At the Rita: Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for Arts and Humanities

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s
CINDERELLA

Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
New Book by Douglas Carter Beane
Original Book by Oscar Hammerstein II

Directed by Rachael Swartz

Music Adaptation & Arrangements by David Chase
Additional Lyrics By Douglas Carter Beane, David Chase, and Bruce Pomahac

CINDERELLA is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals
on behalf of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization.

www.concordtheatricals.com

LEAD PRODUCTION TEAM

Director
Rachael Swartz

Music Director
David Brady

Assistant Director
Briana Livesay*

Choreographer
Ryan Cappleman

Stage Manager
Alexander Gray*

Scenic Designer
Jody Sekas

Costume Designer
Misti Bradford

Lighting Designer
Jessica Baker*

Sound Designer
Kevin Gray

Projections Designer
Noah Frye*

Makeup Designer
Isabella Cernuska*

Wig Artisan
Emily Christofferson

Properties Master
Minnie Martinez*

Technical Director
Josh Christoffersen

Director of Photographer
Briana Livesay*

 

*Denotes student

DIRECTOR'S NOTES

Rachael Swartz

The ineffable pairing of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (of Oklahoma!, Carousel, The Sound of Music, The King and I… acclaim) created Cinderella as a TV musical special starring Julie Anderws in the titular role in 1957. Various stage versions and a second film version in 1967 continued to shape the work, adding characters and numbers along the way.  However, the 1997 film starring Brandy in the role of Cinderella and Whitney Houston as the fairy godmother and its beautifully diverse and brilliantly talented company broke the mold of this fairytale forever.  As Marie, our fairy godmother so aptly says, “in the name of every girl who has ever wanted to change the world she lived in.  In the name of possibility.”  We began to demand more of this happily ever after.

Following in the footsteps of the 1997 film, the show would break the Broadway stage for the first time in 2013 with a reimagined story to tell.  Douglas Carter Beane created a new book for the show with the goal of creating a fairytale for today.  The show’s focus shifted from love at first sight to themes of social justice, of calls for charity, generosity, kindness and the ability to reform those around us through forgiveness.  The King and Queen are removed; Jean-Michel, a firebrand concerned with the needs of the poor in the community is added and becomes the love interest of one of our not-so-wicked stepsisters.  More importantly, Topher becomes a well-intentioned and three dimensional young man though one riddled with self doubt; Ella becomes a young woman seeking to challenge the status quo.  Her fairy godmother rewards her with the invitation to the ball, her glass slippers and magical gown as a reward for her selflessness and compassion. 

While the story of Cinderella has always felt like a timeless fairy-tale to me -- the notion of being whisked away from the toils of our lives by a prince (or having a host of singing mice and bird friends to share in the day to day) -- this reimagining instead feels timely and so welcome.  I look forward to embracing our world again with kindness, a celebration of magic and sense of wonder for new possibilities.  It has been a pleasure to share in this production with my new students and colleagues.  “It’s possible” feels an apt celebration of the launch of our new Musical Theatre Concentration together.  For “impossible things are happening every day.”

CAST LIST

Madame US/Topher's Horse/Taller Woman/Dutchess/4th Lady
Maddison Crecchio

Charlotte US/ Fox/ Younger Woman/Footman/A Lady/2nd Lady
Erin Dillon

Jean-Michel US/Lord/Earl of Cavendish
Sawyer Edwards

Ella
Samantha Feiler

Marie
Ariana Gibeault

Lord Pinkleton US/Coach Horse/Duke of Cheshire
King Hang

Sebastian
Aidan Johnson

Sebastian US/Coach Horse/Sam
Sam Kim

Ella US/Topher's Horse/Stronger Woman/Older Woman/Yvonne
Delaina Kuzelka

Madame
Talia Last

Jean-Michel/Topher US
Hans Pfrang

Lord Pinkleton
Tomer Proctor-Zenker

Knight/ Townsperson/Coach Horse
Jon Rocha

Gabrielle US/Raccoon/Coachman/Shy Woman/3rd Lady
Megan Schaut

Charlotte
Hailey Schowalter

Marie US/Small Woman/Another Dutchess/1st Lady
Elisebeth Sparks

Gabrielle
Olivia Springsteen

Topher
Dylan Thomas

MUSICAL NUMBERS

"Overture"
Orchestra

"Prologue"
Orchestra and Ella

"Me, Who Am I?"
Topher, Sebastian, Lord Pinkleton, Knights and Pages

"In My Own Little Corner"
Ella

"Now Is the Time"
Jean-Michel

"The Prince Is Giving a Ball"
Lord Pinkleton, Townspeople, Madame, Charlotte, Gabrielle, Ella and Marie

"Cinderella March"
Orchestra

"In My Own Little Corner" (reprise) / "Fol-De-Rol"
Ella and Marie

"Impossible/It's Possible"
Marie and Ella

"Gavotte"
Sebastian, Topher, Lord Pinkleton, Madame, Charlotte, Gabrielle and Lords & Ladies of the Court

"Ten Minutes Ago"
Topher and Ella

"Waltz for a Ball"
Orchestra

"Ten Minutes Ago" (reprise)
Topher, Ella and Lords & Ladies of the Court

"Entr'acte"
Orchestra

"Stepsister's Lament"
Charlotte and Ladies of the Court

"The Pursuit"
Topher, Lord Pinkleton, Lords of the Court, Pages, Ella, the Footman and the Driver

"He Was Tall"
Ella

"When You're Driving Through the Moonlight"
Ella, Madame, Charlotte and Gabrielle

"A Lovely Night"
Ella, Madame, Charlotte and Gabrielle

"A Lovely Night" (reprise)
Ella and Gabrielle

"Loneliness of Evening"
Topher and Ella

"Announcing the Banquet"
Sebastian, Lord Pinkleton, Heralds and Madame

"There's Music in You"
Marie

"Now Is the Time" (reprise)
Jean-Michel and Gabrielle

"Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?"
Topher and Ella

"The Shoe Fits" / "The Proposal"
Topher, Ella and Company

"Finale"
Marie and Company

There will be one 15-minute intermission.

CAST BIOS

Samantha Feiler

SAMANTHA FEILER (Ella) is in her third year as a theatre major at Parkside and will be graduating next spring with three concentrations in performance, musical theatre, and stage management. Past credits at Parkside include Margaret (Silent Sky), Little Sally (Urinetown), Beth (Little Women), Panacea (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum), and Gregory (Romeo and Juliet). Other acting credits include Maria (Twelfth Night), Witch (Macbeth), and Peter Quince (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) in Summer Shakespeare. Samantha is also working to be an actor combatant and has a credit as Fight Captain for Romeo and Juliet.

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DYLAN THOMAS (Topher) is a senior theatre arts major at Parkside. Past performances include Ed Boone in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at Parkside, as well as Leader of Chorus in Oedipus Rex, Torvald Helmer in A Doll’s House, and the Emcee in Cabaret all at the College of Lake County.

Tomer Proctor-Zenker

TOMER PROCTOR-ZENKER (Lord Pinkleton) is a junior theatre arts major with a concentration in acting. His previous theatre credits at Parkside include Michael Black, Bernard 1 and Bernard 2 in A Number, Christopher in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Solyony in the adaptation of Anton Chekov’s Sisters, Captain and Announcer Three in The War of The Worlds and Tiny Tom in Urinetown.

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AIDAN JOHNSON (Sebastian) is a junior theatre arts major at Parkside, with a concentration in performance. His past credits include Marty in Hope and Gravity, and Chebutykin in Three Sisters, both Parkside FreshINK productions.

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ARIANA GIBEAULT (Marie) is a senior Parkside, and is very excited to be working on this production of Cinderella. She was seen in Romeo and Juliet (Nurse), and her recent (virtual) credits include Henry IV part 2 (Fang, Harcourt, Messenger), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Mustardseed), Julius Caesar (Cinna, Messenger, Servant), and Pericles (Lychordia, Philemon, Lord 2, Knight 2) with Southwest Shakespeare Company’s Virtual Classics Live Series, A Winter’s Tale (Perdita, Emilia, and Mariner) with Fleeing Artists theatre. Ariana gives her love to her fellow cast members, and everyone else who worked to create this wonderful show!

Hans Pfrang

HANS PFRANG (Jean-Michel) is a junior at Parkside with a concentration in acting and now musical theatre. Past credits include: Urinetown (Senator Fipp), Stage readings of Water by the Spoonful (Fountainhead) and A Doll’s House part 2 (Torvald), and Parkside Studios production of A Number (Salter) by Caryl Churchill. Most recently a (virtual) production of The Roaring Girl (Lord Noland/The Fellow/Second Cutpurse) with Southwest Shakespeare Company. Hans is very excited for viewers to see this beautiful show that will deeply excite audiences the same way he feels about it.

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TALIA LAST (Madame) is a senior at Parkside, majoring in theatre arts with concentrations in acting and musical theatre. Past credits include Chiffon in Little Shop of Horrors, Anne-Marie in Parkside's FreshINK of A Doll's House: Part II, Juliet in The Comedy of Romeo and Juliet (Kinda Sorta), and Maria in Twelfth Night.

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OLIVIA SPRINGSTEEN (Gabrielle) is a junior at Parkside. It has been an absolute joy for her to be able to be a part of the Parkside Theatre Company, and be able to bring theatre to the masses in 2021. Her passed productions at Parkside include Stupid F*cking Bird and Romeo and Juliet in the Fall of 2020, a staged reading of A Doll’s House Part 2 in 2019, and Urinetown in the Spring of 2018. She hopes you have a lovely night!

Hailey Schowalter

HAILEY SCHOWALTER (Charlotte) is in her final semester as a theatre major with a concentration in performance. She has a passion for acting, as well as hair & makeup design. Some of her previous acting credits include: Urinetown (Penelope Pennywise), Annie (Miss Hannigan), Seussical (Sour Kangaroo), Hairspray (Tracy Turnblad), and Bye Bye Birdie (Mrs. Mae Peterson). Her most recent hair & makeup design was for Romeo & Juliet at Parkside, she also designed Silent Sky and Shrek the Musical. She would like to thank the cast, crew, and production team of Cinderella for their constant hard work and determination shown throughout the entire rehearsal process. Hailey would like to dedicate her performance to her father and grandparents.

Erin Dillon

ERIN DILLON (Fox/Ensemble) is a junior this year and is an acting focused theatre artist who has gained a passion for lighting since she started at Parkside. She plans to graduate in the spring of 2022 to further her theatre career. Her previous credits at Parkside include The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [abridged] (Actor 1), Midnight and Moll Flanders (ensemble), My Barking Dog (Melinda), and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Siobhan). She has also worked with First Stage Children’s Theatre, Skylight Music Theatre, and the Southwest Shakespeare Company.

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MEGAN SCHAUT (Racoon/Ensemble/US Gabrielle) is a senior at Parkside and is pursuing a major in theatre with a concentration in acting as well as a minor in history. Her past acting credits include Hope and Gravity (Nan), Three Sisters (Olga), and It's A Wonderful Life (Miss Andrews). She is very pleased to be part of this production of Cinderella with her fellow artists.

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MADDISON CRECCHIO (Dance Captain/Ensemble) is a senior at Parkside studying theatre arts with a focus in performance. Her acting credits include Romeo and Juliet (Lady Capulet) and a staged reading of Hope and Gravity (Jill) at Parkside, The Wedding Duet (Bride), A Doll’s House (Nora), and Oedipus (Chorus) all at the College of Lake County.

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SAWYER EDWARDS (Ensemble) is a senior at Parkside double majoring in theater arts and business management. This is his fourth production as an actor at Parkside. Previous roles include Actor 3 in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), Doyle Trigorin in Stupid F##king Bird and Jim in The Glass Menagerie.

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KING HANG (Ensemble) is in his fourth and final year at Parkside. Come May, King will be graduating with a theatre arts degree with a concentration in performance. He is excited to perform in his last show at Parkside with his peers. Parkside credits also include Urinetown: The Musical (Bobby Strong), Romeo & Juliet (Benvolio), and Midnight and Mollflanders (Robin/Ensemble). King hopes you enjoy every bit of the show.

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SAM KIM (Ensemble) is a senior at Parkside. He is studying costume design and performance. He recently designed his first play, The Glass Menagerie with Parkside. His past performances include an ancestor in The Addams Family (Musical), the chorus in Oedipus the King, ensemble in Cabaret, and Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, all from the College of Lake County.

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DELAINA KUZELKA (Ensemble) is a sophomore majoring in theatre arts at Parkside. Delaina has been involved in theatre around the Kenosha area for the past eight years. Her favorite productions include The Lakeside Players productions of RENT (deck crew) and To Kill a Mockingbird (Scout Finch), KUSD’s The Spitfire Grill (Percy Talbott), The Lion in Winter (Eleanor), Ghost the Musical (Molly), Proof (Catherine), Parkside’s Silent Sky (Williamina) and Romeo and Juliet (Juliet).  She hopes you enjoy the show!

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JONATHAN ROCHA (Ensemble) of Waukegan is a senior at Parkside majoring in theatre arts with a directing concentration. He is a transfer student from the College of Lake County. Some of his previous acting credits include Escalus/Apothecary in Romeo and Juliet, Voice 2 in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Lurch in The Addams Family Musical and Kreon in Oedipus Rex.

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ELISEBETH SPARKS (Ensemble) is a sophomore at Parkside, pursuing a double major in theatre arts and music, with a concentration in performance. Her acting credits at Parkside include Irina in a reworked Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov, and Mash U/S in Aaron Posner’s Stupid F***ing Bird. Recently, Elisebeth served on the Stream Team for The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). She has also worked with RUSD as a performer as well as a costuming assistant. 

PRODUCTION TEAMS

Assistant Stage Managers
Starlyn Howard
Abby Kubik

Stage Management Faculty Advisor
Misti Bradford

Assistant Scenic Designer
Lynsey Gallagher

Scenic Charge Artist
Lynsey Gallagher

Master Carpenter
Jenny Bauer

Master Electrician
Kammi Kringle

Sound Faculty Advisor
Kevin Gray

Scenic and Props Faculty Advisor
Jody Sekas

Hair and Makeup Faculty Advisor
Misti Bradford

Assistant Costume Designer
Jesse Ocampo

Costume Lab Supervisor
Leslie Vaglica

Scenic Lab Supervisor
Josh Christoffersen

Light Board Operator
Bianca Gonzalez

Sound Board Operator
Jordan McGraw

Wardrobe Supervisor
Mya Figueroa

Stitchers/Overhire
Bobby Sharon
Amelia Strahan

Assistant Technical Director
Taylor Ramcke

Spotlight Operator(s)
Janet Jurado
Kammi Kringle

Poster Design
Kim Sekas

Marketing
Oliver J. Johnson

Sam Feiler
Meghan Flynn
Lynsey Gallagher 
Talia Last 
Jennifer Nelson 
Tomer Proctor-Zenker

Garrett Allen
Chito Contreras
Minnie Martinez
Olivia Springsteen

Garret Allen 
Chito Contreras

Michele Catalan
Ben Compton
Maddison Crecchio
Emma Foley
Ariana Gibeault
Sam Kim
Jesse Ocampo
Ariele Santos
Elisebeth Sparks

Ben Compton
Mya Figueroa
Ariana Gibeault
Jesse Ocampo

Lynsey Gallagher
Minnie Martinez
Taylor Ramcke
Jon Rocha

Noah Frye
King Hang
Briana Livesay
Kyle Racas

Jessica Baker
Lynn Bryant
Erin Dillon
Mya Figueroa
Noah Frye
Bianca Gonzalez
Star Howard
Samantha Jaworek
Kammi Kringle
Abby Kubik
Jordan McGraw
Shamoon Mian
Jon Rocha

Amanda Ahles
AJ Lance
Jack Purves

Jenny Bauer
Sawyer Edwards
Aidan Johnson
Janet Jurado
Delaina Kuzelka
Hans Pfrang
Taylor Ramcke
Joe Romanak
Maghan Schaut
Hailey Schowalter 
Dylan Thomas

Jenny Bauer
Karen Nhol
Travis Siepl
Chalena Williams

PRODUCTION TEAM BIOS

Rachael Swartz

RACHAEL SWARTZ (Director) teaches acting, voice, movement, and musical theatre at Parkside and she serves on the acclaimed acting and musical theatre faculty at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan.  She is a proud union member of both Actors' Equity Association and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. Some of her recent Regional performance credits include: The 39 Steps (Annabella/Pamela/Margaret), The Sound of Music (Mother Abbess), and Romeo and Juliet (Nurse). Recent on-camera credits include work with the Travel Channel, ID, Oxygen and TV One.  She is an active member of Musical Theatre Educators’ Alliance and the Voice and Speech Trainers Association. Through the Lessac Training and Research Institute, she has achieved Lessac Practitioner standing and has been accepted to their Certified Trainer program. She holds a BA in theatre from Baldwin Wallace University and MFA in theatre performance from The University of Southern Mississippi.

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BRIANA LIVESAY (Assistant Director/Director of Photography) is a junior, first year transfer student from the College of Lake County. This is her second main stage production at Parkside; however, you may recognize her from her previous roles in “That First Fall” (Zooey), She Kills Monsters (Evil Gabi), and As You Like It (Rosalind) all at CLC. Briana made her Parkside debut in the fall FreshINK of Pretty (Sylvia/Charlotte) and her Parkside mainstage debut in The Glass Menagerie (Laura). She additionally participated in Summer Shakes through CLC and Parkside, which showcased A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hermia), Macbeth (Hecate/Porter), and Twelfth Night (Second Officer/Priest). Briana is an Intern at The Southwest Shakespeare Company in Arizona.

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ALEXANDER GRAY (Stage Manager) is in his final year at Parkside majoring in psychology and theatre arts with concentrations in both performance and stage management. Parkside credits include Silent Sky (Stage Manager), Urinetown: The Musical (Assistant Stage Manager) and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Assistant Stage Manager). Other educational credits include The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (Stage Manager), A Relationship - Abridged (Director), and Jekyll & Hyde (Assistant Director), all at the College of Lake County.

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DAVID BRADY (Music Director) finds joy helping people see their potential and activate it.  He finds his fulfillment seeing people take their skills and share it with people who care - like you.  David worked for Carnival Cruise Line for 9 years as a Casting Supervisor and Manager of Musical Direction and 8 years as an MD for Holland America Line. Local support for broadway tours include: Hairspray, Little Women, Wicked, Little Shop, King and I, My Fair Lady, All Shook Up, Mamma Mia, Menopause the Musical.  David has additionally backed up artists like Aretha Franklin, Mario Frangoulis, Bobby Rydel, and Niki Blonski from the movie, Hairspray.  Now, what matters most to him, is that you experience the work of people who believe that wonder, awe, and vulnerability are powerful forces to drive change. Enjoy.

Ryan Cappleman

RYAN CAPPLEMAN (Choreographer) is a performer, choreographer, musician, and teaching artist in the Milwaukee area. As a choreographer, he has earned three Footlights Awards for Outstanding Choreography (Hairspray, Sweeney Todd, and Pirates of Penzance at Skylight Music Theater), as well as numerous Jerry Awards for his work with many area high schools. Other places of Ryan’s dance related work include Danceworks, Minnesota Conservatory of the Arts Summer Dance Intensive, Virginia State Thespian Conference, Wisconsin Dance Council, Milwaukee Ballet, Marcus Center, and the Overture Center. Cinderella was the first musical he ever choreographed, and he is so excited to revisit it with Rachael! For his two princesses, Iggy and Dolly.

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STAR HOWARD (Assistant Stage Manager) is in her sophomore year at Parkside working towards a bachelor's degree in theatre arts with a concentration in stage management. College experience includes Romeo and Juliet (Assistant Stage Manager), Stupid F*cking Bird (Assistant Sound Designer), and Silent Sky (Deck Chief). High school experience includes Beauty and the Beast (Stage Manager), Mary Poppins (Stage Manager), The Little Dog Laughed (Stage Manager), A Murder is Announced (Stage Manager), and Seussical the Musical (Stage Manager).

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ABBY KUBIK (Assistant Stage Manager) transferred to Parkside after earning an Associate’s Degree in liberal arts from Milwaukee Area Technical College. She is a senior pursuing a theatre arts major with a concentration in stage management and direction. Parkside credits include Stupid F*cking Bird (Stage Manager), Romeo and Juliet (Assistant Stage Manager), the FreshINK staged reading 3 Sisters (Stage Manager) and Silent Sky (Assistant Stage Manager).

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KEVIN GRAY (Sound Designer) is the sound manager & instructor at Parkside and enjoys his work with students in both the theatre and music departments. He received his BA in sound design from Michigan Technological University and has designed/composed for shows such as: Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Arcadia, and The Case of the Crusbed Petunias.

MIsti Bradford

MISTI BRADFORD (Costume Designer, Faculty Advisor, and Department Chair) KCACTF Region 3 DTM Co-Chair, 2019-2021 USITT- Commissioner of Events and Experience, Costume Commission, 2018-2020. Misti is a professional costume designer and educator. Some of her selected design credits include: Boswell, MHK Productions- Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 2019; Happy Days, Annie Jump and the Library of Heaven (world premiere) Renaissance Theaterworks (Milwaukee, WI), The Nerd, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre; Pride and Prejudice, Illinois Shakespeare Festival; Murder for Two, Merrimack Repertory Theatre and Milwaukee Repertory Theatre; Much Ado About Nothing and The Comedy of Errors, Door Shakespeare; two seasons of A Christmas Carol, Children’s Theatre of Madison; Goosebumps the Musical (world premiere) First Stage Children Theatre; Bus Stop, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, The Flying Dutchman, Les Misérables, Man of Lamancha, Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre. Five seasons as Resident Costume Designer and three seasons as Costume Crafts Supervisor and Wig Stylist with PCPA Theaterfest and has also worked several seasons as a Costume Crafts Artisan for the American Player’s Theatre. Misti currently serves as Parkside’s Theatre Arts Department Chair, Chair of the Committee on Teaching and Learning, and was selected as the campus representative for the prestigious Wisconsin Teaching Scholar program for 2020-2021. Misti has been nominated three times for the Parkside Stella Gray Teaching Award and is an Associate Professor of costume design. Misti is a proud member of the United Scenic Artists, Local 829.

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JESSE OCAMPO (Assistant Costume Designer) is a junior, first year transfer student from the College of Lake County. This is his first major production as assistant costume designer at Parkside. He is a costume construction/design concentration, studying to get his Bachelor of Arts in theatre arts. In his first year at Parkside, he has worked on wardrobe crew for Romeo and Juliet and The Glass Menagerie. At CLC, Jesse has worked as assistant costume designer for productions, such as, Cabaret, Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook, A Doll’s House, and She Kills Monsters. Jesse has also worked on wardrobe crew at CLC for production of Everyman, Cabaret and The Addams Family the Musical.

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MYA FIGUEROA (Wardrobe Supervisor) is a senior at Parkside and a former College of Lake County student. She is studying to get her Bachelor of Arts in theatre arts with a concentration in costume design. Credits include: Assistant Costume Designer for Romeo and Juliet, Wardrobe crew for Silent Sky (UW-Parkside) and Assistant Costume Designer for CLC’s The Addams Family.

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ISABELLA CERNUSKA (Makeup Designer) is very excited to be the hair and makeup designer for this beautiful show. Isabella is a second year transfer student from The College of Lake County. Some of her favorite roles include; Shirley Kaplan in Street Scene, Servant in Oedipus The King, and Grandma Addams in The Addams Family all at The College of Lake County.  Her past experience in makeup includes several productions at the Round Lake Area Park District and as a makeup artist at Six Flags Fright Fest.

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JODY SEKAS (Scenic Designer) is a professor and a freelance designer, and has worked for such venues as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, First Stage Children’s Theatre, Door Shakespeare, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, Dell’Arte International, Rochester Civic Theatre, Omaha Theatre Company for Young People, The Western Stage, and on several independent films. He has taught Scenography in the Theatre, Film, & Dance Department at Humboldt State University in northern California; Scenic/Lighting Design & Technology at UW-Eau Claire, and for four years was the resident scenic & lighting designer for the Sioux Falls Playhouse in South Dakota. He is now in his ninth year at Parkside, and is Associate Professor of Scenic Design & Technology and a core professor in the Digital Design & Fabrication program.

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LYNSEY GALLAGHER (Assistant Scenic Designer and Scenic Charge Artist) is in her Junior year, having transferred from St. Norbert College. Since joining Parkside, she has been involved with The Glass Menagerie (Prop Master), Stupid F##king Bird (Master Carpenter & Scenic Artist), The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Prop Master, Carpenter, & Deck Crew) and Romeo and Juliet (Carpenter, Scenic Artist, Stitcher), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Carpenter), Silent Sky (Carpenter/Electrician) and was the Assistant Stage Manager/Head of Props Run Crew for On Golden Pond at the Racine Theatre Guild. She has worked for Six Flags Great America for five years and is currently a Parkside Scene Shop Assistant.

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JOSH CHRISTOFFERSEN (Technical Director) is very excited to be your new Technical Director for university productions at Parkside. Most recently Josh has worked as the Technical Director for the Brown University/Trinity Repertory company MFA program and a Carpenter from 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 production. 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 completed an MFA in Theatrical Design at the University of Iowa. He currently lives in Kenosha, Wisconsin, with his wife and his cat, Bogart.

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TAYLOR RAMCKE (Assistant Technical Director) Taylor Ramcke is a senior this year at Parkside. Her credits include Glass Menagerie (assistant technical director), Stupid F##king Bird (assistant scenic designer and carpenter), Romeo and Juliet (master carpenter), Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged (master carpenter), Silent Sky (master carpenter), Curious incident of the dog in the nighttime (electrician and light board op) Midnight and Moll Flanders (carpenter).

Jenny Bauer

JENNY BAUER (Master Carpenter) is a theatre arts major at Parkside. Technical credits include Stupid F##king Bird (Assistant Lighting Designer), Romeo and Juliet (Assistant Technical Director, Master Electrician, & Light Board Op.), The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Assistant Technical Director & 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 & Spot Op.), Grease (Lighting Designer), Midnight & Moll Flanders (Light Board Op.), and The War of the Worlds: the Radio Play (Costume Crew)

Minnie Martinez

MINNIE MARTINEZ (Prop Master) is in her senior year at Parkside focusing on scenic design. Professional credits include a conceptual scenic design for Romeo and Juliet at the Shakespeare Project of Chicago, and UW-Parkside credits include Stupid F##king Bird (Scenic Charge Artist), Romeo and Juliet (Assistant Scenic Designer), The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Assistant Scenic Designer) and The Nutshell Series (Paint Charge/Carpenter). She has received the Don Childs Stagecraft of Las Vegas Award and DTM Legacy award at Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region III.

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JESSICA BAKER (Lighting Designer) is in her fifth year at Parkside as a theatre arts major and geoscience major. Her first lighting design, The War of the Worlds, won her the KCACTF 2019 Region 3 Theatrical Design Award. Her second lighting design, Romeo and Juliet, won her the KCACTF 2020 Region 3 Theatrical Design Award.  Summer of 2018 she was an intern at the Kenosha Youth Performing Arts Company. Summer of 2019 she was an intern at The Great River Shakespeare Festival. Summer of 2020 and 2021 she received a research grant from the Geoscience Department to do lab work. Also summer of 2021 she will be an intern at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center.

Kammie Kringle

KAMMI KRINGLE (Master Electrician) is a sophomore theatre arts student at Parkside with a concentration in lighting design and technology. Earlier this year, she served as the Production Electrician for The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) and, was the Assistant Stage Manager for UWP’s production of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams.

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NOAH FRYE (Projections Designer) Winner of the KCACTF Allied Design Honorable Mention for his projection design of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Noah Frye returns for his final projection design at Parkside. Noah's work can also be seen in his lighting designs for The Completely Works of William Shakespeare: abridged, and Midnight and Moll Flanders. Noah has also served as a production assistant for American Players Theatre in Spring Green, WI and he attended the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas where he received specialized training in entertainment technologies.

SPECIAL THANKS

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Skylight Music Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, StudioGear, Case High School, Ollie Townsend, Charlie Collins, Darice Damata-Gieger, Robert T Sharon, Amelia Strahan, Nicole Wilson, and Alex "Lady" Gray.

THEATRE ARTS SUPPORTORS


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 Sponsors
Julie Anding & Lisa Kornetsky*
Amy Bigna*
Dr. Donald A. Cress*
Patricia Petretti*

$1,000+
Lisa & Mike Humke*
Shirley Warter*

$500-$999
William Dienhart
Lesley Heins Walker & Peter O'Keefe

$250-$499
Susan M. Cable, D.D.S., '81
Debra Karp & Stephen Smiley
David R. Koss '06
Merlin Ramaker
Jody and Kim Sekas
Jeff & Lynn Skatrud


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.

Donate today

 
 
Donations listed were received Jul 1, 2019-Sep 30, 2020. 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. 

About KCACTF (PDF)

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.

Theatre Arts Major  |  Theatre Arts Department  |  The Rita

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