Bulletproof Backpack Playbill

FLORIDA REPERTORY THEATRE

GREG LONGENHAGEN, Artistic Director • JOHN MARTIN, Executive Director

2021-2022 SEASON HISTORIC ARCADE THEATRE • FORT MYERS RIVER DISTRICT PRESENTS

With Contributions from Local SWFL Students CONCEIVED AND DIRECTED BY KODY C JONES** A Co-Commission with Oregon Children’s Theatre

SPONSORED BY WEST BAY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GRANT FLORIDA THEATRICAL ASSOCIATION GRANT YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION NETWORK/UNITED WAY GRANT • EMILY EASON

STARRING

TATUM BATES, ELIZABETH FLEETHAM, BRYCE HAGAN, KEEHNON J. JACKSON, WEDLER LORDEUS, MACY MAGAS, VIOLET MANN, DANICA MURRAY WITH ZEKE BOCKLAGE, CANTRELLA CANADY DRAMATURG DR. LAURA WRIGHT SET/LIGHTING/PROJECTION DESIGNER ROB SILER

PRODUCTION MANAGER TIM BILLMAN

COSTUME DESIGNER BROOKE ARTHUR

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER CAYCELYNN HOGGARD

SOUND DESIGNER KATIE LOWE

ASST. STAGE MANAGERS CHRIS MOEGGENBERG GABY STEINBORN

**Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

2021-22 EDUCATION SPONSORS

The Claiborne & Ned Foulds Foundation • Bonney Leckie The Alan & Jacquelin Cadkin Foundation • Arthur Zupko

www.FloridaRepEducation.org • (239) 219-1551

With Contributions from Local SWFL Students CONCEIVED AND DIRECTED BY KODY C JONES** A Co-Commission with Oregon Children’s Theatre

THE CAST Cloe.............................................................Danica Murray Yasmin...........................................................Tatum Bates Troy.........................................................Wedler Lordeus Nikki...............................................Elizabeth Fleetham Andy................................................................Macy Magas Sammy.........................................Keehnon J. Jackson Dillard............................................................Bryce Hagen Gabby.............................................................Violet Mann Mr. Holgate..........................................Zeke Bocklage Officer Max....................................Cantrella Canady

PLACE:

Various rooms around the city

TIME:

This Spring

PRODUCTION STAFF Technical Director: Drew Johnson Assistant Technical Director: Josh Schacht Carpenter: Shellie Raleigh Props Master: Miranda White Props Intern: Brithany Hernandez

Wardrobe Supervisor: Anthony Toney Dresser: Anna Collins Run Crew: Emma Stevenson Assistant Lighting Designer: Joel Zishuk Scenic Painter: Julie McCracken

BULLETPROOF BACKPACK will be performed without an intermission.

Any taping, filming, recording or broadcast of this play is strictly prohibited.

AUDITIONS OCT 6 4-6:30PM

Please prepare a 1-minute dramatic monologue

WHO’S WHO

ERIC COBLE (Playwright) is thrilled to return to Florida Rep and collaborate with Kody Jones again following productions of Refugee and The Giver. Eric’s scripts have been produced on Broadway (Tony- and Pulitzer-nominated The Velocity of Autumn), Off-Broadway (Bright Ideas), in all fifty states of the U.S., and on several continents, including productions at the Kennedy Center, Cleveland Play House, Alliance Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville Humana Festival, New York and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals, Habima Theatre (Israel), Pentacion Productions (Spain), Teatr Polski (Poland), Orange Row (Mexico), and the Contemporary American Theatre Festival (U.S.). Awards include two AATE Distinguished Play Awards, an Emmy nomination, the Chorpenning Playwriting Award for Body of Work, the AT&T Onstage Award, and the National Theatre Conference Playwriting Award. 28 of Mr. Coble’s scripts have been published by Dramatists Play Service, Samuel French, Dramatic Publishing, and others.

KODY C JONES** (Director) holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in acting from Western Illinois University and Secondary Education and Acting degrees from University of Michigan-Flint. He has acted and directed professionally all over Chicago and the Midwest for the past 15 years and served as the Artistic Director for Shawnee Summer Theatre in Indiana and The Stage at Island Park in Fargo, North Dakota. He served as a Resident Artist for Flint Youth Theatre for three years and taught with Chicago Public Schools, Arts for All, Lil Buds Theatre, and the American Theatre Company. He has also taught at Western Illinois University and Trollwood Center for The Performing Arts in Minnesota in addition to presenting professional workshops in Chicago, Milwaukee, Minnesota, and Michigan.

Along with Teaching and Directing, Kody also serves as a Fight Choreographer for Florida Rep and other surrounding Theatre companies in Southern Florida. He is actively involved with (KCACTF) Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival as well as SETC (South Eastern Theatre Conference) where he serves on multiple committees including the Chair of Acting Committee. At Florida Rep, he has directed over 25 different Education productions, most notably helping conceive and direct three world premiere productions with long-time collaborator and Broadway Playwright, Eric Coble. Some of his favorite productions have included Refugee, Metamorphoses, and Spring Awakening. Kody is a proud member of (SDC) Stage Directors and Choreographer’s Union.

DR. LAURA WRIGHT (Dramaturg) received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Florida State University in 2000, completed her Doctoral Internship and Post-Doc at the Counseling Center at the University of California, Davis, and undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Florida. Dr. Wright has a passion for training and supervision and created

the Doctoral Internship at Florida Gulf Coast University, CAPS. Dr. Wright also specializes in working with students with eating disorder and body image issues, career development concerns, and behavioral health. Additionally, she specializes in college student mental health having worked in University Counseling Centers for the past 15 years. Dr. Wright takes a developmental approach to supervision and training—this means providing more structure and framework towards the beginning of training and then working collaboratively with supervisees to take on increasing levels of autonomy as appropriate. Outside of her role as a psychologist, Dr. Wright loves to spend time with her family, traveling, and experiencing new cultures. She also enjoys spending time outside in beautiful Southwest Florida, yoga, and theatre.

BROOKE ARTHUR (Costume Designer) is a freelance costume designer. Bulletproof Backpack is her second show at Florida Repertory Theatre. Previously she has worked as a Costume Shop Manager at Florida Repertory Theatre, Crafts Artisan/Design Assistant for When You Wish at Tuacahn Center for the Arts, Wardrobe Supervisor/Assistant Costume Shop Manager at Arizona Opera, Wardrobe at Shakespeare & Co, and Crafts Artisan/Wardrobe Supervisor at Illinois Shakespeare Festival. She is a proud graduate of the University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music.

TIM BILLMAN (Production Manager) joined the Florida Rep family in 2014 as the Technical Director and has become the Production Manager. Tim’s scenic design credits include productions for Blowing Rock Stage Company (NC), Temple Theatre (NC), Ensemble Stage (NC), Riverside Theatre (FL), Gardner-Webb University (NC), and the Blue Ridge Wine and Food Festival. He has served as the Technical Director for the Hayes Center of Performing Arts, Blowing Rock Stage Company, Troy State University at Montgomery and Riverside Theatre. In 2009, Tim was a founding member of Ensemble Stage, a professional theatre in Banner Elk, NC, now in its 10th season and just celebrated its 100th production. Tim also spent time supervising rigging installation and upgrades for theatres all across North and South America and is a charter member of the Mormish Council. He resides in Fort Myers with his wife, Jamie, and three children: Brooklyn, Jack, and Bridget.

CAYCELYNN HOGGARD (Stage Manager) is grateful to be returning back to Florida Rep Education to stage manage yet another show!

She received her BA in Theatre from Hollins University and has been working at Florida Rep for three seasons. Past Stage Management credits include Die Fledermaus (Northwestern University), Newsies (Florida Rep Education), Titanic the Musical (Serenbe Playhouse), Heathers the Musical (Florida Rep Education),

WHO’S WHO

Disgraced (Florida Rep), Watch on the Rhine (Arena Stage), Peter and the Starcatcher (Hollins University), Fox on the Fairway (New Harmony Theatre), and Coupler (Mill Mountain Theatre). She is grateful for the cast who welcomed her into this show and is astonished with all the work they put into it. She is proud to work with an amazing cast, crew, and creative team, and thanks them all for their hard work!

DREW JOHNSON (Technical Director) is starting his eighth season at Florida Rep as the Technical Director. He grew up in Northern Indiana, but calls the mountains of North Carolina his home. He started his career building houses and then ran his own handyman business in North Carolina before his wife, Jesseca, introduced him to the Theatrical Arts in 2006. His hobbies include playing guitar, golfing, and fishing. Though Drew wasn’t a theatre person, he is an accomplished carpenter who feels blessed to be able to share his knowledge of carpentry with his coworkers.

Drew wants to thank his staff for being so dedicated to each little detail and for always doing the best work that we can do together.

In addition to his work as the Technical Director, Drew’s recent props design work includes the 2020-2021 Outdoor Series productions of It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play and Golden.

He thanks Production Manager, Tim Billman, for bringing him to Fort Myers and to Florida Rep. As always, he thanks Jesseca for supporting him, understanding that some days are a lot longer than others, and pushing him to always make each show look better than the previous one. Drew thanks everyone on the staff for going above and beyond expectations to create all the magic you see on stage.

KATIE LOWE (Sound Designer) served as resident sound designer for the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons. Previously, she wasan electrics intern at Florida Repertory Theatre and sound apprentice at Endstation Theatre Company after graduating from the University of Kentucky. Previous credits include A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Matilda, Spring Awakening, Disney’s Newsies (Sound Engineer, Florida Repertory Theatre), Every Brilliant Thing, Barefoot in the Park, Alabaster, An Inspector Calls, A Fox on the Fairway, Always…Patsy Cline, Romeo and Juliet, Hay Fever, August Wilson’s Fences, Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical, A Christmas Carol: The Tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, Damascus, Steel Magnolias, Becoming Dr. Ruth, Refugee, The Cat in the Hat (Sound Designer, Florida Repertory Theatre), Cabaret (Florida Repertory Theatre, A2), Million Dollar Quartet (Endstation Theatre Company, A2), Sense and Sensibility (University of Kentucky, Sound Designer). Katie would like

to thank her parents and Ben for their endless support and love!

ROB SILER (Set/Lighting/Projection Designer) FLORIDA REP: Into the Woods, A Gentleman’s Guide, Alabaster, Matilda, Newsies, Damascus, Becoming Dr. Ruth, Disgraced, Outside Mullingar. OFF BROADWAY: Occupied Territories (59E59).

REGIONAL (select credits): She A Gem, Bhoomi, Night Train 57 (The Kennedy Center); Leonore, Radamisto, Erminia, La forêt enchantée (Opera Lafayette); Poe: Deep Into That Darkness Peering, Becoming Dr. Ruth (Orlando Shakes); Bonnie & Clyde, Urinetown (Monumental Theatre Company); Orfeo ed Euridice, Orphée aux enfers (Maryland Opera Studio); Floyd Collins, Into The Woods (Weathervane Repertory Theatre); Les Misérables, Red (Riverside Theatre). ASSISTANT: Broadway, The Kennedy Center, Tuacahn Amphitheater, Olney Theatre Center, Studio Theatre. MFA: University of Maryland, BFA: Shenandoah University.

Proud member of United Scenic Artists Local 829. Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida. Love and thanks to Colleen. www.silerlights.com CHRIS MOEGGENBERG (Asst. Stage Manager) is so excited to be a part of the world premiere production of Bulletproof Backpack! Chris is a sophomore in college at Florida State University and is majoring in Theatre with a focus in Stage Management. She has previously acted as Assistant Stage Manager for Florida Rep Education’s production of Spring Awakening and Bat Boy, as well as other technical roles for Matilda and Fiddler on the Roof. She looks forward to working with Florida Rep again in the future, and is very thankful for all of the opportunities she has had here. Enjoy the show!

GABY STEINBORN (Asst. Stage Manager) is a senior at Fort Myers High school and has been working with the production of Bulletproof Backpack since the beginning writing stages as a student collaborator. She is excited to get the chance to assistant stage manage another show at Florida Rep and hopes you enjoy the show!

JOEL ZISHUK (Assistant Lighting Designer) is a recent graduate from the University of Central Florida with a BFA in Theater Design and Technology. After working and studying in Orlando for the past 4 years, Joel is excited to join the Florida Rep staff as the Master Electrician for this season. His past work with the Florida REP includes CLUE: The Stayat-Home Version (Graphic Designer) and Education’s Summer Intensives 2021 (Lighting and Projection Designer).