View Playbill - Muhlenberg College

The Muhlenberg College Department of Theatre & Dance
presents
NEW VISIONS
D i r e ct o r ’ s F e s t i v a l
Evening a
|
Sept 27+3O
|
pa ge 5
The Love of Don Perlimplín
for belisa in the garden
by Federico garcía lorca
directed by allison lloyd
Hrosvitha
by Romulus Linney
directed by Julia ROSE Schneiderman
production Stage Manager
Carrie Jablansky
Evening B
|
Faculty Advisor
Francine Roussel
Sept 28+29
|
pa ge 19
Out Loud
Three Short Plays
directed by Michael Witkes
This is a Chair
by Caryl Churchill
directed by Hayley Cooke
production Stage Manager
Briana Boche
Faculty Advisor
Holly Cate
costume mentor
Lara D e Bruijn
“
What is New Visions?
At The Wescoe School, we are
proud to partner with the local employers who
understand the value of supporting lifelong
learning for their staff. The investment they make
in their employees not only contributes to the
growth of those individuals and the organization,
but also our community as a whole.
”
Jane Hudak, M.Ed.
Dean of The Wescoe School
T
he New Visions Director’s Festival is presented as part of the Mainstage
Theatre & Dance season. The festival showcases the talents of senior
directing students and features rarely produced, avant-garde works for
theatre. It offers a rare opportunity for audiences to see the work of the next
generation of up-and-coming theatre artists.
This year’s festival will feature the work of four promising directors from
the Class of 2015, presented in two evenings. The first features Hrosvitha,
Romulus Linney’s rediscovery of the 10th century canoness widely regarded
as the first Christian playwright, directed by Julia Schneiderman; and Federico García Lorca’s The Love of Don Perlimplín for Belisa in the Garden, one
man’s quest to win the love of the woman he has married, directed by Allison
Lloyd. The other will feature Out Loud, a collection of three short plays
about the journey of coming to terms with sexuality, directed by Michael
Witkes; and Caryl Churchill’s This Is a Chair, an exploration of the complexities of relationships and language, directed by Hayley Cooke.
Contact our office for information on tuition deferment
and how we can bring Muhlenberg College classes
to your site: 484-664-3300.
muhlenberg.edu/wescoe
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director’s festival
evening a
The Love of
Don PerlimplÍn
for belisa
in the garden
(Amor de Don Perlimplín
con B elisa en su J ardín )
Federico
García Lorca
by
Translation by Caridad
Svich
directed by
Allison Lloyd
scenic designer
Alexander Michael
michaels
costume designer
lara de bruijn
Lighting designer
Claire Waggoner
Composer/Sound designer
marc jablonski
stage manager
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Carrie Jablansky
Cast
James Ofalt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Don Perlimplín
Julia Garber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Belisa
Seamus Good . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Duende #1/Marcolfa
Dahlya Glick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Duende #2/Mother
Amor de Don Perlimplín con Belisa en su Jardín, copyright © Herederos de Federico García Lorca, from
Obras Completas (Galaxia/Gutenberg, 1996 edition), and The Love of Don Perlimplín for Belisa in the
Garden copyright © Translator(s) and Herederos de Federico García Lorca. All rights reserved. For
information regarding rights and permissions of Lorca’s plays and other material, please contact
[email protected] or William Peter Kosmas, Esq., 8 Franklin Square, London W149UU, England.
Hamilton Family Restaurant
Open
24 Hours
Late-Night
Specials
10% off for all Muhlenberg students and staff!
www.hamfamrestaurant.com
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a N ote A bout t he Play
F
ederico García Lorca was a Spanish
writer from the southern region of
Andalucia, archived in the ranks of
the great dramatists of the early 20th
century. Famed for his rich,
imagistic poetry and
poetic drama, Lorca
wrote from within
the nexus of the
great historical
avant-garde
movements. He
became swept
up in the gush
of symbolism,
expressionism,
and surrealism,
following in
the steps of such
dramatists as Maurice Maeterlinck
and William Butler
Yeats. His plays also draw
inspiration from the mysterious and captivating traditions of the
Andalucian gypsies, sharing origins with
the rich sensuality of flamenco dance
and cante jondo.
Lorca is also remembered among
the ranks of his high-profile colleagues,
including composer Manuel de Falla,
filmmaker Luis Buñuel, and famed surrealist painter Salvador Dalí. His partnership with Dalí was particularly intense,
beginning in 1923 while both young
men were attending art school in Barcelona. The two men spent several years
bound in a deeply personal and ambigu8
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ously erotic relationship, but eventually
the pressures Dalí felt from the openly
homosexual Lorca caused a fracturing
tension. Lorca, too, experienced great
struggle in troubled relation to
his Roman Catholic roots.
In 1928, Dalí packed his
bags and left for Spain.
In the same year,
Federico García
Lorca wrote his
short and twisting “alleluia”
about the nightmare of love and
deceit, The Love
of Don Perlimplín
for Belisa in the
Garden. Though
it often falls short
of the rankings for
Lorca’s best-known
works, it was considered by
the writer to be one of his best.
Four potent scenes illustrate the event of
a man overtaken by the spirits of passion
and desire to win the love of the woman
to whom he is married. Written in the
abstractionist, image-heavy style of the
symbolists, the tale is told as a poetic
fable, speaking with a vocabulary that in
many ways compliments the visual surrealist style of Dalí.
The play also extends from the Spanish tradition of the duende, a word originally used to describe the spirit that possessed a flamenco dancer and provided
the primal fire behind the passionate
New Visions9
movement. “The duende is a mysterious
force that everyone feels and no philosopher has explained,” writes Lorca in his
essay Theory and Play of the Duende. “It
surges up inside, from the soles of the
feet… It’s in the veins, meaning it’s of
the most ancient cultures of immediate
creation.” As I have come to understand
it, the duende is the thing that grasps
hold at the very moment when one finds
oneself capable of such extreme acts as
falling in love and committing murder.
As in Belisa, Lorca often figured the
duende into his plays as a character, a
mysterious creature who sits at the heart
of the play, puppeteering the dissolving
actions of men and women overcome
with passion. Endlessly exciting and
mystifying to stage, this play has challenged us to tackle masks, movement,
music, and pure magic in an attempt to
lay hand on the evasive spirit of the duende.“I get butterflies when I think about
this show,” I told my assistant director
after rehearsal one night. “When I step
into the rehearsal room my heart starts
racing, and I feel possessed.” Enveloped
in Lorca’s tempestuous histories, his gutwrenching plots, and the deep poetics of
his words, I have found the duende deep
in my own soul called to life. Giving
myself over to the clutch of these spirits,
I have been delightfully possessed to
make attempts at the seductive enigma
that translator Caridad Svich calls
Lorca’s “Impossible Theatre.”
—Allison Lloyd
Images: p. 9, Lorca and Dalí at a fair in Barcelona, mid-1920s;
p. 11: a sketch portrait of Lorca by Dalí.
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director’s festival
evening a
Hrosvitha
by
Romulus Linney
directed by
julia ROSE
schneiderman
scenic designer
Alexander Michael
michaels
costume designer
lara de bruijn
Lighting designer
Claire Waggoner
Sound designer
Patrick Moren
Musical Director
Tess Dul
stage manager
Sarah Desrosiers
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Hrosvitha is presented by special arrangement
with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.
Au th o r Pr of i l e
Cast
R
omulus Linney was born in Philadelphia and raised in North
Carolina and Tennessee. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at
Oberlin College and his MFA at Yale School of Drama. He authored three novels, four opera librettos, 20 short stories, and 85 plays,
which have been staged throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.
His plays include Holy Ghosts, Childe Byron, Heathen Valley, and an adaptation of Ernest L. Gaine’s novel A Lesson Before Dying. In 2010 Linney
completed a libretto for an opera based on his first play, The Sorrows
of Frederick, commissioned by The Metropolitan Opera and Lincoln
Center Theater. Linney was the recipient of many awards, including two
Obie Awards, one for sustained excellence in play writing; two National
Critics Awards; three Drama-Logue Awards; and fellowships from the
Guggenheim and Rockefeller foundations, the New York Foundation
for the Arts and the National Endowment of the Arts. Linney passed
away in January 2011.
Joseph Comey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Abraham
Sabrina DeWeerdt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gerberga
Tess Dul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hrosvitha
David Raccio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brother William
Annie Stevenson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mary
Vocalists:
Marissa Cutrona, Tess Dul, Molly Karlin,
Nicole Karrs, Kelly Shannon
Start dancing!
MCDC
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Community Dance Center
Programs for Young Dancers
Classes for children and teens at all levels,
in creative movement, ballet, modern, tap, jazz, pointe, hip hop.
Adult Pilates & Fitness Classes • Adult Ballet
Tap Dance with Shelley Oliver
484.664.3087 • muhlenberg.edu/MCDC
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I
D i r ector ’s Not e
t is the age-old struggle of spirit and body.
Is one dominant? Should we allow one to
suppress the other? Most organized religions have, for hundreds of years, chosen to
suppress the bodily
— to hide it and
shame it. Taking the
pleasure out of sex,
and instead viewing
it as a commandment to bring about
offspring. In particular, the female body
and female sexuality
have been seen as
shameful, as well as
dangerous. Male sexuality has become an
uncontrollable beast
that can’t help but
be let loose at the
sight of a woman’s shoulder. This highly objectifying (as well as heteronormative and
transphobic) view of women is a damaging
thread that flows through the major Abrahamic religions — Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam. But can we label it as “wrong”
and walk away? Ignoring the women who
have found meaning and power in the modesty of dressing frum (the Jewish Orthodox
custom of modest dressing with specific
rules and regulations), or in choosing to
not having intercourse until marriage? Can
we say that women who wear the hijab are
oppressed, and discount the possibility
that wearing one makes them feel closer to
Allah? Discount the benefit in that? Should
we completely step away from the spiritual
side of ourselves?
As contemporary feminism fights
battles over the crushing multitude of issues still plaguing women around the world
today—everything from equal pay to free-
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dom of dress, to honor killings to the epidemic of campus rapes, it is also growing
and learning to tackle the complex issue of
intersectionality. That is, taking all women,
and their beliefs
and traditions, into
account. However,
it is a complex line
to tread, when so
many of the rules
and boundaries we
feel pushed to honor
were written by men
and have difficult
histories of being
used to oppress and
diminish women.
These are in
many ways the same
tensions that exist in
Romulus Linney’s
play within and around Hrosvitha — a forward-thinking woman with an understanding of the world that doesn’t always harmonize with her religious beliefs and deep
faith. While the actual historical figure’s
early life is unknown and the rest is still
hazy, it can be presumed that, like the other
canonesses of Gandersheim Abbey, she was
of noble birth. In addition, historians agree,
Hrosvitha knew intimately of love, loss, and
shame. As Linney’s Hrosvitha struggles to
integrate what she knows, what she feels,
and what she believes, we are taken on a
journey of love, loss, lust, creation, and
understanding, that ultimately contends
that we are the authors of our own stories,
and that women, most of all, must struggle
to rewrite the world around them.
And now please, enjoy and grapple with
this piece as much as we have.
— Julia Rose Schneiderman
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New Visions
director’s festival
evening B
Out Loud
Three Short Plays
Black Eye
by
Carolyn Gage
Game On
by
Gary Garrison
Baby Steps
by
Geoffrey Nauffts
directed by
Michael Witkes
scenic designer
Alexander Michael
michaels
costume designers
Rebecca Bitondo
Black Eye, Game On
Mae Cutrona
Baby Steps
Lighting designer
Zachary Heffner
featuring Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper
sponsored by WDIY 88.1 and WNTI 91.9 FM
SteelStacks™
Bethlehem, PA
Projection designer
Tommy Walters
Sound Designer
October 12 | 7:30 pm
Patrick Moren
Tickets available at artsquest.org | 610.332.3378
stage manager
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Briana Boche
Plays & Cast
Black Eye by Carolyn Gage
Mr. Kent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clay Westman
Miss Marshall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kristen Wendt
Amanda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deanna Mayo
Game On by Gary Garrison
Ted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clay Westman
Donnie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Kempner
Produced through special arrangement with the playwright and Original Works Publishing. You may
purchase this play and many others by visiting the Original Works website at www.originalworksonline.com.
4
4
The Music Department Concert Series Presents:
Baby Steps by Geoffrey Nauffts
Robert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clay Westman
Rosemary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Olivia Stevenson
THE ALEXANDER QUARTET
Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. (www.playscripts.com)
Photo: Rory Earnshaw
November 9, 2014
3:00 p.m.
Empie Theatre,
Baker Center for the Arts
Special Thanks:
Avery Brunkus, projection photographer
Troy Dwyer, Charles Richter, and Beth Schachter
Jointly presented with...
Including...
Beethoven Quartet in F Major, Op. 18 No. 1
Kodály Quartet No. 2, Op. 10
Shostakovich Quartet No. 2 in A Major, Op. 68
“Dream-come-true performances, impressing with their sure ensemble, lyricism,
accurate pitch, handsome sound and technical fluidity.” — The Boston Globe
Purchase tickets at the event or online at lvartsboxoffice.com or cmsob.org
Tickets: $30 Adults, $25 Seniors (65+), $5 Students (with valid student I.D.)
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A N ot e F r om t he Di r ector
I
n Out Loud, the characters soon realize that coming out is
only one step in a larger journey towards self-acceptance.
Taking on the label of gay might make them feel like they
are putting themselves in a box. But they must find a way to
become empowered by their label, rather than limited by it.
We live in a culture with pervasive stereotypes of femininity
and masculinity that define how we are supposed to present
ourselves to the world. These stereotypes serve no one. We
should not have to hide our identities, but should celebrate
them, without shame and without compromise.
Our country is riddled with unsafe environments, where
Americans are legally denied job offers, fired, or otherwise
discriminated against because they are gay. Where students
are bullied for their sexual orientations. Where the notion of
being out doesn’t seem possible. Where gay Americans fear
for their lives. But even in the most tolerant and accepting
of environments, there are still Americans that are afraid
to be out, that are afraid to be visible, and are afraid to be
their truest selves. As a society, we must work to end the
stigmatization of homosexuality, so that all gay people can
feel free to love openly, equally, and fearlessly.
The issues that these plays explore have not gone away.
Society’s attitudes may have progressed and evolved, but
as the lines of oppression become less blatant and obvious,
where do we stand?
—Michael Witkes
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New Visions
director’s festival
evening B
This Is
a Chair
by Caryl
Churchill
directed by
Hayley Cooke
scenic designer
Alexander Michael
michaels
costume designer
Sarah Wanger
Lighting designer
Zachary Heffner
Sound designer
Patrick Moren
stage manager
Sean Watkins
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Cast
Alexander Geoffrey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Julian
Tess Forestieri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mary/Muriel
Jake Haven Parisse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eric/Father
Alexandria Rust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deirdre/Mother
Taylor Brahms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ann
Evan Richter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ted
Troy Appel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John
Hannah Dempsey Schott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Polly
Tommy Walters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leo
Mac Myles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom
Peter Callahan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlie
Lydia Jordan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maddy
Special Thanks:
Lydia Baxter, Jenna Spiwack, Beth Schachter, and Michael Witkes
WMUH
91.7 fm
The only station that matters
muhlenberg.edu/wmuh
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T
D i rector ’s Not es
he title of this play is a
reference to artist René
Magritte’s painting entitled
The Treachery of Images (below).
In this painting, we see a pipe
above the words “Ceci n’est pas
une pipe,” translated into English
as “This is not a pipe.” The same
pipe, but with the title of the
show, is displayed on the cover of
Churchill’s play.
Of his work, Magritte later said
that it would have been lie if he
had labeled the image as a pipe.
This is a reference to the difference
between representation and reality. Something may look like what
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we’ve seen or know, but that does
not mean that it is the thing itself.
The “pipe” cannot be held and it
cannot be used. So, it is not a pipe
but a representation, an image, of
a pipe. But what is a pipe? How do
we know what a pipe is when we
see it? How are we manipulated by
both images and words?
Magritte’s work explores the
relationship between words,
images, and meaning. I invite you
to see how Churchill engages with
Magritte’s ideas in a different way,
and through a different medium:
a play.
—Hayley Cooke
P r o du ct i on Staff
General Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jessica Bien
Technical Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Damon Gelb
Master Electrician and Audio Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paul E. Theisen, Jr.
Costume Shop Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Caroline Cook
Assistant Technical Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eric Covell
Props Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cheryl Soper Christensen
Assistant Director, Don Perlimplín . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Patrick Moore
Assistant Director, Hrosvitha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rachel Aberman
Assistant Director/Dramaturg, This Is a Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Avalon Esposito
Assistant Stage Manager, Don Perlimplín . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Simone Becker
Hrosvitha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brendan O’Hara
Out Loud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sara Rosenman
This Is a Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Olivia Chatfield
Sound Board Operator, Evening A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Devan Callahan
Evening B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Ottaviano
Light Board Operator, Evening A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Masse
Evening B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Molly Karlin
Scenic Run Crew, Evening A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Briana Boche, Olivia Chatfield, Sara Rosenman, Sean Watkins
Evening B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Simone Becker, Sarah Desrosiers, Carrie Jablansky, Brendan O’Hara
Wardrobe Crew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Patricia Baumgartner, Anne Kitz, Lauren MacCready
Staff Stitchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Megan Evans Gartley, Lex Gurst
Work Study Stitchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dylan Ashton, Jane Bertelsen , Rebecca Bitondo, Annie Corrao,
Nicole Esposito, Meghan Garvey, Dayna Kline, Ally Merrill,
Bree Ogaldez, Samantha Simon, Liz Spilsbury, Sarah Jacqueline Wanger
Stagecraft Stitchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aubrey Carey, Nicole DelCioppio, Nicky Rosolino, Daryll Heiberger,
Tyler Holoboski, Jessica Land, Emmia Newman, Lauren MacCready,
Lauren Waters, Sydney Watt
Scene Shop Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin Gallagher, Kristen Mayer
Carpenters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dalit Agronin, Samantha Bernstein, Rebecca Canziani, Catherine Clark,
Demetra Demetriades, Michael Dziuba, MJ Hodge, Jordan Horne,
Philip Kaufman, Katie Kooistra, Heather Lash, Lauren MacCready,
Bob Madani, Alexander Michaels, Phillip Middleton, Brenna Schaffell,
Brandan Skahill, Nicole Tetreault, Clay Westman
Assistant Master Electrician . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ron Gerschel
Programmers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ben Burwell , Ron Gerschel, Jared Loeb
Student Electricians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Benjamin Burwell, Hannah Cascio, David Forbes, Sean Fowley,
Brydon Geisler, Ron Gerschel, Connor Gibbons, Zachary Heffner,
Jared Loeb, Malcolm McClain, Patrick Moren,
Brian Pacelli, Claire Waggoner
Box Office Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taylor Beckman, Gianna Beleno, Avery Deutsch,
Hannah Gross, David Triplett, Kristen Wendt
Box Office Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sarah Mitchler, Lillian Pritchard, Jackie Schweighardt,
Sydney Watt, Alex Womer
House Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Erin Bradford, Lydia Condoluci
Marketing & Development Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scott Snyder
Presidential Assistant for Marketing & Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Liana Decates
New Visions Graphic Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark McGillivray
Publicity & Marketing Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Briana Boche, Allison Conley, Natalie Coy,
Taylor Hunsberger, Jason Leonhard
30
New Visions
September 2014
September 2014
New Visions31
Faculty & Guest Artist Profiles
Holly Cate (Faculty Directing
Advisor, Evening B) is an awardwinning actor and director. Credits
include Broadway: An Ideal Husband
(directed by Sir Peter Hall); Regional:
Blithe Spirit (Portland Stage); An
Ideal Husband (Pioneer); All My
Sons (American Stage); Arms and the
Man (Asolo); numerous New York
theatre credits. Holly also played the
deliciously evil Janice Maxwell on As
the World Turns, as well as appearing
in many television and radio commercials and narrating numerous
audio books. Holly teaches acting
at Muhlenberg while still maintaining an active professional career in
New York. She has her undergraduate
degree from Harvard and her MFA in
acting from Brandeis University.
Cheryl Soper Christensen (Properties
Coordinator) has coordinated props
for Muhlenberg since The Crucible in
2001, and for MSMT since You’re a
Good Man, Charlie Brown!, summer
2001. She has also worked locally with
The Theatre Outlet. Previously Cheryl
was prop coordinator, then production manager for The Whole Theatre
in Montclair, N.J., where, alongside
Artistic Director Olympia Dukakis,
she worked with renowned talents
including director Susan Strohman,
Austin Pendleton, Philip Seymour
Hoffman, playwright Romulus Linney,
and many others. She also served
as production manager at her alma
mater, Upsala College. The productions of which Cheryl is most proud
are her sons, Kramer, Alex, and Ethan.
32
New Visions
September 2014
September 2014
Lara de Bruijn (Costume Designer,
Evening A; Costume Mentor, Evening
B) has designed for Moving Stories,
Master Choreographers and Dance
Emerge at Muhlenberg. Other credits include Under My Skin (Little
Shubert Theatre), The Two Character
Play (New World Stages), Don
Giovanni (Castleton Opera Festival),
Ndebele Funeral (59E59), Slow Dusk
& Markheim (Little Opera Theatre
of New York), The Yellow Wallpaper
(Boston Playwrights’), The Circle
(Peterborough Players). MFA from
NYU Tisch School of the Arts. See
more at laradawndesign.com
Francine Roussel (Faculty Directing
Advisor, Evening A) was among the
founders of the Actors Studio in Paris.
She has written and performed her own
shows, and continues her acting career
in Europe and America: Saturday Night
Live, Sex and the City, Sydney Pollack’s
film The Interpreter. She created Kicking
Mule Theatre Company to develop work
for alumni and faculty. Jean Genet’s The
Maids that she directed (and in which
she performed the role of Madame)
was the first show of the company.
Before Muhlenberg, Ms. Roussel taught
acting and directed at NYU’s Tisch
School of the Arts and the Stella Adler
Conservatory. She was movement
director for Nicholas Hytner’s film The
Crucible and mask coach on The Green
Bird, directed by Julie Taymor at The
Victory Theatre. She also directed The
Square, by Marguerite Duras, at UBU
Repertory Theatre in NYC. She has
directed over ten shows at Muhlenberg.
New Visions33
Com pa ny Pr of i l e s
Rachel Aberman (Assistant Director,
Hrosvitha) previously directed a play as part
of the 2014 Red Door Play Festival, wrote a
play for the 2014 New Play Reading Series,
and participated in Marathon of the Arts.
She is also a part of An Artist Collective
and runs the weekly MTA playwriting
workshop. Rachel is a double-major in theatre (concentrating in directing and design)
and media & communication.
Troy Appel ( John, This Is a Chair) has
appeared in the Studio Production of MUD
and the Red Door production of Terrible,
Beautiful Bodies. Other credits include the
Indecorous Theatre production of Arms
and the Man and the short professional film
Iowa City. Troy is a theatre and communication double-major and is a thrower for
the Muhlenberg track-and-field team.
Simone Becker (Assistant Stage Manager,
Don Perlimplín), Class of 2018, is ecstatic to
be making her Muhlenberg theatre debut
with New Visions! Previously, Simone
has taught and acted professionally with
California Theatre Center and Peninsula
Youth Theatre. She is also deeply rooted
with Monta Vista Theatre Arts, having
stage managed, directed, produced,
company managed, and acted throughout
34
her years there. Simone is pursuing her
theatre degree and elementary education
credential and is involved with Eye to Eye
on campus.
Rebecca Bitondo (Costume Designer, Out
Loud—Black Eye and Game On) is a senior
theatre and history double-major, concentrating in acting and costume design. Past
design credits include the world premier
of Sinternet! The Musical (RDPF) and
The Problem (Studio Productions), and
she served as assistant designer for Love’s
Labour’s Lost (HVSF) and Bartholomew
Fair (Muhlenberg). Rebecca is excited to
announce that she will also be returning as
the hair, makeup, and costume designer for
The Muhlenberg Circus Workshop for their
spring show. Enjoy the show!
Briana Boche (Production Stage Manager,
Evening B; Stage Manager, Out Loud) is a
senior theatre major with English and business minors and a concentration in stage
management. This past spring, she studied
abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland. This is her
second time working on the New Visions festival, and she most recently stage managed
the New Voices 2013 production Sinternet!
The Musical. She is a marketing associate for
the Theatre & Dance Department.
New Visions
September 2014
Taylor Brahms (Ann, This Is a Chair) is
making her Muhlenberg debut. Previous
credits include Carrie and Xanadu
(Broadway Workshop), Gypsy (The
Wheatley School), and She Kills Monsters
(NHSI Cherubs). Taylor is a freshman
at Muhlenberg and plans to be a theatre
major.
and Noises Off at Palo Alto High School,
and Macbeth and The Importance of Being
Earnest at Concordia International School
Shanghai. Joseph is a theatre major and
a proud member of the fencing club, the
Chamber Singers and the Muhlenberg
Acafellas.
Peter Callahan (Charlie, This Is a Chair)
is appearing in his first Mainstage production. Previously he has been a part of the
technical crew on What Strong Fences Make,
directed by Lauren Goldberger. Peter is a
theatre major and business minor.
Olivia Chatfield (Assistant Stage Manager,
This Is a Chair) is working on her first show
at Muhlenberg. Previous credits include
The Cherry Orchard (stage manager)
and Metamorphoses (assistant director)
at Concord Academy. Onstage she has
participated in Concord Academy’s Theatre
Company, a group dedicated to producing
original collaborative work for the stage.
Olivia is a freshman from Massachusetts,
majoring in elementary education and
political science.
Joseph Comey (Abraham, Hrosvitha)
debuted on the Muhlenberg stage in The
Bourgeois Pig his freshman year, and has
also appeared in Every Good Boy Deserves
Favour. Other credits include Our Town
September 2014
Hayley Cooke (Director, This Is a Chair)
is a theatre and media & communication double-major. Previous directorial
credits include MUD (Studio Production
2013), No Such Thing (Red Door Play
Festival 2012), and assistant director of
Crazy For You (SMT 2013). Other credits
include assistant stage manager of Stop
Kiss (Mainstage 2012), and stage manager
of Desire, Desire, Desire (Red Door Play
Festival 2012). Hayley has also spent many
summers teaching and directing children’s
theatre. Most recently, Hayley taught
creative drama at Camp Imagine (SMT
2014). Hayley studied abroad in the spring
of 2014 at John Cabot University in Rome,
Italy. She is a proud member of Phi Sigma
Sigma sorority.
Mae Cutrona (Costume Designer, Out
Loud—Baby Steps) previously designed
costumes for the Muhlenberg Studio
Production of What Strong Fences Make
and makeup for the Red Door Play
Festival production of Cagebirds. Mae
recently worked as the costume intern
New Visions35
at Chautauqua Theater Company. Other
credits include Peter Rabbit (Chautauqua
Theater Company) and The Rebellion
(Eagle Hill School). Mae is a theatre major
and a gender studies minor, a member of
Women’s Ensemble, and the events coordinator for SGI Muhlenberg.
Sarah Desrosiers (Stage Manager,
Hrosvitha) worked backstage on the
mainstage productions of On the Town,
The Marriage of Figaro, and The Mystery of
Edwin Drood, and was the assistant stage
manager for Every Good Boy Deserves
Favour. Sarah is a theatre and environmental science double-major and is a member
of the Students in Newman.
Sabrina DeWeerdt (Gerberga, Hrosvitha)
appeared as Ellen in Cages in the Red Door
Play Festival and as Adrienne in the Studio
Production What Heaven Doesn’t Have To
Know. She’s a proud member of An Artist
Collective and Chamber Singers. Sabrina is
a theatre major who has dabbled in social
sciences. This is her Mainstage debut.
Tess Dul (Hrosvitha, Hrosvitha) is a senior
at Muhlenberg, studying theatre, music, and
math. She was recently seen in Muhlenberg
Summer Music Theatre’s A Chorus Line.
Muhlenberg Mainstage credits: On The
Town and Superhuman (New Voices 2013).
Other credits include Dido and Aeneas
36
(Muhlenberg Music Department), To Kill
a Mockingbird, The Threepenny Opera, The
Pajama Game, and A Midsummer Night’s
Dream (Philipstown Depot Theatre).
Avalon Esposito (Assistant Director, This
Is a Chair) is junior double-major in film
studies and media & communication. This
is Avalon’s first Mainstage experience. She
previously served as the assistant Red Door
Play coordinator for the Muhlenberg Theatre
Association. Avalon is the treasurer of her
sorority, Phi Sigma Sigma, the president of
the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, and
a residential advisor in Brown Hall.
Tess Forestieri (Mary/Muriel, This Is a
Chair) is a senior at Muhlenberg, majoring
in theatre and media & communication. You
may have seen Tess in last year’s Mainstage
production of Pricking (New Voices 2013)
as Rachel. Tess has also participated in the
Studio Productions of The Real Inspector
Hound (Cynthia Muldoon) and Offending
the Audience. As a freshman Tess was also in
the Red Door Play Performances AML and
Desire, Desire, Desire (Blanche DuBois). Tess
is a member of the Seegers Union Student
Advisory Board and a participant in the
Muhlenberg Outdoors Club.
Julia Garber (Belisa, Don Perlimplín) is a
senior theatre major and English minor.
She has performed on the Muhlenberg
New Visions
September 2014
Mainstage in On the Town, Dance Emerge
’13 and ’14, and most recently the
Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre
production of A Chorus Line (Sheila).
Other credits include the world premiere
of The Diary (Margot Frank), Spelling Bee
(Marcy), and work with the Blank Theatre
Company and the Falcon Theatre in Los
Angeles.
Alex Geoffrey ( Julian, This Is a Chair) is
making his mainstage debut. His previous
productions include Death in Character
(RDPF), The Boyfriend, City of Angels,
and Beauty and the Beast (Princeton High
School). Alex’s intended majors are theatre
and chemistry. He is the beatboxer for the
a group NoteWorthy and the resident advisor for first floor Prosser Annex.
Dahlya Glick (Duende #2/Mother/
Voices, Don Perlimplín) – Dahlya’s
Muhlenberg theatre credits include 44
Plays for 44 Presidents, Words, Words,
Words, and Jack & the Beanstalk, in which
she played either a mother or a monkey.
She is co-founder of Muhlenberg’s first
all-female comedy troupe, Damsels in
Excess, performs with UiP and InAcchord,
and studied abroad in Nepal and India last
year. Post-graduation, Dahlya will move to
LA to work with The Groundlings Theatre
and pursue a financially promising life of
cartoon writing and comedy making.
September 2014
Seamus Good (Marcolfa/Duende #1, Don
Perlimplín) is in his first year at Muhlenberg.
He is planning on majoring in theatre
and fine arts. Past credits include Spring
Awakening (HHS), The Government Instector
(HHS), and The Duck Variations (NHETG).
Zachary Heffner (Lighting Designer,
Evening B) is excited to be designing another Muhlenberg production. Most recently
he designed the lighting for Summer Music
Theatre’s production of Gruff! Other lighting design credits at Muhlenberg include:
MUD, The Viper’s Circus, and Muhlenberg’s
Circus Workshop. Zachary is currently in
his sophomore year at Muhlenberg.
Carrie Jablansky (Production Stage
Manager, Evening A; Stage Manager, Don
Perlimplín) is humbled to be working on
her final Mainstage production. She most
recently served as the production stage
manager of the 2014 Spring Mainstage production of Mad Forest. A senior sociology
major and business minor, she spent last
fall at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem,
and currently serves as the president of the
Muhlenberg Theatre Association.
Marc Jablonski (Composer/Sound
Designer, Don Perlimplín) is a senior with a
major in anthropology and a double minor
in French and studio art. This is his second
time working on music and sound for a
New Visions37
New Visions production, after Still Life With
Iris last spring. He has also worked on five
Studio Productions at Muhlenberg, including The Intruder and Viper’s Circus. Marc
plans to continue onto graduate school to
study sound and linguistic anthropology.
wMatt Kempner (Donnie, Out Loud)
was last seen in the Mainstage production
Pricking. Matt is a theatre major as well as
president of the on-campus improv group
MIA (Muhlenberg Improv Association.)
Matt is also a member of UiP and is an
on-air DJ for the radio.
Allison Lloyd (Director, Don Perlimplín)
made her first steps at Muhlenberg as the
assistant director for the New Voices pieces
…continuance…in a time of disarray… and
Make Your Acquaintance. Since then, she has
provided the directorial voice behind picnic
(pik’nik): v.i. (Red Door Play Festival), The
Library (in coordination with the Institute
for Jewish Christian Understanding)
and The Intruder (Studio Production).
Allison has also enjoyed a brief career as an
educator, including work with Allentown
Public Theatre on a series of youth drama
workshops, serving as the drama director
at Emma Kaufmann Camp (in coordination with mainstages, inc.) and as the
education coordinator for Theatre Aspen
in Aspen, Colo. When not masquerading
as director and teacher, Allison is also the
38
editor-in-chief for Muses magazine, an avid
hiker, a yogi and outdoor enthusiast, and the
voice behind Strings and Other Fun Things on
Muhlenberg’s radio station, 91.7 WMUH.
Deanna Mayo (Amanda, Out Loud) is
appearing in her first Muhlenberg production. Her other production experiences
include Les Misérables as Cosette ( JC
Players), Peter Pan as the title character
(Molloy High School), Little Shop of
Horrors as Audrey (Holy Cross High
School), and You Can’t Take It With You as
Alice (Molloy High School). Deanna is a
first-year Dana scholar from New York who
is an aspiring theatre and accounting major.
Alexander Michael Michaels (Scenic
Designer) is a senior with a double-major
in theatre design and music composition. He has worked both professionally
and in college as master carpenter, scenic
painter, and designer. He is a musical director of the Muhlenberg Acafellas and has
acted in Mainstage productions and local
Allentown theatres. He is also ready to
graduate and continue life in the real world.
Patrick Moore (Assistant Director, Don
Perlimplín) is incredibly excited to be
working on such an amazing project. He
is a sophomore with a double-major in
business and theatre. His Muhlenberg
credits include playing Alexander in Every
New Visions
September 2014
Good Boy Deserves Favour (New Visions
2013) and MMRP (Studio Production).
He couldn’t ask for a more passionate and
inspiring director than Allison. Patrick is
also a member of the Muhlenberg Acafellas
and Fun With Science.
The Musical and as the Doctor in Every
Good Boy Deserves Favour. Other credits
include Jesus Christ Superstar and the world
premiere of Gruff! for Summer Music
Theatre. James is a theatre and physical science double-major, a member of both the
Muhlenberg College Choir and Chamber
Singers, and an active contributor to the
Muhlenberg Film Association.
Patrick Moren (Sound Designer, Out
Loud, This Is a Chair, Hrosvitha) came
to Muhlenberg in 2012. He is a doublemajor in theatre and philosophy and has
designed sound for New Voices 2013 and
‘dentity Crisis (Studio Productions 2013),
assistant sound designed 44 Plays for 44
Presidents, and was the audio technician for
Fishbowl Collective (February 2013). He
is a member of the Muhlenberg Pep Band,
Percussion Ensemble, and Kappa Kappa
Psi honorary band fraternity.
Brendan O’Hara (Assistant Stage Manager,
Hrosvitha) is involved in his first Muhlenberg
production. Prior to Muhlenberg, he was
an assistant stage manager and production stage manager at Morris Hills High
School. Brendan is a sophomore theatre and
psychology double-major at Muhlenberg.
He is also a writing tutor, a peer tutor, and a
member of Best Buddies.
Mac Myles (Tom, This Is a Chair) previously appeared in The Mystery of Edwin
Drood and The Marriage of Figaro on the
Muhlenberg Mainstage, in Muhlenberg
Summer Music Theatre’s Jesus Christ
Superstar, and in last semester’s MTA
Fundraiser Cabaret. Mac is a junior theatre
and media & communication double-major
and a brother of the Alpha Phi Omega
service fraternity.
James Ofalt (Don Perlimplín, Don
Perlimplín) has previously appeared on the
Mainstage as Edward Elliot in Sinternet!
September 2014
Jake Haven Parisse (Eric/Father, This Is
a Chair) has appeared in The Winter’s Tale
and Mad Forest on the Mainstage. He performs with the on-campus comedy groups
UiP, MIA, and Fun with Science, and also
produces short films with Weast Coast.
Jake is a Dana Scholar studying theatre and
media & communication.
David Raccio (Brother William,
Hrosvitha) is a first-year student planning
to double-major in theatre and political
science. This is his debut Mainstage performance. During the summer he performed
New Visions39
in Ragtime the Musical with a community
theatre group in Branford, Conn. David
attended Cooperative Arts and Humanities
High School in New Haven, Conn., and
in his four years there he was in a number
of shows, including The Laramie Project,
Rumors: a Farce, The Drowsy Chaperone,
and The Importance of Being Ernest.
Evan Richter (Ted, This Is a Chair) was
last seen in The Mystery of Edwin Drood on
Muhlenberg’s Mainstage, the 2014 Red
Door Play Festival, and The Library. Other
credits include Twelfth Night and Man of La
Macha (Moravian Academy). A sophomore, Evan is majoring in theatre and is
involved in Shelley Oliver’s tap ensemble.
Sara Rosenman (Assistant Stage Manager,
Out Loud) first joined the Muhlenberg
theatre community behind the scenes for
the fall 2013 Mainstage production of
The Mystery of Edwin Drood. She was also
involved in the Red Door play Marcus
is Walking. Her past theatre experience
includes leading the properties crew at
Byram Hills High School. She is a sophomore psychology major and a member of
the Muhlenberg Broadcast Community.
Alexandria Rust (Deirdre/Mother, This Is
a Chair) is excited to work on this project
with a fantastic group. She appeared in
On the Town (Flossie), The Adventures
of Alice and Noah (Annie), and Jack and
the Beanstalk (Cow) at Muhlenberg.
Alexandria also directed and produced her
own work 16 Bars and a Monologue, Please.
She is a senior theatre and English doublemajor, president of NoteWorthy a cappella,
retired member (and avid supporter) of
Damsels In Excess, and spin teacher.
Julia Rose Schneiderman (Director,
Hrosvitha) has previously directed the Studio
Production of Hello, From Bertha and the Red
40
Door Festival production of Crazy Eights, and
was the assistant director for the Summer
Music Theatre production of Jesus Christ
Superstar. Julia was last seen onstage during
Single Carrot Theatre’s 24-hour play festival,
this past July. She is the founder and artistic
director of The Rude Mechanicals, and the
publicity coordinator for Muses literary &
arts magazine. Julia is a theatre major with a
double-minor in creative writing and women’s studies. She studied at the Accademia
dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy, in fall 2013.
Hannah Dempsey Schott (Polly, This Is
a Chair) is making her Muhlenberg stage
debut. Favorite roles include Reckless and
Songs for a New World (Walnut Hill School
for the Arts), You’re a Good Man, Charlie
Brown! (Encore Repertory Company),
and Little Shop of Horrors (Moses Brown
School). Dempsey also backpacked the
last 120 miles of the Appalachian Trail and
summited a 12,300-foot glacier.
Georgie Simon (Dramaturgy, Hrosvitha)
is a senior with a double-major in theatre
and religion studies. She has previously
been in four mainstage productions and in
the Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre
productions of Hairspray and Jesus Christ
Superstar. She is the president of both
Omicron Delta Kappa and the Religion
Studies and Cultures Forum.
Annie Stevenson (Mary, Hrosvitha) is
excited to debut in her first Mainstage at
Muhlenberg. Other credits include Ms.
Bingely in Pride and Prejudice (Conestoga
High School), and Mrs. Chevely in An Ideal
Husband (Conestoga High School). Annie
is a theatre and biology double-major.
Olivia Stevenson (Rosemary, Out Loud) is
a senior English and theatre (acting) double-major. She was last seen at Muhlenberg
as Armande in The Learned Ladies last
New Visions
September 2014
spring. Previous roles at Muhlenberg
include Mooncalf in Bartholomew Fair and
Irina in Three Sisters. She has trained classically at the Royal Academy of Dramatic
Arts in London, and she spent her semester
abroad at the Accademia dell’Arte in
Arezzo, Italy, where she studied physical
theatre.
and business administration. Previous
credits at Muhlenberg include ASM for
The Mystery of Edwin Drood. In 2013,
he received an award for Outstanding
Student Achievement at the Connecticut
High School Musical Theatre Awards for
his work as the stage manager of How To
Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at
Newtown High School.
Claire Waggoner (Lighting Designer,
Hrosvitha) is a junior theatre major with
concentrations in acting, directing, and
design. Her previous design experience
includes scenic and lighting for Hello, From
Bertha and lighting for What Strong Fences
Make and MMRP, all a part of the Studio
Productions. She has also done lighting
design for the informal dance concerts.
Claire is a member of The Rude Mechanicals
and the master electrician for the MTA, and
over the summer she was an electrics intern
at The Glimmerglass Festival.
Kristen Wendt (Miss Marshall, Out Loud)
is thrilled to be making her Mainstage
debut. She was previously seen at
Muhlenberg as Principal Anderson in the
studio production Subtext. A senior theatre
major and elementary education certification candidate, Kristen studied abroad at
the Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy,
during the fall of 2013. Kristen is the president of the a cappella group InAcchord,
and is an original cast member of the allfemale comedy troupe Damsels in Excess.
Tommy Walters (Leo, This Is a Chair) is a
sophomore making his Mainstage debut.
Over the summer Tommy performed at
Summer Music Theatre in A Chorus Line,
and also was a teaching assistant at Camp
Imagine. Tommy has performed in the Red
Door Play Festival and the MTA Fundraiser
Cabaret, and his play Spiderchick debuted in
the New Play Reading Festival last spring.
Last year, Tommy co-founded the film
adventure squad Weast Coast, and he is looking forward to a year of creating cool stuff.
Clay Westman (Mr. Kent/Ted/Robert,
Out Loud) is a senior theatre and music
major. He has appeared previously in the
Mainstage productions of Curse of the
Starving Class and The Bourgeois Pig, as well
as several Studio Productions, including
Words, Words, Words.
Sarah Wanger (Costume Designer, This Is a
Chair) debuted designs in last year’s Studio
Production The Viper’s Circus. She is a theatre and English double-major and works in
the Muhlenberg costume shop, where she is
affectionately referred to as “Sassy.”
Sean Watkins (Stage Manager, This Is
a Chair) is a sophomore Dana Scholar
pursuing a double-major in theatre
September 2014
Michael Witkes (Director, Out Loud) is a
senior theatre major with concentrations
in directing and acting. He most recently
appeared as Paris in the BrooklynONE production of Romeo and Juliet. This summer
he worked as the directing and casting
intern for both the Bushwick Starr and the
Rising Sun theatre companies. In the fall of
2013, Michael studied abroad in London
at Queen Mary University. He has also
appeared in the Mainstage productions of
The Marriage of Figaro (Usher) and On the
Town (Dance Ensemble), and the Summer
Music Theatre production of Harold and
the Purple Crayon (Dancing Horse).
New Visions41
Muhlenberg College
Theatre & Dance Department
Theatre Faculty
The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival
XLVII
sponsored in part by
Stephen and Christine Schwarzman
The Kennedy Center Corporate Fund
U.S. Department of Education
The National Committee for the Performing Arts
Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation
This production is entered in the Kennedy Center American College Theater
Festival (KCACTF). The aims of this national theater education program are to
identify and promote quality in college-level theater production. To this end, each
production entered is eligible for a response by a regional KCACTF representative,
and selected students and faculty are invited to participate in KCACTF programs
involving scholarships, internships, grants and awards for actors, directors, dramaturges, playwrights, designers, stage managers and critics at both the regional and
national levels.
Productions entered on the Participating level are eligible for inclusion at
the KCACTF regional festival and can also be considered for invitation to the
KCACTF national festival at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in
Washington, DC in the spring of 2015.
Last year more than 1,300 productions were entered in the KCACTF involving
more than 200,000 students nationwide. By entering this production, our theater
department is sharing in the KCACTF goals to recognize, reward, and celebrate the
exemplary work produced in college and university theaters across the nation.
42
New Visions
September 2014
Beth Schachter – Department Chair;
Associate Professor: Acting, Directing,
History & Theory
Charles Richter – Director of Theatre;
Professor: Directing, Theatre History,
Theory
Curtis Dretsch – Director of Design and
Technical Theatre; Professor: Scenic,
Costume, and Lighting Design
Timothy Averill – Professor:
Scenography
Dr. Arnab Banerji – ASAINetwork; Luce
Foundation Teaching Fellow
Holly Cate – Associate Professor: Acting
Michael Chin – PT Lecturer: Acting,
Stage Combat
Troy Dwyer – Associate Professor:
Acting, Voice & Speech
Mark McKenna – PT Lecturer: Acting
Matthew Moore – Visiting Asst. Professor:
Theatre History & Theory
James Peck – Professor: Directing,
Performance Studies, Theatre History
Francine Roussel – Professor: Acting
Larry Singer – Visiting Assistant
Professor: Directing, Acting
Dance Faculty
Karen Dearborn – Director of Dance;
Professor: Ballet, Composition,
Dance History
Pattie Bostick – Lecturer: Jazz, Ballet
Lisa Bottitta-Busfield – Lecturer:
Modern, Dance Education
Corrie Franz Cowart – Assistant Professor:
Modern, Ballroom, Composition, Dance
on Camera
Susan Creitz – PT Lecturer: Improvisation,
Movement for Actors and Dancers
Heidi Cruz-Austin – ­Lecturer: Ballet
Gayanne Grossman – Dance Clinic
Director; Lecturer: Anatomy and
Kinesiology for Dancers
September 2014
Megan Flynn – Visiting Lecturer: Ballet,
Modern, & Pilates
Beau Hancock – Lecturer: Modern
Madeline Hoak – Lecturer:
Aerial Acrobatics
Janet M. Peck – Lecturer:
African Dance & Cultures
Ellen Troy Mulcahy – Lecturer:
Pilates, Ballet
Shelley Oliver – Director of the
Muhlenberg Tap Ensemble; Lecturer: Tap
Jeffrey Peterson – Assistant Professor:
Modern, Jazz, Dance Technique &
Performace
Tara Repsher – Director of the Muhlenberg
Community Dance Center youth classes;
Lecturer: Ballet, Jazz
Sammy Reyes – Guest Artist: Hip Hop
Teresa VanDenend Sorge – Director of the
DanceMax Moving Company; Lecturer:
Modern, Dance Education, Dance &
Society
Jessica Warchal-King – Lecturer: Ballet
Lynn Wiener – Lecturer: Ballet, Jazz,
Horton Technique
Dance Musicians
Paul Fejko Rebekah Ruth Michael Schnack
Professional Staff
Jessica Bien – General Manager
Damon Gelb – Technical Director
Caroline Cook – Costume Shop Manager
Scott Snyder – Marketing and Development
Manager
Paul E. Theisen, Jr. – Theatre Technician
Eric Covell – Assistant Technical Director
Alexis Gurst – Staff Stitcher
Tracy C. Kline – Department Secretary
Liana Decates – Presidential Assistant for
Marketing & Development
Theatre & Dance Department Offices:
Trexler Pavilion for Theatre & Dance
484-664-3335 Box office: 484-664-3333
New Visions43
Muhlenberg Theatre Association
- Executive Board -
President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carrie Jablansky
Vice President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Becca Grady
Executive Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lydia Condoluci
Business Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Becky Goodman
Historian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zach Love
- Advisory Board -
Fundraising Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emma Steiger (Fall), Marie DiNorcia (Spring)
Publicity Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Helen Laser (Fall), Rachel Oshrin (Spring)
Studio Productions Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lena Schneider (Fall), Sean Watkins (Spring)
Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sean Watkins
Red Door Play Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cody Johnson (Fall), Sarah Bedwell (Spring)
Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sarah Bedwell
Student Master Carpenter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Demi Demetriades (Fall), Brian Pacelli (Spring)
Student Master Electrician . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Claire Waggoner (Fall), Ron Gerschel (Spring)
Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ron Gerschel
Performance Ensemble Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . Leah Alfieri (Fall), Sarah Weinflash (Spring)
Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Avery Deutsch
Social Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kate McMorran
Concessions Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Russell Norris (Fall), Zoe Briggs (Spring)
Community Outreach Coordinator . . . . . Liv Amundsen (Fall), Lauren Goldberger (Spring)
MTA/MDA Liaison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Liz Spilsbury
Muhlenberg Dance Association
- Executive Board -
President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sarah Braviak
Vice President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Danielle Gumbert
Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Krysta Parker
Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tyler Holoboski
Public Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Allison Conley
Community Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dalit Agronin, Nikki Horwitz
MTA/MDA Liaison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Liz Spilsbury
Class Representative 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Courtney Hunsberger
Class Representative 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zoe Papaeracleous (Fall), Sarah Braviak (Spring)
Class Representative 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meredith Clemons, Emily Lombardo
Class Representative 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amanda Capasso
New Visions
In Theatre and Dance, faculty and staff have developed a multi-faceted approach to
education that combines exciting creative experience with rigorous professional standards.
The production program reinforces the belief that as academic disciplines, theatre and dance
must be intellectual and practical. Serious training and intense interaction between faculty
and students provide a collaborative rather than competitive atmosphere in the department.
Students are challenged as artists in the studio and classroom, working closely with
distinguished faculty and nationally recognized guest artists to achieve a conceptual
understanding and a practical working knowledge of the arts and the profession. Stage
experience is considered one of the most important elements in the training process for
actors and dancers, directors and choreographers, production stage managers, designers and
technicians. Students provide considerable talent and leadership in the staging of both main
stage and studio projects.
Performing Arts graduates of Muhlenberg College are prepared for study at the graduate
level, pursue lives as professional artists, and contribute creative leadership in many other
careers. The blend of academic work in the liberal arts with a professional level of training
in theatre and dance has prepared them to work as actors, directors, designers and stage
managers, choreographers, dancers, and dance educators, and production assistants and arts
administrators on Broadway, in film and television, and in major regional and educational
theatres across the nation.
Muhlenberg’s production program has been ranked in the top ten in the country for six
years running, according to The Princeton Review, including a No. 1 ranking for 2012. The Fiske
Guide to Colleges ranks Muhlenberg among the top 20 small college programs in the nation in
both theatre and dance—one of only eight schools in the country to appear on both lists.
For more information, visit our website at
www.muhlenberg.edu/theatre&dance
Muhlenberg Theatre Association & Muhlenberg Dance Association
are supported by funds provided by Student Government
and the Department of Theatre and Dance.
44
The Muhlenberg College experience offers a direct learning partnership among faculty and
students in the classroom, laboratory, and performance studio. Muhlenberg offers students
opportunities to foster the most important goal of the liberal arts education—education of
the whole person.
September 2014