Setting
This play is set in the very near future. Then seven years after that. Then seventy-five years after that.
The First Act takes place by firelight, outdoors.
The Second Act takes place in an interior under a skylight in the afternoon.
The Third Act takes place in an interior stage.
Run time is approximately 2-½ hours. There will be one 15-minute intermission.
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director
Brian Gill
Assistant Director
Cody Hurm *
Stage Manager
Juliana Campos-Taylor *
Scenic Designer
Jeff Brain
Costume Designer
Alyssa Ritacca *
Lighting Designer
Noele Stollmack
Sound Designer
Music Director
Kelly Doherty
Hair & Makeup Designer
Props Lead
Juliana Garcia-Malacara *
Scenic Charge Artist
Ali Lacson *
Choreographer
Lilly Wendricks *
Dramaturg
Joycelyn Fish *
Intimacy Director
Kelly Doherty
Technical Director
Jody Sekas
* Undergraduate Student
DIRECTOR’S NOTES
For as long as we have kindled fire, we have gathered together to tell stories around it. Some stories to educate, some to warn and some told simply as an attempt to keep the gathering darkness at bay. Often, the act of storytelling is to sooth; both oneself and those gathered to hear. Anne Washburn’s dark comedy Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play begins in this very way; survivors of a global catastrophe telling half-remembered stories in the dark. But at what point do stories take deeper root and evolve from the current trends of one era into the mythology of another? Will a pop culture sensation such as The Simpsons survive the End Times to become something more?
For over 35 years, The Simpsons has been a staple of American television and a significant part of pop culture. At its heart, the cartoon is a satirical take on American society and media, often reflecting and shaping societal views and trends. So much so, that some feel the show has at times predicted the future with its humorous absurdities; jokes that for many may have ceased to be funny. The question remains, however: how deeply ingrained in our culture will The Simpsons be in another 35 years, or 70, or…?
From post-World War I poetry and literature’s attempt to make sense of the horrors of the trenches to post-9/11 film’s yearning for heroism and effective leadership, the Arts have always aided us in navigating a world gone mad. The campfire stories and reenactments of Burns’ first act is an extenuation of this very theme. In Act 2, we are now 7 years on and the disparate group of survivors have evolved from remembering episodes of The Simpsons into an acting troupe that performs remembered episodes of The Simpsons, including commercials and musical numbers! It isn’t until the 3rd act in which we are transported a further 70 years ahead that Washburn’s musings are fully illuminated. The animated episode entitled Cape Feare is now a ceremonial morality play, a callback to the tragedies of ancient Greece. It not only serves as a reminder of the lives lost in the ‘nucyular’ disasters of the past but a cultural reminder of the never ceasing battle between good and evil, love and hate.
In the words of playwright Anne Washburn: “Every story ends on a dark and raging river.” I hope you enjoy the ride.
Thanks for coming to play with us.
Brian J. Gill, 2025
DRAMATURG’S NOTES
“Everything is a remake these days.” Sound familiar? Spinoff, prequel, sequel, spoof, fanfiction, and so on, pop culture has been cranking out shiny new pieces of stories from our past in alarmingly large quantities over the past couple of decades. The reframing and reimagining of nostalgia content can feel like capitalistic greed some (okay most) times, yes. And yet, there are reasons why we all seem to latch on to familiar characters in new lights or tropes that exist across genres.
While we are not living through an apocalyptic event (yet), Anne Washburn’s initial spark to create a play that captures the importance of storytelling as a human connector links back to a major shift towards the trend in nostalgia content. Washburn’s reaction to the unimaginable horrors of September 11, 2001 and the displays of humanity that occurred following those events lead her to a workshop that would become Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play.
While Washburn did not necessarily have The Simpsons in mind as she conceptualized the play, it is hard to think of another show that had a pulse on society that created a pop culture zeitgeist like we had never experienced. Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play is a sort of Russian nesting doll of a story of sorts, like many Simpsons episodes themselves – a story within a parody, within a remake. The juxtaposition between the play and the Simpson’s home of Springfield is easy to see. The character of Mr. Burns represents pure, capitalistic, greedy evil, operating his nuclear power plant that looms over Springfield, putting it on the brink of disaster at any moment.
The world and characters of Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play are on the tipping point after such a catastrophic event, trying to find common ground and somehow navigate the unknown. And on top of that, everything is devoid of power. Power, nuclear or otherwise, supports the technology that rules our lives. It holds a terrifying power of manipulation and resource depletion, yet we rely on it for simple tasks like setting an alarm to life-saving medical equipment. It is gone, removing its fountain of all knowledge. Additionally, these characters have all lost countless loved ones as the repercussions of nuclear disaster continue to have fallouts. They are unsure of their surroundings and uncertain about these people they have formed a group.
So why are these characters, whose world has been completely altered, working on remembering, retelling, and reimaging a story in the middle of the apocalypse? Shouldn’t they be focused on finding food, water, and shelter? The trauma they have all gone through is exhausting physically and mentally and yet, they find themselves using a cultural touchpoint and imagination as a tool of distraction, a bonding experience, and a way to fill a need for creativity deep within. They find their humanity above all else by creating their own community and story on their own terms and shaping it over time until it crescendos into a myth.
During the COVID-19 pandemic’s peak, many observed how we as a society turned to nostalgia, rewatching familiar media to find solace, distraction, and relief. When the world is in chaos, the mundane can feel foreign, yet also like a warm blanket of comfort we all crave. In Mr. Burns, the simplistic version of a commercial about coming home from work and the everyday occurrences like a favorite sandwich are so far away from the reality the characters are living in. It is not a fantastical escapism. It is the routine they desperately want, the normalcy they miss. These characters try to make sense of this new, terrifyingly unknown world they are thrust into. They do so by finding commonality through a piece of culture they all know. Just a moment’s solace from fighting to stay alive. As time passes, they lose themselves entirely into a reality of epic proportions.
So, yes, food, water, and shelter would be key to survival in the world of Mr. Burns. However, the arts, and more specifically theatre, have continually shown increased empathy and communication, teamwork skills, and creative problem solving. By coming together to create, to find meaning, to be part of something bigger than yourself through storytelling becomes a powerful and necessary tool. A shared experience can create essential bonds that help you not only survive, but maybe even thrive and find the spark to move forward into whatever the future may hold.
CAST LIST
Matt / Homer 1 / Mr. Burns
Mark Warden
Jenny / Marge / Marge
Ainsley McKellips
Sam / Bart 1 / Homer 2
Sam Carlson
Colleen / 1st FBI / Lisa 2
Rebecca Finkbeiner
Gibson / Loving Husband / Side Show Bob / Itchy
Genesis Correa
Quincy / Business Woman / Bart 2
Tess Ogden
Maria / Lisa 1 / 2nd FBI / Scratchy
Caitlin Ekornaas
Edna Krabappel / Choragus
Annagracy McCurdy
Nelson
Hugo Dums
U/S Jenny / Colleen
Addie Idstein
U/S Quincy / Maria
Ivy Nivongsa
U/S Gibson
Christian Luvianos
U/S Matt / Sam
Val White
U/S Edna / Nelson
Morgan Smith
CAST BIOS
MARK WARDEN (Matt / Homer 1 / Mr. Burns) is a senior Theatre Arts Major with concentrations in Acting and Design & Technology who transferred to UW-Parkside from the College of Lake County. Previous credits include Macbeth (Asst. Scenic Designer), Waiting for Godot (Vladimir), True West (Austin / Co-Scenic & Props Designer) and Hand to God (Lead Carpenter) at UW-Parkside, and Evil Dead: the Musical (Ash), Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Picasso), The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged (revised) (Adam / Actor 3), Into the Woods (Wolf / Cinderella’s Prince), The Squirrels (Scenic Designer), The Chairs (Scenic Designer), and Assistant Scenic Designer for Picasso at the Lapin Agile and Evil Dead: the Musical at the College of Lake County. He is also a scene shop assistant at UW-Parkside and an overhire carpenter for Skylight Music Theatre in Milwaukee.
AINSLEY MCKELLIPS (Jenny / Marge / Marge) is a junior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Musical Theatre. Previous credits include Heathers (Veronica Sawyer), Not Now Darling (Maude Bodley), and Murder Ballad (Sara) at State Fair Community College in Sedalia, MO, and Carrie: the Musical (Margaret), and Macbeth (Lady Macbeth) at UW-Parkside.
SAM CARLSON (Sam / Bart 1 / Homer 2) is a senior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Musical Theatre. Previous credits include Macbeth (Malcolm), Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Sound Designer), Hand to God (Jason / Tyrone), Peter & the Starcatcher (Lord Aster, U/S Boy/Peter), When We Dead Awaken (Assistant Sound Designer), The Aliens (Evan), Spring Awakening (Asst. Stage Manager) and The Laramie Project (Ensemble) at UW-Parkside, and Lions in Illyria (Andrew/Sebastian), Into the Woods (Jack), and As You Like It (Silvius) at the College of Lake County.
REBECCA FINKBEINER (Colleen / 1st FBI / Lisa 2) is a third-year Theatre Arts minor. Prior credits include Macbeth (Stage Manager), Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Fight Captain / Intimacy Follow), Hand to God (Assistant Stage Manager), Peter & the Starcatcher (Assistant Stage Manager), When We Dead Awaken (Maja) and The Laramie Project (Ensemble) at UW-Parkside.
GENESIS CORREA (Gibson / Loving Husband / Sideshow Bob / Itchy ) is a third year Theatre Arts Major with a concentration in Acting. Previous credits at UW-Parkside include True West (U/S Saul), and Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Dwight).
TESS OGDEN (Quincy / Business Woman / Bart 2) is a first-year Theatre Arts major with concentrations in Acting and Musical Theatre. Prior Credits include Les Miserables (Fantine) and Mamma Mia (Tanya) at Young Star Musical Theatre, The Passion Prophecies (Yocheved, Composer) at BellaFolk Productions, Shrek Jr (Fiona) at CYT Milwaukee, and Newsies Jr. (Katherine Plumber) and Mary Poppins Jr. (Mary Poppins) at Infinite Joy Studios.
CAITLIN EKORNAAS (Maria / Lisa 1 / 2nd FBI / Scratchy) is a senior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Musical Theatre. Her prior credits include Evil Dead: the Musical (Cheryl), Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Suzanne/Countess/Female Admirer), School House Rock – Live (Dina), The Squirrels (Chordata), and Desdemona (U/S Emilia) at the College of Lake County, and Macbeth (U/S Donaldbain / Lord, Gentlewoman / Lord) at UW-Parkside.
ANNAGRACE MCCURDY (Edna Krabappel / Choragus) is a senior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Musical Theatre. Previous credits include Macbeth (Assistant Sound Designer), Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Hermia), Carrie: the Musical (Sue), The Altruists (Sound Designer), When We Dead Awaken (Irene), Burn: The Musical (Rosie), As You Like It (U/S Rosalind), The Wolves (Sound Board Operator), The Laramie Project (Sound Board Operator) and Spring Awakening (Wendla).
HUGO DUMS (Nelson) is a third-year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Acting. Previous credits include Macbeth (Assistant Director), Waiting for Godot (Boy / Swing), Hand to God (U/S Jason/Tyrone), Carrie: the Musical (Head Electrician), True West (Saul), Peter & the Starcatcher (Boy/Peter) and The Laramie Project (Ensemble) at UW-Parkside, and Love’s Labour’s Lost (Don Armado) at Summit Players Theatre.
ADDIE IDSTEIN (U/S Jenny / Colleen) is a second-year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Musical Theatre. Previously she was Deck Crew for Dead Man’s Cell Phone.
CHRISTIAN LUVIANOS (U/S Gibson) is a sophomore Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Musical Theatre. Previous credits include Macbeth (Ross), Peter & the Starcatcher (Ted), The Laramie Project (Ensemble), and Carrie: the Musical (Tommy) at UW-Parkside, and Evil Dead: the Musical (Scott) at the College of Lake County.
VAL WHITE (U/S Matt / Sam) is a third-year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Musical Theatre. Previously Val was seen in The Odd Couple (Speed) at Harper College.
MORGAN SMITH (U/S Edna / Nelson) is a first-year Communication and Theatre Arts double-major with a concentration in Musical Theatre. Prior credits include The Drowsy Chaperone (Ensemble) at Schaumburg Summer Theatre Company, A Chorus Line (Vicki) with H.O.T.T. Productions, Into the Woods (Jack’s Mother) at Schaumburg On Stage, Willy Wonka, Jr. (MOVE Productions), Cats (Rumpleteaser) at Art Reach Theatre.
IVY NIVONGSA (U/S Quincy / Maria) is a first-year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Musical Theatre. Previous credits include The Little Mermaid (Ariel) and The Addams Family (Alice Beineke) at the Academy of Performing Arts, Grease (Ensemble) and Annie (Ensemble) at Sunset Playhouse, and Singing in the Rain (Ensemble) at CYT MKE.
Assistant Stage Managers
Assistant Scenic Designer
Assistant Costume Designers
Assistant Lighting Designer
Assistant Projections Designer
Assistant Sound Designer
Fight Captain
Production Electrician
Assistant Production Electricians
Stylist
Light Board Operator
Projections Operator
Spot Light Operators
Sound Board Operator
Deck Chief
Deck Crew
Wardrobe Supervisor
Wardrobe Crew
Makeup Crew
Scenic Lab Supervisor / ATD
Scene Shop Assistants
Costume Shop Supervisor
Costume Shop Assistants
Scenic Construction Crew
Scenic Paint Crew
Props Crew
Lighting Crew
Costume Construction Crew
Projections Crew
Sound Crew
Paint & Props Faculty Advisor
Hair and Makeup Faculty Advisor
Projections Faculty Advisor
House Manager
Box Office Manager
Box Office Assistants
Marketing
Aahlaysia Gentry, Janet Jurado *, Petr William *, Jody Sekas
Program Layout
Aahlaysia Gentry
Poster Design
Kim Sekas
Production Photographer
Petr William *
Department Administrative Assistants
Joe Lambin, Edson Melendez
Director of Craft Services
Keith Harris
Theatre Arts Production Manager
Jessica Baker
Theatre Arts Department Chair
Brian Gill
PRODUCTION TEAM BIOS
BRIAN J. GILL (Director/Fight Director) is an Associate Professor of Theatre Arts at the University of Wisconsin, Parkside. He has been a professional stage actor for over 30 years, appearing at such theaters as Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Next Act Theatre, Milwaukee Shakespeare, Renaissance Theaterworks, First Stage Children’s Theatre, and Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Chicago credits include the Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Victory Gardens, Drury Lane Oakbrook, and Remy Bumppo Theatre Company; Regionally Brian has performed at Theatre at the Center, the Illinois and Texas Shakespeare Festivals, and the historic Ford’s Theatre in Washington DC. International credits include the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London where he trained as a member of the first International Artistic Fellowship. Brian has staged violence for Parkside, College of Lake County, Harper College, Elgin College and the Southwest Shakespeare Company where he is a core company member. He a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association and an Advanced Actor-Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors.
CODY HURM (Assistant Director) is a third-year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Stage Management. Previous credits at UW-Parkside include The Effect (Stage Manager), Macbeth (Assistant Stage Manager), Hand to God (Deck Crew), and The Altruists (U/S Ethan, Ronald, Lance).
JEFF BRAIN (Scenic Designer, Scene Shop Supervisor) is a graduate of UW-Parkside (2020) with focuses on performance, carpentry, and props design. At Parkside, his performance credits included Romeo and Juliet (Friar Lawrence), Love’s Labour’s Lost (Longaville), and War of the Worlds (Announcer #2). He also designed props for Silent Sky and served as Lead Carpenter for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Jeff has also worked as a carpenter and props artisan for theatres including The Alley Theatre (Houston, TX), American Players Theatre (Spring Green, WI), and Fireside Dinner Theatre (Fort Atkinson, WI). He is an ensemble member of Redtwist Theatre in Chicago, where he continues to expand his portfolio of performance, carpentry, and props design.
ALYSSA RITACCA (Costume Designer / Hair & Makeup Designer) is a junior Theatre Arts major. Previous credits at UW-Parkside include Macbeth (Hair & Makeup Designer / Asst. Costume Designer), Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Jean), Hand to God (Assistant Costume Designer), Carrie: the Musical (Frieda), The Flood (Nahmuh), Meteor Shower (U/S Corky), Spring Awakening (Ensemble, Adult Woman Cover), The Wolves (U/S #7, #14, #25). She has been involved in multiple productions at Children’s Theater Academy (CTA) in Kenosha, such as Frozen (Sven), Moana (Moana), and Newsies (Hannah), painted for CTA’s production of Moana and designed scenery for their production of Seussical.
NOELE STOLLMACK (Lighting Designer) Noele’s lighting has appeared onstage at The Brooklyn Academy of Music, Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, Verizon Hall, The Library of Congress Theatre, as well as the opera companies of Santa Fe, Ontario, Houston, Portland, Vancouver, New Orleans, Nashville, Madison and Milwaukee. Regional design for the theatre includes Jeff Daniels Purple Rose Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, Houston’s Alley Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Wisconsin’s, Peninsula Players, Milwaukee Rep, American Players Theatre, Renaissance Theatreworks, First Stage and Forward Theatre. As Lighting Director for Houston Grand Opera, she supervised the lighting and special effects for over 50 productions along with designing the lighting for such productions as Andrei Serban’s Elektra, Dr. Jonathan Miller’s Der Rosenkavelier, Aida, and the world premieres of Harvey Milk, Desert of Roses, and Dracula Diary. Her AIA award winning architectural and public space lighting is installed throughout the Midwest. www.stollmack-lighting.com Member United Scenic Artists Local 829
KEVIN GRAY (Sound Designer) is UW-Parkside’s Sound Manager and Instructor, working with both the Theatre Arts and Music departments to produce art and events on campus. Kevin received a BA in Sound Design with a minor in Music Composition from Michigan Technological University. UW-Parkside Design credits include When We Dead Awaken, The Laramie Project, The Aliens, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Cinderella, and Stupid F##king Bird, for which he received a KCACTF National Award for Excellence in Sound Design.
KELLY DOHERTY (Musical Director / Intimacy Director) is graduate of UW-Whitewater with a BFA in Theatre Performance. Kelly calls Milwaukee home and has worked with many of Wisconsin’s leading theaters, including Forward Theater, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Next Act Theatre, Northern Sky Theater, and First Stage. Favorite roles include Miss Trunchbull in Matilda, Annie Wilkes in Misery, Josie in A Moon for the Misbegotten, Bodey in A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur, and Williamina in Silent Sky. You can see her next in The Fisherman’s Daughters at the Milwaukee Rep this winter.
LILLY WENDRICKS (Choreographer) is a second-year Theatre Arts Major with a concentration in Musical Theatre. Previously at UW-Parkside Lilly was Wardrobe Supervisor for Macbeth and performed in Dead Man’s Cell Phone (U/S Hermia, Ensemble).
JULIANA CAMPOS-TAYLOR (Stage Manager) is a third-year Theatre Arts major with concentrations in Musical Theatre and Stage Management. Previous roles at UW-Parkside include Macbeth (Donaldbain/Lord), Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Assistant Stage Manager), Hand to God (Jessica/Jolene), Carrie: the Musical (Assistant Stage Manager), Peter & the Starcatcher (Ensemble, U/S Grempkin/Fighting Prawn/Mack/Sanchez/Bill Slank/Hawking Clam), and The Laramie Project (Ensemble).
APRIL SERSEN (Assistant Stage Manager) is a second year Theatre Arts major with concentrations in Design & Technology and Stage Management. Prior credits at UW-Parkside include Macbeth (Asst. Charge Artist), Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Assistant Stage Manager), and Carrie: the Musical (Light Board Operator).
SAM SIEPLER (Assistant Stage Manager) is a second-year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Stage Management. Previous credits include Macbeth (Asst. Stage Manager), Carrie: the Musical (Deck Crew), Hand to God (Deck Crew), and Waiting for Godot (Light Board Operator) at UW-Parkside.
JOYCELYN FISH (Dramaturg) is a second year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in directing, and is the Director of Marketing and Development at the Racine Theatre Guild. Prior credits include The Importance of Being Earnest (Production Stage Manager / Dramaturg), First Date (Stage Manager), Seasonal Allergies (Production Stage Manager), and Native Gardens (Stage Manager) at the Racine Theatre Guild, Snow White (Director) at the Racine Children’s Theatre, and Macbeth (Spotlight Operator), and The Effect (Dr. Lorna), at UW-Parkside.
JULIANA GARCIA-MALACARA (Props Lead) is a senior Theatre Arts and Communications major. Previous credits include Carrie: the Musical (Mrs. Gardner), Peter & the Starcatcher (Mrs. Bumbrake/Teacher), Spring Awakening (Ensemble/Thea Cover), and As You Like It (Phoebe, U/S Oliver Martext), and Collective Rage: a Play in Five Betties (Betty 3) at UW-Parkside.
ALI LACSON (Charge Artist) is a senior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Design & Technology. Her prior credits include Hand to God (Assistant Scenic Designer), Macbeth (Scenic Artisan), Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Scenic Artisan), When We Dead Awaken (Assistant Scenic Designer), The Laramie Project (Props Artisan) and Meteor Shower (Props Artisan, Deck Crew) at UW-Parkside, and Story Book Club (Camera Operator, Deck Crew), Gruesome Playground Injuries (Scenic Designer, Costume Designer (Scene 3)), Lions in Illyria (Deck Crew), and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged] (Deck Crew) at the College of Lake County.
LUMI SHALAEV (Assistant Lighting Designer) is a second-year Theatre Arts and Music double-major with a concentration in Design & Technology. Prior credits include Macbeth (Asst. Lighting Designer), Lighting & Projections Designer for the 2024 Video Game Concert, and Lighting Designer for the spring Jazz concert, and The Nutcracker (Light Board Operator) at UW-Parkside.
JOHN BATORY (Assistant Sound Designer) is a second-year Theatre Arts Major with a concentration in Design & Technology. Previous credits at UW-Parkside include Waiting for Godot (Sound Designer), Hand to God (U/S Timmy / Pastor Greg) and Carrie: the Musical (Sound Board Operator).
ANNE PLUMMER (Lead Carpenter) is a second-year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Design & Technology. Prior credits include Macbeth (Asst. Projections Designer) and Carrie: the Musical (Asst. Projections Designer) at UW-Parkside, and Guys & Dolls, The Sound of Music, Me and My Girl, The Gondoliers, The Count of Luxembourg, The Arcadians, Camelot, How to Succeed at Business Without Really Trying, No, No, Nanette, H.M.S. Pinafore, Arizona Lady, and Orpheus in the Underworld (Carpenter) at Ohio Light Opera.
QUINCY WILSON (Head Electrician / Fight Captain) is a senior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Acting. Recently he was a scenic carpenter at American Players Theatre. He is a scene shop assistant at UW-Parkside, and holds an AAS in Welding-Manufacturing Technology. Previous credits include Macbeth (Macduff), Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Scenic & Props Designer), Carrie: the Musical (Asst. Scenic Designer), Peter and the Starcatcher (Asst. Scenic Designer), When We Dead Awaken (Rubek / Lead Carpenter), Meteor Shower (Lead Carpenter), The Laramie Project (Ensemble, Lead Carpenter), and Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Scenic & Props Designer) at UW-Parkside, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed The Rock Experience (Grandpa Mole Rat) and The Stinky Cheese Man (Foxy Loxy) with the Cyclopedic Ensemble; Check Please/ Check Please Take 2 (Guy) with the Blue Springs Community Theatre; Puffs (Wayne Hopkins), Heathers (Kurt Kelly) and The Tempest (Gonzalo) at State Fair Community College.
HANNAH ALLIE (Wardrobe Supervisor) is a senior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Musical Theatre. Hannah transferred here from the College of Lake County, where her credits included School House Rock Live! (Shulie), Desdemona: A Play About a Handkerchief (Emilia), Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged] (Actor 2/Jess), Into the Woods (Lucinda) and The Squirrels (Intimacy Captain / Swing). UW-Parkside credits include Macbeth (Seyton / Lord, U/S Lady Macbeth), Carrie: the Musical (Norma), Peter & the Starcatcher (Prentiss), and The Laramie Project (Ensemble).
JODY SEKAS (Technical Director) is a production designer for theatre & film, whose recent designs include the Off-Broadway debut of Boswell, and the feature film What Happened to Dorothy Bell. In 2021 he won the KCACTF National Scene Design award for his UW-Parkside design of Stupid F##king Bird. He 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 the feature films The Music Inside, Bigfoot: The Lost Coast Tapes, FLEA, and The Wine of Summer. He taught Scenography for Theatre, Film, & Dance at Humboldt State University in northern California; Scenic/Lighting Design & Technology at UW-Eau Claire and was the resident scenic & lighting designer for the Sioux Falls Playhouse in South Dakota. He is now in his thirteenth year at UW-Parkside as Associate Professor of Scenic Design & Technology. See examples of his work at www.d4production.com.
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 Off-Broadway productions of Trevor, The Musical and Boswell, as well as for professional companies, including American Players Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, the Florentine Opera Company, Skylight Music Theatre, and Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. Professional regional design credits include The Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee 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 served 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. Most recently at UW-Parkside, Leslie was the Costume Designer for Hand to God.
SAVANA ANDERSHOCK (Lighting Supervisor) is a UW-Parkside alumnus (2025) and is the Lighting Supervisor for the Rita. Last summer, Savana worked as a Lighting Apprentice at the Great River Shakespeare Festival. Previous credits at UW-Parkside include Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Lighting Designer), Carrie: the Musical (Lighting Designer), Peter & the Starcatcher (Asst. Lighting Designer), The Altruists (Stage Manager), When We Dead Awaken (Head Electrician), Meteor Shower (Lighting Designer), The Aliens (Light Board Operator), As You Like It (Assistant Stage Manager), The Wolves (Master Electrician), She Kills Monsters (Assistant Stage Manager), Indecent (Assistant Master Electrician), and The Penelopiad (Deck Crew). Recent acting credits include She Kills Monsters (Narrator) and The Thanksgiving Play (Logan). www.savanaandershock.com
SPECIAL THANKS
Matthew Hougland
Jim Ripley
Carthage College Music Department
UW-Parkside Music Department
Casa Capri for ongoing support
Theater 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.
$1,000+
Susan M. Cable, D.D.S. ’81 *
Dr. Donald A. Cress *
William Dienhart *
Marie Kohler & Brian Mani *
Patricia Petretti *
Shirley Warter *
$500-$999
Keith Harris
$250-$499
David R. Koss, ’06
Dr. Lesley Heins Walker
$100-249
Darleen Chiappetta
Edwin & Flora Doody
Calvin Kaplan ’71
Debra Karp & Stephen Smiley
Frances M. Kavenik
Heather McGee ’90
*Denotes members of the UW-Parkside Chancellor’s Society.
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, 2022-Aug 30, 2023. For omissions or changes to this donor list, please contact development@uwp.edu
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.