Thursday, October 3, 2024 • 7:30 pm
Friday, October 4, 2024 • 7:30 pm
Hepburn Zoo Theatre
Middlebury College Department of Theatre presents
29th Annual First Show: Echoes of Truth
Directed by Ashley Nicole Baptiste
Assistant Director Sophie Butler-Rahman ’25
Costumes and Wardrobe Norah Santoni de Castro ’26
Lighting Assistant Barry Yang ’25
Sound Design Ashley Nicole Baptiste and Cast
Stage Manager Sophie Butler-Rahman ’25
Lighting Designers Emma Dobson ’27 and Ziying Jian ’27
Light Board Operator Emma Dobson ’27
Sound Board Operator Ziying Jian ’27
CAST
Sarah Caire Fong-Yan
Dominick Hutchins
Ella Juhl
Nonna Madoyan
Rachelle Talbert
David Torres
Katherine Zaldivar Rodriguez
Jane Zhang
Yoyo Zhang
SHOW ORDER
Almost Maine by John Cariani
Rachelle Talbert and Dominick Hutchins
Death Tax by Lucas Hnath
David Torres and Yoyo Zhang
Be Aggressive by Annie Weisman
Katherine Zaldivar Rodriguez and Sarah Caire Fong-Yan
52nd to Bowery to Cobble Hill In Brooklyn by Chiara Atik
Nonna Madoyan and Jane Zhang
The Dream of the Burning Boy by David West Read
Sarah Caire Fong-Yan and Ella Juhl
Patrons are requested to turn off cell phones prior to the performance. Photography and the use of audio and video equipment are prohibited.
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
The cast for this piece was the true inspiration for Echoes of Truth. The plan was to use their strengths, whether it be comedy, drama or dramedy. I was not aware of what scenes I would be doing until I met the actors at the initial audition and callback. Please keep in mind that this production was a very quick turnaround. However, I feel that these actors are being used to their strengths, and I am very proud of their work. We went on this journey as an ensemble where I proposed the question, “What part of humanity are we highlighting in these scenes? What is the human experience that we are pulling from to bring these stories to life?” With this question it also made me think about the actual young artists that I am working with, and who they are as human beings. I have been developing over the years a poetry and performance workshop series titled, “I Am.” Not only did I want us to work on a scene, but I also wanted the actors to speak with confidence and certainty stating who they are using their poetry in their own words. This is a workshop series that I have been fine tuning over time, and I was happy to have the opportunity to apply the poetry and performance aspects within this piece with my talented artists. You will see some of this represented throughout the show, and I hope you enjoy what you see. I challenge you as an audience member to not just sit back as a passive observer. It would be helpful if you give audible responses to things that you see or feel (laugh, cry, snap, stomp, moan, snort . . . etc.). No judgment for how you respond. You are the last and most important element to complete, Echoes of Truth. I hope you enjoy the ride!
—Ashley Nicole Baptiste
THE COMPANY
Ashley Nicole Baptiste she/her (Director) is a multidisciplinary professional artist whose work as an actor, educator, director, and producer has been showcased in many different places. She hails from the sunny lands of San Diego, California, and has recently been working and living in the New York/ New Jersey area. As the associate artistic director of Jersey City Theater Center, she has produced new works as well as created Black Space, an online digital archive created with interviews featuring Black artists from all over the world. Ashley is one of the proud creators of the Youth Theater Program Spotlight. Her work with New Jersey City University and Colby College has helped hone her skills as an educator and refined her ability to motivate and empower students to reach their fullest potential. Professional theatre credits include Still, Premiere Stages; Cadillac Crew, Vermont Stage; Chicken and Biscuits, Bristol Riverside Theatre; When Day Comes, Crossroads Theatre Company; Seven Guitars, Artists Repertory Theater; Jitney, Portland Playhouse; and In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play), Profile Theater. Television: Grimm, NBC; Notes from the Field, HBO; and New Amsterdam, NBC. Educational credits: California State University Fullerton, BFA acting. Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts, MFA acting. For updates: ashleynicolebaptiste.com
Sophie Butler-Rahman ’25 she/her (Assistant Director/Stage Manager) is a theater and Arabic double major from Cambridge, Massachusetts, focusing on directing. She can be found tap dancing, acting as Mary Wallace in Athena, and working for Arabic language tables. She hopes you enjoy the Echoes of Truth as much as she enjoyed working on it!
Emma Dobson ’27 she/her (Lighting Designer) is a proposing Independent Scholar in Political Science and Performance Studies from Louisville, Kentucky. She is excited to be designing for theatre for the first time and hopes you enjoy the show.
Sarah Caire Fong Yan ’28 she/ her (Chelsea) I am Sarah, my dad is French, my mom is Chinese and I grew up in Reunion Island before moving to Paris. I enjoy traveling and meeting people from around the world makes me happy, I also love dancing, acting, and discovering new foods!
Dominick Hutchins ’28 he/him (Pete) is from Atlanta, Georgia. As a freshman, he is extremely excited for his first stage performance at Middlebury. Productions done in previous establishments include Xanadu, Pippin, and Eurydice, to name a few. He would also like to thank everyone who worked on the show alongside him. And to thank the audience for coming.
Ziying Jian ’27 she/her(Lighting Designer) (pronounced ZEE-ying) is from New York, New York, and has served as the sound operator for Legally Blonde and Orlando last semester. In addition to plays, she’s also designed lighting scenes for dance showcases. Ziying spent her first semester in Copenhagen and is now pursuing an International and global studies major, but she hopes to continue being technically involved in theater at Midd!
Ella Juhl ’28 she/her (Rachel) is an undecided major from Copenhagen, Denmark. Of the plays she participated in at her former IB school, her favorite was an absurdist and dark comedy created by her and two classmates. She is excited to have fun with others in this play.
Nonna Madoyan ’28 she/her (Halle) is an Armenian born in Moscow. She went to UWC Dilijan, an international boarding school in Armenia. She is passionate about international relations and art. She loves literature, theatre and music.
Katherine Zaldivar Rodriguez ’28 she/her (Leslie) is from Hamilton, New Jersey, and hopes to major in theatre and minor in Latin American studies. Her favorite role has been playing a reporter in Chicago: Teen Edition. She is happy to be in a show at Middlebury and hopes you enjoy!
Rachelle Talbert ’28 she/her (Ginette) I’m from Kenosha, Wisconsin, and I love storytelling and my four cats. I’m a writer, an
artist, but, up until now, never an actor. I’m so excited to be working on this show with this wonderful group.
David Torres ’28 they/them (Todd) is a first-year artist and actor from Chicago, Illinois. They are exploring computer science and Spanish as a major and minor. Their favorite role has been Harry Bright in Mamma Mia. They are elated to be a part of their first Middlebury production.
Jane Zhang ’28 she/her (Allison) is a smiley, energetic girl from Shanghai, China. She has such a wide range of interests she doesn’t know what to major in, but theatre is certainly one of her passions. She is honored to be in this first production and hopes you enjoy the talkative character she’s playing.
Yoyo Zhang ’28 she/her (Tina) From Shanghai, China. An enthusiast for all forms of arts, an artist who’s passionate to explore the world, and a girl who’s sometimes lost in her own thoughts. I am expressed through colors, shapes, forms, emotions, and voice— feel free to share my world with me.
Norah Santoni de Castro ’26 she/ her (Costumes and Wardrobe) is a joint theatre and political science major with a minor in French, from the Dominican Republic. Her acting credits at Middlebury are Greek Tragedy, Orlando, Welcome to the Party, and opening in November, King Lear in which she was also assistant stage manager. Later
this semester you can catch her directorial debut with Athena at the Hepburn Zoo!
Yuxuan “Barry” Yang ’25 he/him (Lighting Assistant) is an IGSEuropean and economics major from Shenzhen, China. This is not
his first show, but he likes the truth. He also likes light—in fact, he likes a lot of things, except economics. He would like to thank you for reading through all of the bios, and he wishes to remind you to put your phone on silent mode.
SHOW STAFF
Director Ashley Nicole Baptiste
Assistant Director Sophie Butler-Rahman
Lighting Assistant Barry Yang
Lighting Desingers Emma Dobson, Ziying Jian
Sound Design Ashley Nicole Baptiste and Cast Properties Jim Dougherty
Master Electrician Tony Bader
Stage Manager Sophie Butler-Rahman
Costume Shop Director Robin Foster Cole
Associate Costume Shop Director Katie Knauber
THEATRE DEPARTMENT STAFF
Professors Alex Draper: Acting, Directing, History and Literature
Mark Evancho: Scene and Lighting Design
Cláudio Medeiros: Acting, Directing, History and Literature (Department Chair)
Associate Professors Michole Biancosino: Acting, Directing, History, and Literature
Dana Yeaton: Playwriting
Assistant Professor Olga Sanchez Saltveit: Directing, Acting and Literature
Visiting Assistant Professors Ashley Nichole Baptiste: Acting
Summer Lee Jack: Costume Design
Technical Director Jim Dougherty
Costume Director Robin Foster Cole
Associate Costume Director Katie Knauber
Master Electrician Tony Bader
Theatre Administration Mirjam Brett
Theatre Office Assistant Urian Vasquez
