The Footlighters, Inc.

06/16/2026

ACT Cincinnati, the Association of Community Theatres of Greater Cincinnati, hosted their annual celebratory banquet on June 13, 2026 to honor and recognize the work done during the 2025- 2026 season. Below you will find our Footlighters winners!

🌈The Wizard of Oz 🌪🐶
Excellence in Lighting Design- Eric Bardes
Excellence in Lighting Ex*****on- Janet Wisner
Excellence in Lobby Display- Edward & Sandy Gates
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance- Marco Colant
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance- Mary Vosseberg
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance- Michael Richart
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance- Mikayla Rae
Excellence in Orchestral Performance- The Wizard of Oz Orchestra
Excellence in Producing- Cathy Lutts & Michelle Burdett
Excellence in Program- Erica Beimesche
Excellence in Sound Design- Forrest Goodwin
Excellence in Sound Ex*****on- Forrest Goodwin & Davin Hudnall
Excellence in Stage Management- Karrie Stoner, Janet Wisner, & Christine Wolff
Excellence in Vocal Direction- Alan Masters
Excellence in Direction- Zac Holman
Excellence in Choreography- Zac Holman & Emily Hilbrecht
Excellence in Ensemble- The Cast of 'The Wizard of Oz'
Excellence in Ensemble- The Munchkins
Excellence in Hair/Wigs- Christina Siciliano
Excellence in House- Cathy Lutts
Excellence in Makeup- Christina Siciliano
Excellence in Musical Direction- Alan Masters
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance- Erica Wethington Mann
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance- John Siedenberg
Excellence in Program Art- Bullfish Graphics
Excellence in Properties- Earl Lehkamp Wes Ledyard, Edward Gates & Sandy Gates
Excellence in Set Décor- Edward & Sandy Gates
Excellence in Set Design- Zac Holman & John Siedenberg

🦇The Addams Family Musical 🕸💛
Excellence in Costume Design- Sophie Grant
Excellence in Ensemble- The Ancestors
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance- Evan Blanton
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance- Jamie Sivrais
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance- Val Allen
Excellence in Orchestral Performance- The Addams Family Orchestra
Excellence in Set Construction- Alan Masters & Crew
Excellence in Choreography- Mike Fielder
Excellence in Direction- Aubrey E. Wilson
Excellence in Hair/Wigs- Narisa Williams
Excellence in House- Cathy Lutts
Excellence in Lighting Ex*****on- Desrial Meyer
Excellence in Lobby Display- Jim Curtis, Nancy Brown, & Jill Herzner
Excellence in Musical Direction- Alan Masters
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance- Isabelle Huecker
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance- Jenni Sheets-Parsons
Excellence in Overall Performance Quality- The Cast of 'The Addams Family'
Excellence in Producing- Alan Masters & Bunny Arszman
Excellence in Set Design- Dan Dermody
Excellence in Sound Ex*****on- Corey Meyer
Excellence in Stage Management- Anneke Hoskins

🚎 A Streetcar Named Desire 🍸🔥
Excellence in Acting in a Play- Alicia Friedman
Excellence in Acting in a Play- Amanda Emmons Shumate
Excellence in Acting in a Play- Jonathan Cody White
Excellence in Direction- Jerry Wiesenhahn
Excellence in Set Construction- Don Phillips & Crew
Excellence in Ensemble- The Cast of 'A Streetcar Named Desire'
Excellence in Lighting Design- Brady Dunn
Excellence in Lobby Display- Ed & Sandy Gates
Excellence in Producing- Kristen Vincenty & Rob Workley
Excellence in Program- Erica Beimesche
Excellence in Set Décor- Wes Ledyard
Excellence in Set Design- Joey Domhoff
Excellence in Stage Combat- Brian Haller

🎲 Guys and Dolls ❤
Excellence in Choreography- Rachael Petranek
Excellence in Dance Ex*****on- The Cast of 'Guys and Dolls'
Excellence in Direction- Jennifer Day
Excellence in Ensemble- The Cast of 'Guys and Dolls'
Excellence in Hair/Wigs- Dianna L. Davis
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance- Delaney O'Toole
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance- Garrett Klaas
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance- Michael Richart
Excellence in Orchestral Performance- Joseph Rivers and The Guys and Dolls Orchestra
Excellence in Overall Performance Quality- The Cast of 'Guys and Dolls
Excellence in Set Design- Joey Domhoff
Excellence in Stage Management- Janet Wisner & Kate Connor
Excellence in Vocal Direction- Joseph Rivers
Excellence in Lobby Display- Ed & Sandy Gates
Excellence in Musical Direction- Joseph Rivers
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance- Hope Louden
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance- Jamie Sivrais
Excellence in Producing- Megan Horton & Evan Blanton
Excellence in Program- Erica Beimesche
Excellence in Set Construction- Kent Smith & Crew
Excellence in Video Projection Design- Joey Domhoff & Jennifer Day

AND 🦇The Addams Family Musical 🕸💛 cast is going to STATE in September for their excerpt!

06/11/2026

The cast and crew of 🦇The Addams Family 🕸️💛 are rehearsing for their excerpt for the 2026 ACT/OCTAFest Convention this weekend!

If you’re attending the performances, they will be on at 11 AM on Saturday!!

Drop some encouragement for the cast and crew below! ⬇️

06/10/2026

The cast and crew showed off their red, white, and blue pride at their meet and greet last week!

🇺🇸1776 📜 runs from September 10 - 27, 2026 at The Stained Glass Theatre in Newport, Kentucky.

🎟 Tickets are only open for subscription renewals at this time!

Please visit https://www.footlighters.org/1776 for more details about the show!

06/06/2026

Footlighters, Inc. is proud to announce auditions for 🌉 The Bridges of Madison County ❤.
Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown
Book by Marsha Norman

Director/Choreographer: Jerry Wiesenhahn
Producers: Mary Stone and Megan Horton
Music/Vocal Director: Greg Dastillung

Show Details
November 5 – 22, 2026 (Thursdays – Sundays)

Note: Footlighters, Inc., is a community theater organization that performs at the Stained Glass Theatre in Newport, KY. These roles are not paid. No roles have been precast. All auditionees must be 18+ to audition for this show.

Audition Dates
Sunday, July 12, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Monday, July 13, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Invited callbacks, if needed: Wednesday, July 15

Sign Up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0448AEAE2BABFC1-64131720-thebridges #/

Audition Materials
- Please sign up for an audition time through the SignUpGenius link below. Walk-ins are welcomed but will be assigned to the first available audition slots.
- Please prepare 1 minute of a song in the style of the show that demonstrates your vocal ability. An accompanist will be provided. Make sure your sheet music is printed out, in the proper key, and has cuts clearly marked for the accompanist. Vocalizing may also take place to determine vocal range. You may also be asked to read from the script.
- There will be a brief movement call as part of your audition. Please wear shoes that you are comfortable moving in. This will take place after your vocal audition.
- Please provide a copy of your theatrical resume and headshot, if you have them.
- Please bring all conflicts between September and November 2026.
- Invited callbacks will include singing music from the show and performing cold readings from the script.

Show Synopsis
Note: This production is rated PG-13 for content. There will be an intimacy coordinator working with the cast.

Francesca Johnson, a beautiful Italian woman who married an American soldier to flee war-ravaged Italy, looks forward to a rare four days alone on her Iowa farm when her family heads to the 1965 State Fair. When ruggedly handsome National Geographic photographer Robert Kincaid pulls into her driveway seeking directions, though, what happens in those four days may very well alter the course of Francesca's life. This musical is based on the best-selling novel and was developed by Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown (The Last Five Years, Parade, Songs for a New World) and Pulitzer Prize winner Marsha Norman (‘night, Mother; The Secret Garden; The Color Purple). The Bridges of Madison County captures the lyrical expanse of America's heartland along with the yearning entangled in the eternal question, "What if...?" Winner of the 2014 Tony Award for Best Score and Orchestrations, this sweeping romance about the roads we travel, the doors we open, and the bridges we dare to cross will leave audiences breathless.

Character Descriptions
Francesca:
A beautiful Italian woman, generous, luminous, and funny, now married to a farmer and living in Iowa.
Stage Age: 35-45
Soprano

Robert Kincaid:
A ruggedly handsome, worldly, visionary photographer.
Stage Age: 40-50
Baritone/High Baritone

Richard "Bud" Johnson:
Francesca's husband. An Iowa farmer, a good guy, diligent and dependable, but always exhausted and irritated that things haven't gotten easier.
Stage Age: 40-50
Baritone

Marian:
Robert's former wife, a musician.
Stage Age: 30-35
Mezzo Soprano
This actor will also double as Chiara (Francesca’s sister) and in the ensemble.

Michael:
Francesca and Bud's son
Stage Age: 16
Tenor

Carolyn:
Francesca and Bud's daughter
Stage Age: 14
Soprano

Marge:
Francesca's neighbor, sassy and nosy
Stage Age: 45-60
Alto/Mezzo-Soprano

Charlie:
Marge's husband.
Stage Age: 55-70
Baritone

Ensemble:
Townspeople

⚠️ For more information, please visit https://www.footlighters.org/auditions

06/01/2026

The Footlighters, Inc. and director Libby Beiting-Lipps are excited to announce the cast of 🇺🇸 1776 📜 as we celebrate America's 250th birthday!

Jen Drake - John Adams
Kendra Struthers - Benjamin Franklin
Maika Miller - Thomas Jefferson
Amy Waldfogle - John Dickinson
Adria Whitfill - Edward Rutledge
Monica Tenhover - John Hancock
Virginia Venegas - Dr. Josiah Bartlett
Sandy Gates - Stephen Hopkins
Catherine Fields - Roger Sherman
Diane McCarty - Lewis Morris
Becca Wiesman - Robert Livingston
Ashley Olivia Matt - Rev. John Witherspoon
Hannah Richardson - James Wilson
Abby Schwarz - Caesar Rodney
Gina Stack - Col. Thomas McKean
Abigail Cavallaro - George Read
Sofie Tedesco - Samuel Chase
Sienna Glaze - Richard Henry Lee
Alexis Duncan - Joseph Hewes
Elizabeth Leigh Taylor - Dr. Lyman Hall
Ellen Godbey - Charles Thomson
Lara Gonzalezz- Andrew McNair
Helen Campbell - Leather Apron / Artist
Mary Mills - Courier
Annie Bloemer - Martha Jefferson
Colette Noël Thomas - Abigail Adams

🇺🇸1776 📜 runs from September 10 - 27, 2026 at The Stained Glass Theatre in Newport, Kentucky.

🎟 Tickets are only open for subscription renewal at this time.

Please visit https://www.footlighters.org/1776 for more details about the show!

05/31/2026

🔅Footlighters’ Summer Picnic & Membership Meeting 🔅

Sunday, July 26, 2026
1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Rossford Park Shelter
219 Rossford Ave.
Fort Thomas, KY 41075

Let’s Eat!🌭🍔🍗
Footlighters will provide the entrees – grilled hamburgers, chicken, brats & hot dogs – plus baked beans and other side dishes, and cold soda, water & iced tea. (No alcohol allowed in park.)

Many thanks to our great long-time grillmasters - Jim Racster and Bob Purvis!

Please bring a favorite dessert to share! 🥧🧁🎂🍪

Let’s Meet!
Catch up with your Footlighters’ friends!

Everyone is welcome; one does not need to be a current Footlighter member to attend.

Other exciting items on the agenda:
- Meet directors for the upcoming season
- Meet cast & crew of 1776 🇺🇸📜, our Fall show
- Meet candidates for Board of Trustees election
- *VOTE* for this new slate of board members 🗳

*To vote in this election, you must be a member in good standing by paying dues to Footlighters: $15 per person, $25 per family, for the 2026-2027 season. Memberships can be renewed or started online (https://www.footlighters.org/membership) or at the picnic (online, cash or check).

R.S.V.P.! ✅
Please let us know if you will be joining us!

R.S.V.P. on the SignUp Genius Link : https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0448AEAE2BABFC1-64309606-footlighters

05/29/2026

🚨Attention 2025-2026 Season Subscribers!

Remember to contact our box office by July 1 to renew your season tickets for 2026-27, via email [email protected] or box office phone 859-652-3849. You won't want to miss these four incredible shows!

New Season Subscriptions go on sale July 1st as well!

We'll see you at the Stained Glass Theatre!

05/28/2026

Our Rising Star! 🌟

Our next Joel Lind Rising Star Award Nominee is The Footlighters, Inc.'s Michael Richart.

"Michael Richart has become a valued and familiar presence at Footlighters, Inc. since his debut in the ‘23–’24 season’s Legally Blonde, where he took on the critical role of Carlos alongside several ensemble appearances. Since then, he has continued to grow into increasingly dynamic and challenging roles, all while maintaining his signature sense of playfulness with every character. During the ‘24-’25 season, Michael showcased his versatility as the tap-dancing best man, George, in The Drowsy Chaperone, as the jealous Gad, the heroic Butler, and an energetic Apache Dancer in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He concluded the season as Mark, the sensitive and flamboyant “Son of God” in Altar Boyz. In our current ‘25-’26 season, Michael returned to the Stained Glass Theatre three more times: as the brainless Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, a spooky Ancestor and Moon Dancer in The Addams Family, and most recently as the smooth-talking gambler Benny Southstreet in Guys and Dolls. Beyond his work with Footlighters, Inc., Michael has also contributed his talents to Cincinnati Music Theatre, appearing in The Prom (Teen Ensemble) and Sweet Charity (John S./Ensemble), as well as serving as assistant director to Mike Fielder for Witchcraft: The Songs of Cy Coleman. Next season, he will step into a new role as director of It’s a Small World: A Sherman Brothers R***e. When he’s not on stage, Michael is a middle school English teacher with Cincinnati Public Schools and an active force behind outreach and fundraising initiatives for Footlighters, Inc. In his first year on the board, he helped organize events such as Christmas Carolers and the (hopefully annual) Dance Marathon. Footlighters, Inc. is proud to celebrate Michael Richart’s many contributions and looks forward to supporting his continued growth and impact within the theatre community. This type of trailblazing force is exactly what makes him an exceptional candidate for the Joel Lind Rising Star Award."

Congratulations, Michael! All nominees will be awarded a pin at the ACT/OCTAFest banquet. 🎉