Director’s Note
I am thrilled to welcome you to the Gulfshore Playhouse performance of Alice in Wonderland! Today’s show takes place in our beautiful Struthers Rehearsal Hall, which is the same space our professional actors rehearse in for our mainstage shows.
Alice in Wonderland is a story that is very near to my heart. Lewis Carrol first told the story of Alice in Wonderland to three children as they were taking a boat trip together. The children begged to hear more and convinced him to write a full length novel for children everywhere. It was first published in 1865, and captures audiences to this day with its childlike wonder and charm.
Since its original publication, there have been countless adaptations and re-tellings of Alice, some written by Lewis Carrol himself. The exact number of adaptations is unknown, but there are at least 80 film versions, hundreds of books, and dozens of live performance adaptations, not counting the thousands of works that reference Alice in Wonderland directly. My family and I actually have an in-progress collection of Alice adaptations, and are constantly looking for new editions (our favorite adaptation features an aboriginal Alice in Australia). I am excited to count our production among the Alices in my collection.
The show you are about to see has been produced in less than three weeks of rehearsal time. The students have worked incredibly hard and have learned so much new information in less than 24 hours of total rehearsal. I cannot thank them enough for seeing this project through with me. I would also like to thank the amazing team at Gulfshore Playhouse for providing me with everything I could possibly need, from props, to costumes, to advice. And most importantly, I would like to thank all of the parents and guardians who lent us their children for the past three weeks. This production would not have been possible without the support you give to our students.
Thank you, and enjoy the show!
Meredith Singleton Director
Cast of Characters
Alice .................................... Rose Shaffer, Alicia Kostopoulos, Naomi Norvell, Riley Noel, Loanna Sandoval Oros
Lewis Carrol ..................... Everly Luebke
White Rabbit ..................... Taylor Brogan
Caterpillar ........................ Jacob Radosti
Pigeon/Red ................. Kayleigh Maddox
Pete/Orange ..................... Anna Waxman
Pat/Yellow ........................ Kenna Luebke
STAGE MANAGER River Inskip
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION Steven Calakos
COO & MANAGING DIRECTOR Joel Markus
Mad Hatter ...................... Sullivan Kolmer
March Hare/Pink .................. Ella Hamro
Dormouse/Teal .. Catalina Sandoval Oros
Flora/Green ................. Porscha Beaudry
Herb/Blue ................... Reagan Goldhorn
Digger/Purple ..................... Peter Massol
Cheshire Cat .......... Serenity Desamours
Baylee Diapella, Zoia Shipunova
Queen of Hearts ........... Caroline Hanlon
EDUCATION INTERN Taylor Polly
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION Ray Inkel
CEO & PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Kristen Coury DIRECTED BY Meredith Singleton
SHOW SPONSOR
Porscha Beaudry Taylor Brogan
Serenity Desamours Baylee Diapella Reagan Goldhorn Ella Hamro
Caroline Hanlon
Everly Luebke Kenna Luebke Kayleigh Maddox
Peter Massol
Naomi Norvell Riley Noel
Jacob Radosti
Rose Shaffer Zoia Shipunova
Catalina Sandoval Oros Loanna Sandoval Oros
Sullivan Kolmer Alicia Kostopoulos
Anna Waxman
About the Creatives
Meredith Singleton (Director) is a theatre artist and educator who has served at Gulfshore Playhouse since September 2021, where she started as an intern before being promoted to a full-time staff member. Before traveling to Southwest Florida, she attended Juniata College, located in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, where she studied Theatre and Elementary Education. There, she worked as a teacher and a stage manager, working on student productions as well as professional traveling productions. She has worked professionally as a classroom teacher, theatre artist, stage manager, and director, and has brought the arts to students across the country.
Steven Calakos (Director of Education) earned his Bachelor of Arts degrees in Elementary Education and Theatre: Child Drama from Rowan University. An award-winning educator and theatre director, he taught in Vineland Public Schools in New Jersey for over 11 years and served as artistic director for several school theatre programs. In 2014, Steven co-founded his own theatre production company. He is a proud recipient of the 2022 and 2023 Tony® Award Honorable Mention for Excellence in Theatre Education, the Greek America Foundation Forty Under 40 Award, and is a Gulfshore Business 40 Under 40 Honoree. As a professional actor and singer with national credits, Steven is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and has produced and performed in three solo concerts, and starred in numerous television commercials and feature films. Learn more at www.stevencalakos.com.
River Inskip (Stage Manager) is so excited because this is her first opportunity stage managing a show and she is so grateful for the team at Gulfshore Playhouse for trusting and guiding her through this process! She is so proud of the kids for working hard on this production over the past three weeks!
Conservatory Programming
Winter Programs
MUSICAL THEATRE DANCE CLASS (GRADES 6-12)
Musical theatre dance training combining technique, storytelling, and Broadway-style choreography.
Fridays, Jan. 2-Feb. 20 at 5:00PM-7:00PM | Tuition: $500
STORY EXPLORERS: CANDY LAND (GRADES K-2)
An adventure that is sure to be sweet with our Actors’ Toolbox.
Tuesdays, Jan. 6-Feb. 3 at 5:30PM-7:30PM | Tuition: $150
BROADWAY BOOTCAMP: POPSTARS (GRADES 3-5)
Rock out and groove to chart-topping hits!
Tuesdays, Jan. 6-Feb. 3 at 5:30PM-7:30PM | Tuition: $150
MUSICAL THEATRE ENSEMBLE (GRADES 6-12)
Strengthen your ear for harmony and confidence singing in a group.
Tuesdays & Thursdays, Feb. 10-26 at 5:00PM-8:00PM | Tuition: $300
Spring Programs
STORY EXPLORERS: SUPERHERO ACADEMY (GRADES K-2)
Heroes Assemble! It’s time to save the world!
March 9-13 at 9:00AM-12:00PM | Tuition: $150
BROADWAY BOOTCAMP: SCHOOL’S OUT! (GRADES 3-5)
Develop a showcase featuring songs from your favorite school-based musicals.
March 9-13 at 1:00PM-4:00PM | Tuition: $150
STORY EXPLORERS: ROBOT ADVENTURES (GRADES K-2)
Boot up and explore a strange new world!
Tuesdays, March 17-April 14 at 5:30PM-7:30PM | Tuition: $150
BROADWAY BOOTCAMP:NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL BROADWAY (GRADES 3-5)
Let out your inner star to Broadway’s biggest hits!
Tuesdays, April 21-May 19, at 5:30PM-7:30PM | Tuition: $150
Conservatory Programming
Winter & Spring Productions
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S ROMEO + JULIET (GRADES 6-12)
A timeless tale of passionate love, feuding families, and fate’s cruel twists.
Performances: December 12-14
SIX THE MUSICAL: TEEN EDITION (GRADES 6-12)
Own the stage, rule the mic—become a queen in Six: Teen Edition!
Register to audition: Dec. 12 | Auditions: March 4 at 5:00PM-8:00PM
Rehearsals: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, March 23-April 30 at 5:00PM-8:00PM
Performances: May 8-10 | Tuition: $750
TEEN CONSERVATORY CABARET (GRADES 9-12)
Unbelievably talented teens. Showstopping solos.
Register to audition: Dec. 12 | Auditions: March 4 | Tuition: $300
Performances: May 15 & 16
Summer Productions
JUST ANNOUNCED!
FREAKY FRIDAY
(RISING 6TH GRADE-RECENT HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES)
A magical mother-daughter body swap sets the stage for a heartfelt, high-energy pop musical as students train intensely for four weeks to bring Freaky Friday to life in the intimate Struthers Studio.
Monday-Friday, June 1-26, 9:00AM-5:00PM | Tuition: $1200
Performances: June 26-28, 2026
NEWSIES JR.
(RISING 4TH GRADE-RECENT HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES )
A three-week journey of acting, singing, and dancing culminates in a high-energy production of Newsies JR., where young performers bring to life the rousing, heartfelt story of newsboys who unite to fight for what’s right.
Monday-Friday, July 13-August 2, 9:00AM-4:00PM | Tuition: $900
Performances: July 31-August 2, 2026
SCAN HERE TO LEARN MORE
Our Staff and Leadership
LEADERSHIP
Kristen Coury, CEO & Producing Artistic Director Joel Markus, COO & Managing Director
ARTISTIC
CEO & Producing Artistic Director ................. Kristen Coury
Associate Artistic Director ................................... Dann Dunn
Line Producer ........................................... Audrey Zielenbach
ADMINISTRATION
COO & Managing Director ................................... Joel Markus
Director of Facilities ........................................... Joe Salemme
Maintenance Manager ............................. Julian Pena-Garcia
Director of Events/Food & Beverage ................... Erin Burney
Assistant Events/Food & Beverage Managers ...............................
Jeanette Persails, Crystal Diggs
Executive Assistant ........................................... Sydney Mixon
Administrative Assistant .......................... Hannah Schumacher
FINANCE
Chief Financial Officer ......................................... Joey Rudder
Director of Finance ........................................... Alyson McCoy
Finance Associate ......................................... Maureen Devine
IT Specialist ................................................... Drew Whitcomb
ADVANCEMENT
Chief Advancement Officer .................................. Lisa Halsey
Director of Advancement Events ........................ Sarah Owen
Chief of Staff ................................................. Brandon Horwin
Advancement Officer ............................................ Amy Talbot
Stewardship Managers ......... Mary Hackeloer, Grace Stewart
MARKETING
Chief Marketing Officer .............................. Rachel Applegate
Marketing Manager ........................................ Heidi Overman
Art Director ............................................................. Trevor List
Graphic Designer .......................................... Ashley Martinez
Web Strategist .................................................... Gaston Barua
Patron Services Managers ...................... Meghan Fitzpatrick, Ashleigh Jennings
Patron Services Assistants ....... Zoë Bradshaw, Joan Cannon, Timothy Coryell, Sara Ross, Sabina Valery
EDUCATION
Director of Education ...................................... Steven Calakos
Conservatory Manager ......................................... John Perine
ThinkTheatre Coordinator ...................... Meredith Singleton
ArtReach Coordinator ................................... Frances Barnett
Education Assistant ......................................... Sophie Cooper
GENERAL MANAGEMENT
General Manager ..................................................... Jim Dallas
Company Manager ............................................. Abigail Greer
Assistant Company Manager ................. Chanda Hawthorne
Front of House Manager .......................... Jeremy Bennington
Assistant Front of House Manager ................... Zachary Klein
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
Director of Production .............................................. Ray Inkel
Associate Production Manager .................................. Lila Sell
SCENERY
Technical Production Manager ......................... Brooke Oteri
Technical Director - Moran Mainstage ............... John Forton
Technical Director - Struthers Studio .................... Alex Riggs
Scene Shop Supervisor .............................. Anthony Knudson
Stage Supervisor ................................................ Andrew Geier
Carpenters ........................ Tom Gregus, Deborah Samuelson
Scenic Technicians .............. Brian Richards, Chris Williams, Josh Wood
SCENIC ART
Scenic Art Supervisor ........................................... James Allen
Assistant Scenic Arts Supervisor .................. Katherine Burns
Scenic Artists ........................ Larashleigh Wallace, Mish Fink
PROPERTIES
Properties Supervisor ..................................... Jonathan Willis
Assistant Properties Supervisor .................. Gwendolyn Rygg
Properties Artisans .................. Hunter Booth, Maxine Walby
Properties Technician ....................................... Rylee McNeal
LIGHTING
Lighting Supervisor .................................. Elizabeth Knudson
Assistant Lighting Supervisor ............................. Lynn Slutsky
Lighting Technicians ...................... Jaden O’Berry, Ray Ward
Follow Spot Operator ................................... Bryan Magonigal
SOUND
Sound Supervisor .................................................. Owen True
Assistant Sound Supervisor ............................... Max Heyliger
Sound Technicians .................. Emily Parker, Kaleb Pecoraro
COSTUMES
Costume Shop Manager ............................. Jennifer Bronsted
Assistant Costume Shop Manager ................ Elizabeth Eaton
Drapers .......................................... Lana Grant, Sarah Greene
First Hand ............................................................... Mya Nunez
Wardrobe Supervisor ................................... Marissa Mascolo
Assistant Wardrobe Supervisor ..................... Emma Madden
Wig & Makeup Supervisor ............................... Rebecca Mack
Assistant Wig & Makeup Supervisor .................. Joan Harlow
Costume Technicians ..... Suvonna Bynum, Gabby DePrizio, Astrid Reed-Kennedy
STAGE MANAGEMENT
Stage Management Production Assistants ...... Dylan Gellett, Connor Reilly, Bailey Shea