OTTERBEIN THEATRE & DANCE presents
ERYBODY BY BRANDEN JACOBS-JENKINS
World Premiere produced by Signature Theatre, New York City
Paige Evans Artistic Director
Erika Mallin Executive Director
Scenic Design by Isaac Ramsey
Directed by Melissa Lusher
Lighting Design by Kyle Krygielski ‘20
Stage Managed by Sarah Short ‘20
October 19-21 & 27-28, 2023
James Houghton Founder
Costume Design by Rebecca White
Sound Design by Kitty Mader ‘22
Campus Center Theatre 100 W. Home St., Westerville
EVERYBODY is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service Collection. (www.dramatists.com)
CAST
Usher/God/Understanding ................................................................................
Luke Maynus
Death Jack Giglia
Everybody ............................................................................................................. Nate Dirksen
“A”/Kinship/Mind/Evil ................................................................................ Quincy Shaindlin
“B”/Stuff/Five Senses .......................................................................................... David Graves
“C”/Friendship/Beauty...................................................................................... Kailey Souder
“D”/Cousin/Strength Emma Bailey
Girl/Time ...............................................................................................................Naomi Eason
Love ..................................................................................................................... Kandy Boakye
Understudy ...........................................................................................................
Nora Shearer
Dance Captain Naomi Eason
SETTING
The play will be presented in one act without an intermssion.
Any video an/or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.
PRODUCTION STAFF
Acting Chair, Department of Theatre & Dance ........................................ Stella Hiatt Kane
Chair, Department of Theatre & Dance ........................................................... T.J. Gerckens
Managing Director Elizabeth Saltzgiver
Production Manager ......................................................................................... Hannah Hahn
Faculty Technical Director ................................................................................. Patrick Stone
Costume Shop Supervisor ........................................................................... Anna Grywalski
Lighting & Sound Supervisor ............................................................................. Kitty Mader
Movement Coach/Voice Coach Melinda Murphy
Director of Recruitment/Administrator ........................................................... Dawn Horne
Assistant Scenic Designer/Technical Director ................................................... Olivia Rossi
Assistant Sound Designer ....................................................................................... Paige Vick
Assistant Stage Manager .............................................................................Marshall Duggan
Charge Artist Edith Dinger Wadkins
Properties Lead................................................................................................... Tony Koehler
Scenic & Props Run Crew ..................................................... Kate Maree Brewer, Anna Byers
Wardrobe Lead Mick Lozada
Wardrobe Run Crew ............................................... Ja Na ‘Ya Johnson, Theodore Marshall
Lead Electrician Ryan Lewis
Assistant Lead Electrician ...................................................................... Connor Christopher
Light Board Operator .................................................................................... Calvin Freshour
Lighting Programmer Nathan Frewen
Electrics Hang Crew .................. Stephen O’Hara, Kate Maree Brewer, Calvin Freshour, Megan Gault, Brianna Gutierrez-Diaz, Josh Jaffe, Kateje Palmer, Nathan Fewen
Sound Engineer (A1) ............................................................................................... Paige Vick
House Manager ............................................................................................... Gabe Whitnack
Graphic Design Trevor List
Social Media ........................ Libby Carroll, Katelyn Miller, Julia Murphy, Kailey Souder
SCENIC STUDIO ASSISTANTS
Adrian Casto
Luca Fragiotta
Anna Hundt
Alex Munzke
Natalie Neville
Olivia Rossi
COSTUME SHOP ASSISTANTS
Lili Ducy
Kate Larson
Mick Lozada
Theodore Marshall
Nora Root
LIGHTING & SOUND ASSISTANTS
David Graves
Ryan Lewis
Josie Rocca
Paige Vick
Gabe Whitnack
BOX OFFICE ASSISTANTS
Libby Carroll
Katie Debolt
Camden Gelfand
Maggie Glanc
Shelby Zimmerman
DESIGN NOTES
SCENIC DESIGN by Isaac Ramsey:
Sometimes I come to the first design meeting full of ideas ready to give an elevator pitch with hopes of convincing the group to go a certain direction. Others, I sit back and listen to the rest of the group and hope that they will provide inspiration and cogent words for what the world of the play should be. The latter was the case as we met to discuss Everybody.
Melissa arrived with a lovely presentation that wove its way throughout the various themes and design areas of the play. I was particularly taken with images she had sourced of different artistic interpretations of mazes as well as the over-all color palette that her presentation took on. The maze idea was of particular interest to me as was the idea that the space should flow from floor to ceiling.
Each life takes many twists and unexpected turns, and as such my design research led me in directions of more twisted and random maze illustrations. The paint treatment grew from these ideas and into the realm of imagination. Is the set a maze or a roadmap? Maybe at times it is both…
COSTUME DESIGN by Rebecca White:
The original 15th C. Everyman holds a special place in my theatre heart. As required reading in a college theatre history class, I remember being captivated by both its simplicity and its depth. My fellow students and I held long discussions about the journey of life and debating the “best” way to produce the play. Reading Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s thoughtful contemporary adaptation I was both transported back to my vernal college days (sigh) and yet completely in the present, now wrestling with my own musings on mortality as I find myself in middle-age. This duality of now-then, life-death, old-new is how we’ve approached the costume design for this production.
Director Melissa Lusher and I wanted to keep the characters as authentic and as relatable as possible to everyone in the audience. I chose many styles of clothes you’ll probably be familiar with, hopefully barely notice at all, and allow you to focus on the characters and story. There are a few characters that provided opportunity for a more theatrical approach and allowed our costuming students some less traditional methods of clothing construction. I invite you to see a bit of yourself in these characters, wherever you are on your own personal journey.
DESIGN NOTES
LIGHTING DESIGN by Kyle Krygielski:
Upon my first reading of the script, I was overcome with a sort of creative paralysis in terms of developing a cohesive lighting design. The script, while masterfully written, is vague in any descriptive elements with regards to a look or atmosphere. Those descriptions included phrases such as “in darkness”, “in full light”, and “a landscape of light and sound”. With this lack of specificity there were so many different directions that I could take things. Then, at our first design meeting Melissa shared some beautiful imagery of her thoughts for the show and suddenly everything became clear.
Everybody takes us on a journey from everyday normal life through complex thoughts, feelings, and into the beyond. Creating this journey with lighting is difficult task in a normal theatre and even more so difficult in the pit. I decided to use opposites to emphasize and help track where we are on this journey. Light vs darkness, warmth vs coolness, vibrant colors vs lack of color, and subtle vs dramatic changes are examples of these opposites.
This was one of the most challenging and thought-provoking pieces I’ve lit thus far, partly because it forced me to reflect on my journey through life. I hope this show inspires you to reflect upon your own journey and help answer the question: what is the purpose of life?
SOUND DESIGN by Kitty Mader:
As soon as I read the script for Everybody, I knew exactly what kind of direction I wanted to take the sound design. The play and its characters are constantly wrestling with the complexities and intricacies of life. What does it mean to be a good person? How does one live a meaningful life and conversely die a meaningful death? How can someone even measure that, and does it even matter? All these questions that linger in the back of the mind (at least my mind) are brought to the forefront in this production. I knew that I needed to support the text with music and sound that also grapples with the fear and anticipation of Death. Every composition used in this play is, in some way or another, about death or loss. Bartok’s percussive style reminds me of heart palpitations, while Shostakovich’s famed string quartet (often thought of as his epitaph) emphasizes fear and dread. All of the music researched and used in the show comes from the late 19th - mid20th century, which were eras defined by musical experimentation and political influence. The music of this time period is able to capture the show’s edge with its sforzandos, chromaticism, and signature motifs.
As Everybody contends with his fear of Death over the course of the show, he must also face losing everything and everyone that affected his life. Everything that encompasses him, and therefore everything that encompasses you, infects his (your) life in a delicious way before it’s gone forever. There is always a bit of fear in Everybody until, suddenly, it’s over. Until that last moment with Everybody, I wanted to make sure that every bit of sound being heard had a sense of underlying doom.
This show asks so many questions that have always haunted me on a personal level. I think the play’s introspective nature balanced with its absurdity paints a beautifully disturbing picture for audiences. I tried to capture all of these complex questions and emotions in an equally complex and disturbing design.
BIOGRAPHIES
Melissa Lusher (Director) is a tenured Professor of acting, speech, dialects, and advanced directing in the Otterbein Department of Theatre and Dance, where she also serves as the Director of the B.F.A. Acting Program and the Resident Speech/Dialects Coach. She was deeply honored to receive Otterbein’s 2018 Teacher of the Year award. Melissa holds an M.F.A. in Acting from the combined program of Carnegie Mellon University and the Moscow Art Theatre, and a B.F.A. in Acting from Carnegie Mellon. She is also a certified teacher of the Michael Chekhov acting technique through the Great Lakes Michael Chekhov Consortium. Otterbein directing credits include A Little Night Music, Mrs. Mannerly, A Lie of the Mind, Theory of Relativity, “Master Harold”... and the Boys, Chicago (named one of the Best 10 Shows of 2019 by The Columbus Dispatch), Rumors, They’re Playing Our Song, The Crucible, RENT, The Nerd, The Greeks: The Murders, The Invention of Theater, No Exit, and Spring Awakening (named one of the Best 10 Shows of 2012 by The Columbus Dispatch). Favorite acting credits include Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Otterbein), Barbara in August: Osage County (Otterbein), Goneril in King Lear (Actors’ Theatre), Clytemnestra in The Greeks (Moscow Art Theatre), Marina in Volodya (LaMaMa E.T.C.), Margaret in Richard III (AST), and the title role in Miss Julie (CMU). Melissa sends her sincere gratitude to the entire company of Everybody for bringing this brilliant and complex story to life with such creativity, ensemble spirit, and joy.
Isaac Ramsey (Scenic Designer) is a theatrical artist, painter, and muralist. This is his second year as Associate Professor of Scenic Design at Otterbein. He is a graduate of Miami University and holds an MFA in Scenic Design from the University of Connecticut. Isaac is a regular presenter at the Southeastern Theatre Conference Convention and is a member of the United States Institute of Theatre technology where he has presented nationally and serves a juror in the Education Commission. His work has been presented across the east coast with companies such as the Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Cake Productions (NYC), and Actor’s Express (ATL). His web portfolio is available to view at www.isaacramsey.net. Much love to Jordan, Rowan, and Freya.
Rebecca White (Costume Designer) is the Director of Design & Technology and has served as Otterbein’s Faculty Costume Designer since 2007. Rebecca teaches courses in Costume Design, Costume/Fashion History, Costume Crafts and Stage Makeup. In addition to designing costumes for many Otterbein productions, Rebecca mentors student costume designers. A few of Rebecca’s favorite designs at Otterbein are The Importance of Being Earnest, The School for Scandal, and Dance 2020: The Wild Within. Rebecca is originally from Minnesota and earned a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Arts from the University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse and a Master of Fine Arts in Costume Design & Technology from the University of Minnesota. Outside of Otterbein, Rebecca has designed costumes for Short North Stage, Denison University’s Singers Theatre, and Park Square Theatre, with additional costume work for The Milwaukee Rep, Penumbra Theatre Company, Trinity Rep, & The Santa Fe Opera. When not designing for the traditional theatre stages, she combines her two passions: theatre and horses, by designing and styling for equine artists and performers at Equine Affaire, All American Quarter Horse Congress, Midwest Horse Fair, and other national and regional venues. Rebecca wishes to thank you for being patrons of the arts and supporters of Otterbein’s Theatre & Dance students.
BIOGRAPHIES
Kyle Krygielski (Lighting Designer) is a freelance lighting designer based in Columbus, OH. His previous credits at Otterbein include Baby (OST), Our Town, The School for Scandal, and Dance 2019: Together Again Regional Credits include Assistant Lighting Designer for Mary Zimmerman’s The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (Washington D.C.). Kyle is currently the Scenic Technical Director at Mills James Productions where he oversees the construction and implementation of scenic items for events with companies such as Mac Tools, Big Lots, American Eagle, McGraw Hill, and Avon. www.kylekrygielski.com
Kitty Mader (Sound Designer) is a sound designer and engineer from Avon, Ohio. She received her BFA in Design and Technology for theatre from Otterbein in 2022, and is currently the department’s Lighting and Sound Supervisor. Kitty has worked in renowned theatres such as TexARTS in Lakeway, Texas (Sound Designer), Otterbein Summer Theatre (Sound Designer/Lighting and Sound Supervisor), Weston Theater in Weston, Vermont (Assistant Audio Supervisor), The Great Lakes Theater in Cleveland, Ohio (A2), and the Bard Summerscape Music and Opera Festival in upstate New York (Audio Assistant). She has sound designed many Otterbein productions, including Cabaret (2023), Bright Star (2023), Dance 2022: Find Me in the Shadows, and Black Comedy (2022). Other productions Kitty has worked on include 9 to 5 (TexARTS, 2023), Marry Me a Little, Hair (Weston, 2022), The 39 Steps (Great Lakes, 2022), and Le Roi Arthus (Bard, 2021). Kitty is delighted to be sound designing Everybody, and she hopes you enjoy the show!
Sarah Short (Stage Manager) is a 2020 graduate of Otterbein University with degrees in Business Administration and Theatre. Last year, she had the pleasure of returning to Otterbein to stage manage Dance 2022: Find Me in the Shadows and is so excited to be back again. When not at Otterbein, Sarah is the Volunteer Engagement Program Officer at ServeOhio, Ohio’s commission on service and volunteerism. She would like to thank the faculty, staff and students for welcoming her back and her fiancé for supporting her.
Anna Grywalski (Costume Shop Supervisor) is a costume designer, creator, and teacher. She would like to commend Kate Larson for her continued dedication to and enthusiasm for all things costume. Anna would also like to thank Howie and Alfie for their constant snuggling and support.
Hannah Hahn (Production Manager) is thrilled to return to her alma mater! Originally from central Ohio, she earned her B.F.A. in Theatre Design/Technology in 2018. Following graduation, Hannah interned with the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL before returning home to continue her work in the Columbus art scene. Hannah has worked professionally as a stage manager and event coordinator for several regional theatres including Mason Street Warehouse, Columbus Children’s Theatre, CATCO, Opera Project Columbus, Opera Columbus, and Weathervane Playhouse. She also worked as Assistant Production Manager in 2019 for the inaugural CAPA Marquee Awards Program, which provides educational opportunities to the greater Columbus area high school theatre programs. In the years since, she has served as an adjudicator, teaching artist, and stage manager for Marquee Awards Showcase. Hannah currently lives in Columbus with her husband, Nick, and their two cats, Spooky & Pippin.
BIOGRAPHIES
Dawn Horne (Director of Recruitment/Administrator) begins her third year managing Theatre and Dance recruitment programs. Her efforts are supported by an outstanding team of student leaders and volunteers that include the Student Volunteer Recruitment Coordinator and Apprentice, and the Otterbein Theatre and Dance Ambassadors.
Tony Koehler (Properties Lead) is a designer, director and teaching artist. He is the Production Manager for The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio and prior to that, he was Production Manager at GALA Hispanic Theatre in Washington, D.C., and a teaching artist at The Theatre Lab School of Dramatic Arts also in Washington, D.C. Other positions include Properties Master at The Folger Shakespeare Theatre, and props credits at Constellation Theatre Company and Rainbow Theater Project in Washington, D.C., and Piven Theatre Workshop, Redmoon Theatre, and Northwestern University in Chicago. A graduate of the University of Kentucky with a BA in theatre, he has received numerous awards including a 2019 Helen Hayes Award for Best Musical and Broadway World’s 2019 regional award for Best Musical in the Small Professional Theatre Category for FAME: The Musical, and a 2017 Helen Hayes Award for the Spanish language premiere of In the Heights.
Patrick Stone (Faculty Technical Director) began his tenure as the Technical Director at Otterbein in the fall of 2014. He holds an MFA from the University of South Dakota and a Bachelors of Arts from Doane College in Crete, Nebraska. He is an ETCP certified Theatrical Rigger. He teaches classes in stagecraft, properties, metal working, technical direction, wood working, and motion scenery. Patrick also enjoys consulting with theatres ranging from professional through junior high school. Patrick is launching an exciting new side project: he is currently Crowd Sourcing funds for an awesome video game. The Gold Level funders have decided! The game will be a Theatrical Scenery Building Simulator! Exciting stuff. The next 12 Platinum Level funders will get to begin coding the game immediately. This is going to be great, don’t be left behind.
Melinda Murphy (Voice and Movement Coach) teaches Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais Method® in the Otterbein Theatre and Dance Department, with application to movement, voice, characterization, singing, and dance. Melinda is one of the few teachers trained in both methods; she combines them in her private practice in Columbus, and in classes and seminars for performing artists at other Ohio colleges. Since coming to Otterbein, she also trained to teach Fitzmaurice Voice work for its specialized tools for improving the voice and breath. Melinda has coached Otterbein productions since the turn of the century. She has also coached equestrians, figure skaters, musicians, and competitive barbershop quartets and choruses, including the two-time international gold medalist Southern Gateway Chorus.
Edith D. Wadkins (Scenic Charge Artist) is thankful for the opportunity to work with Otterbein. Edith has worked as a freelance scenic artist and set designer around Central Ohio at many professional and educational institutions. Her most recent designs include Something Rotten for Otterbein and The Sound of Music for the Butterfly Guild of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She also paints in oil in her home studio. Her fine art paintings can be found at edithdingerwadkins.com.
BIOGRAPHIES
Emma Bailey (“D”/Cousin/Strength) is a junior BFA Acting major from Jacksonville, FL. Other Otterbein credits include The Heidi Chronicles (Becky/Clara/Denise, Heidi u/s), Bright Star (Spirit/Ensemble, Lucy u/s), and Dry Land (Amy). Aside from a BFA, she is receiving training from ICOC in Intimacy Coordination! Emma is also a member of the Ring of Keys organization. Many thanks to the cast and crew, her family, friends, Reilly, and God. And to Melissa—for making everyone in the room feel truly special.
Kandy Boakye (Love) is a senior BFA Acting major from Westerville, OH. She is grateful that, for her last show at Otterbein, she got to work with this wonderful cast & crew and, especially, the director Melissa Lusher! Kandy has done a number of productions during her time here at Otterbein including the Stage Manager in Our Town and Fran’s track in The Heidi Chronicles. Special thanks to her best friends Olivia, Karina and Latifat, and to her mentor Matthew Wolfe for believing and supporting her while at Otterbein. Kandy is proud to end to her time at Otterbein with Love.
Connor Christopher (Assistant Lead Elecatrician) is a sophomore BFA Design/Technology major from Tampa, FL. He has been working in the technical theatre industry since the 6th grade. He went to both a middle and high school specific to preforming arts, so it’s safe to say he likes working in the theater. Being ALE on this show has helped him grasp a better understanding of all the little things that you have to tend to that you don’t see just being on a hang crew. He can’t wait to take on more roles to learn and grow from.
Nate Dirksen (Everybody) is a senior BFA Acting major and Film minor from Barrington, RI. He would like to thank everyone who is in his life; anyone who has ever loved him has his most sincere gratitude. In particular, he would like to thank Melissa Lusher for everything she has done, his parents Mark and Babs for loving him unconditionally, his amazingly talented cast and crew for their work, and his roommates Quincy, Lilly, and Nevaeh for doing the dishes when he forgets. Go Class of 2024! Enjoy!
Marshall Duggan (Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore BA Theatre major from Thibodaux, LA. He is happy to work on his first production at Otterbein and looks forward to working with more of his fellow Otterbein students. He enjoys the outdoors and reading. Marshall thanks his parents and his partner for their eternal support.
Naomi Eason (Girl/Time) is a sophomore BFA Acting major with a Dance minor from East Palo Alto CA. Naomi is thrilled to be a part of Everybody, their first mainstage at Otterbein! They were last seen onstage in 11th Hour’s production of Luna Gale as Karlie in the fall of 2022. They would like to thank their family, friends and stellar cast and crew for making their mainstage debut one to remember!
Elizabeth Foster (Choreographer) is a junior BFA Musical Theatre major with a Dance minor from Grand Rapids, MI. She is excited to make her Otterbein mainstage choreography debut! Credits include Bright Star (Ensemble), Dance 2022: Find Me in the Shadows (Swing), A Tale of Two Spectators (Woman), and Something Rotten (Ensemble). This fall, she will be performing in Dance 2023: Escape to Wonderland. Elizabeth thanks her family for their constant support, David Graves for his patience being a dancing guinea pig, and Stella Kane and Melissa Lusher for giving her this opportunity.
BIOGRAPHIES
Nathan Frewen (Lighting Programmer) is a sophomore BFA Musical Theatre major from Chicago, IL. He is having a blast exploring the world of lighting and expanding his skillset in the theatre beyond performance! Otterbein Credits: Mayor Dobbs (Bright Star). Other Credits: Johnny Cash in Million Dollar Quartet (Weathervane Playhouse), Annie and Million Dollar Quartet (Totem Pole Playhouse). This December, Nathan will perform at Weathervane stage as Buddy the Elf in Elf the Musical! Thanks to Kyle, Ryan, and everyone else who has helped during this incredible opportunity!
Jack Giglia (Death) is a junior BA Theatre major from Cincinnati, OH. Past credits include Red (Rothko) and Every Brilliant Thing (Narrator). Offstage, he is president of Otterbein Catholic Student Ministry and co-vice president of Mainstage Improv. He would like to thank the Everybody team, Melissa, Claire, and his parents for their constant love and support. He would also like to quote Peter Maurin: “What we give the poor for Christ’s sake is what we carry with us when we die.” Memento mori!
David Graves (“B”/Stuff/Five Senses) is a junior Acting major from Milford, OH. Previous Otterbein credits include OST’s Baby (Nick), Our Town (George Gibbs), and Land Of Ours (Ensemble). David hopes you have an eerily fun and introspective evening. He thanks his family and friends for their support and love during his unending, intriguingly spooky endeavors. He would also like to thank his amazing girlfriend Elizabeth Foster for her impressive comedic timing, and her breathtaking choreography; and his bunny, Bunbun, who would have LOVED this kooky show.
Ryan Lewis (Lead Electrician) is a junior BA Theatre major with a minor in Art History and Visual Culture from Long Island, NY. Ryan’s previous work at Otterbein includes Programmer for Cabaret and Assistant Lead Electrician for Dance 2022: Find Me in The Shadows. Ryan was recently hired as a staff electrician at The Argyle Theater for its production of Grease this summer. This is Ryan’s first lead position in electrics here at Otterbein and he thanks his wonderful hang and focus crew for making this experience so wonderful. Ryan hopes you enjoy the show.
Mick Lozada (Wardrobe Lead) is a sophomore BFA Design/Technology major with a Dance minor from Chillicothe, OH. Mick is so excited to be Wardrobe Lead for this show! They have been very eager to work once more in theatre. They are also very grateful for everyone who has assisted them and taught them about wardrobe leading and for their crew for helping as much as they can. They want to remind their crew that they are wonderful!
Luke Maynus (Usher/God/Understanding) is a senior BA Theatre and Political Science major from Charleston, West Virginia. Luke is most well-known for his roles as Usher (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder), Usher, (A Lie of the Mind), Usher (The Pajama Game), and Usher (Bright Star). Luke would like to thank Melissa Lusher, his family, his friends, Otterbein’s Mainstage Improv Troupe, Victoria, the concept of understanding, and God.
Olivia Rossi (Assistant Scenic Designer/Technical Director) is a senior BFA Design/ Technology major from Hilliard, OH. She would like to thank family and friends for the support she has received during this show. It has been exciting, scary, thrilling, and terrifying stepping into the role of Tech Director. Olivia would consider this show to be another slay from #teamgirl.
BIOGRAPHIES
Quincy Shaindlin (Kinship/A/Mind/Evil) is a junior BFA Acting major from the Bay Area of San Francisco, CA and has found this to be one of the most fulfilling artistic experiences of his life. Past roles include Peter Patrone (The Heidi Chronicles), Mr. Webb (Our Town), Hasler & Sid u/s (The Pajama Game), and Tommy (Carrie: The Musical). When Quincy isn’t acting, he’s fighting writer’s block and listening to Ella Fitzgerald. He thanks Lilly, Nevaeh, Dan, Kendal, and Mainstage Improv for getting him through this process. He hopes this play makes you feel something. ANYTHING.
Nora Shearer (Understudy Swing) is a sophomore BFA Acting major and Business Management minor from Greensboro, NC. She is so excited to be a part of her first mainstage production at Otterbein! Credits include Caroline (Luna Gale) and Jane (Pride and Prejudice). She is so grateful for this opportunity to work with all these incredible people. Thank you to Melissa for trusting me with this work and to the wonderful cast for encouraging me through it all. So much love to my friends and family, specifically Mom, Dad, Ethan, and Maddie. <3
Kailey Souder (Friendship/C/Beauty) is a junior Musical Theatre major with a Dance minor from Atlanta, GA. Some past credits include; Something Rotten (Ensemble), The Wild West Spectacular (Annie Oakley), Time Stands Still (Mandy), and Bright Star (Spirit/ ensemble). Kailey would like to thank Melissa, the entire cast and crew, and her friends and family for their constant support during this process. She hopes you enjoy the show!
@kaileymsouder
Paige Vick (Assistant Sound Designer/A1) is a junior BFA Design/Technology major from Ellicott City, MD. She is excited for her first production as the A1 and hopes you enjoy the show!
Gabe Whitnack (House Manager) is a senior BFA Design/Technology major and Film Studies minor from Durham, NC. Some of his previous Otterbein credits include Lead Electrician for Cabaret, Assistant Lead Electrician for Bright Star and House Manager for Our Town. Gabe thanks his friends and family for being so supportive these past four years, and also Luke Maynus for being the most devoted usher this side of the Mississippi.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (Playwright) was born in Washington, D.C. on December 29, 1984. He graduated high school as Valedictorian and went on to study Anthropology at Princeton University from which he graduated in 2006. In 2007, he earned a Masters in Performance Studies from NYU. That same year he started work in The New Yorker’s fiction department as an editorial assistant. It was during this time he wrote his first play Neighbors. In 2010 he quit his job and moved to Berlin through the Fulbright Fellowship Program. While in Germany, he wrote his next plays An Octoroon and Appropriate along with the start of Gloria. Jacobs-Jenkins returned to the U.S. in 2012 to study at Juilliard’s Lilia Acheson Wallace Playwrights program. During this time, he also worked at NYU as an adjunct professor, Baryshnikov Arts Center where he had a residency, Signature Theatre’s Residency program where he also had a playwright residency, as well as various teaching positions at Princeton. In 2016 he was named a MacArthur Fellow and in 2018 his play, Everybody, was a finalist for The Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
HONORARY CAST LIST
Otterbein University Department of Theatre & Dance honors those who have given so generously during the 2023-24 Academic Year. Members who give annually at the Director and Producer level are included in the Joanne Van Sant Society.
Thank you for contributing to the education of our students!
Producer ($5,000+)
Dr. Bernard Chang
Nevalyn Fritsche Nevil
Riverside Hearing Services
Director ($1,000-$4,999)
L. Thomas & Mary Alice Dillman
Douglas & Mary Pat Knight
Al & Louise Minor
Designer ($500-$999)
Gordon & Holly Brewer
David C. & Nancy E. Smith Evans
Diva ($250-$499)
Kay Atkinson Ball
Daniel Bear
Troy A. & Kathleen Bonte
Edmund & Diane Daily Cox
Brent & Nancy DeVore
The Fragiotta Family
Sandra Freer
Mark Havanec
Vince & Gayle Herried
Fred & Patricia Baum
Chip Bruchac
Len & Sharon Bussard
Candyce Canzoneri
Dr. Sharon & Terry Carlson
Alan & Christy Coupland
John L. & Sharon Davis
Margaret English Duffy
Keith Dufrane
James Farmer
Peggy Garrison
Mark A. Geary
William A. Carpenter & Eva W. Goode
Lynda Huey
Kent D. Stuckey
Alice Thomasson
Ron Lykins
Charles & Maruja Paule
Donna L. Kerr
Jack W. & Peggy Moreland
Brad Ostroff
Dr. Kent Shafer
Douglas R. Smeltz
David & Beckey Stamm
Kathryn Stephens
Laura Cean Wilson
Star ($100-$249)
Otto Laster
Pearson McWane
Richard Arndt & Karen Miller
Bonnie Moses
Thomas Muchmore
Dennis B. & Marjorie Munger
David & Manuella Mylander
Dennis O. & Sue Ann Norton
James & Martha Owens
James E. Paxton
Sally K. Rice
Patricia Ryan
Elizabeth A. Salt
Albert & Louise Siegel
Alan E. & Linda Smith
Marcia Staub
Jon & Joyce Stonebraker
Bruce Storts
Margaret Strosky
Kent Stryker
Madelon Timmons
Janice Townsley
John Volpi
Kenneth Wadkins
David B. & Joyce Shannon Warner
Sarah Whybrew
Norma F. Worley
Craig & Carol Young
Judith Zivic
HONORARY CAST LIST
Supporting Actor ($50-$99)
Kay F. Ball
Judy Biedenharn
Paula & Thomas Blue
Cark & Carol Boehm
Judyth Box
Joe H. Brown, Jr.
Mark & Elise Byers
Joseph Cantrell
Kenneth Carter
Ted Chaney
David Clark
David W. Coffman
Deborah L. Coleman
Esther Connors
Beth Daugherty
Mary DeVore
Lauretta Anderson
David & Susan Arnold
Edward & Sharon Bernert
Michelle Bice
Judy & Mike Christian
Anni Efthimiou
Janis Ford
Edwin A. Geer
John & Beth Gwynn
Kimberly & Bud Hoessly
Ramona & James Edman
Alyce Douce Elbert
Emily England
Lawrence Friedman
Jack George
Carmenza Gutierrez
Lucy Hadley
Mary Heubach
J. Thomas & Kathleen Jones
Ron & Suzi Jones
Margaret Kadunc
Jerrold Kannel
Kathleen Kerber
Walter & Connie Kobalka
Kent Koester
Deborah Madden
Ensemble ($10-$49)
Ron & Mary Armstrong Hooker
Laurie & Troy Johnson
Gregory Koltun
Barbara Limbert
Evon Lineburgh
Barbara L. Martin
Terry McFarland
Karen & William Mattes
Helen Wells & Carol D. Miller
Jeffrey Porterfield
Thomas Mertzlufft
Marvin & Lee Miller
Julia O’Hara
Ann Ottobre
Rebecca Coleman Princehorn & Clay Cormany
Paul Ries
Ronald G. & Linda Simpson
Anita Smith
Jane Sprague
Karen Stainbrook
Michele Wilson Toney
Elizabeth Tracy
James & Carol Waugh
LuAnne Shelby
Susan Silbermann
Cathy & Tod Stoessner
Arlene & Robert Stuart
Brenna Stultz
James Tarpoff
Mary Ellen Tyus
Michael J. & Mary Ann Vehonsky
Kay Wagner
Roger L. Wilson
Otterbein University Dept. of Theatre & Dance presents Dance 2023: Escape to Wonderland November 16-19 in the Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall. The concert is conceived by Emily Glinski and choreographed by Emily and Anna Elliott, both graduates of Westerville North High School and current members of the Otterbein University Dance Faculty.
Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, the production will be a fanciful journey through Alice’s dreams and imagination. With the Mad Hatter as our guide, audiences will meet the story’s many colorful characters including the tyrannical Queen of Hearts, the nervous White Rabbit, the mischievous Cheshire Cat, and the alluring Caterpillar. Through the genres of modern and jazz dance, the ensemble will illustrate Alice’s path to self-discovery through a land where not everything is as it appears.