"Smokefall" Program

2020 -2021 Carthage Theatre Department Presents

Written by

Noah Haidle

Directed by Lindsey O’Connor ‘21

Oct. 22-24 | 7:30 p.m. | Studio Theatre Smokefall is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

SMOKEFALL was originally produced by South Coast Repertory (Marc Masterson, Artistic Director; Paula Tomei, Managing Director) and Goodman Theatre (Robert Falls, Artistic Director; Roche Schulfer, Executive Director) SMOKEFALL was commissioned by Goodman Theatre

acts Magical realism collides with manic vaudeville in a family drama unlike any you’ve ever seen. Fetuses swap philosophy while awaiting their birth, a daughter eats dirt and doesn’t speak, a father is about to drive away and never return, and there’s an apple tree growing through the walls of the house.

Whipping from astonishing tenderness to profound humor and back again, Smokefall explores the lives of a family in a lyrical treatise on the fragility of life and the power of love.

I. Help me Remember II. Where We’ll Never Grow Old III. The Attempt is How We Live There is no intermission for this show.

note from the director Smokefall is a word that T.S. Eliot decided to invent and, unlike Shakespeare, everyone else decided to ignore. The Oxford English Dictionary says that it’s “the moment when the wind drops and smoke that had ascended descends.”

With no offense to the Oxford English Dictionary, I disagree. That definition is too literal. Smokefall is the feeling that the wind dropping and smoke descending evokes. It is the feeling of seeing light poke through on a sunny afternoon and watching the dust glide through the air. It is the feeling of seeing your warm breath in the air for the first time in a cold season. It is the feeling of stepping into a building packed to the brim with cool air on a blistering day. It is the feeling of something returning that you hoped, but never thought, would. Smokefall is love returning where it once was absent.

In a year filled with holding our breath, little is known. The isolation, confusion, and disconnectedness we’ve experienced over the past several months have made many of us realize how much we depended on a predictable future, and, more importantly, how much we depend on each other. While the future cannot be predicted, we can depend on each other.

We can laugh, cry, sing, and scream together. The attempt is how we live, and that’s a life worth living. We dare to find love while on a precipice of uncertainty. The greatest act of courage is to love.

And anyone who says different is an asshole.

-Lindsey O’Connor ’21, Director

cast and crew cast (in order of appearance) Footnote / Fetus Two / Samuel……................................................... PJ Kurtzner Violet…………...…............................................................................... Rose Reichert Beauty………...….......................................................................Petula Walsh-Grant Colonel / Johnny……..….......................................................... Matthew Pakkebier Daniel / Fetus One…… ................................................................Benjamin Cisco Understudy…………..….......................................................................... Nate Myers For the run of the production, the role of Footnote / Fetus Two / Samuel will be played by Nate Myers

production team Director, Scenic Designer, Sound Designer............................ Lindsey O’Connor Thesis Advisor………..................................................................... Herschel Kruger Stage Manager.................................................................................. Hannah Allen Technical Director/Lighting Designer............................................Gabrielle Tifft Costume Designer.........................................................................Teagan Wilkins

special thanks Dean Corinne Ness Chair Herschel Kruger Tianna Conway, Director of Arts Events and Audience Engagement

cast biographies PJ Kurtzner (Footnote/Fetus Two/Samuel) is excited to be playing these three characters in SMOKEFALL He has loved every minute of playing the upbeat charismatic fetus he assumes he was in the womb. He would like to thank Lindsey for giving him the chance to be in the show, as well as his parents and Peter Cetera of Chicago for letting him know that he brings meaning to his life and he’s the inspiration.

Rose Reichert (Violet) is a sophomore theatre major with a minor in communications. She is very excited to be in her first college production as an actor! She has loved every minute of the rehearsal process: from understanding character objectives, to mastering a pregnant waddle, along with becoming a master chef in pantomime cooking and cleaning. Her recent credits outside of Carthage include Ouiser in STEEL MAGNOLIAS, Sister Mary Stephen in SISTER ACT, Granny in INTO THE WOODS, and Blanket person/ensemble in RENT. She would like to thank Lindsey for giving her the opportunity to be in this show and she would like to thank her wonderful castmates and crewmates for making this show such a positive experience! She would also like to thank her amazing family and friends for always being such loving and supportive people and encouraging her dreams. She is so grateful to be able to perform theatre during such a difficult and stressful time.

Petula Walsh-Grant (Beauty) is a junior double major in Psychology and History. She has enjoyed theater in high school and has appreciated this experience at Carthage for so many reasons; she would like to thank Lindsey for working with her and putting this wonderful production together, and her family for supporting her whenever she is on stage.

Matthew Pakkebier (Colonel / Johnny) is a junior studying Musical Theatre and Music Education. This is his sixth production at Carthage. Matthew has previously been in the mainstage productions: FLORA THE RED MENACE, KISS ME KATE, RESONATE, SHIFT, and AWAY FROM THE MIRROR. Other Carthage productions include Musical Theatre Workshops: SISTER ACT, and SWEET CHARITY. Matthew would like to thank his family, friends and teachers for their continuous support.

Benjamin Cisco (Daniel / Fetus One) is a freshman who is involved in both the theatre and music departments. He is grateful to be in his first production here at Carthage and he looks forward to his future endeavors here. Ben would like to thank Lindsey for this opportunity and to his castmates for their hard work and dedication.

Nate Myers (Understudy) is a sophomore Music Theatre and Music Composition double major. Previously Nate was seen as Jared in BODY AWARENESS in a Carthage College Studio Theatre Performance and most recently as Wayne Hopkins in the mainstage show, PUFFS. Outside of that Nate is currently set to perform in the Musical Theatre Workshop show as RIDE THE CYCLONE as Ricky Potts. Nate’s other recent credits include, George in THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, Chad in ALMOST MAINE, and Crutchie in NEWSIES. He would love to thank Lindsey for this opportunity as well as his friends who push him to be a better performer, as well as person everyday.

production team biographies Lindsey O’Connor (Director/Set Designer/Sound Designer) is a Senior General Theatre Major, English Minor, and Secondary Education Minor. Lindsey is so excited to present SMOKEFALL as her thesis and directing debut. Lindsey has worked on multiple shows at Carthage including stage managing UP AND AWAY and A DOLL’S HOUSE PART 2, sound designing MARIE ANTOINETTE, and assistant stage managing INTO THE WOODS. She has done work for Carthage’s productions of TWIN SET (light board operator), MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN (sound board operator), and NIMBLE ATTITUDES (light board operator). She works as an employee in the scene shop and is a member of the Honorary Theatre Fraternity, Alpha Psi Omega. She’d like to thank her cast and production team for making this show come to life. She’d like to thank her friends, family, and boyfriend for their endless love and support!

Hannah Allen (Stage Manager) is so happy to be working on SMOKEFALL this fall.

It has been a great experience for her and she is glad she was able to help out Lindsey. Hannah would like to thank her friends and boyfriend for supporting her during this process. She would also like to say how grateful she is to be sharing theatre with others during such a trying time.

Gabrielle Tifft (Technical Director/Lighting Designer) is a sophomore Theatre major. Gabrielle is involved in the tech side of theatre here at Carthage and has also performed in the dance concerts. Gabrielle would like to thank Lindsey and Will Newcomb for this opportunity and looks forward to her future experiences here at Carthage.

Teagan Wilkins (Costume Designer) is a junior General Theatre major. SMOKEFALL is Teagan’s debut as a costume designer and she has thoroughly enjoyed working on this production. Teagan has previously been seen in BODY AWARENESS, a Studio Theatre production, as Joyce, and in TWELFTH NIGHT, a J-Term class, as the Captain and Antonio. She also is an employee in the costume shop on campus. Teagan would like to thank her family and friends for always supporting her, as well as the cast, production team, and Lindsey for making this production so much fun to work on.

carthage faculty and staff Theatre Faculty Maureen Chavez-Kruger.........................Adjunct Assistant Professor of Theatre Marti Gobel............................................................ Adjunct Instructor of Theatre Kim Instenes....................... Associate Professor of Theatre, Costume Designer Marcella Kearns..................................................... Adjunct Instructor of Theatre Herschel Kruger.................................... Department Chair, Professor of Theatre Martin McClendon...............................................Associate Professor of Theatre William Newcomb............... Assistant Professor of Theatre, Technical Director Emily Ritger............................................................ Adjunct Instructor of Theatre Laura Roberts......................................................... Adjunct Instructor of Theatre Dr. Neil Scharnick.................................................Associate Professor of Theatre Veronica Zahn........................................................ Adjunct Instructor of Theatre Musical Theatre Faculty and Staff Dr. Corinne Ness.......................Associate Professor of Music, Dean of Arts and Humanities Division, Director of Music Theatre Studies Melissa Kelly Cardamone......................................................... Staff Accompanist Rayven Dockery........................................... Adjunct Instructor of Music Theatre Jeremy Mossman....................................... Assistant Professor of Music Theatre Thomas Novak............................................ Adjunct Instructor of Music Theatre Lorian Schwaber........................... Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music – Voice Maggie Spanuello....................................... Adjunct Instructor of Music Theatre Dance Faculty Brianna Rae Johnson................................................Adjunct Instructor of Dance Jenna Jozefowski.......................................................Adjunct Instructor of Dance Stacy Pottinger........................................Adjunct Assistant Professor of Theatre Director of Dance Minor Kristina Saldarelli.....................................................Adjunct Instructor of Dance Juliet Stephenson......................................................Adjunct Instructor of Dance

kcactf 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 for carthage community Fall Choral Concert Sunday, Oct. 25 • 2 p.m.

A. F. Siebert Chapel • Tickets required New Play Initiative: Romeo & Juliet Walk Into A Bar Nov. 6-7 & 12-14 • 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 8 • 3 p.m.

Wartburg Theatre • Tickets required Carthage Philharmonic Strings Concert Sunday, Nov. 8 • 1 p.m.

A. F. Siebert Chapel • Tickets required Fall Band Concert Saturday, Nov. 14 • 4 p.m.

A. F. Siebert Chapel • Tickets required Flying and Falling, Fall Dance Show Nov. 22-23 • 7:30 p.m.

Wartburg Theatre • Tickets required

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