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Grantors

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Sponsors

Donors

Mill Mountain Theatre would like to thank the generous gifts from our Donors. We would not be here without you!

Donors

Standing Ovations 2022
Gifts of $5,000 and more

The Honorable and Mrs. G. Steven Agee *

Avis Construction Company, Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. Jason E. Bingham *

Boxley Materials Company

Carilion Clinic

Ceres Foundation Inc.

Roanoke Arts Commission

Commonwealth of Virginia, Rebuild Virginia CARES grant

Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia

Davis H. Elliot Company, Inc.

Freedom First Federal Credit Union

The Sam & Marion Golden Helping Hand Foundation, Inc.

The Huntly Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Shields Jarrett *

Jewell Machinery

The Louise R. Lester Foundation

W. E. McGuire Charitable Foundation, Inc.

Kathryn B McQuade Foundation *

Pinnacle Financial Partners

Roanoke Women's Foundation

The Honorable and Mrs. Frank W. Rogers, III *

Skyline National Bank

Edgar Thurman Foundation For Children

U.S. Small Business Administration, Pandemic Economic Stimulus grants

Virginia Commission for the Arts

Producers 2022
Gifts of $2,500 to $4,999

Brandon Oaks Retirement Community

Center in the Square

Davenport & Company LLC

Mrs. Anne G. Downing

Ms. Sarah Copenhaver and Mr. G. Franklin Flippin, Esq.

Mr. & Mrs. W. Heywood Fralin Sr.

Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Garbee *

Gentry Locke Attorneys

The Glebe

Dr. Anthony-Samuel LaMantia Ph.D. *

Mr. & Mrs. G. John Levin, Jr.

Member One Federal Credit Union

Mr. & Mrs. G. Marshall Mundy

Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op

The Roanoke Star

Marsh & McLennan Agency

Truist Bank

Mrs. Mary Meade G. Winn

Stars 2022
Gifts of $1,000 to $2,499

American National Bank & Trust Company

Anonymous donors to Mill Mountain Theatre

Anstey Hodge Advertising Group

ARD Properties LLC

Mr. and Mrs. John T. Avis *

Mr. and Mrs. L. Scott Avis

Better Sofas, Inc

Dr. Nathaniel L. Bishop *

Mr. and Mrs. Abney S. Boxley, III *

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Brock, Jr.

Business Solutions

The Candy Store

Mr. and Mrs. George B. Cartledge, Jr.

City of Salem

Claytor-Wirt Associates

Cox Communications Charities

Mr. and Mrs. Warner Dalhouse

Dixon, Hubard, Feinour, & Brown Inc.

Dominion Risk Advisors, LLC

Dunkenberger-Waskey Group at Morgan Stanley

Elk Hill Advisors, Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. William D. Elliot

Entre Computer Center

Mrs. Sibyl N. Fishburn

5 Points Creative

Frith, Anderson & Peake, P.C.

Dr. Gary E. Glontz

Ms. Nancy O. Gray and Mr. David N. Maxson *

Dr. Robyn Hakanson and Mr. Erik Moledor *

Mr. Harry W. Hamilton, III

Mr. and Mrs. John Higginbotham

Howell's Motor Freight, Inc.

Innovative Insurance Group

Mr. and Mrs. Howard Jones, Jr.

Kiwanis Club of Roanoke

Mr. and Mrs. Mark S. Lawrence *

Dr. and Mrs. Lee Learman *

Mr. and Mrs. Sam Lionberger, III

Mr. and Mrs. Charles I. Lunsford, II

Lunsford, A Trustpoint Company

Miller, Long & Associates, Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. Harry G. Norris

Oakey's Funeral Service & Crematory

Ms. Yvonne Olson

Ms. Nancy R. Patterson *

Mr. and Mrs. William N. Powell

Punch Boutique

Mrs. Carolyn W. Rakes

Roanoke Animal Hospital

Roanoke Gas Company - RGC Resources, Inc.

Roanoke Valley Orthodontics

Mr. and Dr. John G. Rocovich, Jr. *

Frank W. (Bo) Rogers, Jr. Fund

Rosie's Gaming Emporium

Ms. Rachel Sailer and Mr. Peter Barber

Mr. and Mrs. Edward M. Smith *

Dr. and Mrs. Donald G. Smith, Jr.

Steel Dynamics Roanoke Bar Division

Mr. Maury L. Strauss

Ms. Lesleigh B. Strauss

Sun Tan City

Mr. and Mrs. Joel Tenzer *

Dr. Bruce R. Thomas and Ms. Linda Bowden

Dr. and Mrs. John T. Tielking

Mr. and Mrs. Raphael M. Traen

Will Trinkle and Juan Granados *

Mr. Charles J. Wehrmeister *

Mr. and Mrs. Barton J. Wilner

Woods Rogers PLC

Leading Roles 2022
Gifts of $500 to $999

Ms. Cathy Acri

Reverend and Mrs. George C. Anderson *

Mr. & Mrs. D. James Bailey III

Mr. and Mrs. W. Chan Bolling *

Mr. and Mrs. J. Keith Bown

Ms. Dorothy S. Clifton and Dr. Lou Singer

Connexions Professional Services

Mr. & Mrs. Grimes W. Creasy

Dr. and Mrs. Antonio T. Donato

Dr. and Mrs. F. Joseph Duckwall

First Citizens Bank

The Honorable and Mrs. Robert W. Goodlatte

Mr. and Mrs. Will Griffeth

Mrs. Robert Jaeger

Dr. and Mrs. David A. Kinsler

Laurence Kufel *

Mr. and Mrs. William L. Lee

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel B. Long

Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds G. Lynch lll *

Dr. Elizabeth Rice Martin and Mr. Eddie Martin *

Mast General Store, Inc.

Dr. and Mrs. G. A. McClellan

Mr. and Mrs. Phillip McKeage *

Mr. and Mrs. Robert McMican

Mr. and Mrs. Charles J. Meidlinger

Ms. Donna L. Mitchell

The Newbern Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Paul W. Nordt, III *

Mr. & Mrs. J. Lee Osborne *

P1 Technologies, Inc.

Capt. and Mrs. Gary S. Powers *

Mrs. B. J. Preas *

Dr. Randall R. Rhea

Mr. and Mrs. Paul C. Timmermann

Mr. and Mrs. Raphael M. Traen

Ms. Vicki Turner

Ms. Yvette Van Hise

Mr. and Mrs. Joe H. Vaughn

Mr. and Mrs. Rudy Vietmeier

Wabtec Graham-White

Mr. and Mrs. Byron L. Yost

Scene Stealers 2022
Gifts of $1 to $249

Ms. Kailey Absher

Mr. and Mrs. Carl D. Akers

Mr. and Mrs. David K. Allen *

AmazonSmile Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Don H. Andree

Mr. and Mrs. Briggs W. Andrews

Ms. Sharon Angle

Mr. Andrew S. Arbury, III

Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Ashwell

Anne T. Avis

Ms. Brenda Ayers

Ms. Bettie Baber

E R Bane Trust

Mr. & Mrs. D. Stan Barnhill

Dr. and Mrs. Vincent T. Basile

Ms. Ashleigh Bayer

Mrs. Ruth G. Babylon

Ms. Kathy Bibb

Ms. Mary H. Bivens

Mr. Norman Blanchard

Ms. Joellen K. Bland

Ms. Cynthia Blevins

Ms. Leanna Blevins

Dr. and Mrs. John Bouldin

Ms. Nancy A. Bourne

Mr. Alexander Bowman, Jr.

Ms. Amanda Bozack

Mr. and Mrs. John P. Bradshaw Jr.

Ms. Michelle Brandt

Ms. Henriette B. Brooks

Ms. Stephanie Bryant

Ms. HelenRuth Burch

Mr. and Mrs. Chris Bush

Mr. Andrew Callahan

Capt. Anne Cannon

Mr. and Mrs. John P. Carlin

Mr. Zachary Carney

Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Carroll

Mr. and Mrs. Reed Carter

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Cates

Ms. Gloria Cauley

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel J. Celin

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry W. Cheadle

Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. Childress

Mr. & Mrs. W. R. Clemmer, Jr.

Mr. William Colbert

Carl E. Coleman Family Trust

Mr. and Mrs. W. Patton Coles, IV *

Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Conner

Mrs. Mary Ann Conrad

Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas C. Conte

Mr. John Cornthwait

Mr. and Mrs. James G. Cosby

Frankie Courtemanche

Mr. & Mrs. Grimes W. Creasy

Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Cribbs

Mr. Mark Culbreth

Mr. and Mrs. Declan F. Daly

Mr. & Mrs. H. Lawrence Davidson

Ms. Michelle Davis

Ms. Elizabeth G. Deisher

Kelly Derrick

Ms. Stacy Deyerle

Mrs. Barbara M. Dickinson

Dr. Elizabeth H. Duckworth & Mr. John M. Duckworth

Ms. Jeanne M. Duddy

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Dunkenberger, Sr.

Ms. Kathy Dupont

Ms. Patricia Ebbett

Mr. Charles L. Echols Jr.

Ms. Melvina Edwards

Ms. Christina Englehart

Mr. and Mrs. Michael W. English

Mr. and Mrs. John L. Ewart, Jr.

Ms. Kelly T. Farber

Ms. Emily Farmer

Ms. Janet Faulkner

Mr. and Mrs. Gregory W. Feldmann *

Ms. Victoria Ferris

Mr. Eric E. Fitzpatrick

Mr. and Mrs. Juergen F. Fleck

Mr. and Mrs. John R. Francis, Jr.

Ms. Gail Godsey

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence A. Goldstein

Mr. Mark Goodes

Dr. James J. Gooding

Mr. Glen Graye

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Greear

Dr. and Mrs. Frank Guilfoyle

Mr. James E. Hall, Jr.

Dr. & Mrs. Geoffrey Harter

Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Harvey

Dr. & Mrs. J. Bruce Hauser

Ms. Katherine Havener

Mr. and Mrs. Walker B. Healy Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. John L. Hess

Ms. Jessica Hilbish

Mr. and Mrs. Frank F. Hill, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Hite, III

Mr. & Mrs. Joseph M. Hoff

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel E. Holdgreve

Macel Holloway

Ms. Donna B Horak

Mr. Chris Howard

HHHUNT Homes Richmond

Ms. Carin Hunt

Dr. and Mrs. Alvin J. Hurt

IBM International Foundation

Mr Richard L Ikenberry

Mr. and Mrs. John Jackson

Mr. Edward F. Jennings Jr.

Ms. Sarah Jernigan-Tompkins

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Jewell

Marcia and Lewis Johnson

Mr. and Mrs. Pegram Johnson, III

Drs. James and Janet Johnson

Ms. Erma L. Jones

Mr. Pedro Martin Jose Juan

Mrs. Ann M. Journell

Mrs. J. Robert Justice

Mr. and Mrs. William K. Keesee

Mr. Matthew Kelley

Mr. and Mrs. Herman D. Kemp, Jr.

Ms. Victoria Kessler

Mr. Joshua Kier

Mr. and Mrs. Rich Kirchhoff

Ms. Shoshana Knapp

Mr. and Mrs. Alton L. Knighton, Jr.

Kroger

Dr. and Mrs. Arthur A. Kunkle

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Kurshan

Mrs. Susan P. Lancaster

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth C. Laughon

Mr. Terry Lauver

Mr. and Dr. Todd A. Leeson

Mr. and Mrs. Anthony F. Lefkowicz

Ms. Zoe Manoukian

Ms. Tara A. Marciniak

Ms. Jane Markson

Mr. Gene H. Marrano

Mr. Robert Martin

Ms. Lee B. McBride and Ms. Katherine M. Rakes

Mr. Norman Foggin and Mrs. Kathryn McCathern

Debra McClure

Dr. and Mrs. Maston R. McCorkle, Jr.

Mr. W. D. McCoy

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas McLaughlin

Mr. and Mrs. John G. McLeod

Ms. Amber McLoney

Mr. and Mrs. John D. McMillen

Ms. Bette McNamara

Ms. Melissa Merritt

Mr. Thomas Mesner and Ms. Jeanne Larsen

Mr. and Mrs. David Moledor

Ms. Connie Jo Montz

Ms. Pamela Morgan

Leslie J. Morrissett and Rebecca F. Morrissett

Ms Katherine Mortara

Mr. Marcus B. Moses

Mr. and Mrs. Allan Mower

Ms. Suzana Muller

Ms. Bethany Murphy

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Myers

Richard Nance

Ms. Jacquelyn Nasca

Ms. Carmen Neal

Ms. Rhonda Neely

Theresa Ruth Neilsen-Steinhardt

Network For Good

Mr. and Mrs. John Nicklo

Dr. and Mrs. James R. Niederlehner

Mr. and Mrs. Robert O. Nordt, Sr.

Mr. & Mrs. George W. Norton

Ms. Rachel Nunez

Amanda O'dell

Mrs. Phyllis A. Olin

The Rev. and Dr. David Olson

Mr. Patrick J. O'Reilly

Dr. and Mrs. Ronald B. Overstreet

Mr. and Mrs. Steve Padis

Ms Melissa Palmer

Mr. & Mrs. John C. Parrott, II

Mr. Jeffrey Pasciak

Dr. and Mrs. Steven J. Pasternak

Dr. and Mrs. John W. Pendleton

Mrs. Ashley Pennington-Tripp

Ms. Joan K. Petrus

Dr. and Mrs. Robert E. Pooley

Mr. and Mrs. John Powell

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Pratt

Dianne & Nick Prout

Mr. Mauricio Ramos

Jacqueline Rearick

Dr. and Mrs. Wayne G. Reilly

Mr. Ian Ridgway

Mr. William Riedy

Mr. and Mrs. Chris Rigsby

Mr. and Mrs. James A. Robertson

Mr. and Mrs. Kyle Rottkamp

Mr. Carl Milton Rowan

Mr. James Royalty

Mrs. Charles B. Ryan

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald J. Sailer

Mr. Connor Savage

Ms. Sharon Schwind

Ms. P. Annie Seago

Ms. Sally A. Seagraves

James C. Sears, Ed.D.

Mr. and Mrs. Patrick N. Shaffner *

Ms. Katherine Shaver

Mr. and Mrs. Barry L. Shelor

Mr. and Mrs. Charles J. Silverman

Mrs. Gene H. Smallwood

Ms. Diane T. Smith

John H. Smithey, Jr.

Ms. Mary J. Snedegar

Ms. Ann Marie Soltis

Ms. Melanie Starks

Mr. and Mrs. Bruce C. Stockburger, Esq.

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur P. Strickland

Mr. Robert Stutes

Ms. Leila Summo

Ms. Angela Swain

Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Swanson

Mr. and Mrs. William B. Symonds

Ms. Anne T. Tiffany

Mr. and Mrs. David Todd

Ms. Ann Penny Tully

Mr. and Mrs. Zachary Vernon

Mrs. and Mr. Jane I. Wallace

Mr. Jason Walsh

Mr. & Mrs. J. Robert Walton

Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy R. Ward

Mr. and Mrs. Lilburn E. Ward, III

Ms. Tiffany Waters

Ms. Maureen Watson

Hugh and Jaye Harvey Wellons

Ms. Virginia West

Ms. Judy West

Mr. Roy Westmoreland

Mr. and Mrs. Frank E. Whaley

Mr. and Mrs. Damon W. White

Mr. and Mrs. James Whitney

Mrs. Pamela H. Wiegandt

Ms. Deborah Wilhelm

Ms. Kimberly Williamson

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry W. Willis

Mr. and Mrs. J. David Wine

Ms. Edna Wood

Ms. Savannah Woodruff

Mr. Trenten Woods

Mrs. Lee H. Woody

Ms. Vella Wright

Mr. and Mrs. Keith F. Young

VIPs 2022
Gifts of $250 to $499

Mr. and Mrs. Carlton W. Alcorn

Mrs. Lynn D. Avis

Ms. Hazel Bernard

Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Brailsford

Ms. Helen A. Burnett

Mr. and Mrs. Russel M. Danstrom

The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. David Dixon, III

Mr. Paul A. Economy and Mr. Randy Craver

Mrs. Lauren Ellerman *

Mrs. Marianne E. Gandee *

Dr. and Mrs. Charles D. Gilliland

Dr. & Mrs. J. Bruce Hagadorn

Donna Hancock

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Janoschka *

Mr. and Mrs. William H. Jernigan Jr.

Robyn and David Johnsen

Mr. and Mrs. James F. Johnson

Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Keely

Mr. Talfourd H. Kemper

Anna and Tom Lawson

Mr. and Mrs. Kirk A. Ludwig

Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Machado

Ms. Martha L. Martin

Dr. Suzan R. and Dr. John R. Merten

Paul and Robert Metz

Mr. Bob Mills

Ms. Leisa Mundy

The Muse Family Foundation *

Mr. and Mrs. Steven L. Nash

Dr. and Dr. Michael S. Nussbaum

Mr. and Mrs. Mike O'Brochta

Mr. and Mrs. Lewis J. Pillis

Mr. Dale Rakes

Ms. Mary L. Sailer

Mr. and Mrs. Jim Shaver

Mr. and Mrs. James D. Sheahan

Mr. and Mrs. Barry L. Shelor

Janet M. Siems

Dr. and Mrs. Bertram Spetzler

Dr. and Mrs. Brian A. Torre

Mr. and Mrs. John P. Whittle

Mr. & Mrs. W. Lee Wilhelm, III

Mr. Adam Williams

Mr. and Mrs. Scott W. Winter

Meet Our Donors

Tributes

Mill Mountain Theatre is honored to acknowledge gifts made in tribute or memory of special friends. To make such a gift please contact John Levin at (540) 342-5761 or development@millmountain.org.

Tributes

In honor of Nancy Agee and on her birthday by Dr. Nathaniel L. Bishop

In special commemoration of Ginger Poole Avis and Jack Avis being honored at the 2022 Multiple Sclerosis Society Dinner of Champions by current and former presidents of Mill Mountain Theatre’s Board of Directors including: David Allen, Nancy Gray, Macel Janoschka, John Jessee, Cynthia Lawrence and Will Trinkle, and by Ginny Jarrett

In honor of Ginger Poole Avis by Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas C. Conte, by Ms. Melvina Edwards, by Nancy Gray and by Macel and Stephen Janoschka

In honor of Jack Avis by Ginger Poole Avis

In memory of Jim Ayers by James C. Sears, Ed D

In memory of Willeyne McCune Clemens, Dorothy Meyer Hannaford and Sam Zulis by Nancy Ruth Patterson

In memory of Tracy D’Souza by Mr. and Mrs. Kyle Rottkamp

In memory of Becky Gilbert by Paul and Robert Metz

In honor of Mary Hubbard by Macel and Stephen Janoschka

In honor of Randall Hubbard by Macel and Stephen Janoschka

In memory of Timothy A. Kelly by Talfourd H. Kemper; by Mr. and Mrs. Charles I. Lunsford, II; by Mr. W. D. McCoy; by Mr. and Mrs. John G. McLeod; by Mr. and Mrs. Paul W. Nordt, III; by Mr. and Mrs. William N. Powell, and by Mr. and Mrs. James A. Robertson

In honor of the MMT Team by Ms. Edna Wood

In honor of Tuillo Brenna O’Reilly by Mr. Patrick J. O’Reilly

In honor of Nancy Ruth Patterson by Mr. and Mrs. Walker B. Healy, Jr.

In honor of B.J. Preas by Mr. and Mrs. Jerry W. Cheadle

In memory of Charles Ruff, Jr. by Mr. and Mrs. Gregory W. Feldmann

In honor of Maury Lee Strauss by Ms. Lesleigh B. Strauss

In memory of Crystal Lynn Van Hise by Mrs. Yvette Van Hise

In honor of Susan Williams by Mr. Adam Williams

Our Tributes

Performers

Josh Polk

*

Vocalist

Michael Havens

*

Electric Guitar

Evin Bowman

*

Bass

Chris Carranza

*

Vocalist

Matthew Carter

*

Vocalist

Seth Davis

*

Music Director/Keys

Parker Joh

*

Vocalist

Setting

There will be one 15-minute intermission

Songs & Scenes

Act I
Opening Boy Bands Medley
"Come Together," The Beatles; "Surfin' USA," The Beach Bovs; "It's Gonna Be Me," 'NSYNC; "That's What Makes You Beautiful," One Direction; "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," The Beatles; "All You Need is Love," The Beatles; "Daydream Believer," The Monkees; "I'm a Believer," The Monkees
Beach Boys Medley
"I Get Around," The Beach Boys; "In My Room," The Beach Boys‍; "California Girls," The Beach Boys; "Fun, Fun, Fun," The Beach Boys‍; "Sherry," The Four Seasons; "Oh, What a Night," The Four Seasons
Jackson 5 Medley
"I Want You Back," The Jackson 5; "ABC," The Jackson 5; "Just My Imagination," The Temptations; "My Girl," The Temptations
Act II
Act II Boy Bands Medley
"Cover Girl," New Kids On the Block; "I'll Be Loving You Forever," New Kids On the Block; "I'll Make Love To You," Boyz Il Men; "On Bended Knee," Boyz Il Men
Backstreet Boys Mashup
"Everybody (Backstreet's Back)," Backstreet Boys; "Backstreet Boys Mashup (Anthem Lights)," Backstreet Boys; "MMM Bop," Hanson; "Bye Bye Bye," 'NSYNC; "God Must Have Spent A Little More Time," 'NSYNC; "Year 3000," Jonas Brothers; "Sucker," Jonas Brothers; "Perfect," One Direction; "Story of My Life," One Direction; "Dynamite," BTS
Closer: Never Can Say Goodbye
Jackson 5

Production Staff

Director/Producing Artistic Director
Ginger Poole*
Music Director
‍Seth Davis
Production Manager/Props/Scenic Designer
Matt Shields
Lights & Sound Designer
Savannah Woodruff
Spot Operators‍
Drew Callahan Trenten Woods
Production Photography
Ian Ridgway

Venue Staff

School Administration Staff

Producing Artistic Director
Ginger Poole
Director of Development
John Levin
Business Manager
Larry Kufel
Director of Education
Victoria Buck
Production Manager/Props/Scenic Designer
Matt Shields
Creative Director of Public Relations
Ian Ridgway
Resident Musical Director
Seth Davis
ATD/Lighting & Sound Supervisor
Savannah Woodruff
Education Associate & Community Engagement Coordinator
Francesca Reilly
Teaching Artist
Josh Polk
Spot Operators‍
Drew Callahan Trenten Woods

Musicians

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Board of Directors

President

Macel H. Janoschka

Vice President

J. Lee E. Osborne

Treasurer

Lori D. Cauley

Secretary

Nathaniel L. Bishop

Board Members

David K. Allen Lauren Ellerman Linda Garbee Nancy O. Gray Dr. Robyn Hakanson Laurence E. Kufel Dr. Anthony-Samuel LaMantia Cynthia Lawrence William L. Lee Reynolds Lynch III Dr. Elizabeth Rice Martin Laura McKeage Nancy Ruth Patterson Gary S. Powers Doris Rogers Edward M. Smith Judy Tenzer Will Trinkle Maxwell Huddleston Wiegard

Student Advisory Board

Credits

Lighting equipment from PRG Lighting, sound equipment from Sound Associates, rehearsed at The Public Theater’s Rehearsal Studios. Developed as part of Irons in the Fire at Fault Line Theatre in New York City.

Special Thanks

*Appearing through an Agreement between this theatre and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Actors’ Equity Association (“Equity”), founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 actors and stage managers, Equity fosters the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors’ Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an International organization of performing arts unions. www.actorsequity.org

United Scenic Artists ● Local USA 829 of the I.A.T.S.E represents the Designers & Scenic Artists for the American Theatre

ATPAM, the Association of Theatrical Press Agents & Managers (IATSE Local 18032), represents the Press Agents, Company Managers, and Theatre Managers employed on this production.

Letter from the Theatre

We love welcoming you back to our Mill Mountain Music Series year to year. This music spans several decades featuring some of the most popular Boy Bands that have graced the top 40. We invite you to sing along with us and enjoy this fun concert. Thanks for supporting Mill Mountain Theatre and we hope to see you back for the rest of our 2022 Season.

Ginger Poole,
Producing Artistic Director

Cast
Creatives

Meet the Cast

Josh Polk

*

Vocalist
(
)
(
)
Pronouns:
he/him

Josh is thrilled to be back on Mill Mountain Theatre’s stage after his debut in The Sound of Music nine years ago! Born and raised in the Roanoke Valley, Josh grew up performing in MMT conservatory classes and camps. He continued his study of Musical Theatre at James Madison University (‘22) and his favorite recent credits include Musidorus (Head Over Heels) and Antonio (Twelfth Night). As a current Teaching Artist in the Conservatory program, Josh combines his passions for theatre performance, education, and outreach, helping bring theatre, musical theatre, and dance education to students of all ages. Josh is exceedingly grateful for the continued love and support of his family and chosen family.

Michael Havens

*

Electric Guitar
(
)
(
)
Pronouns:
he/him

Mike Havens was born and raised in Roanoke, VA and has been involved in music and playing guitar since the age of 12.  He received his Bachelors’ degree in classical guitar performance from Radford University and was awarded a full scholarship for study towards a Masters’ degree at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music.  In 2001, he taught guitar studies at local colleges and universities including, Radford University, Emory and Henry College, Sweet Briar College, Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, and Lynchburg College.  In 2008, he was offered, and continues, a full-time position teaching guitar and electronic music at Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, VA.  Mike performs regularly as an acoustic and classical guitar soloist, is a member of the classical guitar and flute duo Con Eleganza, as a guest guitarist for the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, and is the guitar and bassist for Roanoke’s Mill Mountain Theater.

Evin Bowman

*

Bass
(
)
(
)
Pronouns:
he/him

Evin first began playing music with his middle school orchestra when he was 12 years old. A few years later, as a high school freshman, he made the leap to guitar. Now at 22, with a decade of experience under his belt, he has performed guitar with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, as well as guitar and bass for a multitude of Mill Mountain Theater shows. Notable performances include: A Chorus Line, Spring Awakening, Mama Mia, The Sound of Music, and Next to Normal.

Chris Carranza

*

Vocalist
(
)
(
)
Pronouns:

Chris is so excited to be back at MMT after performing in “In the Heights”! A SoCal Native and an alum of the University of Northern Colorado, Chris has performed all over the country! Credits include: Altar Boyz (Short North Stage, OH); Newsies (Rocky Mountain Rep. CO); Joseph & the Technicolor Dreamcoat (Candlelight Pavillion, CA); and Christmas in the Air (MGM’s Beau Rivage, MS). Chris’s favorite boy band: Jonas Brothers. Favorite Boy Band Lyric: “If I didn’t have cheese, like, everyday, would you still want to be with me?” –*NSYNC

Matthew Carter

*

Vocalist
(
)
(
)
Pronouns:

Matthew is thrilled to be in Roanoke for Boy Bands Through the Ages! A graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, some of Matthew’s favorite credits include Snoopy in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Crane River Theater), Warren in Ordinary Days (UNL Musical Theatre), Top in The Tender Land (UNL Opera), Daniel Beauxhomme in Once on the Island (Snap! Productions), and Princeton in Avenue Q (Nebraska Repertory Theatre). Matthew recently moved to NYC this previous October and made his NYC debut in Pirates of Penzance with the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players. He would like to thank his family and friends for the endless love and support.

Seth Davis

*

Music Director/Keys
(
)
(
)
Pronouns:
he/him

Seth Davis is a Georgia native who is very excited to be back onstage with this lovely group of performers. Seth is a music director and musician in both the musical theater and classical music realms, in addition to being a teacher, clinician, and coach for performers and musicians of all ages. Regional credits include Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Spring Awakening, See What I Wanna See (Actor’s Express), Illyria: A Twelfth Night Musical(Georgia Shakespeare), Time Between Us, A Diva’s Christmas, Hair(Serenbe Playhouse) and The Andrews Brothers (Stage Door Players). Seth has also served as musical director for Georgia Tech and Oglethorpe University in addition to teaching at The Alliance Theatre, Aurora Theatre and judging many regional music and theater festival competitions. Much love to the entire MMT family, and always, Travis.

Parker Joh

*

Vocalist
(
)
(
)
Pronouns:

Parker Joh is grateful to be back on stage with Mill Mountain Theatre, where he performed in Mamma Mia! He currently works at a Tech Company as a Sales Rep! Other credits include: Guys and Dolls, Singin In The Rain, A Christmas Story: The Musical, Elf: The Musical and Spring Awakening. He would like to thank the entire production team at Mill Mountain for this opportunity!

Meet the Team

Ginger Poole

*

Director/Producing Artistic Director
(
)
Pronouns:
She/Her

Ginger Poole is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association and an Associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Union. She has studied, taught, choreographed, and performed throughout the U.S. She has worked in GA, HI, FL, MS, SC and VA with, Theatre in the Square, The Alliance City Series, Theatre Gael, Synchronicity Performance Group-GA, Mill Mountain Theatre-VA and SC Children’s Theatre. Originally from Atlanta, she has worked with the N.F.L. and The Atlanta Falcons as their director and choreographer and The Atlanta Opera. Prior to coming to Mill Mountain Theatre, she was based out of North Carolina where she has worked with Flat Rock Playhouse, the State Theatre of North Carolina, in over 25 productions. She was a part of the Education program at Flat Rock Playhouse for 5 years where she taught for their Apprentice Companies and their Conservatory Program in Acting, Dance, and Musical Theatre. Ginger has taught at The University of Southern Mississippi, Western Carolina University, William Carey College, Mississippi University for Women, and currently teaches at Hollins University. With Ginger’s strong background in dance she finds herself not only acting and dancing on stage but also directing the choreography and classroom skills for her students. Ginger holds her M.F.A. in Acting Performance from the University of Southern Mississippi and continues to teach acting and dance.  She has worked with students that range in age from kindergarten through professionals.

Ginger has worked in commercials, voice-overs, film, stage, and the classroom, and was profiled in the book FIRESTARTERS as “the actor”.

Ginger serves on the following Board of Directors: South Eastern Theatre Conference (SETC Secretary, Second Term), Junior League of the Roanoke Valley (Past President and Current Nominating Committee, Second Term), Burton Performing Arts Advisory Board, The Roanoke City Public Schools Education Foundation, and she has served on the Review Panel for theVirginia Commission for the Arts. She was the recipient of the DePaul’s Women of Achievement Award in the Arts in 2013 and was named the 2016 Kendig Award recipient for Individual Artist. Ginger is also a guest host with WSLS, the NBC affiliate, Daytime Blue Ridge television show, and is the host of the new Mill Mountain Theatre Podcast, Meet Me at Mill Mountain. She is very proud to be a member of the Mill Mountain Theatre team and looks forward to its continued growth, success, and artistic influence in the region.

Matt Shields

*

Technical Director & Props Designer
(
)
Pronouns:
he/him

Matt Shields is a native of Virginia. Having grown up in Loudoun County, he first moved to the region in 2013 to attend school at Radford University where he graduated with a BS in theatre. After working for a few other companies, Matt is happy to call MMT his artistic home. In the past few years Matt has served in a variety of jobs around Mill Mountain, including Props Master, Costumes Manager, Teaching Artist, Scenic Designer, and Company Manager. Matt is very happy to now be serving MMT as the Production Manager and is grateful to MMT for all the faith they have put in him over the years.

J.T. Fauber

*

Percussion
(
)
Pronouns:
he/him

J.T. has been playing drums at Mill Mountain since 2008. His favorite show was My Son Pinocchio which included his wife Rachel on piano and both kids, Kyle and Caroline, on stage. Early in his career J.T. performed in the country show at Kings Dominion and on the La Boheme cruise ship. Currently he plays with The Boogie Kings, a ragtime / dixieland group that has been together since 1986. He also plays with the 1st Baptist Roanoke orchestra, The Winds of the Blue Ridge, and the Let's Dance big band. J.T. is the owner of Sun Tan City and Buff City Soap, both supporters of Mill Mountain Theatre.

Savannah Woodruff

*

Lead Electrician & Sound Engineer
(
)
Pronouns:
she/they

Savannah Woodruff was born and raised in Southern Pines, North Carolina, where she was encouraged to become involved in technical theatre in high school. Savannah is a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and received a BFA in Technical Production. Prior to joining the Mill Mountain Theatre staff, she worked as a member of Weston Playhouse Theatre Company’s Intern Company. Savannah is grateful for the support of her family (and especially her cats) in her endeavors, and is thrilled to be able to continue working and growing with Mill Mountain Theatre.

Seth Davis

*

Music Director
(
)
Pronouns:
he/him

Seth Davis is a Georgia native who is very excited to be a part of the Mill Mountain family after first serving as Associate Music Director for Mill Mountain’s 2013 production of The Sound of Music. Seth is a music director and musician in both the musical theater and classical music realms, in addition to being a teacher, clinician, and coach for performers and musicians of all ages. Regional credits include Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Spring Awakening, See What I Wanna See (Actor’s Express), Illyria: A Twelfth Night Musical (Georgia Shakespeare), Time Between Us, A Diva’s Christmas, Hair (Serenbe Playhouse) and The Andrews Brothers (Stage Door Players). Seth has also served as musical director for Georgia Tech and Oglethorpe University in addition to teaching at The Alliance Theatre, Aurora Theatre and judging many regional music and theater festival competitions.

Media

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2021 National Touring Cast

Pre-Show Snack or
Post-Show Dinner?

Don’t let the evening end when the curtain comes down. With The Marquee Local, you can find the perfect place for a pre-show snack, an evening meal, or a post-show cocktail. Enjoy exclusive deals from our local partners as you catch up, discuss the show, and create memories to last a lifetime.

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Settle into that post-show glow with a stellar drink in hand

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Fortunato

Italian
|
104 Kirk Ave SW

Located in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Roanoke, Virginia, Fortunato is the region's only traditional Italian kitchen & Neapolitan style pizzeria.

Fortunato

Italian
|
104 Kirk Ave SW

Located in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Roanoke, Virginia, Fortunato is the region's only traditional Italian kitchen & Neapolitan style pizzeria.

Marquee Deal!

Have a group ticket? Show your MMT Ticket stub to receive 10% off your meal! Valid for one-time use only at participating restaurants.

Martin's

Tavern
|
413 1st St SW

Casual dining on burgers, BBQ & other bar food in an open tavern setting with live music & a patio. ‍

Martin's

Tavern
|
413 1st St SW

Casual dining on burgers, BBQ & other bar food in an open tavern setting with live music & a patio. ‍

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The Pine Room

American
|
110 Shenandoah Ave NE

From the snack n' share options and hearth flatbreads to the farmland offerings and signature items, The Pine Room features American Rustic cuisine that presents simplistic, sustainable, and high-quality ingredients in an inviting presentation.

The Pine Room

American
|
110 Shenandoah Ave NE

From the snack n' share options and hearth flatbreads to the farmland offerings and signature items, The Pine Room features American Rustic cuisine that presents simplistic, sustainable, and high-quality ingredients in an inviting presentation.

Marquee Deal!

Have a group ticket? Show your MMT Ticket stub to receive 10% off your meal! Valid for one-time use only at participating restaurants.

The Regency Room

American
|
110 Shenandoah Ave NE

Enjoy dining al fresco! Spring is here and it's patio season! The Regency Room and The Pine Room Pub are the perfect place to enjoy dinner or drinks on the patio with spring in the air!

The Regency Room

American
|
110 Shenandoah Ave NE

Enjoy dining al fresco! Spring is here and it's patio season! The Regency Room and The Pine Room Pub are the perfect place to enjoy dinner or drinks on the patio with spring in the air!

Marquee Deal!

Have a group ticket? Show your MMT Ticket stub to receive 10% off your meal! Valid for one-time use only at participating restaurants.

Awful Arthur's‍

Seafood
|
108 Campbell Ave SE

Modern tavern offering varied seafood, bar bites & a raw bar plus sports on TV & live music.

Awful Arthur's‍

Seafood
|
108 Campbell Ave SE

Modern tavern offering varied seafood, bar bites & a raw bar plus sports on TV & live music.

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Corned Beef & Co‍

Gastropub
|
107 S Jefferson St

Sports bar serves sandwiches & pub grub in expansive digs equipped with pool tables & countless TVs.

Corned Beef & Co‍

Gastropub
|
107 S Jefferson St

Sports bar serves sandwiches & pub grub in expansive digs equipped with pool tables & countless TVs.

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Crescent City Bourbon and Barbecue

Barbecue
|
19 Salem Ave SE

The smoked meat is made with care and passion in a stick burner smoker and indoor wood burning smoker.

Crescent City Bourbon and Barbecue

Barbecue
|
19 Salem Ave SE

The smoked meat is made with care and passion in a stick burner smoker and indoor wood burning smoker.

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Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint

Hamburger
|
210B Market St SE

Bar chain serving creative burgers & a lengthy list of beers in a casual, funky space.

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Hamburger
|
210B Market St SE

Bar chain serving creative burgers & a lengthy list of beers in a casual, funky space.

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Nawab Indian Cuisine

Indian
|
118A Campbell Ave SE

Indian classics & all-you-can-eat buffet lunches, served in a low-key traditional dining room.

Nawab Indian Cuisine

Indian
|
118A Campbell Ave SE

Indian classics & all-you-can-eat buffet lunches, served in a low-key traditional dining room.

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Wasabi's

Japanese
|
214 Market St SE

Casual Japanese restaurant offering a large sushi menu, plus maki, traditional entrees & bento.

Wasabi's

Japanese
|
214 Market St SE

Casual Japanese restaurant offering a large sushi menu, plus maki, traditional entrees & bento.

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Raise a Glass

Sidecar

Tavern
|
413 1st St SW

Casual dining on burgers, BBQ & other bar food in an open tavern setting with live music & a patio.

Sidecar

Tavern
|
413 1st St SW

Casual dining on burgers, BBQ & other bar food in an open tavern setting with live music & a patio.

Marquee Deal!

Have a group ticket? Show your MMT Ticket stub to receive 10% off your meal! Valid for one-time use only at participating restaurants.

Three Notch'd Brewing Co.

European
|
411 1st St SW

The food menu features traditional European foods like handmade sausages in traditional German, Polish, and English styles, as well as Belgian hand-cut fries, mussels, steak frites, and Polish pierogies.

Three Notch'd Brewing Co.

European
|
411 1st St SW

The food menu features traditional European foods like handmade sausages in traditional German, Polish, and English styles, as well as Belgian hand-cut fries, mussels, steak frites, and Polish pierogies.

Marquee Deal!

‍Have a group ticket? Show your MMT Ticket stub to receive 10% off your meal! Valid for one-time use only at participating restaurants.

Twisted Track Brewpub

Pub
|
523 Shenandoah Ave NW

In addition to hand crafted beer, we offer pub fare with yet another twist and a selection of wines, ciders and soft drinks – something for everyone.‍

Twisted Track Brewpub

Pub
|
523 Shenandoah Ave NW

In addition to hand crafted beer, we offer pub fare with yet another twist and a selection of wines, ciders and soft drinks – something for everyone.‍

Marquee Deal!

Have a group ticket? Show your MMT Ticket stub to receive 10% off your meal! Valid for one-time use only at participating restaurants.

Benny Marconi's

Pizza
|
120 Campbell Ave SE

Serving huge slices of pizza in downtown Roanoke, VA. Established in 2012.

Benny Marconi's

Pizza
|
120 Campbell Ave SE

Serving huge slices of pizza in downtown Roanoke, VA. Established in 2012.

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Billy's

American
|
102 Market St SE

Buzzy dining room with a full wooden bar plating refined American cuisine such as lobster Alfredo.

Billy's

American
|
102 Market St SE

Buzzy dining room with a full wooden bar plating refined American cuisine such as lobster Alfredo.

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Fork in the Market

American
|
32 Market Square SE

Quirky, independent eatery offering updated comfort food, a full bar, a patio & live music nightly.

Fork in the Market

American
|
32 Market Square SE

Quirky, independent eatery offering updated comfort food, a full bar, a patio & live music nightly.

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Texas Tavern

American
|
114 Church Ave SW

Family-owned since 1930, this 24/7 diner offers breakfast, burgers, sandwiches & its popular chili.

Texas Tavern

American
|
114 Church Ave SW

Family-owned since 1930, this 24/7 diner offers breakfast, burgers, sandwiches & its popular chili.

Marquee Deal!

While You Wait

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Exclusive First Listen to Marisha Wallace Singing "Listen" From DREAMGIRLS With Sharlene Hector From Her Album LIVE IN LONDON
Emily Wyrwa
August 14, 2025

It's a big day for Marisha Wallace fans! Westway Music and Center Stage Records have announced the release of the Olivier-nominated actress' solo album Live in London. The full album releases tomorrow Aug. 15 on streaming services and CD.

Wallace is currently performing on Broadway in Cabaret, making her the first Black actress to take on the iconic role of Sally Bowles on the Broadway stage. The album will feature both the title song from Cabaret, as well as her rendition of "Maybe This Time." She made her Broadway debut in Aladdin directed by Casey Nicholaw and, was part of the Original Broadway Cast of Something Rotten. A last-minute request to go to London to take over the role of Effie White in Dreamgirls in the West End, a role she was only supposed to do for three weeks, turned into eight years in the role. In the West End, she originated the role of Becky in Waitress, and was played Ado Annie in Director Daniel Fish's revival of Oklahoma! for which she was nominated for an Olivier Award.

The album was recorded in front of a full house at the Adelphi Theatre in March 2025.

Theatrely has an exclusive first listen to Wallace's duet with Sharlene Hector on "Listen" from Dreamgirls.

The album also includes "Some People" from Gypsy, "Mysterious Ways" from The Colour Purple, a Whitney Houston Medley, "The Gods of Nubia" from Aida, "Tomorrow" from Annie, and many more.

As part of the plan for the album, Wallace has also just launched an ambitious pledge campaign to enable her to create a three-disc vinyl version of the album.

“It has long been my dream to release a 12” record on vinyl, and I’m reaching out to my amazing fans to help support me in my dream," Wallace said in a statement. "There has been a wonderful resurgence in musical theatre releases on vinyl, particularly on Broadway, and I would love to have mine out in the world.”

Live in London is produced by Ben Robbins and Marisha Wallace and Executive Produced by Van Dean, Brian Spector, Michael Scott, Robbie Rozelle and Neil O’Brien.

To pre-save the album, visit here.

Mike Bartlett’s BULL Opens at JACK This Fall
Emily Wyrwa
August 14, 2025

Office politics, right? Mike Bartlett’s Bull is coming to the storefront theatre JACK in Brooklyn this fall. Directed by Max Hunter, the play runs from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, with an official opening set for Sept. 22. 

The play is a fast-paced dive into office politics and workplace relationships. It follows three employees who face imminent layoffs — two will be safe, and one will lose their job. It will be performed in front of an audience of 50 each night. 

“Mike Bartlett’s Bull exposes a more honest and unvarnished view of the profound brutality underlying many of our daily interactions,” director Max Hunter said in a statement. “In building this production within the intimate confines at JACK, the brutality of Bartlett’s characters is heightened by collapsing the distance between audience and action so that each minor abuse and shift in power becomes unavoidable, primal, visceral. Proximity strips away pretense, placing the audience into a position of complicity and confrontation, demanding an internal response to where and how each person draws their respective line in the sand.”

The ensemble cast includes Kerstin Anderson, Miles G. Jackson, Alexander Pobutsky, and Paco Tolson. 

The creative team for Bull includes scenic designer Thomas Jenkeleit, lighting designer Cheyenne Sykes, assistant director BT Hayes, production stage manager Roger Lipson, and assistant stage manager Ari Richardson. 

Bartlett is best known for his stage play King Charles III, which won the Olivier Award for Best New Play in 2015. It transferred to Broadway, where it was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play. His other works include Love Love Love and Cock. He also wrote series two of the BBC show Doctor Foster.

Bull runs Sept. 19 to Oct. 4 at JACK at 20 Putnam Ave. in Brooklyn. For tickets and more information, visit here.

Theatrely31: Class of 2025
Theatrely Editorial Board
August 13, 2025

What does the theatrical landscape of tomorrow look like? The Theatrely31 is our newly minted annual compilation of visionary actors, directors, and theatre makers poised for a meteoric rise. These trailblazers and emerging stars are carving unique paths within our industry, and we eagerly anticipate the exciting destinations they will take us to next. See last year’s list here

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Diego Andres Rodriguez

As buzz around Jamie Lloyd’s Sunset Boulevard revival spread and the throngs of fans gathered on 44th Street to glimpse Tom Francis’ outdoor “walk” grew and grew, the task of understudying the man at the heart of such a spectacle might have seemed unenviable. But the Sunset fandom quickly embraced Diego Andres Rodriguez, whose confident, sultry take on the character of Joe Gillis drew immediate acclaim—as did Rodriguez’s comparatively gentler work as Artie Green, his regular character in the show. 

Lloyd himself took notice, too. He quickly grabbed up Rodriguez for the role of Che in his widely celebrated West End revival of Evita, running at The London Palladium June – September 2025. It’s surely the first of many credits to come for Rodriguez, who was praised by What's On Stage as “making a remarkable West End debut, with charisma and bite.” Hopefully Rodriguez will be back on New York stages soon, both in Evita and many other shows beyond. –Joey Sims, Senior Critic 

Jacob Ryan Smith

Upcoming composer Jacob Ryan Smith is one to watch. The University of Michigan Musical Theatre alum doubles as an actor, who you may have caught Off-Broadway in Relapse and Lizard Boy. Currently, he’s working on a new musical Like Father, which is a thriller about the teenage daughter of a serial killer. When a true-crime podcast about her father goes viral after his arrest, she must navigate moving in with a mother she’s never known and grapple with her similarities to her father. We can’t wait to see it! To get a taste of his style, you can hear Heathers star Lorna Courtney sing his song Do You Remember. –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow 

Hannah Solow

I regret to say, I was late to the Hannah Solow train. I first caught her hilarious performance of Gertie Cummings on the national tour of Oklahoma! out in Los Angeles a few years back and ever since I have been hooked. She truly took the industry by storm since joining the company of Oh, Mary! downtown at the Lortel and following it to Broadway as the Mary Todd Lincoln and Mary’s Chaperone’s understudy. As soon as the news dropped that she was going on the first time, some in my office quite literally dropped everything they were doing to run to the Lyceum to grab a ticket. While her social media is nothing less than hysterical, it was her “Well, We Could See Boop!” video that not only went viral and seeped it way into mainstream popular culture, but truly by my estimates sold thousands of tickets to that production. Solow is a performer who is really just beginning and I can wait to see where her dazzling future takes her next, we will all be watching. –Kobi Kassal, Editor-in-Chief 

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Alyssa Payne

To start, Alyssa Payne’s energy is nothing short of infectious. Her incredible musical work on social media caught our attention so much that we hired her to compose our 2025 Tony Award music video! Payne’s energy and style radiates Broadway, and her music is simultaneously modern, unique, and classic show-biz. She is working on a number of projects — including an entirely new musical — that we will be patiently awaiting. –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow

Emilio Ramos

It pays to keep an eye on those Assistant Director credits. Under the Andrew Scott Vanya and City Center’s The Light in the Piazza, and under Michael Arden’s productions of A Christmas Carol, Parade and Maybe Happy Ending, you’ll find Emilio Ramos’ name. And before you think maybe he’s just an excellent assistant, I’ll remind you Arden’s directing Tonys, for those intricately constructed latter two shows, could not have happened alone. And if, for some reason, you still need proof? Then I hope you caught Ramos’ New York directorial debut, where they staged Michael John LaChiusa’s tough chamber piece See What I Wanna See into a glorious ode to Japanese performance styles. With marionettes, shadow play and bunraku puppets, not to mention an excellently assembled cast, Ramos showed a real gift for intimate storytelling, erotic and evocative, that transforms emotional truth into captivating entertainment. –Juan A. Ramírez, Chief Critic

Julia Riew

Julia Riew is a rare talent. Her vital hit Dive, which reimagines the Korean folktale Shimcheong, has captured millions online — and it’s now being developed at the American Repertory Theater with Tony Award-winning director Diane Paulus backing it. Not only is she a composer, but a talented author with her latest novel released on July 29 published through Penguin Random House. If that’s not multi-hyphenate, I’m not sure what is. –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow 

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Abubakr Ali

Charming, charismatic and pleasingly seductive, Abubakr Ali was the breakout star of Rajiv Joseph’s tense two-hander Dakar 2000 at Manhattan Theatre Club in spring 2025. A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, Ali starred in Billy Porter’s Anything’s Possible for Amazon in 2022. He also made history as the first Arab Muslim to lead a comic book adaptation in Netflix’s (later abandoned) series Grendel. On the New York stage, Ali has also appeared in Toros at Second Stage Theatre. An exciting young talent and a natural presence on stage, Ali doubtless has a thrilling career ahead. –Joey Sims, Senior Critic

Rebekah Bruce

Every day as soon as we get home from work, my partner puts the Dead Outlaw cast album on our speaker. Neither of us can get enough of that music. When I saw the show (twice in one week!) I could never take my eyes off that piano player, though. Without knowing it, Rebekah Bruce captured my utmost attention — even when there was a corpse on stage trying to steal it. Bruce’s music direction on that show was nothing short of inspired, and a culmination of years of impressive work. From playing in the likes of Company, A Strange Loop, and beginning with Mean Girls, Bruce has proven herself a staple on the piano. –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow 

Leana Rae Concepcion 

A successful run juggling her immense ensemble track plus standing by for Beth in the hit revival of Merrily We Roll Along only scratched the surface of Leana Rae Concepcion’s musical theater prowess. A first generation Filipina-American actor and singer, Concepcion is a star on the (rapid) rise, making history in the 2023 Paper Mill Playhouse revival of Rent as the first Asian-American woman to play Joanne in a professional production. She also made her 54 Below solo debut with Love Letters in March 2025. Next up, Concepion will co-star in the hotly anticipated off-Broadway revival of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, reprising her work as Marcy Park from the 2024 Kennedy Center run. It’s a deserved big break, and it won’t be her last. –Joey Sims, Senior Critic 

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Derek Taylor

I first witnessed Derek Taylor’s supreme tap dancing skills back in Funny Girl, and he has only continued to wow audiences ever since. A standout tapper in The Great Gatsby slaying Dominique Kelley’s euphoric choreography, Taylor just completed his run over at Boop! The Musical. He’s one of those magnetic performers that you can’t keep your eyes off of when they dance, and what a joy for the audience that is. Whatever comes next, I can’t wait to see where those tap shoes go. –Kobi Kassal, Editor-in-Chief 

Jason Thinger

Leading the charge on the next generation of Broadway casting directors is Jason Thinger. A member of Jim Carnahan’s casting office, he’s been just about everywhere this past season. He cast Sunset Boulevard, Pirates! The Penzances Musical, and Just In Time on Broadway, while juggling Jamie Lloyd’s Evita over on the West End. He also is the genius behind the current revival of Little Shop of Horrors at the West Side Theatre — all your favorite Seymore and Audrey pairings are in part due to his eye for talent and chemistry. –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow

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Alison Jaye

Alison Jaye was part of the Stranger Things: The First Shadow family from its early days. Seeing her onstage, it’s with good reason. Jaye is infectious in the role, and her leading energy is impressive. She has also been seen on stage in Mary Poppins as Jane and Sunday in the Park With George as Louise. We know she’s going to continue to shine! –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow

Qween Jean

Qween Jean’s exquisite costuming reached a new height last year with Cats: The Jellicle Ball. Her inventive, specific and pitch-perfect looks beamed the prismatic joy of queerness onto a radically reimagined tale of acceptance, but Jean’s designs are not the only ones to walk the walk. As the co-founder of Black Trans Liberation, she has led protests and parades, rallied and roused, curated and cared for her people – and by extension, us all. That we can admire her activism while lauding her creative work (Jordans! Parker Posey in The Seagull/Woodstock, NY! Soon, her work will be seen on Broadway in Liberation. The upcoming Honey Dijon-Sia musical, Saturday Church!) is a rare gift, and she continues to close the gap between her worlds, most visibly in her annual Summer Legacy Ball at Little Island. –Juan A. Ramírez, Chief Critic

Kolton Krouse

Kolton Krouse first dazzled Broadway audiences with their joyful grace — and unbelievable high-kicking moves — in Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, an anthology of the dance master’s work that played a brief run in 2023. A masterful mover, Krouse made their Broadway debut with Cats in 2019. But it was Dancin’ that allowed Krouse the space to exist freely, and oh so beautifully, as a nonbinary performer, bringing their full and complete self to a production that did not ask Krouse to leave certain parts of themselves at the stage door. That freedom has now extended into Krouse’s ensemble work over at Death Becomes Her, where they are a consistent standout. Not content to sit around waiting and hoping for Broadway’s dated gender definitions to expand, Krouse is instead boldly leading the way. –Joey Sims, Senior Critic 

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Keiko Green

Keiko Green has been making major waves on the West Coast. Her plays have been developed by the Old Globe, the Kennedy Center, the National New Play Network, Playwrights Realm, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Atlantic Theater Company, and twice by the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference. This year, she was named one of Atlantic Theatre Company’s Judith Champion Launch Commissions, which will support her and two other playwrights in developing a new play. The work that comes out of it will be a must-watch! –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow

Joshua Grosso 

Joshua Grosso has toured the country in such hits as Les Miserables and The Band’s Visit, but I finally was able to catch him shine in Gatsby: An American Myth at ART last summer. Earlier this year he made his understudy debut as Bobby Strong in Urinetown this past year at Encores! With an angelic voice, he stole the show and what a delight that was. He then went on to star as Fabrizio opposite Emily Skinner in The Light in the Piazza at the Huntington this summer and turned in an incredible performance. I can’t wait to see what he does next, but I am sure it will be spectacular! –Kobi Kassal, Editor-in-Chief 

Nazareth Hassan

How comforting to look up the writer of a play that has just entranced you and see they have a new work all lined up for the near future. Like its name suggests, Nazareth Hassan’s Bowl EP was a hypnotic, messy calling card for their wide range of writerly ambitions, and even wider scope of inspiration. How its two lovable queer skaters flipped from shotgunning vape hits and enjoying each others’ lips into a psychic hellscape of trauma and personal misadventure, emceed by a demonic entity called Lemon Pepper Wings – well, it all made sense in the skate park they built into the Vineyard Theatre. Still does. When it ended, I learned that Hassan’s next work, at Playwrights Horizons, will be a “shapeshifting psycho-comedy.” What kind of helmets do skaters use? –Juan A. Ramírez, Chief Critic

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Nasia Thomas

Nasia Thomas has been wow-ing audiences for years between her year-long turn in Six as Anna of Cleves, dance captaining Caroline or Change, and the many hats she wore in Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations and in her Broadway debut in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Most recently, she served as the Cathy Standby in the first Broadway production of The Last Five Years. She brought such depth to the role, and her vocals were outstanding - yes we aren’t forgetting that terrific Last Five Years during the pandemic either! We’re so grateful to have seen her get her flowers on standby night, and hope to continue seeing her shine for years to come. –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow  

John Yi

We first became familiar with John Yi for his stellar work in KPOP on Broadway in 2022, and he has continued to wow us since! He was absolutely scene-stealing in The Big Gay Jamboree at the Orpheum Theatre in 2024, and in New York City Center’s Urinetown as part of its 2025 Encores! series. He also recently performed in Red Bull Theater’s revival of Molière’s The Imaginary Invalid — a performance that got him recognized by The New York Times. We can’t wait to continue following his career! –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow

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Hagan Oliveras

It’s always impressive when someone makes their Broadway debut at a young age, but to do two shows in one season as Hagan Oliveras just did with Our Town and John Proctor is the Villain is nothing short of a wondrous feat. Many will remember Roundabout’s Jonah Off-Broadway early last year but I have been following Oliveras’ work for quite some time now with him being a part of The Fricks. This burgeoning eclectic experimental theatre group that is making a name for itself, Oliveras was brilliant in their immersive I Want To Go To There. This is only the beginning for this South Florida native, and we can’t wait to see what he cooks up next! –Kobi Kassal, Editor-in-Chief 

Marshall Pailet

I first came across Marshall Pailet’s name in an announcement about a workshop in Western Massachusetts he was co-writing with Ethan Slater titled Marcel On The Train, which will come to New York in February. When I spoke to him about it, he radiated confidence and genuine curiosity about his subject — two qualities of an excellent writer. He doubles as a director, triples as a composer. His show Private Jones — where he was book writer, composer, lyricist, and director — earned him the Helen Hayes Award for Best New Musical. Any time I see his name on any part of a project, I know I need to see what he’s concocted. –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow

a.k. payne

a.k. payne won the 2025 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for their play Furlough’s Paradise, which premiered at Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles in April. They graduated with both a B.A. and M.F.A from Yale, and has had plays developed by O'Neill National Playwrights Conference, The New Harmony Project, Great Plains Theater Conference, and Manhattan Theater Club's "Groundworks Lab." We can’t wait to see all she accomplishes in what we know will be a very long career! –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow

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Erin Morton

There are few more impressive success stories than that of Erin Morton. The incoming college senior posted a video singing Creep by Radiohead to TikTok — and to say it blew up would be the understatement of the century. Soon after, she got a call from the casting team of the Off-Broadway return of Heathers, asking her to audition. Not only did she book the role of Martha Dunstock, but she steals the show (especially her Kindergarten Boyfriend — I can’t stop thinking about it). Morton is an absolute star in the making, and I can’t wait to see her on stage for many years to come. –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow

Darrell Grand Moultrie

Moultrie’s high octane choreography for Goddess at The Public Theater last spring is enough to land him on this list. That gorgeous production was further complemented by Moultrie’s sexy choreography, a mix of traditional and modern movement, steeped in the African folklore of the story while still paying homage to today’s sensibilities. Moultrie’s theatre credits are impressive on their own (Fat Ham on Broadway and at The Public; Jeremy O. Harris’ Daddy; Shakespeare in the Park’s Merry Wives of Windsor; Aida in Amsterdam, to name only a few), but to stop there would be to miss the rest of Moultrie’s spectacular accomplishments. His works have premiered with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, the American Ballet Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and a laundry list of ballet companies and dance ensembles across the country and internationally, too. Not to mention his collaborations with Savion Glover and Beyoncé for her Mrs. Carter World tour. Raised in Harlem, a Juilliard graduate—Moultrie is New York’s finest. It’s no wonder he has become one of today’s most sought-after choreographers. –Andrew Martini, Contributing Writer

Xhloe and Natasha

This pair of writers/performers is clowning around in the best possible way. Xhloe and Natasha are decade-long collaborators on absurdist physical theatre, clown content, and more. They received the Fringe First Award for Outstanding New Writing three years in a row at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Suffice to say, they’re on a roll — and their work is some of the most creative out there. —Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow

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Amanda Simone Lee

After seeing Amanda Simone Lee absolutely belt her face off in The Big Gay Jamboree Off-Broadway, we were pretty sure there was nothing she couldn’t do. She’s continuing to impress as part of the ensemble of the National Tour of Hamilton. Plus, she’s covering all three Schuyler Sisters — talk about range! Her voice is undeniable, and we can’t wait to see how far she goes.  –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow

Marty Lauter aka Marciax3

The Emcee is a notoriously difficult role to pull off, especially after Alan Cumming’s indelible performance in the 1998 Broadway revival became the sine qua non for any actor tackling the role. What’s more — it’s rare that an understudy breaks through, creating a buzz of their own. Marty Lauter may have had some previous buzz from their run on season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, but their performance in this revival of Cabaret, as Victor but especially as an Emcee understudy, stands on its own. With a sly wit, vocal prowess, and a take on the role that was specific and lived-in, drawing on their experience in drag performance and musical theatre, Lauter proved that there’s no replacement for raw talent. Ticket buyers flocked to performances they knew Lauter would be in for the Emcee, which is a testament to Lauter’s star power, especially when you consider the lineup of big names this production had cycling into that role. –Andrew Martini, Contributing Writer

Sophie McIntosh

I’ve seen two of the three plays Sophie McIntosh has had professionally staged in New York and might never forgive myself for missing cityscrape, in 2023. As a completist, having unwittingly set myself on an eternal hunt with 2022’s macbitches, that hurts. But there’s solace in knowing this wonderfully productive playwright’s track record means we’ll likely be getting a play a year. McIntosh, I once wrote, is interested in “exploring womanhood across a range of genres, modes, and tones.” That might look like a college comedy, subverted to ask piercing questions about women’s ambition and sexuality in a post #MeToo world (macbitches), or a surreal tale about a young wife who gives birth to a rabbit, which weaves dark humor and disquieting gender critiques into dreamscapes worthy of David Lynch. Lucky us, McIntosh has now co-created the Good Apples Collective to develop and produce further works, and its fruits are sure to be golden. –Juan A. Ramírez, Chief Critic

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Will Dagger

I first saw Will Dagger – and probably, given the Wild Project’s size, he saw me – as a paranoid Rust Belt brony in The Antelope Party. Even without that theater’s intimacy, I knew I could feel every nerve ending on this shifty-eyed guy’s body pulsating as paranoia set into his character. That livewire energy has shot him up the New York stage ranks: from a feverishly loved Uncle Vanya in a studio apartment to Will Arbery’s Corsicana; from the trippy freakout of Give Me Carmelita Tropicana! (where he, at one point, again wore a flirty fursuit) to his Broadway debut as a harried TV exec in Good Night, and Good Luck. Typically mustachioed and always telling a minimum of three stories with his eagerly expressive eyes, to see Dagger’s name in a playbill is to know you’re in for something unconventional, cutting-edge, often transcendent and entirely the reason we come to live theatre. –Juan A. Ramírez, Chief Critic

Taylor Marie Daniel

In all ways, Taylor Marie Daniel is a queen. After graduating from The University of Michigan in 2022, Daniel has taken Broadway by storm in the ensemble of Once Upon A Mattress, and as the understudy for Cassandra and Roz in The Heart of Rock and Roll. Currently, she’s wow-ing audiences at the Lena Horne Theatre as Catherine Parr in Six. She’s bringing power and a refreshing perspective to the iconic show. –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow 

Ryan Dobrin 

For the versatile, virtuosic young director Ryan Dobrin, 2024 proved a breakout year. First came his haunting staging of Ryan Drake’s new play you don’t have to do anything, a disturbing work brought to careful, sensitive life by Dobrin. His follow-up was the witty immersive work The Voices in Your Head, praised by Theatrely’s critic as a “swift and subtle” staging and included on our Best Theater of 2024 list. Meanwhile, Dobrin was also keeping busy uptown, acting as associate director on both Merrily We Roll Along and director Whitney White’s revival of The Last Five Years. Dobrin just came off co-directing the new musical We Shall Someday at Alabama Shakes, and will next tackle The Great Comet at Montclair State. He’s in-demand, and for good reason: Dobrin’s thoughtful, finely crafted productions prize theatricality and collective catharsis above all else.  –Joey Sims, Senior Critic

The Theatrely31 was chosen by a committee composed of the Theatrely Editorial Board as well as a small group of industry professionals.

Theatrely News
EXCLUSIVE: Watch A Clip From THEATER CAMP Starring Ben Platt, Noah Galvin, and Molly Gordon
Theatrely News
READ: An Excerpt From Sean Hayes Debut YA Novel TIME OUT
Theatrely News
"Reframing the COVID-19 Pandemic Through a Stage Manager’s Eyes"
EXCLUSIVE: Watch A Clip From THEATER CAMP Starring Ben Platt, Noah Galvin, and Molly Gordon
By: Maia Penzer
14 July 2023

Finally, summer has arrived, which can only mean one thing: it's time for camp! Theater Camp, that is. Theatrely has a sneak peak at the new film which hits select theaters today. 

The new original comedy starring Tony Award winner Ben Platt and Molly Gordon we guarantee will have you laughing non-stop. The AdirondACTS, a run-down theater camp in upstate New York, is attended by theater-loving children who must work hard to keep their beloved theater camp afloat after the founder, Joan, falls into a coma. 

The film stars Ben Platt and Molly Gordon as Amos Klobuchar and Rebecca-Diane, respectively, as well as Noah Galvin as Glenn Wintrop, Jimmy Tatro as Troy Rubinsky, Patti Harrison as Caroline Krauss, Nathan Lee Graham as Clive DeWitt, Ayo Edebiri as Janet Walch, Owen Thiele as Gigi Charbonier, Caroline Aaron as Rita Cohen, Amy Sedaris as Joan Rubinsky, and Alan Kim as Alan Park. 

Theater Camp was directed by Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman and written by Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman & Ben Platt. Music is by James McAlister and Mark Sonnenblick. On January 21, 2023, Theater Camp had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.

You can purchase tickets to the new film from our friends at Hollywood.com here.

READ: An Excerpt From Sean Hayes Debut YA Novel TIME OUT
By: Kobi Kassal
29 May 2023

Actor Sean Hayes is what we in the biz call booked and blessed. On top of his Tony-nominated performance as Oscar Levant in Good Night, Oscar, Hayes has partnered with Todd Milliner and Carlyn Greenwald for the release of their new YA novel Time Out

Heralded by many as Heartstopper meets Friday Night Lights, Time Out follows hometown basketball hero Barclay Elliot who decides to use a pep rally to come out to his school. When the response is not what he had hoped and the hostility continually growing, he turns to his best friend Amy who brings him to her voting rights group at school. There he finds Christopher and… you will just have to grab a copy and find out what happens next. Luckily for you, Time Out hits shelves on May 30 and to hold you over until then we have a special except from the book just for Theatrely:

The good thing about not being on the team the past two weeks has been that I’ve had time to start picking up shifts again at Beau’s diner and save up a little for college now that my scholarship dreams are over.

     The bad part is it’s the perfect place to see how my actions at the pep rally have rotted the townspeople’s brains too.

     During Amy’s very intense musical theater phase in middle school, her parents took her to New York City. And of course she came back home buzzing about Broadway and how beautiful the piss smell was and everything artsy people say about New York. But she also vividly described some diner she waited three hours to get into where the waitstaff would all perform songs for the customers as a way to practice for auditions. The regulars would have favorite staff members and stan them the way Amy stans all her emo musicians.

     Working at Beau’s used to feel kind of like that, like I was part of a performance team I didn’t know I signed up for. The job started off pretty basic over the summer—I wanted to save up for basketball supplies, and Amy worked there and said it was boring ever since her e-girl coworker friend graduated. But I couldn’t get through a single lunch rush table without someone calling me over and wanting the inside scoop on the Wildcats and how we were preparing for the home opener, wanting me to sign an article in the paper or take a photo. Every friendly face just made the resolve grow inside me. People love and support the Wildcats; they would do the same for me.

     Yeah, right.

     Now just like school, customers have been glaring at me, making comments about letting everyone down, about being selfish, about my actions being “unfortunate,” and the tips have been essentially nonexistent. The Wildcats have been obliterated in half their games since I quit, carrying a 2–3 record when last year we were 5–0, and the comments make my feet feel like lead weights I have to drag through every shift.

     Today is no different. It’s Thursday, the usual dinner rush at Beau’s, and I try to stay focused on the stress of balancing seven milkshakes on one platter. A group of regulars, some construction workers, keep loudly wondering why I won’t come back to the team while I refuse proper eye contact.

     One of the guys looks up at me as I drop the bill off. “So, what’s the deal? Does being queer keep ya from physically being able to play?”

     They all snicker as they pull out crumpled bills. I stuff my hands into my pockets, holding my tongue.

     When they leave, I hold my breath as I take their bill.

     Sure enough, no tip.

     “What the fuck?” I mutter under my breath.

     “Language,” Amy says as she glides past me, imitating the way Richard says it to her every shift, and adds, “even though they are dicks.” At least Amy’s been ranting about it every free chance she gets. It was one thing when the student body was being shitty about me leaving the team, but the town being like this is even more infuriating. She doesn’t understand how these fully grown adults can really care that much about high school basketball and thinks they need a new fucking hobby. I finally agree with her.

     [She’s wearing red lipstick to go with her raccoon-adjacent eyeliner as she rushes off to prepare milkshakes for a pack of middle schoolers. I catch her mid–death glare as all three of the kids rotate in their chairs, making the old things squeal. My anger fades a bit as I can’t help but chuckle; Amy’s pissed-off reaction to Richard telling her to smile more was said raccoon makeup, and her tolerance for buffoonery has been at a negative five to start and declining fast.

     I rest my arms on the counter and try not to look as exhausted as I feel.

     “Excuse me!” an old lady screeches, making me jump.

     Amy covers up a laugh as I head to the old lady and her husband’s table. They’ve got finished plates, full waters. Not sure what the problem is. Or I do, which is worse.

     “Yes?” I say trying to suppress my annoyance.

     “Could you be bothered to serve us?”

     Only five more hours on shift. I have a break in three minutes. I’ll be with Devin at Georgia Tech tomorrow. “I’m sorry, ma’am,” I say, so careful to keep my words even, but I can feel my hands balling into fists. “What would you—?”

     And suddenly Amy swoops in, dropping two mugs of coffee down. “Sorry about that, you two,” she says, her voice extra high. “The machine was conking out on us, but it’s fine now.”

     Once the coffee is down, she hooks onto a chunk of my shirt, steering us back to the bar.

     “Thanks,” I mutter, embarrassed to have forgotten something so basic. Again.

     “Just keep it together, man,” she says. “Maybe you’d be better off with that creepy night shift where all the truckers and serial killers come in.”

     Honestly, at least the serial killers wouldn’t care about my jump shot.

     It’s a few minutes before my break, but clearly I need it. “I’ll be in the back room.”

     Right before I can head that way though, someone straight-up bursts into the diner and rushes over to me at the bar. It’s a middle-aged dad type, sunburned skin, beer belly, and stained T-shirt.

     “Pickup order?” I ask.

     “You should be ashamed,” he sneers at me. He has a really strong Southern accent, but it’s not Georgian. “Think you’re so high and mighty, that nothing’ll ever affect you? My kid’ll never go to college because of you and your lifestyle. Fuck you, Barclay Ell—”

     And before this man can finish cursing my name, Pat of all people runs in, wide-eyed in humiliation. “Jesus, Dad, please don’t—”

      I pin my gaze on him, remembering how he cowered on the bench as Ostrowski went off, how he didn’t even try to approach me. “Don’t even bother,” I snap.

     I shove a to-go bag into his dad’s arms, relieved it’s prepaid, and storm off to the break room.]

     Amy finds me head in my arms a minute or two later. I look up, rubbing my eyes. “Please spare me the pity.”

     She snorts and hands me a milkshake. Mint chocolate chip. “Wouldn’t dare.” She takes a seat and rolls her shoulders and neck, cracks sounding through the tiny room. “Do you want a distraction or a shoulder to cry on?”

For more information, and to purchase your copy of Time Out, click here.

Reframing the COVID-19 Pandemic Through a Stage Manager’s Eyes
By: Kaitlyn Riggio
5 July 2022

When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a national emergency in the United States in March 2020, Broadway veteran stage manager Richard Hester watched the nation’s anxiety unfold on social media.

“No one knew what the virus was going to do,” Hester said. Some people were “losing their minds in abject terror, and then there were some people who were completely denying the whole thing.”

For Hester, the reaction at times felt like something out of a movie. “It was like the Black Plague,” he said. “Some people thought it was going to be like that Monty Python sketch: ‘bring out your dead, bring out your dead.’”

While Hester was also unsure about how the virus would unfold, he felt that his “job as a stage manager is to naturally defuse drama.” Hester brought this approach off the stage and onto social media in the wake of the pandemic.

“I just sort of synthesized everything that was happening into what I thought was a manageable bite, so people could get it,” Hester said. This became a daily exercise for a year. Over two years after the beginning of the pandemic, Hester’s accounts are compiled in the book, Hold Please: Stage Managing A Pandemic. Released earlier this year, the book documents the events of the past two years, filtering national events and day-to-day occurrences through a stage manager’s eyes and storytelling.

When Hester started this project, he had no intention of writing a book. He was originally writing every day because there was nothing else to do. “I am somebody who needs a job or needs a structure,” Hester said.

Surprised to find that people began expecting his daily posts, he began publishing his daily writing to his followers through a Substack newsletter. As his following grew, Hester had to get used to writing for an audience. “I started second guessing myself a lot of the time,” Hester said. “It just sort of put a weird pressure on it.”

Hester said he got especially nervous before publishing posts in which he wrote about more personal topics. For example, some of his posts focused on his experiences growing up in South Africa while others centered on potentially divisive topics, such as the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Despite some of this discomfort, Hester’s more personal posts were often the ones that got the most response. The experience offered him a writing lesson. “I stopped worrying about the audience and just wrote what I wanted to write about,” Hester said. “All of that pressure that I think as artists we put on ourselves, I got used to it.”

One of Hester’s favorite anecdotes featured in the book centers on a woman who dances in Washington Square Park on a canvas, rain or shine. He said he was “mesmerized by her,” which inspired him to write about her. “It was literally snowing and she was barefoot on her canvas dancing, and that seems to me just a spectacularly beautiful metaphor for everything that we all try and do, and she was living that to the fullest.”

During the creation of Hold Please, Hester got the unique opportunity to reflect in-depth on the first year of the pandemic by looking back at his accounts. He realized that post people would not remember the details of the lockdown; people would “remember it as a gap in their lives, but they weren’t going to remember it beat by beat.”

“Reliving each of those moments made me realize just how full a year it was, even though none of us were doing anything outside,” he adds. “We were all on our couches.” Readers will use the book as a way to relive moments of the pandemic’s first year “without having to wallow in the misery of it,” he hopes.

“I talk about the misery of it, but that’s not the focus of what I wrote... it was about hope and moving forward,” Hester said. “In these times when everything is so difficult, we will figure out a way to get through and we will move forward.”

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