The Alchemist
Production Team
Director................................. Adam Konowe
Producer................................ Claudia Weintraub and Mary Ann
Hall
Stage Manager.......................... Robert Knight
Assistant Stage Managers........... Helen Gorman and Lynn
Katchmark
Technical Director..................... Al Fetske
Costume Design........................ Kim Smith
assisted by........................... Melissa Miller and
Maggie Geuting
Wardrobe............................ Laura Spears
Dramaturg............................... Joyce Peifer
Graphic Design......................... Yael Konowe
Light Design............................ Al Fetske
Master Electrician.................. Laura Reichert
Technician.......................... Cap Peckinpaugh
Lighting Crew....................... Al Fetske, Eric Kritzler,
Les Zidel, Mike Loughnane,
Melody Fetske, Ginger Fetske, Laura Reichert, Glynn Cosker,
Jeff Boatwright, John Strycharske
Properties.............................. Kathy Scholz
Set Design.............................. Al Fetske
Master Carpenter...................... Mike Loughnane
Set Construction................... Al Fetske, Mike Loughnane,
Ed Glick, Steve Rosenthal,
Pat Baker, Cap Peckinpaugh, Claudia Weintraub, Glynn Cosker,
Rich Klare, Les Zidel,
Steve Haness, Bea Trickett, Joyce Matthew-Rurak, Danny
Kauvlak, David Booker
Scenic Artists.......................... Dinnie Whitson & Norma Corales
Sound Design.......................... Alan Reichert and Jim Girardi
Technician......................... David Miller
Fight Director......................... Al Myska
Special Effects........................ Les Zidel
House Manager........................ Richard Downer
Box Office Manager.................. Claudia Weintraub
Assisted by......................... Michael Broussard
Publicity Photography............... Steve Haness
Publicity and
Playbill................. RIch Klare
Production Staff Biographies
Al Fetske (Set Designer/Lighting Designer) is pleased to be designing for the 1ST once again. Some of his other designs include
Freedom of the City, Hamlet, Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Requiem for a
Heavyweight and Miss Reardon Drinks A Little. While a Jonson classic,
The Alchemist is primarily a tale of petty con men spinning their shyster's web in hope of entangling their haughty prey.
The settings and lighting represent a whimsical web which hopefully provides a lighthearted backdrop for Jonson's topsy-turvy.
Mary Ann Hall (Co-producer) is always happy to work with ESP She has worked both on and offstage, most recently as the alien mom in ESP's Theater for Young Audiences production of
Snow on the Moon, and as stage manager for Of Mice and Men and The Tenth
Man. Besides co-producing with Claudia, Mary Ann is also in rehearsal for Great Falls Players production
of Anastasia. Many thanks to her family for letting her have so much fun with some many great theater people. It's nice to put your college major to work.
Robert Knight (Stage Manager) is returning to ESP but this time instead of just working or running backstage he is responsible over the entire show as Stage Manager. As this is his first SM role you may have to bear with him a little! Robert has done over twenty shows over the last few years and has had great fun doing a wide variety
of jobs but never on stage, he doesn't do that!
Adam Konowe (Director) is excited to be making his ESP debut with
The Alchemist, a play he assistant directed at the University of Rochester. Previous directing credits include
Lovers & Executioners (RCP), The Cocktail Hour (GFP), as well as
Living Together and Children of a Lesser God for the now-defunct Trinity Players.
One act shows include I Never Saw Another Butterfly ('98 NVTA best director) and
Cat's-Paw ('93 NVTA best production). In addition to directing, Adam also does lighting design and stage combat. Currently, he is artistic director for RCP a founding member of the Noble Blades stage combat troupe, and an actor/combatant in the Society of American Fight Directors. Next up, he'll be directing
Much Ado About Nothing for RCP.
Yael Konowe (Graphic Designer),
The Alchemist is Yael's first graphic design for ESP, though she has designed for other groups including the Reston Community Players, Noble Blades, and Trinity Players.
By day, Yael works as an art director for a Reston-based educational association. By night, she is a freelance designer, mother to daughter Celia and "theater widow" to husband Adam
Konowe.
Joyce Peifer (Dramaturg) is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Vpstart Crow Productions, the professional theater located in Old Town Manassas. Joyce is also a founding member of the Shenandoah Shakespeare Express and the Noble Blades. With numerous credits in directing and acting, Joyce also enjoys editing scripts. She has edited many Shakespeare plays including
Hamlet for the Keegan Theater. Adam Konowe's productions of The Alchemist marks her first foray into editing
Jonson.
Kathy Scholz (Props) is an award winning designer for properties and set dressing. She has won awards for
The Women (TAP) for set dressing, Cabaret (DS) for Props, and Something's Afoot (LTA) for props. She also designs, builds and runs props for Hexagon and The Mighty Special Music Makers. Kathy has worn many hats over the years, including designing and running props, dressing sets, running lights and sound, assistant stage managing and stage managing. Her first love is props and set dressing.
Kathy feels very creative when she is rummaging around a yard sale or an auction hall gathering the items that create the atmosphere for a great
production. She would like to thank all her friends, co-workers and especially her husband Dick, for their support and encouragement.
Kimberly Smith
(Costumer) - Kim is excited to be doing her first show at ESP A member of the Noble Blades, she was seen this past fall performing as
"Scarlet," in their touring show of Scarlet the Hood. She has co-costumed
The Last Night At Ballyhoo (LTA) and My Fair Lady (TAP); stage managed numerous shows, has been master-electrician for too many shows to count and teaches acting at LTA for 5th-8th graders. Much love to her family and Phi Sigma Pi brothers for putting up with her crazy schedule.
Claudia Weintraub (Co-Producer) has produced several shows for ESP,
including Antigone, Taming of the Shrew, Runaways, and The Lady's
Not for Burning. In addition, she acts as ESP board secretary and box office manager.
She thanks all of the production crew for their endless patience and cooperation, and especially for the many hours of hard work and planning that went into this production; and ESP for giving her the chance to be part of this talented
bunch. Claudia is a real estate agent with Long and Foster.
