CAST
The SQUIP - Liam Rogel
Jeremy - Fox Roberts-Zibbel
Christine - Greta Chung
Michael - Callum Mather
Jake - Bryce Johnson
Rich - Zola Barnhill
Chloe - Brooke Meyer
Brooke - Juliet Erekson
Jenna - Kas Morrow
Mr. Heere - Camden Winkler
Mr. Reyes - Kayden Beckman
Scary Stockboy - Layla Miracle-Werner
Ensemble
Kelsey Fecht (Swing for The SQUIP/Michael)
Layla Miracle-Werner (Swing for Christine/Jeremy)
Mal Balusik (Swing for Chloe/Jenna/Brooke)
Kayden Beckman (Swing for Rich/Mr. Heere)
Camden Winkler (Swing for Jake/Mr. Reyes)
CREW
Lighting Design - Charlie Vostal and Avery Myers
Calling Stage Manager - Charlie Vostal
Light Board Operator - Avery Myers
Spotlight Operator - Arianna Chung
Sound Board Operator - Eve Barman
Deck Crew - Julian Gomezdelcampo, Tucker Snyder, Eve Barman, Maya Miracle-Werner, Liz Robertson, Harley Partlow
Costume Crew - Maya Miracle-Werner
Set Painting - Leonid Roberts-Zibbel, Liz Robertson, Harley Partlow, Avery Myers, Charlie Vostal, Parker Tower, Julian Gomezdelcampo, Tucker Snyder, Maya Miracle-Werner, Greta Chung, Kas Morrow
Director - Mikayla Trimpey
Assistant Director - Violet Grossman
Stage Manager - Harley Partlow
Assistant Stage Manager - Avery Myers
Music Director - Brock Burkett
Choreographer - Riley Runnells
Technical Director - Liz Robertson
Assistant Technical Director - Charlie Vostal
Intimacy Director - Mattie Vermilya
Dramaturg - Leonid Roberts-Zibbel
Costume Designer - Mikayla Trimpey
Props Designer - Andy Roberts
Set Design - Liz Robertson, Harley Partlow, Leonid Roberts-Zibbel
Graphics - Kobe Towbridge
Archive Video - Liz Robertson
PRODUCTION TEAM
Grand Rapids Historical Society and Town Hall Committee
Julie’s Dance Studio
BG Independent News
Clint Corpe and The Morning Show BG
Brian Martin Photography
Jay Barman
Mark Phillip
SPECIAL THANKS
SONG LIST
Act 1
“More Than Survive” - Jeremy, Michael, Students
“Jeremy Takes a Leap” - Jeremy
“I Love Play Rehearsal” - Christine
“Brooke Makes an Entrance (and Exit)” - Brooke
“More Than Survive (Reprise 1)” - Jeremy
“The Squip Song” - Rich, Ensemble
“The Squip Song (Reprise 1)” - Jeremy
“Two-Player Game” - Jeremy, Michael
“The Squip Song (Reprise 2)” - Scary Stockboy
“Be More Chill” - The Squip, Jeremy, Brooke, Chloe, Shoppers
“Sync Up” - Jeremy, Jake, Brooke, Chloe, Rich, Ensemble
“A Guy That I’d Kinda Be Into” - Christine, Jeremy, The Squip, Ensemble
“Upgrade” - Brooke, Jeremy, The Squip, Jake, Christine, Ensemble
“Loser Geek Whatever” - Jeremy, Ensemble
There will be a 15 minute intermission.
Act 2
“Entr’acte/Halloween” - Jake, Brooke, Chloe, Rich, Jenna, Ensemble
“Do You Wanna Hang?” - Chloe
“Michael in the Bathroom” - Michael, Ensemble
“Guy That I’d Kinda Be Into (Reprise)” - Christine, Jeremy
“Lara” - Rich
“The Smartphone Hour (Rich Set a Fire)” - Brooke, Chloe, Jenna, Ensemble
“The Pants Song” - Mr. Heere, Michael
“The Pitiful Children” - The Squip, Jeremy, Jenna, Ensemble
“The Play” - Jeremy, Michael, Christine, Brooke, Chloe, The Squip
“Voices in My Head” - Jeremy, Michael, Christine, Mr. Heere, Jake, Brooke, Chloe, Rich, Jenna, Ensemble
“Bows” - Company
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
On behalf of my fellow production team members, as well as the cast and crew, thank you for attending our production of “Be More Chill.”
In all honesty, I was prepared for some push back when I proposed this show last March. I had considered a plethora of titles, from classics to contemporary, youth centered to teen focused, golden age to pop/rock. “Be More Chill” was my total wild card – it involved an inventive design concept that would challenge our technical artists, it contained risqué language and topics that we haven’t really engaged with prior, and its material is rather advanced with a music and dance style most of the students aren’t used to working with. And it was for all of those same reasons that it ended up being selected by our board and by our students. We knew it would be a challenge for all those involved, and it has been in ways I couldn’t have even imagined. But these students have accepted every challenge with grace and enthusiasm – taking the initiative to ask complex questions and put in the extra work to develop their skills in order to create an experience of which we are all so incredibly proud.
“But,” you may ask, “why all the trouble for this specific show?” As a theatre maker with a primary interest in the social and psychological benefits of theatre on young people, I have witnessed (and personally experienced) the way theatre involvement positively impacts a students’ development of identity, life skills, and social engagement. I strongly believe that these benefits are multiplied when engaging with material that specifically deals with context that they are familiar with, such as the high school social structure. “Be More Chill” is about the teen experience: fraught with anxiety and insecurity and change, but also community and self discovery and experimentation. The feelings articulated in this script are recognizable and my hope is that through this process they are able to see that they aren’t alone and they are stronger than they think. These characters are familiar. Each and every one of them, from Jeremy to the ensemble to the SQUIP, is complex and our actors were encouraged to develop these characters beyond what is written within the text. We see how the popular students have just as many insecurities as our protagonist; we see the SQUIP rebel against the unpredictability of human behavior. And the choices and ideas these students have come up with throughout this process have been so thoughtful and creative, I couldn’t be prouder of what they have created as an ensemble. I hope our production makes you laugh, makes you cry, and makes you think. Thank you for your support and I hope to see you back next season!
Mal Balusik (Ensemble, Swing for Chlore/Jenna/Brooke) is a recent graduate of Pike-Delta-York High School. She has been doing theater for 1 year and this her second show, although this is her first with Horizon Youth Theatre. She is excited for the opportunity to learn more about theater and become a better performer. She would like to thank her family for being so supportive. She would also like to thank Mikayla for being one of the people to inspire her to do theater.
Zola Barnhill (Rich) is an 11th grader at Toledo School for the Arts. She has been doing theater for 2 years and has been in 3 shows, all of which have been with Horizon Youth Theatre. She is most excited for the opportunity to gender-swap another character. She would like to thank Mikayla for giving her the opportunity to perform on stage again.
Kayden Beckman (Mr. Reyes, Ensemble, Swing for Rich/Mr. Heere ) is an 11th grader at Northwood High School. He has been doing theater for 3 years and has done 3 shows in that time, although this is his first show with HYT. He is very excited for this show because it is one of his dream shows. He would like to thank Kelly Frailly, as well as his parents for their support.
Greta Chung (Christine) is a 10th grader at Bowling Green High School. She has been doing theater for 10 years. In that time she has been in 11 shows, 5 of which have been with Horizon Youth Theatre. She is very excited for this role because of how much she LOVES play rehearsal. She would like to thank her friends and family for all of their support.
Juliet Erekson (Brooke) is a 10th grader at Bowling Green High School. She has been doing theater for 2 years and has been in 14 shows in that time, 9 of which have been with HYT. She is very excited for the chance to act with everyone in this cast. She would also like to thank her family and friends, as well as the cast, crew, and the production team for the support.
Kelsey Fecht (Ensemble, Swing for The SQUIP/Michael ) is an 11th grader at St. Ursula Academy. She has been doing theater for 5 years. In that time she has been in 6 shows, 3 of which have been with Horizon Youth Theatre. She is most excited to have the chance to perform with her friends as well as make new friends during this show. She would like to thank the directors, her friends, and parents for their support. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Bryce Johnson (Jake) is a 9th grader at Eastwood High School. He has been doing theater for 4 years and has been in 4 shows in that time, but this is his first show with HYT. He is excited for the opportunity to do so much singing on stage during this show. He would like to thank EVERYBODY for their support.
Callum Mather (Michael) is an 11th grader at Toledo School for the Arts. He has been doing theater for 6 years and has been in more than 20 shows in that time. Although he has done a few smaller projects with Horizon Youth Theatre, this is his first full length production with the group. He is very excited to portray Michael in this production as it is one of his dream roles. He would like to thank his parents as well as the production team for their support. He would also like to note his love for public health.
Brooke Meyer (Chloe) is an 11th grader at Bowling Green High School. She has been doing theater for 3 years and has been in 9 shows in that time. This is her first show with HYT. She is excited for the opportunity to have a named role and to work with such a small cast. She would like her Dad and brother, as well as her friend Kas for their support.
Layla Miracle-Werner (Scary Stockboy, Ensemble, Swing for Christine/Jeremy) is a 9th grader at Swanton High School. She is very excited for the opportunity to get back into theater and to participate in one of her favorite shows. She would like to thank Inessa for convincing her to audition for this show.
Kas Morrow (Jenna) is an 11th grader at Bowling Green High School. She has been doing theater for 4 years and has been in 9 shows in that time. This is her first show with Horizon Youth Theatre. She is very excited for the opportunity to act alongside her friends. She would like to thank her Mom and her friend Brooke for their support. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Fox Roberts-Zibbel (Jeremy) is an 11th grader OHUA. He has been doing theater for 11 years and has done more than 20 shows, all of which have been with Horizon Youth Theatre. He is most excited to have the chance to sing alongside Liam during this show. He would like to thank his family, Violet, and Juliet for their support. He would also like to note his love for this show and what an honor it is to have the chance to play Jeremy.
Liam Rogel (The SQUIP) is a recent graduate of Toledo School for the Arts. He has been doing theater for 12 years and has done more than 30 shows, at least 20 of which have been with HYT. He is excited to play another role that is against his usual type-cast, as well as for the opportunity to be mean to Fox on stage. He would like to thank The Big L, Liz Robertson, as well as everyone else who has supported him in his theater journey, including but not limited to: his family, Keith, Mikayla, Quinlan, Teach, and Cassie. He would also like to say “Hey Violet! Happy last show!”
Camden Winkler (Mr. Heere, Ensemble, Swing for Jake/Mr. Reyes) is an 11th grader at Pike-Delta-York High School. He has been doing theater for 1 year and has been in 2 shows in that time, although this is his first with Horizon Youth Theatre. He is most excited for the opportunity to act on stage during this show. He would like to thank his parents and Mr. Schultz for their support.
CAST BIOS
Juliet, we are so proud of you! The stage is where you shine!
Love, Mom, Dad, Marah, and Drew
SHOUT-OUTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
Annual Cabaret
WHERE: The Star-Style Theatre in Bowling Green
WHEN: June 27th at 7:00pm
HYT Cabaret is an end of season celebration for kids and families who have participated in the program. We invite anyone who has participated in the program to attend for a night of awards and performances, as well as a celebration of our graduating seniors.
Summer Camps
WHERE: BG City Park
WHEN: July 6th - July 31st
In partnership with BG Parks and Recreation, HYT offers a variety of week long day camps for ages 6-13. Please visit here for more information.