12.Oct.2009 The Cast of THE GIVER

Reilly Crouse Asher
Reilly was born in Mobile, Alabama, where he developed a taste for fine Southern BBQ and first learned the fine art of enjoying the feel of sand between his toes. He moved to Indianapolis with his family in 2001 and has studied both the usual and unusual at Isom Elementary and Greenwood Middle School. He participated in the Isom Drama Club from 2005 to 2008, lending his talents to parts ranging from an emperor with questionable new clothing to a lactose intolerant rat. He currently sings with the Indianapolis Children’s Choir, takes guitar lessons, and is doing his best to master the French horn before the eviction notice arrives. Reilly enjoys reading, playing video games as well as baseball and soccer, swimming, and tormenting his younger brother.

Jennifer Johansen Mother, the Chief Elder
Jen has appeared at the IRT as Lady Macbeth in Macbeth and Viola in Twelfth Night, as well as in The Ladies Man, A Christmas Carol, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Most Valuable Player. She played Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet at the Human Race Theatre in Dayton, where she will return to perform A Christmas Carol for the second season. Jen is a member of ShadowApe Theatre Company, where she has performed in Transformations, Welcome to the Monkey House, Gorey Stories, The Love Song of J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Life Is a Dream. She has trained with Anne Bogart and the SITI Company and studied aerial arts at the Actors Gymnasium, and she is a certified yoga instructor. ”Everlasting love to my best friend, Rob. I dedicate my performance to him, and to all of my family and friends, who teach me to live in color.”

Robert K Johansen Father
This is Robert’s 14th season with the IRT, where he has appeared in the one-man show Underneath the Lintel as well as such shows as To Kill a Mockingbird, Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, The Fantasticks, The Unexpected Guest, Twelfth Night, Inherit the Wind, The Grapes of Wrath, The Turn of the Screw, As You Like It, Cyrano, and A Christmas Carol. He is also a teacher and director in the IRT’s Summer Youth Conservatory. He is a member of the ShadowApe Theatre Company, which produced Welcome to the Monkey House on the IRT Upperstage. He performed another one-man show, After Paul McCartney by David Hoppe, at the Edinburgh Festival two years ago, and will do so again on the Upperstage this season. “So much love and thanks to my best friend and best love, my wife, Jen.”

Frederick Marshall the Giver
Frederick has appeared at the IRT in To Kill a Mockingbird, Macbeth, Inherit the Wind, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pride and Prejudice, Arcadia, As You Like It, and A Christmas Carol. He received his B.A. in theatre arts from Hanover College and has studied with Dr. Tom Evans, Barbara Farrar, and Rose Kleiman. He was the recipient of the American College Theatre Festival Award of Excellence for his performance in Brecht’s A Man’s a Man at the Kennedy Center. Locally he has appeared with ShadowApe, Edyvean Rep, and Indianapolis Civic. He has also performed at South Carolina Repertory Company in Hilton Head, Kaleidoscope Players in Raton, New Mexico, and Hollywood Actors Theatre and Burbank Playhouse, both in Los Angeles.

Garrett McKenna Jonas
Garret McKenna is an eighth grader at St. Lawrence Catholic School. This is his first major role at the IRT, although he has appeared in A Christmas Carol in 2006 and 2008, understudied the role of Jem in To Kill a Mockingbird, and has participated for three years in the Summer Conservatory. Garrett discovered acting as a Mud Creek Barn Rat under the direction of Lynn Perkins and Matt Socey. He has also appeared at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, the Artist’s Studio, and Footlight Musicals. “I would like to thank my mom, dad, brother, and grandparents for supporting me, and my school for allowing me to take part in this production.”

Anna Miller Lily
Anna is thrilled to be joining the cast of The Giver and performing at the IRT for the first time. She is nine years old and in fourth grade at Lantern Road Elementary in Fishers. Anna loves acting and creative play, but also enjoys competitive swimming, art, gymnastics, and reading. “I would like to thank my IRT theatre family for welcoming me, and a special thank you to my school, coaches, and teachers for all their support. Love and thanks to Mom and Dad for all the driving to downtown!”

Maggie Williams Fiona, Rosemary
Maggie is thrilled to be returning to IRT after recently performing as Belinda Cratchit in A Christmas Carol. Other credits include: the title role in Annie, Young Jane in Jane Eyre, Snoopy in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Marta Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Baby June in Gypsy, Shprintze in Fiddler on the Roof, and ensemble in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Maggie is 13 years old and has been performing since the age of 8. “Thanks to Richard Roberts and Priscilla Lindsay for this opportunity, and to my mom and dad for all their support.”