o d l Or by Virginia Woolf Adapted by Sarah Ruhl Directed by Julie Kiernan
Orlando by Virginia Woolf Adapted by Sarah Ruhl
October 14 – 24, 2021 Sophia Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts
THEATRE
The Salem State University Theatre and Speech Communication department presents
ORLANDO by Virginia Woolf Adapted by Sarah Ruhl Director Julie Kiernan Scenic and Costume Designer Jane Hillier-Walkowiak Lighting Designer Lisa Tetreault Sound Designer Ben Richard Props Master Destany Foley Stage Manager Lily Barnes ORLANDO was commissioned by Joyce Piven and was first produced at the Piven Theatre Workshop, directed by Joyce Piven. It was subsequently produced at the Actor’s Gang in Los Angeles, produced by Tim Robins, and directed by Joyce Piven. It was produced in New York at Classic Stage Company, produced by Brian Kulick, directed by Rebecca Taichman. Produced by special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials supplied by WILLIAM MORRIS ENDEAVOR ENTERTAINMENT, LLC Presented in conjunction with Salem State’s Center for Creative and Performing Arts.
CHAIRPERSON LETTER Dear Theatre Patrons, The past eighteen months have been very challenging for everyone. Through it all, our department flourished by reimagining the sphere of performance in our 2020-2021 season. The faculty, staff, and students of the Theatre and Speech Communication department are elated to welcome you back to our seats for live theatre at Salem State University. We are opening the 2021-2022 mainstage season with Sarah Ruhl’s adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando, directed by Julie Kiernan. The play is a magical and poetic dance between gender and through time, a fantastical world in which courtly movement and biographical narration combine to tell the story of a being who lives outside of human expectations and enjoys twice the experience that humanity has to offer. Our next production is Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth, under the direction of Peter Sampieri. This Pulitzer Prize winner combines farce, burlesque, and satire, depicting the Antrobus family of Excelsior, New Jersey who narrowly escape one cataclysmic disaster after another. Whether he’s inventing the alphabet or saving the world from apocalypse, George Antrobus and his formidable family somehow manage to persevere. We are continuing our season with the world premiere of Parker Goodreau’s The Thing They Love directed by Esme Allen. Set in 1933, New York City during the Great Depression, The Thing They Love depicts down-and-out rumrunner Rabbit and his sibling Maggs befriend a wealthy queer couple in a lavender marriage. We close our 2021/2022 mainstage season with Into the Woods, a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by James Lapine, directed by Bill Cunningham. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. In addition to our mainstage offerings, we are also producing the third annual Veteran’s 10-Minute Play Festival, BFA directing thesis projects, a staged reading, and Acting Recital 2022 this season. Again, welcome back to live theatre at Salem State University. Sit back in your socially distanced seat and enjoy the show. Graciously, Jerry L. Johnson Chair, Theatre and Speech Communication Salem State University
DIRECTOR’S LETTER "I want fun, I want fantasy," Virginia Woolf wrote of her 1928 novel, Orlando. Beyond fun and fantasy, though, Orlando was, and is, a radical criticism of patriarchal societal norms. Ruhl's theatrical adaptation is filled with the novel's curiosity, whimsy, and poetry, and still resonates, perhaps more than ever, a century later. The play questions who we are, who we can and cannot love, what we call love, and how society dictates our perceptions and experiences. Woolf based the character of Orlando on her extra-marital lover, Vita Sackville West, who was also a writer. Vita's son described the novel as "the longest and most charming love letter in literature." Orlando as a mirror of Vita was never a secret. When Woolf asked Vita for her permission, Vita was “thrilled and terrified … at the prospect of being projected into the shape of Orlando." Like Orlando, Vita was not allowed to inherit an estate given to her ancestors by Queen Elizabeth I because she was a woman. Orlando's relationship with Sasha is similar to Vita's lesbian relationship with Violet Trefusis, where she cross dresses and the relationship ends due to jealousy. After this affair, Vita begins dressing androgynously, and in the play, Orlando changes from man to woman. The biographical connections are clear. Woolf was honoring her lover in a novel while simultaneously commenting on society's confines and constraints on them both. Orlando is an exploration of self-discovery and self-acceptance that transcends time itself. Woolf's distortion of time is one way she subverts societal norms by having Orlando live through hundreds of years from Elizabethan England to "the present moment" while only aging to 36 years. This defiance of reality is treated as casually as Orlando's transformation from a man to a woman. "Orlando had become a woman---there is no denying it. But in every other respect, Orlando remained precisely as he had been." Orlando lives hundreds of years trying to find the words to write a single poem, a life's passion. Falling in and out of love with a variety of people fills Orlando's life, as it does for most of us. These loves include Queen Elizabeth, a manly Russian princess named Sasha, a vulture-like Romanian crossdressing Archduke, and an androgenous sailor named Marmaduke. This production was inspired by the play’s themes of time and transformation. Orlando discovers they can simultaneously be many things. Ruhl and Woolf’s language is poetic, both simple and complex. Scenic designer Jane HillierWalkowiak gave our production a set composed of two concentric circles able to literally spin Orlando through time and transform into any environment. The inspiration to visualize transformation was taken from origami, where the same piece of paper can become innumerable objects. Orlando’s poem The Oak Tree, while sometimes elusive, is always present on the stage, reminding us that our passions are inside our hearts and minds. Custom printed fabrics, with words from the novel, bring to life the line “Vain trifles as they seem, clothes change our view of the world and the world’s view of us. In fact, there is much to support the view that it is the clothes that wear us and not the other way ‘round.” Orlando takes hundreds of years to discover themselves and, in the process, allows the audience to peer into society's mirror and reflect on how norms and conceptions shape our self-perceptions, our identity, our loves, our selfdiscovery, and ultimately our self-acceptance. Thank you for supporting live theatre. Enjoy the show! Julie Kiernan
TIME and PLACE The play takes place in England, the sea, and Constantinople over the course of 500 years.
SCENES Act I: The Elizabethan Age
Scene1: Orlando
Scene 2: The Queen
Scene 3: Man’s Treachery
Scene 4: Orlando Grows Tired of the Queen or: Clorinda, Favilla and Euphrosyne
Scene 5: The Great Frost. The Russian Princess.
Scene 6: Orlando and Sasha
Scene 7: London
Scene 8: The Escape
Act II: The Seventeenth Century
Scene 1: The Thaw. Also, the Archduchess.
Scene 2: Constantinople
-IntermissionAct III: The Eighteenth Century
Scene 1: Orlando Sails Back to England.
Scene 2: Orlando Returns Home
Scene 3: The Archduchess Harriet
Act IV: The Nineteenth Century
Scene 1: On the Preponderance of Wedding Rings
Scene 2: The Marriage
Act V: The Twentieth Century
Scene 1
The play runs approximately one hour and forty minutes. There will be one fifteen-minute intermission after Act II. This production is intended for mature audiences.
CAST In order of first appearance Chorus (speaking role).............................................................Trevor Hathaway Chorus (speaking role)...............................................................Madison Parker Chorus (speaking role)........................................................................ Holly Rust Orlando*........................................................................................... Caitlyn Luria Orlando*......................................................................................Charlie Sullivan The Queen............................................................................................ Erin Shine Clorinda, Desdemona, Young Woman, Penelope Hartropp, Rosina Pepita.............................................Gianna Fiorillo Euphrosyne, Russian Sea Man, Old Woman, Amorous Woman, Maid 2, and Elevator Man................................ Luna White Favilla, Washerwoman, Maid/Grimsditch................................ Rachael Young Sasha...........................................................................................Michelle Moran Othello, Captain, Priest, Salesperson.........................Michael Shifty Celestin Archduke/Archduchess.................................................................. Nathan King Marmaduke................................................................................ Juan Sepulveda Chorus (non-speaking).............. Caitlyn Luria, Charlie Sullivan, Gianna Fiorillo, Luna White, Rachel Young, and Michael Shifty Celestin * Please note the role of Orlando is double cast. A different actor will play the full role of Orlando on alternating nights. On the nights that the actor is not playing Orlando they are a company chorus member in various scenes. Caitlyn Luria as Orlando: 10/14, 10/16, 10/22, 10/24 Charlie Sullivan as Orlando: 10/15, 10/17, 10/21, 10/23
COVID-19 Safety A reminder that masks must be worn during the performance over the nose and mouth. Venue capacity is reduced, and we ask that you sit in designated open seats no matter the size of your party. The venue is cleaned daily. We are THRILLED that you have joined us, but we politely ask that you depart the theatre immediately following the completion of the performance. Actors will meet family, friends, and fans outside the building, not in the lobby.
Out of courtesy to your fellow audience members and the actors onstage, please turn off any cell phones and pagers, and do not text during the performance. The videotaping or making of electronic or other audio and/ or visual recordings of this production or distributing recordings on any medium, including the internet, is strictly prohibited, a violation of the author’s rights and actionable under United States copyright law. No food or beverages are allowed in the theatre. Salem State is a tobacco free campus. Thank you.
SPECIAL THANKS
Salem State is grateful for the support provided by the Dembowski Family Theatre Endowment as well as Sophia and Bernard Gordon and the Gordon Foundation in making this production possible. Julie Kiernan would like to extend a special thank you to Barbara and Dana Kiernan for sewing the face masks, and to Celena Sky April for her mentorship and guidance throughout the years, and specifically for her dialects coaching on this production of Orlando.
PRODUCTION PERSONNEL Assistant Directors................................... Jules Andrade and Jayanne Glynn Assistant Stage Managers..................Abigail Poor and Jonathan Woodbury Assistant Costume Designer...................................................Isaac Goldbaum Assistant Props Master......................................................... Andrew Reynolds Assistant Scenic Designer.......................................................Isaac Goldbaum Dialects Coach.......................................................................... Celena Sky April Company Deputy................................................................................ Erin Shine Costume Shop Supervisor............................................................Becca Jewett Assistant Costume Shop Supervisor..............................................Sen Barone Hair & Makeup Crew....................................................................... Liv Steeman Wardrobe Head....................................................................... Jasmine De Leon Wardrobe Run Crew............................................. Meg Bassett, Faith Bockover, and Paige Marshall Technical Director............................................................................ Adam Sorel
Staff Technical Director......................................................................Stu Grieve Staff Assistant Technical Director..................................................Tim O’Toole Master Carpenter....................................................................... Connor Stamm Scenic Build Crew………………………………….... J’Von Allen, Alecia DiCicco, Hannah McCandless, Patrick Preston, Rachael Schuster, and Riley Toland Scenic Artist................................................................................Gianna Guthrie Scenic Painting Crew........................................Rebecca Gosiewski, Piper Hall, Skylar Longley, Luis Santiago, Diane Thai, and Meghan Volpone Scenic Run Crew ............................... Matt Behrle, Jack Boyd, Alecia DiCicco, Ryan March, Noah Moore, Nadia Okuliczki, and Anya Saben Faculty Props Master....................................................... Stacey Horne-Harper Props Build Crew................................................. Cole Hastings, Sarah Mueller, Nadia Okuliczki, and Dylan Smith Props Run Crew.......................................... Jaela Boucher and Megan Falkner Master Electrician................................................................................ Paul Marr Student Master Electricians...................... Thom Brabant and Maddie Dustin Electrics Crew.............................................Alecia DiCicco, Madison Gallagher, Trevor Hathaway, and Luis Santiago Light Board Operator...................................................................Maddie Dustin Sound Computer Operator.......................................................... Cole Hastings Microphone Technician............................................................... Cooper O’Neil
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Center for Creative and Performing Arts................................ Karen Gahagan House Manager and Production Coordinator........... Ashley Preston O’Toole Assistant House Manager................................................Stephanie Rossmeisl Box Office Manager........................................................................... Diane Thai Assistant Box Office Manager................................................... Davianna Cora Ushers............................................................Abigail Durham, Zachary Graves, Lia Marcheterre, Ian Tomarakos, Taylor Willis, and Gianna Yordt
CAST Michael Shifty Celestin (Captain, Priest, Salesperson) is a junior pursuing his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theatre performance. Previous credits include Old Major (Animal Farm), Anton Schill (The Visit), Black Stache (Peter and the Starcatcher), Martha/Emergency tone/Gang Member/Man (Gunplay), Conrade (Much Ado About Nothing), and Man’s voice/Doctor/Man at table/Jailer (Machinal). Winner of 2018 Doug Ingalls monologue contest. Gianna Fiorillo (Clorinda, Desdemona, Young Woman, Penelope Hartropp, Rosina Pepita) is a junior pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theatre performance. This is her first mainstage role at Salem State University. Previous credits include Luke (O Beautiful). Trevor Hathaway (Chorus) is a junior pursuing his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theatre performance. This is his second role at Salem State University. Previous credits include Minister/Grandparents/Dancer (The Long Christmas Ride Home) at Salem State University, and Enjolras (Les Miserable), Lord Capulet (Romeo & Juliet), and Officer Lockstock (Urinteown). Nathan King (Archduke/Archduchess) is currently a sophomore pursuing Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater performance at Salem State University. His previous credits at Salem State include Harry Houdini (Ragtime). Caitlyn Luria (Orlando) is a junior pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre performance. This is Caitlyn’s fifth mainstage production at Salem State University. Previous credits: Helen/Young Woman (Machinal), Puppetry Ensemble (The Long Christmas Ride Home), Ursula, (Much Ado About Nothing), and Player (Gunplay: A Play About America). Michelle Moran (Sasha) is a junior pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in performance. This is her fourth mainstage show with Salem State University. Previous credits include Actor (Gunplay: A Play About America), Jan (Bedroom Farce), and Claire (The Visit). Madison Parker (Chorus) is a senior pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in performance. She is excited to perform in her first main stage role at Salem State University. Previous credits include Masha (Stupid Fucking Bird), Audrey (As You Like It), Granny (Into the Woods), and Hippolyta (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). Holly Rust (Chorus) is a junior in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program for performance. Previous credits include Various Roles (The Laramie Project), Mrs. Wilkens (Murder of Crows), Bunny Flingus (House of Blue Leaves), and Hope Cladwell (Urinetown).
Juan Sepulveda (Marmaduke) is a sophomore pursuing his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theatre performance. This is his second role at Salem State University. Previous credits include Jedediah Shultz/Jonas Slonaker (The Laramie Project), Dr. Rank (A Doll’s House), Fayette (Waiting for Lefty), Mr. Collins (Memphis the Musical), Government Soldier (Ruined). Erin Shine (The Queen), is a senior pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in performance with a double major in music. This is her seventh role at Salem State University. Previous credits include: Musician (The Long Christmas Ride Home), Shona (Top Girls), Simon (O Beautiful), 25 Captain (The Wolves), Sweetheart (Middletown), Angle/soloist (Jesus Christ Superstar), Cinderella (Cinderella), Wednesday (Addams Family), and Ginette (Almost, Maine). Operas include: Salome (Salome), and Dew Fairy (Hansel and Gretel), and Carmen (Carmen). Charlie Sullivan (Orlando) is a sophomore student at Salem State University pursuing their Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theatre performance. This is their first mainstage performance and first lead at Salem State. Previous roles include: The Cat in the Hat (Seussical), Corny Collins (Hairspray), and The Wicked Witch of the West (The Wizard of Oz). Luna White (Euphrosyne, Russian Sea Man, Old Woman, Amorous Woman from the Tableau, Maid 2, and Elevator Man) is a senior pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theatre performance. This is her first mainstage role at Salem State University. Previous credits include Don (O Beautiful) and Vera (She Kills Monsters). Rachael Young (Favilla, Washerwoman, Maid 1/Grimsditch) is a senior pursuing her Bachelor of Arts degree in theater performance. Previous credits include Chremes (Women in Parliament), Minister/Joan of Arc (O Beautiful), Aaron (Legally Blonde), and Prudy Pingleton (Hairspray).
CREATIVE AND PRODUCTION TEAM Jules Andrade (Assistant Director) is a junior pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in directing. This is her first time assistant directing at Salem State University. Previous acting credits include Peter Pan (Peter/Wendy), Alice (O Beautiful), and 1st Blind Man (The Visit). Lily Barnes (Stage Manager) is a sophomore pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in stage management. This is her first mainstage production she is stage managing at Salem State University. Recent technical credits include Machinal, The Long Christmas Ride Home (Salem State University), and I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream (Student Theatre Ensemble). Sen Barone (Assistant Costume Shop Supervisor) is a sophomore pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre design with a concentration in costuming. Recent credits include costume design and construction for Hail Mary!, Addams Family the Musical, Ax of Murder, and Circus Olympus. Destany Foley (Props Master) is a junior at Salem State University pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in technical theatre. Previous credits: Props Run Crew for Gunplay, Assistant Props Master for Much Ado About Nothing, and Props Master for The Visit, Machinal, and Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons (Salem State University); Props Master for Midsummer Night’s Dream and Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe (Student Theatre Ensemble); Production Assistant for “Haunted Salem Live” (Travel Channel). Jayanne Glynn (Assistant Director) is a junior pursuing their Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in directing for theatre. This is her first assistant directing position at Salem State University. Previous directing credits: The Vagina Monologues (VOX at UMass Amherst). Isaac Goldbaum (Assistant Scenic and Costume Designer) is a senior pursuing his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in scenic design. Recent design credits include Machinal, Much Ado About Nothing, The Visit, Top Girls, and Ragtime (Salem State University) and Hail Mary!, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Student Theatre Ensemble). Awards: Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region 1 scenic design nominee (2020 and 2021).
Jane Hillier-Walkowiak (Costume and Scenic Designer) received her degree from Trent University in Nottingham England and has been designing both in the U.K. and the U.S.A. since the early 1980’s. In the Boston area, Jane has designed for the Publick Theatre and the Lyric Stage Company and has also worked as a designer/sculptor and painter for VDA Productions and The Costume Works as well as stitching for The Boston Ballet and A.R.T. Jane also has a custom corsetry business called Jane’s Corsets her work has been featured in many magazines both in the U.S.A. and worldwide. Jane’s recently designed shows include Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Twelfth Night, Cabaret, The Grapes of Wrath, The Seagull, Drowsy Chaperone, Cripple of Inishmaan. Stacey Horne-Harper (Props Master) is a graduate of the University of Delaware Professional Theatre Training Program. She spent seven years as the properties carpenter at the American Repertory Theater. She would like to thank her family for all their incredible support. Julie Kiernan (Director) Assistant Professor of Theatre & Speech Communication at Salem State University. She received her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of California, Irvine. Her thesis revolved around the pedagogy of acting training. While working as a professional actress in Los Angeles, she continued her research and interest in education by teaching for the Los Angeles County School District. Before joining Salem State, she was a professional actress in Los Angeles. She has traveled internationally as an actress, a faculty leading students, presenter, and consultant. In 2016, she received Salem State University’s Distinguished Teaching Award. Professor Kiernan also serves in the capacity of Faculty Fellow for Global Engagement. She is a founding faculty of the Veteran Scholars Learning Community and is the Artistic Director of the annual National 10-minute Veterans’ Playwriting Contest & Festival. In Fall 2019, she directed the department mainstage show Top Girls by Caryl Churchill. Kiernan’s TED Talk, “Setting the Stage for Human Connection,” focuses on her theatre education research. Her other research interests include contemplative pedagogy, value-creation education, building intercultural competence, and creativity. Abigail Poor (Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in stage management. Recent stage management credits include Bedtime Stories (Viking Theatre Company), Matilda (The Cannon Theatre), Challenger to Touch the Face of God (Viking Theatre Company), Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Theater at the Mount), and the 2nd annual Veteran’s 10-Minute Play Festival (Salem State University). Awards: Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild Stage Management Award (2020) and Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild Set Design Award (2020).
Andrew Reynolds (Assistant Props Master) is a senior transfer student pursuing his Bachelor of Arts degree in theater design. This is his second position at Salem State University. Recent credits include Hail Mary (Salem State University). Benjamin Richard (Sound Designer) is a senior pursuing his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in technical theatre. Recent design credits include The Laramie Project (Salem State Theatre), I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream (Student Theatre Ensemble), Machinal (Salem State Theatre), and Dead Man's Cellphone (Student Theatre Ensemble). Lisa Tetreault (Lighting Designer) is a senior pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theatre design. This production is her first major role at Salem State University. Previous credits include Light Board Operator (White Witch) and electrics crew (Bedroom Farce). Jonathan Woodbury (Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore pursuing his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theatre performance. This is his first time in a stage management role. Previous credits include Wardrobe Head for Gunplay: A Play About America, Costume Designer for Zombie Prom, and Costume and Scenic Designer for Spamalot; Ensemble (Spamalot), Detective Dick Gunner (Lights! Camera! Murder!), and The Stage Manager (Our Town).
The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, part of the Rubenstein Arts Access Program, is generously funded by David M. Rubenstein. Special Thanks to The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust for supporting the John F. Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts’ Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Additional support is provided by The Honorable Stuart Bernstein and Wilma E. Bernstein; and the Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation. Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts. This production is entered in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF). The aims of this national theater education program are to identify and promote quality in college-level theater production. To this end, each production entered is eligible for a response by a regional KCACTF representative, and selected students and faculty are invited to participate in KCACTF programs involving scholarships, internships, grants and awards for actors, directors, dramaturgs, playwrights, designers, stage managers and critics at both the regional and national levels. Productions entered on the Participating level are eligible for invitation to the KCACTF regional festival and may also be considered for national awards recognizing outstanding achievement in production, design, direction and performance. Last year more than 1,500 productions were entered in the KCACTF involving more than 200,000 students nationwide. By entering this production, our theater department is sharing in the KCACTF goals to recognize, reward, and celebrate the exemplary work produced in college and university theaters across the nation.
THEATRE AND SPEECH COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT Celena Sky April
Becca Jewett
Esme Allen
Jerry L. Johnson, Chairperson
Brianne Beatrice
Julie Kiernan
Bryn Boice
Matthew Korahais
William Cunningham
Christopher Morris
Sara Conlon
Janet Neely
James J. Fallon, Professor Emeritus
Tim O’Toole
Myrna Finn, Professor Emerita
Ashley Preston O’Toole
Stuart Grieve
Jill Rogati
Thomas J. Hallahan, Professor Emeritus
Peter Sampieri
Michael M. Harvey
Vera Sheppard, Professor Emerita
Elizabeth Hart, Professor Emerita
Richard Snee
Jane Hillier-Walkowiak
Allen Vietzke
Stacey Horne-Harper
Whitney L. White, Professor Emeritus
Alex Jacobs
Patricia Zaido, Professor Emerita
Get up to date information about our Fall Arts Events at salemstate.edu/arts