IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Vic Caroli | Sue Schaffel | Jim Corsica | Jeremy Giovinazzo
Costume Designer
Jennifer C. Bronsted
Director of Production
Ray Inkel
COO & Managing Director
Joel Markus
Sound Designer
Sean McGinley
Stage Manager
Emilie Baartman
CEO & Producing Artistic Director
Kristen Coury
Directed by
Steven Calakos
JEFFREY BINDER (Playwright) is an actor, playwright, and former Associate Artistic Director at Gulfshore Playhouse. Graduating with an MFA from New York University, Binder has appeared in multiple productions here in Naples (recently in It’s A Wonderful Life, An Iliad, and Holmes and Watson), regional theatres, and on Broadway: The Lion King, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Mary Poppins, Side Man. Binder is also a director, having recently directed GP productions such as Camelot, The Lady Demands Satisfaction, and In The Next Room Or The Vibrator Play. He has also written and performed in Scapino, which has recently been published by Samuel French.
Through our partnership with the Holocaust Museum, we learned of Abe Price, a Naples resident and Holocaust survivor, whose story we felt must be told on stage. At just 16-years-old, Abraham Piasecki had his life uprooted by the Nazi invasion of Poland. From living in the ghetto of Kielce to imprisonment at AuschwitzBirkenau, Remember: The Story of Abe Price brings to life the harrowing true story of a Holocaust survivor who escaped Nazi captivity five times. This immersive, challenging, and ultimately captivating story of resilience brings us into one man’s memories and asks us to never forget.
1923 Abe is born in Kielce, Poland. He is the youngest of five brothers.
1938 The night of November 9th is remembered as Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass). Nazis in Germany destroy and vandalize Jewish shops, homes, and synagogues. Abe and his family are still in Kielce and their factory is doing well.
1939 The Nazis invade Poland. Abe is 16 and his family is sent to live in the ghetto. The Nazis seize his family’s home and their factory, as they did to many other Jewish families in Poland. This is the start of WW2.
1940 SS Officers start roundups. Abe and his brothers Charles and Szymon are sent to Lublin to work in the camp. Three months later, Abe and Charles escape and return home.
1941 The SS sends Abe back to the stone quarry. He escapes shortly after arriving with the help of a family friend named Kasheck.
1942 Abe’s ghetto is sealed and families are deported. Charles and Abe are sent to a work camp and his parents are sent to Treblinka. Abe never sees his parents again.
1943 Abe escapes from the ghetto he was living in and works in a factory called Henrykow. His brother Charles does not escape the ghetto and is sent to a camp called Blizyn.
1944 Abe’s ghetto is liquidated. He is sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest of the Nazi extermination camps.
1945 Abe and the other prisoners begin a death march back to Auschwitz. Abe and Ernst Tauber escape. This is Abe’s final escape. On Sept. 2nd, 1945, World War 2 officially ends. After the war, Abe and his wife Sala move to America
VIC CAROLI (Abe Price ) Since coming to Naples 15 years ago, Vic has played many varied roles at local theatres. At The Naples Players Vic played Herr Schultz in Cabaret, Ralph Bellini in The Last Romance, Hank Hadley in Regrets Only and Dr. Watson in Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure. At the Lab Theatre in Fort Myers he played Norman Thayer, Jr. in On Golden Pond, and at the Marco Players he played Abie Muscovitz in The Interview. Vic is a retired member of Actors’ Equity who in his salad days worked off-Broadway and off-off Broadway. He was a resident actor at the Cleveland Playhouse and the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival. He spent three months as a guest artist at the University of Rhode Island, as well as having done his share of summer stock and dinner theatre. Vic would like to thank his talented wife, Patti, for all her support. Without whom, baby.
SUE SCHAFFEL ( Actor #2) is relatively new to the SWFL market. She spent most of her time perfecting her craft in the DC area. Some local credits include Norma Desmond in Sunset Schmulevard, Blanche DuBois in Death of a Salesman Named Virginia Woolf and Velma in Hush Up Sweet Charlotte. Some DC credits include The Wolves, Harvey, Other Desert Cities, Beyond Therapy, Murder at the Howard Johnson’s and To Gillian on her 37th Birthday. Film credits include her role as Maggie in the independent film I Like Me (available on Amazon Prime) where she was awarded Best Actress in a Feature at the 2018 Reading Film Festival and the Sunnyside Up Film Festival. TV credits include “Evil Kin,” “America’s Most Wanted,” “The Price is Right” and numerous commercials. Equity Member Candidate. www.sschaffel.com
JIM CORSICA ( Actor #3) was most recently seen in The Naples Players’ production of Southern Comforts/Gus, The Wedding Singer/Bum, and Escanaba In The Moonlight/Ranger Tom. He has been able to do his dream role of Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls twice. Other recent roles include: Jacey Squires /The Music Man, The Narrator/The Rocky Horror Show, Inspector Kemp/Young Frankenstein and Stage Manager/Our Town, all at TNP. Elsewhere, Jim was Harry Brock/Born Yesterday and Batman (ret.)/Bruce Kane One-Acts for the Marco Players, Salieri’s Cook/Amadeus for TheatreZone, Bill Sr./Clever Little Lies for The Studio Players and Sir John Falstaff in Shakespeare In Paradise’s production of The Merry Wives of Windsor. He is thrilled to help bring the story of this wonderful man to life and has been warmed by the wonderful reception the play has received from students in area schools.
JEREMY GIOVINAZZO ( Actor #4) From the classics like Music Man, Fosse’s high energy Chicago, to his most recent role in the comedy Something Rotten, Jeremy Giovinazzo has been entertaining audiences for years. He can be seen performing at Sugden theater, TheatreZone, and now with Gulfshore Playhouse. Jeremy was born in NYC, then transplanted to Naples in 2012. He is at home on the stage while singing, acting, and taking on numerous dance styles! He never backs down from a challenge. Looking to the future, Jeremy will continue to stretch himself as an actor, model, and vocalist. To see more, check out his social media
JENNIFER C. BRONSTED (Costume Designer) Started at Gulfshore Playhouse in Fall 2012. She has designed, built costumes, and run wardrobe for GP. Favorite credits at Gulfshore Playhouse include Boeing-Boing, The Butcher, The God Game and All My Sons. Other design credits include Henry V and Henry VI part 1 with American Shakespeare Center, Oedipus Rex and The Importance of Being Earnest with Florida Gulf Coast University. She has worked with Alabama Shakespeare Festival and Illinois Shakespeare Festival. Jennifer graduated University of Alabama with Master of Fine Art in Costume Design/Production.
SEAN MCGINLEY (Sound Designer) has been the resident sound engineer with Gulfshore Playhouse for the last two seasons having worked on projects like the Cabaret Series, education shows and Higher. He was also the sound designer for Love Letters and Maytag Virgin. Sean has been a sound engineer and designer with The Penobscot Theatre in Maine, Theatre Workshop of Nantucket in Massachusetts, and Starquest Performing Arts Competitions touring the country. He has done sound engineering projects with many other companies including Center for the Arts Bonita, Gable Stage, Theatre Zone, Ten Bucks Theatre, Robinson Ballet, and One Egg No Batter Productions. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Industry and Recording Technology from York College of Pennsylvania. He has been in love with live sound since he was thirteen and first sat behind a console at his church. Sean can be found editing music
and podcasts in his free time as well as hiking and camping. He is also an audio engineer at Naples United Church of Christ. He would like to thank his family and Alivia for their continued support of his dream and passion.
EMILIE BAARTMAN (Stage Manager) is a performer, educator, and choreographer, and has been with Gulfshore Playhouse since June 2019 as the Education Assistant. Graduating with double majors in Theatre and Broadcasting from Southwest Minnesota State University, she has previously worked as a performer and teaching artist with Black Hills Playhouse and The National Theatre for Children. Emilie has also worked as an educator with the Washington Pavillion in Sioux Falls, SD. Around the SWFL area, she can be seen performing onstage, working front of house, and volunteering with other theatre companies and organizations.
STEVEN CALAKOS (Director) attended Rowan University and earned his Bachelor of Arts degrees in Elementary Education and Theatre: Child Drama. He is an award-winning teacher and theatre director having taught in Vineland Public Schools in New Jersey for over 11 years. He served as artistic director for several school theatre organizations, and co-founded his own theatre production company in 2014. Steven is a recipient of the 2022 and 2023 Tony Award® Honorable Mention for Excellence in Theatre Education, as well as, Greek America Foundation Forty Under 40 Award and is a Gulfshore Business 40 Under 40 Honoree. He is a professional actor and singer with national credits, including being a member of Actors Equity Association, producing and performing in three solo concerts, and appearing in several television ads and feature films. www.stevencalakos.com
JOEL MARKUS (COO & Managing Director) is thrilled to be in his sixth 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 double the theatre’s budget, double 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. Previously, he spent seven years at The Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, America’s oldest professional theatre with an annual budget of over $16 Million. 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) 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. She is currently directing the final production in the Norris Center, the musical She Loves Me. 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. She served two terms on the board of Theatre Communications Group, the national advocacy group for professional theatres. 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.
Broadway Babies
Ages (9mos - 2 yrs)
Apr. 6, 13, 20, 27 | 10AM - 11AM
An enchanting theatre class designed for toddlers and their caregivers to embark on a delightful journey into the world of song, dance, and play
Story Explorers: Spellbound
Ages (6-10) | Apr. 29 - May 3 | 5:30PM-7:30PM
Participants will engage in dramatic play, imaginative thinking, and character development, inspired by our favorite wizarding stories
Broadway Bootcamp: Storybook Theatre
Ages (5-7) | June 3-7 | 9AM-12PM
Children will discover the joy of musical theatre as they sing, dance, and act out their favorite storybook characters
Broadway Bootcamp: I've Got a Golden Ticket
Ages (5-7) | June 10-21, M-F | 1PM-4PM
Students will learn music and dance numbers from the musical and have the opportunity to perform live on stage in Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka JR. at the end of the second week.
Broadway Bootcamp: Into the Wild
Ages (5-7) | June 24-28 | 9AM-12PM This program invites children to explore the wonders of the wilderness through the magic of musical theatre!
Broadway Bootcamp: Oh! The Places You'll Go
Ages (5-7) | July 15-26, M-F | 1PM-4PM
Students will learn music and dance numbers from Seussical JR. and will have the opportunity to perform live on stage in our junior production at the end of the second week!
Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka JR.
Performances: June 21 - 23
Seussical JR.
Ages (8-18) | July 1- 26, M-F | 9AM-4PM
Tuition: $1200 | Performances: July 26 - 28
Auditions for Seussical JR. will occur on the first day of camp and will consist of singing and reading selections from the show. Once registered for the production, students and parents will be invited to join a Google classroom with the music from the show so students can begin becoming familiar with the material, so we encourage registering your students early!
Scan Here to see all of our educational opportunities or contact Steven Calakos, Director of Education at scalakosgulfshoreplayhouse.org to register and for more details.
Patty Baker
Kristen Coury
David Drobis
Tim Habbershon
Mitch Hertz
Steve Akin, Chairman of the Board
Rich Struthers, Vice-Chair
Jenny Housh
Jason Hunter Korn
Pamela Krupka
Don McCulloch
Sandi Moran
Gerry Moss
Jack Nortman
Tony Panzica
Gail Kern Paster
Susan Regenstein
Rick Rondinelli
Cynthia Scholl
Tennille Sevigny
Ashley Smith
Pat Sweet
Kristen Coury, CEO & Producing Artistic Director
Joel Markus, COO & Managing Director
CEO & Producing Artistic Director ........................... Kristen Coury
Director of Education ........................................... Steven Calakos
Literary Manager............................................ Audrey Zielenbach
Artistic Associate .......................................................... Dann Dunn
Executive Assistant .................................. Mackenzie Caraballo
Education Associates .................................... Meredith Singleton
John Perine, Mary McGough
Education Assistant ........................................ Emilie Baartman
Chief Advancement Officer .......................................... Lisa Halsey
Advancement Officer: Events & Donor Engagement .... Sarah Owen
Advancement Officer .......................................... Brandon Horwin
Donor Stewardship & Events Coordinator .................. Dave Blount
Chief Marketing Officer..................................... Rachel Applegate
Marketing Manager ............................................. Heidi Overman
Graphic Designer ................................................ Ashley Martinez
Patron Services Manager ......................................... Luke Matlock
Assistant Patron Services Manager................ Ashleigh Jennings
Patron Services Assistants ....................... Tim Coryell, Sara Ross
David Wilson
Don Gunther, Emeritus
Robert Harden, Emeritus 2640 Golden Gate Pkwy, Suite 211 Naples, Florida 34105 (239) 261-7529 | GulfshorePlayhouse.org
COO & Managing Director ...................................... Joel Markus
Director of Finance ................................................ Alyson McCoy
General Manager........................................................ Jim Dallas
Facilities Manager .............................................. Joe Salemme
IT Manager ................................................. Lucas Chang Broker
Director of Events/Food and Beverage ..................... Erin Perez
Finance Associate ...................................... Maureen P. Devine
Front of House Manager .................................... Denise Vonada
Front of House Assistant .......................... Joycelyn Richardson
Company Manager ................................................... Abby Greer
Asst. Company Manager ........................... Chanda Hawthorne
Executive Assistant ............................................... Allison Winkel
Office Manager/Bookkeeper ....................................... Taylor Ho
Director of Production ................................................ Ray Inkel
Assistant Production Manager ................................. Lila Sell
Stage Management Production Assistants .... Molly Conklin
Dylan Gellett
Technical Director ................................................. John Forton
Asst. Technical Director ........................................... Alex Riggs
Construction Charge ................................ Anthony Knudson
Carpenter ............................................ Deborah Samuelson
Scenic Technician ............................................. Tom Gregus
Props Supervisor.............................................. Andrew Babb
Props Artisan ................................................. Gwendolyn Rygg
Properties Technician ....................................... Hunter Booth
Scenic Art Supervisor .......................................... James Allen
Scenic Artist ............................................... Katherine Burns
Lighting Supervisor ................................. Elizabeth Knudson
Lighting Technician.......................................... Gabe Landes
Sound Engineer ..................................................... Owen True
Costume Shop Manager ............................. Jennifer Bronsted
Draper ............................................................ Elizabeth Eaton
First Hand ........................................................ Carolyn Schar
Wardrobe Supervisor ............................. Sheridan Parkinson
Costume Technicians ..................................... Emma Madden
Dyna Demerritt