For More Information Contact:
Donald W. Kohler
Vice-President of Marketing & Public Relations
2700 College Rd. Box 4-C
Council Bluffs, IA 51502
(712) 325-3262 or 1-800-432-5852, ext. 3262
2010-025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 8, 2009
IWCC Theatre Department presents "Evil Dead: The Musical"
Council Bluffs, Iowa - The Iowa Western Community College (IWCC) Department of Theatre’s presents its Fall production, “Evil Dead: The Musical.” Based upon the cult film of the same title, IWCC’s production is also the regional premiere of the play, book and lyrics by George Reinblatt.
Performances are November 13, 14, 19, 20, 21 at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee on Sunday, November 15 @ 2:00 p.m. The production will be held in the Arts Center’s Black Box Theatre located on the college’s Council Bluffs campus. Tickets are $5.00 for adults; $3.00 for seniors, TAG members and non-IWCC students; and free to IWCC students and faculty. Seating is limited. For more information, call the Arts Center’s box office at 712.388.7140.
Summary:
Several college students spend the weekend in an abandoned cabin in the woods, accidentally unleashing an evil terror. In this comedic take on the 80’s horror franchise, characters and demons sing and dance to songs written specifically for the musical as well as parodying songs from other musicals…. and, as in the films, Ash is there to dish out his various one liners and fight the never ending “Army of Darkness.”
Production Crew:
Director and producer is Martin Scott Marchitto. Marchitto holds an M.F.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a certificate in drama from Yale School of Drama. His freelance career includes acting, directing and designing for theatre, opera and musicals. Since moving to Omaha last March, Marchitto has designed “The Odd Couple,” “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” and “Wit” for the Blue Barn Theatre and “The Seafarer” for Bridget St. Bridget. Besides designing the set, he also played the lecturer in “Refer Madness, the Musical” at the Blue Barn Theatre.
Prior to moving to Omaha, Marchitto was affiliated with The Yale Repertory Theatre, The Clarence Brown Theatre, Opera North, The Connecticut Musical Theatre, The Illinois Repertory Theatre and Yale Opera. Sample roles include: King Arthur in “Camelot,” George Von Trapp in “The Sound of Music,” and Jesus in “Godspell.” Directing experience includes “Children of Eden,” “Titanic the Musical” and “West Side Story.” His favorite designs include “The Elixir of Love,” “My Three Angels and Me” and “My Girl.” His research interests include the history of musical theatre and the use of computer technology in the design process.
Set designer is Carl Dumicich, IWCC’s Department of Theatre chair, technical director, set designer and speech/theatre instructor. Dumicich has worked as a set designer, scenic artist and technical director on various productions in New York. He has designed sets for Brooklyn College, New York City Technical College, and Multiple Outlet Productions, working with film producer and Tony award-winning producer Yeeshai Gross (“Long Days Journey Into Night”), “The Homecoming,” “November,” “Speed the Plow,” and the upcoming David Mamet play “Oleanna.” Dumicich worked as an assistant to Obie award-winning designer John C. Scheffler, and was the resident designer for the Brooklyn College Opera at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts. He received his master’s degree in set design from Brooklyn College in 2004.
Prior to IWCC, Dumicich was the technical director at the nation’s largest children’s theatre, the Omaha Theatre for Young People at the Rose, and has worked as master carpenter/scenic artist at the Omaha Community Playhouse. Recent set designs done at the Rose include the upcoming productions of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” and “High School Musical 2,” as well as past productions of “The Little Engine That Could” and “Frosty the Snowman.” IWCC productions include “Noises Off,” “Tartuffe,” “A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream,” and “Moby Dick, The Musical.”
Costume designer is Jennifer Pool. Pool holds a B.A. in theatre from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, and a M.F.A. in theatrical design from University of Georgia. She is in her third year as an instructor and costume designer at IWCC. Some of her favorite designs at IWCC are “Moby Dick! The Musical,” “Tartuffe,” and “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”
Pool has designed costumes for several shows at Omaha’s Blue Barn Theatre including “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress,” and “Seascape” for which she earned a TAG award nomination. As a member of Blue Barn’s Witching Hour, she designed costumes and lights for “Dionysus in 99” and lights for “Down and Out in Heaven and Hell.” This past summer Pool spent her sixth season with Nebraska Shakespeare, this time as the costume shop manager. She has also worked for the Virginia and Illinois Shakespeare festivals, the Indiana Repertory Theatre, and the Omaha Theatre Ballet.
Musical Director is Machelle Mitchell. A Treynor, Iowa resident, Mitchell returns for her second production at IWCC. In the Spring of 2008 she directed “Moby Dick, The Musical.” Prior to that she was the musical director for national touring companies, regional theaters throughout the Midwest, several local colleges, and for Carnival Cruise Lines. She currently works at ConAgra Foods.
Lighting Designer is Michiela Marshall. Originally from Lincoln, Ne., Marshall graduated from IWCC with an associate’s degree in technical theater. She works at Heartland Scenic Studio. This summer she was the light board operator for Pinewood Bowl’s production of “Footloose” at Pioneers Park in Lincoln, NE. Marshall resides in Omaha.
Choreographer is Jason DeLong. Born and raised in Council Bluffs DeLong is a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School. This production will be DeLong’s choreographing debut for the IWCC Theatre Department. At Iowa Western, DeLong was part of the theatre department’s 2005 spring musical “Cabaret,” and was a member of IWCC’s First Edition show choir. DeLong not only starred in but also choreographed “Annie Warbucks” for the Chanticleer Theater. He was also in “Reefer Madness” at the Bluebarn Theater and has performed in numerous productions for the Chanticleer, B&D Productions, Snap/ Shelterbelt, Dundee Dinner Theatre, and Omaha Community Playhouse.
DeLong has done choreography for various shows and workshops. Along with the many projects that he will be involved in for local theatres and shows this fall, DeLong hopes to apply to NYU for fall of 2010 to major in dance and minor in music theatre.
Cast Members:
Glenwood, Iowa
Rebekah Johnson (Demon)
Moorhead, Iowa
John Jones (Scott)
Woodbine, Iowa
Lindsey Weis (Linda)
Bellevue, Neb.
Renee Norman (Shelly)
Nebraska City, Neb.
Joel Kreifels (Demon)
Omaha, Neb.
Eliza Barr (Demon)
Allen Bentley (Demon)
Alex Bridgman (Ash)
Daniel Grant-Holler (Jake)
Anthony Holmes (Canadian Moose/Demon)
Lauren Koll (Cheryl)
Mary McCandless (Demon)
Jacque Stanfield (Annie)
Edward Wayne (Ed)
Plattsmouth, Neb.
Angela Lopez (Demon)
Performances are November 13, 14, 19, 20, 21 at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee on Sunday, November 15 @ 2:00 p.m. The production will be held in the Arts Center’s Black Box Theatre located on the college’s Council Bluffs campus. Tickets are $5.00 for adults; $3.00 for seniors, TAG members and non-IWCC students; and free to IWCC students and faculty. Seating is limited. For more information, call the Arts Center’s box office at 712.388.7140.
Summary:
Several college students spend the weekend in an abandoned cabin in the woods, accidentally unleashing an evil terror. In this comedic take on the 80’s horror franchise, characters and demons sing and dance to songs written specifically for the musical as well as parodying songs from other musicals…. and, as in the films, Ash is there to dish out his various one liners and fight the never ending “Army of Darkness.”
Production Crew:
Director and producer is Martin Scott Marchitto. Marchitto holds an M.F.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a certificate in drama from Yale School of Drama. His freelance career includes acting, directing and designing for theatre, opera and musicals. Since moving to Omaha last March, Marchitto has designed “The Odd Couple,” “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” and “Wit” for the Blue Barn Theatre and “The Seafarer” for Bridget St. Bridget. Besides designing the set, he also played the lecturer in “Refer Madness, the Musical” at the Blue Barn Theatre.
Prior to moving to Omaha, Marchitto was affiliated with The Yale Repertory Theatre, The Clarence Brown Theatre, Opera North, The Connecticut Musical Theatre, The Illinois Repertory Theatre and Yale Opera. Sample roles include: King Arthur in “Camelot,” George Von Trapp in “The Sound of Music,” and Jesus in “Godspell.” Directing experience includes “Children of Eden,” “Titanic the Musical” and “West Side Story.” His favorite designs include “The Elixir of Love,” “My Three Angels and Me” and “My Girl.” His research interests include the history of musical theatre and the use of computer technology in the design process.
Set designer is Carl Dumicich, IWCC’s Department of Theatre chair, technical director, set designer and speech/theatre instructor. Dumicich has worked as a set designer, scenic artist and technical director on various productions in New York. He has designed sets for Brooklyn College, New York City Technical College, and Multiple Outlet Productions, working with film producer and Tony award-winning producer Yeeshai Gross (“Long Days Journey Into Night”), “The Homecoming,” “November,” “Speed the Plow,” and the upcoming David Mamet play “Oleanna.” Dumicich worked as an assistant to Obie award-winning designer John C. Scheffler, and was the resident designer for the Brooklyn College Opera at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts. He received his master’s degree in set design from Brooklyn College in 2004.
Prior to IWCC, Dumicich was the technical director at the nation’s largest children’s theatre, the Omaha Theatre for Young People at the Rose, and has worked as master carpenter/scenic artist at the Omaha Community Playhouse. Recent set designs done at the Rose include the upcoming productions of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” and “High School Musical 2,” as well as past productions of “The Little Engine That Could” and “Frosty the Snowman.” IWCC productions include “Noises Off,” “Tartuffe,” “A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream,” and “Moby Dick, The Musical.”
Costume designer is Jennifer Pool. Pool holds a B.A. in theatre from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, and a M.F.A. in theatrical design from University of Georgia. She is in her third year as an instructor and costume designer at IWCC. Some of her favorite designs at IWCC are “Moby Dick! The Musical,” “Tartuffe,” and “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”
Pool has designed costumes for several shows at Omaha’s Blue Barn Theatre including “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress,” and “Seascape” for which she earned a TAG award nomination. As a member of Blue Barn’s Witching Hour, she designed costumes and lights for “Dionysus in 99” and lights for “Down and Out in Heaven and Hell.” This past summer Pool spent her sixth season with Nebraska Shakespeare, this time as the costume shop manager. She has also worked for the Virginia and Illinois Shakespeare festivals, the Indiana Repertory Theatre, and the Omaha Theatre Ballet.
Musical Director is Machelle Mitchell. A Treynor, Iowa resident, Mitchell returns for her second production at IWCC. In the Spring of 2008 she directed “Moby Dick, The Musical.” Prior to that she was the musical director for national touring companies, regional theaters throughout the Midwest, several local colleges, and for Carnival Cruise Lines. She currently works at ConAgra Foods.
Lighting Designer is Michiela Marshall. Originally from Lincoln, Ne., Marshall graduated from IWCC with an associate’s degree in technical theater. She works at Heartland Scenic Studio. This summer she was the light board operator for Pinewood Bowl’s production of “Footloose” at Pioneers Park in Lincoln, NE. Marshall resides in Omaha.
Choreographer is Jason DeLong. Born and raised in Council Bluffs DeLong is a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School. This production will be DeLong’s choreographing debut for the IWCC Theatre Department. At Iowa Western, DeLong was part of the theatre department’s 2005 spring musical “Cabaret,” and was a member of IWCC’s First Edition show choir. DeLong not only starred in but also choreographed “Annie Warbucks” for the Chanticleer Theater. He was also in “Reefer Madness” at the Bluebarn Theater and has performed in numerous productions for the Chanticleer, B&D Productions, Snap/ Shelterbelt, Dundee Dinner Theatre, and Omaha Community Playhouse.
DeLong has done choreography for various shows and workshops. Along with the many projects that he will be involved in for local theatres and shows this fall, DeLong hopes to apply to NYU for fall of 2010 to major in dance and minor in music theatre.
Cast Members:
Glenwood, Iowa
Rebekah Johnson (Demon)
Moorhead, Iowa
John Jones (Scott)
Woodbine, Iowa
Lindsey Weis (Linda)
Bellevue, Neb.
Renee Norman (Shelly)
Nebraska City, Neb.
Joel Kreifels (Demon)
Omaha, Neb.
Eliza Barr (Demon)
Allen Bentley (Demon)
Alex Bridgman (Ash)
Daniel Grant-Holler (Jake)
Anthony Holmes (Canadian Moose/Demon)
Lauren Koll (Cheryl)
Mary McCandless (Demon)
Jacque Stanfield (Annie)
Edward Wayne (Ed)
Plattsmouth, Neb.
Angela Lopez (Demon)