First Show Program (Middlebury College Theatre Department)

Middlebury Department of Theatre presents

The 28th Annual First Show

Look Dream Begin

A collection of short plays from Climate Change Theatre Action

Directed by Madison Middleton ’22.5

Dramaturg Maya Teiman

Scene Designers Madison Middleton, Sean Lovett, Cole Newman, Evan Berger

Costume Designers Emma Dobson, Sara McKillip, Greg Sun

Lighting Designers Evan Berger, Gerrit Blauvelt, Jahnavi Choraria, Lisandra Tusen

Sound Designers Evan Berger, Jahnavi Choraria, Lisandra Tusen

Stage Manager Cole Newman

Assistant Stage Managers Jiawen Li

Technical Assistance Ryan Greguski

CAST Now

By Wren Brian

Full Cast

The Polar Bears

By Nicolas Billon

Polar Bear 1 Max Blumenthal

Polar Bear 2 Virginia Frau

A and B’s Excellent Spring Break Adventure, or Loss and Damages

By Joan Lipkin

A Edith Mauch

B Nitya Kaul

Wild Parnsips

By Tira Palmquist

A Moriah Thompson

B Claire Hatch

The Returning

By

Emma

Gibson

Anna Odette Castillo Pinto

Anne Moriah Thompson

Ani Jenny Fede

Magical Fungi in Times Square

By Chantal Bilodeau

A Claire

Hatch

B Sean Lovett

C Max Blumenthal

That’s the Late-Night Show

By Vitor Jatobá

Host Virginia Frau

Guest Emma Dobson

Undertow

By Keith Barker

Grey Sara McKillip

Ember Nitya Kaul

The Committee to Expropriate, A Revenge Fantasy

By Darrah Teitel

Flora Sara McKillip

Dave Sean Lovett

50 Ways to End Mother Earth—In Under Five Minutes!

By Kirby Vicente

Full Cast

Approximately 60 minutes, no intermission

Content Warning: occasional coarse language

Patrons are requested to turn off cell phones prior to the performance. Photography and the use of audio and video equipment are prohibited.

Produced with permission of Climate Change Theatre Action. For more information, go to climatechangetheatreaction.com.

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

The First Show is a special production. It is often students’ introduction to the Middlebury Theatre Department and the vibrant, hardworking theatre community on this campus. There is also a beloved scrappiness to it. The process is quick (under three weeks), and many decisions made in rehearsal and production meetings are in the spirit of making something beautiful with what we have at hand. This is a quality that I’ve loved about the First Show as both the director of this production and a former Middlebury student.

This make-it-work attitude becomes a literal metaphor in a play about climate change. It was paramount to our team to make a sustainable production, an intention all theatres must consider. Reusing and repurposing are at the center of Look Dream Begin. From the set to the costumes to the props, nearly everything you see on stage was pulled from the Theatre Department, reuse trailer, and the team members themselves. We avoided ordering online entirely to mitigate the environmental effects of shipping. Finding the artistic metaphor in this environmentally-conscious attitude is not a big leap. Humans are a creative species, inventing stories to process the world around us. We, as artists, take from the rubble and create something out of nothing.

It’s a delicate balance to make a piece about the environment without becoming preachy or belaboring the point. How do you make a complete artwork that honestly reflects the existential and urgent crisis while also allowing for nuance, humor, and even joy? I think theatre, as an ephemeral, physical, and deeply human artform, is uniquely suited to explore this question. We hope that our show holds that complexity. Its relevance only grows day by day.

—Madison Middleton ’22.5

DRAMATURG’S NOTE

Theatre doesn’t usually come to people’s minds when they think about ways to engage with climate action. However, that’s exactly what Climate Change Theatre Action (CCTA) has been providing since 2015, a worldwide festival of short plays about the climate crisis presented biennially to coincide with the United Nations COP meetings. Bringing together 50 playwrights from a diversity of backgrounds, this year the festival celebrates “All Good Things Must Begin” as its guiding thread. From October 5–7, 2023, Middlebury College joins this year’s edition by presenting our own CCTA event.

The need for awareness on climate change has never been more significant, as we witness catastrophic events impacting communities around the globe. Following what has been registered as the world’s hottest summer, people across Vermont, including those on this campus, deal with the consequences of drastic flooding in July. I hope that audience members get to experience this CCTA event not only as an evening of theatrical enjoyment, but as an invitation to stay engaged with climate action. Whether through the arts, politics or science, in academia or on social media, please take whatever these plays provide and allow yourself to find your own ways of engaging with the topic.

This evening also hopes to draw special attention to COP28, taking place from November 30–December 12, 2023, in Dubai (UAE). Visit cop28.com for more information on important negotiations that will be taking place over those two weeks.

As soon as I got to know this initiative back in early 2020, I knew this was a type of event I wanted to bring from the pages to the stage. I never could have imagined that what started as a high school theater research project would one day become this evening’s performance. I wanted to thank the Middlebury Theatre Department for embracing this idea and allowing it to come to the Hepburn Zoo stage. Thank you to the amazing cast and crew, and to the support from the Climate Action Program. Special thanks to Professor Olga Sanchez Saltveit and Madison Middleton for fully embracing making our version of CCTA the 2023 Annual First Show.

—Maya Teiman ’25

THE COMPANY

Evan Berger ’26.5 he/him (Lighting and Sound Designer) is a sophomore Feb interested in theater design, geography, and American studies. Previous Middlebury shows include Bright Half Life (technical director) and Somewhere (set construction, sound board operator). He’s excited to help design the First Show and meet some new theater students.

Gerrit Blauvelt ’27 he/him (Lighting Designer) is a first-year from southern Vermont. He has been involved with theatre tech since seventh grade, and is excited to get involved here at Middlebury!

Max Blumenthal ’27 he/him (Polar Bear 1; C in Magical Fungi in Times Square) is a freshman from Dallas, Texas. This is his first production since middle school, and he’s very excited to show off what the whole cast has been working on for the past few weeks.

Odette Castillo Pinto ’27 she/her (Conscience; Anna) is a first-year student from Caracas, Venezuela. She likes dance, theatre, nature, and coffee. She is thrilled to be performing her first Middlebury show!

Jahnavi Choraria ’25 she/her (Lighting and Sound Designer) is a psychology major from Mumbai, India. She’s been lucky enough to work on several productions at Middlebury so far but this is her first time light and sound designing and is grateful for this opportunity. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Emma Dobson ’27 she/her (Guest; Costume Designer) is a first-year from Louisville, Kentucky. She once played Lady Macbeth in an Elementary Exploration of Macbeth and hopes you like this experimental experience.

Jenny Fede ’26 she/her (Ani) is a second year student that hails from Massachusetts. She never acted before coming on to campus, it was not until she took her first ever acting course with Professor Olga Sanchez, that she realized her new found love for acting. Some of her favorite plays are Hamilton and Tick Tick Boom.

Virginia Frau ’27 she/her (Polar Bear 2; Host) is a first-year student from Littleton, Colorado. She loves to act and is looking forward to many more shows here at Midd!

Ryan Greguski ’25 he/him (Technical Assistance; Properties) is from New Milford, Connecticut. Some of his previous tech credits include: light design for Friends, The One in the Zoo, and We’ll Name this Later, sound design for Botticelli In the Fire, Ophelia Underwater, and Bright Half Life and tech director for Tick, Tick, Boom! and And Baby Makes Seven. He is a physics major with minors in German and earth and climate science. Outside of theatre, you can find him diving on the swim/dive team and enjoying the outdoors.

Claire Hatch ’26 she/her (B in Wild Parnsips; A in Magical Fungi in Times Square) is a sophomore (intended religion major and computer science minor) from Nye, Montana. She’s been wanting to be in plays since she was little, but her mother always told her rehearsals ended after her bedtime. They still do, but she is beyond thrilled to be in this production with the amazing cast and crew!

Nitya Kaul ’27 she/her (B in A and B’s Excellent Spring Break Adventure, or Loss and Damages; Ember) is a freshman from Calcutta, India. This is her first role since middle school, and she’s excited for the audience to see the hard work so many people have put in for this show!

Jiawen Li ’27 she/her (Assistant Stage Manager) is a freshman from Chengdu, China. This is her first time working for stage management. She is a big fan of musicals. She is excited to join the team to learn more about theater. Hope you enjoy the show!

Sean Lovett ’23.5 any/all (B in Magical Fungi in Times Square; Dave; Scenic Designer) is a pretzel maker and philosophy major from Washington, D.C. His favorite roll is spicy veggie tempura. He desperately yearns to sell the rest of his granola (not a euphemism); please let him know if you’re interested in helping with that. He hopes you are entertained, provoked, and moved by tonight’s experience!

Edith Mauch ’27 she/her (A in A and B’s Excellent Spring Break Adventure, or Loss and Damages) is a freshman from Cornwall, Vermont (about 10 minutes from Middlebury!). This is her first serious role in a play, and she is so excited to perform with her fellow cast members. She enjoys spending time with her (five!) cats, reading, exploring libraries and bookstores, taking photographs with her film camera, and volunteering Homeward Bound—Addison County’s Humane Society—where she has even more feline friends.

Sara McKillip ’25 she/her (Grey; Flora; Costume Designer) is an environmental justice major from upstate New York. Her favorite role has been playing Cecily Cardew in her high school’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest. She is excited to be joining the cast for the First Show and hopes you enjoy the show!

Cole Newman ’26 they/them (Stage Manager) is a sophomore from New Mexico. They did theatre throughout their entire childhood and while they aren’t actually a theatre major, theatre is something very near and dear to them. They greatly enjoy being part of productions whether it’s as an actor, run crew, or stage manager. Watching productions come together is very special to Cole.

Moriah Thompson ’25 she/her (A in Wild Parsnips; Anne) is a film major from Brooklyn, New York. She enjoys watching films, dancing and acting. In the future, she hopes to become a professional screenwriter. She hopes you enjoy the show!!!

Maya Teiman ’25 she/her (Dramaturg) is an environmental economics major from São Paulo, Brazil. This is her first time working with dramaturgy, and her second encounter with environmental

theater, following her participation in Somewhere (Kin) last spring. She is thrilled to help bring a CCTA production to life at Middlebury College.

Lisandra Tusen ’26 (Lighting and Sound Designer) is a biology major from Yonkers, New York. Her Middlebury experience thus far is Welcome to the Party (tourist) and A Woman Left Lonely (assistant costume designer). She hopes you guys enjoy the show!

SHOW STAFF

Director Madison Middleton

Dramaturg Maya Teiman

Scene Design

Madison Middleton, Sean Lovett, Cole Newman, Evan Berger

Costume Design Emma Dobson, Sara McKillip, Lighting Design Evan Berger, Gerrit Blauvelt, Jahnavi Choraria, Lisandra Tusen

Sound Design Evan Berger, Jahnavi Choraria, Lisandra Tusen

Properties Madison Middleton, Ryan Greguski, Sean Lovett

Stage Manager Cole Newman

Assistant Stage Manager Jiawen Li

Costume Shop Director Robin Foster Cole

Associate Costume Shop Dir. Katie Knauber

Light and Sound Board Operator Cole Newman

THEATRE DEPARTMENT STAFF

Professors Alex Draper: Acting, Directing, 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, Literature

Visiting Assistant Professors

Co-Technical Director/

Summer Lee Jack: Costume Design Craig Maravich: Acting

Production Manager Allison Rimmer

Co-Technical Director/

Facility Manager Jim Dougherty

Production Designer:

Department of Theatre;

Company and Budget Manager:

Summer Immersive Learning

Experiences Courtney Smith

Costume Director Robin Foster Cole

Associate Costume Director Katie Knauber

Master Electrician Tony Bader

Theatre Administration Mirjam Brett

Theatre Office Assistant Sophie Butler-Rahman

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The production was rehearsed and performed on land which has served as a site of meeting and exchange among the Indigenous Peoples since time immemorial. The Western Abenaki are the traditional caretakers of these Vermont lands and waters, which they call Ndakinna. We give thanks for the opportunity to share in the bounty of this place and to protect it.

SPECIAL THANKS

Climate Change Theatre Action, Arts vs. the Apocalypse, Climate Action Program, Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Minna Brown, Greg Pask and the Middlebury entomology students for the Insect Climate Action preshow display, Olga Sanchez Saltveit, Cláudio Medeiros, Mirjam

Brett, Jim Doughtery, Allison Rimmer, the Zoo Crew, facilities and custodial staff, Valerie Costello, Printing Services, the recycling center staff, Sam Hurlburt, Elsa Marrian, Líle Casey, Andres Oyaga, Asha Kennan, Charlotte Roberts, Rach Peck, Allison Hurd, Hanna Freund, Hazel Hendler

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE ARTS AT MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE!

The Theatre Program wishes to thank Drue Cortell Gensler ’57, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Barlow, Marie and Edward Matthews, Christian and Gerry-Jo Cranmer, John J. Morrissey ’72, and Mr. and Mrs. Lee Freeman, Jr. for their generous support of our program’s work.

The Theatre Department would also like to thank Jean Seeler ’60, in whose honor the Seeler Studio Theatre is named, for her continued support of and belief in the work of this department.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Greek Tragedy

By Lia Romeo

Directed by Michole Biancosino

October 26–28, 2023

Wright Memorial Theatre

Dad Rock

Senior work of Beck Barsanti in acting

November 2–4, 2023

Hebburn Zoo

Beta Bitches

By Emily Walborn

Sophie Butler-Rahman 500 work in directing

November 9–11, 2023

Hepburn Zoo

Polaroid Stories

By Naomi Lizuka

directed by Alex Draper

November 30–December 2, 2023

Seeler Studio Theatre

Stom Still

By Gab Reisman

Senior work in acting by Aidan Amster, Brianna Beach and Annabelle Iredale;

500 work in directing by Caroline Armour, and 500 work in design by Julia Breckenridge

December 7–9, 2023

Hepburn Zoo