Stelle di Domani 2025 Program

Content Warning: Use of slurs, derogatory and explicit language, strobing lights, theatrical depictions of violence, descriptions of drug addiction and overdose, mentions of hate crimes, loud noises, and gunshots.

Alexandar Leary is a recent College of Charleston graduate with a B.A. in Theatre (performance) and a minor in African American Studies. As an actor, he is notable for his roles in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (2025), Fat Ham (2024), Marcus; Or the Secret of the Sweet (2023), and Pipeline (2021). In addition, he has worked as a soundboard operator for HOME (2024) and a lightboard operator for Center Stage’s Swing of the Sea (2022). Monsters of the American Cinema (2025) serves as Alexandar’s directorial debut, as well as his second time working with Center Stage. He thanks his family and friends for their endless support, the cast and crew for their hard work, talent, and dedication, and the Center Stage board for giving him the opportunity to direct a show for their 2024-2025 Season!

Alexandria Prioleau is a recent graduate at the College of Charleston with a B.A. in Theatre with a concentration in Performance. This is her third time stage managing, previous works include: After The Rain (2023) and HOME (2024). Along with stage managing, Alexandria has performed in Director’s Showcase (2023), The Pages Festival (2024), The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (2025).

Emma Piazza is a rising junior at the College of Charleston, majoring in Theatre, with a concentration in Performance, and Arts Management. Emma has previously performed in other productions through the College: Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really (2024), Pages Festival (2024), Directors Showcase (2023 & 2024). She has also worked behind the scenes as an assistant director for Die Fledermaus (2024) and an assistant stage manager for The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (2025). Emma is ecstatic to be working as an assistant stage manager again, especially on such a unique and thoroughly-loved piece, by everyone involved, as this one. 

Chana Driggers is a rising junior at the College of Charleston with a major in Communications and a minor in Theatre. Chana has worked previously as Assistant Stage Manager for Center Stage’s The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals and is the Director of Finance and Development for Center Stage’s 2025-2026 season. This is her first time scenic designing, and she would like to give a special shout out to Steve Driggers for all of his help and support!

Hannah Moore (She/Her) is a rising junior at the College of Charleston, majoring in Theatre with a concentration in Lighting Design. This is her first time designing for a Center Stage production. Her work was last seen in the student-choreographed Dance Concet, Moved by Memories (2025). She is so excited to be working on a show as special as this one and would like to thank the rest of the design/production team and cast for their dedication. 

Bailey Beasenburg is a rising senior at the College of Charleston with a major in Theatre and a concentration in Costume Design, and a minor in Art History. Bailey is a shop assistant for the costume shop at the college. This is Bailey’s first time designing for Center Stage, but was previously in their staged reading of The Wolves by Sarah Delappe (2025).

Morgan Kelly graduated from the College of Charleston in May 2025 with a B. A. in English (Writing, Rhetoric, and Publication) and a history minor. Morgan has sound designed four productions with Center Stage, having worked on As I Was, Not As I Am by August Hakvaag (2023), Hurricane Diane by Madeleine George (2024), Dead Man’s Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl (2024), and now Monsters of the American Cinema by Christian St. Croix (2025). They are so grateful to have worked on this incredibly important piece. Thank you to the cast and crew!

Carsyn Ridgeway is a rising senior at the College of Charleston, majoring in Theatre with a concentration in Theatre for Youth. This is Carsyn’s third time prop designing for Center Stage, following The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals and The Arkansaw Bear. She is so thankful to Alex Leary for giving her the opportunity to design again with such a hardworking, passionate team and to the entire cast and crew for all of their dedication throughout this process.

Noah Anderson [he/him] is pleased to make his 3rd appearance on the Piccolo Spoleto Stage. Noah is a recent graduate of the College of Charleston where he received a BA in Theatre and a BA in history! He has also been seen in roles such as Darren Lemming (Take Me Out), Cliff Bradshaw (Cabaret), Axel Hammond (The Nerd), and Eddie Tau (Pleasure Never Lies) 

Jack Hipp [He/Him]  is thrilled to make his first Piccolo Spoleto appearance. Jack is a sophomore at the College of Charleston, where he majors in theater with a concentration in theater for youth. Jack has been seen in roles such as Fish (The resistible rise of Arturo Ui) and Ted (The guy who didn’t like musicals)

Staged readings of the Todd McNerney 16th Annual National Playwriting contest finalists. Previous winning plays have come from notable playwrights including Caridad Svich (lifetime Obie award winner), Sheila Cowley, Arthur M. Jolly, James Still, William Missouri Downs, and Donnetta Lavinia Grays. Free admission!

In April 1918, Mary confronts her sister Anna about their mother’s unexpected death. Mary had been told that her mother died when she was a child. As Mary enters adulthood, she discovers that her mother had not passed on, but had been institutionalized. Tapping at the Window explores mental health and its associated secrets, fears, and stigmas—and the effects it has on families.

The Plays
Rings and Red String by Olivia Maness
THEM by Kaycee Dial
If You Stayed by Kate Yarbray
Overturned by Amber Dunton
A Day at the Renaissance Fair by Cheyenne Comitz

Artistic Directors: Kristin Alexander and Julie Clark
Choreographer: Kristin Alexander
Visual Artists: Shaun Cassidy, Lucy Clark, Linda Fantuzzo, David Higgenbotham, Jeff Kopish, Aya Kawano, Nancy Marshall, John McWilliams, Kristi Ryba, Tom Stanley, Mary Walker (curator)
Company Members: Taylor Bennett, Cathy Cabaniss, Glenna Durbin, Jordan Giancursio, Bethany Willis
Company Apprentices: Natalie Benton, Maya Everett-Wilson, Lindsey Ferguson
Guest Performers: Anne Alexander, Evan Parry (collaborator)
Department of Theatre & Dance Residency Participants: Victoria Cazorla, Elishia Jennings, Mia Moran, Anna Seridge, Madison Vaughan
Stage Manager: Halle White
Lighting Designer: Hannah Moore
Technical Steward: Chris Warzynski
Music: S. Carey, H. Conlan, B. Farmer, T. Hume, A. Moss, A. Pärt, L. Phair, Radiohead, S. Reich, Sonic Youth, M. Wall

Company Biographies

Anne Alexander (performer), a rising 4th grader at Harbor View Elementary School, is a student at both Dance Moves of Charleston (started at the age of 3) and Dance Conservatory of Charleston, where she loves performing in their annual production of  The Nutcracker. As a member of the Dance Moves Youth Company, she has had the opportunity to grow as a young modern dance artist for the past two seasons. Although The Red Suitcase is Anne’s Annex Dance Company debut, at the age of 2 her love for movement and constant dancing was the inspiration behind the choreography, soundscape, and projection for the company’s piece Origin. This summer Anne is attending dance intensives at Dance Conservatory of Charleston and Palmetto City Ballet before immersing herself in arts for a month at Camp Ballibay for the Fine and Performing Arts (PA). 

Kristin Alexander (artistic director/choreographer) is the founding artistic director of Annex Dance Company. She has taught, performed and collaborated with companies and choreographers throughout the US, including VTDance and inFluxdance. From 2002-2010 Kristin was an Associate Professor of Dance at DeSales University (PA), and returned in 2012 for a semester as Acting Chair of the Dance Department. In 2010, Annex Dance Company made Charleston, SC its new home, quickly joining the city’s thriving arts community.

Kristin has created over 30 works for the company, as well as choreographed and set company repertory on students through the Annex residency program. The company is committed to arts advocacy and opportunities for dancers at all levels, students through professionals. As artists and educators, the company has worked with students in Charleston County Schools through Engaging Creative Minds, conducted residencies and master classes at festivals and colleges, including a collaborative performance residency at College of Charleston during the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, and spends part of the summer in-residence at Camp Ballibay for the Fine and Performing Arts (PA), where she has directed the camp for close to 20 years.

Kristin is an Associate Professor of Dance at the College of Charleston and presently serves on the Mayor’s Commission on the Arts for the City of Charleston. She earned a BA in Dance from Goucher College (MD) and a MFA from George Mason.

Taylor Bennett (performer) is from Aiken, SC, and is in her fifth season at Annex, her second as a full company member. An alum of the College of Charleston with dual degrees in Dance and Early Childhood Education, Taylor performed in faculty and student works throughout her four years. In Spring 2021 and 2022, Taylor choreographed for the student dance concerts Finding Place and Wanderlust. In 2022, Taylor’s choreography was presented and adjudicated at the American College Dance Association Southeast Conference at Brenau University. For the past four years, Taylor has worked at Camp Ballibay where she taught, choreographed for dance concerts and musicals, and assisted in setting Annex Dance Company repertory on the campers while the company was in-residence. In summers 2023 and 2024, Taylor was the Head of Dance at Camp Ballibay, leading her staff and producing multiple concerts throughout the summer. Taylor is one of the lead teaching artists for Annex Dance Company, facilitating multiple curriculum based residencies for students K-6 each season. As an educator, Taylor also works with students in the Lowcountry as a teacher at Dance Moves of Charleston and Assistant Artistic Director of the Dance Moves Youth Company.

Natalie Benton (performer) just completed her AA at Trident Technical College, and will be headed to Clemson University in the Fall to pursue a degree in Marketing. Although Natalie officially joined the company as an apprentice in 2024, she was first asked to perform with Annex Dance Company when she was in fifth grade, and continued to be invited to dance in projects and pieces through her high school graduation from the Charleston County School of the Arts. It is bittersweet to have Natalie start and end her time with the company performing The Red Suitcase, but luckily, Kristin will get a little extra time with her this summer at Camp Ballibay for the Fine and Performing Arts during the company’s summer residency.

Aimee Butsch (performer) is a dynamic movement specialist, bringing a rich tapestry of interdisciplinary art practices to her craft. Originally from North Carolina, Aimee’s journey led her to London, England, where she pursued and earned her Master of Fine Arts in Dance and Embodied Practice from the University of Roehampton. During her time in London, Aimee carved her niche as a versatile freelancer, leveraging her skills as a dance videographer and filmmaker. Her evocative films found resonance on the international stage, gracing festivals throughout the UK, EU, and Asia. Aimee was a company member from 2018-2021, and has rejoined the company in 2024. She is the new Artistic Director of the Dance Moves Youth Company, infusing it with her innovative visions.

Cathy Cabaniss (performer) originally hails from Youngstown, Ohio where she began dancing with Ballet Western Reserve. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in dance from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, where she had the opportunity to perform the works of Lar Lubovitch, Helanius Wilkins, Teena Custer and Jose Limon. Cathy moved to Charleston in Spring 2011, and started dancing with Annex that Fall. As an educator she has experience teaching all levels, ages and genres of dance. Cathy has taught many times for Annex Dance Company, including Camp Ballibay when the company is in-residence during the summer. Cathy was a company member with Annex Dance Company from 2011 to 2019 and rejoined the company in 2023.

Julie Clark (associate artistic director/performer) is in her fourteenth season with Annex Dance Company. Julie has been making an impact on dance in the Lowcountry and throughout the Southeast since she moved to Charleston in 2006 to attend the College of Charleston, pursuing degrees in History and Secondary Education and a minor in Dance. At Dance Moves of Charleston, she was a teacher and the artistic director of the Dance Moves Youth Company for over 12  years. As a choreographer, Julie has set works on students throughout the Lowcountry, including residencies at the Charleston County School of the Arts and Greenville’s ARMES dance program. Her piece A Part Smaller won the choreography award at the Charlotte Dance Festival’s Emerging Dance Artist concert in March 2017.   

As a dedicated company member, Julie has performed extensively along the East Coast, playing a key role in many of Annex Dance Company’s milestone moments. Julie has taught in company residencies through Charleston County School District, including a 2014 residency that afforded her the opportunity to perform and speak at TEDx Charleston, and college residencies at DeSales University and, of course, the College of Charleston.  In 2020, Julie was asked to become the associate director of Annex Dance Company and since then, the creative partnership between Kristin and Julie has elevated the company, fueling excitement for its future.

Glenna Durbin (performer) is from Raleigh, North Carolina. She graduated from the College of Charleston with a B.A. in History and in Theatre with a Performance Concentration as well as a minor in Dance. Glenna first performed with the company in Piccolo Spoleto Festival’s Stelle Di Domani series in May 2023 and was asked to join the company as an apprentice that Fall. The March 2025 performances of It’s Itself marked Glenna’s first performances as a company member! Outside of Annex Dance Company, Glenna is the Director of Youth Ministries at Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church.

Maya Everett-Wilson (performer) is from outside Boston, Massachusetts. In 2024, she graduated from the College of Charleston with a B.A. in Dance (Performance/Choreography) and a minor in Women and Gender Studies. Maya first performed with Annex Dance Company in Piccolo Spoleto Festival’s Stelle Di Domani series in 2023 and became a company apprentice in the summer of 2024. Maya is a teacher and choreographer at Holy City Dance in Daniel Island and Summerville teaching ballet, contemporary, and jazz.

Lindsey Ferguson (performer) is from Greenville, SC, and just completed her junior year at the College of Charleston, double majoring in Psychology and Dance. With the Department of Theatre and Dance she has performed faculty, guest artist, and student work, and this Spring her choreography appeared in the student concert Moved by Memories. Lindsey started working with the Annex Dance Company in November 2024, with the March 2025 performances of It’s Itself her first performances as a company apprentice. Lindsey is also a teacher with Stretch-n-Grow and Rival Dance Academy.

Jordan Giancursio (performer) is native of Charleston. Jordan launched her dancing career with Moranz Entertainment in 2012 while attending the Charleston County School of the Arts. Jordan is a graduate of the College of Charleston, double majoring in Dance and Theatre with a concentration in lighting design. In addition to regularly working with Brad and Jennifer Moranz, she has performed with Pauletta Washington and The Charleston Pops. Jordan’s work engages a form of video artistry that is a collaboration of storytelling and dance. Projects have included working with award winning artists Marcus Amaker and Ranky Tanky, World Renowned Cellist Wade Davis (CNN), Gino Castillo (Cha Cha Charleston), Yuhas and Dancers, Carlos Brown, Glory Comes, Selah, and an Apple marketing campaign. Her dance was highlighted at the Juneteenth Freedom Festival and American Oxygen Gala. Jordan’s recent projects include choreographing a new musical, Daniel and the Kings, and presenting a new work for Tedx Charleston in April 2024. Jordan first worked with Annex Dance Company as a lighting designer and is thrilled to be in her third season dancing and teaching (and occasionally designing lights) for the company.

Elishia Jennings (performer), from Charleston, SC, just completed her junior year at the College of Charleston majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Dance. With the Department of Theatre and Dance she has performed both faculty and student work. This is Elishia’s first residency with the company. 

Hannah Moore (lighting designer), from Conway, South Carolina, just finished her sophomore year majoring in Theatre with a concentration in Lighting Design. Hannah first designed for dance in the Department of Theatre and Dance student concert Moved by Memories. After the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, Hannah will continue working with Kristin this summer as a counselor in the technical theater department at Camp Ballibay for the Fine and Performing Arts!

Mia Moran (performer), from Charleston, SC, just completed her junior year at the College of Charleston double majoring in Psychology and Dance. With the Department of Theatre and Dance she has been fortunate to work with faculty and students on multiple choreographic works for projects and department concerts. This is Mia’s first residency with the company. 

Evan Parry (collaborator/performer) is an Associate Professor of Theatre and Head of Acting at the College of Charleston.  A member of the Actors’ Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild, he continues to work as a professional actor, director and fight director in an ongoing effort to satisfy his primary performance interests of classical and physical theatre. Evan has been collaborating with Annex Dance Company since 2012. In addition to multiple performances of The Red Suitcase over the past 10 years, he has previously performed in Out of the Rose and A Light in A Window. 

Anna Seridge (performer), originally from New York, now lives in Summerville, SC and just completed her freshman year at the College of Charleston majoring in Dance. With the Department of Theatre and Dance she performed in a faculty piece at the 2025 American College Dance Association Southeast Conference. This is Anna’s first residency with the company. 

Madison Vaughan (performer), from Hartford, MD, just graduated from the College of Charleston with a BA in Dance (Performance/Choreography) and a minor in Business Administration. With the Department of Theatre and Dance she performed faculty and student work, including a piece at the American College Dance Association Southeast Conference in 2022. She had her choreography presented in the student concerts Pathways and Moved by Memories, and the faculty/guest artist concert What Comes Next. Madison was invited to perform with Annex Dance Company in both her junior and senior years, with this residency marking her final performances in Charleston (for now!).

Mary Walker (The Red Suitcase curator), born and raised in Tryon, NC, is a painter and printmaker, who enjoys collaborating with dancers. Though she currently resides in Johns Island, she exhibits regularly in the South and Northeast regions. She is the winner of numerous regional grants and residencies. Her work has been in many exhibitions including the IPCNY Spring/Summer exhibition in New York, the LaGrange National XXVII Exhibition, the Bascom, the Jule Collins Smith Museum in Auburn, the Springfield Art Museum in Missouri, the Manhattan Graphics Center in NY, the University of Hawaii, and book exhibitions in San Nicola, Italy. She is also in several museum and library collections. Walker is represented by the Corrigan Gallery in Charleston, SC and the Julie Heller Gallery in Provincetown, MA.

Halle White (stage manager), from Greenville, South Carolina, just graduated from the College of Charleston as a double major in Arts Management and Dance (Performance/Choreography). With the Department of Theatre and Dance she performed faculty, guest artist, and student work, and had her three pieces of choreography presented in the annual student concert. In 2023, Halle became an administrative intern, and was invited to become a teaching artist with the company in 2024. This summer, Halle will transition into a new role with the company that encompasses administrative duties, teaching, and production. Halle’s love of teaching has afforded her many opportunities over the past few years, including her current position at The Dance Arts Studio.

Bethany Willis (performer) is a native of Charleston, SC. After graduating from the College of Charleston with a BA in Psychology and Dance with a concentration in performance and choreography in December 2019, she joined the company as an apprentice. While in high school, Bethany was able to take classes and perform with Annex Dance Company through a collaboration with the Robert Ivey Ballet. The experience of performing with Annex in high school is what made her fall in love with Modern Dance. Bethany has 13 years of dance teaching experience in the Lowcountry and currently teaches homeschool students at Summerville Home Education Enriching Programs, Lowcountry Christian Co-op, and House Theatre. This is her fifth season as a company member.