TABLE OF THE BUSHNELL CENTER CONTENTS for the PERFORMING ARTS TRUSTEE OFFICERS Message from the President & CEO ..................... 5 Jay S. Benet Chair The Play That Goes Wrong September 25-30 Robert E. Patricelli Co-sponsored by Farmington Bank & Travelers ........ 9 Immediate Past Chair Thomas O. Barnes Annual Fund Donor Honor Roll ......................... 22 Vice Chair Jeffrey N. Brown Vice Chair An Extra Special Thank You ............................... 26 Jeffrey S. Hoffman Vice Chair The Bushnell Services ....................................... 29 David G. Nord Vice Chair David M. Roth Vice Chair Henry M. Zachs Vice Chair Arnold C. Greenberg Treasurer Mark N. Mandell Assistant Treasurer Eric D. Daniels Secretary EXECUTIVE STAFF David R. Fay President and CEO Ronna L. Reynolds Executive Vice President Elizabeth Casasnovas Vice President, Development, and Chief Development Officer Patti Jackson Vice President, Finance, and Chief Financial Officer Yolande Spears Senior Vice President, Education and Community Initiatives Ric Waldman Vice President, Programming and Marketing The Bushnell is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that is proud to serve Connecticut and its citizens. | 3 4 | BUSHNELL PROMPTER MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO The Play’s the Thing! Welcome to the Plays also help balance a Broadway official start of the season. We have the aforementioned historical 2018-2019 Bushnell phenomenon, of course, but also a fresh Broadway Series revival of the classic Fiddler on the Roof, the season! It doesn’t really Tony-winning production of the moving Come feel like we’ve been on from Away, and the family-friendly Charlie a summer break, though, and the Chocolate Factory. It’s a deep season with full houses in August for our three-week with wide appeal, and we thank Farmington run of Disney’s The Lion King and the big event Bank and Travelers for once again generously earlier this month – our Hamilton onsale. While co-sponsoring our Broadway Series. audiences have been anticipating the Hartford run of that show for a couple years, we have And thank you for coming out to The much to be excited about and proud of the rest Bushnell. Our patrons are the primary driver of the season, including the hilarious comedy behind what we do, and we appreciate your you’re here to see, The Play that Goes Wrong. feedback and your support. Now sit back and see if the cast can get through The Murder at While The Bushnell is probably best known Haversham Manor, the play that goes terribly for presenting the national tours of musicals, (but hilariously) wrong. some Broadway seasons produce a play that is so audience-pleasing, and so “musical” in its scope and appeal, that it’s inevitable it will tour. Sincerely, We’ve seen that recently with the stellar dramas War Horse and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and now we have it in a gut-busting farce, The Play that Goes Wrong. If David R. Fay you’ve ever been involved in community theatre (or even if you’ve been to a less-than polished performance of an amateur show), you’ll immediately relate to the actors just trying to get on with the show, despite some disastrous intrusions. 2018-2019 Season Sponsored by | 5 6 | BUSHNELL PROMPTER THE BUSHNELL LEGACY SOCIETY A Lasting Gift The Bushnell Legacy Society recognizes with gratitude the generosity of those donors who have included the Center in their estate plans. Stanley* and Marilyn M. Alfeld Mary Guiney* Mr.* and Mrs. Peter G. Russell Dorothy Clark Archibald* Bertha L. Hart* Dr. Alan Schwartz Tony and Betty Autorino Arman* and Betty Hatsian Carol W. Scoville Betty and Hap* Barnes Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin A. Hilyard Charles B. Seaverns Tom and Melanie Barnes Virginia and David Hilyard Margaret J. Sheehan Joan K. Berthoud* Shepherd M. Holcombe* Lois and Howard J.* Siegal Kristin M. Blanchfield Hugh M. and Helen H. Joseloff* Robert* and Barbara Simons Lori Poggi Bourret and Karen A. Kelleher Robert Siskin* Robert L. Bourret, Sr. Dick and Hazel Koszyca Margery and Lewis Steinberg Joyce C. and Harold C. Ann and Fred Larson Mr. and Mrs. Charles J. Stepnowski Buckingham, Jr. Margaret and Roger* Lawson Peter* and Betsy Sturrock John and Marla Byrnes Eileen R. Learned* Michael Suisman* Jerrie and Bert Clear* Peter and Mary Fran Libassi Allen Weintraub Susan and Brian Clemow Henry Link, P.E. Helen and Alfred Wilke Marie Jeanne and David* Coffin Jim Lyon Mary Jane Willms* Patricia L. Coombs* Cornelia G. Mason Mrs. Helen S. Wills* Pamela and James Cronin Ruth A. McElraevy Louise W. Willson* Evelyn L. Crosby* Linn and Keith McGlade Mrs. Lisa Wilson-Foley and Ann M. Curran* Ken and Kris Millerd Mr. Brian J. Foley Barbara and Ward Cusati Mr.* and Mrs. William F. K. Monks Mr.* and Mrs. Gardiner T. Wood Robert* and Mary Darling Joan G. Monts Margaret L. Woods Patricia R. DiLeo Edith* and John Davis* Murphy William A. Yandow* Germaine and Raymond Drennen David & Ellen Nattila Robert and Kathleen David and Rochelle Fierston Seymore S. Newman* O’Donnell Yeaton Bob Garthwait, Jr. Emery and Barbara Olcott Judith M. and Henry M. Zachs Evelyn Genovese The Robert and Margaret Patricelli Ellen and Michael Zenke Vanessa and Tom Giannasi Family Foundation Anonymous Bob and Frankie Goldfarb Frances B. Petersen* Julian B. Goldstein* Carl and Lisa Peterson Helen and Harry* Gray Ronna L. Reynolds *in grateful memory Arnold and Beverly Greenberg Margaret S. Rochford* For more information on membership in The Bushnell Legacy Society, please contact Ellen Nattila, Senior Major and Planned Gifts Officer at (860) 987-6071. Do what Dotha did… include The Bushnell in your estate plans. | 7 8 | BUSHNELL PROMPTER THE CORNLEY UNIVERSITY DRAMA SOCIETY PRESENTS CAST INSPECTOR CARTER – CHRIS BEAN CHARLES HAVERSHAM – JONATHAN HARRIS THOMAS COLLEYMOORE – ROBERT GROVE PERKINS – DENNIS TYDE FLORENCE COLLEYMOORE – SANDRA WILKINSON CECIL HAVERSHAM – MAX BENNETT ARTHUR THE GARDENER – MAX BENNETT CREATIVE WRITER – SUSIE H.K. BRIDESWELL PRODUCER – WAYNE BLEXT DIRECTOR – CHRIS BEAN DESIGNER – CHRIS BEAN COSTUME DESIGNER – CHRIS BEAN PROP MAKER – CHRIS BEAN BOX OFFICE MANAGER – CHRIS BEAN PRESS & PR – CHRIS BEAN DRAMATURGY – CHRIS BEAN VOICE COACH – CHRIS BEAN DIALECT COACH – CHRIS BEAN FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER – CHRIS BEAN REHEARSAL ROLE ‘MR FITZROY’ – CHRIS BEAN STAGE MANAGER – ANNIE TWILLOIL LIGHTING & SOUND OPERATOR – TREVOR WATSON THIS PRODUCTION WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE BRITISH-AMERICAN CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM | 9 A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Hello and welcome to The Murder at Haversham Manor. We are thrilled that the Cornley University Drama Society is performing in the USA. We can only apologise to those involved in the production of Equus originally scheduled for this week, which due to a clerical error, is now being performed in the Cornley University Gymnasium. We hope there are no hard feelings and we’ve left the vaulting horse out for you. The question everyone at Cornley has been asking is: are we ready for a venue of this size? The answer is “yes.” The cast and I rehearsed for weeks using only the best acting teachings to inspire us. We read that Sanford Meisner once said, “Acting is behaving truthfully,” so we immediately changed all the names in the play to our own names and cut the murder, the manor house setting and any other element that we hadn’t personally experienced. We then found the piece rather flat, and it only ran at 17 minutes. So we went back to the Meisner book and we realized the full quote was in fact: “Acting is behaving truthfully... under imaginary circumstances,” so we reinstated the cuts and we were then quickly back on track. We found the teachings of Michael Chekhov less confusing. He says, “An actor has to burn inside with an outer ease.” So that evening it was vindaloos all round at the Sunam Balti House on Cornley High Street. However, try as we did to not react to our burning insides, it was certainly noticeable that we were all in significant discomfort, which just goes to show how tough acting can be. At the end of the evening, Dennis was actually sick in the restaurant bathrooms. We always knew he was one of the weaker actors. All this hard work and preparation has left us with an ensemble piece that has achieved such critical acclaim as “VERY INTERESTING” from Mr. Harwood, esteemed head of Design Technology at Cornley University, and “RATHER UNSETTLING” from real-life police chief Mr. Greaves of the Cornley Volunteer Police Force. I’m sure that with a full audience, the piece will truly bring down the house. CHRIS BEAN President of the Cornley University Drama Society & Director of The Murder at Haversham Manor 10 | BUSHNELL PROMPTER CHRIS BEAN MAX BENNETT INSPECTOR CARTER & CECIL HAVERSHAM DIRECTOR Touring debut! Max is in Touring debut! Chris is his first year at Cornley the newly elected head University where he is of the Drama Society. studying human geography For tonight’s show, he served as the voice and crime. He is an avid fan of films, and his coach, dialect coach, fight choreographer, favourite is The Legend of Bagger Vance, which casting director and costume designer. he’s seen 27 times. This is Max’s first production He also plays the lead role and, of course, with the Drama Society, and he is very glad to directed. The Society would like to thank Chris have donated a large portion of his recent for his remarkable passion and efforts. Credits inheritance to help the show reach Broadway. within the University: Hamlet in Hamlet, Macbeth in Macbeth and Othello in Othello. DENNIS TYDE PERKINS ROBERT GROVE Touring debut! After failing THOMAS COLLEYMOORE the tryouts for the football, Touring debut! A member of cricket, volleyball and the Cornley Drama Society basketball teams, Dennis for three years, Robert uses decided to join the Drama Society.