Step Up Productions Artistic Director / Producer Elizabeth Antonucci
Managing Director / Producer Greg Antonucci presents
The Sweetest Swing in Baseball By Rebecca Gilman Directed by Audrey Francis
John Wilson Scenic Design
Bridgette Baggio Painter& Graphic Design
Matt Miller Lighting Design
Randy Cromwell Props Design
Joshua D. Allard Costume Design
Steve Baldwin Sound Design
Dorthea Walstrom Make Up Design
Stacey Field Stage Manager
The Sweetest Swing in Baseball was first presented by the Royal Court Theatre, London. As a courtesy to your fellow patrons, please turn off all cell phones and pagers. Flash photography and recording devices are not permitted during the performance. In accordance with the Clean Air Act of the State of Illinois, smoking is not permitted in The Athenaeum Theatre. Produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois. 2 Step Up Productions
CAST Dana.........................................................................................................ELIZABETH ANTONUCCI Gary / Roy......................................................................................................................TODD KIECH Michael / Brian...................................................................................................ANDREW STRENK Rhonda / Dr. Stanton......................................................................................... EMILY GRAYSON Erica / Dr. Gilbert..................................................................................................CARA OLANSKY P R O D U C T I O N S TA F F Director....................................................................................................................Audrey Francis Stage Manager............................................................................................................ Stacey Field Production Coordinator..........................................................................Daniel J. Cunningham Technical Director...................................................................................................... Robert Groth Set Design...................................................................................................................... John Wilson Lighting Design............................................................................................................. Matt Miller Costume Design...................................................................................................Joshua D. Allard Painter & Graphic Design................................................................................ Bridgette Baggio Makeup Design...............................................................................................Dorthea Walstrom Props Design.........................................................................................................Randy Cromwell Sound Design............................................................................................................ Steve Baldwin Artistic Director / Producer....................................................................... Elizabeth Antonucci Managing Director / Producer.........................................................................Greg Antonucci
PROFILES Elizabeth Antonucci (Dana) is proud to be making her Chicago stage debut. Her previous credits include; Handicap This!, Anesidora, Cupid & Psyche, Irina in Three Sisters. She is also a proud student of Black Box Acting Studio. Elizabeth is thrilled to be taking on the role of producer, artistic director, and actor in Step Up Production’s first endeavor. She would like to thank her loving and supportive family and friends whom give her the strength and courage to pursue her dream. Finally she would like to thank the amazingly talented production team and cast who she is an awe of and Audrey for being an incredible teacher, coach, director, and friend. Todd Michael Kiech (Roy / Gary) is very excited to be working with Step Up Productions, Audrey Francis, and this awesome 4 Step Up Productions
ensemble of actors. He has been seen in RedTape Theater’s Brand, Griffin Theater’s Spring Awakening (Understudy), and Chicago Fusion Theater’s Big Love. He is a proud student of Black Box Acting and is a graduate of The Steppenwolf Theater’s Acting Intensive. He co-produces Chicago Takes Off, a benefit for Test Positive Aware Network and also performs burlesque as Hot Toddy (Burlesque Hall of Fame ‘King of Burlesque’ 2009) Go Wolfpack!!! Emily Grayson (Rhonda/Dr. Stanton) couldn’t be more delighted to be working with Audrey and this fancy cast. She was last seen in Sweet Bird of Youth (u/s Princess) & Cut to the Chase One Act Festival both at The Artistic Home. Other credits include: Good Night Desdemona/Good Morning Juliet at The Kitchen Theater Company, The Boston Rivals at the Wings Theater
P R O F I L E S ( c o n t .) Company, Yours, Anne at the Killington Playhouse and she toured the country playing Maud Dunlap in the The Music Man. Andrew Strenk (Michael/Brian) is thrilled to be working with Step Up Productions and Audrey on The Sweetest Swing In Baseball. Living and acting in Chicago for a few years, Andrew has had the opportunity to work with many great companies including Blackbird, Hubris, Lifeline, Chicago Dramatists, and PJ Paparelli at ATC. In addition, he has produced and stared in his own production of Dying City by Chris Shinn with Lindsay Nance and Stacey Kirk. The performance incorporated live music, an art gallery and open bar. Plans are in the works for something similar this summer. While not acting, Andrew can be found slinging wine as a wine broker around town, and a bartender at Quartino. He loves to travel, but doesn’t get to do enough of it. Andrew’s dream is to win the lottery and travel until money runs out. He rows crew and will compete this summer. Andrew is a proud member/ student of Black Box Acting Studio. Finally, Andrew would like to thank his family for supporting him, Dan and Johnny for being awesome, and Angie for being so understanding. Andrew would like to dedicate this show to his wonderful Aunt Maureen! Cara Olansky (Erica/Dr. Gilbert) A Massachusetts native, Cara has been in Chicago since 2006. Before making her official transfer from the North East, she received her BA in Theatre Performance from Butler University. While enrolled at Butler, she spent a semester in London studying Comedy, and Playwriting at Middlesex University. There she wrote her original 6 Step Up Productions
script “Rhythms of the Underground”, which made its Chicago debut with Dramatis Personae in 2008. To further her theater practices, Cara has trained with Black Box Acting Studios, The Actors Studio, 2nd Story, Bread and Puppet Theatre, Claire Simon Casting, Profiles Theater, and Will Powers’ Hip Hop Theater. Some of her favorite credits include “Josie” in The Skryker (Butler University), “Erzulie” in The Voodoo Chalk Circle (The State), “Harriet” in Ozma and Harriet (Tympanic Theater Company), “Mayella” in To Kill a Mockingbird (Theater in the Open), “Katherine” in The Taming of the Shrew (Theater in the Open), and “Marcia Marie” in Where’s My Money? (Dramatis Personae). Cara spends her days loving her job as the Drama and Visual Arts Program Coordinator and lead teacher of a Bucktown Preschool. Cara sends Love to her family and ’05. Audrey Francis (Director) is incredibly proud and honored to be working on this project with Step Up Productions. Audrey has acted, directed and taught in Chicago for over 7 years. She is a graduate from the School at Steppenwolf, where she now teaches both the Meisner Technique and Text Analysis. Audrey is a Jeff Nominated actor who has worked at Steppenwolf, The Goodman, Victory Gardens, Writer’s Theatre, Northlight and she is a company member of Pine Box Theater. Audrey has appeared in multiple independent films, commercials, and television shows including: The Promotion, Dustclouds, Donnie BrascoThe Documentary and the NBC series ER. Directing credits include: Life & Limb and The Most Liquid Currency in the World (Pine Box Theater); The Sugar Syndrome (Chicago Dramatists); Master Harold and the Boys (a.d. Steppenwolf) and Sexual Perversity in Chicago (University of Chicago). Upcoming projects include: Doina in Life & Limb (Steppenwolf) and directing Proof (University of Chicago). Audrey graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Journalism and is one of the very proud founders/ owners of Black Box Acting.
P R O F I L E S ( c o n t .) Stacey Field (Stage Manager) is thrilled for her debut with Step Up Productions. She holds a B.A. in theatre from Monmouth College and while following her theatre dreams is also receiving her Second B.A. in American Sign LanguageEnglish Interpretation. Her most recent credits include assistant stage managing Urinetown the Musical at Oakton Community College. In the past, she has stage managed: A Streetcar Named Desire, Proof, A Baltimore Waltz, Urinetown the Musical, & Lysistrata. Although she has directed Post It’s (Notes on Marriage), acted in A Night at the Mercury Theatre & Woycezk, or even done numerous designs from lighting, sound, and down to programs, stage managing seems to be the call. Yet, without constant love and support from her families and Liz, she wouldnt be where she is today. Thanks to the cast, crew, production team, step up, dan c- for getting me here, the audience, and the rest that made this production possible.
Buffalo (HS2) Nessuno (HS2) and The Promiscuous Stories (Plagiarists.) Matt holds a BFA in Lighting Design from the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film in the Hixon-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts at the University of Nebraska Lincoln.
John Wilson (Scenic Design) is thrilled to be working with Step Up for the first time and returning to collaborate with Audrey Francis. He has been scenic designing in Chicago for over ten years. His next designs are Girl You Know It’s True (Pavement Group), Exit, Pursued by a Bear (Theatre Seven) and Sketchbook 12 (Collaboraction). John is a company member with Collaboraction and The Mammals, a storyteller with Second Story, a teacher with Lifeline, Steppenwolf, American Theater Company and a graduate of the school at Steppenwolf.
Bridgette Baggio (Painter& Graphic Design) is a graduate from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota where she majored in studio art but studied graphic design as well. She has always had a passion for art, especially drawing and painting. Throughout college she was able to explore and work with many art forms and found that what she loves to do most is depict real life through painting and drawing. Thus far her subject matter has consisted mostly of people and still life but she is currently exploring with landscape and scenery as well. She enjoys doing portraits because it is a great way to capture personality, feeling, and emotion as well as precise detail to the extreme. Her work has been inspired greatly by traveling to Florence, Italy, in the spring of 2007, where she studied under artist, Severio Cologero Vinciguerra. But, her earliest inspirations came from her artistic roots. She wouldn’t be where she is today without the help and leadership of her talented artistic family. She has them to thank for truly showing her what it is to be passionate about being an artist.
Matt Miller is a Chicago-based Lighting Designer whose work has taken him to such organizations as the Chicago Dancing Festival, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Dance for Life, Chicago Takes Off, The Plagiarists Theatre Co., and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago where he currently serves as the Lighting Director and resident designer for the second company. Matt’s Design work includes Danc(e)volve (HSDC) Harold and the Purple Crayon: A Dance Adventure (HS2) The Fantastic Escape of the Little
Joshua D. Allard (Costume Design) has designed over 75 productions with over 20 companies in Chicago since 2003, including Piccolo Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre, Pine Box Theatre, Eclipse Theatre, Chicago Tap Theatre, and Chicago Opera Vanguard. He has also served as a choreographer and movement consultant. Joshua toured for five months in 2008 as the Wardrobe/ Props ATD for an Equity TYA production from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Joshua is an artistic associate and resident costume designer with Piccolo Theatre in Evanston, IL.
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P R O F I L E S ( c o n t .) Dorthea Walstrom (Makeup Design) is a Chicago based Makeup Artist. In 2007 she moved to LA to attend makeup school at MakeUp Designory. For 40 hours a week she worked on technique, skill, and creativity, learning from some of the leading makeup artists and photographers in the industry. After completing school she returned to Chicago. For the last 5 years she has been freelancing, working with over 100 brides, local filmmakers, and photographers. Dori has also reached both MAC, and Smashbox Cosmetics Professional Status. She is a published makeup artist in, “Passion International Hair Magazine - Hair+ Volume2”. She is incredibly honored and excited to be designing for her first theatrical production with Step Up Productions. Randy Cromwell (Props Design) As a day-care teacher, oil rig worker, pizza driver, librarian and ranch hand, Randy has a résumé more suited to writing than to propping. On the other hand, he has also designed props for Northlight Theatre, Roosevelt University, Light Opera Works, Pegasus Players, and a whole bunch of other cool theaters in Chicago. He is honored and proud to be working with Step Up Productions on their debut project, and hopes to work on many more with them. For other fun, Randy likes to dance, sing, write, collect and wear
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funny hats, and, surprisingly, juggle. Oh, and he donates blood... LOTS of blood. Donate, people, if there is any way you possibly can. Save a life, and be a hero — you’ll feel great, and so will the people you save! Steve Baldwin (Sound Design) has been a recording engineer/sound designer for 15 years, give or take. His sound design credits include Halcyon Theatre’s The Runner Stumbles, Steep Theatre’s Coronado and Speaking Ring’s The Diviners. Recently he has been working on the final sound mix of the short film “Fate Accompli” by Sigsaly Entertainment. His production company, Toxic Bag Productions, has also created sound designs and scores for animated shorts, independent films, and the gaming industry. Thanks to Mike Pryzgoda for his amazing musical skill and abilities. Daniel J. Cunningham (Production Manager) received a B.F.A. in Drama from Illinois Wesleyan University and an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Arts from Columbia College of Chicago. As a production manager, he has worked with European Repertory Company, Lookingglass Theatre Company and Oakton Community College. He would like to thank Christine, Alice and Aveen for all their love and support.