The Society of the Arts in conjunction with The Department of Theatre Arts present
"What I Did For Love"
An Evening of One-Acts
November 8-11, 1995 at 8:00 PM in the PSU HAZLETON COMMONS
ACT ONE:
Sure Thing by David Ives
Directed by Steve Schrum
Betty.......................Audra Hope Hearity
Bill...................Jason Harriss Vichinsky
Changes by Steve Schrum
Directed by Gypsy Moylan
Wednesday and Friday:
Man........................Toni Lynn Engelhart
Woman.........................Jamie Lynn Beers
Thursday and Saturday:
Man................................Matt McCrone
Woman.................Anthony P. Robinson-Brown
Abducted! by Steve Schrum
Directed by Jose Lugaro
Detective................Christopher M. Fordice
Mrs. Ross....................Meagan Baumgartner
Policeman..........................Matt Roseman
There will be a 10-Minute Intermission between acts
Intermission music by Jeremy dePrisco
ACT TWO:
Opportunity for Comfort by Audra H. Hearity
Directed by Steve Schrum
Alex................................Kelly Stover
Jeff................................Matt McCrone
Passion, Poison and Petrifaction by George Bernard Shaw
Directed by Steve Schrum
Costumes Designed & Constructed by Dianna L. Bourke
Magnesia Fitztollemache..............Amanda Numbers
Phyllis, a maid....................Angela Cacchione
George Fitztollemache.............Jason W. LaBruzza
Adolphus Bastable.....................Josh Chambers
Landlady...............................Dawn M. Kehs
Officer.............................Matthew Roseman
Doctor...............................Brandy Mindick
Head Angel......................Sophia Lana Meixner
Angels.....Audra Hope Hearity, Kari Anna Paszynsky
Musicians........T. Martin Camden III, Al Stirba IV,
Cary Toaso
ACTOR BIOS
Meagan Baumgartner (Mrs. Ross) is a freshman History major from Shamokin, PA. In addition to her roles in high school theatre, Meg also has taken classes at the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble and has worked as a stage hand at the Rockwell Candlelight Dinner Theatre.
Jamie Lynn Beers (Woman) served as president of her high school drama club in Clyde, NY, for two years. Here at Hazleton, she is a freshman Communications major.
Angela Cacchione (Phyllis) is a freshman Film and Video major from Avenel. NJ. Angela appeared in six productions while attending Middlesex Arts High School, including You're A Good Man Charlie Brown and Up the Down Staircase.
Josh Chambers (Adolphus Bastable) lists himself as a communications major, cartoonist, independent disc jockey, trombonist and the author of a satire column for the Hazleton Campus Collegian. Previous stage roles include Officer Klein in Arsenic and Old Lace and Luther Billis in South Pacific.
Toni Lynn Engelhart (Man) previously appeared on our stage as Philomena Rostavitch in Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You and the Maid in Twelfth Night. Toni, a sophomore Radio and TV major, is also the president of the Society of the Arts.
Christopher M. Fordice (Detective), from Randolph NJ, is a freshman Biology major. Previous stage credits include Malcolm in Macbeth, Stanley in Brighton Beach memoirs, and Oliver in Oliver.
Audra Hope Hearity (Betty/Angel) is returning to the stage after a brief hiatus. Currently employed as a pre-school teacher in Hazleton, Audra has participated in many productions at the Rainbow's End Children's Theatre Company and Bloomsburg University, including Blood Wedding and Reckless.
Dawn M. Kehs (Landlady) is making her campus stage debut with this production. A first semester Film and Video major, Dawn is from Berwick, PA.
Jason W. LaBruzza (George Fitztollemache) is a sophomore Film and Video Production major from Piscataway, NJ. Jason played Frank'N'Furter in the Rocky Horror Picture Show on campus last fall, and last spring appeared as Sir Andrew Aguecheek in the campus production of Twelfth Night.
Matt McCrone (Man, Jeff) is a freshman in the Division of Undergraduate Studies. In high school, Matt served as Assistant Stage Manager for Into The Woods, and also appeared in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Beauty and the Beast.
Sophia Lana Meixner (Lead Angel) has worked backstage as stage manager, props manager and assistant seamstress, as well as a variety of roles in plays such as Into The Woods, Bye Bye Birdie, and‹at the Pennsylvania Repertory Company‹Tiny Tim's Christmas Carol.
Brandy Mindick (Doctor) is a freshman Film and Video Major from Laplata, MD. A veteran of many elementary and middle school plays, he is making his Hazleton Campus stage debut with this production.
Amanda Numbers (Magnesia Fitztollemache) appeared in several shows in her native Florida high school and college, and her high school won the state competition two years running at the Florida State Thespian Competition. Amanda is a Secondary Education/English major (with a minor in Theatre) now living in Conyngham.
Kari Anna Paszynsky (Angel) is a freshman Art Education major from Easton, PA. Previous stage experience includes choir and chorus, and a role in A Laundromat Romance.
Anthony P. Robinson-Brown (Woman) comes to us from Philadelphia, PA, to make his stage debut with this production. Anthony is a freshman Elementary Education major.
Matthew Roseman (Policeman/Officer) is a freshman Film and Video major from Nazareth, PA. His previous stage credits include roles in The Pajama Game, South Pacific, The King And I, Oliver, and A Company of Wayward Saints.
Kelly Stover (Alex) is a freshman Communication major making her theatrical debut on our stage. Kelly is a native of Apollo, PA.
Jason Harriss Vichinsky (Bill) returns to the Hazleton Campus stage after spending some time at UPark as a Political Science major. Some of our audience members may remember Jason as Alceste in The Misanthrope (Spring 1992) and Dr. Rance in What The Butler Saw (Spring 1993).
CREW BIOS
T. Martin Camden III (Musician/Set Running Crew) is a freshman Film and Video major from Apollo, PA. Previous experience includes writing, directing and acting in one-acts before coming to Hazleton. He also has worked lights for our SOTA coffeehouses here on campus, and has played in several rock and alternative bands.
Frankie Cartwright (Set Running Crew) is a sophomore in the Division of Undergraduate Studies. A native of Philadelphia, PA, he says his experience in theatre come from "having to watch a lot of plays in high school."
Jeremy J. dePrisco (Composer), in addition to being a performing musician & songwriter, he has also been a sound designer and musical director for The Rainbow's End Theatre Company of Nesquehoning. Hazleton audiences may remember Jeremy as a member of The Outpatients, the live band who played for What The Butler Saw here on campus in Spring '93. A Business Administration major, Jeremy is also the Director of The Mindspeak Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts.
Catherine Forero (Costume Running Crew) returns to work backstage once again, as she did for last year's productions. Catherine is a sophomore Pre-Law major from Stamford, CT.
Brian Stephen Green (Light Board Operator) is a Computer Science major from East Brunswick, NJ. This is Brian's third semester as our light board operator.
Matt Houghton (Props Running Crew) is a sophomore Journalism major from Manchester, NH. Matt is making his backstage debut with this show.
Jose Lugaro (Student Director) appeared as Gary in Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You and as Orsino in Twelfth Night here on campus. Last year he served as Assistant Director of The Wiz at Pocono Mountain High School. A Business Administration major, Jose is also the Vice-President of the Society of the Arts on campus.
Aimeé Martinez (Costume Running Crew) moved from the Dominican Republic to attend school in the States. An Advertising/Marketing sophomore, she is also a student in the Honors Program.
Gypsy Moylan (Student Director) played Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire and directed Oedipus Rex at Emerson College when first in college. Now having returned to school at Penn State as a Pre-Law/Theatre major, Gypsy appeared in Snow White and the Seven Dysfunctional Dwarves for last spring's Acting class' final presentation.
Tim Stefanoski (Technical Director) is a sophomore Theatre Production major, returning to be TD from last year's production of Twelfth Night. Tim also played Cinderella's Father in Into The Woods in high school, and Simon of Cyrene for his parish's Living Stations. He also spent three weeks visiting the Soviet Union in Summer of 1991.
Alfred Stirba IV (Musician/Set Running Crew) has been involved in several bands and has other musical experience, but this is his first time as part of a theatre production. Al is a freshman Psychology major from Nazareth, PA.
Cary D. Toaso (Musician/Set Running Crew) is a freshman Film and Video major from Leechburg, PA. Cary had a small role in high school, and has experience working with lights and sound, as well as having played in bands.
Production Staff
Technical Director................................Timothy Stefanoski
Light Board Operator.............................Brian Stephen Green
Set Running Crew....T. Martin Camden, Frank Cartwright, Cary D.Toaso
Costume Running Crew................Catherine Forero, Aimeé Martinez
Props Running Crew....................Matt Houghton, Afred Stirba IV
Most of the students involved in this production receive credit for Theatre 298, Theatre in Production.
Acknowledgements:
The Directors, Cast and Crew would like to thank:
Harold Aurand, Jane Cochran, Cy Falatko, Keith Fernsler, Rosemary Mandrick Cy Falatko
& Reggie Pompa of the Mauch Chunk Historical Society of Carbon County
Abducted! Director's Notes
I would like to thank Steve Schrum for both sparking the interest to broaden my theatre experience from acting to directing, and giving me the opportunity to direct this play on campus. When needed, he has been an excellent help. I know it must have been difficult for the playwright not to blatantly impose his ideas, and by his doing so I was forced to think. As a result, I gained an in-depth understanding of the characters and many other aspects of the one-act. My thanks also go out to Meg, Chris, and Matt who brought this play to life, and made my job a lot easier.
Abducted! is a story involving love, but what aspects of love? I leave you with two questions: Is it a greater grief to bear love's wrong than hate's known injury? What is the difference?
Jose Lugaro
Changes' Director's Notes
I'd like to thank Steve Schrum for offering me the opportunity to direct one of his plays. I always liked directing and am thrilled to direct a play written by my favorite acting professor, a category that includes my teachers from Emerson College 25 years ago.
I think Changes is a very 90s play written for the 80s. Obviously the author was a bit avant garde with this one act; needless to say, a bit bizarre also. I wouldn't like to discuss the play prematurely before the audience sees it. It would ruin the surprise! I just would like your 90s eyes and minds open. We need an open-minded audience and I'm sure we have one. After all, we are Penn Staters.
I'd like to thank our cast for being so cooperative and eager to learn. I'd like to especially thank Toni Engelhart for running our rehearsals the week my daughter, Angel, delivered my first grandson, Nathan Gillette. Along with Toni, I'd also like to thank Jamie Beers, Matt McCrone, and Tony Robinson for their dedication, perseverance, contributions to the rehearsals, "rap sessions," and performances. I was probably rough but they humored me and we all learned.
Most of all, Steve Schrum's talent as a writer, director, and producer gave us all someone extremely special to learn from. I'd personally like to add a behind-the-scenes worker and supporter to my list of thank yous: Dianna Bourke, you don't go unnoticed. Thank you all!
Gypsy Moylan
Opportunity for Comfort Playwright's Note
In your lifetime, if you're lucky, you will come across that one special friend that has the capacity to tolerate and even care for you when you honestly don't seem to care for yourself. Some people call that "soul mates". Paperback novels and bad romantic comedy flicks chalk it up to destiny. I don't know about that. I do know a bond develops between you and that person. I guess you could call it love. This play and its two companion plays (which are still far from finished) examine what happens when that love gets, for lack of a better word, confused. I'd like to thank Steve, the B.U. theatre crew, Jeremy, and especially Jason, to whom this play is dedicated. Happy Birthday, Jason..... four years later.
Director's Notes
The Evening of One Acts is becoming a tradition in the Fall semester; this is the third time we have led off our theatre season with such a program. An evening of one-acts permits greater student involvement in the campus production, allowing more actors to showcase their abilities and providing the students a chance to direct. Also, it allows us to present the world premieres of original plays alongside proven works.
Our theme, "What I Did For Love," is a universal one, seen in countless works and in countless variations. In this selection of plays we see the positive aspects of love, and also its dangerous aspects‹when love changes to obsession, or obscures the wisdom of the lover, and goes awry.
Selection for an Evening of One-Acts is always difficult. This semester I began with our framing plays, Sure Thing and Passion, Poison and Petrifaction, two humorous plays I felt our audiences would appreciate. Sure Thing is a comic look at the search for love, and this non-realistic play serves as a metaphor for the gradual learning process we go through as we attempt to find the right person or partner in our lives; Passion, Poison, and Petrifaction, a farcical look at jealousy and affection at the turn of the century, sends us home with a melodramatic potboiler of jealousy and murder.
Next, I wanted to include Abducted!, a follow-up to last fall's Aliens! 3 Miles, Turn Left, both part of a projected four play series under the umbrella title, "Aliens and the Internet." (Incidentally, Aliens! has been selected by the Empire Theatre in Houston, Texas, for production in 1996.) Abducted! concerns the lengths to which people will go to prove their love. When I mentioned this play, my wife suggested that I also revive Changes, a play I wrote in 1983, which she read during our early courtship. Changes explores the Jungian ideas of male/female and shadow, and allows us a glimpse of lovers exploring the changes they've undergone in the time since their break-up. (Student director Gypsy Moylan has chosen to emphasize the gender roles by double-casting the play with two pairs of actors; audience members will see one set of actors each night‹but are encouraged to return to see the other cast.) I find it interesting to compare these two plays, written eleven years apart but here presented back to back.
Finally, I chose Audra Hearity's Opportunity for Comfort. Audra had given it to me last spring, and since it fit the theme of the evening and allowed more roles for student actors, I decided to include it. Opportunity for Comfort deals with missed chances for love, and the events of this play will be familiar to anyone who has harbored a crush on someone but failed to act on that crush. And so, the evening's bill is complete.
To the tradition, we are adding a visit to the Mauch Chunk Opera House for two performances‹a tour that we hope will be the beginning of many more....
Enjoy our evening's offerings!
Steve Schrum