Mission Objective: Seek the meaning of life in the suburbs. Join a longtime resident and a new arrival to town as they travel from the local library to outer space and places in between. Encounter thought-provoking universal themes of love, loneliness, birth, death, elation, forgiveness, disappointment, and redemption in small-town living. Middletown is the quirky, modern companion to the beloved Thornton Wilder classic, Our Town. "Middletown" is produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. top, L to R: William Aitken, Tamieka Chavis, Lily Kerrigan, Allen McRae, Bruce Alan Rauscher William Aitken (Man 2) Cab Driver in Harvey (1st Stage), Duke of Norfolk in A Man For All Season (Next Stop), Skipper in Take Me Out (1 Stage), Ansel in Killer Joe (SeeNoSun OnStage), Col Randolph in A Few Good Men, Scanlon in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Bear in Elizabeth Rex, Baylen in Glengarry Glen Ross , Juror 10 in Twelve Angry Men 2003 production (Keegan Theater), Old Man in We Tiresis (Forum Theater), Sir Walter Raleigh in Kit Marlow (Rorschach Theatre), Gen. Curtis Lemay, Malinovsky, Dobrynin, Adlai Stevenson in The Titans , Ned Crossman in Autumn Garden, Harold Ryan in Happy Birthday Wanda June (American Century). Ensemble in The Royal Hunt of the Sun , and Dr. Joe Cardin in The Children's Hour (WSC). Tamieka Chavis (Mary Swanson). NEXTSTOP: Middletown (Mary Swanson), Love, Loss, and What I Wore (Rosie/Pam/Annie/Amanda). DC REGION: Stay Awake (Atlas’ Theater for the Very Young), Bones In Whispers (Longacre Lea), The Word and The Wasteland (Source Festival), Sinbad: The Untold Story u/s (Imagination Stage), Mother Courage and Her Children (dog & pony dc), TOAST (dog & pony dc), The Creation of the World and Other Business (Off The Quill). TOURING: Lions of Industry, Women of Invention (Smithsonian’s Discovery Theater). UPCOMING: Mother Earth & Me (Smithsonian’s Discovery Theater). Tamieka has appeared on television for HBO, Investigation Discovery, and DCTV, as well as in commercials, industrials, and independent films. She is also a voiceover artist, teaching artist, as well as a proud graduate of the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts. Tamieka is so ever grateful for the support and guidance of her NCDA teachers, family, and friends! Lily Kerrigan (Woman 3) Lily is thrilled to be a part of Middletown. Recent roles include Alice in Alice, a steampunk adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, and Greta in a musical adaptation of Metamorphosis. Lily is also a paralegal, a stand-up comic, and a princess at birthday parties. She is a graduate of The National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts. Allen McRae (Mechanic) Allen is making his first appearance with NextStop, but has appeared in several Elden Street productions including The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), The Bible: The Complete Word of God (Abridged), Anne of Green Gables, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Other area credits include Shrek the Musical, 33 Variations, and The Full Monty (RCP); The 39 Steps (PWLT); This and Colder Than Here (VTC); The Music Man, Sleuth, and The Woman in Black (FCT); That Championship Season (RTP) and The Drowsy Chaperone (MCP). Bruce Alan Rauscher (Cop) began his career in "The Biz" in high school performing magic shows and producing short films. He studied film production at the AFI and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena. Bruce has appeared in thirteen previous American Century Theater productions including TACT’s very first production of 12 Angry Men. Other TACT productions include Cops, The Seven Year Itch, Judgment at Nuremberg, Marathon '33, Visit to a Small Planet, and The Andersonville Trial, for which he received a Helen Hayes nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of Col.Chipman. Favorite roles with other theater companies include Joseph Merrick in The Elephant Man, Alan Strang in Equus, Martin in Feeding the Moonfish (SETC award for Best Actor), Ellard Simms in The Foreigner, Alan Turing in Breaking the Code (ACT award for Best Actor), Edgar in King Lear, Gary/Roger in Noises Off, Rev. Hale in The Crucible and Edward III in Edward III. Bruce has also been honored with a Mary Goldwater Award for acting by The Theater Lobby. Rosemary Regan (Librarian) Rosemary was last seen as Older Woman in Animal at Studio Theatre. Other recent performances were in Mary Stuart (Folger Theatre) and Optimism! or Voltaire's Candide (Spooky Action Theater, Helen Hayes Award Nomination for Best Ensemble). She earlier appeared at Studio in The Cripple of Inishmaan, The Desk Set, Conversations with My Father, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and at Studio Secondstage in Terrorism, Mad Forest, Hot Fudge, and Terrence McNally: Five Short Plays. She has also played at Signature Theatre, Virginia Shakespeare Festival, Theater Alliance, Washington Shakespeare Company, and Solas Nua, among other venues. Laura Russell (Woman 1) NEXTSTOP/ESP: A Man For All Seasons (Lady Alice), Hedda Gabler (Thea), A Delicate Balance (Julia), Side Man (Terry), The Lady's Not for Burning (Alizon), The Runner Stumbles (Erna), Of Mice and Men (Curley's Wife), The Tenth Man (Evelyn), Hamlet (Ophelia). DC AREA: Hedda Gabler, Faith Healer, Dancing at Lughnasa, Shining City, The Cherry Orchard, The Trip to Bountiful, Dublin Carol, The Mollusc (Quotidian Theatre Company, company/board member); The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? (WATCH Award), Red Herring, Agnes of God, Six Degrees of Separation (Silver Spring Stage); The Eight: Reindeer Monologues (Accokeek Creek Theater Co.); All My Sons, Tartuffe, Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Port City Playhouse). UPCOMING: A Lesson From Aloes (Quotidian Theatre Company). John Stange (John Dodge) appreciates the respite from playing mean dudes. He's been on a streak, what with the Devil himself, Herr Swetts, in Nu Sass Productions’ A Bright Room Called Day, a vengeful spirit in Field Trip Theatre's The Great Lt. Sprinkle Didn't Save Me, and Belfast bully Mackers in The Keegan Theater's The Dealer of Ballynafeigh. He's also known for producing Shakespeare in the Pub’s monthly drunken shenanigans. Up next he's playing Melantius in the Brave Spirits Theatre production of The Maid's Tragedy. John is a loyal graduate of the The Theatre Lab's Honors Conservatory, 2009. http://johnstange.actor Chris Stinson (Man 1) is very proud to make his NextStop debut in Middletown. Chris last appeared in The Magic Tree at The Keegan Theatre; as part of the Women’s Voices Theater Festival. D.C. area credits include: Quotidian Theatre: This Lime Tree Bower, The Iceman Cometh; Constellation Theatre: The Lieutenant of Inishmore; Washington Stage Guild: Pen; The Hub Theatre: Failure: A Love Story (2015 Helen Hayes Nominee – Best Ensemble); Abominable, A Man, His Wife and His Hat; Scena Theatre: A Clockwork Orange; Forum Theatre: We Tiresias; 1st Stage: Parfumerie. Chris is a proud company member of The Hub Theatre, and an Equity Membership Candidate. www.chrisstinsonactor.com Stephanie Tomiko (Woman 2) Stephanie is extremely grateful to be part of NextStop Theatre Middletown Production. Other Credits include Discovery Theatre’s Seasons of Light and the DC Premiere of The Long Way Around at DC’s Women’s Voices Theatre Festival. She is a graduate of The Catholic University of America. Michael Chamberlin (Director) Harvey, Old Wicked Songs, Italian American Reconciliation, Almost, Maine (1st Stage); Optimism! or Voltaire's Candide (2 Helen Hayes Nominations, Spooky Action Theater); Happy-ish (Fordham University @ Lincoln Center); Fully Committed (Millbrook Playhouse); Washing Machine (Drama Desk & Hewes American Theater Wing Nomination for Outstanding Lighting Design, NY Innovative Theater Award Nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance, The Chocolate Factory & Manbites Dog Theater); Porcelain (Helen Hayes Nomination – Outstanding Director; Tsunami Theatre Company); Bat Boy: The Musical (3 Helen Hayes Noms.), A Clockwork Orange, Love's Fire, Kit Marlowe, (Studio Theatre 2ndStage); Class Action (Imagination Stage), The Glory of Living (Didactic Theatre Company). Assistant Director: The Grand Manner (Lincoln Center Theater); Of Mice and Men (Westport Country Playhouse); Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, (The Kennedy Center); Indian Blood (Primary Stages); Fences (Round House Theatre); The Matchmaker (Ford's Theatre); Privates on Parade (Studio Theatre). Member: SDC, Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, Directors Lab West. Visit michaelchamberlin.net. Deb Crerie & Kay Rzasa (Properties Designers) are delighted to return to NextStop Theatre. They previously designed props for Gidion’s Knot.Other credits include: Georgetown University, Gonda Theatre, The War with the Newts*(*premiere) Theatre Alliance: Night Falls on the Blue Planet*, Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea*; Occupied Territories* Forum Theatre: Holly Down in Heaven*; Gideon’s Knot. Spooky Action Theatre: Kwaidan*; The Two Character Play; Candide or Optimism!; Kafka on the Shore Flying V Theatre: Lobster Alice Washington Stage Guild: Inventing Van Gogh, painting coach for actor Ryan Tumulty. Studio Theatre: Chimerica* (*U.S. premiere), over hire set pieces and photography coach for actor Ron Menzel. 1st Stage Theatre: The Good Counselor; Old Wicked Songs; Doubt; Take Me Out; Suite Surrender; The Suicide; By The Bog of Cats; The Violet Hour; Pig Farm; Holiday; Red Herring; Three Days of Rain; Shakespeare's R&J; Humble Boy; The Glass Menagerie; Don't Dress for Dinner; Mousetrap; Fuddy Meers; Mauritius; By Jeeves; The How and the Why; Almost Maine; Side Man. JD Madsen (Scenic Designer) –In addition to freelance design, JD teaches design at the Johnny Carson School for Theatre and Film. He sends his love to his muse Elena, and their joy and inspiration Huck, Harper and Sawyer, since his work would have no meaning without their patience and willingness to share their husband and father with the world. Upcoming productions: Tales of Hoffman; Regional Theatre Design Credits: Sex With Strangers, Culture! Culture!, Sister Act, , Carousel, Pas de Duex, The Temperamentals, Cripple of Inishmaan, Death Trap, Richard III, Italian American Reconciliation, West Side Story, Middletown, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Sweet Charity, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Two Character Play, Reckless, It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, The Binding Lady, The Crucible, Dracula, Aida, Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, Songs for a New World, The Addams Family, King Lear, 1776, Big River, Suessical, Wizard of Oz, Forever Plaid. Associate Design Credits:Shakespeare Theatre Gala '12 & '13, The Game's Afoot, Cyrano, August Osage County Educational Theatre Design Credits: Enchanted April, Minotaur, A Child Shall Lead Them: The Making of the Night of the Hunter, Beidermann and the Firebugs, Cabaret, The Country Wife, Really Rosie, The Utter Glory of Morrisey Hall, A Mid-Summer Night's Dream. Kristina Martin (Costume Designer) – NEXTSTOP: No Spring Chicken, Kiss Me, Kate; A Man For All Seasons; The Secret Garden; Love, Loss, and What I Wore; Gutenberg!; Charlie Brown Christmas; Sylvia; Miss Electricity. DC/MD AREA: Venus in Fur; 33 Variations (Costume Designer); Baby; Ring of Fire (Wardrobe Supervisor); Passion Play (Costume Design Assistant); Dunsinane; As You Like It (Shakespeare Theatre Co.). WILLIAMSBURG AREA: Cosi fan tutte, Lucia; Illyria, Julius Caesar; Don Pasquale; Clyborne Park; The Coast of Utopia; La Cage Aux Folles; Evening of Dance; Dancing at Lughnasa; Merry Wives of Windsor. Natalie Nichols (Stage Manager) is elated to be making her stage management debut with NextStop Theatre Company. This will be her second show in the DC theatre scene. Previously, she has stage managed Brave Spirits Theatre's Henri IV: the Re-Gendered Henry IV Repertory. Natalie has a BA in Theatre from the University of Alabama, where she worked on a variety of shows, including Othello (ASM), Book of Days (Stage Manager), Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre (Stage Manager), and 42nd Street (ASM). She has also interned with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, where she worked on I Hate Hamlet and Henry IV, Part 1. Coming up this summer, she will be stage managing Spooky Action Theatre's The Bison Beast of DuBois. Brittany Shemuga (Lighting Designer) is excited to design her first show at NextStop. Recent designs include Harvey at 1st Stage, Rigoletto and The Old Maid and the Thief (Hubbard Hall), Miss Nelson is Missing (Adventure Theatre), and L'Enfant et Les Sortileges (University of Maryland). Assisting credits include Fish in the Dark (Broadway), The Real Thing (Studio Theatre), In Love and Warcraft (No Rules Theatre), and Hamlet…the Rest is Silence (Synetic Theatre). Education: BFA Ohio University; MFA University of Maryland. Brian Stefaniak (Master Electrician) – Brian is happy to be back working with the good people of NextStop, where he has been the Master Electrician for Richard III, Into the Woods, The Secret Garden, and Kiss Me, Kate, and No Spring Chicken, among others. He was also the Lighting Designer for NextStop's production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Dramatic Comedy
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Cast
bottom, L to R: Rosemary Regan, Laura Russell, John Stange, Chris Stinson, Stephanie Tomiko
Production Team