JENNIFER CAPRI (Clelia) is the quintessential hardworking New York actress. On stage she has appeared in The Curious Savage, Ah, Wilderness!, The Sun Always Shines for the Cool, Room Service and Damn Yankees. You may recognize her from TV’s Hallmark Hall of Fame: A Season for Miracles, One Life to Live and Another World. She has recently worked on a segment for The David Letterman Show. In addition, Miss Capri has toured in shows across the country and has done print work for magazines. She is thoroughly enjoying her experience with The Human Race and hopes to make a return engagement soon.

JEREMY CLEARY (Thor) is very excited about making his professional acting debut at The Human Race. A first-grade student at Smith Elementary, Jeremy has performed in several school and church events. Last year, he made his stage debut as “Tiny Tim” in the Sinclair Community College production of The Christmas Carol. Jeremy also enjoys soccer, playing the piano and tap dancing.

RYAN HECHT (Rick) is thrilled to be making his Human Race debut as the Nerd, a role he has been rehearsing for all his life. Many thanks to Mom, Dad, Jon, Max and all the various people who believed in him through the years. Thanks to Cliff, Alison and Jeff for the advice and guidance. As always, he dedicates his performance to his lovely Nerdette, Kathryn, for the past 7 years and all the future to come.

MICHAEL KENWOOD LIPPERT (Waldgrave) is a founding member and Resident Artist with The Human Race Theatre Company. He most recently appeared in The Drawer Boy at The Human Race and Every Good Boy Deserves Favour with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Other credits include the Midwest premieres of Spinning Into Butter, Stonewall Jackson’s House and Robert Johnson: Trick the Devil as well as leading roles in Picasso at the Lapin Agile, True West, Cloud 9, Speed the Plow, The Elephant Man, The Boys Next Door, Orphans, Speed of Darkness and Nova Town with Rhythm in Shoes. Michael is also a seasoned arts integration consultant working with educators and students across the country, reforming education by integrating the arts across the curriculum. He is the proud uncle of Michael Scott, Matthew Joseph and Summer James Lippert.

CHRIS PETSCHLER (Willum) is very excited to be joining The Human Race Theatre this season for The Nerd. Chris is a Chicago–based actor, whose many credits there include: Christopher Wren in Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap (Drury Lane Theater in Oakbrook), a guest spot as “Flat Face” Harry in a serial comedy called It Runs in the Family (The Second City), Kenny in Neil Simon’s Proposals (Theatre at the Centre), Stanley in A Bedfull of Foreigners (Drury Lane Theatre in Evergreen Park) and (believe it or not!) Willum in The Nerd (Candlelight’s Forum Theatre). Chris’ dreamgirl, Lauren, will hopefully get over him not actually being an architect, but just playing one onstage. I love you!

NATASHA RANDALL (Tansy) is elated to be returning to The Race stage. Previous Race credits include: Crimes of the Heart, Animal Farm (In-school Tour), The Odd Couple, Death of a Salesman and Antigone (In-school Tour). Other credits include: Iris, The Diviners, A Matter of Balance, Proposals, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Youth Monologues, Medea, The Tempest, The Cherry Orchard, The Imaginary Invalid and Arms and the Man. Natasha graduated with a BFA in Acting from Wright State University. She is a member of AFTRA and has starred in various film and television projects, commercials, industrials and radio spots. SEVEN!

AARON VEGA (Axel) has had a busy year with three musicals, Green Gables (Moody), and the world premieres of Was (Max) and Christian Duhamel’s Reinventing Romance (Isaiah); and two tours, Animal Farm (Snowball) and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s Twelfth Night (Feste). Aaron has his BFA in Acting/Musical Theatre from Wright State University and performed in many shows there including States of Independence (Directed by Tina Landau and Ricky Ian Gordon) and Parade (Coached by Jason Robert Brown). Other professional credits include: You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Charlie), West Side Story (Riff), Joseph... (Joseph & Ruben), The Wizard of Oz (Lion), Noises Off (Tim), Beauty and the Beast, (Beast) and A Little Night Music (Mr. Erlenson).

LARRY SHUE (Playwright) was an actor and playwright best known for The Nerd and The Foreigner, both of which have played on Broadway and in regional theatres worldwide. His other plays include Siliasocles, Grandma Duck Is Dead, My Emperor’s New Clothes and Wenceslas Square. Before he took the position of Playwright-in-Residence at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Shue was first and foremost an actor, working in New York, Atlanta, Berkeley and Washington DC theatres, with appearances on TV’s One Life to Live and the films A Common Confusion and The Hungry Leaves. He also won two Obies and two New York Drama Critic Awards during his lifetime. His promising writing career was cut short when he was killed in a commuter plane crash in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.

SHAUNN BAKER (Director) is thrilled to be returning to The Human Race for the second time, having directed Dirty Blonde in 2002. His work was also seen on the Loft stage in Bat Boy: The Musical for which he designed the video sequences. Shaunn is the Managing Partner of WorldStage Media which now concentrates on producing corporate videos, but which began life as a theatre company by producing The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) at the Engineers Club here in Dayton.

DICK BLOCK (Scenic Designer) has designed a number of productions for The Human Race, including West Side Story, Spinning Into Butter, Of Mice and Men and, most recently, Steve Martin’s The Underpants. As a native it is always fun to return to Dayton and always a pleasure to work with this exciting company. His work has been seen at the Virginia Stage Company, Starlight Productions in Pittsburgh, the Weston Playhouse in Vermont, the Pittsburgh Public Theatre and the McCarter Theatre in New Jersey. Last Spring he was in Cairo designing the Feydeau farce, Silly Goose. He currently serves as the Associate Head of the School of Drama at Carnegie Mellon University and is a member of United Scenic Artists. He received his MFA from Northwestern University.

MARY BETH McLAUGHLIN (Costume Designer) has designed numerous shows for The Human Race Theatre including: Crimes of the Heart, Was, The Odd Couple, Of Mice and Men, Over The River and Through The Woods, Death of a Salesman, Bat Boy, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Seascape, Noises Off, Wit, Angels in America. She also has worked with Wright State University designing Biloxi Blues and One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest.  Prior to The Human Race Theatre she worked for Dayton Ballet and American Stage Company in St. Petersburg, Florida. She has also designed specialty costumes for Kids Voting and United Way.

JOHN RENSEL (Lighting Designer) is the president and co-founder of The Light Fantastic. John has designed productions for Victoria Theatre Association, Dayton Playhouse, Dayton Theatre Guild, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, The Muse Machine, Fraze Pavilion and Northeast Regional Ballet Festivals. He is also the resident lighting designer for The Human Race, as well as Kettering Children’s Theatre and Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Pops.

CHARLIE PARKER (Sound Designer) spent his youth performing with rock and funk bands before finally settling in Dayton, handling sound and music for theatre, film, and video. He worked for a time in corporate staging and production and his involvement with theatre started in the late 90s with a couple of original scores for children’s productions at Town Hall Theatre in Centerville, where he later became the resident sound designer. He also performs music around Dayton from time to time, playing jazz or pop on keyboards, or accompanying belly dancers on one of the exotic percussion instruments he’s collected through the years. He is thrilled to be working with The Human Race and in the Loft Theatre.  

ELIZABETH GRUNENWALD (Production Stage Manager) is happy to be joining the Human Race for her first full season, her previous Human Race Credits include: The Retreat from Moscow, Green Gables and The Underpants. New York credits include: Blues for an Alabama Sky and Top Girls with NYU Tisch School for the Arts. Other Credits: Cabaret, Plaza Suite, and Peter Pan with Tri-arts at the Sharon Playhouse; The Legend of Sleepy Hollow with the Alabama Ballet; Romeo and Juliet and Elektra with the Cincinnati Opera.