Marquette University’s J. William and Mary Diederich College of Communication Performing and Media Arts Theatre Arts Program Debra Krajec, Artistic Director presents
January 15, 22, & 23, 2011 Originally presented on Broadway by Bob Boyett, Adrianne Lobel, Michael Gardner, Lawrence Horowitz and Roy Furman. World Premiere at The Children’s Theatre Company Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Directed by Phylis Ravel Music Direction by Chris Wszalek Scenic Design by Connie Petersen Costume Design by Erin Slattery Black, CJPA ‘95* Lighting Design by Noah Greenia, THAR ‘11 Dance Choreography by Andrea Johnson Stage Managed by Alexander Gernon *Diederich Scholars Guest Artist This production is sponsored by Terry and Diane Duffey in honor of Ada Marie Cheever Duffey A Year with Frog and Toad-TYA is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019. Phone: (212) 541-4684 • Fax: (212) 397-4684 • www.MITIShows.com Marquette University 1
CAST Frog................................................................................................................................ Joe Picchetti Toad........................................................................................................................ Matthew Wickey Female Birds...........................................................................Alexandra Bonesho, Abi Roucka Male Bird............................................................................................................................ Tim Braun Snail............................................................................................................................ Douglas Soder Turtle/Mole............................................................................................................... Katie Callahan Mouse/Mole...................................................................................................... Janelle Schroeder Lizard/Young Frog.......................................................................................................... Ben Braun Squirrel/Large and Terrible Frog....................................................................... Morgan White Squirrels............................................................................................ Katie Doyle, Brittany Green The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited. CAST BIOS Alexandra Bonesho (Female Bird) Alexandra is a junior theatre arts major. Marquette credits include: Gerry Hansen (Censored on Final Approach), Cow 2 (Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type), Holly/Melissa (Nickel and Dimed), Yvonne (Sunday in the Park with George), Marcy (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), and Cherry (The Beaux’ Stratagem). She will portray Alais in the Chamber Theatre’s The Lion in Winter this spring. Love and thanks to PR, Chris, Andrea, Kelsey, the cast, crew, family and friends! Ben Braun (Lizard/Young Frog) Ben returns to the mainstage once again as he takes on the role of Lizard and the Young Frog. You may have seen Ben in the previous mainstage as dimwitted servant, Daniel, in The Beaux’ Stratagem. He is very excited to perform in a musical production and would like to thank his family, friends, and Ms. Schultz for their love and support over the years, and the cast & crew for their dedication and hard work. We hope you enjoy the show! Tim Braun (Male Bird) Tim is a junior double majoring in theatre arts and public relations. Previous roles include: Tom Aimwell in The Beaux’ Stratagem, Chip Tolentino in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Duck in Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type. Tim would like to thank PR 2 Marquette University
for her wonderful direction and Chris for his musical talent. He would also like to thank his family and friends for their never-ending support and love. Katie Callahan (Turtle/Mole) Katie is a freshman double majoring in theatre arts and broadcast communications. She is thrilled to be a part of A Year with Frog and Toad. This is Katie’s first mainstage show at Marquette. She would like to thank her friends and family for their generous love and support. Katie Doyle (Squirrel) Katie is a sophomore double-major in broadcast & electronic communication and theatre arts. She is very excited to appear in her first main stage production! Katie has previously been seen in the one-act play, The American Century, and she helped to assistant stagemanage Sunday in the Park with George last spring. Katie would like to thank this awesome cast and crew for making this so much fun, PR for this opportunity, and her friends and family for their support! Brittany Green (Squirrel) Brittany is a sophomore majoring in theater and history. She is thrilled to be in her third mainstage on the Helfaer Theater. She was last seen in numerous roles in Nickel and Dimed and as Moth in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She will be next seen in The Laramie Project. She hopes you enjoy the show!
C A S T B I O S ( c o n t .) Joe Picchetti (Frog) Joe is a senior theatre arts major and broadcasting minor, and is thrilled to be a part of this show since he remembers reading these stories as a little boy. This is Joe’s 11th production at Marquette and his 3rd children’s show. He would like to thank PR for this great opportunity, Lex for his patience, and the rest of the cast and crew for their hard work and dedication. In addition he would like to thank his family, friends, and Matt for the inspiration behind this great friendship on stage. Abi Roucka (Female Bird) Abi is a freshman broadcasting major. This is her first Marquette mainstage production, and she is thrilled to be a part of it. She would like to thank the entire cast and crew for an exciting experience, as well as her family for all of their support through the years. Janelle Schroeder (Mouse/Mole) Janelle is from San Antonio, Texas making her Marquette mainstage debut. A sophomore transfer from Texas Christian University, she is ecstatic to be performing once again after a year spent expanding her experience backstage. She looks forward to all of the learning and performing opportunities Marquette theater has to offer.
Douglas Soder (Snail) Douglas is a sophomore education and theatre arts major, minoring in English. Doug was previously seen on the Helfaer stage in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Sunday in the Park with George. Doug would to thank PR for this opportunity, his family and friends, and his mom for reading the Frog and Toad books to him as a kid. Morgan White (Squirrel/Large and Terrible Frog) Morgan is ecstatic about her mainstage debut! She is a senior broadcast and electronic communications major, and would like to thank all of her wonderful friends and family for their loving support and, of course, Phylis Ravel for giving her this fantastic opportunity! Matthew Wickey (Toad) Matt is a senior theatre major and broadcasting minor here at Marquette. He feels blessed to be playing Toad in this fantastic production. Recent musical credits include William Barfee (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Farmer Brown (Click Clack Moo), Jules (Sunday in the Park with George), and Caleb (Spitfire Grill). Thanks to PR for the opportunity and guidance, the faculty, stage management, and the cast and crew for their work. Special thanks to Joe for being a best friend, and the people who are most special to him. You inspire him to be his best every day.
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P R O D U C T I O N S TA F F Erin Slattery Black (Costume Designer) Erin Slattery Black works as a freelance costume designer in New York City where she has costumed such celebrities as Placido Domingo, Winnie the Pooh, and Big Bird. Erin has earned two daytime Emmy Awards in outstanding costume design for her work on Sesame Street. She is a 1995 graduate of Marquette University.
faer stage. This season Stephen will be completing the scenic design for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and The Lion in Winter. Stephen would like to thank our wonderful faculty and students – it is a pleasure to work with such talent on a daily basis. Stephen lives quite happily in a very old house in Wauwatosa with his wife Heidi, and daughters Emma and Grace.
Alexander Gernon (Stage Manager) Lex is a sophomore and a theatre arts major. He is thrilled to be stage managing this wonderful production. He would like to especially thank Rasty, Andrea, Tau, and Carissa for all the help and advice they have given him. Thank you to PR, Chris, and Andrea for all you have done, Shannon for letting me rope you in, and Noah and Nic for the company late at night in the theatre. Please enjoy the show.
Andrea Johnson (Dance Choreographer) Andrea Hill Johnson graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee in 1996 with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts Degree in Dance and a Minor in Comparative Literature. She graduated with Academic Honors, as well as High Honors in Dance. Her theatre work includes choreography for: The Music Man, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and The Fantasticks (Rocky Mountain Repertory), Romeo and Juliet (Boulevard Theatre), and last season’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream (MU). Andrea is a founding member (1997-2001) of the Danceworks Performance Company and has choreographed eight works for the company.
Noah Greenia (Light Designer) Noah is a senior and a technical theatre major. He has done design and production work on a number of Marquette University productions, including the lighting design for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type, and the 2010 senior capstones 4:48 Psychosis and Attempts on Her Life. Sound design credits at Marquette include Sunday in the Park with George, Nickel and Dimed, The Spitfire Grill, The Winter’s Tale, and Fool for Love. Noah has also served as Master Electrician on over a dozen main stage productions. In addition, he is Co-Technical Director of MUPS for his third consecutive year. Noah would like to thank Dan, Nancy, Andy, Chelsea and everyone else who has supported him on the journey thus far. Stephen Hudson-Mairet (Chair) 2010-11 marks Stephen’s eleventh season at Marquette. Stephen thanks the Department’s Season Subscribers and loyal patrons for their continued support and for watching our talented students grow in their time with us. Stephen has completed numerous scenic or lighting designs on the Hel4 Marquette University
Andrea is the Artistic Director for Danceworks Performance Company 2 (Pre-Professional) and the Intensive Study Scholarship Program, as well as Curator for the Danceworks DanceLAB. She has been instructing Danceworks students in modern, ballet, and jazz since 1996 and is a Lecturer at Marquette University. Debra Krajec (Artistic Director) Deb is very happy to welcome you to the delightful world of Frog and Toad! Debra has served as a costume designer as well as a director on Marquette Theatre’s mainstage for the past twenty-six years. Deb received her MFA from Texas Christian University, and has worked professionally as a costume designer, a director, and an actress. In Milwaukee, Deb has designed costumes for Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, and Next Act Theatre and directed for In Tandem Productions and Playwrights’ Studio
P R O D U C T I O N S TA F F ( c o n t .) of Milwaukee. She is very active in the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, where she is a Fellow of the Institute, and is a member of Actors Equity Association. Deb will direct The Laramie Project in February. Chester Loeffler-Bell (Technical Director) Chester has served as lighting designer, technical director, and scene shop supervisor since joining the department in the fall of 2001. Professor Loeffler-Bell manages the scene shop, supervises and advises student lighting designers. Chester has been an active professional lighting designer for the past 20 years, having designed for In Tandem Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Theatre X, Cape Fear Shakespeare Festival, and Carroll College. His recent artistic work includes the lighting design for Sunday in the Park with George for Marquette University, Girl in the Frame for In Tandem Theatre, Poor Tom for Marquette University in collaboration with the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, Ireland, and McGuire at Hofstra University. Chester lives in Mukwonago with his wife Susan, sons Harry, Sam, and Joe, and dog, Sophie. Connie L. Petersen (Scenic Designer/ Costume Shop Manager) Connie is honored to have the opportunity to work with our very own alumni, Erin Black. She received her B.S. degree in theatre from Northwest Missouri State University and M.F.A. degree in Costume and Scenic Design from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL. She has worked professionally for Central City Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Denver Center Theatre Company, and Playmakers Repertory Company at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Her recent designs at Marquette include Putnam County Spelling Bee, Nickel and Dimed, Heidi Chronicles, Tartuffe, J.B., Bye, Bye Birdie and Fifth of July. Connie has been enjoying her daughter, Emma watching rehearsals and giving tons of ideas and help! Phylis Ravel (Director) Phylis is delighted to direct Marquette students in A Year with Frog and Toad.
Ms. Ravel performed with the famous Goodman Children’s Theatre in the 70’s and was commissioned to write the musical Cinderella for the company. In addition to Cinderella, she has written Goldy and the Three Bears, and performed in the Emmy nominated CBS television special The Party Shop. Ms. Ravel also travelled nationally with the Gingerbread Players and Jack playing to thousands of children up and down the East Coast. She was also the voices of Richard and Janet in Free to Be You and Me. Adriana Saia (Assistant Scenic Designer) Adriana is a sophomore and a theatre major with a minor in public relations. This is her first time as an assistant scenic designer, and she is very excited for the opportunity! She has an emphasis in management and design, and this opportunity has helped her to grow in love for what she loves to do. She would like to thank Connie and Chester for guiding her through this process, her family and friends for their continuous love and support, and for the cast and crew for making this such a great show! Eleni Sauvageau (Assistant Costume Designer/Puppeteer) Eleni is a senior theatre arts major who is thrilled about this fun production. She has previously costume designed two senior capstones: Fool for Love, and The Last Five Years. She would like to thank Erin for being so helpful and brilliant, Connie, Tim, family & friends, and Alex. Enjoy the show! Jeff Schaetzke (Orchestration) Jeff is pleased to return to Marquette’s Theatre Department where past shows include Into the Woods, Waiting for Gidget, The Drunkard, Damn Yankees, Godspell, and Guys and Dolls. Jeff has directed music for Skylight Opera’s Dames at Sea, First Stage’s My Son, Pinocchio, and Best Christmas Pageant Ever. He has spent time as an actor and music director in Milwaukee, and recent credits include First Stage’s My Son, Pinocchio, Skylight’s An Evening with Gilbert and Sullivan, and the popular World War Marquette University 5
P R O D U C T I O N S TA F F ( c o n t .) II memoir The Daly News, which premiered at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre and was also showcased at Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, MN. Jeff has served as the Theatre Director at Dominican High School in Whitefish Bay for the last fourteen years, and looks forward to the upcoming production of Hairspray in February. Shannon Twohy (Assistant Stage Manager) Shannon is a freshman theatre arts major from Minneapolis, Minnesota. This is her first involvement in a Marquette mainstage and she would like
to extend thanks to the fabulous cast and crew of Frog and Toad, her supportive mother, and anyone else she may have forgotten. Chris Wszalek (Music Director) Chris is thrilled to once again work with Marquette University. A Milwaukee native, Chris teaches piano at the Milwaukee High School of the Arts. He is also involved in the Milwaukee theater scene, working on productions with First Stage Theater Academy, Off the Wall Theatre, Windfall Theatre, and many more. To the Frog and Toad cast, break a leg, wing, shell, and tail!
SCENIC DESIGN CONCEPT What child doesn’t remember being read the Mother Goose stories growing up? The scenic concept for this children’s play was based on the pop-up books, as often used with many classical children storybooks. We wanted to add a few pieces to show the time passing with the change of the seasons, jumping around from the bedroom to the kitchen. So the design revolved into pieces popping up with each different season. We wanted to make the transitions from each of scenes as quick and flowing as the music given in the script. The colors used in the design are similar to choices of classical Mother Goose books. We hope you will take away a piece of Frog and Toad’s enchanted forest and remind children of all ages the magic and friendship that took place here at Helfaer theatre.
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Photo: Milwaukee Rep
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COSTUME DESIGN CONCEPT At the heart of this play is a lovely story about friendship. We decided to focus on the universal nature of this relationship rather than the animal names of the characters. Frog and Toad could be a frog and a toad or they could be two kids from down the block. We chose clothing that felt timeless without being completely foreign to a modern audience. Each of the characters has elements of their animal name incorporated into their color palette, and silhouette. I tried to choose fabrics with textures that “felt” like the animals. You will notice things like Turtle’s “shell” parasol and the Squirrel’s furry caps, but mostly, you will fall in love with these characters as you come along for the ride of A Year with Frog and Toad!
P R O D U C T I O N S TA F F Technical Director...................................................................................... Chester Loeffler-Bell Stage Manager................................................................................................ Alexander Gernon Assistant Stage Manager..................................................................................Shannon Twohy Lighting Designer................................................................................................... Noah Greenia Light Board Operator................................................................................................Adriana Saia Scenic Designer..................................................................................................Connie Petersen Assistant Scenic Designer.......................................................................................Adriana Saia Scene Shop Assistants..........................................................John Gallagher, Raquel Garces, Lex Gernon, Noah Greenia, Harry Loeffler-Bell, Joe Packhem, Joe Picchetti, Carissa Saia, Andrea Schoening, Dominic Trapani, Chris Whitman, Matt Wickey Scene Shop Build Crew.................................................................................Andrew Abraham, Tyrone Bowden Jr., Benjamin Braun, Ian Burr, Katherine Callahan, Mary Callen, Yesenia Cuevas, Tyler Frost, Alexis Hamburg, Patrick Hasselbeck, Rory Higgins, John Howard, Abigail Roucka, Erin Ruckoldt, Kristane Thrower, Shannon Twohy Props Masters................................................................................... Joe Picchetti, Matt Wickey Costume Designer..........................................................................................Erin Slattery Black Assistant Costume Designer/Puppeteer....................................................Eleni Sauvageau Costume Shop Manager..................................................................................Connie Petersen Costume Shop Assistants..............................................................................Kirsten Benjamin, Alexandra Bonesho,Tim Braun, Ian Burr, J. Pat Cahill, Carly Kroll, Jennifer Mitchell, Joseph Packhem, Bridget Rzymski, Adriana Saia, Eleni Sauvageau, Andrea Schoening Costume Build Crew.................................................................. Carolina Correa, Emily Daley, Katie Doyle, Meaghan Moran, Grace O’Brien, Doug Soder Orchestration........................................................................................................... Jeff Schaetzke Sound Board Operator.....................................................................................Dominic Trapani Followspots............................................................................Harry Loeffler-Bell, Madelyn Yee Assistant to the Chair.............................................................................................Kelsey Lauren Box Office Assistant..............................................................Kaitlyn Barrett, Elizabeth Spratt Ushers..................................................................................... Cast of A Year with Frog and Toad 8 Marquette University
T H A N K YO U ! The Department of Performing Arts wishes to thank: Terry Duffey
M ARQUETTE UNIVERSIT Y College of Communication Lori Bergen, Dean Joyce Wolburg, Associate Dean Erik Ugland, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies & Research Chioma Ugochukwu, Assistant Dean for Student Services Full - Time Faculty Chester Loeffler-Bell Connie Petersen Phylis Ravel
Performing and Media Arts Stephen Hudson-Mairet, Chairperson Theatre Arts Program Debra Krajec, Artistic Director Part - Time Faculty Amy Brinkman-Sustache Andrea Johnson Roxanne Kess Maureen Kilmurry John Schneider
Box Office Coordinator Kevin Wleklinski
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M A R Q U E T T E U N I V E R S I T Y ( c o n t .) The Department of Performing Arts wishes to thank the following Donors for their 2010 – 2011 contributions: Theatre Contribution Fund Thomas and Kathryn Anderson Margaret Blodgett and Ken Miller Richard and Eileen Bussler Terry and Diane Duffey Margaret Callahan James and Joan Hagner Dr. Ronald Jodat Jay Kirk Ralph and Caroline Kobb Gary Krenz Chester Loeffler-Bell Dustyn R. Martincich John and Suzanne McArdle John and Dolores Melzer Gary Meyer Mitchell Consulting Group Inc. JoAnn Murphy Debra Nielson Joseph and Mary Anna Novotny Michael Price Judith Price John and Mary Ricci Ronald D. Santilli Jackie Schoening Rosemary Selep David and Sandra Shrock Kathleen M. Smith Peter Toumanoff Mary C. Utschig Mr. and Mrs. Richard P. White Theatre and Social Justice Fund Helen Boomsma Mary Kay Marzano John and Lindsay Pauly Kathleen Smith Emily Wacker Endowed Drama Fund The Hudson-Mairet Family
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