Chris Margraves is a sophomore majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on English and Psychology. She has been involved in the arts her whole life through music, painting, theatre, and dance, and is so excited to be involved in her second show at Tennessee Tech. She had been involved in theatre since her Junior Year of High School and plans to stay involved as much as she can. She would like to thank her family and friends for their love and support. 

Kendall Smith is a sophomore Musical Theatre major and this is his second production with the Backdoor Playhouse. You may have seen him as Cinderella’s Prince in Into the Woods last fall at the Backdoor Playhouse. He would like to thank his director, Prudence van Aalten, as well as his fellow cast for making this such a memorable experience. He hopes you enjoy the show!

Jonathan Helms is in the role of Joe Crowell Jr. and Si Crowell. He is a freshman at Tennessee Tech in the computer science major. This is his first play at the Backdoor Playhouse and hopes to do many more. He would like to thank his friends for making him audition for this play, his fellow actors for welcoming him and being so nice, and Prudence for casting him and helping him play his part.

James Howard is a freshman English (theatre) major making his debut at the Backdoor Playhouse in this production of Our Town, where he plays Howie Newsome. This is James’s first show with the Backdoor Playhouse, and he is grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a meaningful production. He would like to thank his family and friends for their continued support, as well as his acting coach, Ms. Gina Kelley, for her guidance and encouragement.

Lee McGouirk is a sophomore Musical Theater major at Tennessee Tech. This is her fourth show at the Backdoor Playhouse! She enjoys reading, singing, and watching movies, and making new friends. She wants to thank her friends and mom for supporting her and her dreams. She hopes you enjoy watching the show as much as she loves performing it!

Maggie Cook (Mrs. Webb) is excited to be in her first show at Tennessee Tech University! She is a Sophomore studying Musical Theatre. Some of her favorite shows she’s been in include Les Miserables (Eponine) at Cookeville High School and Cinderella (Charlotte) at Cookeville Children's Theatre. She’s excited to be back in Cookeville, bringing art to the community. She wants to thank her family, friends, and director for their constant support.

Landon Plemons plays George Gibbs, the eldest son of the Gibbs family. He does a variety of things in Our Town and has enjoyed his time in this role. He has experience in theatre, however this is his first show with the Backdoor Playhouse. He would like to thank the director, Prudence van Aalten, for giving him the opportunity to be in this performance. 

Addy Preston is performing for the first time at the Backdoor Playhouse as Rebecca Gibbs. She is a freshman pre-health biology major who enjoys theater as a hobby. She would like to thank her family and friends for supporting her in all her academic and non-academic pursuits!

Jordynn MacKay is delighted to be performing as Wally Webb in Tech’s production of Our Town. You may have seen them at Cookeville High School in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Trap. They are currently freshmen at Tennessee Tech, studying Marine Biology. Jordynn would like to thank the cast, crew, friends, and family for making this possible.

Hannah Rockensock is delighted to be a part of the Backdoor Playhouse’s production of Our Town. She is a junior musical theatre major and enjoys choreographing for the Opera/Musical Theatre Scenes class at Tech. Some of her favorite roles include Marian Paroo in The Music Man, Sonia in Godspell, and Ella in R&H’s Cinderella. She would like to thank all of her supportive friends and teachers who have helped her grow throughout the years.

Ethan Audiss, is a Wildlife and Fisheries Science Major, at Tennessee Tech. Ethan has acted in several stage productions, portraying roles such as Giles Corey in The Crucible, Motel Kamzoil in Fiddler on the Roof, and Tony Kirby in You Can’t Take it With You. He is very excited to share the story of Our Town with the audience. Outside of theatre, he enjoys hiking, going to the gym, drawing, and reading. He is drawn to acting because it allows him to challenge himself through the depiction of characters that often hold experiences or perspectives that are unfamiliar to his own.

Brayden Pruett is making his debut at the Backdoor Playhouse in Our Town as Mr. Webb. While he is a Freshman, he has been a long-term fan of theater, and is excited for his first “real” performance beyond the plays/musicals he was in back in grade school. He has a drive for improvement and a passion for creativity, and is grateful for the opportunity to work alongside like-minded people. Brayden would also like to thank his family and friends for their support in pursuing his dreams. 

Briley is a Tennessee Tech Senior English Major with a Concentration in Theater. She is playing the roles of Woman in the Balcony and Baseball Player. She has helped with almost every production at the Backdoor Playhouse since her freshman year. Most recently, she portrayed Snow White in Into the Woods. She would like to thank Prudence for all her support throughout her college career, as well as her family, friends, and the Lord for all their encouragement and love.

Dylan Trapp is a Senior and Studio Arts major student at Tennessee Tech.  Recently he has helped behind the scenes of shows at the Backdoor Playhouse like Leading Ladies and Carrie. He played Robbie Clark in Crawlspace his freshman year and has been in shows like Lion King, Snow White, Christmas in Neverland, and many more. Dylan joined the production of Our Town later than the rest of the cast and is thankful for the opportunity to join the production. He would also like to thank his family and friends for always attending and supporting him.

Natalya Fritz plays the roles of Lady in a Box, Woman Among Dead, as well as a general townsperson and choir member in Our Town. Natalya is a Studio Arts major with a minor in Theater. She has acted throughout high school and is excited to continue acting at Tennessee Tech. She has acted in shows such as 12 Angry Men, Addams Family Musical, Little Shop of Horrors, and more. She would like to thank her family and friends for supporting her performances.

Damian Lino is a BS Composition major here at Tennessee Tech and is so excited to join the Backdoor Playhouse for the first time! After doing theater for his junior and senior years of high school, he is incredibly happy to be back in a theater program! He would like to thank his family and friends that have supported him, as well as a special thank you to Lee McGouirk for convincing him to come back to theater and acting!

Jaden Mullins, a History Education M.A. student at Tennessee Tech, is excited to be Mrs. Soames in Our Town at The Backdoor Playhouse. Previous roles include Thelma Jean Early in Long Live Rock ’n Roll, Juliet’s Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, Grandma Spankenheimer in Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer, and others. After wrapping up Our Town, audiences can find her in the ensemble of Oklahoma at CPAC this summer. Jaden would like to thank the Our Town cast and crew for the late nights, the laughs, and all the hard work they have put into this production to make it the best show possible. She would also like to thank her friends and family for always supporting her in all her theatre endeavors. 

 Max Johnson is a junior studying secondary education with a focus on history and a minor in theater. He has been active with the Backdoor Playhouse since Winter Fest 2023 and has taken part in most productions since then. Our Town has been one of his favorite plays since he first read it in high school, and he feels very grateful to be part of this show. Max looks forward to bringing his character to life and sharing a timeless story with new audiences.

Lily Bernhardt is a junior Wildlife & Fisheries Science major who is very excited to make her Backdoor Playhouse debut! In this production of Our Town, Lily will be playing a Baseball Player and Farmer McCarty. If you've been in town for a while, you may have seen her in various ensemble roles in Cookeville High School's productions of Anastasia and Les Miserables. Lily would like to thank her family and friends for their endless love, support, and enthusiasm.

Camilla Raper is very excited to work on her first production with the Backdoor Playhouse with a more peculiar role, sound effects! While she has little experience with the art of foley, she has much experience in theatre with nearly 20 shows from many areas including Cookeville Childrens Theater, Cookeville Highschool, and Shakespeare in the Park and she is more than happy to take on a new and silly challenge in the production of Our Town. She'd like to thank all those involved with this process and especially those who granted her the opportunity to be a part of a great show with beautifully talented people!