Congratulations to the Cast of 'Unbound'

History takes flight Nov. 6-8, 2026, at Indian Trail Town hall with Matthews Playhouse's premiere production of local playwright Charles LaBorde's Unbound. As part of its Community Series of intimate staged readings, each performance features a talkback with the author immediately following. Unbound is directed by Pamela Thorson.

Cast of Unbound

• Jeremy Cartee as Orville
• Timothy Hager as Wilbur
• Paula Baldwin as Nurse
• Ben Allen as Man
• Clark Cameron as Charles 
• Joshua Brand as Brother
• Ardith Collins as Narrator 

Cast Bios

Jeremy Cartee: After more than twenty years on Charlotte stages, Jeremy's recent credits include The Worst Motel in the State (Policeman) with EAW Productions, The Winter's Tale (Polixenes) with Shepherd Shakespeare, A Christmas Carol (Bob Cratchit) with Theatre Charlotte, The Minutes (Mr. Breeding) with Davidson Community Players, Rumors (Ken Gorman) with Theatre Charlotte, and Clue (Colonel Mustard) with Matthews Playhouse. Jeremy holds a BA in Theatre from Winthrop University and is the proud father of two kids who share his love of theatre.

Timothy Hager: An award-losing writer and actor from Charlotte who is thrilled to make his Matthews debut. He was last seen on stage in Theatre Charlotte's Over the River and Through the Woods.

Paula Baldwin: Paula Baldwin (Nurse) is an award-winning actor, director, and theatre arts educator. She is happy to be back with the Matthews Playhouse Community Series after appearing as Charmaine Beauregard in Sex Please, We’re Sixty, Narrator for The Gin Game, Esmerelda White in Death and Deceit on the Nile and Mary in The Porch. Her recent performances on the Matthews Playhouse main stage include: One Year to Die, Young Frankenstein, Clue, and Grey Gardens. In addition to acting, she also directed Bright Star, Scrooge (’23), and Sister Act for the playhouse. A familiar face to Charlotte area audiences, Paula has also performed in productions at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, Theatre Charlotte, Three Bone Theatre, CAST, CPCC Summer Theatre, Old Courthouse Theatre and Warehouse Performing Arts Center.

A retired Theatre Arts Educator with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, Paula holds a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Acting/Directing from UNC-Greensboro and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Catawba College where she is a proud member of the Blue Masque Hall of Fame.

Ben Allen: Ben is thrilled to return to work with Matthews Playhouse. Previously having appeared in Peter and the Starcatcher (Prentiss) last summer. His other most recent works include The Cottage (Beau Van Kipness) at Davidson Community Players, the MTA nominated production of Deathtrap (Clifford Anderson) at Rock Hill Theatre, and Murder On the Orient Express (Col. Arbuthnot) with Theatre Charlotte.

He is profoundly grateful for this opportunity to work with talented artists in bringing a new work to life, and he would like to extend his deepest thanks for his loving family, friends and peers who continuously support him.

Clark Cameron: Clark discovered his love of acting at age 10 through making homemade movies, where he took on the roles of actor, director, producer, and editor. His passion for storytelling eventually led him to the stage, where he has performed with Matthews Playhouse School of Theatre in Shrek Jr., Newsies, and as the title character in Aladdin. Clark is a big fan of movies, books, and music from the 1960s and 1970s. He currently lives in Matthews, NC, with his parents. He is grateful for every opportunity to perform and looks forward to continuing to grow as an actor and storyteller. 

Joshua Brand: Joshua is absolutely thrilled to be participating in this staged reading! He is honored to work with Matthew’s Playhouse again, having appeared previously as the adventurous Boy/Peter in Peter and the Starcatcher and the book-loving Billy Cane in Bright Star. Other Charlotte-area credits include Hector MacQueen in Murder on the Orient Express with Theatre Charlotte and William Murdoch in Titanic with FUMC Theatre. He dedicates this performance to his own real-life little brother, Sam, who just welcomed his firstborn into the world. Finally, many thanks to Pamela for this opportunity, and thank YOU for supporting art made by humans! @josh.u.are

Ardith Collins: Ardith is a veteran of community theatre.  He has performed numerous starring and supporting roles in Northern Virginia. After retiring and relocating with his wife to the Charlotte area, Ardith returned to the stage reprising the role of Hoke Colburn in Concord's Old Courthouse Theatre’s production of Driving Miss Daisy during Black History Month. The experience reaffirmed his appreciation for theatre’s power to bring history to life, challenge perspectives, and spark meaningful conversations.

Ardith is delighted to join the Matthews Playhouse Community Series for the premiere staged reading of Unbound. As Narrator, he looks forward to guiding audiences through the story of the Wright Brothers and their remarkable pursuit of flight.  Ardith appreciates the opportunity to explore the complexities of American history through the lens of historical fiction and the collaborative art of storytelling.  He is honored to be part of bringing this new work to the stage.