synopsis
One afternoon, Anthony arrives unexpectedly at classmate Caroline’s door bearing a beat-up copy of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, an urgent assignment from their English teacher. Homebound due to illness, Caroline hasn’t been to school in months, but she is as quick and sardonic as Anthony is athletic, sensitive, and popular. As these two let down their guards and share their secrets, this seemingly mundane poetry project unlocks a much deeper mystery that has brought them together. I and You is an ode to youth, life, love, and the strange beauty of human connectedness. I And You is written by Lauren Gunderson
setting
Caroline’s bedroom
Hi, Friends! I’m Regina Zhu, an international student from China with a double major in Musical Theater and Directing at Carthage College. Firstly I would love to thank you all for coming to see I and You, This play is also my directing senior thesis project. It is difficult to decide which play I want to work on as my thesis project among the many wonderful scripts. I’m so grateful to fully directed another play written by Lauren Gunderson after a scene from “Silent Sky” directed by last semester’s directing class. Lauren Gunderson’s play will always bring tears of both laughter and sorrow to all, and It’s my honor to direct her artwork and present it to the public.
On this Directing Note, I would like to thank many of you.
To Herschel Kruger: My Advisor, Professor, and Friend, Thank you for trusting me and guiding me to find my way as a director, always supporting me, and giving me positive suggestions when I struggled. During the four years of studying with you, I have learned a lot from you, both in academic knowledge and character personality as a director.
To everyone on this team: Kurt (Tech Director), Sage (Stage Manager), Sarah Loster (Costume Designer), Lily Lourigan (Caroline), Mattew Corgiat (Anthony), Rose Reicher, and Jessie Skonesey (Crew Team). Thank you all for being thoughtful and understanding. Even though, for some of us, this is a “goodbye” Project at Carthage College, I am very happy to have you by my side, to draw a successful end to my four-year college study of directing. I will never be able to do it without any of you.
To My family and friends, who won’t be able to come and support me in person, Thank you all for swapping my sorrow, cheering me up, and encouraging me to lean in. Even if you are far from the other side of the world, the strength you give me, always in my heart, accompanies me in college life through every step.
Lastly, To myself and everyone who is seeing this: Wish you will never give up your quest for knowledge and dreams, even with a few regrets; Wish you could be grateful for what you have, even in a loss;
Finally, I hope we will always be someone who keeps moving forward, full of curiosity and love for everything in the world.
Because, “ Your very flesh shall be a great poem.” - Walt Whitman
director’s notes
Lily Lourigan (Caroline): Lily is a Theatre Performance Major with a Chinese Minor. She is absolutely thrilled to be working on such an incredible and intimate studio show. It’s a big difference from her past mainstage performances which include Chorus Leader in ANTIGONE and Jo in FML: HOW CARSON MCCULLERS SAVED MY LIFE. She would like to thank her parents for always being there for her and allowing her to follow her dreams. She also gives special thanks to the amazing crew who helped put this production together as well as the Wilson/Bushweiler family for their love and support.
Matthew Corgiat (Anthony): Matthew is a sophomore Theatre Performance major with a Psychology minor. This is his third performance role at Carthage, having previously acted as M in LUNGS and Two in Big Guns. He has also worked as Assistant Technical Director for Ordinary Days. He is extremely excited for this performance, and he would like to thank the production team and cast for their positivity and support throughout the production.
production team biographies
Ruiqing Zhu (Director): Regina Zhu is an international student from China. She is a senior double major in music theater and directing at Carthage College. Previous roles at Carthage include the musical theater workshop productions of Sister Act and Fun Home. She also assisted in directing the 2022 Fall mainstage production of Antigone at Carthage. Professional Credits: she participated in a Beijing original Chinese musical, The Belief, as an assistant music director, a planner and lecturer of a musical theater workshop in China. She was also been chosen to direct for the ten-minute play showcase in the Kennedy Center College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) in January 2023. Regina will graduate in May, accept an offer of the Performing Art Administration grad program at NYU, and will continue her journey in New York next fall. She would love to thank her family, friends, and the whole music theater and theater department faculties for always supporting her in pursuing her dream.
Lastly, She would love to give all the best wishes and thanks to her wonderful cast and production team of I&YOU. “Because somewhere, even
biographies
cast
unseen, unnamed, we wait for each other. Because together we are ‘deathless.’ Because you is very much WE.” from I and You by Lauren Gunderson. Enjoy the show!
Sage McVay (Stage Manager): Sage McVay is a sophomore Theatrical Stage Management Major with a Social Justice Minor.They were most recently a part of MEMENTO MORI and THE REVOLUTIONISTS as the Stage Manager and PATIENCE AND FORTITUDE as the Assistant Stage Manager. This past summer, they were a Stage Management intern at Stages Theater in Minneapolis.
Kurt Meinhardt (Technical Director, Scenic & Lighting Design): Kurt Meinhardt is a senior Technical-Direction Theatre Major. He is excited to be completing his final year as a student at Carthage College. He was most recently a part of the mainstage production FML: HOW CARSON MCCULLERS SAVED MY LIFE as the projections designer. He has also been involved in ORDINARY DAYS as the technical director, ANTIGONE as the stage manager, MEMENTO MORI as the projections technician, THE REVOLUTIONISTS as the sound designer, and PATIENCE AND FORTITUDE as the projections designer. He would like to thank his supportive family, his friends of Carthage, and the production team for allowing him to be a part of this exciting production as his final show at Carthage College.
Sarah Loster (Costume Designer): Sarah is a sophomore Theater Performance major with a minor in Costume Design and Secondary Education. This is Sarah’s first-time costume designing. Previous roles here at Carthage include Andrea in MEMENTO MORI and W in LUNGS. In addition to acting, Sarah has also stage-managed AWAY FROM THE MIRROR in 2022 and 2023. Sarah would like to thank her Mom for always being there to support her.
production team biographies cont.
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Spring Band Concert
Friday, May 12 • 7:30 p.m.
A. F. Siebert Chapel
Spring Choral Concert
Sunday, May 14 • 2 p.m.
A. F. Siebert Chapel
Philharmonic Concert
Friday, May 19 • 7:30 p.m.
A. F. Siebert Chapel
Honors Recital
Saturday, May 20 • 2 p.m.
H. F. Johnson Gallery
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