Directors: Andy Christensen and Gregory Pulver
Music Director: David De Lyser
Stage Manager: Lexie Rudolph
Set Design: Maddie Southard
Costume and Props Design: Gregory Pulver
Lighting Design: Eric Lyness
Robert Bennett Buchholz
Joanne Natalie Davis
Larry Patrick Lucey
Peter Joe Koppy
Susan Madeline Botsford*
Amy Shae McCarty
Paul Jakob Pederson
Sarah Avery Feather
Harry Aidan Brown*
Jenny Hannah Harrison
David Aidan Broderick
Kathy Emma Wheatcroft
Marta Aria Hroma
April Taylor Andreas
Sky Nick Hailer
Roux Alexa Bayliff
Celeste Sydney Gannon
Liz Katie Course
*In partial fulfillment of the Senior Capstone for the BA in Theater
Robert Aidan Brown
Joanne Hannah Harrison
Larry Nick Hailer
Peter Nick Hailer
Susan Alexa Bayliff
Amy Taylor Andreas
Paul Aidan Brown/Nick Hailer
Sarah Alexa Bayliff
Harry Nick Hailer
Jenny Sydney Gannon
David Nick Hailer
Kathy Katie Course
Marta Katie Course
April Sydney Gannon
Assistant Stage Managers: Olivia Sloss, Siena Hanson
Master Electrician: Carter Wolff
Light Board Operator: Lexi Rudolph
Sound Engineer: Hal Logan
Sound Mixer: Savanah Baird
Wardrobe/Dressers: Lauren Banks, Israel Osorio
Follow Spot Operator: Mollie Goldberg
Producer: Andy Christensen
Scene Shop Supervisor: Eric Lyness
Costume Shop Supervisor: Sue Bonde
Props Supervisors: Sue Bonde and Aria Hroma
Scene Shop Technicians and Electricians: Sean Hovland, Julia Moran, Maddie Southard, Joe Stefanich, Audrey Stineman
Costume Shop Crew: Alexa Bayliff, Alaina Cruson, Katja La Flamme, Lilly Grey Rudge, Lexi Rudolph, Isaiah Saluta
Costume Shop Volunteer: Suzanne Beam
THTR 172 Shop Crew: Mollie Goldberg, Maria Watanabe
Marketing Director: Dr. Lezlie Cross
Marketing Assistant: Hannah Harrison
Front of House: Rosabelle Barrozo, Belle Hansen, Isabelle Long, Zuleyma Zambrano Zamorano
Content notices: Mentions of disordered eating, suicide, and misogyny
Company is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
Special Thanks
A grant from the Beckman Humor Project helped fund artistic and technical elements of this production of Company.
From its first production in 1970, Company has been inviting artists and audiences to wrestle with questions of individuality, relationship, and what makes us feel alive. Over the course of four years—punctuated by his 35th, 36th, 37th, and 38th birthdays—we see Bobby, a single person in the midst of married friends, try to figure out if marriage will provide the fulfillment and connection they seek.
Written by two unmarried men, George Furth and Stephen Sondheim, Company seems at once to be a criticism of marriage and desperate appeal for the sense of companionship a committed partnership can provide. Whereas for the majority of human history an individual’s myriad needs were met by a community, by the 1970s, Western society had transformed the idea of marriage into the natural result for all human relationships. And individual was expected to find the one person who could replace what an entire community used to provide.
In this play, these questions of connection are asked through the lens of marriage. And yet our ensemble has found that the question of how we reconcile individuality and relationship to be provocative beyond the frame of marriage. No matter our relationship status, our identities are highly intermingled with the people we surround ourselves with. And though we are distinct individuals, we cannot deny that we need other people.
Our production is set in 2022 against a backdrop of a global pandemic that has challenged so many of our definitions of community and belonging. As we emerge from this isolated moment of human experience, we invite you to celebrate everyone in your life who makes you feel more alive.
Alexa Bayliff - she/her (Roux) is a junior Theatre major from Alahambra, California. Alexa is so excited to be a part of her fifth show here at UP. You may recognize her from her role as Marjory/Mallory/Margret from The Moors. For this show, her character will only have one name and one personality...or will they? She would like to thank Gregory, Andy, Lexie, Sue, and the cast and crew of Company for all their hard work and for letting her be a part of this wonderful show.
Madeline Botsford - she/her (Susan) is a senior Theatre major from Moraga, California. Madeline is so excited to be on stage this spring playing a sweet southern gal! She wants to thank all of her peers and teachers for making her theater experience such a delight. She is really going to miss everybody and wishes she had more time to spend with them. Madeline will continue her passion for acting after graduation and hopes to never forget the skills she learned here at UP. Xoxo
Aidan Broderick - he/him (David) is a sophomore Biology major from San Mateo, California. His recent roles include Drew in You Cannot Undo This Action, Mr. Boddy in Clue, Kenneth in Interlude, Jack in Lord of the Flies, and Ren in Footloose. Aidan is very grateful to be able to take part in the theatre program here at UP, despite the difficulties caused by COVID-19. Aidan wouldn't be where he is today without those close to him, who encourage him every day to keep going, and he would like to give a shoutout to all those on and offstage who helped make this production possible.
Bennett Buchholz - he/him (Bobby) is a junior Theatre and English major from Seattle, Washington. You might have seen him in House of Desires as Don Pedro, You Cannot Undo This Action as Austin, and Clue as The Narrator. He is very excited to be a part of this production and to take on the role of Bobby. He would like to thank his friends and family for their support as well as the fantastic cast and crew that made this show possible.
Katie Course - she/they (Liz) is a Music major with a Theatre minor from Ewa Beach, Hawaii. Katie Course is a Junior at the University of Portland. She is the former president of Thespian Troupe #1993 and has been involved in theatre since her Sophomore year of high school. Some of her most notable roles include Wednesday in the Addam’s Family Jr. , Alice in Alice in Wonderland Jr., and Antigone in Antigone Now and Amethyst in You Cannot Undo this Action. Katie would like to thank every single person in the theatre department who made this play possible.
Natalie Davis (she/her) (Joanne) is a junior Psychology major with a theatre minor from Seattle, WA. For the past couple of years at the University of Portland, she has been focusing on Stage Management on shows including Clue and House of Desires. So Natalie is so excited to perform again in Company as Joanne! She has participated in eight musicals (long, long ago), including Music Man, Sound of Music, Sister Act, Emma! A Pop Musical, Once on This Island, and Cabaret. Natalie would like to thank Bennett, Olivia, and Isabelle for loving and supporting her. She would like to also thank her family for the same thing, as well as sending her cat pictures of her cats to help get her through the day. Enjoy the show!
Sydney Gannon - she/they (Celeste) is a sophomore Communications major with a minor in theater from Santa Cruz, CA. Sydney is very grateful to be a part of the wonderful company of Company! Her recent roles at UP include the Second Man in The Public, Hernando/Don Garfunkel the musician in House of Desires, and Miss Furnival in Black Comedy. They are very excited to finally be doing musical theatre again after two years away from it due to the pandemic. She would like to thank everyone who worked so hard to make this wonderful show a reality! They hope you enjoy the performance!
Nick Hailer - any (Sky) is a sophmore Computer Science major from Kailua, Hawaii. Nick is happy to be a part of her first musical that they’ve done at UP! You may have most recently seen him as Harold in Black Comedy, or as Blake in You Cannot Undo this Action. Nick appreciates all the hard work that people put into this production and hopes that you can all enjoy it! :)
Hannah Harrison - she/her (Jenny) is a senior Communication and Theatre major from Torrance, CA. You may have previously seen her in Silent Sky, Pippin, The Penelopiad, Where is Home, Clue, You Cannot Undo This Action, and The Moors. Hannah would like to thank the entire team for their hard work, Sarah Maines for always giving her a gentle push, and her friends for putting up with “I can’t, I have rehearsal” for the past four years. Hannah would also like to thank Dr. Cross and Andy Christensen for giving her the opportunity to explore different creative avenues. She gives a special shout-out to her dad for being there for every show, big or small, and to her mom for passing on the genetic trait of hard work.
Aria Hroma - she/her (Marta) is a freshman Education major from Boise, Idaho. Aria is so excited to be a part of Company! Her last musical role was Lavender in Matilda pre-pandemic and she is so happy to be back! Other roles she has played include Frances (Five Women Wearing the Same Dress), Harriet (Radium Girls), Viola (Twelfth Night), and Calpurnia (Julius Caesar). She would like to thank her parents, brother, Grandmothers, Davey Rice and Tharpe, and of course her wonderful dog Izzie for always supporting her in what she loves to do.
Joe Koppy - he/him (Peter) is a sophomore English and Theatre major from Clackamas, Oregon. This is Joe’s fourth production at the University of Portland! His previous roles include Ronan in You Cannot Undo This Action, various roles in the Student Written 10-Minute Plays production, and the Mastiff understudy / Sound Board Operator in The Moors. He hopes you enjoy the show!
Shae McCarty - she/they (Amy) is a senior Music major from Corvallis, Oregon. Shae is ecstatic to be a part of Company! They started doing theatre in high school and have continued performing into college, and have been in several university productions including Pippin (Ensemble), The Penelopiad (Naiad Mother/Ensemble), You Cannot Undo This Action (Michelle), and The Moors (Emilie). She recently earned her first professional credit as Isannah Barber in The Misadventures of Missy Black: A Pirate Play by UP alumni Riley Anna, which premiered this year as part of the 2022 Fertile Ground Festival. Shae is looking forward to this summer, where they will be attending Music in the Marche, an opera study program in Mondavio, Italy. In her free time, Shae enjoys hiking, embroidery, baking, and playing Dungeons & Dragons!
Lexie Rudolph - she/her (Stage Manager) is a junior Operations and Technology Management major with minors in Music and Political Science from Anacortes, CA. She has previously worked as the Stage Manager on You Cannot Undo This Action. Lexie has been involved with the Department of Performing and Fine Arts since 2018, working in the costume shop and helping backstage. As a musician, she has performed in orchestras for Avenue Q and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. While at UP, Lexie has worked on costumes for The Dragon (2020), Pippin (2019), Dog Sees God (2019), The Christians (2018), Boeing, Boeing (2018), Silent Sky (2018), and Doctor Faustus (2018).
Madelyn Southard - she/her (Set Designer) is a senior Theatre and History Major from West Sacramento, CA. Maddie is so grateful for the opportunity to finish her college education with this show. She recently worked as the Lighting Designer for The Moors in February and House of Desires in November. She would like to thank everyone who has supported her over the last four years, especially Dr. Cross and Professor Larsen for their kind and gracious mentorship. She would also like to thank everyone who ever came to a light hang or stopped by with coffee during tech week. Finally, she would like to thank her friends and family for their patience during long tech weekends and their love for the craft. Enjoy the show!
Susan Bonde, Costume Shop Manager
Sue Bonde is the costume shop manager for the University of Portland. She worked in Chicago as a freelance costume designer and technician for the Goodman Theater and Light Opera Works prior to moving to Portland. She has designed for A.R.T., New Rose Theatre, and Portland Repertory Theatre, and the Wee Sing children’s videos before joining Michael Curry Design and working on The Lion King on Broadway. Bonde has designed costumes for Portland Opera’s The Return of Ulysses, Albert Herring, La Calisto, Il Ballo delle Ingrate/Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda/Trouble in Tahiti , Galileo, Postcards from Morocco, L’heure Espanogle / L’enfant et les Sortileges and most recently, La Cenerentola. She is the recipient of two Willamette Week Excellence in Theater Awards and two Portland Drammy Awards. Past designs for UP include Tartuffe and Pippin. Mock’s Crest Opera costume design credits include Iolanthe, Ruddigore, The Pirates of Penzance, Light in the Piazza and Yeoman of the Guard.
Andy Christensen, Visiting Instructor, Directing and Acting
Andy Christensen is a fiercely curious artist-educator who specializes in emergent forms of immersive and site-informed theatre that explore the intersection of place and time. In his practice, he builds egalitarian ensembles that create interdisciplinary, research-driven, and process-shaped performances that put audiences at the center of artistic experiences and contextualize performance within community. After receiving his M.F.A. in theatre directing from the Lir Academy of Trinity College in Dublin and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Andy returned to the United States to invest in emerging artists in the Pacific Northwest. He is a founder of Cascadia Art Project and a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. He has mentored artists in many regional high schools, George Fox University, Pacific University, and most recently at Whitworth University where he was recognized for outstanding integration of vocation in the classroom.
Lezlie C. Cross, PhD, Assistant Professor, Theatre History and Dramaturgy
Dr. Cross’s directing credits at UP include House of Desires, Where is Home: a Digital Living Newspaper, and As You Like It. At UP, she teaches courses in theatre history, dramaturgy, and playwriting. She is also a professional dramaturg who has worked at regional theatres across America including the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Nevada Conservatory Theatre, Cincinnati Shakespeare, Classic Stage Company, Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival where she was the literary assistant for five years. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Washington, her M.A. from the Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham, and her B.A. from Whitman College. See more at lezliecross.com
Larry Larsen, M.F.A., Professor, Academic Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Professor Larsen has been involved in theater since the fifth grade when he played Schroder in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and has had a life long association with the theater ever since that time. He is in his 28th year at the University, and besides teaching the scenic and lighting design coursework for the Theater Program, he is an Academic Associate Dean for the College of Arts and Sciences. His most recent design work at UP, which includes over a hundred productions, includes The Dragon, Dr. Faustus, Eurydice, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Mad Forest. Larry has worked as a professional designer in Portland for the last 32 years and his most recent work includes Nunsense and Company at Broadway Rose Theatre, Haddon Hall Revels for Portland Revels where he is the resident set designer, All My Sons and This Random World for Portland Actors Conservatory, and Mr. Kolpert for Third Rail Repertory Theater. Other theaters designed for include Artists Repertory Theatre, Oregon Children’s Theatre, Northwest Children’s Theater, Portland Repertory Theatre, Tygres Heart Shakespeare Co., Portland Civic Theatre and Summer Repertory Theatre in Santa Rosa. Prior to his employment at the University, Larry worked as the Design Associate for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, both in Ashland and Portland. He has his MFA in Theatre Design from the University of Washington.
Mindi is beginning her 22nd year teaching for the University of Portland. Her artistic work at the University includes acting and dialect coaching for productions. Mindi received her MFA from the Professional Actors Training Program at Rutgers University and then worked professionally as an actor in New York and Los Angeles, appearing off-Broadway, in soap operas, sitcoms, and film. Continuing her professional acting career, Mindi has appeared locally with Artists Repertory Theatre, Theater Vertigo, Willamette Shakespeare, Quintessence Theater, Stark Raving Theatre, in commercials, industrials, and voiceovers. Mindi was awarded the Kennedy Center Gold Medallion for her service as the Regional Chair of the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival. Mindi’s husband Hal is a professional musician and composer who also works locally and teaches at the University of Portland.
Eric Lyness, Scene Shop Manager
Eric Lyness (class of '12) has had the pleasure of working here at his alma mater since 2015. Favorite UP credits include crafting sound designs for Good Kids and A Midsummer Night's Dream, and scenic designs for 1959 Pink Thunderbird. He has worked as a director, designer, and technician at various theatres across Portland including Third Rail Repertory, Portland Opera, Northwest Theatre Workshop, and Artists Rep.
University of Portland
5000 N. Willamette Blvd.,
Portland, Oregon 97203-5798
503.943.8000
