Who's Who

Dean Elwell

Dean is thrilled to be back on stage at Ashland. Having last been seen in the 2014 production of Urintown. It is an honor to be performing with this very talented cast. Dean would like to thank his wife Peg and his entire family for their love and support. Dean hopes you enjoy this show.

Alex Bretoi

Alex is thrilled to be making his Ashland Debut! Recent credits include Spring Awakening (Hanschen), and Mama Mia (Assistant Director). Alex would like to thank his parents for being his biggest supporters and fans, and his partner Leah, for introducing him to Big Fish and pushing him to be the best he can be!

Thomas Friebe

Thomas is thrilled to be back with Ashland Productions in Big Fish. Other recent roles Thomas has done include: Antony in Sweeney Todd, George in She Loves Me, and Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors. Thank you all for coming out to see the show!

Peg Sutherland

After a 12-year break, Peg is grateful for the opportunity to be on stage again with her husband, Dean. This marks her fourth time paying opposite him, including Sound of Music (Maria @ Lakeshore), Footloose (Vi @ Ashland) and Damn Yankees (Meg @ Ashland). Other favorite shows at Ashland include Children of Eden (Eve) and Joseph... (Narrator). Peg is a longtime cantor at St. Jude of the Lake and Assumption Churches. Most importantly, Mom to Will, Ella, and Matthew. All glory to God!

Abby Covert

Abby is grateful to be part of this powerful piece. You may have seen her in Sweeney Todd and Spelling Bee at Ashland, She Loves Me at Lakeshore, or Newsies at Black Dirt. Abby holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from the South Carolina School of the Arts. She is a teaching artist & choreographer in the Twin Cities, as well as assistant director for the Roseville Middle School. She hopes you enjoy the show! @abigaillcovert

Maddox Tabalba

Maddox is thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful musical. He’s been acting since the age of 4, and hasn’t slowed down yet. Credits include: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Wizard of Oz, Frozen Jr, Junie B. Jones Jr, A Christmas Carol, Matilda Jr, and Newsies. You can also find him in Indy short films and most recently, he landed his first role in a feature film, Unholy Communion. He never takes for granted all the blessings in life. He’d like to thank his family for the support and for all the driving. A shout out also to his vocal coach and piano teacher, both whom have helped him with his musical journey. Enjoy the show!

Tate Ashcraft

Sara Cronk

Sara Cronk is excited to be making her Ashland debut! Most recently, she played Miss Clavel in Madeline’s Christmas at the Merrill Arts Center. Some of her favorite past roles include Agatha (Frankenstein/Monster), Florinda (Into the Woods), and the Wicked Witch of the West (Wizard of Oz). During the day, she works at CLIMB Theatre.

Eric Davis

Eric is delighted to play Karl the Giant. This is his Ashland debut and his first show since high school! Like Karl, Eric accepted the invitation of a friend to step out of his comfort zone and try something new. Eric is especially thankful for the support and encouragement of family, friends, and everyone in the cast and crew of "Big Fish." Enjoy the show!

Tony Peterson

Tony is excited to be back on the Ashland stage again. Tony was last seen on the Ashland stage in Sweeney Todd (Beadle Bamford) and was also a part of Lyric Arts' Peter and the Starcatcher (External U/S Bill Slank, Alf, Mrs. Bumbrake).

Joe Mogren

Joe is incredibly excited to be making his first return to the stage in almost ten years. He grew up performing right here at Ashland, and has had the honor of playing many amazing roles over those years. Over the past few years he has been the music director at Tartan High School’s theatre program. He would like to give a huge shoutout and thank you to Kyle, Hannah, and all his students and colleagues! They were a huge inspiration for making a leap back onto the stage!

Tara Schwichtenberg

Tara is happy to be performing at Ashland! She was recently in Sweeney Todd and is grateful to be back for more hot pies. Tara grew up performing with her brother Tyler and fell in love with the magic of theatre after playing a troll in kindergarten…just a few years ago. She’s a witch hailing from the west and works in mental health. She loves gym memberships, loud music, sunshine, and her family!

Jessica Halverson

Jessica is overjoyed to be back on the Ashland stage again! This is her fifth show with Ashland after previously playing Elle Woods (Legally Blonde), Tanya (Mamma Mia!), Adelaide (Guys & Dolls), and Mary Magdalene (Jesus Christ Superstar). Jessica performs at many theatres around the Twin Cities, but loves the community/support she has at Ashland. Off stage, you can find her snuggling her Corgi puppy, reading, teaching Preschoolers, or most likely, at the gym. @jessirose801

Ada Thompson

After two years, Ada is thrilled to return to the Ashland stage! Some of her favorite recent roles include Morticia in The Addams Family, Janis in Mean Girls, and Meg in Little Women. When she’s not performing, Ada loves to stay musically active, participating in various choirs and jazz bands. She is thrilled to work alongside such a talented cast and can’t wait for the audience to experience this incredible production!

Adam Bloom

Nate Swanson

Matthew Tiede

Matthew is thrilled to be in his 3rd Ashland show! He previously was in both productions of “A Christmas Carol, The Musical”, where he play Mr. Fezziwig. Other credits include Simon Gascoyne, “The Real Inspector Hound” at Expressions Community Theatre. Monster Ensemble, “She Kills Monsters” at Black Dirt Theatre, and Fake Santa/Ensemble, “Elf, The Musical”, at Chaska Valley Family Theatre. Matthew has a BA in Theatre Arts from the University of Minnesota and also works in local film and voiceover projects. Matthew hopes you never forget to hope and dream big!

Tyler Hebert

Tyler is excited to join Ashland Productions for the first time with Big Fish! Tyler is a graduate from the University of North Dakota with a BFA in Musical Theatre. Some of Tyler’s favorite previous projects include Lady Bracknell (The Importance of Being Earnest), Patrick (SpongeBob: the Musical), Stephano (the Tempest), Tommy Ross (Carrie: the Musical), and Directing Tennessee Williams’ Suddenly Last Summer with the Empire Theater Company (2024). Tyler is looking forward to audiences joining us for Big Fish!

Elliott Edwards

Elliott is an 8th grade student at Woodbury middle school and he loves theater. Some of Elliott’s favorite shows he’s been in are Beauty and the Beast jr. (WMS Theater), Little House on the Prairie the Musical (Lakeshore players theater), and the sponge bob musical (Ashland productions). Elliott would like to thank his wonderful creative team and his loving supporting parents. Elliott hopes you enjoy the show and keep coming back for more.

Alex Link

Alex is thrilled to be in his 5th Ashland production! Recent credits include Something Rotten performed in 2023. He has also appeared in other Ashland productions like Joseph, Elf and Mamma Mia. In addition to performing, he works as an HR professional at Target Corporation. Alex is thrilled to be a part of Big Fish and grateful for the opportunity to share it with you!

Anastasia Baron

Anastasia is so excited to be in Ashland's production of Big Fish! The show is near and dear to her heart as she has had the privilege to perform in it twice! When not doing theater, Anastasia likes to craft, do escape rooms, and sometimes even frolic. After graduating, she hopes to pursue theater in college, and live a long and fruitful life. She would like to thank her loved ones for all their support!

Eve Saarinen

Eve Saarinen, who plays an ensemble part in Big Fish, is ecstatic to bring this musical to life. Only having been involved in theater for a few years, she’s proud to join Ashland Productions in hopes of furthering her acting abilities and making new friends who care about theater as much as she does. Eve sincerely hopes you enjoy all the effort and creativity brought into this show by her and the rest of the cast.

Grace Greenwald

Grace is thrilled to be performing in Big Fish. This is her first production with Ashland Productions, and she is grateful for the support of her friends, family and cast mates. Enjoy the show!

Isabelle Louis

Isabelle is excited to be in her very first show at Ashland! She is currently a Junior at Liberty Classical Academy and loves theatre, dance, and song. She also loves to volunteer at her church and school for sports, student leadership, and numerous choir and drama groups. She has been a part of The Metropolitan Ballet and has been a performer with Tartan. She hopes you enjoy the show!!!

Em Reko

Em is thrilled to be back at Ashland, after being in the ensemble in Something Rotten and an assistant choreographer in Spongebob! Outside of theater, she loves to dance, paint, and play with her dog. She hopes you enjoy this phenomenal show!

Lynnie Krautbauer

Lynnie is super excited for their first Ashland production! Lynnie's previous shows include The Garden (ensemble), Finding Nemo Jr (Marlin), and Frozen Jr (ensemble). Outside of theater they love music, friends, and family, and they hope you thoroughly enjoy the show!

Marissa Noe

Marissa is thrilled to be returning to the Ashland stage for another show. You may have previously seen her in Sweeney Todd (ensemble), Side Show (Daisy), or Legally Blonde (Elle, CCP). In her free time she also runs a micro bakery called Baked from the Heart and enjoys spending time outdoors! She would like to thank Daniel for always supporting her and her dreams. Enjoy the show!

Natalie Deptula

Natalie is over-the-moon to be making her Ashland debut in Big Fish. From dance recitals to school and community productions to improv comedy, she is no stranger to the stage. Most recently, Natalie performed weekly in Senseless Acts of Comedy at Texas Christian University which she graduated from in May. When not performing, you can usually find Natalie with her third coffee of the day, reading a romcom, or cooking something new in the kitchen.

Ray Ghomi

Ro Tripi

"Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after." Henry David Thoreau Ro wants to wish everyone who sees this show "Happy Fishing" as we move through our lives looking for meaning and happiness. Special thanks and love to Janelle for always being there to push me to be my best. Keep fishing P-nut. I know you are catching more than fish.

Ruby Larsen

Sarah Shervey

Sarah is so excited to join this amazing cast and team for the magical storytelling of Big Fish! She hopes you can sit back and enjoy this heightened world in Edward’s head and see a great reflection of the real joy theater can bring through authentic but fantastical stories. You may have recently seen Sarah at Ashland Productions in A Christmas Carol as Mrs. Cratchitt and in Beauty and the Beast as Belle. Sarah would like to leave you with one of her favorite quotes, “Of course it is happening inside your head, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” - J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)

Shepard Boylan

Shepard is thrilled to be performing on the Ashland stage again for the 5th time! One thing he is excited about is to bring this beautiful, greater-than-life but also down-to-earth story to life, and to get people to appreciate shows like this!

Sofie Slings

Sofie is thrilled to be a part of her third Ashland show. She can't wait to bring this wonderful tale to life! Enjoy the show!

Theresa Rotter

Theresa is excited to return to the Ashland stage in Big Fish and has enjoyed every minute with this amazing cast and creative staff! Previous Ashland appearances include Morticia in Addams Family and Becky Two Shoes in Urinetown.

Tobi Williams

Tobi is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota, studying Computer Science with a focus on the Environment. In his free time, he enjoys to read books, play various instruments, and overall just take in new experiences. This will be the third show that he's been in, the last being a devised play "The Mother" at the University. Tobi hopes that everyone enjoys the show!

Jesse Kurtz

Joseph Vanderhoff

Joseph is thrilled to be part of this production of Big Fish! A 14-year-old with a passion for performing, he has loved diving into the humor, heart, and larger-than-life stories that make this show so special. Offstage, you might find him playing his piano, violin, solving rubik's cubes and hanging out with friends. He’d like to thank his directors for helping him dream bigger, his castmates for making rehearsals unforgettable, and his family for always cheering the loudest and keeping him grounded (except when he’s flying through Edward Bloom’s wild imagination). Joseph hopes you enjoy the journey through this unforgettable tail!

Liam Benson