Diana Son
S T O P K I S S
At some point in all of our lives we have felt like an outsider, like no one will ever accept us for who we are. We have all experienced that constant struggle between conforming to societal norms and the desire to fully express oneself. This year at The Studio Theatre™ we will look closely at all the wonderful things that make us different. But I hope that what we’ll find is that those differences are the very thing that bind us all together as human beings. We have selected four stories that share a common theme of searching for your true individuality. These stories will delve deeply into the experiences of those who feel that who they truly are will not be accepted by society. In Season Three we are having a party, a party of differences. Announcing The Studio Theatre Tierra del Sol’s Third Season: “Individuality: Take the leap and celebrate the difference.”
STOP KISS By Diana Son is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York Original New York Production by The New York Shakespeare Festival, George C. Wolfe, Producer. This play was written with support from Playwrights Horizons made possible in part by funds granted to the author through a program sponsored by Amblin Entertainment, Inc.
Producer Jason Goedken
—Whitney Morse, Artistic Director
ABOUT THE STUDIO THEATRE™: Tierra del Sol was formerly a Country Club with performances as a backdrop to the outstanding food and impeccable golf course views. It has since transitioned, bringing the performances to the forefront by evolving into a new Black Box Theatre. The Studio Theatre™ is now a flexible theatre with one 120 seats and options for Thrust, Round, or Proscenium style seating. The Studio Theatre at Tierra del Sol's season runs from late September through April each year with four productions running approximately 130 total performances. The Studio Theatre is an extension of The Sharon® L. Morse Performing Arts Center, located in The Spanish Springs Town Square®, in The Villages® community. The Sharon is primarily a touring house hosting a variety of artistic disciplines ranging from concerts and comedians to dance, musicals, and operas. The Sharon seats just over 1,000 guests in a multi-level theater offering state of the art audio, visual, and theatrical rigging systems to create an entertainment experience second to none. The Studio Theatre is led by Producer Jason Goedken and Artistic Director Whitney Morse. Resident Musical Director, Gary Powell; Set Designer, Kenneth Constant; Lighting Designer, Eric Van Tassell; Production Manager; Danielle Paccione, Technical Director, Clayton Becker and House Manager, Grace Petty.
Artistic Director Whitney Morse Scenic Designer Kenneth Constant
Director Roberta Emerson Costume Designer Monica Titus
Lighting Designer Eric Van Tassell
Sound/AV Design Nick Erickson
Production Manager Danielle Paccione
Master Carpenter Preston Speaker
Technical Director Clayton Becker
Stage Manager Grace Zottig
Asst Stage Manager Stephanie Horn
House Manager Grace Petty
Company Manager Autumn Encarnacion
#TheStudioTheatreTDS #StopKiss
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STOP KISS
CAST
Timing is Everything. Urgency meets perfect timing when Callie and Sara form an unlikely friendship in New York City. Follow them as they discover themselves individually and together in Diana Son's non-linear story of human relationships, culture, and romance. Stop Kiss asks the question how well do you know yourself, and what challenges will you endure when you open the door to possibility?
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES:
h ou It S
ld a n You B ee
Henrik Ibsen
A Doll's House
SARAH FRENCH (Sara) This is Sarah's debut with The Studio Theatre Tierra del Sol! Central Florida Theatre credits include: It's A Wonderful Life-The Radio Play at Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, Clybourne Park, The Big Meal, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, and You Can't Take It With You at Mad Cow Theatre. She has been featured in national and regional campaigns for Credit Karma, Home Depot, Spectrum, Universal Studios Florida, Hertz, and Publix Supermarkets to name a few. Sarah played Young Sally Rayburn (the flashback of Sissy Spacek's character) on the hit Netflix series Bloodline for 3 seasons. She is repped by Lock Talent.
Translated by Christopher Hampton
JUST MARRIED
Book & Lyrics Brian Hargrove
Music & Concept Barbara Anselmi
MARY ELLEN MORENO (Callie) is honored to be making her debut at The Studio Theatre Tierra del Sol! Her favorite past theatre credits are As You Like It (Classic Stage Company), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Theatricum Botanicum), Three Sisters and Love's Labor's Lost (Riverside Theatre), and The Seagull (Columbia STAGES). Favorite TV credits: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Rhett and Link's Buddy System. Favorite Film credits: Graduation (won Best Supporting Actress in a Short at LIIFE). She holds an MFA in Acting from Columbia University, and is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA. A huge thank you to E and her daddy for driving with her, and to W for the past 10 years.
IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU
A DOLL'S HOUSE
JAN 15 - FEB 24
(Hampton trans.) MARCH 19 - APRIL 28
What gets altered on the way to the altar.
140 years later and the house still stands.
DAMANY OMAR RILEY (George) is elated to make his debut at The Studio Theatre Tierra del Sol. Some of his previous theatre credits include; Shakespeare's Ghostbusters (Hardly Working Productions), Fences, Big River (Mad Cow Theatre) The Life, Once on this Island (Breakthrough Theatre) Much Ado About Nothing (Bridgeport Shakespeare). Recent film credit; Thurgood Marshall in the film Harry T. Moore. Many thanks to you, The Studio Theatre, this great cast and crew and to Mo… like the moon and stars!
This riotous musical comedy, full of secrets, family drama, plot twists and surprise will make you want to catch the bouquet! Lift the veil and go behind the scenes of a Jewish bride and Catholic groom's wedding day. This wedding comes complete with an intruding ex-boyfriend, a secret prenup, a panini press, and drunk Aunt Sheila! - What could go wrong?
Henrik Ibsen's 1879 masterpiece about Nora and Torvald Helmer's fragile marriage was a watershed moment in both theatre and feminism. As Christmas Eve approaches and purse strings tighten; the Helmer's discover that the façade of their perfect lives will crumble with the stroke of a pen. Seemingly carefree Nora must face the consequences of her darkest secret and the lies she told to save her husband's life.
SEAN WILLIAM KELLY (Peter) New York: The Last Session (New York Theatre Festival) Chicago: Hamlet, Macbeth (Oak Park Festival Theatre) Homos, or Everyone in America (Pride Films & Plays) Fun Harmless Warmachine (The New Colony) Cymbeline, Taming of the Shrew (Lakeside Shakespeare) Seminar (Spartan Theatre) The Revenger's Tragedy (Shakespeare Project of Chicago) Shrewish (Artemisia). Sean has also workshopped new works with New American Folk Theatre, Women's Theatre Alliance, and Typeset Theatre. He is also a company member at Quicksilver Shakespeare and was a member of their debut production of
IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com
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“A Doll's House (Hampton, trans.)” is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.
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Mercury Hamlet. Film and TV credits include Green Summer, Knuckleball, What Waits Out There and Scratch That. BFA from Roosevelt University. Love and endless gratitude to Mom, Dad, and Tess. ALYSON JOHNSON (Mrs. Winsley/Nurse) has performed for 15 years in Central Florida regional and community theatres. Some favorites include Stop Kiss, Tell Me on a Sunday and Next to Normal (Studio Theatre); Bonnie & Clyde (Garden Theatre); Young Frankenstein, Beyond Therapy, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Into the Woods, Man of La Mancha (Moonlight Players, Clermont FL); Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Noises Off, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Bay Street Players, Eustis FL). Graduate of University of Central Florida, 2001 and also 2019 (probably!) She is thrilled to be returning to The Studio Theatre, and thanks her family for their love, support, and encouragement. JOE LLORENS (Detective Cole, U/S George) is thrilled to be working at The Studio Theatre at Tierra del Sol! His previous credits include Picasso at the Lapin Agile at Mad Cow Theatre (Freddy), Destiny of Desire at Garden Theatre (Dr Mendoza), and El Wiz with Paul Castaneda (Leon). He received his BFA in theatre from Florida International University and has trained as an improviser at Orlando's SAK Comedy Lab. Joe would like to thank the wonderful people at The Studio for casting him. He would also like to express his gratitude and love for his wife and children, who provide him with a daily source of love and grace. RACHEL WHITTINGTON (U/S Sara & Callie) an Elon University graduate, is thrilled to back at The Studio! In 2012, she performed with multi-platinum singer/songwriter Ben Folds in Raleigh, NC. The Studio credits: Kathy in Company, U/S Daphna, U/S Melody in Bad Jews. Favorite Central Florida Credits: Louise in Gypsy, Sarah in Guys and Dolls, Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol (Athens Theatre), James Joyce's The Dead, The All-Female 1776 (Mad Cow Theatre), Beggar Woman/Lucy in Sweeney Todd (Insomniac Theatre), Rapunzel in Into the Woods (CFCArts), Equus, ThanksKilling: The Musical. Other Credits: The Music Man, Don Giovanni, Gianni Schicchi. Rachel would like to thank her family, friends, and everyone who chooses live theatre for making her dream job a reality! www.rachelewhit.com
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CASEY CASTEEL (U/S Peter) is a recent graduate of Rollins College where he received his Bachelor's degree in Theatre and Business Management. During his time there, he could have been seen in a number of the Annie Russell Theatre's mainstage series including, The Lost Comedies of William Shakespeare, Tartuffe, Hello, Dolly!, and Reefer Madness. Casey had also spent some time in the Theatre Department's black box theatre, The Fred Stone, in such plays as, Constellations, Time Stands Still and the on campus improv troupe, Rollins Improv Players. This is Casey's debut show working with The Studio Theatre Tierra del Sol. He would like to thank his family, his roommates, and his girlfriend for their continued support. KAREN POPE (U/S Mrs. Winsley/Nurse) is honored to be at The Studio Theatre Tierra del Sol for the very first time. She was recently in Sarasota with the Asolo Repetory Theatre understudying in their production, Morning After Grace. Karen, a native of the northeast, has spent her career appearing in local and regional theater. Some of her favortie roles have included: Kate Keller in All My Sons, Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie, Ruth Steiner in Collected Stories, and Diane in The Little Dog Laughed. Karen is the founder and director of The Actors' Lab Repertory Theatre in Connecticut. LON ABRAMS (U/S Detective Cole) is exceedingly proud to be a part of his third straight season with The Studio Theatre at Tierra del Sol. In 2016, their inaugural year, he played the part of Robert in their multi award nominated production of Proof, for which he received a Broadway World Best Actor nomination. Last year he understudied the role of Rothko in Red and was also one of four actors chosen to perform White Rabbit Red Rabbit. He is back for the current season, understudying the role of Detective Cole in Stop Kiss as well as playing Dr. Rank in the Ibsen classic, A Doll's House. A huge thank you goes out to Whitney Morse, Jason Goedken and everyone else responsible for bringing this exceptional professional theatre to all of us here in The Villages community.
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ROBERTA EMERSON (Director) is a graduate of both the University of Minnesota with BFA in Acting and Theatre Management and New York University with an MFA in Acting. She has worked as and actor and director in many regional theaters around the country, has done extensive voice over and film work, and has been a teaching artist both state side and in Europe. She is currently the Director of Theatre for Montverde Academy's Theatre Conservatory. It is a dream come true to finally be working with such an incredible theater company and this immensely talented cast and crew. DIANA SON (Author) is the author of the plays Stop Kiss, Satellites, Boy, R.A.W. (‘Cause I’m A Woman), Fishes, and others. Both Stop Kiss and Satellites premiered at the Public Theater in NYC. Furthermore, Stop Kiss was extended at the Public Theater three times, making it the longest running non-musical play since A CHORUS LINE. The Public Theater production of Stop Kiss won the GLAAD Media Award for Best New York Production, as well as the Berilla Kerr Award for playwriting. Diana’s plays have been produced at the La Jolla Playhouse, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Rep, Woolly Mammoth, Delaware Theatre Company, BRAVA, New Georges, and many others. Diana has been the recipient of an NEA/TCG residency grant at the Mark Taper Forum and a Brooks Atkinson Fellowship at the National Theatre in London. She has taught playwriting at NYU’s Department of Dramatic Writing and the Yale School of Drama. She is currently Program Chair of the Dramatists Guild Playwriting Fellowship program. Diana has been a writer/ producer for the series “American Crime,” “Southland,” “Do No Harm,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Blue Bloods,” “The 2-2,” and “The West Wing.” She has also written a number of television pilots, a television movie for Showtime, and feature films. She is a member of the Writer’s Guild of America, East; the Dramatists Guild; Women in Theatre, and an alumnus of New Dramatists. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and 3 sons.
CAST Callie..............................................................Mary Ellen Moreno Sara.......................................................................... Sarah French George................................................................... Damany Riley Peter................................................................Sean William Kelly Mrs. Winsley/Nurse............................................. Alyson Johnson Detective Cole, U/S George........................................ Joe Llorens U/S Sara & Callie.......................................... Rachel Whittington U/S Peter................................................................. Casey Casteel U/S Mrs. Winsley/Nurse.............................................Karen Pope U/S Detective Cole................................................... Lon Abrams
PRODUCTION TEAM Production Manager..........................................Danielle Paccione Technical Director.................................................Clayton Becker Scenic Designer/Projections.............................Kenneth Constant Lighting Designer................................................ Eric Van Tassell Assistant Lighting Designer....................................Lindsey Young Sound/AV Designer............................................... Nick Erickson Costume Designer....................................................Monica Titus Prop Master/Set Dressing......................................... Amber Sacks Stage Manager...........................................................Grace Zottig Assistant Stage Manager/PA.................................Stephanie Horn Master Carpenter.................................................Preston Speaker Scenic Carpenters...............................Tony Fairchild, Ani Inman, Madeleine Louviere, Jess Mahoney Scenic Charge.........................................................Lilly Hastings Scenic Carpenters......................................Cat Burns, Ani Inman, Madeleine Louviere, Jess Mahoney, Lindsey Young
SPECIAL THANKS The Villages® Marketing Tierra del Sol Bar & Grill City Furniture for providing The Studio Theatre with all the furniture for this season’s productions.
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