Image for WEBSTER'S BITCH
WEBSTER'S BITCH
May 31 - June 18, 2023
Sponsors

SEASON SPONSORS

 
 
 
 
 

COMMUNITY SPONSORS

   




PLAYHOUSE PARTNERS

dornenburg kallenbach
   
       
   



Nathan Accounting




ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY

 



Program

Playhouse Theatre Group, Inc.

CO-FOUNDER/EXEC. DIRECTOR
Tracy Flater

CO-FOUNDER/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Sean Harris

CO-FOUNDER/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Darlene Zoller

presents

The World Premiere

of

WEBSTER’S BITCH

A PLAY BY JACQUELINE BIRCHER

 

Director
VANESSA MOROSCO
Scenic & Lighting Designer
JOHANN FITZPATRICK

Sound Designer
JEFFREY SALERNO

     
Costume Designer
RAVEN ONG
Props Master
ERIN SAGNELLI
Stage Manager
ANNA BROSOWSKY

 

CAST (in order of introduction)

Gwen Mia Wurgaft
Ellie Isabel Monk Cade
Nick HanJie Chow
Joyce Veanne Cox*
Frank Peter Simon Hilton*

 


*The Actor appears through the courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association,
the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

This show runs approximately 100 minutes with no intermission.

Any video and/or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.


Setting

WEBSTER’S Dictionary.
Stamford, Connecticut.
Thursday, 5:32pm.
Print is dying, careers are on the line, but words still need to be defined.

Words From The Director

“Language isn’t fair. It’s a made-up human puzzle that is constantly changing.”

When I first came to this play, I would have boldly considered myself a ‘word nerd’. When I hear a new or unfamiliar word I need to discover its meaning, etymology, and usage. But while I may love the language of Shakespeare and solve the NYT crossword puzzle daily, it turns out that the word nerd spectrum is more expansive than I ever imagined. Lexicographers, those who show up to work every day to define words to be included in dictionaries, are the real rockstar word nerds of us all. A lexicographer’s job is not to prescribe how we use language, but to describe how we use it. No matter what dialect we speak, whether native or learned, whether we prefer ‘standardized’ English or urban slang, we are all active contributors. That means you, and the person sitting next to you, play an equal role in shaping our shared language. And as we grow and change, our language does too. While the lexicographic world of this play, like all U.S. workplaces, navigates the myriad of complex issues (gender bias, power harassment, generational conflict, style clash, psychological safety – just to name a few) that are evolving in the conversations of our country today, it also invites a joy and curiosity that leads to hope and change. Our language changes and we hope for our future. By the time you read this, I’m not sure what the ‘word of the day’ will be, but I am curious to be in conversation with you about it, and maybe together we can collaborate on the word of tomorrow.

 

VANESSA MOROSCO

Words from the Playwright

When most people think about the dictionary, they definitely don't think about comedy. That was certainly the case for me before I started writing Webster's Bitch. In my home growing up, the dictionary was an intimidating, unabridged tome, big and heavy enough to both scare and excite a little word nerd in training. But all these years later, as I began to immerse myself in the weird, wild, wonderful world of lexicography, I quickly realized that the dictionary is more subjective, emotional, and interesting than I ever could have anticipated. Language is constantly changing; it is a reflection of ourselves and our culture, however patriarchal, regional, intersectional, and/or chronically online that culture might be. And the dictionary, as a result, contains all of those multitudes within its pages.

But, a dictionary is still a workplace, and every workplace is, in its own way, dramatic. With Webster's Bitch, I particularly wanted to explore the idea that in a post "Me Too" era, not every man (or woman) in corporate power has nefarious motives that aim to devalue or take advantage of their employees. But, that doesn’t mean that a more subtle game of office politics isn’t at play. And while the dictionary may not seem the most obvious setting for these discussions, its specificity offers a unique vantage point for us to take a hard look at universal themes like intergenerational conflicts, technological advancements, gender equity in the workplace, the power of words, and so much more.

This play has been a joy to write, develop, and finally see come to life in this world premiere production, especially since the bulk of its development from first draft to final happened virtually during the pandemic. It aims to leave you with more questions than answers, but these questions are critical to our examination of how we treat each other and how we step into our future. Thank you so much for supporting live theater and new work here at Playhouse on Park, and I hope you enjoy the show!

JACQUELINE BIRCHER

Production Staff

Director Vanessa Morosco 

Scenic Designer Johann Fitzpatrick

Costume Designer Raven Ong

Lighting Designer Johann Fitzpatrick

Sound Designer Jeffrey Salerno

Props Master/Set Dresser Erin Sagnelli

Stage Manager Anna Brosowsky

Assistant Stage Manager Vintage Kovel

Production Manager David Addis 

Technical Director Scott Bartley

Scenic Carpenters Brian McGuire

Electrics Crew Patrick Blair, Brian McGuire, Tara Hightower, Kyla Madore

Scenic Charge Daniela Weiser 

Scenic Painter Mikayla Carr

Dramaturg Liv Fassanella

Covid Compliance Officer Vintage Kovel

Lobby Design Darlene Zoller, Eileen Oconnor

Production Photographer Meredith Longo

Program Design Liv Fassanella

Program Printing Budget Printers

Poster/Postcard Design Dornenburg | Kallenbach

Advertising Webmaster Rick Fountain

E-Newsletter Lisa Steier 

Dramaturgical Casebook

To view the dramaturgical casebook for this production. click here.

Hartford Courant

To view the Hartford Courant feature on Webster's bitch, click here. 

Special Thanks

We are grateful to the following people and businesses
who made special contributions to this production
of Webster’s Bitch.

Avery Heights Senior Living
Jeanette Berger
Central Connecticut State University Costume Department 
Jackie Costabile
Edible Arrangements
Excel Fitness
Tony Falcetti & Falcetti Music
Falcetti School of Music
Barbara Fletcher
Amanda Forker
Faith Fuerst
Robert Garrey
Hartford Stage Company
Megan Hayden & Riverbend Bookshop
Jordanna Hertz
Hoffman SummerWood Senior Living
Pat Machristian
Mandel Jewish Community Center
Judi Manfre
Marie Mecca
Emily & Alex Pattacini
Mark Raymond & Carolina Wine Brands
Heather Schaefer
Lisa Steier
Carole Wagner