WAT E R T O W E R T H E AT R E .O R G
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ThE BY LAUREN GUNDERSON
DIRECTED CHERYL
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LAST C H A N C E TO PURCHASE SEASON TICKETS WAT E R T O W E R T H E AT R E . O R G
SHANE PETERMAN, PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR PRESENTS
A C O M E D Y BY L A U R E N G U N D E R S O N DIRECTED BY CHERYL DENSON PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER SET DESIGN
JASMINE SHANDS* BRIANA COLLAZO ABBOTT KENNEDY STYRON
LIGHTING DESIGN
JESSICA ANN DRAYTON
COSTUME DESIGN
SARAH MOSHER
SOUND DESIGN PROPERTIES DESIGN
BRIAN CHRISTENSEN AMY POE
PROJECTIONIST JONATHAN WHITE COVID COMPLIANCE OFFICERS
ELIZABETH KENSEK & BRIANA COLLAZO ABBOTT
ON THE TERRY MARTIN MAIN STAGE “The Taming” is produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. www.playscripts.com
SEASON SPONSOR
THEATRE NAMING BENEFACTORS Don and Barbara Daseke, The Family of Bob Downs, Kathleen A. Messina & Gary Goodwin, Stan Graner, Janiece & Jimmy Niemann
CAST T H E TAM I N G Kimberly Michelle Thomas* ……………………………. Katherine Leslie Marie Collins* ……………………………………………………Patricia Jenna Caire ……………………….…………………………. Bianca Raven Lawes …………………………………….………… Understudy
*Appearing through the SPT Agreement between this theatre, WaterTower Theatre, and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
SETTING ACT 1 Now, a nice hotel room in Atlanta, GA. AC T 2 PA R T 1 July 1787, the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, PA. AC T 2 PA R T 2 Now, the Miss America Pageant
ACTORS (LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
JENNA CAIRE, BIANCA Jenna Caire is making her WaterTower Debut in The Taming. Last seen onscreen as Leah in Theatre3’s virtual production of The Immigrant, and last seen onstage as Anne Boleyn in Stolen Shakespeare Guild’s Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, she is excited and grateful to be performing live again. Jenna has studied acting at the Esper Studio in New York as well as with Lindsay Mendez and Ryan Scott Oliver through Actor Therapy. She is also a painter, singer, and novice knitter (courtesy of quarantine). Thanks always to Mom and Dad.
L E S L I E M A R I E C O L L I N S , PAT R I C I A After 20 years based in NYC and LA, Leslie moved back home to Dallas. She is beyond excited to be making her WaterTower debut and jumping back into the arts scene in her hometown! Favorite theater credits include: Alison in Fun Home (Uptown Players), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Flat Rock Playhouse), Thrones! The Musical Parody (Sydney Opera House), A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Goodspeed Opera House), Rocky Horror Show (Casa Mañana) and performing with musical improv troupe, Baby Wants Candy (Edinburgh Fringe). Leslie has also been seen on VH1, MTV and in sketches on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Commercial credits include: Cascade, AMEX, Progressive, PBS and many more. Leslie performs and teaches comedic musical improv at the Dallas Comedy Club and co-hosts a podcast all about sumo wrestling called Sumo Kaboom, yes it’s true! For the ultimate deep dive into her career, visit www.lesliemariecollins.com
K I M B E R LY M I C H E L L E T H O M A S , K AT H E R I N E Kimberly is thrilled to be taking on the role of Katherine Chelsea Hartford in this raucous and poignant work by Lauren Gunderson. Some of her credits include highlights in the roles of Nina in the 1st & 2nd National Tours of ‘S Wonderful, Michelle Morris in the National Tour of Dreamgirls, La Vern in the Gateway and Ogunquit Playhouse productions of The Buddy Holly Story, Kristine in Miss Julie, and most recently Laura in The Glass Menagerie. Kimberly trained at the Princeton Ballet School, has a Bachelor of Music from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and studies with Matthew Corozine in his NYC based studio theatre. Kimberly would like to thank her wonderful cast, and her supportive family and friends.
R AV E N L AW E S , U N D E R S T U DY Raven Lawes is excited to be joining WaterTower’s production of The Taming. She graduated from Birmingham City University, (Birmingham, England) with her Masters in Acting and from Sam Houston State University, (Huntsville, TX) with her BFA in Acting and Directing. Some of her favorite roles include CC in Ladybug Ladybug Fly Away Home, Contemporary Theatre of Dallas; Anne Mae/Afua in By The Way, Meet Vera Stark, Theatre Three; Evelyn in Too Heavy For Your Pocket, Caroline in Pure Confidence, African American Repertory Theater; Myra in Hayfever, Old Rep Theatre; Martha in A Christmas Carol, Dallas Theater Center, and Christine in Bad Seed, Irving Mainstage. She won BEST ACTRESS, DFW Black Arts (2020) for her role as Penny in Father Comes Home from the Wars, African American Repertory Theater. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, teaching, and horseback riding. She would like to thank her family & friends for their continuous love and support. She is represented by Mary Collins Agency.
PRODUCTION TEAM JASMINE SHANDS, P R O D U C T I O N S TAG E M A N AG E R Jasmine Shands has worked in various roles both on and offstage. She is a Junior at Texas State University and pursuing a BFA in Theatre with an all-Level Teacher’s Certification. Some of her most notable roles and positions include Stage Manager for Theatre Arlington’s A Raisin in the Sun, Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie, Regina in Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts, and Beneatha in A Raisin in the Sun. This is her second production with WaterTower Theatre, and she is very excited to be joining such a wonderful cast and crew!
B R I A N A C O L L A Z O A B B OT T, A S S I S TA N T S TAG E M A N AG E R & C C O Briana Collazo Abbott (she/her) is a dancer, singer, actor, scenic carpenter, and stage manager making her WaterTower debut! She graduated in May 2019 from Rider University with a BFA in Musical Theatre, and a BA in Technical Theatre. Much love and thanks to her family, grandparents, and Cornelia.
CREATIVE TEAM L AU R E N G U N D E R S O N , P L AY W R I G H T Lauren has been one of the most produced playwrights in America since 2015 topping the list twice including 2019/20. She is a twotime winner of the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award for I and You and The Book of Will, the winner of the Lanford Wilson Award and the Otis Guernsey New Voices Award, a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and John Gassner Award for Playwriting, and a
recipient of the Mellon Foundation’s Residency with Marin Theatre Company. She studied Southern Literature and Drama at Emory University, and Dramatic Writing at NYU’s Tisch School where she was a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship. She co-authored the Miss Bennet plays with Margot Melcon, and her play The Half-Life of Marie Curie is available on Audible.com. Her work is published at Playscripts (I and You; Exit Pursued By A Bear; The Taming and Toil And Trouble), Dramatists Play Service (The Revolutionists; The Book of Will; Silent Sky; Bauer, Natural Shocks, The Wickhams and Miss Bennet) and Samuel French (Emilie). Her picture book Dr Wonderful: Blast Off to the Moon is available from Two Lions/Amazon. She is currently developing musicals with Ari Afsar, Dave Stewart and Joss Stone. LaurenGunderson.com
C H E RY L D E N S O N , D I R E C TO R Cheryl Denson is a theatrical director, designer, and actress with around 300 credits for major theaters in Dallas and around the country. Ms. Denson has directed Angels in America, Parts 1 and 2, The View UpStairs, bare: a pop musical, Altar Boyz, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Victor/Victoria, The Boy from Oz, and Catch Me If You Can, End of the Rainbow, It’s Only a Play, The Full Monty, Titanic, The Cake, La Cage Aux Folles, A Year With Frog and Toad, Oklahoma, The King and I, Carousel, Master Class, Bye, Bye Birdie, Hello, Dolly!, Fiorello, The Most Happy Fella and The Sound of Music. Past recognition for direction: After the Fair (1997 Leon Rabin Award), The Most Happy Fella (1998 Rabin Award), Gypsy (1999 Rabin Award), Richard Corey (2000 Rabin Nominee), Hair (2007 Rabin Nominee), A Christmas to Remember (2001 Rabin Nominee). Cheryl also has a Rabin award for acting and numerous Dallas Critics’ Forum Awards, Column Awards and other recognition for acting and directing. Cheryl is a member of AEA, SAG/AFTRA. She has worked in television/radio as an on-camera performer and voice talent and behind the scenes as a set/costume designer for over 60 television commercials and industrial films. Cheryl holds an M.F.A. from Trinity University and a B.A. from Baylor University.
DESIGNERS
(IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
B R I A N C H R I ST E N S E N , S O U N D D E S I G N E R Brian Christensen is a versatile North Texas theatre artist, dividing his time as a writer, composer, designer, musician, actor, and audio engineer. Brian has been the resident audio engineer with Dallas Children’s Theater since 2015, and other sound design credits include: ONE Addison Concert (WaterTower Theatre); When Pigs Fly, Fun Home, and A Very Sordid Wedding (Uptown Players); Lizzie, Ghost Quartet, and Murder Ballad (IMPRINT Theatreworks); The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Greater Lewisville Community Theatre); and The Last Five Years (Brick Road Theatre). His original musicals Daughter of Re and Greece: A Mythical Comedy have also been seen in IMPRINT Theatreworks’ 2019 and 2020 First Impressions Festival.
J E S S I C A A N N D R AY TO N , L I G H T I N G D E S I G N E R Jessica works as a professional lighting and projection designer, assistant, and programmer. Every production has a life of its own and she is happy that her lighting gets to help tell each and every unique story. Her most recent works include designing lights for A Raisin in the Sun, Bridges: Sisters of Salem and projections for The Dallas Opera’s Viva Diva! Concert. She has recently assisted on Dallas Theater Center productions such as Tiny Beautiful Things, Working The Musical, Something Grimm, and In the Bleak Midwinter. I keep my work practical, relevant, and creative! I could not continue to pursue my craft without the love and support of my friends and family (especially Jonathan David). Explore more of my work at JessicaAnnDrayton.com
SA R A H M O S H E R , C O ST U M E D E S I G N Sarah Mosher (s/her/s) is honored to make her WaterTower Theatre debut on this wonderful production! Sarah is a Designer, Educator, and Theatre Artist based on the lands of the Hueco, Tickanwa-tic (Tawakoni), Tonkawa, and Numunuu (Comanche) in Waco, TX. Sarah has worked as a costume designer in theatre, opera, film, and dance with a specialization in new and devised works. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Costume Design and Technology at Baylor University, where her scholarship focus is on intersectional sustainability of labor and materials. Sarah received an MFA in Theatrical Design from the University of Texas at Austin. Favorite production credits include: The Agitators, Eurydice, Sea Change Within Us a collaboratively devised dance performance produced by Karin Stevens Dance, and Love and Information.
A M Y P O E , P R O P E RT I E S D E S I G N E R Amy Poe is pleased to be working on her 3rd show with WTT! Recent design credits include The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Costumes, WaterTower), The Last Wide Open (Costumes, Circle Theatre). She is currently the Art Director for a short film, The Stranger (Om Films).
K E N N E DY S T Y R O N , S E T D E S I G N E R Kennedy “K” Styron is a locally based, all-around theatre-maker. Over the past five years, K has worked with multiple DFW-area theaters in a variety of capacities ranging from performer to carpenter, and most disciplines of production and design. Recent credits include technical direction at The Acting Studio, performing with Giant Entertainment and NTPA Rep, set design and master carpenter at ICT Mainstage. K is currently the Production Manager of WaterTower and has collaborated on WTT productions from conception to closing in many capacities over the last three years. K is especially thankful for the opportunity and trust from the producers, and to director Cheryl Denson.
DONORS We’d like to say a special thank you to the following donors:
$10,000 AND UP Stan Graner & Jim McBride Philip & Janeva Longacre Janiece & Jimmy Niemann The Shubert Foundation Inc Town of Addison
$ 5 , 0 0 0 - $ 9,9 9 9 Rosalind & Mervyn Benjet Texas Commission on the Arts
$500 - $999
Kay Champagne Michael & Cynthia Dowdey David Mason Tom Mason Judy Meagher Ken & Cheryl Mindell Mark & Renita Partin Steven & Annette Pipes The Rosewood Foundation John & Debra Stover
$ 2 , 5 0 0 - $ 4 ,9 9 9 Mason Brown Rebecca & Eric Neef Craig & Deborah Sutton
$1,000 - $2,499 Addison Rotary Foundation Amli Addison Ida Jane & Doug Bailey Joe & Carol Dingman Timothy P. Horan Rasa Floors Andrea & Keith Redmon Ralph Weber Nancy Williams
$250 - $499 Linda F. Bross Kenneth & Greta Fantus Stowe Gardner Burdette Katzen Barbara & Sam McKenney William P. Pfeiff Susan Ward The Wellik Family Charitable Fund
The above listing reflects gifts received between 09.01.2020 and 08.31.2021. We apologize for any unintentional omissions. We gratefully acknowledge the 500+ donors who each year, through their contributions, make it possible for WTT to present over 125 performances each year. Although space limits our ability to publicly recognize donors at levels below $250, we deeply and sincerely appreciate every contribution. As ticket sales cover only a portion of our annual costs, these generous gifts of patrons, corporations, foundations, and others are critical to WTT’s ability to create quality professional theatre for our audience. Should you wish to be added to this extraordinary list of donors, please visit our website at www.watertowertheatre.org/donations or contact Delynda Moravec at 972-450-6230 or via email at dmoravec@watertowertheatre.org. Thank you!
December 10 - 12 Friday & Saturday at 8 pm Sunday at 2 pm Kalita Humphreys Theater
THE KINSEY SICKS IN OYINVA EY MANGER
THE HOLIDAY DRAGAPELLA® MUSICAL COMEDY!
214-219-2718
LIMITED ENT! ENGAGEM
uptownplayers.org
WAT E R T OW E R T H E AT R E B OA R D O F D I R E C T O R S Rebecca Neef, President Steven Pipes, Vice President Maggie Vera, Vice President Phil Longacre, Treasurer Jeannette Johnson, Secretary Bruce Arfsten Rosalind Benjet Blake Clemens Barbara Daseke
Tim Horan Nadia Loudon Craig Sutton
WAT E R T OW E R T H E AT R E S TA F F
Shane Peterman Producing Artistic Director Delynda Johnson Moravec Director of Finance & Administration Elizabeth Kensek Associate Producer Phil Gosselin Patron Services Manager Kennedy Styron Prodution Manager
Tiffany Richmond Maggie Vera Nancy Williams Brittany Willis
AS L I N T E R P R E T E R S (O N 1 0 / 2 1 )
Windy Rossi Stacy Riley F R O N T O F H O U S E AS S O C I AT E S
Ryan Diller Claire Greenberg Maggie Herrick Shay Howard Dylan Owen John Rawley Aaron Verrill Megan Wamsley Kelsey Jordan Ward
C O S T U M E D E S I G N AS S I S TA N T
Mary Swanson
A D M I N I S T R AT I V E AS S I S TA N T
Olivia Duncan R U N C R E W / WA R D R O B E
Jessica Updike
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Emily Holt L I G H T B OA R D O P E R AT O R
Keith Gillespie S O U N D B OA R D O P E R AT O R
Rayven Harris SCENIC ARTIST
Jayson Phillips L E A D CA R P E N T E R
Keith Gillespie BAC K O F H O U S E P R O D U C T I O N C R E W
Brianna Collazo Abbott Allie Cianelli Edgar Hernandez Alexis Moorer John Rawley
M A R K E T I N G BY
Zoe Communications Agency: Feleceia Wilson Frankie Wilson Sydney Cornelius P H O T O G R A P H Y BY
Jerry Walker S P E C I A L T H A N K YO U T O
Baylor University Theatre Dallas Children's Theater Dunn Brothers Coffee Sally Lynn Askins
What a great season lineup!
Join us for great shows and great memories!
PADDINGTON SAVES CHRISTMAS Tickets starting at $17
Adapted by Doug Kmiotek Based on the book by Michael Bond Created by Jonathan Rockefeller
December 5 – December 23 Ages 4 and up
THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE Adapted by Joseph Robinette Based on the book by C.S. Lewis
Tickets starting at $15
Produced by special arrangement with DRAMATIC PUBLISHING, Woodstock, Illinois
April 3 – May 15 Ages 7 and up
TEEN SCENE PLAYERS present
10 SECONDS Written by Miriam Gonzales
Tickets starting at $15
DRAGONS LOVE TACOS
April 29 – May 1 Ages 13 and up
Written by Ernie Nolan Based on the book by Adam Rubin Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri Published by Penguin Group Produced by special arrangement with Plays for Young Audiences
January 23 –February 20 Ages 4 and up
Tickets on sale now! 5938 Skillman Dallas, Texas 75231 (214) 740-0051
dct.org
CREDITS: PADDINGTON SAVES CHRISTMAS: Courtesy of Rockefeller Productions, © P&Co Ltd 2019 Licensed on behalf of Copyrights Group. DRAGONS LOVE TACOS logo: Courtesy of Penguin Group Illustration: Daniel Salmieri, from the book Dragons Love Tacos © 2010. 10 SECONDS: Courtesy of Imagination Stage. All other images © 2021 Dallas Children’s Theater
Let’s meet Nana at DCT!
Special Price: $10 per person