Meet the Cast (continued)

Elizabeth Replogle (Miss Blake) is honored to be part of this important production, and beyond excited to finally bring it to the stage after two long years. Previous roles at LTA include Magda in Key for Two, Renee in The Odd Couple (Female Version) and Marie-Celeste in Nude with Violin. Much gratitude to this talented and resilient cast and crew, and kudos to the LTA leadership for working so hard to keep us all safe. Nevertheless, we persisted!

Ilyana Rose-Dávila (Maeve Sullivan) is ecstatic to return to LTA after playing Boy Mute in The Fantasticks in 2019. Ilyana was nominated for Best Actor in a Community Theatre Production by BroadwayWorld for Boy Mute and for Valentine in The Count of Monte Cristo (ACCT). She also appeared as Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (MCP). She is an Eckerd College graduate with a B.F.A. in theatre. She is currently a stage manager at GALA Hispanic Theatre in DC. Ilyana would like to thank her family for their support.

Michael Rufo (Billy Sullivan) feels like the luckiest guy in the world after enthusiastically having taken classes at LTA. During one of his last classes, he decided to audition for Blue Stockings and, amazingly, he was cast as Billy! This is his LTA debut, and he is excited to be acting with such a talented group of actors and thankful for having found an amazing family in the cast and crew.

Michael Townsend (Ralph Mayhew) is delighted to be returning to the LTA stage! He acquired much of his theatrical experience while attending the University of Mary Washington, where he was involved with both the mainstage and the student-run black box. Some of his favorite past roles have included Paul Bratter in Barefoot in the Park (Waterworks Players) and Tim in Noises Off, and roles in Lysistrata, Sunday in the Park with George and Macbeth (all at UMW).

Meet the Crew (in alphabetical order)

Hilary Adams (Assistant Director) is thrilled to assistant-direct her first mainstage show at LTA. She recently co-produced Bright Star at LTA, assistant-directed A Daughter’s a Daughter (TAP), and has directed many productions in LTA’s New Voices series. Hilary has worn many hats at LTA: actor, producer, hair/makeup designer, props crew and NextGen Committee Chair. She is grateful to Marzanne and the rest of the production team for this opportunity and would like to especially thank her partner for being her rock during this and every show.

Beverley Benda (Vocal Coach) is a professional soprano and was a member of the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” for nearly 29 years and a freelance artist across the country. With degrees from James Madison University, Eastern Illinois University and the Eastman School of Music, she has been a professional vocal coach for over 40 years, a position she has also enjoyed in LTA’s Education Department. She has applied her talents as well to CD recordings for film and TV soundtracks, most notably Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

Lloyd Bittinger (Co-Producer) has served as President of LTA and as Governor for Front of House and in numerous other capacities over the years, including being a proud member of the lighting crew, having taken the formal lighting classes provided by Kimberly and Jeff. He was honored with the Wachovia Bank Award for Outstanding Service to LTA in 2008 and received the best producer award for August: Osage County (along with director Susan Devine) and has produced or stage-managed numerous productions of A Christmas Carol.

Margaret Chapman (Co-Producer) is producing at LTA for the first time. She is so excited to finally get to see this show onstage after a two-year hiatus. For the past few years, she has been designing props and/or producing shows for LTA, St. Mark’s Players and Fat and Greasy Citizens Brigade, including Sister Act: The Musical, Evita and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). She also serves on the Council of the Little Theatre of Alexandria and as the President of the St. Mark’s Players Board of Directors.

Meet the Crew

Marzanne Claiborne (Director) alternates between directing and lighting design. She directed Enchanted April (ACCT), which received six WATCH nominations and one win. She recently served as assistant director on The Bluest Eye (DS) and Fences (LTA). Favorite lighting designs include Driving Miss Daisy (WATCH nomination), To Kill a Mockingbird (LTA Award), The Fantasticks, The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, Steel Magnolias, Key for Two and The Fabulous Lipitones (all at LTA). She also did the lighting designs for A Streetcar Named Desire (TAP), Fabulation (PCP) and Bus Stop (ACCT).

Franklin Coleman (Lighting Design) lit pre- and post-COVID shows The Diary of Anne Frank and Musical of Musicals, the Musical (both at RCP). Recent shows at LTA have been The Savannah Disputation (Ruby Griffith Outstanding Non-Musical Award), You Can’t Take It with You and August: Osage County. He has been nominated for the WATCH Award for Outstanding Lighting Design 12 times and won it four times, including for Hairspray (LTA). He has been nominated for the Patty Dillaber Mickley Award 11 times and won it five times, most recently for Proof (LTA).

Charles Dragonette (Set Design/Set Dressing) is delighted to return to where we left off pre-pandemic! Since the return to live theater, he has designed props, sets and set dressing at ACCT, DS and LTA, including the acclaimed Rumors. Concurrent projects have included LTA’s Bright Star (set dressing) and ACCT’s Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition (set design and set dressing).

Melissa Dunlap (Dance Choreographer) is pleased to be part of Blue Stockings. She first did a can-can at age eight in her dance school recital. Since then, she has danced with the Detroit City Ballet and Burke Civic Ballet in various roles in The Nutcracker. Melissa has choreographed youth theater productions for Shared Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.

Meet the Crew (continued)

Christine Farrell (Co-Producer) is proud to be a member of the production team for Blue Stockings. Favorite past LTA productions include Harvey, The Audience, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), The Odd Couple (Female Version), The Game’s Afoot, Spamalot, The 39 Steps, 33 Variations, Rabbit Hole and Company. She is happy to be back working behind the scenes and helping the audience experience live theater!

Nick Friedlander (Co-Master Electrician) is lit to be working with his lights family again and is especially excited to be right alongside his “Aunt” Pam and “Grandma” Marzanne. He most recently scared the LTA audience along with Lauren Markovich as the co-stage manager for Wait Until Dark, and his favorite LTA production was with Rob Cork as co-stage manager for The Producers (WATCH Award). Many thanks to his ever-supportive parents and to his loving extended theater family who have raised him well.

Jim Hutzler (Co-Set Construction) has worked on many LTA sets as master carpenter and set construction crew, as well as building for other local theater companies. WATCH nominations with co-builder Jeff Nesmeyer include To Kill a Mockingbird in 2016, Anything Goes in 2017 and Dracula in 2018 (all at LTA). Thanks to all who make LTA the special place that it is.

Michael King (Fight Captain) is delighted to be working with other cast members to help them through the more exciting scenes in this show and making sure they don’t hurt each other. He thanks Steve, the Stage Combat Choreographer, for helping him expand his resume.

Meredith Kirchner (Co-Stage Manager) is delighted to co-stage-manage her first production at LTA. Meredith has been an assistant stage manager for numerous LTA productions including August: Osage County, The Producers, Jesus Christ Superstar and The Audience. She also runs sound for productions at Alexandria Country Day School and with Bravo Productions. She co-produced The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with Bravo Productions.

Meet the Crew

Joan A.S. Lada (Co-Stage Manager) has been privileged to be part of the stage manager team for 18 LTA productions: The Who’s Tommy, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Into the Woods, The Philadelphia Story, 1776, Gypsy, Lady Windemere’s Fan, Chicago, 33 Variations, Avenue Q, Spamalot, The Rocky Horror Show, In the Heights, West Side Story, Anything Goes, The Audience, August: Osage County and Jesus Christ Superstar. Many thanks to Meredith. Love to Stephen. As always, love and thanks to my parents for the gift of theater.

Steve Lada (Stage Combat Choreography) is a founding member of the Noble Blades stage combat troupe. He has performed at the Maryland Renaissance Festival and in the Washington Opera’s productions of Tristan und Isolde and Julius Caesar. His stage combat has been honored with the WATCH Award for Outstanding Achievement in Combat Choreography for Richard III, Veronica’s Room, Romeo and Juliet, The Miracle Worker and Kiss Me, Kate. As always, he thanks the love of his life for getting him started on this incredible journey.

Joan Lawrence (Costume Design) is very excited to be costuming her first show with LTA and to be working again with Marzanne. She has designed costumes for a wide range of community theaters in the D.C. and Northern Virginia area. Among her favorites are A Streetcar Named Desire, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, She Loves Me, Beauty and the Beast (all at TAP), Love in Ruins (Capital Fringe), The King and I, The Sound of Music, A Little Princess, Charlotte’s Web (all for St. Andrew’s Players) and The Children’s Hour (Maret School).

Pamela Leonowich (Co-Master Electrician) is happy to say that Blue Stockings marks her 120th consecutive show at LTA. She is proud to follow in her mother’s theater footsteps. Her mother managed and designed productions for the troops during World War II with the British Entertainments National Service Association. Pam is pleased to be teaming with lighting designer Franklin, co-master electrician Nick, and director Marzanne. Special thanks to our dedicated light crew.

Meet the Crew (continued)

Robin Maline (Hair/Wig/Makeup Design) has had the pleasure of working on such shows as August: Osage County, The Producers, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (all at LTA) and many others in the greater D.C. area. She has been working as co-chair of wigs and makeup here at LTA since November 2017. Robin would like to thank her parents, Rob and Karen, and her brother Charlie for their unending love and support as well as Susan Boyd for passing on her great wisdom. Enjoy the show!

Domenica Marchetti (Italian Language Coach) is excited to be helping out as the Italian language coach for this production of Blue Stockings. She is a cookbook author and cooking teacher with a focus on Italian home cooking. Her recipes and articles have been published widely in the U.S. and in Italy. When she’s not in her kitchen or at her computer (and when there is not a pandemic going on), Domenica can be found in Italy, hosting culinary tours and conducting “research”—i.e., eating.

Khalia Muhammad (Assistant to the Director) is excited to be part of her first LTA production. Although she is new to LTA, she most recently appeared in The Bluest Eye (DS). She has studied at the School of Creative and Performing Arts in New York and McKinnon Acting School in Maryland. She is thankful for the opportunity to help tell such a moving story to the audience.

Jeff Nesmeyer (Co-Set Construction) is pleased to be working again with Jim Hutzler. He has been involved in set builds at LTA, PCP and DS since 2006. He was nominated for WATCH Awards for Anything Goes, Harvey and Dracula (all at LTA). He has won LTA Excellence in Set Construction Awards for Harvey, Dracula and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. Jeff thanks LTA for its confidence in his carpentry abilities, Jim for his camaraderie, and his wife, Diane, for her support.