Matilda JR. Official Performance Guide

DEC 10-19, 2021

KIDZACT SEASON SPONSOR:

Mr. Henry Price

PRODUCTION OF

Book by

DENNIS KELLY

Director/Choreographer

Erica Sample

Lighting Designer

Davis Parker

Music & Lyrics by

TIM MINCHIN

Music Director

Scenic Designer

Julie Bearden Carver Costume Designer

Mary Anne McKerrow

Sound Designer

Bradley Van Houten

Mike Santos

Stage Manager

Maya Kleinsorge

Properties

Jillian Feigenblat

DECEMBER 10-19, 2021 • TOBYE STUDIO THEATER Executive Artistic Director, Bryce Alexander

ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA THE MUSICAL JR. is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIshows.com THE VIDEOTAPING OR MAKING OF ELECTRONIC OR OTHER AUDIO AND/OR VISUAL RECORDINGS OF THIS PRODUCTION OR DISTRIBUTING RECORDINGS ON ANY MEDIUM, INCLUDING THE INTERNET, IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED, A VIOLATION OF THE AUTHOR’S RIGHTS AND ACTIONABLE UNDER UNITED STATES COPYRIGHT LAW.

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Cast (in alphabetical order)

Eric.....................................................................................................................EVAN ABRAM Sergei...............................................................................................................CHRISTIAN BOFF Escapologist.................................................................................................ETHAN BRENDEL Lavender..............................................................................................MADDIE BRENDEL Michael...................................................................................................LUKE BROWNLEE Mr. Wormwood.................................................................................................BRAXTON CABRERA Amanda Thripp.........................................................................................................KATHARINE CONDIT Miss Honey..........................................................................................................SOPHIA CONDIT Tommy.........................................................................................................WILLIAM CONDIT Acrobat..................................................................................................JORDAN CRAWFORD Matilda............................................................................................................DANIELLA FLOM Hortensia...............................................................................................ALEXANDRIA GOENNER Rudolpho..............................................................................................................EL HAMBLEN Bruce...............................................................................................................MICHAEL LAKIN Mrs. Phelps.......................................................................................................LEANNE LESAGE Alice.........................................................................................................SCARLETT PAUPORE Mrs. Wormwood..........................................................................................VICTORIA RINALDI Nigel.................................................................................................................. AIDEN THAYER Trunchbull......................................................................................................CIARÁN WELCH Ensemble.................................................KOURTNEY ALLEN, ZOE CIABATON, OLIVIA L ACHANCE HARPER L ACKEY, SOPHIA SICILIANO, MALENA TUCKER

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Crew (in alphabetical order)

Assistant Stage Managers..............................................VANESSA JOHNSTON, NURAN EUSTACHE Production Assistant.......................................................................................SABINE RIVERA Dance Assistant...................................................................................JENNY BELANDRES Deck Manager..............................................................................................MANDA SMITH Audio Engineer......................................................................................BRADLEY VAN HOUTEN Audio Assistant..........................................................................JULIET CLAYTON, ATISH DAS Wardrobe Supervisor..................................................................................DAYNE SABATOS Junior Wardrobe Supervisor............................................................................DANIEL TAYLOR Dressers.......................................PAMEL A CARUSO, TAYLOR EISENHUTH, JENNY GANTLETT, JILL LANE, ANNE SWEET Dresser Support...........................................DEDE BROWNLEE, HEATHER GOENNER, BROOKE LACKEY, GRACEY MIZWA, CASSIE RATH, BONNIE THAYER Wig Design...............................................................................................DAYNE SABATOS Hair/Makeup...................................................................................................JENNY GANTLETT Meal Monitors.......................HEATHER GOENNER, BROOKE LACKEY, GRACEY MIZWA, BONNIE THAYER Costume Construction..............................MARYANN BUETTNER, JACK COLE, MAGGIE COSGROVE, PATRICIA DEVINE, CYNTHIA HAAS, EARLENE KETTLE, SANDY LOPRESTI, DAYNE SABATOS, JUDY SMITH, JEAN SNYDER Scenic Painting & Construction........................................SYLVIA CONGER, ALDO D’ACUNZO, ED EZRINE, JOE FEMIA, TAMMY HARRIS, SANDY KEELER, STEVE LEE, RUSS LOYET, RAY MARASCO, PETER MESKIN, ROBERT RATH, EMMA SMITH, JEFF SMITH, MARY TAYLOR, MICHAEL TROOP, DOUG WALCK, MJ WANN

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ACTS &

SCENES

ACT 1 Miracle....................................................................................................................FULL COMPANY Naughty......................................................................................................................MATILDA Acrobat Story I (Pt 1).............................................MATILDA, MRS. PHELPS, ACROBAT, ESCAPOLOGIST School Song.............................................................................................................FULL COMPANY The Hammer.............................................................................................................FULL COMPANY Naughty - Superglue (Pt 2)..................................................................................................MATILDA Chokey Chant..........................................................................................................FULL COMPANY This Little Girl.............................................................................................................MISS HONEY Bruce (Pt 1).............................................................................MATILDA, MISS HONEY, BRUCE, ERIC, TOMMY, NIGEL, AMANDA, LAVENDER, ALICE, HORTENSIA, LITTLE KID ENSEMBLE When I Grow Up........................................................................................................FULL COMPANY The Smell of Rebellion.............................................................................................FULL COMPANY Quiet.......................................................................................................................FULL COMPANY Revolting Children...................................................................MATILDA, MISS HONEY, BRUCE, ERIC, TOMMY, NIGEL, AMANDA, LAVENDER, ALICE, HORTENSIA, ENSEMBLE

ACT 1

Bows.......................................................................................................................FULL COMPANY

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M AT IL D A ’S L H A D D L A O R T ABOU

1.

2.

Matilda Wormwood started out as a “wicked” child...

In Roald Dahl’s original draft of the story, Matilda was a badly behaved child who plagued her poor, kind parents and wreaked havoc at her school. She ultimately redeemed herself through helping her teacher get out of financial straits by fixing a horse race…

Upon finishing his first Matilda draft, Roald Dahl thought he “got it wrong”...

In an interview recorded in 1988, the year Matilda was published, Roald Dahl talked about how, in creating this “wicked” child, he knew he’d got the story “wrong,” saying, “I hadn’t bothered to go back and rewrite [that] for several chapters.”

After finishing the draft, Roald went back and rewrote a great deal of the story, creating the villainous Wormwoods and turning Matilda into the thoughtful character we now know.

3.

Mr. Wormwood was based on a real-life character from Roald Dahl’s hometown of Great Missenden…

In Storyteller, Roald Dahl’s biographer Donald Sturrock tells us that Matilda’s father, the devious Mr. Wormwood, was based on a man called Ginger Henderson.

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4.

5.

In the RSC’s musical adaptation of Matilda, Miss Trunchbull is played by a man...

Actor Bertie Carvel originated the character of Miss Trunchbull in the RSC’s multiaward winning Matilda The Musical - first in Stratford-upon-Avon, then in London, and later on Broadway. He said of playing Matilda’s horrible headmistress: “She’s got all kinds of complications to her psychology. She’s a pretty filthy human being, yet we sort of love those characters.”

Matilda was Roald Dahl’s last long children’s book…

Although he wrote several shorter stories and poems in the last few years of his life including Rhyme Stew, Esio Trot and The Minpins - Matilda was the last long children’s story Roald Dahl wrote before his death in November 1990. It was also one of the few of his stories to win an award in the UK within his lifetime, winning the Federation of Children’s Book Groups Award when it was published in 1988.

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Q&A Q

What role are you playing in Matilda JR? I play Lavender in Matilda JR!

Q

What’s your favorite part about KidzAct? My favorite part of KidzAct is having a second home and always having people to have my back!

WITH KIDZACT CAST MEMBER

MADDIE

BRENDEL

Q

How many shows have you done with KidzAct/TNP before?

I have done 13 shows with The Naples Players!

Q

How long do you rehearse every day for this show?

What does a typical rehearsal look like?

Rehearsals for Matilda JR. are 2 hours from 4:30-6:30pm. A normal rehearsal starts with vocal warm ups and stretching. Then we will start to block or choreograph any scenes and numbers, or clean previous dances and songs.

Q

What’s your favorite part about performing/ being on stage?

My favorite part of performing on stage is being able to be someone I am not and expressing my character through dancing and singing.

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Cast BIOGRAPHIES EVAN ABRAM. . ..............

ETHAN BRENDEL..........

(Eric) is 13 years old and is an 8th grader at Three Oaks Middle School. This is his 3rd show with TNP KidzAct! He most recently performed in The Wizard of Oz (Toto) and previously in Disney’s The Descendants (Doug).

Outside of theatre, he loves playing baseball, watching Marvel movies, and hanging out with his friends. He would like to thank his family for their support and the entire cast and crew for making the show a success!

(Escapologist) is 17 years old and a senior at Naples High. Recently, he was in The Wedding Singer Teen, Footl oose a nd D isne y’ s

KOURTNEY ALLEN.. ........

(Ensemble) is 12 years old, and she is in 7th grade at Mason Classical Academy.

This will be her third production. She played the Producer in Almost History and Frigg in A Thor and Loki Play. Besides acting she likes playing golf, ice skating, and playing the drum set. She is so happy to be part of this show, enjoy!

CHRISTIAN BOFF.........

(Sergei) Theatre has been and always will be something that drives me to improve my own character. The Naples Players has brought me that opportunity many times and I am always excited to see what I can do and see friends improve as well. It acts as a place for me to let loose on my voice and test my boundaries and capabilities. I will never forget one show that I have done from The Naples Players and I hope to do more. Enjoy the show!

The Descendants.

MADDIE BRENDEL........

(Lavender) is so grateful to be performing in Matilda JR. You may have recently s e en t hem a s Jet s a m in Disney’s The Little Mermaid JR., or a part of the ensemble in The Wizard of Oz and Disney’s The Descendants. She would like to thank everyone who helped make this production amazing. Enjoy the show!

LUKE BROWNLEE..........

(Michael) is proud to be in his second KidzAct production. Luke is a 5th grade student at Laurel Oak Elementary and turns 11 during the run of the show! Outside of theatre he plays football, pickleball, and is on his school’s Golf and LegoRobotics Teams. He is so happy to share the stage with his cousin, Malena, and hopes everyone enjoys the show!

BRAXTON CABRERA........

(Mr. Wormwood) is a 7th grader at Oakridge Middle School. He has participated in many KidzAct productions, such as The Wizard of Oz/Lion, Disney’s The Little Mermaid JR/ Ensemble, and Disney’s The Descendants/Carlos.

He is extremely ecstatic to be part of Matilda JR. 9

THE

T S ABOU T C A F FUN

1.

It was almost banned The Dahl family did not approve of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1970) or The Witches (1990). Initially, they forbade the idea of a Matilda movie. The film’s screenwriter, Robin Swicord, corresponded with Dahl’s widow, Liccy, and said, “How about we write this for free? If you do like it, we’ll go out together as partners.” Liccy approved the screenplay, and the rest is history.

Danny DeVito (Mr. Wormwood) was married to his on-screen

2. wife at the time (Rhea Perlman).

3.

Mara Wilson (Matilda) designed Matilda’s doll, Wanda Danny DeVito specifically asked the child actress to design the doll that Matilda would carry around. Mara says, “I drew a picture of a doll Matilda could have made using basic household materials and ended up with a real life red-pipe-cleaner-haired doll we called ‘Wanda.’”

4.

Roald Dahl makes an appearance Roald Dahl had passed away six years before Matilda was filmed but you can still find his cameo in the film. Miss Honey and Matilda find a portrait of Miss Honey’s father. In real life, the painting they discover is a portrait of Roald Dahl from when he was a WWII fighter pilot. See if you can spot this painting next time you watch the film!

5.

ers spired by his daught

Danny DeVito was in

DeVito chose to direct Matilda because it was a project that was close to his heart. “One day in 1993 my two daughters walked into the house with Matilda by Roald Dahl. It felt as if I had been given a wonderful gift and was being invited to enter a different world, an underground world for children. I responded to the book immediately and passionately wanted to make it into a movie.”

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Cast BIOGRAPHIES ZOE CIABATON............

WILLIAM CONDIT...........

(Ensemble) is 16 years old and is in 11th grade.

This is her fourth show at TNP. Some of her previous shows at T NP include Madagascar JR and Once on This Island JR. She is so excited to be performing at TNP again, and hopes you enjoy the show!

(Tommy) is 12 years old and super-excited to be a part of this production.

This is his seventh theater show. Some of his favorite performances include Willy Wonka, James and the Giant Peach, and The Little Mermaid. He would like to thank Ms. Erica, Ms. Julie, and all of his castmates for being so supportive. He hopes you enjoy the show!

KATHARINE CONDIT......

(Amanda) is 10 years old and homeschooled. When she is not acting, you can find her singing, dancing, and competing with her Odyssey of the Mind team. She is thrilled to be playing the part of Amanda. Kate has also appeared in Disney’s The Little Mermaid JR, The Wizard of Oz (NPAC), Mary Poppins (Melody Lane), and James and the Giant Peach (CFABS) . She’s excited to be here and hopes you enjoy the show!

SOPHIA CONDIT...........

(Miss Honey) is a 17-yearold aspiring actress. She was last seen on the TNP stage as Maria in The Sound of Music and is excited to be back! Some of her other favorite roles include: Cinderella/Into the Woods JR. (Melody Lane), Cosette/Les Miserablés (Gulfshore Playhouse), and Hodel/Fiddler on the Roof (Florida Rep: JTF). She has studied voice for 9 years and is an Odyssey of the Mind World Champion.

Outside of her life in the theater, Sophia can be found writing, playing D&D, tap dancing, or sipping tea and jamming to music. She would like to thank the faculty at TNP and her family for supporting her throughout her life. Enjoy the show!

JORDAN CRAWFORD......

(Acrobat) is in 11th grade at the Village School. She is very happy to be a part of this amazing show! She would like to thank her family for supporting her, as well as the TNP staff for helping put this amazing show on!

DANIELLA FLOM............

(Matilda) is so excited to be playing Matilda! She is an eleventh grader at The Village School and she would like to thank you all for coming to the show. She would also like to thank the cast, crew, creative team, and production team for making this an incredible show. Past roles include Mal/Disney’s The Descendants, Genie/Disney’s Aladdin JR, Annie/Annie JR. Enjoy!

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Cast BIOGRAPHIES ALEXANDRIA GOENNER..

(Hortensia) loves singing, dancing, going to Disney, and hanging out with her family. She is excited to be in her first production at TNP! She would like to thank her family and hopes you enjoy the show!

EL HAMBLEN................

(Rudolpho) is 13 years old and is in the 7th grade at Oakridge Middle. She is so excited to spend the fall and winter with these wonderful people. In El’s free time, she loves to sing, cook, and be with friends. This is their third show with TNP and you may have seen El in Disney’s The Little Mermaid JR and The Wizard of Oz. Enjoy the show!

OLIVIA LACHANCE.........

(Ensemble) is a freshman in high school at Naples Classical Academy. This will be her 15th production, and her fifth show here at TNP. You may have recently seen her as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family, or as The Wicked Witch in The Wizard Of Oz. She would like to thank the cast and crew for making this show amazing. Enjoy the show!

HARPER LACKEY............

(Ensemble) is a 10th grade homeschool student with Classical Conversations.

She ha d t he a ma zi ng opportunit y to attend a performance of Matilda at the Cambridge

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Theater in London and is thrilled to be able to perform in her favorite musical at her favorite theater! This will be her third production with KidzAct. She was previously in Annie JR (July) and Disney’s Frozen JR (“Middle” Anna) and also performed in other youth theaters in the area. When Harper isn’t participating in local theater she enjoys illustrating, playing the violin, volunteering at church, and scooping ice cream “for a living.”

MICHAEL LAKIN............

(Bruce) 14, lives with his parents in Golden Gate Estates and is a sophomore at Palmetto Ridge High. He loves being on stage and has appeared in numerous KidzAct performances for the last four years, most recently as The Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz. Michael loves to sing, act, and loves all kinds of music. He would like to pursue drama in high school and beyond - along with an interest in political science and law. He would like to thank the entire staff at The Naples Players for making possible his final KidzAct performance.

LEANNE LESAGE............

(Mrs. Phelps) is 13 years old and recently moved back to Naples from Vermont. She is currently an 8th grader doing online school. LeAnne has participated in KidzAct and with the Rutland Youth Theatre in Vermont. LeAnne enjoys acting, tennis and traveling. This is her first show with TNP.

SCARLETT PAUPORE......

AIDEN THAYER............

(Alice) 11, is in the 5th grade at The Village School of Naples. Scarlett loves to sing, act, and play the ukulele. She has enjoyed participating in summer camps with KidzAct in the past and is delighted to be a part of this production. Past credits include Princess Sally and Ensemble/The Little Mermaid JR, Peppermint Patty/You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.

(Nigel) is a 7th grader who enjoys fa shion, skateboarding, and being on the stage! This is his thirteenth show and he is proud to be part of such a great production.

He would like to thank his amazing directors for putting up with him and his family for supporting his die hard need to be in the spotlight!

VICTORIA RINALDI.......

MALENA TUCKER..........

(Mrs. Wormwood) is an 8th grader at The Village School of Naples and is excited to be in Matilda J R . T h is is her th ird production at The Naples Players. Her past roles at TNP include Ursula/Disney’s The Little Mermaid JR, and Ensemble/The Wizard of Oz. She thanks everyone for helping her grow tremendously as an actress and hopes you enjoy the show!

(Ensemble) is 13 years old and attending First Baptist Academy. She is thrilled to be in this production of Matilda JR. Malena was most recently seen as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Previous performances also include Disney’s Frozen JR, Madagascar JR, and Annie JR. Malena is grateful to her family and friends for their love and support. Enjoy the show!

SOPHIA SICILIANO.......

(Ensemble) is excited to be performing in her third show with KidzAct in this production of Matilda JR. She is currently a sophomore at Barron Collier High. Her previous productions include Disney’s Aladdin JR, The Lion King, Annie, Thoroughly Modern Millie, High School Musical, Disney’s Frozen JR, and Disney’s The Descendants. She has also worked on run crew for The Sound of Music and as a Production Assistant on Disney’s The Little Mermaid JR. Sophia is grateful for the experience gained from the staff and teachers of The Naples Players and hopes to continue her theatre education for years to come.

CIARÁN WELCH...........

(Trunchbull) is a 17-yearold senior attending Saint John Neumann. He has performed with TNP before, with previous roles including: Ensemble/Footloose, George/The Wedding Singer Teen, Rolf/The Sound Of Music, Gomez/The Addams Family, and Tony/ West Side Story. He thanks Erica and everyone else who has supported him throughout his journey at TNP, and hopes to pursue a career in Broadway. He thanks everyone for their patience, time, and kindness.

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DRESSING FOR SUCCESS

By Lauren Speirs

Jill Lane started volunteering with The Naples Players 13 years ago as a dresser for both the adults and KidzAct productions.

Oftentimes, actors need help backstage when they need to change clothes quickly, and that’s where a dresser steps in to help. When an actor has 25 seconds to change costumes, their dresser makes it happen!

Jill grew up just twelve miles outside London, and was fortunate enough to see opera, ballet, and theatre at The Royal Opera House and The West End. Jill and her husband relocated to Naples fifteen years ago and she first heard about TNP from a friend who told her that the theatre was looking for people with English accents. It turns out, Jill says, “the play they were auditioning for was The Women of Lockerbie which actually features actors with Scottish accents!”

Even though Jill wasn’t a fit for the play, she was a perfect fit for volunteering as a dresser!

She particularly enjoys working with the young performers of the KidzAct productions.

“They are adorable and so disciplined. Mary Anne (McKerrow, KidzAct Costume Designer) does an amazing job preparing them - they are so obedient and never miss a cue.”

A typical routine for Jill as a dresser starts when the cast begins dress rehearsals. “Once costumes are made and ready, Mary Anne calls us in for a run through. Sometimes, I’ve watched the run through and thought, ‘that’ll be easy,’ and then when you are actually dressing them you’re thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve got how much time?!’ Sometimes, Dot (Auchmoody, Resident Costume Designer) comes into rehearsals with a stopwatch to see how long we have exactly for the change.”

Part of the magic of theatre happens when the audience gets to see an actor reappear on stage in a whole new form in mere seconds. Of course, the actors wear a base layer beneath their costumes to make the assisted changes as quick as possible!

“Sometimes, when you’re watching as an audience member, you might not realize how hard it is (to accomplish the quick changes). When I was dressing actors for White Christmas, there’s a famous scene where the girls perform “Sisters” with enormous ball gowns. For their quick change, we made the costume so that all they have to do is step into it and slip other shoes on while we secure them.”

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SPOTLIGHT ON:

JILL

L A N E Every time Jill volunteers for a KidzAct production, she is in awe of the growth and the progression that the young cast makes.

“It’s the most amazing learning curve with the children. When they first get here they’re shy and then you see the confidence grow and the camaraderie between them. They don’t care how many times they have to repeat something, they do it with smiles on their faces. I get so much pleasure from watching the kids.”

Jill keeps coming back to volunteer at TNP because of “the people, the plays, and the staff.

It’s very much like a family and everybody likes each other and gets along.”

“They’re all really special people.

Sometimes I think, ‘Oh, I’m too old for this,’ but that’s always immediately followed by, ‘but I would miss it!’”

JILL

L AN

E

Jill encourages people to sign up to volunteer in whatever capacity they can.

Interested in volunteering?

There are abundant opportunities at The Naples Players! Backstage volunteers have options to commit to time frames ranging from 2.5 to 5.5 weeks. TNP volunteers are also wearing masks in the building to ensure everyone stays safe and healthy.

For more info, please contact Pamela Larkin Caruso at plarkincaruso@naplesplayers.org or (239) 434-7340, ext. 104.

Below: Jill and John Lane, volunteers of “The White Christmas” backstage crew

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Creative Team JENNY BELANDRES.......

(Dance Assistant) is a senior at Barron Collier High School. This is her first time being a dance assistant for The Naples Players and she’s grateful for the opportunity. She was last seen on stage in The Wedding Singer Teen as an ensemble member. She hopes the cast of Matilda JR breaks a leg! They have been so fun to work with and she’s had a great time in this production helping out!

JULIE BEARDEN CARVER...

(Music Director) is thrilled to be back in Southwest Florida after twelve years in NYC and Northwest Georgia. Music Director credits include The Music Man, The Goodbye Girl, A Little Night Music/Naples Players; Dog fight/ Berry College; The Drowsy Chaperone/Reinhardt University; The Secret Garden/Shorter University; The Spongebob Musical/The Grand Theatre; various shows and events in NYC and many piano credits including Mary Poppins/The New Amsterdam Theatre. Julie is so grateful to finally return to The Naples Players - the best theatre in the entire universe - and to live in SWFL with her husband, three children, and a little morkie named Mochi!

NURAN EUSTACHE........

(Asst. Stage Manager) is so glad that she is able to be a part of this production of Matilda JR. She is sixteen years old and in her junior year of high school. She thoroughly enjoys being an ASM and hopes to one day pursue

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stage management as a career. She has learned so much from this experience and is incredibly thankful to everyone on the production team!

JILLIAN FEIGENBLAT.....

(Properties) is a recent g raduate from Florida Atlantic University with her BFA in theatrica l technolog y and design.

She just started her journey with The Naples Players as their scenic/props intern for the year. She is very excited to learn and is looking forward to working and growing as an artist in the upcoming seasons. She is responsible for all of the props that you are about to see throughout this performance. Please enjoy!

VANESSA JOHNSTON.....

(Asst. Stage Manager) is a senior at Mason Classical Academy and is glad to return to The Naples Players.

She has been in Beauty and The Beast, Macbeth, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and other shows, and is excited to work behind the scenes as an ASM for the first time in Matilda. She is grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait to continue working backstage.

MAYA KLEINSORGE.......

(E ducation A sst/Sta ge Ma nager) (she/hers) is honored to be part of The Naples Players’ Education team. Maya is ecstatic to work with a great creative team and even better students. She is a recent graduate of Michigan State University where she acquired a BFA in

BIOGR APHIES Advertising and two minors in Theatre and Arts & Cultural Management. Maya would not be here without the gracious support of her moms, Paula and Kenzie! mayakleinsorge.com

MARY ANNE MCKERROW (Costume Designer) has been costuming and teaching the young actors in TNP’s KidzAct program since 2005. The recent KidzAct production of Disney’s The Descendants was an awesome design experience. Prior to that she coordinated the costumes for La Traviata and the concert version of West Side Story for Opera Naples Festival Under the Stars.

As a performer for TNP she was last seen as Donna in Mamma Mia! Other TNP roles include Elizabeth Benning/Young Frankenstein, Momma Rose/Gypsy, and Madame Thenardier/ Les Misérables. Shakespeare In Paradise credits include Mistress Page/Merry Wives of Windsor, Lady Macbeth/Macbeth A Love Story, Katherine/The Taming of the Shrew, and Hippolyta and Titania/A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

DAVIS PARKER............

(Lighting Designer) is The Naples Players’ lighting intern for the 2021-2022 season. Davis is from Knoxville Tennessee, and graduated from the University of Montevallo, in Montevallo Alabama, in May 2020 with a BFA in Scenic and Lighting Design. Davis has worked as a designer and technician for theatres from all over the country, including Opera in the Ozarks, GLOW Lyric Theatre, and this summer he worked as a Scenic/Lighting Intern at The New London Barn Playhouse. Davis is excited to be working at TNP and has been enjoying all that Naples has to offer.

SABINE RIVER A..........

(Rehea rsa l Production Assistant) is so excited to be working with this amazing cast and crew! Sabine is a freshman at Naples High School where she is the Stage Manager for her school’s winter theater production. When not at TNP, Sabine likes to read, volunteer, sing, play piano, and spend time with friends and family. She would like to thank her mom for always supporting her! Enjoy the show!

ERICA SAMPLE...........

(Director/Choreographer) Formerly known as Erica Wagner, she is thrilled to be back in the theatre she grew up in! She recently graduated from AMDA with her BFA in Music Theater after attending both their NYC and Los Angeles campuses. At AMDA, she performed several roles including Carla/Nine and Lucy/Avenue Q. Past KidzAct credits include Fantine/Les Misérables, Anytime Annie/42nd Street, and Sillabub/Cats. Her Naples Players stage credits include Sophie/Mamma Mia!, Linda/The Wedding Singer, Roxie/Chicago and many more! She’d like to thank the people who have made her education and experience possible. Enjoy the show!

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Creative Team MIKE SANTOS............

BRADLEY VAN HOUTEN...

(Scenic Designer) recently designed the sets for As You Like It; Disney’s The Descendants; Footloose; The Sound of Music; Yours, Truly; Bye Bye Birdie; She Loves Me; Escanaba in da Moonlight; and Mamma Mia! at TNP. Originally from Upstate New York, Mike received his BFA from Cazenovia College and has been in Naples since 2003. Much love to his better half, Judith and little buddy, Taz :-) As always, a big thank you to the volunteers for doing what they do best.

(Sound Designer) earned his bachelor’s degree in Theatre: Design & Technical Production and Theatre: Stage Management from Western Michigan University. After having the pleasure of working Off-Broadway on Soul Doctor and internationally at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Brad joined TNP in 2013.

He has worked on well over 100 productions since then and looks forward to many more.

Select previous credits include The Wedding Singer, Footloose, Mamma Mia!, Peter and the Starcatcher, Chicago, Maple and Vine, She Kills Monsters, Sister Act, The Rocky Horror Show, and The 39 Steps.

MANDA SMITH............

(Deck Manager) is proud to be part of the stage management team for this beautiful production of Matilda JR. Born in London, Manda worked during high school and college as a model/actor before moving to the US to start a career in advertising and design. This morphed into a love of home design, and she became a serial house f lipper. Manda returned to her theatre roots in 2005 when she started as Assistant Choreographer for the summer KidzAct shows, and now works on all shows as Deck Manager for TNP. Enjoy the show!

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THANK YOU TO OUR 2021-2022 Season Sponsor: Mr. Henry Price “KidzAct does for participants what theatre did for me. It brings a lot of people out of their shell and that gives them confidence in whatever career they choose.”

-HENRY PRICE

BEHIND THE LENS

By Lauren Speirs

Over the years, you might have seen Drew Attanasio behind a large camera lens, capturing our wonderful performers at The Naples Players.

Drew’s lifelong passion for photography just keeps “growing and growing.”

“My oldest daughter started in KidzAct and of course we were coming to all of the shows. Initially, my wife took all of the photos of our own kids in the performances. It took her a few years to talk me into doing it because I did not want to at first! Other parents started asking if we would take photos of their kids. Pretty soon we were distributing all of them on SmugMug.”

part?’ and I honestly wouldn’t have an answer because I’m watching through a little tiny screen.”

Originally from Long Island, Drew Attanasio has been in Naples for 25 years. One of his favorite TNP productions was Catch Me If You Can. He says, “In part because it was a great show and also because two of my three daughters were in it.” Drew has also volunteered backstage at TNP for Legally Blonde, where he worked the light board which was “a bit stressful because of all the different light cues.”

From there, The Naples Players caught onto Drew’s knack for photography and he started taking publicity shots, archive set shots, and even photos of TNP’s mainstage productions.

“What keeps coming to mind for me, and I’m sure many other parents, is the positive experience and impact KidzAct had on my children - we really weren’t expecting all of that.”

As for watching a performance from behind the camera, Drew says, “it changes the experience for sure. I could shoot an entire show and people would ask me afterwards, ‘what’s your favorite

It started out 20 years ago with my daughter back then, there weren’t many summer camps available to kids in Naples. It was popular to send the kids to Von Liebig Arts Center in the

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SPOTLIGHT ON:

DREW

AT TA N A S I O

N AT TA W E DR morning for crafts and then in the afternoon, they would walk across the street to KidzAct camps at The Naples Players. Eventually, my other two children followed and it was just a great experience with TNP - my oldest daughter would come back from college to perform in the summer shows.”

The Naples Players is very fortunate to have so many talented volunteers. When asked why he still helps out with photography, Drew says,

ASIO

For more information about volunteering at The Naples Players please contact Pamela Larkin Caruso at plarkincaruso@naplesplayers.org or (239) 434-7340, ext. 104.

Additionally, to find out more about KidzAct, please contact Maya Kleinsorge at mkleinsorge@naplesplayers.org or (239) 434-7340, ext. 136.

“I love doing it, it’s fun for me, and I get to see every show!”

Drew Attanasio, pictured here, as a volunteer of the backstage crew for “Catch Me If You Can”.

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CLASSES FOR AGES 4-18 SESSION BEGINS JAN. 8

SHOWCASE CLASSES AGES 4-6

GRADES 1 & 2 ( M O N D AYS )

GRADES 3-5

GRADES 1 & 2 ( F R I DAYS )

GRADES 6-8

IMPROV CLASSES AGES 8+

AGES 11+

AGES 13+

TECHNICAL CLASSES AGES 14+

GRADES 9-12

QUESTIONS?

Maya Kleinsorge Education Assistant (239) 434-7340, ext. 136 mkleinsorge@naplesplayers.org

REGISTER ONLINE AT: NaplesPlayers.org/KidzAct

@

CLASSES FOR ADULTS ACTING Adult Acting Workshop with Diane Davis Saturdays beginning January 15

For The Actor with Emma Canalese Saturdays, beginning February 19

IMPROV Drop-In Improv

First Saturday of every month

LOL: Laugh On-Line Improv Online meet-up every Wednesday

DANCING Intro to Jazz with Jill Demchak Thursdays, beginning January 20

Intro to Tap with Jill Demchak Thursdays, beginning January 20

TECHNICAL CLASSES Directing with Jessica Walck Saturdays, beginning January 15

Stage Management Saturday, January 8

REGISTER ONLINE AT: NaplesPlayers.org/Adult-Ed

CREW BIOGRAPHIES

OUR MISSION The Naples Players continually seeks to enrich, educate and entertain our community through a superior theatre experience. We are a premier community theatre, seeking to inspire passion for the performing arts through unparalleled access to the process, experience, and conversations surrounding the arts and our community.

Thank you for supporting our mission!

701 5th Avenue South | Naples, FL 34102 | 239.263.7990

www.NaplesPlayers.org