Romeo & Juliet Program Details

The Department of Performing Arts and Humanities
of the School of Liberal Arts at CCBC
and
CCBC Interpreter Preparation

present

Romeo & Juliet

By William Shakespeare

Director
James Caverly

Set & Lighting Designer
G. Maurice “Moe” Conn

Costume Designer
James J. Fasching

Sound Design/Engineer
Gene White

Stage Manager
Jessie Lewis

Vocal Director
Cohen Ambrose

Director of Artistic Sign Language
Lindsey Snyder

March 23 at 11:10 am
March 24, 25 at 8pm
March 26 at 3 pm
March 27 at 10am

THE COMPANY

Who’s Who

LIZ ARMOUR

(Nurse) Liz dove right into Romeo & Juliet after having just returned from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) where she played Lady Polonia in CCBC’s devised work Hamlet Lost/Found. While there, Liz participated as a nominee in the Irene Ryan Scholarship awards competition. Liz’s enthusiasm for this all-access Romeo & Juliet project is immeasurable as it combines her passion for the theater and her love for visual language. She is a student in CCBC’s Interpreter Preparation Program and looks forward to many future opportunities to combine these worlds. Liz is so grateful for all of the hard work from the performers and technical staff, but she would like to say a special thanks to PeV, whose initial idea for joining ASL and Theater got the ball rolling on this entire project.

TRENT BERGMAN

(Paris) is thrilled to be making his CCBC Catonsville debut with his first CCBC academic theatre production. It has been three years since Trent has last performed on a stage at Parkland High School. Trent is currently studying Computer Science at CCBC.

TIRRELL BETHEL

(Mercutio) returns to CCBC after being in the production of Rashomon playing as the priest. This is his third year at CCBC and is currently a double major in both Theatre and Nursing. Tirrell also played as the TRUE KING in Hamlet last semester, and was ecstatic about being the Ghost. He has also participated with The Barnstormers doing a series of improv. He plans on transferring to Towson and has high hopes of being in movies someday (we can pray on that). Tirrell would like to give a special thanks to his family and his girlfriend who all have supported him up to this point in his life (they all have fatheads though); as well as to the cast and crew and anyone else who helped for being awesome and hardworking individuals.

LAUREN DODSON

(Apothecary) is proud to be a CCBC student studying ASL for reasons other than to become an ASL interpreter. Having studied Speech Pathology, Spanish, and Vocal Performance and Music History in prior college experiences and Theatre in high school, Lauren is thrilled to be on the stage again as part of this bilingual ASL and English, fully-accessible production of Romeo and Juliet. Communication happens in many variable and beautiful ways and communication has the power to bring about respect and understanding of all that unites us in our similarities and the beauty in our uniqueness. Thanks to the production team and Joey (Caverly) for seeing past “Rainbow ASL” and understanding that these wheels can dance; my ASL teachers, especially Fred, PeV, and Carla; my Spanish teachers for teaching me about cultural respect in the first place; my voice teachers for teaching me to be comfortable in my own body both onstage and off; and my Mom and Dad for putting up with some seriously late nights during the run of this production!

LLOYD EKPE

(Lord Capulet) is ecstatic to be performing in his second theatrical production at CCBC. He enjoyed his first time on the stage as King Claudius in Hamlet Lost/Found, and has become a declared Theatre Major. It’s been a pleasure for him to learn ASL and some deaf culture while preparing for this show. He would like to spread his love for his cast, crew, and director, and is looking forward to other productions at CCBC.

FRED HARTMAN

(Lord Montague) A Connecticut native, Fred earned a B.S. in Business/Computer Science from National Technical Institute of the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology (NY). While studying, Fred performed in plays including See How They Run, Grease, and Italian Straw Hat. He served as Sign Master for CCBC’s production of Children of a Lesser God and some plays at Fells Point Corner Theatre. He is a LAN administrator for Social Security Administration and is an instructor for CCBC where he has taught ASL I and II, Fingerspelling/Numbers and Visual Gestural Communication for 31 years. He also taught some courses at Towson University. In 2014 he served as MC for CCBC’s Interpreter Preparation Program 30th anniversary celebration. He and his wife, a systems accountant for DOJ, have two sons, a paralegal for a law firm and a senior at University of South Carolina.

JOEY HERNANDEZ

(Prince Escalus) is an aspiring film actor, and North American nomad. Joey has traveled and acted all across the United States, most notably in Michigan. There he performed in a handful of productions at the LCC Theatre. He’s performed in a one act as Bryan the Sexy Bartender, as Abu al Hasan in The Arabian Nights, as Michael in The Dining Room, and as the male lead in Stephanie Hero; Leopold the Great Sorcerer. This is Joey’s second experience with Shakespeare, after having played Bernardo and other roles in CCBC’s Fall 2016 production of Hamlet Lost/Found.

TABITHA MARKEL

(Juliet) This is Tabitha’s theatrical debut on the CCBC stage; she is intrigued by the director’s creativity and originality in merging the two opposing cultures into a love story told like never before. Previously she played the Nurse in her high school production of Romeo & Juliet. During her high school drama club years, Tabitha studied under Rita Corey whose guidance has greatly influenced her. When the occasion arises, Tabitha also enjoys doing mime performance work. Tabitha graduated with a degree in criminal justice from the University of Maryland and currently works with the SSA. She is an avid reader and enjoys recharging her energy by visiting museums, dining out and spoiling her adopted dog, Maya.

PEV (PEGGY) MCCOY

(Lady Montague) has taught at CCBC for three years as a full time faculty member in the Interpreter Preparation Program (INTR). Prior to this, she worked as an adjunct for over 20 years, teaching American Sign Language (ASL) at several colleges. The experience of performing and rehearsing with both CCBC students and the Deaf Community using ASL is a dream come true. The journey has been phenomenal and has exceeded PeV’s every expectation. Seeing how the Deaf and hearing actors and actresses work under the Deaf director, along with interpreters and student interpreters was astonishing. PeV’s school years at Indiana School for the Deaf sparked her interest in doing a variety of plays, even floor shows in the dorm. Her best theater experience was at Gallaudet University when she starred in Sign Me Alice II, as Alice, with director, Gil Eastman, in 1983. The show portrayed an era of emerging and controversial linguistic research to recognize ASL as a language. In contrast, the characters Romeo and Juliet express their love in ASL despite their family feud. It has been a thrill to see how Romeo & Juliet has brought various communities together at CCBC. PeV’s four lovely children, Madeline, Ashley, Bradley and Juliane Hlibok, with love for her, have fulfilled her life.

LASHAY MCMILLAN

(Tybalt) returns to CCBC Theatre’s stage after playing Lady Macbeth in CCBC Essex’s Fall 2016 production of Macbeth. She is studying Theatre Performance at CCBC.

ALEJANDRO MENDEZ

(Ensemble) Alejandro returns to CCBC Theatre’s stage after playing Hamlet in Hamlet Lost/Found in Fall 2016. He acted in many productions at Lansdowne High School, such as The Mouse That Roared, Murder at The Orient Express, The Beggar and The Wolf, Anne of Green Gables, and Once On This Island. Alejandro hopes to give a great performance. When not acting on stage, Alejandro can be found acting on camera or even operating one at CCBC Catonsville’s Film Society. He has a deep love and appreciation of the performing arts. Alejandro would like to thank all of his friends and teachers for the love throughout the years and he also would like to thank his parents for always believing in him. More importantly, he would like to thank his cat, Cookie and his dog, Queequeg.

MOLLY PRUNTY

(Ensemble) After a few years of technical work at the Carroll Arts Center and other Theatre companies, Molly is excited to perform again at CCBC. Some of her favorite acting credits include Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pat Devine in Stage Door, Betsy Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, and Guildenstern in CCBC’s Fall 2016 production of Hamlet Lost/Found. Molly would like to thank all of the staff, cast, and crew for making the show come together.

ANGEL SMITH

(Lady Capulet) is making her CCBC Theatre debut. She is studying music at CCBC

ANNA STEUERMAN

(Benvolio) is thrilled to be making her CCBC Catonsville debut with her final CCBC academic theatre production. She’s most recently been seen as Macbeth in Macbeth and Rosaline in Love’s Labour’s Lost on the Essex Campus. Anna will be graduating with an AFA in Acting from CCBC this May and will continue her studies at Towson University.

JACOB URTES

(Friar Lawrence) Jake has previously served as sound designer for CCBC Essex’s Cockpit in Court Summer Theater. This is Jake’s second time performing with CCBC. Jake would like to thank Teresa Spencer for her excellent instruction and guidance. He’d also like to thank the crew for their dedication to creating an immersive aesthetic.

ANDREW WEIDIG

(Friar Lawrence) is an actor, playing in CCBC’s Romeo & Juliet as deaf Friar Lawrence. He played in Maryland School for the Deaf’s Romeo & Juliet as Benvolio; Hunchback of the Norte Dame as Quasimodo; Howard Community College’s A Christmas Carol: cirque du soleil style as Ghost of Christmas Future; Gallaudet University’s A Streetcar Named Desire as Mitch; Sign Me Alice as Pete; A Deaf Odyssey as shipmate and backup for Captain; A Spoon River Anthology as Arsonist; Goya as servant/ensemble winning ACTF regional award in 2008; Once Mentor in Bethesda Academy Performing Arts Capture the Moon. Currently, ensemble in Quests: Arts for Everyone since 2007. When he isn’t acting, he is proud business owner of Right Way is Best Way Moving, performing labor based moving since 2014. 31 years old, possible escapee from mental asylum, plans to finish college and get degree in Performance Arts, and plans to travel world seeking experiences. Andrew thanks his family for decades of support in acting. Andrew especially give shout out to all of his friends that always make time for him, giving him inspirations to get better.

JA’MIN WILLIAMS

(Romeo) hits the stage, once again, in his first ever eponymous role. A declared Theatre major, Ja’min has previous acted in 3 CCBC productions: A Raisin in the Sun as Joseph Asagai, Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom as Steve, and Hamlet: Lost/Found as Laertes and Actor. Other notable roles include Armand (Once on this Island), Javert (Les Miserables), and Doctor Moreland (Slasrever Neves). Ja’min has learned a lot over the years he’s been on stage, and loves the theatre. He’s excited to be apart of this production, and can’t wait to see what the future holds.

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

What makes Shakespeare the most read playwright for over four decades? Many actors, directors, even theatre-goers would agree that his poetic dialogue entwined with motifs, similes, and iambic pentameter are what makes us crave Shakespeare and it is what makes his work so widely known and studied. What fascinated me about ‘the Bard’ was how language could be conveyed through different lens. As a deaf person whose primary method of communication is through American Sign Language (ASL), doing a performance in ASL opens up so many possibilities; which brings me to Romeo & Juliet, the most commonly known play out of all Shakespeare’s work. I decided to explore what language meant and how its choices affect the scenarios as it unfolded throughout the play. In this unique production, Juliet, a deaf person, falls madly in love with Romeo, a hearing child born to deaf parents. With these two characters, there is suddenly a world that revolves around ASL, and the dynamics within every character in the production changes. It is truly a break from the traditional stage production we know all too well. I also wanted to explore what it meant to do Shakespeare without any spoken or signed dialogue—we all know that love can be conveyed through our body language alone, and needs no words to describe our feelings. In fact, the word “love” appears in Romeo & Juliet approximately 175 times; in ASL, there are many variations of the sign for love which goes to show that love can be expressed in many different ways. In today’s unfolding political and social landscape that seems to be fueled by hate and an unwillingness to compromise, the story of Romeo & Juliet is an essential reminder to find friendships, loyalty, and love in its entirety during the darkest of times.

Joey Caverly
Director

Production Staff Bios

JAMES CAVERLY (Director) His recent directing work includes Cloud 9, Dr. Faustus, The Philadelphia, and Noises Off (which gained recognition from The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival) at Gallaudet University where he received his BA in Theatre Arts. His recent acting credits include performing in I Was Most Alive With You at Huntington Theatre, Tribes at SpeakEasy Stage Company, Studio Theatre, and Berkeley Repertory Theatre. His DC production credits include Squares and Beertown with Dog & Pony DC; Tales of Honor and Anchovies and Tales of Courage and Poultry with Faction of Fools Theatre Company. He was involved with the National Theatre of the Deaf, performing in Journey of Identity, A Child’s Christmas in Wales, and a number of shows for young audiences. He would like to thank his friends and family for all the drama in his life.

G. MAURICE “MOE” CONN(Technical DirectorScenic/Lighting Designer) is the full-time Technical Director and Designer at CCBC Catonsville Center for the Arts Theatre. He has an MFA in Scene Design and Technical Theatre. Moe has been doing technical theatre since 1993, as a Designer, Technician, Technical Director, and Educator. Moe had also served as the Technical Director and Designer for Cockpit in Court Theatre, Maryland’s Oldest Summer theatre, for 4 summers. Moe has received multiple nominations for Best Scene Design from Broadway World.com and Received Best Scenic Design from the MD Theatre Guide’s Readers’ Choice Awards. When not backstage, Moe volunteers with the ESTA foundation’s “Behind the Scenes”. He also helps coordinate the Long Reach Long Riders charity motorcycle ride, (www.LRLR.org ) to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity fights AIDS and ESTA’s Behind the Scenes, two theatre based charities.

JAMES J. FASCHING (Costume Designer) is the resident costumer in the Performing Arts and Humanities Department at CCBC. His career in design has taken him from designing for the Miss America Pageant, to having his own television spot on KDKA-TV for interior design tips, to designing hundreds of productions for Cockpit in Court Summer Theatre, Dundalk Community Theatre, Peabody Opera Company, Theatre Hopkins, and The School for the Arts in Philadelphia, to name a few. Mr. Fasching teaches Makeup Design for the Theatre program.

JESSIE LEWIS (Stage Manager) This is Jessie’s first time stage managing a production, although she has been involved in theatre for many years. Since graduating from UMBC with a BFA in Acting, she has acted for a number of theaters in the DC/Baltimore area. Some of her favorite roles include Solange in Summer at Nohant with Ambassador Theatre, Edith in Pirates of Penzance at Lazy Susan Dinner Theatre, and Pooh in Winnie the Pooh at Adventure Theatre. She finished the Interpreter Preparation program here at CCBC in 2016 and works as a professional interpreter for the Deaf.

EMILY BUTTERFIELD (Properties Designer) is a Design/Technology Theatre major at CCBC. She has a background in studio art. This is her first fully-realized props design.

Special Thanks

Dr. Sandra Kurtinitis | President, CCBC
Dr. Mark McColloch | Vice President of Instruction
Dr. Rich Lilley | Vice President of Enrollment & Student Services
Dr. William Watson | Dean of Liberal Arts
Patti Crossman, Chair | Performing Arts & Humanities
Jacqueline Lucy | Media Relations Coordinator
Jacqueline McTear | Graphic Designer
Marc Smith | Technical Director, CCBC Dundalk
Jason Randolph | Technical Director, CCBC Essex
David Fisher
Vagabond Players
Deaf Access Solutions

INTRlogo_color

logoSorensonsmall

odhh

DASlogohoop_taglineTRANS