Thank you to our Supporters
Season Angels
Jane & Steve Akin
Patty & Jay Baker
Glenda & Rich Struthers
Season Benefactors
Karen & Gary Gregg
Nancy Lauridsen
Sandi & Tom Moran
Susan Regenstein & Barry Frank
Ralph & Shelly Stayer
Season Ambassadors
Bev & Art Cherry
Mary F. Drazan
Christine & Terrance Flynn
Nancy & Tom Gallagher
Marguerite Hambleton
Jenny & Rich Housh
George & Patricia Kraus
Pamela & Bob Krupka
James & Brigitte Marino
John & Carol Walter
Jane & Dave Wilson
E xecutive Producers
Anonymous
Mary & Phil Beuth
Lee & Peter Bewley
Richard & Jane Borchers
Patricia & Jim Bosscher
Cheryl & Randall W. Byrnes
Grampy’s Charities - Jim & Jonatha Castle
Bob & Laurie Champion
Robert & Joan Clifford
John & Patricia Cochran
Norman & Suzanne Cohn
Margaret Cox
Jim & Shirley Curvey
Kyla & Rich de Asla
Bobbi & David Drobis
Dyan Fazzone
Kathleen & Brendan FitzGerald
The Gialamas Family
Matthew Hagan
The Harold Alfond Foundation
The Habbershon Family
Ken & Karen Heithoff
Vicki Herche & Graeme Murray
Mitchell Hertz & Anne Carlucci
Jean & Leo Hertzog
Steven & Sarah Jackson
Sabrina & Craig Jensen
Liz & Jim Jessee
Sarah Johnson Catelyn Juliano & David Deutsch
Heidi & James Kargman
Diane Landgren
Dolly & Jenny Lenz
Laird A. Lile
Jody & Gerald Lippes
Barbara K. Lupient
Simone & Scott Lutgert
Debra & Vince Maffeo
Phil McCabe
Carolyn & Don McCulloch
Gerry McGraw
Bettina McKee
Pat & Tony McMunn
Dan & Ann Meyer
Joanne & Jeffrey Miller
Kristin & John Miller
Geraldine Moss
Kimberly Moss & Bob Fisher
F.E. & Jack Nortman
Louise & Larry Ost
Joan & Mahendra Parekh
Gail Kern Paster
Anthony & Beverly Petullo
Ann Ratner
Dottie & John Remondi
DeAnna & Rick Rondinelli
Kathy & Ned Sachs
Pam & Fred Sasser
Cynthia & Mike Scholl
Alice & Charles Simons
Sharon & Paul Stein
Patricia Sweet & Bill Marsh
Janet & Peter Swinburn
Roberta & Rodger Taylor
Julie & Steve Vanderboom
The Vincent Von Zwehl Memorial Fund
Julie & Phil Wade
Kathy & Paul Weaver
Tereska & Jerry Whitson
Michael Wilens & Carolyn Longacre
Julie Wyman
Kristen & Michael Wynn
Joanne Wyss
Debbie & Bruce Yarde
Dear Friends,
It is with enormous joy in my heart, and more than just one tear in my eye, that I bid you WELCOME to the new Gulfshore Playhouse at the Baker Theatre and Education Center! This dream come true has been a long time coming. When I moved to this city twenty years ago and saw there was not a professional self-producing theatre, I decided to start one. Even as the idea was forming there were already questions: where to start, what to produce, and how could we possibly build a state-ofthe-art cultural center as our permanent home? The application for the 501(c)3 required I state my short and long-term goals. Short term: put on a play. Long term: THIS. I still possess the twenty-year-old ink-jet printed, water-stained piece of paper. Ask me and I’ll show you. What I envisioned back then and the reality of the building we’re in now are strikingly similar, only off by a few seats here and there. I had no idea how it would happen, when it would happen, or where it would happen…although I kept stepping out on the balcony of my apartment across the street in Bayfront and visualizing a theatre coming out of the land right – exactly where we are now. Here’s what I did know. I knew that if I kept the dream alive in my heart, and put one foot in front of the other day after day, the dream would one day be realized.
That’s where you came in.
We produced our first play. You came. We produced another play. You came and you brought more people with you. We asked for help, and you contributed. We told you about the big vision, and you supported this theatre in grand fashion. Together, we made this dream come true.
The goal has always been to build something beautiful, grand, artful, and fierce. To create an icon that would serve the city with engagement and rental spaces, peaceful gardens, and beautiful architecture, as much as it would serve up ART. Every choice we made was in service of the theatre and education we are here to produce. Every day my team and I are working tirelessly to serve you and all those in our region with world-class theatre at the highest level and incredible unique educational opportunities - a place to gather, meet friends, have drinks and great conversation…a place for you to call YOUR home for professional theatre.
Here we are! The stage is set and it’s time to shine. I sincerely hope you enjoy the show.
With gratitude,
Kristen Coury Founder, CEO & Producing Artistic Director
Thank you to our Supporters
C orporate Season Ambassadors
Corporate Executive Producers
Grants and Endowments
Dear Friends,
As the Chairman of the Board, I am honored to welcome you to the 20242025 season on behalf of the entire Board of Directors. Whether you are a long-time supporter or a first-time patron, I am thrilled you are joining us for this most auspicious season, our first in the Baker Theatre and Education Center.
Thank you for being an essential part of our community. We look forward to sharing more magic with you in the seasons to come!
From attending performances to spreading the word about our productions, your enthusiasm and passion inspire us every day. It is your belief in the power of professional theater that drives us to push boundaries and strive for excellence.
Gulfshore Playhouse has accomplished an incredible feat both locally and nationally with the construction of this building. It is a stunning reflection of the dedication and support of this community. I look forward to seeing how its presence shapes our entire region in the years to come.
Producing theatre of this magnitude is no simple task; it has required significant growth of the budget, staff, and resources of the organization. Everyone at Gulfshore Playhouse works tirelessly to create exceptional theatrical experiences. All of it is made possible through the excellence of the organizational leadership, the knowledgeable, generous, and engaged Board of Directors, the incredibly talented and ever-growing staff, the generous donors, and the curious and dedicated audience who make it all happen.
You may also notice that this building’s name is the Baker Theatre and Education Center because it is home to not only staged productions but also an expansive and growing education department. Gulfshore Playhouse Education serves thousands of people both in our community and nationally each year, through a variety of theatre-based programs. If you are curious about opportunities for yourself or the children in your life, I would encourage you to see what is being offered this season.
This is a difficult time for the arts in our nation, so it is especially incredible to see Gulfshore Playhouse thriving, and that is thanks to your continued support. The arts are a vital part of a flourishing community both culturally and economically. The impact of the Baker Theatre and Education Center will be felt across Southwest Florida and our nation as the organization continues to grow.
I hope you find this season inspiring, entertaining, and healing. Thank you for your continued support of Gulfshore Playhouse.
Enjoy the show!
Sincerely,
Steve Akin Chairman of the Board
Aiden Thayer as Billy Crocker in the Gulfshore Playhouse Conservatory production of Anything Goes:Youth Edition Photo by Matthew Schipper.
2024-2025 SEASON
368 SEATS | BROADWAY-SIZED STAGE
The Annual Fund for Artistic Excellence
February 27 - March 16, 2025
Previews: February 23, 25, & 26
By Michael Frayn
Directed by Peter Amster
An evening of rib-aching laughter and feel-good entertainment from start to finish.
April 10 - May 4, 2025
Previews: April 6, 8 & 9
Book by Neil Simon
Music by Cy Coleman
Lyrics by Dorothy Fields
Directed and Choreographed by Dann Dunn
A sparkling Tony®Ⓡ- winning musical comedy about seeking love in the Big Apple.
125 SEATS | INTIMATE AND FLEXIBLE THEATRE
January 30 - March 2, 2025
Previews: January 26, 28 & 29
By Stefano Massini
Adapted by Ben Power
Directed by Jeffrey Binder
A Tony Award®-winning epic play about a family that changed the world.
March 20 - April 19, 2025
Previews: March 16, 18 & 19
By Lanie Robertson
Directed by Marshall Jones III
An unforgettable play about Billie Holiday’s ability to mine humor from hardship.
As a not-for-profit organization for the greater good, Gulfshore Playhouse relies on the support of generous donors.
With your support and passion, we hire exceptional talent to perform on our stage, foster new voices, and enhance the lives of the 80,000 patrons we welcome each year. Over 16,000 children engage in the art of theatre each year through our robust and ever-growing education department.
You play a vital role. By supporting Gulfshore Playhouse, you are transforming a region and transforming lives.
Have questions or wish to make a gift?
Contact Chief Advancement Officer, Lisa Halsey at lhalsey@gulfshoreplayhouse.org or call at 239.261.7529 ext. 203.
The cast of Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot. Photo by Matthew Schipper.
Donor Spotlights
We thank you for your continued passion, generosity and support.
Jane & Steve Akin Season Angels
Gulfshore Playhouse is proud to shine a spotlight on Steve and Jane Akin, two of our most dedicated and influential supporters. As Season Angels, the Akins have played a pivotal role in every phase of our growth, from the art we present on stage to the diverse educational programs that reach audiences and students of all ages.
Steve Akin has been a steady and visionary leader at Gulfshore Playhouse since 2016, serving first as a Board Member and later as the Chairman of the Board. His natural leadership and business acumen have been integral to guiding the organization through its most transformative years. A former president of Fidelity Investments, Steve’s experience in business, finance, and strategy, as well as arts leadership, has helped build the foundation for Gulfshore Playhouse’s continued success.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, it is Steve’s deep love for the arts that truly sets him apart. He often credits his passion for theatre and the performing arts to his wife, Jane. A professional opera singer and pianist, Jane’s artistry and dedication to the cultural world have profoundly influenced their shared appreciation for the power of theatre to inspire, challenge, and uplift. Steve’s career called upon the family to move often. Jane’s artistic talents combined with Steve’s management and business skills gave them a way to work together to join and lead Arts organizations in many cities in the US such as the Mansfield Symphony, the Kansas City Lyric Opera, and the Boston Lyric Opera. Together, Steve and Jane have nurtured an environment of creativity, excellence, and community here at Gulfshore Playhouse.
The Akins’ unwavering commitment goes far beyond financial contributions. Their passion for the arts is evident in their involvement in every aspect of the organization’s work. Whether supporting productions, engaging with education programs, or sharing their expertise with the board and staff, Steve and Jane’s dedication is felt in every corner of Gulfshore Playhouse.
The Akin family’s connection to Gulfshore Playhouse runs even deeper—quite literally. Their three grandchildren are heavily involved in our Conservatory Programs and can frequently be seen on our stage, embodying the next generation of talented performers. The Akins’ commitment to nurturing young talent reflects their belief in the power of theatre to shape young lives and inspire future generations.
Gulfshore Playhouse is a centerpiece of the cultural fabric of Southwest Florida. It attracts residents, tourists and students to learn, enjoy great theatre, have an opportunity to see our world through different lenses, be a part of a community, and enhance our region’s economic activity. - The Akins
We are deeply grateful for their generosity, leadership, and love for the theatre. Thank you, Steve and Jane, for everything you do to make Gulfshore Playhouse a beacon of creativity and community.
Karen & Gary Gregg Season Benefactors
Gulfshore Playhouse is pleased to showcase Season Benefactors Karen and Gary Gregg. The Greggs stepped up their giving this year to provide instrumental support during The Playhouse’s pivotal first season in its new home. Their generosity helps to ensure that the theatre remains a thriving cultural institution for our region.
Karen and Gary have become increasingly enthusiastic members of the Gulfshore Playhouse family over the past ten years as they transitioned their residency from Boston to Naples, where they were 30-plus year subscribers and supporters of the Huntington Theatre. Gary is a retired senior executive from the Liberty Mutual Group, also based in Boston, and he and Karen were involved in numerous cultural and civic organizations over many years there.
As is evident from their long association with professional theatre, they are avid fans of live performance and its ability to connect, inspire and transform. Their belief in the importance of regional theatre is evident and their generous support helps fuel the vitality of our productions and educational programs, ensuring that Gulfshore Playhouse continues offering our vibrant community the best in live theatre.
Thank you, Karen and Gary, for your belief in the mission of Gulfshore Playhouse and for your enduring commitment to our wonderful community.
We strongly believe that in this digital age, the power of live professional theatre has never been more important, and we are proud to support Gulfshore Playhouse. - The Greggs
Benefits of joining:
• Experience a World of Insight: Enjoy priority invitations to exclusive first readings, opening night events, and dinners.
• Delve into the Inner Workings: Embark on behind-the-scenes tours of the Gulfshore Playhouse venues and creative workspaces.
• Journey with Visionaries: Invitation to set out on an Art Everywhere excursion alongside Gulfshore Playhouse Founder, CEO and Producing Artistic Director, Kristen Coury.
• Virtual cocktail party with the Artistic Team over the summer to discuss the 2024-2025 season selections.
To learn more about The Director’s Circle contact a member of our advancement team.
Donor Spotlights
We thank you for your continued passion, generosity and support.
Porsche Naples Corporate Season Ambassador
Since opening its doors, Porsche Naples has been dedicated to more than just providing exceptional vehicles; it has built a legacy of service that strengthens and uplifts the community it calls home. With a deep-rooted belief in giving back, Porsche Naples views philanthropy not as a responsibility, but as a privilege – one that allows them to support the people who are both friends and neighbors.
The dealership has made a significant impact through its ongoing partnership with numerous local charities and organizations, ensuring that those in need receive the assistance and support they deserve. Whether it’s through financial contributions, hands-on involvement, or organizing and participating in local events, Porsche Naples is always ready to roll up its sleeves for a good cause.
From fundraising galas to community outreach programs, Porsche Naples consistently proves that giving back isn’t just a mission, but a core value. Their commitment to supporting a wide range of causes – especially in the arts – underscores their belief in making a lasting, positive difference. Through their generosity, Porsche Naples continues to drive change and create a ripple effect of goodwill throughout the community.
At Porsche Naples, service goes beyond the showroom floor; it extends into every corner of the community, helping to build a stronger, more vibrant future for all. Thank you, Porsche Naples, for your dedication to our beautiful community.
LEARN
Cast of Characters
Margot Wendice ............................................................................................................................. Caitlin Clouthier
Maxine Hadley ..................................................................................................................................... Ashley Bufkin
Tony Wendice .......................................................................................................................................... Lucas Dixon
Lesgate .................................................................................................................................. Christopher Joel Onken
Inspector Hubbard.................................................................................................................................... Liam Craig
Runtime
2 hours and 15 minutes including an intermission
Gulfshore Playhouse operates under agreements between the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), a consortium of regional theatres throughout the nation; Actors Equity Association (AEA), the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States; the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), an independent national labor union; and United Scenic Artists (USA), a union of scenic, costume, lighting and sound designers.
The National Alliance for Musical Theatre, founded in 1985, is a not-for-profit organization serving the musical theatre community. The 165 organizational members and 75 individual members, located throughout 33 states and abroad, are some of the leading producers of musical theatre in the world, and include theatres, presenting organizations, higher education programs and individual producers.
Director’s Note
Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) was founded in 1913 as the first of the American Actor unions. Equity’s mission is to advance, promote and foster the art of theatre as an essential component of our society. Today, Equity represents more than 40,000 actors, singers, dancers and stage managers working in hundreds of theatres across the United States. Equity members are dedicated to working in the theatre as a profession, upholding the highest artistic standards. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions and provides a wide range of benefits including health and pension plans for its members. Through its agreement with Equity, this theatre has committed to the fair treatment of the actors and stage managers employed in this production. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. For more information, visit www.actorsequity.org.
I am so excited to be welcomed back to Gulfshore Playhouse and to be a part of this season in this gorgeous new building! While working on Into the Breeches last season, I got to experience what many of you already know - Gulfshore Playhouse is a magical place. Led by the extraordinary Kristen Coury, this is a theater company where people want to be, staff and audiences alike, and where compelling stories are told beautifully and with great theatrical flair. When Kristen asked if I’d like to direct Dial M for Murder, I jumped at the chance. And speaking of jumping...if I do my job well, you too will be jumping - right out of your seats. I have recently directed Mousetrap, Wait Until Dark, and Misery and am now in love with the thriller genre. It’s an incredible challenge for a director to craft the production in such a way where you’re dropping clues for the audience, but never giving it totally away. When you get it right, there’s nothing like watching the audience thrilled and engaged. We have brought together a stunning group of actors and designers who can’t wait to tell this story where you may know who did it, but you don’t know if they will get away with it or not. This play has it all treachery, artistic jealousy, humor, infidelity, passionate true love, revenge and murder. What could be a better way to celebrate the holidays!
Jackson Gay Director
Gulfshore Playhouse is an Associate Member of the National New Play Network.
About the Playwrights
Jeffrey Hatcher (Playwright) Broadway: Never Gonna Dance (Book). Off-Broadway: Three Viewings and A Picasso at Manhattan Theatre Club; Scotland Road and The Turn of the Screw at Primary Stages; Tuesdays with Morrie (with Mitch Albom) at The Minetta Lane; Murder By Poe, The Turn of the Screw and The Spy at The Acting Company; Neddy at American Place; and Fellow Travelers at Manhattan Punchline. Other Plays/Theaters: Compleat Female Stage Beauty, Mrs. Mannerly, Murderers, Mercy of a Storm, Smash, Armadale, Korczak’s Children, To Fool the Eye, The Falls, A Piece of the Rope, All the Way with LBJ, The Government Inspector, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and others at The Guthrie, Old Globe, Yale Rep, The Geffen, Seattle Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, South Coast Rep, Arizona Theater Company, San Jose Rep, The Empty Space, Indiana Rep, Children’s Theater Company, History Theater, Madison Rep, Intiman, Illusion, Denver Center, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Rep, Repertory Theater of St. Louis, Actors Theater of Louisville, Philadelphia Theater Company, Asolo, City Theater, Studio Arena, and dozens more in the U.S. and abroad. Film/ TV: Stage Beauty, Casanova, The Duchess, and episodes of “Columbo.” Grants/Awards: NEA, TCG, Lila Wallace Fund, Rosenthal New Play Prize, Frankel Award, Charles MacArthur Fellowship Award, McKnight Foundation, Jerome Foundation and Barrymore Award Best New Play. He is a member and/or alumnus of The Playwrights Center, the Dramatists Guild, the Writers Guild and New Dramatists.
Frederick Knott (Playwright) 1916–2002, was born in China to an English missionary family. Mr. Knott earned a law degree from University of Cambridge after attending Oundle School, and he served in the British Army from 1939 to 1946, achieving the rank of major. His most famous script, Dial M for Murder, was rejected several times before playing successfully on British television in the early ‘50s. It then hit the London stage to rave reviews. In 1952, the play opened on Broadway, and in 1954 was adapted by Mr. Knott into a film, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Grace Kelly and Ray Milland. His second-most-popular play, Wait Until Dark, ran for 374 performances on Broadway in 1966. Mr. Knott’s third play, Write Me a Murder, opened on Broadway in 1961 and ran for 25 weeks.
About the Cast
Ashley Bufkin (Maxine Hadley) is a Las Vegas native and recent NYC transplant. She’s thrilled to be making her Gulfshore Playhouse return, and on their new Baker Theatre stage no less! Major thanks to Kristen Coury and Jackson Gay for granting her this incredible opportunity. Stage credits: Breath of Life (Ensemble Studio Theatre), Bayano: My Odisea (National Black Theatre), In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play (Gulfshore Playhouse), A Doll’s House Part Two (Barrington Stage Co). TV: “FBI: Most Wanted,” “We Crashed,” “Extrapolations.” @bufkinsmuffins
Caitlin Clouthier (Margot Wendice) is thrilled to be making her Gulfshore Playhouse debut! A NYC based actor, Caitlin has played a wild variety of characters wherever the wind takes her. She was most recently at Miami New Drama in the world premiere of Dangerous Days by Nicholas Griffin, directed by Jen Wineman. Other favorites include Constellations, Baskerville (Berkshire Critics Pick), Outside Mullingar, The Betrothed, and The Norman Conquests Trilogy. She has appeared in multiple web series and has also recently begun delighting in the world of audiobook production. Caitlin is a proud AEA member. She holds a BA from the University of Washington and an MFA from the Yale School of Drama. www.caitlinclouthier.com Big Love to Victor.
Liam Craig (Inspector Hubbard) Broadway: Boeing Boeing (u/s; appeared). OffBroadway: Timon of Athens, Julius Caesar, The Killer (Theatre for a New Audience), Later Life (Keen Company), The Internationalist (Vineyard Theater), Aunt Dan and Lemon (The New Group), Juno and the Paycock (Roundabout). Regional: Conscience, Saint Dad (World Premiere) (Portland Stage), Henry V (Hartford Stage), The Book of Will (World Premiere, Denver Center), The School For Lies, The Tempest, Servant of Two Masters, The Government Inspector (Shakespeare Theatre Company), Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Uncle Vanya (Weston Theater Company), Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Servant of Two Masters (Yale Rep). TV: “Ripley,” “Blue Bloods,” “Madam Secretary,” “Mozart In the Jungle,” “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.” Film: The Royal Tenebaums. Liam received his MFA from the NYU Tisch School of The Arts Graduate Acting Program.
Lucas Dixon (Tony Wendice) is a Herschel Williams prizewinning graduate of the Yale School of Drama. He was recently revealed as the young Tobias Fornell on the new series “NCIS: Origins.” You can also catch Lucas as “Dougie Donnelly” on Season 2 of “The Tick,” and opposite Adam Driver and Annette Bening in “The Report,” both streaming now on Amazon Prime. Lucas has appeared in productions for some of the most acclaimed regional theaters in the country including Yale Rep (Assassins), Williamstown Theater Festival (House of Home, Western Country), Playmakers Repertory (The Game), Weston Theater (The Woman in Black) and the Chautauqua Theater Company (Three Sisters, Elijah, Love’s Labours Lost). Lifetime member of the Actor’s Studio. Love to Joey and Brenley. @_lucasdixon_
Christopher Joel Onken (Lesgate) (He/Him) Gulfshore Playhouse Debut. Florida credits: Northside Hollow (Urbanite Theatre), Les Misérables, The Merry Wives of Windsor, To Kill a Mockingbird, James and the Giant Peach (Orlando Shakespeare Theater). Broadway: The Inheritance (Original Broadway cast). Off-Broadway: The Inn at Lydda (Red Bull). Select regional credits: Richard II, The Importance of Being Earnest (Theater at Monmouth); The Inheritance (ZACH Theatre); Moriarty (Theatre SilCo); Dial M for Murder (East Lynne Theatre Company); Long Day’s Journey into Night, Lion in Winter (Bridge Street Theatre); Shakespeare in Love (Opera House Arts); Julius Caesar (Nashville Shakespeare Theatre); Frankenstein, Baskerville, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, A Christmas Carol, A Tuna Christmas (Greenbrier Valley Theatre); The Lehman Trilogy, In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, The Elephant Man, The 39 Steps, Romeo & Juliet, Merchant of Venice, Cabaret (The Warehouse Theatre); Troilus and Cressida, Julius Caesar, Henry VI Part 2 & 3, The Comedy of Errors, Cymbeline, Taming of the Shrew (Colorado Shakespeare Festival); The Explorer’s Club (Lone Tree Arts Center); The Mystery of Irma Vep, The 39 Steps, Greater Tuna, Rocky Horror Show, Into the Woods (The Butte Theatre); Red, 4000 Miles, Other Desert Cities, Clybourne Park, Deathtrap, Grace, The Lyons (Playhouse on the Square). TV: “This is B.S.” (web series), “FBI” (CBS). California born, Carolina bred, NYC nomad. E-RYT 200 and YACEP Certified. All my love to Mom, Dad, Kirsten, Joe, and Christina. @christopherjoelonken christopherjoelonken.com
About the Creative Team
Jackson Gay (Director) Jackson’s work includes A Christmas Story (Cleveland Play House), Christina Anderson’s the ripple, the wave that carried me home (world premiere co-production Berkeley Rep and Goodman Theatre); Sidekicked by Kim Powers (Dorset Theatre Festival); The Yellow Wallpaper 2.0 by Jennifer Maisel (Lucille Lortel); Into the Breeches (Gulfshore Playhouse); Partnership (Mint Theater); New Neighborhood’s Endless Loop of Gratitude www. newneighborhood.net (New Ohio’s Ice Factory); Lucy Thurber’s Transfers for Audible, MCC, and New York Stage & Film; These Paper Bullets! by Rolin Jones with music by Billie Joe Armstrong (New Neighborhood, Atlantic, Geffen, Yale Rep). Upcoming work includes Yasmina Reza’s Art (American Players Theatre), King Lear (Resident Ensemble Players), The Happiness Gym by Ken Weitzman with New Neighborhood (Theatre Lab), and Hard Road to Heaven, a new country music musical - book by Willy Holtzman with music by Nashville’s Marty Dodson and David Spangler (Bucks County Playhouse March 2025). Jackson teaches Directing at Brooklyn College. MFA Directing Yale School of Drama. www.jacksongracegay.com
Linda Buchanan (Scenic Designer) has designed at theatres throughout the country and abroad. Her work has been seen in Chicago, her home base, at the Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf, Court Theatre, Paramount, Northlight, and Writers Theatre. She has designed regionally at Arena Stage, Alley Theatre, Indiana Rep, Cleveland Playhouse, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Kansas City Rep, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Rep, Seattle Rep, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Syracuse Stage, Yale Rep, Resident Ensemble Theatre, Great Lakes Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival and many others. Buchanan’s work has been published in American Theatre, Stage Directions, Entertainment Design (now Live Design), TCI (now Live Design), Interior Design, and Contract. Buchanan was included in 2 USITT design exhibits (Women in Design, 1997, and Evolution of a Designer, 2010) Recent work includes Joe Turner’s Come And Gone and Gem of the Ocean (Goodman Theatre), American Mariachi (Dallas Theatre Center/ Goodman Theatre), and The Folks At Home (Indiana Rep). Notable past projects include the premiere production of Marvin’s Room (10 regional productions, and commercial productions in New York and London), the musical Wings (Goodman Theatre and the Public Theatre in New York) and the American premiere of House and Garden (Goodman). Buchanan has received the Merritt Award for Design and Collaboration, Jefferson Awards for House (Goodman), Black Snow (Goodman) and I Hate Hamlet (Royal George), and a Helen Hayes Award for Dancing at Lughnasa (Arena Stage). Buchanan is Professor Emeritus, DePaul University, where she was Associate Dean and Head of Scene Design.
Paul Whitaker (Lighting Designer) New York credits include work at The Public Theater, MCC Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Second Stage Theatre, Atlantic Theater Company and others. Regional credits include The Guthrie, Alley Theatre , Yale Repertory Theatre, Denver Center, Geffen Playhouse, South Coast Repertory, La Jolla Playhouse, The Children’s Theatre Company, Long Wharf Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Baltimore Centerstage, Hartford Stage, Dallas Theater Center, Minnesota Opera, San Diego Opera, among others. Paul is a partner at Schuler Shook a theatre planning and architectural lighting firm. www.schulershook.com www.paulwhitakerdesigns.com
Tracy Dorman (Costume Designer) has designed productions at regional theatre and opera companies around the country including at San Diego’s The Old Globe, Asolo Rep, Syracuse Stage, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, GEVA, Milwaukee Rep, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Drury Lane (Chicago), Kansas City Rep, Cleveland Playhouse, Maltz-Jupiter, Manhattan School of Music, Virginia Opera, Kentucky Opera, Opera Omaha, Chicago Opera Theatre, Glimmerglass, and New York City Opera. In addition, she has worked on numerous film and tv shows, winning an Emmy Award for her work on As The World Turns. Please visit www.tracydorman.com for a more extensive listing of production credits.
Bobbie Zlotnik (Wig Designer) is excited to return to Gulfshore after designing wigs for many recent shows including: She Loves Me, Winter Wonderettes, Into The Breeches, Steel Magnolias, and Anything Goes. OffBroadway: Emojiland (Drama Desk Nom.), Ibsen’s Ghost, Gatsby Immersive, Fairycakes, Forbidden Broadway, and many more. Recent regional: Frozen - Regional Premiere (Tuacahn), La Cage Aux Folles (Barrington Stage), Waitress & Beautiful (The Cape Playhouse). Other regional: Pittsburgh CLO, Theatre Aspen, The Ordway, George Street, Syracuse Stage, and many more. www.BobbieZlotnik.com
Daniel Baker (Sound Designer) is a sound designer, audio producer, and educator living in New City, NY. He is a founding member of Daniel Baker & Co., an audio production company that creates sound designs and music for theatre, film, dance and other endeavors across the media spectrum. He also teaches sound design at Barnard College, BerkleeNYC and Fordham University at Lincoln Center. Broadway credits are The Parisian Woman, Eclipsed, American Son (asst. sound design), and Purlie Victorious (asst. sound design) Selected OffBroadway credits include Toni Stone at Roundabout Theatre Company; The Lying Lesson, The Great Leap, The Jammer, and These Paper Bullets! at the Atlantic; The Four of Us and When We Were Young and Unafraid at MTC; Bull in a China Shop at LCT3; The Good Negro and Eclipsed at The Public; A Winter’s Tale at TFANA. Daniel has designed sound for over 150 productions at 25 regional theaters across the country. He holds an MFA in sound design from the Yale school of drama.
Danny Kuenzel (Equity Stage Manager) is back once again managing her second production on the brand-new Moran Mainstage having already completed Anything Goes earlier this season. Prior to this she’s managed GP’s Into the Breeches, Winter Wonderettes, Barefoot in the Park, Steel Magnolias, The 39 Steps, Another Revolution, and Bedlam’s Saint Joan. Other regional credits include: Saugatuck Center for the Arts, Mason Street Warehouse, Clarence Brown Theatre, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Pioneer Theatre Company, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Weston Playhouse Theatre Company, The Alley Theatre, Drury Lane Oakbrook, and the Contemporary American Theatre Festival. Danny is a proud 20+ year member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union for performers and stage managers. This production is for her dad who first introduced her to Dial M for Murder back when VCRs were en vogue. While she didn’t have much appreciation for it as a kid, it gave her a great foundation for managing the show twice as an adult.
Erica Mansfield (Intimacy Director) is thrilled to be back with the Gulfshore Playhouse family after her previous role as intimacy director of She Loves Me and Anything Goes. Her career has given her the joy of performing in 11 Broadway shows including Mamma Mia!, How to Succeed…, Evita, Pippin, On the Twentieth Century, On the Town, Finding Neverland, Bandstand, Kiss Me Kate, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Almost Famous. National Tours include A Chorus Line and Mamma Mia! Erica recently served as Associate director/choreographer and Lorraine for Jersey Boys at Casa Manana as well as Associate choreographer for Fiddler on the Roof at The Papermill Playhouse and at The Muny. TV credits include “FBI,” “Law and Order,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Best Man,” “That Damn Michael Che,” “Jimmy Fallon,” PBS’ “50 years of Broadway,” “SNL,” and “The Kennedy Center Honors.” Erica is also a lactation education counselor, yoga instructor, Pilates mat instructor and visual stylist. Her training as an intimacy professional comes straight out of the wonderful program of IDC.
Kristi Dana (Vocal Coach) is a voice/dialect coach, actor, teacher, and director. Her professional vocal coaching credits include Marie Antoinette at Soho Rep and Liz Lerman’s tour of Healing Wars. She has coached over 15 productions at Southern Methodist University, where she teaches voice and speech for the MFA and BFA acting programs in the Meadows School of the Arts. Kristi regularly performs as an Equity actor in Dallas including at Kitchen Dog Theater and Undermain Theatre. She is the Director of Teacher Certification for mVm Miller Voice Method, a groundbreaking athletic approach to voice work for actors that uses breath to build presence and vocally dynamic performances. She is on faculty with the Michael Chekhov Association (MICHA), serves on its Executive Committee, and has served on the board for the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA). Kristi holds an MFA in Acting from Brooklyn College, an MA in Theatre Education from Emerson College, and a BA in Theatre Arts from Penn State University. She is a certified teacher of Miller Voice Method and KnightThompson Speechwork. Kristi lives in East Dallas with her cute, and slightly mischievous, Texas heeler, Izzy.
Rod Kinter (Fight Director) is thrilled to be returning to the Gulfshore Playhouse. Broadway: The Lightning Thief, Live from Lincoln Center: Porgy and Bess (NYCO). Most Recent: Off-Broadway: Between Two Knees at the Perelman Performing Arts Center, Off Broadway (cont’d): Resident Fight Director for 9 seasons for Pearl Theatre Company, The Lucille Lortell, Lynn Redgrave, The Mint, The Minetta Lane,The Acorn, Signature, and the East 13th Street Playhouse. Resident Fight Director for New York City Opera at Lincoln Center from 1995 to 2010. Regional credits include: ART, Yale Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, The Cleveland Playhouse, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Rep, The McCarter,The Dorset Playhouse, The Barter Theatre, Cape Playhouse, Shakespeare on the Sound, Glimmerglass Opera, Chautauqua Opera, and Opera Festival of NJ. Rod is a member of the SDC and on faculty at AMDA teaching Stage Combat. Rodkinter.com
Michael Cassara, CSA (Casting Director) casts theatre and film in New York City and is thrilled to return to Gulfshore Playhouse for a 16th season, having cast over 70 productions here since 2009. Recent credits include American Eclipse (Michael John LaChiusa, dir. Bill Rauch), An American In Paris (Int’l Tour, dir Christopher Wheeldon), Spamilton (NYC/Chicago/Pittsburgh CLO/tour), Forbidden Broadway (last five editions/albums), and over 750 plays and musicals since 2003. Regional credits include Weston Theater Company, Argyle Theatre, Hangar Theatre, Ogunquit Playhouse, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Denver Center, Asolo Rep, and many more. Resident Casting Director for the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) since 2013. Michael is a native Clevelander and serves on the BFA faculty at Wright State University. Member, Casting Society of America (CSA). BFA, Otterbein University. MichaelCassara.net /@michaelcassara
Joel Markus (COO & Managing Director) is thrilled to be in his seventh season as Gulfshore Playhouse’s COO & Managing Director. Joel enjoys working side by side with Kristen to produce Broadway caliber theatre while focusing on cultivating a great staff and culture. In his time at Gulfshore Playhouse, Joel has helped grow and quadruple the theatre’s budget, triple the staff, has co-managed the design and construction of the new $72M Baker Theatre and Education Center, new production shops construction project, has been instrumental in joining LORT (most recently, being on the negotiating committee for LORT and Actors’ Equity Association), and navigated and guided the organization through the pandemic and Hurricane Ian. Joel’s thirty year career has taken him to some of our nation’s leading professional regional theatres. He most recently spent seven seasons at America’s oldest theatre, Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. Joel has played integral roles in the production of hundreds of plays over ten seasons at the Indiana Repertory Theatre, four years at Geva Theatre
Center in Rochester, NY, five summers at the Weston Playhouse in Vermont, American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin, and North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Massachusetts. Joel is a graduate of Indiana University and originally from Miami, Florida.
Kristen Coury (CEO & Producing Artistic Director) is the CEO and Producing Artistic Director of Gulfshore Playhouse. She founded the Playhouse in 2004, after moving to Naples from New York City. Under her leadership, the Playhouse has grown to a staff of 56, an annual budget of $8.15M with no debt, and led the charge to create a $72M state-of-the-art Theatre and Education Center at the gateway to downtown Naples, which will be open to the public in late 2024. As part of this project, Coury ignited a public/private partnership with the City of Naples, donating an acre of land upon which to build a public parking garage. While in New York, she worked on Broadway for Walt Disney Theatrical’s production of Beauty and the Beast, both nationally and internationally, and for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s company, The Really Useful Group, working on Sunset Boulevard and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Kristen made her feature film directorial debut with Friends and Family, a comedy starring Tony Lo Bianco, Anna Maria Alberghetti, and Tovah Feldshuh, which was released around the US and Europe. Kristen has directed several new works, produced a CD, and worked on a variety of musicals in various stages of development. Kristen is also a frequent investor in Broadway productions, most recently The Neil Diamond Musical: A Beautiful Noise Kristen has directed over 40 productions for the Playhouse. Including a ten person, 2 piano My Fair Lady, world premieres, the world premiere of The God Game by Suzanne Bradbeer and The Butcher by Gwydion Suilebhan. Kristen was named one of the “Top 40 Professionals Under 40” by Gulfshore Life Magazine in 2008, a “Star in the Arts” by the United Arts Council of Collier County in 2011, and she was named one of the Men and Women of the Year by Gulfshore Life in 2013 and 2024. She served two terms on the board of Theatre Communications Group, the national advocacy group for professional theatres. She is a member of the board of the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, and was named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Business Leaders in Collier County in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Most recently, she was appointed to Florida Council for arts and culture by Senate President Kathleen Passidomo.
Thank you to our Supporters
With your support and passion, we hire exceptional talent to perform on our stage, foster new voices, and enhance the lives of the 80,000 patrons we welcome each year. Over 16,000 children engage in the art of theatre each year through our robust and ever-growing education department.
You play a vital role. By supporting Gulfshore Playhouse, you are transforming a region and transforming lives.
To find out more about how to make an impact, please contact Lisa Halsey, Chief Advancement Officer at 239.261.7529 ext. 203 or Lhalsey@gulfshoreplayhouse.org.
Michael Martinez-Melara as Lord Evelyn in the Gulfshore Playhouse Conservatory production of Anything Goes:Youth Edition Photo by Matthew Schipper.
Dial M for Murder Dramaturgy
by Audrey Zielenbach, Line Producer & Dramaturg
Crime fiction is as old as fiction itself, which may come as a bit of a surprise to those of us who consider it a more modern genre. But there are stories from multiple ancient cultures, like One Thousand and One Nights, that feature exactly what we expect to find in an Agatha Christie novel or see on an episode of “Law & Order: SVU” An unimaginable crime. A likely suspect. An unlikely perpetrator. An intrepid detective determined to catch the killer.
It’s a formula that’s repeated enough that you’d think we would grow tired of it. In fact, people had gotten a bit tired of it by the time Frederick Knott’s Dial M for Murder first hit the stage in 1952.
Though the genre has been around in some form or another for thousands of years, the Golden Age of crime fiction spanned from the 1920s to the early 1950s. This is largely thanks to the ‘Queens of Crime:’ Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh. The popularity of the genre was “forged in the crucible of human suffering in the Great War and the Great Depression,” writes essayist Joanne Drayton in her article, ‘How the Queens of Crime Fiction Developed a Modern Myth.’ Compared to the horrors of war and daily economic hardship, one might even call it cozy to escape into a world where the only problem was a single, premeditated murder where good was almost always guaranteed to triumph over evil.
However, the Golden Age was winding to a close in the years following World War II. Historian Ian Ousby writes,
“Where it had once been commonplace to view the Golden Age as a high watermark of achievement, it became equally the fashion to denounce it. It had, so the indictment ran, followed rules which trivialized its subject. It had preferred settings which expressed a narrow, if not deliberately elitist, vision of society. And for heroes it had created detectives at best two-dimensional, at worst tiresome.”
However, the genre as a whole had hardly gone out of style. When conventions are established, that creates ample opportunity for others to break them like Frederick Knott’s masterpiece, Dial M for Murder, which presents a suspenseful scenario where the question isn’t ‘who?’, but rather, ‘how?’
Frederick Knott was a “notoriously un-prolific playwright” but what he lacked in quantity, he more than made up for in quality. Born in Hankow, China in 1919 to Quaker missionaries, Knott’s love of theatre came from watching performances of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas as a child. He served in the Royal Artillery in World War II, and it was after his service that he retreated to a cottage in Sussex and emerged 18 months later with the completed script of Dial M for Murder. Knott told The New York Times in 1961:
“I was always intrigued with the idea that somebody would plan a crime, and then you see that everything doesn’t turn out right. You can plan a murder in great detail and then put the plan into action and invariably something goes wrong and then you have to improvise, and in the improvisation, you trip up and make a very big mistake.”
However, the BBC broadcast did get Knott to his first stage production in London and it opened to critical acclaim. A subsequent Broadway production played at the Plymouth Theatre for 552 performances. Over the next five years, the play was produced in 30 countries. Considering we are here today watching a production of this story over 70 years later, it’s safe to say that Mr. MacLeod sorely misjudged how much ‘interest’ there would be in the play.
Knott worked closely with Alfred Hitchcock on the screenplay for the 1954 film. The film was Hitchcock’s only film conceived and filmed in 3D, a technology studios were employing to attract audiences since the experience couldn’t be replicated on home televisions. But 3D as a medium had fallen out of favor by the time the film was released in 1954, and after many audience complaints, it was exclusively shown in 2D. Dial M was overshadowed by the release of Rear Window just a few months later, but the film is still fondly remembered for its innovative, theatrical feeling since the overwhelming majority of the film is set within the Wendice apartment, just as the play is.
After Dial M’s runaway success, Knott only wrote two more plays, Write Me a Murder in 1961, and Wait Until Dark in 1966.
“After six or seven hard years of politics, and pandemic, and everything – where facts are hard to nail down and truth is malleable – people like the idea of a thriller that promises we are going to nail down the facts … we are going to catch the killer and that killer will be punished in one way or another. In one sense, it’s a reaction to these very queasy times that we live in. And also, it’s comfort food. So, I think the job of an adaptation like this is to be comfort food with some twists and turns that are new.”
Sounds familiar to the same cultural and societal feeling that gave rise to mystery’s Golden Age, doesn’t it? Even today, 12.5% of all adult books sold in the United States belong to the crime/thriller genre. Agatha Christie has sold over 2 billion books, only outsold by Shakespeare and the Bible. Adaptations of her work on screen and stage only continue to be made. We may not be in the historical ‘Golden Age,’ but it hardly seems our appetite for the genre is going anywhere fast.
Knott was turned down by seven London producers, including August MacLeod who stated that “the play as a whole would cause little interest.” The story might have disappeared for good if it hadn’t been for the BBC who offered to adapt it into a 90-minute television play in 1952, earning rave reviews. One of the television program’s viewers was an agent to film producer Alexander Korda who advised him to obtain the film rights, which he managed to do for a mere £1,000. Korda later turned around and sold those rights to Warner Brothers for upwards of $200,000.
When playwright Jeffrey Hatcher was commissioned by the Old Globe to adapt the original text a few years ago, he was initially hesitant because it was already “the perfect play.” However, he took on the challenge, seeing it as an opportunity to update some of the relationships and tightening the plot. Just like the first time, this new iteration of Dial M for Murder became a runaway hit, produced on stages all across America. When asked his thoughts about the play’s popularity, Hatcher said:
Match the Mystery to the Detective
Fiction has gifted us with numerous iconic detectives and wonderful stories. Can you solve the mystery of which detective belongs to which story?
Sam Spade
Virgil Tibbs
Nancy Drew Miss Marple
Sherlock Holmes
Hercule Poirot
Inspector Jacques Clouseau
C. Auguste Dupin
Philip Marlowe
Jessica Fletcher
Dial M for Murder is fresh take on the edge-of-your-seat mystery that inspired Hitchcock’s masterpiece! Whether you are new to the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock’s best works, or your re-visiting classics, here are 10 must-watch Hitchcock films.
Gulfshore Playhouse Education provides programs that enhance the lives of students of all ages through transformative theatrical experiences.
Pre-professional training through theatre productions, classes, and camps. Available for all ages.
Designed specifically for our region, this program infuses theatre-based pedagogy with curriculum standards to enhance learning.
Our community partnership program strengthens the fabric of our region by bringing the transformative power of live theatre and education to communities.
ThinkTheatre pairs core curriculum with performing arts education. By introducing theatre-based pedagogy, our professional teaching artists engage students’ creativity, encourage teamwork, and boost selfconfidence while enhancing their understanding of curriculum content. If you are seeking ways to energize your classroom through fun, creative, and learningfocused residencies, be sure to check out our offerings.
John and Mary were very vested in their teaching and I as a teacher truly appreciated their enthusiasm as well as knowledge of what they were teaching!
Melissa Zizzo, Kindergarten, St. Ann School
Students always enjoy a break from the normal routines in their schedules. The work did not seem like work for them and some students really enjoyed working in groups.
We currently offer ThinkTheatre residencies for grades K-12 in the following subject areas:
• English/Language Arts
• Social Studies
• Science
• Mathematics
• Theatre
If your organization is interested in creating a partnership with Gulfshore Playhouse, contact Director of Education, Steven Calakos at 239.261.7529 ext. 207 or scalakos@gulfshoreplayhouse.org.
Sarah Anzuelda, Eighth Grade, ICA
The cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Photo by Matthew Schipper.
Are your kids passionate about being on stage?
At the Conservatory at Gulfshore Playhouse, we offer pre-professional training through exciting theatre productions, engaging classes, and fun-filled camps for students of all ages.
Broadway Babies (Ages 9 months-2 years)
Classes: Saturdays, February 1-22, 2025
10:00AM-11:00AM Tuition: $40
A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS (Ages 8-13)
Rehearsals: Monday-Thursday, February 10-28, 5:30PM-7:30PM Performances:
February 27 - March 1
Location: Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples
Tuition: $300
Story Explorers: On the Farm (Ages 5-7)
Monday-Friday March 10-14, 2025
9:00AM-12:00PM Tuition: $250
Broadway Bootcamp: Jukebox Musicals (Ages 8-13)
Monday-Friday, March 10-24, 2025
9:00AM-12:00PM Tuition: $250
Story Explorers: Pirates! (Ages 8-13)
Monday-Friday, March 10-14, 2025
1:00PM-4:00PM Tuition: $250
Young Actors (Ages 8-13)
Mondays, March 24-May 5, 2025
5:30PM-7:30PM Tuition: $300
Teen Musical Theatre Intensive (Ages 13-18)
Monday-Friday, March 10-14, 2025
9:00AM-4:00PM Tuition: $500
Teen Directors (Ages 13-18)
Mondays, March 24-May 5, 2025
5:30PM-7:30 PM Tuition: $300
Teen Conservatory Cabaret (Ages 13-18)
Rehearsals: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays April 15-May 9, 2025
5:00PM-8:00PM Performances: May 12 & 13 7:00PM Tuition: $300
Adult Classes
Through acting classes, painting classes, vocal lessons, and lecture series, lifelong learners experience professional training and theatrical experiences that expand horizons and inspire artistic growth. Broaden your understanding of the work we do on stage while getting to know Gulfshore Playhouse and your fellow audience members.
Paint ‘n Sip
Held once per month: February 7, March 7, April 4, 2025
6:00PM-8:00PM
Tuition: $100 (includes 3 drink tickets)
Founder Friday
Offered once per month: February 7, March 7, April 4, May 2, 2025
10:00AM-11:00AM Tuition: $25
Adult Acting: Page to Stage
Six-session class: January 9, 16, 23, 30, February 6, 13, 2025
6:00PM-8:00PM
Wellness Offerings:
Yoga
Monday - Thursday, Saturday at varying times
Flow, Sculpt and Beginner Yoga Tuition: $20
Broadway Zumba!
Every Monday through May 26, 2025
9:00AM-10:00AM
Tuition: $15 drop-in, 10-class package for $135
Scan here to see our Adult Classes
The Lecture Series
Explore the world of theatre with The Lecture Series at Gulfshore Playhouse – a monthly series of insightful discussions about theatre and the arts.
Unveiling Classics with Dr. Gail Kern Paster (A Three-Part Series)
February 12, 20, & 27, 2025
11:00AM-12:00PM
Producers on Producers Mar. 20, 2025
11:00AM-12:00PM
Songwriting for the Stage with David Cohen (A Three-Part Series)
Mar. 27, Apr. 3, Apr. 10, 2025
10:30AM-12:00PM Tuition: $135
Directing the Stage April 17, 2025
11:00AM-12:00PM
Stage Stories: Celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage in Theatre with Dan Bacalzo May 15, 2025
11:00AM- 2:00PM
To register and for more information, Call our box office 239.261.7529 or visit our site at gulfshoreplayhouse.org
Gulfshore Playhouse Education is proud to forge community partnerships with other local cultural institutions such as the Holocaust Museum, Artis—Naples, and the Collier County Public Schools to bring unique theatrical experiences to thousands of students across Collier and Lee Counties.
Remember: The Story of Abe Price
Remember: The Story of Abe Price by Jeffrey Binder, an original play based on a true story, is brought to you in partnership with The Holocaust Museum and Cohen Education Center.
At just 16-years-old, Abraham Piasecki’s life is uprooted by the Nazi invasion of Poland. From living in the ghetto of Kielce to imprisonment at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Remember brings to life the harrowing true story of a Holocaust survivor who escaped Nazi captivity five times.
So Much Drama: Midsummer
So Much Drama is a collaboration between Gulfshore Playhouse, the Naples Philharmonic, and Collier County Public Schools, offering free musical adaptations of Shakespeare classics to over 3,000 eleventh-grade students. This partnership enhances students’ understanding of Shakespeare’s work while providing them the rare opportunity to experience performances by professional actors and musicians.
Drama-Based Corporate Training
Led by skilled facilitators, our tailored sessions infuse dynamic drama techniques into corporate settings, enhancing team building, communication, leadership, and creative problemsolving. Unleash the power of drama in your workplace, equipping your team with practical skills through engaging, customizable workshops.
• Presentation Skills: The Art of Public Speaking
• Interpersonal Communication in the Workplace
• The Power of Teamwork: Ensemble Building
Student Matinee Series
Gulfshore Playhouse creates special student matinee performances for each of our mainstage productions so students in our region can experience live professional theatre free of charge.
Dial M For Murder
Date: Friday, January 31st from 10:00AM-12:15PM
Genre: Thriller - Play
Themes: Mystery, Revenge, Deception
Recommended Audience: High School
Join us for the rest of the shows in our Student Matinee Series
These educational opportunities are made possible thanks to the Anthony and Beverly Petullo Endowment for Student Matinees and VIP Experiences.
Jim Corsica, Victor Caroli, and Sue Schaffel in Remember: The Story of Abe Price Photo by Matthew Schipper.
Carolina Miranda, Brian Nelson Jr., and Angie Janas in Midsummer Photo by Matthew Schipper.
Group Sales
Create a memorable experience for your group with discounted theatre tickets* for groups. The bigger the group, the bigger the savings!
• Groups of 200 or more people, contact Patron Services for tailored pricing.
• Groups of 100-199 people, save $15 per ticket
• 50-99 people, save $10 per ticket
• 20-49 people, save $7 per ticket
• 10-19 people, save $5 per ticket
How
It Works
• Elect a group leader who will reserve a block of seats. Seats may be booked in advance and approved by the Group Leader.
• For medium groups and larger (20 or more people), a deposit of 50% of the total is due at the time of the reservation to hold your seats.
• For small groups, payment is due in full at time of reservation to secure your seats.
• For medium/large groups, if the number of seats in your group changes, we can add/ subtract tickets up to one month prior to your chosen performance, depending on availability.
• For medium/large groups, the remaining balance is due one month before your performance date.
• The Group Leader arranges payment for the group:
• For medium/large groups, original deposit: 50% of the total due at booking
• For medium/large groups, the second payment: Remaining balance due one month prior
• For small groups, payment: due in full at time of reservation
By reserving your group tickets now, you lock in your discounted price for any future additional tickets for the performance, protecting against any price increases due to demand!
*Group discounts not valid on previews, Opening Night performances, or Value seating.
A place to Breathe, Unwind and Refresh.
Bayfront Inn: Where mornings start with sunrise views and breakfast at Bambu Tropical Bar & Grille, followed by a day of poolside relaxation, marina adventures, and tropical escapes.
Playhouse production of She Loves Me
Photo by Matthew Schipper.
We are thrilled to announce our new Dining Partnership!
Enjoy an elevated evening pairing a stellar dining experience at handselected restaurants with a visit to Gulfshore Playhouse, your new home for professional theatre.
For a list of our Dining Partners with links to their websites, scan here Be a part of something extraordinary
Benefits of joining:
• Experience a World of Insight: Enjoy priority invitations to exclusive first readings, opening night events, and dinners.
• Delve into the Inner Workings: Embark on behind-the-scenes tours of the Gulfshore Playhouse venues and creative workspaces.
• Journey with Visionaries: Invitation to set out on an Art Everywhere excursion alongside Gulfshore Playhouse Founder, CEO and Producing Artistic Director, Kristen Coury.
• Virtual cocktail party with the Artistic Team over the summer to discuss the season selections.
To learn more about The Director’s Circle, contact a member of our advancement team.
*Please visit our Dining Partner’s websites for any special offerings they may be crafting for Gulfshore Playhouse ticket holders.
Kathy Abrams
Frank Agitali
Elizabeth Allen
Larry Allen
Pam Ammar
Maria Lane Arends
Lisa Auclair
Kim Babcock
Teresa Bacchi
Dianne Bacon
Doris Balconi
Gary Balconi
Melody Bales
Angela Barris
Anne Barongo
Lori Beckworth
Maria Bello
Jeanette Benfante
Monique Berlinger
Howard Bernie
Kay Bernie
Ron Bieganek
Jodie Birch
Shawn Blackley
Judi Bloom
Cate Bonielle
Tammy Bower-Yorty
Pat Bradford
Jeanine Brakefield
Marlene Bridge
Katie “KT” Brill
Joseph Buhain
Frank Caccamise
Vivian Calis
Onetia Cameron
Tony Cancelliere
Pat Carl
Lori Carr
J Carroll
Connie Carter
Maureen Casey-Coe
Nancy Castonguay
Donna Caughman
Cynthia Chandler
Myah Charlton (Lee)
Gail Chazanovitz
Melanie Chiani
Corinne Cione
Lorraine Clark
Art Collins
Bonnie Cousineau
Fran Coyle
Laureen Coyne
Maureen Crichton
Stuart Crichton
Helen Cuda
Leona Curzi
Nancy Daras
Shirley Day
Elizabeth Dean
Sherry Dean
Wanda Debella
Rich Debella
Cathy DeMartis
Zeke DeMartis
Alyce Demma
Cindy Deschenes
Daniel Doczi
Michele Doczi
Bruce Dolin
Sandra Dolin
Kathleen Donelli
Lora Donia
John Donohue
Barbara Donohue
Moira Dougherty
Rich Dougherty
Janine Dowdle
Janet Dubeau
Linda Duggan
Dot Dunbar
Robert Dunbar
Beverly “Bev” Duncan
Katie Ekker
Debbie Elliot
Jan Ellis
Greg Ellis
Celene Evans
Karen Evans
Carrol Ewert
Larry Ewert
Carol Fahl
Steve Fapka
Joanne Farwell
Betsy Fellers
Gail Fitch
Karen Forberg
Natalie Frakenburg
Linnea Fraser
Linda Friis
Steve Fuller
Claudia Fuller
Suzanne Fundingsland
Marie Gannatti
Alivia Gardner
Joe Gargiulo
Jerry Gargiulo
Bunny Gartner
Anneke Geldenhuys
Maureen Gerrity
Matthew Giagnorio
Kathie Gilginas
Deborah Giso
Carole Glowacki
Craig Goeske
Cheryl Goldberg
Chris Goldhorn
Thomas Golonksi
David “Dave” Golya
Hector Gonzalez
Charlene Gould
Nancy Greener
David Greener
Mrs. Ray Grimmon
Diane Hackem
Lori Hajec
Holly Hamilton
Tammy Harris
Nancy Harrison
Danielle Hatem
Laraine Herbst
Pamela Heringhaus
Alexandra Hernandez
Cliff Hogen
Steve Holtz
Linda Horwitz
Bob Huffman
Linda Icenogle
Ariella Irizarry
Linda Johnson
Lori Joyce
Shelagh Joyce
Keven Joyce
Sarah Jurney
Sue Kaplan
Rose Kalba
Gloria Kas
Barbara Kay
Beth Keenan
Cathy Kelley
James Kelley
Carlyn Kelly
Robin Kennedy
Carolyn Kerl
Mary Jo Killoran
Billie Kirkpatrick
Linda Knight
Liese Kolb
Eileen Komanecky
Mary Ellen Kucharik
Peter Kucharik
Jackee Krauss
Frances (Fran) Lang
Karen Lang
Nancy Lee Langerman
Ron Lanning
Dale Leibowitz
Helane LePort
Robert Leverte
Michael Levine
Jane Levine
Gabriel Lewis
Joe Libertelli
Betty Liming
Dan Liming
Shirley Lopes
Faith Lopez
Rashida Loya
Nancy Lucey
Pam Lugo
Heather Mackenzie
Angela Maguire
Andrea Maldegan
Sandy Maggiacomo
Renee Marino
Lorel Martens
Daniel Martin
Mary Martini
Lisa Mash
Leslie Mason
Lola Mason
Marybeth Mastrianni
Lisa Mathe
Carol Matyniak
Brenda Maxey
Irene McAllister
Victoria McCally
Teresa McCallum
Debron McCartney
Harry McCartney
Connell McGeehan
Cindi McKnight
Dave McKnight
Nancy McLaughlin
John McLaughlin
Kathryn McMullen
Bob McNulty
Layza Medina
Enzo Mejia
Elizabeth Mellon
John Minerva
Ken Moffat
Kathy Monti
Laurie Mountford
Nancy Moylan
John Murphy
Deborah Musiol
David Mario Nal
Craig Nayhouse
Rich Nemerson
Catherine Nelson
Debra Noons
Helena Novak
Nancy Oakes
Rod Oakes
Leslie O’Connell
Maureen O’Keefe
Nancy O’Leary
Kathie O’Leary
Deborah (Debbie) Olsen
Michele Olsen
Nora Ousley
Ray Palmer
Linda Palmer
Julie Panagakos
Mary Parelli
Doris Parker
Jean Paskalides
Karen Patrico
Maria Pentakis
Bob Phelan
Barbara Picardi
Amy Picotte
Bob Picotte
Gerry Pierce
Mike Pietrucha
Ashley Pollard
Spenser Pollard
Susan Polastri
Angelo Polizzi
Orest Poluch
Joanne Poluch
Steve Popp
Cynthia (Cindy) Popp
Cecelia Price
Dolores Pytlik
Tom Quinn
Bob Ray
Linda Ray
Kriki Read
Randy Read
Jean Rechenmacher
Gail Reifsnyder
June Reeves
Susan Reville
Lynda Reymann
Suzanne Rhea
Wendy Rieger
Kaitlyn Rispoli
Cheryl Ritchie
Gail Riva
Samuel Roberts
Kathy Rogers
Marie Roosendaal
Tracy Rosen
Maggie (Margaret) Ross
Sara Ross
Debbie Rough
Maria Rozo
Carol Ruset
Wyatt Russo
Sharon Sabo
Charles Sabo
Donna Santamarina
Alicia Schwartz
Mary Scioscia
Neil Scioscia
Diane Scribner
Nancy Sekulich
Jully Seybert
Randy Seybert
Pat Shea
Mike Shea
Robbie Short
Carol Simpson
Sharon Slack
Tom Smillie
Hollie Smillie
Beverly “Bev” Smith
Jeannie Smith
JoAnne Sottile
Christine Spangler
Michael Stanek
Bonnie Stedronsky
Mary Steffan
Sandra Stephens
Karen Stone
Leslie Strauss
Mary Sulivan
Laura Sullivan
Maureen Sullivan
Sharon Sutton
Dave Sutton
Kimberly Szymanski
Deb Taylor
Rich Taylor
Sharon Thoemke
Calvin Thomas
Candi Tipton
Ann Todd
Dorothea “Dottie” Tormey
Amy Toussaint
Email any inquires to FOH@gulfshoreplayhouse.org Visit our website at www.gulfshoreplayhouse.org /join-our-team/volunteer
Rob Toussaint
Patrick Trapp
Suzanne Trevors
Fran Tucker
Stan Tucler
Sue Turner
Janis Upton
Eric Uthus
Jackie Uthus
Lynne Vannelli
Marilyn Varcoe
Barbara Vegter
Susan Vigliante
Margaret Walos
Margaret Walrod
MJ Wann
Eileen Warren
Joanne Weber
Julie Weber
Karen Weinman
Eric Weinstein
Anne Welton
Daphne Whitman
Kate Wilde
Rob Wilde
Libby Wlliams
Sharon Wilson
Nancy Woodward
Nancy Woolf
Suzanne Worthington
Sharon Yeske
Natalie Younger
Yelena Yurinets
Patricia Zicht
Paula Zipfel
David Zipfel
Season Angels
($250,000+)
Jane & Steve Akin
Patty & Jay Baker
Glenda & Rich Struthers
Season Benefactors
($100,000-$249,000)
Karen & Gary Gregg
Nancy Lauridsen
Sandi & Tom Moran
Susan Regenstein & Barry Frank
Ralph & Shelly Stayer
Season Ambassadors
($50,000-$99,999)
Bayfront Inn
Bev & Art Cherry
Dentons Cohen & Grigsby
Mary F. Drazan
Christine & Terrance Flynn
Nancy & Tom Gallagher
Marguerite Hambleton
Jenny & Rich Housh
George & Patricia Kraus
Pamela & Bob Krupka
James & Brigitte Marino
Moran Wealth Management
Porsche Naples
John & Carol Walter
Jane & Dave Wilson
Executive Producers
($25,000-$49,999)
Anonymous (x3)
Aielli Group
Mary & Phil Beuth
Lee & Peter Bewley
Bigham Jewelers
Richard & Jane Borchers
Patricia & Jim Bosscher
Cheryl & Randall W. Byrnes
Grampy’s Charities - Jim & Jonatha Castle
Bob & Laurie Champion
Ciccarrelli Advisory Services
Robert & Joan Clifford
John & Patricia Cochran
Norman & Suzanne Cohn
Margaret Cox
Jim & Shirley Curvey
Kyla & Rich de Asla
Bobbi & David Drobis
Dyan Fazzone
First Horizon
Kathleen & Brendan FitzGerald
The Gialamas Family
Matthew Hagan
The Harold Alfond Foundation
The Habbershon Family
Gulfshore Life / Naples Press
Ken & Karen Heithoff
Vicki Herche & Graeme Murray
Mitchell Hertz & Anne Carlucci
Jean & Leo Hertzog
Steven & Sarah Jackson
Sabrina & Craig Jensen
Liz & Jim Jessee
Sarah Johnson
Catelyn Juliano & David Deutsch
Heidi & James Kargman
Diane Landgren
Dolly & Jenny Lenz
Laird A. Lile
Jody & Gerald Lippes
Barbara K. Lupient
Simone & Scott Lutgert
Debra & Vince Maffeo
Phil McCabe
Carolyn & Don McCulloch
Gerry McGraw
Bettina McKee
Pat & Tony McMunn
Dan & Ann Meyer
Joanne & Jeffrey Miller
Kristin & John Miller
Geraldine Moss
Kimberly Moss & Bob Fisher
Naples Illustrated
F.E. & Jack Nortman
Louise & Larry Ost
Joan & Mahendra Parekh
Gail Kern Paster
Anthony & Beverly Petullo
Quality Enterprises USA Inc.
Ann Ratner
Dottie & John Remondi
DeAnna & Rick Rondinelli
Kathy & Ned Sachs
Pam & Fred Sasser
Cynthia & Mike Scholl
Acadia Wealth Management - Tennille & Aaron Sevigny
The Shubert Foundation Inc.
Alice & Charles Simons
Sharon & Paul Stein
Patricia Sweet & Bill Marsh
Janet & Peter Swinburn
Roberta & Rodger Taylor
The Dock at Crayton Cove - Mimi & Doug Traina
Julie & Steve Vanderboom
The Vincent Von Zwehl Memorial Fund
Julie & Phil Wade
Kathy & Paul Weaver
Tereska & Jerry Whitson
William C. Huff
Michael Wilens & Carolyn Longacre
Quality Enterprises
Wilmington Trust
Julie Wyman
Kristen & Michael Wynn
Joanne Wyss
Debbie & Bruce Yarde
Spotlight Sponsors
($10,000-$24,999)
Barron Collier Companies
The Betsey Harris Fund, Collier Community Foundation
The Calleja Group - Gisselle & Jorge Calleja
Collier Community Foundation
Scott & Rebecca Curvey
Davies Duke
Janine & Timothy Dowdle
Fidelity Wealth Management
Gilbane Building Company
Janet & Blake Gable
Kathleen Glass
Mary & Robert Hoyer
Judith & Martin Isserlis
Jack Miller Family Foundation
Jay & Stuart Kaye
Lisa & Patrick Kelly
Nancy Marriott - The Nancy Peery Marriott Foundation
Jennifer & David Miller
Moorings Park Group
Susan Mullin
Karen Nally
Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau
Beth & Bill Reid
Karen & F. Samuel Smith
State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs
Bruce Tomason & Susan Rosen
Gulf Coast International Properties, Tim & Stephanie Savage
Enid & Jerry Weygandt
$5,000 - $9,999
Robin Bache Gray
Susan & William Brock
Brown and Brown
Dee & Dickson Brown
Erica & James Buchweitz
Matthew Chionis
Landen Collins
Joyce & Patrick Coughlan
Jerry Coury
Hanna & Andrew Cummins
Richard Cuneo District
Dougherty Family Foundation
Kathleen & William Farley
Jeanie & Tony Figg
Dave Gibbons
Florida Blue
Florida Gulf Coast University Foundation
Carole & Tom Guyette
Myra Hackel
Stephan Hall
Johanna & Tony Hess
MPM Wealth Advisors
Bruce Kirchhofer
Marc Kozin
Mary & James Lande
Gwen Langley
Kristine C. Lenrow
Ken Love
Florean & Ed Mader
Rebecca & Robert McLennen
Ned & Elvy Milenkovich
Laura & Leo Montgomery
Nick & Linda Penniman
Marcus Peperzak
Timothy Petersen
Laurie & Ric Phillips
Penny & Stephen Pomeranz
Betty & Leo Schwartz
Laura Scott
Cherry Smith
Soluna
Beth Stewart
Fred Stratton
Sharon & Rich Struthers
Joy & Jack Timken
Warren American Whiskey Kitchen
Myra & Van Zandt Williams
Harriet & Donald Young
Jeffrey Binder in the Gulfshore Playhouse production of Every Brilliant Thing. Photo by Matthew Schipper.
Create an indelible legacy
Join the Standing Ovation Society
We understand that the choice to designate a planned gift is a deeply precious and personal one, and we thank you for your consideration. When you become a member of the Standing Ovation Society, you are joining an ensemble of thoughtful and imaginative visionaries who believe, as you do, in the transformative power of world-class professional theatre and educational opportunities in our region. Your gift will touch the lives of all who walk through our doors and ensure our ability to carry out our mission.
Benefits of Joining:
Annual recognition in the Gulfshore Playhouse playbill
Invitation to periodic events honoring members of the Standing Ovation Society
Invitation to other Gulfshore Playhouse special events
Standing Ovation Society Members
Mary & Phil Beuth
Kristen Coury
Tom & Nancy Gallagher
Elizabeth & Jim Jessee
Glenda & Rich Struthers
Ms. Patricia Sweet & Mr. Bill Marsh
Jane & Dave Wilson
By including Gulfshore Playhouse in your estate plan, you are supporting Gulfshore Playhouse’s longterm fiscal stability and leaving a lasting legacy that will allow us to create, engage, and inspire for many years to come.
If you would like to notify us of your intent or discuss your options, please contact Lisa Halsey at 239.261.7529 ext 203. or lhalsey@gulfshoreplayhouse.org
Coming Soon
DIRECTED BY JEFFREY BINDER
JANUARY 30 THROUGH MARCH 2
PREVIEWS: JANUARY 26, 28 & 29
William Parry as Angus and Maureen Silliman as Abigail in Gulfshore Playhouse’s production of Morning After Grace. Photo by Matthew Schipper.
Board of Directors
Steven Akin, Chairman of the Board
Rich Struthers, Vice-Chair
Patty Baker
Kristen Coury
David Drobis
Tim Habbershon
Mitch Hertz
Jenny Housh
Jason Hunter Korn
Pamela Krupka
Sandi Moran
Gerry Moss
Jack Nortman
Tony Panzica
Gail Kern Paster
Susan Regenstein
Rick Rondinelli
Cynthia Scholl
Tennille Sevigny
Pat Sweet
Ashley Smith
Dave Wilson
Joanne Wyss
Don J. Gunther, Emeritus
Bob Harden, Emeritus
Don McCulloch, Lifetime Trustee
Leadership & Staff
Leadership
Kristen Coury CEO & Producing Artistic Director
Joel Markus COO & Managing Director
Artistic & Education
CEO & Producing Artistic Director ........................... Kristen Coury
Associate Artistic Director ............................................. Dann Dunn
Director of Education .............................................. Steven Calakos
Line Producer .................................................. Audrey Zielenbach
Executive Assistant to the CEO .................... Mackenzie Caraballo
Education Associates ...................... Mary McGough, John Perine, Meredith Singleton
Education Assistant .............................................. Emilie Baartman
Advancement
Chief Advancement Officer ......................................... Lisa Halsey
Advancement Officer: Events & Donor Engagement ........................ ...................................................................................................... Sarah Owen
Advancement Officer ........................................... Brandon Horwin
Donor Stewardship & Events Coordinator ................... Dave Blount
Advancement Coordinator ................................ Ashleigh Jennings
Marketing
Chief Marketing Officer ....................................... Rachel Applegate
Marketing Manager .................................................. Heidi Overman
Graphic Designer .................................................... Ashley Martinez
Patron Services Manager ............................................ Luke Matlock
Assistant Patron Services Manager ................... Meghan Fitzpatrick
Patron Services Associate ................................................... Lauren Carr
Patron Services Assistants ...................... Timothy Coryell, Sara Ross
Finance & Administration
COO & Managing Director ........................................... Joel Markus Director of Finance .................................................. Alyson McCoy
General Manager ............................................................ Jim Dallas
Facilities Manager ........................................................ Joe Salemme
Director of Events/Food & Beverage ............................. Erin Burney
Assistant Events/Food & Beverage Managers ........... Crystal Diggs, Jeanette Persails
Finance Associate .................................................. Maureen Devine
Assistant Front of House Manager ................. Jocelyn Richardson
Company Manager ..................................................... Abigail Greer
Assistant Company Manager ........................ Chanda Hawthorne
Office Manager/Bookkeeper ........................................... Taylor Ho
Administrative Assistant/Company Management Assistant ........ ....................................................................... Hannah Schumacher
Production
Director of Production ................................................... Ray Inkel
Assistant Production Manager ........................................... Lila Sell
Technical Director ........................................................ John Forton
Assistant Technical Director .......................................... Alex Riggs
Scene Shop Supervisor .................................... Anthony Knudson Carpenters ................................... Nicholas Cardenas, Tom Gregus, Deborah Samuelson
Scenic Technicians ......................... Jonathan Jensen, Bobby Julga
Deck Crew Chief/Carpenter ...................................... Andrew Geier
Scenic Art Supervisor ..................................................... James Allen
Scenic Artists ........................ Katherine Burns, Samantha Swasso, Larashleigh Wallace, Jonathan Willis
Interim Properties Supervisor .............................. Gwendolyn Rygg
Properties Artisan ...................................................... Caleb Brown
Properties Technicians .................... Hunter Booth, Maxine Walby
Lighting Supervisor ........................................ Elizabeth Knudson
Assistant Lighting Supervisor .................................... Lynn Slutsky
Lighting Technicians ............................. Dennis Cheeks, Ray Ward Sound Supervisor .......................................................... Owen True
Assistant Sound Supervisor ..................................... Max Heyliger
Sound Technicians ........................ Kaleb Pecoraro, David Walters
Costume Shop Manager ..................................... Jennifer Bronsted
Assistant Costume Shop Manager ................... Maya Faye Gordon
Lead Draper ........................................................... Elizabeth Eaton
Draper ............................................................................. Lana Grant
First Hand ................................................................... Carolyn Schar
Costume Technicians ................ Jasmine Armstrong, Anna Cagle, Dyna DeMerritt
Wardrobe Supervisor ........................................... Marissa Mascolo
Assistant Wardrobe Supervisor ............................. Emma Madden
Wig & Makeup Supervisor ....................................... Rebecca Mack
Stage Management Production Assistants .... Kelly Jean Edwards, Dylan Gellett, Laura Swygert