1995-96

1995-96

SEASON

STAFF
Artistic Director – Ron Peluso
Managing Director – Thomas H. Berger
Assistant to the Artistic Director – Michelle Francois
Assistant to the Managing Director – Gina Aker
Public Relations Manager/Corporate Sales – Julie Michener
Box Office Manager – Chari Hall
Artistic Associate – Bob Beverage,Chuck Smith
Technical Director – Roger Skophammer
Director of Education/Group Sales – Carole Marget
Stage Manager – Wayne Hendricks, Julia Cashman
House Managers/Box Office Staff – Rebecca Heroff, Lisa Schaefer, Andy Fuller, Eric Herr, Scott Howard, Ann Pax, Carol Skalko, Joshua Will

To Kill a Mockingbird
October 7-November 12, 1995
Adapted by Christopher Sergel

A stage adaptation of Harper Lee’s world-famous and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, which takes us back to the mid-1930s, when racism, poverty and ignorance dominated the American landscape. Lawyer Atticus Finch steps up to fight bigotry, intolerance and injustice in a small Alabama town.

Cast
Jean Louis Finch/ Maudie/Atkinson – Lavinia Erickson
Scout – Brianna Kennedy-Coker & Laurel Orman
Jem – Tony Denman & Benjamin Carey
Atticus Finch – Stephen D’Ambrose
Calpurnia – Patti Shaw
Stephanie Crawford – Bonnie Lee
Mrs. Dubose – Marylyn Murray
Nathan Radley/Arthur (Boo) Radley – Don Cosgrove
Dill – Karl Olson & Benjamin Carey
Heck Tate – Jack Walsh
Reverend Sykes – Albert Durand
Mayella Ewell – Maggie Scanlan
Bob Ewell – Terry Hempleman
Walter Cunningham – Tom Carey
Mr. Gilmer – Fred Wagner
Tom Robinson – Kevin D. West
Chorus – Vernell Wilson, Barry Shaul, Mary Kay Orman
Understudy (Calpurnia) – Vernell Wilson
Understudy (Tom Robinson/Rev. Sykes) – Barry Shaul
Understudy (Women) – Mary Kay Orman
Understudy (Men) – Brad MacDonald
Understudy (Atticus) – Fred Wagner
Understudy (Heck) – Don Cosgrove
Understudy (Gilmer) – Tom Carey

L-R: Benjamin Casey, Elena Glass and Patti Shaw

Artistic Staff
Director – Ron Peluso
Scenic Designer – Nayna Ramey
Lighting Designer – Pamela Kildahl
Costume Designer – Linda Cameron
Properties Designer – Rebecca Heroff
Original Music Composed by – Stephen Houtz
Stage Manager – Wayne Hendricks
Assistant Stage Manager – Julia Cashman

Production Staff
Assistant to the Director – Michelle Francois
Technical Director – Roger Skophammer
Master Carpenter – Brad Gonda
Carpenter – David Grinnell
Master Electrician – J. Schardt
Electricians – Mike Burgoyne, Emily Hensen, Keli Ferrier
Scenic Artist – Sinden Maredans
Sound Board Operator – Keli Ferrier
Light Board Operator – J. Schardt
Sound & Light Board Swing – Ann Pax

A Servants’ Christmas
November 25-December 24, 1995
By John Fenn

This is a story about the Christmas celebration in a St. Paul mansion at the beginning of the last century, as seen through the eyes of a Jewish servant girl. The play is set in the Warner home on Summit Avenue in St. Paul during the early 1900s.

Cast
Mr. Warner – Peter Farley
Eric Horne – Graham Thatcher
Frieda – Anita O’Sullivan
Monica – Ann Schulman
Miss Pettingill – Lavinia Erickson
Anne Warner – Victoria Engelmayer
Richmond Warner – Cooper D’Ambrose
Lillian Russell – Janet Daverne
Understudy (Monica/Anne) – Michelle Francois
Understudy (Mrs. Pettingill/Frieda) – Kimberly Schultz
Understudy (Richmond) – Benjamin Carey
Understudy (Mr. Warner/Eric Horne – Don Cosgrove
Understudy (Lillian Russell) – Lavina Erickson

L-R: Anita O’Sullivan, Ann Schulman

Artistic Staff
Director – Ron Peluso
Production Stage Manager – Julia Cashman
Assistant Stage Manager – Wayne Hendricks
Scene Designer – Nayna Ramey
Costume Designer – Katherine B. Kohl
Lighting Designer – Pamela Kildahl
Properties Designer – Aimee Jillson
Original Music composed by – Mark Bloom

Production Staff
Assistant to the Director – Michelle Francois
Technical Director – Roger Skophammer
Master Carpenter – Steve Pax
Carpenters – J. Schardt, Russell Cole, Ann Pas, David Grinnell
Scenic Artist – Erik Peterson
Master Electrician – J. Schardt
Electrician – Russell Cole
Sound Board Operator – Kelli Ferrier
Light Board Operator – J. Schardt
Sound & Light Board Swing – Ann Pax, Steve Pax

The Brotherhood (World Premiere)
February 1-25, 1996
By Syl Jones

The Brotherhood is dramatic fiction based upon the lives of real people. It tells the story of a group of black, sleeping-car railroad porters who battled the Pullman Company over working conditions and compensation. The remarkable part of this story is that poor white railroad employees were also discriminated against in this struggle. Working together, these employees, led by blacks, “pushed from the inside” to take control of their future.

Cast
Conductor/Pierson – Tom Carey
Hobson/Supervisor – Clark A. Cruikshank
Bonita – Gay Glenn
Randolph – Shawn Hamilton
Marie – Holly Schroeder
McKinsey – Jim Stowell
Henry – Joe Nathan Thomas
Smoke – William Byrd Wilkins
Redcap – Ahanti Young
Understudy (Bonita) – Sharon Cage
Understudy (McKinsey/Hobson/Pierson/Conductor) – Dwight Gunderson
Understudy (Marie) – Kelly Hilliard
Understudy (Redcap) – Barry Shaul

Production Staff
Director – Richard D. Thompson
Production Stage Manager – Wayne Hendricks
Assistant Stage Manager – Julia Cashman
Scenic Designer – Dean Holzman
Lighting Designer – Barry Browning
Costume Designer – Barbara N. Kahl
Properties Designer – Aimee Jillson
Sound Designer – Michael Croswell
Technical Director – Roger Skophammer
Master Carpenter/Light Board Operator – J. Schardt
Master Electrician/Sound Board Operator – Steve Pax
Electrician/Carpenter – David Grinnell
Swing Board Operator – Ann Pax

Civil Ceremony (World Premiere)
March 9-31, 1996
By Beth Gilleland

St. Paul’s Mrs. Francis Clayton enlisted in the Union Army in 1861, disguised as a male soldier, to be with her husband. This is an amazing and true story of love and war.

Cast
Francis Clayton – Kelly Bertenshaw
Eleanor Hodgson/Elsa Hardy/Ensemble – Gretchen Douma
Alma Walker/Ensemble – Julie Briskman Hall
Will Spaulding/Ensemble – Stephen Hollenhorst
Samuel Hodgson/Ensemble – T.R. Knight
Eliphalet Hodgson/Ensemble – Bill McCallum
Valentine Hodgson/Ensemble – Heidi Ricks
John Clayton/Ensemble – Adam Whisner
Understudies – Brian Munn, Courtney Peterson

Artistic Staff
Director – Risa Brainin
Stage Manager – Julia D. Cashman
Assistant Stage Manager – Wayne Hendricks
Scenic Designer – Nayna Ramey
Lighting Designer – Michael Burgoyne
Costume Designer – Kathleen Egan
Properties Designer – B. Gwinup
Dramaturg – Bill Corbett

Production Staff
Technical Director – Roger Skophammer
Master Electrician/ Sound Board Operator – Steve Pax
Electricians – David Grinnell, David Howe
Lightboard Operator – David Grinnell
Carpenter – Russell Cole
Construction – Ram Sedhi

Inner-City Opera (World Premiere)
April 13-May 12, 1996
Conceived and Developed by Thomas H. Berger and Ron Peluso
Composed and Written by J.D. Steele
Additional Lyrics by Venise Battle, John Harrison III, Areda Hicks, Kim Hines, Edward Bok Lee, Marcie Rendon, Debra Stone, Meng Vang

An “all-music musical” consisting of stories, poems and lyrics collected from a number of writers about growing up in urban America.

Cast
Ensemble – Jona Alonzo
Nap – Emil Campbell, II
Erline/Ensemble – Jasmine Jones
Chrissa/Ensemble – Angela Joy
Ensemble – Ty London
Ensemble – Wendy Renee
Ensemble – Jimmy Russell
Ensemble – Garth Christian Schumacher
Nip – J.D. Steele
Thom/Ensemble – J. Nathan Thomas
Understudies – James A. Davis, Jada D. Odom, Perrin Post

Band Members
Percussion – Daryl Boudreaux
Keyboards – Andre Doriel Demps
Drums – Kimberly “KG” Griffin
Bass – Charles Hayes

Musical Numbers
Act I
Inner-City Opera (lyrics by J.D. Steele) – Company

Stanislav’s Polanaise Room, 1953
Stan’s Place Recitative (Lyrics by Kim Hines) – Company
Uppity Help (lyrics by J.D. Steele) – Thom, Earline, Harriet, Louie
Place in the Sun (lyrics by Marcie Rendon) – Thom & Earline
Polka Blues (lyrics by J.D. Steele) – Thom

Shine, Sir? 1968
Shine, Sir? (lyrics by J.D. Steele) – Nip & Nap
Recitative (lyrics by J.D. Steele & Debra Stone) – Company
Light Switch (lyrics by Venise Battle) – Chrissa
I’m Gonna Shine (lyrics by J.D. Steele) – Chrissa, Nip, Nap
Listen Up (music & lyrics by J.D. Steele & Cathy Sachs) – Roy, Nip, Nap
Do Me Right (lyrics by J.D. Steele) – Felton & his girls
You Owe Me (lyrics by J.D. Steele) – Bankin’ Good & Cuttin’ Good
Burn It Down (lyrics by Debra Stone) – Nap & Company

Churchin’, 1974
Somebody Said (lyrics by J.D. Steele) – Company
Saved & Sanctified (lyrics by J.D. Steele) – Mrs. Hatch
Lord Have Mercy (lyrics by J.D. Steele) – Deacon Garth
I’m So Glad (lyrics by J.D. Steele) – Deacon Tyrone
We’ve Come a Long Way (lyrics by J.D. Steele) – Chrissa & Company

Act II
Changing Times (lyrics by J.D. Steele) – Company

Crime Time, 1988
Recitative (lyrics by J.D. Steele) – Nip & Nap
Brother to Brother (lyrics by J.D. Steele) – Nip, Nap & Company
You Try to Do Right (music by J.D. Steele & Daryl Boudreaux, lyrics by J.D. Steele) – Nip, Nap & Company
Rock (lyrics by J.D. Steele) – Company
Cycle of the Rose (lyrics by Venise Battle) – Rose
The Shooting (lyrics by Meng Vang) – Nip & Company
Lead Me to the Other Side of My Pain (lyrics by John Harrison, III) – Nip, Nap & Company

Peace Out, 1996
Sweet Peace (lyrics by J.D. Steele) – Citizen Tyrone
Unconditional Love (lyrics by J.D. Steele) – Nip & Nap
Wrong Size Shoes (lyrics by Areda Hicks) – Nip & Nap
Recitative & Never Too Late (J.D. Steele) – Company
African Chant & The Warrior (lyrics by J.D. Steele & John Harrison, III) – Company

Production Staff
Director – Ron Peluso
Music Director – Andre Doriel Demps
Choreographer – Marvette Knight
Assistant Choreographer/Dance Captain – Jada D. Odom
Dramaturg – Faye Price
Stage Manager – Wayne Hendricks
Asst. Stage Manager – Julia D. Cashman
Scene Design – Chris Johnson
Scenic Artists – Kimberly L. Lawler, Erin Kasper
Graffiti Artists – Damian Day, Kurt Wachman
Master Carpenter – Chris Perrone
Carpenter – Andy Upright
Lighting Design – Pamela Kildahl
Master Electrician/Light Board Operator – Steve Pax
Electricians – David Grinnell, Russell Cole
Follow Spot Operators – Russell Cole, Elise Skophammer, Roger Skophammer
Costume Design – Mathew J. LeFebvre
Properties Design – Aimee Jillson
Sound Design – Ryan Julien
Mixing Board Operator – John Michener
Tech Director – Roger Skophammer