2022-23 season The Night Diary

Producing Partner

THE NIGHT DIARY

Wells Fargo Playhouse

March 10-26, 2023

Adapted for the stage by Mukta Phatak

Based on the book The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani

Book cover illustration used by permission of Penguin Random House

Designed and illustrated by Kelley Brady

From the Board President

Mitchell Kelling

Welcome to the 75th year of the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte! After the last two years, we are excited to have you in attendance for our performances. We are committed to bringing the community together and fostering an environment of love and inclusiveness for all.

For our 75th season, we have selected what we believe to be some of the best musicals and plays for you to see. We are excited to start the season with the musical, Annie. It would not be Christmas at CTC without The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical which is an original to the Theatre. And we will finish the season in May with Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical! As part of The Kindness Project, we are bringing back A Sick Day for Amos McGee. If you are not familiar with The Kindness Project, it was started in 2017 as a means of commissioning original plays whose focus is on bringing kindness to others. Be sure to check out our website (ctcharlotte.org) to see what else is showing on our stages this season.

I am honored to serve as chair of the Board of Directors for this season. As a child, I grew up going to the Children’s Theatre when it was on Morehead Street. It helped fuel my love of the theatre. Now, it is an honor to serve as chair of the Board of Directors. If you love coming to the theatre and wish to get involved further, we have plenty of opportunities including ushering at our performances, helping to plan Celebrate! which is our annual fundraiser, or serving on our Board of Directors.

Celebrating years

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Annie Jackie Robinson: A Game Apart

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical

Confessions of a Former Bully

Allie Kazan and the Magic Mansion

Sunjata Kamalenya: The Story of the True Lion

King of Africa

The Night Diary

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!

The Gathering

The Lion and the Little Red Bird

Adapted for the stage by Mukta Phatak

Based on the book The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani

Book cover illustration used by permission of Penguin Random House

Designed and illustrated by Kelley Brady

Director Anjalee Deshpande Hutchinson

Dramaturg Anurag Wadehra

Composers Parth Desai & Aalap Desai

Scenic Designer Anita Tripathi*

Lighting Designer Robyn Warfield

Sound Designer Tyler Knowles

Costume Designers Oona Natesan & Sandhya Raman

Assistant Director Lakeetha Blakeney

*Member United Scenic Artists Local 829

In collaboration with EnActe Arts (Vinita Sud Belani, Artistic Director)

Originally commissioned and first produced by Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, Adam Burke, Artistic Director.

Run time 80 minutes.

Moments of conflict and strobe effects are present in the show. Videotaping, photography and other recording of this production is prohibited.

2022-23 Season

The Night Diary is in collaboration with EnActe Arts.

Additional support:

Dorlisa & Peter Flur

Patrick & Elizabeth Vaughn

Arts & Science Council

National Endowment for the Arts

The Shubert Foundation

Children’s Theatre of Charlotte is supported, in part, by the Infusion Fund and its generous donors, and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.

This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Kate McCracken ’22 as Alice Murphy in Charlotte Latin School’s Spring 2022 Upper School production of the musical Bright Star. Kate is the 2021 Blumey Best Actress Winner and 2022 Best Actress Nominee. (Also pictured, Ryan Samii ’24 as Jimmy Ray.)

CREATIVE TEAM

Director......Anjalee Deshpande Hutchinson

Dramaturg.......................Anurag Wadehra

Composers.......Parth Desai & Aalap Desai

Scenic Designer......................Anita Tripathi

Lighting Designer................Robyn Warfield

Sound Designer......................Tyler Knowles

Costume Designers.............Oona Natesan & Sandhya Raman

Assistant Director.........Lakeetha Blakeney

FOR THIS PRODUCTION

Stage Manager...................Hazel Doherty

Deck Chief...............................Josh Lucero

Scenic Artist.................................Tim Parati

Wardrobe Supervisor............Loren Moody

Prop Artisans..Vince Aycock, Andy Hollar, Vinita Sud Belani

Carpenters..........Mandy Peeler, Greg Lily

Electricians....Amber Bidwell, Josh Lucero, Maddi Penn, Stephen Sharp

Lightboard Op.....................Amber Bidwell

Soundboard Op......................Maddi Penn

CAST

Anusha Shankar................Nisha/Ensemble

Omar Samad....................Papa/Ensemble

Abuzar Farrukh....................Amil/Ensemble

Sonal Aggarwal.........................Dadi/Kazi/

Hafa/Ensemble; Swing - Nisha/Amil

UNDERSTUDY

Zendyn Duellman

SPECIAL THANKS

The portrait we are using in THE NIGHT DIARY for Nisha’s mother, Faria, was created by Hauura Fradi of Sumerian Art.

@sumerianartt

https://www.instagram.com/ sumerianartt/

Thanks to community collaborator and connector Shefalee Patel

@artshefalee

https://www.instagram.com/artshefalee

Front row (L to R) Sonal Aggarwal, Abuzar Farrukh, Omar Samad, Anjalee Deshpande Hutchinson

Back row (L to R) Mukta Phatak, Zendyn Duellman, Lakeetha Blakeney, Anusha Shankar, Hazel Doherty

STAFF OF THE CHILDREN’S THEATRE OF CHARLOTTE

Artistic Director - Adam Burke

Managing Director - Nao Tsurumaki

Administration

Human Resources Manager - Carolyn Lugo-Allred

Business Manager - Alex Doxey

Senior Accountant - Crystal Johnson

ImaginOn Partnership Coordinator - Maryann O’Keeffe

ImaginOn Administrative Support - Casey Kaufmann

Artistic & Production

Director of Production - Steven Levine

Artistic & Community Relations Fellow - Alicia Tafoya

Costume Shop Manager - Anna Klinger

Resident Designer & Crafts Specialist - Magda Guichard

Cutter/Draper - Colette Adatto

Technical Director - Andrew Gibbon

Resident Stage Manager - Steven James

Resident Sound Designer/AV Supervisor - Tyler Knowles

Charge Scenic Artist - Tim Parati

Master Carpenter - John Slechta

Deck Chief/House Carpenter - Shane Burgett

Properties Manager - Cassie Ward

Resident Lighting Designer/Master Electrician - Robyn Warfield

Production Assistant - Ali Wieder

Education

Director of Education - Michelle Long

Early Childhood & SOTT Manager - Adam Montague

Camps & Community Programs Manager - Mary Katherine Smith

Administrative Assistant - Cat Koski

Resident Teaching Artist - Karen Steele

Seasonal Resident Teaching Artists - Caitlyn Leach, Jessica Yagoda

Development

Director of Development - Emily J. Chuma, CFRE

Associate Director of Development - Scott Tynes-Miller

Operations & Special Events Manager - Lauren Taylor

Individual Giving Manager- Maddy Abraham

Marketing and Communications

Director of Marketing & Communications - Cindy Taylor

Associate Director of Marketing - Rob Odum

Customer Experience Manager - Ashley Hughes

Social Media Maven – Alex Aguilar

Touring Performance Coordinator - Margot Parrott

School Group Sales & Performance Coordinator - Chris Stonnell

IT Manager - Claire Whitworth-Helm

Audience Service Coordinator - Louise Lawson

Marketing Assistant - Aaron Bunzey

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair - Mitchell Kelling

Treasurer - Stephanie Isham

Secretary - Maddie Myers

Past Chair - Ashley Joseph

Sallie Beason

Veronica Bell

Mary Alice Boyd

Mike Burgess

Julio Colmenares

Stephanie Couch

Caryn Craige

Leigh Hickman

Ben Hume

William Jefferson

Shirley Lamm

Rebecca Lindahl

Brian Litwak

Jennifer Madara

Scott Manning

Salem McMullan

Lisa Miller

Mallory Navin

Chris Socha

Michael Tarwater, Jr.

Kristin Tokic

Rosa Vega-Vazquez

Nichelle Weintraub

Judith Whelan

April Whitlock

Honorary Lifetime Members

Robin Branstrom

Carla DuPuy

Peter Flur

Cynthia Lank

Linda Lockman-Brooks

Advisory Board

Robin Branstrom

Tom Eiselt

Jami Farris

Peter Flur

Gina Lawrence

ENCORE! President

Mitzi Lynch

BEHIND THE SCENES

All of the elements of the show from set design to costume design, lighting, props and sound, are all created at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte by a talented team of artists.

Together, we bring stories like this one to life through the magic of theatre.

COSTUME DESIGN

Oona Natesan’s expertise and talent as an Indian American multidisciplinary artist shines in the costume design.

SET DESIGN

Sandhya Raman, responsible for textile fabrication and costume creation, brings the authenticity of India to life on stage.

Elements of Anita Tripathi’s set design pay homage to different religions.

FROM WORKSHOP TO REHEARSAL

In July 2021, actors gathered with the production team to “workshop” the piece. A workshop is a theatrical performance of the play that doesn’t include all the aspects of the final production like costumes, sets, etc. It provides a sense of how a play can come together. Actors participated in the workshop from 12-6 PM each day for one week. Guests were invited to an early sharing of the piece at the end of the week which provided an opportunity for feedback for all involved.

ADAPTING THE STORY FOR THE STAGE

After the workshop, the Playwright Mukta Phatak took all the information and work that was done and created a post-workshop draft. This is usually the draft that will become the designer/rehearsal draft.

In this instance, we shared this draft with the book author, Veera Hiranandani.

REHEARSALS GET UNDERWAY IN FEBRUARY

The work of the playwright is to capture the spirit and essence of the story…but in dramatic form which often looks and feels different. In this instance, Hiranandani asked us some wonderful questions and gave some feedback which made the play even stronger.

Next, we shared the new draft of the play with the design team who began the design process.

Note from the Dramaturg

Most American audiences know very little about the partition of British India in 1947 into two nations - India and Pakistan. After the Second World War, a weakened British empire left the Indian subcontinent ending their nearly 200 year colonial rule. On their way out, they decided to split the region into two separate countries. The main reason for this was to settle the communal dispute between the Muslim minority party that wished for a separate Muslim homeland and the dominant Hindu majority party that was expected to form the government.

The partition resulted in widespread violence and displacement of religious communities. Hindus & Sikhs fled from newly formed Pakistan to India while Muslims in India fled the other way to reach safety. It is estimated that fifteen million people were displaced, and two million died. This is the largest forced human migration in recorded history.

The Night Diary is rooted in these cataclysmic events. As a dramaturg, I had the special challenge of helping bring the story to life on stage in an emotionally and contextually authentic yet compelling way. So, we began by creating a rich cultural dossier of every character, place and event in the play. While the play is fictional, we hoped by providing such detailed context, the creative and production teams could evoke the flavor of the era. With this foundation, we still had to address a few challenges.

The hardest challenge as a dramaturg was how to depict the violence in the play. “Who was the first one to kill when they decided to break apart India?” Nisha, the 12 year old protagonist, writes in her diary. Only a child would ask such an earnest question. Sadly, after seventy five years, we still don’t have convincing answers from the grownups. We had to be careful to not portray any single community as the sole victim or victimizer. For we know this much is true: no community was spared from the cycle of mob violence and retribution during the partition. Even though the seeds of political strife were sown by the British and local communal leaders, the violence flared through villages and towns via local, frenzied mobs. In the chaos of near anarchy, mobs arrived to decimate communities and neighbors turned on neighbors out of fear, anger and vengeance. We had to hint at this truth without absolving or accusing any group.

As we brought the novel to stage, there were a few historical inaccuracies in the story we had to address. Did the children survive by finding mangoes on trees during flight? Did they take a shower at their uncle’s house? While these story points were in the

novel, these events were historically unlikely - mangoes would not have been on trees in August, and bathroom showers didn’t exist in the village houses. We found an interesting path to resolve such discrepancies. The novel had the perspective of a twelve year old who could imagine incidents that may have been unlikely - yet are perfectly appropriate in their telling by a child. Afterall, children may get the details wrong, yet touch upon the truth. We used this insight as a license to make the necessary changes. These errors were not hard to correct since they were not core to the story; and the playwright could reimagine alternatives without any dent to the narrative.

Finally, we had to agree on how much of the historical milieu should inform our creative choices.

For instance, the story of The Night Diary depicts the exodus of a family from Sindh in Pakistan to Rajasthan in India. These two regions have rich cultural histories. We were inspired by these in our choices of language, food, dresses, locations and even colors and music. And the creative teams built upon all these to craft a unique aesthetic for the play in line with the child-like simplicity of the story’s characters.

It is my hope that this play brings to the attention of American audiences the seminal event that has shaped the history of South Asia. And we all become aware of the echoes of partition in modern, global politics. And perhaps we become sensitive to the communal forces of hate that can split nations and sunder people. My biggest personal reward in this project has been to work with a phenomenally talented and diverse team of artists and professionals - and to create a new bridge across cultures, languages and histories. For that, I am grateful.

Anurag Wadehra Dramaturg

A dramaturg is a behind-the-scenes resource for directors, actors, and playwrights, providing context, research, and feedback to help improve the quality or accuracy of a production.

Meet the Cast + Creative Team

ANUSHA SHANKAR (Nisha/Ensemble) is overjoyed for her Children’s Theatre of Charlotte debut as Nisha. A recent graduate of UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film, and Television, she is coming off a month-long run as Anne Boleyn in HENRY VIII. Anusha is incredibly grateful for this opportunity to work with this amazing company. She would like to thank her family, friends, and team at Echo Lake Entertainment for their unyielding support over the last few months.

OMAR SAMAD (Papa/ Ensemble) known primarily for his work as a writer/director and producer, is a graduate of the American Film Institute and a Meisner trained actor from the Neighborhood Playhouse. Honored and excited to make his return to the stage, THE NIGHT DIARY serves as his first major live performance in 20 years. With much gratitude to Children’s Theatre of Charlotte and all involved, he’d like to dedicate his performance to his mother - without whom, he would not be who he is today.

ABUZAR FARRUKH (Amil/Ensemble) is an actor, born and raised in Lahore, Pakistan. Abuzar is honored to be making his Children’s Theatre of Charlotte debut. Select credits: INVASION! (Ancram Opera House), DISGRACED (Chester Theatre Company), REFUGEE (Joakim Interfest, Serbia), MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (Brown Box Theatre Project). He holds a BA in Theatre from UMass Amherst, where he was the recipient of the Ed Golden Acting Award. A special thank you to Mukta Phatak and Anjalee Hutchinson for this opportunity.

SONAL AGGARWAL (Dadi/Kazi/Hafa/ Ensemble; Swing

Nisha/Amil)

Former international street performer turned emcee, Sonal Aggarwal has brought her talents to Chicago as an actor, comedian, producer and movement artist. Her one woman show THE ALCHEMY OF BLISS played for a sold-out weekend at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theater and you can see her on Netflix’s Easy as well as the short A Period Piece which debuted at SXSW 2020.

Cast + Creative Team Cont d

ZENDYN DUELLMAN

(Understudy) is thrilled to make her Children’s Theatre of Charlotte debut in THE NIGHT DIARY. Last seen in Davidson, aboard the iconic ORIENT EXPRESS, Zendyn has been fortunate to work on various Charlotte stages over the past decade. She is excited to have a part in bringing this beautiful and poignant story to life, since the 1947 partition played a role in shaping her family’s history. World premier credits: BECOMING ELEANOR (Woman 1), THE NIGHT JULIE TAYMOR CRIED (Christine), SIX POSTCARDS (Mona DeLuca), and WAITING FOR OPRAH (Mia). Favorite credits include: CLUE- ON STAGE (Mrs. White), WONDER OF THE WORLD (Cass Harris), GREASE (Jan), HMS PINAFORE (Buttercup), INTO THE WOODS (Florinda), PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Meg Giry), CRIMES OF THE HEART (Chick Boyle), MRS. BOB CRATCHIT’S WILD CHRISTMAS BINGE (Ghost: Past/Present/Future) . Film/TV: curfew (Clarice), Dick Kelly (Janelle), Maid of Autumn (Co-worker). Grateful thanks to Anjalee, Mukta, and the entire cast and creative team of THE NIGHT DIARY for this incredible opportunity. As always, Malcolm, Zane, and Greg I love you forever. This performance is dedicated to my Dali Grandpa who lived through and lost his home during Partition.

Mukta Phatak (Playwright) is a playwright, actor, teaching artist, and creative living in NYC. She graduated from Bucknell University with a B.A. in Theatre. She has taught playwriting and theater to youth writers through her work with TWUSA, Colt Coeur and the Bushwick Starr. She has worked on several new works as an actorfrom fringe devised plays, to indie plays, to large scale musicals, to TYA shows. Her poetry has appeared in collaborations via film, dance, music and social media. A proud daughter of Indian immigrants, her intersectional identities are at the core of her artistry. In her writing, acting and everyday life she works to elevate the unheard stories of her ancestors, as well as make space for others to do the same. Through her projects she strives to be a force for justice, learning, and play.She dedicates this play to her maternal grandmother Amrit, who was a brilliant person, craftswoman and lifelong yoga practitioner. Amrit was one of the millions who migrated during the Partition of 1947-I wish you could have seen this one, Amrit Aaji.

Anjalee Deshpande Hutchinson (Director) is a director/deviser/educator who teaches at Bucknell University, where in 2019 she received the Bucknell Presidential Award for Teaching Excellence and in 2022 received the Bucknell President’s Diversity and Inclusion Award for her EDI work with-

Creative Team Cont d‘

in her department and the university as a whole. Select directing credits include APPROPRIATE by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, HARVEST by Manjula Padmanabhan, BALM IN GILEAD by Lanford Wilson, BLOOD WEDDING by Federico Garcia Lorca, and MARISOL by Jose Rivera. Anjalee, a graduate of the MFA directing program at Northwestern University, studied under Robert Falls of the Goodman Theatre and Mary Zimmerman of the Looking Glass Theatre Company. Before and after graduate school, Ms. Deshpande freelanced as an actor /director in New York City, Chicago, London and Mumbai. Anjalee has trained in Moment Work through Andy Paris of The Tectonic Theatre Project, is an accredited teacher of the Chekhov Technique through The National Michael Chekhov Association and is an accredited teacher of the Sanford Meisner Technique through the True Acting Institute. Anjalee’s recent book; Michael Chekhov and Sanford Meisner; Collisions and Convergence in Actor Training, is available through Routledge Publishing, who also published her first book, Acting Exercises for Non-Traditional Performance: Michael Chekhov Reimagined. Anjalee is also a member of the Michael Chekhov International’’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion council and chair of the RED (Representation, Equity, Diversity) program with the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, Region 2. Most recently Anjalee served with the Bucknell University’s Office of Equity and Inclusive Excellence as the interim Associate Provost for Equity and Inclusive Excellence.

Anurag Wadehra (Dramaturg) The topic of India’s partition is close to Anurag’s heart. He grew up in a Partition household in the heart of old Delhi where his grandparents from both sides were refugees from west Punjab [Pakistan today]. He has spent several decades learning about the history and literature of the era. Anurag was the co-author and dramaturg for a play on partition called The Parting. The play was commissioned and produced in 2018 by Vinita Belani, Artistic Director and Founder of Enacte Arts, the premier south asian theater community of San Francisco Bay Area. Anurag and his wife are founding donors to the 1947 Partition Archive, a non-profit organization based out of Berkeley, California. This is a crowd sourced community based archive where trained citizen historians have recorded over 10,000 video testimonies of partition survivors from 14 countries in 36 languages. Anurag’s other creative works include the documentary Borrowed Fire: The Shadow Puppets of Kerala (on YouTube) which he produced and directed. He has also translated and recorded in English and Hindi over 50 Punjabi poems written of Amrita Pritam, the most famous novelist, essayist and poet from Punjab. After a long career as a tech serial entrepreneur and operator, Anurag now coaches growth strategies to tech companies. He runs a cohort-based Product Market Fit Bootcamp for tech founders, and writes the newsletter Growth Matters.

Creative Team Cont d‘

He lives with his wife and a labradoodle in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Parth & Aalap Desai (Composers) Music runs in the family for Aalap and Parth. Their father Dipesh Desai is a renowned regional Music Composer. Aalap has trained in Indian Classical (Vocals and Harmonium) and Western Classical (Piano). He has composed music for Feature Films, Documentaries, Web-TV Series, Short Films, Off Broadway Musicals, Ballets, Theatre, AD Films, TV & Radio Jingles. Parth has trained in Vocals, Drums and holds a Masters degree in Music Production, Technology - Innovation from Berklee College of Music. He has composed and produced music for Web series, Dramas, Short films, Feature films and has produced sample packs for an international electronic music label.

Anita Tripathi (Scenic Designer) currently works in the Theatre Department at Davidson College in North Carolina as the Assistant Professor of Design and Technology and has been teaching in higher education for more than ten years. She has designed scenery professionally for over 15 years at such venues as Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Greenbrier Valley Theatre, Playmakers Summer Youth Conservatory, and The Virginia Stage Company. Anita also worked regionally as both a Properties Designer/Manager and Scenic Charge Painter and has assisted Tony Award winning designer David Gallo on a number of productions. Her work has

been featured as a finalist at the World Stage Design Exhibition in Cardiff, Wales and she also received a United States Institute for Theatre Technology Fellowship to support her research in India on modern scenic design in that country. Anita has been active in the Scene Design Commission as the Vice Commissioner for ED&I and currently serves on the Board of Directors. She also serve as an Associate Editor for the journal Theater Design &Technology. Anita holds an M.F.A. in Scene Design from the University of South Carolina and is a member of the professional design union, United Scenic Artists Local 829. Her design work can be viewed at Anita J. Tripathi Designs.

Robyn Warfield (Lighting Designer) is excited to be working with Children’s Theatre of Charlotte for her fifth season as Resident Lighting Designer and Master Electrician. Some noticeable work from Children’s Theatre of Charlotte includes; BOB MARLEY’S THREE LITTLE BIRDS, THE INVISIBLE BOY, GRIMMZ FAIRY TALES, filmed and in house productions of THE VELVETEEN RABBIT, TROPICAL SECRETS: HOLOCAUST REFUGEES IN CUBA, and MY WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY SUIT. Professionally she has worked for companies like Charlotte Conservatory Theatre and Blumenthal’s CHARLOTTE SQUAWKS in Charlotte NC, Mooresville Community Children’s Theatre in Mooresville NC, Paper Lantern Theatre Company

Creative Team Cont d‘

in Winston-Salem NC, The Winnipesaukee Playhouse in Meredith NH, First Maria LLC in NYC, Classics in Color in NYC, The Ark Theatre Company in Egremont MA, Shakespeare & Company in Lenox MA, and Berkshire Dance Theatre in Adams MA. She graduated with her MFA in Design from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. www.rkwdesign.com

Tyler Knowles (Sound Designer) is thrilled to be returning to Children’s Theatre of Charlotte for his fifth season! Tyler received his BFA and MFA in Sound Design and Technology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Tyler has recently worked on THE VELVETEEN RABBIT and PIGS IS PIGS at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte. He has also worked at Hope Summer Repertory Theatre on shows such as SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE, GO DOG. GO!, and CAT IN THE HAT. He is also a member of the Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association.

Oona Natesan (Costume Designer) is an Indian American multidisciplinary designer, with experience in costume,fashion and graphic design. Theater credits include: MACBETH (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey), HOUSE OF JOY (St. Louis Rep), LITTLE RED (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival), THE JUNGLE BOOK (Enacte Arts), INTO THE WOODS (Phillip Chosky Theatre). Her fashion debut collection in the USA was at the Pittsburgh Fashion Week (2018). Prior to her move to the East coast, to pursue her

MFA in Costume Design at Carnegie Mellon, she assisted Couture and Bollywood designer Manish Malhotra and extensively worked in the Indian Film Industry assisting designer Deepali Noor. She recently just launched her Ready to Wear/ Pret Brand “Oona Atelier”, that focuses on using sustainable and ethically sourced fabric directly from Indian Weavers in contemporary fashion.

Sandhya Raman (Costume Designer) is the co-founder of Desmania - a leading design consultancy firm, and is responsible for their Apparel & Costume business. She also serves as strategic design consultant for Arunachal Pradesh Weavers Federation (AWFED). Sandhya’s passion for arts, crafts and handlooms takes her through the length and breadth of India. She is actively involved in training, developing, designing and upgrading the skills of textile and handicraft artisans, enabling them to hone their traditional skills to have a better reach into the urban markets. In a versatile career spanning 25 years Raman has worked closely with performing arts companies in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, San Francisco, in Canada and Europe and across India. Her collaborative efforts with a variety of dance forms such as Bharatatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Kathakali, Chhau, Sattriya, Odissi and American Ballet have involved a

Creative Team Cont d‘

spectrum of renowned artists. In understanding these dance forms and resolving ergonomic issues related to dance costumes Sandhya has created a new language of fabric and movement. Raman’s use of new technology and fine detailing has been innovative and path-breaking. Sandhya treats the body as a canvas, using patterns and drapes to create distinctive, cohesive palettes. Sandhya has a Master’s in Apparel and Textile Design from the renowned National Institute of Design (NID), India.

Lakeetha Blakeney (Assistant Director) is an actress, playwright, director, and author. She received her BA in Theatre from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and her MA in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. She is the inaugural recipient of the Paige Johnston Thomas Directing Assistantship and is excited for the opportunity to work with the artist at Children’s Theatre Charlotte. She is excited for this next phase in her career.

Vinita Sud Belani (Co-Producer) Actor, director, producer, writer - Vinita Sud

Belani is the Founding Artistic Director of EnActe Arts, a theatre company co-located in Houston and Silicon Valley that develops and presents thought-provoking, universally appealing stories that put South Asia in a global context. EnActe focuses on inclusive representation and is an incubator for talent development.

Belani brings to the world of artrepreneurship twenty five years of CXO level experience in the corporate world, in technology development and management of technology, both in large multinational corporations and in technology startups. Belani has lived and worked in nine countries across four continents and speaks seven languages fluently. She is deeply committed to community upliftment efforts starting with her work with Mother Teresa in Kolkata, and has served on several non-profit Boards dealing with educational access for the underprivileged, domestic violence and sex trafficking. Belani holds a Bachelors/Master degree in Computer Science from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, India, an MBA from HEC Paris, France, a Diplôme in French from the Sorbonne and a Diploma in German from the Max Mueller Institute. Belani is trained in street theatre under the renowned Indian director and playwright Badal Sircar.Belani’s 27 directing credits include most recently THE JUNGLE BOOK: RUDYARD REVISED, CHAOS THEORY, THE CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS, SOUNDWAVES: THE PASSION OF NOOR INAYAT KHAN, QUEEN AND THE CASE OF THE VANISHING FIREFISH, which she adapted from a young adult novel.

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Heather & Scott McAllister

Jennie McGuire

Salem & Sean McMullan

Ken & Lisa Miller

Arrington Mixon

Rosemary Morgan

Brian & Laura Murdock

Maddie & Brian Myers

Mallory Navin & Joe Shreve

Anna & Tom Nelson

Stacia & Charlie Neugent

John & Suzy Nurkin

Jerry & Cookie Parnell

Linda Reynolds

Jennifer & Jack Ross

Ed & Tari Schutzman

Janet & Joshua Smith

Stephen & Stephanie Sorenson

Erik & Amelia Peterson

Michael Tarwater

Carrie & J.T. Teixeira

Robert & Leslie Tesch

Kristin Tokic

Patrick & Elizabeth Vaughn

Rosa Maria Vega

Tammy Stringer & Richard Viola

Sandy & Greg Vlahos

Lauren & William Voorhees

Laura & Brian Walger

Katie & Jason Weeks

Nichelle & Sasha Weintraub

Judith & Matthew Whelan

April & Thomas Whitlock

Our Supporters

PRESENTING SEASON SPONSOR

Bank of America

EXECUTIVE PRODUCING PARTNERS

($50,000 and more)

North Carolina Arts Council

PNC Foundation

The Shubert Foundation

Thrive Fund for the Arts

The Infusion Fund and its generous donors

PRODUCING PARTNERS

($25,000 to $49,999)

C.D. Spangler Foundation, Inc.

First Horizon

DIRECTING PARTNERS

($10,000 to $24,999)

Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated Continental Tire the Americas, LLC.

Daniel, Ratliff & Company

Paige Johnston Thomas Giving Tree

SPX Corporation

Triad Foundation

STANDING OVATION PARTNERS

($5,000 to $9,999)

Cornwell Foundation

The Dickson Foundation, Inc.

EDIFICE

K&L Gates LLP

LendingTree

Offit Kurman

Publix Super Markets Charities

South Arts

Wells Fargo

CENTER STAGE PARTNERS

($3,000 to $4,999)

The Daniel, Edward, Cora & Strickland Foundation

Deloitte & Touche LLP

Gerrard Builders

QRCA

Social Venture PartnersSocial Venture Partners

LEADING ROLE PARTNER

($1,000 to $2,999)

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Dickens-Mitchener & Associates

Clear Blue Insurance Group

Moore & Van Allen PLLC

Our Supporters cont d

INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY DONORS

We recognize and thank our generous donors who gave July 1, 2022 – Feb 13, 2023. Our annual donors are recognized at the most current giving level.

*Indicates those who support the Paige Johnston Thomas Directing Assistantship.

LEADING PLAYERS SOCIETY

($10,000 - $24,999)

Rob & Kate Buckfelder

Dorlisa & Peter Flur

Mitchell Kelling

Arrington Mixon

Tammy Stringer & Richard Viola

($5,000 - $9,999)

Omid & Julie Ahdieh

Dr. Daniel Donner

Stephanie Couch

Travis & Lise Hain

The Hensley Family

David Holland

Matthew & Ashley Joseph

Bruce & Anita LaRowe

Howard & Julie Levine

Brian Litwak

Jennifer & Eric Madara

Ann & Scott Manning

Brian & Laura Murdock

Jennifer & Jack Ross

The Sario Family

Patrick & Elizabeth Vaughn

April & Thomas Whitlock

($3,000 - $4,999)

Herb & Gina Clegg

Rob & Caryn Craige

John & Nancy Dickson

Ben & Christy Hume

LaKeisha & William Jefferson

Pat Burgess & Joan Martin

Heather & Scott McAllister

Ken & Lisa Miller

Maddie & Brian Myers

Stacia & Charlie Neugent

Stephen & Stephanie Sorenson

Erik & Amelia Peterson

Kristin Tokic

Rosa Maria Vega

Sandy & Greg Vlahos

Lauren & William Voorhees

Nichelle & Sasha Weintraub

Judith & Matthew Whelan

($1,000 - $2,999)

Stephen & Carolyn Allred

Mr. & Mrs. Richard R. Babcock

Sallie & Gary Beason

Veronica Bell

Mary Alice Boyd

Robin & Bill Branstrom

Susan & Richard Buckley

Craig & Mary Bunzey

Mike & Katie Burgess

Danielle & Adam Burke

Julie & Stoke Caldwell

Zoe & Lewis Chandry

Spencer Clair & Chris Loyd

Dallas & Kathy Craven

Amy & Alfred Dawson

Jessica & Craig DeLucia

Sidney & Andres Echevarria

Tom & Julie Eiselt

Bryan & Jami Farris

Beth & Gaston Gage

Lindy & Jeff Gignac

Mr. & Mrs. Greg Gonzalez

Watts & Carol Hamrick

Brad & Karen Harris

Scott & Claire Helm

Anne Henderson*

Leigh Hickman

Ryan & Danielle Hutcheson

Stephanie & Ryan Isham

Tonya Jesso

John & Laurie Johnston*

Shirley Lamm

Jeff & Deborah Long, In Honor of Miss Penelope Long

Bruce & Michelle Long

Michele & Steve Mangan

Eileen Manlove, In Honor of Henry Edward Manlove, Sr.

John & Anna McCoy

Valecia McDowell

Our Supporters cont d

Salem & Sean McMullan

David Miller, In Honor of Auctus Advisors Clients

Teri Miller

Rosemary Morgan

Mallory Navin & Joe Shreve

Kerbie & Brandon Neal

Anna & Tom Nelson

John & Suzy Nurkin

John & Ann Porter

The Porter Family

Jennifer & Sam Reaves

Linda Reynolds

Tim & Michelle Rogers

Krysta & Russ Cearley

Ed & Tari Schutzman

Julia Simonsen

Janet & Joshua Smith

Laurel & Christopher Socha

Susan & Al Stafford

Michael Tarwater

Laura & Brian Walger

Katie & Jason Weeks

Jennifer Plyler & Bert Wray

($500 - $999)

Dora Abraham

Sylvia Allen

The Staub Family

Christina Baldauf

Marian Clark

Veruska & Julio Colmenares

Rachel & Michael Coyne

Ina DeRochi

The Duda Family

Bryan & Jamie Gerrard

John & Mara Gose

Ruthann Granito

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas B. Henson

Chad Kobos

Cynthia & Dave Lank

Catherine LeCompte

Louis Leone

Jenny & Bill Merlo

Seah & Robert McCammon

Jennie McGuire

Megan McKeever

Renee Miller

Elizabeth Murphy

Jerry & Cookie Parnell

Christian & Denise Pineno

Allison & Thad Reece

Angela & Josh Scholl

Benjamin & Rebecca Schultz

Kindra Shah

Carrie & J.T. Teixeira

Robert & Leslie Tesch

Cindy & Rob Taylor

Amy Vitner

Brandon Williams

SUPPORTING PLAYERS SOCIETY

($50 - $499)

Elizabeth Abernathy

Ana Acosta, In Honor of Diego & Dezi Huckleberry

Emily Adele

Lauren Agans

Alex Aguilar

Mary-Stuart Parker Alderman Fund

Allyson & Scott Anderson

Anonymous Donor

Robert Antoine

Sean Appenrodt

Dimitri & Tina Apostolopoulos

Susan Arcuri

Haley Arellano

Mike & Kellye Arning

Phil & Tracey Arnone

Kimberly Augenbraun

Dheeraj Bahl

Elizabeth Baker

Ronald Baldwin

Liz & Mark Ball

Cynthia Banks, In Honor of Victoria Bryant

Holly Baran

Mary & Clint Barlow

The Dale Beachum Family

Kevin Bell, In Honor of Mallory Navin

Lindsay Betzel

Sekiya Billman

Ivy Birkhold

Kristin Black

Tracy Blando

Mr. & Mrs. Alan Blumenthal

Eric Boales

Jim & Kathryn Bohmer

Lyvonne Bovell

Our Supporters cont d

Margaret Bradley

Elizabeth Bracken

Olivia Brady

Lauren Briggs

Dan & Julianne Gold Brunson*

Cristina Buckfelder

Abigail & Gray Caldwell

Bobbie Campbell*

Lynn Carlson

Nancy & Kern Carlton

Elizabeth & Anthony Cassano

Amber Cassar

Alison Chafin

John & Tracy Chandler, In Loving Memory of Dorothy Hall

Lucy Chapman, In Honor of Music Together of Charlotte

The Chuma Family

Roberta Cianfrone

Flannery Clair

Kathleen Clark

Kelly Clarkson

Holt Cleaver

Robin Cochran

Tobi Colbert

Amy Cole

Addy Collett

Lisa Beth Cooper

Lisa & Jonathan Crotty

John Curry

Joshua Darnell

Shelley Davis

Dennis Delamar

Bill & Janny DeLoache

Hank & Stowe Demarest

Dana Demick

Britanny Denton

Barbara Dickie

Kendra Dodds

Kirsten Dodd

Suzanne & Eddie Dornsmith

Melissa Dorsch

Christopher & Sarah Douglas

Jeanne Drexler

Magdeline Drozd

Kathleen Dryden

Dan Dunbar

Elizabeth Edwards

Rebecca Ennis

Max Everett

Michelle Fabrize

Lauren Farber

Heather & Greg Feldman

Desmond Fernandez

Cynthia Fetter

Jami & Matt Fischer

The Campos & Flansburg Family

Curt Flood, Kay James & Berri Flood

Molly Fortner

Abbie Frasier

Alisha Gale

Cynthia & Henry Gass

Stephanie George

Bryan & Jamie Gerrard

John Gibbon

Alicyn Gilbert

Adam & Patti Glassner

Ken Glessner

Anna Glodowski, In Honor of Jane & Ed Glodowski

Mark Godfriaux

Jim Gooden*

Michelle Gore

Gayle Grannum

Elizabeth Gregg

Savannah K Gress

Katie Griffin

Gary & Pushpa Gross

Robin Growley

Alexa Hack

Paul Happel

Charlitta Hatch

Deedee Hagner*

Sally & Drew Harriss

Katherine Hartness

Michael & Rachel Heath

Margaret & Gary Hemric

Sarah Henderson

Carly & Brian Hensley

Lesley Herrera

Susan Heydon

Kate Hill

Jessica Hindman

Lynn & Charley Hodges

Lauren Hood

Kristina & Thomas Hoops

Lauren Horton

Olivia & Andrew Horton

Mr. Frank Hruby & Mrs. Tatyana Rector

Laura & Steven Hughes

Our Supporters cont d

Josh & Liana Humphrey

Steve & Mary Hunting

Nicholas & Kira Imholte

Breana Jeter

Jessica Johnson

Mia, Drew, & Andy Jones

Angela Jones

Jennifer Jones, In Honor of Mallory Navin

Tammy & Greg Jones

Katherine Justice

Uma Kalani-Gosu

Camille Kanofsky

Elizabeth & Brian Karpiel

Jennifer Kassos

Tony Keener

Catherine Kieffer

Ann Kimbro & Mark Smith

Ann King

Jennifer Knox

Caroline Kraich

Charles & Brenda LaBorde

Emily Ladky

Chris & Lynn Lakin

Tony & Sarah Lathrop

Allyson Lavins

Suzanne Lavins

Louise & Jerry Lawson

Amanda Layne

Sandra & William Leach

Lauren Lebioda

Ava & Jake Leblanc

Steven Levine & Shawnna Pledger

Kenneth Lewis, In Honor of Paula Welter

Rebecca Lindahl

Taylor Linde

Wil Brooks & Linda Lockman-Brooks

Brian & Jenn Loeffler

Jennie & Louis Loyd

Molly Loyd

Phyllis Lupton

Craig & Mitzi Lynch

Bella, Sophie & Gabe Maas

Jerry & Catherine Malone

Lynn Manock*

Bill Martin & Jennifer Davis-Martin

Tracey Martin

Svetlana Masjutina

Ashleigh Matthews

Laura Maxim

John & Robin Maxwell

Sandy & Samantha Rose Mazoway

Ariel McBryde-Gritter

Amaris McComas

Lewis & Eleanor McCurdy

Dan McDonough*

Mary Ellen & Chuck McElroy, In Honor of Mr. & Mrs. Ed Cook

Joe & Laura McGirt

Paul McKinstry

James Messick

Megan & Mike Meuse

Kayley Miller

Renee Miller

Karen Millham

Andy & Shelley Misiaveg

Dawn Mitchell-Aiken

Brooks & Courtney Mixon

Nancy Morris

LaToya Moultrie

Matthew Mrosek

Rob Nanfelt

Erin Nasmyth

Stephen Navin

Katie Navin

Karen Neal

Lee & Beth Neale

Marcy Neale

Martha Nichols

Adam Nicholson

Stephanie Norander, In Honor of Hanna Norander

Michelle O’Connor

Matt Olin

Caroline Olzinski, In Honor of Grayson & Charlie Olzinsk

Michael O’Reilly

Tim & Kim Parati

Jerry & Cookie Parnell, In Memory of Henry Caldwell

Andrea Parrish, In Honor of Alice Svehaug

Margot & Steve Parrott

Lynne Parshall

Emily Pasour

Warren & Elissa Pazyk

Diana Perez

Anne Perper, In Honor of Lisa Miller

Catherine Philpott

Jaclyn & Michael Piatak

Lauren Piper

Kirsten Pittman

Stephanie Pons

Ali Portaro

Our Supporters cont d‘

Kenney & Heather Potter

Rich & Woods Potts

Dannye Powell, In Honor of John & Laurie Johnston*

Jesse Powers

Ana Espinosa Prado

Alicia Prescott, In Honor of Karen Steele

Shannon Privette

Rachel Pyles

Amanda Ravin

Paul & Eleanor Reali

Ann Renko

Emily Reynolds

Gissell Reynoso

Mary Rice

Jamie Rimany

Richard Ritter

Rebecca Rodriguez

Stanley Ruppe

Claudia Sandoval

Patricia Schilz

John & Ginger Seabrook

Alba-Justina Secrist

Whitney Seeburg

Howard Sendrovitz & David Sinclair

Jenna Shaw

Molly Shaw & David Webb

Brendan Shea

Marcie Shealy

Julie Sheffer

Chris Shepler

Cara Shields

Lavanya Shivkumar

Charles Shreve

Linda Shreve

Ketti Shum

Laura Shwedo

Cassie Sigmon

Kirilka Simeonova

Priya Sircar

Michelle Skipper

John Slechta

Karen Smith

Sarah Smulktis

Jennifer & John Snyder

Meredith Sorrell & Margaret Snyder, In Honor of Mary-Stuart Alderman

Robbie & Eva Squibb

Phyllis Stokes

Roger & Erin Stone

Ruth Straley

Wendy Strickland

Kristin Tart

Claire & John Tate

Linda & Sid Tate

Elizabeth & David Taylor

Lauren Taylor & David Rivero

David Taylor

Joe & Rosalind Taylor

Laura Taylor

Stephanie Taylor

Colleen Terschluse

Marisa Thalberg

William Thames

Jay Thomas

Kate Timmons

Cassandra TriggsTucker

Crystal Trotter

Michael & Emily Trznadel

Scott & Robin Tynes-Miller

Steve Umberger

Catherine Van Doninck

Brad & Whitney Vineyard

Dianne Wallace

The Waller Family, In Memory of Glynis Robbins

Lauren Walls

Catherine Wares & Neil Cottrell

George Washington III

Jen Waters

Amarja Webb

Theresa Webb

Julia & Russell Weil

Kimberly Werner

Judith & Matthew Whelan, In Honor of Peter Haensel

Mark Whitacre

Brian White

April & Thomas Whitlock, In Honor of Steven Levine

David & Tracy Whittington

Angus Whyte

Marsha E. Wiggins

Dr. Gabrielle Williams

Gloria Williams

Katie & Drew Williams

Laura Williams

Abbie Wilson

Alston O. Wolf

Kristin Wolff

Danielle Wolpa

Jean Wright

Our Supporters cont d

Children’s Theatre of Charlotte receives support from the Infusion Fund, a partnership between the City of Charlotte, Foundation for The Carolinas and generous donors to support the arts and cultural sector. Contributors to the fund include:

Multimillion Dollar Commitment City of Charlotte

$1.5 million and above Bank of America

C.D. Spangler Foundation / National Gypsum Company

John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Trane Technologies

$600,000 - $1 million

Albemarle Foundation

Atrium Health

Barings

Duke Energy

Honeywell

JELD-WEN, Inc.

LendingTree Foundation

Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

Novant Health

Red Ventures

Truist

$300,000-$600,000

Ally Financial

The Centene Charitable Foundation

Childress Klein Properties

Coca-Cola Consolidated

Deloitte

EY

The Gambrell Foundation

Moore & Van Allen

PwC

Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A.

Rodgers Builders

Wells Fargo

Up to $300,000 Fifth Third Bank Foundation For The Carolinas

Deidre and Clay Grubb

Leslie and Michael Marsicano

Jane and Hugh McColl

Nucor Corporation

PNC Bank

Premier, Inc.

Jane and Nelson Schwab

“There are so many things about CDS that we are thankful for. The smiles on our children’s face each day says it all. They look forward to going to school. They love their teachers and friends. We appreciate the high academic standards. We love that our children’s intellect is challenged and their talents are cultivated. Above all, we are so incredibly thankful that the Christian values which are so important to our family are infused in every aspect of life here.”

www.covenantday.org www.covenantday.org

- CDS Family

All School Musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoa t