Blur

By Melanie Marnich

A genetic disease is gradually robbing Dot of her eyesight. Her relationships with her mother and friends are challenged during her struggle for independence and self-assertion. With the help of her boyfriend, best friend and a wayward priest, Dot brings the audience on a journey that discovers the kind of vision needed not only to prevail over this disease, but to thrive with spirit, humor and hope. For mature audiences only, due to sexual content and strong language.

SHOW PHOTOS

2015 Performance Dates

April 17, 18, 24 & 25 at 8 p.m.
April 19 & 26 (ASL interpreted) at 2:30 p.m.

Ticket Information

Adults - $10
Seniors (55 and over) - $7
Non-KSU Students (17 and under) - $7
KSU Students - Free with current ID

• Tickets go on sale April 6.
• Purchase tickets online, by phone or in person at the Box Office.
• Visa, MasterCard and Discover accepted. Checks and cash accepted in person at the Box Office.
• Tickets purchased online or by phone will be available at Will Call.
• Will Call opens one hour prior to curtain time and closes when the performance begins.
• Kent State Students: Free admission with current Kent State ID. Seats must be reserved in person at the Box Office.
• No refunds for purchased tickets. Exchanges for the same production can be made by contacting the Box Office prior to the reserved performance date.
• Tickets held at Will Call will be forfeited if not picked up by curtain time.

Ticket sales begin April 6 at 8 a.m.

Cast

Lauren Paulis: Dot
Lauren was a student at Kent State University at Stark for her freshmen year. She then transferred to Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, majoring in Musical Theatre. For the year Lauren studied at Marymount Manhattan, she was given incredible opportunities to work and study with current Broadway personnel. Lauren has performed for Broadway composer Frank Wildhorn and cast in Twyla Tharp’s Sweet Fields. While she is still student at Marymount, she decided to take the year off to explore more at the Kent State Stark Theatre. Lauren will be seen in an up and coming Lifetime Movie entitled With This Ring featuring Jill Scott (Steel Magnolias), Eve (Single Ladies) and Regina Hall (Think Like a Man Too). Her past Kent State Stark productions include Voices From Hurt Street (ASM) and The Crucible: An Opera (Bridget Booth/ Sarah Good US). Other productions include Anything Goes (Hope), Beauty and the Beast (Silly Girl), Mulan (Ancestor Zhang), and Ax of Murder (Darliene). Recently, she appeared at P.B. in One Slight Hitch at Kent State Stark. In the near future, Lauren would love to work in entertainment at The Walt Disney World Resort and eventually relocate to L.A. to further her career with the film and television industry.

Jessica Swank: Mom
Jessica is a B.A. theatre production major at Kent State University, graduating this May. She has been involved in acting and technical work at the high school, community and professional level. Due to her interest and love of every facet of theatre she has found herself drawn to directing, and hopes to someday have her own theater for children with emotional/behavioral disabilities, and mental illness. Some of her roles include Merv in Our House at Kent State Stark; Jessica in Merchant of Venice at Canton Player's Guild, Maria in West Side Story at GlenOak High School, Macduff/3rd Witch in Macbeth with the Bodwin Portable Theatre Company, Pace in The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek at Dobama Theater. She also served as assistant director for Spring Awakening and costume design assistant for Maiden's Prayer.

Maya Nicholson: Francis
Maya is majoring in theatre production with a minor in marketing. She graduated from Copley High School in Copley, Ohio as the President of her Thespian Club, where she performed in Smokey Joe’s Café, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Little Shop of Horrors; she has also directed George Washington Slept Here and Copley’s Got Talent (the annual talent show). She acted in Kent State Stark's Voices from Hurt Street as various characters, one being “Winifred Oprey” doing a play-off of the Oprah Winfrey Show, and she was costume design assistant for I Love You Because and assistant stage manager in Spring Awakening. Last season she performed as the sassy sister, Libby, in The Maiden’s Prayer, and most recently was Melanie, the outspoken sister in Lewis Black's One Slight Hitch. She is also currently enrolled in theatre courses, and aspires to be a director in theatre, film and television.

Anthony Antoniades: Joey
Anthony Antoniades appeared in Huck Finn’s Story, Dating Is Tough To Do...And Funny, Too!, Plumfield, Iraq and Buried Child at Kent State Stark, where he also stage managed Songs for a New World and Evil Dead: The Musical, and served as lighting design assistant for Anton in Show Business. He is a theatre major at Kent State. 

Zach Manthey: Father O'Hara
Zach is no stranger to the theatre community and has appeared in a number of plays around Ohio, including: Twelve Angry Jurors as the cynical Third Juror, Annie as the eccentric Rooster Hannigan, and A Christmas Carol as the cheerful Bob Cratchit. He recently played the role of Harper in One Slight Hitch at Kent State Stark. Once a theatre major at Ashland University, Zach now spends his latter days as a self proclaimed creative writing and film major, working to create the next greatest film the world has ever seen since Sister Act 2, in hopes to make acting legend James Spader proud. 

Bryan Steffee: Doctor/Student
Bryan has been part of many productions, such as Bye, Bye Birdie, Lil’ Abner, Annie, and The Sound of Music. He was a member of the writing ensemble and cast for Voices From Hurt Street, scenic/lighting design assistant for I Love You Because and One Slight Hitch, a costume design assistant for The Crucible and Buried Child and on the crew for Spring Awakening at Kent State Stark. He is majoring in theatre with a minor in English. Bryan works as a theatre technician for the Kent State Stark Theatre Department.

Production Team

Brian Newberg: Director
Brian Newberg is an Assistant Professor of Theatre and Theatre Director at Kent State University at Stark. Brian’s directing experience (over eighty production credits) includes Broadway, Regional, Equity Waiver, industry showcases, new work development, and many college productions. He has extensive experience as an actor (over seventy production credits) in the New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Oregon areas. He has also served as an Associate Artistic Director for a regional theatre company, run his own private acting studios, and taught at a number of colleges on the west coast before coming to Kent State. Brian is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) and received his M.F.A. in Directing from the University of California, Irvine.

Louis Williams: Scenic & Lighting Designer
Louis Williams is the resident technical director, and scenic and lighting designer, at Kent State Stark and has designed over 200 productions in 30 years in theatre, opera, ballet and rock-n-roll. This includes work with such theatre companies as: The American Ballet Theatre II, The Joffrey Ballet II, The Arizona Theatre Company, The Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis, The Kenley Players, The Ohio Light Opera, The Cleveland Opera, The Cinncinnati Opera, Southern Arizona Light Opera Company, Carousel Dinner Theatre, The Agora, Cleveland Ohio, The Temple Of Music And Art, Tucson, Arizona, ChildsPlay Inc, of Phoenix, Arizona, and The Scottsdale Civic Center, Scottsdale, Arizona. Read more about Louis Williams' story.

Susan Blurton: Costume Designer
Susan Blurton has designed costumes for various productions over the past 16 years including the Canton Palace Theater, Canton Civic Center, Players Guild, Porthouse Theatre, John F. Knight Center, Akron Civic Theater and The Christmas Spectacular, which was recorded and aired on PBS. She began her venture into theatre while living in New York and freelancing for Off-Broadway shows, mainly as a stitcher and pattern maker. She designed sportswear for the 7th Ave. design house Ellen Tracy/Liz Claiborne. Her duties included designs for sportswear and the dress division, purchases of all fabric and trims, and dressing models at runway shows and photo shoots. While living in L.A., she served as a dresser to Franki Valli, The Pointer Sisters, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and she was a personal shopper for Aaron Spelling. Along with designing costumes, she is an active artist and art teacher. She received her B.S. in Fashion Design from the University of Cincinnati, Teaching Certification from Mount Union University and M.A. from Marygrove College.

Ron Jarvis: Sound Designer
You might recognize Ron Jarvis as a performer, producer, music director, and/or composer for such stalwart North East Ohio acts as The Buckeye Biscuit Band, Ital, First Light, Alex Bevan, Pat Dailey and, most recently, Macaw; the American Worldbeat Band. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Kent State where he has taught Art of the Theatre and Theatre Criticism classes as well as the three part series of Sound Design and Technology classes for the Entertainment Arts and Technologies certificates program. Ron has worked with world renowned directors Vincent Dowling (composition for The Winter’s Tale at Kent State) as well as Ping Chong (Blindness: The Irresistible Light Of Encounter at La Mama Theatre in NYC) and has served as a live mix consultant at Geauga Lake and Cedar Point Amusement Parks. Although his first sound design for Kent State Stark was for the 2002 production of Dancing at Lughnasa, since 2007 he has designed many of the Kent State Stark theatrical productions including Oklahoma!, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, Into the Woods, The Revenger’s Tragedy, The Mikado, Crazy for You, Dating is Tough to Do...and Funny, Too!, Songs for a New World, Plumfield, Iraq, Evil Dead: The Musical and Anton in Show Business.

Maya Nicholson: Assistant Director
Maya is majoring in theatre production with a minor in marketing. She graduated from Copley High School in Copley, Ohio as the President of her Thespian Club, where she performed in Smokey Joe’s Café, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Little Shop of Horrors; she has also directed George Washington Slept Here and Copley’s Got Talent (the annual talent show). She acted in Kent State Stark's Voices from Hurt Street as various characters, one being “Winifred Oprey” doing a play-off of the Oprah Winfrey Show, and she was costume design assistant for I Love You Because and assistant stage manager in Spring Awakening. Last season she performed as the sassy sister, Libby, in The Maiden’s Prayer, and most recently was Melanie, the outspoken sister in Lewis Black's One Slight Hitch. She is also currently enrolled in theatre courses, and aspires to be a director in theatre, film and television.

Breanna Morton: Stage Manager
Breanna is a freshman at Kent State Stark, majoring in Theatre Management. She graduated from Hoover High School in North Canton where she performed in Les Misérables and Beauty and the Beast; worked on Peter Pan, Aida, Harvey, The Paper Chase, Wizard of Oz, and It's a Wonderful Life; and she also was stage manager for It's Murder in the Wings, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Aladdin Jr. She hopes to one day move to New York City and work as a stage manager for Broadway shows.

Emily Weiss: Assistant Stage Manager
Emily graduated from GlenOak High School and is a freshman here at Kent State University at Stark. There are no words to describe how thrilled she is to have this play be her first production. Past credits include, Beauty and the Beast (Crew), Anything Goes (Chorus), The Music Man (Gracie Shinn), and Peter Pan (Lost Boy). She has also been involved with aspects of the performing arts scene, being the Student Director for May Show at her high school, and participated in various choirs. Emily would like to thank her family and friends, as well as her teachers, for all of their support, guidance, and giving her the opportunities to help her do what she loves.

Samantha Wadsworth: Assistant Stage Manager

 
 
 
Jeffrey White: Scenic/Lighting Design Assistant
Jeff has performed as an actor with the North Canton Playhouse, Stardust Dinner Theatre and the Canton Players Guild. Most recently, Jeff has performed in NCP's production of A Streetcar Named Desire. This followed his turn as Ed Norton in Stardust Dinner Theatre's The Honeymooners. Jeff also appeared as Billy Flynn in NCP's production of Chicago at The Palace Theatre in Canton, and played Bill Fordham in August: Osage County, and Ben in Night of the Living Dead. Jeff is Chairman and Chief Giving Officer of Incept Corporation. Jeff was the sound design assistant for The Maiden's Prayer at Kent State Stark. Jeff is VERY proud of his daughter (Lexi) and son (Griffin) and is MADLY in love with his beautiful wife Eun.

Michael DeWitt: Scenic/Lighting Design Assistant

 
 
 
Justin Miller: Sound Design Assistant

 
 
 
Michael Noble: Sound Design Assistant
Michael is a graduate of Lake High School, and is pursuing a film major at Kent State Stark. During high school, Michael went through the Video Productions Tech Prep program at Hoover High School. He has worked on many productions in video ranging from live broadcasts to short films. Michael is very excited to be a part of Blur because it is his first step into theatre.

Elizabeth Banks: Costume Design Assistant

 
 
 
Kelsey Tomlinson: Costume Design Assistant

Kelsey Scheppler: Costume Design Assistant
Kelsey is a freshman at Kent State University at Stark, majoring in Psychology. She graduated from Hoover High School in North Canton. She performed in Les Misérables, Beauty and the Beast, and The Audition. 

Caitlin Roberts: Crew
Caitlin is a junior as Kent State University at Stark. She is pursuing a major in theatre studies: design & technology, and a minor in music. Caitlin has worked on a number of shows at Kent State Stark: makeup & special effects design assistant for Evil Dead: The Musical, lighting/scenic design assistant for Buried Child, stage management for Plumfield, Iraq and Our House; assistant stage manager for Our House, crew for One Slight Hitch and helped in the production of the student written Voices From Hurt Street (as a member of the writing ensemble and makeup designer). Recently, Caitlin appeared as Wendla in Spring Awakening. Caitlin has worked as a Theatre Department technician in the scene shop at Kent State Stark for the past three years. She is a member of multiple choirs, as well as various performing ensembles here on campus.

James McKeon: Crew
James is a music technology major at Kent State Stark. He has an extensive background in music performance and writing, as well as painting. James has performed in various bands since 5th grade, and has created original artwork all his life. He learned about scenic design through his first full theatre experience at Kent State Stark with Evil Dead: The Musical and again as scenic/lighting design assistant in Spring Awakening. He recently was a crew member for The Maiden's Prayer, Cat's-Paw, Our House and One Slight Hitch. James works as a theatre technician for the Kent State Stark Theatre Department.

Stephen Ostertag: Crew
Stephen is a theatre major, who is excited to be involved in the Kent State Stark Theatre scene, where he was costume designer for Spring Awakening, costume design assistant for The Crucible, scenic/lighting design assistant for the production of Buried Child, crew for One Slight Hitch and was part of the writing ensemble for Voices from Hurt Street. Some of his favorite onstage credits include Lennie in Of Mice and Men, The Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz, and Nick in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Stephen also enjoys directing, writing and designing. When not busy with school, or his two children, Stephen runs the Silver Star Youth Theatre Company with his wife, Tricia. Stephen works as a theatre technician for the Kent State Stark Theatre Department.

Jillian Dailey: Crew
Jillian began her theatrical training at Lake Center Christian High School where she was involved in all the musicals and plays during her four years there. This included leading roles in Seussical and Little Women. She is a junior at Kent State Stark, where she has performed in Anton in Show Business and Plumfield, Iraq, was the costume design assistant for I Love You Because, Evil Dead: The Musical and Voices From Hurt Street, a member of the crew for The Maiden's Prayer, Cat's-Paw, Our House, One Slight Hitch and Spring Awakening. She was a member of the writing ensemble for Voices From Hurt Street. Jillian works as a theatre technician for the Kent State Stark Theatre Department.

Michaela Muckelrath: Crew

 
 
 
David Sponhour: Crew
David has been active in theater for over 30 years. He has performed on many local stages, and acted at Kent State Stark in Cat’s Paw, Buried Child and One Slight Hitch, where he is a full time theatre student. David served as assistant director for Voices from Hurt Street, sound design assistant for The Maiden's Prayer, and crew for Spring Awakening. He is also a founding member of “Scared Scriptless," Canton’s premiere professional Improv troupe. Some of his favorite past performances include Crumpet in Santaland Diaries, Comet in The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, Jerry in Zoo Story, and Hal in Proof starring All My Children’s David Canary. He spends what little free time he has with his wonderful, spectacular, and supportive wife, Christine.