Deanna Beaton as Neda Morozev

Engine Systems Specialist, MECTI-1

    Deanna Beaton is currently living the good life in Chicago, studying, doing, and watching all the comedy. She performs weekly at iO Theater with her improv team Cool Aunt. Some of her hobbies include writing, playing volleyball, smashing the patriarchy, reading, and eating all the things Chicago has to offer.

Kasey Anderson as Jennifer Simmons

Climatology Specialist, MECTI-1

    Kasey’s three favorite things are dogs, napping, and snacks. Space exploration is pretty cool too!
Kasey, an advocate of adopting/fostering dogs, would like to promote Stray Rescue of Saint Louis.

Darian Michael Garey as Captain Omar Alvarez

Pilot, MECTI-1

    Darian Michael Garey is an actor living in Los Angeles. He is originally from St. Louis, MO where he began acting in local theatre and commercials. He’s currently keeping busy working on two short films set to shoot at the end of April. In beginning of May he starts rehearsals for TUCK in Naomi Wallace’s Slaughter City with the Coeurage Theatre Company. Darian is honored to work with the incredibly talented John Richter and excited to be a part of the TFCO story.

Andrew Torgerson as James Wilson

Human Factors Specialist, MECTI-2

    Andrew works as an emergency room technician in St. Louis, MO. He recently received a Master’s degree in Public Health from Washington University. Occasionally, John Richter asks him to say space things into a microphone. He wonders if adding “voice actor” to his résumé will make him seem more interesting. He enjoys books and booze. He is standing right behind you.

Chrissy Young as Tina Flynn

Botanist, MECTI-1

    Chrissy is a St. Louis actor/singer and holds a BA in acting from Columbia College Chicago. She has enjoyed working with several theatre companies throughout St. Louis. Her most recent appearances include Bukowsical, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, High Fidelity, and Cry-Baby with New Line Theatre.

Jack Ritchey as Scott Richmond

Host, Mars Now

    Jack Ritchey is a comedian, writer, and actor living in Chicago. He performs every Friday with the improv team Cheeky Rafiki at the Comedy Clubhouse, and frequently with his independent team Neighborhood Watch. He is a graduate of the Second City’s Writing and Improv training programs, as well as Depaul University and the St. Louis University School of Law. You can check the satire blog that he co-founded with fellow TFCO cast member Ryan Doris at WaxingHumorous.com.

Whitney Gries as Leslie Jacobs

Mission Director, MECTI

    Whitney is an actor and producer living in Los Angeles. She is originally from Onawa, Iowa, which is not Idaho nor is it Ohio. She started out as a very involved speech kid and quickly fell in love with theatre. She earned her BA in Theatre and Mass Communications from Morningside College in Sioux City, IA. You can learn more about Whitney and her dumb cat Mona on her website: WhitneyGries.com or Instagram @wgrieslightnin.

Andrew Rader as Danny Holland

Flight Dynamics Director, MECTI

    Andrew Rader is an engineer at SpaceX and author of the Children’s books Rocket Science  (2017), Mars Rover Rescue  (2016), and Epic Space Adventure  (2015). He earned a PhD in aero/astro engineering from MIT in 2009, where his research focused on countermeasures to sustain the human body during long-duration spaceflight and settlement of the Moon and Mars. Originally from Canada, in 2013 Andrew won the Discovery Channel’s #1 competitive television series, Canada’s Greatest Know-it-All, where he bested nine challengers from across the country in challenges like skydiving, scuba diving, orienteering, bridge building, and general knowledge. You can find him on Twitter at @marsrader, and Youtube at youtube.com/andrewrader.

Catharine Golomski as Jane Goodwin

Biophysics Director, MECTI

    Cat is incredibly stoked to get to be a part of TFCO. Cat attended Webster University Fine Arts Conservatory and has enjoyed practicing her love of theater on stages in Houston, San Diego, and St Louis. Her favorite roles include Nurse (Romeo and Juliet), Chef Louis (Little Mermaid), Sister Mary Amnesia (Mesuggah-Nuns), and Grandma Addams (The Addams Family). When she isn’t in classes to become an elementary school teacher, you often find her gaming with her Dungeons and Dragons party, learning new video and board games, singing show tunes to her young son, playing her ukulele, and nailing her Pinterest board pins. See more at My Pinterest Board: Live.

Jesse Pazmiño as Felix Mendez

Administrative Adviser, MECTI

    Jesse is an Ecuadorian-American, Chicago-based actor, artist and writer. He’s been heavily involved in the Chicago improv/theater scene studying and performing at The Second City, iO Theater, Acting Studio Chicago, and his alma mater: Illinois Institute of Technology. He has worked both on and off stage as well as written and produced. Jesse is a writer for Generation Latinx – an all-Latinx improv & sketch comedy team. When he’s not performing, he freelances as a graphic artist creating a variety of visual projects.

Paige Eckstein as Jacqueline “Jackie” Wood

Robotics Specialist, MECTI-1

    Paige is currently studying behavioral neuroscience at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She also tends bar in downtown St. Louis. In her spare time she is an avid reader, obsessive gamer, and amateur knitter. Her dog is pretty awesome and probably has a better beard than you.

Emory Stagmer as Charles Swanson

Administrator, NASA

    A computer enthusiast and programmer since the earliest days of microcomputers, Emory Stagmer started writing programs on a Commodore PET. Studying Computer Science, Christian Education, Music, and Telecommunications at Oral Roberts University represents a bit of the diversity Emory brought to NASA’s LCROSS for which he was the Lead Flight Software Engineer.. Now a 35 year veteran computer programmer, Emory has worked on spacecraft for the last 17 years, having previously worked on EO-1, WMAP, and EOS-Aura among others. Emory also runs a recording studio, UnTied Music, and plays a wide range of music from medieval to modern progressive rock to leading music in church on Sunday mornings. Emory is married and has three children, and you can follow him on Twitter @VAXHeadroom, and elsewhere on the ‘net.

Michael Arnette as Bruce Farley

Astronomical Adviser, MECTI

    Michael Arnette is a human from the planet Earth. He sometimes moonlights as a Lycanthrope. This is his first role.

Shiyun Yu as Captain Bo Xia

Pilot, CNSA

    Shiyun Yu is an architect and poet from in north China, currently working in New York City. Shiyun is a very good friend of the director and his wife. Thought he could get an extremely cool role to play like Spock or Duke Leto Atreides, but Captain Bo Xia is a spacecraft pilot that flies between Earth and the moon like no one’s business, which is badass in its own right.

Janaye Williams as Ann Oliver

Assistant Astronomical Adviser, MECTI

    Janaye Williams is 2011 graduate of Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri. In her spare time, when she isn’t reading or writing, you can find her on her yoga mat.

Jessica Leitch as Beth Anders

Co-Pilot, MECTI-1

    Jessica is a rambunctious midwesterner with a passion for styling, list making and baking a great pie. Keeping her plate full, Jessica works in events and marketing by day and writes feverishly for her blog, City in a Jar, by night.

Michael Romanoskie as Nathan Miller

Aeronautics Administrator, MECTI

    Michael is a retired sergeant in the United States Air National Guard, and lives on a farm in rural Missouri with his wife Jeanne. As far as we know, this is his first voice acting performance.