Our Company
Commonweal Resident Ensemble
LIZZY ANDRETTA (she/her)
Actor/Development Associate/Dixon House Artist Residence Manager
THIS SEASON: Shelby (The Spitfire Grill), Heidi (Eelpout), Rehearsal Assistant Stage Manager (Incident at Our Lady…)
COMMONWEAL HIGHLIGHTS: Marley (Lone Star Spirits), Mary (Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley), Amalia (She Loves Me), Meg (Leading Ladies), Senga (Dancing Lessons), Gabriella (Boeing Boeing), Mina (Dracula: Prince of Blood), co props designer (Ugly Lies the Bone, Women in Jeopardy, Good People).
EDUCATION: MFA in Acting from the East 15 Acting School; BS from Skidmore College
“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” –Louisa May Alcott
CODY BEYER (he/him)
Director of Production
THIS SEASON: Props Designer (No Wake), Master Carpenter (Incident at Our Lady…), Eelpout (Eelpout), Darcy (The Wickhams…)
COMMONWEAL HIGHLIGHTS: Kent (King Lear), Drew (Lone Star Spirits), Lighting Designer (The Angel Next Door), Master Carpenter (The Half-Life of Marie Curie), Director (True West), Darcy (Miss Bennet…) Co-Scenic Designer (Doubt, Rumors), Scenic Designer (The Outsider, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde), Stevie (Ugly Lies the Bone), Sipos (She Loves Me), Props Designer (Deathtrap, Good People), Edmond Rostand (Bernhardt/Hamlet), White Knight (Alice in Winter Wonderland)
OTHER CREDITS: Chicago credits include: Banquo in Macbeth for Theatre-Y; and Technical Director for several Hell in a Handbag Production
EDUCATION: BA Honors Theatre, University of Tennessee-Knoxville
“Much love to my lovely wife Laurie, who inspires me every day, and to our fur babies: Meriadoc Brandybuck and Duke Orsino.”
STELA BURDT (she/her)
Music Director/Director of Administration
THIS SEASON: Effy (The Spitfire Grill), Props Designer (The Wickhams…)
COMMONWEAL HIGHLIGHTS: The Half-Life of Marie Curie, Ugly Lies the Bone, Women in Jeopardy, She Loves Me, Good People, Souvenir, Woody Guthrie’s American Song, Crimes of the Heart, Zombies from the Beyond, A Midnight Dreary, Harvey, Man of La Mancha, Sanders Family Christmas; sound design and music direction for various productions
EDUCATION: BA Luther College with studies in music and theatre
“Never ending love and gratitude for our community. Thank you for being here!” #TeamScottyForever
AMANDA BYARS (she/her)
Production/Administrative Team Associate
THIS SEASON: Sarah (No Wake), Performance Stage Manager and Props Assistant (Incident at Our Lady…),Props Designer (The Spitfire Grill)
COMMONWEAL HIGHLIGHTS: Lauren (BFF), Cordelia/Oswald (King Lear)
EDUCATION: BFA in Theatre Performance from Columbus State University
“Thank you to my family, friends, and mentors for all of your support!”
HAROLD CROPP (he/they)
Producing Artistic Director
THIS SEASON: Peter (No Wake), Dialect Coach (Eelpout)
COMMONWEAL HIGHLIGHTS: King Lear, Scrooge, John Gabrial Borkman, Halver Solness, Groucho, Matt Friedman
OTHER CREDITS: Directed and written several works for the company
EDUCATION: BA, Brown University; MBA, Santa Clara University; MFA, National Theatre Conservatory
“Love to my wife, my pets, and my time at the Commonweal.”
ALEXA GUTIERREZ (she/her)
Production Team Associate
THIS SEASON: Rehearsal Stage Manager (No Wake, The Spitfire Grill, The Wickhams…), Performance Stage Manager (The Spitfire Grill), Props Assistant (Eelpout)
COMMONWEAL HIGHLIGHTS: Stage Manager/Lighting Designer (BFF), Performance Stage Manager (A Sherlock Carol), Assistant Stage Manager (King Lear, Lone Star Spirits)
OTHER CREDITS: Assistant Stage Manager for All The Natalie Portmans at the Thinking Cap Theatre; Assistant Stage Manager for The Museum Plays at Miami New Drama
EDUCATION: BA in Theatre, Florida International University
JOSIAH LAUBENSTEIN (he/him)
Literary Manager/Marketing Associate
THIS SEASON: Sound Designer (Incident at Our Lady…, The Spitfire Grill)
COMMONWEAL HIGHLIGHTS: Edger/Cornwall (King Lear), Dave (The Outsider), Georg (She Loves Me), Jack/Stephanie (Leading Ladies)
OTHER CREDITS: Worked and directed at Rochester Community & Technical College (2024-2026)
EDUCATION: MFA in Acting, University of South Carolina; BA in Theatre, Concordia University, St. Paul
“All love to my two children, who turn 3 & 5 this year!! And to my incomparable wife, Rachel, who holds it all together.”
ISABELLA ANASTASIA LEIGH (she/her)
Production Stage Manager/Associate Director of Production/ Administrative Team Associate
THIS SEASON: Director (No Wake), Rehearsal Stage Manager (Incident at Our Lady…), Production Stage Manager (Eelpout)
COMMONWEAL HIGHLIGHTS: King Lear, The Angel Next Door, Rumors, Deathtrap
OTHER CREDITS: Stage Management and Directing with: Austin Shakespeare, Jarrott Productions, ScriptWorks (Austin, TX); Broom Street Theatre, Children’s Theatre of Madison, Forward Theater, Music Theatre of Madison, and StageQ (Madison, WI)
EDUCATION: BA in Gender & Women’s Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison
“Resistance and change often begin in art.” – Ursula K. Le Guin
“Much love to my kitties: Beatrice, Tybalt, and Mercutio.”
ELISABETH MEYER (she/her)
Production/Marketing Team Associate
THIS SEASON: Becky (Incident at Our Lady…), Lena (Eelpout), Costume Assistant (No Wake, The Wickhams…)
COMMONWEAL HIGHLIGHTS: Emma/Lestrade/etc. (A Sherlock Carol), Eliza (BFF),
OTHER CREDITS: She Kills Monsters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Measure for Measure, The Elephant Speaks Jazz (Viterbo University). Elisabeth is also a costume, hair, and makeup designer, with credits including 1000 Words (dir. Ella Ledoq), Batboy, The Spongebob Musical, 42nd Street (Viterbo University).
EDUCATION: BFA, Acting from Viterbo University
“Hey Mom, I’m living the dream here! Thank you for supporting live theatre – you are the heartbeat of all we do!” @elisabethhmeyer, elisabethmeyer.com
JOHN B. NICOL (he/him)
Assistant to the Director of Administration/ Production Associate
THIS SEASON: Sound Designer (No Wake), Scenic Painter (Incident at Our Lady…), Musician and Assistant Music Director (The Spitfire Grill), Lars (Eelpout), Music Director and Scenic Painter (The Wickhams…)
COMMONWEAL HIGHLIGHTS: Mr. Dilber et al. (A Sherlock Carol), Arthur de Bourgh (Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley), A.C. Peterson (The Outsider), Arpad Laszlo (She Loves Me), Michal (The Pillowman), Deputy (The Mystery of Edwin Drood)
EDUCATION: BS in Theatre Arts, Minnesota State University, Mankato
“To learn anything, you must put aside the safety of your ignorance.” – Richard Bach
MATTHEW JAMES RALPH (he/him)
Stage Manager/Marketing Associate
THIS SEASON: Director (Eelpout), Assistant Director (The Spitfire Grill, The Wickhams…)
COMMONWEAL HIGHLIGHTS: Assistant Director (Lonestar Spirits), Fight Choreographer (King Lear),
OTHER CREDITS: Graduate director at The University of Southern Mississippi for their productions of Big Fish, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, and The Seagull or How to Eat It
EDUCATION: MFA in theatre, University of Southern Mississippi; BA in theatre & marketing, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
“It’s important to me that theatre not be didactic; I hope this season sparks intrigue and poses questions that keep us all curious!”
LAURIE ROBERTS (she/her)
Development Associate/Apprentice Advisor
THIS SEASON: Jo understudy (Incident at Our Lady…), Choreographer (The Spitfire Grill, Eelpout), Elizabeth Darcy (The Wickhams…)
COMMONWEAL HIGHLIGHTS: Irene Adler (A Sherlock Carol), Regan (King Lear), Marie Curie (The Half-Life of Marie Curie), Elizabeth (Miss Bennet…), Chris (Rumors), Jess (Ugly Lies the Bone), 8 Shoppers (She Loves Me), Myra (Deathtrap), Duchess (Alice in Winter Wonderland), assistant director (Bernhardt/Hamlet), choreographer (The Mystery of Edwin Drood)
OTHER CREDITS: Chicago credits from A Red Orchid Theatre, Facility Theatre, Hell in a Handbag, and Theatre Y. Cincinnati credits include Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Know Theatre, and Cincinnati Fringe Festival (recipient of the 2015 Producer’s Pick.) Laurie also works as an acting teacher, movement director, and choreographer.
EDUCATION: MFA, University of South Carolina; BA, University of Washington
“Thank you for being with us!”
JODI RUSHING (they/she)
Box Office Manager
THIS SEASON: Performance Stage Manager (No Wake), Costume Assistant (Incident at Our Lady…), Makeup Designer (Eelpout, The Wickhams…)
COMMONWEAL HIGHLIGHTS: King Lear, Lone Star Spirits, The Outsider, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Good People, Leading Ladies, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised], I Love to Eat, On the Verge, An Iliad
OTHER CREDITS: Makeup Artist (The Wonder of the World… -in post production), Stage Manager (Doniphan Dance Project)
EDUCATION: BA in Theatre & Film, University of Mississippi
“Much love to my family and friends, whose support means the world to me.”
TIM SAILER (he/him)
Assistant Director of Marketing
THIS SEASON: Oliver (The Angel Next Door), Edmund/King of France (King Lear)
COMMONWEAL HIGHLIGHTS: King Lear, The Angel Next Door, Ugly Lies the Bone, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, She Loves Me, and Leading Ladies.
OTHER CREDITS: More than 50 roles across 35 plays at the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, VA; Utah, Houston, and Texas Shakespeare Festivals; Park Square Theatre; Theater L’Homme Dieu; audiobook narrator
EDUCATION: MFA in Acting, University of Houston
“We must risk delight!” – Jack Gilbert
ALEX SCHLESINGER (they/them)
Technical Director
THIS SEASON: Lighting Designer (No Wake, The Wickhams…), Sheriff Joe Sutter (The Spitfire Grill), Sven Svenson (Eelpout)
COMMONWEAL HIGHLIGHTS: Tim Crachit (A Sherlock Carol), Ben (Lone Star Spirits), Lighting Designer (King Lear), Projections Designer (The Half-Life of Marie Curie, Ugly Lies the Bone), Clifford (Deathtrap),
OTHER CREDITS: Riff Raff (The Rocky Horror Show) at New Minowa Players in Decorah; Amos Hart (Chicago) at Luther College
EDUCATION: BA in Theatre, Luther College
“I would like to thank my mentor, professor, and good friend, Jeff Dintaman, for his years of support and sharing of knowledge that has gotten me to where I am today.”
ADRIENNE SWEENEY (she/her)
Director of External Communications/Associate Artistic Director
THIS SEASON: Director (The Spitfire Grill), Mrs. Reynolds (The Wickhams…)
COMMONWEAL HIGHLIGHTS: Director: Lone Star Spirits, I Ought to Be in Pictures, Come Back, Silent Sky, and Parfumerie. Actor: Charlotte (The Angel Next Door), Louise Peakes (The Outsider), Sarah Bernhardt (Bernhardt/Hamlet), Mary (Women in Jeopardy), Berthe (Boeing, Boeing), M’Lynn (Steel Magnolias), Sylvia (Sylvia)
OTHER CREDITS: Voice of Drury’s Furniture
EDUCATION: MFA in Acting, University of Arizona, Tucson
“Work is love made visible.” – Kahlil Gibran
“Thank you for being here to share our work, our love.”
JEREMY van METER (he/him)
Director of Development
THIS SEASON: Mike O’Shea/Father Lovett/Betty Heckenbach (Incident at Our Lady…), Props Assistant (The Spitfire Grill), Dialect Coach (The Wickhams…)
COMMONWEAL HIGHLIGHTS: Sherlock Holmes (A Sherlock Carol), Father Flynn (Doubt: A Parable), Herb Tucker (I Ought to Be in Pictures), Sky (Come Back), Count Dracula (Dracula: Prince of Blood), Anthony Reilly (Brand; The Philadelphia Story)
OTHER CREDITS: Caffeine Theatre (Chicago) Artistic Associate (2009-2011); Great River Shakespeare Festival (2009); Illinois Shakespeare Festival (2007); Riverside Theatre/Shakespeare Festival Actor in Residence (2000-03); Barter Theatre Actor in Residence (1991-95)
EDUCATION: MFA in Acting, University of Iowa
“For your support, I can no other answer make but thanks, and thanks, and ever thanks. Tons of love to my rock, Catherine Glynn. And Go Hawkeyes!”
In Memoriam
SCOTT R. DIXON (he/him) as a member of the Commonweal family from his first arrival, as a seasonal actor in 2001. He passed away in November, 2018, after a battle with cancer. He spent the last 17 years of his life at the Commonweal in Lanesboro, where he was an actor, playwright, director and served the company administratively in several capacities, last as Director of Development. He met and married his wife, Stela Burdt, here and they had a son, Kieran. Scott’s wit and capacity for understanding made him a friend to all. We will miss him and remember him with love. To read more about our friend Scott, CLICK HERE.
