SEASON SPONSORS

COMMUNITY SPONSORS

PLAYHOUSE PARTNERS

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY

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

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.

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

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 

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

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

Co-Founder/Executive Director
Tracy Flater

Co-Founder/Artistic Director
Sean Harris

Co-Founder/Artistic Director
Darlene Zoller

General Manager
David Addis

Business Manager
Jonathan Katz, Elizabeth Stassen

Company Manager
Kenneth Galm

Office & Development Manager
Emma Cook

Production Manager
Erin Kiernan

Assistant Technical Director & Master Electrician
Stef Carr

Technical Supervosor
Nate Hamilton

Director of Marketing & PR
Natalie Noack

Dramaturg/Literary Manager
Liv Fassanella

Development Associate
Jasmine Calhoun

Director of Education
Jill Zarcone

Education Coordinator
Sadie Aiken

Education Faculty
Marie Altenor, Julie Borsotti, Lauren Cavanaugh, Marc Sokolson Heidi Jean Weinrich, Jill Zarcone, Darlene Zoller

Front of House Manager
Tori Mooney

Box Office Administrators
Liv Fassanella, Kenneth Galm, Caraline Gartrell

Members
Paige Buade
Melanie Ellis
William Fish
Andrew Lattimer
Sarah Jakubowski
Ryan McBride
Susan Miller
Richard Rubenstein
Annie Scott
Rebecca Selig
Joanna Engel
Vinod Sukhraj
Ruth Van Winkle

BOARD MEMBER EMERITUS

Matthew Bragg
Chuck Coursey, Founding VP
Bonnie Gauthier
Carol McCabe
Margaret Rattigan
Julianne Roth
Robert Rowlson*
Ron Roy
Richard Rubenstein
Robert Slifka
David Wurzer, Founding President

*Deceased

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Renee Autorino, Jim Bergenn, Valeria Caldwell-Gaines, David Calibey, Mayor Shari Cantor, Stefanie Chambers, Chris Conway, Anna Crawford, Matthew Cuddy, Jayne Dean, Kyra Dorsey, Kevin Doyle, Nina Elgo, Dan Falotico, David Figliuzzi, Matt Fleury, Jeff Forman, Gail Frahm, Kathy Frederick, Bob Hilborn, Susan King, Tyler Lauretti, Andy Lieberman, Dave Macri, Charles Mallory, Patricia McIntosh, Gloria Mengual, Michelle Meyer, Mike Michaud, Priya Morgenstern, Jacob Schreiber, Tanya Penman-Sterling, David Polk, Sarah Raskin, Mike Rouette, Wanda Seldon, Jonathan Slifka, Howard Sovronsky, Rachel Sptizig, Brittany Stephenson, Nyaunu Stevens, Yvette Young

Present your ticket stub for that day or evening's performance either before or after the show and receive the discount described below. 

Please note: Cannot be combined with other offers

You must show your Playhouse on Park ticket stub for the same day performance. For more info visit: playhouseonpark.org

A.C. Petersen Farms Restaurant 240 Park Rd, West Hartford, CT (860) 233-8483 acpetersenfarms.com 15% off entire check

Artisan West Hartford 1 Memorial Rd, West Hartford, CT (860) 937-2525 artisanwesthartford.com 15% off entire check (food only)* not valid on happy hour

Americana 179 Park Rd, West Hartford, CT (860) 882-0906 www.americanawh.com 20% off entire check

Arugula 935 Farmington Ave, West Hartford, CT (860) 561-4888 arugula-bistro.com 50% off bottles of wine

Àvert Brasserie 35 Lasalle Rd, West Hartford, CT (860) 904-6240 avertbrasserie.com 15% off entire check

Beachland Tavern 1128 New Britain Ave, West Hartford, CT (860) 263-7167 beachlandtavern.com 10% off entire check

Blue Plate Kitchen 345 N. Main St, West Hartford, CT (860) 906-1419 blueplatekitchen.com 15% off entire check

Effie's Place Family Restaurant 91 Park Rd, West Hartford, CT (860) 233-9653 effiesplace.net 20% off entire check

Max's Oyster Bar 964 Farmington Ave, West Hartford, CT (860) 236-6299 maxrestaurantgroup.com/oyster 15% off entire check

Plan B Burger Bar 138 Park Rd, West Hartford, CT (860) 231-1199 burgersbeerbourbon.com/west-hartford 15% off entire check

Sally and Bob's Eatery 10 N. Main St, West Hartford, CT (860) 236-5392 sallyandbobs.com 15% off entire check

Savoy Pizzeria & Craft Bar 32 LaSalle Rd, West Hartford, CT (860) 969-1000 maxrestaurantgroup.com/savoy 15% off entire check

Smoke Public House 140 Park Rd, West Hartford, CT (860) 899-1981 smokepublichouse.com 20% off entire check

Shish Kebab House of Afghanistan 36 LaSalle Rd, West Hartford, CT (860) 231-8400 afghancuisine.net 15% off entire check

Sweet Chilli Thai Cuisine 312 Park Rd, West Hartford, CT (860) 233-7780 sweetchillithaicuisine.com 15% off entire check

Wood-N-Tap Bar & Grill 99 Sisson Ave, West Hartford, CT (860) 232-8377 woodntap.com 20% off entire check (food only)* not valid on happy hour

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COVID-19 POLICIES FOR PLAYHOUSE ON PARK & PLAYHOUSE THEATRE ACADEMY

Playhouse Theatre Group, Inc. is a fully vaccinated company. We will continue to require all employees, independent contractors, and volunteers to be vaccinated. We are committed to the safety of our staff, volunteers, creative teams and patrons. We will reevaluate this policy on a regular basis and revise as needed.

Please visit www.PlayhouseTheatreGroup.org, call 860-523-5900 x 10 or email info@PlayhouseTheatreGroup.org for up-to-date information. All policies are subject to change.

PLAYHOUSE ON PARK

Applicable for all performances and special events at Playhouse on Park. Playhouse on Park no longer requires proof of vaccination / proof of a negative Covid-19 test in order to gain entry to the theatre. Face masks will no longer be required. Masks are strongly encouraged; especially for those who are unvaccinated. Concessions have reopened. BYOB for Comedy Nights, Mama D’s and other designated events will be reinstated.

PLAYHOUSE THEATRE ACADEMY

PTA will follow the current Covid-19 policies based on the Public School system of the school districts in the town we are teaching. Hartford Public Schools and Simsbury Public Schools are currently “masks optional”. Students who do not feel well will be encouraged to stay home. Temperature checks will continue for the foreseeable future.

VENTILATION UPGRADES

Playhouse on Park has undertaken an effort to improve the quality of the indoor air inside the main theatre, rehearsal spaces, and all other associated facilities. The work has followed the Ventilation Verification requirements put forth by the Actors’ Equity Association as an effort to help ensure safety of member actors in response to the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic. The project has followed guidance from the CDC, NIH, OSHA, and other relevant authorities. Following a shared air quality (SAQ) assessment, which included a complete evaluation of the current HVAC infrastructure and the usage and flow of all spaces, areas were identified to make improvements to the quality of inhaled, or rebreathed, air. These included improvements to filtration, increased ventilation, and installation of air purification technology to deactivate and remove potentially harmful particles. These steps were followed by a reassessment of each space to help quantify and ensure the health and safety improvements that were made. The air quality work aligned with the standards developed by ASHRAE along with the EPA and NEMI, and were performed by a technician fully licenced in the State of Connecticut.

Playhouse Theatre Group, Inc. at Playhouse on Park has a mission to: 

• provide quality entertainment at affordable costs to as broad an audience as possible
• embrace and provide opportunity for professional, emerging and community artists
• offer educational and outreach opportunities through visiting and/or resident artists and educators
• create and/or explore opportunities to collaborate with other existing arts organizations
• be fiscally responsible and accountable at all times
• continue to be an integral member of the West Hartford community