Piñata

Playwright’s note:

For those who need a little excitement in their day~

Nicki’s Collaborator note:

For those whose voices aren’t heard enough~

Karissa Leonardo (Pride) (she/her) is a senior here at Purchase Collge, majoring in Theatre and Performance. She has been acting since 2016 and has had the opportunity to be a part of many projects including some here at Purchase!These projects include Zemi (Spring 2021) and The Silent Observer (Spring 2022). She’s so grateful to be a part of Pinata playing Pride. She wants to thank all of those who have supported her over the years and hopes to continue to make them proud.

Hi, my name is Nicki Castillo (Addison)! I’m a senior in the Theatre and Performance program and this is my 4th show at Purchase. My Purchase credits include “Purgatorio Wonderland”, “Walrus in the Body of a Crocodile”, and “MacBeth”. I also have film credits in the film industry that include “West Side Story” and “In the Heights”. So excited to be apart of this show and I wouldn’t have gotten through it if it weren’t for the support of my friends, family and my boyfriend.

Molly Mead (Stage Manger) (she/her) is a third year Theatre and Performance Major with a focus in Production Stage Management from Danbury, CT. Some of her credits include The Nutcracker (2019-present) and The Silent Observer (2022). She has been stage managing since 2018, and is excited to expand her repertoire in her college career.

Michael Friary (Lust) (he/him) is a Senior Theatre & Performance student. He also minors in Psychology. In the Spring of 2022, Michael played Tom in Frankie Eisenhut’s staged reading and his senior project performance, My Body, My Health, My Choice!. In the Fall of 2021, he was #3/Teacher in the Purchase College Mainstage production, A Walrus in the Body of a Crocodile, by MJ Kaufman. This past Summer, he worked as a House Management apprentice at The Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown, NY. He is very grateful to be a part of this show and would like to thank his family members, Laureen & Terrence Friary and Herbie Schaus, for their support. Lastly, Michael thanks his friends for their support and a special shoutout to Spear for being an immensely dedicated friend.

Joann Maxwell (Greed) is a fourth-year theatre and performance student concentrating in acting with a minor in playwriting and she is from Connecticut. Purchase rep credits include Fefu and her Friends (Paula), A Walrus In The Body Of A Crocodile (2/Emma), The Christians (choir member), Mac Beth (Macduff). Outside credits include The Three Sisters (Chebutykin), Into The Woods (Jacks mom), The Glass Menagerie (Tom). She would love to thank everyone who was and is there for her while on this journey: her friends, her family, the amazing cast and crew, her cat Loki, and her lovely girlfriend who inspires her everyday.

Olivia Rose Perrone (Envy) (she/they) is a performer and writer in her fourth year at SUNY Purchase. She is pursuing a double major in Theatre & Performance and Playwriting & Screenwriting, with a minor in Gender Studies. Olivia’s most notable acting credits include Donna in Mamma Mia!, The Witch in Into The Woods, and Judy in 9 to 5: The Musical. She has acted for several short films on campus and is currently working on a few personal projects of her own. After Purchase, Olivia aspires to perform, write, and direct for theatre, film, and television. She is also passionate about singing, songwriting, voice acting, and modeling.

Matt DeScalzo (Lighting Designer) (they/them) 2026, from Long Island New York. This is their first production not only at Purchase but also being a lighting designer. They are very grateful for this opportunity to show their new found love and skill for lighting.

Mauricio Gonzalez (also playing Wrath) (he/him/his) is a Latinx senior playwright and actor in the Theatre and Performance major. His previous credits include the role of Bobby the misunderstood youngling in “A Crumbled House” (Spring 2021) and Julio Burgos, the incredible pantomime artist, in “The Silent Observer” (Spring 2022) and he has been in the short film “A Can of Worms” (Spring 2022) as the silent but haunting Shadow. “Pinata” is his first play to be performed, but is far from his final piece as he continues to write to entertain audiences from all backgrounds.

Chelsea Muller (she/her) is a fourth year Theatre and Performance/Psychology double major from Rochester, NY. Some of her past credits include MacBeth (2022), The Silent Observer (2022), Frame(D) (2021), and The Last Five Years (2021). She would to thank her family, and friends for all their love and support, and her amazing production team and cast for all of their hard work!

In our teaching and art, the Conservatory values inclusiveness, equality, and excellence. Upholding all of our training is our aim to train and graduate citizen artists: multifaceted people with a strong sense of purpose in approaching an arts education.

What is a citizen artist? Citizen artists seek to discover how their unique voices can contribute to our world. They understand what it means to be an artist, and what they are here on earth to say and do and make.

The Conservatory trains future citizen artists in three degree programs:

+ BFA Actor Training. The BFA is an intensive professional training program offered to a highly select and diverse group of students. The professional training is anchored in four years of study in acting, voice, speech, and movement, complemented by offerings in dramatic literature and analysis, history of the theatre, stage combat, improvisation, mask work, acting for the camera, and the business of acting. As one of five schools in the Consortium of Professional Theatre Training Programs, Purchase is one of a handful of colleges in the world capable of training artists at this level—and of drawing a faculty from the ranks of professional theatre

+ BFA in Theatre Design/Technology. Emphasizing studio and classroom training, our professional training program in theatre design/technology gives students the guidance and support of established and theatre industry professionals. Many of our alumni are recognized at the top of their field, and have received Tony, Emmy, Obie, and Drama Desk Awards, among other honors. Quite literally, Purchase grads are working in or have worked in every theatre on Broadway, in all tristate venues, and with countless touring productions

+ BA program in Theatre and Performance. From traditional theatre to cutting-edge interdisciplinary work, the theatre and performance major encourages creativity, intellectual curiosity, social engagement, and critical thinking. The core requirements combine scholarship and practice to provide students with a strong foundation in theatre history and dramatic literature, with mandatory stagecraft/production courses. Theatre and Performance majors are encouraged to expand the scope of their education by studying abroad, as well as pursuing coursework in other programs of study within the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Purchase College