She Kills Monsters is performed without an intermission.
“She Kills Monsters” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
First produced in New York City
The Flea Theater
Jim Simpson, Artistic Director; Carol Ostrow, Producing Director
Lead Production Team
DIRECTOR
Fabrice Conte-Williamson
FIGHT AND INTIMACY DIRECTOR
Christopher Elst
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Travis Siepl*
SCENIC DESIGNER
Joshua Christoffersen
COSTUME DESIGNER
Jesse Ocampo*
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Kendall Phillips
SOUND DESIGNER
Jack Purves
PROJECTIONS DESIGNER
Chris Payne
PROPERTIES MASTER
Lynsey Gallagher*
HAIR & MAKEUP DESIGNER
Isabella Cernuska*
DANCE CHOREOGRAPHER
Chalena Williams*
STAGE MANAGER
Star Howard*
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Joshua Christoffersen
SCENIC CHARGE ARTIST
Bianca Gonzalez*
Elisebeth Sparks*
DRAMATURG
Jordan McGraw*
* Indicates undergraduate BA student
Director’s Notes
When drag entertainer RuPaul appeared at the 2016 VH1 Trailblazer Honors, the room instantly filled with thunderous applause and warm cheers. After thanking the audience for their kind welcome, RuPaul began with a warning: “We are once again reminded that the fight for civil rights is never-ending, but we won’t let the darkest recesses of human nature extinguish the light, hope, and love we feel in our soul. As gay people, we get to choose our families, and my chosen family includes millions of brave men and women across this country and around the world. Don’t f##k with my family.”
In response, a new wave of applause rose from the crowd—this time with a palpable sense of urgency. RuPaul’s face tightened. The look in his eyes now revealed a painful reality. Just a few days earlier, a gunman had killed forty-nine people and severely wounded fifty in a mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, FL. “Please, join me in a moment of silence for the family we lost on June 12 in Orlando,” RuPaul asked the room. People then closed their eyes and bowed their heads to honor those murdered on that terrible night.
The threat of physical and emotional violence is a common experience for those of us who grew up queer. It permeates every aspect of our lives from the distressing moment we begin to understand our true identity to the pivotal decision we make to come out to our friends and family. Will we be accepted or rejected when we reveal who we are? RuPaul often speaks of the importance of a “chosen family” in the life of queer people—a group of friends who also belong to the LGBTQ+ community and who help restore a sense of belonging when we lose our place in the heteronormative structures that govern our society.
To be sure, the social, political, and cultural standing of the LGBTQ+ community has incrementally improved in the past 30 years. After the darkest hours of the HIV/AIDS epidemic that had persistently tied LGBTQ+ stories to death and disease, new narratives about queer characters began to emerge in popular television shows and movies throughout the 1990s. Hit programs such as The WB’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, NBC’s Will & Grace, or Channel 4’s Queer as Folk allowed wide audiences to recognize the universality of the human experience through the eyes of multidimensional LGBTQ+ characters. The power of representation and visibility is undeniably great. These characters and stories gave hope to millions of closeted queer youth religiously watching, sometimes beside their unknowing parents and friends. The extraordinarily rapid shift in public opinion toward the LGBTQ+ community seem to crystalize in June 2015—a year before Pulse—when the United States Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges, granting marriage equality to all Americans.
Despite the fundamental and unprecedented changes in the lives of LGBTQ+ folks, however, the question of safety and well-being for this community remains stubbornly pressing. The mass shooting at Pulse served as a frightening reminder that we continue to endure constant attacks for simply wanting to live authentically, with dignity, courage, and joy. More recent political efforts to disenfranchise queer youth through the banning of LGBTQ+ literature from school libraries demonstrate the furious determination of a specific segment of the conservative movement to erase us from the interwoven tapestry of American life.
The desire for community and safety is what prompts Tilly Evans, a closeted fifteen-year-old lesbian, to begin playing Dungeons & Dragons with a group of friends—nerds and other outcasts who fail to fit in with the popular kids in their high school. Through the game, Tilly creates an imaginary world in which she and her friends can escape the hardships of life as a 1990s teen in Athens, Ohio. Instead of hanging out at the mall after school, they get to partake in fantastical quests, fight monsters, slay dragons, and, perhaps, even find true love. On the other hand, Agnes, a typical teenager and Tilly’s older sister, struggles to understand why she isn’t more interested in boys, music, and tv. After the sudden death of Tilly and her parents in a tragic car accident, Agnes discovers Tilly’s module, the notebook in which she compiled all the details of her D&D adventures. Realizing that she knows little about who her sister really was, Agnes decides to enlist the help of a local Dungeon Master, Chuck, and play the game herself.
Qui Nguyen’s She Kills Monsters is a play that celebrates our “chosen families,” those who accept us and love us for who we are. It is also a powerful coming-out story—the very moment in a queer person’s life when everything is on the line. The action of coming out exists between the longing desire to share and the deep-seated fear of sharing one’s most authentic self with the people closest in their lives. And, for most queer teenagers, this fear is perhaps the scariest of all monsters that they must slay.
Fabrice Conte-Williamson
Director
Dramaturgy Note
The history of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) begins close to home, in Lake Geneva, WI. In 1971, Gary Gygax and Jeff Perren created Chainmail, a medieval miniature wargame. The end of that game included a fantasy supplement that provided rules for magic swords, monsters, and spells with names like “Lightning” and “Fireball.” When Dave Arneson, another gaming enthusiast, read the Chainmail fantasy rules, he decided to adapt them into a role-playing game of his own creation: Blackmoor. The setting for Blackmoor was inspired in part by J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings universe and combined elements from other games as well as inventions from Arneson’s own imagination. The premise was simple: players would portray only one character (an idea he borrowed from a game called Braunstein) and would explore underground dungeons where they would face perils and puzzles. Both the characters and the story would carry on from session to session, with characters working cooperatively and improving their abilities over time.
In the fall of 1972, Arneson drove to Lake Geneva to present Blackmoor to Gygax. Gygax was thoroughly impressed with the game and requested the rules from Arneson. Soon, they worked together to combine their ideas and experiences into a new ruleset, which they titled Dungeons & Dragons. At first, Gygax and Arneson struggled to find a publisher for their new game, so, in 1973, they decided to form their own publishing company, named Tactical Study Rules (TSR).
Today, Dungeons & Dragons has become an iconic role-playing game, enjoyed by millions around the world. Its appeal resides in the fact that anything can happen in the game. Players have total freedom of action and there are no limits on how long the game can be played. Indeed, it could go on for ten, twenty, or even a hundred years if it wasn’t limited by the lifespans of the players. Another exciting feature is that characters continue to improve every session, growing in both power and knowledge. These characteristics, along with its ability to bring people together, have made Dungeons & Dragons a cultural phenomenon.
Jordan McGraw
Dramaturg
Cast List
TILLY EVANS
Briana Livesay
AGNES EVANS
Lynn Bryant
CHUCK
Garrett Allen
MILES
Matt Gould
LILITH
Erin Dillon
KALIOPE
Maddison Crecchio
ORCUS
Aren Goodwin
VERA
Bianca Gonzalez
STEVE
Joe Schwaller
FARRAH THE FAERIE
Chalena Williams
EVIL GABBI
Janet Jurado
EVIL TINA
Olivia Springsteen
ENSEMBLE, U/S TILLY, U/S EVIL GABBI
Samantha Feiler
ENSEMBLE, U/S MILES, U/S EVIL TINA
Ben Compton
ENSEMBLE, U/S ORCUS
Aria Johnson
U/S AGNES
Kali Avery
U/S CHUCK, U/S VERA
Aurthur Weime
Cast Bios
SAVANA ANDERSHOCK (Narrator) is a first-year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Design & Technology. Previous credits include Indecent (Assistant Master Electrician) and The Penelopiad (Deck Crew). Recent acting credits include The Thanksgiving Play (Logan).
GARRETT ALLEN (Chuck) is a senior Theater Arts Major with a concentration in Acting. Previous credits include Stupid F##king Bird (Dev), Romeo and Juliet (Samson), and The War of the Worlds (Ensemble). Other credits include Indecent (Properties Master) and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Deck Crew).
KALI AVERY (U/S Agnes) is a sophomore Biological Sciences major with a minor in Theatre Arts. This is Kali’s debut on the university stage.
LYNN BRYANT (Agnes Evans) is a Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Acting and a minor in Communication. Previous credits include Intervention (Sleeping Beauty) at Louisiana State University. This is Lynn’s debut at UW-Parkside.
BEN COMPTON (Ensemble, U/S Miles, U/S Evil Tina) is a senior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Acting. Previous credits at UW-Parkside include The Penelopiad (Maid/Oracle), Stupid F##king Bird (Conrad), Romeo and Juliet (Mercutio), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Ensemble), and The War of the Worlds (Richard Pierson). Ben was also featured as Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the College of Lake County and Chiron in Titus Andronicus at The Fleeing Artists. Other accomplishments include serving as Costume Designer for The Thanksgiving Play, as well as Assistant Costume Designer and Fight Choreographer for The Penelopiad at UW-Parkside. He also created the fight choreography for Hamlet at The Fleeing Artists. Ben serves as co-fight captain for this production of She Kills Monsters.
MADDISON CRECCHIO (Kaliope) is a Theatre Arts major with concentrations in Acting and Musical Theatre. Previous credits at UW-Parkside include The Mad Ones (Kelly), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Ensemble, U/S Madame), Romeo and Juliet (Lady Capulet), and Hope & Gravity (Jill). Credits from The College of Lake County include A Doll’s House (Nora) and Cabaret (Lulu). Maddison also served as Dance Captain for our production of Cinderella.
ERIN DILLON (Lilith) is a senior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Acting and a passion for both lighting design and intimacy choreography. Previous credits at UW-Parkside include The Penelopiad (Maid/Helen), The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged] (Actor 1), Midnight and Moll Flanders (Ensemble), My Barking Dog (Melinda), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Siobhan), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Fox/Ensemble). Most recently, Erin was Lighting Designer for UW-Parkside’s Indecent. She has also worked with First Stage Children’s Theatre, Skylight Music Theatre, The Fleeing Artists, and the Southwest Shakespeare Company.
SAMANTHA FEILER (Ensemble, U/S Tilly Evans, U/S Evil Gabbi) is a senior Theatre Arts major with concentrations in Acting, Musical Theatre, and Stage Management. Previous acting credits include The Thanksgiving Play (Alicia) and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Cinderella). Stage management credits include Best of Br!nk Bre!fs 2020 and the Br!nk Bre!fs Playwriting Festival in 2018 and 2019 with Renaissance Theaterworks, Pinta El Feugo with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, and Indecent, The Glass Menagerie, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Love’s Labour’s Lost, and The War of the Worlds at UW-Parkside. Samantha serves as co-fight captain for this production of She Kills Monsters.
BIANCA GONZALEZ (Vera) is a junior year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Acting. Previous credits include Proof (Catherine), Pretty (Madeline), and Hope and Gravity (Narrator). Bianca also served as Properties Master for The Penelopiad, Stupid F##king Bird, and Romeo and Juliet, and serves as co-charge artist for this production of She Kills Monsters.
AREN GOODWIN (Orcus) is a junior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Acting. Previous credits include The Penelopiad (Telemachus) at UW-Parkside, Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play (Mr. Burns) and Oedipus Rex (Oedipus) at State Fair Community College, and Crimes of The Heart (Barnette Lloyd) at Brownville Village Theatre.
MATT GOULD (Miles) is a sophomore Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Acting. Previous credits at UW-Parkside include The Penelopiad (Odysseus/Maid) and as deck crew and an uncredited role as a Janitor in The Thanksgiving Play. Matt is a native of North Texas and a Veteran of the United States Navy.
ARIA JOHNSON (Ensemble, U/S Orcus) is a senior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Acting. Recent credits include Indecent (U/S The Middle, U/S The Elder), The Penelopiad (U/S Penelope), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Sebastian), Hope and Gravity (Marty), and 3 Sisters (Chebyutkin). Aria also served as Assistant Dialect Coach for Indecent.
JANET JURADO (Evil Gabbi) is a sophomore with a double major in Communication and Theatre Arts, a concentration in Acting, and a minor in Digital Media and Production. Previous credits include The Penelopiad (Maid/Melantho) and Proof (Claire). Janet also served as wardrobe crew for Indecent and spotlight operator for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.
BRIANA LIVESAY (Tilly Evans) is a junior English major who originally transferred from the College of Lake County. Previous credits include Pretty (Sylvia/Charlotte) and The Glass Menagerie (Laura) at UW-Parkside, as well as That First Fall (Zooey), She Kills Monsters (Evil Gabi), and As You Like It (Rosalind) at CLC.
JOE SCHWALLER (Steve) is a senior Theatre Arts major. Previous credits include Eurydice (Big Stone), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Domina), and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Julius the Bailiff).
OLIVIA SPRINGSTEEN (Evil Tina) is a senior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Acting and a minor in Digital Media and Production. Previous credits include The Mad Ones (U/S Sam), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Gabrielle), Stupid F##king Bird (Emma), A Doll’s House, Part 2 (Nora), Urinetown: The Musical (Little Becky Two Shoes), and Midnight and Moll Flanders (U/S Moll).
AURTHUR WEIME (U/S Chuck, U/S Vera) is a first-year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Acting. Previous credits include Circle Mirror Transformation (James) and The Penelopiad (Swing).
CHALENA WILLIAMS (Farrah the Faerie) is a senior Theatre Arts major with concentrations in Acting and Directing, and a minor in Digital Media and Production. Previous credits include Love’s Labour’s Lost (Jacquenetta), Pretty (Narrator), and The Tourists (Narrator). This season, Chalena served as Assistant Director for UW-Parkside’s production of Indecent by Paula Vogel. Chalena has also held multiple internships with Fresh Films and Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine Production company. She has also worked as an Audio Engineer on the feature film Ghostland. This past October, Chalena traveled to Brunswick, GA to join the family of Ahmaud Arbery in solidarity. While there, she directed and shot a documentary highlighting the activists that came to demand justice for Ahmaud Arbery.
Production Teams
Assistant Stage Managers
Emily Moisant*
Savana Andershock*
Assistant Lighting Designer
Kammi Kringle*
Co-Fight Captains
Ben Compton
Samantha Feiler
Light Board Operator
Delaina Kuzelka*
Sound Board Operator
Allison Hayes*
Projections Operator
Jenna Speers*
Hair & Makeup Crew
Isabella Cernuska*
Assistant Properties Master
J Lofty*
Stage Management Faculty Advisor
Kendall Phillips
Props & Paints Faculty Advisor
Jody Sekas
Stage Management Faculty Advisor
Kendall Phillips
Costume Faculty Advisor
Misti Bradford
Hair & Make Up Faculty Advisor
Misti Bradford
Sound Faculty Advisor
Kevin Gray
Costume Shop Supervisor
Leslie Vaglica
First Hand
Katlin Kobernick
Scenic Lab Supervisor
Joshua Christoffersen
Assistant Technical Director
Jenny Bauer*
Master Electrician
Petr Jaros*
Director of Craft Services
Keith Harris
House Manager
Olivia Springsteen*
Box Office Manager
Alex Gray
Marketing & Program Layout
Oliver J. Johnson
Poster Design
Kim Sekas
Jane Sekas
Production Photographer
Alyssa Nepper
Department Administrative Assistants
Joe Lambin
Edson Melendez
Talia Last*
Emma Foley*
Aurthur Weime*
Tomer Proctor-Zenker*
Colton Smith*
Samantha Feiler*
Colton Smith*
Ben Brewer*
Lily Drew*
Alex Ortiz*
Daniel Reed*
Isabella Cernuska*
Kalyn Dierks*
Lucero Martinez*
Wardrobe Supervisor
Megan Schaut*
Elise Sparks*
Ben Compton*
Allison Hayes*
Jesse Ocampo*
Lucero Martinez*
Bianca Gonzalez*
Jen Bauer*
Lynsey Gallagher*
J Lofty*
Aria Johnson*
Garrett Allen*
Ben Brewer*
Janet Jurado*
Alex Ortiz*
Briana Livesay*
Delaina Kuzelka*
Erin Dillon*
Aren Goodwin*
Matt Gould*
Hans Pfrang*
Donaji Sanchez*
Joe Schwaller*
Travis Siepl*
Jenna Speers*
Olivia Springsteen*
AJ Lance*
Allison Hayes*
Maggie Jay*
Lucero Martinez*
Janet Jurado*
Donaji Sanchez*
Arielle Santos*
Maddison Crecchio*
Kalyn Dierks*
Claire Sabaj*
Lynn Bryant*
Jacob McCown*
Daniel Reed*
Arielle Santos*
Megan Schaut*
Michelle Catalan*
Chalena Williams*
Production Team Bios
FABRICE CONTE-WILLIAMSON (Director) is a director, actor, and theatre educator, teaching courses in directing, theatre history, dramatic literature, and dramatic criticism at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Fabrice received a Master of Performing Arts from the University of Nice, France, as well as an MFA in Directing and an Interdisciplinary Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma Helmerich School of Drama. His primary research focuses on post-modern French dramatic literature and performance theory, the role of literary myth in dramatic literature, and the development of multilingual and cross-cultural theatre movements. From 2007 to 2013 Fabrice was Chair of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts at St. Gregory’s University. He also taught acting and voice and movement at the University of Oklahoma where he became actively involved with the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region VI, serving as State Chair for Oklahoma and coordinator for the Arts Management and Administration Initiative (ASPIRE). Recent projects include directing Stupid F##king Bird by Aaron Posner for UW-Parkside (KCACTF Region III Invited Production) and co-translating Stormy Weather on Mount Olympus by Nobel Prize winner Ismail Kadare for the 50th Neudstadt Literature Festival.
CHRISTOPHER ELST (Fight and Intimacy Director) A prominent member of several national theatre organizations and an advocate for new and safer practices for theaters nationwide, Christopher Elst has performed, directed, and designed violence, movement, and intimacy for professional theatres across the country, including Ogunquit Playhouse, First Stage Childrens Theatre, Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival (now The REV), Next Act Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Renaissance TheaterWorks, Skylight Music Theatre, and The Milwaukee Rep. He thanks his wife, Marcee, for late nights and joint locks.
STAR HOWARD (Stage Manager) is a junior working towards a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts with a concentration in Stage Management. Their previous experience includes Cinderella (Assistant Stage Manager), Romeo and Juliet (Assistant Stage Manager), Stupid F##king Bird (Assistant Sound Designer), and Silent Sky (Deck Chief).
TRAVIS SIEPL (Assistant Director) is a sophomore Theatre Arts major from Twin Lakes, WI with a double concentration in Directing and Stage Management. Prior credits include The Penelopiad (Assistant Stage Manager), Stupid F##king Bird (Sound Board Op), Proof (Stage Manager), and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Stream Team).
JORDAN MCGRAW (Dramaturg) is a senior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Acting. Recent credits include Indecent (The Elder: Otto), The Penelopiad (Icarius/Maid/Percussion), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Sound Board Operator), Little Women (Laurie), The Government Inspector (Director of Schools), and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Crew). Jordan has also worked as professional mascot characters in NCAA/National Competitions.
JOSHUA CHRISTOFFERSEN (Scenic Designer and Technical Director) has worked as the Technical Director for the Brown University/Trinity Repertory company MFA program and a Carpenter for Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, RI. Josh has also worked multiple summers in Spring Green, WI as a carpenter at the American Player’s Theatre, building and sculpting scenery for their exciting outdoor productions. He has also toured for multiple years both nationally and internationally as a Crew Chief and Head Carpenter for Sesame Street Live! and the World Premier Tour of Curious George, The Musical, Live! Josh earned his BFA in Theatre from Emporia State University and received his MFA in Theatrical Design at the University of Iowa.
KENDALL PHILLIPS (Lighting Designer) is UW-Parkside Theatre Arts Company Production Manager, as well as serving as the instructor for lighting & new media for entertainment design. Ken earned his MFA in Lighting Design & his BFA in Stage Management from the University of Arizona. He has designed lighting and projection content all around the country, mostly working in musical theatre & opera. Most notably he was the Resident Lighting Designer & Supervisor for the nationally renowned Jacobs School of Music Opera & Ballet department at Indiana University. He has also served as a Production Stage Manager for many years and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association. To see a more complete list of his work, you can visit his website at KGPhillips.com.
JESSE OCAMPO (Costume Designer) is a senior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Design and Technology, who originally transferred from the College of Lake County. UW-Parkside credits include The Penelopiad (Wardrobe Supervisor), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Assistant Costume Designer), Romeo and Juliet (Wardrobe Crew), and The Glass Menagerie (Wardrobe Crew). At CLC, Jesse served as Assistant Costume Designer for Cabaret, Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook, A Doll’s House, and She Kills Monsters. Other credits include wardrobe crew for CLC’s productions of Everyman, Cabaret and The Addams Family.
CHRIS PAYNE (Projections Designer) is a returning student based in Chicago. He works as the resident Lighting Designer for David Michael Productions, working in the live event space. He designs everything from corporate meetings to concerts at Wrigley Field. He is excited to return to the theatre world after a long hiatus working professionally. Previous UW-Parkside credits include Dancing at Lughnasa (Lighting Designer), Twelfth Night (Lighting Designer), and Book of Days (Projection Designer).
JACK PURVES (Sound Designer) is a UW-Parkside alum with a degree in Theatre Arts and a concentration in Design and Technology. They are a huge fan of tabletop roleplaying games and are beyond excited to be back collaborating with the fantastic artists of the UW-Parkside Theatre Arts department for this production of She Kills Monsters. Credits include Macbeth (Digital Performance, Sound Designer), The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [abridged] (Sound Designer), The Glass Menagerie (Sound Designer), Urinetown (Sound Board Operator), A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Audio Assistant), and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Assistant Sound Designer).
ISABELLA CERNUSKA (Hair and Makeup Designer) is a senior Theatre Arts major who originally transferred from the College of Lake County. Past credits include The Tourists (Debra) and 3Sisters (Natasha) at UW-Parkside, as well as Street Scene (Shirley Kaplan), Oedipus The King (Servant), and The Addams Family (Grandma Addams) at The College of Lake County. Isabella served as Hair and Makeup designer for UW-Parkside’s productions of The Penelopiad, The Thanksgiving Play, Indecent, and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Other experiences in hair and makeup include several productions at the Round Lake Area Park District and working as a makeup artist for Six Flags Fright Fest.
LYNSEY GALLAGHER (Properties Master) is a senior Theatre Arts major, who transferred from St. Norbert College. UW-Parkside credits include Indecent (Scenic Charge Artist), The Thanksgiving Play (Carpenter), The Penelopiad (Scenic Charge Artist), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Assistant Scenic Designer and Scenic Charge Artist), The Glass Menagerie (Properties Master), Stupid F##king Bird (Master Carpenter and Scenic Artist), The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged] (Properties Master, Carpenter, and Deck Crew), Romeo and Juliet (Carpenter, Scenic Artist, Stitcher), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Carpenter), and Silent Sky (Carpenter/Electrician). Lynsey served as Assistant Stage Manager and Head of Props Run Crew for On Golden Pond at Racine Theatre Guild. This past summer, she worked at Interlochen Center for the Arts as a carpenter for The Tempest, and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. She has worked for the Entertainment Department at Six Flags Great America for three years and is currently a UW-Parkside Scene Shop Assistant.
CHALENA WILLIAMS (Dance Choreographer) is a senior Theatre Arts major with concentrations in Acting and Directing, and a minor in Digital and Media Production. Previous credits include Love’s Labour’s Lost (Jacquenetta), Pretty (Narrator), and The Tourists (Narrator). This season, Chalena served as Assistant Director for UW-Parkside’s production of Indecent by Paula Vogel. Chalena has also held multiple internships with Fresh Films and Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine Production company. She has also worked as an Audio Engineer on the feature film Ghostland. This past October, Chalena traveled to Brunswick, GA to join the family of Ahmaud Arbery in solidarity. While there, she directed and shot a documentary highlighting the activists that came to demand justice for Ahmaud Arbery.
BIANCA GONZALEZ (Scenic Charge Artist) is a junior year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Acting. Previous credits include Proof (Catherine), Pretty (Madeline), and Hope and Gravity (Narrator). Bianca also served as Properties Master for The Penelopiad, Stupid F##king Bird, and Romeo and Juliet.
ELISEBETH SPARKS (Scenic Charge Artist) is a junior with a double major in Music Performance and Theatre Arts, as well as a concentration in Musical Theatre. Recent acting credits include Brighton Beach Memoirs (Nora) at Lakeside Players, and Indecent (The Ingenue: Chana), The Mad Ones (Sam), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Ensemble, U/S Marie), Stupid F##king Bird (U/S Mash), and 3Sisters (Irina) at UW-Parkside.
PETR JAROS (Master Electrician) is a first-year Theatre Arts major with concentrations in Directing and in Design and Technology. Previous acting credits include The Mad Ones (U/S Adam).
MEGAN SCHAUT (Wardrobe Supervisor) is a senior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Acting, a minor in History, and a certificate in Creative Writing. Previous technical experience includes The Thanksgiving Play (Prop Master), The Penelopiad (Assistant Stage Manager), Pretty (Stage Manager), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Deck Crew), and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged] (Wardrobe Crew). Acting credits include Indecent (U/S The Elder), The Mad Ones (Bev), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Racoon, Ensemble), 3Sisters (Olga), and Hope and Gravity (Nan).
SAWYER EDWARDS (Assistant Fight Director) is a recent graduate of UW-Parkside’s Theatre Arts program. Acting credits include Hamlet (Guildenstern) at The Fleeing Artists, and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Ensemble), The Glass Menagerie (Jim), Stupid F##king Bird (Trigorin), The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged] (Actor 3), and Hope & Gravity (Hal) at UW-Parkside. Sawyer served as fight choreographer for Star Wars Concert and fight captain for Hamlet.
KAMMI KRINGLE (Assistant lighting Designer) is a third-year Theatre Arts major. Recent credits include The Mad Ones (Stage Manager), Stupid F##king Bird (U/S Nina, U/S Emma), The Glass Menagerie (Assistant Stage Manager), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Master Electrician), and The Penelopiad (Assistant Lighting Designer).
J LOFTY (Assistant Properties Master) is a first-year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Design & Technology. Previous UW-Parkside credits include The Penelopiad (Deck Crew).
LESLIE VAGLICA (Costume Shop Supervisor) is a costumer whose foundation in fashion and art has enriched her focus in theatrical costuming. She has worked as a costume technician for companies such as American Players Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, the Florentine Opera Company, Skylight Music Theatre, and Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. Professional regional design credits include work for The Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Chamber Theatre, Sugar Creek Opera, Milwaukee Opera Theatre, Florentine Opera Company, Luminous Theatre, UW Milwaukee Dance and Musical Theatre, Peter Stathas Dance, and Renaissance Theaterworks. She has also worked as Costume Shop Manager at Hope Summer Repertory Theater in Holland, MI. Leslie is a graduate of UW-Eau Claire and holds a certificate in Apparel Product Design and Development from Mt. Mary University.
JENNY BAUER (Assistant Technical Director) is a senior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Design & Technology. Previous credits include Indecent (Master Electrician), The Thanksgiving Play (Lighting Designer), The Penelopiad (Master Electrician and Spot Op.), Midcoast Concert (Lighting Designer), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Master Carpenter and Live Stream Team), The Glass Menagerie (Lighting Designer), Stupid F##king Bird (Assistant Lighting Designer), Romeo and Juliet (Assistant Technical Director, Master Electrician, and Light Board Op.), The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged] (Assistant Technical Director and Live Stream Team), On Golden Pond (Lighting Designer), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Master Electrician), Urinetown: The Musical (Master Carpenter and Spot Op.), and Grease (Lighting Designer).
SAVANA ANDERSHOCK (Assistant Stage Manager) is a first-year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Design & Technology. Previous credits include Indecent (Assistant Master Electrician) and The Penelopiad (Deck Crew). Recent acting credits include The Thanksgiving Play (Logan).
EMILY MOISANT (Assistant Stage Manager) is a first-year transfer student with a major in Theatre Arts and a concentration in Directing. Previous credits include The Penelopiad (Dramaturg) at UW-Parkside and In the Next Room (Wardrobe Crew) at UW-Milwaukee.
Special Thanks
Casa Capri for ongoing support
Theatre Arts Supporters
The College of Arts and Humanities with the UW-Parkside Foundation gratefully acknowledges the following individuals for their investment in the Theatre Arts Department and students.
PRODUCING SPONSOR
Susan M. Cable, D.D.S., ’81*
Dragonblade Publishing
$1,000+
Susan M. Cable, D.D.S., ’81*
Dr. Donald A. Cress*
Marie Kohler & Brian Mani*
Patricia Petretti*
$500-$999
Laurie & Steve Feiler
Shirley Warter
$250-$499
Debra Karp & Stephen Smiley
Kim and Jody Sekas
$100-249
Darleen Chiappetta
Barbara DeLaney
Ruth A. Frear
Dr. Claire M. Hicks
Lisa & Mike Humke
Karen MacKinnon
Jeff & Lynn Skatrud
Melissa Smyth
You can enhance Theatre Arts Education.
In the same way that mounting a play requires a team, funding it is likewise a team effort. To produce our amazing shows, we rely on a combination of sources—ticket sales, the University, and private funding.
Play a part in advancing the student experience through your one-time or recurring contribution to the Dr. Donald A. Cress Theatre Production Enhancement Fund.
Donations listed were received Jul 1, 2020-Sep 30, 2021. For omissions or changes to this donor list, please contact development@uwp.edu
*Denotes members of the UW-Parkside Chancellor’s Society.
This production is entered in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF). UW-Parkside is very active in the Region 3, the largest region of the Kennedy CenterAmerican College Theatre Festival
We regularly accrue a significant number of Merit Awards (in Design, Direction, and Tech) as well as Acting Awards, including what we consider to be the highest accolade, The Ensemble Acting Award. At festival, our students compete and succeed.
THE VIDEOTAPING OR MAKING OF ELECTRONIC OR OTHER AUDIO AND/OR VISUAL RECORDINGS OF THIS PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTING RECORDINGS OR STREAMS IN ANY MEDIUM, INCLUDING THE INTERNET, IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED, A VIOLATION OF THE AUTHOR(S)’S RIGHTS AND ACTIONABLE UNDER UNITED STATES COPYRIGHT LAW. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT:
https://concordtheatricals.com/resources/protecting-artists
About UW-Parkside
Since 1968, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside has continued to build a reputation as an outstanding liberal arts institution with particularly strong fine arts programs. With The Rita Tallent Picken Center for Arts & Humanities, our state-of-the-art instructional facilities and stunning performance venues match our award-winning academic programs and provide even greater community access. UW-Parkside offers a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as specialized online programs. Each year, more than 100 College of Lake County graduates transfer to UW-Parkside to pursue a four-year degree. The award-winning Theatre Arts program is a popular destination for transfer students.