Dear friends,

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 2025–2026 season of the Department of Theatre and Dance. Each year, our stages become places where stories take flight and foster meaningful conversations, offer moments of escape, and where movement and music bring awareness to pressing issues and new ideas. Most importantly, they are spaces where our students and faculty bring their artistry, research, and imagination to life before a live audience.

This season offers a remarkable range of productions that showcase the depth and variety of our department: from the magical journey of Into the Woods to the urgent and contemporary storytelling of Hype Man: A Break Beat Play. We continue our strong commitment to dance with the dynamic Visions in Motion concert and the student-driven innovation of A Collective in Muse. We close the season with a bold, reimagined staging of The Great Gatsby, immersing audiences in both the glamour and the disillusionment of the Jazz Age.

These productions represent the collaborative efforts of more than 100 students—actors, dancers, designers, technicians, stage managers, and creators—who bring classroom learning into a professional-caliber performance environment. Guided by our extraordinary faculty and staff, our students take risks, experiment with new ideas, and grow as both artists and individuals.

I am deeply grateful to our Dean, Associate Deans, faculty and guest artists for their vision, to the College of Fine Arts for their unwavering support, and to you—our community of patrons—for making it all possible. Theatre and dance thrive through shared experience, and your presence ensures that our students’ voices are heard.

We are thrilled to share these productions with you, and I invite you to join us in celebrating the artistry, passion, and innovation that define the Department of Theatre and Dance at the prestigious College of Fine Arts at the University of Kentucky.

With excitement and gratitude,
Susie Thiel
Chair, Department of Theatre and Dance

UK Theatre and Dance Presents

The Great Gatsby

THE GREAT GATSBY is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection. (www.dramatists.com)

ACT I 

Gatsby’s Home (Party) 

Music: “Washboard Wiggles” by Alex Menham and His Orchestra 

The Buchanan’s Living Room (East Egg) 

Music: “Keep Sweeping the Cobwebs Off the Moon” by Lee Morse 

Valley of Ashes (Garage) 

Tom & Myrtle’s Apartment (New York City) 

Music: “Creole Love Call” by Duke Ellington and “The Only Face” by The Bryan Ferry Orchestra 

Gatsby’s Home (Party) 

Music: “Tank Town Bump – Charleston” by Jelly Roll Morton and His Orchestra; “St. Louis Blues” by Jack Teagarden’s Big Eight; “Moonlight Serenade” by Glenn Miller 

Outside the Buchanan’s Home (Overlooking the Bay) 

Music: “Dream a Little Dream of Me” by Teddy Raph and His Orchestra 

Gatsby’s Lawn (Waterfront) 

Restaurant (New York City) 

Music: “I’m Goin’ Out If Lizzie Comes In” by Phil Romano and His Orchestra and “Rose Blossoms” by Tom Brier 

Nick’s Cottage (West Egg) 

Gatsby’s Home (Interior) 

Music: “This Island Earth” by The Bryan Ferry Orchestra 

Intermission (15 minutes) 

ACT II 

Gatsby’s Home (Party) 

Music: “The Charleston” by James P. Johnson and “Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue” by Ernie Golden and His Hotel McAlpin Orchestra 

The Buchanan’s Living Room (East Egg) 

Valley of Ashes (Garage) 

Plaza Hotel (New York City) 

Valley of Ashes (Garage) 

Valley of Ashes (Aftermath) 

Outside the Buchanan’s House (East Egg) 

Valley of Ashes (Garage) 

Gatsby’s Pool (On the Grounds) 

Street (New York City) 

Music: “This Island Earth” by The Bryan Ferry Orchestra 

Gatsby’s Home (Party) 

Music: “Marbles” by Alex Menham and His Orchestra and “The Charleston” by James P. Johnson

Nick Carraway
Carter Ashmun 

Jay Gatsby
Benjamin Ingram 

Daisy Buchanan
Claire Sexton 

Tom Buchanan
Wyatt Hampton 

Jordan Baker
T'chyane Douglas  

Myrtle Wilson
Emma Decker 

George Wilson
Seven Kessler

Meyer Wolfsheim/Ensemble
Luca QuinIO 

Chester / Movie Star (Understudy Gatsby/Nick)
Zander Chojnacki 

Mrs. McKee / Maid / Ensemble (Understudy Jordan) 
Carmen Tate 

Mrs. Michaelis / Ensemble (Understudy Daisy /Myrtle) 
Mallory Grimm 

Policeman / Butler/ Ensemble (Understudy Tom)
Julian Ramirez   

Ensemble
Zoe Easterberg
Jasmine Estep
Carter Ginn (Understudy for Chester / Movie Star)
Lila Medlin
Kam Warren (Understudy for George Wilson, Meyer Wolfsheim)

Understudy
Cameron Upchurch
Naavah Lopez

Director /Choreographer
Susie Thiel 

Producer
Susie Thiel 

Production Manager / Technical Director
Zak Stribling 

Set Designer
Kate Field 

Costume Designer
Angelina Ellis 

Makeup / Hair Designers
Angelina Ellis
Lisa Wilson 

Associate Set Designer
Maze Wetzel

Lighting Designer 
Eli Vann 

Sound Designer 
Ren Whitsitt 

Props Supervisor
Semajé Thorton 

Tambour Beading / Designer
Bob Haven 

Fight Choreographer
Emily Norris 

Draper
Natalie Maynard 

Costume Shop Manager
Lisa Wilson 

Tambour Beaders
Caroline Norsworthy
Chy Douglas
Max Maxwell
Seven Simpson
Lisa Wilson
Robert Haven 

Built Costume Stitchers
Max Maxwell
Chy Douglas
Lillian Tompkins
Abby Mack Smith
Zach Adkins 

Stitchers
Maddie Sinor
Jurni Woodson-Hicks 

Inventory Specialist
Andrea Richardson 

Stage Manager
Madison Cox 

Assistant Stage Managers
Jocelyn Cummings
Dylan Keaney
Cassie Speltz 

Costume Design Advisor
Lisa Wilson 

Scenic Charge Artists
Maze Wetzel
Makenna Hampton

Stage Manager Advisors
Zak Stribling
Megh Jennings-Posner 

Lighting & Sound Design Advisor
Jeremiah Kearns 

Master Electrician
Chance Sherman 

Music Editors
Ren Whitsitt
Susie Thiel 

Dramaturg
Alaysha Crowe 

House Manager 
Sarah Willoughby

Programmer & Light Board Operator
Alex Korfhage 

Sound Board Operator
Lilliana Adams 

Properties
Katherine Rollins
Audrey Clemmons

Wardrobe Crew
Naomi Daniels
Maydinel González Soto
Max Maxwell
Abby Mack Smith
Jurni Woodson-Hicks

Run Crew
Lilliana Adams
Kennedy Baldon
Trenton Duffey
Alex Korfhage
Hannah Motombo
Sage Slone
Chance Sherman
Slone Sage
Bailey Gretzner
Hannah Motombo
Trenton Duffy
Kennedy Baldon

Light crew
Sidney Allen
Stevie Collins
Carter Ginn
Mallory Grimm
Ben Haase
Mattie Johnson
Elijah Merricks
Hannah-Zoe Motumbo
Nate Neal
Riley Roswell
Roman Tate
Elizabeth Watson

Build Crew
Ahulani Bailey
Autrey Brown
Ivy Luhring
Tiffany Madden
Max Maxwell
Hersch Nathan
Nate Neal
Ginnie Pinkston
Chance Sherman
Maze Wetzel
Brennan Thompson
Ruby Varney
Naavah Lopez

Scenic Artists
Caroline Beyer
Autrey Brown
Madison Cox
Makenna Hampton
Brandon Keller
Sara Loudon
Ivy Luring
Max Maxwell
Anna Nash
Ren Whitsitt
Anniston Jenkins

Q&A following the Saturday, April 11 performance with Fitzgerald Expert, Anne Margaret Daniel, Cast, Crew, and Creative Team of The Great Gatsby.

College of Fine Arts

Office of the Vice President for Research

Donut Days

Anne Margaret Daniels

Bob Haven

Carrie Trapp

Christina Ritter

Peter Allen Stone