Stacy Parker Joyce
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Stacy Parker Joyce

The Cradle Will Rock  by Mark Blitzstein

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Jodi Watson, Hannah Duncan
Original Director's Concept:

The Audience has been invited to a play. This play is Blitzstein’s The Cradle Will Rock. The contemporary company who is producing it (a company that exists in the here and now) has set the play in the 1930’s, BUT is performing an homage to the original WPA versions that was shut down and remounted on the fly in an available theatre. They have set up in the lobby various acts and artifacts that will teach the audience about the play- Dancers offering dances for a nickel, Newspaper plays paralleling the 1930’s and today, and various Brechtian elements including, actors getting hair and make-up done and explanatory placards.  The theatre is closed off with caution tape and the Audience is then informed by an over eager Director and Assistant Director that the play is in a new location.  The Audience must travel to a new location (Carrington) and along the way there will continue to be artifacts and actor drive spectacle to help educate about the world of the play.  The play will be performed in the new location with only a piano. The actors will be in 1930's costume, but like the original opening night of  The Cradle Will Rock, they will only have the empty theatre space and existing

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Adam Williams and Liberty Committee

Director's Notes:
 I had always been interested in directing musicals, but had a limited background in musical theatre.  Due to space issues, the spring musical needed to be performed in an alternate theatre space on campus that "primative" to say the very least. There certainly was no room for a full orchestra. Or even a tiny band. The Cradle Will Rock was selected by the production committee with the idea that it would be a scaled down "homage to original production that got shut down".  The head of the musical theatre program recommended me to direct this production since the challenges it provided sounded like something up my alley.

When I first read it and listened to it, I was concerned about the accessibility of this piece to a contemporary audience.. However on a second read I became interested in the fun and freedom the simplicity and broad characters provide. Also as I listened more and more to the soundtrack I realized the music, while different from standard stereotypical “musical” fare, is quite catchy, and beautiful. I realized that one of our obstacles will be that most of the audience won’t have the luxury of knowing the music coming in though and won’t have the luxury of hearing it a couple of times to really let it grow on them.

What interested me most about this piece? Honestly, I have always wanted to stage a parade. I tried once in NYC. It failed. I wanted to try again.. I also am always interested in exploring the fine line between catering to an audience vs. making theatre that is accessible to an audience while still challenging them. This seems like a good piece to practice on.

Musical Direction  — Heather Chittenden-Luellen
Choreography — Darryl Kent Clark
Scenic Design — Elizabeth Noser
Costume Designer — Joseph Blaha
Lightning Design  — Micheal Foster
Marketing Director  — Mark Templeton
Sound Design  — Tyler Nissen
Make-up/Hair Designer — Krystal Cutbirth
Technical Director — Christopher DePriest
Dramaturg — Christopher Herr
Stage Manager — Amber C. Hensley
Pre-show Photography- Mark Putman
Production Photos-  Foster Photography 
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Cop/Bugs/"Director"-Samantha Valentine
Clerk/"Assistant Director"-Carly Schneider
Moll-Natalie Baughman
Mr. Mister-Adam Murphy
Larry Foreman-Adam Williams
Mrs. Mister-Hannah Duncan
Junior Mister-Thomas Hogan
Sister Mister-Jodi Watson
Sadie-Chelsea Anglemyer
Gus-Michael McNulty
Reverend Salvation-Sheristen James
Editor Daily-Jeffrey Fenoglio
Yasha-Frankie Shin
Dauber-Anthony Milfelt
President Prexy-Whitney Ice
Professor Mamie-Richard Forrist Nebel II
Professor Trixie-Darian Leatherman
Dr. Specialist-Erin Michelle Routh
Harry Druggist-Vince Gordon
Steve-Harrison Fanter
Ella Hammer-Kimberly Smalling
Dick- Nick Stephens
Gent/Professor Scoot-Levi Hobson
Nurses/Reporters/Citizens of Steeltown-Eva Carpenter, Hannah Grigereit, Abby Lind, Sarah McGowan
Understudy-Elizabeth Finder

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