The Chinese Lady Program

THE TRUE STORY OF THE FIRST CHINESE WOMAN IN AMERICA. THE CHINESE LADY is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

DIRECTOR'S NOTE This play is about being seen. It is about what we choose to see.

And we hope that it is the start of a conversation.

In my career, it is a rare occurrence to work on a show that allows you to grapple with your own history and identity as a Chinese-American as part of the creative process. Lloyd Suh's beautiful play is a window into the complex and dark history of the Chinese in America and the legacy of female fetishization and exploitation, still relevant today.

It is personally gratifying to be in a room with an all-Asian cast. Our rich conversations in the rehearsal room have spanned history from the Chinese Exclusion Act to memories of my own great-grandparents working the plantations of Hawai’i. We laughed about the common traditions we discovered regardless of being born in Hawai’i, on the Continent, or in Asia.

We have lamented over how discrimination has found its way into all of our lives. We have layered all of these musings into the fabric of this performance.

I am honored to share this work with all of you. me ke aloha a me ka mahalo With much love and thanks, Reiko Ho

ABOUT THE STUDIO THEATRE™ TIERRA DEL SOL: 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 120 seats and options for Thrust, Round, or Proscenium style seating. The Studio Theatre's season runs from late September through April each year with four productions running approximately 120 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; Associate Artistic Director, Angel Creeks; Resident Director, Nathaniel Niemi; Resident Musical Director, Gary Powell; Scenic & Props Designer, Joshua E. Gallagher; Production Manager, Danielle Paccione; Technical Director, Clayton Becker; Company Manager, Ryan Loeckel; Assistant Production Manager, Leslie Munson; Production Stage Manager Grace Zottig; Stage Manager, Madison Youngblood; Assistant Stage Manager, Stephanie Bezio; Lighting Supervisor, Mason Shell; Assistant Lighting Supervisor, Collin Hall; Lighting Technician, Ally Southgate; Lead Carpenter, Alison Scharvella; Literary and Casting Associate, Jordan Gregson; and House Manager, Alec Speers #TheStudioTheatreTDS #TheChineseLady

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The Chinese Lady

by Lloyd Suh Co-world premiere presented at Barrington Stage (Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director; Branden Huldeen, Artistic Producer), Pittsfield, MA, July 2018 Commissioned by and co-world premiere presented by Ma-Yi Theater Company (Ralph B. Peña, Artistic Director) in New York City Developed with support of the Roe Green Award at Cleveland Play House.

THE CHINESE LADY is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

Producer

Artistic Director

Jason Goedken

Whitney Morse

Director Reiko Ho

Dramaturgy Yining Lin, PhD

Scenic and Props Designer Joshua E. Gallagher

Costume Designer Huaixiang Tan

Lighting Designer Colleen Doherty

Sound Designer Sean-Joseph Choo Production Manager

Danielle Paccione Stage Manager

Madison Youngblood

Technical Director

Clayton Becker

Company Manager

Ryan Loeckel

The Studio House Manager The Sharon House Manager

Alec Speers

Heather Ard

Assistant Costume Designer Assistant Production Manager Assistant Stage Manager

Sumalee Eaton

Leslie Becker

Grace Zottig

Assistant House Manager

Swing Stage Manager

Production Engineer

Sierra Baggins

Stephanie Bezio

Lead Electrician

Mason Shell

Luke Bezio

Lead Carpenter

Alison Scharvella

Any video and/or recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

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The Chinese Lady by Lloyd Suh Dramaturgy Program Note Yining Lin, PhD In 2017, Cleveland Play House produced the first reading of The Chinese Lady, a story about Afong Moy. Until then, Afong Moy was a footnote; an interesting plot point in the history of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) history in the United States.

During the pre-show chat with playwright, Lloyd Suh, I asked him how he found her and how he was able to create a play out of her life, which had been reduced to a footnote in high school and college history textbooks. While some of the conversation is now a little hazy, what stuck with me was Suh’s study of AAPI history, the commodification of the exotic, and a study of human behavior.

Afong Moy was in her late teens when she was, essentially, sold to Nathaniel and Frederick Carnes in 1834. Her mandate, once she reached the United States was to be an attraction for their Oriental Goods business. Moy would sit in a space that was designed to look like a Chinese room. While on display, Moy would walk in circles to show off her bound feet, demonstrate how to use chopsticks, and would speak and answer questions through her translator, Atung. Moy, while not the first Chinese person in America, holds the distinction of being the first Chinese Woman to be brought to the United States as an example of the Exotic Orient.

This was the beginning of a long history of AAPI commodification, and demonization, in the United States. In her book The Making of Asian America, Erika Lee writes that Asians were tempted to the Americas through promises of riches and a good life, while they were also viewed as cheap replacements for the slaves that were freed in South America and during the United States Civil War in the United States. In California, the 1849 Gold Rush held promises of riches and an increased number of Chinese men came to California to strike it rich and build up new lives for themselves, while also sending money home to their families. However, instead of riches and open arms, the United States Government issued a series of discriminating laws, including the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, banning all Chinese laborers from coming to the United States.

Fearmongering images appeared in newspapers warning United States citizens about the dangers of Chinese immigrants and their desire to take their jobs away.

However, despite the growing jingoism and race-baiting, China, as a country, remained a place of fascination for Western missionaries and tradesmen. Politically, the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912) had been weakened by a series of international revolutions and rebellions and international wars, including the two Opium Wars with Britain, resulting in the loss of valuable trading ports in Shanghai and Hong Kong. China was severely weakened and left the Chinese people looking for other ways to support themselves and their families. It is not surprising that the Carnes Brothers wanted to invest in Chinese commodification and that Moy’s family would have sold her.

The Chinese Lady also provides its audiences with a study of human behavior, not just of Afong Moy, but also of past and present audiences. The Carnes Brother and P.T. Barnum understood the psychology of audiences. They understood that audiences would be fascinated by “unusual” people and objects. Moy’s whole life was spent as a sideshow under the control of her managers as an example of the commodified and exotic Chinese woman. Even when she is off stage, she follows the same patterns as if she were on exhibit.

Afong Moy has become more well known since I had my conversation with Lloyd Suh in 2017.

Her position as the first Chinese woman in the United States and her presence in our history emphasizes the duality that the AAPI community feels at this moment of fascination and hatred, side show aside. We are applauded for our achievements and yet feared because of politics. However, Moy and her story reminds us is that while we are products of the world we live in, we also have the ability to change our circumstances and how the world views us. Not a bad legacy to leave behind.

THE CHINESE LADY

By Lloyd Suh REGIONAL PREMIERE Previews: NOV 15-17 Opening: NOV 18 | Closing: DEC 17 $15 Preview Performance $35 Performances The true story of the first Chinese woman in America.

"Hello, my name is Afong Moy; I came to America in 1834, when I was fourteen years old…" Brought to the United States from Guangzhou Province, China, Afong Moy is put on display as the first Chinese woman to set foot on American soil. Although Afong believes that she is an ambassador for Chinese culture, in reality she is a sideshow exhibit. Spanning a half-century, this twoperson play depicts her daily life as a touring museum attraction. She performs for a paying audience showing them how she eats, what she wears, and the highlight of the event: how she walks with bound feet. As the decades wear on, her celebrated sideshow comes to define and challenge her very sense of identity.

The Chinese Lady by Lloyd Suh is a poetic, whimsical play inspired by the true story of Afong Moy's life.

THE STUDIO THEATRE TIERRA DEL SOL acknowledges that we gather on the traditional land of the Seminole and Timucua People. We honor the rich cultural history of the Peoples who lived on this land prior to European colonization. This acknowledgment does not replace authentic relationships with indigenous communities, but serves as a first step in honoring the living legacy of the People and the land.

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MELODY LOU (Afong Moy) Melody (she/her) is an actor and artist born and raised in Macau. She is thrilled to be making her professional debut with The Studio Theatre in The Chinese Lady.

She recently completed her theatre training at the University of Illinois at Chicago, earning a BA in Theatre Performance. Credits include: Passage, Da Mixtape (UIC School of Theatre and Music) Workshops: Girl Boss - Playwright Aloud (Columbia College Chicago) Dearly Beloved, Ace of Hearts (UIC School of Theatre and Music) Endless love and gratitude to Mom, Dad and Gloria!

Instagram | @immelodylou YONGWOO (Atung) is a Chicagoan by way of Pittsburgh (which, unlike his character, he enjoys revisiting), and is honored to perform far from home at The Studio Theatre. Chicago credits include Verböten (The House Theatre), You For Me For You (Sideshow Theatre), and That's Weird, Grandma! (Playmakers Laboratory). TV credits include Chicago PD and Detroit 1-87. Yongwoo holds a BA in Radio/TV/Film from Northwestern University and was a 2016 Bob Curry Fellow at The Second City.

Yongwoo is a company member of Playmakers Laboratory, a kyokushin karateka and amateur kickboxer fighting out of Imazaki Dojo, and a freelance casting director and filmmaker. He would like to thank Lily's Talent Agency for their unwavering support.

TheYongwoo.com, Instagram | yongwooozy, TikTok.com | @yongwooozy

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LLOYD SUH (Playwright) is originally from Indianapolis, IN, and is the winner of the 2019 Herb Alpert Award for Theater and the 2020 winner of the Horton Foote Prize. His play The Chinese Lady premiered as a co-production by Barrington Stage Company and Ma-Yi Theater Company, and was hailed a New York Times Critics’ Pick during its NY run. The play is now having productions around the country (Milwaukee Rep, Magic Theater, Long Wharf, Artists Rep, Interact). It is returning to New York City in a co-production between the Public Theatre and Ma-Yi Theatre Company.

Lloyd’s play Charles Francis Chan Jr’s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery was produced by NAATO. His play The Wong Kids in The Secret of the Space Chupacabra GO! debuted at the Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis and Ma-Yi Theatre in New York. It received the AATE Distinguished Play Award and the Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best Family Show. His play Bina’s Six Apples premiered in a co-production between Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis and Alliance Theatre in Atlanta.

Lloyd was presented with the National Asian American Theatre Company’s Lilah Kan Red Socks Award in recognition of an artist’s commitment to community service. He served on the National Steering Committee in creating the first National Asian American Theatre Conference and the first National Asian American Theatre Festival. He served as an official artist delegate to the 2007 World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya and the inaugural US Social Forum in Atlanta.

REIKO HO (Director) is an accomplished director and theatre maker from Hawai'i. She is Artistic Associate for Honolulu Theatre for Youth (HTY) and was recently inducted to the Board of Directors for TYA-USA. Reiko is also part of the Emmy® Award-winning team creating HTY's television show, The HI Way. This past Spring, she directed the Hawai'i premiere of Lauren Yee's Cambodian Rock Band and The Carp Who Would Not Quit which she also wrote. Projects for the Fall of 2022 include creating and directing Chinee, Japanee, All Mix Up, a devised piece about Asian American identity for the University of Hawai'i and writing and directing Step by Step, a preschool show centered around health equity for HTY.

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HEATHER ARD (The Sharon House Manager) has been performing professionally for over 25 years. Heather’s career started as a musical theatre performer and has grown include voice over/commercial work, sound operator, props master, stage manager, production manager, choreographer, and director.

Currently, she is the House Manager and Events Coordinator for The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center and is active in The Villages community. Locally Heather can be seen performing at The Sharon for events such as Lobby Lounge Cabaret Series, and The Opera Club’s Three Tenors Plus One and is a cantor for St. Timothy Catholic Church. Heather’s biggest role is mother to her 3 beautiful children Paulie, Ella, and Joey. Heather would like to thank her family and friends for their love and support and most importantly the audience, who make live theatre possible.

SIERRA BAGGINS (Assistant House Manager) joins The Sharon and Studio Theatre team with an extensive theatrical background. Sierra earned a BA from California State University, studying Stage Management and assuming many roles including Production Manager, Stage Manager, and backstage crew member. After graduating, she worked as Stage Manager and Internship Leader at Walt Disney World. She also worked for Universal Studios Florida as Entertainment Coordinator for events including Halloween Horror Nights and Mardi Gras. She also volunteered with Give Kids the World Village, helping to provide cost-free vacations for families and children living with critical illness. Sierra is excited to be part of the team and is eager to apply her theatrical and hospitality background to this new adventure.

CLAY BECKER (Technical Director) is from the DFW area of Texas. Always wanting a career in theatre, he received his BA in Theatre from the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, AR. After graduating, Clay worked as the Technical Director at Circa’ 21 Dinner Playhouse in Rock Island, IL before joining The Studio Theatre team in 2018. When not in the theatre, he is out hiking or biking the wonders of mother nature across the country. Clay was happily married to the LOVE OF HIS LIFE in September of 2022 and begins the wonderful next chapter with Leslie Munson.

Clay invites everyone to see the brilliant work our team does at both The Sharon and The Studio venues!

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LESLIE BECKER (Assistant Production Manager) is happy to be at The Studio Theatre working alongside such a passionate and knowledgeable team of professionals. Originally from Illinois, she has worked in all areas of the theatre world from onstage to behind the scenes. A theatre kid for life, she is honored to be a part of The Studio’s mission to bring thought provoking works to The Villages.

STEPHANIE BEZIO (Swing Stage Manager) hails from Johnson City, TN, and has been with The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center and the Studio Theatre since 2016. She started in The Sharon Box Office and explored different jobs in the theatre before joining The Stage Management Team in 2018. Her favorite Studio shows include: Stop Kiss, Assassins, and Ada and the Engine. Stephanie has been involved in theatre both onstage and off since 2012. You can find her running around in the dark, backstage wings of the Studio with a headset, a cup of coffee, and a Kindle in her back pocket.

SEAN-JOSEPH CHOO (Sound Designer) is a multi-ethnic, multi-hyphenate artist from Honolulu, and the Lead Steward + Head Jester of Kamamo House, a queer-centered theatre, artist cultivation/advocacy organization, and podcast. He is honored to co-create for this production. Career highlights: Heartstrings, Atlantic For Kids (Composer/Sound Designer); i <3 my AAPI grandparents! world premiere, Pan Asian Rep, NuWorks 2022 (writer/actor); Think Mink! song and music video commission from TheaterWorks USA; composer/co-director of the Emmyaward winning “Da Holidays” episode of The HI Way; composer/ songwriter for Hawaii Shakespeare Festival’s 2018 production of All’s Well That Ends Well; Po’okela Award for Best Sound Design (Koi, Like the Fish, Kumu Kahua Theatre). Sean is member of The Dramatists Guild, TYA/USA, CAATA, and improvhi. seanjosephchoo.com, Facebook | Sean Choo, Instagram | @Hai-choo

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COLLEEN DOHERTY (Lighting Designer) is so pleased to be part of The Chinese Lady! This is her first collaboration with The Studio Theatre. Previous credits include Lighting Designer on My Town (Rutgers Theatre Company) and Every Christmas Story Ever Told…And Then Some! (Orlando Shakespeare Theatre), Assistant Lighting Designer on Paradise Square (Broadway), Associate Lighting Designer on Wish You Were Here (Playwright’s Horizons) and Black No More (Signature Theatre). Lots of love and thanks to Dad, Mom, Sean, Marc and Gavroche! MFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. Website: colleenadoherty.com, Instagram | @colleenashleyd SUMALEE EATON (Assistant Costume Designer/Stitcher) is a professional costume draper based in Historic Sanford. Her work has appeared once before on stage at the Studio Theatre Tierra del Sol in last season's Urinetown, as well as Aida, Don't Dress for Dinner, Bridges of Madison County (Osceola Arts), Disenchanted, Cabaret (Theater West End). She is honored to be working with Huaixiang Tan and grateful to TDS for the opportunity to bring this incredible story to life. Instagram | @sew.sumalee, sewsumalee.com JOSHUA E. GALLAGHER (Scenic & Props Designer/Set Dressing/Scenic Charge) has been honing his craft as a scenic designer, scenic artist, and props artisan for the past decade and recently transplanted to central Florida. Previous props design credits have included Big the Musical, Looped, Man of La Mancha (Garden Theatre), Oklahoma!, Little Shop of Horrors, Ragtime, Grease, Sunset Blvd., Curtains, Camelot (Mac-Haydn Theatre), James and the Giant Peach, Wizard of Oz (Limelight Performing Arts Center). Joshua has a Master’s of Fine Arts in Stage Design from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Examples of his work are at www.joshuaegallagher.com JASON GOEDKEN (Producer) has been the operations manager at The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center since its opening in 2015. Prior to his time in Florida, he spent the previous 11 years working in various theatres in NYC and Chicago. Jason helped found both The Sharon and The Studio Theatre and manages the staff from both venues. Although his work is mostly behind-thescenes, he made a memorable acting debut in The Studio Theatre's Second Season as Harry in Company.

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TAYLOR GUNNELL (Senior Marketing Coordinator) was born and raised in Florida, and has been with The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center and The Studio Theatre Tierra del Sol since 2021. She oversees the internal marketing team for The Sharon and The Studio Theatre venues. She loves being a part of a theatre that pushes audiences to examine relevant issues through the performances produced at The Studio Theatre.

COLLIN HALL (Electrician) is a Lighting Designer and Technician from Memphis, TN. She has worked in various technical capacities at the Clarence Brown Theatre, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and the Indiana Repertory Theatre. Previous design credits include The Real Inspector Hound (Clarence Brown Theatre), Ghost the Musical (Theatre Aspen), Every Christmas Story Ever Told (Maples Repertory Theatre), The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical, and 8x10: A One Act Festival (Flying Anvil Theatre). She has also worked as an Assistant Lighting Designer for the Clarence Brown Theatre and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. In 2019, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in theatre at the University of Tennessee. collinhall.com, Instagram | @collin.w.hall YINING LIN, PHD (Dramaturgy) (she/hers) is a freelance dramaturge based in Cleveland, OH. She currently works for the Cleveland Play House at the Manager of Partnerships for the Education Department. As a dramaturge, she has worked in Cleveland, San Francisco, and Honolulu. She is excited to work with Studio Theatre and Reiko Ho on The Chinese Lady, which had its first reading at CPH. She holds a BA in Theatre and Classical Studies from the College of Wooster, an MA in Drama from San Francisco State University, and a PhD in Asian-Western Comparative Theatre from University of Hawai'i at Manoa.

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RYAN LOECKEL (Company Manager/Videographer) is an active musician, actor, vocalist, and collaborative arts producer.

He has been heard at The Studio during Urinetown, the Musical, 9 to 5 and It Shoulda Been You, featured at The Sharon in Bach To Broadway, fiddled as Joe-Bob in Always...Patsy Cline (Victory Productions), and played the role of Righteous Brother Bill Medley in That Lovin’ Feelin’ (Beefhouse Dinner Theatre). Ryan trained as a violist with Marcia Ferritto, and has shared the stage on tour with Josh Groban, Idina Menzel, Barry Manilow, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra among many others. His performances have been heard on syndicated broadcasts, aboard five-star ships, and at venues internationally. www.loeckel.com | @loeckelmusik WHITNEY MORSE (Artistic Director) is a performer, teaching artist, and Artistic Director in Central Florida. In 2011, she earned her MFA in Acting from Columbia University School of The Arts, where she studied with some of the world’s leading teaching artists including Kristin Linklater, Andrei Serban, Olympia Dukakis, Larry Singer and Anne Bogart. Whitney was a founding member of Prologue Theatre Company in Chicago where she served as Literary Manager and Casting Director. As a performer, her work at The Studio includes Next To Normal, Proof (Broadway World Award), Frankie and Johnny..., Tell Me On A Sunday, A Doll’s House, 9 to 5, Elegies, and White Rabbit, Red Rabbit, among many others. Whitney is also the Artistic Director of The Sharon. www.whitneymorse.com DANIELLE PACCIONE (Production Manager) has over 25 years professional theatrical experience. As a Production Manager, AEA Stage Manager, and Director, she has collaborated with a variety of theatrical organizations and currently serves on the Orlando Actor’s Equity Association Liaison Committee. Danielle is an original member of the “No More 10 out of 12’s” working group with a goal of providing more equitable working conditions in theatres around the world. She has worked up and down the East Coast wearing many different hats and is happy to call Florida and The Studio Theatre her home. Danielle joined The Studio team in 2017.

CHAD PAVLOVICH (Scenic Carpenter) is a production hand for The Studio Theater Tierra del Sol and The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center. He has been with The Studio and The Sharon since 2016. Prior to his work at The Studio he worked as a touring guitar technician with bands including Blue October and Miranda Lambert. He is excited for new opportunities to work with lighting and audio.

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ALISON SCHARVELLA (Lead Carpenter) is thrilled to be working with The Studio Theatre! She is originally from upstate NY. She graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in theater from University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Prior to working with The Studio, she was head carpenter at University of Florida Performing Arts.

ALLY SOUTHGATE (Lighting Technician) was until recently a Michigander. She’s moved down to Florida to continue her career in theatrical lighting and electrics. Ally graduated from Michigan Technological University in spring of 2022 with a BS in Theater and Entertainment Technology and a Minor in Theatrical Performance. Even though she spends most of her time backstage now, Ally started her life in the theater performing onstage from the age of 8 and continued through college. Ally would like to thank her family, friends, and loved ones for their continued support even from over 1000 miles away.

ALEC SPEERS (The Studio House Manager) has a long history of working with theatre productions. After over a decade of working on and around the stage, he feels most at home in the theatre and is very proud to be The Studio Theatre’s House Manager. Favorite credits include Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog (Colorado, 2012), La Traviata and La Boheme (Germany, 2017), and Ada and the Engine (The Studio Theatre, 2021). Alec also has experience in set building, stage managing, and directing. It is always a privilege to work in the industry that you love, so Alec would like to thank The Studio family, and his own immensely supportive family for everything they do.

HUAIXIANG TAN (Costume Designer) professor in Costume/ Makeup Design & Technology, Theatre Department, School of Performing Arts, at University of Central Florida, is happy to be part of the design team for The Chinese Lady as a costume designer. Tan completed her B.F.A. degree in Stage Fine Arts from The Central Academy of Drama in Beijing, China. She holds an M.F.A. degree in Costume Design from Utah State University and is a member of United Scenic Artists, local 829. Tan is the author of Character Costume Figure Drawing, 3rd edition, and Costume Craftwork on a Budget 2nd edition published by Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. The Character Costume Figure Drawing 3rd edition was also published in Spanish by Grupo Anaya, S.A. Madrid.

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OLIVIA WILLIAMSON (Marketing Associate) is so excited to join the team at The Studio Theatre! She was born and raised in Alabama but has been in the Greater Orlando area since 2015.

She joined The Sharon and The Studio Theatre in October of 2022. A theatre kid at heart, she is thrilled to join a team that pushes audiences to examine relevant issues through the performances produced at The Studio Theatre.

MADISON YOUNGBLOOD (Stage Manager) was born and raised in the Central Florida area and has been a member of the resident stage management team at The Studio Theatre since Season 6. With nearly a decade of stage management experience, Madison has lived and worked in Central Florida, Philadelphia, and New York. Some of her favorite credits include productions of Urinetown, The Color Purple, Guys & Dolls, Cabaret, RED, Collected Stories, Godspell, Mary Poppins, and Blood Brothers.

Madison has worked as an intern with WICKED on Broadway and has stage managed for the Arts for Autism Broadway Concerts and the Broadway Green Alliance. She graduated from the University of the Arts with a BFA in Directing, Playwriting, and Production.

GRACE ZOTTIG (Assistant Stage Manager) is stoked to be part of The Studio Theatre Tierra del Sol team for another season.

Grace has been with The Studio since Fall 2018 and some of her favorite titles from previous seasons include Assassins, Neighbors: A Fair Trade Agreement, Stop Kiss, Pipeline, and Urinetown. In addition to stage management, Grace has directed multiple productions for the Virtual Play Series and Assistant Directed No. 6 for The Studio. Rollins College ‘17 graduate, Grace is thankful for the support from her friends, family, and mentors which helped her become the young professional she is today. Art is a vehicle for change. Thank you for supporting the arts.

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CAST Afong Moy................................................................ Melody Lou Atung............................................................................. Yongwoo

DIRECTION Artistic Director................................................... Whitney Morse Associate Artistic Director........................................ Angel Creeks Director........................................................................ Reiko Ho Dramaturgy..................................................................Yining Lin

PRODUCTION Producer................................................................ Jason Goedken Production Manager..........................................Danielle Paccione Assistant Production Manager.................................. Leslie Becker Technical Director.................................................Clayton Becker Company Manager...................................................Ryan Loeckel Literary and Casting Associate.............................. Jordan Gregson Stage Manager............................................. Madison Youngblood Assistant Stage Manager............................................Grace Zottig Swing Stage Manager...........................................Stephanie Bezio

SCENIC Scenic Designer..............................................Joshua E. Gallagher Set Dressing/Scenic Charge Artist..................Joshua E. Gallagher Lead Carpenter.................................................. Alison Scharvella Additional Carpentry........................................... Chad Pavlovich

COSTUMES Costume Designer..................................................Huaixiang Tan Assistant Costume Designer/Stitcher..................... Sumalee Eaton

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LIGHTING Lighting Designer.............................................. Colleen Doherty Lead Electrician......................................................... Mason Shell Electricians......................................Collin Hall & Ally Southgate

AUDIO VISUAL Sound Designer................................................ Sean-Joseph Choo Production Engineer................................................... Luke Bezio Audio Technician......................................................Cassie Russo

PROPS Props Designer...............................................Joshua E. Gallagher

HOUSE MANAGEMENT The Studio House Manager......................................... Alec Speers The Sharon House Manager...................................... Heather Ard Assistant House Manager........................................Sierra Baggins

MARKETING Senior Marketing Coordinator..............................Taylor Gunnell Videographer............................................................Ryan Loeckel Marketing Associate......................................... Olivia Williamson

SPECIAL THANKS The Villages® Marketing Tierra del Sol Bar & Grill

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UPCOMING PERFORMANCES: LA CAGE AUX FOLLES Book By Harvey Fierstein Music And Lyrics By Jerry Herman Based On The Play By Jean Poiret Previews: JAN 31-FEB 2 Opening: FEB 3 | Closing: MAR 4 $20 Preview Performance $40 Performances The hilarious award-winning musical that inspired the movie The Birdcage!

Welcome to La Cages Aux Folles, the Pride of Saint Tropez, the Envy of the Cabaret World, the Jewel of the Riviera. This dazzling nightclub is run by Georges and stars his partner Albin as The Queen of Drag herself, "Zaza". Hijinks ensue when Georges's son, Jean-Michel, brings home his fiancée's disapproving parents. With a hilarious supporting cast, sparkling musical numbers, and glitzy dancing, these birds of a feather flock together. This zany adventure by Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein won 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and features the hit songs "I am What I am" and "The Best of Times". This Broadway stunner that inspired The Birdcage is uproariously funny and endlessly heartwarming.

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THESE SHINING LIVES

By Melanie Marnich Previews: MAR 28-30 Opening: MAR 31 | Closing: APR 29 $15 Preview Performance $35 Performances Based on the true story of the spirited women who worked at the Radium Dial Company.

In 1922 Catherine joins Charlotte, Frances, and Pearl to work at the Radium Dial Company in Ottawa, Illinois. They are hired to paint glow-inthe-dark watch faces with the newly discovered element, radium. The company pays by the watch, encouraging them to be as efficient as possible while disregarding potential risks. Over the next decade, mysterious problems arise that threaten their health. Bonded by years of friendship, they decide to fight against the corporation that kept them in the dark about the true risks of working with a radioactive material. Based on the true story of the "Radium Girls", These Shining Lives shares their spirit, energy, and verve. Moving but never dreary, this lovely imaginative play tells their story of persistence, friendship, and justice that inspired lasting change.

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