Supporting Our Students Our theatre students are some of the hardest working students on campus. They depend on scholarship support to keep up rigorous academic and creative schedules, and to balance the various aspects of student life. You can help support our hardworking student citizen artists by making a donation online today!
auburngiving.org/theatre | 334.844.4748
OUR AUBURN UNIVERSITY THEATRE DONORS Arthur and Barbara Wilke, Pallie and Kylie Butler, Carol and Ralph Womer, Ms. Melissa Brown Herkt, Ms. Leslie Swartz, Jana Gutierrez Kerns, Caroline Glisson, Robert Grace We thank all our patrons for any contribution made during the 2020-2021 season. Your generous gift is in support of the student scholarship fund.
Department of Theatre Staff ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Department Chair: Chase Bringardner Office Administrators: Becky Henderson, Lisa Queen
Marketing Coordinator: Rachele DeLuca Graphic Designer: Ashley Butler
STUDENT STAFF Production Assistant: Anna Vu Sound & Lighting Assistant: Catherine Pyle Scenic Studio Assistants: Matthew Smith, Mal Waggoner Costume Studio Assistants: Emma Fox, Bailey Hammett, Julianna Devaney
Wig Assistant: Ashley Digiovanni Paints and Props Assistant: Lauryn Ross Box Office Assistants: Ebony Strong, Addison Peacock, Lauren Selvia, Kaitlin Watson Marketing/Recruitment Assistants: Zac Moss, Jenna Viana, Katie Pappas
Our Mission
Theatre has the potential to foster dialogue, alter perceptions and inspire social change. The Auburn University Department of Theatre is dedicated to the education and professional training of theatre artists, scholars and audiences within a liberal arts environment. The Department of Theatre 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 students think critically, creatively, and collaboratively and carry their knowledge from rehearsal spaces and classrooms to stages, campuses, and communities worldwide.
Land Acknowledgement Auburn University Theatre acknowledges and honors the Indigenous communities native to this region, and recognizes the Telfair B. Peet Theatre is built on Indigenous homelands and resources. We recognize the Muscogee/ Creek people as past, present and future caretakers of this land.
Auburn University Theatre • 2020-21 Season
auburnuniversitytheatre.org
Artistic Team
Production Team
Director: Ashley Butler
Staff Technical Director: Matt Gist
Guest Playwrights and Poets: Brinson Allen Cristopher Bangert Charlcie Hathorn Ellen Koivisto Conor LaRocque Rachel Luann Strayer Kate Schwartz Brantley Waller
Assistant Staff Technical Director: Cameron Lucas
Devising and Additional Writing: Ensemble, Ashley Butler
Wardrobe Crew: Navi Collins, Nikki Ahlf
Spoken Word/BIPOC Workshop Facilitator: Richard Trammell Jr.
Scenic Artist: Mal Waggoner
Artistic Director: Chase Bringardner
Arrangements and Orchestrations: James Mablin Costume Designer: Emma Fox Lighting Designer: Catherine Pyle Scenic Designer: Lauryn Ross Sound Designer/Engineer: Katie Wolfe Additional Sound Design: Ashley Butler Audio Assistant: Annabell Mallard Motion Graphics Designer: Katie Wolfe Virtual Background Designers: Ashley Butler, Lauryn Ross Choreographers: Jeri Dickey, Ensemble Dramaturg: Edward Ortego
Due to COVID-19-related restrictions, all Auburn University Theatre fall 2020 productions are pre-recorded performances delivered to our patrons virtually. The video of each show is available for on-demand viewing over a limited period of time, during which patrons can comfortably enjoy the performances on their electronic devices. This production includes content pre-recorded primarily through the Zoom platform, with additional filming completed at Telfair Peet Theatre and the Gogue Center for the Performing Arts.
Together Apart:
Director of Production: Katie Shade
A Socially Distanced Collaboration Conceived and Directed by Ashley Butler
Costume Shop Manager: Jennifer Salter Stage Manager: Sarah Godwin Props Coordinator: Edward Ortego Master Electrician: Matthew Smith
The Ensemble
Antonisia Collins Jordan Denson Ashley Digiovanni Mickie Felder Holden Mathison Jenna Viana Olivia Zeagler
Wardrobe Supervisor: Bailey Hammett Charge Artist: Lauryn Ross Video Consultant: Katie Wolfe Set Videographer: Henry Eiland Video Editors: Ashley Butler, Henry Eiland, Katie Wolfe Set Photographer: Catherine Pyle Photographers: Ashley Butler, Edward Ortego, Fereshteh Rostampour, Katie Wolfe Patron Service Assistant: Ebony Strong Accessibility Coordinator: Rachele DeLuca
Director's Note
Restrictions related to COVID-19 required the content and format of this production adapt (several times!) to current conditions. As we grappled with how best to reach our audience and provide a quality production experience for our students, we explored several potential iterations of this show, resulting in a “performative experiment” that quite literally explored finding connection through necessary layers of physical distance and virtual space. The process for developing this show included a monthlong workshop in which the company devised and curated content that speaks to the cultural and emotional conditions of our times. And boy, the times have been fraught with uncertainty about what it means to be together — and apart — in space, on the issues and in our core values for the world. It was important to me as director not just to cast a personal vision for the show, but to really listen to my student actors and create space for them to be heard...to name what challenges them, concerns them, and angers them; to call on what comforts them and gives them hope and purpose; and to boldly express what they want to say about the world as they see it. This process resulted in the examination and creation of content related largely to the COVID-19 global pandemic and recent waves of unrest around systemic racial oppression — subjects that may be difficult for some viewers. Auburn University Theatre is dedicated to presenting works as created, without censorship. We respect that all people do not share the same views, but we hope, through this show, that we can find common ground in our shared experiences of longing, loss, frustration, humor and hope.
Special Thanks
Production Crews
Auburn University Theatre gratefully acknowledges support for this production from the Office of the Provost of Auburn University.
Scenic Studio:
Johnathan Davis, Bailey Fenn, Elle Hartman, Will Hornbostel, Enyan Li, Mary Keyton, Annabell Mallard, Maddie Maradik, Holden Mathison, Edward Ortego, Yunqi Ouyang, Claudia Peeples, Olivia Price, Lauryn Ross, Eliot Snead, Lauren Selvia, Luke Sexton, Matthew Smith, Landry Tharp, Mal Waggoner, Brantley Waller, Rose Williams, Katie Wolfe, Olivia Zeagler
Costume Studio:
Whitley Adams, Brin Allen, Ashleigh Avallone, Camryn Chapman, Navi Collins, Nisi Collins, Jordan Denson, Julianna Devaney, Ashley Digiovanni, Shelby Dupree, Mickie Felder, Charlcie Hathorn, Bailey Hammett, Enyan Li, Lauren Northcutt, Grace Moebes, Sydney Pereira, Mary Grace Sullivan, Jenna Viana, Cassie Vitale, Greye West
We wish to extend special thanks to our guest playwrights and poets — Brinson Allen, Cristopher Bangert, Charlcie Hathorn, Ellen Koivisto, Conor LaRocque, Rachel Luann Strayer, Kate Schwartz and Brantley Waller — as well as to the following for their time and resources: Elizabeth Benson, Chris Burke, Dott Dailey, Jane Dailey, Jeri Dickey, Taylor Dyleski, Gogue Center for the Performing Arts, Henry Eiland and Visual Poetry Studio, Jamie Mablin and Richard Trammell Jr.
Don't miss our next production! Despite all the uncertainty of recent times, one constant that remains is our season’s focus squarely on the work of our students. They find themselves in an unprecedented moment for young artists. Yet rather than simply focus on lack or loss, we have challenged our students to make the most of this moment to build new skills and adapt and evolve, like theatre people do, to new sets of circumstances. Our 2020-2021 season champions these “changing stages” by offering shows that showcase student work in new and exciting formats. auburn.edu
Auburn University Theatre • 2020-21 Season
|
DECEMBER 7-13 | AU THEATRE @ HOME
Little Women from the novel by Louisa May Alcott by Kate Hamill Adapted
Directed by Daydrie Hague AN AUDIOPLAY WITH VISUALS
theatretickets.auburn.edu 334.844.4154
Auburn University is an equal opportunity educational institution/employer.
auburnuniversitytheatre.org
Artistic Team
Production Team
Director: Ashley Butler
Staff Technical Director: Matt Gist
Guest Playwrights and Poets: Brinson Allen Cristopher Bangert Charlcie Hathorn Ellen Koivisto Conor LaRocque Rachel Luann Strayer Kate Schwartz Brantley Waller
Assistant Staff Technical Director: Cameron Lucas
Devising and Additional Writing: Ensemble, Ashley Butler
Wardrobe Crew: Navi Collins, Nikki Ahlf
Spoken Word/BIPOC Workshop Facilitator: Richard Trammell Jr.
Scenic Artist: Mal Waggoner
Artistic Director: Chase Bringardner
Arrangements and Orchestrations: James Mablin Costume Designer: Emma Fox Lighting Designer: Catherine Pyle Scenic Designer: Lauryn Ross Sound Designer/Engineer: Katie Wolfe Additional Sound Design: Ashley Butler Audio Assistant: Annabell Mallard Motion Graphics Designer: Katie Wolfe Virtual Background Designers: Ashley Butler, Lauryn Ross Choreographers: Jeri Dickey, Ensemble Dramaturg: Edward Ortego
Due to COVID-19-related restrictions, all Auburn University Theatre fall 2020 productions are pre-recorded performances delivered to our patrons virtually. The video of each show is available for on-demand viewing over a limited period of time, during which patrons can comfortably enjoy the performances on their electronic devices. This production includes content pre-recorded primarily through the Zoom platform, with additional filming completed at Telfair Peet Theatre and the Gogue Center for the Performing Arts.
Together Apart:
Director of Production: Katie Shade
A Socially Distanced Collaboration Conceived and Directed by Ashley Butler
Costume Shop Manager: Jennifer Salter Stage Manager: Sarah Godwin Props Coordinator: Edward Ortego Master Electrician: Matthew Smith
The Ensemble
Antonisia Collins Jordan Denson Ashley Digiovanni Mickie Felder Holden Mathison Jenna Viana Olivia Zeagler
Wardrobe Supervisor: Bailey Hammett Charge Artist: Lauryn Ross Video Consultant: Katie Wolfe Set Videographer: Henry Eiland Video Editors: Ashley Butler, Henry Eiland, Katie Wolfe Set Photographer: Catherine Pyle Photographers: Ashley Butler, Edward Ortego, Fereshteh Rostampour, Katie Wolfe Patron Service Assistant: Ebony Strong Accessibility Coordinator: Rachele DeLuca
Director's Note
Restrictions related to COVID-19 required the content and format of this production adapt (several times!) to current conditions. As we grappled with how best to reach our audience and provide a quality production experience for our students, we explored several potential iterations of this show, resulting in a “performative experiment” that quite literally explored finding connection through necessary layers of physical distance and virtual space. The process for developing this show included a monthlong workshop in which the company devised and curated content that speaks to the cultural and emotional conditions of our times. And boy, the times have been fraught with uncertainty about what it means to be together — and apart — in space, on the issues and in our core values for the world. It was important to me as director not just to cast a personal vision for the show, but to really listen to my student actors and create space for them to be heard...to name what challenges them, concerns them, and angers them; to call on what comforts them and gives them hope and purpose; and to boldly express what they want to say about the world as they see it. This process resulted in the examination and creation of content related largely to the COVID-19 global pandemic and recent waves of unrest around systemic racial oppression — subjects that may be difficult for some viewers. Auburn University Theatre is dedicated to presenting works as created, without censorship. We respect that all people do not share the same views, but we hope, through this show, that we can find common ground in our shared experiences of longing, loss, frustration, humor and hope.
Special Thanks
Production Crews
Auburn University Theatre gratefully acknowledges support for this production from the Office of the Provost of Auburn University.
Scenic Studio:
Johnathan Davis, Bailey Fenn, Elle Hartman, Will Hornbostel, Enyan Li, Mary Keyton, Annabell Mallard, Maddie Maradik, Holden Mathison, Edward Ortego, Yunqi Ouyang, Claudia Peeples, Olivia Price, Lauryn Ross, Eliot Snead, Lauren Selvia, Luke Sexton, Matthew Smith, Landry Tharp, Mal Waggoner, Brantley Waller, Rose Williams, Katie Wolfe, Olivia Zeagler
Costume Studio:
Whitley Adams, Brin Allen, Ashleigh Avallone, Camryn Chapman, Navi Collins, Nisi Collins, Jordan Denson, Julianna Devaney, Ashley Digiovanni, Shelby Dupree, Mickie Felder, Charlcie Hathorn, Bailey Hammett, Enyan Li, Lauren Northcutt, Grace Moebes, Sydney Pereira, Mary Grace Sullivan, Jenna Viana, Cassie Vitale, Greye West
We wish to extend special thanks to our guest playwrights and poets — Brinson Allen, Cristopher Bangert, Charlcie Hathorn, Ellen Koivisto, Conor LaRocque, Rachel Luann Strayer, Kate Schwartz and Brantley Waller — as well as to the following for their time and resources: Elizabeth Benson, Chris Burke, Dott Dailey, Jane Dailey, Jeri Dickey, Taylor Dyleski, Gogue Center for the Performing Arts, Henry Eiland and Visual Poetry Studio, Jamie Mablin and Richard Trammell Jr.
Don't miss our next production! Despite all the uncertainty of recent times, one constant that remains is our season’s focus squarely on the work of our students. They find themselves in an unprecedented moment for young artists. Yet rather than simply focus on lack or loss, we have challenged our students to make the most of this moment to build new skills and adapt and evolve, like theatre people do, to new sets of circumstances. Our 2020-2021 season champions these “changing stages” by offering shows that showcase student work in new and exciting formats. auburn.edu
Auburn University Theatre • 2020-21 Season
|
DECEMBER 7-13 | AU THEATRE @ HOME
Little Women from the novel by Louisa May Alcott by Kate Hamill Adapted
Directed by Daydrie Hague AN AUDIOPLAY WITH VISUALS
theatretickets.auburn.edu 334.844.4154
Auburn University is an equal opportunity educational institution/employer.
auburnuniversitytheatre.org
Scene Breakdown
Unless otherwise noted below, devised pieces were written by the ensemble and director.
Prologue
“Hope” by Jason Robert Brown*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mickie Felder But Is It Theatre? (devised) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ensemble
Chapter 1: Apart
Transition: “Waving Through a Window” by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Holden Mathison Light by Rachel Luann Strayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jordan Denson and Mickie Felder “My future might be a pipe dream” by Brinson Allen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Antonisia Collins The Sign (devised) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ensemble “Mad World” by Roland Orzabal*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ensemble Available Light by Conor LaRocque. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Holden Mathison, Olivia Zeagler Masking the Truth (devised). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ensemble “Noses” by Brinson Allen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mickie Felder Open Channels by Cristopher Bangert. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ashley Digiovanni, Jordan Denson, Olivia Zeagler Open Mic Night #1 (devised). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ensemble “Pain, Fear, Death” by Ashley Digiovanni “Lucky” by Jenna Viana (featuring “What a Wonderful World” by George David Weiss and Bob Thiele) PeacefulME by Kate Schwartz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jordan Denson, Ashley Digiovanni, Mickie Felder, Olivia Zeagler So Long (devised). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mickie Felder, Holden Mathison, Olivia Zeagler (Featuring “In Lieu of Flowers” by Shawna Lemay , “Respiration” by Jamaal May, and “In Blackwater Woods” by Mary Oliver)
Transition: “My Love, My Life” by Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson, and Björn Ulvaeus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Olivia Zeagler (Featuring “Separation” by W.S. Merwin)
Intermission (4 minutes)
“If the World Was Ending” by Jonathan Saxe and Julia Michaels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ashley Digiovanni, Mickie Felder
Chapter 2: Movement
Transition: “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye, Al Cleveland, and Renaldo Benson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Antonisia Collins Take It To the Streets (devised). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ensemble Open Mic Night #2 (devised). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ensemble “Numbers” by Jordan Denson “America the Great?” by Holden Mathison “Military Brat” by Mickie Felder (featuring “The Star-Spangled Banner” by Francis Scott Key and John Stafford Smith) “Good Morning America” by Antonisia Collins “Definitions” by Olivia Zeagler “Here’s What You Need to Know” by Jordan Denson (featuring “Glory” by Lonnie Lynn, Che Smith, and John Stephens) “Nap Time is Over” by Charlcie Hathorn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jordan Denson, Holden Mathison, Jenna Viana
Chapter 3: Together
Transition: “From a Distance” by Julie Gold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jenna Viana Keep Working by Ellen Koivisto. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Antonisia Collins, Mickie Felder, Holden Mathison, Jenna Viana “If I could be anywhere in the world” by Jenna Viana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jenna Viana “Loving the One” by Brantley Waller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ashley Digiovanni, Mickie Felder, Olivia Zeagler “No One Is Alone” by Stephen Sondheim*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ashley Digiovanni Light the Way Back by Rachel Luann Strayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ensemble Call to Action (devised). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Antonisia Collins *Arrangement and Orchestration by James Mablin
Content Warning: The Sign contains suggestions of intimate partner violence; some Open Mic Night pieces contain suggestions of violence, racism, and sexual assault; Light the Way Back contains a suggestion of mass terror. Some pieces contain adult language.
Short plays and poems by guest playwrights and poets used with permission of the authors of those works. Additional poetry used per the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Poetry. Vocal and instrumental music performed by our ensemble and musicians covered under Auburn University’s blanket licenses with BMI and ASCAP. Additional photography and instrumental music licensed via royalty-free stock sources.
Auburn University Theatre • 2020-21 Season
Company Biographies Antonisia Collins (Ensemble) is a sophomore music theatre major at Auburn University. She has been cast in three Auburn Theatre productions so far and is hoping to be in many more. She has loved theatre since she was little and is excited to continue her years at Auburn University. Jordan Denson (Ensemble) is a sophomore at Auburn University and is very excited to be a part of this collaborative piece. He enjoys writing alongside acting and has thoroughly enjoyed contributing to the construction of Together Apart. Ashley Digiovanni (Ensemble) is a junior BFA music theatre major from Marietta, GA. Previous Auburn Theatre credits include: Bring It On (Ensemble), The Theory of Relativity (“Promise Me This”), and Big Fish (Alabama Lamb/Ensemble). She’s so excited to be a part of this production and hopes you enjoy! Mickie Felder (Ensemble) is a sophomore music theatre major from Opelika, Alabama. This is her debut show with Auburn University Theatre, however in the past she has been closely involved with the Opelika High Theatre Society. Credits include The Little Mermaid (Ursula), The Civil War (Harriet), and Peter Pan (Mrs. Darling). Sarah Godwin (Stage Manager) is a senior BFA stage management student, receiving a concurrent degree in history. She has previously stage managed Alabama Love Stories and The Belle’s Stratagem. Sarah would like to thank her parents, Ashley Butler, and Sarah Chandler for their support. Holden Mathison (Ensemble) is a junior BFA music theatre major. His previous credits with Auburn University Theatre include Ensemble in Big Fish, “Pi”/“Lipstick” in The Theory of Relativity, and Steven in Bring It On. Holden is thankful for his family and Ashley Butler. Jenna Viana (Ensemble) is a junior BFA music theatre major, history minor, and dance minor from San Diego, CA. Previous credits: Bring It On (Eva), The Theory of Relativity (“Me & Ricky”) and Big Fish (Jenny Hill). Jenna would like to thank her friends and family for their love and support. @jenna.viana Olivia Zeagler (Ensemble) is a senior music theatre and English Literature major from Shreveport, Louisiana. Her previous Auburn University Theatre credits include Bring It On (Campbell Davis), The Theory of Relativity (“Lipstick,” “The End of the Line”), Big Fish (The Mermaid), and Chicago (Annie, Roxie u/s). She would like to thank her family and friends. War Eagle!
Guest Artist Biographies Brinson Allen (“My future might be a pipe dream” and “Noses”) is a freshman majoring in theatre and history from Spanish Fort, AL. Some of her previous theatre credits include Les Misérables (Fantine), Godspell (Anna Maria), Arsenic and Old Lace (Aunt Martha). Cristopher Bangert (Open Channels) is a graduate student pursing a MA in English: Creative Writing after attending Auburn University for two undergraduate degrees in English and Biology. This is their first produced play, but they have several published poems. Cristopher is also a third-year member of the Mosaic Theatre Company. Charlcie Hathorn (“Naptime Is Over”) is a junior BFA performance major, hailing from Tallassee, AL. Auburn Theatre credits include: The Belle’s Stratagem (Gibson) and Marion Bridge (Understandy). Charlcie is also grateful to be a member of Mosaic Theatre Company, where she has had opportunities to collaborate with peers writing and devising performance pieces surrounding social inequity and humanist perspectives. Ellen Koivisto (Keep Working) is a life-long, ardent, absolutely terrified environmentalist. We must act NOW, every day, if we’re to have any chance of preserving the ability of this planet to support life larger than a breadbox. Koivisto is an award-winning playwright who co-founded Theatre Artist’s Conspiracy, ran the TAC Limelight Playwriting workshop and was associate program director of The Scene Shop in San Francisco, co-produced the Bay Area Shakespeare Marathon, and is a 2010 Directors’ Lab West alumni. She has done voiceover work locally and internationally, and has directed and acted throughout the San Francisco Bay Area for over three decades. Ellen Koivisto is a member of Dramatists Guild of America, Inc. Conor LaRocque (Available Light) received a B.A. in English at Rhodes College. His one-act play, Boots, was a finalist at Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s Young Southern Writers Project in 2011. The play was later performed as a staged reading at New York’s Lucille Lortel Theatre in 2013. He earned a Playwriting M.F.A. from Catholic University of America, where his full-length thesis play, Ad Nauseam, was produced in 2019. This year, he was a KCACTF Region 2 Semi-Finalist for the Gary Garrison National Ten-Minute Play Award. Rachel Luann Strayer (Light and Light the Way Back) is a Pennsylvania playwright with an MFA from Wilkes University. Her full-length plays include Drowning Ophelia (Repurposed Theatre, Gaslight Theatre Company, Philadelphia Fringe Festival, University of Idaho); The Poe Asylum (Scranton Fringe Festival, Keystone College); The Last Daughter (Finalist, 2020 Jane Chambers Award for Excellence in Feminist Playwriting); and Songbird, which was selected for The Bechdel Group’s 2019 Fall Reading Series in New York City and a reading with Premiere Stages at Kean University in 2020. A Decameron for the Apocalypse is her first play for young adults. Rachel currently resides in Lancaster, PA. Kate Schwartz (PeacefulME) is currently working towards her MFA in Writing for Stage and Screen at University of Nebraska Omaha. In March 2019, Kate’s play, LEAR/LOMAN, was awarded “Festival Feature” at 2 Cent Theatre’s Acting Out INK Fest (Hollywood, CA). It was chosen “Best of INK Fest” and won five more performances at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in June 2019. In October 2019, Kate had a staged concert-reading of Venus and Mars for Chicago Dramatists/Playwrights Aloud. Her ten-minute play, Retreat in the Berkshires, was included as part of the 2020 Fringe Festival of the Playwriting Symposium at the Mid-America Theatre Conference (Chicago) in March 2020, and has an upcoming reading at Unidentified Stages at the South Orange Performing Arts Festival in South Orange, NJ. Her one-act, Thou Roguish, Boilbrained, Coxcomb was published in The Drama Notebook Spring/Summer 2020. Her ten-minute play, PeacefulME, won “Best of Fest” at the No Pants Theatre Festival’s Zoom Readings of 34 plays in Los Angeles, California (April 2020). Her 10-minute play, Nothing Lasts, received a full virtual production at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson, NY in summer 2020. Richard Trammell Jr. (Spoken Word/BIPOC Workshop Facilitator) Richard is from Lanett, AL, and is a graduate of Auburn University with a B.A. in Theatre. Richard is a poet, dramaturg, playwright, and theater teacher. You can also catch Richard with The FIFTY FUND, a non-profit organization focused on creating clean, safe, and beautiful communities. Brantley Waller (“Loving the One”) is a senior from Chelsea, AL studying Theatre Performance, Visual Media, and Spanish. She is also a member of the Mosaic Theatre Company. Some of her previous credits at Auburn include Louise (Marion Bridge) and Elvira (Blithe Spirit). This is her first produced written work. Social icon
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auburnuniversitytheatre.org
Scene Breakdown
Unless otherwise noted below, devised pieces were written by the ensemble and director.
Prologue
“Hope” by Jason Robert Brown*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mickie Felder But Is It Theatre? (devised) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ensemble
Chapter 1: Apart
Transition: “Waving Through a Window” by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Holden Mathison Light by Rachel Luann Strayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jordan Denson and Mickie Felder “My future might be a pipe dream” by Brinson Allen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Antonisia Collins The Sign (devised) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ensemble “Mad World” by Roland Orzabal*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ensemble Available Light by Conor LaRocque. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Holden Mathison, Olivia Zeagler Masking the Truth (devised). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ensemble “Noses” by Brinson Allen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mickie Felder Open Channels by Cristopher Bangert. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ashley Digiovanni, Jordan Denson, Olivia Zeagler Open Mic Night #1 (devised). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ensemble “Pain, Fear, Death” by Ashley Digiovanni “Lucky” by Jenna Viana (featuring “What a Wonderful World” by George David Weiss and Bob Thiele) PeacefulME by Kate Schwartz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jordan Denson, Ashley Digiovanni, Mickie Felder, Olivia Zeagler So Long (devised). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mickie Felder, Holden Mathison, Olivia Zeagler (Featuring “In Lieu of Flowers” by Shawna Lemay , “Respiration” by Jamaal May, and “In Blackwater Woods” by Mary Oliver)
Transition: “My Love, My Life” by Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson, and Björn Ulvaeus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Olivia Zeagler (Featuring “Separation” by W.S. Merwin)
Intermission (4 minutes)
“If the World Was Ending” by Jonathan Saxe and Julia Michaels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ashley Digiovanni, Mickie Felder
Chapter 2: Movement
Transition: “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye, Al Cleveland, and Renaldo Benson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Antonisia Collins Take It To the Streets (devised). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ensemble Open Mic Night #2 (devised). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ensemble “Numbers” by Jordan Denson “America the Great?” by Holden Mathison “Military Brat” by Mickie Felder (featuring “The Star-Spangled Banner” by Francis Scott Key and John Stafford Smith) “Good Morning America” by Antonisia Collins “Definitions” by Olivia Zeagler “Here’s What You Need to Know” by Jordan Denson (featuring “Glory” by Lonnie Lynn, Che Smith, and John Stephens) “Nap Time is Over” by Charlcie Hathorn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jordan Denson, Holden Mathison, Jenna Viana
Chapter 3: Together
Transition: “From a Distance” by Julie Gold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jenna Viana Keep Working by Ellen Koivisto. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Antonisia Collins, Mickie Felder, Holden Mathison, Jenna Viana “If I could be anywhere in the world” by Jenna Viana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jenna Viana “Loving the One” by Brantley Waller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ashley Digiovanni, Mickie Felder, Olivia Zeagler “No One Is Alone” by Stephen Sondheim*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ashley Digiovanni Light the Way Back by Rachel Luann Strayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ensemble Call to Action (devised). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Antonisia Collins *Arrangement and Orchestration by James Mablin
Content Warning: The Sign contains suggestions of intimate partner violence; some Open Mic Night pieces contain suggestions of violence, racism, and sexual assault; Light the Way Back contains a suggestion of mass terror. Some pieces contain adult language.
Short plays and poems by guest playwrights and poets used with permission of the authors of those works. Additional poetry used per the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Poetry. Vocal and instrumental music performed by our ensemble and musicians covered under Auburn University’s blanket licenses with BMI and ASCAP. Additional photography and instrumental music licensed via royalty-free stock sources.
Auburn University Theatre • 2020-21 Season
Company Biographies Antonisia Collins (Ensemble) is a sophomore music theatre major at Auburn University. She has been cast in three Auburn Theatre productions so far and is hoping to be in many more. She has loved theatre since she was little and is excited to continue her years at Auburn University. Jordan Denson (Ensemble) is a sophomore at Auburn University and is very excited to be a part of this collaborative piece. He enjoys writing alongside acting and has thoroughly enjoyed contributing to the construction of Together Apart. Ashley Digiovanni (Ensemble) is a junior BFA music theatre major from Marietta, GA. Previous Auburn Theatre credits include: Bring It On (Ensemble), The Theory of Relativity (“Promise Me This”), and Big Fish (Alabama Lamb/Ensemble). She’s so excited to be a part of this production and hopes you enjoy! Mickie Felder (Ensemble) is a sophomore music theatre major from Opelika, Alabama. This is her debut show with Auburn University Theatre, however in the past she has been closely involved with the Opelika High Theatre Society. Credits include The Little Mermaid (Ursula), The Civil War (Harriet), and Peter Pan (Mrs. Darling). Sarah Godwin (Stage Manager) is a senior BFA stage management student, receiving a concurrent degree in history. She has previously stage managed Alabama Love Stories and The Belle’s Stratagem. Sarah would like to thank her parents, Ashley Butler, and Sarah Chandler for their support. Holden Mathison (Ensemble) is a junior BFA music theatre major. His previous credits with Auburn University Theatre include Ensemble in Big Fish, “Pi”/“Lipstick” in The Theory of Relativity, and Steven in Bring It On. Holden is thankful for his family and Ashley Butler. Jenna Viana (Ensemble) is a junior BFA music theatre major, history minor, and dance minor from San Diego, CA. Previous credits: Bring It On (Eva), The Theory of Relativity (“Me & Ricky”) and Big Fish (Jenny Hill). Jenna would like to thank her friends and family for their love and support. @jenna.viana Olivia Zeagler (Ensemble) is a senior music theatre and English Literature major from Shreveport, Louisiana. Her previous Auburn University Theatre credits include Bring It On (Campbell Davis), The Theory of Relativity (“Lipstick,” “The End of the Line”), Big Fish (The Mermaid), and Chicago (Annie, Roxie u/s). She would like to thank her family and friends. War Eagle!
Guest Artist Biographies Brinson Allen (“My future might be a pipe dream” and “Noses”) is a freshman majoring in theatre and history from Spanish Fort, AL. Some of her previous theatre credits include Les Misérables (Fantine), Godspell (Anna Maria), Arsenic and Old Lace (Aunt Martha). Cristopher Bangert (Open Channels) is a graduate student pursing a MA in English: Creative Writing after attending Auburn University for two undergraduate degrees in English and Biology. This is their first produced play, but they have several published poems. Cristopher is also a third-year member of the Mosaic Theatre Company. Charlcie Hathorn (“Naptime Is Over”) is a junior BFA performance major, hailing from Tallassee, AL. Auburn Theatre credits include: The Belle’s Stratagem (Gibson) and Marion Bridge (Understandy). Charlcie is also grateful to be a member of Mosaic Theatre Company, where she has had opportunities to collaborate with peers writing and devising performance pieces surrounding social inequity and humanist perspectives. Ellen Koivisto (Keep Working) is a life-long, ardent, absolutely terrified environmentalist. We must act NOW, every day, if we’re to have any chance of preserving the ability of this planet to support life larger than a breadbox. Koivisto is an award-winning playwright who co-founded Theatre Artist’s Conspiracy, ran the TAC Limelight Playwriting workshop and was associate program director of The Scene Shop in San Francisco, co-produced the Bay Area Shakespeare Marathon, and is a 2010 Directors’ Lab West alumni. She has done voiceover work locally and internationally, and has directed and acted throughout the San Francisco Bay Area for over three decades. Ellen Koivisto is a member of Dramatists Guild of America, Inc. Conor LaRocque (Available Light) received a B.A. in English at Rhodes College. His one-act play, Boots, was a finalist at Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s Young Southern Writers Project in 2011. The play was later performed as a staged reading at New York’s Lucille Lortel Theatre in 2013. He earned a Playwriting M.F.A. from Catholic University of America, where his full-length thesis play, Ad Nauseam, was produced in 2019. This year, he was a KCACTF Region 2 Semi-Finalist for the Gary Garrison National Ten-Minute Play Award. Rachel Luann Strayer (Light and Light the Way Back) is a Pennsylvania playwright with an MFA from Wilkes University. Her full-length plays include Drowning Ophelia (Repurposed Theatre, Gaslight Theatre Company, Philadelphia Fringe Festival, University of Idaho); The Poe Asylum (Scranton Fringe Festival, Keystone College); The Last Daughter (Finalist, 2020 Jane Chambers Award for Excellence in Feminist Playwriting); and Songbird, which was selected for The Bechdel Group’s 2019 Fall Reading Series in New York City and a reading with Premiere Stages at Kean University in 2020. A Decameron for the Apocalypse is her first play for young adults. Rachel currently resides in Lancaster, PA. Kate Schwartz (PeacefulME) is currently working towards her MFA in Writing for Stage and Screen at University of Nebraska Omaha. In March 2019, Kate’s play, LEAR/LOMAN, was awarded “Festival Feature” at 2 Cent Theatre’s Acting Out INK Fest (Hollywood, CA). It was chosen “Best of INK Fest” and won five more performances at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in June 2019. In October 2019, Kate had a staged concert-reading of Venus and Mars for Chicago Dramatists/Playwrights Aloud. Her ten-minute play, Retreat in the Berkshires, was included as part of the 2020 Fringe Festival of the Playwriting Symposium at the Mid-America Theatre Conference (Chicago) in March 2020, and has an upcoming reading at Unidentified Stages at the South Orange Performing Arts Festival in South Orange, NJ. Her one-act, Thou Roguish, Boilbrained, Coxcomb was published in The Drama Notebook Spring/Summer 2020. Her ten-minute play, PeacefulME, won “Best of Fest” at the No Pants Theatre Festival’s Zoom Readings of 34 plays in Los Angeles, California (April 2020). Her 10-minute play, Nothing Lasts, received a full virtual production at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson, NY in summer 2020. Richard Trammell Jr. (Spoken Word/BIPOC Workshop Facilitator) Richard is from Lanett, AL, and is a graduate of Auburn University with a B.A. in Theatre. Richard is a poet, dramaturg, playwright, and theater teacher. You can also catch Richard with The FIFTY FUND, a non-profit organization focused on creating clean, safe, and beautiful communities. Brantley Waller (“Loving the One”) is a senior from Chelsea, AL studying Theatre Performance, Visual Media, and Spanish. She is also a member of the Mosaic Theatre Company. Some of her previous credits at Auburn include Louise (Marion Bridge) and Elvira (Blithe Spirit). This is her first produced written work. Social icon
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Supporting Our Students Our theatre students are some of the hardest working students on campus. They depend on scholarship support to keep up rigorous academic and creative schedules, and to balance the various aspects of student life. You can help support our hardworking student citizen artists by making a donation online today!
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OUR AUBURN UNIVERSITY THEATRE DONORS Arthur and Barbara Wilke, Pallie and Kylie Butler, Carol and Ralph Womer, Ms. Melissa Brown Herkt, Ms. Leslie Swartz, Jana Gutierrez Kerns, Caroline Glisson, Robert Grace We thank all our patrons for any contribution made during the 2020-2021 season. Your generous gift is in support of the student scholarship fund.
Department of Theatre Staff ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Department Chair: Chase Bringardner Office Administrators: Becky Henderson, Lisa Queen
Marketing Coordinator: Rachele DeLuca Graphic Designer: Ashley Butler
STUDENT STAFF Production Assistant: Anna Vu Sound & Lighting Assistant: Catherine Pyle Scenic Studio Assistants: Matthew Smith, Mal Waggoner Costume Studio Assistants: Emma Fox, Bailey Hammett, Julianna Devaney
Wig Assistant: Ashley Digiovanni Paints and Props Assistant: Lauryn Ross Box Office Assistants: Ebony Strong, Addison Peacock, Lauren Selvia, Kaitlin Watson Marketing/Recruitment Assistants: Zac Moss, Jenna Viana, Katie Pappas
Our Mission
Theatre has the potential to foster dialogue, alter perceptions and inspire social change. The Auburn University Department of Theatre is dedicated to the education and professional training of theatre artists, scholars and audiences within a liberal arts environment. The Department of Theatre 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 students think critically, creatively, and collaboratively and carry their knowledge from rehearsal spaces and classrooms to stages, campuses, and communities worldwide.
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Auburn University Theatre • 2020-21 Season
auburnuniversitytheatre.org