Even while growing up on that small farm just north of Edwardsville on Route 66, Craig always imagined he would return home someday. And so, he did.

Along the way he was EHS Class of ’72 Drama Club President (and Tiger Mascot), a Speech Therapist, a Singing Waiter, an Executive Chef, a Corporate Event Planner and a Cabaret Performer. He also spent over 25 years in NYC coordinating teams of clinical and support professionals to design, develop & sustain creative lifestyle opportunities for men and women with Developmental Disabilities.

In 1960, at the tender age of 3, Bryan's dad decided to move to Illinois and build a university library on a piece of farmland outside Edwardsville. An idylidic childhood, filled with endless hyjinks and great friendships, ensued. 

In high school Bryan, Brad Lewis and Daniel Cruse tried their hand at theater technical arts and produced middling results with no budget and an unerring commitment to show up day after day.  From this dedication they learned that lack talent was not going to be an impediment to future success. Bryan then went off to engineering school and traded building sets for buildings and bridges.  

In 2011, having nothing better to do, Bryan and Tamra Coldren rounded up some old friends for a theater reunion in the just (barely) renovated Wildey Theater. Our friend Bob Wetzel somehow managed to leverage that evening into a $30,000 donation to Edwardsville's theater legacy.

Since then, Bryan can be found lurking in the shadows of the Alumni Players!, plugging in the occasional extension cord and otherwise basking in the reflected glow of other - more talented - people's accomplishments. 

Tamra was the EHS Drama Club President in 1974 and the co chair with Bryan Abbott of the 2011 1970's Theatre Reunion.

She is married to Jack Spudich- also a Drama Club Alumni and they have 2 amazing, compassionate. talented and smart adult kids. Professionally Tamra was a Clinical Social Worker and later a Sales Director for a skin care company. While contemplating writing a book called Every Thing I Learned in Life I Learned from High School Theatre, Tamra loves working with Alumni Players! for the opportunities to connect with wonderful people, work as a team to create the magic that is theatre,  and contribute to the community .

EHS Class of ‘73 graduate Cynthia Hamilton recently returned to her hometown of Edwardsville after living in the San Francisco Bay Area for 40 years. Cynthia has been an elementary school teacher, layout artist for the design department of Emporium Capwell, illustrator, video game designer, art director, fine art painter and perpetual student of the arts. Her love of travel and painting led her to explore India, China, and many places throughout Europe and the United States.

As part of Alumni Players!, Cynthia has reconnected with friends from high school and met new acquaintances, and enjoys being part of the Edwardsville’s hometown lifestyle.

Drama seems to follow Cara wherever she goes! From EHS drama club, college courses and some theater in St Louis, she brought the drama to elementary classrooms, principalships, and university teaching. Cara has so enjoyed the reunion of our merry high school band and is thrilled to connect with those who have joined us through Alumni Players! As we create together, may the entertainment and merriment continue!

As a 1980 EHS thespian, Barb thought she would be Broadway bound for stage footlights. To her great surprise, a much brighter light awaited her right in her home town, with her EHS husband, Paul. She found her happily-ever-after as a graphic designer, and a grateful mother to three extremely talented “children.” She’s long been a dedicated advocate and volunteer for the community she couldn’t wait to leave! There truly is no place like home.

A proud 1975 EHS graduate, Barb has led numerous lives both on the stage and off! From her time in Drama Club and Junior Theatre as Mona and Laurie, Circulation Director at the Intelligencer, Alderman for the City of Edwardsville, and to some of her more favorite and daunting roles, mother and grandmother. She’s always been active in her community and looks forward to continuing to give back through AP! and sharing her love for theatre with the generations to come!

Bob grew up in Edwardsville and was one of the founding members of the Edwardsville Junior Theater. Upon graduation from EHS, he went to Dartmouth College in New Hampshire; but returned for several years. From there, it was off into the world: graduate school at Northwestern; a career as a consultant in Connecticut and Europe; and then back to US, settling ultimately in Vermont, where he now lives.

Bob has been a lifelong singer and supporter of the theater, serving on the Boards of three regional theaters, and working with many others. Until about 10 years ago, he was an active singer of classical choral music, having toured the US and Italy, and sung at the Vatican with the Handel Society at Dartmouth College. But then he was bitten by the cabaret bug! Since then, he has developed and performed six cabaret shows in venues from St. Louis to Chicago to New York to New Hampshire and Vermont.

Although living ‘away’ Bob supports API in any way he can, such as channeling Jim Croce in the ‘Starry Nights’ tribute to MRF.