Socrates

Content warning: general violence, graphic depiction of execution,  flashing lights and allusion to sexual violence.

In 367 BCE a young seventeen year old boy enters Plato’s Academy to study under the tutelage of the great man himself. “Have you been to Athens before? How are you finding it The city”, asked the master teacher. ” I find it murderous…In every face. A city that killed its greatest thinker. Killed him like a traitor. Why did they do that?”, is the response from the precocious teenager who is none other than a young Aristotle. And thus begins Tim Blake Nelson’s deep dive into the circumstances leading up to the best known poisoning in all of history.

Were the crimes of Socrates so heinous to warrant such an execution? Was the mere asking questions worth the condemnation of an entire government? Was this embryonic democracy too fragile to hold up to this kind of scrutiny? The next 2 and a half hours (or so) will examine the questions of this so called agitator, atheist, and corruptor of youth.

Mr. Nelson wrote this play in 2015, however, the inspiration and first attempt was 30 years earlier. So any identification to Trump era politics is happenstance or perhaps prophetic. The play takes place in 6th century BCE, around the dawn of Athenian democracy, and here we are today on the precipice of what some might call the demise of American democracy. Current events are revealing an astonishing evolution. Socrates states, “One thing I’ve learned in 70 years is that man is well suited for tyranny, but especially when that tyranny is disguised as Democracy.”

Any questions?

A. Dean Irby

CAST BIOS:

Karim Angulo was born and raised in Washington DC. He featured in local productions of Much Ado About Nothing, Arcadia, and The Electric Man. He would like to thank the cast, crew, and his parents (of course).

Heschel Bay is a Sophomore in the Purchase Acting Conservatory and is thrilled to be apart of this production. Heschel was a part of a junior production, Orpheus Descending, last year as well, and has been in other productions such as A Mid Summer Night’s Dream at Apollinaire Theater, Radium Girls and Mockingbird at Wheelock family theater, Romeo and Juliet at Boston Theater Company and more. He would like to give special thanks to his friends and family back home in Boston, and to his company members.

Issa-Malik A. Bernard is a third year BFA actor from Harlem, New York. Purchase Rep credits include: Back County Crimes (Reverend Courtney/ Carter/ Sheriff) and Gint (Man/ Medicine Man). Thank you to his family and friends for showing such support . He hopes you all enjoy the show!

Leah Bloom

Anthony Costello is a third year BFA actor from North Carolina. Purchase Rep: Hog King in Gint, Caleb Williams in Back County Crimes, and Orpheus Descending. Regional: world premiere of Double Helix (Bay Street Theater), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Neo-Political Cowgirls), A Christmas Carol (Triad Stage). Shoutout to the production team and Jamie Leonhart!

Oona Gladding is a third year BFA actor from NYC. Previous purchase credits include Orpheus Descending (Sister Temple) Back County Crimes (Mrs Scott/Mrs JP Simpson) and Gint (Runaway Bride/Devil Woman). She would like to thank her wonderful company and her family for their support!

Charlotte Jane is a first year BFA actor from South Texas. This is her first conservatory rep show, but past credits include Wit (Dr. Vivian Bearing) and Amadeus (Constanze Mozart). Special thanks to her family and everyone in the conservatory for their constant kindness and support.

Imani Jones (She/Her) is a third year BFA actor from Prince George’s County, MD. Purchase Rep credits include: Gint (Older Man/ Ensemble), Back County Crimes (Doc Autry). Other credits include: The Government Inspector (Anna Andreyevna) Three Sisters (Olga/Maria) She is grateful for all her friends and family for the continuous support. Much love!

Darren Kinzler (They/Them) is a third year BFA actor from New Jersey. Previous Purchase Rep credits include Back County Crimes (Ensemble) and Gint (Pete Gint). Other credits include The Drowsy Chaperone (Underling), Arsenic and Old Lace (Mortimer Brewster), and Deathtrap (Clifford Anderson), for which their performance garnered an NJACT Perry Award Nomination. Many thanks to the entire production team and Company 49 for all their support.

Nora O’Donnell is a third year BFA actor from Brooklyn, NY. Past Purchase credits include Back County Crimes (Mrs. Draughn, Celia Parker, Pearl Avery) and Gint (Sally Vicks). Other credits include As You Like It (Rosalind) at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Thank you to all of her family and friends that have supported her!

Laila Scarlet De La Rosa is a first year BFA actor from Bronx, New York. She comes from a dance background, so Socrates is her first ever acting show. Big thank you to her friends and family for always supporting her.

MisaLove Smith (she/they) is a third year BFA Actor from Harlem, New York. Love from 22! Purchase Rep Credits include Gint, (Older woman) & Back County Crimes (Honey/Mrs.MaHorney/Widow Wheelwright) Other creds include: The Wolves (#25), Alter Ego (Dre), A Midsummer Nights Dream (Titania), The Comedy of Errors (Dromio of Syracuse) Shoutout to her family & friends + many thanks to everyone that’s supported her journey!

Em Rose Stern is a third year BFA actor from Brooklyn, New York. Purchase credits include Crito in Socrates, Oldie Momma in Gint, and Joy Jean MaHorney/ Bird Carlton in Back County Crimes. Em would like to thank Dean Irby, her stage managers, her choreographers, her friends, her family, but most of all Athens!

Leanora Octavia Tapper is a third year BFA actor from Harlem, New York. Purchase Rep credits include: Back County Crimes (Carrie/ Maude) and Gint (Younger Woman/ Sally Vicks). Many thanks to her friends and family for being her biggest supporters. She hopes you all enjoy the show!

Ed Ventura is a Dominican-Puerto Rican actor/writer/bozo born in Providence, RI and raised in the Boogie Down Bronx. He was the 2020-2021 Van Lier New Voices Fellow with The Lark, a SPACE on Ryder Farm Greenhouse Resident (2018), and is a current member of Ensemble Studio Theatre’s Youngblood Collective. He’s had his work developed with LAByrinth’s 2019 Intensive Ensemble, Curious Theatre Company, and more. His previous acting credits have consisted of Soft (MCC Theater) which he was nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award (best ensemble), The Siblings Play(Rattlestick Playwrights Theater), and The Parlour (Middle Voice). He’s currently working toward completing his BFA in Acting, and double minor in Playwriting/Screenwriting at SUNY Purchase.

Myles Windbush-Soules is third year BFA actor, from Buffalo New York. Purchase credits include: Back county crimes ( Richard Prichard, Christopher Cadwell, Timmy) Gint ( Pete Gint, Older man). Many thanks to his family and friends for supporting him along the way, he wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them! Be on the look out for later work such as Socrates in mid November!

CREATIVE & PRODUCTION BIOS:

Kristen Benner (She/her) is a fourth year Stage Manager from Buffalo, NY. Past Credits include The Winter’s Tale at Great River Shakespeare Festival, As You Like It at SDP. Purchase Credits Include Senior Showcase 2023, Serious Money, Henry IV Pt.2, Babette’s Feast. Thanks to all who’ve supported her in this journey.

Fei Cheng

David Fitzpatrick is a fourth year D/T lighting and sound designer from NYC. Purchase credits include Twelfth Night (Sound Designer & Composer) and The Attic (Assistant Lighting Designer). Endless thanks to the entire sound team for their incredible work and tenacity.

Tyler Franks

Chris Grainer

Emily Mustillo (She/Her) is a fourth year BFA scenic designer from Brooklyn, New York. Purchase credits include: The Attic (Scenic Designer), Twelfth Night (Assistant Scenic Designer), A Walrus in the Body of a Crocodile (Assistant Scenic Designer). Other Scenic Design credits include Violet and Next to Normal with Nxt Generation Theatrics.

Olivier Plamondon is a fourth year Lighting Designer, and she could not be more thrilled for you to come see this show! Credits: | Off-Broadway | Production Electrician for Sesame St. and Gospel According to Heather | Professional | Set Electrician for Hudson Scenic | College | Assistant LD for Conduct of Life and Serious Money.

Natalie Saint-Rossy is a third year BFA costume design and technology major from Northern Virginia. Her past credits include Serious Money (ACD) and Cyrano De Bergerac (ACD) with Purchase Repertory Theatre, and she was the Costume Administrative Apprentice at the Glimmerglass Festival for the 2023 summer season. She would like to thank her friends and family for whom she is eternally grateful.

Eleanora Thomas

Arnel Wilson

A. Dean Irby is a New York City–based director, actor, and educator. In his distinguished career, which spans more than three decades, he has acted and directed on Broadway and Off Broadway, for the New York Shakespeare Festival, Negro Ensemble Company, Arena Stage, New Federal Theatre, and Crossroads Theatre, and at numerous regional and university theatres. He is the recipient of two Audelco Awards for his direction of the original production of Home for the Negro Ensemble Company and Boogie Woogie and Booker T. for the New Federal Theatre. Irby is also the former acting coach for The Cosby Show and has appeared in more than 30 television commercials.

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.