MARY POPPINS

SHE/HER | Jaynie Parmenter is a professional creative, working in graphic design, music and theatre. She graduated from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City (2020) where she studied musical theatre. Notable credits include: Beethoven: Live in Concert (Vivaldi/Ensemble) at Fort Salem Theater, choreographing “Dead Man Dance” for Dirty Sweater Productions’ feature film this year, directing 101 Dalmatians Kids and Finding Nemo Kids at VES, 2017 Jimmy Awards Nominee, 2017 inaugural Proctors High School Musical Theatre Awards “Best Actress” winner for her role as Mary Poppins, and Annabel McAlistair in The Dolls of New Albion (Off Broadway). Keep up to date @jaynie.parmenter

BERT

HE/HIM | Michael Nichols-Pate is thrilled to be making his Fort Salem debut in this production of Mary Poppins! Recent theater credits include: Cabaret (Emcee), Seussical (Cat in the Hat), The Diary of Anne Frank (Mr. Dussel), A Shayna Maidel: Staged Reading (Duvid Pechenik), Brigadoon in Concert (Charles Dalrymple), Cinderella (the Herald) and Solstice (Originated the role of Danny Romero). Michael also recently directed Rabbit Hole for Bunbury Players to critical acclaim. He is thankful to the cast and crew for their tireless work! Michael would also like to thank his friends, family, and most importantly, his loving and supportive husband!

GEORGE BANKS

Jim is making his debut at Fort Salem Theatre and would like to thank Kyle and the staff for this opportunity to create. Jim has appeared on 3 National Tours including Annie (Drake/Warbucks), Peter Pan as (Noodler/Capt. Hook) and A Christmas Carol (The Ghost of Christmas Present). Jim has also appeared with the Mill Mountain Theatre in Va. in Man of LaMancha, Peter Pan and See How They Run. Locally, Jim has appeared with Capital Rep, NYSTI, Park Playhouse, and many shows at the Mac-Haydn Theatre in Chatham including Oklahoma (Jud Fry), State Fair (Abel), and My Fair Lady (Doolittle). Recently, Jim appeared with his daughter Grace in Jekyll and Hyde and directed Nunsense for Master Class Performing Arts. On TV, Jim has appeared as William Jennings Bryan in The Men Who Built America for the History Channel, and as a Thug on the Blacklist for NBC. Jim would like to thank his family, Grace, Richard, Adelaide, Emily and Alex, for their constant support. A special thanks to Susan whose consistent support and encouragement made this show possible. Break legs, Team Poppins!

WINIFRED BANKS

SHE/HER | Lauren Schirnhofer (Winifred Banks) is an actor, singer, and teaching artist who has performed and taught throughout the U.S. and internationally, from Europe to South America. She recently made her FST debut as Snow White in “Into the Woods,” and understudied 6 roles! She earned a Bachelor of Music from Boston Conservatory, and studied theater at L’Ecole de Comédie Musicale in Paris, France.

European credits include the French premieres of the musicals “Edges,” “Ordinary Days,” “Island Song,” and “Next Thing You Know.” Her US performances include “The Robber Bridegroom” (Rosamund), “You're a Good Man Charlie Brown” (Sally), “Rock of Ages” (Mother/Waitress #1), and “Into the Woods” (Baker's Wife, Cinderella), plus shows at Feinstein's 54 Below in NYC.

Now based in the Capital Region, she teaches at SPAC School of the Arts and from her home voice studio in Ballston Lake. She has had the joy of creating and collaborating with Curtain Call Theater (Ripcord), Saratoga Children's Theater (Disney's Descendants: The Musical), Adirondack Theater Festival (Pump Up the Volume), Homemade Theater (Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure), and is thrilled to be a part of this vibrant theater community!

www.laurentaylorberkman.com

JANE BANKS

Evelyn Clary is thrilled to be joining the incredible cast of Mary Poppins! Evelyn got her acting start in the Fort Salem Theater Summer program, The Wizard of Oz as The Coroner and a munchkin. Since then, she’s gotten to play Flotsom in FST’s summer play The Little Mermaid, and the Tin Man in Cambridge Elementary’s production of The Wizard of Oz. She recently appeared in the Batman film “Return to Darkness.”

Evelyn is currently going into 7th grade. She enjoys reading, writing, and listening to musicals. She is excited to perform as Jane Banks in FST’s production of Mary Poppins. "

MICHAEL BANKS (AT CERTAIN PERFORMANCES), YOUTH ENSEMBLE

HE/HIM | Luke Snyder is a rising 7th grader at Salem Washington Academy. He has appeared in the 6th grade production of Seussical (JoJo) with his classmates, as well as Fort Salem Theater's Wizard of Oz Jr. (Ensemble) and Little Mermaid Jr. (King Triton). When not onstage, he enjoys playing sports of all kinds with friends and gaming.

MICHAEL BANKS (AT CERTAIN PERFORMANCES), YOUTH ENSEMBLE

HE/HIM | Nathan is a student in Greenwich Central School District who enjoys the art of performing on stage. From chorus concerts to theater productions, Nathan shines and shares his passion for the stage with the audience. He has appeared in the high school productions of High School Musical Jr. (Jack Scott), Finding Nemo Jr. (Ensemble) and numerous elementary performances. He also had several appearances in YouTube shorts for a local company.

TEDDY BEAR, YOUTH ENSEMBLE

Chandler "Bing" Morris recently completed fifth grade at Cambridge Central School. He has previously performed on stage with the CCS Elementary Drama Club in Cinderella...if the Shoe Fits (The King) and Annie (President Roosevelt). Bing caught the acting bug early on when he was selected to be in a commercial for a local water park. In his free time, he enjoys video games, reading, spending time with his grandfather, cooking, and singing. This is Chandler's first production at Fort Salem Theater.

PARK KEEPER, VON HUSSLER, MR. PUNCH DOLL, ENSEMBLE

Anthony Jones is a current Junior at Vermont State University at Castleton and is enrolled as a Musical Theatre BA major. From Whitehall, New York, he has appeared in multiple shows such as The Wizard of Oz (Lion), Grease (Johnny Casino), Sister Act (Monsignor), IT Girl (Jonathan Waltham), You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Schroeder), and others.

ROBERTSON AY, NORTHBROOK

Chandler Hansen is returning to the Fort Salem Theater stage playing the role of Robertson Ay. Chandler lives in Easton, NY and is a graduate of Gordon College. Previous credits include the Pirates of Penzance (Pirate), You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Charlie Brown), Bright Star (Stanford), and There's No Business Like Snow Business at FST. Other theater experiences include productions with Greenwich Central School and Schuylerville Community Theater when he was a student.

DOLL, YOUTH ENSEMBLE

Finn Allen is a sophomore at Long Trail School in Dorset, Vt. Their first introduction to theater was as Young Anna in Home Made Theater's Frozen Jr. in 2019. Other stage credits include Home Made Theater's Once On This Island Jr., The Descendants Jr. and It's a Wonderful Life; Rutland Youth Theater's Moana Jr.; and Long Trail's Help Desk and Ever Latte Thing is Going to Bean Alright. Mary Poppins marks their Fort Salem debut.

ENSEMBLE (BIRD WOMAN & MISS ANDREW UNDERSTUDY)

Julia Steidle is a mezzo-soprano from Argyle, NY. She holds a B.S. in Music Performance from Roberts Wesleyan University, and a M.M. in Music Performance from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. Her performance credits include Hansel (cover) and The Witch (cover) in Hansel and Gretel and Second Lady in The Magic Flute with Roberts Wesleyan University; Venus (cover) and Ensemble in Orphée aux enfers with Opera Company of Middlebury; and Amandine in Amélie and Flora in The Enchanted Pig with Crane Opera Ensemble. She also performed as The Sister, The Duchess, and The Queen of Hearts in the premiere of Alice, The Opera at Red River Lyric Opera. Her previous production credits include supertitle creator/operator for Crane Opera Ensemble’s production of Mahagonny Songspiel/The Medium and co-coordinator of Crane Opera Club’s annual LoKo Festival Gala. She has previously worked with Fort Salem as assistant stage manager for Agnes of God and wig assistant/lightboard operator for Into the Woods, and she is thrilled to now be making her stage debut at Fort Salem!

KATIE NANA, GLAMOROUS DOLL, ENSEMBLE

SHE/HER | Kim Crossway is an actress from Schenectady, NY who recently graduated summa cum laude from SUNY Purchase with a BA in Theatre and Performance with a concentration in acting. She has done many shows in the Capital District and at college, including Fort Salem’s production of The Pirates of Penzance (Daughter/Police) last summer. Kim also works as a Princess Performer for Hill City Ice Queen Princess Parties, bringing joy to children and children at heart all over Central NY, the Capital Region, and more! Select Purchase credits include: her capstone project — The Haunting of Campbell House (Tess), Ride the Cyclone (Jane Doe), and The Attic (Samurai/Anchorman). She has also filled many tech-related roles in other shows on campus, such as co-producer and set designer (The Haunting of Campbell House) and stage manager (She Kills Monsters). Other Capital Region credits include: Xanadu (Thalia) and Clue (Mrs. Peacock). She hopes the audience has a jolly holiday with us!

QUEEN CHARLOTTE, ENSEMBLE

SHE/HER | Lily is an upcoming freshman at Westfield State University where she will be majoring in Secondary Education Mathematics. Her senior year, she was her chorus section leader for the sopranos, participated in the acapella group, and received the National Choral Award for her participation. She started dancing at the age of three and has now been consistently dancing for 16 years! She has been trained in ballet, jazz, modern, and contemporary styles. She has performed in many productions of The Nutcracker as an angel and a soldier. Lily has appeared in Mamma Mia! (Ensemble), Henry V (Williams), Fiddler on the Roof (Tzeitel/Dance Captain), Pirates of Penzance (Daughter), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Chanterelle Fairy/Choreographer), Shakespeare in Love (Tilney), and Once Upon A Mattress (Lady Rowena/Sliding Peter Jingle/Dance Captain). When she’s not on the stage, she’s usually busy studying, crocheting, or working on her ceramic artwork.

MRS. BRILL

SHE/HER | Mary Jo Greco is a retired college president who made her community theater debut in 2019. Most recently, Mary Jo appeared in Dorset Player’s 9 to 5 (Detective/Ensemble), Kiss Me Kate (Ralph/Pops) and Little Women (Hannah). She also performed in Bennington Theater’s It’s a Wonderful Life – a Radio Play (Foley girl) and Hubbard Hall’s Grant’s Ghost (Julia Dent Grant) She has appeared locally in One Act Festivals at Bennington Theater and the Dorset Theater in Vermont. She has also performed in several musical reviews at Bennington Theater and at the Wilburton Inn in Manchester VT.

Mary Jo loves being onstage, but has also enjoyed working as producer, stage manager, crew, ensemble, house manager and usher for various local productions. Mary Jo is a Board member for the Bennington Theater in Bennington VT. Mary Jo is thrilled that this is her first appearance at Fort Salem Theater.

MS. ANDREW

SHE/HER | Maureen (Moe) Cossey is a local theater professional, musician and actor. She attended the Crane School of Music and SUNY Albany, majoring in Vocal Performance. For the past several years, she has been the resident Stage Manager at Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education in Cambridge, NY.

Fort Salem Theater credits include Little Shop of Horrors (Voice of Audrey II), Bright Star (Mama Murphy), Pirates of Penzance (Edith), There’s No Business Like Snow Business (Featured Performer), Pride and Prejudice and Steel Magnolias (Stage Manager)

Other recent stage roles include Mother Abbess (cover) in The Sound of Music (HMT), and Sister Margaretta in The Sound of Music (MACC). When not on stage, Moe also serves as lighting/sound designer/stage manager for various local theaters. Some recent favorites include Fiddler on the Roof (MACC, Stage Manager) and Ragtime (Sand Lake Center for the Arts, Lighting Designer). All the best to all those who support live and local theater!

ENSEMBLE

SHE/HER | Naomi currently attends the Long Trail School, and will graduate with the class of 2025. She is an IB theatre student, and has primarily been involved in school performances throughout her four years in Vermont, and five years in Burkina Faso. Naomi has appeared in Seussical Jr. (Mayzie La Bird), The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy), The Listen Up VT Musical (Ensemble), The Night Witches (Nina), A Chorus Line (Diana - Best Actress In A Leading Role), The Girls In the Boat (Girl 7 - Outstanding Actress), and Little Women the Musical (Beth), among others. She has performed with the International School of Ouagadougou Theatre, YOH Theatre Players, Kingdom County Productions, and Long Trail School Theatre. Naomi has participated in the One Act Festival for two years, both of which her group successfully made it to the New Englands level.

ANNIE CORRIE, DOLL, YOUTH ENSEMBLE

SHE/HER | Natalie will be entering fourth grade at Salem Central School. Natalie has a love for the theatrical arts, whether it’s acting, singing or dancing. Natalie feels at home on the stage. She also enjoys playing the piano and baking. She was in Salem Central School’s production of The Sound of Music (Marta), and Fort Salem Theater’s production of Midsummer Night’s Dream (Peaseblossom). She also dances in the Fort Salem Studio jazz/hip hop dance class. Natalie hopes to be a famous performer one day.

FANNIE CORRIE/DOLL/YOUTH ENSEMBLE

SHE/HER | Scarlett is a freshman at Cambridge Central School. She has appeared in her school's drama club production of The Addams Family (Ensemble/Grandmother understudy) and she was also in s.p.a.r/ the play that goes wrong (Maria 2/Annie understudy).

MRS. SMYTHE, ENSEMBLE

Tara (Tar-rah) graduated from the University of New Hampshire many years ago with a minor in Theater and degree in English. Shortly after college, she hosted two local television shows and appeared in many local commercials before finding her passion in corporate communications. Tara turned her love for the stage into a career helping businesses and professionals communicate with passion, excitement and clarity. Notable stage performances include Picnic (Millie) and Charlotte’s Web (Avery).

ADMIRAL BOOM, BANK CHAIRMAN

Warren is an actor and playwright. Locally, he has appeared in The Diary of Anne Frank (Mr. Dussel) at Fort Salem Theatre. He also appeared in The Christmas Carol (Scrooge) at Home Made Theater and in The Christmas Carol Experience (Marley). He appeared in Eleanor! (Elliot Roosevelt) at the Salem Courthouse and The Strand. He was also in Home Made Theater’s A Christmas Story (The Cowboy). He has appeared in many Off-Off Broadway plays, including Cymbeline (Cymbeline), Titus Andronicus (Marcus Andronicus), Macbeth (The Bloody Sargent), Beyond the Horizon (James Mayo), The Importance of Being Earnest (Rev. Chausible), and The Learned Ladies (Chrysale). He was slated to perform as Camillo in The Winter’s Tale, but broke his leg on his way to dress rehearsal. So, please don’t tell him to break a leg; he has already done that. He directed his play, Grant’s Ghost, in a run at Hubbard Hall in 2022. Prior to that, he directed his play, For Farm and Family, at the Little Theater on the Farm. He has had a number of his plays, both long and short, performed in Off-Off Broadway theaters. These included Who Put the Ex in Xmas, Burying Aquarius, Brooklyn Does Not Want You, Over My Dead Booty, Girl Hates Cabs, and The Least Worst Thing. His latest play, The Memoir, was developed through readings at Naked Angels in NYC and Playwright’s Jam at Caffe Lena. He was also the recipient of a James Beard Journalism Award.

ENSEMBLE

SHE/HER | Heidi (she/her) is a fourth generation Cambridge kid and afterward attended Adirondack Community College on a full scholarship to study fine art, humanities and social sciences, graduating summa cum laude. Upon completion of her Associate’s, she worked in animal rescue, in preschools, and in private gardening and housecleaning positions. After becoming a mother, she returned to U Albany to finish her Bachelor’s in Art and was influenced by special education to work toward a Master’s in Education. For seven years, she has happily substituted in area schools. As a full-time graduate student, Heidi spends most of her time reading, writing, and spending time with her family of humans, a domestic shorthair, and a black Labrador retriever. This is her first stage performance.

ENSEMBLE

Zurie graduated from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) with a BA in Performing Arts, majoring in Theatre and minoring in Music Production. Currently living in Pittsfield, MA, Zurie aims to continue performing in vibrant theatre spaces and making original music. Previous roles include Release (Zurie), What the Constitution Means To Me (Debater), Urinetown (Little Sally), The Tempest (Ariel), Intimate Apparel (Esther Mills) and Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play (Gibson, Scratchy). Prior to attending MCLA, Zurie earned an Associate's degree in Fine Art, Design and Cultural Communication at St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College. In addition to acting, Zurie enjoys making digital art, filmmaking and learning different languages.

YOUTH ENSEMBLE

SHE/HER | Narissa is thrilled for her first performance with Fort Salem Theater! Her recent appearances include The Wizard of Oz (Doorman), The Masterpiece (Maria), and Emma! A Pop Musical (Welcoming Committee Girl). She’d like to thank everyone at Fort Salem for this opportunity, her parents, and all of her music and acting teachers. Have a Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious time!

BIRD WOMAN/ENSEMBLE

Kathi is thrilled to be making her Fort Salem debut as the Bird Woman! A graduate of Crane School of Music, previous credits include Bells Are Ringing (Gwen), It Shoulda Been You (Hotel Staffer/Ensemble), Trouble in Tahiti (Dinah), La Boheme (Mimi) and South Pacific (Bloody Mary). Kathi is grateful to the production team for welcoming her so warmly and giving her another opportunity to perform with her daughter Molly. Love and thanks as always to Tom and the girls for all their love, support and patience! “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”

MRS. CORRY, DOLL, ENSEMBLE

SHE/THEY | Jackie has been acting for about ten years in Massachusetts, Vermont, and upstate New York. Her previous shows include Clue (Mrs. White), The Little Mermaid (Ursula), The Cake (Macy), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hippolyta), and Sister Act (Deloris), with their most recent show before Mary Poppins being an original musical produced by the White River Valley Players titled Rochester Light and Power. Jackie gives her thanks to this fun, welcoming community and looks forward to future shows together!

NELEUS, DOLL, ENSEMBLE

HE/HIM | Liam is home schooled and started dancing at the age of three. He is classically trained in ballet, along with tap, jazz, and modern. Liam has performed with the Albany Berkshire Ballet for their Nutcracker holiday tours (Fritz). Liam then discovered musicals and added that to his love of the stage. Liam has appeared in Orange Star Smasharoo (Lil'Corky), The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Charlie), Pippin (Theo/Ensemble), Mamma Mia! (Ensemble), Chicago (Amos/Ensemble), Legally Blonde (Kyle/Ensemble), Footloose (Uncle Wes/Ensemble), The Sound Of Music (Herr Zeller/Ensemble), Gypsy (Farmboy/Angie). He made his FST debut in Footloose (Ensemble), then returned for The Pirates of Penzance (Pirate/Police), The Rocky Horror Show (Phantom/Rehearsal Brad), and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Francis Flute). When not on the stage, Liam is a self-taught yoyo trick master.

MRS. LARK, ENSEMBLE

SHE/HER | Molly Waters is an upstate NY actor and stage combatant specializing in Shakespeare’s work. Thrilled to be sharing the stage with her mother once again, Molly has previously appeared on Fort Salem Theater’s stage in Rocky Horror (Phantom) and Beethoven: Live in Concert (Ensemble/Wench). Favorite local credits include Berlls Are Ringing (Ella), Seminar (Izzy), and 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Rona). Local professional credits include Othello (Desdemona), Twelfth Night (Viola), and The Little Foxes (Zan). Molly has also been seen throughout the Capital Region choreographing fights for various theaters in the area. She would also like to thank her family, friends, and James for everything always.

VALENTINE, ENSEMBLE

SHE/THEY | Vanessa is very excited to play the role of Valentine in this production of Mary Poppins! This will be her second production with Fort Salem Theater, her first appearing as one of The Mechanicals in Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream" in November of last year. She has been acting since the age of 7, with some standout productions including Brigadoon (Mrs. Lundie), Poseidon (Trojan Women), Our Town (Prof. Willard), and Almost Maine (Phil). She has also worked with Saratoga's Ad Astra Theatre Troupe and Drama Kids International as well as appearing in commercials for the Malta Drive-In movie theater.

YOUTH ENSEMBLE

Vera Clary is entering 4th Grade at Salem Central Elementary School. She appeared in Fort Salem Theater's production of A Midsummer's Night Dream (Mustardseed) in 2023 and in Salem Central High School’s production of The Sound of Music (Ensemble) in 2021. She has also performed with her Irish Step Dance and Ballet Classes.