COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Special thanks to our
DONORS!
SUPPORTERS OF THEATRE SOUTH CAROLINA
THROUGH OUR DONOR GROUP
THE CIRCLE
AND THROUGH ANNUAL GIVING
TO THE UNIVERSITY OF SC
Rick and Rory Ackerman
Alice Kasakoff Adams
Dr. and Mrs. John L. Almeida
Douglas Anderton and Terri Fain
Dr. Mary C. Anderson
Sally Boyd
Podie and Hal Brunton
Matthew S. Cleary
David L. Clegg
Pat and Roger Coate
Alan and Carolyn Conway
Dave and Sandy Cowen
Jimmy Dawkins
Mr. and Mrs. John Mark Dean
Max Dent
Gail and Les Dickert
Robert and Judith Felix
Sallie J. Guess
John F. Hamilton
Janet Hudson
Buford Norman and Elizabeth Joiner
Natalie Kaufman and David Whiteman
Steven and Annette Lynn
Dr. and Mrs. Robert Markland
Carmen Maye and Erik Collins
Christine Maw
Deanne and Elielson Messias
Dr. Robert and Marjorie Milling
Hayes Mizell
John and Catherine Moring
Dr. Gail M. Morrison
Jeff and Linda Moulton
Jeff and Brigette Persels
Dr. and Mrs. S. Hunter Rentz
Jean Rhyne
Jim and Jackie Robey
Russell Sanders
Dr. and Mrs. Jaime L. Sanyer
Susan Scaccia
William Schmidt, Jr.
David Shadoan and Lacey Taylor
Elizabeth Simmons and Al Sadowski
Maria Sophocleous and John Clements
Joan Squires
Barbara and Wally Strong
Steve Valder
Dan and Barbara Vismor
Dick White
THANK YOU!
JOIN THE CIRCLE TODAY!
VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION:
ARTSANDSCIENCES.SC.EDU/THEA
(CLICK ON “DONORS” LINK ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE)
List compiled from donations received at time of printing, November, 2014.
THEATRE SOUTH CAROLINA presents
Written by THORNTON WILDER
Directed by STEVEN PEARSON
Scenic Designer....................................................NEDA SPALAJKOVIC
Lighting Designer...................................................ASHLEY PITTMAN
Costume Designer/Hair & Makeup................VALERIE PRUETT
Sound Designer..........................................................STEVEN PEARSON
Props Master/Technical Director.................................ANDY MILLS
Vocal Coach.............................................................................STAN BROWN
Stage Manager..................................................................KELSEY GIBSON
CAST
Stage Manager..................................................................................................................................Carin Bendas
Howie Newsome .......................................................................................................................Michael Castro
George......................................................................................................................................Matthew Cavender
Emily..........................................................................................................................................................Nicole Dietze
Man in the Auditorium/Baseball Player/Sam Craig....................................Michael Ferrucci
Dr. Gibbs......................................................................................................................................................Josh Jeffers
Rebecca...................................................................................................................................Katrina Koprowicz
Mrs. Webb...........................................................................................................................................Rachel Kuhnle
Constable Warren/Baseball Player..........................................................John Whit McClinton
Lady in the Box/Woman in the Balcony/
Woman among the Dead..............................................................................................Madeline Mulkey
Joe Crowell/Si Crowell...........................................................................................................Megan Parlett
Lady in the Box/Woman in the Balcony/Joesph Stoddard.........................Beth Paxton
Professor Willard/Simon Stimson.......................................................................Benjamin Roberts
Mrs. Soames..........................................................................................................................Samantha Roberts
Wally...............................................................................................................................................Taiyen Stevenson
Mrs. Gibbs.....................................................................................................................................Candace Thomas
Mr. Webb............................................................................................................................................Dimitri Woods
There will be one intermission.
Running time is approximately 2 hours.
Our Town is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
FROM THE CHAIR/CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
An Artist’s Space
Lisa Martin-Stuart
I believe that an artist’s studio is a sacred space, a special room
that allows for concentrated moments that spark creativity and
inspiration. For the theatre artist, the studio is not only a space for
individual creative endeavor, but it must also be a space that allows
the collaborative process to ignite, evolve and flourish. There must be room
for ideas to be analyzed and explored; examined, developed and scrutinized;
rehearsed, refined and, finally, presented to you, the audience, in production.
This year, as we welcomed a new class of MFA actors and designers,
we found ourselves in need of classroom/studio spaces that could
provide this sacred space for creativity and collaboration to thrive.
This summer we renovated the MFA Design Studio in Longstreet Annex.
The design studio is a combination of classroom and individual design
stations that allows our teams of design students to collaborate and work
with faculty designers and directors in the exploration and creation of the
“special world” of the play. Designers must work together to create a unified
concept that will eventually be produced in the scenic, costume, lighting
and sound environments that supports the action of the production. Our
small but vital design studio is a hub of creative activity that is the starting
point for the creation of the sensory experience presented to the audience.
This fall we also move into a new acting studio space on Devine Street.
The Center for Performance Experiment (CPE) is the acting studio,
classroom and performance space for our new class of MFA actors.
The collaborative and creative power of an ensemble of actors in rehearsal is
thrilling to be a part of, and awe-inspiring to watch. This past month, I watched
as our new company of MFA actors, led by Steve Pearson and Robyn Hunt,
worked together to build a studio/performance space during the day, while at
night, collaborated to create the characters and community of Grover’s Corners
for Our Town. Each day, the work of a building construction project began to
turn an empty space into an artist’s studio, a home for the creative process.
Be on the
lookout for your chance to experience
this talented ensemble of actors at work in their new
space, when the CPE opens up to the public this winter!
Thank you to Mary Anne Fitzpatrick, the College of Arts and
Sciences, the University Facilities Management team, the Theatre
Department faculty and staff, and everyone that helped in the
planning, construction and support of our artist’s studio spaces.
Lisa Martin-Stuart
Co-Artistic Director, Theatre South Carolina
Chair, Department of Theatre and Dance
Right: MFA Actors with Professors Robyn Hunt (left), Stan Brown (3rd from left) and Steven Pearson (right).
Left: Pearson on the brand new sprung floor at the CPE, which he, Robyn and the students installed.
MFA Design Students in the new studio. From left: Rachel Harmon (Costume Design),
Rachel Sheets (Lighting Design), Baxter Engle, Neda Spalajkovic, Tamara Joksimovic (all Scenic Design)
and Chris Patterson (Lighting Design)
Introducing...
The MFA Acting Class of 2017
Carin Bendas
Matthew Cavender
Nicole Dietze
Joshua Jeffers
Rachel Kuhnle
Benjamin Roberts
Candace Thomas
Dimitri Woods
CAST
Carin Bendas
Stage Manager
A native of Pittsburgh,
PA, Carin is thrilled to
return to Columbia after
previously completing her
BA in Theatre at USC in 2008. Carin is
a professional actor and model and has
worked for many companies including
Fisher-Price, Big Lots, Dick’s Sporting
Goods, Sally Beauty Supply, and Blue
Cross/Blue Shield. Most recently, Carin
originated the role of Jenny in If There
Were Such a Thing as Happiness as part
of the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival. She
is a proud member of a select group of
actors employed by Kaufmann Forensic
Acting, through whom she is contracted
to work with several government
agencies. In her favorite role, Carin is
the very lucky wife of USC MFA Acting
Graduate Ben Blazer. For the ancestors.
Michael Castro
Howie Newsome
Born in Augusta, Georgia,
Michael is a native of
Graniteville,
South
Carolina. He is in his
first year of Theatre studies here at
the University of South Carolina. He
is a student of Sarah Barker and Erica
Tobolski. This is his first production
with Theatre South Carolina. Prior to
beginning his theatre studies, Michael
was an avid musician, having performed
with various University of South
Carolina ensembles and across South
Carolina and Georgia. Michael thanks
Steven Pearson for the opportunity to
perform in Our Town. He thanks all his
friends and family for support. He also
gives special thanks to his parents Lalo
and Shirley for their continued support
through all his endeavors.
Matthew Cavender
George
Matthew Cavender is
proud to be joining the
USC Graduate Acting
Program and is thrilled
to be a part of the wonderful cast of
Our Town. In May of 2013 Matthew
graduated
from
Susquehanna
University with a major in Theatre
Performance and minors in Creative
Writing and Philosophy. Some of his
favorite performances for Susquehanna
University include: A Lion in Winter
(Richard); A Midsummer Night’s
Dream (Lysander); Funny Girl (Nick
Arnstein); and Amadeus (Mozart). His
credits outside of SU include A Murder
Announced (Gretna Theatre) and
Hippolytus (American Thymele Theatre)
among others. Matthew would like to
thank all those who contributed their
constant support in getting him this far,
especially his mother and father Jane
and Rob. Enjoy the show!
Nicole Dietze
Emily
Nicole Dietze received
her BA in English at East
Stroudsburg University
of Pennsylvania. She has
appeared with Pennsylvania Rep Co. in
Of Mice and Men and Romeo and Juliet
and at The Shawnee Playhouse in The
Importance of Being Earnest, Beyond
Therapy, and Manhattan Casanova,
among others. Nicole also originated the
roles of Zoe in Spanakopita and Johanna
in Visions of Johanna through Shawnee
Playhouse’s Original Playwright Series.
Michael Ferrucci
Man in the Auditorium/
Baseball Player/
Sam Craig
Mike Ferrucci is a junior
majoring in theatre. He just transferred
to USC this semester and this is his
second show at the university. In USC’s
previous main stage production, Ajax
in Iraq written by Ellen McLaughlin and
directed by Peter Duffy, he played the
Captain, the Minister, and a member
of the Greek Chorus. Working on Our
Town by Thornton Wilder has been a
wonderful experience for him, and he
is amazed at the levels of commitment
and passion brought to the play by
all involved. He is happy to have the
privilege of working with the actors
currently in the graduate program
who are all incredibly hardworking
and creative. He is also happy to have
the experience of working with the
director of the show Steve Pearson,
who has helped everyone in the show
bring more truth to their acting through
his direction. Mike wants to thank his
parents for supporting his decision to
transfer to USC as a theatre major.
Josh Jeffers
Dr. Gibbs
Josh
received
his
Bachelors degree in 2010
from Ball State University.
Shortly after, he moved
to New York City where he worked
professionally for the New York Classical
Theatre and the New York Shakespeare
Exchange and regionally for the Notre
Dame Shakespeare Festival and the
Hamptons Shakespeare Festival. Most
recently he’s worked on workshop
readings of the new musical The Circus
In Winter now playing at the Goodspeed
Opera House.
Katrina Koprowicz
Rebecca
Katrina Koprowicz is a
junior political science and
theater double major at
the University of South
Carolina. She is very excited to make
her stage debut at Theater Carolina in
Our Town among an amazing cast of
graduate and undergraduate students,
crew, and director. She would like to
thank her friends, family, and the staff of
the Theater department for encouraging
her to pursue this passion and the craft
of acting.
Rachel Kuhnle
Mrs. Webb
Rachel is a first year MFA
acting candidate. Locally,
she
has
performed
with Trustus Theatre in
The House of Blue Leaves, Clybourne
Park, and the world premiere of Pine.
Before moving to South Carolina,
Rachel completed a year long acting
apprenticeship with the Commonweal
Theatre in Minnesota where she
performed in To Kill a Mockingbird,
Metamorphoses and The Metal Children.
She has also worked with CLIMB Theatre
and Prairie Fire Theatre. She would like
to thank her favorite person ever, Josiah,
for being awesome.
John Whit McClinton
Constable Warren/
Baseball Player
Jonathan Whitley
McClinton is from
Camden, SC, but has lived
large parts of his life in Orlando, Florida
and Jacksonville, North Carolina. He is
a veteran who has formerly served in
the United States Marine Corps before
becoming a student at the University
of South Carolina. He is a transfer
senior pursuing a B.A. in Theatre. His
passion is not just acting, but he would
also like to direct and has playwriting
interests. He has aspirations to reach
the Broadway stage, television, and
film in the near future. He has been in
other USC productions: Yellowman;
Whose Words All Ears Took CaptiveThe Script; Status Update; Hamlet; and
Ajax in Iraq. Jonathan has also been
involved in student productions: Mick
Johnson’s No Man, No Problem for
Campus MovieFest; and Green Room
Productions’ Grindhouse Spring 2014.
He would like to thank Peter Duffy
and the University of South Carolina’s
Theatre Department for this opportunity
and hopes for more chances like this in
the time he spends here. He would like
to thank his friends and family for their
support and would also like to thank his
love, best friend, and “partner-in-crime,”
Abigail.
Madeline Mulkey
Lady in the Box/Woman
in the Balcony/Woman
among the Dead
Madeline is a freshman
Public Relations Major
and is thrilled to be making her debut
in USC theatre. She is from Greenville,
SC where she attended the Fine Arts
Center School for Theatre. Some of her
credits include My Name is Rachel Corrie
(Rachel), The Art Show (Foreman),
The Taming of the Shrew (Grumio),
The Right Words (Mother/Father),
Independence Abridged (Kess) and The
Giving Tree (Ensemble). Madeline would
like to thank Steve Pearson for giving her
this opportunity and the cast and crew
of Our Town for a sensational show. She
also would like to thank her friends and
family for their constant support in all
her endeavors inside and outside of the
theatre.
Megan Parlett
Joe Crowell/Si Crowell
Megan Parlett is beginning
her freshman year at
USC and is originally from
Annapolis, Maryland. Our
Town is her first production here and
she is honored to be a part of such an
amazing show. Prior to Our Town she
has performed in numerous high school
shows like Little Shop of Horrors, Play It
Again, Sam, The 39 Steps, A Midsummer
Night’s Dream and The Taming of the
Shrew. Megan is very excited to continue
theatre here and to be working with so
many professional and talented people.
She is very thankful for this opportunity
and for the love and support that her
family and friends have given her. Enjoy
the show!
Beth Paxton
Lady in the Box/Woman
in the Balcony/Joseph
Stoddard
Beth
Paxton
is
a
Hospitality Major dabbling
in the Fine Arts through a minor in
theatre. Our Town is her first main
stage performance and she could not
be more excited to participate. Before
leaving to study abroad in Wellington,
New Zealand, Beth also performed in
Robert Richmond’s Finding Richard
(Richmond). Her collegiate adventures
have involved her in the Off-Off
Broadway Group, Collegiate DECA,
USC Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Club, and USC
Mountaineering Club. She hopes
to participate in more USC theatre
productions after she returns from her
spring 2015 internship at Walt Disney
World in Orlando, Florida as a member
of the Disney College Program.
Benjamin Roberts
Professor Willard/Simon
Stimson
Benjamin Roberts is
happy to be performing
in Our Town. An MFA
actor, Ben has recently been seen in my
God of Carnage, Cherry Orchard, and
Krapps’s Last Tape. He would like to
thank everyone for their support.
Samantha Roberts
Mrs. Soames
Samantha Roberts is a
recent graduate from
West Virginia University’s
BFA Acting Program.
During her studies at WVU she
performed a number of roles including:
Annette Raleigh in God of Carnage,
Lyubov Andreyevna Ranevskaya in The
Cherry Orchard, and Bea in The Food
Chain. Samantha joined USC’s cast of
Our Town as a community member and
has had a great experience working with
this fine group of people. She hopes that
everyone attending the performances
will enjoy the story being shared.
Taiyen Stevenson
Wally
Taiyen is in his final year
at University of South
Carolina where he is
majoring in Theater and a
minor in Computer Science. He began
acting when he was 14 years old. His
credits in theater includes: Woyzeck,
Night of the Living Dead, King Lear,
and A Woman’s Suffrage. In 2014, he
participated in writing and producing a
short mystery film titled Images, and is
currently working on the continuation
titled The Code. He would like to thank
Steven Pearson for giving him an
opportunity to work with a talented cast
and crew of Our Town. Most importantly,
he would like to thank his family for
giving him love and encouragement. He
wishes everyone the best in the future.
To the cast of Our Town, “Break-a-leg.”
Candace Thomas
Mrs. Gibbs
Candace Thomas is a
first year MFA acting
candidate. The New
Jersey native is an active
member of the Philadelphia theatre
community. Candace is nominated for
a 2014 Barrymore Award for Excellence
in Theatre for her performance as
“Crystal” in Bristol Riverside Theatre’s
production of Little Shop of Horrors.
Some of her favorite credits include
Spring Awakening (Theatre Horizon),
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Plays and
Players) and Passing Strange (11th Hour
Theatre Company). Candace thanks
Mommie, Daddy, and brothers for love
that never fails, and family by blood or
by love for their support and inspiration.
Candace dedicates her work to the
memories of her grandmothers: MeMa,
who she sees when she looks in the
mirror, and Nana, who will always be her
heart. “To God be the glory!”
Dimitri Woods
Mr. Webb
Dimitri is a recent graduate
of Santa Clara University
where he received his B.A.
in Theatre Arts with an
emphasis in Acting and Directing. Since
graduating, he has performed in the Bay
Area for a number of companies, most
recently with Berkeley Rep’s Ground
Floor program and the Playwright
Center of San Francisco on new works.
He’s also performed in In The Heights
as Benny, The Color Purple, Follow Me
to Nellie’s, and Cinderella. Some of his
favorite roles he’s performed were Paul
in Six Degrees of Separation, Schroeder
in You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown,
and as Assistant Director for For Colored
Girls. Dimitri is excited to be a part of
the MFA program, here at University of
South Carolina, and thanks everyone for
their support.
ARTISTIC COMPANY
where he became head of the graduate
acting program, and subsequently
taught in the School of Drama at the
University of Washington, where he
Steven Pearson
Director/Sound Designer headed the Professional Actor Training
Program for eleven years. Currently,
Steve is Professor and Head of the
Steven
Pearson
has Professional Actor Training Program
directed
and
acted at the University of South Carolina in
professionally in the US, Columbia, South Carolina.
Canada, Europe and Japan. In addition
to theatre work, he has performed
Neda Spalajkovic
in New York, Los Angeles and San
Scenic Designer
Francisco with Malashock Dance and
Company, worked with performance
Neda Spalajkovic is a first
artist Eleanor Antin on several tours,
year MFA Scenic Design
and directed a number of original
student at the University
operas including TRILLIUM by jazz
of South Carolina’s
great Anthony Braxton. In 1982 he
began 12 years of intensive work with Department of Theatre and Dance. She
Tadashi Suzuki. In Japan he played in was born in Belgrade, Serbia, where she
NIPPON WARS, CLYTEMNESTRA, and finished her undergraduate studies of
Claudius in HAMLET. Steven is a co- TV, Film and Theater Scenography on
founder of Pacific Performance Project/ Faculty of Applied Arts, University of
East and under that umbrella has Arts. During her studies she participated
directed DAYS AND NIGHTS WITHIN, in many theater and movie projects, and
MIZU NO EKI, END OF THE ROPE after she graduated she worked as an
at LaMama and in Romania, MYRA’S assistant in several professional theaters
WAR, BALANCE, GRAVITY and in Belgrade, as well in Iasi, Romania with
FLIGHT. He also conceived, wrote and professor Nic Ularu( Scenic Design
played Thomas in OPIUM directed by professor, and head of MFA program in
Kenji Suzuki and performed in Seattle, USC ) on his play Hieronymus, which he
Tokyo and Kanazawa, Japan. He wrote, designed and directed. Neda was
played Hooke in Peter Kyle’s SKIPPY- also the designer of many short movies
O’S DREAM, and the performed in the and exhibitions, and took part in few
premiere of Peter Kyle Dance at the performances.
Henry Street Settlement in New York.
Other professional work includes the
Ashley Pittman
premiere of FLAGS by Jane Martin
Lighting Designer
produced by the Mixed Blood Theater
and the Guthrie Theater, playing Firs in
Ashley is a Senior this
THE CHERRY ORCHARD SEQUEL at
year, double majoring in
LaMama in New York, and as LJ in Nancy
Theatre and Media Arts
Bannon’s DRINKING INK at the 92
in the Honors College. Her
Street Y in New York. Directing projects
include: VALLEY SONG, THE SUICIDE, focus is in lighting design and is thrilled
POLAROID STORIES, BLACK SNOW, to be designing lights for a second main
EARTH AND SKY, A MIDSUMMER stage show. At USC, she has previously
NIGHT’S DREAM, THE THREE SISTERS designed The 39 Steps on the main
and FLIGHT. Steve was Professor of stage and Yellowman and How I Learned
Acting in the Department of Theatre at to Drive for the Lab Theatre. She spent
the University of California, San Diego, summer 2013 working as a Production
Intern at Jacob’s Pillow, an international
dance festival in Massachusetts, and this
past summer as an intern for WYFF
News 4 in Greenville, SC. She would like
to thank all of the Theatre Department
faculty and staff for their support.
Valerie Pruett
Costume Designer/Hair/
Wigs/Makeup
Valerie has been working
as a professional hair and
makeup artist for over
fourteen years. Before returning to the
University of South Carolina ten years
ago, she free-lanced and designed for
regional theatres across the country,
including: Milwaukee Repertory Theatre,
Utah Shakespeare Festival, American
Players Theatre, New American Theatre,
Dallas Theatre Center, American
Folklore Theatre and the Madison
Repertory Theatre. Valerie also worked
as a guest lecturer and adjunct faculty
at Lawrence University in Appleton,
WI and the Professional Theatre
Training Program at the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition to
teaching and designing at Theatre SC,
Valerie maintains an active professional
career as a Hair and Make-up artist in
the tri-state areas with film and media
productions. She firmly believes that a
successful portrayal of any character
must include the complete visual
transformation of that character in order
to have a true balance and silhouette.
Andy Mills
Props Master/Technical
Director
Andy
has
designed
professionally
at
Shakespeare
Theatre’s
Young
Company
(Washington, DC), Charlotte Repertory
Theatre, Carolina Opera, USC Opera,
and Trustus. Andy currently teaches
Intro to Theatre Design and Theatre
Laboratory. He specializes in the area of
properties, finding or building the most
obscure of items. Andy is a Member of
USITT.
Stan Brown
Vocal Coach
Stan Brown is a Professor
in the Department of
Theatre and Dance at
USC. He’s in his first year
as voice specialist in both the Graduate
Professional Actor Training Program
and the Undergraduate Actor Training
Program. Stan earned his MFA in
Acting from the University of South
Carolina in 1989. While here, Stan was
named a graduate acting fellow at the
Shakespeare theatre in Washington
D.C., where he received the core of his
classical actor training. Stan began
his work in university teaching at the
University of Warwick in Coventry
England where he taught acting
and was a post graduate researcher
in
Contemporary
Shakespearean
Performance (exploring concepts,
interpretation and development in
director Peter Brook’s body of work, with
the Royal Shakespeare Company, as
intentional artistic responses to relevant
social, political, and cultural realities).
Apart from his work as a teacher, voice/
dialect coach and director, Stan has
worked as a professional actor both here
in the US and in the United Kingdom
in theatre, film, television and radio for
30 years. Some of his credits include
featured roles on NBC’s Homicide:
Life on the Streets, and recurring roles
on In the Heat of the Night and the
critically acclaimed I’ll Fly Away. In film,
Stan co-starred in Robby Benson’s
Modern Love and appeared opposite
Calista Flockhart, Matthew Perry, Dave
Chapelle, and Christine Baranski in the
cult film, Getting IN, the directorial debut
of Doug Liman (Director of Swingers,
The Bourne Identity, and Mr & Mrs.
Smith).
Kelsey Gibson
Stage Manager
Kelsey Gibson is excited
to be working with
Theatre South Carolina
once again. She is a
second-year M.A.T. Theatre student and
recent alumna (B.A.) of the University
of South Carolina. Formerly, Kelsey
was seen on stage in productions of
Compleat Female Stage Beauty, The
Mutilated and various shows with the
undergraduate
theatre
company,
Greenroom Productions. She most
recently appeared behind the headset
in Oleanna and A Winter’s Tale at USC
and Aida with Lexington/Richland
School District 5. Kelsey would like to
thank her family and friends for being
so supportive with her graduate studies
and the cast of Our Town for all their
hard work. Enjoy the show!
Sam Gross
Assistant Technical
Director
Sam Gross is a graduate
of Indiana University
where he earned an MFA
in Theatre Technology. He specializes
in mechanized scenery, computer
controlled systems, electronics, set
construction, and rigging. He has
designed and built motion control
systems for such productions as The
Real Thing, Sweeney Todd, Romeo and
Juliet, Sweet Charity, Dracula, and Pal
Joey. He has overseen the construction
of USC productions since 2005. Mr.
Gross received his Bachelor of Sciences
Degree from the University of North
Alabama where he also worked as
a sound designer, lighting designer,
sound engineer, carpenter, and actor.
In his position as Assistant Technical
Director, Sam supervises graduate
and undergraduate students in the
construction of scenery and props for
USC Theatre and Dance productions.
Spencer Henderson
Costume Studio
Supervisor
M. Spencer Henderson is a
graduate of the University
of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill where he received an MFA
in Costume Shop Management and
Costume Technology. He received
his BA in theatre from Florida State
University. His costuming credits include
Playmakers Repertory Company, The
Utah Shakespearean Festival, and
Glimmerglass Opera.
Recently, he
spent the three summers (‘09-’11) at
the Williamstown Theatre Festival as
the Costume Shop Manager. Spencer
supervises the USC costume shop,
assists with the patternmaking and
construction of costumes, and teaches
costume construction classes.
Jim Hunter
Lighting Design Advisor
Jim’s scene and lighting
designs have been seen
at such theatres as the
Folger Shakespeare Theatre, Theatre
Virginia, Phoenix Theatre, Florida
Repertory Theatre, Charlotte Repertory
Theatre, Florida Stage, Arkansas
Repertory Theatre, Playhouse on the
Square, Drury Lane Theatre, Heritage
Repertory Theatre, Flat Rock Playhouse,
VeggieTales Live National Tour, Florida
Studio Theatre, World Stage Exposition
in Toronto as well as others. Jim toured
with the modern dance company Wall
Street Danceworks. Recent designs have
been recognized with two consecutive
AriZoni Awards for Excellence in
Scene Design. Jim is a member of the
national designers union, United Scenic
Artist, Local 829 in both scene and
lighting design. He served as Chair for
the Department of Theatre and Dance
here at the University of South Carolina
and Artistic Director of Theatre South
Carolina from 2004 to 2014. During
this period the department produced
63 main stage and 46 second stage
theatre and dance productions. Current
national service activities include Chair
of the Commission on Accreditation/
Member, Board of Directors with
the National Association of Schools
of Theatre and regular assignments
chairing Accreditation Teams for NAST.
Recent local community service includes
board membership on the Columbia
Design League and President of the
Blythewood Middle School Orchestra
Booster Club. Please visit his online
portfolio at www.jimhunterdesigns.com.
Christine Jacky
Assistant Technical
Director
Christine Jacky received
her MFA from Southern
Illinois
University
in
Theater with emphasis in lighting
design and theatrical management.
She specializes in stage electrics, sound
technology, production management,
and photography for the stage. She has
worked at Central Piedmont Summer
Theater, Long Lake Camp for the Arts,
McLeod Summer Playhouse, New York
City International Fringe Festival, and
Lookingglass Theater in Chicago.
Lisa Martin-Stuart
Chair/Co-Artistic Director
As head of the Costume
Design Program, Lisa has
a strong background in
design, historical research
and costume technology. Over the last
20 years Lisa has designed costumes
for over 50 productions for Theatre
South Carolina.
Lisa’s professional
design credits include Film: Ruby in
Paradise, winner of the 1993 Sundance
Film Festival and starring Ashley Judd;
Ulee’s Gold (1997) starring Peter Fonda;
Coastlines (2002) starring Timothy
Olyphant. Regional Theatre costume
design credits include: American
Folklore Theatre, Asolo State Theatre,
Aquila Theatre Company of London,
Charlotte Repertory Theatre, and
Hippodrome State Theatre. Her longtime collaboration with Marilyn Wall
(Emmy
Award-winning
costume
designer) and Marion Caffey (Three
Mo’ Tenors) on Cookin’ at the Cookery
has brought her design and technical
expertise to the Geva Theatre,
Merrimack Repertory Theatre, and
Huntington Theatre Company.
Kira Neighbors
Production Assistant
Kira Neighbors is a
sophomore Theatre
major at USC and is very
excited to be working on
her first main stage production. She is
treasurer of the musical theatre student
organization, Off Off Broadway, and
has been a part of three musical revues
with that organization. Kira was also a
stagehand for Good Boys and True in
the Lab Theater. She is very excited to
be working with such a wonderful cast
and crew and thanks her friends and
family for all of their support.
Robert Richmond
Co-Artistic Director
Robert Richmond is
originally from Hastings,
England, and studied
at the Royal Scottish
Academy of Music and Drama. He now
lives in Columbia and is an Associate
Professor in Theatre at the University
of South Carolina, Co-Artistic Director,
and Head of Undergraduate Studies
and Performance. Prior to his academic
career Robert spent thirteen years as
the Associate Artistic Director of the
Aquila Theatre Company, and directed
productions of Shakespeare that
toured across the United States and
Europe. Robert’s directing career
continues to take him all over the
nation. Most recently his credits at
the Folger Theatre include: Twelfth
Night, Henry V, Othello, Henry VIII,
Julius Caesar, and Richard III. Other
companies Robert has been involved
with include Roanoke Island Historical
Theatre Company, La Jolla Playhouse,
Denver Center for the Performing
Arts, and the Two River Theater
Company. Recently, Robert directed
the short film Dreadful, winner of the
South Carolina Film Commissions
2010 Production Grant. Robert’s work
is known for its ability to reinvigorate
theatre with imagination, innovation,
and relevance. . His mission is to create
theatre that will sustain and transform
the twenty-first century, revitalize
audiences, and reward them for their
patronage.
Nic Ularu
Scenic Design Advisor
Professor Ularu has
extensive design credits
in USA and Europe,
including
theatres
in Sweden, Northern Ireland and
Romania. Nic Ularu was the head
of scenography at the National
Theatre of Bucharest - Romania,
and served for four years as a board
member of The European League
of the Institutes of the Arts (ELIA),
Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He has
taught scene and/or costume design
in Romania, Germany, Sweden, UK,
Italy, Denmark and Hong Kong. Prior
to USC, he taught at Smith College,
National Theatre School of Denmark
and The University of Theatre and
Film, Romania. In 2003, Professor
Ularu received an OBIE award for
outstanding achievement in OffBroadway theater. Ularu’s designs
appeared in the USA entries at the
Prague Quadrennial International
Exhibitions of scenography in 2007,
2003 and 1998. In 2005, Nic codesigned the exhibit and designed
the poster for the World Stage Design
Exhibition, Toronto - Canada, and
was appointed by the United States
Institute of Theatre Technology as the
leading designer and curator of the
USA National Exhibit at the Prague
Quadrennial International Exhibition
of 2007. Besides his national and
international design activity Nic Ularu
is a playwright and director. His recent
freelance work as playwright and
director includes several acclaimed
productions at LaMaMa ETC - New
York, Sibiu International Theatre
Festival - Romania, Teatrul Foarte
Mic, Bucharest - Romania, “O”
Teatret - Sweden, National Theatre
of Constanta - Romania, and National
Theatre of Cluj - Romania. Nic recently
received the Grand Prix award
for Best Production for a show he
designed and directed at the Belgrade
International Theatre Featival. Danielle Almeida
Wilson
Sound Engineer
After obtaining her MFA
in lighting design from
USC in 2003, Danielle
worked as the house lighting designer
for the Blumenthal Performing Arts
Center’s Spirit Square. There she
worked with Derek Trucks, The Avett
Brothers, Arlo Guthrie, and Eve Ensler,
among others. Danielle then returned
to Theater South Carolina where she
was the ATD for lighting and sound
for four years. She currently freelances
as a designer and consultant in lighting
and sound in local and regional
theaters.
K. Dale White
Stage Manager Advisor
K. Dale is a proud
member of Actors’
Equity. K. Dale began
his professional career
in Boston at the Lyric Stage. He
has worked on Broadway, Off
Broadway, regionally and has
toured. He has worked with Scott
Zigler, Kristin Linklater, David Rabe,
Richard Greenberg, Anna Deavere
Smith, George C. Wolfe, Kevin
Rigdon, Will Eno, Tony Kushner,
John Rando, James Taylor and Billy
Joel among others. Other credits
include: The Berkshire Theatre
Festival, Shakespeare and Company,
Playwrights Horizons, The Public
Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, La
Mama, Cambridge Theatre Company,
The American Repertory Theatre,
Chamber
Theatre
Productions,
Available Light, Opera Theatre St.
Louis, the Repertory Theatre of St.
Louis, The Alley Theatre, STAGES,
and the Alaska Repertory Theatre.
He mentors the Stage Managers
at the University of South Carolina,
Department of Theatre and Dance,
Columbia, SC. K. Dale is a graduate
of the Conservatory of Theatre Arts,
Webster University, St. Louis, MO.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Assistant Technical Director Sam Gross
Assistant Technical Director Christine Jacky
Assistant Stage Manager Hunter Robinson
Sound Engineer Danielle Almeida Wilson
Scenic Graduate Students
Scenic Undergraduate Assistants
Undergraduate Lighting Crew
Baxter Engle, Neda Spalajkovic,
Tamara Joksimovic
Leroy Kelly, Jonathan McClinton, Sallie Sargent, Victoria Whitten, Wesley
Williams, and students of THEA 120
Megan Branham, Carolyn Chalfant, Rachael Goerss, Elizabeth Johnson, Brooke Kramer, Ashley Pittman, Emily Thompson, Lawrence “Jack” Wood
Graduate Lighting Crew
Christopher Patterson,
Rachel Sheets
Leroy Kelly
Hunter Robinson
Light Board Operator
Sound Board Operator
Costume Graduate Students
Undergraduate Assistants
Vera DuBose, Rachel Harmon
Kelsea Woods, Emma Thompson, Lizzie Johnson, and the students of
the theatre lab
Staff Draper Kelly Renko
Wardrobe Crew Taylor Canoy, Julian Ganzaroli,
Emily Marchant, Bettina Morales, Kira Neighbors
Costume Studio Supervisor Spencer Henderson
Dept. Chair/Co-Artistic Director Lisa Martin-Stuart
Assoc. Chair/Co-Artistic Director Robert Richmond
Stage and Company Manager K. Dale White
Financial Manager Ray Jones
Administrative Assistants Charlotte Denniston, Leigh Cowart
Student Coordinator Lakesha Campbell
Marketing/Promotions Kevin Bush
Promotions Assistants Michael Castro, Grace DuBose,
Octavius Galloway, Beck
Robertson, Victoria Robinson,
Lizzie Thornton
SPECIAL THANKS
Robyn Hunt
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Thornton Wilder
Thornton Wilder (1897- 1975) is the author of the Pulitzer
Prize-winning plays Our Town (1938) and The Skin of Our
Teeth (1942), and the Pulitzer-awarded novel, Bridge of
San Luis Rey (1928). Other noteworthy works are the play
The Matchmaker (which later became the musical, Hello,
Dolly!) and the screenplay for the Alfred Hitchcock thriller,
Shadow of a Doubt.
Wilder achieved academic excellence early on, earning a
BA from Yale and an MA in French from Princeton. After
graduating, Wilder studied in Rome and then taught French at Lawrenceville
School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. In 1926 Wilder's first novel, The Cabala, was
published. In 1927, The Bridge of San Luis Rey brought him commercial success
and his first Pulitzer Prize in 1928. (The book would become listed in 1998 by the
editorial board of the American Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels
of the 20th century.) He resigned from Lawrenceville School in 1928, but even
while continuing his professional writing pursuits, he always considered himself
a teacher foremost. Over the course of his life, he taught at the University of
Chicago, the University of Hawaii and Harvard University.
Wilder was expansively educated, intensely curious and interested in every area
of human history, culture, language and philosophy. His enormous learning, and
ability to synthesize great ideas from disparate places and times, permeates his
plays. He had an essentially classical attitude towards art -- preserving and reusing the best of the past as well as drawing on the most vital contemporary
culture to create plays that, while rich in tradition, were unique, immediate and
original.The ability to “clothe philosophical thought on colloquial speech” was one
of the key elements of his playwrighting.
British theatrical director Tyron Guthrie said of Wilder, “I have never met anyone
with so encyclopedic a knowledge of so wide a range of topics... He has been
everywhere, has known - and knows - everyone.” (Quoted in “Vast Encyclopedia:
The Theatre of Thornton Wilder” by Paul Lifton.)
Wilder received the Gold Medal for Fiction from the Academy of Arts and Letters
in 1952 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963.
New York Times Review of Our Town
February 5, 1938
Although Thornton Wilder is celebrated chiefly for his fiction, it will be necessary now to reckon with him as a dramatist. His
Our Town, which opened at Henry Miller's last evening, is a beautifully evocative play. Taking as his material three periods
in the history of a placid New Hampshire town, Mr. Wilder has transmuted the simple events of human life into universal
reverie. He has given familiar facts a deeply moving, philosophical perspective. Staged without scenery and with the curtain
always up, Our Town has escaped from the formal barrier of the modern theatre into the quintessence of acting, thought
and speculation... Our Town is, in this column's opinion, one of the finest achievements of the current stage.
--Brooks Atkinson
CMA Chamber Music on Main
Featuring Artistic Director Edward Arron
Join us for the 13th season of
this acclaimed concert series.
Presented by
Season pass:
$170 / $130 for members
Single concert:
$40 / $30 for members
Students: $5 per concert
Tickets
columbiamuseum.org
or 803.799.2810
2014 - 2015 Season
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Mozart, Kodály, and Schumann.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Haydn, Dohnányi, and Brahms.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Beethoven, Stravinsky, Debussy,
and Weber.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Schubert, Adam Neiman, SaintSaëns, and Dvořák.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Turina, Mendelssohn, Arvo Pärt,
and Chausson.
1515 Main Street at Hampton | 803.799.2810 | columbiamuseum.org
Fresh talent, captivating sounds,
ravishing sets. Where else?
AT USC
Hänsel und Gretel
Nov 7 – 9 Drayton Hall
Details and tickets at
www.sc.edu/music/opera
Cosìwww.sc.edu/music/opera
fan tutte
Feb 20 – 22 Drayton Hall
UPCOMING EVENTS
DECEMBER 2-5, 2014
WIDEMAN/DAVIS DANCE
TANYA WIDEMAN-DAVIS | THADDEUS DAVIS,
ARTISTIC DIRECTORS
IN CONCERT
performing
We Hold These Truths
6PM
NIGHTLY
DRAYTON HALL THEATRE
8PM NIGHTLY
TICKETS FOR “AFFIRMATION” AND WIDEMAN/DAVIS DANCE SOLD SEPARATELY.
TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLY AT THE DOOR.
UP NEXT
ONTHE MAIN STAGE
Written by
Brian Friel
Directed by
Paul Savas
February 20-28, 2015
Longstreet Theatre
In Translations, playwright Brian Friel (Dancing at Lughnasa) explores the troubled lives
of those caught in a profoundly complicated, shifting political and cultural landscape -- a
world where the very foundations of language and society are shifting to something unknown and troubling. While that may seem like a description of our world today, the dramatic events of this story take place in the mid-nineteenth century, as England attempts to
end generations of bloodshed with Ireland by forcing standardized English as the official
language. Widely considered one of Friel’s greatest works, Translations is at once a haunting
and heartfelt look at how the lives, loves and traditions of a people are irreversibly altered
by a collision of cultures.
Longstreet Theatre, 1300 Greene St. | Columbia, SC 29208
803.777.5208 | [email protected] | [email protected]/thea