Our House

By Theresa Rebeck

An arrogant television executive faced with dwindling ratings hires America's favorite news anchor to host a popular reality show. Meanwhile, a TV addict with an unhealthy obsession for her teeters on the edge as tensions in her house rise and explode into a drama that holds the nation riveted. Filled with comedic satire, Our House examines a culture that is fascinated with transforming sobering crisis into sexy entertainment.  

For mature audiences only, due to violent content and strong language.

SHOW PHOTOS

2014 Performance Dates

April 4, 5, 11 & 12 at 8 p.m.
April 6 & 13 (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 March 24.
• 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 March 24 at 8 a.m.

Cast

Sophia Kisgeropoulos: Jennifer
Sophia is a sophomore at Kent State Stark, and is majoring in psychology. While it is her first time participating as an actress in a theatre production, Sophia has taken several acting courses here at Kent State Stark, including her favorite, Improv. She would like to thank Brian Newberg for his innovative teaching style that has taught her so much about acting, as well as her mother, Chris, for always supporting any and all of her endeavors. In her free time, Sophia models with a professional agency on the side, has an ongoing moderate obsession with the band Green Day, and enjoys playing with her two cats, Panther and T-Love.

Clay Magilavy: Wes
Clay is a freshmen from Kent, Ohio, majoring in music technology. He has been in numerous plays, his first role being The Father in The First Thanksgiving when he was in second grade. From there he went on to participate in many productions for the Kent Children's Musical Theatre, including Balloo the Bear in Jungle Book, Jafar in Alladin, and he even performed at the Akron Civic as Horton from Seussical the Musical. He continued his theatre career in high school, where he played roles such as Samuel from Pirates of Penzance and Judah in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He also wrote three plays and directed one. He sang baritone in a barbershop quartet known as Tetrad, which competed and won at the Johnny Appleseed District High School Barbershop Finals.

C.J. Pinter: Stu
C.J. is a sophomore at Kent State Stark, and is majoring in marketing as well as theatre. C.J. has done theatre in high school, snagging multiple leads in Rehearsal for Murder, and being plant operator for Little Shop of Horrors. He also started the One Act Festival at his high school and was president of the Improv club. Aside from theatre, he enjoys a nice healthy lunch from Chipotle, head banging to music, and quoting Will Ferrell as much as humanly possible. He would like to thank the director for challenging him and giving him this great opportunity. Recently, C.J. played Paul in The Maiden's Prayer at Kent State Stark.

Jessica Swank: Jessica Swank has been involved in high school, community and professional theatre. Her passion is theatre because it takes all of the other arts disciplines, and brings them together. She has taken a strong interest in costuming and playwriting, and wishes to pursue them both, as well as acting. Some of her roles include; 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.

Jennifer Nelson: Alice
Jenny is thrilled to be back on the stage at Kent State Stark! While away, she obtained dual bachelor's degree in theatre and music performance and pursued a music career in Nashville, Tennessee, where she appeared in two episodes of ABC's hit show Nashville. Her favorite roles include Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, Amneris in Aida, and Solange in The Maids. Thanks to Brian for this opportunity, and to her family and husband for their love and support!

Cassandra Terry: Grigsby
Cassandra is a junior at Kent State Stark and is pursuing a degree in human development and family studies with a focus in family life education. Her previous theatre experience includes acting in Voices from Hurt Street, Godspell, Once Upon A Mattress, Grease, Beauty and the Beast, The Sound of Music, and Annie Get Your Gun. Cassie is a graduate of Field High School and when not busy with her schoolwork, she enjoys reading, dancing and spending quality time with her family.

Bryant Campbell: Vince
Bryant appeared in the Kent State Stark productions of The Glass Menagerie, Songs for a New World and Dating is Tough to Do… and Funny, Too! Bryant would also like to thank his family and all of his supportive friends who continue to be his inspiration to do what he loves.

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 (more than 80 production credits) includes Broadway, regional, equity waiver, industry showcases, new work development, and many college productions. He has extensive experience as an actor (more than 70 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 more than 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 in Cleveland, Ohio; the Temple of Music and Art in Tucson, Arizona; ChildsPlay Inc. of Phoenix, Arizona; and the Scottsdale Civic Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. Read more about Louis Williams.

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 Frankie 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 an 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 Northeast 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.

Molly Patterson: Stage Manager
Molly Patterson is a senior at Kent State University pursuing a BFA in theatre design and technology. Her credits include stage manager for I Love You Because (2012); assistant stage manager for The Crucible: An Opera (2013) and Buried Child (2012); assistant director for Cat's-Paw (2014); and scenic/lighting design assistant for The Maiden's Prayer (2013) and Voices from Hurt Street (2013). She also has spent the past two seasons working as a Theatre Department technician at Kent State Stark. She would like to dedicate her work on Our House in memory of her father, who always supported her theatrical endeavors. Romans 5:4

Caitlin Roberts: Assistant Stage Manager
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; and helped in the production of the student written Voices from Hurt Street (as a member of the writing ensemble and makeup designer). 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.

Hilary Carrender: Costume Design Assistant
Hilary is a sophomore majoring in theater production. She grew up in Amherst, Ohio, and began her theatrical career as a member of The Cleveland Singing Angels. She was in choir and theater all through school. She spent a year in Nashville, Tennessee, studying music at Belmont University. She then relocated to Orlando, Florida, to live her dream of being a part of the Entertainment Department of Walt Disney World. She plans to finish her degree at Kent State, then return to Florida to be an entertainment manager at Disney. She enjoys yoga, dancing, song writing, and spending time with her fiancé, Josh, who she is marrying this June.

Natalie Nicholson: Costume Design Assistant
This is Natalie's first semester in the Kent State Stark Theatre Department, and thus, Our House is her first time helping with a production. Although new to theater, she is no stranger to costuming and costume design. She had been making and designing costumes for nearly seven years, and is excited to be of help with the designs of Our House and more shows to come.

Sarah Peters: Scenic/Lighting Design Assistant
Sarah is majoring in electronic media while minoring in theatre. After attending a year at Kent, she transferred to NYCDA: School for Film and Television located in New York City, which she graduated from. In addition to NYCDA, she also received voice over training from Howard Ross, her voice over coach, voice over character training from Paul Liberti, and improv training from the Red Tie Mafia improvisational group. She has now returned to Kent to finish where she left off. Before college, she appeared in numerous community plays at the Canal Fulton Players Guild, and was active in her high school theatre and choir productions. Some of her past performances include Buried Child and Anton in Show Business at Kent State Stark, where she was also a scenic/lighting design assistant for I Love You Because and Voices from Hurt Street and a crew member for The Maiden's Prayer and Cat's-Paw. She also performed in The Music Man, The Odd Couple, Bus Stop, Fiddler on the Roof, The Wizard of Oz, The Man Who Came to Dinner, and Blithe Spirit.

Lynda Wilkinson: Sound Design Assistant
Lynda is a freshman at Kent State University at Stark, majoring in theatre. Lynda was in a play her senior year of high school entitled Senile Senior Bliss. She began singing as a young child with her father who was a musician. She performed on a local television show that aired weekly, and in clubs and churches. Lynda has done some commercial acting for a local college and restaurant. She also is the voice over voice for DentalWorks auto attendant. Her first involvement in theatre at Kent State Stark was the privilege of being the sound design assistant for Cat’s-Paw. She looks forward to furthering her theatrical involvement at Kent State Stark.

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 sophomore 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 and Cat's-Paw, and was a member of the writing ensemble for Voices from Hurt Street.

Jonathan Diehl: Crew
Jonathan is pursuing a music technology degree here at Kent State Stark. He has a been a part of a few concerts and plays at Kent State Stark, such as I Love You Because (crew), Voices from Hurt Street (assistant stage manager & composer/musician), The Maiden's Prayer (stage manager) and Cat's-Paw (stage manager).

Cory Kosman: Crew
Cory’s theater experience started in 7th grade when he acted in the musical Guys And Dolls. When freshman year rolled around he found himself being drawn towards the technical side of the theater. Since then he has had a deep love of anything tech related; sound especially. He has been the lead sound engineer on two musicals at his high school. He has also worked sound for two rock concerts that took place at his high school. He was a scenic/lighting design assistant for I Love You Because and Cat's-Paw, crew for Buried Child, and a musician/composer for Voices from Hurt Street at Kent State Stark, and hopes to continue on the tech path throughout college and beyond.

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. He recently was a crew member for The Maiden's Prayer and Cat's-Paw.

John-Michael Roberts: Crew
John-Michael is a junior at Kent State University at Stark majoring in psychology and minoring in theatre sound design. His work in the theater has ranged from acting (Buried Child, Huck Finn’s Story, Crazy for You, Cat's-Paw), sound design assistant (I Love You Because, Dating is Tough to Do,and Funny Too!, The Glass Menagerie) and stage management (Anton in Show Business, The Crucible). He was part of the writing ensemble for Voices from Hurt Street and recently a crew member for The Maiden's Prayer. In the future he hopes to continue his work in theatre while working on his degree in counseling.