king james
The Slutzker Family Foundation is proud to be a Season Sponsor of the Syracuse Stage 24/25 season, full of stories that engage, entertain, and inspire us to see life beyond our own experience.
Born in Budapest, Hungary in 1917, Lillian Slutzker was a survivor. After fleeing Nazi control for England, she met her husband at a USO dance and later returned to his hometown of Rome, New York.
She dedicated her life to bettering her community. The Foundation’s purpose is to carry on her incredible legacy and fulfill her passion for Judaism, education, the arts, and enriching the community.
LETTER FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
DEAR FRIENDS,
Welcome to Syracuse Stage and King James ! We’re very glad you’re here. We’re excited to launch the second half of our 24/25 season with Rajiv Joseph’s powerful drama.
Paired with our recent production of Primary Trust, you’ll note that we’re focusing this winter on plays about friendship and community. Although our seasons are selected over a year in advance, we believe the themes brought to life by King James are exceedingly timely and relevant to our world right now. We hope you agree.
And speaking of friendships, we are glad to partner on this production with our friends and colleagues at the Indiana Repertory Theatre. Regular Stage-goers will note this partnership has been fruitful; past co-productions include The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, 12 An gry Men and Clue. This partnership allows us to combine resources and create the best possible theatrical ex perience for patrons in Indianapolis and Syracuse. Stay tuned for more news about how we’ll continue this partnership in the seasons ahead.
For now, thank you for joining us for King James . Welcome to season 51 part two. Enjoy the show!
With warm regards,
Robert Hupp Artistic Director
ROBERT HUPP.
PHOTO: BRENNA MERRITT.
YOUR STAGE. YOURYOURSTORIES. STAGE. YOUR STORIES.
CITIZEN JAMES, OR THE YOUNG MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY
AUGUST 2-3, 2024 FREE TICKETED EVENT
By Kyle Bass | Directed by Joann Yarrow | Produced in partnership with 100 Black Men of Syracuse
Witness a young James Baldwin find his voice in this powerful one-man show about the author and Civil Rights activist. ••••••••••••••••••••••••
THE SECOND CITY 65TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW
SEPTEMBER 18 - 29, 2024
Presented by Syracuse Stage
A hysterical touring production.
DIAL M FOR MURDER
OCTOBER 16 – NOVEMBER 3, 2024
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher | From the original by Frederick Knott | Directed by Robert Hupp
An old-school, edge of-your-seat mystery.
RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA
NOVEMBER 22 – JANUARY 5, 2025
Music by Richard Rodgers | Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II | Adapted for the stage by Tom Briggs from the Teleplay by Robert L. Freedman | Directed by Melissa Rain Anderson | Music Direction by Brian Cimmet | Choreographed by Jessica Chen | Co-Produced with the Syracuse University Department of Drama
Glass slippers, pumpkins, and dreams-come-true.
PRIMARY TRUST
JANUARY 22 – FEBRUARY 9, 2025
By Eboni Booth | Directed by Melissa Crespo
Poignant drama about embracing new beginnings.
KING JAMES
FEBRUARY 26 – MARCH 16, 2025
By Rajiv Joseph | Directed by Jamil Jude Co-Produced with Indiana Repertory Theatre
A slam dunk of a show about unlikely friends, basketball, and LeBron James.
••••••••••••••••••••••••
SENSE AND SENSIBILITY
APRIL 23 – MAY 11, 2025
By Kate Hamill | Based on the novel by Jane Austen Directed by Jason O’Connell
Love triumphs over tradition in this playful adaptation.
THE NATIONAL PASTIME
JUNE 11 – 29, 2025
A Julie Lutz Cold Read World Premiere
Written by Rogelio Martinez | Directed by Johanna McKeon
Baseball meets espionage meets psychological intrigue.
PRESENTS
king james
SCENIC DESIGNER
Czerton Lim
Robert Hupp
Artistic Director
SEASON SPONSORS
Rajiv Joseph
DIRECTED BY
Jamil Jude
COSTUME DESIGNER
Ari Fulton BY
DRAMATURG
Richard J Roberts
Carly DiFulvio Allen Managing Director
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Dawn Chiang
STAGE MANAGER
Miriam Hyfler
Melissa Crespo Associate Artistic Director
CO-PRODUCING PARTNER
Indiana Repertory Theatre
Benjamin Hanna, Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director
Suzanne Sweeney, Managing Director
MEDIA SPONSOR
SOUND DESIGNER
Mikaela Fraser
Kyle Bass Resident Playwright
PAY-WHAT-YOU-WILL SPONSOR
King James is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service imprint. (www.dramatists.com) King James was co-commissioned by Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Anna D. Shapiro, Artistic Director, David Schmitz, Executive Director, and Center Theatre Group, Michael Ritchie, Artistic Director, Douglas C Baker, Producing Director, and received its world premiere in 2022 in co-productions at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago and Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles.
February 26 - March 16, 2025
Join the ensemble with an Annual Fund donation to help us make a difference through live theatre.
Your gift supports educational, artistic, accessibility, and community engagement programming which provides the city of Syracuse and the Central New York Region a platform to connect and build community.
Garrett Turner and Eunice Woods in the 2024 Pulitzer Prize winner Primary Trust by Eboni Booth at Syracuse Stage. Directed by Melissa Crespo. Scenic design by Ann Beyersdorfer. Costume design by Carmen Martinez. Lighting design by Alejandro Fajardo. Sound design by Jacqueline R Herter. Original music by Armando Gutierrez. Photo by Brenna Merritt
CAST
(in order of speaking)
Quinn M. Johnson............................................Matt Enoch King....................................................Shawn
SETTING
Cleveland Heights, Ohio 2004, 2010, 2014, 2016
ADDITIONAL CREDITS
Associate Scenic Designer: Donnie Woodard
First Stage Management Production Assistant: Erin C Brett Second Stage Management Production Assistant: Katie Barnes Stage Management Intern: Katrina Barrett†
TAKING PHOTOS IN THE THEATRE
Audience members may take photos in the theatre before and after the performance and during intermission. If you post photos on social media or elsewhere, you must credit the production's director and designers by including the names below. Please note: Photos are strictly prohibited during the performance. Photos of the stage are not permitted if an actor is present. Video and audio recording is not permitted at any time in the theatre.
Photo credit: The Syracuse Stage production of King James | By Rajiv Joseph | Directed by Jamil Jude | Scenic Design by Czerton Lim | Costume Design by Ari Fulton | Lighting Design by Dawn Chiang | Sound Design by Mikaela Fraser
The actors and stage manager in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. The Scenic, Costume, Lighting, and Sound Designers in LORT theatres are represented by United Scenic Artists Local USA-829, IATSE. The Director is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union. King James is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. †Student, Syracuse University Department of Drama.
Save the Date!
SYRACUSE STAGE ANNUAL FUNDRAISER
CAST PARTY
SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2025
SYRACUSE STAGE 820 E. GENESEE ST.
Presenting award winning and Syracuse native cabaret artist Marissa Mulder.
MARISSA MULDER
RAJIV JOSEPH: ON KING JAMES
Rajiv Joseph was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1974, and came of age in a household that celebrated his hometown teams. “We were a Cleveland family,” he told Sarah Bahr of the New York Times, while in rehearsal for the Chicago premiere of King James in 2022. “We watched the Cavs, we watched the Indians, we watched the Browns. And all our moods fluctuated accordingly.”
The following are excerpts from that same interview, in which Joseph describes his relationship to sports, Cleveland, and LeBron “King” James—and how his personal history helped shape the world of the play.
RAJIV JOSEPH.
PHOTO: LYNN LANE.
ON GROWING UP IN A SPORTS-CENTRIC CITY:
At least in the sort of heteronormative world in which I grew up, it was a struggle for young American men to communicate emotion. Sometimes a love of the game is the only way people who have difficulty expressing their feelings are able to articulate them.
ON THE PROCESS OF WRITING KING JAMES:
I thought this would be an interesting way of exploring my own relationship with LeBron. This play is a sort of alchemy of stories I’ve heard, conversations I’ve had with people and the general sense of being a young person in Cleveland Heights and those heightened emotions that come out when you start arguing about sports.
ON LEBRON’S INFAMOUS THE DECISION TELEVISION SPECIAL, IN WHICH HE ANNOUNCED HE WAS LEAVING CLEVELAND FOR MIAMI:
It was traumatic. But when you watch LeBron from then, you realize he was such a different person than he is now—like we all are. If any of us look back at when we were 25, I bet we’d kind of wince at some of the things we did and said.
His Majesty Lebron James
BY RICHARD J ROBERTS RESIDENT DRAMATURG, INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE
LEBRON JAMES IS WIDELY
considered to be one of the greatest-if not the greatest-basketball players of all time, earning him the nickname "King James."
Born in Akron, Ohio, in 1984, he began playing basketball at the age of nine. As a freshman at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, he averaged 21 points per game in an undefeated season, and his team won the state’s Division III title. The next year, he was the first sophomore ever to be selected as Ohio’s Mr. Basketball, and the first sophomore ever selected for the USA Today All-USA First
Team. The following season, he was the first junior ever named as the Gatorade National Player of the Year. During his senior year, he averaged 31 points per game, had a high game of 52 points, and led his team to their third state championship.
Upon graduating from high school in 2003, James was chosen by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the first pick of the NBA draft. He ended the season with a 20-point average, was the first Cleveland player ever named Rookie of the Year, and helped the team to win 18 more games than the previous
In LeBron's absence, the Cavaliers had been the lowest ranked team in the NBA. In his first season back, Cleveland made it to the finals, and in 2016 the Cavaliers came back from a 3-1 deficit to win the city’s first professional sports title in 52 years.
season. In his second year, he set a new Cleveland single-game record with 56 points, and was named to the All-NBA Team. In 2006, the Cavaliers qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1998. In 2007, they won their first-ever Eastern Conference championship, but lost in the Finals in a four-game sweep. The following season, James averaged 30 points a game, becoming Cleveland’s all-time leading scorer and the NBA’s top scorer for the year. In 2009 he was the first Cavalier ever chosen as the NBA’s MVP.
LEBRON JAMES FOLLOWING THE CAVALIERS' 2016 NBA CHAMPIONSHIP.
PHOTO: JESSE D. GARRABRANT/ GETTY IMAGES.
In 2022 James became the highest-paid athlete in NBA history. In 2023 he became the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. He played in his fourth Olympics in 2024, winning his third gold medal. At 40, he is currently the oldest player in the NBA.
The next year he received the same award, but James (and the team) did poorly in the playoffs.
In July 2010, on a live ESPN special titled The Decision, James announced that he was leaving the Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat. This move, as well as the manner of the announcement itself, was met with widespread criticism from basketball professionals, analysts, and fans alike. Almost overnight, James went from being one of America’s most popular athletes to one of the most disliked, while the Heat came to be seen as the villains of the NBA. Nonetheless, after struggling in the early season, the Heat ended up in the 2011 Finals. James himself played poorly in the Finals, and the team lost in the sixth game. The following two seasons the team won back-to-back championships, and James was named MVP for the third and fourth time.
After one more season with Miami, James returned to Cleveland, a move that was widely praised. In his absence, the Cavaliers had been the lowest ranked team in the NBA. In his first season back, Cleveland made it to the finals, and in 2016 the Cavaliers came back from a 3-1 deficit to win the city’s first professional sports title in 52 years. The team made it to the finals the next
two years as well, but lost both series. In 2018 James left Cleveland to join the Los Angeles Lakers. His agent, Rich Paul, told Sports Illustrated, “In 2010, when he went to Miami, it was about championships. In 2014, when he went back to Cleveland, it was about delivering on a promise. In 2018, it was just about doing what he wants to do.” In his first LA season, James was plagued with injuries, but the following year he won his fourth NBA championship, and his fourth Finals MVP award. In 2022 James became the highest-paid athlete in NBA history. In 2023 he became the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. He played in his fourth Olympics in 2024, winning his third gold medal. At 40, he is currently the oldest player in the NBA.
James married his high school sweetheart, Savannah Brinson, in 2013, and they have three children. Their eldest son, Bronny, was selected by the Lakers in the 2024 NBA draft, creating the first active father-son player duo in NBA history.
Standing 6 feet 9 inches tall and weighing 250 pounds, James has played the majority of his career as a forward. An athletic and versatile player, he has been compared to Basketball Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson, Magic John-
son, and Michael Jordan. Throughout most of the 2010s, James was annually ranked as the best player in the NBA by ESPN and Sports Illustrated
James is widely recognized for empowering players in the NBA corporate structure. Ben Golliver of the Washington Post has said that when James moved from the Cavaliers to the Heat in 2010, he “fundamentally flipped the power balance between stars and their organizations,” spurring a decade of player movement. Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has said, “We’ve taken control of our destiny. And I think a lot of people hate that.... I think the
doors that he’s opened for athletes and especially basketball players is his biggest accomplishment.”
James is seen by many of his fellow NBA players, the media, and the general public as “the face of the NBA.” He has four times been listed by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, more than any other professional athlete. He has been awarded 2 NAACP Image Awards. NBA analyst Brian Windhorst has said, “No one has ever had as much hype as James has had to live up to, and James has delivered on every last drop.”
-Richard J Roberts
MIAMI HEAT FORWARD LEBRON JAMES TAKES ON ATLANTA HAWKS' JOSH SMITH. PHOTO: AP.
CAST
Quinn M. Johnson ( Matt ) Off-Broadway: Jordans (The Public), Black Mother Lost Daughter (Atlantic Theater Company). Regional: Clyde ’s , Godspeed (Denver Center of Performing Arts); Clyde’s (Studio Theatre); Much Ado about Nothing, The Merchant of Venice, Our Town (Shakespeare Theatre Company); Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train (Short North Stage). International: The Bacchae (International Festival of Greek Drama); Mother Courage and Her Children, The Changeling, and The Revenger’s Tragedy (RADA). Quinn was recently featured in FBI and is an alumnus of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and the Shakespeare Theater Academy.
Enoch King (Shawn) Enoch was previously seen at the IRT in Flyin’ West. An Atlanta native, his recent credits include Wild with Happy and The Light (Horizon Theatre), Hold On! (St. Louis Black Rep), Toni Stone (Alliance Theatre, Suzi Bass Award for Outstanding Featured Performer), Hands of Color (Synchronicity Theatre, Suzi Bass Award for Best World Premiere), The Christians (Actors Express, Suzi Bass Award for Best Supporting Actor). TV and film credits include Bad Boys 4, Atlanta, Till, and The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey. Enoch is represented by Houghton Talent and Ross Stephens Arts and Entertainment. “Love to my family and friends. King Vibration!”
CREATIVE TEAM
Czerton Lim (he/him) (Scenic Designer) At Syracuse Stage, Czerton designed last year’s Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, a co-production of Clue with Indiana Repertory Theatre, The Play That Goes Wrong, Matilda the Musical, and Talley’s Folly, to name a few. His work has been seen regionally in New York at the Rev Theatre Company, Hangar Theatre Company; around the country in NYC, D.C., Michigan, Ohio, Georgia, and California, to name a few; and internationally in Melbourne, Australia, and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. He teaches design and other related topics for the Department of Theatre & Dance at the State University of New York at Fredonia. A proud member of USA local 829, Czerton is originally from the Philippines. www.czlimdesign.com
Ari Fulton ( Costume Designer ) At the IRT, Ari has designed costumes for Fannie and Pipeline . Off-Broadway: Covenant (Roundabout Theatre), Nova (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), Confederates (Signature Theatre Company, Lortel nomination), The School for Wives (Molière in the Park), Little Girl Blue (LDK Productions). Regional: Rocky
CREATIVE TEAM
Horror Show (Dallas Theatre Center), Rent (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), L’Amant Anonyme (Atlanta Opera and Minnesota Opera), A Wonderful World (Miami New Drama, Broadway World winner). Film: Incomplete (20th Century Digital and Hulu, NAACP Image Award Nominee), Disney Discovers (Disney Television, ABC), Cupids (Tribeca Film Festival and P&G). Nigerian Prince (AT&T, Netflix, Executive produced by Spike Lee).
Dawn Chiang (Lighting Designer) designed Little Shop of Horrors, Shakespeare’s Will, and Sense and Sensibility at the IRT. For Syracuse Stage, she has designed numerous productions, including Dial M for Murder, Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, and Amadeus. Broadway: Zoot Suit and co-designer for Tango Pasión. Off Broadway: Manhattan Theatre Club, Roundabout Theatre; Encores! Concert Musicals, co-designer. Opera: resident lighting designer, New York City Opera. Regional: Guthrie Theater, Mark Taper Forum, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, South Coast Repertory, Denver Center Theatre Company, and many more. Awards: One Broadway World award, two Syracuse Area Live Theatre Awards, two Drama-Logue Awards, and the USITT Distinguished Achievement Award.
Mikaela Fraser ( Sound Designer ) is an Atlanta-based sound designer and engineer and a graduate of Kennesaw State University. Her notable work includes The Play That Goes Wrong , Sister Act , and The Color Purple at Aurora Theatre; Blues for an Alabama Sky, Red Speedo, and Lizzie at Actor’s Express; Once at Horizon Theatre; The Drowsy Chaperone at Atlanta Lyric Theatre; Ella Enchanted at Synchronicity Theatre; and Stew at Theatrical Outfit. Additional credits include Shutter Sisters at the Old Globe, The Factotum at Lyric Opera Theatre, Trouble in Mind at the Warehouse Theatre, and Wrong River at Flint Repertory Theatre.
Richard J Roberts (Dramaturg) This is Richard’s 35th season with the IRT, and his 27th as resident dramaturg. He has also been a dramaturg for the New Harmony Project, Write Now, and the Hotchner Playwriting Festival. He has directed IRT productions of A Christmas Carol, Bridge & Tunnel, The Night Watcher, Neat, Pretty Fire, The Cay, The Giver, The Power of One, and Twelfth Night. This season at Actors Theatre of Indiana he directed She Loves Me. Richard studied music at DePauw University and theatre at Indiana University and was awarded a Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship from the Arts Council of Indianapolis.
CREATIVE TEAM
Miriam Hyfler ( Stage Manager ) Miriam ’s select credits include Sumpn like Wings, Partnership, Becomes a Woman, The Rat Trap, Chains (Mint Theater); In the Heights, Rock of Ages, Beautiful (the Gateway Playhouse); hang, Time Stands Still (Shakespeare & Company); Shanghai Sonatas (Master Players Concert Series); On Blueberry Hill, Maz and Bricks (Origin Theatre/ Fishamble); Three Small Irish Masterpieces, It’s a Wonderful Life, Woman and Scarecrow (Irish Rep); author Directing author (La Mama); How to Break (HERE); Richard III, Henry V (New York Classical Theatre); Cymbeline, Capsule 33 (Barrow Street Theater); and several seasons with the Play Company, Phoenix Theatre Ensemble, Pan Asian Rep, and New Century Theatre.
DIRECTOR
Jamil Jude is a highly accomplished director/producer/ playwright/dramaturg focusing on bringing socially relevant art to the community. He is the Artistic Director at Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company in Atlanta, GA. He is the Co-Founder of the New Griots Festival, which is dedicated to celebrating, advocating, and advancing the careers of emerging Black artists in Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota. Jamil has had the privilege of directing across the country at venues like the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, the American Conservatory Theatre, RoundHouse Theatre, the Alliance Theatre, Curious Theatre, A Contemporary Theatre, and many others.
PLAYWRIGHT
Rajiv Joseph. Rajiv Joseph’s play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo was a 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist for Drama, was awarded a grant for Outstanding New American Play by the National Endowment for the Arts, and was produced on Broadway in 2011 with Robin Williams. Joseph has twice won the Obie Award for Best New American Play, first in 2016 with Guards at the Taj (also a 2016 Lortel Winner for Best Play) and again in 2018 for Describe the Night. Other plays include Archduke, Gruesome Playground Injuries, Animals out of Paper, The Lake Effect, The North Pool, and Mr. Wolf. King James premiered at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago in 2022. Joseph has been awarded artistic grants from the Whiting Foundation, United States Artists and the Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust. He is a board member of the Lark Play Development Center in New York City. He served for three years in the Peace Corps in Senegal and now lives in Brooklyn.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Robert Hupp is in his ninth season as artistic director of Syracuse Stage. He recently directed Dial M for Murder, Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, Our Town, The Play That Goes Wrong, Eureka Day, Annapurna, Talley’s Folly, Amadeus, Noises Off, Next to Normal, and The Three Musketeers for Stage. Prior to coming to Central New York, Robert spent seventeen seasons as the producing artistic director of Arkansas Repertory Theatre in Little Rock. He directed over 30 productions for Arkansas Rep ranging from Hamlet to Les Miserables to The Grapes of Wrath. In New York City, Robert directed the American premieres of Glyn Maxwell’s The Lifeblood and Wolfpit for the Phoenix Theatre Ensemble. He also served for nine seasons as the artistic director of the Obie Award-winning Jean Cocteau Repertory. At the Cocteau, Robert’s directing credits include works by Buchner, Wilder, Cocteau, Shaw, Wedekind and the premieres of the Bentley/Milhaud version of Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children, Seamus Heaney’s The Cure at Troy, and Eduardo de Filippo’s Napoli Millionaria. He has held faculty positions at Pennsylvania’s Dickinson College and, in Arkansas, at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Hendrix College. Robert served as vice president of the Board of Directors of the Theatre Communications Group and has served on funding panels for the New York State Council on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, the Theatre Communications Group, the New Jersey State Council of the Arts, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. While in Arkansas, Robert was named both Non-Profit Executive of the Year by the Arkansas Business Publishing Group, and Individual Artist of the Year by the Arkansas Arts Council. He and his wife Clea ride herd over a blended family of five children, one dog, and two cats.
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Carly DiFulvio Allen is thrilled to be joining Syracuse Stage this season. Originally from Rochester, NY, she is returning to the region after a twenty-year career on Broadway. Most recently at Disney Theatrical Group, she was the Associate General Manager for the worldwide productions of Aladdin (Broadway, First and Second North American Tours, West End, UK Tour, Australia, Germany, Japan, Mexico City, the Netherlands, and South Korea) and Beauty and the Beast (upcoming North American Tour, UK Tour, Australia, Japan and China at the Shanghai Disney Resort). Prior to her time at Disney, she was the Company Manager for Roundabout Theatre Company at the Todd Haimes Theatre (formerly the American Airlines Theatre) for twenty-five Broadway productions. Favorites include Violet with Sutton Foster, On the Twentieth Century with Kristin Chenoweth and Peter Gallagher, Noises Off with Andrea Martin, and the original Broadway production of The
MANAGING DIRECTOR
39 Steps. She has a Theatre Arts Management and Integrated Marketing Communications degree from Ithaca College and has taught theatre management at Pace University. While at Disney, she served on the advisory committee for ENSEMBLE, an employee-led network with the goal of fostering and celebrating an inclusive culture, and was the founding member and co-chair for a parents and caregivers sub-committee. She is forever grateful for the support of her parents, Jeff and Triscilla, and her husband Mike Allen. Carly’s most important role is mom to 5-year-old Arthur and 2-year-old Eloise.
ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Melissa Crespo (she/her) has made a career of developing new plays, musicals, and opera around the country and abroad. Most recently she directed the world premiere of Reggie Hoops by Kristoffer Diaz at Profile Theatre and the musical El Otro Oz by Tommy Newman, Mando Alvarez, and Jaime Lozano at Atlantic Theatre Company which was a NYTimes Critics Pick. Next spring, she will direct the world premiere of Christin Eve Cato’s O.K.! off-Broadway at INTAR Theatre. As a playwright, her play Egress, co-written with Sarah Saltwick, had a world premiere at Amphibian Stage and won the Roe Green Award for Outstanding Achievement in Playwriting at Cleveland Play House. She is one of the Founding Editors of 3Views on Theater, an online publication conceived by The Lillys. Fellowships and residencies include: Time Warner Fellow (WP Theatre), Usual Suspect (NYTW), The Director’s Project (Drama League), Van Lier Directing Fellow (Second Stage Theatre), and the Allen Lee Hughes Directing Fellow (Arena Stage). Melissa received her M.F.A. in directing from The New School for Drama. https://www.melissacrespo.com
RESIDENT PLAYWRIGHT
Kyle Bass, Resident Playwright at Syracuse Stage and curator of Poetry & Play, is the author of Toliver & Wakeman, which premiered at Franklin Stage Company, Tender Rain, which premiered at Syracuse Stage, Salt City Blues, which received its first production at Syracuse Stage, and Possessing Harriet, published and licensed by Theatrical Rights Worldwide, which premiered at Syracuse Stage, and has been produced at Franklin Stage Company, East Lynne Theater Company, and HartBeat Ensemble. Citizen James, or The Young Man Without a Country, about a young James Baldwin, streamed nationally and has been optioned for a featurelength film. With Ping Chong, he is the co-author of Cry for Peace: Voices
RESIDENT PLAYWRIGHT
from the Congo, which premiered at Syracuse Stage and was produced at La MaMa Experimental Theatre. A descendant of African people enslaved in colonial New England and in the American South, Kyle lives and writes in central upstate New York where his family has lived free and owned land for 226 years. Kyle is Associate Professor of Theater at Colgate University.
WHO WE ARE
Syracuse Stage is the non-profit professional theatre company in residence at Syracuse University. We are nationally recognized for creating stimulating theatrical work that engages Central New York, and for our significant contribution to the artistic life of Syracuse University, where we are a vital partner in achieving the educational mission of the University’s Department of Drama.
OUR MISSION
Syracuse Stage tells stories that engage, entertain, and inspire us to see life beyond our own experience.
OUR VISION
Reimagining what's possible for regional theatre-through active inclusion, innovative outreach, and bold productions-Syracuse Stage shapes the culture and social vitality of Central New York, enriches the Syracuse University student experience, and fosters change in ourselves, our communities, and our world.
OUR CORE VALUES
People - Actively including diverse individuals, communities, ideas, and perspectives. Passion - Commitment to integrity, excellence, and enthusiasm in our work. Curiosity - Fostering an innovative and adaptive environment that elicits wonder.
ANTI-RACISM PLEDGE
Syracuse Stage stands firmly against racism and discrimination. We pledge to stand with under-represented and oppressed communities and to advance antiracism in all aspects of our work, including the outward facing, public dimension of our creative endeavors and the less visible internal practices of the organization.
ABOUT SYRACUSE STAGE
Originally constructed as the Regent Movie House in 1914, the physical space of Syracuse Stage has seen many films, musicians, actors, and artists pass through its doors over the course of the past century. The Syracuse Stage that exists today is a non-for-profit professional theatre company founded in 1974, and a longstanding League of Resident Theatres (LORT) member. Since its inception, Stage has produced over 350 shows, both plays and musicals, within its walls. Now, Stage produces six to seven shows per season, while also offering educational programs to students, various pre- and post-show offerings, and fundraising events each year. Stage is Central New York’s only LORT theatre and one of the largest performing arts organizations in the area. Stage has a strong commitment to giving the community access to a range of high-quality productions; it is equally committed to bringing in actors, designers, and directors who are among the leading theatre professionals, both locally and across the nation.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Syracuse Stage respectfully acknowledges the Onondaga Nation, Firekeepers of the Haudenosaunee, the Indigenous people on whose ancestral lands we now stand.
IN THE COMMUNITY
Stage has collaborated with a myriad of institutions in the Syracuse area. Community partners include 100 Black Men of Syracuse, AccessCNY, ACR Health, ARC of Onondaga, ARISE, BOCES, CNY Reads, Ed 21, FOCL, Food Bank of Central New York, Interfaith Works of Central New York, La Casita, McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center, Onondaga Historical Association, Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park, SUNY Upstate Medical University, and Syracuse International Film Festival. Additionally, the educational department collaborates with many CNY schools.
CHAIR
SYRACUSE STAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Richard Driscoll
Senior Vice President Commercial Banking Division NBT Bank
PRESIDENT
Herman R. Frazier*
Senior Deputy Athletics Director Syracuse University
PAST CHAIR/VICE CHAIR
Rocco Mangano
Partner Mangano Law Office, PLLC
TREASURER
Brett Padgett*
Senior Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer
Syracuse University
SECRETARY
Maria Lesinski
Attorney Newman and Lickstein
AT-LARGE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER
Phil Turner
Pastor Bethany Baptist Church
Janet Audunson
Assistant General Counsel National Grid
George S. Bain Freelance Editor and Writer
Barbara Beckos Retired - Syracuse Stage
Nancy Byrne Community Volunteer
Jessica Cain Reporter WRVO
Dr. Ruth Chen* Professor of Practice
Syracuse University College of Engineering and Computer Science
Robin Curtis
NYS Lic. RE Asso. Broker Hunt Real Estate ERA
Denise Dyce*
Associate Vice President of Labor and Employee Relations
Syracuse University
Colleen A. Gaetano
Retired- Vice President Global Education & Artistry
Estée Lauder Companies, NYC
Helene Gold
Private Voice & Piano Instructor
Jacki Goldberg Community Volunteer
Nancy Green
Managing Member
Edward S. Green & Associates
Larry Harris Retired - EVP and CFO Saab, Inc.
Robert Hupp**
Artistic Director Syracuse Stage
Eric Jackson Co-Founder and CEO Black Cub Productions
Ken Jackson
Publisher and Editor Urban CNY (The Constitution)
Cydney Johnson
Deputy County Executive for Physical Services Onondaga County
Rebecca Karpoff*
Professor of Practice, Musical Theater/Coordinator of Vocal Instruction, Musical Theater Syracuse University Department of Drama
Kathy Kelly Retired - Health Educator, PNP
Larry Leatherman Retired - Bristol-Myers Squibb, MOST
Dan Lent Commercial Loan Officer AmeriCU Credit Union
Rob Lentz EVP of Enterprise Operations Zeta Global
Anthony Malavenda Retired - Duke’s Root Control
Julia Martin Partner Bousquet Holstein
Suzanne McAuliffe Retired - Educator
Michael McCurdy** Interim Managing Director Syracuse Stage
Rod McDonald Bond, Schoeneck & King
Molly Mulvihill Sr. Relationship Manager Global Commercial Banking Bank of America
Fran Nichols Retired - Mower, Inc.
Mona Paradis Stadium International Trucks
YiWei Qi Co-Founder and CEO AccuGPS LLC
Dr. Henry Roane Executive Director and Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry Upstate Golisano Center for Special Needs
Molly Ryan Partner, Goldberg Segalla LLP
Robert Sarason Retired - Lawyer, Organizer, Fundraiser
Cora Thomas
Radio Host and Office Manager, WAER
Michael S. Tick* Dean, College of Visual and Performing Arts Syracuse University
Dr. Amy Tucker
Chief Medical Officer SUNY Upstate Medical University
Andrea Waldman Operations and Development Coordinator Make A Wish Foundation of Central New York
Maryam Wasmund
Chief Financial Officer Filtertech Inc.
Ralph Zito** Chair
Syracuse University Department of Drama
*University Trustee **Ex-Officio
SYRACUSE STAGE EMERITUS TRUSTEES
We are grateful to the following individuals who have served as Members of the Stage Board of Trustees and continue to provide significant support to Syracuse Stage.
Jim Breuer
Sandra Brown
Mary Beth Carmen Bea González
Joan Green
Elizabeth Hartnett
John Huhtala
Margaret Martin
Kevin McAuliffe
Eric Mower
Judy Mower
Michael Shende
Richard Shirtz
Sharon Sullivan
Jack Webb
Michael Zoanetti
SYRACUSE STAGE EDUCATION ADVOCACY BOARD
Sara Bambino Cicero-North Syracuse High School
Todd Benware Christian Brothers Academy
Kayden Blair Cazenovia High School
Silas Crawford
Notthingham High School
Ella Culligan Liverpool High School
Joclyn Dallas Cicero-North Syracuse High School
Josie Feck
Fayetteville-Manlius High School
Kate Fennessy Auburn High School
Jackson Finn Christian Brothers Academy
Claire Foran East Syracuse Minoa Central High School
Jordan Berger Jamesville-DeWitt High School
Rhiannon Berry Liverpool High School
Elizabeth Defurio Nottingham High School
David Fisselbrand Auburn High School
Melissa Morgan Baker High School
Matthew Phillips Jamesville-DeWitt High School
YOUNG ADULT COUNCIL
Hayden Frisbie Fayetteville-Manlius High School
Anqi Geng Manlius Pebble Hill School
Brooklynn Gilbert North Syracuse Junior High School
Zinira Izmir Manlius Pebble Hill School
Beatrix Karn Cazenovia High School
Rei Korthas Homeschooled
Molly Linzer Manlius Pebble Hill School
Cecilia Lombardi Christian Brothers Academy
Madison Macomber East Syracuse Minoa Central High School
Zoie Markowski Solvay High School
Ethan Meives
Cicero-North Syracuse High School
Octavia Miller Fayetteville-Manlius High School
Jacelyn Peña Corcoran High School
Briar Raymond North Syracuse Junior High School
Taeyang Reid Manlius Pebble Hill School
Harper Shute
Fayetteville-Manlius High School
Linda Ponza Solvay High School
Jennifer Sabatino Cato-Meridian Middle School
Caleb Smith Manlius Pebble Hill School
Abbie Sundet Paul V. Moore High School
Leo True-Frost Jamesville-DeWitt High School
Thomas Warne Nottingham High School
Rebecca Wheeler Homeschooled
Mika Zolberg-Steiger Manlius Pebble Hill School
SYRACUSE STAGE ANNUAL FUND GIFTS
Syracuse Stage depends on the generosity of contributions from individuals, corporations, businesses, foundations, and government agencies. It is with much gratitude that we recognize the following donors to our annual campaign. For information regarding levels of contribution and benefits of each please contact the Development office at 315-443-3931 or visit syracusestage.org.
CORPORATE, FOUNDATION, AND GOVERNMENT SPONSORS
Richard Mather Fund
CORPORATE, FOUNDATION, AND GOVERNMENT SPONSORS
Contributions listed above are current as of February 6, 2025, and reflect operating support of $5,000+ and in-kind donations of $10,000+.
The Dorothy and Marshall M. Reisman Foundation is proud to be a sponsor of the arts in Central New York. We recognize the deep importance live theatre plays in shaping the cultural and social vitality of our community. In these challenging times, theatre brings us together to be inspired and celebrate the richness of the human experience. We are delighted to continue to support Syracuse Stage and this very special production of King James.
King James is made possible with funds from the General Operating Support program a regrant program of the County of Onondaga with the support of County Executive, J. Ryan McMahon II, and the Onondaga County Legislature, administered by CNY Arts.
50 TH ANNIVERSARY CAMPAIGN GIFTS
Syracuse Stage's 50th Anniversary Season is presented by Slutzker Family Foundation
Sarah Alden
Jackie Anderson
Robert & Jeanne Anderson
Frank Badagnani
George S. Bain
Rosemary Baker & Stuart Spiegel
Keith Batman & Barbara Post
Helen Beale
Barbara Beckos & Arthur McDonald
Jean Beers
Carrie Berse & Chris Skeval
Michael & Jennifer Blowers
Leslee Boissy
Thomas & Carol Boll
Jon & Patricia Booth
Dennis & Mary Anne Brady
Mary Brady
Marion Brillati
Angel Broadnax
Pamela Brown-Benjamin
Marlene Brown
Paul Brown & Susan Loevenguth
Gary & Kathleen Bruno
Lia & Dean Burrows
Kathleen Burt
Patricia Bush
Nancy & William Byrne
Mark & Lori Campitello
Rich & Mary Cappelli
Cazenovia Jewelry
Anthony & Carolyn Cimino
Patricia & Sandy Colabufo
Nicholas & Louanne Colaneri
Elaine Coppola
Raymond W. Cummings, Jr.
Kevin & Kristin Curtis
Therese & Walter Dancks
Anthony & Deborah D'Angelo
Bill & Terry Delavan
Roger & Naomi DeMuth
Robert Desimone
Mary DiSanto
James & Leona Dowd
Dick & Therese Driscoll
Richard Ellison & Margaret Ksander
Carole Farfaglia
Carol Fedrizzi
Alan Fischler & Karen McDonold
David & Karen Fitch
Molly Carole Fitzpatrick
Robert & Terry Flower
Peter Frantzis
Nancy Freeborough
George & Halina Gagne
Jim & Carol Galvin
Barbara Genton
Neil & Helene Gold
Jacki & Michael Goldberg
Douglas Goldschmidt & David Jacobs
Linda Fabian & Dennis Goodrich
William Goodwin
Nancy Green & Tony Marschall
Muffy & Herbert Baird
Hansen
Tom & Cynthia Helmer
Kenneth Hendel
Steven Herwood
Michele Hickman
Judy Huckle
Robert & Clea Hupp
Norma Huxter
Linda Imboden
Emily Johnson & Vijay Ramachandran
Deborah Joiner
Laura & Ed Jordan
Gwenn & John Judge
Michael & Audrey Kane
Brian Kane & Phyllis Perrotti
James & Jan Kaplan
Dana Keefer
Kathy Kelly & Len Weiner
John & Gloria Kennedy
Stewart Koenig & Judy Schmid
Dean Kolts
Jill Ladd
Lorraine LaDuke
Andrea Latchem
Skip Lentz & Anne Russ
Stephen Lessie
Linda Loomis
Tony Malavenda & Martine
Burat
Rocco & Roberta Mangano
Wade Manning
Nicholas Martin
Richard Mather Fund
Kevin & Suzanne McAuliffe
Donyce & Kenneth
McCluskey
Andreas & Margaret Meier
As of February 6, 2025.
Carl Mellor
Michael & Claudia Miceli
Gail Mitchell
Bruce Moseley & Leigh
Yardley
Molly & Kevin Mulvihill
Janet Munro
Claire Myers
NBT Bank Corp. Inc.
Richard & Barbara Natoli
Marty & Millie Newshan
Becky Nicandri
Sally Lou & Fran Nichols
Leslie Noble & Bill Morris
Sally O'Herin
Marjorie Ostrander
Brett & Jeannie Padgett
Cindy Paikin
Ricky & Whitney Pak
David & Susan Palen
Cathy Palm
Nolan & Phyllis Palsma
Peter & Constance Palumb
Robert & Teresa Parke
Susan Perriello
Debra Petzold
Jane Pickett
Duane & Karleen Preske
Nancy Radoff
David Rankert
Jean Reilly
The Dorothy and Marshall
M. Reisman Foundation
Ross & Melanie Relyea
Todd Relyea
Patrick & Kuni Riccardi
Terry & Monica Richmond
Ron Ehrenreich & Sondra
Roth
James & Tricia Sadowski
Robert Sarason & Jane
Burkhead
Mike & Marilyn Sees
Barry & Jenny Shulman
Theresa Slosek & Ronald
Wilson
Slutzker Family Foundation
Joseph & Carolyn Smith
Vinodhini Subramanian
Sharon Sullivan & Paul
Phillips
John & Jamie Sutphen
Amy Sweeney
Delia & Sandy Temes
Angi Tipton
John Toomey
Hon. Karen M. Uplinger
Joseph & Carole Valesky
Nancy Wadopian
Marc & Marcy Waldauer
The Estate of George Wallerstein & Julie Lutz
Maryam Wasmund
Mark Watkins & Brenda Silverman
Liz & David Wei
Lynda Wheat
Dr. Kelvin White
Tom & Desiree Wight
Evelyn B Williams
Diana Wolpert
Leslie & Jerry Zaborsky
Joyce Zadzilka
INDIVIDUAL, CORPORATE, FOUNDATION, & GOVERNMENT GIFTS
New and increased gifts this season will be matched by The Richard Mather Fund.
It is our goal to provide a complete list of all donors $100+. Nevertheless, if your gift is not listed or is listed incorrectly, please accept our apologies, and contact the Development Office at 315-443-9848.
$100,000+
CNY Arts, Inc
Onondaga County
Syracuse University
The Estate of George Wallerstein & Julie Lutz
$50,000 - $99,999
Advance Media NY
Tom Kirdahy
The Dorothy and Marshall M. Reisman Foundation
The Shubert Foundation
Slutzker Family Foundation
Barry & Fran Weissler
$20,000 - $49,999
George S. Bain
New York State Council on the Arts
Richard Mather Fund
National Endowment for the Arts
$10,000 - $19,999
Nancy & William Byrne
Cathedral Candle Company
Jacki & Michael Goldberg
Nancy Green & Tony Marschall
Elizabeth Hartnett
M&T Bank
The Estate of Deborah O'Shea
The John Ben Snow Foundation & Memorial Trust
Sharon Sullivan & Paul Phillips
Douglas Sutherland & Nancy Kramer
Urban CNY
WAER
$5,000 - $9,999
Ryan & Leigh Ann Benz
Jim & Juli Boeheim Foundation
Jessica Cain & Kevin Kopko
JP Morgan Chase
Dr. Ruth Chen & Chancellor Kent Syverud
Cumulus Radio
Peggy & Dana Dudarchik
The Estate of Mary Louise Dunn
Maggie & Jake Feldmeier
Colleen Gaetano
Neil & Helene Gold
Larry & Ann Harris
Robert & Clea Hupp
Kathy Kelly & Len Weiner
Larry & Mary Leatherman
Skip Lentz & Anne Russ
Rocco & Roberta Mangano
Mangano Law Office, PLLC
Kevin & Suzanne McAuliffe
J.M. McDonald Foundation
Sally Lou & Fran Nichols
Eric & Judy Mower
National Grid
Joel Potash & Sandra Hurd
Selma Radin
Theatre Development Fund
Joshua & Andrea Waldman
Wegmans
WRVO
$3,500 - $4,999
Janet Audunson & David Youlen
Barbara Beckos & Arthur McDonald
Kathleen Bice Bond, Schoeneck & King Attorneys
John & Kimberly Huhtala
Steven & Elaine Jacobs
Maria Lesinski & Benjamin Hicks
Claire Myers
Molly Ryan & Tim Byrnes
Maryam Wasmund
$1,800 - $3,499
Bank of America
Francine Boutet
Constance Bull
Bousquet Holstein PLLC
Craig & Kathy Byrum
James Clark & Sharon
Gordon
The Estate of William Clark Jr.
Robin Curtis
Barbara Sheklin Davis
Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation
Edward & Susan Downing
Dick & Therese Driscoll
Melvin & Mildred Eggers
Family Charitable Foundation
Excellus BlueCross
BlueShield
Michael & Barbara Flintrop
The gifts listed in this program include those received or pledged between February 6, 2024 and February 6, 2025. It does not include gifts to the special 50th Anniversary Campaign.
Herman Frazier & Caroline Beal
Dorothy & Lawrence
Gordon
Dennis & Judi Hebert
Heritage Masonry Restoration, Inc.
David & Sally Hootnick
Cydney Johnson & Jeff Comanici
Randy & Elizabeth Kalish
Leslie Kohman
Tony Malavenda & Martine Burat
Rod & Jana McDonald
Walter & Elizabeth Merriam
Anne Morford
Molly & Kevin Mulvihill
Brett & Jeannie Padgett
YiWei Qi & Julie Yu
Michael & Rissa Ratner
Robert Sarason & Jane Burkhead
Gracia Sears
Sharye Skinner
Sam & Carolyn Spalding
Deirdre Stam
Raymond & Linda Straub
Dr. Amy Tucker
Michael & Cathy Tick
Jack & Linda Webb
$1,200 - $1,799
James & Nancy Asher
Debbie & Candido Bermudez
Donald Blair & Nancy
Dock
Brenda & Wendy Bousfield & David Marcus
Jim & Cathy Breuer
Ana Díaz-Diez & Javier
Maymi-Perez
Paul & Carolyn Frymoyer
Andrea Graham
Thomas Greenwood
Deborah & Samuel Haines
Richard G. Jaeger
Rebecca Karpoff
Julia & Lee Martin
Newman & Lickstein, LLP
David Rankert
David Redding
Frank and Frances Revoir Foundation
Henry Roane & Heather
Kadey
Nancy & Walter Shepard
Richard & Margaret Shirtz
James Shults
John Steigerwald IV
Rob & Christine Stoltz
Larry & Glenda Wetzel
$600 - $1,199
Edward & Angela Bernat
Susan Brett
Cazenovia Jewelry
Amy & Tom Clark
Mark Cywilko & Marianne
Moosbrugger
Denise Dyce
Mark & Marci Erlebacher
Allen & Anita Frank
Kenneth & Kathleen Freer
Judith Hand
Muffy & Herbert Baird
Hansen
Daniel & Julia Harris
David Heisig & Donna
Mahar
Joyce Day Homan
Richard & Margaret Ingraham
John & Maren King
Donna & Kenneth Kirsch
Victor & Linda Lebedovych
Bob & Pat Lebel
James MacKillop
Susan Martineau
James & Elizabeth Megna
John & Jill Melvin
John & Joan Nicholson
Sally O'Herin
David & Janice Panasci
Mona & John Paradis
Charles & Sharon
Primerano
Edward & Lois Schroeder
Geraldine & John Sheehan
Brenda Silverman
Cynthia Sutton
Thomas & Carole Taylor
Phil & Janice Turner
Joseph & Carole Valesky
Lynda Wheat
John & Mitzi Wolf
Gabriella Yonkers
$300 - $599
Robert & Jeanne Anderson
Chris Arnold
Timothy Atseff & Margaret
Ogden
Nancy Barnum
Paul Barron & Leah Weinberg
Jackie Bays & Joseph McCaffrey
Mary Brady
Dennis & Mary Anne Brady
Angel Broadnax
Marlene Brown
In Honor of
Contributions have been made to Syracuse Stage to honor someone, celebrate a special occasion, or offer an expression of sympathy in memory of a loved one.
George S. Bain, in memory of Ginny Parker.
Ronnie & Melinda Bell, in memory of Barbara Toman, SSITP's costume designer for nineteen seasons.
Debbie & Candido Bermudez, with pride for Candice's work at Stage.
Brenda & Wendy Bousfield & David Marcus, in memory of Mary Walsh.
Susan Brett, in memory of Thomas Brett.
Carol Bryant, in memory of Ginny Parker., Gwendalyn Rose Díaz, small dedication to my grandmother "TITA", my mom @ musicaltheatre_mom "Rosy" & the Syracuse Stage Company
Bob Hupp, Melissa Crespo & the board of directors and for believing in me the last few years while performing at Syracuse Stage! Memories of a lifetime! THANK YOU! #goorange
Ana Díaz-Diez & Javier Maymi-Perez, in loving memory of Pedro DíazMolina.
Farfaglia Family, in memory of Edward J Farfaglia.
Debbie Feinstein, to Eli Golding, Happy Graduation!
The Hennessy Family, in
The gifts listed in this program include those received or pledged between February 6, 2024 and February 6, 2025. It does not include gifts to the special 50th Anniversary Campaign.
Gary & Kathleen Bruno
Joe & Nancy Clayton
Paul & Linda Cohen
Jerilyn Costich
Anita Cottrell
Demetrius & Erin Cunia
George W. Curry
Jennifer Davidson
Christian & Ann Marie Day
Stephen & Emily DiMarco
Judith & William Dowling
Rebecca Downing
Richard Ernst
Linda Fabian & Dennis Goodrich
Gasparini Sales, Inc.
Edward & Debbie Genalo
Ellen Golden & Brian Walton
Bea Gonzalez & Michael Leonard
Michael & Whitney Hadley
Harvey's Garden
Karl & Mary Herba
Joseph & Paula Himmelsbach
Jeffrey Hollman
Emily Johnson & Vijay Ramachandran
Laura & Ed Jordan
Noel Keith
John & Gloria Kennedy
Tim & Susan Kennedy
Sheldon & Karen Kruth
Lorraine LaDuke
Robert & Lauren Lalley
Andrea Latchem
Mary Lombardo
George & Roseann Lorefice
Eugene & Christine Lozner
Donald & Patricia MacLaughlin
John & Candace Marsellus
Charles Martin & Johanna Keller
Holly Mathis
Laura McCord
Mary Ellen McDonald
Lauren Melnikow
James & Kathleen Muldoon
Doren Norfleet
Richard & Kimberly O'Brien
Cathy Palm
Robert & Teresa Parke
Paolo & Nicole Pastore
Jane Pickett
Mickey & Pat Piscitelli
Eileen Ponto
Howard & Ann Port
Terry & Monica Richmond
Mariangela Risucci
Jennifer Roberts
Linda & Bob Ryan
William Schuyler
Jon Selzer
Robert & Cheryl Shallish
Beth & Tobias Sienel
Dr Craig A Simmons
Joseph & Carolyn Smith
H. Paul Steiner
Cora Thomas
Victor & Diane Tice
Susan Wadley
Mary Ward
Derick White
John & Judy Winslow
Ralph Zito & Rob Bundy
$150 - $299
Jerrold & Harriet Abraham
James Aiello
Edwin & Kathleen Allen
Beatrice Angus
Michelle Arora
Holmes & Sarah M Bailey
Rosemary Baker & Stuart
Spiegel
William A Billingham
Diana Biro & Eric Rogers
Nicolina Bisson
Susan Boettger
Jon & Patricia Booth
Eric & Carol Boyer
Carmelita Britton & Richard Probert
Paul Brown & Susan
Loevenguth
Brian & Sharon Bush
B.L. Bush & Sons, Inc
Stephen Butler
Mallika & Gildas Cadin
Larry & Fran Campbell
Ronald Capone
Lexi Carlson & Sebastian Karcher
Lou & Rosa Clark
Karen Clarke
Allison Clifford
Martha Cole
John & Deloris Coleman
Donna Coloton
Raymond Colton
Elizabeth Cowan
Stephanie Cross
Karl Crossman & John Steinburg
Raymond W. Cummings, Jr.
James & Suzanne Cusack
CVS
Linda Czerkies
Carol Decker
Paula Dendis
Diane Dimond
In Honor of (Continued
loving memory of Cat Hennessy
Jane Hopeman, in loving memory of Virginia Barnes Parker and her love of life, friendships, and theatre.
Robert Humphrey, in memory of Mary Anne Wilson.
Donna Inglima, in honor of Arthur Storch.
Daniel & Janet Jones, dedicated to Uncle John White for instilling a lifelong love of live theater.
Eileen Ponto, in honor of Emily Ponto
Jeff & Wendy Purdy, in honor of Enoch Purdy.
Marvin & Jo Ann Reed, we enjoyed Cinderella so much we want to give a little more to support your continued success.
Lillian Shine, we love what you do and bring to the stage!
H. Paul Steiner, in memory of Ginny and Fritz Parker.
Rob & Christine Stoltz, in recognition of Bob Hupp, Melissa Crespo, and the entire Syracuse Stage team's efforts to bring arts to the community.
Elizabeth Thorley, remembering Virginia "Ginny" Parker on this first anniversary of her passing.
Francis & Elaine Walter, in memory of Dr. Louis Fisher and Edith Fisher
Gabriella Yonkers, in honor of my sister, Katelyn Yonkers, whose incredible
The gifts listed in this program include those received or pledged between February 6, 2024 and February 6, 2025. It does not include gifts to the special 50th Anniversary Campaign.
Audrey Dolata
Linda & Alan Dolmatch
Beth Drew & Joe Marusa
Philip Dunham
James & Susan Edmonds
William & Elizabeth Elkins
Carole Farfaglia
David & Karen Fitch
Molly Carole Fitzpatrick
Ben Franklin
Jeffrey & Teresa Freedman
Stacy French
Allen & Nirelle Galson
Mary Beth Gannon
Claudia & Adam Gasiorowski
Robert Geiger
Karen Goldman
Douglas Goldschmidt & David Jacobs
Bernice Gottschalk
William Gray
Roger & Vicki Greenberg
Joseph & Fran Greenman
Jerome & Debbie Grigonos
Charlotte Haas & Gary Quirk
Patricia Haggerty
Teresa Haigney
Mark & Carole Hansen
Tom & Cynthia Helmer
Michael & Elizabeth Hennessy
Mary Hershberger
Donna & Joseph Hipius
Barbara & Ronald Hoffman
Jane Hopeman
Ziad Hussein
Marie & James Jewson
Marjorie Julian
James & Jan Kaplan
Philip & Judith Kaplan
Robert & Christina Keim
Norma Kelley
Amy Kemp
Russell & Joan King
Diane King
Trudy & Earl Kletsky
Barry & Kathy Kogut
Dean Kolts
Dr. Sylvia Betcher & Martin Korn
Tod Leggat & Shannon
Magari-Leggat
Daniel & Ann Lent
Mark & Jeannette Levinsohn
Bonnie Levy & Steven Faigen
Edward & Carol Lipson
John & Marian Loosmann
Janet Mallan
Robert & Nancy Mandry
Frederick & Virginia Marty
Elizabeth Mascia
Douglas & Randi Matousek
Donyce & Kenneth
McCluskey
Margot McCormick
Linda McKeown
Daniel & Terry Miller
Michael Miller & Katharine O'Connell
David & Beth Mitchell
Danielle Montagne & Mark Zlotnick
Janet Moore
Alan & Rosalind Napier
Richard & Barbara Natoli
Louis & Jane Neuburger
Cathryn Newton
Margaret O'Brien
Vickie Olcott
Omega, Inc.
Patricia Orr
Joan & Lawrence Page
Thomas & Eleanor Pendergast
Michael & Susan Petrosillo
Susan Pieczonka
Hugh & Jane & Katerina Pinchin
Kevin & Rachael Porter
Duane & Karleen Preske
Steve Reiter & Annegret
Schubert
Michael Riecke & Anthony McEachern
Judith Robertson
Amanda Root
Elaine Rubenstein
Elizabeth Sanders
Roberta Savage
Susan Scharoun & Susan Hynds
George & Sharon Schmit
Richard & Elizabeth Severance
Steven & Robin Sisskind
Ryan & Carol Smith
Judith Smith
Jeffrey Sneider & Gwen Kay
Paul & Jean Soper
George & Helene Starr
Susan Stred & Harold Husovsky
Bonnie Stroup
Kathleen & Mark Sunheimer
David & Eileen Thompson
Amy & Anthony Tibolla
James & Deborah Tifft
John & Jean Tromans
Peter Vanable & Anne Jamison
In Honor of (Continued
talent and dedication as a seamstress bring every performance to life. Her artistry and hard work ensure that every actor looks truly amazing, enhancing the magic of the theater for us all.
The Yonkers family, in honor of our talented daughter.
TJ & Meghan Vitale
Robert & Anita Wagner
Judith Waite
Marc & Marcy Waldauer
Francis & Elaine Walter
Donald & Martha Washburn
Connie Webster
Fred & Karen Whitney
Robert & Pauline
Williamson
Tina Winter
Mary Yurco
Joyce Zadzilka
Loretta Zolkowski
$100 - $149
George & Beverley Adams
Sarah Alden
Jill Anderson
John Andrake
Dianne Apter
Robert Attridge
Rosanne Barbaglia
Marjory Baruch
Jean Beers
Janine Bernard
Carrie Berse & Chris Skeval
Carol Biesemeyer
David Blair
Leslee Boissy
Alice Borning
Lisa Braddock
Bernard & Ona Cohn
Bregman
Dawn Broderick
Robert & Helene Brophy
Bob & Kathy Brown
Patricia Bush
Joseph & Patricia Cambareri
John & Cynthia Cambareri
The gifts listed in this program include those received or pledged between February 6, 2024 and February 6, 2025. It does not include gifts to the special 50th Anniversary Campaign.
Richard & Nina Cantor
Delores Carney
Joseph Cerroni & Linda Tassa
Douglas & Diane Chilson
Anthony & Carolyn Cimino
Gregory Cohen
Nicholas & Louanne Colaneri
Cheryl Cole
Joseph Constantino
Terri Cook
Elaine Coppola
Tracy Cromp
Joyce Crossley
Paul & Cynthia Curtin
Timothy & Christine Curtis
Angela & Gregory Cwikla
Donna Dallal-Ferne
Christine Dascher
Kate DiDonato
James & Leona Dowd
Elizabeth & Evan Dreyfuss
Joyce Duncan
Kathleen Effler
Wynn Egginton
Ron Ehrenreich & Sondra
Roth
Sue Ellen Deion
Margaret Elliot
Clay & Dora Elliott
Pamela Ellis
Stanley & Penny Emerick
Laurie Fabian
Carol Fedrizzi
Robert & Terry Flower
Tim Fox
Karin Franklin-King
John Friedman & Polly Ann Heavenrich
William & Jean Gamble
Norma Gawlowicz
Gregory Gazda
Rosamond Gifford Foundation
Susan Gilbert
Peggy Gillard
Kathryn Glynn
Stephen Graziano
Paula & Louis Green
Linda & James Green
Mark & Cynthia Greene
Seth & Lisa Greenky
Chip & Kate Grosso
Carol Guido
James Hahn
Beth Hansen
Ann & Richard Harris
Elizabeth Hayes
Barbara Heitzman
Pamela & James Helmer
William & Phyllis Highland
Jennifer Hobler
Howard & Linda Hollander
Kathleen Howard
Robert Humphrey
Diana Ingraham Milkovic
Festa Italiana
Roberta Jones
Daniel & Janet Jones
Gwenn & John Judge
Randy Karcher
Marlene Kelly
Jean Kimber
Alan Kinney
Janice Kophen
Steven Kulick
Briana Kuneman
Neil & Marie LaBrake
Sandra Ledda
Amanda Lee
Kathleen Lemos
David & Cindy Lewis
Michael & Jean Loftus
Linda Loomis
Susan Lotierzo
Nancy Machles Rothschild
Jon Maloff
Paul Manfredo
Paul Marshall
Roberta Matthews
Philip & Martha McDowell
Timothy McLaughlin &
Diane Cass
Howard McLaughlin & Mary O'Hara
Kathleen McLeod
Marcia & Dave Mele
Ben & Julie Merchant
David Michel & Peggy
Liuzzi
Dr. Merrill L. Miller
Thomas Miller & Mary
MacBlane
Gail Mitchell
Julian & Jennifer Modesti
Joseph Moorman & Catherine Gerard
Susan Moskal
Janet Munro
Marty & Millie Newshan
Leslie Noble & Bill Morris
L & Mary Pat Oliker
Jane Ondich
Bryan O'Quinn
Marjorie Ostrander
John & Elizabeth O'Sullivan
Ricky & Whitney Pak
Nolan & Phyllis Palsma
John & Linda Parsons
Dorothy & Harvey Pearl
Anita Pisano
John Poirier
William & Merriette Pollard
Roni Ponto
Charles & Patricia
Prutzman
Steve & Kate Pynn
Marvin & Jo Ann Reed
Scott Reinhart
Lynn Richer
Mary Roberts Bailey
Mary Rose Ranieri
Ann Rothschild
Rocco Rufo
Richard & Maria Russell
Margaret Ryniker
John & Judy Sabene
Richard & Jill Sargent
Jennifer Scalione
Jeffrey & Abby Scheer
Susan Scheuerman
Edwina Schleider
Julia Scialla
Ruth Seaman
Scott & Nancy Sellers
Sally Senecal
Margaret Shackell
Roger & Nancy Sharp
David & Chole Smith
William & Marianne Smith
Michael Stanton
Mark & Beth Steigerwald
Milton & Mary Stevenson
Martha Sutter & David
Ross
Sharon Sutter
Kristin & Steve Swift
Brady Systems
Martin & Jackie Talcik
Elizabeth Thorley
Theresa Thoryk
James Traver & Marguerite
Conan
Aaron Tussing
Anthony & Martha
Viglietta
Bob & Claudia Visalli
Timothy & Nancy Volk
Virginia Watson
Ardyth Watson
Howard Weinstein
Roger & Carolyn Williams
Deborah Wood
Samuel & Robin Young
Stephen & Patricia Zalewski
Steven & Judith Zdep
The gifts listed in this program include those received or pledged between February 6, 2024 and February 6, 2025. It does not include gifts to the special 50th Anniversary Campaign.
PLANNED GIVING
A planned gift is a way to make a significant and lasting gift to Syracuse Stage. By making a bequest to the theatre, you are assuring that Syracuse Stage will continue to inspire, stimulate, and entertain Central New York audiences for generations to come, as well as maintain its high artistic standards that are recognized locally, and nationally. For more information about planned gifts contact: Ana Díaz-Diez, Director of Development 315-443-3931 or ajdiazdi@syr.edu
Dr. William J. Clark, Jr. Fund
The Estate of Rosemary Curtis
Mary Louise Dunn Fund
Deborah O'Shea
In Honor and Memory of Sheldon P. Peterfreund and Josephine A Peterfreund
Michael and Rissa Ratner
The J. Zimmeister-Yarwood Estate
MATCHING GIFT PROGRAM
Many companies will match gifts of their employees, retirees, and spouses with a gift of their own to Syracuse Stage. Ask your personnel office for a matching gift form, send the completed form with your gift – and we’ll do the rest!
SUMMER@STAGE
Make friends. Build confidence. Express yourself.
GRADES 3 – 5: July 7 – July 18
• Learn from professional artists
GRADES 6 – 8: July 21 – August 1
• Get a behind-the-scenes look at the theatre-making process
• Feel the thrill of performing in a musical showcase
OPEN NOW! All sessions run M – F, 9 AM – 3 PM. Showcase performed on the final Friday at 3 PM. $600 per session
SYRACUSE STAGE STAFF
Artistic Director.............................................................................................................Robert Hupp
Managing Director.............................................................................................Carly DiFulvio Allen
Associate Artistic Director............................................................................................Melissa Crespo
Resident Playwright..............................................................................................................Kyle Bass
PRODUCTION STAFF
Director of Production Operations...........................................................................Don Buschmann
Associate Director of Production Operations.......................................................Stuart Plymesser
Production Management Intern.............................................................................Kit Verweij†
Company Manager and Production Management Associate......................................Brian Crotty
Assistant Company Manager.....................................................................................Sarai Ford
Technical Director..................................................................................................Randall Steffen
Assistant Technical Director............................................................................Rebecca Schuetz
Scene Shop Foreman...........................................................................................Michael King
Technical Assistant...................................................................................................Liz Daurio
Carpenters...............................................................................John Gamble, Brian McBurney
Student Employee..............................................................................................Emma Thoms†
Work Study Employee........................................................................................Chase Brown†
Scenic Charge Artist...................................................................................................Emily Holm
Lead Scenic Artist................................................................................................Laurel Arnold
Scenic Painter....................................................................................................Jessica Culligan
Props Supervisor............................................................................................................Mara Rich
Associate Props Supervisor...................................................................................Andrew Babb
Craftpersons....................................................................................Alexis Frizzell, Nora Galley
Student Employees................................................................Maddy Clark†, Natalie Steinberg†
Costume Shop Manager..........................................................................Gretchen Darrow-Crotty
Assistant Costume Shop Manager.....................................................................Amanda Moore
Cutter-Drapers..............................................................................Emily King, Kathryn Rauch
First Hand.......................................................................................................Katelyn Yonkers
Stitchers.................................................................................Sidney Barmoha, Sophie Shahan
Craftsperson/Shopper.........................................................................................Sandra Knapp
Wardrobe Supervisor.........................................................................................Dylinn Andrew
Electrics and Projection Supervisor...............................................................................Jed Daniels
Associate Electrics and Projection Supervisor......................................................Andy LiDestri
Electricians/Board Operators..............................................................Kat Larrabee, Alex Malli
Resident Sound Designer/Audio Engineer.....................................................Jacqueline R. Herter
Audio Engineer...............................................................................................Kevin O’Connor
Sound Engineer/Board Operator..........................................................................Garrett Frink
Stage Management Production Assistants.............................................Katie Barnes, Erin C Brett
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
General Manager....................................................................................................Michael McCurdy
Comptroller..............................................................................................Mary Kennett Morreale
Associate General Manager...................................................................................Jacob G. Ellison
Director of Information Management & Technology...................................Garrett Diaz-Wheeler
Director of Development.............................................................................................Ana Díaz-Diez
Development Associate.....................................................................................Candice Bermudez
Development Assistant/Executive Assistant..................................................................Julia Rakus
Development Interns......................................................................Yushan Deng†, Polly Gilmore†
Director of Community Engagement..................................................................Joann Maria Yarrow
Director of Education.......................................................................................................Kate Laissle
Community Engagement and Education Coordinator.....................................................Zizi Majid
Education Interns.........................................................................Phineas Roy†, Lauren Schweers†
Director of Marketing and Communications..............................................................Joanna Penalva
Audience Development Manager..............................................................................Tracey White
Creative Director, Marketing..................................................................................Brenna Merritt
Marketing Content and Publications Manager.....................................................Matthew Nerber
Graphic Designer.................................................................................................Jonathan Hudak
Marketing Associate...............................................................................Talia Gabriel-Shenandoah
Marketing Intern....................................................................................................Amelia Brown†
Box Office Manager.....................................................................................Courtney Richardson
Box Office Show Supervisor.................................................................................Trevor Miller
Box Office Assistants......................................Clari Atherlay, Nathan Ayotte†, Gracie Whaley†
Audience Services Manager............................................................................Meghan Rose Dillon
House Managers.................Pat Condello, Gabrielle Moran, Alyssa Otoski-Keim, Adam Secor Front of House Associate.........................Khayman Clancy, Bianca Stevenson, Donna Stuccio
Assistant House Manager.......................................................................................Kevin Sene†
Bartenders.................................................................................Michelle Cannizzo, Meg Pusey
Audience Services Interns.....................................................................Ginger Bai†, Youran Li† Front of House Work Study Staff...........................Hope Allen†, Emilee Asa†, GB Bellamy†, Lilly Colter Berget†, Carolyn Burch†, Olivia Busche†, Josie Diodato†, Sami English†, Skye Faison†, Violet Lanciloti†, Nathaly Juarez Meza†, Annabelle Mistretta†, Lily Nelson†, Reyna Sanchez†, Esme Schaus†, Isbella Tokarz†, Gracie Whaley†, Logan Wilbanks-Davidson†, Elise Wobbe†, Maya Zepeda†
Sign Language Interpreters.....................................................................Brenda Brown, Sue Freeman
Open Captioning........................................................................Jacob G. Ellison, Michael McCurdy
Audio Description........................................Kate Laissle, Talia Gabriel-Shenandoah, Joseph Whelan
Community Services Officers...........................................................Stacey Emmons, Martha Farmer
Custodians........................................................................Tony Rogers, Ron Taylor, Candace Velario
†Student, Syracuse University Department of Drama.
