 Tripp Morris (Jeremy Potts) | |
 Hayleigh Hainline (Jemima Potts) | is making her theatrical debut in this production. She is 9 years old and going into 4th grade at Holly Harshman. Hayleigh is great at cartwheels and loves dancing, singing, softball and swimming. |
 Kayden Decker (Caractacus Potts) | is 15 years old and in 9th grade at Acorn High School. He last appeared onstage as Ziggy in Nifty Fifties at Acorn High School. Kayden plays the alto saxophone and enjoys video games, band, and choir. He would love to be in a movie or Broadway show someday. |
 Ashton Loyd (Mr. Coggins/Sid) | is in 9th grade at Mena High School. Previous appearances onstage include Brom Van Brunt in Sleepy Hollow and Brutus in Julius Caesar. Ashton plays the trombone and martial arts and is involved with BJJ and MMA. He plans on being a college professor in music and a marching coordinator. |
 Taz Haggard (Junkman) | has appeared on our stage numerous times, the most recent having been appearances in One Wife Too Many (Max Malone), The Last Lifeboat, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Romeo & Juliet (Juliet). Credits also include Little Shop of Horrors (Ronnette), The Gift of the Magi (Della), and a hilarious turn as Mrs. Dilber in The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge. They have been active in theatre at Acorn High School and have also worked on lighting operation and stage crew for various OLT productions. Taz enjoys doing art and theatre and plans to career in one of these fields. |
 Madelynn Auer (Truly Scrumptious) | |
 Shawn Posey (Grandpa) | is 15 years old and in 10th grade at Acorn High School. He has previously appeared onstage in Nifty 50s and Totally Awesome 80s at Acorn High School. Shawn enjoys hanging out with friends, playing video games, reading. |
 Charlee Fortner (Miss Phillips) | is in 10th grade at Cossatot River High School and President of the Cossatot Sci-Fi Club. She also enjoys boxing, cheerleading, and reading. This is her first onstage appearance! Charlee loves drawing, riding horses, fashion, baking and decorating and hopes to one day settle down with a stable and enjoyable job. |
 Oscar Garcia (Lord Scrumptious) | is 12 years old and in 7th grade at Acorn High School. This is his acting debut! He plays the Baritone Bass Clef in band and plans on joining the Marine Corps. |
 Andrew Schnell (Baron) | is a recent graduate of Mena High School. He appeared onstage at OLT last year in The Little Mermaid (Scuttle) and as Gregory/Friar John in Romeo & Juliet. His Mena High School credits include White Christmas (Bob) and Newsies. An avid guitar and clarinet, piano player and drummer, Andrew enjoys theatre, marching band, and concert band. He is an ingoing freshman at SAU, where he plans on mastering in Music Education. |
 Noah Holman (Baroness) | is a recent graduate of Mena High School. Previous onstage credits include last summer’s Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Jetsam), Mena High School’s productions of White Christmas (Martha), The Addams Family (Alice), Governing Alice (Alice), and Newsies (Specs.) Noah loves musical theatre, art and painting and painted the set for Newsies at Mena High School. |
 Isabel Weiler (Boris) | is 16 years old and in 11th grade. She moved to Mena in October 2023 from Ridgecrest, California. You will remember her recent hilarious performances as Aquata in The Little Mermaid and Angel in One Wife Too Many. Before that, she made her OLT debut in Romeo & Juliet (Apothecary.) She has been active in theatre class and choir at Mena High School and is a Spotlight Singer. Isabel’s favorite things are the color green, cherry blossoms, and Legos. |
 Abree Hankammer (Goran) | is 13 years old and in the 7th grade at Mena Middle School. She loves to play piano and violin and crochet. Abree plans to become an engineer or a chemist. |
 Gracie Baker (Fair Announcer) | is 11 years old and going into 6th grade. Her past stage experience includes Elf Jr., The Miracle Worker, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!, and A Seussified Christmas Carol. Most recently, she played Wayward the Seahorse in The Little Mermaid, Simone LaRoche in The Last Lifeboat, and Angel in One Wife Too Many. She’s worked on hair and makeup for The Last Lifeboat, Arsenic & Old Lace, and One Wife Too Many. Gracie loves playing basketball, gymnastics, dancing, singing, acting, makeup, and hanging out with her friends. |
 Tempy Bell (Ensemble) | is 15 years old and in 9th grade. She made her OLT debut last fall as Dr. Grenfell and Angela’s Mother in The Last Lifeboat. Tempy loves painting, sewing, crochet, weaving, doing puzzles, miscellaneous arts and crafts, video games, and tending to plants and animals. She would love to have a seasonal acting job at a theme park and volunteer at the local animal shelter. |
 Amelia Espinola (Turkey Farmer) | is 13 years old and in the 8th grade at Cossatot River. This is her stage debut! She plays clarinet and enjoys reading, writing, and weaving bracelets. Amelia’s future goal is to become a fantasy author. |
 Xaine Morris (Ensemble) | |
 Evie Norris (Child Catcher) | has been involved in the theatre for several years years, though her mom and dad have been involved in many productions. She appeared onstage at OLT in Matilda and as Evelyn in Silas Marner. Her hobbies include singing, baking, and reading books. She is currently in the 7th grade. |
 Aaron Burt (Toby) | is 10 years old. He is homeschooled and is going into the 5th grade. Aaron loves to play with his pet rats. He also enjoys running, playing soccer, and reading. He also enjoys being outside and swimming. His favorite food is chicken alfredo. He wants to be a marine biologist someday. Aaron has been in several OLT productions including The Last Lifeboat as Young Ismay/George, The Little Mermaid as Sea Creature 3, Matilda as Tommy, and It’s A Wonderful Life as Tommy. He was also in Newsies at the Mena High School as Les. |
 Athena Howard (Marta) | is 8 years old and in 2nd grade. She is active in cheerleading, has performed in pageants since she was 3 months old, and gymnastics and ballet since age 2. This is her second play! You may remember her debut on our stage as Flounder in Disney’s The Little Mermaid last summer, for which she received the 2025 Most Impressive New Talent (Youth) Benson Award! Athena is Native American Half Blood from the Cali Cahto & Whylaci tribe. She wants to be a singer and dancer and play volleyball one day. She loves swimming, camping, gymnastics, being with family & friends, dancing, and singing. Athena likes a busy schedule and is always going. |
 Olive McPherson (Greta) | debuted in 2022 as an extra in The Crossing’s The Grinch production, and most recently appeared as Paris’s Page in Romeo & Juliet, for which she received a Benson nomination for Best Child Actress in a musical. She appeared as Little Sea Creature #1 in last summer’s Disney’s The Little Mermaid. She loves playing in the theatre and at home with her silly sisters, Nova and Judy. Olive also enjoys drawing realistic pictures and chilling out with her family. |
 Kaden Baker (Ensemble) | Kaden Baker is 3 years old and this is his first time on the OLT Stage. He loves singing, especially the Alphabet Song, but he will ask you to be quiet if you try to sing along. His Sissy (Gracie) is his best friend and he loves ketchup and French fries. |
 Joanna Gilbert (Ensemble) | (Jojo) is so excited for her OLT debut as a puppy in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Jr. She is 2 years old, and her favorite hobbies include spending time in nature and swimming. She loves making people laugh and spreading joy through dancing and singing. She hopes you have fun watching this musical! |
 Tia Hartman (Ensemble) | turns 14 on Opening Night! She is in the 9th grade at Acorn High School, where she has played Evelyn in The Nifty Fifties. Tia sings and plays percussion and enjoys baking, drawing, and crocheting. She aspires to one day own her own bakery. |
 Bloom Howard (Ensemble) | is making her stage debut at just 2 years old! Her job is to be the cutest little princess baby! Bloom loves to dance. |
 Chandler Howard (Ensemble) | is a kindergartener at Louise Durham. He is very creative and loves to build things with legos and erector sets. Chandler loves his baby sister! |
 Amelia Hendrix (Ensemble) | is the daughter of Jason and Renee Hendrix. She is 7 years old and in first grade. Amelia recently won the title of 2024 Junior Miss Hatfield Jubilee Queen. She last appeared onstage in Disney’s The Little Mermaid as a Little Sea Creature and The Crossing’s The Grinch. Amelia loves gymnastics, ballet, spending time with family, and loves Jesus with all her heart. |
 Daisy McDonald (Ensemble) | is 12 years old and loves being homeschooled along with her sisters. This will be her performance debut. She is a talented artist in many different mediums. She also enjoys animals of every kind, dancing, riding her bicycle, and baking. Whatever she ends up doing in the future, it will involve animals somehow. |
Holly McDonald (Ensemble) | is 9 years old and homeschooled. This is her performance debut! Holly is an artist who loves swimming, playing with legos, cats, and riding her bicycle. |
 Lily McDonald (Ensemble) | is a 15 year old homeschooler. This will be her first performance. She is a talented watercolor artist and violinist. When she is not painting, she enjoys reading, dancing, crafting, sewing, and spending time with her cat, Putty-Tat. When she is older, she would like to either work at a daycare or senior center. |
 Charli McPherson (Ensemble) | is 6 years old and in 1st grade at Louise Durham. This is her stage debut! Charli enjoys singing and dancing, art, coloring, and playing with babies and her brother. When she grows up, she would love to be a vet. |
 Ezra James McPherson (Ensemble) | is making his performance debut at 1 year old! He loves singing, dancing, and acting: he’s the youngest triple threat in the west. Ezra’s hobbies include following people, pilfering, putting on and taking off shoes, and baths. All goals are subconscious for now. |
 Judy McPherson (Ensemble) | is 3 years old and in Pre-K at Louise Durham. She had a bit part in The Crossing’s Grinch in 2022 as an 11-month old. Judy loves singing and dancing, legos, painting, and going to museums. Judy hopes to be able to eat doughnuts when she’s older. |
 Nova McPherson (Ensemble) | is 6 years old and going into first grade. She made her stage debut last summer as Little Sea Creature #2 in Disney’s The Little Mermaid! She loves playing at the splash pad, playing Barbies with her sisters, and jumping on the trampoline with Granny and Pappy. Nova knows the full American Flag pledge. |
| Katie Norris (Ensemble/Hair & Makeup) | This is Katie’s third production, having previously appeared in Matilda The Musical and Silas Marner (Young Eppie.) Although small in stature, she brings a large presence to the stage. She is currently in the fourth grade. |
| Jasmine Parker (Ensemble) | |
| Raeden Parker (Ensemble) | is 10 years old and in 5th grade at Holly Harshman. This is her stage debut! Raeden enjoys drawing characters and eyes and playing with animals and plans on being an artist when she grows up. |
| Finnegan Ramsey (Ensemble) | is 5 years old, and this is his first production! He loves dancing, playing Subnautica and video games. He wants to be a chef when he grows up. |
Jameson Ramsey (Ensemble) | is 4 years old, and this is his first production, just like his brother! His talents are acting like a dinosaur and drawing. He loves learning about all dinosaurs and collecting dino toys. When he grows up, he wants to be a pipefitter. |
 Liberty Webb (Ensemble) | Liberty Webb is 9 years old and in the 4th grade at Acorn Elementary School. This is her first time on the OLT Stage. She enjoys dancing, doing the splits, and making up Christian songs with different beats. She also likes to hunt and fish. She wants to be a wildlife vet when she grows up. |
 Justice Webb (Ensemble) | Justice Webb is 8 years old and in the 2nd grade at Acorn Elementary School. She made her OLT Stage debut in “Elf Jr., The Musical when she was 5 months old and her daddy played the mall Santa. She likes to do crafts and ballet. She wants to be a ballet teacher someday. |
 Gini Burt (Director) | is a mom of five, stepmother to three and grandmother to eight, and is married to Robby Burt. She has been involved at the OLT for about thirteen years. She has a BA in Theatre from Northeastern State in Talequah, OK. Some of her OLT productions include: co-directing A Midsummer Night’s Dream, choreography for several shows and various roles in Matilda, Little Women, Annie, Godspell, Oliver! and Lost In Yonkers. She most recently appeared as Florence in The Last Lifeboat, for which she was awarded a 2025 Benson Award.In addition to theatre she enjoys playing the violin and spending time with her family. |
 Amanda Baker (Musical Director) | and her husband Dewayne live in Mena. They have 9 children, with 2 still living at home (ages 11 and 4,) as well as 13 grandchildren. Amanda has been onstage in many OLT productions, including Oliver! (Widow Corney), Southern Hospitality (Frankie), Godspell, Little Women (Aunt March), Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Grimsby), The Last Lifeboat (Vivian), and most recently, One Wife Too Many (Mitzi Mason.) She’s also directed numerous times at the OLT, including You Can’t Take It With You and Arsenic and Old Lace. This is her musical direction credit with OLT, the first having been Elf, Jr. She is the recipient of numerous Benson Awards for all of the above! |
 Ezekiel McPherson (Choreographer) | Ezekiel enjoys all kinds of narrative storytelling; movies, video games, oration, and drama are his favorites. He’s been involved in various theater ventures since 2009 when he debuted in Lost in Yonkers. His most recent OLT credits include The Fantasticks (Bellomy), Romeo & Juliet (Codirector, Choreographer, Benvolio.) He most recently choreographed last summer’s Disney’s The Little Mermaid, for which he was awarded a 2025 Benson Award. He enjoys directing and acting as well as writing and editing. Ezekiel is father to four beautiful children and husband to a wonderful wife, Samantha. Ezekiel believes that local theater connects people across generations and diverse life experiences and offers the opportunity for richer relationships and lasting love for the community of Mena. |
 Kallie Howard (Associate Director) | was born and raised in Mena. Her recent OLT appearances include One Wife Too Many (Velvet), The Little Mermaid (Andrina) and Romeo & Juliet (Lady Montague.) She was hair & makeup artist for One Wife Too Many and The Last Lifeboat and Associate Directed Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some More!) At 14, she played the Toy Fairy in the JOLT production of The Velveteen Rabbit, and she was a runway model in Dallas throughout her teens. In her early twenties, she loved singing and songwriting. She is married to Bradley Howard and is a full-time mother to her three children. She works for ICES, a company that places exchange students in Mena and surrounding areas for academic and cultural exchange. She also loves collecting, gardening, and DIY projects. Kallie got back into acting as a way to connect to herself and have something that is just hers. |
 Bailey Benner (Assistant Musical Director) | has been in many productions throughout her life including You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Willie Wonka, Big (Cynthia Benson), Matilda, and Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Atina/Chef Louis) at OLT and White Christmas (Betty), The Addams Family (Morticia Addams), and Newsies at Mena High School. |
 Mikayla Barber (Stage Manager) | This is her Mikayla’s 14th production with the OLT, having previously served as Stage Manager for many OLT productions. She has also run spotlight for Big and was on stage crew for Matilda and Monty Python’s Edukational Show. Mikayla’s hobbies include painting, reading, soap making and work!? |
 Ladonna Barber (Assistant Stage Manager) | is from Mena. She has been part of various productions at both Mena High School and OLT. Her favorite things to do are binging Netflix and eating snacks. |
Sharon Bollmeyer (Costume Design) | is a mother of five and grandmother of three who moved to Mena in 1994 and first became involved with OLT in the early 2000’s, when she helped with costumes in The Wizard of Oz. She was The Statue of Liberty in Annie Get Your Gun years ago, and since returning to OLT in 2024, she has been costume designer for The Last Lifeboat –where she also appeared as Mrs. Ryerson– Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some More!), and One Wife Too Many (in which she also played Phoebe.) Sharon loves to sew and create pageant costumes for her granddaughter, Athena. She used to sing in church and has been writing poetry and songs since she was in high school. |
 Jered Biard (Set Design) | has been involved with OLT for several years in everything from programs to IT work to directing (Monty Python’s Edukational Show, Clue, Every Christmas Story Ever Told, One Wife Too Many) and more over the past two years. He has appeared on our stage as Paul Sycamore in You Can’t Take It With You, Judge Stanchfield R. Pearson in The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge, and, most recently, Thomas Ismay, Officer Murdoch, and Senator Smith in The Last Lifeboat. He is the genius (our words, not his) behind our Audrey II puppets and set in Little Shop of Horrors, and, more recently, the 8-room mansion in Clue, and the Brewster home in Arsenic & Old Lace, Verona in Romeo & Juliet, and the ship and lifeboat in The Last Lifeboat. In November 2024, he became our current OLT president. |
 Robby Burt (Lighting Design) | is currently a board member of the OLT and an instructor of humanities at UARM. Past shows that Robby has directed at the OLT include: A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Foreigner. At UARM he has staged Noodle Doodle Box, Wiley and the Hairy Man, The Fisherman and his Wife, Hansel and Gretel, The Bully Show, The Good Doctor, The Nina Variations, The Zoo Story, and Furry Tails. Robby is the lighting genius (our words, not his) behind countless OLT productions, most recently Romeo & Juliet, Arsenic & Old Lace, Little Shop of Horrors, The Fantasticks, and Disney’s The Little Mermaid to name a few. Both Robby and his wife Gini are theatre majors and acted in and directed numerous shows over the past years. They have a total of eight children scattered across the region. |
Don Buttermilk (Sound Design) | has worked with OLT on sound design for nearly a decade. He consistently makes sure that we have working body mics and area mics and all the equipment that we need. |
Becky Norris (Hair & Makeup) | moved to Mena from New Hampshire 25 years ago and began appearing in OLT productions when she was a teenager. She has been involved both onstage and behind the scenes with numerous OLT plays and has a BFA in Theatre from the University of Central Arkansas. (If you saw 2017’s Hamlet and the 2024’s Romeo & Juliet, you will remember her fight choreography, as well as her performance as The Nurse!) Becky loves knitting and crochet, baking, and singing and is currently studying to be a veterinary technician. “Lots of wonderful dogs and cats are waiting for a home at Humane Society of the Ouachitas.” |
Linda G. Johnson (Property Master) | was last seen as Abby Brewster in Arsenic & Old Lace. She has also played Mrs. Cratchit in The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge, Henrietta in The Fantasticks, and Gay Wellington in You Can’t Take It With You. She is the properties manager for OLT. She is a constant fixture around here and is regularly involved with productions as an actress and as prop master and set decorator. She is known to many as Grandma Linda, she carries the title proudly! |
Nataly Garcia (Lightboard Operator) | is going into the 10th grade at Acorn High School. She plays the flute in the band and judges for the FFA. She loves to train dogs, crochet and sew, and hang out with her friends. |
 Lexie Payne (Sound Design/Sound Operator) | is 22 years old and has a lengthy history with the OLT and the MHS Theatre. Her favorites include Little Women, Little Shop of Horrors, and Monty Python’s Edukational Show. When she isn’t working or working on a production, she enjoys reading, sleeping, and music. She hopes everyone enjoys the show! |
Robby Burt (Stage Crew) | is 15 years old and has run spotlight for Little Shop of Horrors, The Fantasticks, and Disney’s The Little Mermaid. He has appeared onstage in a handful of productions, including playing Matilda and Mary Poppins (Michael Banks.) |
 Susan Raby (Set & Sign Painting & Artwork) | has worked her magic on OLT shows for the last several years. She always enjoyed art, painting, water coloring, drawing, calligraphy, pen and ink, colored pencils, and has always wanted to have the experience of helping with theatre background sets since seeing the wonderful work of others in musicals, ballets, and plays. |
Jim Brace (Sign Painting) | is a widely collected artist living and working in Polk County. His interests include painting, music, and steel sculpture. You can see some of Jim’s work across the street at American Artisans. |