The Last Wide Open by Audrey Cefaly at Theatre NOVA

Josie Eli Herman (Lina) is so excited to share this production with you and thrilled to be acting opposite her husband (and favorite acting partner since college!) for this fantastic show. Josie has previously starred in FORTUNE and KAIROS at Theatre NOVA, FIRST SNOW and DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE at The Penny Seats Theatre, and THE THANKSGIVING PLAY and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at The Ghostlight Theatre. She has previously been a part of the Michigan Shakespeare Tour as Lady Macbeth and Lady Capulet. Off stage, Josie also frequents the audio space – voice acting in her award-winning and critically acclaimed radio-dramas, including THE CALL OF THE VOID, SILVERTONGUES, and LIMINAL.

Michael Alan Herman (Mikołaj) is a Webby-honored actor originally from St. Joseph, Michigan. He previously starred in A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM at The Ghostlight Theatre, FIRST SNOW and DR. JEYKLL & MR. HYDE at The Penny Seats Theatre and is thrilled to be sharing the stage tonight with his soulmate. He has worked with Netflix, Hulu, Universal Studios, and Fangoria, co-showruns the award-winning production company Acorn Arts & Entertainment, and loves making moody playlists on Spotify. He would like to thank his loving family, his darling wife, and you, dear audience member, for supporting live theatre in Ann Arbor. For more of Michael’s work, please see his Instagram @michael_alan_herman.

Natalie Rose Sevick (Stagehand) is delighted to be part of THE LAST WIDE OPEN at Theatre NOVA after performing in REACH FOR THE STARS here in March. Natalie has graced the stages of many Michigan theatres, and performed in the Henry Ford Museum’s dramatic programs and the Michigan Shakespeare Festival’s high school tour. She is a former teaching artist through the Wharton Center’s Disney Musicals in Schools program and won a Wilde Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her performance in EVIL DEAD: THE MUSICAL through Sweat Equity Studio at City Theatre in Detroit. Natalie has spent the last several months successfully battling cancer and is thrilled to return to performing following her brief hiatus.

Diane Hill (Director, Music Director) is a Producing Artistic Director at Theatre NOVA and is happy to return to directing after being sequestered to a kayak for two months (IYKYK). One of her favorite aspects of directing is collaborating with other artists, so she is super excited to work with performers: Jose, Michael and Natalie and designers: Craig, Jade, Toni, Kat, Brit, Avalon, and Mark, alongside her stalwart and incredible stage manager, Bri. Theatre NOVA audiences recently saw her in KAYAK, and REACH FOR THE STARS (which she also directed), and before that THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT (Wilde Award Best Show), THE HOW AND THE WHY (Wilde Award Best Actress), ADMISSIONS, FOLLIES, THE TOTALITARIONS, THE REVOLUTIONISTS, among others. She directed CLUTTER (Wilde Award Best Play), KILL MOVE PARADISE (Wilde Award Excellence in Diverse Storytelling), SING HAPPY and FOLLIES, and countless productions at Oakland Community College where she originated the Theatre degree program, and Two Muses Theatre, which she founded and served as Artistic/Executive Director for five years. She has a Ph.D. in Theatre from Wayne State University and a Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts in Theatre from the University of Michigan.

Briana O’Neal (Stage Manager, Props) is a director, stage manager, and designer who has been working with Theatre NOVA since 2019. She is a proud graduate of Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts and Political Science. Briana is passionate about fostering community and connection through the arts, and strongly believes in the power of live theatre to stretch our understanding of the world around us. Some of her favorite credits with Theatre NOVA include directing KAYAK, WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME, DOCTOR MOLOCH and KAIROS; stage managing DEATH OF A DRIVER, APPLE SEASON, THE LANGUAGE ARCHIVE, and SANCTUARY CITY; and designing sound for FORTUNE and THE RIPPLE, THE WAVE THAT CARRIED ME HOME.

Craig A. Hane (Scenic Designer, Builder) has been a Director/Designer/Script Consultant since 1980. Craig is a CMU Grad of '85 with a BFA in Scenic Design. Founder/Artistic Director of three theatre companies, most recently Barefoot Productions (Plymouth) 2006 - 2015. Onward Craig continues design work for NOVA, as well as has hopes of directing and designing works for other area theatres. He is 2025 BroadwayWorld MI Winner: Best Scenic Design of a Play, for NOVA's production of ECLIPSED: THE SUN, THE MOON AND GLADYS ATKINSON SWEET.

Jade Guerriero (Lighting Designer) is excited to design THE LAST WIDE OPEN! Some of her previous credits at Theatre NOVA include DJ WHITTINGTON’S KOOL KAT: A HIP-HOP PANTO, KAIROS, RADICAL EMPATHY, THE JONBENET GAME, and REACH FOR THE STARS. She is currently a student at WCC, majoring in Digital Media Arts with a minor in Communications. When she's not taking college courses or working on a show, she can often be found at All Hands Active, where she serves as a Director.

Toni Davison (Costume Designer) is a Metro Detroit based costume designer and costume technician. She has been fortunate to collaborate most recently with Detroit Public Theatre for THE MOUNTAINTOP by Katori Hall, The Inspired Acting Company on MOON MAN WALK by James Ijames, Shakespeare in Detroit on HAMLET by William Shakespeare, and Oakland University on THE COURAGE TO RIGHT A WOMAN’S WRONGS by Ana Caro de Mallen. She is grateful to be invited back at Theatre NOVA (previously DRY SUMMER) to tell yet another story. She wishes to express eternal gratitude to her husband, Darrell, for his love and support.

Brit Connors (Sound Designer) is a director, poet and actor who has worked extensively in NYC and Michigan. She is thrilled to join this group of creatives for The Last Wide Open and hopes you enjoy the bits of magic, and Nature's timing in this piece. Congrats to the entire team!

Kat Walsh (Intimacy Director) is a director, choreographer, and intimacy director in SE Michigan and thrilled to join THE LAST WIDE OPEN. Select intimacy, choreography/movement credits include: RHINOCEROS (A2CT), JORGE LUIS BORGES... (Theatre NOVA), EVERY BRILLIANT THING (Open Book Theatre), KAIROS (Theatre NOVA), CABARET (A2CT), RED (Open Book), KING LEAR (A2CT), SUMMER AND SMOKE (Wayne State University), LES MISERABLES (Tecumseh Youth Theatre), URBAN FLOW (U-M Center for Southeast Asian Studies), A MIDSUMMERNIGHT’S DREAM (Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival). She is currently working on her certification for intimacy direction through the Intimacy Directors and Coordinators (IDC).

Avalon McNew (Assistant Lighting Designer) is excited to be working on THE LAST WIDE OPEN! They have previously worked on lighting for RADICAL EMPATHY at Theatre NOVA. They have designed lighting for Ann Arbor Civic Theatre productions, including SHE KILLS MONSTERS, DRACULA: A COMEDY OF TERRORS, and ALL IN THE TIMING, Community Ensemble Theatre productions, and University of Michigan student productions. In their free time, Avalon enjoys studying psychology at the University of Michigan, playing the ukulele, writing songs and poems, and ice skating.