Next to Normal (April)
UIndy Theatre presents the award-winning musical about the connection between family and one woman’s struggle with mental illness.
Purchase tickets via Eventbrite or at the door. Admission is free with a UIndy student ID!
Cast List
Diana Goodman……………………………………………………….Ainsleigh Cardone
Dan Goodman ……………………………………………………………………Avery Eller
Natalie Goodman………………………………………………………………..Valyn Davis
Gabe Goodman……………………………………………………………..Max Gallagher
Henry…………………………………………………………………………Andi Kirschman
Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine……………………………………….Natalie Sayer, Mia Kerberg
ENSEMBLE………………………………Kaitlynn Miner, Tristen Blakley, Rae Cook
Director/Choreographer…..…….……………………..Callie Burk-Hartz
Musical Director……………………………………………….Elle Tyler
Stage Manager…………………………………………..Rae Cook
Assistant Stage Managers…………………………..Ki Elio, Maeve Rosario
Run crew…………………………………..Katelyn Hall, Samantha Funk
Technical Director……………………………………………..Kelli Thomas
Sound Design…………………………….…………Eli Phil-Eboise
Sound Board Op………………………………………………..Cooper Cougill
Set Designer………………………..……..……..Christian McKinney
Lighting Designer………………………………………………………..Tim Dick
Light Board Op……………………………………………………Ro Profitt
Spot Op…………………………………..………..……..Kate Downey
Intimacy Coordinator………………………………………Abigail Wittenmyer
BAND: Elle Tyler (keyboard), Sally McSpadden (keyboard), Preston Wolfe (bass), Jake Kortepeter (cello), Laura Blake (drums)
Meet the Cast and Crew
Ainsleigh Cardone (she/her) is a first year graduate student studying psychology-research. This is her first production with UIndy Theatre.
Avery Eller (he/him) is a senior Software Engineering major. He has previously appeared in two of UIndy Theatre’s Cabaret Showcases.
Valyn Davis (she/they) is a freshman English Education major. She appeared in Anyone Can Dance, a UIndy Theatre Student Directed Production, this past fall.
Max Gallagher (he/him) is a senior Illustration major with a graphic design minor. This is his first production with UIndy Theatre!
Andi Kirschman (any pronouns) is a freshman studying Archaeology and Earth Space Sciences. This is their first production with UIndy Theatre!
Mia Kerberg (she/her) is a sophomore Communication major. This is her first production with UIndy Theatre!
Natalie Sayer (she/her) is a junior theatre major with a performing arts minor. She is UIndy Theatre’s Front of House Student Manager. Her previous onstage experience includes:
Lauren in Circle Mirror Transformation and Rosa Stevens intick, tick…BOOM!
Her backstage experience includes Assistant Stage Manager for The Importance of Being Earnest and Sound Board/Costumes Crew for 2pm in Faith Nebraska, and Stage Manager for Mac: A Macbeth Story,
Kaitlynn Miner (she/her) is a junior Theatre Major with a double minor in Music and Performing Arts. Her previous onstage experience includes ensemble in tick, tick…BOOM!, features in UIndy Theatre’s Cabaret Showcases, and UIndy Night Live.
Tristen Blakely (he/him) is a freshman history major with a theatre minor. He previously appeared onstage as Flarmin in Mac: A Macbeth Story
Callie Burk-Hartz (she/her) is a performer, director, and educator from the southside of Indianapolis.
She has been acting and dancing since she was a child and has lived, studied and performed in Los Angeles, Vancouver, British Columbia and NYC.
She currently runs Betty Rage Productions and is also the Festival Director for the Indy Fringe festival.
Elle Tyler (she/her) is a writer, composer, and teacher from Chicago & Colorado, and now thrilled to be in Indianapolis! She writes original music for her band with her husband as well as musicals, one of which, Female Troubles, was just produced by Indy Fringe in March.
Rae Cook (they/them) is a senior Theatre Major with a Performing Arts minor. They are UIndy Theatre’s Social Media Student Manager.
Their previous onstage experience at UIndy includes: Brooklyn De’Wolfe in God’s of Comedy, Lane/Merriman in The Importance of Being Earnest, Marty in Circle Mirror Transformation, and Duncan in Mac: A Macbeth Story.
Their backstage experience includes: Run Crew Head for Nora: A Doll’s House, Assistant Stage Manager for Evil Dead: The Musical and tick, tick…BOOM!, and Stage Manager for 2pm in Faith, Nebraska.
Ki Elio (he/him) is a sophomore Creative Writing major. Previously he has been onstage for our 2025 Cabaret, UIndy Night Live, and in Through Stained Glass, a UIndy Theatre Student Directed Production.
Maeve Rosario (he/him) is a junior Communication major on the Theatre track. He has previously appeared onstage in Anyone Can Dance, a UIndy Theatre Student Directed Production, and was in the crew for Mac: A Macbeth Story and UIndy Night Live.
– Cooper Cougill (he/him) is a junior Comm major on the theatre track.
– Katelyn Hall (she/they) is a junior Comm major on the theatre track
– Ro Profitt (they/them) is a freshman Comm major on the theatre track
– Axel Osborne (they/them) is a senior Theatre major and our Student Manager of Tech and Design
– Gillian Styers-Barnett (she/they) is a junior Comm major on the Media track
– Samantha Funk (she/her) is a first year Comm major on the theatre track
– Maeve Rosario (he/him) is one of our ASMs
*Dr. Madden will be portrayed by Mia Kerberg on Wednesday and Friday, and by Natalie Sayer on Thursday and Saturday’s performances. The other actor will portray Dr. Fine.
Content Warnings:
Next to Normal is a show about mental health. It involves discussions of mental illness, psychosis and hallucinations, discussion of self-harm and suicide, and abuse of medication. There are mentions of infant death. There will be flashing lights used in the opening number of Act 2 (“Wish I Were Here”).
Want to help us do more shows like this? Get involved with UIndy Theatre!
See you in the 2026 – 2027 school year!
