Uncle Vanya (Pearl Theatre Company) – Assistant to the Dramaturg

• Helped Resident Dramaturg Kate Farrington research the time period, particularly focusing on the Russian Revolution, marriage and divorce in late imperial Russia, deforestation in Russia and the history of Vodka.
• Created a timeline of the Art in Uncle Vanya which comprised of a history in art in Russia as well as an article on the history of Vodka for ‘The Insider’, The Pearl Theatre’s Dramaturgical Program Guide. Click Here for a copy.
• Wrote several articles for the Uncle Vanya study guide, which is sent to visiting school groups to help prepare students to see the show. Articles written include, ‘The Russia of Uncle Vanya,’ ‘Deforestation in Russia,’ ‘Two Russians Walk Into A Bar: History Of The Moscow Art Theater’ and ‘The First Production of Uncle Vanya.’ A copy of the study guide can be found here: Uncle Vanya Study Guide
• Created a comprehensive 80 page production history which can be found here: Uncle Vanya production history
• Attended Production Meetings and assisted with on hand research.
• Helped assist with Talk Backs after the show.

Major Barbara (Pearl Theatre Company) –  Assistant to the Dramaturg

• Helped Resident Dramaturg Kate Farrington research the time period, specifically focusing on the history of the Salvation Army.
• Created a comprehensive timeline of the Salvation Army that was published in ‘The Insider’, The Pearl Theatre’s Dramaturgical Program Guide. Click Here for a copy.
• Wrote an article entitled, “The Skeletons in the Salvation Army’s Closet” for the Major Barbara study guide. The study guide is sent to school groups to help prepare students to see the show. A Copy of the study guide can be found here: MB Study Guide

Forbidden Love (Pearl Theatre Company) – Artistic Support

• Helped select the official theme, Forbidden Love, for the Pick Your Poison Event as well as the three plays that were selected for the evening.
• Edited 2 out of the 3 plays selected for the event, Just To Get Married and Lady From The Sea. Editing responsibilities included getting the 2 and half hour shows down to a mere hour.
• Was a guest on the talk back panel after the show.

Sinner’s Salvation (Pearl Theatre Company) – Artistic Support

• Helped select the official theme, Sinner’s Salvation, for the Pick Your Poison Event as well as the three plays that were selected for the evening.
• Edited one of the plays, Bread and Butter. Editing responsibilities including getting the 68 page down to 40 and combining characters to get the cast down.
• Helped select the cast of Bread and Butter. 

The Importance of Being Earnest (Drew University) – Dramaturg

• Created an in depth glossary of terms, locations and dated idioms from the Earnest script for the director and actors. Check it out here: Earnestglossary
• Created an etiquette guide with the actors of the dos and don’ts of upper class British society in regards to having guests, the mourning process, and of course tea time.
• Helped organize a High Tea excursion for the cast and crew to experience the real delight and magic of an authentic afternoon tea.
• Assisted with sound design, from helping find time appropriate tunes, to finding popular songs of the age for the actors to listen in their dressing rooms.
• Created an original lobby display for the audience to feel more connected to show. Lobby display included a bio of Oscar Wilde, pictures of the actors at High Tea, etiquette quotes from the play, newspaper articles and books, newspaper articles of current events happening in the time of the play, recipes for English scones and step by step instructions on how to pour the proper cup of English tea, as well as a production history of opening night of the original The Importance of Being Earnest. Below are pictures of the Display, click the thumbnail to enlarge:

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The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Drew University) – Dramaturg

• Created an interactive spelling bee for the actors to spell words that were important to the history of spelling bees. Words used, including their origin and definitions can be found here: Spelling Bee Presentation to Actors
• Designed and created a program insert that included a history of spelling bees and interviews with the cast and director. Check it out here: Spelling Bee Insert
• Coordinated a trip to a middle school with the director and stage manager to meet with actual 5th graders.
• Created an interactive lobby display to make audience members feel like they were really walking into a school. Chalk designs from the parking lot up to the entrance were featured with designs like hopscotch, butterflies and directions like ‘Bee this way.’ At the very entrance of the theater, art projects by local school children were displayed. Upon entrance of the actual lobby were the publicity materials announcing a spelling bee were prominently displayed. They were also designed by 5th graders thanks to a partnership I set up with the middle school. The lobby itself also featured a ‘school trophy case’ to create the atmosphere of an actual elementary school.
• Interactive games in the lobby, were ‘Word of the Day’ with magnet letters to allow audience members to leave messages. Also featured was a ‘Last Minute Study Station’ which had a stool and a dictionary to look as if contestants were actually coming in.
• Coordinated the audience participation sequence of the show, by pre-selecting volunteers before each show and explaining the rules to them.
• Coordinated the cast and crew selecting a charity to sponsor to help kids learn how to read and spell. Every show, I sold juice boxes to earn money for our charity raising over $270.

Bobby Hebert (Drew University) – Dramaturg

• Compiled a fact book about Hurricane Katrina for the cast and crew to better understand the storm and the horrors that followed after.
• Created a Bobby Hebert website for Drew University and audience members to get more information about the horrific storm. The wesbite was featured in my lobby display and sent around in a campus wide email to promote the show. The site features facts about the play, playwright, survivor’s stories and Hurricane Katrina facts, quotes, and timeline. To view the site, click https://drewuniversitybobbyhebert.wordpress.com/
• Decorated the theater with Mardi Gras lights, beads and decorations and served King Cake to the audience.
• Created an interactive audience lobby display with pictures and facts on Katrina as well as the sign a pants initiative. One survivor stated he wrote all his contact information and blood type on his pants because he had no other possession. I displayed a beat up pair of pants next to his story and encouraged audience members to sign the pants with their name and other information.

Antigone (Drew University) – Dramaturg

• Created a comprehensive production history which can be found here: Antigone Production History
• Interviewed Director Daniel LaPenta on how he chose the translation, how he staged the show, and what personal moments from his own life influenced his decisions. The interview was later transcribed and edited to become a part of the program insert.
• Helped create and maintain facebook pages, along with other students, of major characters in the show as well as playwright Jean Anouilh to help build interactions between the audience and the characters as well as show the similarities between the characters and the students at Drew. Facebook pages can be found Here and Here.
• Created a lobby display using screenshots of the facebook pages and production stills. Click the thumbnail to enlarge.

  

  

  

  

  

  

Mountain Language (Drew University) – Dramaturg

• Created a production history for the director.
• Created an interactive lobby display for the audience. Lobby display featured articles paralleling the torture found in the play to that of the current controversy surrounding the film, Zero Dark Thirty. The centerpiece of the board was a world map marked with places where modern accounts of torture had happened, with descriptions and pictures of those events. The boarder consisted of words the actors used to describe the play. Also on the board was a poll asking audience members if torture was acceptable in dire situations. The board was also covered in muddy hand prints and included information about the playwright as well as production stills.

Saguaro (Drew University) – Dramaturg

• Had the cast develop Pinterest boards relevant to their characters and displayed them on the Facebook pages as well as the lobby display. Check out their two boards Here and Here.
• Created a lobby display that highlighted the timely connections between the theme of loving someone different, like a cactus, and the banning of ethnic studies, in the playwright’s home state of Arizona.

Waiting For Lefty (Drew University) – Assistant Dramaturg

• Created a history of the 1930s for the director and cast to better understand the time period. Click here to see: 1930s History
• Worked with the Sound Designer to find songs appropriate for the time period.
• Compiled videos of WWI vets suffering from PTS disorder and presented them to the actor whose character was suffering from the disorder: