Production Program

Written by Lisa Kron
Directed by Burgess Byrd
Production Sponsor: Douglas & Carol Burks
Season Sponsors: Richard L. & Mary A. Johnson

From The Producing Artistic Director

This is a season of coming back: coming back from a long hiatus, coming back from an uncertain world, coming back together as an arts community.  Falcon’s first performance for a live audience in over 18 months was one of our Falcon Takes Flight pieces.  Railsplitter, by Maurice Manning, is a work of poetry about Abraham Lincoln, a devoted fan of theater.  Maurice’s words capture better than I ever could, the feelings I have as we begin our journey of coming back:

“…as dead as words writ on the page.
You have to find the life in them,
that is the pleasure of listening
to a voice on the stage or reading a book.
There’s something alive you bring to life
by being the reader or seeing the show,
and that makes being alive less lonely.
All of this . . . expression . . . has been for you.”
            — Maurice Manning, “Railsplitter”

Being away from the theater has deepened my appreciation for how much of my life is consumed by this work.  It has deepened my conviction about how essential you, the audience, are to everything we do.  Without you, nothing we do has any impact or purpose.There are still many uncertainties in the world and the trajectory of this season is far from guaranteed, but one thing is certain: Falcon Theatre is back.  And we’re so grateful to bring you live theater once again.

Sincerely,
Ted Weil
Producing Artistic Director

CAST (in order of appearance)

Ann Kron — Angela Alexander Nalley
Lisa Kron — Samantha Joy Luhn
Ensemble — Dan Robertson
Ensemble — Aiden Sims
Ensemble — Claire LaNicca
Ensemble — Jeffery Jermaine Jackson

PRODUCTION TEAM

Stage Manager — Liz Apollonio
Scenic & Lighting Design — Ted J. Weil
Costume Design — Clint Ibele
Props Design — Tara Williams
Sound Design — Ted J. Weil
Wig Design — Lisa Dirkes
Assistant Director — Ted J. Weil
Lighting & Sound Execution — Liz Apollonio
Set Construction — Ted J. Weil, Tracy M. Schoster, Tara Williams
Set Decor — Tara Williams, Tracy M. Schoster
Lobby Display — Lisa Dirkes
Dramaturg — Julie Carpenter
Production Coordinator — Tara Williams
Marketing Director — Lisa Dirkes
House Staff Coordination — Tracy M. Schoster
Photography — Kristy Rucker
Box Office — Holly Sauerbrunn
Street Level Marketing — Rilla Foster

Falcon thanks these organizations for their support:

Cast Biographies

Angela Alexander Nalley (Ann Kron): Angela is making her Falcon Theatre re-debut after 30 years. She appeared in Laundry and Bourbon/ The 1959 Pink Thunderbird during Falcon’s 1991-1992 season. Trained in opera at CCM, Angela is no stranger to Cincinnati area stages. She has performed with The Carnegie, Know Theatre, The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Landmark Productions at both The Covedale and The Incline Theaters. Some favorite roles include Matron Mama Morton – CHICAGO, The Fairy Godmother – Disney’s Cinderella Jr, Mother Abbess – The Sound of Music and Berthe – Pippin. Thank you so much for supporting live theater! It’s great to be back!

Claire LaNicca (Ensemble): Claire is thrilled to be making her Falcon Theatre debut in this poignant production.  Claire is the proud theatre teacher and director at Campbell County High School where she spends her days creating theatre with some of the best students around.  She is no stranger to the stage though, performing in plays such as Twelfth Night, The Lohman Family Picnic, Present Laughter, Lost in Yonkers, and The Book Club Play; to name a few of her favorites.  Claire would like to thank her own Mom, Melodie, for always supporting her and fostering her love of performing; her wonderful, new husband for all he does; and, of course, the beautiful people at Falcon theatre for making this such a special experience.  Enjoy the show. 

Samantha Joy Luhn (Lisa Kron): Samantha is pleased to be making her Falcon debut with this production!  She earned a B.F.A. in theatre performance from Northern Illinois University. After a move to Portland, Oregon she performed in various productions with the Working Theatre Collective and was seen on the Imago Theatre stage as Sanae in the English world premier of Yukio Mishima’s The Black Lizard. Some of her other favorite roles include Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Kitty in Kitty the Waitress and Thalia, the Greek muse of comedy, in Peaking. In her spare time she earned a B.S. in wildlife biology from the other OSU (Oregon). Samantha recently moved back to her hometown after living in Hawaii for several years working in environmental conservation and continuing her education earning her M. Ed from Clemson University. She is a high school history and drama teacher who resides in Covington with her dog-daughter, Nellie Bly. Samantha is profoundly grateful to her wonderful family for always supporting her in all of her endeavors! It’s a thrill to be a part of live theatre again! Special thanks to Burgess for her incredible direction.

Jeffery Jermaine Jackson (Ensemble): Jeffery Jermaine is thrilled to be performing at Falcon Theatre once again! Jeffery is coming directly from the CBTC/Freedom Center production of Anne & Emmett (Emmett). Recent Favorite Theater Credits: Purple Paint (Lewis Grissom), Eve In Paradise (Adam Hughes), Billy Elliot (Ensemble/Regional Premiere), Black Nativity: Jesus Matters (Shepherd), Double Deceived (Reverend/Bartender), Jesus Christ Superstar (Apostle), Tribute To Motown (Berry Gordy), The Color Purple (Grady), Checkmates (Sylvester),  Is God Trying To Tell You Something? (Deacon Brooks), The Laramie Project (Moises Kaufman), and A Chorus Line (Butch). Jeffery has been in numerous movies that have been filmed here in Cincinnati including Miles Ahead (Starring Don Cheadle), Girl From Compton (Lifetime Original Movie), Point Blank (Netflix), Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (Netflix) and most recently The Public (Starring Gabrielle Union, Alec Baldwin).

Dan Robertson (Ensemble): Dan is excited & honored to be back at Falcon Theatre this season. He last performed on the road in Stories in the Stars & The Jungle Book with Hampstead Stage Company. Other recent roles include Philip in The Lion in Winter & Ensemble in Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, both at Falcon.

Aiden Sims (Ensemble): Aiden is happy to return to Falcon Theatre, and to full productions in general, after a pandemic induced intermission. Her appearances here were in the ensemble of ASSASSINS and in Striking Twelve as the Little Match Girl. She is an SCPA alumna and a recipient of the Corbett-Mayerson Award for Drama. A Cincinnati native and local actor/activist, she has appeared on stages across the area. Her recent credits include Current from Pones and the virtual musical from The Queer Feminists Next Door, dream&; part of the 2021 and 2020 Cincy Fringe Festivals, as a member of the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Touring Company; Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lady Macduff in Macbeth, CSC Mainstage appearances; Lady Anne in Richard III, and Miranda in The Tempest, MJ Soch in Dog & Pony DC’s Beertown at the Know Theatre of Cincinnati; Maureen in RENT at the Warsaw Federal Incline Theatre, Marta in The Carnegie’s Company, and bel and marja’ in A Klingon Christmas Carol from Hugo West Theatricals.

Production Team Biographies

Liz Apollonio (Stage Manager): Liz is super pumped to make their Falcon Theatre debut with Well. She is a senior stage management student at Xavier University with minors in film and gender & diversity studies, and will be PSMing Xavier’s rep series in the spring as their senior thesis. Fresh off of ASMing Xavier’s production of Mamma Mia!, Liz has worked on 12 shows with Xavier, including a devised piece directed by Regina Pugh and the world premiere of Krista Knight’s Shooter!, directed by Aaron Rossini.Over the pandemic, they directed and designed for two shows in Xavier Theatre’s online play festival and stage managed Xavier’s production of Theory of Relativity, directed remotely by Tiffany Nichole Greene. This will be the first show Liz has stage managed fully in person since spring of 2020 and she could not be more excited to be back in the booth!  

Burgess Byrd (Director): Burgess is delighted to be back at Falcon Theatre where she was seen in Silence The Musical (Ardelia). Recently, she had the pleasure of Directing The Stands by Eric Thomas for Cincinnati Playwright’s Initiative and was last seen onstage at Cincinnati Fringe Festival’s The Butterfly Heist that won Audience Pick of The Fringe last summer. Previously, some of her favorite acting credits include Skeleton Crew (Faye)-Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, Harry and The Thief (Shiloh) and the solo show Pretty Fire (Charlayne)-Know Theatre Cincinnati, Raisin In The Sun (Lena)-Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and Merchant of Venice (Shylock)-UT Austin. Thank you to Ted, Tara and the Board for entrusting with this lovely script. It’s an honor to be included in their season of all women Director’s.

Clint Ibele (Costume Design): Clint has appeared on stage with Falcon Theatre for various productions, has directed, worked backstage and in lighting and sound execution, to which he now adds costume design. In 2013, he became director of Falcon Takes Flight, the outreach “wing” of Falcon Theatre. FTF has performed for the Campbell County Library’s Signature Series, the Arts and Culture Series, as well as other venues in Kentucky and Ohio. Clint’s main project is HIVoices, a story telling project of individuals who are HIV positive. His newest project is a play reading group for two of the branches of the Cincinnati Hamilton County Public Library.  

Lisa Kron (Playwright): Lisa Kron has been writing and performing theater since coming to New York from Michigan in 1984. Her play, Well, opened on Broadway at the Longacre Theater in March of 2006 and received two Tony nominations. It premiered at the Public Theater in Spring 2004 and was listed among the year’s best plays by the New York Times, the Associated Press, the Newark Star Ledger, Backstage and the Advocate. Her play, 2.5 Minute Ride premiered in New York at the Public Theater in 1999 and received an OBIE Award, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations, an L.A. Drama-Logue Award, a GLAAD Media Award and was named the best autobiographical show by New York Press. Ms. Kron is also a founding member of the OBIE and Bessie Award-winning theater company The Five Lesbian Brothers. She is the recipient the Cal Arts/Alpert Award, as well as grants and fellowships from the Creative Capital Foundation, New York Foundation for the Arts, NEA/TCG, the Guggenheim Foundation and the Lucille Lortel Foundation.  

Tara Williams (Props Design): Tara is happy to be designing props once again for Falcon. As the Production Coordinator, she is also the default Props Mistress.  She has also directed at Falcon including Daisy, The Lion in Winter, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Next Fall and The Eight Reindeer Monologues and this season’s upcoming Red Speedo.  She has also be see onstage at Falcon in Marjorie Prime, A Streetcar Named Desire, Rabbit Hole, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Cover of Life, Slasher and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and looks forward to the postponed Silent Sky this March. She has acted and directed on stages across Illinois, Florida, Ohio and Kentucky. Tara is a proud member of both Falcon’s Board of Directors and Advisory Team and also serves as Production Coordinator.  Tara holds a BFA in acting from Northern Illinois University.

Falcon Theatre Management Board

Piper N. Davis – Diversity & Inclusion Director
Lisa Dirkes – Marketing Director
Terry Gosdin – Play Reading Chair
Clint Ibele – Falcon Takes Flight Director
Allen R. Middleton – Development Director, Copywriter
Holly Sauerbrunn – Grants Writer
Tracy M. Schoster – Patron Manager, Advisory Team
Ted J. Weil – Producing Artistic Director
Tara Williams – Production Coordinator, Grants Manager, Advisory Team

Patrons

ANGEL:
Doug & Carol Burks (Production Sponsors)
Richard L. & Mary A. Johnson (Season Sponsors)
Patrick Thernes (Production Sponsor)

BENEFACTOR:
Keith Siereveld
John Morrow & Julie Ann Smith-Morrow

PLAYWRIGHT:
Allen Middleton & Gary Daniels
Tom & Angela Ogonek
Tracy M. Schoster
Ted J. Weil

DIRECTOR:
Robert Arlinghaus & Christina Kelley
Bill & Trish Harris
Pam Matsko
Greg Schaper
Michael & Susan Whitehead

PRODUCER
In Memory of Renee Alper
David & Janet Arno
Robert & Patricia Clary
Lisa Dirkes
Sandra Grinkmeyer & Ernie Franz
Bill Hartnett

DESIGNER:
Anonymous
Cathy Collopy
Pat Hoffmann
Rita Larkin
Jill Morenz

STAGE MANAGER:
Danny Davies
Carolyn Leicht
Michele-Marie Merritt

ACTOR:
David Levy
Ben Raanan
George & Nancy Whitton

Your Support Makes It All Possible!

Falcon has been creating quality theater for our audiences since 1989 and we remain committed to our vision to lead our community through artistic expression and inclusive creativity.  Like all arts organizations, we can’t do it without you.  Your tax-deductible donation helps us continue to produce affordable theatre while offsetting the cost of creating professional productions. The generosity of patrons continues to allow Falcon Theatre the opportunity to expand its horizons, reaching new audiences, new markets and a new generation of theatre minds.  Your gift goes a long way in helping us grow, thrive and continue this success.
Click Here to visit our Patron Information page.

Falcon is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and your donations are tax-deductible. Please consult your tax advisor for more information.

Patron Levels:

  • Angel   $5000+   (Includes 2 five-show Flex Passes)
  • Benefactor   $1000+   (Includes 1 five-show Flex Passes)
  • Playwright    $500+
  • Director    $250+ 
  • Producer    $100+
  • Designer    $50+
  • Stage Manager    $25+
  • Actor    Up to $25

Flex Passes

Want To See A Show For Free?

We have Flex Passes on sale to save you money and help you see only the shows you want.  A Flex pass is a block of tickets you can use whenever you want at Falcon and it’s a great way to save money and see some great theater.

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