Cast List

In alphabetical order

Production

There will be two brief 10-minute intermissions.

Any taping, filming, recording or broadcast of this play is strictly prohibited. Please turn off all phones and other electronic devices as a courtesy to other patrons and to the actors.

Program Note/Dramaturgy

Download Note

Download Dramaturgy

Artist Bios

Maddie Calais (Maid) is a sophomore BFA actor. Last year she participated in Houston’s Shakespeare Outreach group and has been a part of Comedy Sportz Houston for the last five years. In her free time, Maddie enjoys karaoke and movie  nights.

Josh Clark (Solyony) is a second year MFA actor. UH credits include: Cliton in The Liar, Fool/Edmund in King Lear, and Carl in Bus Stop. Mr. Clark appeared this summer in Houston Shakespeare Festival’s as Seyton/Bloody Captain in Macbeth, and Winnemac/Peshewa at TECUMSEH! Other credits include: Peter in Peter Pan, Yasha in The Cherry Orchard, Versati/King in The Underpants, Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Padraic in The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Walker/Ned in Three Days of Rain, Gail in Our Lady of 121st Street, and Snail in A Year with Frog & Toad.

Alaina Gunter (Anfisa) is a junior BFA actor. Previous UH credits include: May in The Philadelphia Story and Mrs. Armstrong in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Other roles include: Raynelle in Dearly Departed, Mrs. Savage in The Savage Dilemma, Jack’s Mother in Into the Woods, and Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing. In her free time, Alaina enjoys baking and visiting the local coffee shops.


Adham James Haddara (Andrey) is a second year MFA actor. He earned his undergraduate degree at the American University in Cairo where he was involved in several plays both on and off stage. Previous credits include: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, True West, King Lear, Bus Stop, The Merchant of Venice, and Macbeth.

Griffin Hammel (Chebutykin) is a second year MFA actor. He earned his BA in Theatre from Central College. Professional credits include: Rev. William Wood in Tecumseh! Outdoor Drama, as well as A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline and Barnum (Totem Pole Playhouse). He also appeared as Tin Man in The Wizard of OZ, as Ewart Dunlop in The Music Man, and as JP Morgan in the world premiere of Orphan Train (Way Off Broadway). With his free time, he is an avid Green Bay Packers and Iowa Hawkeyes football fan. He would like to thank his family and friends for their unwavering support.

Julian Johnson (Servant 1) is a freshman BFA actor. This is Julian’s first show with UH.

Zachary Leonard (Fedotik) is a senior BFA actor. Previous UH credits include: John in Serious Money, Maxime in Paradise Hotel, and Tom in FingerFood. Other credits include: Soldier in Peace in Our Time (Main Street Theatre), Antipholus of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors (The Berridge Conservatory), George in The Blackest Shore (The Catastrophic Theatre; Houston Press Breakout Performance Nominee), and Cursive Writing in The University of Tamarie (The Catastrophic Theatre). Upon graduation, Zachary plans to move to LA to pursue a career in film and television.

Jay Mast (Tusenbach) is a first year MFA actor. Recently, Jay performed in Chicago with companies such as: Lifeline Theater, Emerald City Theater and Benevolent Theater. This past winter, he was in the original cast of Hansel and Gretel with Broadway in Chicago and is on the original cast recording (check it out on iTunes). When not on stage, Jay can be found in the kitchen cooking delicious food, rocking out to Franz Liszt on the piano, or getting lost while running.

Harry McEnerny V (Kulygin) is a second year MFA actor. UH credits include: The Liar and King Lear.  Harry has performed in multiple productions in the Boston area, and received an Elliot Norton Award nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of Lennie in Of Mice and Men, as well as an Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for his role in Lumberjacks in Love.  He recently performed for Oprah Winfrey in a staged reading of a new musical directed by Broadway director Charles Randolph-Wright, and gospel legend Bebe Winans.

Laura Menzie (Irina) is a first year MFA actor. Laura has worked at the Roy Arias Studio in NYC and the Boston Center for the Arts. Most recent credits include: Vanya Sonia Masha and Spike, Orlando, Soul Mates, Songs of the Dragons, and The Nina Variations. Laura had also been involved in the past three seasons of Brown Box Theatre's free Shakespeare at the Beach tour performing as Juliet and Hermia. She has worked with the Icaro teatro in Mexico and on the world premier of Great War Theatre Project in the UK. She holds her BA from Clark University.

Precious Merenu (Masha) is a senior BFA actor. Previous UH credits include: The 10 Minute Play Festival, Blood Wedding, Snow Queen; as well as in Stages Repetory Theatre's production of Marie Antionette.

Jake Offen (Vershinin) is a first year MFA actor. He comes to Houston from Northern Colorado where he worked in the region’s theatre scene for eight years. He recently graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, where he appeared in August: Osage County, Medea, and The Caucasian Chalk Circle. Other credits include title roles in: Hamlet and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, as Dr. Frank n’ Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, as well as Romeo and Juliet, Journey to the West, Othello, King Lear, and RENT

Katherine Pepin (Olga) is a junior BFA actress. Previous credits include: Legally Blonde the Musical (Whitney), Steel Magnolias (Mlynn) and Acts of God (Heath Caprini). She is also a cast member of Dinner Detective Houston.

Meg Rodgers (Natasha) is a first year MFA actor.  She is a recent graduate of Slippery Rock University where she obtained a BA in psychology. Her past credits include: Elizabeth in The Crucible, Jean in Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Elizabeth in Laundry and Bourbon, Emma in View of the Dome, various ensemble roles in Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Nerissa in The Merchant of Venice, and Glory in Almost,Maine. In her free time, Meg enjoys long distance running and drinking copious amounts of coffee.

Carlton Warnberg (Ferapont) is a first year MFA actor. He is a recent graduate of the University of South Alabama and is making his UH debut. Previous credits include: Erysichthon in Metamorphoses, Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest, Porthos in The Three Musketeers, and Ferdinand in The Tempest. Carlton has also worked professionally as a member of the 2014 cast of TECUMSEH! Outdoor Drama in Chillicothe, OH.

Wesley Whitson (Rode) is a Junior BFA actor. Previous UH credits include: The Playboy of the Western World and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. This past summer Wesley performed in Macbeth with the Houston Shakespeare Festival. In his free time, Wesley enjoys good company and plenty of sleep (which he doesn't get enough of).

John Tyson (Director) worked for 14 seasons at The Alley Theatre in Houston from 1998-2012, playing over 60 roles including AEH in The Invention of Love, Richard in The Seafarer, Alfred Doolittle in Pygmalion, Banjo/Professor Metz in The Man Who Came to Dinner, The Librarian in Under the Lintel, Tupolski in The Pillowman, Shelly Levine in Glengarry, Glen Ross, Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Henry Carr in Travesties, Bob Crachit in  A Christmas Carol,  Polonius in Hamlet, Andrew Aguecheek in 12th Night, Roat in Wait Until Dark, and Kolenkov in You Can’t Take It With You.

His latest work was directing The Miracle Worker at AD Players, and The Good Theif and Faith Healer (appearing as Teddy) at Stark Naked Theatre here in Houston.

He also worked at The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Berkeley Rep. Playmakers in Chapel Hill, N.C., The Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and StageWest in Springfield, Mass., among others.

He directed The Woman in Black and Act of Passion (his own adaptation of Dickens’ The Mystery of Edwin Drood) at The Alley Theatre, and Educating Rita, The Nerd, Betrayal, and his own adaptation of Dicken’s A Christmas Carol at StageWest/

Jean C Gonzalez (Scenic Designer) is a second year MFA designer. He is a recent graduate of University of Texas at Arlington where he majored in theater, specializing in lighting and scenic design. Lighting designs include Gruesome Playground Injuries, Dance concerts, Skin, and Wait Until Dark at Queensbury Theatre; scenic designs include Bus Stop, The Liar, VHS Tapes and a Greyhound Bus, The Magic Flute (assistant). He is an active USITT (United States Institute for Theater Technology) member where he serves as the Vice Commissioner for Student Affairs in Scenic Design and will chair a session at the upcoming national conference in Salt Lake City.

Ellen Doyle Mizener (Props Master) is a second year MFA designer. At UH, she was the scenic designer for last season's The Playboy of the Western World and The Miser and props master for The Liar and Bus Stop. She has been actively designing and painting in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for the last 10 years. Favorite credits include: The Mountaintop, And Then There Were None, Lend Me a Tenor, A Few Good Men, Duck Hunter Shoots Angel, Macbeth, Of Mice and Men, The Little Foxes, A View from the Bridge, Urinetown, and Enchanted April. She is also an avid scuba diver and loves to travel when time—and her piggy bank—allow.

Leah Smith (Costume Designer) is a second year MFA designer. Leah received her BFA from Western Michigan University. Previous costume design credits include: The Miser (UH), The Liar (UH), Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Pride and Prejudice, and Macbeth (Williams Theatre), Tony and Tina’s Wedding (Cityscape Kalamazoo), The Wedding Singer (Comstock Center Stage Theatre), and Fame Jr. (Battle Creek Junior).

Lynsey Manley (Lighting Designer) is a second year MFA designer. She is originally from the New Orleans area. Her most recent UH work was as the lighting designer for The Miser. Since getting into theatre, Lynsey has been involved in over 240 productions both on and off stage/camera.

Laura Moreno (Hair, Wig & Makeup Stylist) is a senior BFA actor. Laura is a professional makeup artist and, prior to UH, spent several years working in the cosmetics and fashion industry in New York City. Her experience includes designing makeup for runway and beauty editorials, as well as working with some of the most influential makeup artists in the beauty industry. Last year she styled hair, makeup and wigs for The Beaux’ Stratagem, Our Country's Good, The Philadelphia Story, the Houston Shakespeare Festival and, most recently, Fallen Angels at Main Street Theatre.

Jonathan Middents (Sound Designer) has been the Production Manager and a designer at the University of Houston School of Theatre & Dance since 1983, and is head of the School’s Production Area.  He has worked on over 350 productions at a variety of theatres and has consulted on the design or renovation of ten theatres. His recent design work includes sets for the 2015 HSF productions of The Merchant of Venice  and Macbeth, lighting for the 2014 HSF productions of Henry IV Part 1 and Two Gentlemen of Verona, sound for The Liar and Bocon, lighting on the 2014 Emerging Choreographer’s Concert and the 2015 Spring Faculty Dance Concert, lighting for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, all at UH, and scenery and lighting for Julius Caesar at University of Houston-Downtown. A Rice University graduate, Jon received his MFA from Florida State University and has served previously as Designer/Technical Director at University of Texas at Austin, University of Houston-Clear Lake, and Indiana State University.

Weston Twardowski (Dramaturg) is a second year MA Theatre Studies candidate. In 2014 he was named an emerging scholar by the Mid-America Theatre Conference. He has dramaturged productions of The Last Playboy of the Western World, A Midsummer Night's Dream, A Thousand Words, and Perspectives among others. Favorite directing credits include Seussical the Musical,The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, Frost/Nixon, and Some Enchanted Evening.

Brien Bianchi is a first year MA Theatre Studies candidate. Professional acting credits include Scarlett Rat Entertainment's Dickens Christmas in Skaneateles (Fagin) and The Sterling Renaissance Faire where he studied under Gary Izzo.  Brien is also a trained pastry chef and chocolatier as well as an avid gardener.

Gabriela Leodiou (Stage Manager) is a senior BFA stage manager. Her Previous SM credits include: Bus Stop, Almost Maine, Rabbit Hole, and The Insanity of Mary Girard; Evita, and The Twenty Fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. She served as the assistant stage manager for The Beaux’ Stratagem and Our Country’s Good. She also had the privilege of stage managing the new work written by student playwright Kendall Kaminsky: The End of Side A. Over past summers she has had the privilege of working for Unity Theatre on production of Deathtrap, as well as being the Stage Management intern at the Houston Shakespeare Festival and Company Manager the following year.

Jason Quach (Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore BFA theatre educator. He recently worked as the stage manager apprentice for HSF’s Merchant of Venice, and has worked as an assistant stage manager for the Ten Minute Play Festival and The Liar. He enjoys delving into scenic painting in his free time.

Tabitha Bounds (Assistant Stage Manager) is a freshman BFA stage manager. She recently worked on wardrobe run crew for the UH School of Theatre and Dance’s production of FuenteOvejuna. She has stage managed several shows including: The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds, 1984 and The Elephant Man. Her acting credits include: Izzy in Rabbit Hole and Child 3 in I Never Saw Another Butterfly. In her free time, Tabitha enjoys attending festivals, concerts, and drag shows, as well as spending time with her family.

* Proud member of the AEA

Faculty | Staff | Crew

Facutly

Adjunt Facult

Shelly Calene-Black
Elizabeth Bunch
Lauren Cohen
Ruddy Cravens
Jeanne Doornbos
Jon L. Egging
Chris Hutchison
Geni Lanfear
Jacqueline Anne Nalett
Firat Kazbek Ozsoy
Leslie Scates
Jennifer Sommers
Jon R. Stonks
Sophia L. Torres
Toni Valle
Lisa Villegas
Courtney Young

Professional Staff

Production Team

About SOTD

The UH School of Theatre & Dance produces pre-professional plays, dance concerts, studio productions, and Theatre for Young Audiences. Performances are delivered in in the Wortham and Quintero Theatres. The UH School of Theatre & Dance offers bachelor’s degrees in playwriting and dramaturgy, acting, design and technology, stage management and theatre education. Its graduate programs consist of a Master of Arts in theatre studies, a summer Master of Arts in theatre education, and Master of Fine Arts degrees in acting, and design and technology. Noted alums include actors Jim Parsons, Dennis Quaid, Brett Cullen and Robert Wuhl. Faculty includes award-winning playwright, television writer, and novelist, Theresa Rebeck, Tony Award-winning producer Stuart Ostrow and Tony-nominated designer Kevin Rigdon. Past-distinguished faculty are Edward Albee, Lanford Wilson, Sir Peter Hall, Jose Quintero, Patsy Swayze and Cecil Pickett. In 2012 and 2013, the school was named “Best College Theater” in the Houston Press Theater Awards. For details on UH's School of Theatre & Dance, visit www.theatredance.uh.edu

Special Thanks

Alley Theatre

University of Houston – Downtown

Stages Repertory Theatre

Classical Theatre Company

Dylan Godwin