Where Did the Cast of Broadway’s Stranger Things: The First Shadow Go to School?
Stranger Things: The First Shadow opened on Broadway in spring 2025 and immediately became one of the most talked-about productions in New York, winning four Tony Awards for its jaw-dropping special effects, scenic design, lighting, and sound. Now, the Year 2 company takes the stage at the Marquis Theatre on March 31, 2026, and we had one question: where did all these performers train?
We dug through official bios, school alumni pages, and verified profiles to track down the college or conservatory behind every member of the incoming Broadway company. Unlike a big-cast musical, this is a play — and the training backgrounds reflect that. You'll find MFA-trained dramatic actors alongside recent BFA grads, film-school alumni, and performers who skipped college entirely.
We confirmed training backgrounds for 21 of the 34 cast members. Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater program lead with two alumni each. NYU appears three times at the graduate level. The remaining cast members are child actors, teens still in high school, or professionals whose education we're still researching.
The Full Cast at a Glance
Here's the complete Year 2 Broadway company beginning March 31, 2026, and where each performer trained.
| Name | Role | School |
|---|---|---|
| Victor de Paula Rocha | Henry Creel | Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts |
| Ayana Cymone | Patty Newby | Carnegie Mellon University |
| Shea Grant | Joyce Maldonado | NYU Tisch / Stella Adler Studio |
| Juan Carlos | Bob Newby | Rollins College |
| Matthew Erick White | James Hopper, Jr. | UC Irvine + Boston University |
| John Zdrojeski | Dr. Brenner | Boston University + NYU (MFA) |
| Nick Rehberger | Victor Creel | Carnegie Mellon University |
| Rosie Benton | Virginia Creel | Syracuse + NYU Tisch (MFA) |
| Ben Ashcraft | Alan Munson | UT Arlington |
| John Patrick Collins | Lonnie Byers | U of Cincinnati CCM |
| Robert T. Cunningham | Charles Sinclair | Northwestern University |
| Andrew Hovelson | Principal Newby | U of Minnesota/Guthrie + NYU (MFA) |
| Jennie Harney-Fleming | Patty's Mom | AMDA |
| Ted Koch | Chief Hopper | 7 Broadway shows, community arts training |
| Quinn Nehr | Ted Wheeler | CCPA, UCB, Second City |
| Dora Dolphin | Karen Childress | Kirov Ballet, Dance Institute, Lundstrum |
| Thatcher Jacobs | Walter Henderson | KM Perform '25, First Stage Milwaukee |
| Zoe Sage | Sue Anderson | NYU Tisch / Atlantic Acting School |
| Afra Sophia Tully | Claudia Yount | Professional since age 4 (Veep, Ouija, Schooled) |
| Lia Christina | Alice Creel | Age 10: Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance |
| Francesca Yhlen | Alice Creel (alt.) | Age 8: Broadway debut |
| Justin Adams | Ensemble | Film/TV (FBI: Most Wanted, Elementary) |
| Janie Brookshire | Ensemble | UNC Greensboro + UNC Chapel Hill (MFA) |
| Kelsey Anne Brown | Ensemble | Baldwin Wallace University |
| Malcolm Callender | Ensemble | Rutgers University |
| Antoinette Comer | Ensemble | Kent State University |
| Tom D'Agustino | Ensemble | Fordham University |
| Nya Garner | Ensemble | University of Texas at Austin |
| Rebecca Hurd | Ensemble | U of Minnesota/Guthrie |
| Keller Kennedy | Ensemble | Nashville Acting Studio, Nashville Theatre School |
| Patrick Scott McDermott | Ensemble | Age 16: LaGuardia HS, Flying Over Sunset |
| Sean Mikesh | Ensemble | Elon University |
| Stephen Wattrus | Ensemble | UC Berkeley + American Conservatory Theater (MFA) |
| Maya West | Ensemble | Emerson College |
Carnegie Mellon University (2 Cast Members)
Carnegie Mellon's School of Drama leads the company with two alumni stepping into major roles. Ayana Cymone, a BFA graduate from the Class of 2022, spent Year 1 as an understudy and swing before earning her promotion to Patty Newby — the female lead of the show. She's a Richmond, VA native whose post-graduation credits include Santa Cruz Shakespeare and off-Broadway work with Dartboard Productions.
Nick Rehberger, who previously appeared on Broadway in the revival of Fiddler on the Roof and covered roles in The Glass Menagerie, takes over as Victor Creel. He credits a summer camp at the University of Michigan for showing him that a career in theater was possible, but it was Carnegie Mellon's training that launched it.
University of Minnesota / Guthrie Theater (2 Cast Members)
The prestigious University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program places two graduates in this company. Andrew Hovelson, who returns as Principal Newby from the original Broadway cast, graduated magna cum laude from the program before earning an MFA from NYU Tisch's Graduate Acting Program. His Broadway credits include Stranger Things and an extensive career in TV including Blue Bloods and The Good Wife.
Rebecca Hurd, a Minneapolis native, joins the ensemble after building a career in Chicago theater with credits at Paramount Theatre, Drury Lane, and Marriott Theatre. She also holds a YoungArts Silver Award from 2012.
New York University (3 Graduate Degrees)
NYU doesn't top the list for undergraduate training in this company, but its programs are all over it. Three cast members hold MFAs from NYU Tisch or studied through its studio partnerships: Andrew Hovelson (Graduate Acting), John Zdrojeski (who earned his BFA from Boston University before his NYU MFA), and Rosie Benton (who earned her BFA from Syracuse before her NYU Tisch MFA). At the undergraduate level, Shea Grant graduated from the Stella Adler Studio — one of Tisch's affiliated studios — in 2023, and Zoe Sage studied at NYU Tisch's Atlantic Acting School with a semester abroad at RADA in London.
The Rest of the Company
The remaining confirmed schools span the country, from elite conservatories to state schools to a liberal arts college in central Florida. Here's every school represented.
The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts
Victor de Paula Rocha (Henry Creel) studied Musical Theater Dance with the inaugural class at the Norwalk Conservatory. A St. Louis native with 13 Muny credits, he spent Year 1 as an ensemble member covering Henry Creel and Walter Henderson before earning the lead for Year 2.
Rollins College
Juan Carlos (Bob Newby) graduated from Rollins College’s theatre program in 2023 and made his Broadway debut in this production less than two years later. Between graduation and Broadway he booked TV roles on Grey’s Anatomy and The Sex Lives of College Girls.
Boston University
John Zdrojeski (Dr. Brenner) earned his BFA from Boston University before completing an MFA at NYU. A graduate of Loomis Chaffee, he was drawn to BU after attending its Summer Theatre Institute in high school. His regional credits include work at the Goodman Theatre and Commonwealth Shakespeare Company.
Syracuse University
Rosie Benton (Virginia Creel) graduated from Syracuse University with a BFA in 2001. She went on to earn an MFA from NYU Tisch and has since appeared in six Broadway shows including Patriots, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and Stick Fly.
The University of Texas at Arlington
Ben Ashcraft (Alan Munson) earned a BFA in Theatre with a Musical Theatre concentration and Dance minor from UT Arlington. He began his musical theatre journey at age 14 and is making his Broadway debut in this production.
University of Cincinnati College - Conservatory of Music
John Patrick Collins (Lonnie Byers) is a 2021 BFA Musical Theatre graduate from CCM. He previously appeared on Broadway in The Outsiders as a swing and understudy, and has studied Meisner technique at the Gately/Poole Intensive in Chicago.
Northwestern University
Robert T. Cunningham (Charles Sinclair) holds a BA in Radio/TV/Film from Northwestern. They are an actor and award-winning screenwriter raised in suburban Atlanta, with credits at the Kennedy Center and Steppenwolf Theatre.
AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts
Jennie Harney-Fleming (Patty’s Mom) graduated from AMDA NYC after attending LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts. Her Broadway credits include originating the lead role of Nettie in The Color Purple and playing Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton.
University of North Carolina - Greensboro
Janie Brookshire (Ensemble) earned her BFA in Acting from UNC Greensboro before completing an MFA in Acting at UNC Chapel Hill’s Professional Actor Training Program. She’s also a published writer and behavioral coach.
Baldwin Wallace University
Kelsey Anne Brown (Ensemble, u/s Joyce, u/s Claudia, u/s Karen, Movement Captain) earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Theatre from Baldwin Wallace under Victoria Bussert. She’s an Orlando native making her Broadway debut.
Rutgers University
Malcolm Callender (Ensemble, u/s Charles Sinclair) graduated with a BFA in Acting from Rutgers University. Born and raised in the Bronx, he attended the Professional Performing Arts School in Manhattan before college.
Kent State University
Antoinette Comer (Ensemble) graduated from Kent State University with a BA in Theatre Studies. A Sylvania, OH native, her Broadway credits include Mamma Mia!, and she made history as the first Black Mrs. Claus in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
University of Texas - Austin
Nya Garner (Ensemble) earned a BFA in Acting from the University of Texas at Austin. Her credits include the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, where she played Marianne in Sense and Sensibility.
Elon University
Sean Mikesh (Ensemble) graduated from Elon University in 2025 with a BFA in Acting. He joined the original Broadway company straight out of school and is one of the youngest cast members to continue into Year 2. His training was rooted in Meisner, Stanislavski, and Chekhov techniques.
University of California, Berkeley
Stephen Wattrus (Ensemble) holds a BA from UC Berkeley and an MFA in Acting from the American Conservatory Theater. Born in South Africa, he previously appeared on Broadway in Take Me Out.
Emerson College
Maya West (Ensemble) is currently a senior at Emerson College pursuing a BFA in Theater and Performance. A New York native and LaGuardia High School alumna, she was cast while still in school and is making her Broadway debut.
Fordham University
Tom D’Agustino (Ensemble) is a Fordham University graduate. He’s also a singer-songwriter who performs under the name Homeschool, and his TV credits include Dear Edward, FBI: Most Wanted, and The Blacklist. He’s making his Broadway debut in this production.
Roosevelt University / CCPA
Quinn Nehr (Ted Wheeler) trained at Chicago College of Performing Arts (CCPA at Roosevelt University), UCB in New York, and Second City in Chicago. He also attended the University of Michigan’s MPulse program. His resume lists training rather than a degree, but CCPA shaped his early foundation. He’s making his Broadway debut in this production.
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The Non-Traditional Paths
One of the most striking things about this cast is how many performers arrived at Broadway without a traditional theatre degree — or without a degree at all. That's partly because Stranger Things: The First Shadow is a play, not a musical, which tends to draw from a wider pool of actors including film and television performers.
- Matthew Erick White (James Hopper, Jr.) holds a BA in Film from UC Irvine and a Master's from Boston University — in business, not theatre. He built his career in film and TV (Criminal Minds: Evolution, NCIS: Origins, The Blind) before making his Broadway debut in this production.
- Dora Dolphin (Karen Childress) has been a professional dancer since age two and a half, trained at the Kirov Ballet Academy, and is known for playing Leni Loud in Nickelodeon's A Loud House Christmas. No college on record.
- Patrick Scott McDermott (Ensemble) is a teenager currently attending LaGuardia High School. He previously appeared on Broadway in Flying Over Sunset and at the Metropolitan Opera in The Hours.
What Does This Tell Us?
A few patterns emerge when you look at the full picture:
- Plays draw from a wider training pool than musicals. Compare this to our Outsiders cast breakdown, where BFA Musical Theatre was the dominant degree. Here, you'll find BFAs in Acting, Film, Dance, and even a business MBA alongside MFA-trained dramatic actors.
- Graduate training is well-represented. Five cast members hold MFAs — from NYU, UNC Chapel Hill, and American Conservatory Theater. In a play that demands dramatic range over triple-threat skills, advanced training carries weight.
- You don't need a degree to make Broadway. Multiple cast members — including a Kirov-trained dancer, child actors, and a film-school graduate — prove that talent and persistence matter more than a specific diploma.
- Mid-size programs hold their own. Schools like Elon, Baldwin Wallace, UT Arlington, and Kent State sit alongside Carnegie Mellon and NYU in this company. Broadway doesn't check your school's ranking.
If you're a student considering a career in theatre, this cast is a reminder that the paths to Broadway are as varied as the Upside Down itself. The Year 2 company of Stranger Things: The First Shadow includes graduates from more than 20 different programs, a current college senior making her debut, a teenager still in high school, and professionals who built their careers without a traditional theatre degree. What they all share is the same stage.
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