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Photo Credit: Colin Gallegos
Photo Credit: Colin Gallegos
Photo Credit: Colin Gallegos
Cast
Stage Manager…………................…….....................…… Emma Gregory
Mr. Gibbs…………………………………...................……… Kehan Denny
Joe Crowell/Si Crowell/Wally Webb…...................…….... Salem Legate
Hellen Newsome….…………..…..……....................………. Hailey Berrones
Mrs. Gibbs………….…....................…....................……… Kimberly Basham
Mrs. Webb…………..………….....................………….……. Caitlin Mahon
George Gibbs……….............………....................…….…… Donovan Kriskowski
Rebecca Gibbs…………….….....….....................……..……. Kennedy Watts
Emily Webb………………………………….....................…… Lucy Amann
Professor Willard/Belligerent Man/Man Among Dead………. Ryan Kleim
Mr. Webb……..……………………………..………………....… Joshua Thies
Woman on Balcony/Woman Among Dead…………….…..… Calista Hattler
Lady in the Box/Josephine Stoddard………………………..…. Sapheara Weaver
Simon Stimson/George (U/S)………..…...........................… Michael Lewis
Mrs. Soames/Emily (U/S)………………………………..……... Ella Dunn
Constable Warren……………………………………....……..… Reilly Prescott
Sam Craig/Baseball Player………………………….……….…. Nathan Cookson
Mrs. Morgan/Another Woman Among Dead.……………..…. Abigail Smith
Baseball Player/Another Man Among Dead….................….. Riley Chang
Funeral Attendee................................................................ Lilliana Burns
Margaret Knapp.............................................................. Director
Emma Gregory............................................ Production Manager
Lilliana Burns................. Assistant Director/Marketing Supervisor
Sapheara Weaver, Lucy Amann............................................ Marketing Assistants
Selena Lewis................................... Scenic/Properties Designer
Nathan Cookson................................................. Lighting Designer
Isabelle Basham.................................................Costume Designer
MJ Mason....................................................Stage Manager
Lannon Kregar......................... Asst. Lighting Designer/Board Op.
Kas Allen.................................. Sound Designer/Board Op.
Crew
Photo Credit: Colin Gallegos
Photo Credit: Colin Gallegos
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Photo Credit: Colin Gallegos
Director's Note
Welcome to Our Town.
When Thornton Wilder first premiered this play in 1938, audiences were surprised by its simplicity. There are no elaborate sets, no grand spectacles, and no special effects. Instead, Wilder asks us to focus on something far more extraordinary: Ordinary life itself.
Through the story of the Gibbs and Webb families, Our Town reminds us that our lives are not always shaped by big, worldly events, but by the smallest moments: Remembering how kind someone was, or the birth of a child, the loss of a loved one, daily routines, or conversations with neighbors. Wilder's question is simple and profound: Do we truly appreciate our lives while we are living them?
As we begin the second season of Mesa Summer Theatre, we are grateful that you are here with us tonight. Like the people of Grover’s Corners, we all sometimes miss those small, beautiful moments. We hope that sitting under the stars and sharing this story together will be a moment that stays with you for a long time.
Thank you so much for joining us and for beingpart of our town tonight.
Margaret Knapp
Producing Artistic Director
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Photo Credit: Colin Gallegos
Photo Credit: Colin Gallegos
Photo Credit: Colin Gallegos
Meet the Cast
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Emma Gregory is a rising senior at Colorado Mesa University pursuing her BFA in Theatre: Design/Technology and Theatre: Acting/Directing, emphasizing in stage management and acting. She is known for her performance in keystone roles like Irina in Chekhov’s Three Sisters, Elmire in Moliere’s Tartuffe, and Zelda Kahn in Sarah Treem’s The How and The Why. She has stage managed large-scale productions such as Ride the Cyclone with CMU, Titanic: The Musical with the Colorado Springs Conservatory, and Twelfth Night with Mesa Summer Theatre. Emma is incredibly excited to be back with MST for its second year, and sincerely hopes you enjoy Our Town, a celebration of the Grand Valley community!
Kehan Denny is a recent graduate from Colorado Mesa University in both Acting/Directing and Design/ Technology. Notable roles and shows he has had the pleasure of working on are Dracula from Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Fyodor Kulygin from Three Sisters, Orgon from Tartuffe, Angelo from Measure for Measure, and even more. He is very excited to be apart of Our Town and is excited to work on his first production since graduating.
Salem Legate is an active member of the Independence Academy theater, choir, and band programs. This is his first production at CMU. When he’s not on stage, you can find him programming computer games or engineering 3D models.
Lilliana Burns is excited to be playing Helen Newsome! She is also the Assistant Director and has a background in Ballet and Fashion Design. Her early work in visual storytelling continues to influence her approach in creating character choices. After transitioning into theater, she discovered a passion for working with actors. She is excited to continue to explore the actor's process by being one!
Photo Credit: Colin Gallegos
Photo Credit: Colin Gallegos
Photo Credit: Colin Gallegos
Kimberly Basham has been an active participant in theater for many (many) years. She studied costuming at UNC and has a minor in theater. Her day job includes performing for students as a teacher of pre-expulsion students in D51 schools, where she has worked for over 26 years. Kim is proud of her three adult children, Bailey, Jarrett and Isabelle, and has involved them in performances their whole lives.
Photo Credit: Susan Dennin
Caitlin E. Mahon is currently a faculty member in the dance program at Colorado Mesa University.
Mahon graduated Magna Cum Laude from SUNY Brockport with her Bachelor of Science degree, and Honors College degree, in Dance, Environmental Science, and Political Science in 2014 and earned her Master of Fine Arts in 2017. She continues to be the Artistic Director of MAYHEM//dance premiering in 2017 at the Mark Morris Dance Center in NYC. Mahon has performed for professionals such as, Clyde Afanju Morgan (Ghanaian and West African Fusion), Dr. Zelma Badu Younge (Afro-Fusion), Telly Fowler (Hip Hop/Street Jazz), Bill Evans Dance Company (Tap), Frazee Feet Dance (Contemporary Ballet), WILD BEAST dance (Contemporary), MPdanceworks (Contemporary), inFLUXdance (Contemporary) & beyond. Caitlin was "raised by wolves," so to speak, having three older brothers. Two of those brothers were the actors and directors in the family. She has aided their projects since she was a child. Reading lines and holding up the camera (the ones that still possessed the VHS tape). Her brother Thomas' show, from SUNY Plattsburgh, was selected as a finalist in the collegiate show festival in LA in 2008. She has some experience with improvisation; however, taking on a role in OUR TOWN is certainly an opportunity outside her comfort zone, but one she is excited to embark upon.
Donovan Kriskowski has been a part of many productions at Colorado Mesa University, and is beyond excited to be returning to theatre after a little under two years! Some shows you may have seen of him, include “Spongebob Squarepants: The Broadway Musical”, “Floyd Collins”, and “Midsummer Night’s Dream”. He also had the honor of being a part of “Knives in Hens”, directed by Margaret Knapp as well!
Lucy Amann is originally from Seattle, Washington and is going into her junior year as a Music Theatre major at CMU. Most recently, you may have seen her in The Marriage of Bette and Boo as Emily or 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as Logainne. She is excited to be working with Mesa Summer Theatre this year.
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Ryan Kleim is an active and passionate theater artist (and technician). He's been an actor for six years performing in shows ranging from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella to Macbeth. He seeks to bring truth, color, and life to his work above all. This has shown in his past works of theatrical and musical art with each being an expression of his self and his skills. His love for the craft and desire to share the intricacies of the human experience make him a versatile and powerful performer.
Photo Credit: Colin Gallegos
Photo Credit: Colin Gallegos
Photo Credit: Colin Gallegos
Josh Thies has performed in theatre productions in both San Francisco and New York City, with favorite roles including Dionysus in The Bacchae, Autolycus in The Winter’s Tale, Snoopy in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Greg in Reasons to Be Pretty. After returning to Grand Junction, he is excited to reconnect with the local theatre community while preparing to pursue a law degree.
​Calista Hattler is a junior in Acting/Directing at Colorado Mesa University. Some of her notable roles have been Clara in Dr. Who (2024) and Marianne in Tartuffe (2025). Calista also enjoyed performing with Telluride Theatre as Maria in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (2024). In her free time, she likes to paint, cook, and crochet hats for her cat, Po. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Saphaera Weaver will be entering her sophomore year of college at Colorado Mesa University as an Acting/Directing Major. She has been doing theater since 7th grade and has done 21 productions since she started acting. Her favorite productions she’s done are Peter Pan, She Kills Monsters, and The Murderous Mansion of Mr. Uno. And she is incredibly excited to join the cast and crew of Our Town!
Michael Lewis is an upcoming Acting/Directing Sophomore here at CMU. He has dreams of making it big in the industry: Broadway, Vocal acting, and Film. He spends his free time singing, writing, and making music. As he goes through school, he hopes to bring more theater to the world around him.
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Photo Credit: Colin Gallegos
Photo Credit: Colin Gallegos
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Photo Credit: Colin Gallegos
Ella Dunn is an upcoming sophomore studying Musical Theater at Colorado Mesa University. She started performing at the young age of 7 in "The Little Mermaid Jr." and has been in love with theatre ever since. This last year she's been involved with One Acts and understudied and vocal sweetened for Rona in "The 25th Annual Spelling Bee" and Bette in "The Marriage of Bette and Boo". Ella will be playing Mrs. Soames, and she's thrilled to be apart this amazing production!
Reilly Prescott is a Colorado native, author, and Liberal Arts Major here at CMU. He loves anything to do with the arts, and engaging with the creative community locally is one of his favorite things to do. Outside of school, he loves to write, play music, read fantasy novels, and hopes to become a successful author and actor one day. Our Town will be his first production with the CMU Theatre department, and he could not be more excited to share the stage with such awesome people!
Nathan Cookson is a rising Senior at Colorado Mesa University and is an Acting/Directing and Design/Tech double major. He’s acted in roles such as Hannay in The 39 Steps, Boo in The Marriage of Bette and Boo, Toby Belch and Sebastian in Twelfth Night, and several others. He’s also a lighting design emphasis and has designed shows such as 2026 Spring Into Dance, The How and the Why, and many one-act festivals. He is excited to continue to work on both acting and lighting design.
Riley Chang is a recently graduated Design Tech and Acting Directing double major at CMU. This is his final show affiliated with CMU and is very excited to be a part of this production! He has been previously seen in The Marriage of Bette and Boo (Matt), Tartuffe (Damis) as well as Amadeus and Three Sisters! He has also helped in construction and backstage for all the shows! He hopes you enjoy the show!
​Abigail Smith is a junior Musical Theatre student at Colorado Mesa University from Green River, Wyoming. She joined The Mesa Picnic Players for their first season as Malvolio in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and is thrilled to return for this production of Our Town. Before this show some notable roles that she has played are, Bette in The Marriage of Bette and Boo and Marcy Park in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. She would like to thank her Parents, Siblings, and friends for their endless support.
Photo Credit: Colin Gallegos
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Photo Credit: Colin Gallegos
