M IDDL E SCHO OL MU SICAL
nd Lyric
s by
n rt Brow e b o R Jason
Music a
Book by
Dan Elish and Robert Ho rn
THURSDAY & FRIDAY, MAY 12 & 13, 2022 | 7:00 PM RICHARD PERRY THEATRE
DIRECTED BY
Michael S. Robinson MUSICAL DIRECTION BY
Christopher Drobny CHOREOGRAPHY BY
Ashley Hacker
Director’s Note “I am trying to follow, / I am trying to lead, / I am trying to learn what is true. / I am trying to be what you want and I need, / and we all have a little more homework… to do.” Evan Goldman, the musical’s leading character, sings these lyrics at the conclusion of a journey that began in New York City and ended with a very different outcome than Evan expected in Appleton, Indiana; along the way, Evan encounters plenty of challenges, but despite his mistakes, he forges new friendships, with a lot of learning still required. The musical features only a single adult character on stage to help guide Evan, the rabbi working with him in preparation for his bar mitzvah, and we view the social landscape of the teens depicted with a mixture of concern and care, even as the humor of recognition nudges us all towards acknowledging that there is always more to learn about being a friend, a part of community, an individual trying to be more authentically oneself amidst the pressures of society. Throughout this rehearsal process, we’ve discussed what characters experience, the words they speak that might make us uncomfortable or disappointed, especially within the very-gendered expectations and projections of their school setting. As teachers working with a middle school cast, we are proud of their care for each other, the maturity of their investigations and their interventions with the musical’s content and questions. We welcome our audiences to experience the beauty, humor, and conflicts that weave together in this popular contemporary musical. Michael S. Robinson Director
A Note from the Performing Arts Department Making friends, finding happiness, leaving familiarity for the unknown, learning from mistakes, change, transitions—these are recurring themes of life that are felt at any age, but especially by our young people. Recognition and empathy serve as support to these challenges, but it is important to note that each of us experiences the world in ways that are very personal to us—not one experience is the same. Navigating these concepts as they arose in the text and lyrics with our cast not only allowed each of them the time and space to process, but also encouraged more awareness and individuality to emerge. It also reminded me, sometimes in the most jarring of ways, that the middle school years continue to be difficult and fraught with emotion, allowing
me to appreciate and commend our students for working diligently on uncomfortable material while thoughtfully responding to and supporting one another. Tonight’s show represents the best of Poly Arts by showcasing our students’ skills and talents while also shining a light on their developmental challenges, made even more acute by the current context. I encourage you to take the time to celebrate our students for their bravery, leadership, and incredible work. Thank you for supporting our return to live dance, art, theater and music this year. Ashley Hacker MS/US Dance, Debate & Drama Coordinator
A Note About Our Rehearsal Process and Safety Protocols Due to current health and safety protocols, we made several adjustments to our rehearsal process, which are outlined below. In preparation for our auditions, rehearsals, and productions, we worked closely with Renae Beauchman, COVID Safety Coordinator, to create these protocols: • Staging and choreography adhered to state and national guidelines. • Cast members were tested every Thursday during the rehearsal process, in addition to the all-school Sunday gate testing, and on Wednesday of the performance week. • The first three rows of theater seating have been blocked off. • Musicians tested before arrival daily.
Cast Jesse Rogers......................................................................................................Evan Goldman Annie Lopez......................................................................................................................Patrice Carolina Lisk......................................................................................................................Archie Maggie Cochran............................................................................................................. Kendra Quinlan Truta.......................................................................................................................Brett Kailynn Hernandez............................................................................................................Lucy Soleil Peña......................................................................................................................... Cassie Téa Sabbagh................................................................................................................ Charlotte Kiera Goodman...................................................................................................................Molly Madeline Gross................................................................................................................. Richie Raymond Xie.....................................................................................................................Simon Sasha Londoner...........................................................................................................Malcolm Mick Waldman................................................................................................................... Eddie Rose Filippazzo.................................................................................................................. Rabbi
ENSEMBLE: Harper Baillie, Runa Bhandari, Ally DiPietra, Lila Dubin, Rose Filippazzo, Liam Goodman, Brianna Sylvain, Bryson Sylvain, Annabelle Thompson FEATURED DANCERS: Lila Dubin, Rose Filippazzo, Soleil Peña, Téa Sabbagh, Brianna Sylvain (Dance Captain) CHEERLEADERS: Maggie Cochran, Lila Dubin, Kiera Goodman, Kailynn Hernandez, Soleil Peña, Téa Sabbagh, Brianna Sylvain RABBI ENSEMBLE: Harper Bailie, Runa Bhandari, Ally DiPietra, Liam Goodman, Bryson Sylvain, Annabelle Thompson
Please note: This musical includes mature language and humor appropriate for audiences age 10 years old and over
Musicians Christopher Drobny.................................................................Keyboard 1 & 2, Conductor Chris Benvegna..............................................................................................................Guitar 1 Paul Wyatt.......................................................................................................................Guitar 2 Rob Garcia......................................................................................................................... Drums Michael Bates......................................................................................................................Bass
Production Staff Michael S. Robinson................................................................................................... Director Ashley Hacker................................................................................................. Choreographer Christopher Drobny........................................................................................ Music Director Kyle Artone................................................................................................Costume Designer Skyler Glaser..............................................................Assistant to the Costume Designer Andrew Murdock............................................................................................. Scenic Design David Higham............................................................ Lighting Design/Technical Director
STUDENT RUN, LIGHT, AND SOUND CREW: Hank Schilling, Louis Garbe, Charles Jaffe, Parke McDonald, Oliver Balikci, Naomi Bobbitt, Justin Woods-Owens, Abigail Jean STUDENT COSTUME CREW: Junie Blaise & Elizabeth Perry
Meet the Production Staff Michael S. Robinson (Director) is an internationally exhibited fiber artist, activist, and arts educator. Robinson began his teaching career in 1990 at the Poly Lower School when it was still The Woodward Park School, and later taught both visual and performing arts on both campuses including designing costumes for the Middle and Upper School productions. After eighteen years at the Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore, Robinson returned to Poly four years ago to be the Head of Arts, supervising all of arts programs Nursery through Grade 12 in dance, drama, visual arts, instrumental and vocal music, speech and debate. Their 2D and 3D contemporary fiber art has been shown in museums and galleries, including Rome Art Week 2019 and 2021, “Remnants” at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts (Spring, 2021), and featured in Vogue Germany. This fall, Robinson was commissioned to design a fashion art garment for theater producer Jordan Roth to wear at the Met Gala 2021, and their collaboration was featured in Vogue magazine. Christopher Drobny (Music Director) New York: Public Theatre, Classic Stage Company; Regional: Huntington Theatre (Boston), Williamstown Theatre Festival; Educator: New York University, North Carolina School of the Arts, Syracuse University. Ashley Hacker (Choreographer) Born and raised in Upstate New York, Ms. Hacker began her endeavor as a lifelong dancer at the age of 2 ½. She continued her dance studies as an undergraduate at The College at Brockport, where she earned a BFA in Dance, and a BS in Psychology with a minor in Music. After graduation, she made the move to the Big Apple to dance, teach, and pursue her MA in Dance Education with a PreK–12 Dance Certification from New York University. Ms. Hacker continues to perform in NYC with her most recent performance at the Peridance Capezio Center; is a member, attends yearly, and presents at the National Dance Education Organization Conference; and regularly participates in arts outreach and in-reach programs in the NYC community. In addition to teaching and choreographing at Poly, Ms. Hacker has also been working hard in her first year as the Dance, Debate & Drama Coordinator. Additionally, she is certified as a yoga teacher, a Strong Nation and Zumba instructor, and a FRC mobility specialist, using her knowledge regularly to support Poly students.
Kyle Artone (Costume Designer) is a costume designer for stage and film currently based in Connecticut. He has won awards for his designs of Little Shop of Horrors, Venus in Fur, and The Nightman Commeth. His work has been seen on stage at Yale Repertory Theater (Yale School of Drama), Yale Cabaret, Institute of Sacred Music (New Haven, CT), Virginia Repertory Theatre, Raymond Hodges Theater, Shafer Alliance Laboratory Theatre (Richmond,VA), State Theatre Center for the Arts (Uniontown, PA), Cumberland County Playhouse (Crossville, TN), and Theatre Lab School for Dramatic Arts (DC). Andrew Murdock is an interdisciplinary artist and educator. He has worked at Puppetry in Practice and Marquis Studios teaching classes in video, puppetry, and stop motion animation (K–12 in NYC public schools). His personal work often bridges the tangible and digital by utilizing techniques in video, physical theater, and puppetry. He holds a customized BFA dual major in Sculpture and Film, Animation, Video (FAV) from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA in Theatre from Sarah Lawrence College focusing on collaborative theater-making and the integration of technology. Recent credits include: Video Designer and Livestream Technician for 36.5 / PROCESS by Sarah Cameron Sunde (Socrates Sculpture Park/Hallett’s Cove, NYC), commissioned video project Amass (ArtYard, Frenchtown, NJ), and Co-director/Co-creator of Be(ings) (Center at West Park, NYC). This is Mr. Murdock’s second year at Poly Prep and he is very excited to help highlight the students’ work and contribute to the space live and onstage. David Higham (Lighting Designer & Technical Director) is in his thirtieth year at Poly, where he has been responsible for designing the lighting, sound, and scenery for over 170 productions. In addition to his work at Poly, Mr. Higham has designed lighting for productions at The Public Theater, Lincoln Center, the Irish Arts Center, The Women’s Project, The Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, and The National Shakespeare Company, among others. Mr. Higham also has worked as a lighting designer for several New York City architectural and landscape design firms.
Our Production Would Not Be Possible without the Generous Support of: Audrius Barzdukas P’20 Head of School Michal Hershkovitz P’16, ’18 Assistant Head of School, Academics André Del Valle P’29, ’33 Head of Middle School Michael Robinson Head of Arts Daniel Doughty Director of Music Ashley Hacker MS/US Dance, Debate & Drama Coordinator The members of the Performing Arts faculty, the Engagement & Communications Department, the Poly Prep IT Staff, the Facilities and Maintenance Department, the Security Staff, the Kitchen Staff, and the Middle School Deans.
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Join Us for These Upcoming Performing Arts Events Poly Conservatory Spring Recital Wednesday & Thursday, May 18 & 19, 2022 4:30 PM Stay tuned for more information about our upcoming events!