A Christmas Carol Panto!
Written by Edward F. Speck
Directed by Edward F. Speck and Joshua Shack
This Winter
At the Firehouse Center for the Arts
Friday 12/13 @ 7 pm - Saturday 12/14 @ 3 pm & 7 pm - Sunday 12/15 @ 3 pm
Friday 12/20 @ 7 pm - Saturday 12/21 @ 3 pm & 7 pm - Sunday 12/22 @ 11 pm & 3 pm
Tiny Tim’s Can Drive!
Audience members of Theater in the Open’s “Cinderella in December” are encouraged to bring toiletries, canned soups, and other non-perishable items along to the performance; you even get to go up on stage to make your donation to the Pettengill House in Salisbury!
Here are some suggested “Most Needed” items for the food pantry that are frequently in short supply:
* Children’s healthy snacks – Some examples include Nutri-bars, fruit snacks, healthy fruit cups, granola breakfast bars, etc.
* Another category families are always in need of are toiletries, all the personal care items we take for granted such as toilet paper, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, body wash, shampoo, deodorant, etc.
*The Pettengill House serves so many families with small children, diapers are always a big need (especially the larger sizes 4, 5, 6 and pull-ups) along with baby wipes. Some other items include facial tissue, paper towels, laundry soap, dish soap, plastic utensils, paper plates, cups, and can openers.
Meet the Ensemble and Creative Team
Aaron Dewitt
Aaron began juggling at the age of ten, learning from great jugglers such as Fritz Grobe, Michael Miclon, Morty Hansen, and Steven Ragatz. In 2011 he began his studies at École de Cirque de Québec in Canada to study circus more broadly. There he met his work partner and friend, Colin, with whom he developed a new discipline, hand to hand. Since 2015 Aaron has been traveling the world, most notably on tour with Cirque Eloize and more recently with companies such as Flip Fabrique, Theater A Tempo, GOP Variete Theater, Hideaway Circus, and more.
Adrianna Neefus
Adrianna is delighted to be back with TITO for, what has quickly become her favorite holiday tradition, the holiday Panto! Past TITO performances include "Pinkies Up," a part of Maudslay is Haunted, Parker in Lady Windermere's Fan, Ruby, Beaver, and Mouse #2 in Pantos 2023, 2022, and 2021. You can also catch her performing at renaissance fairs across New England in her comedy slapstick show, "Off the Mark," and ASL interpreting theater in Boston! Merry ChrismaChanuKwanzica everyone!
Amanda Ludeking
Amanda has been involved with TITO for over twenty years! She began as a student at the Summer Arts Workshop in 2002, taking the performance class and playing the Narrator in A Series of Unfortunate Events. Since then, she has adored TITO, spending many summers either as a student, counselor in training, or teacher. She graduated with an M.A. in Drama Therapy from Lesley University in May 2022 and now works at Boston Children’s Hospital as a healthcare clown with Laughter League. When not being a big old goof, she spends her time with her two cats, Buster and Dusty, her dog Brody, and her partner, Sebastian.
Anika Weliczka
Anika is excited to join her second Panto with Theater in the Open. Though this is her second time participating in the Panto, she is not new to Theater in the Open. She has been involved with TITO since she was eight years old, growing from being a student to a volunteer counselor. This will be her 25th production and she is so grateful for each and every one of them, helping her grow into the actress she aspires to be. She would like to thank this incredible cast and crew, some of which she has grown up with and is always in awe of. Happy Holidays!
Artie Craig
Artie Craig is very excited to be in this year’s production of A Christmas Carol Panto. Artie joined the theater arena just last year and is enjoying it thoroughly, in shows like Les Misérables and Clue. He wishes the audience the best and a happy holiday season!
Bonniejean Wilbur
Bonniejean is an actress, director, costumer, and maker of props and other whimsical things. She has worked with TITO for 30+ years with a hiatus here and there. Bonniejean is happily married to actor, director, and teacher Paul Wann. Her favorite project is always the one she is working on right now!
Elle Celano
Elle has been with Theater In The Open for over a decade now. This will be their first Panto performance with Theater In The Open.
Fig Haseltine
Fig has been with Theater In The Open for over a decade now. This will be her second Panto performance with Theater In The Open. Fig enjoys working during the summer to create a positive and fun environment for kids of all ages. She is working to create a bigger impact on the world while doing what she loves best which is acting.
Gail Box
Gail Box is so happy you came to see this today! This is her first Tito Panto, but she has been enjoying them for years. She has done summer workshops at Tito, performances at Acting Out, at the Leddy Center when she was younger, and school plays. She thanks her family and friends for supporting her. Gail hopes you enjoy this year’s Christmas Carol Panto!
Joy Powers
Joy Powers has been clowning since age 15, and has toured and performed with Circus Smirkus, Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey, Cirque Us, The Piccolini Trio, and Hideaway Circus. This is her first Spring outdoor show with TitO, and she is SO excited to be working on this original material with such a wonderful cast and creative team. Joy works year-round as a therapeutic healthcare clown at Boston Children’s and Hasbro Children’s Hospitals as a proud member of the Laughter League. Joy is also an artist, sculptor, print-maker, and large-scale muralist: you can find her creations on Instagram @joypowersart! Her favorite things are dogs, Cheez-Its, nature, flowers, making art, and laughing with friends. And exclamation points!!!
Juliette (Jules) Depasqua
Juliette DePasqua is delighted to perform in her first ever panto as the Ghost of Christmas Past. She recently acted as Mrs. Wormwood in the Nock's production of Matilda and is doing local theater and dance at Port Players studio and Joppa Dance Company. She has loved Theater In The Open since she was six, and hopes she is making young Jules very proud.
Kate Doyon
Kate is an English teacher and proud alumna of Glen Urquhart School. She majored in theater at Skidmore College and has worked with a variety of theater companies since then: Double Edge Theater, SITI Company, and a local favorite, The Actors Studio of Newburyport, to name a few. "Thank you to TITO for giving me a chance to play!"
Katherine Crooks
Katherine is a sophomore at Masconomet Regional High School and is excited to be joining Theater In The Open for the first time. Katherine has performed in productions at Masco, including Mamma Mia and the Addams Family. She has also participated in the North Shore Music Theater’s education programs, such as Matilda Jr, The Wizard of Oz, and Beauty and the Beast Jr. When she is not on stage she is singing as a peer mentor with the Tri-Town Rock Band, a music ensemble for students of all abilities.
Katie Formosi
Katie Formosi (she/her) first auditioned for a Theater in the Open show in 2018 (Cinderella in December: A Frozen Fairytale Panto) and has never looked back! She enjoys dancing to the Monster Mash as a (mostly alive) cheerleader during Maudslay is Haunted, running improv. games and dance classes at Summer Arts Workshop, and trying to get a tap number into each winter Panto. (No luck this year friends - sorry.) Growing up, Katie and her sister would curl up to hear her mum read A Christmas Carol every December. These memories are some of her favorites, and she is honored to help tell this story to you all. (If she does even half as good of a job as her mother, she’ll be content.) Recent credits include writing for and performing in the Dive In-Cubator New Works festival and choreographing The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals (both with Dive In Productions).
Mary Godfrey
Mary Godfrey is delighted to be working with Theater in the Open again after taking a long hiatus. Aside from theater, some of her favorite things to do are running marathons in Europe, hanging with penguins in Antarctica, and learning Buddy Holly songs on her guitar.
Merielle Krugman
My name is Merielle Krugman, and I'm 15 years old. I attend Triton High. I play saxophone in jazz band. I'm passionate about sign language, art, science, and spending time with my friends and children. My goal is to become a doctor or teacher. Since the age of five, I’ve performed in musicals and plays, including Terezin; Children of the Holocaust for four years, with a performance at the Tank Theater off-Broadway. For five years I've been involved with Theater in the Open, doing summer camps, Maudslay’s Haunted, and workshops, now as an assistant counselor. This winter marks my first panto with Tito, and I can’t wait!
Michael J Blunt
Michael J. Blunt (they/them) is so excited to be back on stage with Theater in the Open! Past TITO credits include A Christmas Carol Panto, The Tempest, and A Peter Pan Panto! Other past credits include Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Twelfth Night (The Firehouse Center for the Arts), Break, Break, (Legion Theatre Company) Interrobangers (Company One Theatre) Hamlet, Othello (Third Citizen Theater Co.), Love! Valour! Compassion! (Zeitgeist Stage Company) Nottingham, The Unexpected Guest (Stage 284) A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Waterbury Symphony Orchestra). Enjoy the show!
Nadia Toth
Nadia is delighted to be back for her fourth Panto before she is whisked away to nursing school in the fall. When she’s not acting or at a poetry slam, she is probably asleep. Many thanks to her family for blessing the world with her presence, and to everyone at TITO for everything she’s been a part of.
Nathan Lagueux
Nathan Lagueux (he/him) makes his debut in the Theater in the Open Panto, but has done many shows outside of Theater in the Open, including Legally Blonde, the Wizard of Oz, Aladdin.. He enjoys volunteering at Theater in the Open in the summer, and juggling.
Nora Baker
Adrianna is delighted to be back with TITO for, what has quickly becoming her favorite holiday tradition, the holiday panto! Past TITO performances include "Pinkies Up," a part of Maudslay is Haunted, Parker in Lady Windermere's Fan, Ruby, Beaver, and Mouse #2 in Pantos 2023, 2022, and 2021. You can also catch her performing at renaissance fairs across New England in her comedy slapstick show, "Off the Mark," and ASL interpreting theater in Boston! Merry ChrismaChanuKwanzica everyone!
River Wynne
Vanessa Rossi
Adrianna is delighted to be back with TITO for, what has quickly becoming her favorite holiday tradition, the holiday panto! Past TITO performances include "Pinkies Up," a part of Maudslay is Haunted, Parker in Lady Windermere's Fan, Ruby, Beaver, and Mouse #2 in Pantos 2023, 2022, and 2021. You can also catch her performing at renaissance fairs across New England in her comedy slapstick show, "Off the Mark," and ASL interpreting theater in Boston! Merry ChrismaChanuKwanzica everyone!
The Creative Team:
Edward F. Speck, Director and Playwright
EDWARD F. SPECK has served as the Artistic Director of Theater in the Open since 2009. He has been seen in TITO shows for the past 25 years, including Metamorphoses, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Medea, and Much Ado About Nothing, and every Panto the theater has produced. He is a proud member of Exit Dance Theatre.
Joshua Shack, Director
Joshua Shack has co-directed the Pantos for Theater in the Open since 2014; this production is his 20th collaboration with TitO. Josh decided to become a clown when he was just three years old, and at age nine, he began performing his solo show at many local events. As a teenager, he toured for four summers with Circus Smirkus. He then toured nationally as a clown with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey.
He is a co-creator and performer of The Piccolini Trio and directed their critically acclaimed stage show Circus in a Trunk. Other directing credits include Out of Orbit at The Theater at Saint Peter’s in New York City; Nothing but Nonsense, a variety musical comedy at Circus World Museum in Baraboo, WI; and the Circus Smirkus 2024 Big Top Tour The Imaginarium.
He is a teaching artist-in-residence for Circus Smirkus and has served in a dozen different roles with the company, including Production Manager, Director of Programming, and Associate Artistic Director.
Christina Bauer, Music Director
CHRIS BAUER is thrilled to be involved as a Music Director for the Panto this winter! It's a dream come true to work with the TiTO crew. The Christmas Panto has been a holiday tradition in her house for many years and she is so excited to be a part of it. Chris loves all things music (and theater too!). She is a local Voice & Piano teacher and directs a youth ensemble for the Greater Newburyport Children's Chorus. May all of your Holidays be filled with joy, love, and beautiful Music!
Maddison Shea, Production Stage Manager
MADDISON SHEA serves as the Production Stage Manager for A Cinderella Panto She graduated from New England College with a degree in Theatre Arts and currently serves as Operations Manager for Theater in the Open. Maddison has also worked with local theater companies, including The Firehouse Center for the Arts, The 5th Wall, and History Alive.
