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.