Digital Program
Skidmore Theater presents:
BLACK SUPER HERO MAGIC MAMA
Written by Inda Craig-Galván
Directed by Eunice S. Ferreira
NOV. 22-24 + DEC. 5-7, 2024
All Shows At 8pm, Except Sunday at 2pm
The Sunday 2pm performance offers Closed Captioning. Closed Captioning provides text-based descriptions of dialogue and important sounds in a performance, making the show more accessible to those who are deaf or hard of hearing. This service is provided by Ai-Media and sponsored by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty and the Presidential Discretionary Fund, in collaboration with the Arts Administration Program and Theater Department.
Black Super Hero Magic Mama is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by TRW PLAYS 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036 www.trwplays.com
FEATURING:
FEATURING (in order of appearance):
Tramarion Jackson………………………….. Darren Jackson-Wilkins*
Sabrina Jackson/Maasai Angel ………………………Jocelyn Khoury
Host………………………………………………………………… Mbaye Seck
Lena Evers………………………………………………………. Bree Dossou
Connie Wright/Lady Vulture…………………………………….. Jojo Zou
Tom Blackman/Human Hyena………………………….. Shane Forbes
Coach Corey Brackett/Deep Thinker……………………… Ace Hafez
Flat Joe/Black Superman………………………………… Jae Tolentino
Dave Lester/Death Tap…………………………………… George Fortin
*indicates a member of the Miranda Family Fellowship
Understudies: Tommy Cattalani (Dave Lester / Death Tap), Beti Essa (Cameraperson, Understudy Lena), Sofia Fenner (Connie Wright / Lady Vulture), and Chrismeyris Garcia Ulloa (Lena), Mbaye Seck (Understudy Coach Corey Brackett/Deep Thinker)
CREATIVE TEAM:
Eunice S. Ferreira (Director), Garett Wilson (Scenic Design), Marcus Kwame Anderson (Graphic/Comic Design and Co-Costume Design), Samantha Garwood (Co-Costume Design), Jared Klein (Lighting Design), Kieron Dwayne Sargeant (Fight & Dance choreographer), Jordan Zickmann (Sound Design) , Xander Burt (Stage Manager)
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Noelle Dravis (Asst. Stage Manager), Emile Sentveld (Asst. Stage Manager), Adelaide Lance (Asst. Scenic Designer, Props Coordinator), Jess Goerold (Paint Charge), Jared Klein (Technical Director), Brandon Sewall (Asst. Technical Director), Lila Sandler (Wardrobe Supervisor), Lu Glassberg (Co-Master Electrician), Isadora Zucker (Co-Master Electrician), Elena Chawla (Asst. Master Electrician), Eliza Clark (Asst. Costume Designer), Ella Theoharis (Asst. Lighting Design), Penelope Gibeau (Asst. to the Video Designer), Lavida Barkley (Wig Maker and consultant/Maasai Angel), Gray Sippl (Sound Op), Becca Durst (Light Op), Garin Miner Drewes (Video Op), John Poremba (Run Crew)
CONTENT DISCLOSURES:
The play contains depictions of grief, depression, death at the hands of police gun violence, strong language, prop weapons, stylized fights, theatrical atmospherics, loud sounds, and flashing/strobing lights.
PLEASE NOTE:
The video and/or audio recording of this performance is strictly prohibited.
PRODUCTION CREWS:
Scenic Build
Eliza Clark, Jasper Coles, Katie Cromie, Becca Durst, Penelope Gibeau, Benjamin Harris, Maggie Krieg, Connor Mcintyre, Mira Meola, Theo Perkins, Lila Sandler, Gray Sippl, Meghan Wax, Tom Wilkens, Elina Zhu
Electrics Crew
Ken Caron-Quinn, Tommy Cattalani, Lucia Cicerchia, Noelle Dravis, Garin Miner Drews, Becca Durst, George Fortin, Penelope Gibeau, Sophie Kelly, Sydney Mann, Mira Meola, Aiden Provost, Milo Scowden, Tom Wilkens, Elina Zhu
Costume Shop
Elena Chawla, Lucas Falick, Emma Froelich, Cameron Greenberg, Nex Hagen, Beckett Kerner, Finn Krol, Theo Leff, Julia Mangum, Ariana Marich, Rosemary Pagliano, Lila Sandler, Milo Scowden, Anna Staltari, Heidi Usami, Ella Wacks, Elina Zhu
Paint Crew
Ken Caron-Quinn, Katie Cromie, Emma Froelich, Chrismeyris Garcia Ulloa, Cameron Greenberg, Theo Leff, Vasanti Liu, Julia Mangum, Lex Roach, Adeline Rudolph, Rose Schuette, Katie Steele, Meghan Wax, Landon Weber, Em Williams, Katya Yurkovskaya
Props Crew
Anabella Cone, Beckett Kerner, Vasanti Liu, Juliana Lopeez, Reyn Ricafort, Ellie Rosser
Front of House
Stella Dolkart, Mary Dylan Blessing, Pearl McKay, Kim Miles, Adeline Rudolph, Nathan Vardi, Landon Weber, Chenbei Zhou
Theater Technicians
Asher Cortes, Lillian Culver-Anderson, Penelope Gibeau, Lu Glassberg, Maggie Hogan, Max Kraftsow, Ruth Leech, Joshua Lucey, Ella Theoharis, Ava Vitale, Naomi Wagner, Isadora Zucker
Wardrobe
Jade Kleinberg, Julia Mangum, Penelope York
Newsletter
Merritt Baldwin, Charlotte Ballantoni, Emily Landolfi, Ellery Shea, Isadora Zucker
MANAGEMENT STAFF:
Sue Kessler (Management Director), Reyn Ricafort* (General Manager), Aminah Hopewell* (Advertising / Office Manager), Maggie Krieg (Online Media Manager), Sophie Kelly* (Publicity & Social Media Manager), Lucas Falick (Program Manager), Brenna O’Brien (Visuals Manager), Logan Waugh (Photography Manager), Kit Simpson (Newsletter Editor-in-chief), Emily Landolfi (Front of House Manager), Audrey Tignor (Box Office Manager)
*indicates a member of the Miranda Family Fellowship
TIME AND PLACE:
Chicago, present
DIRECTOR’S NOTE:
Art saves lives. I believe in the transformative possibilities of theater because I have witnessed it for myself and others. Black Super Hero Magic Mama is a play about a mother’s superpower of love and the healing power of art. While there is profound grief and violence in the play, Craig-Galván does not leave us in a state of trauma. She gives us the friendship and joy of young Black boys nerding out over comic books, a loving family, broad comedy, and hope for the future. Craig-Galván has wrapped this play in love, and that is what we have also tried to do in our care for each other – from auditions, during the rehearsal process, in being with one another, in community engagement programming, and in sharing this beautiful play.
I fell in love with this play when I saw a production with my then 16 and 14-year-old children of a revised version directed by Monica White Ndounou at Company One Theatre in Boston. My children understood that while they enjoyed the humor and comic book world fantasy, the issues of our “real world” were more absurd and surreal than the imaginary elements. No parent should have to grieve the death of their child at the hands of the police, as did Samaria Rice when her 12-year-old son Tamir Rice was killed while playing in a park in Cleveland, Ohio. It was this incident, and many other stories of violence on Black lives, that inspired playwright and mother Inda Craig-Galván to write the play.
Representation matters. In anticipation of the 2018 release of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, my son Sam joyfully shared his excitement every week about the film introduction of Miles Morales, a Black Latino teen who becomes Spider-Man in his own universe. Sam was bursting with joy because this comic book-loving kid saw himself in Miles. In the film’s final line, Miles says, “Anyone can wear the mask.” For this reason and so many more, I am honored to direct the first play by a Black playwright to be presented as part of the department’s production seminar season and featuring a majority Black/BIPOC cast in a play that is unapologetically rooted in an Afrocentric imagination.
Octavia Butler, the great visionary writer often referred to as the mother of Afrofuturism, explained, “You got to make your own worlds. You got to write yourself in. Whether you were a part of the greater society or not, you got to write yourself in. So I wrote myself in.” (Charlie Rose show, 2000 interview). Principles of Afrofuturism and social justice have guided me as a director and collaborator on this production. Ytasha L. Womack, author of Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture, describes Afrofuturism as an intersection of imagination, technology, the future, and liberation…. Both an artistic aesthetic and a framework for critical theory, Afrofuturism combines elements of science fiction, historical fiction, speculative fiction, fantasy, Afrocentricity, and magic realism.” (Womack 2013, 9) Afrofuturism expresses the hope and possibilities for people of African descent to reclaim their past, overcome present circumstances, and carve out new, bold, and just future possibilities. I want a future when we do not need to worry about our children ringing a neighbor’s doorbell to sell a fundraiser item or wearing a hooded sweatshirt to go buy a bag of Skittles.
This spring, I will teach my Theater for Social Justice and Change class. I look forward to continuing working with students and community partners on how theater can engage people on social justice issues in creative and community-building ways. Please reach out if you want to learn more about being involved as a student or local community member. Finally, I encourage you to explore the lobby activation, curated by students in my public dramaturgy class, to invite you to take community-building steps, support local artists and organizations, and take time for self-care and reflection. There is no time for despair. Let’s take care of each other as we build a more hopeful future. – Eunice S. Ferreira
“We need social change. Good Lord, we need social change.” – Inda Craig-Galván
FROM THE PLAYWRIGHT
“I wrote Black Super Hero Magic Mama during the Fall semester of my second year of this three-year program. Almost a year ago. [University of Southern California]. . . There were several shootings that went unpunished at the time. The image of Tamir Rice, in particular, on that playground…wow. It was stuck in my head. My own son was around the same age then, and I couldn’t even imagine having to stand at a press conference podium and do what his mother was expected to do. I couldn’t. But, God forbid, if I were in that situation, that is exactly what would be required. It angered me, the depths of how unfair that expectation is of the mothers. And it’s always the mothers. It all rests on them. That’s crazy. It shouldn’t be her responsibility to calm the masses and forgive the cop and lead the prayer. To do all of it so publicly and so soon. So soon. It’s unfathomable.
And so I thought… what if? What if a mother refused? What if this woman went somewhere else instead. The concept of “somewhere else” is something that I deal with a lot in my writing. Whether it’s a destination in one’s mind or some different realm that actually exists but no one else knows about, there’s a place that helps us cope. A happy place, a secret place, whatever it’s called, it’s a coping mechanism that we see time and time again in fantasy stories. The only difference is that it’s usually some orphaned child (Harry Potter, Dorothy, etc.) who goes on an adventure that might not really be happening. What if it’s the mother? That’s how this play unfolded for me.” – Inda Craig-Galván
FROM THE DRAMATURGICAL TEAM:
As students in TH-252 Production Seminar Bridge Experience: Power, Justice, Theater, and Community Engagement with Professor Eunice S. Ferreira, we are investigating power, justice, and race in the United States through a critical and artistic lens using public dramaturgy. According to the book Impacting Theater Audiences by Martine Kei-Green Rodgers and Dani Synder-Young, public dramaturgy is “[a method] that focuses on the development of audience-oriented dramaturgical materials or programs, such as post-performance discussions or lobby displays.”
With this in mind, we designed projects and an interactive lobby exhibition for the audience to engage more deeply with the material than one would traditionally expect. We are also working with various professors to coordinate classroom visits with the goal of discussing and learning from the play through collaboration with other departments. Our guiding principles and questions this semester focus on community, specifically, who our community at Skidmore and beyond is, and how art like Black Super Hero Magic Mama can bring people together.
Lobby Activation
We invite you to visit multiple lobby stations designed to help you engage with the production in different ways. Stations include Social Justice Dreaming, Find Your Inner Superhero, Community Resources, Digital Discoveries, and a Reflection Room. In addition, on opening and closing nights, Marcus Kwame Anderson will be present for book signings and art sales.
Please review our list of community collaborators and supporters:
Black Dimensions in Art, Black Theater Troupe of Upstate NY, C.R.E.A.T.E. Community Studios, Frederick Allen Elks Lodge #609, Mary Carter Temple #362, John B. Moore Documentary Studies Collaborative (MDOCS), Lucy Scribner Library, MLK Saratoga, Our Lodge Foundation, Skidmore Peer Health Education Program, Skidmore Counseling Center, and TruCutz Barbershop.
Thank you for engaging with this production. We’re happy to answer any questions and welcome your feedback!
Elena Chawla ‘26, Finn Krol-García ‘27, Chrismeyris Garcia Ulloa ‘28, Naomi Wagner ‘26, Elina Zhu ‘26, Jordan Zickmann ‘26
SPECIAL THANKS:
Paul Benzon
Isaac DeMarchi
Teisha Duncan
Harrison Family
Samuel LaMere
Kaitlyn “Katie” Lena Rose
Emma Mangol
MLK Saratoga
Our Lodge Foundation
Jess Somerville-Braun
TruCutz Barbershop
Drape Kings
Frederick Allen Lodge #609
Mary Carter Temple #362
CAST BIOS:
Tommy Cattalani ’28 (Dave Lester / Death Tap U/S, Asst. Fight Captain) is a prospective Theater and Physics double major with a minor in Education Studies. His previous credits include Heart in The Ground (Lee). Tommy also works on Mighty Mighty Lighting Crew. He would like to thank Dr. Eunice, as well as the entire cast and crew for the wonderful environment they’ve created, and all the hard work they’ve put into this show.
Bree Dossou ’28 (Lena) is a prospective Biology Major and Black studies minor.This is her first acting production at skidmore. She explores her passion for acting through the role of Lena and gives all her thanks to Dr.Eunice, her brilliant production team, and last but never least her amazing cast.
Beti Essa ’28 (Camera Person /Understudy for Lena) is a Theater major with a minor in Business and Film Studies. This is Essa’s first show at Skidmore. Throughout high school, she was very involved in her school’s drama department. Essa would like to thank the cast of Black Super Hero Magic Mama for being such a welcoming community and, as they always say, a family.
Sofia Fenner ’25 (Understudy for Connie Wright/Lady Vulture) is a Theater major and Philosophy minor. Her previous theater credits include The Courage to Right a Woman’s Wrongs (Tomillo), The Winter Guard Play (Understudy), and Standard Procedure (Midge). She has played a lead role in 2 short films, and has been an extra in 2 feature films, 2 music videos, and a web series. After college, Sofia intends on pursuing a career in acting. She would like to thank her family and friends for their unwavering support.
Shane Forbes ’28 (Tom/Human Hyena) is a first year here at Skidmore College from Bronx, New York planning on becoming a Theater and Business double major. This is his first production here at Skidmore College but he plans to continue to developing his craft and pursuing his passion for acting. His previous credits include Beauty in the Beast (Lefou) and The Little Mermaid (Scuttle). Forbes would like to say thank you to his family and twin sister for always supporting him and dealing with his chaos. He is very grateful to be playing Tom/ Human Hyena in a cast full of lovely and supportive people who are never afraid to give it their all.
George Fortin ’28 (Dave Lester / Death Tap, Fight Captain) is an intended double major in Theater and Psychology. This is his first show at Skidmore! As he further immerses himself in the theater department, George hopes to become a more well-rounded thespian while also expanding his skillset as an actor. He would like to thank Dr. Eunice for the incredible opportunity, the entire cast and crew for their warmth, and his friends and family for their unwavering love and support.
Ace Hafez ‘27 (Coach Brackett/ Deep Thinker) is undecided on his major and minors in Computer Science. This is his first theater performance. He is a musician at heart, performing as the opening act of Skidmania in 2023. He writes, produces, and sings all of his own music. He has always had a burning passion for theater and film and decided to explore performance in theater through this production. You can hear his eclectic music on steaming services under the stage name ACEARAH and find him on Instagram: @acearah_
Chrismeyris Garcia Ulloa ’28 (Understudy for Lena) is a prospective double major in Business and Theater. Her previous credits include Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom (Paint Crew). This is her first acting production at Skidmore. As an actor, she is exploring her passion through the work on stage. She would like to thank Dr. Eunice and her amazing production team for the support and opportunity to be part of this warm and so loved cast.
Darren Jackson-Wilkins ’25 (Tramarion Jackson) is a Theater major with a double minor in Music and Arts Administration. Previous Skidmore credits include The Courage to Right a Woman’s Wrongs (Fernando de Ribera), After Jane (Chorus), Up Your Ass (Russell, Spade Cat, Miss Collins), Eurydice (Orpheus), 4.48 Psychosis (SM), Somewhere: A Primer for the End of Days (Ensemble). Darren spent last semester abroad training at the British American Drama Academy in London. After Skidmore, Darren hopes to pursue a career in acting or arts administration. He would like to thank all the special people in his life for putting up with his crap.
Jocelyn Khoury (Sabrina Jackson/Massai Angel) is a transplant from Washington Heights, NYC living in Wilton with her spouse and their three boys. A few notable credits include Knock Me a Kiss (Nina) with the Black Theater Troupe of Upstate NY, Steel Magnolias (Truvy) with Fort Salem Theater, The Humans (Deidre Blake) with Home Made Theater, and several television spots. She is a professional photographer and volunteers with several nonprofits including as president of MLK Saratoga, on the Creative Advisory Board of the Our Lodge Foundation, and on the production team of the Black Theater Troupe of Upstate NY. She is grateful to be working with Skidmore College on this production and thanks the cast and crew and Eunice Ferreira for wrapping this play in love.
Mbaye Seck ‘25 (Host/ Understudy for Coach Brackett and Deep Thinker) is a Religious Studies major and a Black Studies Minor. This is his first acting production at Skidmore College. He shows his artistic side by playing the Host. He wants to thank Prof. Eunice, the cast, production team, and his family for their full support and belief and he is grateful for these people.
Jae Tolentino ’28 (Flat Joe / Black Superman) is currently undecided in his major, but eager to plant his roots in Theater. Previous Skidmore credits include: nothing, because he just got here. But, as an up-and-coming freshman actor, with previous experience in dramaturgy, scriptwriting, and high school productions such as You Can’t Take it With You, The Prom, and Peter and the Starcatcher. He’s excited to build on his foundations, and is incredibly grateful for the supportive friends he’s made as a part of his first Skidmore production.
Jojo Zou ’26 (Connie Wright/Lady Culture) is a Theater major with a Business minor. Her previous Skidmore credits include Silent Sky (Lightning Crew), After Jane (Wardrobe) and The Winter Guard Play (ASM).Transitioning from an actor in her pre-college days, Jojo now excitedly explores various production roles discovering her versatility in theater. She is also an assistant for the costume shop. In her future endeavors within the theater department, she anticipates taking more production and managerial roles while also continuing to pursue opportunities as an actor. Great thanks for the great dedication of director Eunice Ferreira, amazing work of the production team and the incredibly warm cast team that wraps the production in love.
PRODUCTION BIOS:
Marcus Kwame Anderson (Graphic/Comic Designer and Co-Costume Designer) is an illustrator and fine artist. He is the Eisner Award-winning co-creator of The Black Panther Party the co-creator of series Snow Daze, and the illustrator of Cash & Carrie. His most recent book is the critically-acclaimed Big Jim and The White Boy, a collaboration with David F. Walker, published by Ten Speed Press. He is Deputy Director of the Underground Railroad Education Center in Albany and is a board member of Black Dimensions in Art. Inc. He enjoyed the experience of incorporating comic book illustration into a theatrical production while working on Black Super Hero Magic Mama. You can follow him on Instagram at @marcua_kwame and view more of his art and illustration www.marcuskwame.com.
Lavida Barkley (Wig maker and consultant) is a texture hair care specialist and salon owner, dedicated to helping individuals rediscover and embrace their textured hair. Lavida adopts a hands-on approach, offering education, simplified science, and ongoing support to ensure curly hair enthusiasts achieve optimal health and hydration. With a strong commitment to being accessible to all hair types, she conducts workshops and seminars while actively engaging with the community through various projects, including contributions to local theater productions. Her Coiled Salon is located at 1305 Nott St, Schenectady, NY. Learn more at lavidabarkley.com.
Xander Burt ‘27 (Stage Manager), is a Theater major with a minor in creative writing. Previous credits include The Courage to Right a Woman’s Wrongs (ASM). They hope to use these skills in the future to pursue a career in technical theater. Xander is proud to help bring Black Super Hero Magic Mama to the JKB, and would like to thank the cast and crew for their incredible work on this show.
Elena Chawla ’26 (Asst. Master Electrician, Public Dramaturgy Team Member) is a Theater and English double major with a minor is Film and Media Studies. Previous credits include Where Are You Going Little Horse? (ASM), Scene Zero (Director and Actor), Persephone (Lighting Designer), Heart in the Ground (Co Lighting Designer), Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom (Asst. Sound Designer and Sound Board Op.), and Layla’s Room (Sound Designer). Elena would like to thank her friends and family for being supportive as well as the cast and crew for their hard work on this show.
Eliza Clark ’25 (Asst. Costume Designer) is a Theater major with a concentration in acting and costuming. She has worked closely with Sam Garwood in the costume shop throughout the duration of her college career, and her work has been showcased in a variety of productions throughout her career with the Skidmore Theater department. She was also the prop designer and coordinator for Winter Guard. She would like to express immense gratitude to Sam for being her supervisor throughout this process!
Inda Craig-Galván (Playwright) is a Los Angeles-based playwright and television writer, born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. Her work explores conflicts and politics within the African-American community, always grounded in reality and with a touch of magical realism. Upcoming: Welcome to Matteson! (NNPN Rolling World Premiere – Orlando Shakes, 2025). Other plays: A Jumping Off Point (Round House Theatre), The Great Jheri Curl Debate (East West Players), a hit dog will holler (Playwrights’ Arena/Skylight Theatre). Awards: Kesselring Prize, Jeffry Melnick New Play Award, Blue Ink Prize, Jane Chambers Award, Kennedy Center’s Rosa Parks Award for plays focused on social justice and/or civil rights. Commissions: Round House Theatre, The Old Globe, CTG Writers’ Workshop. TV: Co-Executive Producer of ABC’s Will Trent. Previous: Happy Face, How to Get Away with Murder, The Rookie. Inda is an Adjunct Professor at University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts, where she received her MFA in Dramatic Writing.
Noelle Dravis ’28 (Asst. Stage Manager) is a prospective Theater and Social Work double major. Her previous Skidmore experiences include Heart in the Ground (Stage Manager), as well as working on lighting crew. Noelle would like to thank her mom and dad, as well as Xander and Emile for being the best stage management team!
Becca Durst ’27 (Light Board Op.) is a Theater major with a Media and Film Studies minor. Her lighting experience includes lighting designing and spotlight operating outside of Skidmore and she has been on Mighty Mighty Lighting Crew every semester she’s been at Skidmore. She is excited for a chance to be involved in this amazing production with these amazing people.
Eunice S. Ferreira (Director) is Associate Professor of Theater at Skidmore and spent the 22-23 academic year as a MLK Visiting Professor in Music & Theater Arts at MIT. She has produced, directed, and choreographed plays and musicals. Representative titles include Once on This Island, Songs for a New World, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Skin of Our Teeth, Tartuffe, Guys and Dolls, Polaroid Stories, the multilingual premiere of Caridad Svich’s The Orphan Sea, and most recently Providence Garden Blues at Brown University. As a dramaturg, she specializes in new works with an emphasis on Black-centered plays. Recent projects include working with Women’s Project Theater, Colt Coeur, Capital Repertory Theater, and Brown University. She has published in U.S. based and international journals, including the first English translation of a play from Cabo Verde, West Africa. Her book projects include Applied Theatre and Racial Justice: Radical Imaginings for Just Communities (Routledge, co-edited with Lisa L. Biggs) and Crioulo Performance: Remapping Creole and Mixed Race Theatre (Vanderbilt). She recently concluded a term as president of the Black Theatre Association and is a board member of arts and civic organizations including The Orchard Project, DNAWORKS Ensemble, MIT Catalyst Collaborative, and Greatest Minds. She has served the Saratoga community on local arts committees, volunteer drama teacher with children of the backstretch workers, guest speaker at Saratoga High School, and dramaturgical consultant and performer for local Juneteenth events. She invites you to follow @BIPOCTheatre, her Instagram teaching account to center and amplify BIPOC theatre artists and scholars.
Lu Glassberg ’26 (Master Electrician) is a Theater major with Spanish and Education minors. Their previous credits at Skidmore include Silent Sky, and After Jane (ASM), The Great Impresario, and Neighborhood 3 (Lighting Designer), Caged Birds and [RE]MAKING (SM) The Winter Guard Play (Dramaturg & Asst. Master Electrician), Where Are You Going Little Horse? (Asst. Lighting and Vid Designer), and Layla’s Room (Lighting and Scenic Designer). Outside of Skidmore, Lu trained with Trisha Todd, and the YP Company at OCT, and is looking forward to Directing You See Them in the Corners of Your Eyes by Daniel Prillaman next Semester. They would like to thank the Mighty Mighty Lighting Crew for getting this insane plot into the air, and Emma Mangol, without whom there would be zero lights on trusses.
Jared Klein (Lighting Designer) is an Artist-In-Residence and the Technical Director for the Skidmore Theater Department. Most recently he designed and directed [RE]MAKING, a devised work based on the texts of Charles Mee. Select lighting design credits at Skidmore include: Where Are You Going Little Horse?, The Courage To Right A Woman’s Wrongs, Eurydice, Somewhere, Radium Girls, The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other, We Used To Wear Bonnets & Get High All The Time, 33 Variations, Let The Right One In, Balm In Gilead, Fragments, Who Will Carry The Word, Our Town and Blood Wedding. Select visiting artist design collaborations include: Joel Mellin, Phil Soltanoff, Joe Diebes, Sara Juli, Howard Fishman, STREB, SITI and NYSSSA Dance. Previously, Jared was the Production Manager and Technical Director for BRIC Arts Media Brooklyn where he opened their state-of- the-art facility in the heart of downtown Brooklyn’s cultural district, and production managed the inaugural season. Prior to that, Jared spent six years as the Technical Director and Resident Designer for the Tech and Design program at Adelphi University. In addition to more than a decade of educational experience, Jared has twenty years of professional experience as a Technical Director, Lighting/Video Designer, and Production Manager for both theatrical and industrial design companies throughout the US and Europe. He was a member and resident Lighting/Video Designer with the New York-based experimental theater company, Fovea Floods, and a founding member of the Obie award-winning Bushwick Starr Theater in Brooklyn. International lighting design and technical direction credits include: Movement Live (NYU AbuDhabi & Lincoln Center), Big Art Group’s House of No More, Shelf Life, and Flicker. NYC design credits include: Cassandra (Helga Davis, BRIC),Minority and Glee (Nina Winthrop & Dancers, The Flea Theater),The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Fovea Floods, Ontological-Hysteric Theater), One for the Road (Fovea Floods, CSV), The Maids (Fovea Floods, Bushwick Starr), and House of No More (Big Art Group, PS122).
Jade Kleinberg ‘28 (Wardrobe Run Crew) is an anticipated Theater major and Media and Film Studies minor. Her previous Skidmore credits include Persephone (Jill), but this is her first wardrobe experience at Skidmore! She is excited to learn more about costumes and for the opportunity to work with such a stellar cast and crew!
Kieron Dwayne Sargeant (Fight & Dance Choreographer), from Trinidad and Tobago, is an Assistant Professor at Skidmore College and an expert in African-Caribbean Diaspora dance traditions. With an MFA in Dance from Florida State University and an MA from Community Dance Ohio University, he has over two decades of international teaching and performance experience. Founder of the Kieron Sargeant Dance and Dance Education Foundation, his travels and research span the United States, Canada, Cuba, Grenada, Barbados, Togo, and Nigeria, delving into the morphology of African Diaspora dances in the U.S. Sargeant’s performing career includes collaborations with prominent institutions such as Florida State University, Collegium for African Diaspora Dance, Woezo Africa Music and Dance Theatre Inc., the International Association of Blacks in Dance, NYU Steinhardt, the Nigerian Dance Guild, Ecole des Sables, and Simon Fraser University. His choreography has been featured internationally, including performances in the United States, Canada, Cuba, Grenada, Barbados, Togo, Nigeria, and on various European stages with MSC Cruise Lines. Sargeant’s notable work “He Shall Walk” (2022), presented by Northwestern Black Arts Consortium, delves into his personal journey as a “Mourner,” exploring generational wisdom and history through choreography. Sargeant’s recent works include choreographing “In the Red and Brown Water” by Tarell Alvin McCraney at the University of Iowa and receiving the Artist in Residency at the New Waves Dance and Performance Institute in 2023. His commissioned works span from projects with Contemporaine Togo and the Virginia Arts Festival to “Rebirth” for Minnesota State University and “He Shall Walk” for the Northwestern Black Arts Consortium.
Lila Sandler ’27 (Wardrobe Supervisor) is a Theater and Social Work double major. Her previous wardrobe credits include [Re]Making, The Courage to Right a Woman’s Wrongs, and Where Are You Going, Little Horse?. She is excited to be wardrobe supervising and is grateful to Sam and for the chance to work with this wonderful cast and crew.
Milo Scowden ‘28 (Sound Board Op.) is a prospective Art major and Theater minor. This is their first year and second Skidmore production as a board op. They also work in the costume shop and on light crew, with a hope to focus in that area. Milo would like to thank the Main Stage cast and crew for the position and all his friends for first spurring his interest in theater.
Emile Sentveld ’28 (Asst. Stage Manager) is a prospective Geosciences and Theater double major. This is their first time working on a show at Skidmore! Emile would like to thank their family for supporting them, Stan Cahill and Evan Paine for putting up with them, and Xander and Noelle for being a truly awesome stage management team!
Brandon Sewall (Assistant Technical Director) Before this role, Brandon served as the Scene Shop Specialist at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, where he oversaw scenic operations for theater, musical theater, opera, music, and dance. He has additional experience collaborating with students as Technical Director at Wilkes University, Assistant Technical Director at Albright College, and Scene Shop Advisor for Princeton University’s Triangle Club, one of the oldest collegiate theater troupes in the United States. Brandon also worked as a Scenic Carpenter at McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, New Jersey, building scenic elements for all resident productions. Some of Brandon’s favorite productions he has worked on include The Threepenny Opera (Lycoming College), Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (McCarter Theatre Center), A Christmas Carol (McCarter Theatre Center), Goodnight Nobody (McCarter Theatre Center), Sleuth (McCarter Theatre Center), and Sweeney Todd (Sam Houston State University). Brandon’s work aims to create inviting and innovative theatrical sets for each production he works on. He does this through continued learning and exploration with students and colleagues to collaboratively engineer scenic pieces that enhance and bring theater to life.
Ella Theoharis ’26 (Asst. Lighting Designer) is a Theater and Math major. Her previous Skidmore credits include [RE]MAKING (ASM), The Courage to Write a Woman’s Wrong (Asst. Master Electrician) The Place That Made You (Sound Board Operator), The Great Impresario… (Lighting Designer) The Winter Guard Play (Master Electrician), Where Are You Going Little Horse? (Props Coordinator) and Neighborhood 3 (Asst. Scenic Designer). Ella’s other credits include Pride and Prejudice and Puppets (SM, Lighting Designer), A New World (ASM, Fly Op), Les Mis (Sound Op) and Lighting Designer at the Brooklyn Art House. She would like to thank the MMLC and the spectacular Master Electrician Team on this show, and her mentor, Jared Klein, for all his support and advice.
Garett Wilson (Scenic and Projection Designer) is a Senior Artist-in-Residence and the interim chair of the Skidmore College Theater Department. Garett has designed scenery, projections, lighting and has done stage work for numerous local and regional companies, including The Maine State Music Theater, The Hampton Playhouse, Portland Ballet, Capital Repertory Theater, Yale Repertory, Candlewood Playhouse, Curtain Call Theatre, ACT, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Shadowland Theatre, Theater by the Sea, and the New York State Theater Institute. Garett has designed over thirty operas for the Lake George Opera/Opera Saratoga including La Bohéme, Don Giovanni, Ariadne Auf Naxos, Candide, Il Matrimonio Segreto, Madame Butterfly, the site-specific production of Dido and Aeneas at the National Museum of Dance, and the world professional premiere of Ned Rorem’s Our Town. Garett has also designed scenery, projections, and occasionally lighting, for over sixty productions at Skidmore including Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, The Imp of Simplicity, Machinal, Arcadia, The Butterfly’s Evil Spell, Museum, A Dream Play, Enemy of the People, Eurydice, Macbeth, Heddatron, The Courage to Right a Woman’s Wrongs, and most recently The Winter Guard Play and Where are you Going Little Horse. Garett has collaborated with Denise Limoli from dance and Tony Holland from the music department on scenery for the ballets Sleeping Beauty and an evening of Ballet Russes. He also collaborated with Sylvia Stoner-Hawkins from the music department on scenery for the opera Xerxes. Garett is a board member of the Saratoga Shakespeare Festival and has designed their productions of The Tempest, 12th Night, Much Ado, and Henry IV parts 1&2. Garett recently designed the lighting and scenery for First Coast Opera productions of Savitri and The Medium in St. Augustine Florida and is designing their upcoming production of The Barber of Seville.
Isadora Zucker ‘25 (Co-Master Electrician) is a senior Neuroscience Major/Theater Minor. Previous Skidmore Theater credits include Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom (Kaitlin/Chelsea), Where are you Going, Little Horse? (Little Boy), [RE]MAKING (Body), Horse Girls (Margaret), The Cagebirds (The Gossip), and The Sandbox (Stage Manager). She is also the lighting designer for this semester’s production of Never Swim Alone. Outside of theater, she sings with the Skidmore Sonneteers as a Music Director. Isadora wants to thank her friends and family for their love and support!
Finn Krol-García ‘27 (Wardrobe Assistant) is a Theater major and Intergroup Relations minor. Finn’s most recent work includes acting in Where are You Going, Little Horse? and directing a scene he translated from a play called She Seems White by queer and Cuban playwright Abelardo Estorino about colorism in Cuban 1830 and 1990. Finn is a public dramaturg for Black Super Hero Magic Mama, and is producing a documentary on the creation of the show. Stay tuned for the release!
Jordan Zickmann ‘26 (Sound Designer) is a theater major. Previous Skidmore credits include Neighborhood 3 (Props Coordinator), Where are you Going, Little Horse? (Assistant Sound Designer), The Courage to Right a Woman’s Wrongs (Follow Spot Operator) After Jane (Wardrobe), Eurydice (Sound Board Operator). Outside of Skidmore, they have worked on Jersey Boys, Ernest Shackleton Loves Me, and Cabaret. They are a founding member, vice president, and tech director of Off-North Broadway, Skidmore’s musical theater club. They would like to thank their friends and family for their support, and Dylan Salinger for his mentorship and sound design resources google drive folder.