Professional Staff

Joshua Erichsen
Producing Artistic Director
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Josh begins his twelfth season with the Players Guild Theatre, and his third full season as Artistic Director. Josh joined the organization in 1999 and has since had the pleasure of designing and contributing to over one-hundred productions. Since taking the role of Producing Artistic Director, Josh has worked to develop a relevant and consistent quality to the Players Guild’s productions. In 2008, he took the bold step of creating the position of Resident Director for the organization, and is proud to have appointed Mr. Tisevich to that role. In 2009, he founded the Guild’s New Play Conservatory, a program which attracts and develops new un-published plays from around the world to be produced right here in Canton, Ohio. Thanks to the diligent work of Mr. Jeremy Lewis, the NPC premiered three works in the summer of 2010. Prior to his appointment as Artistic Director, Josh served as the production designer, overseeing the artistic integrity of all production elements, and designing sets and costumes for both Mainstage and Downstage productions. Favorite design credits include, Players Guild: A Christmas Carol, Annie, Ragtime, Beauty and the Beast, 1776, The Diary of Anne Frank, Les Miserables, Jekyll and Hyde and Batboy. Josh is also proud to have been associated with the Ohio Shakespeare Festival: Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, The Comedy of Errors, and The Tempest. Other credits include: Romeo and Juliet (Magical Theatre Company), Joseph...Dreamcoat (National Tour). Josh earned his degree from Kent State University, and is the recipient of the 2007 Spotlight Award from AACT for outstanding contributions to theatre. Josh is only able to do what he does because of the love and support of the three beautiful girls in his life, his wife Monica and daughters Grace and Liberty.

Jeremy Lewis
Associate Artistic Director
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Jeremy is proud to begin his third season with the Players Guild Theatre, previously serving as Director of New Play Development wherein he established a national premiere play producing program entitled The New Play Conservatory. The program’s credits: Pills by Michael DeVito (directed by Jeremy), Mona Lisa by Ron Burch, and Then Waves by Kevin Kautzman. Throughout the past 2 seasons with the Players Guild Theatre, Jeremy directed The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, taught twelve acting courses, and assisted in developing the outreach program entitled Youth Reach. Jeremy has six years experience in program development and new play production; six years experience teaching acting, design, and performance skills; and has directed twenty-five productions. His favorite credits include: (producing and directing) Small Talk at the Water Cooler and From Script To You: New Works Festival (The North Canton Playhouse); and Act Out (Faircrest Residential Treatment Center). Prior to his professional theatre career, he worked two years in employment development and support for individual with disabilities; mediating between employers, government agencies, and clients. Jeremy is the son of Denny Lewis, and brother to Dustin and Sam. He is an active member of the Theatre Communications Group and holds his BA in Communications and Theatre from Malone University.

Craig M. Betz
Technical Director
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Craig is entering his fifth season as a member of the Players Guild staff. He is a graduate of Kent State University where he received a Bachelors degree in Theatre Arts. His credits as a scenic designer include: All My Sons, Anne of Green Gables, The Hobbit, Honk!, The Comedy of Errors, God’s Favorite, Winnie the Pooh, and Peter Pan. In his free time (which is almost non-existent these days) Craig enjoys spending time on the tributary rivers of lake Erie and Alaska fishing for steelhead trout and working on motorcycle custom paint jobs.

Susie I. Smith
Resident Costume Designer
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Susie has been a professional costumer in a career that spans over three decades.  She started in film with TV westerns of the 70’s at Old Tucson Movie Studios and from there was asked to join the IATSE Costumers Local 705 in Hollywood.  She worked on feature films at all the major movie studios then segued to episodic TV shows.  She has worked with many up and coming actors who are now house-hold names and directors who are or were legendary.  Susie was nominated for an Emmy Award for the TV series “St. Elsewhere” and won.  She also won an Emmy for being part of the costume team on the TV mini-series “Winds of War.”  For a change of pace, she returned to Ohio and started her own design business which covered a broad range of experiences across the country.  In 2002 she took up theatre full time for Magical Theatre Company, Wooster Stage Partners and The Players Guild Theatre.  Her great discovery is, “…the money is great in film, but costuming in theatre is honest work!”  She wishes to thank Magical Theatre Co. for giving her a start in theatrical costuming and The Players Guild for bringing some stability to her life---most particularly Josh Erichsen “who has always believed in me.”  And to the new and upcoming generation of costumers, a big thank you to Miss Leslie DeStefano, her true-blue costume design assistant.  “Fame is fleeting, but God is forever.”

Leslie DeStefano
Assistant Costume Designer
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Leslie is a graduate of Kent State University, where she studied costume design. Leslie started volunteering in 2005 with the production of Children of Eden, which helped her to land this current position. Leslie served as Costume Designer for the Guild’s production of The Princess and the Pea, Winnie the Pooh, and Annie and assisted for the productions of Ragtime, A Christmas Carol, The Last 5 Years, God’s Favorite and Beauty and the Beast. She has also costumed the Page to Stage and children’s summer camp productions, most recently Beauty and the Beast Jr., Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Jr. and Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. Plus she has costumed at the Kent State University Stark Campus, Ohio Youth Shakespeare Festival and has assisted on Ohio Shakespeare Festival and Magical Theatre Company productions. Leslie’s fondest dream in costuming is to have an entire show with only mannequins.

Carrie Alexander Spina
Director of Education
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Carrie, has been involved at The Players Guild Theatre since 1992 on and off stage. Carrie was last seen on stage at the Guild as Big Mama in the 2010 production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Although Carrie enjoys being on stage, she dedicates most of her time as the director and creator of Page to Stage a project which takes touring theatrical productions and workshops to local elementary schools and events since 2006. Page to Stage has presented the following touring productions: Treasure Island, Stuart little, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland. She proudly has outreached to over 18,000 students in Stark and Tuscarwawas counties since 2006. Carrie has also directed and written for the Winners Choice Outreach program in Alliance Ohio, directed In Search of God’s Treasure for the Royal Family Kids Camp program through Faith Family Church and has directed youth productions for the Players Guild Theatre, those credits include: Annie Jr, 101 Dalmatians, Alice in Wonderland Jr, Willy Wonka Jr, Beauty and the Beast Jr and High School Musical Jr. Her Passion for Theatre as an actress, teaching artist and director drives her to continue outreaching, giving every child the opportunity to experience the magic of theatre.