Framroze Virjee, President, California State University, Fullerton
Carolyn Thomas Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Alexander Porter, Vice President, Administration and Finance/CFO
David Forgues, Vice President, Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion
Amir H. Dabirian, Vice President, Information Technology
Tonantzin Oseguera, Vice President, Student Affairs
Gregory J. Saks, Vice President, University Advancement
Arnold Holland, Ed.D, Dean
Dave Mickey, Associate Dean
Christopher Johnson, Budget Coordinator
Heather Guzman, Assistant to the Deans
Visual Arts Special Projects, Jade Jewett
Dr. Randall Goldberg, Director, School of Music
Dr. James Hussar, Chair, Department of Visual Arts
Jamie Tucker, Chair, Department of Theatre & Dance
Jennifer Frias, Director, Nicholas & Lee Begovich Gallery
John Spiak, Director, Grand Central Art Center - Santa Ana
Lara Farhadi, Senior Director of Development
Ann Steichen, Director of Development
Erika Ochoa, Support Group Coordinator
Julie Bussell, Director, Marketing & Patron Services
Stephanie Tancredi, Box Office Manager
Heather Richards-Siddons
Marketing & Communications Specialist
Alvin Chiu, Graphic Designer
Jason Pano, Social Media Strategist
Greetings from the College of the Arts! It’s so good to have you back, and we have an exceptional spring season planned for you. With programming ranging from groundbreaking theatre productions to World-Premiere concerts, our spring offerings seem to shine a bit brighter this semester. On January 28, we kicked things off with the Visual Arts Modernization Project Preview Event and groundbreaking ceremony. More than 100 invited guests joined us for a sneak peek of the project as they engaged with some of the latest technology-driven art tools, experienced AR/VR project demonstrations by visual arts students, and viewed scale models of the complex. When completed, this renovation will transform our campus and community, positioning CSUF’s visual arts program – the largest in the Cal State system – as a leader in cutting-edge art education and practice within the CSUs. Follow our progress and join us on this extraordinary journey at art.fullerton.edu/vamod
This season’s fresh slate of visual arts exhibitions and performing arts concerts and productions are sure to keep you coming back to campus! Beginning February 18, Begovich Gallery presents the exhibition “Figures, Poses, and Glances: The Coded Illustrations of J.C Leyendecker,” at MUZEO Museum & Cultural Center, exploring the coded depictions of queer culture in the eradefining images of this early twentieth-century American illustrator. The School of Music honors Black History Month with a performance of “Symphony No. 1 in E minor” by composer Florence Price – the first Black female composer to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra. In Theatre, Maria Cominis’ “Women of Zalongo” weaves together the experiences of four generations of Greek women into a story of resilience, struggle, and survival. And in May, our student dancers and choreographers collaborate in rhythmic, expressive movement as “Spring Dance Theatre” returns to the Little Theatre.
Our diverse programming mirrors the diversity of the College of the Arts and is a testament to the values we hold. We embrace the possibility inherent in each of our students and celebrate their successes alongside them on their path to becoming future artists, educators, performers, and arts professionals. As patrons, donors, friends, and family, I know you also champion their success. Demonstrate your commitment to the future of the arts by supporting the Dean’s Fund for Excellence at any level. Donate today at arts.fullerton.edu/giving.
I invite you to visit to campus our again for another performance, or to check out our progress as the Visual Arts Modernization Project moves into the next phase of construction. You may have even seen the walls of one of our new buildings going up along State College Blvd! Whatever brings you here, welcome. We are so proud to show you all that the College of the Arts at Cal State Fullerton has to offer.
Arnold Holland, Ed.D. Dean, College of the Arts
DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND DANCE
Jamie Tucker Chair, Department of Theatre & Dance
Alvin Rangel-Alvarado,* Vice Chair, Department of Theatre & Dance
FULL-TIME FACULTY | Theatre
Acting
Maria Cominis
Svetlana Efremova•
Eve Himmelheber
John Short
Jim Taulli
Design and Technical Production
Scott Bolman
Hyun Sook Kim*^
Fred Kinney
JR Luker
Bill Meyer
Carolyn Mraz
Kathryn Wilson
Directing
Mark Ramont•*
Musical Theatre
Josh Grisetti•*
Marty Austin Lamar
Theatre Studies
Heather Denyer•
Amanda Rose Villareal
Voice and Movement
Anne James
David Nevell•
FULL-TIME FACULTY | Dance
Muriel Joyce
Lisa D. Long
Debra Noble
Alvin Rangel-Alvarado*
*denotes program coordinator
•denotes area head
^denotes graduate coordinator
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
Fred Kinney, Design/Technical Production; Program Coordinator
Jonathan Lay, Production Technician
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
Cathi Craig, Lead House Manager
www.facebook.com/CSUFTheatre Instagram | @csuftheatre Twitter | @csuftheatre
The Department of Theatre & Dance at California State University, Fullerton is fully and continuously accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre (1974) and the National Association of Schools of Dance (1982)
Warning: this play contains simulated cigar smoking, sexual violence, violence, and references to self-harm and abortion.
Production Stage Manager Alexa Wolfe
Assistant Stage Manager Olivia Huntley
Scenic Designer Fred Kinney*
Art Consultant Mary Anna Pomonis*
Technical Director Andre Polo
Costume Designer & Prop Master
Carson Julian
Lighting Designer Matt Schleicher
Sound Designer Charles Glaudini
Musical Arranger/Composer
John Glaudini
*Faculty/Staff ^Guest Artist“Women of Zalongo” is a work of fiction, inspired by historical events. It is dedicated to the women who paved the way to freedom despite the proverbial cliff. We would not be here without their acts of courage.
Synopsis
The grant recipient of a National Endowment of the Arts, this contemporary play is inspired by the playwright’s Greek grandmother, and her childhood memories prior to her immigration to the US in 1915. Family secrets, and intergenerational dynamics are woven into the lives of four generations of women whose family line reaches back to the heroic women of Zalongo.
Production History
“Women of Zalongo” was recognized as a semi-finalist in the Eugene O’Neil National Playwrights Festival (’22) and in the Bay Area Playwrights Festival (’20) and received multiple grants for development. The Development workshop in August 2021 was supported by The Basil P. Caloyeras Center for Modern Greek Studies, Loyola Marymount University, Dr. Michele Patzakis, and intramural grants from CSUF Office of Research and Special Projects and the College of the Arts.
A special presentation of the play will be on March 19, 2023, at Santa Monica Playhouse. For tickets email: ModernGreekStudies@lmu.edu
Next Steps for “Women of Zalongo”
At the conclusion of the play, we invite you to share your thoughts on “Women of Zolongo” by scanning this QR code.
Setting
“Women of Zalongo” is set at the intersection of the past (Constantinople, 1912-1914) and the present (Southern California, 2023).
Greeting message from the SecretaryGeneral for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy, Prof.
John Chrysoulakis
I wish to warmly welcome the staging of the play “Women of Zalongo” inspired by the heroism of the women of Souli (in Epirus, Modern Greece, in December 1803) who defied death and chose freedom: facing capture, enslavement and humiliation by Ottoman rulers they decided to jump with their children off a cliff seeking eternal freedom. Through conscious death, they chose life, dignity and justice and turned their backs on the suffering and cruelty of living.
This act, like many other brave actions, inspired the Greek War of Independence (1821) and mobilized support for Greece’s struggle to become one of the first free nation-states in today’s world. It still inspires us today in many ways in our quest for human rights, equality, and democracy amidst the rise of new walls of authoritarianism, nationalism, historical revisionism, and intolerance.
I am also confident that this theatrical play that depicts the intergenerational dynamics of Greek American women may serve as a pointer: it may provide food for thought, inspiration, and motivation in our efforts to live free from oppression, abuse, and violence.
The play is being presented under the auspices of the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy of the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I wish to sincerely thank all those who worked together for staging the play, especially play writer Maria Cominis and director Kari Hayter, and all those who supported it, such as the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA 2022) and the Basil P. Caloyeras Center for Modern Greek Studies.
Prof. John Chrysoulakis Secretary-General for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy Hellenic Republic, Ministry of Foreign AffairsThe play is supported by the NATIONAL ENDOWMENT OF THE ARTS 2022 CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON
In collaboration with the THE ΒASIL P. CALOYERAS CENTER
Under the auspices of the GENERAL SECRETARIAT FOR GREEKS ABROAD AND PUBLIC DIPLOMACY OF THE GREEK MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, the ΕΜΒΑSSY OF GREECE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., and the CONSULATE GENERAL OF GREECE IN LOS ANGELES
Acknowledgements
Thank you to
Secretary General for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy Prof. John Chrysoulakis, Consul General of Greece in Los Angeles Ioannis Stamatekos, Public Diplomacy Office of the Consulate General of Greece in Los Angeles, Embassy of Greece in Washington, D.C., The Basil P. Caloyeras Center at LMU, Dr. Christina Bogdanou, Kari Hayter, John and Charlie Glaudini, Dr. Michele Patzakis, Dr.Elleni Koulos, and The Greek Heritage Society, Melinda Manos Public Relations, the actors involved in the development process, Office of Research and Special Projects, Yolanda Uzzell, Dave Mickey, Dr. Arnold Holland, Jamie Tucker, Dr. Heather Denyer, Jenn Frauenzimmer, Julie Bussell and the office of Marketing & Patron Services for the College of the Arts, Mary Anna Pominis, and Cal State Fullerton staff and faculty.
The poster artwork and scenic design for “Women of Zolongo” was inspired by the Monument of Zalongo (Ηρώον Ζαλλόγγου), designed by the distinguished Greek sculptor George Zongolopoulos. Erected in 1961 at Mount Zalongo in Epirus, northwestern Greece, the monumental sculpture commemorates the women of Souli who chose death rather than subjugation by dancing off the cliff with their children. In 2021 – a year that marked the bicentennial anniversary of the 1821 Greek War of Independence – the Monument of Zalongo was designated by the Greek Ministry of Culture as a Monument of Modern Cultural Heritage of Greece.
George Zongolopoulos, “Monument of Zalongo,” Preveza, Greece
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Maria Cominis
Maria Cominis is a first-generation Greek American working and creating in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. She spent a decade in New York City as a working actor and teaching artist at the renowned HB Studio. She is an accomplished actor in both theatre and television, and a published author and playwright. Her play, “Women of Zalongo,” was a semi-finalist at the Eugene O’Neil National Playwright’s Conference (’22) and the Bay Area Playwright’s festival (‘20), and the recipient of the 2022 National Endowment of the Arts Grants for Arts Projects. The play has also been selected for the 2023 HB Studio Rehearsal Residency in New York City. The residency workshop will culminate in a public reading at HB Playwrights, NYC this June.
She co-authored “Production Collaboration in the Theatre: Guiding Principles” (Routledge, 2022) and authored “Rehearsing in the Zone, A Practical Guide to Rehearsing without a Director” (Kendall Hunt 3rd Ed. 2020). Cominis is represented by MINC Talent Agency and her television credits include: “Hacks,” “New Girl,” “Desperate Housewives,” “All My Children,” “One Life to Live.” On stage, Cominis has appeared in “Bernarda Alba,” “The Diviners,” “The Sea Gull,” “Ivanov.” She has been a Professor at CSUF since 2005 and teaches acting and directs in the BFA Program. Her passion is in being a generous collaborator on any project. She is a wife and mother and a force of feminist pride with passionate, Greek proportions.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Kari Hayter
Kari Hayter is a professional director and educator based in Southern California. Kari has directed plays and musicals for La Mirada Theatre/McCoy Rigby, 3D Theatricals, Chance Theatre, After Hours Theatre Company, Musical Theatre West, Palos Verdes Performing Arts, Summer Repertory Theatre, Cal Rep, the Valley Performing Arts Center, and South Coast Repertory. Most recently, Kari directed “Grease” at La Mirada/McCoy Rigby, “Tick Tick Boom” (ICT), “Carrie the Musical” for USC, “A Light in the Piazza” for CCAE Theatricals (San Diego Critics Circle Nomination for Best Direction of a Musical), “Striking 12” at the Chance Theatre (Orange County Theatre Guild for Best Director of a Musical) and “Marry Me a Little” (Robby Award Nomination for Best Direction of a Musical). Many of her productions have been noted as a Los Angeles Critic’s Choice and she was nominated for the LA Stage Alliance Ovation Award (Best Direction of a Musical) for her productions of “Parade” (Chance Theatre) and “Urinetown “(Coeurage Theatre). Kari was also nominated for the LA Drama Critics Circle Award for Theatrical Excellence in Direction and was named Director of the Year for STAGESCENE LA. Kari is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. www.karihayter.com
Production Team
College of the Arts, Associate Dean Dave Mickey (Co-Producer)
Chair, Department of Theatre and Dance Jamie Tucker
Producing Partners Dr. Christina Bogdanou, Dr. Michele Patzakis
Fight Choreographer Jen Albert
Intimacy Choreographer Dr. Amanda Rose Villarreal
Public Relations Firm Melinda Manos, Manos PR
Faculty Mentor
Technical Direction JR Luker
Talk Back facilitators
Dr. Amanda Rose Villarreal, Dr. Heather Denyer, and Dr. Tony Fitzgerald
Student Production Staff
Assistant Costume Designer Elleni Koulos (consultation)
Lighting Board Operator Alexa Gilmartin
Lighting Programmer Charlotte Saunders
Sound Board Operator Taylor Strom
Scenic/Prop Crew Emily Rose Herron
Costume Crew Bailey Carter, Jocelyn Moore, Jonathan Shimizu
Scenic Artists Diego Banda, Nicole Bernardini
Production Office Assistants Collette Rutherford, Madeleine Lindbeck, Anthony Osborn
Box Office Staff Madison Dabalos, Jailene Diaz, Oscar Garcia, Sarabeth Johnson and Josiah Sanchez
House Managers Madison Dabalos, Jailene Diaz, Heather McLane and Josiah Sanchez
