Cinderella in December: A Frozen Fairytale Panto!
Written by Edward F. Speck
Directed by Edward F. Speck and Joshua Shack
December 8th through December 23rd
At the Firehouse Center for the arts
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.
CREATIVE TEAM
Written by …. Edward F. Speck
Directors …. Joshua Shack, Edward F. Speck
Stage Manager …. Maddison Shea
Lighting …. Griffinn Gower
Costume Design …. Cailin McFarland & Bonniejean Wilbur
Set Design …. Edward F. Speck
Poster Art …. Ben Wickey
Special Thanks to Jeff Page
Teddy’s Director’s Note
Oh, Cinderella. What is it about this character that keeps us in thrall for millenia? I know we all wish we had a fairy godmother. That we could be so innately special that a powerful person would pick us out of a crowd at once, and offer us the world. That our feet might be so uniquely shaped that they’d be the only feet in the world the shoe could fit! (Actually, that sounds like a podiatry nightmare; do you know what custom inserts cost!?) Is that it? We want to be special? And we want the world to recognize it? Could be. Nothing wrong with that. I’m an actor, so I can’t judge! Spotlight please!
Our version of this tale steals from the tale of The Ice Queen in order to make Cinderella special. She’s the only person in the kingdom that hasn’t been cursed with a cold heart, and so the only person who can lift the curse. She’s the hero armed with a warm heart. That’s what I love about Cinderella. She doesn’t have a sword or an invisibility cloak, just the ability to empathize and forgive. To endure coldness while keeping her own heart warm. That’s heroic. But it’s not special.
We all have this power, and we all exercise it daily, if imperfectly. We’re strange animals, capable of unspeakable evils when we allow the world to make us cold. But when we come together with warmth we can accomplish miracles. Cinderella is special because we are all special. And we’re only special together. As the winter cold settles in I pray that we reaffirm our warmth for each other, not demanding the privilege of the special, but offering the warmth that only we can give. Thank you so much for all the warmth you’ve given us, and may warmth be yours in 2024. Now here’s a bunch of bad puns as down payment!
-Teddy
Josh’s Director’s Note
Welcome back to Pantoland! This is the third time we’re visiting Cinderella, since we first went on this adventure in 2014. That was my first winter panto, and second time directing with Theater in the Open. Nearly a decade later, Teddy and I have created many many shows together, with countless talented and dedicated actors, designers, and crew. It’s always a labor of love. We always tell the cast that if we’re doing it right, it’ll look effortless. Panto is a lot of fun of course, but there’s a lot of details to really make it sing. Each year we revisit traditions, polish routines, and add new surprises. Sometimes we surprise ourselves.
In the middle of tech week we built a prop, and it turned out more ridiculous than we were expecting, believe it or not. It really made us laugh. We questioned if maybe it was too ridiculous, but then Cailin reminded us that if we’re laughing that much, it’s right.
There’s always lots of laughter in the rehearsal room, and it’s always good to remember that that’s a good sign that there will be just as much laughter in the audience. But, only if we get those details just so! Our Fairy Godmother really is magic, if you’ve met her, you’ll agree, but it takes a lot of stagecraft to turn a pumpkin in a carriage, even if, or, especially if, it’s done in the simplest of ways.
And that’s where you come in. It’s the magic of theater. If you believe it, you’ll see it! We gather to tell stories - a deeply human thing, no matter how fanciful the tale - to see the world through different perspectives, to remind ourselves that traditions are important, but only if they are generous and welcoming. Just like Cinderella. And her Fairy Godmother, and the mice, of course. Let’s see if the rest of the kingdom follow their example. I suspect they will. It wouldn’t be a panto without happily-ever-after, but then the real task is bringing that magic and warmth with us when we leave the theater.
Wishing you cold snowballs and warm hearts - Josh
Meet the Cast and Creative Team
Queen
VANESSA ROSSI, she/her
Previous TITO appearances: Jack and the Beanstalk (2018) and Snow White: Through the Looking Glass (2017), A Nutcracker Panto (2021), Through the Wardrobe: A Winter Wonderland Panto! (2022)
Vanessa Rossi is a singer, performer, and creative director living in the Newburyport area. She has been working with Theater in the Open since 2015 and has appeared most recently in the Firehouse production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (2019). As a vocalist, Vanessa has spent many years performing as a solo musician and playing in bands and recently released her first solo album.
King
WILL MOMBELLO, they/them
Previous TITO appearances: Cinderella in December: A Frozen Fairytale Panto! (2014), Through the Wardrobe: A Winter Wonderland Panto! (2017), Maudslay is Haunted (2020, 2022, 2023) Metamorphoses (2022) Zoomland: A Stay at Home Panto! (2020)
Prince
GWYNNETHE GLICKMAN, she/ her
Previous TITO appearances: Much Ado About Nothing (2018), Medea (2018), A Cinderella Panto! (2018), A Peter Pan Panto! (2019), Adventures in Zoomland: A Stay at Home Panto! (2020), A Nutcracker Panto! (2021), Through the Wardrobe: A Winter Wonderland Panto! (2022)
Gwynnethe is a mother and artist from Newbury, MA. She creates and teaches with many companies/schools in the area, though she feels most at home when performing with TITO.
Stepmother
SIERRA GITLIN, she/her
Previous TITO appearances: Antigone (2017), Medea (2018), The Tempest (2019), Metamorphoses (2021), and A Nutcracker Panto! (2021)
Sierra has been working with Theater in the Open as an actor since 2017, performing in Antigone, The Tempest, Metamorphoses, and POE. She has appeared as Medea and in several pantos. Sierra serves on the Board of Directors of Theater in the Open and is passionate about the community-building power of storytelling and the arts.
StepSister (Nonni)
CORRIE OWENS-BEAUCHESNE, she/they
Previous TITO appearances: Macbeth (2023)
Corrie is a graduate of Shakespeare & Company’s month-long intensive in Lenox, Massachusetts. She also recently graduated from Hampshire College, earning her BA in Stage Acting and Theatre Education, where she focused on applied theatre techniques, theatre of the oppressed, and children’s rights. Recent credits include Belle, Caroline, Fred’s Wife, and Mrs. Dilber in A Christmas Carol at the Player’s Ring, Jackie and Yellow Bile in Doctor Doctor by Catherine Stewart at the Player’s Ring, as well as Viola and the Girl Who Found Fear in Generations at New Hampshire Theatre Project. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Stepsister (Annie)
AMANDA LUDEKING, she/her
Previous TITO appearances: Cinderella in December (2014), A Nutcracker Winter Panto (2016), Jack and the Beanstalk (2018) and Snow White: Through the Looking Glass (2017)
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 is working part time as a hospital clown with Laughter League. When not being a big old goof, she spends her time with her two cats, Buster and Dusty.
Stepsister (Ruby)
ADRIANNA NEEFUS, she/her
Previous TITO appearances: A Nutcracker Panto (2021), Through the Wardrobe: A Winter Wonderland Panto! (2022), Lady Windermere’s Fan (2023)
Adrianna is a North Shore based actor and performing arts American Sign Language Interpreter. She is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire. Notable credits include Almost Maine with NECC Theater, Queen Elizabeth with the Connecticut Renaissance Faire, and various rolls with Mystery Cafe Dinner Theater. Adrianna is delighted to share this Theater in the Open holiday tradition with all of you.
Stepsister (Dippy)
KATIE FORMOSI she/her
Previous TITO appearances: A Cinderella Panto! (2018), A Christmas Carol Panto! (2019), Adventures in Zoomland (2020), A Nutcracker Panto! (2021), Through the Wardrobe: A Winter Wonderland Panto! (2022), and Petrushka’s Flying Puppet Circus (2023)
Katie is a paraprofessional in a 6th grade classroom. Katie has been working with Theater in the Open since 2018 as an actor and instructor. Along with Theater in the Open, she has performed with Shawn Terenzi’s Academy of Dance, Northern Essex Community College’s Top Notch Players, UMass Amherst’s Student Theatre Guild, and Dive In Productions. As a student through UMass Amherst’s University Without Walls, she is studying Foreign Language Education. She would like to give a shout-out and congratulations to her Winter Workshop students, who are performing on the Firehouse stage as well!
Cinderella
ALLEGRA DUBUS-BRANDOLINI, she/her
Previous TITO appearances: Antigone (2017), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2017), Medea (2018), Lost Songs (2018), Julius Caesar (2018), A Snow White Panto (2018), Metamorphoses (2021), The Game of Love and Chance (2022), The Crucible (2022), Through the Wardrobe: A Winter Wonderland Panto! (2022), Petrushka’s Flying Puppet Circus (2023), and Lady Windermere’s Fan (2023)
Allegra is thrilled to be joining the cast. Other credits include Waiting for Godot (Firehouse Center for the Arts), Emotional Creature (Firehouse Center for the Arts), The Little Mermaid (Firehouse Center for the Arts), and School of Rock the Musical (Ogunquit Playhouse). She has performed in countless productions at Sarah Lawrence College such as Head over Heels the Musical and Twelfth Night. She trained at the British American Drama Academy in London and graduated with a BA in Theatre and Creative Writing at Sarah Lawrence College. Allegra is so very proud of her Winter Workshop students, who are performing on the Firehouse stage as well!
Fairy godmother
BONNIEJEAN WILBUR, she/her
Previous TITO appearances: A Cinderella Panto! (2018), A Christmas Carol Panto! (2019), Adventures in Zoomland (2020), Through the Wardrobe: A Winter Wonderland Panto! (2022), and Petrushka’s Flying Puppet Circus (2023)
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!
Prime Minister
JONAS TRACH, he/him
Previous TITO appearances: A Christmas Carol Panto (2019)
Advisor/ Mouse
NADIA TOTH, she/her
Previous TITO appearances: A Nutcracker Panto! (2021), The Crucible (2022), Through the Wardrobe: A Winter Wonderland Panto! (2022)
Nadia Toth is thrilled to be a part of this year’s winter panto! When she is not onstage you can find her writing poetry or fostering cats from Sweet Paws. Many thanks to her family, friends, and teachers.
Advisor/ mouse
RIVER WYNNE, he/him
Previous TITO appearances: A Nutcracker Panto! (2021), Through the Wardrobe: A Winter Wonderland Panto! (2022), and Maudslay is Haunted
River recently participated in his school’s production of the Addams Family Musical. Aside from acting he also enjoys playing the flute in his school’s band.
Advisor/ mouse
NORA BAKER, she/her
Nora makes their Theater in the Open debut in this year’s Winter Panto
Nora has been a student with Theater in the Open for over five years.
Advisor/ mouse
KIKI CAMPBELL, she/her
Kiki makes their Theater in the Open debut in this year’s Winter Panto
I am very excited to take part in Cinderella in December with TITO. I love theater and so far I have played Tessie in Annie Jr., Lavender in Matilda Jr. at Stage 284. I was also Jane Banks in Mary Poppins with Annisquam Village Players. This October I had the role of Wicked Queen with TITO’s production of Maudsley is Haunted. Last summer I was Horatio in Hamlet and Puck in Midsummer night’s Dream with Cape Ann Shakespeare Troupe and The “Gloucester Story” with Annisquam Village Players at the Maritime Museum in Gloucester.
My interests include playing flute, surfing, writing, reading, and spending time with friends. I have been raising monarchs and habitat awareness at many different venues such as schools, Greenbelt, and Trustees Of Reservations, and have been asked to asked to present at Appleton Farms and the Crane Estate. This past year I received the John F. Kennedy National Make a Difference Award for my interest and efforts towards the monarch butterflies.
Advisor/ mouse
ANIKA WELICZKA, she/her
Anika makes their Theater in the Open debut in this year’s Winter Panto
Anika has been a student and volunteer at Theater in the Open for 6 years and has appeared in Poe. Anika has participated in over 20 productions.
Advisor/ Bruno
EVAN LAGUEUX, he/him
Evan makes their Theater in the Open debut in this year’s Winter Panto.
Evan is thrilled to make his Theater in the Open debut in this year’s Winter Panto. Evan has worked at Theater in the Open Summer Workshop and has attended TITO since he was young. Evan is a student at Newburyport High School and has performed in NHS productions, Annie (Bert Healy), Tartuffe (Valere ), Fiddler on the Roof (Perchik), and A Curious Incident of a Dog in the Nighttime (Ed). He is an avid sports fan and music enthusiast. Thank you to my friends and family for supporting me!
mouse
SOPHIA TODD, she/her
Previous TITO appearances: A Nutcracker Panto! (2021), The Crucible (2022) Through the Wardrobe: A Winter Wonderland Panto! (2022), and Maudslay is Haunted
Sophia has worked with Theater in the Open both onstage and as a volunteer, and she is excited to be back for this production!
ESME SPECK AS A MOUSE
ESMÉ SPECK-MCFARLAND she/her
Previous TITO appearances: A Nutcracker Panto! (2021), Through the Wardrobe: A Winter Wonderland Panto! (2022), and Maudslay is Haunted
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 of Through the Wardrobe is his sixteenth collaboration with TITO. Josh decided to become a clown when he was just three years old. As a teenager, he spent his summers performing with Circus Smirkus, and then toured nationally 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, and Nothing but Nonsense, a variety musical comedy at Circus World Museum in Baraboo, WI. He is a teaching artist-in-residence for Circus Smirkus, and served as Production Manager and Director of Programming before becoming the Associate Artistic Director last spring.
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 Third Citizen Theatre Company, The Firehouse Center for the Arts, The 5th Wall, and History Alive.