Stage IIIPlaybill

Richard Hopkins, Producing Artistic Director

Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.

THE THINGS THEY CARRIED

Tim ........................................ David Sitler*CAST

Directed byKate Alexander

Costume DesignerAdrienne Webber

Scenic DesignerBruce Price

Lighting DesignerBryce Benson

Sound DesignerJon Baker

Movement DirectorGreg London

Stage ManagerJynelly Rosario*

Season UnderwritersGaele Barthold, Georgia Court, Wendy & Bob Grady,

Dennis & Graci McGillicuddy, Anne H.S. Nethercott, Carol B. Williams

Adapted for stage by Jim StowellBased on the book The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

* Denotes member Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

The video or audio recording of this performance by any means is strictly prohibited.

The Things They Carried will be performed in two acts with one 15-minute intermission.

DAVID SITLER (Tim)is thrilled to be back at FST, especially in this amazing story bringing Tim O’Brien’s words to life. He was last seen as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol at Triad Stage in NC. He has worked

on Broadway (An Inspector Calls), National Tour with Stacy Keach in Frost/Nixon, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway with numerous companies as well as regionally from Maine to Utah in roles from Atticus to Scrooge, including here at FST The Exonerated (both times) and In The Belly of the Beast (Saratota Magazine Award). TV credits include Law and Order-SVU, Zero Hour, many of the old NYC Soap Operas. Film credits include the award-winning films The Strange Ones, Synapse, Ghetto Dawg, and the web series Plant. For more, check out his website at www.davidsitler.com. Proud member of Actor’s Equity Association.KATE ALEXANDER (Director) is the Associate Director At-Large of FST and the Founder of the FST Theatre School with its acting method of training. Ms. Alexander has directed numerous productions and premieres on the FST stages including Native Gardens; Heisenberg; The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey; brownsville song (b-side for tray); Clever Little Lies; Alabama Story; Outside Mullingar; Over the River and Through the Woods; Chapatti; Dancing Lessons; Becoming Dr. Ruth; Freud’s Last Session; Thurgood; South Beach Babylon; The Columnist; Talley’s Folly; Jericho; Next Fall; The Savannah Disputation; Ghost-Writer; Two Jews Walk into a War...; I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change; Sylvia; Shotgun; The Miamians; Brooklyn Boy; The Exonerated; Wit; Proof; Lobby Hero; and Ten Unknowns. Ms. Alexander has also been a resident actress for over 25 years. Some of her leading roles were in the plays: Edward Albee’s The Goat; Filumena; Master Class; Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women, The Occupant, The Play About the Baby; Golda’s Balcony; and Taking Shakespeare.

ARTIST PROFILESMs. Alexander is the recipient of numerous acting, directing, and public service awards, including FAER, She Knows Where She’s Going Award (Girls, Inc.), The Woman of Light Award, National Council of Jewish Women Award, The Woman of Power Award, the Sarasota County Arts Leadership Award, Education Award, Sarasota Manatee Jewish Federation, The Unity Award, and most recently, the One World Award. Ms. Alexander leads the FST Forums Series and developed the Blue Butterfly Theatre Program, a program for teens suffering from grief through loss. She created the Art of The Gesture program at Ringling College of Animation and is the co-author of The Animated Short, with Karen Sullivan, now in its 2nd edition.JYNELLY ROSARIO (Stage Manager) A Puerto Rico native, Jynelly is a former Stage Management Intern and recipient of the 2016-2017 Mandelker Award. She is thrilled to join FST’s staff as a Stage Manager. Jynelly has worked as a Musical Theatre Teacher, Director, and Stage Manager since 2011 with companies such as Broadway Illusions Inc., Teatro CeDIn, The Black Box Theatre Workshop, and Teatro Caribeño. Selected credits: The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Little Prince, Rent, Footloose, and In The Heights. FST Credits: Million Dollar Quartet, Alice With a Twist, The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, The Write Stuff (Playmakers Tour), Once, How to Use a Knife, and Constellations.BRUCE PRICE (Scenic Designer) joined the FST staff in 2002 as the Production Stage Manager. In 2004, he was promoted to Production Manager. Over the past 15 years, he has stage managed over 37 productions and overseen the technical aspects of over 100 productions here at FST. During his 30 years in theatre, Mr. Price has designed sets, lights, and costumes for dozens of productions. Mr. Price has worked regionally at The Alley Theatre and Stage Repertory Theatre both on stage and backstage, but he has found his home here at FST.

ADRIENNE WEBBER (Costume Designer) is the current Florida Studio Theatre Costume Shop Manager. She has designed and coordinated costumes for The Barter Theatre, The Barter Players, Chautauqua Opera, FSU MFA film and video program, FSU MFA acting program, Asolo Children’s tour program, Sarasota Players, and Anna Maria Island Players. Her most recent designs include: How to Use a Knife, Blue Suede Shoes, Mack the Knife: The Bobby Darin Songbook, The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, and Grounded. She is happy to be back in Sarasota with her new FST family.BRYCE BENSON (Lighting Designer) hails from Buford, Georgia, and is ecstatic to be a part of the FST intern program. He works as the lighting intern and master electrician for the theatre. He is a recent grad from the University of Georgia, where he studied lighting and directing. Previous lighting credits include How to Use a Knife, The Blue Eyed Bettys, Robin Hood, Deck the Halls (Florida Studio Theatre), and The Skin of Our Teeth (University of Georgia).JON BAKER (Sound Designer) is very happy to be designing another show for Florida Studio Theatre. He hails from Florence, Alabama where he graduated from the University of North Alabama. Among his design credits are: Stalking the Bogeyman; Doublewide; Constellations; and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. His Front of House engineering credits include: Million Dollar Quartet, Burt & Me, and Once.GREG LONDON (Movement Director) National tours: Hairspray (Edna Turnblad), West Side Story (Doc), Fiddler on the Roof (Lazar). International tours: Hairspray (Edna), The Fantasticks (Bellomy). Off-Broadway: Spurn. Regional: Hairspray (Edna, Florida Studio Theatre), The Drawer Boy (Angus, Cortland Rep), Richard III (Shakespeare Theatre, D.C.). Created role of “Peter” in world premiere of Lanford Wilson’s Los Alamos, directed by Marshall W. Mason. L.A. Critic’s Choice Award: Best Actor in a Touring Production: Edna, Hairspray. Greg was the 2007

ARTIST PROFILESnational winner of the Eugene O’Neill Award for Dramatic Writing.TIM O’BRIEN (Author) received the 1979 National Book Award in fiction for Going After Cacciato. His other works include the acclaimed novels The Things They Carried and July, July. In the Lake of the Woods received the James Fenimore Cooper Prize from the Society of American Historians and was named the best novel of 1994 by Time. O’Brien lives in Austin, Texas.JIM STOWELL (Adaptor) adapted Tim O’Brien’s book The Things They Carried into a one-man play which premiered at The History Theater, St. Paul, MN in March of 2014. He directed the play at The Lied Center Lincoln, NE in 2015. Stowell was selected to be a Featured Teller at The National Storytelling Festival, is the Teller in Residence at The International Storytelling Center, and has been Featured Teller at The National Storytelling Conference. His book, based on his very successful one-man play Traveling Light, was published by Milkweed Editions. The play was filmed live in a railroad yard by New Front Films and shown at the Sundance Film Festival. Talking Pictures, a one-man play he wrote won a Midwest Emmy for Individual Achievement, was produced by KTCA Public TV in Saint Paul, MN. Stowell is the co-founder of two theater companies in Minneapolis that brought 20 new plays to the stage. He has written and directed eleven full cast plays, including two children’s plays, three adaptations, and a Spanish language one-act. He has written and performed twelve one man plays that were commissioned and produced by six different theaters in Minneapolis-Saint Paul. The Minneapolis and Saint Paul press have reviewed his work, calling Stowell: “A master at work.”…“A treasure.”… “A genius.” SPECIAL THANKS to veterans Stephen Schaefer, Dan Jeff, and Tim Dirmann for sharing their first-hand experiences, knowledge, and support during the rehearsal process.

RICHARD HOPKINS is the Producing Artistic Director of Florida Studio Theatre. Mr. Hopkins has fostered the development of FST’s Mainstage and Cabaret productions. His many directing Mainstage credits include: Inspired Lunacy, The Best of Enemies, Next to Normal, Race, Ruined, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Boleros for the Disenchanted, Permanent Collection, and Metamorphoses, among numerous other plays. Mr. Hopkins led the development of FST’s Cabaret productions of Blue Suede Shoes, Mack the Knife: The Bobby Darin Songbook, Older Than Dirt, Piano Men, and The Prima Donnettes. Mr. Hopkins also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Florida Studio Theatre. This includes overseeing the creation and implementation of all FST programming, including Mainstage, Cabaret, Stage III, New Play Development, Education, and Touring. Since his arrival at FST in 1980, Mr. Hopkins has guided the theatre from a small touring company to a nationally-recognized regional theatre, which impacts over 200,000 adults and children annually. He created the New Play Development Program, the Cabaret Series, FST’s award-winning WRITE A PLAY Program, and he has directed the design and renovation of all FST’s theatres. Mr. Hopkins is the recipient of numerous awards including the Arts Leadership Award from the Sarasota Arts Council, the Richard G. Fallon Award for Artistic Excellence from the Florida Professional Theatres Association, and the 2012 Cultural Champion Award from the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County. In 2016, Mr. Hopkins was awarded the Luminaire Award honoring excellence in creativity, philanthropy, advocacy, and all elements that are keys to future growth of the Arts in Sarasota. In 2017, Mr. Hopkins was awarded the Florida Theatre Conference Lifetime Achievement Award for contributing to the rich cultural fabric of the Sarasota community and the state of Florida, and his dedication to developing future artists, educators, and advocates.REBECCA HOPKINS serves as Managing Director for

Florida Studio Theatre, and as such, is the Chief Operations Officer. Mrs. Hopkins is responsible for the oversight of FST’s Administration, including the Business Office, Development, Marketing, Box Office, Front of House, Restaurant, budgeting, and maintaining the overall quality of FST’s internal management. Nationally, Mrs. Hopkins is President of the National New Play Network and serves on the Board of Directors for the League of Resident Theatres and the Theatre Communications Group. She has been actively involved in development of FST’s Cabaret productions since her arrival in 1998. This season, she is the lead developer on Blue Suede Shoes, and is on the development team for Mack the Knife: The Bobby Darin Songbook and Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits. Previously, she was the lead developer on Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves; Older Than Dirt; Yesterday; American Pie; and Poems, Prayers, and Promises, and co-developer of Piano Men. She has been the head writer on all five Laughing Matters shows. Some of her favorite shows she helped develop include: The Prima Donnettes; That’s Life; The Wanderers; My One and Only Gershwin; Hot and Cole; Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits; The British Invasion; The Flip Side; and Outlaws and Angels. In addition, she is the founder and producer of FST Improv and the Sarasota Improv Festival. In 2012, the Arts & Cultural Alliance awarded Mrs. Hopkins the Cultural Champion Award in recognition of her many years of accomplishment and growth with Florida Studio Theatre. In 2016, Mrs. Hopkins was awarded the Luminaire Award honoring excellence in creativity, philanthropy, advocacy, and all elements that are key to future growth of the arts in Sarasota.

EXECUTIVE STAFF

@FloridaStudioTheatre #TheThingsTheyCarried

SEASON UNDERWRITERSGAELE BARTHOLD FST is family and an integral part of my life. Its community contributions are myriad, and a model of theatrical excellence. Quality and diverse stage productions at affordable prices are but one component of FST’s offerings. Other contributions include extensive contact with local schools to foster student creativity and theatre appreciation, structured and wide-ranging educational programs for adults and children, community forums and other community outreach programs, and a strong commitment to new play development and excellence in the arts. FST is a gem that warrants our widespread financial and artistic support.

GEORGIA COURT I love great theatre, and FST delivers that. FST is among the best theatre companies I have seen, but it is more than a theatre company. It is an organization that recognizes it is part of the greater community – and it reaches out to that community in positive, productive ways. Having FST so accessible adds to the joy of living in the fabulous arts community that is Sarasota.

WENDY & BOB GRADY We were so impressed when we first visited FST, that we immediately wanted to become involved. Whenever you come across a system as unique as FST’s, where the key to getting art into the hearts of so many has been found – in a comfortable and easily accessible way – you know you’ve spotted a winner. We are proud to be season underwriters and hope that others will join us in supporting FST’s important work.

DENNIS & GRACI MCGILLICUDDY FST is important to us because we believe so strongly in the transformative power of the arts. For close to 30 years now, we have been so fortunate to experience first-hand how that transformative power works its magic in the hands of an organization that is not only experienced and dedicated, but so highly skilled in its craft. The values of the theater and its leadership, as reflected in its mission and as manifested in its work, whether it be on the Mainstage, in the Cabaret, in its education and community outreach programs – these are values that we so strongly believe in. As a consequence, it is a privilege for us to be a part of, and supportive of this great theatre.

ANNE H.S. NETHERCOTT When asked to define giving, Anne said, “My mother used to say the best way to find you is to lose yourself by focusing on the needs of others rather than on oneself.” So giving has always been an important family value, which in childhood was reinforced by the community experience of surviving The Depression. Anne is proud to be a supporter of FST.

CAROL B. WILLIAMS Although I enjoy most theatrical genres, I am particularly drawn to the cutting edge plays that make one think or that take a different slant on an issue. I am pleased that FST has launched another Stage III season of these works for our enjoyment and edification. Supporting this innovative and community-oriented organization is a joy for me.

From 1965 to the early 1970s, The Vietnam War invaded the American homestead, night after night, in the form of flickering images bouncing off glassy eyes glued to television screens across the nation. As the first war ever to be televised, TV was a powerful vehicle in allowing soldiers’ stories to be told–and heard–like never before.

Many television networks began producing their own footage on the war, and soon rivaled newspapers as the primary source of current events. Journalists came from all over the world to set up base in South Vietnam’s capital, Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), where they received details from daily briefings. Other journalists and their crews traveled directly to the fighting, risking their lives to bring the realities of war to the public.

The role the media played in the Vietnam War is still widely contested. Some believe the constant barrage of information and frequently negative tone undermined American support for the war, and provided the enemy with vital intelligence. In recent years, scholars have concluded there was a marked shift in the attitude taken toward the war, specifically after The Tet Offensive in 1968, where all sides suffered considerable losses. On a special broadcast of CBS Evening News on February 27, Walter Cronkite closed with this commentary:

“To say that we are mired in stalemate seems the only realistic, if unsatisfactory conclusion...But it is increasingly clear to this reporter that the only rational way out then will be to negotiate, not as victors, but as an honorable people who lived up to their pledge to defend democracy, and did the best they could.”

Cronkite’s remarks had a profound social impact. President Lyndon B. Johnson allegedly remarked, “If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost Middle America.” The skepticism of the media, however, seemed to reflect a growing public disillusionment with the conflict, rather than incite it specifically. Still, the later years of the Vietnam War serve as an example of television’s powerful influence over American society.

FST FORUMSWar on TV: The Media and Vietnam

by Mary Donofrio

Dan Rather, 1966

Walter Cronkite, CBS News

941.366.90001241 North Palm Avenue • Downtown Sarasota, FL 34236

www.floridastudiotheatre.org • info@floridastudiotheatre.org

FST COMPANYBOARD OF TRUSTEES

President ............................................... Dennis McGillicuddyVice-President ............................................. Richard HopkinsSecretary/Treasurer .......................................Jennifer MichellTrustee ..............................................................Gaele BartholdTrustee ................................................Carol Poteat BuchananTrustee ...............................................................Georgia CourtTrustee .......................................................... Patricia CourtoisTrustee ................................................................Jeff HotchkissTrustee .............................................................Robert IsraeloffTrustee ..............................................................Barbara LupoffTrustee ............................................................Jennifer Michell Trustee ................................Chief Judge Charles E. Williams

EXECUTIVE STAFFProducing Artistic Director ....................... Richard HopkinsManaging Director ......................................Rebecca Hopkins

ARTISTIC STAFFAssociate Director At-Large .........................Kate AlexanderDirector of Artistic Operations ........................Greg LondonCasting/Hiring Coordinator .......................... James AshfordResident Pianist ..................................................... Jim ProsserAssociate Artist ................................................. Jason CannonAssociate Artist .......................................Catherine RandazzoDirector of Improvisation ......................................Will LueraAssistant to the Artistic Director .....................Doris Iemolo

PRODUCTION STAFFProduction Manager ............................................. Bruce PriceMainstage Stage Manager ...................................... Roy JohnsStage III Stage Manager ................................ Jynelly RosarioTechnical Director ...........................................Mike SchwentCostume Shop Manager ...........................Adrienne WebberScene Shop Foreman .................................... Daniel EmersonSound Supervisor .................................................Thom KorpProps/Paint Supervisor .............................. Kristine Kreutzer

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFFGeneral Manager .............................................Jill ZakrzewskiBusiness Manager .......................................Carmen GonzalezBusiness Office Associate .......................................Bart Dolce Business Office Associate ................................David WallaceAsst. to the Managing Dir ..........................Phyllis SilvermanFacilities Manager .......................................Joseph Goepfrich Facilities Technician .............................. Mark Quackenbush Company Manager ...........................................Luke JohnsonMarketing Director .........................................Becca JenningsPublic Relations Associate ................................. Lydia BaxterMarketing Associate. ..................................... Alexandria HillDigital Marketing Associate. ............................ Emily BlazekDirector of Indiv. Giving ................ Melody Mora-ShihadehDevelopment Associate .................................Samus HaddadDevelopment Associate ..................................Melanie SlusarDirector of IT .................................................... Clarke WeiglePatron Services Manager ................................. Kelsey WehdeAsst. Box Office Manager ...................................Gigi DelperoAsst. Box Office Manager ..........................Katelyn McKelleyAsst. Box Office Manager ...........................Noah ScheibmeirEvents Coordinator ........................................Matthew QuickRestaurant Manager .............................................. Tom CurryRestaurant Manager ..........................................Karen KrasterRestaurant Manager ........................................... Josh RodoskiAsst. Restaurant Manager .................................. Kristy PlumReceptionist/ Volunteer Coord ....................... Joan O’Dowd

EDUCATION & TOURSDirector of Children’s Theatre .....................Caroline KaiserDirector of Education ...............................Christine HopkinsEducation Administrator .................................Pamela SmithTeaching Artist/YPF Coordinator ...................Adam Ratner Education Group Sales Assoc ......................Hannah BagnallTeaching Artist .....................................................Denee Lortz

COMMUNITY RESOURCE GROUP

AUDIENCE ENRICHMENT GROUP

OUTSIDE ASSISTANCEHouse Counsel ................................................. John PattersonFacility Custodian .....................................Carlos De Oliveira...............................................Confidence Cleaning CompanyCaretaker ................................................................ Doctor Nik

INTERN PROGRAMActing Apprentice ...........................................Brooke BensonActing Apprentice ........................................Carey BlackburnActing Apprentice ................................................Randy BoydActing Apprentice .............................................Erin BradfordActing Apprentice ................................................Jon DeVriesActing Apprentice ........................................... Michael FraserActing Apprentice ..........................................Ryan FriedmanActing Apprentice ...................................Kihresha RedmondActing Apprentice ........................................... Brianna RocheActing Apprentice ........................................................J VanceArtistic/Co. Mgmt Intern .................................... Katie NoyesCompany Management Intern ......................Dianna BurgosDevelopment/ Marketing Intern ..................Amanda MothsDirecting Intern ....................................................Meg GilbertLiterary/Playwriting Intern ..........................Alexander HehrLiterary Intern................................................. Mary DonofrioLiterary Intern...............................................Thomas GalloglyLiterary Intern.................................................... Rebecca LeapLiterary Intern................................................ Jordan OrlandoProd./Carpentry Intern ....................................Marco AcostaProd./Costume Intern .........................................Shaye HurstProd./Lighting Intern ....................................... Bryce BensonProd./Scenic Intern ............................................ Justen ZhangProd./Sound Intern ........................................ Jonathan BakerProduction Management Intern ..................Kristina RamosStage Management Intern ..............................Elliott KarlinerStage Management Intern ................................... Tanner LiasStage Management Intern ........................Maddie LugenbeelStage Management Intern ....................... Kelsey PeavyhouseStage Management Intern ..............................David Sabbagh

Jan ColemanLarry Coleman

Shirley FeinMaddy Freshwater

Carol GilbertSy Goldblatt

Jim GoldmanSandy Goldman

Robert GradyWendy Grady

Bonny Israeloff

Valerie JoelsMarie Kropp

Frank MalicksonMatty Matheson

Graci McGillicuddyIna Schnell

Alan SchottensteinLois Schottenstein

Lois StulbergCharlie Ann Syprett

Martin Taffel

Hon. Larry L. EgerTrevor Harvey

The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

Gilbert KingMichéle D. Redwine

Dr. Eddy Regnier

Ina SchnellCommisioner Willie

Charles ShawHoward Tevlowitz

Chief Judge Charles E.Williams