BOY
GETS GIRL
by Rebecca Gilman.
Director: Rodney Higginbotham
December 2005
by Rebecca Gilman.
Director: Rodney Higginbotham
December 2005
"In Boy Gets
Girl, Rebecca Gilman offers up a tale of Gotham singledom you won't be
seeing any time soon on 'Sex and the City.' A disturbing chiller about
a woman whose life of accomplishment is quickly destroyed by a
disturbed admirer, the play works powerfully at its most basic level,
as a suspenseful tale about the unraveling of a strong woman's sense of
security in the urban jungle. It certainly
will touch a tender nerve in everybody who's ever squirmed through a creepy blind date..." (Variety) Theresa Bedell is a successful
reporter in New York who loves her work and the life she has made for herself. A relationship with a man would complete the picture and so she agrees to go on a blind date with a friend of a friend. Tony is attractive and funny, but Theresa isn't sure, and after a second date she's convinced they have nothing in common and sees no point in continuing the relationship. Tony, though, thinks otherwise. What at first seems like persistence on his part grows into obsession, and Theresa's annoyance with Tony turns to terror as he begins to threaten her and those around her. Ultimately, Theresa must fight to save herself from being erased by Tony's actions actions which call into question the assumptions at the very heart of romantic pursuit." (Dramatists Play Service)
Place:Various locales in New York Citywill touch a tender nerve in everybody who's ever squirmed through a creepy blind date..." (Variety) Theresa Bedell is a successful
reporter in New York who loves her work and the life she has made for herself. A relationship with a man would complete the picture and so she agrees to go on a blind date with a friend of a friend. Tony is attractive and funny, but Theresa isn't sure, and after a second date she's convinced they have nothing in common and sees no point in continuing the relationship. Tony, though, thinks otherwise. What at first seems like persistence on his part grows into obsession, and Theresa's annoyance with Tony turns to terror as he begins to threaten her and those around her. Ultimately, Theresa must fight to save herself from being erased by Tony's actions actions which call into question the assumptions at the very heart of romantic pursuit." (Dramatists Play Service)
Time:The present
CAST
Shama Dardai……………...........…………Theresa Bedell
Patrick Garone……………………..........Les Kennkat
Eric Hansen……………………..........…..Tony
Melanie S. McCoy……….........…………Harriet
Jesse Menendez………………..........……Mercer Stevens
Carrie Peters………………..........………Madeleine Beck
Hugo Rosado………………............…….Howard Siegel
Production
Staff
Director
.....................................................Rodney Higginbotham
Assistant
Director/Stage Manager .............................Lori Mages
Scenic
Designer/Co-Technical Director ..........Lizz Otto-Cramer
Lighting
Designer/Co-Technical Director ........John Rodriguez
Costume
Designer .............................................Elizabeth Shaffer
Sound
Designer ....................................................Leroyd Manuel
Additional
Sound Design.....................................Jesse Menendez
Box Office
Manager .......................................................Eric Steier
Assistant
Box Office Manager ..................................Brigid Blume
Graphic and
Playbill Designer..............................David Ropinski
Light
Operator ........................................................Lauren Bonner
Sound Operator
...................................................David Browning
Prop Crew
head .....................................................Linnea Carrera
Set
Crew...............................................James Mallory, Rick Vargas
Set Construction .....................................Theatre Practicum class
 Shama Dardai
(Theresa Bedell) is a junior at Northeastern Illinois University. This
is her third semester, as well as her third production, ever. She was
also seen as Lady Cynthia Muldoon in The Real Inspector Hound and as Rosaura in Life is A Dream. She would like to thank everyone in the department for their time, support, and enthusiasm. |
 Eric Hanson
(Tony) is a freshman at Northeastern performing in his first production
for the Stage Center. Previous experience includes the role of Albert
Peterson in the musical Bye Bye Birdie at Taft High School and ensemble
member in the musical Hair at Elmwood Park High School. He has also
written and acted for the American Theatre Company. He is thrilled to
be working with this cast and director, and hopes to work with them
again in the future. |
 Melanie S. McCoy
(Harriet) is a recent graduate of Northeastern where she majored in
Communication, Media, and Theatre. At present Melanie is taking some
well deserved time off before she decides what to do with the rest of
her life. Melanie’s previous roles include Marcolfa in Don Perlimplin and Belisa in the Garden, Ensemble member in Simply Maria, Miss Riverton in The Way of All Fish, and Wedding Guest #3 in Little Murders.
Melanie is excited to be joining such an extraordinarily talented cast
and crew. She would like to thank Professor Higginbotham for casting
her. Love and hugs to her parents, Rachael, Willis, her angel Kenny,
and her best friends Stephanie and Linnea for all their support. |
 Jesse Menendez
(Mercer Stevens) has done some plays, some movies and a few
commercials. Sag and Equity are all fine and dandy but what he really
enjoys is rockin’ them floors and rippin’ them mics with his crew,
Chicago Champions...The Champion Militia... What! www.swakone.com. Hip
Hop ain’t dead, it’s temporarily paused. |
 Carrie Peters (Madeline Beck) is a senior at NEIU majoring in Communication, Media and Theatre. She appeared in the NEIU productions of The Way of All Fish, Don Perlimplin and Belisa in the Garden,
and Simply Maria. She was the stage manager and electrician for the
ARFT Co. production of Piece of My Heart. She appeared in Taming of the
Shrew and America, Hurrah! at North Park College. This one’s for you,
Henry. |
 Hugo Rosado (Howard Siegel) first made his debut at NEIU in Dracula
in which he played Dr. John Seward. Hugo’s past credits include
training and performances in improvisation at Second City and at
Theatre On The Lake. Past credits include To Kill a Mockingbird, Our
Town, A Midsummer Nights Dream, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, as well as My
Big Fat Quinceanera and The Pinata Strikes Back with ¡Salsation!
Theatre Company. Thanks to all at NEIU for ushering me into this crazy
world with a gentle hand. |
Rodney Higginbotham
(director) received an M.F.A. in theatre directing from Southern
Illinois University and a B.A. in Speech Education from Northeast
Louisiana University. He serves as Managing/Artistic Director of the
Stage Center. He has directed several productions for the Stage Center
and for professional, educational, and community theatre in Chicago and
the suburbs.
Elizabeth Shaffer (costume designer) received her Masters Degree in Design from Pennsylvania State University in 2000, after graduating from Washington University in St. Louis. She has been designing and draping in the Chicago/Milwaukee/St. Louis area for several years. Her work has been seen in collaboration with Lifeline Theatre (Artistic Ensemble Member), Bailiwick Arts Center, L’Opera Piccola, Northeastern Illinois University, Reverie Theatre Company, Townsquare Players, The Griffin, Chicago Jewish Theatre, Opera Theatre Highland Park, Loyola University, Northwestern University Opera Department, The Metropolis, Appletree Theatre, Opera Moda, Circle Theatre, Theatre Building Chicago, One Theatre Company, Chicago Chamber Opera, Theatre at the Center, Remy Bumppo, and Light Opera Works. She also spent 5 years as the Assistant Designer/Head Draper for the annual Baroque Handel Opera Festival in Göttingen, Germany. Elizabeth is the 2004 recipient of the Michael Maggio Emerging Designer Award, and the 2005 winner of the Chicago After Dark Award for Queen Lucia with Lifeline Theatre. This is Elizabeth’s first collaboration with Circle Theatre.
Leroyd Manuel (sound designer) is just happy to have some kind of recognition in the playbill. “I made it everybody, whutetdo?” He has designed the sound and music arrangement for recent Stage Center productions, The Love of Don Perlimplin and in Belisa in the Garden, Simply Maria, Dracula and now Boy Gets Girl. He was forceably introduced to all aspect of theatre sound by running the sound board for Life is a Dream and the above mentioned plays. He should be a junior or senior at NEIU majoring in Communication with minor in Mass Media. He would like to thank those who supported and those who didn’t support him, because he mentions, “It’s only going to get better from here on now, folks.”
Lizz Otto-Cramer (scene designer) is pleased to be a new faculty member here at Northeastern. Lizz earned her Master of Fine Arts at the School of the Arts in Winston-Salem North Carolina. She has been working professionally since graduation and has designed and painted in Milwaukee WI, North Carolina, and Washington DC. Her credits include Dracula, Fiddler on the Roof, A Christmas Story, and Cole among others.
John Rodriguez (lighting designer) joined the theatre faculty at Northeastern two years ago and has been teaching courses in technical theatre as well as working as a designer on Stage Center productions. This year John has taken on the shared responsibilities of Technical Director along with new arrival Lizz Otto-Cramer. John most recently designed the set and lighting for Dracula and will also be designing the lighting for The Waiting Room and Picasso at Lapin Agile.
Lori Mages (assistant director/stage manager) is a senior this year graduating in May. She was the stage manager for Late Flowering, ran the light board for Too Soon For Daises and designed props for Dracula. She just interned at Drury Lane Water Tower Place as a Production Intern for Grand Hotel: The Musical. She has worked on numerous productions during her college career, focusing on stage management and prop design. Upon graduation she plans to work in Chicago as a stage manager or prop designer.
Boy Gets Girl was
produced by special arrangement withThe Dramatic Publishing Company of
Woodstock, Illinois. Originally produced by the Goodman Theatre,
Chicago, Illinois, on March 13, 2000, Robert Falls, Artistic Director,
Roche Schulfer, Executive Director. Originally produced in New York
City by the Manhattan Theare Club, Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director,
Barry Grove, Executive Producer, in Association with the Goodman
Theatre on February 20, 2001. Photographs courtesy of Rebecca Peters.
Elizabeth Shaffer (costume designer) received her Masters Degree in Design from Pennsylvania State University in 2000, after graduating from Washington University in St. Louis. She has been designing and draping in the Chicago/Milwaukee/St. Louis area for several years. Her work has been seen in collaboration with Lifeline Theatre (Artistic Ensemble Member), Bailiwick Arts Center, L’Opera Piccola, Northeastern Illinois University, Reverie Theatre Company, Townsquare Players, The Griffin, Chicago Jewish Theatre, Opera Theatre Highland Park, Loyola University, Northwestern University Opera Department, The Metropolis, Appletree Theatre, Opera Moda, Circle Theatre, Theatre Building Chicago, One Theatre Company, Chicago Chamber Opera, Theatre at the Center, Remy Bumppo, and Light Opera Works. She also spent 5 years as the Assistant Designer/Head Draper for the annual Baroque Handel Opera Festival in Göttingen, Germany. Elizabeth is the 2004 recipient of the Michael Maggio Emerging Designer Award, and the 2005 winner of the Chicago After Dark Award for Queen Lucia with Lifeline Theatre. This is Elizabeth’s first collaboration with Circle Theatre.
Leroyd Manuel (sound designer) is just happy to have some kind of recognition in the playbill. “I made it everybody, whutetdo?” He has designed the sound and music arrangement for recent Stage Center productions, The Love of Don Perlimplin and in Belisa in the Garden, Simply Maria, Dracula and now Boy Gets Girl. He was forceably introduced to all aspect of theatre sound by running the sound board for Life is a Dream and the above mentioned plays. He should be a junior or senior at NEIU majoring in Communication with minor in Mass Media. He would like to thank those who supported and those who didn’t support him, because he mentions, “It’s only going to get better from here on now, folks.”
Lizz Otto-Cramer (scene designer) is pleased to be a new faculty member here at Northeastern. Lizz earned her Master of Fine Arts at the School of the Arts in Winston-Salem North Carolina. She has been working professionally since graduation and has designed and painted in Milwaukee WI, North Carolina, and Washington DC. Her credits include Dracula, Fiddler on the Roof, A Christmas Story, and Cole among others.
John Rodriguez (lighting designer) joined the theatre faculty at Northeastern two years ago and has been teaching courses in technical theatre as well as working as a designer on Stage Center productions. This year John has taken on the shared responsibilities of Technical Director along with new arrival Lizz Otto-Cramer. John most recently designed the set and lighting for Dracula and will also be designing the lighting for The Waiting Room and Picasso at Lapin Agile.
Lori Mages (assistant director/stage manager) is a senior this year graduating in May. She was the stage manager for Late Flowering, ran the light board for Too Soon For Daises and designed props for Dracula. She just interned at Drury Lane Water Tower Place as a Production Intern for Grand Hotel: The Musical. She has worked on numerous productions during her college career, focusing on stage management and prop design. Upon graduation she plans to work in Chicago as a stage manager or prop designer.
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| Shama Dardai (Theresa Bedell) and Eric Hanson (Tony) |
Shama Dardai (Theresa) and Hugo Rosado (Howard Siegel) |
Hugo Rosado(Howard), Shama Dardai (Therea) and Jesse Menendez (Mercer Stevens) |
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| Eric Hanson (Tony) Shama Dardai (Theresa) | Jesse Menendez (Mercer) Hugo Rosado (Howard) | Carrie Peters (Madeline Back) and Shama Dardai (Theresa) |
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| Shama Dardai (Theresa) and Jesse Menendez (Mercer) | Shama Dardai (Theresa) and Patrick Garone (Les Kennkat) |
Melanie S. McCoy (Harriet) and Shama Dardai (Theresa) |
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| Shama Dardai as Theresa Bedell |
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