Setting:
Back in “cave times,” at the dawn of humanity. In the wild.
Musical Numbers Act I
Fire……………………..................……......……....…..Company
We are People Now……………......................…….....Company
We Got Work to Do……….….….....….Zazzalil, Jemilla, and Tribe
What If?....................................................................Zazzalil
Welcome to Stone Age…….......................…............……Tribe
Just a Taste………..................………………..Emberly and Grunt
The Night Belongs to Snarl……..................................…..Tribe Into the Night………………...............……...........Zazzalil, Tribe
The Night Belongs to Us…........…........…Zazzalil, Jemilla, Tribe
There will be a 10 minute intermission between acts Act II
Climate Change………….........................……….Zazzalil, Tribe
Jemilla’s Lament………....................................…………Jemilla
Paint Me…….........…………...........…....…..Emberly and Grunt
Ouch! My Butt!..............................................................Tribe
Backfire (What If Reprise)…............................…..Zazzalil, Tribe
Together……………................…….....………….Jemilla, Zazzalil
Fire (Reprise)…....…............................…………………..…Tribe Chorn………....................………………………......Chorn, Tribe
Finale………..........................………………………….Company
Special Thanks:
Thanks for donations to Auction baskets from local businesses: Sally Glassman, Potwin Pottery;
Topeka Civic Theatre
WU Players Club
Upcoming Music & Theatre events in the Neese-Gray Theatre:
Fall Opera Scenes
November 21, 2025 @ 7:00 p.m.
Fall Showcase
December 5, 2025 @ 3:00 p.m.
Gloria Auditions
December 3, 2025 @ 5:30 p.m.
Gloria
By Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
February 21, 22, 27, 28, 2026 @ 7:30 p.m.
March 1, 2026 @ 7:30 p.m.
March 2, 2026 @ 2 p.m.
When a group of young professionals face a traumatic event that changes their lives in an instant, they grapple with how their story will be told.
Airness
By Chelsea Marcantel
April 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 2026 @ 7:30 p.m.
April 26, 2026 @ 2:00 p.m.
When Nina enters the world of air guitar competition, she must learn who to trust and how to find the elusive ‘airness’ that could propel her to air guitar stardom.
www.washburn.edu/theatre
theatre@washburn.edu
@washburntheatre
@washburnutheatre (785) 670-1639
Thank you for supporting Washburn Theatre Scholarship Funds
November 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 2025 @ 7:30pm
November 16, 2025 @ 2:00pm
Neese-Gray Theatre
We all tell stories. Sometimes our stories are to share a history, sometimes to pass on heritage, and sometimes to teach a lesson. Repeated stories often take on new characteristics with each retelling and passing to subsequent generation. We match our energy with the audience and sometimes shift the narrative to fit our purpose. The characters might get enhanced, the adventures more daring, and the lessons take on new relevance as we reach to new generations. In the distant time evoked in Firebringer, the characters are less about what ‘really happened’ and more representative of what humans have been struggling with for thousands of years: learning to cooperate with others on the planet, learning to use technology in responsible ways, and seeking an answer for why we’re here. We invite you along this journey to look back, way, way back, through a contemporary lens to see where we might be today and what implications our actions might have for how we tell our story tomorrow. –Julie A. Noonan
Jemilla.............................................................................................Terry Symonette
Zazzalil...................................................................................................Taylor Moore
Keeri........................................................................................
Caroline Scarbrough
Emberley.............................................................................................Ruby Johnson
Production Team:
Director ..................................................
Dr. Julie A. Noonan
Vocal Music Director ......................................
Dr. Crystal Buck
Choreographer.............................................. Sally Glassman
The videotaping or making of electronic or other audio and/or visual recordings of this production and distributing recordings or streams in any medium, including the internet, is strictly prohibited, a violation of the author(s)’s rights and actionable under united states copyright law.
Interested in silent auctions? Check out ours in the lobby! All profits go to Washburn University Theatre and WU’s Players Club. See the House Manager for more info.
CONTENT AWARENESS NOTE: This production includes Strong Language and strobe or flashing light effects.
Schwoopsie........................................................................................Clayton Smith
Chorn.........................................................................................................Elliot Pruitt
Smelly Balls...................................................................................Jaxon Schroeder
Ducker................................................................................................Gage Gooding
Tiblyn.................................................................................................Madison Sharp
Molag......................................................................................................Khalani Britt
Grunt.............................................................................................................Eli Dozier
1st tribe & Trunkell, fire....................................................................Mack Grimes
1st tribe & Clark......................................................................Antonio Cervantes
1st tribe/ Claire/ fire........................................................................Isabella Coyle
1st tribe/ fire........................................................................................Annie Jabary
2nd tribe kid/Snarl arm/fire.........................................................Grace Thacker
2nd Tribe kid/ Duck/ Snarl arm..................................................Icarus Franklin 2nd Tribe Nicolai & Snarl......................................................Connall Stevenson
Understudies:
-for Zazzalilli .......................................................................................... Caroline Scarbrough
-for Jemilla...........................................................................................................Ruby Johnson
-for Smelly Balls and Ducker...............................................................Antonio Cervantes
-for Duck and Molag......................................................................................... Mack Grimes
-for Keeri and Emberley .................................................................................. Annie Jabary
- for Grunt.................................................................................................. Connall Stevenson
- for Tiblyn and Schwoopsie..........................................................................Grace Thacker
- for Chorn.........................................................................................................Madison Sharp
-for Trunkell, Snarl, and Nicolai......................................Grace Thacker, Icarus Franklin
Stage Manager ................................................ Connie Erwin
Set Design ......................................................... Ted Shonka
Costume Design ......................................... Knox McClendon
Assistant Costume Design................................. Clayton Smith
Lighting Design ................................. Lauren McCauley-Jones
Property Design. ....................... Taylor Moore, Terry Symonette
Sound Effect Design...........................................Connie Erwin
Sound Engineer..................................................Brock Martin Scenic Artist.......................................................Beetle Hatch
Puppet Design.................................Ted Shonka, Connie Erwin
Technical Director and Shop Manager .................... Deb Bruner
Publicity, Poster & Lobby Design .......................... Nev Dorado
Dramaturgy.....................................Nev Dorado, Beetle Hatch
Crew:
Deck Manager ...................................
Ariel Edwards-Andrade
Stage Run Crew .................... Spencer Hamelin, Jackson Archer
Dressers........................................ Ada Velazquez, Reigan Hill
Spotlight Operators ........................ Jyaira Ware, Ethan Rentier, ........................................................................Beetle Hatch
Light Board Operator ................ Diondre Tyree, Owen Tremblay
Sound/Mixer/Operators ................................ Lauren Province
Sound Effects Operator ......................................... Liz Thacker
Backstage Audio Tech............Daniel Gonsalves, Rachael Nelson
Conductor & Guitar........................................Dr. Anya Pogorelova
Piano/Rehearsal Accompanist..................................Marilyn Foree
Bass Guitar...............................................................Kurt Morrow
Drum Set.......................................................................Matt Bell
Percussion.....................................Hannah Allen, Rashawn Alford, .....................................................Phoebe Brodine, Ireland Colón
Set Construction Crew ................ Connie Erwin,Practicum Class ....................................................................Stagecraft Class
Costume Construction Crew.......Clayton Smith, Owen Tremblay, ....................................Ari Lee, Ada Velazquez, Icarus Franklin, ...........................................Madison Sharp, Daniel Gonsalves
House Manager. ................................................ Nev Dorado