EDGES Program

by BENJ PASEK & JUSTIN PAUL

Edges

World Premiere of Edges produced by Capital Repertory Theatre, Albany, NY Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill, Producing Artistic Director | Elizabeth Doran, Managing Director

Directed by Scott Phillips | Music Direction by James Mablin

March 30–

April 7, 2023

Telfair B. Peet Black Box Theatre

by BENJ PASEK

& JUSTIN PAUL

World Premiere of Edges produced by Capital Repertory Theatre, Albany, NY

Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill, Producing Artistic Director | Elizabeth Doran, Managing Director

Directed by Scott Phillips | Music Direction by James Mablin

Director’s Note

Before Dear Evan Hansen, The Greatest Showman, and their collaboration with Justin Hurwitz on the film La La Land, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul wrote and staged Edges. It was 2005, they were 19, in school at the University of Michigan, and unhappy about the roles they were offered in the musical theatre program. In writing Edges, they created their own opportunity.

Edges is not a book musical with traditional dialogue; it’s a cycle, a series of songs cohering around a theme instead of being connected by a story or spoken narrative. But if you’re a fan of Dear Evan Hansen (Tony Award for Best Score and Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album in 2018), you will probably recognize the show’s thematic elements: youthful angst, social anxiety and emerging adulthood. In the opening number, “Become,” the ensemble sets the tone:

But still I smile because I need to look strong and all the while I soldier along I wanna find me from where I’ve begun but I am afraid to be who I am who I want to become.

Granted, these are young people who go to Barbados for spring break, or who can travel to the coast of Greece to reflect on their relationships, so it is important to acknowledge that the piece presents a very specific experience of young adulthood and one hardly universal—the experience of those with the relative privilege and affluence shared by many in Pasek and Paul’s cohort at Michigan. But the anxiety of grappling with the responsibilities of adult life, and the nagging feeling that you must be what others want you to be, or the impulse to conform to the norms of your peer group rather than feeling free to assert your individuality, can be relatable across boundaries of race or class.

If you’re over 40, 2005 may seem like yesterday, but in our fast-changing world, Edges is in some ways a period piece. References to Facebook, now mostly a playground for aging Boomers, would likely be changed to Tik Tok were it to be written today, and I am not sure anyone under a certain age reads hard copies of Cosmopolitan or much of anything in print anymore. Even though we have included smart phones as props in this production, they weren’t even a thing in 2005.

But beyond these digital analogs, the experience of making your way into the adult world largely remains the same even if the particulars have changed. In the wake of the Great Recession, the COVID pandemic, and the increasingly grim ecological forecast for our planet, the world has gotten darker and scarier since 2005. But Edges finishes with optimism and hope, and the music is great. So as I might say to many of the show’s characters: sit back and relax. And to you, the audience, I would add: enjoy.

– Scott Phillips, Director

Artistic Team

Artistic Director: Chase Bringardner

Director: Scott Phillips

Music Director: James Mablin

Costume Designer: Emma Fox

Lighting/Scenic Designer: Katie Wolfe

Sound Designer: Annabell Mallard

Choreographer: Jeri Dickey

Vocal Health Consultant/Vocal Director: Elizabeth Benson

Dramaturgs: Annabell Mallard, Dallas McGrady, Daisha Flint

Production Crews

Scenic Studio:

Andrea D'Amico, Riley Buck, Tatum Clark, Jonny Dickey, Morgan Hogans, Eve Jenkins, Mengyao Li, Claudia Peeples, Danielle Simmons, Kara Anne Smith, Tino Soto, Tony To, Andrew Vance, Haley Wells

Costume Studio:

Nikki Ahlf, Lisa Alfa, Hannah Carstarphen, Maggie Cole, Cecelia Copeland, Tapley Cronier, Jordinia Denson, Nick DiJulio, Shelby Dupree, Hali Everette, Elle Hartman, Lennie Johnston, Asha Knight, Presley McQuiddy-Gasparlin, Berkley Peacock, Meredith Rice, Michaela Williams, Avonlea Yeakley

Production Team

Director of Production: Laura Sims

Technical Director: Matt Gist

Assistant Technical Director: Cameron Lucas

Costume Shop Manager: Jennifer Salter

Stage Manager: Abigail Bowling

Assistant Stage Manager: Megan Starling

Wardrobe Supervisor: Shelby Dupree

Wardrobe Crew: Hannah Carstarphen, Elle Hartman, Berkeley Peacock, Mary Grace Sullivan, Michaela Williams

Props Coordinator: Jacob Van Horn

Charge Artist: Olivia Price

Master Electrician: Cameron Lucas

Light Board Operator: Reid Williams

Follow Spots: Tatum Clark, Daisha Flint

Learn More!

Want to learn more about the show and hear some behind-the-scenes perspectives?

• Check out our dramaturgical lobby displays for background information about the show.

Special Thanks

Auburn University Theatre and Dance gratefully acknowledges support for this production from the Office of the Provost of Auburn University.

• Join us after the Thursday, April 6 performance for a discussion with the actors and members of the artistic team. ▶ Any video and/or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

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

auburnuniversitytheatre.org

1 ........................ Alex Pharo

Music

3 .............. Bethany Novotny Cast James Mablin, piano

▶ The show runs approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes. ◀ There is no intermission.

Student Company Biographies

Nikki Ahlf (Woman 2) is a senior graduating with her BFA in Musical Theatre. She also holds a BSBA in Marketing from the Harbert College of Business. Auburn credits include Pippin (Leading Player), Into the Woods (Witch), Spring Awakening (Ilse), New Day Dawning: Finding Hope at the Theatre (Ensemble), Bring It On The Musical (Skylar), and Big Fish (Ensemble). Nikki is so grateful to God for her experiences, friends and family for their love and support, and all of the faculty and students in the AUTD department who have made her time here so special. Thank you!

Abigail Bowling (Stage Manager) is a freshman theatre major minoring in French from Auburn, AL. Last semester she worked on Pippin (Assistant Stage Manager) and is currently on the management team for Much Ado About Nothing with AU Players. She is super excited to stage manage her first production for AUTD and hopes you enjoy the work of this talented cast and crew!

Jonathon Dickey (Man 2) is a junior music theatre major from Auburn, AL. Some of his previous credits at Auburn include Pippin (Pippin), Into the Woods (Jack), and Spring Awakening (Hanschen Rilow). He is excited to be part of the show!

Annabell Mallard (Sound Designer) (she/her/hers) is a senior BFA theatre management major from Norcross, GA. Her previous credits include Pippin (Sound Designer/Engineer), Twelfth Night (Assistant Sound Designer/Engineer), Into the Woods (Sound Engineer), and The Wolves (Sound Designer, AME, House Manager) as well as being the summer season sound designer/lead engineer at Porthouse Theatre in Kent, OH over the summer. Annabell also serves as the Mosaic Theatre Company stage manager.

Bethany Novotny (Woman 3) is thrilled to be a part of this production of Edges. Originally from Arizona, she is a junior currently pursuing her BFA in music theatre with a minor in business. Previous Auburn credits include Pippin (Fastrada), Into The Woods (Stepmother), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Demetrius), and A Doll's House Part 2 (Nora). She is so thankful to the wonderful cast and crew who made this production possible.

Sydney Pereira (Woman 1) is a junior BFA music theatre major from Elon, NC. Her previous AUTD credits include Pippin (Catherine), The Wolves (#2), and A Doll’s House Part 2 (Emmy). She is so excited and grateful to be a part of this production!

Alex Pharo (Man 1) is a marketing major from Madison, AL who is excited for his first production with Auburn University Theatre and Dance. Professional/Community credits include Matilda (Big Kid Ensemble), Heathers (JD), Rent (Steve/ Ensemble), and Legally Blonde (Emmett Forrest). Alex is also a member of the Auburn University Singers.

Megan Starling (Assistant Stage Manager) is currently a junior majoring in wildlife sciences: pre-veterinary medicine and minoring in theatre and honors business. While she worked on a few productions in high school her proudest being Beauty and the Beast, in which she acted as choreographer and performed the lead role of Belle — Edges is her first production in which she is serving as assistant stage manager. She hopes you all find as much joy in this experience as she has. She believes there could have been no better cast and crew to work with. Enjoy the show!

Katie Wolfe (Scenic and Lighting Designer) is a senior BFA design/technology and BEE electrical engineering double major with minors in studio art animation and nuclear power generation systems. Her recent AUTD credits include The Wolves (Lighting Designer) and A Doll’s House (Assistant Scenic Designer). Outside of the theatre she serves as the Vice President for the Eta Kappa Nu IEEE Honors Society and is a member of the North American Young Generation in Nuclear Auburn Chapter. Katie would like to thank her family, friends, and mentors for supporting her during her senior project.

Guest Artist Biography

Emma Fox (Costume Designer) is a 2021 Auburn alum who is very excited to be back in the Telfair B. Peet! They graduated with a BFA in music theatre, and worked as a costume shop assistant for two years. The education Emma received at Auburn led them to design multiple shows after graduation. When they are not working as a costumer backstage, they spend their time onstage, most recently in the ensemble of Escape to Margaritaville at Virginia Samford Theatre in Birmingham, AL. Emma would like to thank Jenni Salter and Tracy Oleinick for their constant support and help throughout this process. They would also like to thank their friends and family for their constant love and support! War Eagle! @officially.emma.fox

THANK YOU, DONORS!

We are profoundly grateful to our generous donors. Every gift helps to support the work of our department and our incredible theatre and dance students.

Caleb Barrow

Ann Beale

Dr. Lourdes Betanzos

Lee Bryan

Ashley Butler

Pallie & Kyle Butler

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Ann Crutchfield

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Dorothy J. Dailey

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Higginbotham Family

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Stew Ives

Jeff and Robin Jenkins

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Rev. Brian (‘97) & Mrs. Christina D. (‘96) Miller

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We need your permission to list your name. This listing includes all donors who have given us permission to list as of the time of printing. If your name is missing and you’d like to be included, please contact us to be added to the next program.

Support Theatre and Dance at Auburn

We are especially in need of gifts to support our Theatre and Dance Scholarship Fund. Our students depend on scholarship support to keep up rigorous academic and creative schedules, and to balance the various aspects of student life. Every gift, no matter the size, will make a difference! auburngiving.org/theatre | 334.844.4748 |

| 2022-23

We are beyond grateful that we received support from over 180 donors during Tiger Giving Day on February 22. Your generosity and support resulted in funds to purchase at least 12 industry-standard sewing machines for our costume shop. Everyone in our department, especially our students, thank you for your generosity and continued support of our efforts in our classrooms and on our stages!

Join Auburn dance professors and choreographers, along with numerous honored guest artists from important moments in the program’s history, to honor the labor of generations of Auburn dancers and dream of the countless possibilities for the future.

Thursday, April 20 (Talkback after)

Friday, April 21

Saturday, April 22

Sunday, April 23 (Matinee)

DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND DANCE

Our Mission

Theatre has the potential to foster dialogue, alter perceptions, and inspire social change. The Auburn University Department of Theatre and Dance is dedicated to the education and professional training of theatre artists, scholars, and audiences within a liberal arts environment.

The Department champions the interaction between theory and practice and produces citizen artists who advocate for the arts through their own work in local, national, and international communities.

Auburn University theatre and dance students think critically, creatively, and collaboratively and carry their knowledge from rehearsal spaces and classrooms to stages, campuses, and communities worldwide.

Learn more about our department and degree tracks at: auburnuniversitytheatre.org

Administrative Staff

Department Chair: Chase Bringardner

Office Administrators: Becky Henderson, Hannah Herndon Marketing Coordinator: Magalí Zaslabsky

Graphic Designer: Ashley Butler

Student Staff:

Box Office Assistants: Olivia Beland, Antonisia Collins, Presley McQuiddy-Gasparlin, Sydney Pereira, Madeline Schlaman

Costume Studio Assistants: Camryn Chapman, Mary Grace Sullivan, Avonlea Yeakley

Paints & Props Assistant: Claudia Peeples

Production Assistant: Antonavia Collins

Marketing/Recruitment Assistants: Nikki Ahlf, Bethany Novotny, Ella Taylor

Scenic Studio Assistants: Annabell Mallard, Matthew/Maddie Smith

Sound & Lighting Assistant: Katie Wolfe

Wig Assistants: Whitley Adams, Fox Snead

Follow @auburnuniversitytheatre on Facebook and Instagram

Auburn University is an equal opportunity educational institution/employer.

Top and center photos by Jeff Etheridge; bottom photo by Ashley Butler