TtO Program

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LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND RESOURCES Florida Players acknowledges that for thousands of years, the area now comprising the state of Florida has been, and continues to be, home to many Native Nations. We further recognize that the main campus of the University of Florida, where Florida Players primarily functions, is located on the ancestral territory of the Potano and of the Seminole peoples. Florida Players acknowledges its obligation to honor the past, present, and future Native residents and cultures of Florida.

FLORIDA PLAYERS PRESENTS

MUSIC AND LYRICS BY JEFF BLIM BOOK BY NICK LANG, MATT LANG, BRIAN HOLDEN AND JEFF BLIM DIRECTED BY SHEA STONE AND KEN HOUSTON MUSIC DIRECTED BY EUGENE GURARY

CONTENT WARNINGS Please be advised, this show contains content warnings for: coarse language, frank talk of death, drug and alcohol abuse, underage drinking, mild sexual situations, kidnapping and abduction, coerced adult-minor relationships, depictions of violence and animal death, insensitive discussions of Indiginous Americans and genocide, depictions of vomiting and other bodily functions, and sudden loud noises including gunshots. This show also has mentions of: bestiality, teen pregnancy, abortion, incest, arson, nudity, and abuse using chloroform.

CAST YOUR VOTES The Trail to Oregon depends on audience interaction! Prior to the start of the show, please be sure to head to the front of the theater to place your vote for who should die in today’s show!

Additionally, early in the show the characters will directly turn to the audience for names. Please feel free to shout out suggestions during these instances! Profanity is allowed. However, we ask that all patrons refrain from using hateful language such as slurs or any language targeted towards a person’s age, race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity, socio-economic status, etc.

A NOTE FROM THE DRAMATURG Between the years of 1830-1850, it is estimated that 100,000 Native Americans were removed from their ancestral lands and forcefully relocated, under treaty or threat, to lands west of the Mississippi.

Another 15,000 died during the journey. Artistic works surrounding the period of Westward Expansion often make light of, or ignore entirely, the horrors inflicted upon those who went down the Trail of Tears and the continued injustices against Native American people to this day. As artists, we feel a sense of responsibility to think critically and engage carefully with all material we work with, especially material that references historical events as sensitive as the ethnic cleansing and genocide of Native American peoples.

The Trail to Oregon is not reflective of the lived experiences of Native Americans; it was written as a direct parody of the original “Oregon Trail” game, which was developed in 1971 as a teaching tool for elementary school students. Any commentary on Native American experiences in this show are not our personal thoughts and beliefs. If you are interested in learning more about the history of Native American displacement and colonization, please visit: https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/immigration/native-ameri can/removing-native-americans-from-their-land/ -Ken Houston, Director and Dramaturg

ACT I Gone to Oregon…………………….Father, Mother, Son, Daughter, Grandpa Independence……………………………………………………………………………………...Everyone The Grind…………………………………Father, Mother, Son, Daughter, Grandpa Pays to be an Animal……………Grandpa, Son, Daughter, Buffalo Family When the World’s at Stake………………………………………………………………….Mother Dysentery World…………………………………..Father, THE WATCHER, Demons Wagon on Fire………………………………………………………………………………………Everyone

ACT II Lost Without You………………………………………………………………………………..Daughter When the World’s at Stake (Reprise) ..………Father, General Store Guy Speedrun……………………………………………….………Father, Mother, Son, Grandpa Caulk your Wagon…………………………………..……….Daughter, Mcdoon, Cletus You Gotta Go……………………………………………………………………………………………..……….???

Naked in a Lake……………………………………………………………………………………Everyone

CAST FATHER………………………………………………………………….……………JOSIAH ACEVEDO* MOTHER……………………………………………………………….…MORGAN VANDERLAAN DAUGHTER………………………………………………………………ANJA SCHWARZBAUER SON…………………………………………………………….…………………..PEYTON RATKIEWICZ GRANDPA/CLETUS……………………………………………………………………LEO MARKOS MCDOON……………………………………………………………………………LAUREN CARLSON GENERAL STORE GUY/DOCTOR……………………………………….KAYLA DANIEL

CREW STAGE MANAGER…………………………………………………………………..CHASE FENSKE CHOREOGRAPHY……………..……………………………………………………….SHEA STONE* DRAMATURGY……………………………………………….……….………………..KEN HOUSTON SOUND DESIGN………………………………………..……….…………….EUGENE GURARY* SET DESIGN…………………………………………………………………………………….LUCY ALLAN LIGHTING DESIGN…………………………………………………………………………ANA PEREZ PROP MASTER……………………………………………………………………..…….ELLA CRONIN COSTUME DESIGN……..…..……….NICOLE WOOD* & JORDAN AUGUSTO SOUND CREW………………………………………….……………………………JACOB WALKER LIGHTING CREW………………………….KAILEY FRETWELL & BEN JOHNSON COSTUME CREW…………………....SHELBY MALAISE & RILEY BROWNING

*Denotes Florida Players Executive Board Member Special Thanks to Lauren Carlson and Ken Houston for creating the Publicity Poster and Program, respectively.

Ana Perez (Lighting Designer) is a freshman and this is her second production with Florida Players! She has lighting designed dance recitals, concerts, comedy shows and plays. This is the very first musical she has designed and she is very excited for her next three years with Florida Players!

Anja Schwarzbauer (Daughter) (she/her) is a first year at the University of Florida Honors College who is delighted to be playing the role of Daughter in her third production with Florida Players. Recent credits include: “Ladies Only: An Original Comedy” (Writer and Director) and “Mutually Assured Destruction” (Jessica/Johnny). Anja feels privileged to be surrounded by such phenomenal talent and support both onstage and behind the scenes.

She would like to thank her family and friends, Lily Badger and the FP Executive Board, as well as the incredible cast and crew for making tonight possible. Anja requests her grandparents please turn a blind eye to the sexual innuendos in the show. She also asks that the audience kindly votes for her to die this evening. Let’s go to Oregon!

Chase Fenske (Stage Manager) is a freshman political science student originally from Tampa, FL. He has performed as Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Mal in The Addams Family, Tony Hendon in Lucky Stiff, Hannibal in The Curious Savage, Tiny Tom in Urinetown, and, this semester, as Charlie in Locust (featured in Florida Players's New Works Festival). He is very grateful for this year with FP, which has been an incredible period of growth for Chase, and he looks forward to the many years ahead of being able to continue to create art with his friends.

This is Ella Cronin’s (Props Master) third show designing props with the Florida Players, and she can’t wait to continue working with the group! Ella wants to thank her family and friends for their support, and the Florida Players for being so welcoming. Ella hopes you have fun on the trail!

Eugene Gurary (Music Director/Sound Designer) (he/him) is thrilled to be music directing and sound designing his final show at UF! Previous music directing credits with Florida Players include Falsettos and 35MM. Previous performing credits with Florida Players include Pilgrims of the Night (Samuel Sundown) and Chemical Imbalance (Xavier Utterson). As a long-time Starkid fan, Eugene just wants to say working on this show has been *totally awesome!* Ken Houston (Director/Dramaturg) is a recent graduate from the University of Florida who is delighted to be able to return to the stage with Florida Players. Recent credits include Pilgrims of the Night (Dramaturgy) and Antigone (Weapons Master/Run Crew). They have loved every second of this process, and want to extend the sincerest gratitude to their fellow pioneers for all of their hard work and dedication. @moralskeleton Jordan Augusto (Costume Designer) (she/they) last designed the costumes and masks for Pilgrims of the Night and this season they’re back to design the animal costumes for Trail to Oregon. Lots of time and effort went into the Dysentery World animal masks, and they truly hope everyone enjoys the show.

Josiah Acevedo (Father) is a third year Digital Arts and Sciences Major. This is his third show with Florida Players and you may recognize him from previous productions such as Push-Up (Heinrich), The Prom (Sheldon), and the New Works Festival performance of Ladies Only (Levi). He would like to thank the cast and crew for making this process absolutely incredible and such an amazing experience. Now, pioneers, let’s head down the trail!

Kayla Daniel (General Store Guy/Doctor) is a first year BA theater student at UF, and this is her second production with Florida Players. She would like to thank the amazing directors, cast, and crew who have helped make this a wonderful show to be a part of. She also wishes everyone happy trails as they’re heading to Oregon!

Lauren Carlson (Mcdoon) is so excited in her fourth Florida Players production. She has performed in over 20 high school and collegiate performances in addition to directing/choreographing Mean Girls, Newsies and Matilda. Her most recent roles include Ray in Pilgrims of the Night, Tara in Mutually Assured Destruction, and Euphronia in Chemical Imbalance. She is currently a Sophomore, meaning you have not seen the last of….. THE BANDIT KING! (Instagram: @lauren_carlson1622) Leo Markos (Grandpa/Cletus) is so thrilled to be playing Grandpa in Florida Players’ production of The Trail to Oregon! This is his first production with Florida Players. Leo would like to thank the cast, directors, friends and family for all their support. @leo.markos Lucy Allan (Set Designer) is a second-year mathematics major from Clearwater, Florida. This is her sixth year working as a scenic designer and her first musical with the Florida Players!

She has thoroughly enjoyed working with FP, and looks forward to continuing her work with such a creative and talented community.

Morgan Vanderlaan (Mother) has been acting since the age of six, most recently performing as Olive in “The Odd Couple.” She is a double major in English and Political Science and hopes to one day pursue her passion of playwriting. This is her first semester with Florida Players, previously joining for the New Works Festival in February where she wrote and directed the full length play “LOCUST.” She would like to thank the cast and crew for making this experience one of the highlights of her freshman year, and hopes the audience has just as much fun as she has going down the Trail to Oregon!

Payton Ratkiewicz (Son) is so excited to be part of this hilarious production! This is her third production with Florida Players, and she has been loving every minute with this amazing cast and crew. She hopes you have as much fun watching as she does being a 7 year old boy.

Shea Stone (Director/Choreographer) is thrilled to make her directorial debut! She has been a dedicated member of Florida Players since the beginning of her time at UF and has made her mark performing, designing, stage managing, and serving as Secretary this year. She would like to thank the wonderful cast and crew for bringing this silly show to life and making her dreams of going West come true. She hopes you enjoy the Trail as much as she has!

2023 - 2024 EXECUTIVE BOARD ARTISTIC DIRECTOR…...………………………………………………………………….Lily Badger ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR…………………………………………..Nicole Wood DEI COORDINATOR……………………………………………………………………Lance Mallari DIRECTOR OF FINANCE……………………………………………………….Eugene Gurary SECRETARY………………………………………………………………………………………..Shea Stone PRODUCTION MANAGER……………………………………………………….Lindsey Davis TECHNICAL DIRECTOR……………………………………………………..Emme Slaughter DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH…………………………………………………Josiah Acevedo DIRECTOR OF PUBLICITY……………………………………………………..Ethan Garrepy DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EVENTS………………………………..Mackenzie Welsch WEBMASTER……………………………………………………………………………..Gaby Garibaldi HISTORIAN………………………………………………………………………………..Noelle Gardiner FACULTY ADVISOR………………………………………………………………………..Gillian Stine