Ken Ludwig’s
Set Designer
Brian Dudkiewicz
Director David Eisner
Costume Designer
Alex Amini
Stage Manager Paula Stewart
Lighting Designer
Steve Lucas
Apprentice Stage Manager Arlen Otten
Sound Designer
Lyon Smith
The Company (in alphabetical order)
Darcy Gerhart ............................................................. Louise Ethan Warren ............................................................... Jack
Excerpt from ARSENIC AND LACE by Joseph Kesserling, Original Broadway Production by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, used with permission.
Dear Jack, Dear Louise premiered at Arena Stage (Washington, DC) Molly Smith, Artistic Director and Edgar Dobie, Executive Producer November 21-December 29, 2019
“Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
The video or audio recording of this performance by any means is strictly prohibited.
the creative team
David Eisner (Director)
Drayton Entertainment: Debut. David Eisner is an accomplished actor/ director for 50 years with more than 200 television, film, radio and theatre credits. David is the Co-Artistic Director of the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company, now in its 17th season. In the TV world he recently has guest starred in CTV’s Transplant, Apple TV’s SEE, the Hallmark movie Hanukkah on Rye and Crave TV’s mini-series Little Bird. This past year he played Rabbi’s in the film Less Than Kosher, and CBC’s Son of a Critch. He is thrilled to be a part of the Drayton Entertainment’s 2024 Season directing Dear Jack, Dear Louise! Married to a beautiful and talented wife, David has 3 sons.
Brian Dudkiewicz (Set Designer)*
Drayton Entertainment: The Marvelous Wonderettes, Kinky Boots, The Sound of Music, Billy Bishop Goes to War, Disney’s Newsies, Rocky: The Musical. Other credits: Brian is an award-winning designer whose work has been seen across Canada, the United States, and in Asia. Billy Elliot, The Last Five Years (Neptune); Never Not Once (Theatre Aquarius); Controlled Damage, Titanic (The Grand); Jukebox Hero (Mirvish/Jubilee Theatre); Dixon Road (Musical Stage Company); Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (Theatre Calgary); The Jungle Book (ATP); April Fools, Prayer for the French Republic, Indecent, Million Dollar Quartet (Segal Center); Dear Jack, Dear Louise, The Great Divide, Bad Jews (Harold Green); Jersey Boys (1000 Island Playhouse); Orphans (Coal Mine); many shows Off-Broadway in NYC. Brian holds an M.F.A. in Set Design from Yale University, and a Bachelor in Architecture from McGill. @briandud1.
Alex Amini (Costume Designer)
Drayton Entertainment: The New Canadian Curling Club. Other Theatre (selected): The Wild Party (Dora Nominee), Grey Gardens (Dora Nominee),Kelly V Kelly, Onegin, Fun Home, Next to NormalDora Nominee (Musical Stage Co.), To Life, The Jazz Singer, Brighton Beach Memoirs (The Harold Green Jewish Theatre), Mary Poppins, Mamma Mia!, Beauty and the Beast (Port Hope Capitol Theatre). As always, thanks to Carmen for saving my life.
Steve Lucas (Lighting Designer)
Drayton Entertainment (selected): How The Other Half Loves, I’ll Be Back Before Midnight, The Melville Boys, Peter Pan: The Panto. Steve has designed award-winning sets, lighting, and projections for more than 500 productions of theatre, opera, dance, and performance art. His work has been seen across Canada, the United States, UK, Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, Australia, and Asia. Steve’s focus has primarly been on new and original plays; he has designed the world premieres of literally hundreds of shows. He has recieved five Dora Awards for his set and lighting designs and been nominated for several of Canada’s most prestigious awards, including 36 Dora Award nominations. For more info, visit stevelucasdesign.ca.
*Indicated designers on this production are represented by the Associated Designers of Canada, IATSE Local ADC659.
Lyon Smith (Sound Designer)
Drayton Entertainment: Debut. Other theatre (selected): Witness for the Prosecution (Shaw), The Donnelly Trilogy, The Real McCoy, The Drawer Boy, and In the Wake of Wetlaufer (Blyth), Pipeline (Soulpepper), The Gig (Theatre Aquarius), Stag and Doe and Shirley Valentine (Capitol Theatre), Hamlet, Macbeth, and Liv Stein (Canadian Stage), The Waltz and Prairie Nurse (Factory Theatre), The Great Divide and Dear Jack, Dear Louise (Harold Green Jewish Theatre), In Seven Days (The Grand), 4 Minutes 12 Seconds (Studio 180).
Paula Stewart (Stage Manager)
Drayton Entertainment: Stage Manager for Doris and Ivy in the Home, Perfect Wedding, Shear Madness, Jonas and Barry in the Home. Assistant Stage Manager for Evita, One for the Pot, Anything Goes, The Sound of Music, Bedtime Stories. Other Theatre: Stage Manager for The Darktown Strutters Ball, Cinderella… if the Shoe Fits, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Boys Girls and Other Mythological Creatures (Theatre Orangeville). Paula is a graduate of the Ryerson University theatre program. M’eudail, tapadh leat. Enjoy the show!
Arlen Otten (Apprentice Stage Manager)
Drayton Entertainment: Fiddler on the Loose. Over the past couple of years, Arlen has worked on crew at several theatres. Last year he started his journey in stage management with Drayton Entertainment’s production of Fiddler on the Loose. Thank you to my family and friends for their love and support!
about the author
Ken Ludwig
Ken Ludwig may well be the most performed playwright of his generation. He has had six productions on Broadway and eight in London’s West End. His 34 plays and musicals are staged throughout the United States and around the world every night of the year. They have been produced in over 20 languages in more than 30 countries, and many have become standards of the American repertoire.
His first play, Lend Me a Tenor, was produced on Broadway and in London by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It won two Tony Awards and was called “one of the classic comedies of the 20th century” by The Washington Post. Crazy For You was on Broadway for five years, on the West End for three, and won the Tony and Olivier Awards for Best Musical. It has been revived twice in the West End and is currently touring Japan. Since its European premiere at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2022, Ludwig’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express has had hundreds of international productions.
In addition, he has won the Edwin Forrest Award for Contributions to the American Theatre, two Laurence Olivier Awards, two Helen Hayes Awards, the Charles MacArthur Award, and the Edgar Award for Best Mystery of the Year. He was also nominated for an Emmy Award for writing the Kennedy Center Honors. His other plays include Moon Over Buffalo; Leading Ladies; Baskerville; Sherwood; Twentieth Century; Dear Jack, Dear Louise; A Fox on the Fairway; A Comedy of Tenors; The Game’s Afoot; Shakespeare in Hollywood; and Moriarty. They have starred, among others, Alec Baldwin, Carol Burnett, Tony Shaloub, Joan Collins, and Kristin Bell.
His book How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare, published by Penguin Random House, has been a bestseller and is out this year in a new, expanded edition. It won the Falstaff Award for Best Shakespeare Book of the Year. His essays on theatre are published in the Yale Review, and he gives the Annual Ken Ludwig Playwriting Scholarship at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.
His first opera, Tenor Overboard, opened at the Glimmerglass Festival in July 2022. His most recent world premieres were Lend Me A Soprano and Moriarty, and his newest plays and musicals include Pride and Prejudice Part 2: Napoleon at Pemberley, Lady Molly of Scotland Yard, Beginner’s Luck, and Easter Parade.
He has been commissioned to write plays by Agatha Christie Limited, the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Old Globe Theatre, and the Bristol Old Vic.
For more information, see his website at www.kenludwig.com
staff
ADMINISTRATION
Artistic Director & CEO
Alex Mustakas
Executive Director
Steven Karcher
Associate Artistic Director
David Connolly
Director of Audience Services
Ellen Berwick
Director of Facilities
Alan Card
Director of Finance
Siobhan Lovejoy
Director of Human Resources
Natasha Hopf
Director of Marketing & Development
Jonathan Randall
Director of Production
Dave Horner
Accounting Clerk
Joanne Labrecque
Ticketing & Systems Specialist
Randi Perriam
ARTISTIC
Artistic Administrator
Brenley Charkow
Artistic Administrative Assistant
Stephanie Reeve
AUDIENCE SERVICES
Audience Services Manager
Gary Good
Box Office Manager
Laurie Castro
Box Office Supervisor
Paige Corriveau
AUDIO
Head of Audio
Allan McMillan
Audio Assistant
Nicholas Wadel-Tucotte
MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT
Development Manager
Lindsay Bellaire
Group, Events & Rentals
Manager
Karen De iuliis
Community Engagement Specialist
Danielle Dixon
Marketing Associate
Lia Tunstall
Graphic Designer
Annissa Malthaner
PRODUCTION
Production Coordinator
Jeff JohnstonCollins
Technical Directors
Lyle Franklin
Jeff JohnstonCollins
Austin Wilson
Head of Electrics
Lyle Franklin
Head of Construction
Rob Clarke
Assistant Head of Construction
Jenna Barry
Lead Carpenter
Lindsey Woelfle
Carpenters
John Bigelow
John Graham
House Technicians
Glenn Beckner
Naomi Damasco
Richard McLeod
Production Administrator
Caitlyn Hill
PROPS
Head of Props
Kat Theriault
Senior Props Builder
Madeline Samms
Junior Props Builder
Josiah Bosse
Daijah Clement-Day
SCENIC PAINT
Senior Scenic Painters
Frank Crickmore
Kristen McCormick
WARDROBE
Head of Wardrobe
Jenine Kroeplin
Assistant Head of Wardrobe
Jessica Pembleton
First Hand
Joanna Lee
FOR DEAR JACK, DEAR LOUISE
Audio
Nicholas Wadel-Turcotte
Cutter
Anna Farquharson
Costume Assistant
Amanda Kennedy
Lighting
Naomi Damasco
HILDEBRAND
SCHOOLHOUSE THEATRE
Facility Manager
Cheryl Oudshoorn
House Manager
Ethan Bleskie
Box Office Staff
Emily Castro
Laura Kapp
Fiona Lehman
Tracy Novak
Yvonne Schieck
Custodian
Domestic Bliss
DRAYTON ENTERTAINMENT
YOUTH ACADEMY
Director of Education
David Connolly
General Manager
Natasha Hopf
Marketing & Development
Associate
Christian Rose
Administrator Assistant
By Ken Ludwig
