November 4-13, 2022

About the Show:
I LOVE YOU BECAUSE is a modern twist on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, set in New York City. A young, uptight greeting card writer’s life is changed when he meets a flighty photographer. Along with their eccentric friends and siblings, they learn to love each other not despite their faults, but because of them.

Music by:

Joshua Saltzman
Book & Lyrics by:
Ryan Cunningham
Orchestrations by:
Larry Hochman

Directed & Choreographed by:
Noah Casner
Music Directed by:
John Norine Jr


For a sneak peek at Matthew Clemetson (Austin) singing “Goodbye” from I Love You Because, click the video to the right!

Meet the Cast

  • Samantha Casner | NYC WOMAN

    Samantha is thrilled to be back on stage for the first time in several years with such a talented group of people. This is her first show with Fort Salem Theater and hopefully not the last. With a degree in Communication, she is not a professional actress by any means but appreciates the opportunity to pretend like she is when it comes along.

  • Matthew Clemetson | AUSTIN BENNET

    Matthew returns to Fort Salem Theater after performing in Bright Star as Jimmy Ray, a role he recently played at the Red Barn Theatre in Indiana where he also appeared in Murdered To Death (Thompkins). Matthew is a graduate of the American Musical Dramatic Academy Acting and Voice Conservatory NYC. Regionally, he has performed in Newsies (Jack Kelly) at both Crane River Theater in Nebraska and Virve Theater of St. Louis, Songs For a New World (Man 1) at Grand Center Arts, and originated the role of Johnny Roger in Planet Connections’ Birthday Boy Off-Broadway. At Peabody Opera House in St. Louis, Matthew performed alongside American Idol and Broadway star Fantasia Barrino in her concert tour. He also appeared in ACT of Connecticut's New Works Series and performed in Godspell (Jesus) and You're A Good Man Charlie Brown (Schroder) while in school.

  • Ethan Drinkwine (NYC MAN)

    A Salem native, this is Ethan's sixth show at Fort Salem Theater! Some of his theatre work includes: Annie (Rooster Hannigan), Shrek: The Musical (Lord Farquaad), Lil' Abner (Police Officer & Stage Manager), Little Shop of Horrors (Mushnik), Pride And Prejudice (Mary Bennett/ Mr. Bingley), Grease (Johnny Casino), and Bright Star (Mayor Josiah Dobbs). Ethan also co-directed The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition on the Fort Salem Theater stage. He hopes to continue his acting and theatre career and hopefully branch out to all works of entertainment!

  • Courtnie Harrington | MARCY FITZWILLIAMS

    Courtnie is so very excited to be back onstage at Fort Salem! Courtnie is a Washington County native who, after graduating from Greenwich Central School, moved to New York City to train at a musical theater conservatory. During her time in NYC, Courtnie was the hair designer on Hudson Classical Theater’s productions of Pride and Prejudice (Lydia Bennet) and Sense and Sensibility (Charlotte Palmer). Since moving back upstate in 2020, Courtnie has been seen in Songs for a New World (Woman 2) at SLOC and The Diary of Anne Frank (Edith Frank), There’s No Business Like Snow Business, Pride and Prejudice (Lizzy Bennet), and Bright Star (Alice Murphy) all at Fort Salem. In April of 2022, Courtnie was named an Artistic Associate of Fort Salem Theater and has served on the production teams of Little Shop of Horrors as Hair Designer/Assistant Stage Manager and Grease as Assistant Director/Hair Designer. Endless love and gratitude to my family and friends for their continued support!

  • Benjamin Palmateer | JEFF BENNET

    Ben is a composer and musician from Saratoga Springs, NY. He studied at Binghamton University, where he received a BA in music in 2019 and a Master’s degree in music composition in 2021. He is excited to perform with Fort Salem Theater for the first time and hopes that you find this show as endearing and silly as he does.

  • Sarabell Wrigley | DIANA BIGLEY

    Sarabell was last seen at Fort Salem Theater as Maid Marian in the 2006-2007 season, and is thrilled to be back on stage after a prolonged acting hiatus. Regional: Spring Awakening (Wendla), Romeo and Juliet (Juliet), South Pacific (Liat), Merrily We Roll Along (Meg), Taming of the Shrew (Tranio), Midsummer Night's Dream (Titania). Costume Design and Construction: A Doll's House Part 2 (Berkshire Theatre Award Nominee), Angels in the Park (Dublin Fringe Award Nominee), Boeing Boeing, Exit the King, Adam and Evie, Riverdance. Film/TV: Mandalorian (Season 2), Greyhound, Top Gun: Maverick. Love to Phoenix.

Meet the Production Team

  • Noah Casner | DIRECTOR

    Noah returns to Fort Salem Theater, but this time as a director! He recently appeared on the Fort Salem stage in Grease (Doody), Next to Normal (Gabe) and There’s No Business Like Snow Business. Noah holds a BFA in Drama from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he studied at the Lee Strasberg Institute and the Experimental Theatre Wing. Additional stage credits include Spring Awakening (Moritz) at Weathervane Theatre, where he also performed in White Christmas, Sister Act, and Bright Star, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (William Barfeé) at Spa City Theatre, and Parade (Frankie/Young Soldier) at the Strasberg Institute. He has participated in the development of numerous premieres, new works, and short films, and also serves as a director and arts educator at Saratoga Children’s Theatre.

  • John Norine Jr. | MUSIC DIRECTOR/TECHNICAL DIRECTOR (Light and Sound Design)

    John Norine, Jr: John is an award-winning Music Director and Technical Designer who hails from Utica, NY. He attended the Crane School of Music, graduating with a Bachelor of Music degree in Musical Studies before moving to the University of North Texas, where he earned both a Master’s degree and Doctorate of Musical Arts in Music Performance (Orchestral Conducting). Since 2005, he has been fortunate to work with many of the educational, community, and regional theaters in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in both a musical and technical role.

    When the Fort Salem Theater reopened in 2021, John was honored to be asked to work as a guest artist, music directing the first shows under the new ownership as well as working as technical director and designer for several productions. In April of 2022, John was named one of the inaugural Artistic Associates for Fort Salem Theater.

    Most recently, John worked as Music Director, Technical Director, and Light Designer for Fort Salem Theater's production of Little Shop of Horrors. Light/Sound Designer for Steel Magnolias, Pride and Prejudice (Light Design), Grease (Music Director, Light & Sound Design), and Bright Star (Cello, Light & Sound Design).

  • Charles J.I. Krawczyk | SCENIC DESIGNER

    Charles is a well-rounded artist who dabbles in creative writing, HDR photography, graphic design, improvisational piano, original song composition, building fun things and scenic design for theater. While attending Southern Vermont College 2001-2005 he worked summers at Old Castle Theater in Bennington, VT (2000 to 2005) where he learned, by observation, volumes on the art of stagecraft and theatrical techniques and best practices. As a stage director, Charles directed Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus in 2004 at his then-former High School, and The Glass Menagerie at Southern Vermont College in 2009. Charles has over eight years of experience designing set, artistic/stage directing, assistant directing and serving as a theatrical creative-solutions consultant (for a local high school drama club). Shows he has designed include Bright Star, Grease, Steel Magnolias, Pride & Prejudice, The Diary of Anne Frank (now twice 2007 and 2021) Once Upon a Mattress, Rumors, The Importance of Being Earnest, Beauty and the Beast, Into the Woods, Twelve Angry Jurors, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, And Then There Were None, The Sound of Music, Noises Off, Shrek the Musical, and The Mousetrap. He feels truly thankful and honored to design for Fort Salem Theater after taking some time away from theatrical design and is looking forward to contributing more in the near future.

  • Anthony Migliori | STAGE MANAGER/PROPERTIES DESIGNER

    Anthony returns to Fort Salem as a graduate of Manhattanville College, holding degrees in Technical Theater and Musical Theater Performance. Recent projects include; “Rachel York in Concert For The Love Of It” produced by Meg Fofonoff of Art Labs and College Light Opera Company (PM/SM); The College Light Opera Company: The Gondoliers (SM) No, No, Nanette (SM), Die Fledermaus (SM), Assassins (SM, Weapons Master, Assistant Sound Design), She Loves Me (SM); Fort Salem Theater: Patron Services Manager, Bright Star (Sound Technician), Next To Normal (SM).

  • Emily Jenkins | COSTUME DESIGNER

    Emily is thrilled to be making her Costume Design debut on the Fort Salem Theater stage! She was last seen onstage playing Lucy Grant in FST’s Bright Star. She is a proud graduate of the University at Albany where she studied theatre with a minor in fine arts. Other performance credits include Grease (Jan), HAIR (Sheila), Little Women (Meg), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Logainne). In NYC, she performed in Manhattan Concert Production’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat 50th Anniversary Concert at Lincoln Center. She would like to thank everyone at FST for this wonderful experience!

  • Kyle West | PRODUCER

    Kyle has three decades of creating award-winning theatre under his belt, working as a producer, director, choreographer, designer, and performer. His work has been seen all across the US, from Cape Cod, to Boston, Arizona and Dallas, to New York and has been recognized by the AriZoni Awards of Excellence, BroadwayWorld Awards, Column Awards, Annie Award, MET Awards, and MHSDG Awards, among others.

    At Fort Salem Theater, he has directed and choreographed Salem Under The Stars, The Marvelous Wonderettes, Next to Normal, There’s No Business Like Snow Business, and Grease, and has designed costumes for FST’s Pride & Prejudice and Bright Star.

    Kyle is humbled to be the executive and artistic director of Fort Salem Theater as well as the president of the Salem NY Area Chamber of Commerce.