Digital Program: Sweat
The Footlight Club Presents
SWEAT
by Lynn Nottage
Co-commissioned by Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s American Revolutions: The United States History Cycle and Arena Stage
World premiere produced by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
This production of SWEAT was first presented in New York by The Public Theater (Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Patrick Willingham, Executive Director)
Originally produced on Broadway by Stuart Thompson and Louise L. Gund.
The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited
Eliot Hall, 7A Eliot Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Information: 617-524-3200
The Footlight Club is supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund, a program of the state of Massachusetts administered through a collaborative arrangement between MassDevelopment and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The Footlight Club is also supported in part by a grant from the Boston Cultural Council, a local agency which is funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, administered by the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Tourism and Special Events.
Our newly accessible Eliot Hall, completed in February 2022, is supported by grants from
the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Cultural Facilities Fund, the Community Preservation Fund, and the George B. Henderson Foundation.
Director’s Note
Lynn Nottage’s Sweat is a complex, intricate interpretation of the “de-industrialization” of the once prosperous mid-sized city of Reading, Pennsylvania. The year 2000 was the dawn of a great recession in the U.S., one that hit industrial factories particularly hard. In a 2011 study, Reading PA was the U.S. city to receive the dubious designation of the city with the largest percentage of residents living in poverty. Layoffs due to factory closings pushed the unemployment rate over 41%. Between 1980 and 2010, the Latinx population of Berks county and Reading, PA more than quintupled. The demonization of the Latinx population in Reading, PA was real.
Yet in Nottage’s hands and skilled, subtle writing we witness and become party to a tight-knit group of friends dealing with everyday challenges, from unemployment, to deciding to go to college. This community of friends and co-workers hangs out at the same bar, celebrate joyous occasions like birthdays, and share concerns about friends and family falling on hard times. These folks have been friends for decades, whether black or white, they are a tightly-knit community. Nottage shows how it can all unravel so easily when faced with external economic pressure, and more insidious racial ones.
Even when pushed into shocking confrontation Nottage remains empathetic to all her characters. There are no easy villains in Sweat and this is not some far distant history we are viewing, but a struggle that exists today in a time where we still struggle with so many similar issues. I take from Sweat an ending that is hopeful and slightly optimistic, and a way we should all try to live as we struggle to understand a world that is in some ways more divided than ever.
Cast
Evan: Michael Nurse
Jason: Mikey Moses
Chris: Trevor St. Pierre
Stan: Bill Stambaugh
Oscar: Oscar Villeda Estrada
Tracey: Jaryn Wilcox
Cynthia: Juliette McClendon
Jessie: Courtney Breslin
Brucie: Reggie Joseph
Production Team
Producers: Benn Salter and Amanda Bedford
Director: Michael Colford
Stage Managers: Coco Coviello and Christopher Nadeau
Technical Director: Paul O’Shaughnessy
Set Designer: Sara Schonour
Master Carpenter: Donnchadh “Gaf” Condon
Costumes: Audrey Stuck-Girard
Props Designer: Katharine Schulz & Solon Perry
Set Dressing: David Alger
Lighting Designer: Sara Schonour
Sound & Video Designer: Chris Brousseau
Sound Assistant & Board Operator: Tom Marsh
Makeup Designer: Rose Conley
Hair Designer: Jasmine Santos
Fight Choreographer: Shira Cahn-Lipman
Dramaturg: Nick Osborne
Scenic Painter: Jennifer Bean
Specialty Set Carpenters: Robert Alger and Greg Paul
Run Crew/Props Wrangler: Bailey Life
Set Construction Crew
Jerry Wheelock, Brandon Hung, Laks Indrakaran, Val Tracy, Caitlin Enright, Colleen Averill, Hunter Hansen
Special Thanks
Elizabeth Bean, Jennifer Bean, Luke Bellamy, Amanda Bovoso, Brian Crete, Beth Curran, Naheem Garcia, The Jeanie Johnson, Deborah Karson, Shantel Schonour, Leslie Nordstrom
Cast and Crew Biographies
David Alger (Set Dressing Designer) is excited to be collaborating once again with his friends in Jamaica Plain. Drawn to the stage since elementary school, he performed in community theater for many years before moving backstage and shifting to costume design. However, his recent focus has been on scenic design, dressing sets for FLC’s productions of Miss Holmes, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, The Doll’s House and The Importance of Being Earnest (DASH winner). Other FLC costume design credits include: Man of No Importance, Ravenscroft, Promises, Promises, Moon Over Buffalo, The Cat’s Meow, Parade (DASH winner), Ragtime (DASH winner), Hair, Gypsy and Bye Bye Birdie. Other costume design credits include: Olympus on My Mind, Bad Seed, Ruthless! The Musical, The Paisley Sisters’ Christmas Special, Guys and Dolls, Our Town, Two by Two, Chicago, Lend Me a Tenor, The Secret Garden, Assassins, Pride and Prejudice. Many thanks to Michael, Sara and Amanda and to his partner Jamie. Special shoutout to his brother Rob for joining this amazing project. “Theater is a verb before it is a noun, an act before it is a place.” - Martha Graham.
Robert Alger (Specialty Set Carpenter): Sweat marks Rob's first community theater production. For many years he has honed his carpentry and design skills in the industries of post and beam construction and commercial fabrication. He has enjoyed this unique opportunity to support the Footlight Club.
Jennifer Bean (Scenic Artist) is a long-time Footlight Club groupie who enjoys both acting and painting. She was most recently seen on the FLC stage as Sherlock in Miss Holmes. Thanks to the crew for bringing her in to apply an artistic layer of grime to the set.
Amanda Bedford (Co-producer) is happy to be working on her first theatrical production since before the pandemic! A longtime Footlight Club member, she has been seen onstage in many productions including Gypsy, Seussical, Tommy, Promises, Promises, and Honk! as well as being a member of the Cabar7A family. Amanda has also served on the Board of Directors as Vice President and President, along with volunteering for multiple committees over the years. Sweat is the fourth show she’s produced, having also produced Moon Over Buffalo, Heathers, and The Importance of Being Earnest. Thank you to a stellar cast and production team for creating yet another stunning piece of community theater at our beloved Footlight Club.
Courtney Breslin (Jessie) is delighted to be making her Footlight Club debut! She is returning to the stage after a long time away and would like to thank her friends and family for their support.
Chris Brousseau (Sound & Video Designer) is excited to be back working at Footlight, celebrating 12 years on and off the stage here! Recent technical credits include Hovey Players: Appropriate (Sound Design); Footlight Club: Proof (Sound Design), Xanadu (Sound Design), Woman in White (Technical Direction, Virtual Theater), Legally Blonde (Sound Design); Riverside Theater Works: Next to Normal (Sound Design). Thanks to Sara, Michael, Paul. Learn more at www.chrisbrousseau.com.
Shira Cahn-Lipman (Fight Choreographer) is super excited to be back at the Footlight Club. She absolutely loves working with actors on developing realistic (physically safe) stage violence and is thrilled to get to play with such an amazingly talented and dedicated cast. Recent fight choreography credits include Little Women (Concord Players), Witch (Hovey Players), Peter and the Starcatcher (Vokes), and Heathers (Footlight Club). Shira is looking forward to being back onstage in the upcoming Footlight Club production of Tuck Everlasting. Immense and endless gratitude to IA and squish for their love and support even despite so many missed bedtimes.
Michael Colford (Director) feels privileged to be directing Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Sweat. His past directing work includes Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike and Xanadu on the mainstage, three 7A shows, Proof, The Great God Pan, and Marion Bridge; co-directing Honk!, and assistant directing Heathers: The Musical. In addition, Michael has produced several memorable shows at the Footlight Club, including Promises Promises, In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play, The Rocky Horror Show, and Clybourne Park. Michael would like to thank all the directors with whom he has worked that have informed many of his choices going forward. Michael is the Footlight Club Board Vice President, the interim Promotions Director, and serves on the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee. He is the President of the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film (http://chlotrudis.org), the Board Clerk for the Provincetown Film Society, and the Director of Library Services for the Boston Public Library.
Donnchadh (Gaf) Condon (Master Carpenter) began volunteering at The Footlight Club in 2011 on the set build of Seussical and has since been a carpenter on over twenty productions. In addition, he designed the sets for productions of The Sound of Music and Steel Magnolias and is a former Trustee of Eliot Hall. Gaf’s love of set design and construction also extends into his professional life. As a member of IATSE 481, he works on film and television productions throughout New England, including Don’t Look Up, Little Women and Spirited. He’s delighted to be back in the theater working with the cast and crew on Sweat.
Rose Conley (Make-up): In their debut collaboration with The Footlight Club, Rose Conley (they/them) is thrilled to take on the role of Makeup Designer for the compelling production of Sweat. Drawing on previous experience with Theatre @ First in Somerville, Rose brings a deep love for theater makeup to the crew, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to the creation of this impactful show.
Coco Coviello (Co-Stage Manager) is super excited to be part of this production! Previous FLC credits include Stage Manager for Heathers: The Musical (DASH nominee), Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, and A Man of No Importance; Assistant Stage Manager for Wait Until Dark, Reckless, Boeing Boeing, The Rocky Horror Show, Promises, Promises, The Music Man; and Xanadu, co-producer for The Cat’s Meow; lighting tech/op/design for Seussical, The Wild Party, and Three Sisters; and props for Absurd Person Singular, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Spamalot! (DASH nominee), and Parade. Other theater credits include props for City of Angels, The Secret Garden, Lend Me a Tenor, and Chess, all with The Longwood Players. She would like to thank her husband, Pacey, for his patience and unwavering love and support.
Reggie Joseph (Brucie): This is my 1st production for the Footlight Club. In Sweat, I’m playing the role of Brucie, I currently live in Randolph, Ma. I’ve done theater, film, commercials for the last couple of years, my favorite roles are Walter Lee Younger in Raisin In the Sun, Macbeth in Macbeth, Don John in Much Ado About Nothing, Clifford Anderson in Deathtrap, Ben in Night Of The Living Dead, Guildenstern in Hamlet, Charles The Wrestler in As You Like It and countless others. It’s always amazing to meet and work with other talented actors, directors and producers and I can’t wait to share the stage with the talented cast of Sweat. When I’m not doing theater, I’m a NASM certified personal trainer, Anime fan and video gamer.
Bailey Life (Run Crew/Props Wrangler)
Thomas Christopher Marsh (Sound Ops): Tom is a graduate from UMass Lowell where he learned electrical and audio engineering. He is an actor around the Boston area and is excited to be a part of his first show as a sound designer.
Juliette McClendon (Cynthia): This is Juliette’s 2nd show with The Footlight Club after playing Miss Crowe in A Man of No Importance last Spring. In the Fall, Juliette was Leading Player in Pippin at Arlington Friends of the Drama. In addition to performing, Juliette is a psychologist and parent to two boys, Desmond and Dominic. Special thanks to their fiancée, Lizet, for taking care of the boys during rehearsal nights.
Matt McKee (Promotional Photography) is proud to have been collaborating with the enthusiastic and creative members of the Footlight Club for the past two decades,creating photography and photo illustrations for over 70 posters. Sweat represented an opportunity to help brand the Director’s vision for the production and work with the fantastic talents of the actors and production team. During the day, Matt can be found creating photography for a wide variety of companies, manufacturers and industries in the Greater Boston area (samples at mckeephotography.com).
Mikey Moses (Jason): Mikey is pumped to be back at the Footlight after appearing in A Man of No Importance (with Juliette!) last spring. He’s grateful to have the chance to work with and learn from the amazing cast and crew of this production of Sweat. Many thanks and much love to Allie and Jazz, as always, for everything.,
Christopher Nadeau (Co-Stage Manager): is very excited to be working with the very talented cast and crew of Sweat! As a member of the Footlight Club for the past 17 years, Chris has worn many hats in previous productions. His past credits include assistant stage managing Spamalot and A Man of No Importance, and stage managing The Rocky Horror Show (DASH nominee) and Legally Blonde. He also received a DASH award for stage managing And Then There Were None at the Footlight Club many moons ago. He hopes you come to see this season’s musical, Tuck Everlasting, in the spring!
Michael Nurse (Evan) is very pleased and honored to be working with the cast crew of This Footlight Club in this current production. My journey into theater started in a play called The Sorcerer’s Apprentice as an 8-year-old in my birthplace of London England at primary school. My family relocated to America, specifically Boston, where I joined a program in high school called Metro Pathways where I got a good taste of theater in a play called A Clearing in the Woods. I later attended Emerson College where I performed in such plays as The Cherry Orchard, Day of Absence, and A Streetcar Named Desire. After graduating with a BFA degree, I performed in various plays with several companies such as Underground Railway, Harvard Experimental Theater, Gloucester Stage, New Repertory Theater, MIT Players, and New African Theater. I have also appeared i such films as BLOWN AWAY, HOUSESITTER, MYSTIC RIVER, SURROGATES, GONE BABY GONE and THE DEPARTED.
Nick Osborne (Dramaturg) is so happy to return to the Footlight Club after roles in Pippin and Cabaret. Other credits include 42nd Street (The Umbrella), Pirates of Penzance (Yorick Ensemble), Hamlet (Brown Box), and A Man of No Importance (Bad Habit). Thank you to the entire team for the opportunity to work with this great group of artists.
Paul O'Shaughnessy (Tech Director) wandered into the Footlight Club 35 years ago and is a longtime member of the technical team. At the Footlight Club, he has designed lighting for Pippin, Our Town (DASH nominee), Spamalot, Wait Until Dark, Hair (DASH nominee), Psycho Beach Party, The Wild Party and others. He has appeared onstage at Footlight in Big, The Sound of Music, The Lion in Winter, The Rocky Horror Show, Lend Me a Tenor, No Exit, Cabaret and others. Paul also appears in each December’s Boston Tea Party re-enactment, and as a British officer in his hometown of Lexington on Patriot’s Day each April.
Greg Paul (Specialty Set Carpenter): When he’s not building props and sets for several local theater groups, Greg is a Master Maker and STEM Instructor in the areas of woodworking, electronics, and robotics. His work is closely supervised by his wife and two cats. A few times, Greg has even been known to step out of the workshop and into onstage roles. Past theater credits include creating Manuel’s boat in Captains Courageous (EMACT award), the lute in Once Upon a Mattress, Tommy's pinball machine, and two generations of Model T Ford, spotlighted in the Footlight Club’s production (as well as re-used by other local community theater groups) of Ragtime.
He is thrilled to be working once again with his dear friend, David Alger. Much love!
Solon Perry (Asst. Props Design) feels very excited to be a part of his first ever show at the Footlight Club. He is currently a student at MassArt where he studies sculpture. He would like to thank the entire cast and crew for their collaboration and talent. He would also like to shout-out Katharine Schulz for being his partner on all things props.
Benn Salter (Co-producer) is excited and grateful to be producing his second show with the Footlight Club. Prior to this, Benn was the producer for the Footlight Club’s production of A Man of No Importance. He was producer and stage manager for many productions over the years for the MIT Gilbert & Sullivan Society including The Pirates of Penzance, Iolanthe, 1776, The Mikado, and Chess. Benn also worked with the Lilac Players to produce Cabaret, a show that was unfortunately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Outside of the theater Benn enjoys dancing to swing and blues music and trying to soothe his feisty tabby cat.
Jasmine Santos (Hair) (she/her) is excited to be a part of the incredible Sweat production team. This is her first Footlight Club production and this journey marks my first foray into the exciting world of hairstyling for the stage. Eager to bring creativity and innovation to this production's visual tapestry; Jasmine is grateful for this opportunity.
Sara Schonour (Set & Lighting Design) (she/her) is thrilled to take part in another collaboration with the Footlight Club. She’s contributed behind-the-scenes most recently to productions of Proof, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Clybourne Park, The Great God Pan, and Batboy, and you can also see her "on stage" in the hit Netflix series Baking Impossible. Sara is so grateful to those who support and run the Club, which offers an inclusive space to explore, share, and create community. She sends shout-outs to the fabulous direction/production team + talented cast, and a special thank-you to David, Gaf, Chris, and Paul for their collaboration. Last but certainly not least, she sends her undying love and appreciation to Shantel, her incredible wife, for her endless support and encouragement!
Katharine Schulz (Props Designer) is delighted to be a part of this wonderful production of Sweat. This is her first time collaborating with the Footlight Club, and she feels very lucky to be a part of such a talented cast and crew. She is currently studying Personal Relations & Marketing Communications at Simmons University, but has felt so lucky to be working in theatre again. She would like to thank her assistant props designer Solon Perry for all of his help.
Trevor St. Pierre (Chris) is ecstatic to be back at the Footlight Club for his 2nd production with them. You may recognize him from his portrayal of Krogstad in A Doll’s House with the Footlight Club. Other past credits include Father in Eurydice (T@F) and Tom Robinson in To Kill A Mockingbird (Mugford Street Players). When he is not on stage, he enjoys the company of his loved ones and all of the dogs (but his pup Rocky the most). Biggest shout out to Emily for being one hell of a partner (and an even more badass woman knowm’sayin!?)
Bill Stambaugh (Stan): Bill is pleased to be back at The Footlight Club for their production of Sweat. He has been involved in the Theatre for over 25 years as an actor, a director, a teacher and coach. On stage, he has over 120+ plays to his credit. During that time, Bill has been nominated for 6 New England DASH Acting awards (two wins) and has been awarded Best Actor awards at both the MA and the NH EMACT Acting Festivals. In the summer of 2008, Bill made his Off-Broadway debut in the original piece Last Night for the Manhattan Theatre Club. When he is not acting, he can usually be found at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge as part of the Boston Slam Poetry scene. He would like to thank Michael for the opportunity, his cast and crew for their patience in the process, his crew at Tessie’s Waltham for the training and supplies for the bar, the ‘theatre community’ for his resilience, and K, E, G, and P for his Love…always, Keep Going.
Audrey Stuck-Girard (Costume Designer): Audrey joined the Footlight Club in 2014 and has appeared in several mainstage and 7A productions (Reckless, Company, Boeing Boeing, Fiddler on the Roof, Promises Promises, The Music Man, Ravenscroft, Talking With) before shifting her focus to costumes, starting with The Importance of Being Earnest in 2018. Audrey would like to thank Michael for giving her a reason to return to the wardrobe room, Jamie and David for helping her find her way through the wardrobe room, and Chris and Wally for giving her a reason to leave the wardrobe room at the end of the night.
Oscar Villeda-Estrada (Oscar): This is Oscar’s first production at the footlight club. He’s incredibly grateful to both the cast and crew who have been incredibly welcoming. He studies at the Michael Chekhov Actors Studio Boston, which he calls his second home. He hails from Chelsea and would like to send a shout out to everyone back at home.
Jaryn Wilcox (Tracey): Originally from northeastern PA, Jaryn has been performing in the Boston area since 2014. She previously appeared onstage at Footlight Club in The Doll’s House (2022) and virtually in 25 for 25 (2020). Most recently, she and her castmates were awarded the 2023 EMACT DASH Awards for Best Play and Best Ensemble for their performance of Witch at Hovey Players, directed by Katie Swimm. Favorite roles have included Cy Burns (Burning), Casey (Anton in Show Business), Lady Macbeth, and Hermia (Dead Man’s Cell Phone).
Board of Directors
Elizabeth Bean, Michael Colford, Zach Best, Rob Guptill, Brian Bakofen, Gabrielle Jaques, Sara Schonour, Shantel Schonour, Jude Torres, Jen Ryan Gelzleichter,Val Tracy, Meredith Weaver, Lorie Komlyn, Paul O’Shaughnessy, Amanda Bovoso, Ryder Nguyen
Board of Trustees
Gabrielle Jaques, Paul Campbell, Shannon Daly, Katie Taylor, Shelly Norton, Stephen Lussier, Lorie Komlyn
Promotions and Publicity
Michael Colford, Promotions Director
Jonathan Drapinski, Social Media Coordinator
Matt McKee, Photographer
Kristin MacDougall
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
Jude Torres, Michael Colford, Kara Chu Nelson, Lessie Tyson, Ally Rzesa, Amanda Bedford, Melissa Paz, Mordecai Choi, Samuel Botsford, Steven Key
Special thanks to all our dedicated volunteers who continue to help keep the Footlight Club running day in and day out, from front of house, to club clean-outs, we appreciate you!
If you are interesting in becoming a volunteer, please contact us at volunteers@footlight.org
And to our loyal members and patrons, thank you for continuing to support the Footlight Club!
Thank You to Our Footlight Family
We Are So Grateful for Your Support
As you walked in this evening, you no doubt noticed the beautiful new accessible entrance to the Footlight. This project – a new exterior ADA-compliant ramp and interior elevator to all four floors of Eliot Hall – ensures that all our guests can fully access all our spaces. Along the way, extensive repairs needed to be made to the foundation and existing chimneys. New spaces in our basement and on the third floor will provide essential props storage, and we’re already feeling warmer with an upgraded furnace system.
These upgrades were only possible through the generous financial support of our community partners. We extend our thanks to the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Cultural Facilitates Fund, the Community Preservation Fund, and the George B. Henderson Foundation. Most of our funding came from donations large and small from our Footlight Family. Thank you to everyone who donated.
The continued revitalization and restoration of Eliot Hall will always be one of Footlight’s top priorities. Your contributions will continue to make it possible to take on large-and-small-scale restoration projects, as well as maintaining the day-to-day operations of the building.
Every Gift Counts
If you are thinking about making your first gift, now is the time to make a gift in any amount.
Please give now at: www.footlight.org/donate
Or mail a check payable to The Footlight Club to:
Treasurer, The Footlight Club, 7A Eliot Street , Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Other Ways to Give
Email Treasurer@Footlight.org to make a gift of stock.
Become a Footlight Club Monthly Sustainer. For gift of over $500, your donation will renew, and your credit or debit card will automatically be billed each month. Please email Development@Footlight.org for more details
