Fiddler on The Roof

Our Dear Audience,
Welcome to Fiddler on the Roof — the final show of Running to Places’
seventh season. Just as Fiddler is ultimately a story about change and transition,
R2P is stepping across a momentous threshold with this show. This will be the
final slot in which there could be any company member from our first season.
Beginning with Season 8, even the youngest of our 6th grade company members
from Season 1 will be off in the world, having aged out of the company Menudostyle. We are so proud of the hundreds of young people who have been a part of
making R2P the beautiful community that it has become. We are so grateful to
you, our dear audience, for being part of that community, as well.
In just a few short weeks, we will be launching our new season with auditions
at the end of September. If you are or if you know someone in grades 6-12,
please be sure to visit us at www.runningtoplaces.org and
facebook.com/runningtoplaces for all the latest information on how to get
involved. More than ever, we are committed to keeping our doors wide open to
any interested young person. Finances will never be a barrier to entry into
Running to Places.
We’re so excited about what the new season will bring in terms of stories to
tell, art to make, and friendships to build. We hope you will be a part of it. Thank
you for supporting us and coming along for the ride. We hope you enjoy the
show.
Joey Steinhagen
Artistic Director
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
Based on Sholem Aleichem's stories by special permission of Arnold Perl
Music by
Jerry Bock
Lyrics by
Sheldon Harnick
Book by
Joseph Stein
Original New York Stage Production Directed and Choreographed by Jerome Robbins
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Tevye............................................................................... Malama Sokoni
Golde................................................................................. Ellen Shockey
Tzeitel............................................................................... Sarah Skrovan
Hodel........................................................................ Maddie Vandenberg
Chava..................................................................................Cali Newman
Shprintze.................................................................... Noa Shapiro-Tamir
Bielke..................................................................................... Rose Zabel
Yente................................................................................. Abby Swartout
Motel.....................................................................................Noah Elman
Perchik..............................................................................Brendan Coyle
Lazar Wolf.................................................................... Matthew Skrovan
Fyedka................................................................................Erik McSwain
Mordcha the Innkeeper........................................................ Alex Raguso
Rabbi................................................................................. James Harrod
Mendel, the Rabbi's son..................................................... Max Avramis*
Avram the Bookseller...................................................... Finn Kellmurray
Nachum the Beggar.................................................... Pierre Saint-Perez
Grandma Tzeitel................................................. Julianne Papadopoulos
Fruma-Sarah........................................................................Lisa Podulka
Shaindel, Motel's mother...................................................Sammie Watts
Rifka..................................................................................Melissa Naylor
Constable....................................................................... Bailey Olmstead
Sasha.............................................................................. Christian Henry
The Fiddler........................................................... Caleb George-Hinnant
Russians
Laura Fegely, Finn Kellmurray, Lisa Podulka, Pierre Saint-Perez
Additional Ensemble
JiJi Bentley, Natalie Boucher, Sofia Boucher, Gaia Cooper,
Alana Craib, Kai Feldman, Ella León-Evans, Joshua Machlin,
Julia Machlin, Noa Shapiro-Tamir, Tamar Shapiro-Tamir,
Elbonique Stevenson, Kendra Walkuski
*Dance Captain
SYNOPSIS OF SCENES AND MUSICAL NUMBERS
Act 1
Prologue: Town of Anatevka
Tradition........................................................................................... Tevye, Full Company
Scene 1: Kitchen in Tevye's House
Matchmaker.....................................................................................Tzeitel, Hodel, Chava
Scene 2: Exterior of Tevye's House
If I Were A Rich Man.................................................................................................Tevye
Scene 3: Interior of Tevye's House
Sabbath's Prayer........................................................................ Tevye, Golde, Ensemble
Scene 4: The Inn
To Life..................................... Tevye, Lazar Wolf, Their Friends, Sasha, Other Russians
Scene 5: Street Outside the Inn
Scene 6: Exterior of Tevye's House
Tevye's Monologue...................................................................................................Tevye
Miracle of Miracles.................................................................................................... Motel
Scene 7: Tevye's Bedroom
The Dream............................ Grandma Tzeitel, The Rabbi, Fruma-Sarah, Full Company
Scene 8: Village Street and Motel's Tailor Shop
Scene 9: Section of Tevye's Yard
Sunrise, Sunset................................................. Tevye, Golde, Hodel, Perchik, Ensemble
There will be one 15-minute intermission. Refreshments will be
available outside the theater. Please turn off electronic devices
before returning to the theater.
Act 2
Prologue
Scene 1: Exterior of Tevye's House
Now I Have Everything...............................................................................Perchik, Hodel
Tevye's Rebuttal....................................................................................................... Tevye
Do You Love Me?......................................................................................... Tevye, Golde
Scene 2: Village Street
The Rumor..........................................Yente, Rifka, Shaindel, Mendel, Avram, Ensemble
Scene 3: The Railway Station
Far From the Home I Love....................................................................................... Hodel
Scene 4: Village Street
Scene 5: Motel's Tailor Shop
Scene 6: Somewhere on the Outskirts of the Village
Chava Sequence......................................................................................................Tevye
Scene 7: Outside Tevye's House
Anatevka.............................Tevye, Golde, Yente, Lazar Wolf, Mendel, Avram, Ensemble
Scene 8: Outside Tevye's House and Beyond
ARTISTIC TEAM
Director................................................................................................... Joey Steinhagen
Music Director.............................................................................................Jeremy Pletter
Choreographer*...................................................................................... Steven D. Moore
Assistant Choreographers................................................. Shauntle Barley, Fatima Sowe
Set Designer...............................................................................................Deborah Drew
Lighting Designer...................................................................................... Michael Garrett
Costume Designer........................................................................................ Sue DiNapoli
Props Designer...............................................................................................Janet Olsen
PRODUCTION TEAM
Stage Manager............................................................................................... Zoe Kiriazis
Assistant Stage Manager............................................................................. Adrian Clavel
Set Construction Engineer.............................................................................James Drew
Sound Designer.........................................................................................Dan Paolangeli
Sound Technician.................................................................................... Lincoln Brennan
Props Master.............................................................................................. Sophia Tantillo
Make-up....................................................................................................... Loie Faulkner
Costume Assistants..............................Sirena Carpenter, Summer Davis, Caitlin Mallory
Run Crew............................................................................... Cyia Drew, Aidan Intemann
Spot Ops............................................................................... Wallace Alpern, Imri Leshed
Sound Board...................................................................... Ian Statema, Lincoln Brennan
Light Board Op................................................................................. Christopher DiNapoli
Carpentry and Paint Crew.....................Summer Davis, Deborah Drew, Finn Kellmurray,
Jesse Koennecke, Julianne Papadopoulos, Bill Podulka
Jeff Walkuski, Nancy Watts, Richard Watts,
Samantha Watts, Ingrid Zabel, Rose Zabel
Cultural and Historical Consultants......Jonathan Boyarin, Linda Glaser, Elissa Sampson
Concessions Manager.................................................................................Lori Schreiber
Playbill.................................................................................. Bill Podulka, Sandy Podulka
ORCHESTRA
Conductor................................................................................................... Jeremy Pletter
Keyboard.................................................................................................Anthony DeLuca
Clarinet......................................................................................................... John Greenly
Flute................................................................................................................ Amy Zhong
Oboe.............................................................................................................. Keara Byron
Percussion........................................................................................................ Tom Smith
RUNNING TO PLACES BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dick Furnas, Heidi Goldstein, Kati Torello, Kelly A. Damm, Kendall Carpenter,
Lilly Westbrook, and Linda Harris Ex Officio: Jack Goldstein and Jerry Dietz
RUNNING TO PLACES STAFF
Artistic Director/Resident Director...........................................................Joey Steinhagen
Resident Music Director............................................................................. Jeremy Pletter
Finance Manager............................................................................................. Kati Torello
Bookkeeper............................................................................................. Nancy Schrempf
Project Coordinator.................................................................................... Sharon Nelson
SPECIAL THANKS
Andri Goncarovs and the Antique Center, Adam Perl of Pastimes, Dr. Luvelle Brown,
Dr. David Brown, Steve Brookhouse, Lilly Westbrook, Dryden High School Theatre,
Ithaca College Department of Theatre Arts, Sewgreen, the custodial staff of
Ithaca High School, all of the R2P community members who worked to load-in
scenery, and the families and friends of the cast, crew, and pit for their support.
*Choreography based on the original choreography of Jerome Robbins.
THE COMPANY
ABBY SWARTOUT (Yente), a rising junior at Horseheads High School (HHS), is thrilled to be
participating in her second R2P show, after being a "Bird Girl" in Seussical last spring. Favorite roles
include "Ursula" in The Little Mermaid and "Crone" in Snow White (both with the Horseheads Youth
Bureau Summer Drama) and "Little Cosette" in Les Miserables (HHS). When not on stage, Abby
enjoys playing clarinet, singing, and reading comic books. She thanks Joey, Jeremy, and Zoe for
making this fun as well as a learning experience. She also thanks her mom and dad for driving her to
each rehearsal. And last, but certainly not least, she thanks the entire cast and crew for being the
awesome people that they are!! "Enjoy the show!"
ADRIAN CLAVEL (Assistant Stage Manager) is very excited to be doing his Fourth R2P show. Due
to his lack of musical talent and rhythmical coordination, Adrian mostly works backstage.
ALANA CRAIB (Ensemble) is very proud to be in her fifth R2P production! Previous R2P shows
include Seussical, Once Upon A Mattress, R2P's Best Of Broadway, and A Christmas Carol—in
which she worked backstage. She would like to thank the amazing cast, the run crew, and everyone
else who contributed to help make this show happen. “Enjoy The Show!”
ALEX RAGUSO (Mordcha the Innkeeper) is a student at Ithaca High School. He loves crew, band,
fencing, and digital 3D animation. He is excited to be in another R2P show.
BAILEY OLMSTEAD (Constable) is a soon-to-be Junior at Newfield High School. As always, he is
psyched to be working with R2P. Bailey was previously the “Wizard” in Once Upon A Mattress,
“Chord Elam” in Oklahoma, and a “Brother” in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat.
Bailey plans to pursue a career in writing and acting.
BRENDAN COYLE (Perchik) is excited to perform in his third and final R2P show. He joined the
company last year as “Daddy Warbucks” in Annie and returned this March as “Sir Harry” in Once
Upon A Mattress. You also may have seen him as “Emmett Forest” in Ithaca High School's Legally
Blonde or “Andrew Clark” in Take Ten's production of The Breakfast Club. He would like to thank his
family for helping him through his high school theatre experiences, as well as Joey for teaching him
many valuable things in acting over the past two years. He wants to thank you for attending this final
show. “So long, and thanks for all the fish.”
CALI NEWMAN (Chava) is excited to be a part of Fiddler on the Roof! She was most recently seen
as “Winnifred” in R2P's Once Upon a Mattress and “Vivienne” in Ithaca High School's Legally Blonde.
When not in rehearsals, Cali enjoys working at her day camp and sleeping. "This is for you Dad!"
CHRISTIAN HENRY (Sasha/Russian) is very excited to be a part of Fiddler! Previously he played
“Kiki/Nikos” in Ithaca High School's production of Legally Blonde, “Wickersham #1” in R2P's
production of Seussical, and “Ghost of Jacob Marley/Charity Man” in A Christmas Carol, also with
R2P. Christian also is a part of the Young Men's Chorus of the Ithaca Children’s Choir and Vitamin L,
and traveled to Baltimore to be in the American Choral Directors Association All-Eastern Choir. In his
free time he loves to sing, dance, eat, and sleep. Christian would like to thank his friends and family
for supporting him. “Enjoy the show!”
DEBORAH DREW (Set Designer/Decorator) has been designing theater sets for student
productions since 1999. She had the pleasure of working with Joey in several productions at Dryden
Central Schools and is happy to reconnect with him and R2P productions. Deb received a Bachelor
of Architecture degree from Roger Williams College in Bristol, RI. She works with her husband,
James, in their home business, "The Architects Drew," in Dryden. They design custom homes as well
as renovations and small commercial projects. Deb especially enjoyed working on the sets of
Seussical with R2P, and Oliver!, Pirates of Penzance, Blythe Spirit, The Music Man, On the Town,
Guys and Dolls, Romeo and Juliet, and Grease at Dryden. Deb has enjoyed getting to know the cast
and crew of R2P. Running to Places is all about collaboration to produce fine youth theater and she is
glad to see, and be a part of, it happening throughout Tompkins County schools, colleges, and
professional theater companies.
ELLA LEÓN-EVANS (Ensemble) is delighted to be involved in her fifth R2P production! You may
have seen her in Honk!, Wedding Singer, or Seussical, or as the runcrew for the middle school show,
R2P’s Best of Broadway. Ella is involved in crew and MRC in her free time, but also enjoys hanging
out with her mom or in Rochester with her papi. Ella would like to thank her mom, her dad, and R2P
for the wonderful opportunities and God for leading her to them. Ella hopes you enjoy R2P’s
production of Fiddler on the Roof.
ELLEN SHOCKEY (Golde) feels so blessed to have Fiddler be her last show with R2P and the many
friends she has made throughout high school. You may have spotted Ellen as “Claire Ganz” in
Rumors or “Juror 3” in Twelve Angry Men at Ithaca High School, or as “Jack's Mother” in Into the
Woods with R2P. Ellen, now a songwriter, book enthusiast, writer, and all-around fan of beautiful
things, will attend Messiah College for Musical Theatre this fall. "What a joy it is to be in Kulp for my
last show!" Ellen thanks her wonderful, supportive family who have been the proverbial wind in her
sails through the years, her best friends (including the wonderful Stage Manager Zoe Kiriazis), the
cast, and, of course, Joey and Jeremy for pushing her past her limits with constant reminders to not
smile. To the wonderful theatre-goers of Ithaca she says, "Au revoir."
ERIK MCSWAIN (Fyedka) is excited to be performing in his third R2P show with this amazing cast.
He is going into his Junior year at Newfield High School. You may have seen him in the R2P
productions of A Christmas Carol and Once Upon a Mattress this season and at the Newfield High
School production of Shrek the Musical as “Pinnochio.” In his free time he likes to sing and listen to
music. He would love to thank Jeremy, Joey, Zoe, Steve, and Sue for all the hard work they've done
to help make this show possible and his parents for being supportive and giving him rides to
rehearsal. “Enjoy the show! Mazel tov!”
FATIMA SOWE (Assistant Choreographer), an R2P alumnus, is thrilled to have been a part of this
production. After leaving R2P in 2008, she attended Colgate University, graduating with a
concentration in Art History and French and an undergraduate thesis on “The Triple Heritage of
Senegalese Architecture,” but she stayed involved in the performing arts through a capella, dance,
and student theater groups. Fatima trained at Armstrong School of Dance and has been dancing
from the age of three. Choreography: Reefer Madness (2009), Peter Pan (2009),The Pajama Game
(2010), Dancefest (2011/2012), Cabaret Musical Theater Revue (2009-2013), Colgate Global
Lectures Series: Richard Branson Flash Mob (2012).
FINN KELLMURRAY (Avram the Bookseller/2nd Man) has been a member of R2P for three years
and is excited to be in his fifth show. Previously, he had roles in R2P’s Oliver, Oklahoma, Honk!, and
The Wedding Singer. Finn also can be seen dancing with Ithaca Ballet. He has been in such ballets
as The Little Mermaid, Giselle, Swan Lake, and of course, The Nutcracker. Finn will be attending
Ithaca High School in the Autumn. “Thanks for coming and enjoy the show. Allons-y!”
GAIA COOPER (Ensemble) is a seventh-grade homeschooler who is enjoying her second show with
R2P (the first was Seussical). In her free time she likes to climb, swim, cook, write, and draw. She
would like to thank her parents, her grandparents (especially the one coming from another country),
and all the rest of her crazy supportive family. “L’chaim!”
JAMES DREW, AIA (Set Construction Engineer) has been building sets alongside his wife,
Deborah, since 1999. Jim is the Health and Safety Coordinator at TST BOCES. He also is a
registered Architect and runs his home-based business, "The Architects Drew." Jim helps keep the
sets easy to construct, which keeps the actors and crew safe and also translates to easy and
painless strikes! He is enjoying reconnecting with Joey and R2P.
Before "Fiddler"
by Adam G. Perl
In 1951 my father, Arnold Perl, was a young and up-and-coming writer for
television. Having survived the Depression and World War II, he was about to
encounter an enemy even more formidable.
It’s hard today to imagine the enormous grip of fear and power that Senator
Joseph McCarthy held over the entire country at that time, but if you were
accused of being a communist sympathizer and refused to cooperate you were
blacklisted, which meant you could not get any work in the entertainment
industry.
Suddenly many of the entertainment industry’s top writers, actors and
directors were out of work with nowhere to turn. A few who did “cooperate” with
Sen. McCarthy were able to keep their jobs, but would forever bear the mark of
having betrayed their friends.
With no possibility of work available through normal channels, many
blacklisted writers were forced to become “ghost writers.” They would write a
script and sell it to another writer for ten cents on the dollar and receive no credit
for their work. My father was one of these.
In 1952, he formed an independent production company and adapted
several stories of the celebrated Yiddish folk writer, Sholom Aleichem, for the
stage. They were presented together as an evening of three short plays entitled
The World of Sholom Aleichem. It was one of the first English language plays to
bring the writing of the great Sholom Aleichem to a mainstream audience.
After the success of The World of Sholom Aleichem, Perl adapted another
series of Sholom Aleichem stories about the trials and tribulations of a dairyman
named Tevye. The play, Tevye and his Daughters, ran for only a month, but was
quickly recognized for its potential and soon was adapted into what was to be the
breakthrough Broadway hit, Fiddler on the Roof.
In 1959, Channel 13 in New York aired a performance of The World of
Sholom Aleichem. It starred Zero Mostel, Jack Gilford, Gertrude Berg, Nancy
Walker and a host of other blacklisted actors who, along with my father, were
able to appear on television and get credit for their work for the first time in nearly
a decade. The blacklist was broken, but not before years of repression had taken
its toll.
Fiddler on the Roof embraces both the joy and suffering of Jewish life in the
old country. Tevye is a Jewish “Everyman” who must endure the hardships and
injustices of Tsarist Russia, deal with his wife and daughters, and learn to adapt
as each one moves farther and farther away from the “tradition” that he is
steeped in.
Adam G. Perl is a longtime resident of Ithaca and the owner of Pastimes Antiques in the
DeWitt Mall. He is a member of The Cayuga Vocal Ensemble and the Savage Club of
Ithaca and is a proud supporter of Running to Places.
JAMES HARROD (Rabbi) is thrilled to be part of his fifth R2P show! He has performed in R2P’s
productions of A Christmas Carol, Annie, Honk!, and The Wedding Singer. He also played the role of
“Brett” in DeWitt Middle School’s production of Thirteen. In addition to acting, James enjoys playing
the violin, listening to music, and playing Magic the Gathering. James would like to thank his parents
for being so supportive and all the people at R2P. He hopes you enjoy the show!
JEREMY PLETTER (Music Director/Conductor): See R2P Staff Bios.
JIJI BENTLEY (Ensemble): This is Jiji’s third R2P show, after previously being in Once Upon a
Mattress and Honk! She loves to sing, do karate, read, and play with animals, and will be sophomore
at Ithaca High School this fall, studying to be an MD. Jiji wants to thank her parents for driving her to
rehearsals, and Joey, Jeremy, Steve, Zoe, and everyone else who helped with the show because it
couldn't have been done without them! She can't wait for you to see the show and hopes you enjoy...
Fiddler on the Roof!! :)
JOEY STEINHAGEN (Artistic and Resident Director): See R2P Staff Bios.
JOSHUA MACHLIN (Ensemble), a rising Junior at L.A.C.S., is thrilled to be in his first R2P show! At
L.A.C.S. he was “Eric” in The Dress and a backstage techie in The Wizard of Oz. He thanks the
entire company for welcoming him into the family with open arms, especially his sister, Julia. He also
thanks Joey for keeping the cast smiling, Jeremy for giving the show some chutzpah, Zoe for too
many things to write, Adrian for being a helpful, fabulous guy to hang out with, Sue for the spiffy,
historically accurate costumes, Steve for the moves so hawt that Joshua sweated a gallon, and Tony
and the other musicians. Special thanks to Joshua's marvelous parents for shlepping him to
rehearsals. Shout out to Isaac and the bois for all their support! This show is very close to Joshua's
heart strings and he hopes you enjoy it!!
JULIA MACHLIN (Ensemble), a rising ninth-grader at IHS, is psyched to be in her fourth R2P show.
She was recently in R2P's Best of Broadway. She also was in Annie Get your Gun, A Midsummer
Night's Dream, and 13 at DeWitt Middle School, where she was one of this year's recipients of the
Bernice Finch award. She loves to sing in the Ithaca Children's Choir, spend time with family and
friends, sing in the shower, and fangirl over Shakespeare, Vivaldi, and Jim Papoulis. Julia gives a big
"Mazel tov!" to the cast and crew for putting together a great show, and a big thank you to her
parents, and to Joey, Jeremy, Tony, Fatima, and Steve for being such helpful, amazing mentors.
"Enjoy the show!"
JULIANNE PAPADOPOULOS (Grandma Tzeitel), a rising Senior at Ridgefield High School in
Ridgefield, Connecticut, is visiting Ithaca for the summer and participating in her first R2P production.
At Ridgefield High School she was in Les Miserables (Factory Worker/Beggar) and Meet Me in St.
Louis (Trolley Singer/ Party Guest). Julianne loves nothing more in the world than singing. She also
enjoys dancing, drawing, and fashion designing. She would like to thank the Watts family for
graciously inviting her into their cottage for the summer, her parents and friends for their support
throughout the whole production, and Jeremy and Joey for being amazing directors and mentors.
She is absolutely thrilled to be in her first R2P show!
KAI FELDMAN (Ensemble) is a rising 7th grader at Lehman Alternative Community School. He is
excited to perform his third show with R2P. Some of his favorite roles have been “Wally Webb” in Our
Town with Theatre Incognita, “Jonathan” in A Christmas Carol with R2P, and “Pippin/Ensemble” in
R2P's Best of Broadway. He is a budding activist involved in New York Youth Against Fracking and
Vitamin L. Kai would like to thank the wonderful cast and staff for all their support as well as his
parents, brothers, and friends. He hopes you enjoy the show.
KENDRA WALKUSKI (Ensemble) is very excited to be in her second R2P production. She is a
rising Junior at Dryden High School, where she has been in many musical productions including The
Music Man (Ethel Toffelmier), Oliver (Dancer, Fagin's Gang), Beauty and the Beast (Silly Girl),
Seussical (Young Kangaroo), and Wizard of Oz (Munchkin). She most recently was an ensemble
member for R2P's Once Upon a Mattress. Kendra has danced for 13 years and currently takes dance
classes at The Cortland Performing Arts Institute. She has taken private voice lessons for two years
and is a member of the Dryden High School Choir. She would like to thank the directors, cast, and
crew for welcoming her to the R2P productions. “Break a leg!”
LAURA FEGELY (Ensemble/Russian Dancer) is excited to be in Fiddler on the Roof! You may have
seen her in various other R2P productions such as A Christmas Carol, Seussical, and Once Upon A
Mattress, or perhaps you've seen her in the Ithaca High School musical. When she's not on stage,
Laura is great at stressing about college auditions and forcing her dog to cuddle with her. “Enjoy the
show!”
LISA PODULKA (Fruma-Sarah/Russian Dancer), a rising Junior at Ithaca High School, is thrilled to
be working on her 17th R2P show! Favorite roles with R2P include the “Jester” in Once Upon a
Mattress and “Lucinda” in Into the Woods. At Cortland Repertory Theater, she played “Pippa” in
Spider’s Web and was a child ensemble member in Joseph... Dreamcoat. At IHS, she was “Pilar” in
Legally Blonde. Off-stage, she enjoys singing in Vitamin L, dancing at the Cortland Performing Arts
Institute, and petting her cats. She thanks Jeremy, Joey, Steve, Tony, Zoe, and everyone else who
helped with this production, as well as her Mom and Dad for driving to rehearsals. “Without our
traditions, our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof!”
MADDIE VANDENBERG (Hodel) is a rising Senior at Ithaca High School and is very excited to be
working on her 18th show with R2P! Past shows include Once Upon A Mattress (Lady Larken), A
Christmas Carol (Dance Captain), Into the Woods (Milky White), and Honk! (Ida) with R2P; and
Legally Blonde (Serena/Dance Captain) and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
(Smitty) with Ithaca High School. She sings with and is on the Youth Board of Vitamin L, and she
plays violin with Ithaca Talent Education. She would like to thank Zoe, Joey, Jeremy, Steve, Fatima,
Tony, Sue, the entire cast, and everyone else who worked so incredibly hard on this wonderful show!
“Mazel tov and enjoy the show!”
MALAMA SOKONI (Tevye) is very excited to be participating in his third R2P production. Previously
he has been in the ensemble for The Wedding Singer and played the Narrator in Into the Woods.
Malama has been acting on stage since 5th grade, and has been in the past three productions at
Ithaca High School. Most recently he appeared as Professor Callahan in Legally Blonde. Malama
loves theatre and is thankful for all the wonderful people he had the pleasure of working with over the
past few weeks. He can't wait for senior year and the next R2P season to start, and he hopes you all
enjoy the show!
MATTHEW SKROVAN (Lazar Wolf) is very excited to be a part of this production! Some of his
favorite roles in the past with R2P have been “The Cat” in Honk! and “Jack” in Into the Woods!
Matthew thanks the entire cast, Joey, Jeremy, Tony, Sue, and Zoe, but most of all his sister Sarah,
who means the world to him and is leaving for college!
MAX AVRAMIS (Mendel, the Rabbi’s Son) is thrilled to be in Fiddler on the Roof with R2P! He is
going into 11th grade at Lansing High School in the fall. When not performing, he enjoys singing with
Vitamin L, playing soccer, and being with friends. He would like to thank Joey, Jeremy, Tony, Steve,
Zoe and everyone else involved in making this show a success. “Mazel tov!”
MELISSA NAYLOR (Rifka), a rising Senior at Newfield High School, is very excited to be a part of
her second R2P production! Some of her previous high school shows include Annie, Oklahoma, and
Shrek The Musical, as well as last year's R2P show Once Upon a Mattress. When not in a show she
enjoys singing, playing instruments, and sleeping. She would like to thank her family and fellow cast
members for being the most wonderful people and hopes you enjoy the show. “Mazel tov!!!”
MIKE GARRETT (Lighting Designer): Mike’s interest in theatre began at a young age, but it was
not until his junior year of high school that he was introduced to technical theater by his roommate.
He graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Animal Science, but was most often seen in
the Schwartz Center’s scene shop, where he began as stage carpenter, rising to lighting designer
and eventually technical director for Leonard Bernstein’s Mass in 2009. He has worked as the
productions manager for the Cornell Concert Commission, as well as Slope Day. Mike also served
as the set designer, technical director, and production manager for the Melodramatics Theatre
Company. He has run sound for many concerts and several R2P shows. His love of theatre also has
led him to work in concerts, film, and web media.
NATALIE BOUCHER (Ensemble) was born and raised in Hawaii and moved to Ithaca a few years
ago; she is currently in 6th grade at Dewitt Middle School. This is Natalie's first show with R2P, and
she is excited to be working with the amazing cast and crew for this show. She would like to thank
everyone who has helped support and make this production happen. “Enjoy the show!”
NOA SHAPIRO-TAMIR (Shprintze), a rising 8th grader at the Lehman Alternative Community School,
is still trying to believe that she is part of this amazing musical, her 4th with R2P. Past R2P shows
include Annie, A Christmas Carol, and Once Upon A Mattress. When not rehearsing this summer, you
may find Noa swimming, having a Bat Mitzvah, swimming, swimming, or swimming. She also loves
hanging out with people, including her past, present, and future R2P friends and family. She is
grateful to Joey, Jeremy, Zoe, Zoe's Box, Steve, Sue, Adrian, Deb and Jim Drew, Mike, Dan, her
parents for running her to many places, and anyone else that her terrible memory had the nerve to
exclude. “I love you all, cast and crew! L’chaim!”
PIERRE SAINT-PEREZ (Nachum the Beggar/Russian) is a student at the Lehman Alternative
Community School. He has been in his school's production of Shakespeare’s As You Like it and will
be playing the male lead in one of this same playwright's less famous plays this coming year, Romeo
and Juliet. Before this, he was in Love Those Letters and soloed in Faure's Requiem, back when he
was a soprano. He also is in his school's Mock Trial team. This is his first R2P show, and he is glad to
be here. “Thanking people by name here would take expanding the size of this booklet quite a bit, so
thank you all.”
ROSE ZABEL (Bielke), age 12, is ecstatic to be in her third R2P production. Previous acting
experiences include R2P's A Christmas Carol, and CSMA's Annie as “Grace Farrell.” When not
acting, singing, or dancing, Rose enjoys playing with her hedgehog, Ruby. She would like to thank
her friends for cheering her on as well as her family (which includes the hedgehog!). "Enjoy!"
SAMMIE WATTS (Shaindel, Motel’s Mother) is thrilled to participate in her first R2P show! A rising
Senior at Ridgefield High School in Ridgefield, Connecticut, she spends her summers in Ovid, NY.
Previous credits include The Music Man (Ethel Toffelmier), Guys and Dolls (Hot Box Girl), South
Pacific, 13 (Goth), The Pajama Game, Les Miserables, and Meet Me in St. Louis. In her free time,
she enjoys dancing, writing, singing, watching Disney movies too many times, and spending time with
her friends. Sammie thanks Joey, Jeremy, and everyone in the R2P family for this amazing first R2P
experience. She also thanks her parents, sister, and brother-in-law-to-be for constantly supporting
her and loving her; and all of her friends, both in Ridgefield and in Ithaca, who are always there for
her. “Mazel tov, cast!”
SARAH SKROVAN (Tzeitel) is thrilled to be part of her third R2P production! You may have seen her
earlier in the season as “Scrooge's Mother” in A Christmas Carol, or six years ago as a daughter in
Pirates of Penzance, season one (she will be very impressed if you actually remember that one).
Recently she was “Elle’s Mother” in Legally Blonde at Ithaca High School. Favorite roles include
“Chris Gorman” in Rumors at Ithaca High School, “Leonato” in Much Ado about Nothing and
“Antonio” in Twelfth Night, both with Shakespeare in the Basement, and “Adelaide” in Guys and Dolls
with DeWitt Middle School. Sarah will attend Brandeis University in the fall and hopes to continue
participating in theatre! She would like to thank Joey, Jeremy, Zoe, and the entire cast and crew for
making this the most wonderful experience for her, and is very grateful that she got the chance to be
a part of such a beautiful, meaningful show that is so close to her heart. She hopes you enjoy the
show!
SOFIA BOUCHER (Ensemble), a rising Senior at Ithaca High School, is very excited to be in Fiddler
on the Roof, her sixth production with R2P! She was recently “Sally” in R2P's A Christmas Carol, and
a “Greek Chorus Member” in the high school’s Legally Blonde. Sofia is originally from Hawaii and
loves to dance. She is grateful to be a part of R2P, and would like to thank Josiah, her family, friends,
and the entire cast and crew of Fiddler on the Roof. “Enjoy the show!”
STEVEN D. MOORE (Choreographer) is a multiple-award-winning musical theatre actor,
choreographer, and director based out of NYC. Steven’s work has been seen both on stage and
screen from regional theatres across the East Coast all the way to Her Majesty’s Theatre on
London’s West End. He is honored to have served as choreographic assistant to such people as
Chris Bailey (a dancer in Tap Dogs and Associate Choreographer for Evita on Broadway) and Adam
Pelty (Choreographer for Scarlet Pimpernel and Billy Elliot on Broadway). Steven recently wrapped
up a national tour of Next to Normal and an engagement at Glimmerglass Opera, where he was in
Annie Get Your Gun (starring Deborah Voigt) and Carmen (directed by Anne Bogart). Other roles
include “Hedwig” in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, “Ian” in Rooms: A Rock Romance, “Jack” in Into the
Woods, “Peter” in Peter Pan The Musical, and “The Cat in the Hat” in Seussical. Steven also has
starred in multiple film and television projects, including the multiple Indie Award film winner,
Judgment Day, and working with such people as Ben Stiller, Morgan Freeman, and Brendan Fraser.
Aside from his theatrical work, Steven is an international-award-winning magician and juggler.
Steven holds a BFA from Ithaca College in Musical Theatre and is a proud member of The Actors
Equity Association.
SUE DINAPOLI (Costumer), known as “Mama Sue” to hundreds of young people, is a first-time
costumer for R2P. She is thrilled to finally work with all of the talent in the company! Sue has worked
on costuming for the past six years at Boynton Middle School and for the past two years at IHS. Her
most recent shows were Cinderella, including a trick dress made in a day and Legally Blonde, with
over 200 costumes, including several lightning-fast changes. She also was Head Costumer for
Beauty and the Beast, State Fair, Guys and Dolls, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really
Trying. Sue would like to thank her husband, Ron, and three sons, Christopher, Alexander, and
Nicholas, for being so understanding of the chaos that is costuming.
TAMAR SHAPIRO-TAMIR (Ensemble) is very happy to be in her favorite childhood show (well, after
The Sound of Music). She has been in four LACS shows, each more crazy than the last. This is her
third show with R2P, and she hopes to be in many more next year (fingers crossed). Tamar is
especially excited to break "tradition" with her first short singing solo. She thanks Joey and Jeremy
for this wonderful opportunity, both her voice teacher Erica Steinhagen and her dance teacher Mary
Gooding for teaching her so much this year, and her friend Gaia for being an awesome daughter.
“TRADITION!”
ZOE KIRIAZIS (Stage Manager), an R2P alumnus, is a junior B.A. Theatre Arts and Arts
Administration double major, with a minor in music, at SUNY Fredonia. Her Fredonia credits include
Assistant Stage Manager for The Fredonia Dance Ensemble as part of the Walter Gloor Mainstage
Series, and for the Performing Arts Company (PAC) production, The Comedy of Errors. This coming
year she will be stage manager for PAC's musical Ordinary Days, and assistant stage manager for
two Mainstage productions: It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play and Hair: The American Tribal
Love-Rock Musical. Zoe thanks Joey and Jeremy for the amazing opportunity to be stage manager
for her first show and Steve for being such an inspiration and role model. A special thanks to the cast
who have kept her sane throughout this entire journey, and who have given her the confidence to
continue stage managing and to know that she has what it takes to do this--even if she sends too
many emails. Last, but not least, the biggest thanks go to her wonderful moms who have been her
biggest supporters not only onstage, but off. "You are enough. You are so enough. It's unbelievable
how enough you are."
Thank you to our generous donors-at-large and sponsors!
Joggers ($1-$99)
Bronwyn Quirk Mohlke#
Carol Ornstein#
Christian Nielson#
CloseToHome Productions#
Della Herden#
Esther Racoosin#
Frances Bergstrom#
Gail Blake#
Gnomeworks
Heidi Goldstein#
Jane Koestler and Jim Karpinski
Jennifer Dotson#
Joseph Haefeli#
Katherine Skura#
KC Rose#
Lemi Hochman#
Mark and Ingrid Zabel#
Mark Pederson
Rachel Ash#
Scott L. Glass#
Sheila Chace#
Wendy Skinner#
Sprinters ($100-$249)
Alan Rose
Barbara A. Adams#
Brendan J. Wyly#
Bruno Schickel#
First Unitarian Society of Ithaca#
Laura Day#
Michael and Catherine Charnoky#
Nancy and Peter Schrempf
*Show Sponsor
+Exclusive Show Sponsor
^Season Sponsor
∆
Scholarship Sponsor
#Community Scholarship Donor
~Fund at the Community Foundation
of Tompkins County
The donor list is current through July 15, 2014.
If there is an error, please email:
[email protected]
and accept our sincere apologies.
Racers ($250-$1,000)
Andrew R. Weintraub
Elissa Cogan#
Harol Bush, in honor of Madga Smith
The Erin Alijoe Schlather Dedicated
Memorial Fund~
The Helen Thomas Howland Foundation~
The Kathy Yoselson Fierce Determination Fund~
The Robert G. & Jane V. Engel Foundation
Timothy and Allison Deutsch Andersen
Marathoners ($1,000-$4,999)
Buttermilk Falls Pediatrics*
Community Arts Partnership
∆
Fingerlakes Wealth Management
Kelly A. Damm, Attorney at Law*
∆
Rawlings Construction
Shakespeare in the Basement
∆
Theatre Company
∆
Snug Planet
The Mirin/O'Connell Family
∆
The Savage Club of Ithaca*
∆
Tompkins County Healthy Youth Coalition
Ultra-Marathoners ($5,000 and Up)
∆
Anonymous
Cayuga Radio Group^
CSP Management^+
Inn on Columbia+
Linda and Bob Harris
Park Foundation
Purity Ice Cream+
Richard Furnas
RUNNING TO PLACES STAFF
JOEY STEINHAGEN (Artistic Director/Resident Director) grew up doing community
theatre in a company called Song & Dance Associates that was surely the spiritual
ancestor of Running to Places. He founded R2P in 2007 as a way to bring together the
many passionate and talented young people of this area so they could create theatre,
develop life skills, and make some of the best friendships of their lives—much as he did
when he was young. He has been teaching, acting in, and directing theatre for young
people throughout Tompkins County since 1993 and received his BFA in Acting from
Ithaca College in 1996. Over the years, he has directed musicals and plays at Ithaca and
Dryden High Schools; Dryden, Boynton, and DeWitt Middle Schools; the Northern Lights
Learning Center; and the Hangar Theatre’s Kiddstuff series. Joey has taught acting at
Ithaca College, Cornell, SUNY Cortland, Hangar Theatre’s Next Generation program, and
the Ithaca Youth Bureau. As an actor, he has appeared at the Kitchen Theatre in Tony and
the Soprano (“Tony,” world premiere), Precious Nonsense (“Pete,” world premiere), The
Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow (“Dr. Yakunin”), and We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay!
(“Luigi”). He is grateful to Uniit for all of her love, patience, and support. He is proudest of
his favorite production: his son Aram.
JEREMY PLETTER (Music Director/Conductor) is the resident music director at R2P.
Previous shows as Music Director with this company include Seussical, A Christmas
Carol, and Into the Woods. In addition, Jeremy was seen on stage with R2P in Urinetown,
Guys and Dolls, Little Shop of Horrors, and more. He also was in the Ithaca College Main
Stage production of The Magic Flute. “Thank you all for coming and enjoy the show.”
LINDA HARRIS (Finance Manager): As the parent of an R2P alum, she was, and
continues to be, extremely inspired by the vision of this wonderful organization. She has
observed the positive influence on local teens and pre-teens and the enormous amount of
personal time given, all delivered with never-ending enthusiasm and a smile. She brings
with her (in addition to her enthusiasm and excitement!) over twenty years of finance and
administrative experience. Presently, she is the Financial Analyst, Grant and Contract
Specialist for the Bioacoustics Research Program at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Previously she was a Grant and Contract Officer for the College of Ag and Life Sciences
at Cornell. She is looking forward to working with other advocates and supporters of this
amazing community theatre program for local youth!
SHARON NELSON (Project Coordinator) is enjoying her first season with R2P. She has
been teaching in the Ithaca City School District since 1999, and is now one of the
teachers on the First Grade Team at BJM Elementary School. Sharon has an
Administrative Assistant Degree from SUNY Canton, where she was in charge of booking
all campus entertainment. She worked for four years as personal manager and promoter
for Jamie Notarthomas, a singer/songwriter from Syracuse. She especially appreciates
R2P’s music because she played clarinet in pit orchestras in high school and performed
for three years with the West Genesee Wildcat Marching Band. Sharon thanks her Mom,
Norinne, and her husband, Mark, and her three children, Elliott, Roxanne, and Corinna,
for their constant support!