Anima Collective Charisma: Despite the Circumstances Program

Department of
Theatre & Dance

DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE & DANCE

David Popalisky, Chair

CHARISMA-ANIMA COLLECTIVE

Despite the Circumstances

January 14, 2021 7:00 p.m.
January 15, 2021 7:00 p.m.
January 16, 2021 7:00 p.m.

ARTISTIC COLLABORATION

Original Script By The Cast
Co-Directed By Emma Lenza
Abigail Nairn
Faculty Advisor Kristin Kusanovich

Music Research By Octavio De Leon
Ashley Cook

Lighting Design By The Sun and Cast
Choreography By Hannah Cole
Ashley Cook
Abigail Nairn

Costume Design By The Cast
Initial Editing By Abigail Nairn and Cast

Sound Design and Final Editing By John Parenica
Production Manager/ Carolyn Guggemos
Technical Director
House Manager Armida Robles
Senior Pro Staff Justin Buchs

CAST

(in alphabetical order)

Klavka Smirnoff Hannah Cole
Georgie Daniels Ashley Cook
Geoffrey “Chef” Gibson Octavio De Leon

Grace Daniels Olivia Esteban
Margeurite “Maggie” Devigne Ivy Janes

Bernadette “Benny” Grey Christina Malia Joseph
Interviewer Kristin Kusanovich

Martina “Mitzi” Becker Emma Lenza
2 Stella Maeve “SM” Tomlin Abigail Nairn

ORDER OF SCENES

Prologue: The First Question
Scene 1: 72 Hours Until Performance… The War Begins
Scene 2: 48 Hours Until Performance… Cardio, COVID, and Kissing
Scene 3: 24 Hours Until Performance… It Was An Accident
Scene 4: Morning of Opening Night… What Now, Willem Dafoe?

Scene 5: A Quarantine Story: Under the Influenza
Scene 6: The Final Question…. Answered?

DIRECTORS NOTE

The past eight months have brought to the forefront some really heavy
themes of grief, isolation, and reflection. Time gave us the opportunity
to dive into those difficult subjects, into the intricate pains they brought
each cast member, into the sorrows our hearts held for the weight of the
world, and then decide that what we wanted more than anything was...
to laugh. Why? Because, despite the circumstances, we humans have a
need to make meaning, to invest ourselves in something that highlights
the connections amidst the loss and the gratitude beneath the chaos.
Humor grants a new perspective on our history, on ourselves, and on the
peculiar situationality that is human life.
Working in a virtual setting has been no easy feat. While reflecting on
our personal lives in this new world, we encountered many technological
difficulties. We wanted our show to reflect on these challenges. There-
fore, our project became just that: the makings of a virtual play. This plot
allowed us to weave ourselves in with our characters while highlighting
the positive and negative aspects of Zoom, or as we call it, Woosh.
Thank you to our families and housemates for giving us the space to
play, to our wonderful faculty advisor Kristin Kusanovich for her wise and
gracious spirit, and to our incredible cast whose creativity and vulnera-
bility filled ten hours each week with so much joy.
All our love,
Emma and Abby

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This project was called Charisma from 2000-2020. This year for the 21st
show we are bridging to a new name, reflecting the concepts of spirit,
breath, soul and life in the word “Anima.” The Charisma-Anima Collective
began in a pandemic and continues in a pandemic. The eight performers
never saw each other in person. They met throughout summer, fall and
winter to create a truly delightful and even zany work that speaks to a
life in theatre, to making things, to collaboration, and to the dynamics
of eight very different characters created by eight very different people
searching for something larger than themselves.
Special thanks to Derek Duarte for assistance with Zoom background
research and Brian Thorstenson for visiting the process. We would like
to acknowledge the extraordinary support and guidance of Carolyn
Silberman who advised the project for its first fifteen years. With grat-
itude also for Carolyn and Ted Biagini and Vickie Poitevin who have
given generously to the Department of Theatre & Dance to help support
the students in the Charisma-Anima Collective. We remember Michael
Poitevin fondly on our journey this year.
Special thanks to Alexandra Lopiano-Hastey and Carolyn Guggemos for
their amazing assistance at pulling together all of the beautiful publicity
and technicalities, and to Ruth for helping with music rights research
and all facets of the project. We are thankful for the Department of The-
atre and Dance and SCU•Presents for their support of this production
and all of the faculty and staff who have worked with us over our under-
graduate years.

Music Credit:
“Mystery” by Wee Free Music. Licensed under Creative Commons 4.0
“Epic” by Benjamin Tissot (Bensound). Royalty free music from www.
bensound.com
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CHARISMA STUDENT
DIRECTORS

2000-2001 Melissa Hudson Bell
2001-2002 Jen (Noeldner) Hudson
2002-2003 Kim Butler
2003-2004 Veronika Olah
2004-2005 Becky (Bignell) Reuter
2005-2006 Michael Donohoe
2006-2007 Lauren Baines
2007-2008 Maxine Evangelista
2008-2009 Ashley Borchardt
2009-2010 Megan Scovil
2010-2011 Dylan Della Maggiora
2011-2012 Callie Tepper
2012-2013 Amelia Bethel
2013-2014 Gavin Mueller
2014-2015 Kyle Van Zanten
2015-2016 Kalina Venugopal
2016-2017 Bryce Webster
2017-2018 Lee Harrold
2018-2019 Freya Helton
2019-2020 Avery Rissling
2020-2021 & Anthony Semandiris
Emma Lenza & Abigail Nairn

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DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE & DANCE

David J. Popalisky Pauline Locsin-Kanter
Department Chair Lecturer,
Assoc. Professor, Jazz/Tap
Modern/Choreography/Dance History
Ruth E. Mikusko
Aldo Billingslea Department Manager
Professor,
Kimberly Mohne Hill
Acting/Performance Studies Associate Professor,
Jeffrey Bracco
Lecturer, Acting/Voice
Virginia Munday
Directing/Acting/History Adjunct Lecturer,
Karyn Connell Modern Dance
Lecturer, Barbara Murray
Ballet/Pilates
Derek Duarte Professor,
Sr. Lecturer, Costume Design/Musical Theatre
Lighting Design
Jerald Enos Patt Ness
Lecturer,
Assoc. Professor, Costume Shop Manager
Scene Design David Sword
Barbara Fraser Sr. Lecturer,
Professor, Technical Director/Production Manager
Brian Thorstenson
History/Directing Lecturer,
Playwriting/Devised Theater
Karina Gutiérrez
Assistant Professor
Multicultural Theatre History and
Performance Studies
Kristin Kusanovich

Sr. Lecturer,
Modern Dance/Theatre/Pedagogy

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may constitute a felony with a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and/or a
$250,000.00 fine.
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DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE & DANCE DONORS

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE HOBART DAVIS KIMBERLY MOHNE HILL PAULINE KANTER
BETTY ATKINS DYLAN DELLA MAGGIORA* CRAIG NAIRN HERVE KIEFFEL
KATHY POWERS RUTH LACEY
CAROLYN SILBERMAN* & HAROUT DIMIJIAN* DALE LARSON
TED BIAGINI SONYA DUFFIN* SUSAN POWERS-KULUSIC LAURA LENZA
LYDIA GREEN RACHAEL TENNER BETTE LINDERMAN
ROBERT DE MATTEI* JENNIFER JACOBS STUART ZANVILLE LISA LITCHFIELD
DEREK DUARTE DOUGLAS ZODY DAVID MACHADO
BEN HEMMEN* TENNYSON JONES* FRIEND PAMELA MADDEN*
MARTIN KEANE TOM KIELY SUSAN ABELLERA DR. GARY MAYNARD
HILA ADAR KELLY MCMAHON
BARBARA MURRAY* COLLETT KREIZENBECK* TERI ARCHER JULIA OKEEFE
WICK MUSSON KRISTIN KUSANOVICH* LAUREN BAINES* SABINE PIGG
RUSSELL MANAGAN* SARAH J. BONINI KRISTIE POLUHOFF
MICHAEL & VICKIE POITEVIN* MAURA E. BONINI* JUDITH ROACH
JUDY GILLETTE & JOHN PRICE KATHY MATTINGLY SONDRA CALGHER ALEXA ROJEK*
PATRICK MCGUIRE PETER CANAVESE* CHRISTELLE SABATIER
SCU PRESENTS CLAUDIA CAPBELL PAM SAUNDERS
BENEFACTOR ALAN OAKES LIZZIE CARRADE JAMES SCHEXNAYDER
BERNARD ANCHETA* MARY JEANNE OLIVA* REGINE CORIOLAN JANICE SCHMITZ
LAUREN BAINES* ANIELA CZAKI LEN SCHREIBSTEIN
CORTLAND & PUJA BOHACEK JENN PORET* DEBORAH DEMBECKI RACHEL STUMPF
MELANIE BRACE ANN ROSENTHAL MICHAEL DIGIOIA ERIC THOMAS
AMBER DE BUIZER* ANGIE DYER RICHARD UPTON
CYNTHIA LE* RITA STEEL KATIE FAURIA*
DONNA RYAN* KALFRED WONG CAROL FISCHER JULIA VOSS
JERALD ENOS & CLEMENT STASI WENDY WONG DAVID FONROSE DIANE VU
ASSOCIATE LISA FORSYTHE LAILA A. WAHEED*
DONOR DONNA GEDEON HUDSON WASHBURN
THU LU* KATHY ALMAZOL GARY GILBERT CAMERON WELLS*
STEPHEN PARKS* ANNE E. GRYCZ DAVID YICK-KOPPEL
LEE & MARIA SHAHINIAN LORI BRACE VALERIE HANSEN* ESTHER YOUNG
JENN BRADFORD* FREYA M. HELTON*
SPONSOR MEG CUMMINGS LUCY HSU* *DENOTES ALUMN
ROBERT BAINES KATIE CUNNINGHAM
PHYLLIS BROWN ANN DIGIOIA KRYS
KARYN CONNELL TRICIA EATON-SAVITT
SUSAN CONNELLY CLAIRE HAWLEY
RICHARD A. HENDRICKS*
KATHERINE INGOLD
PHILIP KURJAN

JON MAROTO

SCU•PRESENTS DONORS 2020-2021

SPONSOR JANET KLEINHOFER FRIEND PATRICIA IRWIN
ANDRE ABRAHAMIANS MARIA LONGSWORTH MOLLY AUFDERMAUER DONNA JOHNS
CHARLES BARKIS IAN MCCAMEY ROBERT BAINES TRACEY KAHAN
MONA-LISA BLOUIN ERICA MIKESH NICOLE BANKS BRUCE LESCHER
PUJA BOHACEK TULLY MOXNESS JUDY BOCCIGNONE BETTE LINDERMAN
KRISTEN BROWN SUSANNE MULCAHY ALINA BORCHARDT MAUREEN LOCKE
CLAIRE HAWLEY BARBARA MURRAY LOYACE CLEGG ASHLEY LUCAS
JOHN LEWIS CHARLES NOYA PATRICIA CURIA ROSLYN LYONS
PAMELA ALLSTON MADDEN MARIANNE POBLENZ SHARON DAHNERT KATHY MATTINGLY
CRAIG NAIRN HENRY & CATHERINE RICARDO OCTAVIO DE LEON RUTH MIKUSKO
LAURIE POE PATTI SIMONE HENRY DEARBORN MARY MILLER
LIZABETH YEE DIANNE STAUFFER ERIC EKLUND BARBARA MURRAY
NICK STEINER SEIKO FUJII JENN PORET
DONOR JILL STOLARIK GREGORY GALATI
KATHERINE ALMAZOL PATRICIA TENNANT JULIE GARCIA LISA REYES
DAWN BURTON RICHARD UPTON BARBARA GREEN-AJUFO ANNE MARIE STARR
PATRICIA CAIN BARBARA WADORS DJUWITA HARJADI
PATRICIA CAIN HUDSON WASHBURN DJUWITA HARJADI TARA STEELE
BARBARA COLYAR JULEY YAKOMINICH DIANE HEERWAGEN JULIA SULLIVAN
LEANA DALTON JASON YEE JUDY HODKIEWICZ BETTY VERHOEVEN
FRANK FARRIS SANDRA HOWARD NORMA WELLES
JUDY FOOT J WENTWORTH
TUYET GILES KIMBER WOOD
ESTHER GOES JILLIAN YAKOMINICH
JULIE HENRIQUES BARBARA ZINICOLA
LAUREN JOHN THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING!
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