ORCHARD
By Anton Chekhov | Adapted by Emily Mann
April 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 2022 at 7:30 pm April 10 at 2:00 pm SMSU Fine Arts Theatre Tickets: $10 | Free for SMSU students with valid ID Visit www.SMSUTickets.com or call 507-537-7103. ADA/Section 504: Individuals with a disability who need a reasonable accommodation to participate should call the SMSU at 1-800-642-0684 or through the Minnesota Relay Service at 1-800-627-2529. Please call at least 5-7 days in advance of the event.
THE SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY THEATRE presents
ORCHARD
By Anton Chekhov | Adapted by Emily Mann Director – Nadine Purvis Schmidt† Costume Designer – Sheila Tabaka† Sound Designer – Alex Pikiben†* Scenic and Lighting Designer – Tetta M. Askeland† Stage Manager – Maggie Tabaka * Generous support for the guest residency of lighting designer Alex Pikiben was provided by Friends of the Theatre. This adaptation of The Cherry Orchard was originally commissioned and produced by McCarter Theatre, Princeton, New Jersey Emily Mann, Artistic Director; Jeffrey Woodward, Managing Director The excerpt from Paul Schmidt’s translation of A. Tolstoy’s “The Magdelen” is used by special permission of the Estate of Paul Schmidt. The Cherry Orchard is presented through special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service.
SETTING Lyubov Raneskaya’s estate, 1904 Act 1 – May, pre-dawn Act 2 – July, around sunset 10-minute interission Act 3 – August, evening
THE CAST Lyubov Andreyevna Ranevskaya, owner of the estate, also called Lyuba . . . Bryn Mongeau Anya, Lyubov’s daughter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tailer Benson† Varya, Lyubov’s adopted daughter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexis Christensen† Leonid Andreyevich Gayev, Lyubov’s brother, also called Lyonya . . . . . . . . . . . . Brady Berg† Yermolai Lophakin, a businessman and family friend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexander Duus Petya Trofimov, a student and family friend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Colton Jensen Simeonov-Pishchik, a neighbor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Radloff† Charlotta, the family’s governess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Makayla Kennedy Yepikhodov, the family’s accountant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Hartley Dunyasha*, the family’s maid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Molly Green Firs, Gayev’s valet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jordan Stangeland† Yasha, the family’s servant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jasper Ale† Vagrant and Stationmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bob Schwoch† Party guest, understudy for Dunyasha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Allyson Thuringer* †
Member of Alpha Psi Omega, the National Honorary Dramatic Fraternity * Allyson will play Dunyasha for the April 5 and 9 performances
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO LOCATE THE NEAREST EMERGENCY AND FIRE EXIT.
COVID-19 SAFETY MEASURES We have general admission seating for this show so that ushers can assist the audience in distancing according to their comfort level. You are welcome to wear a mask.
EMERGENCY SERVICES Emergency messages are delivered immediately during performances. Persons expecting emergency calls should leave their name & seat number with the Box Office. The telephone number for emergencies is (507) 537-7103.
THE PRODUCTION TEAM Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nadine Purvis Schmidt† Costume Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sheila Tabaka† Lighting Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alex Pikiben†* Scenic and Sound Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tetta M. Askeland† Stage Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maggie Tabaka Assistant Stage Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joy Krosschell† Props Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Molly Green, Makayla Kennedy Wigs and Hair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jasper Ale† Makeup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jennifer Homan† Board Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brooke Burns, Ratsamee Lee Lobby Display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paula Nemes *Guest artist residency supported by Friends of the Theatre Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nadine Purvis Schmidt† Technical Director and Scene Shop Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tetta M. Askeland† Scene Shop Assistants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brooke Burns, Molly Green, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Madelynn Singsank, Maggie Tabaka Costume Shop Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sheila Tabaka† Costume Shop Assistants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eliette Dembele, Soliyana Kassa House Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sara Karpen Box Office Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pam Hess Box Office Assistants . . . . . . . . . . . . . Margeaux Belanger, Jordyn Lanoye-Guerrero Poster & Program Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marcy Olson† Ushers, Publicity Crew, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Students from Theatre Appreciation, Costume and Set Construction Stage Management, Theatre Activity & Stage Crew classes, and the cast and crew
SPECIAL THANKS SMSU Residence Life for guest artist housing Professor Alma Hale for cast headshots Taylor Haines and the SMSU Photography Club for production photos Anna Pikiben, Jordan Stangeland, and Allyson Thuringer for always being willing to help
PLEASE NOTE Please completely turn off all cell phones, pagers, watches, and electronic devices that would interfere with communication and cues crucial to the performance. In an effort to make our Theatre more “green,” we have installed energy-efficient LED house lights. You may notice flickering as the house lights are fading out.
GUEST ARTIST BIO Alex Pikiben SMSU Theatre alum Alex Pikiben (’15) recently completed his Master of Fine Arts degree with specialization in sound and lighting design at the University of South Dakota, and is now a freelance sound designer based in Minneapolis. At USD, Alex sound designed for She Kills Monsters (MFA thesis show), Angels and Demons, Men On Boats, Zanna, Don’t!, These Shining Lives, 4:48 Psychosis, and The Eccentricities of a Nightingale, and was the lighting designer for Julius Caesar. Alex has also designed for Prairie Repertory Theatre (Beehive and The Wizard of Oz), and was an apprentice audio visual technician for the Santa Fe Opera this past summer. Alex says he is “stoked to be working at SMSU again.”
DIRECTOR’S NOTE: There are times in history, and times in our own lives, when it feels like we’re being yanked into the future – for better and for worse, whether we want to go or not. Pivotal playwright Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) lived in one of those transitional times, and that’s the context he chose for The Cherry Orchard. In the play, some characters are ready to run headlong into the future with all its change and ambiguity, possibility and excitement. Others go to great lengths to ignore what’s happening around them and try to stay in the life they’ve always known. And some will float along and go wherever the tide of time takes them. In giving us a glimpse into the lives of these characters as they navigate change, Chekhov wrote what he considered “a comedy, in places even a farce.” Chekhov’s friend and artistic collaborator, Konstantin Stanislavski – himself a theatre titan– directed the first production and saw the play as a tragedy. He and Chekhov wrestled with each other about many aspects of that first production. Such is Stanislavski’s legacy that his tragic view of this play dominated for more than 100 years. Some more recent productions (including ours) have returned to Chekhov’s original vision of the play as a comedy. American playwright Emily Mann’s adaptation of the script is fresh and accessible, capturing the delightful, quirky characters and the lyrical life wisdom of Chekhov’s original. Mann’s version even restores a scene that Stanislavski had convinced Chekhov to cut. You’ll see it at the end of Act 2 right before intermission. So, a comedy about people grappling with how (or if) to move forward in a time of transition…how fitting for us today as we emerge from a pandemic and navigate our rapidly changing social, political, and economic landscapes. Nadine Purvis Schmidt, MFA (she/her/hers) Professor of Theatre, Producer, Theatre Program Coordinator
FRIENDS OF THE THEATRE 2021-22 Members
Producer John Gottskalkson* Peg & Dick Roesler** Director Lois A. Henkel** William Hezlep*** Howard and Jody Mohr** Bob Schwoch*** Marshall Area Stage Company***
GIFT CLUB $25
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Designer Jerry & Ricke Bly** Greg & Carol Bossuyt*** Tyler and Sue Bowen*** Pat and Sean Carmody** Neil & Stacy Frost** Brett & Anita Gaul** Jerry Girton*** Pam & Jeff Gladis** Pam & Jason Hess* Diana Holmes*** Jim and Laurie Johansen** Jim & Deb Kerkaert** Ken & Gwen Mukomela** Jan Craig Nelson ‘73*** Carma Nordahl* Lloyd & Renae Petersen** Lee & Norma Raske** Nadine, Karl, Will & Henry Schmidt*** Melissa Scholten* James Smalley and Sara Runchey** Jim & Sheila Tabaka and Family*** Māra & John Wiggins**
Actor Dan & Linda Baun* Christine & Eric DeGroot* Mark Goodenow** Janet Hagen* Wayne Hanson, in Memory of Janet** Carol Purrington** Lorna Rafness* Conni & Stan Stensrud* Mary Jane Striegel** Ray and Alice Thull** Apprentice Sandra Fenske* Tim Krause & Robert Dell** Ryne & Jessa Myhrberg** Helen Pedersen Jim & Gloria Swartz* *** Charter Member ** Sustaining Member (3+ yrs) * New Member
FRIENDS GIFT LEVELS REWARD
Apprentice 2 ticket vouchers« «(Ticket vouchers only for those under age 25 or graduate of SMSU within the last five years.) Actor 3 ticket vouchers Designer 6 ticket vouchers Director 9 ticket vouchers Producer 12 ticket vouchers and Theatre web page listing Angel 15 ticket vouchers and Theatre web page listing
NEW! PRODUCTION UNDERWRITER FOR $5,000 Our family-friendly season provides a great opportunity to build and strengthen positive ties with the community. Underwriter benefits include: • 20 ticket vouchers for the current season of SMSU Theatre performances, and • acknowledgements on the Theatre web page and show posters, in social media posts, media releases, and radio interviews, and in a lobby display during the run of the show.
If you would like to join Friends of the Theatre or sponsor a production, please call the SMSU Theatre at 507-537-7103.
The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, part of the Rubenstein Arts Access Program, is generously funded by David M. Rubenstein. Special thanks to The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust for supporting the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Additional support is provided by The Honorable Stuart Bernstein and Wilma E. Bernstein; and the Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation. Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts. This production is entered in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF). The aims of this national theater education program are to identify and promote quality in college-level theater production. To this end, each production entered is eligible for a response by a regional KCACTF representative, and selected students and faculty are invited to participate in KCACTF programs involving scholarships, internships, grants and awards for actors, directors, dramaturgs, playwrights, designers, stage managers and critics at both the regional and national levels. Productions entered on the Participating level are eligible for invitation to the KCACTF regional festival and may also be considered for national awards recognizing outstanding achievement in production, design, direction and performance. Last year more than 1,500 productions were entered in the KCACTF involving more than 200,000 students nationwide. By entering this production, our theater department is sharing in the KCACTF goals to recognize, reward, and celebrate the exemplary work produced in college and university theaters across the nation. The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival™ 55 for Region V will be held in 2023.
For more information about the SMSU Theatre Program please call 507-537-7103 or fax 507-537-7014. Visit the Theatre Arts web page at www.SMSU.edu/go/theatre find SMSU Theatre on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @SMSUTheatre
UPCOMING EVENTS The 16th Annual Fine Arts Celebration March 22-May 3, 2022 A festival of the fine arts, showcasing creative works from the Department of Fine Arts and Communication, the English and Creative Writing Programs
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SMSU THEATRE ARTS PROGRAM Department Chairperson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. John Ginocchio Theatre Faculty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sheila Tabaka† Nadine Purvis Schmidt† Tetta Askeland† Dr. William Hezlep†, Emeritus Ray Oster†, Emeritus † Charles Autry , Emeritus (Deceased) Administrative Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pam Hess Fine Arts Custodian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michelle Dahl†