Cast and Crew Bios

Jocelyn Bettarelli

Jocelyn Bettarelli (Dove Ensemble) has never been more thrilled and grateful to be a part of this year's musical here at VHHS. This is her first year in the musical and even though it was a different and unique experience, she had so much fun and it won't be forgotten. Jocelyn has been a singer and dancer for the past 11 years of her life. When Jocelyn is offstage and not participating in fine arts at school, she can be found painting, eating, and listening to music. Next school year, Jocelyn will be a junior and cannot wait for the next musical! She wants to say the biggest thank you to everyone for making her feel so welcome from day 1 and making her year so amazing. This musical will forever hold a special place in her heart and can't wait to grow, sing, and dance with her fellow peers next year!!

Alina Bojniewicz

Alina Bojniewicz (Dancer) is extremely excited to have participated in such an amazing and unique production. Some other activities off stage she has been a part of are Dance team, Orchesis (choreographer and soloist), and the school choir. In her free time you can find her painting, at the gym, and of course dancing. Next year will be her final year at Vernon Hills High school and she hopes to be involved in more of the theatre program’s productions on and off stage!

Kiley Brockway

Kiley Brockway (B Team/2nd Unit) was excited to have the opportunity to work on an original musical during her time at VHHS. Throughout her time in Backlight, she has worked on behind the scenes on several shows. Some of her favorite positions have been Stage Managing and Directing One Acts, and Assistant Stage Manager for "The Old Man and The Old Moon" at Theater Fest. She had the privilege of serving as a Backlight officer this year, and contributed to Backlight in numerous ways through that. When not at the theater, Kiley spends significant time working on her craft as a creator, and her writing has been nationally recognized. She wants to give a big thank you and congrats to the cast and crew of the show, especially to Abby Kong and Ariel Shifrin for making this an amazing experience!

Catherine Broms

Catherine Broms (Studio Ensemble/Featured Dancer) is super excited to be participating in her first musical at VHHS. She has been super happy to be a part of this year's musical family and of this film making experience. Outside of theater she can be found participating in Orchesis as a dancer and choreographer for the company. When she is not participating in a VHHS show, she can be found dancing her heart out in a studio and playing rec softball with her friends. She wants to give a huge THANK YOU to the rest of the cast and crew for making her first musical one to remember and to all the directors for doing such a great job in this crazy year!

Jeffrey Broms

Jeffrey Broms (Pit Orchestra) was thrilled to be a part of the production of The Institute, and to have the experience of recording the original music! While playing double bass and bass guitar for the show, he also helped contribute to the composition. The Institute is Jeffrey's second show at VHHS. He played bass guitar for Mamma Mia last year. Beyond musical theater, he enjoys playing classical music. Jeffrey is currently principal double bass for the Chicago Youth Symphony's Philharmonic Orchestra and principal double bass for the Symphony Orchestra at VHHS. Jeffrey loved the entire process of writing and producing the show this year!

Rebecca Brumer

Hi! I'm Rebecca Brumer (Police Dancers/Orchesis Dancers) and this is my first time being in a musical as part of the cast. Some previous work was being the choreographer for the musical Aladdin at my middle school, in 8th grade. Even though I play a small role in this musical, I love that I was able to portray a small character with my skills in dance. This was such a fun experience, especially having friends around from Orchesis. The whole crew was so welcoming and it was so exciting to see some cool camera shots! Thank you to everyone that let Orchesis be apart of the musical this year!

Lora Dohler

Lora Dohler (Teacher) is thrilled to be performing in her third musical at VHHS. She is a junior and has loved being a part of Backlight for the past three years. Lora is also involved in choir and orchestra and enjoys reading, watching movies, and spending time with her friends and family. She is incredibly grateful for everyone in the cast and crew and would like to say a special thank you to the writers who created this incredible show. She hopes everyone enjoys this performance of The Institute.

Ben Frayman

My name is Ben Frayman and I think this year has been a fun year. I am a freshman and I have been in both the play and the musical. I had a lot of fun and I think the best part is the experience. Everyone is always welcoming and happy and we have so much fun. I do many other clubs including Science Olympiad, FMPA, math team, and scholastic bowl. One of my favorites is Science Olympiad. I also love to bike, fish, and watch youtube in my free time.

Laurie Hewett

Laurie Hewett (dove) is super excited to be included in this show! This is her first musical at VHHS, she started theater in third grade and cannot wait to continue throughout the rest of high school. Offstage, you can find laurie painting, making jewelry, singing, baking, and hanging out with her friends. She is thankful for this opportunity and she would love to say a huge thank you to her friends, family, directors, and cast for making this show possible!

Will Irvin

Will Irvin (Pit Orchestra) is thrilled to have been able to record the trumpet part for this year's musical. Will has played the trumpet throughout his four years of high school and has been in both Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra Winds since his sophomore year. Outside of school, he enjoys playing with his dog, playing hockey, and gaming with his friends. Next fall, Will will attend Purdue University and major in computer science while continuing to play the trumpet.

Matthew Jay

Matthew Jay (Leo) is excited to be performing in his fourth and final musical here at VHHS. Being able to originate a role is something that rarely happens, so he is so grateful for this extra special opportunity. Some of his favorite shows to be involved in were The Addams Family (Uncle Fester), The Wedding Singer (George), Evita (Duarte Family/Featured Dancer), and Curtains (Randy Dexter). Matthew can also be found offstage, and has been a One Act director through the school for the past three years. When not participating in fine arts, he can be found baking, gardening, sewing, and playing Just Dance or Minecraft. This fall, Matthew will be attending University of Tampa majoring in Music Education and hoping to minor in Fashion Design! He wants to send a huge thank you to all of his cast mates and fellow crew members for an amazing senior experience!

Hary Jun

Hary Jun (Dove 3) is ecstatic about performing in this year's BTC production of "The Institute"! Hary is currently a sophomore and has been involved in theater since a very young age. Her most memorable past productions have been Annie (Annie), Mamma Mia, and Mary Poppins. As for this musical, the whole process was a journey, and she feels grateful to be a part of it. Hary loves to participate in other extracurriculars such as FMPA, and having dance parties with her mom is always a joy. A HUGE thank you goes out to all the cast and crew members, for they have made this experience so enriching and redeeming.

Haley Kalinowski

Haley Kalinowski (Dove Chorus) has had so much fun participating in her first high school musical! She was also involved in one of this year's radio shows, Count Dante and the Great Chicago Dojo War. Outside of Backlight, Haley stays involved at VHHS through Student Council, VIP, Cheerleading, and Softball. She loves skateboarding, singing, and competing in pageants. Thanks to the amazing cast and crew, Haley has a great experience throughout the process of creating a musical, and she can't wait for her next 3 years at Vernon Hills High School.

Josh Kalinowski

Josh Kalinowski (Head Writer/Script Supervisor/Producer) was incredibly honored to be part of the Institute. He loved being able to spend lots of time writing and performing the musical this year. Spending time behind the scenes was a nice portal back to normal for him. Josh was always active on set with his camera taking photos of all the action, and developing lots of the marketing for the show. Throughout high school, Josh has been an extremely involved member of Backlight, being the leader in various aspects of backstage crew: lighting, carpentry, and stage management. He is applying for a position in the crew for the All State Production of Cabaret. He would like to thank everyone who made this show possible, especially Amanda, Mia, Phelan, and Edgar. It was fun spending all of the long nights planning the film shoots with them.

Brandon Karaca

Brandon Karaca is a member of the crew. This is his first year in crew, and he participated in lighting and post production for the film. He has been very eager to help, and was very grateful for the opportunity to get to work on an actual film set. When not participating in theatre, he can be found going on walks or bike rides, and playing video games with his friends. Brandon wants to thank his family for supporting him when he came home late from filming, and fellow members of the crew for working so hard on the production.

Ryan Klene

Ryan Klene (Studio Ensemble) is thrilled to be apart of his first show at VHHS! Ryan is a freshman and has truly enjoyed being apart of this brand new musical! You may have previously seen him in past productions such as The Wedding Singer (Ricky), Elf (Walter Hobbs), and Oklahoma (Curly). Ryan was also fortunate to be apart of this year's One Acts. On his free time, Ryan enjoys playing instruments, spending time outside, and playing baseball. Ryan would like to thank the cast and crew for such an amazing opportunity, and looks forward to the show!

Abby Kong

Abby Kong, (Assistant Stage Manager and Lighting Technician) has been involved with theatrical lighting for numerous shows, starting with her first musical in sixth grade. Since joining Backlight, Abby has operated the light board for various plays and musicals, acted as the Master Electrician for Mamma Mia, co-designed the lights for The K of D, and, finally, had the honor of assistant stage managing The Institute! Abby really enjoyed stage managing and hopes to continue to be a big part of Backlight her senior year. She knows that this show has had its rough moments, including when filming went four hours later than expected (sorry to everyone and their parents!), but she is so incredibly proud of everyone. Abby is super grateful for the opportunity to become close with the cast and crew by being both a leader and a friend. <3

Colette Kopfstein

Colette is excited to have gotten to be a part of the musical, The Institute, this year. She is also grateful to have gotten to be a part of the scene writing team and work with so many talented people. Colette would like to thank the cast, crew, and everyone involved with the musical for creating the show, and for making it such a great, unique project to be a part of. Colette is very excited to continue being involved in Backlight in the coming years.

Tessa Kruczek

Tessa Kruczek (Willow/Choreographer) is super excited be a part of such a special project for her senior year at VHHS. Some of her favorite shows to be involved in Legally Blonde (Elle), Hello Dolly (Minnie Fay), The Old Man and the Old Moon (Old Woman, Captain), and Wrong Mountain - Chicago Premiere (Cheyenne). In addition to stage acting, Tessa has appeared in multiple films, shorts, commercials, and other projects. She also has been studying multiple styles of dance and is honored to be the choreographer for this year's movie musical. When not performing, Tessa also loves editing films and music (Cherubs '19), hanging out with her dog Wilson and friends, board and video games, baking, etc. Tessa will be attending Illinois Wesleyan University studying a BFA in Acting with a double minor in Film and Dance. Special thanks to Phelan, Little, Amanda, Josh, Mia, and the whole production team for making this such an incredible experience.

Ashleigh Levy

Ashleigh Levy is excited to be involved in her third musical with backlight theatre company. She has been a lighting technician for each of these shows, and this year was the student lighting head after two years of spotlighting. Ashleigh has been a part of many backlight shows since joining backlight, her top three being Old Man and the Old Moon, Hello, Dolly! and Mamma Mia! Ashleigh is both an actor and a techie and is excited to see what her future with backlight holds. When not working on her next production, Ashleigh can be found roller skating, doing her makeup, or driving her friends around in her 2006 Honda Odyssey. Ashleigh is looking forward to seeing what her senior year with backlight holds and can't wait to be apart of more productions!

Dylan Lussem

Dylan Lussem (Writer) has really enjoyed the process of writing and revising the script and lyrics for The Institute. He has enjoyed writing from a young age, and he is very excited to have helped write a musical which will be performed and shared with an audience instead of gathering dust in the darkest corners of his Google Drive. This is Dylan's first time contributing to a musical at VHHS. When not involved in musical-related activities, Dylan enjoys reading, writing, and playing his viola. He also frequently tunnels himself out from under mountains of homework. Dylan is eternally grateful to his peers who helped write this musical, Mr. Phelan, Ms. Joosten, and the talented and hardworking cast and crew. He hopes you enjoy The Institute!

Neil Mehta

Neil was very grateful to be a part of this musical writing experience. He helped with the lyric writing and musical orchestration of "Creativity" and "Follow the rules". He had never done much collaboration on his music, and this was a very cool experience for him. He wants to say a special thank you to Ms. Joosten who helped him and many of the other writers perfect their musical writing.

Aniela Meza

Studio member Aniela is excited to perform her first musical at VHHS!This type of musical is a very different experience for her and she was ready to make it perfect. Some of her favorite shows she was apart of was Mary Poppins Jr (Chorus) and Oklahoma (chorus).Off the stage she can be seen dancing for her studio and playing the Jurassic Park theme song on the clarinet.One of her favorite moments during the musical was on the first day in person when the upperclassmen welcomed her with open arms.She would like to thank everybody who worked on the Institute for a memorable high school musical!

Luke Moffat

Luke Moffat (ensemble) is excited to be performing in his third musical here at VHHS. He is so grateful to be a part of this amazing experience. Luke is also a part of crew when he is not on stage. When he is not participating in fine arts, he is probably doing homework or sleeping. On the rare occasion when he is not doing those things, he is most likely hanging out with friends, practicing piano, trombone, or playing video games. Luke is excited to return next year for his last year of high school. He would like to thank his directors, fellow cast members, and crew for this once-in-a-lifetime experience that has been a true joy to be a part of.

Mary Palid

Mary Palid (Dove 2) is super excited to be performing her last show with Backlight Theatre Company! She is a senior at Vernon Hills High School who will be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Mathematics major in the fall. Her favorite shows that she has been involved in are The Party Hop (Emma), One Acts 2020 (Babs Buttlebee), One Acts 2019 (Teacher), and Hello Dolly (Pit Orchestra). Mary is also involved in Chamber Choir, Wind Ensemble, and Symphony Orchestra at Vernon Hills High School. Though this year has been very different, she is incredibly grateful that she has still had the opportunity to put on another amazing show through Backlight!

Isabelle Pangilinan

Isabelle Pangilinan is so incredibly honored to be apart of crew for her third year here at VHHS. This show was especially important to her because it allowed her to express herself in the best way she knows how - creating music. She is so happy she had this amazing opportunity to create music with such amazing people and she is so excited to share it!!

Connor Papantony

Connor Papantony (Head Dove) is enthusiastic to be in this production. He is excited to be a part of the final product as he has been a part of the musical since its inception. Some of his favorite moments acting in backlight productions were in The Party Hop (Nathan), The K of D (Brett), and Rose and the Rime (Jimmy). Additionally, he has worked as a House Head, Costume Crew Member, and Publicity Crew Member. He looks forward to upcoming shows such as VHL.

Shrieya Praveen

Shrieya Praveen (Studio Ensemble) has been apart of Backlight Theatre all 2 years she has been in high school. She loves doing theatre because the community in Backlight is very welcoming and she has made a lot of good friends from theatre. She has always been grateful for theatre because it helps relieve stress from school and she finds acting, singing and dancing very calming and fun. She was apart of the Party Hop winter play (Regina) and also one acts during this very unique year. Although it was a weird year, she thought it was a enlightening and rare opportunity that she was glad to be apart of. When not in theatre, Shrieya loves to read, play the violin, listen to music, and watch her favorite shows. She does Indian Classical Dance outside of school too. Shrieya plans to be apart of Backlight Theatre for the rest of high school! Backlight is a very important part of her life and she wants to make the rest of her time in it memorable and amazing. She would like to thank all of her cast-mates, the crew, and everyone involved for making this an awesome experience. It is an experience she won't forget!

Megan Rakers

Megan Rakers is beyond excited performing as her role of Jaiden in The Institute. Working with all the cast, crew, and directors has helped her learn so much about performing and herself. Being able to really create a character and bring them to life is a privilege and experience that Megan holds dear to her heart. Outside of theater you can probably find her watching an old movie, reading a book, playing an instrument, or playing softball. Megan has had so much fun working on this amazing movie and making new friends along the way, and she wants to thank all the cast and crew for all of their hard work and late nights that made this the best year ever!

Amanda Rokosz

Amanda Rokosz (Stage Manager) is both grateful and excited to be closing her Backlight career with this year's production of The Institute. Some of her favorite previous Backlight experiences include The 39 Steps (Stage Manager), Mamma Mia! (Assistant Stage manager), The Old Man and The Old Moon (Assistant Music Director), and the 2021 IHSTF All-State Production (Tech) Amanda is extremely grateful to all of the cast, crew, pit, and writers who worked together to make this show happen. She is also very thankful to Phelan for always believing in her these last four years. Amanda will be attending The University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign next fall as a Stage Management major. She is extremely grateful for all that she has learned throughout her high school career and hopes that in the future she can make everybody at Backlight proud, no matter where she goes.

Andrew Ruhnke

Andrew Ruhnke (studio ensemble member) is very excited to share his performance in The Institute this year. Being apart of the ensemble and sharing this show with the cast has been an amazing experience that he cherishes. He has also enjoyed his roles in past one acts and when he’s offstage...he’s behind the stage, working with costume crew. Besides theatre, he enjoys listening to music and (affectionately) bothering his close friends. Andrew is looking forward to being apart of VHL and other upcoming shows

Cristian Sardo

Cristian Sardo is very glad to have worked on the musical with everyone in the theatre department. This is his first major project he has worked on as a camera operator/assistant to Edgar Flores. All year Cristian was not able to work at the school like he normally would like last year before Covid 19. He would always participate in working on concerts/sporting events and he gained lots of experience with camera work through those events. This new project gave him something to do with camera work again and he appreciates the opportunity very much. When Cristian is not participating in fine arts he can be found watching movies, reading books, or playing Minecraft. Over the summer he is planning on filming a feature length film and is looking forward to working on Vernon Hills Live with the theatre department! He would like to give thanks to his cast and crew mates because they were very nice and welcoming to him for being new in the theatre department, without them his experience would not have been the same!

Jadyn Schwartz

Jadyn Schwartz, also known as the infamous Suzie and a dove member, is ECSTATIC that you’re here to watch the show! She has had the pleasure of participating in every single Backlight show since her freshman year, but is especially proud to share this one with you. When Jadyn isn’t at rehearsal or doing something music related, you can find her volunteering somewhere, at work, cooking something interesting, hanging out with friends (and this amazing cast), and keeping her puppy busy! She feels very grateful to have been an editor to this script and helping hand whenever needed. Again, thank you so much for coming out and enjoy the show!

Ariel Shifrin

Ariel Shifrin is elated to have been part of his first musical as a crew member. Throughout this production, Ariel was able to take part in a myriad of crew roles, including costumes, lights, sound, and camera. He is especially grateful for his time in Camera Unit B during the latter half of production. In his first year on crew, Ariel took part in The 39 Steps, The Party Hop, and The Institute, gaining experience in the various crew positions. He wishes to extend his gratitude to his counterparts on crew and the show's writing team.

Jessica Shin

Jessica Shin (featured dancer) is excited to be a part of her second musical here at VHHS. She has been dancing she she was just 3 years old and has loved it ever since. She is also involved in both the concert and chamber choirs and is a member of Backlight Theatre Company. When not on stage, Jess loves to bake, hang out with her friends, and take care of her houseplants. She wants to thank the amazing writers, cast, and crew for an amazing opportunity to be a part of the musical once again this year!

Tyler Singer

Tyler Singer (Studio Ensemble) is thrilled to perform in his very first Backlight Theatre musical here at VHHS. Being able to develop his own character on and offstage has been such a unique experience for him. Although it may be his first year here at Backlight, he has been able to perform in the fall radio play, The 39 Steps, as well as the 2021 One Acts, Regina Flector Wins the Science Fair. Tyler loves to contribute all he can to the cast and crew and enjoys meeting new students or cast members and getting to know them. Outside of the fine arts program, you can find him either biking, hanging out with his friends, going out to eat, shopping, sleeping, and even gardening! Tyler is looking forward to his Sophomore year at VHHS and is excited for what's to come in the future. He would like to send a huge thanks to cast and crew who made this Freshman experience one to never forget!

Emily Sontag

Hi, my name is Emily Sontag and I was a part of the sound crew for The Institute. It was really fun to be a part of this experience, and all of the shots looked amazing while we produced them. The entire cast and crew did an amazing job and I can’t wait for the public to see the show!

Mia Stefani

Mia Stefani (Student Director) is so excited to have been a part of her final musical here at VHHS. Mia has been seen on and off stage during her 4 years in Backlight. Some of her favorite shows to be involved in were Radium Girls (Madam Curie) and The Old Man and The Old Moon (puppeteer). She has also been heavily involved off stage student directing last years musical (Mamma Mia), and directing 3 One Act Plays over the past 3 years including one original student written one act. She has also loved getting to be a part of the writing and directing process for The Institute. Next year Mia will be attending Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa with an open enrolled major. Mia would like to send a huge congratulations and thank you to all the book writers, song writers, arrangers, pit members, cast members, and crew members! She would also like to thank Phelan, Edgar, and Ms. Joosten for creating this amazing opportunity for her senior year musical. Mia hopes that everyone enjoys watching the final product just as much as she enjoyed being a part of making it!

Dylan Tehrani

Dylan Tehrani (Studio ensemble member) is a sophomore this year and is excited to be in his first musical at Vernon Hills High School. He was thrilled to be able to do a musical after a crazy year in quarantine and getting the opportunity to have fun with the cast/crew during this process. Some of his favorite shows he has been in were Mary Poppins (Michael Banks), Aladdin (Iago), and The Wedding Singer (Donny/ensemble). Dylan was also a part of the Fall Radio Play, Winter Play, and One Acts this year at school. He will also be doing VHL coming up this June. When not doing theater, you can find Dylan hanging out with friends, watching Glee, baking banana bread, sleeping, and playing roblox. He is excited to see what is next for him in The Backlight Theater Company and what the next school year will have to offer.

Orly Trachtman

Orly Trachtman (The Executive) has had a wonderful time getting to perform in her 12th and final Backlight show. She has loved getting to play a role full of screaming and getting to work on creating an amazing show with the rest of the cast. Whether its been as an actor, crew member, actors representative, or friend, Orly has loved getting to be a part of Vernon Hills High School's theater community. She would like to thank all of the cast and crew members who made this show possible. She would also like to thank her family for supporting her throughout her last 4 years of high school. Lastly she would like to thank you, the reader, you made it this far into her bio and for that she commends you. :)

Anika Urbonas

Anika Urbonas (Maya) is so thrilled to be performing for her third year at VHHS. Being a part of an original musical has been a very different and exhilarating experience for her and she is very grateful for this special opportunity. Besides the musical, Anika loves being a part of both the winter and spring plays, as well as being a One Act director this year. Outside of theater activities, you can find Anika obsessing over movies, like Dead Poets Society, making Spotify playlists for every occasion and mood, and going on late night drives to McDonald's with her friends. Anika wants to thank all of the cast and crew, but especially the crew for all their late nights of hard work that they dedicated to the making of this musical. And she is very excited and pumped for her senior year with all of these lovely people!

Anett Vaysberg

Anett Vaysberg is so grateful to have been a part of an amazing project like The Institute. She entered this show expecting to be a part of the Studio Ensemble, and left with an outstanding leadership experience as Dance Captain. You might recognize Anett from Mamma Mia (Featured Dancer) and The Party Hop (Nancy). When not participating in theatre, Anett can be found singing, dancing, crocheting, playing her violin, and going on random drives with blasting music. Anett has loved every minute of this experience and is so excited to share it with you all!

Lily Zartler

Lily Zartler (Dove Ensemble) is thrilled to be performing in her first musical at VHHS! As a part of both the story development team and the cast, she got a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse into the making of a movie musical. Her favorite shows she's done so far are Spamalot (Brother Maynard), Rose and the Rime (Dorothea), The Party Hop (Nettie), and One Acts 2021! While not acting, Lily loves playing Animal Crossing, drinking iced coffee, and singing loudly in the shower. This summer, Lily will be working at Walgreens on Townline (come visit!) and hopefully spending lots of time outside with friends and family. She would like to give a special shoutout to the rest of the writing team for their 6 months of hard work, thank you for making this all possible :)

Evan Zurow

Evan Zurow (The Higher Up) is starring in his fourth theater production and 3rd musical with Backlight. He really enjoyed playing a character that was the embodiment of irredeemable evil. Some of his favorite shows to be involved in were Hello Dolly (Cast), Mamma Mia (Featured Singer and Cast), Count Dante and the Great Dojo War (Count Dante), and The Institute (The Higher Up). Evan has been a hardworker all year, always putting his talents to good use. When not participating in the fine arts, he can be found studying, boy scouting, eating, and playing videogames. This upcoming fall, Evan will be attending his FINAL YEAR at the elite high school of Vernon Hills Highschool. Evan wants to send a huge thank you to his family and all those who have supported him in the cast and crew for this musical, as well as all those who have worked to make his junior year fun and enthralling!