OBERLIN COLLEGE THEATER PRESENTS

The Amateurs

by Jordan Harrison

NOVEMBER 3-6, 2022

CONTENT WARNINGS: Disease, blood, death, explicit language/profanity, gore, needles, intentional self-injury, antisemitism, discussions of miscarriage, death of a child, pregnancy/childbirth, sexual content

CAST

Caris Gross as Larking

Ana Morgan as Rona

LJ Templin as Gregory

Mia Richardson as Hollis

Ned Bannon as Brom / Major-Domo

James Purcell as The Physic

ARTISTIC CREDITS

Director: Maeve Hogan

Stage Manager: Paris Mercurio

Assistant Stage Manager: Ryan Taylor

Assistant Director: Annabel Sexton-Daldry

Lighting Designer: Nelson Gutsch

Set Designer: Sage Gordon

Sound Designer: Claire O’Brocta

Costume Designer: Bailey Brewer

Props Designer: Lila Liebeskind

Music Director/Composer: Cashel Day-Lewis

Light Board: Xiwei Guo

Sound Op: Jamie McCreary

Stagehands: Kora Vajda

PRODUCTION STAFF

MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR THEATER, DANCE AND OPERA: ERIC STEGGALL

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: JOSEPH P. NATT

ASSISTANT TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: DAVID BUGHER

SOUND AND LIGHT SUPERVISOR: SCOTT DEVINE

COSTUME SHOP MANAGER: CHRIS FLAHERTY

WARNER CENTER TECHNICAL COORDINATOR: DANIEL R. JAMES

SET DESIGN PROFESSOR: LAURA CARLSON-TARANTOWSKI

BOX OFFICE MANAGER: STEPHANIE KING

BOOKKEEPER: DEB ZVOSEC

DIRECTOR'S NOTE

Our suffering has returned us to an earlier period of art, before the

invention of the idea of good taste... We have been taken back to a time

when griots told stories in Africa, when old wives invented fairy tales, when

audiences felt pity and terror.

—Edmund White, during the AIDS epidemic

“No one has ever written, painted, sculpted, modeled, built, or invented except literally to get out of hell.”

― Antonin Artaud

This production would be nothing without the contributions of Paris, Ryan, Annabel, the brilliant designers, and the production staff. Thank you for saying yes.

Cast BIOS

LJ Templin (Gregory) is a Film major, Creative Writing minor from Western Massachusetts. They're a member of Oberlin's Film Co-Op, a writer and performer of sketch comedy (Good Talk, Doobie Ingenuity), and a 4 year WOBC radio host. 

Caris Gross (Larking) is a fourth-year Theater major with a minor in Russian hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina. Caris is thrilled to be playing Larking in this production, the final of a long line of asshole adult male roles in her Oberlin career and a return to performing after settling into backstage and management work. Much love and gratitude to Maeve, Paris, Ryan, and family and friends (from the 1300s to now!).

Ana Morgan (Rona) is a second year from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Previous Oberlin credits include Lipschitz/Mona in “Chicago”. Outside of Oberlin she has performed as Miranda in “The Tempest”, Marianne in “Disaster!”, Charlotte in “Cinderella”, and Auntie in “Side Show”. She has also been a part of various musical theatre intensives with Interlochen, ArtsBridge, and Penn State. Back in Ann Arbor she is the lead vocalist for the jazz band, The Major 7. She would like to thank her parents, Noah, cast and production mates, and her dog, Harvey, for their support. 

Mia Richardson (Hollis) is a first year from Council Bluffs, Iowa. She is excited to be performing in The Amateurs, her first show at Oberlin.

Ned Bannon (Brom/Major Domo) is a first year theater major from Miami, Florida. 

James Purcell (Physic) is a freshman from Mountain Lakes NJ. He’d like to thank the whole cast and crew of The Amateurs for welcoming him into his first show at Oberlin! Enjoy the show everyone :)

ARTISTIC TEAM BIOS

Maeve Hogan (Director) is a fourth year Theater major with a concentration in directing. The Amateurs is her capstone. Previous Oberlin directing credits include Chicago (OMTA, Director/Choreographer), The Puppy Episode (Opera, Assistant Director/Choreographer), The Tempest (Oberlin Theater, Assistant Director). She has also worked on Hamlet (LabSeries, Gertrude), Big Spender (LabSeries, Deviser), Sad Sack (LabSeries, Camera), and The Wolves (OSTA, #00). An immense thank you to the incredible artists in her cast and crew, to Annabel (everything good in here is hers) , and to the Theater Department for their support and trust.

Paris Mercurio (Stage Manager) is a fourth year Creative Writing major from New Jersey. This is her first Oberlin production, and she is thrilled to be involved in theater again for the first time since graduating from her performing arts high school. She wants to thank her amazing ASM Ryan Taylor, Nelson Gutsch for showing her the ropes, and Maeve Hogan for taking a chance on an amateur! 

Ryan Taylor (Assistant Stage Manager) is a 4th year biology major and chemistry minor. Normally Ryan can be seen on the stage at Oberlin, but for this semester she decided to join her bestie, Paris (SM), and learn the art of technical theater. Outside of theater Ryan spends a lot of time growing bacteria in Professor Ryno's undergraduate biochemistry research lab.

Nelson Gutsch  (Lighting Design) is a second year studying Theatre and Jazz Bass. Recent lighting design credits include Sankocho (Oberlin LabSeries), Chicago (OMTA), and various theatre and dance productions at Theatre Salina. His upcoming productions include Sideways Stories from Wayside School and Calypso for Oberlin LabSeries, and The World is Only Magic and Sweeney Todd for OMTA. Nelson is the chair of the Student Lighting and Sound Association (SLSA), Technical Coordinator for OMTA/OSTA, and a TA in the Theater Department Electrics Shop.

Claire O’Brocta (Sound Design) is a fifth year TIMARA and Environmental Studies major from Buffalo, New York. Previous Oberlin sound design credits include Hamlet (theater) and Wolf Girl (film).

Bailey Brewer (Costume Design) is a third year Classical Civilisations major with an Art History minor. Although they are not officially a theater major or minor, Bailey enjoys working in the department and with OMTA on costumes and making shows come to life. Some of their previous work at Oberlin includes costume design on Hamlet (Lab Series Winter '22), and At the End of the World (OMTA Spring '22). Enjoy the show.

Sage Gordon (Set Design) is a third year Studio Art major. This is her first time working a set at Oberlin, and she hopes you enjoy the show!

Lila Liebeskind (Propmaster)  is a third year cinema studies major and theater minor. This is their second time designing and creating props for a show and they hope to do more when the opportunity arises! They are also a student filmmaker here at Oberlin College and will have work being screened at the end of the semester so look out for that ! A very special thanks to those who helped alleviate the load of building props.

Kora Vajda (Stagehand) is a fourth-year English and Theater double-major. They're excited to help out with the show.

James McCreary (Sound Board Operator)is a second year theater major from Manhattan, New York. He is excited to be doing crew for the first time in 6 years, and thanks Maeve, Paris, and the team for making the show such an awesome experience!

Xiwei Guo (Light Board Operator) is a fourth-year Russian, Comparative Literature and Theater major.

SPECIAL THANKS

Laura Carlson-Tarantowski, Matt Wright, David Bugher, Joe Natt, Eric Steggall, Chris Mirto, Sasha Paris-Carter, Chris Flaherty, Sarah Naiman, Katherine Csiszar, Jordan Muschler

THEATER DEPARTMENT FACULTY

ERIC STEGGALL, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THEATER, DANCE, AND OPERA

KARI BARCLAY, VISITING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF THEATER

MATTHEW WRIGHT, PROFESSOR OF THEATER, CHAIR OF THEATER

ANJANETTE HALL, VISITING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF THEATER

PRESTON CROWDER, VISITING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF THEATER

JOE NATT, SENIOR TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

JEREMY BENJAMIN, VISITING INSTRUCTOR/LIGHTING DESIGNER

LAURA CARLSON-TARANTOWSKI, SCENIC DESIGNER AND LECTURER IN THEATER

DAVID BUGHER, ASSISTANT TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

CHRIS FLAHERTY, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF THEATER

CENTRAL TICKET SERVICE & PUBLICITY

STEPHANIE KING, BOX OFFICE MANAGER 

PUBLICITY:  Maeve Hogan, Lizzy Griffin, Nova Gomez, Kathryn Von Coelln

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