Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art | playmakersrep.org | 919.962.7529

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Table of Contents

Letter from Jeff Aguiar

Who We Are

Title Page

Musical Numbers

Creative Team Bios

General Information

PlayMakers Staff

Friends of PlayMakers

Desktop Computer Version of playbill available here

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Welcome!

We’re glad you made it to The Prom! Our planning committees have been hard at work creating Edgewater, Indiana, capturing the complexities of coming of age, families, and communities in a fun-filled show that might take you back to your own prom. It’s been a powerful reminder that intergenerational conversations are vital to building community through theatre.

The Summer Youth Conservatory’s annual production is always full of conversations: artistic vision, educational value, production logistics, auditions. But what we remember most are the moments that truly connect to our hearts and, as Emma reminds us, allow us to just breathe. Our rehearsal hall conversations reflect The Prom’s layered narrative: feeling different, seeking acceptance, and living in true community.

The world of The Prom—Emma’s emotions, Indiana, and Broadway—lets us explore challenges and remember that all means everyone. Whether it’s who we love, what we believe, or how we vote, The Prom reminds us that acceptance is an intentional, sometimes uncomfortable act.

As art imitates life, the conversations in this show grow with each number. Whether in our Center for Dramatic Arts or on the way to the parking deck, this show sparks conversation, and we’re glad to start it with you tonight!

And now, it’s time to dance….

Jeff

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The Prom

BOOK & LYRICS BY CHAD BEGUELIN BOOK BY BOB MARTIN MUSIC BY MATTHEW SKLAR

Directed by Chauntee’ Schuler Irving

Choreographer
Courtney Liu

Music Director
Alex Thompson

Scenic Designer
Anita Tripathi

Costume Designer
Matthew Mallard

Lighting Designer
Benjamin Bosch

Sound Designer
David Bost

Stage Manager
Aspen Blake Jackson

Assistant Stage Manager
Zoë Lord

July 17 – 28, 2024

THE PROM is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036 www.theatricalrights.com

Performance & rehearsal musical tracks provided by Right On Cue Services www.RightOnCueServices.

The video or audio recording of this performance by any means is strictly prohibited.

The Professional Theatre of the Department of Dramatic Art Kathryn Hunter-Williams, Chair Vivienne Benesch, Producing Artistic Director Produced in association with the College of Arts and Sciences The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Musical Numbers

ACT I

Changing Lives: Dee Dee, Barry, Ensemble
Changing Lives (Reprise): Dee Dee, Barry, Angie, Trent
Just Breathe: Emma
It’s Not About Me: Dee Dee, Barry, Angie, Trent, Parents, Students
Dance with You: Emma, Alyssa
The Acceptance Song: Trent, Dee Dee, Barry, Angie, Ensemble
You Happened: Emma, Alyssa, Kevin, Nick, Students
We Look to You: Mr. Hawkins
Tonight Belongs to You: Barry, Emma, Mrs. Greene, Shelby, Kaylee, Students
Tonight Belongs to You (Reprise): Emma, Students

ACT II

Entr’acte: Orchestra
Zazz: Angie, Emma
The Lady’s Improving: Dee Dee
Love Thy Neighbor: Trent, Students, Ensemble
Alyssa Greene: Alyssa
Barry is Going to Prom: Barry
Unruly Heart: Emma, Students
Changing Lives (Reprise #2): Barry, Dee Dee, Trent, Angie, Sheldon, Mr. Hawkins
It’s Time to Dance: Emma, Alyssa, Company

Original Broadway Production directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw

Originally Produced on Broadway by Bill Damaschke, Dori Berinstein, Jack Lane James & Catherine Berges, Nelda Sue Yaw, Natasha Davison, Joe Grandy, Kimberlee Garris, Lisa Morris, Terry Schnuck, Jane Dubin, Rosalind Productions, Inc., FAHS Productions, Seth A. Goldstein, Mike Kriak, Don & Nancy Ross, Pamela Hurst-Della Pietra & Stephen Della Pietra, Cliff Hopkins, Masie Productions, Vivek Shah, Three Belles & A Bob, Anment-Tackel, Armstrong-Manocherian, Fakler-Silver, Fox Theatricals-Mosbacher-Lonow, Palitz-Stem-Smedes, Nancy & Ken Kranzberg/David Lyons, Larry & Elizabeth Lenke/Elizabeth L. Green, Iris Smith/InStone Productions, Kuhlman-Ketner/Wallace-ATxRandomProductions, The John Gore Organization and The Shubert Organization (Philip J. Smith: Chairman; Robert E. Wankel: President); Produced in association with Independent Presenters Network, Margot Astrachan, Darren P. DeVema & Jeremiah J. Harris and Reagan Silber

THE CAST

in Alphabetical Order

THEATRE TECH

Costumes

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Chauntee’ Schuler Irving

Director

PlayMakers: Debut

Chauntee’ Schuler Irving is an Assistant Professor of the Practice of Theater Studies at Duke University and a Broadway actor with over twenty years of experience in the industry and the classroom. Recent teaching appointments include the American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) in San Francisco and the American Music and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in Los Angeles. Her pedagogy centers embodied performative practices which bring equitable and inclusive approaches to the forefront of actor training.

Chauntee’ has performed lead roles in Broadway, Off-Broadway, Broadway National Tour, and regional productions, as well as on television and in national commercials.

She is currently guest starring as Maria Cross in the upcoming Amazon Prime TV series Cross. Chauntee’ has trained with The Actors’ Studio Drama School, The Barrow Group Theater Company, and The Ailey School prior to receiving her MFA in Theatre Pedagogy from Virginia Commonwealth University.

She is a proud member of AEA and SAG- AFTRA. chauntee.com

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Courtney Liu

Choreographer

PlayMakers: Debut.

Courtney Liu is a choreographer and Assistant Professor of Music Theatre at Elon University. In addition to choreographing and directing productions at Elon, Courtney’s work has been commissioned by Duke University, Forestburgh Theatre, the Ciompi Quartet, Thistle Dance, and the American Dance Festival in collaboration with the Nasher Museum. 

Courtney has served as Assistant Dance Captain at the Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and as Assistant Director for Norwegian Cruise Lines.

Performing credits include the Phantom of the Opera (Broadway cast), Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Queen of the Night, AEA & Disney Developmental labs, the Broadway Dance Lab, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Busch Gardens Theme Parks, various performances sponsored by the American Dance Festival, and guest performances with the Cincinnati Ballet and the Peridance Contemporary Dance Company. 

Courtney’s pedagogical research is published in the Journal of Dance Education and has been presented nationally and internationally.

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Alex Thompson

Music Director

PlayMakers: The Drowsy Chaperone (SYC Music Director 2023). She Loves Me, My Fair Lady, Sweeney Todd, Into The Woods (Associate Music Director). Ragtime (Keyboard 2).

Off-Broadway/New York: “All Hallows Eve” (Connelly Theatre).

Regional: Selected Credits: “Kinky Boots” (Norwegian Creative). “Perfectly Imperfect” (Marigny Opera House, New Orleans LA); “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” “The Color Purple,” “West Side Story,” “Godspell,” “The Wiz,” “Working,” “Hairspray” (Hope Repertory Theatre); “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” (Connecticut Repertory Theatre); “Assassins” (Pallas Theatre Collective, Washington D.C.).

Education/Awards/Other: Wilde Award winner for Best Music Direction, “The Color Purple” (Hope Repertory Theatre), 1st Runner-up for BroadwayWorld’s 2022 Regional Award for Best Music Direction & Orchestra Performance for “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” (Hope Repertory Theatre).

Former accompanist for UNC’s Music and Theatre departments.

Co-producer, mixer/engineer and arranger/pianist, “Growing Up” (the debut EP from Broadway’s Mia Pinero, Playmakers alum)

Alex Thompson has been part of the music department for every PlayMakers musical since 2014 – either as Associate Music Director, a pianist, a keyboard programmer, an orchestra member, or any combination thereof. He studied Media Production and Music at UNC Chapel Hill. Since then he has done a variety of regional work, most notably as Resident Music Director for Hope Repertory Theatre in Michigan from 2018 to 2023. He worked Off-Broadway in 2019, programming and performing keyboard/synth for “All Hallows Eve”. 

Outside of the theatre world Alex works as a music producer, engineer and arranger currently based in North Carolina, working with a variety of genres including hip-hop, pop, rock and electronica.

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Anita Tripathi

Scenic Designer

PlayMakers: Stick Fly. Bright Star, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Summer Youth Conservatory).

Broadway: Associate designer for David Gallo on several productions

Regional: Previous Resident Designer at Virginia Stage Company, credits include “Of Mice and Men, Private Lives, A Christmas Carol” and others; “To Kill a Mockingbird” (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey) Currently designs frequently for Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, including the world premiere of Steven Dietz’s new play, The Ghost of Splinter Cover.

Education/Awards/Other: Assistant Professor of Design and Technology at Davidson College; MFA from University of South Carolina. Member USA Local 829. anitajtripathi.com

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Matthew Mallard

Costume Designer

PlayMakers: Every Brilliant Thing. The Drowsy Chaperone (Summer Youth Conservatory).

Regional Costume Work: Murder on the Orient Express (Delaware Rep, with Fabio Toblini); Twelfth Night, Cinderella, Miracle Worker, Fly (Alabama Shakespeare Festival, with Pamela Scofield and Toni Leslie James); A Moon for the Misbegotten with Audra McDonald, Paradise Blue, Unknown Soldier (Williamstown Theatre Festival with Jane Greenwood and Clint Ramos). Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Janeic Opera Company at Brevard Music Center, Atlanta Opera, Synchronicity Theatre, Westport Country Playhouse, Geva Theatre. 

Other: White Out Lung Cancer Fashion Show co-designer with Jordan Jaked Carrier to benefit lung cancer research: Raleigh, NC 

Education: MFA in Costume Design and Technology from the University of Georgia (Much Ado About Nothing, Doubt), BA in English and Professional Writing from the University of North Alabama (Amadeus, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Diviners).  

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Benjamin Bosch

Lighting Designer

PlayMakers: Fat Ham, The Amish Project, A Christmas Carol. Resident Head Electrician.

Regional: Seussical the Musical, James and the Giant Peach (Riverside Childrens Theater).

Education: A Graduate of Northwestern College with a BFA in Lighting.

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David Bost

Sound Designer

PlayMakers: Debut. Resident Sound Supervisor.

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Aspen Blake Jackson

Stage Manager

PlayMakers: Much Ado About Nothing, Clyde’s, They Do Not Know Harlem, Native Gardens. The Drowsy Chaperone, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Summer Youth Conservatory). Aspen graduated in May of 2019 with a BA in Vocal Performance and Dramatic Arts from UNC-Chapel Hill. During her undergraduate career, she was stage manager for shows such as Cendrillon, Dido and Aeneas, and The Pillowman. After graduating, Aspen completed an internship with the Walt Disney World Company and she worked as a production assistant for PlayMakers Repertory Company during their 19/20 and 21/22 seasons.

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Zoë Lord

Assistant Stage Manager

PlayMakers: The Drowsy Chaperone (Summer Youth Conservatory).

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Victoria Morris

Assistant Director

PlayMakers: Debut.

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Summer Severin

Assistant Choreographer

PlayMakers: Debut.

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PlayMakers Leadership

Vivienne Benesch

Producing Artistic Director

Vivienne is in her eighth full season as a company member and Producing Artistic Director at PlayMakers, where she has helmed productions of The Game, Hamlet, The Skin of Our Teeth, The Storyteller, Dairyland, Life of Galileo, Leaving Eden, The May Queen, Three Sisters, Love Alone, RED and In The Next Room. In her eight seasons with the theatre, she is particularly proud to have produced 12 world premieres and launched PlayMakers Mobile, a touring production aimed at reaching under-served audiences around the Triangle.

For 12 seasons, she served as Artistic Director of the renowned Chautauqua Theater Company and Conservatory, presiding over the company’s transformation into one of the country’s best summer theatres and most competitive summer training programs. Vivienne directed both the world premiere of Noah Haidle’s Birthday Candles for Detroit Public Theatre and, in 2022, its Broadway production starring Debra Messing. She has also directed for the Folger Shakespeare Theatre (Helen Hayes nomination for best direction 2019), The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Trinity Repertory Company, NY Stage & Film, and Red Bull Theatre, among others. As an actress, Vivienne has worked on and off-Broadway, in film and television, at many of the country’s most celebrated theatres, and received an Obie Award for her performance in Lee Blessing’s Going to St. Ives. Vivienne is a graduate of Brown University and NYU’s Graduate Acting Program.

As an educator, she has directed for and served on the faculty of some of the nation’s foremost actor training programs, including The Juilliard School, UNC-Chapel Hill’s Professional Actor Training Program, Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Program, and at her alma mater, NYU’s Graduate Acting Program. She is the 2017 recipient of the Zelda Fichandler Award given by the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation.

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Jeffrey Meanza

Associate Artistic Director

An actor, director, and educator, Jeffrey Meanza has spent the better part of two decades working at two of the country’s most celebrated regional theatres, overseeing the artistic, educational and community engagement efforts of the organizations. As a member of PlayMakers’ resident acting company, he has appeared in Murder on the Orient Express, Hamlet, Angels in America, Into the Woods, Lisa Kron’s Well, Amadeus, Assassins, and The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, among others, and directed Misery, The Legend of Georgia McBride, The Cake, and Guys and Dolls.

From 2015 to 2021, he served as the Guthrie Theater’s associate artistic director, overseeing the theater’s education and community engagement initiatives, the literary team, casting, and the theater’s professional training programs, as well as helping to guide the work on the Guthrie’s three stages. During his tenure, Meanza managed the expansion of educational programming to serve over 35,000 students annually, including creating an artist residency program that put full-time teaching artists in high school classrooms throughout Minnesota. In addition, under his leadership, the Guthrie piloted a new Fellowship program that offers paid training opportunities for emerging leaders to experience work at one of the nation’s leading regional theaters. In 2021, Meanza returned to PlayMakers Repertory Company as Associate Artistic Director, overseeing the theater’s artistic, educational and engagement operations.

He holds an M.F.A in Acting from the Professional Actor Training Program at UNC-Chapel Hill and a B.A. in Theater and Performance Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.

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Michael Rolleri

Production Manager

Michael is in his 37^th season with PlayMakers Repertory Company. He has been Technical Director, Project Manager, Exhibition Technician, and Lighting Designer for industrial shows in the Southeast region, as well as lead carpenter for films, the U.S. Olympic Festival, and scenic studios. He has also been a rigger in the Southeast region and has served on the executive board and as President of IATSE Local 417.  Michael is a 30 year Gold Pin member of IATSE.  An active member of United States Institute For Theatre Technology (USITT), he is a three-time winner at USITT’s Tech Expo. He is a full Professor/Head of the Technical Production Program at UNC-Chapel Hill and was an instructor at High Point University and Tufts University.

Education: MFA in Design and Technical Production, UNC-Greensboro.

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PlayMakers is…

“One of America’s Best Regional Theatres”

(American Theatre Magazine), PlayMakers Repertory Company is North Carolina’s premier professional theatre company, proudly in residence on the dynamic campus of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The professional company was founded in 1976, growing out of a storied 100-year tradition of playmaking at Carolina. 

At the very heart of the PlayMakers experience is one of the nation’s last remaining resident theatre companies, made up of accomplished performers, directors, designers, artisans, and technicians, and supported by exceptional graduate students in UNC’s Department of Dramatic Art. Our company works side by side with guest artists from all over the world and our alumni include Pulitzer Prize, Tony®, Emmy®, and Grammy Award® winners. 

Creating Tomorrow’s Classics, Today

Producing Artistic Director Vivienne Benesch is continuing PlayMakers’ tradition of producing vibrantly reimagined classics, large-scale musical theatre, and significant contemporary work, but is also broadening the company’s reach to become a home for new play development and a true hub of social and civic discourse in the region. Her first seven seasons have already given life to twelve important new American plays.  

A Hub of Engagement

PlayMakers seeks to provoke thought, stimulate discussion, and push the boundaries of the theatrical form in everything we do. Whether through our intimate @PLAY series, our mainstage offerings or our virtual line-up, we look for opportunities for direct, dynamic engagement between audiences, artists, and thinkers. We also offer a host of unique engagement opportunities designed to enrich our audience’s experience of the live arts.    

Theatre for the People

PlayMakers Mobile is an initiative that seeks to contribute positively to the civic and social life of our region by taking world-class theatre out of our building and into the community. We create a streamlined production of a play and take it to schools, transitional housing facilities, and long-term treatment facilities around the Greater Triangle area. And best of all, it’s all free of charge. 

Passing the Torch

PlayMakers’ award-winning Summer Youth Conservatory is the only professionally supported training program of its kind in the region. The Theatre Quest program provides camps to area middle school and high school students, while the Theatre Intensive and TheatreTech programs allow Triangle high schoolers to apprentice directly with professional directors, choreographers, musical directors, and technicians, culminating in a professional quality production on the PlayMakers mainstage for the whole community to enjoy.  

Eliminating Barriers

With a commitment to eliminating barriers for attendance, PlayMakers offers All Access performances for our patrons living with disabilities. We also offer accessible $20 tickets for all performances and ticket prices are reduced to just $10 for UNC students. For more information, please contact prcboxoffice@unc.edu.

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Our Mission

PlayMakers Repertory Company is North Carolina’s premier professional theatre company, proudly in residence on the dynamic campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Our mission is to produce relevant, courageous work that tells stories from and for a multiplicity of perspectives. We believe that theatre can have a transformational impact on individuals and entire communities, and we are committed to the journey of becoming an anti-racist organization whose work is accessible to all. Inextricably linked to UNC’s Department of Dramatic Art, PlayMakers is devoted to nurturing and training future generations of artists and audiences.

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Our Vision

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Antiracism Accountability Statement

At the heart of PlayMakers Repertory Company’s mission is the belief that theatre has the power to transform individuals and entire communities. There is no more aspirational or urgent a use of that power than working to dismantle the systems of oppression, white supremacy, and racism that pervade American life and consume the American Theatre. PlayMakers continues to assess and evaluate our own practices in order to embed equitable, antiracist policies into strategic planning, our mission, and our operations.

PlayMakers Repertory Company, and those of us who work here, commit to the following:

• To work intentionally to create an antiracist culture in our company.
• To continually educate ourselves on the ways in which we can combat racism locally and nationally as we move to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable sense of belonging for every one of our constituents.
• To demonstrate our values through action in our policies, practices, and procedures.

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Land Acknowledgment

We acknowledge that the Center for Dramatic Art is located on the unceded lands of one or more of Abiayala’s (the Americas’) original sovereign nations, the name(s) of which have not yet been affirmed. The unjust acquisition of these Indigenous lands came about through a history of racism, violence, dispossession, displacement, and erasure of cultures by settlers as part of the larger, land-centered project of settler colonialism.

As we look to the future, may. webuild upon the memories and goodwill of all who walked and labored here before us with truth, integrity, and honor. Learn more: UNC American Indian Center

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General Info

PlayMakers Repertory Company is the professional theatre in residence at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

ANNOUNCING OUR 2024/25 SEASON

We’re bringing you stories that will ignite your imagination, tickle your funny bone, and stir your soul as we delve in to explore the many facets of the American Dream. From striking modern classics to a world premiere made just for you, this is a stellar season we can’t wait to share with you!

SEP 11–29, 2024: Crumbs from the Table of Joy by Lynn Nottage

OCT 16–Nov 3, 2024: What the Constitution Means to Me by Heidi Schreck

NOV 26–DEC 15, 2024: The Christmas Case of Hezekiah Jones by Howard L. Craft and Mike Wiley

JAN 29–FEB 16, 2025: Death of a Salesman by James Ijames, directed by Jade King Carroll

MAR 5–23, 2025: Confederates by Dominique Morisseau

APR 9–27, 2025: Little Shop of Horrors book & lyrics by Howard Ashman, music by Alan Menken

Learn more about our season subscriptions and single tickets HERE.

HOW DO I GET IN TOUCH WITH PLAYMAKERS IF I HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS?

For the quickest response, please email, prcboxoffice@unc.edu or call 919.962.7529 Tuesday-Friday between 12-5 p.m.

WILL THE BOX OFFICE BE OPEN?

The Box Office is planned to be open Tuesday-Friday, from 12-5 p.m.

SOCIALS

Don’t miss out on news and events. Follow us on all socials to stay connected and see what we do next!

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SYC PLAYMAKERS STAFF

Administration

Vivienne Benesch, Producing Artistic Director

Artistic

Jeff Aguiar, Director of Engagement
Tracy Bersley, Movement Coach/Choreographer
Chelsea James, Producing Associate
Tia James, Vocal Coach
Gregory Kable, Dramaturg
Jacqueline E. Lawton, Dramaturg
Jeffrey Meanza, Associate Artistic Director
Mark Perry, Dramaturg
Gwendolyn Schwinke, Vocal Coach Lexi Silva, Dramaturgy Fellow
Sarah Tackett, Administrative Operations Associate
Adam Versényi, Dramaturg

Management

Zoe Lord, Company Manager
Kate Jones, General Manager
Lisa Geeslin, Accountant
Maura Murphy, Director of Operations

Development

Kyle Kostenko, Assistant Director of Annual Giving
Lenore Fields, Special Events Coordinator

Marketing & Audience Services

Hannah LaMarlowe, Associate Director of Marketing
Thomas Porter, Box Office Manager
Rosalie Preston, Director of Marketing & Sales
Rebecca Edmonds, Audience Services Associate
Jenna Zottoli, Audience Services Associate

Department of Dramatic Art

Kathryn Hunter-Williams, Chair and Associate Professor

FACULTY

Jade Arnold, Visiting Lecturer Milly Barranger, Professor Emerita
Vivienne Benesch, Professor of the Practice
Tracy Bersley, Associate Professor
Pamela Bond, Assistant Professor
Jan Chambers, Professor
McKay Coble, Professor
Jeffrey Blair Cornell, Associate Chair, Teaching Professor
Ray Dooley, Professor Emeritus
Samuel Ray Gates, Assistant Professor
Julia Gibson, Associate Professor Dale Girard, Visiting Professor of the Practice
David Hammond, Professor Emeritus
Letitia James, Assistant Professor
Gregory Kable, Teaching Professor
Jacqueline E. Lawton, Associate Professor
Matthew Mallard, Teaching Assistant Professor
Triffin Morris, Professor of the Practice
David Navalinsky, Professor
Bobbi Owen, Distinguished Professor Emerita
Laura Pates, Teaching Assistant Professor
Kathy Perkins, Professor Emerita
Mark Perry, Teaching Associate Professor
Rachel E. Pollock, Teaching Assistant Professor
Michael Rolleri, Professor
Gwendolyn Schwinke, Assistant Professor
Lexi Silva, Dramaturgy Fellow
Aubrey Snowden, Teaching Assistant Professor
Craig Turner, Professor Emeritus
Adam Versényi, Professor
Tao Wang, Assistant Professor

Administration

Lucas Branch, KTC Technical Director
Victoria Danielik, Program Assistant
Lisa Geeslin, Accounting Technician
Taylor McDaniel, Student Services Manager
Karen Rolleri, Business Coordinator
Jamie Strickland, University Manager

Production

Michael Rolleri, Production Manager

Costumes

Amy Evans, Costume Shop Manager
Marissa Lupkas, Wardrobe Supervisor
Matthew Mallard, Assistant Costume Director
Triffin Morris, Costume Director
Rachel Pollock, Costume Craftsperson
Costume Production Graduate Students:
Matty Blatt, Jocelyn Chatman, Jillian Gregory, Emma Hoylst, Jessica Land, Zachery Morrison, Sally Rath Madeline Gibson, Arcadia Hilton, Undergraduate Assistants
Katherine Craig, Costume Department Assistant
Natasha Harm, Wardrobe Assistant
Georgia Wood, Costume Stock Assistant
Clara “Hock” Hockenberry, Costume Clerical Assistant

Lighting

Benjamin Bosch, Electrics Supervisor
Nick Rodgers, Production Swing for Lighting & Sound

Xiuping Xiong, Lighting Assistant
Alex Mitropoulos, Work Study

Props

Lauren Reinhartsen, Properties Supervisor
Emma Madison, Props Artisan
Rebecca Xhajanka, Props Artisan

Marissa Romano, Props Undergraduate Assistant
Leah Jarrell, Cami Crocker, Lydia McRoy, Evan Wilker, Work Studies

Stage Management

Aspen Blake Jackson, Stage Manager
Sarah Smiley, Stage Manager
Zoë Lord, Production Assistant

Sound

David Bost, Sound Supervisor
Andrew Fleming, Sound Undergraduate Assistant

Nubia Orellana, Jace Rea, Work Studies

Scenic

Brandon “Bruce” Hearrell, Production Carpenter
Piper Johnson, Production Carpenter
Corrinne LaVergne, Scenic Artist
Laura Pates, Technical Director
Diane Zimmerman, Scenic Charge Artist

Technical Production Graduate Students:
Rachel Van Namen, Joel Ernst, Benjamin Fink, Roark

Kaitlin Mcguire, Kee Meh, Chyna Wiles, Veta “Koa” Torres,
Scenic Painting Work Studies

Beatrice Sangangbayan, Connor Gould, Heather Robinson,
Jake Docherty, Yessenia Estrada-Zerhoudi, Carpentry Work
Studies

PlayMakers’ Resident Acting Company

Jeffrey Blair Cornell
Samuel Ray Gates
Julia Gibson
Kathryn Hunter-Williams
Tia James
Gwendolyn Schwinke

Professional Actor Training Program:

Reez Bailey, Matthew Donahue, Elizabeth Dye, Jadah Johnson, Nate John Mark, Megwe Wapimewah

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ABOUT SUMMER YOUTH CONSERVATORY

The Prom is a culmination of PlayMakers’ Summer Youth Conservatory, a six-week practicum for high school students—both on stage and behind the scenes—combining top-notch teaching with unparalleled practical experience. Students work with professional directors, choreographers, musical directors, and theatre technicians to mount a professional quality production for all to enjoy. 

In addition to our flagship summer productions over the past decade, we host a wide variety of theatre summer camps for area middle school and high school students.

SUMMER YOUTH CONSERVATORY 2025

To be notified about next year’s programs, including auditions, camps, interviews and more, please email SYC@unc.edu

Every gift, big or small, makes a huge difference!

Ways to Give

Online

Donate

Phone or Email

Kyle Kostenko, Assistant Director of Annual Giving
kostenko@unc.edu

919.445.1282

Mail

Send your check to:
Kyle Kostenko
PlayMakers Repertory Company Development Department
Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art
CB 3235
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3235

PlayMakers is grateful to the members of the Friends of PlayMakers for their generous support. For more information about how to join this dynamic group of supporters, call the Assistant Director of Annual Giving Kyle Kostenko at 919.445.1282 or visit us at playmakersrep.org.

Donate

MANY THANKS TO OUR SYC DONORS

Mary Altpeter 

Elizabeth Amend 

Keith and Iris Archuleta 

Patricia Beyle 

Ellen Clevenger-Firley 

Willis and Virginia Cockrell 

Elizabeth Gray 

Richard Hirschfield 

David Howell 

Leah Johnson 

Kathryn Kosma 

Dave and Doris Krepp 

David Michaud 

Frederick and Anne Morris 

Susan and Vikram Rao 

Margaret Rook 

Majei and Ehsan Samei 

Robert and Tobi Schwartzman 

Harriet and Stuart Solomon 

Riley and Wendy Waugh  

We are proud to offer generous scholarship opportunities and are thankful to our Summer Youth Conservatory Fund donors who ensure no student experiences financial hardship by joining us and learning with us. We invite you to contribute to the fund and help the next generation continue to grow and create the great theatre you enjoy.  playmakersrep.org/give

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Coming Soon: 2024/25 Season

Now is the best time to get a PlayMakers subscription. We’ve got a full season of imagination, heart, and laughter, but it won’t be the same without YOU.

Why do our Subscribers love PlayMakers?

“The quality of theatre at PlayMakers is impressive, and I’m glad I’ve had the pleasure of supporting this company as best I am able.”

Audience Member

“We’re new subscribers and are thrilled with the quality of the shows. Looking forward to more!”

Audience Member

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!