While the characters, situations, and outcomes of The Mascot are creations of my imagination, my inspirations for writing it are autobiographical.

See, I grew up in the house owned by legendary coach Knute Rockne. My ancestor was the legend’s godfather. My father, all my father’s brothers, and a bucket of cousins graduated from a university named Notre Dame. My cousin

even gave up a roster spot so that the real-life Rudy could play. I succumbed to parental guilt and attended a certain university. And against their better judgment, this esteemed school awarded me a degree.

But my contrarian side led my heart to follow the archenemy school, perhaps unconsciously just to petrify and infuriate my parents. Which brought me the utmost delight. And even though my parents are gone, that contrarian side is alive and well.

But the play’s not really about ND. Or leprechauns. Or even mascots.

It’s the story of a young man who fears disappointing a manipulative parent who imposes his own unfulfilled dreams upon him. And my fantasy about how I might want this dynamic to go awry.

I trained in playwriting at Chicago Dramatists, and performed in plays for Chicago’s Victory Gardens and Bailiwick theatres. I’m a member of the Dramatist’s Guild, a graduate of Northwestern University, and a subway alum of USC.

I’m honored that you are here, taking in the immense talent of the artistic and production team. I want to thank some remarkable people for their inspiration, support and patience in realizing this dream: Peter Zazzali, Mark Young, Brent Stratton, Dennis Zacek, Rachel Edwards Harvith, and Megan Beals. And my countless friends and family on both sides of the pond. Vive la France!

Finally, a huge thank you to my newfound friends in Kansas City, who have welcomed me like one of their own. And will be glad as hell to see me go.

– Jerry HickeyApril 2, 2018

PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTE:

The Mascot

DiaKnuteChaplain ReamusAstridDarbyDooleyEnsembleEnsembleEnsemble

Scenic & Lighting Designer

Dennis Christilles

Costume DesignerKelly Vogel

Sound Design and Composition

Jonathan Robertson

Properties DesignerCurtis Smith

Stage ManagerAlex Murphy*

Assistant DirectorDrew Hafling

Emma CarterSam Cordes*Coleman CrenshawJen Mays*Matt Rapport*R.H. Wilhoit Jake GillespieMatthew Michael Alisa Lynn

CAST

Music composed and arranged by Jon Robertson. Recorded by Jon Robertson/Wyatt Wooden, assistant engineer. Musicians: Ezgi Karakus, cello; Jonathan Schriock, violin; Jake Heinerikson, guitar; Caleb Fankhauser, drums.

* This individual appears through the courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

By Jerry HickeyDirected by Peter Zazzali*

Projections DesignerRana Esfandiary

Peter Zazzali* Alex Murphy* Drew Hafling Dennis Christilles Art Kent Kyle Dyck Curtis Smith Regina Weller Kelly Vogel Rana Esfandiary Jonathan Robertson Traci Terstriep Herber

DirectorProduction Stage ManagerAssistant DirectorScenic, Lighting DesignerLighting BadassTechnical DirectorProperties DesignerProperties BadassCostume DesignerProjections DesignerSound DesignerChoreographer

PRODUCTION TEAM & CREW

* This individual appears through the courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

DISCLAIMER

The names, characters and incidents are products of the playwright’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

This play is intended as a satire of the conflict between parents who want their offspring to be something they don’t necessarily want to be, and the offspring’s own hopes and desires. It represents the opinion and imagination of the author and is not intended nor should be construed as a reflection, positive or negative, on any particular university, its employees, or its programs. Neither the University of Notre Dame nor the University of Southern California in any way endorses or benefits from this production.

Special thanks to Matt Thompson of Precision Printing.

CAST BIOS

SAM CORDES (Knute) was “born in a trunk” in Kansas City, Missouri and has been doing professional theatre since the age of five. Raised by actors, Cordes made quite the name for himself as an upcoming talent in the thriving theatre community of his hometown and has gone on to receive his B.F.A. in Theatre from Stephens College for Women in Columbia, MO and his M.F.A. in Theatre from The University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Trained in many techniques from Uta Hagen to Michael Lugering’s Expressive Actor, and proficient in a multitude of styles from Shakespeare to Musical Theatre, Cordes is both an accomplished actor and teacher.

EMMA CARTER (Dia) is a playwright, actress and teaching artist currently based in Kansas City, MO. She studied Theater Arts with an acting emphasis and music minor at Stephens College. You may have seen her in past productions such The Fishtank’s Insubordinates and Drunks by Pete Bakely. She is one of a handful of female playwrights from all over the country who were selected to participate in the 2018 Harold Clurman Division First Breath New Play-Reading series; her play Wicked Creatures, which ran at The Living Room Theater in 2016, will receive a staged reading in New York City this June through the Stella Adler Studio for Acting. Emma is also excited to announce her short play Rank was selected for inclusion in the 2018 Annual William Inge Theater Festival’s New Play Lab. Emma is a member of the Midwest Dramatists. Find copies of her work on the National New Play Network. For more information visit www.emmakcarter.com.

COLEMAN CRENSHAW (Chaplain Reamus) is excited to join this extra talented creative team to bring this zany new work to life! He is an active member of the KC theatre community with over 50 credits to his name. He may have seen him most recently in The 12 Plays of Christmas (Fishtank) or the MET’s The Weir or Photograph 51. Other Kansas City stage credits include Crimes of the Heart at Kansas City Actors Theatre and Sylvia at The Buffalo Room, as well as work at The Coterie, Fishtank, Living Room, Melting Pot KC, TYA and The KC Fringe Festival. He is also a busy teaching artist (recently at JCCC and BVNHS) and in area elementary schools; for more information about his innovative early education playwriting programming please visit goo.gl/Epic. He has two dogs, one girlfriend, and a handful of nickels. He is content.

JAKE GILLESPIE (Ensemble) is a sophomore at The University of Kansas majoring in Theatre Performance. His past credits include Gabriel Law in When the Rain Stops Falling, Jean Verse in …And Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi, Leonard in Seminar and Crick in Late, A Cowboy Song. He is also the Vice President of Outreach at KU Improv.

ALISA LYNN (Ensemble) is very excited to be returning to the Living Room stage. Previously she’s been seen on this stage in Bed Play and Junk, and most recently has been seen in Rigoletto with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City. She is so excited to be a part of this powerhouse of a team, bringing this zany script to life.

MATT RAPPORT (Darby) has been an actor in the KC area for over 25 years. In that time, he has appeared at the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, Unicorn Theatre, Kansas City Actors Theatre, The Coterie, New Theatre, KC Rep, Theatre for Young America, MET and others. As well as acting, Matt is also an accomplished musician, street performer, teaching artist and Director of Education for the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival.

JEN MAYS (Astrid) was the mascot for her high school (Go CJ Bulldogs!) and college (UMKC Rookie Roo!) - experiences that made her the subtle performer that she is today. A union stage and screen actor, Jen is proud to be part of Kansas City’s amazing arts community. Some of her favorite KC shows include Application Pending, Project Dawn, Clybourne Park at The Unicorn; Picnic at KC Actors Theatre; Miracle Worker, Seussical at The Coterie; August: Osage County, Guys & Dolls at KC Rep; MotherFreakingHood! at Moonshine Variety; Dixie Swim Club, On Golden Pond, All Shook Up, Over the River, Gypsy, The Odd Couple at New Theatre. Come join her at New Theatre this summer for that Scandinavian pop classic Mamma Mia!

MATTHEW MICHAEL (Ensemble) is an actor, comedian and musician from the KC area. Latest projects include The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and the world premiere of The Battle of Franklin at Studio Tenn, and Slaughter House on the Prairie at Third Coast Comedy Club, as well as starring in videos with Elite Daily. Special thanks to his family, friends, DTH and the Living Room Theatre. Instagram: @official_matthewmichael

R.H. WILHOIT (Dooley) is thrilled to play the role of Dooley in The Mascot. He graduated from Drury University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. He was previously seen in The Coterie’s Charlie Brown Christmas (Pigpen), Heart of America Shakespeare Festival’s Hamlet (2nd Gravedigger), and Lawrence Arts Center/The Pearl’s Bent (Max). He can be seen next in HASF’s production of Much Ado About Nothing (Verges). He’s excited to participate in bringing an exciting new work to Kansas City audiences with such a terrific group of artists.

PRODUCTION TEAM BIOS

Dr. Peter Zazzali (Director) is a stage director and actor whose work is recognized internationally. A member of the theatre faculty at the University of Kansas, he has acted and directed in over 150 productions with institutions such as the Acting Company, Guthrie Theater, George Street Playhouse, Western Australian Academy for the Performing Arts, Queensland University of Technology, Kansas City Actors Theatre, Actors Repertory Theatre Luxembourg, William Inge Theatre Center, and New Jersey, Texas and Utah Shakespearean Festivals. He holds degrees from CalArts, the University of Delaware’s Professional Theatre Training Program (MFA), and the CUNY Graduate Center (PhD). Next spring Peter will be a Fulbright Fellow at the National Drama School of New Zealand.

ALEX MURPHY (Stage Manager) has been stage managing in Kansas City since 2009. Previous stage management credits include: Sea Marks, A Lie of the Mind, And Then There Were None, The Realistic Joneses, My Old Lady, I’m Not Rappaport, The Island, At Home at the Zoo (Kansas City Actors Theatre); Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!” (Coterie Theatre); Amadeus, The Turn of the Screw, A Little Night Music (Spinning Tree Theatre); The Death of Cupid, Hurlyburly, Fool for Love, Dog Sees God, A Bucket of Blood (The Living Room Theatre); The Who’s Tommy, Enchanted April, The Time of Your Life (Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre); In Trousers, Valhalla (Egads Theatre Company). Alex has staged managed multiple productions for the KC Fringe Festival and served as a production assistant at Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Unicorn Theatre, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival and Coterie Theatre. Proud member of Actors’ Equity.

JON ROBERTSON (Sound Designer) is a composer and sound designer. Recent work includes music composition and sound design on And Then There Were None (dir. John Rensenhouse, Kansas City Actors Theatre), associate sound design on X: or Betty Shabazz v. The Nation (dir. Ian Belknap, The Acting Company, New York), and sound design on A Christmas Carol (dir. Quin Gresham, Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre). He is an adjunct instructor in Music Technology and Missouri Western State University.

CURTIS SMITH (Props Master) Curtis has worked on a myriad of shows in the Kansas City area. He is best known for his burritos. He once killed a bear with a pool stick for eating half a sandwich.

TRACY TERSTRIEP (Choreographer/Movement Director) Local KCRep: A Christmas Carol, Sweeney Todd. Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, Resident Choreographer/Movement: Hamlet, Twelfth Night, King Lear, The Merchant of Venice, The Winter’s Tale, As You Like It, and upcoming…Much Ado About Nothing. Ms. Terstriep has served as faculty/Guest Lecturer/Choreographer at UMKC, KU, Montgomery College, Kansas City Ballet, Shenandoah Conservatory. Film and Television: PBS American Masters: F. Scott Fitzgerald: Winter Dreams (Emmy nomination), True Bromance, The Producers, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Late Night with David Letterman, Rosie O’Donnell Show. Broadway: original cast member of Tony Award winning productions The Producers and Fosse; original cast of Alan Menken/Lynn Ahren’s A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden. First National Tour/Off Broadway and Regional highlights include: Chicago, Will Roger’s Follies, Funny Girl, My One and Only, Pippin, A Chorus Line, Follies, Maximum Commotion. Radio City Rockette.

DIRECTOR’S NOTE:A dark satire rendered with Durangian absurdity, The Mascot pokes fun at Notre Dame University’s deification of football, and by extension, all such vaunted institutions. Though not specifically within this original work’s sphere of ridicule, the likes of KU basketball or our beloved Chiefs and Royals are not far removed from the ways in which we lampoon the Fighting Irish. One might just as well envision Phog Allen or George Brett as echoes of ND’s beloved coach, Knute Rockne.

Our story centers on Rockne’s namesake (Knute), whose quest to outmaneuver his manipulative father - the hard-nosed Darby - results in being cast as ND’s venerable mascot, The Leprechaun. Knute’s half-hearted pursuit of becoming “mascot” facilitates the play’s crazed antics, comic hijinks, and Aristophanic silliness. From the foibles of Darby and Dooley to Dia’s cunning and Astrid’s wiles, we hope to conjure an irreverent brand of comedy in the key of something akin to a Warner Brothers cartoon created through live sounds affects, original music, video animation and irreverent fun.

Thus, the production’s rhythms will be as upbeat and bouncy as its visual elements cartoonish and off-kilter. Malleable set pieces will help suspend disbelief while serving as a sofa and dorm bed in one scene to a ledge atop ND’s famed Golden Dome in another. Projected images will supplement these set pieces to create each of our world’s locations, the configuration of which will be the responsibility of our 3-person ensemble of cheerleaders, all of whom are part of the play’s zany world. As such, they will partake in choreographed numbers facilitating a satirical jest that journeys into the theatrical imagination.

- Peter ZazzaliApril 3, 2018

P R O D U C E D B Y

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