PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
CONTACT: Patrick Finlon, Marketing Director
315-443-2636 or pjfinlon@syr.edu
A Christmas Story
Critically Acclaimed Stage Adaptation of Beloved Holiday Classic
Offers Family Fun, Features Local Children and Professional Actors
Based on the motion picture by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown, and Bob Clark
Adapted by Philip Grecian
Directed by Seth Gordon
ARCHBOLD THEATRE at SYRACUSE STAGE
Running Dates: November 30 – December 30
Press Opening: Friday, December 3 at 8:00 p.m.
(Syracuse, NY)—A smoking furnace, a bully named Farkus, a pack of thieving-baying hounds, a
dingblang-fuzzle-whizzin-mouthed old man, a prized leg lamp that’s more leg than lamp—and a
bunny suit: Is this the stuff of Christmas? It is for Ralphie, and all he really wants is a legendary
official Red Ryder 200-Shot Carbine Action Range Model Air Rifle with a compass and this thing
which tells time built right into the stock. Brighten the holidays with this hilarious and critically
acclaimed stage adaptation of Jean Shepherd’s wry and witty tale of a special Christmas past and
journey back to a time when we all had less and it felt like more.
Running November 30-December 30 at Syracuse Stage, A Christmas Story will feature local
children and professional actors. Tickets range $16-$48, available at 315-443-3275 or
www.SyracuseStage.org. A Christmas Story is supported by HSBC Bank, Excellus BlueCross
BlueShield, and Residence Inn Marriott. Media sponsors are Clear Channel Communications,
Syracuse.com, Syracuse New Times, WAER, and WCNY. Syracuse Stage season sponsors are The
Post-Standard and Time Warner Cable.
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The cast will feature seven local children ages 8-12 from across Central New York. Playing the
role of Ralphie is Nicholas Deapo from Liverpool, NY who made his Syracuse Stage debut in
2006 playing the role of Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol. Narrating the play, in the role of
Ralphie as an adult, is Tim Davis-Reed, a veteran of stage and television and current Syracuse
University Drama professor.
“The big difference between the play and the film is the narrator,” said director Seth
Gordon. “In the film it’s a disembodied voice and in the play it’s a three dimensional person
who you actually see and you witness him witnessing all these things. What happens, I think,
is that audiences are not just enjoying the story but they’re transported back to a time when
they had that sense of innocent desire. I think the play is great fun, but by the end I think
they’re moved by that memory as well.”
The film A Christmas Story opened in theatres in 1983, and has since become an American
classic. Since 1997, the movie has been shown on television every year on Christmas Eve into
Christmas Day in a 24-hour marathon. Based on a series of short stories by Jean Shepherd, the
film was adapted into the stage play in 2000 by Philip Grecian. The play has enjoyed
successful runs in every corner of the United States and parts of Canada. Seth Gordon directs
in Syracuse, after directing the highly praised and well received world premiere at the
Cleveland Play House.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Prologues (New in 2010!) – 1 hour before each performance
A free, 20-25 minute, intimate pre-show conversation with a member of the cast held prior to
every performance. Starting time: one hour prior to curtain, except Wednesday matinees
when patrons may enjoy the Wednesday @ 1 Lecture Series. Get more out of your Syracuse
Stage experience. Prologue is supported by the Grandma Brown Foundation.
M&T Bank Pay-What-You-Can Series: Sunday, November 28 at 7:00 p.m. to watch the final
dress rehearsal. $9 suggested donation, tickets available at the door 1 hour prior to curtain.
LGBT Pride Series: Thursday, December 2, one hour before the 7:30 p.m. show. Food, music
& friends.
LIVE in the Sutton Series: Friday, December 3, live music following the 8:00 p.m. curtain.
Open Caption Series: Wednesday, December 8 at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday, December 19 at 2
p.m.
Wednesday @ 1 Lecture Series: Wednesday, December 8 at 1 p.m. before the 2 p.m. show.
Happy Hour Series: Thursday, December 9, one hour before the 7:30 p.m. performance.
Half-price bar drinks and complimentary snacks.
Welch Allyn Signed Performance Series In Memory of Susan Thompson: Saturday,
December 11 at 3:00 p.m.
Actor Talkback Series: Sunday, December 26 following the 7:00 p.m. show.
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*Special event programs are additionally funded by the Doris Duke Charitable
Foundation/The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and administered by Theatre Communications
Group, the National Organization for the American Theatre.
TICKETS
Adults: $25-$48
40 & Under: $25
18 & Under: $16
Student Rush: $15
*Rush tickets available day of performance, by phone ($5 fee) or in person (no fee)
*Discounts available for seniors, students, groups and subscribers
Online: www.SyracuseStage.org
Call: 315-443-3275
In person: 820 East Genesee Street
Groups (10 or more): 315-443-9844
CAST
Timothy Davis-Reed (Ralph) made his professional debut swinging a sword in Syracuse Stage’s
production of Cyrano de Bergerac with John Cullum, which later went on national tour. He’s
played leading roles with Riverside Shakespeare, Manhattan Stage, Theatre at Monmouth in
Maine, The New York Shakespeare Festival in Central Park, Playwright’s Theatre of New
Jersey, The Alliance Theatre in Atlanta and in several productions at Syracuse Stage – most
recently Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. He is a veteran of over 150 episodes of network
television, including two seasons as a series regular on Sports Night and 6 seasons as White
House Press Reporter Mark O’Donnell on The West Wing. Other television appearances include
Big Love, Studio 60, Monk, Desperate Housewives, 24, Scrubs, Arrested Development, 7th
Heaven, The Drew Carey Show, Still Standing, Will and Grace, Star Trek: Voyager and the
pilot Chestnut Hill. In memory of Herb Grossman - a great man of the theatre.
Nicholas Deapo (Ralphie) is excited to return to the Syracuse Stage family! He was previously
seen in the role of Tiny Tim during the 2006 performance of A Christmas Carol. Other acting
credits include the role of Jerome in South Pacific, and Colin Craven in The Secret Garden. An
avid musician, Nicholas plays violin, piano and percussion. In 2007, he was a winner of the
“Hey Mozart!” Young Composer Competition sponsored by Hartwick College. Nicholas attends
sixth grade at Willow Field Elementary School in Liverpool, where he was also a member of
the 2010 All-District Chorus. His hobbies include reading, going to the movies, and being an
American History enthusiast.
Sara Goodwin (Esther Jane) is a ten-year-old from Baldwinsville, NY. Sara loves singing,
dancing, acting, gymnastics, soccer and lacrosse. Sara has performed in many musicals. Title
roles include Sharpay in High School Musical Jr. and Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Sara has
also performed in Annie Jr., School House Rock Live, Jr. and The Secret Garden. Sara recently
placed first in the Emerald City Idol singing competition. Sara enjoys school and would love to
be an elementary teacher while pursuing her dream of being a singer/actress.
Madison Gregory (Helen) enjoys family life with her younger brother, sister and her parents.
She attends middle school in the Cicero-North Syracuse school district. Her passions include
reading long books, baking yummy treats, spending time with her friends, public speaking and
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playing her flute. Madison's love of theatre has grown over the last several years during which
she's been blessed to be a member of the Christian School of Performing Arts where she's
performed in The Jungle Book, Fiddler on the Roof and Beauty and the Beast.
Charles Kartali (Old Man). Regional: American Stage, Aspen Theatre in the Park, BoarsHead,
Cleveland Play House, Cleveland Public Theatre, Dobama Theatre, Ensemble Theatre, Mandel
JCC, Shadowland and Steppenwolf Theatre Company, among others. Recent credits: Vet in
The Book of Grace (Cleveland Public Theatre); The Man in Bill W. and Dr. Bob and The Old
Man in A Christmas Story (Cleveland Play House); Shmuel Berger in Pangs of the Messiah and
Eric Weiss in Brooklyn Boy (Mandel JCC). Select credits: Christopher Trumbo in Trumbo (with
Robert Vaughn) and Mitch Albom in Tuesdays With Morrie (CPH); Victor in The Price and
Johnny in Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (Ensemble); Herr Gottfried Swetts (“The
Devil”) in A Bright Room Called Day (CPT) and Ross in The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? and Chas in
The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek (Dobama). Other credits: Fusion Fest, CPH (2006-2010);
Artistic Associate, Ensemble Theatre (2002-2003); Finalist Judge, Dorothy Silver Playwriting
Competition (2001-present); Guest Artist, WordBRIDGE Playwright’s Laboratory (1996present) and the Victory Gardens Readers Theatre. Television: Lost Subs. Film: High Spirits.
Hunter Metnick (Randy) is an eight-year-old from Fayetteville, NY who is the oldest of two
and enjoys basketball, reading, video games and playing with friends. Prior to A Christmas
Story, Hunter's acting history has included Syracuse Children's Theatre, television
commercials, print ads and school music shows at Fayetteville Elementary School.
Danny Mulvihill (Farkus) is a twelve-year-old seventh grader at Jamesville-Dewitt Middle
School. A live theatre buff since he was four, Danny trained for many summers with the
Manlius-Pebble Hill programs, culminating in the role of Doody in Grease. In his spare time,
Danny likes to compose screenplays and direct his brother Teddy and friends in mini-movies
on his iPod Touch. Favorite place to visit: Manhattan’s Apple store.
Pat Nesbit (Mrs. Shields) fell in love with this character, this play, and her fellow actors last
year while performing A Christmas Story at The Cleveland Play House. New York credits
include Broadway productions of The Last Night of Ballyhoo, So Long on Loney Street, the
national tours of Biloxi Blues, Copenhagen, Lincoln Center Theatre, Manhattan Class
Company, and Mint Theatre. Regional theatre credits include: Arizona Theatre Company, San
Jose Repertory Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Goodman Theatre, The
Spoleto Festival, Caldwell Theatre, Geva Theatre Center and Syracuse Stage.
Ted Potter (Flick, U/S Ralphie) is a twelve-year-old musical theatre performer from Oneida,
NY. His acting credits include lead roles in Victoria Buda's Academy for the Theatrical Arts
(ATA) production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast in the role of Gaston and Oneida Public
Library's production of Phooey in the role of the Pied Piper, both in 2010. In 2009, he starred
as Reginald van Cleef in Victoria Buda's ATA production of Dinosaur Musical. Besides his drama
classes and musical training on the saxophone, Ted's vocal credits include an a capella
performance of "God Bless America" at his 6th grade Baccalaureate Mass as well as singing
at the opening Mass of the school year celebrated by the Bishop. In addition to team sports
and swimming, Ted has a unique talent for intricate jigsaw puzzles and is a master architect
of Lego structures. Ted incorporates his love of theatre into daily life through his collection of
hats that rival a small haberdashery.
Tristan Tierney (Shwartz) will turn 11 as of this November. Tristan is in fifth grade at
Jamesville-Dewitt Middle School, where he is an excellent student. His interests include
acting, drawing, and sports (with an emphasis on baseball). Tristan’s previous acting
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experience has been with the Syracuse Children’s Theatre. Tristan is pleased to be a part of
the cast of A Christmas Story.
Elizabeth Ann Townsend (Mother) played Mother Parker for five years in The Cleveland Play
House production of A Christmas Story. She is thrilled to bring the Story to Syracuse Stage.
Recently, she portrayed the role of Gwendolyn Pigeon in The Odd Couple at Porthouse
Theatre. Other Porthouse productions include Our Town and Peter Pan. Other area
productions include Great Lakes Theatre Festival’s Hay Fever, The Mandel Jewish Community
Center’s Cleveland Heights, Ensemble Theatre’s Sorrow’s and Rejoicings and Talley’s Folly,
Dobama’s The Exonerated, Beck Center’s Agnes of God and Boy Gets Girl. In NYC, she has
appeared in plays, films, national commercials, The Sopranos and Law & Order.
UNDERSTUDIES
Christof Deboni (U/S Randy) is an eight-year-old from Fayetteville, New York. Christof's
theatre debut was in The Ugly Duckling at the 2010 Cazenovia Counterpoint Festival. In
addition to acting, he loves to sing, ski and Tae Kwon Do. He attends Manlius Pebble Hill
School.
Ashley Schultz (U/S Helen, U/S Esther Jane) is an 11-year-old from Syracuse, NY. She is very
excited to make her theatre debut at Syracuse Stage this season. Her passion for theatre was
exhibited earlier this spring when she wrote and performed in her own play based on “A Tale
of Two Cities” along with her 5th grade classmates. She is an honor student who enjoys
reading, writing, painting and swimming.
Jamaal Wade (U/S Flick, U/S Schwartz, U/S Farkus) is an eighth-grader who found his love for
acting when he lived in Los Angeles. He auditioned for two of Martin Lawrence's films:
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins and College Road Trip (with Raven Simone). He was
recently cast in one of the lead roles in Elegy in Blue. Last year he was flown to Louisiana and
cast in the movie The Sickle where he played Jacob (movie not yet distributed). He attended
the Liverpool Music Theatre camp in the summer of 2010. Last year he won the school talent
show. He loves to dance, sing, play the piano, and direct skits with his sister. He maintains
excellent grades in school, where his favorite subject is Spanish.
DIRECTOR
Seth Gordon (Director) is thrilled to make his debut at Syracuse Stage. He became the
Associate Artistic Director of the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis this season. Previously, he
spent nine seasons in the same capacity at the Cleveland Play House. At the Play House, he
produced FusionFest, a performing arts festival, and the Next Stage Festival of New Plays. His
Play House directing credits include Dinner with Friends, Proof, Forest City (world premiere),
Vincent in Brixton, Tuesdays with Morrie, A Christmas Story, RFK, Of Mice and Men, The
Chosen, Doubt, The Lady with All the Answers, Inherit the Wind, Bill W. and Dr. Bob, and A
Soldier’s Tale, which featured a rarely produced libretto by Kurt Vonnegut. This season for
the Rep he’ll direct Next Fall and The Fall of Heaven. He has also directed in Cleveland for
Dobama Theatre, the Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, and the Beck Center for the Arts. He
recently directed the Arabic premiere of Our Town in Cairo. Previously, he served as Literary
Manager and then as Associate Producer of Primary Stages in New York, where he produced
and/or directed countless productions, workshops and readings of new plays by this country’s
leading playwrights. He has also directed at many other New York theatres, and has directed
and lectured at various universities including The New School and Case Western Reserve
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University. He received the 2004 and 2006 Northern Ohio Live Award for Excellence in
Theatre. He considers himself a lucky man.
WRITERS
Philip Grecian (Playwright) began his show business career by hiring out as a ventriloquist and
magician at the age of four. By 15 he had written a three-act comedy which was produced at
a local theatre. At the age of 16 he was founding director for a city-funded community
theatre. Two years later he was asked, without audition, to be a part of the Creede Colorado
Repertory Theatre, where he spent a season acting and writing. He continues to maintain a
connection with Creede Repertory, where his plays have been produced and where he has
returned as a guest performer. After touring the Midwest as Androcles in Androcles and the
Lion, he returned to the community theatre he had founded, remaining there as
artistic/managing director and resident playwright for six years; he resigned in 1976 in order
to create a professional dinner theatre where he served as producer and artistic director.
After establishing a strong financial base for the new theatre, he left to work as a
writer/director in film, video and audio production. In 1994, Grecian became the founding
director/playwright for a theatre company which mounts an annual production of his
adaptation of In His Steps, based upon Charles Sheldon's best-selling 19th-century novel. His
adaptation of A Christmas Carol has become an annual tradition in many communities around
the United States, and his radio dramatization of Dracula!, based on his stage play, and
syndicated for a time on radio stations across the country, has come full circle and is now a
staged radio production, complete with an onstage sound effects crew. It is the first of
several staged radio dramas he has written. Other plays include his widely popular The
Velveteen Rabbit and the official stage adaptation of the motion picture A Christmas Story
("You'll shoot your eye out"), which is produced annually by scores of professional, educational
and community theatre companies throughout the English-speaking world. His plays The
Dragon of Nitt and Lion and the Lyre have been translated and performed in Russia.
Jean Shepherd (Original Screenplay) was a writer, humorist, satirist, actor, radio raconteur,
and television and film personality. A master storyteller, he took bits and pieces from his
youth in Hammond, Indiana, his adventures in the Army Signal Corps and stories of the
obscure and infamous were all fertile sources for his tales. For almost three decades, he told
these stories to eager radio audiences, in Cincinnati from 1950 to 1954 and on WOR in New
York from 1956 to 1977. His other radio enterprise was live broadcasts on Saturday night from
The Limelight, a nightclub in Greenwich Village. Shepherd began his entertainment career in
Chicago as a performer at the Goodman Theatre. He did nightclub acts on Rush Street,
appeared on Broadway in Leonard Sillman's revue, New Faces (1962) and in Voice of the
Turtle, and played a dance instructor in the film The Light Fantastic (1963). He was also a
sportscaster and did baseball broadcasts for the Toledo Mudhens and Armed Forces Radio. In
the seventies, he took his talents to television in a series of humorous narratives for PBS
called "Jean Shepherd's America," later continued on the PBS New Jersey Network as
"Shepherd's Pie." Here he was able to show us the more offbeat aspects of America,
particularly his own home state, which he loved to ridicule. This led to a series of teleplays
for PBS/WGBH's American Playhouse: "The Phantom of the Open Hearth," "The Great American
Fourth of July and Other Disasters," "Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss" and "The Star-Crossed
Romance of Josephine Cosnowski." His most popular and well-known work is the film A
Christmas Story (1983) which he co-wrote and narrated. In 1994 he did a sequel, My Summer
Story (aka It Runs in the Family). Shepherd wrote articles for several magazines, including
Playboy and Omni, and was an early contributor to The Village Voice, most notably in his
"Night People" column. His books include The America of George Ade; In God We Trust, All
Others Pay Cash; Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories and Other Disasters; The Ferrari
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in the Bedroom; and A Fistful of Fig Newtons. Shepherd passed away on October 16, 1999, at
the age of 78.
DESIGNERS
Michael Ganio (Scenic Designer) is happy to be back at Syracuse Stage, having last designed
for Amadeus in 2003. Previous collaborations with director Seth Gordon include Proof and the
professional world premiere of A Christmas Story for the Cleveland Play House. Most recently,
he has designed productions of The Seven Keys to Bald Pate for Milwaukee Repertory Theatre,
and Henry IV, Part One for Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Later this year he will be designing
productions of The Three Musketeers for Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Ruined for Denver Center
Theatre Company, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom for Actor's Theatre of Louisville, and Speaking in
Tongues for Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. He received a BFA degree from Webster
University, and MFA degree from New York University.
David Kay Mickelsen (Costume Designer) has designed more than 250 productions at some of
the nation's leading theatres: The Guthrie Theatre; Denver Center Theatre Company (50
productions); Arizona Theatre Company (46 productions); The Cleveland Play House (17
productions); Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (13 productions); Ford's Theatre; Williamstown
Theatre Festival; Berkeley Repertory Theatre; Geffen Playhouse; Pasadena Playhouse;
Laguna Playhouse; The Old Globe; San Diego Repertory Theatre; A Contemporary Theatre;
The Oregon, Utah, Colorado, and Illinois Shakespeare Festivals; Studio Arena Theatre;
Portland Center Stage; Northlight Theatre Company; Pioneer Theatre Company; Geva Theatre
Center; The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis; Children's Theatre Company of Minneapolis;
Tennessee Repertory Theatre; Missouri Repertory Theatre; Sundance Theatre Festival; New
Mexico Repertory Theatre; Pennsylvania Center Stage; Florida Stage; The Maltz-Jupiter
Theatre; Ensemble Studio Theatre; Irish Repertory Theatre; Theatre of the Open Eye; Jean
Cocteau Repertory Theatre; The Hampton Playhouse; and Timberlake Playhouse. He
graduated with an MFA from California Institute of the Arts, and is a member of the United
Scenic Artists. Originally from Canby, Oregon, David now makes his home in Long Beach,
California. His work can be seen at davidkaymickelsen.com.
Richard Winkler (Lighting Designer) is delighted to be working at Syracuse Stage for the first
time. He designs for Broadway, off-Broadway, national and international tours and regional
theatres, working on plays, musicals, opera, concerts, and dance. Recent credits include the
new musical Cagney! and Babalu! (Luci Arnaz’s tribute to her father) in Florida, as well as a
new production of Hairspray at Houston’s Theatre Under The Stars. Credits include Disney’s
When You Wish and The Who’s Tommy; White Christmas; A Wonderful Life; Dreamgirls;
Hello, Dolly; Swing; West Side Story; Cats; the world premiere musical Whatever Happened
to Baby Jane; A Chorus Line; My Fair Lady; Kiss Me Kate; Anything Goes; Funny Girl; Jekyll
and Hyde; 3 Mo' Divas (Denver Theatre Center and PBS); 3 Mo' Tenors (New York); the
national tour of Evita; A Christmas Story (Cleveland Play House); Dixie’s Tupperware Party
(national tour); Kennedy Center concerts including Patti Lu Pone, Angela Lansbury, George
Hearn, and Wynonna and Naomi Judd; the 25th anniversary national tour of Evita; the
national tour of Fame, The Musical; and the New York City Opera revival of Rodgers and
Hammerstein's Cinderella, Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Little Prince, Be Aggressive,
Woman In Black, Jerusalem (World Premiere), American Fiesta (World Premiere), Waverly
Gallery, Underpants, Dirty Blonde, Nickel and Dimed, and Wit. Richard is also a Broadway
and West End producer. Recent producer credits include The Norman Conquests (Tony
Award), Memphis: The Musical (Tony Award), La Cage Aux Folles (Tony Award), A Little Night
Music, La Bete, and Long Story Short with Colin Quinn. He was also a producer of A Little
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House on the Prairie (national tour with Melissa Gilbert), and The 39 Steps (national tour and
off-Broadway).
Jonathan R. Herter (Sound Designer) has been the resident sound designer and engineer for
Syracuse Stage and SU’s Department of Drama since the 1997-1998 season. He was born and
educated in Central New York and has designed about 56 productions for the Stage, most
recently Little Women, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, The Diary of Anne Frank, Putting It
Together, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Crowns. Jonathan has
designed shows for numerous other LORT theatres, and some local spaces including the Red
House Arts Center. Some of his favorite designs include Red Noses, The Day Room, Spike
Heels, The Real Thing, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Inherit the Wind, M. Butterfly, A Raisin in
the Sun, Romeo and Juliet, A Lesson Before Dying, West Side Story, Frozen, Member of the
Wedding, Copenhagen, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Driving Miss Daisy, and Big River.
OTHER ARTISTIC
Malcolm Ingram (Vocal Coach) teaches voice and acting in the Department of Drama, where
he has previous directed The Way of the World, The Winter’s Tale, Henry V, Charley’s Aunt,
The Maid’s Tragedy, Our Country’s Good, Macbeth, Twelfth Night, Sir Patient Fancy, and A
Midsummer Night’s Dream. Malcolm is also an actor with a long career in the U.K. as well as
many professional productions in this country. Recent appearances include Mr. Laurence in
Little Women at Syracuse Stage, a Narrator in a Beyond the Score presentation of Pictures at
an Exhibition with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, the Old Shepherd in The Winter’s Tale
and three roles in Pinter’s Mirror (three one-act plays by Harold Pinter) at Shakespeare &
Company in Lenox, MA.
Felix Ivanoff (Fight Director) is a graduate of the prestigious Schukin Theatre School at the
Vakhtangov Academy Theatre and the Stasov Musical School (violin) in Moscow, Russia. He is
also well versed in the art of the musical clownery, physical comedy, stage combat,
movement and character dance. He also has achieved the master’s level in the Chinese
martial art Kuoshu, and black belt/Shodan rank in Judo. Based on his diverse knowledge and
skills, Felix has developed an original dynamic training method for the actors for which he has
gained an international recognition. He has formerly taught at The Moscow Art Theatre
School, The Lunacharsky State Theatre University and The Gnessin College of Fine Arts in
Moscow, Russia, and has been a visiting professor at The Academy of Fine Arts in Maastricht,
Holland. Felix also choreographed the combat, movement and character dance scenes for
over three hundred Russian drama and puppet theatres, motion pictures and television.
Presently, Felix is an assistant professor at the Drama Department of Syracuse University. He
has previously taught at The Juilliard School, The Actors Center, Brooklyn College, and SUNY
Purchase; Rutgers University, NJ; The Hartt School, Hartford, CT; and The North Carolina
School of the Arts, Winston Salem, NC. His stage movement and combat choreography has
been seen at many American venues including The Acting Company, Lincoln Center Theatre,
The Metropolitan Opera, New York Theatre Workshop, The Wooster Group, The Pearl Theatre,
The Cherry Lane Theatre, Soho Repertory Theatre, Soho Playhouse, and TELE/VEST in NYC;
The Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, MN; The Shakespeare Theatre Festival in Cleveland, OH;
The Shakespeare Theatre in the Washington, D.C., among others.
STAGE MANAGER
Christine Lomaka (Stage Manager) returns to Syracuse Stage, having worked on last season’s
co-production of The Price with Geva Theatre Center. As a freelance stage manager, Chris has
worked with numerous companies including Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Shakespeare
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Theatre, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare and Company, Houston Grand Opera, LA
Opera and Syracuse Opera. She spent 15 years in Los Angeles working as a lighting designer, a
set dresser for television and film, and a production manager for the comedy improv troupe,
The Groundlings. Chris has been a member of Actors Equity since 1987.
SYRACUSE STAGE
Syracuse Stage is Central New York’s premier professional theatre. Founded in 1974, Stage
has produced more than 230 plays in 37 seasons including a number of world, American, and
East Coast premieres. Each season 90,000 patrons enjoy an adventurous mix of new plays and
bold interpretations of classics and musicals featuring the finest theatre artists. In addition,
Stage maintains a vital educational outreach program that annually serves over 30,000
students from 24 counties. A solid core of subscribers and supporters helps keep Syracuse
Stage a vibrant artistic presence in Central New York. Additional support comes from the
government, foundations, corporations and Syracuse University. Syracuse Stage is a
constituent of the Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the
American theatre, and a member of the Arts and Cultural Leadership Alliance (ACLA), the
University Hill Corporation and the East Genesee Regent Association. Syracuse Stage is a
member of The League of Resident Theatres (LORT), the largest professional theatre
association in the country.
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Fact Sheet
A Christmas Story
Critically Acclaimed Stage Adaptation of Beloved Holiday Classic
Offers Family Fun, Features Local Children and Professional Actors
Based on the motion picture by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown, and Bob Clark
Adapted by Philip Grecian
Directed by Seth Gordon
ARCHBOLD THEATRE at SYRACUSE STAGE
Running Dates: November 30 – December 30
Press Opening: Friday, December 3 at 8:00 p.m.
SYRACUSE STAGE SEASON SPONSORS:
The Post-Standard
Time Warner Cable
SHOW SPONSORS:
HSBC Bank
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
Residence Inn Marriott
MEDIA SPONSORS:
Clear Channel Communications
Syracuse.com
Syracuse New Times
WAER
WCNY
CAST
Timothy Davis-Reed (Ralph)
Nicholas Deapo (Ralphie)
Sara Goodwin (Esther Jane)
Madison Gregory (Helen)
Charles Kartali (Old Man)
Hunter Metnick (Randy)
Danny Mulvihill (Farkus)
Pat Nesbit (Mrs. Shields)
Ted Potter (Flick, U/S Ralphie)
Tristan Tierney (Shwartz)
Elizabeth Ann Townsend (Mother)
UNDERSTUDIES
Christof Deboni (U/S Randy)
Ashley Schultz (U/S Helen, U/S Esther Jane)
Jamaal Wade (U/S Flick, U/S Schwartz, U/S Farkus)
DIRECTOR
Seth Gordon (Director)
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DESIGNERS
Michael Ganio (Scenic Designer)
David Kay Mickelsen (Costume Designer)
Richard Winkler (Lighting Designer)
Jonathan R. Herter (Sound Designer)
ARTISTIC
Malcolm Ingram (Vocal Coach)
Felix Ivanoff (Fight Director)
Christine Lomaka (Stage Manager)
The names in bold are actors and stage managers who are members of Actors’ Equity Association,
the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
TICKETS:
Adults: $25-$48
40 & Under: $25
18 & Under: $16
Student Rush: $15
*Rush tickets available day of performance, by phone ($5 fee) or in person (no fee)
*Discounts available for seniors, students, groups and subscribers
Online: www.SyracuseStage.org
Call: 315-443-3275
In person: 820 East Genesee Street
Groups (10 or more): 315-443-9844
SHOW CALENDAR: November/December
SUN
MON
TUES
28
WED
30
7:00
PWYC
7:30 P
THURS
1
7:30 P
FRI
SAT
2
7:30 P
3
8:00 O
4
3:00
8:00
5
6
7
2:00
8
2:00
W, OC
9
7:30
10
8:00
3:00 S
8:00
7:30
12
13
14
2:00
11
16
15
7:30
7:30
17
8:00
18
3:00
8:00
19
2:00 OC
20
22
21
7:30
7:30
23
24
25
7:30
11
26
27
2:00
2:00
7:00 D
7:30
30
29
28
7:30
31
2:00
7:00
PWYC=Pay What You Can Night (Final Dress Rehearsal)
P=Preview
O=Press Opening, LIVE in the Sutton Series D=Actor Talkback Series
S=Signed Performance Series W=Wednesday @ 1 Lecture Series
OC = Open Captioning
###
Syracuse Stage I Producing Artistic Director: Timothy Bond I Managing Director: Jeffrey Woodward
820 E. Genesee St. I Main: 315-443-4008 I Box Office: 315-443-3275 I www.syracusestage.org
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