CofC Stages presents Miss Bennet, a continuation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice

New holiday classic Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley extends storyline of Pride and Prejudice

“…an unstuffy, highly entertaining and warm-spirited work, the kind of thing multiple generations can enjoy together.” —Chicago Tribune.

CofC Stages presents the play Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, a sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Penned by Lauren Gunderson and Margo Melcon, Miss Bennet is set two years after the novel ends and continues the story, this time with middle-sister Mary as the unlikely heroine. Spending most of her time in the company of books and her piano, Mary has grown tired of her role as the obedient daughter and dreams of forging a new path. When the family gathers for Christmas at Pemberley, an unexpected guest sparks Mary’s hopes for independence, an intellectual match, and possibly even love. Carrying CofC Stages’ 2022-23 season theme, “Constructing Identity,” this witty, romantic comedy promises to captivate longtime fans of Jane Austen and newcomers alike.

Directed by veteran stage actor and Associate Professor of Theatre, Evan Parry, Miss Bennet features a cast composed of student actors. Production designers include theatre majors Savannah Blake (costume design), Ethan Robey (scenic design), Sara Whitehead (lighting design), and Eli Salas (sound design). Recent alumna Becca McLeod serves as stage manager. 

DETAILS: Performances of Miss Bennet at Sottile Theatre (44 George St.) are Nov. 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 20 at 2:00 p.m. Individual tickets are $20 adults; $15 seniors (60+), military/veteran, and youth under 18; $12 CofC students, faculty and staff. Purchase tickets ONLINE:

 

Ticket link for the public

Ticket link for CofC students (for instructions & info click here)

Ticket link for CofC faculty/staff

OR buy tickets at George Street Box Office (Tue-Fri, 10am-4pm, at Sottile Theatre), by emailing gsbo@cofc.edu, or calling (843) 953-4726.   


2022-23 CofC Stages Season 

Visit go.cofc.edu/cofcstages to learn about all six productions that center on the theme “Constructing Identity,” which explores family, love, friendship, and finding one’s place. The diverse characters and stories in the season wrestle with identity, journey, clarity and defining oneself in six productions that include musical theatre, plays and dance.

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Shifting Perspectives – Digital Program

CofC Stages proudly presents

Shifting Perspectives

Artistic Director
Gretchen McLaine
Guest Choreographer
Vincent Brosseau
Costume Shop Manager
Ellen Swick
Technical Director
Evie Palmisano
Technical Director
JD Stallings
Stage Manager
Bambi Barr

October 15-16, 2022
Sottile Theatre, 44 George Street


Jump to: Production Team | Acknowledgements | Cast and Production Team Biographies


Dance Pieces and Program Notes

Zeitgeist
Choreographer: Olga Wise
Costume Designer: Ellen Swick
Lighting Designer: Alex Jones
Music: “Paint it Black” by The Rolling Stones, performed by Absolutely Grand Orchestra and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, performed by David Garrett; edited by Michael Wise
Projection Design: Michael Wise
Dancers: Camille Cabrera, Kaelyn Kear, Irina Moul
Understudy: Samantha Stinner

Zeitgeist means ‘time-spirit”, or the spirit of a generation. The zeitgeist of the current young generation is the confusion and uncertainty of their future and the fury that grows within. The choice of multimedia, the style of choreography, the meaning of the piece challenged me as a choreographer and allowed me to discover new ways of seeing ballet as an art form that can be thought-provoking and inspiring.

Wheels
Choreographer: Izzy Byers
Costume Designer: Mattie Davis
Costume Coordinator: Maura Peecher
Lighting Designer: Sara Whitehead
Music: Wheels Within Wheels by Penguin Cafe
Dancers: Madison Fisher, Kiley Petit, Avé-Ella Blanchette, Emily Falcone, Ava Woods, Sophie Weiss, Sophie Ketchum, Madison Vaughan, Lindsey Ferguson
Understudies: Elizabeth Vazquez

The circle of familiarity and comfort keeps us in a consistent pattern, but the ability to wander integrates the discovery of new experiences and connections to the spaces and people around us.

Excerpt from La Sylphide
Choreography: restaged by Gretchen McLaine, after August Burnonville
Costume Designer: Maura Peecher
Lighting Designer: Alex Jones
Music: La Sylphide, Act II (edited), performed by the Royal Danish Orchestra and composed by Herman Severin Løvenskjold
Dancers: Ayushi Gaur, Kailee Rafalko
Understudies: Pierson De James, Charlotte Uhlmann

Popular on the European stage throughout the 1800s, the danseuse en travesty movement afforded women the ability to assume power through playing male roles, with privileges that extended into their social spheres. Returning to this tradition allows us to better understand the gender dynamics and differences prevalent in ballet’s Romantic Era. 

No!
Choreographer: Vincent Brosseau
Rehearsal Director: Kristin Alexander
Costume Designer: Madison Roberston
Lighting Designer: Sara Whitehead
Music: 4 Romantic Pieces, Op. 75, B. 150: IV. Larghetto, composed by Antonín Dvořiyfufák
Dancers: Kaelyn Kear, Irina Moul, Claire Natiez, Alyssa Thibeault, Elizabeth Vazquez
Understudies: Leila Crane, Angela Levasseur, Kailee Rafalko

Originally choreographed as a solo 23 years ago, No! is about the struggle of a woman to be heard when she says the word “no.” 


10 MINUTE INTERMISSION


Shades of You
Choreographer: Laurel Van Beusecum
Costume Designer: Madison Robertson
Lighting Designer: Chris Warzynski
Music: “Rhapsody In Blue” (edited), composed by George Gershwin; performed by Joshua Weilerstein, London Philharmonic Orchestra & James Bartlett
Dancers: Taylor Bennett, Izzy Byers, Emily Falcone, Madison Fisher, Mary Galemmo, Angela Levasseur, Kiley Pettit, Sidney Shanahan, Cheyanne Stankiewicz, Lauren Summerville, Charlotte Uhlmann, Halle White
Understudy: Elizabeth Vazquez

As we plead for our own acceptance, and the differences in each other, what force keeps us tethered to society’s standardized exteriors? What paradigm alteration grants permission to allow the shedding of these rigid layers to reveal the vibrant beings that we are? 

In the Shadows of The Red Poppy
Choreographer: Pamela O’Briant
Costume Designer: Zachary Kobylarz
Lighting Designer: Chris Warzynski
Music: Excerpts from The Red Poppy, composed by Reinhold Glière; performed by St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra
Dancers: Avé-Ella Blanchette, Charlotte Papatheoharis
Understudy: Hailey Commodore

Premiering in 1927, The Red Poppy was the first ballet endorsed by the Soviet Union. While the ballet has been criticized for its portrayal of Chinese culture, this version focuses on a double suicide by two members of the corps de ballet that occured during a live performance.

Ode
Choreographer: Kristin Alexander
Costume Designer: Janine McCabe
Lighting Designer: Alex Jones
Music: “Blurred” and “Sparkle” by Bill Ryan; edited by Rob Alexander
Artwork: Mary Walker
Dancers: Glenna Durbin, Mary Galemmo, Destiny Humphrey, Cheyanne Stankiewicz
Understudies: Avé-Ella Blanchette, Alejandra Casco

First created in 2013, Ode is the choreographic interpretation of the visual images of Mary Walker’s artwork stemming from a theme of loss. Having experienced so much loss and unexpected isolation since 2020, the connection between the movement and the artwork has deepened in this restaging and is being performed in front of projected images of Walker’s work for the first time.

Figuratively Speaking (or not)
Choreographer: Charlie Maybee
Costume Designer: Zachary Kobylarz
Lighting Designer: Chris Warzynski
Music: “Decimation” by Charlie Maybee
Dancers: Hailey Commodore, Lindsey Ferguson, Whitney Green, Alyssa Guardino, Dani Harrell, Katie Higens, Kylee Poole

“Because a true revolution has no allies, it’s just that simple. Because true revolution – not a fast one, not a quick one, not a fashionable one – but a real f****n’ revolution is, at its core, spiritual. It is a complete decimation of one’s priorities, beliefs, and way of living…” – Colman Domingo as Ali Muhammad from Euphoria (2020)


Production Team

CofC Stages Artistic Director: Janine McCabe
Director of Dance: Gretchen McLaine
Production Supervisor: Ellen Swick
Stage Management Advisor: Susan Kattwinkel

 

Costume Design Advisor: Janine McCabe
Wardrobe Crew: Shana Lamparello, Lily Lombardi
Sewing & Alterations: Arden McNeill, Maura Peecher, Stef Amezcua Barrientos, and students of Costume 1 class
Costume Shop Staff (select students hired by the Department of Theatre & Dance with support from donor funding): Brandon Alston, Savannah Fatigante, Zachary Kobylarz

Lighting Design Advisors: Lauren Duffie, Caleb Garner
Light Board Programmer and Operator: Eddie Frye
Sound Engineers: Caleb Garner, Eli Salas
Electric Shop Staff (select students hired by the Department of Theatre & Dance with support from donor funding): Mia Bowersox, Alex Jones, Chris Warzynski

Operations Coordinator: Miles Boinest
Marketing & Communications: Nandini B. McCauley
Graphic Designer: Rob Alexander
Photography: David Mandel, Annie Morraye
Publicity: Madison Berry
Box Office: George Street Box Office
House Manager: Isabella Gardner
Office Assistant: Ngaa Magombedze


Special Thanks

Diana Brosseau; Bill Carswell College of Charleston Facilities; College of Charleston’s Office of Sustainability Anja Kelley and the Sottile Theatre staff; Carolyna Ramirez and the George Street Box Office staff


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
Evelynn & Bill Putnam
Mindy Seltzer & Bob Lovinger
Sam & Nancy Stafford
Charlotte Townsend
Louis & Andrea Weinstein
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
Tap & Jean Johnson
Sam & Nancy Stafford
Chester & Arlene Williams

ADVOCATE $750-999
Janine McCabe
Matt & Gretchen McLaine
Evelynn & Bill Putnam
Mindy Seltzer & Bob Lovinger
Nancy & Sam Stafford
Louis & Andrea Weinstein
Jonathan & Janine Wentz

STAR $500-749
Michael & Susan Master
James McKenna
Valerie B. Morris & Boris Bohun-Chudyniv

DIRECTOR $250-499
Janice and Jay Messeroff

FAN $100-249
Justin Van Beusecum

PATRON up to $99
Laura C. Bayless, Stephen & Allegra Litvin


Cast and Production Team Biographies

Vincent Brosseau (guest artist) was born and raised in France. He has appeared with various professional companies in the United States, South America, and France: Ballet Theatre de Tours, Opera de Nantes, Ballet Theatre d’Avignon, National Ballet of Colombia, Susan Van Pelt Dance and Repertory West. He has performed a multitude of roles and works by such renowned choreographers as José Limón, David Parson, Paul Taylor, Kurt Joss, Remy Charlip and Anna Sokolow, among others. For six years, Brosseau directed his own dance company Brosseau DanceWorks based in Charlotte, NC. The North Carolina Dance Theatre, Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company, Robert Ivey Ballet and many universities have performed his work. Brosseau’s theatre credits include choreographing Evita, She Loves Me, A Christmas Festival, My Fair Lady, Guys & Dolls, and Carousel. Brosseau was awarded a Savannah College of Art and Design Presidential Fellowship to conceive and direct the film The Photographer and Silence: Dancing Through Fear. Brosseau has held faculty positions at the University of California, Santa Barbara; Kent State University; the University of North Carolina, Charlotte; DeSales University; the University of Nevada, Reno; the University of Wyoming; and Savannah College of Art and Design. He is a graduate of the Julliard School and earned his M.F.A in choreography from The Ohio State University. 

Kristin Alexander is an Associate Professor of Dance at the College of Charleston.  She is the Artistic Director of Annex Dance Company and serves on the City of Charleston’s Commission on the Arts. Kristin most recently choreographed the department’s production of Violet and will be the Artistic Director of the student dance concert Becoming We in the spring.

Bambi Barr is a senior from Beaufort, SC majoring in Biology and Theatre performance. This is her first time stage managing a Mainstage production; most recently she served as house manager and stage manager for the 2022 Piccolo Spoleto Stelle di Domani series.

Taylor Bennett is a senior from Aiken, SC majoring in Early Childhood Education and Dance. This is her seventh dance concert with the Department of Theatre and Dance. She was the Assistant Choreographer for Cabaret and her choreography was last seen in Spring 2022’s Wanderlust

Avé-Ella Blanchette is a sophomore from Nashua, NH majoring in Dance and Special Education. This is her second dance concert with the Department of Theatre and Dance. She last performed in the Spring 2022 concert Wanderlust.

Izzy Byers is a senior from Greenville, SC majoring in Accounting and Dance. This is her seventh dance concert with the Department of Theatre and Dance. She was last seen choreographing and performing in the Spring 2022 concert Wanderlust. 

Camille Cabrera is a junior from Blythewood, SC majoring in Dance and Exercise Science. This is her fourth dance concert with the Department of Theatre and Dance. She last performed and choreographed in the Spring 2022 concert Wanderlust.

Alejandra Casco is a junior from Summerville, SC majoring in Dance and minoring in Arts Management. This is her fifth dance concert with the Department of Theatre and Dance. Her choreography was last seen in the Spring 2022 concert Wanderlust.

Hailey Commodore is a transfer student from Joffrey Ballet School originally from New Jersey, majoring in Dance. This is her very first concert with the Department of Theatre and Dance. 

Leila Crane is a sophomore from Habersham, GA majoring in English and minoring in Dance. This is her second dance concert with the Department of Theatre and Dance. She was previously seen in the Fall 2021 concert Once More.  

Glenna Durbin is a senior from Raleigh, NC majoring in Theatre (Performance) and History with a minor in Dance.  This is her fourth dance concert and sixth Mainstage show with the Department of Theatre and Dance.  She will appear later this season in Miss  Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley.

Pierson DeJames is a sophomore from Columbia, SC majoring in dance. This is her third dance concert with the Department of Theatre and Dance.

Emily Falcone is a sophomore from Smithfield, RI majoring in Dance and Psychology. This is her second mainstage production with the Department of Theatre and Dance. She was last seen in the Spring 2022 dance concert Wanderlust.

Lindsey Ferguson is a freshman from Greenville, SC majoring in Psychology. This is her first dance concert with the Department of Theatre and Dance.

Madison Fisher is a sophomore from Ocean Township, NJ majoring in Dance and minoring in Finance.  This is her third Mainstage Dance Concert with the Department of Theater and Dance.  She was last seen in the Spring 2022 concert Wanderlust.

Eddie Frye is from Lexington, SC and is based in Charleston, SC. He is a recent CofC alum, having received a BA in Theatre. He recently served as lighting designer for the CofC Department of Theatre and Dance season opener Violet.

Mary Galemmo is a senior from Florence, SC majoring in Exercise Science and Dance. This is her fourth dance concert with the Department of Theatre and Dance. She was last seen in the Spring 2022 concert Wanderlust. 

Ayushi Gaur is a freshman from Memphis, TN majoring in Marine Biology and Dance. This is her first dance concert with the Department of Theatre and Dance.

Whitney Green is a junior from Annapolis, MD majoring in Arts Management and minoring in Marketing and Psychology. This is her second dance concert with the Department of Theatre and Dance. She last performed as a dancer in The Magic Flute.

Alyssa Guardino is a junior from Newburgh NY majoring in Dance and Elementary Education. This is her third dance concert with the Department of Theatre and Dance. She last performed in the Fall 2021 concert Once More.

Dani Harrell is a senior from Columbia, SC majoring in Dance and Public Health with a minor in Theatre. This is her second performance with the Department of Theatre and Dance. She was last seen in the Fall 2019 dance concert Legacy

Katie Higens is a Junior from Kiowa, CO majoring in Biology and Dance and double minoring in Neuroscience and Crime, Law, and Society. This is her third dance concert in the Department of Theatre and Dance. She last performed and choreographed in the Spring 2022 concert Wanderlust.

Destiny Humphrey is a junior from Anderson, SC majoring in Marketing and Arts Management with a minor in Entrepreneurship. This is her fourth dance concert in the Department of Theatre and Dance. She last performed in the Spring 2022 dance concert Wanderlust

Alex Jones is a sophomore from Spartanburg, SC majoring in Theatre and minoring in film studies. Recent technical credits include The Swing of the Sea (co-lighting design) and The Cake (properties designer) with Center Stage. They are currently working as the stage manager for PURE Theatre’s production of Clyde’s opening October 27th. 

Kaelyn Kear is a sophomore from Hilton Head Island, SC majoring in Dance and Biology. This is her third main stage production with the Department of Theatre and Dance. She was last seen in the spring 2022 dance concert Wanderlust. 

Sophie Ketchum is a freshman from Nashville, TN majoring in Dance and minoring in Studio Art. This is her first Mainstage production with the Department of Theatre and Dance.

Zachary Kobylarz is a Junior from Pawleys Island, SC majoring in Theatre. This is their third time designing for a mainstage dance concert with their work last being seen in the Spring 2022 dance concert Wanderlust. 

Angela Levasseur is a Freshman from Spartanburg, SC majoring in Chemistry. This is her first performance with the Department of Theatre and Dance. 

Charlie Maybee is an Adjunct Lecturer at the College of Charleston where he teaches courses in tap and modern dance technique. He also currently presents choreography with his collective, Polymath Performance Project, writes for the digital music publication Alchemical Records, and plays rhythm guitar for the local punk band Anergy.

Gretchen McLaine is an Associate Professor and Dance Program Director at the College of Charleston, where she also researches Labanotation and dance reconstruction. Dr. McLaine also serves as an Assistant Editor for the Journal of Dance Education and is the Southeast Regional Director for the American College Dance Association.  

Irina Moul is a senior from Asheville, NC majoring in Dance and minoring in Russian Studies. This is her fourth dance concert with the Department of Theatre and Dance. She was last seen performing in the fall 2021 concert Once More.

Claire Natiez is a senior from Greenville, SC majoring in Dance and Arts Management. Her choreography was presented at ACDA in March 2022. Claire last performed in the Spring 2022 concert Wanderlust. 

Pamela O’Briant is in her 11th year as an Adjunct Lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Dance.  In addition to teaching Ballet technique and Dance Appreciation, Pamela is a certified Pilates and Gyrotonic instructor. 

Charlotte Papatheoharis is a freshman from Philadelphia, PA majoring in Dance and Economics. This is her first Mainstage production with the Department of Theatre and Dance.

Kiley Pettit is a junior from Ocean City, NJ majoring in Communication and minoring in Marketing & Dance. This is her fourth dance concert with the Department of Theatre and Dance. She last performed in the Spring 2022 concert Wanderlust.

Kylee Poole is a sophomore from Knoxville, TN majoring in Dance and Communication. This is her third mainstage production with the Department of Theatre and Dance. She was last seen in the spring 2022 production of Cabaret. 

Kailee Rafalko is a sophomore from Hackettstown, NJ majoring in Dance and Communication. This is her third concert with the Department of Theatre and Dance. She was last seen in the spring 2022 concert Wanderlust. 

Madison Robertson is a senior from Charleston, SC majoring in Dance with a minor in Theatre. This is her first time designing costumes for a College of Charleston production.

Sidney Shanahan is a junior from Shelton, CT majoring in Business Administration and Dance, as well as minoring in Spanish. This is her fifth dance concert with the Department of Theatre and Dance. She last performed and choreographed in the spring 2022 concert Wanderlust.

Cheyanne Stankiewicz is a sophomore from Greenville, SC majoring in Business Administration and minoring in Arts Management. She last performed in the spring 2022 concert Wanderlust. 

Lauren Summerville is a freshman from Raleigh, NC majoring in English and minoring in Hospitality & Tourism and Dance. This is her first dance concert at the College of Charleston.

Alyssa Thibeault is a freshman from Annapolis, MD majoring in Biology and minoring in Dance. This is her first dance concert at College of Charleston.

Charlotte Uhlmann is a senior from Middletown, DE majoring in Psychology and minoring in Dance. This is her third show she has appeared in for the Department of Theatre and Dance. She last performed in the Fall 2021 dance concert Once More and the Mainstage production of The Magic Flute.

Laurel Van Beusecum has enjoyed nine years of dance instruction for five universities and is currently in her second year at the College of Charleston as an Adjunct Lecturer. While working with both dance majors and non-majors, she seeks to challenge and inspire all students to explore the impact and influence of the arts through studio and lecture courses. 

Elizabeth Vazquez is a freshman from Blythewood, SC majoring in Marine Biology. This is her first dance concert with the Department of Theatre and Dance.

Sophie Weiss is a senior from Charleston, SC majoring in Theatre and minoring in Dance. This is her first dance concert with the Department of Theatre and Dance; she was last seen serving on the technical crew for Everybody.

Chris Warzynski is an actor and designer from Charleston, SC. Chris has been in the Charleston theatre scene since high school and is always looking for ways to challenge audiences. Chris was seen last week in Violet.

Halle White is a sophomore from Greenville, SC majoring in Dance and Arts Management. She last performed in the Fall 2021 dance concert Once More and the Mainstage production of The Magic Flute

Sara Whitehead is a senior from Rock Hill, SC majoring in Theatre. This is her second lighting design for a MainStage production at the college. You can look forward to seeing her lighting design on the final show this semester, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley. 

Olga Wise is a graduate of the Bolshoi Choreographic Institute in Moscow, Russia. This is her 5th year being an Adjunct Lecturer at the College of Charleston where she teaches ballet and pointe technique courses. In addition to teaching at the college, Olga, along with her husband, is a Co-Artistic Director of the Robert Ivey Ballet.

Ava Woods is a sophomore from Parkville, MD majoring in Dance. This is her third performance with the Department of Theatre and Dance. She was last seen in spring of 2022’s Wanderlust dance concert.


Land Acknowledgement: We would like to acknowledge that we are located on the traditional lands of the first people of Charleston: The Etiwan, Kiawah, Edisto Natchez Kusso, Santee, and Wassamassaw people (also known as Varner Town Indians). 

We acknowledge and honor all the indigenous people who lived, labored and were faithful stewards of the land. We express our deep gratitude for the land and continued faithful stewardship to the next seven generations. 

We also acknowledge the lives and labor of the Africans who were enslaved to build Charleston, South Carolina. 

On this campus and in this space, 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.

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CofC Stages presents Shifting Perspectives, a faculty-choreographed dance concert

CofC Stages presents its fall dance concert Shifting Perspectives. Choreographed by faculty and guest artists, this collection of dances portrays our 2022-23 season theme, “Constructing Identity,” by examining dance in ways that challenge traditional conventions or perceptions. An excerpt from “La Sylphide” will be performed in the original danseuse en travesty style, a popular convention from the 1840s in which women danced both the male and female roles. “Ode” is a modern dance inspired by the work of visual artist Mary Walker. Walker’s paintings will be projected behind the performers, deepening the connection between the dancers and the artwork. 

We’re celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the establishment of our dance major, and Artistic Director Gretchen McLaine notes that the major’s growth is reflected in the concert’s diversity of genres. Three ballets, three modern works, a tap piece, and a jazz dance comprise the show, offering something for every audience member. 

DETAILS: Performances of “Shifting Perspectives” at Sottile Theatre (44 George St.) are Saturday, Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 16 at 2:00 p.m. Individual tickets are $20 adults; $15 seniors (60+), military/veteran, and youth under 18; $12 CofC students, faculty and staff. Purchase tickets ONLINE: 
 
Ticket link for CofC students (for instructions & info click here)
OR buy tickets at George Street Box Office (Tue-Fri, 10am-4pm, at Sottile Theatre), by emailing gsbo@cofc.edu, or calling (843) 953-4726.  
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‘Violet’ Program

CofC Stages proudly presents

Violet

Music by Jeanine Tesori
Book and Lyrics by Brian Crawley

Directed by Nakeisha Daniel

Music Director
Laura Turner
Choreographer
Kristin Alexander
Scenic Designer
Max Marshall
Costume Designer
Janine McCabe
Lighting Designer
Eddie Frye
Sound Designer
Caleb Garner
Technical Director
JD Stallings
Costume Shop Manager
Ellen Swick

Stage Manager

Mollie Davis

Dramaturg

Nora Gore

October 5-13, 2022
Chapel Theatre, 172 Calhoun Street

Proudly presented at KCACTF Region IV
February 10, 2023 • Statesboro, GA

Content warning: this production contains adult themes and depictions of lust, bigotry, and racism. This production also features the use of strobe lighting effects. Sequences with flashing and/or strobe lighting may affect those who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy or other photosensitivities.


Jump to: Musical Numbers | Production Team | Acknowledgments | Director’s Note | Cast and Production Team Biographies


          Cast


Gillian Huntley | Violet Karl Abbigail Lemaster | Bus Passenger, Mabel, Hotel Hooker, Choir
Skylar Huntley | Young Violet Chris Warzynski | Leroy Evans, Waiter, Radio Singer, Bus Driver, Choir
Clyde Moser | Father Brasia Jones | Bus Passenger, Gospel Trio, Landlady Almeta, Choir
Jaden Jenkins | Flick Noah Anderson | Bus Driver, Club Patron, Choir
Aidan O’Connor | Monty Lauryn Gadson | Bus Passenger, Music Hall Singer, Choir
Spencer Vinzani | Bus Driver, Preacher, Radio Trio Mekhi Gaither | Flick Understudy, Bus Passenger, Club Patron, Choir
Abby Scruggs | Old Lady, Gospel Trio, Bus Passenger, Choir Delaney Faile | Violet Understudy, Bus Passenger, Club Patron, Choir
Sam Rhodes | Bus Passenger, Virgil, Radio Trio, Billy Dean Neecie Owens | Lula Buffington (Soloist), Gospel Trio, Club Patron

Musical Numbers

1. Water in the Well 14. Anyone Would Do (Reprise)
2. Surprised 15. Hard to Say Goodbye
3. On My Way 16. Promise Me, Violet
4. M&M’s 17. Raise Me Up
5. Luck of the Draw 18. Down the Mountain
6. Question n’ Answer 19. In The Chapel
7. All to Pieces 20. Raise Me Up (Reprise)
8. Let it Sing 21. Look At Me
9. Anyone Would Do 22. That’s What I Could Do
10. Who’ll Be the One (If Not Me) 23. Surprised (Reprise)
11. Last Time I Came to Memphis 24. M&M’s (Reprise)
12. Lonely Stranger 25. Promise Me, Violet (Reprise)
13. Lay Down Your Head 26. Bring Me to Light

Original Production Team

CofC Stages Artistic Director: Janine McCabe
Director of Theatre: Nakeisha Daniel
Production Manager: Ellen Swick
Stage Management Advisor: Susan Kattwinkel
Assistant Director: Clyde Moser
Assistant Choreographer: Whitney Green
Assistant Stage Managers: Amari Woodard, Olivia Maness
Dramaturg: Nora Gore
Assistant Dramaturg: Noah Anderson

Properties Lead: Madison Berry
Properties Room Manager: Alex Jones

Carpenters: Students of Stagecraft class
Scenic Charge: Jonathan Wentz
Assistant Scenic Charge: Max Marshall
Scenic Artists: Bristol Barnes, Madison Berry
Scene Shop Staff (select students hired by the Department of Theatre & Dance with support from donor funding): Bristol Barnes, Madison Berry, Glenna Durbin, Isabella Gardner, Caroline Magee, Ella Moore, Ethan Robey, Eli Salas, Riley Taylor

Assistant Costume Designer: Molly Rumph
Costume Research Assistant: Bella Prado
Wardrobe Crew: Grace Ann Garrell, Joy Gay
Pattern Makers: Savannah Fatigante, Zachary Kobylarz
Sewing & Alterations: Arden McNeill, Maura Peecher, Stef Amezcua Barrientos, and students of Costume 1 class
Costume Shop Staff (select students hired by the Department of Theatre & Dance with support from donor funding): Savannah Fatigante, Zachary Kobylarz, Brandon Alston

Lighting Design Advisor: Lauren Duffie
Head Electricians: Alex Jones, Chris Warzynski
Electricians: Mia Bowersox, Duncan Charles, Hava Criss, Joey Kirkman, Zach Kobylarz, Caroline Magee, Jacob Reiss, Steven Witt
Light Board Programmer: Lauren Duffie
Assistant Sound Designer: Eli Salas
Electric Shop Staff (select students hired by the Department of Theatre & Dance with support from donor funding): Alex Jones, Chris Warzynski

Operations Coordinator: Miles Boinest
Marketing & Communications: Nandini B. McCauley
Graphic Designer: Rob Alexander
Photography: David Mandel, Annie Morraye
Box Office: George Street Box Office

KCACTF Production Team

Stage Manager: Mollie Davis
Assistant Stage Managers
: Olivia Maness, Amari Woodard
Technical Director
: JD Stallings

Music Director: Laura Turner
Audio Engineer
: Dustin Brause

Electrics Leads: Lauren Duffie, Eddie Frye, Chris Warzynski
Electrics Crew
: Molly Crary, Kate Yarbray, Isabella Gardner, Delaney Faile

Wardrobe Supervisor: Ellen Swick
Wardrobe Crew: Aidan Wunderley, Zach Kobylarz, Savannah Blake, Mira Turkewitz
Scenic Leads: Ethan Robey, Max Marshall, Glenna Durbin, Madison Berry
Scenic Crew: Annie Morraye, Noah Anderson, Brasia Jones, Jaden Jenkins, Gillian Huntley, Sam Rhodes, Spencer Vinzani, Abby Scruggs, Clyde Moser, Lauryn Gadson, Bea Lemaster, Aidan O’Connor, Nora Gore, Neecie Owens, Mekhi Gaither, Mason Monti, Skylar Huntley, Whitney Green


Violet is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com




Sponsored by Fox Music House Charleston

Special Thanks:

College of Charleston Facilities, College of Charleston’s Office of Sustainability, Anja Kelley, Carolyna Ramirez, the George Street Box Office staff, Fox Music House Charleston, Dustin Brause, President Andrew Hsu, Dean Edward Hart


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)
Evelynn & Bill Putnam
Mindy Seltzer & Bob Lovinger
Sam & Nancy Stafford
Louis & Andrea Weinstein
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
Sam & Nancy Stafford
Chester & Arlene Williams

ADVOCATE $750-999
Janine McCabe
Matt & Gretchen McLaine
Evelynn & Bill Putnam
Mindy Seltzer & Bob Lovinger
Nancy & Sam Stafford
Louis & Andrea Weinstein
Jonathan & Janine Wentz

STAR $500-749
Michael & Susan Master
James McKenna

DIRECTOR $250-499
Janice and Jay Messeroff

FAN $100-249
Justin Van Beusecum

PATRON up to $99
Laura C. Bayless, Stephen & Allegra Litvin


Director’s Note

Violet is a story about the scars we all wear internally and externally. In staging this production at CofC, I made the choice not to have a physical manifestation of Violet’s injury. This means at no point in the show will the audience see Violet’s scar. My decision lies in the desire to explore the intersectionality of the collective moment in the 1960s, as well as the journey each character takes to self discovery. Rather than focusing solely on Violet’s disfigurement, I hope the audience’s curiosity will expand to this country’s national scars that are slow to heal.

—Nakeisha Daniel
   Director

Dramaturgical Note

Based on the short story “The Ugliest Pilgrim” by Doris Betts, Violet takes place in 1964, after the Civil Rights Act had just been passed and the United States increased their involvement in the Vietnam War. Violet Karl takes a Greyhound bus to Tulsa, Oklahoma to embark on a journey to have her scar healed by a famous televangelist. Like Violet, the people she meets along the way are also on their own personal journeys towards something greater in life, as was American society as a whole. These characters are facing issues brought on by race, war, and religion, yet are able to come together and interact on the issues they are facing. Throughout the story we see their perceptions and responses to each other, more importantly, we get to see those perceptions evolve. Perspective and perception are an integral part of Violet because we see one woman’s limited view of the world, and especially herself. Violet believes that healing her scar and conforming to an unrealistic beauty standard will solve all of her problems and her perceptions are heavily influenced by the people she encounters.

Although this story takes place in the past, the issues and themes within the show are not as far away as we think they are. Our society has made great social progress since 1964, but we are still in a time of change and are still fighting for a better world. Like Violet, we can surround ourselves with different people that can teach us so many things about different cultures, lifestyles, and foster a community that will last a lifetime.

—Nora Gore
   Dramaturg


Cast and Production Team Bios

Jeanine Tesori (Composer) won the Tony Award for Best Original Score with Lisa Kron for the musical Fun Home. She has also written Tony-nominated scores for Twelfth Night at Lincoln Center; Thoroughly Modern Millie (lyrics, Dick Scanlan); Caroline, or Change (lyrics, Tony Kushner); and Shrek The Musical (lyrics, David Lindsay-Abaire). The production of Caroline, or Change at the National Theatre in London received the Olivier Award for Best New Musical. Her 1997 Off-Broadway musical Violet (lyrics, Brian Crawley) opened on Broadway in 2014 and garnered four Tony nominations, including Best Musical Revival. Opera: A Blizzard on Marblehead Neck (libretto, Tony Kushner; Glimmerglass) and The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me (libretto, J. D. McClatchy, Kennedy Center). Music for plays: Mother Courage (dir. George C. Wolfe, with Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline), John Guare’s A Free Man of Color (Lincoln Center Theater, dir. George C. Wolfe), and Romeo and Juliet (Delacorte Gala). Film scores: Nights in Rodanthe, Every Day, and You’re Not You. Ms. Tesori is a member of the Dramatists Guild and was cited by the ASCAP as the first female composer to have two new musicals running concurrently on Broadway. She was the founding artistic director of Encores! Off-Center at New York City Center, and a lecturer in music at Yale University. Most of all, she is the proud parent of Siena Rafter.

Brian Crawley (Book and Lyrics) is a playwright and screenwriter. He wrote the book and lyrics for A Little Princess (composer Andrew Lippa) which debuted at Theatreworks of Palo Alto in the summer of 2004. He also wrote the book and lyrics for Violet (composer Jeanine Tesori) which was mounted Off-Broadway by Playwrights Horizons in 1997, then remounted in a concert version in 2003 to help inaugurate their new theater. Other musicals he has written include Evangeline with Ted Dykstra, and Down There with composer Lewis Flinn. He appears in the documentary One Night Stand, in which he writes a short musical in 24 hours with composer Gabriel Kahane. For the libretto of Violet, Brian won the Kleban Award. Prior to the Playwrights Horizons production, and on its behalf, Violet was given the Richard Rodgers Musical Production Award and an AT&T OnStage Award. Afterwards, besides a Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical, Violet received the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical over all the year’s Broadway offerings (as did Paula Vogel’s play How I Learned to Drive; the first time two off-Broadway pieces took these top awards in the Drama Critic Circle’s history). Brian’s plays have been developed or staged at Lincoln Center, New York Theater Workshop, the National Alliance of Musical Theatre, and the Eugene O’Neill summer theater conference. He majored in Theater Studies at Yale and has an MFA in Acting from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Brian is a member of the Dramatists Guild.

Guest Artist Eddie Frye (Lighting Designer) is from Lexington, SC and is based in Charleston, SC. He is a recent CofC alum, having received a BA in Theatre (Costume Design and Technology). Eddie is excited to begin his professional career with a musical at his alma mater. He hopes to continue bringing color and light to each show in which he’s involved.

Guest Artist Caleb S. Garner (Sound Designer) is a lighting and sound designer based in Charleston, SC. A North Carolina native, he received his BA and BFA from Catawba College in Salisbury, NC, and his MFA from The University of Southern Mississippi. Caleb’s designs – ranging from concerts and ballets to musicals and straight plays – have earned him eight design awards, including second place at the National Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in Washington, DC. Caleb has been a featured designer from New York to Mississippi, designing in the Northeast, Midwest, East Coast and Deep South. As a (sometimes transplanted) southerner, he is proud to come from the Southeast and champions the rich southern tradition of art and design. Caleb serves as the resident lighting designer of the Charleston Stage  Company and Artist in Residence of Lee Street Theatre in Salisbury, NC.

Noah Anderson (Bus Driver, Ensemble) is a junior double majoring in History and Theatre. This is his second mainstage show at the college. He has also been seen in Cabaret and The Swing of the Sea

Mollie Davis (Stage Manager) is a junior majoring in Psychology and a minor in Theater. She has served as an assistant stage manager for Pipeline, Everybody, and Cabaret. She is excited to serve as stage manager for the first time with an amazing cast and crew. 

Delaney Faile (Dance Captain/Ensemble/Violet Understudy) is a sophomore majoring in Arts Management and Theater (Performance). She is so excited to be in Violet for her first mainstage show. Delaney can also be seen performing with local theatre company Footlight Players.

Lauryn Gadson (Music Hall Singer/Ensemble) is a junior majoring in Theatre (Performance). She was last seen in Cabaret and Wanderlust.

Mekhi Gaither (Bus Passenger/Ensemble/Flick Understudy) is a senior majoring in Theatre (Theatre for Youth). He is beyond grateful for the cast and crew and is excited to be a part of this production. He has previously been seen in Pipeline, Everybody and The Arts under the Oaks Festival.

Nora Gore (Dramaturg) is a Junior majoring in Theatre (Performance) and this is the second mainstage show she has worked on as dramaturg. She was previously Dramaturg for Cabaret and appeared in How the Vote Was Won and Center Stage’s The Swing of the Sea.

Gillian Huntley (Violet Karl) is a senior majoring in Theatre (Performance). She has been seen previously in Living Dead in Denmark and How the Vote was Won. She is thrilled to be telling this story. She would like to thank Nakeisha Daniel and Laura Turner for giving her the chance to be on stage. She would also like to thank her voice teacher Diana for helping her with the show. 

Skylar Huntley (Young Violet) is a senior majoring in Theatre (Performance). She was seen previously in the main stage’s Antigone and Center Stage’s The Swing of the Sea. She is so excited to be a part of this show and wants to thank Nakisha and Laura for giving her this amazing opportunity.

Jaden Jenkins (Flick) is a senior majoring in Theatre (Theatre for Youth). This will be his final musical performance at CofC. He has previously been seen in Cabaret, Choir Boy, and Urinetown. He’s excited to hit the stage once again in this production of Violet

Brasia Jones (Ensemble) is a junior majoring in Theatre (Performance). This is her second show at the College of Charleston.

Abbigail Lemaster (Hotel Hooker/Bus Passenger/Ensemble) is a junior majoring in  Theatre Studies and minoring in Arts Management. She is so excited for her first role with the MainStage theatre department, having previously worked backstage and extensively with Center Stage, the student theatre group.

Max Marshall (Scenic Designer) is a Senior majoring in Theatre (Scenic Design and Technology). This is his third mainstage production with the Department of Theatre and Dance. Max was last seen on stage as Herr Schultz in Cabaret, in addition to serving as assistant scenic designer for Cabaret and The Magic Flute. Max would like to thank everyone who helped bring the design team’s vision to fruition!

Clyde Moser (Father) is currently working on his Master of Arts in Teaching in Performing Arts (Theatre). Clyde graduated from the College of Charleston in 2017 with a BS in Middle Grades Education and a BA in Theatre Performance. He has performed in multiple shows in Charleston as well as NYC such as RENT, The Addams Family, Spring Awakening, and A Chorus Line.

Aidan O’Connor (Monty) is a junior majoring in Theatre (Performance). He is extremely grateful to be a member of the Violet cast during his first semester at the College of Charleston. Recent credits include Rumors, As You Like It, Rabbit Hole, and Proof

Sam Rhodes (Virgil/Ensemble) is a sophomore majoring in Theatre (Performance). This is his first mainstage show. He has appeared in the Center Stage productions of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Cake.

Abby Scruggs (Old Lady) is a sophomore majoring in Theatre (Performance) and Political Science with a minor in Music. She is excited to make her mainstage debut in Violet

Spencer Vinzani (Preacher/Ensemble) is junior majoring in Theatre (Performance). He appeared on the mainstage last year in Cabaret. He is excited to work alongside the cast to present Violet.

Chris Warzynski (Bus Driver/Ensemble) is a junior majoring in Theatre (Scenic/Lighting Design and Technology). Chris has been in the Charleston theatre scene since high school and is always looking for ways to challenge audiences. Chris was last seen in Cabaret and will be designing three pieces in the Shifting Perspectives dance concert later this season.


Land Acknowledgement: We would like to acknowledge that we are located on the traditional lands of the first people of Charleston: The Etiwan, Kiawah, Edisto Natchez Kusso, Santee, and Wassamassaw people (also known as Varner Town Indians). 

We acknowledge and honor all the indigenous people who lived, labored and were faithful stewards of the land. We express our deep gratitude for the land and continued faithful stewardship to the next seven generations. 

We also acknowledge the lives and labor of the Africans who were enslaved to build Charleston, South Carolina. 

On this campus and in this space, 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.

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2022-23 Season to open with Violet, a musical about self-discovery

CofC Stages’ 2022-23 season centers on the theme “Constructing Identity,” exploring family, love, friendship, and finding one’s place. The diverse characters and stories this season wrestle with identity, journey, clarity and defining oneself in six enthralling productions that include musical theatre, plays and dance.

Opening the season is award-winning musical Violet (Drama Critics’ Circle Award, Lucille Lortel Award – Best Musical), which tells the story of a young woman’s quest for beauty amidst the image-obsessed landscape of the 1960s. Facially disfigured in a childhood accident, Violet dreams of a miraculous transformation through the power of faith. Convinced that a televangelist in Oklahoma can heal her, she hops a Greyhound bus and starts the journey of a lifetime, discovering love and the true meaning of beauty along the way.

DETAILS: Performances of Violet at the Chapel Theatre (172 Calhoun St.) are Oct. 5th-8th. Curtain times are 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 5th-8th, with a 2:00 p.m. matinee on Oct. 8th. Four new performance dates have been added: Monday, October 10th, Tuesday, October 11th, Wednesday, October 12th, and Thursday, October 13th. Please contact the box office at (843) 953-4726 or gsbo@cofc.edu if you need assistance transferring or purchasing tickets. 

Discounted season ticket packages are available for all six CofC Stages productions. Individual tickets are $20 for adults; $15 for seniors (60+), military/veterans, and youth under 18; and $12 for CofC students, faculty, and staff. Purchase season packages or individual tickets ONLINE or contact the George Street Box Office by emailing gsbo@cofc.edu or calling (843) 953-4726.  

Composed by Jeanine Tesori (music) and Brian Crawley (book, lyrics), Violet premiered Off-Broadway in 1997 and debuted on Broadway in 2014, where it garnered four Tony nominations. Tesori is known for her Tony Award-winning score for Fun Home and Tony-nominated Broadway scores for Twelfth Night at Lincoln Center, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Caroline, or Change and Shrek the Musical. Crawley has written several musicals, including A Little Princess, Evangeline and Down There. He won the Kleban Award for the libretto of Violet.

Directed by Assistant Professor of African American Theatre and Performance, Nakeisha Daniel, with musical direction by fellow theatre professor Laura Turner and choreography by Associate Professor of Dance, Kristin Alexander, the College’s production is a musical gem recommended for all ages. Daniel shares, “Violet is a dynamic, witty, and heartfelt musical. There is truly something for everyone to enjoy in this compelling story. Audiences should come prepared to laugh, lament, and tap their feet to the gorgeous music.”

The cast is led by Gillian Huntley in the role of Violet, Jaden Jenkins as Flick, and Aidan O’Connor as Monty. Students of all class years comprise the cast and crew, and the show’s designers include faculty member Janine McCabe (costume design), student Max Marshall (scenic design), recent graduate Eddie Frye (lighting design), and adjunct faculty member Caleb Garner (sound design). Student Mollie Davis, a major in Psychology with a Theatre minor, serves as stage manager.


CofC Stages: 2022-23 Season 

Visit go.cofc.edu/cofcstages to learn about all six productions that center on the theme “Constructing Identity”:  

Violet by Jeanine Tesori and Brian Crawley 

Shifting Perspectives (faculty-choreographed dance concert) 

Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon

Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare

Becoming We (student-choreographed dance concert)

Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet by Tarell Alvin McCraney

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Stelle di Domani 2023 Program

Jump to: Five Women Wearing the Same Dress | Musical Theatre Cabaret | McNerney Staged Readings | V3 | Alumni Dance Concert | Under the Lights | There’s Always Tomorrow


Five Women Wearing the Same Dress

by Alan Ball
Presented by Center Stage

Content warning: sexual assault of a minor, fatphobia, and homophobia

Cast List
Frances:
Nora Gore
Meredith: Maria Walch
Trisha: Glenna Durbin
Georgeanne: Annie Morraye
Mindy: Gianna Trimboli
Tripp: Ben Hudd

Production Team
Director:
Kate Yarbray
Stage Manager: Stevie Hall
Project Manager: Bea Lemaster
Scenic Designer: Ethan Robey
Costume Designer: Katie Burns
Properties Designer: Sarah Poteat
Lighting Designers: Alex Jones
Sound Designer: Bea Lemaster

Cast and Production Team Bios

Maria Walch (Meredith) is a recent graduate of the College of Charleston who majored in History and Anthropology. This is their third performance with Center Stage, the first two being Rocky Horror Picture Show in 2021 and 2022. They would like to thank the amazing and talented cast and crew for making their last performance at CofC the best experience ever!

Gianna Trimboli (Mindy) is a senior at the College of Charleston double-majoring in Theatre and Dance. This is her first show with Center Stage although you may have seen her in the mainstage production of Cabaret as Fritze, as Titania in Living Dead in Denmark, and a few directors showcase productions! She is very excited to step into the role of Mindy which has been a wonderful challenge for Gianna as an actor. She is very excited for everyone to see this awesome show which includes such talented actors that she has been very impressed by as well as a new close circle of friends this show has brought her.

Nora Gore (Frances) is a senior Theatre major and is a performer and dramaturg in the department. She has previously performed in The Swing of the Sea and How the Vote Was Won. She was also the dramaturg for Cabaret and Violet.

Annie Moraye (Georgeanne) is a recent graduate of the College of Charleston who majored in Computing in the Arts (Digital Media) with a minor in Communications. This is her first performance with Center Stage! She has been seen in Mainstage’s Cabaret as Fräulein Schneider.

Glenna Durbin (Trisha) is a recent graduate of the College of Charleston who double majored in Theatre (Performance) and History with a minor in Dance. This is is first performance with Center Stage! She has been seen in Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley as Mary Bennet and How the Vote Was Won as Miss Lily Wilkins. 

Ben Hudd (Tripp) is a junior Theatre major with a concentration in Performance. He has recently performed in The Tales of Hoffmann and Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley

Kate Yarbray is a junior at the College double majoring in Theatre and English with concentrations in performance and creative writing. She was most recently seen as Lydia Wickham in the mainstage production of ‘Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley’. Recent directing credits include Charlotte’s Web and Just Like Us. She is overjoyed to be making her directorial debut with Center Stage. Special thanks to the Center Stage board, her brilliant designers, and above all, the exceptional cast that made this show what it is.

Stevie Hall is a junior at CofC where they major in Arts Management with a minor is Studio Arts, focusing on sculpture work. This is the first time they’ve gotten to be backstage for a show since high school. This has been a wonderful experience, and challenge, for them, and they hope you grow to love the show as much as they have!

Sarah Poteat is a sophomore at CofC and is the props designer for Five Women. This is their second time working with Center Stage, and they previously worked as scenic designer for Rocky Horror. She has absolutely adored working with the incredible cast and crew and is so excited for you to enjoy this fantastic show! 

Ethan Robey is a recent graduate from the College of Charleston who majored in Theatre (Scenic/Lighting Design and Technology). This is their first experience designing for Center Stage. This past fall they worked with the MainStage as head scenic designer for ‘Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberely’ and they have worked as an assistant on multiple shows at the College of Charleston.  

Katie Burns is a sophomore at College of Charleston with double majors in Theatre and Marine Biology. This is their fourth time working on the costumes for a Center Stage show, but her first time as head costume designer. They have loved getting the opportunity to work on this show and have fallen in love with the piece, actors, other designers, and crew. They hope you love the show!  

Alex Jones is a junior at the College majoring in Theatre with a concentration in scenic and lighting design and technology. This is Alex’s second time designing for Center Stage. Alex wants to thank the Center Stage board and every person on cast and crew working on the show!

Bea Lemaster is a senior at the College majoring in Theatre. They are extremely excited to share their first sound design since freshman year, and hope you enjoy the show.

Arden McNeill is a recent graduate from the College of Charleston who majored in Theatre (performance) and minored in Arts Management. Arden has also worked behind the scenes on hair and makeup for Center Stage’s ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show: Shadow Cast’ (October 2021), and was seen performing in the recent Mainstage production of ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona’ (February 2023). 


A Musical Theatre Cabaret

Presented by CofC Stages and Charleston Playhouse

Featuring Clyde Moser and accompanied by Laura Manning Turner

Clyde Moser is a Charleston, South Carolina-based actor, dancer, vocalist, and educator. Clyde is a graduate of the College of Charleston and has performed in multiple shows including RENT, Addams Family, Spring Awakening, A Chorus Line, and the New York Summer Play Festival. Clyde moved back to Charleston to pursue his Master of Arts in Teaching at his alma mater.

Laura Manning Turner received her B.F.A. in Dramatic Writing and an M.F.A. in composition for Music Theater concurrently from New York University. Since 1994 she has been Associate Professor of Theatre at the College of Charleston where she began the Theatre for Youth program and the M.A.T. in the Performing Arts Program which prepares theatre and music teachers for the K12 school setting. She also teaches musical theatre coursework in the department.

Professor Turner also helped create the Musical Theatre Center, an after school training program for K12 students in acting, singing, and dancing.  As director or music director she has mounted over 30 productions with her college students assisting in all aspects of the center’s productions. Under her direction the senior performance troupe has won the top Outstanding Performance Award along with the Excellence in Acting and Excellence in Dance awards at the National Junior Theatre Festival. Before coming to the College of Charleston, Professor Turner taught at the University of Northern Iowa as well as the Russian Pedagogical University in St. Petersburg, Russia where she lectured on American Theatre.


Staged Readings from the Todd McNerney Playwriting Contest

Readings are daily at 4pm. Admission is free!

May 30th and 31st – 2021 Runner-up — Oil and Watercolor by Seanan Palmero Waugh

Amelia – Brandi Smalls

Bill – Brent Laing

Jake – Mason Monti

Deek – Madison Berry

Beta – Joey Kirkman

Lady – Caroline Magee

June 1st and 2nd – 2022 Runner-up —  Fat Muslim Girls by Ken Kaissar

Edgar – Gabe Wright

Claire – Olivia Isgett-Rubin

Diane – Emily Wilhoit

Tom – Peter Spearman

Pat – Todd McNerney

Murray – Brent Laing

Zayna – Natalia Ramirez

Voice of anchorwoman – Olivia Isgett-Rubin

June 3rd and 4th – 2023 Runner-up — The Consequences of Madison Mumbry by Darren V. Michael

Madison Mumbry – Gillian Huntley

Albert Moffit/Future Albert – Spencer Wright

Waiter #1/Mr. Berger/Voices – Steven Witt

Waiter #2/Police Officer/Voices – Joey Kirkman

June 5th and 6th – 2021 Winner —  (verb) a play on words by Seth Freeman

Nathaniel – William Caretto

Cliff Denke – Peter Spearman

Molly Rivers – Hunter Harrell

Brandon Bischoff – Miles Boinest

Judge Johnson – Jonathan Wentz

Willie – Spencer Wright

Geoffry Martin – Brent Laing

June 7th and 8th – 2022 Winner — The Blue Whale by Laura Zlatos

Sydney Elkhorn – Caroline Magee

Emily Elkhorn – Ella Moore

Lori Elkhorn – Cat Champlin

Keith Elkhorn – Mason Monti

Kate – Jaelin Lavanway

Chloe – Skylar Huntley

Sophie/Blue Whale – LG Wylie

June 9th and 10th – 2023 Winner —  Closet Space by Jane M. Lee

Margaret – AP Hart

Shelly – Teresa Elj

Rhonda – Glenda Byars

Kendra – Hunter Harrell


V3: A Dance Installation

Annex Dance Company presents a dance installation within the Carla Gannis / C.A.R.L.A. G.A.N.: wwwunderkammer exhibit at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art. The culmination of the annual residency with the Department of Theatre and Dance, this site-specific piece is created and performed by students and company members. Admission is free!

Thursday, June 1st at 5:30pm
Friday, June 2nd at 11:30am
Thursday, June 8th at 6:30pm

Note from the Annex Dance Company Artistic Directors: 

This Spring, we immersed ourselves in the virtual world of the wwwunderkammer created by Carla Gannis. V3, the Carla Gannis / C.A.R.L.A. G.A.N.: wwwunderkammer dance installation, pushes the boundaries of audience and performer, reflecting the display of human and AI, reality and VR, baroque and contemporary. Performed by the company and students selected for the company’s annual residency with the College of Charleston Department of Theatre and Dance, the dancers bring a fourth dimension to the 3D rooms, or ‘chambers’, of the wunderkammer. For us the wunderkammer feels vast and grand, yet specific and nuanced. Hearing Carla describe the different personalities and the symbolism behind the avatars in her world has been the driving force behind our creative process.  This is the first-time dance has been part of Carla Gannis / C.A.R.L.A. G.A.N.: wwwunderkammer, and we hope this project is just the beginning of our work with Carla and further exploration of the virtual space.

A special thank you to the Department of Theatre and Dance for the continued opportunity to share the creative space and stage with the students in an annual residency, The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston School of the Arts for the invitation to create a site-specific dance installation, and Carla Gannis for her enthusiastic YES to this idea and collaborative spirit throughout the creative process.


Alumni Dance Concert

Production Team

Lighting Designer: Sara Whitehead

Program

Repeat Until Passed: Choreographed by Izzy Byers

Dancer(s): Izzy Byers

Music: Repeat Until Death by Novo Amor

Place: Choreographed by Brice Flowers

Dancer(s): Lia Aubuchon, Maddie Boucher, Ashleigh Boyd, Loulie Dasher, Julia Hartman, Grace Kerr, Alice Morgan

Music: Mad Rush by Philip Glass

Lifetime: Choreographed by Taylor Bennett

Dancer(s): Sam Campbell, Kitner Schetlick

Music: Only a Lifetime by FINNEAS

Music Editing: Taylor Bennett

The Pines without Peer: Choreographed by Claire Natiez

Dancer: Claire Natiez 

Music: Spoken word recording by Lewie Nasby, November by Colleen

Music Editing: Rob Alexander 

Stages: Choreographed by Julie Clark

Dancer(s): Maddie Boucher, Julia Hartman, Caroline Sessoms (understudy Victoria Pinner)

Music: “Family” by Dustin O’Halloran & Hauschka, “All Things Must Fall Apart” by Dustin O’Halloran, “An Ending, A Beginning” by Dustin O’Halloran

Northern Attitude: Choreographed by Victoria Kabernagel

Dancer(s): Cammy Baker, Allie Boyd, Malik Green, Julia Kabernagel, Jessie Natusch, Ashlin Ondrusek, Taylor Rice, Adam Whitten

Music: “Northern Attitude” by Noah Kahan

College of Charleston Dancer Bios

Taylor Bennett is an Alum of the College of Charleston graduating Spring 2023, double majoring in Dance (BA) and Early Childhood Education (BS). Taylor was the President of Dance Alliance, a student-led dance organization at the College of Charleston, for the past two years. She received the Robert Ivey Dance Scholarship in 2021, Clarence Award Recipient in 2021 and 2022, and the Eliza Ingle Dance Honor in 2022. She is currently the recipient of the Dance Impact Award. She has been performing in the main stage show at the College since she arrived in 2019. She has choreographed twice in the spring concerts at the College. She recently served as the Assistant Choreographer for the College production of Cabaret. In Spring 2021 and 2022, Taylor had the opportunity to choreograph for the student dance concerts Finding Place and Wanderlust. Her choreography will be presented and adjudicated at American Collegiate Dance Association at Brenau University. For the past two summers, Taylor taught at Camp Ballibay, where she choreographed a dance-intensive production piece, other dance concerts, and two musicals. This summer, she will be taking on the role of Head of Dance. Taylor stays involved with the dance students of the low country through her instruction with Dance Moves of Charleston. In 2020, Taylor became an apprentice with Annex Dance Company. She has been performing with the Company for the past three seasons. In the fall of 2023, Taylor will be a company member for the Company.

Kitner Schetlick is a recent graduate of the college of Charleston, graduating in the spring of 2023 with a degree in Early Childhood education. Kitner has grown her love of dancing since she was young, competing all styles at a local studio in New Jersey. She then continued her dancing career at the collegiate level on the college of Charleston dance team where together they won a national championship in 2020 for D1 hip hop. Locally she teaches Acro and technique at creative edge where she combines her love for dance and her love for teaching. At the studio she choreographed multiple award winning competition pieces, as well as recreational Acro choreography. This year Kitner will be the Head Coach of Wando High school varsity dance team, where they will compete at NDA nationals and other regional competitions. Kitner is excited to continue dancing and exploring

Samantha Campbell has recently graduated from The College in Fall ‘22 and received her B.S. in Marketing, as well as a minor in Studio Art with a photography concentration. Before college, Sam spent her time competing with her hometown dance studio, participated in her school’s theater program as a dance captain, and organized their high school’s first nationally recognized UDA Dance Team. While in school, she was briefly a member of the CofC Cougarettes Dance Team, a teacher for CofC Dance Alliance, and completed various photography collections featuring dancers of the CofC Theater & Dance program. Sam has been trained in many styles, but finds herself drawn to Hip-Hop and Contemporary choreography and how the two can be complemented by each other. During her additional philosophy studies, Sam researched and compiled a detailed analysis of competitive contemporary dance and the aesthetic line between athletics and artistry, as well as the influence that hip-hop culture has taken upon this new-age style of jazz/lyrical/contemporary dance in the competitive field. 

Tori Kabernagel is a College of Charleston alumni having graduated in 2018 with a B.A degree in Dance and Arts Management and a B.S. degree in Business Administration and Hospitality and Tourism Management. Since graduating, Tori has taught, choreographed and trained with Dance Dimensions, Home of Hartin Dance Company in Palm Desert, California and The Dance Space in Charleston, South Carolina.  Tori has presented her work at competitions throughout southern California, and her choreography was nominated as a studio favorite from the prestigious faculty of Nuvo Dance. She is a current company member of Dynamics and Charleston Dance Project with The Dance Space, in which she performs and choreographs at various community events in collaboration with Blue Steele Promotions and other local artists.

Claire Natiez is a College of Charleston alumni having graduated in 2023 with a B.A. in Dance with a Performance and Choreography track, and Arts Management. While attending the College of Charleston, she presented choreography in the Spring 2020 and Spring 2021 dance concerts, and her piece, The Art of Losing, was selected to be restaged in the Fall 2021 faculty concert. She received a Research Presentation Grant for the piece to represent the Department of Theatre and Dance at the American College Dance Association- Southeast Conference in the Spring of 2022. For her senior capstone, she directed her first dance film, Blame in the Hands, which explored the effects of chronic media use. Claire is currently in her third season with Annex Dance Company as an apprentice and administrative intern.

Julie DeLizza Clark graduated summa cum laude from CofC’s Honors College in 2010 with degrees in History (BA) and Secondary Education (BS) with a minor in Dance. She is the Director of Dance Moves of Charleston and the Artistic Director of the Dance Moves Youth Company. She also performs regularly with Annex Dance Company, where she serves as the associate artistic director. Accolades include TEDx Charleston presenter & performer (2014), Charlotte Emerging Dance Artist Choreography Award Winner (2017), and guest artist/choreographer for Charleston County School of the Arts and Greeneville’s ARMES program. She loves spending time with her husband, little boy, and two chocolate labs.

Brice Flowers graduated from the College in 2020 with a BA in Dance, concentrating in performance and choreography. Since graduating, Brice has worked with Annex Dance Company and actively participates in the company’s yearly residency with CofC. She is also in her fifth year as an instructor at Dance Moves and in her fourth year as a choreographer with the Dance Moves Youth Company. Her choreography was recently presented at SCAPHERD in November of 2022. This fall, Brice will begin her graduate studies at The Citadel in the area of school counseling in hopes to combine her love of movement and art with her passion for the advocacy of mental health literacy in schools.

Dance Moves Youth Company Dancer Bios

Lia Aubuchon is an eighth grade student at Charleston County School of the Arts majoring in dance. This is her fifth season with Dance Moves. She is currently taking hip-hop and jazz. She is looking forward to this year‘s recital, showcasing everything she’s worked for throughout the year.

Maddie Boucher is a 7th grade dance major at Charleston School of the Arts. She has been dancing for over 11 years now and this is her 3rd year participating in DMYC. Maddie’s regular classes at Dance Moves includes Ballet lV, Lyrical lV, and Modern lV/V, all of which she loves equally.

Ashleigh Boyd is 13 years old and is a dance major at Charleston School of the Arts. She started dancing at age 3 with the Dance Moves Traveling Program. She takes Lyrical and one of her favorite dance styles to watch is Tap. Dance has taught Ashleigh to never give up on something just because she’s not good at it, and that she shouldn’t give up on it.

Loulie Dasher is a native James Islander. She is in seventh grade and attends Veritas Classical School. She began dancing at Dance Moves of Charleston at two years old. She is currently taking level IV ballet and participates in Dance Moves Youth Company. She has performed in Palmetto City Ballet’s Cinderella and Snow Queen performances. In March of 2023, Loulie performed in the Youth Gala for the Charlotte Dance Festival with DMYC. Her favorite genre of dance is classical ballet.

Julia Hartman is an enthusiastic and passionate rising 9th-grade dancer at Charleston County School of the Arts. She has been taking classes at Dance Moves for 11 years and loves ballet, lyrical, and modern out of all the styles of dance she has tried. Julia is looking forward to attending a summer intensive with the Charlotte Ballet in June. Dance has given Julia her favorite friendships, a passion for Broadway, and the motivation to push herself further than she ever dreamed possible.

Grace Kerr is a 14 year old student in the Dance Moves Youth Company. She has danced with Dance Moves for 9 years and has been a part of the Youth Company for 3 years. She has attended the School of the Arts majoring in dance for two years and is currently an 8th-grade student there. Dance Moves has created many incredible memories for her, and her friends have become more like family. She has created many amazing relationships throughout her dance experience meeting many people from different backgrounds and places. Her favorite style of dance is currently lyrical because she loves the feeling of telling a story or portraying an emotion.

Alice Morgan is a 7th grader at Charleston School of the Arts. She’s been dancing for 9 years, 5 years in North Carolina and is dancing for her fourth year at Dance Moves. She’s currently taking lyrical and modern dance classes as well as taking dance class at school. Her favorite style to perform is lyrical, and she enjoys watching lyrical and jazz the most. She would like to thank her dance teachers for helping her grow as a dancer as well as making dance classes fun.

Victoria Pinner is a sophomore at James Island Charter High. She has been dancing for 12 years, she has danced with Dance Moves for 7. Dance has taught her that life is all about improvement and doing your best to push yourself to your limits. Victoria’s favorite dance style is either modern or lyrical. She attended the Charlotte Dance Festival earlier this year, as well as the SCAHPERD convention last fall. Some of her favorite things about dancing are learning new ways to move, pushing herself to new limits, and being able to move with other dancers and finding connections with them.

Caroline Sessoms is 15 years old, and is an upcoming sophomore at Academic Magnet High School. She has been dancing for 11 years, all of which she has spent with Dance Moves. She attended Charleston County School of the Arts as a Dance major for middle school. Caroline has attended SCAHPERD and the Charlotte Dance Festival, and has performed at many events including Piccolo Spoleto and Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet.  She has been a member of the Dance Moves Youth Company for 8 years. Caroline is currently taking lyrical, ballet, modern, and pointe classes, modern being her favorite both to do and watch. Dance has been a very big part of her life, and she loves performing with the DMYC. Dance has taught Caroline how to appreciate beauty, and gifted her with the art of movement. Dance can tell a story, and she loves expressing herself through this abstract ability. Caroline thanks her incredible parents for always supporting her, and loving her unconditionally.


Under the Lights
Directed by Michael Smallwood

Conversation with a Stranger by Jaelin LaVanway
Winner of the 2023 Todd McNerney Playwriting Award

Mekhi Gaither-Burris – Jim

Michael Smallwood – Earl

A Puzzle Box by Carolina Magee
Runner-up of the 2023 Todd McNerney Playwriting Award

Briana Fabian – Cleo

Bea Lemaster – Amber

Better Him Than Us by Mason Monti

Bea Lemaster – Bandit

Mekhi Gaither-Burris – Reaver

Michael Smallwood – Survivor

A Conversation by Chris Warzynski

Briana Fabian – Bella

Mekhi Gaither-Burris – Chris

Bea Lemaster – Waitress/Woman


There’s Always Tomorrow

A play by Sonya Hayden

Cast List:
Harper: Bea Lemaster
Jaime: Noah Anderson
Crew: Max Meyers and Aidan Wunderley

Production Team:
Director: Madison Berry
Stage Manager: Isabella Gardner
Scenic Designer: Bristol Barnes
Intimacy Coordinator: Nakeisha Daniel
Costume Designers: Katie Burns & Brandon Alston
Properties Designer: Bristol Barnes
Lighting Designer: Joey Kirkman
Sound Designer: Eli Salas

Cast and Production Team Bios

Bea Lemaster (Harper) is a senior at the College of Charleston, and is so thankful for the opportunity to perform with Stelle di Domani. Last seen in Violet at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, she is so happy to be performing again, and hopes you all enjoy the show! Bea wants to thank her Mom, Kristen, and her Grammy, Linda, for supporting her love of theatre. She also wants to thank Madison Berry for the opportunity!

Noah Anderson (Jaime) is a senior double major in history and theater. This is his second Stelle di Domani production. He was also seen in Center Stage’s Stelle di Domani production Swing of the Sea as Eggs and Mainstage’s Cabaret as Cliff, Violet as Earl/Bus driver and Two Gentlemen of Verona as Eglamour.

Max Meyers (he/him) is a senior majoring in Communication with minors in Film Studies and Marketing. This is his first theater performance… ever (unless you count starring in your kindergarten musical). While he is very involved in the film community on campus, having been the President of the Film Club for the last 2 years, this is his first official venture into the college’s theater department, which he’s very excited about! He hopes to continue being involved, whether in productions or as an avid supporter in the audience!

Aidan Wunderley is a junior at the College of Charleston, majoring in Theatre with a concentration in performance. Aidan’s other roles at the college include Ensemble in Everybody, Jess in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised], and Outlaw in Two Gentlemen of Verona. Aidan also works in other aspects of theatre, most recently, stage managing Center Stages production of Firebringer. Aidan is very grateful for this opportunity to work with such a talented cast and crew!

Madison Berry is a senior double major in theatre performance and scenic design. This is her first time directing for the College, but she has previously worked as assistant director on CofC’s Two Gentlemen of Verona and Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley. Her work can also be seen in many design aspects of the theatre such as CofC’s Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet as assistant scenic designer and Violet as properties designer, winning the Kennedy Center’s Randy Lutz Allied Design & Tech National Finalist. She would like to thank her incredible cast and crew for supporting her throughout this journey and hopes this show will give you a chance to find a pause from your everyday rhythm.

Sonya Hayden (she/her) is a playwright, composer, and lyricist originally from Virginia, now based in New York. Her work has appeared internationally, including at Lincoln Center, the Edinburgh International Festival, New Perspectives Theatre, Little Fish Theatre, the NY Public Library for the Performing Arts, the Pittsburgh New Works Festival, Urban Stages, and the Duplex. Master’s in Playwriting, University of Edinburgh; Bachelor’s in Music, Princeton University. sonyahayden.com @sonyahayden11

Bristol Barnes (she/they) is a senior majoring in Theatre (Scenic Design and Performance) and minoring in Film Studies. Her previous scenic design has been seen with Center Stage’s production of Firebringer this past April and the Department of Theatre and Dance’s production of Two Gentlemen of Verona in February. Keep an eye out for her scenic design of Pippin, opening this November!

Katie Burns is a sophomore at College of Charleston with double majors in Theatre and Marine Biology. Their past costume design has been seen with Center Stage’s productions of Proof and Five Women Wearing the Same Dress. They have loved getting the opportunity to work on this show and have fallen in love with the piece, actors, other designers, and crew. They hope you love the show!

Brandon Alston (he/him) is a senior majoring in Theatre with a concentration in Costume Design and Technology. This is his second production as costume designer, his first being the CofC Mainstage production of Shakespear’s Two Gentlemen of Verona. His work as an assistant costume designer includes A Christmas Carol (Charleston Stage) and Mlima’s Tale (PURE Theatre)Previous acting credits include Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, Mlima’s tale (PURE theatre), Pipeline, and Living Dead in Denmark.

Eli Salas is a senior at the College of Charleston majoring in Theatre with a concentration in Scenic and Lighting Design and Technology. His most recent sound designs were Marcus; or The Secret of Sweet and Two Gentlemen of Verona at CofC. This is their second sound design that has been brought to Piccolo Spoleto. He is so excited to work with his friends on this project, and he hopes you enjoy the show!

Joey Kirkman is a recent graduate of Theatre and English from the College of Charleston. They have performed in and directed many shows, most recently appearing in PURE Theatre’s production of Martin Mcdonagh’s Hangmen as Shirley. They also have design experience, creating the sound design for Center Stage’s 2023 production of Proof. This is their first light design project, and they are grateful for this opportunity!

Isabella Gardner is a Junior double majoring in Theatre (General) and Arts Management. This is her second opportunity stage managing at the College of Charleston, and she is so excited to get another opportunity to perform! When she’s not performing, she’s the house manager for the theatre department, props room manager, and shop assistant. Isabella would like to thank her entire cast for being so flexible and understanding throughout this entire process. Otherwise, she’d be CRYIN!


Stelle di Domani 2023 Staff
Producing Artistic Director: Janine McCabe
Series Co-Director: Kristin Alexander
Series Coordinator: Bristol Barnes
Marketing and Social Media Manager: Madison Berry
Operations Coordinator: Miles Boinest
Student Staff: Katie Burns, Molly Crary, Isabella Gardner, Caroline Magee, Mason Monti, Claire Natiez and Eli Salas

Special Thanks
Julie Clark, Carla Gannis, Katie Hirsch, Kaylee Lass, JD Stallings, Ellen Swick, Nakeisha Daniel and Nandini McCauley

The Stelle di Domani series showcases the students, faculty, and alumni of College of Charleston’s award-winning Department of Theatre and Dance during the Piccolo Spoleto Festival.

The Department of Theatre and Dance at the College of Charleston is supported by donations from patrons like you. These gifts support scenic, lighting, and costume needs, but they’re also instrumental in helping to fund student employment, research, travel, and other curricular experiences. Consider making a contribution to our department and learn more at give.cofc.edu/cofcstages.

Piccolo Spoleto is produced and directed by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs and is funded in part by grants from the City of Charleston; the South Carolina Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; and the South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department.


Introducing our 2023-2024 Season!
Tickets go on sale August 1st, 2023.

October 2023: Men on Boats by Jaclyn Backhaus
Ten explorers. Four boats. One Grand Canyon. Jaclyn Backhouse’s Men on Boats is the true(ish) history of an 1869 expedition, when a one-armed captain and a crew of insane yet loyal volunteers set out to chart the course of the Colorado River. From the unexpected casting to the innovative staging, the play prompts us to question everything we think we understand about how the stories of exploration are told. Recommended for all ages.

October 2023: After the Rain
The aftermath of a storm can bring growth, rebuilding from devastation, or new beginnings. Featuring choreography by faculty and guest artists, After the Rain is a concert of contemporary and classical dance works inspired by the strength we have to move forward when the clouds lift. Recommended for all ages.

November 2023: In Love and Warcraft
Madhuri Shekar’s gamer girl Evie Malone has it all figured out. Not only does she command a top-ranked guild in Warcraft with her online boyfriend; she also makes a little cash on the side writing love letters for people who’ve screwed up their relationships. Love is like Warcraft, after all. It’s all about strategies, game plans, and not taking stupid risks. Recommended for ages 12+.

November 2023: Pippin
There’s magic to do when a prince learns the true meaning of glory, love and war in Stephen Schwartz’s iconic and unforgettable musical masterpiece. In search of the secret to true happiness and fulfillment, Pippin finds that happiness lies not in extraordinary endeavors, but rather in the un-extraordinary moments that happen every day. Recommended for ages 12+.

February 2024: The Pages Festival
The College of Charleston 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.

February 2024: Die Fledermaus
Known as one of the world’s most beloved operettas, Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus tells the story of a practical joke with unexpected consequences. Rife with mistaken identities, flirtation, seduction, and champagne, Die Fledermaus offers a farcical comedy with a captivating score sure to delight and enchant audiences of all ages.

March 2024: Pathways
Join us for an exciting evening of student-choreographed work by select dance majors and minors. Pathways explores the various choices we make as we navigate through life, and the possibilities that emerge when we allow ourselves to embrace   new opportunities and challenges.  Recommended for all ages.

April 2024: The Importance of Being Earnest
One of the most popular comedies ever written, Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People skewers the social niceties of the upper class while exploring the ethical pitfalls of the ways we all perform our own identities. Recommended for all ages.

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‘Cabaret’ Digital Program

          CofC Stages proudly presents

     Cabaret

          Book by Joe Masteroff
Based on the play by John Van Druten and Stories by Christopher Isherwood
Music by John Kander Lyrics by Fred Ebb

          Directed by Todd McNerney

Music Director
Laura Turner
Choreographer
Nakeisha Daniel
Scenic Designer
Charlie Calvert
Costume Designer
Mira Turkewitz
Lighting Designer
Garrett Bell
Sound Designer
Caleb Garner
Technical Director
JD Stallings
Costume Shop Manager
Ellen Swick

Stage Manager

Rebecca McLeod

Dramaturg

Nora Gore

April 14-16, 2022 • Sottile Theatre, 44 George Street


          Cast

AP Hart | Emcee Zoe Sauder | Helga
Maddy Smith | Sally Bowles Robby Sewell | Bobby
Noah Anderson | Clifford “Cliff” Bradshaw Jaden Jenkins | Victor Kristoff, Emcee u/s
Annie Morraye | Fräulein Schneider Evan Williams | Hans, Gorilla
Max Marshall | Herr Joseph Schultz Michael Biondo | Herman
Spencer Vinzani | Ernst Ludwig Steven Witt | Max
Brasia Jones | Fräulein Eleonora Kost Joey Kirkman | Kit Kat Club Patron (Paul Fuchs)
Erin Frase | Rosie, Sally Bowles u/s Lauryn Gadson | Kit Kat Club Patron (Lolita Bean)
Kylee Poole | Lulu Olivia Panasko | Kit Kat Club Patron (Greta Katz), Soloist
Aidan Baumann | Frenchie Ben Hudd | Kit Kat Club Patron (Rudy Bambach), Soloist, Cliff u/s
Hunter Harrell | Texas Chris Warzynski | Kit Kat Klub Patron (Siegfried Varnitski)
Gianna Trimboli | Fritzie Shane Hanley | Kit Kat Club Patron (Rudy Klopp)

Musical Numbers

Act I Act II
Willkommen Entr’acte
So What? Kick Line
Don’t Tell Mama Married (Reprise)
Mein Herr If You Could See Her
Perfectly Marvelous What Would You Do?
Two Ladies I Don’t Care Much
It Couldn’t Please Me More Cabaret
Tomorrow Belongs to Me Finale
Maybe This Time
The Money Song
Married
Tomorrow Belongs to Me (Reprise)

Production Team

CofC Stages Artistic Director: Janine McCabe
Director of Theatre: Vivian Appler
Stage Management Advisor: Susan Kattwinkel
Assistant Choreographer: Taylor Bennett
Assistant Stage Managers: Mikaela Phillips, Mollie Davis
Dramaturg: Nora Gore
Run Crew: Bootsie Baldwin, Alex Gilbert
Fly Rail: Connor Combs

Assistant Scenic Designers: Max Marshall, Ethan Robey, Bristol Barnes
Properties Master: Bea Lemaster
Properties Assistant: Madison Berry
Carpenters: Madison Berry, Isabella Gardner, Ella Moore, Ethan Robey, Eli Salas, Xander Seigelman, Riley Taylor , Students of THTR 209
Scenic Charge: Julia Mimó
Scenic Artists: Mary Hope Ballou, Ella Moore
Scene Shop Staff (select students hired by the Department of Theatre & Dance with support from donor funding): Mary Hope Ballou, Bristol Barnes, Holden Crumpler, Caroline Magee, Max Marshall, AP Hart

Costume Design Advisor: Janine McCabe
Pattern Makers: Liza Bird, Brandon Alston
Sewing & Alterations: Brandon Alston, Liza Bird, Grace Ann Jarrell, Avery Rose Higgins, Bernadette Loia, Eli Orlandi, and Students of THTR 240
Wardrobe Crew: Mattie Davis, Zach Kobylarz, Sylvia Jones, Brandon Alston
Costume Shop Staff (select students hired by the Department of Theatre & Dance with support from donor funding): Mattie Davis, Savannah Fatigante, Zachary Kobylarz, Mira Turkewitz

Lighting Design Advisor: Lauren Duffie
Production Electricians: Alex Jones, Joey Kirkman, Chris Warzynski
Electricians: Mia Bowersox, Sara Whitehead, Eddie Frye
Light Board Programmer: Caroline Magee
Follow Spot Operators: Julia Mimó, Mia Bowersox
Sound Engineers: Evie Palmisano, Dustin Brause
Sound Board Operator: Abbie Scruggs
Technician: Blake Kennedy
Electric Shop Staff (select students hired by the Department of Theatre & Dance with support from donor funding): Alex Jones, Joey Kirkman, Chris Warzynski

ASL Interpretation: Shauntel Creque-White and Kerston Sallings
Operations Coordinator
: Miles Boinest
Marketing & Communications: Nandini B. McCauley
Graphic Designer: Rob Alexander
Photography: David Mandel, Heather Moran, Annie Morraye, Sydney Rudolph
Sottile Theatre Staff: Anja Kelley, Evie Palmisano, Kasey Beard
Box Office: George Street Box Office


CABARET is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC. www.concordtheatricals.com.


Special Thanks:

The Musical Theatre Center, The Sottile Theatre Staff, Courtney Workman and ASL Interpreting Services

This production is presented in loving memory of Robert Ivey.


Special thanks to our Guardian-level donors, whose commitment and personal connection to their “Clarence” students enhance the overall student experience and the Department of Theatre and Dance as a whole. 

Brandon Alston……………….…..Nancy and Sam Stafford

Taylor Bennett………….…..Chester and Arlene Williams

Glenna Durbin…………….…………Tap and Jean Johnson

Savannah Fatigante……….………………………Anonymous

Joey Kirkman……………………Eveylynn and Bill Putnam

Claire Natiez…………….Mindy Seltzer and Bob Lovinger

Sidney Shanahan…….Drs. Louis and Andrea Weinstein

Maddy Smith……………………..Karl and Charlene Bunch

Thanks to all of our generous donors. Add your name to our list of generous arts supporters by making a contribution today

Have you considered subscribing to the Department of Theatre and Dance newsletter?


Director’s Note

“I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking” is a quote from the first page of a novel, Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood, from which a 1951 Broadway play, I am A Camera by John Van Druten, was adapted, and finally, upon which the ground-breaking 1966 musical Cabaret is based.

In 1979, I was 16 years old and traveled to Germany to be on a student exchange for nearly a month. In addition to living with a German family for about ½ of the time, our group traveled throughout the country. Two important events were captured by my “internal camera” during those travels which have remained with me and I have thought about for over half a century. First, we visited East Germany, not East/West Berlin, but rather deep into the former communist state traveling by bus to the city of Leipzig. The harsh change of transitioning from western democracy to eastern totalitarianism was like stepping back in time or like moving from a technicolor world to a sepia-toned one. Shortly thereafter, we visited the concentration camp at Dachau, the first of the Nazi’s “political prisoners” concentration camps. I have never forgotten walking around the lightly dusted snow-covered grounds on an overcast dreary day, entering through the “Arbeit Macht Frei” gate, silently visiting the barracks and finally, the Krematorium. Everywhere the very tangible reminders of the horrors and atrocities of the Holocaust were gut wrenching.

The musical Cabaret, in part due to my early experiences in Germany, has always had a special resonance with me. I have seen the play many times, mostly recently the College of Charleston’s 2005 production directed by our late colleague, Robert Ivey. And while I was too young to see the film in theaters in 1972, I fondly recall watching Liza Minnelli on network television in the late 1970s. The play, the film, and Ms. Minnelli’s performance of the title song have all become part of America’s cultural fabric. Cabaret challenges us to consider the far-reaching ramifications of believing that in the living of our lives we can be a passive “camera.” It highlights the very real dangers of doing so, of believing that we are only “recording” the world around us as an experience separate from ourselves. And it reminds us of the devastating consequences of “not thinking,” particularly of not thinking it can happen again. In fact, as we are often reminded, it requires specific intention on our part to assure that the worst of human behavior is not repeated.

The EmCee closes the show singing “Auf weidersehen. À bientôt.” The German literally translates as “Until we see each other again” and the French more pointedly as “See you soon.” I hope each of us will take those as words of caution and that individually we will never allow it to be so.

Todd McNerney
Director


Dramaturgical Note

Based on author Christoper Isherwood’s Goodbye to Berlin recounting his time in Berlin following World War I,  Cabaret is a semi-biographical piece that composers John Kander and Fred Ebb made into a full-scale musical. Cabaret tells Isherwood’s stories of Berlin through the eyes of author Clifford Bradshaw and his encounters with the world of the Kit Kat Club, his romance with performer Sally Bowles, but also his witness of the subtle and gradual rise of Nazism surrounding Berlin.  

The story of Cabaret has resonated with audiences since its Broadway premiere in 1966, even becoming a hit movie in 1972 starring the legendary performer Liza Minelli as the leading character Sally Bowles. As the show was revived on Broadway in 1987, 1993, and 1998, and has been performed all over the world, Cabaret’s themes of the dangers of staying complicit and choosing to ignore discrimination and oppression that persists in society has stayed relevant to audiences throughout the show’s history, serving as a warning that the social and political attitudes building up to the events of WWII may be closer to us in society today than we realize. 

Nora Gore
Dramaturg


Cast and Production Team Bios

Guest Artist Garrett Bell (Lighting Designer) is an alumnus of the College of Charleston Department of Theatre and Dance and is excited to be returning to the College for Cabaret. Based in Chicago, Garrett’s recent lighting design work includes Emma with First Folio Theatre, The Cake with Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, Exit Strategy with The Loop Players, and Edgar Allen Poe: A Love Story (Associate) with Oak Park Festival Theatre. More of his work can be seen in the upcoming production of Naperville with Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, and at www.garrettmbell.com.

Noah Anderson (Cliff) is a sophomore double majoring in History and Theatre. This is his debut mainstage show at the College. 

Bristol Barnes (Assistant Scenic Designer) is a sophomore majoring in Theatre (Scenic Design/Performance). This is her second mainstage show as Assistant Scenic Designer. 

Aidan Baumann (Frenchie) is a sophomore double majoring in Dance and Hospitality & Tourism Management with a minor in Spanish. She was last seen in Once More. This is her third mainstage show at the College of Charleston.

Taylor Bennett (Assistant Choreographer) is a junior double majoring in Dance and Early Childhood Education. This is her first mainstage show as Assistant Choreographer. Her work was last seen in Wanderlust and she was last seen performing in Once More

Michael Biondo (Herman) is a freshman majoring in Arts Management. This is his first mainstage show at the College of Charleston.

Mollie Davis (Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore majoring in Psychology with a minor in Theatre. This is her third show at the College of Charleston, and she is looking forward to Stage managing Violet in the fall. 

Erin Frase (Rosie) is a senior majoring in Theatre (Performance) with a minor in Arts Management. She was last seen in Living Dead in Denmark. This will be her third and final mainstage production.

Lauryn Gadson (Lolita Bean) is a sophomore majoring in Theatre (Performance). This is her second mainstage show. She was last seen in Wanderlust

Shane Hanley (Rudy Klopp) is a sophomore majoring in Theatre (Performance). This is their first mainstage show at the College of Charleston.

Hunter Harrell (Texas) is a junior majoring in Theatre with a minor in Film Studies. This is their debut mainstage performance at the College.

AP Hart (Emcee) is a senior majoring in Theatre (Performance). This is AP’s fifth and final mainstage show at the College of Charleston.

Ben Hudd (Rudy Hofmann) is a freshman who has yet to declare his major. This is his first mainstage show at the College of Charleston.

Jaden Jenkins (Victor Kristoff) is a junior majoring in Theatre (Theatre for Youth). This is their Fourth mainstage show at the College of Charleston. They were previously seen in Rough Magic, Urinetown, and Unbeatable: A Musical Theatre Showcase.

Brasia Jones (Eleanora Kost) is a sophomore majoring in Theatre (Performance) with a minor in Business. This is her first mainstage show at the College of Charleston. 

Joey Kirkman (Paul Fuchs) is a junior double majoring in Theatre (Performance) and English (Creative Writing). They were last seen in Antigone and Unbeatable: A Musical Theatre Showcase at the College of Charleston.

Max Marshall (Joseph Schultz, Assistant Scenic Designer) is a junior majoring in Theatre (Scenic Design & Technology). This is his second mainstage production with the College, and he is looking forward to being the scenic designer for Violet next season.

Rebecca McLeod (Stage Manager) is a senior majoring in Theatre (Theatre for Youth). This is her eighth and final production at the College. Her work was last seen Fall 2021 as Stage Manager of A Sudden Spontaneous Event. 

Annie Morraye (Fräulein Schneider) is a junior majoring in Computing in the Arts (Digital Media) with a minor in Communications. This is her second mainstage show at the College of Charleston.

Olivia Panasko (Greta Katz/Chanteuse) is a junior majoring in Psychology with minors in Women & Gender Studies and Jewish Studies. This is their first mainstage show at the College of Charleston.

Mikaela Phillips (Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore double majoring in Theatre and Communications. This is her second mainstage show. Her work can be seen this Fall in Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley.

Ethan Robey (Assistant Scenic Designer) is a junior majoring in Theatre (Scenic/Lighting Design and Technology). He served as assistant lighting designer for The Magic Flute and a lighting designer for Wanderlust.

Zoe Sauder (Helga) is a senior majoring in Theatre (Performance). She is so excited to be in Cabaret for her final mainstage show. She has been seen previously in The Lady Demands Satisfaction, The Last Train to Nibroc, and Living Dead in Denmark.

Robby Sewell (Bobby) is a sophomore pre-med majoring in Psychology. This is their third mainstage production at the College of Charleston.

Maddy Smith (Sally Bowles) is a junior double majoring in Theatre (Performance) and International Studies. She is so excited to be in her third mainstage show at the College of Charleston.

Gianna Trimboli (Fritzie) is a sophomore, majoring in Theatre (Performance) and Dance. She was last seen as Titania in Living Dead in Denmark and this is her third mainstage performance at the College of Charleston. 

Mira Turkewitz (Costume Designer) is a sophomore majoring in Theatre (Costume Design) and double minoring in Film Studies and Sustainability. 

Spencer Vinzani (Ernst Ludwig) is a junior majoring in Theatre (Performance). This is his first mainstage show at the College of Charleston. 

Chris Warzynski (Siegfried Varnitski) is a freshman majoring in Theatre (Performance) with a minor in Japanese Studies. Chris recently was a designer for Everybody and assistant lighting designer for the opera Die Zauberflöte

Evan Williams (Hans) is a freshman majoring in International Business. This is his first show at the College of Charleston. 

Steven Witt (Max) is a senior majoring in Theatre (Performance). This is their second mainstage show at the College of Charleston.


   

This production is supported by the College’s Center for Sustainable Development (CSD), whose 2021-2022 theme “sustainable cities and communities” correlates to the story, themes and ultimate message of Cabaret. Director Todd McNerney expounds, “This widely known musical focuses its attention on themes and ideas of intolerance, willful ignorance, and even a kind of self-induced political and social blindness. The frightening parallels between the start of this century with the start of the 20th serve to make this classic work resound more fully and highlight its inherent importance.”

The CSD aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to solve future challenges of social justice, economic disparity and looming environmental concerns. CofC Stages is committed to exploring these critical sustainability challenges – “triple bottom line” (social, environmental, economic systems) – this season and every season.


Up next at CofC Stages

Join us for Piccolo Spoleto! This year’s Stelle di Domani Series includes a residency from Annex Dance company, a Centre Stage theatre offering, staged readings from the Todd McNerney Playwriting Contest winners and runners-up, and a Night of Songs and Scenes featuring our favorite performances from this year!

Stay tuned for our 2022-2023 season announcement, coming soon! Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on all Theatre and Dance news and events!


LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
We collectively acknowledge that the College of Charleston occupies the traditional and ancestral lands of the Cusabo people, which consisted of the Kiawah, Coosa, Edisto, Wando, Stono, Ashepoo, Combahee, Escamacu, Etiwan and Wimbee. We honor the Cusabo and other Indigenous caretakers of these lands and waters, the elders who lived here before, the Indigenous today, and the generations to come.

 

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‘Wanderlust’ Digital Program

THE DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND DANCE PRESENTS

Wanderlust–A Dance Concert

March 26-27, 2022 | Sottile Theatre

Artistic Director | Gretchen McLaine
Technical Director | JD Stallings
Costume Shop Manager | Ellen Swick
Stage Manager | Isabella Gardner


Reminiscent Introspection
Choreographer: Katie Higens
Costume Designer: Mattie Davis | Lighting Designer: Trisha Minsk
Faculty Mentor: Kristin Alexander
Dancers: Camille Cabrera, Emily Falcone, Maddie Fisher, Emily Monahan, Sidney Shanahan
Understudies: Riley Dunmire, Gabby Perales
Music: “Won’t Be a Thing to Become” Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld, “Lanterns Lit” Son Lux
Program Note: You meet so many different versions of yourself throughout life. This piece explores how you may be impacted by events small or large, and the opportunity to reminisce on them is something we often do with extreme emotional attachment.


Libertad
Choreographer: Alejandra Casco
Costume Designer: Mattie Davis | Lighting Designer: Duncan Charles
Faculty Mentor: Leslie Jones
Dancers: Elli Batchelor, Avé Blanchette, Izzy Byers, Carmella Della-Peruta, Maddie Fisher, Lauryn Gadson, Abby Mosher
Understudy: Kiley Pettit
Music: “Selah” by Kanye; “Thule” by Travis Lake
Program Note: In a world full of beautifully diverse people and cultures, society should be embracing and appreciating their differences rather than reprimanding them. If we won’t be given what we deserve then we will fight for it.


Aqueous
Choreographer: Camille Cabrera
Costume Designer: Zachary Kobylarz | Lighting Designer: Zachary Kobylarz
Faculty Mentor: Leslie Jones
Dancers: Mary Galemmo, Katie Higens, Kaelyn Kear, Brianna McElroy, Kailee Rafalko, Isabelle Soito
Understudies: Maya Everett-Wilson
Music: “Aquatic” by Son Lux
Program Note: Water is the foundation of life, composing 71% of the earth’s surface and 60% of the human body. The vitality of water to life on earth is overwhelmingly diverse and can be found in a plethora of states. How many can we embody as artists?


Imperfections
Choreographer: Taylor Bennett
Costume Designer: Mattie Davis | Lighting Designer: Ethan Robey
Faculty Mentor: Erin Leigh
Dancers: Carmella Della-Peruta, Cheyanne Stankiewicz
Understudies: Sarah Bennett, Dylan Horwitz
Music: “Fade Away” Instrumental composed by Zack Hemsey
Program Note: Being a perfectionist can cause a cycle of trauma that changes our interactions with the ones we love most, how can we stop spreading our tendencies to others?


Social Simulation
Choreographer: Sidney Shanahan
Costume Designer: Mattie Davis | Lighting Designer: Savannah Fatigante
Faculty Mentor: Kristin Alexander
Dancers: Brooke Emery, Dylan Horwitz, Claire Natiez, Kiley Pettit
Understudies: Pierson DeJames, Abby Mosher
Music: “46 Things I Did Today” by CoH ft. Little Annie; “Bad Karma” by Axel Thesleff
Program Note: In a world where social media’s augmenting role in our lives increases the presence of envy, false perceptions, competition, and self-consciousness, is it possible to break free from this social simulation?


Wheels
Choreographer: Izzy Byers
Costume Designer: Mattie Davis | Lighting Designer: Sara Whitehead
Faculty Mentor: Erin Leigh
Dancers: Elli Batchelor, Avé Blanchette, Emily Falcone, Destiny Humphrey, Emily Monahan, Brianna McElroy, Kiley Petit, Cheyanne Stankiewicz
Understudies: Riley Dunmire, Maya Everrett-Wilson, Ava Woods
Music: “Wheels Within Wheels” composed by Penguin Cafe
Program Note: The circle of familiarity and comfort keeps us in a consistent realm of pattern, but the ability to wander integrates the discovery of new experiences and connections to the spaces and people around us.


Production Team
CofC Stages Artistic Director: Janine McCabe
Director of Dance: Gretchen McLaine
Stage Management Advisor: Susan Kattwinkel

Costume Design Advisor: Janine McCabe
Stitchers: Liza Bird, Grace Ann Jarrell, Avery Rose Higgens, Bernadette Loia, Eli Orlandi, students of THTR 240 class
Wardrobe Crew: Croft Stoney, Tyrese Neal
Costume Shop Staff: Mattie Davis, Savannah Fatigante, Zachary Kobylarz, Mira Turkewitz

Lighting Design Advisor: Lauren Duffie
Production Lighting Designer: Eddie Frye
Electric Shop Staff: Alex Jones, Joey Kirkman, Chris Warzynski
Lighting Board Programmers: Students of THTR 382
Sound Engineer: Evie Palmisano
Sound Board Operator: Bootsie Baldwin
Video Editor: Rob Alexander
Camera Operator: Shalina Parker

Fly Rail: Ben Pugh
Run Crew: Shannon McKenna, Madison Robertson

Operations Coordinator: Miles Boinest
Marketing & Communications: Nandini B. McCauley
Graphic Designer: Rob Alexander
Box Office: George Street Box Office


SPECIAL THANKS: Anja Kelley and GSBO Staff, Hannah Baker, Kayla Dockery, Erin Frase, and Annie Morraye


Special thanks to our Guardian-level donors, whose commitment and personal connection to their “Clarence” students enhance the overall student experience and the Department of Theatre and Dance as a whole. 

Brandon Alston…………………..Nancy and Sam Stafford

Taylor Bennett……………..Chester and Arlene Williams

Glenna Durbin………………………Tap and Jean Johnson

Savannah Fatigante………………………………Anonymous

Joey Kirkman……………………Eveylynn and Bill Putnam

Claire Natiez…………….Mindy Seltzer and Bob Lovinger

Sidney Shanahan…….Drs. Louis and Andrea Weinstein

Maddy Smith……………………..Karl and Charlene Bunch

Thanks to all of our generous donors. Add your name to our list of generous arts supporters by making a contribution today


Artist Bios

Elli Batchelor is a freshman from Greenville, SC, majoring in English with a concentration in Literature, Film, and Culture. This is her first appearance on the College mainstage. 

Sarah Bennett is a sophomore from Radcliff, KY double majoring in Dance and Psychology. This is her second performance with the College. She was last seen performing in Once More.

Taylor Bennett is a junior from Aiken, SC double-majoring in Dance and Early Childhood Education. This is her second year choreographing for the College mainstage. Her work was last shown in Finding Place and she was last seen performing in Once More

Avé-Ella Blanchette is a freshman from Nashua, NH double majoring in Dance and Special Education. This is her first first appearance on the College mainstage.

Izzy Byers is a junior from Greenville, SC double majoring in Dance and Accounting with a minor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies. This is her third time choreographing for the College mainstage, and she was last seen performing in Once More. 

Camille Cabrera is a sophomore from Blythewood, SC double majoring in Dance (with a concentration in Performance and Choreography) and Exercise Science. This is her first time choreographing for the College mainstage and she was last seen in Once More.  

Alejandra Casco is a sophomore from Summerville, SC double majoring in Dance (with a concentration Performance and Choreography) and Arts Management. This is her first year choreographing for the College mainstage, and she was last seen in Once More.

Kristofer D. Charles is a senior from Charleston, SC majoring in Theatre and minoring in Film Studies. He has worked on multiple productions for the department, including Antigone and A Sudden Spontaneous Event.

Mattie Davis is a senior from Elizabethtown, KY, double majoring in Arts Management and Theatre (with a concentration in costume design). This is her fourth time costuming for the College mainstage and her costumes were last seen in A Sudden Spontaneous Event

Carmella Della-Peruta is a senior from Lake Villa, IL double majoring in Dance and Psychology. This is her 5th appearance on the College mainstage. She was last seen performing in Once More.

Brooke Emery is a junior from Chesapeake, VA double majoring in Public Health and Dance and minoring in Chemistry. This is her sixth appearance on the College mainstage. She was last seen in Once More.

Savannah Fatigante is a senior from Charlotte, NC majoring in Theatre (with a concentration in costume design). This is her 4th time designing for a mainstage show at the College of Charleston. She previously designed costumes for Pipeline, Arts Under the Oaks, and Once More. She also designed costumes for Little Gem at PURE Theatre. This is her first lighting design project.

Madison Fisher is a freshman from Ocean Township, NJ majoring in Dance.  This is her second appearance on the College mainstage.  She was last seen in Once More. 

Eddie Frye is a senior majoring in Theatre (with a concentration in costume design). He has worked on multiple department productions in several capacities, the most recent being Everybody. He also served as the costume designer for The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Center Stage).

Lauryn Gadson is a sophomore from Charleston, South Carolina double majoring in Psychology and Theatre (with a concentration in Performance). This is her first appearance on the College MainStage. She was last seen in the musical theatre showcase. 

Katie Higens is a sophomore from Kiowa, CO double majoring in Biology and Dance (with a concentration in Performance and Choreography) and minoring in Neuroscience. This is her third appearance on the College mainstage and first year choreographing. She was last seen in Once More

Dylan Horwitz is a freshman from Fairfield, CT majoring in Dance and double minoring in Arts Management and Jewish studies. This is her first appearance on the College mainstage. 

Destiny Humphrey is a sophomore from Anderson, SC double majoring in Supply Chain Management and Arts Management, as well as minoring in Entrepreneurship and Dance. This is her third appearance on the College mainstage. She was last seen in Once More

Kaelyn Kear is a freshman from Hilton Head Island, SC majoring in Psychology and Dance. This is her second appearance on the College mainstage. She was last seen in Once More.

Zachary Kobylarz is a sophomore from Pawleys Island, SC majoring in Theatre with a concentration in costume design. This is their third time designing costumes and their first time designing lighting for the College mainstage. Their costumes were last seen in Once More and they served as assistant costume designer for The Magic Flute

Bri McElroy is a sophomore from Charleston, SC majoring in Biology. This is her first appearance on the College mainstage. 

Emily Monahan is a freshman from Landrum, SC with an undecided major. This is her first appearance on the College mainstage.

Abigail Mosher is a freshman from Scarborough, ME majoring in Biology. This is her first appearance on the College mainstage. 

Claire Natiez is a junior from Greenville, SC double-majoring in Arts Management and Dance (with a concentration in Performance and Choreography). Her work was last shown in Once More and The Magic Flute; she was last seen performing in Finding Place

Kiley Pettit is a sophomore from Ocean City, NJ majoring in Communication and double minoring in Dance and Marketing. This is her third appearance on the College mainstage and she was last seen in Once More and Finding Place.

Ethan Robey is a junior majoring in Theatre (with a concentration in scenic/lighting design). He is from Fairfax, VA. He served as assistant lighting designer for The Magic Flute and has plans to design a mainstage show in the fall.

Sidney Shanahan is a sophomore from Shelton, CT double-majoring in Dance (with a concentration in Performance and Choreography) and Business Administration and minoring in Spanish. This is her first time choreographing for the College mainstage; she was last seen in Once More, Finding Place, Void, and Dance, Deconstructed.

Isabelle Soito is a junior from Blythewood, SC majoring in Biology. This is her third appearance on the College mainstage. She was last seen in Once More and Dance, Deconstructed.

Cheyanne Stankiewicz is a freshman from Greenville, SC majoring in Business Administration and minoring in Dance. This is her first appearance on the College mainstage.

Sara Whitehead is a junior majoring in Theatre (with a concentration in scenic/lighting design). She is from Rock Hill, SC. She served as assistant lighting designer for The Magic Flute and has plans to assist on another mainstage show in the fall. 


Up next from the Department of Theatre and Dance:


Center Stage presents The Cake April 1-3, 2022. For more information visit their website.


LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
We recognize that the Sottile Theatre and the College of Charleston rests on the Historic Territory of the Kusso, Edisto, Kiawah, and Ashepoo. It is the present and historic home of the Gullah community, who are the descendents of West Africans who were enslaved by European settlers and brought to this country against their will. Charleston and the surrounding region remains a part of tribal land of the Natchez-Kusso. We acknowledge that we are temporary inhabitants of this place. We are here as guests.


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‘Everybody’ Digital Program

THE DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND DANCE PRESENTS


Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Directed by Gary DeWitt Marshall


March 17-20, 2022

Stern Center Garden, 71 George Street
Rain location: Chapel Theatre, 171 Calhoun Street


Director: Gary Dewitt Marshall
Collaborative Design Team: Eddie Frye, Jessica Shamble, Chris Warzynski
Production Manager: Caleb Garner
Technical Director: JD Stallings
Costume Shop Manager: Ellen Swick
Dramaturg: Molly Crary
Stage Managers: Haley Vaccaro and Mollie Davis
Choreographer: Gretchen McLaine


Cast
Everybody | Cat Champlin
God | Caroline Magee
Death | Mason Monti
Usher | Mekhi Gaither Burress

Greek Chorus Ensembles:
ROY G BIV Ensemble
Yellow/Beauty | Aidan Wunderley
Green/Mind | Carson Cantey
Orange/Senses | Levi Moyer
Blue/Strength | Zae-Breaughn Barr

MOURNERS Ensemble
Friend, Kinship | Claire Arnold*
Friend, Cousin | Daniel Sessions*
Friend, Cousin | Steven Hand*
Friend, Kinship | William Carretto*
Friend, Little Girl, Time | Sylvia Jones
*Rotating lottery role(s): Love, Understanding, Evil


Production Team
CofC Stages Artistic Director: Janine McCabe
Director of Theatre: Vivian Appler
Stage Management Advisor: Susan Kattwinkel

Costume Design Advisor: Janine McCabe
Sewing and Alterations: Savannah Fatigante
Wardrobe Crew: Ashton Boland, Queen Hamilton

Lighting Design Advisor: Lauren Duffie
Electric Shop Staff: Eddie Frye, Alex Jones, Joey Kirkman, Chris Warzynski

Properties Master: Abbie Lemaster
Stage Hand: Sophie Weiss

Video Editor: Rob Alexander
Camera Operator: Molly Crary
Subtitle Creation: Julia Mimo

Operations Coordinator: Miles Boinest
Marketing & Communications: Nandini B. McCauley
Graphic Designer: Rob Alexander
Box Office: George Street Box Office


DRAMATURGS’ NOTE:
Everybody is not the first play by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins that rewrites a classic play. His 2014 play An Octoroon is similar in many ways to Everybody: they both take a pre-existing play that was old enough to be considered “historic” (with An Octoroon being an adaptation of the antebellum melodrama The Octoroon and Everybody being an adaptation of the medieval morality play Everyman), “perform” them, and respond to them from within a postmodern lens. A very clear example of this postmodernism can be seen in the way Jacobs-Jenkins employed the Brechtian technique of direct address in both plays: in An Octoroon, he and the character Playwright, a caricature of The Octoroon’s playwright Dion Boucicault, debate their intentions in writing their respective plays; and in Everybody, the character of Usher explains to the audience the history of the original play Everyman and the moral of Everybody, not unlike in the original Everyman, where a Doctor of Theology delivers a monologue of the same sort. In Everybody, there are scenes where the character Everybody is interrogated by abstract voices on the contents of their “dream,” which consists of the action of the rest of the play, and what those contents say about Everybody as a person. However, the criticisms that some of the voices give, in turn, reveal aspects of themselves. One voice makes fun of the way the character Friendship uses the word “homey,” pointing out how that’s not how they think Everybody normally talks. In return, Everybody later accuses this voice of being a “cryptoracist,” which is to say, a racist who pretends not to be a racist. A conversation ensues in these scenes about racialization and the concept of universality, and whether the idea of there being just one mode of universality is even reasonable— as Everybody says in scene XII, “I am a different Self from your Self.”

The original play Everyman fully intended to portray the struggle of literally every man, everyone, as they come to face their end, as if every single person would have the same history and the same reaction. Branden Jacobs-Jenkins examines this idea through a current lens in Everybody by asking, how can one figure represent every single person? Even the name, Everybody, evokes more of a sense of variety in a modern audience than Everyman does, and this was fully intentional. Just as he utilized direct address as it was originally designed, he also subverts it by questioning whether all audience members will receive the same moral from the play.

As Usher proclaims in his ending monologue, “‘For after death amends may no man make, for then Mercy and Pity doth him forsake.’ Or something. Maybe let’s just all be a little better about recycling. Also really really listening to each other, and maybe being less judgmental and more forgiving but, also, owning up to our mistakes and being open to changing our own mind. Lead with our Understanding. You know: just being nice to each other. For once. And I’m talking about Everybody.
“Have a good night.”
-Molly Crary, Theatre Studies and Creative Writing, College of Charleston


SPECIAL THANKS: Mandi Copeland and Stern Center Staff, Anja Kelley and GSBO Staff, Pam O’Briant, Charlie J. Smith


Special thanks to our Guardian-level donors, whose commitment and personal connection to their “Clarence” students enhance the overall student experience and the Department of Theatre and Dance as a whole. 

Brandon Alston…………………..Nancy and Sam Stafford

Taylor Bennett……………..Chester and Arlene Williams

Glenna Durbin………………………Tap and Jean Johnson

Savannah Fatigante………………………………Anonymous

Joey Kirkman……………………Eveylynn and Bill Putnam

Claire Natiez…………….Mindy Seltzer and Bob Lovinger

Sidney Shanahan…….Drs. Louis and Andrea Weinstein

Maddy Smith……………………..Karl and Charlene Bunch

Thanks to all of our generous donors. Add your name to our list of generous arts supporters by making a contribution today


Design Team Bios

Molly Crary (Dramaturg) is a senior with a major in Theatre Studies and a minor in Creative Writing. They have been Assistant Stage Manager for College of Charleston’s Antigone and Stage Manager for the 2021 production of Centerstage’s Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Mollie Davis (Stage Manager) is a sophomore majoring in Psychology and minoring in Theatre. She was the assistant stage manager for Pipeline earlier this season.

Eddie Frye (Designer) is a senior majoring in Theatre. He has worked on multiple department productions in several capacities, the most recent being Pipeline. He also served as the costume designer for Rocky Horror Picture Show (Center Stage).

Caleb S. Garner (Production Manager) is a lighting and sound designer based in Charleston, SC. A North Carolina native, Caleb received his BA and BFA from Catawba College in Salisbury NC, and his MFA from The University of Southern Mississippi. Garner’s designs, ranging from concerts and ballets to musicals and straight plays, have earned him eight regional and national design awards. Caleb has been a featured designer from New York to Mississippi, designing in the Northeast, Midwest, East Coast and Deep South. Caleb enjoys turning large pieces of wood into smaller pieces of wood (sometimes mistakenly called furniture), screaming with students (often recognized as teaching), and playing with things that spark and smoke. Caleb Currently serves as the Resident Lighting Designer at the Charleston Stage Company and serves as an adjunct lecturer at the College of Charleston.

Jessica Shamble (Designer) is an MAT Performing Arts Education student who just finished her BA in Theatre at the College last year. She was previously the lighting designer for Antigone.

Haley Vaccaro (Stage Manager) is a senior majoring in Theatre. Her previous work includes Pipeline as the stage manager. She also served as the Live Entertainment Operations Supervisor for Cedar Fair Parks.

Chris Warzynski (Designer) is a freshman majoring in Theatre. Chris served as assistant lighting designer on Die Zauberflöte and played Jaxton in The Thanksgiving Play (Center Stage).


Cast Bios

Claire Arnold (Mourners Ensemble) is thrilled to be performing in this season’s production of Everybody. This is her first performance with the College theater department and is a Studio Major, concentrating in Sculpting. She would like to thank the incredible cast and crew as well as Gary DeWitt Marshall for this unique opportunity.

Zae-Breaughn Barr (Roy G Biv Ensemble) is a junior double majoring in Biology and Theatre Performance. This is her first mainstage performance with the College of Charleston. She was last seen in Center Stage’s Rocky Horror Picture Show. Zae-Breaughn is grateful for the opportunity to work with the cast and crew to put on an amazing production of Everybody!

Mekhi Gaither Burris (Usher) is a junior at the College with a major in Theatre for Youth. This is his second mainstage production. He was last seen as Dun in Pipeline. He is beyond grateful for the cast and crew and is excited to be a part of this production.

Carsyn Cantey (Roy G Biv Ensemble) is a senior double majoring in Arts Management and Theatre (Performance). This is her seventh mainstage show at the College of Charleston. She was last seen as Laurie in Pipeline. She is extremely thankful for all of the wonderful cast and crew that has helped make this show possible.

William Caretto (Mourners Ensemble) is a senior majoring in Theatre and minoring in Japanese Studies. This is his first time acting on the College of Charleston mainstage, but has appeared in Director’s Showcase and worked as Assistant Stage Manager for 2018’s Into the Woods, and in the College’s Comedy Club performances.

Cat Champlin (Everybody) is a senior double majoring in Arts Management and Theatre (Performance). This is her third time performing in a mainstage show. She was last seen as the stage manager for last Fall’s dance concert Once More. She would like to thank her constant support system both within and outside of the cast and crew.

Stephen Hand (Mourners Ensemble) is a freshman who is currently undecided in his major. This is his first mainstage performance at the College of Charleston, and is grateful for all of the support and amazing help from the cast and crew.

Sylvia Jones (Mourners Ensemble) is a senior double majoring in Theatre (Performance) and Communication. This is her third mainstage show at the College of Charleston. She was last seen performing in Living Dead in Denmark as Juliet. She is beyond grateful for the cast, crew, and being able to be a part of this production.

Caroline Magee (God) is a junior double-majoring in Theatre (Performance) and English (Creative Writing). This is her second CofC mainstage performance. She was last seen as Eddie in Center Stage’s Rocky Horror Picture Show. Caroline is grateful for the opportunity to bring Everybody to life with such an amazing cast & crew.

Mason Monti (Death) is a junior majoring in Theater (Performance). This is his second mainstage show and he was last seen as Caden in Center Stage’s The Thanksgiving Play. He is thankful to be in this show and to be working with such talented people in the cast and crew.

Levi Moyer (Roy G Biv Ensemble) is a sophomore majoring in Psychology. This is his first show at the College of Charleston. Levi would like to thank his parents for the encouragement and support.

Daniel Sessions (Mourners Ensemble) is a senior majoring in International Studies. This will be his first show at the College of Charleston, and he is very excited to make his debut. He is extremely thankful for this opportunity, and getting a chance to work with this cast and crew.

Aidan Wunderley (Roy G Biv Ensemble) is a freshman majoring in Theatre (Performance). This is her second mainstage show and she was last seen as Woman in A Sudden Spontaneous Event. Aidan is extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with an amazing cast and crew to make this production of Everybody unique!

Center Stage presents The Cake April 1-3, 2022. For more information visit their website.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
We recognize that the Stern Center Garden and the College of Charleston rests on the Historic Territory of the Kusso, Edisto, Kiawah, and Ashepoo. It is the present and historic home of the Gullah community, who are the descendants of West Africans who were enslaved by European settlers and brought to this country against their will. Charleston and the surrounding region remain a part of tribal land of the Natchez-Kusso. We acknowledge that we are temporary inhabitants of this place. We are here as guests.
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CofC Stages to present hauntingly timely production of ‘Cabaret’

CofC Stages at the College of Charleston’s Department of Theatre and Dance closes its season with multiple Tony Award-winning musical Cabaret by songwriting duo John Kander (music) and Fred Ebb (lyrics), with Joe Masteroff (book).

The story begins in a Berlin nightclub, as the 1920s draw to a close, where a garish Master of Ceremonies welcomes the audience and assures them they will forget all their troubles at the Cabaret. With the Emcee’s bawdy songs as wry commentary, this well-known musical explores the dark, heady and tumultuous life of Berlin’s natives and expatriates as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich. Replete with provocative, enticing songs and choreography, this production seductively draws us into the illusion of freedom, permissiveness, and self-expression that denizens of nightlife seek and desire.

Directed by theatre professor Todd McNerney with musical direction by fellow faculty member Laura Turner, the CofC Stages production is supported by the College’s Center for Sustainable Development (CSD), whose 2021-2022 theme “sustainable cities and communities” correlates to the story, themes and ultimate message of Cabaret. The CSD aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to solve future challenges of social justice, economic disparity and looming environmental concerns. CofC Stages is committed to exploring these critical challenges this season and every season. McNerney expounds, “This widely known musical focuses its attention on themes and ideas of intolerance, willful ignorance, and even a kind of self-induced political and social blindness. The frightening parallels between the start of this century with the start of the 20th serve to make this classic work resound more fully and highlight its inherent importance.”

The 1966 musical, which was risqué for Broadway at the time, earned the first Tony Award (Best Musical) for Kander and Ebb, as well as a Grammy for the original cast recording. Successive interpretations of Cabaret have followed over the years, with each iteration reflecting distinct cultural moments. The 1972 film adaptation, directed by Bob Fosse and starring Liza Minnelli, won eight Academy Awards, and the 1998 Broadway revival earned 10 Tony Award nominations, resulting in four wins.

CofC Stages’ Cabaret features student actors Maddy Smith (as Sally Bowles), Noah Anderson (as Cliff Bradshaw), Annie Morraye (as Fraulein Schneider), Max Marshall (as Herr Schultz) and AP Hart (as the EmCee). Theatre major Rebecca McLeod is the stage manager. The production’s design team includes theatre student Mira Turkewitz (costume design), alumnus Garrett Bell (lighting design), and faculty member Charlie Calvert (scenic design). Assistant Professor Nakeisha Daniel serves as choreographer.

DETAILS: Performances of Cabaret will take place April 14-16, 2022 at 7:30pm at the Sottile Theatre (44 George St.). Individual tickets are $20 adults; $15 seniors (60+), military, and youth under 18; $12 CofC students, faculty, and staff. Purchase tickets online or contact the George Street Box Office by emailing gsbo@cofc.edu or calling (843) 953-4726.

The Saturday, April 16th performance will include live American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters.

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