich – Sound Design

Barb is a voice actor and sound designer by profession. She has had her finger in just about every voiceover genre there is with favorite projects being a 7-part animated series with the violinist Midori and the over 75 audiobook projects she has performed in. As an avid sound designer for theater and audio projects, her theater projects include: Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, Steel Magnolias, Here on the Flight Path, Stefanie Hero, Craig Fox Had a Wife (world premiere), A Christmas Story, A Wrinkle in Time, Peter Pan (stage play), The Neverending Story, A Child Shall Lead, and Shakespeare in Hollywood. www.RichcraftStudios.com

Tracy Miller – Costumer

An active member in the Central Oregon theatre community since 2009, most recently Tracy played Nancy French in CTC’s Grand Horizons, was the set dresser for Ellipse Theatre Community’s Lifespan of a Fact and directed Crimson Eyes for Silent Echo Theatre Company. Exactly 11 years ago, Director Juliah Rae plucked her out of obscurity to costume 2nd St Theater’s Sweeney Todd, and Tracy’s been busy ever since. Selected productions include Young Frankenstein, Wizard of Oz, Arcadia, Lost in Yonkers, Radiance, She Loves Me, Noises Off, and Last Train to Nibroc. She’s grateful to join this talented cast and crew. Happy Anniversary, Jules!

“Madge” – Costume Asst.

Recently back from banishment in Wall St Storage, Madge is a decades long volunteer with the CTC costume department. Her work as silent partner and model for costumes in progress is invaluable. In her off time, she delights in jump-scaring everyone that walks into the costume shop.