The Academy @PBD presents The Theory of Relativity

THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY

Theatre To Think About

MUSIC AND LYRICS BY NEIL BARTRAM

BOOK BY BRIAN HILL presents

Sponsored by Mary Keymer and the Sean Boneri Creative Fellowship

Don & Ann Brown Theatre

presents

THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY

AND

LYRICS

BY NEIL BARTRAM

BOOK BY BRIAN HILL

Originally Produced by Goodspeed Musicals, East Haddam, CT.

The musical was presented at the National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s Festival of New Musicals in 2015.

The Theory of Relativity was developed at the Canadian Music Theatre Project, Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

June 28 at 7pm June 29 at 7pm June 30 at 2pm

Producing Artistic Director

William Hayes

Managing Director

Sue Ellen Beryl

Director

Gary Cadwallader

Assistant Director

Elizabeth Dimon

Music Director

Lisa Stephens

Costume Designer

Brian O’Keefe

Lighting/Projection Designer

Dylan Carter

Sound Designer

Roger Arnold

Production Stage Manager

Caroline Castleman

Stage Manager

Julia Howe

Assistant Stage Managers

Jacob Quartell

Atlas Saavedra

The Theory of Relativity is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com

Any video and/or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

MUSIC

Music and Lyrics by Neil Bartram presents Book by Brian Hill

THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY

CAST

Kayla Brown ....................................................................... Sara

Pedro Costa ..................................................................... Adam

Julia DiPiazza .................................................................. Jenny

Nisa Guvenilir .................................................................... Julie

Connor Hullender .............................................................. Paul

JJ Korkin............................................................. Caroline/Amy

Alexa Lasanta ........................................................... Catherine

Jasmine Massari ................................................................ Mira

Shashvat Premkumar ................................................ Anthony

Alejandro Quiñones ............................................... Ryan/Mike

Austin Tindell .................................................................. Oliver

MUSICIANS

Keyboard 1: Lisa Stephens

Keyboard 2: Karen Nagy

Guitar: Matt Joy

Bass: Rupert Ziawinski

Percussion: Michael Canete

MUSICAL NUMBERS

Person A ................................................................................................................... Company

Relativity ........................................... Julie, Ryan, Jenny, Anthony, Mira, and Company

I’m Allergic to Cats ........................................................................................................... Paul

Pi (Part 1) ......................................................................................................................... Adam

The End of the Line............................................................................................. Jenny, Sara

Great Expectations .........................................................Catherine, Ryan, and Company

Relativity (Reprise #1) ................................. Oliver, Amy, Mira, Anthony, and Company

Footprint ...........................................................................................................................Ryan

Pi (Part 2) ......................................................................................................................... Adam

Lipstick .......................................................................................................... Anthony, Jenny

Transition to Apples & Oranges ...... Paul, Sara, Jenny, Catherine, Adam, Mike, and Company

Apples & Oranges .............................................................................................. Oliver, Mike

Me & Ricky ......................................................................................... Caroline and Backups

Promise Me This ...............................................................................................................Mira

Julie’s Song ....................................................................................................................... Julie

Pi (Part 3) ......................................................................................................................... Adam

Relativity (Reprise #2)....................................Adam, Caroline, Anthony, and Company

Relative Pitch .......................................................................................................... Company

You Will Never Know ............................................. Anthony, Amy, Ryan, and Company

Person A (Reprise) ................................................................................ Julie and Company

Nothing Without You ............................................................................................ Company

KAYLA BROWN (Sara) is a rising freshman at Dreyfoos School of the Arts. Recent credits include The Addams Family, Beauty and the Beast, and Fame Jr. This is her first production with theAcademy@pbd and she is thrilled to be a part of this amazing group.

PEDRO COSTA (Adam) will be a senior at Boca Raton Community High School this fall. He has been invested in theatre his entire life, and is really happy to be in theAcademy@pbd’s production of The Theory of Relativity. Pedro has been in many plays and musicals both in the United States and in his home country, Brazil. He would like to thank his friends and family, especially his parents, for all their support and encouragement; he is excited to see what the future brings. Hope you enjoy the show!

JULIA DiPIAZZA (Jenny) is an incoming senior at Boca Raton Community High School. She has appeared in many productions since first working in theatre when she was six. This is her first production with theAcademy@pbd and she is extremely grateful for this opportunity. Julia would like to thank her family for their endless support.

NISA GUVENILIR (Julie) This is Nisa’s second show with theAcademy@pbd. She was also seen here last summer in Songs for a New World. Other notable performances are Pennywise in Urinetown, Joanne in Company, and Caroline in a previous production of The Theory of Relativity. She is so excited to be in this production, and thanks her friends and family for their support. She hopes you enjoy the show!

CONNOR HULLENDER (Paul) started his theatre career at age six and has appeared in many shows over the years. Favorite roles include Feste in Twelfth Night (Dreyfoos School of the Arts), Adolpho in The Drowsy Chaperone and Leaf Coneybear in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Performing Arts Academy of Jupiter), and Mike Costa in A Chorus Line (Bak Middle School of the Arts). He has previously worked with PBD in the Academy’s Songs for a New World and in the Young Playwrights 1-minute Play Contest.

JJ KORKIN (Caroline/ Amy) is a rising senior at Dreyfoos School of the Arts, and is delighted to return to theAcademy@pbd, where she was previously seen in Songs for a New World. Her favorite credits include Puffs (Hannah), Mamma Mia! (Rosie), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Rona), Pippin (Berthe), and The Drowsy Chaperone (The Drowsy Chaperone). JJ is vocally trained by Ricky Nahas. She would like to thank her friends and family for all their love and support.

ALEXA LASANTA (Catherine) is a rising senior at Dreyfoos School of the Arts. Credits include the national tour of The Sound of Music (Gretl/ Marta), The Wick Theatre and North Carolina Theatre productions of Annie (Annie), Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s Brighton Beach Memoirs (Laurie Morton), Zoetic Stage’s Fun Home (Small Alison), and Slow Burn Theatre’s The Secret Garden (Mary Lennox).

JASMINE MASSARI (Mira) is a a rising senior attending Boca Raton Community High School. This is her first show with theAcademy@pbd, and she is elated to be a part of this cast. Jasmine would like to thank her family and friends for their support.

SHASHVAT PREMKUMAR

(Anthony) is a rising junior attending Boca Raton Community High School, where he has appeared in Hello, Dolly!, Company, and Urinetown. He is very excited to work with new people, and is grateful for the opportunity to work on this show.

ALEJANDRO QUIÑONES

(Ryan/Mike) is a rising freshman at the University of Florida. Credits include Boca Raton Community High School’s productions of Urinetown (Officer Lockstock), Hello, Dolly! (Barnaby Tucker), The Theory of Relativity (Paul), The Drowsy Chaperone (Gangster #1), and Radium Girls (Tom Kreider).

AUSTIN TINDELL (Oliver) is a graduating senior from Boca Raton Community High School who will be attending the University of Florida. Notable past roles include Bobby in Company and Horace Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly! He is very excited to be in theAcademy@pbd’s The Theory of Relativity, making this his second appearance in a production of this show. Austin would like to thank his mentor, Mrs. Stephanie Nixdorf, and his family for their support.

NEIL BARTRAM (Music and Lyrics) is the composer and lyricist of Broadway’s The Story of My Life with book writer Brian Hill (four Drama Desk Award nominations). Other projects with Brian include The Adventures of Pinocchio (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), The Theory of Relativity (Canadian Music Theatre Project, Goodspeed Musicals, London Off-West End), Something Wicked This Way Comes (Delaware Theatre Company, 11 Barrymore Award nominations), You Are Here (Goodspeed Musicals, Off-West End), and Les Belles (a stage adaptation of Michel Tremblay’s Les Belles-Soeurs). The team is perhaps best known for Disney’s Bedknobs and

Broomsticks, for which Neil added new songs and expanded the classic Sherman Brothers score. This new stage adaptation toured the UK and Ireland in 2021-22. Neil also wrote the score for Shakespeare in Love (Chicago Shakespeare Theater / Asolo Repertory Theatre). Neil’s awards include the ASCAP Foundation’s Yellen Award, a Jonathan Larson Foundation Award, and a Dramatists Guild Fellowship. The Story of My Life and The Theory of Relativity are licensed through Music Theatre International. The Adventures of Pinocchio is licensed through Concord Theatricals. Cast albums include The Story of My Life and The Theory of Relativity (both on PS Classics).

BRIAN HILL (Book) wrote the book for The Adventures of Pinocchio (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), The Theory of Relativity, The Story of My Life (Broadway, 2009, Drama Desk Award nominations for outstanding musical, music, lyrics, and book), the stage adaptation of Disney’s classic Bedknobs and Broomsticks (UK tour), Something Wicked This Way Comes (11 Barrymore Award nominations), Les Belles (the English language adaptation of Michel Tremblay’s Les Belles-Soeurs, Canadian national tour), a solo voice musical You Are Here (OffWest End), a musical fable Senza Luce, and The Theory of Relativity, all with composer/ lyricist Neil Bartram. Brian also wrote the new book for the Old Globe’s production of October Sky, based on the film of the same name, and the revised book for the Goodman Theatre’s acclaimed production of Brigadoon. Directing credits include new works, revisited classics, and works-in-development for Disney Theatrical Productions, Mirvish Productions, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Goodspeed Musicals, TheatreWorks, 5th Avenue Theatre, The Segal Centre, The Shaw Festival, and The Stratford Festival of Canada. The Story of My Life and The Theory of Relativity are licensed by Music Theatre International. The Adventures of Pinocchio is licensed through Concord Theatricals.

MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL (MTI) is one of the world’s leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theatres from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theatre as a vibrant and engaging art form. MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists, and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials, and dynamic theatrical resources to over 100,000 professional, community, and school theatres in the US and in over 150 countries worldwide. MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre, and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway Junior® shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students.

GARY CADWALLADER

(Director) has been the director of education and community engagement at PBD since 2016. He created theAcademy@pbd, the One Humanity Tour program, the Young Playwrights 10-Minute and 1-Minute Play Contests, Dramawise, and more. As an actor, Gary has appeared at PBD in 12 Angry Men (Juror 4), Arcadia (Captain Brice), and 1776 (John Adams). He has performed and directed around the country: highlights include Inherit the Wind (Hornbeck) at Northern Stage; Kabuki Medea, M. Butterfly, and The Great Gatsby at Chicago’s Wisdom Bridge Theater; the Emcee in the national tour of Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story; and roles at ZACH Theatre. Film and TV: A League of Their Own and numerous national commercials. He has a BA in theatre from St. Edward’s University, and an MFA in acting from Western Illinois University. Gary is the immediate past president of Florida Theatre Conference, and is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and AEA.

ELIZABETH DIMON (Assistant Director) is happy to be reunited with Gary Cadwallader for their third Academy production. Beth has been

a professional actor in the area for over 30 years, and PBD audiences may have seen her in The Duration, Ordinary Americans, The Spitfire Grill, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Picnic, Our Town, Dividing the Estate, All My Sons, Copenhagen, Souvenir, Berlin to Broadway, and The Dresser. This past season found her at Theatre Lab in Rooted, The Foundry in Family Tree, Maltz Jupiter Theatre in A Christmas Carol, and Slow Burn Theatre in Into the Woods. She is a four-time Carbonell winner, recipient of a Silver Palm Award and a Frank Prize, and a 2022 artistic fellow with the Cultural Council of Palm Beach.

LISA STEPHENS (Music Director) has a Masters of Music in choral conducting from Florida Atlantic University (FAU), and a BA in choral music education from the University of Kentucky. She has led and accompanied many ensembles, performance groups, and schools, including FAU, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Mary Baldwin University, University of Kentucky Theatre, Kentucky Conservatory Theatre, and others. Lisa’s pursuit of artistic excellence is largely owed to the support of her husband Trent and daughter Ophelia.

BRIAN O’KEEFE (Costume Designer) began designing for PBD in 2009, became costume shop manager and resident designer in 2015, and has designed over 60 shows here. He has received 11 Carbonell Award nominations, winning for Les Liaisons Dangereuses, The Lion in Winter, and A Doll’s House, and was a Silver Palm Award recipient in 2022. A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, he spent his earlier career as a patternmaker for the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC and major costume houses in New York, including Barbara Matera, Ltd., Parsons-Meares, Michael-Jon Costumes, and Eaves-Brooks. He was later resident designer, principal patternmaker, and shop manager for Seaside Music Theatre in Daytona Beach, spending 16 years designing over 75 productions and supervising 90 more. Other regional design credits: Playmakers Repertory Theatre, Orlando Repertory Theatre, Winter Park Playhouse, St. Augustine’s Limelight Theatre, University of Central Florida. Other

regional patterning credits: Alabama and Utah Shakespeare festivals, and Stages St. Louis.

DYLAN CARTER (Lighting/Projection

Designer) Originally from Easton, PA and a recent graduate of the University of Miami (BS in electrical engineering), Dylan has four years of experience in professional and educational theatre. Last summer, he designed regional productions of Grease, The 39 Steps, The Sound of Music, Matilda Jr., and 9 to 5 The Musical. Dylan has experience in theatrical and concert lighting design, and began his career as a lighting designer at the Frost School of Music. Additional credits: LabRATS (lighting designer, Theatre Lab), The Importance of Being Earnest (assistant lighting designer, Jerry Herman Ring Theatre), Defacing Micheal Jackson (lighting programmer, Miami New Drama), and A Chorus Line (engineer, custom lighting unit, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival). dylanbcarter.com

ROGER ARNOLD (Sound Designer) was named PBD’s production manager prior to the start of the 2023-24 season. He has been a freelance sound engineer and designer for over 35 years. He is a voting member of both NARAS (the Grammys) and the Audio Engineering Society (AES.org). Roger became an educator of music technology in 2006 and was the senior music technology professor at the University of New Haven. During his tenure there, he designed and provided sound for The Rocky Horror Show, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Spring Awakening. In 2018, he relocated to South Florida, and in 2019 he became sound engineer and resident sound designer for PBD, where his credits include Trying, Death of a Salesman, The Cancellation of Lauren Fein, The Messenger, Lobby Hero, Topdog/Underdog, August: Osage County, The Science of Leaving Omaha, Twelve Angry Men, 4000 Miles, The Belle of Amherst, Intimate Apparel, The Duration, Almost, Maine, The People Downstairs, and Skylight. Other sound design credits include Empire Stage’s production of Tru. BA in music and sound recording, University of New Haven. MA in music technology, University of Newcastle.

KIRA BARNES (Scenic Artist) joined the PBD staff in October as assistant technical director/lead carpenter. Her focus is typically

set construction, so this show marks a new opportunity and she is delighted to make her debut as scenic artist. She hopes to have her work featured again in the future.

CAROLINE CASTLEMAN (Production Stage Manager) is in her third season at PBD. Credits here include Trying, Death of a Salesman, The Cancellation of Lauren Fein, the Perlberg Festival of New Plays (2024), theAcademy@pbd’s Songs for a New World (2023), the Young Playwrights 10-Minute and 1-Minute Play Contests (2024 and 2023), and the One Humanity Tour (2022). For Creede Repertory Theatre: Ripcord, Pride and Prejudice, and Hazardous Materials. BFA in stage management from the University of Cincinnati (College-Conservatory of Music).

JULIA HOWE (Stage Manager) is in her first season at PBD. She is a recent graduate of Kent State University with a degree in theatre management. Her credits there include Corktown (assistant stage manager), Freshman Showcase (deck chief), Passage (assistant director), and Kent Dance Ensemble (stagehand). In her position as stage crew lead at PBD, Julia was involved in Death of a Salesman and the 1-Minute Play contest.

JACOB QUARTELL (Assistant Stage Manager) is ecstatic to be on the management team for The Theory of Relativity. He currently attends G-Star, where he has worked on productions including Legally Blonde and The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon. Jacob is also the current technical director for Troupe 6621 at G-Star. He would like to give a huge shoutout to all his friends and family.

ATLAS SAAVEDRA (Assistant Stage Manager) is ecstatic to be making her tech debut with theAcademy@pbd. An upcoming junior, she has been active in theatre her whole life. Recently, she was part of Oxbridge Academy’s productions of Carousel (stage manager), and Fugitive Songs (actor). She has also been seen in productions at G-Star School of the Arts, FAU Theatre Lab, and Bak Middle School of the Arts. Atlas would love to thank her family, friends, and teachers for supporting and helping her throughout her journey.

Palm Beach Dramaworks Staff

Executive

Producing Artistic Director

William Hayes

Managing Director Sue Ellen Beryl

Chief Financial & Operating Officer Rudina Toro

Administrative

Business & HR Director Lara Garcia

Director of Education & Community Engagement Gary Cadwallader

Marketing Coordinator Alessandra Lasanta

Company & House Manager

Box Office & Concessions Manager

Pierre Tannous

Mark Sullivan

Box Office Associates Alexa Rosenberger

Desmond Lewis

Joseph Montagnino

Production

Production Manager/Resident Sound Designer

Technical Director

Roger Arnold

Doug Wilkinson

Assistant Technical Director/Lead Carpenter Kira Barnes

Head of Properties/Shop Assistant Saylor Novonglosky

Audio Engineer/Technical Assistant Keshin Martin

Costume Shop Manager/Resident Costume Designer Brian O’Keefe

Wardrobe Supervisor John Santillan

Assistant Stage Manager Caroline Castleman

Head Electrician Dylan Carter

Stage Crew Lead Julia Howe

Artists in Residence

Resident Director J. Barry Lewis

Resident Scenic Designer Anne Mundell

Resident Lighting Designer Kirk Bookman

Resident Projection Designer Adam J. Thompson

Resident Playwright/Literary Manager Jenny Connell Davis

Associates

Writer/Editor

Marketing Consultant

Sheryl Flatow

Jennifer Sardone-Shiner

Poster Artwork Paul Gaschler

Graphic Designers Jackie D’Onofrio

Brittani Millington

Subscriptions to all five play readings are available now for just $100. Single tickets go on sale July 22. Tickets to individual play readings are $30. January 15-19, 2025

Education

Young Playwrights Contest

10-Minute: Our goal is to introduce the joy of writing for the live theatre to young people, and to give teens a creative voice in expressing their thoughts and ideas. Our program encourages students to write about subjects that are meaningful to them, and to give educators tools to incorporate playwriting into their theatre or language arts classrooms.

1-Minute: Our mission is to motivate young people to learn about themselves and their individuality, and to inspire creativity by giving them a voice in fashioning their own unique stories. Our program recognizes how important it is for students to write pieces that reflect who they are and what they’re thinking at this moment in time.

The One Humanity Tour

The One Humanity Tour is a free, professional touring program for middle school students created exclusively for the School District of Palm Beach County. This program was designed to use storytelling to develop informed, thoughtful, and compassionate citizens, and provides a stimulating discussion following the performance.

Free Student Matinees

Free school-day performances to our season productions include a post-performance talkback, a teacher resource guide with curriculum connections, and bus transportation, if needed.

PBD is committed to offering rigorous, professional-level training for both teen actors and stage managers, and creating a safe and positive environment for optimal learning.

The ‘Lit’ Theatre Project

Essay competition presented by Palm Beach Dramaworks. Underwritten by Kids’ Dreams.

Kids’ Dreams proudly underwrites a special production of the play Camping with Henry and Tom by Mark St Germain for students from various Title 1 Palm Beach County high schools.

Students will read the play as part of their high school curriculum, thereby satisfying specific Florida credit requirements. The play focuses on responsible decisionmaking, ethics, American politics and social status. After reading the play, students will each write an essay on the themes as related to their lives.

Five winners of the essay competition will be announced at the special matinee performance for the students. Each classroom with a winning student will also be presented with an award for classroom supplies.

The Legacy Project

Each year, mature members of the LGBTQ community are paired with LGBTQ youth from the Compass Youth Program. The youth interview their partners and then compile the interviews into digital stories. Those digital stories are combined with live stage performances at Palm Beach Dramaworks to produce a highly memorable and emotional night.

MARY KEYMER AND THE SEAN BONERI CREATIVE FELLOWSHIP

We’re so grateful for their support. Thank You to our sponsors!

By Neil Simon

By Ronald Harwood

By Stephen Karam

By Mark St. Germain

By Gina Montet

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Warren G. Harding, eager to get away from the press, prying eyes, and the presidency, accepts an invitation to join Henry Ford and Thomas Edison on their annual camping trip. Stranded in the woods, they converse about politics, ambition, family, and fame, revealing three starkly different personalities and world views. A work of fiction inspired by an actual 1921 excursion, the play deals with issues and ideas that remain as relevant today as they were 100 years ago.

DANGEROUS INSTRUMENTS

May 23 - June 8, 2025

Laura, a determined single mother, faces the ultimate test of love for her exceptionally bright son, Daniel. When Daniel’s brilliance spirals into darkness, Laura finds herself thrust into a gripping battle against a broken system. In a race against time, she must confront a parent’s deepest fears and sacrifice everything to rescue her son from the brink of becoming America’s next tragic headline.