The Government Inspector

Mentions or reference to sexual situations, suicide, abuse, simulated flogging, use of firearm/pistol. 

The Government Inspector: It’s a farce! And a satire! Two types of nonsense for the price of one!

Having finally achieved the (in my opinion) wonderfully desirable and yet deeply comic status of wizened old crone, I sometimes have the jarring experience of, when working with undergraduates, referring to what I expect to be a universally-known actor, movie, TV show or play, only to be met with vaguely pitying blank stares. Come on! I have a more than passing knowledge of the luminaries of vaudeville, the Golden Age of Hollywood, even silent movies - and wizened though I may be, I wasn’t born back then either. I can, for example, not only identify Frank Morgan at twelve paces, but recount a good portion of his imdb page. (He’s the Wizard of Oz, as I’m sure you know.) And it’s not even limited to the dead. I was stunned to discover, about ten years ago, when recounting to a clown class one of my favorite stories about auditioning, that the name Molly Shannon rang not a bell. She’s still working! And hilarious as ever. So it engendered no small measure of delight in my heart, when a large portion of this cast met the invoking of The Monkees with glee. I too love the Monkees. I have loved them for as long as I can remember. Putting aside the controversy about their prowess (or lack thereof as a band) the physical comedy on that show was nonpareil. And I think there were two fundamental elements at play that made it so: a team of exceedingly well-versed writers and directors with a subversive and radically creative spirit, and a cast of ambitious, playful, bold, risk-taking young talent eager to conjure the comic world and all the folderall they can discover. Expect to see something like that tonight!

CAST

Destiny Barbour

Heschel Bay is a third year BFA actor from Boston, Massachusetts. Past Purchase rep credits include Orpheus Descending (Eugene), Socrates (Andromacus), and The Good Doctor (Cherdyakov). Other Credits include Romeo and Juliet (Romeo) and Radium Girls (Arthur Roeder). He would like to give special thanks to his family and friends.

Lidia is a junior in the Acting BFA at Purchase college. She was born in Zaragoza, Spain and came to New York to study acting. In the past Lidia has played Mrs.Smith in “The Bald Soprano” by Eugene Ionesco, Girl and Husband in “The Good Doctor” by Neil Simon, and Federico in “Toc Toc” by Julian Quintanilla. Lidia would like to thank her beautiful family, friends, and the artists in her life.

Jade Cook is so excited to start a new season of shows with the BFA Acting conservatory. Jade has been in The Good Doctor with Purchase, as well as A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Metamorphoses with another performance group. Jade would like to thank her wonderful family and her extraordinary company. 

Elizabeth is an actor from New York’s Hudson Valley. She recently studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London where she played Lady Macbeth in RADA’s production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Favorite roles include Juror Number 10 in Twelve Angry Men and Kate Keller in The Miracle Worker. Elizabeth has appeared in several television shows and can be seen in the indie horror film Tenants. Aside from acting she is a singer and songwriter. She is thrilled to be performing in The Government Inspector with the incredible members of Company 50. Much love to her family and friends. 

Jakob DeDona is a third year BFA actor from Oak Ridge, North Carolina. Purchase Rep credits include Peter in the Good Doctor. Others include Ser Thomas Grey in Raleigh’s Theater in the Park. He thanks his friends and family who support his every endeavor. 

Matthew Dennis is a third year BFA actor from Manhattan, NY. Past credits include: John Proctor (The Crucible), Dr. William Alanson White (Never the Sinner) and The Sexton/Policeman (The Good Doctor). Much love to his mother, father, sister and friends for their love and support.

Trygve Gundersen is a third year BFA actor from Madison, Wisconsin. Recent Credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Mustardseed/Philostrate) at Tier 5 Theatre Company, The Good Doctor (Navy, Boy) at SUNY Purchase, and Antigone (Guard) at Westside Players. Special thanks to Mandy!

Noël Harris

Nora is a third year BFA actor from Los Angeles, California. Purchase Rep credits include The Good Doctor (Drowned Man and Wife).

Lilia Ireland

Vivian comes from Maryland and is a junior at the Purchase Acting Conservatory. In the past, they have played the Voice and Irena in “The Good Doctor” by Neil Simon. Vivian would like to thank their family and obviously their cat for bringing them this far. 

Tachynel Merveille

Gabe Stein

Nnamdi Uzobuife

Ed Ventura

CREATIVE & PRODUCTION

Shannon Kenny is a third year BFA stage manager from Harrison, New York. Purchase Rep credits include Good Goods (Run Crew), Gint (ASM), Socrates (ASM) and The Good Doctor (SM). She’d like to thank her family and friends for all their support.

Jenna Newberg is a second-year BFA stage manager from Indianapolis, Indiana. Purchase Rep. credits include Socrates (Run Crew) and Titus (Run Crew). She would like to thank her family and high school theatre teacher for supporting her.

Gabriella Pizzolo (she/they), made their Broadway debut at age 10 as the title role in Matilda the Musical. Following their year-long run, they went on to be in the original company of the Tony Award winning Broadway musical Fun Home, eventually taking over the role of Small Alison. Their proudest moment was representing Fun Home when singing for Michelle Obama on the television special Broadway at the White House (TLC). Other TV/Film credits include Beaches (Lifetime), Braindead (CBS), Stranger Things (Netflix), Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (HBO Max), Butterbean’s Café (Nickelodeon). Off-Broadway/Regional Credits include Loch Ness (ATF), Because of Winn Dixie (ASF), Sunday in the Park with George (Encores), The Secret Garden (Friends of Theater), Sleeping Beauty (New York City Ballet). They currently study Music and Psychology in their senior year, and have written, directed, conducted and sound designed original works for over two years. Endlessly grateful to the entire team of Government Inspector!

Virginia Scott directs and teaches physical theater. She directs the Commedia Company and Some Clowns, performing original commedia and clown shows respectively. Recently she directed an original clown show with the third-year MFA students at ACT at the Strand Theater in San Francisco and Waiting for Godot at SUNY Purchase. This summer she created an original gestural language adaptation of The Odyssey in residency at the Visionary in Mount Vision, NY. After this, she’s hightailing it to Montclair State University to direct The Birds with their BFA program. Virginia teaches/has taught Clown, Movement, Commedia, Physical Comedy and all sorts wiggling around at schools such as Brooklyn College (MFA), The Juilliard School (MFA/BFA), Pace University (BFA/BA), ACT (MFA), USC (MFA), Movement Theater Studio, and Tisch at NYU (BFA). She was a co-founder and faculty member of the Funny School of Good Acting and recently published through TCG Discovering the Clown: the Funny Book of Good Acting. Virginia offers Clown, Commedia and physical comedy training and consulting through her studio www.fizgig-studio.com.

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.