Meet The Team
Janis Marks
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THEATER + MUSIC
Music and the Arts have been a constant “thread” throughout Janis’ life. From singing at Church at the age of 3, to studying classical piano and voice in college, Janis found a creative and healing outlet through the arts. She’s been blessed to perform the lead role in multiple musicals, and had the opportunity to travel with the Wartburg College Choir on a 5 week European Tour. It was the trip of a lifetime, getting to experience Europe's rich history while singing in cathedrals such as Notre-Dame in Paris. It was there she discovered the universal language of music and the arts, and has been immersed in them ever since.
Janis has worked in children’s/outreach ministry, directing children’s choirs, teaching private piano/vocal lessons, and directing musical theater for 30 years. She celebrates the roller coaster of life with her husband, Marty, and their two amazing daughters, Noelle and Caitlyn. Their girls remind her daily of the “why” behind Infinite Joy Studios: to provide an outlet for people of all abilities to discover and thrive within their Divinely-given gifts. She is the Co-Director of The Passion Prophecies and on the board of Bella Folk, another local creative arts ministry. To Janis, Infinite Joy Studios is a dream come true.
Natalie Wenninger
THEATER DIRECTOR
Natalie Wenninger grew up in the sand & sunshine of Oahu, Hawaii & later Virginia Beach, Virginia. Born into a family of artists and educators, she learned to value story-telling and art as a powerful means of both education & indirect communication, especially as they pertain to morality and the human experience. She has been writing, acting & singing since her youth, and starred in the award winning short film 22 Weeks, which received a Congressional Screening in Washington D.C. and was featured at the Cannes Short Film Festival in 2008. She trained professionally in Los Angeles with Hollywood Acting Coach John Kirby, and her resume includes performing & recording with her husband Aaron Wenninger and their band The Scarlet Yarns. Over the years, she’s performed in various theatrical productions, film & television, spoken word, and loved getting to have the opportunity to open for such dynamic bands as Broods and Branches. She currently lives on a small acreage in Hartford, homeschooling her four children, and building her creative arts ministry Bella Folk, alongside her worship leading husband. Natalie is passionate about the Arts as a means of sharing the transformational power of the gospel and is the writer, co-director, and producer of the Passover musical production, The Passion Prophecies.
Mike DeLong
THEATER DIRECTOR
Mike DeLong is married to his best friend Sue, who together have 5 grown children and 5 awesome grandchildren. Mike worships God & loves people, enjoys barley hot dish and traveling globally, and relishes opportunities to participate in creative pursuits like teaching, acting, directing, and photography. Equipped with both Bachelors degrees in English and Speech/ Theater and a Masters of Divinity, Mike serves as a pastor in Milwaukee, a teaching artist with CYT-Milwaukee, and a theatre director and instructor with Infinite Joy!
Mikayla Backhaus
STAGE MANAGER
Bio Coming Soon
Amy Ryan
COSTUME DESIGNER
Wife to my beloved, mama of two beauties, Bible study teacher, homeschooler and for infinite joy … all things costumes. From glitz and glam to drab and shab and everything in between! Having a Bachelors and Masters degree in special education, taught me to see and appreciate all the unique gifts that God creates in each of us. I see my role as costume designer to help your child feel comfortable and confident for the stage so that that same mindset will one day transfer to their life.
Sue DeLong
THEATER ASSISTANT
Sue recently joined the Infinite Joy team and is glad to be serving alongside her talented and loving husband, Mike. She enjoys being in a supporting role, helping wherever needed in the many behind-the-scenes tasks including administration, helping with Little's rehearsals, and being a self-proclaimed "wrangler." Sue also enjoys coffee (!), baking, reading, puzzling (Wordle, Crossword and Jigsaw), summer & spending time with family & friends. Above all, she seeks to glorify God in all she says and does.
Caitlyn Marks
THEATER ASSISTANT
Caitlyn’s passion is to teach and encourage others. She enjoys working with children and is gifted in connecting with those who might otherwise feel overlooked. As a 2021 High School Graduate, she is currently assisting the Stepping Stones Theater Class at Infinite Joy Studios and interning for their Theater Set and Crew Department. The highlight of Caitlyn’s high school theater experience was playing the role of the Wicked Witch of the West in Bright Rising Arts and Education’s production of the “Wizard of Oz, Jr.” In her free time she loves to puzzle, listen to music, camp, bike, participate in Special Olympics and spend time in the kitchen baking.
Karen Elizabeth Sharkey
THEATER ENRICHMENT
Bio coming soon!
Ken Latus
SOUND + LIGHTING
Ken is an Actuary by day and a musician by night, but when he’s not working in the world of insurance or playing music on stages from Summerfest to Nashville as the lead singer of the band Left on Sunset, he spends his time coaching youth sports and providing sound and light production for youth theater. Ken and his wife Stacy are live theater enthusiasts, having seen dozens of productions on Broadway in addition to many local and regional productions. They have two teenage boys that are extremely active in sports and in musical theater, performing in many musical theater productions during their young career. Ken learned the skills and value of good sound and light production early in his own music career, and has been able to utilize that knowledge to provide production for over a dozen youth theater performances over the last four years. He is excited to continue to work with all of the talented staff and kids at Infinite Joy!
Andy Latus
SOUND + LIGHTING
Andy graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2005 with a Bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems. He currently works as a Software Development Manager, but his true passion is music and performing with his rock/cover band, Left on Sunset (LOS). Andy and his brother, Ken, started LOS in 2001 and since then they have played hundreds of gigs including opening for (the opening band of the opening band of) Maroon 5 and Imagine Dragons at Summerfest. You can also find LOS playing at local festivals, bars and occasionally on Broadway in Nashville! Andy enjoys musicals whether on stage or the big screen. Some of his favorites include Grease, Wicked and The Greatest Showman. Andy also enjoys spending time with his wife and two young kids. They all share Andy’s love for music and recently the kids got to experience their first musical, Frozen, in Chicago.
Stacy Latus
SIGN LANGUAGE
Stacy and her husband Ken have enjoyed watching and helping with the Infinite Joy theater performances as her husband is the Sound and Lighting Director of the team. They have two terrific boys and have been homeschooling for the past 12 years. She is a certified Speech Language Pathologist and received her undergrad and master’s degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Stacy previously worked at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for twelve years before she realized her calling to homeschool. She enjoys sharing Jesus’ love and the beauty of sign language (and what a gift to do them together!). She is excited to teach at Infinite Joy Studios and be a part of the team now that both of her boys are in high school.