Little Women
ARIEL ARBISSER (Artistic Director), an Iowa native, returns for her eighth production with the MTC. Ariel was Runner-Up for Favorite Female Vocalist of 2010 in the A cappella Community Awards, was featured by celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, included on the international compilation album of the best a cappella tracks in the world for 2011, and recently had the opportunity to perform and record with the award-winning professional all-male a cappella group Overboard. Ariel is completing her second semester with the Actor's Workshop of Ithaca where she was a part of the production Poona the F***dog (and other plays for children). Ariel would like to thank her parents for their support and the cast and crew for a ridiculously amazing show!
RACHEL MAYER (General Manager, President), a Cornell University student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, initially developed her passion for live, musical theatre in her hometown of Rochester, NY, performing in every production at her high school. Arriving at Cornell, she began to work with the MTC as Makeup Artist and, over seven productions with the company, rose to the position of General Manager and President. Her most recent company credits include I Love You Because (Stage Manager), Candide (General Manager, Stage Manager), and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (General Manager, President). After graduation in May 2011, Rachel will attend graduate school to complete her Masters in the Art of Education at Cornell. She would like to thank Jason for his constant support and car.
ERIC HAGREEN (Director) is a double-major of economics and drama at Ithaca College. Company credits include Pangloss/Voltiare in Candide and Lawrence Jameson in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Other credits include Mark Cohen in Rent (The Ridge Theatre), Mysterious Man in Into the Woods (Ithaca College Triple Threat Theatre), Rapunzel's Prince in Into the Woods (ART), George Gershwin/Ensemble in Thoroughly Modern Millie (ICTTT), Mr. McAffee in Bye Bye Birdie (ART). Eric also won the "5th Ave. Theatre Award" for "Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role" for his performance as Pseudolus in A Funny Thing... (Kentlake Highschool) and was nominated for the "5th Ave. Theatre Award" for "Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role" for his portrayal of Seymour Krelbourne Little Shop of Horrors (KL).
KRISTEN MIXTER (Assistant Director, Scenic Designer) is a junior art major at Ithaca College. Having performed int he MTC's past two shows, Candide (Paquette) and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Muriel Eubanks), she is excited to bring her knowledge and passion for theatre behind the scenes. Kristen has previously been involved in set design on other productions, but being so influential in the entire creative process of a production has brought her a much greater appreciation for theatre and the arts in general. She would like to thank her family for their support and love through the years.
LAUREL STINSON (Music Director) graduated from Ithaca College in 2010 with a degree in Music Education. Although she studied clarinet throughout her college years, she was also very active in the vocal community, performing with and conducting Premium Blend, Ithaca College's only all-female a cappella group and serving as a member of IC's Women's Chorale and Chorus. In the world of musical theatre, Laurel served as a pit performer for South Pacific and Camelot at Central Bucks East HS and Throughly Modern Millie with IC Triple Threat Theatre. Onstage appearances include small roles in Pinocchio, Pocahontas, Once Upon a Mattress, Honk!, A Christmas Carol, and Into the Woods. Laurel would like to thank the entire cast, as well as the rest of the members of the MTC for making her first experience as Musical Director a memorable one.
STEPHANIE JAYKO (Choreographer) is a Senior BA Drama Major at Ithaca College. This is her first venture into choreography for a staged show. She has been trained in competitive ballroom dance and placed in several collegiate competitions. She has also choreographed for IC Unbound, an on-campus dance company at Ithaca College. "I'd like to thank this wonderful cast and crew for a great process and the MTC for giving students such a great theatrical outlet."
TYLER EHRLICH (Orchestra Director) is a freshman at Cornell University in the College of Arts and Sciences. This is his second production with the MTC after serving as the Orchestra Director for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. As a clarinetist, Tyler performs with the Cornell University Wind Ensemble and Big Red Marching Band. Next year, Tyler will accompany the Wind Ensemble to Costa Rica for their biennial service tour. He currently studies clarinet with Lenora Schneller and is advised by Pulitzer Prize winning composer Steven Stucky. This semester, Tyler is participating in the prestigious competition to become a Cornell Chimesmaster. He would like to thank his family and friends for their constant support, and his past and present music teachers for all they have taught him.
JOEY MORO (Technical Director) is a junior Theatre major at Cornell. He is the Technical Director of Risley Theatre, and recently designed the set for the Shakespeare Troup's production of The Tempest in Risley Theatre. He has served as Lighting Designer for Orange Flower Water, Rachel Corrie, and Far Away with the Actor's Workshop of Ithaca, as well as for the Locally Grown Dance Festival at Cornell in both 2010 and 2011. Joey also served as Assistant Lighting Designer on many other theatre department productions. He is currently working as the Master Electrician at the Kitchen Theatre Company.
NICK SHUHAN (Fight Director) is a sophomore B.A. at Ithaca College. He recently attended the Society of American Fight Directors' national stage combat workshop and was certified in unarmed combat, rapier and dagger as well as broadsword. He also received training in quarterstaff and smallsword. He is excited for his first MTC experience and hopes to work with them again. Previous fight credits include: Boom with the Kitchen Theatre and Guys and Dolls and Singin in the Rain with Running to Places.
AYLIN GuCALP (Director of Photography) is a freshman in Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University. She is from New York City and started taking photography in high school. She discovered she loved working in the darkroom her freshman year of high school and continued to take photographs as part of her weekly school newspaper and for the annual photography magazine. The more photographs she took, the more she saw in her surroundings. This is her first production with the MTC, and she is excited to be returning to photojournalism.
AMBER WATKINS (Director of Photography)
TIM DYSTER (Director of Alumni Affairs) is a junior biology major with pre-med in Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences. Little Women marks Tim's fourth production with the MTC. Previous MTC credits include Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Assitant Director, Co-Director of Marketing), Candide (Assistant Director), and I Love You Because (Jeff Bennett). He would like to thank his family and friends for their support and encouragement.
SAMMY PANZARINO (Stage Manager) is "delighted" to be back in the headset with the MTC. He has stage managed various productions within the last five years including The Laramie Project, Seussical and A Golden Cabaret. His most recent performance credits include Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with the MTC, Once On This Island (Agwe), Annie Get Your Gun (Tommy), Peter Pan (Smee), The Music Man (Tommy Djilas), Beauty and the Beast (Lefou), Grease (Eugene), and The King and I (Prince Chululongkorn). Many thanks to Eric, Kristin, Rachel, and the awesome team of Little Women!
KATIE TRETTER (Business Manager) is a senior in the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University where she is concentrating her studies in marketing and food industry management. This is her second production with the MTC, and she is extremely excited to work with the company again! Katie is also the President of the Dyson Undergraduate Council, a Student Coordinator for the Cornell Fitness Centers, member of Ho-Nun-De-Kah Honor Society, a member of the Cornell Food Fellows, and a sister of Kappa Delta Sorority. She will be graduating this May and will begin her career with Nielsen. She would like to thank her family and friends for their neverending support and encouragement. She would also like to thank the cast and crew for being so enthusiastic and making her time with the company so memorable.
BRENDAN HAMMOND (Community Outreach Coordinator) is a sophomore at Cornell University, majoring in math and philosophy. He is excited to be returning for his third production with the MTC. Previously, he served as Dramaturg for Candide and Stage Manager for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. He would like to thank the cast as well as all the amazing people who have worked behind the scenes to make this show happen.
WEILI SHI (Lighting Designer) is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University, majoring in Information Science with a minor in Theatre Arts. She is excited to be reprising the role of Lighting Designer for her second production with the MTC, having lit Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in the fall. Additional design credits include the Schwartz Center's mainstage productions of Big Love and Our Town (Assistant Lighting Designer) and blackbox production of Far Away, as well as The Tempest and Much Ado About Nothing at Risley Theatre. She has also served as Light Board Operator for American Buffalo and Passing Strange at the Studio Theatre in Washington, DC. She would like to thank the cast and production staff for another wonderful experience.
ALEXA BOSY (Graphic Designer) is originally from the small town of Rotterdam, New York. From there, she spent two years at Pratt's Munson-William-Proctor Arts Institute in Utica, NY where she received an award for her work in the Communications Design major. She is now finishing up her last year as an Illustration major at Brooklyn's Pratt Institute. Alexa has designed everything from mock-children's books to wedding seating charts and has had her work featured in the magazine "Graphic Design USA." She is currently working as a Graphic Design Intern for Aeropostale.
ZOË GUZY-SPRAGUE (Master Carpenter) is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University, and is incredibly excited to be joining the MTC! At Cornell, she has had the pleasure to help build Big Love and Our Town on the main stage of the Schwartz, as well as run the lighting board for the Shakespeare Troup’s The Tempest. In high school, Zoë had the opportunity to design sets for Pippin and Amadeus, and serve as Master Carpenter for productions of Elizabeth Rex and The Producers. She also had her directorial debut with the short, one-act adaption of Dorothy Parker’s Here We Are. Zoë would like to thank the cast and crew of MTC for being so welcoming, and for providing such a wonderful experience.
FRANCES CIOLINO (Property Master)
JOEY TRISKA (Dialect Coach)
ADINA GOODMAN (Ticket Agent) is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University. She is excited to be involved in her second MTC production, after a performing in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels last fall. She looks forward to working with an incredibly talented cast and crew!
NICK GILBERT (Construction Crew) is a senior studying animal science in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at Cornell University. Next year, he will be returning to his hometown of Parishville, NY for work. Nick has been very eager to begin construction on the set, and is excited to be able to help with such a fantastic production.
JASON McNAMARA (Construction Crew) is a senior at Cornell University studying Animal Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. This is his third production working with the MTC on set construction. Jason got a lot of his building experience on McNamara Dairy, where he intends to work next year. He would like to thank Rachel for the opportunity to work with such a talented cast and crew.
JEREMY WEISER (Rehearsal Accompanist) is a freshman Arts and Science student at Cornell University and is excited to be part of his first MTC production. Jeremy started studying piano in 1st grade and has since developed as a classical musician, playing with his high school’s orchestra and in various competitions, master classes, and regional recitals. Interested in musical theatre from a young age, Jeremy became involved as a pianist for his high school’s productions of Assassins and The Producers. At Cornell, he currently studies classical piano with Mike Lee and plays intramural and club tennis. In addition to his love of the piano, he is interested in studying Spanish and Animal Biology. He would like to thank his friends and family for their support!