In Columbus and the greater Central Ohio area, Cate Blair-Wilhelm’s diverse stage roles have included Gertrude in Hamlet, Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Elizabeth Proctor (and later, Rebecca Nurse) in The Crucible, and Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In 2019 and again in 2021, she appeared as Ebeneza Scrooge in A Christmas Carol at The Woodward Opera House in Mount Vernon.  Among her other favorite roles are Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet, Hecuba in Trojan Women, Miss Gulch/Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz and Amanda in The Glass Menagerie. Pre-Covid, Cate appeared in television commercials and independent films, including Not So Different, directed by Matt Starr. Cate, who lives in Mount Vernon, also takes great pleasure in working as an actor to help support the various productions created by Kenyon College film students.

Todd Covert received his BFA from The Ohio State University and his MFA from the University of Southern California. He would like to dedicate tonight's show to his late father Dr. Harvey N. Covert who served in the Navy and Air force, loved his country and always honored the American flag. I love you Dad, you will always be my hero and I know you're with us tonight.

James Harper, a Columbus based actor of stage and screen, is delighted to join this profoundly talented ensemble cast in bringing the stories of these immigrant lives to full honor and dignity. To further enrich their artistic journey, James has recently returned to The Ohio State University to pursue continued education in the disciplines of acting and direction. They can regularly be found on stage throughout the region as well as currently in the role of Detective Norman Chapman in the film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile now streaming on Netflix. They would like to thank their loving partner and children as well as all their friends and colleagues for showing such consistent and loving support in pursuit of their artistic and academic excellence.

Linda Kinnison Roth has been performing on various stages in Central Ohio for the past 35 years, and is delighted to be a part of the Newark-Granville Symphony Orchestra’s production of Ellis Island: The Dream of America. If you frequent Weathervane Playhouse, you may have seen Linda in Vanya Sonya, Masha and Spike, I Hate Hamlet, or Meet Me in St, Louis. In Columbus, some of Linda’s favorite roles include Sister Act (Sister Mary Lazarus), Carrie (Margaret White), Follies (Phyllis), & The Full Monty (Jeanette), all at Short North Stage. Linda has enjoyed reuniting with board member and director, Kevin Connell on this project.

Danielle Mann is thrilled to be a part of this production. A graduate of The Ohio State University in theatre, she has been performing since the age of 4. From Shakespeare to musical theatre, and everything in between, Dani loves it all. She is also part of a cabaret, The Divas, singing songs from all genres. Dani has won several Best Actor awards, but her favorite role is wife to her husband and dearest friend, Mark Mann. Thank you to Kevin Connell for this opportunity.

Mark Mann has been an actor, director, writer, and producer on the Central Ohio scene for over 30 years, having won numerous awards and citations. He lives in Grove City with his dearest friend Danielle, and many critters.

A proud member of Actors Equity Association, Cheryl McFarren has worked with the Berkeley (now California) Shakespeare Festival, The Denver Center Theatre Company, Commonweal Theatre Company, Creede Repertory Theatre, Columbus’ Short North Stage and Newark’s Weathervane Playhouse. She holds an M.F.A. in Acting from the National Theatre Conservatory and a Ph.D. in Theatre from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Since 2009, she has directed and taught acting and theatre-making at Denison University, where she serves as an Associate Professor.