Gaslighting Playbill

The Insanity of Mary Girard by Lanie Roberts

Dogg’s Hamlet & Cahoot’s Macbeth by Tom Stoppard

“I regard the theatre as the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.”

~Oscar Wilde

Gaslighting: “psychological manipulation with the purpose of getting an individual or group to ques tion his/her/their own sanity and/or sense of reality”

TheInsanity of Mary Girard, Dogg’s Hamlet and Cahoot’s Macbeth take us on three different journeys through gaslighting. Between Mary, Ophelia, the witches, the ghosts, Easy and Cahoots- it feels

as if every character on stage is either gaslighting, being gaslighted or both. Then, of course, there is the famous back-and-forth between Lady Mac beth and Macbeth. Five hundred years on, we are still ask ing, “Which of these

two is gaslighting the other?”

These plays have something for everyone: suspense comedy, slapstick and social commentary. Enjoy!

“The Insanity of Mary Girard” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

“Dogg's Hamlet, Cahoot's Macbeth” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

by Lanie Roberts

Based on a true story, The Insanity of Mary Girard depicts Mary on her first day in an insane asylum. After she became pregnant by another man, her wealthy husband declared her legally insane and bribed the hospital to keep her in a lunatic cell for the rest of her life. The play begins with Mary sit ting in a tranquilizing chair as she’s visited by ghost-like fig ures called “furies” - figments of her imagination that taunt her and impersonate characters in her own life such as her mother, husband, and her husband’s mistress.

intermission

Dogg’s Hamlet

Tom Stoppard

Synopses The Insanity of Mary Girard

Set in an unclear future, students speak Dogg (a mixed-up version of English) and follow Dogg (a mysterious school headmaster). Against all odds, the students perform a comi cally-condensed version of “Hamlet.”

Cahoot’s Macbeth

Tom Stoppard

Cahoot’s Macbeth is inspired by the “living-room plays” that oppressed Czech artists were forced to perform in the seventies. This living room performance is interrupt ed by government inspectors. But the show must go on. Stoppard interweaves this love letter to language, Shakespeare and free expression with plenty of wit and humor.

COSTUMES

Victoria Cichy (Crew Head)

Clara Lieppe Carmen Alley-Strocher

Caroline Krekel

Eliza Murphy Bruno Ferreira

PROPS

Charlotte Hanssen (Crew Head)

Caroline Berkowitz Zora Pryor

THE CREW

CONSTRUCTION

Rohan Bhattacharyya

Carmen Simon (Co-Crew Heads)

Sophia Borlase Margo Kaye Rin Scaduto-Mendola Hadley Poulas Flair Doherty Grayson Aasheim

LIGHTING

Josefina Eggleton (Crew Head)

Alex Kenny Geo Klapow Eve Cintron Rose Slade Adam Manzo Chiara Moran

SOUND

Socorro Silker-Diaz (Crew Head)

Astor Viles Nick Evans Ali Hellerman Vanessa Muth

Special Thanks to

Debora Edwards for her giving spirit

Alison Gee for her inexhaustible expertise and vision

Bill Toscano for his professionalism along with his generosity towards students who share his passion for theater

David Lopilato for believing in students

Michele Harwood for sharing her art

Zapsplat.com for sound effects

Friends & Loved Ones who understand all the long hours

Colette Mrozek & Isabel Miller for help writing the program (quadruple threat?)

The Parents who helped with “The Community Build and Sew.”

Jae Gee fight choreographer

Mynor Herrera and Associates for providing flags B-CC Building Services for helping us in so many ways.

Nadya Guyer & Sophia Burke for their creative and organizational input into the entire Gaslighting series

Who was

Mary Lum (17581815) was, argu ably, the most famous patient at the Pennsyl vania Hospital insanity ward where she lived out the last twenty-five years of her life.

Born Mary Lum, she married Captain Stephen Girard, a successful merchant, in 1776. In 1785,

she started having vio lent outbursts. Stephen tried to divorce Mary twice, but insanity wasn’t legal grounds.

Stephen committed Mary to the Pennsylvania Hospital in 1790. Mary was pregnant when she was committed, and it is unknown if the child was Stephen’s or the product

What was

of an affair.

While committed, she gave birth to a baby girl, who died in infancy. Mary lived out the rest of her life in the ward until she died in 1815. She was buried in an unmarked grave on the hospital grounds, at the instruc tion of her husband.

Mary Girard? the tranquilizing chair?

The tranquilizing chair was invented by Dr. Benjamin Rush (17451813), who is thought of as “the father of Ameri can psychiatry.”

He was the first doctor to believe that mental ill ness was not a demonic possession, but a condi tion of the mind.

He thought that in sanity was due to brain inflammation and arterial disease.

The tranquilizing chair was meant to treat mental illness by controlling the flow of blood to the brain and lowering a patient’s

heart rate by keeping them still. Needless to say, the tran quilizing chair treatment was unsuccessful.

Image from Penn Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania

Who is Tom Stoppard?

Although Rosecrans and Guildenstern Are Dead, arguably Tom Stoppard’s most famous play, was written more than 55 years ago, the 85- year-old, Czechborn British playwright and screenwriter is having quite a moment right now.

His latest play, Leopold stadt, opened last month at Longacre Theater on Broad way.

In this widely-herald ed work, Stoppard takes a deep dive into the theme of gasligthing, in particular, the self-gaslighting that can accompany “comfort” — or what Jesse Green of The New York Times calls “complacency as a kind of hubris. “

Leopoldstadt is an explo

ration of Stoppard’s recent ly-discovered Jewish roots through the story of the Merzes, a fictional Austrian Jewish family, as they navi gate (or think the can navi gate) the rising antisemtism that would come to devas tate Europe duirng the first half of the 20th century.

Leopoldstadt, in many ways, marks a new chapter for the playwright; but the topic of gaslighting has long been a staple of Stoppard’s work.

Rosecrans and Guilden stern deals comically with the topic of perspective and how it can change just about everything.

Arcadia deals with the conflict of past and present.

Stoppard’s oscar-win

ning screenplay for Shake speare in Love, deals with the fog of identity and gen der.

Dogg’s Hamlet and Ca hoot’s Macbeth tackle the pow er of language and its ability to confuse and control.

It’s not all gloom, doom and oppression, however. Both one-act plays touch upon the power of art (the ater in particular) to rally and raise up.

Photo from The Huntington Library (Creative Commons license)

PLANK BLOCK

Wittgenstein’s philosophy of language?

TOK alert! Don’t worry. There won’t be a test. No essay. Just two fascinating questions explored on stage as only Tom Stoppard can.

Question 1: “Are we growing increasingly incapable of understanding one another?”

For one possible answer, pay close attention to the ideas of Ludwig Witt genstein and Stoppard’s Dogg’s Hamlet.

Wittgenstein argued that a word or sentence only has meaning as a result of the ‘rules’ of the ‘game’ being played at that very moment. Know the rules; understand the game.

But with so many dif ferent rules and games being played today, we increasingly feel like confused outsiders in

our own backyard..

Wittgenstein provides the following hypotheti cal scenario.

Builder A calls out “slab!” “block!” “pillar!” or “beam,” and Builder B brings the corresponding objects.

That’s communication, right? Not so fast.

What if, asks Wittgen stein, B already knows what pieces to bring and in what order. B just thinks the words, “slab” “block” and so on are nothing more than grunts and whistles indicating that A is ready for the next piece. What if that is part of what ails us today?

Group A is asking for building blocks. Group B assumes Group A is just grunting and whistling.

If this is this is the level of disconnect so ciety is grappling with today, can we really get

What is CUBE SLAB

anything done together? Watch Dogg’s Hamlet to find out...

Question 2: What happens when we learn all the rules and master the game of communication only to have forces beyond our control want to tear down that progress, change the rules, and silence us?

Curtain up on Ca hoot’s Macbeth where people gather in an underground, “living room” performance of Macbeth and use lan guage to share a com mon love of art under an autocratic regime.

Who will prevail in this conflict of wills? Watch Cahoot’s Macbeth to find out.

Across

Every

Dogg

has

its day. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Every Dogg has its day. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Across

1. _____ in English = "cutlery" in Dogg 3. _____ in English = "plank" in Dogg 4. _____ in English = "gymshoe" in Dogg 7. _____ in English = "cube" in Dogg 9. _____ in English = "useless" in Dogg

1. _____ in English = "cutlery" in Dogg 3. _____ in English = "plank" in Dogg 4. _____ in English = "gymshoe" in Dogg 7. _____ in English = "cube" in Dogg 9. _____ in English = "useless" in Dogg

Down

1. _____ in English = "pig-faced" in Dogg 2. _____ in English = "slab" in Dogg 5. _____ in English = "block" in Dogg 6. _____ in English = "get" in Dogg 8. _____ in English = "git" in Dogg

Down

1. _____ in English = "pig-faced" in Dogg 2. _____ in English = "slab" in Dogg 5. _____ in English = "block" in Dogg 6. _____ in English = "get" in Dogg 8. _____ in English = "git" in Dogg

2nd clues

Across 1. “ahem” 3. all set 4. fabulous, terrific, amazing 7. word used to express gratitude 9. greeting between noon and night (2word answer)

Down

1. polite request 2. alright, fine 5. after 6. girl/woman in formal 8. boy/man in formal

1. pardon 3. ready 4. excellent 7. thanks 9.Good Day Down 1. please 2. ok 5 next. 7. madam 9.sir

Across

Three seniors walk into a room...

By David Lopilato

I’ve been to almost every B-CC theater show since I’ve been teaching here; but that was to support stu dents and friends.

I never craned my neck to see what went on behind the curtain. I preferred the illusion from the seats.

I got involved in B-CC Theatre this year for three simple reasons.

• B-CC was desperate (How desperate? They chose me; nuff said.)

• I have seen first-hand what theater and pit means to the students involved

• I could not fathom B-CC without theatre (great schools don’t simply skip life-defin ing events like theatre)

I brought my usual shtick to the first meeting. My sights were on raw, black-boxy scripts about

Stubenville and Sandy Hook.

I wasn’t simply trying to be controversial. We were off to a very late start. I also figured we didn’t have the time or budget to build an elaborate set.

I hear I didn’t fare so well on social media that night. Some students walked away from theater.

Luckily for me and lucki ly for B-CC , three students, chose a different path. They walked into my classroom with a plan.

Zoe Edwards, Rohan Bhattacharyya, and Jeremy Gee.

Zoe was prepared to step up from stage managing to directing. Rohan was not about to watch the core of B-CC theatre engineers spend his senior year idle. And, Jeremy? Well, Jeremy was simply willing to take

on any role required to keep theater alive at B-CC.

Zoe, Rohan and Jer emy rallied troops. They read hundreds of pages of scripts. They honed their crafts. I watched in awe.

For this show, we de cided to tap into B-CC’s student-directed tradition. And, as you can see, a full village of students answered the call.

We cannot afford to turn our backs on com munity-oriented, student-driven efforts like journalism, BCCTV and, yes, theatre.

These efforts may not be competitive by nature. Instead, they are exam ples of creative coopera tion. That turns out to be a win for all of us.

Support these amazing students.

A Director’s Note

This is not what any one predicted this year’s fall production would look like. For a while, there seemed to be a cha os of information, ideas, or plans all centered on how the performances could go up. Some even went as far as to say the stage will go dark. Ev erything seemed to spi ral in a lack of control.

B-CC Theatre underwent quite a few chang es in student and staff involvement in response to the sudden circum stances. Through the hard work of a passionate community and the lead ership given by students on and off stage, the cast and crew regained control; something that is well reflected in the scripts presented this year, which all share a theme of what people do when they lose control.

In The Insanity of Mary Girard, we are presented with the dark

tale of what happens to a woman who has her life ripped away from her. Mary, and the spirits that torment her, force us to confront the treat ment of those without power in a time when the system is set up to work against them. We follow the emotional journey she takes to find a way to regain a sense of control.

In Dogg’s Hamlet, we gain an insight into the vital world of commu nication and miscommunication. The use of English words having two separate, distinct meanings for different characters on stage high lights just how quickly a familiar situation can spiral out of control.

In Cahoot’s Macbeth, we are shown a glimpse into a dystopian world of harsh authoritarian ism. With public perfor mances banned, a theatre troupe attempts to per form Macbeth in a living

room, while the meddling inspectors attempt to dis rupt the play. The play shows us the struggle of creativity under the cen sorship of rigid bureau cratic control.

Of course, thanks goes out to every cor ner of our small theatre world. From our actors who were ready to push ahead into less chart ed waters, our crew who rose to new design free doms, Mr. Lopilato whose sponsorship made this all possible, parents who do nated time, resources and emotional support, and many others who made sure theatre would have a home at B-CC.

These shows are a triumph thanks to ev eryone on and off stage, and you, for coming to see these shows and sup porting the hard work of countless individuals. One thing is for certain: the lights stayed on.

by Jeremy Gee

photo opposite page: (from left to right: Zoe Edwards, Rohan Bhattacharyya, and Jeremy Gee )

By

About the Cast & Crew

Grayson Aasheim

“This is my first B-CC production. So far it has been a great way to meet new people and explore new experiences that could stick with me throughout my whole life.”

Kathryn Batitto

“Theater to me means community. It is a rare but meaningful part of being in any production. The close, unbreakable bonds with your cast mates who you’ve been with since the beginning. The ever growing relationships with crew that are developed over small in teractions. It is a family you will never forget no matter the separation.”

Sophia Borlase

““Theater is one of the most beautiful ways for humans to express themselves. The balance of actors, tech peo ple, and directors all working towards the same goal of art is like nothing else”

Caroline Berkowtiz

is excited to be a part of props crew for the first time this year. Encouraged by her theatre-loving family, she has participated in stage crew through camps and in the production of “Shakespeare.” Outside of theatre, Caroline enjoys playing the piano.

Carmen Alley-Strocher

“Theater is using your talents to express yourself. It is working together in a community it’s to accomplish something. It is fun.”

Rohan Bhattacharyya

first joined theater in his freshman year. He was a member of construction crew for The Little Mermaid, 12 Angry Jurors and Chicago. In his senior year, he co-runs the construction crew.

William Borlase

“I find theater interesting because it is the physical and actual realization of literature”

Wren Boulet-Simon

“Theater is art. It’s a way of expressing oneself and of critiquing society. It’s a way to pass on a message, to move an audience, to have them leave the theater changed in some way or another. To have them think; about their lives, about their world, about their place.”

Louise

Brody

is so excited to be part of the fall play here at B-CC. She would like to thank her cast mates, directors and family for their guidance, as well as the audience for coming out to support!

Victoria Cichy

is very excited for every one to see the plays, she has previously worked on 12 Angry Jurors and Chicago. She would like to thank her costumes crew, friends, and family!

Zoe

Edwards

is very excited to be a part of her second show! She wants to thank Josefina for being an amazing co-director and all the students whose hard work made these shows happen. She also wants to thank Jeremy for dedicating his time as both an actor and director.

Eggleton

co-directed Dogg’s Hamlet. She would like to thank Zoe Edwards (her co-director) and Jeremy Gee for their help. Josefina is also the head of Lighting. She would like to thank her sister for encourag ing her.

Jeremy Gee

returns, having been in every BCC Theatre production since fall 2019- Chicago (Amos), 12 Angry Jurors (Juror #3), It’s a Wonderful Life (Ensemble), Robin Hood (Friar Tuck), The Little Mermaid (Scuttle) Oth er credits include: Imagina tion Stage- Romeo and Juliet (Mercutio), H2$ (Mr. Bratt) Rorschach Theatre- Forgotten Kingdoms (Jimmy) Thanks, pa trons!

Elene Gorgadze

“Theater is empowering. When I’m on stage, I feel a special kind of confidence, unknown to me on ordinary days. I’m so glad we all get experience this thrill this season. “

Ali Hellerman

“Participating in putting on a production for people has always been something I enjoy. Theater is the kind of entertainment that takes real talent and I love having the ability to be a part of that.”

Bruno Ferreira

“To me, theater is a me dium that allows art to flow in a more 3 dimen sional way. It tells stories and brings together peo ple with many different interests. It gives free dom for a group of people to show their vision of the story being told.”

Sofia Gomide

was born and raised in Bra zil, and moved to the USA in 2022. Her work in Brazil includes shows in restau rants, musicals (one of them being “Grease Jr.”, where she played the lead role of Sandy), and recently a TV show participation in a sing ing contest, “Canta Comigo Teen”, where Sofia was a fi nalist.

Charlotte Hanssen

“To me, theater means coming together as a community and creat ing art that expresses something in a way other mediums can’t.”

Hannah Howard

is really grateful to be a part of B-CC theater. Hannah has performed in several shows including Chicago from last year. Hannah would like to thank her parents, her younger sister Heidi, and her grandparents for always being her biggest supporters.

Aitana Gaudenze

“To me, theater means expression in a vari ety of ways. It’s admi rable to see people with different passions come together with all their skills to create a show.”

Alexa Gonzalez

“I have always loved the world of theater and be ing part of this year’s play is fulfilling to my dreams. I am exceedingly proud of the long way my friends and I have come to put on this show for you all.”

Michele Harwood

“I was so scared we weren’t going to have theater. I signed up spon taneously without any thought but I’m glad I did so I could be involved.

Kayla Ray Jackson

“Theater is a safe place to express yourself in someone’s else’s story, it’s an escape.”

“Theater is a way of being who you want to be, without actually being them. Theater is big and extravagant when it wants to be and it can be whatever it wants to be whenever it wants to be it. “

Ben Lapin

“Theater means fun cha os, trying to reconcile the plan that we started with with what we’re actually able to do. Theater means working hard to get everything together. Theater, from my experience, means a bunch of really smart, really cool people trying to make stuff work

Abrham Marshall

“Theater is a creative out let for me and gives me a way to be around people who enjoy theater as much as me. It also gives me challenges and a way to work with fashion in a fun way that I’m not able to do every day.”

Paige Merten

was in Chicago (ensem ble), 12 angry jurors (juror #5). Other credits: Legally blonde with YAA (ensem ble) Les mis with Ovations (Madame Thenardier) Urinetown (Mcqueen). She thanks her friends, family, and castmates for being supportive though this process.

Margot Kaye

“To me, theater means an all encompassing creative outlet.”

Alex Kenny

“It is a community of wonderful and creative people.”

Jamie Levinson

“Theater is not only an art, but a community.”

Dora Lunderquist

“I believe theater is the opportunity to express and share parts of your imagination. You get to be anyone you want and get to see things from multiple views, which means a lot to me. You build a communi ty and I always have fun.”

Megan McCarragher

Some favorite past cred its include: Mamma Mia (Ensemble), Matilda (Mrs. Wormwood), and upcoming performance of Bat Boy (Lorraine). She would like to thank the cast, crew, and student directors for this great experience!

Isabel Miller

is very excited to be a part of Cahoots Macbeth. She was last seen on the B-CC stage in Chicago. She has student directed for Husky Drama, and during her time at Silver Creek was in all 6 shows. Isabel would like to thank Mr. Lopilato and Jeremy for saving B-CC theater this fall.

Emely Castillo Mejia

“You can pretend to be someone you’re not for joy of it LOL. “

Chiara Moran

“Theater is a much more present medium than reading or watching a movie, and the only way I’ve been able to feel not just like I was experiencing a story, but that I was a living, breathing part of it” on a play”

Mrozek

“Theater is sheer magic. Theater is stories coming alive before your eyes and inside your heart. Theater gives me the greatest joy, both seeing shows and being a part of them. Theater is community. I don’t think it’s possible to find a group of people more loving and supportive than thespians putting on a play.

Matilda Poulas

“Theatre is a place where I can be someone else, some where where nothing else matters.”

Eliza Murphy

“Theater to me means community that comes from organizing a show.”

Isaac Osuri

“Theater is a community where we can be who we want and where we can make lots of great friend ships with people like us. Although it was confusing and chaotic at first, this has turned into a show that has greatly exceeded my expectations.”

Lois Proeller

“It is the voices galloping through fields of wheat as the sun rises. It is the crack of dawn that shines through my windowsill.”

Zora Pryor is a 9th grader on the props crew. She did stage crew for 2 plays and learned about set construction, lighting, and sound in 7th and 8th grade. Her favorite play she has worked on was Lotsa’ Lazzi.

Sara Sarfraz

“Why do I love theater? Well, what’s not to love? Theater can be whatever you want it to be – escapism, a fun evening out, a (literal) stage for debate. ”

Daniel Simon

“It [theatre] means a place with friends.”

Rin Scaduto-Mendola

“The community in stage crew is wonderful. I’ve always enjoyed coming to a club where a supportive environment is guaranteed. I look up to many of the other members in construction.”

Naomi Singer

“Theater is a way to express yourself. It’s a chance to play someone else, to get out of your life for awhile. It’s a chance to be all the things you aren’t in your everyday life. Theater is a try at being someone new.”

Carmen Simon

“Theater is a really great community and working toward the same project with other dedicated people is really special.”

Socorro

Sliker-Díaz joined sound crew last year, with the production of Twelve Angry Jurors and Chicago, where she mic’d up actors and analyzed audio quality during rehearsals and performances. She is now Sound Crew Head, in charge of all the microphones and sound effects. Socorro believes theater is a freeing place “where I can experience and learn new things, and help create amazing performances.”

Vatave

“Theatre means community. It’s a place where people of various interests and backgrounds can come together to create something amazing.”

Maya Ziegelbauer

“Theater is a good way to bond with people through creativity.”

Astor Viles

“A fun place to connect with people.”

Madelyn Zaccari

“Theater means expression, freedom, creativity. You can do almost anything with theater if it doesn’t exceed technical limits. ath to follow for the rest of my life.”

Gaslight Theatre is part of B-CC’s