MBS Dead Man Walking Program

Presents

DEAD MAN

by Tim Robbins

November

8, 10,11 7:30 PM November

9 3:30 PM The Theater at Founders Hall

“Time rushes by yet time is frozen” - Sister Helen Prejean

Bridget & Abby, Your time at MBS has seemed to rush by, but watching you both love theatre and the school productions has been a joy over the past 4 years.

On stage and behind stage, shine on!

Love, Mom, Dad, Colleen and Danny

Performing Arts

Morristown Beard School

presents

The 2023-2024 Fall Play

DEAD MAN WALKING By

TIM ROBBINS Directed by

JIM RUTTMAN

PRESENTED IN THE THEATER AT FOUNDERS HALL

THE CAST (In order of appearance)

SISTER HELEN PREJEAN .............................................. BRIDGET EWING SISTER MARIE AUGUSTA NEAL ............... CHARLOTTE SUSSMAN HERBIE ....................................................................................... JAKE BRESLOW LOUISA MONTOYA ..................................... LOUISA MARKS-SERGENT MATT PONCELET ......................................................... HENRY D’ANDREA GUARD #1 .................................................................................... JOEY LAVIOLA FEMALE GUARD .............................................................. JULIANA FALZON CHAPLIN FARLEY ..................................................................... JAY SPENCER SISTER COLLEEN .................................................................... SHIRA RADIN REPORTER #1 ................................................................... TYLER POTTRATZ REPORTER #2 ........................................................................ JULIA KAROSEN REPORTER #3 ......................................................... GWYNETH GEOGHAN PURVIS SLADE .......................................................................... ADIN KASMIN HILTON BARBER .................................................................... ADIN KASMIN LUCILLE PONCELET .............................................. INDIYA WEINMANN GUY GILARDI ........................................................................... OLIVER BLUM MIRABEAU .......................................................................... JULIANA FALZON CLYDE PERCY ............................................................. PATRICK BIRNBAUM MARYBETH PERCY ........................................................ KAITLIN BROWN EARL DELACROIX ............................................................ DANIEL RAIMER MRS. DELACROIX ............................................... GWYNETH GEOGHAN WALTER DELACROIX .......................................................... OLIVER BLUM

THE CAST (Continued)

HOPE PERCY ...................................................................... SYDNEY SAMSON SISTER HELEN’S MOTHER .......................... CHARLOTTE SUSSMAN EMILY PERCY ..................................................................... SYDNEY SAMSON REPORTER #4 ................................................................................... SURI SHAH WOMAN #1 ............................................................ CHARLOTTE SUSSMAN MAN #1 ......................................................................................... JACK GONYEA WOMAN #2 ............................................................................ ANDI BERGMAN MAN #2 .......................................................................................... OLIVER BLUM WOMAN #3 ............................................................................ GIGI GRAZIANO MAN #3 .......................................................................................... JOEY LAVIOLA TRAPP .............................................................................. PATRICK BIRNBAUM SGT BELIEVEAU ..................................................................... JACK GONYEA NURSE ............................................................................... JULIANNA FALZON WARDEN HARTMAN ................................................ ……….. OLIVER BLUM GOVERNOR FREDERICKS ........................................... DANIEL RAIMER MITCH PONCELET ............................................................... JOEY LAVIOLA JIM PONCELET ............................................................ JAKE GREENWOOD TROY PONCELET ............................. DAVID MATTLE, ARI FELDMAN

Dead Man Walking will be performed with a ten minute intermission

DEAD MAN WALKING Director...........................................................................................Jim Ruttman Lighting Design/Technical Director................................ Nicholas Marmo Costume Design.........................................................................Bettina Brierly Scenic Design.................................................................................Jim Ruttman Sound Design................................................................................... Paul Fisher Poster and Program Design........................................................ Sharon Cain Costume Assistant..........................................................................Peter Walsh Stage Managers............................................Peter Buchanan, Abigail Ewing, Jaya Pally, Jonah Tinkelman Deck Crew.................................................................Jaya Pally, Will Spencer, Sophie Sullivan Sound Crew.......................................................Kayla Ruggiero, Kevin Tone, Chris Yermack, Nicholas Troiano Light Board Operator..................................................................... Mae Bailey Production Stage Manager........................................................Abigail Ewing Projections Operator.............................Peter Buchanan, Jonah Tinkelman Props Crew............................................................................... Chris Blancuzzi Archival Video.............................................................................. Ellis Conroy Box Office Manager.....................................................Noah Gehrmann Box Office Assistant.............................................................Ian Patchett House Manager.......................................................Katherine Chandler Ushers..................................................... Allison Delzo, Ellie Sparkman

Special Thanks Liz Morrison, Head of School Ryan Liese, Head of Upper School Boni Luna, Dean of Faculty The MBS Building and Grounds Crew Rachel Platt Joe Guadara and Staccato Painting and Design Additional thanks to cast and crew parents for everything they do!

WHO’S WHO IN THE COMPANY (in alphabetical order)

ANDI BERGMAN (2025) - Woman #2 - is so excited to be joining the cast of Dead Man Walking in her second MBS performance. Andi performed in Inherit the Wind and worked on the stage crew for the MBS productions of Sweet Charity, The Miser, and Be More Chill. Andi also enjoyed performing in Beauty and the Beast and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prior to MBS. Break a leg everyone!

PATRICK BIRNBAUM (2025) - Clyde Percy/Trapp - is super excited

to be a part of Dead Man Walking. This is Patrick’s first ever time in the fall play at MBS, and is ready for the new challenge. He has had ensemble roles in MBS’ past two shows, Sweet Charity and Be More Chill. Patrick is constantly pushed and supported by his family and friends to be the best performer he can be, and he wouldn’t be where he is today without their unwavering support.

OLIVER BLUM (2026) - Guy Gilardi/Walter Delacroix/Warden Hartman is thrilled to return to the stage for his first production at MBS. Special thanks to Mr. Ruttman for his amazing work on the show, and best of luck to the cast and crew!

JAKE BRESLOW (2027) - Herbie - is very excited to participate in his first MBS Upper School play. Previously, he had participated in last year’s MBS Middle School production Guys & Dolls as Sky. He would like to thank Mr. Ruttman, Mr. Krauss, Mr. Marmo for staging, organizing, and making the show come together. He would also like to give thanks to his family for always supporting him, and the cast and crew of Dead Man Walking for all the work and effort they have put into this amazing production.

KAITLIN BROWN (2024) - Marybeth Percy - is excited to return to the stage in her sixth Morristown Beard production. Kaitlin appeared last year as Chloe in Be More Chill, and Mrs. Blair in Inherit the Wind.

Previous roles include Lucy Barker/Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd and Charity in Sweet Charity. Kaitlin has also performed in two fall plays as ensemble. She is thrilled to be a part of the MBS performing arts program and is very grateful to Mr. Ruttman, Mr. Krauss and Mr. Marmo for everything they do. Congratulations and good luck to the entire cast and crew!

PETER BUCHANAN (2025) - Stage Manager - has worked on all the shows while he was at school. He is currently a stage manager and is enjoying it. He is very exited for the musical in the spring. Well done everyone for a fantastic job!

HENRY D’ANDREA (2024) - Matt Poncelet - is thrilled to be

performing in Dead Man Walking, in a much darker role than any other character he’s every portrayed! Henry was most recently seen as Rich in Be More Chill, and was also in the cast of Inherit the Wind, Sweet Charity, The Miser, Sweeney Todd, and Mother Courage. As a Middle School student, Henry performed in Honk Jr., The Phantom Tollbooth Jr., and was cast as Timon in The Lion King Jr. Thanks to his family for their support, and good luck to his fellow cast and crew!

ABIGAIL EWING (2024) - Stage Manager - looks forward to returning to the stage crew as one of the stage managers for Dead Man Walking. In the past, Abby worked in crew for Sweeney Todd, and she was a stage manager for The Miser, Sweet Charity, Inherit the Wind and Be More Chill. Abby would like to thank Jim and Mr. Marmo, cast, and crew of Dead Man Walking. Break a leg!

BRIDGET EWING (2024) - Sister Helen Prejean - is excited to return to the MBS stage in Dead Man Walking! Bridget has previously participated in the productions Mother Courage, Sweeney Todd, The Miser, Sweet Charity, Inherit the Wind, and Be More Chill at MBS. When not on stage, Bridget enjoys track, GLOW club, and singing in chorus. Bridget thanks the Mr. Ruttman, Mr. Marmo, Mr. Krauss, the crew, and the rest of the cast for their hard work, break a leg!

JULIANA FALZON (2026) - Female Guard/Mirabeau/Nurse - is delighted to be performing in her third performance at MBS! She started acting and performing in early elementary school at the Wharton Institute of the Performing Arts in Berkeley Heights, and is excited to channel those performance skills once again in Founders Hall. She knows how hard the cast has been working, and is excited to see the play come to life!

ARI FELDMAN (2030) - Troy Poncelet - is thrilled to be making his theatrical debut at MBS in Dead Man Walking. Previous theater experience includes playing Baloo in The Jungle Book. Additionally, Ari plays alto saxophone in MS Band, and is a competitive tennis player.

GWYNETH GEOGHAN (2025) - Reporter #3/Mrs. Delacroix - is super

proud to be part of the Dead Man Walking. She would like to thank Mr. Ruttman, Mr. Krauss, and the entirety of the Dead Man Walking cast for making this an unforgettable and amazing experience. She hopes the show displays everyone’s hard work and dedication.

Enjoy the show!

JACK GONYEA (2025) - Sgt. Believeau - has done a lot of shows,

both in and out of school. He has been in theater ever since the 4th grade with the Winged Cat, and has had a love of theater ever since.

Jack has recently gone to Rutgers to take part in a month long sleep away acting conservatory, and loved every second of it, even though the dorms had no air conditioning.

GIANNA GRAZIANO (2027) - Woman #3 - Gigi is trilled to be in

this production of Dead Man Walking. She is also a member of MBS’s tennis team. Thank you to Mr. Ruttman, as well as her fellow castmates.

JAKE GREENWOOD (2028) - Jim Poncelet - is thrilled to be joining the Upper School students to participate in this play. Previous roles include Nathan Detroit in Guys & Dolls, Jack in Into the Woods, and Will Parker in Oklahoma. Thank you to Jim and Mr. Krauss for this great opportunity, and best of luck to the cast and crew!

JULIA KAROSEN (2026) - Reporter #2 - is thrilled to be joining the

cast of Dead Man Walking. Julia was perviously seen on stage at Founders all in last year’s productions of Be More Chill and Inherit the wind, as well as appearing as Aunt Eller in Oklahoma!.

Congratulations to the entire cast and crew!

ADIN KASMIN (2024) - Purvis Slade/Hilton Barber - This is Adin’s seventh performance in the upper school. Last year, Adin played the role of the Mayor in Inherit the Wind and the role of Jeremy’s Dad in Be More Chill. Adin is also a member of the upper school jazz band and chorus. Outside of school, Adin is involved in many other arts including playing piano and guitar, songwriting, and filmmaking. He is very excited for this performance and thanks the cast, crew and his family for their enthusiastic support.

JOEY LAVIOLA (2026) - Mitch Poncelet - is thrilled to be performing in his third theatrical production at MBS. He was an enthusiastic member of the cast of both Inherit the Wind and Be More Chill last school year. Additionally, he can solve a Rubik’s Cube in under 18 seconds. Thank you to the entire cast and crew!

LOUISA MARKS-SERGENT (2025) - Louisa Montoya - is very excited to make her MBS acting debut in Dead Man Walking. Louisa has always enjoyed theater, participating in other productions such as Beauty and the Beast, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Often, Louisa has preferred to work on the technical aspects of theater, such as operating the camera while recording shows, but she is hoping to become more involved with acting.

DAVID MATTLE (2030) - Troy Poncelet - is thrilled to be making his theatre debut at Morristown Beard. His credits include Little Prince in The Little Prince at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Freddy in School of Rock at the Paramount Theatre Illinois and u/s Danny on A Walk On The Moon at the George Street Playhouse. David loves to spend his free time surfing, snowboarding and drumming. David will like to thank all the theatre faculty and the Upper School cast for this amazing opportunity.

JAYA PALLY (2025) - Stage Manager - is thrilled to be participating in this production of Dead Man Walking! She has been a part of shows at Morristown Beard since she was a freshman, working as Head of Props in shows such as The Miser, Inherit the Wind, and Be More Chill. This is her first production working as a Stage Manager, and she is beyond excited! Congratulations to all the cast, crew, and faculty for all their hard work and dedication into making this possible!

TYLER POTTRATZ (2026) - Reporter #1 - is very excited to be

making their MBS onstage debut as an actor in Dead Man Walking.

Last Winter, Tyler was on the crew for Be More Chill, co-running the spotlights. Thank you to Jim, and best of luck to the cast and crew!

SHIRA RADIN (2024) - Sister Colleen - is thrilled to return to the MBS stage, after having appeared in Inherit the Wind, The Miser, Mother Courage, and Sweeney Todd. She has previously been involved with the Perfomers Theatre Workshop and is currently managed by Acarino Nouveaux Talent Management. Congratulations to everyone involved with this production.

DANIEL RAIMER (2026) - Earl Delacroix/Governor Fredericks - is

grateful for the opportunity to perform this powerful drama with such an immensely talented cast! Given recent world events, portraying the rage of the bereaved and fears of a society shattered by violence has been profoundly impactful for him. Favorite past credits: Be More Chill (Jeremy), Inherit the Wind (Bert), Oklahoma (Curly), Sweeney Todd (Tobias), and Cabaret (Boy Soprano). Sincere appreciation to Jim Ruttman for sharing his time and talents and the stage managers/crew for their dedication. Special shout-out to his cross country coaches for their scheduling flexibility and to his family for their continuous love and support!

SYDNEY SAMSON (2025) - Hope Percy/Emily Percy - thrilled to part of the cast of Be More Chill at Morristown Beard School. She thanks the Mr. Ruttman, and Mr. Marmo for their hard work, with a special thank you and congratulations to the rest of the cast and crew!

SURI SHAH (2027) - Reporter #4 - is a new freshman at MBS. She is super excited to do her first play at MBS. She was recently in Beauty in the Beast at her old school. Congratulations to all of the cast and faculty for their dedication and effort for this show.

JONATHAN SPENCER (2025) - Chaplin Farley - is thrilled to feature

in his fourth theatrical performance Dead Man Walking. He previously worked on the crew for the production of The Miser (Fall of 2021), made his debut performance in the musical Sweet Charity (Spring of 2022), performed as “Dunlap” in Inherit the Wind (fall 2022), and “Scary Stock Boy” in Be More Chill (spring 2023). Jonathan is humbled to be among such a fantastic cast of fun and interesting people, and ecstatic at the chance to perform in such an inspiring and powerful play. He would like to thank his family, friends, Jim, Mr. Marmo, and Ben for their invaluable contributions and support throughout all the shows he’s been a part of.

CHARLOTTE SUSSMAN (2025) - Sister Marie Augusta Neal/Sister Helen’s Mother - is pleased to be in their fifth MBS show. Previously, they appeared as Ensemble in Be More Chill and Sweet Charity, Bannister in Inherit the Wind, and Dame Claude in The Miser.

Outside of theater, Charlotte is involved with the Crimson Sun, the Mariah, the Standard Candle. They’d like to thank Mr. Ruttman, Mr. Marmo, Mr. Krauss, and the whole cast and crew for this awesome experience.

JONAH TINKELMAN (2024) - Stage Manager - has been an active member of the theater department for four years. He has acted, directed, and stage managed. He has found his favorite job as a stage manager. He enjoys coming to rehearsal and having to be a vital part of the process by managing the actors, props, set pieces, and in general having to keep the trains running on time. He would like to thank the cast and crew for their hard work on this production.

INDIYA WEINMANN (2025) - Lucille Poncelet - is excited to present Dead Man Walking! Indiya loves theater, running, as well as singing.

Previously, she has appeared at MBS in Be More Chill, Inherit the Wind (Rachel), Sweet Charity (Dance Hall Hostess), and The Miser (Elise). She wishes the cast good luck and hopes the audience enjoys the show!

CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES TO OUR SENIOR CAST AND CREW MEMBERS May the memories and friendships you made in Founders Hall last a lifetime!

Abby Ewing Bridget Ewing Kaitlin Brown Henry D’Andrea Noah Gehrmann Adin Kasmin Shira Radin Jonah Tinkelman Ian Patchett Kayla Ruggiero Kevin Tone Chris Yermack

Congratulations to

JONAH on your final fall play

You’ve changed our perspective on theater.

We no longer can just enjoy a show.

We now judge the lighting, sound, sets, and crew. #stagemanagerproblems

Love you! Mom and Dad

Congratulations to

DANIEL RAIMER And to the entire cast and crew of Dead Man Walking!

Love, Your biggest fans—Mom, Dad, & Jake

Congratulations to

Shira,

the other seniors, and the rest of the cast and crew!

Break a leg!!

We Love You! Mom, Dad, Jared, Molly, JJ, Miki, and Frida.

Henry It is an absolute joy to watch you perform on stage!

We are incredibly proud of your hard work and dedication.

The passion shines through with every character you play!

We love you!

Mom, Dad, Luke and Ethan Congratulations to the entire cast and crew of Dead Man Walking.

And many, many thanks to Ben Krauss, Nik Marmo and Jim Ruttman for your dedication to our students.

Congratulations to

ADIN KASMIN, on your performance as the principled Hilton Barber.

Like your character, your commitment shines through all your pursuits.

We are incredibly proud!

And to the entire cast and crew of Dead Man Walking—BRAVO on another outstanding performance!

A special acknowledgement to Jim, Ben, and Nik for making a difference through your vision and dedication.

Love, Mom, Dad, Sam, & Caleb

KAITLIN Best of Luck to the entire cast and crew of Dead Man Walking!

With your kindness and empathy, we know you will shine as Marybeth Percy.

We love you!

Mom & Dad

INDIYA We are so proud of you and love to watch you perform.

Love, Mama, Dad, Jonas, & Maya

Congratulations to

CHARLOTTE and the whole cast & crew from the Sussman family

Break a leg,

JACK! So proud of you and the whole cast and crew.

Love, Mom, Dad, Chloe, Kyle and Riley

Your family at PrimeTime Mortgage is very excited to watch DEAD MAN WALKING. Thank you to everyone involved and the entire MBS community.

We are so excited to experience an amazing performance!

GO GIGI GRAZIANO!!!!

Congratulations to

SYDNEY And the cast and crew of Dead Man Walking The Samsons

Performing Arts

Morristown Beard School

Congratulations to the cast and crew of

DEAD MAN WALKING The MBS Performing Arts Department Carolyn Baldacchini Andrea Deventer Ben Krauss, Chair John Girvin Nik Marmo Jim Ruttman

Join us for these upcoming events in Founders Hall December 8

WINTER DANCE CONCERT December 14

WINTER JAZZ AND PERCUSSION CONCERT December 18

WINTER CHORAL AND STRING ENSEMBLE CONCERT