CofC Stages proudly presents
The Pages Festival
The Department of Theatre and Dance has a long-standing tradition of encouraging, training, and highlighting student playwrights. The Pages Festival will present new monologues and ten-minute scenes written by student playwrights, performed by a cast of student actors.
| Director Michael Smallwood |
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| Stage Manager Grace Albertson |
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February 2-5, 2024
Chapel Theatre, 172 Calhoun Street
Jump to: Acknowledgments | Director’s Note | Cast and Production Team Biographies
Cast
Beau Dolan
Lauren Evans
Kaleigh Montgomery
Emma Piazza
Alexandria Prioleau
Joy Sabet
Eva Voros
Chris Warzynski
Playwrights
Noah Anderson
William Caretto
Cheyenne Comitz
Amber Dunton
Madelein Hanson
Jaelin LaVanway
Olivia Maness
Jacob Rye
Riley Taylor
Director: Michael Smallwood
Stage Manager: Grace Albertson
CofC Stages Operations Coordinator: Miles Boinest
Technical Director: JD Stallings
Stage Management Advisor: Susan Kattwinkel
Marketing & Communications: Nandini B. McCauley
Graphic Designer: Rob Alexander
Photography: Tippy Trombly
Publicity: Kaylee Phillips, Tippy Trombly, Jake Cisson
Box Office: George Street Box Office
Never Ever Try to Summon an Ancient Greek Deity in Your Apartment
Playwright: Noah Anderson
Setting: Theo’s Apartment
Kass – Kaleigh Montgomery
Theo – Beau Dolan
Eros – Lauren Evans
Philia – Emma Piazza
Stage Directions – Eva Voros
Baggage
Playwright: Jaelin LaVanway
Setting: Dr. Wendy’s office. There is a coat rack by the entrance, a couch and a chair facing each other, and the walls are decorated with cheesy, inspirational posters.
Jules – Joy Sabet
Dr. W – Alexandria Prioleau
Stage Directions – Chris Warzynski
Warmly Lit Box
Playwright: Riley Taylor
Setting: Olive’s childhood bedroom.
Olive – Lauren Evans
Love – Eva Voros
Stage Directions – Emma Piazza
Ataxia, Aphasia, and Other Signs of Impending Ruin
Playwright: Madelein Hanson
Setting: A convenience store at the end of the world.
Man – Chris Warzynski
Stage Directions – Beau Dolan
Overturned
Playwright: Amber Dunton
Setting: A waiting room inside a women’s health clinic in Washington, DC.
Emily – Alexandria Prioleau
Madison – Emma Piazza
Ashley – Eva Voros
Nurse/TV voice – Kaleigh Montgomery
Stage Directions – Lauren Evans
Appointment Unknown
Playwright: Jacob Rye
Setting: A waiting room.
Set – Chris Warzynski
Aminah – Joy Sabet
Mia – Lauren Evans
Stage Directions – Beau Dolan
Homesick
Playwright: Cheyenne Comitz
Setting: Modern day, summertime. Inside and outside of a hospital room.
Mia – Eva Voros
Mason – Chris Warzynski
Emmett – Beau Dolan
Shelly – Joy Sabet
Nurse – Alexandria Prioleau
Stage Directions – Kaleigh Montgomery
Morning Dew
Playwright: William Caretto
Setting: In nature, and near a body of water.
Wanda – Kaleigh Montgomery
Staccato – Chris Warzynski
Stage Directions – Alexandria Prioleau
Where to Look for a Friend
Playwright: Olivia Maness
Setting: The Triangulum Galaxy, 2.723 million light years away.
Findre – Beau Dolan
Defrin – Emma Piazza
TikTok voices – Lauren Evans, Kaleigh Montgomery, Alexandria Prioleau, Chris Warzynski
Computer – Eva Voros
Stage Directions – Joy Sabet
Thank you to all of our donors!
Become an Impact Sponsor
The Department of Theatre and Dance offers opportunities to become an Impact Sponsor. Impact Sponsors have a direct financial and personal impact on individual students with whom you’ll be connected. You will be honored at special events, receive recognition in the 2022-2023 season programs and other department reports and receive updates from your student. For more information, visit theatre.cofc.edu/support and contact our office at 843.953.6306 to declare your impact.
Impact Sponsor Levels:
BENEFACTOR $2,500+ (for incoming student scholarship)
Add your name here!
GUARDIAN $750 (Clarence Student Award)
Karl & Charlene Bunch
Tap & Jean Johnson
Valerie Morris
Evelynn Putnam
Nancy & Sam Stafford
Chester & Arlene Williams
Anonymous (3)
Special Gifts: (Leave a lasting legacy. Learn more: 843.953.5348 or cofclegacy.org)
Anonymous – legacy gift
Charleston Academy of Music
John Covington & Robert Lukey – legacy gift
Michael & Susan Master – legacy gift
Become a Season Sponsor
As we transitions back to live in-person audiences and mask-free performances last season, we worked hard to keep our students and audiences engaged. We preserved the student experience during these last two years, but we lost essential revenue that plays a huge role in funding our season’s productions. Your donations contribute to funding the essentials needed for scenery, lighting, sound, and costumes, but more importantly, they help support student employees, student research and travel, and other student-focused experiences. We can’t do this without your generosity!
Season Sponsor Levels:
PRODUCER $1000+
Karl & Charlene Bunch
Anthony Laneve
Chester & Arlene Williams
ADVOCATE $750-999
Tap & Jean Johnson
Susan Kattwinkel
Janine McCabe
Matt & Gretchen McLaine
Valerie Morris
Evelynn Putnam
Nancy & Sam Stafford
STAR $500-749
Leslie Dyke
Michael & Susan Master
DIRECTOR $250-499
Sandra Garner
Janice & Jay Messeroff
Laura Turner
Jonathan & Janine Wentz
FAN $100-249
Kristin Alexander
Rebecca Boone
Glenda Byars
Todd McNerney
Elena & Ted Mitchell
Sam Rhodes
Emma Simmons
Jillian & Michael Smallwood
PATRON up to $99
Caroline Baker, Mary Beth Berry, Shelby North, Bari Perales, Claire Steffens
Director’s Note
The development of new plays and, perhaps more importantly, new playwrights is some of the most vital work we could possibly be doing in our department. As a former student playwright, I know just how foundational a skill it can be to a long and successful career in the theatre. It has been my great privilege, then, to help shepherd this incredible room of insightful, creative, visionary student playwrights. The work they have created in this process would be remarkable if they were all veteran writers. The fact that they are still learning, some of them even presenting words in front of an audience for the first time, makes their accomplishments here truly inspiring.
—Michael Smallwood, Director
Cast, Playwrights and Production Team Biographies
Actors
Chris Warzynski is a Junior Theatre Major at the College with a double concentration in Performance and Scenic/Lighting. Chris was last seen at the College in CofC Stages’ In Love and Warcraft (Ryan), Two Gentlemen of Verona (Launce), and Center Stage’s Firebringer (Molag). During the summer, Chris traveled abroad in Japan and created a new interpretation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with the Yokohama Theatre Group. Back home, their play A Conversation was read during Piccolo Spoleto’s Under The Lights event. Chris is currently working on a new play and was the Lighting Designer for CofC Stages’ production of Pippin. Chris would like to thank their grandparents for not evicting them.
Lauren Evans is a Junior Theatre Major at the College with a concentration in performance. She has been acting since 2008, getting her start in the metro-Atlanta area. Most recently, at the College, she was seen performing in “The 27 Club”, and acting/understudying in “Men on Boats”. Over the summer she gave ghost tours around Charleston with “Bulldog Tours”. She would like to thank her family and friends for supporting her dreams, everyone involved in “The Pages Festival” for giving her the opportunity to return to the stage, and the audience, without whom none of this would happen!
Kaleigh Montgomery is a Senior Theatre Major at the College with a concentration in performance and minor in communication. She was last seen on stage in CofCs Unbeatable: A Musical Theatre Showcase. She would like to thank her family for their continuous love and support and everyone involved in the pages festival for the opportunity.
Joy Sabet is a Junior at the College, majoring in Psychology and Spanish with a minor in linguistics. She was last seen on stage in the College’s production of Men On Boats, and The Late Wedding as well as the Director Showcase Piece Singular of Die. She praises the writers for the life they have brought to our stage.
Emma Piazza is a Freshman Theatre (with a concentration in performance) and Arts Management Major at the College. Last seen on stage, Emma was in Director’s Showcase 2023 as an actor in both Noah Anderson’s The Merchant of Venice and Ren Mummert’s Babe. She has also branched out and is currently assistant directing this Spring’s opera, Die Fledermaus. Emma would like to say thank you to everyone who has made this show come to life and for supporting it. She is incredibly honored to help present the talent of these amazing writers and their outstanding works.
Alexandria Prioleau is a Junior Theatre Major with a concentration in performance at the college. She was last seen on stage as an actor in Director’s Showcase in Brandi Smalls’ All Our Yesterdays. She was also the stage manager for the College’s fall 2023 dance concert, After The Rain. Alexandria would like to thank both her parents for the unconditional support throughout the years.
Beau Dolan is a Freshman chemistry major at the College. He began acting in 2011, and this is first show with the theater department. Beau would like to extend his thanks to the writers and his fellow performers for their dedication and commitment to their craft. He is honored to have the opportunity to be a part of these beautiful stories.
Eva Cecilia Voros is a Senior at the College of Charleston majoring in Theatre with a concentration in Performance, and minors in both Italian and Religious Studies. Eva’s work as a makeup artist (another professional passion) was last seen on the CofC stage during the fall 2023 production of Pippin! as she worked on both makeup design and application. Eva has traveled to many different countries during the course of her life, and most recently spent an academic year in Bologna, Italy learning Italian language. The more people Eva meets, the more experiences she has, the more she realizes the importance of artistic expression, specifically acting as a necessary means of celebrating the breadth and beauty of humanity. Eva would like to thank all the immensely talented actors and writers, to Grace Alberston for being such a wonderful stage manager and to Michael Smallwood for involving her in the Pages Festival 2024!
Playwrights
Olivia Maness (she/her/hers) is a sophomore majoring in Theatre with concentrations in Scenic/Lighting Design and Technology and Theatre Studies. Since starting at the College, Olivia has participated in many capacities: assistant stage manager for Violet and Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet, stage manager for Proof and Men on Boats, performed in The Late Wedding (Raya/Captain), light designer for various CofC clubs and showcases as well as Center Stage’s upcoming production of Deathtrap. She is very excited to see her first piece spoken into existence. She would like to thank her family and friends for their constant support, as well as Michael Smallwood and Grace Albertson for their hard work on the Pages Festival.
Cheyenne Comitz (she/her) is a junior at the College of Charleston majoring in Theatre and English concentrating in theatre studies and creative writing. She was last seen off stage as the assistant stage manager for CofC’s production of Men On Boats and recently directed Ahead of the Trauma by Zack Christensen for Director’s Showcase in December. Her next project is with Center Stage and their production of Deathtrap as the stage manager. She would like to thank the people who keep her sane: her friends and the strongest woman she knows, her mom. She dedicates Homesick to her Aunt Pat, her cat, and the beautiful souls lost to cancer.
Madelein Hanson (she/her) is a junior at CofC majoring in Theatre Studies and French & Francophone Studies with a minor in Linguistics. She was last seen in the College’s staged reading of In Love and Warcraft (Evie) and as the dramaturg for Center Stage’s As I Was, Not As I Am by August Hakvaag. She will have her directorial debut along with Ky Daisey in Center Stage’s Deathtrap this February. Madelein is grateful to Michael Smallwood for his continued support here at the College, and she would also like to thank Dr. Ricard Viñas de Puig for introducing her to the linguistic concepts behind her piece.
Jacob Rye (he/him/his) is a senior majoring in Theatre with a concentration in performance, and a minor in Biology. He has been a part of several CenterStage productions, such as The Bacchae, Firebringer, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show Shadowcast (2022 and 2023). He also has credits for carpentry (Men on Boats) and dramaturgy (The Bacchae). Jacob is very excited to share his work, and is very thankful for Michael Smallwood, Grace Albertson, our terrific cast, and all that influenced the process along the way.
Amber Dunton is a freshman majoring in theatre with a performance concentration, an arts management minor, and she is a musical theatre certificate for actors certificate student. Previously she performed in Directors’ Showcase in Setting Places, directed by Mia Brady. She is so excited to make her mainstage debut as a writer at the Pages Festival. Catch her next in the chorus of this year’s mainstage opera, Die Fledermaus, and on run crew for The Importance of Being Earnest. She would like to thank Michael Smallwood and the wonderful writing, designing, and acting team for helping her grow as a writer and creative.
Riley Taylor (She/Her) is a junior double majoring in Theatre and Arts Management with a minor in finance. She was last seen in Center Stages Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the 2023 Directors Showcase in both The Merchant of Venice (Directed by Noah Anderson) and The Game (Directed by Nora Gore), and working as a stage manager for In Love and Warcraft. She is proud to announce that she will be Co-Artistic Director for the upcoming Center Stage Festival, and will be part of Importance of Being Earnest this April. This will be the first time her writing has been on a stage, she would like to thank Michael Smallwood, Grace Albertson, all of the other writers, and her roommates for their help during this process.
Noah Anderson (He/Him) is a senior double majoring in Theatre (Performance) and History. He has also been seen in Cabaret as Cliff Bradshaw, Two Gentlemen of Verona as Sir Eglamour, Grunt in Firebringer, The Messengers in The Bacchae and Lewis in Pippin. He would like to Thank everyone who made this show possible especially Michael Smallwood for guiding him through the writing process.
William Caretto (He/Him) is a recent graduate of the Theatre program with a minor in Japanese Studies. He has worked with the College as an actor in Everybody, as well as in past Directors Showcase pieces including The Devil In The Details, Beheading Columbus, and Boy Gets Girl. He has also worked closely with professor Evan Parry in stage combat, looking to pursue his certification and become a Fight Director. He would like to extend a huge thank you to his fellow writers and Michael Smallwood for assisting in his piece, as well as all of the students working behind the scenes to make the Pages Festival run smoothly.
Jaelin LaVanway (She/ Her) is a Junior majoring in Theatre (performance) with a minor in Film. Previously, she has written Conversations With a Stranger, featured in Piccolo Spoleto’s Under The Lights, as well as written and performed in Scatterbrained, a finalist in the Palmetto Drama Association Festival. She was last seen on stage at the College of Charleston’s Directors Showcase in Kaleigh Montgomtery’s production of The Actress, and is currently working on writing and directing her next short film. Jaelin would like to thank her sister Blaise, as well as everyone involved in The Pages Festival!
Production Team
Grace Albertson is in her freshman year as an Arts Management major at The College. She most recently worked with Main Stage as an assistant stage manager for Men On Boats (Directed by Sharon Gracie), and with Center Stage as the stage manager for As I Was, Not As I Am (Directed by Aidan Wunderley). They would like to thank the wonderful girls of 406 for support through this process, the writers for trusting her with their pages and especially Michael Smallwood and Susan Kattwinkel for their guidance.
Up next:
The Department of Theatre and Dance and CofC Stages present Die Fledermaus!
Learn more and buy tickets here
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We also acknowledge the lives and labor of the Africans who were enslaved to build Charleston, South Carolina. On this campus and in our spaces, African and African-descended people used skilled labor in ornamental ironwork, historic architecture, and low country agriculture and food production. On behalf of the College of Charleston, we acknowledge the Black lives and labor that built our city and our campus.