Mars...The Musical!

Alex Tupper is a native of Jacksonville, FL, and lives in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. Some of his previous stage work includes: The Importance of Being Ernest (Algernon), Two Gentleman of Verona (Launce), and The Burial at Thebes (Creon). Alex is currently in the Grad Revue program at The Second City Chicago while also performing around the city. While not acting, Alex is a middle school teacher and has spent time teaching theatre over the summer in various parts of the world, including Houston, TX, Florida, and Madrid, Spain.

Allie Crawford hasn’t been in a musical since high school, so this is huge. By day, she’s a CPS elementary school teacher and by night, she is a serial hobbyist. Over her past two years in Chicago, Allie has performed with improv groups at iO and Second City. She’s also a big sister in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Chicago and a regular foster of cats from PAWS. Allie is the proud director of the Theatre Club and the annual Spring play at her school, where her students laud her standard of “Broadway quality for 10 year olds.” She wants to shout out Lisa and Jasmyn for bringing their project to life - Allie feels really, really lucky to be a part of this.

​​Annie Norris is thrilled to be Emma in Mars… The Musical! Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Annie graduated with a B.A. in Musical Theatre from Birmingham-Southern College. She began her comedy journey with the improv troupe Sloppy Socks in Charleston, South Carolina, before relocating to Chicago. Annie is currently completing the Grad Revue at The Second City in Everything, is on Fire, Fine and performs Fridays at the Bughouse Theater in The Rabble with her group Locket Out. You may also recognize her from Friends in Medium Places and The Breakfast Klerb at The Second City. Huge thanks to her fellow Martians, and to Jasmyn and Lisa! Enjoy the show! @anniefranorris

Cate Castelli is an actor/singer/dancer from Colorado. She graduated from Colorado Mesa University with a BFA in Musical Theatre and a minor in dance. Most recently she was in The Wolves at Dobama theatre in Cleveland, Ohio. Other credits include Amadeus at the Cleveland Playhouse and Minnie Fay, Hello Dolly! at the Sangre De Cristo Arts Center. Credits from Colorado Mesa include Puck, A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Anna Maria, Godspell;  Helga, Cabaret;  and Bielke, Fiddler on the Roof. Cate is so thrilled to be participating in the reading of this wonderful show. She would like to thank the cast and artistic team for everything they have done. @catecastelli catecastelli.com

Christina is excited to be making her Chicago debut! Favorite regional credits include: Mary Bennet (Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley), Henrietta Reign (Yuletide at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire), and The Little Mermaid (The Little Mermaid Cocktail Experience).

Emilia Barrosse is a comedian, performer and counselor living in Chicago, IL with her cat (son). You can catch her on stage performing with her improv teams Heya Toots! and What's Yours Like?, and doing stand up at any venue that will have her.

Jasmyn Zeigerson (co-creator) is an actor, musician, writer, and comedian in Chicago. You may see her doing improv-comedy, playing the occasional music gig, and generally hootin’ and hollerin’ around town. She would like to thank her awesome cast, wonderful MD Paul Thompson, and of course her brilliant co-creator, roommate, and creative partner extraordinaire Lisa O’Brien. All that’s left to say is… Welcome to Mars!

Jason Hagemann (Mayor)

Jason brings a wide-ranging creative background to Mars: The Musical. A novelist, performer, and screenwriter, his acting credits span modern, absurdist, and Shakespearean works, including Romeo at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Gratiano in The Merchant of Venice at San Pedro Playhouse, and Tranio in The Taming of the Shrew at Northern Illinois University. Other regional stage credits include The Sound of Music (Max), Biloxi Blues (Eugene), and Whodunnit (Inspector Bowden). He has also worked on a variety of writing projects, including a screenplay that placed in the Humanitas Awards and the novel The Sixth Book (currently rated 4.7/5 on Amazon).

Offstage, Jason has leveraged his passion for storytelling in his marketing career. After working 20+ years at global companies and universities, he recently founded RIVL Marketing, a venture blending storytelling, strategy, and research for brands and institutions. He holds both an MFA and an MBA. Jason is thrilled to be the Mayor of Mars—and promises to keep the town under budget!

Ben
Jonah is an actor/comedian/retail cashier/all around great guy making his Chicago acting debut. Jonah is a recent graduate of the second city conservatory program and has a BA in musical theatre with a minor in voice acting from Columbia College Chicago.

Kylee Masterson ( they/she) is a Chicago based actor, comedian, and teaching artist. They spend their time performing standup around the city, taking part in their rap duo MASTERMILFS, and co- running their theatre company Drunk on Broadway. They are so excited to be part of Mars… the Musical, and they hope you enjoy the show XOXO Gossip Girl

Lisa (co-creator) is a comedian, writer, and cheese-lover originally from Roswell, Georgia, now living in Chi-town. She is part of the Second City Grad Revue program and has performed improv and stand-up on stages across the city, and she is happy to return to the Annoyance for this very special reading. She would like to thank her cast for being stellar, her parents for their unwavering support, and Jasmyn for being her roommate, co-creator, and artistic soul sister. She hopes you all enjoy your visit to Mars!

Cody Barnes

Paul W. Thompson (Music Director) was Music Director for Steamworks: The Musical's 2025 edition at the Annoyance Theatre. He has taught music for improv and sketch at the Second City Training Center since 2015 and was an MD for The Improvised Sondheim Project (performances in Chicago, Cincinnati and New York). He has musical directed scripted theater productions from Massachusetts to Florida and across the Great Lakes, was Editor of BroadwayWorld Chicago for eight years, was President of the Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and is a voter for the Grammy Awards. Thompson holds degrees in music theater from Baylor University (BFA) and the University of Miami (MM) and teaches voice and piano in Chicago's historic Fine Arts Building. His professional career as an actor, singer and pianist is over 50 years long, and he has seen the original Broadway production of every Tony-winning Best Musical since Cats.

Sam Erwin (they/them) is around. You can find them around most often performing with Dez Brandes as clown duo Keep It Stupid, Stupid (KISS) at venues around town and at their biweekly clown variety show under the same name at Playground Theater and Big Foggy. Sam wants to explore the infinity of what we can do when bodies share space. What lives inside us all with no name? Sam does a little bit of everything, but most importantly, they persevere. Connect with them on instagram @samerwin_ @keepitstupidstupid or on red line platforms around Chicago.

Sam Erwin (they/them) is around. You can find them around most often performing with Dez Brandes as clown duo Keep It Stupid, Stupid (KISS) at venues around town and at their biweekly clown variety show under the same name at Playground Theater and Big Foggy. Sam wants to explore the infinity of what we can do when bodies share space. What lives inside us all with no name? Sam does a little bit of everything, but most importantly, they persevere. Connect with them on instagram @samerwin_ @keepitstupidstupid or on red line platforms around Chicago.

Tristan Ramos (Lloyd) is beyond excited to be a part of Mars... The Musical! Tristan is active in the Chicago improv community and, when not onstage, can usually be found teaching music to kids or driving to the next show he’s either watching or performing in. He would like to thank Lisa and Jasmyn for the opportunity to be part of this project—it’s been a blast working with them and the rest of the team!