BLOWN YOUTH by Dipika Guha
October 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 @ 8:00PM
October 11 @ 2:00PM
This piece is inspired by William Shakespeare’s HAMLET. The modern twist? This play explores what happens to the universe when a woman is put at the center. We are pleased to present the Midwest debut of this new play by Dipika Guha.
Cast
Anna Sciaccotta
as Celia
Anna is a senior BFA Acting major from Barrington, IL. Previous McPhersonTheatre credits include Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown(Ensemble/Ivan’s Concierge/featured dancer), The Drowsy Chaperone (assistantdirector), andserving on the wardrobe crews for Hay Fever, FCDC Sins, and 9 to5: The Musical. Credits in the E. Melba Johnson Kirkpatrick Laboratory includeTreasure (Maria Reynolds), and the wardrobe crews for Red Devils and TheMemory of Water. In the Phoenix Theatre she has appeared in Matt & Ben (MattDamon) and Steel Magnolias (Ouiser Boudreaux). Anna recently completed asemester abroad at the British American Drama Academy in London, England,where appeared in Kelly Hunter’s production of MacBeth (Ross/Angus/Lennox)in the spring of 2015. “Special thanks to my truly remarkable friends andfamily. All of you have supported me so very much. Thank you for helping mepursue my passions and turn my words into actions. Thank you for being asoft place to fall if ever I need it. Thank you for reminding me that it’s okay tofail as long as you fail as big as you can. I am forever grateful.”
Contact:
asciacco
@iwu.edu
Brooke Teweles
as Anne
Brooke is a sophomore BFA Acting major from Los Angeles, CA. InMcPherson, crew work includes Faculty Choreographed Dance Concert 2015:Losing It (light hang electrician), Where In The World Is Frank Sparrow? (lighthang electrician/run crew), Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (runcrew), and A Lie of the Mind (wardrobe crew). In the E. Melba JohnsonKirkpatrick Laboratory Theatre, she served on the wardrobe crew for TheShape of Things. She appeared in a staged reading of Upon the Fragile Shore(Actress D) in the Phoenix Theatre. “All the love in the world to mysupportive and inspiring friends and family! You are the reason I’m able to behere doing what I love.”
Contact:
bteweles@iwu.edu
Cassondra Takas
as Shia
Cassondra is a senior BFA Acting major from Grand Haven, MI. During hertime here at IWU, she has also been able to focus on makeup design, and hasdesigned makeup for Where in the World is Frank Sparrow?, Women on the Vergeof a Nervous Breakdown, and the upcoming Giant, as well as serving onwardrobe crew for The Drowsy Chaperone, Hay Fever, and A Class Act, all inMcPherson Theatre. Credits in the E. Melba Johnson Kirkpatrick LaboratoryTheatre include The Shape of Things (wardrobe crew head) and Problem Child(wardrobe crew). She has participated in Advanced Scene Study class and theDirecting Class Ten-Minute Play Festival, as well as performing in Voices ofGaza (Woman 1/Mother) in the Phoenix Theatre. “I’d like to thank God andmy family. They are my rock. I couldn’t have accomplished any of thiswithout you. Thank you for believing in me!”
Contact:
ctakas
@iwu.edu
Maggie Patchett
as Audre
Maggie is a senior BA Theatre Arts major from Elmhurst, IL. PreviousMcPherson credits include Where In The World Is Frank Sparrow? (asst. director),Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Ana), and other work includes TheDrowsy Chaperone (usher), Hay Fever (asst. costume designer), A Class Act(wardrobe crew), Faculty Choreographed Dance Concert 2013: Sins (asst. costumedesigner), and As You Like It (wardrobe crew). In the E. Melba JohnsonKirkpatrick Laboratory Theatre, Maggie served on wardrobe crew for Float andperformed in Problem Child (Helen), and will make her EMJK Lab directingdebut this May with Body Awareness. Her directing work has been seen in thePhoenix Theatre and includes Doris Day and Oh, the Humanity for the Directingclass Ten-Minute Play Festival. She also appeared in the Phoenix in SteelMagnolias (Annelle). This spring and summer, Maggie had the pleasure ofserving as Production Assistant for Route 66 Theatre Company’s 2015 NewPlay Development Workshop, and interned at Lifeline Theatre in Chicago.
Contact:
mpatchet
@iwu.edu
Erica Werner
as Ray
Erica is a senior BFA Music Theatre major from Lake Forest, IL. Work inMcPherson Theatre includes Faculty Choreographed Dance Concert 2015: Losing It(dancer), Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Lucia), A Lie of the Mind(assistant properties master), The Drowsy Chaperone (Janet Van De Graff), AClass Act (Cyd), Hay Fever (light board operator), Faculty Choreographed DanceConcert 2013: Sins (wardrobe crew), As You Like It (light hang electrician), AShayna Maidel (light hang electrician), and 9 to 5: The Musical (wardrobe crew).In the E. Melba Johnson Kirkpatrick Laboratory Theatre she served as anusher for Treasure. Last spring, she performed in The New Hopeville Comics(Pete) as part of the Music Theatre Workshop class, has performed in theDirecting class Ten-Minute Play Festival, the Student Choreographed DanceConcerts, and serves as the Artistic Director of 24 Hour Theatre Festival. Anactive participant in Music Theatre Society, Erica has performed in Redheadthe Musical (Sarah Simpson), and Bloomer Girl (Dolly). “Mom and Dad, youmean the world to me and I love you with every last bit of my heart. Thankyou for believing in me and supporting my decision to go into theatre.”
Contact:
ewerner
@iwu.edu
Elizabeth Ferris
as Margaret
Elizabeth is a junior BFA Acting major from Fairview Heights, IL. PreviousMcPherson credits include Where In The World Is Frank Sparrow?(Hare/Ensemble), and E. Melba Johnson Kirkpatrick Laboratory Theatrecredits include The Shape of Things (Evelyn) and F2M (Linda Lou). She has actedin both the Directing Class Ten-Minute Play Festival in the Phoenix and 24Hour Theatre Festival. “All hail the Mama and the Papa. Always.”
Contact:
eferris
@iwu.edu
Melissa Iheakam
as Jo
Melissa is a sophomore Biology Premed student with a minor in Religion fromPort Harcourt Nigeria. She is thrilled to be making her acting debut in BlownYouth here at IWU. “I’d like to thank Nancy Loitz for giving me theopportunity to be a part of this great project; Forrest, Dana, and Lela for beingso helpful at every single rehearsal; and also the rest of my castmates forbeing patient with me while I navigated my way through my first play andalso for not laughing when I didn’t know the theatre/stage terms such as:upstage, downstage, and cheat out. P.S. Thank you to everyone else whocontributed in making the show a success.”
Contact:
oiheakam@iwu.edu
Nancy B. Loitz
Director
Nancy came to IWU in 1986 as the Coordinator of the Music Theatre program.During her years in this role, she directed productions from a variety ofgenres including Aaron Copeland’s opera The Tender Land and the operettasMost Happy Fella and Candide. Her non-musical productions from a variety ofgenres including Arthur Kopit’s Wings to Euripides’ Medea to David Mamet’sBobby Gould in Hell. She has particularly enjoyed her work with newplaywrights on the development of original works, including The Making ofFinley Smith which was written by IWU alumni Duke Novak and Mara Hesed.Nancy was appointed Director of the School of Theatre Arts in 1999 and servedin this capacity for seven years before taking a leave for her work atAugustana College. Moving to this position coincided with a shift in her focusfrom stage directing to the incorporation of the technique Alba Emoting intoher work as an acting teacher and coach. Nancy studied extensively withneurophysiologist Susana Block, the originator of this powerful tool. AlbaEmoting practitioners can skillfully manipulate physical manifestations ofhuman emotion to trigger and control genuine subjective responses whichcan then be applied to an actor’s work. Dr. Bloch’s work originated in Chile(where Nancy received her first training) and Denmark. Nancy was one of thefirst two American acting teachers to be certified to train actors to use AlbaEmoting. She has taught the method in an academic setting at IWU,Augustana College and the University of Asheville. She has also brought it toprofessional actors through intensive seminars in Zurich, Switzerland, Milan,Italy, at Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago and at the CincinnatiConservatory of Music.
Contact:
nloitz@iwu.edu
Forrest Loeffler
Assistant Director
Forrest is a senior BFA Acting major from Lexington, Kentucky. Forrest hasappeared in A Lie of the Mind (Baylor), Hay Fever (Richard Greatham) inMcPherson Theatre, as well as serving as dramaturg for last season’s Where InThe World Is Frank Sparrow?. In the E. Melba Johnson Kirkpatrick LaboratoryTheatre, he appeared in Problem Child (Phillie Phillips). As part of PlayWorkshop class, Forrest performed in An Actor Prepares (Stanislavsky 1) in theLab Theatre. “Special thanks to Mazhah and Fazhah.”
Contact:
floeffle@iwu.edu
