CAST

Claire ........................................................ Lisa Marie LeeRichard ............................................................Kevin LeeKenny .......................................................Blake BlanningGertie ................................................................ Bao HerHeidi ...........................................................Katia HolmesLimping Man ..............................................Isaac KumpulaMillet ...........................................................James PeritzHinky Binky ............................................................Millet

©2020. This Video recording was produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service and David Lindsay-Abaire. All rights reserved. This performance is authorized for non-commercial use only. By accepting this license, you agree not to authorize or permit the Video to be recorded, copied, distributed, broadcast, telecast or otherwise exploited, in whole or in part, in

any media now known or hereafter developed.

Fuddy Meers was originally produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club on October 12, 1999. The play was subsequently produced Off-Broadway by the Manhattan

Theatre Club and Jean Doumanian Productions.

Fuddy Meers was originally presented as a staged reading atthe 1998 National Playwrights Conference, Lloyd Richards, Artistic Director, at the

Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.

WARNING: Federal law provides severe civil and criminal penalties for the unauthorized reproduction, distribution or exhibition of copyrighted motion pictures, Audio & Videotapes or Audio & Videodiscs. Criminal copyright infringment is investigated by the FBI and may constitute a felony with a maximum penalty

of up to five years in prison and/or a 250,000.00 fine.

Hello everyone! Welcome to our first foray into online theatre with our production of Fuddy Meers by David Lindsay-Abaire. We’re happy to have you. We are also happy that COVID-19 did not interrupt our plans for this production; although Fuddy Meers was a different process because of having to work under COVID protocols and ultimately having to film the performance, the students nonetheless got the real experiences of rehearsal and construction. This has always been at the core of our department mission, to give them hands-on opportunities to work in a variety of capacities and create well-rounded theatre artists. Those opportunities will soon disappear. As many of you know, the administration of this university chose to eliminate the Department of Theatre and Dance and its programs last March, and the UA Board of Regents made it official in June 2020. We were deemed “costly,” which means that our work is not sufficiently valuable to UAA. Other programs such as sociology, environmental studies, and English MA and MFA degrees, among several others, were also selected for elimination. We learned of the administration’s decision just before COVID shut down UAA’s campus and most of the world, and without access to our offices or each other, we had to come up with plans to help our students finish out and preserve the education they are here for. We now cannot accept any new students, and we are in a “teach-out” phase. As our current students graduate, the department will become smaller and smaller and by May of 2023, the department will be closed. The future of our faculty, our spaces, our furniture, props, and costumes has not yet been determined. Our rough time has echoed that of the entertainment industry, with theatre, film, and TV productions shut down for much of 2020. Over 5.4 million jobs in America are based in the arts and cultural industries (which we all hope returns to normal after the pandemic is over). Our students will one day work to produce the entertainment we all consume. Those in favor of cutting theatre or dance programs in schools or universities often say that, in comparison to other subjects, theatre and dance (and, indeed, all arts) are less valuable to students. But I know that’s not true, and it’s why I have never worried about the “end of live theatre” that many predict. All over the word, people are drawn to the experience of sitting with a whole bunch of other people in the dark to witness something amazing, provoking, or beautiful. There is just something about being there, feeling the energy between the audience and the performers and having a collective experience. If the pandemic has reminded us of anything, it’s how critical having a live connection with other humans is to the human experience. The amazing students and alumni who worked on Fuddy Meers (see page 7) know that creating the performance--the very doing of our art--requires hard work and our sacrificing a little bit of our lives. You can ask all 5.4 million people professionally employed, and they’ll say the same. We all put the time in because we are passionate about making that “something amazing.” (Incidentally, most of the 5.4 million would also say they got their initial training in a department just like ours.) I’ll sum up by asking, how do you spend your evenings? How have you passed time during the pandemic shut down? You turn to entertainment--we all do--as humans have done for millenia. Theatre and dance are critical parts of human life; spending money to provide education to talented students is not a waste as our administrators imply. It’s an investment in the future of everyone’s entertainment, and soon Anchorage will no longer have that. (continued...)

NOTE FROM THE CHAIR FUDDY MEERSFUDDY MEERSBy David Lindsay-Abaire

(...from previous page)

We are thrilled to be able to bring this show to you. Barring another shut down, we will bring Sophie Treadwell’s expressionist masterpiece Machinal to video on demand next semester, and we hope to present a dance performance in the spring as well. We plan to have a season of shows in our final two years, as many as we can manage. Thank you very much for choosing to stream our show, and thank you for supporting theatre and dance education.

Dr. Brian CookAssociate Professor and Department ChairUAA Department of Theatre and Dance

CAST & CREW BIOGRAPHIES

Kat Banner (Sound Designer) is a fourth-year theater major who likes to be a jack of all trades, master of none. Despite having an immense passion for theater, she didn’t start out as a theater major nor did she start out at UAA. Kat started her first year of college at UAF and had to switch majors when she moved back. Although this has set her a year back, she thinks it was the best choice she ever made.

Hinky Binky (Puppet) is truly honored to be a part of this production. Amidst all the chaos of the world, he hopes to bring a little joy to everyone watching. He was planning to do this as a one-puppet show, but later decided it would be more humbling to share the stage. A classically trained actor, Binky has dedicated his life to his craft with the utmost respect. Inspired by Sesame Street as a young sock, his dream is to become loved by all across every stage. People say Binky can be too serious, as if he always has a fist up his a**, but that won’t deter him from his work. When not busy on stage, he spends his time with his other half, contemplating their existence in the world.

Blake Blanning (Kenny) is a second-year student studying theatre, dance, and costuming. Over the summer, he worked in an industrial sewing shop, making masks and outdoor wear at a local business called Alpine Fit. He has enjoyed playing the role of Kenny in Fuddy Meers, a character who differs greatly from his own personality. This is his third major production at UAA, and he hopes to continue acting in Machinal in the spring.

Brighton Coggins (Videographer) is a senior pursuing his BA in theater with a concentration in design and technical theater. Fuddy Meers is his last mainstage production as a student as he graduates this semester. Though usually working exclusively in costumes (he has previously designed costumes for UAA’s productions of Romeo and Juliet and Frozen as well as working as a cutter/draper and costume crafts artisan on a variety of UAA shows including Lysistrata, That Long Damn Dark, and Betrayal), he is excited to bring Fuddy Meers to audiences at home.

Bao Her (Gertie) is a senior at University of Alaska Anchorage, majoring in theatre with a performance concentration and minor in dance. Bao has been involved in the theatre department as the light and sound board operator in Radium Girls (2018) and Lysistrata (2019). She has also served on the costume construction crew and scenic construction crew on Playhouse Creatures (2018) and for Romeo and Juliet (2019). Acting credits at UAA include: Earthquake ‘64 (Pam and Sue) and The New Kid

HOUSEMarketing and Graphic Design ................................ Brian CookWebsite and Publicist .................................... Kathleen Behnke

CREATIVE TEAMDirector ................................................................ Ty HewittScenic Designer .................................................... KT TedrickCostume Designer ................................ Colleen Alexis MetzgerLighting Designer ..........................................Daniel J. AnteauSound Designer .................................................... Kat BannerProps Designer ............................................... Kasey MurpheyTechnical Director and Production Manager .......Daniel J. AnteauStage Manager ..................................................Lydia Thomas

PRODUCTIONMovement and Stage Combat....................................Ty HewittAssistant Stage Manager .................................Morrigan KellenVideographer/Editor ......................................Brighton Coggins

SCENERYScene Shop Supervisor ................................... Kasey MurpheyScenic Carpentry ........................Kat Banner, Brighton Coggins,

Bao Her, Katia Holmes, Morrigan Kellen, Olivia Siegel, Lydia Smith, KT Tedrick

COSTUMECostume Shop Supervisor ....................................Kaie PromishCostume Shop Assistants..........Brighton Coggins, Lydia Thomas Draper .............................................................Lydia ThomasCostume Crafts Artisans ..............Kat Banner, Brighton Coggins,

Michaeline Collins, Kayla Gonzalez, KT TedrickCostume Construction Crew ......Kaie Promish, Brighton Coggins,

Bao Her, Christian Howlett, Melissa Mendoza, Alicia Santamaria, Lydia Smith, Lydia Thomas

LIGHT & SOUNDAssistant Lighting Designer .................................. Olivia Siegel Sound Design Advisor ....................................Daniel J. AnteauLight and Sound Board Operator ..........................Lydia ThomasLighting Crew ............................Kat Banner, James Branstetter,

Olivia Siegel, Lydia Smith

(swing for Mother). Bao has also performed in multiple directing scenes and has directed two short plays for directing class. Her dance experience at UAA includes Dance In Performance 2017, New Dances 2018, UAA Dance Student Showcase 2018, and UAA Dance Student Showcase March 2019. In Bao’s spare time she likes to choreograph dance, sing, and take photos.

Katia Holmes (Heidi) has been enthralled by the performance arts from a young age and is a second year theatre major from Homer, Alaska. Some of her previous theatrical roles include Jo March in Little Women at Pier One Theatre, Anasuya in Shakuntala at CU Boulder, and she has also danced the role of Clara in The Nutcracker. Her choreography has been featured in CU’s curated showcase Open Space. Katia is thrilled to be in her first UAA production with such an amazing cast, director, and crew, all of whom have kept her in stitches just as much as this hilarious play has.

Morrigan Kellen (Assistant Stage Manager) is a senior in the UAA theatre department. She is pursuing a BA in theatre performance with a minor in Spanish. This is her first time being an assistant stage manager. She has previously worked on wardrobe crew for both Betrayal and Frozen. Morrigan also appeared on stage as Sampson/Mary/Simon in Romeo and Juliet and Leah in That Long Damn Dark. She plans to graduate in the spring and then pursue a career as an actor.

Isaac Kumpula (Limping Man) iis an alumnus of the UAA theatre program, appearing in UAA productions of A Steady Rain and And Then There Were None, and Radium Girls. He may be recognized from many productions in Anchorage, among them TBA’s Hamlet (Laertes), Blue Chair’s Seminar (Martin), and in Cyrano’s production of She Kills Monsters (Chuck). Isaac also played the role of ill-fated hippie Gunther in Chad Carpenter’s Moose the Movie.

Kevin Lee (Richard) is an alum of UAA’s Theatre and Dance Program. He has performed in previous UAA productions of Stalking The Bogeyman and Lysistrata, Our Friend The Enemy at Cyrano’s Theater Company, The Winter Bear Project, and many other theatre and film productions.To support his theatre habit, Kevin is employed as a heavy equipment operator at the Alaska Railroad. Kevin is married in real life to Lisa-Marie, who plays Claire in this production.

Lisa-Marie Lee (Claire) is an alumna of UAA’s Theatre & Dance Department (and actual wife of fellow actor Kevin Lee!) She is excited to be back onstage for this extremely unique production! As a student, Lisa-Marie performed in several UAA plays such as

Rain & Zoe Save the World, And Then There Were None, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, and many more, as well as costume designed the Cyrano’s Theatre Company production Our Friend, The Enemy and UAA’s 44 Plays for 44 Presidents and Twelfth Night or What You Will. Lisa-Marie works in the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts and also has a booth set-up in her home where she records for gigs as a freelance voice actor. In her free time, Lisa-Marie also enjoys baking & cooking, spending time with her cat Couscous, and watching movies with her husband.

James Peritz (Millet) is a senior at UAA, hopefully graduating this winter. Pursuing his psychology degree, he has had a lot of fun psychoanalyzing these characters and everything they’re going through mentally. James has always loved performing and being a part of theatre, and will always participate when he can, pandemic or not. He has also been in UAA’s productions of That Long Damn Dark as Ethan, Romeo and Juliet as Count Paris, along with Lysistrata and Radium Girls. James hopes to continue his study of psychology and theatre and hopefully manage to do both throughout his life.

KT Tedrick (Scenic Designer) is a junior theatre major with an emphasis in design and tech. She’s been a builder/painter on many UAA productions including: Playhouse Creatures, Lysistrata, Betrayal, Frozen, Romeo & Juliet, and That Long Damn Dark. In the future, KT would love to teach theatre in high school and focus more on the technical/backstage elements that are often overlooked. She enjoys painting and doing arts/crafts projects as well as playing video games; the Legend of Zelda series is her favorite.

Lydia Thomas (Stage Manager) is a senior in the theatre department. She spends most of her time in the costume shop or at home reading. Lydia performed in Romeo and Juliet last fall and previously performed at Pier One Theatre in Homer on shows such as Chicago, Little Women, and Much Ado About Nothing. She has always loved the theatre and is excited to try her hand at stage managing.

I had to cut this out, but it still needs saying… I am in awe of our students. Videographer/editor Brighton Coggins spent over 100 hours filming and editing the show, alongside working in the costume shop sewing and altering costumes, his other classes, his job, personal life, eating, and sleeping. Brighton is but one example of how hard our students work, because they want to seize the learning opportunities that this department provides. Lydia, our student stage manager, KT (scene designer), and Kat, (sound designer) also put in countless hours alongside their classes to make this show happen. Our students are valuable to UAA, and it’s a shame our administrators disagree.

FALL 2020 FACULTY & STAFF

Dr. Brian Cook ................Associate Professor/ Department ChairDaniel J. Anteau ......................................................ProfessorDr. Jill Flanders-Crosby .............................................ProfessorColleen Alexis Metzger ...............................Associate ProfessorTy Hewitt .................................................. Assistant ProfessorGabriel Harvey ............................................... Adjunct FacultyMelissa Jabaay ............................................... Adjunct FacultyKasey Murphey ................................... Scene Shop SupervisorKaie Promish .......................................Costume Shop ManagerAnita Franciosi ................................................ Fiscal ManagerCedar Cussins ................................ Fine Arts Building ManagerRhiannon Elliott ........................................... Academic Advisor Meghan Owens ............. Student, Academic & Divisional Support

FACULTY & STAFF BIOGRAPHIES (cont’d)Ty Hewitt has worked as an actor, director, teacher and fight choreographer all around the country. At UAA Ty has directed Romeo and Juliet, Lysistrata, Rain and Zoe Save the World, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, and Eurydice. Acting credits include Silent Sky and A Christmas Carol (Perseverance Theater),

Buried Child and Tongues (Profile Theatre), The Scene (Portland Playhouse), On The Table (Sojourn Theatre) and deCOMPOSITION (Seattle/NYC). New York theatre credits include Opus D’Amour (Theatre Lab), Babel Tower (Round Table Ensemble), and Twelfth Night (Aquila Theatre, Lincoln Center). Ty has a BFA from Southern Oregon University and an MFA from UMKC.

Colleen Alexis Metzger is a costume designer and technician whose work has taken her across the country. She has worked for the Santa Fe Op-era in New Mexico, the Glimmerglass Opera in New York, The Barter Theatre in Virginia, Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan, Chautauqua Opera

in New York, Perseverance Theatre in Juneau, Portland Stage Company in Maine, and Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massa-chusetts.

Kasey Murphey is the scene shop supervisor for the department and props designer on Fuddy Meers. He received his BA in theatre from Cal State Northridge, and since, he has worked as a stage manager, video director, stage carpenter, and camera operator. For the last 12 years, he’s been a touring technician, traveling the world. He has worked on 6 continents, 67 countries, and 47 states.

FACULTY & STAFF BIOGRAPHIES Daniel Anteau received a B.A. from the University of Alaska Anchorage and his M.F.A. in Lighting Design from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. In his academic career he has taught for the University of Alaska Anchorage as term technical director/lighting designer and The University of Hawaii as Assistant professor in Lighting Design and Technical Director. After returning to the University of Alaska Anchorage he now serves as professor in design and as technical director and production manager. Daniel manages the light shop as well as sound, projections, and special effects. Professionally, Daniel’s lighting designs have been seen across Alaska & Hawaii, to New York City, and internationally to Africa.

Dr. Brian Cook is associate professor of theatre at UAA and chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance. He received his PhD in Theatre Arts from the University of Oregon, and his MA from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and King’s College, London. At UAA, he’s directed several shows, including Playhouse Creatures, And Then There Were None, Earthquake ‘64, and Stalking the Bogeyman. His research focuses on contemporary British theatre, particularly on the work of the Cherub Company in the United Kingdom and abroad. Brian has presented at various conferences and has published in Theatre History Studies, Theatre Survey, Performing Arts Resources and the LMDA Sourcebook. He has also worked at professional theatres in upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Colorado, Florida, and the U.K.

Dr. Jill Flanders-Crosby is a professor and the dance program coordinator in the Department of Theatre and Dance. She holds an Ed.M and Ed.D from Teachers College Columbia University. She has had a long choreographic and performance career in Anchorage and appeared as guest artist with XSIGHT! Performance Group of Chicago and at the Morningside Dance Festival in New York City. She has conducted dance research in Ghana and Togo,

West Africa, Cuba, and the Cook Islands, South Pacific. Her research work is archived in Havana, Cuba, Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand, and soon to be archived in the Cuban Heritage Collection, University Libraries of Miami.

Masterpieces of the Theatre EndowmentProviding general support for UAA Theatre & Dance.

Excellence in DanceProviding support for the Dance Program at UAA.

Distinctive Design in the Performing ArtsSupporting the development and stimulation of student design

excellence, creativity, and skill.

Friends of the Performing Arts ScholarshipAssisting a full-time student in the Performing Arts to complete their education

Theatre & Dance Touring & Special PerformancesSupporting costs associated with non-traditional productions put on by UAA Theatre &

Dance.

William R. Wilson New Playwrights EndowmentSupporting the production, publication, or encouragement of new original drama at

UAA.

Go to uaa.alaska.edu/give, click Give Now, and write in the fund you wish to support.

CONSIDER SUPPORTING UAA THEATRE & DANCE

Hungry for a Slice? Dine In or Take Out

Tudor, Old Seward or Downtown LocationsSlice, Salad & Pint - $12 daily

www.unclejoespizzeria.com

@UAA_Theatre_Dance @Arts_UAA

facebook.com/uaaTheatreandDance

Follow Us!

2019-20 Dayle Skore Award RecipientsThe Dayle Skore Memorial Award is a financial award based on a positive working attitude, honoring one student from each show of the season. Last year’s recipients were:

Blake BlanningBlake BlanningJames Branstetter James Branstetter Sienza ChandlerSienza ChandlerKayla GonzalezKayla Gonzalez

Kaeli MenoKaeli Meno

Special Thanks: Erin Dagon Mitchell