Touch(ed) Program

DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA

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DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA PRESENTS

BY

Bess Wohl DIRECTED BY

Christine Albright-Tufts SCENIC DESIGNER

COSTUME DESIGNER

LIGHTING DESIGNER

SOUND DESIGNER

Miranda Barrick

Marshall Hayes Breaux

Andrew Patashnik

Kevin O’Connor

INTIMACY CHOREOGRAPHER

DRAMATURG

STAGE MANAGER

Hannah Roccisano

Katharine Stephenson

Maya Rose Zepeda

CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA

Ralph Zito SEASON SPONSOR

Touch(ed) was produced by the Williamstown Theatre Festival Jenny Gersten, Artistic Director on August 3, 2011

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CAST Kay............................................................Chloe Mendoza Smith Billy..........................................................................Seamus Doyle Emma.................................................................Salma Mahmoud

ADDITIONAL CREDITS Fight/Intimacy Captain: Maya Rose Zepeda Mental Health Consultants: Daniella Caggiano, Teresa Thompson Assistant Directors: Natalie Kaplan, Angeline Rachiele Assistant Scenic Designer: Mabel McPhee Assistant Lighting Designer: Henry Killbourn Assistant Stage Managers: Seb Arora, Amelia Mindlin-Leitner

P R O D U C T I O N S TA F F & R U N C R E W Faculty Advisor to Student Designers: Rob Andrusko Faculty Advisor to Stage Managers: Dianna Angell Light Board Operator: Lucy Foss Sound Board Operator: Kate Wass Dressers (Run Crew): Katrina Barrett, Mia Rohan Costume Maintenance: Seth Winnick, Leah Steinman Production Assistant: Mia Rohan Electrics: Hannah LoGiudice, Clara Permuy, Reyna Sanchez, Natalie Steinburg, Abby Thurmon

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SETTING Upstate New York, 2000’s

INTERMISSION There will be one fifteen-minute intermission

CONTENT ADVISORY This play contains frank conversations about mental health, suicide, and suicidal ideation.

There is also a non-related, non-violent use of stage blood.

RESOURCES If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please reach out for help. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. Get connected to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988. The Lifeline provides 24-hour, confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. There are also resources available at the Barnes Center at the Arch.

For 24-Hour Support, call 315.443.8000

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CAST Seamus Doyle (he/ him) (Billy), is a junior acting major from Boston, MA. He is excited to be working with this wonderful team, after also appearing in Barbecue (Department of Drama mainstage) and Dealing Dreams (Black Box Players).

ing the fall. She is incredibly honored to have had this experience and wants to thank her family, friends, peers, and faculty for their ongoing support.

Chloe Mendoza Smith (she/her) (Kay) is a sophomore acting major from New Canaan, CT. This is her Department of Drama debut, but you may have seen her earlier this year as Fred’s wife in the Syracuse Stage/Department of Drama co-production of A Christmas Carol! She is deeply honored to be part of this incredible company and extends her heartfelt thanks to her peers, instructors, friends, and family for their unwavering love and support! Her performance is dedicated to the memory of Toby Woods.

Salma Mahmoud (she/her) (Emma) is a sophomore acting major from Queens, NY. This is her first mainstage production at the Department of Drama, but she recently served as the dramaturg for The Moors which held performances earlier this year and played Wolfgang in Syracuse Stage’s children’s touring production of Red Riding Hood dur-

A R T I S T I C S TA F F Miranda Barrick (she/her) (Scenic Designer) is a senior theater design and technology major from Lancaster, PA. She has previously been the assistant scenic designer on Sender (Department of Drama mainstage) and Melancholy Play: A Chamber Musical (Department of Drama mainstage), and this is her first show as a lead designer.

Houston, TX. Marshall is thrilled to have had the opportunity to design Syracuse University’s production of Touch(ed). Previous credits include Melancholy Play: A Chamber Musical (costume designer), Failure: A Love Story (associate designer, Syracuse University Department of Drama); The Play That Goes Wrong (student assistant designer, Syracuse Stage); The Real Inspector Hound (intern assistant designer, Main Street Theater, Houston TX); In Love and Warcraft (wardrobe super-

Marshall Hayes Breaux (he/him) (Costume Designer) is a senior theater design and technology major from

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A R T I S T I C S TA F F visor, Syracuse University Department of Drama). He is very grateful for this experience and for the love and support from his instructors, friends, and family. Instagram: @m_hayes_

partment of Drama Bank of America Children’s Tour. Besides Sound Design, Kevin has also worked as the A1 position, controlling the audio console/live mixing, for most of the musicals for both Syracuse Stage and the Department of Drama over the past 15 years. Some of his favorite productions have been; Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Elf the Musical, Little Shop of Horrors, Next to Normal, Ring of Fire, Berlin to Broadway, Nine, Avenue Q, Hairspray, Parade, Seussical, Merrily We Roll Along, and Cabaret. He also feels privileged to have worked as the A1 on the productions of Thoughts of a Colored Man (2019) and How to Dance in Ohio (2022), during their Syracuse Stage runs before moving to Broadway.

Andrew Patashnik (he/him) (Lighting Designer) is a senior theater design and technology major from Stamford, CT. Other Syracuse lighting design credits include Melancholy Play (Department of Drama mainstage), Gruesome Playground Injuries (studio project), The Baltimore Waltz (Black Box Players), and Black Box Players’ 2023 Benefit Cabaret. andrewpatashnik.com Kevin O’Connor (Sound Designer) is currently in his 15th season working for Syracuse Stage and the Syracuse University Department of Drama. He graduated from St. Lawrence University with a B.A. in music in 2008.

Almost all of Kevin’s sound design credits have been with the Department of Drama over the past 12 years, and some of his favorite designs have been; Dance Nation (2023), Bright Half Life (2021), Romeo & Juliet (2020), Good Kids (2019), The Baltimore Waltz (2018), Laura and the Sea (2016), Measure for Measure (2015), and Stepping Out (2014). Kevin also created the sound designs for; Red Riding Hood, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (2022), Danny, King of the Basement (2021), and Miss Electricity (2018) for the Syracuse Stage/De-

Hannah “Rock” Roccisano (Intimacy Choreographer) is a New York City based fight and intimacy professional, director, educator and Shakespeare nerd. Her work has been seen off-Broadway including Wolf Play, A Bright New Boise, and Montag. Rock has additionally choreographed regionally and at multiple universities such as Columbia University, Syracuse University and the Hartt School. She is a Certified Teacher with the SAFD and holds two masters degrees, an M.F.A. and Master of Letters in Shakespeare and Performance from Mary Baldwin University. Hannah is the Chair of Development for the SAFD and the founder of “Expand, Educate, Empower,” an

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A R T I S T I C S TA F F initiative bringing free stage combat training to students in underserved communities across the U.S.

partment of Drama mainstage), Sender (Department of Drama mainstage), and Dance Revue (Black Box Players). She is incredibly grateful for the love and support from her family, friends, and mentors. She dedicates this performance to her siblings.

Maya Rose Zepeda (she/they) (Stage Manager, Fight/Intimacy Captain) is a junior stage manager from Los Angeles, CA. This is her fourth production with the Syracuse University Department of Drama, other credits include Barbecue (De-

Katharine Stephenson (Dramaturg) is a junior theater management major from Wellesley, MA.

A S S I S TA N T S A N D A S S O C I AT E S Seb Arora (she/he/they) (Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore stage management major from Madison, WI.

Mabel McPhee (Assistant Scenic Designer) is a junior theater design and technology major with a concentration in scenic and lighting design from Plantsville, CT.

Natalie Kaplan (she/her) (Assistant Director) is a junior acting major from Ambler, PA.

Amelia Mindlin-Leitner (she/ her) (Assistant Stage Manager) is a freshman stage management major from Denver, CO.

Henry Killbourn (he/him) (Assistant Lighting Designer) is a sophomore theater design and technology major from Orinda, CA.

Angeline Rachiele (she/they) (Assistant Director) is a junior acting major from Bethlehem, PA.

DIRECTOR Christine Albright-Tufts. For the last 20 years, Christine has worked as an actor, director, and educator throughout the US and is currently an Assistant Professor of Acting at Syracuse University. Directing credits include: at Syracuse University: The

World-Premiere of Play On!’s Cymbeline translated by Andrea Thome; An interactive virtual production of Caryl Churchill’s Love and Information. Other directing credits: Louisville//KY/USA for Actors Theatre of Louisville, Oregon Shakespeare

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DIRECTOR Festival’s School Visit Program (The Tempest, They Say It’s Your Birthday); Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (staged reading of TITUS, an ASL adaptation); Lean Ensemble Theater (Outside Mullingar, The Importance of Being Earnest); and Rogue Theater Company (An Iliad).

As an actor, she’s been seen at Arena Stage, the Goodman Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Seattle Rep, the Marin The-

atre Company, Syracuse Stage, the Mint Theatre Company, the La Jolla Playhouse, and many others. A longtime company member at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, she worked as an actor, teaching artist, and manager of the School Visit Program. Favorite OSF performances include Up, Romeo and Juliet, Equivocation, and As You Like It. Film credits: Plainclothes; Bark of the Dog.

P L AY W R I G H T Bess Wohl is a playwright and filmmaker. Her plays have been produced on and off Broadway, regionally, and internationally and her feature film debut, Baby Ruby, starring Noémie Merlant and Kit Harington, premiered at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival and was released by Magnolia Pictures. She also wrote for the Apple TV+ series, Extrapolations, created

by Scott Z. Burns. Her plays include Grand Horizons (Tony Nominations for Best Play & Best Featured Actress, Outer Critics Circle Honor, Drama League Award nom); Make Believe (NYTimes Critic Pick, Best of 2019, Outer Critics Circle Honor); Continuity; Small Mouth Sounds (John Gassner Outer Critics Circle Award, top ten lists in The New York Times, The New York Post, The Guardian); American Hero; Barcelona; Touch(ed); In; Cats Talk Back and the musical Pretty Filthy with composer/ lyricist Michael Friedman and The Civilians (Lucille Lortel and Drama

Desk nominations for Outstanding Musical). Wohl’s plays have been produced or developed at theaters including Second Stage, Manhattan Theater Club, Ars Nova, The Williamstown Theatre Festival, Goodman Theater, The Geffen Playhouse, People’s Light and Theatre Company, The Contemporary American Theater Festival, Vineyard Arts Project, The Pittsburgh Public Theater, Northlight Theater, Ojai Playwright’s Conference, the Cape Cod Theatre Project and PlayPenn. Awards and honors include the Sam Norkin special Drama Desk Award for “establishing herself as an important voice in New York theater,” multiple Outer Critics Circle honors, the Georgia Engell Comedy Playwriting Award from the Dramatists Guild, the Athena Award for her screenplay Virginia, MacDowell Fellowships and inclusion on Hollywood’s Black List of Best Screenplays. Wohl is an associate artist with The Civilians, an alumna of Ars Nova’s Play Group, 9

P L AY W R I G H T and the recipient of new play commissions from Manhattan Theatre Club, Lincoln Center and Williamstown Theatre Festival. In her previous life as an actress, she appeared onstage in New York and regionally, and in

numerous films and TV shows where she has given birth, solved crimes, committed crimes, been wrongly accused, and come back from the dead.

She is a graduate of Harvard and the Yale School of Drama.

C H A I R , D E PA R T M E N T O F D R A M A Ralph Zito (he, him) is in his fourteenth year as chair of the Department of Drama. He came to Syracuse University from the Juilliard School Drama Division, where he had been a teacher and director from 1992 to 2010 and chair of the Voice and Speech Department since 1999. He was a director and adjunct lecturer in the Barnard College Theater Department from 2006 until 2010 and has been a guest artist at training programs across the country, including the Old Globe in San Diego, The University of Texas at Austin, and the Academy for Classical Acting in Washington, DC. Directing credits for the Department of Drama include: The Spitfire Grill, As You Like It, Gruesome Playground Injuries, and The Aliens. He has served as a voice, text or dialect consultant for numerous professional productions both on and off-Broadway, including: The Light in the Piazza; Awake and Sing!; The Herbal Bed; Mrs. Klein; The Fiery Furnace; The Time of the Cuckoo (Lincoln Center Theatre); Tongue of a Bird; The Merchant of Venice (New York

Shakespeare Festival); The Pitchfork Disney (Blue Light Theatre Company); Birdy (The Women’s Project); The Model Apartment (Primary Stages); the New York premiere of Tony Kushner’s SLAVS! (New York Theatre Workshop); and The African Company Presents Richard III (The Acting Company). His regional theater credits include numerous productions at The Shakespeare Theatre and Arena Stage in Washington, DC; Syracuse Stage; Baltimore CENTERSTAGE; Hartford Stage; and the McCarter Theatre, among others. A former touring member of The Acting Company, he served as artistic associate of The Chautauqua Theatre Company for seven years and was a member of the Board of Directors of The American Society for the Alexander Technique (AmSAT) for six years.

He is a graduate of Harvard University, The Juilliard School, and the American Center for the Alexander Technique. He was recently awarded the prestigious Juilliard President’s Medal in recognition of his contributions to both Juilliard and to the broader performing arts community.

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A B O U T T H E D E PA R T M E N T O F D R A M A Part of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the Syracuse University Department of Drama offers degree programs in acting, musical theater, theater design and technology, stage management, and theater management

utilizing conservatory-style training in a university setting and in collaboration with Syracuse Stage. With much appreciation, the Department of Drama wishes to acknowledge the valuable contribution of the Syracuse Stage staff.

S Y R A C U S E U N I V E R S I T Y D E PA R T M E N T O F D R A M A Chair.......................................................................................................................................Ralph Zito Business Manager.................................................................................................................Lisa Tucci Administrative Specialist..................................................................................................Jen Ballard Director, Tepper Semester in NYC...............................................................................Erica Jensen Academic Operations Manager, Tepper Semester NYC.....................................Casey O’Neil Associate Music Director.............................................................................................Harry Castle Production Manager....................................................................................................Dianna Angell Dean, VPA...................................................................................................................Michael S. Tick F U L L-T I M E FA C U LT Y

Christine Albright-Tufts Robert Andrusko Rufus Bonds, Jr. Kiira Schmidt Carper Harry Castle Brian Cimmet James A. Clark Danyon Davis

Richard Dent IV Izmir Ickbal Alex Jainchill Rebecca Karpoff Andrea Leigh-Smith David Lowenstein Celia Madeoy Carmen Martínez

Katherine McGerr Thom Miller Ricky Pak Felipe Panamá Holly Thuma Kathleen Wrinn Ralph Zito

A D J U N C T FA C U LT Y

Jill Anderson Dianna Angell Alec Barbour Kathleen Baum Bradley Beckman Kerry Bereza Don Buschmann Diane Coloton Gretchen Darrow-Crotty Marina de Ratmiroff Danita Emma Kathryn Fathers

Marcus Herndon Jacqueline R. Herter Emily Holm Robert Hupp Sandra Knapp Richard Koons Nicholas Kowerko Zizi Majid Michael McCurdy Aldo Katton Santiago Mendez Kathryn Miranda Amanda Moore A C C O M PA N I S T S

Kerry Bereza, Abel Searor 11

Leslie Noble Krystal Osborne Whitney Pak Stuart Plymesser Rebecca Schuetz Hanni Schwarzlander Abel Searor Blake Segal Randy Steffen Bradley Stone Joseph Whelan Matthew Winning

S Y R A C U S E S TA G E S TA F F Artistic Director.............................................................................................................Robert Hupp Managing Director.....................................................................................................Jill A. Anderson Associate Artistic Director............................................................................................Melissa Crespo Resident Playwright..............................................................................................................Kyle Bass

P R O D U C T I O N S TA F F

Director of Production Operations...........................................................................Don Buschmann Associate Director of Production Operations..........................................................Dianna Angell Company Manager and Production Management Associate......................................Brian Crotty Assistant Company Manager.....................................................................................Sarai Ford Technical Director..................................................................................................Randall Steffen Assistant Technical Director............................................................................Rebecca Schuetz Scene Shop Foreman...........................................................................................Michael King Technical Assistant...................................................................................................Liz Daurio Carpenters...............................................................................John Gamble, Brian McBurney Student Employees.............................................................Emma Thoms, Gray Westbrook† Scenic Charge Artist...................................................................................................Emily Holm Lead Scenic Artist................................................................................................Laurel Arnold Scenic Painter....................................................................................................Jessica Culligan Student Employee...........................................................................................Rosario Figueira† Props Supervisor............................................................................................................Mara Rich Assistant Prop Supervisor............................................................................Christine Goldman Craftpersons....................................................................................Alexis Frizzell, Nora Galley Costume Shop Manager..........................................................................Gretchen Darrow-Crotty Assistant Costume Shop Manager.....................................................................Amanda Moore Cutter-Draper...................................................................................................Kathryn Rauch First Hand.........................................................................................................Victoria Lillich Stitchers.......................................................................................Emily King, Katelyn Yonkers Craftsperson/Shopper.........................................................................................Sandra Knapp Wardrobe Supervisor.........................................................................................Dylinn Andrew Student Employee...................................................................................................Sofia Pizer† Lighting and Projection Supervisor...............................................................................Jed Daniels Electricians/Board Operators.................................................................Travis Burt, Alex Malli Resident Sound Designer/Audio Engineer...................................................Jacqueline R. Herter Audio Engineer...............................................................................................Kevin O’Connor Sound Engineer/A1..............................................................................................Garrett Frink Production Stage Manager....................................................................................Stuart Plymesser Stage Managers.................................Kyra Button, Laura Jane Collins, Bianca Mercado-Boller Production Assistants.........................................................................Erin C Brett, Em Piraino

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S Y R A C U S E S TA G E S TA F F A D M I N I S T R AT I V E S TA F F

General Manager....................................................................................................Michael McCurdy Comptroller..............................................................................................Mary Kennett Morreale Associate General Manager...................................................................................Jacob G. Ellison Director of Information Management & Technology...................................Garrett Diaz-Wheeler Audience Services Manager.......................................................................................Korrie Taylor

House Managers.........................................Pat Condello, Ella Lafontant, Alyssa Otoski-Keim, Adam Secor, Donna Stuccio

Bartenders.................................................................................Michelle Cannizzo, Meg Pusey Audience Services Interns...........................................................Yushan Deng†, Lubeini Yang† Front of House Work Study Staff.............Nathan Ayotte†, Olivia Busche†, Carolyn Burch†, Christian Elwood†, Sami English†, Henry Herbert, Andrej Humiston†, Henry Jackson, Henry Killbourne†, Violet Lanciloti†, Arieza Mari Martin Magalang, James O’Leary, Lucia Santoro-Velez, Kevin Sene, Eva Spaid, Jakobi Deshun Oliver, Hazel Kinnersley, Delaney Teague Director of Development.............................................................................................Ana Díaz-Diez Development Associate................................................................................Candice Bermudez Development Intern..............................................................................Jakobi Deshun Oliver† Director of Community Engagement..................................................................Joann Maria Yarrow Director of Education.......................................................................................................Kate Laissle

Community Engagement and Education Coordinator........................................Theorri London Education Interns...............................................................Olivia Wernecke†, Cricket Withall† Director of Marketing and Communications..............................................................Joanna Penalva Audience Development Manager.........................................................................Tracey White Creative Director, Marketing.............................................................................Brenna Merritt Marketing Content and Publications Manager................................................Matthew Nerber Box Office Manager.................................................................................Courtney Richardson Assistant Box Office Manager.....................................................................Ahmanee Simmons Box Office Show Supervisor.................................................................................Trevor Miller Graphic Designer............................................................................................Jonathan Hudak Marketing Associate..........................................................................Talia Gabriel-Shenandoah Box Office Intern....................................................................................................Ginger Bai† Executive Assistant............................................................................................................Julia Rakus Sign Language Interpreters.....................................................................Brenda Brown, Sue Freeman Open Captioning........................................................................Jacob G. Ellison, Michael McCurdy Audio Description........Kate Laissle, Talia Gabriel-Shenandoah, Ahmanee Simmons, Joseph Whelan Community Services Officers.......................................................Stacey Emmons, Joseph O'Connor Custodians...........................................................................................Tony Rogers, Candace Velario †Student, Syracuse University Department of Drama.

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DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA

23/24 SEASON

IN THE STORCH THEATRE

GUYS AND DOLLS BASED ON STORY AND CHARACTERS BY DAMON RUNYON MUSIC AND LYRICS BY FRANK LOESSER | BOOK BY JO SWERLING AND ABE BURROWS | DIRECTED AND CHOREOGRAPHED BY BANJI ABORISADE MUSIC DIRECTION BY BRIAN CIMMET OCT 6 – 15 | OPENING NIGHT: OCT 7 IN THE STORCH THEATRE

GHOST SHIP

BY PHILIP VALLE | DIRECTED BY RICKY PAK NOV 10 – 18 | OPENING NIGHT: NOV 11 IN THE ARCHBOLD THEATRE

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

BY CHARLES DICKENS | ADAPTED BY RICHARD HELLESEN AND DAVID DEBERRY WITH MUSIC ORCHESTRATION BY GREGG COFFIN | DIRECTED BY MELISSA RAIN ANDERSON | CIRCUS AND PHANTOM STAGING BY 2 RING CIRCUS | MUSIC DIRECTION BY BRIAN CIMMET | CHOREOGRAPHED BY ANDREA LEIGH-SMITH | CO-PRODUCED WITH SYRACUSE STAGE NOV 24 – DEC 31 | OPENING NIGHT: DEC 1 IN THE STORCH THEATRE

HEAD OVER HEELS CONCEIVED BY AND ORIGINAL BOOK BY JEFF WHITTY ADAPTATION BY JAMES MAGRUDER | DIRECTED BY KIIRA SCHMIDT CARPER AND KATHLEEN WRINN MUSIC DIRECTION BY BRIAN CIMMET MAR 1 - 9 | OPENING NIGHT: MAR 2

BOX OFFICE 315.443.3275 Monday - Friday 10 am - 5 pm Syracuse Stage 820 E. Genesee Street Syracuse, NY 13210 SEASON SPONSOR

IN THE LOFT THEATRE

TOUCH(ED)

BY BESS WOHL | DIRECTED BY CHRISTINE ALBRIGHT-TUFTS APR. 5 - 14 | OPENING NIGHT: APR. 6 IN THE STORCH THEATRE

THE DROLL (OR, A STAGE-PLAY ABOUT THE END OF THEATRE)

BY MEG MIROSHNIK | DIRECTED BY CELIA MADEOY APR 19 - 28 | OPENING NIGHT: APR 20