Otterbein University Department of Theatre & Dance
OTTERBEIN UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE & DANCE
presents
THE CE OFBEING NEST
A trivial comedy for serious people
By Oscar Wilde
Edited & Directed by Mark Mineart
Scenic Design by Isaac Ramsey
Lighting Design by Rae Lake
Stage Managed by Hannah Hahn ‘18
Sept. 26-29 & Oct. 3-5, 2024
Costume Design by Mary Yaw McMullen
Sound Design by Nicole Hunter ‘23
Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall 30 S. Grove St., Westerville
Any video and/or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.
CAST
The Cast is ordered by the hand of the playwright -
Jack Worthing ......................................................................................... Aidan McCracken
Algernon Moncrieff .......................................................................................... Tres Allison
Gwendolen Fairfax....................................................................................... Kateri Condon
Cecily Cardew ............................................................................................... Maren Rhoads
Lady Bracknell ................................................................................................. Claire Stancy
Miss Prism, governess to Miss Cardew Elizabeth Foster
Rev. Chasuble, Dr. of Divinity Quinn Seevers
Lane, butler to Mr. Moncrieff David Graves
Merriman, manservant to Mr. Worthing’s household Ian Peloza
Constance, maidservant to Mr. Worthing’s household Kate Maree Brewer
Understudies -
Gwendolyn, Cecily, Lady Bracknell, & Miss Prism .........................Kate Maree Brewer
Jack ................................................................................................................... David Graves
Algernon & Rev. Chasuble ................................................................................. Ian Peloza
SCENE SYNOPSIS
Time - Spring, 1895
Act I: Algernon Moncrieff’s Flat in Half-Moon Street, W. London
10 - minute INTERMISSION
Act II: The Garden at the Worthing Manor House, Woolton
10 - minute INTERMISSION
Act III: The Drawing-room of the Worthing Manor House, Woolton
MUSIC CREDITS
Piano Sonata No. 11, K. 331, III. Alla Turca Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart performed by Lilia Baldwin (‘26), BMUS Music Performance
Piano Sonata No. 19 in G minor, Op. 49 No.1, II. Rondo (Allegro) Ludwig van Beethoven performed by Paul Pitman
“Bridal Chorus” from Lohengrin ..............................................................Richard Wagner performed by Tres Allison (‘26), BFA Musical Theatre
PRODUCTION STAFF
Chair, Department of Theatre & Dance/Artistic Director ..................... T.J. Gerckens (‘88)
Managing Director Elizabeth Saltzgiver (‘99)
Production Manager ......................................................................................... Hannah Hahn
Faculty Technical Director ................................................................................. Patrick Stone
Costume Shop Supervisor ........................................................................... Anna Grywalski
Dialect Coach .................................................................................................... Melissa Lusher
Movement Coach/Voice Coach Melinda Murphy
Intimacy Director ...................................................................................... Jeanine Thompson
Intimacy Captains ........................................................ Kate Maree Brewer, Kateri Condon
Director of Recruitment/Administrator Dawn Horne
Assistant Stage Managers .......................................... Marshall Duggan, Ja Na’Ya Johnson
Assistant Technical Director Anna Hundt
Carpenters ...................... Luca Fragiotta (‘24), Nicholas Hahn (‘18), Kyle Krygielski (‘20)
Charge Artist ............................................................................... Edith Dinger Wadkins (‘02)
Properties Lead Natalie Neville
Scenic & Props Run Crew ......................Ryan Caraway, Cosey Keil, Jared Morisue-Lesser, Haley Potts, Helen Sminkey, Maya Thomas
Wardrobe Lead ....................................................................................................... Lilian Ducy
Draper ..................................................................................................................... Max Lozada
Wardrobe Run Crew Tommy Bilczo, Dean Buford, Anna Porter, Kaya Shellhammer, Alaina Smith, Katherine Quinn
Lead Electrician .............................................................................................. Josie Rocca (‘24)
Assistant Lead Electrician ............................................................................. Stephen O’Hara
Light Board Operator .................................................................................. Catherine Brown
Electrics Hang Crew
Meagan Astwood, Tommy Bilzco, Annelyse Birner,
Catherine Brown, Hannah Burns, Ryan Caraway, Elizabeth Clancy, Seamus Clark, Zeke Davenport, Naomi Eason, Jesse Edwards, Nathan Laemmle, Kateje Palmer, Alaina Smith
Sound Engineer (A1) .............................................................................................. Chris Bacu
Sound Engineer (A2) Gail Sparks
House Manager ..................................................................................................... Fiona Shella
Graphic Design ............................................................................................... Trevor List (‘98)
Digital Media
SCENIC STUDIO ASSISTANTS
Marshall Duggan
Anna Hundt
Matt Knerr
Natalie Neville
COSTUME SHOP ASSISTANTS
Lilian Ducy
Max Lozada
Theodore Marshall
Nora Root
Vivian Steele
Maya Cidale, Jane Cook, Ana Kusenberger, Katelyn Miller, Stephen O’Hara, Kailey Souder
LIGHTING & SOUND ASSISTANTS
Adrian Casto
Nathan Frewen
David Graves
Stephen O’Hara
Paige Vick
BOX OFFICE ASSISTANTS
Cami Borders
Katie Debolt
Maggie Glanc
Dani Kirkham
Ja Na’Ya Johnson
Stephen O’Hara
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
I LOVE this play. I love every single brilliant word and syllable of it, each phrase and thought, even the punctuation has it’s own kind of poetry. Yes, I am just that much of a nerd about The Importance of Being Earnest. It is unquestionably, my very favourite play that I will never get to act in. The fact is, I’m just not right for any of the parts…with the possible exception of Lady Bracknell.
Bracknell is often portrayed by men, though very rarely successfully. I have only seen one production where the conceit worked, and that was due to two things: the particular actor in the role, and the decision to play the part convincingly as a woman rather than as a poorly made-up guy in a dress. The overwhelming failure of men in the role has little to do with the actors cast (they are usually highly-respected performers with long pedigrees of excellent work), and quite a great deal to do with whoever thought it was a clever idea to put a man in the part in the first place. Bluntly, Earnest isn’t that kind of play.
Earnest is a play that has largely defied classification, and continues to be a subject of considerable debate amongst scholars, critics, and theatre practitioners. Earnest is most often mis-categorized as a farce, which it decidedly is not. It has also been wrongly lumped-in amongst the genres of social satire, high comedy, parody, comedy of manners, and even “an early experiment in Victorian melodrama.” I have my own opinions on the matter, but perhaps the wisest thing would be to simply accept the description provided by the author himself, calling The Importance of Being Earnest, “a delicate bubble of fancy,” which most certainly is true.
Written in 1894 and produced the next year, one critic proclaimed The Importance of Being Earnest, “a perfect play,” and another labeled it, “a trivial comedy for serious people,” a description so apt that it has served as the play’s subtitle in every edition of the text since its first printing; even today, one-hundred and thirty years later.
This is a wonderful play to experience, and an absolute treasure of a play to work on. As a company we have had tremendous joy working on the production you are about to see. We hope you will enjoy it as much as we enjoy presenting it to you.
Thank you for coming to the Theatre today.
- Mark Mineart
SPECIAL THANKS
The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio
DESIGNER NOTES
SCENIC DESIGN by Isaac Ramsey:
Designing The Importance of Being Earnest has been an exercise in finding connection and contrast between the locales in Wilde’s masterpiece comedy. The initial challenge was to create a design that could transition from one act to the next without creating massive set changes. It needed to be simple yet elegant. Algernon’s flat needs to show all the excesses of his leisurely lifestyle while the move to manor house expresses a world that is full of traditional opulence. The garden serves as a bridge between the two and allows for the space to be at its most open and free.
In thinking about how to create the two massive locations of Algernon’s flat and the manor house, the idea of removable panels became attractive as well as using more color to express the difference in sensibilities. While these two locations are different, they are a sort of mirrored reflection of each other --with town being bold and colorful and country being conservative and restrained.
The final touch is to work with the technical team led by Technical Director Patrick Stone to choreograph the scenic shift as a play within a play. In utilizing stage crew and actors, we were able to create a transition that is as captivating as it is practical.
DESIGNER NOTES
COSTUME DESIGN by Mary Yaw McMullen:
The late-Victorian time period of The Importance of Being Earnest reflects an iconic age of costume silhouette. In 1896, women mostly notably don the puffed sleeves, structured cinched waists, and A-line skirts. Men are seen in the strong lines of trousers, frock coats, and sack coats. The use of rich pattern and color are abundant in this time period and lend to a lovely palette for a classic play such as this Oscar Wilde masterpiece.
The playful and intelligent nature of this play provides a landscape of richness and light as we travel from city to countryside with our characters. The challenges in designing costumes for this play are focused around keeping the costumes interesting while not manipulating the comedic nature of the characters themselves. The comedy is inherent in the dialogue and wit. It has been a delight to explore this classic play and aid in bringing these beloved characters to life.
LIGHTING DESIGN by Rae Lake:
As I read The Importance of Being Earnest I was engaged by the wordplay and witty banter that we see throughout the piece. With that in mind I approached the show with the intention of highlighting our actors as they bring these characters to life by using subtle shifts in the lighting to emphasize moments of inner dialogue. As you follow the twists and turns of this play you get to see them thrive in the world that we collaborated to build for them. I hope you enjoy!
BIOGRAPHIES
TJ Gerckens (Theatre & Dance Dept. Chair/Artistic Director) is the lighting design faculty member at Otterbein University, a USA829 Union Lighting Designer, and proud Otterbein alumnus. At Otterbein, he has designed the lighting for 9 to 5, Bright Star, Dance 2022: Find me in the Shadows (with Lucas Fragiotta and Sage Wuertzer), A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Into a Lamplit Room, Dance 2020: The Wild Within (with John Diver), Chicago, Oklahoma!, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Diary of Anne Frank, Adding Machine: A Musical, Damn Yankees, Dance 2016: The Goddess, The Crucible, Fiddler on the Roof, Dance 2015: Famously Yours...Forever, Dance 2014: Tell-Tale Poe, and Into the Woods. As a freelance lighting designer, T.J. has been part of the design team for the Tony Award winner and MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Mary Zimmerman for the last 30+ years. Most recently, he designed lighting for the world premiere of the Matchbox Magic Flute at the Goodman Theatre, Swan Lake for the Australian Ballet performing in 4 cities and at the Sydney Opera House, Florencia en el Amazonas, and the new opera Eurydice, by Sarah Ruhl and Matthew Aucoin at the Metropolitan Opera, The Notebooks of Leonardo DaVinci in Chicago, Washington DC, and San Diego, the world premiere of The Steadfast Tin Soldier at Chicago’s Lookingglass Theatre, the recent revival of Metamorphoses at the Guthrie Theatre and Berkeley Rep, and Rusalka at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC. Other notable designs include The Odyssey at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Guys & Dolls in L.A., and Treasure Island at the Lookingglass Theatre and Berkeley Rep. His lighting designs have been seen at regional theatres across the United States, on and off Broadway, and at the Metropolitan Opera. Internationally, he has designed in England, Australia, and at the LaScala Opera House in Milan, Italy. He has received numerous awards for his designs including New York’s Drama Desk Award and Lortel Awards for his lighting of Metamorphoses on and off Broadway, Jefferson Awards for The Odyssey and Metamorphoses in Chicago, and an award for “Exemplifying the Art of Collaboration” given to the Zimmerman design team by Entertainment Design Magazine. T.J. holds a BFA from Otterbein University and an MFA from Boston University. He is married to set designer, and scenic artist Stephanie R. Gerckens.
Mark Mineart (Director) has appeared on Broadway with such stars as Denzel Washington and Kelsey Grammar, and worked at many of the nation’s most well-respected regional theatres. He has been blessed to portray many of the great characters of western theatre: Cyrano de Bergerac, Macbeth, Cassius in Julius Caesar, Long John Silver, Lennie in Of Mice & Men, and George in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, amongst others. He has created roles in almost a dozen world premiere productions by such playwrights as Jane Martin, Eric Cobble, and Tony and Drama Desk Award-winner Arthur Kopit. Mark relocated to Frankfurt, Germany in 2009 where he appeared in such films as What A Man and Iron Sky, in addition to working as a performance capture artist for blockbuster video games such as Crysis II, Bullet Storm, and NCIS: The Game. In 2011, Mark shifted his primary focus to teaching, serving as Head of Acting at The American University in Cairo. His first production, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, was
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heralded as “a valuable and long overdue contribution to theatre in the Middle East,” by Al Ahlam Weekly (the national newspaper of Egypt). Mark left Egypt in 2015 to join the Otterbein Department of Theatre and Dance, where he has directed Is He Dead?, Damn Yankees, Diary of Anne Frank, The Tragedy of Macbeth, School for Scandal, Tempest, Something Rotten!, The Great Influencer (by Otterbein’s own Jeremy Llorence), and most recently, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. On his recent sabbatical, Mark directed the European premiere of the political satire The Totalitarians for the English Theatre of Frankfurt, the largest English-speaking theatre in Europe. To find out more, please visit: www.MarkMineart.com
Isaac Ramsey (Scenic Designer) is the Associate Professor of Scenic Design and joined the theatre and dance faculty in 2022. He teaches courses in Scenic Design, Scenic Painting, Computer Graphics, and Period Styles in addition to mentoring student designers and painters. For Otterbein, Isaac has designed scenery for Beehive, 9 to 5, Cabaret, Everybody, Bright Star, Dance 2022: Find Me in the Shadows, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Prior to coming to Otterbein, Isaac served as the Associate Professor of Scenic Design at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, GA where he designed many productions including Green Day’s American Idiot, Puffs, Ride the Cyclone, and A Doll’s House Part 2. He is active in several professional organizations and is a regular presenter at the Southeastern Theatre Conference where he has taught workshops on 3D Printing, Model Making, and Rending in Procreate. He has designed regionally at the Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Actor’s Express (ATL), and The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio here in Columbus. Isaac is a central Ohio native and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Miami University and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Connecticut. In addition to his theatrical work, Isaac is a theatrical and headshot photographer, muralist, husband, and father of two. Much love to Jordan, Rowan, and Freya. Portfolio: www.isaacramsey.net
Mary Yaw McMullen (Costume Designer) is honored to be working with Otterbein University’s Department of Theatre and Dance as Costume Designer for The Importance of Being Earnest. She works as a freelance Costume Designer and Instructor. Mary is currently teaching as Adjunct Faculty at Otterbein for the Fall Semester of 2024. Some of her more recent costume design work has been Mamma Mia and Footloose with Grandstreet Theatre in Helena, Montana, School of Rock and The Sleepwalker of Holstenwall with Columbus Children’s Theatre, Luchador, Indecent, Skeleton Crew, and Big Fish the Musical with The Contemporary, and The Old Man and The Old Moon and As You Like It with Door Shakespeare. Mary holds a B.A. in Theatre and M.F.A in Theatrical Design and Production from The Ohio State University. She thanks her parents, husband, Kyle, and children, Cora and Brek, for their support and excitement for all things theatre. Enjoy the show!
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Rae Lake (Lighting Designer) is thrilled to be designing for Otterbein University! His regional design work includes I Ought To Be In Pictures (Peninsula Players Theatre), The Addams Family, Man of La Mancha, Once Upon a Mattress (Weathervane Playhouse), Godspell, Into the Woods (UNC Greensboro), Lookingglass Theatre Company Summergglass 2017, Richard III, Dear Brutus, As You Like It (Eclectic Full Contact Theatre), Our Country’s Good (Three Crows Theatre) and Golden Girls: Bea Afraid!, Artificial Jungle, L’imitation of Life (Hell in a Handbag Productions). He has also worked as an Assistant Lighting Designer for LIZZIE (Actor’s Express), Yasmina’s Necklace (Goodman Theatre), and It’s a Wonderful Life (American Blues Theatre). He received his MFA in Drama from UNC Greensboro School of Theatre.
Nicole Hunter (Sound Designer) is a graduate from Otterbein University, having received her BA in Theatre in 2023. She has worked with multiple regional theaters around central Ohio including Weathervane Playhouse, Columbus Children’s Theatre, and The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio. Some of her previous Otterbein credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Sound Designer), Bright Star (A1), Our Town (Sound Designer), A Little Night Music (Assistant Stage Manager), and Something Rotten (A1). Other credits include Assistant Sound Designer/A1 for Elf the Musical, Kinky Boots, Deathtrap, Once Upon A Mattress, Barefoot in the Park, Million Dollar Quartet, and the Lewberger tour at Weathervane Playhouse; as well as being the Cover ASM for POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive at The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio.
Hannah Hahn (Production Manager/ Stage Manager) is thrilled to return to stage managing in Cowan Hall! Originally from central Ohio, she earned her B.F.A. in Theatre Design/Technology from Otterbein in 2018. Following graduation, Hannah interned with the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL before returning home to continue working in the Columbus art scene. Hannah has worked professionally as a stage manager, production manager, and event coordinator for several regional theatres and companies including Mason Street Warehouse, Columbus Children’s Theatre, The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio, Opera Project Columbus, Opera Columbus, Weathervane Playhouse, P&G, and Hollister. She also works as a Stage Manager, Adjudicator, and Teaching Artist each year for the CAPA Marquee Awards Showcase since its first year in 2019. Many thanks to the cast and production team for a wonderful process! www. hannahhahn.net
Dawn Horne (Director of Recruitment/Administrator) trained at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC as an Acting Fellow in the MFA program at the University of South Carolina. She also studied Meisner Technique with James Price at the Acting Studio, Inc. and with William Alderson. Master classes include Richard Thomas, Barbara Baxley, Philip Goodwin, and Floyd King. As a singer, Dawn trained with Dr. Patrick O’Donnell at the Levine School and with
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soprano Heidi Freimanis-Cordts. She has performed as an actor in New York and in regional theatre. She loves choral music and has been a member of the National Philharmonic Chorale, Cathedral Voices of Washington National Cathedral, the Jonathan Griffith Singers, the Take Joy Chorus at the Strathmore Center for the Arts and was a member of the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra Blossom Festival Chorus before moving to the Columbus area. She also performed in multiple NEWorks Choral projects at the Kennedy Center under the direction of Nolan Williams, Jr., She first became involved in student recruitment while serving as an Admission ambassador during college in Washington, DC. She earned an MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University.
Melissa Lusher (Dialects Coach) is a tenured Professor of acting, speech, and dialects in the Department of Theatre and Dance, where she also serves as the Director of the BFA Acting Program and the Resident Speech/Dialects Coach. She was deeply honored to receive Otterbein’s 2018 Teacher of the Year award. Melissa holds an M.F.A. in Acting from the combined program of Carnegie Mellon University and the Moscow Art Theatre, and a B.F.A. in Acting from Carnegie Mellon. She is also a certified teacher of the Michael Chekhov acting technique. She has served as a dialect coach at many area universities and theatre companies, including the Contemporary, Short North Stage, and Actors’ Theatre. Favorite Otterbein directing credits include Everybody, A Lie of the Mind, “Master Harold”... and the Boys, Chicago, Rumors, The Crucible, RENT, The Greeks: The Murders, No Exit, and Spring Awakening (named one of the Best 10 Productions of 2012 by the Columbus Dispatch). Favorite roles include Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Otterbein), Barbara in August: Osage County (Otterbein), Goneril in King Lear (Actors’ Theatre), Clytemnestra in The Greeks (Moscow Art Theatre), Marina in Volodya (LaMaMa E.T.C.), Margaret in Richard III (AST), and the title role in Miss Julie (CMU).
Kitty Mader (Lighting & Sound Supervisor) is a theatre electrician and sound engineer from Avon, Ohio. She received her BFA in Design and Technology for theatre from Otterbein in 2022. Kitty has worked in renowned theatres such as TexARTS in Lakeway, Texas (Sound Designer), Otterbein Summer Theatre (Sound Designer/Lighting & Sound Supervisor), Weston Theater in Weston, Vermont (Assistant Audio Supervisor), The Great Lakes Theater in Cleveland, Ohio (A2), and the Bard Summerscape Music and Opera Festival in upstate New York (Audio Assistant). She has sound designed many Otterbein productions, including Dance 2023: Escape to Wonderland, Everybody (2023), Cabaret (2023), Bright Star (2023), Dance 2022: Find Me in the Shadows, and Black Comedy (2022). Other productions Kitty has worked on include 9 to 5 (TexARTS, 2023), Marry Me a Little, Hair (Weston, 2022), The 39 Steps (Great Lakes, 2022), and Le Roi Arthus (Bard, 2021). Kitty is delighted to be a part of The Importance of Being Earnest, and she hopes you enjoy the show!
BIOGRAPHIES
Melinda Murphy (Movement Coach/Voice Coach) teaches Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais Method® in the Otterbein Theatre and Dance Department, with application to movement, voice, characterization, singing, and dance. Melinda is one of the few teachers trained in both methods; she combines them in her private practice in Columbus, and in classes and seminars for performing artists at other Ohio colleges. Since coming to Otterbein, she also trained to teach Fitzmaurice Voice work for its specialized tools for improving the voice and breath. Melinda has coached Otterbein productions since the turn of the century. She has also coached equestrians, figure skaters, musicians, and competitive barbershop quartets and choruses, including the two-time international gold medalist Southern Gateway Chorus.
Patrick Stone (Technical Director) began his tenure as the Technical Director at Otterbein in the fall of 2014. He holds an MFA from the University of South Dakota and a Bachelors of Arts from Doane College in Crete, Nebraska. He is an ETCP certified Theatrical Rigger. He teaches classes in stagecraft, properties, metal working, technical direction, wood working, and motion scenery. Patrick also enjoys consulting with theatres ranging from professional through junior high school. Patrick believes that it is time for our society to rise above needless comparisons and petty competitions. He believes it way better than you do.
Jeanine Thompson (Theatrical Intimacy Director) is honored to be returning to Otterbein for The Importance of Being Earnest and to be working with the wonderful production team and cast. Her previous production work at Otterbein includes 9 to 5, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Cabaret, I Do, I Do, Baby, Our Town and A Little Night Music. Jeanine is an Emeritus Professor of OSU’s Department of Theatre, Film and Media Arts, who specializes in performance, directing, movement, theatrical intimacy, and creation of new works. Her artistry has been greatly influenced by her work with Anne Bogart and the SITI Company, Dance Theatre choreographer, John Giffin, and French mime artist, Marcel Marceau.
Edith Dinger Wadkins (Charge Artist), class of 2002, is so thankful to be painting again for Otterbein Theatre and Dance. Since graduating, her work has been seen at many venues across central Ohio: in high schools, universities and professional theatres. Her most recent set designs were Beauty and the Beast for the Butterfly Guild of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Escape to Wonderland for Otterbein University, and Mr.Scrooge for CCT. As well as theatre, she paints in oils in her basement studio. Her paintings can be seen at www.edithdingerwadkins.com.
Tres Allison (Algernon) is a junior BFA Musical Theatre major from San Antonio, TX and is so excited to be returning to the Otterbein stage! You may have seen him most recently as Franklin Hart, Jr. in 9 to 5 or as Jinx in Forever Plaid. Tres wishes to thank God, his family and friends, and the cast & crew of this show. Special thanks to Coach for allowing him this opportunity and challenge to be a part of this show. Happy Bunburying! @tresallison
BIOGRAPHIES
Christopher Bacu (A1 Sound Engineer) is a freshman BFA Theatre Design/ Technology major with minors in Business Administration/Management from Cincinnati, OH. This is his first show with Otterbein, but has previously worked on shows including The Little Mermaid, Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play, and Footloose . In his free time, Chris enjoys spending time with the Scouts BSA program, earning his Eagle Rank in February of 2023, and having movie nights with his friends or family.
Kate Maree Brewer (Constance/Female Understudy/Intimacy Co-Captain) is a sophomore BFA Acting and BA Mathematics dual major from Nashville, TN. What a wonderful challenge understudying all four female characters is! Otterbein credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Mistletoe, u/s Hermia/Puck), 11th Hour’s Legally Blonde (Brooke Wyndham), and Songs for a New World (Featured Dancer), as well as monthly performances with Otterbein’s Mainstage Improv Troupe. Much gratitude to Mom, Dad, and Ford always, and to Coach for this opportunity. NOW… please laugh with us in this trivial comedy for serious people!
Kateri Condon (Gwendolen Fairfax/Intimacy Co-Captain), is a senior BFA Musical Theatre major from Horseheads, NY. Otterbein credits: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Puck/Philostrate), Bright Star (Margo), as well as Beehive (Wanda), It’s a Wonderful Life (Lana Sherwood), I Do! I Do! (She/Agnes), The Pirates of Penzance (Mabel/ Ruth) and Side by Side by Sondheim (Ensemble). She is thrilled to be a part of this charming classic, her final production at Otterbein. Kateri expresses gratitude to the cast/crew/creative team and her friends, family and God; and special thanks to Coach for his direction, training, and guidance.
Lilian Ducy (Wardrobe Lead) is a sophomore BFA Design and Technology major from Westerville, Ohio. After working wardrobe crews at Otterbein for Cabaret last year and Beehive this summer, she is glad to now be leading her own crew for this show. She also works in the costume shop and helped with the assembly of some of the costumes.
Marshall Duggan (Assistant Stage Manager) is a junior BFA Design/Technology major from Thibodaux, LA. Marshall hopes you enjoy the show tonight, or the next night, or even the next night. He spends his free time with the gators, hanging out with his roommates (2 of which are in the show!!) and cooking for his friend Natalie. Have a lovely night!!!
Elizabeth Foster (Miss Prism) is a senior BFA Musical Theatre major with a Dance minor from Grand Rapids, MI. Previous Otterbein performance credits include Otterbein Summer Theatre’s Baby (Ensemble), 9 to 5 (Mrs. Hart/Ensemble), Bright Star (Ensemble), Find Me In the Shadows (Swing), A Tale of Two Spectators (Woman), and Something Rotten (Ensemble). Elizabeth is also the president of Otterbein’s
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MainStage Improv troupe! Elizabeth would like to thank her family for their constant support, David Graves and Kateri Condon for the late-night frozen Coke trips, and the production team for this opportunity!
David Graves (Manservant/ Understudy Jack) is a senior BFA Acting major from Milford, OH. Otterbein credits: Our Town (George Gibbs), Everybody (Stuff), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Demetrius), and OST’s Baby (Nick). He thanks his family and friends for their constant love and support, and his extremely talented girlfriend, Elizabeth, for being impossibly hilarious and never failing to make him smile! David also thanks the entire cast and crew of The Importance of Being Earnest, for the exquisite vibes in the rehearsal room! I love y’all!!!
Anna Hundt (Assistant Technical Director) is a junior BFA Design/Technology major from Milwaukee, WI. Anna is thrilled and proud to have been a part of the scene shop. Previously at Otterbein, she was Assistant Technical Director for A Midsummer Night’s Dream and is looking forward to her first foray into props with Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812. Anna is immensely grateful for her family and their support, and thanks Luca and Addy, and Kiley for being the best friends she could have asked for.
Ja Na’Ya Johnson (Assistant Stage Manager) is a BA Theatre & BS Marketing major and Film minor from Columbus, OH. It has been an awesome experience working on this show as ASM! The people involved in this production have made this a very fun process with such a positive, easygoing environment. Ja Na’Ya is happy to be able to continue having new, and bigger opportunities in theatre and will cherish this production. Thank you to the SM team, wonderful cast, and other amazing creatives she can’t fit in here! Enjoy the show.
Stephen O’Hara (Assistant Lead Electrician) is a sophomore BFA Theatre Design/ Technology major from Cincinnati, OH. His past Otterbein credits include Cabaret, Escape to Wonderland, and 9 to 5. In his spare time, Stephen enjoys cooking, hiking, and curling up with a good book. Love to Mom, Dad, and Chaz!
Max Lozada (Draper) is a junior BA Theatre major with a Dance minor. They are extremely excited to have been given the chance to drape for this show! They want to thank Annabelle for being a wonderful human being and supporting them, also their friends in the costume shop. Max hopes you enjoy the show, and have a great day!
Aidan McCracken (Jack Worthing) is a junior BFA Acting major from Loveland, OH. His recent Otterbein credits include This is Our Youth (Dennis Ziegler), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Moonshine). Professionally, he has worked and performed with companies including the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, the Ghostlight Stage Company, Otterbein Summer Theatre, and the Columbus
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Museum of Art. He would like to say a special thank you to his mom and dad, Liam, Gina Cerimele-Mechley, and the whole CASA family! Enjoy the show!
Natalie Neville (Props Lead) Hi y’all! I am your props lead this evening! I hope you love the tea, sandwiches, and furniture as much as I did when making and acquiring them. I’m a junior BFA Design/Technology major who loves designing sets, plundering for props, and painting pretty scenery. In my downtime, I enjoy hanging out with friends, exploring restaurants, and watching Gravity Falls with my boyfriend. Please enjoy the show. Toodles!
Ian Peloza (M an Servant/Understudy Chasuble, Algernon) is thrilled to be performing in The Importance of Being Earnest. He is a senior BFA Acting major from Warsaw, IN. Some of Ian’s most memorable credits include Black Comedy (Brindsley), Kinky Boots (Angel), Once Upon a Mattresses (the Wizard), and The Music Man (Tommy Djilas). I want to thank my family and God for all the opportunities that I’ve been given. IG: @_ianpeloza_
Maren Rhoads (Cecily Cardew) is a sophomore BFA Musical Theatre major from Amherst, OH. She’s ecstatic to be making her MainStage debut! During her time at Otterbein, Maren has participated in Otterbein’s 11th Hour Theatre production of Songs For A New World (Man 1). Other credits include Moon Over Buffalo (Charlotte Hay), Fun Home (Medium Alison), and Rodger & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Ella). Maren would like to thank this incredible cast, crew, and creative team. Endless love to her friends and family for their constant support!
Quinn Seevers (Reverend Doctor Chasuble) is a junior BFA Acting major from San Jose, CA. Other credits include Harry “Jazzbo” Haywood/Clarence the Angel (It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play) and Mustardseed (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). Quinn would like to thank his family, friends, and professors for their support and he hopes you enjoy the show!
Fiona Shella (House Manager) is a BA Theatre major with a minor in Sociology from Sandusky, OH. Fiona would like to thank her roommates for putting up with her coming home at 11 pm and her parents for paying for her to be here.
Claire Stancy (Lady Bracknell) is a senior BFA Acting major with a Dance minor from Chesapeake, VA. Otterbein credits: Our Town (Emily), Baby (Pam), Cabaret (Rosie/Dance Captain), It’s a Wonderful Life (Sally Applewhite), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hermia). Claire thanks her friends for uplifting her, her family for encouraging her to follow her dreams, and Jack for bringing out her silly side. She is grateful to everyone who has supported her, and honored to perform in her last show at Otterbein alongside a stellar cast of friends.
HONORARY CAST LIST
Otterbein University Department of Theatre & Dance honors those who have given so generously during the 2024-25 Academic Year.
Members who give annually at the Director and Producer level are included in the Joanne Van Sant Society.
Thank you for contributing to the education of our students!
Producer ($5,000+)
Dr. Bernard Chang
Nevalyn Fritsche Nevil
Director ($1,000-$4,999)
Tim & Kris Doney
Margaret Morgan & Richard E. Doone
Hushak Family Fund
Larry Boord
Daniel Bear
Dr. Douglas R. & Mary Pat Knight
Charles & Maruja Paule
Designer ($500-$999)
Gordon & Holly Brewer
David C. & Nancy E. Smith Evans
Diva ($250-$499)
Kent D. Stuckey
Ron Lykins
Al & Louise Minor
Nationwide Foundation
Richard Arndt & Karen Miller
Dr. Kay Atkinson Ball
Troy A. & Kathleen Bonte
Kirk Carlson
Dr. C. Brent DeVore & Nancy E. Nikiforow
Gloria Zide Absi
Fred & Patricia Baum
Clark & Carol Boehm
Chip Bruchac
Len & Sharon Bussard
Candyce G. Canzoneri
Michael Carlson
Dr. Sharon & Terry Carlson
Barbara Clapham
David Clark
Alan & Christy Coupland
Tim & Pam Curry
John L. & Sharon Davis
Sharon Dawley
Diane Driessen
Margaret English Duffy
Keith Dufrane
Carolyn Eisele
Alyce Douce Elbert
Brian & Sandra Freer
Mark Havanec
Vince & Gayle Herried
Jack W. & Peggy Moreland
Brad Ostroff
Dr. Kent Shafer
Douglas R. Smeltz
Star ($100-$249)
James Farmer
Peggy Garrison & Kenneth Truman
Jack George
William H. Carpenter & Eva W. Goode
Carmenza Gutierrez
Lynda Huey
David & Ruth Larcomb
Michael & Trudy K. Mason
Dr. Pearson McWane
Thomas Mertzlufft
Bonnie Moses
Dennis B. & Marjorie Munger
David Mylander
William Ostrander & Jill Schultz
James R. & Martha Owens
James E. Paxton
Thomas & Sally Rice
David & Beverly Stamm
John Volpi
Sarah Lynne Whybrew
Rev. Laura Cean Wilson
Dr. Patricia M. Ryan
Elizabeth A. Salt
Albert & Louise Siegel
Linda Simpson
Alan E. Smith & Linda Montgomery
Steve & Karen Stancy
Jon & Joyce Stonebraker
Bruce Storts
John & Ellen Stuckenberg
Madelon Timmons
Janice W. Townsley
Elizabeth E. Tracy
Craig & Carol Young
Diane Chitty & John Weed
Alan & Kathy Wood
Rev. David L. Woodyard
Norma Faye Worley
Judith Zivic
HONORARY CAST LIST
Supporting Actor ($50-$99)
David & Susan Arnold
Kay F. Ball
Judy Biedenharn
Pat & Linda Blayney
Paula & Thomas Blue
Eileen & Bob Brenner
Joe H. Brown, Jr.
Mark & Elise Byers
Kenneth Carter
Ted R. Chaney
David W. Coffman
Deborah L. Coleman
Lauretta Anderson
Benjamin H. Bennett
Rev. Michael W. & Judy Pohner Christian
Marilyn Clark
Dr. Marlene Lansman Deringer
Sandra J. Fabel
Elizabeth Gibson
John & Beth Gwynn
Mary Armstrong & Ronald L. Hooker
Julie Cronk
Ramona & James R. Edman
Gerald Glenn
Mary Heubach
Kimberly Fippin Hoessly
Eugenia Johnson
J. Thomas & Kathleen Jones
Suzanne Shelley & Ronald W. Jones
Margaret Lares & Donald Kadunc
Jerrold Kannel
Richard Kohn
Ensemble ($10-$49)
Gypsy Stultz Johnson
Tom Knutsen
Kent Koester
Gregory Koltun
Evon Lineburgh
Deborah C. Madden
Barbara Glor Martin
William M. & Karen Mattes
William & Judy McCartney
Ann Ottobre
Carol Pochodylo
Susan Park
Robert & Janice Patton
Rebecca Coleman Princehorn & Clay Cormany
Karen Russell
Frank Shyjka
Susan Silbermann
Jane Sprague
Michele Wilson Toney
Joyce Shannon & David B. Warner
Wendy Ernsberger & Jim Williams
Victor Saylor & Anni Efthimiou
Ann & John A. Sicker
Cathy & Tod Stoessner
Margaret Strosky
Karen Susenna
James Tarpoff
Elizabeth Urbano
Michael J. & Mary Ann Vehonsky
Kay Wagner
Roger L. Wilson
BY DAVE MALLOY
LATECOMER POLICY
The House Manager may seat latecomers only during times which minimize disruption of the performance.
EMERGENCY EXITS
The exits are indicated by red lights. In the event of fire or any other emergency, please walk – do not run – to the exit as directed by theatre management.
CAMERAS AND RECORDING DEVICES
The use of recording equipment and the taking of photographs during the performance are strictly prohibited.
RESTROOMS
Cowan Hall: Restrooms are available on the first floor of Cowan Hall and in the basement. A handicapped accessible platform lift is located at the north stairwell in Cowan Hall. A Front of House Attendant will be happy to assist you with the lift. Additional restrooms are located across the street in Roush Hall on the north side of each floor.
Campus Center: Restrooms are located on the ground level of the Campus Center. An elevator is available for transportation between floors.
Assistive Listening Devices are available at the Box Office upon request.