Digital Program: Tuck Everlasting
The Footlight Club Presents
Tuck Everlasting
Lyrics by Nathan Tysen
Music by Chris Miller
Based on the Novel Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited
Time: August 1893, with a few exceptions
Location: Treegap, New Hampshire and its surrounding wood
Tuck Everlasting runs for approximately 120 minutes. There will be a 15-minute intermission
CONTENT WARNING: There will be short scenes of violence, weaponry, and a gun shot.
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.
Cast
Winnie Foster: Adeline DeFeo
Jesse Tuck: Maggie Poost
Mae Tuck: Kathleen Comber
Miles Tuck: Howie Reith
Angus Tuck: Todd Sandstrom
The Man in Yellow: Brian Bakofen
Betsy Foster: Lisa Tierney
Nan Foster: Shira Cahn-Lipman
Hugo: Ash Quasney-Sandler
Constable Joe: Jim Ansart
Ensemble
Miriam Abbet, Alora Allard-Walsh, Julia Bandini, Amanda Bovoso, Dave Brown, Hubert Hwang, Lila Hoffman, Jessica Ingram-Bee, Leah Jackson, Adam Johnson, A.J. Lyman, Zack Page, Gina Pascuito, Stephanie Planchart, Millar Vigoda, Emma Walker
Production Team
Director: Katie Swimm
Music Director: Jeff Kimball
Choreographer: Alicia Powell
Producer: Valerie Tracy
Assistant Producer: Meredith Weaver
Stage Manager: Christopher Nadeau
Assistant Stage Manager: Lexi Feldman & Dayna Reichert
Technical Director: Paul O’Shaughnessy
Set Designer/Master Carpenter: Zach Best
Set Dressing: Rebecca Margolin
Lead Painter: Jenn Bean
Lighting Designers: Paul O’Shaughnessy & Olivia Sederlund
Sound Designer: Dannie Smith
Props Designer: Caitlin Faria
Costume Designer: Liza Ulrich
Hair Designer: Marc Capizzi
Puppetry Consultant: Amy Meyer
Band
Music Director: Keyboards 1: Jeff Kimball
Keyboards 2: Brittany Garcia
Bass: Warren Olsen
Drums: Casey Voss
Drums (sub): Sam Metzger
Percussion: Eli Geruschat
Guitar: Robert Draper
Violin/Viola: Caroline Leguía
Cello: Natalia McDermott
Reed 1: Dave Daquil
Reed 2 (Shared): Christian Arroyo
Reed 2 (Shared): Beth Goodman
Reed 2 (Shared): Emily Dawnson
Trumpet: Cheryl Przytula
Set Construction Crew
Gabriela Amore, Liz Bean, David Brown, Melyssa Cave, Steph Chambers, Kathleen Comber, Maria Dulin, Caitlin Enright, Jared Forrest, Hannah Friedman, Alex Hansen, Colleen, Hunter Hanson, Brandon Hung, Kate Hutchinson, Theo Hutchinson, Adam Johnson, Joshmi Joseph, Laura Kelly, Sonia Lee, Bailey Life, Rebecca Margolin, Kenzi Martin, Mike McHugh, Shanley Miller, Dan Mitchell, Emma Mitchell (Walker), Nat Moss, Leslie Nordstrom, Savannah Paul, Alma Petrovic, Maddie Speagle, Andrew Stone, Savannah Strange, Millar Vigoda, Ben Vigoda, Michael Wagner, Jack Watson, Jerry Wheelock
Special Thanks
Chris Brosseau and Jason Sheehan for A/V help, Bob Mulloney - Silo Painter, Michael Colford – Casting Committee, Gaf Condon – carpentry, Alexa Wang- choreography help, Ricky Dunham - costume donation, Mitchell Tolini - Washboard donation, Vokes Players - lending props
Cast and Crew Biographies
Miriam Abbet (she/her) - Children’s Ensemble
An 11-year-old Jamaica Plain native, Miriam has previously performed at the Footlight Club with the Freelance Players, a musical theater program for children, and can be seen here at the Footlight in their spring performance of Chugga Chugga Choo the weekend after Tuck closes! In addition to theater, she enjoys playing soccer and making visual art. Miriam would like to thank Katie and the entire production team for giving her this opportunity, the cast and crew for being so awesome, and her family for their support.
Alora Allard-Walsh (she/her) - Children’s Ensemble
Alora is 9 and lives in Jamaica Plain. She has previously performed in several shows with the Rhode Island Stage Ensemble, most recently in the Ensemble for Disney’s Descendants and as an Ancestor in The Addams Family Musical. She also takes theater classes at Wheelock Family Theater and she was JoJo in the Seussical Jr theater camp this past summer. She loves to sing, take dance and circus classes, and enjoys spending time with her friends and little sister, as well as playing Roblox and Chess. She wants to thank everyone in the cast and crew for welcoming her for her first Footlight show!
Jim Ansart (he/him ) - Constable Joe
Jim Ansart last appeared at The Footlight Club many years ago in Equus (Frank Strang),
and Follies (Benjamin Stone). He has been seen at Vokes Players in Casa Valentina (Valentina), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Rev. Crisparkle), A Man of No Importance (Alfie Byrne), A Little Night Music (Fredrik Egerman), Sunday in the Park With George (Boatman/Redmond), Tintypes (TR); at Riverside TheatreWorks in Hello, Dolly (Horace Vandergelder); at Quannapowitt Players, The Diary of Anne Frank (Otto Frank); at Umbrella Stage, Parade (Hugh Dorsey), La Cage Au Folles (Renault/Dindon), Bonnie and Clyde (Frank Hamer); at Concord Players, Les Miserables (Inspector Javert); at Next Door Theatre, Lend Me A Tenor (Saunders), at Turtle Lane Playhouse, 42nd Street (Julian Marsh), Sweeney Todd (Judge Turpin). Jim is grateful to be part of this beautiful production.
Brian Bakofen (he/him) - Man in Yellow
Brian returns to the Footlight stage with Tuck Everlasting. His many performances on our stage include A Man of No Importance (Baldy/Wilde), The Wild Party (Eddie), Peter and the Starcatcher (Slank), Seussical (Bass Wickersham), and The Music Man (Quartet), to name a few. He has also co-produced a somewhat-annual 7A show (Cabar7A), including a virtual show during the pandemic, and works at the Footlight behind the scenes to help keep our little theater running, currently on the Board of Directors. He recently produced Stepping Out at The Footlight Club as well. He has performed with other companies around Boston, including Curtain Call (Forever Plaid), Fiddlehead (JCS and The Wiz), Moonbox (Company), and Concord Players (Secret Garden, The Scarlet Pimpernel). He is so excited to be in Tuck, hoping to be the Man in Yellow since seeing it years ago!
Julia Bandini (she/her) - Ensemble
Julia is excited to be returning to the Footlight Club! Originally trained in classical ballet, Julia has danced in various productions across Boston including Steel Pier (Sullivan Rep), Cabaret (Texas, Footlight Club), The Music Man (Zaneeta Shinn, Footlight Club), La Cage Aux Folles (Anne, Riverside Theatre Works), Follies (Young Emily, Concord Players), Carousel and Hello Dolly! (Reagle Music Theatre). Thanks to family for their support!
Jennifer Bean (she/her)- Lead Painter
Jenn Bean is enjoying this opportunity to add more paint to her clothes. She has contributed her time as a painter and actor in too many Footlight Club productions to keep track of, but she most recently painted the scenery of Sweat and appeared as an actor in Miss Holmes (Sherlock). Thanks to all of you who support local theater!
Zach Best (he/him) - Set Designer/Lead Carpenter
Zach is glad to be at the Footlight once again. Previous Footlight credits include Our Town (Mr. Webb), Honk! (Lead Carpenter), The Importance of Being Earnest (Set Designer/Lead Carpenter - DASH Award), Harvey (Director), Miss Holmes (Set Designer and Lead Carpenter), The Doll’s House (Torvald), and Stepping Out (Lead Carpenter). Zach is proud to serve on the Footlight Board of Directors. He wishes to thank Katie and the entire production team, as well as the many volunteers who gave their time building and painting the set. As always, thanks to Kelley.
Amanda Bovoso (she/her) - Ensemble/Dance Captain
Amanda is thrilled to be back on stage at The Footlight Club! She has been performing since childhood, both as a choral and solo singer, and a competitive dancer; however, her heart belongs to musical theater. Some favorite roles include Cinderella (Into the Woods), Pippin (Ensemble), Penny (Honk!), and Lina Lamont (Singing in the Rain). Endless love and gratitude to her family, Kenny, Josh, the FLC board, and this exceptional cast and crew. Thank you for everything!
David Brown (he/him) - Ensemble
David is excited to be back on stage, performing in his fourth production at The Footlight Club! Previous FLC credits include Ms. Holmes (Mycroft Holmes), Blood Relations (Dr. Patrick), and The Mousetrap (Paravicini). Other favorite shows include Pride and Prejudice, Dracula, The Wizard of Oz, and Cinderella. Dave is thrilled to be working on another show with Katie and Jeff, and has loved getting to work with all the wonderful cast and crew members, both familiar and new. He would like to thank his friends and family for their endless support and hope you enjoy this show as much as he has enjoyed working on it!
Shira Cahn-Lipman (she/her) - Nana/Stage Combat
Shira is stoked to be back onstage at the Footlight Club and getting to work with so many of her favorite humans both onstage and behind the scenes. Most recently Shira created fight choreography for Footlight’s production of Sweat and some previous FLC credits include: Fiddler on the Roof (Yente), Seussical (Bird Girl), Rent (Joanne). Other favorite productions include: Witch (Elizabeth), Peter and the Starcatcher (Ted), and Cabaret (Sally). Grateful, forever and always, for this community of people and for IA and Squish creating the space for me to do this thing I love.
Marc Capizzi (he/him) - Hair and Wig Designer
Marc’s last production at The Footlight Club was Equus. This is Marc’s fourth production with Kaite Swimm, having designed for her on Cinderella, The Bridges of Madison County, and Tiny Beautiful Things. At Vokes: Murder on the Orient Express, Silent Sky, Black Coffee, Wings, Communicating Doors, The Nance, Fun Home, Rip Cord, Casa Valentina; at Quannapowitt Players: Terranova, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Shape of Things, Breaking the Code, Mothers and Sons, All My Sons, Dracula, Of Mice and Men, The American Clock, Mauritius, The Lion in Winter; at Arlington Friends of the Drama: She Loves Me, Moonlight and Magnolias, Grey Gardens, Nine, Clybourne Park; at Concord Players: Harvey, Steel Magnolias, Les Miserables, Follies, Blithe Spirit, You Can’t Take it with You, The Hunchback of Notre Dame; at Hovey Players: The Porch, Looking for Normal, Handbagged; at Burlington Players: Kimberely Akimbo, Second Samuel, Radium Girls, The Farnsworth Invention; Central Square Theater; Brundibar and But the Giraffe, Einstein’s Dreams; at New Repertory Theater: Holiday Memories.
Kathleen Comber (she/her) - Mae Tuck
Kathleen is excited to be back on stage at the Footlight Club! Previous Footlight Club acting credits include Ms. Fleming in Heathers: The Musical, Ronnette in Little Shop of Horrors, Meredith Parker in Bat Boy: The Musical, Seasons of Love Soloist in RENT, and Ensemble in Parade. Kathleen's most recent credit was playing Alison Bechdel in Vokes Theatre's Fun Home in 2019. When Kathleen is not on stage, she works as the Department Administrator for The Center for Public Service & Engaged Scholarship at Harvard University. Thank you to Katie, Jeff, Alicia, and the cast and crew for making this return to theatre so much fun. A special thank you to my best friend and "husband", Todd Sandstrom, for his incredible love and support on and offstage. I am eternally thankful to the Footlight rat-bat for bringing us together. Additional thanks and love to her incredible parents, her wife Ginny, Hill Gang, and all her friends for their love and support in all things. For Madeline.
Adeline DeFeo (she/her) - Winnie Foster
Adeline DeFeo is thrilled to be making her debut with The Footlight Club! She is an aspiring theater kid represented by WSM Talent! Some of her favorite and recent credits include: Lack (Make Way for Ducklings The Musical, WORLD PREMIERE) with Wheelock Family Theatre, Mrs. Kangaroo (Dot and The Kangaroo, PILOT PREMIERE) with Wellesley Theatre Project, Mal (Descendants) with Wellesley Theatre Project, and she recently appeared in ChristmasTime with Reagle Music and Theatre! She also recently contributed to an Indie film called Shattered Ice and went to New York in the fall to perform with BAA for their Don’t Tell Mama Cabaret! She wants to thank her whole family (especially her mom and dad) and all of her friends for supporting her. Also, thank you to her vocal coach (Eva Kendrick), her acting coach (Fran Weinberg), her dance coaches at TEDS, and the whole cast and crew of Tuck Everlasting for their guidance and kindness throughout this amazing show! @addy_defeo_official
Caitlin Faria (she/her) - Props Designer
Caitlin is happy to have Tuck Everlasting as her first production at The Footlight Club. Previous credits include the short film Memory for a Dream and Hovey Players production of The Wolves. She works as a writer for WHDH 7News Boston for their morning show Today in New England. Caitlin would like to thank everyone in the cast and crew for their hard work putting together this production and to all of her loved ones for supporting her.
Lexi Feldman (she/her) - Assistant Stage Manager
Lexi could not be more thrilled to participate in her first Boston community theater production! Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Lexi has experience both on and off the stage, from performing to choreographing to stage managing. After graduating last spring with a BA in Cultural Anthropology and International Affairs with a Spanish minor from Northeastern University, Lexi is beyond ecstatic to find herself back in a theater. She currently works at the Community Music Center of Boston as the Development & Events Coordinator. Thanks to Chris and the rest of the FLC for welcoming her with such kindness and joy!
Clifton Golz (he/him) - Tree Captain
Clifton has been happy to continue his creative endeavors with The Footlight Club as the “Tree Captain”, leading talented volunteers in the design and construction of the 7 trees on stage. Clifton returns to FLC after working as Set Designer for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and as Prop Designer for A Man of No Importance, both in 2023. When not making things for FLC, you can find Clifton at home, still making things, but at a much smaller scale!
Lila Hoffman (she/her) - Ensemble
Lila is excited to be performing for the first time at the Footlight Club! She has recently performed in Chicago, Mamma Mia, and Oz at Brookline High School and The Bridges of Madison County at Vokes Theater. She would like to thank her family and friends, as well as Katie, Jeff, and the whole cast and crew of Tuck for this incredible show!
Hubert Hwang (he/they) - Ensemble
Hubert is excited to make their Footlight Club debut! Recent and favorite credits include Khashoggi in We Will Rock You (Norwood Theatre), Chip in Spelling Bee (Needham Community Theatre; DASH award for Musical Ensemble), and Longaville in Love's Labour's Lost (Arlington Friends of the Drama; DASH award for Specialty Ensemble). By day, Hubert is a high school math teacher at Milton Academy. In their abundant spare time, you might find them writing puzzles, reading bleak science fiction, or playing ultimate frisbee.
Jessica Ingram-Bee (she/her) - Ensemble
As a long-time musical theater enthusiast, Jessica is absolutely thrilled to be performing in her first production at the Footlight Club. During the day, Jess teaches people how to buy houses. In her spare time, she can be seen walking about town, petting dogs, attending local events, and talking way too much about soccer. She would like to thank the incredible cast and crew for an amazing experience!
Leah Jackson (she/her) - Children’s Ensemble
Leah Jackson is a Boston based actor and is so excited to be making her debut at the Footlight Club as part of the children’s ensemble in Tuck Everlasting. Some of her most recent performances include Kack in the world premiere of Make Way For Ducklings the Musical at Wheelock Family Theatre and Cinderella in her school’s production of Into the Woods Jr. She will soon appear as Moana at her school’s production of Moana Jr. She would like to thank her family for supporting her love of theater.
Adam Johnson (he/they) - Ensemble
Adam Johnson is thrilled to be making his debut with The Footlight Club after a long hiatus from theater. Favorite previous credits elsewhere include Urinetown (Mr. Cladwell), The Seagull (Sorin), and The Effect of Gamma-Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (Director). He made his theatrical debut at the age of 9 to widespread acclaim as “Stalk of Corn #3” in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. When not on stage, Adam is an architectural designer and urban planner who can be found writing, drawing, and making bad jokes.
Jeff Kimball (he/him) - Music Director
Jeff Kimball (Music Director) is a frequent MD and performer around the Northeast, and a co-founder of the new Treehouse Collective theatre company. Most recently, he was MD for Little Women at Concord Players, and The Bridges of Madison County at Vokes Players. He is often found behind the keys at Footlight Club: Legally Blonde, Heathers, BIG, and Bat Boy (EMACT DASH awards including Best Music Direction.) For more on his various musical adventures, check out: http://www.jeffkimballmusic.com/
A.J. Lyman (he/him) - Ensemble/Carney
A.J. is excited to return to the Footlight Club after previously working on Legally Blonde (Grandmaster Chad/Ensemble), Our Town (Howie Newsome) and The Doll’s House (Producer). Previous credits include Steel Pier (Ensemble) with Sullivan Rep, Jekyll and Hyde (Simon Stride) with the Norwood Theatre, Little Women (John Brooke) with the Concord Players, and Peter and the Starcatcher (Boy/Peter) with the Vokes Theatre. Thank you to Katie, Jeff, Alicia, and Chris for their invaluable guidance. Thank you to this incredible cast for an unforgettable experience. To Tem, Mom, Dad, Sis, Kraig, Theo, Josie and my entire family; to my incredible friends; thank you for your constant support and for empowering me to believe in myself.
Rebecca Margolin (she/her) - Set Dressing
Rebecca is grateful for the opportunity to be part of Tuck Everlasting and to work with such a wonderful team! This is her second show at The Footlight Club, following Xanadu (Props). An extra-special thank you to Val for being the production team’s cheerleader and rock-solid support, to Zach for his patient guidance and perseverance throughout the elaborate and ambitious set creation process, and to Katie for Foster-ing such a welcoming environment!
Matt McKee (he/him) - Poster Photography
Matt 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 75 posters. Tuck Everlasting 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 marketers, manufacturers and industries in the Greater Boston area (samples at mckeephotography.com).
Amy Meyer (she/her) - Puppetry Consultant
Amy Meyer is a director, actor, historian, and teacher specializing in physical theatre. She is also a lover of puppetry. Her favorite puppet roles include: a fact-filled dragonfly, a mushroom with a notebook, and a lovable dog best friend. Amy is a longtime collaborator with imaginary beasts and a co-founder of Spectacle Collective. When not playing on the ground she can be found in the air climbing on silks or flying on trapeze.
Christopher Nadeau (he/him) - Stage Manager
Chris is very thrilled to be working with the very talented cast and crew of Tuck Everlasting! 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 enjoy our fabulous production of Tuck Everlasting!
Paul O'Shaugnessy (he/him) - Technical Director/Lighting Assistant
Paul wandered into the Footlight Club 36 years ago and is a longtime member of the technical team, serving (again) as Technical Director. He’s thrilled with theater’s continuing rebound and restorations. He has designed lighting for Pippin, Our Town (DASH nominee), Spamalot, Wait Until Dark, Hair (DASH nominee), Psycho Beach Party, Gypsy, The Wild Party and others. Paul has appeared onstage at Footlight in Big (twice), The Sound of Music, The Lion in Winter, The Rocky Horror Show, Lend Me a Tenor, No Exit, Cabaret, The Crucible and others. Paul also appeared in last December’s Boston Tea Party re-enactment, and as a British officer in his hometown of Lexington on Patriot’s Day each April.
Zack Page (he/him) - Toad/Ensemble
Zack is toad-ally excited to be returning to the Footlight Club stage! He made his FLC debut as George Gibbs in Our Town, and virtually as Kenneth Raglan in Rope. A frequent performer, Zack has credits from many companies throughout the greater-Boston area: She Loves Me (Ensemble) at Walpole Footlighters, Puffs (Wayne) at Theatre III, Dog Sees God (CB) at Arts After Hours, Little Women (Ensemble, U/S John Brooke) at Concord Players, and White Christmas (Ensemble) at Weston Friendly Society. Zack currently works in the Higher Education field, and will start a Masters program in Higher Ed and Student Affairs this fall. Special thanks to mum, dad, and countless others, and to Katie, Jeff, Alicia, Chris, the cast, & crew for all their hard work & trust in each other throughout this process. Enjoy the show!
Gina Pasciuto (they/them) - Ensemble
Gina Pasciuto is a Boston-based actor and combat choreographer. They recently appeared as the Duke in Cunning Folk Theatre’s production of Measure for Measure and as Hyde 2 in FLC’s production of Jekyll and Hyde. When not on stage, Gina can usually be found reading, embroidering, or fighting with the MBTA (unfortunately, the MBTA usually wins).
Stephanie Planchart (she/her) - Ensemble
Stephanie is a freelance live sound engineer, thrilled to be back on this side of the stage for the first time in 22 years. She would like to thank the cast and crew for making this such a wonderful experience and rekindling her love of theater. She is especially grateful to her family for all of their encouragement and support.
Magdalena Poost (they/them) - Jesse Tuck
Magdalena Poost is tickled pink to be performing at The Footlight Club, having moved to Boston just last summer! An artist and performer, Maggie grew up doing community theater - and even learned to read by practicing her lines to play Gretl in The Sound of Music. Some of their favorite roles have included Charlotte Cushman in Affecting Expression (Lewis Center for the Arts), Yvette in Mother Courage (McCarter Theatre Center), and Olive in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Winding River Players). After earning their Bachelor of Arts in Socio-cultural Anthropology from Princeton University, Magdalena currently works as the inaugural Public Art & Ecology Fellow at the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy.
Alicia Powell (she/her) - Choreographer
Alicia is honored to be amongst this beautiful team, immersed in the timelessness of Treegap. She also assistant directed Peter and the Starcatcher at FLC, but mostly has been onstage here, as: Dorothy in Stepping Out, Fastrada in Pippin, Columbia in The Rocky Horror Show (EMACT-DASH nom), a Turkey Lurkey Girl in Promises, Promises, and in the ensembles of Cabaret, The Who's Tommy and Spamalot. Huge thanks to Katie and Jeff for taking a chance on a new choreographer, Amanda and Alexa for the choreo support, the BOD/BOT for keeping the FLC alive, Marvin and Daisy for keeping home fires burning, and the teachers and artists who have always inspired me.
Ash Quasney-Sandler (she/her) - Hugo
Ash Quasney-Sandler, a Boston-based youth actor, is thrilled to be making her Footlight Club debut! She was last seen onstage as Newsboy in The Hanover Theatre’s 16th annual production of A Christmas Carol. Ash has been very active in the theatre community, performing with Wheelock Family Theatre as Jack in the World Premiere of Make Way For Ducklings, Watertown Children’s Theater’s Newsies as Les, Weston Drama Workshop (Grease, Tuck Everlasting, and Lion King Jr.), Wellesley Theatre Project (Annie Jr. & Matilda), and French Woods Festival of the Arts as Nancy in Fancy Nancy. She is looking forward to returning to NYC for Broadway Artists Alliance’s Summer Intensive Workshop. Ash would like to thank her family, especially her mom and sister, her vocal coach (Carrie Cheron), and the production staff, cast, and supporters of Tuck Everlasting and The Footlight Club. She is represented by Serendipity Entertainment. @ash_quasney_sandler
Dayna Reichert (she/her) - Assistant Stage Manager
Dayna is excited to be for her first time as assistant stage manager! She’s happy to be back at the Footlight club, this time on the other side of production. Dayna has performed at FLC twice before, once in a production of Ms. Holmes as Thomas Chapman and another time as Hyde in Jekyll and Hyde. Outside of theater, she also is a member of the Boston Choral Ensemble, who’s next concert goes up May 18th! Being an ASM has been a blast and she can’t wait to volunteer for more shows at FLC.
Howie Reith (he/him) - Miles Tuck
Howie is thrilled to be making his debut with The Footlight Club. Howie recently portrayed General Glossop in Jekyll and Hyde and Gaston in Beauty and the Beast (both at the Norwood Theatre), and Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby An American Musical at Marblehead Little Theatre. Howie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Connecticut and has performed opera in New York, Boston, London, and France. Thank you to Matt Cunningham, Dan Callaway, Ashleigh Reade, and the Ensemble Performing Arts Studio for helping him become the performer he aspires to be, and thank you to this great cast and production team for the wonderful experience. For more on Howie’s performing, visit howiereith.com/music.
Todd Sandstrom (he/him) - Angus Tuck
Todd holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Ithaca College and considers himself exceptionally lucky to once again be performing at the Footlight Club, as magic happens within these walls. Having met both his husband and his best friend while rehearsing musicals here, this building holds a special place in his heart. Previous FLC roles include Seymour (Little Shop of Horrors), Rupert Cadell (Rope), Mark (Rent) and Barnaby (Hello, Dolly!). Other favorite roles include Cuddy Banks (Witch - Dash nom Best Supporting Actor) with Hovey Players, Malcolm (The Full Monty) with Wellesley Players, and Hal (Proof - Dash win Best Supporting Actor) with TCAN Players. Special thanks to the awe-inspiring Katie, the galvanizing Jeff, the vivacious Alicia, the meticulous Chris, and the crème de la crème that is Kathleen for all of their work and collaboration on this wonderful production. Love to Noah for all his support and encouragement!
Olivia Sederlund (she/her) - Lighting Designer
Olivia is excited as always to return to the Footlight Club booth, especially alongside a favorite teammate in Paul. Now in her 19th season with FLC, she's had the opportunity to work on many amazing productions with some amazing people. Some more recent favorites include A Man of No Importance (lighting designer--DASH nominated), In the Next Room (or, the Vibrator Play) (lighting designer, DASH-nomimated), and Blood Relations (tech director/lighting designer.) The latter show is a special favorite because she met her now-husband working on the show. In her non-theater life, she is a librarian, martial artist, and cat mom. Shout out to Nick--every day I look forward to looking back with you.
Dannie Smith (she/her) - Sound Designer
Dannie is feeling at the top of the world back at Footlight Club (Xanadu, The Doll’s House, Legally Blonde, Big: The Musical)! Previous sound credits include, Tiny Beautiful Things (Vokes Players), The Wolves, Witch, (Hovey Players). Thanks to the magical cast and crew for their tireless work making everything golden, and extra thanks to Chris Brousseau for his technical wizardry.
Katie Swimm (she/her) - Director
Katie is thrilled to be back at The Footlight telling this gorgeous story with such a wonderful team of friends and collaborators. She’s been active in community, regional, and university theatre for over twenty-five years as a director, actor, intimacy choreographer/consultant, and educator and is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of The Treehouse Collective, an ensemble-based theatre company in Boston. Previously at FLC: Big: The Musical, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Our Town, Legally Blonde, a digital adaptation of The Woman in White (DASH Award, Excellence in Adaptation and Direction), and her own adaptation of The Doll's House. At Vokes Players: Peter and the Starcatcher (DASH Nomination, Best Director, Best Ensemble, Best Production), Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, The Bridges of Madison County, and Tiny Beautiful Things; At Hovey Players: Witch (DASH Awards, Best Ensemble, Best Director), The Wolves; At Concord Players: Little Women: The Broadway Musical; At Tufts University: Into the Woods and Rent. Katie has a Ph.D. in Theatre and Performance Studies from Tufts University.
Lisa Tierney (she/her) - Mother
Lisa is delighted to be making her Footlight Club debut! Other favorite performances include Bridges of Madison County (Francesca Johnson) with Vokes Players, The Music Man (Marian Paroo) with Savoyard Light Opera Company, Holiday Inn (Linda Mason) with Weston Friendly Society, Guys and Dolls (Sarah Brown) with Barre Players, White Christmas (Betty Haynes) with Theatre At the Mount, Into the Woods (Cinderella) and Lucky Stiff (Annabel Glick) with Calliope Productions, and Follies (Young Heidi) with Concord Players. Lisa is also proud to be a Founding Ensemble member of The Treehouse Collective.
Valerie Tracy (she/her) - Producer
Val is grateful to be bringing Tuck Everlasting to the Footlight stage surrounded by so many talented and dedicated artists. As the Productions Director at the club, she spends her time collaborating with technical and creative artists to facilitate logistics, provide support, and empower others to transform the Footlight’s stage into a true work of community art. Some favorite past productions include Much Ado about Nothing (Ursula, Theater Company of Saugus), Xanadu (Producer, FLC), Cabaret (Producer, FLC), Lyra (Favorite Aunt, Rice Family). Val is so proud of Katie, Jeff, Alicia, Meredith, Chris, Zach, and everyone else who has made this show such a magical triumph! And to Laks for being her sounding board, voice of reason, and tireless support during the long days and late nights, she says thnx.
Liza Ulrich (she/her) - Costume Designer
A self-described theater-nerd, Liza has developed her dream career of both designing and teaching costume and theatrical design over the last seventeen years! During the day, Liza teaches within the Brookline Public School system as the 4th-6th grade extended day coordinator at the Driscoll School. Recent and FLC costume design credits include: Finding Nemo, Jr. (Buckingham Browne & Nichols, 2024); The Little Mermaid, Jr. (Edith C. Baker School, 2024); Urinetown (Mansfield Arts Center, 2023); The Man of No Importance (Footlight Club, 2023); Xanadu (Footlight Club, 2022); 25 for 25 (Footlight Club, 2021); Peter and the Starcatcher (Footlight Club, 2017); The Sound of Music (Footlight Club, 2014) [DASH nominated]; Steel Magnolias (Footlight Club, 2013). Liza would like to thank her family, and chosen "Footlight Club family" for always supporting her crazy designer habits!
Millar Vigoda (she/her) - Children’s Ensemble
Millar is thrilled to be in Tuck Everlasting. This is her first show at The Footlight Club, and she can’t wait to be in more in the future! Some of her favorite past roles are Mal in Descendants, Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka, and Bruce in Matilda. This summer, Millar will go to Broadway Artists Alliance in New York City to keep pursuing her love for the stage.
Emma Walker (she/her) - Ensemble
Emma is so excited to be back on stage at the Footlight Club! She grew up in Vermont and has been acting and singing ever since she was 7 years old, in her notorious turn as a Munchkin and Poppy in The Wizard of Oz. Emma holds a B.F.A. in Acting from Ithaca College and has been living and performing in Boston for 10 years. Some favorite Boston roles include Lily Byrne in A Man of No Importance (Footlight Club), Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Theatre@First), and Jeanine/Mrs. Kitt in Top Girls (Bad Habit Productions). She would like to thank the entire cast and crew for this incredibly fun experience, as well as her mom Ruth Ann, husband Dan, and all of her friends for always supporting her!
Meredith Weaver (she/her) - Assistant Producer
This is Meredith’s first show in productions. She previously served as Assistant Stage Manager on Miss Holmes and Assistant Stage Manager, and Props Designer on Stepping Out at the Footlight in February. She also serves as The Footlight Club’s Membership Director. Following many years of childhood ballet performances and high-school promotional art design, she is very excited to be a part of a Footlight musical for the first time.
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
Paul Campbell, Shannon Daly, Katie Taylor, Shelly Norton, Stephen Lussier, Lorie Komlyn
Promotions and Publicity
Michael Colford, Promotions Director
Kristin MacDougall
Juliette McClendon
Matt McKee, Photographer
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
