When tragedy strikes the congregation of a Southern Baptist church, tensions rise and gossip, rumors, and judgement begin to threaten the foundation of the entire church community. Pastor Fudge and his son Isaac are trying to come to terms with the recent loss of their wife and mother, Virginia Hickory and Sharon Kettering go head-to-head over who will best lead the children’s program, and members of the youth group begin to question why one of their own has become so withdrawn. In Holier Than Thou, nothing is as it seems, and we learn that you never truly understand what people are going through until you take the time to understand.
Content Warning: This production includes representations of death, suicide, abuse, abortion, and alcohol addiction. Audience members under the age of 13 are discouraged from attending.
Production Staff
Director - Brian A. Palmer
Producer - Ellie Haenick
Playwright - Matthew Barr
Stage Manager - Jordan Sauer
Properties Designer - Jaimee Levitt
Cast
Pastor Michael Fudge - Stephen Woosley
Dr. Elise Fudge - Lynne Rouzer
Isaac Fudge - Nick Martin
Virginia Hickory - Natalie Keller Pariano
Bruce Hickory - Mark Pettyjohn
Sharon Kettering - Kate France
Mark Kettering - Jeff Kemeter
Jon Sutton - Ryan Dever
Janna What's-Her-Name - McKenna Willis
Aileen Warner - Audrey Marie Brownfield
Pastor Steve - Kyle Smith
Talk Back
We hosted a live stream "Talk Back" on Sunday, October 6, 2024 at 6:30 PM. This was an opportunity to have a conversation about our production of Matthew Barr's "Holier Than Thou" and allowed the community to be a part of its development.
The playwright, performers, director, and designers discussed their experiences and the process of working on an original play. Attendees also had the chance to ask their questions on anything related to the production.
Company
Matthew Barr
Playwright
Matthew is a playwright, director, and performer who has been working on the play Holier Than Thou for about four years now. He was recently onstage as Herbie and Uncle Jocko in Gypsy at Imagine Productions and is directing The Importance of Being Earnest for AJAC this November. Matthew is a teacher during the day, but while not at school or putting words on a page for actors to say, he can be seen hiking a trail with his sisters or working on his upcoming children’s book. If there is one message he wants you to take away from Holier Than Thou, it can be summed up with a quote by the late writer, Michelle McNamara: “It’s chaos; be kind.”
Audrey Marie Brownfield
Aileen Warner
Audrey is thrilled to be making her Aethereal Jest acting debut in a show she’s seen from the very beginning! She has been a part of Holier Than Thou since the very first table read back in 2022 and wants to thank Matthew Barr for letting her stick around this long. Past credits in Columbus include: Next to Normal (Natalie), A Behanding in Spokane (Marilyn), Jerry Finnegan’s Sister (Beth Finnegan), Leading Ladies (Meg), The Fantasticks (Louisa), and Urinetown (Little Sally). All her love to her husband Matt, her fur babies Harper and Winnie and her family for their endless support. Gma, this one’s for you.
Ryan Dever
Jon Sutton
Ryan will be portraying the role of Jon Sutton in tonight’s performance. This is the second production that he has done with Aethereal Jest Arts Council. Past credits include: Macbeth/Caesar in All the World's a Stage [Aethereal Jest], Rogers in And Then There Were None [PACE], and Johnny Bubbles in The Psychic [LTOB]. Ryan would like to thank Brian Palmer, his very supportive friends, and his cat Luca.
Kate France
Sharon Kettering
Kate will be portraying the role of Sharon Kettering in tonight’s performance. This is the third production that she has done with the Aethereal Jest Arts Council. Most recently, she played Rachel Lynde in Anne of Green Gables. Some of her other recent productions include: Little John in The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood, DJ in Normies [MadLab Theatre], and Willie Lovelace in Blazing Guns at Roaring Gulch [Weathervane Playhouse]. She would like to thank her family, friends, and mentors for their enduring support and willingness to watch her be silly on stage.
Ellie Haenick
Producer
Ellie is excited to be producing Matthew Barr's Holier Than Thou! This is her third show with Aethereal Jest Arts Council, having recently portrayed Amy March in Little Women of Orchard House and the Modern Theatre Student in All the World's a Stage. Ellie also serves as the Performing Arts Coordinator for AJAC. Outside of the theater, she enjoys drawing and spending time with her two cats! Special thanks to Jordan Sauer, Brian Palmer, and Matthew Barr for making this show possible and for being wonderful friends.
Jeff Kemeter
Mark Kettering
Jeff is excited to be returning to Aethereal Jest after recently appearing in Curtain Players’ production of All in the Timing and Aethereal Jest’s production of Little Women of Orchard House. Previous Curtain Players productions include Goodbye Freddy, My Three Angels, Present Laughter, Rest Assured, Sense and Sensibility, 16–3–3 Home, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Arsenic and Old Lace, Crimes of the Heart, Wendy Darling, among many others. Thank you, Holly!
Jaimee Levitt
Properties Designer
Coming Soon!
Nick Martin
Isaac Fudge
Nick is an actor from Columbus, Ohio. This is his first production with Aethereal Jest Arts Council, though he is excited to work again with Brian Palmer and other familiar faces. He received his BFA in Acting from Wright State University in 2020 and has since collaborated as an actor and technician on both film and live production. He would like to thank Matthew Barr for trusting him to bring this character to life.
Brian A. Palmer
Director
Brian served as the Director for tonight’s performance. This is the eighth production that he has worked on with Aethereal Jest Arts Council. Past credits include: Director for Nighthawks [Red Herring Productions], Director for The Fantasticks [King Avenue Players], and Director for Tuck Everlasting [Worthington Community Theatre]. Brian would like to thank Anthony, Jaimee, and Shana.
Natalie Keller Pariano
Virginia Hickory
Natalie is delighted to be part of the workshop premiere of Holier Than Thou. Offstage she is the lettering artist, educator, and sprinkler of positivity confetti at NatterDoodle (@natterdoodles) where she creates stationery and lifestyle goods with her original designs and teaches art workshops. Favorite roles include Tessie Hutchinson in The Lottery, Mrs. Potts in Beauty & the Beast, and Ellie Banks in Father of the Bride. Natalie wishes a sincere "Bless Your Heart" to the entire AJAC team, cast, and crew for the memories and magic!
Mark A. Pettyjohn
Bruce Hickory
Mark will be portraying the role of Bruce Hickory in tonight’s performance. This is the first production that he has done with Aethereal Jest Arts Council. Past credits include: none! This is Mark’s first show. Mark would like to thank Natalie, Confetti, and Patrick.
Lynne Rouzer
Dr. Elise Fudge
Lynne is thrilled to make her debut on the Aethereal Jest stage with this talented and supportive group. Recent favorite roles include Vagina Monologues [New Herring Theatre Company], Emma in Bonnie & Clyde [Little Theatre Off Broadway], Thalia in Gods of Comedy [Curtain Players], Reverend Mother in Nunsense [Little Theatre Off Broadway], and Leona in Exit Laughing [Eclipse Theatre Company]. Lynne would like to thank Matt Barr for creating this wonderfully complex character, Brian Palmer for his vision & commitment to this project, and A.P. for the line help! Break legs, all!
Jordan Sauer
Stage Manager
Coming Soon!
Kyle Smith
Pastor Steve
Kyle returns to AJAC after appearing in The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood (Prince John) and Anne of Green Gables (various). He will play Jack Worthing in their upcoming production of The Importance of Being Earnest. He has also worked extensively with Curtain Players over the years.
McKenna Willis
Janna What's-Her-Name
McKenna is an OSU graduate with over a decade of shows under her belt. Her favorite roles include Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mavis Wilson in Love from a Stranger and Jo in Little Women of Orchard House. She is excited to be back for the workshop production of Holier Than Thou. A huge thanks to her family and friends for always supporting her on and off stage. I love you guys! <3
Stephen Woosley
Pastor Michael Fudge
Stephen will be portraying Pastor Fudge in Tonight's performance. This is the second production that he has done with Aethereal Jest Arts Council. He played everybody's favorite Matthew Cuthbert in Anne of Green Gables earlier this year. He is the president of the O.G.P. theatre company, a member of the Fake Bacon improv troupe, and co-host of the It's All Been Trekked Before podcast. He has two cats, Chloe and Hermy.
Board of Directors
Megan Mateer, Chair
Jason Phillips, Vice Chair
Randi Honkonen, Treasurer
Veronica Heer, Secretary
Madison Lee, Director at Large
Lucia Lombardo, Director at Large
Chris Makar, Ex Officio Director
Brian A. Palmer, Ex Officio Director