'Really Rosie' playbill

PLAYBILL TrueNorth at French Creek 4530 Colorado Ave. (Rt. 611) Sheffield Village, OH

LORAIN COUNTY METRO PARKS & TRUENORTH CULTURAL ARTS PRESENT:

A FAMILY LIFE SERIES PRODUCTION OF:

REALLY ROSIE

BOOK AND LYRICS BY MAURICE SENDAK | MUSIC BY CAROLE KING

JUNE 3 - 12

FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS AT 7:00 PM AND SUNDAYS AT 3 PM TICKETS: $10 - $15 | (440) 949-5200 OR WWW.TNCARTS.ORG

COMING SOON! LORAIN COUNTY METRO PARKS & TRUENORTH CULTURAL ARTS PRESENT:

SOUTH PACIFIC

MUSIC BY RICHARD RODGERS | LYRICS BY OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II BOOK BY OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II AND JOSHUA LOGAN ADAPTED FROM THE PULITZER PRIZE WINNING NOVEL

JULY 15 - 31

FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS AT 7:30 PM AND SUNDAYS AT 3 PM TICKETS: $10 - $18 | (440) 949-5200 OR WWW.TNCARTS.ORG

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Lorain County Metro Parks and TrueNorth Cultural Arts

present:

Book & Lyrics by Maurice Sendak Music by Carole King

Joanna May Hunkins...........................Director Ben Malkevitch.........................Music Director Rick Fortney............................Artistic Director

“Really Rosie” is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. Pg. 3

From the Cultural Arts Programmer -- Welcome to Really Rosie! -Welcome to Really Rosie! We are thrilled you are joining us for this musical celebration of childhood and friendship.

It wasn’t until my early adulthood that I become familiar with the stories of Maurice Sendak, and even later so the songs of Carole King; needless to say, I’d been missing out. The collaboration between these two legendary artists is impressive on so many levels: the elegant yet infectious music, the weaving storyline that captures just how children spring from idea to idea. ‘Unadulterated’ is the word that comes to mind when I think of the special quality of this show, and breaking the word down it becomes evident: un-adult or NO adults. Kids left to their own devices are free to play without the cerebral interventions of grownups, and Rosie and her crew live by their own set of magical and freewheeling rules. For me, watching this production reminds me of that same kind of boundless possibility I experienced as a boy, and I hope you encounter some of the same.

A big thank you goes out to director Joanna May-Hunkins and music director Ben Malkevitch for committing their time and guidance to these six extraordinary young actors. Sitting in on rehearsals, it’s clear this cast has gone beyond professional camaraderie, and has really become a true group of friends – another testament to the power of the arts to transform lives. I expect you’ll sense their onstage chemistry, and want to be part of the gang, too!

This summer we are tremendously busy! Theatre Camps run June 13th through August 16th serving grades Preschool – 12th, and registration is currently open. We are proud to be presenting Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific on our Mainstage next month, and Bye Bye Birdie performed by the students of our Center Stage Summer

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From the Cultural Arts Programmer

Theatre Camp in August. Additionally, the TrueNorth Chorale and Chamber Orchestra will be performing An Evening of Disney on June 12th at Lakeview Park. Later on June 25th their annual Patriotic Concert will take place at Linwood Park in Vermilion. Wrapping up our summer musical offerings, the TrueNorth Big Band will perform on August 14th as part of the Music Under the Stars Concert Series at Lakeview Park. We hope you join us throughout. Please refer to this playbill and www.TNCArts.org for more information on all of our upcoming camps and events.

Once again thank you for coming, and please enjoy our show!

Sincerely,

Brian McNally, Cultural Arts Programmer, Lorain County Metro Parks

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From the Director of the Lorain County Metro Parks Welcome to YOUR Lorain County Metro Parks!

We hope you enjoy Really Rosie from TrueNorth.

As the 2015-2016 season continues, we hope you have a great time!

On behalf of Lorain County Metro Parks, I want to personally invite you to a variety of activities and happenings throughout the park district this season. Regardless of where you live, we have an exciting event for you!

Why not enjoy an the awesome setting of a Lakeview Park sunset coupled with wonderful live music this summer? Music Under the Stars is just that and the first of four performances for the season takes place on June 12th. It will feature the TrueNorth Orchestra playing your favorite Disney songs. We are also offering a number of different summer camp opportunities for kids entering Kindergarten through 9th grade. Make sure to grab a Summer Camps brochure or visit our website for more details. There is a great deal more programs offered throughout our park district this year so make sure to visit the Events page on our website or grab an Arrowhead on your way out for more information.

There’s still plenty to go in this theatre season so make sure to grab a 20152016 season brochure to check out each new production. The next show runs on the weekends from July 15th to the 31st. South Pacific features two love stories running parallel as WWII rages on in the background. We hope to see you there.

We thank you for your continued support of Lorain County Metro Parks and hope you continue to enjoy the offerings we bring through our partnership with TrueNorth Cultural Arts!

Sincerely,

James E. Ziemnik, Director, Lorain County Metro Parks Pg. 6

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Director’s Note

T

hink back to a time in our not so distant past where there were no cell phones and no video games. Summer vacation meant running around with your friends until the street lights came on and using your imagination to “play pretend” was an endless source of entertainment. The neighborhood kids became a family all their own - with all the bickering to go with it. But it didn’t matter because at the end of the day everyone would go home and come back tomorrow to do it all again.

That’s the essence of Really Rosie. Let the lovable characters created by Maurice Sendak (author of Where the Wild Things Are) and the tuneful songs of Carole King (an icon of the period) take you back to the late 70s when kids ruled every suburban block...until the street lights came on, of course.

-Joanna May Hunkins, Director

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The Play All of the action takes place on a hot summer day in the late 1970s.

There will be no intermission.

Song List 1. Really Rosie................................................Rosie & Company 2. Simple, Humble Neighborhood....................Rosie & Company 3. Alligators All Around.........................Alligator & Company 4. One Was Johnny.......................................Johnny & Company 5. Pierre.....................Rosie, Pierre, Kathy, Alligator & Johnny 6. Screaming and Yelling................................Rosie & Company 7. Ballad of Chicken Soup.................................................Rosie 8. Awful Truth...............................................Kathy & Company 9. Very Far Away........Kathy, Alligator, Johnny, Pierre & Rosie 10. Avenue P........................................................................Rosie 11. Chicken Soup with Rice............................................Company

–– PLEASE NOTE ––

Videotaping and flash photography of any kind are strictly prohibited during the performance.

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Cast/Crew

Cast Rosie.................................................Giovanna A. Layne Kathy.........................................Grace Steele-Steeber Alligator.................................................Lindsey Smits Johnny................................................Carter Sindelar Pierre.....................................................Connor Fields Chicken Soup.........................................Robert Corbin

Production Team Director.....................................Joanna May Hunkins Music Director...................................Ben Malkevitch Costume Design..........................D. Justin Bilewicz, III Sound Design..............................................Stan Kozak Lighting Design..........................Michael S. Martinek Scenic Design...............................Kirsten “Kix� Nicole Technical Director.................................Paul Mceuen Assistant Stage Manager...............Michael Strama Assistant Stage Manager..............Scott Heuerman

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Staff

TrueNorth Staff

Founder/Executive and Artistic Director.................................Rick Fortney Cultural Arts Programmer/Youth Outreach Coordinator......Brian McNally Administrative Assistant.....................................................Nancy Spencer Box Office/Front Desk........................................Drew Porter, Camille Olsen Financial Manager...............................................................Stefanie Corlew Gallery Manager....................................................................Susan Schauer Gallery Assistant-ceramics, glassware, and jewelry............ Teresa Hoenig Greeters, Ushers, and Concessions............................Friends of TrueNorth Marketing/Social Media...........................................................Laura Golden Music Directors.........................................................Rick Fortney (Chorale),

Joshua Konow (Chamber Orchestra), Eric Dregne (Big Band),

Susan Vance-Koch and Kelsey Geren-Witt (Children’s Choirs) Volunteer Coordinator............................................................ Camille Olsen

TrueNorth Board of Directors

Board Members..............................Hu Auburn, Cathy Dietlin, Rick Fortney, Jim Golden, Jeff Steeber, John Edward Thomas, Anthony Trifiletti, Becky Voit, Jennifer Wilson

French Creek Nature and Arts Center

Cultural Arts Manager / Site Manager ...................................Rick Fortney Ranger Supervisor / Park Manager...................................... Brian Holmes Senior Naturalist.................................................................. Aimee Potonic Cultural Arts Programmer......................................................Brian McNally FCNAC Building and Grounds Crew.............Tim Barrett, Thomas Bourque, David Davis

Lorain County Metro Parks

Director.................................................................................James Ziemnik Assistant Director.............................................................Jennifer Bracken Operations Supervisor................................................................Paul Hruby Chief Naturalist.................................................................Grant Thompson Public Information Officer...................................................Vanessa Klesta Web Developer and Graphic Artist......................................Nicholas Baker

Lorain County Metro Parks Board of Park Commissioners

Chairman ...................................................................... Ms. Cookie McLoda Board Member................................................................... Mr. Fred Alspach Board Member..................................................................Mr. Joseph Hribar

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Biographies

Cast Robert Corbin (Chicken Soup) will be in the 5th grade at Bay Village Middle School.

He sang in the 4th grade chorus at his school and had a speaking part in their performance of Dinostars. This is Robert’s first show with TrueNorth.

He has performed in two shows with MGP, Seussical and Urinetown.

Robert keeps busy by participating in many sports. His favorites are basketball, baseball and football.

He also is a first degree black belt in Tae Kwando. Robert is very excited to have extended his theater family.

Connor Fields (Pierre) is 14-years-old and attends Brookside Middle School. He won an award for the role of Jack last year in Into the Woods. He has done multiple shows including The Sound of Music as Frederick and Back to the 80’s...

The Totally Awesome Musical! as Michael Feldman. He is so excited to do this show with such talented and amazing people! He’d like to give a shout out to his mom for her dedication. Thank you all for coming out this evening and Pg. 14 enjoy the show!

Giovanna A. Layne (Rosie) is 12-years-old and is finishing the seventh grade at Sheffield Middle School.

Her favorite credits include The Secret Garden both in Boise, Idaho and Cleveland, and A Christmas Story with Cleveland Play House.

She dreams of living in New York City to pursue a career in Musical Theatre. She would like to thank her family, friends and most of all her parents and brother for all of their love, support, and encouragement.

Carter Sindelar (Johnny) is thrilled to be making his debut performance with TrueNorth.

Previous theatre credits include playing the role of Ralphie Parker in A Christmas Story at the Cleveland Play House, performing in Cleveland Opera Theater’s production of La Boheme, playing the title role in Oliver!, and appearing in Hillbilly Holiday and Mr. Toad’s Mad Adventures at the Beck Center for the Arts.

Lindsey Smits (Alligator) is 10-years-old and will be entering the 5th grade. Lindsey has been in 12 community theater productions in the last three years. One of her favorite roles was that of Soloist in Great Lakes Theater’s A

Biographies Christmas Carol at Playhouse S q u a r e .

O f f s t a g e , L i n d s e y studies vocal performance and ballet, tap, jazz, contemporar y, and lyrical dance. She also plays piano and basketball, and she holds a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. Grace SteeleSteeber (Kathy) is a 13-year-old from Avon Lake, and she attends Albert Einstein Academy. She made her acting debut on the TrueNorth stage three years ago, and she is thrilled to be back on her “home” stage for her eighth production. Grace has also been in shows at the Beck Center, MAD Factory, The Academy for The Dramatic Arts, and she recently filmed a commercial for the CAVS 2016 Playoffs. She’s so thankful for the great cast and crew of Really Rosie!

Production Team Joanna May Hunkins (Director) returns to TrueNorth after directing this season’s Mainstage production of Big Fish. As an actor/director, she has worked on productions at Cleveland Play House, Great Lakes Theatre, Beck Center, Weathervane

Playhouse, Mercury Theatre Company and Cain Park, where she directed last summer’s critically acclaimed Godspell. By day Joanna is the associate director of The Musical Theater Project. In addition to performing and directing, Joanna co-produces the concert series, Cleveland Stage Alliance presents... which will have its next installment this August, Feel the Noize: The 80s Rock Concert at Cain Park. She’s thrilled to bring this childhood favorite of hers to life with these wonderful kids!

Michael S. Martinek (Lighting Designer) is currently the technology coordinator and a teacher at Saint Peter School in Lorain has been involved in Northeast Ohio performing arts for over five years.

He has conducted various choral and instrumental ensembles; provided theatrical, technical, box office, and event oversight; and served in various behind the scenes roles of Stage Manager, Sound Designer, Lighting Designer, Technical Director, and Event Consultant to vast number of productions at Saint Ignatius High School’s Breen Center for the Performing Arts, Notre Dame College, and Mercury Theatre Company. He is extremely excited to return for his fifth show at TrueNorth Cultural Arts (previously he designed Knuffle Bunny, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig and Falling), and would personally like to thank the cast for their wonderful talent, hard work, and enthusiasm; and the production staff for all their wonderful direction, dedication, and leadership in this production.

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Biographies Ben Malkevitch (Music Director) vocal coach, pianist, and teacher, is equally at home in the worlds of operatic, musical theater, choral, and sacred repertoire. He is the music director for TrueNorth Cultural Arts’ production of South Pacific. He worked last summer as a staff pianist for OperaWorks in Los Angeles. Previous credits include music direction for Waffle Opera and Opera on Tap San Francisco as well as collaborations with Livermore Valley Opera, West Edge Opera, and Festival Opera. Ben has written supertitle translations for sixteen operas and co-arranged a reduction of Don Giovanni for a chamber orchestra. He is also an avid educator: he has worked often with young musical theater performers at the Beck Center for the Arts and TrueNorth and is building a private piano teaching studio in the Cleveland area. Ben is the choir director and organist at Heights Christian Church in Shaker Heights. He holds a Master’s of Music in Collaborative Piano from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with Virginia Weckstrom.

D. Justin Bilewicz, III (Costume Designer) is thrilled to be designing Really Rosie. Justin is graduate of Ashland University and works as a freelance Costume Designer for the local area. In addition to designing costumes, Justin is the production manager for Sandstone Summer Theatre in Amherst, Ohio, the Drama Director for Clearview High School and the Palace Youth Theatre’s Director in Lorain, Ohio.

Pg. 16 Some of Justin’s most

recent costume credits include Carrie, The Musical (Sandstone Summer Theatre), A Streetcar Named Desire (Mamaí Theatre Company), Jesus Christ Superstar (TrueNorth Cultural Arts Center), Antigone (Clearview High School), Mothers and Sons (Beck Center for the Arts), Waiting for Lefty (Case Western Reserve University). Justin is the TrueNorth resident costume designer this season, you might have recently seen his work on such TrueNorth productions as Knuffle Bunny, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, The Odd Couple, The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig, Godspell, and just recently Next to Normal.

Justin will be taking a very short hiatus from designing for TrueNorth and will return to design the Center Stage Theatre Camp production of Bye Bye Birdie later this summer.

Justin is looking forward to returning and will be returning once again as the resident costume designer next season at the newly named French Creek Theatre. Enjoy the show!

Kirsten “Kix” Nicole (Technical Director) University of Akron Theatre Major, Freelance Mixed Media Artist, Sculptor, Technical Director & Production Designer.

She is currently working with many Theatrical companies all over Ohio.

Basing the majority of her work with many Akron based companies such as, New World Performance Lab & (CATAC) Center for Applied Theatre & Active Culture as Assistant Technical Director.

Technical Director and Production Designer of Ma’Sue Productions, (CADA) Center for Applied Drama & Autism & Wandering Aesthetics.

Biographies Stan Kozak (Sound Designer) Stan Kozak, currently in his twentyseventh season at Great Lakes Theater, has more than 50 design credits including Bat Boy: The Musical, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Comedy of Errors, Amadeus, You Can’t Take It With You, Private Lives, Into the Woods and the Tom Hanks’ benefit performances. His work in 1979 and 1981 with Geraldine Fitzgerald on Streetsongs at GLTF led to the original cast album. Mr. Kozak was the resident sound designer for four seasons at the Porthouse Theatre Company, including productions of Driving Miss Daisy, Niteclub Confidential and a Nightingale Sang.

His collaborations with Victoria Bussert at Baldwin-Wallace College include productions of Chess, Hair, Company, Cabaret, West Side Story, Tommy in Concert, Parade, the Ohio premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s Passion, and one of the first

nonprofessional productions of Phantom of the Opera. For Cain Park, his design credits include Secret Garden, Fiddler on the Roof, Grease, Bat Boy, Tick, tick…Boom, Nine, The Wiz, Harold and Maude and Pippin.

Mr. Kozak has also designed sound for Wit and Last Five Years for the Dobama Theater, Iolanthe and Sweeney Todd for the Cleveland Opera, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change and Forbidden Broadway SVU for the Hanna Theatre and A Shayna Maidel, Brooklyn Boy and Pangs of the Messiah for the JCC. He has served as sound designer for the All-City Musical for the Cleveland school system for eight seasons.

He also had the good fortune to have worked with Bebe Neuwirth in her concert performance for the Ideastream Gala in 2005. He was honored to be among the first group of LORT sound designers to achieve recognition in USA 829.

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Bendix

is proud to sponsor TrueNorth Cultural Arts!

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Help keep the arts alive!

Make a tax-deductible donation today.

Remember the thrill you experienced the first time you were on stage? How about the first time you watched your child’s face light up as they were introduced to the magic of the theatre? Or the first time you experienced a beautiful piece of music or work of art?

Help TrueNorth bring a set of “first times” to a brand new generation. Keep the arts alive for our children to enjoy and carry on our message.

TrueNorth is a non-profit organization that relies on support from people just like you. Your donation is tax-deductible and helps us bring the following to the community: Professional theatre in Lorain County A Family Life Series geared towards younger children Arts Education programs A Chorale & Symphony Fine Arts Free workshops in arts and nature And much more!

To make a tax-deductible donation, please contact Rick Fortney at (440) 949-5200 Ext. 229, or simply mail a check to TrueNorth Cultural Arts, Attn: Donations, 4530 Colorado Ave., Sheffield Village OH 44054.

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Thank you for your continued support!

Ford Motor Company is proud to sponsor TrueNorth Cultural Arts!

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2015-2016 Season Donors Spotlight Sponsors ($1,000 or more) Hu & Jan Auburn Avon Lake Printing Paul Balcom & Cathy Dietlin Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC

(in support of the TrueNorth

Chamber Orchestra) Steven Bridge Campana Development - Patsie & Jenee

Community Foundation CenturyLink Emerson Charitable Trust Ford Motor Company - Ford.com Fortney Family Foundation Hermes, 5K Artsfest 2015 Cathy and Eric Harvey (in memory of

George and Jane Oechsle) Key Bank Foundation Lorain County Metro Parks Sherrill “Cookie” McLoda Bob & Lynn Miller Norton Family Foundation (to be used for

2016 mental health cultural arts programming) Ohio Business College Parsons Insurance PGA Tour Inc. Carl & Ruth Prokop WOBL/WDLW Jean Young Podium Partners ($500 - $999) Lakeland Health Care Corp. Agency Judy Reich (in memory of Bob Reich) Conductor’s Circle ($250 - $499) Bruce & Jenny Barden Jen & Adam Bilczo Daryl & Karen Edwards Laura & Jim Golden Benjamin & Sara Jane Norton WeedPro (Weed-Pro.com)

Gwen Scott Concertmasters ($100 - $249) Joseph & Sandra Agnello (in memory of

Larry Gaynor) Joseph Batcha Jonell, Keven & Tyler Baker Charlotte & Bruce Burge Jim & Debbie Dowdell Elaine Engeln Margerita & Bengt Gerborg David & Mary Ann Heuerman Judith A. Klucas Gary M. Lilly Michael & Frida Wochna-McGee Kristi & Brian McNally (in support of

TrueNorth Family Life Series) Navital Inc. Barbara A. Nicol Sara Otts Paul & Janice Peters Charles & Carolyn Reed The Rock Pile - therockpile.com Lynn & Sue Schlessman Joseph & Sally Smith Kathryn L. Whyte Andrew & Michelle Young Friends of the Arts ($50 - $99) Becker’s Donuts - Barbara Mamrar Ted & Terri Brewer Marilynn & Peter Bronson Paul & Francis Burik James & Mary Ruth Burns Dustin & Patricia Bush Deb Chelko Constance L Clark Sally Cornwell David & Mary Jane Croston Sandra & Dave Dibbell Doris J. Gaertner Sandi Gerhan

Want to see your name here? Contact Rick Fortney at (440) 949-5200 to find out how you can make your tax-deductible donation

2015-2016 Season Donors FRIENDS OF THE ARTS (cont.)

Stefanie Gorlew Brett Hall Roberta Hawley Amalia Hoke Ed & Muriel Homer Kuno A. & Christa Josupeit Mark & Michelle Kelly Alan & Erica Lerner (in honor of Cassie Clair) Julie Mannarelli Leslie R. McGinnis Lila McGinnis Gene & Joyce Nickley Frank & Sandra O’Dell Richard & Diane Pilat Denny & Bobbie Potonic Dudley & MaryAnn Price Janet Romanski Edward Selavko Ann Hathaway Seltzer & Gary Izo (in honor

of Rebecca Russel) Jeffrey Suhanic Michael & Patricia Sweeney Ben & Tonya Thompson Gaylord & Sandra Tucker Sylvia Upchurch & Edward J. Selavko Carole Z. Warren Allen & Martha West Stand & Muir West Richard & Delores Wyer

Gail & Stephen Smith Nina Sobel Jeff & Melissa Steeber Craig & Elizabeth Shoemaker Becky & Bill Voit Laura Weichel E.J. Wennerberg Jean Youngs

Understudies Janet & R. Herman Barlow Quella Columbaro Lawrence & Claudia Forbes (in memory of

Mary Lou Fortney, my long-time

organ teacher) Mark & Robin Johnson Margaret Kurta Lynne Medlik John & Judith Peterson Daniel & Lisa Shullick

Want to see your name here? Contact Rick Fortney at (440) 949-5200 to find out how you can make your tax-deductible donation

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Lorain County Metro Parks is a proud partner of TrueNorth Cultural Arts!

COMING SOON! LORAIN COUNTY METRO PARKS & TRUENORTH CULTURAL ARTS PRESENT:

THE TRUENORTH SUMMER THEATRE CAMP PRODUCTION OF:

BYE BYE BIRDIE

BOOK BY MICHAEL STEWART | MUSIC BY CHARLES STROUSE LYRICS BY LEE ADAMS | ORIGINALLY PRODUCED BY EDWARD PADULA

AUGUST 12 - 14

FRIDAY & SATURDAY AT 7:30 PM AND SUNDAY AT 3 PM TICKETS: $10 - $18 | (440) 949-5200 OR WWW.TNCARTS.ORG

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