Victoria Bestor

Victoria is playing Christopher Wren. She is also the lighting designer for this production. 

Kam Bradley

Kam is a freshman at Avila University. She is very honored to be cast in her first year and had a great time with castmates during rehearsals. This is Kam’s 8th play since elementary school. She would like to thank “Mom and Dad for being there during the hardest times of my life.”

Patrick Burgess-Clark

Patrick is a Junior transferring from Cowley Community College. This is his first production with Avila. He has previously worked on Young Frankenstein, Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, and Seussical. He would like to thank his parents who have continuously supported him and you for supporting local theatre.

Micah Cheek

Micah is a junior Acting and Tech/Design major. The Mousetrap will be Micah’s 8th show at Avila. He plays Major Metcalf. He loves the atmosphere of rehearsal and the creativity of his peers. He would like to thank his mother, friends, and lastly, and definitely not least, his lovely Jocelyn for supporting him through this process.

Gaby Dawn

Gaby is in her final semester! The Mousetrap is her 17th show, and her final performance on Goppert as a student. Audiences have seen her in Eurydice, CLUE, Intimate Apparel, and many others. She will be on stage as Mollie Ralston and is also the Props Designer. This was her first design and her senior project, so Mollie means the world to her. She is eternally grateful for her time at Avila and all of the growth and opportunities she has gained, along with a lifetime of connections, friends, and a new family. She thanks Todd for this extraordinary role and show, which she has loved working on.

Emerson Franco

Emerson is a freshman at Avila University, majoring in Acting to pursue a career in voice acting. He attended Parkhill South High School and participated in three musicals starting his sophomore year, two of which ended up winning Best Overall Production

Lauren Grimes

Lauren is a sophomore Acting major. She will be playing Miss Casewell. Lauren thanks Matt, John, and Todd for the wonderful opportunity, as well as her family, friends, and boyfriend for their constant support. She hopes you enjoy this lovely show!

Angel Hernadez

Angel is a Junior. During The Mousetrap, she is working the box office tickets, sound designing, and working on some other crews. She is excited to work in the sound world of theatre and for her role in the props department in the next show.

Kendall Hobgood

Kendall is a sophomore at Avila University. She’s a Theatre major with a focus on Acting. For The Mousetrap, Kendall is the understudy for Christopher Wren, as well as the assistant lighting designer and a member of the costume crew. The Mousetrap is her 5th show at Avila University. She thanks the cast, crew, designers, director, professors, and friends for making this production happen.

Nathan Hummell

Nathan is a junior at Avila. He is an Acting major and has been acting since 7th grade. He plays Detective Sergeant Trotter in The Mousetrap. He would like to thank his friends and family for all the support over the years. He hopes you enjoy the show! 

Lizzie King-Hall (Dialect Coach)

Lizzie is delighted to be teaching in her second year with Avila’s School of Performing Arts. She graduated from Colorado College and holds an MFA from Brown University.

Todd Lanker (Director)

Todd Lanker has served as Associate Producer and Director at New Theatre & Restaurant since 2021. Prior to that, he was Artistic Director for Shakespeare in the Shed and Forge Repertory Theatre, Executive Producer and head writer for Just Deserts Films, and Associate Artistic Director for Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre. Favorite directing credits include THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG, ROMEO:JULIET, THE SECRET IN THE WINGS, WHITE SANGRIA, THE REAL THING, MACBETH VARIETY HOUR, and THE CHERRY ORCHARD, among others. Locally, Todd has been seen onstage at Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, Kansas City Actors Theatre, The Unicorn, The Coterie, KC Rep, American Heartland, the Living Room, and the MET. Todd received a Masters in Acting and Directing from UMKC and has trained at the Michael Howard Studio NYC, the Actor’s Gang Theatre LA, and WORKOUT at Wheaton College. His work, onstage and off, has been guided by a passion for reinvesting in known stories to uncover and rediscover the human truth obscured by familiarity.  

Coltyn Ledbetter

Coltyn is a sophomore Directing and Producing major. They are Assistant Stage Manager for The Mousetrap, as well as a member of the Electrics Crew. Previously, Coltyn has played Mayor Meekly in Unnecessary Farce, Dromio of Syracuse in Comedy of Errors, and Carl Dad in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Maria Leon Mantei

Maria is a sophomore Theatre Technology major. She has been working in theatre tech since high school and recently did props for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Outside of the theatre, she is a big fan of Pokémon and cute rubber duckies.

Mariah Masterson

Mariah is in her 3rd season with Avila Theatre and is the understudy for Mollie Ralston. She is also on costume crew and front-of-house crew. She would like to thank the whole cast and director Todd for being so sweet, collaborative, and communicative. It has made this process one of the most fun of her career so far.

Alejandro Lopez

Alejandro is a recent transfer from the University of Minnesota and is extremely excited to be a part of his first production at Avila. He would like to thank his new cohort for being so kind and welcoming.

Will Oliver

Will is honored to take his first steps onto the Goppert Theatre stage in his debut performance in The Mousetrap as Giles Ralston. Will has been an avid member of the performing arts community in Kansas City for over a decade. He has been in countless productions throughout his primary schooling career and has appeared in productions through Shawnee Mission’s Theatre in the Park and The Barn Players. He is thrilled to take his next big leap and study theatre at the collegiate level. Will is a scholarship student on track to receive a BFA with a focus on Acting. He thanks Matt Schwader for giving him this opportunity, director Todd Lanker for the chance to work on this production, and his family and dear friends for their love and encouragement every step of the way.

Shannon Smith-Regnier (Costume Designer)

Shannon Smith-Regnier is a Kansas City based costume Designer. She received her MFA in Costume Design from Ohio University as well as her BFA from Wichita State University.  Design credits include: MTH, Music Theater of Wichita, Barn Theater, Shawnee Mission Theatre in the Park, Kansas City Regional Theatre, KCAT, Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre, Spinning Tree Theater, Quality Hill, and the American Heartland Theater. She has also guest designed at Kansas University and Wichita State University. She has also worked in the costume shops of Music Theater of Wichita and Glimmerglass Opera. In 2011, she received the Zelma Weisfeld award from USITT for her costume designs. 

Desirae Rodriguez

Desirae is a transfer BFA (Musical Theatre emphasis) major. She graduated from Hesston College and was in productions like Little Shop of Horrors, Steel Magnolias, and Urinetown. She is very excited to start her theatre journey at Avila.

John Rohr (Scenic Design/Technical Director)

Stoddard Zac

Zac is a transfer student new to Avila this spring and is excited for his debut on the Goppert stage. In the past, he has played Schroeder in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown! and Robert in Proof. He has also stage-managed Ride the Cyclone and costume-designed for Sight Unseen and Waiting for Godot. His calling, however, is directing, with his debut being KCKCC’s production of Private Lives. He hopes you enjoy the show and “have a wonderful evening.”

Richie Tatlor

Richie is a freshman majoring in Theatre Design and Technology. She focuses on costumes, hair, and makeup but wants to learn all parts of tech. She is also passionate about drawing and making sculptures. She would like to thank her sister for her constant support

Travon Thurman

Travon is a 2nd-year transfer BFA Theatre major with a concentration in Musical Theatre. This is his first show at Avila, his third show in college, and his 11th overall in his theatre career. He has the opportunity to understudy under two great performers. He is excited to be a part of this cast and for the audience to experience this amazing show.

Alex Valdez

Alex is a senior Film and Digital Media major with a Theatre minor. He is the Stage Manager and Assistant Paint Charge for The Mousetrap. This is his 12th show at Avila, with three more to go. His recent work includes Stage Manager for Thoughts of a Colored Man at The Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City and Lighting Designer for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Avila University. He is grateful to his ASM and all the understudies/actors who stepped in when needed, making his life easier. He is very grateful for this production and excited for audiences to see just how hard everyone has worked.

Emma Willard

Emma is a freshman at Avila. She was incredibly excited to be a part of The Mousetrap as she loves murder mysteries and theatre. Emma is a double major in Education and Theatre BFA with a concentration in Directing. She has directed four shows and worked on a dozen more as actor or crew member. Some of her favorites include CLUE, Cinderella, and Arsenic and Old Lace. She already loves AUTC and can’t wait for the years to come.

Kailey Wilson

Kailey is a sophomore at Avila. Audiences may have most recently seen her as Olive in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. She hopes you enjoy the show—and says to say hi to your dog for her.

Nick Youngblood

Nick is a 20-year-old junior Acting major at Avila University in Kansas City, MO. The Mousetrap is his 4th show with Avila, his most recent being The Wave (And What Came After) in downtown Seattle. His premiere show was Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice, where he was cast as Orpheus by director Matt Schwader Harbor. Nick has also worked on the carpentry crew for this show. Originally from Las Vegas, Nevada, Nick moved to Seattle, Washington, in high school. He is also a former football player at Avila.

Luther, Khylee