Heidelberg University
School of Music and Theater Productions

Karla Kash, She/Her (Director, Intimacy/Fight Director, and Vocal Coach) is thrilled to be back working on the Bard! Ms. Kash has worked on many Shakespeare productions, including; five productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, three productions of Twelfth Night and Romeo and Juliet, two productions of Hamlet and Othello, and one production of Taming of the Shrew, King Lear, As You Like It, Julius Ceasar and now Measure for Measure.

Professor Kash is in her second year as an Associate Professor and Director of the Theatre at Heidelberg University and her eighteenth year as a full-time instructor in higher education. Professor Kash is grateful to be working with this group of talented and tenacious actors, designers, and production team. Karla feels blessed to be a part of the Berg family and a member of the Tiffin community.

Ms. Kash is a professional Director and Choreographer (member of the Society of Directors and Choreographers), Actor (member of the Actors Equity Association), Fight Director who is certified in six weapons (The Society of American Fight Directors) and is trained in Intimacy Direction.

Some of Ms. Kash’s favorite roles are Barbara in August: Osage County at Repertory Theatre of Iowa; Susan in the musical [title of show] and Becca in Rabbit Hole at StageWest; Diana in Next to Normal at Des Moines Onstage; Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet at American Theatre for Actors in NYC (and was the production's fight director); and Martha in A Piece of My Heart at the Metropolitan Playhouse, NYC. Karla’s most incredible experience as an actor is playing Josie in A Moon for the Misbegotten opposite her mentor, the late Jonathan McMurtry, at North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach, CA, under the direction of David Ellenstein.

Ms. Kash’s favorite productions as a professional director, choreographer, and/or fight director are Parade, Jerry Springer the Opera, Spring Awakening, and Avenue Q for StageWest; West Side Story, Rock of Ages, and The Wedding Singer for The Des Moines Playhouse; The Glass Menagerie for The Repertory Theatre of Iowa; The World Goes ‘Round for The International Lyric Academy in Italy; and Shipwrecked at The Black Hills Playhouse. A career highlight for Karla was doing the fight direction for the Broadway National Tour of La Cage Aux Folles.

Some of Professor Kash’s favorite productions as a producer, director, choreographer, and/or fight director at the University level are; Wendy and Peter Pan, SpongeBob, and Fiorello at HU, Godspell, A Dolls House, and Hair at The University at Albany; Heathers, Sweeney Todd, A Man of No Importance, and bare: a pop opera at Drake University; and The Pavillion, The Music Man, and My Fair Lady at Iowa State University.

Ms. Kash earned her BFA in Acting with an emphasis in Dance, Directing, and Musical Theatre from Wright State University and her MFA in Acting with a focus on Classical Theatre and Movement Studies from Brandeis University. Professor Kash’s highlight of her educational career is receiving the distinguished Madlyn Levitt Mentor of the Year award at Drake University, where she was tenured.

Lexi Lang (she/her) is happy to be back on the mainstage tech team for Hair and Makeup this fall. She has designed Hair and Makeup for several shows at Heidelberg before, and she is currently the resident Lead Hair and Makeup Specialist for the school of Music and Theater. Additionally, Lexi can often be seen on stage. She has had roles such as Fiorello! (Thea), Chicago (Mary Sunshine), Pride and Prejudice (Mary Bennet), and Spongebob SquarePants: The Musical (The Mayor of Bikini Bottom). Lexi would like to thank her friends and family, the production team/leaders, professor Susan Hlavinka, professor Karla Kash, and Dr. Carol Dusdeiker for believing in her and helping her grow as a technical artist.

Dr. Doug McConnell is Professor Emeritus of Composition and Music for the School of Music and Theater at Heidelberg University His compositions have been performed throughout the U.S. and internationally. Doug has written for a variety of performing mediums, but he especially enjoys writing for voices; his work in this area includes a variety of works for choirs. He has also composed several song cycles and collections, based on poetry by Langston Hughes, Sara Teasdale and William Reyer. Over the years, Dr. McConnell has enjoyed composing incidental music for the Heidelberg Theatre program; this tradition continues with this production. Previous shows include The Visit, The Crucible, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Greeks: Oedipus Rex/Lysistrata, and Eurydice.

Jack Mills is a senior musical theatre major. He has performed in Heidelberg’s production’s Dance Nation as Luke, Lucas in The Addams Family Musical, Puck in A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Slightly in Wendy and Peter, and Patchy The Pirate in SpongeBob the Musical. He assistant directed a student directed play in the Blackbox theater called My First Time, and recently co-directed Misery. He is very excited to Assistant Direct this production of Measure For Measure. He wants to thank his friends and family for their continuous support. He would also like to thank the cast and crew of Measure For Measure for their hard work, dedication, and being such great people to work with. Hope you enjoy the show!