Download Big Nate - Adventure Theatre MTC

Adventure Theatre MTC
Kenny Neal (Sound Design) Past work includes Pinkalicious, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Miss Nelson is Missing, Big
Nate: The Musical, Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr., A Little House Christmas, The Snowy Day (Adventure Theatre MTC);
The Wiz (Sitar Arts Center), Bat Boy: The Musical (1st Stage); Bessie & Bill: Black Wings in Flight (Smithsonian’s Discovery
Theater), Inherit the Wind (The Greenberg Theatre at American University), Fábulas Mayas (GALA Hispanic Theatre);
Caesar & DADA (WSC Avant Bard); Cherry Smoke (Round House). A graduate of the music program at St. Mary’s
College of Maryland, Kenny is a company member at Young Playwrights’ Theater and works as an educational
media producer at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Christopher Youstra (Lyrics/Orchestrations/Music Director/Composer). Music Director/Conducting- over 200
productions including work at Ford’s Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Round House Theatre, Toby’s Dinner Theatre,
Kennedy Center TYA, Imagination Stage and Signature Theatre, among others. Tours Smokey Joe’s Cafe European
and Korean tours Composition Favorites shows include The Dancing Princesses at Imagination Stage, Goldilocks and
the Three Pigs Gruff at Toby’s, Coming Home for the Atlas Center and his current project, Elysian Fields. Christopher
has received eight Helen Hayes nominations for Outstanding Music Direction. He received the 2008 award for
Titanic.
Dre Moore (Properties Designer) has made theatrical properties her career for 10 years and has been a theatre
technician for more years than she cares to admit. Adventure Theatre MTC credits include: Pinkalicious, The Jungle
Book, Mrs. Nelson is Missing, The 12 Days of Christmas, Good Night Moon, Cat in The Hat, Big Nate, Three Little Birds,
Winnie The Pooh, A Little House Christmas, Big The Musical-TYA, If You Give a Moose a Muffin, Five Little Monkeys (Both
the original production at ATMTC and the National Tour), Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day,
The Snowy Day, Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, Charlotte’s Web, and so many, many, many more! Her work has also graced
the stages of Round House Theatre, Theater J, Imagination Stage, The Kennedy Center, and the Rep Stage. She
also assists in the instruction of future theatre crafters and designers in the Properties Shop at the University of
Maryland in College Park MD.
Michael Baron (Director) is the Artistic Director of Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma. He recently received the 2012
Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Direction of a Resident Musical in Washington, D.C. for Adventure Theatre’s
production of A Year with Frog and Toad. At Lyric, he directed Big River, Tarzan, The Mystery of Irma Vep, Call Me
Madam, Spring Awakening, Lyric’s A Christmas Carol (also adapted), Ragtime, Oliver!, Boeing Boeing, Always...
Patsy Cline, December Divas and The Rocky Horror Show. He has directed over 75 productions at theaters across
the country including the current production of A Christmas Carol at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC. Other
directing highlights include: Regional: Zach Theatre: Spring Awakening; Signature Theatre: Signature Sings; The
Little Dog Laughed; The Lost Songs of Broadway: Vol. I And II; Songs For A New World (Signature at the Music Center
at Strathmore) starring Alice Ripley, Brian D’Arcy James, Titus Burgess, Laura Griffith and music direction by Jason
Robert Brown; The Sex Habits of American Women; Adventure Theatre: the world premiere musical Big Nate, Stuart
Little, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; Goodspeed Musicals: Meet John Doe; Ford’s Theatre: The Civil War (Associate
Director); Washington Savoyards: The Music Man; Lincoln Theatre: Julia Nixon: Live in Concert; Trinity Repertory:
The School for Scandal, A Christmas Carol; Perishable Theatre: Lamarck;. NYC: Off-Broadway and National Tour: Nice
Jewish Girls Gone Bad, Miss Richfield’s High Hair, High Hopes, Hygiene; La Mama: The Whore of Sheridan Square (wrote
and directed, published in anthology Plays and Playwrights 2006), Modern Living. Nea: 2010-2013 Poetry Out Loud
National Competition Finals with hosts, John Leguizamo, Kerry Washington, and Anna Deavere Smith. Teaching
credits include American University, Brown University, Holy Cross College and Rhode Island College. Michael
received a 2003-2005 NEA/TCG Directing grant and he has been a theatre grant panelist for the Mead Theatre Lab
2006-09, National Endowment for the Arts 2005, and the Massachusetts Council on the Arts 2003. Michael trained
at B.A. in Theatre Arts, Wake Forest University; MFA in Directing, Trinity Repertory Conservatory. Michael served as
the associate director of Signature Theatre in Arlington, winner of the 2009 Regional Theatre TONY Award.
Kate Arnold Wernick (Choreographer) Regional Credits: Arena Stage, Signature Theatre, Studio Theatre, Olney
Theatre Center, Toby’s Dinner Theatre. She is a graduate of Virginia School of the Arts and holds a degree in Music
Theatre from American University. Adventure Theatre credits include: You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, A Year with
Frog and Toad (Helen Hayes award nominee: Outstanding Choreography), Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No
Good Very Bad Day, and Big Nate (the first time round!)
presents
Big Nate
Sponsored by Andrews McMeel Publishing, GoComics & Scripps National Spelling Bee
Based on the comic strip and books by Lincoln Peirce
Book by Jason Loewith & Lincoln Peirce
Lyrics by Christopher Youstra & Jason Loewith
Music by Christopher Youstra
Directed by Michael Baron
Cast
David Landstrom...............................................................................................................................................................Nate Wright
Dani Stoller...............................................................................................Gina Hemphill-Toms/Mrs. Czerwicki/Galvinator #1
Mary Anne Furey...................................................................................................... Jenny/Coach John/Pickles/Galvinator #2
Awa Sal Secka......................................................................................................................................... Ellen Wright/Mrs. Godfrey
AJ Whittenberger..................................................Artur Pashkov/Marty Wright/Mr. Staples/Spitsy/Calvin/ U/S Francis
Josh Dick.......................................................................................................... Francis Butthurst Pope/Mrs. Hickson/ U/S Nate
Ian Anthony Coleman...........................................................................................................................Teddy “√” Ortiz/Mr. Galvin
Carl Williams............................................................................................................................................................... U/S Artur/Teddy
Tina Ghandchilar......................................................................................................................................................................U/S Gina
Rachel Viele....................................................................................................................................... U/S Jenny/Ellen/Mrs. Godfrey
Production Team
Michael Baron.............................................................................................................................................................................Director
Kurt Boehm...............................................................................................................................................................Assistant Director
Jason Loewith....................................................................................................................................................................... Playwright
Christopher Youstra.............................................................................................................................. Music Director/Composer
Kate Arnold Wernick.................................................................................................................................................. Choreographer
David Little.................................................................................................................................................................... Choreographer
Misha Kachman................................................................................................................................................................ Set Designer
Chelsey Schuller....................................................................................................................................................Costume Designer
Dre Moore......................................................................................................................................................................Props Designer
Jason Arnold...........................................................................................................................................................Lighting Designer
Kenny Neal...................................................................................................................................................................Sound Designer
Will Pommerening......................................................................................................................................................Stage Manager
Erin Baxter...................................................................................................................................................Assistant Stage Manager
Christopher Beatley..................................................................................................................................................Sound Engineer
Karen Deans....................................................................................................................................................................... Scenic Artist
Lauren Evans............................................................................................................................................................ Master Carpenter
ADVENTURE THEATRE MTC STAFF
Adventure Theatre MTC is supported by a grant from the Arts
and Humanities Council of Montgomery County and a grant
from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to
cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive.
Michael J. Bobbitt
Janet Butler Berry
Mel Bieler
Melynda Burdette
Rumana Chaudhuri
Tom Eisman
Madeleine Evans
Heather Williams
Kathryn Hnatio Vicere
Robert Echanique Chelle Parsky
Mía Cortez Jared Shortmeier
Martita Slayden-Robinson
Sarah Straub
Producing Artistic Director
Managing Director
Assistant Production Manager
Registrar
Individual Giving Manager
Corporate Giving Manager
Production Associate
Patron Services Manager
Education Director
Technical Director
Finance Manager
Communications Director
Assistant Education Director
Production Manager
Marketing & Graphics Assistant
Cast
Ian Anthony Coleman (Teddy “V” Ortiz/Mr. Galvin) is thrilled to working with Adventure Theatre for the first time!
He is a Washington, D.C. native and graduate of the International Relations and Politics program at Carnegie Mellon
University. He was most recently seen as Hud in HAIR! at the Keegan Theatre. Other credits include Stillpointe
Theatre Initiative: Sweeney Todd (Pirelli); Kensington Arts Theatre: Parade (Jim Conley, Newt Lee, & Riley); Dominion
Stage: Urinetown (Mr. McQueen); MC SDT: The Wiz (The Tin Man); The Theatre Lab: Sweeney Todd (Anthony), Into
the Woods (The Baker) and Les Miserables (Javert); Scotch’n’Soda Theatre: The Visit (Bürgermeister) and Me & My Girl
(Ensemble); The Benjamin Banneker Players: Our Town (George).
Joshua Dick (Francis Butthurst Pope/Mrs. Hickson/Mrs. Shipulski) is an actor, singer, and director living in
Washington DC. DC area credits include Big Nate and Spot’s Birthday Party at Adventure Theatre; J.B. and Stage Door
at American Century Theater; Flora, the Red Menace, Three Bears, Parfumerie, Don’t Dress for Dinner, and Jack and
the Bean-Stalk at 1st Stage; A Man of No Importance at Keegan Theatre; She Kills Monsters at Rorschach Theatre; The
Threepenny Opera and Sweeney Todd at Signature Theatre; Our Suburb at Theater J; The Music Man at Washington
Savoyards; Art at the Wintergreen Performing Arts Festival; Six Characters in Search of an Author at WSC Avant Bard.
TV credits include Veep, Stolen Voices, Buried Secrets, and Human Nature: Born to Kill, as well as an independent film,
The Nextnik, and an online webseries, Confab. Joshua has a BA from American University and has directed for the
Capital Fringe Festival, Crash of Rhinos and The Theatre Lab.
Mary Anne Furey (Jenny/Coach John/Pickles/Galvinator #2) is thrilled to be a part of this production. Most
recently, Mary Anne appeared as Luisa in The Fantastiks for Pandemonium Productions. Other credits include
Virginia Repertory Theatre: Charis in Olympus on my Mind, Grandma Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof. Riverside Center:
Pinkalicious is Pinkalicious, Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof, Judy Haynes in White Christmas. Tours: Cinderella in
Cinderella, The Little Mermaid. Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Winter’s Tale, My
Fair Lady. PA Shakespeare Children’s Theatre: Roo in Winnie the Pooh, Kaa in The Jungle Book. She also has a BA in
theatre from De Sales University. Thanks mom, dad, Nancy, Jason, and Adam for love and support!
David Landstrom (Nate Wright) is proud to be working with Adventure Theatre for the first time! He has been
seen around theaters in the DC area, performing in productions of: Lyle The Crocodile; Forever Plaid; Avenue Q; How
To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying; The Rocky Horror Show; The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe; Spring
Awakening and others. David has a BA in Musical Theatre from American University. “Give a boy - ANY boy - enough
time, and he WILL eventually pick his nose!” -LP
Awa Sal Secka (Mrs. Godfrey/Ellen Wright) is so excited to be performing for Adventure Theatre! Credits Include:
Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Lucy VanPelt), The Skin of Our Teeth
(Fitzgerald), Once in This Island (Ti Moune), Big Love (Eleanor), Lucky Stiff (Rita LaPorta), The Unmentionables (Aunty
Mimi), The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Arturo Ui #2). Montgomery College Summer Dinner Theater: Brigadoon
(Featured Ensemble), AIDA (Featured Ensemble), Hairspray (Motormouth Kid), The Wiz (Dorothy). CURRENT: Olney
Theatre: Avenue Q (Ensemble Puppeteer/ On Stage Understudy for Gary Coleman/Chirstmas Eve/ Bad Idea Bears/
Mrs.Thistletwat). Education: pursuing associates degree in theatre performance at Montgomery College. “Thank you
to my family, Shaq, and my second family at Montgomery College - all of your love and encouragement made way
for the blessed life I am leading.”
Dani Stoller (Gina Hemphill-Toms/Mrs. Czerwicki/Galvinator #1)hails from Brooklyn, N.Y. Previous credits include:
Off-Broadway: Room on Fire at The Sage Theater Regional: Hair (Jeanie) The Keegan Theatre, Dying City and Really,
Really at The Signature Theater, DMLRR The Brontes (Emily Bronte) Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, Invisible Man
at Studio Theater, The Italian American Reconciliation (Teresa), Blithe Spirit (Elvira), Bat Boy (Mrs. Taylor) at 1st Stage,
Marry Me a Little at Creative Cauldron, and Chicago (Roxie Hart) at Kensington Arts Theater. Dani holds a BFA from
Ithaca Colllege. Much love to friends and family!
AJ Whittenberger (Artur Pashkov/Marty Wright/Mr. Staples/Spitsy/Calvin)- AJ is excited to be working on this show
with Adventure Theatre MTC! Professional credits include Studio Theatre (Carrie), Bucks County Playhouse (Mame),
Imagination Stage (Lyle the Crocodile), Media Theatre (Forever Plaid), Toby’s Dinner Theatre(Spamalot, Shrek, Pirates
of Penzance, Joseph, Sound of Music, Miracle on 34th, Christmas Carol), New Candlelight(Producers), Compass Rose
(Sound of Music), Spooky Action (Fisker fights...Life), Riverside Center (Cabaret, Fiddler on the Roof, White Christmas)
Pines Dinner Theatre (All Shook Up), Lazy Susan (Pirates of Penzance), and Way off Broadway (Chicago, Hairspray). AJ
is from Ellicott City, Maryland and a graduate of Indiana University. Many thanks to the wonderful production staff.
Carl Williams (US Teddy/Artur) Carl Williams (Understudy) is so excited to be a part of this amazing production with
Adventure Theatre! Some of his favorite past credits include Seaweed in Hairspray, Tom Collins in Rent, Lumiere in
Beauty & The Beast and Matt in The Fantasticks. He was also recently in the touring production of Lions of Industry,
Mothers of Invention at Discovery Theatre and the Signature Theatre Overtures Program. He wants to thank his
friends and family for their never ending support and encouragement.
Tina Ghandchilar (U/S Gina) is honored to be a part of the National Tour of Big Nate with such a wonderfully
talented cast and crew. Previous favorite credits include the following: Fantine in Les Miserables with Theatre Lab
School of the Dramatic Arts, Sawda in Scorched with Forum, and Jane Eyre in Jane Eyre the musical with The Theatre
Lab. Cheers and blessings​!
Rachel Viele (U/S Jenny/Ellen​)/Mrs. Godfrey)- Area credits include: Miss Nelson is Missing- Allison (Adventure
Theatre MTC), The Bully Plays- Kara (Adventure Theatre), She Kills Monsters- Tina (Rorschach Theatre), A Bid to Save
the World- Rachel (Source Festival), Legal Tender- Woman (Capital Fringe Festival), Jesus le Momo- Gretchen (Capital
Fringe Festival), Macbeth- Witch (Impossible Theatre Company), Company- April- Irene Ryan Nominee (American
University), Oklahoma!- Ado Annie (AU), Bernice Bobs Her Hair- Marjorie (AU), Ubu Rex- Heads (AU). Credits include:
Oh What a Lovely War!- Showgirl (Oval House). Rachel is a grad of American University, British American Drama
Academy.
Production team
David Little (Choreographer) is excited to be a part of bringing the Big Nate tour to life! David portrayed Teddy
in the original production at Adventure Theatre MTC last year and is now returning to assist the director and
choreographer. Off-Broadway: The New Victory Theatre: Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds. DC AREA: Studio Theatre:
Carrie: The Musical, The Rocky Horror Show; Olney Theatre Center: Once On This Island (u/s); Shakespeare Theatre
Company: Measure for Measure (u/s); Adventure Theatre MTC: Three Little Birds, Big Nate: Toby’s Dinner Theatre: The
Color Purple, Hairspray, Smokey Joe’s Café, Dreamgirls; QuackenSteele Theatre Company: tick, tick... BOOM!; Signature
Theatre: The Break (21/24 Workshop); ArtsCentric: Delilah, The Black Nativity. Awards: Helen Hayes Award Nomination
for Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Musical. David is a graduate of James Madison University, BM Voice.
Will Pommerening (Stage Manager) is glad to be on board to stage manage his second national tour with
Adventure Theatre MTC! He SM’d the Five Little Monkeys tour earlier this year, and was the Offsite Manager for
ATMTC’s summer program. Will is also a company member and the production stage manager of Hub Theatre,
where he managed Abominable, Carried Away on the Crest of a Wave, and Act A Lady. He has worked on Cabaret, Full
Monty and The Sunshine Boys at Keegan Theatre. Will grew up in Arlington, VA and was happy to return to the area
after graduating from Elon University with a BA in Theatrical Design and Production.
Christopher Beatley (Sound Engineer) is excited to join the ranks of Adventure Theatre MTC. Before and after his
training at Bennington College, Chris has been involved in a number of productions around the capital area such as
Metamorphoses, Hair, and most recently An Evening with Danny Kaye with American Century Theatre. When he isn’t
working sound, Chris is either picking up new baritone arias or finding new additions to his Mandarin vocabulary.
Erin Baxter (Assistant Stage Manager) is happy to be back in the USA and the theater world after a year abroad
traveling through Australia and Southeast Asia. Stage management regional credits include: Synetic Theater
Company, Solas Nua, The Performance Corporation, Mt. Washington Valley Theatre Company, Scena Theatre
Company, and The Shakespeare Theatre Company. Erin is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park,
where she receiver her BA’s in Theater Production and Communication Studies.
Jason Loewith (Books/Lyrics) is the artistic director at the Olney Theatre Center, where he has directed Avenue Q,
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and the NNPN Rolling World Premiere of Steven Dietz’s Rancho
Mirage. As a playwright, Jason won the Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle, and the Jeff Awards for Best New Musical
for Adding Machine: A Musical, which he co-wrote with composer Joshua Schmidt (Off-Broadway, 2008). Recent
regional work as a director includes the world premiere of Broke (Alliance Theatre, Atlanta), Time Stands Still
(Everyman, Baltimore), Crime and Punishment and Working It Out (Centerstage, Baltimore), Adding Machine: A Musical
(Studio Theatre, DC), and a dozen of plays for Chicago’s Next Theatre Company, where he served as Artistic Director
from 2002-2008. Before joining the team at Olney Theatre Center, Jason proudly served four years as Executive
Director of the National New Play Network. His book “The Director’s Voice, Volume 2” was published by TCG in 2012.
Misha Kachman (Set Designer) has designed at The Kennedy Center, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Woolly
Mammoth Theatre Company, Signature Theatre, Maryland Opera Studio, Studio Theatre, Wilma Theater, Opera
Lafayette, Milwaukee Shakespeare, Theater J, Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center, and Center Stage, among many other
companies in the United States and abroad. Misha is a company member at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in
Washington and a recipient of the 2013 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Set Design. Mr. Kachman is a graduate
of the Saint Petersburg Theatre Arts Academy. He serves as associate professor of scene and costume design at
University of Maryland.
Jason Arnold (Lighting Design) has designed many shows for Adventure Theatre MTC, including 5 Little Monkeys
(National Tour), Stuart Little, 12 Days of Christmas, and If You Give a Cat a Cupcake. He has also designed The BFG,
Aladdin’s Luck, Peter Pan and Wendy, Bunnicula, The Jungle Book, and BusyTown for Imagination Stage. Other DC area
theatres that he has designed for include Arena Stage, Theatre J, MetroStage, Rep Stage, The Studio Theatre, and
Everyman Theatre. Mr. Arnold is an Artist in Residence at American University.
Chelsey Schuller (Costume Designer) is excited to be a part of the Big Nate the Musical national tour. Costume
design credits include National Tours: National Players; Olney Theatre Center: As You Like It, To Kill a Mockingbird;
Regional: The Wilma Theater: The Convert (associate). Local: The Keegan Theatre: A Few Good Men, Hair; No Rules
Theatre Company: Boeing Boeing, Black Comedy, The Fantasticks; Synetic Theatre: Jekyll and Hyde; Imagination
Stage: Still Life with Iris, Sweet Charity; Forum Theatre: Agnes Under the Big Top; Adventure Theatre MTC: Twelve
Days of Christmas, ‘Twas the Night before Christmas, A Year with Frog and Toad [2012 Helen Hayes Nomination for
Outstanding Costume Design]; Gala Hispanic Theatre: Fabulas Mayas; Bowen McCauley Dance: Victory Road, Timed
Connections, Fire and Air, Sacre de Printemps; Education: MFA in Costume Design from the University of Maryland,
College Park. (chelseyschuller.com)