Stephen Bogardus, Lana Gordon & More to Star in World Premiere Musical ON CEDAR STREET at Berkshire Theatre Group

Berkshire Theatre Group the beautiful and funny World Premiere Musical On Cedar Street about the search for happiness and making families whole by the powerhouse team of playwright Emily Mann, composers Carmel Dean and the late Lucy Simon, lyricist Susan Birkenhead, music director Kristin Stowell, associate director and choreographer Terry Berliner and director Susan H. Schulman.

Adapted from Kent Haruf’s novel, Our Souls at Night, the World Premiere Musical, On Cedar Street, tells the joyful and inspiring story of a man and a woman who, in advanced age, come together in a search for happiness and family. Director Susan H. Schulmanreflects, “On Cedar Street is a multigenerational story of redemption and unconditional love. This poetic and melodic musical illuminates the lives of a small group of neighbors in a Colorado town during a devastating drought and how the forces of nature evoke the ghosts of the past. Forced to confront these ghosts, our characters find redemption, forgiveness and an ability to embrace relationships newly formed and reimagined; relationships not just with each other but with animals and their environment.”

Season Discounts & Ticket Information

BTGY (Young Adult)

Young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 can purchase one ticket to any BTG produced show for $30 (fees included). This offer is available by phone or in person only. Additionally, one BTG presented show ticket may be purchased for 10% off the single ticket price (rental events not included). 

EBT Card to Culture Program

EBT Card to Culture is a collaboration between the Mass Cultural Council and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services’ Department of Transitional Assistance. This is available to anyone with EBT, WIC, or ConnectorCare Insurance. This offer includes two tickets to the majority of BTG’s shows at the rate of $5 each. All additional fees are also waived. These tickets are subject to availability as seating is limited. This offer is available by phone or in person only.

Berkshire Resident
Full-time Berkshire residents receive a 25% discount on show tickets to any BTG produced show. Limit two tickets per patron per performance. Exclusions include previews, openings, special events and Saturday evening performances. Tickets must be purchased by phone or in person at our box office. A valid Berkshire County driver’s license is required when picking up tickets.

Massachusetts Teachers Association
Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) members are eligible for a discount of 20% off orders to any BTG show. Education is a core value of BTG, and we appreciate those who are doing the work in our community. To redeem this discount, mention it while ordering over the phone at 413-997-4444, or in person at our box office.

AAA
AAA members are eligible for 10% off on orders to any BTG show. To redeem this discount, mention it while ordering over the phone at 413-997-4444, or in person at our box office. 

Mask Requirement for Select Performances at The Unicorn Theatre

At The Unicorn Theatre, Wednesday 2pm matinees are mask required performances.

Tickets for this production and all of BTG’s exciting summer season productions are on sale now. All plays, schedules, casting and prices are subject to change. To purchase tickets, visit www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org or contact our box office by calling 413-997-4444. 

The box office is open Tuesday through Sunday 12pm-5pm or on any performance day from 12pm until curtain.

 
BTG’s Pittsfield Campus is located at 111 South Street, (The Colonial Theatre) Pittsfield, MA.
BTG’s Stockbridge Campus is located at 6 East Street, (The Unicorn Theatre) Stockbridge, MA.

At The Unicorn Theatre
On Cedar Street
A World Premiere Musical
book by Emily Mann
music by Lucy Simon & Carmel Dean
lyrics by Susan Birkenhead
adapted from the novel Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf

music direction by Kristin Stowell
choreography and associate direction by Terry Berliner

direction by Susan H. Schulman

on The Larry Vaber Stage
at The Unicorn Theatre

Previews: Saturday, August 12 at 7pm, Sunday, August 13 at 7pm, Tuesday, August 15 at 7pm, Wednesday, August 16 at 7pm, Thursday, August 17 at 7pm, Friday, August 18 at 7pm and Saturday, August 19 at 2pm
Opening/Press Night: Saturday, August 19 at 7pm
Closing: Saturday, September 2 at 7pm
Tickets: Preview: $55
Tickets: $90
 

ABOUT:

Adapted from Kent Haruf’s novel, Our Souls at Night, this World Premiere musical tells the joyful and inspiring story of a man and a woman who, in advanced age, come together in a search for happiness and family.

In the small town of Holt, Colorado, Addie Moore pays an unexpected visit to a neighbor, Louis Waters. Her husband died years ago, as did his wife, and in such a small town they naturally have known of each other for decades. Addie and Louis have long been living alone in empty houses, the nights so terribly lonely, especially with no one to talk with. But maybe that could change? When Addie tries to make a connection with her neighbor, the two begin sleeping in bed together platonically, with the innocent goal of alleviating their shared loneliness. As their relationship deepens, however, they each deal with grief and loss, and a real romance begins to blossom and a beautiful story of second chances unfolds.

At its core, On Cedar Street is ultimately a human story about longing, pulling loving hearts together and making families whole.

For this production, Wednesday 2pm matinees are mask required performances.

There is a live dog in this production who will appear on stage. If patrons have a Service Animal as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, they should contact the Box Office. In order to ensure the safety of the patron and their Service Animal, they will be seated in an appropriate location. 

This production is directed by Susan H. Schulman and will feature Stephen Bogardus as Louis Waters, Lana Gordon as Ruth Clark, C. Wild Handel as Young Girl, Hayden Hoffman as Jamie Moore, Ben Roseberry as Gene Moore, Dan Teixeira as Russell Beckman, Lauren Ward as Addie Moore, Lenny Wolpe as Lloyd Beckman, Addison as Charley and Zooey Bayles as Understudy.

The creative team of On Cedar Street consists of book by Emily Mann, music by Lucy Simon and Carmel Dean, lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, scenic design by Reid Thompson, costume design by Alex Allison, lighting design by Alan C. Edwards, sound design by Julian Evans, projections design by Shawn Edward Boyle, orchestration by Michael Starobin, casting by Tara Rubin Casting, animals provided by William Berloni, on-site dog trainer Rochelle Scudder, stage management by Jason Weixelman, music direction by Kristin Stowell, choreography and associate direction by Terry Berliner and direction by Susan H. Schulman.
 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Stephen Bogardus (Louis Waters) has appeared on Broadway in Bright Star, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Old Acquaintance, Man of La Mancha, James Joyce’s The Dead, High Society, Love! Valour! Compassion!, (OBIE, Tony nomination) King David, Falsettos, The Grapes of Wrath, Les Misérables and West Side Story. His Off-Broadway work includes Girl From the North Country (Public Theatre), On a Clear Day (Irish Rep) Passion (Classic Stage Co., Drama Desk nomination), The Pavilion (Rattlestick), Go Back to Where You Are, Falsettoland and March of the Falsettos (Playwrights Horizons), Love! Valour! Compassion! (MTC) and Sweet Adeline (Encores). Regionally he has appeared in The Last Goodbye (The Old Globe), God of Carnage and A Little Night Music (Huntington Theatre), The Exorcist (Geffen Playhouse) and M. Butterfly (Arena Stage). TV: Elementary, The Good Wife, The Blacklist, Smash, The Big C, Monk and all three Law & Order franchises. Film: In Fields Forlorn, House of Teeth, Toss It, Gold, Julie & Julia, States of Control and Love! Valour! Compassion!

Lana Gordon (Ruth Clark) is thrilled to join this amazing team of On Cedar Street playing the role of Ruth. Broadway: Chicago (Velma), Hadestown (Persephone), The Lion King (Nala/ Shenzie), Jesus Christ Superstar (Soul Girl). New York: Hello Again. Tour/International: Hadestown (Persephone), Chicago (Velma), Hair (Dionne), West Side Story (Anita), Carmen Cubana(Carmen), Jazz at Lincoln Center. TV/Film: America's Got Talent, NBC's One Night Only, Here Again, Harlem Town, Cabin. Dance: Alvin Ailey Repertory, Dunham Company, Donald Byrd The Group. Grateful to God for every blessing. Special thanks to Matt and Kat at DGRW and Geoff at Soffer Entertainment.

C. Wild Handel (Young Girl, Jamie Moore Understudy) Wild Handel just finished 4th grade. She enjoys playing piano, riding her unicycle and singing in the Vocalis youth choir. Her credits include: The Dauphin in Marie Antoinette by David Adjmi, Tigger in Winnie the Pooh Jr. and Charlie the Elf in Elf The Musical, JR., all at the Sharon Playhouse.

Hayden Hoffman (Jamie Moore) is a rising Junior at Walnut Hill School for the Arts. Hayden has been seen in previous productions at Berkshire Theatre Group including: Rev. Shaw Moore in Footloose, Lance in Rock and Roll Man: The Alan Freed Story, Winthrop in The Music Man and Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka Kids. Other credits include: Jack in Into the Woods, Bud in Mothers and Sons and Horton in Seussical. Hayden has also made appearances in BTG’s annual touring show. Hayden is excited to be back on stage in the Berkshires one last time before he moves to the Boston area for the school year. He/Him.

Ben Roseberry (Gene Moore) Berkshire audiences may remember Ben as The Brother in The Mysteries of Harris Burdick at Barrington Stage Company. Broadway and National Tour credits include The Lion King, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder and Rent. Off-Broadway credits include Hercules, Einstein's Dreams, The Apple Boys, Fugitive Songs and Emma. Recordings include #LOVE, Beau, How to Repair a Mechanical Heart and The Fractured Years. Favorite roles include Dr. Neville Craven in The Secret Garden, Clown 1 in The 39 Steps, Paul in Company, Henri in Lautrec at the St. James, The D'Ysquith Family in A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder and Pain in Hercules (a role which he understudied, but wound up performing for the entirety of opening week in the recent sold out run at Papermill Playhouse).

Dan Teixeira (Russell Beckman) is thrilled to be spending his summer On Cedar Street in such a wonderful company of artists. Recent Credits include the Off-Broadway production of Harmony: A New Musical by Barry Manilow, Bruce Sussman and directed by Warren Carlyle. Regional: The Gateway Playhouse, The REV Theatre Company, North Shore Music Theatre, Transcendence Theatre Company, Argyle Theatre & New London Barn Playhouse. Penn State B.F.A. He/him

Lauren Ward (Addie Moore) is thrilled to come to The Berkshires and be reunited with director Susan Schulman. They collaborated on the Original Musical of Violet (Drama Desk Nomination, Drama League Award) from workshops to Playwrights Horizons in the 1990s. Recently she played Cynthia (Olivier Award nomination) in Dear Evan Hansen in London’s West End and she was last seen on Broadway as Miss Honey (Tony Award Nomination) in Matilda which she originated first at the RSC and then in London. Lauren has had an extensive 30 year career both in the US (Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional) and the UK on stage, film, and television. She is a proud graduate of the UNCSA school of Drama and also is a certified Yoga teacher.

Lenny Wolpe (Lloyd Beckman) has appeared on Broadway in Bullets Over Broadway, Wicked, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Sound of Music, Mayor, Into the Light, Onward Victoria and Copperfield. Off-Broadway: Heartbreak House, Midnight Street, Marry Harry, Old Jews Telling Jokes, Mayor, Company, Radio City Spring Spectacular. National tours: Wicked, Little Shop of Horrors, Forum, Guys & Dolls, South Pacific. Regional: Alliance Theatre (Trading Places), Paper Mill Playhouse (Baker’s Wife, Gypsy, The Outsider), Goodspeed Opera House (Show Boat, A Christmas Carol), Kansas City Rep (Diary of Anne Frank), Musical Theatre West, North Coast Rep, Barrington, Pasadena Playhouse, Westport, Reprise LA, Capital Rep, La Mirada, St Louis Rep, Maltz Jupiter, Asolo Rep, McCarter, Sacramento, Pittsburgh CLO, DTC, Cape Playhouse, Bucks County, Denver Center, TUTS Houston, Hollywood Bowl (The Music Man). TV: Lenny has guest starred on nearly 100 shows from ER, Ally McBeal and LA Law to The Golden Girls, Chapelle’s Show, Law and Order SVU and The Good Fight. Lenny received an Emmy Nomination for the Amazon series After Forever.

Addison (Charley) was rescued by Bill Berloni through the Humane Society of New York In 2017. She had been a stray that was picked up and brought to a high kill shelter in North Carolina before Bill found her and had her transferred to New York City. She made her theatrical debut at the Papermill Playhouse as the “stray mutt” in Annie in 2017 and just finished Year 1 of the National Tour of Annie playing theaters around the country.

Zooey Bayles (Understudy) is a rising fifth grader at St. Mary’s School in Lee, MA where she is an honors student. BTG:  Disney's Moana, Jr. (Shiny Ensemble), Beacon (Young Christine Lahti), A Christmas Carol (Tiny Tim), Willy Wonka KIDS!, (Squirrel). Berkshire Children’s Theatre: Winnie the Pooh (Roo). St. Mary’s School: A Miracle on Bethlehem Street (Shepherd), The Christmas Story (Mary). Zooey is a member of the St. Mary’s School Chorus and recently is working on her green belt in Uechi-Ryu karate. 

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM:
Emily Mann (Book) is a Tony Award–nominated director and playwright and a Tony Award–winning Artistic Director. In her 30 years as Artistic Director and Resident Playwright at McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, New Jersey, she wrote 15 new plays and adaptations, directed over 50 productions, produced 180 plays and musicals, and supported and directed the work of emerging and legendary playwrights including Ntozake Shange, Athol Fugard, Edward Albee, Chris Durang, Nilo Cruz and Danai Gurira and is known for her productions of Williams, Lorca, Chekhov, and Shakespeare. On Broadway, she directed her own plays Execution of Justice and Having Our Say, Nilo Cruz’s Anna in the Tropics and A Streetcar Named Desire. Her other plays include: Still Life; Annulla, An Autobiography; Greensboro (A Requiem); Meshugah; Mrs. Packard, and Gloria, A Life which aired on PBS’ Great Performances: Her adaptations include: Baby Doll, Scenes from a Marriage, Uncle Vanya, The Cherry Orchard, A Seagull in the Hamptons, The House of Bernarda Alba, and Antigone. Currently in development for Broadway: her adaptation of The Pianist. Awards include: Peabody, Guggenheim, Hull Warriner, NAACP, 6 Obies; Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, WGA nominations; Princeton University Honorary Doctorate of Arts; Helen Merrill Distinguished Playwrights' Award; Margo Jones Award; TCG Visionary Leadership Award; The Lilly and Gordon Davidson Awards for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater. She has been inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.

Lucy Simon (Composer) Simon began her professional career singing folk tunes with sister Carly Simon as The Simon Sisters and later folk-rock. Simon’s setting of “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod” has been recorded by many diverse artists, including the Doobie Brothers, Mitzie Collins and the Big Three (Cass Elliot, Tim Rose, and James Hendricks). In the mid-1970s, after a number of years away from recording, Lucy released two albums on the RCA label of mostly original compositions, along with a few collaborations and covers. Her self-titled debut album was more folk-rock in orientation while her second album, Stolen Time, had a contemporary pop sound. Carly Simon and James Taylor provided backing vocals on half of the songs from Stolen Time. Simon won a Grammy Award in 1981 with her husband, David Levine, in the Best Recording for Children category for In Harmony: A Sesame Street Record, and again in 1983 in the same category for In Harmony 2. Simon made her Broadway debut as the composer of The Secret Garden, for which she was nominated for a 1991 Tony Award for Best Original Score and a 1991 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music.

Carmel Dean (Composer) is an award-winning composer/lyricist and Broadway music supervisor/musical director/arranger. Her compositional debut, Renascence, was produced in 2018 and subsequently won the Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best New Musical. Her song cycle, Well-Behaved Women, premiered at Joe’s Pub in January 2020 and has subsequently received rave reviews for productions in Australia and the United States. Current compositions include “Maiden Voyage” (commission for New Works Provincetown/Mark Cortale). Carmel’s Broadway credits include the current revival of Funny Girl (starring Lea Michele), If/Then (starring Idina Menzel), American Idiot, Hands on a Hardbody, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Upcoming Broadway projects include The Notebook (with a score by Ingrid Michaelson).

Susan Birkenhead (Lyricist) received a Tony Nomination, a Grammy Nomination and a Drama Desk Award for her lyrics for Jelly’s Last Jam, which she wrote with George C. Wolfe. She was nominated for a Tony Award for Working and a Drama Desk Award for Triumph of Love. She won an Outer Critics Circle Award for What About Luv? and a Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for Minskys. The Secret Life of Bees, which she wrote with Lynn Nottage and Duncan Sheik, is currently running at The Almeida Theatre in London. Boop!, which she wrote with David Foster and Bob Martin, directed by Jerry Mitchell, goes into rehearsal in October. She wrote additional lyrics for High Society on Broadway, and was one of several writers of A…My Name Is Alice and Stars of David off Broadway.

Reid Thompson (Scenic Designer) For BTG: Little Shop of Horrors, Bells Are Ringing, A Little Night Music, The Homecoming, Design For Living, The Cat and The Canary. Recent NYC: Exception To The Rule, What The End Will Be, Something Clean, Too Heavy For Your Pocket (Roundabout); Wives (Playwrights Horizons); Eddie and Dave (Atlantic); Wilder Gone (Clubbed Thumb); Fruiting Bodies (Ma-Yi); A Delicate Ship (Playwrights Realm) Recent Regional: When Monica Met Hillary (Miami New Drama); You Lost Me (Denver Center); Queen (Geva); A Doll's House Part Two (Actors Theater of Louisville); Miss You Like Hell (Baltimore Center Stage). Opera: Fidelio, La Susanna, Butterfly, Dido, Lucia (Heartbeat Opera). TV: Kaleidoscope, Bridge and Tunnel, Fallout. Upcoming: Tosca (Heartbeat Opera), POTUS (Arena Stage), The Lehman Trilogy (Denver Center). MFA: Yale School of Drama. 

Alex Allison (Costume Designer) has been working as a costume and wig designer across the US. He has worked with notable companies such as the York Theatre, Norwegian Creative Studios and others. He is currently the Resident Costume Designer at Springer Opera House (SOH). Upcoming Productions: Cabaret (SOH), Elf (SOH), The Little Mermaid (SOH). Theatre Credits include: Hoagy Carmichael’s Stardust Road (World Premiere) (York Theatre NYC), Shrek the Musical, White Christmas, The Bodyguard, Little Shop of Horrors (Springer), Grease(Temple Theatre). He worked on Jersey Boys, Swing the Musical and Warren Carlyle’s Havana! at Norwegian Creative Studios (Wardrobe Supervisor). he/him

Alan C. Edwards (Lighting Designer) BTG: Arsenic and Old Lace, Constellations, Deathtrap, The Mystery of Irma Vep. Off Broadway: Harry Clarke (The Vineyard), for which he received the Lucille Lortel Award; The First Noel (Classical Theatre of Harlem/Apollo Theatre); Kill Move Paradise (National Black Theatre, Drama Desk Award-nominee); Antigone, Macbeth, The Tempest(CTH); Dutchman (CTH & NBT). Broadway: The Testament of Mary (Assoc. to Jennifer Tipton). Regionally, his work has been seen at The Geffen Playhouse, The Guthrie, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Dallas Theatre Center, Center Stage Baltimore, Asolo Rep, Yale Rep, Cleveland Play House, Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, Chautauqua Theatre Company, People’s Light, Madison Opera, Mill City Opera and The Kennedy Center. He received his MFA from the Yale School of Drama.

Julian Evans (Sound Designer) is a proud member of USA829 and IATSE Local 700 (Motion Picture Editors Guild), Julian oscillates between theatrical and cinematic mediums, bringing cinematic language to the stage, and theatrical stylings to the screen. As co-founder of Audioworks Film & Theatre in Chelsea, he has provided sound supervision for five seasons of GZero World with Ian Bremmer on PBS. Recent mixes include A Holiday Spectacular in collaboration with Madison Square Garden and The Radio City Rockettes (Hallmark) and indie shark thriller The Requin starring Alicia Silverstone. Off-Broadway: Desperate Measures (New World Stages); Vanities, Stardust Road, Forbidden Broadway (The York); Felix Starro (Ma-Yi); Tick, Tick…BOOM!(Keen Company); The Artificial Jungle (TBTB); I Like It Like That! (Pregones Theater); Kurt Vonnegut’s Mother Night (59e59). Regional: The End of War [RTCC Winner: Outstanding Sound Design] (Virginia Repertory Theatre), Oklahoma! (Weston Playhouse). Cruise: Scarlet Night (Virgin). BA: Carnegie Mellon.

Shawn Edward Boyle (Projection Designer) Shawn has designed projections for theater, dance, music and themed entertainment across the United States and Internationally. Organizations include: Atlantic Theater Company, Tulsa Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Sioux City Symphony Orchestra, Denver Center, Lagoon Park, The Alliance Theater, Yale Repertory Theatre, Goodspeed Opera House, and Ogunquit Playhouse. Broadway: Paradise Square. Shawn’s projection design credits with BTG include: Songs for a New World, A Lover’s Tale, The Who’s Tommy, Red Remembers and The Book Club Play. Shawn is a member of United Scenic Artists as a Lighting and Projection Designer. BFA: Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts; MFA: Yale School of Drama; Faculty: David Geffen School of Drama at Yale.

Michael Starobin (Orchestration) Theater: Flying Over Sunset, Gardens of Anuncia, Renascence, Broadbend Arkansas, Benny & Joon, Once on This Island, Sunday in the Park with George, Falsettos, Superhero, We Live in Cairo, Mrs.Miller Does Her Thing, Freaky Friday, Kid Victory, First Daughter Suite, Hunchback of Notre Dame, If/Then, Little Miss Sunshine, Annie, Dogfight, Leap of Faith, Queen of the Mist, People in the Picture, Sondheim on Sondheim, Next to Normal (Tony Award), Glorious Ones, Grinch, Adrift in Macao, Bernarda Alba, Spelling Bee, Assassins(Tony Award), Tom Sawyer, A New Brain, A Christmas Carol, Hello Again, Guys & Dolls (1992), My Favorite Year, In Trousers, Closer Than Ever, Legs Diamond, Romance Romance, Carrie, Birds of Paradise, Rags, Three Guys Naked, Von Richtofen. Films: Tick Tick Boom, Mary Poppins Returns, Beauty & the Beast (2017), Tangled, Hunchback of Notre Dame, A Goofy Movie, Life with Mikey, Home on the Range, Lucky Stiff.

Tara Rubin Casting (Casting Director) Selected Broadway and National Tours: Back To The Future, Here Lies Love, Bad Cinderella, Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, KPOP, Mr. Saturday Night, SIX, Ain’t Too Proud, King Kong, The Band’s Visit, Prince of Broadway, Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon, Dear Evan Hansen, Cats, Falsettos, School of Rock, Bullets Over Broadway, Aladdin, Big Fish, Billy Elliot, Shrek, Spamalot, …Spelling Bee, The Producers, Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera. Selected Off-Broadway: Sing Street, Trevor, Between the Lines, Clueless, Gloria: A Life, Smokey Joe’s Café, Here Lies Love. Film: Here Today. Regional: George Street Playhouse, Asolo Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, Yale Rep.

William Berloni (Animal Director and Trainer) A 2011 Tony Honoree for Excellence in Theatre, William found and adopted the original Sandy for the original production of Annie. Since then, all the animals he trains are rescues. Broadway: Twenty-six shows which include The Ferryman, The Crucible, Bullets Over Broadway, Lady Day at The Emerson Bar and Grill, Annie (original and all revivals), A Christmas Story: The Musical, Legally Blonde, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Camelot, Alice in Wonderland, Oliver!, Anything Goes, The Wiz and The Wizard of Oz. Mr. Berloni is the Animal Director of the new musical, Because of Winn Dixie, with music by Duncan Sheik and book and lyrics by Nell Benjamin. He has trained animals for hundreds of Off-Broadway, regional theatre, tours, television and movies. Recent movies include Marry Me with Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson. He provided the dogs to play Nana in Peter Pan Live, Toto in The Wiz Live and recently Sandy in Annie Live. Other television includes Power, Billions, Sesame Street, High Maintenance, The Village, Modern Love, Little Voice, Almost Family, Betty, Ramy, Mr. Robot, Russian Doll, Raising Kanan, Ghost, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Girls5eva, Sand Dollar Cove, Noel Diary, Life and Beth, Inside Amy Schumer, Fleishman is in Trouble, Harlem, Three Women, And Just Like That and Kaleidoscope. Mr. Berloni and his family are the subjects of Discovery Channel’s docu-series entitled Wags To Riches With Bill Berloni in August 2015. Published author of Broadway Tails.

Rochelle Scudder (On-Site Dog Trainer) is an animal handler and supervisor for William Berloni Theatrical Animals. She has worked with a variety of animals for Hulu’s Life and Beth, Fleishman is in Trouble and Ramy; HBO’s Search Party, And Just Like That and Sesame Street; Netflix’s Jigsaw; Peacock’s Bupkis and Amazon Prime’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith, as well as the independent feature film, Hang Dog. She handled a goose and a bunny for the Tony Award-winning Broadway production of The Ferryman, and has handled dogs for more than 30 productions of Legally Blonde, Annie, The Wizard of Oz and The Wiz. A member of Actors’ Equity, Rochelle sometimes appears on stage and screen alongside her animal friends, most recently in Legally Blonde at The Muny. 

Jason Weixelman (Production Stage Manager) is excited to be celebrating his 9th season with Berkshire Theatre Group. Previous BTG: Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Shirley Valentine, Nina Simone: Four Women, The Importance of Being Earnest, Holiday Memories, Godspell, Outside Mullingar, Naked, Arsenic and Old Lace, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. Broadway: Wicked, The King and I (2015 LCT Revival). Off-Broadway: Between the Lines, Which Way to the Stage, Othello, Old Hats. Regional: Paper Mill Playhouse, Barrington Stage, George Street Playhouse, Arden Theatre, Gulfshore Playhouse, Skylight Music Theatre, Santa Fe Opera. Numerous readings and workshops. BTG Artistic Associate. Member of Actors' Equity. 

Kristin Stowell (Music Director) is delighted to make her Berkshire Theatre Group debut with this beautiful show. She is a music director, composer, pianist and educator based in Washington, DC Recent credits include music directing the world premiere of Mystic Pizza and the regional premiere of The Cher Show, both at the Ogunquit Playhouse. Her original musical Endometriosis: The Musical debuted at the 2022 Minnesota Fringe Festival. She has served as a music supervisor for Norwegian Cruise Lines since 2013 and has held faculty positions teaching courses in musical theatre and music at New York University, George Washington University, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and the University of Mississippi. Other credits: Off-Broadway: Songbird (associate music director, copyist); Regional: Two River Theater (Songbird), Guthrie Theater (teaching artist), Surflight Theatre (Les Miserables, South Pacific), PCPA Theaterfest (My Fairytale, Hairspray, Story of My Life).

Terry Berliner (Choreographer/Associate Director) is a NYC based director/choreographer. She recently served as Interim Artistic Director for Merrimack Repertory Theatre where she directed Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End (Boston Theater Critics Association, Elliot Norton Awards nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance and Outstanding Design). Last season: directed/choreographed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Violet at SUNY Buffalo. Currently: developing the new musical New World Comin’ (Judith Manocherian LLC). Broadway: resident/assistant director for The Lion King, The Sound of Music and The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife. Her work has been seen at regional theaters across the country. She has written about new musical development for American Theatre magazine, Theatre History Studies, Theatre Bay Area and Asolo Rep. and written/directed original theatrical productions for Theatre Development Fund, Vanguard, Intel, Mastercard and the PGA. She is a member of SDC Society and the Dramatists Guild and a core faculty member at Peridance Capezio Center in NYC.

Susan H. Schulman (Director) Broadway credits: premiere of the Tony Award-winning musical The Secret Garden, revival of Sweeney Todd at Circle in the Square for which she received a Tony nomination for Best Direction of a Musical, the revival of The Sound of Music (Tony Award Nomination for Outstanding Revival), and the premiere of Little Women. For her direction of the premiere of acclaimed musical Violet, winner of the New York Drama Critics Award for Outstanding Musical, she received her second Drama Desk nomination. She received an OBIE for directing Sondheim and Furth’s Merrily We Roll Along at the York Theatre Company where she previously directed Company. Among her national tours is Sunset Boulevard with Petula Clark. She has directed nine productions for the prestigious Stratford Festival of Canada, as well as her many regional credits in North America, she has directed in Denmark, the UK and Australia. Ms. Schulman is a past President of SDC and a Professor of Theatre at Penn State University where she headed the MFA directing program for 12 years. She is a graduate of New York’s High School of Performing Arts, Hofstra University and the Yale Drama School.

To post a comment, you must register and login.