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LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
WELCOME TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA WHY TELL THIS STORY NOW? This is a question that my faculty colleagues and I spend a great deal of time considering because it is central to the process of selecting, preparing, and presenting our performance season – not only our mainstage season, but the numerous smaller scale studio projects that augment it, as well as the partnerships with our colleagues at Syracuse Stage that further enhance it. Over the course of many months (discussions for this current season began in April of 2017!), we collectively consider a wide range of genres and titles – possible stories to tell – and we gradually narrow the field to arrive at our final decisions. As we do so, we consider the ways in which any given play will advance our students’ learning and
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challenge the creative capacities of our faculty, staff, and guest artists. Our performance season is one of our most important endeavors, second only to the daily delivery of curriculum in our classrooms and studios. That importance arises from the fact that it is through the practical application of their skills that students in all of our programs of study – theater design and technology, stage management, theater management, acting, and musical theater – deepen their knowledge and prepare themselves to embark upon professional careers in the performing arts. Additionally, it is through our productions that the artist-teachers who make up our faculty (designers, directors, choreographers, performers) have
the opportunity to expand their range of creative expression and share their knowledge in a time-honored tradition of apprenticeship-style teaching and learning.
Each of the plays and musicals in our 2018-19 mainstage season in some way examines questions that are central to the act of storytelling itself: Who owns the story? Who gets to tell it? What is the best way to tell it? And, of course: Why tell this story now? I am grateful that you have chosen to join us, and I hope you will be as engaged by these questions as we have been as we worked to bring these stories to life. And I invite you to share your thoughts about some of these questions by joining us for one or more of our free Sunday Salon Series discussions following the first Sun-
RALPH ZITO
And as we consider what plays to present, and choose what stories to tell, we consider the fundamental goal of Theater itself: to share stories of the human condition in the hope of provoking change. Sometimes, the change is as simple as a change in mood – a muchneeded lifting of the spirits. Sometimes, the change goes deeper – an expansion of knowledge, a shift in worldview, a deepening of empathy.
day matinee of each production. Join the director, members of the creative team, and experts drawn from the Syracuse University faculty and Syracuse community as we take a closer look at the creative process and the larger questions raised by each production. Once again, thank you and enjoy the show!
Ralph Zito
Chair, Department of Drama
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College of Visual and Performing Arts
PRESENTS
BY
Naomi Iizuka DIRECTED BY
Holly Thuma CHOREOGRAPHER
Michele Dunleavy SCENIC DESIGNER
COSTUME DESIGNER
LIGHTING DESIGNER
SOUND DESIGNER
Roslyn Palmer
Breanna Zahakos
Emily Stork
Kevin O’Connor
STAGE COMBAT
VIEWPOINTS CONSULTANT
DRAMATURG
STAGE MANAGER
Felix Ivanov
Rob Bundy
Quinn Hemphill
Lia Chapman
CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA
Ralph Zito SEASON SPONSOR
Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. (www.playscripts.com) May 3 – 11, 2019
è Enjoyed the show? Share with your friends #SUDramaGoodKids. 5
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CAST (in alphabetical order)
Maddie Allen........................................................................Amber Carey Cox*..........................................................................Deirdre Claire David......................................................................Madison Anthony James Hernandez..............................................Landon Catie Kobland..........................................................................Kylie Valeria I. Berdecía Martínez...............................................Chloe Zachary Pearson................................................................Connor Emily Rudolph....................................................................Brianna Logan Shiller..........................................................................Tanner Justin Slepicoff..............................................................................Ty Gaelyn Smith.........................................................................Skyler Claire St. Marie..................................................................Daphne (Good Kids will be performed without an intermission.)
SETTING Time: now. Location: a stage. Scenes happen in various locations: the sports field of a large public high school, the parking lot of a 7-Eleven, a party, a suburban home, a car, cyberspace.
ADDITIONAL CREDITS Dance Captain: Maddie Allen Fight Captain: Logan Shiller Assistant Directors: Daisha Abdillahi, Brittany Adebumola Assistant to the Director: Kayla Addison Assistant Choreographer: Reagan Rees Assistant Scenic Designer: Sabrina Knaack Assistant Costume Designer: Ningning 'Renee' Yang Assistant Lighting Designer: Lily Meaker Assistant Stage Manager: Alana Barker Casting Associate: Wallis Dean Casting Assistant: Cara Christian
SPECIAL THANKS Special thanks to Susan Pasco, Katie McGerr, Alyssa Jaffe, and Fulton High School athletic director Christopher Ells for the donation of football helmets. *Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. 7
GOOD KIDS
DIRECTOR'S NOTE “You don’t solve a problem like sexual assault with anything other than a deep shift in attitude, and a deep shift in attitude happens conversation by conversation, in dorm rooms, parties and rehearsal halls.” – Naomi Iizuka
Loosely based on the Steubenville rape case that shocked the nation in 2012, Naomi Iizuka’s play could, unfortunately, represent many, many similar events in many, many places. Sexual misconduct, sexual assault, and gang rape are nothing new. The difficulty in prosecuting crimes of this nature, the tendency to cover them up, and the cultural inclination to blame the victim are not new either. What is new is an increasing awareness of these issues and a changing attitude, due in part to social media and the ensuing cultural discussion. This discussion often includes not only underlying issues of misogyny, but issues surrounding rigid gender roles that can thwart the potential of both young women and young men. Iizuka has said, “You don’t solve a problem like sexual assault with anything other than a deep shift in attitude, and a deep shift in attitude happens conversation by conversation, in dorm rooms, parties and rehearsal halls.” Many people are sincerely seeking solutions to what we now consider a serious problem requiring action, rather than an inevitable part of life we’d rather not think about and be-
lieve we are helpless to change. I am very grateful to the Department of Drama for their willingness to share in the cultural discussion by producing this play. I am grateful to the whole company and to the actors for their willingness to tell this story - I am overwhelmed by their honesty, their bravery, and especially by their hope for the future. I hope you are entertained and moved by the performance. I hope your experience watching this play will inspire you to join in the cultural discussion, conversation by conversation. –Holly Thuma
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GOOD KIDS
DRAMATURGICAL NOTE Good Kids is loosely based on the 2012 Steubenville High School rape case, a highly publicized case that sparked massive debates about victim blaming, social media, and society’s allegiance to athletics. Only around 800 students are enrolled in Steubenville High School, yet the football stadium houses as many seats as Madison Square Garden. On August 11, 2012, a sixteen-year-old girl from a neighboring school was digitally raped and photographed while nude by two Steubenville football players. All were intoxicated. Alexandria Goddard, a blogger, used social media to bring the case to national attention by posting illuminating tweets from witnesses, the perpetrators, and the victim. As the rape was reported and the case went to trial, members of the Steubenville community and news outlets expressed sympathy for the perpetrators, while other feminist groups and online communities were outraged
at the blame being put on the victim. This initiated a challenge nationwide to institutions and even individuals
Only around 800 students are enrolled in Steubenville High School, yet the football stadium houses as many seats as Madison Square Garden. to confront long held biases about the perception and treatment of victims and perpetrators of sexual assault. Both of the perpetrators were eventually charged as juveniles and served with guilty verdicts and have since served their mandated time, but the case has left an everlasting mark on the ongoing discussions about sexual assault. –Quinn Hemphill
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CAST Maddie Allen (Amber) is a sophomore musical theater major from Fresno, CA, and is grateful to be making her Department of Drama mainstage debut! Previous credits include: Mrs. Gibbs in Our Town (sophomore projects) and Maureen in Rent at Interlochen Arts Academy. Maddie is looking forward to studying abroad at Shakespeare’s Globe in London next fall. She would like to thank her family, related and chosen, as she would not be here without their constant love and support.
Claire David (Madison) is a sophomore acting major from Wilmette, IL making her Department of Drama mainstage debut! She has recently been seen as Mrs. Gibbs in Our Town (sophomore project) and as Martha in The Children’s Hour (studio project). She is also a very proud co-head of Galactic Chug Improv! Claire cannot wait to spend this upcoming fall semester abroad in London studying at Shakespeare’s Globe. She thanks her always supportive family as well as the family she has found in Syracuse.
Carey Cox (Deirdre) is a disabled NYC actor. Born and raised in El Paso, TX, she has a B.F.A. in musical theater from Santa Fe University of Art and Design and an M.F.A. in acting from UNC Chapel Hill. Carey made her Broadway debut as Laura’s understudy in Sam Gold’s production of The Glass Menagerie starring Sally Field, and was a company member at PlayMakers Repertory Company. PlayMakers credits include Three Sisters, We Are Proud to Present a Presentation…, Seminar, Trouble in Mind, Mary’s Wedding, and Into the Woods. She participated in Queens Theatre’s inaugural Theatre for All training program for actors with disabilities and was an actor and playwright for the Theatre for All short play readings. She serves on the board of directors for Born Dancing, an inclusive dance company.
Anthony James Hernandez (Landon) is a junior B.F.A. acting major from the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He has previously performed on stage in The Picture of Oscar Wilde (Syracuse Stage Cold Read Festival of New Plays), Metamorphan (Bank of America Children’sTour),IHaveLovedStrangers(Black Box Players), and The Seagull (mainstage). He has acted in several short films including The Cameraman, JJ in Dobbs, and Repent. He is currently in rehearsal for a production performing this August at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He would like to thank his parents for their continuous support. Catie Kobland (Kylie) is a sophomore acting major from Liverpool, NY. Catie is thrilled to be making her mainstage debut. Her other acting
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CAST credits include, Joe Crowell/Howie Newsome in Our Town (sophomore project) and several VPA film credits. She would like to thank her parents for supporting her in all of her endeavors and the entire cast and crew of this wonderful piece. Instagram: @catieishere
ment of Drama, mainstage). Zachary would like to thank his parents for being a constant source of inspiration and support. @zachpear12 Emily Rudolph (Brianna) is a sophomore musical theater major from Seattle, WA. This is her mainstage debut! She was previously seen in the Department of Drama as Rebecca Gibbs in Our Town (sophomore project). Sending love and thanks to this "cool" cast and crew, and her incredible support system of friends and family! instagram: @emmy_rudolph
Valeria I. Berdecía Martínez (Chloe) is a junior acting major from Puerto Rico. In the Department of Drama, she has been seen as Rosannah DeLuce in Brilliant Traces (studio project). For the production of The Seagull (mainstage), Valeria was the assistant director and the Cook. She expresses immense gratitude to the cast and crew of Good Kids and to her family and friends who have supported her throughout this whole process.
Logan Shiller (Tanner) is excited to be in his first mainstage production at the Department of Drama! Logan is a sophomore acting major from Pittsburgh, PA, and was in the student-produced Venus in Fur earlier this semester. Previous credits include Irvin in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at the August Wilson Cultural Center and Patrick from the stage debut of Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Zachary Pearson (Connor) is a junior acting major from Hastingson-Hudson, NY. Assistant Director: Jack or The Submission (studio project), Actor: Admissions (Syracuse Stage, Cold Read Festival of New Plays), The Children’s Hour (studio project), The Domestic (Queen Doris Productions), A Scarlet Letter (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), Dry Land (independent studio project), Much Ado About Nothing (Black Box Players), and The House of the Spirits (Depart-
Justin Slepicoff (Ty) is a junior acting major from Los Angeles, CA. Previous credits include Next Fall, Joseph Whelan’s adaption of A Scarlet Letter (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), Metamorphan (Bank of America Chil-
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CAST dren’s Tour), and Black Box Player’s production of Much Ado About Nothing. Justin would like to send his sincere thanks to the cast and crew of Good Kids, “The Pride,” and his family.
director of Good Kids as well as her father whom she affectionately calls Weffrey. Keep up with her at @gsmittyyyy Claire St. Marie (Daphne) is a junior acting major from San Diego, CA. Last fall she was abroad in London studying with Shakespeare’s Globe Higher Education. In Syracuse, she was last seen in Shakes-Beer (Baldwinsville Center for the Arts Winter Art Series), House for Mouse (Syracuse Stage’s Theatre for the Very Young pilot program), The Young Playwright’s Festival (Syracuse Stage education program), and The Women (Department of Drama, sophomore project).
Gaelyn Smith (Skyler) is a junior acting major from Washington, D.C. Good Kids is her first mainstage credit at the Syracuse University Department of Drama. Her other credit is Nancy in the sophomore project presentation of The Women. Gaelyn gives all gratitude and glory to God for this opportunity to grow and showcase her talents. She would like to extend her sincere thanks to the cast, crew, and
A R T I S T I C S TA F F Roslyn Palmer (Scenic Designer) is a recent graduate of the Syracuse University Department of Drama with a B.F.A. in theater design and technology with a concentration in scenic design. Most recently she has worked for Manlius Pebble Hill School as the stage designer and technical director for the 2018/2019 school year. She also had the pleasure of designing the set for the Department of Drama’s production of Little Shop of Horrors (mainstage), and well as acting as the assistant set designer for the Off Broadway production of Little Rock (The Sheen Center). Roslyn is excited to be invited back to design as an alumna.
Breanna Zahakos (Costume Designer) is a senior theater design and technology major with a concentration in scenic design from Montgomery, NY. She is thrilled to be making her costume design debut with the Department of Drama. Previous design credits include Department of Drama mainstage productions of Next Fall (scenic designer), The Baltimore Waltz (assistant costume designer), Crazy For You (assistant scenic designer), Major Barbara (assistant scenic designer), Laura and the Sea (assistant scenic and projection designer), and the Syracuse Stage/Department of Drama co-pro-
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A R T I S T I C S TA F F duction of The Wizard of Oz (assistant scenic designer). She would like to thank her family who remind her to never give up and have supported her endlessly. Portfolio online at: https://blzahakos.wixsite.com/design
Center. She was the lighting director at The Juilliard School for 12 years, where she designed countless shows and special events including the Leading Ladies Gala starring Audra McDonald and Barbara Cook and the Tempest Benefit reading with Sir Derek Jacoby. She is a proud member of United Scenic Artists 829 (IATSE Local USA 829). Emily is the festival lighting designer for the Rochester Fringe Festival where her designs included the aerialist dance group, Bandaloop, the Cirque du Fringe in the Magic Crystal Spiegeltent, and the outdoor informal installation at the Spiegel Garden. Emily received her B.A. from State University of New York at New Paltz and an M.F.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Examples of her work can be found at: www.emilystorkdesign.com
Emily Stork (Lighting Designer). Emily Stork’s lighting designs for theater, dance, opera, puppetry, and performance art have been seen worldwide, including festivals in Italy, France, Scotland, and Israel and in the U.S. at places as diverse as PS 122, Dance Theatre Workshop, the Cherry Lane Theatre, the Public Theater, La Mama, St. Ann’s Warehouse, the Walker Arts Center, the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, the National Museum of the American Indian, On the Boards, the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center in Troy, NY, Lincoln Center, and on the side of a building in Rochester, NY. In 2003, she was the resident lighting designer for the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy where she had the pleasure of working with Maestro Gian Carlo Menotti on Wagner’s Lohengrin. Some of her favorite collaborations have been with Split Britches on Peggy Shaw’s To My Chagrin, Pig Iron Theater Company’s James Joyce is Dead and So is Paris, Nora Jones’ Album Release Party for Little Broken Hearts at the Box in NYC and on the world premiere of Greg Kotis’ All Your Questions Answered directed by Sean Daniels at Geva Theatre
Kevin O’Connor (Sound Designer) is currently in his tenth season working for Syracuse Stage and the Syracuse University Department of Drama. He graduated from St. Lawrence University with a B.A. in music in 2008. Previous sound design credits include Department of Drama productions of We Are Proud to Present a Presentation..., The Baltimore Waltz, Crazy For You, Major Barbara, The King Stag, Laura and the Sea, A Flea in Her Ear, The Spitfire Grill, Agamemnon, Measure for Measure, Lips Together, Teeth Apart, Stepping Out, The Good Woman of Setzuan, and Translations, as well
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A R T I S T I C S TA F F as Miss Electricity for the Bank of America Children’s Tour. Kevin has also worked as the A1 position, controlling the audio console/live mixing most of the musicals in recent years for Syracuse Stage and the Department of Drama, including Elf The Musical, Little Shop of Horrors, Next to Normal, The Wizard of Oz, Ring of Fire, Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill: A Musical Voyage, Mary Poppins, Nine, The Spitfire Grill, Peter Pan, Kiss Me Kate, Avenue Q, Hairspray, Parade, Spring Awakening, Seussical, Violet, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Merrily We Roll Along, Quilters, The Cradle Will Rock, and Cabaret.
The Acting Company, Lincoln Center Theater, The Metropolitan Opera, The New York Theatre Workshop, The Wooster Group, The Cherry Lane Theatre in NYC; The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, MN; The Shakespeare Theatre Festival in Cleveland, OH; and The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C., among others. Rob Bundy (Viewpoints Consultant) served as artistic director of Stages Repertory Theatre for ten years (1996-2006), where he produced over 100 plays and directed 30. During his tenure, he tripled Stages’ operating budget and doubled the staff. New York credits include: Ascendancy and Boise (both New York premieres, Rattlestick Theatre); Life is a Dream (Pearl Theater); The Miser and L’Histoire du Soldat (Lincoln Center Institute); A Betrothal and Gray’s Anatomy (Circle Repertory Lab); The Pitchfork Disney (Blue Light Theatre). Mr. Bundy has directed at numerous regional theaters including the Alley Theatre, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Florida Studio Theatre, Meadowbrook Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, TheatreWorks, Pacific Repertory Theatre, and Chautauqua Institution. Rob has taught and/or directed at numerous training programs nationwide including The Juilliard School, Southern Methodist University, American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and Washington D.C.’s Shake-
Felix Ivanov (Stage Combat) is a graduate of the prestigious Shchukin Theatre School at the Vakhtangov Academy Theatre and the Stasov Musical School (violin) in Moscow, Russia. He has choreographed combat, movement, and character dance scenes for over 300 Russian drama and puppet theaters, motion pictures, and television. Presently, Felix is an associate professor at the Syracuse University Department of Drama. He has previously taught at The Juilliard School, The Actors Center, Brooklyn College, and SUNY Purchase, NY; Rutgers University, NJ; The Hartt School, Hartford, CT; and The North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston Salem, NC. His stage movement and combat choreography have been seen at many American venues including
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A R T I S T I C S TA F F speare Theatre. He was the associate artistic director at Hartford Stage Company, 1992-1994. From 19922006 Rob was an on-site evaluator for the National Endowment for the Arts, and he has served on numerous NEA and TCG grant panels. Rob is presently an adjunct assistant professor with the Department of Drama at Syracuse University.
Waltz (Third Man U/S), Black Box Player’s Circle Mirror Transformation (Lauren), and Eurydice (Little Stone). Lia Chapman (Stage Manager) is a junior stage management major and educational studies minor from Ann Arbor, MI. In Syracuse, she has stage managed I Have Loved Strangers (Black Box Players) and Fly More Than You Fall (studio project). Outside of Syracuse, Lia has worked at the PROTOTYPE Opera Festival, Seattle Children’s Theater, and Interlochen Center for the Arts. She would like to thank the entire Good Kids cast and crew for an amazing experience, as well as her parents and brother, who are always there for the right reasons.
Quinn Hemphill (Dramaturg) is a senior acting major from Scranton, PA. During her time at the Syracuse University Department of Drama, she has performed in the Bank of America children’s tour Miss Electricity (Violet), the Department of Drama mainstage production The Baltimore
A S S I S TA N T S & A S S O C I AT E S Daisha Abdillahi (Assistant Director) is a junior acting major from Washington, D.C.
Cara Christian (Casting Assistant) is a sophomore theater management major from Manhattan Beach, CA.
Brittany Adebumola (Assistant Director) is a junior acting major from Brooklyn, NY.
Wallis Dean (Casting Associate) is a sophomore theater management major from Dallas, TX.
Kayla Addison (Assistant to the Director) is a freshman acting major from New York City.
Sabrina Knaack (Assistant Scenic Designer) is a sophomore theater design and technology major with a focus in costume, hair, and makeup design from Westchester, NY.
Alana Barker (Assistant Stage Manager) is a freshman stage management major from Simsbury, CT.
Lily Meaker (Assistant Lighting Designer) is a freshman theater de-
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A S S I S TA N T S & A S S O C I AT E S sign and technology major with a concentration in lighting design from Anna Maria Island, FL.
ater major from Dallas, TX. Ningning ‘Renee’ Yang (Assistant Costume Designer) is a sophomore theater design and technology major from Wuxi, China.
Reagan Rees (Assistant Choreographer) is a sophomore musical the-
DIRECTOR Holly Thuma is associate professor in Voice/Verse in the Department of Drama and a certified associate teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework. Holly’s acting and directing credits include productions with Quantum Theatre, the Dallas Theatre Center, Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre, City Theatre Company, Penn State Center Stage, and Perry Mansfield New Play Festival, as well as independent films. She has served as dialect/vocal coach for many productions at the Syracuse University
Department of Drama including The House of the Spirits, Major Barbara, and Top Girls, and for Mickey Rowe in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at Syracuse Stage. A passionate believer in arts education, Holly’s career has included development and direction of performance programs for underserved children through the Pittsburgh Public Theater and for the Hope Academy of Music and the Arts. She is a proud union member of Actors Equity and SAG/AFTRA.
CHOREOGRAPHER Michele Dunleavy is a choreographer, performer, and dance educator. She is the artistic director of Dunleavy Dance Projects, and associate professor of Dance at Penn State University. Michele has choreographed and performed extensively throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. She works in a variety of dance forms including tap, jazz, and modern, and her choreography has been presented by arts organizations in Pittsburgh, Philadel-
phia, Minneapolis, NYC, Chicago, Maryland, and West Virginia. In addition to performing her own work, Michele has performed internationally with Kompitus Rhythm Collective, and regionally with Take it Away Productions, Pittsburgh Opera, Junction Dance Theatre, Physical Theatre Project, DANA Movement Ensemble, ETCH Dance Co., and B3W. As a freelance choreographer, Michele creates work that illuminates the hu-
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CHOREOGRAPHER man condition through the intersection of sound, movement, and theater. Her use of repetition, juxtaposition, and attention to time, creates theatrical experiences that make room for both intellectual rigor and physical virtuosity, while inviting the audience to draw their own conclusions and meanings. Her ongoing project Steel Valley Rhythms (SVR) investigates the connections between place, memory, and embodiment as experienced by generations of Pennsylvania iron and steel workers, and has been supported through grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. As associate professor, Michele teaches in Penn State’s nationally recognized Musical Theatre program. She has choreographed numerous musicals at Penn State including, A New Brain, Bat Boy: The Musical, Parade, Babes in Arms, The Wiz, Rent, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, American Idiot, and the plays:
Metamorphoses, Good Kids, and Men on Boats. She is currently an embedded researcher at the Arts and Design Research Incubator at Penn State, and has received grants from the College of Arts and Architecture and the Institute for the Arts and Humanities. In addition to her work at Penn State, Michele has been a guest choreographer at Shenandoah University (Cabaret, The Wild Party). Michele has been a faculty member at Point Park University, George Mason University, and the Catholic University of America. She is a member of SDC, the International Tap Association, and served two terms as the Northeast Regional Director of the American College Dance Association. Upcoming projects include a commission for the Lady Hoofers, an all female tap company based in Philadelphia. You can see Michele perform in and around the State College area with local musician Eric Ian Farmer.
P L AY W R I G H T Naomi Iizuka. Naomi Iizuka’s most recent play 17 Reasons (Why) was produced at Campo Santo + Intersection for the Arts and published by Stage and Screen in the anthology Breaking Ground: Adventurous Plays By Adventurous Theatres, edited by Kent Nicholson. Her other plays include 36 Views; Polaroid Stories; Language of Angels; War of the Worlds (written in collaboration with
Anne Bogart and SITI Company); Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls; Tattoo Girl; and Skin. Ms. Iizuka’s plays have been produced by Actors Theatre of Louisville; Berkeley Repertory Theatre; Campo Santo + Intersection for the Arts in San Francisco; the Dallas Theatre Center and Undermain Theatre in Dallas; Frontera@Hyde Park in Austin; Printer’s Devil and Annex in Seattle; NYSF/Joseph Papp Public
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P L AY W R I G H T Theatre, Geva Theatre Center, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Soho Rep, and Tectonic Theatre in New York; San Diego’s Sledgehammer Theatre; Northern Light Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta; Alternate Theatre in Montreal; and the Edinburgh Festival. Her plays have been workshopped by San Jose Rep, Geva Theatre Center, Bread Loaf, Sundance Theatre Lab, A.S.K. Theatre Projects, the McCarter Theatre, Seattle’s A Contemporary Theatre, the Bay Area Playwrights’ Festival, Midwest PlayLabs, En Garde Arts/P.S. 122, and New York Theatre Workshop. Language of Angels was published in TheatreForum; War of the Worlds and Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls were published by Smith and Kraus; Tattoo Girl is included in From The Other Side of the Century, published by Sun and Moon; and Skin is included in Out of the Fringe, published by TCG. Polaroid Stories is published by Dramatic Publishing, and Language of Angels, Aloha, Say
the Pretty Girls, Anon(ymous), and Tattoo Girl are published by Playscripts, Inc. 36 Views was published in American Theatre and has since been published by Overlook Press. Ms. Iizuka is currently working on commissions from the Guthrie Theater, Actors Theatre of Louisville, the Kennedy Center, the Children’s Theatre of Minneapolis, and the Mark Taper Forum. She is a member of New Dramatists and the recipient of a Whiting Award, a Rockefeller Foundation MAP grant, a Gerbode Foundation Fellowship, an NEA/TCG Artist-inResidence grant, a McKnight Fellowship, a PEN Center USA West Award for Drama, the Stavis Award from the National Theatre Conference, Princeton University’s Hodder Fellowship, and a Jerome Playwriting Fellowship. Ms. Iizuka has taught playwriting at the University of Iowa and the University of Texas, Austin, and currently teaches at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
PROGRAM BOOK Publications Director Joseph Whelan Layout Jonathan Hudak Advertising Joanna Penalva
Good Kids, Published May 3, 2019 The Department of Drama program is published five times a year. For advertising rates and information contact the marketing office at 315.443.2636.
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C H A I R , D E PA R T M E N T O F D R A M A Ralph Zito is in his ninth year as chair of the Department of Drama. He came to Syracuse University from the Juilliard School Drama Division, where he had been a teacher and director from 1992 to 2010 and chair of the Voice and Speech Department since 1999. He was a director and adjunct lecturer in the Barnard College Theater Department from 2006 until 2010 and has been a guest artist at training programs across the country, including the Old Globe in San Diego, The University of Texas at Austin, and the Academy for Classical Acting in Washington, DC. Directing credits for the Department of Drama include: The Spitfire Grill, As You Like It, Gruesome Playground Injuries, and The Aliens. He has served as a voice, text or dialect consultant for numerous professional productions both on and off-Broadway, including: The Light in the Piazza; Awake and Sing!; The Herbal Bed; Mrs. Klein; The Fiery Furnace; The Time of the Cuckoo (Lincoln Center Theatre); Tongue of a Bird; The Merchant of Ven-
ice (New York Shakespeare Festival); The Pitchfork Disney (Blue Light Theatre Company); Birdy (The Women’s Project); The Model Apartment (Primary Stages); the New York premiere of Tony Kushner’s SLAVS! (New York Theatre Workshop); and The African Company Presents Richard III (The Acting Company). His regional theater credits include numerous productions at The Shakespeare Theatre and Arena Stage in Washington, DC; Syracuse Stage; Baltimore CENTERSTAGE; Hartford Stage; and the McCarter Theatre, among others. A former touring member of The Acting Company, he served as artistic associate of The Chautauqua Theatre Company for seven years and was a member of the Board of Directors of The American Society for the Alexander Technique (AmSAT) for six years. He is a graduate of Harvard University, The Juilliard School, and the American Center for the Alexander Technique. He was recently awarded the prestigious Juilliard President’s Medal in recognition of his contributions to both Juilliard and to the broader performing arts community.
A B O U T T H E D E PA R T M E N T O F D R A M A Part of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the Syracuse University Department of Drama offers degree programs in acting, musical theater, theater design and technology, stage management, and theater management utilizing conservatory-style training in a university setting and in collaboration with Syracuse Stage. With much appre-
ciation, the Department of Drama wishes to acknowledge the valuable contribution of the Syracuse Stage staff. While students are responsible for designing the technical elements of most Drama productions, implementing these designs requires a significant contribution by the professional staff of the Syracuse Stage production department. 20
G O O D K I D S P R O D U C T I O N S TA F F & R U N C R E W
Faculty Advisor to Student Designers..................................................................Maria Marrero Faculty Advisor to Stage Managers........................................................................Dianna Angell Light Board Operator..............................................................................................Connor Johnson Sound Board Operator.............................................................................................Maggie Walter Deck (Run Crew)..........................................................Yasmin Ranz-Lind, Christopher Zaccaro Dressers (Run Crew)................................................................................Eli Schwartz, Andi Voigt Costume Maintenance................................................................................................Eleanor Reich Production Assistants.........................Michael Cagnetta, Emily Edwards, Yasmin Ranz-Lind S Y R A C U S E U N I V E R S I T Y D E PA R T M E N T O F D R A M A
Chair.......................................................................................................................................Ralph Zito Business Manager.................................................................................................................Lisa Tucci Administrative Specialist...................................................................................Charlotte Santella Director, Tepper Semester in NYC.............................................................................Lisa Nicholas Assistant Music Director...............................................................................................Jacob Stebly Director, 914Works..........................................................................................................Scott Rose Dean, VPA...................................................................................................................Michael S. Tick F U L L-T I M E FA C U LT Y
Brian Cimmet Gerardine Clark James A. Clark Felix E. Cochren Jr. Stephen Cross Rodney Hudson Felix Ivanov
Rebecca Karpoff Marie Kemp Alex Koziara Victor Lazarow Andrea Leigh-Smith David Lowenstein Celia Madeoy
Brian J. Marcum Maria Marrero Katherine McGerr Thom Miller Anthony Salatino Holly Thuma
A D J U N C T FA C U LT Y
Jill Anderson Rob Andrusko Dianna Angell Kathleen Baum Kyle Bass Bradley Beckman Dave Bowman Rob Bundy Don Buschmann Diane Coloton Richard Crawley Gretchen Darrow-Crotty Peggy Droz
Danita Emma Kathryn Fathers Len Fonte Kelley Hamilton Jacqueline R Herter Mary Houston Robert Hupp Sandra Knapp Holly K. LaGrow Victoria Lillich Karen Menter Kathryn Miranda William Morris
Leslie Noble Stuart Plymesser Rebecca Schuetz Hanni Schwarzlander Abel Searor Sarah Stark Jacob Stebly Randy Steffen Renee Storiale Joseph Whelan Karl Wildman Matthew Winning Kathleen Wrinn
A C C O M PA N I S T S
Kerry Dromgoole, David Sabin, Abel Searor, Jacob Stebly
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S Y R A C U S E S TA G E S TA F F Artistic Director.............................................................................................................Robert Hupp Managing Director.....................................................................................................Jill A. Anderson Associate Artistic Director....................................................................................................Kyle Bass P R O D U C T I O N S TA F F
Director of Production Operations...........................................................................Don Buschmann Associate Director of Production Operations..........................................................Dianna Angell Company Manager/Production Management Assistant..............................................Brian Crotty Production Management Apprentice...................................................................Audrey Flynn Facilities Student Assistants..............Rachel Ackerman, Hector Aguirre and Marilyn Wechsler Technical Director..................................................................................................Randall Steffen Assistant Technical Director............................................................................Rebecca Schuetz Scene Shop Foreman...........................................................................................Michael King Carpenters.............................................Brian McBurney, Cheyenne McBurney, John Gamble Graduate Assistant................................................................................................Joshua Baker Student Assistants..........................................................................................Garett Pembrook Scenic Charge Artist...........................................................................................Holly K. LaGrow Assistant Scenic Artist...........................................................................................Phillip Dyke Graduate Assistants.......................................................................................Louise Thompson Props Supervisor.....................................................................................................Mary Houston Props Carpenter...............................................................................................Jordan Michaud Props Artisan....................................................................................................Jessica Culligan Props Graduate Assistant........................................................................................Drew Davis Student Assistants.....................................................................Shannon Bagoly, Logan Shiller Costume Shop Manager..........................................................................Gretchen Darrow-Crotty Assistant Costume Shop Manager/Drama Department Costume Coordinator.....Mallory Kay Nelson Cutter-Drapers.................................................................Catherine Hennessy, Kathryn Rauch First Hand.........................................................................................................Victoria Lillich Stitchers.......................................................................................Emily King, Katelyn Yonkers Craftsperson/Shopper.........................................................................................Sandra Knapp Wardrobe and Wig Supervisor.................................................................................Sarah Stark Student Assistants..................................................................................................Xinglan Yan Lighting and Projection Supervisor..................................................................David M. Bowman Electrician…….......................................................................................................Jed Daniels Electrics Journeyman........................................................................................Anastasia Sioris Electrics Apprentice/Board Operator.................................................................Caitlin Weinell Student Assistants..........................................................Ian Borowik, Aria Sivick, Adrian Yuen Resident Sound Designer/Audio Engineer......................................................Jacqueline R Herter Assistant Audio Engineer/Board Operator......................................................Kevin O’Connor Sound Apprentice...........................................................................................Alexandra Brock Production Stage Manager....................................................................................Stuart Plymesser Stage Manager..............................................................................................Laura Jane Collins
Stage Management Journeymen.....................................................Erin C Brett, Em Piraino
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S Y R A C U S E S TA G E S TA F F A D M I N I S T R AT I V E S TA F F
General Manager....................................................................................................Michael McCurdy Comptroller..............................................................................................Mary Kennett Morreale Human Resources Manager/Business Associate.......................................................Kathy Zappala Student Business Office Intern................................................................Emilia Smart-Denton Director of Information Management & Technology...................................Garrett Wheeler-Diaz Box Office Managers......................................Laurie Lindsey, Courtney Richardson, A'Isha Shanes Box Office Assistants.................................Marjon Ardehali, Abby Cieslewski, Chidube Egbo, Jordan McKey, Makenzie Nickerson, Canab Sheekh Nuur, Chelsea Perez, Samoya Peters, Lexie Smuchynsky, Mary Storholm, Olivia St. Peter Box Office Intern..............................................................................................Margot Correa Audience Services Manager........................................................................................Jacob Ellison Audience Services Assistant.................................................................................Ella Lafontant Assistant House Manager......................................................Patricia Condello, Donna Stuccio Student Assistant House Managers.................Valeria Berdecia, Manda Borden, Jackson Norman Claire St. Marie, McKenna Vargas, Marilyn Wechsler Bartenders...........Daisha Abdillahi, Meg Pusey-Anthis, Michelle Cannizzo, Evan Starling-Davis Student Ushers.......................Summer Ainsworth, Gabriel Arbelo, Haley Ayers, Alana Barker, Blake Brewer, Anju Cloud, Ashley Collado, Juliette Geraghty, Olivia Herz, Ellie Kallay, Calvin Keener, Dylan King, Jaelle LaGuerre, Kerri McAneney, Maria Polanco, Denise Romero, Eli Shwartz, Charles Curtis Towle III, Damon Williams, Haley Wright Director of Development...............................................................................................Tina Morgan Development Manager.......................................................................................Stefania Ianno Development Assistant.................................................................................Elizabeth Gardner Development Intern.............................................................................................Daniel Wilde Director of Education & Community Engagement.......................................................Joann Yarrow Associate Director of Education.............................................................................Kate Laissle Community Engagement and Education Assistant...................................MiKayla Hawkinson Education Assistant...................................................................................................Len Fonte Education Intern.......................................................................................Brianna Stankiewicz Director of Marketing and Communications..............................................................Joseph Whelan Group/Corporate Sales Manager..........................................................................Tracey White Marketing Manager...........................................................................................Joanna Penalva Patron Campaign Specialist.........................................................................Nori Gartner-Baca Graphic Designers.................................................................Jonathan Hudak, Brenna Merritt Group Sales Assistant........................................................................................Amanda Kurey Student Group Sales Assistant.............................................................................Lia Chapman Marketing Interns...........................................................Cara Christian, Lyle Andrew Michael Executive Assistant..................................................................................................Rebecca Li Grady Artistic Student Intern.................................................................................................Andy Jacobson Sign Language Interpreters..............................Brenda Brown, Jim Brown, Jessie Falke, Sue Freeman, Mae Harrington, Joanne Jackowski, Zenna Preli, Trisha Schwartz, Tessa Wall Open Captioning...................................................................................................Michael McCurdy Audio Description...................................................................................Kate Laissle, Joseph Whelan Community Services Officers.......................................................Stacey Emmons, Joseph O'Connor Custodians.................................................................................................Les Edwards, Tony Rogers
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College of Visual and Performing Arts
ADVERTISE HERE The Department of Drama program is published five times a year. For advertising rates and information contact the marketing office at 315.443.2636.
OCT 9 - 27
TWELVE ANGRY MEN
By Reginald Rose | Directed by James Still Co-produced with Indiana Repertory Theatre
Disney’s NOV 22 - JAN 5
voices live in light...
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Music by Alan Menken | Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice Book by Linda Woolverton | Directed by Donna Drake | Choreography by Anthony Salatino | Musical Direction by Brian Cimmet | Flying Effects by ZFX Inc. | Co-produced with the Syracuse University Department of Drama
JAN 22 - FEB 16
THE WOLVES
By Sarah DeLappe | Directed by Melissa Rain Anderson Co-produced with the Syracuse University Department of Drama Performed in the Storch Theatre
MAR 11 - 29
AMADEUS
By Peter Shaffer | Directed by Robert Hupp Co-produced with the Syracuse University Department of Drama
APR 15 - MAY 3
ONCE
Book by Enda Walsh | Music and Lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová Based on the Motion Picture Written and Directed by John Carney Directed by Mark Cuddy | Co-produced with Geva Theatre Center
MAY 27 - JUN 14
YOGA PLAY
By Dipika Guha | Directed by Robert Hupp
OFF SUBSCRIPTION SEP 4 - 22
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN
SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE STARTING AT $198
315.443.3275 SYRACUSESTAGE.ORG
A Cold Read WORLD PREMIERE Event By Keenan Scott II | Directed by Taye Diggs Music composed by Madison McFerrin Choreography by Jenny Parsinen In association with Brian Moreland and Ron Simons Associate directed by Shannon Stoeke Co-produced with Baltimore Center Stage
APR 1 - 5
COLD READ
A FESTIVAL OF HOT NEW PLAYS Playwright-In-Residence Octavio Solis | Write Here featured local author Charles Martin | Curated by Kyle Bass
College of Visual and Performing Arts
A CHORUS LINE
PRESENTS
CONCEIVED AND ORIGINALLY DIRECTED AND CHOREOGRAPHED BY MICHAEL BENNETT | BOOK BY JAMES KIRKWOOD AND NICHOLAS DANTE | MUSIC BY MARVIN HAMLISCH | LYRICS BY EDWARD KLEBAN CO-CHOREOGRAPHED BY BOB AVIAN | DIRECTED AND CHOREOGRAPHED BY BRIAN J. MARCUM MUSIC DIRECTION BY BRIAN CIMMET | OCTOBER 4 - 13 | OPENING NIGHT: OCTOBER 5
THE CRUCIBLE
SEASON
BY ARTHUR MILLER | DIRECTED BY GERARDINE CLARK | NOVEMBER 8 - 17 | OPENING NIGHT: NOVEMBER 9
DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST* MUSIC BY ALAN MENKEN | LYRICS BY HOWARD ASHMAN AND TIM RICE | BOOK BY LINDA WOOLVERTON | DIRECTED BY DONNA DRAKE CHOREOGRAPHY BY ANTHONY SALATINO MUSICAL DIRECTION BY BRIAN CIMMET | FLYING EFFECTS BY ZFX INC. | CO-PRODUCED WITH SYRACUSE STAGE | NOVEMBER 22 – JANUARY 5 OPENING NIGHT: NOVEMBER 29
ROMEO AND JULIET BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE | DIRECTED BY THOM MILLER | PERFORMED IN THE ARCHBOLD THEATRE FEBRUARY 14 - 22 | OPENING NIGHT: FEBRUARY 15
IT’S A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING MUSIC BY RICHARD RODGERS | LYRICS BY OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II | MUSIC ARRANGEMENTS BY FRED WELLS | CONCEIVED BY WALTER BOBBIE MARCH 27 – APRIL 5 | OPENING NIGHT: MARCH 28
ON THE LAKE BY REZA DE WET | DIRECTED BY STEPHEN CROSS MAY 1 - 9 | OPENING NIGHT: MAY 2
*DRAMA SUBSCRIBERS WILL RECEIVE VOUCHERS REDEEMABLE FOR TICKETS TO DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. PHOTO: (L-R) JOSHUA KEEN, JOSHUA KRING, AND KAYLA MATTOCKS IN THE WILD PARTY. DIRECTED BY KATHERINE MCGERR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR AND CHOREOGRAPHER: ANDREA LEIGH-SMITH. MUSIC DIRECTOR: BRIAN CIMMET. SCENIC AND LIGHTING DESIGNER: ALEX KOZIARA. COSTUME DESIGNER: CARMEN MARTINEZ. SOUND DESIGNER: JACQUELINE R HERTER. MAKE-UP AND WIG DESIGNER: SARAH STARK. PHOTOGRAPHER: MICHAEL DAVIS. RALPH ZITO, CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA
S E AS O N S PO N S O R
TICKETS AND SEASON PACKAGES AVAILABLE VPA.SYR.EDU/DRAMATICKETS 315.443.3275