BY DANI STOLLER
thank you Signature in the Schools is sponsored by Amazon and Bonnie Feld Additional support from the Briggs-Benton Fund of the Arlington Community Foundation, Dominion Energy, The Geary-O’Hara Family Foundation, GEICO, Lois C. Greisman, Louis Mazawey, David S. Shrager Foundation, STG International, Inc, Venable Foundation, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and the Washington Forrest Foundation
F O U N D AT I O N
New work at Signature Theatre is sponsored by Dan & Gloria Logan
We are grateful to the following donors for their generous support of our many education programs, including Signature in the Schools. $50,000+
Amazon The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Bonnie Feld Michelle S. Lee of STG International
$15,000+
The Theodore H. Barth Foundation Clark-Winchcole Foundation The Geary-O’Hara Family Foundation
$10,000+
Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts Dominion Energy Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Bradley Frey and the J. Watkins Fund for Arts and Education
Dan and Gloria Logan Louis Mazawey Share Fund Virginia Commission for the Arts Lois C. Greisman David S. Shrager Foundation
GEICO Ruth Moorman and Sheldon Simon Venable Foundation Washington Forrest Foundation
$5,000+
Dimick Foundation Mars Foundation Nora Roberts Foundation
$1,000+
Briggs-Benton Fund of the Arlington Community Foundation Mike Blank Tim Carlton Lorraine S. Dreyfuss Theatre Education Fund Robert E. Hebda Andrew A. Isen
Up to $1,000
John Andelin and Virginia Geoffrey The Casey Family Shirley and John Gunning Edward and Adrian Hilz
M. Eileen Kenna Robert L. Kimmins Steve Kruse Linda Smith Walton Family Foundation
Reston Limousine Toby Port and Jeff Ahl Martha Trunk Barbara White
as of January 6, 2023 If you would like to make a donation, please contact the Development Office at 571 527 1828 or development@sigtheatre.org.
WELCOME Welcome to the 28th Signature in the Schools production. Signature in the Schools is a multifaceted program that encompasses in-school workshops for Arlington Public Schools English, Social Studies and Theater classes, theatrical training for young artists, and the creation of an original play. The play is directed, designed and written by Signature artists and features a cast and crew of Arlington high school students and professional actors. While the program changes every year, the following steps are always essential parts of the process: 1. Choose a Topic Each spring, Signature’s education director and Signature’s director of new works receive suggestions on subject matter from Arlington Public Schools teachers. The subject matter for the play always comes from these discussions. 2. Auditions and Interviews Early in the school year, students from Arlington high schools come to Signature to audition and interview for acting and technical positions. Dani Stoller, the playwright, doesn’t write a word of the script until it’s been cast, tailoring each word to the performers who originate the roles. 3. Boot Camp Once selected, student actors and technicians participate in a three-week “Boot Camp,” where they receive intensive acting training and innovative lessons on the subject matter of the production. 4. In-Class Workshops While we rehearse the production at Signature, many of the participating school groups receive in-class workshops to prepare them for their visits. Workshop visits use theater to help the students attending the production to learn about the subject matter behind the production and to help the students articulate their own feelings about the subject. 5. Rehearsals and Crew Calls Once the script has been written, the cast rehearses for five weeks. Like any premiere, rewrites pour in throughout the process. During that same time period, costumes, props and stage management all prepare for the finished production. 6. Tech Once the show’s been staged, costumes, lights, sound and props are added as the production moves from the rehearsal room to the theater. The full crew has only four days to combine their elements before the first audience. 7. Performances This is where you come in! There are five performances for public school groups and two performances for the public. For many students attending, this is their first time seeing a production at a professional theater. Enjoy the show!
David Zobell
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
Matthew Taylor Strote
EDUCATION PROGRAM MANAGER
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SHOW The Voices on Blackwell Island is a piece of historical fiction inspired by investigative reporter Nellie Bly’s astonishing exposé, Ten Days in a Mad-House, and the work of American advocate for the rights of women Elizabeth Packard. Throughout the show, playwright Dani Stoller has paid tribute to women who’ve been dismissed as crazy throughout literary history. • Nellie Eyres: Our protagonist’s first name is inspired by Nellie Bly. Her last name, Eyres, is a nod to Jane Eyre. Once she arrives at Blackwell Island, she changes her last name, posing as Nellie Mason, a nod to Bertha Mason from Jane Eyre (Bertha was the supposedly “crazy” woman trapped in the attic in the novel). • The Walcott Family: Elizabeth Walcott’s first name is inspired by Elizabeth Packard. She and her sister, Sarah Walcott, share a name with Susannah Walcott from The Crucible, another play where women are dismissed and turned against one another in a highly patriarchal society. Got some time and want to learn more about the production? Pull out your phone and scan this QR code. There, you’ll find all kinds of cool stuff to explore. Videos, pictures, articles that’ll help you dive deep and prepare for the show you’re about to watch. Take some time to explore this website jampacked with things related to the agency of women in America, trailblazing women that were the inspiration behind this piece, the power of hope and the creation of this world premiere play. Enjoy! But also, put your phone away when the show starts.
YOUR ROLE IN THE PRODUCTION You, dear audience member, are an essential part of this production. Going to the theatre for a show is a communal event. A big group of people come together to share not only the same space, but the same energy as well! The actors and audience feed off of each other. And in this space? The actors are never more than few feet away from you. They’re always aware of you!
So, how will you contribute to today’s show? When the show starts, will you sit back in your seat and passively let a story be told to you? Or will you lean in, engage and allow yourself to get lost in the production?
Top left, photo of the Philadelphia Hospital for the Insane, c. 1900; top right, photos of Elizabeth Packard and Nellie Bly; bottom right, a ward for non-violent women at the West Riding Asylum in Wakefield, England from Dr. Stanley B. Burns’ book, Patients & Promise: A photographic History of Mental And Mood Disorders
THE VOICES ON BLACKWELL ISLAND BY DANI STOLLER
THE COMPANY
Lauren Bradley Grayson Carr Cordelia Clayton Sev Conley Bryce Gastelum Alannah Hjelm Lauren Hydrick Angelina Kaminsky Mercedes Kim Jacqueline Lutz Rand McAvoy Ciara “Lexi” Miller Charlotte Nichols Marcos O’Connor Anton M. SosZey Holly Twyford* Irene Ortiz Vigeray Talia J. Williams
PRODUCTION
Playwright Director Historian/Dramaturg Stage Management Mentor Costume Design Assistant Production Manager Sound Designer Scenic Designer Fight Choreographer Lighting Designer Assistant to Director/Dramaturg Prop Designer Costume and Wardrobe Props Stage Manager Spotlight Operators Assistant Stage Manager Sound Board Operator Light Board Operator Deck Chief Spanish Translation
Dorie Grube Tom Cook Virginia Wright Sarah Walcott Dr. Alvin Moore Matilda Morgan Victoria Fox Ruth Anne Griffiths Nurse Scott Catherine Hall William Davies Elizabeth Walcott Daughter Frederick Lewis Jack Allen Mother Louisa Soto Nellie Eyres/Mason
Dani Stoller David Zobell Joan Cummins Kerry Epstein* Alison Samantha Johnson Jonathan Maag Kenny Neal Lee Savage Mallory Shear Heather Reynolds Matthew Taylor Strote Rooster Sultan Cassidy Greenwalt~ Ace McKean~ Elle Conley~ Elizabeth Stuart Rutter~ Maddie Florio~ Dany Dorsey~ Lucy Horner~ Ben Herbst~ TJ Schultz~ Ian Whyte~ Sadie Wyman~ Valeria Flores Siles
Signature in the Schools Teaching Artists Osama Ashour Matthew Crawford Anabel Milton Lillian Moki Julia Rudgers Mallory Shear Matthew Taylor Strote ~Members of Student Production Team *Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
CAST Lauren Bradley (Dorie Grube, H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program) is excited to participate in Signature in the Schools for their second year. H-B WOODLAWN HS: How to Eat Like a Child; The Visit; Wedding Story; King John; Ozma of Oz; From the Mouths of Babes; Inline; Goodbye Charles; Snapshot; Little Women; 9-5; First Day. ENCORE: Peter Pan Jr, Into the Woods Jr, Once Upon a Mattress Jr; SIGNATURE: The Pursed, the Pursuing, the Busy and the Tired. ACTIVITIES: Director’s Club, Gender Equity Club, and National Honor Society. SIGNATURE EDUCATION: Signature Conservatory, Stage One. Grayson Carr (Tom Cook, Wakefield High School) is excited to be back with Signature in the Schools for the second time. SIGNATURE: The Pursed, the Pursuing, the Busy and the Tired. WAKEFIELD HS: Clue, RH Cinderella, Shakespeare in Hollywood. ETC: 12th Night, A Comedy of Errors. ACTIVITIES: Member of International Thespians Society. SIGNATURE EDUCATION: Arlington Fine Arts Apprentices. Cordelia Clayton (Virginia Wright, Yorktown High School) is excited to participate in Signature in the Schools for their first year. YORKTOWN HS: Annie. ACTIVITIES: Speech and Debate (National Tournament 2022), Advanced Treble Chorus (section leader). Sev Conley (Sarah Walcott, Yorktown High School) is glad to join Signature in the Schools for the first time. DORTHY HAMM: Annie. VISTA INNOVATION AND DESIGN ACADEMY: Aladdin, TML. (30 plays in 60 minutes) PERSONAL HOBBIES: Digital art, creative writing, D&D, figure painting, traditional art. Bryce Gastelum (Dr. Alvin Moore, Yorktown High School) is delighted to rejoin Signature in the Schools for the second time. SIGNATURE: The Pursued, The Pursuing, The Busy, and The Tired (Fitzgerald). THEATER LAB: Tell Me Something Good (Garrison); Almost, Maine (Pete), Off A Broken Road (Gerald); Big Love (Giuliano); UCLA APSI: It’s Free Real Estate: A Devised Piece (Sam). YORKTOWN HS: Badger (Ben), Evil Eye in the Sky (Icarus), She Died on Sunday (Writer & Director), 28th Street Improv. Mount Vernon Children’s Community Theater: Sweeney Todd (Sweeney Todd), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Oberon). ENCORE STAGE AND STUDIO: The Day That Nothing Happened (Student). SIGNATURE EDUCATION: Signature Conservatory, Arlington Fine Arts Apprentices. Alannah Hjelm (Matilda Morgan, Yorktown High School) is back with Signature in the Schools for the second time. SIGNATURE: The Pursed, The Pursuing, The Busy, and The Tired. ENCORE: The Talented Clementine. ST. PETER’S PLAYERS: Narnia the Musical, Godspell. YORKTOWN HS: Annie. ACTIVITIES: National Honor Society; National Children’s Chorus, Grammy-Winning, 2021; The Great American Songbook Academy, Finalist; Washington National Opera Insitute. SIGNATURE EDUCATION: Signature Conservatory, Arlington Fine Arts Apprentices. Lauren Hydrick (Victoria Fox, Yorktown High School) is excited to participate in Signature in the Schools for her first year. YORKTOWN HS: Homeschooled, Annie, Puffs, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind. ACTIVITIES: YHS Swim Team, Speech and Debate, Spanish Honors Society, Key Club. SIGNATURE EDUCATION: Arlington Fine Arts Apprentice.
CAST Angelina Kaminsky (Ruth Anne Griffiths, Wakefield High School) is ecstatic to perform with Signature in the Schools for the first time. WAKEFIELD HS: Shakespeare in Hollywood. GUNSTON MS: Casablanca, Once On This Island Jr. MISC: Jingle Arrgh The Way, Robin Hood, A Winter Star, Willy Wonka Jr., The Show Must Go Online, Flip the Script. ACTIVITIES: Softball, basketball, flag football, swimming, Pilates, piano and singing. Mercedes Kim (Nurse Scott, Wakefield High School) is proud to join Signature in the Schools for her fourth and final year. SIGNATURE: The Pursued, The Pursuing, The Busy, and The Tired; Here’s the Deal, UnResigned. SIGNATURE EDUCATION: Signature Spring Break Workshop. Jacqueline Lutz (Catherine Hall, Wakefield High School) is excited to participate with Signature in the Schools for the first time. Writer, editor, storyteller, video producer. Travel soccer captain. Avid reader and nature enthusiast. ABINDON ELEMENTARY: Go West, Press Start. Awards: Arlington Student Film Festival 2021 - Best Horror Film, Best Editor, Best in Fest. Rand McAvoy (William Davies, Arlington Career Center) is glad to be with Signature in the Schools for his first time this year. WAKEFIELD HS: She Kills Monsters, 9 to 5, Clue, Cinderella, Shakespeare in Hollywood. Ciara “Lexi” Miller (Elizabeth Walcott, Washington-Liberty High School) is excited to participate in Signature in the Schools for their first year. SWANSON MS: A Wrinkle in Time, The Show Must go Online. WASHINGTON-LIBERTY HS: Little Shop of Horrors, Clue. TRAVELING PLAYERS: The Imaginary Invalid, The Thief Lord, The Blue Monster, The Blue Monster (Remount), Hecuba, The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare Troupe). ACTIVITIES: VP of Washington-Liberty GSA (Gender/ Sexuality Alliance). Charlotte Nichols (Daughter, St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School) is happy to be back with Signature in the Schools for her second year. SIGNATURE: The Pursued, The Pursuing, The Busy, and The Tired. THE LITTLE THEATRE OF ALEXANDRIA: A Christmas Carol. GHOSTLIGHT THEATRE: Matilda, Men on Boats. ST. STEPHEN’S + ST. AGNES: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Love and Information, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Boy Who Ate the Moon. Marcos O’Connor (Frederick Lewis, Wakefield High School) is excited to participate Signature in the Schools for the first time. WAKEFIELD HS: Clue, The Three Musketeers. Anton M. SosZey (Jack Allen, Wakefield High School) is happy to participate Signature in the Schools for the first time this year.
Holly Twyford (Mother) SIGNATURE: Escaped Alone (Director), A Little Night Music, Sex with Strangers, A Fox on the Fairway, The Little Dog Laughed (Helen Hayes Award), Twentieth Century. DC AREA: Ford’s Theatre: Silent Sky, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Arena Stage: Long Day’s Journey into Night, The Matchmaker, and others; Folger Theatre: King John, Midsummer Night’s Dream, and others; Round House Theatre: Or, and others.; Studio Theatre: The Steward of Christendom, and others; Theatre J: Lost in Yonkers, and others; Woolly Mammoth Theatre: Recent Tragic Events, and others. Irene Ortiz Vigeray (Louisa Soto, Washington-Liberty High School) is delighted to participate in Signature in the Schools for the first time. COLEGIO NTRA SRA DEL PILAR: Los Mayores No Nos Entienden, Blancanieves, Peter Pan, La Bella y la Bestia, El Perro del Hortelano, Arte. ESCUELA TRITON: El Amor de las Tres Naranjas. ACTIVITIES: WL dance team and women’s rights initiative club. Talia J. Williams (Nellie Eyres/Mason, South County High School) is glad to participate in Signature in the Schools for her third year. SIGNATURE: The Pursued, The Pursuing, The Busy, and The Tired, Here’s the Deal. OFF-BROADWAY: Waldy Street. COMMUNITY THEATRE: Wizard of Oz, Hairspray, Bye Bye Birdie, Beauty and the Beast. MIDDLE SCHOOL: Beauty and the Beast, Once Upon a Mattress, The Curious Savage. HIGH SCHOOL: She Kills Monsters, 21 Chump Street, Hamlet on Spring Break, Into the Woods. FILM: Charm City Kings (HBO), For My Man, Daily Bread. VOICE-OVER: Medi Kidz, Connection Academy, Committee for Children, Chase Bank, NASA Stem Adventures Valvoline, VBS. SIGNATURE EDUCATION: Signature Conservatory, Stage One.
STUDENT PRODUCTION Cassidy Greenwalt (Costume and Wardrobe, Yorktown High School) is excited to participate Signature in the Schools for the second time. SIGNATURE IN THE SCHOOLS: The Pursued, The Pursuing, The Busy, and The Tired. YORKTOWN HS: Puffs. ACTIVITIES: Girl Scouts. Ace McKean (Costume and Wardrobe, Yorktown High School) is excited to participate Signature in the Schools for their first year. YORKTOWN HIGH SCHOOL: PUFFS. GEORGETOWN VISITATION PREPATORY SCHOOL: Jesus Christ Superstar and Letters to Sula. Elle Conley (Props, Yorktown High School) is glad to be back with Signature in the Schools for their second year. SIGNATURE: The Pursued, The Pursuing, The Busy, and The Tired.
STUDENT PRODUCTION Maddie Florio (Stage Manager, Arlington Career Center) is excited to participate with Signature in the Schools for their second year. SIGNATURE IN THE SCHOOLS: The Pursued, the Pursuing, the Busy, and the Tired. ENCORE STAGE & STUDIO: The Best-Haunted House Ever, CSI Christmas, The Enchanted Bookshop, The Lion King, Just Like Us, King Richard the 3rd. MYSTIC: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Annie, Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story. APS: The Phantom Tollbooth, The Lion King, Legally Blonde, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Shakespeare in Hollywood. ACTIVITIES: Girl & Boy Scouts, FRC Robotics, National Honor Society, Girls in Technologies, Arlington Tech AI. Dany Dorsey (Spotlight Operator, Wakefield High School) is glad to participate in Signature in the Schools for their first year. KENMORE MS: The Lost Nutcracker, Hear Me Now. Lucy Horner (Spotlight Operator, Arlington Career Center) is grateful to participate with Signature in the Schools for their first year. ENCORE STAGE & STUDIO: Commedia Cinderella, Enchanted Bookshop Christmas, Annie Jr., Hobbit, Riley O’Brien, Seussical, GUNSTON MS: Once Upon an Island, Casablanca. Ben Herbst (Assistant Stage Manager, Yorktown High School) is excited to participate in Signature in the Schools for the first time. YORKTOWN HS: Puffs, Annie, Badgers. Elizabeth Stuart Rutter (Props, St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School) is happy to join Signature in the Schools for the first time. ACTING: The Wizard of Oz, The Fiddler on the Roof, Godspell, Imogene’s Last Stand, Fairy Tale Network, The Actor’s Nightmare, Everyman and the Circus of Life, The Bible in 30 Minutes or Less, Fast Food Shakespeare, The Wolves, Mary Poppins, Love and Information and Mamma Mia. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: The Actor’s Nightmare, Everyman and the Circus of Life, The Bible in 30 Minutes or Less, Fast Food Shakespeare. REHEARSAL ASSISTANT AND RUN CREW: Matilda. TJ Schultz (Sound Board Operator, Yorktown High School) is with Signature in the Schools for his first year. YORKTOWN HS: Annie; Puffs; Beauty and the Beast; Badger; Through the Screen; Theatre IV One Acts; Choral, Band, & Orchestra Concerts. SWANSON MS: Legally Blonde; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; A Wrinkle in Time; School Daze; High School Musical; Anne of Green Gables; Choral, Band, & Orchestra Concerts. VARSITY SOUND PRODUCTIONS: Local DJ, Lighting Technician, Sound Technician, Video Technician; ALDERSGATE THEATER: Purlie Victorious; Legally Blonde. Ian Whyte (Light Board Operator, Wakefield High School) is back with Signature in the Schools for the third time. SIGNATURE: The Pursued, the Pursuing, the Busy, and the Tired, UnResigned. AWARDS: Photography - Silver and Gold Key Awards for Regional Scholastic Art and Writing Competition, Grand Prize winner of Battle of the Bands at Hard Rock Cafe in Washington D.C. Sadie Wyman (Deck Chief, Wakefield High School) is grateful to join Signature in the Schools for her fourth and final year. SIGNATURE: UnResigned; Here’s the Deal; The Pursued, The Pursuing, The Busy, and the Tired. KENMORE MS: Pirates of Penzance Jr, Peter Pan, The Nutcracker, A Christmas Card, Murder at the Calypso.
PRODUCTION Dani Stoller (Playwright) Easy Women Smoking Loose Cigarettes, Accepts With Pleasure, The Joy That Carries You. Her previous Signature in the Schools piece, Just Great: an adaptation of some book by F Scott Fitzgerald, was recently published and is available through Playscripts. Her play Girlhood will be premiering this fall at Round House Theatre as part of its TPC Commission. SIGNATURE: Which Way to the Stage, Really Really, Dying City, Matt Conner Christmas Cabaret. DC AREA: Productions at Arena Stage, the Folger Theatre, Studio Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Keegan Theatre, 1st Stage, and The Kennedy Center. EDUCATION: BFA Ithaca College @danidangerstoller www.danistoller.com David Zobell (Director) DIRECTING: Signature in the Schools: The Pursued, The Pursuing, The Busy, and The Tired; Here’s the Deal; UnResigned; The Spoken Word; 12 Million Footsteps; Smile Lines; 295N; Veni, Vidi, Vici; Anne and Emmett (co-production with Arlington Public Schools); Hero Worship; Revolution; Un-American (Signature in the Schools premiere); Shakespeare, Will (Assistant Director); Walter Cronkite is Dead. (premiere, Assistant Director). TEACHING: Signature Theatre, Adventure Theatre, Brigham Young University, The Rainbow Company (2010 Children’s Theatre Association of America Medallion Winner). Osama Ashour (Teaching Artist) ACTING: Texas Shakespeare Festival, Winnipesaukee Playhouse, Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Disgraced, and The Merry Wives of Windsor. TEACHING: University of Alabama. EDUCATION: MFA University of Alabama Matthew Crawford (Teaching Artist) Matthew Crawford (Teaching Artist) TEACHING ARTIST: Imagination Stage, Adventure Theatre MTC, Baltimore Shakespeare Factory, Drama Learning Center, Compass Rose, YMCA, New Spire Arts, Enhance Arts. REGIONAL: Maryland Renaissance Festival: La Dama Boba, Romeo & Juliet, Eastward Ho!; Maryland Ensemble Theatre: The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged), Winnie the Pooh, Peter & the Starcatcher, James & the Giant Peach; Baltimore Shakespeare Factory: Henry V; Landless Theatre Company: Puffs;
Washington County Playhouse: Boeing Boeing, Dial M for Murder, Perfect Wedding, Madagascar; Way Off Broadway: Shrek the Musical, Les Miserables, And Then There Were None Joan Cummins (Historian / Dramaturg) HISTORIAN: President Lincoln’s Cottage, American University. DRAMATURG: Signature: Signature in the Schools 20122023, Gypsy. Mosaic Theater: SHAME, The Promised Land. WSC Avant Bard: Emilie: The Marquise du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight. Pinky Swear Productions: Safe As Houses, The Last Burlesque. Young Playwright’s Theater: New Play Festival. DEVISING: The Arcanists: Tarot I-V. District Misfits: Converse(ations). dog & pony dc: Squares, TOAST, Museum Play. The Welders: Our National Museum of the Unforeseen Tragedy. Kerry Epstein (Stage Management Mentor) SIGNATURE: Resident Stage Manager; 18 seasons and over 75 productions. Recent credits include The Color Purple, We Shall Someday, She Loves Me, RENT, Detroit ’67, After Midnight, Midnight at The Never Get, Daniel J. Watts’ The Jam: Only Child, Simply Sondheim, Gun & Powder, A Chorus Line. Sondheim productions include Assassins, Passion, A Little Night Music, Road Show, West Side Story, Sunday in the Park with George, Gypsy, Company, Side By Side By Sondheim, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along. Stage Management mentor for Signature in the Schools. INTERNATIONAL: Dublin Theater Festival. REGIONAL: Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma. EDUCATION: Dickinson College. Alison Samantha Johnson (Costume Designer) COSTUME DESIGN: Rent*, Escaped Alone, Heisenberg & 10 previous seasons of Signature in the Schools- Costume Mentor (Signature Theatre, *Asst Design); Maple & Vine (Spooky Action Theatre); Next to Normal (Catholic University); Blood Brothers (TheatreLab); The Revolutionists, Recent Tragic Events (Prologue Theatre); Ada and the Engine, A Misanthrope (Avant Bard); Under the Sea with Dredgie McGee (1st
PRODUCTION Stage- Co-Design); Cyrano De Bergerac*, The Wonderful Wizardof Oz (Synetic Theater) (*HH Nominated); Legally Blonde, Boy, Chicago, Ripcord, Top Girls (Keegan Theatre); MAKEUP DESIGN: Into the Woods, Blackbeard, Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity (Signature Theatre); The Reluctant Dragon (Keegan Theatre); Collective Rage (Wooly Mammoth Theatre) Apocalypse Kiss (Potent PicturesFeature Film); EDUCATION: University of the Arts, Philadelphia; IG: @alisonsamantha; Website: www.alisonsamantha.com Jonathan Maag (Assistant Production Manager) SIGNATURE: Both Sides Now: Joni Mitchell & Leonard Cohen; Everybody Rise: Signature Remembers Stephen Sondheim; Tracy Lynn Olivera: All Bets are Off; Rayshun LaMarr: Can’t Hold Back; Nova Y. Payton: Day Dreaming; Ol’ Blue Eyes: Frank Sinatra; Erin Driscoll: My Favorite Things; Maria Rizzo: Vamping; Judy Garland: A Star is Born; Entirely Elvis; Motown: Hitsville USA. REGIONAL: Oberlin College, Playwrights’ Local, Cleveland Public Theatre, Fort Wayne Civic Theatre. EDUCATION: Miami University Anabel Milton (Teaching Artist) ACTING/ OPERA: Maryland Renaissance Festival: Romeo & Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing; Eastward, Ho!; Macbeth; Much Ado About Nothing; The Rivals; King Stag; A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Strand Theater: R & J, Little Women; InterAct Story Theatre: Not My Monkey! Victorian Lyric Opera Company: Gondoliers. Skidmore College Theater: Julius Caesar, Big Love, Balm in Gilead, Assassins, Urinetown, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Skidmore College Music Department: Le Nozze di Figaro, Serse. MUSIC: Weyward Sisters, featured trio at the Maryland Renaissance Festival. DIRECTING: Skidmore College Theater: The Rocky Horror Show; The Curious Case of the Dog in the Nighttime. TEACHING: Signature in the Schools, Baltimore Shakespeare Festival, InterAct Story Theatre, Imagination Stage, Glen Echo Park, Temple Shalom. EDUCATION: Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY; Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA; The Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, Ireland, Carini Studios (Voice) in Bethesda, MD.
Lillian Moki (Teaching Artist) SIGNATURE: Electrics, Box Office. ACTING: Sketchup: University of Maryland’s Premiere Sketch Comedy Group, Fearless New Play Festival, Second Season: Breath, Boom, Martius. TRAINING/WORKSHOPS: UMD’S Lighting & Technology Shop, Stage Operations Crew, Signature Theatre’s Overtures Summer Intensive. TEACHING: Community Youth Advance, Elephant’s Playground Junior Theatre Company. EDUCATION: University of Maryland, College Park (BA Theatre). Kenny Neal (Sound Designer) DC AREA: Olney Theatre Center Dance Nation, The Royale, Oil; The Kennedy Center: She a Gem, Digging Up Dessa; SIGNATURE: Five previous Signature in the Schools productions, The Upstairs Department, Daphne’s Dive, Easy Women Smoking Loose Cigarettes, Heisenberg, John, The Gulf. Studio Theatre Straight White Men, Jumpers for Goalposts, Choir Boy. Prologue Theatre Recent Tragic Events. Constellation Theatre Company The Master and Margarita. Theater Alliance Klytemnestra; 1st Stage Airness, columbinus, Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train, Well, Floyd Collins, Old Wicked Songs, Bat Boy. Factory 449: Agnes of God. Taffety Punk Pramkicker, Mom Baby God. Productions for NextStop Theatre, WSC Avant Bard, The Welders, Rorschach Theatre, Imagination Stage and Adventure Theatre-MTC. AWARDS: Helen Hayes Award recipient for The Royale at Olney Theatre Center/1st Stage and seventime nominated Helen Hayes Nominee. Heather Reynolds (Lighting Designer) Credits include: Owen Wingrave, La Bohéme for Maryland Opera Studio. By the Way, Meet Vera Stark!, Hookman, Lost Patterns, Finally, Fairies!, NextDANCE at the University of Maryland. Head Over Heels (George Mason University), Urinetown, Assassins, and The Laramie Project for Southern Utah University, Hamlet (Utah Shakespeare Festival), The Buddy Holly Story (The Palace Theatre in the Dells) and A Christmas Story (Arizona Broadway Theatre). She has also worked with Shakespeare Theatre Company, the Vineyard Theatre, the Folger Theatre, the Old Globe, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Maine State Music Theatre, and Sundance Summer Theatre.
Julia Rudgers (Teaching Artist) DIRECTING: Hookman (George Mason University), Mary Poppins, Jr. (St. Petersburg City Theatre), High School Musical 2, Jr. (St. Petersburg City Theatre). TEACHING: Signature Theatre, Round House Theatre, Arts Conservatory for Teens, Centre for Girls. DESIGN: Assistant Sound Designer for Twelfth Night (George Mason University). DRAMATURGY: A Servant of Two Masters (George Mason University). EDUCATION: BFA in Theater Performance, George Mason University, Fairfax. Mallory Shear (Fight Choreographer and Teaching Artist) DMV AREA: Washington National Opera, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, The Strand Theatre, Adventure Theatre, Flying V, Washington Shakespeare Theatre, Molotov Theatre, Live Action Theatre, Endangered Species Theatre, The Maryland Renaissance Festival. FIGHT AND INTIMACY CHOREO: Arena Stage, Olney Theatre, Keegan Theatre, We Happy Few, Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory, The Strand Theatre, Baltimore Shakespeare Theatre, Flying V, Unexpected Stage, St. Mary’s College, Molotov Theatre, et al. CERTIFICATES: The Kennedy Center ACTF Certificate for Excellence in Fight Choreography in 2019. They are an Advanced Actor Combatant with the SAFD, are a certified Intermediate Actor Combatant with Fight Directors Canada, and completed their stunt training abroad in London and Ireland. TEACHING ARTIST: Signature Theatre, Arena Stage, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Adventure Theatre, Holton Arms, Holy Child, The Landon School, and Baltimore Shakespeare Factory. BOARD MEMBER: The Noble Blades Stage Combat Troupe and Grassroots Theatre Company They are a proud Associate Member of SDC.
Matthew Taylor Strote (Assistant to Director / Dramaturg) DIRECTING: Signature (assistant director/dramaturg): The Pursued, The Pursuing, The Busy, and The Tired; Here’s the Deal; UnResigned; The Spoken Word; 12 Million Footsteps; Smile Lines; 295N; Veni, Vidi, Vici; Hero Worship. ArtStream: Crimes of Fashion, Macshh. University of Maryland: Mr. Marmalade. Washington Improv Theatre: (y)Our Town. TEACHING: Signature Theatre, Washington Improv Theatre, ArtStream, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Studio Theatre, University of Maryland. DRAMATURGY: Signature: The Threepenny Opera; Cloak and Dagger; Elmer Gantry; Cabaret; West Side Story; Titanic; Jesus Christ Superstar. Kennedy Center: Gigi. Signature’s Education Program Manager. EDUCATION: University of Maryland, College Park. Rooster Sultan (Prop Designer) REGIONAL THEATRE: Montgomery College – The Nether, Dontrell Who Kissed the Sea. Gainesville Theatre Alliance - Men on Boats, Fuente Ovejuna. The Historic Holly Theatre – Frozen Jr. Serendipity Players – A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Spartan Performing Arts Academy – Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Proud member of USITT – Chesapeake Region. EDUCATION: University of North Georgia. www.DesignedByRooster.com
SPECIAL THANKS Thank you to the Signature Staff and to our funders who make the Signature in the Schools program possible. If you would like to make a gift to support Signature in the Schools, please contact Deputy Director of Development Erin Harms at 571 527 1827 or harmse@sigtheatre.org.
ABOUT SIGNATURE Signature Theatre is a Tony Award®-winning regional theater that broadens and brightens the region’s cultural landscape with its bold productions of challenging new and established works and engaging education and outreach programs. Founded in 1989 by Eric Schaeffer and Donna Migliaccio, and currently under the leadership of Managing Director Maggie Boland and Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner, musical theater is Signature’s “signature,” and the Theatre is renowned for its definitive Sondheim productions, inventive adaptations of overlooked or forgotten works, and investment in fresh new projects. Called a “musical theater powerhouse” and “a dream for patrons” by The Washington Post, Signature combines Broadway-caliber productions with intimate playing spaces and aims to be a leading force in U.S. musical theater. Since its inception, the Theatre has produced 60 world premiere works—including 19 new musical commissions. Signature opens its doors to more than 100,000 people annually from the Washington, DC region and beyond and reaches more than 10,000 students every year through its innovative education programs, including the award-winning initiative Signature in the Schools. Signature has won 134 Helen Hayes Awards for excellence in the Washington, DC region’s professional theater and has been honored with 452 nominations.
Selling Kabul
FEBRUARY 21 - APRIL 2
pacific overtures MARCH 7 - APRIL 9
APRIL 25 - JUNE 18
SWEENEY TODD MAY 16 - JULY 9
signature 2022/23
SigTheatre.org
Student Tickets: $25 with student ID Use code STU25
stage one July 24 – August 4, 2023 | Monday – Friday, 10AM – 6PM Ages 14 – 17 A two-week workshop that gives the aspiring musical theater student an in-depth experience in the world of professional musical theater.
In person audition: February 25 at 10AM Submit by video by February 27
Learn more at
SigTheatre.org/StageOne
SigTheatre.org
4200 Campbell Ave, Arlington VA