I Want A Country
I Want A Country
By Andreas Flourakis
Translated by Eleni Drivas
Directed by Fadi Skeiker
Cast
Joe Britt-Simpson (Ensemble)(he/him) is a Sophomore Directing, Playwriting, and Production major. This is Joe's first production at University of the Arts and he is thrilled to work with such a talented group of people. Endless thanks to the entire production team for all the care and hard work you've brought to this production.
Maryam Castillo (Ensemble)(she/her) Senior Acting major Class of ʼ22. Past UArts credits include revolt, she said revolt again, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Heart Island Requiem. Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this insane journey.
Leanna Doyle (Ensemble)(she/her) is a Junior Acting major. Some favorite credits include Look Up, Canyon (Calliope) at UArts and The Penelopiad (Zoe/Laertes) at Pulley and Buttonhole Theatre Company. Leanna wants to thank her family and friends for their constant support, as well as the cast and crew for their tireless efforts.
Gwendolyn Felton (Ensemble)(she/her) is a Sophomore Acting major. This is Gwendolyn's first UArts performance. Regional past credits include The Seagull (Academy for the Performing Arts), Shadow of the Run Chapter 1:Wanderlust (Cleveland Immersive Theatre), and The Cripple of Inishmaan (APA). Special thank you to her fellow artists and creators.
Avi Fidler (Ensemble)(they/them) is a Junior Acting major and Braving the Bard company member. Past UArts credits include Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again (Ensemble) and Men on Boats (Hall). Avi would like to thank their friends, family, and educators for their endless support.
Henry Glejzer (Ensemble)(he/him) is a Senior Musical Theatre major. Past UArts credits include An Unproduced Screenplay…Walt Disney and Pump to Pump (Equinox 2021). He is honored to be a part of this show. Huge thanks to Fadi, cast, crew, friends and family. You inspire me every day.
Evesha Harry (Ensemble)(she/her) is a Junior Theater major. Past UArts credits include Will: a cover up. Endless thanks to Cast and crew and Binder Casting.
Fiona Hill (Ensemble)(she/her) is a Senior Acting major. Past UArts credits include Mother Courage and Bodies and Bones. Thank you to my friends, family and Paul Ellis for supporting me.
Katie Johnson (Ensemble)(she/her) is a Senior Acting major. Past UArts credits include Senior Dance Thesis and Much Ado about Nothing. Regional: Big Fish (LPPAC), Phantom of the Opera (LPPAC), and Sleeping Beauty the Ballet (LPPAC). Has also appeared as a stand-in and featured background on multiple Netflix productions. Thank you to my cat! @katjohnsonn
Grace Kelly Kretzmer (Ensemble)(she/her) is so excited to make her UArts debut. Favorite Credits include the original cast of Oceanborn (Viking), Drood (Drood), Matilda (Ms. Honey), & HAIR (Crissy). Infinite thanks to the cast & creative team for making her first show in almost two years wonderful!
Jackie Marino-Thomas (Ensemble) is a Senior Acting major in the class of 2022. She recently worked at the Provincetown Theater, and was previously a part of two UArts productions of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Jackie would like to thank her family and friends for all of their support!
Hannah Moore (Ensemble)(she/her) is a Senior Musical Theater major. Some past UArts credits include Promenade, Marie in Tomorrowland, and Hamlet. Hannah would like to thank her director, fellow cast-mates, and of course the crew for all of their hard work and dedication. Instagram: @han.nah_mar.ia
Emma Kate Parsons (Ensemble)(she/her) is a Senior Acting major and is so excited to be a part of the cast of I Want a Country! She would like to thank her friends, family & everyone involved with creating this show! muah <3
Violet Regan (Ensemble)(she/her) is a Sophomore Acting major. This is her first production at UArts!
Tori Rodriguez (Ensemble)(they/them) is a Senior Acting major. Past UArts credits include Fuente Ovejuna (Esteban), A Soldier’s Fugue (Pop), TL;DR: Thelma, Louise; Dyke Remix (L). Additionally, they’ve appeared in England’s Splendid Daughter’s (Emily) in the Irondale On-Women Festival. They'd like to thank this amazing team for such a surreal return to in-person theatre.
Leah Savin (Ensemble)(she/they)is a Senior Musical Theatre major. Past UArts credits include The Blazing World and Urinetown. Originally from Denver, Colorado, Leah hopes to use her craft to spread empathy and joy. Thank you to Fadi, the cast and production team, and the fam (always). Much love to you all!!
Aidan Schultz (Ensemble)(she/her) is a Sophomore Acting major with a minor in Songwriting. Aidan took part in UArts’ Spring production of Bodies and Bones where she portrayed the role of ‘Bones-In-The-Woods’. Endless thanks to the cast and crew for making this experience fulfilling and allowing our creativity to thrive.
Kai Scott (Ensemble)(they/them) is a Sophomore Acting major.
Josh Turner (Ensemble)(he/him) is a Senior Acting major. Past UArts credits include Look, we are breathing, Summer of ‘69, Berzerk!, Pump to Pump, and Antihistamine. Much love to Mom and Dad.
Jameka Wilson (Ensemble)(she/her) is a Junior Acting major. Past UArts credits include Liar on the starship Limpidius (Vida) and All That's Left (Lotta). Other credits include Little Shop of Horrors (Chiffon) and Fame: The Musical (Tyrone). She would like to thank her wonderful family, friends, and professors for helping her get this far. It takes a village!
Production Team
Andreas Flourakis (Playwright) is a playwright and director. He has written more than thirty works for theater, which have been translated into many languages, including English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, Turkish, Romanian, Polish, Albanian, Hindi, and Finnish. They have been presented both in Greece and internationally at such theaters and venues as Royal Court Theatre (London), Art Theatre Karolos Koun (Athens), the National Theater of Spain (Madrid), Lincoln Center Theater (New York), Gate Theatre (London), West Yorkshire Playhouse (Leeds), Stegi, Onassis Cultural Centre (Athens), Tristan Bates Theatre (London), Epi Kolono (Athens), National Theater of Albania (Tirana), Beep (Athens), Stella Adler Studio of Acting (New York), Theatre of the South (Athens), Maison d’Europe et d’Orient (Paris), and Theatre Skrow (Athens). His plays have been performed at a number of festivals as well, for example, HotINK (New York), Helsinki Festival (Helsinki), Gi60 (New York), Oyun Yaz Festival (Istanbul), International Monodrama Festival (Pafos, Cyprus), Cultural Olympiad (Athens), and the Comparative Drama Conference (Los Angeles). Among his awards are honorable mention in the one-act play contest of the Art Theatre Karolos Koun (2003), selection by the Janus Project for New Plays and New Playwriting Across Europe (2006), second prize in the one-act play contest organized by the Municipal and Regional Theatre of Rhodes (2008), third prize in the International Monodrama contest of the UNESCO International Theatre Institute (2006-2008), a Writer-in- Residence Award at the Royal Court International Residency (United Kingdom), and a Fulbright Artists Award (United States). In 2014 his play, Strong Knees, was selected as one of a trio of winners in the Eurodram biennial playwriting contest. He has also served as Visiting Professor of Playwriting at the University of Kansas.
Eleni Drivas (Translator)
Fadi Skeiker (Director) is an Associate Professor of Theater at University of the Arts. Prior to being part of the UArts community, Fadi directed and taught theatre at The University of Jordan in Jordan, The University of Minho in Portugal, and was a visiting researcher at Free University of Berlin in Germany. Outside of the academia world, Fadi is an accomplished Applied Theatre practitioner and expert on Theatre Devise. He has led applied theatre workshops and devised theatre with marginalized communities of women/youth/and most recently with refugees in Jordan, Germany, Portugal, and the USA. Originally Syrian, Fadi holds a PhD in Performance as Public Practice from The University of Texas at Austin.
Teayra Bowden (Assistant Director)(she/her) Teayra is a Sophomore Directing, Playwriting + Production major at University of the Arts. Some of her past production credits at UArts include Men On Boats, Find Myself Here, and Look Up Canyon. In the future, Teayra hopes to work as a theater artist in Philadelphia, focusing on new play and musical development as well as theatre direction. She would like to thank the entire production team for their constant support and guidance along the way during this creative process!
Piper Loebach (Assistant Director) (she/her) is a Junior Musical Theater and Directing, Playwriting, Production double major. Previous UArts credits include Overgrown (Nurse) and Fuente Ovejuna (Assistant Stage Manager). Thank you to the cast, crew and creative team of I Want A Country for making this process so exciting and specifically Fadi Skeiker for this opportunity!
Erica Sholes (Stage Manager) (she/her) is a Junior Directing, Playwriting, and Production major. Her past UArts credits include Revolt, She Said, Revolt Again; A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney; 2021 Equinox Festival's Bodies and Bones, and Men on Boats. Erica would like to thank her friends for their endless support!
Ezra Quinn (Assistant Stage Manager) (he/him) is a Junior Acting major and Creative Writing minor. Past UArts credits include Shapeshifters, and Cold Spot.
Rayne Smith (Assistant Stage Manager) (she/her), is a Sophomore DPP student. Past UArts credits include dramaturging Bodies and Bones and assistant stage managing Will, A Cover Up and she directed The Abbey of the Holy Lonesome (Imprint Theater). She was beyond thrilled to have her return to live theatre be with this fabulous cast and crew, welcome back everyone!
Leila Torres (Assistant Stage Manager)(she/her) is a Sophomore Acting major and Film minor. This is Leila's first production at University of the Arts and she is so excited and thankful to work with such a hard working and talented cast and crew. In the future, Leila hopes to work as an actress for Broadway and Film. She would like to give a big thanks her family for the endless support and to the entire production team for their dedication and hard work and for being such a welcoming group of people.
Ryan Cramer (Dramaturg)(she/her) is currently a Junior DPP student. Previous UArts credits include: dramaturging Dead Birds Don't Fly, directing Look Up, Canyon, and Catsby in Richard III. Other credits include the Core Group of Students in HBO’s Mare of Easttown. Ryan is thrilled to have worked with Fadi Skeiker and the rest of this talented cast and crew, break a leg!
Lindsey Silver (Scenic/Object Designer)(they/them) is a Senior Theater Design & Tech major. Their work is primarily inspired by manipulating textures and scale. They're excited to have their puppet fabrication debut with this show, and look forward to all future puppet adventures. Visit lindseysilver.com to view more of their work.
Allison Neiheiser (Assistant Scenic Designer) (she/her) is a Sophomore Theater Design and Technology major. Past UArts credits include Equinox 2021 assistant costume designer.
Crosby Wood (Assistant Props)(she/her) is a Sophomore Theatre Design and Technology major. Past UArts credits include Prop Design for BERZERK! (2021) Written by Will Vence, Directed by Brennah Leone.
Cassie Allen (Costume designer) is a Senior Theater Design and Technology major. Past UArts credits include Fuente Ovejuna, and the Myths and Hymns Project.
Allison Freels (Assistant Costume Designer)(she/they) is a Junior Theater Design + Technology major. Past UArts credits include The Equinox Festival of New Plays 2020 and 2021, and Overgrown: A Musical FMV.
Damien Figueras (Sound Designer) is Cuban-American composer, music director and Sound Designer based in Philadelphia. He has received two Barrymore nominations for his work. Recent credits include: Party Face (Off-Broadway, New York City Center), Into the Woods (Resident Theatre Company), Warplay (Azuka Theatre), Meteor Shower (Walnut Street Theatre). As always, he would like to dedicate his work to the memory of his mother. Dfigueras.com
J. Dominic Chacon (Lighting Designer) Dominic is glad to be back working on shows again. He is a freelance Lighting Designer and Production Manager who is also the Lighting Coordinator for the Lang Performing Arts Center. and an Adjunct Professor at Drexel University. This season he will be designing at UArts, The Wilma, Egopo Theatre, Cardinal Stage, Rutgers University, and Drexel Dance.
Alan Price (Director- Center for Immersive Media, Real time computer graphics and projection design) Alan's creative work includes collaborations for live performance, interactive computer graphics and immersive installations. He is a recipient of international awards including Prix Ars Electronica, Siggraph, MUSE, and Transmediale. Residencies and commissions include City University of Hong Kong, University of New South Wales, Nanyang Technological University, and La Panacée in Montpellier.
Eden Blas (CG Modeling and Texturing)(she/her) is a Game Art graduate with a focus in 3D modeling, animation, and XR development. Past UArts credits include EMF Burnout Research (Jefferson Hospital, CIM) and Winter Solo Series (Abington Arts Center, Rebecca Schultz).
Joseph Kennedy (CG Modeling and Texturing) (he/him) is a Senior Game Art major. No prior credits or experience.
Cody Smith (Systems Support) is a Windows Support Specialist at UArts. He Graduated Rutgers Camden 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences with a focus in Electronic Arts.
University of the Arts
David Yager, President and CEO
Kym Moore, Dean, Ira Brind School of Theater Arts
Aanika Allan, Assistant Dean, Ira Brind School of Theater Arts
Justin Luján, Program Director, Acting
Amy Dugas Brown, Program Director, Directing, Playwriting, and Production
Kikau Alvaro, Program Director, Musical Theater
Natalie Robin, Program Director, Theater Design and Technology
Quinn Bauriedel, Program Director, Pig Iron School MFA in Devised Performance
Alan Price, Director, Center for Immersive Media
Krista Apple, Assistant Professor
Nick Embree, Associate Professor
Sarah Sanford, Assistant Professor
Fadi Skeiker, Associate Professor
Rob Tucker, Visiting Assistant Professor
Leah Walton, Visiting Assistant Professor
Madison Claus, Senior Administrative Assistant
Lindsay Cram, Associate Producer
Matt Groeneveld, Technical Director
Troy Martin-O’Shia, Production Electrician
LeVonne Lindsay, Costume Shop Manager
Larry Fowler, Sound Practicum Instructor
Content Disclosures: Talk of war, talk of diaspora, talk of disease, talk of guns/gun violence, drug references/use, death, crude language and themes, audience participation, loud noises, bright lights, representations of large waves and drowning, cause for motion sickness, screaming, crying.