***Please note, this production uses strobing light effects***

Father - Liam Rogel
Adam/Noah - Mona Foreman
Eve/Mama Noah - Calista Motisher

Storytellers
Cain/Japheth - Aidan Thomas
Abel/Ham - Jonah Truman
Seth/Shem - Slayer Porter
Yonah - Juliet Erekson
Aysha - Violet Grossman
Aphra - Maggie Otley
Snake - Zola Barnhill
Snake Chorus - Izzie Milks, Greta Chung,
Faith Henry, Nadia Chung
Young Cain - Aurora Zientek
Young Abel - Carina Motisher
Dove - Quinn Schneider
Caralion Mangus
Kaidence Martinez
Devin Rogel

CAST LIST

Light Design - Charlie Vostal
Sound Design - Eve Barman
Light Board Operator - Avery Myers
Spotlight Operator - Arianna Chung
Deck Crew - Samantha Fecht, Parker Schneider,
Alexa Schneider, Julian
Gomezdelcampo
Set Builders - Liz Robertson, Harley Partlow,
Liam Rogel, Devin Rogel, Avery
Myers, Arianna Chung, Greta
Chung, Ben Motisher, Carina
Motisher, Charlie Vostal,
Samantha Fecht, Kelsey Fecht,
Maggie Otley, Kristin Otley, Ben
Otley, Alexa Schneider, Parker
Schneider, Quinn Schneider, Bryan
Schneider, Julian Gomezdelcampo
Set Painting - Madi Chase, Harley Partlow, Liz
Robertson, Devin Rogel, Avery
Myers, Alexa Schneider, Parker
Schneider, Quinn Schneider, Fox
Roberts-Zibbel, Greta Chung,
Arianna Chung, Cassie Greenlee,
Kobe Towbridge

CREW LIST

Director - Cassie Greenlee 
Music Director - Kelly Frailly
Assistant Music Director - Reagan Otley
Choreographer - Tim Barker
Stage Manager - Harley Partlow
Assistant Stage Manager - Fox Roberts-Zibbel
Technical Director and Producer- Liz
Robertson
Props and Costumes Designer - Madi Chase
Set Design - Liz Robertson and Harley
Partlow
Graphics - Kobe Towbridge

PRODUCTION TEAM

SILVER LEVEL SPONSORS

BRONZE LEVEL SPONSORS

Julie’s Dance Studio

Grand Rapids Historical Society and Town Hall Committee

David DuPont & The BG Independent News

The Morning Show BG Radio Show

Tuttle Theatre Talk

Jean Walker & Notre Dame Academy
(Go see “The Addams Family” at Notre Dame Academy this fall, October 18-19 & 24-26!)

Angie Patchett & Toledo School for the Arts

Jeffrey Guion

Chase and Cai Greenlee

SPECIAL THANKS

SHOUT-OUTS

Calista,
”We are all shaped by the choices we make” -Children of Eden
We love you!
Mom & Dad

Carina,
”Dreams have the power to shape our reality” -Children of Eden
We love you!
Mom & Dad

Way to go, Maggie!
What a great Aphra you are!
Love,
Mom, Dad, Reagan, and Stella

Way to build the resume, Reagan (Assistant Music Director)!
Love,
Mom, Dad, Maggie, and Stella

Juliet,
Your hard work and dedication shows in your role as Yonah! Keep shining!
Love,
Mom, Dad, Marah, and Drew

We’re so proud of you, Quinn!
Have fun! Love you!
Aunt Abby & Uncle Russ

You rocked your stage crew responsibilities, Parker! Everything looks great! Love you!
Aunt Abby & Uncle Russ

The stage looks great, Alexa! You rocked your behind the scenes responsibilities!
Love you!
Aunt Abby & Uncle Russ

Alexa,
We’re so proud of you for trying something new! Break a leg!
Love,
Mom & Dad

Quinn,
So excited to watch you do your thing!
Break a leg!
Love,
Mom & Dad

Parker,
Have so much fun! We know you’ll do great! Break a leg!
Love,
Mom & Dad

Always so proud of you, Quinn! Love watching you do what you love to do! Have fun!
Love,
Gigi & Papa

Know you’re working hard backstage to keep everything running smoothly!
Good job, Parker!
Love,
Gigi & Papa

Though we can’t see you, Alexa, we see the result of your hard work backstage! Nicely done!
Love,
Gigi & Papa

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

Children of Eden has been one of my dark horse favorite musicals for almost 20 years.
If your reaction is “Really? That one?”, you're not alone. And my answer is, as it has always been, yes. Really. That one.

First of all, the score of the show is beautiful, soaring and inspiring, containing some of my all-time favorite musical theatre solos. But it is also a masterclass in leitmotifs and how music can be used to define character and draw connections between moments that you may not even be consciously aware of.
Stephen Schwartz is a genius, and one of my favorite composers for a reason.

But second of all, I love a good fairy tale retelling. Now obviously, Bible stories aren't fairy tales, but actually they kind of are. They are stories that have been passed down from generation to generation, translation to translation, until they are almost ingrained in human consciousness. Even people who weren't raised in a church of any kind have likely heard the names Adam and Eve and Noah and can tell you some details of their stories. And when you have stories that are universally known in this way, adaptation can take us far beyond the original context and world of the story.

This is truly what I love about Children of Eden. This musical uses these well-known stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and the flood, to give us a new perspective on our own world and our own lives. I fell in love with this musical when I was 19, and I have loved it for different reasons at every stage of my life. When I was a college student making my own way in the world for the first time, I latched onto the messages of growing up and leaving home and making your own decisions, independent from your parents. When I got engaged and moved three states away with my now-husband, I connected most strongly with the love stories, and the idea that the huge big choices we make for our lives are easier when you have someone making them with you, that you can face whatever the world has to offer if you face it together. And now that I'm a mother of an almost two-year-old, my attention focuses in on the parents in these stories, these flawed but incredible characters who are doing the very best that they can to balance the desperate need to protect their children from the dangers of the world, and the reality that they will someday grow up and need to be able to survive it on their own. 

This show contains multitudes, and wherever you are in your life, and whatever knowledge of these stories you're bringing into our performance tonight, Children of Eden has something to say to you.
It has something to say to all of us, if we're willing to listen. Ultimately, this show’s message is one of hope, and I leave you with Stephen Schwartz’s words that I cannot improve upon:

There is no journey gone so far
We cannot stop and change direction.
No doom is written in the stars;
It’s in our hands.
Our hands can choose to drop the knife.
Our hearts can choose to stop the hating.
For every moment of our lives
Is the beginning.
Now we begin.

ACT 1
“Let There Be” - Father, Storytellers
“Perfect (Part 1)” - Father, Adam, Eve,
Storytellers
“The Tree of Knowledge” - Father, Adam
“The Naming” - Father, Adam, Eve,
Storytellers
“Grateful Children” - Adam, Eve
“Father’s Day” - Father, Storytellers
“Perfect (Part 2)” - Father, Adam, Eve,
Storytellers
“The Spark of Creation” - Eve
“In Pursuit of Excellence” - Snake, Eve
“The End of a Perfect Day” - Storytellers
“Childhood’s End” - Father, Eve, Storytellers
“A World Without You” - Adam, Father, Eve
“The Expulsion” - Father, Storytellers
“The Wasteland” - Storytellers
“Wilderness Family” - Adam, Young Cain,
Young Abel
“The Spark of Creation (Reprise 1)” - Eve
“Lost in the Wilderness” - Cain, Abel
“Lost in the Wilderness (Reprise)
“Close to Home” - Adam, Eve, Abel, Young
Cain, Young Abel
“A Ring of Stones” - Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel
“Clash of the Generations” - Adam, Eve, Cain,
Abel
“The Death of Abel” - Eve, Storytellers
“The Mark of Cain” - Father, Storytellers
“Children of Eden” - Eve, Storytellers

There will be a 15 minute intermission.

ACT 2
“Generations” - Storytellers
“The Gathering Storm” - Noah, Father
“A Piece of Eight” - Noah, Mama Noah,
Japheth, Yonah, Ham,
Shem, Aphra, Aysha,
Storytellers
“Blind Obedience” - Noah
“The Return of the Animals” - Orchestra
“The Naming (Reprise)/Noah’s Lullaby” -
Noah, Storytellers
“Stranger to the Rain” - Yonah
“In Whatever Time We Have” - Japheth,
Yonah
“The Flood” - Father, Storytellers
“What Is He Waiting For?” - Noah, Mama
Noah, Ham, Shem,
Aphra, Aysha
“Sailor of the Skies” - Yonah
“The Spark of Creation (Reprise 2)” - Mama
Noah
“The Hardest Part of Love” - Noah, Father
“Words of Doom” - Storytellers
“The Hour of Darkness” - Noah, Mama Noah,
Japheth, Yonah, Ham,
Shem, Aphra, Aysha
“Ain’t it Good” - Mama Noah, Noah, Japheth,
Yonah, Ham, Shem, Aphrah,
Aysha, Storytellers
“Precious Children” - Father
“In the Beginning” - Company

SONG LIST

Zola Barnhill (Snake, Storyteller) is a 10th grader at Toledo School for the Arts. She has been doing theater for less than a year and has now been in 2 shows, both of which have been with Horizon Youth Theatre. She is most excited to play a sly character on stage and would like to thank everyone from HYT that made this production possible. 

Greta Chung (Snake Chorus, Storyteller) is a 9th grader at Bowling Green High School. She has been in theater for 6 years and in that time has participated in 6 shows, 3 of which have been with Horizon Youth Theatre. She is most excited about supporting the lead actors in this production. She would like to thank her parents and Cassie for their support. She would also like to note that she is endlessly proud of her fellow cast members, specifically her sister, Nadia.

Nadia Chung (Storyteller) is a 7th grader at Bowling Green Middle School. She has been doing theater for less than a year and this is her 2nd show ever, as well as her 1st show with Horizon Youth Theatre. She is most excited about having the opportunity to act on stage, and would like to thank her Mom for her support and encouragement. 

Juliet Erekson (Yonah, Storyteller) is a 9th grader at Bowling Green High School. She has been doing theater for 1 year and 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 opportunity to make fun character choices and spend time with her fellow cast members. She would like to thank her family and all of her fellow cast members for their support. 

Mona Foreman (Adam/Noah) is a recent graduate of Bowling Green High School. They have been doing theater for 4 years and have been in a total of 16 shows, 4 of which have been with Horizon Youth Theatre. They have been seen on stage as Grandma in “The Addams Family,” Lady Macbeth in “Macbeth,” and the glorious king Rudolpho in “Matilda.” When not on stage, they can be found serving as the President of the BGHS Drama Club. They are the most excited to play their first leading role in a musical and challenge themselves with a serious character rather than a comedic one. They would like to thank their friends, specifically Violet and Reagan, for convincing them to join HYT. 

Violet Grossman (Aysha, Storyteller) is a homeschooled 10th grader. She has been doing theater for 10 years and has been in 19 productions, 18 of which have been with Horizon Youth Theatre. She is most excited for the opportunity to expand her acting skills and for all of the new connections she has had the chance to make during this show. She would like to thank her fellow cast members for working with her and making this amazing show, as well as Grand Rapids for allowing us to use this wonderful theater. She wants everyone to know that this show is absolutely incredible and that she hopes you enjoy it!

Faith Henry (Snake Chorus, Storyteller) is an 8th grader at Otsego Junior High. She has been doing theater for 3 years and in that time she has been in 3 shows. This is her first show with Horizon Youth Theatre. She is most excited for the opportunity to sing on stage during this production and would like to thank her parents, as well as her vocal coach, Janine Baughman, for their support and encouragement.

Caralion Mangus (Storyteller) is a 5th grader at Eastwood Elementary. This is her first year doing theatre. She has been in 2 shows, both of which have been with Horizon Youth Theatre. She is most excited for the opportunity to sing on stage. She would like to thank her Mom and Lena Z. for their support. She would also like to note that “I am Slay! Yessss!

Kaidence Martinez (Storyteller) is a 7th grader at Otsego Junior High. This is her first year doing theatre and she has been in 4 shows, all of which have been with Horizon Youth Theatre. She is the most excited to have the opportunity to act on stage, which is the thing she loves most. She would like to thank Cassie for the opportunity to be a part of this production.

Izzie Milks (Snake Chorus, Storyteller) is a 7th grader at Bowling Green Middle School. She has been doing theatre for 8 years and has been in 9 shows, 8 of which have been Horizon Youth Theatre. She is the most excited to be a snake in this production and would like to thank her Mother and Cassie for their support. She would also like to note that she is incredibly proud of her friends Greta, Juliet, and Violet for their work in this production. 

Calista Motisher (Eve/Mama Noah) is a 10th grader at Bowling Green High School. She has been doing theater for 7 years and has been in 20 shows, 12 of which have been with Horizon Youth Theatre. She is most excited to work with everyone on this show and for the opportunity to learn from the musical and emotional aspects of her role. She would like to thank everyone who made this production possible, as well as her family for always supporting her. She hopes you enjoy the show! 

Carina Motisher (Young Abel, Storyteller) is a 5th grader at St. Aloysius. She has been doing theater for 4 years and has been in 9 shows, 8 of which have been with Horizon Youth Theatre. She is most excited for the chance to sing with Aurora on stage and to continue pursuing her passion for theater. She would like to thank her sister, Calista, for introducing her to theater, as well as Cassie and everyone else who made this show possible. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Maggie Otley (Aphra, Storyteller) is a 9th grader at Toledo School for the Arts. She has been doing theater for 7 years and has been in 18 shows, 8 of which have been with Horizon Youth Theatre. She is most excited about the friends that she's made and for the opportunity to play a named role. She would like to thank her parents and sister, as well as her best friend, Adelaide, and her boyfriend, Cailieo, for their support.

Slayer Porter (Seth/Shem, Storyteller) is a recent graduate from Penta Career Center. He has been doing theater for 4 years and has been in 10 shows, 2 of which have been with Horizon Youth Theatre. He is most excited about the opportunity to be silly on stage when playing this role and would like to thank his Mother, Rupaul Charles.

Devin Rogel (Storyteller) is a 6th grader at Toledo School for the Arts. He has been doing theater for 9 years and has been in 13 shows, 7 of which have been with Horizon Youth Theatre. He has also recently been inducted into Junior Thespians as TSA. He is excited for the opportunity to be nature in this show and would like to thank his Mom for encouraging him to audition. 

Liam Rogel (Father) is an 11th grader at Toledo School for the Arts. He has been doing theater for 11 years and has been in more than 30 shows, many of which have been with Horizon Youth Theatre. He is most excited for “Being God.” Although, in all seriousness, he is very excited to have been able to attack the unique challenges this role has provided that are different from other roles that he has played. He would like to thank Cassie for continuing to put up with him, as well as Harley for always letting him turn in his paperwork late. 

Quinn Schneider (Dove, Storyteller) is a 5th grader at Crim Elementary. She has been doing theater for 4 years and has been in 3 shows. This is her first production with her Horizon Youth Theatre. She is the most excited to walk down the aisle as the Dove during the show. She would like to thank her Mom and Dad, as well as her grandparents, aunt, and uncle for encouraging her to audition for this show. She would also like to note that she loves both her parents and Taylor Swift very much.

Aidan Thomas (Cain/Japheth) is a 10th grader at Bowling Green High School. He has been doing theater for 8 years and has been in more than 25 shows, about a quarter of which have been with Horizon Youth Theatre. When not on stage, he is also a member of 4-H, FFA, Cross Country, and Young Life. He is most excited for the opportunity to sing in a good tenor role for this show, as well as the opportunity to grow his acting skills as a more serious character. He would like to thank his Mom and Dad, as well as his brother, Drew, for always supporting him, and helping him with his crazy hobbies. 

Jonah Truman (Abel/Ham) is an 11th grader at Penta Career Center. He has been doing theater for 11 years and has been in more than 10 shows, all but one of which have been with Horizon Youth Theatre. He is most excited for the opportunity to sing on stage, as well as the chance to tragically die and then play a character that is named after meat. He would like to thank his parents and Jimmi Marker for their endless support. He would also like to note that he is very proud of his band, Beef Noodle Soup.  

Aurora Zientek (Young Cain, Storyteller) is a 5th grader at Eastwood Elementary. She has been doing theater for 5 years and has been in 8 shows, 5 of which have been with Horizon Youth Theatre. She is most excited for the older version of her character to kill his brother on stage. She would like to thank her mother for her encouragement and support, and would like to proclaim her love for Charlie the Unicorn.

CAST BIOS

UPCOMING HYT EVENTS

Join us as we celebrate the 2024-2025 with Awards, Performances, and the 2025-2026 Season Reveal!

Check out the HYT Website for information and to sign up for an audition for our Older Teen Summer Intensive show - The Mad Ones!
(Ages 16-18, rising seniors)