Producer's Note
We’re thrilled to return to summer theatre—again this time in Hajjar Auditorium—for our fourth summer season. This year’s production, The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson Musical TYA, connects perfectly to our summer theme: Kaleidoscope. Like a shifting pattern of colors and shapes, Percy’s story shows us that identity isn’t fixed—it’s discovered, tested, and embraced.
Directed by Jennifer Koteles in her second season with us, this thrilling rock musical is “packed with monsters, prophecies, and plenty of blue food,” but at its heart it’s about friendship, belonging, and finding the courage to say, “Normal is a myth. Everyone has issues they’re dealing with.” For our young performers, Percy’s journey reminds us that what makes you different is often your greatest strength.
I’m proud of our talented educators—Jennifer Koteles, Director; CJ & Lilly Trentacosta, Assistant Directors; Jian Harrell, Victor Appavu, and Beth Synnott, Movement/Acting/Voice coaches; Ruth Myint, Lander Camerero, John Cahill, Washington Young, Johari Sutton, and Dave Vieira, Theatre Design & Production and Sam Wallman, Game Lab Director—for guiding our cast and crew through the kind of creative risks that help them grow not just as performers, but as people.
In live theatre, as in Percy’s quest, we learn to take risks, tell the truth, and advocate for voices that deserve to be heard. And when we work together —on stage, backstage, and in the audience—we prove the musical’s most important lesson: “The things that make you different are the very things
Thank you for joining us on this adventure of the mind, heart, and spirit.
Director's Note
Welcome to the D-E 360° Summer 2025 production of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical!
Over the past two weeks, a remarkable group of young performers and stage crew—ranging from fourth to ninth grade—have poured their energy, creativity, and determination into bringing this story to life. In just ten days, our cast learned songs, choreography, blocking, and even stage combat. Their dedication, focus, and teamwork have been nothing short of inspiring, and I am incredibly proud of all they’ve accomplished in such a short time.
I first discovered the world of Percy Jackson when I read the books with my own children, CJ and Lilly, when they were in the Lower School. We were drawn in by the adventure and humor, but what stayed with me most was the message at the heart of the story: being different is not a weakness—it’s a strength. It’s a reminder that the qualities that set us apart are often the very ones that make us shine. That message feels especially important for young people, and it’s been a joy to explore it with this amazing cast.
Just as Percy sets out on a quest to find his place in the world, our cast has been on a quest of their own—to create theater and build a community. And in the process, we’ve become a family. The bond formed among these young performers in just two weeks is a testament to the magic of theater and the power of shared purpose.
To our cast, thank you for your hard work and commitment. You’ve brought energy and heart to this production, and your performances are a testament to your dedication. To our crew, your behind-the-scenes efforts have been the backbone of this production, ensuring every detail enhances the magic of the show.
And to our audience, thank you for joining us to celebrate the hard work and talent of these wonderful young people. I hope you enjoy the show as much as we’ve enjoyed creating it!
With pride,
Jennifer Koteles
Tech Director’s Note
Querido equipo, my dear team,
You all know how good my English is, so I will try to express properly how amazing I think you all worked these last two weeks…
From the first time we pulled out the prop table to the final lighting cue, you have brought energy, focus, and teamwork that would impress even the gods of Olympus. The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson Musical TYA is a big show—full of quick changes, moving set pieces, tricky sound effects, and dramatic lighting moments—and you’ve handled every challenge like true heroes of the backstage.
I’ve watched you work quietly and efficiently in the shadows, making sure the magic of the story shines out front. Whether you were setting up a scene in record time, running a light board like a pro, or making sure every sword, shield, and prop was in place, you’ve proven that the success of a show doesn’t just happen on stage—it happens because of the crew behind it.
You’ve also shown kindness, patience, and problem-solving skills that are just as important as any technical talent. That combination makes you the kind of theatre artist that any director would be lucky to work with.
Thank you for your hard work, your focus, and your sense of fun. I am so proud of what we’ve built together, and I hope you take this feeling of accomplishment with you into your next adventure—onstage, backstage,
Sois los verdaderos Héroes del Campamento Mestizo.
SCHENCK AUDITORIUM
HAJJAR AUDITORIUM
KHUBANI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
KHUBANI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Music & Lyrics by
Rob Robkicki
Choreography
Book by
Joe Tracz
Adapted from a Book Written by
Rick Riordan
Orchestration
Jonathan Tunick
Movement Direction
Jian Harrell
Costume Design
John Cahill
Assistant Director
CJ Trentacosta
Victor Appavu
Musical Direction
Beth Synott
Lighting Design
Bennett Sachs
Stage Manager
Ruth Myint
Assistant Director
Lilly Trentacosta
Directed by
Jennifer Koteles
CAST
MUSICAL NUMBERS
COMPANY CALL
All company members were requested to submit material for “Company Call.“ Everyone who chose to provide infomration is included
ALEXANDRA BROWN
(8)
(Karen/Charon)has been seen in D-E's previous productions of Seussical Jr. and Oliver Jr. Outside of D-Eshehasbeenin
Frozen Jr and The Nutcracker Shesaysthat whenshewasinD-E'sOliverJr.shegotto playtheartfuldodgeranditwasreallyfun playing a kind of sneaky character. Now, she is super excited to be Charon in this showbecauseeventhoughshe’sseenasthe 'bad guy, ' she gets to help push the story forward in a cool way. She also says the song'DOA'isseriouslysofuntosing!
CAMELLIA GONZALEZ
(Mrs. Dodds)
(7) has appeared in D-E's Into the Woods Jr (Wolf); High School Musical; Band Geeks; and Legally Blonde. She's looking
forward to being the teacher no one forgets mostly because she turns into a shriekingbeast.
ELLA GORCIE
is thrilled to be performing in her 31st production! Highlights include playing Gabriella in D-E’s High School Musical this past
ADRIAN CARRION
as been in the evious D-E oduction of Into e Woods Jr. nsemble). Adrian lookingforwardto s fight scene and .
also performing alongside the rest of the cast (8) (Ares),
spring and, most recently, portraying Damien in Mean Girls in Los Angeles this summer Apassionateperformersincethe age of 2, she loves bringing characters to lifeonstage.Outsideoftheatre,Ellaenjoys writing music, singing, modeling, and spending time with her friends (and her cat!) She is grateful for the love and encouragement of her family and friends and can’t wait to share this performance withtheaudience.
JONATHAN CURRIE
(5)
Gabes Driver, ................ has been seen in previous D-E productions of Oliver! Jr. (Nipper, Ensemble) and Into Camper, Monster)
the Woods Jr. (Cinderella's Father, Ensemble). He looks forward to the choreography, singing, and making friends.
ATTICUS KIM
has been seen in D-E's Into the Woods Jr (Jack) Outside of D-E, he was in his fourth grade play. Atticus looks forward most to
(6) (Percy)
playingPercyandgenuinelyhavingagood timewithhisfriends
ELLA LARANOFF (5) (Selina,
(8) (Grover)
COMPANY CALL
Gabe Ugliano) is so citedtobeplaying ena Beauregard dGabeUglianoin ightning Thief!”
his is her third mmer on stage .. with DE 360 Summer Connections, where shehaspreviouslyplayedtherolesofLittle Red in Into the Woods Jr. and orphan and maid in Oliver Jr. She has also played a puritan and townsperson in Something Rotten Jr. (PVST), Kristoff in Frozen Jr. (Porchlight), and Bree in Zombies (TPAPNJ) Ella enjoys doing robotics, playing piano, playing sports, Girl Scouts, andspendingtimewithhercats.
MADELYN LARANOFF
.
has been seen in DE's High School Musical Jr. (Troy Bolton) Outside of D-E,Owenhasbeen in Freaky Friday (Wells)and Carousel
(Ensemble). Owen is looking forward to seeinghowthisproduc
MATTEO MARCIANO
(Mr. D, Poseidon)
has been seen in DE's previous productions of Seusical Jr (Mr Mayor, Ensemble); Oliver Jr. (Oliver);
(6)
(8) performingatD-E,butsheisnotnewtothe stage Her previous roles include Renaissance Soloist/Featured Dancer in Something Rotten,Mrs.Lucein Little Shop of Horrors, Cyndra in High School Musical, featured dancer/chimney sweep in Mary Poppins, Stevie in Footloose, Dorothy in Newsies Jr, EugeneFoderin Crazy for You, and Island Ensemble/Smitten Kid in Descendants. Madelyn also enjoys marching band, competition cheer, robotics,andGirlScouts. Shewouldliketo thank her friends, family, castmates, and directorsfortheirsupport
OWEN LEE
(Oracle, Thalia) is dforherroles e Oracle and a in Percy on and the ning Thief! sherfirsttime
(9) (Luke)
and Into the Woods Jr. (Wolf).OutsideofDEMatteohasbeeninproductionsof Jungle Book Jr. (ColonelHathi); Little Mermaid Jr. (Prince Eric); Peter Pan Jr (John); The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition (Tin Man); Beauty and the Beast (Beast); Cinderella Jr. (Prince Charming); Matilda Jr (Matilda father); Cats: Youth Edition (Mr. Mistoffelees and Old Deuteronomy); The Music Man Jr (Ensemble);AnnieJr(Daddy Warbucks);and The Little Mermaid Jr (King Triton). Matteo is looking forward to working with the DE360 th t again.
JORDAN NERIS
(Bianca, Statue) (3) is making her mainstage deubt in the production! She looks ford to transforming into a monster
COMPANY CALL
DANIELLE NWANKPAH
the choreography and being with her friends.
(4). (Uber Driver, hasbeenin the past D-E production of Into the Woods Jr. (Ensemble). She's looking forward to Statue) (Clarisse) hasbeen seen in previous productions including Oliver; Seussical Jr.; High School Musical Jr ; and Into the Woods ....
GIGI NWANKPAH (8)
Jr.. She has also been backstage in The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition and her fifth grade opera. Gigi is looking forward to seeingallherfriendsshine!
MELODY PANE
(6) (Aunty
Em
andperforming.
Hades, Nancy, ........... was a participent in her fifth grade opera. She is looking forward to the singing, dancing, ........ Fury)
(Dormouse);and Winnie the Pooh (Piglet). Shehasappearedin Dancing With the Gods (Iris)and Fiddler On The Roof (Bielke), High School Musical (Martha) for EMS. At Porchlight Studios she has acted in High School Musical (Susan,DrumMajor,Swing); James and the Giant Peach (Aunt Sponge); The Little Mermaid (Ursula); and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Willy Wonka) Additionally, she was in Mary Poppins (Jane); Annie (Annie); Tammy & Tommy's Olde Town Mess Hall (Jo); The Magic Awaits (Ariel); and 13: The Musical (Kendra). For hercurrentstudio,ApplauseNewYork,she has appeared in What It Means To Be A Friend (Junic); Magic To Do (Sophia); Unhappily Ever After (Snow White); Seussical (Horton);and Band Geeks (Molly). Besidestheater,Portiahasdoneallthings performing arts from cabarets to dance recitals and talent shows She has always loved singing and dancing, beginning her performance career in pre-k and starting ballet at the age of 2. She enjoys baking, volleyball,andsoftball,aswellashanging outwithfriends.Whenshegrowsup,she wantstobeafamousactressandsomeday perform on Broadway. She says she can't wait to perform as Anabeth in this productionwit
POPPY STETSON
(6) (Sally)
PORTIA RONCATI (8)
(Annabeth) has previously been in D-E productions of High School Musical Jr. (Cathy); Into the Woods Jr. (Baker's Wife). Outside of D-
E, Portia has had a prolific theater career participatinginStageLeft'sproductionsof Aristocats (Marie); Peter Pan (Michael); Snow White (Robin); Alice In Wonderland ......
is making her D-E theatrical deubt in the production! She has also been in productions of Seusical; Jungle Book; Moana; The
Little Mermaid; Mathilda; Cats; Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast. Penelope loves to participate in the blocking, choreography, stage work, singing, and play with the ensemble.
COMPANY CALL
GIO TOMEONI (5) (Kronos,
hasbeen previous ction of Woods Jr. Outside oenjoys piano
XAVIER TOMEONI (8)
Schooler. She taught acting classes at Bridge Studio and was integral in the development of their summer theater program. Acting credits include 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Rona Lisa Peretti); Harvey (Veta Louise Simmons);and Rent.Herfavoriteroleofall timeisherroleasaneducator;Ms.Koteles is a second grade teacher at Dwight Englewood. She has found a love for playwritinginrecentyearsandiscurrently writing her second play. She is super excitedtobedirectingSummerTheatreat D-E again this year and says the cast is reallycreativeandtale Brunner, asbeen previous tion of oods Jr
er then
acting Xavier is active in his school's chorus, takes piano lessons, plays soccer, and baseball. He looks forward to performingandmeetingnewpeople
asbeen rator in thirtylifelong she is revive summer OWN productions at D-E. The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson Musical TYA is her fourth
CJ TRENTACOSTA
Director)
has been working at the D-E 360°campformany years. He has performed and worked on previous D-E 360° shows
such as Seussical (Horton) and Oliver (Bill Sykes),aswellasmultipleotheracademic andoff-broadwayproductions.Thiswillbe his second year in directing world and assistantdirectorofD-E's Into the Woods Jr. Helooksforwardtowatchingthestudents growandtheshowtak h
LILLY TRE
(Assistant Director) has previously worked on other DE360 performances such as Oliver!, Seussical and Into the Woods.
Outside of Dwight Englewood she has performedinmultipleotherstageandfilm opportunities. She has loved assistant directingatDEandsheissoexcitedtosee the show come to life. “These kids are so
(Assistant
COMPANY CALL
hardworkingandIcouldn’tbeprouderof them. ” She’d also like the thank her big brother CJ and her mom Jennifer Koteles Shecouldn’tdothiswithoutthem.
BETH SYNNOTT (Music
Direction) is a Dumont resident with a background inoperaandtheater, where she performed various roles in Bergen
County with the theater group, THE COMPANY. This coming February she will starasAidaoppositeTeddyColucaintheir productionofOverTheRiverandThrough theWoods.Shehastraveledasaprincipal soloistthroughoutEuropeandtheUSsince her professional debut in Maine with the PortlandSymphonyOrchestra.Shehashad the privilege of being featured in Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Bernstein’s ChichesterPsalmsatCarnegieHallwiththe Oratorio Society of New York. She has worked as a Music Director for Bridge StudioforPerformingArtsandisdelighted tobemakingherdebuthereatD-E360° She currently balances her love of performing, teaching and music directing outsidethescopeofabusydayjob.
and jazz, and serves as a leader for the danceclubatschool.Jianhasappearedin previous D-E productions of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Barfee), Mamma Mia! (Pepper),and Mean Girls (Damian), the latter of which earned twonominationsforBestSupportingActor at the Papermill Playhouse Rising Star Awards,andtheMetropolitanHighSchool TheaterAwards.Jianisgratefultothecast and creative team for trusting his vision and to his friends and family for their constantencouragement.
VICTOR APPAVU
Direction)
Midsummer Night's Dream (Oberon); Working (Raj Chadha and Eddie Jaffe); Newsies (Bunsen and Ensemble); Once on This Island (Ensemble);and The Lion King isa recent graduate from the class of 2023atD-E.Hehas been seen in previous D-E productions of A
LANDER O
(Technical Direction)
JIAN HARRELL
(12)
(Choreography) is a rising senior at Dwight-Englewood School and is thrilled to return as choreographer for this production.
Having choreographed last year ’ s Into the Woods,Jianissohappytoseethegrowth with the kids over the past year. As a passionatedancerandperformer,Jianhas trained extensively in hip-hop, tap, ballet, ..... 10 | Company Call
assistant director, and editor for Spanish TV networks during the 2000s. He later foundedhisproductioncompanyPressure Filmak in Bilbao winning several national and international awards in countries like Chile, UK, Italy, Emirates, Iraq & Hungary. He later moved to NYC in 2017 opening Pressure Filmak LLC in Brooklyn and developing a more technical career as cinematographer.AsProducerandDirector isa graduate in Audiovisual Communication, he workedprimarilyas a screenwriter,
(Movement
COMPANY CALL
in the States, his web series The Coffee Advisors, an investigation about the 9/11 terrorist attacks through a comedy series, and his short film The Union, an analysis aboutthepowerstructureofUnionsinthe theNYCmetropolitanarea,arejusttwoof hisrelevantprojectsintheUS.He'salsocofounder of Defy Funding LLC, a startup ready to tokenize global culture through the ticketing platform Defy Portal. He's passionate about committed storytelling, culture diversity and art independency fromfundingmethods.
Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition. He looks forwardtohisfirsttimedesigninglightsfor a musclal, however, he is not new to designing lights for other performances within the D-E community. He also is excitedtohavehisfirstyearasatechnical theatre intern and his second time designingtheprogramfortheshow.
JOHARI SUTTON
Costume Design)
RUTH MYINT (Stage Manager)
is a recent graduate from the class of 2023atD-E.Shehas been in many performancesatD-E including Radium Girls (Sob Sister,
Harriet); Newsies (Splasher); and Mamma Mia (Sophie).OutsideofD-Eshehasbeen seenin Songs for a New World (Woman2); Legally Blonde (BrookeWindham);and The Lightning Thief (Charon).Shehasalsobeen behind the scenes for Ghostlight as the Assistant Director, Stage Manager for Pippin, and Assistant Stage Manager for A Midsummer Nights Dream and Sense and Sensibility.Ruth'sfavoriteactivitiesinclude drinking matcha, nonchalantly listening to ClairoandLaufey,andreading
BENNETT SACHS (9)
(Lighting Design)is current student e at D-E and a mber of stage w He has ked onprevious showsincluding
Into the Woods Jr. doing his first program design, High School Musical Jr. and The
is a recent graduate from D-E. She has been in D-E's previous productions of Pippin (Player);
Mamma Mia! (Ensemble); and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Mitch Mahoney).Shewasalsobehindthescenes forD-E's Into the Woods Jr lastyear She's lookingforwardtoseeingtheyoungactors immersethemselvesintheirroles!
WASHINGTON YOUNG
& Costume Design)
(Set
looksforwardtomoregreatsetdesignthis year is thrilled to be working at DE360 again this summer Heworkedlastyear on the set for Into the Woods Jr.,andhe .
VIRGINIA BROWN
Crew)
hasbeenin D-E's Seussical Jr and Oliver Jr. Outside of D-E she has been in Frozen Jr. and The Nutcracker.Shesays
(7) (Stage
she loves fashing and turning everyday things into useful gadgets. She's looking forward to doing wardrobing and props
withCoachJohnforthisshow.
COMPANY CALL
PARKER CHIANG (8)
Crew) ismakinghis backstage debut in this production! He looks forward to using the smoke spray in his inaugural theatrical ...
(Stage production.Healsolooksforwardtoallthe rolesthatthetechcrewhas!
REESE MARCIANO (6)
(Stage Crew) was previously in D-E's Into the Woods Jr. (Jack's Mother). She ingforwardto ng behind the thisyear.
ALEXANDRA MCMICKING
(7) (Stage Crew) is making her backstage debut in thisproduction!She islookingforwardto everyone enjoying the set design that .....
she worked on because she loves sharing her art and especially loves working on a teamtogethertocreateart.
BOND RONCATI (6)
Crew) has been backstage for D-E's Into the Woods Jr. He has also been backstage at Elizabeth Morrow Schoolforhisfourth
(Stage grade play, What it Means to be a Friend, and A Kids Life. Bond looks forward to working the lightboard and being backstageforthisproduction.
The Lightning Thief:
Theatre for Young Audiences Edition
Producer Sherronda Brown
Director Jennifer Koteles
StageManager...........................................Ruth Myint
LightboardOperator................Bennett Sachs ‘29
FollowspotOperator.................Bond Roncati ‘32
ProjectionsOperator..............................Ruth Myint
SoundboardOperator..............Lander Camarero
SoundboardAssistant....................Victor Appavu
Imanol Garcia
SoundOperator........................................Ruth Myint
CostumeCoordinator..............................John Cahill
BackstageSupervisors..............Tade Adeyeri ‘26
Johari Sutton
Xinyuan Zhang ‘26
Stagehands...............................Virginia Brown ’31
Parker Chiang ’30
Reese Marciano ‘32
Alexandra McMicking ‘31
TheatrePhotographer.............Mannie Daughtry
TechnicalDirector Lander Camarero
AssistantDirectors..........................CJ Trentacosta
Lilly Trentacosta
LightingDesigner......................Bennett Sachs ‘29
SetDesigners.........................................Johari Sutton Washington Young
CostumeDesigner....................................John Cahill
ProgramDesigners..................Roushan Damaghi
Bennett Sachs ‘29
PropsCoordinator...................................John Cahill
Choreographer.................................Jian Harrell ‘26
MovementDirector..........................Victor Appavu
MusicDirector.......................................Beth Synnott
AudioEngineer......................................David Vieira
StageCrew................................Virginia Brown ’31
Parker Chiang ’30
Reese Marciano ‘32
Alexandra McMicking ‘31
Bond Roncati ‘32
Special Thanks from Sherronda Brown
Specialthankstooursummertheatredirector,JenniferKoteles ithasbeena privilegetowatchyourvisionunfold.We’realsodeeplygratefultothefamiliesof theshow’scastandcrew,whohavecommittedmoretimeandhearttothis productionthanwecanmeasure.TotheDwight-EnglewoodSchooladministration, D-E360°Summerleadershipandoperationsteams,Facilities,FoodServicesand Security:“Wewouldn’tbeabletodowhatwedosowellwithoutyourtremendous support” or,inPercy’swords,“It’stimetobeahero,theonetheyneed”
