Women Went West

These daughters of ranchman Joseph M. Chrisman took homesteads, timber claims and preemption claims in the Goheen Settlement. Pictured from left to right are: Harriet, Elizabeth, Lucie, Ruth in 1883.

Words of Women Pioneers

The freedom and promise of the American West prompted many people to migrate in the 1800s. Beth Henley’s play, Abundance (Segerstrom Stage, Oct. 16-Nov. 15), follows the story of two women who come to the Wyoming Territory in the 1860s as mail-order brides and follows their epic adventure.

Woman and daughter gathering buffalo chips, American prairie 1850s

The reality for women pioneers was that their new life—the adventure—was harsh and often unforgiving. By moving west, they had given up the relative comfort of life in established Eastern cities and towns, where family and women friends were nearby, for sparsely populated areas.

“To make thousands pounds of butter every year for market ...to sew and cook and wash and iron; to bake and clean and stew and fry, to be in short a general woman drudge, and never a penny of my own was a hard lot,” wrote Abigail Scott Duniway, whose family traveled from Illinois to Oregon in the mid-1850s.

It wasn’t uncommon for women to handle heavier work: they chopped wood, hauled water, plowed, hoed and planted fields, managed small herds and other animals, and drove horses and other working animals.

Women in the 1880s performing their daily chores.

To help ease the isolation and severe conditions of their new life—and even though they might have been miles from their nearest neighbor—women often came together to help each other out.  Also, women found comfort in writing—letters, diaries and journals—and their words help shed light on the challenges and triumphs of their lives.

In a letter to her family, Mary Jane Megquier described the small hotel that she ran with her husband: “I make the biscuit, then I fry the potatoes, then broil 2 pounds of steak and as much liver. . . . I bake six loaves of bread, then 4 pies, or a pudding, then we have lamb, beef and pork, baked turnips, beets, potatoes, radishes, salad, and that everlasting soup, every day. .. . I have cooked every mouthful that has been eaten. .. . If I had not the constitution of six horses I [should] have been dead long ago. .. . I am sick and tired of work . . . three nights a week I have to iron. I do not go to bed until midnight and often until 2 o'clock.”

The nearest neighbor to Anna Howard Shaw’s family was six miles away, and the nearest general store and post office was more than 30 miles away.  It was hard work to set up a home in the middle of nowhere.

A woman homesteader in North Dakota.

“The hardest thing to bear is the solitude,” she wrote. “We are awful lonesome. But I am too busy to think much about it daytimes. I must wash, and boil, and bake, or look after the cows which wander off in search of pasture; or go into the valley and hoe the corn and potatoes, or cut the wood ... In five or six years we shall have a nice house farther down and shall want for nothing.”

Wrote Mollie Dorsey Sanford: "[After a full day of work on the farm,] I feel stiff and lame tonight. Have raised my eyes to look into the glass. I see that Mollie Sanford [now] does not look as fair as Mollie Dorsey did one year ago. Mountain air has given her a browner tinge,” Mollie Sanford wrote.

Women carry milk cans at their farm near Topeka, c. 1890.

An added layer of challenge for widowed and single women was a lack of property rights. As Duniway recorded: [If] my husband had lived and I had died, he could have spent everything we had earned in 20 years of married life and nobody could have cared what became of my children. . . . My girls and I have sold butter, eggs, poultry, cordwood, vegetables, grains and hay . . . but after I've earned [the money] I can't even buy a pair of shoes without being lectured by the court for my extravagance.”

But some independent women did carve out different lives—building and running hotels or saloons, establishing and running mills, serving as storekeepers, running ranches and other businesses. The residents in some areas accepted these entrepreneurs to varying degrees because of the harsh life that everyone faced, regardless of gender. Mary Ellen Todd, who moved west with her family in the 1850s, wrote that she felt “a secret joy in in being able to have a power that set things going.”

Martha Jane Cannary (Calamity Jane).

Among those who gained notoriety for their choice of livelihood were outlaw Myra Belle Shirley (Belle Starr), professional scout and sharpshooter Martha Jane Cannary (Calamity Jane), sharpshooter Phoebe Anne Mosey (Annie Oakley), gamblers Eleanor Dumont (Madame Moustache) and Alice Ivers (Poker Alice) and stagecoach robber Pearl Hart.

Cannary learned her skills on the go. She wrote: “By the time we reached Virginia City I was considered a remarkable good shot and a fearless rider for a girl of my age.”

Shirley is said to have stated: “I am a friend to any brave and gallant outlaw.”

"My mother…was perfectly horrified when I began shooting and tried to keep me in school, but I would run away and go quail shooting in the woods or trim my dresses with wreaths of wildflowers,” wrote Mosey.

While the difficult life took a toll on women, many survived and thrived by adapting to the challenges and opportunities, building new lives from scratch, learning different skills and creating new bonds of family and friendship.

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Here’s More About Women and the American West

• Branded, But Unbroken: Thirty-two tenacious women who left their mark on the Old West.
  http://www.truewestmagazine.com/jcontent/history/history/history-features/7319-branded-but-unbroken
• Women of the Wild West
  http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/women-of-the-wild-west/
• Wild Women of the West: Not all of them made their living as soiled doves.
  http://www.truewestmagazine.com/jcontent/history/history/history-features/6356-wild-women-of-the-west
• Women and the Myth of the American West
  http://time.com/3662361/women-american-west/

Artisans of SCR: Wig Master, Laura Caponera

Wig Master Laura Caponera and Graphic Designer Crystal Johnson.

Need a beehive hairdo? Accentuated makeup? How about a handmade wig? Or maybe a realistic-looking wound? South Coast Repertory is very fortunate to be able to turn to Wig Master Laura Caponera for any of those needs and others for any of SCR's productions.

As she begins her fourth season with SCR, Caponera has been the mastermind behind a plethora of gravity-defying wigs, prosthetics and special effects makeup.

Caponera's past work includes The Whipping Man (L) and The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (R).

With One Man, Two Guvnors just around the corner, we asked Caponera to flex some of her hair and makeup muscle for a quick 1960s-inspired demonstration. SCR Graphic Designer Crystal Johnson happily volunteered to be the model for the makeover.

Follow the steps below, or check out the video, to recreate this swinging ‘60s hairdo for yourself. Get inspired by the tutorial, find a style that works for you, create it and share it with SCR posting it on social media and using #1man2Guvs.

Recreating a Period Look

The first task to tackle when recreating a hairstyle from a bygone era is to look at what you have to work with. Examine the state of your hair: its length, texture, thickness, thinness, curliness or waviness.

Keep all of that in mind as you search online for an inspiration image of a hairdo that you'd like to create. Find something you love because you'll be working from that found image and referencing it often.

For styling Johnson's hair, Caponera looked for a more youthful '60s image to match with Johnson's own age. Below is the inspiration image.

Caponera's source of inspiration for Johnson's hair.

Step 1
Found your inspiration style? Perfect! Now assemble all the tools you'll need. For the style Caponera selected, she chose the following tools: hairspray, hair clips, a fine tooth rat-tail comb, a brush and a curling iron.

Step 2
Begin the style by sectioning off your hair. Use hair clips to section out the back, sides and top. Create a horseshoe pattern in the hair, using the comb, to make carving out the section easier, then twist and clip.

Step 3
Set the curling iron at the right temperature for your hair type, then begin curling with the back section. Comb out a section from the back, place the curling iron around the middle of the strands to the root area. Note: starting curls at the ends of your hair can cause damage and doesn't distribute heat as well.

Step 4
Once the hair has been on the curling iron long enough, use the fine-toothed comb to hold the curl in place as you gently slide the curling iron out from the hair. Once the iron is out of the curl, use a hair clip to hold it in place. Repeat this process through the back section, then repeat for each side.
Caponera's Tip:
If your hair doesn't hold the curl easily, try a little hairspray! Spritz it before you place it on the curling iron.

Step 5
With the back and sides curled and in place, the next spot to tackle is the top section. To make it manageable, divide the top section into two: a front and back. Working from front to back on the top allows you easier access while curling. Starting from the back will create fewer obstacles as you try to curl the front. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for this final section.

Step 6
With everything clipped and curled, use hairspray generously to help it set into place. Let your hair cool and dry before moving on.

Step 7
Remove all hair clips from all sections except the top. Leave the top for last when you style it.

Step 8
Using a brush or comb, brush out all the curls. Extend the curl, then brush (or lightly tease) from the end of your hair to the roots. Doing this will help add fullness and volume to your hair.

Step 9
Once the hair is brushed out, the final steps will be up to you. Look at the inspiration mage to make it as close as possible. Be patient! It may take some time to get it just right.


Step 10
Accessorize with anything that may fit in that era. Caponera selected some fun colorful headbands that were reminiscent of the 1960s. Wig and Makeup Technician Gillian Woodson created the finishing touches so that Johnson's makeup to fit the era. This is where you can let your imagination run wild.

When you're done, make sure you take pictures as a keepsake and show off your work. If it's your first time creating a vintage look, don't be surprised if it takes longer than you expected. Keep trying and continue to learning as you work on it. Remember: the most important thing is to have fun.

Johnson's hair: before and after.

Learn more and buy tickets to One Man, Two Guvnors

Get to Know Laura Caponera

How did you end up creating makeup and wigs?
I studied costume design at San Francisco State University and, one day while working on Angels in America, I watched the wig person hand tying hair into a wig. Once I tried it for myself, everything changed for me. I completed an internship at American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco in hair and makeup and obtained my cosmetology license, which opened many doors for me. Since then, I have learned from many exceptional professionals in the industry, and have continued my education at institutions such as Banff Center for the Arts. I am privileged to be at SCR where I’m free to utilize my skills with shows that ask me to open my mind and attempt new things every season.

Can you give us a quick idea of what you do as the wig master?
As wig master I am responsible for the care and maintenance of the wig stock. Another important part of my job is to transform the costume designer’s renderings into period or contemporary hairstyles and makeup for each production. I also support the hair and makeup technician in the execution of their duties.

Matthew Arkin in SCR's 2014 production of The Whale by Samuel D. Hunter

What do you love best about your job?
I love the people that I get to work with—all the extremely talented artisans and performers! My favorite thing to see is the moment when a performer transforms into his or her characters once they are sporting their character hair and makeup.


What’s one show at SCR that you’re particularly proud of working on?
Coordinating the special effects of the prosthetic chin makeup for The Whale was especially challenging, but well worth the effort.

Unexpected Inspirations: Qui Nguyen

Playwright Qui Nguyen and director May Adrales in rehearsal for the 2015 Pacific Playwrights Festival reading of  Vietgone

Swordfights, giant dragon puppets and an inexplicable sense of humor are hallmarks of a Qui Nguyen play. The New York Times described his infectious style as “culturally savvy comedy.” While his play Vietgone, premiering at South Coast Repertory, doesn’t have a sword fight or a dragon puppet, it does retain that Nguyen charm as he delves into the more personal story of how his parents met in Arkansas at a Vietnamese refugee camp. Vietgone strikes a balance between what SCR audiences are familiar seeing on stage and an exciting new approach to a romantic comedy.

Often credited as one of the pioneers of “geek theatre,” Nguyen established himself and his Brooklyn-based theatre company, Vampire Cowboys, as a place of pure, unabashed fun and an entertainment haven for nerds, geeks and pop culture enthusiasts—and theatregoers. In short, Nguyen knows how to show audiences a good time. In an interview with The New York Observer, Nguyen said, “Watching people cry at my plays isn’t necessarily that fun. Watching people laugh and cheer, it gives me a high.”

Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company productions

His unconventional style can be traced back to his parents, as they raised Nguyen in rural Arkansas. In an effort to expose their son to stories with Asian heroes, he grew up regularly watching kung fu movies. His parents had hoped that it would help him see the world with more people similar to him and ease the sense of being different in a less than diverse area of the country.
Once he reached college, he became frustrated over his professors’ views about what should be performed on stage. His professors deemed his use of fight scenes as more of a cinematic style. Their views only made him more interested in presenting them on stage.

Luckily, he met fellow graduate student Robert Ross Parker and soon they began collaborating, which lead to the birth of their theatre company, Vampire Cowboys. By 2002, the duo had moved to New York City and later met Abby Marcus, who would soon become the theatre's managing director. Once Marcus joined up with Nguyen and Parker, she quickly became an integral factor in bolstering Vampire Cowboys’ fan base and success.

The Vampire Cowboys booth at the New York Comic Con 2010

Marcus spearheaded grassroots marketing initiatives and a partnership with New York’s Comic Con—which continues to this day—helping to catapult Vampire Cowboys’ to wide recognition. Audiences where hooked when they experienced  Vampire Cowboys' unconventional aesthetic which blends theatre, comic books, hip-hop, action-adventure and drama.

Nguyen’s success comes through an understanding of what audiences enjoy seeing. As both a playwright and fight choreographer, he finds a sense of wonder and excitement by presenting stories in creative ways. He’s been known to pull inspiration from multiple genres that are close to his heart. “My favorite things in the world are early ‘80s hip-hop, comic books and samurai stories,” Nguyen says in an interview with American Theatre magazine. And soon, he’ll show SCR audiences what happens when he also pulls inspiration from another area of his heart—his family.

Learn more and buy tickets now

Rising to the Occasion with "Encore!"

Question: When does the encore come before the show?

Answer: When the show—SCR’s annual Gala (this season, theatrically named “Encore!”)—is preceded by a Patron Party to honor its major donors.

On Aug. 12th, the Patron Party was hosted by SCR Emeritus Trustee Tod White and his wife, Linda, at their bayside home in Newport Beach. The buzz that summer evening was all about the upcoming “Encore!” Gala, which traditionally opens both the social and theatre seasons in Orange County.

Board President Sophie Cripe, Gala Chair Socorro Vasquez, Managing Director Paula Tomei and Artistic Director Marc Masterson spoke briefly to the gathering, applauded the Gala Committee and thanked the generous supporters, who included Bluewater Grill’s Jim and Julie Ann Ulcickas, generous donors of wine for the Gala; Room & Board, providing luxury furniture vignettes at Club Encore!; Diptyque, sponsor of the Gala favors; and David Yurman, host of the Gala wrap luncheon and site of a shopping spree to benefit the Gala, hosted by Yvonne and Damien Jordan on Nov. 12.

Then, as the sun set over the bay, it was time for partying. To music by singer/guitarist Mike O’Bryan, guests sipped Tito’s Handmade Vodka Martinis, sampled hors d’oeuvres—and admired the White’s home with its stunning art collection, much of it by Linda, who works in several media, and keeps a studio in their home.

Everyone agreed that the art-filled setting the perfect place for thanking the Gala Committee and supporters of “Encore!” which will be held in three venues around, inside and atop The Westin South Coast Plaza on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015.



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CrossRoads: Igniting Inspiration

Linda Vo, Julia Lee, CrossRoads playwright Lauren Yee, Literary Director Kimberly Colburn, Assistant Literary Director Andrew Knight at the OC & SEAA Center, UCI.

With nearly 1,000 square miles and more than 3 million strong, Orange County, Calif. is a unique area with a rich resource of cultures and stories ripe for the telling. It's a place that trumps numerous stereotypes perpetuated by shows like “The Real Housewives of Orange County.” As demographics shift and grow, so do the faces of the people who represent the county. Orange County is a place of multiple intersecting cultures and groups—with each one calling out to be heard.

Playwright Mona Mansour (center) during her August 2013 residency.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Time Warner Foundation, South Coast Repertory is answering that call with the CrossRoads initiative. The program commissions playwrights from all over the nation, but unlike a typical SCR commission, their process begins with the playwright undertaking a residency to explore the county’s diversity.

Playwrights first spend 10 days in Orange County, fully immersing themselves in the county's rich cultural, social and political life. Through their explorations, they discover diverse stories and personal connections, meeting with community organizations and individuals from all walks of life. They will then write plays either directly or indirectly informed by their residency experiences and follow their own artistic impulses.

When CrossRoads launched in 2013, SCR selected a playwright class of emerging and established names, including Luis Alfaro, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Carla Ching, Aditi Brennan Kapil, Qui Nguyen, Mona Mansour and Tanya Saracho.

In the spring of 2015, four playwrights’ works were workshopped and further developed at SCR and portions from those plays were presented to the public as staged readings. Since then, many of the plays realized through the initiative have gone on to additional staged readings, further development and are scheduled for upcoming productions at SCR and around the country.

Playwright Qui Nguyen (left) with the PPF 2015 cast of Vietgone.

Among the first group offerings were Nguyen’s Vietgone and Kapil’s Orange, which were presented at SCR’s 2015 Pacific Playwrights Festival. Vietgone also will open the 2015-16 Julianne Argyros season. Following the premiere, it will be produced at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2016.

In July 2015, Ching’s Nomad Hotel received development as a part of the prestigious National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. Mansour’s unseen continued development at New York Stage and Film in April 2015 and during a Studio Retreat at the Lark Play Development Center in June 2015. unseen was also featured on The Kilroys’ The List 2015—a list of the top un- and under-produced plays by female playwrights.

CrossRoads will continue to tap into Orange County’s varied stories through a generous renewal of the grant from the Time Warner Foundation. With this renewal, a new class of playwrights will join the fold and experience their own residencies within the area. The second round playwrights include Dipika Guha, Adam Gwon, Octavio Solis and Lauren Yee.

Playwright Octavio Solis with Josephine "Pepa" Chindemi-Dodge during his July 2015 residency.

“These are four writers who all are at different stages of their careers,” says Artistic Director Marc Masterson. “Octavio Solis has been working with SCR since the late 1980s, but will be able to explore the community like he never has before. He and Adam Gwon spent a great deal of time working on Cloudlands at SCR a few years ago, and we’re lucky to have them both back. Adam is going to be breaking the commissioning mold of straight plays by working on a chamber musical, and we’re excited to begin new relationships with Lauren Yee and Dipika Guha.”

CrossRoads is an exciting and personal way for playwrights to approach new works. As they explore the community, they discover unique stories and form connections with individuals. It has lead playwrights to surprising discoveries and lasting connections. It’s also leading SCR to new discoveries.

“It’s having an impact on how we think about our commissioning program and playwright residencies,” says Masterson. “We’re developing an exciting model for the future.”

Learn more about CrossRoads and the playwrights.

Costumes Go Full Swing into the Sixties

Brad Culver, Dan Donahue, Sarah Moser, Claire Warden, William Connell and Helen Sadler in One Man, Two Guvnors. Photo courtesy of mellopix.com

The 1960's. It was a time of revolution. Counter-culture, individualism and skirt lengths were on the rise. The British had invaded the world through music and fashion. It was a time filled with short hair and infectious style that pushed boundaries.

Fashion model, Twiggy helped popularize the mini-skirt

After the conservatism of the 1950s, the following decade broke free from it and pushed the envelope on style. The mini skirt was introduced and women's fashion was forever changed. "Shorter was better" could have been a slogan as women fell in love with the mini skirt. Dresses from the shift style to baby doll kept it above the knee. New materials—including plastic—were being used for clothing to create more interesting and daring options for women.

 Throughout the '60s, men's clothes softened to a more effeminate look. Pants got tighter, hair got longer, turtlenecks were popular and by the end of the '60s, seeing a man in a silk scarf wasn't that unusual. Bright colors and intricate prints, for both genders, were wholly embraced.

The Beatles

Straight out of London, the Mod style was increasingly popular in England and the United States—in due part to the mop-top foursome, The Beatles. Clean, straight lines and tighter-fit suits dominated menswear. For the rest of the decade, John, Paul, George and Ringo would continue to influence men's styles as their own tastes shifted throughout the decade.

SCR's season opener, One Man, Two Guvnors, transports audiences to 1963 England, an epicenter of fashion at the time. The 1960s comes to life with colorful costumes designed by Meg Neville. Since it is the early '60s, it was a time of transition, just the beginnings of go-go boots and ascots. Neville's designs give both a nod to the 1950s and display the revolutionary styles of the 1960s.

Check out Neville's costume renderings and a few production shots below to spot the 1960's looks:

Photo Gallery by QuickGallery.com
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Parties Parties Parties—Revving Up for Gala Season

The Committee: (l. to r.) Jan Seitz Jashinski, Sue Murphy, Sarah McElroy, Patricia Ellis, Sue Hecht, Laurie Smits Staude, Elaine Krajanowski, Socorro Vasquez, Barbara Cline, Mimi Holcombe, Shannon Kennedy, Monica Guillena, Beth Phelps

On Wednesday, July 29, SCR’s always exuberant Gala Committee members got together as a group for the final meeting (and a quick photo) before the official Gala season begins.

And what a season it will be, starting on August 12 with a Patron Party to honor major donors at the beautiful bayside home of Emeritus Trustee Tod White and his wife, Linda.  Exactly one month later (September 12), Orange County’s most fun-loving movers and shakers will congregate around, in and atop The Westin South Coast Plaza for the big event itself, “Encore!,” SCR’s 37th annual Gala.  And that’s not all.  The official “wrap” luncheon—a fun party itself—will be hosted by David Yurman’s South Coast Plaza jewelry store (October 29).  And—specially for Gala committee members in the mood for a shopping spree—Yvonne and Damien Jordan will host an in-store event at David Yurman’s on November 12 to benefit the Gala.

All of this celebratory news was shared with the Committee at its final meeting, which featured lots to ooh and aah about, including Tom Buderwitz’s designs for cocktails in the park, dining and entertainment in the plaza ballroom, and lounging and dancing in the pavilion and under the stars.

For 36 years SCR’s Gala has opened the social and theatrical seasons in Orange County, and the 37th shows signs of eliciting the most applause of all—that’s why it’s called “Encore!” 

Seeing Triple..."Mary Poppins" is a Family Affair

Sarah and Lauren Cocroft, Kelsey and Sean Kato, Christopher and Mitchell Huntley.

Three sets of siblings will appear in SCR’s Summer Players production of Mary Poppins (August 8-9 and 14-16 on the Argyros Stage)—a first for a Players show, but no surprise to Theatre Conservatory Director Hisa Takakuwa.

Christopher and Mitchell Huntley in rehearsal for Mary Poppins.

“Over the years, many little brothers and sisters have followed their older siblings into Conservatory classes,” Takakuwa said.  “As they advance in the acting program, it’s not unusual for them to audition and be chosen for Players.  But this is the first time three families have been represented in one show!”

For Christopher and Mitchell Huntley, that’s nothing new.  In the past six years, they’ve shared the stage in five Summer Players shows—and each has experienced his moment in the spotlight, Christopher in the title role of Peter Pan and Mitchell as Jack in Jack and the Giant Beanstalk.

According to Chris, “We’ve developed different approaches to our work, but onstage together we both try to  immerse ourselves in the world of the play and only see each other as fellow characters.”

Mitchell agrees.  “Onstage, I don’t think of him as my brother.”

Of course, there are exceptions.  Like the moment in Peter Pan when Mitchell (as Tootles) asks Chris (as Peter) for a hug, and Peter shakes his head—no!  “Being brothers, that was pretty funny,” Mitchell admitts.  And even older brother Christopher sometimes lets this thought slip into his mind:  “I bet it’s really exciting for our mom, sitting out there watching us!”

Sarah and Lauren Cocroft.

Lauren Cocroft will be appearing in a Players show with her sister, Sarah, for the second—and last— time.  A Players pro, Lauren graduated this year and is off to college in the fall.  The girls appeared together in Annie, and Sarah hopes to continue in the ensemble group, just like her older sister.

But that first show was a little intimidating.  “I was a newcomer and kept asking Lauren for advice and help.  This time, I’m a lot more comfortable in rehearsal because I know almost everyone in the Mary Poppins cast.”

The best part is that the girls play characters who are long-time friends.  They share a scene—and a song. “Mary Poppins is a big conversation topic at our house,” Sarah adds.

“We rehearse together all the time,” Lauren agrees.  “The car is meant for singing.  The living room is meant for dancing.  And our parents are meant to be driven insane!”

As for advice to her sister, Lauren says, “SCR is my favorite place, too great to explain in words.  But the days go by quickly, so I’ve been reminding her to always cherish the process and the people.”

Kelsey and Sean Kato.

Like Lauren and the Huntley boys, Kelsey Kato is a Players veteran, having appeared in numerous Teen and Summer Players shows.  His younger brother, Sean, has been onstage only once, in Peter Pan—one of the few Players productions that Kelsey wasn’t in.

So, how does it feel to finally join his big brother?  “It will to be like nothing I’ve ever done,” Sean says.  “But in our scenes together, I won’t think much of it because I interact with Kelsey all the time!” 

Kelsey, who is off to college in the fall, is a bit more philosophical.  “Just because he’s my younger brother, I don’t consider Sean any less of an artist than I am.  That’s the beauty of Players. The environment that our directors create stimulates equal respect for each member of the ensemble.  I can try to give Sean a few pointers here and there, but he’s his own special person, and he’s bound to shine brightly and uniquely—just like every other Summer Player!”

Be there to see them all shine when Mary Poppins opens on August 8.

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