Pajama Game 2021 Program

O T T E R B E I N T H E AT R E & D A N C E and

D E PA RT M E N T O F M U S I C present

Book by George Abbott & Richard Bissell

Music and Lyrics by Richard Adler & Jerry Ross

Based on the novel “7 1/2 Cents” by Richard Bissell

Directed by Lenny Leibowitz Choreography by Stella Hiatt Kane

Music Direction by Dennis Davenport

Scenic Design by Stephanie R. Gerckens ‘87

Costume Design by Rebecca White

Lighting Design by Marcus Wuebker

Sound Design by Paul Kavicky ‘91 Stage Managed by Julia Kelley ‘22

November 18-21, 2021

Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall 30 S. Grove St., Westerville

THE PAJAMA GAME is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com

CAST

Hines...............................................................................................................................Dean Yurecka Prez.................................................................................................................................Dale Saunders Joe....................................................................................................................................... Max Pinson Hasler....................................................................................................................... Quincy Shaindlin Gladys............................................................................................................................. Victoria Mesa Sid............................................................................................................................................Tru Stites Mabel...................................................................................................................... Brittany Koscinski First Helper.................................................................................................................Jackson Gifford Pop/Second Helper............................................................ Ben Hoover (Max Pinson 11/18, 11/19) Charley..........................................................................................................................Carson Zoch** Babe........................................................................................................................... Hannah Schmidt Mae........................................................................................................................................ Ava Arkin Brenda............................................................................................................................. Katie Wagner Poopsie......................................................................................................................... Emily Baggarly Virginia........................................................................................................................Lucy Breedlove Max.................................................................................................................................. Ryan Esparza ENSEMBLE Ava Arkin, Emily Baggarly, Lucy Breedlove, Ryan Esparza, Rachel Fish, Jackson Gifford, Ben Hoover, Kate Maniuszko,* Ellie Newman, Max Pinson, Katie Wagner, Carson Zoch UNDERSTUDIES Hines..............................................................................................................................Carson Zoch** Prez...............................................................................................................................Jackson Gifford Gladys.......................................................................................................................... Emily Baggarly Sid............................................................................................................................. Quincy Shaindlin Mabel........................................................................................................................ Kate Maniuszko* Babe..............................................................................................................................Lucy Breedlove *denotes Dance Captain

**denotes Magic Captain

ORCHESTRA

Conductor.............................................................................................................Dennis Davenport* Reeds.....................Tom Regouski, Andrew Kovaleski, Kylie Harbert, Miranda Martin Hecker Trombone...................................................Tony Weikel*, Tom Zugger, (Sub: Peter Gooch 11/21) Trumpet...................Dan King*, Lexi Spiropoulos, Caitlyne Brooks, (Sub: Ben Huntoon 11/21) Percussion............................................................ Tomasz Jarzecki*, (Reh Sub: Helena Savolaine) Guitar...........................................................................................................................Karl Wohlwend Violin..Meg Barkhymer, Matthew Boles, Lane Champa, Davis Hoam, (Sub: Nora Dukart 11/21) Viola................................................................................................................................ Preston Smith Cello..............................................................................................................................Tulia Spurgeon Bass..................................................................................................................................... Eric Stratton *denotes Department of Music Faculty

Any video an/or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

PRODUCTION NOTE Atmospherics, including haze and fog, as well as loud sound effects and strobe lighting will be used throughout the production.

Some props provided by Jnhn Shorter at PROP RENTALS NY.

MUSICAL NUMBERS Act I

Overture............................................................................................................................... Orchestra The Pajama Game.......................................................................................................Opening Hines Racing With The Clock....................................................................................................... Ensemble A New Town Is A Blue Town.......................................................................................................Sid Racing With The Clock- Reprise....................................................................................... Ensemble I’m Not At All In Love.......................................................................................Babe and Ensemble I’ll Never Be Jealous Again................................................................................... Hines and Mabel Hey There.........................................................................................................................................Sid Her Is......................................................................................................................... Prez and Gladys Sleep Tite.............................................................................................................................. Ensemble Once-A-Year-Day (and Polka)........................................................................................... Ensemble Once-A-Year Day Crossover.............................................................................................. Ensemble Her Is- Reprise.............................................................................................................. Prez and Mae Small Talk....................................................................................................................... Sid and Babe There Once Was A Man (I Love You More)............................................................... Sid and Babe Slow Down........................................................................................................................... Ensemble Finale Act 1 (Hey There)................................................................................................................Sid

15-Minute Intermission Act II

Entr’acte................................................................................................................................ Orchestra Steam Heat....................................................................................................Gladys and Shop Folks Hey There- Reprise......................................................................................................................Babe Think of the Time I Save................................................................................Hines and Shop Girls Hernando’s Hideaway............................................................................................. Gladys and Sid Hernando’s Hideaway Dance........................................................................................... Ensemble I’ll Never Be Jealous Again Ballet (Part 1)................................................................ Hines, Gladys I’ll Never Be Jealous Again Ballet (Part 2).................................. Hines, Gladys, Mabel, the Boys Seven-and-a-Half Cents.............................................................................. Babe, Prez and Chorus There Once Was a Man (I Love You More)- Reprise................................................ Sid and Babe The Pajama Game Closing................................................................................................. Ensemble Seven-and-a-Half Cents Reprise....................................................................................... Ensemble

PRODUCTION STAFF Chair, Department of Theatre & Dance..................................................................... T.J. Gerckens Chair, Department of Music..............................................................................................Nick Ross Managing Director.............................................................................................Elizabeth Saltzgiver Production Manager...................................................................................................Brian Sekinger Staff Technical Director.............................................................................................Justin A. Miller Paints Mentor.......................................................................................................... Edith D.Wadkins Costume Shop Supervisor..................................................................................... Anna Grywalski Lighting & Sound Supervisor.......................................................................................... Doc Davis Intimacy Coordinator.................................................................................................Dr. Aviva Neff Movement Coach/Voice Coach............................................................................ Melinda Murphy Administrator/Director of Recruiting........................................................................ Dawn Horne Dramaturg..................................................................................................................... Ashley Bright Assistant Directors.............................................Cassie Perlatti, Jake Ronk, & N. M. Themelaras Assistant Choreographer................................................................................................ Rachel Fish Assistant Costume Designer.......................................................................... Anna Kate Reynolds Additional Costumes Designed by....................................................................... Judy Gerdeman Assistant Lighting Designer................................................................................. Anna Wehrmann Assistant Sound Designer............................................................................................ Jenna Davies Assistant Stage Managers............................................................. Luca Fragiotta & Alex Munzke Assistant Technical Director................................................................................Sophie Rodriguez Charge Artist.................................................................................................................... Kitty Mader Assistant Charge Artist......................................................................................Gabriela Ahumada Properties Lead................................................................................................................ Olivia Rossi Assistant Properties Lead............................................................................................Izzie Lindsey Scenic & Paints Build Crew...... Libby Carroll, Katie Debolt, Carlos Grunewald, Nicole Hunter Scenery & Props Run Crew............................................................ Katie Debolt & Kailey Souder Wardrobe Lead..............................................................................................................Tiffany Stone Drapers.......................................................... Addy Chapman, Kate Larson, & Addie Richmond Costume Shop Build Crew.............................................................................................Ryan Lewis Wardrobe Run Crew.................................. Addison Chapman, Sierra Gelbman, Ethan Kuchta, ................................................................................................. Kate Larson, Evan Little, Paige Vick Lead Electrician.................................................................................................... Allison Gammons Assistant Lead Electrician........................................................................................ Gabe Whitnack Lighting Programmer...................................................................................................... Drew Heck Light Board Operator..........................................................................................Carlos Grunewald Follow Spot Operators.................................................................Ava Meyer & Charles Scaglione Electrics Shop Hang Crew.............................. Emma Bailey, Caroline Bowers, Sierra Gelbman, ............................................................................................................... Jack Giglia, Emylie Winesette Sound A1........................................................................................................................ Jenna Davies Sound A2................................................................................... Libby Carroll & Benjamin Sanford Box Office Manager......................................................................................................... Julia Kelley House Manager.............................................................................................................Zoya Bokhari

SCENIC STUDIO ASSISTANTS Luca Fragiotta Sophie Rodriguez Drew Heck Olivia Rossi Matt Knerr Reilly J. Ryan Baylee Roberson COSTUME SHOP ASSISTANTS Addison Chapman Anna Kate Reynolds Kate Larson Tiffany Stone

LIGHT & SOUND ASSISTANTS Zoya Bokhari Kitty Mader Allison Gammons Anna Wehrmann Jacob Gooch Sage Wuertzer BOX OFFICE ASSISTANTS Carlos Grunewald Logan Reeder Aaron Manzer Anna Kate Reynolds Abby Messina Anna Walker

BIOGRAPHIES

TJ Gerckens (Chair/Producing Artistic Director) is the lighting design faculty member at Otterbein University, a USA829 Union Lighting Designer, and proud Otterbein alumnus. At Otterbein, he has designed the lighting for A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Into a Lamplit Room, Dance 2020: The Wild Within (with John Diver), Chicago, Oklahoma!, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Diary of Anne Frank, Adding Machine: A Musical, Damn Yankees, Dance 2016: The Goddess, The Crucible, Fiddler on the Roof, Dance 2015: Famously Yours...Forever, Dance 2014: Tell-Tale Poe, and Into the Woods. As a freelance lighting designer, T.J. has been part of the design team for the Tony Award winner and MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Mary Zimmerman for the last 27 years. Most recently, he designed lighting for the world premiere of the opera Eurydice, by Sarah Ruhl and Matthew Aucoin at the L.A. Opera in co-production with the Metropolitan Opera, The Music Man at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Mary Zimmerman’s world premiere of The Steadfast Tin Soldier at Chicago’s Lookingglass Theatre, last year’s revival of Metamorphoses at the Guthrie Theatre and Berkeley Rep, and Rusalka at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC. Other notable designs include The Odyssey at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Wonderful Town at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Guys & Dolls in L.A., and Treasure Island at the Lookingglass Theatre and Berkeley Rep. His lighting designs have been seen at regional theatres across the United States, on and off Broadway, and at the Metropolitan Opera. Internationally, he has designed in England, Australia, and at the LaScala Opera House in Milan, Italy. He has received numerous awards for his designs including New York’s Drama Desk Award and Lortel Awards for his lighting of Metamorphoses on and off Broadway, Jefferson Awards for The Odyssey and Metamorphoses in Chicago, and an award for “Exemplifying the Art of Collaboration” given to the Zimmerman design team by Entertainment Design Magazine. You can see his designs for Lucia di Lammermoor and La Sonnambula on DVDs released by the Metropolitan Opera. T.J. holds a BFA from Otterbein University and an MFA from Boston University. He is married to set designer, scenic artist, and Otterbein adjunct instructor, Stephanie R. Gerckens.

Lenny Leibowitz (Director) is in his eighth year as a member of the Otterbein Theatre faculty.

Since his arrival in Westerville, Lenny has directed An Enemy of the People, Guys & Dolls, Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, Into the Woods, Clybourne Park, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Top Girls, Fiddler on the Roof, Radium Girls, and Adding Machine: A Musical. As founding artistic director of Marvell Rep, Off-Broadway, Lenny directed 11 productions, including The Threepenny Opera, which received a Drama Desk nomination for Best Revival of a Musical. Other New York directing credits include the world premiere of Brian Yorkey’s Making Tracks, which ran Off-Broadway at Rockefeller Center’s Taipei Theater. Lenny has directed at some of the nation’s leading regional theatres including the Olney Theatre, the National Players, the Huntington Theatre’s Breaking Ground Festival, and the New Harmony Theatre, where he was artistic director for four years. A Philadelphia native, he made his professional debut as a piano soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He received his B.A. from Columbia University and his M.F.A. from Boston University. Member, SDC and AEA. Dennis Davenport (Music Director, Conductor) is a Professor of Music at Otterbein. Current work includes teaching Musical Theatre History, directing the Otterbein Singers and teaching in the First Year Experience program. With colleague Jim Bates, Dennis leads the Vienna Travel Course in May Term. Recent music direction includes The All Night Strut, The Fantasticks and Little Shop of Horrors for Otterbein Summer Theatre. For Otterbein Opera Theatre, Dennis has music directed Cox and Box, La Serva Padrona, The Gift of the Magi (David Conte) and The Life and Love of Joe Coogan (Paul Salerni). Dennis has composed music for two one-act operas to libretti by his spouse Sarah Davenport under the collective title First Encounters: Isak Dinesen Meets Marilyn Monroe, and Berthe Morisot Meets Edouard Manet. Both works have been produced by Otterbein Opera Theatre. The final work in the trilogy, Cole Porter Meets Rodgers & Hart, will take shape during a sabbatical in Spring 2022. Other original work includes scores for Brecht’s Galileo at the University of Michigan Residential College, and for Brecht’s Caucasian Chalk Circle at Otterbein.

BIOGRAPHIES

Stella Hiatt Kane (Choreographer) is the Director of Musical Theatre and Director of Dance at Otterbein University and the founding Artistic Director of JazzMet. Ms. Kane has been a member of the national companies of Sugar and Bob Fosses’ Dancin’ and a member of the national and international companies of The American Dance Machine. She has made television appearances in productions such as PBS’ Dance in America and The Ann Reinking Special with Ann Reinking, Chita Rivera and Ben Vereen. Ms. Kane has taught for New York’s American Dance Machine/ Harkness House and the Actors’ and Directors’ Lab. She has been a visiting guest artist/teacher at several universities including The Ohio State University and New York University and has been a master teacher in residence at the Northern Ballet Theatre in Leeds, England. She has also been a guest choreographer for BalletMet and Columbus Dance Theatre, including the world premiere of Women Leading. Her most current Otterbein collaborations have included Into a Lamplit Room, The Theory of Relativity, Chicago, Singin’ In the Rain, and Damn Yankees.

Additionally, she has directed and choreographed the recent Otterbein University productions of Dance 2020: The Wild Within, Dance 2017: Move Me, Dance 2018: Gloriously Grimm and Dance 2019: Together Again. Note: Many thanks to Rachel Fish and Kate Maniuszko for their incredible assistance. This production is dedicated to Buzz Miller, with enormous gratitude for his faith in me and for sharing his mastery and brilliance. You are still present in every tip of the bowler Stephanie R. Gerckens (Scenic Designer) is pleased to return to Otterbein to design scenery for this production. At Otterbein, she has previously designed The Crucible, My Way, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Violet (Ohio Theatre Roundtable Award), Longevity Abbreviated, Steel Magnolias, and Antigravity. Her design credits include Alice in Wonderland for BalletMet; and Evie’s Waltz, Escanaba in Love, Drawer Boy (Critic’s Circle Award), Boston Marriage, and Taste of Sunrise, for CATCO. She has also designed for The Phoenix Theatre for Children, Porthouse Theatre, Ohio Wesleyan University, Weathervane Playhouse, Miami Valley Dinner Theatre (La Comedia), Chicago’s Remains Theatre, and Circa-21 in Rock Island, Illinois. She spent two seasons at Actors Theatre of Louisville as Resident Assistant Scene Designer and Charge Scenic Artist. Stephanie has painted for theatre, television, and film with clients including Arena Stage, BalletMet, The Oprah Show, and the independent feature film Lawn Dogs (Lead Painter). She has worked with several theatrical production studios including Chicago Scenic Studio, MYSTIC Scenic Studio in Boston, Tamara Backdrops in Chicago, and Live Technologies in Columbus, Ohio. Stephanie would like to honor the memory of her friend Bill Kennedy(1957-2021) and acknowledge his creative support during the design process of this show.

Rebecca White (Costume Designer) is the Director of Design & Technology and the resident Professor of Costume Design for Otterbein’s Department of Theatre & Dance. Having designed over 40 Otterbein productions, a few of Rebecca’s favorites include Dance 2020: The Wild Within, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and The Importance of Being Earnest. Outside of Otterbein, Rebecca has worked with Short North Stage, The Santa Fe Opera, The Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Penumbra Theatre Company, The Minnesota Centennial Showboat, and Theatre L’Homme Dieu. With a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Minnesota, and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, Rebecca specializes in Costume Design, Costume History, and Crafts including millinery and leatherwork. When not in the theatre, Rebecca is an avid equestrian, competing with her horse, Kevin, in Ranch Horse shows, dabbling in western dressage, and mounted archery.

Marcus Wuebker (Lighting Designer) has worked professionally in Theater, Concert Touring, and Live Events for 25 years. After earning a BFA in Theatre Production Design & Technology from Ohio University, he began his career as a Lighting Designer & Programmer and soon after added scenic design to his list of services. Marcus has designed lighting and/or scenery for large scale events for Proctor & Gamble, T-Mobile, Victoria’s Secret, Salesforce, Walt Disney World, and UPS. One of his favorite projects to date is the passenger tunnel at the Detroit Metro

BIOGRAPHIES

Airport for which he consulted on the lighting design and programmed the lighting. His local theatre lighting credits include CATCO’s productions of Evie’s Waltz, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, as well as Otterbein’s School House Rock and Ctrl-Alt-Del. Paul Kavicky (Sound Designer) has a 30-year career in sound design, production mixing, and audio production teaching. Recent sound design work has included the shows Noises Off, Bring It On, The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and many others.

Paul has been a production sound professional on national tours including Wicked, Peter Pan, and Showboat. His primary workplace for the past decade has been with CAPA, where he has the role of audio and video production head at the Ohio, Palace, and Southern Theatres in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Before joining CAPA, Paul was the house sound person at the Capitol Theatre and later Veterans Memorial, and has worked for production companies including Live Technologies and Pro Backline. As a 20-year IATSE journeyman, Paul has experience in large-scale productions including theatrical tours, concerts, and corporate events.

Over the years he has worked on shows with David Bowie, BB King, and countless stars from stage and screen, as well as mixed for legends like Kris Kristofferson and Doc Severinsen. Paul also operates Paper Street Audio Company where he does recording, editing, and mixing for a variety of clients. When not doing production sound, Paul is busy as a faculty member at Capital University in their music technology program. As an Otterbein graduate, Paul is delighted to return to Cowan Hall where he began this journey in theatre and production.

Julia Kelley (Stage Manager) is so excited to be stage managing her final show at Otterbein!

She is a BFA Design/Technology major, and will be graduating in the spring, after interning next semester. Recent credits include Otterbein’s A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (House Manager), The Tempest (Assistant Stage Manager), and The Theory of Relativity (Assistant Stage Manager). In addition to her production work, Julia is also the Box Office Manager for the Department of Theatre & Dance. Last spring, she interned with CATCO, working on their New Works Festival. Julia would like to thank the faculty and staff at Otterbein for their guidance; the cast and crew of The Pajama Game for their more than once-a-year day work; Eric, Christy, & Elizabeth for getting her to where she is today; her parents & sisters for their sarcastic quips that keep her energy up during tech week; and her best friend, Anna Kate, for the many coffee runs and always keeping her laughing. “Be the hero of your story.”

Dawn Horne (Administrator/Director of Recruitment) trained as an actor for three years with Sanford Meisner protégé James Price at The Acting Studio, Inc. before completing an acting fellowship at the Shakespeare Theatre as part of the MFA program at the University of South Carolina where she studied the Laban system of movement. She also studied acting with Richard Thomas, Barbara Baxley, Philip Goodwin, William Alderson, and Floyd King. She has also studied Dunham technique at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, and voice and speech with Liz Smith and Ralph Zito. She trained as a singer with Dr. Patrick O’Donnell at the Levine School and with soprano Heidi Freimanis-Cordts. She has performed as an actor in New York and regional theatre. She loves choral music and has been a member of the National Philharmonic Chorale, Cathedral Voices of Washington National Cathedral, the Jonathan Griffith Singers, the Take Joy Chorus of the Strathmore Center for the Arts, and was a member of the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra Blossom Festival Chorus before moving to the Columbus area. She also performed in multiple NEWorks Choral projects at the Kennedy Center under the direction of Nolan Williams, Jr., She first became involved in student recruitment while still an undergraduate student at Georgetown University where she served as a student ambassador.

BIOGRAPHIES

Justin A. Miller (Tech Director/Scene Shop Supervisor) is honored to be joining the team at Otterbein University this semester! He is overseeing the scene shop and tech directing The Pajama Game. Justin received his MFA in Scene Design at The Ohio State University in 2018 and has been actively involved in productions across the U.S. Some of his favorite shows that he has designed include Bonnie and Clyde, Urinetown: The Musical, All Shook Up!, Stupid F***ing Bird, and The Diviners. He would like to thank all cast and crew for their hard work on this production.

Melinda Murphy (Voice and Movement Coach) teaches Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais Method® in the Otterbein Theatre and Dance Department, with application to movement, voice, characterization, singing, and dance. Melinda is one of the few teachers trained in both methods; she combines them in her private practice in Columbus, and in classes and seminars for performing artists at other Ohio colleges. Since coming to Otterbein, she also trained to teach Fitzmaurice Voice work for its specialized tools for improving the voice and breath.

Melinda has coached Otterbein productions since the turn of the century. She has also coached equestrians, figure skaters, musicians, and competitive barbershop quartets and choruses including the two-time international gold medalist Southern Gateway Chorus.

Dr. Aviva Neff (Intimacy Coach) is a rustbelt artist-scholar-educator with an expertise in diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts. Dr. Neff is an experienced director who enjoys working in devised theatre and theatre for social change. She is an ensemble member with Teatro Travieso, with whom she recently premiered her solo performance, Blood, Earth, Water.

Dr. Neff is the Director of Youth and Community Learning at Columbus College of Art and Design and an adjunct faculty member with Otterbein University Department of Theatre and Dance.

Elizabeth Saltzgiver (Managing Director) has been a member of the Department of Theatre & Dance since 2000. Her experience in Arts Administration includes work for dhc productions, the Westerville Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Ohio Light Opera, Ashland University College of Arts and Sciences, the 2013 Westerville Year of the Arts celebration, and the Ashland Balloon Fest. Elizabeth holds a B.A. in Music and Business from Otterbein University and, in 2012, she was named a fellow for the Next Generation Leader of the Arts program here in central Ohio. She is currently serving as Treasurer for the Columbus Arts Marketing Association.

Brian Sekinger (Production Manager) joins the Otterbein team this year with experience as an AEA Stage Manager, Line Producer, Consultant, and Educator in the performing arts industry.

Brian has a BA in Educational Theatre & English from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and an MFA in Production Technology & Management with a concentration in Stage Management from Carnegie Mellon University. Most recently, he was the Resident Production Stage Manager at Northern Stage and the Production Stage Manager at the New London Barn Playhouse. His passion for new musical development and working with early career Stage Managers has had him jet setting around the country with companies including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center Education, Davenport Theatricals, DreamWorks Theatricals, RKO Stage, Musical Theatre Factory, Prospect Theatre, Playwrights Realm, Folger Shakespeare, and many others.

Gabriela Ahumada (Paints Assistant) is a junior BFA Design/Technology major and Art History minor from Zihuatanejo, México. Previous credits include Otterbein’s A Lie of the Mind (Properties Lead) and Into a Lamplit Room (Set Decorator). Last summer, Gabriela worked at the Des Moines Metro Opera as a paint intern. She will be the Scenic Designer for the upcoming production of The Heidi Chronicles in the spring. Gabriela would like to thank her parents and friends for always being there and supporting her.

BIOGRAPHIES

Ava Arkin (Mae) is a senior BFA Musical Theatre major and Dance minor from Brooklyn, NY. Previous Otterbein credits include The Tempest (Prospera), The Theory of Relativity (Sara) and Chicago (June). She would like to thank her parents and friends for their endless support, Lenny Leibowitz, Stella Kane, and Dennis Davenport for making her last Otterbein Main Stage one to remember, and her castmates for making every day a once-a-year day! Come back in December to help “Launch” her back to NYC. @alwaysava Emily Baggarly (Poopsie/U.S. Gladys) is a junior BFA Musical Theatre major and Dance minor from Claremont, CA. Previous Otterbein credits include Into a Lamplit Room (Company), Dance 2020: The Wild Within (Avabelle), and The Odd Couple Workshop (Florence). Emily wants to thank her parents, professors, and friends for their incredible support. She is very grateful to be performing in her first live musical in three years!

Meg Barkhymer (Violin) From her first production as a freshman music major in 1965, Meg has played violin in the pit orchestra for over forty Otterbein musicals and operas, West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, and Les Misérables among her favorites. She served as Director of Career and Professional Development and adjunct professor at Otterbein for thirty years and has been a member of the Westerville Symphony Orchestra since its inception in the 1970’s.

Before and after retirement, she and her husband have enjoyed multiple experiences as guest professors in Japan and teaching Otterbein study-abroad courses in Vienna, Austria.

Matthew Boles (Violin) Currently a Junior at Otterbein University, Matthew is a Music Performance Major studying under the instruction of David Edge with concentrations in Violin Performance and History, as well as a minor in French Studies. His ensembles include The Otterbein String Orchestra, The Westerville Symphony Orchestra, Otterbein Early Music Ensemble, Chamber Ensemble, and Otterbein Pit Orchestra. He teaches violin locally and assists with coaching String Solo and Ensemble groups at the middle and high school levels.

His string quartet Strozzi plays gigs and events on campus and locally in the surrounding area. In addition to The Pajama Game, Matthew has also played Violin for A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder earlier this year.

Lucy Breedlove (Virginia/U.S. Babe) is a junior BFA Musical Theatre major from Washington, D.C. Previous Otterbein credits include Into A Lamplit Room (Company), Little Women (Meg March), and An Enemy of the People (Ensemble). Regional Credits: Columbus Immersive Theatre’s Carrie The Musical (Sue Snell), Short North Stage’s Noises Off! (U.S. Brooke Ashton), Arena Stage’s Watch on the Rhine (Babette Mueller - BroadwayWorld award for “Best Featured Actress in a Large Professional Play”). Lucy sends much love and thanks to Mom & Dad. Zoya Bokhari (House Manager) is a senior BA Theatre and Business Administration and Management double major with minors in Arts Administration and Marketing from Dallas, TX. Previous Otterbein credits include The Tempest (Assistant Stage Manager), Radium Girls (Lead Electrician), and An Enemy of the People (Lead Electrician). Zoya is so glad you came out to the show tonight! She would like to thank her incredible support system that’s had her back these last 4 years.

Lane Champa (Violin) is a violinist and violist from Delaware, Ohio. He is an active performer in the New Albany Symphony Orchestra, McConnell Arts Center Chamber Orchestra, and Westerville Symphony Orchestra. He was also the Marketing Director and Gig Coordinator of the New Albany Symphony Orchestra from 2017-2021. Champa is the Outreach Coordinator of Christian Howes’ Creative Strings Workshop in Delaware, Ohio. He was the Onsite Manager of the Chamber Music Connection from 2015-2018 and is currently an Associated Faculty

BIOGRAPHIES

Member of the organization. Champa performs regularly across the state, managing his own gig musician booking business. Champa performs bimonthly as a soloist on the Heather Pick Music Series at the Ohio State University’s James Cancer Hospital. Champa is a 2016 graduate of Otterbein University where he studied Music, Business Administration, and Arts Administration. He was a featured performer in the Otterbein University Humor in Music Festival, violinist of Red Noise New Music Ensemble and is a violinist in the university’s Musical Theater Pit Orchestra. Champa is a director and guest artist at the annual Olentangy Summer Strings Camp at Otterbein University. He also manages a private string studio teaching violin, viola, cello, improvisation and composition to students across central Ohio.

Addison Chapman (Draper/Wardrobe Crew) is a junior BFA Design/Technology major from Mount Gilead, OH. Previous Otterbein credits include A Lie of the Mind (Wardrobe Lead), The Tempest (Draper and Charge Artist), Dance 2020: The Wild Within (Headpiece Artisan) and The School for Scandal (Stitcher). Addison is a technician and adores sewing complicated garments.

She looks forward to creating awesome costumes for theatre.

Jenna Davies (Assistant Sound Designer/Sound Board Mixer) is a sophomore BFA Design/ Technologies major from Durham, NC. Previous credits include Into a Lamplit Room (Sound Board Op), The Theory of Relativity (Sound Board Op) and Festival 2021(Sound Designer). Jenna thanks her family!

Ryan Esparza (Max) is a BFA Musical Theatre major and Dance minor from Houston, TX. Previous Otterbein credits include A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (D’ysquith Family), The Theory of Relativity (Adam), and The Tempest (Sebastian). Ryan would like to dedicate this performance to his twin brother in the Marines. Oorah.

Rachel Fish (Ensemble/Assistant to the Choreographer) is a Public Relations major and Dance minor from Pickerington, OH. Previous Otterbein credits include Dance 2020: The Wild Within (Bastet/Assistant to the Choreographer), Chicago (Female Swing/Assistant to the Choreographer), and Singin’ in the Rain (Ensemble). After graduating in December, Rachel will be working full time in the Columbus area as a Graphic Designer with the company Sports Imports, as well as a dance teacher/choreographer at Drake Dance Academy. She would like to dedicate her final performances on the Cowan stage to Ryan Esparza and Hannah Line for their endless support, as well as to Stella Kane for being an incredible teacher, mentor, and role model during her time at Otterbein.

Luca Fragiotta (Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore BFA Design/Technology major and Film Studies minor from Lewis Center, OH. Previous credits include Otterbein’s Dance 2020: The Wild Within (Assistant Stage Manager), 11th Hour Theatre Company (Company Manager) and OMTI’s Heathers (Lighting Designer). Luca sends special thanks to his mom, dad, and brother, for always supporting him!

Allison Gammons (Lead Electrician) is a senior BFA Design/Technology major and History minor from Columbus, OH. Previous credits include Otterbein’s Into a Lamplit Room (Lead Electrician), A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Stage Manager), and the Des Moines Metro Opera’s Platée (Electrician and Pyrotechnics Operator). This is Allison’s last show at Otterbein, so she would like to thank all faculty, staff, peers, and other mentors for their support throughout the years. She would like to dedicate her work on The Pajama Game to the memory of her grandparents, Karl and Bette Johnson, without whom none of this would be possible.

BIOGRAPHIES

Jackson Gifford (Ensemble/U.S. Prez) is a sophomore BFA Musical Theatre major and Dance minor from Edmond, OK. Previous Otterbein credits include Dance 2020: The Wild Within (Oogie); Regional Credits: The Muny’s Annie and Parallel 45’s The Sound of Music. Jackson would like to thank the cast, crew and creative team!

Davis Hoam (Violin) is a junior Violin Performance major currently studying at Otterbein University. A member of the Ottercap Orchestra and Otterbein Early Music group, he is maximizing his performance experience. He is also a member of the Strozzi String Quartet, a semi-professional Otterbein chamber ensemble. This is Davis’s first time in the pit for an Otterbein production, and it’s fantastic. “The actors are some of the greatest I’ve seen. You’re going to love the show.”

Benjamin Hoover (Pop/Ensemble) is a sophomore BFA Musical Theatre major from Franklin, PA. Previous Otterbein credits include the Advanced Directing Project The Bald Soprano (Mr. Martin).

Ben Huntoon (Trumpet) recently retired after 30 years as the Jazz Education Consultant at Stanton’s Sheet Music in Columbus. He also served on the music faculty at Otterbein University for 15 years. Ben received degrees in music from Capital University and The Ohio State University. He is contributing author for Teaching Through Performance in Jazz from GIA Publications. As a professional musician, Ben has performed on many stages throughout the country for over 40 years.

Tomasz Jarzecki (Percussion), originally from Poland, is a Columbus based drummer/ percussionist. A graduate of University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, he is a self-proclaimed “jack-of-all-genres”, and likes to perform in various musical settings. From a symphony stage to a country band stand, he’s done it. Tomasz can be seen performing regularly for Otterbein University’s theatre productions, OSU opera productions, as well as smaller productions throughout the city. On a national level, he was a percussionist for two national tours of the 2001 Broadway revival of the musical “Oklahoma!” He has played drums for many local bands, including Juke Joint Saints, Christy Angeletti Band, Ray Massa’s Eurorhythms, In Full Swing Big Band, Clavesonic Latin Jazz Project, Big Rockin’ Blues Band, and others. He’s also a drummer for the contemporary worship praise team at Peace Lutheran Church in Gahanna, Ohio. As of recent, Tomasz is a part-time faculty addition to Otterbein’s Music department where he teaches percussion pedagogy and percussion lessons to Otterbein students.

Brittany Koscinski (Mabel) is a junior BFA Musical Theatre major and Dance minor from Orlando, FL. Previous Otterbein credits include Into a Lamplit Room (Female Swing), Art (Marc), and Rapture Blister Burn (Gwen). Brittany would like to thank her family and friends for being a loving and supportive home base, as well as the cast and creative team for letting her be a part of such a wonderful show.

Andrew Kovaleski (Reeds) is a saxophonist and piano technician in Columbus, OH, where he is the sole proprietor of Andrew Kovaleski Piano Tuning, LLC. He maintains pianos for Otterbein University, Ohio Dominican University, Worthington City School District, and in the homes of many. Andrew plays alto saxophone in the Black Swamp Saxophone Quartet and holds a Master of Music in Saxophone Performance from Youngstown State University, where he studied with Dr. James Umble. He also holds a Bachelor of the Arts in Music History from Otterbein University, and has previously studied with Jay Miglia, Wes Miller, and Jean-Michel Goury. If your piano is in need of tuning or repair, learn more at www.andrewkpiano.com.

BIOGRAPHIES Kate Larson (Draper/Wardrobe Crew) is a sophomore BFA Design/Technology major from Cambridge, MN. Previous Otterbein Theatre credits include: Assistant Wardrobe Lead and Junior Draper on The Tempest, and Wardrobe Lead on A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.

Kate really loves sewing and working with all the lovely people in the costume shop, and is really happy to just be here.

Kitty Mader (Charge Artist) is a senior BFA Design/Technology major from Avon, OH. Previous credits include Otterbein’s Into a Lamplit Room (Charge Artist), Chicago (Assistant Charge Artist) and Otterbein Summer Theatre’s Guys & Dolls (Paint Assistant). Kitty would like to thank her friends and family for their constant love and support throughout her college career. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Kate Maniuszko (Ensemble/U.S. Mabel/Dance Captain) is a BFA Musical Theatre major with Dance and Exercise Science minors from Scottsdale, AZ. Previous Otterbein credits include Into a Lamplit Room (Company) and The Theory of Relativity (Swing). Kate sends love, always, to her incredible family and friends. Mask up, be safe, and enjoy LIVE theatre!

Victoria Mesa (Gladys) is a junior BFA Musical Theatre major and Dance minor from Miami, FL. Previous credits include Rapture, Blister, Burn (Avery), Into a Lamplit Room (Company), and Dance 2020: The Wild Within (Sage). Other Credits include She Kills Monsters (Kaliope Darkwalker) and Cabaret (Helga/Lady 1/Dance Captain). Victoria would like to thank the entire cast and creative team for being the greatest playmates throughout this process! She would also like to thank Hannah Schmidt for always offering a hand to hold, endless love and hugs, and pasta.

Alex Munzke (Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore BFA Design/Technology major from Shakopee, MN. Previous credits include Otterbein’s Dance 2020: The Wild Within (Set Crew) and Advanced Directing Project God of Carnage (Stage Manager), as well as Shakopee High School’s Hairspray (Stage Manager). Alex is thankful for her mother who encouraged her to pursue theatre and tried her best to be at every show.

Ellie Newman (Ensemble) is a junior double majoring in Communication Studies and Journalism & Media Communications, with a minor in Dance. This is her first Otterbein show and she is extremely grateful for all of her loved ones who have supported her throughout this entire creative process. She has had an absolute blast this semester working with such a talented cast and crew and cannot wait to perform in The Pajama Game. Off the stage, Ellie is the Music Director for the Otterbein radio station, WOBN 97.5 FM and has her own radio show, “An Earful of Ellie” that airs every Monday at 11:30am. She is also the illustrator for the children’s book “Baby Polar Bear and the Mean Germ”. Enjoy the show!

Cassie Perlatti (Assistant Director) is a junior BA Theatre major from Cleveland, OH. Previous Otterbein credits include A Lie of the Mind (Hair and Makeup/Wardrobe Assistant), The Theory of Relativity (Wardrobe Lead) and The How and the Why (Assistant Director). Cassie would like to thank her wonderful family, friends, and cats for their love and support. She would like to dedicate her work on this show to her family, especially her mom. TPWK. Max Pinson (Joe/Pop 11/18, 11/19) is a junior BFA Musical Theatre major with minors in Music and Math from Kansas City, KS. Previous credits include Into a Lamplit Room (Kurt Weill), An Enemy of the People (Ensemble) and The School for Scandal (Trip). Max will be changing his major to Math and graduating with the class of 2022. He is so grateful to everyone in the theatre department for an amazing 3 years, as well as his friends and family for their endless support.

BIOGRAPHIES

Tom Regouski (Reeds) is a freelance woodwind specialist and educator based in Columbus.

This is his fourth production at Otterbein, having played for Singin’ in the Rain, Thoroughly Modern Millie and A Grand Night for Singing. He has also played productions at Short North Stage, Columbus Children’s Theater, and the Weston Playhouse. Tom was the reed player on the premiere performance and original cast recording of Andrew Lippa’s latest musical, Unbreakable.

Anna Kate Reynolds (Assistant Costume Designer) is a senior BFA Design/Technology major from Houston, TX. Previous credits include Otterbein’s Into a Lamplit Room (Assistant Stage Manager) and The Tempest (Draper), as well as Central City Opera’s Summer 2021 Season (Costumes and Wardrobe Intern). Anna Kate would like thank her Texas family for all their love; and her Costume shop family, Addy, Tiffany, Morgan, Addie, and Kate, for all their hard work and friendship. It has been a blessing to work with each of you. Additionally, she would like to thank her Best Friend, Julia Kelley, for her unwavering love and support through the last two years (and the rest of their lives).

Sophie Rodriguez (Assistant Technical Director) is a senior BFA Design/Technology major from Houston, TX. Previous credits include Assistant Technical Director for Otterbein’s Into a Lamplit Room and The Tempest. Sophie was recently the Scenic Apprentice with Theatre Aspen for their productions of Chicago and Rock of Ages. She would like to thank her family and professors for supporting her throughout the past several years during her time at Otterbein!

Olivia Rossi (Properties Lead) is a sophomore BFA Design/Technology Theatre major from Hilliard, OH. Dale Saunders (Prez) is a junior BFA Musical Theatre major from Vermillion, OH. Previous credits include the Spring of 2020 production of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Ensemble) which was cancelled due to COVID-19, The Theory of Relativity (Male Swing), and the Advanced Directing Projects of Art (Serge) and God of Carnage (Michael). Dale would like to thank his friends, family and God, for the unending support he has received as he continues to chase his goals. He hopes you enjoy the show!

Hannah Schmidt (Babe) is a junior BFA Musical Theatre major and Dance minor from Bainbridge, OH. Previous Otterbein credits include Into a Lamplit Room (Company), Dance 2020: The Wild Within (Thorn), and Dance 2019: Together Again (Company). She would like to thank Lenny and Stella for their endless support and her family, friends, and dog Blue for inspiring her daily!

Quincy Shaindlin (Hasler/U.S. Sid) is a sophomore BFA Acting major and Creative Writing minor from San Mateo, CA. Previous credits include Los Altos Stage Company’s Admissions (Charlie Mason), Upstage Theater’s The Aliens (Evan Shelmerdine) and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Captain Phoebus), and American Conservatory Theater’s Cabaret (Ensemble). Quincy co-founded a non-profit theater company in San Francisco called “The Refuge” and loves to work on productions over summers. He is planning on heading to New York City to pursue acting and playwriting in theater after graduation, but eventually wants to write and direct film!

Preston Smith (Viola) is a senior Zoo and Conservation Science and Biology double major originally from Pittsburgh, PA. He has been playing the viola about 12 years now, and continues to play in Otterbein’s String Orchestra and also with teh Strozzi String Quartet. Past credits include A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Singin’ in the Rain. Preston is thrilled to be a part of the orchestra.

BIOGRAPHIES

Lexi Spiropoulos (Trumpet) is a recent graduate of Otterbein with a degree in Sport Management and a minor in Race and Ethnic Studies. Previous productions include Singin’ in the Rain, Chicago, and Mary Poppins. While at Otterbein, she was an active member of the wind ensemble, marching band, pep band, brass quintet, and Kappa Kappa Psi. Lexi is excited to be asked back to play again! She wishes everyone in the cast and crew good luck!

Tru Stites (Sid) is a junior BFA Musical Theatre major from Richland, WA. Previous credits include Columbus Immersive Theatre’s Carrie (Tommy Ross), and Otterbein’s Into a Lamplit Room (Company), The Theory of Relativity (Anthony) and The School for Scandal (1st Gentleman/ U.S. Moses); as well as pre-college credits of Newsies (Jack Kelly), Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour), and Les Misérables (Jean Valjean). Tru wants to thank this outstandingly talented cast, crew, and creative staff, and also his mom and sister who have been his endless supporters and have flown all the way from Washington State to see the show!

Tiffany Stone (Wardrobe Lead) is a junior BFA Design/Technology major from Dallas, TX. Previous Otterbein credits include The Tempest (Draper and Wardrobe Lead), Dance 2020: The Wild Within (Wardrobe Assistant) and Festival ‘21 (Costume Coordinator). Tiffany is a Texan at heart and carries it with her to every state she finds herself working in. She wants to create costumes and wardrobe-manage for theatre.

Eric Stratton (Bass) graduated from Otterbein University in 2019 with degrees in Bass Performance and Jazz Studies. Since then, he has been playing regularly around central Ohio in a variety of genres. While musical theatre productions are among his favorite performance opportunities, he enjoys playing in symphonies, jazz ensembles, and even rock and metal groups. Eric also works at Stanton’s Sheet Music in the band and orchestra department. His Otterbein Theatre credits include Thoroughly Modern Millie, Big Fish, Singin’ in the Rain, Chicago, and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, as well as several independent productions around Columbus.

N.M. Themelaras (Assistant Director) is a junior double majoring in BA Theatre and English from Westerville, OH. Previous credits include A Lie of the Mind (House Manager).

Katie Wagner (Brenda) is a junior BFA Musical Theatre major from Lewis Center, OH. Previous credits include God of Carnage (Annette) and The Theory of Relativity (Swing). Katie would like to thank the cast, crew and production team. Katie sends much love to her friend, mom, Syd and Evan!

Anna Wehrmann (Assistant Lighting Designer) is a junior BFA Design/Technology major from Dallas, TX. Previous credits include A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder (Lead Electrician), Into a Lamplit Room (Assistant Lead Electrician), and The Tempest (Assistant Charge Artist).

Tony Weikel (Trombone), originally from Buffalo, NY, attended SUNY College at Fredonia where he received a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education. He then attended Duquesne University where he earned his Master of Music degree in trombone performance. After graduation, he spent time freelancing in the greater Pittsburgh area. Tony then attended Indiana University, continuing his graduate work focusing on trombone performance. While in Indiana he won a position with the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, substituted regularly with the Louisville Orchestra and was active as a freelance musician throughout Centra lndiana.

After his time at IU, he moved to Columbus, OH and completed his Doctor of Musical Arts in Trombone degree in August 2015 at Ohio State University. While in Columbus, he has thrived as a freelance musician while keeping a busy teaching schedule. Tony’s current positions

BIOGRAPHIES are second trombone with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, principal trombone in the Westerville Symphony Orchestra, adjunct trombone instructor at Capital University, adjunct low brass instructor at Otterbein University, and adjunct low brass instructor at Cedarville University. His principal teachers have included Carl Mazzio, Scott Parkinson, Peter Sullivan, Murray Crewe, Peter Ellefson, and Joe Duchi. In his free time, Tony enjoys running, spending time with his family, and anything Buffalo sports.

Gabe Whitnack (Assistant Lead Electrician) is a sophomore BFA Design/Technology major with a Film Studies minor from Durham, NC. Gabe was most recently the Light Board Operator for The Tempest at Otterbein. He’d like to thank Allison Gammons for being a great Lead Electrician!

Karl Wohlwend (Guitar) performs across North America, Europe, and Asia, playing guitar in various styles and settings. He holds a Master’s degree in classical guitar performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied with John Holmquist. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree at the University of South Carolina, where he studied with Christopher Berg.

Wohlwend served on the faculties of The Ohio State University, Capital University, Otterbein University, and Ohio Wesleyan University. He coordinated the jazz/improvisation program for the Chamber Music Connection, and served on the faculty of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s Classical Guitar Workshop for twenty years.

Dean Yurecka (Hines) is a junior BFA Musical Theatre major and Dance minor from Clearwater, FL. Previous credits include Otterbein’s Into a Lamplit Room (Company) and the Advanced Directing Project of The Aliens (Evan Shelmerdine), as well as Columbus Immersive Theatre’s Carrie (Stokes/Dance Captain). Dean would like to thank this entire creative team for an incredible experience the past few months and his family in Florida for their endless love and support.

Carson Zoch (Ensemble/U.S. Hines) is a junior BFA Acting major from Houston, TX. Previous Otterbein credits include A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder (Ensemble/U.S. Monty), The Tempest (Prince Ferdinand), and An Enemy of The People (Mr. Vik). Carson would like to thank everyone for being so amazing and supportive, especially the cast and creative team, his family, and Shelby. “Life is a Highway” - Rascal Flatts.

Dr. Thomas W Zugger (Trombone) has enjoyed an international career as a performer, educator and composer. Zugger is currently Dean and Professor of Trombone at the Capital University Conservatory of Music. Dr. Zugger earned his undergraduate degree in Music Education from the University of Michigan. He holds a Master of Music degree in trombone performance from Michigan State University and a Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree in trombone performance from The Ohio State University. Prior to joining Capital University in 1998, he spent over a decade performing with touring musicals, regional orchestras, salsa bands, and two years teaching public school in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. He is an avid runner having complete 74 marathons and three 50 mile ultra marathons, and is a certified finisher of the 50 states marathon club, having completed a marathon in all 50 states.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES George Abbott (Book) - an actor, writer, director and producer, had one of the most active and distinguished careers in the entire history of the American theater. The longevity of his theatrical career is legendary: he began as an actor on Broadway in The Misleading Lady (1913) and continued working as a director and play doctor well into the 1980s. In 1912 he enrolled in a playwriting course at Harvard and won $100 for his play, The Man in the Manhole. In 1915, he was hired by producer John Golden as office boy/assistant casting director/associate playwright. He was named one of the 10 best performers of 1923 for his work in Zander the Great. He had his first hit as a playwright and director with Broadway (1926). His later directorial credits include the plays Twentieth Century (1932), Three Men on a Horse (1935; introduced Shirley Booth and Garson Kanin), Brother Rat (1936; introduced José Ferrer and Eddie Albert), and Too Many Girls (1939; introduced Desi Arnaz and Van Johnson). He directed his first musical, Rodgers and Hart’s Jumbo, in 1935; in addition to A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, a short list of landmark musicals he directed includes On Your Toes (1936), The Boys From Syracuse (1938), Pal Joey (1940), On the Town (1944), Beggar’s Holiday (1946), High Button Shoes (1947), Where’s Charley (1948), Call Me Madam (1950), Wonderful Town (1953), Pajama Game (1954), Damn Yankees (1955), Once Upon A Mattress (1959), Fiorello! (1959), Tenderloin (1960), Flora, the Red Menace (1965) and On Your Toes (revival, 1983). He helped many performers, directors, writers and choreographers early in their careers, including Harold Prince, Bob Fosse, Shirley Maclaine and Richard Adler. He received numerous awards, including a Pulitzer Prize (in 1960 for Fiorello!), the 1960 NY Drama Critics Circle Award, 4 Donaldson Awards (1946, 1948, 1953 and 1955), 4 Tony Awards (1955, 1956, 1960 and 1963) and the Handel Medallion from the City of New York (1976); he was a Kennedy Center honoree in 1983. He died in 1995 at the age of 107.

Richard Pike Bissell (Book) was a native of Dubuque, Iowa, which is located on the banks of the Mississippi River. Although he attended an elite prep school in New Hampshire and was a 1936 graduate of Harvard University, he never escaped the river’s lure. After receiving his B.A. in anthropology, Bissell took a job as a seaman on the American Export Lines. In 1938, he married and returned to Dubuque, where he went to work in the family business. Unable to enlist in the Navy during World War II, he instead joined the crew of the Central Barge Company of Chicago. He worked on towboats on the Ohio, Mississippi, Illinois, Monongahela, and Tennessee rivers, rising from a deckhand to a river pilot. When the war ended he returned to Dubuque and resumed his work for H.B. Glover Company, the garment factory founded by his grandfather a century earlier. Bissell began writing about his river experiences and had his stories published in journals such as Atlantic Monthly, Colliers, and Esquire. Bissell’s greatest success came when he wrote a humorous novel based on the activities at the garment factory.

7 ½ Cents changed the Bissell’s lives. The family moved to the East coast so he could turn the book into a musical play for Broadway. Now titled The Pajama Game, it was a smash and soon became a motion picture. This experience provided the fodder for his novel Say, Darling, which also became a Broadway musical. Richard Bissell wrote twelve books and numerous articles over the course of his career. In 1975, the Bissell’s moved back to Dubuque - to the house his grandfather built. He died there on May 4, 1977, at the age of sixty-three. Printed from “Papers of Richard Pike Bissell,” permissions kindly granted by Special Collections Department, University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City, Iowa.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES Jerry Ross (Music & Lyrics) was born Jerold Rosenberg on March 9, 1926, to Russian immigrant parents, Lena and Jacob Rosenberg, in the East Bronx, New York City. As a child and young teen, he was the “hottest young property on the Jewish stage,” singing and acting professionally and billed as the “Boy Star” in Yiddish stage and movie productions. An ongoing bronchial condition, however, ended his performing career while he was still in high school. Fortunately, he also began writing songs while in high school, although he had no formal training in music.

Subsequently he studied at New York University under Rudolph Schramm. A fortuitous introduction to Eddie Fisher led to further introductions to music publishers at the hub of songwriting activity, the famed Brill Building. Ross met Richard Adler in 1950. They decided to team their talents, writing songs and special material (mainly for TV and nightclub acts).

They had published several songs together when they attracted the attention of writer/publisher Frank Loesser and became his protégés. By 1953, their song “Rags to Riches” rocketed to number 1 on the charts, becoming a long-standing smash hit, recorded by Tony Bennett. Ross began his career in the Broadway Theater with John Murray Anderson’s Almanac, a revue for which he and Adler wrote most of the songs. In 1954, after several auditions and Loesser’s recommendation, George Abbott contracted this promising young songwriting duo to write the score for a new musical about union/management relations at a pajama factory. The Pajama Game opened to rave reviews, winning the coveted Tony Award for best score, as well as the Donaldson Award and the Variety Drama Critics Award. A year later, in May 1955, the musical Damn Yankees played to equal excitement and success. This baseball tale with a Faustian theme once again won Ross the Tony Award, the Donaldson Award, and the Variety Drama Critics Award, plus cross-over recording hits for “You’ve Gotta Have Heart” and “Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets.” Both shows ran on Broadway for over 1000 performances. Successful films were made of both musicals, although Ross did not get to see them realized. He died from complications related to the lung disease bronchiectasis on November 11th, 1955. He was 29.

At the time he died, Jerry Ross had written the number one and number two shows running on Broadway. He had written more than 250 popular American songs. His untimely death at such a young age cut short a creative force that was sure to be as popular and enduring as his songs. Jerry Ross was admitted posthumously to the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 1982.

Recordings of his songs have sold many millions of copies, and his shows are continually performed and enjoyed, from first-class to first-grade productions!

Richard Adler (Music & Lyrics) Best known for his work with Jerry Ross, Richard Adler was a lyricist, writer, composer and producer of a number of Broadway shows and revues. Together they wrote music and lyrics for such hits as John Murray Anderson’s Almanac, The Pajama Game (1955 Tony Award for Best Musical) and Damn Yankees (1956 Tony Award for Best Musical).

The pair had over a half-dozen songs reach the US Top Ten, with two songs reaching #1 status. After Ross’ death, Adler continued to write alone and with other collaborators. His musical Kwamina featured an interracial love story and was deemed controversial during the civil rights movement. Adler contributed to a number of TV musicals, including Little Women featuring Florence Henderson and The Gift of the Magi based on O. Henry’s short story and starring Adler’s wife, Sally Ann Howes. Adler staged a number of shows for U.S. presidents, most notably the 1962 Madison Square Garden birthday celebration for John F. Kennedy which featured Marilyn Monroe singing “Happy Birthday, Mr. President.”

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Otterbein University Covid Protocol: Theatre & Dance Performances Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Otterbein University has followed the advice of public health officials to develop protocols in the best interest of the health and safety of our community.

This season, Otterbein Theatre & Dance will require all audience, crew, and staff members to be masked regardless of vaccination status. Our fully vaccinated cast of actors, as well as the wind players in the orchestra, will play their roles unmasked, allowing you to enjoy their performances to the fullest extent.

This protocol aligns with the athletic season protocols of the Ohio Athletic Conference and NCAA. Additionally, we will socially distance our audience throughout the fall semester by providing one seat of distance between each ticketed party.

Otterbein has taken great efforts to ensure that the fresh air exchange and circulation in our theatre spaces meets or exceeds COVID recommendations and has installed MERV filtration and Ion purification in our HVAC system to provide maximum safety.

Otterbein’s COVID-19 protocols are developed in consultation with Franklin County Public Health and OhioHealth (Otterbein’s campus healthcare provider) and adhere to the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Ohio Department of Health.

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