Free Open Talk: What’s “Calvino-esque?”

Saturday, October 26 at 2:00 P.M. at The Rogue Theatre

Adapter John Capecci provides helpful insight into the play, author, and our production. As always, actors from our production present a sneak preview of the play in action.

View on The Rogue’s YouTube channel after October 29th.

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

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

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, Mikako

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

PLAYER 8 – SOPHIE GIBSON-RUSH*
Armida, Brigd, Irina, Bernadette, Professor, Madame Miyagi, 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!

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

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 Ackerman (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.

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 a generous gift from an anonymous donor

Jess O’Connor (Swing Stage Manager)

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