Current Cast Bios

River Hudson is so excited to be cast as Oliver Twist in LCT's production of Oliver! He has played as Les in Discovery Outposts community theatre performance of Newsies as well as Nigel in Matilda at Duncan Little Theatre. He would like to thank LCT's production team for giving him this wonderful opportunity. He would also like to thank his various teachers & directors for pouring into him as he pursues his passions for the arts including Ms. Kathy Hickman, Veronica Hodgson, and Angela Barrett.

Cassie is thrilled to portray the role of The Artful Dodger in Oliver, which will be her 12th production at LCT! Some of her past favorite performances at LCT include Summer in School of Rock, Annie and Matilda. Cassie has worked professionally in theatre since the age of 10 in shows such as The Sound of Music, Matilda, Seussical, The Polar Express and A Christmas Carol. Cassie has been in over 40 theatre productions, 3 collegiate shows, 2 films, and has had the incredible opportunity to perform Off-Broadway on 3 occasions. She has won 3 Broadway World Awards, twice for Best Supporting Performer in a Musical, and once for Best Supporting Performer in a Play for the state of Oklahoma. Cassie is also very proud to be the youngest recipient ever of Lawton's Citizen in the Arts Award, and is extremely grateful for Lawton's Arts Community & the support of her friends and family.

Making his Oklahoma debut, Jack brings decades of leading experience to the stage, including roles in Carousel (Billy Bigelow), Newsies (Pulitzer), The Will Rogers Follies (Will), It's a Wonderful Life (George Bailey), Seussical (Horton), Annie (Warbucks), and many more. Having previously played Bill Sikes in Oliver!, Jack enjoys returning to the story from a new perspective. Now a retired Florida supply-chain professional, he serves on the Lawton Community Theatre board and remains a dedicated advocate for the performing arts.

Emily Gill is thrilled to perform again with Lawton Community Theatre! Emily began her theatre career in 2008 on the LCT stage and has performed all over Oklahoma and Texas. Loyal to her hometown, he holds a Master of Arts in Mental Health from Cameron University and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from SWOSU. She loves her day job as a children's therapist at Taliaferro and is pursuing professional counseling licensure. Her favorite roles include Christine Da'ae in The Phantom of the Opera (Poncan Theatre), Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music (Wichita Theatre), and Roxie Hart in Chicago (Lawton Community Theatre) for which she earned a nomination as Best Performer in a Musical for BroadwayWorld Oklahoma Regional Awards.

Matthew Ortner is excited to be a part of his 15th production with LCT as Bill Sikes in Oliver! He was most recently seen as Bob the Farmer in Bat Boy: the Musical. Other favorite roles have been Gabe in Next to Normal, Benny in RENT, and Charlie Brown in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown. He would like to give his family, friends, and community a big thanks for the continued support, and a big thanks to the Oliver! production team for trusting him with this role.

For nearly 20 years, Alberto "Beto" Rivas has been a dedicated advocate, leader, and performer in the Oklahoma arts community, earning honors including the Oklahoma Governor's Arts Award for Community Service and the Roma Clift Montgomery Citizen of the Arts Award. Over the years, Lawton Community Theatre has been a second home to Beto, as a board member, fundraiser, volunteer, actor and supporter and in the past, he has starred in roles such as Daddy Warbucks (Annie), The Wizard (Wizard of Oz), King Arthur (Spamalot), Eddie and Dr. Scott (Rocky Horror Picture Show), among others. Beto is thrilled to return to the stage to reprise his role as Mr. Bumble and to take part in such a wonderful production with this cast and crew. Beto is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and descendant of the Creek, Seminole, and Tarahumara Tribes, it's important to him to see indigenous representation on the stage and it's one of the reasons why he continues his efforts in the arts.

Naomi is excited to be joining Lawton Community Theater as the Widow Corney, finally ending an unfortunate 17- year absence from the stage! She's incredibly grateful for this exceptionally talented cast and crew, and the wonderful family that is LCT, who welcomed this New Hampshire-based visitor with open arms. She especially would like to thank Michael and Greg for gently aggressively shoving her back towards an art she's always loved but has missed for a long time. Vive l'art!

Francis has been doing theater for almost 40 years and doesn't see himself stopping anytime soon. He likes spending time with his family and walks on the beach. But, mostly, he's in theater for the money.

Niki is delighted to be part of Oliver! She was most recently seen at LCT in Miscast. When not on stage, you can find her teaching 8th Grade Science at Cache Middle School or directing local children's theatre. This is her return to the LCT stage, and she hopes you enjoy the show as much as she enjoyed being part of it!

Bio Coming Soon!

Keylee has participated in several Lawton Community Theater shows over the span of 4 years, her recent roles include the ensemble of Sweeney Todd and Chiron/Charon in LCT's production of Percy Jackson: The Musical. Keylee would like to thank her parents and friends for being her biggest supporters.

Shade Linville is a graduating senior from Lawton High, and has a passion for theatre arts. Her last appearance on the LCT stage was her role singing "Bless the Lord" in Godspell in 2024. Most recently she could be seen as Sophie Sheridan in "Mamma Mia" with Lawton public schools, Snail in "A Year with Frog and Toad" at Cameron university, and the Dowager Empress in "Anastasia Jr." with Discovery Outpost. She is thrilled to be working with such wonderful actors and vocalists, and hopes to grow and be like them one day!

Zayden is beyond excited to be making his debut at Lawton Community Theatre in his third stage production! He previously lit up the stage with the incredible Shortgrass Playhouse in Hobart, OK, where he charmed audiences as a Prince in The Princess Who Had No Name and delivered big laughs as the unforgettable David Copperflood, the magician, in Under the Big Top. A proud middle school student in Lawton, Zayden is passionate about performing and is thrilled to continue growing his love for theatre with this amazing opportunity. Zayden would like to give a huge thank you to his mother, Kristie, for always supporting his dreams, his "annoying" little brother, Canaan "Sonic," for keeping life entertaining, and all of his family and friends for their constant love and encouragement.

Rowan Burt is excited to make his debut in Lawton Community Theatre's "Oliver!" as captain of Fagin's gang. He was previously seen as the lead "The claw" in his last school production. Soon starting his freshman year, he thanks his previous directors and teachers in his journey to being a better performer. With a love and passion for theatre, he strives to better his skills and perform well for his family and community.

Gwyneth Poudrier has been performing in theatre productions for 5 years. Some of her favorite roles have been Lavender in Matilda the Musical, Young Elsa in Frozen Jr., Mowgli in Jungle Book Kids, Thomas O'Malley in Aristocats, Jr, and Portia (Stepsister) in Cinderella Jr. Oliver will be her 23rd production and her 8th production with LCT. She also dances with Lawton Ballet Theatre and sings with Allison Yates Private Studio.

Lily is 14 years old, and will be a freshman at Cache. She's been doing theatre for 5 years, and dance for 8, and this is her 15th show she's been in. She is very excited to be in this show and a part of this amazing cast!

This is Zackery Cole Roehler and this is my first ever LCT show and first publish show. I am playing the character Dr. Grimwig and i am happy to be trusted with this role by them. I thank my support from my friends and family for bringing me to doing a public show. I thank LCT for being kind and helpful through the whole thing. I am glad to be a part of Oliver.

Jasmine Glenn is excited to be playing Miss Bedwin in Oliver!. Past shows she has done include Rosie (Mamma Mia!), Lily (Anastasia Jr.), and Frenchy (Grease). Jasmine is also a senior at Eisenhower High and will be attending UCO for Vocal Performance in the fall.

Wally Harris made his acting debut here at LCT, in A Tuna Christmas in 2017! He is pleased to part of this production and is proud off all the shows he's been in and a part of at LCT and is looking forward to the next season!

Dawn Wilkie has been in plays in high school and this is her first production with the Lawton theater and is looking forward to continuing her participation in the theater after Oliver.

Kailen "Kay" Tahsequah is delighted to take the stage again with Lawton Community Theatre as Rose Seller in OLIVER!, where she was recently seen on the LCT stage in Miscast as Ensemble Member 1, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street as a featured soloist. Her past performances include High School Musical On Stage and Back to the 80s at Red Carpet Community Theatre in Elk City, Oklahoma. Whether under the stage lights or behind the barber's chair at Hale Bent in Elgin, Oklahoma, Kay finds joy in creativity, connection, and storytelling, especially when shared with her family. Kay would like to say thanks to all of her friends and family for supporting her in her love of the arts and would like to give a special thanks to Michael Kidd Harden for being her voice coach and encouraging her to do things out of her comfort zone!

Bio Coming Soon!

Arianna Bell was born on September 5, 2013, in Fort Dodge. Since the age of five, she has participated in various talent shows and sports activities. Acting and performing have always been her passion. Arianna is currently cast as an orphan in Oliver! The Musical. In addition to theatre, she plays alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, and flute, and is currently learning trumpet. She is also learning Spanish and takes art classes. Arianna previously trained in ballet, jiu-jitsu, and boxing, and currently serves as the football manager for Eisenhower Middle School. She was formerly the school president of Eisenhower Elementary School, maintains a 4.0 GPA, and has been featured twice on showcase for Lawton Public Schools as well as appearing on the news.

Destiny Cortes is thrilled to be making her musical theater debut as a member of Fagin's gang in this production of Oliver Twist! She is incredibly excited to step into the spotlight and bring the gritty streets of Victorian London to life. She has had a wonderful time mastering the art of "picking a pocket or two" with such a talented cast. She would like to thank her family and friends for their support as she embarks on this new performing arts adventure.

Ariya is 9 years old and has been a performer since she was 3 years old. Among her acting talents, Ariya is a skilled dancer/choreographer, singer, pianist, gymnast, and overall artist. Ariya most recently played Tweedle Dee in the Disney musical Alice in Wonderland as well as Lawton Public Schools Choir and Showcase performances. Ariya also appeared in Lawton's Arts for All Festival with Arsa Performing Arts Studio and in "Oklahoma" with Sherri's Dance Center. When Ariya is not performing, she loves to play with her twin sister Saylah, roller skating, riding bikes, playing baby dolls, and going to the park. She truly is an amazing child full of life and joy and loves her family and pets.

Oliver! is the first production Saylah has been cast in by Lawton Community Theatre. This talented, outgoing, destined for greatness 9 year old has been performing since she was 2 years old. Saylah has training in all styles of dance, acting, voice, violin, competitive gymnastics as well as horseback riding and more. Saylah was last spotted at Discovery Outpost Children's Theatre in Alice in Wonderland where she played "Tweedle Dum." She also recently performed in Sherri's Dance Center's "Okl"ahoma as well as in the Lawton Arts for All Festival with Arsa Performing Arts. If you have not seen her perform yet, not to worry, she will be in Discovery Outpost's Diary of the Wimpy Kid next fall. When Saylah is not performing, she loves to be outdoors riding bikes, roller skating, gardening, swimming, going to the park and playing with her twin sister Ariya. Saylah looks forward to being featured in many productions to come.

Natalie Jones, a talented young performer from Lawton, is making her debut at the Lawton Community Theatre in the musical Oliver. As the only elementary student ever to be selected from Lawton Academy of Arts and Sciences for the prestigious All-State Oklahoma Choir, she has also competed in the Oklahoma Federation of Music Clubs State Festival and shone in multiple school plays, musicals, and choir performances. She is grateful for the unwavering support of her family, friends, and her vocal coaches Debbie Wood and Allison Yates.

Dakota Wilkie is in 4th grade and likes to draw and sing in choir at school. This is her first theater production. She has participated in several pagents and won two championships for volleyball. She is looking forward to continuing her participation in the Lawton theater after Oliver.

Alyson Sichenzia-Hearne is a Performing Artist with a background that includes training in Theatre, Dance (hip hop, ballet, jazz, modern, tap, funk, folk), Singing (advanced), Film, Print, Commercial work, and Modeling. Alyson has been in various productions such as "The Wiz" (Scarecrow), "The Grinch" (A Who), "Dancing At Lughnasa" (lead/Christina), "The Music Man" (Eulalie), "The Diary of Anne Frank" (Miep), "Rip Van Winkle" (Dancer). This talented girl was the very first performer to sing at "Jazz in Lincoln Center," (Green room) in Manhattan. She has also been part of television commercials and show episodes. She is currently in her own band and has performed at many venues as a solo artist and with my group such as "The Village Underground" in Manhattan, Urge Lounge in the East Village, and the Chance Night Club, Upstate NY. Alyson obtained a Bachelor's degree in Performing Arts and was found, choreographer, and costume designer for the Diva's Dance Team; recently graduated from Hunter College with a degree in Dance and Theatre and now plans on moving forward with her Performing Arts career.

Lily is thrilled to make her musical theatre debut in Oliver! Lily has several years of dance experience and has always loved performing and storytelling. Her passion for musicals first bloomed after watching The Phantom of the Opera and Wicked, inspiring her to pursue theatre herself. She is so excited to be part of this production and hopes you enjoy the show!

Bailyn Elizabeth Vitense is thrilled to be in her first LCT production, preforming as adult ensemble! Despite this being her first appearance at Lawton community theatre it's not her first production. She has preformed in three Cache High School Musical productions (despite only being in 8th grade), most notably of which being The Wicked Witch (The Wizard of Oz Jr). She has also participated in smaller roles such as; The Steward (Into the Woods Jr), The Bookseller (Beauty and the Beast Jr) and Narrator #1 (Beauty and the Beast Jr). She'd love to thank her friends, family, and teachers for always encouraging her to continue to express herself and do what she loves. Not to mention a huge thanks to the Oliver production team for trusting her with this commitment.

Marsha is a retired LPS teacher who found the theatre in 2013 after her daughter-in-law encouraged her to try out for the Blue Moon Production of CHURCH BASEMENT LADIES. Marsha did and was cast as Vivian in the show. After that experience she started helping at LCT as assistant stage manager for SPAM-A-LOT and was hooked! She has mainly stage managed but did act in PLAY ON. In the meantime she became a board member of LCT and eventually became President of the board during CoVid. Once again she is stage managing Oliver! and is very excited for all of you to see it. Love this cast and crew!

Ryanne Pendergraft-Pak is honored to work with such a fantastically talented and caring community here at LCT. Ryanne most recently wrote, directed, and choreographed LCT's production of "Miscast" and choreographed LCT's production of "Sweeney Todd" to much acclaim. Other previous works include directing and choreography for "Bat Boy: the Musical" at Lawton Community Theatre and choreography for "Lion King Jr." at MacArthur High School and "Matilda Jr." at MacArthur Middle School.

Victoria Spruill is excited to choreograph for the first time on the LCT stage with this wonderful cast! With a Bachelors of Arts degree in Theatre, Victoria is striving to become more involved in the community and lend a hand wherever she can. Victoria was most recently seen in the dance ensemble of Sweeney Todd and the ensemble of Miscast at LCT. Other notable past credits include Hunyak (LCT's Chicago), Ocean (Cameron University's Ride the Cyclone), Mark Anthony (Cameron University's Julius Caesar), Mary Lane (Blue Moon's Reefer Madness) and more, along with many notable technical roles, including a summer internship at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. Much love, and thanks to all the people who have made me feel so welcome here at LCT and my family for always supporting me!

Michael is excited to music direct for the first time with this incredibly talented cast of adults and youth! He was most recently seen on the LCT stage as Beadle Bamford in Sweeney Todd as well as Mary Sunshine in Chicago, for which he received a nomination for Best Supporting Performer in a Musical with BroadwayWorld Oklahoma Regional Awards. Other notable credits include Patrick Star in The Spongebob Musical (Poteet Theatre), Jesus in Godspell (OKC Parks and Rec), Paul in Company (Rose State Theatre), and The Cat in the Hat in Seussical (Poteet Theatre). Many thanks to this amazing production team for letting me have a seat at the table, my family for their steadfast love and support, and my friends for making life worth living. And as always, this is for you, Tevyn!

Bio Coming Soon!