[front cover]
April 6-9, 1994, 8:00PM
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ON THE VERGE
Directed by Steve Schrum
Costumes Designed and Constructed by Dianna L. Bourke
Produced by special arrangement with Broadway Publishing, Inc.
There will be one ten minute intermission between acts.
Audience members are requested to refrain from taking flash photographs during the performance.
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Special thanks to Kathleen Campbell of Penn State Behrend for the loan of the slides.
[pages 4-7]
Monica Chrabaszcz (Madame Nhu) is a freshman accounting major now from Hazleton but originally from Poland. She i9 making her Penn State Hazleton acting debut with this role. Previously, she played Lady Macbeth in a production in New York.
Jared M. Leitzel (Gus) A sophomore from Barnesville studying Anthropology, Jared is very active in on-campus organizations. For last semester's Evening of One Acts, Jared appeared in The Still Alarm, Witness and The Actor's Nightmare. In high school, he performed in Guys 'N' Dolls.
Kristina Lester (Fanny Cranberry) lists productions of Camelot, Peter Pan, Funny Girl, Cinderella, and The Mouse That Roared for previous theatrical experience. Kristina is a sophomore from New London, PA majoring in International Communications.
Scott R. Lieberman (The Gorge Troll) spends his time with many activities, including being President of Circle K, playing drums in and serving as vice president of the pep band, and having a double major in Elementary Education and Human Development and Family Studies. Scott also worked on Stage Crew for the Fall 93 Evening of One Acts.
Stacey Love (Alexandra Cafuffle) is a sophomore from Wilkes-Barre, PA, majoring in Advertising. In high school, she appeared in both Grease and Dracula: The Musical. Here at Hazleton, Stacey played Mrs. Prentice in last spring's What The Butler Saw and performed a monologue in the Fall '93 Evening of One Acts.
Joanna Martin (Yeti/Ninja Stagehand) is a freshman music major from Philadelphia. Her previous experience includes the roles of Mrs. Potiphar in Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and the Disciple in Godspell. This semester, she also appeared in "Scenes of Social Significance."
Lela Mertz (Mary Baltimore) is a freshman from White Haven, who plans to declare a major in Speech Therapy. Last semester, Lela played Winnie (the one in the garbage can) in The Actor's Nightmare. Previously, Lela played a Gypsy in Frankenstein at the Sherman Theatre in Stroudsburg, PA.
David Scopinich (Grover/Nicky Paradise), a freshman majoring in Communications, is also a sportswriter for The Hazleton Collegian and a very vocal Phillies fan. For last semester's Evening of One Acts, Dave played the Window Washer in Witness and The Executioner in The Actor's Nightmare. In his high school in Philadelphia, David performed in Sally and Sam and The Teen Age.
Michael W. "Phoenix" Wissemann (Alphonse) recently played many performances as the Nittany Lion at our campus basketball games; he is making his Hazleton campus stage debut with this show. In his high school in Melville, Long Island, Phoenix stage managed several plays and musicals, played the English diplomat in The King and I, and designed and built the set for Brighton Beach Memoirs. Phoenix also keeps busy with ROTC and aspiring to become an RA.
Josh Cohen (Set Construction/Running Crew) is a sophomore Business Logistics major from Bensalem, Pa. Josh was last seen on the set construction and running crew for last semester's Evening of One Acts, and will be appearing as an actor in the Acting Class' Living Legends performance at the semester's end.
Dave DeFilippis (Bass) is a sophomore in the Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS).
Kristen Fuddy (Scene Painter/Makeup Crew) is a sophomore Biology major from Elizabethtown, PA. In high school, she played in the pit orchestra for The King and I, and also did some scene painting.
Gina Hammond (Makeup Crew) is a junior Broadcast Cable major. Those with long memories will remember Gina as the punk in The Misanthrope in Spring '92. Gina has served on the makeup crew for all shows on this campus since then.
Alisandra Heinz (Scene Painter/Costume Running Crew) is an Exercise Science major from Yardley, PA. In the Evening of One Acts, Sandy served as assistant director for Act II, and appeared as the President's Wife in Witness.
Dipen Kamdar (Light Board Operator) returns to work on crew yet again; he helped build the set for What The Butler Saw and worked backstage on Butler and The Evening of One Acts. Dipen is a sophomore CompSci major.
Colleen Joy Leyden (Costume Construction/Running Crew/Scene Painter), played Meg the Stage Manager in last semester's The Actor's Nightmare, and now has decided to go backstage once again, after working on the Set Construction Crew for What the Butler Saw in Spring '93. A Human Development and Family Studies major, Colleen is also secretary of Circle K here on campus.
Allison LoPresti (Props Running Crew) is a freshman Nursing major from Easton, PA. Last semester, she served as the stage manager for the Evening of One-Acts. She is also secretary of the Society of the Arts here on campus.
Erik Schaible (Scene Painter/Set Running Crew) is studying Mechanical Engineering after four years in the Air Force. In high school he worked on stage crew and scene painting in The King and I and My Fair Lady.
John Steil (Drums) is a sophomore majoring in Communications.
Kelly Ann Walch (Scene Painter/Costume Running Crew) is a sophomore Meteorology major and a former editor of The Collegian.
Jennifer Washburn (Band) is a sophomore in DUS.
Robin M. Williams (Assistant Director), from Numidia, PA, is a freshman Liberal Arts major.
Robin assistant directed the first half of last semester's Evening of One Acts. In high school, Robin directed a production of The Games That People Play. Robin is also an active member of the Lion Ambassadors here on campus.
Steve Schrum (Director) teaches Intro to Theatre and Intro to Acting here on the Hazleton campus. This semester, at the request of the League of Women Voters, he organized a group of student actors who created a performance piece entitled "Scenes of Social Significance." The students then performed the piece, which deals with domestic violence, at the Hazleton Area High School. Here at Hazleton, Steve has directed The Misanthrope, What the Butler Saw, and The Evening of One Acts.
Dianna L. Bourke, Ph.D. (Costume Designer), although an assistant professor of Biology here at the Hazleton campus, still finds time to design costumes. Late night production meetings are considerably easier to schedule since she is conveniently married to the director! While a UPark undergraduate, Dianna "minored" in Theatre with a concentration in costume design and construction. She has designed costumes for The Misanthrope, What The Butler Saw and The Actor's Nightmare.
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"Life in these United States has undergone many changes during the past century. As the end of the millennium approaches, we take a look back at some of the many--and sometimes radical--changes, as depicted by American playwrights."--Publicity blurb for the season. With this play, we continue to depict The Changing Face of America. On The Verge demonstrates some of the changes that have occurred in the world since the nineteenth century, and we see these changes through the eyes of three explorers who begin a trek in 1888 and travel in time to arrive in l955.
I chose this play for several reasons. The first is the story, in which three women find themselves in new situations in a world that is constantly changing around them. While the three women seek familiar ground and attempt to interpret their new experiences in light of previous experiences, the changes prove too different from what the women are used to. I find that how each of the characters copes with these changes in her own way, usually in conflict with the other two, can be fun and interesting to watch.
At the same time, this play asks a deeper question: should we stay in comfortable surroundings, perhaps even settling for a situation we can easily deal with, or should we keep striving for self-discovery and further discovery of the world around us? This is a difficult choice. On one hand, settling can lead to boredom and the waste of human potential; a person will never use his or her talents to the fullest unless constantly challenged. On the other, constant striving can lead to problems, as Goethe points out in Faust: "For man must strive and striving, he must err." In the middle, we can't ignore the human need for satisfaction, but at what price?
There are those who would have us stop going forward, and there are others who would happily return us to "less complex times," such as the 1950s, or even the 1800s. But that is now impossible; we have come too far to turn back. As we approach the beginning of the 21st Century, we don't know for certain what the future holds‹‹but we mustn't hesitate, or shy away. We must indeed go boldly where no one has gone before.
Eric Overmyer's play points the way to a positive world the future may bring to us if we choose to take control of our lives and of our world, and work for a better future.
[program insert]
"I felt like a prisoner in a kaleidoscope. " ‹Fanny Cranberry, On The Verge
The Cast and Crew would like to thank the following people and businesses for their last-minute help:
Thanks to Perkins Family Restaurant, Route 93 for the loan of the dessert glass and spoons.
Nicky Paradise's tuxedo courtesy of Small's Formal Wear of Philadelphia, PA.
Thanks to the library staff of Penn State Hazleton, who cleaned up and loaned us the "wind machine" for the Arctic scene.