Lost Nation Theater's Back to the 100 Acre Wood: Winnie the Pooh Revue Playbill
All About the folks bringing you Back to the 100 Acre Wood: Winnie the Pooh Revue
an original dance-theater adaptation
of AA Milne's beloved stories
adapted for stage by Kim Allen Bent
It's Theater FOR Kids BY Kids
Director & Choreographer: Taryn Noelle.png)
Composer: Kathleen Keenan
Asst. Choreographer/Teacher: Brandy Perez
Scenic Design: Kim Allen Bent
Scenic Painters: Todd Hanley & Emilia Estrada
Backdrop designed & painted by Clay Coyle
Lighting Design: Samuel J Biondolillo
Costumes: Cora Fauser
Costume Assistant: Nancy Smith
Sound/Music Design: Taryn Noelle
Sound Engineer: Samuel Biondolillo
Stage Manager: Todd Hanley
Props Design: Todd Hanley
Tigger Rap Choreography: AnnaMaria DiPietropaolo
Lighting Supervisor: Samuel J Biondolillo
Technical Director: Robyn Osiecki
Spot Light Operator: Jason Perez
Production Assistants: Mars Mattogno, Leo Neyman, Kaia Santana, Jessica Clayton
Featuring:
Finn Bearsch, Lydia Bearsch, Alexander Clayton, Ariabella Clayton, Isabella Estrada, Everett Gill, Elena Guadagno, Savannah Light, Elizabeth McCusker, Emma McCusker, Erik Mohlman Julia Perez, Sophia Perez, Maggie Redmond, Mia Roy, Joy Santana, Emanuel Van Fleet
The Musicians
Kathleen Keenan, guitar
Special Thanks To:
All our Amazing Performers., Creatives, Crew and Volunteers!!
Bob Lizzari - Lizzari Photographic (for the amazing headshots of our young performers)
Lyric Theater · Capitol Copy · Emilia Estrada · Montpelier City Clerk’s Office · Dona Bate · Chris Zahm Jim Lowe, Mary Gow, Jeb Wallace Brodeur - Times Argus Leo Neyman · Shanda Williams · Mars · Clay · Robyn · Marcia & John Biondolillo
Special Thanks to Lost Nation Theater's 2021 Underwriters: Capitol Copy, City of Montpelier, Eternity, National Life Group, Vermont Mutual and The World
And ALL LNT's 2020 Business/Downtown On Stage Contributors. Please support these businesses supporting Lost Nation Theater. Read All about them HERE
and to The Estate of Ted Richards, the Mary Shriver Fund of the Alan Weiss Estate, and LIzzari Photographic for additional sponsorship of this event.
Camp Instructors: Taryn Noelle, Brandy Perez, Todd Hanley, Kim Bent, Kathleen Keenan
special guests and advisors … Robyn Osiecki, Cora Fauser, Leo Neyman, Kaia Santana, Marissa Mattogno
The Cast & Their Characters
in alphabetical order, cuz that's how we role
Finn Bearsch - A Baby Roo, Ensemble
Lydia Clayton - Young Christopher, Tigger Posse, Ensemble
Alexander Clayton – A Baby Roo, Ensemble
Ariabella Clayton - A Baby Roo, Ensemble
Isabella Estrada - Kanga, Ensemble
Everett Gill - A Baby Roo, Ensemble
Elena Guadagno - Tigger, Ensemble
Savannah “Anna” Light - A Baby Roo, Ensemble
Emma McCusker - Piglet, Ensemble
Rocket McCusker - Eeyore, Ensemble
Erik Mohlman - Tigger Posse, Ensemble
Julia Perez - Rabbit, Ensemble
Sophia Perez - Christopher Robin, Ensemble
Maggie Redmond - Winnie-ther-Pooh Ensemble
Mia Roy - Tigger Posse, Ensemble
Joy Santana - Tigger Posse, Ensemble
Emanuel “Manny” VanFleet - Owl, Ensemble
?Additional Credits
Tigger’s Rap Choreography by AnnaMaria DiPietropaolo
Tigger Rap lyrics: Jim Iseman
Scenic Elements contributed by past LNT productions designed by Claiborne Coyle, Nancy Mosher, and Ellen E Jones
About our Creatives:
Who’s Who in Back to the 100 Acre Wood Winnie-the-Pooh Revue
DONA BATE(Accounts Guru) was CEO of a regional community transportation system for 18 years before joining LNT, and is founder of dbatespeaking where as a speaker, trainer, and coach she shared her love and experience of communicating.
Finn Bearsch (Roo, Ensemble) Finn loves Pokemon, Dinosaurs, Reptiles and anything that gives most people the creeps. His older sister, Lydia, loves to get him involved with singing the most recent Disney movie soundtrack. He is a shy, but talented dancer.
Lydia Bearsch (Young CR, Tigger Posse, Ensemble) Lydia loves singing and Broadway - she was a member of the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and even performed on a professional Jazz album.
On a regular winter day you can find her singing on the chairlifts of Mad River Glen and making movies with her brother and friends.
KIM ALLEN BENT (Speech Writer/ Scenic Design/Founding Artistic Director) Kim is the Founding Artistic Director of Lost Nation Theater. He is an award-winning playwright, an actor, director, teacher and designer. Kim has worked actross the coutnry, Europe & Canada, and has taught theater for Middlebury College, Goddard, and NYU among others. His roots in Vermont go back six generations. Why does he do Theater? "Because it's the only thing that makes sense of the world." Favorite Show Quote: "It takes 900 years to explain one blown spark of Love..."
SAMUEL J. BIONDOLILLO (Lighting Designer) is an NYC lighting designer (originally from Barre, Vermont). Off-Broadway: NYC Dance & Music Festival, Geek! The Musical. Regional: The Rocky Horror Show, Cabaret (Moonbox Productions), The Complete History of Comedy Abridged (Lost Nation Theater), Private Lives (Vermont Stage), Henry IV Parts 1 & 2, Shakespeare in Love (Connecticut Repertory Theatre), Flamingo Kid (Hartford Stage, Assist.) Sam is an adjunct professor of lighting and sound technology at the University of Connecticut, a proud member of Local USA 829 in the Lighting Design category, and holds a BA from Boston College in Theatre Arts. Website: SJBLightingDesign.com
Alexander Clayton (Roo, Ensemble) Alexander Clayton began his theater career at the young age of 10 months old when he stole the show as Town Baby in The Old Meeting House's Brigadoon. Most recently, he played Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol performed at the Stowe Community Church. He has also performed in several years' worth of Christmas Pageants with his church, in which he was the donkey that carried Mary to Bethlehem, and more recently, as a singing shepherd that saw the star of David over the city. He has experienced not only the thrill of the stage lights but has grown his skills helping with set production and painting, lighting, and sound, and has even been known to dabble in costuming.
Ariabella Clayton (Roo, Ensemble) Ariabella Clayton had her first stage experience as baby Jesus at the tender age of 9 months, in her church's Christmas pageant, and has yearly partaken as a baby angel/ various singing animals. She had her first audition at the age of 3, when she sang "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" to be part of the cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (postponed due to COVID). Recently, she was a singing angel that sang baby Jesus to sleep, as well as a singing and dancing lamb, and most recently played Rose Cratchit/ Narrator in Stowe Community Church's A Christmas Carol. While Ariabella may sometimes be soft-spoken, her fashion sense speaks volumes, and she can often be found designing costumes for her various stuffies out of fabric, painted/ colored paper, and anything other materials she can get her hands on.
ANNAMARIA DIPIETROPAOLO (Ensemble) is originally from Northern Virginia, relocating to Vermont in 2013. She has trained in street dance, ballet, modern, tap, musical theater, jazz, and many other modern dance forms. She has a strong interest in the preservation and education of Black dance forms and their communities, as well as the relationship between dance and neurodivergence/mental illness, with the ultimate goal of making dance more accessible and inclusive to all by dismantling deeply rooted biases. She was a member of Contemporary Dance and Fitness Studio's Teen Jazz company in high school, has attended intensives such as Rennie Harris' Illadelph Legends and Bates Dance Festival, and most recently completed American Dance Festival. She currently resides in central Vermont, working as an office manager and dancer/choreographer, and spends her spare time creating all different kinds of art.
CORA FAUSER (Costume) is a grateful Vermont native. She attended a one room school through 6th grade in Hartland, VT. She has known Kim Bent since undergraduate days at University of Vermont. Since 1992, Cora has costumed over 75 projects for Lost Nation Theater, Champlain College, Vermont Stage Company, Theater Kavanah, Burlington High School, and other community and experimental theaters. Previous Vermont projects at LNT have included Kim Bent's original scripts Lyddie, and But Your Honor, and David Budbill's Judevine, Two for Christmas, and Song For My Father.
Isabella Estrada (Kanga, Ensemble) Isabella Loves school and spending time with friends. She discovered soccer as one of her new passions, she enjoys nature and their beautiful landscapes and sunsets. Isabella draws every day and helps in the house. She moved to the US from El Salvador three years ago and to Vermont last year.
Everett Gill (Roo, Ensemble) Everett had a great time performing with LNT's 2021 summer camp program and is looking forward to performing a second time in February.
Elena Guadagno (Tigger) Elena is 12 years old and lives in Montpelier. She enjoys being on stage, whether acting or dancing, and loves to make up stories and characters. When not on stage, Elena likes to swim, draw, and read graphic novels.
Todd Hanley (Stage Manager/Props Design/Scenic Painting) I am thrilled to be working at Lost Nation for the very first time after seeing many LNT productions over the years. I have been involved with Lyric Theatre since 2004 doing various jobs behind the scenes. Thank you, thank you Kathleen, Kim, Taryn, Brandy and Robyn for being so warm, welcoming and patient with a rookie like me.
KATHLEEN KEENAN (Director/Guest Artist/Producing Artistic Director) is the producing artistic director of Lost Nation Theater. In addition to acting, directing, & producing theater, she is a singer-songwriter. She won Broadway Worlds's 2020 Regional Theatre "Vocalist of the Decade" for her role as Patsy Cline in Always, Patsy Cline. It is gleefully gratifying to be rehearsing & performing once again. Kathleen sends her deepest thanks to all the artists involved and to the audience & community for “being there.”
Savannah Light (Roo, Ensemble) Anna is a senior at Spaulding High School who loves music and dance. She has performed in school productions of Lion King, Mamma Mia and Alice in Wonderland, as well as Self Advocacy Talent Showcase. She enjoys being part of a team and is excited for her first time with Lost Nation Theater.
MARISSA MATTOGNO (Production Assistant) Mars has been involved in many a show with Lost Nation Theater, in nearly every capacity, and is pleased to add one more to her list! She's super excited to be helping out with All Together Now, and if you listen closely you can probably hear her singing along very quietly from backstage. She hopes you have as much fun listening to the show as she has working on it!
Emma McCusker (Piglet, Ensemble) Emma is currently a 5th grader at Northfield Elementary School. She participated in Madagascar the Musical this past fall. She also enjoys Girls on the Run!
Lizzie "Rocket" McCusker (Eeyore, Ensemble) Lizzie (Rocket) is a 7th grader at Northfield Middle/High School. Where they enjoy playing the drums, participating in theater and running track.
Erik Mohlman (Tigger Posse, Ensemble) Erik is a 4th Grader at Union Elementary. He is very imaginative and loves entertaining his younger sister with physical comedy.
Taryn Noelle (Director/Choreographer) Taryn is overjoyed to back at Lost Nation Theater for this year’s Winter break Production Camp! Taryn has treasured her many education as well as mainstage projects at LNT over the past decade, and she is truly blessed to be surrounded by such an extraordinary team for this year’s “Back to the 100-Acre Wood Winnie-the-Pooh Revue”! Taryn works throughout central and northern Vermont as a choreographer, stage director, actor and vocalist, as well as serving as the Director of Children’s Ministries at the Stowe Community Church. Taryn would like to send a special note of thanks out to: Kim, Kathleen, Brandy, Todd, Robyn, Sam, AnnaMaria, Isadora, all of the LNT volunteers, and to her sweetheart Dave for all of his love and support!
Robyn Oseicki (Technical Director) Robyn and her company NotTheTD have been providing freelance technical direction services to organizations in central and northern Vermont for more than 20 years. She is currently working here at Lost Nation helping to herd things out of pandemic mode, as well as serving as Technical Director for Norwich University’s theater program. Robyn wishes to thank all the current company members and campers for their dedication, hard work, and adherence to their Duty of Care responsibilities.
BRANDY ANN PEREZ(Associate Managing Director) Brandy Ann Perez serves as Associate Managing Director at Lost Nation Theater where she works in arts administration while still sharing her love of dance and the performing arts. She also teaches ballet at Moving Light Dance Studio and volunteers as a development committee member for Vermont Dance Alliance. Over the years, Brandy has has been a member of the Vermont Dance Collective, has created her own original choreography for ballets and musicals, helped to found and run Ballet Wolcott, taught at Johnson State College and dance studios around the state, and has collaborated with many local choreographers, teachers, and arts organizations.
Jason Perez (SpotLight Op) Jason got involved in dance since he was a small child, performing roles in ballets at Moving Light Dance and Ballet Wolcott. Currently, he enjoys karate, building rockets and robots, and learning to play trumpet and electric guitar. He previously first ran spotlight for LNT's All Together Now last fall.
Julia Perez (Rabbit, Ensemble) Julia began creative movement at the age of 3 and continued dancing and performing in ballets throughout her childhood. This past year, she began to explore acting. She loves to draw anime and cats and create her own dances. She hopes to one day dance "en pointe."
Sophia Perez (Christopher Robin, Ensemble) When she was still a toddler, Sophia Perez began exploring her love of performing arts in ballet classes and shows at Moving Light Dance and Ballet Wolcott. As a part of the Ballet Wolcott Youth Company, she choreographed some of her own pieces and collaborated with other members to create dances for community shows. Since then, she has discovered theater and has performed in a few plays at Vermont Youth Theater, as well as lip sync battles at school. Sophia is excited to be a part of this year's dance-theater camp!
Maggie Redmond (Winnie-ther-Pooh, Ensemble) Maggie loves acting, drawing and writing. She has a dog named Una and a ball python named Eugene. She is a warming soul and works hard.
Mia Roy (Tigger Posse, Ensemble) Mia is a third grader at Union Elementary in Montpelier. She has previously participated in Seussical the Musical at the Barre Opera house. Mia is so excited to be on the Lost Nation stage.
Joy Santana (Tigger Posse, Ensemble) Joy was born in Japan and has lived in Montpelier for the past 5 years. She attends UES.
Nancy Smith (Assistant Costumer) is an artist in multiple disciplines - music, visual art, costume design; and in literature. She first started working with LNT back in the mid 2000's when her daughter was in LNT's youth programs. For the mainstage, Nancy has designed such LNT shows as Metamorphoses, Hamlet and Durang Bang.
Emanuel "Manny" Van Fleet (Owl, Ensemble) Manny can often be found playing Minecraft online with friends. If he could have a real-life Pokémon he would show up riding Blaziken (a flaming chicken.)
He loves Wierd Al, the Beatles, and AC/DC. He plays violin.
SHANDA WILLIAMS (Amyens/Hymen) is a grateful Volunteer and an active Board Member of Lost Nation Theater! She is also a Soprano/ Alto and an active Board member of The Montpelier Community Gospel Choir! When she is not singing, or in theatrical pursuits, she really enjoys engaging others, and finding new ways to network and bring people together. Building bridges of the humanities, is her favorite past time! To Shanda, "People Matter", and she enjoys celebrating life with others, and making it count, one day at a time.