Heather Antos

Heather is thrilled to be returning to OLT for the debut of Cardboard Trees and a Painted Moon! She was last seen in OLT's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream as Titania and has been chasing that same high ever since. She'd like to thank her fiance, Tyler, for his support and taking over dog duties during rehearsal nights.

Joe Cremona

Joe is relatively new to community theatre, however his love of singing and acting started as a kid, when he appeared in his middle school's production of Grease Jr. (Teen Angel). Fast forward to today, Joe has been studying voice with Reegan McKenzie, appearing most notably in Do You Hear The People Sing? A Night of Music from Les Miserables (Valjean). Other recent favorites: Amahl and the Night Visitors, (Page/Coro), Gemini (Francis), I'm Getting Murdered in the Morning (Benny) and My Big Gay Italian Midlife Crisis (Andrew). Offstage, Joe is a secondary science and special education teacher in Nutley, working to complete a Doctor of Education (Ed.D) in the Special Education program at Rutgers. Joe is a proud pawdre to his purrfect child, Benny, who has silently judged many vocal warmups and audition songs! He would also like to thank his mom for her support from day one and for always providing him with a safe space to authentically be himself.

Marc Cruz

Marc is so excited to be part of the world premiere of this musical! This marks his third production with OLT, following his performances in The 10th Annual One Act Play Festival (2021) and The Autumn Opulence Cabaret (2023). Other theatre credits: Pippin (Player), Parade (Young Soldier & others), Into the Woods (Milky White), American Idiot (Declan/Rock & Roll Boyfriend), RENT (Mr. Grey/Ensemble), Sister Act (Pablo), Kinky Boots (Ensemble), Newsies (Crutchie), Spring Awakening (Otto), Head Over Heels (Dametas), and Annie (Rooster). Marc extends his heartfelt thanks to the entire cast for being such a joy to work with, and to the creative team for welcoming him into their vision for this show!

Michael Del Valle

Michael is thrilled to be making his OLT debut, He is a Bronx native, born of Puerto Rican descent and a graduate of Boston University and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. He has performed with the Bronx Opera Chorus and various community playhouses throughout NY and NJ. He is a NJACT Perry Award nominee and a multiple 2022 Broadway World Award nominee (Supporting Actor, Ensemble, and New Musical) for the tristate premier of Night and Day: Love Lost and Found Through the Eyes of Cole Porter at Elmwood Playhouse. He was most recently seen in the principal cast of A Tribute to Carol Burnett with the Theater League of Clifton.

Katie Felici

Katie is beyond excited to be a part of her FIRST show at OLT! As an avid lover of theatre, she's glad she can be part of this new adventure and production. Prior stage roles include Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas, Mount Humongous in The Spongebob SquarePants Musical, and one of the Whickersham Sisters in Seussical. Katie has also branched out to the world of Shakespeare, portraying Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream and a Witch in Macbeth. When she's not on stage, Katie continues her passion for acting as a cast member at The New York Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo, NY. Katie would like to thank the team and cast at OLT for welcoming her into this production, and all of her friends and family for their support in her passion for all things theatre!

Paul Foster

Paul is delighted to be included in this showcase of Patrick's musicality, humor and heart. As a physician and a prostate cancer survivor, Paul has found a home away from both at OLT. He auditioned for his first OLT role three days before surgery. Being cast as Harry in Titanic was both surprising news and a great anesthetic. The rehearsals motivated a quick recovery. The show itself with it's themes of the fragility and beauty of life helped place the personal drama in perspective. In later shows, Paul went on to play Dr. Berensteiner in OLT’s A New Brain, a musical about a composer with a stroke and a fun summer romp as Sebastian in Cinderella. After taking several months off for radiation, he's back playing – a doctor finding joy in community theater after a patient challenges him to audition. Which incidentally is how Paul originally began his theater journey: when a patient in Baltimore badgered him into auditioning for Harry in Mamma Mia. Paul is supported by his wife Jenny, and sons Abram and Michael.

Brooke Kaye

Brooke is thrilled to be joining the world premier of Cardboard Trees and a Painted Moon. She would like to thank Patrick and Valerie for the opportunity to be part of an original show that celebrates community theater performers in their offstage lives as they form an onstage community. Brooke has been entertaining Northern NJ audiences for the last ten years, appearing in various plays, one-acts, musicals, and music revues. Some of her favorites include, We Will Rock You, Shrek, Mamma Mia, Freckleface Strawberry, Disaster!, Always a Bridesmaid, Golden Oldies, and Play On! When Brooke is not performing, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and her two dogs.

Kay Koch

Kay is excited to join this fantastic group of actors to originate a new musical here at Old Library Theatre! After previously appearing here in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Nine, The Big Gay Cabaret, and Radium Girls, Kay is honored to have been elected to the OLT Executive Board as the Digital Marketing Manager for 2025. Other favorite credits: Gloria: A Life (Gloria Steinem - OffBook Productions), Beehive! The 60s Musical (Laura/Janis Joplin - The Barn Theatre), The Toxic Avenger (Ma/Mayor Babs - Players Guild of Leonia), Into the Woods (The Baker - Studio Playhouse) and Ragtime (Mother – BCP). Thanks to Valerie, Christynn, Milind, and our fearless composition maestro, Patrick! Love as always to my favorite “Part-Nerd”-in-crime, Packy.

Katie Lupfer

Katie is thrilled to be back on stage with OLT after designing costumes for OLT's production of Nine. You may have recently seen her at OLT in A New Brain (Nancy D/ Waitress) or in The Big Gay Cabaret. Katie has also performed in productions at The Bergen County Players and The Players Guild of Leonia. As well as performing onstage Katie enjoys designing wigs and costume design and has costumed many productions for The Bergen County Players and received the Perry Award for Outstanding Costume Design of a play for A Shayna Maidel and Perry nominations for Ragtime, Whodunnit? and The Man Who Came to Dinner. Katie would like to thank her parents for always supporting her in her creative endeavors.

Natalya "Artemus" Kozlovski

Natalya is currently an Illustration student at Montclair State University, and is graduating in May of this year! They are very excited to step into their first role with Old Library Theatre, especially for an original production! Previous roles include Margot in Legally Blonde and Heather Chandler in Heathers JR at One Voice Vocal Studio, and Cobweb in MSU Players' production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. They also have backstage experience working lights, costume and makeup, and stage management. Talya has been doing community theatre her entire life, and is proud to be continuing in their college and post-grad career.

Laura Penney Shamir

Laura was last seen at OLT in the musical Nine (Luisa), The Big Gay Cabaret, and Titanic. Other favorite credits have included The Pirates of Penzance with The Ridgewood Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company, Cordelia in Falsettos, the Balladeer in Assassins, and the Housewife in Working. Laura sings with The Lakeside Choraliers, a local choir based in Park Ridge, NJ, and has sung with a wide variety of virtual choirs including Chris Lombardi Acapella, Choirantine, ChoirCast, Stay at Home Choir, and the San Fernando Valley Master Chorale. In 2022, Laura sang at Carnegie Hall under the baton of composer Eric Whitacre. Congratulations to Patrick and this entire cast and crew!

Eileen Mager

Eileen is happy to return to OLT, having performed here in Nine and Unexpected Joy. With the Ridgewood Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company, Eileen has enjoyed sinking her teeth into most of Gilbert & Sullivan's principal mezzo/contralto roles, including Katisha in The Mikado, Little Buttercup in HMS Pinafore, and Mad Margaret in Ruddigore. Eileen recently starred in A Tribute to Carol Burnett with the Theatre League of Clifton, and she has performed in several children's shows, both locally and on tour.

Colby Trembley

Colby is thrilled to be making his OLT debut, and his New Jersey theater debut. Originally from Connecticut, Colby recently relocated to Fair Lawn, where he is an elementary school teacher. Colby has performed throughout the state of Connecticut in shows including: Next to Normal ASL (Gabe), 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (William Barfee), Crazy for You (Bobby Child), Annie (Rooster), and Papermaker (Jake) to name a few. He is also not a stranger to workshops and original works, having performed in Bingo Jamboree (Glenn), and Prideful (Joseph). Colby also enjoys directing and choreographing, as well as working in theater education to bring the skills and joys of theater to a younger generation. He is thrilled to play beneath the paper moon in this new work with new friends! Colby would like to thank his partner, Erik, for his unwavering love and support.

John Sapida

While John has been performing in community theater productions around the area for more than a decade and a half, this is actually his debut with Old Library Theatre! Some previous credits include: You're a Good Man Charlie Brown (Schroeder), In the Heights (Benny), Next to Normal (Henry), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Barfée) and The Wedding Singer (Robbie Hart). He has also been a part of the ensemble for shows like Cabaret, RENT, Urinetown, and Man of LaMancha (to name a few). Fun fact: John has actually been in 6 productions of Godspell because some shows are so great, you have to keep doing them again and again when they come along! John would like to thank his wife and vocal coach, Danika, his family, his friends, and the cast, crew, and creatives of this show for their continued support.

Nichole Vaiknoras

Nichole is excited to appear in her first show at OLT! Nichole’s previous credits include Bedroom Farce (Jan), You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (TWICE! - Snoopy, Marcie), Cabaret (Fraulein Kost), Freaky Friday (Torrey), and The Little Mermaid (Aquatta). Nichole would like to thank her husband, son, pups, and especially her patients who never complain about her serenading them everyday.

Peter Vaiknoras

Peter is excited to be returning to OLT having appeared last season in A New Brain (Mr. Bungee). Previous: It Shoulda Been You (Marty), Shrek the Musical (Lord Farquaad), Falsettos (Whizzer). He works as a stage manager for Pushcart Players, specializing in Theatre for Young Audiences. He is also excited to be making his OLT directorial debut this fall with Jekyll & Hyde, (be sure to ask him about it)! He extends a big thank you to Patrick, Valerie, Christynn, Milind, Dave, the cast (especially his always supportive partner, Nikki). This show provides a great insight into what community theater can be, and serves as a great theatrical example of the camaraderie, understanding, and the whirlwinds (along with a big dash of anxiety!) that go into coming together to create an experience such as this. Finally, thank you, the audience, for being the most important, and final, piece of the jigsaw puzzle that is putting on a stage production. Hope you enjoy the show!

Beth Valenti

OLT has always been a special theater company to Beth. She has performed in many productions with OLT when OLT was actually in the old library on River Road. Life long friendships and collaborations go back to the early 80’s and continue to this day. Beth was last seen on the OLT stage as Stephanie Necrophourus in Nine. She was also recently in OLT’s Big Gay Cabaret and Stageworks production of A Sondheim Tribute. Favorite roles include: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Madame), The Wizard of Oz (Wicked Witch of the West), Annie (Miss Hannigan), Pippin (Berthe), Nunsense (Mother Superior), Hello Dolly (Dolly), Chorus Line (Sheila), Chicago (Roxie) to name a few. She has also appeared in her one-woman show in NYC working with Helen Baldassare, Jay Rogers, Rick Jensen and Dick Gallagher. Beth would like to express her thanks to Patrick for entrusting her with this amazing original musical. Also, thank you to Valerie, Christynn, Milind, Dave and the rest of this amazing crew who have made this a pure joy and privilege to be a part of this production. Also, a special thank you to the best husband ever, Joe, who is so incredibly supportive!

Annick Vasquez

Annick was raised in Houston, TX and has been a proud member of the NJ theatre community since her move here years ago. Music has always been her first love but she caught the theatre bug in college playing Olivia in Evening Star and hasn’t looked back! Favorite roles have been Abuela Claudia in In the Heights, Carmen in Real Women Have Curves, and Mrs. Claus in Christmas Caper.

Kelly Wenz

Kelly Wenz (Kelly) is a proud music performance graduate of Drew University, and elated to return to the OLT stage in this world premiere production. She regularly appears in concerts, musicals, operas, and religious services throughout the greater New York area, including appearances with New Jersey Opera Theater, and Labyrinthe, a professional a cappella ensemble in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. She is a visual and performing arts educator, cantor and junior choir director at St. Luke’s Episcopal (Montclair), maintains a private music studio, and studies dance at The Ballroom Dance House. She proudly serves on the Board of Directors for Art Educators of New Jersey, and is a three time award recipient in the Governor’s Educator of the Year program. Favorite musical theater credits to date include The Addams Family (Wednesday), Songs for a New World (Woman #1), Into the Woods (The Baker's Wife), and her Perry-nominated portrayal of Martha Jefferson in 1776. Love and gratitude to the composer, production team, cast and all who support us in our craft.