YPT 101 Dalmatians Camp Team 2025
Burke Brickner
Burke Brickner is a performer, dancer, actor, singer, and choreographer from New York City. He currently attends the University of Michigan for a BFA degree in Musical Theatre. A few of Burke’s favorite credits include: choreographing the most recent production of NEWSIES for Pioneer Theatre Guild; Nickelodeon’s “Lip Sync Battle Shorties”; “Impractical Jokers” on TruTV; 100+ performances and three productions nationwide of “Billy Elliot” as Michael Caffrey. Burke has over a decade of dance experience and is trained in all styles. Prior to coming to UMich, he spent five years working as a professional dancer for Kanyok Arts Initiative (KAI) – an elite dance training and performance company based in NYC.
Burke is so stoked to be choreographing YPT’s summer production, 101 DALMATIANS. Major congratulations to everyone involved in this process!
Stay up to date with Burke on his Instagram: @burkebrickner
Cooper Bush
Cooper is so excited to be returning as a YPT Camp Leader this summer! He is a rising senior at Saline High School, and is looking forward to an awesome life of performing! YPT has always been a special place to him, which helped unlock his love for being onstage. You may recognize him from past YPT shows, including Mamma Mia! (Pepper), School of Rock (Ned), The Little Mermaid (Prince Eric), and Seussical (Horton). Cooper fondly remembers his first YPT camps that started him on his theater-journey, including Seussical and Shrek! He hopes each young actor finds the thrilling magic of YPT, and has a blast this summer!
Margaret Ellis
Hey Everyone! Margaret is excited to be a Camp Leader for 101 Dalmatians Tech this summer. They’ve spent many shows helping bring the magic of theater to life, from lights and props to building sets and making sure everything runs smoothly backstage. Get ready to discover how every part of a production comes together to create an unforgettable performance!
Eve Kaplan
Eve Dahlia Kaplan is a rising junior pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre at the University of Miami. As an Ann Arbor native, Eve discovered her love for theatre here at YPT, where she performed, assistant choreographed, and participated in tech team. Eve had a blast directing Willy Wonka and Aristocats last summer, and she is so excited to be back for 101 Dalmatians. When not at the theatre, Eve is usually spending time with friends and family, playing her favorite songs on guitar, reading new books, or dancing in costume as a party princess entertainer! She is passionate about inspiring young people to share their creativity and is thrilled to be part of this wonderful experience with the team and campers.
Anika Lindstrom
Anika is going into her senior year at Saline High School. She is so thrilled to be helping with YPT’s summer camps this year! She has been in the 2022 Shrek Jr. summer camp and four shows, with Mamma Mia! (Dancing Queen) and Suessical (Mrs. Mayor) holding a special place in her heart. After high school, she is hoping to go into Music Education. In the rare moments she’s not in a theater, you can find her singing in choir, writing, and baking. Looking forward to a great summer!
Jennifer Monk-Reising: Technical Camp Director
Jennifer Monk-Reising proudly serves as the Creative Director for Young People’s Theater (YPT), where she leads the Tech Team with creativity, expertise, and enthusiasm. Over the past decade, Jennifer has taken on many roles at YPT—from set design and costumes to props and technical direction—while also spearheading nine years of Behind-the-Scenes tech camps each summer.
Jennifer is dedicated to inspiring young minds through the art of theater production. She passionately designs and oversees costumes, hair and makeup, sets, and props, guiding campers through hands-on learning in all aspects of behind-the-scenes magic. Her work emphasizes creative storytelling, teamwork, and the power of transformation through design.
Recent productions including Shrek, Seussical, The Little Mermaid, School of Rock, Mamma Mia, Into the Woods, Matilda, and SpongeBob, have showcased the growing impact of YPT’s Tech Team program. This is where young artists take on real production roles—from scenic construction and prop creation to sound, lights, and costume design—gaining valuable experience and confidence along the way.
Outside of YPT, Jennifer is the Artist Coordinator for the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original; owns JMR Events, an event planning business; and has contributed her design talents to productions at Pioneer Theatre Guild and Greenhills School. She also serves as the president of the Community High School Jazz Band Booster Club, supporting young musicians in the community.
Jennifer is excited to head into the new summer season with an incredible creative team. She extends heartfelt thanks to Ane for her unwavering support, and to her fellow 2205 YPT Camp team for helping bring the YPT magic to life. Enjoy the summer!
Simon Schroeder
Johni Weidner
Johni Weidner is a rising junior at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance studying Theatre Arts with a concentration in Performing Arts Management. Music Director credits include Side Man, Once, 101 Dalmatians Kids, Finding Nemo Kids, High School Musical, Legally Blonde Jr., Willy Wonka Kids, and The Aristocats KIDS. Assistant Music Director credits include Vanities, Bat Boy the Musical, Titanic, and Heathers. She is so excited to be music directing her second Summer with YPT! @johniweidner
Coming Up for High School Musical…
Caroline Huntoon
Over the past 8 years, Caroline has directed 15 shows at Young People’s Theater, and they are so excited to be joining the camp staff at YPT for Shrek The Musical! Prior to this summer, Caroline has worked with musical theater camps at YPT and The Encore Musical Theater Company. Caroline has also directed and performed in shows with Burns Park Players, The Encore, PTD Productions, Chelsea Area Players, Dexter Community Players, and more! They have a B.A. in theater with a concentration in directing from Barnard College and an M.A. from the Bread Loaf School of English.
Lauren recently graduated from Greenhills School and plans to major in theater at Northwestern next year. She has been involved in theater since her first YPT summer camp, The Jungle Book in 2012. She ended her 15 show journey with YPT last spring, performing as Miss Trunchbull in Matilda. Although she spent most of her time performing onstage, she has also worked on lighting design, helped with set construction, been an assistant choreographer, and more! In her free time, she loves to listen to music, play with her dog, and watch Jeopardy with her parents. She can’t wait to spend her summer with all of the amazing campers!