Into the Woods Program by Syracuse Stage

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

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

College of Visual and Performing Arts PRESENTS

MUSIC AND LYRICS BY

BOOK BY

Stephen Sondheim

James Lapine

ORIGINALLY DIRECTED ON BROADWAY BY

ORCHESTRATIONS BY

James Lapine

Jonathan Tunick

DIRECTED AND CHOREOGRAPHED BY

David Lowenstein MUSIC DIRECTOR

Brian Cimmet

SCENIC AND COSTUME DESIGNER

LIGHTING DESIGNER

SOUND DESIGNER

Jessica Ford

Aria Sivick

Sasha Falsberg

DIALECT COACH

STAGE MANAGER

Thom Miller

Landon Lee

CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA

Ralph Zito SEASON SPONSOR

Original Broadway production by, Heidi Landesman, Rocco Landesman, Rick Steiner, M. Anthony Fisher, Frederic H. Mayerson, and Jujamcyn Theaters. Originally produced by the Old Globe Theater, San Diego, CA. Into the Woods is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, 423 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019 Tel.: (212) 541-4684, Fax: (212) 397-4684, www.MTIShows.com The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited. October 12 - 21, 2018

è Enjoyed the show? Share with your friends #SUDramaIntotheWoods. 5

CAST (in order of appearance) Narrators............Victoria Madden, Kristen Brown, Grace Gentile Cinderella..............................................................Sondrine Bontemps Jack........................................................................................Joshua Kring Jack’s Mother.............................................................Michelle Arotsky Baker..................................................................................Tucker Breder Baker’s Wife.....................................................................Madi Beumee Cinderella’s Stepmother................................................Emma Vielbig Florinda...................................................................................Emily Britt Lucinda...............................................................................Shanel Bailey Cinderella’s Parent........................................................Cormac Bohan Little Red Ridinghood..............................................Michaela Vivona Witch..........................................................................Stephanie Craven Mysterious Man.......................................................John Aric Cleland Rapunzel............................................................................Brooke Solan Rapunzel's Prince/Wolf 2...........................Caleb James Grochalski Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf 1...........................................Markcus Blair Milky White/The Steward.............................................Noah Lentini Male Swings..........................................Blake Brewer, Sam Hoffman Female Swings................................Carly Caviglia, Bridget Perrotta

SETTING A bombed out building in the midst of a military conflict. In the not so distant future. There will be one fifteen-minute intermission.

MUSICAL NUMBERS Act 1, Scene 1 Act 1 Opening – Company Act 1, Scene 2 Cinderella at the Grave – Cinderella, Cinderella’s Mother Hello, Little Girl – Wolves, Little Red Ridinghood I Guess This Is Goodbye – Jack Maybe They’re Magic – Baker’s Wife, Baker Our Little World – Witch, Rapunzel I Know Things Now – Little Red Ridinghood A Very Nice Prince – Cinderella, Baker’s Wife First Midnight – Company Act 1, Scene 3 Giants in the Sky – Jack Agony – Cinderella’s Prince, Rapunzel’s Prince A Very Nice Prince (reprise) – Cinderella, Baker’s Wife It Takes Two – Baker, Baker’s Wife Second Midnight – Company Act 1, Scene 4 Stay with Me – Witch On the Steps of the Palace – Cinderella Act 1, Scene 5 Act 1 Finale – Company Act 2, Scene 1 Act 2 Opening – Company Act 2, Scene 2 Agony (reprise) – Cinderella’s Prince, Rapunzel’s Prince Witch’s Lament – Witch Any Moment – Cinderella’s Prince, Baker’s Wife Moments in the Woods – Baker’s Wife Your Fault – Jack, Little Red Ridinghood, Baker, Witch, Cinderella Last Midnight – Witch No More – Baker, Mysterious Man No One Is Alone – Cinderella, Little Red Ridinghood, Baker, Jack Act 2 Finale – Company

ADDITIONAL CREDITS Assistant to the Director: Crystal Heller Associate Music Director: Jacob Stebly Assistant Scenic Designer: Renee “Ningning” Yang Assistant Costume Designers: Sabrina Knaack, Marilyn Wechsler Assistant Lighting Designer: Adrian Yuen Assistant Stage Managers: Hector Aguirre, Shannon Bagoly, Claire Kenny Casting Associate: Wallis Dean Casting Assistant: Crystal Heller Hair Design: Jessica Ford Dance Captains: Kristen Brown, Carly Caviglia Rehearsal Pianist: Jacob Stebly

ORCHESTRA Piano/Conductor................................................................Brian Cimmet Keyboards............................................Barry Blumenthal, Jacob Stebly Flute.............................................................................................Joe Carello Trumpet......................................................................................Pat Carney Percussion.............................................................................Josh Dekaney Horn............................................Paula Kinev, Claire Tuxhill McKenney Bassoon.............................................................................Judy Marchione Bass............................................................................................Darryl Pugh Clarinet..................................................................................Jim Spadafore

SPECIAL THANKS Special thanks to khristian kemp-delisser and Carrie Lyn Brown

INTO THE WOODS

DIRECTOR'S NOTE

hy do we tell stories? This is the question I started with when imagining this production of Into The Woods. Considering all the upheaval and uncertainty with which we live today, an answer came in a line from The Baker’s Wife. When asked by The Baker how he is supposed to raise their child alone she responds, “Just calm the child.” Then I asked, what would these stories, fairy tales, allegories look like if they were written today? How would young people today relate to them? These questions set me on the path of figuring out a new version of the where and the why of this musical.

So, we find ourselves in the midst of a military conflict. A group of people seeking refuge find shelter in an abandoned building. In the group is a young girl distraught from the circumstances outside. To “calm the child”, three others begin telling her familiar stories and eventually invite her in to one of them. The stories are peopled with familiar characters re-imagined by referencing pop culture, celebrities, and current political figures. In the process of telling these age old stories in new ways, secrets are revealed, promises made and broken, hard lessons are learned, and Happily Ever After is redefined. –David Lowenstein

CAST Michelle Arotsky (Jack’s Mother) is a senior musical theater major from Voorhees, NJ. At the Department of Drama, Michelle has been seen as Alba in The House of the Spirits (mainstage) and in the ensemble of Jeff Whiting’s workshop production of Fly More Than You Fall (studio project). This summer Michelle was a part of The Glimmerglass Festival’s production of West Side Story and the opera The Cunning Little Vixen. She can next be seen in the ensemble of the Syracuse Stage/Department of Drama co-production of Elf The Musical.

Madi Beumee (Baker’s Wife) is a senior musical theater major from Denville, NJ. She recently played Jennifer in the workshop production of Fly More Than You Fall (studio project). Past Department of Drama mainstage credits include Crazy For You (Tess, u/s Irene), Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill: A Musical Voyage (Soprano), and Nine (Ensemble, u/s Luisa). Up next, Madi will be in the ensemble of the Syracuse Stage/ Department of Drama co-production of Elf The Musical. @madibeumee Markcus Blair (Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf 1) is a senior musical theater major from Miami, FL. Markcus has last been seen in the Syracuse Stage/Department of Drama coproductions of Mary Poppins and The Wizard of Oz as well as Department of Drama productions of The King Stag (mainstage), Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill: A Musical Voyage (mainstage), and Ragtime (studio project). Insta @markcusblair

Shanel Bailey (Lucinda) is a senior musical theater major from Queens, NY. She is happy to be a part of this production of Into the Woods. Her recent work includes The Baltimore Waltz as Anna (Department of Drama, mainstage), ensemble in The Wizard of Oz (Syracuse Stage/Department of Drama co-production), Crazy For You as Mitzi/Polly u/s (Department of Drama, mainstage), and at The Glimmerglass Festival in Oklahoma as Aggie and a member of the chorus in Porgy and Bess. She has also appeared in the Syracuse Stage/Department of Drama co-production of Mary Poppins in the ensemble and as Mrs. Cory/Katie Nana u/s, and as Harlem Woman/Sarah u/s in the Department of Drama’s concert version of Ragtime.

Cormac Bohan (Cinderella’s Parent) is a senior acting major from Ridgewood, NJ. He is over the moon to be part of this wonderful and exciting production. Credits include Once in a Lifetime (sophomore proj-

CAST Blake Brewer (Male Swing) is a sophomore musical theater major from Los Angeles, CA, who is thrilled to be in his first mainstage production at the Department of Drama. Some of his credits include Bye Bye Birdie, The Wiz, The Crucible, A Chorus Line, and Guys and Dolls.

ect), King Stag (mainstage), Metamorphan (The Bank of America children’s tour), and The Baltimore Waltz (mainstage). Sondrine Bontemps (Cinderella) is a senior musical theater major from Palo Alto, CA. Last year, she spent a semester studying Shakespeare at the Globe Theatre in London, and appeared in Black Box Player’s production of Much Ado About Nothing. Past mainstage credits at the Department of Drama include Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill: A Musical Voyage (Soprano) and Nine (Ensemble, u/s Our Lady of the Spa).

Emily Britt (Florinda) is a junior musical theater major from Christchurch, New Zealand. She is thrilled to be making her mainstage performance debut. In the Department of Drama, Emily has also been a swing in Crazy For You (mainstage) and in the ensemble of Fly More Than you Fall (studio project). Other credits include Margot in Legally Blonde, Gertrude in Seussical, and Mother in Ragtime, a role for which she received a National Youth Arts Award.

Tucker Breder (Baker) is a senior musical theater major. Professionally, Tucker performed in West Side Story (Houston Grand Opera), Candide alongside Kelsey Grammer and Christine Ebersole (LA Opera), and Oklahoma! (Glimmerglass Festival). Syracuse Stage/ Department of Drama co-productions include The Wizard of Oz (Tinman) and Mary Poppins (Ensemble). Department of Drama credits include Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill: A Musical Voyage (mainstage), Crazy For You (mainstage), and Ragtime (studio project). He is the recipient of an Emerging Talent Award from the Kurt Weill Foundation.

Kristen Brown (Narrator, Dance Captain) is a senior musical theater major from North Haven, CT. Recent regional theater credits include 42nd Street at The Palace Theatre in Manchester, NH, and Evita and Showboat at Interlakes Summer Theatre in Meredith, NH. Kristen has been seen on Shakespeare’s Globe Stage in London, England with The Shakespeare’s Globe Higher Education Program. Department of Drama credits include the work-

CAST Stephanie Craven (Witch) is a junior musical theater major from the small town of South Hadley in Western Massachusetts. Department of Drama credits include Nina in The Seagull (mainstage), Daw in The Second Shepherd’s Play (studio project), and Sylvia/ Little Mary in The Women (sophomore project). This past summer she was a member of the Saratoga Shakespeare Company’s Youth Theater Professional Company and played Audrey in As You Like It. She is also a member of the Department’s improv comedy troupe, Fake News.

shop production of Fly More Than You Fall (studio project), Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill: A Musical Voyage (mainstage), and Le Diable Amoureux (independent student project). Carly Caviglia (Female Swing, Dance Captain) is a junior musical theater major from Visalia, CA. Recent credits include Rock of Ages, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and The Secret Garden. At the Department of Drama, Carly has appeared in The Seagull (mainstage), The Second Shepherd’s Play (studio project), and The Women (sophomore projects).

Grace Gentile (Narrator) is a senior musical theater major from East Hartford, CT. Her past credits include the Department of Drama’s mainstage production of Nine, the faculty production of First Lady Suite, and the workshop production of Fly More Than You Fall (studio project). She will next be seen in the Syracuse Stage/Department of Drama co-production of Elf The Musical.

John Aric Cleland (Mysterious Man) is a senior acting major from Chicago, IL. He is thrilled to be back in Syracuse for Into the Woods after spending the summer in Minnesota as a drama and horseback riding instructor at Camp Lincoln for Boys as well as at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with the Department of Drama performing as Governor Bellingham in A Scarlet Letter. Other Department of Drama credits include Sorin in The Seagull (mainstage), Deramo in The King Stag (mainstage), and Grandfather in Ragtime (studio project). At the end of this semester, John is excited to move to New York City for his last semester to participate in the Tepper Semester program before graduating in the spring.

Caleb James Grochalski (Rapunzel's Prince/ Wolf 2) is a senior B.F.A. musical theater major hailing from Pittsburgh, PA. Favorite performances include Crazy For You (Department of Drama mainstage), The Wizard of Oz

CAST Noah Lentini (Milky White/The Steward) is a junior musical theater major from the Detroit suburbs. In the Department of Drama, Noah has appeared in Crazy For You (mainstage), Fly More Than You Fall (studio project), and in the Syracuse Stage/ Department of Drama co-production of The Wizard of Oz. Most recently, Noah was in New Hampshire, performing in Newsies and La Cage Aux Folles. Up next, he will be a swing in the Syracuse Stage/Department of Drama co-production of Elf The Musical.

(Syracuse Stage/Department of Drama co-production), Major Barbara (Department of Drama mainstage), Mary Poppins (Syracuse Stage/Department of Drama co-production), Ragtime, White Christmas, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Disaster!, Chicago, and The Secret Garden. He will next be seen in the ensemble of Elf The Musical (Syracuse Stage/ Department of Drama co-production). Always for Pappy. @calebjamesgroch Sam Hoffman (Male Swing) is a sophomore musical theater major and is thrilled to be a part of his first production at Syracuse University. Professionally, he has performed the role of Sam McCourt in a TBA Global Walmart industrial. He has also participated in the choirs of Manhattan Concert Productions’ Parade (conducted by Jason Robert Brown) and The Secret Garden at David Geffen Hall. Recent credits include Melchior Gabor (Spring Awakening) and Cliff Bradshaw (Cabaret) with the Long Island Musical Theater Festival.

Victoria Madden (Narrator) is a senior musical theater major from Newtown, CT. At the Department of Drama, Victoria has been seen as Rummy Mitchens in Major Barbara (mainstage), Anne Frank in Syracuse Stage’s Backstory program, and The Innocent in Le Diable Amourex (independent). Victoria will be appearing in the swing ensemble of the Syracuse Stage/Department of Drama co-production of Elf The Musical. Regional theaters include The Woodstock Playhouse and Cortland Repertory Theatre.

Joshua Kring (Jack) is a junior musical theater major from Princeton, NJ. Recent credits include The Little Mermaid, Godspell, Shrek, and You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown. Department of Drama credits include Lady Parts (studio project), The Second Shepherd’s Play (studio project), and Fly More Than You Fall (studio project). ig: jashd11

Bridget Perrotta (Female Swing) is a sophomore musical theater major from South Florida. Into the Woods is Bridget’s first mainstage pro-

CAST duction with the Department of Drama. Recent credits include The Addams Family, Shrek, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. Later this fall, Bridget will be the assistant director for Our Town (sophomore project), directed by Rob Bundy.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream at The Uprising Theatre Company in North Carolina. Favorite past roles include Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Janet in The Drowsy Chaperone, Hope in Urinetown, and Sharpay in High School Musical. Emma has also recently studied and performed at Shakespeare’s Globe in London.

Brooke Solan (Rapunzel) is a senior musical theater major in the Department of Drama. Her past credits include the Department of Drama mainstage production of Crazy For You (Polly Baker) and the Syracuse Stage/Department of Drama co-productions of The Wizard of Oz (Ensemble) and Mary Poppins (Ensemble). She also got the chance to work in the ensemble of the studio project Fly More Than You Fall directed by Jeff Whiting.

Michaela Vivona (Little Red Ridinghood) is a junior musical theater major from Long Island, NY. She is excited (and scared) to be making her mainstage debut. Department of Drama credits: Fly More Than You Fall (studio project). Recent credits: Ava in Untitled Time: A New Musical in the Midtown International Theater Festival in Manhattan. This past summer Michaela was seen as Jenny in her original musical Start From Hello, which performed at The Hudson Guild Theater in Manhattan as part of the New York Theater Festival’s Summerfest.

Emma Vielbig (Cinderella’s Stepmother) is a senior musical theater major from Ventura, CA. She was last seen as Helena in Shakespeare’s

A R T I S T I C S TA F F Jessica Ford (Scenic and Costume Designer, Hair Design) has Syracuse Stage credits including: The Wizard of Oz, The Glass Menagerie, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Rent, Fiddler on the Roof, and set and costumes for The Brothers Size and The Santaland Diaries, among others. Recent credits

include costumes for The Agitators at Geva Theater Center and Transfers by Lucy Thurber with MCC Theater in NYC, as well as sets and costumes for the world premiere of Project Dawn by Karen Hartman at People’s Light and Theatre Company. Jessica has designed at regional theaters across the country 14

A R T I S T I C S TA F F including The Long Wharf Theatre, Cleveland Playhouse, Dallas Theater Center, Baltimore Center Stage, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Arena Stage, and Alley Theatre to name a few. In NYC she has worked with Women’s Project, Labyrinth Theater Company, Ars Nova, The Play Company, Second Stage, P73, Rattlestick Playwright’s Theatre, Pearl Theatre Co., and The Public Theater, among others. Jessica received a 2016 Drama Desk nomination for Best Costume Design for These Paper Bullets at Atlantic Theater Company in NYC, the 2015 LA Critics Circle and Sage Awards, a 2016 Ovation nomination for Best Costume Design at Geffen Playhouse in LA, and a 2014 Connecticut Critics Circle Award for Best Costume Design at Yale Rep in New Haven, CT. M.F.A.: Yale School of Drama. www.jessicafordcostumedesign.com

tive Gardens (Syracuse Stage). She hopes to pursue a career as a lighting designer and/or a below-the-line agent following graduation. Sasha Falsberg (Sound Designer) is a senior theater design and technology major from Seattle, WA. She spent the summer as the sound technician for New York Stage and Film’s Powerhouse season, working on more than 35 new plays over the course two months. Recent Department of Drama credits include: The Baltimore Waltz (costume designer), The Seagull (sound designer), and Crazy For You (assistant sound designer/A1) as well as sound designing the Black Box Players’ productions of Eurydice, And the Women Cried, and 123. She has also been the production manager of Black Box Players since fall of 2016 and is looking forward to another exciting season.

Aria Sivick (Lighting Designer) is thrilled to be a part of Into the Woods. She is a senior enrolled in a dual major: theater design and technology (Department of Drama, School of Visual and Performing Arts) and television, radio, film (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications) at Syracuse University. Her design credits include assistant projections designer for On The Town (CAP 21), assistant lighting designer on The Wizard of Oz (Syracuse Stage/Department of Drama co-production), assistant lighting designer on La Traviata (Syracuse Opera), and assistant lighting designer on the upcoming production of Na-

Thom Miller (Dialect Coach) is a professor of Voice and Verse in the Department of Drama. As well as being an accent/dialect coach, he also directs and continues to maintain a strong acting career. Some regional acting credits include: Company (Writers Theatre); Reasons To Be Pretty (Studio Theatre); The Last Five Years (Denver Center for the Performing Arts); Love’s Labour’s Lost and Richard II (Illinois Shakespeare Festival); Hair (Prince Music Theater); My Fair Lady, Henry IV, and The Winter’s Tale (Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre); Macbeth

A R T I S T I C S TA F F and Cymbeline (Texas Shakespeare Festival); Mad Love, Boeing Boeing, Deathtrap, and Dancing at Lughnasa (Northern Stage); and The Music Man and Picasso at the Lapin Agile (New London Barn Playhouse). Off-Broadway: Camp Wanatachi (La Mama), Mental: The Musical (Cherry Lane), and Only A Lad (NY Fringe). A proud member of AEA and SAG/AFTRA, he has also acted in independent films, regional commercials, and skits on the David Letterman Show. He received a B.F.A. in Acting from North Carolina School of the Arts and an M.F.A. in Acting from the University of Illinois, where he also received the award for Departmental Distinction.

Department of Drama’s mainstage production of Little Shop of Horrors. He serves as assistant music director for the Department of Drama at Syracuse University and teaches on the vocal faculty. When he is not behind the piano, he composes shape note tunes and will soon be published in a tunebook to be published in Esperanto. Landon Lee (Stage Manager) is a senior stage management major from Staten Island, NY. Previous credits in the Department of Drama include the mainstage productions of A Flea in Her Ear (assistant stage manager) and Crazy For You (assistant stage manager), the faculty project Failure: A Love Story (stage manager), and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe project A Scarlet Letter (stage manager). His credits with Syracuse Stage include Great Expectations (stage management intern) and Next To Normal (stage management intern). Landon will be returning to NYC next semester to attend the Tepper program before graduating this May.

Jacob Stebly (Associate Music Director, Rehearsal Pianist) is a Syracuse-based pianist and music director. Recent productions as associate conductor include The Wizard of Oz (Syracuse Stage/Department of Drama co-production) and Crazy for You (Department of Drama, mainstage). He recently music directed the

A S S I S TA N T S & A S S O C I AT E S Hector Aguirre (Assistant Stage Manager) is a junior stage management major from Los Angeles, CA.

Crystal Heller (Assistant to the Director, Casting Assistant) is a junior theater management major from Long Island, NY.

Shannon Bagoly (Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore stage management major from Winsted, CT.

Claire Kenny (Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore stage management major from Los Angeles, CA. 16

A S S I S TA N T S & A S S O C I AT E S Sabrina Knaack (Assistant Costume Designer) is a sophomore theater design and technology major with a concentration in costume design from Westchester, NY.

Renee “Ningning” Yang (Assistant Scenic Designer) is a sophomore theater design and technology major from Wuxi, China. Adrian Yuen (Assistant Lighting Designer) is a freshmen theater design and technology major with a concentration in lighting design from Newton, MA.

Marilyn Wechsler (Assistant Costume Designer) is a sophomore stage management major from Houston, TX.

DIRECTOR & CHOREOGRAPHER David Lowenstein is the co-creator/choreographer of Shout!, The Mod Musical, which ran in London, off-Broadway, on the Norwegian Cruise Lines, and plays in regional theaters across the country. Off-Broadway, David’s choreography has been featured in the Drama Desk Awardwinning Howard Crabtree’s WhoopDee-Doo!, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Anything Cole, and Sing For Your Supper. Regionally, David directed Damn Yankees, directed/ choreographed The Great American Trailer Park Musical and My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding for The Finger Lakes Musical Theater Festival/Merry-Go-Round Playhouse. He staged The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas at the Gateway Playhouse, The Merchant of Venice at Syracuse Stage, as well as numerous productions in summer stock. On television, he staged Vanessa Williams’ “Christmas Special” for ABC.

David directed Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill: A Musical Voyage, Sueussical!, Kiss Me, Kate, and Oklahoma! for the Department of Drama and choreographed Lucky Stiff and I Love You Because. David is artist-inresidence at Cazenovia College where he directed/choreographed Rent, Sweet Charity, Once Upon a Mattress, Oliver!, Seussical, A Christmas Carol, Bye, Bye Birdie, Grease, The Laramie Project, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, The Sound of Music (SALT Award – Director of the Year), Dead Man Walking, Chicago, Godspell, and Our Town. As a performer he has been part of seven original Broadway casts and several off-Broadway, national touring, and regional productions. He has taught audition technique and theater dance for CAP 21/NYU and LeMoyne College. He graduated cum laude with a bachelor of fine arts degree in musical theater from Syracuse University.

MUSIC DIRECTOR Brian Cimmet. As a member of the faculty of the Drama Department, Brian teaches courses in musical theater performance, literature, history, and audition technique. He directed Little Shop of Horrors (2018), Avenue Q (2015) and Merrily We Roll Along (2012), and has served as the Department’s music director since 2010. For Syracuse Stage, he has been music director for Next to Normal, The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins, Peter Pan, and Hairspray, and also worked on White Christmas and Rent. Beyond the confines of Syracuse, Brian’s credits include the Broadway companies of The Drowsy Chaperone, Mary Poppins, and Grease, the original

Off-Broadway productions of I Love You Because (also the cast album) and The Tin Pan Alley Rag, as well as too much regional and stock theater to remember. He has composed scores to Absolutely Anything, The Spirit of Reindeer, A Christmas Carol, Burn This, Stop Kiss, Let’s Play Two, and Don’t Starve, and his songs have been nominated for three MAC Awards (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs). In an entirely unrelated walk of life, Brian is a twotime award winner at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, cocreator and co-host of Lollapuzzoola (his own crossword tournament, www.bemoresmarter.com), and contributor to several puzzle books.

C R E AT O R S Stephen Sondheim (Music and Lyrics) wrote the music and lyrics for Saturday Night (1954), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), Anyone Can Whistle (1964), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), The Frogs (1974), Pacific Overtures (1976), Sweeney Todd (1979), Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Sunday in the Park with George (1984), Into the Woods (1987), Assassins (1991), Passion (1994), and Road Show (2008) as well as lyrics for West Side Story (1957), Gypsy (1959), and Do I Hear A Waltz? (1965), and additional lyrics for Candide (1973).

Anthologies of his work include Side by Side by Sondheim (1976), Marry Me a Little (1981), You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow (1983), Putting It Together (1993/99), and Sondheim on Sondheim (2010). He composed the scores of the films Stavisky (1974) and Reds (1981) and songs for Dick Tracy (1990) and the television production Evening Primrose (1966). His collected lyrics with attendant essays have been published in two volumes: Finishing the Hat (2010) and Look, I Made A Hat (2011). In 2010 the Broadway theater formerly known as Henry Miller’s Theatre was renamed in his honor. 18

C R E AT O R S James Lapine (Book) has also worked with Stephen Sondheim on Sunday in the Park with George and Passion, as well as the Broadway show Sondheim on Sondheim. He also directed the first revival of Merrily We Roll Along at LaJolla Playhouse in 1985. With William Finn he has collaborated on Falsettos,

A New Brain, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Little Miss Sunshine. Other Broadway credits: The Diary Of Anne Frank, Golden Child, and Amour. He has written the plays: Table Settings; Twelve Dreams; Luck, Pluck & Virtue; The Moment When; Fran’s Bed; and Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing.

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 Venice (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 19

C H A I R , D E PA R T M E N T O F D R A M A 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.

PROGRAM BOOK Publications Director Joseph Whelan Layout Jonathan Hudak Advertising Joanna Penalva

Into the Woods published October 12, 2018 The Department of Drama program is published five times a year. For advertising rates and information contact the marketing office at 315.443.2636.

I N T O T H E W O O 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......................................................................Alex Koziara Faculty Advisor to Stage Managers........................................................................Dianna Angell Light Board Operator.....................................................................................................Adrian Yuen Sound Board Operator................................................................................................Lauren Krohn Spotlight Operators......................................................................Lily Meaker, Garett Pembrook Deck (Run Crew).........................................................................................................Jordan Mckey Dressers (Run Crew)......................................................................Alana Barker, Abigail Boglioli, Brandon Eichenlaub, Arianna Prappas Electrics..............................................................................Julia Catalano, Tori Dedo, Trevor Hart, Daniel Leporin Jr., Caleb Sheedy, Beruk Teshome Costume Maintenance...............................................................Hannah Dolan, Ruthanne Evans Production Assistants......................................Andrea Baker, Sam Brownstein, Diane Cervelli, Emily Decker, Eleanor Reich 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 Musical Director...........................................................................................Jacob Stebly Director, 914Works..........................................................................................................Scott Rose 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 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 Nicholas Kowerko Holly K. LaGrow Victoria Lillich Karen Menter William Morris Leslie Noble

Stuart Plymesser Rebecca Schuetz Hanni Schwarzlander Abel Searor Blake Segal Kevin Shumway Jacob Stebly Randy Steffen Renee Storiale Joseph Whelan Matthew Winning Kathleen Wrinn

A C C O M PA N I S T S

Barry Blumenthal, Kerry Dromgoole, David Sabin, Abel Searor, Jacob Stebly 21

N E X T AT T H E D E PA R T M E N T O F D R A M A

NEXT FALL

WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT...

BY GE O F F R E Y NAU F F TS | DI RECT ED BY RA L P H Z I TO N OV E M B E R 9 – 17 | O PENI NG N I G H T : NOV E M B E R 1 0

BY JACKIE SIBBLIES DRURY | DIRECTED BY GILBERT MCCAULEY | FEBRUARY 22 – MARCH 3 | OPENING NIGHT: FEBRUARY 23

There are stories we tell about ourselves and stories others tell about us. Can both perspectives yield truth? A car accident places a young man named Luke in critical condition. As he lies comatose, suspended between life and death, his family and friends slowly begin reckoning with the conflicting stories of his life, the silences and secrets that have kept Luke from integrating his present and his past. Will Luke be given a chance to knit the story of his life into a satisfying whole? In this deeply moving and surprisingly funny play, Geoffrey Nauffts takes the measure of a painful passage and shapes a drama that speaks in a quiet voice of momentous things.

Ever wonder what it would be like to be in the rehearsal room when actors are digging ferociously into their psyches to discover a moment of revelation, or arguing heatedly over a character’s motivation? In We Are Proud to Present…, a company of six actors gathers in a rehearsal room to tell the little-known story of the first genocide of the 20th century—the extinction of the Herero tribe at the hands of their German colonizers. Along the way, they test the limits of empathy as their own stories, subjectivities, assumptions and prejudices catalyze their theatrical process. Eventually the full force of a horrific past crashes into the good intentions of the present, and what seemed a faraway place and time comes all too close to home in this exceptional play about the sensitivities and difficulties inherent in the act of storytelling itself.

N E X T AT S Y R A C U S E S TA G E

POSSESSING HARRIET

ELF THE MUSICAL

BY K Y L E BAS S | D I R E CT E D BY TA ZEWEL L T H O M PS O N CO M M I S S I O NED BY T H E O N O N DAGA HI STO R I CA L AS S O CI AT I O N | A CO L D R E A D W O R L D P R E MI ERE PRO DUCT I O N | O CTO B E R 1 7 - N OVEMB ER 4 O PENI N G N I G H T : O CTO B E R 1 9

BOOK BY THOMAS MEEHAN AND BOB MARTIN | MUSIC BY MATTHEW SKLAR LYRICS BY CHAD BEGUELIN | DIRECTED BY DONNA DRAKE | MUSICAL DIRECTION BY BRIAN CIMMET | CHOREOGRAPHED BY BRIAN J. MARCUM | BASED ON THE NEW LINE CINEMA FILM BY DAVID BERENBAUM CO-PRODUCED WITH THE SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA NOVEMBER 23 - JANUARY 6 | OPENING NIGHT NOVEMBER 30

In 1839, Harriet Powell, a young, mixedrace, enslaved woman slips away from a hotel in Syracuse, New York, and escapes from the Southerner who owns her. With the aid of a mysterious free black man named Thomas Leonard, Harriet finds temporary safe harbor in an attic room at the home of impassioned abolitionist Gerrit Smith. With the slave catchers in pursuit, Harriet spends the hours before her nighttime departure on the dangerous journey to Canada in the company of Smith’s young cousin Elizabeth Cady, an outspoken advocate for women’s equality. Confronted with new and difficult ideas about race, identity, and equality, and with confusion, fear, and desperation multiplying, Harriet is forced to the precipice of radical selfreimagination and a reckoning with the heartrending cost of freedom. A world premiere by award-winning playwright and Syracuse Stage associate artistic director Kyle Bass.

This holiday season channel your inner elf and join Buddy on his journey from the North Pole to New York City to find his family. For this journey you’ll need provisions (four food groups recommended: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup), snowballs, and an ability to sing very loud (but maybe wait for the ride home). Most of all, you’ll need family and friends and a desire to spread holiday cheer. Donna Drake (The Wizard of Oz) returns to direct this delightful holiday show.

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 Production Management Intern.....................................................................Samuel Arencibia Technical Director..................................................................................................Randall Steffen Assistant Technical Director............................................................................Rebecca Schuetz Scene Shop Foreman...........................................................................................Michael King Carpenters.................................................Andrew Burns, Caleb Harris, Cheyenne McBurney Graduate Assistant................................................................................................Joshua Baker Student Assistants....................................................................Garett Pembrook, Allison Turlo 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, Meghan Pearson First Hand.........................................................................................................Victoria Lillich Stitchers...............................................................Sarah Alspach, Emily King, Katelyn Yonkers Craftsperson/Shopper.........................................................................................Sandra Knapp Wardrobe and Wig Supervisor.................................................................................Sarah Stark Student Assistants......................................................................Michaela Vivona, Xinglan Yan Lighting and Projection Supervisor..................................................................David M. Bowman Electrician…….......................................................................................................Jed Daniels Electrics Journeyman........................................................................................Anastasia Sioris Electrics Apprentice/Board-op...........................................................................Caitlin Weinell Student Assistants..................................................Samuel Arencibia, Ian Borowik, Aria Sivick Resident Sound Designer/Audio Engineer......................................................Jacqueline R Herter Assistant Audio Engineer................................................................................Kevin O’Connor Sound Apprentice...........................................................................................Alexandra Brock Production Stage Manager....................................................................................Stuart Plymesser Stage Manager..............................................................................................Laura Jane Collins Stage Management Journeyman............................................................................Erin C Brett Stage Management Apprentice................................................................................Em Piraino 24

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...........................................................................Kristen Brown Director of Information Management & Technology...................................Garrett Wheeler-Diaz Box Office Managers.......................................Laurie Lindsey, Courtney Richardson, Aisha Shanes Box Office Assistants..........................Abby Cieslewski, Chidube Egbo, Talia Fossum-Wernick Rupert Krueger, Nick Lacopo, Chelsea Perez, Samoya Peters Lexie Smychynsky, Olivia St. Peter, Mary Storholm Box Office Intern..............................................................................................Margot Correa Audience Services Manager........................................................................................Jacob Ellison Audience Services Assistant.................................................................................Ella Lafontant Assistant House Manager...............................................................................Patricia Condello Student Assistant House Managers..................Manda Borden, John MacLeod, Jackson Norman McKenna Vargas, Marilyn Wechsler Bartenders............................Daisha Abdillahi, Meg Anthis, Michelle Cannizzo, Evan Starling Student Ushers............................Summer Ainsworth, Haley Ayers, Blake Brewer, Anju Cloud Ella Coste, Shamel Fadloun, Vinneva Amber Flynn, Olivia Herz Ellie Kallay, Calvin Keener, Clare Kenny, Dylan King, Jaelle LaGuerre, Kerri McAneney, Grace Morgan, Jack Rento, Isabel Rodriguez, Denise Romero, Eli Shwartz, Charles Curtis Towle III, Damon Williams Director of Development...............................................................................................Tina Morgan Development Manager.......................................................................................Stefania Ianno Development Assistant.................................................................................Elizabeth Gardner Director of Education & Community Engagement.......................................................Joann Yarrow Associate Director of Education.............................................................................Kate Laissle Education Assistant...................................................................................................Len Fonte Education Intern.................................................................................................Greg Mytelka 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, Christine Liggio Executive Assistant..................................................................................................Rebecca Li Grady Artistic Student Intern..................................................................................................Crystal Heller Sign Language Interpreters....................Brenda Brown, Jim Brown, Aaron Burton, Angelo Coppola, Mikki Evans, Sue Freeman, Joanne Jackowski, Zenna Preli, Trisha Schwartz, Ryan Wight Open Captioning..................................................................................................Jessika Whitehouse Audio Description...................................................................................Kate Laissle, Joseph Whelan Community Services Officers.......................................................Stacey Emmons, Joseph O'Connor Custodians.............................................................................Kitty Ashby, Les Edwards, Tony Rogers

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. 27

A SEASON BURSTING with dynamic stories & vibrant characters NOISES OFF

NATIVE GARDENS

SEPTEMBER 12 - 30

FEBRUARY 13 - MARCH 3

By Michael Frayn Directed by Robert Hupp

By Karen Zacarías | Directed by Melissa Crespo | Co-produced with Geva Theatre Center & Portland Center Stage

Hailed as the funniest farce ever written . . . a festival of delirium.

POSSESSING HARRIET OCTOBER 17 - NOVEMBER 4

By Kyle Bass | Directed by Tazewell Thompson | Commissioned by the Onondaga Historical Association Presented by Nancy and Bill Byrne A world premiere inspired by the true story of Harriet Powell who escaped slavery while visiting Syracuse in 1839.

ELF THE MUSICAL NOVEMBER 23 - JANUARY 6

Book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin | Music by Matthew Sklar Lyrics by Chad Beguelin | Directed by Donna Drake | Choreography by Brian J. Marcum | Musical Direction by Brian Cimmet | Based on the New Line Cinema film by David Berenbaum Co-produced with the Syracuse University Department of Drama Great songs, great fun, and tons of holiday cheer.

Flex Packs on Sale! SAVE UP TO 30% COMPARED TO SINGLE TICKETS 315.443.3275 | SyracuseStage.org SEASON SPONSORS

A spot–on new comedy skewers walls, border disputes, and more from adjoining backyards in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE MARCH 20 - APRIL 7

By Kate Hamill Directed by Jason O’Connell Jane Austen’s classic gets a bright and lively makeover for the 21st century.

THE HUMANS APRIL 24 - MAY 12

By Stephen Karam | Directed by Mark Cuddy | Co-produced with Geva Theatre Center The 2016 Tony Award winner for Best Play.

COLD READ FESTIVAL MARCH 7 - 10

Curated by Kyle Bass Featuring Playwright Larissa FastHorse

PRESENTS

College of Visual and Performing Arts

18 19 SEASON

INTO THE WOODS BOOK BY JAMES LAPINE | MUSIC AND LYRICS BY STEPHEN SONDHEIM | DIRECTED AND CHOREOGRAPHED BY DAVID LOWENSTEIN | MUSIC DIRECTION BY BRIAN CIMMET | OCTOBER 12 21 OPENING NIGHT: OCTOBER 13

NEXT FALL BY GEOFFREY NAUFFTS | DIRECTED BY RALPH ZITO NOVEMBER 9 – 17 | OPENING NIGHT: NOVEMBER 10

WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE HERERO OF NAMIBIA, FORMERLY KNOWN AS SOUTH WEST AFRICA, FROM THE GERMAN SÜDWESTAFRIKA, BETWEEN THE YEARS 1884 - 1915 BY JACKIE SIBBLIES DRURY | DIRECTED BY GILBERT MCCAULEY | FEBRUARY 22 – MARCH 3 | OPENING NIGHT: FEBRUARY 23

THE WILD PARTY BOOK, MUSIC, AND LYRICS BY ANDREW LIPPA BASED ON THE POEM BY JOSEPH MONCURE MARCH DIRECTED BY KATHERINE MCGERR | ASSOCIATE DIRECTED AND CHOREOGRAPHED BY ANDREA LEIGH-SMITH | MUSIC DIRECTION BY BRIAN CIMMET MARCH 29 – APRIL 7 | OPENING NIGHT: MARCH 30

GOOD KIDS BY NAOMI IIZUKA | DIRECTED BY HOLLY THUMA MAY 3 -11 | OPENING NIGHT: MAY 4

*DRAMA SUBSCRIBERS WILL RECEIVE VOUCHERS REDEEMABLE FOR TICKETS TO ELF THE MUSICAL. PHOTO: (FROM RIGHT) BRITTANY ADEBUMOLA, MADELEINE INCE, AND CARLY CAVIGLIA IN THE SEAGULL. DIRECTED BY ROB BUNDY. SCENIC DESIGNER: EMMA ANTENEN. COSTUME DESIGNER: FELIX E. COCHREN. LIGHTING DESIGNER: ARIA SIVICK. 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