Fall 2010
In the Wings
Department Contacts
Dr. Teresa Durbin-Ames
Chair/ Associate Professor of
Theatre
Susan Amstutz
Adjunct Instructor, Theatre
Scott Chapman
Assistant Professor of Theatre
and Scenic/ Lighting Design
Sarah Cyders
Adjunct Instructor, Stage
Movement and Dance
Ric Goodwin
Professor of Theatre/ Director
of Recruitment
Angelina Herin
Associate Professor of
Theatre and Costume Design
Fabio Polanco
Assistant Professor of
Theatre/ Artistic Director, Drop
of a Hat Players
Tricia Applegate
Coordinator of Performing
Arts Publicity and Events
Brian Kelley
Technical Director
Laura White
Administrative Assistant
Ashland University
Department of Theatre
Center for the Arts
401 College Avenue
Ashland, OH 44805
419.289.5190
www.ashland.edu/theatre
Another academic year has begun and the leaves outside
the window are starting to turn beautiful colors. As the
seasons change, I am reminded that change is good. With
change comes a new perspective and unexpected surprises.
It seems as if change has been a part of the department
for the past several years and this year is no exception. In
August, the department welcomed a new technical
director, Brian Kelley, and welcomed back Tricia
Applegate as the Coordinator of Performing Arts Publicity
and Events. Some of you may remember that Tricia held
a similar position in the 1990s or you may have worked
with her at the Ashland Community Arts Center. Both
Tricia and Brian hit the ground running and we are ready
for the first show of our “Award-Winning Season,” John Steinbeck‟s Of Mice and
Men. I am delighted with the work they are doing and am glad they are here.
As the seasons and staff change, so do the students. The department welcomed
fourteen new theatre majors this fall and four of them will appear on stage in our fall
productions. Seniors continue to present unique projects as part of the required
Senior Project. This year‟s senior class will present a staged reading of an original
work, Waxed Fruit (Natasha Cline), and scenes from Musical of Musicals (Taylor
Hale, Jake Kinney and Sarah Saddler) in March. The work of seniors Steve
Bornhoeft (lighting design) and Sean Smith (costume design) will be featured in the
upcoming production of Marisol that is co-directed by Lauren Yobbagy. December
graduate, Rachel Turos, opened the year with an investigation of the relationship
between art and design in her September installation in the Studio Theatre, “Art in
Design.”
Last spring, the student honorary, Alpha Psi Omega, made some changes to the end
of the year Banquet. Parents and members of the university and Ashland community
were invited to the event that included a silent auction, dessert and presentation by
Aretta (Casebolt) Baumgartner ‟91. Over $200 from the silent auction was donated to
Young Audiences of Northeast Ohio an organization working to keep the arts in
schools. Thank you to the officers of APO for initiating positive changes to this end of
the year event. Don‟t worry, there were two parts to the evening. After the auction,
desserts, Arretta‟s comments and faculty awards, parents and Dr. & Mrs. Finks left so
that the students and department faculty could enjoy the slide show, class skits and
senior wills that have become department tradition. We were all blessed to hear
Aretta‟s inspiring words as she shared stories about her life as “a work in progress.”
She left us with three pieces of advice: Always play. Create your own success. Take
classes and take chances. Thank you Aretta for making the evening such a
memorable one!
As always, please stop in and say “hello” when you are in the area. Enjoy the change
of the seasons and this issue of In the Wings!
 Summer Theatre Experiences

Several Ashland University Theatre students and alumni worked and performed at Mercury Summer
Stock at the world renowned Cleveland Play House:

Eddie Carney '13, Resident Music Director

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Madeline Beer '12, Antoinette Kula '10,
Mark Leach, Shane O'Neill '08
Li'l Abner: Sarah Saddler '11
The Scarlet Pimpernel: Jayk Baechle '08, Madeline Beer '12, Tasha Brandt, Sarah
Saddler '11, Curtis Young '02

Pictured (L to R):
Antoinette Kula '10,
Madeline Beer '12,
Mark Leach and
Sarah Saddler '11,
Shane O'Neil '08,
Eddie Carney '13

This summer Kathryn Stogran '10, Sean Smith '11, and Angelina Herin (Faculty) worked at
American Folklore Theatre in Door County, Wisconsin. Angelina has worked at AFT for five years as the
Resident Costume Designer. Kathryn accompanied Angelina and worked as the Assistant Costume
Designer. Sean was part of the intern companies and also served as Head of Wardrobe.

Pictured (L to R):
Angelina Herin,
Sean Smith '11,
Kathryn Stogran '10
 Welcome to New Staff Members
Tricia Applegate – Coordinator of Performing Arts, Publicity and Events

Returning to her former position of coordinator of performing arts

publicity and events, Ms. Applegate has more than 20 years of arts
administration experience including founder and former executive director
of the Ashland Community Arts Center, along with positions at other
organizations such as the McCarter Theatre (Princeton, NJ), Renaissance
Theatre (Mansfield, OH), Ashland Symphony Orchestra, Ashland
Chautauqua, and the City of Ashland‟s Guy C. Myers Memorial Band Shell.
She holds a B.A. in Business Administration and Music from Heidelberg
College and an M.A. in Arts Administration from the University of Akron.
She is a graduate of the Arts Management in Community Institutions
(AMICI) through the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts.
Ms. Applegate also is certified by the Gordon Institute of Music Learning
(GIML) in Mastership Level 1 with an Early Childhood Emphasis from the
University of South Carolina.

Brian Kelley – Technical Director for the Theatre Department

Mr. Kelley is excited to join Ashland University‟s Theatre department.

He has worked as a Technical Director and Assistant Technical Director
across the country. Brians‟s professional credits include The
Washington National Opera, Olney Theatre Center for the Arts,
Premiere Stages at Kean University, Arizona Theatre Company, Des
Moines Metro Opera, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, and South Coast
Repertory. Brian received his M.F.A. in Technical Direction from Ohio
University where he won the Peggy Ezekiel award for his Thesis project
„Marat/Sade‟. He received his B.A. in Technical Theatre Scenic Design
from the University of Northern Colorado.
 Costume Sale Returns
The second Ashland University costume sale was successful . Our
closets were further cleaned out and over $500 was made! There was
a considerable interest in the cow costume for sale. It was offered
through a silent auction and sold for $50. Money from the sale will go
to purchase two airbrush machines (one for makeup and one for
paint) and their accessories; and a bobbin winder for the industrial
machines. The remainder of the money will go toward replacing
cardboard boxes in storage with plastic bins. Renovations were
started with last year's sale money and we hope to finish it this year.
In addition, a huge thanks goes to the dozen student volunteers who
helped promote, organize, and run the sale!

-Angelina Herin

The Gala in Review

On May 1st, 2010, we started a new tradition for Alpha Psi Omega and Ashland University Theatre by
holding our first (and hopefully annual) theatre gala. The objective for our gala was to get our name out
to the community, and hopefully raise some money for Alpha Psi Omega, the theatre department, and
arts within Cleveland area schools. We were astounded by the turnout and had about fifty or so
attendees, including students, parents, community members, and various faculty and staff from around
the university.

We kicked off the night with a silent auction in which we auctioned items from our 2009-2010 season,
photo collages from our shows, other community contributions, and our beloved Milky White from
2007‟s Into the Woods. Our auction raised us $441!! Following our auction, we had a lovely performance
by the Drop of a Hat Players. Our keynote speaker for the evening was Ashland University Theatre alum
Aretta Baumgartner. Aretta made everyone laugh and had a very meaningful speech for our aspiring
theatre students. Aretta reminded us all that we will always be a work in progress and that we should
always aspire to be more than we are today. She pointed out the true meaning of the word “act;” Always
play, Create your own success, and Take chances and classes. Aretta was an amazing asset to our
incredible night. After Aretta was done with her inspiring words, the faculty presented the student
awards for the 2009-2010 school year, and Teresa formally announced the 2010-2011 season.

When all was said and done, the night was a complete success and everyone had a blast. Alpha Psi
Omega decided that they would keep this on the calendar for years to come. We had achieved all that we
set out to achieve, and APO was able to make a $220.50 donation to Young Audiences of Northeast Ohio,
a group in Cleveland that works to keep the arts in public schools.

Stay tuned for information about the Second Annual Theatre Gala, to be held in May of 2011!

-Kathryn Stogran
Snapshots
 An Award-Winning Season
2010-2011
Of Mice and Men
By John Steinbeck
Directed by Ric Goodwin
October 15, 16, 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. | October 24 at 2:00 p.m.
Hugo Young Theatre

Marisol
By José Rivera
Co-directed by Dr. Teresa Durbin-Ames & Lauren Yobbagy
November 11, 12, 13, 18, 19 & 20 at 7:30 p.m. | November 21 at 2:00 p.m.
Studio Theatre

Sunday in the Park with George

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by James Lapine
Directed by Fabio Polanco
February 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25 & 26 at 7:30 p.m. | February 20 & 27 at 2:00 p.m.
Studio Theatre

Picasso in the Lapin Agile

By Steve Martin
Directed by Alexander Stephano, Guest Director
April 8, 9, 15 & 16 at 7:30 p.m. | April 17 at 2:00 p.m.
Hugo Young Theatre

Free Performances:
Selections from Musical of Musicals
Senior Project: Taylor Hale, Jake Kinney & Sarah Saddler
Music by Eric Rockwell; Lyrics by Joanne Bogart
March 26, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Studio Theatre

Waxed Fruit: a Staged Reading of an original play

Senior Project: Natasha Cline
March 27, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Studio Theatre

Drop of a Hat Players Spring Showcase

April 16, 2011 at 2 and 4 p.m.
Studio Theatre

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