June 5 – July 5, 2026
From the Producers
Welcome to the first-ever co-production between Hartford Stage and TheaterWorks Hartford. This historic collaboration marks an exciting milestone not only for our two institutions, but for the city of Hartford and for you — our audience — who make this vibrant theatrical community possible.
At the heart of both of our missions is a shared belief in the power of storytelling: stories that challenge us, entertain us, and bring us together. It is only fitting that this partnership centers on a work by one of the greatest storytellers in the American Theater: Stephen Sondheim.
From A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Company to Sunday in the Park with George and Into the Woods, Sondheim transformed the American musical canon with his unparalleled wit, emotional depth, and musical innovation. Remarkably, this production of Sweeney Todd marks the first time a Sondheim musical has been produced on this stage — a testament to the ambition and possibility of this new collaboration.
Since its premiere in 1979, Sweeney Todd has captivated audiences and remains one of Sondheim’s most groundbreaking achievements: thrilling, unsettling, heartbreaking, and darkly funny all at once.
With this production, we are proud to offer our own intimate interpretation of this masterpiece. Our chamber staging — featuring nine actors and nine musicians — places the storytelling, the music, and the humanity of these characters front and center.
We are honored to continue uplifting the arts in Hartford together with a production as bold, inventive, and unforgettable as Sweeney Todd. Thank you for joining us for this landmark occasion that is also a celebration of over 100 combined years of powerful storytelling through live theater in downtown Hartford. We’re so glad you’re here.
Melia Bensussen Hartford Stage Artistic Director
Rob Ruggiero TheaterWorks Hartford Artistic Director
SWEENEY TODD
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street A Musical Thriller
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Hugh Wheeler
From an adaptation by Christopher Bond
Originally Directed on Broadway by Harold Prince
Book by Hugh Wheeler
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Director
Choreographer
Music Director
Scenic Design
Costume Design
Lighting Design
Sound Design
Wig, Hair & Make-up Design
Fight Coordinator
Vocal Coach
Casting
Production Stage Manager
Assistant Stage Manager
Rob Ruggiero
Ralph Perkins
Wiley DeWeese
Luke Cantarella
Fabian Fidel Aguilar
John Lasiter
Beth Lake
J.Jared Janas
Michael Rossmy
Jennifer Scapetis-Tycer
Alldaffer & Donadio Casting
Nicole Wiegert
Julius Cruz
Originally Produced on Broadway by Richard Barr, Charles Woodward, Robert Fryer, Mary Lea Johnson, Martin Richards in Association with Dean and Judy Manos.
Sweeney Todd is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
THE VIDEOTAPING OR MAKING OF ELECTRONIC OR OTHER AUDIO AND/OR VISUAL RECORDINGS OF THIS PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTING RECORDINGS OR STREAMS IN ANY MEDIUM, INCLUDING THE INTERNET, IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED, A VIOLATION OF THE AUTHOR(S)’S RIGHTS AND ACTIONABLE UNDER UNITED STATES COPYRIGHT LAW.
PRODUCTION SPONSORS
Cheryl Chase & Stuart Bear Family Foundation
Robinson+Cole
The Burry Fredrik Foundnation
Richard P. Garmany Fund
Robert & Francine Goldfarb Family Fund
Katherine J. Lambert
Marjorie E. Morrissey
Dana Plaper & Earl McMahon
The Company
Beggar Woman Carey Brown
Mrs. Lovett....................................................................................................... Jackie Burns
Anthony Hope ............................................................................................. Willem Butler
Adolfo Pirelli/Jonas Fogg Tristan Caldwell
Sweeney Todd .............................................................................................. Matt Faucher
Johanna Lauren Maria Medina
Beadle Bamford Brian Ray Norris
Tobias Ragg .............................................................................................. Cole Thompson
Judge Turpin Edward Watts
The Actors and Stage Managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
This Theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
Willem Butler
Tristan Caldwell
Matt Faucher
Carey Brown
Lauren Maria Medina
Jackie Burns
Cole Thompson
Edward Watts
Brian Ray Norris
Music
Conductor Wiley DeWeese
Associate Music Director/Keyboard Calvin Hu
Violin ........................................................................................................... Sarah Washburn
Cello Celeste Cumming
Bass Edward Allman
Clarinet ...........................................................................................................James Forgey
Bassoon Yeh-Chi Wang
Trumpet Katie Hillstrom
Horn .................................................................................................................. Torrin Hallett
Percussion Edward Fast
Additional Production Support
Keyboard Programmer ............................................................................. Randy Cohen
Associate Keyboard Programmers Juan Matos, Nick Schenkel
Musical Contractor George Sanders
Music Preparation Wiley DeWeese
Assistant Scenic Designer Michael Ruiz-del-Vizo
Assistant Costume Designer Matthew Eggers
Associate Lighting Designer Shelby Loera
Assistant Lighting Designer Amara Payton McNeil
Associate Sound Designer Alex Brock
Associate Wig Designer Tony Lauro
Production Assistant Alyssa Edwards
Stage Crew
Deck Crew Ariana Harris, Vintage Kovel, Logan Wareham
Spot Operators Stef Carr, Ash Fischer
Wardrobe Supervisor K. Duffner
Wig & Make-up Supervisor Jodi Stone
Wardrobe Kevin Roland
Sound Engineer James Busker
Wireless Microphone Engineer Dennis Dowding
Light Board Operator Sara Dorinbaum
Crew Swing Matt Hennessey
The Scenic, Costume, Lighting, and Sound Designers in LORT theatres are represented by United Scenic Artists Local USA 829 of the IATSE.
The Director and Choreographer are members of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.
Song List
Act 1
The Ballad of Sweeney Todd Company
No Place Like London .................................. Anthony, Sweeney, Beggar Woman
The Worst Pies in London Mrs. Lovett
Poor Thing Mrs. Lovett
My Friends .................................................................Sweeney, Mrs. Lovett, Company
Green Finch and Linnet Bird Johanna
Ah, Miss Anthony, Johanna, Beggar Woman
Johanna ..................................................................................................................... Anthony
Pirelli’s Miracle Elixir Tobias, Sweeney, Mrs. Lovett, Company
Pirelli’s Entrance Pirelli
The Contest .................................................................................................................... Pirelli
Ballad of Sweeney Todd Company
Wait Mrs. Lovett
Pirelli’s Death.................................................................................................................. Pirelli
The Ballad of Sweeney Todd Anthony, Beadle, Pirelli
Kiss Me (pt. 1) Anthony, Johanna
Ladies in Their Sensitivities................................................................................... Beadle
Kiss Me (pt. 2) Anthony, Johanna, Judge, Beadle
Pretty Women ......................................................................................... Sweeney, Judge
Epiphany ................................................................................................................... Sweeney
A Little Priest Sweeney, Mrs. Lovett
There will be one intermission.
Act 2
God, That’s Good Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney, Tobias, Company
Johanna (Act 2 Sequence) .....Sweeney, Beggar Woman, Anthony, Johanna
By the Sea ...................................................................................... Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney
Wigmaker Sequence Sweeney, Anthony, Company
The Letter .................................................................................................................... Quintet
Not While I’m Around ..................................................................... Tobias, Mrs. Lovett
Parlor Songs Beadle, Mrs. Lovett, Tobias
Fogg’s Asylum ...................................................................................................... Company
City on Fire Company
Searching (pt. 1) Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney, Beggar Woman, Company
Searching (pt. 2) .............................................. Anthony, Johanna, Beggar Woman
The Judge’s Return Sweeney, Judge
Final Scene Sweeney, Mrs. Lovett, Tobias
Epilogue – The Ballad of Sweeney Todd................................................... Company
TAPROOM & KITCHEN
Interview with the Artistic Directors, Melia Bensussen and Rob Ruggiero
by Taneisha Duggan, Director of Arts, Culture, and Entertainment for the City of Hartford
Taneisha: We are sitting at a unique crossroads today. I started my professional journey at Hartford Stage and found my professional ‘home’ at TheaterWorks. Looking back at your own ‘firsts’ in the theater, what was the specific moment or production that made you realize you wanted to move from being an artist ‘first’ into an artist that was also leading an institution?
Rob: The journey of an artist is hard for a long, long time. And there’s that moment when you realize “Oh, I’m a director, or, I’m a theater artist.” And you work, but you’re not making ends meet. And then there was a point where I remember saying “Do I want to switch?” “Do I want to transition to something that would make me more fiscally stable?” And then I did a production of The Laramie Project — and it opened right before September 11 — and I thought it was going to close, but we couldn’t sell tickets fast enough because people wanted to be in the same space, in a cathartic space, and be together in community. And that production reminded me why I didn’t have a choice — that I was an artist. It reminded me that all I wanted to do was tell stories, make great art, and create important dialogues and move people.
Melia: It is an interesting question. The term “artist,” for me, feels separate than “artistic director.” For me, it was a journey of really wanting to create community, as we have — I hope — in Hartford. I was a freelancer for a long time, and then by accident became a college professor — a long story having to do with having children! But it then became kind of exhausting to create a conversation in different theaters all over the country; each time it was getting to know an audience just through previews and then you leave — a director’s theater contract ends at opening night. And you never get that sense of “Here are the people I made it for.” And when I started teaching in Boston, I started working more at The Huntington and started to get a feel for living with the people that I was making work for. It felt for once that the work was larger than I was, which is really all of our goals. So, when Hartford Stage reached out — it was “Yes, please!”
Melia Bensussen and Rob Ruggiero
Taneisha: Thank you both. How is the physical intimacy of TheaterWorks Hartford’s space going to carry through to the scale of the Sweeney Todd co-production, to meet a larger musical experience?
Rob: I’ve been here at TWH for 33 years, but I also freelance — directing a lot at The Muny, which is 11,000 seats — and I did a production of South Pacific there years ago; Ben Davis was playing Emile de Becque and for “This Nearly Was Mine” he sat on a crate in the middle of the stage for most of that song — and no one moved. I realized then that intimacy translates to big and small if the moment is authentic, if it’s alive, and you can hear it and feel it. So for Sweeney Todd, I actually don’t think of it as going to a bigger space.
Melia: I don’t either. I feel the same way, because at Hartford Stage there’s no bad seats. That’s our line and I think it’s true. And why we say that is because you have access to the actors, and you feel a connection, which is the same thing at TWH.
Taneisha: I love that. Sweeney Todd is often called a perfect musical, but it is also a story about industrial grit, revenge, the man devouring man, and nature of society; why is this the right story in this time to serve as the first bridge between your two theaters?
Rob: We tried to find the right story to tell and Sweeney is an epic musical. We really started with “we should do a Sondheim” –
Melia: Because Hartford Stage has never done Sondheim before, and part of our brand is to do the greats, and Sondheim is a great, so this was a great opportunity -
Rob: –and Sweeney was on my list to even do at TWH. Sondheim was able to lift revenge, passion, destruction, and jealousy in Sweeney, with humor in it. It really has everything, and I humbly say that we have a beautiful company.
Melia: And if we think of the original and the emphasis on the industrial revolution and the dehumanizing, in a way you could replace AI with the industrial revolution now.
Taneisha: And so stunning to think about Hartford, which was an industrial power.
Both: Yes!
Taneisha: Co-productions are logistically complex. I don’t know if everyone realizes how rare it is for a co-production to happen within the same city.
Melia: Right, so co-productions usually mean a production moves from one theater to another. So each theater has their usual way of presenting a show, and it’s just a shared production. It travels. This is really special and it’s why we are calling it a historical moment.
Taneisha: It is, and I’m curious how the DNA of your two theaters comes through in this particular production?
Rob: There are amazing moments where we find that communal voice, and there are moments where we have to figure it out — it’s a journey.
Melia: And I will just do a huge shout out to the staff at both theaters, because it’s much easier from our positions, and they’re the ones sitting together figuring out how to adjust to two or four different voices.
Rob: And both of us have had very ambitious years, but the staff of these theaters have risen to the occasion in heroic ways.
Melia: And they’re Hartford based! This is what’s amazing about these theaters — our staffs are deeply committed to making work in this city, figuring out how to work together.
Rob: It’s really wonderful to have everyone speaking to each other. This all started over COVID, when we were trying to figure out how we could share resources.
Taneisha: It is beautiful that you are working on working together!
Melia: Right. Relationships are not easy and humans are complicated. One can get through anything if you remember the bigger goal. And I think here it’s to elevate theater in this community and to remind this city and this region how important these two theaters are to civil discourse and to sustainable life in downtown. So, it’s worth it.
Taneisha: You both ignite our imaginations, not just in the things you put on the stage but the way in which you work.
Melia: We have to model. These two theaters, instead of competing with each other, are saying the cliché that happens to be true: “The rising tide lifts all boats,” and here we are trying to lift us all up.
Taneisha: OK, closing question — If a child comes to see Sweeney Todd this season — perhaps their first professional show — and they end up running one of these theaters twenty years from now, what is the one thing you hope they remember about the ‘Hartford Spirit’ you are helping us build today?
Melia: That it matters. It’s so simple, right? I think many have that memory of the play you saw first and why you thought it mattered.
Rob: I would say, that something huge, emotionally, with an outrageous story, with music, that goes to some of those epic, heightened places — can move you. Don’t forget that you can tell all kinds of stories; big, small, in-between, but the power of theater lives in all of them.
YOUR PARTNER IN VIDEO PRODUCTION & PHOTOGRAPHY
About the Artists
Carey Brown | Beggar Woman
Hartford Stage/TheaterWorks Hartford: Debut. Broadway: A Doll’s House (dir. Jamie Lloyd); Ragtime (dir. Marcia Milgrom Dodge).
Off-Broadway: The Butcher Boy, Greenwillow National Tours: The Sound of Music (dir. Jack O’Brien). Regional: The Secret Garden (The Denver Center); Carousel (Olney Theatre Center); Chess (East West Players); Little Shop of Horrors (La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts); Take Flight (McCarter Theatre); Jam and Spice, A Christmas Carol (Westport Country Playhouse); Master Class (Maltz Jupiter Theatre); Once On This Island (Bay Street Theater).
Jackie Burns | Mrs. Lovett
Hartford Stage/TheaterWorks Hartford: Debut. Broadway: Wicked, Hair, If/Then. UK: Burlesque. Off-Broadway: Titanique, Rock of Ages. National Tours: Wicked, If/Then Selected Regional: The Goodman, The Muny, Paper Mill Playhouse, Alley Theatre, Casa Mañana, Bucks County Playhouse, Broadway Sacramento, George Street Playhouse. Film: Magnificent Meyersons, Set it up. Television: Ghost, FBI: Most Wanted. Personal: Follow her at @jackieburnsnyc
Willem Butler | Anthony Hope
Hartford Stage/Theaterworks
Hartford: Debut. National Tour: Anastasia. US Premiere: Glory Ride (Delaware Theatre Company). Regional: Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Fulton Theatre); The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Greenbrier Valley Theatre); 9 to 5 (Totem Pole Playhouse). Education: BFA Music Theatre, Elon University.
Tristan Caldwell | Adolfo Pirelli/Jonas Fogg
Hartford Stage/TheaterWorks
Hartford: Debut. National Tours: Little Women. Regional: Jekyll & Hyde (WPPAC); Beauty & the Beast (Arena Stage); The Fantasticks, Guys & Dolls, Jesus Christ Superstar, A Grand Night for Singing (Mac-Haydn Theatre); A Christmas Carol (John W. Engeman Theatrer); The Light in the Piazza (Arizona Repertory Theatre). Recording: Epic: The Musical (The Ithaca Saga) as Amphinomus, Tomorrow, The Island Dies (Original Cast Recording). Education: BFA Musical Theatre, The University of Arizona.
About the Artists
Matt Faucher | Sweeney Todd
Hartford Stage: A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas. TheaterWorks Hartford: Debut. Broadway: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical National Tour: Jersey Boys (Nick Massi); Beautiful Off-Broadway: The Threepenny Opera (Macheath, Drama Desk nomination); Harvey Milk (Avery Fisher Hall); Chekhov Dreams Regional: Goodspeed Musicals, The Muny, Paper Mill Playhouse, Asolo Rep, Northern Stage, Olney Theatre Center, A.C.T of CT, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Skylight Music Theatre, The Gateway. Television: FBI: Most Wanted (CBS). Film: We Lack Definition Education: BFA in Acting, The Hartt School, University of Hartford. Teaching: Pace University (Vocal Production, Acting Through Song). Personal: Love to Britt, Frankie and Lena. IG: @the_fauch
Lauren Maria Medina | Johanna
Hartford Stage/TheaterWorks Hartford: Debut. Stage: Maria, West Side Story (Marriott Theatre, Maine State Music Theatre); Anne, A Little Night Music (Ogunquit Playhouse); Louise, Gypsy (Marriott Theatre); Phoebe, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Riverside Theatre); Katie, Household Magic (The Public). Education: BFA, Carnegie Mellon University. Personal: 11:11 Entertainment and The Hybrid Agency. For my family always. laurenmariamedina.com @laurenmariamedina
Brian Ray Norris | Beadle Bamford
Hartford Stage/TheaterWorks Hartford: Debut. Broadway: Original Mr. Krabs, The Sponge Bob Square Pants Musical. TV/Film: The Sponge Bob Square Pants Musical Live (Nickelodeon); HBO’s The Gilded Age; American Horror Story NYC Off-Broadway: Guy, A Dog Story; Sideways; Come From Away (IRT). Personal: Insta @brianraynorris or www.brianraynorris.com
Cole Thompson | Tobias Ragg
Hartford Stage/TheaterWorks Hartford: Debut. Broadway/National Tour: Into the Woods. Off-Broadway: White Rose: The Musical. Regional: Austen’s Pride (Stages St. Louis); We Shall Someday (Alabama Shakespeare Festival). Education: BFA, University of Michigan. Personal: IG: coleteethompson TikTok: _cole__thompson
About the Artists
Edward Watts | Judge Turpin
Hartford Stage/TheaterWorks: Debut. Broadway/NYC: Scandalous; It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman; The Most Happy Fella; Show Boat.
Off-Broadway: The Fantasticks; Black No More; Transport National Tours: The Book of Mormon, Les Misérables, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Regional: Dickinson, 1776 (Paper Mill Playhouse); Father, Ragtime; Harold Hill, The Music Man (Goodspeed Musicals); Orin, Little Shop of Horrors (Ogunquit Playhouse); Grinch, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (The Old Globe); Joe Bradley, Roman Holiday (Guthrie Theater); Miles Gloriosus, A Funny Thing...Forum (Shakespeare Theatre Company). Film: Better Nate than Ever, Free Television: The Sopranos; NCIS: New Orleans; Rescue Me
Personal: @Watts5th
About the Artists
Stephen Sondheim | Music & Lyrics
Sondheim (1930-2021) wrote the music and lyrics for Saturday Night (1954), A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (1962), Anyone Can Whistle (1964), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), The Frogs (1974), Pacific Overtures (1976), Sweeney Todd (1979), Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Sunday In The Park With George (1984), Into The Woods (1987), Assassins (1991), Passion (1994), Road Show (2008) and HERE WE ARE (2023), as well as the lyrics for West Side Story (1957), Gypsy (1959), Do I Hear A Waltz? (1965) and additional lyrics for Candide (1973).
Side By Side by Sondheim (1976), Marry Me A Little (1981), You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow (1983), Putting It Together (1993/99), Moving On (2001), Sondheim On Sondheim (2010) and Old Friends (2023) are anthologies of his work as composer and lyricist.
For films, he composed the scores of “Stavisky” (1974), co-composed the score for “Reds” (1981), and wrote songs for “Dick Tracy” (1990). He wrote songs for the television production “Evening Primrose” (1966), co-authored the film “The Last of Sheila” (1973), the play Getting Away With Murder (1996) and provided incidental music for the plays The Girls of Summer (1956), Invitation To A March (1961), Twigs (1971) and The Enclave (1973).
He won the Tony Award for Best Score for Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and Passion, all of which won the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award, as did Pacific Overtures and Sunday In The Park With George, the latter also receiving the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1985).
Stephen Sondheim was born and raised in New York City. He graduated from Williams College, winning the Hutchinson Prize for Music Composition, after which he studied theory and composition with Milton Babbitt. He served on the Council of the Dramatists Guild, the national association of playwrights, composers and lyricists, and served as its president from 1973 to 1981. In 1983 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters and in 1990 was appointed the first Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre at Oxford University. He was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors in 1993, the National Medal of Arts in 1996, the MacDowell Medal in 2013 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. His collected lyrics with attendant essays have been published in two volumes: “Finishing the Hat” (2010) and “Look, I Made a Hat” (2011).
About the Artists
In 2010 the Broadway theater formerly known as Henry Miller’s Theatre was renamed in his honor, and in 2019 he became the first living artist to have a theatre named in his honor on Shaftesbury Avenue when the refurbished Queen’s Theatre in London’s West End was renamed the Sondheim Theatre to commemorate his 90th birthday, by Sir Cameron Mackintosh.
Hugh Wheeler | Book
Hugh Wheeler was a novelist, playwright and screen writer. He wrote more than thirty mystery novels under the pseudonyms Q. Patrick and Patrick Quentin, and four of his novels were transformed into films: Black Widow, Man in the Net, The Green-Eyed Monster and The Man with Two Wives. For films he wrote the screenplays for Travels with My Aunt, Something for Everyone, A Little Night Music, and Nijinsky. His plays include Big Fish, Little Fish (1961), Look: We’ve Come Through (1961) and We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1966, adapted from the Shirley Jackson novel), he co-authored with Joseph Stein the book for a new production of the 1919 musical Irene (1973), wrote the books for A Little Night Music (1973), a new production of Candide (1973), Sweeney Todd (1979, based on a version of the play by Christopher Bond), and Meet Me in St. Louis (adapted from the 1949 MGM musical), contributed additional material for the musical Pacific Overtures (1976), and wrote a new adaptation of the Kurt Weill opera Silverlake, which was directed by Harold Prince at the New York Opera. He received Tony and Drama Desk Awards for A Little Night Music, Candide and Sweeney Todd. Prior to his death in 1987 Mr. Wheeler was working on two new musicals, Bodo and Fu Manchu, and a new adaptation of The Merry Widow.
Rob Ruggiero | Director
Rob Ruggiero is the Artistic Director at TheaterWorks Hartford, where he has been a vital part of the artistic leadership for over 30 years. Hartford Stage: Ella. TheaterWorks Hartford: over 70 shows including The Counter, Fever Dreams, Fun Home, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Next to Normal, Relativity (starring Richard Dreyfuss), and Christmas on the Rocks (conceiver/director). Broadway: Looped (starring Valerie Harper), High (starring Kathleen Turner). Off-Broadway: Make Me A Song: The Music of William Finn (conceiver/director; Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominee). Regional: Ella (conceiver/director, 24 regional theaters and a National Tour), Goodspeed Musicals, The Muny, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Barrington Stage Company, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Asolo Repertory Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Arena Stage, Pasadena Playhouse. Education: MFA, Rutgers University.
About the Artists
Ralph Perkins | Choreographer
Hartford Stage: Debut. TheaterWorks Hartford: The Legend of Georgia McBride, Fun Home, Next to Normal. Regional: La Cage Aux Folles, Camelot, 1776 (Goodspeed Musicals); Sweeney Todd, Gypsy, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway (specialty choreographer), The Wizard of Oz, Hello Dolly!, South Pacific, The King and I (The Muny); South Pacific (Paper Mill Playhouse); South Pacific (Asolo Repertory Theatre); Follies; Sunday in the Park with George; Urinetown: The Musical; Kiss Me, Kate (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis); Sweet Charity (Barrington Stage Company); EFX (MGM Grand Las Vegas); Tournament of Kings (Excalibur Las Vegas); Siegfried and Roy (The Mirage Las Vegas). Teaching: Director of Theater Dance, The Hartt School, University of Hartford.
Luke Cantarella | Scenic Design
Hartford Stage: Debut. TheaterWorks Hartford: King James, Fever Dreams, Fun Home, and 20 more. West End: Woody Sez Opera: Houston Grand Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Des Moines Metro Opera. Off-Broadway: Atlantic Theater Company, Irish Repertory Theatre, Fallen Angel Theatre Company. Connecticut: Goodspeed Musicals, Westport Country Playhouse, Yale Repertory Theatre. Regional: A.R.T., Seattle Rep, Pittsburgh Public Theater, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, The Muny, People’s Light, Northlight Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, Weston Theater Company, Geva Theatre, Barrington Stage Company, Asolo Rep, REDCAT. Film/TV: Players (Netflix), Call Jane, The Plot Against America (HBO), Julie & Julia, Damages (FX) and more. Books: Ethnography-by-Design: Scenographic Experiments in Fieldwork (Routledge). Education: Yale School of Drama. Teaching: Chair of Film and Screen Studies, Pace.
Fabian Fidel Aguilar | Costume Design
Hartford Stage: Romeo & Juliet, The Mousetrap TheaterWorks Hartford: Debut. Off-Broadway: Dig (Primary Stages). Regional: Inherit the Wind, Man of La Mancha (Asolo Rep); Art (American Players Theatre); La Bohème (Portland Opera); American Mariachi, Mother Road (PCPA); Tale of Two Cities, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed (Alliance Theatre); A Christmas Carol (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company); Twelfth Night, Macbeth (Two River Theater); Dial M for Murder, Straight White Men, Mlima’s Tale, In the Heights, Romeo and Juliet (Westport Country Playhouse); Sidekicked, Wait Until Dark, Thirst, Queen of the Night, Slow Food (Dorset Theater Festival); The Moors (Yale Repertory Theatre). Education: BFA Costume Design, Boston University; MFA Costume Design, Yale School of Drama. Professional Positions: Professor of Costume and Scenic Design, Colgate University.
Record-setting Yard Goats attendance for 10 straight seasons.
Sold-out Stanley Cup Playo game (1986) at Hartford Civic Center —Hartford Whalers vs the Montreal Canadiens.
About the Artists
John Lasiter | Lighting Design
Hartford Stage: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Ella. TheaterWorks Hartford: 54 shows - 28 years. Broadway: High. Regional: Actors Theatre of Louisville, Arena Stage, Arizona Repertory Theatre, Asolo Rep, Blue Light Theater Company, Center Stage, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cleveland Playhouse, Dallas Theater Center, Florida Stage, George Street Playhouse, Geva Theatre, Goodspeed Musicals, Guthrie Theater, Long Wharf Theatre, Luna Stage, Milwaukee Rep, The Muny, New Mexico Rep, Paper Mill Playhouse, Pioneer Theater Company, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, South Coast Repertory, Syracuse Stage, Twelve Miles West, Virginia Stage Company, Weston Theater. Opera: Curtis Institute, Eos Orchestra, Glimmerglass Opera, Manhattan School of Music, Skylight Opera.
Beth Lake | Sound Design
Hartford Stage: Kiss My Aztec!* TheaterWorks Hartford: Secondo! Broadway: Call Me Izzy; McNeal*; Uncle Vanya*; Camelot*. Off-Broadway: Death; Let Me Do My Show*; Russian Troll Farm*; for colored girls...; The Play That Goes Wrong Broadway Associate: Our Town; Othello; The Cottage; for colored girls…; Pass Over; Is This a Room?; Dana H (Tony Award); My Fair Lady; The Play That Goes Wrong; Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 Regional: The Apple Boys, Kinky Boots (Bucks County Playhouse); JOAN (South Coast Repertory); Into the Woods (Guthrie Theater); A Little Night Music (Pasadena Playhouse); Ghosts (Williamstown Theatre Festival); The Revolutionists, An Iliad, The Price (Gulfshore Playhouse). *co-design. Education: MFA, UC, Irvine, Member USA829, IATSE.
J. Jared Janas | Wig, Hair & Make-up Design
Hartford Stage: Death of a Salesman; Two Trains Running; All My Sons; It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play; Ah, Wilderness! Broadway: The Balusters; Beaches; Proof; Bug; Punch; Dead Outlaw; John Proctor Is the Villain; Glengarry Glen Ross; Buena Vista Social Club; Our Town; Once Upon a Mattress; Mary Jane; Prayer for the French Republic; Purlie Victorious; Good Night, Oscar; Sweeney Todd; Ohio State Murders; Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune; Gettin’ the Band Back Together; Bandstand; Indecent; Sunset Boulevard; The Visit; The Real Thing; Lady Day…; Motown; Peter and the Starcatcher; and The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Select Off-Broadway: Masquerade; Bigfoot!; Sally & Tom (Drama Desk Nomination); Yours Unfaithfully (Drama Desk Nomination).
About the Artists
Wiley DeWeese | Music Director
Hartford Stage/TheaterWorks Hartford: Debut. Broadway: The Lightning Thief; Girl From the North Country; Amélie; The Band’s Visit; Company Off-Broadway: Soon; All the World’s a Stage; Whisper House; The Lucky Ones; The Wildness; First Daughter Suite; Preludes Regional: Million Dollar Quartet (South Coast Repertory); Prelude to a Kiss: The Musical (South Coast Repertory/Milwaukee Rep); Gatsby (A.R.T.); The Abominables (Children’s Theatre Company). Recordings: Adventures in Reality; In the Footprint; Canard, Canard, Goose?; Mr. Burns: A PostElectric Play; Paris Commune; (I am) Nobody’s Lunch; This Beautiful City; The Great Immensity Education: NYU. Personal: For Mom and Dad, always.
Michael Rossmy | Fight Coordinator
Hartford Stage: Native Gardens; The Cottage; A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas. TheaterWorks Hartford: Debut Broadway: Purpose; A Tale of Two Cities; Purple Rain (Upcoming). Off-Broadway: Glass Kill Imp..., White Noise, Measure for Measure, The Vagrant Trilogy, Troilus and Cressida (The Public); What the End Will Be (Roundabout Theatre Company); Blues for an Alabama Sky, This Space Between Us (Keen Company); Peerless, Harbor (Primary Stages). Regional: Yale Repertory Theatre, Westport Country Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Asolo Rep, The Old Globe, KCRep, The Acting Company, Soho Rep, Geffen Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and others. Other: Resident Fight and Intimacy Director for Yale Repertory Theatre; Lecturer in Acting and Stage Management at David Geffen School of Drama.
Jennifer Scapetis-Tycer | Dialect & Vocal Coach
Hartford Stage: Rope, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Pride and Prejudice. TheaterWorks Hartford: Primary Trust Regional: The Great Emu War, Ragtime, Maggie, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Billy Elliot, Passing Through, Hi My Name is Ben, Cabaret, Christmas in Connecticut, Private Jones (Goodspeed Musicals); The Mousetrap, The Elephant Man, The Wier, Abe Lincoln in Illinois, Photograph 51, On Cedar Street, Dracula, Once, Shirley Valentine, The Importance of Being Earnest, Holiday Memories, What the Jews Believe, Outside Mullingar, Church & State, A Christmas Carol (Berkshire Theatre Group); Flight of the Monarch (Shakespeare and Company); Indecent, Miss Benett: Christmas at Pemberley, All is Calm, A Shayna Maidel, The Scottsboro Boys, My Name is Asher Lev, Intimate Apparel, Last Train to Nibroc, A Moon for the Misbegotten, I Hate Hamlet (Playhouse on Park); Cabaret (Nutmeg Summer Season, Connecticut Repertory Theatre); Tribes (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati); A Christmas Carol (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park). Education: MFA Voice Studies, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Teaching: Associate Professor, Voice Speech and Dialects, University of Connecticut.
About the Artists
Alldaffer & Donadio Casting | Casting
Hartford Stage: Death of a Salesman; The Cottage; Rope; Hurricane Diane; Romeo & Juliet; August Wilson’s Two Trains Running; A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; All My Sons; Simona’s Search; Pride and Prejudice; Trouble in Mind; The Art of Burning; The Mousetrap; It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play; Ah, Wilderness!; Quixote Nuevo; Ether Dome. TheaterWorks Hartford: Fever Dreams; The Cannibals of McGower County; Christmas on the Rocks. Broadway/Off-Broadway: Stereophonic (Broadway, Off-Broadway, National Tour, UK), Downstate, Dance Nation, Circle Mirror Transformation, A Strange Loop, Clybourne Park, Grey Gardens, The Flick (Playwrights Horizons, Barrow Street Theatre), Classic Stage Company, Tent Theater. Regional: O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, The Huntington, Studio Theatre, Berkeley Rep, The Old Globe, Williamstown Theatre Festival. Television: The Knights of Prosperity, Ed, Monk Podcasts: Marvel, Audible, Fresh Produce. Awards: Artios Award (Stereophonic, Downstate, Circle Mirror Transformation, Present Laughter); Drama Desk and Obie awards, Best Ensemble (Circle Mirror Transformation).
Nicole Wiegert | Production Stage Manager
Hartford Stage: Death of a Salesman; Rope; Romeo & Juliet; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; All My Sons’ Simona’s Search; The Winter’s Tale; Ah, Wilderness!; Pike St.; Detroit ’67; Henry V; A Lesson from Aloes; A Midsummer Night’s Dream. TheaterWorks Hartford: Clyde’s, Queen of Basel, Fun Home, Zoey’s Perfect Wedding, This Bitter Earth, Christmas on the Rocks ‘21, Walden Regional: Goodspeed Musicals, Long Wharf Theatre, Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Chester Theater, KCRep, Mountain Playhouse, Ivoryton Playhouse, Theater by the Sea, First Stage Milwaukee, Renaissance Theatreworks, Milwaukee Ballet, Milwaukee Public Theater, Milwaukee Chamber Theater. Television: House Hunters, Extreme Cheapskates, Biggest Loser Personal: Love to LC, WW, CW & DC.
Julius Cruz | Assistant Stage Manager
Hartford Stage: Death of a Salesman, Rope, Romeo & Juliet, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Simona’s Search TheaterWorks Hartford: Zoe’s Perfect Wedding, Secondo, Fun Home, Christmas on the Rocks, Queen of Basel, Rembrandt, Clyde’s Broadway: Dear Evan Hansen National Tour: Dear Evan Hansen. Regional: El Coquí Espectacular and The Bottle of Doom (Long Wharf Theatre); A Chorus Line, The Sound of Music (Theater by the Sea); The Sound of Music; You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Parallel 45). Personal: All my love to the Slays, Theys, & Gays.
40TH SEASON PARTNERS
BANK OF A MERICA
BURRY FREDRIK FOUNDATION
RICHARD P. GARMAN Y FUND
THE HARTFORD
JOHN & KELLY HARTMAN FOUNDATION
NANCY & JEFFREY HOFFMAN
MARJORIE E. MORRISSEY
DR. ANNE ROTHSTEIN & JANE HELLMAN
THE SHUBERT FOUNDATION TRAVELERS
THE WALTZ FAMILY FUND
Media Sponsor at Greater Hartford Gives Foundation
40TH ANNIVERSARY HONORARY COMMITTEE
Steven Abrams
Mayor Arunan Arulampalam
Duff Ashmead and Eric Ort
Representative Julio Concepcion
Floyd W. Green, III
John and Norma Green
Nancy and Jeffrey Hoffman
Brad and Jill Hutensky
Douglas and Tita Hyland
Ted and Adlyn Loewenthal
Gerard Lupacchino
Marjorie E. Morrissey
Chion Wolf
TWH BOARD
Stephanie A. Johnson (President)
Kim Harrison (Vice President)
Larry Samplatsky (Treasurer)
Jennifer DiBella (Secretary)
Michael G. Albano (Past President)
Dina Plapler (Past President)
Justis Bolding
Fernando Ferro
Grace Figueredo
Marc T. Finer
Michelle Hay
Christopher R. Hayes
Larisa Kottke
Lee G. Kuckro
Katherine Lambert
Françoise A. Miller
Kristen Phillips
Robert Pulito
TWH STAFF
Artistic Director
Rob Ruggiero
Company Manager/
Costume Supervisor
Cecelia Chapman
Producing Associate
Kate J. Cudworth
Scenic Charge / Props
Kelly Daigneault
Director of Audience Services
Joshua Demers
Production Manager
Matt Dorman
Audience Services Associate
Eve Dorsey
House A/V Technician
Dennis Dowding
Lead Carpenter
Nate Hamilton
Managing Director
Jeff Griffin
General Manager
Nicole LaFlair Nieves
Senior Marketing Manager
Freddie McInerney
Director of Marketing/ Communications
Katherine Plutnicki
Assistant Stage Manager
Caroline Saltz
Director of Development
Dina Silva
Lead Bartender
Rachel Sparks
Events /Community Engagement
Erica Tracy Sullivan
Audience Services Manager
Liv Sun
Technical Director
Jacob Thompson
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT: Greater Hartford Gives Foundation, CT Office of the Arts, Travelers, The Shubert Foundation, Marjorie E. Morrissey, Richard P. Garmany Fund, The Hartford, Cheryl Chase and Stuart Bear Family Foundation, Roberts Foundation for the Arts, Burry Fredrik Foundation, John and Kelly Hartman Foundation, Bank of America, Venturous Fund, J. Walton Bissell Foundation, Nassau Financial Group, Ensworth Charitable Foundation, Greater Hartford Arts Council, The Maximilian E. & Marion O. Hoffman Foundation, John E. Blair Fund, The Katherine K. McLane and Henry R. McLane Charitable Trust, The Elizabeth M. Landon and Harriette M. Landon Charitable Trust, Liberty Bank, William and Alice Mortensen Foundation, CT Humanities, George A. and Grace L. Long Foundation, HSB, M&T Bank, Gawlicki Family Foundation, Avangrid.
ANNUAL FUND DONORS
PLATINUM PAR TNERS
Gifts of $25,000+
Cheryl Chase and Stuart Bear Family Foundation
Richard P. Garmany Fund at Greater Hartford Gives Foundation
H. Zeus Goldberg*
Robert and Francine Goldfarb
Nancy and Jeffrey Hoffman
LAZ Parking
Marjorie E. Morrissey
Don Noel*
The Waltz Family Fund
GOLD PARTN ERS
Gifts of $10,000+
ETCH
Helen and Henry Frye
Adelle L. Gersten Family Trust
Suzanne M. Hopgood
Katherine J. Lambert
The Elizabeth M. Landon and Harriette M. Landon Charitable Foundation
Ted and Adlyn Loewenthal
The Katharine K. McLane and Henry R. McLane Charitable Trust
Richard E. and Paula Musgrave
Eric D. Ort and Duff Ashmead
Kristen M. Phillips and Matthew Schreck
Dina Plapler and Earl McMahon
Dr. Anne Rothstein and Jane Hellman
Elizabeth Schiro and Stephen Bayer
Elizabeth Vandeventer
SILVER PARTNERS
Gifts of $5,000+
Anonymous
Andrew Benator
Justis Bolding and Hank Guerrero
Peter Doucette and Laurie Lewis
Grace Figueredo and Ken Gostyla
Ted and Kathy Fleming
Floyd W. Green, III
Kimberly Harrison
Brad M. and Jill J. Hutensky
Stephanie A. Johnson
Lee G. Kuckro
Marcia Lattimore
Françoise and Hans Miller
Susan Pollard
Larry Samplatsky and John Tackus
Jonathan and Sherry Schreiber
Margaret Sheehan
Kevin and Marcia Smith
Prasad Srinivasan and Kala Prasad
Larry Starr
The Zachs Family Foundation
BRONZE PARTNER S
Gifts of $2,500+
Doug and Sheryl Adkins
Staci Bachman
Thomas O. and Melanie A. Barnes
Lynn Beaulieu and Gerry Lupacchino
James Bruno and William Gratz
Alison and Tony Caxide
Amy Charney and Lewis K. Wise
Isaac and Jamie Cohen
Marie Dudley
John Q. and Tracy Gale
Catherine Godin
Angeline and David Hein
Warren Hollister
Jeffrey Lieber
Jill and Martin Mass
Joy McConnell
Michael and Jia Monts
Joan and Barry Richter
James M. Salemi and Kenneth J. Bartschi
Ruth and Howard Sovronsky
About Hartford Stage
For more than 60 years, Hartford Stage has played a leading role in its industry — producing world-class theater and serving as a civic space where community, creativity, and conversation thrive. Located in the heart of downtown Hartford, the theater is a place for all, where audiences are connected in shared experiences and invited to engage with high-quality, transformative theater.
Hartford Stage’s impact extends beyond the stage, through robust education programs — including in-school programs, student matinees, youth productions, and adult classes — nurturing creativity, building confidence, and ensuring that the performing arts remain accessible and essential for generations to come.
To learn more, visit HartfordStage.org
Follow us @HartfordStage.
Officers
Board of Directors
Michael D. Nicastro
President
Elease Wright
Vice President
Devon Francis
Treasurer
Richard G. Costello
Secretary
Governing Directors
Douglas Adkins
Don Allan
Patti Broad
Jamie Hait Cohen
Brennden D. Colbert
Kate Collins
Mark G. Contreras
Alona Croteau
Alana Curren
John Doran
Marilda Lara Gándara
Rev. Darrell L. Goodwin
Emily Harrington
Rydell Harrison
Barnaby W. Horton
Very Rev. Miguelina Howell
Jackie B. Iacovazzi
Mersini G. Keller
Aaron Lyles
Kelly M. Lyman
Amy Leppo Mandell
Barri Marks
Marjorie E. Morrissey
Andy Pace
Sarah M. Patterson
Esther A. Pryor
Judith E. Thompson
William J. Thompson
Nicole Vitrano
Patty Willis
Yvette Yelardy
Stage One
Emerging Leaders
Kyle Abraham
Cordelia Brady
Kamille Cockings
Angel Cotto
Ryan Glista
Kentavis Goodwin-Brice
Brittnee Johnson-Colbert
Greidy Miralles
TJ Noel-Sullivan
Malia Peres, Co-Chair
Claire Stermer, Co-Chair
Maxwell R. Toth
Alia Walwyn-James
Life Directors
George L. Estes III
Arnold C. Greenberg+
Walter Harrison
Jeffrey S. Hoffman
George A. Ingram+
David M. Klein
Katherine Lambert
Roger S. Loeb+
Belle K. Ribicoff
Christina B. Ripple
Linda Fisher Silpe
Sherwood S. Willard
Honorary Directors
Marla J. Byrnes
Carrie Hammond
Barbara Hennessy
Nancy P. Hoffman
Robert A. Penney
Rosalie Roth
Allan B. Taylor
Rhonda J. Tobin
Emeritus Directors
Margaret B. Amstutz+
R. Kelley Bonn
Sara Marcy Cole
Susan J. Copeland
Susan G. Fisher
Judith C. Meyers
Past Presidents
Jill Adams
Joel B. Alvord
Paul L. Bourdeau
David W. Clark Jr.+
Sue Ann Collins
Ellsworth Davis+
Elliot F. Gerson
Thomas J. Groark Jr.+
John W. Huntington+
Walter Harrison
David R. Jimenez
David M. Klein
Edward Lane-Reticker+
Janet Larsen+
Thomas D. Lips
Scott McAlister+
Tuck Miller+
Christina B. Ripple
Jack Sennott
Deanna Sue Sucsy
Jennifer Smith Turner
Peter R. Wilde+
Ex Officio Directors
John B. Larson
US Representative, First Congressional District of Connecticut
Julio Concepcion
State Representative, Fourth District of the State of Connecticut
Arunan Arulampalam
Mayor, City of Hartford
Shari Cantor
Mayor, West Hartford
Melia Bensussen
Artistic Director, Hartford Stage
Cynthia Rider
Managing Director, Hartford Stage
Staff
Leadership
Melia Bensussen, Artistic Director
Position endowed by Janet S. Suisman
Cynthia Rider, Managing Director
Administration
Emily Van Scoy, General Manager
Trisha Hein, Company Manager & Assistant General Manager
Sara Walnum, Business Manager
Artistic
Zoë Golub-Sass, Associate Artistic Director
Position supported by the Richard P. Garmany Fund
Education
Jennifer Roberts, Director of Education
Nina Pinchin, Associate Director of Education
Emely Larson, Studio Manager
2025/2026 Teaching Artists
Marie Altenor, Isaiah Artis, Thomas Beebe, Grace Clark, Brandon Couloute, Shelby Demke, Nic Fortenbach, Ryan Kessler, Jada Lawyer, Mia Lozada, Erica LuBonta, Greg Ludovici, Jan Mason,
Jessica MacLean, Cari Muniz, Nicholas Palazzo, Michael Patterson, Justin Pesce, Kevin Scott, Donovan Shaw, Kaydin Younger
External Relations
Jennifer Levine, Director of External Relations
Travis Kendrick-Castanho, External Relations Manager
Evan Kudish, Manager of Board & Donor Relations
Sonya Thiel, Events & Engagement Manager
Sierra Vazquez, Annual Fund Manager
Todd Brandt, Audience & Revenue Data Analyst
Sarah Shiner, Digital Marketing Associate
House Management
W. Scott McEver, Audience Experience & Front of House Manager
A ssistant House Managers:
Art Arpin, Mailina Betsey-Chambers, Emily Loscialpo, Aarron Schuelke
Bartenders:
Tanya Bermudez, Drew Breault, Sam Chiasson, Karen Kudish, Nefris Quiterio, Erica Santa Lucia, Kerry Yerkes
Gift Shop Attendants/Event Bartenders:
Marsha Arpin, Paulette Caldwell
Patron Services
Lindsey Hoffman, Box Office Manager
Rick Sahlin, Box Office Associate & Group Sales Coordinator
Lindsey Taft, Box Office Associate & Subscriber Concierge
Corey Welden, Box Office Associate & Student Matinee Coordinator
Box Office Representatives:
Amaris Diaz, Alex Nattrass
Production
Bryan T. Holcombe, Director of Production
Wesley McCabe-Schroeder, Assistant Production Manager
Alyssa Edwards, Production Assistant
Set Construction & Scenic Art
Aaron D. Bleck, Technical Director
Jared Wolf, Assistant Technical Director
Ian Sweeney, Lead Carpenter
Scenic Carpenters:
Audra Giuliano, Isabella Pedraza
Nathalie Schlosser, Charge Scenic Artist
Costumes & Wardrobe
Alex Meadows, Costume Director
Grace Petersen, Assistant Costume Director
James Weeden, Staff Draper
Rio Cañas, First Hand
K. Duffner, Wardrobe Supervisor
Jodi Stone, Wig & Make-up Supervisor
Props
Joe Dotts, Props Manager
Claire Linden-Dionne, Assistant Props Manager
Lighting
Jackie Costabile, Lighting Manager
Ethan Sepa, ALDM, Programmer
Sara Dorinbaum, Light Board Operator
Sound
Lucas Clopton, Audio/Video Manager & Content Creator
Jim Busker, Assistant Audio/Video Manager
Facilities
Michael Langer, Facilities Manager
For This Production
Props Artisans:
Christina Garner,Gino Costabile
Nico Platz, Set Electrician
Marissa Menenzes, Craftsperson
Drapers:
John Cowles, Austin Pettinger, Arel Studios, Alexander Zeek
Scenic Artists: Kathleen Keenan, Erin Sagnelli
Hochi Asiático, Painting and Distressing
Callum McCabe-Schroeder, Carpenter
Stitchers:
Kaiden Allen, Margaret McFarland, Allison Nishimura, Barry Sellers, Joe O’Brien
Special Thanks
Andrew J. Oster Design & Photography
Miceli Productions
Rising Tide Studio
T. Charles Erickson
Hartford Film Company
Goodspeed Musicals
Yale School of Drama
Annual Contributors
Thank you to all our donors. We are grateful for the generosity throughout our entire community and recognize all of our supporters on our website at HartfordStage.org/Recognition. We are happy to acknowledge here those with leadership contributions in the past 12 months, May 12, 2025 – May 12, 2026.
Annual Fund
Director’s Circle $50,000+
Anonymous
Rick & Beth Costello
Karl Krapek
Sally Speer
Christopher & Mary Swift
Producer Circle $25,000+
Jill Adams & Bill Knight
Don & Marilyn Allan
The Cheryl Chase & Stuart Bear
Family Foundation
Robert & Francine Goldfarb Family Fund
Wes & Chloe Horton
David & Janice Klein
Marjorie E. Morrissey
Jack & Donna Sennott
Judith & William Thompson
Ovation Society $10,000+
Douglas & Sheryl Adkins
Sue Ann Collins
Dianne & Walter Harrison
The Pryor Family Foundation
Chrissie & Ezra Ripple
Elizabeth Schiro & Stephen Bayer
Elizabeth Vandeventer
Veronica & Howard Wiseman
Encore Society $5,000+
Andra Asars
Jenefer Carey Berall
Patti Broad
Jamie & Isaac Cohen
Devon & Thomas Francis
Nancy Goodwin
Jeffrey & Nancy Hoffman
Barnaby W. Horton & Hannah Granfield-Horton
Jackie & Drew Iacovazzi
Helen Ingram
David & Kathleen Jimenez
Konover Coppa Family Fund
Katherine J. Lambert
Christopher Larsen
Marcia A. Lattimore
Tom & Margah Lips
Jane & Roger+ Loeb
Amy & Neal Mandell
Barri Marks
Tara & Carl Merz
Harry E. Meyer
Judith Meyers & Richard Hersh
Michael & Colleen Nicastro
Duff Ashmead & Eric Ort
Kristen Phillips & Matthew Schreck
Dina Plapler & Earl McMahon
Douglas H. Robins
Rosalie Roth
Donald & Linda Silpe
Larry Starr & Family
Sally & Allan Taylor
Maggie & Sherwood Willard
Mark & Patty Willis
Elease & Dana Wright
The Zachs Family Foundation + Deceased
Annual Contributors
Patron Society $3,500+
Paul & Joanne Bourdeau
John & Suzanne Bourdeaux
Marla & John Byrnes
Robert L. & Susan G. Fisher
Ruth Fitzgerald & Dave Sageman
Marilda Gandara & Scott O’Keefe
Doris Guenter
David & Gail Hall
Carrie & Jonathan Hammond
Adlyn & Theodore Loewenthal
Ed & Kelly Lyman
Cynthia K. Mackay
Ernest & Mickey Mattei
E. John McGarvey
Robert A. & Joan C. Penney
Rhonda Tobin & Jeffrey Smith
Jacqueline Werner
Yvette Yelardy & Daniel Morganstern
Institutional Giving
$200,000+
Greater Hartford Gives Foundation
The Shubert Foundation
Stanley Black & Decker
$100,000+
The BFA Fund at the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation
Burry Fredrik Foundation
The Richard P. Garmany Fund at the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation
The Hartford
RTX
$75,000+
The Katherine K. McLane & Henry R. McLane Charitable Trust
$50,000+
Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development
Greater Hartford Arts Council
Connecticut Judicial Branch
The John and Kelly Hartman Foundation
SBM Charitable Foundation, Inc.
The Scripps Family Fund for Education and the Arts Travelers
$25,000+ Cigna
The Elizabeth M. Landon & Harriette M. Landon Charitable Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
Roberts Foundation for the Arts
Robinson & Cole LLP
The Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust
$15,000+ Bank of America
Ensworth Charitable Foundation
The Maximillian E. & Marion O.
Hoffman Foundation
Lucille Lortel Foundation
Talcott Resolution
$10,000+
Connecticut Department of Education
The John E. Blair Fund at the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation
The Ellen Jeanne Goldfarb Memorial Charitable Trust
Liberty Bank
The William & Alice Mortensen Foundation
The Charles Nelson Robinson Fund
$5,000+
Eugene G. & Margaret M. Blackford Memorial Fund
The Burton & Phyllis Hoffman Foundation
The J. Walton Bissell Foundation, Inc.
JANA Foundation
McDonald Family Trust
Stanley D. & Hinda N. Fisher Fund at the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation
William H. & Rosanna T. Andrulat Charitable Foundation
$2,500+
The Edgemer Foundation, Inc.
Allan S. Goodman, Inc.
In Kind
The University of Saint Joseph
A Lasting Legacy Deserves a Powerful Finale
You’re Invited to Play a Part
As we look ahead, we envision a thriving theater that continues to tell compelling and relevant stories—from the classics to the contemporary— that tell of our common humanity and welcomes intergenerational audiences that reflect the communities around us.
The $20 million raised will secure our vision and enhance our community.
The Set the Stage campaign is focused on two areas where donors like you can impact the future.
Join the community shaping the future of Hartford Stage.
ENDOWMENT Building a robust endowment will ensure Hartford Stage is here fulfilling its mission for decades to come.
After 60 years of bringing world-class theatrical programming to audiences in our theater and students in our schools, Hartford Stage is making an important investment in our future. With your help, we can remain a vital part of where we live, work, and play.
PROGRAMMING Donations are a crucial component to creating the world-class art you see on our stage, and for sharing the power of what theater can do with our community.
we’ve reached the goal. Now it’s time for an encore! Play a role in the Set the Stage Campaign! Contact Director of External Relations Jennifer Levine at 860-520-7249 or jlevine@hartfordstage.org
Please join us in setting the stage for Hartford Stage’s next 60 years.
The cast of The Mousetrap (2022).*
Photo Credits *by T. Charles Erickson. ^by The Defining Studios.
Emilio Delgado, Krystal Hernandez, and Ivan Jasso in Quixote Nuevo (2019).
Photo by T. Charles Erickson.
Set the Stage Campaign Contributors
Thank you to the generous donors who have made a commitment to support Hartford Stage not just for today, but for decades to come. Recognizing gifts made as of 5/12/2026.
$5 Million+
Hayes Family Foundation
$2 Million+
Stanley Black & Decker
$1 Million+
Don & Marilyn Allan
Rick & Beth Costello
Karl J. Krapek
The Hartford
Christopher & Mary Swift
Travelers
$500,000+
Jill Adams & Bill Knight
Judith Meyers & Richard Hersh
The Richard P. Garmany Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
Jack & Donna Sennott
$250,000+
Anonymous
Nancy and Jeffrey Hoffman
David & Janice Klein
$100,000+
Douglas & Sheryl Adkins
Cigna
Sue Ann Collins
David & Sherry Cordani Family Foundation
Robert & Francine Goldfarb Family Fund
Barnaby W. Horton & Hannah Granfield-Horton
Wes & Chloe Horton
Christopher Larsen
Thomas & Margah Lips
The Katherine K. McLane & Henry R. McLane Charitable Trust
Chrissie & Ezra Ripple
Sally Speer
Sally & Allan Taylor
The Zachs Family Foundation
$50,000+
Suzanne & John Bourdeaux
Ellen Brown & Jim Bean
The Estate of Zeus Goldberg
Carrie & Jonathan Hammond
Walter & Dianne Harrison
Barbara & Matthew Hennessy
The John & Kelly Hartman Foundation
The Estate of Mary Jean Kilfoil
Barri Marks
Marjorie E. Morrissey
The Pryor Family Foundation
Elizabeth A. Vandeventer
$20,000+
Anonymous
David & Kathleen Jimenez
William & Nancy Narwold
Michael & Colleen Nicastro
Eric Ort & Duffield Ashmead
Linda & Donald Silpe
Webster Bank
$10,000+
Anonymous
Sara Bareilles
Marla & John Byrnes
The Edgemer Foundation
Marilda Gandara & Scott O’Keefe
The Estate of Christine Hunihan
Katherine J. Lambert
Leigh Newman & Gary Starr
Andy & Jennifer Pace
Brewster & Judith Perkins
Rosalie Roth
Judith & William Thompson
Elease & Dana Wright
$5,000+
Jamie & Isaac Cohen
Devon & Thomas Francis
William Gratz & James Bruno
David Hawkanson
Annie Hildreth & Ted Potters
George A.+ & Helen Ingram
Theodore & Nancy Johnson
The Nafe E. Katter Trust
Bernhard L. Kohn, Jr. & Carol Kohn
Daniel & Arlene Neiditz
William A. Petit, Jr. in honor of Karl Krapek
Douglas H. Robins
Nicole Vitrano & Art Wallace
Ted Whittemore
Sherwood & Maggie Willard
$1,000+
Anonymous
Campaign Contributors
Michael Barker & Heidi Hanson
The Harry F. & Carol H. Barnes
Family Foundation
David & Kathleen Bavelas
Melia Bensussen & Chuck Epstein
Robert & Catherine Boone
Phil Brencher in memory of Christine J. Ward
PJ & Rob Brewer
Patti Broad
Joyce Carraway & Jerry Cooper
Donna Collins
Kate & John Collins
Barbie & Victor Cristofaro
Andrew Diaz-Matos & Josye Utick
Benjamin Dwyer
Alan English in honor of Douglas Unfried
George & Laura Estes
Mary & Charley Ferrucci
Anne Fitzgerald
Thomas E. Fogarty
Darrell Goodwin & Kentavis Brice-Goodwin
Floyd W. Green III
Doris & Ray+ Guenter
William & Judy Hyde
Jackie & Drew Iacovazzi
Carolyn A. Johnson
Karl Koenig in memory of Roger Loeb
Marcia Lattimore
Robert Linden in memory of Caren Linden
Bruce Loeb & Wendy Heller in honor of Roger & Jane Loeb
Adlyn & Theodore Loewenthal
Dan Lombardo
The MacCluggage Family
Amy & Neal Mandell
Malcolm & Victoria McCulloch
Jon O. Newman & Ann Z. Leventhal
Wilfred Noel
Nancy O’Konis in honor of Patrick O’Konis
Elaine Orzech in memory of Josephine
Poltorak Orzech
Daniel & Angela O’Shea
Jon & Rosemarie Papa
Sarah M. Patterson & Dominic Fair
Robert & Joan Penney
Laura & John Roche
Michael Ross
Stephen James Russo
Jennifer Schloat in memory of Gabriel Warren Schloat III
Steven & Karen Schutzer
Marisela Sener
Faith Solomon & Doreen Cohn
Southern New England Conference United Church of Christ
Carolyn R. Spencer
Lawrence Starr
Phyllis Story
Jane & Richard Tedder
Rhonda Tobin & Jeffrey Smith
Jeffrey Vida & Thomas Connolly
Diana & Jonathan Yeisley
Yvette Yelardy & Daniel Morganstern
Under $1,000
Kyle Abraham & Claire Sylvestre-Abraham
Jilda Aliotta
Richard & Joyce Armstrong
Edward & Caryl Balskus
Scott Bartelson
Rahul Barua
Veronica Beaupre
Elizabeth Berman
Silvia Bettega
Russell & Elizabeth Blatt
John Bolduc
Katherine Bonner Russo
Joel Brehm & Rodney Douglas
James & Dorothy Bridgeman
Midred Button & Lewis Button III
James & Mildred Bzdyra
Mary Cahalane & David Weill
Frank & Jane Carlozzi
Deirdre Cherry
Coryn Clark
Patricia & Morris Clark
Brennden D. Colbert & Brittnee Johnson-Colbert
Ellen & William Conlon
Mark & Marybeth Contreras
Lark Covell
Alona Croteau
Alana & Matthew Curren
Anne D’Alleva
Lynne D’Amato
Jean Degan
Howard & Shirley DeLong
Ronald & Phyllis DeMaine
Valerie F. DeQuattro
Campaign Contributors
David & Diane Doot
John & Jacqueline Doran
Warren Dutkiewicz
Mary Ellison
Janet Bailey Faude
Christine Fisch
Steven Gagnon
Gary & Susan Giordano
Dorothea Glatte
Kenneth & Carol Graham
Denise Granell
Matthew & Katherine Grosso
Cornelia Hamilton
Emily & Patrick Harrington
Jane Harris
Rydell Harrison
Linda Henriques
Robert Henry
Samuel Higgins
Janet Hooper
Timothy Howe
Edward Hoyer
Mary C. Huntington
Dean Kavalkovich
Peter Kochol
Waldemar & Judith Kostrzewa
Lois Koteen
Lindsey Kotulski & Alan Fiondella
Michelle Kunzman & Steve Szafman
Patte & James Leathe
James Lindberg
Dan Lloyd & Cheryl Greenberg
Judy Locker
Nancy Lundy
Aaron Lyles & Samantha Weragoda
Kathleen Lynch
Suzanne Maryeski
Frank McNamara
Marianne Melchionde
Steven Minkler
Anne Newhall
TJ Noel-Sullivan
Michael Norris
Avra Novarr
Nancy Pacht
Andrew Palmer
Chris & Louis Pandolfe
Robert Parrott & Sally Wister
Michelle Pascetta
Carl & Alvyra Pavano
Ronald & Jodi Peikes
Scott & Jean Peterson
Wendy Peterson
Ralph & Elyse Petzold
Doris Phillips
Kristen Phillips & Matthew Schreck
Tyler Philpott
Andrew Thomas Pilkons
Eileen & Elliot Pollack
Anthony Francis Posteraro
Mark Prisloe & Richard Fitol
Rosalie Puskar
Elizabeth & Michael Reilly
Stephen & Linda Revis
Jonathan Rincon
Julia Rosa
Thomas Rouse
Edward William Ryan
Mary Salazar
Gil & Katherine Salk
George Sanders
Anne Schick
Jeanne Horn Schmidt
Patricia Scully
Frank Sentner
Lauren Shafer
David Shapiro
Judy G. Singer
Frank Siver
Pamela & Peter Sobering
Bruce Steinway
Claire Stermer
Katherine Steven
Gabriel Stevenson
Marilyn J. Stoudt
Anthony Straiges
William Riley Taylor
Jean Thomas
Paul & Karen Torop
Beth Webster
Patricia M. Weisser
Susan Weissleder
Richard Wenner
Kathleen & Rick White
Gary & Beth Wilgus
Patty & Mark Willis
Charles & Sandy Wiseman
Jane Woodcox
SPECIAL THANKS to our production sponsors FOR BELIEVING IN A HISTORIC COLLABORATION
Cheryl Chase & Stuart Bear Family Foundation
The Burry Fredrik Foundation
Richard P Garmany Fund
Katherine J. Lambert
Robert & Francine Goldfarb Family Fund
Robinson & Cole
Dina Plapler & Earl McMahon
Marjorie E. Morrissey