The Haunting of Campbell House

Flashing lights and haze. 

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

Hey everyone! A quick note before it begins…

I was approached by the playwright Jenna Hernandez last spring to direct this show. I had never directed a musical before, so I took it on as a worthy challenge. To be frank, I didn’t quite know what I was doing, but I was excited to begin to work on it. I drew inspiration from popular live-action Disney shows and classic teen movies for the style of this piece, like High School Musical, iCarly, and Clueless, and infused it with heartfelt comedy and a few jump scares here and there. I interrogated: How can I effectively combine the horror comedy and teen movie genres for this musical? How can I pay homage to these childhood staples we know and love, but also transform them for the modern stage? Why does this story matter today? At the end of the day, the theater is a place of escape. We enter a story merely parallel to our own and dive headfirst into the world presented before us. I simply hope to have done justice to this amazing script, wonderful music, and the fabulous cast and crew that have worked tirelessly to bring it to life. I am truly honored to have been a part of this show. Thank you so much for your time, and enjoy the show!

-Kat Tobits

Playwright’s Note:

Musical theatre has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I started off as an actor, but grew to love writing in high school and here at Purchase. Getting my first piece produced has been such a surreal and rewarding experience. I started writing The Haunting of Campbell House around a year and a half ago. It was a lot of writing, editing, and figuring out the tone of the piece, but I could not be more excited about how it turned out. I knew I wanted to write a musical going into my senior project. I wanted to write a show that was fun and brought as much joy to the audience as it’s brought me. I am so grateful to have worked with such a kind and talented cast and crew. I also want to thank the THP faculty for believing in me and this show, for taking a chance on such an ambitious project. You all have made my dreams come true and I will never forget this experience. Finally thank you to everyone reading this for coming to see the show!

–Jenna Hernandez

MAX BIEBER (he/him) (Matt) is a freshman Opera major from New York City. He attended LaGuardia High School, where he was trained as a vocal music major. He has performed across the globe as a member of the Young People’s Chorus of New York City. He would like to thank the cast for their support, as well as his friends and family. He hopes you enjoy the show!

CARLY BRENNAN (she/her) (Alex) is currently a freshman Theater and Performance major. She is so excited to be a part of The Haunting of Campbell House as her first production at SUNY Purchase! Past credits include Theory of Relativity (Ensemble) and Love’s Labour’s Lost (Dumaine). She will later be in a production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream going up May 1st, 3rd and 4th. She would like to thank the cast and crew for being so amazing and welcoming during this entire process, and to break legs during the show tonight! Welcome to Campbell House and enjoy the show!

KIM CROSSWAY (she/her) (Tess, Producer, Set Designer) is a THP senior from the Capital Region who enjoys video games, music, and streams in her free time. She also works as a Princess Performer for Hill City Ice Queen Princess Parties. Select Purchase credits include: Ride the Cyclone (“Jane Doe”), Rough With Love (“Cappi”), and The Attic (“Samurai/Anchorman”). Other select credits include: The Pirates of Penzance (“Daughter/Police”), Xanadu (“Thalia”) and Clue (“Mrs.   Peacock”). She will be performing as “Melissa” in a staged reading of Catharsis on May 3rd & 4th. She would like to thank everyone who made this production possible, including family and friends who’ve supported her. She would especially like to thank Jenna for being her rock in this process. This definitely wouldn’t have happened without all of you - there is no pressure, you’re all perfect!!

KIRRY KAUFER (they/them) (Gio, u/s Alex) is a senior Creative Writing major who also enjoys theater and performance. They have been acting since elementary school. Additional Purchase show credits include She Kills Monsters (Narrator/Farrah/Evil Tina), The 1st Annual Halloween Cabaret, and they will later be in Catharsis, a staged reading going up in May. They are also a member of Purchase’s show choir, Crescendo. Outside of theater, they edit for various literary magazines, including managing Purchase’s official journal, Italics Mine. They are excited to be playing Gio, and hope you enjoy the show!

LUCAS MADRID (he/him) (Drew) is currently a freshman majoring in theater and performance at SUNY Purchase. He is truly honored to be playing the role of Drewin The Haunting of Campbell House. Lucas has been involved in theater and its neighboring activities since he was 12 years old. He is currently working on this project as well as a short film entitled Hemorrhage, as well as playing lead guitar in his band Not A Threat (that was a shameless plug, we’re working on some stuff right now you can listen to hopefully by the end of the semester). This will be the second production he will be performing in this year, his first being Kill the Man!,which was written and directed by the director of this production, Kat Tobits. Lucas would like to thank all his friends and castmates, and anyone/everyone involved in this show to any capacity, including whomever may be reading this bio at this moment, you are technically part of the show and its experience. Thank you.

AUTUMN MAGAR-MATSUOKA (she/her) (Bri) is a Freshman Theater and Performance major. She is so excited to be a part of her very first Purchase production! Starting her theater career at a young age, Autumn has always had a passion for the performing arts. She’s been in numerous shows over the years, most recently RENT (Maureen), She Kills Monsters (Agnes), The Laramie Project (Beth Loffreda, Reggie Fluty), and Godspell (Joanne). Though performing is her passion and career, Autumn also loves to explore the outdoors, spend time with her friends, and take naps. She would like to thank the wonderful cast and crew for their overwhelming support and dedication to this show. She hopes everyone enjoys The Haunting of Campbell House!

TIONNE WATSON (she/her) (Dawn) is currently a junior and theater and performance major. She is very excited to play Dawn in The Haunting of Campbell House. She’s starred in other Purchase productions like The Attic, Room for Growth and Down with the Fourth Wall! Once she graduates, she wishes to have an acting career on Broadway and in film!

EVAN HAZARD (he/him) (u/s Matt/Drew) is a freshman Playwriting & Screenwriting major at SUNY Purchase College. This is his first performance at SUNY Purchase, with previous acting credits including Alice at Wonderland, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, and Spamalot. Most recently, he performed as Steven in Bring It On: The Musical. Outside of acting, Evan also spends his time writing plays and creating music. He would like to thank everyone in the cast and crew who made this amazing show possible, as well as his friends and family for their continuous support!

KATHRYN HEINTZ (she/her) (u/s Dawn/Bri, Dance Captain) is a junior Theatre and Performance major at SUNY Purchase College. She is excited to be in her first musical at Purchase, since being in shows such as Hairspray (2018), The Music Man (2019), and Chicago (2020) during her time at Susan E. Wagner High School. There, she was a proud member of the dance team, as well as the concert and chamber choir. Currently, her focus lies in her playwriting concentration, as she develops an original script for her senior project next year. She would like to thank everyone in production and the cast for making her feel so welcome in such a short amount of time, and for allowing her to develop her skills in a safe environment. She’d also love to give a shout out to her family and friends for the constant, unconditional support.

RACHEL SKENNION (she/her) (u/s Gio/Tess, Choreographer) is a Theatre and Performance junior. She is so excited to be a part of this project. She has been dancing since the age of 3 at the Marianne Anderson School of Dance and in theater and chorus since she was 11. Some of her past credits include Thoroughly Modern Millie, Beauty and the Beast, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Legally Blonde, All Shook Up, and Shrek Jr. (Dance Captain). Some of her past credits at Purchase include Crystal Clear (Georgia), Issue #9 (Sandy), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Leaf Coneybear) and is currently the choreographer for the show choir, Crescendo. She would like to thank Jenna for the opportunity of not only being an understudy, but also a musical theater choreographer which are two things she’s never done before. She wants to thank her new friends in the cast for being amazing to work with, and her current friends who constantly support her in all her endeavors. She says break a leg to the cast and crew and she hopes you enjoy the show!

ANDREW ALFORD (he/him) (Composer, Music Director) is a Studio Composition senior at SUNY Purchase. He is ecstatic to be working on this project with so many talented people, and is grateful for all the work they have put in. While Andrew has worked on a lot of projects, such as the short film The Sweetest Lie (2023) and the game Flip Against the Frontier (2023), he is relatively new to the world of musicals. However, with his experience in composition, choral music, and acting, he is certain that the songs will enhance the musical and be stuck in your head afterwards. Andrew would like to thank the cast and crew for all their hard work and for giving it 110% every single day. He hopes you enjoy the show!

CHRIS WALKER (he/him) (Production Stage Manager) is a senior Theater and Performance major. His recent credits include Purchase Retold (Production Stage Manager), The 1st Annual Halloween Cabaret (Production Stage Manager), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (William Barfee/Assistant Stage Manager), and What If If Only (Production Stage Manager). He’d like to thank this amazing cast and crew for their support! He hopes you enjoy the show!

FRANKIE JOAQUIN REYES (he/him) (Asst. Stage Manager) is a freshman Theatre and Performance major at SUNY Purchase College. He recently stage managed and assistant directed Kill the Man! (2023). At William Cullen Bryant High School, he has performed at numerous show choir concerts and starred in previous theater productions such as Quaranteens: The Making of America (2020) and Don’t Sugarcoat It (2021). Frankie also played Papi in The Band’s Visit for the 2023 Shubert High School Theatre Festival on Broadway. In addition, Frankie sound-engineered and photographed for shows like Rabbit Hole (2019) and In The Time of The Butterflies (2022). He sincerely hopes you enjoy the show!

ELI BETTMANN (they/them) (Costume Designer) Eli is a sophomore theatre performance major, actor, costumer, and makeup artist. Most recently, Eli was makeup designer and artist for the spring MainStage production of Angels in America. Eli will also be performing in A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Titania with showings May 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the Humanities Theater. Eli is thrilled to be working on this original musical production with this dedicated cast and crew, and they hope you enjoy!

STELLA MAHLER (she/her) (Props Designer) is a Junior Theatre and Performance major at SUNY Purchase. She is very excited to be working on The Haunting of Campbell House with this group of people! She has costume designed for multiple shows, including Angels in America, The Addams Family, and Mean Girls. She is very excited to explore the world of prop design and would like to thank the Campbell House team for giving her the opportunity to do so. She would also like to thank her mother for everything, and of course, her cat.

NOEL HOLMGREN (they/them) (Sound Designer & Operator) is a 2023 Purchase alum who graduated with a BA in Theatre and Performance with minors in playwriting and arts management. Select credits include Ride the Cyclone (Sound Director), Just a Little Anxious (“Taylor”), She Kills Monsters (Director), and Hunter X Hollingsworth & Friends: Who Tells Your Story? (Director). Noel would like to thank their mom, Gwen the skeleton, and the cast and crew for this opportunity and for all their hard work put into this musical!

THEO SILVERMAN (they/them) (Lighting Designer) is currently a junior in the Design Technology Program at SUNY Purchase. They are very excited to design The Haunting Of Campbell House. It is their first time designing for an amazing project like this before. Other credits include How to Defend Yourself (ALD) and Intimate Apparel (Sound Designer). Theo would like to thank the cast and crew who have been nothing but awesome to them.

OLIVIA ARMON (she/her) (Social Media Manager/ Photographer) is a second-year junior in the Playwriting/Screenwriting program! She is very excited to be a part of this project and the crew! Purchase credits include Rough With Love (Nancy), The 1st Annual Purchase College Halloween Cabaret, and will be playing Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream showing May 2-4! Olivia is so proud of every member of the cast and crew for how hard they have all been working to get this show up and running, it has only gotten better with each rehearsal she has attended. She hopes you get some spooks and scares in the Campbell House!

LYDIA HARADA (she/her) (Program Design) is a sophomore Communications major from Manhattan. Purchase credits include appearing in Ride the Cyclone (Karnak) and the upcoming reading of Catharsis (Stage Directions) - she also designed the posters and programs for both of these shows. Lydia would like to thank Kim for inviting her on board to work on this project, and you for reading this far down.

JENNA HERNANDEZ (she/her) (Playwright, Producer, Lyricist, Assistant Director) is a Senior THP major and Playwriting minor. She is thrilled to be putting up her first original musical for her senior project! She has been in productions as an actor both in high school and at Purchase, some of which include Fiddler on the Roof, The Wolves, and Crystal Clear. Most recently she played Logainne in Spelling Bee and was part of the Halloween cabaret. She also assistant directed two original works, Venus and Pie Day. Additionally she has been a member of Purchase’s show choir Crescendo and the school’s soccer team. She wants to thank the amazing cast and crew for making this show a reality! Especially her fellow senior collaborator Kim without whom the show would not have been possible. She also wants to thank her family and friends, especially her mom for being her #1 fan and always believing in her. Welcome to the Campbell House and enjoy the show!

KAT TOBITS (she/her) (Director) is a junior Theatre and Performance major from Readsboro, VT. Past credits include How to Defend Yourself (AD), Kill the Man! (Director) and Leaving (Director). She’d like to offer her love and thanks to this wonderful cast and crew, and to her family and friends for their love and support!