RENT Cast

Joshua Cash brings his love for rock music and storytelling to the stage in RENT. Stage credits include Nigel in Something Rotten, Johnny in American Idiot, J. Pierrepont Finch in How to Succeed. While not on stage, Cash coaches for the award winning Marian Catholic Speech Team and assists with their theatrical productions in several capacities. In addition to theatre, Cash is also a firefighter at North Palos. Break a leg to Andrew, who is killing it as Roger on his off nights. To Laura, who always chases her dreams and encourages him to chase his.

Andrew is ecstatic to be part of Rose Theatrics’ inaugural production, let alone be playing Roger in Rent! He was last seen as Gabe in Next to Normal at Street of Dreams. Favorite past credits include Radames (Aida), Riff (West Side Story), and Sonny Malone (Xanadu). When he’s not onstage you can catch him somewhere in Chicagoland with a camera in his hand. Special thanks to his family and friends; your support fuels his passion for the stage. Shoutout to Josh for rocking it as Roger on his off-nights. He hopes you enjoy the show! You can find him on socials @andrewpapppas @pappasvisuals

Dylan Flaig is thrilled to be a part of Rose Theatrics first production ever! Dylan is from and resides in the south suburbs of Chicago in Crete, Illinois. He recently just finished college at Western Illinois University as an Education Major with a Theatre Minor, where he studied theatre for all 4 years. He has been a part of a numerous amount of theatre productions ever since he was 9 years old. Favorite/Recent credits include Willard Hewitt in Footloose, Henry in Next To Normal, and Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid. He would like to thank Director Laura Hilger and the rest of the artistic team of Rent for allowing him to perform this dream role! He also would like to thank his family for their continued support of his love for the arts. He hopes you enjoy the show bohemians!

Brandon J. Sapp was born and raised in Chicago, IL. He received his B.F.A in Acting from Northern Illinois University and intensively studied under Sanford Meisner’s acting method. Most recent theatre credits include: The Polar Express Train Ride (Chicago), Eurydice at Writers Theatre in Glencoe, IL, The October Storm at The Raven Theatre in Chicago, IL, Trouble in Mind at Timeline Theatre (u/s) in Chicago, IL, MID SUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM at Ohio Shakespeare Festival in Akron, OH, ROMEO AND JUILET, TUBMAN: ROAD TO FREEDOM, and A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Great Works Theatre in Chicago, IL. Brandon is extremely appreciative of the opportunity to play with such a well diverse cast and honored to be apart of Rose Theatrics first ever Musical Production! This is an incredible way for him to get back into Musical Theatre!

“A shining element…” Jonathan is beyond excited to join RENT as Tom Collins and to be a part of Rose Theatrics premiere show! Jonathan received his degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. He has recently been seen at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Sister Act the musical as Curtis, Ensemble in Legally Blonde and in Humperdinck’s Hansel Und Gretel. Other credits include Young Artist Programs across the state in the chorus of Puccini’s La Rondine and Verdi’s Ernani, Leporello in Don Giovanni, and Fasolt in Das Rheingold. Jonathan also sings with the Chicago Choral Artists singing around the greater Chicago area, most recently as Judas and Pontifex in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion.

Charl’z is a Chicago native and has deep roots theatre & music. After having some time away from performing; Charl’z is THRILLED to be returning to the stage with Rose Theatics’ Inaugural production of Rent. Special thanks to the amazing Staff and Cast for making this a most enjoyable experience.

Juan is excited to be joining Rose Theatrics for their first production RENT. Juan is no stranger to theater as he has been performing since he was a young child. He would like to thank Laura, Sam, Brandi, Gavin, as well as the cast and crew of this production. Finally he would like to thank his mom for her continued support in every endeavor. He hopes you enjoy the show!

Sterlin Johnson is a Chicago-born and raised actor, Columbia College graduate, and was last seen on stage playing the role of Jesus in Beverly Theatre Guild’s Production of Godspell, Chuck Cranston in Footloose and SpongeBob SquarePants in The SpongeBob Musical at Oak Lawn Community Theatre. He fell in love with the stage performing in a children’s theatre troupe in Chicago, before joining the Thornton Fractional South Drama Club, playing The Cowardly Lion in The Wiz. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Cinema Arts and Science with a concentration on Film Directing, Sterlin has written, directed, and performed in his own short films under the production name “Technically Coloured Films”. He is currently a substitute teacher, pursuing his Master’s Degree in English for Secondary Education at Northeastern Illinois University. He is very happy to be here.

Brandi has been bringing her magic to the many stages in the Chicagoland area choreographing and performing in musicals and various productions for over 20 years. Choreography credits include The Wiz, Footloose, Anything Goes, Chicago, Once On This Island, Little Shop of Horrors! Brandi has been a dance instructor for 25+ years and is currently teaching at the OLPD Infiniti Dance Company/ IndepenDANCE team since 2022. She has choreographed everything from plays, to music videos, to flash mobs. Brandi lives, eats, breathes, sleeps DANCE...it's her drug of choice! On stage credits include: The Wiz (Dorothy), Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Narrator), Oliver (Nancy), Grease (Jan), Crowns (Mabel), Revelations (Angel St. Claire), & Sister Act (Deloris Van Cartier). Brandi is super excited to be portraying JoAnne Jefferson in one her favorite musicals, RENT, and is honored to be a part of making history in this inaugural production for Rose Theatrics! No Day But Today!!

Ever since she was seven, Remy has been obsessed with musicals. With a natural ear for music, her passion has only grown stronger over the years. Remy is super excited to be part of the new show that Rose Theatrics is putting together. There’s something magical about musicals, and about “RENT” specifically, that just hits different. Blending stories and songs in a way that brings her pure joy, every rehearsal and every performance is a total labor of love for Remy.

Michael is coming back to the stage in Rose Theatrics inaugural performance of RENT. This production has always held a special place in his heart since seeing it. Playing the role of Angel is honor for Michael. With everything the character represents to the show and as whole, he hopes to bring the Angelic charm that has graced so many audiences for decades now.

Juan Sedonio (Angel) is a graduate from Northern Illinois University, and is currently living in the suburbs of Chicago, IL. This is Juan’s first time venturing to the Oak Lawn area, and is thrilled to be a part of Rose Theatrics’ first ever production! Juan was recently seen in A Chorus Line as Paul (TOTH) Beauty & the Beast as LeFou (TOTH), Rent as Angel (TOTH), Midsummer Nights Dream as Flute/Thisbe (Goodly Creatures Theatre), and Troilus & Cressida as Aneas (NIU). Aside from performing on stage, Juan also teaches theatre for adults with disabilities at Brightstar Theatre Company in Northbrook, IL. Juan is ecstatic to revive his role as Angel, and he would like to thank his family, partner, friends and his new theatre family for the constant love and support!

Angela Castro is excited for all of you to watch Rose Theatrics first production! She has been in couple theatre productions back at Reavis High School and Oak Lawn Theatre. Dancing Roles such as Enchantress in Beauty and the Beast, Marcy Parks in 25th Annual Spelling Bee, The Moon in Addams Family. Angela has been on the UIC D1 Dance Team and FIA Modern. She continues to be a technical coach and choreographer for the Reavis Ramettes. In addition, she works as an assistant choreographer for Reavis Theatre. She is about to start her Pharmacy School Journey this upcoming year and will be hosting Battle of the Bamboo 2025 (the Biggest Midwest Filipino Cultural Competition) as Vice-President External and Principal Coordinator. Big thank you to the cast and directors who made this whole experience amazing. There’s no day but today to watch this amazing production!

A'Keisha Lee (she/her) is a dancer, actor, and singer based in Chicago. A'Keisha has loved musical theater since childhood and credits RENT for sparking her desire to perform. She is thrilled to play MIMI in Rose Theatrics' debut production. She thanks Laura, Sam, Gavin, Brandi, and the entire cast for their trust, dedication, and commitment to this process. A'Keisha's recent credits include Pregnant Pause, Midsummer Fest, and Panther Women: An Army for the Liberation. A'Keisha is also a member of the Delirium Dancers. Catch her and the Delirium show on Halloween at the Newport Theater.

ABBY DENAULT (she/her) is a Chicago-based singer/actor and honored to be part of Rose Theatrics’ inaugural performance. Favorite credits include: Rocky Horror Show - Janet Weiss (Surging Film & Theatrics), Cruel Intentions: the Musical - U/S Kathryn Merteuil (Kokandy Productions), RENT- Maureen (Limelight Theatreworks), Spongebob: the Musical - Pearl Krabs (OLPD) and Footloose - Rusty (OLPD). Abby holds a Bachelor of Music from Millikin University in vocal performance with a commercial emphasis and a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management from Colorado State University. Beyond working as a recruiter with JP Morgan Chase, she plays with cover band 7th Anomaly and helped co-found To the Stage Productions, which has raised money to continue the fight against HIV & AIDS. YT: @abbydenault IG: abden009 “Glitter and love to my friends, family, cats & partner, Jason! Huge thank you to the staff of this show for allowing Maureen to be a part of my life again. To the cast, babes, we are the lucky ones.”

Emma is super excited to be performing her first lead musical role with Rose Theatrics. Maureen has been a dream of hers ever since she saw Rent years ago, and she is beyond grateful for the opportunity to play her with this amazing cast. She is going to be a junior in the fall at UIC studying to get her BFA in Acting. Recent credits include Not About Nightingales, Urinetown, Fefu and Her Friends (UIC), and Hello, Dolly! (Beverly Arts Center). She wants to thank the amazing production team, cast, and her family for believing in her and helping make a dream come true.

Colin is very grateful to be apart of Rose Theatrics first production ever among this incredible directorial team. Past Credits include: Seymour Krelborn (LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS) Lucas Beineke (THE ADDAMS FAMILY) Freddy (CARRIE THE MUSICAL) and in the fall, he will be playing Thalia and understudying the role of Sonny Malone in Xanadu at Carthage College. A huge thank you to Laura Hilger for believing in him and giving him this opportunity to do what he does best on stage. Break legs to the entire cast for this amazing show!

Lisa is thrilled to join the cast of RENT, marking her return to the stage after a 10-year hiatus! During this time, she has shared her enthusiasm and love of performing with countless students through her roles as a band director, drama director, and speech coach in Burbank. Lisa eagerly embraces the opportunity to share the stage with such a talented group of people, and is deeply grateful to tell such a beautiful story that resonates so profoundly with both its performers and audiences.

Jasmine Monet is extremely excited to be apart of this production! A passionate performer, Jasmine is returning to the stage after completing her doctoral studies and starting a family. Jasmine is known as a skilled singer and dancer throughout Northern and Southern California and is pleased to have found a theater community here in Illinois. After her role as Erzulie's understudy in the Jeff Awarded musical Once on This Island last summer, Jasmine Monet is thrilled to be back on stage!

Steve Ihejirika is making his debut with Rose Theatrics’s inaugural show of Rent! As a high school Head drama/speech coach, performing is a part of his daily life and now he gets to share his gift with a larger audience! Steve is super honored to be a part of this amazing cast and crew! Cheers to the first but definitely not the last!

Julie Jager is truly honored to be back at her old high school for Rose Theatrics debut show: Rent! She is native to the Chicagoland area and a proud Alumni of The ACADEMY at Black Box Acting. Although being newer to the Chicago theatre community, some recent credits include Sweeney Todd, Hookman, Carrie the Musical (MPTG Theatre); Legally Blonde (Theater-on-The-Hill); SpongeBob Squarepants the Musical, Sister Act (OLPD Theatre) and the 2022/2023/2024 seasons of Sing2Cycle (To The Stage Production, LLC). As she advances her passion for the performing arts, she cannot express enough the excitement of doing a dream show in a space she always wanted but never was able to preform in during her high school years. She has so much love for this unbelievably genuine and talented cast/crew; and wants to thank her family, friends, and each and every one of you who come out and support this dream! We truly could not do this "Without You"! ;) <3 @yourstrulyjuli3

Curtis E. Lewis, a proud Chicagoland native, is thrilled to join the stage with Rose Theatrics and be a part of such a dynamic and talented group. Guided by the Ubuntu philosophy—"I am, because we are"—Curtis believes in the interconnectedness of all people and the power of community. He finds no better expression of this belief than through the transformative art of theater.   Curtis has portrayed iconic roles such as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet and Othello in Othello with the Gary Shakespeare Company, as well as Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird at Purdue University.   Offstage, Curtis is the Program Manager of Chicago Builds, where he empowers CPS juniors and seniors to become the next generation of skilled tradespeople. Through this role, he fosters pathways to meaningful employment and lifelong success, equipping students with the skills, knowledge, and certifications necessary for thriving careers in the construction industry.

Jeremiah Perez is a Latin American actor who has performed in many productions around the Chicagoland area. He is well recognized for his performance as Usnavi in The Drama Group’s production of “In The Heights” and the 2024 Jeff Award winning production of “Once On This Island” as Armand and Monsieur Beauxhomme with the Pulse Theatre. This will be Jeremiah’s debut performance in Oak Lawn community theatre and is excited to be part of this new theatre company Rose Theatrics.

Jeff returns to the stage once again in RENT! Previous stage credits include Footloose, Something Rotten, Newsies, and Cry Baby. After years of dancing, Jeff is thrilled to be a dance captain for the male ensemble of the show. When he is not busting a move, you can find him working in accounting. Thank you to Laura for welcoming him into this experience with open arms. Break a leg to the cast and crew!

Mia is delighted to be a part of Rose Theatrics’ first musical production of RENT! You may recognize her ensemble work from OLPD Theatre productions like Sister Act the Musical, Elf the Musical, Footloose, or the Spongebob Musical! Mia thanks those who love and support her, as well as the cast and production team for their efforts! You can follow Mia on instagram @miatowne.