Donors

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

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.

Performers

Michael Havens

Electric Guitar

Stephanie Berger

Medium Alison

Isaac Bouldin

Roy

Carlyn Connolly

Helen

Michael Hunsaker

Bruce

Hayley Palmer

Alison

Alexandra Rivers

Joan

Josh Romeo

John

Lillian Salazar

Christian

Riley Whisnant

Small Alison

Setting

Rural Pennsylvania

There will be no intermission.

Songs & Scenes

Act I

Scene 13

Small Alison, Adult Alison, Bruce and Joan

Scene 14

Medium Alison, Adult Alison, Bruce and Joan

Scene 15: “Ring of Keys”

Small Alison, Adult Alison and Bruce

Scene 16

Medium Alison, Adult Alison, Helen and Joan

Scene 17

Medium Alison, Adult Alison, Helen and Bruce

Scene 18

Medium Alison, Adult Alison, Helen, Bruce, Joan and Roy

“Days and Days”

Helen

Scene 19: “Telephone Wire”

Adult Alison and Bruce

Scene 20: “Edges of the World”

Adult Alison and Bruce

Scene 21: “Flying Away”

Small Alison, Medium Alison and Adult Alison

Act I

Scene 1: “It All Comes Back”

Small Alison, Bruce and Adult Alison

Scene 2: “Welcome to Our House on Maple Avenue”

Small Alison, Adult Alison, Helen, Bruce, Christian and John

Scene 3: “Not Too Bad”

Medium Alison, Adult Alison and Bruce

Scene 4: “Come to the Fun Home”

Small Alison, Adult Alison, Bruce, Pete, Christian and John

Scene 5

Medium Alison and Joan

Scene 6

Small Alison, Adult Alison, Helen, Bruce, Roy, Christian and John

"Helen's Étude"

Medium Alison and Joan

Scene 7

Medium Alison and Joan

Scene 8: “Party Dress”

Small Alison, Medium Alison and Bruce

Scene 9: “Changing My Major”

Medium Alison, Adult Alison and Joan

Scene 10

Small Alison, Adult Alison, Helen and Bruce

"Maps"

Adult Alison and Bruce

Scene 11

Bruce and Roy

Scene 12

Small Alison, Adult Alison, Helen and Bruce

“Raincoat of Love”

Small Alison, The Susan Deys, Adult Alison, Helen, Bruce, Bobby Jeremy, Christian and John

Production Staff

Producing Artistic Director

Ginger Poole

Director

Katherine Quinn

Music Director‍

Dan Pardo

Director of Production

Matt Shields

Scenic Designer

Jimmy Ray Ward

Lighting Designer

Bill Webb

Sound Designer

Savannah Woodruff

Costume Designer

Jessica Gaffney

Production Stage Manager‍

Kailey Absher*

Assistant Stage Manager

Erin Alexis Markham

Intimacy Choreographer

Molly Hood

Dramaturg

Katie Stueckle

Carpenter

Drew Callahan Trenten Woods

Production Photographer/Digital Advertising

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

Music Director‍

Dan Pardo

Drums

J.T. Fauber

Guitar

Mike Havens

Reeds

Teresa Hedrick

Reeds Sub

Curtis Nichols

Music Director

Christopher D. Littlefield

Assistant Music Director; Conductor/Keys

Seth Davis

Drums

J.T. Fauber

Guitar

Michael Havens & Evin Bowman

Reeds

Teresa Hedrick

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 Dramaturg

Alison Bechdel is a Butch Lesbian: What That Is and Why It Matters

“I felt absurd in a dress”

Fun Home is about many things: family, fathers, the past, mental health, connection and disconnection, healing, etc. It speaks to the immense depth and complexity of the human experience through one cartoonist’s individual experience. It is impressive that Alison Bechdel’s memoir (in both its original graphic novel form and the musical adaptation) hits home for so many, since her personal life is certainly not ordinary or mainstream. From the little girl who would rather wear boys’ clothes to the adult grown into her sense of self, Alison’s journey is inseparable from her identity as a butch lesbian. The Fun Home musical was written with this in mind, and this aspect of Alison’s real life was not an optional hold-over for the fictionalized Alison onstage. Lesbian characters are uncommon – butch lesbians and gender-non-conforming characters even more so. By keeping true to Alison Bechdel’s real life, Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori created representation that has introduced many theatregoers to a specific identity with its own rich history. So what does it mean to be a butch lesbian, and where did it come from?

“You seem okay with being strong”

Fundamentally, a butch lesbian is a lesbian who exhibits a masculine identity. That can mean a wide variety of things depending on who you ask! Butch lesbians come to the label in a variety of ways: some are uncomfortable with femininity from childhood, some realize their connection after decades of heterosexual marriage. Overall, lesbian masculinity is built on a foundation of community, respecting women, liberation and comfort. When asked to describe what a butch lesbian looks like, many people will suggest calling cards like short hair, boots, hooking one’s ring of keys on a belt loop, and dressing in menswear: all these things are common among butches, but style and identity are not synonymous. Plenty of masculine lesbians do not identify as butch, because the identity goes beyond aesthetic. For many, butch is intrinsically connected to inner strength– the same kind of strength one would expect from a mountain, a deep rooted tree, or perhaps a battleaxe. To be a butch lesbian is to protect and provide for the community. Embracing a ‘masculine identity’ and fully rejecting society’s expectations for women (looking feminine, dating men) is both freeing and terrifying. Living a day-to-day existence of visible queerness is a radical act. Yet butches feel liberated and confident by their style and manners, and high visibility it is worth it to feel comfortable in one’s own skin.

“She was an old-school butch”

Masculine women who love other women have existed throughout history. However, the language we have to describe these people is limited at best. It’s impossible to know how historical figures might choose to describe themselves with modern words and concepts. Even our current language lacks nuance – when your language is formed within a binary, it’s basically impossible to break out of that system and create words that sum up complicated human lives. It is important to note that ‘butch’ has not been the only word used for masculine lesbian identity. Different groups, especially distinct racial communities, have diverse language and words to describe these dynamics. Additionally, the word ‘butch’ has been used in plenty of contexts outside of lesbian identity as well.

In the lesbian bar culture of the mid-1900’s, working-class lesbians who wore mens’ clothes for safety in traditionally male workplaces and for their own personal freedom formed what it meant to be butch. Butch identity goes hand-in-hand with its femme counterpart. Butches created courtship rituals and community with femmes, who dressed in feminine clothes and were able to hold higher-paying jobs and pass more safely through regular society. These groups of lesbians provided each other with love and protection: for example, butches offered femmes physical protection from men, while femmes helped butches maintain financial stability.

Butch lesbian culture faced backlash from many directions. While police raids would target butches, as well as drag queens and trans folk, for not wearing “proper gender” attire and mainstream society saw butches as ‘incorrect women’, other groups also voiced criticism. White gay men and lesbians whose goal was to assimilate into mainstream culture distanced themselves from visibly different groups like transgender people, drag queens, butches, and LGBT+ communities of color; separatist feminists claimed that the butch/femme dynamic was ‘imitating heterosexuality’ and butches were trying to ‘emulate men’. In the 1970’s, this pushback caused butch and femme identities to be less prominent in white lesbian communities. (Since the mainstream feminist movement was majority white and upper class, masculine identities persisted and grew in excluded communities, especially among Black lesbians.)

By the time Alison Bechdel was coming of age in the 1980’s, butch was re-emerging as a general lesbian-specific gender identity no longer connected to social class. In an era where women were regularly wearing pants to work and androgyny was becoming normalized, the working-class origins of butch and femme dissipated, as well as the expectation that lesbian couples would follow the butch/femme dynamic. Personal style played a large role in identity. As the gay rights movement and the AIDS crisis moved forward, the LGBT community started to take shape as a more united front and lesbians mingled more with other populations. Now, fewer lesbians find personal meaning in historic butch and femme identities due to continuously changing understanding of sexuality, gender, and style, although strong communities still exist.

“I want to know what’s true, dig deep into who / and what and why and when”

If unfamiliar with the history and meaning behind butch identity, it can be easy to think of butches as just ‘lesbians who dress like men’. However, a clearer understanding of history helps us all form stronger connections and community, and knowledge of this particular lesbian perspective creates a deeper understanding of the musical you’ve come to see. One of the most beautiful things about Fun Home is that there are moments of connection for every audience member, no matter how different your story may be from Alison’s. The search for knowledge about ourselves, others, truth, past, present, and future is ongoing… I hope we all find something new and true in this space together. Thank you for reading!

-Katie Stueckle, Dramaturg

Letter from the Director

Hi, there. I’m so glad we’re all at the theater. Specifically, I’m glad you’re at our show.

Welcome to the kaleidoscopic Russian doll Rubik’s Cube that is Lisa Kron, Jeanine Tesori, and Alison Bechdel’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning musical Fun Home. The show is an autobiographical memory play based on Alison Bechdel’s 2006 graphic novel of the same name. The story unpacks Alison Bechdel’s relationship with her late father as she unpacks and discovers her own identity. We vacillate in time between 1969 through the early 70s for Alison’s childhood, around 1980 when she’s at Oberlin College, and around 2005 as she writes Fun Home, the graphic novel. The piece investigates family relationships, the masks we all wear to get by (How do they serve us? When do they? Do we know who we are beneath them?), queerness, coming-of-age, worldliness, how your life measures up to your expectations--and more. It’s an efficient, densely packed 90 minutes!

It’s particularly meaningful to have the opportunity to present this piece during Pride Month. Three-dimensional queer characters remain underrepresented in musical theater. Queer female characters, in particular, remain underrepresented in musical theater. Fun Home doesn’t just provide a three-dimensional queer heroine; it gives young queer kids musical theater anthems--their own “I want” songs. Watching a 12-year-old kid sing “Ring of Keys” would have meant the world to me growing up. And perhaps I wouldn’t have had the words to say so, much like Small Alison doesn’t, but I would have felt her sentiment upon seeing visible queerness for the first time: ‘I know you.’

It’s a gift to do theater in any capacity right now. Getting to work on a piece like this? An embarrassment of riches. I hope our Fun Home offers you a bit of the yearning, the discovery, the beauty, and the solace it has provided me. It’s the kind of story that burrows into your head and heart and sort of sticks there--it’s special in that way. Welcome to the Fun Home.

Warmly,
Katharine Quinn

Meet the Cast

Michael Havens

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Electric Guitar

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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.

Stephanie Berger

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Medium Alison

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Pronouns:

she/her

Stephanie Berger is thrilled to be making her debut at Mill Mountain Theatre! Originally from Miami, Florida, she recently graduated from Florida Southern College with a BFA in Musical Theatre and a minor in Psychology. Recent regional credits include performances with The Rev (Merry-Go-Round Playhouse), as well as Kate Monster in Avenue Q, and Fiona in Shrek.You can also catch her performances as Chef Pisghetti in Mill Mountain’s production of Curious George this summer! In addition, she served as the President of the award-winning Studio Box Improv troupe. She has a passion for comedy, teaching, and spreading the love of theatre to everyone she meets. Many thanks to her family and friends for all the love and support! She is grateful and excited for such an amazing opportunity!

Isaac Bouldin

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Roy

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Pronouns:

he/him

Isaac Bouldin is a Roanoke native and an MMT Conservatory alumni. He has previously appeared with MMT in Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Timeless Twenties, MMT’s immersive theatre experience. He is currently studying musical theatre at Belmont University in Nashville, TN.

Carlyn Connolly

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Helen

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Pronouns:

she/her

Carlyn Connolly (Helen) is a NYC-based performer and start-up founder, returning to MMT for the first time since 2016. Carlyn has previously been seen on the Trinkle Mainstage in White Christmas (Betty Haynes), Swing! (Vocalist), and The Sound of Music (Elsa Schraeder). Select regional credits include The Sound of Music (Virginia Opera), Hello, Dolly! (Virginia Musical Theatre), Cabaret (Ivoryton Playhouse), An American In Paris (Arts Center of Coastal Carolina), and The Music Man (North Shore Music Theatre). Carlyn is endlessly grateful to Fun Home’s fearless leader, Katharine Quinn, as well as Dan, Ginger, Kailey, Erin, and the entire MMT Family for choosing to tell this important story. Love always to Mom, Dad, Devin, Melissa, and Joe.

Michael Hunsaker

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Bruce

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Pronouns:

he/him

Michael is thrilled to return to MMT! Currently the Head of Musical Theater for Lynn University where he directed The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. He has written several musicals including Out of Frame, Fetching Water, and Measures of Man. His most recent musical A Simple Romance (based on Shakespeare’s Sonnets) received its world premiere in Virginia Beach last Spring (Cast Recording can be found on streaming platforms). Michael holds a BFA in Music Theatre from Florida State University and an MFA in Film Production from Full Sail University. As an actor, Michael has performed all over the world. Notable roles include: Jean Valjean (Les Misérables/BroadwayWorld Award), Fred/Petruchio (Kiss Me, Kate/BroadwayWorld Award), Jesus and Judas (Jesus Christ Superstar), and Billy Bigelow (Carousel).

Hayley Palmer

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Alison

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Pronouns:

she/they

Hayley is absolutely thrilled to be back onstage at Mill Mountain Theatre where she was last seen as Tanya in 2019’s Mamma Mia! A San Diego native, she was the Swing and Dance Captain for the National Tour of Beauty and the Beast, and later played Lady Macbeth in over 250 performances of the Off-Broadway hit and New York Times Critic’s Pick Drunk Shakespeare. Hayley earned her M.F.A. in Acting from the University of California Irvine and has an extensive background in improvisation from Chicago's iO Theatre. She now lives in New York City where she teaches for New York University and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Hayley travels to Scotland this summer to progress toward designation in the Linklater Voice Technique. AEA, SAG-AFTRA.

Alexandra Rivers

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Joan

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Pronouns:

she/her

Alexandra Rivers is so grateful to be making her first appearance on the Mill Mountain stage this summer in a show that is so near and dear to her heart. Coming all the way from Philadelphia, she recently earned a B.A. in both Theatre and Media & Communication from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Favorite credits include En El Tiempo de Las Mariposas (Older Dedé), Les Miserables (Fantine), and Next to Normal. This fall, Alexandra will be heading to Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota, Florida where she will serve as an acting apprentice for the 2022-2023 season. She is eternally grateful to all of the wonderful people at Mill Mountain who made her experience this summer such a special one, and is always thankful for her family, friends, and incredible professors as well. Outside of performing, Alexandra is passionate about photography and can be found on Instagram.

Josh Romeo

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John

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Pronouns:

he/him

Josh Romeo is a rising senior at Wagner College studying Theatre Performance. Previous credits include Owen in On The 20th Century and Emily’s Mother in Go. Please. Go. Last summer, he worked at Cedar Point performing in their immersive experience, Forbidden Frontier. He is the president and creator of The Spin Cycle - Wagner’s premier improv troupe! Check them out at @spincycle_official.

Lillian Salazar

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Christian

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Pronouns:

they/them

Lillian (they/them) is making their Mill Mountain Theatre debut! They are currently going into their Junior year as a musical theatre major at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Some past credits include Head Over Heels (Mopsa), Ride The Cyclone (Constance), In The Heights (Vanessa), Heathers (Heather Chandler). Lillian is so excited to be on stage again with this amazing cast and team! Science rocks! They are extremely grateful for their family, friends and everyone who has supported them throughout the years. Enjoy the show!

Riley Whisnant

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Small Alison

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Pronouns:

she/her

Riley Whisnant, a rising 7th grader at Roanoke Catholic School, is thrilled to return to the Waldron Stage. She has performed in 19 shows across the Roanoke Valley including The Sound of Music (Gretl), The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy), and As You Like It (Amiens, Corine, and Dennis). She trains with Mill Mountain Theatre Conservatory, Virginia Children’s Theatre Academy and the Kevin Jones Performing Arts Studio. She is grateful to Ginger, Katharine, Victoria, Seth, Tiffany and the rest of the Mill Mountain Theatre staff for giving her the opportunity to perform this very special role. She thanks all who have encouraged her to follow her dreams! Enjoy the show!

Meet the Team

Ginger Poole

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Producing Artistic Director

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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.

Katharine Quinn

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Director

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Pronouns:

she/her

Katharine Quinn is delighted to return to Mill Mountain Theatre! Katharine is a theater artist based in New York City. Favorite credits: Tootsie (Broadway), Hercules (The Public), Legally Blonde, The Lodger, James and the Giant Peach (Northern Stage), Cabaret (Dallas Theater Center), Newsies, Mamma Mia (Tuacahn), White Christmas, 42nd Street, Always Andrews (Mill Mountain Theatre). Awards and Nominations: Goodspeed Observership, SDCF Traube Fellowship, Best Choreography Nominee (Newsies) BroadwayWorld Dallas, Best of Theatre 2018 (Mamma Mia!) OnStage, Fred, Gene, and Louise Kelly Tap Award. Katharine is also a full-time voice actor (www.voicedbykate.com) and runs an AirBnb in the Catskills (@quinnhollowhunter). MA Arts Administration, UK College of Arts and Sciences. BFA Theatre Directing, SMU.

Dan Pardo

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Music Director

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Pronouns:

he/him

Dan Pardo is a freelance music director, pianist, educator, and arranger, based in NYC. He is so happy to revisit Fun Home, after conducting a memorable run of the piece at the Weston Playhouse, in 2018. Broadway: Amazing Grace (Nederlander Theatre). Off-Broadway: I Spy a Spy, The Office: A Musical Parody, Rothschild and Sons, and Skippyjon Jones: Snow What? Regional favorites include Company at the Barrington Stage (starring Aaron Tveit), How to Succeed at The 5th Avenue Theatre (Seattle), and Alice at Yale School of Drama. Dan was also on the resident music staff at Goodspeed for several seasons. In 2019, Dan music-directed his first TV project, the Emmy-nominated variety special, John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch, for Netflix. As an educator, Dan teaches regularly for Harlem School of the Arts. You can also see him play at several piano bars and cabaret venues throughout the city.

Erin Alexis Markham

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Assistant Stage Manager

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Pronouns:

She/her

Erin Markham is a Roanoke native with a lifelong passion for the theatre and music. She graduated summa cum laude from Radford University with a B.S. in Theatre and an emphasis in stage management. Along with stage managing several productions and student projects at RU, Erin worked as a House Manager, Box Office Assistant, and an Assistant to the Chair. In previous summers, Erin has worked with the Christiansburg Dance Academy, the Virginia Governor’s School for Arts and Humanities, and Mill Mountain Theatre’s Education tour of Curious George: The Golden Meatball. Her most recent work includes Assistant Stage Manager for Mill Mountain Theatre’s productions of Bright Star, Jersey Boys, Holiday Inn, The Diary of Anne Frank and Fun Home. Erin hopes this show gives you all the warm fuzzies (without the swollen tongue!)

Bill Webb

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Lighting Design

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Pronouns:

Bill is thrilled to be returning to Mill Mountain Theatre as the Lighting Designer for Million Dollar Quartet. Bill is a native of Alfred, NY, where he received his Bachelor of the Arts in Theatre from Alfred University in 1988. He continued training at The University of North Carolina School of the Arts where he earned his Master of Fine Arts in Scenic Technology in 1994. Since 1996 Bill has been on faculty at Elon University in North Carolina where he serves as the Lighting Designer/Production Manager for the Performing Arts Department. Bill has been designing lights at Mill Mountain since the MMT production of Swing in 2014 with 30 MMT Lighting design credits. In addition to his work at Mill Mountain Theatre, Bill has worked throughout the United States for companies such as Cirque Du Soliel, I Weiss, Bungalow Scenic Studios and Arkansas Repertory Theatre.

Jessica Gaffney

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Costume Designer

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Pronouns:

She/her

Jessica Gaffney (Costume Designer) earned her Master of Fine Arts in costume and scenery design at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Ms. Gaffney has designed costumes for over seventy-five theatrical productions for a variety of Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, and Regional Theatre companies. Favorite Mill Mountain Theatre credits include Costume Design for Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr. and A Christmas Story. In addition to theatre Ms. Gaffney has designed costumes and scenery for several award-winning film projects, having most recently designed the video "Decades of Fashion" for Reeds Jewelers.

Matt Shields

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Technical Director & Props Designer

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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.

Jimmy Ray Ward

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Scenic Designer

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Pronouns:

he/him

With an MFA in Design from UNC-Greensboro, his credits include work at many theatre companies along the East coast such as Spoleto Festival USA, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Seaside Music Theatre, Flatrock Playhouse, and the Gainesville Theatre Alliance. Locally, Jimmy designs for Opera Roanoke, Roanoke Children's Theatre, and Mill Mountain Theatre, where he worked as resident designer for its last nine seasons. Some favorite designs over the years include scenery for Il Trovatore, The Flying Dutchman, The Adventures of Frog and Toad, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Seussical, and Grease, costumes for Hamlet, Beauty and the Beast, Joseph…Technicolor Dreamcoat, and lighting for Driving Miss Daisy, Wit, and Rapunzel, among many others. Despite years of working in a field he loves, Jimmy feels that his best productions to date are his children, Henry and Lily, Gracie and Frank.

Kailey Absher

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Production Stage Manager

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Pronouns:

Kailey Absher is a local Virginian, growing up nearby in the New River Valley. She is a graduate of Radford University, where she earned her BS in Theatre with an emphasis on Stage Management, as well as minors in English and Communications. Past SM Credits at MMT include recently: The Cake, A Christmas Story, Million Dollar Quartet, and Tomás and the Library Lady. Kailey has worked as part of the intern company for The Rev (Formally Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival) and well as two seasons of outdoor theatre.

J.T. Fauber

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Percussion

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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.

Molly Hood

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Intimacy Choreographer

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Pronouns:

she/her

Molly is an actor, choreographer, and director. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Radford University where she teaches in the acting sequence and directs on the main stage. Most recently she directed RU’s spring musical, The Drowsy Chaperone. A native of Virginia, Molly performed, choreographed, and acted as a text coach for many seasons with the Richmond Shakespeare Festival. Previous intimacy choreography includes productions of: The Tragedy of Macbeth, Wonder of the World, Next Fall, and as a consultant for numerous student-directed productions. Molly holds an M.F.A. in Classical Acting from The Shakespeare Theatre Company Academy for Classical Acting at The George Washington University.

Katie Stueckle

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Dramaturg

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Pronouns:

she/her

Katie is a Roanoke-based freelance dramaturg and collaborator who focuses her work on community building, lesbian stories, and subversive classical adaptations. She graduated from Hollins University in 2020 with a degree in English Literature and Performance. She has worked as a dramaturg locally at Hollins University (Decision Height, The Revolutionists, Fun Home, and Winter Festival of New Works), and more broadly on productions at the Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Still Imminent Rep, and Belmont University.

Savannah Woodruff

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Lead Electrician & Sound Engineer

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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.

Teresa Hedrick

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Woodwinds

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Pronouns:

she/her

Teresa is excited to be marking her 53rd show in the Mill Mountain Theatre pit! Other theatre work includes Hollins University Theatre Department and Columbia, South Carolina's Town Theatre and Workshop Theatre where her very first show was Sweeney Todd. Teresa has been playing woodwinds since age 12, and was a member of the Dennis Reaser Orchestra, Roanoke Jazz Orchestra, founder of Star City Swing for the Salem Jazz Festival, and is in the Sway Katz Big Band. She performs regularly for area churches and special occasions, and has performed extensively around Southwest VA including concerts with Gladys Knight, The Temptations, Shirley Jones and Maureen McGovern. Teresa teaches woodwinds at Hollins University and Roanoke College, and taught at Bluefield University from 2009-2019. She also teaches woodwinds and her husband Steve teaches brass at Hedrick Music Studios. They own Hedrick Music, Inc., which publishes the Band Fundamentals Book Series.

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2021 National Touring Cast

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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.

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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.

While You Wait

With the help of our friends at Theatrely.com, Marquee Digital has you covered with exclusive content while you wait for the curtain to rise.

Elizabeth Gillies Extends Run in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Graham Phillips Joins Cast as Seymore

Emily Wyrwa

May 27, 2025

Fresh Meat at Little Shop! Elizabeth Gillies has extended her sold-out run as Audrey in the Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors — and will reunite with her former 13: The Musical co-star Graham Phillips when he joins the production as Seymore.

The pair will perform together from June 17 to July 27, 2025 at the Westside Theatre Off-Broadway.

“We are really excited to now see Liz reunite onstage with her friend, the incredibly talented Graham Phillips,” producer Tom Kirdahy said in a statement. “We cannot wait to see him bring his Seymour to life at the Westside Theatre!”

Currently, Gillies stars alongside Milo Manheim, who will play Seymore in the production through June 1. Between June 3 and June 15, the roles of Seymour & Audrey will be played by a rotating cast of Little Shop all-stars: Jeff Sears & Morgan Ashley Bryant (June 3-5), Weston Chandler Long & Morgan Ashley Bryant (June 6-8), Johnny Newcomb & Daria Pilar Redus (June 10-15).

Little Shop of Horrors has played Off-Broadway at the Westside Theatre since 2019, opening to widespread acclaim. It features a book and lyrics by Grammy and Academy Award winner Howard Ashman, and music by Tony and Academy Award winner Alan Menken (Aladdin, Newsies). This production is directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer.

Seymour is a down-on-his-luck florist with a crush on his co-worker Audrey. When he discovers a mysterious – and voracious – plant, suddenly Seymour and Audrey are thrust into an epic battle that will determine the fate of the entire human race. Little Shop of Horrors first premiered Off-Broadway in 1982, making audiences laugh, scream, and permanently swear off gardening. Since then, it has become a global phenomenon, with numerous productions from Broadway to London’s West End and a 1986 film adaptation.

Little Shop of Horrors is in performance at the Westside Theatre on West 43rd Street in New York City. For tickets and more information, visit here.

It's Montego Glover's Turn to Take on Rose in GYPSY for 8 Performances

Emily Wyrwa

May 27, 2025

It’s gonna be her turn! Tony Award nominee Montego Glover will step into the role of Rose in Gypsy from June 30 to July 6, 2025.

While Audra McDonald, who is nominated for the 2025 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, is on vacation, Glover will play eight shows in the iconic role.

Glover is best known for her work in Broadway’s Memphis, Les Miserables, The Color Purple, and the 2022/23 revival of Into the Woods. She will take the stage alongside Tony Award Winner Danny Burnstein as Herbie, Joy Woods as Louise, Jordan Tyson as June, Kevin Csolak as Tulsa, and Lesli Margherita as Tessie Tura.

Based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the classic Broadway show is the ultimate tale of mothers and daughters, ambition and fame, and the lengths we’ll go in pursuit of the American dream. Its lyrics were written by the legendary Stephen Sondheim, with a book written by Tony Award winner Arthur Laurents and music by Tony winner Jule Styne.

The 2025 revival was directed by George C. Wolfe, and features choreography by Tony Award nominee Camille A. Brown. It was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical.

Gypsy is in performance at the Majestic Theatre on West 44th Street in New York City. For tickets and more information, visit here.

Musical Theatre Factory Combines Technology and Musical Theatre in New Experience

Emily Wyrwa

May 27, 2025

Musical Theatre Factory is launching its MTFxR Garage, a six-day collaboration that combines musical theatre and extended reality (XR).

The new experience will be hosted by NUI ITP/IMA and Media Commons at 370 Jay, a cutting-edge XR facility in Downtown Brooklyn. Three teams of artists and student technologists will come together in a hackathon to co-create new musical theatre XR works including virtual reality, motion capture, and beyond. The projects will be presented in a public summit on June 26.

“We aren't looking to replace theatre in physical spaces, but rather engage artists in exploring the possibilities for transforming their practices, work, and livelihoods with technology,” MTFxR program’s manager Brandon Powers said in a statement.

MTF hopes that this experience will foster education, collaboration, and field building. Beyond that, they aim to build partnerships between educational institutions, creative technology, and the nonprofit/commercial arts sectors to help the arts have more impact and reach.

“Building the future takes a deep, rigorous collaboration between artists and technologists, and the Garage serves as a place for such collaborations to thrive,” Powers said.

Theatrely News

Elizabeth Gillies Extends Run in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Graham Phillips Joins Cast as Seymore

Theatrely News

It's Montego Glover's Turn to Take on Rose in GYPSY for 8 Performances

Theatrely News

Musical Theatre Factory Combines Technology and Musical Theatre in New Experience

Elizabeth Gillies Extends Run in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Graham Phillips Joins Cast as Seymore

By: Emily Wyrwa

May 27, 2025

Little Shop of Horrors is in performance at the Westside Theatre on West 43rd Street in New York City. For tickets and more information, visit here.

It's Montego Glover's Turn to Take on Rose in GYPSY for 8 Performances

By: Emily Wyrwa

May 27, 2025

It’s gonna be her turn! Tony Award nominee Montego Glover will step into the role of Rose in Gypsy from June 30 to July 6, 2025.

While Audra McDonald, who is nominated for the 2025 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, is on vacation, Glover will play eight shows in the iconic role.

The 2025 revival was directed by George C. Wolfe, and features choreography by Tony Award nominee Camille A. Brown. It was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical.

Gypsy is in performance at the Majestic Theatre on West 44th Street in New York City. For tickets and more information, visit here.

Musical Theatre Factory Combines Technology and Musical Theatre in New Experience

By: Emily Wyrwa

May 27, 2025

Musical Theatre Factory is launching its MTFxR Garage, a six-day collaboration that combines musical theatre and extended reality (XR).

“Building the future takes a deep, rigorous collaboration between artists and technologists, and the Garage serves as a place for such collaborations to thrive,” Powers said.