PRODUCTION SPONSORS: Elephant Shoes is made possible through the generous support of an Anonymous donor, Dann Fink, Anne Marie Schultz, Brian and Joanna Leddin, Becca Rothschild, Eileen Bustillo, Marie Knochenhauer, Karen Leitner, Judy Torcivia, and Jennifer Travers.
LEADERSHIP
JUSTIN WALDMAN ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
NORA DEVEAU-ROSEN MANAGING DIRECTOR
ROBERT M. RECHNITZ*
JOAN H. RECHNITZ FOUNDERS
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
HON. EDWARD J. MCKENNA, JR PRESIDENT
MARILYN BROEGE VICE PRESIDENT
GEOFFREY SADWITH SECRETARY
ANNE MARIE SCHULTZ TREASURER
DR. ANN BAGCHI
ELIZABETH COLUMBO
CRYSTAL A. DICKINSON
ADRIANA MEDINA GOMEZ
DELISHA GRANT
KENNY D. KING
BRIAN LEDDIN
COURTNEY MCCORMICK
TONY MENESES
LAUREN NICOSIA
SEAN O’CONNELL
CATHY PUGLIESE-SIVO
ADAM RECHNITZ
JOAN H. RECHNITZ
JOANNE SPEARS
MARY CAROL STUNKEL
SUSAN WHYMAN
RICHARD B. WORLEY
EMERITUS TRUSTEE
HOWARD ARONSON*
CAROLINE HUBER*
KATHRYNE SINGLETON
WEBSTER TRAMMELL*
* we remember
ABOUT US
We create great American theater by developing and producing new works and world masterpieces that most richly direct our gaze to the life of the human spirit. We cultivate an audience that cherishes the intimate joy of theater, enriched when shared by a community of others.
Two River Theater produces American and world classics, new plays and musicals, programs for young people, and festivals of new work. Each year, we serve over 20,000 students, families and community members through our 4-show season, and 40+ events that reflect our diverse community of Monmouth County. Two River produces work on two stages—the 350-seat Joan and Robert Rechnitz Theater, and the flexible 110-seat Marion Huber Theater. In 2020 we expanded our campus to 80,000 square feet with the opening of the Center for New Work, Education and Design. Two River has commissioned and premiered original projects including Be More Chill by Tony Award® nominee Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz (the theater’s first Broadway production) and Hurricane Diane by former Playwright-in-Residence Madeleine George (which won an Obie Award for its Off-Broadway run). In June 2019, Two River was nationally recognized by USA TODAY as one of “10 great places to see a play.”
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WELCOME TO TWO RIVER THEATER
It is our honor to be creating and experiencing this art with you.
THE LAND UPON WHICH WE GATHER IS PART OF THE TRADITIONAL TERRITORY OF THE LENNI-LENAPE,
CALLED “LENAPEHOKING.”
Two River Theater wishes to acknowledge the Lenni-Lenape as the original people of this unceded land where we proudly present our work and strive to be a vital cultural resource for our community.
COMMITMENT TO INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND ACCESS (IDEA)
We believe the essence of theater is democratic: it invites us to encounter, consider and perhaps adopt other points of view, if only for a brief time in a darkened theater.
We aspire to build an environment in which artists, audiences, employees and Board members from different backgrounds and experiences together form an institution that is equitable, diverse, and inclusive.
TO OUR PATRONS,
In alignment with our mission of showcasing stories that direct our gaze to the life of the human spirit and cherish the joy of theater, we celebrate this story in its fullness and ask that you allow yourself and others to do the same. As we tell stories that center on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility, all of which are among our core values, and share a multicultural perspective, we ask that you join us in creating safe spaces for everyone to bear witness to this story. We invite you to laugh, cry, question, consider, engage, and find joy or discomfort. With this in mind, we hope that you cherish and value everyone’s individual experience as we all journey through these narratives together.
Enjoy the show!
SCAN FOR MORE ABOUT TWO RIVER’S MISSION AND VALUES
“YOUR SUPPORT ENSURES BOLD NEW WORK THRIVES AT TWO RIVER THEATER.”
– DENNIS CHAMBERS, Associate Artistic Director
This summer, Two River Theater and Deaf West Theatre are making history in Red Bank.
Your donation helps bring groundbreaking new work to the stage—welcoming new audiences, expanding access, and ensuring more people see themselves reflected in the stories we tell.
A Note from the Artistic Director
JUSTIN WALDMAN
TWO RIVER THEATER
Hello Friends—
Welcome to the World Premiere New Musical, Elephant Shoes!
There is a truism in the businessthat-is-show that the hardest thing to do in theater is make a new musical.
The axes of creativity that go into making a musical are myriad: Music, Lyrics, Book, all story elements must combine into a cohesive whole; Acting, Singing, Movement, each performer must be a triple threat; lastly, Direction, Choreography, Design, these many disparate disciplines join forces to blend into one seamless world.
Putting one of these together is a highwire act mixed with spinning plates with some juggling and fire breathing thrown in. Basically, choose your own three ring metaphor!
Now, just to up the degree of difficulty, let’s do all that in two languages!
The first fully original, bilingual—Spoken English and American Sign Language—musical? Not going to lie, when Elephant Shoes crossed my desk nearly two years ago, like a trapeze artist without a net, I was scared. How are we going to pull that off?
Well, like all great feats, it takes an incredible team. Our fabulous partners at Deaf West Theatre, this wonderful creative team, a group of artists, as game as they are talented, and the indefatigable Two River staff, who have dared to dream huge.
Because not only is Elephant Shoes a first of its kind of musical, it also embodies the values that drive Two River in all we do. It creates radical access, it fosters exciting collaborations, it drives cutting-edge technologies.
In the end, to do something truly new, what is required is a leap of faith. I am so glad we jumped.
Ta-Da! Justin Waldman
James Olivas and Amy Keum at the first rehearsal for Elephant Shoes. Photo by Hannah Roller
A Note from the Artistic Director
DJ KURS
DEAF WEST THEATRE
Everyone is talking about translation now. Earpieces that turn speech into text. Apps that turn text into speech. Glasses that promise to caption the room in front of you. The world has decided, more or less all at once, that the distance between people is a technical problem, and that the right device will finally close it.
We have heard this before. Deaf people have spent our whole lives in that distance. We grew up trying to communicate at dinner tables, waiting on interpreters who ran late, and relying on the kindness of strangers. So we know the parts that the machines never transmit. A gadget can hand you the words, but it cannot make you want to understand the person saying them.
That is the space Elephant Shoes was borne out of. I am not going to tell you what happens. I will say only that it is funnier than you are bracing for, that there is an old story hiding inside it you may recognize before the characters do, and that somewhere in the middle of laughing you may feel the floor shift. The less you know walking in, the better.
One more thing worth knowing before the lights go down. Deaf West turns thirty-five this year, and for most of those years we have been making musicals in sign language, some of them on Broadway. We know how to do this. What we had never done, until now, was make one that began as our own. Ivan Menchell wrote the book, Caroline Kay the music and lyrics, Jeff Calhoun directed and choreographed it, and Colin Analco built its sign language into the heart of the show rather than laying it on top. It started in our language.
We did not get here on our own. Our artists. Our staff and board, who did far more than their jobs asked. The deaf audiences who kept showing up and insisting we belonged at the center of the American stage. The producers and donors who believed in this before there was anything to show them, and turned that belief into the evening you are about to have. To all of them, we owe the work we do here.
Every show we have ever made, we first had to translate. Tonight there is nothing to carry across. Just us, and you.
Now you see us,
DJ Kurs
TWO RIVER THEATER AND DEAF WEST THEATRE PRESENT
BOOK BY IVAN MENCHELL
MUSIC AND LYRICS BY
CAROLINE
DIRECTED AND CHOREOGRAPHED BY
KAY
JEFF CALHOUN
ASL CHOREOGRAPHER...................................................................... COLIN ANALCO
Justin Waldman
Artistic Director
Nora DeVeau-Rosen Managing Director
Robert M. Rechnitz
Joan H. Rechnitz Founders
MUSIC SUPERVISOR/MUSIC DIRECTOR/ARRANGEMENTS ........ MEGHANN ZERVOULIS BATE
ORCHESTRATOR ................................................................................. TOM KITT
rehearsal pianists ...............................ASHER DENBURG, BARRY SPATZ
MUSIC TRANSCRIPTION .............................TERENCE “T” ODONKOR production INTERPRETERS MARIA CARDOZA, PAUL GEORGE, DENA HAZEN, BRENNA KELLY, ALONSO RIVERA, CARA SCHWARTZ
CREW
ASSISTANT STAGE SUPERVISOR ... VICTORIA AKINSANMI
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT SAMANTHA GROCOCK CO-WIG SUPERVISORS KATE BAISLEY TINIKA SaDIKU
CAPTIONING OPERATOR ................... RYAN WEADON AUTOMATION TECHNICIAN .............. GRIFFIN WHITAKER
THE VIDEOTAPING OR MAKING OF ELECTRONIC OR OTHER AUDIO AND/ OR VISUAL RECORDINGS OF THIS PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTING RECORDINGS OR STREAMS IN ANY MEDIUM, INCLUDING THE INTERNET, IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED, A VIOLATION OF THE AUTHOR(S)’S RIGHTS AND ACTIONABLE UNDER UNITED STATES COPYRIGHT LAW.
BIOS MEET THE ARTISTS!
Antoinette Lori Abbamonte (Laurie) (she/ her) is a Deaf-led actor and producer with years of experience in multiple stage productions and in film and television. Passionate about creating meaningful stories, she strives to make a lasting impact by championing the idea that all lives matter and every dream is valid around the world. As the founder and CEO of Mermaid Signature Production, a Deaf-owned company, Antoinette is dedicated to elevating Deaf performers and telling stories that resonate across communities. She is especially looking forward to returning to Deaf West Theatre, which has always been close to her heart. Her work reflects a commitment to inclusion, representation, and the transformative power of performance.
Klea Blackhurst (Beverly/ MRS. MILLNER) starred in Goodspeed Musicals’ 50th anniversary production of Hello, Dolly! and led a critically lauded production of Gypsy at Drury Lane Chicago. She’s brought her brand of comedy to the development of many new works, most recently the World Premiere of Dolly: A True Original Musical, Hazel directed by Lucie Arnaz, and The Nutty Professor with a score by Rupert Holmes and Marvin Hamlisch. Off-Broadway credits include Party Face, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Bingo, Radio Gals, and Oil City Symphony. Other credits: Ragtime with the Boston Pops, Show Boat with Glimmerglass Opera, Into the Woods with Opera North and Chicago at Pioneer Theatre Company in her hometown of Salt Lake City. TV: Former prosecutor, Shelby Cross on “Onion News Network,” “Law and Order: SVU,” “The Knick,” and “Pose.” A musical theatre historian who performs what she finds as opposed to writing books about it, she is best known for her award-
winning Ethel Merman tribute, Everything The Traffic Will Allow. She is a member of Mendez Boxing Harlem, where she is known as The Belter. Klea is a distinguished alumna of the University of Utah.
Daniel Durant (Cy) recently wrapped two features: Being Heumann, directed by Academy Award winner Sian Heder, and Flash Before the Bang, inspired by the true story of an all-Deaf high school track and field team. In 2024, he starred in Green Day’s American Idiot in collaboration with Center Theatre Group and Deaf West Theatre. He was also Florestan in the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Deaf West Theatre’s production of Fidelio, conducted by Maestro Gustavo Dudamel, and performed the National Anthem in ASL at Super Bowl LVIII alongside Reba McEntire. He is best known for his starring role as Leo Rossi in CODA, which garnered three Oscar Awards including Best Picture. He received a Screen Actors Guild Award, Sundance Award, AFI Award, and HCA Spotlight Award for the role. He was also a semifinalist on “Dancing with the Stars” (Disney+) where he competed alongside professional dancer, and now wife, Britt Stewart. Past stage work includes the co-lead role of Moritz in Deaf West Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of Spring Awakening, before it transferred to Broadway. TV: “Chicago Med,” “Florida Man,” “You,” “Switched at Birth.” His awards include Theatre World Award 2016 Broadway Debut Performance and Broadway. com’s Top 10 Show-Stopping Performances of the 20152016 Broadway Season.
Taylor Iman Jones (Roxy) (she/they) is a proud Bay Area native turned New York actor and teaching artist. Broadway: SIX, Head Over Heels (OBC), and Groundhog Day the Musical (OBC). National Tours: Hamilton, American Idiot. Off-Broadway/World Premiere: The Jonathan Larson Project, The Lonely Few, Scotland, P.A., A Wrinkle in Time (Arena Stage). When not on stage, you can find Taylor coaching acting, singing, or giving masterclasses across the country. Big thanks to Deaf West Theatre, Two River Theater, Liberman/Zerman, Cornerstone, and her love Keely! taylorimanjones.com | @taylorimanjones
Amy Keum (Jenna) is a Korean-American actor thrilled to be making her Two River Theater/Deaf West Theatre debut! Broadway: KPOP (Circle in the Square). Off-Broadway/ Regional: Laowang (Primary Stages), Vanities (The York Theatre Company), Hello Kitty Must Die (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), Lizzie (Playhouse Square), Be More Chill (Playhouse Square). Film/TV: Honor Society (Paramount+), Peaked (A24), Death Name (Tubi/FOX), The Kill Room (Shout Studios), 72 Hours (Netflix), “Elsbeth” (CBS), “Evil” (CBS). @amymkeum
Remy Laifer (Bob) is thrilled to be making his Deaf West Theatre and Two River Theater debuts. National Tour: Fiddler on the Roof. Off-Broadway: Hazing U. Regional: Summer Theatre of New Canaan, La Mirada Theatre (opposite Jason Alexander). TV: “New Amsterdam.” Film: Escape from Myrtle. Broadway: 3 Worlds, 1 Modern Romance. Listen to his electronic music on all platforms under REMY QUINN. Proud Northwestern graduate. Thank you Sherry, Jeff, TRC, Anna, and the Sign Language Center. remylaifer.com | @remylaifer
James Olivas (Chris) is a proud Mexican-American actor honored to be making his Two River Theater debut. Select theater credits include Evita (West End debut), American Idiot (Deaf West Theatre, Mark Taper Forum), Destiny of Desire (The Old Globe), Kinky Boots (Hollywood Bowl), Secret Garden (Ahmanson). Workshop: Boop! (Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway). TV: “American Horror Stories” (FX), “Encore!” (Disney+). Voice Over: Bad Kids of Crestview Academy (Momentum Pictures). Para mi familia.
Siena Rafter (Simone) is a nonbinary performer born and raised in New York City. Film: Being Heumann (upcoming). Off-Broadway/ Lincoln Center: Liz Swados’ Runaways (directed by Sam Pinkleton), Deep Blue Sea (directed by Bill T. Jones, Park Avenue Armory), The Division (directed by SRDA), Thank You Ryan... (Ars Nova), T (The Tank), American Songbook Series. The Public Theater/Delacorte: Twelfth Night (written by Shaina Taub), Runaways, For the Love of Vinyl (Joe’s Pub), From Hair to Hamilton...Gala ‘17. Goodspeed/Regional: A Complicated Woman, Spring Awakening. TV: “Crashing” (HBO). They are a proud graduate of LaGuardia High School’s Drama program and Brown University’s Theater Arts program. They are thrilled to be making their Two River Theater debut. Love to all my families.
Hector Reynoso (Roy) (he/him) played the role of Rocco in Beethoven’s Fidelio, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, produced by Deaf West Theatre and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, including a 12-day international tour with stops in Barcelona, Paris, and London. He is known for
playing Joseph of Arimathea in the film Jesus: A Deaf Mission. On stage he performed in Deaf Broadway’s productions of Sara Bareilles’s Waitress: The Musical (Joe) and Sondheim’s Company (Larry) at Damrosch Park, Synetic Theater’s Beauty and the Beast (Jean Paul) and King Lear (Earl of Gloucester, Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Ensemble). He also appeared in Goya: In the House of the Deaf Man (Francisco de Goya) for Center for Arts Theatre, CCBC, and Gallaudet University (Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region II at Carnegie Mellon University, Best Actor nomination). Other roles include Hamlet … the rest is silence (Polonius), Twelfth Night (Sir Toby Belch), The Three Musketeers (Porthos), The Taming of the Shrew (Baptista Minola), Othello (Brabantio), The Old Man Never Let It Go (Old Man), and King Arthur (Ensemble).
Don Stephenson (Wayne) recently starred as Doc Brown in the North American Tour of Back to the Future: The Musical Previous Broadway appearances: Starred as Leo Bloom in The Producers, the D’Ysquith Family in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, Victor in Private Lives, and Hertz in Rock of Ages. He created the roles of Bill O’Wray in the Broadway premiere of Trouble in Mind, Mr. Peavy in Parade, Bingo in By Jeeves, Renfield in Dracula, and Charles Clarke in Titanic (Broadway debut). New York City Opera: Frank Lippencott in Wonderful Town. New York City Center Encores!: Me and My Girl, Pardon My English, The Bandwagon. Other NY credits include Death Takes a Holiday, Take Me Along, Chess. TV/Film: “Elsbeth,” “FBI: Most Wanted,” “Law & Order,” “The Blacklist,” “The Americans,” “Deception,” “Happy,” “The Good Wife,” “30 Rock,” “Glee,” “Ugly Betty,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Turn: Washington Spies,” Larry Silver Recordings: Titanic, Parade (RCA), Death Takes a Holiday (PS Classics), the complete recordings of Guys and Dolls, Wonderful Town, The Most Happy Fella (JAY Records). He plays Edmund Lowry Jr. in Red Dead Redemption 2 for Rockstar Games. donstephensonactordirector.com
Raven Sutton (liz) is a Los Angeles–based Deaf performer, actress, content creator, and advocate who rose to prominence through viral ASL music interpretation and storytelling content that amplified Deaf culture to mainstream audiences. A third-generation Deaf woman from Alabama and graduate of Gallaudet University, she blends advocacy with artistry, previously working in survivor support services before expanding into entertainment. Raven became one of the first Black Deaf contestants on “The Circle” (Netflix), a milestone moment for representation. Her work spans live performance, accessibility consulting, and creative collaboration, including partnerships connected to the Grammys, Oscars, and major live events with organizations like Live Nation. She is currently studying acting at the Stella Adler Acting Academy in Los Angeles. Featured in The New York Times, Vogue, and Daily Mail, Raven continues to use her platform to elevate Deaf voices, drive inclusive storytelling, and expand accessibility across entertainment and digital media.
Ivan menchell (Book Writer) Broadway/West End credits include Death Note: The Musical (book), Bonnie & Clyde (book), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (additional material), and his comedy, The Cemetery Club, which has been produced worldwide, in over two dozen languages. Regional and international productions include The Surprise Party (UK tours) and the librettos for Smiling Through, The Prince & The Pauper, and Frank Wildhorn’s Xcalibur and Mata Hari. For the screen, Ivan co-wrote the Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore romantic comedy, Blended, and an adaptation of his play, The Cemetery Club, starring Ellen Burstyn, Diane Ladd, and Olympia Dukakis. He also served as a writer on Universal’s animated feature, Curious George. His musicals, Bonnie & Clyde (starring Jeremy Jordan) and Death Note, have both been filmed live on stage. An Emmy-nominated television writer and producer, he created the critically acclaimed Showtime series, “Bedtime,” starring Felicity Huffman, and served as Writer/Producer on the longrunning CBS hit comedy, “The Nanny,” starring Fran Drescher; “Time of Your Life,” starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jennifer Garner; “Phil of the Future” (Disney); and “JONAS,” starring the Jonas Brothers. Ivan is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and the recipient of a Fulbright fellowship for his playwriting.
Caroline Kay (Music & Lyrics) is a Dublin-born, London-based writer, composer, and performer. Caroline has released three EPs of her original music: Notes, Tricks, and Overnight — all three of which went to #1 on the iTunes Album Charts in Ireland, with Overnight also being long-listed for a Grammy Award. In 2020, she and West End’s David Hunter wrote, produced, and starred in their lockdown-inspired online musical short, The Space Between, released by WhatsOnStage. com. She has written the book, music, and
lyrics for her original musical, Daisy, which is currently in the late stages of development. As a performer, some of Caroline’s credits include performing in Drew Gaspirini’s I Could Use A Drink (The Garrick Theatre, West End), The Clockmaker’s Daughter (studio album and concert production at Cadogan Hall), and she was Ramin Karimloo’s special guest for Ramin Karimloo and the Broadgrass Band (The Other Palace). She has also performed her own solo concerts in London, New York City, Dublin, and Cork. She holds a bachelor’s in English and music, and a master’s in performance from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.
Jeff Calhoun (Director/Choreographer) broke new ground on Broadway as director of the critically acclaimed revival of Big River, launching an enduring collaboration with Deaf West Theatre that, for the first time on Broadway, eliminated interpreters standing on the side of the stage. His 2003 revival won the Tony Award® for Special Achievement in the Theater. Jeff went on to direct the World Premiere of the first original American Sign Language Musical, Sleeping Beauty Wakes, at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in 2007, and in 2009 directed and choreographed the Deaf West Theatre & Center Theatre Group production of Pippin at the Mark Taper Forum. Elephant Shoes reflects both the continuation of Jeff’s vital partnership with Deaf West Theatre and a vibrant leap forward for the art form. Jeff’s career as director/choreographer stretches across 18 Broadway productions and 4 decades, earning him two Tony Award® nominations for Grease and Newsies. He directed Dolly Parton’s smash hit 9 to 5 in London’s West End at The Savoy Theater, which toured the United Kingdom and internationally. Other Broadway credits include The Will Rogers Follies, Bonnie and Clyde, Jekyll and Hyde, Grey Gardens, , and Tommy Tune Tonite. He received a Drama Desk Award nomination for his direction of the Off-Broadway Between the Lines. Jeff is an Associate Artist at Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C.
Colin Analco (ASL Choreographer) is a versatile professional with extensive experience in the field of American Sign Language (ASL). With more than a decade of expertise as a translator, Deaf interpreter, and actor, Colin has contributed to
numerous successful and impactful productions as an ASL choreographer. For Deaf West Theatre: Green Day’s American Idiot, Beethoven’s Fidelio with Gustavo Dudamel. Colin travels nationwide to perform, present, and teach ASL literature, translation, and theater at schools and universities, sharing his passion and knowledge with diverse audiences.
Meghann Zervoulis Bate (Music Supervisor/Music Director/ARRANGEMENTS) is currently serving as the music director of SIX the Musical. Broadway: CABARET at the Kit Kat Club (2024 Revival), Funny Girl (2022 Revival), West Side Story (2020 Revival), The Prom, Mean Girls, and Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. Off-Broadway: Bigfoot, Here We Are, White Girl In Danger, Only Gold, The Visitor, Merrily, Cagney, Rated P. Regional: Numerous credits at her home base — Paper Mill Playhouse — including Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Bandstand, Oliver!, Elf, Ever After, and their annual New Voices concerts. Bedwetter at Arena Stage. Meg has appeared around the country as a pianist/ bandleader for several Broadway stars including Betsy Wolfe, Bryce Pinkham, and more. She has also served as the accompanist for National YoungArts Week, in collaboration with Broadway Inspirational Voices founder Michael McElroy. Meg is also active as a music educator and music therapist and is a proud member of Local 802 and Maestra. Within Maestra, Meg serves as the co-director of the Maestra Mentorship along with Sonya Hayden. Dedicated to service, Meg has enjoyed making music with many wonderful organizations such as Sing for Hope, Sing for Your Seniors, and Concerts in Motion. Education: Carnegie Mellon University. Much love to my family, my everything. megzmusic.com
Tom Kitt (Orchestrator) is a two-time Tony®, twotime Emmy, two-time Grammy, and Pulitzer Prize Award winner. As a composer, Broadway credits include Next to Normal (Tony Award®, Olivier Nomination), If/ Then (Tony® Nomination), Almost Famous (Tony® Nomination), Flying Over Sunset (Tony® Nomination), High Fidelity, and Bring It On, The Musical. Off-Broadway, his work has been performed at Second Stage (Next to Normal, Superhero), The Public Theater (The Visitor, Shakespeare in the Park) and some of the most prestigious regional theaters including The Old Globe, Arena Stage, Berkeley Rep, The Signature Theater, and ART. Tom’s Broadway credits as an orchestrator include Next to Normal (Tony Award®), Hell’s Kitchen (Tony® Nomination, Grammy Award), The SpongeBob Musical (Tony® Nomination), Jagged Little Pill (Tony® Nomination, Grammy Award), Almost Famous, Head Over Heels, Everyday Rapture, and American Idiot. Film and
TV credits include the Pitch Perfect films, Grease Live, and the Disney Channel Original Movie, Freaky Friday.
Tobin Ost (Scenic Designer) is an award-winning, Tony-nominated scenic and costume designer who has worked professionally in New York for over 26 years. His Broadway credits include Disney’s Newsies, Bonnie & Clyde, Jekyll & Hyde, Disaster!, The Philanthropist, and Brooklyn the Musical, several of which launched national tours and international productions. OffBroadway, his work includes Between the Lines at Second Stage Theater, Nightingale (written and performed by Lynn Redgrave at Manhattan Theatre Club), Maurice Hines’ Tappin’ Thru Life (New World Stages), ZannaDon’t! at the John Houseman Theatre (GLAAD Media Award), and The Overwhelming at Roundabout Theatre Company’s Laura Pels Theatre. Regionally, he has designed for The Old Globe, Center Theatre Group, Arena Stage, Huntington Theatre Company, Ford’s Theatre, Goodspeed Musicals, Asolo Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Yale Repertory Theatre, Hartford Stage, Alliance Theatre, The Glimmerglass Festival and others. A dedicated educator, Tobin has taught at SUNY Purchase and joined Hamilton College in Central New York State as an Assistant Professor of Theatre, design in 2022. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Michigan, with additional studies in traditional Japanese theatre at Kyushu University, Japan, and received his Master of Fine Arts in Set and Costume Design from the Yale School of Drama. TOBINOSTDESIGN.com.
Sarafina Bush (Costume Designer) Broadway: The Outsiders, The Who’s Tommy, How to Dance in Ohio, For Colored Girls... (Tony Award® Nominee), Pass Over Off-Broadway: Shit. Meet. Fan. (MCC Theater), Oliver! (City Center Encores), Evanston Salt Costs Climbing (The New Group), Heroes of the Fourth Turning (Obie Award, Playwrights Horizons), Broadway Bounty Hunter (Greenwich House). Regional: A Wrinkle in Time (Arena Stage), The Ballad of Johnny & June (La Jolla Playhouse), The Preacher’s Wife (Alliance Theatre), Peter Pan (Tour), Life After (CAA Ed Mirvish, Goodman Theatre). Education: BA, Adelphi University.
Annie Wiegand (Lighting Designer) (she/her) is the first and only professional Deaf lighting designer working in the U.S. A native of Des Moines, Iowa, she holds a BA in Theatre from Appalachian State University and an MFA in Lighting Design from Boston University. OffBroadway: TRASH (Perelman Performing Arts Center New York), I Was Most Alive With You (Playwrights Horizons). Regional: Another Kind of Silence (City Theatre Company), Spring Awakening (Skylight Music
Theatre), Cinderella (Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, ZACH Theatre), Eclipsed (Milwaukee Repertory Theater), Steel Magnolias (Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Dallas Theater Center), The Upstairs Department (Signature Theatre), The Bridges of Madison County (SpeakEasy Stage Company, IRNE Award nomination). Opera and interdisciplinary work: Sensorium Ex (VIA/BMP Common Senses Festival Omaha), Opera Birmingham, Anikaya Dance Theater. Other credits include national tours with The Acting Company (2010–2013). Annie is a company member of the Kinetic Light Disability Arts Ensemble, Resident Lighting Designer at Deaf Broadway, and serves as Professor and Production Co-Program Director of the Performing Arts Program at Gallaudet University. anniewiegand.com
Daniel Lundberg (Sound Designer) Design credits include Take a Banana for the Ride (Broadway), JOY (OffBroadway), VAPE! (Off-Broadway), The Cher Show (Tour), and productions for Roundabout Theatre Company, American Repertory Theater, The Public Theater, Ogunquit Playhouse, New York Stage and Film, Delaware Theatre Company, The REV, and A Contemporary Theatre of Connecticut. Sound engineer and assistant design credits include 20 Broadway productions, 11 tours, six circuses, two theme parks, and many concerts. BFA Carnegie Mellon. It’s great to be here!
Caite Hevner (Projection Designer) is a New York City–based designer specializing in projection, production, and scenic design. Broadway: Trisha Paytas’ Big Broadway Dream, Derren Brown, SECRET, In Transit, Harry Connick Jr.: A Celebration of Cole Porter. Off-Broadway: Between the Lines (Drama Desk nomination), Kristina Wong: Sweatshop Overlord (Lucille Lortel nomination), Romy & Michele: The Musical (Stage 42), The Least Problematic Woman in the World, Duke & Roya, Collective Rage (Lortel Theatre), Rolling Thunder (New World Stages), as well as productions with Manhattan Theatre Club, MCC Theater, Primary Stages, and Roundabout Theatre Company. Caite’s work includes hundreds of productions in New York and at major venues across the United States, including La Jolla Playhouse, Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre, the Goodman Theatre, Arena Stage, Alliance Theatre, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall, as well as internationally. Since 2018, Caite has served as Video Content Producer for BC/EFA’s Broadway Bares. Caite is an Eastern Region Board Member Representative for IATSE Local USA829. caitedesign.com | @caitehevner
Alberto “Albee” Alvarado (Wig & HAIR DesignER) (he/him) Two River Theater debut. Broadway: The Rocky Horror Show (2026 Drama Desk Nominee), The Outsiders (2024 Tony Award® Best Musical). OffBroadway: SUMO (The Public Theater, 2025 Drama Desk Nominee). Tours: The Outsiders (US Tour), The Ballad of Johnny & June (UK & Ireland Tour). Regional: A Wrinkle in Time Musical (Arena Stage), La Cage Aux Folles (Pasadena Playhouse), Purpose, The Heart, Derecho, The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical, Bhangin’ It, to the yellow house (La Jolla Playhouse). Other regional credits include work at Center Theatre Group Los Angeles, San Diego Opera & Seagle Music Colony. Education: Bachelors of Art: Theatre Arts, San Diego State University. Love to familia, amigos, Daniel & Yeobo. “I’m here to amplify underrepresented voices. YOUR story matters.” @SaborAlbee
Briana Lynn Capo (Wig & HAIR DESIGNER) (she/her) So stoked to be making my Design debut with Albee at Two River Theater! Associate Designer Broadway: The Rocky Horror Show (2026 Drama Desk Nominee), The Outsiders (2024 Tony Award® Best Musical). Associate Designer Off-Broadway: SUMO (The Public; 2025 Drama Desk Nominee). Associate Designer Tours: The Outsiders (US Tour). Associate Designer Regional: A Wrinkle in Time Musical (Arena Stage). TV/Film: “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, “Fosse/Verdon”, “Life & Beth.” Current Hair & Makeup Dept Head on The Outsiders on Broadway. Forever grateful to my family for supporting this work we do, grateful to my team at the The Outsiders for holding down the fort while I grow as an artist and grateful for Albee for being one of my closest friends and collaborators. Excited to continue honoring and representing those who are underserved on stage and off. @backstage_nomad
Lauren Kiele Deleon (Intimacy) (she/her) is a Latina intimacy professional from Miami, Florida. She holds a master’s degree from NYU with a thesis on decolonization and intimacy choreography. Selected credits include Broadway: Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club (August Wilson Theatre), Real Women Have Curves (James Earl Jones Theatre), Beaches (The Majestic Theatre). Off-Broadway: La Paloma Prisoner (Chelsea Factory), The Cause (WP Theatre), This Land Was Made (Vineyard Theatre), Eva Luna (Repertorio Español), Las Borinqueñas (Ensemble Studio Theatre). Regional: Romeo & Juliet and Real Women Have Curves (American Repertory Theatre), Las Aventuras de Juan Planchard (Miami New Drama & Tectonic Theatre), Hair
and The Mountaintop (Weston Playhouse), Queen of Basel (Theatreworks Hartford). laurenkdeleon.com
The TRC Company/Claire Burke, CSA & Spencer Gauldoni, CSA (Casting) Led by partners Claire Burke, Kevin Metzger-Timson, Xavier Rubiano, and Peter Van Dam. Broadway: Beaches, Mamma Mia!, Dead Outlaw, BOOP! The Musical, Buena Vista Social Club, Death Becomes Her, The Outsiders, SIX, Aladdin Tours: The Phantom of the Opera, Beauty & the Beast, Water for Elephants, The Wiz, Back to the Future, Les Misérables. The TRC Company is proud to continue the casting legacy of Tara Rubin Casting and Johnson-Liff Associates.
ARTURO PORAZZI (PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER)
brings over fifty years of experience as an AEA stage manager to this special Two River Theater production, following a recent European tour as an associate production supervisor for The Lord of the Rings in Concert series. His most notable Broadway credits include Come From Away, First Date, Memphis (2010 Best Musical Tony Award®), Xanadu, Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life, Marie Christine, Triumph of Love, Victor/Victoria, Jelly’s Last Jam, Me and My Girl, Singin’ In The Rain, The Three Musketeers, Zorba, 42nd Street, Angel, and Shenandoah. His television work includes projects for ABC, NBC, NBCUniversal, CBS, Telemundo, and ESPN. He has collaborated with more than thirty business theatre production companies and served as guest lecturer or adjunct faculty at Fordham, Columbia, Adelphi, Hofstra, Pace, UCSD, and Wagner College. Currently, he resides on Staten Island, overlooking New York Harbor, with his wife Debora, also a stage manager, and their daughter Gabriella.
Rico Froehlich (Assistant STAGE MANAGER) (he/him) is excited to be joining the team of Elephant Shoes with Two River Theater and Deaf West! Broadway: The Fear of 13; Good Night, and Good Luck. Off-Broadway: Blackout Songs, Ginger Twinsies, Teeth, Manahatta. Other credits from Joe’s Pub, Engeman Theater, The Gateway, Theater by the Sea, ACT of CT, French Woods Festival. For Mom, Spooner, & Rose. BFA Ithaca College. @ricobfroehlich Abigail Peterson (Assistant STAGE MANAGER) (she/ her) Broadway: Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends. National Tour: The Phantom of the Opera. Regional: Here Lies Love (Center Theatre Group), Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends (Center Theatre Group), American Idiot (Deaf West Theatre/Mark Taper Forum), Immediate Family (Blumenthal Arts). For my family. Thank you for never letting me give up.
DJ Kurs (Artistic Director, Deaf West Theatre / Producer) has served as Artistic Director of Deaf West Theatre since 2012. American Sign Language is his first language, and the work he leads places deaf actors and ASL at the center of major American theater. Under his tenure, Deaf West’s Spring Awakening transferred to Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre; Beethoven’s Fidelio mounted with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel and went on to tour internationally; and Green Day’s American Idiot returned at the Mark Taper Forum. Upcoming projects include Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Whistle Down the Wind at New York Stage & Film and Love Me, a solo show by Drew Michael. Gratitude and love to Alice, Isabella, Milo, and Romy.
Jeff Perri (Managing Director, Deaf West Theatre / Producer) has served as Managing Director of Deaf West Theatre since 2022. Overseeing all operational and financial aspects of the company, Jeff has been an essential partner in building Deaf West’s national and international profile, helping to advance the company’s vision as a bi-coastal institution setting new standards for both non-profit and commercial theatrical production. Jeff brings a rich and varied background spanning entertainment, advertising, brand strategy, and the arts. Before joining Deaf West, he worked at some of the industry’s leading theatrical advertising and marketing firms, contributing to more than 35 Broadway and Off-Broadway productions while developing deep fluency in public relations, brand strategy, and campaign development across clients ranging from major corporations to Tony Award®-winning shows. His background also includes scenic design work on Broadway and beyond, and he holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Pace University. A Child of Deaf Adults (CODA), Jeff grew up navigating both Deaf and hearing worlds — giving him an intuitive, personal connection to the cultural and artistic bridges at the heart of Deaf West’s work.
Ed Waterstreet (Founding Artistic Director, Deaf West Theatre) is the founding Artistic Director of Deaf West Theatre, which he established in Los Angeles in 1991 as the first resident theater company in the United States operated by a deaf artistic director. Under his leadership, the company earned over 80 theater awards, including fifteen L.A. Ovation Awards, twelve Backstage West Awards, seven LA Weekly Awards, and six L.A. Drama Critics Circle Awards. The company performed on Broadway and earned a Tony Award® nomination. In 2005, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services honored Deaf West with its Highest Recognition Award for distinguished contributions to the cultural lives of deaf and hard-of-hearing actors and theatergoers under
Waterstreet’s leadership. Waterstreet is a former twelveyear member of the National Theatre of the Deaf. He starred in the Emmy Award-winning television film Love Is Never Silent and appeared in the Hallmark Hall of Fame television film Sweet Nothing in My Ear. In 2003, he received the James A. Doolittle Ovation Award for Leadership in the Theatre at the LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards. Waterstreet holds an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Gallaudet University.
Deaf West Theatre: Founded in Los Angeles in 1991, Tony Award®-winning Deaf West Theatre, led by Artistic Director DJ Kurs and Managing Director Jeff Perri, creates theater inspired by deaf culture and the expressive power of sign language, weaving American Sign Language with spoken English. The company’s work reaches global audiences through Songs in Sign Language, a collaboration with Disney Animation that presents Disney music in ASL. Recent and past productions include Green Day’s American Idiot, a coproduction with Center Theatre Group; Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel; a new adaptation of Oedipus at the Getty Villa Museum, directed and adapted by Jenny Koons; The Solid Life of Sugar Water by Jack Thorne; Our Town, with the Pasadena Playhouse; Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo, with the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts; Spring Awakening, which transferred from Inner-City Arts to the Wallis and then to Broadway (three Tony Award® nominations including Best Revival of a Musical); American Buffalo (Los Angeles Times “Critic’s Choice”); Cyrano, with the Fountain Theatre (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Production); Big River (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle and Backstage Garland Awards for Best Musical in its L.A. premiere, a Tony Award® nomination, and four Drama Desk Awards on Broadway); Pippin, with Center Theatre Group at the Mark Taper Forum; Sleeping Beauty Wakes, with Center Theatre Group at the Kirk Douglas Theatre; Oliver! (Ovation Award for Best Musical); and A Streetcar Named Desire (Ovation Award for Best Play). In 2005, DWT received the Highest Recognition Award from the Secretary of Health and Human Services for its “distinguished contributions to improve and enrich the cultural lives of deaf and hard-ofhearing actors and theater patrons.” To learn more, visit deafwest.org.
Kevin Ryan (Producer) a hometown Monmouth County resident, is a Tony® and Olivier Award winning producer. In addition to Elephant Shoes, Kevin’s producing work includes the current 11-time Tony-nominated revival of Ragtime at Lincoln Center Theatre; the 2024 Broadway
revivals of Gypsy and Once Upon a Mattress; and the new musical Starstruck featuring music and lyrics by Grammy winner Emily Saliers (Indigo Girls). His Broadway co-producing credits include The Outsiders (Tony Award®); Merrily We Roll Along (Tony Award®); Parade (Tony®, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards), the 2022 revival of Into the Woods (Drama League Award) and the 2022 revival of The Piano Lesson (Drama Desk Award). On the West End of London, Kevin co-produced numerous shows with The National Theatre, including Dear England (Olivier Award). Kevin co-founded Broadway’s annual charity event, the “Stage & Screen Sleep Out,” which supports housing for children and youth overcoming homelessness at Covenant House. He co-authored the national best seller Almost Home with former New York Times reporter Tina Kelley. He served as the president of Covenant House International from 2009-2023 and in 2015, President Barack Obama appointed him to the President’s Advisory Council on Partnerships. He is a board member of Collier Youth Services, Broadway Inspirational Voices, the Sheen Center and the Cabrini Health Foundation.
Diane Scott Carter (Producer) made her Broadway producing debut with Gypsy, starring Audra McDonald and directed by George C. Wolfe. Diane co-produced Once Upon a Mattress and Suffs (Tony® Nomination) in 2024, and is a Tony Award® and Drama Desk Award winner for Parade in 2023. Diane has also co-produced The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window (Tony Award® Nomination) and The Piano Lesson (Tony Award® Nomination and Drama Desk Award Winner). Additionally, Diane has co-produced numerous productions in the West End, including Dear England, for which she won an Olivier Award for Best New Play in 2024. Diane is also a newly elected board member for Broadway Inspirational Voices. A proud woman of color, Diane is committed to advancing diversity and inclusion in all areas of theatre and is extremely excited to be on the commercial producing team of Elephant Shoes.
Rob Acton (Producer) is a Tony®-nominated and Drama Desk Award-winning producer who is thrilled to be helping bring Elephant Shoes to Two River Theater’s Stage. Acton’s Broadway credits include Ragtime (2026 Tony®-nomination), Cats: The Jellicle Ball (2026 Tony®nomination), Gypsy (2025 Tony®-nomination), Once Upon a Mattress, and The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window. Acton has served for six years as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Broadway Inspirational Voices, a gospel choir and service organization powered
by Broadway artists using music to inspire hope and change lives. He is the Principal & Founder of Cause Strategy Partners, a consulting social impact firm that powers the company’s signature programs: BoardLead, Executive Concierge Board Placement and BoardLearn. Acton’s book, Becoming a Causie: Champion Your Cause Through Nonprofit Board Leadership, is published by ForbesBooks and achieved #1 Amazon best seller recognition in charity and philanthropy in September 2024. He was named a Top Impact CEO by Big Path Capital, the first list to honor the 100 most impactful leaders sparking positive environmental and social change through the fast-growing private companies they run. Rob is a member of the Bar of the State of New York. He attended Michigan public schools, Spring Arbor University, and Brooklyn Law School. Rob’s causes are to provide second chances for formerly incarcerated individuals, build the capacity of nonprofit organizations, and tell important stories through live theater.
Mary Sullivan (Producer) is thrilled to be making her debut as a Producer with this new musical Elephant Shoes at Two River Theater. She has been involved on Broadway as a co-producer for several shows over the past few years including the Tony Award®-winning The Outsiders and the current Tony®-nominated Ragtime at Lincoln Center. From her first exposure to this adaptation of the classic story into a modern setting, Mary was hooked. She is excited to help bring this truly unique and poignant story to life.
LEADERSHIP BIOS
JUSTIN WALDMAN (ARTISTIC DIRECTOR) (he/him) is a theatrical producer and director who has brought over 250 productions to life during his over 20-year career. As Associate Artistic Director at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, CA, one of America’s flagship regional theatres, he has developed new musicals and plays, American and world classics, holiday programming, and overseen one of the country’s preeminent Shakespeare festivals. During his tenure, the Globe transferred six productions to Broadway, including A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Tony Award® for Best Musical), Bright Star (Tony® Nomination for Best Musical), and Almost Famous, had seven productions remounted in venerable New York theatres including Lincoln Center Theater and Roundabout Theatre Company, and presented 35 world premiere productions. Justin was instrumental in the creation of the Old Globe’s Social Justice Roadmap, which charts a path toward making the Globe a more just, equitable, representative, accessible, and anti-racist institution. At Williamstown Theatre Festival, where, as Artistic Associate, he led the Literary Department and new play development initiatives for three seasons, six of the 11 new plays produced were subsequently presented at New York theatres including Lincoln Center Theater, Roundabout Theatre Company, Playwrights Horizons, The Culture Project, and more. Other prior staff positions include Artistic Associate of the Huntington Theatre Company in Boston, MA and Producing Artistic Director of Next Stages, which he founded. Justin is a graduate of Tufts University.
NORA DEVEAU-ROSEN (MANAGING
DIRECTOR) (she/her), originally from Brooklyn, NY, is a dynamic arts leader with a deep commitment to championing new voices and new stories. She currently serves as Managing Director of Two River Theater, a nonprofit producing theater in Red Bank, New Jersey. Before joining Two River, DeVeauRosen was a key member of the development team at Pasadena Playhouse in California, where she secured the largest general operating gift in the company’s 105-year history. Previously, she was appointed by Cirque du Soleil to serve as General Manager of The Works Entertainment, producer of the world’s largest magic shows. In that role, she managed multiple global productions while leading the integration of both companies. From 2016–2019, she served as General Manager of East West Players, the nation’s longest-running theater of color and largest producer of Asian American Pacific Islander work. Under her leadership, the organization doubled its operating budget, expanded its Board of Directors, successfully navigated a major artistic transition, and co-produced Allegiance starring George Takei. Earlier in her career, she was the Managing Director of Clubbed Thumb, the acclaimed New York company known for producing “funny, strange, and provocative new works by living American playwrights.” DeVeau-Rosen has also worked with Imaginer, The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Heidi Duckler Dance, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York Theatre Workshop, and The Bushwick Starr, among others. She has served as a grant panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, New Jersey Council for the Humanities, New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund, Impact100, California Arts Council, Center Theatre Group, and ART/ New York. She currently serves as a Trustee of RiverCenter in Red Bank and the Boys & Girls Club of Monmouth County, is a nominating committee member for the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, and serves on ArtPride New Jersey’s Membership and Audit Committees. Her additional community involvement includes work with Planned Parenthood’s Shore Access Committee, Executive Women of New Jersey, Monmouth University’s Business Council, the Mayor’s Wellness Campaign of Red Bank, and the Monmouth County Collective.
ROBERT AND JOAN RECHNITZ (CO-FOUNDERS) founded Two River Theater in 1994—when Monmouth County was the only major population center in the state without a professional regional theater. After producing seasons at Monmouth University and the Algonquin Theater in Manasquan, Joan and Bob led a community effort to build a new, permanent home for the theater in Red Bank. In 2005, they opened a state-of-the-art, two-theater complex which was designed by the renowned architectural firm Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates. Bob directed many shows for the theater including the opening production in the new building, the classic American comedy You Can’t Take It with You. Bob served as the theater’s Executive Producer until his death in 2019. Since moving to Red Bank more than 50 years ago when Bob began his teaching career at Monmouth University, Bob and Joan participated in—and generously supported—arts and culture, health, education and environmental stewardship. They have been recognized for their roles as community leaders.
A Letter from the Director JEFF CALHOUN
Twenty-six years ago, I was asked to direct and choin a 99-seat theater in Studio City, California. There was only one stipula-
Although it was the most challenging assignment of my career, it was also the most rewarding. That decision ultimately led to tonight’s performance of
, our Deaf West production made the journey from Studio City to Broadway and introduced audiences to something
members no longer needed to watch an interpreter standing off to the side of the stage, because every line of dialogue and every lyric was signed as well as spoken. Hearing actors learned their dialogue and songs in ASL, while deaf actors learned to sign to music they couldn’t hear. As you can imagine, the
As groundbreaking as that production was, it still asked deaf actors to recreate roles originally written for hearing actors. Elephant Shoes is different. The formidable talents of Ivan Menchell and Caroline Kay, along with our stellar design team, have created the first musical about a deaf character and performed by a deaf actor. Our hope is not only to make you laugh and move you emotionally, but also to offer a window into deaf culture.
I want to take this opportunity to thank both Ed Waterstreet and DJ Kurs, the former and current Artistic Directors of Deaf West Theatre, respectively. Working with Deaf West has been an incredible privilege and has made me not only a more creative director, but also a more compassionate and loving person.
I hope you enjoy the show and find its unique storytelling both entertaining and inspiring.
Respectfully,
Jeff Calhoun
LANGUAGES THAT SHAPE OUR WORLD
There are approximately 7,000 languages used for communication in the world today. There is scientific debate about whether Homo sapiens first gained the ability to speak 300,000 years ago, or whether the ability to form proto-words vocally predates the species and has been around for 27 million years. While researchers speculate about when spoken language began, the French National Centre for Scientific Research theorized in 2021 that signed languages have been in existence for at least 30,000 to 35,000 years. They used the ancient hand paintings in the Cave of Gargas as an example: what if, instead of these paintings depicting hands that had lost fingers due to amputation or frostbite,
they were actually depictions of a signed language? That the “hidden” fingers in the paintings indicate concepts—events, numbers, or objects—they were trying to communicate. As such, the hand paintings on the cave walls are not just telling us that people were there and making their mark, they are possibly an early form of writing, ergo a language.
What we know is that today we rely on language to express complex ideas and to connect with each other in a multitude of ways. Languages may be vocally expressed or expressed through sign, as in the cases of spoken English and American Sign Language (ASL), respectively. These formal languages have built the world around us, but
By FIONA KYLE Literary Manager
there are other languages that also shape our world: we now have programming languages, e.g., Java, SQL, or C++. These languages tell our technology how to operate and include dialects and variations, much like spoken and signed languages. Whether we’re aware of it or not, they also help us communicate through digital spaces such as social media and instant messaging.
For DJ Kurs, Artistic Director of Deaf West Theatre, it’s paramount to represent the deaf experience as it relates to language and translation.
Cave of Gargas, France | On the left is the cave wall, the right is a replica showing more detail.
—DJ KURS
“FOR A DEAF WEST SHOW, I THINK THERE’S BOTH ROOM AND AN AUDIENCE EXPECTATION TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS STORY IS ALSO BEING TOLD BY DEAF ARTISTS, AND THAT FOR SOME AUDIENCE MEMBERS IN THE ROOM, ASL ISN’T A CONCEPT BUT A DAILY LIVED REALITY. I’D LOVE TO INTRODUCE OUR AUDIENCES TO THAT.” discovery of which allowed for the translation of hieroglyphics
translation? One can translate “I love you” into another language, but can one translate love?
The technology present in Elephant Shoes is a step forward in accessibility, yet it is equally important to consider that Elephant Shoes itself is a step forward: this is a multilingual musical, the first ever written with ASL as one of its primary modes of communication. This musical was written with the deaf community at the forefront, where ASL was fully considered not just on stage in performance, but from the very first lines and notes that were written.
Elephant Shoes follows Cy, a brilliant deaf tech developer, as he works with three languages: he wants to use advancements in programming languages and AI to create a tool that bridges the gap between spoken English and ASL. This isn’t just a science fiction tool like Star Trek’s universal translator: it’s real technology being developed and refined today. Tools like Cy’s invention are being tested at universities to promote access for deaf students in hearing spaces that have not always prioritized their needs, especially when access to audio description or ASL interpretation is unavailable. Cy’s technology seeks to connect people through translation, and one could argue it may increase empathy. The more fluently we’re able to communicate linguistically, the more fluently we’ll understand each other’s needs and desires, right?
Perhaps. Take the Portuguese word saudade or the Russian toska, both have resisted years of attempts by scholars, writers, and translators to express them succinctly in other languages. Saudade may mean a melancholic nostalgia or, as writer Manuel de Melo defines it, “a pleasure you suffer.” Writer and translator Vladimir Nabokov spent years on toska, eventually conceding, “No single word in English renders all the shades of toska. […] It is a sensation of great spiritual anguish, often without any specific cause.” As Cy and his team work out the kinks of his new technology, it begs the question: what, if anything, is lost in
That question goes back to Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play, Cyrano de Bergerac, where two men—Cyrano and Christian—are in love with Roxane, but only one of them is brave enough to tell her. Unfortunately, the one brave enough, Christian, isn’t particularly good with words, so he has Cyrano express his love to Roxane for him. Is Cyrano capable of translating Christian’s love, or only his own? Language is a tool for communicating our interior experience to others, so in essence, we are always operating in translation even when we share the same language. We continually express our pleasure and anguish with each other, yet the way we each feel something in our bodies is unique to us. Thankfully, the great poets, playwrights, and songwriters in every spoken and signed language’s traditions are undaunted and keep translating our losses and desires into works of art.
Etymology explores the origins of specific words, and it shows how languages “borrow” from others and gives us a glimpse into how words have evolved. Take, for instance, the ASL sign for “phone,” which originally was a person holding a candlestick telephone with two hands, gesturally translating how people used those devices. That sign fell out of fashion as phones changed, becoming a single-handed sign of the thumb near the ear and the pinky near the mouth. Of course, that looks a lot like a landline and not a smartphone, so the sign has further evolved. The screens on smartphones have also required ASL to adapt as people communicate over video conferencing platforms: some signs are getting smaller to accommodate the technology we use. As such, one might ask: if Cy’s technology in Elephant Shoes succeeds, how might it eventually impact spoken English and ASL?
As the chair of the Department of Linguistics at Stanford University, Dan Jurafsky offered in 2019, “Understanding why and how languages differ tells us about the range of what is human […] Discovering what’s universal about languages can help us understand the core of our humanity.” Elephant Shoes shows us two beautiful languages on stage, English and ASL, with a third—the “invisible” programming language, used by the coders—facilitating their connection points. As we learn about these rich characters, we also learn about ourselves; theater, like language, helps us reach the core of our humanity.
The first edition of the original publication of Cyrano de Bergerac.
The evolution of the sign for “phone.”
INTERVIEW WITH ANNIE WIEGAND: LIGHTING DESIGNER
FOR ELEPHANT SHOES
By CAMILLE PUGLIESE Assistant Director
WHAT DREW YOU TO LIGHTING DESIGN AS AN ARTISTIC MEDIUM? CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY UP UNTIL NOW?
I was drawn to lighting design because it felt like storytelling without words. I connect to the world visually first, and lighting became this incredible way to shape emotion, focus, rhythm, and atmosphere through purely visual means. A single lighting shift can completely transform how an audience experiences a moment. What still excites me most about lighting is that it is never static. It is ephemeral. It only fully exists in the moment that it is experienced. I love that lighting allows me to create something emotional and immediate that only truly lives in that shared moment between performers and audience.
I grew up about a mile away from the Des Moines Playhouse in Iowa, which is a highly respected community and professional theatre. Being so close to that environment had a huge impact on me growing up. Then, when I attended the local Theodore Roosevelt High School, also a stone’s throw from the playhouse, the drama program there was incredibly successful and active. Those two experiences really steered me toward theatre early on and eventually toward lighting design specifically.
I earned my undergraduate degree in Theatre Design and Technology at Appalachian State University and later completed my MFA in Lighting Design at Boston University. Today, alongside my professional design work, I also teach and mentor students at Gallaudet University, where I continue exploring how lighting, visual storytelling, and accessibility intersect in live performance.
HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT ELEPHANT SHOES? WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT THIS PROJECT?
I first learned about Elephant Shoes through DJ Kurs, the Artistic Director of Deaf West, who encouraged Director Jeff Calhoun and me to meet. Jeff and I ended up having a pizza date on the Upper East Side of New York City, and honestly, the rest is history. I’m beyond honored to be lighting this production with him.
What immediately excited me about the project was how original it felt. We have seen d/Deaf characters assimilated into musicals before, but
we have never really seen a musical built around d/Deaf characters and d/Deaf experience in this way. That felt incredibly meaningful to me as both a Deaf artist and a storyteller. There is also something especially exciting about helping shape a new musical from the ground up, particularly one exploring storytelling through both spoken English and ASL in such an integrated way.
What also drew me in was the universality of the show’s message. At its core, Elephant Shoes is about connection and the human need to connect with one another. That transcends language. Whether through spoken language, signed language, music, movement, or visual storytelling, the show explores how people reach toward one another despite barriers, misunderstandings, and difference. It speaks to something deeply human that audiences everywhere can recognize and understand.
YOU ARE THE ONLY DEAF LIGHTING DESIGNER WORKING IN THE UNITED STATES. DOES THAT IMPACT THE KINDS OF PROJECTS YOU WORK ON?
Being the only Deaf lighting designer working professionally in the United States certainly impacts the kinds of projects that come my way, but I also think it reflects the larger barriers that still exist within our industry. There are many d/Deaf and disabled artists who could thrive in technical and design fields if the pathways, mentorship, and access
systems existed more consistently. I often find myself being the first Deaf designer many collaborators have ever worked with, which means part of my role naturally becomes educational in addition to artistic.
At the same time, my Deafness deeply informs my perspective as a designer. Lighting is such a visual and spatial art form, and I think the way I experience the world has sharpened how I think about visual storytelling, focus, rhythm, composition, movement, and connection onstage. I do not view Deafness as a limitation within my work. If anything, it has strengthened my visual instincts as an artist.
I actually work across a very wide array of projects including theatre, dance, devised work, live events, and opera, and I would love to continue expanding further into opera and musicals. At times, I think the industry has struggled to imagine me beyond specifically d/Deaf-centered work, and I would love to see broader recognition that d/Deaf designers can and should work across all forms of performance. I’m drawn to projects that are visually rich, emotionally expansive, and highly collaborative, regardless of whether the subject matter is d/Deaf-centered. At the same time, Elephant Shoes is particularly meaningful to me because d/Deafness is not treated as something secondary or symbolic. It is fully embedded into the storytelling itself. Opportunities like that are still unfortunately rare, which is part of why this project feels so important.
SEPT 12 - OCT 4/2026 OCT 31 - NOV 22/2026
MAR 10 - APR 4/2027 JUNE 5-27/2027
PROUDLY SUPPORTING
THE ARTS
Conveniently located less than two miles from Two River Theater, the Courtyard Lincroft Red Bank has everything you need to complete your theater-going experience. Lounge in our state-of the-art lobby and enjoy The Bistro offering fresh breakfast and dinner selections, Starbucks® coffee beverages and an evening bar featuring wine, beer and cocktails
- Free WiFi access throughout the hotel Flat screen HDTVs with premium channels - 3 Meeting/Event Spaces - Fitness room
• The Market, a 24-hour self-serve pantry
For reservations and information contact Kathy McCarthy at 732-829-4040 or email: kathy.mccarthy@marriott.com for groups 10 or more
Photo Caption
JUNE 16
JUNE 23
INSPIRE OUR POETRY
Victoria J. Mastrobuono Library | 6:30–8:30 PM | FREE Join us at Two River Theater as we bring poetry to life! Deaf and actor Noah Buchholz will be joined by local poet Jack. This event will be hosted by spoken word poet and artist Chris Rockwell. Following their performances, all attending guests are invited to “Inspire Our Poetry” by participating in a poetry open mic. ASL interpretation will be provided.
CODA FILM SCREENING
Basie Center Cinema House | 7:00 PM | FREE Academy Award®-winning film CODA comes to Two River Theater and the Count Basie Center for the Arts for a free screening and talkback. The Apple Original film follows Ruby, the only hearing member of a Deaf family, as she navigates the tension between pursuing her passion for music and supporting her family’s fishing business. Following the screening, audience members are invited to stay for a conversation with star of the film and Elephant Shoes cast member Daniel Durant, who played Leo Rossi in the film.
INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
FOUNDATION
The Merrill G. & Emita E. Hastings Foundation
EDGERTON FOUNDATION
INDIVIDUAL DONORS
Two River Theater is a vital cultural resource for our community because of the generous support of individuals with a shared love of the intimate joy of theater. Donations of any size sustain Two River and our mission to create great American theater.
Listed below are supporters who made contributions to Two River, including Events, between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025. Thank you.
$25,000+
Anonymous (2)
Elizabeth, Kevin and Myles Columbo
Samuel Huber & Catherine Weiss
The Leslie Miller & Richard Worley Foundation
Cathy Pugliese-Sivo & Tom Sivo
Adam & Liz Rechnitz
Emily J. Rechnitz
Joan Rechnitz
Anne Marie Schultz
$10,000-$24,999
Cynthia Bajorek & Robert Evanson
Heather Burke & Colin Day
Joanna & Tim Connelly
The Kroon Family
Brian & Joanna Leddin
Helaine Lerner
Courtney McCormick Winters
The Honorable Edward McKenna
Lauren Nicosia
Lori & Geoffrey Sadwith
The Tenenbaum Family
Dr. Susan E. Whyman
$5,000-$9,999
Marilyn & Robert Broege
Robert Cordrey & W.
Bruce Sherrill
Juliet Cozzi & Ronald Gumbaz
Michael Cumpsty & John Dias
Nora DeVeau-Rosen & Kevin Service
Beth Fitzgerald & Vinnie Mazza
Margean V. Gladysz
Delisha Grant
Paul & Joan Hamelberg
Tim & Eileen Hogan
Joseph Hollander &
Barbara LevyHollander
Jim & Barbara Hrebek
Leon Jamie
Jason Jurgens & Maria
Ramirez Jurgens
Phyllis Kinsler
Nancy Karpf
Cathy Larson
Charles & Theresa Mattina
Magda & James Muka
Sean L. O’Connell
Michael Parent
Stina Ross
Caryl Sills
Donna & Thomas Snider
Mary Carol Stunkel
Kathy Suplee
Dr. & Mrs. Leonard Waldman
Chryssa Yaccarino
Charitable Trust, in loving memory of Robert Rechnitz
$2,500-$4,999
Dr. Ann Bagchi
Kathleen & Matthew Baldwin
Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Barrett, Jr.
John & Isabella Chiappinelli
Vincent Gifford
Thomas K. Hessman
Michael Hurst
John Jackson
Kenny & Nora King
The Hon. Joe & Susan Kyrillos
Robert & Shirley Neff
John Paul Nicolaides & the Honorable Ed Zipprich
Gloria & Lennart Nilson
Victoria Perry
Maggie Riker
David Roush & Julia Chien
Todd & Nicole Shellenberger
Joanne & Darwin Spears
Justin Waldman & Tara Traeder
$1,000-$2,499
Anonymous
Barbara & Andy Andres
Robert & Marie Arbour
Thomas Carroll
Tom & Barbara Carroll
Dr. and Mrs. E. F. Cheslock
Harvey & Roberta Cohen
Michael Cohen
Jim & Barbara Columbo
Grace & Michael Conte
Anna Cruz
Carla Culver
Farah del Pilar & Tony Lau
Crystal Dickinson & Brandon Dirden
Stacylyn & Michael Doore
Gail Duffy
Carol Edelson
Senator Vin Gopel
Jeremy & Sabrina Grunin
Jim & Susan Harbison
Barbara & Stephen Hecht
Daniel J. Helmick & Eric R. Fox
Christina Hewitt
John & Robin Klein
Bob & Bobbi Krantz
Nicole Lerario
Jason Lissy
May Louie & Walter Graczyk
Gwen Love
Tony MacDonald
Christopher and Maria Maher
Wendy & Jerry Marks
Shanda McManus
Charles McQuillan
Larry & Paula Metz
Mindy & Daniel Minerva
Aida & Brian Murphy
John Nobles
Ed Potosnak
Tom McCormack & Bruce Meltzer, Resources Real Estate
Dr. Jeffrey Roffman
June & Mort Seligman
Maureen Silliman & William Parry
Lynn & Billy Spector
Susan Stamler
Alexis Trujillo
Wendie & Stephen
Weinstein
Carolyn Williams & Michael McKeon
Albert & Robin Zager
$500-$999
Anonymous
Ann Aronson
Ira Artman
Christine Baugh
Ronald Belluscio & Ceal Cetnar
Tom & Nancy Blaney
Jennifer & Robbie Brown
Peter Bruguiere
Raymond Brunt
Ed & Nancy Butler
Amanda Butterbaugh & Michael Mulheren
Dr. Joseph J. Calabro
Michael Callari & Megan Powers
George V. DiStefano
Jeff & Trish Ferretti
Marianne Ficarra
Dennis Hagan
Marc L. Harrison & Gail Klein
William & Patricia Jaeger
Angela Kluwin & Jim Noll
Claire & Heywood Knopf
Ann McCarthy-Egan & Tom Egan
Daphne & Steve Mishkin
Charles Moran
Robert L. Mortenson
Philip Paley
Adam Philipson
Ivan Polonsky and Elizabeth Tortorella
Emilie Puzio
Barry V. Qualls
Pat Richter & Don Crocker
Barbara Sager
Peggy Sansone
Martha Schubert
Mark Schulman
Matthew Sivo
Dee & Fred Williamson
$250-$499
Anonymous (3)
Eva Arvanitis
Carmen V. Balentine
Robin Blair
Jeff Blumenkrantz &
Jeffrey Kwong
Kim Brockoway
Marjorie & Peter Cavalier
Samuel and Linda Chororos
Juanita Wendy Coggins
Rex and Suzy Dyer
Susan & John
Dromsky-Reed
Bob & Linda Ensor
Jody Falco & Jeffrey Steinman
Kathy Findon & Lori Yeager
Brian & Kate Fitzgerald
Linda Ford
Shirley Rathemacher
The Reynolds Family
Heidi Riley
Richard Saybolt
Karen Scott
Steve Shane
Dr. Brian Smeal & Mr.
Darren Penrod
Elaine Steelman
Dick & Pat Stenson
Anita & Robert Stix
Patrice Sullivan
John & Carol Toolan
Dale & Paul Vaccarella
William & Cynthia Wilby
Elaine Young
Marjorie & Zeke Zaccaro
Barbara & Maurice Zagha
THANK YOU!
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Fuller
Holly Fullam
Susan Gelber
David Golland & Svetlana Rogachevskaya
Mary Ann Green & Douglas McGuirk
Ellen Hahn
Kevin Harty & Rick
Tempone
Lance Henrickson
Karen Keene
Maureen Kelly
Etta Lamberti Kelly
Stan Lumish & Ann Roseman
Brian & Virginia MacGeorge
Nicole Marchand Ross
Sheri Marino & Mike Foley
$100-$249
Anonymous (3)
Jennifer Allen
Lisa Ardolina
Melvin & Maria Bellamy
Jesse Beutell
Marilyn & J. Gordon Boak
Sarah Bonello
Bill Braden
Lydia & John Brenner
Martin & Nancy Brilliant
Amy & John Brogan
Mr. & Mrs. Donald Byck
Dr. Dave Carroll
Paul Ciko
Dana Cirincione Welle & Jonathan Welle
Kathy & Mark Cohen
Robin Cook
Thomas Curran & Dr.
Mary Ann Haggerty
Randy Danielson
Dyese Davis
Linda De Angelis
Nancy & Michael
Del Priore
Cherie Diament
Michael J. Eadicicco
Virginia & Ken East
Jeff Egan
Drs. Amy & Eric
Eschinger
Toni Evangelista
Anne & Daniel M. Ford
Leslie Fornino
Christopher Frangione
William & Judy Fraser
Robert Gannon
Judith Gill
Suzan Globus & Mark Rothenberg
Wendy Gold
Fran Goldfarb
Milton Hall
Andrew Hamingson
Lisa Hannigan
David Hinton
Tim & Kathy Hjelle-Zebo
John & Coralie Hoffman
Margaret Hopkins
Karen Hyatt
John Imperio
Bob & Florence Jennes
Eileen Jones
Kathleen Jones
Elaine Katz
Dr. & Mrs. Samuel Kim
Margo Kramer
Janine Krzyzkowski
Ruth & Charles Larsson
Jill Leone
Big Stosh Lerner
David & Karen Levinsky
Anne Leyh
William & Maryrose Little
Phyllis Long
Melissa MacDonald
B. Carr Mahon
Sarah Maris
Dominick Martella
Kim and Erin Mason
Eli McDaniel
Cynthia & Craig McKeown
Christopher McMillan
Adriana Medina Gomez
Tony Meneses & Mark Soriano
Barbara Mendel
Catherine Merker
Mary & Kevin Morrall
Julie & Jeffrey Mullen
Shane Mullery
Thomas Mullins
Peter Murphy
Monisha Nag
Frank Norman
Patty & Michael Nugent
Maureen O’Connor & David E. Leach
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Parry
Mara Pellish-Mangan
Rep. Luann Peterpaul
Lloyd Peterson
Mary Anne Peterson
Michelle Piazza
Judy & Larry Platkin
Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Quinn
David & Karen Rajala
Joanne Redmond
Jim & Jeanmarie Rice
Donald & Judith Richards
Christopher Rinn
Mr. & Mrs. Andres Roda
Gilda Rogers
Edward & Barbara Rosen
Woodrow Ross
Lois Salerno
Ed Salomon
Michael Sant
Lawrence Savell
Chris Schluter
William Schreiber
Steve Schroeder & Kate Nitti
Michele Senko
Phyllis Shafer
Governor Mikie Sherrill
David Siegel
Betsy B. Smith
Pam Sokoloer
Adrienne & Frederick Straus
Jacqueline & Barbara Sturdivant
Ken & Joan Suhr
Reon & Diane Swaim
Mary Tardio
Peter Thompson
Rachel Tischler
John & Carol Toolan
Richard Veit
Steve Ward
Kerwin Webb
Beth Williams
Jeff Williams
Morgan Zimmerer
Tributes
Ira Artman, in memory of Amy Artman
Tom & Nancy Blaney, in honor of Joan Rechnitz
Dr. & Mrs. Eugene Cheslock, in memory of Mr. & Mrs. E. Cheslock
Michael Cumpsty & John Dias, in memory of Karen Cordaro
Michael Cumpsty & John Dias, in memory of William Dirden
Michael Cumpsty & John Dias, in memory of Charles P. Dickinson
Dr. & Mrs. Samuel Kim, in memory of Mr. & Mrs. Charles Benham
Barbara Mendel, in honor of Geoffrey Sadwith
John Nobles, in honor of Justin Waldman
Philip Paley, in memory of the Honorable Sheree Velita Pitchford
Cathy Pugliese-Sivo & Tom Sivo, in honor of Nella Pugliese
Joan Rechnitz, in memory of Karen Cordaro
Joan Rechnitz, in memory of Charles P. Dickinson
Joan Rechnitz, in memory of William Dirden
Joan Rechnitz, in memory of Ned Gaunt
Chris Schluter, in honor of Peter Bruguiere
Lynn & Billy Spector, in honor of Marilyn and Robert Broege
For questions about the donor listing or to update your name, please email donate@trtc.org.
