Freaky Friday Playbill

DIRECTOR’S NOTE I discovered Freaky Friday: A New Musical a decade ago, shortly after its premiere.

However, Freaky Friday (2003, with Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, of course) was a Perine Family Classic, to the extent that we had it on VHS and DVD. The idea of trading lives was a personal pinnacle of magical thinking and escapism, and my early obsession with this story shaped my fish-outof-water sense of humor. I found the exploration of the inter-generational journey of establishing empathy, one of adults and children developing an understanding of the trials parents and children face, to be universal. It has proven to be evergreen, from the initial 1972 novel for young adults by Mary Rodgers, FIVE subsequent films, and this musical, not to mention the countless films and television episodes that have explored the body-swapping trope since then.

discussing titles for our Summer Conservatory, Freaky Friday: A New Musical quickly rose in our favor for its high energy as well as the educational opportunities in its complicated music, various dance styles, and vibrant cast of characters. I love this musical for its celebration of loving life, regardless of the chapter you find yourself in, while holding space for the difficult truths of life.

This musical adaptation of Freaky Friday: A New Musical is absolutely a product of its 2016 premiere, and it feels all the more special to be producing it this summer, a decade later.

Julianna, Kennedy, all of our wonderful designers, and I have had a blast bringing 2016 to life with these students (who held up on their fingers “how many they were” that year in our first rehearsal and immediately made us feel ancient).

Thank you for supporting live theatre. Enjoy the show!

– John Perine

When the Education team began

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Book by BRIDGET CARPENTER

Music by TOM KITT

Lyrics by BRIAN YORKEY

Based on the novel Freaky Friday by MARY RODGERS AND THE DISNEY FILMS Orchestrations by MICHAEL STAROBIN & TOM KITT Vocal Arrangements by CARMEL DEAN & TOM KITT Dance Arrangements & Incidental Music by TOM KITT

Scenic Designer Costume Designer Lighting Designer NATALIE ROSE MABRY HELEN DOMINGUEZ ELIZABETH KNUDSON Stage Manager CONNOR J. REILLY

Assistant Stage Manager DYLAN GELLETT

Sound Designer MAX HEYLIGER

Director of Production RAY INKEL

COO & Managing Director JOEL MARKUS

CEO & Producing Artistic Director KRISTEN COURY

Music Director KENNEDY MCALISTER

Choreographer JULIANNA BABB

Director/Director of Education JOHN PERINE Show Sponsor

Freaky Friday is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com Any video and/or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

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CAST (in order of appearance) Ellie Blake........................................................................Cadence Castaneda Katherine Blake .......................................................................... Taylor Polly Fletcher Blake ......................................................................... Olivia Radosti Mike ....................................................................................... Elijah Warfield Gretchen .............................................................................. Kendall Guercio Hannah .................................................................................. Brooke Hunter Adam .................................................................................. Nicholas Radosti Savannah ............................................................................... Hadley Hacker Wells ........................................................................................ Allie Aulestia Parker/Louis ........................................................................... Sophia Brown Laurel/Ensemble ........................................................................ Lola Brewer Grandma Helene/Mrs. Luckenbill/Mrs. Time ������������������������ Jia Cinnamon Grandpa Gordon/Mr. Blumen/Senor O’Brien ������������������������������ Dom Diaz Danielle/Ms. Meyers/Officer Sitz/Savannah’s Mom ............. Jordan Daniels Dr. Ehrin/Pastor Bruno/Officer Kowalski ����������������������������� Taliah Williams Torrey ........................................................................................ Ella Eastman Ensemble ............................................................ Mallory Howe, Olivia Svec

RUNTIME 2 hours and 15 minutes with a 15-minute intermission

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MUSICAL NUMBERS MUSICAL NUMBERS ACT I “Just One Day....................................................... Ellie, Katherine, Company “The Hourglass”......................................................................Ellie, Katherine “I Got This”................................................................ Ellie, Katherine, Adam, Savannah, Ensemble “What You Got”................................................................. Katherine, Torrey, Danielle, Louis “Oh, Biology”......................................................................... Ellie, Ensemble “Vows”.................................................................................................... Mike “Busted”............................................................... Ellie, Katherine, Company “Somebody Has Got To Take The Blame”............... Katherine, Ellie, Dr. Ehrin, Señor O’Brien, Mrs. Luckenbill “Shoppin’ With My Mom”.................................................................. Fletcher “I Got This (Reprise)”...................................................................... Katherine “Watch Your Back”............................................................. Ms. Meyers, Ellie, Ensemble “Drivin’ With My Mom” .................................................................... Fletcher “Parents Lie” ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Katherine “Just One Day (Reprise)” ����������������������������������������������������������������Company

ACT II “I’m Not Myself Today”............................................. Katherine, Ellie, Torrey, Ensemble “Women and Sandwiches”.................................................... Adam, Fletcher “Bring My Baby (Brother) Home”........................... Ellie, Officers, Katherine, Mike, Adam, Fletcher “Go”........................................................................... Adam, Ellie, Katherine, Ensemble “After All This And Everything”....................................................... Katherine “No More Fear” �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Ellie “The Other Hourglass”............................................................Ellie, Katherine “Today and Ev’ry Day”............................................................Ellie, Katherine

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS BRIDGET CARPENTER A playwright, television writer, and producer, Carpenter created the 2016 miniseries “11.22.63” for Bad Robot and Hulu from Stephen King’s bestselling novel. “11.22.63” premiered at the Sundance Festival, was nominated for a Writers Guild Award, and won the Saturn Award for best limited series. Prior to “11.22.63,” she wrote and coexecutive-produced all five seasons of the Peabody Award-Winning series Friday Night Lights. She was a Consulting Producer for HBO’s Westworld and a Co-Executive Producer for Parenthood. In 2013 she was the Executive Producer/ Showrunner for the Sundance Channel drama series The Red Road. Carpenter’s plays have been produced by Steppenwolf, the Public Theater, the Alley Theatre, La Jolla Rep, Berkeley Repertory Company, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and many other theaters across the country. She has written several songs for film (Basmati Blues; Dear Dumb Diary) and has adapted Freaky Friday as a movie musical for the Disney Channel, airing in 2018. Most recently, she was awarded the Princess Grace Statue. Awards: a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Jerome Fellowship, a McKnight Grant, the Princess Grace Award, the Kesselring Prize, and the 6

Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. WGA and Emmy nominations for Friday Night Lights. Her plays Fall, Up and The Faculty Room are published by Samuel French. An alumnae of New Dramatists, Carpenter received her BA and MFA from Brown University.

She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Chris Harrison, and their children, Rita and Henry.

TOM KITT is a two-time Tony, two-time Emmy, Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award winner. As a musical theater composer, he has written the music for six Broadway shows: Next to Normal (Tony Award, Olivier Nomination), If/Then (Tony Nomination), Almost Famous (Tony Nomination), Flying Over Sunset (Tony Nomination), High Fidelity, and Bring it On, The Musical. His work for the stage has also been seen Off Broadway at Second Stage (Next to Normal, Superhero), The Public Theater (The Visitor, Shakespeare in the Park) and he has worked at some of the most prestigious regional theaters including The Old Globe, Arena Stage, Berkeley Rep, The Signature Theater, and ART. In addition, Tom’s Broadway credits as an orchestrator include: Next to Normal (Tony Award), Hell’s Kitchen (Tony Nomination), The SpongeBob Musical (Tony Nomination), Jagged Little Pill (Tony Nomination),

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Almost Famous, Head Over Heels, Everyday Rapture, and American Idiot. Tom has also been active in the world of film and TV. As one of the vocal arrangers working on the Pitch Perfect films, Tom most notably helped create the classic “Riff-off.” Tom also served as music supervisor/arranger/orchestrator for Grease Live, and contributed songs for Royal Pains, Penny Dreadful, and Sesame Street. He also provided music supervision for the NBC series, Rise and served as a Supervising Music Producer on the Bobby Lopez/ Kristen Anderson-Lopez/Steven Levenson/Thomas Kail musical television series “Up Here.” And he is known for his three original opening numbers for The Tony Awards, “This Party’s for You” in 2024, written with Amanda Green for Ariana Debose, “Live” in 2019, written with David Javerbaum for James Corden, and the Emmy Award winning “Bigger” in 2013, written with Lin-Manuel Miranda for Neil Patrick Harris.

Tom is also proud that his musical adaptation of Freaky Friday, cowritten with Bridget Carpenter and Brian Yorkey was turned into an original movie musical for Disney Channel. Tom is a Sony Masterworks artist, with whom he recorded his debut album, Reflect in 2021.

BRIAN YORKEY received the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the 2009 Tony Award for Best Score, and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Next to Normal and was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical. He partnered again with the Next to Normal team on If/ Then (Tony Award Nominee for Best Score) starring Idina Menzel. Brian co-wrote the libretto for The Last Ship (Outer Critics Nomination, with John Logan), with a score by Sting. He wrote lyrics for the Disney Theatricals musical adaptation of Freaky Friday, which also became a Disney Channel Original Movie. Brian most recently served as the Executive Producer and Co-Show runner for the Netflix series “Echoes.” Prior to that, Brian was the Creator, Executive Producer and Showrunner of “13 Reasons Why” for Netflix and Paramount Television.

He has also directed for theatre and television. Brian is a graduate of Columbia University, where he was artistic director of the Varsity Show, an alum of the BMI/Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop and a proud member of the Dramatists Guild, the WGA, and the DGA.

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ABOUT THE CAST Goes: Youth Edition (The Captain), and most recently Six: Teen Edition (Catherine of Aragon). Taylor has also been in productions within her is thrilled to be school theatre program at Barron in Freaky Friday!

Collier High School, including: Fame!

Cadence is (Ensemble), Clue (Mrs. Peacock), going in to the 7th grade at Naples and Chicago High School Edition Microschools. You might have seen her in Footloose Jr., Bickle/Ensemble (Roxie Hart). She is proud to be (The Naples Players), Willy Wonka Jr., starting her senior year this fall, and is excited to have one last year of Veruca Salt (First Baptist Academy, shows with Gulfshore! So please, and Gulfshore Playhouse), Annie enjoy the show!!

Kids, Mrs. Hannigan (The Naples Players), and much more! When she’s not singing you can find her OLIVIA RADOSTI reading, sewing, or hanging out with (FLETCHER friends! She would like to thank her BLAKE) is thrilled wonderful family, her best friend to be playing the Myra, and everyone at Gulfshore role of Fletcher in Playhouse who has been with her at this production. the start of her acting journey to now!

She has been involved in theatre with Gulfshore Playhouse since 2021 and TAYLOR POLLY has grown tremendously through the (KATHERINE many roles she has performed over BLAKE) is very the years. Olivia is passionate about excited to be acting, dancing, and singing. She is playing Katherine also a competitive Irish dancer and a Blake in the seventh-grade student at Saint Ann Gulfshore Playhouse production of Catholic School. One of a kind, Olivia Freaky Friday! She has been with has an absolute heart of gold. She the company for going on six years, hopes you enjoy the show. and has been in many productions including: Junie B. Jones The Musical (May), Annie (Pepper), Frozen (Olaf ), Chicago Teen Edition (Ensemble), Puffs (Various Characters), Anything

CADENCE CASTANEDA (ELLIE BLAKE)

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ELIJAH WARFIELD and Ensemble (Footloose Jr., TNP).

She’s performed with the Collier (MIKE) is very excited to be a part of this production of Freaky Friday!

He is currently graduated and about to attend Florida Southwestern college.

He has previously been in many other productions as an ensemble member, but his standout roles are Vince Fontaine in Grease and Friar Lawrence in Romeo + Juliet.

He also enjoys trivia and reading mystery books. He would like to thank his family, his directors, and everyone on the cast and staff for providing him with this amazing experience. He hopes that you enjoy the show!

KENDALL GUERCIO (GRETCHEN) is a rising 7th grade student at Gulfview Middle School. She was recently cast as Dorothy (The Wizard of Oz Youth Edition, TNP), Gertrude McFuzz (Seussical Kids, TNP) Annie (The Magic Treehouse: Dinosaurs Before Dark, TNP), Winthrop (The Music Man Kids, TNP), Star To Be (Annie Kids), Matilda Shadow/Annie (Matilda Jr., Gulfshore Playhouse),

County 5th grade Honors Choir.

Also, she has performed as Molly in her school’s winter cabaret of Annie as well as Little Red Riding Hood in her school’s spring cabaret of Into the Woods. Kendall is so excited to be back at Gulfshore Playhouse and hopes you enjoy the show!

BROOKE HUNTER (HANNAH) is beyond excited to be playing Hannah in Freaky Friday and to be returning to the stage for her seventh production with Gulfshore Playhouse. Some of her favorite past roles include Augustus Gloop in Willy Wonka, a Wickersham Brother in Seussical, Dippy in Anything Goes: Youth Edition, Minnie and Pepper in Matilda Jr., Mrs. Pugh in Annie (twice), and Tybalt in Romeo + Juliet.

She loves to sing and dance in her spare time. A big thanks to all the supportive creative team for trusting her in one of her bucket list roles.

Enjoy the show!!!

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ABOUT THE CAST NICHOLAS RADOSTI (ADAM) is so excited to be playing Adam in this production!

Some of his favorite past performances include, Romeo in Romeo + Juliet, Peter Pan in Peter Pan, Elisha Whitney in Anything Goes: Youth Edition, Miss Trunchbull in Matilda Jr., and Jack Scott in High School Musical Jr. His other interests include fishing and snorkeling.

Nicholas will be entering Saint John Newman High School as a freshman next year. Special thank you to Gulfshore Playhouse for this incredible opportunity. Enjoy the show!

friends, and everyone at Gulfshore Playhouse for their support!

ALLIE AULESTIA (WELLS) is proud to be in this production of Freaky Friday! She is a rising 7th grader at Gulfview Middle School. She has previously been in Anything Goes: Youth Edition as Spit and Matilda Jr. as Hortensia. She has also enjoyed Finding Nemo as Pearl and Aladdin as the Guard. Allie is also active playing tennis, lacrosse, and golf. She hopes you enjoy the show!

HADLEY HACKER (SAVANNAH)

SOPHIA BROWN (PARKER) is

delighted to be in this production is so excited to of Freaky Friday. be part of Freaky Sophia is an Friday! Hadley incoming 7th grader. This is her has always had a fourth production with Gulfshore passion for performing, feeling most Playhouse and she is excited to be at home while on stage. Some of her back on stage! She has previously favorite past shows include You’re performed in Jungle Book Kids, Willy a Good Man, Charlie Brown, High Wonka Jr., Seussical, The Wonderful School Musical, Matilda Jr., Willy Wizard of Oz, Matilda Jr., and most Wonka Jr., Finding Nemo Kids, and recently The Little Mermaid Jr. Sophia Winnie the Pooh. Outside of theatre, wants to extend a special thank you she enjoys singing karaoke to annoy to Heather Ivy of Heather Ivy Music her little brother, listening to Olivia for her invaluable voice lessons.

Rodrigo, and doing nails with friends. Sophia hopes you enjoy the show!

She would like to thank her family, 10

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LOLA BREWER (LAUREL/ ENSEMBLE) is more than excited to be in this production of Freaky Friday! She has previously performed as the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland Jr., and cannot wait to continue her theatre era here at Gulfshore Playhouse! She would like to thank her family and friends (including fellow cast member Mallory Howe) for all the encouragement and support for this production! Enjoy the show!

JIA CINNAMON (GRANDMA HELENE/MRS. LUCKENBILL/ MRS. TIME) is very excited for you to see this production! Some of her favorite past roles here at Gulfshore include: Nurse (Romeo + Juliet), Mrs Doods (The Lighting Thief) and Bird Girl #1 (Seussical Jr.). Jia would like to thank all the cast and crew for helping make this show possible and her family for all the support through the process.

DOM DIAZ (GRANDPA GORDON/MR. BLUMEN/SENOR O’BRIEN)

is excited to be part of this production. A rising 7th grader, he enjoys theatre, playing piano, spending time with friends, and going to the beach. His recent stage credits include Matilda Jr. (Summer 2025) and Willy Wonka Jr. (Summer 2024). This past May, he performed the classical piano piece “Arabesque.”

Dom loves being on stage and looks forward to every opportunity to perform. He would like to thank his family, friends, and the team at Gulfshore Playhouse for their support and encouragement.

JORDAN DANIELS (DANIELLE/ MS. MEYERS/ OFFICER SITZ) is thrilled to be back at Gulfshore Playhouse performing in Freaky Friday! She is going to be a sophomore at Gulf Coast High School and is a proud member of GC Drama. Recently at Gulfshore Playhouse, she has been in the roles of Anna of Cleves in SIX: Teen Edition and Ares in The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. Jordan would like to thank all her friends, family, and directors for their continuous support and hopes you enjoy the show!

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ABOUT THE CAST TALIAH WILLIAMS (DR. EHRIN/ PASTOR BRUNO/ OFFICER KOWALSKI/LOUIS) is so excited to be in the production of Freaky Friday! She goes to Aubrey Rodgers High School and is in 10th grade. She’s previously been in the show Mamma Mia as Ally and Moana Jr. as Moana. Taliah loves to sing and dance with the aspiration of becoming a singer. She would also like to thank her parents for all their love and support, her directors for all their guidance and her friends for all their help and kindness! She hope you enjoy the show!!

at Gulfshore Playhouse and she is extremely excited to be here! She thanks her family and friends for their unwavering support. Enjoy the show!

MALLORY HOWE (ENSEMBLE) is a rising 6th grader, and is eager to be back on stage for the third time with Gulfshore Playhouse. Other shows Mallory has been part of include Finding Nemo, Willy Wonka Jr., and Matilda Jr. Besides singing and dancing on stage, she loves playing soccer, volleyball, and being with her friends and family. She hopes you enjoy the show!

ELLA EASTMAN (TORREY) will be a sophomore at Aubrey Rogers High School in the Fall. Her love for theatre started when she took part in Godspell Jr. at St. Elizabeth Seton. Ella has been in 7 TNPA Productions. She was also in The Addams Family at SJN. Last year, she was nominated for president of the ARHS Drama Club. At ARHS, she was part of the ensemble in Sister Act and played Lisa in Mamma Mia. She also costume designed and constructed both Sister Act and Mamma Mia. This is her first show 12

OLIVIA SVEC (ENSEMBLE) is excited to be in the Freaky Friday production. She is in the 7th grade at Gulfview Middle School. She has previously been in Seussical Jr. and Matilda Jr. Olivia loves to write poetry, do gymnastics, sing, dance, and hang out with friends. She is involved in her church youth group.

She is a very outgoing person who loves to be around people.

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ABOUT THE CREATIVES JOHN PERINE (DIRECTOR/ DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION)

KENNEDY MCALISTER (MUSIC DIRECTOR) is a Philadelphia-

is a director, performer, playwright, and educator originally from the Nashville, Tennessee area and is the Director of Education at Gulfshore Playhouse. Recent directing with The Conservatory includes Romeo + Juliet, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, and he is looking forward to Starcrossed this fall in partnership with Artis-Naples and the Naples Philharmonic.

Selected other directing: Peter and the Starcatcher (top three finalist for Best Director of the Decade and Best Musical of the Decade by BroadwayWorld Birmingham), Kate DiCamillo’s Flora & Ulysses (North Carolina Theatre for Young People) and the world premiere of his play icarus x apollo for University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Centennial celebration. Additional teaching artistry: The Rose Theater (Omaha, NE), The Virginia Samford Theatre (Birmingham, AL), and Lexington Children’s Theatre (Lexington, KY).

Education: Theatre for Youth at Samford University (BFA) and UNC Greensboro (MFA). More about John’s work can be found at www.johnperine.com

based performer, musician, and educator. She is delighted to be back at Gulfshore for another fabulous summer! Kennedy loves working with all kinds of voices and learners, and believes making music together is one of the best things about life.

Recently, Kennedy returned from a four-month tour of Japan with Disney on Classic. Other recent music directing credits include 42nd Street, Hello, Dolly!, and Legally Blonde. IG: @kennedy.mcalister

JULIANNA BABB (CHOREOGRAPHER) is a Philadelphia based director, choreographer, and teaching artist.

Favorite credits include: Something Rotten, Ragtime, Cabaret (Candlelight Theatre), Spring Awakening (Relic Theatre Co), The Lightning Thief TYA, Frozen Jr. (Upper Darby Summer Stage), School of Rock, Joseph…

Dreamcoat (Ogunquit Playhouse), Frozen Jr. (Walnut Street Theatre).

She currently teaches for Paper Mill Playhouse, Walnut Street Theatre, Arden Theatre, and Ensemble Arts Philly. Proud New Hampshirite, proud UARTS alum. For the Fam.

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ABOUT THE CREATIVES HELEN DOMINGUEZ (COSTUME DESIGNER) is grateful to return to the Gulfshore Playhouse Conservatory, where she joyfully creates costumes for young performers. Her recent works include Seussical Jr. and Matilda Jr., and Six: Teen Edition where she delights in inspiring students through storytelling. She thanks her family for their steadfast love and support. Soli Deo Gloria.

Bert and Arthur.

CONNOR J. REILLY (STAGE MANAGER) Grand Rapids, MI;

Off-Broadway: Little Match Girl (Production Stage Manager), Regional: Beautiful (Stage Management Swing) , The Mousetrap (Production Assistant), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Production Assistant), Gulfshore Playhouse, Waitress, Saugatuck Center for the Arts (Production Assistant, Intimacy ELIZABETH KNUDSON (LIGHTING Captain), Thirst, Williamston DESIGNER) has been with Gulfshore Theatre (Asst. Stage Manager), Fools (Production Stage Manager), Playhouse since Fall 2019. She has a Summer Circle Theatre. Young BFA in Theatre from Emporia State Playwrights Festival, Wharton Center University. Some of her favorite for Performing Arts (Production lighting design work at Gulfshore Stage Manager, Intimacy Director).

Playhouse includes The Lightning Connor is thrilled to be working with Thief and Six: Teen Edition. She has Gulfshore Playhouse this Summer also worked as L1&2 for corporate and is so excited to return in the Fall! events, concerts, and small tours. www.connorreillytheatre.com. elizabethlkennell.wixsite.com/ portfolio

MAX HEYLIGER (SOUND DESIGNER) is in his second season

DYLAN GELLETT (ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER) is a graduate

of the University of South Florida Theatre program with a Bachelor in as the Assistant Sound Supervisor Theatre Arts. ​He has been working at Gulfshore Playhouse. He is very with Gulfshore in the production excited to be designing again for the department for three years, going conservatory program! Other GP into his fourth. Recent credits credits include The Lightning Thief, include:​ Beautiful,​ Sweet Charity, Anything Goes: Youth Edition, and Teen Cabaret 2025. Max would like to Anything Goes as a PA and Lehman thank his partner, Laura, and his cats, Trilogy, Importance of Being Earnest 14

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as PA/ASM with Gulfshore, Jersey Boys (Mountain Theatre Company). and Rock of Ages (Mountain Theatre Company).

JOEL MARKUS (COO & MANAGING DIRECTOR) is thrilled to be in his eighth 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 $75M Baker Theatre and Education Center, the production shop 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 was recognized as one of the top COOs in SWFL by the Community Foundation. 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 Founder, CEO and Producing Artistic Director of Gulfshore Playhouse. She founded the Playhouse in 2004, and shortly thereafter started producing with no staff and virtually no funding. Under her leadership, the Playhouse has grown to a staff of 83 people with an annual budget of $14.5M with no long-term debt. Kristen led the charge to create the iconic $75M state-of-the-art Baker Theatre and Education Center at the gateway to downtown Naples, which opened on November 1st, 2024. As part of this project, Coury ignited one of the largest public/private partnerships in City of Naples history, initiating a land-swap with the Wynn family and subsequently donating over an acre of land to the City upon which to build a public parking garage. While in New York, she worked on Broadway for

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ABOUT THE CREATIVES Walt Disney Theatrical Productions and for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s company, The Really Useful Group, and made her feature film directorial debut with an independent film entitled Friends and Family.

Kristen is also a frequent investor in Broadway productions, most recently A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical. Kristen has directed nearly 50 productions for the Playhouse. Most recently, she directed the inaugural show in the Baker Theatre and Education Center, Anything Goes. This season, she also directed Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.

Kristen was named one of the Men and Women of the Year by Gulfshore Life in 2013 and again in 2024. She

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also received the Murray Hendel Award for Civic Achievement in 2023.

She served two terms on the board of Theatre Communications Group, the national advocacy group for professional theatre and is currently a member of the board of the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce.

Kristen is very honored to have been appointed to Florida Council for arts and culture by Senate President Kathleen Passidomo. She was named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Business Leaders in Collier County

by Naples Illustrated for the last four years, and, this year, was listed in the 2025 Edition of Florida Trend Magazine as one of the 500 Most Influential Business Leaders in the State of Florida.

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JULY 31 - AUGUST 2 T ICK ET S ON SA L E NOW !

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GULFSHOREPL AYHOUSE .ORG

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS We gratefully acknowledge the dedication and leadership of our Board of Directors.

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Steve Akin

VICE- CHAIR Rich Struthers

BOARD MEMBERS Patty Baker

Gerry Moss

Jim Bosscher

Jack Nortman

Kristen Coury

Tony Panzica

David Drobis

Gail Kern Paster

Gary Gregg

Susan Regenstein

Tim Habbershon

Rick Rondinelli

Mitchell Hertz

Cynthia Scholl

George Kraus

Tennille Sevigny

Jason Hunter Korn

David Schockley

Vince Maffeo

Pat Sweet

Sandi Moran

Joanne Wyss

EMERITUS Don J. Gunther Bob Harden Dave Wilson

LIFETIME TRUSTEES Tom Gallagher Don McCulloch

OUR STAFF AND LEADERSHIP LEADERSHIP Kristen Coury CEO & Producing Artistic Director

ARTISTIC & EDUCATION

CEO & Producing Artistic Director .............. Kristen Coury Associate Artistic Director .............................. Dann Dunn Line Producer ..................................... Audrey Zielenbach Director of Education ..................................... John Perine ThinkTheatre Coordinator .................. Meredith Singleton ArtReach Coordinator .............................. Frances Barnett

ADMINISTRATION

COO & Managing Director ............................. Joel Markus Human Resources Manager ....................... Carol Koolhof Director of Facilities ..................................... Joe Salemme Assistant Director of Facilities ...................... Mark Murray Director of Events/Food & Beverage .............. Erin Burney Assistant Events/Food & Beverage Managers .Crystal Diggs, Lee Smith 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 Associate Advancement Officer ............... Mary Hackeloer

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 Assistant Patron Services Manager ............... Joan Cannon Patron Services Assistants ......................... Zoë Bradshaw, Timothy Coryell, Sara Ross, Sabina Valery

GENERAL MANAGEMENT

General Manager .............................................. Jim Dallas Company Manager .................................. Emily Lostracco Assistant Company Manager ............. Chanda Hawthorne Front of House Manager ..................... Jeremy Bennington

Joel Markus COO & Managing Director

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 Carpenter ......................................... Deborah Samuelson Scenic Technicians ........... Brian Richards, Chris Williams

SCENIC ART

Scenic Art Supervisor ..................................... James Allen Assistant Scenic Arts Supervisor ............. Katherine Burns Scenic Artists .............. Melena Scott, Larashleigh Wallace

PROPERTIES

Properties Supervisor ............................... Jonathan Willis Assistant Properties Supervisor .............. Gwendolyn Rygg Properties Artisan ....................................... Hunter Booth Properties Technician ................................. Rylee McNeal

LIGHTING

Lighting Supervisor ............................ Elizabeth Knudson Assistant Lighting Supervisor ........................ Lynn Slutsky Lighting Technicians .................. Jaden O’Berry, Ray Ward

SOUND

Sound Supervisor ............................................ Owen True Assistant Sound Supervisor .......................... Max Heyliger Sound Technicians ....................................... Emily Parker

COSTUMES

Costume Shop Manager ........................ Jennifer Bronsted Assistant Costume Shop Manager ............ Elizabeth Eaton Drapers ....................................................... Sarah Greene First Hands ........................... Mya Nunez, Gabby DePrizio Wardrobe Supervisor .............................. Marissa Mascolo Assistant Wardrobe Supervisor ................. Emma Madden Assistant Wig & Makeup Supervisor .............. Joan Harlow Costume Technicians ............................ Suvonna Bynum, Sarea Kelly, Viva Sammatova

STAGE MANAGEMENT

Stage Management Production Assistants .. Dylan Gellett, Connor J. Reilly

D I S N E Y ’S F R E A K Y F R I D AY T H E M U S I C A L

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