The Pitt-Greensburg Theatre Company opens its spring production of the musical, Young Frankenstein, this evening (Thursday, April 4) at 7:30 p.m. in the Ferguson Theater (Smith Hall). The show will run through Sunday, April 7, with show times at 7:30 p.m. (April 4, 5, and 6) and 2 p.m. (April 7). Tickets, available at the door, are $10 (regular) and $5 (Pitt ID, student, senior).
Young Frankenstein, the musical, is written by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan and adapted from Brooks’ 1974 film. The show features songs such as “The Happiest Town in Town,” Transylvania Mania,” and “Puttin’ on the Ritz.” Stephen Schrum, PhD, associate professor of theater, steps into the role of producer for this production that will serve as senior capstone projects for three Visual and Performing Arts majors: Brandon Farneth (Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey), selected the show and directs it. Nicole Hill is the show’s choreographer, and Taylor Oberle is the production manager. Faculty member Christopher Bartley is the show’s musical director.
Young Frankenstein provides ample opportunities for Pitt-Greensburg students to perform with its relatively large cast requirements. Cast and crew, numbering 25 students, include:
Emily Buckel (Ziggy), from Republic, PA, is a third-year Creative and Professional Writing and English Literature double major (with a Theatre minor). Previously she played roles in Les Miserables, 42nd Street, Legally Blonde, and Grease. Previously she appeared as Desdemona in When Shakespeare’s Ladies Meet, as the Script Girl in Shakespeare in Hollywood, Myrtle Mae Simmons in Harvey, Miranda in The Tempest, and Vixen 2 in Dracula, for which she also served as Assistant Stage Manager. Buckel is also a member of Delta Psi Omega (DPO), the National Theatre Honors Society.
Courtney Cambal (Elizabeth) from Lower Burrell, PA, is a junior double-majoring in Secondary Education English and Visual and Performing Arts (Theatre concentration). Previously she played the Maid in Dracula, Gonzalo in The Tempest and Betty Chumley in Harvey; before coming to us as a transfer, her experience included participation in her high school Drama Club performances of Annie Get Your Gun, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Chicago. She has also appeared in productions of Little Mermaid Jr., Footloose, The Wedding Singer, and Seussical the Musical. Cambal is secretary of the campus chapter of Delta Psi Omega, the National Theatre Honors Society.
Cameron Scott Collins (Frederick Frankenstein) is a junior Secondary Education and History double major from Titusville, PA. Previously he has appeared in our productions of Precious Damsels as Du Croisy, 15 Frogs and Counting as Ron Bickner, Dick Powell in Shakespeare in Hollywood, Lyman Sanderson, M.D. in Harvey, Ferdinand in The Tempest, and Jonathan Harker in Dracula. Prior to coming to Pitt-Greensburg, Collins had roles in Our Town, Twelve Angry Men, The Wiz, Beauty and the Beast, and Princess Whatsername. Collins is a member of DPO and the Treasurer for the Performing Arts Society.
William Conrad P. Custodio (Dance Core) is a first-year student who plans to pursue a career in Architecture from Monessen, PA. He makes his Pitt-Greensburg Theatre Company debut with this show. Previous stage credits include Ensemble in Beauty and the Beast Jr., Seussical Jr., Footloose, and The Wedding Singer; Dance Captain in Hairspray and Sketch; Ensemble and Dance Captain in Rock of Ages and Anything Goes; and Enwright/Dance Captain in 9 to 5; and Lucas Beineke/Dance Captain in The Addams Family.
Aeris Day (Ensemble) served as the Social Media Manager for Dracula. She is a sophomore Visual and Performing Arts major from Ruffsdale, PA.
Kerigan Fabery (Frau Blucher), from Nemacolin, PA, is a senior double-majoring in Secondary Education and English Writing. Previously she appeared in our productions of Middletown as the Female Tourist, in Man of La Mancha as the Donkey and Ensemble, and in Precious Damsels as Ophelia. Before Pitt-Greensburg she performed at Carmichaels High School as Sheena Brannigan in Back to the 80s, Donna Duccedonni in Death By Dessert, and Teacher in Divided We Fall, and at the Center for the Performing Arts as Madame Armande in Once On This Island. She is president of the Performing Arts Society and a member of Delta Psi Omega
Joe Fitz (Inspector Hans Kemp) is a second-year Visual and Performing Arts (Music concentration) major from Titusville, PA. Previously on our stage he played the roles of cabdriver E.J. Lofgren in Harvey, Sebastian in The Tempest, and Attendant 1 in Dracula. Before coming to Greensburg, he made his stage debut as Charlie Bates, the “Artful Dodger’s” mate and fellow pickpocket, in Oliver! in Titusville Summer Theater in 2014. Other stage credits include, at Titusville High School: Mystery Man ( Baker’s deceased father) in Into The Woods, Rev. Shaw in Footloose, and Ensemble in Bye Bye Birdie; at Titusville Summer Theater: Ensemble in Curtains, Beauty and The Beast, and Little Shop of Horrors; Curly in Oklahoma; at the Barrow Civic Center, Franklin, PA: Ensemble in Young Frankenstein. Joe has also “chaired” in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association in Junior District Choir and in District and Regional Choirs, being featured as an accompanying percussionist as Beatbox Musician.
Scott Gerse (Dr. Victor Von Frankenstein) is an Information Sciences major from Monroeville, PA.
Austin Grau (Igor) is a first-year student from New Kensington, PA.
Tyler Humphries-Randolph (Dance Core) is ecstatic to be a part of her first theatre production at Pitt- Greensburg. She is currently a senior Visual & Performing Arts (Music concentration) major. She has been blessed with the opportunity to work with such creative, loving, and dedicated people. In her future she would like to pursue a career in teaching music and performing. She has starred in roles such as Joanne (RENT), Amneris (Aida), Sheila (Hair), and Marmie (Little Women). She is also a current member of the Pitt-Greensburg Chorale, Voice Studio and, newly, Distinct Voices.
Summer Lash (Ensemble) is double majoring in Secondary English Education and Creative and Professional Writing. She appeared in musicals in middle school, and appeared previously as Marotte in Precious Damsels, the Camera Operator in Shakespeare in Hollywood, Veta Louise Simmons in Harvey, Ariel in The Tempest, and Professor Van Helsing in Dracula. A junior from Belle Vernon, PA, Lash is secretary of the Performing Arts Society and a member of DPO.
Deanna Lesso (Ensemble) is a second year Visual and performing Arts major (Music concentration) from Canonsburg, PA. Past experience includes the lead in three community theatre productions in her area, along with appearances in seven of her high school’s productions, including the roles of Mineret Towers in Murder at the Pie Auction and Wilber in Charlotte`s Web, The Holy Terror in Mary Poppins, Vi Moore in Footloose, Ursula in The Little Mermaid, and Gingy in Shrek, and Ensemble Member in four others. Lesso also served as the vice president of the high school drama club in her senior year, during which she also took acting classes. She has had piano training for the past 15 years and voice training for the past 8. Here on our campus she played Miss Johnson in Harvey and Adrian in The Tempest. She is a member of PAS, DPO, and PES.
Jenna R. Maroadi (Dance Core) is a first-year Pre-Med major and Music minor from North Huntingdon, PA. Previous theatrical experience includes roles in Annie, West Side Story, Ruthless, Once On This Island, and South Pacific. Jenna also participated in Larry Cervi’s “East End Kids”, Steel City Angels, Norwin Show Choir, Stage Right! “Sensations.” Campus involvement includes Pitt-Greensburg’s Chorale and Chamber Singers, Piano and Voice Studio, Emerging Leaders Fall 2018, Science Club, and Habitat for Humanity.
Cali Mulzet (Ensemble) is a Sophomore English Lit major from Phoenixville PA. She has had a variety in roles in productions of The Green Bird, Hairspray, The Mouse that Roared, Taming of the Shrew, and Great Expectations. Mulzet was also President of her High School Theater Guild. Last semester she saved the say as Mina in Dracula.
Kiana Nadolsky (Dance Core) lists previous roles in Les Miserables, Into the Woods, Grease, and The Little Mermaid at Penn Cambria High School. A first-year Psychology major, Kiana is from Cresson, PA.
Logan J. Tomko (Hermit) is a junior History major from Plum Borough, PA. Before coming to our campus, he played the roles of The Traveler in Picasso at the Lapine Agile and Lloyd Dallas in Noises Off, and also served as the Plum High School Drama Club President. You may recall him yelling, “Stop thief!” as the Marquis de Mascarille in Precious Damsels, and returning as the Yes Man Daryl in Shakespeare in Hollywood, Wilson in Harvey, Trinculo in The Tempest, and the mad Renfield in Dracula.
Terry Turk (Dance Core) is a second-year Accounting major from Pittsburgh, PA. He made his theatrical debut as Francisco in The Tempest, and returned, undead, as Dracula last semester.
Mindy Wagner (Ensemble) is from Scottsdale, PA. Previous theatre experiences include Tipsy Toe in Under the Big Top and Mouse and Enchanted Ensemble in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella. She also participated in the Pittsburgh Public Theatre’s Shakespeare Monologue Contest twice. A first-year Biological Science major, Wagner is making her Pitt-Greensburg Theatre Company debut with this show.
Alyssia Williams (Inga) is a sophomore double-majoring in International Business and Spanish. Her previous theatre experience includes: Ancestor Zhang in Mulan Jr., Babette in Beauty & The Beast Jr., Gertrude McFuzz in Seussical Jr., Amber Von'Tussle in Hairspray, Judy Bernly in 9 to 5, Elizabeth Benning in Young Frankenstein; and Alice Beineke in The Addams Family. Williams, who is making her Pitt-Greensburg Theatre Company debut with this play, is from Monessen, PA.
PRODUCTION STAFF (Students)
Brandon Farneth (Director/Monster) is a senior VAPA major (Theatre concentration). From New Kensington, PA, Brandon lists the following previous roles: Gavin Smith in Caught in the Net (Apple Hill Playhouse), Dean Hyde in All Shook Up, Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd, Ensemble in Rocky Horror (Stage Right Productions), Edna Turnblad in Hairspray, Noah in Children of Eden, Mr. Bucket in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and a Player in Pippin (Valley High School and The Theatre Factory). He has also done onstage and backstage work at Theater Factory and the New Ken Civic Theater, and is the recipient of the Westmorland Cultural Trust Achievement Award for Theater and the New Ken Civic Theater Holleran and C.T. Allen Awards for Theater Performance. On our campus he has played the Male Tourist and Freelancer in Middletown, Anselmo and Ensemble in Man of La Mancha, Gorgibus in Precious Damsels, famous director Max Reinhardt in Shakespeare in Hollywood, and Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey, and Attendant 2 in Dracula. Last spring he served as Assistant Director for The Tempest; he is directing this show for his senior capstone project.
Nicole Hill (Choreographer) is a senior VAPA (Theatre concentration) from Pittsburgh, PA. Previously she appeared as The Ensign in The Tempest, as Ensemble Member in Man of La Mancha, and Vixen 1 in Dracula. She also served on the crew for Harvey, and before coming to campus also played Tinkerbell in Peter Pan and the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. She is also a Community Assistant (CA) for the campus. She is using her work as Choreographer for her senior capstone project.
Taylor Oberle (Production Manager/Lighting Designer) is a senior VAPA major (Theatre concentration, focusing on Tech Theatre) and is also working on the Arts Entrepreneurship Certificate Program. From Las Vegas, NV, Oberle had two years of tech experience in high school and various tech jobs outside of school, and served as the Assistant Stage Manager for Middletown, the Stage Manager for Man of La Mancha, Production Assistant and actor for the Evening of One Acts, Production Manager/Scenic Designer for Shakespeare in Hollywood, and Production Manager for Harvey. Oberle almost was a Biology major, but the siren song of Theatre brought her to us. She is also the President of DPO, and for her senior capstone project will serve as Production Manager on Young Frankenstein.
Makayla Suska (Stage Manager) is from Pittsburgh, PA where she attended Barack Obama Academy. Suska is a first-year Visual and Performing Arts major (Theatre concentration) with the hopes to obtain a minor in Film Studies. Last semester she apprenticed as Assistant Stage Manager for Harvey and Stage manager for Dracula. In high school she participated in the Obama Drama Department on stage crew for shows The Wiz, Shout! The Mod Musical, 9 to 5, and was Stage Manager for Sister Act. She did stage crew for the high school's Annual One Act plays and the Talent Show. Her high school has received numerous awards from the Gene Kelly Awards including Best Set, Best Lighting, and Best Musical. Outside of high school theatre, she worked as the primary sound engineer for three years at her church. She is very excited and honored to be a part of the Theatre Program here at Pitt-Greensburg.
Michele Laity (Assistant Stage Manager) is a first-year student double-majoring in Psychology and Visual and Performing Arts (Theatre concentration).
Sarah Verbanick (Props Master) is a first year student double-majoring in Criminal Justice and Psychology. From Connellsville, PA, Sarah has eleven years theatrical experience 4 years on crew, and is also currently volunteering at old high school as part of their set crew. She worked on the backstage crew for our production of Dracula last semester.