Chelsea Reynolds Nicholson | Creative Portfolio | Samford University

Chelsea Reynolds Nicholson, M.F.A. Assistant Professor, Musical Theatre

Samford University

Tenure and Promotion Portfolio

Scholarly and Creative Work

Chelsea Reynolds Nicholson

Scholarly and Creative Work

1

Scholarly and Creative Work

Scholarly and Creative Work

Overview

I

n this section of my portfolio, I am happy and proud to present the highlights of my professional career as a theatre artist. Theatre is ephemeral and fleeting. It exists in a time and space as a communal experience between audience and performers, and then it is gone. As soon as the final curtain drops, the set is demolished, the costumes sorted and returned to storage, and the actors wash the sweat of the performance off and move on to the next production. On the surface, all we are left with are photographs, video footage that never truly

Staging Curtain Call of Freaky Friday, Samford University, 2019.

captures the energy of a visceral performance, and the memories of the process.

Dig beneath the surface, however, and the artist is left with strengthened human

1

Scholarly and Creative Work

bonds, a nuanced sense of artistry and faith, and a deeper understanding of the human condition.

As an actor, director, and scholar this is my calling: to chip away, little by little, at the human condition, and to give those defined pieces away to the audience and community.

My wish is to evoke catharsis in an audience, be it through laughter or tears.

Catharsis, or a great purging of emotion, leads us to feel empathy towards those both alike and different from ourselves. When a community is able to empathize, it is able to lift all of its members up until each is linked arm and arm and able to walk through life in an equitable fashion. I realize this is a highly idealized image of theatre’s function in society, but it is what it can be at its very best, and it is what I work towards in my career daily.

My Master of Fine Arts in Acting degree from the University of Alabama is a terminal degree. This means I focus most of my scholarly work towards the actual practice of my craft as opposed to a primary focus on traditional academic research. My creative work can be defined by three major categories: Performance Directing Creative Writing and Academic Presentation Over the coming pages, I hope my aesthetic and intentions as an artist unfold in a way that is clear.

Performance In all of my performance work, I seek to be vulnerable and honest on stage.

Whether I am singing in a recital, acting in a play, shooting a film, or performing in a musical, I dedicate myself to being a vessel for a character to tell their story. I seek to reveal a piece of humanity by allowing a character to reveal themselves through me. I pair my artistry with a strong sense of professionalism, punctuality, and work ethic that lend me to being an easy artist to work with. I love collaborating with fellow actors and with directors. I do a copious amount of research for every role I play, and bring a plethora of ideas to the table to play with until I find what aligns with the director’s vision.

2

Scholarly and Creative Work

Though I have been performing since I was a child, I consider my high level apprenticeships I obtained as an undergraduate student to be the beginning of my professional performance career. To work at Actor’s Equity Association theatres as a late teen was completely formative to my education and craft as an actor. These apprenticeships at Flat Rock Playhouse and Hangar Theatre trained me in acting, dance, singing, Shakespeare, scene study, and many other areas while offering me the opportunity to perform in mainstage professional shows alongside Broadway and Regional professionals.

I have experience performing in some of the most well known musicals and plays in the American theatre canon, while also having the opportunity to perform in World Premieres of musicals and plays, working hand in hand with the playwrights and composers as they wrote music to specifically fit my voice and talents. Along with the breadth of material I have performed, I have had the blessing of living in two major markets, New York City and Los Angeles, while booking work in both cities to continue my professional experience. I have also been contracted to perform in regional houses around the country, and have also established myself as an actor here in our Birmingham community.

I am a member of the screen actor’s union, SAG-AFTRA, and am eligible to join the stage actor’s union, Actor’s Equity Association. The reason I have not joined AEA is that it would bar me from doing work in our Birmingham community since we do not have a full Equity house in town. Being a part of cultivating the arts in my own community is a priority to me.

My approach to acting is heavily based in the original founder of the modern acting method, Constantin Stanislavski. Throughout my education and career, I have also exposed myself to an array of methods and supplement this base method with the methods of Uta Hagen, Stella Adler, Jerzy Grotowski, Anne Bogart, along with many others, both movement based and psychological based.

It’s important for an actor to have a broad range of tools in her belt, and I consider myself to be a life long learner in this area. I also continue to study with my voice instructor, Dr. Randall Richardson, when I am cast in a role that requires singing, or when we both find ourselves with free time.

Another aspect of my professional career that has been important to me is becoming trained in the discipline of Stage Combat. The chair of my department, Mark Castle, has been incredibly supportive in my pursuit of this, and sent me to the National Stage Combat Workshop to become certified in Unarmed, Broadsword, and Rapier and Dagger combat. I am able to bring this both into my teaching and into my own craft, as I know how to handle myself safely in fights, and can open myself up to a wider net of casting opportunities with that skill on my resume.

3

Scholarly and Creative Work

Directing I came to directing much later in my professional career, but consider myself blessed to have worked with such a plethora or directors over my performance career that I knew exactly the aesthetic I wanted to have as a director when the opportunity arose. I take pride in being an actor’s director. I understand completely where actors are coming from because I am one. I know effective ways to communicate with actors, and avoid communication styles I have experienced as an actor that were ineffective or harmful. I have also participated in a wide variety of Theatrical Intimacy Education’s incredible workshops which work towards breaking down power dynamics in the rehearsal space and safety staging intimate moments just as you would fight choreography or dance. Additionally, I have been certified in Mental Health First Aid in order to better support my actors.

When I research and prepare for a show, I have a very specific vision, and a very specific concept from which to work. When it comes to the actual staging or, blocking, of a show, I come in to every rehearsal with a very specific plan and roadmap. However, because of my love for collaboration, I paint broad strokes for the actor, and allow them to make choices to fill in the blank sections of the canvas. If the actors are uncomfortable making choices, I’m able to go back to my specific plan and guide them in a very specific direction. However, I have found that actors can make beautifully organic choices in rehearsal if allowed to do so; thus, many times, I give major landmarks for them to hit, and see what happens in between, and shape it from there.

My artistic pet peeve is the lack of specificity. I want every moment to read very clearly to an audience, and by allowing the actors and designers to take ownership over that work, the final product is a beautiful conglomeration of many artists’ diverse ideas; I help to shape them into that specific, cohesive product. I allow my actors to play with their acting choices until we get to tech week (in which lights, set, and costumes are added) as I believe moments can continue to grow and become more specific up until the curtain rises. I never want my actors to feel like robots repeating mechanics, so we rehearse until they have the freedom to experience each moment as if for the first time, feeding off their scene partners energy while remaining consistent with what we rehearsed.

I have directed a two actor Gothic play, a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, an Alabama premiere of a Disney mega-musical, small musical revues and cabarets, and a non-traditionally cast post-Golden-Age musical, among others. I truly thrive directing a diverse body of work, and am grateful for the academic and professional experiences I have had in directing.

Creative Writing and Academic Presentations I have cultivated a passion for creative writing since I took Dr. Bryan Johnson’s Creative Short Fiction and Poetry courses when I was a student at Samford University. Creative writing has been a way to deepen my understanding of the 4

Scholarly and Creative Work

world and the people in it. It has strengthened my storytelling skills as an actor and director. I have had poems published in two independent literary publications, and have written several ten minute plays, a full length play, and am currently working on developing a one person performance piece over the next few years.

I have received one of Samford’s Faculty Development Grant’s to create a scholarly, yet accessible, podcast surrounding my area of expertise in Musical Theatre: Blackface Minstrelsy. This is the original American performing art form, and yet so many are uninformed of its history and the remnants still present in our art and culture today, and I look forward to having funds devoted to researching and producing this podcast to bring this knowledge I’ve been researching for years to the public eye. I am grateful for Samford’s support of this work of mine, which I hope will contribute to fighting racism.

At the South Eastern Theatre Conference, the largest theatre conference in the United States, I have given a workshop in Musical Theatre acting over three years, each focusing on a different approach to achieving honesty in acting. It has been a great honor to teach both high school and college students in something I am so passionate about.

5

Curriculum Vitae

Chelsea Reynolds Nicholson

Curriculum Vitae

1

Chelsea Reynolds Nicholson (850) 390-1273 | ChelseaReynolds1@gmail.com | www.ChelseaReynolds.com OVERVIEW Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre, Samford University. ● Member of SAG-AFTRA and AEA Equity Membership Candidate (eligible to join). ● Member and Certified Actor Combatant through the Society of American Fight Directors. ● Multiple courses of training with Theatrical Intimacy Education in both intimacy choreography and consent in the classroom. ● Certified in Adult Mental Health First Aid through Mental Health First Aid from National Council for Mental Wellbeing. ● Experience as teacher of record in a variety of university theatre and musical theatre courses. ● Personal knowledge and experience of the entertainment business in musical theatre, theatre, and film through nearly a decade of professional acting work. ● Strong work ethic along with adaptability to change has led to the ability to take on any task or job given successfully.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE: UNIVERSITY Assistant Professor of Theatre and Dance, Musical Theatre (2018-present) Samford University Department of Theatre and Dance Birmingham, AL ● Developing and teaching the core Musical Theatre curriculum. ● Teaching an array of Acting courses. ● Teaching within the Catalyst program. ● Directing musical theatre productions. ● Directing the BFA Musical Theatre program. ● Frequently meeting with students outside of class to provide professional guidance and/or additional coaching.

COURSES

Acting Methods: This course challenges students to think outside of the realm of modern, realism acting methods as laid out by Constantin Stanislavski. While building off that foundation from Beginning Acting, we delve into seven alternative acting methods that stemmed from Stanislavski including: Uta Hagen, Stella Adler,

Sanford Meisner, Michael Chekhov, Jerzey Growtowski, Anne Bogart, and Janet B. Rogers/Frankie Armstrong. This course is to serve as a survey, or overview, of the above methods in order to give students practical exercises to carry into their acting or directing process, while also exposing them to methods they may wish to dig deeper into on their own.

Musical Theatre History I: Musical Theatre history gives Musical Theatre majors (and interested non-majors) a historical context and background to their craft. This course covers the roots of Musical Theatre all the way back to Ancient Greece and particularly focuses on late 19th century America to 1940 commercial Broadway in New York City. While exposing students to different genres and eras of the American Musical, we delve into landmark productions, groundbreaking composers and lyricists, and iconic Musical Theatre performers. Students conclude the course by writing an electronic eBook chapter on a professor approved subject of their choice within the realm of the American Musical. This class also contains a performative component which encourages collaboration within the class as they create a Vaudeville show, a 1920’s Broadway Radio Hour, and an original 1930’s table read of a full length musical.

Musical Theatre History II: Musical Theatre history gives Musical Theatre majors (and interested non-majors) a historical context and background to their craft. This course picks up where Musical Theatre History I concluded, 1942 to present day commercial Broadway in New York City. While exposing students to different genres and eras of the American Musical, we delve into landmark productions, groundbreaking composers and lyricists, and iconic Musical Theatre performers. Students conclude the course by creating a podcast or YouTube video segment on a professor approved subject of their choice within the realm of the American Musical. This class also contains a performative component which encourages collaboration within the class as they create a Vaudeville show, a 1920’s Broadway Radio Hour, and an original 1930’s table read of a full length musical.

Arts in Society: A course team-taught by two School of the Arts professors, this course is taught to non-majors on Samford’s campus with the objective of sparking an appreciation for visual art, music, and theatre. We focus on an overview of history of each, while also addressing the elements of what makes each art form unique. While doing this, we urge the students to make connections to society and art’s function within it. This course is taught with a mixture of discussion-based lectures, guest artists and speakers, and- most importantly- hands on experience of the arts community in Birmingham. Each semester, the students are required to attend the Birmingham Museum of Art, a music event either on campus or in the community, and a theatre performance. The students write a reflection paper on each and, finally, put it all together by visiting a shopping center in the community

to make connections to how our society integrates all three art forms into our consumer-based society. Hopefully, students leave this course with the knowledge that God has woven an innate need to both create and enjoy the arts.

Musical Theatre Song Study: Students in this course challenge themselves to grow their acting abilities through song. As Musical Theatre students, they have voice lessons and they have acting classes. This is the first in a series of two classes that assist the students in melding the two into having the ability to effectively create a character and tell a story through song. This course is a combination of song text analysis, acting exercises, and performance to chart growth through the semester. Another aspect of this course is growing stage confidence and stage presence. It is one thing to understand a song through analysis; it is another thing entirely to be able to put it into performance in a way that reads to an audience clearly. Through creating a safe, yet challenging environment, this course pushes students to make strong choices in their work that is representative of who they are as artists. This course focuses on solo work found in musicals, while the follow up course focuses on musical theatre scene work.

Musical Theatre Scene Study: Students in this course challenge themselves to grow their acting abilities through musical scenes. This is the follow up course to Musical Theatre Song Study and encourages the students to work through the Musical Theatre Canon, from Golden Age to Contemporary, in duets and trios as opposed to solos. We begin the course by taking a scene from a classic American play to go back to acting basics. We then take that scene and each actor adds a song from the musical theatre canon to explore the structure of a musical scene.

We then workshop three scenes from the musical theatre canon the remainder of the semester. This course focuses on acting technique and scene partner collaboration.

Stage Combat: The focus of this course is to introduce students to basic Stage Combat safety, skills, and storytelling through onstage violence. Students explore this through unarmed combat, broadsword, and rapier and dagger. Students learn the skills and safety techniques to each weapon. They then apply these skills to a choreographed fight, which they then apply to a scene.

Acting Styles: The focus of this course is to introduce students to an array of theatrical styles leading up to realism including Greek, Shakespeare, Restoration Comedy, and Oscar Wilde/Noel Coward. The course’s objective is to prepare the student who may be auditioning for a Shakespeare festival or theatre who produces classical work and also to understand the historical theatrical legacy from which we come. We use exercises to help the student recognize the difference

between these classic styles of acting and contemporary text. We also address how to approach these classic texts in a postmodern world.

Acting Workshop: This course serves as an opportunity for students to delve deeper into techniques or aspects of acting covered in other acting classes, or perhaps not covered in other classes at all. At the beginning of the semester, I take a survey on topics students would wish to cover and I take the top responses and turn them into units for the semester. Examples of units are: monologue work for auditions, work in farce/comedy, improvisation within scene work, and archetypal work.

Interim Musical Theatre Coordinator (2017-2018) Samford University Department of Theatre and Dance Birmingham, AL ● Teaching Musical Theatre students auditioning techniques. ● Directing a Musical Theatre Cabaret. ● Assisting Chair of the department in coordinating and leading Musical Theatre Seminars. ● Frequently meeting with students outside of class to provide professional guidance and/or additional coaching. ● Attending student director’s rehearsals to provide guidance and insight.

COURSES

Auditioning Techniques and Professional Development: By the conclusion of this course, students will have an audition book with six songs, two contemporary monologues, and one Shakespeare monologue. The course lays the foundation for students to have a grasp on their acting type and how to use that as a tool to find material suitable for them. Students learn to present themselves in a consistent manner in order to market themselves in the business of theatre. Stanislavski tools are used to dig deeper into using the audition to show themselves through telling a story. Current and up to date business techniques are covered such as website building, video submissions, online auditioning, networking, etc.

Musical Theatre Ensemble: In this course, students spend the fall semester rehearsing a cabaret to be performed at the beginning of the spring semester. The course teaches the difference between performing in a full length musical and cabaret style performances. Students work to personalize their pieces and find material in which they can bring their own emotional palette. Students also learn professional rehearsal techniques requiring that they work as an ensemble and create a cohesive product.

Adjunct Professor (2017-2018) University of Montevallo Department of Theatre Montevallo, AL ● Working with theatre majors and non-majors to grasp the foundational principals of theatre as an art form.

COURSES

Introduction to Theatre: In this discussion-based class, students parallel their own lives and personal background to the art form of theatre. Students read a play, see two plays, and learn about the history of theatre and basic mechanics of how theatre works. They explore different careers in theatre, and the ways theatre intersects with their own lives.

Adjunct Professor (2017-2018) Snead State Community College Department of Fine Arts Boaz, AL ● Teaching online theatre introductory course. ● Online course management and troubleshooting.

COURSES

Theatre Appreciation: In this online exploration, students learn the basics of theatre history and the various elements of being a theatre practitioner. They learn what it means to be an audience member and how to appreciate the work necessary to bring a production to life.

Teaching Artist (2017-present) University of Alabama School of Music- Opera Tuscaloosa, AL ● After a successful series of workshops in 2016, asked to return to teach another series. ● Asks the opera singer to dig deeper into their acting.

COURSES

Opera Workshop: A workshop style 90 minute intensive class taught over five weeks to undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral opera students. This class was designed to help the performers bring more depth to their characters through

finding a stronger binding connection to the self, the partner, and the text. This is explored through improvisation, Uta Hagen based self observation exercises, and script scoring techniques developed by Constantin Stanislavski.

Graduate Teaching Assistant (2014-2017) University of Alabama Department of Theatre and Dance Tuscaloosa, AL ● Taught various undergraduate courses and performed in university productions while pursuing an M.F.A. in Acting. ● Teaching Assistant for Introduction to Theatre and Musicianship II. ● Teacher of Record in 8 sections of classes. ● Guest lecturer for various acting, directing, and introductory courses within and outside the department. ● Coaching and directing of various scenes and songs.

COURSES

Beginning Acting: Students learn the basic foundations of acting in this introductory course. The students progress through three phases. “Who Am I?” is a series of exercises to help the student discover who they are as human beings.

“Who is My Character?” is the art of text analysis through monologue work. “How Do I Become My Character?” combines the first two phases through scene work and various exercises. Heavy influences from Constantin Stanislavski and Uta Hagen.

Voice and Diction: This course is a study of the voice and body of the actor or public speaker. Focus is on finding freedom from tension, unhealthy vocal habits, and gestures/bodily habits that detract from the speaker’s work. A multitude of warm-ups and exercises are explored so that the student may put together their ultimate vocal tool belt. To build confidence and skill, vocal production is explored through a series of speeches with differing guidelines over the course of the semester to explore and improve the recipe that makes up the best version of their voice- tempo, pitch, articulation, etc.

Opera Workshop: A workshop style intensive class taught over four weeks to undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral opera students. This class is designed to help the performers explore themselves and their acting without the crutch of a song so that more honesty and self can be projected through song when they sing.

The use of improvisation, self-inventory, and exploration of archetypes are some of the tools used in this course.

Introduction to Theatre: An overview of the history of theatre and worldwide theatrical traditions. The course also focuses on the variety of careers in theatre and the structure and genre of plays. Each student attends six theatre and dance productions at the university and writes analytical papers that encourage the student to put his/her new knowledge of the theatre to use.

TEACHING ARTIST/PRESENTER/GUEST LECTURER Guest Artist: Spoken Word / Toolbox Instructor (2023) Animate Program at Samford University Birmingham, AL ● Plan, rehearse, and perform dramatized scripture in Animate worship services. ● Teach class on the power of storytelling and scripture through Biblical Tableaux. ● Opportunity to combine worship and theatre and leading others to learn how to do so.

Teaching Artist Stage Combat: O’Neal Public Library (2022, multiple times) Red Mountain Theatre Company Birmingham, AL ● Hired as a teaching artist by RMTC to teach middle and high schoolers basics of Stage Combat as outreach to the local library in Mountain Brook.

Teaching Artist Stage Combat: STARS Summer Educational Program (2022) Virginia Samford Theatre Birmingham, AL ● Created curriculum for three weeks of camp to introduce students ages 7-18 stage combat. ● Lead students in safe instruction on stage combat technique.

Guest Lecturer Professor Mark Castle, Professionalism in the Arts (2021, multiple times) Samford University Birmingham, AL ● Prepared questions sent ahead of time by Professor Mark Castle. ● Collaborated with colleague David Glenn to answer questions and talk about our collaborations on shows in the department.

Presenter Acting in Sam Shepard: ShepardFest (2021) Flagler University St. Augustine ● Gave presentation on the acting techniques employed when acting in a Sam Shepard play ● Inaugural presenter at conference celebrating the works and writing of playwright and actor, Sam Shepard.

Guest Lecturer Dr. Don Sandley, Professionalism in the Arts (2021) Samford University Birmingham, AL ● Spoke with students about my work in film, being in the union (SAG-AFTRA), and answered other questions regarding career.

Teaching Artist Stage Combat: STARS Summer Educational Program (2021) Virginia Samford Theatre Birmingham, AL ● Created curriculum for three weeks of camp to introduce students ages 7-18 stage combat. ● Lead students in safe instruction on stage combat technique.

Teaching Artist Musical Theatre Intensive: Scene Study (2021) Red Mountain Theatre Company Birmingham, AL ● Taught middle to high school students basics of scene analysis ● Led students through character development and telling a story through scene work.

Judge Academy of the Arts Voice Scholarship Auditions (2021) Samford University Academy of the Arts Homewood, AL ● Watched audition videos of voice students participating in the auditions for scholarship award. ● Scored and gave constructive criticism to all participants.

Guest Lecturer

Professor Allison Hetzel, Career Preparation (2020, 2023) University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL ● Met with Graduate level actors and directors to talk about my personal career path. ● Gave instruction and guidance regarding life after graduate school through series of questions and answers.

Guest Lecturer (2020) Professor Ramona Albin, Trial Advocacy Cumberland School of Law Birmingham, AL ● Met with Professor Albin to uncover needs to supplement her Trial Advocacy course to bring an interdisciplinary aspect to her online course. ● Scripted and recorded two twenty to thirty minute videos introducing the ideas of “Storytelling” and “Presence.” ● Delivered supplemental handouts and videos for Professor Albin to incorporate into the online section of her course.

Teaching Artist Instructor Alisa McCool, Dance Company (2020) Samford University Birmingham, AL ● Worked with dancers in the Samford Dance Company to help deepen characters and story of their performance piece. ● Led dancers through Anne Bogart and Tina Landeau’s Viewpoints method.

Workshop Presenter Being Alive: The Journey of A Song (2020) Southeastern Theatre Conference Louisville, KY ● Prepare and give workshop for musical theatre demographic at the largest regional theatre conference in the country. ● Guide attendees through finding the arc of a musical theatre song by analyzing the lyrics and music of a song. ● Volunteers will be guided through exercises to illustrate finding the journey of the song.

Workshop Presenter Attack of the Actions: Using Doable Actions to Experience Your Song (2019) Southeastern Theatre Conference

Knoxville, TN ● Prepare and give workshop for musical theatre demographic at the largest regional theatre conference in the country. ● Urge students to look beyond “just singing” a song and delve deep into pushing their actions to help their character get what they want. ● Encourage students to know they are an individual artist who will approach their song differently than any other artist who ever has or ever will sing that same song.

Toolbox Instructor (2019) Animate Program at Samford University Birmingham, AL ● Teach class on creative movement in worship after my success in choreographing for worship for last summer’s program. ● Teach class on the power of storytelling in worship. ● Opportunity to combine worship and storytelling and leading others to learn how to do so.

Workshop Presenter Musical Theatre and Stanislavski: The Art of Experiencing (2018) Southeastern Theatre Conference Mobile, AL ● Prepare and give workshop for musical theatre demographic at the largest regional theatre conference in the country. ● Introducing students to the basics of Constantin Stanislavski and how to apply them to musical theatre. ● Coaching individual students on their songs to help them experience the role and story of the piece.

Choreographer (2018) Animate Program at Samford University Birmingham, AL ● Responsible for choreographing movement piece for Psalm 139. ● Responsible for teaching choreography to performers to perform in worship service. ● Prayerfully consider and study Psalm 139 to create an effective piece of movement. ● Record teaching videos for performers and teach in person.

C0-Director of STARS Summer Camps (2018) Virginia Samford Theatre

STARS Educational Program Birmingham, AL ● Organize and run three, weeklong theatre camps for students ages seven to eighteen. ● Leading students in warmups/exercises ● Assisting teachers in the classroom and providing their needs. ● Communicating with parents of students. ● Finding solutions to students’ physical, medical, and mental needs.

PERFORMANCE (Representative) Theatre 9 to 5, the Musical Cabaret Shrek Kinky Boots Holiday Spectacular Survivors (Reading) The Last Statue (Reading) Alabama Story (Alabama Premiere)

Four Little Girls (Reading) Fool for Love Smoke on the Mountain Grease The Marvelous Wonderettes The Bacchae Really Rosie Busy Town Clementine and the Cyber Ducks A Midsummer Night’s Dream All Shook Up Meet Me In St. Louis Rootbaga! The Musical The Last Five Years Side Show Blues in the Night The Rockin’ 50’s The Confession: World Premiere

Violet Newstead Sally Bowles Mama Ogre/Bear Trish Principal Soloist Ruth/Helene Principal Lily

Virginia Samford Theatre Virginia Samford Theatre Red Mountain Theatre Co. Red Mountain Theatre Co. Red Mountain Theatre Co. Red Mountain Theatre Co. Samford/MISA Collab Red Mountain Theatre Co.

Dir. Carl Dean Dir. Dane Peterson Dir. Roy Lightner Dir. Robin Lewis Dir. Roy Lightner Dir. Keith Cromwell Dir. Laura Byland Dir. Henry Scott

Ensemble May Vera Marty Missy Agave Cathy Mistress Mouse ADuckA Flute/Thisby Ensemble Ensemble Ensemble Cathy Hiatt Violet Hilton Woman Bobbi Katie Lapp

Red Mountain Theatre Co. Hollywood Fringe Festival SummerTide Theatre Red Mountain Theatre Co. Actor’s Point Theatre Hangar Theatre Hangar Theatre Hangar Theatre Hangar Theatre Flat Rock Playhouse Flat Rock Playhouse Flat Rock Playhouse Flat Rock Playhouse ABryanStudios Praxis Project Greenbrier Valley Theatre Greenbrier Valley Theatre Blue Gate Theatre

Dir. Shronda Major Dir. Melody Rahbari Dir. Stacy Alley Dir. Keith Cromwell Dir. Greg Wilson Dir. Jesse Geiger Dir. Sherri Barber Dir. Jesse Geiger Dir. Brandon Pape Dir. Teddy Eck Dir. Paige Posey Dir. Paige Posey Dir. Dale Bartlett Dir. Mark Castle Dir. Chelsea Reynolds Dir. Cathey Sawyer Dir. Cathey Sawyer Dir. Wally Nason

Educational Theatre The Eccentricities of a Nightingale Appropriate Young Frankenstein 42nd Street Hamlet The Countess of Storyville Thoroughly Modern Millie Oleanna The 25th Annual…Spelling Bee

Alma Rachael Elizabeth Dorothy Brock Player Queen Anna Leigh Millie Carol Logainne

University of Alabama University of Alabama University of Alabama University of Alabama University of Alabama University of Alabama Samford University Samford University Samford University

Dir. Raines Carr Dir. Steve Burch Dir. Stacy Alley Dir. Stacy Alley Dir. Seth Panitch Dir. Mark Waldrop Dir. Mark Castle Dir. Neal Tucker Dir. Jordan Bonderant Dir. Don Sandley Dir. Mark Castle Dir. Mark Castle Dir. Erica Smith

Dancing at Lughnasa We Happy Few Twelfth Night 27 Wagons Full of Cotton

Chris Helen Maria Flora

Samford University Samford University Samford University Samford University

Principal Kissing Couple Bar Patron Extra

Discovery ID 20th Century Fox TV NBC Network CBS Network

Lead Lead

Dir. Jim Hanks Dir. Steve Whalen

Duet Performance, Dr. Joseph Hopkins Duet Performance, Dr. Joseph Hopkins Solo Performance Solo Performance Duet Performance, Dr. Joseph Hopkins Solo Performance Solo Performance Solo Performance Solo Performance

Samford University

2021

Samford University Samford University Samford University Samford University

2020 2019 2019 2019 2019

Samford University Samford University University of Alabama University of Alabama

2018 2017 2017 2016

Television Final Cut How I Met Your Mother Parenthood CSI: New York

Film Coveting Roses Call AAA

Recital Performance Nothing Like A Stage, Online

Nothing Like A Stage 2.0

Celebrate Christmas Faculty Gala Nothing Like A Stage

Faculty Gala Faculty Gala The Final Hurrah: Recital An Evening with Sondheim

COVID-19 Virtual Projects A Sondheim Tiny Desk Concert A Midsummer Night’s Dream Once Voice By Barry Manilow Songs from Separation Where You Are

Solo Performance Titania Group Perf.

Solo Performance Duet Performance

Facebook Live Happy Accident Theatre Dir. Barry Austin Dir. Jonathan Skaggs Blue Gate Theatre

2020 2020 2020 2020 2020

Virginia Samford Theatre Virginia Samford Theatre Red Mountain Theatre Co Red Mountain Theatre Co Virginia Samford Theatre Birmingham Music Club Samford University

2024 2022 2022 2021 2018 2019 2024

Samford University Samford University Samford University Samford University Samford University Samford University Samford University

2023 2021 2021 2019 2019 2019 2018

Virginia Samford Theatre Virginia Samford Theatre Samford University Samford University Samford University Samford University Samford University

2024 2022 2024 2023 2022 2021 2019

Samford University

2024

Samford University Edinburgh Fringe Festival Virginia Samford Theatre Samford University Samford University Samford University

2023 2022 2022 2021 2021 2022

STAGE DIRECTING Theatre Into the Woods Company Touch (Staged Reading) True North (Staged Reading) The Turn of the Screw H.M.S. Pinafore Tomorrow, the Island Dies (World Premiere) Urinetown A Christmas Carol, the Musical Little Women 1776 Freaky Friday A Grand Night for Singing It’s Complicated: A Cabaret

Intimacy Choreography Into the Woods Company Samford University Urinetown Spooky Dog A Christmas Carol 1776

Fight Choreography Tomorrow, The Island Dies (World Premiere) Urinetown The Ones Between Company Little Women Tinker Bell Matt and Ben (student One Act)

PUBLICATIONS, GRANTS AND RESIDENCIES Poetry “Nightingale’s Song”- The Festival Review, Volume 1- www.thefestivalreview.com “Nocturne on Vinyl”- The Borfski Press, Issue II- https://theborfskipress.com

Article “The Making of Biblical Tableaux”- Center for Worship and the Arts Blog

Grant

2019 2017 2023 2020

Samford University Faculty Development Grant

Residency

2021

Rockvale Writer’s Colony – College Grove, TN

SERVICE Faculty Senate Search Committee, Assistant Professor of Commercial Music Search Committee, Assistant Professor of Lighting Golden Age Cabaret SOA Dean Search Committee Dean Search Subcommittee Search Committee, Assistant Professor of Voice John Mitchum: Civil Discourse University Diversity Committee University Diversity Committee College Division Board

SOA Senator Committee Member

Samford University Samford University

2022-present 2023

Committee Member

Samford University

2023

Director Committee Member Committee Member Committee Member

Senior Hoover Center Samford University Samford University Samford University

2023 2022 2022 2022

Moderator Chair Chair Elect Chair

2022 2019-2021 2018-2019 2019-2021

DEI Committee

Committee Member

By-Laws Committee

Committee Member

Forever Samford Campaign SOA Curriculum Committee Vespers Mini Conference: Level Up Level Up, QEP Community Engagement Week Greg Kawell VR Course

Video Interviewee Committee Member Liturgist Faculty Presenter Faculty Presenter Faculty Participant Faculty Collaborator

Samford University Samford University Samford University Alabama Conference of Theatre Alabama Conference of Theatre Alabama Conference of Theatre Samford University Samford University Samford University Samford University Samford University Samford University Samford University

2021 2021 2022 2021-2022 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021

Racial Justice Town Hall 2 Dr. Westmoreland Retirement ODII: What’s the Buzz Racial Justice Town Hall ODII: Creating Inclusive Classrooms Title IX Fairytale Ball School of the Arts Retreat Search Committee, Asst/Assoc Prof of Nursing Flat Rock Playhouse Fundraiser College Division Board Faculty Senate ADA Council School Of the Arts Diversity Series Alpha Psi Omega Delta Xi Phi Multicultural Curriculum Committee Weekly Wrap-up Advancement Committee Freshman Orientation Search Committee, Assistant Professor of Voice Bulldog Club Classic Golf Tournament RMTC Conservatory Musical Theatre Committee

Moderator Director of Singers Faculty Presenter Moderator Discussion Group

Samford University Samford University Samford University Samford University Samford University

2021 2021 2020 2020 2020

Hearing Panel Member Performer Prayer Leader Committee Member

Samford University

2020-present

Childcare Resources Samford University Samford University

2020 2020 2020

Video Contributor Vice Chair Diversity Rep Diversity Rep Faculty Advisor

Flat Rock Playhouse Alabama Conf. of Theatre Samford University Samford University Samford University

2020 2018-2019 2019-present 2019-2021 2020-2023

Faculty Advisor Faculty Advisor Committee Member Faculty leader Committee Member Interview with Dr. Westmoreland Committee Member

Samford University Samford University Samford University Samford University Samford University Samford University

2019-present 2019-2021 2019-2020 2019 2018-2019 2018

Samford University

2017-2018

Volunteer

Samford University

2017

Adjudicator

Red Mountain Theatre Co

2017-2018

Committee Member

Southeastern Theatre Conference Christ the King Anglican Church Christ the King Anglican Church St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church

2018-present

Cantor Worship Leader Choir Member

2019-2020 2018-2020 2013-2017

TRAINING AND MASTER CLASSES Mental Health First Aid Certification 2022 Academics for Black Survival and Wellness 2020 Day 1: Foundations for Black Survival and Wellness Day 2: Understanding Anti-Black Racism: History and Systems Day 3: Appropriately Applying Intersectionality Day 4: White Terrorism and Black Resistance Day 5: Exploring Whiteness in the Academy Day 6: Practicing Black Allyship and Activism Day 7: Committing to Black Liberation A Conversation with Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum 2020 Theatrical Intimacy Training (18 hours training) 2020-present Intimacy Choreography- 6 Training Hours Consent in the Classroom- 3 Training Hours Best Practices- 6 Training Hours Staging Sex- Musical Theatre- 3 Training Hours Radford University- Intimacy and Stanislavsky 2022 2 Hour Course Humble Warriors- Stage Combat Training 2020 Rapier and Companion- Five Week Course Foundations of Whip- Five Week Course Medieval Martial Arts- Five Week Course Sidewalk Film Festival Self-Taping Workshop 2020 Samford University QEP LEVEL UP Faculty Fellowship 2019-2020 Musical Theatre Educators Alliance COVID-19 Webinar 2020 Society of Fight Directors National Stage Combat Workshop 2019 Certified Actor Combatant: Unarmed Combat Broadsword Combat Rapier and Dagger Combat The Dance Foundation with Darby Burgess 2020 Tap Dance- Six Week Course Equity Membership Candidate Apprenticeship Flat Rock Playhouse-Dennis Maulden 2008 Equity Membership Candidate Apprenticeship Hangar Theatre-Peter Flynn, Wendy Dann 2009 Voice Teacher Samford University- Dr. Randall Richardson Additional Master Classes/Intensives Lauren Gunderson- Playwriting Jodie Langel- Making it On Broadway

Paula Cole –Rasaboxes Erin Dilly –Acting through Song and Monologue Alice Ripley –Surviving in the Business as an Artist Gavin Creel –Choosing the Right Song Kate Baldwin –The Subtext of a Song Lynn Ahrens –Coloring the Song Emily Skinner –Auditioning Techniques Joe Dipietro –Comedic Song Choice Dave Clemmons –Contemporary and Pop Audition Songs Sarah Saltzberg –Improvisation Mama Yeye –African Dance Christine Andreas- Acting a Song Jack Viertel- The Structure of a Musical

EDUCATION University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL M.F.A. in Acting Samford University, Birmingham, AL B.A. in Musical Theatre (additional emphasis in creative writing/journalism)

HONORS/MEMBERSHIPS SAG-AFTRA Member SAG Awards Motion Picture Nominating Committee AEA Equity Membership Candidate (eligible to join) Society of American Fight Directors Member University of Alabama Board of Trustees Student Representative Allen Bales Theatre Award- University of Alabama Graduate Teacher Assistantship-University of Alabama Artists Shaping Tomorrow’s World Award- Samford University Excellence in Theatre Award- Samford University Alpha Psi Omega President- Samford University

2017 2010

2014-present 2016-present 2008-present 2018-present 2016 2016 2014-2017 2010 2010 2009-2010

CONTACT FOR REFERENCES (More available upon request) Dr. Andy Westmoreland- President Emeritus- Samford University Stacy Alley- Professor of Musical Theatre- University of Alabama Roy Lightner- Artistic Director- Red Mountain Theatre Company Laura Byland- Professor of Theatre for Youth- Samford University

Scholarly and Creative Work

Scholarly and Creative Work

Directing

1

Directing / Creative Collaboration

Tomorrow, the Island Dies When: 2021-2024 Where: Samford University What: Tomorrow, the Island Dies is a new musical theatre commission by 2023 Kleban Award award winning composer and lyricist, Ryan Scott Oliver. He has had his work produced on the West End and o -Broadway.

How: I have been an admirer of Ryan Scott Oliver’s music since I was in undergraduate and he was just starting his career. I’ve watched his career ourish over the last 15 years, and I also happen to know that he prefers to workshop new work at the university level because he likes working with that age group and giving them that creative experience. Fostering new work is something I have wanted to incorporate into the musical theatre program at Samford. It has been done before, but not to the level I instigated with this project. Most new works manifest themselves as a reading or workshop, but we will be fully producing this new work as the World Premiere in April of 2024. It will be fully orchestrated, and will be a collaboration with the Samford orchestra. I am grateful for Samford’s support on this project.

I reached out to Ryan when I saw that he had released an EP of musical theatre songs based on the short stories of novelist, Shirley Jackson. She is my favorite author, and Ryan’s, too, as it turned out. When I proposed we collaborate together to adapt one of her novels for my musical theatre program at Samford, he was immediately on board. The power of asking! After much back and forth with one another, and the Jackson estate, we decided to create an original piece based on the themes we love about Jackson’s work. Community othering, siblings, foreboding, guilt, redemption, were a few themes we discussed, and Ryan has now crafted an incredible piece that we will always have the honor of being attached to. The hope is that it will be produced on a larger stage in the future. This is a profound moment for my career, my students’ careers, and will also serve as an excellent recruitment tool for Samford School of the Arts. We have already been in national theatre news publications such as Playbill, and Ryan has released an EP of some of the tracks from the musical on all streaming platforms (see below).

It has been a dream come true to collaborate with one of my favorite musical theatre composers on a piece that means a lot to both of us, and our students are so excited to audition for this musical in November of 2023 to perform in April.

fl

ff

1

Be sure to add to your streaming platform!

Click HERE for Spotify OR Click HERE for Apple Music

2

10/28/23, 2:52 PM

Ryan Scott Oliver’s Folk Horror Musical Tomorrow, the Island Dies Releases Album October 6 | Playbill

CAST RECORDINGS & ALBUMS

Ryan Scott Oliver’s Folk Horror Musical Tomorrow, the Island Dies Releases Album October 6 The concept album features Jason Gotay, Victoria Huston-Elem, Jisel Soleil Ayon, and more.

BY ANDREW GANS OCTOBER 06, 2023







A concept album of Ryan Scott Oliver’s new folk horror musical Tomorrow, the Island Dies is released on all streaming services October 6. https://playbill.com/article/ryan-scott-olivers-folk-horror-musical-tomorrow-the-island-dies-releases-album-october-6

1/4

10/28/23, 2:52 PM

Ryan Scott Oliver’s Folk Horror Musical Tomorrow, the Island Dies Releases Album October 6 | Playbill

Joshua Zecher-Ross music directs a cast featuring Jason Gotay (City Center Evita), Victoria HustonElem (The Addams Family), Jisel Soleil Ayon (Waitress, Hamilton), Shelby Acosta (1776), Kim Onah (& Juliet), Charlie Fusari (Pretty Woman), Miranda Luze (Come From Away), Ethan Carlson (Waitress), Nathan David Smith (Come From Away), Tristan Caldwell, Caitlin Doak, Nicole Deluca, Jack Murphy, and Grace Ellis Solomon.

The musical follows 18-year-old Widow Clack, who is pregnant and lives an exiled life running a lighthouse with her brother on a storm-crushed island. When a young man is found dead on the beach, the remaining young adults combust into dangerous accusations leading to division and, ultimately, death.

The track list follows: 1. Prelude 2. Girl of Legend — Jisel Soleil Ayon and cast 3. Asylum— Jason Gotay 4. On This Rock — Shelby Acosta, Miranda Luze, Nathan David Smith, Tristan Caldwell, Caitlin Doak, Kimberly Onah, and cast 5. Ms. Kelly's Tapes — Victoria Huston-Elem 6. Only Human — Jisel Soleil Ayon 7. I Know You — Jack B. Murphy, Caitlin Doak and cast 8. The Beginning of the End — Tristan Caldwell, Shelby Acosta, Miranda Luze, and cast 9. The Price of Living — Charlie Fusari The musical will receive a workshop presentation in November at Marymount Manhattan College directed by Gotay and a developmental production at Samford University, directed by Chelsea Nicholson.

The concept album is produced by Oliver, Zecher-Ross, Very Intense Productions, and AT New Works, and is a commission from Samford University.

SIGN UP FOR THE PLAYBILL POST! Sign up for the Playbill Post to receive the top stories every morning and evening.

SIGN UP!

Email Address

RELATED:

JASON GOTAY

KIM ONAH

RYAN SCOTT OLIVER

https://playbill.com/article/ryan-scott-olivers-folk-horror-musical-tomorrow-the-island-dies-releases-album-october-6

SHELBY ACOSTA

2/4

Directing

Urinetown When: April, 2023 Where: Harrison Theatre, Samford University, Birmingham, AL What: Urinetown, the musical, is a satirical comedy from 2001 with a Book and Lyrics by

Greg Kotis and Music and Lyrics by Mark Hollman. Urinetown is a hilarious musical satire of the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, environmental collapse, privatization of natural resources, bureaucracy, municipal politics, and musical theatre itself! Hilariously funny and touchingly honest, Urinetown provides a fresh perspective on one of America's greatest art forms.

In a Gotham-like city, a terrible water shortage, caused by a 20-year drought, has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company that pro ts by charging admission for one of

fi

1

humanity's most basic needs. Amid the people, a hero decides that he's had enough and plans a revolution to lead them all to freedom!

Inspired by the works of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, Urinetown is a humorous satire in which no one is safe from scrutiny. Praised for reinvigorating the very notion of what a musical could be, Urinetown catapults the "comedic romp" into the new millennium with its outrageous perspective, wickedly modern wit and sustained ability to produce gales of unbridled laughter.

How: In lieu of written narrative, I am presenting a fabulous student directed documentary of our process for Urinetown from early rehearsal through closing. Video one is a personal cut I created that pulls clips from the full documentary to focus on my directing process and students’ thoughts on my process. The second video is the documentary in its entirety if you are intrigued to learn more. Brady Hosmer and Katie Suchman, a senior and freshman at the time, teamed up for a lm class and chose our show as source material for their documentary assignment. Their lm professor was impressed with their nished product, and I am proud to have been a part of it!

Media Click image below to see Chelsea’s Directing Process

fi

fi

fi

2

Click image below to see Full Urinetown Documentary

3

4

5

6

7

8

MIC HA EL J. AN D MARY AN NE

FREEMAN THEATRE AN D DANC

E SERIES

'I

I

l'

, Il

i , I

~1I ~ / / 1· " I '. I ;

I

I

;~,~-

~! !!I ii~ ·

-. - - -

. ::F~ __.. .... :..._.

,

.

-~-,-

~.:. ._:

.,. ....

. -:-- . - -

...

~

~.;_ - -

---·~ ~

~~i:~~

-~!....-:' ~:._ . ·'•"'--~ ~ ~

ugh special arrangement with ~-~ Urinetown is presented thro authorized perfor·_ _.~ .

Music Theatre International (MTI) . All --~ MTI. monce materials ore also supplied by .,:- _ ;"'I>~ ·5ii· ~ ---~ www.mtishows.com · · ~- ,-;,:-

7:30 P.M ., HARRISON THEATRE • APRIL 13-15, TICKETS.SAMFORD.EDU

APRIL 16, 2:30 P.M.

DIRECTOR' S NOTE

W

elcome to Urinetown ... the musical. I really, truly have to commend you.

You spent hard-earned money to come to a show with a bodily function in the title. Was it morbid curiosity? Are you one of the cult following of this charming musical of 2001? Whatever the case, I'm glad you're here.

If you don't know this show, good. Let it unroll before you like a roll of Charmin Ultra Soft. I promise you, the content is much cleaner than Public Amenity #9.

I read the following speech from Disney's Star Wars show, Andor, on the first day of Urinetown staging rehearsals, and its spirit is the same spirit that dwells in the poor folk of Urinetown: "There will be times when the struggle seems impossible. I know this already. Alone, unsure, dwarfed by the scale of the enemy. Remember this. Freedom is a pure idea.

It occurs spontaneously and without instruction. Random acts of insurrection are occurring constantly throughout the galaxy. There are whole armies, battalions that have no idea that they've already enlisted in the cause. Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward. And then remember this. The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural.Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks.

Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that. And know this, the day will come when all these skirmishes and battles, these moments of defiance will have flooded the banks of the Empire's authority and then there will be one too many. One single thing will break the siege. Remember this. Try." Now that I've given you the some inspiration for the road, don't take this show too seriously. It's ridiculous. It has a terrible title. I hope you laugh. I hope you fall in love with these silly characters. I hope you gain some courage for whatever your next battle may be, and may we do this together as a community. If you listen closely, Officer Lockstock references Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. As followers of Christ, may we all choose to move one another towards a time to love rather than a time to hate.

"For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to break down and a time to build up; a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to throw away; a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to keep silent and a time to speak; a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace."

Attend the tale of Urinetown, Chelsea Reynolds Nicholson

Michael J. and Mary Anne Freeman Theatre and Dance Series presents

Music and Lyrics Mark Hollman

Book and Lyrics Greg Kotis

URINETOWN was produced on Broadway in September, 2001 by the Araca Group and Dodger Theatricals in association with TheaterDreams, Inc., and Lauren Mitchell URINETOWN is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTlShows.com Special thanks to Michael J. and Mary Anne Freeman for hosting the cast reception after the Saturday performance in honor of the cast and crew.

Special thanks to: Joel Davis Joel Mixon Samford Worship Arts

CAST The Rich

Hope Cladwell ................................... ............................ .................. Emily Weaver Penelope Pennywise .............. .......................................... ....... Mallory McKinney Caldwel l B. Cladwell ....... ..................... ..................... ....... ............ Nathan Herring Senator Fipp ................................................. ....... ....... ....... .............. Brandon Szep Mr. McQueen .......................................... .............. ....... ................... Bradley Seals Dr. Billeaux..................... .............. ............................ ....... .............. Matthew Reber Mrs . Millenium .............. ............................ ..................... ............. Stephanie Leary Maddie Athearn , Alexandria Brandstetter, Hannah Bridger, Trevor Miller, Mary Taylor Spe ll

The Poor

Bobby Strong ....... ....... ........................................................ .......... Grayson Johns Little Sally ............................................................... .............. ..... Meredith Warren Josephine Strong ....... ........................................................ .............. Rachel Harris Little Becky Two Shoes ................................... .............. ............ McKenna Varner Hot Blades Harry ............................ ................................... ...... Benjamin Harding Soupy Sue .............. ....... ....... ................................................

Maddie Jayne Austin Old Man Strong ..................... .......................................... .......

Tiny Tom ............................................................................. .......... Trevor Miller ........... Jackson Griffee Robby The Stockiish ........................................................ .... Anna Kate Hindman Billy Boy Bill ...................................................................... ..................Gra nt Oden Kate lyn Ortiz

The Cops

Officer Lockstock ................................................. .............. ............. Goldie Hatc h Officer Barrel ..................... ..................... .............. ....... ....... .................. Sam Riggs Maddie Athearn , Alexandria Brandstetter, Ber:jamin Harding Rachel Janine Harris, Anna Kate Hindman , Trevor Mille r Katelyn Ortiz, Brad ley Seals, Mary Taylor Spell, Bran don Szep

The Understudies

Penelope Pennywise ............................ ....... ..................... ........... Maddie Athearn Little Becky Two Shoes & Soupy Sue ....... ....... ............

Alexandria Brandstetter Little Sally .......................................... ............................ ...............Hannah Bridger Lockstock & Barrel ........................................................ .............. ..... Trevor Miller Hope Cladwell.............. ........................................................ ..... Mary Taylor Spel l

The Swing .............. ..................... ................................... ..................... .......... Adelaide Hudson

CREATIVE TEAM Director...................... ............................................ Chelsea Reynolds Nicholson Conductor ....................................................................................John Robertson Choreographer ........................................... ..................... .................Alisa McCool Scenic Designers ................................................... David Glenn, Sarah Robbins Lighting Designer ........................................... .................................... Tollie Boone Costume Designer ..................... ..................... ........................... McKenna Varner Hair and Makeup Designer ........................................................ Stephanie Leary Sound Designer ...................... ..................... ...................... ......... Christian Specht Production Manager ...................... ...................... ....................................Jen Lane Rehearsal Accompanist..........................................................................Zoe Willis Stage Manager ...................... ............................................ ............Amy Ethington Assistant Director ........................................................................... Avery Minotti Assistant Stage Manager ...................... ...................... ................. Alyssa Douglas Assistant Lighting Designer .......................................................... Jackson Wood Assistant Choreographer ............................................................Mikayla Hansen Dance Captain ...................... ..................................................... Mc Kenna Varner Dramaturg ...................... ............................................ .................Antoinette Gilas Scenic Artist ................................................................. .......... Christopher Crews Lightboard Programmer........................................................................ Alex Felts Light Board Operator ................................................................ Sumaiyah Morris Calling Follow Spots ......................................................................... Gracie Abee Follow Spot Operators ................................................. Ross, Jackson Bradshaw Soundboard Operator ...................... ........................ Joshua Hery, Luke Sortino House Manager............................................ ......................... Mary Rene Quarles Ushers ................................Charlotte Godat, Lucy Blalock, Natalia Fernandez Props ..................... ....................................................................... Ki rsten Erickson Hair/ Makeup/Costume Crew ...................................................Stephanie Leary Annie Heaton, Kat McCandless , Mallory Hubbard, Mikayla Hanson, Anna Williams, Soiia Rosso-Benit ez Scenic Crew ........................................................................................ Kate Varner Deck Electrician ...........................................................William Sabonis-Chaffee Mic Techs ......... Olivia Ellis, Emmaline Conn, Elise Samlowski, Carter Nelson Musicians: Lori Ardovino ...................... .................... alto saxophone, bass clarinet , clarinet, and soprano saxophone Michael Johnson ........................... bass trombone, trombone, and euphonium Kerry Joiner ........................................................................................... percussion Michael Whitner ..................... ..................... ..................... .................... string bass Zoe Willis ........................................... ........................................... ................... piano

Directing

Company When: March, 2022 Where: Virginia Samford Theatre, Birmingham, AL What: A musical theatre anthem about love and commitment (or lack thereof) in the 1970’s, and a love letter to New York City, Stephen Sondheim’s Company is an iconic concept musical lled with heart, thought, laughs, and tenderness. We follow our protagonist, Bobby, on his 35th birthday as he comes to terms with who he is as a person and awakens to what he hopes to be; no longer a passive person who watches life happen to others.

How: Directing Company at the Virginia Samford Theatre, a space that had already made several acting dreams of mine come true, was a tremendous gift. Stephen Sondheim is, without a doubt, my largest artistic inspiration. He had just passed away months before, and I was also turning the age of my protagonist, Bobby (a major plot point). In Stephen Sondheim’s Finishing the Hat, a book annotating his lyrics, he states: “The show [Company] takes place not over a period of time, but in an instant in Robert’s mind, perhaps on a psychiatrist’s couch, perhaps at the moment when he

fi

1

comes into his apartment on his thirty- fth birthday. The framework is a surreal surprise party for him, which opens and closes each act. The scenes which take place in between are all observations which he makes about his married friends, his girlfriends, and himself.”

When I read this quote in preparation for directing my bucket-list Sondheim piece, I knew I wanted to live in this idea. Often, Company is produced either very literally with many scene shifts, or very abstractly with minimal set. My concept was, if this entire show was an expansion of an instant in Bobby’s mind, I wanted our production to take place in a realistic rendering of his apartment. Ben Boyer, set designer, gave me a beautifully eshed out 1970’s apartment, complete with sunken den, and Bobby’s living space turned into a lounge, a terrace, a park, a suburban home, and everything in between. The only set transition that happened in the piece was to turn Bobby’s couch into a bed (it was a pull-out couch) in his bedroom, the setting of a very important scene. I used the number, “Poor Baby,” as a transition piece and had the husbands and wives, friends of Bobby, take turns making up the bed so that it would smoothly transition into the bedroom scene without having a dark scene change. It also symbolized the ways the couples in ltrated his thoughts, even on a one night stand with his ight attendant girlfriend, April.

fi

fi

fl

fl

2

An aspect that amazes me about Company, is that even though it takes place and was written in the 1970’s, it is shockingly devoid of problematic material and references that would keep it from being timeless. It is extremely rare in the musical theatre canon for this to be the case. There are even musicals written in the early 2000s already rendered unproduceable due to problematic material. The character of April, one of Bobby’s three girlfriends, could be considered an anti-feminist rendering

of a “ditz” stereotype, however we worked against that trope by having her actions support her reading incredibly smart and using their entire interaction as a game for her; she is in complete control. And that reading is completely textually supported; I simply haven’t seen it played that way. I wanted all of the women in this piece to feel empowered.

I relished directing this piece because I had the privilege of directing colleagues I had shared the stage with, current Samford students of mine, along with Birmingham theatre staples I had yet to work alongside. The entire process was so positive and uplifting, and though Sondheim is complicated and complex, I learned that a rehearsal process doesn’t have to be.

3

4

5

6

VI RGI MlrsAlllF0RD TH E ATRE A T C A LD W ELL PA RK

iliPl ~I & liii~B

i' , ,

,

.

•

•:• ,•,

•"H1

"

ll

.,.

MARCH31APRIL 10, 2022

,~

Virginia Samford Theatre Productions presents

· 1 1 ·· ;, , -..>•~•.

STEPHEN SONDHEIM'S

,· f:, 1·

',

~ II

I

I

l I

'1

I.\• I,· ! : •' I

1' '

Sponsored by Louise and lohn Beard Music and Lyrics by STEPHEN SONDHEIM Directed by CHELSEA REYNOLDS

Book by GEORGE FURTH

Choreographed by IARED MAX WRIGHT

Music Direction DEBBIE MIELKE

Original!), produced and directed on Broadway by HAROLD PRINCE. Orchestrations by IONATHAN TUNICK

MUSICIANS Debbie Mielke ................................................................................. Musical Director/ Keyboard 1 Christy Vest.. ................................................................................................................ Keyboard 2 Maury Levine ...................................................................................................................... Drums Sarah Freed ................................................................................................................. Bass Guitar Ryan Murrell .................................................................................................................... Trumpet Ian Ellis .......................................................................................................................... Trombone Matthew Barron ................................................................................................................. Reed 1 Brent Cooper ..................................................................................................................... Reed 2

PRODUCTION AND STAGE CREW Ben Boyer ...............................................................................................Scenic & Lighting Design Craig Brandwein ...................................................................................................... Sound Design James Lebo .................................................................................................................. Costumier Sarah Robbins .................................................... Assistant Lighting Design, Light Board Operator Paul Boyer ........................................................................................................... Set Construction Tyler Stidham ........................................................................................................ Stage Manager Hope McMahone ................................................................................................Assistant Director

VIRGINIA SAMFORD THEATRE STAFF President ................................................................................................................... Catherine Gilmore Technical Director .................................................................................................................. Ben Boyer Box Office Manager .......................................................................................................Amanda Sulzby Education Director ................................................................................................. Jennifer Spiegelman Production and Facility Manager ..................................................................................... Jenna Bellamy Costumier ........................................................................................................................... James Lebo Executive Assistant,........................................................................................................... Sherry Boone Marketing Director ...............................................................................................................Ben Burford House Manager ................................................................................................................. Jaime Styles SPECIAL THANKS: Mary Gurney & Samford University This production has received performance rights from MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL 421 W. 5th Street

New York. NY. 10019

(212) 4684

The VST receives support from the Alabama State Council on the Arts funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. Member of the National Historic Preservation Trust.

Recording or videotaping of the performance is strictly prohibited.

Richie Lisenby (Paul) is so excited to be making his VST debut! Off-Broadway: The Sorceress (Tlle National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene); Agatha Christie's The Unexpected Guest Frankenstein The Musical (Tlle Players Theater); Sgt Stubby(FACTTheater); NYC/Regional: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Cumberland County Playhouse); Smoke on the Mountain (CCP); A Little ~ : : .ml "'., . Night Music (Tlleater 2020); Next to Normal (TATC); Les Miserables (Tennessee Valley Art Association); Semi-finalist in NYMF's 2015 Next Broadway Sensation Competition. B.A. University of Montevallo. M.M. Southern Illinois University. Richie is a local real estate agent with Keller Williams Vestavia. lnstagram: @rlisenby Callie Hunter (Kathy) is absolutely thrilled to be making her theatrical "re-debut" after an 11-year hiatus from the stage. While playing a virtual role at a large advertising agency in Chicago by day, Callie is beyond grateful for the laptop-free opportunity to work alongside this incredibly talented cast and crew by night. Her roots in the Birmingham theatre community run deep, and to get a chance to participate firsthand again is something she will forever carry with her. Cheers to supporting live theatre and enjoy the show!

Abigail Williams (April) is so excited to be a part of this wonderful production at VST! Abigail is a current senior musical theatre major and dance minor at Samford University. Past Samford roles include Ghost of Christmas Future (A Christmas Carol), Amy (Little Women), Little Red (Into the Woods), and Martha Jefferson (1776). She has also been a dancer in re/vise, [to] soar, Passages, and In the Round with Samford Dance Company. Other favorite roles include Sophie (Mamma Mia!) and Helena (A Midsummer Night's Dream). Abigail is also a singer/songwriter, and you can find her visual album "Avoidance" on YouTube @Abigail Fawn. She would like to thank her family: Scott, Rachel, Hannah, and Oliver Williams for always being so supportive. She hopes you enjoy the show! @abigailgwilliams Lydia Yates (Marta) is a native of Lexington, Kentucky and is thrilled to be making her debut on the Virginia Samford stage! Some of her favorite performance credits are Little Women (Jo March), 1776 (Edward Rutledge), and Peter and the Starcatcher(Smee) at Samford University.

She is a finalist candidate for the 2022 Ella Fitzgerald Vocal Jazz Competition. Lydia extends her deepest thanks to Chelsea Reynolds, to the lovely cast and crew, and to the late Mr. Sondheim for the immeasurable legacy he left behind. Thank you for supporting live theatre! Enjoy the show! lnstagram: @lydiay8 Chelsea Reynolds (Director) is a SAG-AFTRA actor, director, and theatre educator who hails from Gulf Breeze, FL. She was last seen on the Virginia Samford Theatre stage as Violet in 9 to 5 and as Sally Bowles in Cabaret. Chelsea is ecstatic to be directing Company, by Stephen Sondheim, her artistic inspiration. Chelsea is the Director of Musical Theatre at Samford University and holds an M.F.A. in Acting from the University of Alabama, with a B.A. in Musical Theatre from Samford University. She has worked with AEA houses around the country such as Flat Rock Playhouse, Hangar

Theatre, and Greenbrier Valley Theatre. A few of her other favorite directing credits include 1776, Little Women, Freaky Friday, and The Tum of the Screw. She is forever grateful to Cathy Gilmore, Jenna Bellamy, Tyler Stidham, Debbie Mielke, Jared Max Wright, Ben Boyer, James Lebo, and Hope McMahone along with this phenomenal cast and creative team for collaborating to create the world as seen through Bobby's eyes.

As always, important thanks to her family, friends, God, and to Dolly Parton. This show is dedicated in loving memory of Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021 ), who taught Chelsea, "Anything you do, let it come from you. Then it will be new. Give us more to see."- Dot, Sunday in the Park with George Debbie Mielke (Music Director) is a veteran of more than 200 productions and is thrilled to be Music Directing again at VST! She began ........,..,,. her professional career in Orlando, Music Directing in several theatres - ~ and playing for Walt Disney World. Local productions include many shows forVST as well as work at Birmingham Children's Theatre, Birmingham Festival Theatre, Birmingham-Southern College and UAB. She is retiring from her current position as Residency Coordinator for Neurosurgery at UAB in December. She plans to spend more time being "Ebby" to Madleine and Millie, Music Directing for theatres, and continuing her work with the Homewood HS Show Choirs.

·l Jared Max Wright (Choreographer) is very excited to choreograph Company at the Virginia Samford Theatre! He is a graduate of the University of Montevallo where he earned his BFA in Musical Theatre. Professionally and classically trained in Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Modern style dance, Jared has trained under professionals such as Fulton Burns, Chip Abbot, Amy Murphy, Eden Espinosa, Robin Lewis, Cindy Ripley, Tim Mcdonald and Tina Marie Casamento Libby; just to name a few. As well as having worked with Music Theatre International and iTheatrics as a part of the Junior Theatre Festival. He has had the pleasure to choreograph many musicals such as: Spring Awakening, High Fidelity, Urinetown, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and Cinderella. Some of his theatre credits include: A Chorus Line (Paul), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Leaf Coneybear), Mary Poppins (Robertson Ay), The Rocky Horror Show (Riff Raff), Newsies (Elmer), Beauty and The Beast(Lefou), Spring Awakening (Hanschen), Matilda (Ensemble), The Wizard of Oz (Scarecrow), and Heathers the Musical (Kurt Kelley). He would like to thank ~is family and friends for their love and support throughout his career! You can catch Jared in Red Mountain Theatre's Kinky Boots this coming June! "It takes courage to make a fool of yourself."

Tyler Stidham (Stage Manager) is a stage manager, director, and performer. He is excited to return to VST for Company. Some of his stage management credits include Hairspray! Jr., Glass Menagerie (VSTI, Hair (UAB), Choir Boy, One in Two (Birmingham Black Repertory Theatre), Zombie Thoughts, and The Little Engine that Could (Birmingham Children's Theatre).

4/1/22, 3:20 PM

Theater review: Welcome ‘Company’ shines on VST stage – By Alec Harvey.

    

Home



About Contact Other work

By Alec Harvey.

All about arts in Alabama and Alabamians in the arts

Theater review: Welcome ‘Company’ shines on VST stage In Review, Theater

Tags Company, review, Virginia Samford Theatre

April 1, 2022

Alec Harvey

Search Search

The Calendar Current and upcoming shows

Recent Posts Theater review: Welcome ‘Company’ shines on VST stage ‘Hamilton’ headlines Broadway in Birmingham’s 2022-23 season Like mother, like daughter: Jan and Callie Hunter talk about each The cast of “Company” at the Virginia Samford Theatre. (Photo by Steven Ross)

other and ‘Company’ Celebration of life for Carl Stewart will take place in April

There’s a party going on at the Virginia Samford Theatre – one filled with laughs, great music and interesting people – and https://byalecharvey.com/theater-review-welcome-company-shines-on-vst-stage/

Carl Stewart, co-founder of Birmingham Festival Theatre, 1/6

4/1/22, 3:20 PM

Theater review: Welcome ‘Company’ shines on VST stage – By Alec Harvey.

you’re invited.

Terrific New Theatre, has died

It’s Stephen Sondheim’s “Company,” and VST’s take on the musical, save for a couple of dance scenes with ‘70s moves and some “period” costumes, seems as fresh as it must have when it came on the scene 50 years ago.

“Company” is one of Sondheim’s most accessible works, with some of his most hummable music. It’s set in New York as Bobby celebrates his 35th birthday. All of his married friends are trying to find him a wife, but they are not the best

Theater company links ACTA Theatre Alabama Shakespeare Festival Birmingham Children’s Theatre

examples of marital bliss themselves.

BIrmingham Festival Theatre

Director Chelsea Reynold’s production of “Company” at the

Birmingham-Southern College

VST is a joy, from the beautiful Ben Boyer set to some stellar vocal and comedic performances by Birmingham theater veterans and newcomers alike.

Department of Theatre Broadway in Birmingham DJD Theater at Alabama School

Caleb Clark is Bobby, and despite dealing with some

of FIne Arts

unfortunate sound issues on opening night, he is superb. Not

Homewood Theatre

only can he sing the heck out of a song like “Marry Me a Little” or “Being Alive,” but he’s a fine comedic actor, wringing more humor out of Bobby’s lines than in some previous productions of the musical.

He’s surrounded by a stage filled with talent, so much so that it’s difficult to figure out where to start.

Maybe with Lydia Yates, who takes one of Sondheim’s standards, “Another Hundred People,” and makes the most of

Leeds Theatre & Arts Center Red Mountain Theatre Company Samford University Theatre South City Theatre Terrific New Theatre Theatre UAB

it. Her Marta is funny and sassy, and oh, that voice – a strong

University of Alabama

belt but crystal-clear enunciation, so important when singing

Department of Theatre and

a Sondheim song.

And then there’s Jan Hunter, who brings us both sides of the character of Joanne, one of the funniest and most tragic of the

Dance University of Montevallo Theatre Virginia Samford Theatre

show’s characters. She gets the big number – “The Ladies Who Lunch” – and brings the house down, but her comedic https://byalecharvey.com/theater-review-welcome-company-shines-on-vst-stage/

2/6

4/1/22, 3:20 PM

Theater review: Welcome ‘Company’ shines on VST stage – By Alec Harvey.

chops are also in great supply. (Barry Austin is a delight as her

Other links

husband).

The Arenblog

Likewise with Amy Johnson, so, so charming as Amy, the

By Kenneth Jones

reluctant bride in “Getting Married Today.” She’s fearless with her physical comedy, and she does a fantastic job with

Rick Pender Writes

Sondheim’s manic patter song (as do Virginia Barr and Richie Lisenby, rounding out the “Married” trio).

And there’s more: Jeff DeGarmo, Jonathan Skaggs and Barry

Archives

Austin teaming up for a wonderful “Sorry-Grateful”; a

April 2022

delightful “You Could Drive a Person Crazy” from Callie Hunter, Abigail Williams and Yates; and laugh-out-loud moments from Dana Porter, Savannah Hudson and Charlie Bryant III.

March 2022 February 2022 January 2022

The bottom line is there’s not a clunker in the bunch, and that certainly includes choreographer Jared Max Wright and music

December 2021

director Debbie Mielke. A Sondheim show must be among the most difficult to navigate for a music director, and Mielke (and her fantastic band) make it look easy. The band included Christy Vest, Maury Levine, Sarah Freed, Ryan Murrell, Ian Ellis, Matthew Barron and Brent Cooper.

Yes, there’s a party going on at the Virginia Samford Theatre.

And despite some opening-night sound issues, it’s a fun one.

You don’t want to miss it.

“Company” runs March 31 through April 10 at the Virginia Samford Theatre, at Caldwell Park, 1116 26th St. South. Tickets are $43 ($23 for students). Bottom line: Four stars out of five. 









https://byalecharvey.com/theater-review-welcome-company-shines-on-vst-stage/

3/6

Directing

A Christmas Carol When: December, 2021 Where: Leslie S. Wright Center, Samford University, Birmingham, AL What: With music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and book by Ahrens and Mike Ockrent, A Christmas Carol is the Broadway musical spectacular adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novella by the same name. We produced this piece in our campus’ 2,400 seat theatre with a cast of over 50, including children from the community; a crew of over 50; and Samford’s orchestra.

How: Coming into Fall of 2021, we were in a much better place with COVID-19, but

still masked and had precautions in place for the classroom and rehearsals. Every three seasons, Samford Theatre and Dance produces a large scale musical in the 1

Wright Center, the 2,400 seat road house that is housed within our building. The goal is for every class of students who comes through to have the opportunity to perform in one show of this scale before they graduate in order to have that experience.

Because we still felt the pressure of making up for lost opportunities from COVID-19, I did cast two actors in many of the roles (this is the last time I would do this), and I chose this show because of its community appeal so it could operate not only as a Theatre and Dance event, but as a Samford University Christmas season o ering. I also chose this show because of the amount of named roles in the compact script.

Many students were able to be featured. It is also an adaptation of this story that is very frequently performed in regional theatres, so I knew it would be of use to get this title on my students’ resumes.

Directing in the Wright Center is incredibly demanding. Any issues that may arise in process seem to be enlarged from toy dog size to great dane size. To be completely honest, my ideal aesthetic is small, intimate theatre with the audience as close to the action as possible (many times, I have the orchestra behind the set or up in the balcony for this reason; so the pit doesn’t separate the actors from the audience).

Directing in the Wright Center is the antithesis of this, and I had to adapt to this quickly. Directing a cast of over 50 was a challenge to make sure everyone felt seen, heard, and like they were individually given the direction they needed. I started doing large scale simple theatre games at the start of every rehearsal to make sure everyone felt connected to one another and to remind them that we were all there for a collective purpose. Though I did direct this production in a fairly traditional way, I did non-traditionally cast one of my Ebenezer Scrooges as a woman (playing him as a man). The actor, Rachel Bass, came into auditions with a Henry Higgins song from My Fair Lady, and she absolutely embodied Scrooge in her callbacks. It was exciting to make this choice as I fully embrace the idea of non-traditional casting in this industry.

Aside from a large cast, the technical demands (magic, snow, fog, lighting tricks, hundreds of costumes and quick changes) of this show were immense, and I am grateful for the problem solving of my colleagues, David Glenn (scenic design) and Mary Gurney (costumes and props). This was a heavy lift for the entire department, and they led the students in building this giant of a piece. Mark Castle, my chair, hired AEA Stage Manager, Jen Lane, to assist our tech process, which was also a godsend.

I had an amazing student stage manager, but having Jen on board allowed Tessa to soar through her mentorship. When copious issues arose due to the lack of preparation of our lighting designer, every faculty member and lighting student stepped up to the plate in order to lead to a successful opening. I very strategically navigated that situation so that the cast and crew would be largely unaware of the issues, and I chose the largest, most xable issues to be addressed in time for the show to open.

Through frequent COVID-19 testing during tech and performances, we were able to do the show unmasked, which was incredibly freeing and liberating. Cases were down in our area and nation-wide. Of course, we had no way of knowing that the Delta variant was just around the corner; for this moment, we got a taste of the return

ff

fi

2

of maskless art! Despite many theatre struggling to reclaim their audiences, of all the shows we have produced in the Wright Center, A Christmas Carol was the second highest grossing with thousands choosing to kick o their holiday season with us.

President Beck Taylor personally thanked myself and the team for having an event of such high calibre that he could proudly bring donors to, and we received an incredible amount of positive feedback from across campus.

ff

3

4

5

7

.,

..

-

'

•

.

MICHAEL J..

., .\ ~ ~

'

.

.... , , , '

'

,

.

1 •

:~

.•... , \

,,

• 11i,,,;,., ..,.. ~

.

.'·'~ . ..' ;~

MB · R

.. ,•'

~J ,I

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Is p,e-"ntt>d t hroug h spect_. er,Angement with HutlcTheatre International (HTI). All authon1ed performance mate,i.11 are also 1uppl1ed by, MTI.

www.mtl1how1.com

DIRECTOR'S NOTE

''God

bless us, every one," exclaim thousands of Tiny Tims throughout the ages of past, present, and future across thousands of adaptations and productions of the beloved Western classic.

A Christmas Carol, to me, is one of the most beautiful redemption stories that mirrors the Gospel and grace available to all; even the most selfish curmudgeon of us can find hope in repentance and forgiveness. It is also such a beautiful and needed reminder that we are, indeed, called to take care of those who are less fortunate. Jesus himself says in Matthew 25, "for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."'

Are we Scrooge, materialistic and shouting "Bah, humbug," towards those in dire life situations? Are we the Fezziwigs, grateful for what they have and willing to give to their community out ofjoy and love?

As you contemplate, enjoy the sheer magic of three Christmas Ghosts as they pull us through the hours of one night to bring Ebenezer Scrooge to Christmas morning and a new understanding of his calling in life.

And, of course, God bless us, every one, Chelsea Reynolds Nicholson

Michael J. and Mory Anne Freeman Theatre and Dance Series Sponsored hy Elouise Williams Special than/cs to our corporate sponsor McLeod Software

A Christmas Carol The Musical Music by

Alan Menken Lyrics By

Lynn Ahrens Book by

Mike Ockrent & Lynn Ahrens Based on the story by Charles Dickens Original Choreography by Susan Stroman Originally directed by Mike Ockrent Originally presented by Radio City Entertainment at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden

SCENES I.

The Royal Exchange

11.

The Streets of London

111.

Scrooge's Parlor

IV.

Scrooge's Bedroom (night)

V.

The Law Courts

VI.

The Factory

VII.

Mr. Fezziwig's Bank

VIII.

Scrooge and Marley, Ltd.

IX.

A Starry Night

X.

The Streets of London

XI.

St. Paul's Graveyard

XI I.

Scrooge's Bedroom (Christmas morning)

XIII.

The Streets of London

.

PRODUCTION STAFF Chelsea Reynolds Nicholson ................................................................................ Director Dr. Brian B. Viliunas ........................................................................................... Conductor Dr. Brad Diamond ...........................................................................................Vocal Coach Alisa McCool .............................................................................................. Choreographer Lindsay.Troha ....................................................................................... Tap Choreographer Vera Britton .................................................................................. Rehearsal Accompanist Tessa Hall ............._. ...................................................................................... Stage Manager Hope McMahone ................................................................................. Assistant Director Costume Lab Students .......................................................................Costume Designer David Glenn .............................................................................................. Scenic Designer Christian Specht .................................................................................... Lighting Designer Alex Johns ................................................................................................... Audio Engineer Tavares Cook ............................................................... Second Assistant Audio Engineer Christopher Crews .................................................. Scenic Construction, Scenic Artist Anna Kate Hindman .................................................................................... Child Handler Shelby Grace Justice .................................................................................. Dance Captain Lana Stringer :........................................................................................... . House Manager Camden Gammichia .................................................... Sound Engineer/Board Operator Alyssa Douglas, Shirey Brown ................................................ Assistant Stage Managers Maci Johnsey .......................................................................................... Prop Coordinator Tollie Boone .......................................................................... Associate Lighting Designer Alex Fetts, Jackson Wood ...................................................Assistant Lighting Designers Carson Blaylock .................................................................................... Master Electrician Scott Baron ...................................................................................... Lighting Programmer Brooke Bott, Amy Ethington, Emily Hankinson, Lily Ross .................. Spot Operators Jay Gendron, Courtney Smith ............................................................... Deck Electrician Charley Castle ................................................................................... Deck Electrics Crew Lucy Hail, Anna Stevens, Gracen Fisk ............................................................. Mic Techs Lucy Blaylock, Egypt Davis, Anna Kate Hindman Anna Scott McClintock, David Glenn ....................................... Scene Deck Carpenter Maci Johnsey ........................................................................................... Props Supervisor Hallie Barnwell, Antionette Gilas, Claire Stokes ..................................................... Props Kymbrie Barnes ...................................................................... Production Stage Manager Kylen Wijayasuriya .............................. Sr. Production Stage Manager (Wright Center) Gracie Abee, Zoe Clark ........................................................................ Fly Rail Operators Edwin Huertas ........................................................................................... Fly Rail Captain Ansley Burnette ................................................................................... Scenic Deck Chief Lucy Blaylock, Abigayle Debusk, Charlotte Godat ...................................... Fire Watch Hannah Hicks, Avery Minotti, Kristen Stewart, Olivia Sundberg, Keaton Honeycut Anna Medlin ....................................................................... Hair/Makeup/Costume Crew Kenny Gannon ............................................................. Director of Performance Venues Ian Philips ..................................................................... Manager of Performance Venues

!I

To oncourago re1,donls lo spend their 91ft giving dollor1 at home, c,t,os and chambers hod a variety of evenh lo highl,ght local small businouos Sonia w,11 be ,n downlown Homewood on Doc 7 during the Lighting of the Star and Homo~ood Chmtm01 Parade achv1!1es See story, page 10

·

Holiday Rush

Community Events, Bustling Retail Activity Point To A Happy 2021 Holiday Season

-Of

-

!RIGUPWMS MogkCily NuknXkw

P AGE4

-;;;

•

• .'.'\

•

•

••• \

•

COMPANY'S COMING,.• •

•--.. .

i,J

"\

Stop by your neighborhood Pig for party snacks, our unbeatable selection of wine and craft beer-and one-size-fits-all Piggly Wiggly Gift Cards!

www.thepigbham.com 7 DAYS A WEE K· IN STORE OR Shipt

0

_,...

• .::,

•

6

beautiful llccom1io n1 , nnd we hope

to ge l cYcryonc in the Chri , 1m," i,piri l wit h thi !( show I" Nidiol !'on !'AiJ T iu , prOll ucl io n I, the llrnndwa)' mu sicn l adaplll lion of C harl e!'

Dicke n~• 1843 cl a, !'ic and fe alurc, ~o ngs by compo ser Alon Menk en.

11 is parl o f !he Michael J. und Mory Anne Freeman Theatre :md Dance Series nnd sponsored ht Elo u ise Will i:1ms .

7ic kt'IJ arr ,n•m'fobl~ <111 ick r t.1 ,

,wmfn rrl .edu .

Samford Stages 'A Christmas Carol: The Musical' Samfo rd UniYersi1y School or 1hc Arts will celebmtc lhe hol idays \\ ith u produclion or "A Chrislmas

GIVE THE

Cunil : The Musica l" in the Wright Center Dec . 2-5 .

Almost 50 students :ire cast in lhe show wilh nn c,1ua\ number work ing beh ind the sce nes in lighting . sci design. costumes and prod uctio n mu nagc mc nt. The Samford O rchcs1m will acco mpany the production . " It is u !cam effort lo pull orf a production of thi s size." C hel sea Nicholson. director or the show and

~[f1il~[Rtir~~u GIFT IN TOWN A MEMBERSHIP TO

McWane Science cenier

o focus o n musical theater and acting, said in a stateme nt from S:un ford . "' A C hristmas Carol' is one of the most bea ut iful redemption stories that mirrors the Gospel and grace aYailablc to all; eYen lhc most selfish curmudgeon of us can find hope in rcpcniance and forgiYe • ness," Nichol son said .

"The musical version of A Christmas Carol is appropriate for the entire family. We arc exciled to offer this show to the Birmingham community. The Samford campu s shines during the holidays with

II!,,1i1•f ~: ·

I:

1.

Always secon weeken Decem

.......,-~

~ ,t

;~l

.' -

,

-

F~- :'tt .1,_.,:M ,

1··1._,,., \lfl

i

f

·

t=1 :

t ·Mt!peCi'31' Art S· \

DECEMBER 1 nH & 12TH Sa t . 9 a m -4pm & Sun. 11 am-4prn

Save the Date!

at Earth born Studios

' Legacy League's Christmas home tour P. 4

Evaluating the Hatcher Era P. 5

Students celebrate the holidays P. 8

10 I December 6, 2021 f The Samford Crimson

www.thesamfordcrimson.com

Samford University visited by three ghosts Theatre Department presents 'A Christmas Carol'

;

>

t

Rachel Bass shared the honor of playing Scrooge with Garret Coppock. with the entire cast alternating roles each night.

of Charles Dickens' classic novel. a good analogy aside from the fact Staff Writer With a cast of 50 students and that no one's lives are in my hands," several parts being double cast be- Nicholson said. "Not only do we have On Dec. 2 through Dec. 5, the tween performance nights, this was a 50 in the cast, we also have a crew of Samford Theatre Department per- major production that took the efforts 50, and a team of designers, and an formed the musical•A Christmas Car- of the entire theatre department. orchestra. It's my job as director to Director Chelsea Nicholson dis- ensure we get to opening night with ol" in the Wright Center. From glitzy jazz numbers to harrowing hauntings, . cussed the immense responsibility of a successful show, and working in a the Wrightcenter stage was graced by coordinating such a large production. space this large magnifies everyone's "I've never been the captain of a responsibilities." the ghosts of Christmas past, present, . . and future in a musical interpretation cruise ship, but I would imagine that's While mainstage performances

By Kate Young

Mackenzee Simms, The Samford Crimson

usually take place in Harrison Theatre, this year "A Christmas Carol" was performed in the Wright Center.

"We do a performance in the Wright Center every three to four years, and this seemed the perfect way to celebrate the Christmas season with our campus and community after a long; trying 20 plus months,"

See Carol on 11

...

1' I December 6, 2021

·www.thesamfordcrimson.com

The Samford Crimson

front Carol on 10

blind casting has been used on a Samford stage. Bass herself played Dr. Lyman Hall in the 2019 production of •1776". Even within "A Christmas Carol," Bass is not the only genderbent actress. Sam Riggs, Christina Ledbetter, and Ava Williams also play male characters throughout the show.

While the decision to cast a 21-year-old woman as an elderly man •1 think Christmas Carol presented costuming challenges, In. _ . _ ___ struct_c:ir J>f _Costume Design . Mary is just a wonderful sto- Gumeyembracedtheopportunity.

• "You work with what you've got, ry of finding and reand we are a department with a man:n, ing the Christmas jority of females,. Gurney said.

Cl~ • Another challenge was ensurspirit. Especially this that the costumes provided mobility for actors so they could dance. year where everything Because there are so many musical • • numbers, the costume team needed has,seemed a little bit to balance mobility with historical ac,. curacy. bl eale ·one of my students, Abigail Wil- Rachel Bass Iiams, was so instrumental in helping us determine what type of skirt we •1 wasn't intending on casting a needed to put because she was at the woman as Scrooge, yet both Rachel dance calls every night,• Gurney said. and Garrett both exuded Scrooge in Gurney accepts these challenges their initial auditions and callbacks, with joy, embracing the opportunity so I was ecstatic to give them both the to devise creative solutions in order to opportunity," Nicholson said. help her students transform on stage.

This is not the first time gender•1 think one of the special things -Nicholson said. •1 know it will be 1,s0Iute!Y electric for the students to ~rm for a much larger volume of pie than usual, so I am so e.xcited peoget that energy in the space!" to 'Ibe two students cast in the lead role of Scrooge were Garret Coppock and Rachel Bass.

1

Scrooge learns to appreciate the Christmas season.

about theatre for me is the moment the actor puts on their costume and you literally watch them transform.

They become that character. They can see themselves truly as that character for the first time, and there's a little bit of magic," Gurney said.

In a televised interview on Talk of Alabama on Dec. 1, Bass discussed what she hoped audiences took away from the show.

"I think Christmas Carol is just

Macken.zee Simms, The Samford Crimson

a wonderful story of finding and reclaiming the Christmas spirit," Bass said. "Especially this year, where everything has seemed a little bit bleak.• In a world full of Scrooges, Samford Theatre reminds us of the joy of the holiday season. In a performance rich with singing, dancing and delight, the theatre department brought Christmas cheer to the Wright Center stage just before students beaded home for the holidays. . . . ~<

.

• :· '

',

&-

·. _:.,.;;_

.>/Al, ·,,-~4 :

,-,r- ,

:.-

Scroog. is visited by his old friend, Marley.

Mackenzee Simms. The Samford Crimson

The ghost of Christmas present brings the glamour.

•

:,.;~~ ·~ ' ,,l"'I

·--.:>!'"-, '

.. ..

..,;·, 'I '

i -_-: :,

.· '.•..· .;

'

'\

Mackenzee Simms, The Samford Crimson

Performance

Little Women When: April, 2021 Where: Harrison Theatre, Birmingham, AL What: This 2005 musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved story was written by Allan Knee, with music by Mindi Dickstein, and lyrics by Jason Howland. Through lush music, the story of the March sisters and their Marmee living in Concord, MA soars to great heights.

How: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is one of my favorite pieces of writing of all time. I read the novels when I was a child, as a teen, as an adult, and coming back to it in research for this production at Samford University. I always knew I would want to direct it at Samford at some point; yet, up until 2020, it hadn’t t into any of our

fi

1

seasons for a variety of reasons. As it can be noted from production photos and videos, this production of Little Women was our rst musical theatre production during COVID-19. Of course, at the time, we thought we were coming out of the virus in the Spring of 2021. How wrong we were, but how glad I am that we put this piece on at this time. It was a fantastic challenge for many reasons.

Because our students had lost all of their performance opportunities in the Spring of 2020 (many had been in the midst of rehearsals and left the stage full of scenery in March, 2020) and the Fall of 2020, I chose to cast most roles with two actors, in order to give more students the experience of being back on stage. We typically have four performances for our MainStage productions; however, due to the extreme capacity limitations in our theatre (taking our 350 seat space down to a maximum audience of 40), we secured the rights for six performances. I also secured live-streaming rights from Musical Theatre International and made certain we professionally lmed the production so that family and friends who would have been compromised to travel would also be able to see the production. Mark Castle, my chair, was incredibly supportive of this, and we didn’t charge for tickets to the show or for streaming access in order to provide some relief to folks who were able to come or watch online.

This was a time for celebrating what little theatre could be done. This was a time for a little attic in 19th century Massachusetts to help us grieve our losses and celebrate our own little families, be them biological or found.

I am shocked and amazed to report that only one of our cast members, an understudy, contracted COVID-19 through this process. This showed that the diligence we all employed- not only in rehearsal, but in our day to day lives as wellpaid o . We followed CDC guidelines in rehearsals and tested regularly, and we performed in masks. Our costume department hand-dyed masks to match actor’s skin tones. We fumigated and cleaned surfaces after every rehearsal. A socially distanced time was such an incredible challenge for this story about love and friendship and family and sisterhood. We spent the entire rehearsal process and performances without ever letting these characters embrace or hold hands. We masked all moments of intimacy creatively behind the attic wall, or behind an umbrella. The only physical contact the actors ever had was Laurie carrying in Amy after she’s fallen through the ice, and even then, we wrapped her in thick quilts and blankets so there was no skin to skin contact.

What resulted from limitations for health and safety with masking and lack of physical contact was actors connecting in a deeper way than they otherwise would have perhaps. Eye contact, physicality, and psychological actions became incredibly important, and these actors rose to the occasion. The story of Beth’s anxiety playing the piano with Mr. Laurence, as she gains con dence through the end of the scene was told entirely through the eyes and body as the audience and her scene partner couldn’t see her entire face. Marmee comforting Jo over the loss of Beth became passing strength through the eyes and heart and physical groundedness instead of an embrace. And did this not mirror what we were all experiencing? Family members watching loved ones die through the glass of hospital windows, grandparents

fi

fi

fi

ff

2

hugging their grandchildren through walls of plastic wrap, strangers holding on to verbal exchanges in grocery store parking lots just to have the chance to talk to someone; the catharsis in a socially distanced March family showed us all that we are not alone, we never have been, and we never will be despite a virus trying to tell us the very opposite.

In terms of the production design, this musical has many locations: the March attic, March parlor, March exterior, Aunt March’s home, a New York City boardinghouse, Annie Mo at’s house, etc. The musical typically has large scene shifts that literally represent all of these di erent places. When I sat down to prep for this musical before talking with David Glenn, set designer, I began to think from the perspective of Jo March. I saw her entering the attic at the end of the story, after all of the events we know and love had transpired. I saw the memories sweeping over her eyes looking through the attic and the story unfolding from within its walls. Thus, when I met with David, we decided that the entire production would take place in the attic. A trunk became Beth’s piano gifted by Mr. Laurence. A ladder became the arch for Meg and Mr. Brooks’ nuptials. An old dusty chaise lounge became a grand family heirloom for Laurie and Jo’s interaction at the Mo at party. An old kite hanging on the wall was removed from its storage to join Beth, Jo, and Marmee at the seaside. No stage runcrew would ever be seen on stage to move furniture- the actors transitioned the set pieces in character and in ways that developed their relationships for the audience without any added dialogue.

ff

ff

ff

3

David took my idea a step further by not only creating a beautiful attic with a cross section pulled out so the audience can peek in, he modeled it o of Louisa May Alcott’s own Orchard House, a detail many wouldn’t pick up on, but meant a lot to me and the cast. He built a chimney that allowed my fabulous student lighting designer, Tollie Boone, the ability to give a warm replace glow, and even send fog up the chimney to come out the top. Tollie helped me sell my concept of moving from

memory to memory by not employing traditional blackouts at the ends of scenes, but smoothly transitioning us to the next acting area as we watched the actors pull items from the attic to create the next playing space. A student, McKenna Varner also designed our beautiful period costumes. Most characters had two costumes, the younger years, and the young adult years. Though almost all scenes are on di erent days and seasons, we really wanted to paint the picture that Jo saw them the same always when she pictured them in her memories and stories.

ff

ff

fi

4

Media Click image below to see Samford Promo Video

Click image below to see “Our Finest Dreams”

5

Click image below to see “Take A Chance on Me”

Click image below to see “Some Things Are Meant to Be”

6

Click image below to see “Days of Plenty” through “Fire Within Me”

7

8

9

10

Michael J. and Mary Anne Freeman Theatre and Dance Serles presents

tffH!r11r I

\

-~ ~ ~ . . . . -~ ...

-'~

...,

"'£-

,. r-'

~, !:·~.1

' J ~-~....~.,,_;~ '

'

'

·,~

lf f t4

j :,,.·_~ _ ,. ' ·,,_.

. .>,,. : ' ,:,.

..

''~

. •J

,',,9_;j

' f' ~ '., '

!,I,(~

r -~..,'-.---'11 ·"'~ "I!

:#1'I• ?

,.

~ ttl!,!._.yYomen is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre lnt~rnational • , ' ·, (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by Mn! • ' • 1 www.MTlshows.com .I

\. .

_"_

ps r

DIRECTOR'S NOTE "Find out who you are and do it on purpose." ·~Dolly Parton "Are you a Meg, a J~, a Beth, or an A~y ?" I've asked my peers thi~ 9u.estio~ on the layground, in the high .sch~~I cafeteria, on the colle~e 9uad, ~nd 1n friends homes as pn adult. It's hard to believe 1t s been over 150 years since Louisa May Alcott pio~eered what feminist literature can look like for young readers. Wonderfully enough, her words strike as modern as can be in 2021, and it's a mesmerizing thing to come back to this story for the fourth or fifth time in my life, as I take something new away from it at each stage in my life. I don't recall a time when I didn't know who Jo March is and didn't wish to emulate her. I still make my best attempt. Her care for her family, and her drive to live a purposeful life inspires me. I think many people can relate to the March fam ily today, as society will always corner individuals and try to escort them firmly into a box. The March girls, particularly Jo, shunned this notion and have certainly inspired women for many generations to do the same.

There have been countless film adaptations of Little Women (from Katharine Hepburn to Saoirse Ronan), radio dramas, plays, toys, and artwork depicting the characters so beautifully drawn by Alcott, based on her own sisters and family. There have even been comic books and an Anime series! These little women are irresistible in their honesty and humanity. This Broadway adaptation of the story catches the music of these characters' souls in a beautiful way, and I hope you're able to reunite with these classic American characters in a new way, or meet them for the first time.

I think a lot of us spend copious amounts of time trying to figure out our purpose in life. Little Women is an excellent examination of turning that on its head and, instead , uncovering who you are as a person and using that to fuel your passions, callings, and relationships- leading to a purposeFUL life. Though this tells the story of family, and sisters in particular, it can be about your found family, your friends, your mentors, and those you pray for and worry about on a daily basis. Not only is this story about the love of family; it is the story of lonely people finding their way to companions who love and understand them. During this horrific Pandemic of COVID-19, we need to be reminded of this story of hope,joy, facing loss, along with human kindness, sacrifice, and generosity.

Psalm 139:14 tells us that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made," or uni9ue and set apart if we really take a look at the Hebrew origin. May we follow the paths the Lord has car:ved out for us to follow; not the paths sometimes forced upon our feet by a society which doesn't know our deepest desires and callings laid upon our hearts by him. :.dedicate this show to the found March sisters I have picked up along the course of my ife; my very own Professor Shaer, who is my advocate, confidante, and fellow book nerd; and to my Marmee, who raised me to be passionate and to carve my own path.

Delighted, Chelsea Reynolds Nicholson

Michael J. and Mary Anne Freeman Theatre and Dance Series

LITTLE WOMEN The Broadway Musical Book by Allan Knee Music by Jason Howland Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein Based on the novel

by Louisa May Alcott

LITTLE WOMEN is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MT/). All authorized materials are also supplied by MT/. www.MTIShows.com ·

CAST WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21 Marmee ............................................. ....

~i

Anna Medle

ER~~~:1~~;;

Amy ............................. ............................................... ................... Abigail Williams Laurie ............. ....................... ........................... ......... ................ ........ Drew Fillinger Professor Bhaer ........................... ,................................................. Blake Mitchell Aunt March/Mrs. Kirk .................................................................. Lilly Burchfield Mr. Laurence ..................................................................................... Orion Smith Mr. John Brooke ................................................. ..................... Benjamin Harding

THURSDAY, APRIL 22

f:~~=

~~:: :;~

Beth ........................................................................................ Christina Ledbetter Amy ............................................................................... ..................... Ava Williams Laurie ............................................................................................ .. Grayson Johns Professor Bhaer .. ...................................................................... Garrett Coppock Aunt March/Mrs. Kirk ....................................................................... Rachel Bass Mr. Laurence ..................................................................................... Orion Smith Mr. John Brooke ...................................................................... Benjamin Harding

FRIDAY, APRIL 23 Marmee ............................................................................................. Anna Medley Jo ............................................................................................................ Lydia Yates

1B~~;~~

~e:~·:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: : :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::·E~~:

Amy ...............................................................................................Abigail Williams Laurie ................................................................................................ Drew Fillinger Professor Bhaer ............................................................................. Blake Mitchell Aunt March/Mrs. Kirk ....................................................................... Rachel Bass Mr. Laurence ..................................................................................... Orion Smith Mr. John Brooke ...................................................................... Benjamin Harding

CAST SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 2:30pm

~~.~~.~~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::·i'~~b:il~~l:i~~ Meg R h IH .

Beth·::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::·E~~: Ba~;~~ Amy •···································----·......... ........ .. ..... ......... ......... ......... ... Ab.,gar·1w ·11· , rams Laurie ........... .............. .. ....... ...... ... .................. ................................. Drew Fillinger Professor Bhaer .................... .............. .... .................. .... ......... ........ Blake Mitchell Aunt March/Mrs. Kirk ..................... ......... .. .................................. Lilly Burchfield Mr. Laurence ............................... .......... ............. .. ..................... ........ Orion Smith Mr. John Brooke .......................................... ......... .................. . Benjamin Harding SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 7:30pm

f:~~e°:

t"L~f~;:~I

Beth ........................................................................................ Christina Ledbetter Amy ..................................................................................... ............... Ava Williams Laurie ........................................... ............. ......... ...............................GraysonJohns Professor Bhaer ............................... ....................... .............. .. .. Garrett Coppock Aunt March/Mrs. Kirk ..... ........... ............ ........................................... Rachel Bass Mr. Laurence ...................... ............ ................................ .... ............... Orion Smith Mr. John Brooke ............................... ........... ............. ........ ....... Benjamin Harding SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2:30pm

Marmee .................................... ........... .... ............................................. Anna Wiley Jo ............................................................................... ......... .................. .. Lydia Yates Meg .............. ....... ...................................................... ....... ......................... Grace Lill Beth .. .......................................................... ..... ....................... Christina Ledbetter

1

t:~~::::: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::·G~~::~:h::

Professor Bhaer ............. ........................................................... Garrett Coppock Aunt March/Mrs. Kirk ..................... ................ ......................... .... Lilly Burchfield Mr. Laurence ............................... ....................... ............................... Orion Smith Mr. John Brooke .......................................................... ...... ..... . Benjamin Harding UNDERSTUDIES

Marmee/Aunt March/Mrs. Kirk ...... ............................................ .. .. Jenna Foster Jo/Amy ................... ............ ............................... .............. ......... .... . Isabella Blohme Beth/Meg ........................................................ ......... .................... Carmen Murray Mr. Laurence/Mr. John Brooke ............... ...................................... Brandon Szep

DESIGNERS AND CREW Director .................. .................. ............................ ... Chelsea Reynolds Nicholson Conductor/Music Director/Piano ............................. ...... .......... ......Christy Vest Choreographer .............. ............................... ............................... ..... Alisa McCool Scenic Designer .. ......... ............... ...... ........................ ... ................ ...... David Glenn Lighting Designer ..... .. .. ............................................. ... .. .................... Tollie Boone Lighting Supervisor ........... ......... .................... .. ... ... ...... .. ........... . Christian Specht Costume Designer/ Costume Crew ..................... ......... .. ........ McKenna Varner Costume Supervisor .............. ..................... ............................ ......... Mary Gurney Hair and Makeup Designer ......... .................................................... Shirey Brown Associate Sound Designer ............................. .............................. Baleigh Nelson Stage Manager .. .......................... .. ..... ...................................... ............. .. Tessa Hall Technical Director .............................................................................. David Glenn Assistant Director ... ..................................... .. ................................. Audrey Myers Dramaturg .. ....... ........................ .................................................. Ansley Burnette Assistant Lighting Designer ......................... Carson Blalock, Meredith Warren Assistant Stage Managers .. .......... ................Charlotte Godot, Olivia Sundberg Scenic Artist .............................................. .. ....... ............ .. ....... Christopher Crews Props Master .................................................................................... Darian White Master Electrician ............................................. ....... ...................... Charley Castle Lightboard Programmer ...................................... .............................. Scott Baron Light Board Operator .............................................. ........................ Jenna Barnes Follow Spot Operators ............................................. Sadie Sue Long, Sam Riggs Soundboard Operator ................................................... ...... .. ....... Baleigh Nelson House Manager/ Usher ................... .. ........................................Abigayle DeBusk Ushers .................................... Grace Brewster, Shirey Brown, Claire Hammer, Maci Johnsey, Avery Minotti, Anna Stevens Props/Health Check ...... ......................... Hannah Bridger, Anna Kate Hindman Hair and Makeup Crew ....................................................................... Anna Nash Deck Electrician ....... ......... .. .......................................................Meredith Warren Scenic Design Assistant... ................................. .............. .......... Emily Hankinson Mic Techs .. .. .. ........................................................... Gracie Abee, Chloe Hooker

Directing

1776 the Musical When: November 2019 Where: Harrison Theatre, Samford University, Birmingham, AL What: This 1969 Broadway musical was written by Peter Stone, with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards. This musical tells of the days leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence; the arguments, the triumphs, the compromise.

How: I was introduced to this piece in AP American History class as a high school student. I was immediately drawn to it, and over the next few years, I dreamed of a stage production in which women and members of the BIPOC community played the founding fathers. Of course, in 2015, Hamilton came along and achieved much of this, but after many tours and productions around the world, we’ve yet to see a woman in a role of authority in that production- all female characters revolve around their relationship to Alexander Hamilton.

In 2019, the United States Congress was still 80 percent men and 20 percent women. I cast this show with 80 percent women and 20 percent men, including People of Color, very pointedly to give women a voice in a topic in which they weren’t allowed to have a public platform (we now know from the many letters of the likes of Abigail Adams et al. that they, indeed, had very strong, smart opinions on the founding of our nation). My wish was to focus on the humanity of these characters as opposed to their gender. Additionally, non-traditional casting is something that is becoming more and more common, and I wanted my students to experience this as an educational experience and also an artistic one. I worked very closely with my Music Director, Christy Vest, to keep all of the keys true to the original score for the sake of our Orchestra, and were able to do so through creative vocal work and octave shifts throughout the piece.

I also wanted to direct this piece because of its relevance to today. In a time that is so polarizing in our country, I wanted to go back to this equally polarizing time

1

to see how these men were able to reach across the aisle to come to a sense of compromise. Some of these compromises were necessary in order to conquer the British; some, like deciding not to abolish slavery there and then, we still suffer from daily. I led the cast in many emotional, thought provoking conversations surrounding the topics of slavery and the legacy of Racism in our country, the effects of War on soldiers, women’s role then and today, and what it means to be women playing traditional male roles.

We spent a lot of rehearsals being led by Christy in musical improvisations to form a tighter vocal ensemble, and I led them through many improvisational exercises in their characters to deepen those characters and to create threedimensional human beings. I staged a roleplaying Congressional meeting that lasted an hour and a half, with each Congressman debating a topic of passion and trying to pass actionable items. It was incredible to watch their stamina grow in their characters, as they would have to be on stage for almost two hours and forty minutes of a three hour musical.

I worked with Mary Gurney, costume designer, to evoke great detail and richness in costumes, and to make those old historic paintings of these figures pop and come to life. I worked with my scenic designer, David Glenn, to create a more abstract representation of Independence Hall, which could also become multiple outdoor locations. This made the Congress chamber tally board of the votes stand looming and prominent, and also allowed us to see through the back wall (a scrim) to have the orchestra visible and a part of the action. The scrim also allowed us to collaborate with Graphic Design, and a student designed and programed the signing of the Declaration so that as each delegate stepped up to sign, their real signature appeared on the back wall in a beautifully haunting way as each actor made way to their final character pose. Lighting by Christian Specht helped me to achieve a thunderstorm when the topic of slavery is addressed.

Though this is a sweeping, epic musical, I was adamant about focusing on small details to make the entire experience cohesive. I alway had plenty of paper and feather quills on the tables in the chamber for actors to write notes in character.

My John Dickinson wrote the most beautiful love letters back to his wife, the actor knowing that he had not seen her in quite some time. I began pre-show music when the house opened, beginning with colonial American anthems and leading up to present day music, such as Childish Gambino’s “This is America.”

Though only few noticed, those who did appreciated the thought put into it. I then had our chair, Mark Castle, record our curtain speech as if he were King George the III, had the orchestra play “God Save the Queen” with the actors singing

2

along as it devolved into fragments and dissonance which melted into the Overture.

This musical was an incredibly rewarding and successful piece of theatre, and I am so proud of my students attacking this mammoth of a piece with grace and gusto. Their passion in research cannot go unmentioned, and their vulnerability was admirable in wrestling with these men who did great things, and also have complicated histories as well.

Media Click image below to see Samford University’s Promo Video

3

Click image below to see Samford News Network Promo Video

Click image below to see opening number, “Sit Down, John”

4

Click image below to see Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams in “The Egg”

Click image below to see “Molasses to Rum to Slaves.” Usually a very static number, I staged this as a movement piece to show that all of the colonists were complicit in slavery.

5

6

7

8

1776 the Musical

Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards Book by Peter Stone ALL CONFLICTS MUST BE SUBMITTED AT TIME OF AUDITION

ABOUT What is this show, Chelsea?

1776 was first produced on Broadway in 1969. It is a musical based on the events surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence and follows John Adams as he attempts to persuade the Second Continental Congress to vote for American Independence. Fun fact: have you ever seen the Disney show, Boy Meets World? Mr. Feeny, William Daniels, originated the role of John Adams and immortalized it on film in 1972.

Why do a show about old dead white guys, Chelsea?

I think at a time in which our country is so clearly divided, it is so important to take a look at where we started and the great compromises the Founding Fathers had to make in order to form the great nation in which we find ourselves standing. Some of these compromises were valiant- facing the British army’s vast numbers against our small numbers. Some of these compromises we still stand in the muck of the consequences: did you know the original Declaration of Independence as drafted by Thomas Jefferson abolished slavery? In order to rally every colony to say “Yay” to independence, that paragraph was debated and ultimately struck, leaving us in racial turmoil from then to today. The South depended on slavery for labor and several northern colonies profited from slavery via the Triangle Trade (this does not justify the decision, but it was their reasoning). Also, under the Declaration of Independence, women were not included.

Women were denied the right to vote, the right to own property, and could not form or enter a legal contract. Even today, though women hold positions in our United States

Congress, it remains an unbalanced percentage of approximately 80 percent men to 20 percent women (and even this percentage is largely due to the introduction of many women this past fall election, and it is still that unbalanced!).

What if we tell this story not through the eyes of men, but of American citizens? What do John Adams or Benjamin Franklin or John Hancock’s words mean when they come out of the mouths of a woman or a person of color? I am looking for a diverse group of HUMAN BEINGS, not men or women or races to tell this story. When auditioning for this production, I hope you’ll read the script and extract the characteristics of these men and women and, if called back, show me the humanity of these people, both their triumphs and their flaws. *Please note that, if cast, you must be willing to do considerable research before rehearsals commence.

Required reading: 1776 by David McCullough (386 pages) in addition to (at least) one biography/autobiography on your character.

DATES: Music Rehearsals August 26-October 2 (potential brush-up music rehearsals at this time as needed after these dates) Monday/Wednesday 3:30-5pm Evening Rehearsals September 30-November 20 6:00-9:30pm Sunday-Friday October 11-15, Fall Break- no rehearsal Tech November 16-20 (Keep Saturday/Sunday open until further notice) Performances: November 21-23, 7:30 Friday Matinee November 21 November 24, 2:30pm

CASTING BREAKDOWN: With four exceptions (noted below), this production will be cast gender neutral.

Please focus on the characterizations of the people, not their genders. The number in parentheses denotes their age at the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

John Hancock (39): Male/Female President of the 1776 Continental Congress, John Hancock, put the first and largest signature on the Declaration of Independence.

Dr. Josiah Bartlett (46): Male/Female A New Hampshire delegate, Dr. Josiah Bartlett sides in favor of independence.

John Adams (41): Male/Female A Massachusetts delegate, John Adams is the leading voice for separation from England and the Declaration of Independence. Unfortunately his tendency toward fiery rhetoric makes him generally disliked by other Congress members.

Stephen Hopkins (70): Male/Female A Rhode Island delegate, Stephen Hopkins is given to indulgence in alcoholic beverages.

Roger Sherman (55): Male/Female A Connecticut delegate, Roger Sherman sides in favor of independence and is on the committee to write the Declaration.

Lewis Morris (50): Male/Female A New York delegate, Lewis Morris abstains from the original vote.

Robert Livingston (30): A New York delegate, Robert Livingston is a member of the committee assigned to write the Declaration.

Reverend John Witherspoon (53): Male/Female A New Jersey delegate, the Reverend John Witherspoon, argues for, and wins, the inclusion of the Supreme Being in the Declaration.

Benjamin Franklin (60-70): Male/Female A Pennsylvania delegate, Benjamin Franklin is urbane and cool- headed. His logic often prevails where the emotions of other fail. He and Adams lead the charge for independence.

John Dickinson (44): Male/Female A Pennsylvania delegate, John Dickinson leads a group of Congress members who favor petitioning King George III with their grievances rather than declaring independence from England.

James Wilson (33): Male/Female A Pennsylvania delegate, James Wilson casts the final vote to approve the Declaration, not because of his own belief in the cause, but because he does not want to be remembered in history as “the man who prevented American independence.”

Caesar Rodney (48): Male/Female A Delaware delegate, Caesar Rodney works hard for independence, despite the fact that he is suffering from skin cancer.

Colonel Thomas McKean (42): Male/Female A Delaware delegate, Colonel Thomas McKean is Scottish and very vocal. Scottish dialect preferred.

George Read (43): Male/Female A Delaware delegate, George Read is opposed to independence and sides with Dickinson.

Samuel Chase (35): Male/Female A Maryland delegate, Samuel Chase always seems to be eating and is portly. He initially sides with Dickinson.

Richard Henry Lee (45): Male/Female A Virginia delegate, Richard Henry Lee is selected to make the argument for independence to the Congress, as Adams is having little luck.

Thomas Jefferson (33): MALE A Virginia delegate, Thomas Jefferson, in spite of his many protests, is selected to pen the Declaration of Independence.

Joseph Hewes (46): Male/Female A North Carolina delegate, Joseph Hewes sides with Rutledge on the slavery issue, demanding the Declaration allow slavery.

Edward Rutledge (26): MALE A South Carolina delegate, Edward Rutledge is opposed to the Declaration of Independence because of his passionate opposition to the document’s call for an end to slavery. Old South Dialect preferred.

Dr. Lyman Hall (52): Male/Female A Georgia delegate, Dr. Lyman Hall initially sides with Dickinson.

Charles Thompson (47): Male/Female The secretary of the Congress.

Andrew McNair (50): Male/ Female The custodian and bell-ringer.

Abigail Adams (32): FEMALE Her communications with John Adams tell some of the story of the Declaration and much of the story of her and John’s love and life. She is a strong woman who knows how to stand up for herself and what she wants.

Martha Jefferson (27): FEMALE She is a romantic and loves Thomas Jefferson’s violin and dance skills. Martha Jefferson is brought to Philadelphia to help dispel Jefferson’s writer’s block.

A Leather Apron (TBD): Male/Female A leather worker.

A Painter (TBD): Male/Female An artist who paints Benjamin Franklin’s portrait.

A Courier (15-20): Male/Female A young messenger for Congress.

Directing

Human Rights New Works Festival:

True North, Touch When: September 2021, 2022 Where: Red Mountain Theatre Company, Birmingham, AL What: I had the pleasure of directing staged readings of two new works across two Red Mountain Theatre Company seasons. One was a musical called True North and the other, an opera entitled Touch.

How: A staged reading is very minimal and allows the audience to focus on the text of a new work. Much of the rehearsal time is spent on music and making sure the actors feel comfortable and con dent in it. As the director of a reading, I help navigate conversations surrounding the text and its themes, and I help the actors mine and connect to the text and build relationships with the other characters. I stage minimal movement that helps convey what would be happening on stage (even if directing those who are on stage to stand to set apart those who are sitting as those o stage).

True North: This new musical told the story of a young autistic boy and his teenage sister coming to terms with the death of their mother. The story incorporated magical realism by allowing us to see the boy’s toy elf the way he sees him, as a real person.

In this piece, I got to collaborate with artists I really admire along with new colleagues as well. In the role of the young boy was a young actor I had worked with in my production of Freaky Friday, which was great because we already had a working vocabulary and trust built before going into this challenging role. We teamed up with Mitchell’s Place for this production, an organization that specializes in working with individuals with autism. We had really impactful conversation in rehearsals and, through the conversations, learned that several cast members had siblings with

ff

fi

1

autism. This is what theatre is all about, and what the Human Rights New Works Festival excels at; starting conversations. We then got to have these conversations in the form of community conversations after the presentation of the show.

2

Touch: This opera is a piece commissioned by Opera Birmingham. It tells the incredible story of Helen Keller’s relationship with Anne Sullivan as adults. This piece was particularly challenging because the role of Helen does not speak. Her inner monologue and signing is represented by an ensemble of singers. Because it is a reading, and before getting my hands on the text, I had wondered how I would approach this project since it was a staged reading and I had an actor in the role of Helen. This actor is low vision herself, and taught herself ngerspelling, which is the type of signing Helen would have used. After having one on one conversations with the actor, I decided we would have her nger spell into the hands of her fellow actors, which was incredibly impactful. This took strategic thinking as to where to place actors and their music stands, so I placed characters who didn’t directly interact with Helen furthest away from her, and those she interacted with the most near her.

It was an incredible experience to have members of the deaf and blind community come to our performance and to watch them interact with interpreters just as Helen herself was having to interpret her world on stage. I learned so much about the deaf and blind community, so much about Helen and Anne, and so much about the conventions of opera that di er from the world of theatre and musical theatre. I also learned where the commonalities lie!

fi

fi

ff

3

8

RED MOUNTAIN THEATRE

September 24-26, 2021 Memorial • True North • Survivors • Bar Mitzvah in Birmingham

2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2021

~PON~O~~ Susan & David Silverstein Alabama State Council on the Arts Gail & Jeffrey Bayer Louise H. & John G . Beard Quixote Productions - Jason Rose

7

SATUUAL SHTIMBH 2S. 2 PM

T~UE NO~TH .

GICAL NEW HOLIDAY MUSICAL, steps inside the world of a modern family who finds the holid TRUE NORTH. A MA · · · t k b f Ch . ays . f I d h II .

Wh th • ·dowed father is deployed on a top-secret m1ss1on 1us wee s e ore nstmas you en eirw1 I . ' ng 1oy u -an c a enging.

0 d Ben and his big sister Ka mi's already turbulent lives are shaken again. With O wish, 0 etter, . n some unique seasonal help, the Potterson family discovers what just on ounce of belief con do. Told through the lens .of a child on th~ spectrum, TRUE NORTH is o magical and insightful story about being authentic, accepting change, 0nd holding an unwavering hope in the magic of Christmas.

BOOK, LYRICS, MUSIC: Holly Reed MUSIC: Kelvin Reed DIRECTOR: Chelsea Reynolds Nicholson MUSIC DIRECTOR: Anthony Smith PRODUCTION ASSOCIATE: Allison Dixon CAST Ben Pattersan ...... Som Hoh Kami Patterson .... McKenno Shaw Harry Patterson ..... Caleb Clark Charley Tinseltoes .... Davis Hoines Snap Krackle ....... Charlie Bryant Agent Skittle ....... Aidan Alford Carol Patterson ..... Valerie Accetta

Roommate/ Colonel Grant .. . Sawyer Luke Walker ......... ..... Cameron DuVall Ensemble .. ...... Jessica Clark Eboni Janae Kathleen Buccleugh Royzell D. Walker Grayson Johns

ABOUT MITCHELL'S PLACE

Mitchell's Place specializes in improving the lives of children affected by autism and other developmental disabilities. They use quality diagnostic, educational and therapeutic services provided by highly skilled therapy teams to unlock each child's potential. These teams work to remediate social, communicative, adaptive and academic functioning while simultaneously reducing and decelerating maladaptive behavior.

Website: Mitchells-Place.com

COMMUNITY CONVERSATION HOST: Keith Cromwell (Executive Director - RMT) MODERATOR: Alie B. Gorrie PANELISTS: Necia Matthews, Holly Reed, Chelsea Reynolds Nicholson

Holly Reed (Book, Lyrics, Music) is the owner and Creative Director of Reed Creative Group, a graphic and web design studio, and MusicalWriters.com, an online resource and community to equip and encourage musical theatre writers.

She wrote music and lyrics for "That's What Friends Do" (along with husband/composer Kelvin Reed) for GIRLHOOD THE MUSICAL (CPA Theatricals) . Holly and Kelvin also wrote the grade school musical CAMP MCAULIFFE and the new holiday musical TRUE NORTH: A MAGICAL NEW HOLIDAY MUSICAL (The York Theatre Developmental Reading Series 2019, Theatre in the Circle Cocoon New Musicals 2019, CNU

New Musicals Lob 2021 ). Holly is also a vocalist, actor, music director, and performance coach . She is a member of ASCAP, Maestro Music, and the Dramatists Guild.

Kelvin Reed (Music) hos served as o music and worship pastor for over 25 years. He is on avid pianist, composer, and arranger and has produced and directed several choral recording projects. His choirs hove performed in Chicago, New Orleans (with Lenny Kravitz), New York City, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. He has also been music director for numerous theatre productions. Kelvin was co-composer (along

.

#UMAN \\G~1S NflJ uom fESTIVAL

with wile Holly) fo r "That's What Friends Do" for GIRLHOOD THE MUSICAL by Larry Little, CAMP MCAULIFFE, and TRUE NORTH - A MAGICAL NEW HOLIDAY MUS/CAL.

Seward (Dracula) at Ohio's Schoenrunn Amphitheatre; and Herr in Einstein is a Dummy at Birmingham Children's Theatre. Caleb also maintains an active studio of voice and acting students.

Chelsea Reynolds Nicholson (Director) is a SAG-AFTRA actor, director, and theatre educator who hails from Gulf Breeze, FL. She is the Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre at Samford University in Birmingham, AL. Directing credits include 1776 the Musical, The Turn of the Screw, Little Women, and the Alabama premiere of Freaky Friday. Acting credits include Moy in Fool for Love with the Hollywood Fringe Festival, Lily in the Alabama premiere of Alabama Story with RMT, and Sally Bowles in Cabaret at Virginia Samford Theatre. Many thanks to God, family, and-as always-Dolly Parton. Chelsea Reynolds.com

Davis Macleod Haines' (Charley Tinseltoes) credits include: Next to Normal, Gadspell, Annie Get Your Gun, BAT BOY the Musical, Beauty and the Beast, Joseph, Gypsy, Oliver, Damn Yankees, and innumerable RMT Holiday Spectaculars. He hos performed in concert with Eden Espinosa, Jason Robert Brown, Andrew Lippa, and toured with his bands whysowhite and Blue Glass. He was a member of The Actors' Gong in LA, is one half of the vaudeville comedy act The Haines Sisters, and teaches music to young children. He thanks Keith and RMT for the community they've created, Lee and T for their love, and YOU for supporting live theatrel

Anthony Smith (Music Director) Prior to joining Red Mountain Theatre, Anthony was Music Supervisor and Music Director in Residence of Virginia Repertory Theatre (Richmond, VA) . An active proponent of new music, Anthony hos been involved in the world premieres of several new musicals and operas, most recenrly Atlantis by Matthew Lee Robinson, Ken Cerniglia, and Scott Anderson Morris and Kept by Kristin Kuster and Megan Levod. Anthony hos extensive experience in higher education, providing musical direction and teaching courses in musicianship and musical theatre voice at Virginia Commonwealth University, The College of William and Mory, and the University of Richmond.

Som Holt (Ben Patterson) attends Crestline Elementary School.

He is a member of the Red Mountain Theatre Youth Ensembles and loves to sing, dance, and play with his friends. He recently ployed Fletcher Blake in Samford University's production of Disney's Freaky Friday. He wonts to thank his family and friends for supporting him in what he loves.

McKenno Show (Kami Patterson) is a sophomore at the University of Alabama at Birmingham receiving her BFA in Musical Theatre. Much love to dad for instilling the love of performing in her. He always promised he would be sitting in the front row at her very first Broadway show and every one leading up ta it. Terminal cancer•· Glioblostomo •• put a wrench in those plans. This will be the first performance without him cheering her on. This one is for you, Dad. Thank you and I love you. www.supportbarrow.org Caleb Clark (Harry Patterson) is so happy to be back on the RMT stogel You may have seen him as Governor Roosevlt/ Nunzio in Newsies and as the Constable in Fiddler on the Roof.

Previous RMT credits include Chef Louis in The Little Mermaid.

Recent regional credits include: Alf (Peter and the Storcatcher) at City Equity Theatre, Ladahlord (James and the Giant Peach), Shrek (Shrek the Musican at the Alliance Theatre; Algernon (The Importance of Being Earnest), Antonio (11/yrio: A Twelfth Night Musican and Demetrius (Midsummer Night's Dream) at Georgia Shakespeare; Jumpy Malachi (Happy Days) and Dr.

Charlie Bryant Ill (Snap Krackle) is a Birmingham native. He is very humble and excited to be back at RMT once again. Credits include: Legally Blonde the Musical (Virginia Samford Theatre), High School Musical (RMT), Memphis (RMT), and Jesus Christ Superstar (Theatre of Gadsden). Charlie thanks all of his friends and family for their amazing support. Enjoy the shawl lnstagram: @iamcharliebryant / Facebook: Charlie Bryant Aidan Alford (Agent Skittle) is thrilled to be back with Red Mountain Theatre for the Human Rights New Works Festival.

She is a recent graduate of Rider University with a BFA in Music Theatre. Past credits with RMT include: Fiddler on the Roof (Chava), The Secret Garden (Martha), and Band Geeks (Laura).

Valerie Accetta (Carol Patterson) is the Head of Musical Theatre at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. An Equity actress, she played Margy in the first national tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Stale Fair. Other performance credits include Cinderella, The Sound of Music, and Once Upon a Mattress. She also performs regularly in concerts. She holds a BA in Musical Theatre Pedagogy from Otterbein University and an MFA in Theatre Pedagogy from Virginia Commonwealth University. Her directing credits include Oklahoma!, Matilda, and Pippin at the Weathervane Playhouse, and she looks forward to directing Cinderella at RMT this summer.

Sawyer Luke (Roommate/ Colonel Grant) is a freshman Musical Theatre major at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is a graduate of Red Mountain Theatre's Conservatory, as well as the Jellerson County Academy of Theatre and Dance, where she recently choreographed her first musical, The Wedding Singer. Sawyer is the younger sibling of a neurodivergent sister, and is excited to be a part of a show that represents this underserved community. lnstagrom: @sawyer.Juke Cameron Du Vall (Walker) is grateful to have an opportunity to work with Red Mountain Theatre again. He just graduated for Webster University with a BFA in Musical Theatre. He has previously been seen as Ned Schneebly in School of Rock with continued on page 10

RED MOUNTAIN THEATRE

SEPTEMBER 22-25, 2022

r

r

,-- r· 1

r

r'r

r -•. ·

Bar Mitzvah in Birmingham The Calling: The Story of Judge U. W. Clemon The Crossing Pink Clouds Touch

TOUCH Sunday, September 25 at 2 p.m.

Community partners: Opera Birmingham and Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind Composer/ Co-Librettist ........ Corio Lucero Co-Librettist ................................ Marianna Mott Newirth Music Director ............................ Arthur Borsorge Stage Director ........................... Chelsea Reynolds Production Assistant ............... Neil Hunter Hyde

CAST (in order of vocal appearance) Dean Agassiz ........... Zoe Wirt Anne Sullivan ........... Allison Sonders Helen Keller* ........... Alie B. Gorie Kate Keller ................ Heather Thaxton Arthur Keller ..............Won Cho James Keller ............. David Tayloe John Macey ............... Caleb Clark Polly Thompson ....... Alexis Davis-Hazell Peter Fagan ................Roderick George

* Note about Helen Keller's choir - In staged productions, the role of Helen Keller will be portrayed by a non-singing actress, with her voice sung by a small choir.

Opera Birmingham's commission of Touch was generously supported

by UAB Callahan Eye Hospital & Clinic, with additional support from OPERA America's Opera Grants for Women Composers program supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, Dr. and Mrs. Fred Elsos, and Mortin Jeiven.

Permission to use quotes from Helen Keller's writings provided by the American Federation for the Blind, Helen Keller Archives.

COMMUNITY CONVERSATION Speakers: Keller Johnson-Thompson, Vice President of Education, Helen Keller Foundation for Research and Education

SYNOPSIS Touch opens as Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan prepare for Helen's graduation from Radcliffe College, and we experience the extraordinary and codependent connection between these two strong women. A flash back shows the struggle Helen's parents went through before Anne Sullivan came into Helen's life. As Helen becomes a celebrated writer, the relationship between Helen and Anne is stressed when Anne marries the drunken and philandering John Macy.

As the marriage inevitably unravels, Helen discovers her calling as an anti-war and women's suffrage activist, while an emotionally drained Anne becomes ill. Peter Fagan, a young interpreter, is hired to fill in while

Anne recovers. A passionate love affair blossoms between Helen and Peter. The romance is doomed, as the Keller family and Anne plot to end it without Helen's knowledge, leaving her with the impression that Peter has abandoned her. Helen is devastated and only finds strength in being extraordinarily productive as a celebrity advocate for her humanitarian causes. She pushes Anne at a lever pitch until Anne succumbs to her illness and must stop. The opera ends with the two women together as Anne gives her dying confession, that she look part in sabotaging the rel~tionship with Peter. Helen, feeling the sharp pains of love lost all over again, chooses to forgive before her teacher and lifetime companion takes her last breath.

.............................................

· · ··· ······· · ·· ··· · · · · · · · · · · ······················• ..,o,,, ... ........... . .... ......... .

CARLA LUCERO, originally from Los Angeles, studied composition at

CalArts. She later moved to San Francisco where WUORNOS, her opera about "America's first female serial killer," Aileen Wuornos, premiered in 2001 . It won "1O Best" from The Advocate and OUT magazines. Her second opera, Juana, (co-librettist Alicia Gaspar de Alba}, premiered 2019 with Opera UCLA, and was awarded LA Times " 12 Best of Foll" and on Opera America's Discovery Grant. Juana, a Spanish language work about 17th century Mexican feminist icon, Sor Juana, hos its second production in NYC August 2022. Her third opera, las Tres Mujeres deJerusolen (Three Women of Jerusalem}, was commissioned by LA Opera. Based on The Passion, it premiered Morch 2022 and is port of "Song of LA", official entertainment for the 2028 LA Olympics. Her fourth opera, Touch, (co-librettist Marianna Mott Newirth}, is about blind/deaf American writer-activist, Helen Keller, commissioned by Opera Birmingham, to premiere January 2024.

MARIANNA MOTT NEWIRTH, librettist/creative producer in NYC,

hails from theatre and bookbinding. Her numerous short libretti hove been performed from Toronto to Munich. Her first full-length opera, Touch, with composer/librettist Corio Lucero, is commissioned by Opera Birmingham.

Marianna served as dromaturg for Princess Maleine (George/Goodwin} and consultant for Lucero's acclaimed liturgical drama, The Three Women of Jerusalem. Marianna curates industry white papers; is President of the NYOpera Alliance; active in the Producer's Alliance; and served as Executive Director for dell'Arte Opera Ensemble. She studied producing with Beth Morrison Projects, puppetry with Sandglass Theater and libretti with Really Spicy Opera. Newirth is establishing an interabled opera company with musicologist, Gregory Moomjy, called Opera Praktikos.

ARTHUR BOSARGE is o pianist and coach whose experience spans a variety of styles, including opera, recital, ballet, and music theater. Recent and upcoming collaborations include Sarasota Opera (II Motrimonio Segreto, Therese, Don Giovanni). Opera Southwest (le Loup Gorou}, Utah Festival Opera (Mon of la Mancha, Carmen), Opera Memphis (Pygmalion 2.0, At the Statue of Venus, Cosi fan Tutte), and Florido Grand Opera (lo boheme, le Nozze di Figaro, Frida, Werther). A native of Fairhope, Alabama, Bosarge holds degrees from Mannes School of Music and The University of Alabama.

ZOE WIRT is delighted to be a port of the Human Rights New Works

Festival. Some previous opera roles include Laetitia in Menotti's The Old Maid and the Thief, Nora in Vaughan-Willioms's Riders to the Seo, and o chorus member in Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance, Verdi's La Traviata, and Thomos's Hamlet. Outside of Touch, Zoe teaches musical theatre al Alabama School of Fine Arts and manages the Conservatory of the

Directing

H.M.S. Pinafore When: June 2019 Where: Birmingham Music Club, Alys Stephens Center, Birmingham, AL What: H.M.S. Pinafore is a delightful 19th century Operetta penned by masters of the form, Gilbert and Sullivan. The comedy is slap-stick, the language is full of wit, and characters are broad archetypes. We follow the plight of a lowly sailor in love with his Captain’s daughter.

How: This was my first time directing a classical piece, and my first time working with the Birmingham Music Club, one of Birmingham’s oldest music societies (circa 1905). It was a tremendous joy to bring together members of the community, Samford students, and seasoned Opera professionals to breathe life into this piece. I even had the pleasure of directing several of my colleagues in the School of the Arts. Because of my Musical Theatre history background, I know Operetta is one of the primary ancestors of Musical Theatre, so I was quite familiar with the work of Gilbert and Sullivan, though had never seen or produced their work before.

Working with such a large cast took a lot of coordination with schedules and rehearsal planning, especially since many in the cast were volunteers. I tried to make the best use of folks’ time, and worked the musical in small sections from large group numbers to small two person scenes so I could release cast members as they weren’t needed.

There is nothing serious about this Operetta in particular, thus we spent more time developing strong character traits and comedic moments rather than really digging into the depths of the script that just aren’t present. Operetta is lighthearted, it’s an escape, its humor is smart and sells itself if the singers commit.

Within the ensemble, I worked to have the sailors and ladies craft strong, individual characters and shaped moments so each ensemble member had at least a moment of focus throughout the course of the show. I enjoyed digging into

1

the humorous antics of the plot. There were many, “you might think I’m crazy, but what if you tried this,” moments in the rehearsal space that truly paid off. I enjoy physical humor, and it was a wonderful challenge to build those moments.

This production was also a challenge in working with very small budget, and I feel I was successful in negotiating with costumes and scenic design as to deciding what I absolutely needed to tell the story, and leaving the rest to the performers and I to tell the story.

The production was highly successful, and the producer, Ron Bourdages, was highly complimentary of my work. He invited me back to direct the following summer, but I was already on board to teach for Samford Abroad in London (which were both canceled due to COVID-19).

2

3

4

Directing

Freaky Friday When: April 2019 Where: Harrison Theatre, Samford University, Birmingham, AL What: Mary Rodgers’ popular Young Adult novel, Freaky Friday, has seen several iterations of films, and Disney adapted the book into a stage musical. Mother and daughter switch bodies for a day, and general antics ensue, ending with a better understanding of one another’s struggles.

How: One of our Samford alumni, David Redman Scott, is the Director of Licensing for Disney Theatrical Group, the licensing company that owns the rights to all the Disney shows. I spent time with him in New York City on a trip with Musical Theatre students and he mentioned that Disney had turned the story of Freaky Friday into a musical, and that it would be a great fit for Samford. I took him up on this a few weeks later, but the rights were not yet available for amateur licensing (the category Universities fit within). David pulled some strings and made the rights available to us early, making us the Alabama premiere of a Disney musical that is now very frequently produced.

With a cast of 26, and implementing students from across the School of the Arts, and even across campus, this was a monster of a show to put up. The script is written like a screenplay in that the scenes are very short, and there is a frequent change of location. In one song, for instance, the main group of students is traveling all over the city to complete a scavenger hunt. To emphasize the sense of movement, and to show just how very “now” the setting is, I even had the principal male character on a hoverboard most of the show (with many rehearsals for safety, of course).

The music and script are very contemporary, which was a genre many of our Musical Theatre students hadn’t experienced before- doing a brand new pop musical was a challenge vocally. The actors also served the story so well, because the characters were relatable to them. This show took a lot of

1

collaboration with the choreographer, Alisa McCool, in that some scenes were montages that included movement, and some dance numbers were more character-based and acting heavy, so we split up staging those numbers between us, with Alisa taking any dance heavy pieces. Alisa was an incredible fit for this show, incorporating real dance crazes of 2019 into the choreography, and helping me show changes of time and location through choreography. Many of the dance numbers felt like individual music videos, and I am so happy to have worked with her on this project.

With my two lead characters, mother and daughter, I did a lot of physical movement work with them so they could become accustomed to how the other moved, and to also explore how a teenager moves versus a very put together mother. Both absolutely excelled in the physical comedy of the scenario, and also found the heart of the piece as well.

The Orchestra, a huge set, concert style lighting, contemporary costuming, and a large ensemble cast came together in a beautiful fashion, and I am proud to say the show was successful. I could not have done it without the support of the entire department.

Media Click image below to see Samford University’s Promo Video for Freaky Friday.

2

3

4

5

6

7

Directing

A Grand Night For Singing When: February 2019 Where: Bolding Studio, Samford University, Birmingham, AL What: A Grand Night for Singing is a Broadway musical revue of dozens upon dozens of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II songs put into one show.

There are no characters, but light situations occur throughout.

How: This lovely musical was cast with two complete casts to give more students opportunities. We rehearsed over the entire fall semester as a course, meeting three hours a week. Because this revue doesn’t have a plot or characters, I wanted each cast to find their own personality, and for each actor to really personalize each of their songs for themselves.

One of the actors, Emily Strickland, also served as my choreographer, and she shone in every way possible in this position. Her choreography was true to the Golden Age of musical theatre, while also throwing in contemporary flourishes where we felt it served the actors. She also personalized the choreography to suit each cast, so between her choreography, my slight variations in staging, and actors’ personas, these really became two different shows in a beautiful way. I also allowed the actors freedom to do light dialogue improv between songs when appropriate, allowing their personalities shine further, and I allowed them to play with this dialogue until the week of opening, when we really cemented what these lines would be so it would remain consistent while still feeling spontaneous.

The show is given no setting, but with the scenic designer, David Glenn, I developed the idea of people meeting and passing one another in a park. This gave us some seating with a park bench, and some levels upstage so I could create dynamic stage compositions. With costumes, I wanted the actors to

1

express their own personalities through contemporary clothing with a nod to the 1940’s of Rodgers and Hammerstein, so they wore their own clothing, supplemented by pieces from designer, Mary Gurney.

This musical has many lighthearted moments balanced by Rodgers and Hammerstein’s haunting ballads, and the students did a tremendous job of working with me to find what these moments looked like, and finding the transitional moments between songs that aren’t scripted to keep the piece flowing.

Media Click image below to see the Young Lovers Medley Video from A Grand Night for Singing

2

3

4

5

6

Directing

The Turn of the Screw When: November 2018 Where: Virginia Samford Theatre, Birmingham, AL What: Jeffrey Hatcher wrote a two person stage adaptation of Henry James’ famous, ghostly novella, The Turn of the Screw. The cast consists of one woman, who portrays the Governess, and one man, who portrays all remaining characters including a young boy, a housekeeper, narrator, and the mysterious uncle who owns Bly Manor. This story is very much Jane Eyre with ghosts- but what the story doesn’t tell you is whether the ghosts are real, or whether the Governess is losing her mind. It is one of the most famous American Gothic ghost stories, and it was rewarding to bring it to life.

How: Breaking into directing in any town is difficult. There is a level of trust that is handed over from Theatre to director, and if there are already a handful of trusted directors in town, it’s difficult to have a theatre hand the reins over to a new person. I spent three years building a solid relationship with the President of the Virginia Samford Theatre, Cathy Gilmore, before bringing up the possibility of directing a show at her theatre. I gained her trust, we have a strong relationship, and when she mentioned the idea of continuing a Samford collaboration, in which our students have the opportunity to work on shows in a variety of capacities to gain professional experience, I took this moment to suggest that I direct The Turn of the Screw.

Though I held open auditions for the community, I had great hope that I would be able to cast one of our students in one of the roles to give them professional experience in a large role, and I also had a student on board to be my lighting designer. One of our students walked into the audition, completely blew me away in her preparation and execution of the callbacks, and I did end up casting her as the Governess. For the role of Man, I cast a young, professional actor in Birmingham who had just moved to the area and also was very successful in callbacks.

1

There is so much to uncover in this text. So much remains unsaid, and things are often said that don’t seem consistent with the characters. We spent an entire week of rehearsal table talking through the script. Because the story is so ambiguous, I wanted to make sure we, as actors and director, knew precisely what we thought happened. We made a definite decision as to whether or not the ghosts were real. I am sworn to secrecy, and won’t reveal that here, but I absolutely needed the actors to know exactly what their actions were and why they were making them.

Another reason I wished to keep the story ambiguous was to stay true to Henry James’ story. I wanted there to be equal evidence on either side of the story, and for the audience to walk away talking amongst their friends. A week or so into rehearsal, I had the pleasure of talking on the phone to the playwright for an hour, and this was the one aspect of the story he was adamant about- that it remain a mystery. Thus, I wanted to remain true not only to Henry James, but also to Jeffrey Hatcher, the playwright.

The most challenging aspect to any ghost story is, well, making it actually scary.

Mr. Hatcher challenged me with finding two places in the script to give a jump scare to the audience. I succeeded! It was so satisfying to hear the jumps, gasps, and screams from audience members at these carefully rehearsed and executed moments. With the help of the actors’ timing, and clever lighting, we made the Man appear and disappear. I also worked with my costume designer, Mary Gurney, to make sure both actors were in dark colored Victorian clothing so they could fade into the black curtains of the theatre. We also enlisted the help of fog machines, and the only set pieces were a staircase and a claw foot chair. This sparse setting, along with absence of light, was particularly effective. I also enjoyed using the space in creative ways. I had the Man start the play from behind the audience in complete darkness, so all the audience heard was a disembodied voice as he made his way down the aisle with a small lantern. Oh, what a joy it was to form this piece, make it scary, as well as poignant, and to develop the relationship between the Governess and each of the Man’s characters.

2

3

4

5

Directing

It’s Complicated: A Cabaret When: February 2018 Where: Bolding Studio, Samford University, Birmingham, AL What: This student created cabaret explores the triumphs and struggles of a variety of relationships.

How: This was my first project to direct at Samford University. It was the year before I was hired full-time, and we rehearsed this project as a class over the fall semester for a total of three hours a week.

I came in to this class not knowing who I would be working with, and what their skillsets were, so I spent the first portion of the class asking them to bring in songs they loved to sing. After the first few weeks, I asked them to look at the pieces they had brought in and see if there was a common thread amongst them.

“Relationships” is where we landed, and we ended up adding more songs once we knew this was the route we were taking, and cut some of the original songs that had been brought in. I also held auditions so there would be opportunities for additional students who hadn’t signed up for the course.

These students really wanted to show the highs and lows of all sorts of relationships, not just romantic ones, and I helped guide them by suggesting material for them, and found some wonderful group numbers for them to perform together. The music spanned from Golden Age Musical Theatre to alternative folk music by The Civil Wars, and I shaped the piece by putting an order to it, and building in transitions between scenes. I wanted the entire cabaret to flow without stopping.

1

The greatest challenge we faced was that there were mainly senior students performing in this ensemble, and most of them needed to attend a large Unified audition to book work for the coming year post graduation. It was important to me that they be able to attend, so we ended up having four completely different shows. Those who didn’t have to attend auditions covered songs for their cast mates, and it was only the closing performance that we had all cast members together, and the full show as originally intended. This was such a wonderful lesson for students in understudying, being adaptable, and being flexible as I have faced similar scenarios in my professional career.

These students bravely wore their hearts and selves on their sleeves as they worked their way through both comedic and dramatic material, and I felt like there was much growth in acting through song during this process as students learned how to present material in a cabaret-like setting.

2

3

4

Scholarly and Creative Work

Scholarly and Creative Work

Performance

1

Performance

Performance

Headshot, Resume, and Reels

1

Chelsea Reynolds SAG-AFTRA/EMC (850) 390-1273

ChelseaReynolds1@gmail.com

www.ChelseaReynolds.com

Height: 5’5’’ Voice Type: Mezzo-Soprano/Belter

Hair: Auburn Eyes: Brown

Selected Theatre Fool For Love Cabaret 9 to 5 Shrek Kinky Boots Alabama Story Grease The Bacchae Really Rosie Busy Town Clementine And The Cyber Ducks All Shook Up Meet Me In St. Louis A Midsummer Night’s Dream Blues in the Night The Rockin’ 50’s Smoke on the Mountain The Marvelous Wonderettes The Last Five Years The Confession (World Premiere) The Eccentricities of a Nightingale Young Frankenstein 42nd Street

May Sally Bowles Violet Newstead Mama Ogre/Ens Trish Lilly Marty Agave Kathy Mistress Mouse ADuckA Ensemble Ensemble Flute/Thisby Woman Bobbi Vera Missy Miller Cathy Hiatt Katie Lapp Alma Winemiller Elizabeth Dorothy Brock

Hollywood Fringe Festival dir. Melody Rahbari Virginia Samford Theatre dir. Dane Peterson Virginia Samford Theatre dir. Carl Dean Red Mountain Theatre dir. Roy Lightner Red Mountain Theatre dir. Robin Lewis Red Mountain Theatre dir. Henry Scott Red Mountain Theatre dir. Keith Cromwell Hangar Theatre dir. Jesse Geiger Hangar Theatre dir. Sherri Barber Hangar Theatre dir. Sherri Barber Hangar Theatre dir. Brandon Pape Flat Rock Playhouse dir. Paige Posey Flat Rock Playhouse dir. Paige Posey Flat Rock Playhouse dir. Teddy Eck Greenbrier Valley Theatre dir. Cathey Sawyer Greenbrier Valley Theatre dir. Cathey Sawyer SummerTide Theatre dir. Stacy Alley Actors Point Theatre dir. Greg Wilson ABryanPhoto Studios dir. Matt Godfrey Blue Gate Musicals dir. Wally Nason University of Alabama MFA dir. Raines Carr University of Alabama MFA dir. Stacy Alley University of Alabama MFA dir. Stacy Alley

Television Final Cut How I Met Your Mother Parenthood

Principal Kissing Couple Bar Patron

Discovery ID 20th Century Fox Television NBC Network

Film Coveting Roses

Lead

Hollywood 48 Hour Film

dir. Jim Hanks

Education / Training University of Alabama- Master of Fine Arts in Acting Samford University- Bachelor of Arts, Musical Theatre EMC Apprenticeship: Hangar Theatre Lab Company, Peter Flynn, Wendy Dann EMC Apprenticeship: Flat Rock Playhouse, Paige Posey, Dennis Maulden Dance- best summed up as, “skilled mover and a shaker” Special Skills: Bernadette Peters’ singing voice impression, golf, knitting, driver’s license, works well with animals and children Dialects: Southern, New York, British RP, Cockney, Irish

Performance

Film Reel Click Image Below to View

2

Performance

Human Rights New Works Festival: Four Little Girls When: September, 2023 Where: Red Mountain Theatre Company, Birmingham, AL Who: Adult Ensemble What: The Human Rights New Works Festival is Red Mountain Theatre Company’s festival that elevates new works that tell important stories from voices we typically don’t get to hear from. Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963 gives voice to the four victims of the Birmingham 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963.

How: This was such a poignant story to be a part of. The creative team was made up of three Black women, which was an incredible experience to be under their leadership and, sadly, a rarity in theatre (or any place of work). As a white woman in this piece, we played a variety of characters, but most of mine were racist people with ill intent towards the Black population. It was hard to commit to this, but on the rst day of rehearsal, I promised myself that I would in order to help most e ectively tell this story. There was gospel music beautifully woven throughout the piece as well, so I had the opportunity to use my vocal gifts to elevate this story as well; to be in the white ensemble as a support system to the incredible Black ensemble and four girls was a great gift.

We had a challenge arise when I and three other cast members contracted COVID-19, missing most of the rehearsal process. The director graciously decided not to replace us, which showed her trust in our artistry and skillset, and I am so grateful this didn’t bar me from participating in this great, important work.

fi

ff

1

After one of the performances, we had a community talk back with Lisa McNair, the sister of one of the victims, Denise McNair. It was an unforgettable experience to be in the room during this conversation, let alone a small part of it.

2

2018 • 2019. 2020 • 2021 • 2022 • 202'5

RED MOUNTAIN THEATRE

SEPTEMBER 22-24, 2023

She Reached For Heaven Sam's Room Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963

FOUR LITTLE GIRLS: BIRMINGHAM ~963 Saturday, September 23 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 24 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.

Community partner: Sixteenth Street Baptist Church

Playwright .................................. Christina M . Hom Director ......................................... Shrondo Major Music Director ............................ Joycelyn L. Whatley Production Stage Manager ... Brion Hoven Asst. Stage Manager ............... Meagan Oliver Sound Engineer/ A 1 ................ Anno Groce Angeles Sound A2 ..................................... Michael Mercado Light Board Operator ............. Sarah Robbins

CAST Denise McNair .................. TaNiyo Macon Cynthia Wesley ................ Kennedy Hawthorne Carole Robertson ............ Joido Davis Addie Mae Collins .......... Ashlynn Tolbert Connie/Ensemble .......... Deztonie Cunningham Ensemble ............................ Jeremy Jefferson Ensemble ............................ Abijoh Cunningham Ensemble ............................ Kathleen Buccleugh Ensemble ............................ Savannah Hudson Ensemble ........................... Jeff DeGormo Ensemble ............................ Halo Wheeler Ensemble ........................... Chelsea Reynolds

COMMUNITY CONVERSATION

#f""

Speakers: .

Ms. Lisa McNair and representatives from " - ' ~~rs~~~'g"

······································································ ..............................................................

SYNOPSIS Denise McNoir, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, and Addie Moe Collins ore multitolented and bursting with promise. While Denise dreams of becoming a doctor, Carole looks forward to the dress she will one day wear at the cotillion, Cynthia imagines her life as a mathematics professor at !hf:! local university, and Addie Moe envisions a life as a professional baseball player. The realities of the segregated political climate that will put a stop to these dreams swirl around them and eventually culminate in the fateful events of September 15, 1963. This searing ploy dares to examine what it's like to be a child in the most extreme circumstances.

SONGS Wade in the Water, African American spiritual Amazing Groce, John Newton, Traditional Blessed Assurance Fanny J. Crosby, Phoebe P. Knapp Oh, Freedom, African American spiritual Woke Up This Morning, Traditional Great Doy, African American spiritual How I Got Over, Clara Ward Lift Every Voice and. Sing, James Weldon Johnson

TANIYA MACON (Denise McNair) is appearing in her fihh Red Mountain Theatra

production, most recently as Bruce in Mafilda Jr. She is in the seventh grade at Robert F. Bumpus Middle School, where she is a part of the Show Choir. In her free ttme, TaNlya loves to sing and dance. Her goal is ta become a graduate al Harvard University and perform on Broadway in New Yark City. TaNiya is thrilled to be rehJrning ta the Red Mountain Theatre stage.

KENNEDY HAWTHORNE (Cynthia Wesley), o Senior at Pelham High School, hos participated in several RMT Performances & Education programs over the last 7 years. Kennedy is a member al the Conservatory and alumni of the Performing Ensemble, Kennedy's performances at RMT include; Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreom Coof (Youth Choir), Holiday Specfoculor, Info The Woods Jr. (Florinda) and U. W Clemon (The Girl) - Human Rights New Work Festival. She hos also played leading roles in Pelham High Schools productions of Beehive (Jasmine and Leslie Gore), Mean Girls: The Musical (Regina George). Kennedy is an aspiring artist who is deeply passionate for the arts and will continue to chase her dreams of becoming an unstoppable performer.

JAIDA DAVIS (Carole Robertson) is o senior at Shades Valley High Schaal. She

has been in shows such as Sisfer Act, Jr. (Michelle), Info The Woods, Jr. (Little Red), BKLYN fhe Musical (Cityweed), Les Miserables (Eponine), All Together Now (Chorus), Ernest And The Pale Moon (Chorus), BafBoy the Musical (Daisy), The lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (Lucy), Our Town (Rebecca Gibbs), Big Fish (The Witch), The Curious Incident ol fhe Dog /n The Night-Time (Siobhan), Wolves (#00) and The Loramie Project (Marge Murray). She will direct this year's Evolution Of Time (EOT) production at SVHS. She plans to further her education at. .. she don't know yet but be ready. She is so grateful to soy she is o port of something so special. This will forever be something sacred in her heart.

ASHLYNN TOLBERT (Addie Mae Collins) is elated to ploy the role of Addie Mae Collins in Four little Girls: Birmingham 1963 o port of RMT's Human Rights New Works Festival. During the lost 8 years, some of her post credits include Annie Jr (Ms.Hannigan), Hoodwinked (Maid Morion), and legally Blonde Jr (Delta Nu). Ashlynn enjoys singing, dancing, and ploying the piano & violin. She is thankful for her parents for their support in all her endeavors.

DEZTONIE CUNNINGHAM (Connie/Ensemble) is ecstatic to be a part of this production I This is Deztonie's first show at Red Mountain Theatre and she is beyond excited to be o port of this wonderful cast. She is currently a junior al the University al Alabama at Birmingham majoring in Musical Theatre. She most recently was seen as Little Red Riding hood in Into The Woods at UAB. Deztonie would like ta thank her friends and family for all their love and support!

JEREMY JEFFERSON (Ensemble) is a native of Birmingham, and has been

performing since he was only a small child. Singing was his first love, but it helped h discover so many other gihs inside of him through performing that he didn't realize there. He eventually begin performing in small church ploys and school redials. He his first debut in the Birmingham theatre scene in 2008 in A Glimpse of the 8th Wi and It Takes Two Baby. In 2012, Jeremy was diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer and healed by the grace of God. He has again become a warrior as he bottles cancer, by the grace of God his healing is taking place and it will not stop his journey In and television. Jeremy hos performed in many stage producttoM such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Annie, The Producers, It Ain't Nothin but the Slues, and Dracula loll otV and at Red Mountain Theatre in Dreomgirls, The Color Purple, Alabama Sto,y. and Bess, Skeleton Crew, Once on This Island and most recently as Curtis Taylor, J• Dreomgirls, plus many others.

ABIJAH CUNNINGHAM (Ensemble) is wile to KeMeth Cunningham and lhe

mother to Kaleb and Addison. She is a member of Mt. Canaan Full Gospel Chu,di,; where she serves on the praise and worship team. She was a featured soloist for Birmingham Empowerment's • Moving 50 Years Forward,• performed with !he Alal:ia

A. but tho Blues, cast Orchestra, wo s one of the lead vocalists . in ./J Ain't Nothing .

Symphony Wi erlormed as lorrell Robinson 1n Dreamgirls, as Church lady in in The ,z, p d · Ab" h ' d a Bac heIors' degree os DoroIthyPurple, an d a host of other pro uctions. h 110 hreceive b J/,e Co or nd h0 I y from Stillman College, w ere s e ecame a member of Delta in History o Psy~ She plans ta conttnue using the gift that God has blessed her Th ta Sorority, n . dh h d Sigmanever e foiling . . ta give him all the glory, proise an oner I at are ue lo him. with,

UCCLEUGH (Ensemble), described as 'purely lovely' and B h' 9• by The Tuscaloosa News and proised for her ' light, pure lone' 'KATHLEEN d l'ghtfully touc ,n . . d . ei tu I' comedic acttng by artsBHAM.com, IS an accomplishe arhst with 0 nd ' totally no "' ·1·1y · t · · Ih d rlormance history reAecting her versati I in opero, oro ono, musica I eatre an 0 pe .

Kathleen has recentty focused on concert work, including Bach's citol repertoire. d ,_ d .

• . re lo Mozart's Vesperoe solennes e con"more an Saint-Saens Christmas Colfue Conto ' k · · Id' I . She hos several more concert wor s coming Orotono. b up, inc u mg . a so o concert that she WI.11 tour a cross the Southeast. In August/Seplem er, . she repnsed a role that is very . Ito her. Young Alyce in Tom Cipullo's Glory speoo h Denied, d b an opero fthabout the longest. "'"e •- neon prisoner of war. Kathleen is onore lo e part o is year's Human cophve Rights New Works Festival.

SAVANNAH HUDSON (Ensemble) is so happy ta be part of the Human Rights

Festivol this year, ond moking her Red Mountain Theater debutl Some of Savannah's

lavome roles she's ployed include Brooke Wyndham (legally Blonde), Rona Lisa Peretti 12511,A,:nuol Putnam County Spelling Bee), Susan (Company), and Dorolee 19 ta 5).

She would like to thank her husband, family, and unborn son who is due October 18th fa, encouraging her in this VERY pregnant time.

JEFF DEGARMO (Ensemble) is a systems analyst at UAB Medicine during the day ond does his best to use his evenings and weekends ta sing and act. He has loo many degrees, but his favorite one is his music degree Imm Montevallo, where he studied voice with Bennie Middaugh. He is a staff singer al Trinity UMC, and most recentty penormed in 12 Angry Jurors al Oncore Theatre and Gallery, RM T's Kinky Boots, and inVsrs production of Stephen Sondheim's Company. May we build a better future by remembering and learning from the post. Black lives Matter.

HALO WHEELER (Ensemble) is a Birmingham native and graduate of the illustrious Howard University. Halo has opened up for singers such as Frankie Beverly and Maze, Chrisette Michelle and Kelly Price. She released her very first CD entitted This Is Who IAm in August 2014. Halo is excited to make her return lo the RMT stage as she has graced the stage in many producttons such as Ain't Misbehavin', Little Shop of Honror.;, Once on This /~and, Dreamgirls and many more. Halo lives by the Eric Thomas quote 'When you want to succeed as bad os you want to breathe, then you'll be successful.' She would like to thank her family and friends who have made a great impact on her life thus far.

CHELSEA REYNOLDS (Ensemble) is a SAG-AFTRA and EMC actor, director, and theatre educator who hails from Gulf Breeze, FL Chelsea is the Assistant Professor and Director of Musical Theatre at Samford University and holds an M.FA in Acting from the University of Alabama, with a BA in Musical Theatre from Samford University. She has worked with AEA houses around the country such as Flat Rock Playhouse, Hangar Theatre, and Greenbrier Valley Theatre. Favorite acting credits include Solly Bowles in Cabaret and Violet Newstead in 9 to 5 at VST, May in Fool For Love with the Hollywood Fringe festival, Llly in the Alabama premiere of Alabama Story with RMT, and Alma in The Eccentricities of a Nightingale with the University of Alabama. As always, thanks to her family, friends, God, ond to Dolly Parton, who taught her that "storms make trees take deeper roots.• @chels_bells l SHRONDA MAJOR (Director) is a native of Birmingham, AL She received her BA ,nrnd Theater Arts from Alabama State University. A few of her past and present theater ' ,ts include: Birmingham Children's Theater production of George Washington Carver, Aldridge Theater Company's production of for Colored Girls Who Considered

SIXTEENTH STREET

BAPTIST CHURCH

Suicide (lady in Yellow), Virginia Samford Ci E . , Jesus Superstar (Ensemble and B tyWqu,ty s production of Ruined Uasephine) Sh Christ I egger oman) and A· , M' b • e a so performed with Terrific New Theater in the r . int " ehawn (Charlene).

(Penny) and The Royale (Nina) RMT' d . p oductions of Sp/it N Three as C I · s pro uctions of. Barn t (B o or Purple (Squeak), The MLI( Project(Princi of/ l. s armer essie Coleman) The (Busy Body), The Wiz (Ensemble) Dreamgir/s 1PM' h owyll l er), %1/e The World Watched E bl ) e e Iand Mem ph·" IDoncer/ e . The one woman stage' show Pretty F· 1c!Ch Shnsem d a ow (Rain Monroe ond multiple characters)lfe and StorayneWaod IM 1· ord) on d H,..

by Encore Theater and Gallery She is exc·ted t b ee fogno ,as fTruvy) prnsented . , God a her eaparto . for the fifth year. She sends a special thanks be 'lulRMT'sNe d L w Works festival dh f • au,, augnter Madi son Grace an er ami Iy and friends for their continuous support.

JOYCELYN WHATLEY (Music Director) is a Birmingham native who · all things m~sical. She has been performing musical theater since 2008 :~:~sshe performed :n her first ~usical revue, Rhythm and Roots. Since then, Joycelyn has performed in: Dreamgir/s, Blues in the Night, Barnstormer, Beehive and /t Ain't Nothing But the Blues. In 2019, she began music directing and hos since music directed five youth production'., including this summer's VST STARS productton of Disney's Descendants the Mus,cal as well as music directing and singing in Mother Emanuel and Memorial. Mrs. Whatley is the minister of music at Pleasant Grave Missionary Baptist Church and director of the UAB Arts in Medicine Healing Harmonies choir. She is also a recently retired (June 2023) music educator, having worked in Birmingham City Schools for over 20 years. Joycelyn would like to thank her family, especially her husband Sammy and son Keyton for supporting her theatrical pursuits. She is delighted to be o part of the artistic team of four Little Girls and hopes that the audience is captivated by the story and transformed by the music.

Organized in 1873 as the First Colored Baptist Church of Birmingham, Alabama, Sixteenth Street was the first block church in Birmingham. Completed in 1911, the building os it stands today was commisioned from Mr. Wallace Rayfield, the slate's only Black architect. W.E.B. DuBois, Mary Mcleod Bethune, Poul Robeson, and Ralph Bunche were among many noted black Americans who spoke at the church during its early years.

Due lo Sixteenth Street's prominence in the black co mmun ity, and its central location to downtown Birmingham, the church served as headquarters for the civil rights moss meeting s and rall ies in the early 1960's. As events came lo a head in Birmingham in Moy of 1963, it was central to the marches and demonstration s th at produced police retaliation and brutality. Dr. Rev. Mortin Luther King, Jr. ond Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth provided inspirati ona l leadersh ip to the marchers during this chaotic time.

On Sunday, September 15, 1963, at 10:22 o.m., o bom b explo ded killing four young girls attending Sunday School and iniur,n g more than 20 other members of th e congregation . Later that samt-· C\t'n1n~1

in different parts of to wn, a black youth was killed by police· wicl "''" was murdered by a mob of white men. The traged y of ih c,I Sl'ndoy fHO· · d uce d au Ipourings o f sy mpathy from all parts _ of the .-orld _ _,\\or,:, 1hc"" . $300,000 was contributed for th e restorati on

'-j t'.il' do11109t.'d C11ur c11

whic h reop ened for se rvices Sunday, Jun e 7. ]t/(1 ••

Performance

Shrek, the musical When: June, 2023 Where: Red Mountain Theatre Company, Birmingham, AL Who: Mama Ogre, Mama Bear- Ensemble What: Shrek is the 2008 Broadway stage adaptation of the beloved animated feature lm. Its music was composed by Tony award winning Jeanine Tesori, along with book and lyrics by acclaimed writer, David Lindsay-Abaire. Red Mountain’s production went exciting lengths to connect theatre to the community by having three matinee performances a week along with Sensory Performances for neurodivergent audience members and a performance for the deaf and blind community in Birmingham. The show is a delightful spectacle with many technical challenges, with a wonderful message of learning to love and accept who you are made to be.

How: Red Mountain Theatre Company operates very close to a summer stock schedule in the summer. We learned Shrek in about ten days, went through a rigorous, quick technical process, and opened to an eight show per week schedule.

With the intense schedule, I learned a lot about myself as a performer who is no longer fresh out of undergraduate school. I learned that I really needed to plan out all of my meals and pack enough food to fuel myself through rehearsals and performances- particularly the Wednesdays and Saturdays in which we had two performances in a day. I learned that regular exercise was very important for me to maintain the stamina to carry around 30 pound costumes on my body. I developed a very regimented skin care routine to take care of myself, as I was in green makeup fro Mama Ogre eight times a week and have fairly sensitive skin. I became more in tune with what it means to connect not only mentally with yourself throughout a process, but also physically. Theatre is athletic, but being in an ensemble role reminded me of the reality of that.

Another takeaway from this experience was the importance of mentorship. Obviously I understand this on a very deep and resonate level as a professor and in the classroom. However, this cast had many college students, and they were not my students, but I felt a responsibility to urge them to take care of themselves, to share my former mistakes with them with the hope that they could avoid them in their own paths, and I now enjoy staying connected to them and seeing their shows at their local universities in the area when I can. So much of this business is the relationships

fi

1

you build and keep, and that was a big moment of building those for me in this process.

Media Click image below to see Mama Bear in “This Is My Story”

2

3

4

D MOUNTAIN THEATRE

JUNE 2-25, 2023 ~,

\

~----?;-._ ,,.. .

·-

.•

.

.

.

.

Lajuana Bradford, Board of Directors, President Keith Cromwell, Executive Director and show sponsors

I

Gail & Jeffrey Bayer Christopher, Lyndra & Bill Daniel The Drummond Family Carlo & Dianne Joseph Jean & John Oliver Med Help

I

I

PRESENT

Book and Lyrics by

Music by

David Lindsay-Abaire

Jeanine Tesori

Based on the Dream Works Animated Motion Picture and the Book by William Steig Originally produced on Broadway by Dream Works Theatricals and Neal Street Productions

Directed by

Roy Lightner Choreographed by

Sara Brians Assistant Director

Music Director

Morgan Smith

Anthony Smith

Lighting Design

Scenic, Props & Costume Design

Sound Design

Joe Doran

3D Theatricals

Patrick MacDonald

Costume Facilitator

Wig, Hair & Makeup Designer

Props Facilitator

Kendra Weeks

Holly McClendon

Jessica Mathews

Production Stage Manager

Assistant Stage Manager

Brian Haven

Tyler Stidham

The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

Shrek The Musical is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Music Theatre ·lnternational. www.mtishows.com

.....................................................................................................................................................................

Red Mountain Theatre proudly licensed by

15

~,~!he A

rsi3 ~

Alabama

State

Giwx:il

ASK;PD -

BMl

Red Mountain Theatre is a proud member of

NJ\tvrf l1

,I

Ir (

rr,

This program has been made possible by grants

£ARTS from the Alabama State Council on the arts and the

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT§

<1fh ~ l ;

National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

5

--

.J-·•

.,

CAST

graduated from Rider University with a B.F.A. in musical theatre where she was involved in productions like Hair (Ensemble), In Every Note (Nadia), and Oklahoma (Ado Annie u/s) ..

Some of her past favorites with Red Mountain Theatre have been Fiddler On the Roof (Chava), The Secret Garden (Martha), and Band Geeks (Laura). Most recently, she was seen in the ensemble of Summer: The Donna Summer Musical at the Aurora Theatre. She would like to thank her friends and family for all their support and lovel

CHELSEA REYNOLDS

under professionals such as FuIton 8urns r • · Abb ott, Amy Murphy, Eden Espinosa , .._,, r, Lambert, and Tina Marie Casam en to'Libb Gret" has worked with Music Theatre Int . y. Ho ·Th . ernational an d I eatrrcs as a part of the Junior Th Festival. Some of his theatre credits ,·n cu ledotre e·A Chorus Line (Paul), Mary Poppins (Roberts~n Ay), The Rocky Horror Show (Riff Raff), News,es .

(E Imer,) Beauty and The Beast (Lefou), Spring Awakening (Hanschen), Matilda (Ensemble) The Wizard of Oz (Scarecrow), Kinky Boots' (Angel), and Heathers the Musical (Kurt Kelley).

He would like to thank his family and friends for their love and support throughout his career!

"It takes courage to make a fool of yourself."

(Mama Ogre/Ensemble) @jaredmaxwright94 is a SAG-AFTRA and EMC SAMUELJ.PERRY(Papa actor, director, and theatre Ogre/Ensemble/Shrek educator who hails from u/s) (he/him) is a first year Gulf Breeze, FL Chelsea MFA Acting candidate at is the Assistant Professor the University of Alabama and Director of Musical Theatre at Samford from Lawrenceville, GA. He University and holds an M.F.A. in Acting from the received his BFA in Musical University of Alabama, with a BA in Musical Theatre from Samford University. She has Theatre from the South Carolina School of the worked with AEA houses around the country Arts at Anderson University in 2022. His past such as Flat Rock Playhouse, Hangar Theatre, credits include The Imaginary Invalid (Argon and Greenbrier Valley Theatre. A few of her U/S, UA), Eurydice (Father, SCSA), Guys favorite acting credits include Sally Bowles in and Dolls (Nicely-Nicely Johnson, SCSA), Cabaret and Violet Newstead in 9 to 5 at the Xanadu (Sonny Malone, SCSA) and Richard Virginia Samford Theatre, May in Fool for Love Ill (Clarence/King Edward IV, SCSA). Samuel with the Hollywood Fringe Festival, Lily in the would like lo thank the Creative Team of Red Alabama premiere of Alabama Story with RMT, Mountain Theatre for this opportunity. Samuel and Alma in The Eccentricities of a Nightingale would also like to thank his wife, Kendall, his with the University of Alabama. You also may family, and his friends for their constant love and have caught her as Trish in Kinky Boots as an support. emergency swing last season. As always, thanks to her family, friends, God, and to Dolly Parton, ALLIE NICHOLS who taught her that "storms make trees take (Ensemble) (she/her} is deeper roots." @chels_bells 1 thrilled to be here this summer JARED MAX WRIGHT (Pinocchio) is an Alabama native and a graduate of

the University of Montevallo where he received his Bachelors of Fine Arts in .

Musical Theatre. Professionally and class1cally trained in Ballet, Tap Jazz and Modern style dance, Jared ha/trained 10

with RMTI Allie graduated from UAB with a BFA in Musical Theatre and, wh en . not on the stage, spends her t,me as the Master Carpenter at Bir . h Ch.Id , Th ming am ' ren s eatre or prop designing for local theatres. She has been seen in Bright St (RMT), as Tammy in Escape to Ma~ (VST), logainne in The 25th Annual~~r~:;ille

.,°'

Performance

Holiday Spectacular When: December, 2022 Where: Red Mountain Theatre Company, Birmingham, AL Who: Emergency Swing- Principal Soloist What: Red Mountain Theatre Company’s annual Holiday Spectacular is Birmingham’s spin on a holiday spectacle that involves children from their Conservatory program, adult singers, and even live animals.

How: A few months after swinging into Kinky Boots, I got another call from Roy Lightner, Artistic Director. One of the principal singers in the Holiday Spectacular had come down with a gastrointestinal issue and was in the hospital. This show was already into performances so there would be no rehearsal outside of running music with the Music Director, Katie Holmes, and having a brief put-in rehearsal with the other performers an hour before the show.

This is the rst time in my career I got a phone call at 9:00am, learned and got o book on several songs, and performed them for a full house by 7:30pm. I even had a costume quick-change between numbers that we had never run through until I was in the performance. It was a challenge that was very rewarding, and I performed the show through the rest of that weekend. It also showed that RMTC valued the work I had done in Kinky Boots and trusted in my skill set to be able to accomplish this task.

ff

fi

1

2

Kinky Boots, the musical When: June 2022 Where: Red Mountain Theatre Company, Birmingham, AL Who: Emergency Swing- Trish, Supporting Role What: Kinky Boots is the 2013 Broadway musical based on the 2005 British lm. It boasts music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and a book by Harvey Fierstein. It is loosely based on the true story of a man named Charlie Price who, in order to save his family-run shoe factory from closure, works with a drag queen named Lola in order to bring high fashion drag shoes to the commercial market. Lola explains how expensive, yet cheaply made, drag footwear is, and the unlikely pair team up to bring sturdy, well made boots to fashion week in Milan.

How: I did not audition for this production because my husband and I had planned a lengthy trip already when auditions were announced. However, in the summer of 2022, COVID-19 was shockingly still tearing through theatre productions. The show was to open June 3 on a Friday. I got a phone call from the Artistic Director of Red Mountain Theatre Company, Roy Lightner, on that Monday, which was Memorial Day. He informed me that one of the ensemble members had come down with COVID-19, but that no one else was infected and, if I was able to step into her role, the show could proceed. I accepted this challenge. I saw it as a great honor that they felt I could step into a supporting role in a full production with less than 24 hours notice. I met with the stage manager, music director, and director on Tuesday to rehearse and learn my track for several hours. I was t for costumes (which included a thigh-high pair of my own red boots!), and by that evening, I was stepping into Final Dress Rehearsal with all actors and technical elements and orchestra. It was exhilarating, and after that rehearsal, I felt I could do most anything the remainder of my career.

Most productions have understudies and swing performers who spend the entire rehearsal process preparing for moments like this. To be put into a show I was not at all involved in with only two to three hours of rehearsal was unlike anything I had done.

Now that I understood exactly what my track was (my entrances and exits, my solo moments in songs, my scenes with dialogue, and- above all- brand new choreography throughout the show), I went about setting myself up for success to get through the rest of the week. Though the show didn’t technically open until Friday, we 1

fi

fi

Performance

would have sold out preview audiences beginning the next day (remember, I had only had one evening rehearsing without an audience). I created myself track sheets that I could keep in my pocket throughout the show and reference between scenes.

Because the show was set in a factory, I also put a set of these sheets on a clipboard I could keep with me in the more dialogue heavy scenes just in case I should need them. These included my lines, lyrics, entrances, exits, blocking- everything I would need to be successful in this venture. None of this would have been remotely possible without the incredible support of the stage management team and fellow actors. I felt so supported. I even found that I was able to emotionally connect to my character and create an arc for her and that was truly a gift that- again- wouldn’t have been possible without strong actors to play with on stage.

Media Click image below to see the promotional trailer

2

3

4

Performance

9 to 5: The Musical When: February, 2022 Where: Virginia Samford Theatre, Birmingham, AL Who: Violet Newstead, Lead Role What: 9 to 5: The Musical is the 2009 Broadway stage adaptation of the feminist o ce comedy lm of 1980 which starred Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda. It boasts a score with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton, and a book by Patricia Resnick. Through a highly zany, satirical lens, Violet, Judy, and Doralee navigate the misogyny of working for their boss, Mr. Hart (a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot). Though a comedy, the musical adaptation brings a lot of heart and thoughtful dialogue to these characters we know and love.

How: This was my rst performance back on stage coming back from COVID-19. I had directed at Samford in the midst of the virus, but it was nearly two years before the Birmingham community really started doing full productions again. Rehearsing and performing in a slapstick comedy was a complete pivot after doing the dark, gritty Nazi-regime musical, Cabaret; I was very excited for the Virginia Samford Theatre patrons and fellow artists to get to know my comedic work. While I relish telling stories with great emotional depth, I have also always enjoyed evoking laughter in others. It still takes as much honesty in order to portray comedy in acting- the circumstances of the world are simply heightened and ridiculous.

In the role of Violet, originated by Lily Tomlin on screen, a challenge I faced was making such an iconic character played by such an iconic actor my own. I really spent a lot of time nding my own motivations for her actions and creating a lush background story for her as we aren’t given a whole lot of details in the script.

The greatest gift of this project was the female empowerment shared between the actors who played Doralee and Judy and I. We had worked together in Cabaret so to tell this story with two actors I already trusted so much led to a wealth of creativity in the rehearsal process, and it was deeply rewarding.

Unfortunately, I and several other members of the cast contracted COVID-19 during the rst weekend of our three week run. We lost six of our performances, and it was one of the greatest challenges of my career to come back in a role this large straight from having had the virus while also teaching a full load of classes at Samford.

fi

fi

fi

ffi

fi

1

What I was also taken aback by was the conversation it started with patrons, friends, and students who saw the performance. Women shared their stories in the workplace, men admitted to not having thought of some of the nuances women face in the workforce; though things are much improved since 1980, surely, there are still many obstacles women overcome rendering this musical still relevant. I felt this energy in my character’s nal monologue to Mr. Hart in which she truly verbally strips him down and takes away any remaining hold and power he has over her. The energy in the audience each night was palpable, and the emotion evoked in my character in that moment was a byproduct of the experiences of so many women I know, myself included.

Media Click image below to see “Around Here”

fi

2

Click image below to see “The Hospital Scene”

Click image below to see “Potion Notion”

3

4

5

VIRGlnlrsAhlFC:>RD THEATRE AT CAL DWELL PARK

IB 1\1 11Rli81'1

BIOS Carl Dean (Director/Choreographer) is the owner of Tigerfish Productions, a theatrical services company which provides instruction for performers as well as casting services for on camera work, and he was the Co-Founder/Artistic Director of Magic City Actors Theatre, for which he directed and choreographed many hit productions such as Pippin, Fame, Little Shop of Horrors, and, in collaboration with University of Montevallo Theatre, the Alabama premiere of Parade. Mr. Dean was the recipient of the 2014 BroadwayWorld.com Birmingham Area Regional Theatre Awards for Best Director of a Musical and Best Choreographer for his production of Jesus Christ Superstar, and 201 S's Best Choreographer award for his work on The Producers, both at the VST. In 2008, he was awarded "Best Actor in Birmingham" by the Birmingham News, and he received that honor again in 201 ofrom both Birmingham Magazine and the Birmingham News. He has worked around the country professionally as an actor, singer, dancer, director, and choreographer for the past 26 years. For four years, Mr. Dean served as Director of Choreography for Southern Living at Home's National Conventions, staging and performing in extravagant productions in Dallas, Atlanta, Nashville, and Las Vegas for audiences of upwards of 5,000 people. He has performed in countless productions including Rock ofAges, Evita, Aida, Guys and Dolls, The Will Rogers Follies, and as Rum Tum Tugger in Cats. He has performed on Carnival Cruise Lines in Mexico and the Bahamas. Mr. Dean has also worked as an educator and workshop coordinator across the Southeast. In addition to his role with Tigerfish Productions, he is the Director of Theatre at the Jefferson County Academy of lb1t!/r~ 2rd Dance, and currently serves as the Chair for the Secondary Division of t~ie ,MaN;1r.id Ctr,i:fwnnca of Theatre. In 2006, his production of Forever Plaid, with the Sriadr:: 1#~~~~- l]-l.:.~1°':'? Academy won Best in Show at the Southeastern Theatre Conference in (k;~,n~~-;, ,;,;,tf., t\-; :,:ti advanced to the State Trumbauer Festival with numerous shows, inc!uct!n;J f·:;';:} ftt•.i:; {.1YJ.{;!naf play, On Lock, based on his experiences teaching in ajuvenile detenticm C\J;:iBr He has worked with nearly every theatre in the greater Birmingham area, and is thrilled to be part of such a rich and diverse theatre community. Most importanijy though, he is the proud father of two amazing children-Caroline and Ryder!

Chelsea Reynolds (Violet Newstead) is a SAG-AFTRA actor, director, and theatre educator who hails from Gulf Breeze, FL. She was last seen on the Virginia Samford Theatre stage as Sally Bowles in Cabaret, and looks forward to directing Sondheim's Companythis spring. Chelsea is the Assistant Professor and Director of Musical Theatre at Samford University and holds an M.F.A. in Acting from the University of Alabama, with a B.A. in Musical Theatre from Samford University. She has worked with AEA houses around the country such as Flat Rock Playhouse, Hangar Theatre, and Greenbrier Valley Theatre. Afew of her favorite acting credits include May in Fool for Love with the Hollywood Fringe Festival, Lily in the Alabama premiere of Alabama Story with Red Mountain Theatre Company, and Alma in The Eccentricities of a Nightingale with the University of Alabama. She is forever grateful to Cathy Gilmore, Carl Dean, Christy Vest, Kymbrie Barnes, Jenna Bellamy, and this phenomenal cast and crew for living with her

10/20/23, 12:15 AM

Tumble out of bed and stumble to the theatre to see Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 musical—Jan. 20-Feb. 6 | Bham Now

Tumble out of bed and stumble to the theatre to see Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 musical—Jan. 20-Feb. 6

BY MIRANDA SHAFFER REVIEWED BY SHARRON SWAIN LAST UPDATED 01/12/22 ●

Sponsored

●

680 Shares

Don’s miss these incredible performances of Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 musical. Photo via The Virginia Samford Theatre

Start off your year with a hilarious theatre experience full of romance, revenge and Dolly Parton’s classic hits as The Virginia Samford Theatre presents Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 from January 20 to February 6. Get your tickets now!

X

A little about the show

Customer Service / Cashier Team Member 3 hours ago

https://bhamnow.com/2022/01/12/tumble-out-of-bed-and-stumble-to-the-theatre-to-see-dolly-partons-9-to-5-musicaljan-20-feb-6/

1/14

10/20/23, 12:15 AM

Tumble out of bed and stumble to the theatre to see Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 musical—Jan. 20-Feb. 6 | Bham Now

Three ladies team up to take over the office…let’s go, girl power! Photo via the Virginia Samford Theatre

Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 is a comedic story of unbreakable friendship, revenge and even a little romance. It’s based on the 1980 hit movie of the same name starring Dolly Parton herself.

Set in the late 1970s, the story follows three female co-workers—Violet, Judy and Doralee— as they plot to get even with their sexist, narcissistic boss. With a fantasy plan that comes to life, you’re in for an exciting ride as the three-some takes their boss hostage in an effort to change their company for the better.

Customer Service / Cashier Wondering what Team happens Member next? You’ll have to see the show to find out.

X

3 hours ago

https://bhamnow.com/2022/01/12/tumble-out-of-bed-and-stumble-to-the-theatre-to-see-dolly-partons-9-to-5-musicaljan-20-feb-6/

2/14

10/20/23, 12:15 AM

Tumble out of bed and stumble to the theatre to see Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 musical—Jan. 20-Feb. 6 | Bham Now

Meet Doralee, secretary extraordinaire. Photo via The Virginia Samford Theatre

We went behind the scenes to get you the inside scoop on what makes this show so good from the actors and director themselves.

Savannah Hudson plays Doralee Rhodes, a happily married country girl with blonde hair and a bubbly personality who is secretary to the head boss. This was the character originally portrayed by Dolly Parton in the film.

“The thing I love most about [Doralee] is that she’s a character who has decided not to accept less than exactly what she wants.”

Savannah Hudson, Actress, Doralee Rhodes in Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5

Chelsea Reynolds plays Violet Newstead, the ultimate driven woman who is held back in her career due to sexism, misogyny and most importantly, her boss.

“Balancing being a single mom and wanting to climb the ladder, she keeps being pushed down, Violet isn’t content to let ‘the boys’ bypass her, and I admire her tenacity to make things happen.”

Chelsea Reynolds, Actress, Violet Newstead in Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5

Carl Dean is the incredible director behind this show and many others performed at the Virginia Samford Theatre. He promises a fun show full of toe-tapping dancing, top-notch vocals and a wonderful story.

Why you need to see it X

Customer Service / Cashier Team Member 3 hours ago

https://bhamnow.com/2022/01/12/tumble-out-of-bed-and-stumble-to-the-theatre-to-see-dolly-partons-9-to-5-musicaljan-20-feb-6/

5/14

10/20/23, 12:15 AM

Tumble out of bed and stumble to the theatre to see Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 musical—Jan. 20-Feb. 6 | Bham Now

X

Customer Service / Cashier Team Member 3 hours ago

https://bhamnow.com/2022/01/12/tumble-out-of-bed-and-stumble-to-the-theatre-to-see-dolly-partons-9-to-5-musicaljan-20-feb-6/

8/14

10/20/23, 12:15 AM

Tumble out of bed and stumble to the theatre to see Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 musical—Jan. 20-Feb. 6 | Bham Now

Violet isn’t afraid to take charge. Photo via The Virginia Samford Theatre

This show might, at first glance, appear to be a simple comedy, but the story tackles some serious topics including sexism, breaking stereotypes and misogyny in the workplace. The three main characters represent three classic female stereotypes in the working world.

Doralee is the sexy “bimbo”, Judy is the timid pushover and Violet is the fiery career woman.

Each character makes their own incorrect assumptions about each other before banding together to attack the real enemy, their boss—the embodiment of the inequality issues facing women in the workplace.

“This show is about women and written by women. It’s not often you get to embody or watch a story that centers around the strength found in women coming together without a romance at the center of it.”

Chelsea Reynolds, Actress, Violet Newstead in Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5

Are you as excited as we are to see this show? Make sure to grab your tickets before they sell out!

Sponsored by: Ad

680 Shares

Miranda Shaffer X

Customer Service / Cashier Team Member 3 hours ago

ARTICLES: 110

https://bhamnow.com/2022/01/12/tumble-out-of-bed-and-stumble-to-the-theatre-to-see-dolly-partons-9-to-5-musicaljan-20-feb-6/

9/14

Performance

Cabaret When: February, 2020 Where: Virginia Samford Theatre, Birmingham, AL Who: Sally Bowles, Lead Role What: Cabaret is the revolutionary musical from 1966 with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fredd Ebb, book by Joe Masteroff. Set in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi party in the early 1930’s, Cabaret tells the story of a relationship between American novelist, Cliff Bradshaw, and cabaret performer of the Kit Kat Klub, Sally Bowles. As Sally Bowles is intent on dancing through life, the world around her shifts and changes into a dark terror as she keeps her eyes closed.

How: Though I had directed a performance at the Virginia Samford Theatre, worked in administration for a summer during my graduate career, and directed their summer camp, Cabaret was my first time auditioning for this theatre. The research I put into this role to have a complete understanding of the historical context was immensely rewarding. The physical and psychological work I devoted to this role was more intense than any musical I have ever taken part in. Sally Bowles is known as one of the greatest Musical Theatre roles for women, and she had been on my bucket list since I had seen the Bob Fosse film starring Liza Minelli when I was in college. I didn’t take a day for granted stepping into her difficult shoes. She has to go to some very dark places and depths in this show, and I had a wonderfully supportive director, Dane Peterson, who guided me to those depths, and our cast formed an inseparable bond by being a part of this show together.

What was incredible about this show, is that four Samford University students were cast in the ensemble. To be able to perform alongside my students as fellow artists was something I treasure very much, and I was able to show them that I truly implement into my own work the methods and practices I teach in class.

1

The content in this show is dark- it tells of the horrors of the Nazi party, and of those who did nothing to stop them. One performance we did was a benefit for the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center, and we had multiple guests who were survivors of Auschwitz Concentration Camp. I will never forget how humbling and sobering the experience of performing that particular show for that particular audience was, and the important conversation we were able to have with the community in the form of a talkback after the performance.

Media Click

to hear my songs from Cabaret.

Cabaret

Maybe This Time

Don’t Tell Mama

Mein Herr

Perfectly Marvelous

2

3

4

5

Opening January 23, Cabaret takes the stage at Virginia Samfor...

https://bhamnow.com/2020/01/09/opening-january-23-cabaret-t...

Opening January 23, Cabaret takes the stage at Virginia Samford Theatre Irene Richardson - January 9, 2020

Sponsored

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.

To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

1 of 12

11/9/20, 5:45 PM

Opening January 23, Cabaret takes the stage at Virginia Samfor...

https://bhamnow.com/2020/01/09/opening-january-23-cabaret-t...

Sally Bowles is kind of big deal, and so is Chelsea Reynolds—just check out her resume. Photo courtesy of Virginia Samford Theatre.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.

To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Seedy nightclubs, a cast of mysterious characters and a tumultuous romance. All of these

2 of 12

11/9/20, 5:45 PM

Opening January 23, Cabaret takes the stage at Virginia Samfor...

https://bhamnow.com/2020/01/09/opening-january-23-cabaret-t...

factors find their way to the stage during Virginia Samford Theatre’s production of Cabaret.

Step into 1930s Berlin during the show’s run from January 23 through February 9 by purchasing tickets.

First, a little history about Cabaret at the Virginia Samford Theatre

At the beginning of rehearsal, the cast works on character development by taking place in a discussion about what life in Berlin was like during the rise of World War II. Photo via Matthew Niblett for Bham Now.

This performance is particularly special, because it’s filled with history on a couple of different levels. Past cast members from the original 1999 performance of Cabaret at the theatre have come back—either to direct or fill their previous roles.

Moreover, past present collide as a show centering around beginning of World Privacy & Cookies: Thisand site uses cookies.

By continuing to use this website, you agree the to their use.

To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

3 of 12

11/9/20, 5:45 PM

Opening January 23, Cabaret takes the stage at Virginia Samfor...

https://bhamnow.com/2020/01/09/opening-january-23-cabaret-t...

that as you settle into the 92-year-old venue and watch the show.

What: Cabaret Where: Virginia Samford Theatre When: Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30PM, Sundays at 2:30PM Tickets

You’ll be seeing these shiny new posters for Cabaret around Birmingham. Cast member. Jada Cato, not included. Photo via Matthew Niblett for Bham Now.

How do so many plots play into one show?

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.

To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

4 of 12

11/9/20, 5:45 PM

Opening January 23, Cabaret takes the stage at Virginia Samfor...

https://bhamnow.com/2020/01/09/opening-january-23-cabaret-t...

“In here, life is beautiful.” Photo via Matthew Niblett for Bham Now.

Cabaret intertwines several stories under one darker umbrella. At the rise of the Nazi Party in the early ’30s Berlin, the audience follows a love story. American writer Clifford Bradshaw falls into a romantic relationship with cabaret performer Sally Bowles after seeing her perform at the less-than-desirable Kit Kat Klub.

Between the offhanded jokes and nonstop dancing, you truly do believe life is a cabaret —until it’s not. Moments in the show will stop audiences in their tracks and force them to confront the truth that the entire world is at the cusp of another World War.

“There are a lot of very poignant moments in the show that grab the audience by surprise and don’t allow them to be passive spectators. This show makes you think.”

— Chelsea Reynolds

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.

To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

reality forever. Both with themselves and the world around them. Intriguing, right? Don’t

5 of 12

11/9/20, 5:45 PM

Opening January 23, Cabaret takes the stage at Virginia Samfor...

https://bhamnow.com/2020/01/09/opening-january-23-cabaret-t...

forget to purchase tickets to watch how it all unfolds.

Who is Sally Bowles in Cabaret?

In addition to sharing her nights with Virginia Samford Theater, Chelsea also teaches musical theatre at Samford University, University of Montevallo, and Snead State Community College. Photo via Matthew Niblett for Bham Now.

That’s a hard question to answer. The character of outwardly bubbly and vivacious Sally Bowles doesn’t match with the emptiness she feels within. Chelsea Reynolds, who portrays Sally in this production, had a lot of layers to work through when preparing for the role.

Sally doesn’t sit still for long. Possibly, as an attempt to distract herself from the fact that Nazis are infiltrating the bubble of excitement she’s built around herself.

“In my own life, I’m a very laid back, relaxed person and I like stability

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.

To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

6 of 12

11/9/20, 5:45 PM

Opening January 23, Cabaret takes the stage at Virginia Samfor...

https://bhamnow.com/2020/01/09/opening-january-23-cabaret-t...

jumping from thought to thought to person to place to the next person.

She shifts in thoughts and in moods so frequently it will make your head spin.”

— Chelsea Reynolds Chelsea even made it a point to try Sally’s signature drink a—Prairie Oyster. For those unfamiliar, you may want to keep it that way. The drink includes raw egg and Worcestershire Sauce. That’s true dedication if you ask me.

Even without the costume, Chelsea Reynolds completely captures the spirit of character Sally Bowles during rehearsal. Photo via Matthew Niblett for Bham Now.

There are also big shoes to fill when deciding how to tell the iconic role of Sally’s story.

Dame Judi Dench, Natasha Richardson, and Michelle Williams are just a few of the big names to take the stage as Sally in past productions.

Although each toldBySally’s story inthis their ownyou way, theto message represented by Privacy & Cookies: Thisactress site uses has cookies. continuing to use website, agree their use.

To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

7 of 12

11/9/20, 5:45 PM

Opening January 23, Cabaret takes the stage at Virginia Samfor...

https://bhamnow.com/2020/01/09/opening-january-23-cabaret-t...

around her, she continued to dance.

“Sally really represents a large group of people during WWII who refused to say anything, refused to make a stand, refused to inform herself because she could continue to have a party and be the life of the party if she didn’t open her eyes to the world of Berlin in the early 1930s.”

— Chelsea Reynolds

The support from the Virginia Samford Theatre community helps carry Cabaret.

I wouldn’t want to be on the other side of that point. Photo via Matthew Niblett for Bham Now.

Chelsea has years of experience under her belt—so much that she’s qualified to teach about the art. She also directed “The Turn of the Screw” on the main stage last season.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.

To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

However, she’s making her Virginia Samford Theatre acting debut with this role. Although

8 of 12

11/9/20, 5:45 PM

Opening January 23, Cabaret takes the stage at Virginia Samfor...

https://bhamnow.com/2020/01/09/opening-january-23-cabaret-t...

a heavy role like this can be intimidating, Chelsea was received with welcoming arms into the community.

“In the few weeks we’ve been rehearsing, I cannot tell you how supportive and loving this group of people has been. We get a lot of really hard work done, but we also laugh together a lot- I believe you have to find solace in laughter when working on a dark piece like this.”

— Chelsea Reynolds Specifically, she appreciates Dane Peterson, the director of Cabaret, for allowing her to take artistic freedoms with the role. Although he has a clear vision for the show, Dane listens and answers questions, taking everyone’s considerations into account.

“I also want to give a shoutout to my dear friend, Jennifer Spiegelman, the Director of Education of the STARS program at VST. She has both an incredible vision and execution for bringing the next generation of actors and well rounded young people into our theatre community and communities around the country as those kids grow up and move into adulthood.”

— Chelsea Reynolds The list doesn’t end there, however, as Chelsea is appreciative to have a cast that understands the sacrifice it takes to perform. With nearly all the actors working full-time jobs outside the production, it takes a lot of passion to rehearse night after night.

Not to mention, all that dancing can get pretty exhausting.

Stay in the know about Cabaret and future shows and auditions by following Virginia Samford Theatre on Facebook and Instagram.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.

To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

9 of 12

11/9/20, 5:45 PM

Performance

Nothing Like A Stage; Nothing Like A Stage 2.0 When: February, 2020; March, 2019 Where: Brock Recital Hall, Samford University, Birmingham, AL Who: Duet Recital Performances with Dean Joseph Hopkins, featuring Dr. Jason Terry and Dr. Angela Yoon What: Nothing Like A Stage and Nothing Like A Stage, 2.0 are recital performances conceived by Dean Joseph Hopkins and myself.

How: In the first iteration, we wanted to look at the Venn diagram between Opera and Musical Theatre to explore how many comparisons we could draw between the two while also recognizing and appreciating their differences. After settling on the repertoire we wanted to showcase, we developed a script to string the songs together, and filmed video segments to give the illusion that we were live streaming from backstage when in reality, it gave us time to recover backstage between songs. Artistically and logistically, this was a clever solution to keep the recital moving, give it a multi-media, meta feel, and to also have some fun with one of us interacting on stage with the “live stream” version of the other.

The success we experienced from this, and the great joy we gained from collaborating on this project led us to do a second iteration the following year.

This time, we included other faculty members, and loosened our theme so we could fit a broader range of repertoire. I cannot express how much fun these pieces are to put together, the laughter shared when trying to get solid video takes for the media segments, and how much more of an appreciation I have gained for classical music over the last two years of working on these recitals.

Dean Hopkins and I are both comfortable with who we are as artists, which makes it possible to step out of those boxes with the help of the other to explore

1

the unknown for each of us. We’re also not afraid to be vulnerable by being absolutely silly on stage, so we make a good creative pair. The personas we have developed for this series is distinct- we are playing hyper-exaggerated versions of ourselves, and I have no doubt our students appreciate the jokes as well as the poignant moments.

These pieces couldn’t succeed without the collaboration of faculty and students across Theatre and Music, and we look forward to presenting a digital iteration in the Spring of 2021 for the age of COVID-19.

2

Performance

Faculty Galas and Celebrate Christmas When: September 2017, 2018, 2019; December 2019 Where: Samford University, Birmingham, AL Who: Solo and Group Performances with Faculty Colleagues What: The School of the Arts Faculty Gala is a tradition student and faculty in the School of the Arts look forward to yearly. Students get to watch their professors and instructors demonstrate their own skill set; faculty have the opportunity to perform for their students and often collaborate with other faculty in order to do so.

Celebrate Christmas is an opportunity for faculty and students in the School of the Arts to collaborate together. The many vocal and instrumental ensembles and choirs take the stage along with faculty performers to kickstart the Homewood community into celebrating the Christmas season.

How: I have found much joy and artistic fulfillment in being in collaboration with fellow colleagues across the School of the Arts. The Annual Faculty Gala and the new tradition of Celebrate Christmas are phenomenal examples of the SOA spirit of collegiality in practice. My first two years at Samford, I performed solo pieces, and still felt a sense of collaboration as faculty encourage one another backstage before each act goes on. In my third year, and for Celebrate Christmas, I found myself in awe getting to work with such gifted musicians on collaborative faithbased songs.

1

2

Performance

Alabama Story When: March, 2018 Where: Red Mountain Theatre Company, Birmingham, AL Who: Lilly, Principal Role What: For Red Mountain Theatre Company’s inaugural Human Rights New Works Festival, I was cast in a leading role for the Alabama premiere of Kenneth Jones’ play, Alabama Story. A gentle children's book with an apparent hidden message stirs the passions of a segregationist State Senator and a no-nonsense State Librarian in 1959 Montgomery, Alabama, just as the civil rights movement is flowering. A contrasting story of childhood friends — an African-American man and a woman of white privilege, reunited in adulthood in Montgomery that same year — provides private counterpoint to the public events of the play.

How: This production, directed by Henry Scott, was rehearsed in a very condensed period of about two weeks. I portrayed a white woman, wealthy, full of privilege, oblivious to the oppression her childhood, African-American friend is facing in the late 1950’s. This was a challenging role, honestly, to portray someone so oblivious to the state of the world. I also had the joy, however, developing her character that would be relatable to many in the audience, and finding her Southern dialect that was true to the time period and the place.

We had many poignant conversations as a cast, and had the opportunity to talk with the playwright several times over virtual calls, and in person. It is an ensemble piece, but because there are two overlapping stories, I spent almost all of my rehearsal time with Brandon McCall, who is now Simba on the National Tour of The Lion King. Our director worked with us to develop the child versions of our characters so they wouldn’t come across as stereotyped versions of “adults playing children,” but were true, child like versions of our adult characters.

1

What was very meaningful about this production, aside from our rehearsal process and table talks, was that the family members of the Senator from the true story came to the show and interacted with us in a talkback with the community after each show. It was amazing to learn that later in his life, the Senator’s heart was opened, and he realized the impact of his racism. Though it doesn’t erase what he did, it is a powerful reminder that hearts and minds can change when it comes to Racial Justice.

2

Performance

Smoke on the Mountain When: June 2017 Where: SummerTide Theatre, Gulf Shores, AL Who: Vera Sanders, Principal What: This heart-felt gospel and bluegrass musical written by Connie Ray and Alan Bailey follows the humorous antics and touching displays of the Sanders family as they lead a revival at a Baptist church in 1938.

How: I finally got the chance to lean into my bluegrass, country, and gospel roots as I portrayed the mother of the Sanders family, Vera. This musical was an absolute delight to work on down on the Golden Gulf Coast, not far from where I was raised. I grew up listening to my Mississippi family hold old time bluegrass sing alongs, sang along to folk and gospel around a camp fire during my time in the North Carolina mountains, and have clung through the years to my country music icon, Dolly Parton, since I was a child. I had the opportunity to create a lovable character very near and dear to my heart because she was rooted in so many of these things I know dearly, coupled with telling a faith-based story even non-believers couldn’t help but love.

This is a true ensemble piece in which every member of the “family” shines. With rich, tight harmonies, I sang lead on many songs, and sang the alto line on many others. I even broke out my ukulele on several songs. For Vera, the evening culminates in her main “sermon,” a message involving live June bugs as the main metaphor (pantomimed by the actor), and ending with her stomping those June bugs when they get in her hair. This monster of a monologue was a challenge in creating a clear arc and climax, and to also get the payoff of the comedy in the piece while not undermining the truth behind it.

1

2

3

4

Performance

The Eccentricities of a Nightingale When: February, 2017 Where: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL Who: Alma Winemiller, Leading Role What: Tennessee Williams’ rewrite of his play, Summer and Smoke, explores Glorious Hill, Mississippi, shortly before the First World War. Alma Winemiller, a sensitive and lonely young woman, has become increasingly restive and disturbed by the fear that she will remain a spinster.

How: This production, under the direction of Raines Carr, was the most free I had ever felt on stage up to this point. I was able to put together the intellectual, with the psychological, the emotional, and the physical. I was truly able to unlock “The Art of Experiencing,” as Constantin Stankislavski explains in the modern method of acting. Due to intense acting work from graduate level courses, new experiences and freedom in my body through Alexander Technique, and the guidance of a director who trusted me in this role, yet continued to push me where he knew I could go, came together in a performance I am incredibly proud of.

Alma is an eccentric for this Mississippi town; she has so much passion and love to give, yet she is a caged nightingale, unable to sing her tune. Alma is in every scene albeit one, and each scene is its own emotional climax. The role is undeniably taxing, as Alma goes through fits of hysteria and anxiety at every turn, and in another instant, she is joyous and singing. It was an extreme challenge to open myself to that sort of vulnerability in every rehearsal and every performance, but funnily enough, once I trusted myself, the director, and Alma, I was able to find complete freedom in her, and to go from scene to scene as if I had never

1

been in those moments before. This was the final performance in a MainStage production during my graduate career, and it felt like a true culmination of my work, ready to launch me into teaching this craft. I use many examples from my experience in this show when I am teaching acting.

2

3

4

Performance

Appropriate When: November 2016 Where: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL Who: Rachael, Principal Role What: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ play subverts the classic American dysfunctional family play by forcing a family to deal with its racist legacy. A father dies, and a family finds an album full of lynching photographs in the attic, along with other horrifying racist memorabilia.

How: This important play deals with incredibly dark subject matter through moments of shocking revelations, humor, and all-out family war. This role was incredibly challenging in that there were extreme moments of verbal argumentation, coupled with a very intense unarmed stage combat fight between all family members. It was also a challenge to perform in such a contemporary piece, as the bulk of my acting work is in period pieces.

1

2

3

Performance

The Countess of Storyville When: February 2016 Where: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL Who: Ensemble What: A Broadway-bound new musical gets a full mounted production at the University of Alabama, choreographed by Tony Award nominee, Denis Jones, and directed by Tony Award nominee, Mark Waldrop.

How: In being a part of this production, I had the pleasure of working on a new musical in its process to making it towards a Broadway theatre (it hasn’t made it yet- it’s quite the process!). The creative team and leading players of the show were brought in from New York City, and all have Broadway experience, from the latest hot ticket, Hadestown, to the original cast of the Stephen Sondheim show, Passion. In keeping up relationships with these industry professionals, I have been able to have some of them talk to my students for class.

This may sound like an odd thing to say, but I hadn’t had much ensemble experience since college, so it was actually a wonderful experience to focus on being a part of a collective group as opposed to a principal role. There are so many lessons to be learned in that, and I enjoyed working with the guest artists very much. My co-star was a Pomeranian, and this was my fourth time working with an animal onstage; a skillset of its own. Zeke was wonderful, and actually led to me getting a Pomeranian of my own several years later!

1

2

Performance

Young Frankenstein When: October 2015 Where: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL Who: Elizabeth, Principal What: This is Mel Brooks’ musical adaptation of his film with the same title. I portrayed Elizabeth, the role immortalized on film by Madeline Kahn, one of my comedy role models.

How: This musical showed me just how important Musical Theatre fluff is in the art world. After a performance, a gentleman approached me in the lobby and said, “I’m not going to go into details, but I am going through a divorce right now, and I needed this tonight. Thank you so much for this escape.” This was a huge epiphany for me as an artist who tends to dwell in the reverent, the poignant, the message-filled saga. I realized that catharsis can come in the form of comedy, and sometimes- it should! Does it mean Young Frankenstein is High Art that will withstand the ages? Not necessarily, but in each age, we need our Young Frankensteins.

I faced two major challenges in this piece: high Musical Theatre belting, and comedic timing. Though I was in voice lessons in graduate school, I also employed the help of the person who knows my voice best, Dr. Randall Richardson of Samford University. He truly gave me the confidence I needed to attack this role vocally, as it’s absolutely the most challenging vocal track in the show.

As for comedic timing, I rehearsed the timing very mechanically until I was able to let it come naturally in performance. Most people assume dramatic work is more difficult than comedic work, but both present great challenges, and both are equally rewarding when successful. Both comedy and tragedy must ultimately come from a place of honesty and commitment to the given circumstances of the

1

play. If the actor doesn’t believe in the ridiculousness of the scenario in a comedy, the audience surely won’t buy in.

2

3

4

THEATER REVIEW: "Young Frankenstein" lives again at UA ...

https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/news/20151119/theater-revie...

THEATER REVIEW: “Young Frankenstein” lives again at UA

By Mark Hughes Cobb / Staff Writer Posted Nov 19, 2015 at 11:00 PM Updated Nov 20, 2015 at 12:59 AM

If you walk into “Young Frankenstein” the musical expecting “Young Frankenstein” the movie, well, you’re entering with the wrong attitude.

If you walk into “Young Frankenstein” the musical expecting “Young Frankenstein” the movie, well, you’re entering with the wrong attitude.

Walk this way.

As with any adaptation from one medium to another — book to film, myth to play, song to after-school special — don’t expect literal, note-for-note translation. This grab-bag of shticky gags, mostly catchy melodies and joyful eye candy is like a celebration of a classic, almost a spoof on a satire. Much like “Spamalot,” it loves its classiccomedy source material, stays in the same veins — which makes sense, given Mel Brooks’ involvement — but alters enough to land a few surprise laughs.

And also like “Spamalot,” it can’t really be the original, seeming a bit like a once-edgy rock band playing a casino gig. The best jokes most will already know; anticipating them is part of the fun, but there is just a hint of letdown when a chance to re-live one passes by. Without getting too spoiler-y, let’s just say: “My grandfather’s work was doo-doo!“ Yet it mostly scores, and in a handful of moments, the musical exceeds and excels, with one notable highlight being the expansion of the “Puttin’ on the Ritz” number, which by itself would make this University of Alabama production worth your time and money.

Director Stacy Alley, who also choreographed, cast a shining collection of triple threats, so it probably shouldn’t be surprising when 6-foot-5 grad actor William Green, working atop boots strapped with five extra inches on the bottom to make an even more towering monster, performs a passable buck-and-wing in addition to tap ... well, tramp, given that footwear.

The chorus performs the fleet-footed, flashy, crowd-pleasing stomp Alley guides so well. It’ll remind you that, especially in the past decade, UA has turned out numerous Broadway-level performers — a number of them actually working or having worked on the Great White Way, others touring, working in TV and film, or probably about to be discovered.

At moments when this show is really clicking, it’s not only professional level, but about as good as it gets, the kind of thing you’d pay $100 to see in N.Y.C. Not too many shelled out to see this show on Broadway itself, though — especially after the monster smash of Brooks’ musical from his film “The Producers,” it was a notable N.Y.C. flop. There are a couple of clear reasons why this occurred: While Brooks writes reasonable musical-theater pastiche, there’s not much here to walk out humming. Songs are mostly setups for dance, or punch lines, and as such, they work. But a couple of the more forgettable numbers could easily be lost or seriously cut back. In the same way “Producers” felt bloated in spots, “Young Frankenstein” suffers the same malady.

For this production, there was one jarring choice of scenery, a drop to indicate Transylvania Heights and environs, that looked like a slapdash piece from a high-school production. It’s odd in that the laboratory set is quite a lovely showpiece, a multi-functioning melange with lights, stairs, curtains and buzzy-whirring things; but its detail makes that rustic backdrop seem all the shabbier by comparison.

And perhaps because of opening night, or perhaps due to exhaustion brought on by near-constant singing, dancing and hysteria-level delivery, a couple of potentially golden comedic bits and punch lines were muffled, or tossed away. Again, this is a long show to sustain those edges, so pacing is an issue.

Happily, the second act has million-dollar trouper Green as the expressive, melancholic re-animated monster, and a terrific bit of work by Dylan Davis, as the lonely Hermit, to kick it into another gear, helping the proceedings dance to an all-smiles close.

It’s already cooking nicely before, thanks to Daniel Hulsizer’s charmingly off Igor, Will Erwin’s upright Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, Chelsea Reynold’s daffy egocentric Elizabeth and Drew Baker’s scene-stealing Frau Blucher, one of the characters that revels in and deserves the expanded role.

Scarlett Walker’s the secret weapon, though, as earthily sexy and not-so-dumb-as-she-first-seems Inga. Her “Roll in the Hay” number elevates mild giddiness to the sort of sustained silliness Brooks specializes in, setting new heights the show mostly sustains.

One of the smartest things Alley and her cast did was walk the fine line of paying homage to a film so many know and love — considered by many the highlight of Brooks’ career, it shows up on numerous best-comedy lists, and was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress National Film Registry — while giving the actors room to create new interpretations. With such iconic performances from the film, it’d be a fool’s errand to try and re-create them, not to mention that Gene Wilder’s hair and Marty Feldman’s eyes are practically special effects.

What UA has done is delivered a broad, splashy, delightful belly laugh of a live night, and frankly, it’s an Abby- normally fun thing.

1 of 2

11/9/20, 5:35 PM

Performance

42nd Street When: April 2015 Where: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL; tour to Mobile, Alabama Who: Dorothy Brock, Lead What: The 1980 Gower Champion tap dancing mega-musical based on the 1930’s film is the original story about the nobody who moves to New York City to chase her showbiz dreams.

How: Dorothy Brock is the past-her-prime Broadway princess who is cast in a much-too-young ingenue role in Julianne Marsh’s next Broadway smash. This role was a wonderful mix of comedy with some touching ballad moments and a great big dash of Broadway diva. She is snarky, but still likable because she has that traditional charm that got her where she is- that, and, well she was very talented at one point. These characters can very easily be cardboard cutouts, but I wanted Dorothy to be a very specific and fully realized character. I researched many films from the 1930’s to get speech and physicality in place, and really based her on a conglomeration of Judy Garland, Bette Davis, and Lucille Ball. She’s really the only role I’ve ever attached specific existing celebrities to, because she truly was written to represent that archetype of Hollywood and Broadway.

I worked very hard to tune into the 1930’s vocal style of singing and movement. I listened to vinyl recordings from the time, and made a lengthy playlist on iTunes and constantly had it playing on my hour long commute to and from the theatre.

Once we opened the show in Tuscaloosa, we packed up the set and costumes, and toured to perform in downtown Mobile, Alabama. We were in a wonderfully large auditorium, and it felt magnificent to give Dorothy all that space to resonate.

1

2

3

4/20/15 4:24 PM

This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. You can order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers here or use the "Reprints" tool that appears above any article. Order a reprint of this article now.

REVIEW: Musical hums along like a finelytuned machine University of Alabama's production of "42nd Street" is all that jazz and more

By Mark Hughes Cobb Staff Writer | The Tuscaloosa News Published: Friday, April 17, 2015 at 11:00 p.m.

“42nd Street” traveled to Mobile last week, before it opened in Tuscaloosa. Previous University of Alabama musicals “Big River” and “Showboat” visited Montgomery and Mobile, respectively. Last year’s snarky “Urinetown” didn’t leave town.

When shipping ambassadors to a strange land Photo | Kirsten Fiscus

— to not only garner future students, but The cast of "42nd Street" rehearses at Rowandfollowers, donors — you send Mr. Rogers, Harry Johnson Hall on the campus of the University of Alabama.

Belafonte or Audrey Hepburn, not Sarah Silverman, Tom Waits or Richard Pryor. You take time-honored, crowd-cheering choices, and “42nd Street” is all that jazz and more.

It’s based on what seems the oldest show-biz trope, the tiny kid with the big dream diving, chained and casketed like Houdini, into a ninja-shark-infested pool, fighting the odds with charm, moxie and The Force, overcoming rising conflict to soar up triumphant on Esther Williams’ glistening shoulders. Cue fireworks and fanfare.

It’s every “You’re going out there a youngster, but you’ve got to come back a star!,” literally, because that line is here, spoken about as un-ironically as it can be given a young cast and crew staging a 1930s-style show in 2015. Believers all, the dozens — metaphor for all sentient beings harboring a wacky dream — of crazy legs shine, tap and razzle-dazzle the stage into joyous submission.

What does it mean? Nothing you haven’t seen on a “Hang in there!” kitty poster or Facebook meme, something something dreams something something happiness.

“42nd Street” doesn’t just ignore the fact that its audience lives in Realityville, not Fantasyland, it Godzilla-style obliterates cares and woes via relentless song and dance. Superman asks you to believe a man can fly; “42nd Street” shows you chorus kids taking flight. The pure fantasy of the lullaby of Broadway eases us to sleep, perchance to dream of songbirds, severed from gravity and paychecks and broken hearts, delirious as that “room without a roof,” nothing blocking you from the stars.

To say director and choreographer Stacy Alley’s “42nd Street” succeeds on all levels — from leads to back-row chorus, moving in sync as if by soul magic — is not to say it’s the greatest thing ever. It’s just the greatest pretty, lively, driven, uplifting goof http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20150417/NEWS/150419571/0/search?template=printpicart

Page 1 of 2

4/20/15 4:24 PM

you’re likely to see in a couple hours on a stage.

UA senior Tara Lynn Steele has grown into leading roles, from standout smaller parts, so it’s fitting she’s the emblem of the show as Broadway baby Peggy Sawyer.

Before UA began expanding its musical-theater side about a dozen years ago, adding faculty member Raphael Crystal, music director and conductor of the orchestra here, musicals had to work around skill sets. An actor might sing, but not be able to dance; someone from the dance department might carry a tune, but had little to no experience with text and subtext.

Now UA recruits and develops triple-threat kids like Steele who can do it all, with the seemingly effortless flash and pizzazz found on Broadway. Some day, maybe soon, she should be.

Add to that all of the cast, but especially hilarious and touching Chelsea Reynolds as fading star Dorothy; the just-dark-enough-for-this-show Chris Bellinger, as director Julian; Daniel Velasquez as charming-sweet tenor Billy; Carrie Poh as brassy broadwriter Maggie; Bill Martin as effusive Bert; William D. Rowling as Dorothy’s stolid love Pat; Corey Rives as almost comically limber and whip-fast choreographer Andy; Charles Prosser as sleazy money man Abner; Scarlett Walker as salacious Anytime Annie; Kiley Gipson, Kelly Barberito, Matt Gabbard, Mary Catherine Waltman, Leah Nicoll, Bailey Mariea and the whole ensemble. This is a smooth machine with neatly fitted parts.

Aside from Alley, other UA faculty stepped up: Costumer Donna Meester polished dazzling textures and tones, making even off-stage wear suggest a happier, more aesthetically giddy era. Andy Fitch built a nimble, relatively light set that transforms from backstage to stage to offstage with grace and style. His scrims, with smart lighting by Edward Pottoroff, provide playground for theatrical gags; the design supports without stealing focus, much like a chorus.

Alley’s crafted gems of works such as “Urinetown” and “Chicago,” making prime use of the Gallaway, and seeing the best in UA’s deep well of talent, so while it’s not a surprise “42nd Street” is triumphant, it is a step forward. More cynical narratives play easily on an Internet-savvy, irony-first populace; far from the cliff’s edge of sentiment, there’s ample ground to stand.

“42nd Street” leaps, ingenue-eyes-wide, bravely taking chances to be young — and a little bit dumb — again. Because no matter how cynical our world grows, that musical-theater kid up there may have been a bit of an oddball growing up, misunderstood or even mistreated, feeling lost until he or she directed feet to the sunny side of a stage. And if those crazy kids can beam this phantasm into our weary world, who knows what dreams might awake?

Copyright © 2015 TuscaloosaNews.com — All rights reserved. Restricted use only.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20150417/NEWS/150419571/0/search?template=printpicart

Page 2 of 2

Performance

Grease

When: September-October 2013 Where: Red Mountain Theatre Company, Birmingham, AL Who: Marty, Principal What: Yes, this is the musical of the 1960’s that was adapted into the film with Olivia Newton-John and Joh Travolta. This story follows the heartbreaks and heartthrobs of Rydell High School in the 1950’s.

How: This was my first production with Red Mountain Theatre Company. I had just moved to Birmingham after all my travels and contracts around the country, and I was blessed to break into this influential theatre company in Birmingham on my first audition with them. The Artistic Director, Keith Cromwell, directed this production as a ten year anniversary from his last production of Grease, when RMTC was Summer Fest. I had a wonderful experience collaborating with local artists, and guest artists from their New York City auditions. I have since grown very close with many members of the Red Mountain family, and am ever-grateful any chance I have to collaborate with them.

1

2

Performance

The Marvelous Wonderettes When: April 2013 Where: Actors Point Theatre, Nashville, TN Who: Missy, Principal What: Act One of this Jukebox musical takes place in the 1950’s at the senior prom of four best friends. Act Two takes place at their ten year reunion, blasting beats of the 1960’s as they relive their regrets and triumphs over the last decade.

How: Many artists have become accustomed to life on Zoom and Skype during the COVID-19 Pandemic. We were ahead of the curve when we had a limited amount of time to put this professional production together. With a cast of four, 3/4 of our cast were living in Los Angeles, and the fourth Wonderette was living in Nashville, where we would perform the piece. We learned music on our own, and our choreographer, in Los Angeles, taught us choreography in person as we filmed and sent videos to our partner in Nashville. After she learned the pieces, we would Skype to rehearse music and choreography together. A little more than a week away from performance, we gathered in Nashville with our director to piece the whole production together. This musical is incredibly challenging vocally. My role demanded a high belt at times and a high soprano at times.

Character-wise, this role was so fulfilling to dig into, as she was so different from any character I had played. Missy is the uptight nerd, and I had quite a bit of tension during this production from trying to convey that- it wouldn’t be until graduate school that I would be successful in balancing character physicality and healthy use of the body. There is a sense of unpredictability in the show, as the audience votes on the prom queen, and there is a fair amount of audience participation. Though this made me nervous as an actor, all went smooth in

1

performance, and I believe we were successful in helping audiences escape into a 1950’s and 60’s nostalgia dream.

2

3

4

Performance

Fool For Love When: June 2012 Where: Hollywood Fringe Festival, Los Angeles, CA Who: May, Lead What: I had the honor of portraying a lead role in Sam Shepard’s Fool for Love, featured in the annual Hollywood Fringe Festival in Los Angeles. This is the dysfunctional love story of a man and a woman, bound by family and love.

How: I booked this show as my very first audition after arriving in Los Angeles. It is a relentless, intense play with four characters, two of whom are the focusEddie and May. Our director, Melody Rahbari, had an incredible vision for the show. One of the characters, the Old Man, is but a memory to Eddie and May. With this in mind, she filmed all of the Old Man’s lines and monologues in a variety of sizes. When we interacted with the Old Man, he was projected on the wall. Sometimes, he was life sized and would be sitting on the floor next to Eddie.

Sometimes, he was much larger than life and May would drag herself across the stage overtaken by the size of his presence. It was a brilliant choice, and it totally helped to inform our character arcs throughout the piece.

There was a fair amount of unarmed stage combat depicting domestic abuse in this piece, and we had a wonderful fight choreographer who kept us safe and helped us to tell the story effectively. Though I had done stage combat in other pieces prior to this, it was telling this story of violence in particular that hooked me on the idea of training further one day in the art of stage combat. The visceral appearance of violence onstage reaches an audience in a way words sometimes can’t express, and it allows the characters to tell the story in a way that is most true to them. The amount of violence between Eddie and May truly showed how toxic their relationship is; and the fact that neither are able to leave the relationship by the end would not be as powerfully tragic had this violence not unfolded between them.

1

2

3

4

Performance

The Greenbrier Resort When: March 2011-January 2012 Where: Greenbrier Resort, White Sulphur Springs, WV Who: Multiple shows and performance duties What: The Greenbrier Resort is a Five Star Resort nestled in the hills of West Virginia. Most of its clientele takes a train in from Washington, D.C. or other surrounding areas. As a performer there, all of our shows were produced, cast, and directed by the State Theatre of West Virginia and Actor’s Equity Association theatre, Greenbrier Valley Theatre. The Artistic Director of the theatre, Cathey Sawyer, directed all of our productions.

1

How: This nine month contract was very similar to a Cruise Ship contract; it paid extremely well, we performed multiple times a day in various formats, and were a single performing company for the entire nine months.

Blues in the Night was our first show, and is a published Broadway musical revue of Blues songs of the 1920’s to 1930’s. We were all on stage the entirety of the show, each performer was highlighted multiple times, and there were many dance numbers.

The Rockin’ 50’s was conceived by Cathey Sawyer and used tunes from the 1950’s to create a musical revue with very distinct characters and very, very light plot. This was a showstopper, and incredibly popular with the guests. It was 80-90 minutes of unbound energy, and nonstop dancing.

A Greenbrier Christmas explored Christmas hits from yesterday to today, crossing over many different genres, from country to big band to Broadway.

The Greenbrier Waltz was an event no guest wanted to miss; at 10:00pm every night, we dressed in hoop skirts and tuxedos, paired up, and made a grand entrance down the main stairway of the Greenbrier to dance a waltz under a gazebo that was a replica of a famous gazebo on site that welcomed guests to the famous White Sulphur Hot Springs (the original main attraction to the area).

The Tea Waltz was a paired down version of the Greenbrier Waltz we performed on rotation at 4pm every day in the tea room for guests gathering there for complimentary tea and refreshments.

We also had a number of other duties including a Dinner Theatre Murder Mystery, Christmas Caroling as we entered winter, and singing hit tunes with choreography in the resort’s renowned Casino.

2

Performance

The Confession When: September-December 2010 Where: Blue Gate Theatricals, Shipshewana, IN Who: Katie Lapp, Lead What: I was cast in the lead role of the World Premiere of The Confession, a full length musical based on a series of books by popular Christian fiction novelist, Beverly Lewis. The musical tells the story of Katie, a woman raised in the Amish community who finds out she was adopted by her Amish family from an English woman. After a series of events, she is shunned from her community and goes on a search for birth mother.

How: It was an honor to be cast in this leading role for several reasons: we recorded an Original Cast Album in a recording studio in Nashville that is still sold at various theatres within Blue Gate’s network across the country; we performed the piece for the author, Beverly Lewis, and she was extremely pleased with the piece; this was the first full length musical to be produced by Blue Gate Theatricals- they now produce dozens of musicals across many theaters, and I’m proud to have led the very first one.

This show is a traditional book musical and the music sweeps from traditional Broadway sound to folk to contemporary pop Musical Theatre. We worked directly with the song writers and book writer (who was a speech writer for Bob Hope!) and were getting rewrites for scenes up until opening. It was a wonderfully fast rehearsal process, and it was my first good long run of a show, learning how to gain endurance to perform a three hour long musical with challenging vocals and a wide range of emotions. It was also an incredible cultural experience living in an Amish town, a culture I have always respected and loved. There’s nothing like waking up to the sounds of horse-drawn buggies and Amish baked goods.

We even had the experience of going to an authentic Amish clothier to be fit for

1

our authentic bonnets and garments! The town treated us like royalty, giving us discounts wherever we went when recognized.

Since working there ten years ago, I have had four of our Samford students cast in Blue Gate productions in the last two years, and have a very close relationship with the artistic director, Wally Nason, who asks for student recommendations every year and loves working with our students.

2

3

Performance

Additional Certification Documentation, Recital Performances, and Playbills

1

Scholarly and Creative Work

Creative Writing and Academic Presentations

1

Scholarly and Creative Work

Creative Writing Published Poetry The Festival Review, Volume I: Winter 2019 Nightingale’s Song The Borfski Press, Issue II: Spring 2017 Nocturne on Vinyl

Other writing below available upon request: Plays: 1956 Full length Alien Radio Drama Short radio drama The Beetle’s Sting Ten Minute Play Under the Bell Jar One Woman Show Night and Day Ten Minute Play

1

Issue II: Spring 2017

Chelsea Reynolds

Nocturne on Vinyl If it is not the love of the rasp scratching course of the circle skated by an arm and its point then it is the love of the loves being loved or the dances danced or songs sung to the harmonious sensations and orbicular vibrations that map at a reliable rate of 33 revolutions per minute This tune brought to me by their notes and melodies once liberated from mouths and fingers laid to rest on vinyl and resurrected by the arm’s protruding point 62

They soar in a willowy fashion to my ears out my heart and my tear ducts and lumped throat and limbs now tingling the point reaches the circle’s center and click.

Silence drops me into a vile stockpile of emotionless excrement.

And I lift my sagging head to where you are; I am your music, your Judy, your Tchaikovsky.

I look into your ever-familiar eyes and heart and I want something desperately.

Something that would give me the feeling brought by the arm and its point.

When I look at you.

I want you to be vinyl.

Mea culpa.

63

Index of Contributors Prose Writers 6 Arthur, Matthew 39 The Horizon and the Storm Burr, Scott 27 We Were Still in the Bar Clark, Tim 52 Center, The No Man’s Land Coomer, A.S. 19 An Excerpt from Big Ron’s June 3rd Meeting Minutes Rucilez, Jesse Lynn 7 In Spite of Her Will McDade, Thomas M. 12 The Saints and the XKE Reddick, Niles 37 My Rat War Salisbury, Alessandra 49 Rio 40 Graus and the endless season Sibra, Steve 24 Flogging the Dead Horse Tran, Andrew 43 A Deadbeat Kitten Taking a Dump of Watermelon Seeds onto a Vigilante’s Merry-Go-Round Spirit Poets

54 Anonymous Contributor 84 Looking out from within my eyes Barber, Kathy 81 The Neighbor’s Cat On Seeing The Magnificent Seven For the First Time at 60 Years Old Beveridge, Robert 77 Humidity Davenport, Nancy 87 Early Morning Mindfulness Davis, J.T. 55 Flaunt Garber, Brad 56 About Snow Bloody Gopher Snake 110

Goodfellow, Robin 69 The Old Kingdom Grey, John 72 Sid’s Diner Jackson, James Croal 80 Old Friend on the Patio Jackson, Jason 58 Art Gallery, September, Alone Jones, Chelsea 59 Flower Kell, Charles 66 Awake LaManna, Fred 79 A Sonnet to the Witch Stormy: The witch of Rainstorms and Offbeat Fetishes McNeill II, Paul 75 Constantly Looking, Admitting Nothing Poussin, Fabrice B. 64 And She Dances Reynolds, Chelsea 62 Nocturne on Vinyl Rodrigue, Shelly 76 Master of Infinity Toth, Paul A. 67 The Antagonist Tustin, John 61 Only Love Someone Walicki, Robert 60 Black Forge White, Lynn 68 God Save the Sheep Wolf, Karen 71 Ruth Artists Bogoslavsky, Vivian Calderón Contestaciones Silenciosas en Harrisburg Creacion Infinita Lago de los Fosiles Infinito Garber, Brad G. Migration 111

89 99

108

Scholarly and Creative Work

Academic Presentations

South Eastern Theatre Conference 2018 Musical Theatre and Stanislavski: The Art of Experiencing

2019 Attack of the Actions: Using Doable Actions to Experience Your Song

2020 Being Alive: The Journey of a Song

1

Teaching my own Theatre Troupe from Gulf Breeze High School at SETC, 2019.

2