CofC Stages to Present ‘Pathways’ Dance Concert Featuring Student Choreography

CofC Stages at the College of Charleston’s Department of Theatre and Dance presents its annual exhibition of student-choreographed work in Pathways, its spring dance concert offering.

Associate Professor of Dance Kristin Alexander serves as the concert’s artistic director. Pathways will feature eight new dance pieces choreographed by dance majors.

Performances will take place in the Sottile Theatre on Saturday, March and Sunday, March 24th.

“The common pathway of being a major in our department strengthens their support for one another through the creative process, but the individuality of their investigation of this theme has led to a diverse concert of work,” shares Alexander. The concert is comprised of more than 40 dancers and features a variety of styles, including modern, contemporary ballet, jazz, and hip hop.

“Although all of the choreographers are majors in the Department of Theatre and Dance, they range from freshman to seniors, from different parts of the country, pursuing various double majors and minors.”


DETAILS: Performances of Pathways at the Sottile Theatre (44 George St.) are Saturday, March 23rd at 7:30pm and Sunday, March 24th at 2:00pm.

Individual tickets are $25 for adults; $20 for seniors (60+), military/veteran, and youth under 18; and $12 for CofC students, faculty, and staff. Individual ticket prices for other shows in the CofC Stages season vary by show. Purchase tickets online at go.cofc.edu/cofcstages or contact the George Street Box Office by emailing gsbo@cofc.edu or calling (843) 953-4726.

Purchase tickets online by using one of the following links:

General audience

CofC student tickets

CofC faculty/staff tickets


2023-2024 CofC Stages Season

Men on Boats by Jaclyn Backhaus
After the Rain (faculty-choreographed dance concert)
In Love and Warcraft by Madhuri Shekar (staged reading)
Pippin by Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson
The Pages Festival: Staged Readings of Student-Written Works
Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II (co-production with Department of Music/CofC Opera)
Pathways (student-choreographed dance concert)
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

Visit go.cofc.edu/cofcstages to learn about all eight productions that center on the theme “Expectations and Explorations”

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Pathways – Digital Program

The digital program for Pathways will appear here.

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Die Fledermaus – Digital Program

CofC Stages, CofC Opera and The Charleston Symphony proudly present

Die Fledermaus

by Johann Strauss II

 Director
Peter Spearman
Associate Director
Saundra DeAthos-Meers
Music Director
Wojciech Milewski
Scenic Designer
Jonathan Wentz
Costume Designer
Janine McCabe
Lighting Designer
Lauren Duffie
Sound Designer
Miles Boinest
Technical Director
JD Stallings
Costume Shop Manager
Ellen Swick

Stage Manager

Bambi Barr

Choreographer

Kristin Alexander

February 24-25, 2023
Sottile Theatre, 44 George Street


Jump to: Program | Production Team | Acknowledgments | Director’s Note | Cast and Production Team Biographies


          Cast

In order of Vocal Appearance (Saturday/Sunday)


Julia Boughter/Lauren Funkhouser | Adele Delaney Faile/Meleana Cabales | Prince Orlofsky
Chloe Henderson/Abigail Erin Oldstrom | Rosalinda Adeleine Dibble | Ivan
Brett Hunter/Jonathan Gragg | Alfred Xandra Smith | Waiter #1
Seth Younglove/Vincent Bolchoz | Eisenstein Colin Covington | Waiter #2
Queen Hamilton II/Bea Lemaster | Dr. Blind Noah Anderson | Frosch
Jimmy Cyganek/Devon Brunson | Frank Drake Carney, Amber Dunton, Laila Dye-Sharpe,
Emmalyn Gilbreth, Queen Hamilton II, Isaac Hill,
Maralin Russell, Abby Weeks | Ensemble
Logan Smith/Zachary Butler | Falke
Molly O’Connor/Jenna Bush | Ida

Charleston Symphony Musicians 

Conductor 

Wojciech Milewski

Violin 1

Yuriy Bekker, Alexander Boissonnault, Karel Abo, Brian Allen, Karen Mendes

Violin 2

Micah Gangwer,
Asako Kremer, Mayumi Nakamura,
Corey Mike

 

Viola

Sadie Nichols,
Marshall McArthur,
Rachel Gangwe

Oboe

Kelly Mozeik

Cello

Najette Abouelhadi,
Tanja Bechtler

Clarinet

Charlie Messersmith

Bass

Christian Hales

Bassoon

Jordan Brokken

Flute

Jessica Hull-Dambaugh

Horn

Brandon Nichols,
Anne Holmi

Trumpet

Antonio Marti

Harp

Andrea Mumm

Timpani

Beth Albert

Percussion

Ryan Leveille

Program

Act I Act II Act III
No.1 Introduction (Alfred/Adele) No.6 Introduction (Ensemble) No.12 Entr’acte
No.2 Trio (Eisenstein, Rosalinda, Dr. Blind) No.7 Aria (Prince Orlofsky) No. 13 Melodrama
No.3 Duet (Falke, Eisenstein) No.8 Ensemble and Couplet (Orlofksy, Falke, Adele, Eisenstein) No. 14 Couplets (Adele, Ida, Frank)
No.4 Trio (Rosalinda, Eisenstein, Adele) No.9 Watch Duet (Eisenstein, Rosalinda) No. 15 (Rosalinda
No.5 Finale (Alfred, Rosalinda, Frank) No.10 Czardas (Rosalinda)
No.11 Finale (Full Ensemble)

Production Team

CofC Stages Artistic Director: Janine McCabe
Opera Program Director: Saundra DeAthos-Meers
Opera Program Assistant Director: Amanda Castellone

Production Coordinator: Miles Boinest
Rehearsal Pianist: Lorna Barker
Assistant Director: Emma Piazza
Assistant Stage Manager: Emma Bennett
Dramaturg: Madeline Hansen

Scenic Design Advisor: Jonathan Wentz
Assistant Scenic Designer: Kelsey Beckett
Scenic Charge: Alexandria Foster
Scenic Artists: Kelsey Beckett, Ella Moore, Jonathan Wentz
Carpenters and Painters: Brandon Alston, Audrey Black, Lauren Evans and students of Stagecraft class
Properties Charge: Kelsey Beckett
Properties Room Manager: Riley Taylor

Scene Shop Staff (students hired by the Department of Theatre & Dance with support from donor funding): Arslan Baig, Bristol Barnes, Madison Berry, Cheyenne Comitz, Alexandria Foster, Isabella Gardner, Olivia Maness, Jacob Rye, Eli Salas and Aidan Wunderley

Assistant Costume Designers: Stef Amezcua Barrientos, Ashlyn Denham, Lily Lombardi
Make-up Designer and Artist: Stef Amezcua Barrientos
Hair and Wig Artist: Janine McCabe

Wig Styling & Ensemble Make-Up Design: Students of Advanced Makeup and Hair Design class
Sewing & Alterations: Molly Belle, Savannah Blake, Alyssa Guardino, Evy Massey, Eva Razzi, Lindsay Ward, Jenna Williamson and students of Intro to Costuming class
Wardrobe Crew: Camille Cabrera, Cam Gulledge, Brasia Jones, Robby Sewell

Costume Shop Staff (select students hired by the Department of Theatre & Dance with support from donor funding): Brandon Alston, Zoe Barber, Ashlyn Denham, Mattison Gaillard, Ava Woods

Assistant Lighting Designers: Abby Israel, Ngaa Magombedze, Chris Warzynski
Head Electricians: Bootsie Baldwin, Abby Israel
Electricians: Bristol Barnes, Madison Berry, Vincent Bolchoz, Julia Boughter,
Meleana Cabales, Lauren Funkhouser, Isabella Garner, Sydney Getter,
Queen Hamilton, Alex Jones, Riley Milligan, Hannah Moore, Elise Normand,
Molly O’Connor, Erin Oldstrom, Reed Reed, Jacob Rye, Chris Warzynski,
Aidan Wunderley, Seth Younglove
Light Board Programmer and Operator: Abby Israel
Follow Spot Coordinator: Chris Warzynski
Follow Spot Operators: : Sydney Getter, Riley Milligan, Reed Reed, Ally Thumpston
Electric Shop Staff

Electric Shop Staff (students hired by the Department of Theatre & Dance with support from donor funding): Bootsie Baldwin, Abby Israel Alex Jones, Chris Warzynski
Sound Board Operator: Bambi Barr
Fly Rail Operators: Shane Hanley, Ben Hudd

Operations Coordinator: Miles Boinest
Marketing & Communications: Nandini B. McCauley
Graphic Designer: Rob Alexander
Photography: David Mandel, Jake Cisson, Kaylee Phillips, Chris Warzynski
Videography: Richard Almes, Unimedia Productions
Marketing/Social Media:  Kaylee Phillips, Tippy Trombly, Jake Cisson
Office Assistant: Ngaa Magombedze

Box Office: George Street Box Office



Special Thanks:

Bethel United Methodist Church, Molly Belle, Savannah Blake, Edward Hart, School of the Arts Interim Dean Elizabeth Meyer-Bernstein, Mark Swick, Sottile Theatre Staff

Thank you to our CofC Opera and CofC Stages Donors!

Presenting Sponsor
Tap and Jean Johnson

$1,000+
David M. Savard
Nancy Henderson
Michael & Susan Master
Karl & Charlene Bunch
Susan Morrison
Ray & Linda Manning
Anthony Laneve
Deborah Potter
Julian Wiles, Jr. & Jenny Hane
Chester & Arlene Williams

$500-$999
Ceili Hesselgrave
Gretchen & Matt McLaine
Valerie Morris
Evelynn Putnam
Mindelle Seltzer & Bob Lovinger
Nancy & Sam Stafford
Laurel & Justin Van Beusecum
Susan Kattwinkel
Janine McCabe
Leslie Dyke
Polly & George Kosko
Marjorie Clark
Susan & Michael Master
Jonathan & Janine Wentz

Up to $499
Lauren Funkhouser
Sandra Garner
Donetta L. Grays
Erin Mack
Susan & James McKenna
Janice & Jay Messeroff
Jillian & Michael Smallwood
Laura Turner
Andrea & Louis Weinstein
Kristin Alexander
Rebecca Boone
Glenda Byars
Todd McNerney
Elena & Ted Mitchell
Jeff Perry
Sam Rhodes
Emma Simmons
Caroline Baker
Mary Beth Berry
Shelby North
Bari Perales
Jean Robinson
Claire Steffens
Amanda Castellone
Marian Greely
Robert Covington
Elena Vaouli
Andrew Whitehead


Thank you to all of our Department of Theatre and Dance donors!

Become an Impact Sponsor
The Department of Theatre and Dance offers opportunities to become an Impact Sponsor. Impact Sponsors have a direct financial and personal impact on individual students with whom you’ll be connected. You will be honored at special events, receive recognition in the 2022-2023 season programs and other department reports and receive updates from your student. For more information, visit theatre.cofc.edu/support and contact our office at 843.953.6306 to declare your impact.

Impact Sponsor Levels:
BENEFACTOR $2,500+ (for incoming student scholarship)
Add your name here!

GUARDIAN $750 (Clarence Student Award)
Karl & Charlene Bunch
Tap & Jean Johnson
Valerie Morris
Evelynn Putnam
Sam & Nancy Stafford
Chester & Arlene Williams
Anonymous (5)

Special Gifts: (Leave a lasting legacy. Learn more: 843.953.5348 or cofclegacy.org)
Anonymous – legacy gift
Charleston Academy of Music
John Covington & Robert Lukey – legacy gift
Michael & Susan Master – legacy gift

Become a Season Sponsor
We need your help to support our students and our season in an effort to rebuild the funds that allow us to produce quality performances in a unique experiential learning environment. Your donations contribute to funding the essentials needed for scenery, lighting, sound, and costumes, but more importantly help support student employees, student research and travel, and other student-focused experiences.

We can’t do this without your generosity!

Season Sponsor Levels:
PRODUCER $1000+
Karl & Charlene Bunch
Jenny Hane & Julian Wiles
Anthony Laneve
Chester & Arlene Williams

ADVOCATE $750-999
Tap & Jean Johnson
Janine McCabe
Matt & Gretchen McLaine
Valerie Morris
Evelynn Putnam
Nancy & Sam Stafford
Justin & Laurel van Beusecum
Jonathan & Janine Wentz

STAR $500-749
Leslie Dyke
Michael & Susan Master

DIRECTOR $250-499
Sandra Garner
Janice and Jay Messeroff
Stellar Stitches Fashion Show
Laura Turner

FAN $100-249
Kristin Alexander, Stacey Alston, Rebecca Boone, Glenda Byars, Todd McNerney, Elena & Ted Mitchell, Sam Rhodes, Emma Simmons, Jillian & Michael Smallwood

PATRON up to $99
Caroline Baker, Mary Beth Berry, Shelby North, Bari Perales, Claire Steffens, Andrew Whitehead


Director’s Note

Drink more water? Maybe!
Drink more champagne? Tempting!
Never trust a friend? Sheesh! Too dark!

What is Strauss trying to tell us? How does he want us to feel?

I have heard the argument that Die Fledermaus is an operetta without a message or theme. Perhaps the copious champagne obscures it, but I think there is at the very least a seed at the center of this show, and it is fun. Fun abounds. Our production celebrates the fun in this tale of soft revenge.

As the father of two young boys, I spend a lot of time engaging with children’s media, and I am struck at the similarities that I see between my kids’ favorite books and the world that Strauss has created. The characters are clear and uncomplicated. Mischief flourishes. The stakes are low. Forgiveness comes quickly. Of course, it is also loaded with enough (too much?) innuendo and double entendre to delight all audiences.

With a puerile spirit of fun, we invite you to escape with us, if only for a little while.

—Peter Spearman


Cast and Production Team Bios (In Alphabetical Order)

Noah Anderson (Frosch) [he/him] is making his opera debut as a senior double majoring in Theatre (Performance) and History. He has also been seen in Cabaret as Cliff Bradshaw, Two Gentlemen of Verona as Sir Eglamour, Grunt in Firebringer, the Messengers in The Bacchae and Lewis in Pippin. He would like to thank everyone who made this show possible, especially THE Dr. Peter Spearman for encouraging him to go outside his comfort zone and making his last performance at the college a memorable one. 

Bambi Barr (Stage Manager) is a recent CofC graduate, majoring in Theatre Performance and Biology, that has worked on Les Contes d’Hoffmann and L’elisir d’amore as an assistant stage manager and served as stage manager for Charleston Opera Theatre’s Unshakeable. Bambi would like to thank Dr. DeAthos-Meers for taking her under her wing and allowing her to learn, grow and flourish! Thank you for letting me help your wonderful ideas come to life! 

Stef Amezcua Barrientos (Assistant Costume Designer) is the lead for hair and makeup backstage. Stef is a senior Theatre major with a concentration in costume design and a minor in Arts Management. Previously she worked on After the Rain and Center Stage’s Firebringer.

Kelsey Beckett (Assistant Scenic Designer) is a junior at the college majoring in Theatre with a concentration in Scenic Design and an Arts management minor. Previously she served as assistant scenic designer for Firebringer and properties charge for Pippin. She would like to thank her mentor, Jonathan Wentz, and director, Dr. Spearman, for their support and help throughout this process. 

Emma Bennett (Assistant Stage Manager) is a freshman Theatre Performance major, and with this being her first time serving as assistant stage manager she would like to thank Bambi for taking care of her during this new experience and everyone’s constant support. Emma was last seen in Center Stage’s 2023 Rocky Horror shadowcast and is so excited for her future involvement with the department here at the College! 

Vincent Bolchoz (Eisenstein/Ensemble) is a transfer student at College of Charleston majoring in Music (Vocal Performance). Vincent spent several years in South Florida attending the Maltz Jupiter Theatre Professional Training Program and performing in multiple amateur and professional touring shows at the Maltz. He made his opera debut last year in the ensemble for Charleston Opera Theatre’s production of Don Giovanni followed by L’elisir d’amore. Other credits include the College of Charleston’s production of Les Contes d’Hoffmann as Spalanzani. This summer Vincent will be performing at the Berlin Opera Academy as Don Curzio/Basilio in Le Nozze di Figaro.

Julia Boughter (Adele/Ensemble) is a freshman Vocal Performance major. She last sang with CofC opera in the scenes program, L’amour et la Mort. She would like to thank Dr. DeAthos-Meers for being a fantastic teacher and her family for their constant support and encouragement.

Devon Brunson (Frank/Ensemble) is thrilled to be making his mainstage College of Charleston debut in Die Fledermaus. Devon is a freshman majoring in Music (Vocal Performance) and Finance. Recent credits include Les Miserables (Enjolras), The Phantom of the Opera (Phantom), Spongebob the Musical (Patrick), and Daniel and The Kings (Abednego). 

Jenna Bush (Ida/Ensemble) is a sophomore majoring in Biology with a minor in Theatre. She has been recently seen in CofC’s production of Pippin (ensemble, Fastrada US), In Love and Warcraft (Kitty), and Center Stage’s Firebringer (Zazzalil). Other recent credits include: Sweeney Todd (Mrs. Lovett), Our Town (Emily), and The Theory of Relativity (Caroline). She would like to thank Dr. Spearman for encouraging her to audition along with Dr. DeAthos, Wojciech, and the entire team for being so kind and welcoming!

Meleana Cabales (Orlofsky/Ensemble) is a senior in the Honors College majoring in Music (Vocal Performance) and minoring in Arts Management. Previous performances with CofC Opera include The Tales of Hoffmann (Nicklausse), Die Zauberflöte (Second Lady), and Le nozze di Figaro (Chorus).

Drake Carney (Ensemble) is a Sophomore majoring in Theatre (Performance + Musical Theatre) and minoring in both French & Japanese Studies. He was last seen in the CofC Stages production of Pippin as Pippin, and is a former member of CofC’s Broadway Ensemble. He would like to thank the creative team behind Die Fledermaus for making his first opera at CofC a great experience. 

Jimmy Cyganek (Frank/Ensemble) is a junior in the Honors College double majoring in Vocal Performance and Computing in the Arts. He’s also a Baritone in the choir of the French Huguenot Church and in the Charleston Men’s Chorus, where he is a recipient of their season scholarship. Recent performances include College of Charleston Opera’s L’amour et la Mort, and Charleston Opera Theater’s L’elisir d’amore. He is looking forward to playing the Giant in CofC’s Children’s Opera production of Jack and the Beanstalk.

Colin Covington (Ensemble/Server) is a freshman at the College of Charleston studying Vocal Performance. He is excited to be involved in his first Opera production. He would like to thank Peter Spearman for his energy and direction throughout this process as well as the entire cast for making his first opera a memorable experience. 

Ashlyn Denham (Assistant Costume Designer) is a junior at the College of Charleston majoring in Theatre with a concentration in Costume Design. Previously, she worked on After the Rain.

Addy Dibble (Ivan/Ensemble) is a sophomore and very excited to be a part of her second opera production at the College of Charleston. She would like to thank Dr. Deathos-Meers, Peter Spearman, and fellow cast and crew for making this production such a memorable experience! 

Amber Dunton (Ensemble) is a freshman Theatre major (performance) with an arts management minor at the College of Charleston. She is also in the musical theatre certificate program. Previously, she was a playwright for the College’s mainstage short play festival The Pages Festival (Overturned).

Delaney Faile (Orlofsky/Ensemble) is a senior in the Honors College majoring in Arts Management with a minor in Theatre. Previous CofC credits include In Love and Warcraft (Ensemble), The Bacchae (Agave), Violet (Ensemble, Violet u/s), The Tales of Hoffman (Andres/Cochinelle), and The Cake (Jen). She would like to thank Dr. Deathos-Meers and Peter Spearman for their support and her fellow castmates for making her final show at the College a wonderful experience. 

Lauren Funkhouser (Adele/Ensemble) is a junior majoring in music (vocal performance) and double minoring in French and German. Her previous performance experiences at CofC include The Tales of Hoffmann (Olympia) and The Magic Flute (Queen of the Night). Other performance experience outside of CofC include Charleston Opera Theater’s L’elisir d’amore (Adina cover/chorus), Berlin Opera Academy’s Die Zauberflöte (Papagena/Die Königin der Nacht cover), and Russian Opera Workshop’s Eugene Onegin (Tatyana Role Study). Lauren also attended Music Academy of the West as a studio artist in the summer of 2022. 

Emmalyn Gilbreth (Ensemble) is a Freshman in the Honors College majoring in English and Music with a minor in Philosophy. Before performing in Die Fledermaus she was a part of the CofC Opera Scenes program, L’amour et la Mort. She would like to thank Professor Templeton and the faculty and students of the CofC Music School for their unwavering support and kindness throughout her entire first year of college.

Jonathan Gragg (Alfred/Ensemble) is a Senior at the College of Charleston studying Vocal Performance. Most recently with the college he has had the privilege of portraying the roles of Monostatos in The Magic Flute and Franz in The Tales of Hoffmann. Grateful for these opportunities, he has enjoyed all the more bringing to life the character of Alfred. He is ever-thankful to those who have shaped his vocal and artistic journey, including the wonderful Dr. Saundra Deathos-Meers and many more of the CofC Music Faculty and friends. He humbly appreciates the chance to share his passion for music on the stage. Prosit!

Christopher Hamilton II (Ensemble) is a sophomore at the College of Charleston. This is his first opera and would like to thank Peter Spearman and Wojciech Milewski along with all of the people contributing toward this CofC production for the great work they put into this memorable experience.

Queen Hamilton II (Dr. Blind/Ensemble) is a senior majoring in Music (Composition/Theory). Most recently she was seen in As I Was, Not As I Am (Laurel) by August Hakvaag and CofC Opera’s L’Amour et la Mort. Other credits range from acting to crew work to music directing. She would like to thank everyone who came to support her and watched her journey from a petrified, shy, and nervous mess to the person and performer she is now. Special shoutout to Todd McNerney, Dr. Lorna Barker, Dr. Saundra DeAthos-Meers, and her mom for helping her to develop the confidence she needed. 

Chloe Henderson (Rosalinda/Ensemble) is a senior majoring in Music (Vocal Performance). Her previous credits include two shows with Charleston Opera Theatre: Don Giovanni (ensemble) and L’elisir d’amore (ensemble), and three shows at CofC: Le nozze di Figaro (chorus), The Magic Flute (spirit), and The Tales of Hoffman (Giulietta/ensemble). She would like to thank Dr. DeAthos-Meers for being the most wonderful voice teacher and she would also like to thank Dr. Spearman, Professor Milewski, the cast, and all her friends and family for being so encouraging and supportive. This will be her last show here at CofC and she is grateful to work with such an amazing and talented group of people! 

Isaac Hill (Ensemble) is a sophomore music major studying cello and voice performance and composition. Recent performances include Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore with Charleston Opera Theatre, Mendelssohn’s Psalm 42 with the SC Bach Society, and the CofC Orchestra Fall Concert. He would like to thank Dr. DeAthos-Meers for her support and encouragement as he starts to perform on the opera stage.

Brett Hunter (Alfred/Ensemble) is a freshman at the College of Charleston majoring in Music with a concentration in Vocal Performance. Die Fledermaus will serve as Brett’s first mainstage production with the College. Recent credits include Les Misérables (Marius Pontemercy), The Phantom of the Opera (Raoul de Changy), and Daniel and the Kings (Meshach). This upcoming summer Brett will perform Carmen (Chorus) at the Music Academy of the West, attending as a Studio Artist. 

Abby Israel (Assistant Lighting Designer/Co-Head Electrician/Lighting Board Operator) is a sophomore at the College majoring in Theatre (scenic/lighting design). This is her sixth production with the college. 

Bea Lemaster (Dr.Blind/Ensemble) is a Senior at the college majoring in Theatre. Bea is very active in the theatre department and is the President and Artistic Director of the student theatre organization Center Stage. Bea also works as a Teaching Artist with PURE Theatre, working to bring Theatre to public schools in Charleston that might not have access to arts programs otherwise. They were last seen in Men on Boats, directed by Sharon Graci, and are excited for you to see them as Dr. Blind/Ensemble in Die Fledermaus! Remember: Justice is Blind!

Lily Lombardi (Assistant Costume Designer) is a senior at the College of Charleston, majoring in Theatre with a concentration in Costume Design. Previously, worked on After the Rain. 

Ngaa Magombedze (Assistant Lighting Research Designer) was previously seen in Pippin as Leading Player and as an assistant director on The Late Wedding. She is thrilled to have been mentored on this production by Lauren Duffie and Dr. Peter Spearman. This experience has been invaluable and allowed her design skills to flourish!

Molly O’Connor (Ida/Ensemble) is a senior at the College of Charleston in their final semester as a Music Major with a concentration in Voice. She has been in multiple CofC Opera productions including Le Nozze di Figaro (ensemble), The Magic Flute (spirit), and The Tales of Hoffmann (Nathanael). Molly has also been in Scenes performances for CofC Opera called Live in the Sottile Theatre, Back to the New Normal, What If?, and L’amour et la Mort. She has also performed Children’s operas The Three Little Pigs, The Billy Goats Gruff, Little Red’s Most Unusual Day, and this semester’s Jack and the Beanstalk, for elementary school kids all over the Charleston area. Molly has also been in the ensemble for Charleston Opera Theater in Grande Serenata, Don Giovanni, Serenata Italiana, and Elixir of Love. They would like to thank the whole Die Fledermaus team, CSO, and cast! You have all made this experience so memorable! To my parents and family who have always believed in me, I love you all so much, you have helped me make this dream possible!

Abigail Erin Oldstrom (Rosalinda/Ensemble) is a second year Artist in Residence with CofC Opera. She graduated from the College of Charleston in 2022 with a BA in Music with a concentration in Vocal Performance. Past works performed with CofC Opera include Gianni Schicchi (Lauretta), Le Nozze di Figaro (Susanna), Die Zauberflöte (First Lady), and The Tales of Hoffmann (Antonia). She made her professional debut with Charleston Opera Theater’s Don Giovanni (Zerlina) in 2022, and will be taking part in Charleston Opera Theater’s upcoming performance of Master Class by Terrance McNally later this spring.

Logan Smith (Dr. Falke/Ensemble) Is a 5th year CofC student returning to the stage for his final performance with CofC Opera. Debuting as Sarastro in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, following with Coppelius and Dappertutto in Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann. He has had the great opportunity to cover both the Commendatore and Dr. Dulcamara in COTs productions of Don Giovanni and L’elisir D’amore. He would like to thank David Templeton for helping mold him into the musician he is today, along with the faculty and friends for an unforgettable experience.

Xandra Smith (Ensemble) is a freshman music major at the college with a concentration in vocal performance and a minor in linguistics. This is her first full scale opera and she would like to thank Dr. DeAthos-Meers for her support and the rest of the CofC Opera community for being such a big part of her college career thus far.

Chris Warzynski (Assistant Lighting Designer) is a Junior Theatre Major at the College with a double concentration in Performance and Scenic/Lighting. Chris was last seen at the College in CofC Stages’ The Pages Festival, In Love and Warcraft (Ryan), Two Gentlemen of Verona (Launce), and Center Stage’s Firebringer (Molag). During the summer, Chris traveled abroad in Japan and created a new interpretation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with the Yokohama Theatre Group. Back home, their play A Conversation was read during Piccolo Spoleto’s Under The Lights event. Chris is currently working on a new play and was the Lighting Designer for CofC Stages’ production of Pippin. Chris would like to thank their grandparents for not evicting them.

Abby Weeks (Ensemble) is a sophomore at the College of Charleston majoring in Arts Management with a minor in Theatre. She is thankful to be given the opportunity to be a part of her first Opera production. She would like to thank the creative team that brought Die Fledermaus to life, making her experience amusing and unique. 

Seth Younglove (Eisenstein/Ensemble) is a second year Artist in Residence with CofC Opera. He graduated from the College of Charleston in 2022 with a BA in both Music (Vocal Performance) and Theatre (Performance). Past works he has performed with CofC Opera include Gianni Schicchi (Marco), Die Zauberflöte (Tamino), and The Tales of Hoffmann (Hoffmann); along with Urinetown (Cladwell) with CofC Theatre and Dance. Some outside performances include Charleston Opera Theater’s Don Giovanni (Ensemble) and L’elisir d’amore (Ensemble).


Land Acknowledgement: We would like to acknowledge that we are located on the traditional lands of the first people of Charleston: The Etiwan, Kiawah, Edisto Natchez Kusso, Santee, and Wassamassaw people (also known as Varner Town Indians). 

We acknowledge and honor all the indigenous people who lived, labored and were faithful stewards of the land. We express our deep gratitude for the land and continued faithful stewardship to the next seven generations. 

We also acknowledge the lives and labor of the Africans who were enslaved to build Charleston, South Carolina. 

On this campus and in this space, African and African-descended people used skilled labor in ornamental ironwork, historic architecture, and low country agriculture and food production. On behalf of the College of Charleston, we acknowledge the Black lives and labor that built our city and our campus.

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CofC Stages and CofC Opera present co-production of Die Fledermaus

Collaborative production of adored operetta Die Fledermaus to be performed by College of Charleston and Charleston Symphony

College of Charleston Opera and the College’s Department of Theatre and Dance (CofC Stages) will stage Die Fledermaus. Known as one of the world’s most beloved operettas, Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus tells the story of a practical joke with unintended consequences. Rife with mistaken identities, flirtation, seduction, and champagne, this farcical comedy has a captivating score sure to delight and enchant audiences of all ages.

Directed by Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre and 2015 alumnus Peter Spearman, College of Charleston’s production of Die Fledermaus “promises a good time for its characters, performers, and audience all at once,” comments Spearman.

With the task of choosing an opera to perform, Director of the College of Charleston Opera program Saundra DeAthos-Meers must consider many aspects of the production to decide which will be the perfect choice for the College. “…I make the difficult decision of choosing a mainstage opera every year to share the stage with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. This opera needs to be accessible, well-known, and singable for 18-to-23-year-old singers, not to mention you need to have the voices available to sing these challenging roles. Die Fledermaus is the perfect choice for this cohort,” she states.

This mischievous opera is a collaboration between the College’s Department of Theatre and Dance and Department of Music and is presented alongside musicians from the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. DeAthos-Meers is the production’s associate director and Wojciech Milewski is the orchestra conductor. Under Spearman’s overall production direction, the College of Charleston will bring the jovial spirit of Die Fledermaus to the stage in February. 

DETAILS:  Performances of Die Fledermaus will take place at the Sottile Theatre (44 George St.), February 24 and 25 at 7:00p.m. Tickets range from $15 to $50, and includes discounts for CofC students, military/ veterans, seniors (60+), and youth (18 and under). Tickets can be purchased at George Street Box Office online at go.cofc.edu/opera, by emailing gsbo@cofc.edu, or by calling (843) 953-4726. Please note the earlier curtain time for evening performances of 7:00pm, as opposed to our conventional evening curtain time of 7:30pm.

Purchase tickets online by using one of the following links:

General audience

CofC student tickets

CofC faculty/staff tickets

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The Pages Festival – Digital Program

CofC Stages proudly presents

The Pages Festival

The Department of Theatre and Dance has a long-standing tradition of encouraging, training, and highlighting student playwrights. The Pages Festival will present new monologues and ten-minute scenes written by student playwrights, performed by a cast of student actors.

Director
Michael Smallwood
Stage Manager
Grace Albertson

February 2-5, 2024
Chapel Theatre, 172 Calhoun Street


Jump to: Acknowledgments | Director’s Note | Cast and Production Team Biographies


Cast

Beau Dolan
Lauren Evans
Kaleigh Montgomery
Emma Piazza
Alexandria Prioleau
Joy Sabet
Eva Voros
Chris Warzynski 

Playwrights

Noah Anderson
William Caretto
Cheyenne Comitz
Amber Dunton
Madelein Hanson
Jaelin LaVanway
Olivia Maness
Jacob Rye
Riley Taylor


Production Team

Director: Michael Smallwood
Stage Manager: Grace Albertson

CofC Stages Operations Coordinator: Miles Boinest
Technical Director: JD Stallings
Stage Management Advisor: Susan Kattwinkel
Marketing & Communications: Nandini B. McCauley
Graphic Designer: Rob Alexander
Photography: Tippy Trombly
Publicity: Kaylee Phillips, Tippy Trombly, Jake Cisson
Box Office: George Street Box Office


Highlighted Works

Never Ever Try to Summon an Ancient Greek Deity in Your Apartment

Playwright: Noah Anderson

Setting: Theo’s Apartment

Kass – Kaleigh Montgomery

Theo – Beau Dolan

Eros – Lauren Evans

Philia – Emma Piazza

Stage Directions – Eva Voros

 

Baggage

Playwright: Jaelin LaVanway

Setting: Dr. Wendy’s office. There is a coat rack by the entrance, a couch and a chair facing each other, and the walls are decorated with cheesy, inspirational posters.

Jules – Joy Sabet

Dr. W – Alexandria Prioleau

Stage Directions – Chris Warzynski

 

Warmly Lit Box

Playwright: Riley Taylor

Setting: Olive’s childhood bedroom.

Olive – Lauren Evans

Love – Eva Voros

Stage Directions – Emma Piazza

 

Ataxia, Aphasia, and Other Signs of Impending Ruin

Playwright: Madelein Hanson

Setting: A convenience store at the end of the world.

Man – Chris Warzynski

Stage Directions – Beau Dolan

 

Overturned

Playwright: Amber Dunton

Setting: A waiting room inside a women’s health clinic in Washington, DC.

Emily – Alexandria Prioleau

Madison – Emma Piazza

Ashley – Eva Voros

Nurse/TV voice – Kaleigh Montgomery

Stage Directions – Lauren Evans

 

Appointment Unknown

Playwright: Jacob Rye

Setting: A waiting room.

Set – Chris Warzynski

Aminah – Joy Sabet

Mia – Lauren Evans

Stage Directions – Beau Dolan

 

Homesick

Playwright: Cheyenne Comitz

Setting: Modern day, summertime. Inside and outside of a hospital room.

Mia – Eva Voros

Mason – Chris Warzynski

Emmett – Beau Dolan

Shelly – Joy Sabet

Nurse – Alexandria Prioleau

Stage Directions – Kaleigh Montgomery

 

Morning Dew

Playwright: William Caretto

Setting: In nature, and near a body of water.

Wanda – Kaleigh Montgomery

Staccato – Chris Warzynski

Stage Directions – Alexandria Prioleau

 

Where to Look for a Friend

Playwright: Olivia Maness

Setting: The Triangulum Galaxy, 2.723 million light years away.

Findre – Beau Dolan

Defrin – Emma Piazza

TikTok voices – Lauren Evans, Kaleigh Montgomery, Alexandria Prioleau, Chris Warzynski

Computer – Eva Voros

Stage Directions – Joy Sabet

 


Thank you to all of our donors!

Become an Impact Sponsor
The Department of Theatre and Dance offers opportunities to become an Impact Sponsor. Impact Sponsors have a direct financial and personal impact on individual students with whom you’ll be connected. You will be honored at special events, receive recognition in the 2022-2023 season programs and other department reports and receive updates from your student. For more information, visit theatre.cofc.edu/support and contact our office at 843.953.6306 to declare your impact.

Impact Sponsor Levels:
BENEFACTOR $2,500+ (for incoming student scholarship)
Add your name here!

GUARDIAN $750 (Clarence Student Award)
Karl & Charlene Bunch
Tap & Jean Johnson
Valerie Morris
Evelynn Putnam
Nancy & Sam Stafford
Chester & Arlene Williams
Anonymous (3)

Special Gifts: (Leave a lasting legacy. Learn more: 843.953.5348 or cofclegacy.org)
Anonymous – legacy gift
Charleston Academy of Music
John Covington & Robert Lukey – legacy gift
Michael & Susan Master – legacy gift

Become a Season Sponsor
As we transitions back to live in-person audiences and mask-free performances last season, we worked hard to keep our students and audiences engaged. We preserved the student experience during these last two years, but we lost essential revenue that plays a huge role in funding our season’s productions. Your donations contribute to funding the essentials needed for scenery, lighting, sound, and costumes, but more importantly, they help support student employees, student research and travel, and other student-focused experiences. We can’t do this without your generosity!

Season Sponsor Levels:
PRODUCER $1000+
Karl & Charlene Bunch
Anthony Laneve
Chester & Arlene Williams

ADVOCATE $750-999
Tap & Jean Johnson
Susan Kattwinkel
Janine McCabe
Matt & Gretchen McLaine
Valerie Morris
Evelynn Putnam
Nancy & Sam Stafford

STAR $500-749
Leslie Dyke
Michael & Susan Master

DIRECTOR $250-499
Sandra Garner
Janice & Jay Messeroff
Laura Turner
Jonathan & Janine Wentz

FAN $100-249
Kristin Alexander
Rebecca Boone
Glenda Byars
Todd McNerney
Elena & Ted Mitchell
Sam Rhodes
Emma Simmons
Jillian & Michael Smallwood

PATRON up to $99
Caroline Baker, Mary Beth Berry, Shelby North, Bari Perales, Claire Steffens


Director’s Note

The development of new plays and, perhaps more importantly, new playwrights is some of the most vital work we could possibly be doing in our department. As a former student playwright, I know just how foundational a skill it can be to a long and successful career in the theatre. It has been my great privilege, then, to help shepherd this incredible room of insightful, creative, visionary student playwrights. The work they have created in this process would be remarkable if they were all veteran writers. The fact that they are still learning, some of them even presenting words in front of an audience for the first time, makes their accomplishments here truly inspiring.

—Michael Smallwood, Director


Cast, Playwrights and Production Team Biographies

Actors

Chris Warzynski is a Junior Theatre Major at the College with a double concentration in Performance and Scenic/Lighting. Chris was last seen at the College in CofC Stages’ In Love and Warcraft (Ryan), Two Gentlemen of Verona (Launce), and Center Stage’s Firebringer (Molag). During the summer, Chris traveled abroad in Japan and created a new interpretation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with the Yokohama Theatre Group. Back home, their play A Conversation was read during Piccolo Spoleto’s Under The Lights event. Chris is currently working on a new play and was the Lighting Designer for CofC Stages’ production of Pippin. Chris would like to thank their grandparents for not evicting them.

Lauren Evans is a Junior Theatre Major at the College with a concentration in performance. She has been acting since 2008, getting her start in the metro-Atlanta area. Most recently, at the College, she was seen performing in “The 27 Club”, and acting/understudying in “Men on Boats”. Over the summer she gave ghost tours around Charleston with “Bulldog Tours”. She would like to thank her family and friends for supporting her dreams, everyone involved in “The Pages Festival” for giving her the opportunity to return to the stage, and the audience, without whom none of this would happen!

Kaleigh Montgomery is a Senior Theatre Major at the College with a concentration in performance and minor in communication. She was last seen on stage in CofCs Unbeatable: A Musical Theatre Showcase. She would like to thank her family for their continuous love and support and everyone involved in the pages festival for the opportunity. 

Joy Sabet is a Junior at the College, majoring in Psychology and Spanish with a minor in linguistics. She was last seen on stage in the College’s production of Men On Boats, and The Late Wedding as well as the Director Showcase Piece Singular of Die. She praises the writers for the life they have brought to our stage. 

Emma Piazza is a Freshman Theatre (with a concentration in performance) and Arts Management Major at the College. Last seen on stage, Emma was in Director’s Showcase 2023 as an actor in both Noah Anderson’s The Merchant of Venice and Ren Mummert’s Babe. She has also branched out and is currently assistant directing this Spring’s opera, Die Fledermaus. Emma would like to say thank you to everyone who has made this show come to life and for supporting it. She is incredibly honored to help present the talent of these amazing writers and their outstanding works. 

Alexandria Prioleau is a Junior Theatre Major with a concentration in performance at the college. She was last seen on stage as an actor in Director’s Showcase in Brandi Smalls’ All Our Yesterdays. She was also the stage manager for the College’s fall 2023 dance concert, After The Rain. Alexandria would like to thank both her parents for the unconditional support throughout the years.

Beau Dolan is a Freshman chemistry major at the College. He began acting in 2011, and this is first show with the theater department. Beau would like to extend his thanks to the writers and his fellow performers for their dedication and commitment to their craft. He is honored to have the opportunity to be a part of these beautiful stories.

Eva Cecilia Voros is a Senior at the College of Charleston majoring in Theatre with a concentration in Performance, and minors in both Italian and Religious Studies. Eva’s work as a makeup artist (another professional passion) was last seen on the CofC stage during the fall 2023 production of Pippin! as she worked on both makeup design and application. Eva has traveled to many different countries during the course of her life, and most recently spent an academic year in Bologna, Italy learning Italian language. The more people Eva meets, the more experiences she has, the more she realizes the importance of artistic expression, specifically acting as a necessary means of celebrating the breadth and beauty of humanity. Eva would like to thank all the immensely talented actors and writers, to Grace Alberston for being such a wonderful stage manager and to Michael Smallwood for involving her in the Pages Festival 2024!

Playwrights

Olivia Maness (she/her/hers) is a sophomore majoring in Theatre with concentrations in Scenic/Lighting Design and Technology and Theatre Studies. Since starting at the College, Olivia has participated in many capacities: assistant stage manager for Violet and Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet, stage manager for Proof and Men on Boats, performed in The Late Wedding (Raya/Captain), light designer for various CofC clubs and showcases as well as Center Stage’s upcoming production of Deathtrap. She is very excited to see her first piece spoken into existence. She would like to thank her family and friends for their constant support, as well as Michael Smallwood and Grace Albertson for their hard work on the Pages Festival. 

Cheyenne Comitz (she/her) is a junior at the College of Charleston majoring in Theatre and English concentrating in theatre studies and creative writing. She was last seen off stage as the assistant stage manager for CofC’s production of Men On Boats and recently directed Ahead of the Trauma by Zack Christensen for Director’s Showcase in December. Her next project is with Center Stage and their production of Deathtrap as the stage manager. She would like to thank the people who keep her sane: her friends and the strongest woman she knows, her mom. She dedicates Homesick to her Aunt Pat, her cat, and the beautiful souls lost to cancer. 

Madelein Hanson (she/her) is a junior at CofC majoring in Theatre Studies and French & Francophone Studies with a minor in Linguistics. She was last seen in the College’s staged reading of In Love and Warcraft (Evie) and as the dramaturg for Center Stage’s As I Was, Not As I Am by August Hakvaag. She will have her directorial debut along with Ky Daisey in Center Stage’s Deathtrap this February.  Madelein is grateful to Michael Smallwood for his continued support here at the College, and she would also like to thank Dr. Ricard Viñas de Puig for introducing her to the linguistic concepts behind her piece. 

Jacob Rye (he/him/his) is a senior majoring in Theatre with a concentration in performance, and a minor in Biology. He has been a part of several CenterStage productions, such as The Bacchae, Firebringer, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show Shadowcast (2022 and 2023). He also has credits for carpentry (Men on Boats) and dramaturgy (The Bacchae). Jacob is very excited to share his work, and is very thankful for Michael Smallwood, Grace Albertson, our terrific cast, and all that influenced the process along the way.   

Amber Dunton is a freshman majoring in theatre with a performance concentration, an arts management minor, and she is a musical theatre certificate for actors certificate student. Previously she performed in Directors’ Showcase in Setting Places, directed by Mia Brady. She is so excited to make her mainstage debut as a writer at the Pages Festival. Catch her next in the chorus of this year’s mainstage opera, Die Fledermaus, and on run crew for The Importance of Being Earnest. She would like to thank Michael Smallwood and the wonderful writing, designing, and acting team for helping her grow as a writer and creative.

Riley Taylor (She/Her) is a junior double majoring in Theatre and Arts Management with a minor in finance. She was last seen in Center Stages Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the 2023 Directors Showcase in both The Merchant of Venice (Directed by Noah Anderson) and The Game (Directed by Nora Gore), and working as a stage manager for In Love and Warcraft. She is proud to announce that she will be Co-Artistic Director for the upcoming Center Stage Festival, and will be part of Importance of Being Earnest this April. This will be the first time her writing has been on a stage, she would like to thank Michael Smallwood, Grace Albertson, all of the other writers, and her roommates for their help during this process. 

Noah Anderson (He/Him) is a senior double majoring in Theatre (Performance) and History. He has also been seen in Cabaret as Cliff Bradshaw, Two Gentlemen of Verona as Sir Eglamour, Grunt in Firebringer,  The Messengers in The Bacchae and Lewis in  Pippin.  He would like to Thank everyone who made this show possible especially Michael Smallwood for guiding him through the writing process. 

William Caretto (He/Him) is a recent graduate of the Theatre program with a minor in Japanese Studies. He has worked with the College as an actor in Everybody, as well as in past Directors Showcase pieces including The Devil In The Details, Beheading Columbus, and Boy Gets Girl. He has also worked closely with professor Evan Parry in stage combat, looking to pursue his certification and become a Fight Director. He would like to extend a huge thank you to his fellow writers and Michael Smallwood for assisting in his piece, as well as all of the students working behind the scenes to make the Pages Festival run smoothly.

Jaelin LaVanway (She/ Her) is a Junior majoring in Theatre (performance) with a minor in Film. Previously, she has written Conversations With a Stranger, featured in Piccolo Spoleto’s Under The Lights, as well as written and performed in Scatterbrained, a finalist in the Palmetto Drama Association Festival. She was last seen on stage at the College of Charleston’s Directors Showcase in Kaleigh Montgomtery’s production of The Actress, and is currently working on writing and directing her next short film. Jaelin would like to thank her sister Blaise, as well as everyone involved in The Pages Festival!  

Production Team

Grace Albertson is in her freshman year as an Arts Management major at The College. She most recently worked with Main Stage as an assistant stage manager for Men On Boats (Directed by Sharon Gracie), and with Center Stage as the stage manager for As I Was, Not As I Am (Directed by Aidan Wunderley). They would like to thank the wonderful girls of 406 for support through this process, the writers for trusting her with their pages and especially Michael Smallwood and Susan Kattwinkel for their guidance. 


Up next:

The Department of Theatre and Dance and CofC Stages present Die Fledermaus!

Learn more and buy tickets here


Land Acknowledgement: We acknowledge that we are located on the traditional lands of the first people of Charleston: The Etiwan, Kiawah, Edisto Natchez Kusso, Santee, and Wassamassaw people (also known as Varner Town Indians). We acknowledge and honor all the indigenous people who lived, labored and were faithful stewards of the land. We express our deep gratitude for the land and continued faithful stewardship to the next seven generations. 

We also acknowledge the lives and labor of the Africans who were enslaved to build Charleston, South Carolina. On this campus and in our spaces, African and African-descended people used skilled labor in ornamental ironwork, historic architecture, and low country agriculture and food production. On behalf of the College of Charleston, we acknowledge the Black lives and labor that built our city and our campus.

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College of Charleston Theatre (CofC Stages) opens Spring semester programming with ‘The Pages Festival’ featuring new work written and performed by students

CofC Stages at the College of Charleston’s Department of Theatre and Dance commences the second half of its 2023-2024 season on February 2nd, 2024 with The Pages Festival, an evening of staged readings of new work written and performed by students.

Organized by adjunct faculty member of acting and playwriting Michael Smallwood, The Pages Festival features monologues and scenes written, developed, and performed by a group of seventeen students, comprised of Theatre majors along with students studying in other programs. Mr. Smallwood serves as the festival’s director and coordinator, loaning his talents as a playwright and director to the group of student writers and actors.

“The development of new plays and, perhaps more importantly, new playwrights, is some of the most vital work we could possibly be doing in our department,” shares Smallwood. “As a former student playwright, I know just how foundational a skill it can be to a long and successful career in the theatre.”

Readings of The Pages Festival will take place in the Chapel Theatre, beginning Friday, February 2nd at 7:00pm and concluding Monday, February 5th at 7pm. A reading will also occur Saturday, February 3rd at 7:00pm and the series offers a matinee on Sunday, February 4th at 4:00pm. The reading on Monday, February 5th will also feature a talkback with the writers and performers after the performance.

Smallwood continues, “it’s been my great privilege to help shepherd this incredible room of insightful, creative, visionary student playwrights. The work they have created in this process would be remarkable if they were all veteran writers.”

The Department is pleased to announce that select works from The Pages Festival will be presented as part of the Department’s Stelle di Domani series, its annual contribution to the Piccolo Spoleto Festival. Certain works developed as part of the festival will return to Stelle di Domani 2024 as part of Under the Lights, a reading series highlighting work written and presented by College of Charleston students.

“The fact that they are still learning, some of them even presenting words in front of an audience for the first time, makes their accomplishments here truly inspiring,” says Smallwood.

The cast is comprised of Theatre majors as well as non-majors and includes Beau Dolan, Lauren Evans, Kaleigh Montgomery, Emma Piazza, Alexandria Prioleau, Joy Sabet, Eva Voros, and Chris Warzynski. The festival will feature new work written primarily by Theatre majors, including Noah Anderson, William Caretto, Cheyenne Comitz, Amber Dunton, Madelein Hanson, Jaelin LaVanway, Olivia Maness, Jacob Rye, and Riley Taylor. The festival is stage managed by Arts Management major Grace Albertson.


DETAILS: Staged readings of The Pages Festival at the Chapel Theatre (172 Calhoun St.) are Friday, February 2nd through Monday, February 5th. Curtain times are at 7:00pm on Friday, February 2nd, Saturday, February 3rd, and Monday, February 5th, with a 4:00pm matinee on Sunday, February 4th. Please note the earlier curtain time for evening performances of 7:00pm, as opposed to our conventional evening curtain time of 7:30pm.

Individual tickets for The Pages Festival are $10 for adults; $8 for seniors (60+), military/veteran, and youth under 18; and free for CofC students, faculty, and staff. Individual ticket prices for other shows in the CofC Stages season vary by show. Contact the George Street Box Office (gsbo@cofc.edu or by calling 843.953.4726) or purchase your tickets online:

General audience

CofC student tickets

CofC faculty/staff tickets

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Pippin – Digital Program

 

CofC Stages proudly presents

Pippin

Book by Roger O. Hirson
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Directed by Nakeisha Daniel

Music Director
Laura Turner
Choreographer
Laurel van Beusecum
Scenic Designer
Bristol Barnes
Costume Designer
Molly Belle
Lighting Designer
Chris Warzynski
Sound Designer
Caleb S. Garner
Technical Director
JD Stallings
Costume Shop Manager
Ellen Swick

Stage Manager

Mollie Davis

Dramaturg

Randy Howell

November 17-19, 2023
Sottile Theatre, 44 George Street


Jump to: Musical Numbers | Production Team | Acknowledgments | Dramaturgical Note | Cast and Production Team Biographies


          Cast


Drake Carney | Pippin Sam Rhodes | Ensemble (Pippin understudy)
Ngaa Magombedze | Leading Player Brasia Jones | Ensemble (Leading Player understudy)
Ben Hudd | Charles Spencer Vinzani | Ensemble (Charles understudy)
Lexi Willbrand | Theo Abby Scruggs | Ensemble (Berthe understudy)
Bri Fabian | Berthe Jaden Jenkins | Ensemble (Lewis understudy)
Noah Anderson| Lewis Abby Frier | Ensemble (Catherine understudy)
Kate Yarbray | Catherine Jenna Bush | Ensemble (Fastrada understudy)
Gianna Trimboli | Fastrada Aidan Baumann, Whitney Green, Cam Gulledge, Ren Mummert | Ensemble

Musical Numbers

Act I: Act II:
Magic to Do On the Right Track
Corner of the Sky Kind of Woman
War is a Science Extraordinary
Glory Prayer for a Duck
Simple Joys Love Song
No Time at All I Guess I’ll Miss the Man
With You Finale
Spread a Little Sunshine
Morning Glow

Production Team

CofC Stages Artistic Director: Janine McCabe
Production Coordinators: Miles Boinest, Ellen Swick
Stage Management Advisor: Susan Kattwinkel
Assistant Directors: Mekhi Gaither, Sophie Weiss
Assistant Stage Managers: Madelyn Labarge, Rose Goblet
Dramaturg: Randy Howell

Associate Scenic Designer/Scenic Design Advisor: Jonathan Wentz
Projection Designer: Madison Berry
Scenic Charges: Bristol Barnes, Jonathan Wentz
Scenic Artists: Kelsey Beckett, Lillie Bostrom, Alexandria Foster, Madelein Hanson, Lindsay Ward
Carpenters: Brandon Alston, Arsalan Baig, Cheyenne Comitz, Jacob Rye, Aidan Wunderley, and students of Stagecraft class
Properties Designer: Kelsey Beckett
Properties Room Manager: Riley Taylor

Scene Shop Staff (students hired by the Department of Theatre & Dance with support from donor funding): Bristol Barnes, Madison Berry, Isabella Gardner, Eli Salas

Costume Design Advisors: Janine McCabe, Ellen Swick
Costume Research Assistant: Mattison Gaillard
Make-up Designer and Artist: Eva Voros
Hair and Wig Artist: Molly Belle

Pattern Makers: Students of Patterning & Draping
Sewing & Alterations: Zoe Barber, Ava Woods, and the students of Intro to Costuming
Wardrobe Supervisor: Savannah Blake
Wardrobe Crew: Mattison Gaillard, Kaleigh Montgomery, Natalia Ramirez, LG Wylie

Costume Shop Staff (select students hired by the Department of Theatre & Dance with support from donor funding): Brandon Alston, Stef Amezcua Barrientos, Zoe Barber, Savannah Blake, Ashlyn Denham, Mattison Gaillard

Lighting Design Advisor: Lauren Duffie
Head Electricians: Bootsie Baldwin, Alex Jones
Apprentice Electrician: Olivia Maness
Light Board Programmer and Operator: Alex Jones
Follow Spot Operators: Adam Barham, Mira Zimmerman

Electric Shop Staff (students hired by the Department of Theatre & Dance with support from donor funding): Bootsie Baldwin, Alex Jones, Chris Warzynski
Sound Engineer: Dustin Brause
A2
: Evie Palmisano

Sound Board Operator: Shannon Korel
Audio Support: Students of Intro to Live Sound
Run Crew: Emma Bennett, Hannah Moore
Fly Rail: Sam Miere

Operations Coordinator: Miles Boinest
Marketing & Communications: Nandini B. McCauley
Graphic Designer: Rob Alexander
Photography: David Mandel, Madison Berry
Publicity: Madison Berry, Bristol Barnes, Kaylee Phillips
Office Assistant: Ngaa Magombedze

Box Office: George Street Box Office


Originally produced on the Broadway stage by Stuart Ostrow.
Originally directed on the Broadway staged by Bob Fosse. 2013 Broadway revival directed by Diane Paulus.
Theo Ending Originally Conceived in 1998 by Mitch Sebastian.

Pippin is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com


The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, part of the Rubenstein Arts Access Program, is generously funded by David and Alice Rubenstein.

Additional support is provided by the Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation, The Honorable Stuart Bernstein and Wilma E. Bernstein, and the National Committee for the Performing Arts.

This production is entered in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF).

The aims of this national theater education program are to identify and promote quality in college-level theater production. To this end, each production entered is eligible for a response by a regional KCACTF representative, and selected students and faculty are invited to participate in KCACTF programs involving scholarships, internships, grants and awards for actors, directors, dramaturgs, playwrights, designers, stage managers and critics at both the regional and national levels.

Productions entered on the Participating level are eligible for invitation to the KCACTF regional festival and may also be considered for national awards recognizing outstanding achievement in production, design, direction and performance.

By entering this production, our theater department is sharing in the KCACTF goals to recognize, reward, and celebrate the exemplary work produced in college and university theaters across the nation.



Special Thanks:

PURE Theatre, Richard Heffner, Sottile Theatre staff, CofC Fire Marshal’s office, Ashli Arnold and the Flat Rock Playhouse, SOTA Council, Carolyna Ramirez and the George Street Box Office staff


Thank you to all of our donors!

Become an Impact Sponsor
The Department of Theatre and Dance offers opportunities to become an Impact Sponsor. Impact Sponsors have a direct financial and personal impact on individual students with whom you’ll be connected. You will be honored at special events, receive recognition in the 2022-2023 season programs and other department reports and receive updates from your student. For more information, visit theatre.cofc.edu/support and contact our office at 843.953.6306 to declare your impact.

Impact Sponsor Levels:
BENEFACTOR $2,500+ (for incoming student scholarship)
Add your name here!

GUARDIAN $750 (Clarence Student Award)
Karl & Charlene Bunch
Tap & Jean Johnson
Valerie Morris
Evelynn Putnam
Sam & Nancy Stafford
Chester & Arlene Williams
Anonymous (5)

Special Gifts: (Leave a lasting legacy. Learn more: 843.953.5348 or cofclegacy.org)
Anonymous – legacy gift
Charleston Academy of Music
John Covington & Robert Lukey – legacy gift
Michael & Susan Master – legacy gift

Become a Season Sponsor
As we transitions back to live in-person audiences and mask-free performances last season, we worked hard to keep our students and audiences engaged. We preserved the student experience during these last two years, but we lost essential revenue that plays a huge role in funding our season’s productions. Your donations contribute to funding the essentials needed for scenery, lighting, sound, and costumes, but more importantly, they help support student employees, student research and travel, and other student-focused experiences. We can’t do this without your generosity!

Season Sponsor Levels:
PRODUCER $1000+
Karl & Charlene Bunch
Jenny Hane & Julian Wiles
Anthony Laneve
Chester & Arlene Williams

ADVOCATE $750-999
Tap & Jean Johnson
Janine McCabe
Matt & Gretchen McLaine
Valerie Morris
Evelynn Putnam
Nancy & Sam Stafford
Justin & Laurel van Beusecum
Jonathan & Janine Wentz

STAR $500-749
Leslie Dyke
Michael & Susan Master

DIRECTOR $250-499
Sandra Garner
Janice and Jay Messeroff
Stellar Stitches Fashion Show
Laura Turner

FAN $100-249
Kristin Alexander, Stacey Alston, Rebecca Boone, Glenda Byars, Todd McNerney, Elena & Ted Mitchell, Sam Rhodes, Emma Simmons, Jillian & Michael Smallwood

PATRON up to $99
Caroline Baker, Mary Beth Berry, Shelby North, Bari Perales, Claire Steffens, Andrew Whitehead


Dramaturgical Note

Pippin first premiered on Broadway at the Imperial Theater on October 23, 1972, making the College of Charleston’s Department of Theatre and Dance production fall shortly after its 51st anniversary. The show has toured the United States four times with the most recent tour happening in 2014, and it was revived on Broadway once back in 2013. Shortly after opening in the United States there was a West End production that ran for 85 performances during the 1970’s.

Although the musical is completely fictitious some characters hold historical relevance. The character Pippin is a part of history, only he was known as Pepin, and was the oldest son of Charlemagne (Charles the Great). Pepin was a family name and Charlemagne’s father was known as Pepin the Short. Our Pepin was Charlemagne’s first child and was born with a birth defect causing him to have a humped back (a feature that is left out of the musical). Another of Charlemagne’s sons was Louis the Pious, who became emperor after Charlemagne’s death. Charlemagne’s third wife was named Fastrada, with whom he had a daughter named Theodrada (who can be viewed as Catherine’s son Theo in the musical).

The musical itself plays with history in a witty way by telling a story that is completely original while referencing historical figures. The variations in names and known characteristics signal that these individuals are not those found in history books but a reimagining from the minds of Roger O. Hirson, Stephan Schwartz, and Bob Fosse and come together to create a coming-of-age story that is as much unorthodox as it is comical. Through Pippin one can learn that life is not a one-stop journey, but a path filled with obstacles and pitstops.

—Randy Howell
   Dramaturg


Cast and Production Team Bios

Roger O. Hirson (Book) Writer. Father of David Hirson. Awards and nominations: 1973 Tony Award® Best Book of a Musical Pippin [nominee] 1967 Tony Award® Best Musical Walking Happy [nominee] Productions: PIPPIN Book [Original, Musical, Comedy] (Oct 23, 1972 – Jun 12, 1977). WALKING HAPPY Book [Original, Musical] (Nov 26, 1966 – Apr 22, 1967)

Stephen Schwartz (Music and Lyrics) wrote the music and lyrics for the current Broadway hit WICKED, and has also contributed music and/or lyrics to GODSPELL, PIPPIN, THE MAGIC SHOW, THE BAKER’S WIFE, WORKING (which he also adapted and directed), RAGS, and CHILDREN OF EDEN. He collaborated with Leonard Bernstein on the English texts for Bernstein’s MASS and wrote the title song for the play and movie BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE. For children, he has written songs for two musicals, CAPTAIN LOUIE and MY SON PINOCCHIO. He has also worked in film, collaborating with Alan Menken on the songs for Disney’s ENCHANTED as well as the animated features POCAHONTAS and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, and writing the songs for the DreamWorks animated feature THE PRINCE OF EGYPT. His first opera, SEANCE ON A WET AFTERNOON, was produced at Opera Santa Barbara and New York City Opera. A book about his career, “Defying Gravity,” has been released by Applause Books. Mr. Schwartz has been inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and has been given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . Awards include three Academy Awards, four Grammy Awards, and a tiny handful of tennis trophies.

Guest Artists

Molly Belle (Costume Designer) is thrilled to return as a guest artist this season after graduating from the College last spring. She has been serving as resident designer for the Footlight Players at Queen Street Playhouse this season including recent designs for The Wild Party and POTUS. Other recent work includes co-designing Two Gentlemen of Verona for CofC Stages last Spring and serving as Assistant Costume Designer for Charleston Stage’s A Christmas Carol. Molly is also developing her own fashion brand, Molly Belle Design, which she will expand into online retail spaces in the near future. She’s grateful to be part of this production and so thankful for all of the love and support from her family and friends.

Bri Fabian (Berthe) is a graduate of the College of Charleston Class of 2023. She has previously been seen in the College’s production of Two Gentlemen of Verona as Antonio, as well as the staged reading of The Late Wedding as Han and Innkeeper. She is absolutely thrilled to be included in telling this story and would like to thank Nakeisha, Laura, and Laurel for the opportunity to be a part of this production, along with the entire cast and crew for making this such a wonderful experience! She would also like to thank her family for their patience, support, and encouragement in this and every endeavor.

Mekhi Gaither-Burris (Assistant Director) is a Graduate Student in his first semester of the MAT Program (Masters of Arts in Teaching in Performing Arts) here at The College. He is beyond grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the directing team, and he’s loved getting to work with this amazing cast and crew. He has previously been seen in Two Gentlemen of Verona, Violet, Pipeline, Everybody and The Arts under the Oaks Festival. He knows you’re going to love this production!


Noah Anderson (Lewis) [he/him] is a senior double majoring in Theatre (Performance) and History. He has also been seen in Cabaret as Cliff Bradshaw, Two Gentlemen of Verona as Sir Eglamour, Grunt in Firebringer, and the Messengers in The Bacchae. He would like to thank everyone who made this show possible especially the Director Nakeisha Daniel and Assistant Director (and degree holder) Mekhi Gather for always dealing with his tomfoolery, allowing him to try new wacky things throughout the rehearsal process and letting him get up to shenanigans on stage. 

Bristol Barnes (Scenic Designer) [she/they] is a senior majoring in Theatre (Performance and Scenic Design) with a minor in Film Studies. She has been a multi-talented theatrical and film artist over her years here. This is her second mainstage scenic design, having also designed Two Gentlemen of Verona last semester. She has also done lots of work with Center Stage having been the sound designer on The Bacchae and scenic designer on Firebringer. Outside of the theatre, she has helped produce many student short films over her time here. She recently directed Crash [Cymbal], a short film which premiered at the CofC Student Film Festival in April. She will be serving as assistant director for The Importance of Being Earnest, the last show in this year’s season. Check out her website, www.bristolbarnes.com, for more info about what she’s been up to! 

Aidan Baumann (Ensemble) is a senior at the College of Charleston double majoring in Dance and Hospitality & Tourism Management with a minor in Business Administration. She has most recently been featured in After the Rain, the fall dance concert. This is her sixth mainstage show and only her second musical as she was last seen as “Frenchie” in Cabaret. She would like to thank Nakeisha Daniel and Laurel van Beusecum for constantly pushing her to be the best performer she could possibly be. 

Kelsey Beckett (Properties Designer) is a junior at the College of Charleston, majoring in Theatre with a concentration in Scenic Design and a minor in Arts Management. This is her mainstage debut as properties designer for Pippin, and she will be the Assistant Scenic Designer for the spring opera Die Fledermaus.  She is excited to share her creativity and talent with you tonight. She would like to thank her mentor, Jonathan Wentz, and director, Nakeisha Daniel, for their support and guidance throughout this process.

Madison Berry (Projection Designer) is a senior at the College of Charleston majoring in Theatre with a double concentration in Performance and Scenic Design. Recent design work for the mainstage includes Men on Boats (Scenic Designer), Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet (Assistant Scenic Designer) and Violet (Properties Designer). She has been awarded the 2023 Randy Lutz Allied Design & Tech National Finalist for her properties design (Violet) by The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Her work has also been seen in the community in Daniel and the Kings (Assistant Properties Designer) and Spoleto’s Stelle di Domani 2023 production of There’s Always Tomorrow (Director). Keep an eye out for her next scenic design in the upcoming mainstage production of The Importance of Being Earnest this April!

Jenna Bush (Ensemble/Fastrada understudy) is a sophomore at the College and is majoring in Biology with a minor in Theatre. She was last seen as Kitty in CofC’s staged reading, In Love and Warcraft, as well as Zazzalil in Center Stage’s production of Firebringer. Jenna is very excited to be part of this dazzling production and would like to thank the entire cast and creative team behind this production. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Drake Carney (Pippin) is a sophomore majoring in Theatre (Performance), double minoring in Japanese and French & Francophone Studies. This is his mainstage debut! He was a member of Broadway Ensemble in the fall 2022 semester. He would like to thank his family for the endless support, Nakeisha, Laura, and Laurel for this extraordinary opportunity, and lastly his voice teacher Megan. In addition, he’ll be seen in next semester’s mainstage production of Die Fledermaus.

Mollie Davis (Stage Manager) is a senior at the College majoring in Psychology and Theatre. Her work as a stage manager has been seen previously in the mainstage productions of Everybody, Violet, and Two Gentlemen of Verona. She would first like to thank the cast for being so great to work with! She would also like to thank her mother for being supportive of her every endeavor. Mollie is extremely grateful to Susan Kattwinkel for being an amazing mentor and support system throughout her time at CofC. 

Abby Frier (Ensemble/Catherine understudy) is a sophomore at the College majoring in Sociology and minoring in Spanish. This is her first show at the college and is ever so grateful for the opportunity to perform with her fellow new found castmates and friends. She wants to give thanks to Nakeisha Daniel, Laurel van Beusecum, and Laura Turner for allowing her to perform. She would also like to give a shoutout to Laura for the genuine serendipity of finding her in the restroom and asking her to come audition for this magical show. 

Whitney Green (Ensemble) is a senior at the College majoring in Arts Management and minoring in Dance, Psychology, and Marketing. She has most recently been seen in After the Rain. She would like to thank Nakeisha Daniel, Laurel van Beusecum, and Laura Turner for this opportunity!

Cameron Gulledge (Ensemble) is a senior at the College of Charleston, majoring in Theatre with a performance concentration. She has been seen in productions like Director’s Showcase as Agnes from Agnes of God and in last season’s staged reading The Late Wedding as Caysen and Patron 2. This is her first musical at the college and she is incredibly grateful to her director Nakeisha Daniel for giving her the opportunity. She would also like to thank Laura Turner for her musical direction and the amazing orchestra! 

Randolph James Howell Jr. (Dramaturg) [they/them] is a sophomore majoring in Theatre. They were last seen as Oshoosi Size in the department’s production of Marcus; or The Secret of Sweet.

Ben Hudd (Charles) is a junior at the College of Charleston, majoring in Theatre with a concentration in Performance. He was last seen in the mainstage production of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley as Arthur de Bourgh, and in CofC Opera’s Tales of Hoffmann as Schlémil. He is very grateful for the chance to be a part of this show and would like to thank the cast and crew for a fantastic experience.

Jaden Jenkins (Ensemble/Lewis understudy) is a Theatre major with a concentration in Theatre for Youth. He’s been seen in many productions including Marcus; or The Secret of Sweet (Ogun Size), Violet (Flick), Cabaret (Victor/Emcee understudy). You can catch him at the Footlight Players’ production of Urinetown in April as Hot Blades Harry.

Brasia Jones (Ensemble/Leading Player understudy) is a senior at the College of Charleston majoring in Theatre with a concentration in Performance. She has previously been in Cabaret as Fraulein Kost and in Violet as Landlady/Ensemble. She is so elated to be apart of this production and is very grateful for all the opportunities given. Specifically she would  like to thank Laura Turner, Nakeisha Daniel and Laurel van Beusecum for all the great guidance and constant support throughout the whole process. 

Ngaa Magombedze (Leading Player) is a sophomore at the College double majoring in Theatre and International Studies. This is her debut mainstage performance. Under the mentorship of Peter Spearman, she previously served as assistant director for The Late Wedding. She would like to thank Nakeisha Daniel, Laurel van Beusecum, and Laura Turner for trusting her with the honor of telling this story. She would also like to thank the incredibly charismatic cast, crew, designers, and you—the audience—for allowing us the chance to truly create magic on stage!

Ren Mummert (Ensemble) [they/them] is a junior Theatre Performance major at the College of Charleston. Ren was recently seen on stage in The Late Wedding and as Janet in the Rocky Horror Picture Show last year! Ren is a circus trained artist who plans on pursuing a career in aerial arts after they graduate. They would like to thank everyone involved in the production for helping us make the magic happen. They also want to thank their family for always supporting them and we can’t forget Percy of course.

Sam Rhodes (Ensemble/Pippin understudy) is a junior at the College of Charleston majoring in Theatre. He has previously been looked at in other mainstage productions including Violet as Billy Deane/Virgil/Radio Trio, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley  as understudy (and tree), and will appear in the spring’s production of The Importance of being Earnest as Cecily Cardew. He is very appreciative of the opportunity Nakeisha Daniel and Laura Turner has given him. He would also like to deeply thank the fight coordinator, Evan Parry, for tolerating him and hearing his jokes through this process.

Abby Scruggs (Ensemble/Berthe understudy) is a junior majoring in Political Science and Theatre with a concentration in Performance and minor in Music. She was last seen in the Main Stage production of Violet (Old Lady) and Center Stage’s Firebringer (Jemilla). She would like to thank her family for their continued support, and Buren Martin for giving her a love of Theatre!

Gianna Trimboli (Fastrada) is a senior at the College and is majoring in Theatre and Dance. She has been seen previously in Cabaret as Fritze, Living Dead in Denmark as Titania, as well as many dance concerts done here at the College of Charleston. She would like to thank the professors working on this production for giving her this opportunity and would also like to thank her voice teacher Diana for helping her specifically with this show! 

Spencer Vinzani (Ensemble/Charles understudy) is a senior studying Theatre. He is thrilled to celebrate his final curtain call with the department in Pippin. Recent credits include Preacher in Violet and Ernst Ludwig in Cabaret. He would like to thank the CofC Theatre and Dance department for this opportunity to use his stage combat skills and his voice. 

Eva Voros (Make-up Designer) is a junior at the College of Charleston majoring in Theatre with minors in Italian and Religious Studies. Prior to studying at CofC, Eva received her Makeup Artistry Certificate from Industry Makeup Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. Eva would like to extend extra gratitude towards Molly Belle for her brilliant costume design, Janine McCabe, and to Susan Kattwinkel for encouraging her to apply for the position of makeup artist for Pippin.

Chris Warzynski (Lighting Designer) is a junior Theatre Major at the College with a double concentration in Performance and Scenic/Lighting Design as well as a minor in Japanese Studies. Chris was last seen at the College in CofC Stages’ staged reading of In Love and Warcraft (Ryan) and in Center Stage’s Firebringer (Molag). During the summer, they traveled abroad in Japan and created a new interpretation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with the Yokohama Theatre Group. Back home, their play A Conversation was read during the Piccolo Spoleto’s Under The Lights event. Chris is currently working on a new play. Chris would like to thank their grandparents for not evicting them.

Lexi Willbrand (Theo) is a senior at the College of Charleston who is double majoring in Arts Management and Marketing who is graduating in May. This is her first and only show at the College of Charleston after performing in several high school and community shows. She is so grateful for this opportunity and wants to thank all her friends and family for their support! 

Kate Yarbray (Catherine) [she/her] is a junior at the College majoring in Theatre with a double concentration in performance and lighting design. She was last seen in Center Stage’s production of Firebringer as Chorn and the Main Stage’s production of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley as Lydia. She gives special thanks to her family for never missing a show and to her roommate for encouraging her like no other. Above all else, she’d like to thank this brilliant cast for always being there to catch her when she fell.


Land Acknowledgement: We would like to acknowledge that we are located on the traditional lands of the first people of Charleston: The Etiwan, Kiawah, Edisto Natchez Kusso, Santee, and Wassamassaw people (also known as Varner Town Indians). 

We acknowledge and honor all the indigenous people who lived, labored and were faithful stewards of the land. We express our deep gratitude for the land and continued faithful stewardship to the next seven generations. 

We also acknowledge the lives and labor of the Africans who were enslaved to build Charleston, South Carolina. 

On this campus and in this space, African and African-descended people used skilled labor in ornamental ironwork, historic architecture, and low country agriculture and food production. On behalf of the College of Charleston, we acknowledge the Black lives and labor that built our city and our campus.

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College of Charleston Theatre (CofC Stages) presents Pippin in Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Classic Musical

CofC Stages at the College of Charleston’s Department of Theatre and Dance continues its season with its next production, Pippin, this season’s musical offering. This season features eight compelling productions that each highlight the theme of “Expectations and Explorations”—challenging what we think we know as we discover the world around us, as well as ourselves.

Pippin tells the story of the son of Charlemagne, king of the Holy Roman Empire in the 8th Century. However, the plot is entirely a work of fiction and makes no claims of historical accuracy.

The story revolves around a traveling performance troupe who is telling Pippin’s story. The Leading Player of this troupe directs the story for the audience and often breaks the fourth wall to address the audience directly. This particular production of Pippin takes place within an Old Hollywood Film Studio. The Leading Player serves as the director of a 1930s film, attempting to tell Pippin’s story on the silver screen, while Pippin proves a difficult lead actor, constantly changing the film because of his dissatisfaction with the story being told. The production’s designers were inspired by various films that were produced throughout the 1920s and 1930s while creating the concept.

Pippin has achieved classic status as a musical having premiered on Broadway at the Imperial Theater in 1972. Featuring music and lyrics written by Stephen Schwartz and book by Roger O. Hirson, the original production was directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, otherwise best known for Sweet Charity and Chicago. Pippin has grown into a highly conceptual show since then, with the 2014 Broadway Revival featuring a concept based around a circus theme. CofC Stages is pleased to celebrate this fantastic show during the celebration of its 50th anniversary.

The production is directed by Assistant Professor of Performance Nakeisha Daniel, whose previous directorial work was seen last season in the musical Violet. The music direction is helmed by Professor Laura Turner, and adjunct faculty member Laurel Van Beusecum provides choreography. Master of Arts in Teaching student Mekhi Gaither serves as assistant director.

The cast consists entirely of undergraduate students and is led by Drake Carney in the role of Pippin, Ngaa Magombedze as the Leading Player, Ben Hudd as Charles, and Kate Yarbray as Catherine. The show’s designers include senior Theatre major Bristol Barnes (scenic design), junior Theatre major Chris Warzynski (lighting design), recent alumna Molly Belle (costume design), and adjunct faculty member Caleb Garner (sound design). Junior Theatre and Psychology major Mollie Davis serves as stage manager.

DETAILS: Performances of Pippin at the Sottile Theatre (44 George St.) are November 17-19. Curtain times are 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 17th and 18th with a 2:00 p.m. matinee on Nov. 19th. Individual tickets are $30 adults; $25 seniors (60+), military/veteran, and youth under 18; and $15 for CofC students, faculty, and staff. Contact the George Street Box Office (gsbo@cofc.edu or by calling 843.953.4726) or purchase your tickets online:

General audience

CofC student tickets

CofC faculty/staff tickets

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In Love and Warcraft – Digital Program

Access The Pages Festival program by clicking here.

 

 

CofC Stages proudly presents

In Love and Warcraft

by Madhuri Shekar

A Staged Reading

Directed by Peter Spearman

Stage Manager
Riley Taylor
Assistant Director
Bea Lemaster
Interaction Designer
Bootsie Baldwin

November 3-6, 2023
Chapel Theatre, 172 Calhoun Street


Jump to: Acknowledgments | Director’s Note | Cast and Production Team Biographies


Cast

Madelein Hanson | Evie
Jenna Bush | Kitty
Brandon Alston | Raul
Chris Warzynski | Ryan
Phoenix Brown | Ensemble
Delaney Faile | Ensemble


Production Team

Director: Peter Spearman
Assistant Director: Bea Lemaster
Stage Manager: Riley Taylor
Lighting Stewards: Bootsie Baldwin and Chris Warzynski

Interactive Design Team
Project Coordinator: Dr. Bill Manaris
Lead Programmer: Drew Smuniewski
Concept Designer: Bootsie Baldwin
Head Animator: Reed Reed
Assistant Colorist: Autumn Rose Lloyd
Graphic Designer: Taj Ballinger

CofC Stages Operations Coordinator: Miles Boinest
Technical Director: JD Stallings
Stage Management Advisor: Susan Kattwinkel
Marketing & Communications: Nandini B. McCauley
Graphic Designer: Rob Alexander
Photography: Madison Berry
Publicity: Madison Berry, Bristol Barnes, Kaylee Phillips

Box Office: George Street Box Office


Special Thanks

School of the Arts Interim Dean Elizabeth Meyer-Bernstein, Ellen Swick, Susan Kattwinkel, Addi Spearman, the students of THTR 315, the Department of Computer Science, Carolyna Ramirez, and the George Street Box Office Staff


Thank you to all of our donors!

Become an Impact Sponsor
The Department of Theatre and Dance offers opportunities to become an Impact Sponsor. Impact Sponsors have a direct financial and personal impact on individual students with whom you’ll be connected. You will be honored at special events, receive recognition in the 2022-2023 season programs and other department reports and receive updates from your student. For more information, visit theatre.cofc.edu/support and contact our office at 843.953.6306 to declare your impact.

Impact Sponsor Levels:
BENEFACTOR $2,500+ (for incoming student scholarship)
Add your name here!

GUARDIAN $750 (Clarence Student Award)
Karl & Charlene Bunch
Tap & Jean Johnson
Valerie Morris
Evelynn Putnam
Nancy & Sam Stafford
Chester & Arlene Williams
Anonymous (3)

Special Gifts: (Leave a lasting legacy. Learn more: 843.953.5348 or cofclegacy.org)
Anonymous – legacy gift
Charleston Academy of Music
John Covington & Robert Lukey – legacy gift
Michael & Susan Master – legacy gift

Become a Season Sponsor
As we transitions back to live in-person audiences and mask-free performances last season, we worked hard to keep our students and audiences engaged. We preserved the student experience during these last two years, but we lost essential revenue that plays a huge role in funding our season’s productions. Your donations contribute to funding the essentials needed for scenery, lighting, sound, and costumes, but more importantly, they help support student employees, student research and travel, and other student-focused experiences. We can’t do this without your generosity!

Season Sponsor Levels:
PRODUCER $1000+
Karl & Charlene Bunch
Anthony Laneve
Chester & Arlene Williams

ADVOCATE $750-999
Tap & Jean Johnson
Susan Kattwinkel
Janine McCabe
Matt & Gretchen McLaine
Valerie Morris
Evelynn Putnam
Nancy & Sam Stafford

STAR $500-749
Leslie Dyke
Michael & Susan Master

DIRECTOR $250-499
Sandra Garner
Janice & Jay Messeroff
Laura Turner
Jonathan & Janine Wentz

FAN $100-249
Kristin Alexander
Rebecca Boone
Glenda Byars
Todd McNerney
Elena & Ted Mitchell
Sam Rhodes
Emma Simmons
Jillian & Michael Smallwood

PATRON up to $99
Caroline Baker, Mary Beth Berry, Shelby North, Bari Perales, Claire Steffens


Director’s Note

For me, this is a play about vulnerability and how it can be hard to let people see all of us. However, there are situations and people for which being physically and emotionally vulnerable is not only worth it, but can be transformative.

I want to thank the cast, crew, department, and Dr. Manaris’s research team for making this experience truly memorable.

—Peter Spearman, Director


Cast and Production Team Biographies

 

Brandon Alston (Raul) is a senior Theatre major with a concentration in Costume Design and Technology. He has appeared in the CofC Stages productions of Two Gentlemen of Verona, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, Pipeline, and Living Dead in Denmark. 

Phoenix Brown (Ensemble) is a senior at the College of Charleston majoring in Theatre with a concentration in performance. They most recently appeared in October’s mainstage production of Men on Boats. They would like to thank the wonderful cast, crew, and directors for such a fun and exciting experience. 

Jenna Bush (Kitty) is extremely excited to be making her mainstage debut in In Love and Warcraft. Jenna is a sophomore Biology major with a minor in Theatre. She was last seen in Center Stage’s production of Firebringer as Zazzalil. She is currently rehearsing for CofC’s production of Pippin which opens on November 17th! Jenna would like to thank the lovely cast, crew, and amazing director Dr. Spearman for this wonderful opportunity and she hopes you enjoy the show!

Delaney Faile (Ensemble) is a senior majoring in Arts Management with a minor in Theatre. Previous credits at the college include Agave in The Bacchae (Center Stage), Ensemble in Violet (Department of Theatre and Dance), Andres/Cochenille in The Tales of Hoffman (CofC Opera), and Jen in The Cake (Center Stage). Delaney will also be playing Prince Orlofsky in CofC’s upcoming production of Die Fledermaus. Local credits with Footlight Players include Nadine in The Wild Party, Gloria in Wait Until Dark, and Ensemble in Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. She also works as a stage manager at Footlight Players and in the box office at PURE Theatre. Much love to the cast and crew, the gals of 308, her family, and Jonathan.

Madelein Hanson (Evie) is a junior majoring in Theatre (Theatre Studies) and French Studies with a minor in Linguistics. She was last seen in the mainstage production of Two Gentlemen of Verona and most recently as Brad Majors in Center Stage’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show Shadowcast. Madelein is currently working as the dramaturg for Center Stage’s upcoming play As I Was, Not As I Am.  She would like to thank Dr. Peter Spearman for all of his support, and she hopes you enjoy the show!

Bea Lemaster (Assistant Director) is a senior majoring in Theatre with a concentration in Theatre Studies and was last seen as Hall in Men on Boats, directed by Sharon Graci. They want to thank Peter Spearman and the rest of the In Love and Warcraft team for all the fun they’ve had this week! 

Riley Taylor (Stage Manager) is a junior majoring in Arts Management and Theatre. This is her first time stage managing a production and she wants to thank Peter Spearman, Bootsie Baldwin, and the cast for such a welcoming environment.

Chris Warzynski (Ryan) is a junior Theatre Major at the College with a double concentration in Performance and Scenic/Lighting Design as well as a minor in Japanese Studies. Chris was last seen at the College in Center Stage’s Firebringer (Molag) and on the mainstage in Two Gentlemen of Verona (Launce). During the summer, they traveled abroad in Japan and created a new interpretation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with the Yokohama Theatre Group. Back home, their play A Conversation was read during the Piccolo Spoleto’s Under The Lights event. Chris is currently working on a new play and is the Lighting Designer for CofC Stages’ upcoming production of Pippin. Chris would like to thank their grandparents for not evicting them.


Up next:

The Department of Theatre and Dance and CofC Stages present Pippin!

Learn more and buy tickets here.


Land Acknowledgement: We acknowledge that we are located on the traditional lands of the first people of Charleston: The Etiwan, Kiawah, Edisto Natchez Kusso, Santee, and Wassamassaw people (also known as Varner Town Indians). We acknowledge and honor all the indigenous people who lived, labored and were faithful stewards of the land. We express our deep gratitude for the land and continued faithful stewardship to the next seven generations. 

We also acknowledge the lives and labor of the Africans who were enslaved to build Charleston, South Carolina. On this campus and in our spaces, African and African-descended people used skilled labor in ornamental ironwork, historic architecture, and low country agriculture and food production. On behalf of the College of Charleston, we acknowledge the Black lives and labor that built our city and our campus.

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CofC Stages presents a staged reading of ‘In Love and Warcraft’

CofC Stages at the College of Charleston’s Department of Theatre and Dance continues its season with its first November offering: a staged reading of In Love and Warcraft by Madhuri Shekar. This season features eight compelling productions that each highlight the theme of “Expectations and Explorations”—challenging what we think we know as we discover the world around us, as well as ourselves.

In Love and Warcraft tells the story of Evie Malone – gamer girl, college senior, and confirmed virgin – who has it all figured out. Not only does she command a top-ranked guild in Warcraft with her online boyfriend; she also makes a little cash on the side writing love letters for people who’ve screwed up their relationships. Love is like a video game, after all: it’s all about strategies, game plans, and not taking stupid risks. Well, that’s what she thinks… until she actually falls for a guy. In real life. No amount of gaming expertise will help her out when she finds herself with a non-virtual, totally real and incredibly cute boyfriend, who wants more from her than she’s willing to give.

Written by Madhuri Shekur, In Love and Warcraft premiered at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia in 2014 and won the 2013-2014 Alliance/Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Award. An award-winning playwright and screenwriter, Madhuri Shekar was born in California and grew up in India, and is currently based in Jersey City, New Jersey. She is an alumna of the Juilliard Playwriting program, a fellow at New Dramatists, and the 2020 winner of the Lanford Wilson Playwriting award. Her other works include the audio play Evil Eye, which debuted on the Audible bestseller list in May 2019, and won the 2020 Audie Award for Best Original Work. Her play House of Joy received its world premiere at Cal Shakes in August 2019.

The staged reading is directed by Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre Dr. Peter Spearman, whose previous directorial work includes last season’s staged reading of The Late Wedding. Later this season, Dr. Spearman will also direct the department’s co-production with CofC Opera, Die Fledermaus. Senior theatre major Bea Lemaster serves as the Assistant Director. The cast, comprised of theatre majors and minors, includes Madelein Hanson as Evie, Jenna Bush as Kitty, Brandon Alston as Raul, Chris Warzynski as Ryan, and Phoenix Brown and Delaney Faile portraying a variety of ensemble characters.

DETAILS: Performances of In Love and Warcraft at the Chapel Theatre (172 Calhoun St.) are November 3-6. Curtain times are 7:00 p.m. on Nov. 3rd, 4th, and 6th, with a 4:00 p.m. matinee on Nov. 5th. Discounted season ticket packages are available for all eight CofC Stages productions. Individual tickets are $10 adults; $8 seniors (60+), military/veteran, and youth under 18; tickets are free for CofC students, faculty, and staff.

Purchase individual tickets online or contact the George Street Box Office by emailing gsbo@cofc.edu or calling (843) 953-4726.

2023-2024 CofC Stages Season
Visit go.cofc.edu/cofcstages to learn about all eight productions that center on the theme “Expectations and Explorations” :

Men on Boats by Jaclyn Backhaus
After the Rain (faculty-choreographed dance concert)
In Love and Warcraft by Madhuri Shekar (staged reading)
Pippin by Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson
The Pages Festival: Staged Readings of Student-Written Works
Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II (co-production with Department of Music/CofC Opera)
Pathways (student-choreographed dance concert)
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

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