The Laramie Project

ANDY PARIS, JEDADIAH SCHULTZ, DOUG LAWS, DR. CANTWAY, MATT MICKELSON, RUSSELL HENDERSON, AARON MCKINNEY, PHILIP DUBOIS (ACT 2), KERRY DRAK

HE/HIM | Christopher Buettner is thrilled to be making his debut with Fort Salem Theater! A rising senior BFA musical theatre major at SUNY Fredonia, he has performed all over the area locally and at school. After this show, he will be heading to Buffalo to be in The Taming of the Shrew with Shakespeare in Delaware Park. He would like to thank his friends, family, girlfriend Jocelyn, and cat Jake, for always supporting his dreams.

BARBARA PITTS, CATHERINE CONNOLLY, APRIL SILVA, SHERRY AENONSON, LUCY THOMPSON, EILEEN ENGEN (ACT 2), NEWS PERSON #3

SHE/HER | Tracy Mullen Cosker is excited to be in her first production with Fort Salem Theater. An award-winning actress, director, producer, and makeup designer, Tracy's favorite roles include Catherine in Proof (FCT Stage), Becky in Becky's New Car (Garrison Players), and Betty in The Norwegians (M&D Players). She was also honored to originate the role of Julie Gretzky in Masked at the Chain Theatre in New York City. Tracy holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from Fredonia State University, with additional training from NH Theatre Project and The Shakespeare Theater. Endless love and thanks to her husband Glynn and their kids Jecen, Ethan and Reagan for their never-ending love and support — none of this is possible without you.

STEPHEN BELBER, DOC O’CONNOR, MATT GALLOWAY, ANONYMOUS FRIEND OF AARON MCKINNEY, BILL MCKINNEY, ANDREW GOMEZ, FRED PHELPS, MORMON ADVISOR, CONRAD MILLER

HE/HIM | After a long hiatus, Spencer is beyond excited to not only be back on stage, but also to be performing with FST for the first time.

His love for telling stories began in grade school with roles like Bert Healy in Annie, Vince Fontaine in Grease, and Josh in Bang Bang You’re Dead. His study included time at Salisbury University where he played Peter in Stop Kiss; Pace University where he played Michael in Language of Angels; and intensive study of the Meisner technique at the Matthew Corozine Studio in NYC. Professional credits include Andrew in the youtube series ‘America Loves Carlos” Season 1 Ep. 4: The Greatest Love of All; Boy #3 in the off-Broadway production of ‘Way to Heaven’(Himmelweg).

He is looking forward to bringing this heartbreaking true story back to life during Pride Month.

Spencer is also a real estate agent based in the Capital District of NY. Much of his time is consumed by his two dogs Tyler Jean and Tucker Titus Andromedan. You can follow them on instagram: @spencerupstate and @itstylerandtucker.

GREG PIEROTTI, SGT. HING, PHIL LABRIE, FATHER ROGER SCHMIT, RULON STACEY, DETECTIVE SGT. ROB DEBREE, JONAS SLONAKER

HE/HIM | Tom is pleased to be returning to the FST stage, after appearing in last season's production of "Our Town" as Simon Stimson for which he won a BroadwayWorld award. Tom is a former member of Actor's Equity having performed in several regional theaters such as the Cape Playhouse and Florida Rep appearing in shows such as "Gypsy", "Music Man" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof".

Most recently, Tom was in "Vanya, Sonia, Masha, Spike" with Schuylerville Community Theater and last season directed "Company" for the Dorset Players. Extra Thanks to Kyle and Jared and my lobster Paul Michael Brinker.

ZUBADIDA ULA, REGGIE FLUTY, REBECCA HILLIKER, WAITRESS, NEWSPERSON #1

SHE/THEY | has been acting for about ten years in Massachusetts, Vermont, and upstate New York. Her previous shows include Clue (Mrs. White), The Cake (Macy), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hippolyta), and Sister Act (Deloris), Mary Poppins (Mrs. Corry), Drowsy Chaperone (Trix the Aviatrix), Kinky Boots (Pat), Hamlet (Ophelia), and The Rocky Horror Show (Phantom). Jackie gives her thanks to this fun, welcoming community and looks forward to future shows together!

AMANDA GRONICH, EILEEN ENGEN (ACT 1), MARGE MURRAY, BAPTIST MINISTER, TRISH STEGER, SHADOW, NEWSPERSON #2

SHE/HER | Aimee is thrilled to make her debut at Fort Salem in the Laramie Project. She was last seen at Schylurville Community Theater as the Dowager Empress in Anastasia. Other favorite roles include Lily in A Man of No Importance, Golda in Fiddler on the Roof and the Queen in Cinderella. Real life drama includes a wonderfully supportive husband, 4 crazy kids and a challenging career as a Nurse Practitioner. Love and thanks to the village that allows me to be a part of such an important story!

NARRATOR

HE/HIM | Jonathan Pate – A Tuscaloosa Alabama native, his previous stage credits include Rabbit Hole, The Drowsy Chaperone, Guys and Dolls, Man of La Mancha, Oklahoma!, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Cabaret, Brigadoon, Play On!, Bent, and The Normal Heart. Jonathan has also directed The Minutes, Cinderella, Spelling Bee, A Man or No Importance, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Chasing Charles, The Normal Heart (Listed on the Best Play list for the Times Union’s “Best of the Capital Region” in 2015). Support local theatre!

MOISES KAUFMAN, PHILIP DUBOIS (ACT 1), STEPHEN MEADE JOHNSON, MURDOCK COPPER, JON PEACOCK, HARRY WOODS

HE/HIM | David Skeele moved to the Saratoga area two and a half years ago, having spent the previous thirty years teaching acting and playwriting at Slippery Rock University in Western Pennsylvania. David is a prolific director, with over fifty productions at SRU under his belt. Locally, he performed in Homemade Theatre’s The Humans (Erik) and Hamlet (Claudius), as well as Hubbard Hall’s Twelfth Night (Feste) and two pieces in Whispering Bones. Other favorite recent roles include Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon, John in Marjorie Prime and Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet. He is also a playwright, and five of his supernatural thrillers have been produced at Scotland’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival (and subsequently in countries as far-flung as Switzerland and Nigeria). Last summer he directed one of those thrillers, Starla, at Hubbard Hall. David holds an MFA in Directing and a Ph.D. in Theatre History and Performance Studies, and is the author of the book Thwarting the Wayward Seas, a history of Shakespeare’s Pericles and the editor of Pericles: Critical Essays. In addition to theatre, David’s passions include hiking, songwriting, snowshoeing, writing crime fiction and scouring the internet for exciting new rock bands.

LEIGH FONDAKOWSKI, ZACKIE SALMON, ALISON SEARS, ROMAINE PATTERSON, NEWSPERSON #4, ARRON KREIFELS, TIFFANY EDWARDS

SHE/HER | Kylie is thrilled to be making her debut on the Fort Salem stage! Her recent acting credits include Whatsername in American Idiot (Broadway Upstate), Logainne in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (SCT), and Rosie in Cabaret (Broadway Upstate). Outside of the theater, she and her cousin Matt Murphy perform acoustic country/rock music regularly at Duffy’s Tavern in Lake George. She would like to thank the Production Team for the opportunity to take part in telling this story, and her fellow cast members for all of their hard work and support throughout this process.

DIRECTOR

HE/HIM | Michael Nichols-Pate is thrilled to be given the opportunity to direct for Fort Salem Theater! Michael has 20+ years of work in front of and behind the scenes on various productions. Prominent productions are: The Heidi Chronicles (Producer), The Mousetrap (Producer), Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Producer), and Rabbit Hole (Director - 2025 Broadwayworld Nominated).

Along with his behind the scenes work, Michael also enjoys starring as Roberts onstage; Bert (Mary Poppins), Robert Martin (Drowsy Chaperone), Robbie Fay (A Man of No Importance), and Bobby (Company). Michael would like to thank his family and friends for their constant support and love. For further inquiries, please contact his mother.

STAGE MANAGER

HE/HIM | Alex is excited to make his Fort Salem Theater debut with this production. More known for managing musicals, he is excited for a change of pace with a play. Alex serves as a board member at Schuylerville Community Theater, where he has contributed both onstage and behind the scenes. He was most recently seen at SCT as Spike in "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike," and backstage as Stage Manager for "The Twenty-Fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" and "Cinderella."

Beyond Schuylerville, Alex served as Stage Manager for Bunbury Players’ "A Man Of No Importance" at The Edison Club and as Technical Director for Bunbury Players’ "It's A Flop" at Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library. He has also worked as a spotlight operator for "Cabaret" at Broadway Upstate.

COSTUME DESIGNER

Lawrence Thomas Nichols has been creating costumes for theater productions for over 35 years. Most recently, “Anastasia” for Schuylerville Community Theater, “A Man of No Importance” for Bunbury players, “The Minutes” for The Dorsett Players, “Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike for Schuylerville Community Theater. Other credits are “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” where he won “Best Costume Design - non-professional from Broadway World and “Cinderella” (SCT). “The Heidi Chronicles”, “The Rabbit Hole” and “The Mousetrap” for Bunbury Players. Previously he has worked with multiple theater groups including The North Star Children’s Theater, Adirondack Children’s Theater Troupe, Broadway upstate and several local High School productions as well. He has also directed several Musical productions as Drama Advisor at Corinth Central School. His favorite Musical to Direct and Costume has been Into the Woods, that he costumed for ACT and directed at CCS.

RESIDENT SCENIC DESIGNER

HE/HIM | Charles/Chuck is a well-rounded artist with experience in creative writing, HDR photography, graphic design and 3D rendering, improvisational piano, original song composition and scenic design for theater. While attending Southern Vermont College 2001-2005 (bachelor’s in liberal arts) he worked summers at Old Castle Theater in Bennington, VT (2000 to 2005) where he learned, by observation, the creative nuances of set design as he worked as a stagehand. Charles is currently the Resident Scenic Designer and an Artistic Associate for Fort Salem Theater where, in October 2021, he debuted a design for The Diary of Anne Frank. In the 2022 season, he went on to design: Little Shop of Horrors, Steel Magnolias, Pride and Prejudice, Grease, The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition, Bright Star, I Love You Because, Spring Awakening, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Footloose,  The Little Mermaid Jr., The Pirates of Penzance, The Rocky Horror Slow, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Into the Woods, Beethoven, Godspell, Mary Poppins, The Drowsy Chaperone, Kinky Boots, and Tick, Tick…Boom!, along with designing Grant’s Ghost for Hubbard Hall on the side. Charles has also directed Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus in 2004 at his then-former High School, and The Glass Menagerie at Southern Vermont College in 2009.

Prior to his work at Fort Salem Theater, Charles has over eight years of set design experience, artistic/stage directing, assistant directing and serving as a theatrical creative-solutions consultant (for a local high school drama club). Shows he has designed there include: The Diary of Anne Frank (2007), Once Upon a Mattress, Rumors, The Importance of Being Earnest, Beauty and the Beast, Into the Woods, Twelve Angry Jurors, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, And Then There Were None, The Sound of Music, Noises Off, Shrek the Musical, and ended his run there with The Mousetrap (2015).

After taking some time away from theatrical design Charles feels truly thankful and honored to reignite his passion for design at Fort Salem Theater and is very honored to have helped design Grant’s Ghost for Hubbard Hall.

PROP DESIGNER

SHE/HER | Nicole is a theater artist, educator, and designer with more than 24 years of experience both onstage and behind the scenes. Her work spans directing, stage management, costuming, and properties design, bringing creativity and attention to detail to every production. Nicole has designed and created props for a wide range of theatrical works, from children’s theater to new and original productions. She currently teaches acting and stagecraft at Broadway Upstate Studio and is passionate about helping bring stories to life through thoughtful, imaginative design.

SOUND DESIGNER

SHE/THEY | Mel is a playwright, songwriter, and published poet who recently worked on Fort Salem Theater productions of “Tick, Tick…Boom!” (Stage Manager), “Into the Woods” (Assistant Stage Manager), “ICU” (Stage Manager),  “Macbethany” (Stage Manager), “Sweeney Todd” (Stage Manager), and “Kiinky Boots” (Stage Manager).

She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Music and Music Business from Five Towns College where she graduated valedictorian of her class, and has worked in many facets of the arts both on and off stage.

LIGHTING DESIGNER & PRODUCER

SHE/HER | Courtnie is a performer, director, and designer who grew up right next door in Greenwich. A graduate of The Institute for American Musical Theatre in NYC, she brings storytelling to life both onstage and behind the scenes. While in New York City, she performed with Hudson Classical Theater Company, where she also served as Hair Designer for “Pride and Prejudice” (Lydia Bennet) and “Sense and Sensibility” (Charlotte Palmer). Favorite credits include “Bright Star” (Alice Murphy), “Into the Woods” (Baker’s Wife), “Tick, Tick… BOOM!” (Susan), “Secret Garden” (Martha), and originating the role of Kayla Charter in “Solstice: A New Musical,” which you can see her reprise this May at the Wood Theater.

You can usually find her at Fort Salem Theater (her second home) where she’s helped create shows like “Kinky Boots,” “Godspell,” “Footloose,” and “Ripcord.” Love to all the friends and family who keep her going. She swears she’ll take a break, someday.

courtnieharrington.com

PRODUCER

HE/HIM | Kyle has three decades of creating award-winning theatre under his belt, working as a producer, director, choreographer, designer, and performer. His work has been seen all across the US, from Cape Cod, to Boston, Arizona and Dallas, to New York and has been recognized by the AriZoni Awards of Excellence, BroadwayWorld Awards, Column Awards, Annie Award, MET Awards, and MHSDG Awards, among others.

Most recently, Kyle took a brief sabbatical from Fort Salem Theater to serve as Company Manager for the esteemed Williamstown Theatre Festival, where he led a company of 350 artists and staff members. There, he worked alongside the talents of Pamela Anderson, Amber Heard, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, Susan Sarandon, Kate Walsh, Chris Messina, Brandon Flynn, Whitney Peak, William Jackson Harper, Elizabeth Lail, Tonatiuh, Jensen McRae, among many others.

At Fort Salem Theater, he has directed and choreographed “Salem Under The Stars,” “The Marvelous Wonderettes,” “Next to Normal,” “There’s No Business Like Snow Business,” “Grease,” “The Pirates of Penzance,” “Agnes of God,” and “Mary Poppins” and has designed costumes for FST’s “Pride & Prejudice,” “Grease,” and “Bright Star.” Other direction and choreography credits include “Hairspray,” “Evita,” “White Christmas,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Guys and Dolls,” “The Music Man,” Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “West Side Story,” “Into the Woods,” “RENT,” “The Rink,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “A Chorus Line,” “Chicago,” “La Cage aux Folles,” and “Cabaret.”

Kyle is humbled to be the executive and artistic director of Fort Salem Theater, and in June 2023, was named one of the Top 10 New York State LGBTQ+ Leaders by I ❤️ NY.

*Indicates Associate Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society