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Our New World

December 2020
A Virtual Production

Director's Note

     This show was created out of two primary factors: my team's desire for there to be a musical opportunity available to the class of 2024, and my personal never-ending desire to take things out of context and rebuild them in new ways. To that end, this show sought to be equal parts community-building activity, virtual theatre experiment, deconstruction, and reimagining.

     As we dove into selecting songs for this crazy experiment, we did not do so in a vacuum. We were careful to ask interested actors what songs on the theme of a "new world" spoke to them, and many of the songs included in this performance came about from those recommendations and personal desires. A lot of the process of this show was rooted in getting to know each other, which is not an easy feat among a cast like ours, many of whom have still never met in real life. Through this process of conversation and exploration, a number of themes began to emerge, none of which should be a surprise, given the current state of human existence: connection, distance, fear, uncertainty, all words that have become so uncomfortably commonplace in our isolated worlds.

     That is all this show is really: a series of isolated worlds. Some are worlds we borrowed from their original contexts, and some we transformed entirely, which you are more than welcome to choose whether or not you agree with as you watch. But I do ask that you suspend your disbelief for a little while, because - having seventeen actors spread out all across the world - we took a few creative liberties in the physical constructing of these worlds: living rooms became museums, backyards became cafés, the Trumbull College courtyard became Wonderland, and the Davenport College courtyard became Hell. Draw from that information what you will. 

     Throughout this cabaret you will see these themes take hold in different ways - joyous, beautiful, tragic, confusing - and I encourage you to focus on which of these individual stories you connect to, which ones draw you in, which ones you don't quite understand. Use your imagination on this one. We certainly used ours.

Production Photos

Show Clips and/or Full Production Footage Available Upon Request

Production Team

Director: Madison Cole
Producer: Bradley Nowacek
Musical Director: Peter Sykes

Stage Manager: Skye Ward 

Video Editors: Victoria Winter, Brittany Menjivar
Sound Editor: Ash Gold

Costume Designer: Claire Donellan 

Dramaturg: Eliza MacGilvray

Associate Video Editor: Hank Graham

Associate Dramaturg: William An

Assistant Director: Soleil Singh

Assistant Producer: Lily Peréz

Assistant Costume Designer: Maya McGrory

Additional Musicians: Laura Clapp, Craig Stuart Garfinkle, Bradley Nowacek

Cast

Maureen Johnson: Catherine Alam-Nist

The Cajun: Alaina Anderson

Eurydice/Whizzer: Ian Berlin

Fantine: Jordi Bertrán Ramírez

Alice Spencer: Marissa Blum

Sally Bowles/Jason "JD" Dean: Charlie Foster

Heidi Hansen: Kyra Gee

Charley/Marvin: Jessica Haws

Emmie/Cinderella: Kali Jupiter

Hades/Veronica Sawyer: Lauren Marut

Clara Johnson: Malia Munley

Gabe Goodman/The Baker: Sean Rogers

Coalhouse Walker Jr./Little Red: Megan Ruoro

Medium Allison: Claire Sattler

Alexander Hamilton/Jack: Santana Vannarath

Telephone Guy: Samantha White

Aaron Burr/Rose Fenny: Simone Williams

Set List

"A New World" from Songs for a New World (Full Company)

"The Beauty Is" from The Light in the Piazza  (featuring Malia Munley)

"Dear Theodosia" from Hamilton (featuring Simone Williams and Santana Vannarath)

"Hey Little Songbird" from Hadestown (featuring Lauren Marut and Ian Berlin)

"Maybe This Time" from Cabaret (featuring Charlie Foster)

"Changing My Major" from Fun Home (featuring Claire Sattler)

"Good Thing Going" from Merrily We Roll Along (featuring JD Haws)

"I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables (featuring Jordi Bertrán Ramírez)

"Leave Luanne" from 35MM (featuring Alaina Anderson)

"There's a World" from Next to Normal (featuring Sean Rogers)

"Answer Me" from The Band's Visit (featuring Samantha White and the Company)

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Five Minute Intermission

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"Over the Moon" from Rent (featuring Catherine Alam-Nist)

"Seventeen" from Heathers (featuring Lauren Marut and Charlie Foster)

​"I Hate the Bus" from Caroline, or Change (featuring Kali Jupiter)

"Before It's Over" from Dogfight (featuring Simone Williams)

"Winter Blooms" from Alice by Heart (featuring Marissa Blum)

"Make Them Hear You" from Ragtime (featuring Megan Ruoro)

"No One Is Alone" from Into the Woods (featuring Kali Jupiter, Sean Rogers, Megan Ruoro, and Santana Vannarath)

"What Would I Do?" from Falsettos (featuring JD Haws and Ian Berlin)

"So Big/So Small" from Dear Evan Hansen (featuring Kyra Gee)

"Hear My Song" from Songs for a New World (Full Company)

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