ABOUT OUR REPERTORY
NEW IS WHAT WE DO!
CASEY ROSS
FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Casey Ross is an Indianapolis-based theatre producer and playwright, most known for her Fringe festival one-act plays. An alumna of Hanover College, Ross also works as a theatrical director and designer. Her most notable Indianapolis directing credits inculde: Starmites (2023), A Streetcar Named Desire (2023), Taming of the Shrew (2017), Sam Shepard’s Tooth of Crime (2017), Coriolanus (2016), Equus (2016), and The Diviners (2016).
As a student, Ross earned notice at Hanover College’s President Honors the Arts Awards for her accomplishments in playwrighting, inculding the selection of her play, Here’s To…, as part of Louisville’s site-specific theatre company, Specific Gravity’s Elevator Plays Project (More Info). She was also a receipient of the Dr. Tom Evans Emerging Artist Grant, allowing her to produce her first IndyFringe play, Gallery. Shortly after graduation, Ross was invited to return to Hanover’s Campus for the premire of her full-length play, Slaying the Dragon – a trip made possible through a generous sponsorship from one of Ross’s favorite playwright’s, fellow Hanover graduate, Jim Leonard, Jr.
Recently, Ross has enjoyed critical acclaim for her play, Bat in the Wind (Or A Recent Study on Depression & Addiction). Bat in the Wind first premiered at the 2023 IndyFringe Festival, and later returned, in 2024, at the IF Theatre, as an extended 90-minute version. “It’s a performance that I will long remember for its honesty in portraying characters keenly fleshed out by homegrown Ross, who has the potential to become one of the leading voices in the American Theatre.”, wrote ‘On the Asile’s,’ Tom Alvarez. Ross has also been spending time as a speaker, activties director, and panelist for a wide variety of organizations inculding: The Indiana Drama Club, Indiana Playwright’s Circle, The Shawnee Summer Theatre’s Children’s Theatre Camp, The Orchard School, and more.
Other plays by Ross inculde her Geeky Press published trilogy of plays – The Gallery Trilogy, Copyright/Safe, The Tortillo! Trilogy, and Hell’s 4th Ring [The Mall Musical] – a musical-comedy penned with Catalyst Repertory co-founder, Dave Pelsue.
In 2017, Ross, alongside Co-Artstic Director, Pelsue, won the IndyFringe ‘Best Vetern Producer’ Award, solidifying them amoung the festival’s key players.
OUR CREATIVE DIRECTORS
TRISTAN ROSS
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
ZACHARIAH STONEROCK
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
You’ve seen Zach’s work with Catalyst many times. First, with his debut in 2016’s The Diviners (Ferris). Zach is a notable acting force in Indianapolis, working for not only Catalyst Repertory, but also, The Pheonix Theatre, Wisdom Tooth Productions, Claude McNeil Productions, Bard Fest, Eclectic Pond Theatre Company, and many more. At Catalyst, you not only see Zach on stage, but he’s also in the director’s chair. Since joining forces with Catalyst, Zach has directed many of the new works and adaptations presented by Catalyst, such as: Feral Boy (2016, Bennett Ayres), Popular Monsters (2018, Lou Harry), Romeo + Juliet (2018, Bard Fest), Lanista (2022, Bennett Ayres). Zach also acts as the director of the Act Out Ensemble, which provides educational issue-based theatre for school assembly settings. Zach’s other memorable roles, on stage, with Catalyst have been in our 2017 critically acclaimed production of Sam Shepard oddity, Tooth of Crime, wherein he played Chaser, and also bass in our band. Zach also originated the role of Eyepatch in Casey Ross’s Copyright/Safe, which premiered at the 2021 IndyFringe festival.
DANE ROGERS
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
DAVE PELSUE
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Dave has been with Catalyst since before we were even Catalyst! Joining forces with what would to become our creative team, in 2013, with his first Fringe show appearance in, The Solidarity, written by Casey Ross and directed by Dane Rogers. Dave has been a leader on the Catalyst team, ever since. An acclaimed actor and celebrated musician, who has been seen on many stages, both theatrical and musical, throughout the country. Dave has had a hand in most of Catalyst’s shows – if he’s not in them, he’s usually somewhere behind the scenes; be it building, writing, designing, musicial directing, or composing. On top of his work with Catalyst, he also works for the renowned Phoenix Theatre, Defiance Comedy, Betty Rage Productions…and more. If he looks familar, Google him, because he probablly was in that one band you’re thinking of. Some of Dave’s most memorable Catalyst Repertory performances include: The Pillowman (Tupolski), Tooth of Crime (Hoss), The Tortillo! Trilogy (Patrick ‘Sombrero’ Plummer), Taming of the Shrew (Petruchio), The Diviners (C.C. Showers), Canvas / The Gallery Trilogy (Jackson), Copyright/Safe (Badger), and most recently, Bat in the Wind (Randy)
ACTORS IN RESIDENCE
Catalyst Repertory’s Actors in Residence are actors who’ve worked in 2 or more Catalyst Repertory productions and are actors who recieve special consideration from Catalyst when selecting projects to feature our repertory members. These are the actors who will be pre-cast in announced shows and exhibit the values Catalyst maintains in creating thought provoking and ethically created theatre.
TAYLOR COX
As one of Catalyst Repertory’s original founders, Taylor has amassed one of the most sprawling Catalyst resumes in company history. Taylor is currently serving Catalyst remotely, remaining active on our creative team and our board of directors.
- PORTRAITS [LIKE AMERICAN GOTHIC] (2014 INDYFRINGE), CASEY ROSS (JACKSON)
- THE RIPPLE EFFECT (2015), CASEY ROSS (MAX)
- GALLERY/PORTRAITS (2015), CASEY ROSS (JACKSON)
- SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER (2015), OLIVER GOLDSMITH (TONY)
- HELL’S 4TH RING [THE MALL MUSICAL] (2015 INDYFRINGE), CASEY ROSS & DAVE PELSUE (LARS)
- TIMON OF ATHENS, BARD FEST 2015 (THE POET)
- EQUUS (2016), PETER SHAFFER (ALAN)
- CORIOLANUS, BARD FEST 2016 (CORIOLANUS)
- THE SEAGULL (2017), ANTON CHEKHOV (TREPLEV)
- COPYRIGHT/SAFE (2021 INDYFRINGE), CASEY ROSS (THE MASK)
- THE PILLOWMAN (2022), MARTIN MCDONAGH (KATURIAN)