Gint

This production of Gint contains sexual content, insensitive depictions of mental illness, simulated self-harm, foul language, and anti-Indigenous rhetoric, as well as discussions of death and addiction. Recommended for mature audiences.

GINT, is the story of a young man who in his attempt to find himself loses himself. It is also a morality play about the results of selfishness. Playwright, Romulus Linney has adapted his play from the original, Peer Gynt, by Henrik Ibsen written in 1867. I performed the role of Ase (Oldie Mama) in an original production directed by, Michael Kahn. This is my third production directing Mr. Linney’s adaption, ‘Gint’. I directed it twice at The Juilliard School. The original casting calls for six actors who play many parts. But as there are no small roles the play lends itself perfectly for student productions where the roles can be equally divided among a large class to give everyone substantial acting work.

My staging lends itself to a free and creative style. I call it “unapologetic staging”. The actors sit and move in the open as they tell their story. The acting style is “transformational” an acting style I learned from my brilliant teacher, Omar Shapli, while studying at. NYU Tisch School Of The Arts.

I have added a dance number at the beginning of the play to introduce clogging dance to the actors and set up the second scene where Gint confesses to Oldie Mama that he was in a fight with, Smithy, the town bully. The group scenes in the play use heightened language to express the thick forest (Breshsss), razor back pigs, billionaires and troubling memories. I decided to create a chorus who wear masks for these scenes. A Chorus can move as one body to cover a lot of literary ground. It is the first time I have elected to use this convention in a production, GINT. It also gives young actors the opportunity to explore chorus work outside of Greek theater and Shakespeare.

I would like to thank: Jack Tamburri, Claire Frawley and her assistant, Shannon Kenney. Douglas Chapman (dialect and voice instructor), Mitch Mc Coy (fight and intimacy coach), Choreographers, Michah Sell and Maya Davila. And Dave Rimelis (recorded fiddler)for their excellence and artistry in helping to shape this production of, GINT.

- Trezana Beverley

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).

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: Caleb Williams in Back County Crimes and Orpheus Descending. Other credits: world premiere of Double Helix (Bay Street Theater), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Neo-Political Cowgirls), A Christmas Carol (Triad Stage). Shoutout to Trazana, the rest of 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 (Younger Woman/Older Woman/Ensemble). She would like to thank her wonderful company and her family for their 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. Purchase Rep credits include Back County Crimes (Ensemble). 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). 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 helped her on her journey!

MisaLove Smith (she/they) is a third year BFA Actor from Harlem, New York. Love from 22! Purchase Rep Credits include: Back County Crimes (Honey/Mrs.MaHorney/Widow Wheelwright) Other credits include: The Wolves (#25), Alter Ego (Dre), A Midsummer Nights Dream (Titania), The Comedy of Errors (Dromio of Syracuse). Shoutout to her family for their endless love & support. Also 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 Oldie Momma in Gint, and Joy Jean MaHorney/ Bird Carlton in Back County Crimes. Em would like to thank her professors, her directors, her crew, her friends, and her family for all their guidance and support!

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!

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!

PRODUCTION BIOS:

Maya Davila, born and raised in Manhattan, New York trained in the young pre-professional program at Ballet Hispánico.She has also danced at Future Dancers and Dancemakers at NYU Tisch. She is currently receiving her BFA in dance at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance with a minor in Arts Management where she has danced in works by MICHIYAYA, Norbert De La Cruz III, Merce Cunningham, and by her peers in the conservatory. Maya wishes to cultivate her passion and ability to share dance with others and continue to inspire individual.

Claire Frawley is a third year BFA stage manager from Long Island. Purchase reps include The Attic (ASM), New Plays Now! (SM), Fefu and her Friends (PA). She would like to thank her right hand Shannon, as well as her amazingly talented company and crew for their support…much love to Mom, Dad and Gab.

Shannon Kenny is a second year BFA stage manager from Harrison, NY. Past Purchase rep credits include Good Goods (Run Crew). She wants to thank everyone involved for this amazing experience!

Micah Sell was born and raised in Philadelphia, and trained at the Metropolitan Ballet Academy under the direction of Lisa Collins and trained at the Philadelphia School Of Circus Arts. Micah is currently a fourth year at SUNY Purchase receiving his BFA in Dance. Micah participated in programs such as B12, Bemoving, Bigkids, and has worked with Bret Easterling,Jermaine Sivey, Lali Ayguade, Spenser Theberg, Julia Eichten, Mark Caserta, Mikey Morado, Kimie Parker, and Schraiber and Bobbi-Jene Smith. Micah has also Performed in various works created by Victor Quijada, Kimberly Bartosik, Michelle Thompson-Ulerich, George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Ja’ Malik, Sarah Mettin, Mark Caserta. Micah has been choreographing pieces during his time at school and has also presented work at the 2023 Battery Dance Festival. He has also performed Martha Graham’s Diversion of Angels at the Joyce Theatre in 2023M.

Trezana Beverley, is the recipient of the coveted Tony Award for her performance in the Broadway production of ‘FOR COLORED GIRLS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE WHEN THE RAINBOW IS ENUF’, written by Ntozake Shange. Her combined talents as an actress, director, writer, singer and educator have created a unique signature for her in the American Theater.
She is a graduate of NYU Tisch School of The Arts where she studied under esteemed teachers LLoyd Richards, Peter Kass, Kristin Linklater, Omar Shapli and Jersey Grotowsky.
Trezana had the honor of studying with Mr. Grotowsky in a special workshop at NYU. Her talent for physical acting was subsequently cited in his book,‘Towards A Poor Theater’. The work she did with Mr. Grotowsky combined with her training under Omar Shapli of Second City has become her acting and directing signature. It prepared her for her success in ‘For Colored Girls’. She is a transformational actress with an acting range that has seen her perform King Lear as a man and Eleanor Roosevelt. She has performed and directed productions in such distinguished Regional Theaters as Yale Repertory Theater, The Cleveland Playhouse, Guthrie Repertory Theater, DC. Shakespeare Theatre, Arena Stage Co. The Public Theater, Baltimore Center Stage and Play Makers Repertory Company. She has been a guest director on the theater faculties of The Juilliard School. Brandeis University, State University of Southern, Illinois and Morgan State University. Trezana has taught Freshmen acting at Suny Purchase and is pleased to return as the guest director of GINT with the Freshmen class she originally taught. Ms.Beverley is represented by The Luedtke Agency.

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.