Supporting Materials

Free “Open Talk” Video

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What’s “Calvino-esque?”

A Free Open Talk presented on Saturday, October 26 at 2:00 P.M.

Playwright and adapter John Capecci shares why 1979’s If on a winter’s night a traveler is so much more than a work of “experimental fiction,” thanks to Calvino’s playfulness, fable-like characters, and (sometimes dizzying) narrative inventiveness. He also demonstrates how the stage adaptation coming to The Rogue is both embracing and illuminating these uniquely “Calvino-esque” aspects, with the aid of several actors in the production.

This open talk is supported in part by a generous gift from Bill & Nancy Sohn.

Essay

For more background on the play, check out Jerry James’ essay

The Leader is Always Right:
The Political Education of Italo Calvino

Cynthia Meier (Director) is Co-Founder and Managing & Associate Artistic Director for The Rogue Theatre and holds a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from the University of Arizona. She has directed 42 of The Rogue’s 92 productions to date including The Secret in the Wings, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Galileo, Bach at Leipzig, The White Snake, Hamlet, Waiting for Godot, Betrayal, Naga Mandala, and The Four of Us for which she received Arizona Daily Star Mac Award nominations as Best Director, as well as Arcadia and Richard III for which she won Mac Awards for Direction. Cynthia has created stage adaptations for The Rogue of Thornton Wilder’s The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Virginia Woolf’s The Lady in the Looking Glass & Mrs Dalloway, James Joyce’s The Dead, Kafka’s Metamorphosis, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tales of the Jazz Age, Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness, and (along with Holly Griffith) Moby Dick. She is co-founder of Bloodhut Productions, a company performing original monologues and comedy improvisation, which toured throughout the western United States. She also directed The Seagull (featuring Ken Ruta) for Tucson Art Theatre, and she directed Talia Shire in Sister Mendelssohn and Edward Herrmann in Beloved Brahms for Chamber Music Plus Southwest. Cynthia has also been nominated for nine Mac Awards for Best Actress from the Arizona Daily Star, and in 2008, she received the Mac Award for Best Actress for her performance of Stevie in Edward Albee’s The Goat at The Rogue Theatre.

Cynthia Meier’s direction of If on a winter’s night a traveler is supported in part by generous gifts
from Denice Blake & John Blackwell, Patty Gallagher & Stewart Kantor, and Fred Corey

Director’s Notes

I have books all over our house. Some I’ve read, some I’m reading, and some I’ll probably never read. For most of my life, my favorite gift has always been a book. I love losing myself, losing time, losing space, and living in the world of a good novel.

A few years ago, my dear friend John Capecci talked to me about his lifelong wish to write an adaptation of Calvino’s “If on a winter’s night a traveler.” It was a novel that John had loved and studied and dreamt about for years. Calvino’s novel had intrigued me, too—its cleverness draws us in, while its complexity makes us stand back. However, Italo Calvino’s estate was notoriously difficult to approach and, as far as we know, the estate had never granted the rights for a stage adaptation to anyone. I told John that if we could procure the rights, The Rogue would produce it. Magically, Calvino’s estate said “yes” to us. We added the adaptation to our 20th Anniversary season line-up, and (magically) after years of development and weeks and weeks of rehearsal with a stellar group of play-mates, here we are.

The dilemma of the character named simply “Reader” in the play is to find an ending—both in the novel he’s reading, and in his life. But his path to do so becomes increasingly complicated, to say the least. In the play, the Reader discovers a printing error in a novel which leads him to encounter nine new novels that take the forms
of unfinished translations, stolen manuscripts, plagiarisms, AI-generated texts, and more. Along the way, Reader encounters another reader named Ludmilla who is on her own quest for the perfect novel. He also encounters the evil Marana who is responsible for many of the interrupted novels Reader and Ludmilla encounter. The Reader’s frustration mounts as the trail of novels increases because all the novels seem to continue (as Professor Uzzi-Tuzii says) in the “great beyond.” Will the Reader’s life have a happier conclusion?

There are lots of twists and turns in If on a winter’s night a traveler. Don’t worry if you don’t keep track of them all. Enjoy the ride, as we have. Revel in the larger message that curling up with a good book is one of life’s greatest pleasures. I might have one you can borrow…

—Cynthia Meier, Director
director@theroguetheatre.org

Author

Italo Calvino (1923–1985) was a prominent Italian writer whose imaginative storytelling left an indelible mark on 20th-century literature. Born in Santiago de Las Vegas, Cuba, to Italian parents, he moved to Italy as a young child and grew up in San Remo. Calvino studied literature at the University of Turin after serving in the Italian Resistance during World War II. These experiences profoundly influenced his early works, which included The Path to the Nest of Spiders (1947), a novel grounded in neorealism that reflects his observations on war and humanity.

Over time, Calvino’s writing evolved from realistic narratives to embrace elements of fantasy, allegory, and experimentation. His Our Ancestors trilogy (The Cloven Viscount, The Baron in the Trees, The Nonexistent Knight) reimagines historical themes with a whimsical twist, while Invisible Cities (1972) presents a poetic meditation on language, memory, and civilization. Perhaps his most audacious work, If on a winter’s night a traveler (1979), is a novel about the act of reading itself. This experimental book invites readers to navigate an intricate labyrinth of beginnings without resolution, embodying Calvino’s fascination with metafiction.

Calvino’s contributions to literature are both broad and enduring. He merged philosophical inquiry with storytelling, offering reflections on perception, reality, and imagination. His explorations paved the way for postmodern literature, influencing writers globally and elevating Italian literature in the modern era. Through his inventive narratives and distinctive style, Calvino remains celebrated as a writer who expanded the boundaries of what literature can be, appealing to readers across generations and cultures.

Adaptation

John Capecci (Adapter) is a writer, communication coach, and co-founder of Living Proof Advocacy, an organization dedicated to the power of personal stories to drive positive change. His previous explorations of If on a winter’s night a traveler include the essay Performing the Second Person for Text and Performance Quarterly and a study comparing one-person and full-cast performances of the novel. He is the co-editor of five collections of monologues for study and performance, and co-authored Living Proof: Telling Your Story to Make a Difference, now in its third edition. His prior literary stage adaptations include Snow White by Donald Barthelme, Departures by John L’Heureux and a performance collective of short-short stories. 

John dedicates this adaptation to Dr. Annette Martin, who first handed him Calvino’s novel and Dr. Beverly Long Chapin, who urged him to explore it through performance.

John Capecci’s adaptation of If on a winter’s night a traveler is supported in part
by generous gifts from Patty Gallagher & Stewart Kantor, and Fred Corey

CAST

IL MAESTRO – CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON*

READER – RYAN PARKER KNOX*

PLAYER 1 – AARON SHAND*
Traveler, Mr. Kauderer, Alex Zinnober, Silas Flannery, Cop, Library Reader 4

PLAYER 2 – CHRISTOPHER PANKRATZ*
Doctor Marne, Irnerio, Ponko, Student, Reudi, Cop, Eraser, Library Reader 2

PLAYER 3 – JOSEPH MCGRATH*
Booksller, Chief Goren, Student, Convalescent, Mr. Cavedagna, Billionaire, Don Anastasio,
Library Reader 3

PLAYER 4 – MATT WALLEY*
Villager 3, Father, Professor Uzzi-Tuzii, Marana, Cop, Library Reader 5

PLAYER 5 – HUNTER HNAT*
Villager 1, Gritzvi, Student, Jojo, Hijacker, Zen Student, Nacho Zamora, Library Reader 1

PLAYER 6 – BRYN BOOTH*
Ludmilla

PLAYER 7 – CHELSEA BOWDREN*
Villager 2, Mother, Lotaria

PLAYER 8 – SOPHIE GIBSON-RUSH*
Armida, Brigd, Irina, Bernadette, Professor, High Official, Librarian

*Member of The Rogue Resident Acting Ensemble

Biographies

Bryn Booth (Player 6) is a graduate of the BFA Acting program at the University of Arizona. She was most recently seen as Rosaline in Love’s Labor’s Lost, Ellie Dunn in Heartbreak House, Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Martine in Babette’s Feast. This is Bryn’s seventh season as a member of the Resident Acting Ensemble and her 25th show with The Rogue. Some of her favorite shows in which she’s performed here are King Lear, Great Expectations, The Awakening, Much Ado About Nothing, and Passage. Bryn has also been seen at the Scoundrel and Scamp Theatre as Mag in Lovers and Gowdie in The Love Talker. Bryn is also very active in the Tucson Indie Film Community where she has worked as an actor, writer, and producer. Bryn wants to thank Joe and Cindy for giving her the best job she’s ever had with the most amazing people she’s ever met.

Bryn Booth’s performance is supported in part by
generous gifts from Julia Annas and Todd Hansen

Chelsea Bowdren (Player 7) is excited to be in her third season as a member of The Rogue Resident Acting Ensemble. She has previously performed on The Rogue stage as Sabina in The Skin of Our Teeth, Maria in Love’s Labor’s Lost, Miss Myfanwy Price & others in Under Milk Wood, Obsle in The Left Hand of Darkness, Hesione Hushabye in Heartbreak House, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Biddy/Camilla Pocket in Great Expectations, Jessie in Sweat, Miss Killman in Mrs Dalloway, Jenny/Miss Forsythe in Death of a Salesman, Maria in Twelfth Night and Rosalind in Immortal Longings. Chelsea received her BFA in Acting from the University of Arizona. For Archer, Eloise, and Felix.

Chelsea Bowdren’s performance is supported in part by generous
gifts from Paul Winick & Ronda Lustman and Julia Annas

Sophie Gibson-Rush (Player 8) is a musician and actor based in Tucson, Arizona. She is proud to be a resident ensemble member with The Rogue Theatre and the front woman and primary songwriter for critically acclaimed alternative rock quintet Holy Faint. She attended Boston University and London Academy of Music and Drama where she earned a BFA in acting. She continued her education at Double Edge Theater studying devised theatre. Favorite acting credits include Polly Garter (& others) in Under Milk Wood, Katherine in Love’s Labour’s Lost, Marc Antony in Julius Caesar, Peggy in The London Cuckolds, and Thomasina Coverly in Arcadia. She's honored to be included in the Rogue ensemble- a group of people as kind as they are curious. She looks forward to her first full season acting with The Rogue Theatre, and can be found playing music on stages all around Tucson and Southern Arizona. Always for Jojo with love. IG: @soatgoat

Sophie Gibson-Rush’s performance is supported in part by
generous gifts from Todd Hansen and Kristi Lewis

Hunter Hnat (Player 5) is grateful to be in his seventh season as a member of The Rogue Resident Acting Ensemble. He was most recently seen as Henry Antrobus in The Skin of Our Teeth. He has performed in over 30 shows with The Rogue, some notable favorites include Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pip in Great Expectations, Happy in Death of a Salesman, Sebastian in Twelfth Night, Edmund Tyrone in Long Day’s Journey Into Night, and Christopher in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Other credits include Salomé (Scoundrel & Scamp), U/S in Romeo and Juliet (Arizona Theatre Company), and How the House Burned Down (Live Theatre Workshop). He is a U of A alumnus with his BFA in Musical Theatre, class of 2015. Enjoy the show!

Hunter Hnat’s performance is supported in part by generous
gifts from Nan Schubel and Warren & Felicia May

Christopher Johnson (Il Maestro) first came to The Rogue in 2011 to play Jewel in As I Lay Dying and now serves as Assistant Artistic Director, Play-reading Producer, and Resident Ensemble Member. Select acting credits at The Rogue include Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Biff Loman in Death of a Salesman, Prior Walter in Angels in America: Millennium Approaches (2016 Mac Award Winner – Best Actor, Drama), and Michael in the Rogue play-reading of The Boys in the Band. Elsewhere he has appeared as Joshua in Corpus Christi, Peter in Bug, Doug in Gruesome Playground Injuries, Nursie in Camino Real, Alan in Lemon Sky, Pale in Burn This, Chicklet in Psycho Beach Party, Thom Pain in Thom Pain (based on nothing), and The Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret (2013 Mac Award Winner – Best Actor, Musical). He has directed 30 plays and play-readings for the Rogue, is the author of three of the Rogue’s stage adaptations, creates all of The Rogue’s social media and video content, and recently illustrated the Rogue’s 20th Anniversary Season Coloring Book. 

Christopher Johnson’s performance is supported in part by
generous gifts from Susan Tiss and Julis Annas

Ryan Parker Knox (Reader) had forgotten how many seasons he has been a member of the Rogue's Acting Ensemble, and with that blissful ignorance he's diving headfirst into his first full season since 2018-19. A South Dakota native, he has worked regionally in Minnesota, Ohio, Missouri, and Florida but he's glad to have found his home in the Old Pueblo. RPK brings his versatility into a number of challenging roles this season and can't wait to see where the journey takes him, creatively and personally. He would like to thank his lovely partner CM for her patience and support (but mostly her patience) and to his zoo of fur babies back at the house who all lovingly ensure that no one gets a good night sleep.

Ryan Parker Knox’s performance is supported in part by generous
gifts from Joan Warfield and Eloise Gore & Allen Hile

Joseph McGrath (Player 3) is a graduate of the Juilliard School of Drama and Co-Founder and Artistic Director for The Rogue Theatre. He has recently appeared in Under Milk Wood, The Left Hand of Darkness, Heartbreak House, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Seafarer, Great Expectations, Mrs Dalloway, Passage, Death of a Salesman, Twelfth Night, The Awakening, As You Like It, The Weir, A View from the Bridge, Moby Dick, Long Day’s Journey into Night, The Crucible, The Secret in the Wings, Galileo (2018 Mac Award for Best Actor), and King Lear. He also received the Mac Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Tobias in A Delicate Balance. Joe has toured with John Houseman’s Acting Company and has performed with the Utah Shakespearean Festival. He has been a frequent performer with Ballet Tucson appearing in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and for seventeen years as Herr Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker. He has also performed with Arizona Theatre Company, Arizona Opera, and Arizona Onstage.

Joseph McGrath’s performance is supported in part by generous gifts
from Peggy Houghton & Paul Garner and John Hemann

Christopher Pankratz (Player 2 and Property Master) Christopher’s Rogue acting credits include The Skin of Our Teeth, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Under Milk Wood, The Left Hand of Darkness, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Great Expectations, The Awakening, As You Like It, A View from the Bridge, Moby Dick, The Crucible, Much Ado About Nothing, King Lear, and The Grapes of Wrath. Christopher also directed An Enemy of the People and Constellations for the John and Joyce Ambruster Play-Reading Series. Christopher formerly taught theatre at Flowing Wells High School where he wrote and produced numerous new plays including The Longest Day of April, The Story Seller’s Tale, and You Can’t Make Wine from Raisins, which are available online for licensing and performance. While attending the University of Arizona, Christopher earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts, as well as a master’s degree from the College of Education.

Christopher Pankratz’s performance is supported in part by generous gifts
from Katherine Jacobson and Lori Levine & Gary Benna
His work as prop master is supported in part by
a generous gift from Vicki Ettleman

Aaron Shand (Player 1) was last seen on The Rogue stage as King Ferdinand in Love’s Labor’s Lost. Now in his seventh season as a member of The Rogue Theatre’s Resident Acting Ensemble, Aaron has also appeared in Under Milk Wood, The Left Hand of Darkness, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Seafarer, Twelfth Night, The Awakening, As You Like It, The Weir, A View from the Bridge, Moby Dick, Middletown, Much Ado About Nothing, Galileo, The Grapes of Wrath and King Lear. Born and raised in Tucson, he received his B.F.A. in Acting from the University of Arizona, performing for the Arizona Repertory Theatre in Bus Stop, The Miracle Worker and Romeo & Juliet. He also spent a season with the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, performing in The Cherry Orchard and A Christmas Carol.

Aaron Shand’s performance is supported in part by generous
gifts from Carol Mangold and Eloise Gore & Allen Hile

Matt Walley (Player 4) is a member of The Rogue Theatre Resident Acting Ensemble and was most recently seen as Mr. Antrobus in The Skin of Our Teeth. Other appearances include Don Armado in Love’s Labor’s Lost, Captain Cat & others in Under Milk Wood, Estraven in The Left Hand of Darkness, Boss Mangan in Heartbreak House, Francis Flute in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Richard in The Seafarer, Stan in Sweat, Stubb in Moby Dick, Dr. Bradman in Blithe Spirit, Thomas Putnam in The Crucible, Mr. Walley in The Secret in the Wings, Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing, Roger in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Matti in Galileo, Edmund in King Lear and Uncle John in The Grapes of Wrath. He enjoyed previous roles at The Rogue in Bach at Leipzig, Macbeth, Richard III, Journey to the West, The Winter’s Tale, Shipwrecked!, As I Lay Dying and Major Barbara. He also co-created and performed in Oaf at The Scoundrel and Scamp Theatre. He received an MFA from Dell’Arte International.

Matt Walley’s performance is supported in part by generous gifts
from Gerald & Barbara Goldberg and Andy Watson

Linda Ackerman – Accordion

Russell Ronnebaum – Pianist, Composer, Arranger, Musical Director

The grand piano on stage is on loan from
Hachenberg & Sons Piano Co.
www.hachenbergpianos.com

Russell Ronnebaum (Music Director & Composer) serves as The Rogue Theatre’s Director of Music and Resident Composer. He holds a Master of Music degree in collaborative piano from the University of Arizona and is the assistant director of music at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Oro Valley. As a pianist, Russell often performs with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and various ensembles and choirs in the greater Tucson area. Russell made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2016, performing the music of Dan Forrest. Past Rogue credits include productions of *The Skin of Our Teeth, *Love’s Labor’s Lost,*Under Milk Wood, *The Left Hand of Darkness, Heartbreak House, *A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Seafarer, *Babette’s Feast, *Great Expectations, *Mrs Dalloway, *Passage, *Death of a Salesman, Twelfth Night, *The Awakening, *As You Like It, The Weir, *The Oresteia, *Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, *A View from the Bridge, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, *Moby Dick, Blithe Spirit, Long Day’s Journey into Night, and *Much Ado About Nothing (*original score). Russell also composes the music for Rogue Radio, a radio play series produced in partnership with Arizona Public Media, NPR 89.1 FM. Recordings, videos, sheet music, and upcoming concert dates can be found at www.RRonnebaum.com.

Russell Ronnebaum’s music direction is supported in part by generous gifts
from Sally Krusing and Jim Wilson & Adam Hostetter

Linda Ackermann (Accordion) A Tucson native, Linda received a Master of Music degree from the University of Arizona.  She recently retired from over 27 years as Music Director/Pianist at the Gaslight Theatre where she performed in thousands of shows in over 130 productions. Since then she has been an MD for Arts Express Theater in “Hair” and “Rock of Ages” and pianist for “Beautiful”. Linda has performed on accordion with many groups over the years including Arizona Theater Company (“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”), SALOC (“Fiddler on the Roof”), Invisible Theater (“Coming Through”), Arizona Repertory Theater (“Quilters”, “Cabaret”),  and the Arizona Balalaika Orchestra.  She has also been Music Director and pianist for Unity of Tucson since 2001.

Music Director's Notes

Working with John Capecci on this production has been an absolute treat. From the beginning, John knew he wanted to incorporate the accordion into the piece. I never realized that the accordion is a staple of many cultures worldwide. It only makes sense. The instrument is portable, can be played by one person, and has a wide range of notes to play accompaniment and melody simultaneously.

I appreciated the opportunity and challenge to incorporate music from all over the world. John suggested numerous pieces, most of which I adapted for piano and accordion. I composed others by distilling the core musical tonalities of the countries or cultures from the scene. As The Reader hops from novel to novel, the underlying musical pastiche aids in establishing the world around him and lends the audience a contextual anchor to latch onto.

—Russell Ronnebaum

Music Selections

Preshow

Fugitive Waltz by Médard Ferrero
La complainte des infidèles by Georges Van Prays
Czardas by Vittorio Monti
Androgyne by Mario Leblanc
The Jolly Caballero by P. Frosini

Production

La complainte des infidèles by Georges Van Prays
Tension and Mystery by Nicola Peruch
I Could Write a Book by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart
Androgyne by Mario Leblanc (Ludmilla’s Theme)
Czardas by Vittorio Monti
Smørligråen (Traditional Scandanavian)
It’s Not Unusual by Gordon Mills and Les Reed
Escaping the Sandworm by Gareth Coker
The Jolly Caballero by Pietro Frosini
2202 2022 by Jean-Luc Nest (Marana’s Theme)
Waltz of the Monsters by Yann Tiersen
Telephone Line by Jeff Lynne
Attila Marcel by Benoit Charest
Kaleidoscopes by Russell Ronnebaum
Julia Delaney’s Reel (Traditional Irish)
Ginkgo Leaves by Russell Ronnebaum
A Fistful of Dollars by Ennio Morricone
Sci-Fi Theme by Russell Ronnebaum
Finale: Ludmilla’s Theme

Designers and Production Staff

Cynthia Meier (Costume Design) worked her way through college at Eastern Michigan University by assisting in the costume shop. Most of what she knows about Costume Design, she learned from Katie Holkeboer, the costume designer and professor at EMU. After graduating with her MA in Speech & Theatre, Cynthia stayed on at EMU to teach Costume Design, Costume Construction, Stage Makeup, and Introduction to Technical Theatre while designing the university mainstage plays and supervising the costume shop. She has designed costumes for each and every one of The Rogue plays since 2005. 

Cynthia Meier’s costume design is supported in part
by a generous gift from Bob & Judy Bolt

Joseph McGrath (Scenic Design) worked in the scene shops at West Virginia University and the Juilliard School of Drama while he was studying to become an actor. He served as Technical Director for Arizona Theatre Company from 1987–88, and opened his own scene shop, Sonora Theatre Works, in the 1990s. Joe has designed and built scenery for Ballet Tucson for most of their ballets for over 20 years, as well as various projects with UA Opera Theatre. He has designed each and every set for The Rogue since its inception in 2005.

Joseph McGrath’s scenic design is supported
in part by a generous gift from Julie Cohn

Domino Mannheim (Lighting Designer) is a freelance Lighting Designer from Tucson, Arizona. She graduated from the University of Arizona in 2017 with a BFA in Technical Theatre and Lighting Design, and graduated in 2022 from Rose Bruford College in London with her Masters in Lighting In Performance. Some recent productions she has designed include Kiss Me Kate in Crawford, NE, Chicago, The Musical in Chicago, and The Skin of Our Teeth here at the Rogue Theatre! As a traveling designer, she is very grateful to have the opportunity to work with such a talented team back in her hometown!

Domino Mannheim’s lighting design is supported in part
by a generous gift from Meg & Peter Hovell

Hannah Al-Baiaty (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be working with The Rogue Theatre again after previously stage-managing The Skin of Our Teeth, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Under Milk Wood, The Left Hand of Darkness, The Seafarer, Great Expectations, Twelfth Night and Passage. Hannah earned her BFA in Technical Theatre Production and Design from the University of Arizona. Her previous credits include Stage Manager for Under Construction Series: Ralph Lemon & Friends at Park Avenue Armory, Helen Simoneau Danse’s Flight Distance at Joyce SoHo, Tucson Folk Festival, Arizona Repertory Theatre’s productions of Avenue Q and Voice of the Prairie, Assistant Stage Manager for Eugene Opera's production of Nixon in China and Assistant Production Manager for Pipeline Theatre Company’s world premiere of Byuioo. She also spent five seasons as a Costume Technician for The Gaslight Theatre. Hannah would like to thank her husband, family, and friends for their endless support and love.

Hannah Al-Baiaty’s stage management is supported in part by
generous gifts from Ann & Andrew Lettes and an anonymous donor

Jess O’Connor (Swing Stage Manager) is excited to start her first season with The Rogue! After a brief tryst with law school, she came to her senses and ran off to join the circus. She became the Production Assistant for Arizona Theatre Company for two seasons. Shows included The Glass Menagerie, Pru Payne, Private Lives, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Barefoot in the Park, Scrooge!, Intimate Apparel, Master Class, and True West. Jess received her BA in Law, History, and Culture and her Theatre minor from the University of Southern California, where she began acting, directing, stage managing, and practicing dramaturgy. For anyone thinking of starting over, the time is now.

Shannon Wallace (Production Stage Manager) first came to The Rogue in 2015 to stage manage The Picture of Dorian Gray, and now serves as their Production Stage Manager and Operations Manager. She has worked on over 30 shows with The Rogue, some of her favorites include: The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, The Grapes of Wrath, Curious Incident, Much Ado About Nothing, Secret in the Wings, The Crucible, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, As You Like It and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, focusing on both stage management and lighting design. During her time in school she worked on over 25 productions with Arizona Repertory Theatre. She has also worked for Arizona Theatre Company, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and the Contemporary American Theatre Festival. She spent a year living in Chicago and worked as the Operations Assistant for Mudlark Theater Company. She is grateful to be working full-time as a theater artist in her hometown.

Shannon Wallace’s production stage management is supported in part
by a generous gift from Kathy Ortega & Larry Johnson

Peter Bleasby (Master Electrician) lit his first show at 13. Professionally, he was with BBC Television for several years, and was an assistant to the UK lighting designer Richard Pilbrow during the inaugural production of the National Theatre (Hamlet, directed by Olivier.) Although his career was in architectural lighting, he maintained some theatre lighting involvement on both sides of the Atlantic. In 2009, he volunteered for The Rogue’s initial season at the Historic Y. He has been master electrician at The Rogue for every show from 2013 to the present, supporting our lighting designers. He devised the system that enables lights to be quickly re-arranged, allowing more time for the creative process. Elsewhere in Tucson, he directed the technical and logistical aspects of fundraisers for the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation, including the fashion show Moda Provocateur.

Matt Elias (House Manager, Sound Consultant) is constantly seeking out art whether it be theatre, music, television or video games. He became enamored with live performance at The Rogue Theatre in 2014 while joining his wife, Shannon, as an usher. His experience as a touring musician, his penchant for audio production and his general obsession with how stuff works, makes him useful in all sorts of tight places throughout the production process. Nowadays you’ll see him as House Manager, trading off shows with Woods Fairchild and you might not see him sneaking a peek at each of those shows from behind the scenes. Matt has experience as a Master Bicycle Technician, Emergency Medical Technician, Fire/EMS 911 Dispatcher, and most recently a Production Brewer at Dragoon Brewing Company.

Woods Fairchild (House Manager, she/they) first met the Rogue by assisting their installation of “The Object” art piece in preparation for The Left Hand of Darkness. The Object’s designer, John Farrell, is a dear friend of Woods’ through her work with his wife, Carol Farrell, in costume design. John’s invitation to Woods to help assemble the art kindled an immediate friendship between Woods and the Rogue team. Woods formally joined the Rogue family in October 2023. In overlap with performance arts, Woods has an artistic background in dance and movement practice studies, as well as sewing and costume design. Woods also worked as a Project Manager with the Arts Foundation who manage public art projects, as well as distribute funding to support artists and arts organizations in Southern Arizona, including the Rogue Theater! Woods is a photographer, crafter, biker and her little old pickup truck is her true love. Grateful to be with the Rogue!

Thomas Wentzel (Box Office Manager, Program, Website) is a Scientific Programmer for the National Solar Observatory and holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Arizona. Previously he has worked as a Data Manager for several prevention programs in the Arizona Cancer Center and the Mel and Enid Zuckerman Arizona College of Public Health. He has served on the Board of the Tucson Men’s Cooperative, editing its newsletter for five years, and on the Executive Committee of Sons of Orpheus—The Male Choir of Tucson. He has sung with Furry Day Singers, Sons of Orpheus, AwenRising and Arizona Repertory Singers, and has performed with Tucson Art Theatre in Viktor Slavkin’s Cerceau and Clifford Odets’ Waiting for Lefty. Thomas has designed and built The Rogue Theatre Web site (with great assistance from Bill Sandel and Bryan Falcón in creating the 2020 Website update), and serves as Webmaster and Business Manager. He has also served on The Rogue’s Board of Directors since the founding of the theatre.

Our Thanks

Performance Schedule

Performance run time of If on a winter’s night a traveler is
2 hour 5 minutes, including one 10-minute intermission.