Work of Art: Four New Plays Program

The Indiana State University Department of Theater, in collaboration with the Swope Art Museum, presents:

work of

art

featuring:

“Silks” by Carsyn Wayland “If the Walls Could Talk, They Would Talk about You, Mina” by Kiara Dowell “Warm Again” by Angie Casile “Settle for Me” by Kiara Dowell Directed by Arthur Feinsod & Kiara Dowell

NOVEMBER 12-15, 2020

THURSDAY-SATURDAY AT 7:30 PM SUNDAY AT 3:00

A note from the Directors In this production, I wanted to create something that the audience can relate to and resonate with in order to embrace the message that these play share. I want the takeaway to be that you can get through anything that life throws at you; it just takes time. I hope that this resonates with the audience so that they can feel like they have control over their own lives and they can live life to the fullest.

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- Kiara Dowell, Director

The plays you see tonight were initiated by the event of ISU student playwrights visiting Terre Haute’s Swope Museum in October 2019.

For me, the best art comes from the soul of the artist and can speak to the soul of the viewer. When a work speaks to a fellow artist and their souls truly understand one another, remarkable things can happen. The plays you see tonight were an integral part of such an intimate conversation among souls, and we in the ISU Theater Department are honored to apply our craft to share something of that conversation with you tonight.

- Arthur Feinsod, Playwriting Instructor and Director

Silks

By Carsyn Wayland Directed by Kiara Dowell Mariosa................................................................................................................Emma Burchell Juliana................................................................................................................... Victoria Behny Celest.........................................................................................................................Ashlyn Marrs Painter 1............................................................................................................Jessica Wiersema Painter 2.................................................................................................... Anthony Albamonte Painter 3.....................................................................................................................Julien Lyons

TIME: Nonexistent PLACE: An old art studio This play was inspired by THE STAGE by William Bailey and THE PAINTING STUDIO by James Swanson.

The Art

THE STAGE (1965)

by William Bailey

THE PAINTING STUDIO (2018)

by James Swanson

If the Walls Could Talk,They

Would Talk About You, Mina

By Kiara Dowell Directed by Arthur Feinsod

Mina...................................................................................................................Jessica Wiersema TIME: Present day PLACE: New Orleans apartment bedroom This play was inspired by DAILY NEWS by Billy Morrow Jackson.

The Art

DAILY NEWS (1968)

by Billy Morrow Jackson

Warm Again

By Angie Casile Directed by Kiara Dowell Annabelle.........................................................................................................Jessica Wiersema Lilith......................................................................................................................Emma Burchell TIME: A bright, sunny afternoon PLACE: A quiet beach This play was inspired by TWO WOMEN ON THE SHORE by Edvard Munch.

The Art

TWO WOMEN ON THE SHORE (1898)

by Edvard Munch

Settle for Me

by Kiara Dowell Directed by Arthur Feinsod Kayden......................................................................................................................Ashlyn Marrs Cameron..................................................................................................................... Julien Lyons TIME: Present PLACE: Apartment living room After reading this play, an artist, Si Hager was inspired to create art.

The Art

THREE STUDIES AFTER READING “SETTLE FOR ME” (2020)

by Si Hager

Creative Team Directors..................................................................................................... Arthur Feinsod & Kiara Dowell Assistant Director.................................................................................................................. Carsyn Wayland Media and Network Designer............................................................................................... Chris Berchild Scenic Designer...............................................................................................................................David Vogel Lighting Designer..................................................................................................................Michael Jackson Costume Designer......................................................................................................................... Kate Mathis Sound Designer..............................................................................................................................Angie Casile Properties Designer.............................................................................................................. Carsyn Wayland

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Production Team Production Manager.............................................................................................. Michael Jackson Stage Manager.................................................................................................................. Dakota Allen Assistant Stage Manager............................................................................................Kristen Wentz Technical Director.............................................................................................................David Vogel Scene Shop Supervisor....................................................................................................David Vogel Costume Shop Supervisor......................................................................................... Grace MuĂąoz Lighting Supervisor................................................................................................ Michael Jackson Lighting & IT Operator............................................................................................Claire Garbison Network Technician.....................................................................................................Will Wortman Wardrobe Head................................................................................................................ Jacob Sexton Run Crew........................................................Elijah Bridgewater,Haliey Hughes & Emily Fink Costume Build Crew.........................................................................Carsyn Wayland & Gil Avery Production Assistants....................................................... Anthony Albamonte, Dakota Allen, Ethan Perisho & Alexis Pritchard Publicity and Program.......................................................................................................... Alicia Jay Poster Graphic Design............................................................................................. Greg Newcomb Administration....................................................................................................................Toni Roloff Vocal Consultant ...............................................................................................................Julie Dixon

Bios ANGIE CASILE (Playwright of “Warm Again”/Sound Designer). Angie (any pronouns) is a soon-to-be theater major graduate of Indiana State University. She has also worked on sound for the 2019 CRT summer season, Wings of Rain at ISU, and Can’t Breathe, a student-written and directed play for the Student Theater Association.

KIARA DOWELL (Playwright of “If the Walls Could Talk, They Would Talk About You, Mina” and “Settle for Me”/Director). Kiara (they/them) is a senior at Indiana State University. They are a theatre and communication double major. They are the president of Student Theatre Association and Alpha Psi Omega. Kiara is the playwright of If the Walls Could Talk They Would Talk about You, Mina and Settle for Me as well as the director for Warm Again by Angie Casille and Silks by Carsyn Wayland. They were recently in Macbeth as Witch #2 and you may have also seen them in A Streetcar Named Desire as the Nurse. Kiara has directed a few other projects during their time at ISU including: Whispers in the Dark by Caleb Clark, Can’t Breathe by Kiara Dowell, and assistant directed Hers is the Head of a Wolf by Maverick Schmit for Student Theatre Association. Kiara is immensely proud of the cast and crew for all their hard work as well as the faculty who helped bring the show together.

CARSYN WAYLAND (Playwright of “Silks”/Assistant Director/Dramaturg/Properties Designer). This will be Carsyn’s (she/her) second production with the Indiana State University Department of Theatre. She was recently Head of Wardrobe for Detroit ‘67. She is a theatre major from Sullivan, Indiana with a concentration in playwriting, directing, and dramaturgy. As a junior, Carsyn is excited to be sharing her work with the theatre community and hopes to apply to a graduate school for directing or playwriting after graduation.

“Warm Again” rehearsal photo

“Silks” rehearsal photo

ARTHUR FEINSOD (Director of “If the Walls...” and “Settle for Me”). With degrees from Harvard, UC Berkeley, and New York University, Dr. Arthur Feinsod (he/him) is Professor of Theater and the Honors College at Indiana State University, where he has been teaching since 2001. Before that, he taught for fifteen years at Trinity College in Hartford. He has won a number of teaching, research and creativity awards including the Arthur Hughes Award for Excellence in Teaching at Trinity; Indiana State University’s Caleb Mills Distinguished Teaching Award; Teacher of the Year Award (voted by students in ISU’s Honors College); and, more recently, the Theodore Dreiser Distinguished Research/Creativity Award. As a theater scholar, he wrote The Simple Stage published by Greenwood Press and has contributed a chapter on Broadway director Arthur Hopkins for a massive multi-volume work soon to be published by Bloomsbury Press on 20th century North American directors. Besides serving as Artistic Director for Crossroads Repertory Theatre from 2001 to 2014 and being a co-founder/artistic director for Theater 7, he has directed many plays at professional companies and universities throughout the United States. As a playwright, Feinsod has written a number of plays that have been produced professionally, including Malcolm’s Call; Table 17; Coming to See Aunt Sophie; Between the Dams (in both English and in a Hungarian translation); and The Gospel of Everyman. His play about World War II hero Jan Karski, Coming to See Aunt Sophie (which has been translated into Polish and Hungarian), has been performed at various theaters throughout the United States as well as in Germany, Poland, and Australia. He has recently given a number of public talks on faith as well as interfaith education and relations and is currently serving as President of the Inter-Faith Council of the Wabash Valley (IFC).

ANTHONY ALBAMONTE (Painter 2/Dad). This is Anthony’s (he/him) sixth production with the Indiana State University Department of Theater (Ensemble, Urinetown; Misha/ Puppeteer, The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls; Charming Chattle, Lily and the Mantis; Dr. Wangel, Lady from the Sea; Ensemble, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder).

Another role that Anthony enjoyed was when he played the Man in The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane for the Crossroads Repertory Theater summer season.

Anthony has also worked for the department since his freshman year as a Production Assistant in the scene shop where he has done many things on various production, including helping to build the sets. He is a senior Theater major with a concentration in acting and he is from Elgin, Illinois.

VICTORIA BEHNY (Juliana). This is Victoria’s (she/her) first production with the Indiana State University Department of Theatre. Previously, she has played Sharpay in High School Musical 2, Irene Molloy in Hello, Dolly!, and Marian Paroo in The Music Man. She is from Winamac, Indiana. Victoria wanted to get back into theatre after completing her freshman year in college. Victoria is a sophomore criminology major and is planning on pursuing a theater minor.

JULIEN LYONS (Painter 3/Cameron). Julien (he/him) is a sophomore at ISU, studying as a Theater major. This is his second production at Indiana State University, having been cast as Conrad in the spring production of Stupid F*cking Bird. Born in Muncie, Indiana, Julien has been doing theater since 6th grade, where he started doing plays at the Muncie Civic Theater.

EMMA BURCHELL (Mariosa/Lilith). Emma (she/her) is participating in her third show at Indiana State University Department of Theater, majoring with an acting concentration, along with a dance minor. She has been involved in two previous works at ISU (Margaret, The Drowning Girls; Lady Eugenia/Tour Guide, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder). Prior to her collegiate experience, Emma began acting at a young age in her hometown at the Children’s Theater of Terre Haute (Goblin, Sleeping Beauty; Dancing Jester, Cinderella) as well as at Terre Haute North High School (Ursula, The Little Mermaid) where she was awarded “Best Actress” her senior year. Emma is graduating in the year 2022 and plans to pursue her career as an actor after college. She is excited to be a part of such a challenging, yet rewarding project, and to bring life to the virtual world of theatre in Work of Art. She would like to thank her mentors, family, partner, friends, and her sweet puppy Basil for their undying love and support.

ASHLYN MARRS (Celest, Kayden). Work of Art is Ashlyn’s (she/her) first show at Indiana State University. Although she is from Terre Haute, Ashlyn transferred from Ball State University and began at Indiana State at the start of her junior year. Previously, she has done shows such as Rock of Ages, Heathers: The Musical, and Hairspray, which she did in the summer of 2018 with Crossroads Repertory Theatre. Ashlyn is in her senior year and is a theatre major with a concentration in acting.

JESSICA WIERSEMA (Painter 1/Mina/Annabelle). Jessica (she/her) is making her Indiana State University Department of Theater debut in Work of Art. Previously, she has played Tuppence in The Secret Adversary, Jemima in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Queen in Cinderella, Marilla in Anne of Green Gables, and Katherine in Freaky Friday the Musical in high school. She has also been a tour guide in a roaming play, Sleepy Hallow at Buckley Homestead farms in Lake County. Jessica is a freshman English teaching major from Saint John, IN. She is excited to perform in her first college performance!

“Settle for Me” rehearsal photo

“If the Walls Could Talk, They Would Talk About You, Mina” rehearsal photo

DAVID VOGEL (Scenic Designer). David (he/him) has designed for ISU Theater since 2018, including scenery for The Lady From the Sea, The Lily and the Mantis, and Work of Art: Four New Plays. David also teaches theater production courses, and previously taught at Virginia’s Eastern Mennonite University, Washington University in St. Louis, Penn State University, and Huntington University in IN. Professional credits include scenery and light designs for Creation Chronicles and Fish Eyes with Ted&Co TheaterWorks; in St. Louis, lighting for the St. Louis Ballet (Nutcracker); in Pennsylvania, sets & lights for Loaves & Fishes TRT (Driving Miss Daisy); in Minnesota, lights for the Illusion Theater and Children’s Theatre School, and lights and scenery for the Paul Bunyan Playhouse (Lend Me a Tenor, Foxfire, etc.). In Minnesota, David was a co-founder and artist with Taproot Theatre of Minnesota, a group that toured provocative, inspirational dramatic works to civic and religious organizations.

MICHAEL JACKSON (Lighting Designer). Michael (he/him) is an associate professor and resident lighting and scenic designer at the Department of Theater at Indiana State University. An Indiana native, he earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Evansville, and his M.F.A. in lighting design from NYU. Michael made his IRT debut last season with The Cay. Regional theatre credits include ten productions for Cardinal Stage Company, including Next to Normal, August: Osage County, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. He has also designed for the Phoenix Theatre, the Florida Studio Theatre, and the Crossroads Repertory Theatre. New York credits include productions at the Wild Project, Here Arts Center, Dixon Place, and P.S. 122.

KATE MATHIS (Costume Designer). Kate (she/her) is in her second year as a faculty member at Indiana State University. As a member of the theater department faculty she enjoys teaching theatrical design, costume design and costume construction. She earned her BA in Costume Design from the University of Northern Colorado in 2008 and her MFA in Costume Design and Technology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2014. Kate’s designs include, Love’s Labour’s Lost, directed by Edward Stern, Fiddler on the Roof with Spinning Tree Theatre, Merrily We Roll Along and Boeing, Boeing at the Summer Repertory Theatre Festival, Three Sisters with UMKC Theatre, and Arsenic and Old Lace at Creede Repertory Theatre. Work of Art is Kate’s fourth costume design at ISU theater. Last year she designed Ibsen’s Lady from the Sea and the spring musical, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, and recently designed for Detroit ‘67.

DAKOTA ALLEN (Stage Manager). Dakota (they/them) is a junior at ISU. This will be Dakota’s seventh production here at ISU. Most of these shows, they have worked as an Assistant Stage Manager (Wings of Rain, Lily and the Mantis) or Stage Manager (Lady from the Sea, Gentleman’s Guide). They have also worked on lighting both at Crossroads Repertory Theater and for Macbeth. Dakota loves being part of stage management because they to see the process grow from the first reading to opening night, and then sharing the show with an audience and seeing it really come to life. They are a theater major with a creative writing minor.

KRISTIN WENTZ (Assistant Stage Manager). Kristin (she/hers) is a sophomore theater major here at ISU who enjoys the tech side of theater. She has been a part of the theater community in Noblesville schools since middle school, with her favorite show being Spamalot. Kristin has worked as the lighting operator for The Lady From the Sea, the scenic artist for A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, and finally as the assistant stage manager for Stupid F*cking Bird. She is also a member and the publicist of Student Theatre Association and looks forward to working on more shows at ISU!

Special Special Thanks Thanks Will Wortman Sami Ginoplos Yana Weinstein Julie Dixon

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Department of Theater Faculty & Staff

Chris Berchild...................Department Chair Projection & Sound, Theater Theory Julie Dixon.................................................................................................... Acting, Movement Arthur Feinsod................................................... Playwriting, Theater History, Directing Michael Jackson............................Lighting Design, Scenic Design, Stage Technology Alicia Jay.........................................................Theater Administration and Management Tresa Makosky...............................................Adjunct Faculty, Introduction to Theater Kate Mathis.................................................................Costume Design and Construction Grace MuĂąoz............................................................................... Costume Shop Supervisor Toni Roloff......................................... Administrative Assistant, Ticket Office Manager David Vogel................................................ Technical Direction, Scene Shop Supervisor