BAT BOY: The Musical

Creative Team Bios

ILANA RANSOM-TOEPLITZ (she/her) — Director
Ilana Ransom Toeplitz is a director, choreographer, writer, and professor specializing in new musicals, thoughtful revivals and comedy. On Broadway, Ilana worked on THE PROM (Tony Nomination – Best Musical), VIOLET (Starring Sutton Foster, Tony Nomination – Best Revival of a Musical) and CRAZY FOR YOU at Lincoln Center with Susan Stroman.  Ilana directed world premieres with Lincoln Center, Drama League, NYMF, Adrienne Arsht Center, Berkshire Theatre Group, York Theatre Company, 54 Below & Boston’s Calderwood Pavilion, as well as directing and choreographing the world premiere of Drew Gasparini’s WE AREN’T KIDS ANYMORE. Associate Director: A CHRISTMAS STORY & DIRTY DANCING. Resident Director/Choreographer: CLICK, CLACK, MOO! and A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Assistant Director: MARRY ME A LITTLE (Off-Broadway) &  SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM (Boston Pops) — both in collaboration with the late Stephen Sondheim. Other credits include: REEFER MADNESS (feat. Alan Cumming), CHICAGO, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, …SPELLING BEE, LEGALLY BLONDE & SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN, CABARET & RAGTIME (Boston Pops). Ilana is a proud native of Pittsburgh, PA, an SDC Associate Member, SDC Foundation Mike Ockrent Fellow & Drama League Directors Project Alum (Leo Schull New Musicals Directing Fellow). Ilana is an Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre at Emerson College in Boston, MA. www.IlanaDirects.com; @ilanaRansom

JONATHAN GOLDBERG (he/him) — Music Director
Jonathan Goldberg has been teaching in the Musical Theatre program at Emerson since 2004. He works as a Boston-area music director, vocal coach, vocal arranger, accompanist, and keyboard player. Recent music director credits for Emerson Stage include The Spitfire Grill, Into The Woods, Next To Normal, Flora The Red Menace, Working, Urinetown, Titanic, Guys and Dolls, and Carousel. Boston regional productions in recent years include Pacific Overtures, Road Show, Sondheim On Sondheim, and Sweeney Todd (Lyric Stage), and Little Women, Ragtime, and Billy Elliot (Wheelock Family Theatre). Jon’s new cabaret piece, The Couch starring Susan Lambert, recently debuted at Club Cafe and at the Wellfleet Preservation Hall. He has also been part of the orchestras for recent productions of The Addams Family (Wheelock) and The Prom (Speakeasy Stage). Jon has won four IRNE awards for Lyric Stage productions of A Little Night Music, Man of La Mancha, Grey Gardens, and Kiss Me, Kate. Other credits: Pacific Overtures (North Shore Music Theatre), Forever Plaid (Stuart Street Playhouse), and three years with the Boston company of Nunsense, as well as playing keyboard for the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus Disney Pride In Concert at Symphony Hall in the summer of 2022.

CHRISTOPHER SHIN (he/him) — Choreographer
Christopher Shin is currently on faculty at Emerson College as Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre Choreography. He has performed professionally for nearly two decades. Broadway/Tour: Disney’s Mary Poppins, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. Regional: Goodspeed Opera House (42nd Street, Thoroughly Modern Millie), Arena Stage (Anything Goes), Maltz Jupiter Theatre (South Pacific), Walnut Street Theatre (The Wizard of Oz, A Christmas Story, The Producers), Kansas City Starlight (Miss Saigon), Sacramento Music Circus (La Cage aux Folles, The King and I), Gulfshore Playhouse, Ogunquit Playhouse, Ocean State Theatre Company, North Shore Music Theatre, Westport Country Playhouse, Arkansas Rep, Merry Go Round Playhouse. Recent Choreography credits include: Newsies (Zilker Theatre Company), Annie, Grease (TexArts). Past EmStage: Cabaret. Upcoming EmStage: Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. MFA in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University, BFA in Theatre from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Member of Actors’ Equity Association.

AVA SCANLON (she/her) — Scenic Designer
BFA ‘25 Theatre Design & Technology. Emerson Stage credits: Next to Normal (Props Assistant), Into the Woods (Wig Dresser), The Spitfire Grill (Scenic Assistant), The Secret in the Wings (Scenic Assistant), Cabaret (Scenic Charge). Emerson College credits: MTS’s La Cage Aux Folles (Hair and Makeup Designer), MTAG’s Rock of Ages (Hair and Makeup Designer/Scenic Designer), EVVYs ‘23 (Props Lead). Thank you to my parents Steve and Keith for the constant support and to Ryan Bates for all your help this semester!

AVA-SOFIA SETTOON (she/her) — Costume Designer
BFA ’24 Costume & Production Design for Film. Emerson Stage credits: Mary, Sweet Mary (Costume Design Lead), The Secret in the Wings (Costume Assistant). Emerson College credit: Long Lost BFA Film (Costume Designer). Thank you to Tristan, Richelle, Becky, Laurie and Georgie! Another huge thank you goes out to my wonderful and supportive family, love you guys!

OAKLEY WALKER (they/them) — Lighting Designer
BFA ’24 Theatre Design & Technology. Emerson Stage credits: How We Got On (Co-PE), Mary, Sweet Mary (Co-LD), Paris (LE), Old Jake’s Skirts (ALD), The Spitfire Grill (Assistant Props Lead), Three Romances for the Unwell and Otherwise (LE), Marie Antoinette (ALD), Interior of an Artist Without Her Sister (ALD). Emerson College theatre credits: Our Dear Dead Drug Lord (ALD) for Mercutio Troupe, ERA Awards (Co-Scenic, Co-PE) for S.E.A.L, Rock of Ages (LD) for MTAG. Thank you to the entire creative, technical, producing, directing, and acting teams for all your hard work. Big thanks to my family for always supporting me.

ELIZABETH CAHILL (she/her) — Sound Designer
Elizabeth Cahill is the Sound Area Head and Resident Sound Designer for Emerson Stage. Recent Emerson Stage design credits include: The Secret in the Wings, This Girl…, Marisol, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Squeaky Fromme Love Song, Working, and many others. Elizabeth has sound designed for Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, Lyric Stage Co., SpeakEasy Stage, Actors’ Shakespeare Project, New Repertory Theatre, Gloucester Stage, Shakespeare and Company, The A.R.T. Institute, Dance The Yard, Central Square Theatre, New England Conservatory, Fresh Ink Theatre, Bridge Rep, Greater Boston Stage Company, Hasty Pudding Theatricals at Harvard University, Brownbox Theatre Project, Baldwin Wallace University, Boston Conservatory, Moonbox Productions, and more.  A/V Supervisor for operas with New England Conservatory, Boston Early Music Festival, and Boston University.

RYAN BATES (he/him) — Props Lead
Ryan Bates is the Props Director for Emerson Stage, and has worked as a props lead and scenic designer throughout New England, including productions at New Repertory Theatre, Bridge Repertory Theatre, The Umbrella, Gloucester Stage Company, InMotion Theatre, Middlebury College, Longwood Players, Off the Grid, Fresh Ink, and many more. Ryan has taught Stagecraft at Emerson, and served on the faculty at Boston University. MFA: Boston University. www.ryanbatesdesign.com

LIV MILLER (she/her) — Hair & Makeup Designer
BFA ‘25 Theatre Design & Technology. Emerson Stage credits: Bonnets: How Ladies of Good Breeding are Induced to Murder (Hair/Makeup Designer), The Loyals (Wardrobe Supervisor), The Secret in the Wings (Props Lead), Paris (Assistant Costume Designer), Old Jake’s Skirts (Assistant Scenic Designer), Into the Woods (Wig Runner), RAGE (Assistant Wardrobe Supervisor), Next to Normal (Assistant Props Lead). Emerson College credits: MTAG’s Rock of Ages (Hair/Makeup Designer); MTS’s La Cage Aux Folles (Hair/Makeup Artist and Designer). Thank you to the lovely Ava-Sofia and to the costume shop for being such great collaborators during this process!!

MICHAEL MENOR (he/him) — Stage Manager
BFA ’24 Stage and Production Management. Professional credits: Cirque du Soleil’s The Beatles LOVE (SM/CM Intern) and Mystère (CM Intern), Spiegelworld’s Atomic Saloon Show (ASM) and OPM (ASM), Boston Symphony’s Ragtime: The Symphonic Concert (SM/ASM), World Culture Festival (ASM). Emerson Stage credits: Little Women (P. Supe.), The Secret in the Wings (1st ASM), Three Romances… (1st ASM). Emerson College credits: You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (SM). Thanks to Susan, Nathan, Brooklyn. Such a lovely team. Storm and Ajax… let’s go to Vegas!

EMMA ALVAREZ-ROTH (she/her) — Production Supervisor
BFA ’24 Stage & Production Management. Emerson Stage credits: Paris (1st Assistant Stage Manager), RAGE – New Play Workshop ’22 (Assistant Production Supervisor), and Interior of the Artist Without Her Sister (2nd Assistant Stage Manager). Emerson College credit: RareWorks’ Hookman (Assistant Accessibility Coordinator). A HUGE thank you to the amazing production supervision team who made our work possible: Kylah, Tim, and Tippens – thank YOU!

SQUIER (pronouns) –– Fight Director
Bio coming soon!

SEAN PATRICK GIBBONS (he/him) –– Intimacy Director
Sean Patrick Gibbons is a certified Intimacy Director with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators mentored under Claire Warden and Cha Ramos. Sean is also an Actor, Voice and Movement specialist, and Theatre Educator. He is also in the process of becoming a certified teacher of the Michael Chekhov Acting Technique with the Great Lakes Michael Chekhov Consortium through Kent State. He has performed Off-Broadway and in various regional theatres across the country including New Repertory Theatre, Boston Playwrights Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Scranton Shakespeare Festival, Bridge Repertory Theatre, Atlantic Rep, Theatre Lab, and many more. A member of Actor’s Equity, and SAG-AFTRA eligible, he has also worked and taught at the International Theatre and Dance Project in Greece, The University of Scranton, Brandeis University, Wellesley College, American International College, Florida Atlantic University, Harvard University, and Boston Theatre Company. Sean holds an MFA in Acting from Florida Atlantic University, and two undergraduate degrees in Acting and Theatre Education from MU. Sean is also on the admissions recruitment team for the American Musical Dramatic Academy, and is the chair of the theatre department at the Boston Arts Academy where he teaches Acting and Voice and Movement for the Actor. To learn more about consent-forward advocacy for artists: www.seanpatrickgibbons.com

CIARA BERARDI (she/her) — Dramaturg
BFA ’25 Theatre. Emerson Stage credits: Are You Someone To Somebody? (Asst. Company Manager), Old Jake’s Skirts (Asst. Company Manager), The Spitfire Grill (Dramaturg), Into the Woods (Dramaturg). Emerson College credits: emShakes’ Metamorphosis (Producer), Lord of the Flies (Dramaturg) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream! (Co-Dramaturg). Thank you to my friends and family for your never-ending support!