By Sandy Rustin Directed by Zoë Golub-Sass
January 16 – February 8, 2026 2025/2026 Season
From the Artistic Director Welcome in from the cold, and welcome to The Cottage. I am delighted you’ve ventured out of the house and into the theater for this play that is sunny, sharp, and gloriously funny. The late critic Clive James once wrote that “common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing moving at different speeds—a sense of humor is just common sense, dancing.” Getting that dance right is an exacting endeavor. This British-style farce is built with extraordinary precision: its humor depends on impeccable timing, elegant craft, and writing that is as smart as it is playful. Every entrance, every exit, every line, and every pause must land just right. It is great fun to exercise such craft, and to create for you, our audience, an effortless and joyous experience. All you need to bring to this theater today is a willingness to enjoy—to accept the absurdities and relish in the communal laughter. Laughing together, making discoveries together, is at the heart of why we do this work, and why gathering in a room like this continues to matter so deeply. And maybe that’s the simple truth Clive James points to: comedy has a way of showing us who we are, and after sharing this farce together, we see our own lives a little more clearly. Thank you for being part of our Hartford Stage community. From all the artists, staff, and volunteers here, happy new year!
Melia Bensussen Artistic Director P.S. (A helpful hint for subscribers:) If Rope was the last show you saw this fall, welcome back! Believe it or not, we are hard at work on planning next season and look forward to announcing that in just a couple months! Did you know? You can seamlessly renew your subscription seats with our Auto Renewal program. In addition to a hassle-free renewal process, you receive concession vouchers to be used all season long. Already an Auto Renewal subscriber? We need to update your information this season. Confirm your information or sign up today and receive an extra free gift! Visit us in the lobby, at the box office, or by calling us at 860-527-5151.
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2025/2026 Season: The Cottage
MELIA BENSUSSEN
CYNTHIA RIDER
Artistic Director
Managing Director
PRESENTS
By Sandy Rustin
Directed by Zoë Golub-Sass Scenic Design Costume Design Lighting Design Sound Design Wig & Hair Design Fight Coordinator Dialect & Voice Coach Casting Production Stage Manager Assistant Stage Manager Associate Artistic Director Director of Production General Manager
Tim Mackabee Hunter Kaczorowski Evan C. Anderson Nathan A. Roberts and Charles Coes Tommy Kurzman Michael Rossmy Julie Foh Alldaffer & Donadio Casting Avery Trunko Alison Fischer Greene Zoë Golub-Sass Bryan T. Holcombe Emily Van Scoy
Original Broadway Production Produced by Broadway Beyond Theatricals, Cornice Productions, Martian Entertainment, Paige Price, Scott Mauro, Malcolm Gosling/Dan Gottfried, Gayle Seay/ Tony Nation, Cornice Productions Fund 1, Michael Saperstein, Rick Costello, Jonathan Demar, Paul Jungquist, Tom & Judy Kleinman, Marjorie Morrissey, Mark Reardon, Shapiro Jensen Productions, Nina Tassler, Dale & James Young, and 7Sennotts LLC. The Cottage is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service imprint. (www.dramatists.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. SEASON SPONSORS
PRODUCTION SPONSORS
Sally Speer
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TAPROOM & KITCHEN manchester | hartford
The Company
Mary Cavett
Craig Wesley Divino
Kate MacCluggage
Matthew J. Harris
Jordan Sobel
Jetta Juriansz
Zoë Golub-Sass Director
Sylvia....................................................................................................................... Mary Cavett Clarke..................................................................................................... Craig Wesley Divino Richard......................................................................................................... Matthew J. Harris Dierdre................................................................................................................ Jetta Juriansz Marjorie..................................................................................................... Kate MacCluggage Beau.......................................................................................................................Jordan Sobel TIME: The play begins just before 9 am Monday, June 4, 1923. PLACE: A quaint family-owned cottage in the English countryside about 90 minutes outside of London. THIS PERFORMANCE WILL HAVE ONE INTERMISSION.
Additional Production Support Assistant Director/Program Dramaturg...................................... Sophie Greenberg Associate Costume Designer................................................................Sarah Constable Assistant Lighting Designer...........................................................................Greg Wilson Assistant Wig Designer.............................................................................Heather Hardin Intimacy Coordinator................................................................................ Michael Rossmy Production Assistant.................................................................................Alyssa Edwards • 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. • The Scenic, Costume, Lighting, and Sound Designers in LORT theatres are represented by United Scenic Artists Local USA 829 of the IATSE. • The Director is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, an independent national labor union. • 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.
The Company
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Laughing ’til You Cry by Sophie Greenberg
The Cottage takes place quite specifically on the morning of June 4, 1923, in a charming English cottage about 90 minutes outside of London. At the time in which this play is set, farce was at the height of its popularity. In a country recovering from the ravages of the First World War—food shortages, aerial bombardments, Spanish flu—playwrights like Noël Coward and Ben Travers used farce and comedy of manners to entertain a world upended.
A scene from Thark by Ben Travers, Aldwych Theater (1927).
It was a time of feminist social progress. The British Suffragettes successfully campaigned (with some civil disobedience) for the rights of women to vote. In 1923, the 1923 Matrimonial Causes Act passed, allowing women to petition for divorce on the sole ground of their husband’s adultery. In The Cottage, playwright Sandy Rustin chose to revisit this period of time, but with a modern, feminist lens. “I played Sorel Bliss in Noël Coward’s Hay Fever, and it was my favorite theatrical experience ever. I began to read a bunch of Noël Coward’s work and while I really loved his world and writing style—the characters, Annie Kenney and Christabel the nuance, the dialogue—what I didn’t like was Pankhurst of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) (1906). how the women were portrayed. While many of the women were principal characters, they were still in service to the men in their worlds. I wondered what would happen if I wrote in that same genre that’s steeped in this very upper crust British propriety, but I came at it from a contemporary point of view and allowed it to be a woman’s story. What would it look like if we heard from the ladies of that time?”
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2025/2026 Season: The Cottage
The word “farce” originates from the French word for “stuffing” (from farcir, ‘to stuff’), as in what one does to poultry. In other words: something extraneous, immaterial, indulgent. In the play you’re about to watch, you’ll see quite a number of bits and gags— hijinks with props, entrances and exits from unexpected places, and lots of pratfalls. But what you’ll also see are things quite serious— infidelity, murder, deceit—defanged by being presented on a comically unrealistic scale. Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator (1940). What draws us to this style of comedy? One where once the ball starts rolling down a hill and no one can stop it? One where the circumstances themselves are not inherently funny, but the way in which the truth is fed to an audience (like drinking from a firehose) has us doubled over with laughter, gasping for air?
Think about something funny. What was it? Could it have been something seen on America’s Funniest Home Videos, like a person slipping on ice? Or maybe a scene from a movie: A Monty Python sketch of a knight losing all his limbs? Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator accidentally popping his toy globe? There is an underlying layer of guilt that the average person feels when they revel in the pain or misfortune of others; to most, the experience of schadenfreude feels sinister and unkind. But farce frees us from that discomfort. These characters are exaggerated, overextended versions of ourselves, and in watching them collide with chaos, we experience catharsis—not just through laughter, but through the joy of seeing the world’s instability play out at a safe distance. At that distance, chaos becomes survivable, fear is outpaced by laughter, and though the fragility of our social order is tested, we are grateful for its safe restoration by the final bows.
Dramaturgy
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Building The Cottage By Sophie Greenberg
As you will see, a play like The Cottage relies on quick wit, fast pacing, physical comedy, and loads of comedic bits to keep the plot rolling. During the rehearsal process, Program Dramaturg Sophie Greenberg sat down with The Cottage playwright, Sandy Rustin, and cast to learn a bit more about putting on this exhilarating (and exhausting) performance.
On performing comedy Jetta Juriansz (Dierdre): This might sound cliché, but the world is a hard place to be in, and I love making people laugh. I love being in a room where laughter is happening. I want to facilitate that feeling. I want to make people feel better. And it’s not that this play is total escapism…the women in this play are finding their way, their power, their individuality. Women are just getting their right to divorce, and so we’re finding these women at a very pivotal time in history. It’s not irrelevant to an audience. But [the play] doesn’t make you go “Look at it! Feel it!” because we do look at it and feel it every day, so this gives you a second to look at it and laugh about it because it is really funny. 3D model of The Cottage set by Scenic Designer Tim Mackabee.
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2025/2026 Season: The Cottage
Kate MacCluggage (Marjorie): So much of the piece is what we [as actors] bring in [to the rehearsal room], particularly as we start to play off each other. While the plot may be completely diaphanous, if you stray too far from [it], then the thing can fall apart. If you get too into improv, and bits, and just fun without any of the heartbeat underneath, then the thing can sort of fall apart. Matthew J. Harris (Richard): This is a character I can just jump into, as opposed to a character like Edgar in King Lear. So many horrible things happen to that guy. You can’t really figure out the blocking [staging] without getting fully emotionally invested, whereas I feel like with this [play], you can’t figure out the blocking unless you’re fully willing to play, which is a different kind of emotional investment. It’s like I can’t treat this too preciously, or we’re not going to be able to find any [gags].
On language Kate MacCluggage (Marjorie): Honestly the accent is one of the things that creates so much of [Marjorie]. Working with Julie Foh, our dialect coach, and thinking about the moments where we go (speaks in an upper-crust British accent) posher than needs to be in order to create class distance between you and other people [versus] when do you speak more in (puts on Marjorie’s regular speaking voice) whatever kind of accent, where you’re not using the language quite as much. I think all theater is kind of like music, but comedy especially—and farce especially especially—is about rhythm and pitch and how things hit vocally and then physically when you are still—when you’re grabbing attention. That’s true all the time in theater, but you have to be especially sharp with comedy.
“It’s amazing how 20 minutes can completely change how one feels about a person.” –Sylvia, The Cottage
Sylvia sketch by Costume Designer Hunter Kaczorowski.
Dramaturgy
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On language (Continued) Mary Cavett (Sylvia): So much of comedy and farce is rhythm and timing and in finding out how well the pieces work together—like a well-working watch. So you gotta learn your lines! Which sounds obvious—I mean you have to learn them all the time—but there has to be a different kind of familiarity when you’re working with speed. I read the play almost every single day.
On ensemble work Jordan Sobel (Beau): We have a wildly skillful and genuinely funny group of people that play with each other with ease and alacrity and joy. It’s a great room where the best idea wins. You need that in order for this [play] to feel playful and alive and charged with something. It is also a group of people who can take the utter silliness of this play and ground it in something honest and true and human in order for the comedy to land. Craig Wesley Divino (Clarke): It’s hard to prepare to be in the band until you meet the rest of the band. [This play] is so much of an ensemble [piece] that the way to prepare for a process like this is to read the play, have some ideas about it, but then be prepared to throw them out the window. Zoë [Golub-Sass, director of The Cottage] is such a good leader for a process like this because she invites all ideas, but has a very clear throughline for herself. Because I can trust her to have an eye on the story happening, it opens the door to every kind of idea, however silly it might be. I can trust that what we end up crafting will make narrative sense.
“Plenty of people lead perfectly happy lives opposite someone who is most assuredly intended for someone else.” –Richard, The Cottage
Beau sketch by Costume Designer Hunter Kaczorowski.
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2025/2026 Season: The Cottage
On feminist farce Jetta Juriansz (Dierdre): Dierdre is so simple. Her wants from one moment to another are so clear and direct. I think that’s why I find playing a woman like Dierdre so empowering, because what could be more empowering than seeing a woman be so funny. That will always do more for me than seeing a woman wielding a gun or doing a powerful monologue. I always feel more seeing a woman be silly, stupid, take up space, and make a fool of herself. Sandy Rustin (Playwright): As a genre, farce is often easily dismissed as all fluff and fun—which it can and should be. However, beneath the frills, throughout history farce has functioned as powerful satire and social commentary, and it is the confluence of these two seemingly opposite goals (frothiness and fortitude), where I find the whole endeavor fascinating. I feel lucky to be exploring farce through a feminist lens, it feels like unchartered territory and that excites me. Creating a combo platter of physical comedy, a heightened sense of style, and a female-focused story is both the challenge and the joy. This play aims to squarely root women at the center of the action while keeping the “banana peels”—so to speak—super slippery. “It’s the anticipation that makes it awful. Reality is never quite as glum.” –Clarke, The Cottage
“It is discouraging how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.” –Noël Coward, Sandy Rustin’s epigraph to The Cottage
Craig Wesley Divino, Kate MacCluggage, and Jordan Sobel in rehearsal for The Cottage. Photo by Lucas Clopton.
Dramaturgy
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About the Artists Mary Cavett | Sylvia Hartford Stage: Debut. Theater: The Shape She Makes (American Repertory Theatre); ENDURE: A Run Woman Show (NYC/Edinburgh Fringe); The Liar, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet (Santa Cruz Shakespeare); As You Like It, Macbeth, Twelfth Night, Julius Caesar, Much Ado About Nothing (Smith Street Stage); Richard III (Allentown Shakespeare); The Cherry Orchard (Harold Clurman Lab Theater); Radio City Christmas Spectacular (Rockette). Film: Surrogate Valentine, Come Stay, Stage V. Television: PAN AM, The Good Fight, EVIL. Education: BFA, NYU Tisch; MFA, Juilliard. Craig Wesley Divino | Clarke Hartford Stage: Debut. Off-Broadway: And Then We Were No More (with Elizabeth Marvel), Inheritance of a Long Term Fault, Hindsight, London Assurance, Round Table, Happy Birthday Wanda June, The Oregon Trail, At the Table, Breathing Time, From White Plains. Regional: The Thanksgiving Play (Dorset Theatre Festival); From White Plains, Catch as Catch Can (Kitchen Theatre Company); Noises Off (Cape Playhouse); Pride and Prejudice (Hangar Theatre); Arcadia, The Winter’s Tale, Noises Off (Chautauqua Theater Company); Caine Mutiny Court Martial, Hound of the Baskervilles (Arrow Rock Lyceum). Film: The Automatic Hate, Girlfriend. Television: EVIL, Wu-Tang: An American Saga, The Blacklist, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, American Genius. Education: MFA, Brown University/ Trinity Rep. Matthew J. Harris | Richard Hartford Stage: Debut. Off-Broadway: Malvolio, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Classical Theatre of Harlem); DOWNSTATE (Playwrights Horizons); She Calls Me Firefly (New Perspectives). Regional: All’s Well that Ends Well (The Old Globe); King Lear (Shakespeare Theatre Company); In the Heights (Walnut Street Theatre); Topdog/Underdog, Romeo and Juliet (The Huntington); and more. Television: Person of Interest, Blindspot, Blue Bloods, Search Party, The Endgame, Fleishman is in Trouble. Education: BFA, Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts. Special thanks to my rep, family, and Alaine and Lisa. matthewjharris.net
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2025/2026 Season: The Cottage
About the Artists Jetta Juriansz | Dierdre Hartford Stage: Debut. Regional: Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile: The Musical (Pasadena Playhouse/Colony Theatre); The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Goodspeed Musicals); The Karate Kid: The Musical (Pre-Broadway, Stages); Science Park (Makers Space); The Deep End (Geffen Playhouse). Television: Station 19, S.W.A.T., Studio C, CBS Showcase, Kickin’ It, Pocketwatch Challenge Squad. Film: You Deserve Each Other, Deepfake, We’re Gonna Die Alone, Stop and Go, M’Trucker, The Folly of Paris. Training: UCB (Maude, Characters Welcome, Theatre: the Improvised Play), The Groundlings (Diversity Scholarship Winner), GOLD Comedy, Scottsdale Conservatory Theatre. Kate MacCluggage | Marjorie Hartford Stage: Bell, Book and Candle; Twelfth Night; Macbeth; La Dispute. Broadway: Left on Tenth, The Farnsworth Invention. Off-Broadway: The 39 Steps, Greater Clements (Lincoln Center); Much Ado About Nothing, The Merchant of Venice (Theatre for a New Audience); Happy Birthday, Wanda June (Wheelhouse); In Quietness (Dutch Kills); Honey Graham in Down Goes Rocky. Regional: Barrington Stage Company, Denver Center, CATF, Kitchen Theatre Company, Williamstown, Long Wharf Theatre, McCarter, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Syracuse Stage, Westport Country Playhouse. Film: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Television: Chicago Med, Law & Order: SVU, TURN: Washington’s Spies, The First Lady, Madam Secretary, The Knick. Education: BA, Wesleyan University; MFA, NYU Grad Acting. Jordan Sobel | Beau Hartford Stage: Debut. Regional: The Play That Goes Wrong (Pioneer Theatre Company); Lost in Yonkers, Intimate Apparel (Palm Beach Dramaworks); Noises Off, Barefoot in the Park (Gulfshore Playhouse); Disgraced, All the Way (Asolo Repertory Theatre); Dear Jack, Dear Louise (Virginia Theatre Festival/Florida Studio Theatre); The Corn is Green (The Huntington); The Donkey Show (American Repertory Theatre); My Name is Asher Lev (Playhouse on Park); among others. Television: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon); Julia (HBO); The Village (NBC). Education: MFA, The FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. Jordan is repped by Saks& and The Collective Talent. jordansobel.com
About the Artists
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About the Artists Sandy Rustin | Playwright Sandy Rustin is one of the most produced playwrights in the country (American Theatre Magazine 2025). Her adaptation of Clue, has enjoyed over 5,000 productions worldwide and is currently touring the U.S. and Australia. Her concert adaptation of Dear World for New York City Center Encores! was a New York Times Critic’s Pick, and her adaptation of Mystic Pizza premiered in 2025 (cast album now out). Her play with music, Houston, recipient of the New American Musical Award, is in development with Grammy winner Edie Brickell, and her play The Suffragette’s Murder, a winner of the Edgerton Foundation New Play Award, premiered at the Denver Center in 2025. Her musical Always Something There premiered in Chicago at The Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre in 2025. Her newest musical, Loch Ness, will premiere next year. Other works: Jolly Holiday; Celebrating Disney’s Broadway Hits, Rated P … For Parenthood, Elijah, Struck, and more. A Northwestern University graduate, Sandy serves on the Board of Project Write Now, and the Advisory Board of the new musical incubator, The Bridge. sandyrustin.com Zoë Golub-Sass | Director/Associate Artistic Director of Hartford Stage Hartford Stage: Hurricane Diane, 2.5 Minute Ride, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (2022). Regional: R&J Redux (also co-adaptor, FringePVD/The Wilbury Group); 2.5 Minute Ride (Kitchen Theatre Company); Lost and Found, What the Market Will Bear, Pyramid Effect (Williamstown Theatre Festival Directing Studio); Twelfth Night (Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts); Martyr (Hartt School); and readings and workshops with the Denver Center; New Dramatists; Boston Playwrights’ Theater; Story House Ithaca; HartBeat Ensemble; Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company; MIT Playwrights Lab. Prior to Hartford Stage, Zoë served on the artistic staff of Kitchen Theatre Company and Bridge Repertory Theater. Education: BA in English and Theater Arts, Brandeis University. Affiliations: Member of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, the 2018 Williamstown Theatre Festival Directing Corps, the 2025 Hartford Foundation for Public Giving’s Senior Leaders Circle, and co-chair of the Emerging Leadership Team at the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford.
About the Artists
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About the Artists Tim Mackabee | Scenic Design Hartford Stage: A Lesson From Aloes. Broadway: The Elephant Man (starring Bradley Cooper); Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth (dir. Spike Lee). West End: The Elephant Man. Off-Broadway: Seared (MCC Theater, OCC Award); Guards at the Taj (Lortel Award), Describe The Night, The Penitent, Our New Girl (Atlantic Theater Company); Darling Grenadine, The Last Match (Roundabout Theatre Company); Poor Yella Rednecks, Vietgone, Important Hats of the Twentieth Century (Manhattan Theater Company); Luce (Lincoln Center Theater); Gigantic, Heathers The Musical (Vineyard Theatre). Music Video: Carly Ray Jepsen’s “Surrender My Heart.” Television: Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo (HBO); Gotham; Smash; The Today Show; Football Night in America. Education: North Carolina School of the Arts, Yale School of Drama. IG: @timmackabeedesign. timothymackabeedesign.com Hunter Kaczorowski | Costume Design Hartford Stage: Debut. Regional: Sense and Sensibility (Alley Theater); The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Goodspeed Musicals, CT Critics nom.); The Fix (Signature Theater); Yours Unfaithfully (Mint Theater, Hewes Award nom.); Ragtime (Bay Street Theater); A Little Night Music (Ogunquit Playhouse); The Importance of Being Earnest (Berkshire Theatre Group, “Berkie” Award); Theater Aspen; Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey; Yale Repertory Theatre; Northern Stage; Ars Nova; Heartbeat Opera; Rattlestick. Associate: Tammy Faye, Old Friends (Broadway); Company, The Phantom of the Opera (National Tours). Upcoming: Straddle (Diversionary Theater). Education: MFA, Yale School of Drama. Hunter is also creative director of the sustainable apparel brand Deadstock Outfitters, @deadstockoutfitters. huntersk.com Evan C. Anderson | Lighting Design Hartford Stage: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Winter’s Tale, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Theater: Symphony of Rats (The Wooster Group); Pipe Dream (Berkshire Theatre Group); The Greatest Story Ever, Blue is the light that doesn’t reach us, I Love That For You (Acker Statd Palast); Where the Mountain Meets the Sea, Constellations (Ancram Opera House); Happy Life (The Hearth); The Plot (Yale Repertory Theatre); One Small Step (New Ohio); Every Five Minutes, The Motherfucker with the Hat (Washington Ensemble Theatre); The Holler Sessions (ACT Theatre). Television: John Early: Now More Than Ever (HBO). Dance: always now (On The Boards); future ancestors (Jacob’s Pillow); already there (Kennedy Center). Education: MFA, Yale School of Drama.
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About the Artists Nathan A. Roberts | Sound Design Hartford Stage: Twelfth Night, The Tempest. Off-Broadway: Golden Shield (Manhattan Theatre Club); Letters of Suresh (Second Stage); The Servant of Two Masters (Theater for a New Audience); Crane Story, Dramatis Personae (Playwrights Realm). Regional: The Age of Innocence, Death on the Nile (Arena Stage); El Coquí Espectacular, Jelly’s Last Jam, It’s a Wonderful Life (Long Wharf Theatre); The Way the Mountain Moved, Sense and Sensibility (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); The Christians, Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Baltimore Center Stage); Tokyo Fish Story (The Old Globe); Assassins, Accidental Death of an Anarchist (Yale Repertory Theater). Education: MFA, Yale School of Drama. Faculty: Senior Lecturer in Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies, Yale University. Charles Coes | Sound Design Hartford Stage: Debut. New York: The Comedy of Errors (Public Mobile Unit); Beautiful Lady (La Mama); Golden Shield (Manhattan Theatre Club); Letters of Suresh (Second Stage); Small World Stories (Phantom Limb); Sing Street (New York Theatre Workshop); Natural Shocks (WP Theater). Tour: The Masked Singer Live, Jitney, Fiasco’s Into the Woods, Peter and the Starcatcher. Regional: Long Wharf Theatre, Arena Stage, The Huntington, The Repertory Theatre of St Louis, Baltimore Center Stage, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Guthrie Theater, Shakespeare Theater, Two River Theater, South Coast Repertory, Seattle Rep, Portland Center Stage, The Old Globe, George Street (Homer’s Coat) productions of An Iliad and Song of Rome. Associate: Giant, Girl from the North Country, To Kill a Mockingbird, Junk, Peter and the Starcatcher (Broadway). Tommy Kurzman | Wig & Hair Design Hartford Stage: Romeo & Juliet. Broadway: Uncle Vanya, I Need That, Gutenberg: The Musical!, The Cottage, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Pictures From Home, The Collaboration, Macbeth, Mrs. Doubtfire, All My Sons, True West, St. Joan, My Fair Lady, Little Foxes, Long Day’s Journey, Bright Star, The King and I, Fiddler on the Roof. Off-Broadway: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; Romy & Michele; House of McQueen; Little Shop of Horrors (Westside Theatre); Roundabout Theatre Company; MCC Theater; Manhattan Theatre Club; The Atlantic; The Public; New World Stages. Regional: The Muny, Goodspeed Musicals, Drury Lane Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, The Huntington, Arena Stage. Tommy has also built and designed wigs for numerous film/television productions. IG: @TommyKurzmanWigs
About the Artists
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About the Artists Michael Rossmy | Fight & Intimacy Coordinator Hartford Stage: A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas. 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 Theatre); What the End Will Be (Roundabout Theatre Company); Blues for an Alabama Sky, This Space Between Us (Keen Co); Peerless, Harbor (Primary Stages). Regional: Yale Repertory Theatre, Westport Country Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Asolo Rep, The Old Globe, TheaterWorks Hartford, KCRep, The Acting Company, Soho Rep, The 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. Upcoming: Native Gardens, Rhinoceros, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Julie Foh | Dialect & Voice Coach Hartford Stage: Hurricane Diane, Romeo & Juliet, All My Sons, The Winter’s Tale. Off-Broadway: Belfast Girls (Irish Rep). Regional: Dial M for Murder (Drury Lane Theatre); A View from the Bridge (Long Wharf Theatre); Spunk; falcon girls; Escaped Alone; the ripple, the wave that carried me home (Yale Rep); Frankenstein, A Christmas Carol, Sense and Sensibility, As You Like It, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, The Caretaker (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey); Mlima’s Tale (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis & Westport Country Playhouse). Television: Cobra Kai. Education: MFA, American Repertory Theatre; BA, Duke University. Professional Positions: Associate Professor at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. Alldaffer & Donadio Casting | Casting Hartford Stage: 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. 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, TheaterWorks Hartford, Studio Theatre, Berkeley Rep, The Old Globe Theatre, 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).
About the Artists
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About the Artists Avery Trunko | Stage Manager Hartford Stage: Hurricane Diane, 2.5 Minute Ride, The Mousetrap. Broadway: Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Off-Broadway: Ava: The Secret Conversations; Dig, Ibsen’s Ghost, The Confession of Lily Dare (Primary Stages); Belfast Girls (Irish Repertory Theater); Hangmen, On the Shore of the Wide World (Atlantic Theater Company); Privacy, Julius Caesar (Public Theater); This Space Between Us, Molly Sweeney (Keen Company); Dropping Gumballs on Luke Wilson (The Working Theater); Uncle Vanya (Hunter Theater Project); By the Way Meet Vera Stark (Signature Theatre); Eureka Day (Colt Coeur); Superstitions, The Ding Dongs, Is Edward Snowden Single? (The Pool Plays). Select Regional: Hard Road to Heaven (Bucks County Playhouse); True Art, Misery, Thirst (Dorset Theatre Festival); Superstitions (Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre); The Heart of Robin Hood, Rip Van Winkle (Hudson Valley Shakespeare); The Moors, Elevada (Yale Repertory Theatre). Education: MFA, Yale School of Drama; BFA, Hofstra University. Alison Fischer Greene | Assistant Stage Manager Hartford Stage: Hurricane Diane, The Mousetrap. Off-Broadway: Helen. (La MaMa & En Garde Arts); This Space Between Us (Keen Company); The Ding Dongs, Superstitions (The Pool Plays). Regional: Hard Road to Heaven (Bucks County Playhouse); Vietgone (Oklahoma City Repertory Theater); Betrayal (Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater & Harbor Stage Company); Death of a Salesman, Circle Mirror Transformation, Frozen, The Thin Place, Northside Hollow (Harbor Stage Company). Education: BA in Mathematics and Theater, Bates College.
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2025/2026 Season Stage One Members. Photo by Lucas Clopton.
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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. The Tony Award-winning company is dedicated to telling entertaining and thought-provoking stories that reflect the diversity of the Greater Hartford Region, whether reinventing the classics or premiering new work. The theater’s rich legacy includes plays and musicals that have made their way to Broadway, Off-Broadway, and stages around the globe, earning Tony Awards and Pulitzer Prizes along the way. 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. Daniel Neale and Fiona Robberson in Rope (2025). Photo by T. Charles Erickson.
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2025/2026 Season: The Cottage
2025/2026 Season Three great shows remain! Don’t miss a moment when you subscribe today.
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SALESMAN A February 27–March 29
April 17–May 10
June 5–July 5
HartfordStage.org | 860-527-5151
Our award-winning education programs provide students of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds with innovative opportunities that challenge and inspire. Using theater techniques, we build community, promote a passion for literacy and creative expression, and encourage life-long learning.
Adult & Youth Classes
All year, we have classes for youth and adults looking to develop, improve, and show off their performance skills.
Student Matinees
Students are invited to join us for daytime performances throughout the year. They get to see the show and participate in a post-show conversation with the cast and crew.
Connections
Connections is an in-school program that brings teaching artists into classrooms to explore a book through drama, strengthening comprehension skills and building excitement about reading.
After School Programs
Bring a Hartford Stage teaching artist to your after school program! Programs range from drama classes to full productions and are designed based on the needs of each individual school.
Learn more: HartfordStage.org/Education 24
2025/2026 Season: The Cottage
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Board of Directors Officers
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 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
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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
Deceased
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2025/2026 Season: The Cottage
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
Administrative 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, Thomas Beebe, Grace Clark, Brandon Couloute, Shelby Demke, Nic Fortenbach, Ryan Kessler, Jada Lawyer, 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 Rachel Phillips, Associate Director for Marketing 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 Assistant 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, John Harbison 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 Amaris Diaz, Box Office Representative
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 Audra Giuliano, Scenic Carpenter Isabella Pedraza, Scenic Carpenter 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
Marissa Menezes, Millinery Deck Crew: Ariana Harris, Matt Hennessey Painters: Kathleen Kennan, Erin Sagnelli Stichers: Margaret McFarland, Allison Nishimura, Joseph O’Brien
Special Thanks
Andrew J. Oster Design & Photography Goodspeed Costume Collection Hartford Flavor Company John Cowles Studio Miceli Productions Yale Costume Collection
Board & Staff
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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.
A Lasting Legacy Deserves a Powerful Finale
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. ENDOWMENTwe’ve Buildingraised a robust $18.5 endowment Together million. will ensure Hartford Stage is here fulfilling its Join us in completing the Set the Stage mission for decades to come. Campaign by June 30. PROGRAMMING Donations are a crucial component creating the world-class After 60 years to of bringing world-class theatricalart programming to you see on ourtheater stage,and and for sharing the audiences in our students in our schools, Hartford Stage power ofanwhat theater can doinwith our With your help, we is making important investment our future. community. can remain a vital part of where we live, work, and play.
Please join us
Be a part of the legacy. in setting Play a role in our $20 million goal.
the stage for Hartford Stage’s next 60 years.
Contact Director of External Relations Jennifer Levine at 860-520-7249 or jlevine@hartfordstage.org
Carmen in (2022).* Romeo & Juliet (2025). Photo by T. Charles Erickson. The cast of The Berkeley Mousetrap Photo Credits *by T. Charles Erickson. ^by The Defining Studios.
Set the Stage Campaign Contributors $2 Million+ Stanley Black & Decker $1 Million+ The Hartford Christopher & Mary Swift Travelers $750,000+ Don & Marilyn Allan $500,000+ Rick & Beth Costello Jill Adams & Bill Knight Judith Meyers & Richard Hersh The Richard P. Garmany Fund at the HFPG Jack & Donna Sennott $250,000+ David & Janice Klein $100,000+ Douglas & Sheryl Adkins Sue Ann Collins Robert & Francine Goldfarb Family Fund Wes & Chloe Horton Christopher Larsen Thomas & Margah Lips Chrissie & Ezra Ripple Sally Speer Sally & Allan Taylor The Zachs Family Foundation
William & Nancy Narwold Michael & Colleen Nicastro Eric Ort & Duffield Ashmead Linda & Donald Silpe $10,000+ Anonymous Sara Bareilles Marla & John Byrnes The Edgemer Foundation Marilda Gandara & Scott O’Keefe The Estate of Christine Hunihan Katherine J. Lambert Andy & Jennifer Pace Brewster & Judith Perkins Rosalie Roth Judith & William Thompson Elease & Dana Wright $5,000+ Jamie & Isaac Cohen Devon & Thomas Francis David Hawkanson Annie Hildreth & Ted Potters George A.+ & Helen Ingram Theodore & Nancy Johnson The Nafe E. Katter Trust Daniel & Arlene Neiditz William A. Petit Jr. in honor of Karl Krapek Ted Whittemore Sherwood & Maggie Willard
$20,000+ Anonymous David & Kathleen Jimenez Barri Marks
$100-$4,999 Kyle Abraham & Claire Sylvestre-Abraham The Harry F. & Carol H. Barnes Family Foundation David & Kathleen Bavelas Elizabeth Berman John Bolduc Robert & Catherine Boone Patti Broad Mildred Button & Lewis Button III Mary Cahalane & David Weil Donna Collins Alana & Matthew Curren Anne D’Alleva Valerie F. DeQuattro John & Jacqueline Doran
Deceased
Continued on next page.
$50,000+ Suzanne & John Bourdeaux Ellen Brown & Jim Bean The Estate of Zeus Goldberg Carrie & Jonathan Hammond Walter & Dianne Harrison Barbara & Matthew Hennessy Barnaby W. Horton & Hannah Granfield-Horton The Estate of Mary Jean Kilfoil Marjorie E. Morrissey
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Contributors
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Set the Stage Campaign Contributors $100-$4,999 (Continued) Mary Ellison George & Laura Estes Janet Bailey Faude Thomas E. Fogarty Gary & Susan Giordano Matthew & Katherine Grosso Cornelia Hamilton Emily & Patrick Harrington Jane Harris Rydell Harrison Jackie & Drew Iacovazzi Carolyn A. Johnson Waldemar & Judith Kostrzewa Marcia Lattimore James Lindberg Dan Lloyd & Cheryl Greenberg Aaron Lyles & Samantha Weragoda Kathleen Lynch Amy & Neal Mandell Andrew Palmer Chris & Lou Pandolfe Robert Parrott & Sally Wister
Sarah M. Patterson & Dominic Fair Robert & Joan Penney Tyler Philpott Eileen & Elliott Pollack Elizabeth & Michael Reilly Michael Ross Gil & Katherine Salk George Sanders Jeanne Horn Schmidt Steven & Karen Schutzer Patricia Scully Pamela & Peter Sobering Claire Stermer Katherine Steven Marilyn J. Stoudt Rhonda Tobin & Jeffrey Smith Paul & Karen Torop Jeffrey Vida & Thomas Connolly Beth Webster Richard Wenner Kathleen & Rick White Yvette Yelardy & Daniel Morganstern
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, December 15, 2024–January 6, 2026.
Annual Fund Director’s Circle $50,000+ Rick & Beth Costello Gregory & Renata Hayes Sally Speer Producer Circle $25,000+ Christopher & Mary Swift Don & Marilyn Allan The Cheryl Chase & Stuart Bear Family Foundation Jill Adams & Bill Knight Robert & Francine Goldfarb Family Fund Wes & Chloe Horton David & Janice Klein Jack & Donna Sennott Judith & William Thompson Ovation Society $10,000+ Douglas & Sheryl Adkins Sue Ann Collins Dianne & Walter Harrison Marjorie E. Morrissey 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 +
Deceased
Konover Coppa Family Fund Katherine J. Lambert Christopher Larsen Marcia A. Lattimore Tom & Margah Lips Jane & Roger + Loeb Amy & Neal Mandell Barri Marks Harry E. Meyer Judith Meyers & Richard Hersh Michael & Colleen Nicastro Duff Ashmead & Eric Ort Kristen Phillips and Matthew Schreck Dina Plapler & Earl McMahon Douglas H. Robins Rosalie Roth Suzanne B. Ruffee Donald & Linda Silpe Sally & Allan Taylor Maggie & Sherwood Willard Mark & Patty Willis Elease & Dana Wright The Zachs Family Foundation 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 and 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 s R O MCEoOn t&r i JbUu Lt o I Er T
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Annual Contributors Honorary Gifts IN HONOR OF CINDY CURRY
Ann Chuk
IN HONOR OF ANNIE HILDRETH
Diane Hildreth
IN HONOR OF DAVID KLEIN’S BIRTHDAY
The Kitchel Family Katherine J. Lambert Amy & Neil Mandell Christopher McCarron & Jill Donan Thomas & Olivia Murphy IN HONOR OF KATHERINE LAMBERT
Janet Faude
IN HONOR OF JANE LOEB’S BIRTHDAY
Sandy & Bruce Goldberg IN HONOR OF CYNTHIA RIDER
Anne Rider & Rob Hinrichs Ellen Rider & Stanley King Mallory Pierce IN HONOR OF ROSALIE ROTH
Karl Krapek Jr.
IN HONOR OF PATTY WILLIS
The Burkehaven Family Foundation
Memorial Gifts IN MEMORY OF GALINA FAYNGERSH
Diana Lee
IN MEMORY OF BEVERLY G. HIMELSTEIN
Michael Moran
IN MEMORY OF MARGARET RUMFORD
Helen Deag Jackie & Joe Kelly Dariel Muldonn IN MEMORY OF MARY WAXENBERG
Ed & Jean Dwyer Edie & Phil Jones Jay B. Levin Bruce & Lori Stewart Eugenia & Joseph Ursone
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Institutional Giving
$200,000+ Hartford Foundation for Public Giving The Shubert Foundation Stanley Black & Decker $100,000+ Burry Fredrik Foundation Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development The Hartford Raytheon Technologies $75,000+ The Katherine K. McLane & Henry R. McLane Charitable Trust $50,000+ The BFA Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving Connecticut Humanities Greater Hartford Arts Council The John and Kelly Hartman Foundation SBM Charitable Foundation, Inc Travelers $25,000+ Cigna Connecticut Judicial Branch The Elizabeth M. Landon & Harriette M. Landon Charitable Foundation Roberts Foundation for the Arts Robinson & Cole LLP $15,000+ Cummings & Lockwood Ensworth Charitable Foundation Lucille Lortel Foundation The MorningStar Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving Talcott Resolution
20 25 /2 n : T•h eHC ag 20 24 /2 00 22 5 6S S Ee AaSsOoN AoRtTt F OeR D S T A G E
Annual Contributors $10,000+ The John E. Blair Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving The Ellen Jeane Goldfarb Memorial Charitable Trust The Scripps Family Fund for Education and the Arts The William & Alice Mortensen Foundation William H. & Rosanna T. Andrulat Charitable Foundation
$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 $2,500+ Fiducient Advisors Allan S. Goodman, Inc.
YOUR PARTNER
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Shakespeare Society The Shakespeare Society comprises individuals who have provided for the future of Hartford Stage in their estate plans. Hartford Stage is deeply grateful for their generosity and foresight. The members of this group help to ensure the legacy of Hartford Stage. Have you included Hartford Stage in your estate plans? Tell us about it! Call Evan Kudish, Manager of Board & Donor Relations, at 860-520-7241 to share your plans and allow us to thank you. Anonymous (15) Brian & Betty Ashfield Richard & Alice Baxter Mr. & Mrs. Paul Bourdeau Mrs. Joan Brown Kimberley & Christopher Byrd Marla & John Byrnes Mario R. Cavallo Sue Ann Collins Richard G. Costello Ms. Linda Diana DeConti Mr. Reginald Gregory DeConti Robert L. & Susan G. Fisher Kathy Frederick & Eugene Leach Victoria E. Gallo Evelyn A. Genovese Carrie & Jonathan Hammond Walter & Diane Harrison Elie Helou Helen Ingram David & Janice Klein Joel M. & Naomi Baline Kleinman Katherine J. Lambert Christopher Larsen William C. Leary Tom & Margah Lips Mark & Liisa Livingston Elaine T. Lowengard Donna Matulis Judith Meyers & Richard Hersh Ki Miller Arthur & Merle Nacht Judge Jon O. Newman Lyn Oliva & John Brighenti Belle K. Ribicoff Ezra & Chrissie Ripple Prudence P. Robertson Barbara Rubin Carol W. Scoville Donald & Linda Silpe
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Marjorie K. & Jack S. Solomon, Doreen A. Cohn, Faith L. Solomon Fund Jennifer Smith Turner & Eric Turner Mary L. Stephenson Elsa Suisman Robert & Gretchen Wetzel Michael Wilson & Jeff Cowie Henry M. Zachs Michael & Ellen Zenke In Memoriam Hartford Stage fondly remembers these late members of the Shakespeare Society. Anonymous (6) Margaret Atwood Cynthia Kellogg Barrington Maxwell & Sally Belding Susan R. Block Clifford S. Burdge Edward C. Cape Ruth Cape Anna & David Clark James H. Eacott, Jr. David Geetter Yummy Graulty Herman Zeus Goldberg George A. Ingram Dieter & Siegelind Johannes Hugh M. Joseloff & Helen J. Joseloff Nafe E. Katter Janet M. Larsen Joe Marfuggi Mr. & Mrs. Henry R. McLane Mary & Freeman Meyer Tuck Miller Ann & George Richards Dr. Russell Robertson Robert K. Schrepf Talcott Stanley Janet S. & Michael Suisman Helen S. Willis Louise W. Willson
2025/2026 Season: The Cottage
Diversity, Equity, and Belonging At Hartford Stage, equity is not a destination—it’s an ongoing journey. From the stories we bring to life on our stage, to the voices behind the scenes, we are committed to amplifying diverse perspectives and fostering accessibility and inclusion in every aspect of our work.
Artistry & Craft
Relationships
We believe artistic excellence is achieved through a collaborative process that is rooted in creativity and a willingness to take risks.
We believe in developing connections within and beyond the theater, extending our reach into the community and fostering a sense of mutual belonging.
Lifelong Learning
Integrity & Responsibility
We believe theater creates opportunities for personal growth and learning for people of all ages.
We believe that fiscal, operational, and programmatic decisions must embrace physical safety, financial sustainability, and equity with kindness and respect.
Accessibility is central to ensuring that our spaces, stories, and experiences are truly welcoming for all. We heard you! Our new assistive listening system is now available for you to enjoy. Simply stop by Guest Services in the lobby to learn more. You can also join us for performances featuring Open Captions or Audio Descriptions, designed to enhance the theater experience for audience members with vision or hearing differences. And this is just the beginning—more exciting accessibility upgrades are on the way at Hartford Stage! To learn more about accessibility at Hartford Stage, please visit HartfordStage.org/Accessibility.
C o n t r i b u t o r s / D i v e r s i t y, E q u i t y, a n d B e l o n g i n g
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Next on Stage
By Arthur Miller Directed By Melia Bensussen
Starring Peter Jacobson as Willy Loman
February 27 - March 29, 2026 Witness one of the greatest plays ever written.
HartfordStage.org | 860-527-5151
Executive Production Sponsor The John & Kelly Hartman Foundation Student Matinee Sponsor Production Sponsors
| Wesley & Chloe Horton | Sally Speer