The Muhlenberg College Depar tment of Theatre & Dance presents

By Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais translated & adapted by

Robert Cogo-Fawcett & Braham Murray Directed By

Francine Roussel

Original Score

Choreographer



Mike Krisukas



Scenic & Lighting Designer



Nina Pongratz

Curtis Dretsch

Costume Designer

Liz Covey

Production Stage Manager

Kaity Doran

Produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. New York City.

April 25-28, 2013

610.794.6010 | phoebe.org Allentown, PA

THE STAGE IS SET FOR WORRY-FREE LIVING Live the life of your dreams with a move to The Terrace at Phoebe Allentown. Independent living at The Terrace includes elegant dining services, on-site amenities such as a beauty/barber shop, library, fitness room, and garden area. We also offer extensive social, cultural and recreational programs. Come explore maintenance-free living at The Terrace!

DON’T WAIT—CALL US TODAY AT 610-794-6010

B E A U T I F U L A PA R T M E N T S R A N G I N G F R O M S T U D I O EFFICI E NCI E S TO T WO -BEDROOM SU IT E S 2 The Marriage of Figaro

April 2013

The Cast

Count Almaviva����������������������������������������������������������������������������� Ian Jesse Curtis The Countess ��������������������������������������������������������������������������� Maggie Robertson Figaro �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Jeffrey Robb Suzanna�������������������������������������������������������������������Chelsea Montgomery-Duban Marceline������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Georgie Simon Antonio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin Mitchell Fanchette��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Lillian Pritchard Cherubino��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Kelley Annesley Bartholo���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Zach Love Bazile������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Jason Avezzano Gosling���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� George Primavera Underhand���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Josh Shapiro Ensemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zachary Jackson, Molly Karlin, Paige Klibanoff, Helen Laser, Jamie Leigh Lepper, Mac Myles, Kevin F. Rogers, Michael Witkes

ACT 1: ACT 2: Intermission: Act 3: ACT 4 : ACT 5: April 2013

Music

A Little Overture Entr’acte 1-2 “I Felt the Tears Flow” (Cherubino’s Theme) “Turn Your Face to Mine” (Suzanna’s Theme) “Wisdom Not Wealth” (Figaro’s Seguidilla) Prelude to Act 3 Entr’acte 3-4 A Fanfare for the Procession Folies d’Espagne A Fandango and the “Young Bride To Be” Copia “If Cupid’s Arrows Have Got A Tip” (Bazile’s Song) Fandango reprise Entr’acte 4-5 Cherubino’s Reprise “Mais tout Finit Par des Chansons” — Finale Figaro’s Seguidilla Reprise The Marriage of Figaro 3

Production Staff

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General Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jessica Bien Technical Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Damon Gelb Master Electrician and Audio Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paul E. Theisen, Jr. Costume Shop Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Caroline La Porta Assistant Technical Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eric Covell Props Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cheryl Soper Christensen Singing Coach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Danielle Pampinella Assistant Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lauren Goldberger, Danielle Pampinella Assistant Stage Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adina Halperin, Corin Killins, Julia Rock Light Board Operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jillian Mauro Sound Board Operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Richie Kormos Board Programmers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ben Burwell, Hannah Cascio, Evan Hershman, Jared Loeb, Brian Pacelli, Claire Waggoner Scenic Running Crew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christian Dessler, Avery Deutsch, Bobbie Esposito, Emily Junker, Sean Scerbo Wardrobe Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seana Benz Wardrobe Crew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Caroline Berman, Chandler Cross, Zoe Briggs, Sarah Desrosiers, Meredith Doyle, Lydia Jordan, Megan Lennon, Tori Mintzer, Russell Norris, Lena Schneider, Sam Walsh Staff Stitchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Megan Evans Gartley, Alexis Gurst, Judith Kohn Work Study Stitchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lydia Baxter, Seana Benz, Rebecca Bitondo, Zoe Briggs, Ian Curtis, Elizabeth Earle, Alyssa Haning, Dayna Kline, Elizabeth Spilsbury, Nicolette Strobing, Sarah Wanger Stagecraft Stitchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gianna Beleno, Hannah Miller, Nicole Mizrahi, John Rotenberger, Laura Sack, William Segal, David Yurch Shop Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matt Faragasso, Kristen Mayer Student Technical Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Evan Hershman Scenic Artist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emily Baldasarra Carpenters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dalit Agronin, Steve Bauder, Sam Bernstein, Alex Donnelly, Sarah Franzel, Audrey Hauer, Eric Hedden, Rebecca Hernandez, MJ Hodge, Vernon Jordan, Phil Kaufman, Corin Killins, Katie Kooistra, Dan Langenbucher, Alex McKhann, Nicki McVinua, Alex Michael Michaels, Phil Middleton, Amy Osika, Brian Pacelli, Neshama Sonnenschein, Aly Trombitas, Will Truscott, Clay Westman Student Master Electrician . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Riva Rubenoff Utility Electrician . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ronald Christian Student Electricians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ben Burwell, Matt Caraway, Hannah Cascio, Katy Casty, David Forbes, Karlina Juelch, Jared Loeb, Patrick Moren, Brian Pacelli, John Rotenberger, Molly Serpi, Claire Waggoner Box Office Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gianna Beleno, Amelia Coccaro, Christine DeLuca, Kimberly Dodson, Sara Grasberg, Jenna Hochman, James Patefield Box Office Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Avery Deutsch, Christian Dessler, Hannah Gross, Jacqueline Schweighardt, Meghan Sullivan, Kristen Wendt House Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Molly Eisen Marketing & Development Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scott Snyder Presidential Assistant for Marketing & Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Casey Moser Marketing & Publicity Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Briana Boche, Natalie Coy, Kelsey Hutchison, Rachel Kaufman, Jillian Mauro

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A Note f rom the Direc tor Le droit du Seigneur—the lord of a manor’s “right” to a bride’s virginity on her wedding night—while anathema to modern sensibilities, was the “natural order” for the aristocracy in much of 18th century Europe. French playwright Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais had the temerity to write a comedy about this shocking practice, subtly undermining class privilege, exposing gender inequalities, and revolutionizing the condition of women. Danton claimed that “Figaro killed off the nobility.” Perhaps, but with laughter—not the guillotine. The most famous valet of a long series of servants in the tradition of Commedia Dell’Arte, from Molière to Marivaux, Figaro is a Brighella, even a Scapin by his cleverness, wit and art of intrigue (or scheming), but he has also the resilience and the healthiest instinct for survival of an Arlecchino. He is unique in his spirit of resistance to any form of oppression. He is an individualist, passionate about freedom, outspoken and impertinent, with enough wisdom to counterbalance what could be perceived as excessive. It is fascinating but not surprising that Louis XVI, as well as the Vichy regime and even Mussolini’s Italy, tried to ban the play. Michael Billington speaks of “the survival … endurance … and inner strength of the common man.” Figaro is the symbol of the passage of the “ancient regime” to the bourgeoisie. And he brings with him the peasants and servants working on the estate. It is the first time that we see the hoi polloi (la canaille in French), as Figaro calls them, playing a significant role on the stage, supporting Figaro, in order to protect their young women from the count. The play, though first staged in 1784 at The Comédie Française, still resonates today. The Marriage of Figaro is so well built, the characters so real, the complicity of the women so compelling, and the spirit of the play so uplifting, that it deserves exposure to an American audience in a version close to the original. Opera buffs may know the Mozart classic, but less often the play on which it is based. On Beaumarchais’ behalf, we hope to rectify that inequity, and feel confident that Mike Krisukas’s original music is the music that Beaumarchais envisioned for his play, but never got to hear. —Francine Roussel

S pec ial Thank s Miriam Huertas, Dr. James Peck, Kim Rogers, Molly Serpi, Dr. Peter Sharpe, Dr. Erika M. Sutherland, Dr. Kathy A. Wixon 6 The Marriage of Figaro

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C o m p o s e r ’s N o t e s Part of the excitement in entering a new artistic project is the opportunity to be quickly thrust into a new world. It’s like going on a journey and immersing yourself in some new land with its own culture, language, history and artistic perspective. The Figaro journey began at my very first meeting with Francine. We soon discovered a strong mutual interest in Spanish flamenco styles, which became the starting point for our discussion of the as yet unborn musical pieces. In composing the score, I was interested in the contrast between the Royal court music and dance of the late 18th century and the folkloric, Moorish and gypsy music that was current during the time of this play. The musique du peuple was a great influence on Beaumarchais in disguising the locale of his attack on the French aristocracy. Music such as the Folies d’Espagne and variants of the Seguidilla were already popular forms of generalized “foreignness” in the palaces and chateaux to the north. Beaumarchais’ play comes with a wonderful cast of characters to express the moral confusion or focus and the conflicts or communions of a real world, be it circa 1780 in Europe or just last week in the Lehigh Valley. I used just a few separate motifs to punctuate the different layers of that debate. Moving from the sweet naïve meandering of Cherubino, to the moral strength and shrewdness of the women and the direct and forceful personality of leaders (and schemers) like Figaro and Count Almaviva. I also found the inclusion of a song for Bazile, the “court musician,” to be a very intriguing choice by Beaumarchais, and then the entr’actes afforded that perfect opportunity to join and focus the conflicting themes into short, subtle musical pieces. —Mike Krisukas

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The Impor tance of Movement Recreating the style of dance necessary for The Marriage of Figaro was an effort that required full understanding of the time and culture. Due to the fact that dance does not have a universal notation, it was exciting for me as the choreographer to interpret 17th century court dancing for a play that was set in the 18th century and determine the way in which the body would be expressed. In the 17th century, dancing was used as an expression of nobility and devotion to King Louis XIV, to France, and to the pride in one’s own being. From the way the body was held, to the way the body moved, to the way the body interacted with others, there was always a distinct presence. While the movement vocabulary may resemble that of ballet or the waltz, neither of these dances had been identified at this point in history, so the choreography demonstrates a foundation of many dance techniques that we recognize today.

The Spanish dances such as the Seguidilla, Les Folies d’Espagne, and the Fandango use similar techniques to express the nobility and devotion as represented in Beaumarchais’s story. When discussing the role dance has in The Marriage of Figaro with the actors, I focused mostly on how to hold the body. We did various exercises and used imagery to apply physical effort to find the comfort in a new way to sit or stand or walk, before we applied any choreography. We practiced the way that it was supposed to feel before focusing on the way it looked so that each body could identify its own personal needs. The integration of choreography provided context for the ways the actors would move in relation to one another just as the court dances did for King Louis XIV, revealing their devotion and nobility. —Nina Pongratz

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1342 Chelsea Ave. Bethlehem 610.866.1660 jumbars.com The Marriage of Figaro 11

About the Author Pierre-Augustin Caron ( Jan. 24, 1732 – May 18, 1799) was born in the Rue Saint Denis, Paris, as the only boy among six children.1 The possessor of brilliant wit and a debonair personality, Pierre left school at the age of 12 to work as an apprentice under his father in the art of watchmaking. his ingenuity in watchmaking caught the attention of Louis XV, and the king decided to hire him as the musical advisor for the royal family. This position later developed into the position of SecretaryCouncilor to the King in 1761.2 As a result, he made the decision to change his name to Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais in hopes of evoking an aristocratic air.3 After a ten-month stay in Spain, in 1764, Beaumarchais began his theatrical career with his first two plays, Eugenie (1767) and Les Deux Amis (1770). According to Beaumarchais, his subsequent Figaro trilogy (The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro, and The Guilty Mother)4, encapsulated attitudes expressed before, during, and after the French Revolution. These plays endured a censorship instated by Louis XVI that lasted from 1781 to 1784, due to the

plays’ blatant satire of the aristocracy.5 However, once the censorship was lifted, and the plays released to the public, Beaumarchais immediately rose to theatrical notoriety. Apart from his theatrical endeavors, Beaumarchais played a major role in assisting the American army before France officially entered the American Revolutionary War in 1778. Beaumarchais became a major source of information about the rebellion for the French government, and sent a regular stream of reports with exaggerated rumors of the success of the rebel forces blockading Boston.6 Supported by the French and Spanish crowns, Beaumarchais supplied the American rebels with weapons, munitions, clothes, and provisions, all of which would never be paid for.7 Beaumarchais’s biography is the story of a man who lived in the world of romance, dedicated his life to worldly success, and achieved immortality almost by accident. However, his contributions to society, artistically and politically, are what he is still admired for to this day. — Lauren Goldberger

1. Lever, Maurice. Beaumarchais: A Biography. (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2009) 2. Morton, Brian N., and Donald C. Spinelli. Beaumarchais and the American Revolution. (Lanham: Lexington Book, 2003) 3. Lever, 11. 4. Lever, 35. 5. MacArthur, Elizabeth J. “Embodying the Public Sphere: Censorship and the Reading Subject in Beaumarchais’s Mariage De Figaro.” Representations 61 (1998): 57-77. 6. Lemaitre, Georges Edouard. Beaumarchais. (New York: A.A. Knopf, 1949) 7. Morton, 130-5. 12 The Marriage of Figaro

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Mo z a r t ’s M a r r i a g e o f Fi g a r o When Mozart adapted Beaumarchais’s play for the Vienna court opera in 1786, his collaborator was Lorenzo da Ponte, a specialist in Italian comic opera and the recently appointed poet to the court theatre. Together, they followed in the footsteps of the French playwright as well as an Italian composer: Paisiello’s opera on Le barbier de Séville had triumphed in Vienna just a few years before, despite (or perhaps because of) the banning of the French play from Viennese stages. Many members of Mozart’s original cast had appeared in Paisiello’s opera, informing the next operatic conception of their roles and creating an additional layer of intertextual reference for the early audiences. The Viennese court censors had balked at Beaumarchais’s treatment of class, gender, sex, and marriage, and in general, Da Ponte downplays the sociopolitical tensions of the story through omission and conflation. These alterations remained intelligible because so many spectators were familiar with the original play, which had circulated widely in print despite the stage ban. Indeed,

musicologist Daniel Heartz suggests that “the play, with all its richness of detail and allusion, [can] serve as a kind of subtext or commentary on the compressed action of the opera.” Ultimately, Mozart and Da Ponte unite their characters in “enlightened” sympathy. Figaro is one among many of Mozart’s operas that concludes with a moment of recognition and a gesture of mercy, as the philandering Count’s apology is expressed through some of the most gorgeous music Mozart ever composed (“Ah, tutti contenti”). Though shown only nine times in Vienna, Mozart’s Figaro was a success — this was the opera for which Emperor Joseph II banned excessive encores — and it led to two more commissions for the Mozart–da Ponte team: the opera’s triumph in Prague elicited the commission for Don Giovanni, and the Viennese revival of Figaro in 1789 preceded the emperor’s commission for a third and final collaboration, Così fan tutte.

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—Dr. Karen Hiles Assistant Professor, Department of Music April 2013

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C ensorship & the S ig n i f i ca n ce of P er s o nal Des i re On April 27, 1784, PierreAugustin Caron de Beaumarchais’s Le Mariage de Figaro finally made its public premiere in France. After a three-year negotiation involving endorsements by multiple official censors, a slew of letters and readings by Beaumarchais, and the decision of Louis XVI to allow the people to judge the play for themselves, the censorship was lifted.1 During Beaumarchais’s campaign to have his play performed, he spent most of his time trying to appeal to the public. Their overwhelming support was largely responsible for the king’s decision to let the play go on. What’s fascinating about this situation is how well it is reflected within the play’s storyline and its characters. The identities of the characters revolve around the acknowledgment of their personal desires.2 The individual desires of the characters are both threatened and fulfilled throughout the play,

610.794.6010 | phoebe.org Allentown, PA

and in the end, it is the Count who is fooled into giving up his desire to bed Suzanna. By viewing the play, the audience may also have been inclined to assess what their own personal desires were. If one considers the audience’s response as well as the resemblance of Figaro’s character to Beaumarchais and the Count’s to the King, it seems obvious why Louis XVI would have wanted to keep this play from premiering publicly. Throughout the play, Figaro is seen as a hero of the bourgeoisie; however, he only succeeds in outsmarting the Count with the support of the other characters. By convincing the others that they will achieve their own personal desires by helping him attain his own, they are quick to scheme and side with the great plotter, Figaro. How appropriate this camaraderie seems to be as a precursor to the French Revolution. —Danielle Pampinella

1. Elizabeth J. MacArthur, “Embodying the Public Sphere: Censorship and the Reading Subject in Beaumarchais’s Mariage de Figaro”, Representations, No. 61 (University of California Press, 1998), 57. 2. MacArthur, 60. 16 The Marriage of Figaro

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THE STAGE IS SET FOR WORRY-FREE LIVING Live the life of your dreams with a move to The Terrace at Phoebe Allentown. Independent living at The Terrace includes elegant dining services, on-site amenities such as a beauty/barber shop, library, fitness room, and garden area. We also offer extensive social, cultural and recreational programs. Come explore maintenance-free living at The Terrace!

DON’T WAIT—CALL US TODAY AT 610-794-6010

B E A U T I F U L A PA R T M E N T S R A N G I N G F R O M S T U D I O EFFICI E NCI E S TO T WO -BEDROOM SU IT E S

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Meet t he Di rec tor Francine Roussel is an associate professor of acting and directing at Muhlenberg. She holds Master of Arts degrees from the University of Paris, La Sorbonne, in both modern European and classical French literature. Francine also earned the Certificat of Ecole Internationale de Théåtre Jacques Lecoq, where she studied mime and mask (with Antoine Vitez, Philippe Avron, and Pierre Byland), and studied acting and directing at L’Ecole Tania Balachova (with Michael Lonsdale). She was part of the “Groupe des 50,” which established the Actors Studio in Paris with Andreas Voutsinas. Then in New York, she studied with Lee Strasberg and Earl Hyman. Francine played Euripides, Molière, Marivaux, Diderot, Beaumarchais, Brecht, Ibsen, Strindberg, Garcia Lorca, Ionesco, Beckett. She wrote and performed her own shows, including History of a Clown, which she performed in Paris, at the Festival d’Avignon, in

Japan, and in Montreal and Quebec City at the Super Franco-Fête. She sang in Musicircus, created by John Cage in Les Halles of Paris. She wrote a screenplay, Broken Shells; and has performed in several French feature films as well as numerous French television shows. In 1981, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the recommendation of Peter Brook and Antoine Vitez, offered her the coveted Lavoisier Grant to develop her work in New York, where she created a new show, A Few Steps Towards the Sea. Settled in New York, she has appeared in films: Youth in Revolt, The Interpreter (which starred Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn), and The Day the Ponies Come Back; in the television shows Sex and the City, The Equalizer, As the World Turns, One Life to Live, Loving, Saturday Night Live, and Gryphon (for PBS Channel 13). She most recently performed the role of Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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(European Tour with Footsbarn Theatre Company), and also appeared in productions of Cabaret, Lost Generation, Popular Fronts, and Ornifle (at Florence Gould Auditorium). She continues her career in France, where she is seen on television in Tribunal, Divorce, and Surprise Sur Prise. She co-wrote La Vie en Rose, about Piaf and Montand, and has performed cabaret in New York as part of The Trio Franco Fun. Francine has been performing with The New York Philharmonic, under the direction of Kurt Masur, in Jeanne d’Arc au Bûcher, in New York, Berlin, and Leipzig. Recently, she created a new company, Kicking Mule Theatre Company, dedicated to Muhlenberg alumni and faculty. The first show was Jean Genet’s The Maids, in which she played Madame. The company performed in New York State, Pennsylvania, and at The Philly Fringe. Francine has taught acting and has directed at Theatre de Vincennes and Studio de Paris,

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and more recently, at Muhlenberg College, NYU Tisch School of the Arts (graduate and undergraduate acting programs), Stella Adler Conservatory, and Wagner College. She was the mask coach on The Green Bird, directed by Julie Taymor, at The Victory Theatre; directed The Square, by Marguerite Duras, at UBU Repertory Theatre; and was movement director for Nicholas Hytner’s feature film The Crucible. She has directed Curse of the Starving Class, La Dispute, Blood Wedding, A Flea in Her Ear, Orpheus Descending, Tartuffe, Electra, Appearances, Barren, The Game of Love and Chance, The Crucible, Jack, or The Submission, The House of Bernarda Alba, The Bear, The Proposal, and I Am a Liar in NYC and Pennsylvania. She also has many credits as a director in France. Francine Roussel is a member of SAG-AFTRA, Actors’ Equity Association, and Syndicat des Acteurs Français. She received the Williams Award for professional achievement at Muhlenberg College.

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Faculty and Guest Artist Bios Cheryl Soper Christensen (Props Coordinator) has coordinated props for all of the department’s Mainstage productions since The Crucible in spring of 2001, and for most of the Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre shows starting with You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown in 2001. Previously, Cheryl was prop coordinator, then production manager, for The Whole Theatre in Montclair, N.J., where, alongside artistic director Olympia Dukakis, she worked with renowned talents including director Susan Stroman, playwright Romulus Linney, and many others. She then served as production manager at her alma mater, Upsala College. The productions Cheryl is most proud of are her sons, Kramer, Alex, and Ethan. Liz Covey (Costume Designer) designed costumes for Three Sisters, Orlando, An American Tragedy, A Flea in Her Ear, Venus, Life’s a Dream, Anything’s Dream, Scenes from an Execution and Summerfolk for Muhlenberg, as well as an earlier Three Sisters way back in 1994! Recent work includes Brighton Beach Memoirs, You Can’t Take It With You and The Diary of Anne Frank for the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis; Over the Tavern and Witness for the Prosecution for the Olney Theatre in Maryland; and Betrayal for Capital Rep in Albany, N.Y. Other designs include Misalliance, Frost/Nixon, The

History Boys, Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, Heartbreak House, Pirandello’s Henry IV, Humble Boy, Frozen, The Crucible, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Gamester, A Flea in Her Ear, Major Barbara, The Heiress, An Ideal Husband, Gross Indecency, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, The Constant Couple, and Cyrano de Bergerac. Her work has been seen at most of the major regional theatres in this country, including Cincinnati’s Playhouse in the Park, Princeton’s McCarter Theatre, ACT in San Francisco, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Hartford Stage Company, The Denver Center, and Pittsburgh Public Theatre. A native of England, Liz lives in Manhattan and is co-author of two books on theatrical costume. She has been a member of the faculties of Barnard College/Columbia University, Marymount Manhattan College, and Bennington College, Vermont. Curtis Dretsch (Scenic and Lighting Designer) is currently professor of theatre arts and director of design and technical theatre for the Department of Theatre & Dance. In addition to his more than 100 designs for Muhlenberg College Theatre and Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre over the past 32 years, Mr. Dretsch’s work has been seen in New York City, Philadelphia,

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Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Dallas, Edinburgh, and London. He has designed for the Dallas Shakespeare Festival, Terry Beck Dance Troupe, and Pennsylvania Stage Company (LORT), where he did scenery and/or lights 41 times over 12 years. During the 1990s he served Muhlenberg as dean of the College for faculty and vice president for academic affairs. In April 2002, Curtis received a Lifetime Achievement Henry Award for his role in the Muhlenberg community, and in June of 2009, he received a Muhlenberg College Alumni Achievement Award for distinguished contributions to the College. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Montana State University and his Master of Fine Arts degree from Southern Methodist University. Mike Krisukas (Composer) is the founding member, arranger, and principal songwriter for the avant garde Cabaret ensemble Zen For Primates. Growing up equidistant from New York and Philadelphia, Mike learned early on to take advantage of the access to and the separation from both these urban artistic environments in developing his very personal compositional style. After studies in various areas, including arrangement and orchestration with Evan Solat at the Philadelphia Music Academy and private study in advanced harmonic theory with the legendary teacher Dennis Sandole, Mike continued April 2013

performing with an eclectic mix of musical aggregations ranging from Appalachian Bluegrass to James Brown-influenced Funk bands, from New Wave/Punk bands at CBGB’s to New Age Jazz for Moët et Chandon Champagne vintage premieres, and from R&B show bands in Japan to performances of his own orchestral works. Mike’s passion for travel has also led to a strong interest in preserving traditional folkloric music around the globe. Concurrent with all this performing he began to pursue strictly compositional projects beginning with jingles (hot dogs to haute couture) and film/ video soundtracks, later moving into theatrical collaborations and larger commissioned pieces for orchestra. After this wonderful experience of working with Francine Roussel and everyone at Muhlenberg, Mike will be starting work on a new production of the Mac Wellman play Terminal Hip for the Galway Fringe Festival in Ireland and is finishing up his accordion-led score for a new play, Lois’s Wedding by Farrar Straus & Giroux novelist Bathsheba Monk. He will also begin writing an original score for a new Halloween-themed work for the 2014 season of Company C Ballet in San Francisco. Mike has covered a lot of territory, never restricting himself to one — or any — musical category. Although he really does miss being around a campfire with six dueling banjo players, sharing a bottle of moonshine on a cool North Carolina evening.

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Company Bi os Kelley Annesley (Cherubino) is honored to appear in her first Mainstage and first Muhlenberg production. She is a sophomore double-major in philosophy and theatre. Back in her hometown of Milwaukee, Wis., Kelley appeared in many shows with First Stage, most recently playing Isabelle in U:Bug:Me and Marc Antony in Julius Caeser. Jason Avezzano (Bazile) is a double-major in film studies and theatre with a concentration in acting and directing. Acting credits include: Stop Kiss, Tumor, and two original plays, Transcranium and The Moustache. Jason will also appear in this summer’s production of Crazy for You. Credits for directing include: an original co-written comedy film, I