QCT Introduces BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Production Team
QCT is proud to introduce the production team for this winter’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. The team brings a diverse range of experience and expertise to the production. Joining QCT staff members Brandon Thomsen (Artistic Director) and Seth Campbell (Technical Director) are
- Donna Haire – Stage Manager
- Ethan Henry – Costume Designer
- Shawn Jones – Assistant Choreographer
- Steve Looten, Jr. – Fight Choreographer
- Jim Molider – Assistant Stage Manager
- Ken Phillips – Lighting Designer
- Monica Scholz – Vocal Director
- Alison Shafer – Choreographer
Scroll down to learn more about these team members. Auditions are September 18-19, and slots are still available. Sign up here.
Donna Haire (Stage Manager) is a native of Quincy and works for Blue Cross Blue Shield. She has been married to Bill for 40 years and has a wonderful niece and four nephews. She just retired after 45 years of teaching Sunday School. Her spare time is spent taking care of the Villa Kathrine, working with Crime Stoppers, Muddy River Opera Company and getting back to QCT. I feel like a big piece of my life has been missing, I am so glad to be back collaborating with this amazing group of people.
“With the 20th anniversary of 9-1-1 it brought up an anniversary for me. I stage managed my first show in September of 2001 with guest director and Quincy native, Greg Paul. Greg was from New York and you can imagine how afraid he was for his family back home during this time. His wife was out for a run when, papers came flying down around her from the World Trade Center. The show was One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, one of my very favorites. I was so totally hooked that 20 years later, working on a show never gets old. I am so looking forward to Beauty and the Beast because more than anything else I love to see people walking out of the theatre with smiles on their faces and humming tunes from the show. There is such great satisfaction in starting with a script and working on all the elements to bring it to an audience. Believe me on stage or behind the scenes you want to be a part of this process!”
Ethan Henry (Costume Designer) is delighted to join the QCT family with Beauty and the Beast. Ethan is a multifaceted theatre practitioner with over a decade of professional work as a Designer, Director and Actor. He is currently the Managing Artistic Director for Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre, and spends most of his time between NC, NYC and Orlando, FL. Some of Ethan’s favorite design credits include, The Who’s Tommy, Bonnie and Clyde, George and Gracie, and The Last Five Years. Additionally, Ethan worked with JPKNYC, Inc on projects such as Broadway’s Frozen, Come From Away, and The Band’s Visit, as well as Apple TV’s Dickenson and FX’s Fosse/Verson. Ethan is honored to tackle this dream of a show with a great team. All we need today is hope, love, and a little bit of magic!
Shawn Jones (Assistant Choreographer) comes from Cincinnati, Ohio where he studied Dance, Vocal music and Drama at the School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA). This is Shawn’s 11th show at QCT. Just prior to the pandemic, Shawn opened a dance studio called The Beat Arts Academy, where he teaches Fosse Technique Jazz, Lester Horton Modern, Hip Hop, and African Dance.
Steve Looten, Jr. (Fight Choreographer) spent most of high school at the QCT and has returned on multiple occasions to choreograph violence for our stage. He oversaw fight scenes in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: The Musical, Les Miserables, Phantom, Elf: The Musical, and others here in Quincy and around the midwest. Steve currently resides in St. Louis, where he teaches middle school mathematics and assists with the fine arts programs.
“I’m excited to be part of the Beauty and the Beast team for a number of reasons. First, it’s been far too long since I’ve worked on a QCT show, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to choreograph for this stage, again. Second, the story of B&tB has been special to me and my family for many years. Finally, the climatic struggle between the Beast and Gaston is, for me, symbolic of the fight between the humanity and the monster inside of us all.”
Jim Molider (Assistant Stage Manager) believes he holds the record for the most hours spent at QCT without ever being in a show. His three children (Margot, Mitchell and Audrey) have performed in many musicals on both QCT stages. His wife, Danette, played the iconic role of Irene Malloy in Hello, Dolly! For all that time he was a proud and supportive cheerleader. After his wife passed away in October 2020, he realized there were so many reasons that he should finally be a part of the magic.
“QCT is one of the true treasures that Quincy has to offer. Nestled next to the might Mississippi River, you will be impressed by the highest level of talent, see profound commitment and experience pure joy at QCT’s wide range of performances.”
Ken Phillips (Lighting Designer) is happy to return to Quincy for his third show after Phantom and Chicago. He holds an MFA in Lighting Design and currently works at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University where he is the resident Lighting Designer/Supervisor for their Opera & Ballet department’s 1,460 seat theatre. He primarily works in managing or designing for Musical Theatre & Opera.
Monica Scholz (Vocal Director) has directed choristers from the age of 8 to 80 and has taught and coached students at every level, from classroom elementary through college and brings over 35 years of professional choral/vocal experience to Quincy Community Theatre. She is the Director of Music at St. Peter Parish and recently retired as choral director at Quincy Notre Dame High School. Monica has been on staff at Quincy Community Theatre Triple Threat Boot Camp. She has had leading roles in many QCT productions over the past 30 years, including Into the Woods, The Secret Garden, Nunsense, and Show Boat among others, and has served as vocal director for The Wizard of Oz, Oklahoma, and Memories II. Monica has coached and taught many local young singers who have gone on to professional careers in music.
“I have been looking forward to an opportunity to collaborate with Brandon and his team at QCT and was so moved and excited by the recent production of Chicago that I jumped at the chance to work on Beauty and the Beast. This is truly a community theatre, with the heart and hands of local people bringing quality entertainment to our region. Have you ever thought about auditioning for a show, but hesitated? You have everything to gain by getting involved, onstage or behind the scenes! You will find a welcoming haven filled with laughter, friends, and fellowship that only the theatre can provide.”
Alison Shafer (Choreographer) is a freelance artist who most recently choreographed Matilda for Children’s Musical Theatre in Bartlesville, OK. Other recent projects include directing/choreographing Frozen Jr. for Market House Theatre in Paducah, KY and choreographing The Bikinis (Venice Theatre). She directed Stuart Little and choreographed Elf The Musical and She Loves Me for Quincy Community Theatre as well as directing/choreographing Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka (Des Moines Playhouse) and choreographing Gentleman’s Guide To Love And Murder, Ragtime, Spamalot, Mary Poppins and Young Frankenstein (DSM Playhouse, Cloris Award for Best Choreography) Tree Wishes (Georgia Pacific Events Group, Atlanta, GA) and Marathon Dancing (Engarde Arts, New York, NY). Alison had the pleasure of instructing students in dance this summer for QCT’s Triple Threat Boot Camp.
“I love telling story through the medium of theatre and dance and am thrilled to dive into this beautiful and emotional tale. Though the setting and circumstances are unique, the story is ubiquitous. I also look forward to collaborating with this gifted creative team and the area’s talented actors, singers and dancers.”