Present Laughter
By Noël Coward
Directed by Rosina Reynolds
Low-priced Previews Mar 29 - Apr 1, 2023
Provocative • Irresistible • Hilarious
Present Laughter is lighthearted farce that celebrates playwright Noël Coward’s legendary wit and larger-than-life persona. Based on Coward himself, actor Garry Essendine is the star of the London theatrical scene at the height of his fame and adored by legions of admirers–perhaps a little too much. Fans regularly throw themselves at Garry’s feet, drawn in by his charm and charisma, throwing his household into chaos. In the week before Garry is set to embark on an African tour, he is forced to juggle a besotted young woman with stars in her eyes, an unhinged young playwright obsessed with being in Garry’s presence, his best friend’s wife who is determined to seduce him, his manager, his producer, his secretary, his estranged ex-wife, and an impending mid-life crisis.
“Sharp, withering and funny.” –The New York Times
Performance Information:
- Content Advisory: Mild adult humor.
Run Time: Approximately 2 hours, 30 minutes including one intermission.
Age Recommendation: 13+
All Cygnet Theatre productions are intended for an adult audience; children under 5 years of age will not be admitted. -
Digital Program
Cast
Drew BradfordDrew Bradford
FredDrew is thrilled to return to Cygnet! Past credits at Cygnet include Rock of Ages, On the Twentieth Century (Porter), and Monty Python’s Spamalot. Other regional credits: Diana (Male Swing), La Jolla Playhouse; Ragtime, Something Rotten, Cinderella (Jean-Michel), A Chorus Line (Al), The Little Mermaid, The Addams Family, Peter Pan (Curly), The Music Man, All Shook Up, Mary Poppins (Robertson Ay), Moonlight; Plaid Tidings (Frankie), A Christmas Story, Young Frankenstein, Damn Yankees, 42nd Street, SDMT; A Chorus Line (Mark), The Addams Family (Lucas), The Welk Resort; Little Women (Laurie), Barn Stage; Cabaret (Cliff), ion; The Fantasticks (Matt), SRT.
Trevor CruseTrevor Cruse
Roland MauleTrevor (they/them) is thrilled to back at Cygnet! They were previously seen at Cygnet in Cabaret as Bobby, Spamalot! as Ensemble, and On the 20th Century as Porter, and understudy for A Christmas Carol. Other Recent credits include PCPA: As You Like It as Silvius and The Little Mermaid. The Eastern’s: Puffs as Cedric/Mr.Voldy. Trevor is a proud graduate of The Pacific Conservatory Theatre Acting Program (PCPA).
Melissa FernandesMelissa Fernandes
Monica ReedMelissa (she/her) is a Cygnet Resident Artist. San Diego Theatre: Cygnet Theatre: On The 20th Century, The Whale, Assassins, Company, Little Shop of Horrors (nominee, SD Critics Circle), Cabaret (nominee, SDCC), A Little Night Music, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Producer of Cygnet Theatre’s successful cabaret series Musical Monday; Moonlight Theatre: Kinky Boots, Sondheim on Sondheim (nominee, SDCC); ion theatre: Sunday in the Park with George (nominee, SDCC); New Village Arts: God of Carnage, Big River, The Full Monty, Same Time, Next Year, Into the Woods (nominee, SDCC); Moxie Theatre: Eternally Bad, Mud Blue Sky,Drink Me, Dog Act; Diversionary: Falsettos, The Rocky Horror Show, Break Up Notebook, 5th of July, Never the Sinner; North Coast Rep: Last Night of Ballyhoo, Holiday Memories. Regional: Sierra Rep: Little Shop of Horrors; La Jolla Playhouse: Harmony. Education: MFA – Musical Theatre, SDSU. SDCC Actor of the Year, Female 2016.
Drew Bradford
Drew is thrilled to return to Cygnet! Past credits at Cygnet include Rock of Ages, On the Twentieth Century (Porter), and Monty Python’s Spamalot. Other regional credits: Diana (Male Swing), La Jolla Playhouse; Ragtime, Something Rotten, Cinderella (Jean-Michel), A Chorus Line (Al), The Little Mermaid, The Addams Family, Peter Pan (Curly), The Music Man, All Shook Up, Mary Poppins (Robertson Ay), Moonlight; Plaid Tidings (Frankie), A Christmas Story, Young Frankenstein, Damn Yankees, 42nd Street, SDMT; A Chorus Line (Mark), The Addams Family (Lucas), The Welk Resort; Little Women (Laurie), Barn Stage; Cabaret (Cliff), ion; The Fantasticks (Matt), SRT.
Trevor Cruse
Trevor (they/them) is thrilled to back at Cygnet! They were previously seen at Cygnet in Cabaret as Bobby, Spamalot! as Ensemble, and On the 20th Century as Porter, and understudy for A Christmas Carol. Other Recent credits include PCPA: As You Like It as Silvius and The Little Mermaid. The Eastern’s: Puffs as Cedric/Mr.Voldy. Trevor is a proud graduate of The Pacific Conservatory Theatre Acting Program (PCPA).
Melissa Fernandes
Melissa (she/her) is a Cygnet Resident Artist. San Diego Theatre: Cygnet Theatre: On The 20th Century, The Whale, Assassins, Company, Little Shop of Horrors (nominee, SD Critics Circle), Cabaret (nominee, SDCC), A Little Night Music, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Producer of Cygnet Theatre’s successful cabaret series Musical Monday; Moonlight Theatre: Kinky Boots, Sondheim on Sondheim (nominee, SDCC); ion theatre: Sunday in the Park with George (nominee, SDCC); New Village Arts: God of Carnage, Big River, The Full Monty, Same Time, Next Year, Into the Woods (nominee, SDCC); Moxie Theatre: Eternally Bad, Mud Blue Sky,Drink Me, Dog Act; Diversionary: Falsettos, The Rocky Horror Show, Break Up Notebook, 5th of July, Never the Sinner; North Coast Rep: Last Night of Ballyhoo, Holiday Memories. Regional: Sierra Rep: Little Shop of Horrors; La Jolla Playhouse: Harmony. Education: MFA – Musical Theatre, SDSU. SDCC Actor of the Year, Female 2016.
Annie HintonAnnie Hinton
Miss Erickson / Lady SaltburnCygnet Theatre, Book of Liz, A Christmas Carol, Private Lives. Regional Theatre: Seattle Repertory Theatre, A Contemporary Theatre; Empty Space Theatre; Seattle Children’s Theatre; and New Mexico Rep. San Diego credits include Old Globe Theatre, The Hostage; San Diego Rep, The Clean House; Diversionary Theatre, Well (San Diego Theatres Critics Award), Civil War Christmas. North Coast Rep, Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties, Glorious. Ion Theatre, Grey Gardens; Backyard Renaissance: Steel Magnolias. Film/TV: Isabel (Best Actress San Diego Film Consortium Award), Bring It On, 29th & Gay, and The Jenni Project (Disney). Proud Member of Actor’s Equity.
Steven LoneSteven Lone
Morris DixonSteven (he/him/his) is thrilled to be back on stage at Cygnet Theatre Company! You may have seen him here last playing Elliot in Water by the Spoonful (Craig Noel Award). Additional Cygnet credits include Thom Seymour in The Virgin Trial, Mr. Darcy in Pride & Prejudice, Thom in The Last Wife and Jackie in The Motherf**ker With The Hat. Born and raised in San Francisco, Steven moved to attend UC San Diego where he graduated with a degree in Theatre. Favorite credits include Orlando in As You Like It (New Fortune Theatre Co.), Don Quixote de La Mancha for TwainFest and Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde for PoeFest (Write Out Loud), Ray in Roz & Ray (Craig Noel Award Nominee, San Diego Repertory Theatre), and Mace in The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Diety (Craig Noel Award Nominee, Ion Theatre Co.).
Sean MurraySean Murray
Garry EssendineMr. Murray co-founded Cygnet Theatre in 2002 along with partner Bill Schmidt. Cygnet Theatre: Rock of Ages, Angels in America, Spamalot, A Little Night Music, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Animal Crackers, On the 20th Century,The Rocky Horror Show, Gypsy, The Vortex, Dogfight, My Fair Lady, Fool for Love, True West, Spring Awakening, The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties, Company, Assassins, WCYG presents A Christmas Carol, Man of La Mancha, Dirty Blonde, Parade, Little Shop of Horrors, Our Town, Cabaret, The Tragedy of the Commons, The Norman Conquests, Private Lives, Sweeney Todd, It’s a Wonderful Life, Noises Off, Bed and Sofa ‘09, The History Boys, A Christmas Carol, A Little Night Music (SD Critic’s Award, Best Director), The Receptionist, The Invention of Love, Bed and Sofa ‘04 (SD Critic’s Award, Best Director, Best Musical Revival), Las Meninas, Escanaba in da Moonlight (SD Critic’s Circle, Set Design), The Book of Liz, Pageant, Bug, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, St. Nicholas, The Matchmaker, Desire Under the Elms, Santaland Diaries, Firebugs, Fully Committed, Arcadia, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Little Foxes, My Fair Lady. Elsewhere: North Coast Rep: The Elephant Man (Patté Award, Direction), Man of La Mancha, The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties; Diversionary: Never the Sinner, Love! Valour! Compassion!. Education: University of North Carolina School of the Arts (BFA). In 2000, Sean was named one of San Diego Magazine’s “50 People to Watch” and in 2005 he was named Producer of the Year by the San Diego Critic’s Circle.
Annie Hinton
Cygnet Theatre, Book of Liz, A Christmas Carol, Private Lives. Regional Theatre: Seattle Repertory Theatre, A Contemporary Theatre; Empty Space Theatre; Seattle Children’s Theatre; and New Mexico Rep. San Diego credits include Old Globe Theatre, The Hostage; San Diego Rep, The Clean House; Diversionary Theatre, Well (San Diego Theatres Critics Award), Civil War Christmas. North Coast Rep, Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties, Glorious. Ion Theatre, Grey Gardens; Backyard Renaissance: Steel Magnolias. Film/TV: Isabel (Best Actress San Diego Film Consortium Award), Bring It On, 29th & Gay, and The Jenni Project (Disney). Proud Member of Actor’s Equity.
Steven Lone
Steven (he/him/his) is thrilled to be back on stage at Cygnet Theatre Company! You may have seen him here last playing Elliot in Water by the Spoonful (Craig Noel Award). Additional Cygnet credits include Thom Seymour in The Virgin Trial, Mr. Darcy in Pride & Prejudice, Thom in The Last Wife and Jackie in The Motherf**ker With The Hat. Born and raised in San Francisco, Steven moved to attend UC San Diego where he graduated with a degree in Theatre. Favorite credits include Orlando in As You Like It (New Fortune Theatre Co.), Don Quixote de La Mancha for TwainFest and Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde for PoeFest (Write Out Loud), Ray in Roz & Ray (Craig Noel Award Nominee, San Diego Repertory Theatre), and Mace in The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Diety (Craig Noel Award Nominee, Ion Theatre Co.).
Sean Murray
Mr. Murray co-founded Cygnet Theatre in 2002 along with partner Bill Schmidt. Cygnet Theatre: Rock of Ages, Angels in America, Spamalot, A Little Night Music, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Animal Crackers, On the 20th Century,The Rocky Horror Show, Gypsy, The Vortex, Dogfight, My Fair Lady, Fool for Love, True West, Spring Awakening, The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties, Company, Assassins, WCYG presents A Christmas Carol, Man of La Mancha, Dirty Blonde, Parade, Little Shop of Horrors, Our Town, Cabaret, The Tragedy of the Commons, The Norman Conquests, Private Lives, Sweeney Todd, It’s a Wonderful Life, Noises Off, Bed and Sofa ‘09, The History Boys, A Christmas Carol, A Little Night Music (SD Critic’s Award, Best Director), The Receptionist, The Invention of Love, Bed and Sofa ‘04 (SD Critic’s Award, Best Director, Best Musical Revival), Las Meninas, Escanaba in da Moonlight (SD Critic’s Circle, Set Design), The Book of Liz, Pageant, Bug, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, St. Nicholas, The Matchmaker, Desire Under the Elms, Santaland Diaries, Firebugs, Fully Committed, Arcadia, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Little Foxes, My Fair Lady. Elsewhere: North Coast Rep: The Elephant Man (Patté Award, Direction), Man of La Mancha, The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties; Diversionary: Never the Sinner, Love! Valour! Compassion!. Education: University of North Carolina School of the Arts (BFA). In 2000, Sean was named one of San Diego Magazine’s “50 People to Watch” and in 2005 he was named Producer of the Year by the San Diego Critic’s Circle.
James NewcombJames Newcomb
Henry LyppiattThe Old Globe: Twelfth Night, and Coriolanus Much Ado About Nothing. San Diego Rep: Honky, Zoot Suit, Brooklyn Boy, and The Illusion. North Coast Rep: The Homecoming, Christmas Carol (as told by one man who cares – Streamed), How the Other Half Loves. Cygnet Theatre: Roy Cohn in Angels in America (Craig Noel award). Other Theatre: Oregon Shakespeare Festival (14 Seasons), Denver Center Theatre (9 Seasons), The Public Theatre, B.A.M. Utah Shakespeare Theatre, Shakespeare & Company (founding member), The Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Berkeley Rep, South Coast Rep, Portland Center Stage, Missouri Rep, Arizona Theatre Co., and Geva Theatre. T.V.: “The Hand That Rocks The Cradle,” “Honky” (P.B.S.), and “I Want To Keep My Baby” (CBS). Film: “Lone Wolf”. Directing: Much Ado, Midsummer (USD Graduate Program), Lone Star, True West, and Found a Peanut (National Theatre Conservatory). Continuing Lecturer: U.C.S.D. Graduate Theatre Program.
Amanda SittonAmanda Sitton
Joanna LyppiattSelected theater credits include: Maple and Vine, Glass Menagerie, It’s A Wonderful Life (Cygnet Theatre, Resident Artist); The Humans, Oldest Boy, Road to Mecca, Doubt (SD Theatre Critics Circle Craig Noel Award Outstanding Featured Performance) A Christmas Carol (San Diego Rep); Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Don’t Dress For Dinner, Collected Stories, Amy’s View (North Coast Rep); Comedy of Errors, Golden Boy (SD Theatre Critics Circle Craig Noel Award Outstanding Lead Performance), Sailor’s Song (New Village Arts); Fair Use, Torch Song Trilogy (Diversionary Theater). Ms. Sitton received her BA in Theatre from UCSD and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity.
Shana WrideShana Wride
Liz EssendineShana is a theatre actor and director who has worked both locally and regionally with The Old Globe, The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, Diversionary Theatre, Cygnet Theatre, The San Diego Symphony, North Coast Repertory Theatre, Intrepid Theatre, Moxie Theatre, Compass Theatre, The Colony Theatre, Open Fist Theatre, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Gaslamp Quarter Theatre, and Sledgehammer Theatre. She is the recipient of a San Diego Critics Circle Craig Noel Award for her solo performance in 2.5 Minute Ride at Diversionary Theatre and for her performance as Amanda in Cygnet Theatre’s Private Lives. She holds a master’s degree in Theatre Arts from San Diego State University. While living in Los Angeles, she co-hosted the nationally syndicated radio show, “Women Aloud” with actor/comedienne Mo Gaffney.
James Newcomb
The Old Globe: Twelfth Night, and Coriolanus Much Ado About Nothing. San Diego Rep: Honky, Zoot Suit, Brooklyn Boy, and The Illusion. North Coast Rep: The Homecoming, Christmas Carol (as told by one man who cares – Streamed), How the Other Half Loves. Cygnet Theatre: Roy Cohn in Angels in America (Craig Noel award). Other Theatre: Oregon Shakespeare Festival (14 Seasons), Denver Center Theatre (9 Seasons), The Public Theatre, B.A.M. Utah Shakespeare Theatre, Shakespeare & Company (founding member), The Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Berkeley Rep, South Coast Rep, Portland Center Stage, Missouri Rep, Arizona Theatre Co., and Geva Theatre. T.V.: “The Hand That Rocks The Cradle,” “Honky” (P.B.S.), and “I Want To Keep My Baby” (CBS). Film: “Lone Wolf”. Directing: Much Ado, Midsummer (USD Graduate Program), Lone Star, True West, and Found a Peanut (National Theatre Conservatory). Continuing Lecturer: U.C.S.D. Graduate Theatre Program.
Amanda Sitton
Selected theater credits include: Maple and Vine, Glass Menagerie, It’s A Wonderful Life (Cygnet Theatre, Resident Artist); The Humans, Oldest Boy, Road to Mecca, Doubt (SD Theatre Critics Circle Craig Noel Award Outstanding Featured Performance) A Christmas Carol (San Diego Rep); Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Don’t Dress For Dinner, Collected Stories, Amy’s View (North Coast Rep); Comedy of Errors, Golden Boy (SD Theatre Critics Circle Craig Noel Award Outstanding Lead Performance), Sailor’s Song (New Village Arts); Fair Use, Torch Song Trilogy (Diversionary Theater). Ms. Sitton received her BA in Theatre from UCSD and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity.
Shana Wride
Shana is a theatre actor and director who has worked both locally and regionally with The Old Globe, The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, Diversionary Theatre, Cygnet Theatre, The San Diego Symphony, North Coast Repertory Theatre, Intrepid Theatre, Moxie Theatre, Compass Theatre, The Colony Theatre, Open Fist Theatre, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Gaslamp Quarter Theatre, and Sledgehammer Theatre. She is the recipient of a San Diego Critics Circle Craig Noel Award for her solo performance in 2.5 Minute Ride at Diversionary Theatre and for her performance as Amanda in Cygnet Theatre’s Private Lives. She holds a master’s degree in Theatre Arts from San Diego State University. While living in Los Angeles, she co-hosted the nationally syndicated radio show, “Women Aloud” with actor/comedienne Mo Gaffney.
Lindsey YoungLindsey Young
Daphne StillingtonLindsey is proud to make her San Diego professional debut with Cygnet Theatre! International: DC Superheroes in Training, Meet Bugs and Daffy!. Regional: The Little Mermaid, Our Town, Alice in Wonderland. Educational: Urinetown, Titanic, The Wild Party. Lindsey holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Emerson College. Website: www.lindsey-young.com. Instagram: @lindseywhitney
Lindsey Young
Lindsey is proud to make her San Diego professional debut with Cygnet Theatre! International: DC Superheroes in Training, Meet Bugs and Daffy!. Regional: The Little Mermaid, Our Town, Alice in Wonderland. Educational: Urinetown, Titanic, The Wild Party. Lindsey holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Emerson College. Website: www.lindsey-young.com. Instagram: @lindseywhitney
Creative Team
Noël Coward
Noël Coward was an English playwright, composer, actor, producer and director. His plays include The Vortex (1924), Hay Fever (1925), Private Lives (1930), Blithe Spirit (1941), Present Laughter (1943) and This Happy Breed (1943). He produced, wrote, starred in and co-directed (with David Lean) the Academy Award-winning film In Which We Serve (1942) as well as writing the screenplay for one of the most beloved British films of all time, Brief Encounter (1945). He wrote many songs now considered classics, including “Mad About the Boy”, “Mad Dogs and Englishmen”, “I’ll See You Again” and “20th Century Blues” and in 1955 performed a sell-out cabaret season in Las Vegas. His musicals include Bitter Sweet (1929) and Sail Away (1961). As an actor he enjoyed memorable roles onstage in many of his plays as well as on film playing Hawthorne in Our Man in Havana (1959) and Mr Bridger in The Italian Job (1969). He was knighted in 1970.
Rosina Reynolds
Cygnet Theatre: Atwater, Fixin’ to Die. San Diego Repertory Theatre: Bad Dates. North Coast Repertory Theatre: Blithe Spirit, The Cocktail Hour; Fallen Angels; Broken Glass; Glorious; Don’t Dress for Dinner; Relatively Speaking; Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties; An American Daughter; The Sum of Us; Corpse. The Roustabouts Theatre Company: gUnTOPIA, Roosevelt: Charge the Bear, Margin of Error. Backyard Renaissance: Abigail’s Party, American Buffalo, Zoo Story. New Village Arts: The Secret Garden. Renaissance Theatre: Caretaker (San Diego Critics Circle Award). Diversionary Theatre: 2.5 Minute Ride, Marriage Bed, Happy Endings are Extra, Twilight of the Golds, Beautiful Thing, Wrinkles, Another American, Asking and Telling, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, Breaking The Code, Lot’s Daughters. Compass Theatre: Three Days of Rain. Fritz Theatre: Vigil. Gaslamp Quarter Theatre: Marvin’s Room. Founding Artistic Director of Chequamegon Children’s Theatre in Wisconsin, now in our 36th season.
Elisa Benzoni
Elisa is thrilled to be working with Cygnet for the first time. She has worked for on numerous award nominated productions across Southern California with theatres such as The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, Geffen Playhouse, South Coast Repertory Theatre, Laguna Playhouse, North Coast Repertory Theatre, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Diversionary Theatre and New Village Arts. Being Italian born, Elisa has also had the opportunity to work and perfect her craft in Europe. Elisa holds a costume design M.F.A. from UCSD where she currently is an adjunct professor.
Craig Campbell
In addition to serving as Cygnet’s Production Manager, his Stage Mgmt. credits here include; Rock of Ages, Angels in America, Spamalot, A Little Night Music, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Animal Crackers, On the Twentieth Century; August Wilson Rep; Seven Guitars & King Hedley II; Noel Coward Rep; Hay Fever & The Vortex. Other local area credits include: Damn Yankees, White Christmas, 42nd Street, La Cage aux Folles, West Side Story (SDMT); Peter Pan & The Music Man (Moonlight) The Tallest Tree in the Forest, Kingdom City & The Who and the What (La Jolla Playhouse). National tours: Forever Plaid, Guys & Dolls, Some Like it Hot and All Shook Up. Prior to life in San Diego, Craig is an Emmy Award winning Producer on various home make over shows including; “Clean House”, “Room-Mate Wars”, “Over Your Head” and “The Amanda’s”.
Tony Cucuzzella
Tony is excited to be making his design debut at Cygnet Theatre. He is the Technical Direction Specialist for the Palomar Performing Arts Department since 2017 and has designed the sets for the Theatre Departments productions of Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet, Sila, Mamma Mia, Little Shop of Horrors and the upcoming RENT. He has worked for San Diego Repertory Theatre, San Diego Comic Opera/Lyric Opera, Diversionary Theatre, San Diego Junior Theatre, J*Company, The Welk Theatre, Moxie Theatre, Backyard Renaissance Theatre, The Roustabouts Theatre Company and numerous high schools and elementary schools around the county. He is the recipient of 6 National Youth Theatre Awards for Outstanding Scenic Design and received the 2019 Craig Noel Award for Outstanding Scenic Design for An Experiment with an Air Pump for Backyard Renaissance Theatre at La Jolla Playhouse. Tony has been married to his “best friend” of 30 years, Jerry, since 2019.
Vanessa Dinning
English-born and professionally trained as an actor and a voice/dialect specialist at renowned theatre conservatories in London, Vanessa enjoys a varied career as an actor, dialect coach and director. In the UK, she worked at The Royal National Theatre, Belgrade Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe and others. In San Diego dialect coaching credits include: Hay Fever, The Vortex, My Fair Lady, When The Rain Stops Falling, and Angels in America (Cygnet), My Fair Lady, Shrek, Titanic and The Little Mermaid (Moonlight), All Is Calm (Bodhi Tree Concerts and San Diego Opera), The Importance of Being Earnest, The 39 Steps, Roman Holiday, King Charles III, A Man of No Importance and Cabaret (CPH), Cabaret and My Fair Lady (The Welk Resort Theatre), Sleuth, Outside Mullingar and Baskerville (SRT/OTC), Billy Elliot and Crazy For You (San Diego Musical Theatre) and Once (Lamb’s Players’ Theatre). Vanessa maintains a private studio teaching voice, dialect, singing and cello.
Bonnie Durben
Cygnet Theatre: LaCage Aux Folles, Spamalot, HIR, Angels in America and 50+ shows since 2003; Mira Costa College: Native Gardens, Freaky Friday, Tiny Beautiful Things, Into the Woods, Love/Sick, The Importance of Being Earnest and other productions since 2002; Moonlight Productions: Memphis the Musical, Cinderella, Something Rotten, Ragtime, Kinky Boots, Mamma Mia, The Producers, West Side Story, Newsies and 37 other productions. Productions at: Roustabouts, Diversionary, Ion and San Diego Musical Theatre.
Colby Freel
Colby is a lighting designer with experience working in many areas of lighting including plays, musicals, ballet, contemporary dance, and concerts, and architecture. Colby is the 2022 Hemsley Lighting Intern working with Paul Miller at the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera. He is a recent graduate from the MFA program at the School of Theatre, Television and Film at San Diego State University. His most recent production credits include lighting design for the world premiere of Postcard American Town at San Diego State University and assistant lighting design for Sister Act at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh, PA.
TJ Fucella
TJ is grateful and excited to return to Cygnet as a sound designer. He has been working in San Diego as a sound designer and mix engineer for the last 7 years. Credits include Gypsy, On The 20th Century, Shockheaded Peter, A Little Night Music, and Spamalot (Cygnet Theatre), Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, Guadalupe in the Guest Room (New Village Arts), Father Comes Home From The Wars, and Perfect Arrangement (Intrepid). He’d like to thank all of his friends at Cygnet Theatre, as well as his amazing fiancée Julia for their love and support.
Peter Herman
Cygnet Theatre: Costumes and Wig/Makeup Design for Shakespeare’s R&J, Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Wigs/Makeup Design for El Huracán, Water by the Spoonful, Life Sucks, La Cage aux Folles, The Great Leap, The Virgin Trial, Rock of Ages, Pride and Prejudice, Angels in America, Marie and Rosetta, HIR, Spamalot, The Last Wife, Shockheaded Peter, On the 20th Century, Bad Jews, Seven Guitars, King Hedley II, Gypsy, Stupid F**king Bird, The Rocky Horror Show, When the Rain Stops Falling, Hay Fever, The Vortex, Dogfight, My Fair Lady, Pageant, Fool for Love, True West, The Motherf**ker with the Hat, Spring Awakening, The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties, Company, Assassins, A Christmas Carol and many others. Elsewhere: Peter has designed hair and wigs for over 300 productions, including the La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Rep, San Diego Opera and Disneyland. Peter currently teaches wig and makeup at SDSU.
Kate McLeod
Kate (she/her/hers) is excited to join Cygnet Theatre again as assistant stage manager. Previous credits include stage manager for The Tempest, mon(U)mental, and Elektra at UCSD, assistant stage manager for Life Sucks at Cygnet and The Drowning Girls at On Stage Playhouse, Crew for A Christmas Carol at Cygnet, and assistant stage manager/sound designer with Center Stage Productions for 8 years. Check out her current projects at bit.ly/kmcleod76.
March 2023