MUSIC AND LYRICS BY WILLIAM
BY
CONCEIVED BY REBECCA
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL BY JAY REISS
ORIGINALLY DIRECTED ON BROADWAY BY JAMES LAPINE
ORIGINALLY PRODUCED ON BROADWAY BY DAVID STONE
JAMES L. NEDERLANDER
BARBARA WHITMAN
PATRICK CATULLO
BARRINGTON STAGE COMPANY
SECOND STAGE THEATRE
FINN
BOOK
RACHEL SHEINKIN
FELDMAN
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
MUSIC AND LYRICS BY
WILLIAM FINN
BOOK BY RACHEL
SHEINKIN
CONCEIVED BY REBECCA
FELDMAN
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL BY JAY
REISS
ORIGINALLY DIRECTED ON BROADWAY BY JAMES LAPINE
ORIGINALLY PRODUCED ON BROADWAY BY DAVID STONE, JAMES L. NEDERLANDER, BARBARA WHITMAN, PATRICK CATULLO, BARRINGTON STAGE COMPANY, SECOND STAGE THEATRE
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
THE VIDEOTAPING OR OTHER VIDEO OR AUDIO RECORDING OF THIS PRODUCTION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
PLEASE NOTE: Our show includes mature content, explicit language, and humor appropriate for audiences 12 years old and above.
POLYARTS
A Note from the Performing Arts Department
A spelling bee is an opportunity for students to show off their command of words through their spelling ability. Their skillful display takes poise, confidence, and the conquering of nerves, much like the performers you see on stage today. The margin for error is low, the stakes high, and the excitement palpable.
The rehearsal process for this show was unlike any other, where students actively understudied and learned each other’s roles, often stepping in and making a character their own in moments. Understudying is an invaluable process to any arts production and these students deserve recognition for taking on the additional challenge. I encourage you to celebrate BOTH casts and enjoy the similarities and differences each student brings.
After years fraught with COVID protocols, it feels good to be back to true theater expression, where singing, dancing, and acting as a cohesive troupe shines. We are so proud of our performers and hope you enjoy the show.
Ashley Hacker MS/US Dance, Debate & Drama Coordinator
Director’s Note
Spelling Bee has been a favorite show of mine since I saw it on Broadway in 2005, and the more I work with and listen to it, the more I love the intricacies and witticism of the script and songs. I knew that this year’s students are all amazing character actors, and that this would end up being a perfect show choice to showcase the talent in the Performing Arts Department. Spelling Bee also has a strong Poly connection: the original concept show was created by Rebecca Feldman ‘90, and the role of Barfee, for which he won a Tony award, was originated by Dan Fogler ‘94. Given the emphasis and spotlight on the arts this year due to the building of the new Performing Arts Center, I thought it would be fitting to recognize the work and creative talents of our Poly alumni community as well.
I think part of the charm of this show is that despite the fact that the spellers are young children, the roles were written from a more mature point of view and are meant to be played by adults. This allows a greater understanding of situations into which a child may be thrust, including the pressures of perfectionism, helicopter parents, and the sexual awakening and maturity that we all inevitably go through at some point (for better or worse). It has truly
been a pleasure to watch these young actors discover and create these characters for themselves, using aspects of their own personalities and lives to help them come to life.
Thank you to my co-creators, Daniel Doughty and Sam Turner, for helping this show come to fruition, my amazing Assistant Director, Sadie Schoenberger, for her maturity and leadership through this process, and the constant support of the Performing Arts Department by David Higham, Ashley Hacker, and Michael Robinson. I hope you enjoy the show!
Mariko Watt Director
Assistant Director’s Note
As the Assistant Director of Poly’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, I am thrilled to be writing this note. Thinking back to our first cast readthrough and contrasting it to the performance created and put on stage tonight is endlessly exciting, and I am grateful to have been a part of that process. It requires organization, problem-solving, collaboration, creativity, and an immense amount of time and effort from everyone involved. Ms. Watt’s unwavering kindness and dedication to bringing out the best in her students made this production a labor of love. Learning from her alongside the incredible Mr. Doughty and Mr. Turner has been an unforgettable and rewarding experience. Our incredibly talented cast has done a fantastic job digging into this show’s comedy, uniqueness, and charm; a production I cannot wait for you all to see.
Sadie Schoenberger Assistant Director
Cast
Lulu McDonald* Rona Lisa Peretti
Jasper Whiteley .............................................................................................. Douglas Panch
Donald Shields Chip Tolentino
Isabelle Gerling ............................................................................................ Olive Ostrovsky
Mia Gordon* ............................................................... Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre
Zeke Wise* William Barfee
Griffin Allen.................................................................................................... Leaf Coneybear
Drew Waldman Marcy Park
Ryan Geisler.................................................................................................... Mitch Mahoney
Adrianna Neal*..................................................................................................... Olive’s Mom
Cooper Flinn-Beane* Olive’s Dad
Tristan Kelley* ............................................................................................................. Carl Dad
Jasmine Donald* Dan Dad
Leo Yihan Wang* ................................................................................................. Jesus Christ
Katie Lopez* ............................................................................................................... Leaf Mom
Natasha Ellis* Leaf Dad
Stavroula Gabriel .................................................................................................... Leaf Sister
Ensemble
Maggie Cochran, Tessa Cooper, Carolina Lisk, Fiona Stephenson*,
Genevieve Fitzpatrick*
THURSDAY EVENING PERFORMANCE
ONLY
*Excellence in the Arts
Cast
Adrianna Neal* Rona Lisa Peretti
Tristan Kelley* ................................................................................................. Douglas Panch
Cooper Flinn-Beane* Chip Tolentino
Katie Lopez* ................................................................................................... Olive Ostrovsky
Fiona Stephenson* .................................................. Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre
Zeke Wise* William Barfee
Natasha Ellis* ................................................................................................ Leaf Coneybear
Genevieve Fitzpatrick* Marcy Park
Jasmine Donald* ........................................................................................... Mitch Mahoney
Drew Waldman .................................................................................................... Olive’s Mom
Griffin Allen Olive’s Dad
Donald Shields............................................................................................................ Carl Dad
Mia Gordon* Dan Dad
Leo Yihan Wang* ................................................................................................. Jesus Christ
Lulu McDonald* ........................................................................................................ Leaf Mom
Jasper Whiteley Leaf Dad
Stavroula Gabriel .................................................................................................... Leaf Sister
Ensemble
Maggie Cochran, Tessa Cooper, Carolina Lisk, Ryan Geisler, Isabelle Gerling
FRIDAY–SUNDAY
PERFORMANCES
*Excellence in the Arts
Production Staff
Mariko Watt Director
Samuel Turner................................................................................................ Choreographer
Daniel Doughty Music Director
Kim Griffin Costume Designer
Daniel Patrick Hogan .................................................................................... Scenic Design
David Higham Lighting Design/Technical Director
Chiara Pizzirusso ......................................................................................... Sound Engineer
Based upon C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E, an original play by The Farm.
The Barrington Stage Company workshop of THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE was originally co-directed by Michael Barakiva and Rebecca Feldman.
Student Crew
Sadie Schoenberger ................................................................................Assistant Director
Zeke Wise* Assistant Music Director
Cinthya Sanchez*.......................................................................................... Stage Manager
Madeline Gross ..................................................................... Assistant Costume Designer
Maia Kovaleski Run Crew
Sundiata Gittens, Quinn Marloe ................................................................... Follow Spot
Junie Blaise Costumes
MaKiyah Turner-Hicks .................................................................................. Lighting Board
Amalia Rimmon, Annakaecia Clarke ......................................................................Sound
Orchestra
John Bowen ........................................................................ Piano/Rehearsal Accompanist
Kerianne Brennan Synthesizer
Kristen Drymala ................................................................................................................ Cello
Lisa Parrot ......................................................................................................................... Reeds
Scott Still Percussion
Meet the Cast and Crew
Griffin Allen ’25 is excited for his fifth production at Poly, understudying for Leaf Coneybear. Some of his favorite roles include Mr. Green in Poly’s Middle School production of Clue and Simba in The Lion King at his camp. As a sophomore, Griffin is enthusiastic to get to be a part of Spelling Bee with many of his friends, and he is happy to be getting back into musical theater! He is thankful to Ms. Watt, Mr. Doughty, and Mr. Turner for making this production possible.
Maggie Cochran ’26 is enthusiastic about being featured in her first Upper School musical, although, it is not her first show at Poly. In her 11 years at Poly, she has performed in two dance concerts and five musicals/plays. A freshman this year, she would like to thank her incredible friends and extremely supportive family for being at every show, even the ones with the small roles. It means more to her than you know. Enjoy the show! Raise your hand when they ask for volunteers. ;)
Tessa Cooper ’26 is so excited to be a part of the ensemble in her first Poly musical! Tessa’s first performance at Poly was in the play Lost Girl, as Krista. She has previously performed in Still Life with Iris, and the musical Willy Wonka. Tessa has been dancing for nine years and singing for as long as she can remember. She is so grateful for her family, friends, directors, and castmates for being so supportive during this musical.
Jasmine Donald ’24 is overjoyed to be making an appearance as Mitch Mahoney in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which will be her third musical at Poly Prep. Throughout her Poly career, Jasmine has dedicated herself to the Upper School musicals, as well as several singing performances and concerts. She would like to thank her family, friends, and performing arts directors for showering her with unwavering support as she continues to involve herself in performances that she greatly enjoys.
Natasha Ellis ’23 is ecstatic to be punctuating her high school theater experience as Leaf Coneybear in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee! After six incredible years of performing arts at Poly, she’s extremely thankful for the joy and friends it’s brought her over the years. From her debut in Footloose as a twelve-year-old to performing Spelling Bee as a seventeen-yearold, she’s loved every moment. Natasha would like to thank Ms. Watt, Mr. Turner, and Mr. Doughty for always encouraging her artistically! Finally, she’d like to thank her family and friends for always supporting her!
Genevieve Fitzpatrick ’24 is thrilled to have her first leading role in a Poly Prep high school musical theater production. She has already been part of six musicals, four plays, and many other dance and song performances at Poly. She is passionate about performing, no matter how small the part she has, and
this year, as a junior, Genevieve could not be more excited about taking part in Spelling Bee. Her family, friends, and directors are extremely supportive of her passions, which encourages her even more to do what she loves.
Cooper Flinn-Beane ’23 is elated to be playing the overzealous and sometimes overly ‘’excited’ Chip in his first Poly musical since Grease in 2020. He has been part of Poly Arts his entire high school career, as part of Blue Notes, A Cappella, and Advanced Concert Choir; not to mention the newly established Perfect Fifth. Though sadly this is his last production at Poly, Cooper is so thankful to his amazing theater dads, Lewis Flinn and Douglas Carter Beane, who have supported him in all of his arts endeavors. He would also like to thank Ms. Watt, Mr. Turner, and Mr. Doughty for all their support and for the gift of making Poly’s musicals happen.
Stavroula Gabriel ’25 is thrilled to be taking part in her sixth production at Poly including You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Godspell, and Curtains
She has also taken part in two shows at Poly Prep Performing Arts Camp where she played Grace in Annie, and Golde in Fiddler on The Roof. Stavroula is part of the ensemble, and is so happy to be playing a cheerleader. She is so thankful for the many opportunities to pursue all aspects of the arts she has had at Poly. She would love to thank everyone who helped make this show possible, as well as her family and friends who have come to support her.
Ryan Geisler ’25 is excited to be featured in her fourth musical at Poly!
As an extremely active member of the Arts program at Poly, she’s been featured in Godspell, The Outsider: New Short Plays, Curtains, and more. She’s been in multiple dance performances at Poly and is a recent member of Advanced Concert Choir. Her other acting credits include Beehive, Zombie Prom, Fiddler on the Roof, and Dreamland (French Woods Festival). Ryan would like to thank her parents for supporting her through her 10 years of doing theater, and her friends for always being there for her.
Isabelle Gerling ’25 is excited to be part of her eighth production at Poly Prep! She was featured in Clue, The Outsider: New Short Plays, Curtains, and more. Isabelle has been in Poly’s performing arts productions all her life and says she couldn’t have done it without her mom who has supported her and been a role model for her in performing arts.
Mia Gordon ’23 is enthused to be a part of her fourth poly production! She has been featured in Lost Girl as Nina, in the ensemble of Curtains, and Julie Jenkins in Museum. That’s not all of her involvement - she is also the co-president of the A Cappella club and a member of the Excellence in the Arts program. She would like to thank the whole theater community that has provided her with love and support and oh so many chuckles. Unfortunately, this will be her last Poly production and hopes to continue acting and singing in future endeavors! God bless America!
Tristan Kelley ’24 is excited to play Doug Panch. He would like to thank the directors for casting him, and the cast for being encouraging and nontoxic. He would also like to thank the arts faculty and his friends and family for their support in his artistic endeavors.Tristan looks forward to performing in this show and in the future with Blue Notes, A Cappella, Advanced Concert Choir, Perfect Fifth and the next musical. Enjoy the show!
Carolina Lisk ’26 is excited to be a part of her first Poly Prep Upper School Musical as a part of the ensemble! Carolina has been in four Poly productions throughout her Middle School experience and recently performed in Lost Girl as Cora. Carolina has been acting for as long as she can remember and could previously be seen in Thirteen, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and more. She would like to thank all of her teachers, castmates, friends, and family for supporting her through her Spelling Bee experience. Enjoy our show!
Katie Lopez ’23 is so psyched to be a part of her eleventh (!) Poly production! As a member of the Excellence in the Arts Certificate program, Katie is also the director and co-president of Harmonics, a Coffeehouse coordinator and emcee, a bassist and vocalist in Jazz Band, and a self-produced singer-songwriter. She would like to thank the Poly Performing Arts Department for being the actual best. To quote the illustrious Ms. Watt, “She’d like to thank Mr. Doughty for allowing her to belt, and Mr. Turner for helping her be slightly more coordinated. Katie plans on not actually graduating this year, and will pretend to be a senior for the next three years in order to continue to participate in the musicals.”
Lulu McDonald ’24 is excited to be in another Poly musical after participating in both musicals and a play in her freshman and sophomore years. They are thrilled to be part of such a talented and fun cast and would like to thank their friends, family, and teachers for supporting their love of music and theater. She’s looking forward to playing her first lead role as an understudy and hopes you enjoy the show!
Adrianna Neal ’23 is ecstatic about playing Rona in Spelling Bee, but is saddened that this will be her last production at Poly. Adrianna wants to thank Poly and the arts faculty for helping her discover her passion for Musical Theatre, as she plans to pursue a BFA in Musical Theatre in college. Aside from participating in the musicals and plays, she is a member of advanced dance, advanced choir, Captain of the Dance Team, and co-president of Harmonics. She has thoroughly enjoyed her time as an arts student at Poly and hopes you enjoy the show!
Donald Shields ’25 is ecstatic to be participating in his second Poly musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, with his first being last year’s musical, Curtains. Donald joined Poly with no previous theater experience and since his first production, has found a great love of the Poly musicals. Donald would like to thank his parents for supporting him and all the wonderful people taking part in this year’s musical and those from the year prior, for opening his eyes to such a beautiful and welcoming community. He is excited to see what the Performing Arts Department has in store after this production.
Fiona Stephenson ’23 is thrilled to be appearing as Schwartzy in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, her last show at Poly. Previous theater credits at Poly include Lost Girl, Curtains, Museum, S ongs for A New World, Ghost Story, Grease, Our Town, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Footloose. Some other theater credits include Totally Over You and Zombie Prom (Walnut Hill Summer Program) and Hairspray (Long Lake Camp). She is looking forward to playing Hope Cladwell in Urinetown at the Five Angels Theatre later this spring. She’s thankful to the Poly Performing Arts Department for giving her many opportunities to act, as well as act as assistant director (Lost Girl ).
Drew Waldman ’25 is delighted to be participating in her eighth show at Poly, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. As a sophomore having grown up performing on stage, she is ecstatic to be playing the understudy lead role of Marcy Park, and singing her first musical theatre solo of Upper School. She is a dedicated member to Poly performance, and thoroughly enjoys acting and singing. Drew is grateful to her loving parents who have provided her the opportunities to thrive under the guidance and support of the Poly Arts program, as well as her arts teachers who have been exceptionally nurturing throughout her time here at Poly.
Leo Yihan Wang ’23 is thrilled to be back in his last Poly production. His previous Poly theater credits include: Grease, Ghost Story, Songs for a New World, Museum, and Curtains. Outside of Poly, Leo is an actor and graphic designer for New York Mandarin Playback Theater Group. Leo is also interested in pursuing set design in college. He previously studied at NYU Tisch Production & Design Studio in summer 2022, and he was the set design assistant in NexGen Youth Theater’s Off-Broadway production of Rent. Leo is grateful for the opportunities from Poly’s Performing Arts Department in the past four years and he hopes everyone enjoys the show.
Jasper Whiteley ’25 is on cloud nine about his part in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which will be his second Poly production. Due to a late need for actors in Poly’s fall production Lost Girl, Jasper took a punt by accepting the role of Slightly, and he hasn’t looked back since. Along with acting, Jasper
is also a lifelong soccer player, and member of the school team, with aspirations of playing in college. Jasper has enjoyed learning on the fly and cannot wait to see where acting takes him.
Zeke Wise ’24 is so thrilled to be playing William Barfeé, as well as being the assistant musical director in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, his fourth show at Poly. After his role as Inspector Frank Cioffi in Poly’s production of Curtains, he was eager and ready to participate in another full Poly production. Zeke is a prevalent member of the Poly Arts community, participating in dance, Advanced Concert Choir, A Cappella, Blue Notes, and obviously, the musical in 2023. He has choreographed for ASC and performed in four concerts at Poly, and is excited to perform in many more.
PRODUCTION:
Cinthya Sanchez ’23 (Stage Manager) has been part of Poly productions since Middle School and is very excited to be the stage manager for her last one before graduation. Exploring the many aspects of theatre has always been very important to Cinthya, and she has found that stage and tech crew are where her heart lies. Having been part of tech crew for most of her productions, being Stage Manager is a new level of responsibility that Cinthya embraces. She is extremely grateful for the hard work of the cast on stage and of course, all of those behind the scenes.
Sadie Schoenberger ’25 (Assistant Director) is thrilled about her role as Assistant Director in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Part of Poly’s Perfoming Arts program since sixth grade, this will be Sadie’s seventh show at Poly Prep and first time directing!! Sadie has always loved performing on Poly’s stages, and is incredibly grateful for the productions she’s been apart of over the past two years; performing as Christopher Belling in Curtains, joining Advanced Concert Choir, resident choreographer for ASC, and assistant directing alongside Ms. Watt this winter. She is incredibly grateful for these experiences that would not have been possible without the incredible support and guidance from her teachers in the arts.
Meet the Production Staff
The Farm was founded in 2000 by Rebecca Feldman, Artistic Director. It is a collective of writers and performers, including Jay Reiss, Dan Fogler, and Sarah Saltzberg. The Farm’s interest is in the role of improvisation in creating new work for the theatre. The Farm initially designates a two-week intensive period in which to discover, develop, and rehearse a play from the impulses borne mainly out of the pressure of a deadline. Previous projects include “Super” (at Atlantic Theatre Studios), “Why I Hate Florida” (workshop at White Wave in DUMBO)
and “C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E” (at the Present Company Theatorium in October 2002), on which “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is based. The character and original dialogue of “Beth Marguiles,” “Vice President Douglas Panch,” “Mr. Barfee,” and “Logan Schwarzengrubenierre” were created by Rebecca Feldman, Jay Reiss, Dan Fogler, and Sarah Saltzberg, respectively.
Mariko Watt (Director) is a seasoned theater director, acting coach, musical director, drama teacher, and performer. She’s very excited to be working again with Mr. Doughty, Mr. Turner, and this incredibly talented cast! Prior to Poly Prep, Mariko spent time teaching at the International School of Brooklyn, Brooklyn Children’s Theatre, Queens Theater, and taught for over 15 years in her own private vocal and acting studio. Favorite directing credits include: Curtains, Sweet Charity, Legally Blonde, Freaky Friday, Suessical, Guys and Dolls, and Annie.
Daniel Doughty (Music Director) joined the faculty of Poly Prep in 2006. He teaches Middle and Upper School choral ensembles and general music classes. From 2014 to 2021, he was Department Chair of the Performing Arts Department. He currently serves as Director of Music, overseeing music curriculum and programming from Nursery to Grade 12 on both Poly campuses. Mr. Doughty is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, the Organization of American Kodaly Educators, the National Association for Music Educators, and the New York State School Music Association. He serves on the Kodaly Organization of New York board and is co-chair of their annual fall Diversity and Equity Summit. Spelling Bee is his sixteenth Poly production as musical director. Mr. Doughty would like to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of this production’s rehearsal accompanist, John Bowen (thank you, John!) and our first-ever student Assistant Musical Director, the immensely talented Zeke Wise (thank you, Zeke!).
Samuel Turner (Choreographer) New to the extraordinary faculty at Poly Prep, dance educator Sam Turner began his training in music and dance in high school. He was coached and mentored by Violette Verdy, Guillaume Graffin, Julie Kent, Jacque Cesbron, Iris Rosa, and George Pinney at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, performing principal roles within the classical, contemporary, and African diaspora repertoire. Upon graduation, he moved back to the East Coast to dance with leading choreographers Mark Morris, Twyla Tharp, Graham Lustig, Elisa Monte, Jennifer Archibald, Lisa de Ribera, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, and Karen Gayle. He has toured throughout North America and Europe with The Metropolitan Opera, The Radio City Rockettes, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Dance Theatre, Cirque du Soleil, Roxey Ballet, American Repertory Ballet, and the Elisa Monte Dance Company. His passion for dance paved the way for dance education and choreographic projects, creating/ staging original pieces for dancers at The Harlem School of the Arts, The Joffrey Ballet School, Ballet Tech, American Youth Dance Theater, TAG Young Scholars, STEPS on Broadway
Youth, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Ballet Theater, Princeton Ballet School, Kicks Dance Studio, Diva Dance, and Art of Dance. As an ABT® NTC certified Fellow & Affiliate Teacher, he coaches and mentors students who are accepted into performing arts institutions and excellence programs.
Kim Griffin (Costume Designer) has designed for theater, musicals, dance, and opera; collaboration with directors, the design team, and the actors is integral to her process from beginning to end. Kim has worked at theaters such as Williamstown Theatre Festival, New Jersey Repertory Theatre, Florida Repertory Theatre, Houston’s Theatre Under the Stars, Ohio Light Opera, Stageworks Theatre, Boomerang Theatre Company, Opera in the Heights, and The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston. She has toured with the Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Legends Blue Unit and has stitched for The Met Gala, New York Fashion Week, The Golden Globes, Broadway shows, and national tours. She has also designed for Theatre for Young Audiences tours, along with university and high school productions. Kim is originally from Houston, Texas and earned her BFA in Theatre Design & Technology with a minor in music from Baylor University and her MFA in Costume Design from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University. As part of the fulfillment of her master’s at MGSA, she studied at Rutgers Conservatory at Shakespeare’s Globe, and The School of Historical Dress in London, England.
Daniel Patrick Hogan (Scenic/Set Designer) has designed scenery, props, hair, and makeup for numerous productions. As a scenic designer, his favorite projects include Little Shop of Horrors, The Seafarer, The Pirates of Penzance, In the Heights, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and A Doll’s House. Recently, Daniel designed scenery for The Wallace Theatre’s production of Sweeney Todd. He created an immersive, multi-levelled set that placed the audience in between different locations. His design utilized existing elements of the derelict Wallace Theatre and offered a unique viewing experience for each audience member. Daniel thoroughly enjoys transforming found spaces and designing new works.
David Higham (Lighting Designer & Technical Director) is in his thirty-first 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 Theatre, Lincoln Center, the Irish Arts Center, The Women’s Project, The Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, and The National Shakespeare Company. 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
Sarah Bates
Head of Upper 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 Admissions Department, the FUN Committee, the Poly Prep IT Staff, the Facilities and Maintenance Department, the Security Staff, the Kitchen Staff, and the Upper School Deans.
Please follow our new Poly Prep ARTS social media pages on Facebook and Instagram for all-things-art at Poly featuring students Nursery–Grade 12.
FOLLOW US @polyprepARTS
POWERED BY ANNUAL GIVING
Join Us for These Upcoming Performing Arts Events
Spring Dance Concert
Saturday, April 15, 2023
11:00 AM–3:00 PM | DYKER HEIGHTS, CAMPUSWIDE
Spring Arts Festival Vocal Music Concert
Thursday, April 20, 2023
7:00 PM | MEMORIAL CHAPEL
Arts Festival & Instrumental Music Concert
Thursday, April 27, 2023
7:00 PM | MEMORIAL CHAPEL
MS Musical— Bye Bye Birdie
Thursday & Friday, May 11 & 12, 2023
7:00 PM | RICHARD PERRY THEATRE
Stay tuned for more information about our upcoming events!