Production Stage Manager Christina Infranca
Dialect Coach Tyler Seiple*
Scenic Designer Andre Polo
Prop Master Echo Wu
Technical Director George Diaz
Costume Designer Greer Gardner
Lighting Designer Miranda Carpenter
Dramaturg Ashley Rondomanski
Makeup/Hair Designer Kieran Tierney
SoundDesigner Jordan Benitez
Fight Choreographer Michael Polak*
Intimacy Choreographer Amanda Rose Villarreal, PhD*
* denotes faculty
SYLVIA A. ALVA
President, California State University, Fullerton
AMIR H. DABIRIAN
Provost and VP for Academic Affairs (Interim)
ARNOLD HOLLAND, EDD Dean, College of the Arts
FULL-TIME FACULTY | Theatre
Acting
Maria Cominis
Svetlana Efremova*
Eve Himmelheber
John Short
Design and Technical Production
Scott Bolman^
Hyun Sook Kim
Fred Kinney
JR Luker
Bill Meyer
Carolyn Mraz*
Omar Ramos
Jamie Tucker
Kathryn Wilson
Directing
Mark Ramont*
Musical Theatre
Josh Grisetti*
Marty Austin Lamar
Theatre Studies
Dr. Heather Denyer*
Amanda Rose Villarreal, PhD
Voice and Movement
Anne James
David Nevell*
FULL-TIME FACULTY | Dance
Muriel Joyce
Lisa D. Long
Debra Noble
Alvin Rangel-Alvarado*
KATHRYN WILSON
Chair, Department of Theatre & Dance
ALVIN RANGEL-ALVARADO*
Vice Chair, Department of Theatre & Dance
FULL-TIME STAFF
Department of Theatre & Dance
Administration
Denean Dyson
Technical and Production Staff
Michael August, Production Manager
Lois Bryan, Master Electrician
Matt Connelly, Amanda Horak Staff Scenic Lab Forepersons
Heidi Enzlin Cole, Charge Scenic Artist
Jen Frauenzimmer
Business/ Production Coordinator
Terri Nista, Costume Lab Manager
Lori Koontz, Costume Lab Techncian
Megan Gonzalez, TV Studio Technician
Jeff Lewis, Production Sound Engineer
William Lemley, Audio Technician
Bob West, Properties Master
Brigitte Bellavoine, Jennifer Schniepp & Ben Rempel, Accompanists
Stephanie Tancredi
Box Office Manager & Safety Coordinator
Heather McLane, Night Mgr./Lead House Mgr.
* denotes area head | ^denotes graduate coordinator
Land Acknowledgement: The Department of Theatre and Dance acknowledges our presence on the traditional, ancestral and unceeded territory of the Gabrielino/Tongva Nation. We pay our respects to the Indigenous land caretakers past, present, and emerging. For more information please visit the Gabrielino-Tongva Tribe website.
Resources: https://native-land.ca/ • https://gabrielinotribe.org/ http://nahc.ca.gov/cp/tribal-atlas-pages/gabrielino-tongva-nation/
Welcome to the Spring 2024 Performing Arts Season at Cal State Fullerton’s College of the Arts. Whether you are a first-time or long-time patron, a friend, or parent to one of our exceptional students, thank you for joining us. Your support makes all the difference to their success.
I am pleased to present another semester of programming powered by the incredible gifts of our Art, Dance, Music, and Theatre students. This spring, the School of Music starts the season with a trio of concerts February 16–18 by artists-in-residence Talich Quartet; faculty artist Damon Zick and his Quarteto Nuevo featuring fellow faculty artist Bill Cunliffe; and University Symphony Orchestra. In May, University Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Chorus will close the concert season with a performance of Mozart’s emotionally charged “Requiem.” Begovich Gallery presents the Begovich Visual Arts Lecture Series with visiting artists’ talks throughout the semester, including multidisciplinary artist Hings Lim on February 22, whose work will also be exhibited at Grand Central Art Center. The Department of Theatre and Dance begins their season in March with “Marisol,” a darkly comedic fantasy where the title character must find hope in a post-apocalyptic Brooklyn where angels are taking up arms and coffee is extinct. Hilarious, multiple Tony award-winning modern musical send-up “Urinetown” closes the theatre season just as CSUF’s dancers and choreographers take to the stage for “Spring Dance Theatre.”
When our students demonstrate their talents on stage and in the studio, their creative energy is undeniable, but the sacrifice and struggle it took to get there is often less perceptible. We can’t see the hours spent creating, the days of rehearsals, and the years of practice. For many students, the sparks of innovation and artistry that drove them to pursue the arts are often diminished by the high cost of an education. The Dean’s Fund for Excellence provides support for students in need through scholarships, artist residencies, and other financial assistance, ensuring them the opportunity to thrive in the arts. If you believe in their sparks of brilliance, please consider a donation of any amount to the Dean’s Fund for Excellence.
Thank you again for joining us this season and for championing the arts in higher education. I hope to see you at one of the college’s many performances and events this spring.
Sincerely,
Arnold Holland, EdD Dean, College of the Arts
SCAN THIS QR DONATE TODAY to the DEAN’S FUND FOR EXCELLENCE
MARISOL PEREZ…..……………………………………………………………....…Rachel Diaz
ANGEL…..………………………………………………..…........................……Raquel Brooks
JUNE/SKINHEAD..……….………….……….......................................................Allie Jensen
LENNY……………….………………..…………………………........................Ryan Marroquin
WOMAN WITH FURS/UNHOUSED PERSON……………………………….…Keza Kananura
MAN WITH ICE CREAM/RADIO VOICE/UNHOUSED PERSON…………......…Simon Asher
MAN WITH GOLF CLUB/3RD VOICE/UNHOUSED PERSON…………………..Chris Suarez
YOUNG WOMAN/1ST VOICE/UNHOUSED PERSON………….......................Dianna Perez
SKINHEAD #2/2ND VOICE/UNHOUSED PERSON………………….…..…...Nev Bumgarner
SKINHEAD #3/SUBWAY ANNOUNCER/UNHOUSED PERSON..……...…Dylan Magallanes
MAN WITH SCAR TISSUE/UNHOUSED PERSON……………................…Connor Vescelus
Setting and Characters
New York City. The present. Winter.
MARISOL, a Puerto Rican woman, 26 ANGEL, Marisol’s guardian angel, a young black woman
SUBWAY ANNOUNCER
MAN WITH GOLF CLUB
1ST VOICE
2ND VOICE
3RD VOICE
JUNE, Marisol’s friend, Irish-American, 36 RADIO VOICE
MAN WITH ICE CREAM
LENNY, June’s brother, 34 WOMAN WITH FURS
MAN WITH SCAR TISSUE YOUNG WOMAN HOMELESS PEOPLE
A Quote from the Playwright
“Tony Kushner was once asked to define fame. He said it was having your plays produced in colleges and universities. I couldn’t agree with him more. [...] The world has changed enormously since I wrote the first draft of Marisol in 1989. (Back then the idea of metal detectors in all the buildings in Brooklyn seemed so radical – little did I know!) But in every important way, the world hasn’t changed at all. [...] So, as times change, I’m lucky to have written a strange, dark play that continues to resonate.”
– Jose Rivera, 2015
About the Director | Sara Guerrero
Sara Guerrero (she/hers), a Chicana native of Mexican/ Mestizo ancestry, is a versatile theater artist and educator whose mission is to model, share, and create theatermaking opportunities for and with her community, locally and nationally.
Guerrero, a CalArts alum, has been awarded the 202324 Individual Artists Established Fellowship (IAF) by the California Arts Council, recognized as a “People to Watch’’ by American Theatre Magazine, a 2022 Congressional Woman of the Year (46th district), 2021 and 2020 Woman of Distinction (Senate District 34), 2020 Hispanic Lifestyle Latina of Influence Honoree, Community Engagement “COVID-19 ArtistGrant” Awardee, and “Best [Artistic] Director’’ and “Person of Interest” by OC Weekly.
As the founding artistic director of Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble (BOFLTE), the only Latina theater company in Orange County, she and the ensemble are artistsin-residence of California State University of Fullerton’s Grand Central Arts Center in downtown Santa Ana. Under Guerrero’s leadership, the organization, through its mission, serves as an incubator for voices that have been historically excluded in theater by providing free programming in the guidance in the art of storytelling. No one is ever turned away for lack of experience.
She is an “Honorable Mention” playwright for the 46th Annual Bay Area Playwrights Festival for her coming-of-age, roller skating, abortion play “Have to Believe We Are Magic,” and the winner of Panndora Box’s Sweet Sixteen New Plays Festival, the Women’s Theatre Festival Occupy 2022, Teatro Vivo’s Latinx New Plays Festival 2021, and a semi-finalist for the Judith Royer Playwriting Excellence Award.
Guerrero directs locally and nationally for the professional stage and higher education. Theaters and institutes include: Center Theatre Group, The Geffen Playhouse, Chance Theater, UC Irvine’s Claire School of the Arts, UMassAmherst, Cal State University of Long Beach, Chapman University, Cal State Fullerton, University of Oklahoma, Cal State Los Angeles, Creede Repertory, Abingdon Theatre, Queens Theatre, Road Theater, Playwrights Arena, Latino Theater Company, and more.
She recently directed, the #1 New York Times Bestseller, “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter,” adapted for stage by Isaac Gomez and written by award winning author Erika L. Sánchez in Los Angeles to a sold-out run. Later this spring, she’ll direct Benjamin Benne’s “ALMA” for the Chance Theater in Anaheim.
Guerrero is theatre faculty at CSUF’s College of the Arts, a member of the Artistic Director of Color Alliance of the Greater Los Angeles (ADCA of LA), and serves on the boards for the Arts Orange County council (Arts OC), and Fringe Benefits: a Theatre for Social Justice organization.
To learn more about Sara Guerrero and her work, visit: teatroguerrero.com and newplayexchange.org.
“… Stop putting your conscience on cease And bring about some type of peace
Not only in your heart, but also in your mind
It will benefit all mankind
Then there will be one thing that will never stop
And it’s the evil that men do “
- Queen LatifahThank you for your presence and your conscious decision in making our production of Marisol a part of your day’s experience. Each presentation is a unique offering and how each audience experiences it, it’s unique.
Rivera’s Marisol was the first production I experienced and crewed as a first year acting major to the arts school I attended. At first read, the play spoke to me. It’s disturbing, disorienting, poetic, and humorous. And its themes, “climate change, conventional theology, biological sex, personal relationships, cultural assimilation, and the pathology of fear and paranoia,” reflected on the world around me. And I loved that the play took risks, pushed boundaries, challenged my views, made me laugh at bleak moments, questioned myself, and prompted me to be less idle and activate myself. And even thirty-two years after its world premier Marisol continues to be so rich and relevant today and I am still prompted to activate myself.
Our protagonist Marisol Perez, survives on the narrow threads between two worlds culturally and economically. And when these threads begin to unravel at the top, Marisol, in her everyday life, battles for survival as the world is on the verge of expiring, transforming into an apocalyptic landscape while angels battle a senile God to save the world from the “the universal body is sick” it has become. Will Marisol take courageous miraculous action dormant in her prayer or will she stand idly in “thoughts and prayers” abdicating responsibility for doing anything at all? Let’s find out.
And, as you leave us today, I always wonder what you each take away from this experience. One can never control the outcome but I hope that you enjoyed the show. And, maybe leave with conversation or questions or something unexpected. Maybe it prompts you to even reflect on questions like: Did you see yourself reflected? Someone you know? And or was your world reflected in the play? What might prompt you to take “miraculous action”? Or maybe you need to see the moon. Make sure it’s still there.
Again, thank you for your time. We greatly appreciate your attendance. Tell a friend. Or come back. Stay safe and present.
Sincerely,
Sara Guerrero, the DirectorA great BIG THANK YOU to José Rivera, for your words and blessing. Marisa Chíbas, my first Latina/e/x theater professor, for your support, leadership, work and bridging me back to our playwright. My amazing production team, my incredible designers, kick-ass choreographers and coaches, and my talented cast! It’s been an absolutely wild, enjoyable, and exciting adventure! ¡SALUD!
Student Production Staff
Assistant Stage Managers
Mayra Alejandra Borrayo Fausto, Kara Dietz
Assistant Lighting Designer
Sarah Arizaga
Assistant Technical Director
Nicole Maldonado
Assistant Sound Designer
Samera Abdelrhman
Scenic/Prop Crew Dominic Katout, Jordan Souza, Madeline Flores, Chris Drake, Ashleigh Perales, Gian Noble
Assistant Costume Designer
Maggie Hammond
Lighting Board Operator Edith Castro
Lighting Programmer Francisco Amezcua
Sound Crew William Collins, Mara-Kathleen Bigornia, Delaney Jackson, Kaitlin Rohaly,
Costume Crew Oliver Egan, Gaily Garcia, Nat Bull, Johnrey Nesbitt, Madison Handley
Makeup Crew Ashley Martinez, Allyson Munoz, Leah Gamino
Lead Scenic Artists Diego Banda, Abby
Rariden, Zoe Agpaoa, Yanira Loera, Mickey Narez, Liz Doubrovsky, Mio Okada
Scenic Artists Evelyn Flynn, Aiden Singca, Alizeé Carlson, Cheyenne Stetson, Paige Ragan, Kyle Hayes
Costume Lab Student Assistants Greer
Gardner, Gwen Sloan, Ryn Heier, Makayla Finn, Haven Hanson, Quinn Sonis, Julianna Barlow, Alyssa Gauss, Caroline Lovett, Reset DeAngelo, Keasha Fuller, Alicia Robles, Madison Shuck
Scenic Lab Carpenters Alexa Aure, Katherine Brauer, Anela Brown, Nat Bull, Isabella Cruz, Isaiah Huntsinger, Nicole Maldonado, George Diaz Mejia, Henry Passo, Blythe Ryther, Mak Stewart, Madison Williams, with additional assistance by students from Theatre 276, CAD, and Rigging and Automation
Production Office Assistants
Emily Mattson, Madi Lindbeck
Box Office Staff Avery Ackerman, Anais
Barron, Madison Dabalos, Charlie Duval, Emily Mattson, Sarai Ortiz, Josiah Sanchez
House Managers Madison Dabalos, Sarai Ortiz, Josiah Sanchez
Faculty Production Mentors
Costumes Mentor Hyun Sook Kim
Hair/Makeup Mentor Kat Price
Dramaturgy Mentor Dr. Heather Denyer
Lighting Design Mentor Scott Bolman
Props Mentors Carolyn Mraz & Fred Kinney
Sound Mentor Hunter Moody
Stage Management Mentor Jamie Tucker
Technical Direction Mentor JR Norman Luker
