Production Program - Festival of New Student Work
Plays (in order of appearance)
TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN by Hazel Penrose
Cast
Gwen: Tevy Dembski
Father: Seth Camiscione
Mother: Brooklyn Mitchell
Production Team
Director: Christina Baker
Scenic Designer: Karson Palmer
Lighting Designer: Stephen Sakowski
Sound Designer: Jeffery Enck
Costume Designer: Kelly McBane
Rehearsal Stage Manager: Grace Mulinix, Abby Papenfus
CHEATER FEEDER by Emile Wheeler
Cast
Jeanette: Isa Herrera
A.J.: Jayy Smith
Chasity: Marissa McCoy
Production Team
Director: Dayonna Embry
Scenic Designer: Karson Palmer
Lighting Designer: Jeffery Enck
Sound Designer: Jeffery Enck
Costume Designer: Christina Baker
Rehearsal Stage Manager: Grace Mulinix
GARBAGE THINKING by Jared Droesch
Cast
Bully Ned: Zach Harris
Tommy: Oliver Marconi
Puppet Nietzche: Eric Huffman
Nietzche Puppeteer: Ben Kunec
Production Team
Director: Jordyn Beery
Scenic Designer: Karson Palmer
Puppet Designer: Daniel Thobias
Lighting Designer: Stephen Sakowski
Sound Designer: Jeffery Enck
Costume Designer: Kelly McBane
Rehearsal Stage Manager: Hazel Penrose
NEVER ENDING GOODBYE by Jordyn Beery
Cast
Brona: Isa Herrera
Dr. Brilant: Brooklyn Mitchell
Production Team
Director: Holly Monsos
Scenic Designer: Daniel Thobias
Lighting Designer: Jeffery Enck
Sound Designer: Jeffery Enck
Costume Designer: Kelly McBane
Rehearsal Stage Manager: Hazel Penrose, Abby Papenfus
KNIGHTS PLAY by Jeffery Enck
Cast
Silver Knight: Marissa McCoy
Black Knight: Zach Harris
Princess: Madi Chase
Dragon: Gerardo Rosario
Production Team
Director: Alec Simon
Scenic Designer: Karson Palmer
Lighting Designer: Stephen Sakowski
Sound Designer: Stephen Sakowski
Costume Designer: Kelly McBane
Rehearsal Stage Manager: Hazel Penrose
WRITING PARTNERS by Seth Camiscione
Cast
Harry: Oliver Marconi
Julia: Bree Stouffer
Production Team
Director: Tyler Teachout
Scenic Designer: Karson Palmer
Lighting Designer: Stephen Sakowski
Sound Designer: Jeffery Enck
Costume Designer: Kelly McBane
Rehearsal Stage Manager: Tevy Dembski
DETECTIVE ASIDE by Karson Palmer
Cast
Dave: Jayy Smith
Mitch: Gerardo Rosario
Cherry: Kaylee Britt
Detective: Jason Klotz
Production Team
Director: Jeffery Enck
Scenic Designer: Daniel Thobias
Lighting Designer: Stephen Sakowski
Sound Designer: Stephen Sakowski
Costume Designer: Kelly McBane
Rehearsal Stage Manager: Tevy Dembski
Festival Production Staff
Producer: Holly Monsos
Playwright Mentor: Edmund Lingan
Production Director: Matt Foss
Production Design Coordinator: Stephen Sakowski
Production Stage Manager: Grace Mulinix
Production Assistant Stage Managers: Tevy Dembski, Abby Papenfus
Technical Director/Scene Shop Manager: Nate White
Stage Crew: Christina Baker, Tyler Teachout
Scene Shop Staff: Eric Huffman, Students of THR1030 & THR2050
Light Board Operator: Allyson Taylor
Assistant Sound Designer: Hazel Penrose
Sound Board Operator: Sydney Felt
Lighting & Sound Shop Staff: Jeffery Enck, Hazel Penrose, Students of THR1040 & THR2050
Costume Shop Manager: Kelly McBane
Costumes/Hair Crew: Cadence Enck
Costume Shop Staff: Grace Mulinix, Students of THR1050 & THR2050
Theatre Manager: Christopher Montpetit
Box Office: Antionette Dersch, Brianna Seaman
House Management: Alec Simon
Bios
Christina Baker: Director, Costume Designer
CHRISTINA BAKER (she/her/hers) - is a Junior Theatre/Performance Major with a Minor in Communications from Oberlin, Ohio. This is her first time directing a show here for the department, having performed in five shows with them and costume designed for the previous years' Festival of New Student Work. She is reprising her role as costume designer for this year's Festival as well.
Jordyn Beery: Playwright, Director
JORDYN BEERY (she/her) - is a fourth year theatre major from Toledo, OH. She has been an active theatre-maker for 8 years. Some of her previous credits include Miss Henderson (The Jungle), Tracy Turnblad (Hairspray), Player Queen (Hamlet), and Tybalt (Romeo and Juliet). She plans on pursuing directing and acting after graduation.
Kaylee Britt: Actor
KAYLEE BRITT (she/her/hers) - Kaylee is a Senior at Toledo Early College High School, and this is her second semester as a full-time college student at the University of Toledo. Kaylee has been in The Wizard of Oz with the Toledo Rep and the University of Toledo’s adaptation of Hamlet. Kaylee plans to continue working toward becoming a well-rounded actress and dancer for her future career in the arts.
Seth Camiscione: Playwright, Actor
SETH CAMISCIONE (he/him/his)- is a second-year Media Communications major from Findlay, OH. This is his first show here at UToledo. Seth most recently appeared onstage as Thomas in the Fort Findlay Playhouse’s production of Making God Laugh.
Madi Chase: Actor
MADILEINE CHASE (she/they) is a junior Speech Language Pathology major and Theatre minor. They are excited to be back on stage as Princess inThe Knight’s Play. Madi works both onstage and in tech in the department; Assistant Props Master (Hamlet), Logianne S (25th Annual Spelling Bee), and Stage crew (Elkshire). Chase thanks Alec for gracing a tiara on their head and is grateful to work with him again. They plan to continue the balance of working as an SLP and theatre creator.
Tevy Dembski: Assistant Stage Manager, Actor
TEVY DEMBSKI (they/them/theirs) - is a sophomore theatre major with a concentration in stage and screen acting. They have worked behind the scenes in Elkshire andThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, but the Festival of New Student Work is the first show they are acting in at UToledo, and stage managing for the first time!
JJ Enck: Sound Designer, Lighting Designer, Director, Playwright
JEFFERY “JJ” ENCK (he/him/his) - is a senior Theatre Design & Technology major from Toledo, OH. This past summer and fall, JJ worked on The SwellTones (Audio Engineer), The Celebrate Cedar Point Parade (Technician), and The Midnight Hour with Midnight Syndicate (Audio Engineer) at Cedar Point. Previous UToledo Credits include: Hamlet (Sound Designer),The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Assistant Director & Sound Engineer), Elkshire (Sound Designer.)
Matt Foss: Production Director
MATT FOSS (he/him) - is an Associate Professor of Theatre at UToledo and teaches acting and directing. His adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front received the Kennedy Center’s David Mark Cohen Playwriting Award and the Jeff Award (Chicago's Top Theatre Prize) for Best New Work and Best Production of the Year in 2020. He adaptation of The Jungle received the Jeff for Best Adapted Work in 2018. In 2012 his production of Six Characters at Iowa State University received the Kennedy Center's American College Theatre Festival's National Award for Outstanding Production of a Play and Outstanding Director of a Play.
Zach Harris: Actor
ZACH HARRIS (he/him/his) - is a first year Nursing major and a stage and screen performance minor from Findlay, OH. This is his first show here at UToledo. He plans to move to Los Angeles upon graduation.
Isa Herrera: Actor
ISABELLA HERRERA (she/her/hers) - first year double History and Theater major from Bowling Green, OH. This is her second and third show here at UToledo, and was previously involved as Ophelia (Hamlet). She will also be assistant stage managing the upcoming 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘰𝘵. She plans on either moving to Chicago or attending graduate school after graduating to pursue acting.
Eric Huffman: Actor
ERIC HUFFMAN (he/him/his) - is a second year Theatre/ Performance major. This is his first time performing with the department. He is very active in the Toledo area community theatre scene. He most recently appeared with The Village Players (Maytag Virgin) and The Lakeside Theatre Company (Christmas in Connecticut).
Jason Klotz: Actor
JASON KLOTZ (he/him/his) - is a second year Theatre/Performance and Business Management double major. This will be his first time performing with the department, and he is cast as Justin in this semester's 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘰𝘵.
Ben Kunec: Actor
BEN KUNEC (he/him)is a senior Theatre Performance/Media Communications major from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Previous credits include Hamlet, The Jungle, 20k Leagues Under the Sea, Year of the Living Dead, The Love we Make (KCACTF), and various shows in the Festival of New Student Work. Other credits include being an Assistant Stage Manager for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Ben hopes to get an internship or a job in the theatre/film or media industry this summer.
Edmund Lingan: Playwright Mentor
EDMUND D. LINGAN (he/him/his) Dr. Lingan is a Professor of Theatre in the UT Department of Theatre and Film, where he teaches courses in script analysis, theatre history, and playwriting. Between 2007 and 2023, Lingan has directed several productions in the department, including: Bat Boy: The Musical, Labyrinth, Crumbs from the Table of Joy, Little Shop of Horrors, Into the Woods, and The Tempest. Dr. Lingan worked with the student playwrights as they developed their scripts for today’s festival.
Oliver Marconi: Actor
Oliver Marconi (he/him/his) is a third year English Education major and theatre minor from Olmsted Falls Ohio. This is his 4th show here at the University of Toledo. Previous credits include Hamlet (Ghost/Player King), Elkshire (Dreven/Mr. Churchill/Mr. Dane), and actor/playwright for the 2021 Festival of New Student Work. Oliver hopes to pursue teaching and acting after graduating, as well as possibly getting original work published.
Kelly McBane: Costume Designer
KELLY McBANE (she/her/hers) Costume Shop Manager – Kelly is a faculty member at UToledo. She has designed and built the costumes for many shows at the University, most recentlyThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. When she's not at work she can be found tending to and talking about her dogs and chickens.
Marrisa McCoy: Actor
MARISSA MCCOY (she/her/hers) - is a second year Theatre and Psychology major. This will be her third performance, having previously been in the 2021 Festival of New Student Work, as well as student-written play Elkshire as Merek. She plans on continuing a theatre involved lifestyle and a career in psychology.
Brooklyn Mitchell: Actor
BROOKLYN MITCHELL (she/they) - is a First year Theatre/Performance major from Texas. This is her first major performance.
Holly Monsos: Producer, Director
HOLLY MONSOS (she/hers) Producer and Costume Designer – Holly is the Professor/Chair of the Department of Theatre and Film. She first joined the UToledo faculty in 1991, and previously served as Chair, after which she spent 9 years as Associate Dean of the college. Prior to coming to UToledo, she spent several years as a cutter/draper in professional theatre including extensive work with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Actor's Theatre of Louisville, and the San Francisco Opera. She has designed for the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Opera, Toledo Repertoire Theatre, Montana Rep, Glacity Theatre Collective and Ms. Unseen Productions in New Zealand, among others. Holly is active in her professional organization, the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT), having served two terms as the Vice President for Members, Sections & Chapters for that body in addition to holding several positions including Chair of the regional section, USITT/Ohio Valley. Holly also serves as the Executive Director of Glacity Theatre Collective here in Toledo.
Christopher Montpetit: Theatre Manager
CHRISTOPHER MONTPETIT (he/him/his) Theatre Manager - Christopher is originally from Niagara Falls, NY, where he received a BA Degree in English/Theater from Niagara University. He continued his studies at Columbia University in New York City, where he earned a MFA Degree in Theater Management. Professionally, Mr. Montpetit has worked at such companies and institutions as Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Publishing, The Kathryn Bache Miller Theatre, The Alma Schapiro Theatre, Artpark Theatre, ABC Television, Showtime Networks Inc., Genesee Community College Center for the Arts, SummerTide Theatre, and The University of Alabama, where he served as Assistant Professor and Director of the MFA Program in Theatre Management. Mr. Montpetit is the author of What is Theatre? An Introduction to Theatre, published by Kendall Hunt Publishing in January 2016, with a revised edition published in August 2020.
Grace Mulinix: Production Stage Manager
GRACE MULINIX (she/her/hers) is a senior Theatre major with a concentration in stage/screen acting. For the past few summers, she has worked professionally as a performer at Cedar Point in various children’s shows throughout the park. Some of her previous performance credits at UToledo include Hamlet (Hamlet), Worldbuilder (20k Leagues Under the Sea), Agent/Freddie (The Jungle), and Katurian (The Pillowman). Previous design/tech credits include Assistant Costume Designer (25th Annual Putnman County Spelling Bee), Stage Manager (Elkshire), and Director/Costume Designer (Festival of New Student Work).
Geraldo Rosario: Actor
GERARDO ROSARIO (he/him/his) is a Sophomore with a Theatre Major at the University of Toledo. He is from Puerto Rico. He participated on three plays during the Festival of New Student Work during Fall 2021 semester, was a part of the ensemble ofThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and he played Polonius in Hamlet during Fall 2022. After college he would like to act in the film industry.
Karson Palmer: Playwright, Scenic Designer
KARSON PALMER (she/her)- is a second year Theatre and English student with a general concentration in the arts. Previous credits include: Scenic Artist for (Hamlet), (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) (Elkshire) and Actor as: Laertes (Hamlet) , Isabelle (Elkshire) (The ‘22 Festival of New Student Work). Karson plans to move to Chicago after graduation, and is so excited for the first staged performance of one of their scripts. (Detective Aside).
Abby Papenfus: Assistant Stage Manager
ABBY PAPENFUS (she/her/hers) - is a first year Theatre/Performance Major from Toledo, Ohio. This show she is an assistant stage manager and is super excited to be involved in her first UToledo show.
Hazel Penrose: Rehearsal Stage Manager, Assistant Sound Designer, Playwright
HAZEL PENROSE (she/her/hers) - is a Junior Theatre Design Tech Major from Norwalk, Ohio. Previous credits include: Assistant Stage Manager (Celebrate Cedar Point Spectacular), Assistant Stage Manager (Hamlet), Production Assistant (Sons of Toledo). She plans on moving to Chicago upon graduating.
Stephen Sakowski: Lightning Designer, Sound Designer, Production Coordinator
STEPHEN SAKOWSKI (he/him/his) Lighting Designer, Sound Designer and Production & Design Coordinator- Stephen is an Associate Professor at the University of Toledo and has been happy to collaborate on many productions since starting in the Department of Theatre & Film in 2015. He has his BFA from Otterbein University and his MFA from the University of California San Diego. His lighting design of All Quiet on the Western Front received the 2020 Jeff Award (Chicago's Top Theatre Prize) Congratulations to everyone involved with the production on a project well done!
Alec Simon: Director
ALEC SIMON (he/him/his) - recently graduated with a BA in Theatre and a minor in English. He stage managed for 𝘏𝘢𝘮𝘭𝘦𝘵 in the fall and is excited to have been able to direct again for the festival. Other credits include: Paunch ( The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee). He also directed his original play, Elkshire.
Bree Stouffer: Actor
BREE STOUFFER (they/them/theirs) - is a second year Theater Design/Tech major. They previously worked costume crew for Hamlet, and this is their first performance with the department. They have eight years' sewing experience and they plan to become a costume designer for films and tv.
Tyler Teachout: Director
TYLER TEACHOUT (he/him/his) - is a Junior Theatre/Performance major with a minor in Accounting. Previous credits include: Who Citizen (Seussical); Rowan/Mr. Florence (Elkshire); and R&G (Hamlet). Tyler plans to move to Chicago after graduation to pursue acting.
Daniel Thobias: Scenic Designer
DANIEL THOBIAS (he/him/his) Scenic Designer – Daniel joined The University of Toledo Department of Theatre & Film faculty in 2012. He received his MFA in Scene Design from North Carolina School of the Arts, 2005. He has a wealth of experience with summer stock and festival theaters including Mount Washington Valley Theatre, Festival Stage of Winston Salem, North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, Opera Santa Barbara, and the Cuttingball Theater.
Emile Wheeler: Playwright
EMILE WHEELER IV (he/him/his) - is a second year English Creative Writing major with a minor in theatre. This is his first show at UToledo. He plans to move to Los Angeles after graduating to pursue screenwriting and filmmaking.
Nate White: Technical Director
NATE WHITE (he/him/his) Technical Director – Nate joined the University of Toledo as the Technical Director in 2016. He received his MFA in Technical Production from the University of Alabama and his BA in Design and Technical Theater from the University of Nebraska at Kearney.