Witch, the story of a devil arriving in a small English village to bargain for souls only to find that the toughest adversary is a woman cast out as a “witch,” is the second show of the spring in the NIU School of Theatre and Dance.
Based on a 400 year old play, “The Witches of Edmonton,” this feminist retelling was written by Jen Silverman, an accomplished playwright and television writer whose credits include plays performed around the world as well as Tales of the City on Neflix and Tokyo Vice on Max.
Directed by Kendra Holton, Witch opens Friday, February 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre in NIU’s Stevens Building, with additional 7:30 p.m. performances Saturday, February 24, and Thursday, February 29, and Monday, March 1, with 2 p.m. matinees Sunday, February 25 and Saturday, March 2.
Tickets can be purchased online for $20, seniors and NIU staff are $18, non-NIU students are 12, and NIU students may attend free of charge with a pre-reserved ticket.
Witch
Black Box Theatre
Stevens Building
Feb. 23-25, Feb. 29-March 1
Playwright – Jen Silverman
Director – Kendra Holton
Assistant Director – Sarah Blickem
Scenic Designer – Alicia Margerum
Costume Designer – Alix Burkhardt
Lighting Designer – Timothy Peters
Technical Director – Tracy Nunnally
Properties Designer – Ski Sciaraffa
Intimacy Choreographer – Bethany Mangum-Oles
Fight Choreographers – J. Cody Hunt and Stanton Davis
Dramaturg – Elizabeth Nowak
Stage Manager – Linnea Strack
This show is approximately 90 minutes and will have no intermission.
Cast
Elizabeth Sawyer – Cornelia Hayes
Scratch – Hardy Louihis
Sir Arthur – J. Cody Hunt
Frank – Logan Blake
Cuddy – Paul James Lang
Winnifred – Kyara Chisolm
Director’s Note
The world has changed since the team and I began building this subversive fable. We’ve seen new war, human rights rollbacks, increased wealth disparity, decreased access to resources, the list goes on. So it is with the six characters you’ll meet here: they’re entangled in a machine of a world that won’t stop turning, losing to systems built by the powerful, for the powerful. And it hurts.\
As in our time, systems reliant on oppression spare no victims.
As in our time, it is difficult to have hope. I invite you to let their questions linger: what do you want? Can you imagine a better world? What are you willing to give to get it?
And if you had the chance to start from scratch…could you?
From the Dramaturg
Why this play now?
Witch is a feminist retelling of The Witch of Edmonton written by John Ford, Thomas Dekker and William Rowley. The 400-year old play is inspired by real events in Edmonton, England in 1621. Then as now, women were often misrepresented and not given a place in society. Many of those class structures still exist, and we wonder if life will ever change.
Witchcraft in Early Modern England
Well-behaved women rarely make history. Women today owe some of their freedoms to women who misbehaved in the past. Throughout European history, women were considered the weaker sex and therefore vulnerable to being tempted by the Devil. In England, women who were rejected by society for their age, marital status, physical appearance or class might subsequently be accused of witchcraft. English villages held witch trials, often ending in the death of the accused woman. The existence of defiant women of the early modern period helped change the lives of women today.
Witch of Edmonton
Researching Elizabeth Sawyer’s life has connected me to a woman cast out by society for reasons that could overtake any woman. She was feared because she was unmarried. She was questioned because she was aging. She was found guilty because she had a birthmark. Elizabeth Sawyer was convicted of witchcraft and hanged at the age of 49. Word of Elizabeth’s fate was spread in a variety of ways, through pamphlets, ballads and plays. She was dramatized, demonized and defiled, but she never got to tell her own story.
A Note on Museum Theatre
You’re invited to view an exclusive, student-curated exhibit connecting to Witch in the lobby. The survey data collected will be used to understand how museum objects can enhance the audience’s engagement with a play.
Setting
The Village of Edmonton, a small town lost in the country. Then-ish.
Content warnings
sexism, classism, poverty, sexual themes, death, grief, violence
Cast Bios
Logan Blake (Frank) is a third year B.F.A. acting major. He has a tremendous passion for the craft and is thrilled to be in this show. At NIU, he has previously been seen in the 24 hour theatre festivals, the 72 hour film festival, the improv shows, Sonnets for an Old Century, Need to Know, Much Ado About Nothing, Life is a Dream, and The Caucasian Chalk Circle. Logan also works on various independent short films with his classmates and friends. Additionally, he holds actor combatant status in the Society of American Fight Directors. Logan would like to thank his family, friends, and faculty for their endless support and wisdom over the years. He hopes that everyone enjoys the show as much as he enjoyed working on it.
Kyara Chisolm (Winnifred) is a third year B.F.A. acting candidate here at NIU. Her previous roles at NIU include Helena (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) directed by Melanie Keller, Peggy Rogers (The Children’s Hour) directed by Andrea Dymond and Verges (Much Ado about Nothing) directed by Kay Martinovich. She is delighted to be in this production of Witch and share it with everyone. Kyara has had such a wonderful time being a part of this show and would like to give a shoutout to everyone involved in the show for making this such a memorable experience and her loved ones for always supporting her dream. Love to all of you!!!
Cornelia Hayes (Elizabeth Sawyer) is a second year M.F.A. acting candidate. Previously on the NIU stage she has played Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Fiona in In a Word. She graduated with a B.A. from Northwestern College in 2020, double majoring in theatre and marketing. She also holds a Diploma in Classic Acting from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). Cornelia has worked professionally across the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and London. Before coming to NIU, she toured with Taproot Theatre Company, a regional theatre in Seattle. Stage credits include: The Last Five Years (Cathy), Next to Normal (Diana), Love’s Labour’s Lost (Rosaline), The Changeling (Beatrice), Shrek: The Musical (Fiona), Noises Off (Belinda), Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Siobhan). Film/commercial credits include: The Alternative, Washington State Department of Health commercial, and Real Northwestern. Thanks to my family and my husband Harry for the continual love and support. Instagram: @iamunicornelia
J. Cody Hunt (Sir Arthur) is proud to be pursuing his M.F.A. in acting. NIU credits include Azdak in The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Man in In A Word. Regional credits include Unto These Hills at The Mountainside Theatre, North Carolina; Sleeping Beauty at Birmingham Children’s Theatre, Alabama; Blue Gate Musicals, Indiana. Cody was a fight choreographer, stunt performer and fight captain for shows like SAMSON at Sight and Sound Theatres, and played the role of Jesus in JESUS, Pennsylvania and Missouri. His Chicago credits include Chicago Kids Company; Lost In Time, Magnified Gift Theatre; Low Hanging Fruit, Fearless Fiction Productions. He received his B.A. in drama with a concentration in performance at Jacksonville State University in Alabama. Cody would like to thank his wife Elena and daughter Emerson for their endless support.
Paul James Lang (Cuddy) (he/him) is a second year M.F.A. acting candidate, originally from the Northeast and now happy to call the Midwest home. He received his B.F.A. in musical theater from The Boston Conservatory. Some of Paul’s favorite credits include Mikhail/The Child in The Caucasian Chalk Circle and Giuliano in Big Love at NIU, as well as Horst in Bent, Sir Andrew in Twelfth Night, the Envoy in The Balcony, and several different characters in TheaterWorks USA’s touring production of Junie B. Jones. He is thrilled to be returning to the NIU stage with this production. Thank you so much to Kendra and our brilliant team behind the scenes, as well as my family for all of their love and support.
Hardy Louihis (Scratch) is a year-two M.F.A. acting candidate at Northern Illinois University (N.I.U.). Hardy received his Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from the Metropolitan State University of Denver. He was in the N.I.U. production of In A Word (Guy), directed by Professor Kay Martinovich, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Oberon), directed by Melanie Keller. He is happy and grateful to working on this production with such a dedicated and professional cast and crew. He is thankful to have the support of his family and friends.
Production Bios
Jen Silverman (Playwright) (they/them) Plays include: Spain; Highway Patrol; Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties; The Moors; The Roommate; and Witch. Their plays have been produced off-Broadway (Second Stage Theatre, MCC Theater, The Playwrights Realm), across the U.S. (Steppenwolf, The Goodman, The Humana Festival, Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Huntington, South Coast Repertory Theatre, Writers Theatre etc), and internationally in Australia, the U.K., the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Brazil, Spain, and elsewhere. Books include: the debut novel We Play Ourselves (a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award), story collection The Island Dwellers, poetry chapbook Bath, and new novel There’s Going to be Trouble forthcoming from Random House on April 9, 2024. Silverman is a three-time MacDowell Fellow, a member of New Dramatists, and a Scholar of Note at the American Library in Paris. They wrote The Miranda Obsession as a narrative podcast for Audible, starring Rachel Brosnahan. They also write for TV and film, including Tales of the City (Netflix) and Tokyo Vice (Max). Honors include fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim.
Sarah Blickem (Assistant Director) is a fourth year B.A. theatre studies candidate at Northern Illinois University (NIU). This is her first time assistant directing, and her last show at NIU. Credits include stage manager for RUR, Melancholy Play, The Children’s Hour, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at NIU, Sizwe Banzi is Dead with Outer Loop Theater Company, On an Average Day with Kane Repertory Theatre, and assistant stage manager for Timber Lake Playhouse’s 2022 summer season. She is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to create with such an amazing team, and would like to thank all the people she worked with during her time at NIU. She would also like to thank her parents and partner for their unwavering love and support.
Alix Burkhardt (Costume Designer) is a fourth-year B.F.A. design and technology student specializing in costuming. She is so proud to have been a part of this amazing team. She co-designed Big Love last Spring here at NIU. Her other design credits include Sizwe Banzi is Dead, Broken Mirrors, and 13 Suits with The Outer Loop Theater Company. She would like to thank everyone in the costume shop for enabling her crazy ideas and for teaching her so much. She would also like to thank her parents for all the late-night video calls and her roommate Cam for all the little treats.
Stanton Davis (Co-Fight Choreographer) serves as the head of voice speech and dialects at Northern Illinois University. He studied at the Professional Theatre Training Program at the University of Delaware. He has acted, directed, coached, and taught at theater institutions across the United States.
Kendra Holton (Director) (she/they) is a queer, climate-focused experiential educator. The former head of movement training for the NIU School of Theatre and Dance, Kendra has logged thousands of classroom hours including most classes in the B.F.A. and B.A. performance sequences and nearly a decade curating curriculum as associate director of the Gately/Poole Conservatory. Previous NIU productions include She Kills Monsters, The Wolves, The Revolutionists, Blue Stockings, and Good Person of Setzuan. Raised on Florida swampland by way of NYC, she trained at Moscow Art Theatre and Shakespeare and Company, and mentored under multiple master teachers in several performance disciplines. She’s among the last of the certified Williamson Technique teachers, and an intimacy designer for stage and film. Kendra is the co-founder of Actors Movement Camp, a nature-based retreat series for performance artists, and DeCarbon DeKalb, an environmental advocacy nonprofit providing local resources and solutions. Kendra is currently on leave from arts academia to explore the ways in which performance training can be of service to the fight for climate adaptation. She lives in Dekalb with her son, two cats, and a growing urban farm.
J. Cody Hunt (Co-Fight Choreographer) is proud to be pursuing his M.F.A. in acting. NIU credits include Azdak in The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Man in In A Word. Regional credits include Unto These Hills at The Mountainside Theatre, North Carolina; Sleeping Beauty at Birmingham Children’s Theatre, Alabama; Blue Gate Musicals, Indiana. Cody was a fight choreographer, stunt performer and fight captain for shows like SAMSON at Sight and Sound Theatres, and played the role of Jesus in JESUS, Pennslyvania and Missouri. His Chicago credits include Chicago Kids Company; Lost In Time, Magnified Gift Theatre; Low Hanging Fruit, Fearless Fiction Productions. He received his B.A. in drama with a concentration in performance at Jacksonville State University in Alabama. Cody would like to thank his wife Elena and daughter Emerson for their endless support.
Bethany Mangum-Oles (Intimacy Choreographer) is thrilled to have collaborated on this production! She is an actor, director, educator, and mama of two born and raised in southern California. Bethany holds a B.F.A. in acting from California State University, Fullerton, and an M.F.A. in acting from Northern Illinois University (NIU). While at NIU, her studies took her internationally to the Moscow Art Theater School in Moscow, Russia and the Adana International Theatre Festival in Adana, Turkey. Bethany is a Certified Intimacy Captain and currently in pursuit of her Trauma-Informed Yoga and Yoga Nidra Certifications. She has made her artistic home at NIU as full-time performance area faculty and head of B.F.A. acting recruitment. Bethany also has the unique privilege of serving as rotating voice and movement faculty at the renowned Gately-Poole Acting Conservatory and was recently named artistic director of Kane Repertory Theatre. www.bethanymangum.com.
Alicia Margerum (Scenic Designer) is a second year M.F.A. student studying scenic design. Credits include Red, Once on this Island, and All American Boys at Mississippi State University as well as Big Love at Northern Illinois University. She is grateful for the opportunity to have worked on this show with such a wonderful team and cannot wait to design for more shows in the future.Elizabeth Nowak (Dramaturg) (They/Them/Theirs) Is a first year theatre studies and anthropology double major. Their passions include dramaturgy, museum curation, creating props and conducting research. Elizabeth was on the flight crew for NIU’s fall 2023 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Tracy Nunnally (Technical Director) Professor Tracy Nunnally is the technical director and head of the Design and Technology Area at the Northern Illinois University School of Theatre and Dance; the owner and system designer at Vertigo™. He has been a professional technical director since the 1980s, and his professional TD credits span the full spectrum of genres, continents, and spaces. He is an ETCP Certified Rigger, Recognized Trainer, and Recognized Employer; a certified trainer for Lift Trucks and MEWPs; and a long-term member of IATSE, USITT, ESTA, ITA, URTA, and EdTA.
Timothy Peters (Lighting Designer) is a fourth-year B.F.A. design and tech major with a lighting focus. He recently designed/worked on the productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and In A Word at Northern Illinois University, Almost Maine at Indian Trail High School Academy, Much Ado About Nothing and Mamma Mia! during the 2022 season of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. He wants to thank his partner Cameron for their unwavering support, and his high school theatre director Bob Allen for guiding him toward a path of love for theatre and life.
Ski Sciaraffa (Properties Designer) is a second-year M.F.A. costume and props design candidate. Previous works include props designer for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (NIU 2023); costume craftsperson for The Three Musketeers (Montana Shakespeare in the Parks) and She Kills Monsters (NIU 2022); draper and stitcher for The Children’s Hour (NIU 2023); props designer for Just a Dream: The Green Play (Augustana College) and Anon(ymous) (NEIU); and costume designer for The Actor’s Garden’s productions of Becky Thatcher, Off to Olympus, Just So, and Pots & Pan. They would like to thank their family, friends, professors, and colleagues for their immense love and support.
Linnea Strack (Stage Manager) is a first-year theatre design and technology B.F.A and psychology B.A. double major from Hainesville, Illinois. Past credits include stage managing Chicago, The Addams Family, Clue, Little Women, Schoolhouse Rock Live!, and Rage Play. In her free time, Linnea enjoys listening to music and doing word search puzzles. Linnea wants to thank the amazing cast and crew for all their hard work and dedication. She would also like to thank Will, Lexi, her B.F.A. design and technology classmates, and her family for all their support.
Production Staff
Scenery
Scenic Coordinator Sahin Sahingolu
Scene Shop Supervisor Adam Rager
Scene Shop Graduate Employees J.Cody Hunt, Paul Lang,Alicia Margerum, Tyler Page
Scene Shop Undergraduate Employees Jade Doherty, Mike Kozel, David Mortenson, Sasha Norman
Scene Shop Employee Hernan Acosta-Contreras
Student Technicians THEA 295 Students
Run Crew Darius Murray, Elizabeth Nowak, Francesca Ryan
Costumes
Costume Design Advisor Jeremy W. Floyd
Costume Director Lori Hartenhoff
Costume Shop Supervisor Elizabeth Galba
Costume Shop Graduate Employees Elias Dennis, Ski Sciaraffa
Costume Shop Undergraduate Employees Alyssa Altadonna, Alix Burkhardt, B. Leni
Costume Shop 395 Students Alix Burkhardt, Emily Christanson, Elizabeth Karth, Danisha Gilmore
Student Technicians THEA 210, 235, and 295 Students
Costume Crew Azzy Fee, Thomas Readling, Ivan Velazquez
Lighting
Lighting Design Advisor Brandon Wardell
Resident Head Electrician Chris Kurszewski
Assistant Head Electrician Emilia Barerra
Lighting Shop Graduate Assistants J.Cody Hunt, Paul Lang, Tyler Page
Lighting Shop Undergraduate Employees Logan Bryant, Conall Doherty, Tim Peters
Student Electricians THEA 210 and 295 Students
Light Board Operator Max Garcia
Sound Board Operator Francesca Ryan
Properties
Properties Director Dave Doherty
Properties Graduate Assistants Eric Brockmeier, Alicia Margerum, Ski Sciaraffa
Properties Shop Employees Sarah Blickem, Elizabeth Nowak
Properties Shop 295/395 Students Lizzie Ciszczon, Dave Mortenson, Sasha Norman
Properties Crew Max Garcia, Elizabeth Nowak
Production Management
Technical Direction Advisor Tracy Nunnally
Production Assistant Jordan Clifton
House Management Supervisor Cornelia Hayes
Special Thanks
Roxanna Conner, Rich Grund, NIU SOTD Faculty, Jordan Clifton, Alys Dickerson and Jack Matyas
