ROE written by lisa loomer stephanie burlington daniels
directed by
image credit: Shaye Cox, Conception to Coercion, arcylic on canvas, 2022 (Massachusetts College of Art, class of 2026)
november 3–5 & 10–12, 2022 7:30 p.m. weber theatre, watson fine arts wheaton college, norton, massachusetts
Sponsored in part by the Celeste Gottesman Bartos ’35 Fund for the Visual Arts within the Evelyn Danzig Haas ’39 Visiting Artists Program
program note Welcome back to the Weber Theatre for our first main stage theatre production since November of 2019! After this long pause, theatre makers everywhere are now faced with bringing live theatre back to audiences in a landscape like none we’ve experienced before. The challenges are sometimes mind boggling. As we find ways to forge paths anew, the persevering energy of Wheaton’s creative arts students prevails and has buoyed my spirit and brought me great joy this semester. They remind me why I love to tell stories, why it’s more important than ever to gather together in person to witness each other’s vulnerability and humanity. Our whole production team is brave and fierce; together, we are proud to bring to you tonight this timely performance of Lisa Loomer’s epic play ROE. I often wrangle with myself about what story needs telling. Let’s be honest: this one is a no brainer. First I will return to 2016 when I wore a suit to class on Election Day, like many of us who were excited to have voted for the first woman to be elected President of the United States of America. The outcome that emerged was impossible to absorb. In the early hours of that Wednesday morning, I woke up to check my phone and began to sob, “What about the Supreme Court? What’s going to happen to the Supreme Court?” Since that day in 2016, so many of us have suffered through an enormous amount of crisis and trauma; from the personal to the national to the global pandemic. On May 2, 2022 a draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark case from 1973 giving women the Constitutional right to choose abortion, was leaked and then confirmed on June 24, 2022. As President Biden said in his address to the nation, “The Court has done what it has never done before: expressly taking away a constitutional right that is so fundamental to so many Americans that had already been recognized.” In that moment it became clear to me that the time to present Lisa Loomer’s play is now, to raise the consciousness of a younger generation to the original players behind the case that has saved so many women’s lives for 50 years. The day I graduated from Wheaton College in May of 1997, the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg (19332020), United States Supreme Court Justice, and her husband, Martin D. Ginsburg (1932-2010), professor of law at Georgetown University, were both awarded honorary degrees and they spoke that day about compromise being the key to long term relationships, personally and professionally. Looking back through archival material and reading the commencement speeches, I found a bit of comfort in the simple groundedness of RBG’s message, reminding me of the long game when thinking about the ongoing battle in this country for civil rights. How do we stay vigilant, and proactive, pressing forward and pushing back against oppression and the stripping of our constitutional rights, while also respectfully engaging with other points of view? In the theatre, we aim to present a multiplicity of voices and to stimulate conversation that might last into the late hours of the night. We try to bring audiences into engagement with the deepest questions a play is asking and to offer the opportunity to disagree, debate, and grapple with ideas engendered by the experience itself. Please stay and chat after the show. The cast and I would love to be in dialogue with you. —Stephanie Daniels, director
ROE written by
lisa loomer
directed by Stephanie Burlington Daniels ’97 lighting design/technical direction by Max Ponticelli
assistant technical director/assistant to the scenic designer Ben Campbell ’23 sound designer/live engineer Ciara Kilkenny ’23 costume designer Meagan Bellao scenic & projection designer Hannah Tran properties designer Allie Gillaspie-Williams stage manager Chloe Martin ’23 World Premiere Commissioned and Produced by The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Bill Rauch, Artistic Director; Paul Nicholson, Executive Director) Excerpts from “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” by Stephen Sondheim and Jule Styne used with permission of the Owners; © 1959 (Renewed) Stratford Music Corporation (ASCAP) and Williamson Music, Inc. (ASCAP); All rights administered by Chappell & Co., Inc.; All rights reserved
dramaturgy note As a history major, being a part of the creative team producing this semester’s mainstage production, ROE, written by Lisa Loomer in 2016 and commissioned by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival as a part of their “American Revolutions: The United States History Cycle,” has enabled me to truly understand and empathize with the people depicted in the play in a way that has been so different from any other research or reading I have done on the topic of reproductive rights. From researching the original court case, Roe v. Wade, to reading the script, to seeing the play come to life through the rehearsal process, I’ve been able to see the historical individuals come to life and have begun to realize that this is how theatre enables the viewer to recognize the multi-faceted aspects of each character, creating a sense of humanity, flawed and not judged, a mirror for the audience itself. I was brought on early to this production to build character and foundation research books. Stephanie and I worked over the summer gathering and reading material we wanted to use along the way to teach and guide the rehearsal process for the actors, but then also to build a thorough program for audience members. In the program, you will find links to a resource guide with civic engagement options, an interactive time line of women’s rights and reproductive justice in the United States, as well as a note from the director, and bios from the students involved in the making of this show. The majority of students involved are earning academic credit for THEA 330: Rehearsal and Production and have spent around 180 hours working to bring this play to you tonight. ROE unearths difficult subjects that allow us to understand our own biases. Many of the scenes cover “uncomfortable” topics, but that is the point of history: discussing uncomfortability in order to learn. I’ve learned that is exactly what theater is as well, choosing to listen and learn even if it’s uncomfortable, and getting a chance to empathize with characters with whom you may not agree. Through these difficult and uncomfortable moments in the play, the audience recognizes and understands why each person chooses to act as they do. Perhaps even wondering how they themselves might respond if put in similar situations, potentially building a surprising amount of empathy, that might just influence their ideas about these topics long after they leave the theatre. —Annie Nadich, 2024, History major and Dramaturg for ROE
cast
Sarah Wedding
Sophie Waters
Norma McCorvey
Emma Bradshaw
Connie Gonzalez/Ofelia
Diana Sola Chacon
Flip Benham/Ron Weddington/Jay Floyd
John O’Meara
Linda Coffee/Judy/Peggy/Eleanor Smeal
Tori Burgess
Henry McClusky/Robert Flowers/Abortion Doctor
Colin Bourget
Justice Blackmun/Micheal Manhiem/ TV News Reporter
Sven Stenroos
Ronda/Helen/Holly Hunter/Gloria Allred Emily/Melissa Roxanne/Aileen/Barbara Molly/Mary Justice Blackmun Ensemble
Tess O’Brien Reka Moscarelli Ka-Niesa Anderson-Blackshear Morgaine Kmen Patrick Helm Patrick Helm Eli Cowie Reagan Jensen Evangeline Mues Ben McIntire Jason Mndolwa
technical credits Technical Director & Lighting Designer
Max Ponticelli
Scenic & Projection Designer
Hannah Tran
Costume Designer
Meagan Bellao
Properties Designer
Allie Gillaspie-Williams
Sound Designer & Live Engineer
Ciara Kilkenny ’23
Assistant Technical Director, Assistant to the Scenic Designer, Scenic Charge
Ben Campbell ’23
Assistant Sound Designer
Violet Russell ’23
Stage Manager
Chloe Martin ’23
Assistant Stage Managers
Mia Garza ’24 Ansuya Pandey ’23
Dramaturg
Annie Nadich ’24
Acting Coach
Isabel Pontgratz
Light Board Operator
Ben Zaborski ’26
Projection Operator Sound Board Operator Costume Crew Construction/Run Crew (Stage Craft THEA xxx)
Alex Zieselman ’24 Emily Carmel ’24 Rebecca Sutter ’26 Talia Smith ’23r Emily Carmel ’23 Abbie Cramer ’26 Bessie Reina Figeroa ’26 Marina Greenwood ’26 Tatiana Umana Hernandez ’xx Eve LeBlanc ’25 Jason Mndolwa ’25 Ansuya Pandey ’23 Amy Saad ’xx Rebecca Sutter ’26 Talia Smith ’23 Nora Wolfington ’26
theatre staff Associate Director, Arts Events & Publicity/Graphic Designer
Jessica F. Kuszaj
Assistant, Arts Events & Publicity
Kristi Mahoney
Technical Coordinator for the Arts
Kristina Kalogeras
Box Office
Sara Younk ’23 Louise Groover ’25 Ivy Love ’25 Emelia Pettit ’25 Hannah Balaam ’26 Katie Webb ’26
designer biographies Meagan Bellao (she/her) is excited to return to Wheaton College as the Costume Designer for Roe. Previous Wheaton costume design credits are Clybourne Park (2013) and Once on This Island (2019). Meagan has worked in professional theatre around New England for various companies including Peterborough Players (NH), Hartford Stage (CT), and Trinity Repertory Company (RI). For 12 years Meagan worked as the Wardrobe and Make-Up supervisor for Blue Man Group in Boston. The last 6.5 years of her tenure there, she was the Head of the Wardrobe and Make-Up department for the company as a whole and interfaced with all domestic and international productions and tours. Meagan currently works as a costumer for feature films and television productions filming in New England and is a member of IATSE local 481 Studio Mechanics. Meagan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Plymouth State University with a major in Theater Design and a minor in Art. Stephanie Burlington Daniels is Professor of Theatre and Dance at Wheaton College (MA) where she teaches acting, directing, and Theatre and Social Change, Stephanie is also a proud Artistic Comrade of Boston’s experimental theatre company, Sleeping Weazel. She has appeared in Everyday Life and Odds and Ends, world premiere, written by Charlotte Meehan, and directed by Tara Brooke Watkins; The Audacity: Women Speak, world premiere, conceived and arranged by Charlotte Meehan, directed by Tara Brooke Watkins; Crazy Love, written by Charlotte Meehan; Cleanliness, Godliness, and Madness, world premiere, written by Charlotte Meehan, directed by Robbie McCauley; 27 Tips for Banishing the Blues, world premiere, written by Charlotte Meehan, directed by Kennneth Prestininzi; and Real Realism, written by Charlotte Meehan, directed by Vanessa Gilbert. In Providence, RI, Stephanie appeared as the Facilitator
and others in Charlotte Meehan’s Sweet Disaster, directed by Kenneth Prestininzi, and The Providence Black Repertory’s production of Federico Garcia Lorca’s House of Bernarda Alba, directed by Nadia Mahdi. From 2008- 2017, Stephanie performed in the critically acclaimed one-woman lecture play, Birth Breath Bride Elizabeth, as Mary Shelley-Breath, written and directed by Kenneth Prestininzi. She is a member of the Wheaton College calss on 1997 and holds an MFA in Acting from Trinity Repertory Conservatory. Benjamin Campbell (he/they) is excited to be finishing their theatre education at Wheaton as assistant technical director, assistant to the scenic designer, and charge artist for ROE. Previous Wheaton credits include scenic artist for Stupid Fucking Bird (2019), and lighting designer for Wheaton college Dance Company’s Excerpts from the Ruins (2021) and the Wheaton College Dance Collaborative’s Revive the Legacy (2022). Outside of Wheaton, Ben works around the Boston area as a scenic painter, as the scenic artist for the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater on the outer Cape. Ben plans to continue to explore his love for light and paint in and around the Boston area after graduating with a degree in both Technical Theatre and Film and New Media Studies. Allie Gillespie-Williams (she/her) is excited to be back in the theatre and Props Supervisor after a few years off and especially happy to be working in her adopted hometown. Allie is a graduate of Virginia Tech where she received her MFA in Properties Design and Management and Salem State (BFA Scenic and Costume Design). She is currently Project Management Assistant at Mystic Scenic Studios in Norwood, MA where she facilitates fabrication and installation of scenery, sculpture, and any other art her clients can dream up. Other credits include Assistant Director of Technical Theatre at Beaver Country Day School in Chestnut Hill, MA, Adjunct Professor at Salem State University, Props Master/Prop Shop Supervisor at South Coast Repertory Theatre in Costa Mesa, CA, Props Master at the Ogunquit Playhouse, and co-founder of the Rhode Island based Counter-Productions Theatre Company. Allie Gillespie-Williams’ participation in this production was made possible by the Celeste Gottesman Bartos ’35 Fund for the Visual Arts within the Evelyn Danzig Haas ’39 Visiting Artists Program Ciara Kilkenny, 2023 (she/her) is delighted to have been given the opportunity to sound design and sound engineer Roe as her first theatrical show. She has previously served as sound board operator for the Wheaton College Dance Collaborative’s Revive the Legacy (spring 2022) and Wheaton Dance Company’s Against All Odds (spring 2022), and lighting designer for the 2022 senior ensemble experiments, Between Us. She has worked as a sound assistant at H3O Productions and as an electrician at High Output Productions. She is a senior majoring in film and new media studies with a theatre minor and hopes to pursue an acting career after graduation. As an actor, Ciara has worked on Challengers, Invitation to a Bonfire, and NueLife.
Max Ponticelli (he/him) is excited to be joining the Wheaton College Community for Roe, serving as Lighting Designer and Supervsing Sound Designer. He serves as the department’s new Professor of Practice, overseeing Technical Direction of theatre and dance programs. Max has instructed a variety of theatre curricula over the years at Clark University and the University of Rhode Island, including courses in design, management, and even stage combat! He refers to himself as a theatrical mutt, of sorts, and you can find information, including recent work, at maxponticelli.com. When not teaching, Max is the General Manager of The Wilbury Theatre Group, an award-winning, professional theatre company in Providence, RI. There, he oversees operations, management, and execution of their arts programming throughout the year, including one of New England’s last remaining International Fringe Festivals (FringePVD). He is a member of a number of non-profit leadership boards, and recently was appointed to the Design, Technology and Management Board for Region 1 of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Max holds a BFA in Dramatic Arts (Stage Management, Technology & Design) and an MBA (Human Resources Cert.) from the University of Rhode Island. Hannah Tran (she/her) is thrilled to be working with Wheaton College for the first time on Roe! She is a visual artist and media designer for primarily live performance, currently based in New England. She holds a B.A. from the University of California, Irvine and is currently a M.F.A candidate at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. Hannah has worked around the country and recent collaborations include Utah Shakespeare Festival, MaYi Theatre Company, New York Theatre Workshop, and Geffen Playhouse. She is a founding member of the experimental visual design collective, Pigment Design Lab. Outside of the theater, Hannah likes to explore nature and play board games with friends. Hannah Tran’s participation in this production was made possible by the Celeste Gottesman Bartos ’35 Fund for the Visual Arts within the Evelyn Danzig Haas ’39 Visiting Artists Program
women’s history timeline
Click to view the interactive timeline
continuing the fight Proceeds from opening night ticket sales and a portion of t-shirt sales will be donated to WRAAP. Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistant Project is an organization that works to support individuals with access to abortion care and emergency contraception. WRAAP’s mission is to assist low-income individuals of all backgrounds with funding for medical and surgical procedures. In addition to funding assistance, WRAAP provides valuable resources and information on where to find clinics, healthcare providers, and recent reproductive justice developments. For more information or to make a direct donation to WRAAP visit their website.
special thanks Evelyn Danzig Haas ’39 Visiting Artists Program Jessica Kuszaj Kristi Mahoney Melinda Jensen Ka-Niesa’s grandma Amy Puliafico, Esq. Megan Brooks and the library staff Kate Boylan Leah Niederstadt Elizabeth Hoy Vicki Toppses Larry, Laurence and Henry Daniels Shaye Cox Clinton O’Dell Charlotte Meehan Raquel Ramos Steve & Nora Gillaspie-Williams Mystic Scenic Studios Lisa Liebetrau Jenna Lourenco Eric Propp