Camelot

EMILY N. WELLS+ Director

Emily is an award-winning theatre director, creative producer and educator including a significant emphasis on new plays and musicals. She joined The Human Race Theatre Company as its 4th Artistic Director in 2022, and proudly calls Dayton home. She sits on the advisory council for Sinclair Community College Fine and Performing Arts, as well as the festival selection committees for the National Alliance for Musical Theatre and the New Play Exchange.  She’s often an adjudicator at Future Fest at Dayton Playhouse. Other directing credits include Wright State University, Houston Grand Opera, Rice University, Gulfshore Playhouse, Circuit Playhouse, Theatreworks/USA among others. She holds an MFA in Directing from the University of Memphis, a BA in Theatre from Washington University in St. Louis, and is an SDC and AEA Member. In her early career, Emily stage managed on and off Broadway, regionally and on national tours.

IAN AXNESS Music Director

Ian is a conductor and pianist based in Cincinnati, where he is an Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre at the UC College-Conservatory of Music. In addition to teaching, he regularly collaborates on new works and cabaret, and has led productions of opera and musical theatre at Juilliard, Oberlin, Mannes, and New York University Abu Dhabi. Selected credits: Ask For the Moon (Goodspeed Musicals), A Little Night Music, The Tender Land, Orphée aux enfers (Opera in the Ozarks); Sweeney Todd (Barrow Street Theatre); Wonderful Town, Sweet Charity, Cinderella, She Loves Me (CCM); Pericles (Two River Theater); and the New York premiere of Beardo by Dave Malloy and Jason Craig (Pipeline Theatre – Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Music). Mr. Axness is a proud alumnus of CCM and Oberlin College.

KIERSTEN FARMER Choreographer

Kiersten, born and raised in Dayton, is an Actress, Choreographer, Dancer, and Model. She began dancing at a young age and attended Stivers School for the Arts as a Dance and Choir major. When she’s not on stage or teaching, she’s selling homes, as a realtor. Kiersten also works for The Human Race Theatre as their Executive Operations Coordinator and the Actor Housing Property Manager. Kiersten has been a dancer, choreographer and teaching artist for productions, schools, churches, and various theatres and groups for about fifteen years. She began acting in 2017 and has now performed in over fifteen musicals/plays. Some of her most memorable experiences as an artist are, For Colored Girls at Miami University, Ragtime and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Dayton Playhouse, and a short film Colonel Charles Young: An American Patriot in Wilberforce Ohio. Kiersten has a passion for dance and theatre, and she continues to search for new artistic opportunities, aiming to continuously grow and flourish as a performing Artist and Teacher of the Arts. She is excited and honored to be the Choreographer at the Human Race Theatre for the production of Camelot!

GINA CERIMELE-MECHLEY Fight & Intimacy Director

Gina is one of the few female Fight Directors in the country with the Society of American Fight Directors and is the resident Intimacy Director for The Cincinnati Opera and Cincinnati Ballet. Regional credits include: Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Opera Theatre St. Louis, Denver Center Theatre Company, Human Race Theatre, Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, and Nin-tendo Motion Capture Studios.  Her work as an Intimacy Director has often been seen at The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and several high schools in the area. The respect for intimacy needs to begin early which is why she is seriously proud of the work she does for the high school programs. “It is just a kiss” is not a tolerable comment especially when it is a student’s FIRST kiss. Gina focuses much of her time on her now nationally recognized private acting studio and her theatre company, Cincinnati Actor’s Studio & Academy. Gina has been awarded The United States of America Distinguished Teacher Award, was the first recipient of the Cincinnati Arts Association Arts Educator Award, and was nominated for the “Excellence in Theatre Education Award” presented by The Tony Awards. She was just dubbed a knight by the order of The Knights of Madoc, in honor of her “work in the art of stage combat and in recognition of her fine character and enduring good will.”

CHARLIE CALVERT Scenic Designer

Charlie (he/him) is thrilled to make his HRTC debut with the scenic design for Camelot. Recent credits include: Julius Caesar and Twelfth Night at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company; A Christmas Carol, A Man for All Seasons, Blithe Spirit, Henry VIII, Much Ado about Nothing, and Love’s Labour’s Lost at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey; A Comedy of Tenors, Dial M for Murder and Fickle: A Fancy French Farce at Olney Theatre Center; Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill and Last Five Years (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival); Spring Awakening and Let the Right One In at CCM. Charlie received his MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and serves on the faculty at University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music.

MOLLY WALZ Costume Designer

Molly Walz is a costume designer, wardrobe supervisor, and tailor for Broadway Productions, Regional Theater, National/ International Tours and TV/Film.  Proud member of IATSE local #764, Beavercreek HS and Kent State University Alum.

Regional Design: HRTC (Shipwrecked!, Oliver!), Ogunquit Playhouse (Million Dollar Quartet, Sally Struthers in Tootsie and Crazy for You), Cape Playhouse, Papermill Playhouse, Gateway Playhouse, CAPA, Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, Porthouse Theatre, Theatre SilCo, Ohio University, Garden Theatre.

Wardrobe Supervision/Associate Costume Design:

Broadway: Aladdin, Frozen, Moulin Rouge, Tina, Summer;

Pre-Broadway: A Beautiful Noise; Tours: Disney’s The Lion King, Mamma Mia, White Christmas, Rent: 20^th Anniversary

Career Highlights: The Metropolitan Opera (Wardrobe Supervisor), The Equalizer Season 2 (Fitting Costumer/2nd Tailor)

Molly became a Midwest-based artist after moving her home base from NYC to Columbus, OH in Fall 2022.
Owner: Sanctuary Inclusive Tailoring and Styling.
Instagram: @SanctuaryTailoring

DIANE FERRY WILLIAMS# Lighting Designer

Diane is a free-lance lighting designer who has lit well over 300 productions of theatre, dance, dance festivals and opera in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia. Awards include a Jeff Award, an After Dark Award, a Carbonelle Award, six Drammy awards, and six Jeff nominations. Diane has a BA from Ashland University in Ohio with a theatre major and a Master of Fine Arts in Theatrical Design from Northwestern University.

KAITLIN BARNETT PROCTOR Sound Designer

Kaitlin is a sound designer and audio engineer, currently pursuing an MFA in Sound Design at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. She graduated with a B.S. in Audio Engineering Technology from Belmont University. Kaitlin has designed and engineered for companies such as Studio Tenn, Nashville Repertory Theatre, Nashville Children’s Theatre, Street Theatre Company, Chaffin’s Barn Theatre, Belmont University, and New York Stage and Film.  Her recent credits include Emilia, In the Green, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Fellow Travelers, UC-CCM; What the Constitution Means to Me (Assistant), Ensemble Theatre Company. Kaitlin has been nominated for a KCACTF Region IV Festival Sound Design award, two First Night Awards for Outstanding Sound Design, and a Broadway World Nomination for Best Sound Design for a Play or Musical.

SARAH GOMES Properties Designer

Sarah has worked both on stage and off in Dayton and surrounding areas for over 20 years. She holds a B.A. in Theatre from the University of Dayton and a Drama Diploma from The Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. Sarah’s areas of specialty in props include puppets, paper goods, and historical artifacts. In addition to working as Properties Designer at The Human Race Theatre Company since 2021, she has worked with Zoot Theatre Co, The Rising Phoenix Theatre Co, Sinclair Community College, University of Dayton, Central State University, Dayton Theatre Guild, The Dayton Playhouse, and Town Hall Theatre. Sarah is proud to be part of the vibrant arts community that Dayton has to offer.

MARK TYNAN* Production Stage Manager

Mark is thrilled to be back in his native Ohio and able to see his great nephews, Elliott, Gabriel, Rowan, and Luca (and the rest of his family) in person rather than on the Facebook.  Mark got his BFA from Wright State University with his first two years at The Ohio State University.  He is a proud 40-year member of Actors’ Equity Association.  His career includes Radio City Music Hall, subbing on Broadway, national and international tours, regional theatre and corporate events.  It is an honor to be working with The Human Race Theatre Company, very grateful.