Street Scene Playbill
Kurt Weill
Street Scene
An American Opera in two acts
Book by Elmer Rice,
based on his play of the same name
Lyrics by Langston Hughes and Elmer Rice
Presented under license from European American Music Corporation, on behalf of the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, Inc., the Rice Estate and the Hughes Estate.
Run Time
2 hours, 30 minutes, with a 10 minute intersession
Content Warning
- Themes of domestic violence, racism, sexual harassment, and murder.
- Visible prop gun and gun-shot sound effects.
The action takes place on a sidewalk in New York City
ACT I
An evening in June, 1947
10-minute intermission
ACT II
The following day
Director's Note
Essential to my role is considering how a show can create an enduring educational experience for our students. We want our voice majors to become authentic storytellers, our acting majors to strengthen their musicianship, and for everyone to free their inner dancer. Additionally, creating a collaborative environment is key: every costume fitting, dialect coaching, and intimacy rehearsal, combined with the lighting, sets, and props on stage, contribute to a student’s ability to cultivate an authentic and compelling performance. Street Scene facilitates both of these priorities in the most beautifully challenging way. Collaboration was core to the work’s inception. Composer Kurt Weill’s dedication to establishing a new blended art form he called “American Opera” led him to Elmer Rice’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Street Scene, written in 1929. He then approached Langston Hughes to partner as lyricist, celebrating the poet’s unmatched ability to “write for the people.” Street Scene was intended to bring folks together, appealing to opera lovers, theater-goers, and those simply drawn to beautiful music and a good story. The show inspires a sense of curiosity and empathy through its very beautiful, flawed, and fascinatingly human characters. I continue to be in awe of our students who took on the task of bringing this piece to life with astounding flexibility, creativity, and bravery. Thank you for sharing in this experience with us.
- Heather Dudenbostel
Land Acknowledgement
We want to acknowledge that this production of Street Scene is being produced by Western Washington University on the ancestral homelands of the Coast Salish Peoples past and present, and honor with gratitude the land itself and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations. This calls us to commit to continuing to learn how to be a better steward of the land we inhabit.
It is important to acknowledge the long-standing history that has brought us all to reside on the land, and to seek to understand our place within that history. Land acknowledgements do not exist in a past tense or historical context. Colonialism is a current, ongoing process, and we need to build mindfulness of our present participation. It is also worth noting that acknowledging the land is Indigenous protocol.
We would also like to recognize all the people who have built, created, and died in the process of this society being what it is today. The diasporic actions of Euro colonizers have created damaging ripples in communities which still require action to be taken.
Here in Bellingham Washington we recognize the Lummi, Semiahmoo, and Nooksack tribes, and their neighboring stewards: the Samish, Stilliguamish, Sauk-Suiattle and Swinomish tribes.
Tenants
Abraham Kaplan
Michael Martin
Sam Kaplan
Kyle Sholinder
Shirley Kaplan (Rose/Mrs. J/Jennie/Mrs. O)
Iris Cohn
Lippo Fiorentino
Aidan Ramey
Greta Fiorentino
Alexandra Orozco
Carl Olsen
Benjamin Ritchey
Olga Olsen
Xaria Siplin
Frank Maurrant
Jacob Lann
Anna Maurrant
Emily Davies
Rose Maurrant
Lily Guthrie
Willie Maurrant (Mae)
Ella Byerly
George Jones (Easter)
Andrew Ransom-Kinsfather
Emma Jones
Caitlin Nuckolls
Vincent Jones/Man Renter
Theron Danielson
Mae Jones
Maisy Wagner
Mrs. Hildebrand (Anna/Mrs. F/Nursemaids)
Sarah Edmonds
Jennie Hildebrand
Audrey Fry
Mary Hildebrand
Valeria Dapena Torres
Charlie Hildebrand
Katie Cobb
Henry Davis
Johnathon Lyons
Daniel Buchanan
Wilson Loucks
Visitors
Steve Sankey (Sam/Lippo/Daniel B/Dick)
Ryan Duke
Dick McGann/Interne/Policeman
Kai Fischer
Harry Easter (Frank/Mr. O/Mr. J)
Andrew Garratt
Dr. Wilson/Officer Murphy/Worker 1 (Henry)
Garrett Thornton
Joan/Woman Renter
Ella Davis
First Nursemaid
Caitriona Cassel
Second Nursemaid/
Mrs. Buchanan’s Voice
Em Castle
City Marshall/Ice Cream Man/Worker 2
Ya’am Zahavy-Mittelman
Fred Cullen/Postman/Worker 3
Argus Ortman
Violin I
- Anya Petroff-Howarth, concertmaster
- Melaku Akalwold
- Petra Ellerby
Violin II
- Meg Olson
- Dustin Scharwat
- Eliza Moyer
Viola
- Lauren Waldron
- Sophia Stevenson
Cello
- Ben Workman Smith
- Karson Nicpon
Bass
Amelia Scanlon
Flute/Piccolo
Benjamin Steinberg
Oboe/English Horn
Zachary Murdzia
Clarinet
- David Bissell
- Connor Garrod
- Jack MacCleary
Bassoon
Ethan Christensen
Horn
- Ben Northam
- Sasha Vraspir
Trumpet
- Chris Carthum
- Ben Allwright
Trombone
- Samuel Harris
- Colin Marks
Harp
- Rosemary Smith
- Piano/Celesta
- Anita Shuller
Drums
Toby Bruce
Percussion
Zachary Ziontz
Director
Heather Dudenbostel
Assistant Director
Emma Gates
Music Director
Mark Davies
Assistant Music Director
Nia Pristas
Conductor
Ryan Dudenbostel
Stage Manager
Shachaf Zahavy-Mittelman
Assistant Stage Manager
Allissa Flood and Carson Golik
Stage Manager’s Assistant
Maia Kleinberg
Choreographer
Valerie Goliff
Dance Captain
Maisy Wagner
Production Manager
Savannah LeCornu
Technical Director
Perry Lewis
Scenic and Lighting Design
Dipu Gupta
Assistant Lighting Design
Gabe O’Rourke-Dela Cruz
Audio Engineer
Paul Turpin
Sound Design
- Hannah Smith
- Katie Garcia
Sound Design Mentor
Trey McGee
Props Design
Drew Winston
Assistant Props Design
- Gwen Pederson
- Maya Witt
Costume Design
Sarah Jo Monaghan
Wig Design
Layne Fry
Assistant Costume Design
- Amalia Voiss
- Baily Schaefer
Costume Shop Manager
Rachel Anderson
Assistant Costume Shop Manager
Amber Pacifico
Dialect Coach
Evan Mueller
Assistant Dialect Coaches
- Katie Dreessen
- Leah Shannon
Intimacy Choreography
Eva Gil
Fight Choreography
Rich Brown
Dramaturg
McKenna Milici
Videographer
Nick Hastings
Publicity Photographer
Madison LeFever
Archival Photographer
Bodi Hallett
Opera Program Student Assistant
Peps Winchester
Administrative Services Manager
Erin Emry
Light Board Operator
Cora Marchewitz
Sound Board Operator
Lila Soelberg
Sound Assistants
- Hannah Smith
- Katie Garcia
Dressers
- Emily Wooten
- Eva Nguyen
- Celia Fontana
Hair and Make Up
- Adam Simer
- Layne Fry
Wardrobe
- Megan Jones
- Savannah Judd
- Victoria Snyder
Electricians
- Angela Hinton
- Griffen Gonzales
Shop Foreman
Manson Root
Shop Assistants
- Aia Goldman
- Alyssa Bordonaro
- Alyssa Worley
- Austin Denton
- Bailey McQuillen
- Camille Weatherley
- Gwen Pederson
- Kei Bugay
- Matt Small
- Naima Scharl
- Ryan Martin
Cutter/Draper
Francis Werth
Stitchers
- Michi Ohata
- Amalia Voiss
- Jordan Trautwein
- Linda Ost
- Liu Stockton
- Christopher Bianco
- Tim Fitzpatrick
- Rich Brown
- Felicia Youngblood
- Patrick Roulet
- Rachel Roulet
- Emily Gantt
- Fred Ramage
- David Saxton
- Anne Melo
- Rax Organa
- Lee Anne Frahn
- Ashley VanCurler
- Susan Hanes
- Margaret Bikman
- Leah Sauter
- Maddie Unger
- Kyle Meagher
- Michelle Stranges
- Richard Hodges
- HUB Community Bike Shop
