"The subjects for our people's theatre will have to be new. Its
audience has changed, and now we must talk to this audience about itself.
As far as I am concerned, I now have nothing more to say to the
bourgeois."
-Jean-Paul Sartre
1955
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About the Crew of...
THE MOTHER
Scroll down to meet the fearless gang of behind-the-scenes-ians
who made everything possible!
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Kurt Schneiderman*
(Director/Web Designer/Set Painting)
Subversive Theatre's Founder & Artistic Director,
Kurt is thrilled to have this opportunity to at long last bring to life this
wild re-interpretation of THE MOTHER -- a concept he has been
developing for over five years now.
A playwright, director, Award-winning lighting
designer, playwrighting professor at Canisius College, and life-long activist, Kurt has directed the lion's share of
Subversive Theatre's productions including our Artie Award-winning rendition
of WAITING FOR
LEFTY (2008).
Kurt proudly dedicates this project and all his artistic works to the coming Peoples'
Revolution in the hopes we're making Brecht proud!
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Bob Van Valin
(Assistant Director)
Bob recently made his directorial debut with
Subversive Theatre directing the vignette "How
You Play the Game" as part of sUBVERsIVE
sHORTs 2010 and is ecstatic to be working with us once again.
A
recent graduate of the University at Buffalo, Bob was the Theatre Student Guild Co-President,
Assistant Director on THE CHERRY ORCHARD under Kazimierz Braun, and directed several pieces of his own,
including: THIS IS OUR YOUTH, Beckett’s
ROUGH FOR THEATRE I, Pinter’s THE
DWARFS, and David
Ives’ ALL IN THE TIMING.
Bob would like to thank Kurt Schneiderman for this
opportunity to work on THE MOTHER. |
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Laura Mooney
(Stage Management/Props & Costumes)
Laura
just started with Subversive Theatre acting in the vignette "Honey-Coated
Ham" as part of sUBVERsIVE
sHORTs 2010.
She's thrilled to be back trying her hand at stage
management for the first time.
Laura's a sophomore at
Buffalo State College majoring in Theater and a graduate of Kenmore West High
School where she appeared in THE SPOON RIVER
ANTHOLOGY and SHAKESPEARE ABRIDGED under the direction of Vanessa
Baryness Scinta. She's been in many shows with The
Towne Players including A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU,
STAGE GIRLS, and MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL.
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Ashley Bobbett
(Set & Prop Design)
Ashley just started working with Subversive Theatre
crafting the set for our last production, sUBVERsIVE
sHORTs 2010. We're thrilled to have her back on the job this
time around!
While attending Onondaga Community College as
a Fine Arts Major, Ashley realized she wanted to be a Set Designer. So
she
transferred to Buffalo State College and switched her major to theatre. At Buff State she worked
on ANYTHING GOES, IN THE BLOOD, and THE MYTH OF MILES
building set pieces and props.
In addition to working her guts out on our set,
Ashley is also one of the organizers of this year's "infringement"
Festival. Outside the theater, she makes sandwiches at the
Globe Market and also enjoys dancing, sewing, and riding her bike. |
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John Shotwell*
(Lighting Design)
Subversive Theatre's Resident Sound Designer, John is
also a qualified electrician and lighting designer. After nearly twenty
years working in the Electrics Department of Studio Arena Theatre, John has
served as the Lighting Designer for both Buffalo Ensemble Theatre and the New
Phoenix Theatre.
With Subversive Theatre, John has been involved with
our productions in a number of different capacities starting with A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON MY WAY TO SHOOT THE CZAR
way back in 2004 all the way through to our most recent production, sUBVERsIVE
sHORTs 2010.
John has also been busy as the co-organizer of the
theatre division of this year's "infringement" Festival with
crew-mate Ashley Bobbett.
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Paul Stephenson
(Costume Assemblage)
After years as a Fashion Design Major at Chicago's
Columbia College of the Arts and a pattern maker for Chicago's Mir
Couture,
Paul has recently returned to his native soil of Buffalo where he works on
several different aspects of fashion design.
Paul has served as the costumier for Subversive Theatre's
productions of DROP
HAMMER (2008), WATERBOARDING BLUES (2009),
THE
HAIRY APE (for the 2009 Buffalo "infringement"
Festival), and -- most recently -- HARVEST
(2010). For some reason, he just keeps putting up with us! Welcome
back, Paul! |
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Jeanette Schneiderman*
(Set Painting)
Subversive Theatre's Education Director and member of
our Board of Directors, Jenny often plays a crucial role helping out with our
productions a various behind the scenes capacities.
This time around, Jenny put her creative talents to
work as part of the set painting team that painted the massive wall murals
featured in this show.
Thanks, Jenny, it's terrific to have you be a part of
it all!
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Melissa Grosse
(Poster Illustrator & Set Painter)
Melissa first started worked with Subversive Theatre
a year ago sketching backdrops for our production of THE
HAIRY APE for the 2009 Buffalo "infringement"
Festival. Since then she has provided the illustrations on posters for
our productions of WIDOWS
(2009), WE WON'T
PAY! WE WON'T PAY! (2009), HARVEST
(2010), and NECESSARY
TARGETS (2010).
For THE MOTHER, Melissa both crafted the image
for the poster and was a part of the massive wall painting project.
Great job, Melissa! |
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Michael Fanelli*
(Executive Director/Treasurer)
As Subversive Theatre's Executive Director, Board
Member, and Treasurer, Mike
routinely plays a variety of crucial roles in bringing our productions to
life.
As always, we're delighted to have him on board.
Thanks, Mike, we couldn't do it with out ya!
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Rachel Zeller*
(Production Manager)
As Subversive Theatre's recently enshrined Production
Manager, Rachel has been playing a number of important roles in helping our
newest production come screaming into the world -- from props gathering to
inventory-taking, she's done a lot to help keep everything moving forward
while simultaneously facing the Herculean challenge of getting the
instinctively anarchistic institution of Subversive Theatre more organized and
better coordinated.
Rachel has been involved in
theatre since the tender age of eight years old and has worked on many, many
shows both on stage and behind the scenes. She holds an A.S. in Theatre from Finger Lakes
Community College and recently earned her B.A. in Theatre from UB.
A mother of two beautiful
daughters, and married to the perfect man, Rachel is very humble. |
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Lizz Schumer*
(Publicity Director)
Subversive Theatre's Publicity Director for almost a
year now, Lizz is a key link in spreading the word about our productions.
Lizz's background is shrouded in a near-impenetrable
cloak of mystery, but rumor has it that she grew up around here, went to
school around here, and -- evidently -- is yet to escape.
After studying both communications and the theatre as
an undergrad, Lizz developed an abiding passion for daring,
unconventional, and socially relevant theatre -- making her the perfect
candidate to carry forth the news of Subversive Theatre's work to the world.
Thanks for all your great work, Lizz!
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Tom Scahill*
(House Management)
A member of Subversive Theatre's Board of Directors
and the Organizer of our Troupe, Tom has long played an important role
tackling the unglamorous logistical tasks that make a theatre run . . . and,
as if this wasn't enough, he's also acted in a number of our productions!
On this project, Tom is once again playing a crucial
role overseeing the challenges of House Management and assembling a great team
of ushers, helpers, and do-ers, as well as doing the lion's share of the
postering. Way to go, Tom! |
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* = indicates members of the Subversive Theatre
Collective
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