Theater - 1988-1989

Adapted from Henry Fielding’s novel by David Rogers

 

Director: James Fisher

Scenic and Lighting Designer: Rob Hartz

Costume Designer: Laura Conners      

Stage Manager: Jim Bedinger '91

Asst. Stage Manager: Kaizaad Navroze Kotwal '91

Assistant to the Director: Chris Campbell '89

 

Partridge: Christopher A. Brown '89

Bridget Allworthy: John Flak '90

Squire Allworthy: Aaron A. Spetz

Jenny Jones (later known as Mrs. Waters): Jamie Ritchie Watson

Captain Blifil: Thomas Westgard

Blifil: Bill Craft

Tom Jones: Joe Longtin

Thwackum: Glen Elrod '91

Square: Jay Krause '91

Squire Western: Kenneth Osman '89

Sophia Western: Nikole Long

Miss Western: Jamie Ritchie Watson

Honour: Anne Enenbach

Justice Dowling: Doug Powers '92

Doctor: John Flak '90

Highwayman: Hollis DeWitt

Harriet Fitzpartick: Christine Amidon

Fitzpatrick: Jim Amidon '87

Whitefield: Kaizaad Navroze Kotwal '91

Lady Bellaston: Pam Ehrie

Constable: Roland Edwards-Morin '91

Roland: Roland Edwards-Morin '91

Nancy: Shauna DeClue

Olivier: John Flak '90

Gielgud: Jim Bedinger '91

Richardson: Nathan K. Risk '92

Guinness: Christopher Campbell '89

Ashcroft: Thomas Westgard

Thorndike: Hollis DeWitt

 

Asst. Stage Managers/Sound: Roland Edwards-Morin '91, Nathan K. Risk '92

Asst. Stage Manager/Lights: John Flak '90

Master Electrician: Jay Baltisberger '89

Lightboard Operator: Todd Perry

Propsmaster: Todd Perry

Asst. Stage Managers/Props: Hollis DeWitt, Thomas Westgard

Graphics: Laura Conners

 

David Roger’s stage adaptation of the memorable Henry Felding (1707-154) novel is a comedy of high spirits and robust theatricality. Fielding’s Tom Jones, the most famous foundling in literary history, is the ward of Squire Allworthy of Somersetshire. Tom is deeply in love with Sophia Western, and she with him, but her father has arranged to marry her to the Squire’s squeaky nephew, (and heir), Blifil. The innocent romance of Tom and Sophia is discovered, Tom is banished from Somersetshire, and Sophia, with her maid Honor, sets out to find him. They are followed by Sophia’s father, his sister, Squire Allworthy and Blifil. All of them encounter a wild assortment of characters and adventures on the road from Somersetshire to London, with an amusing and unexpected conclusion that happily reunites Tom and his beloved Sophia.

 

A play by Samuel Beckett

 

Director: Dwight Watson

Scenic and Lighting Designer: Rob Hartz

Costume Designer: Laura Conners

Stage Manager: Marc Lechleitner '88

 

Estragon: Aaron A. Spetz

Vladimir: Charles Patrick Tyndall '92

Lucky: Kaizaad Navroze Kotwal '91

Pozzo: Quadiru Wright '92

A Boy: Eric G. Daman

 

Propsmaster: Todd Perry

Soundboard Operator: Chris Brown '89

Sound Crew: Peter Keenan '89

Master Electrician: Jay Baltisberger '89

Lightboard Operator: Kip Aitken '91

Graphics: Laura Conners

 

One of the towering dramas of the twentieth century, Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) has been described by critic Richard Watts as a “moving, often funny, grotesquely beautiful and utterly absorbing” play. Beckett’s story of two dilapidated bums waiting for the salvation of Godot has powerfully influenced the development of the modern theater and is undoubtedly the finest example of the plays of the Theater of the Absurd. As the two bums wait, a boy comes every day with the announcement that Godot’s arrival is imminent.  But the unseen Godot never arrives, leaving the two bums to pass their time, “which would have passed anyway,” occupying themselves with meaningless rituals… and waiting. The play is a brilliant and bitter meditation, a dogged portrait of the resilience of man’s spirit in the face of little hope.

 

Directors: James Fisher, Kaizaad Navroze Kotwal '91

Scenic and Lighting Designer: Rob Hartz

Costume Designer: Laura Conners

Stage Manager: Todd Perry

Assistant Stage Manager: Bill Craft

 

Narcissa Whitman: Dana Warner Fisher

Marcus Whitman: Chris Brown '89

Settlers: Joe Longtin, Julian High '91, Diane Johnson, Todd Perry, Marge Jackson, Phil Jackson, Rob Hartz, Laura Conners

Jane Prentiss:  Jamie Ritchie Watson

Eliza Spalding: Sue Ann Ford

Henry Spalding: Ken Osman '89

Perkins: Aaron A. Spetz

 

Elizabeth: Katy Kirtley

Matilda: Margriet Kreisher and Lissy Kreisher

Margaret: Margriet Kreisher and Lissy Kreisher

Jone: Daniel Fisher

Mary Anna: Anna Fisher

Catherine: Anna Stern

Henrietta: Jessica Rosenberg

Kimball: Nathan K. Risk '92

 

Music: Diane Enenbach

Props: Nathan K. Risk '92

Lightboard Operator: Andy Goad '90

Wardrobe Master: Roland E. Morin '91

Dressers: Geoff Coates '89, Mike Johnston '89

Sound: Eric Lee '91

Deck Crew: Roger Brown '90, Richard Graves '92, Terry Blackburn '92

Graphics: Laura Conners

 

This theater piece, crafted after Tam Neville's poems about pioneer woman Narcissa Whitman (1808-1847) continues the Wabash tradition of presenting original stage works. Narcissa Whitman was one of the first two white women to cross the Rockies in 1836. Born in Prattsburg, New York, she attended Emma Willard's Female Seminary and became a school teacher. After marrying Marcus Whitman, Narcissa moved with him to the Pacific northwest as Presbyterian missionaries to the Indians. Surviving unbelievable hardships, Narcissa never saw any of her family again.  She wrote letters to her mother and her sister in the form of diary entries. Inspired by this diary, Tam Neville has written moving poems capturing Narcissa's lonely and difficult life. Ms. Neville read some of her Whitman poems at Wabash College during Women's Week 1987-88 and has published her poetry in many periodicals including American Poetry Review, Mademoiselle, Ironweed, and others, as well as many anthologies.

Director: Dwight Watson

Asst. Director: Kaizaad Navroze Kotwal '91

Scenic Designer: Rob Hartz

Light Designer: Jay Baltisberger '89

Costume Designer: Laura Conners      

Stage Manager: Roland Edwards Morin '91

 

“Froggy” LeSueur: Hollis G. DeWitt

Charlie Baker: Christopher Miller

Betty Meeks: Jamie Ritchie Watson

Rev. David Marshall Lee: Steven A. Vierk '92

Catherine Simms: Ramona Zachary

Owen Musser: Simon A. Bogigian '91

Ellard Simms: Eric Daman

Townspeople: Bill Craft, R. Todd Perry, Nathan K. Risk '92, Aaron A. Spetz, Paul Toohey

 

Master Electrician: John Panozzo '91

Lightboard Operator: David Short '89

Soundboard Operator: Charles Ngowe '92

Graphics: Laura Conners

 

The late actor/playwright Larry Shue's comedy The Foreigner won seven Obie Awards and Outer Critics Circle Awards (including Best New American Play and Best Off-Broadway Production).  The scene of this comic romp is a fishing lodge in rural Georgia often visited by “Froggy” LeSeur, a British demolition expert who occasionally runs training sessions at a nearby army base.  This time “Froggy” has brought along a friend, a pathologically shy man named Charlie who is overcome with fear at the thought of making conversation with strangers.  So “Froggy,” before departing, tells all assembled that Charlie is from an exotic foreign country and speaks no English.  Once alone, Charlie overhears more than he should, including the evil plans of a sinister, two-faced evangelist and his associate, a leader in the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan.  Presuming that Charlie, in his guise as a “foreigner”, can't understand their conversations, the minister and his henchman reveal most of their plans in front of him.  The result is that shy Charlie is “liberated” by his disguise and sets out to assist the victims of the “bad guys.”  The New Yorker drama critic, Edith Oliver, wrote of the play, “I laughed start to finish at one comic surprise after another.”