"Eleemosynary"

el•ee•mo•sy•nary :written by lee blessing

:directed by emily halfmann ‘25

October 12 | 3 P.M. October 13-14 | 7:30 P.M. Studio Theatre

Originally commissioned and produced by Park Square Theatre of St. Paul, Minnesota.

Initial professional production by Philadelphia Festival Theatre for New Plays.

directors note Welcome to Carthage College Theatre Department’s Production of Eleemosynary!

I embarked on this thesis journey just about a year ago now: the pursuit to direct my first full-length production. I could not be more proud of the production this team has created. There is a unique privilege to be given such creative liberties at a collegiate level as I have been given with this production. From the bottom up, this group of emerging theater artists has built something rather extraordinary, if I may say so.

Instead of attempting to distill it down into words, I will let you experience it for yourself, spoiler-free. All I will say is, prepare to feel. That is the beauty of live theatre and art in its purest form. We as the audience are allowed to experience through our eyes and our eyes only. So with that, I wish you the grace to grant yourself this next brief hour and a half to immerse yourself in the world of the Westbrook women. Be present. I think you’ll find yourself rather taken with them.

-Emily Halfmann ‘25, Director “The secret of life lies in the assurance that we are worthy of flying.”

-Lee Blessing

setting 1985, and before

Runtime: 80 Minutes Eleemosynary will be performed without an intermission

cast and crew cast Dorothea........................................................................ Lily Anderson Artie........................................................................ ....Jessie Skonesey Echo................................................................................. Ellie Neybert Understudy.................................................................Lorelai Amborn

production team Director.................................................................. Emily Halfmann* Stage Manager.............................................................Owen Holecko Technical Director/Scenic Designer/Lighting Designer................... .................................................................................. Alison Koclanis* Costume Designer.....................................................Emma Mehnert Sound Designer........................................................ Daniel Michalec Properties Designer........................................................Alyssa Sargis Assistant Stage Manager................................Emma Faucault-Miller Run Crew.................................................................. Chailyn Strasser Costume Crew................................. Susana Alexander, Sam Simon, ............................................................................ Peyton Kuryanowicz Light Board Operator......................................................Trevor Milne Sound Board Operator....................................................PJ Hebbring Theatre Department Technical Director............................................. ................................................................... Zachary “SLiM” Simonini

*Indicates student’s work is in partial fulfillment of their thesis

cast biographies Lily Anderson (Dorothea) is a senior computer science major with a theatre minor. Carthage credits: BIG GUNS (One), ANTIGONE (Eurydice, chorus), THE GENDERLESS PLAY EXPERIMENT (You 6 Spiritualist). Lily would like to thank everyone for coming to this awesome show!

Jessie Skonesey (Artie) is a junior Theatre Performance major with a minor in French! Carthage Credits: ANTIGONE (Antigone), FML: HOW CARSON MCCULLERS SAVED MY LIFE (Ms.Delaney), THE GENDERLESS PLAY EXPERIMENT (Stranger), ON THE VERGE (Alex), AWAY FROM THE MIRROR (Assistant Stage Manager). She wouldn’t be who she is today without the support and encouragement from her beloved family and friends. IG: @jessie_skonesey Ellie Neybert (Echo) is a senior Music Theatre and Self-Designed Theatre Production Major with an emphasis in Choreography.

Carthage Credits: Carrie White in CARRIE THE MUSICAL, Luisa U/S, Co-Dance Captain, and Ensemble in NINE, Dance Captain/ Ensemble Swing in LEGALLY BLONDE, Portia U/S and Ensemble in SOMETHING ROTTEN, The Girl in MEMENTO MORI, and Professor Bhaer in LITTLE WOMEN (workshop). Ellie would like to thank her friends and family for their support and encouragement.

IG: @ellie.neybert Lorelai Amborn (Understudy) is a sophomore musical theatre major with a minor in secondary education. Carthage Credits: Claudia (NINE) and You 5-The Leader (THE GENDERLESS PLAY EXPERIMENT).

Other roles: Cathy (Pilot production of TREVOR THE MUSICAL), Beetlejuice (Pilot performance of BEETLEJUICE High School Edition), and Hunyak (CHICAGO). She would like to thank her family and her wiener dog Rudy for their support and love! Enjoy the show!

IG: @lorelaiamborn

production biographies Emily Halfmann (Director) is a senior Music Theatre & Directing double major and Spanish minor. Carthage credits: NINE (Luisa Contini), CARRIE (Assistant Director), LEGALLY BLONDE (D.A. Joyce Riley, Ensemble), MEMENTO MORI (Cleo), SOMETHING ROTTEN (Tap Ensemble, Swing), LITTLE WOMEN (Aunt March). Other credits: NO ME SUELTES (Director) (KCACTF Region III 2024 Festival 10-Minute Play Director’s Award). Emily is a directing student of Herschel Krueger. ELEEMOSYNARY is presented in partial fulfillment of a Bachelor of Arts degree in Directing. Emily thanks everyone who collaborated to make this project possible and thanks her family and friends for their love and support. She could not have completed this thesis adventure without you all! IG: @emily.halfmann Owen Holecko (Stage Manager) is a sophomore double majoring in Playwriting and Theatrical Directing. Carthage credits: NINE (Assistant Stage Manager) and CARRIE (Assistant Stage Manager).

Other production credits: LEGALLY BLONDE (Student Director), THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (Stage Manager), and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST JUNIOR (Stage Manager). Other acting credits: PUFFS (Ernie Mac), ANASTASIA (Count Ipolitov), and SEUSSICAL (Ensemble). He would like to thank his parents and sister for always supporting him in everything he does!

Alison Koclanis (Technical Director, Lighting Designer, and Scenic Designer) is making her designer debut as the set and light designer, and technical director! She is so excited to have Eleemosynary be her thesis and to be blessed with so many different roles to learn from. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Emma Mehnert (Costume Designer) Emma is a sophomore double major in costume design and graphic design. She has been involved in theatre for nine years and has designed multiple productions including THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE and Shakespeare’s AS YOU LIKE IT. This is her first Carthage production as costume designer and she is super excited for you to see the show!

production biographies cont.

Daniel Michalec (Sound Designer) hopes you are excited for this show!

This is his third production he’s working on, but his first time working on a show in the studio theatre. He has high hopes for this show and can’t wait for people to see it!

Alyssa Sargis (Properties Designer) is a sophomore studying theatre education and spends most of her time in the scene shop. Last season, she worked on many shows, including projection and audio design for ON THE VERGE as well as sound mixer for THE GENDERLESS PLAY EXPERIMENT. She would like to thank all the wonderful friends she has made along the way and her family for their continuous support.

Enjoy the show :) Emma Faucault-Miller (Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore Music Theatre major and is very excited to be part of this wonderful production! Past Carthage credits include Guido’s Mother in NINE. Other credits include: Donna Sheridan in MAMMA MIA!, Mae Tuck in TUCK EVERLASTING, and Chiffon in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. Emma is involved in many ways on campus, most notably: she is the social media chair for the co-ed music fraternity Lambda Kappa, the treasurer for Merely Players improv, and also works as a Student Ambassador giving tours and working scholarship events on campus.

Emma thanks her mom and dad for their endless support on her journey through college so far, her friends for their ability to always make her laugh, and her boyfriend for helping her through everything and always being there for a hug (and for putting up with her crazy schedule). Enjoy the show! IG: emmafaucaultmiller_ Zackary “SLiM” Simonini (Department Technical Director) Mr. Simonini (Class of 2012) is thrilled to assist our team here in the Studio Theatre. “SLiM” has worked at Carthage for several years previous to this position as well as being a part time professor of Stagecraft. Mr. Simonini has lived the Carthage experience of taking his well rounded liberal arts education and accumulating diverse experiences through various employment. In addition to being part of the Carthage team he has experience within the events industry of Washington D.C., manufacturing and processing within various woodworking industries, and even some continued opportunities as

production biographies cont. a performer. He would like to thank his lovely and supportive wife Allison as well as the Scene Shop Team and Crew that make this theatre MAGIC come together. Check out his IMDB if you want to see the performer side of Mr. Simonini. If you were going to watch the first five minutes of any Tubi movie this year, consider watching him fall in a hole in the beginning of Continental Split.

theatre and dance faculty Rich Ashworth.....................................................................................Instructor Of Dance Jenny Bauer........................................................................................Instructor of Theatre Breannin Beelow...............................................................................Instructor Of Theatre Maureen Chavez- Kruger.....................................Adjunct Assistant Professor of Theatre Jessica Connelly................................................................................Instructor Of Theatre Rebecca Crystal...................................................................................Instructor Of Dance Dave Gonzalez..............................................Fight Choreographer, Instructor of Theatre Cari Holmes........................................................................................Instructor Of Dance Kim Instenes.....................................Costume Designer, Associate Professor of Theatre Herschel Kruger.................................................Department Chair, Professor of Theatre Martin McClendon.............................................................................Professor of Theatre Ken Miller...........................................................................................Instructor of Theatre Stacy Pottinger.............Head of Dance Program, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Dance Jenny Reed...........................................................................................Instructor Of Dance Dr. Neil Scharnick................................Honors Director, Associate Professor of Theatre Zackary “SLiM” Simonini................................Technical Director, Instructor of Theatre

special thanks Kim Instenes, Herschel Kruger, Martin McClendon, Neil Sharnick, and Zachary “SLiM” Simonini

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, part of the Rubenstein Arts Access Program, is generously funded by David M. Rubenstein.

Special thanks to The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust for supporting the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

Additional support is provided by The Honorable Stuart Bernstein and Wilma E. Bernstein; and the Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation.

Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts.

This production is entered in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF). The aims of this national theater education program are to identify and promote quality in college-level theater production. To this end, each production entered is eligible for a response by a regional KCACTF representative, and selected students and faculty are invited to participate in KCACTF programs involving scholarships, internships, grants and awards for actors, directors, dramaturgs, playwrights, designers, stage managers and critics at both the regional and national levels.

Productions entered on the Participating level are eligible for invitation to the KCACTF regional festival and may also be considered for national awards recognizing outstanding achievement in production, design, direction and performance.

Last year more than 1,500 productions were entered in the KCACTF involving more than 200,000 students nationwide. By entering this production, our theater department is sharing in the KCACTF goals to recognize, reward, and celebrate the exemplary work produced in college and university theaters across the nation.

upcoming events Meet The Masters Tuesday, October 15 • 7:30 p.m.

CSU Auditorium Wind Orchestra Concert Wednesday, October 16 • 7:30 p.m.

A. F. Siebert Chapel Fibricate Opening Reception Thursday, October 24 • 3:30 - 6:30 p.m.

H. F. Johnson Art Gallery Fall Choral Concert Saturday, October 26 • 7:30 p.m.

A. F. Siebert Chapel Life Cycle Of A Star November 1-2 & 7-9 • 7:30 pm.

November 3 • 3:00 pm.

Wartburg Theatre To The Growth Edge Nov. 19-21 • 7:30 p.m.

Wartburg Theatre

Fine Arts at Carthage acknowledges that the land on which our building stands is part of the traditional Potawatomi, Sioux, Peoria, Kickapoo, and Miami peoples past, present, and future.

These homelands reside along the southwest shores of Michigami, North America’s largest system of freshwater lakes. We honor with gratitude the land itself, and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations. Many Indigenous peoples thrive in this place—alive and strong, and this calls us to commit to continuing to learn how to be better stewards of the land we inhabit as well.

connect with us

tickets required

carthage.edu/fine-arts 262-551-5859 facebook.com/carthageVPA instagram.com/carthageVPA

Get tickets 24/7 at carthage.edu/tickets or 262-551-6661 noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday – Friday