*denotes TATL ensemble member
Prelude to a Kiss
Cast
Peter……..Eric James Norman
Rita………….……Zoe Maroko
Old Man…………..Kingsley Day
Rita’s Dad/Tom….Scott Cupper
Rita’s Mom/Lea….Laura Sturm
Taylor…..Pages Reed-Alexander
Aunt Dorothy…Beverly Munro
Production Staff
Director……………………..……..….Tony Lawry*
Stage Manager.……………………….Chiron Finn
Sound Design…………………....Hayley Chisholm
Set Design…………………..…….….Stina Taylor*
Lighting Design…………………..………Ellie Fey
Intimacy Coordinator………………Liv McDaniel
Zoe Maroko- Rita Originally from New Jersey, Zoe is a current student at Northwestern University, studying Musical Theatre and neuroscience. Previous credits include Daisy in Gatsby - An American Musical , Kate Monster in Avenue Q, Ophelia in By Any Other Name (American Music Theatre Project), Helga/(u/s) Fraulein Kost in Cabaret, and Ark Adventures. Zoe also serves as Artistic Director of Seesaw Theatre at Northwestern University, a group dedicated to creating accessible theater for autistic and otherwise disabled audiences, and is a 2024-2025 Fulbright Arts Scholar to Brazil.
Eric James Norman (he/him)-Peter Eric is proud to be making his professional acting debut at Theatre Above the Law. Eric recently finished The ACADEMY at Blackbox Acting and is a graduate from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a BFA in Acting. His recent credits include Pshitter!, Hunchback of Seville, The Crucible (UIC Theatre); This Is Our Youth (Self-Produced). Eric is thankful for his friends and family who have supported him along the way, as well as the support of the cast and crew of Prelude to a Kiss.
Kingsley Day-Old Man Kingsley was most recently seen as Dr. Dreyfuss in Blank Theatre’s Promises, Promises. His other onstage credits include Terry in Casa Valentina for Pride Arts, Scrooge in A Christmas Carol for Metropolis Performing Arts, Sir Harcourt in London Assurance and other roles for City Lit, Emperor Joseph II in Amadeus for Porchlight, Senator Barney in Pinafore! for Bailiwick, and productions with Folks Operetta, Theatre Wit, and Light Opera Works. Kingsley has played the patter baritone lead in all 14 Gilbert & Sullivan operettas with the Savoyaires, where he directed the last four productions, most recently The Gondoliers. His stage works include the comedy Tour de Farce (Apollo), the musicals Aztec Human Sacrifice (City Lit) and Summer Stock Murder (Drury Lane Oakbrook), and the one-act musical Text Me, which premiered at City Lit in March. Kingsley’s reconstruction of Chopin’s posthumous F Minor Mazurka is published by Hal Leonard’s Schirmer Performance Editions, and his biographical novel Music’s Guiding Hand is published by Mentoris.
Scott Cupper-Rita’s Dad/Tom It’s been a minute. The last time Scott was onstage was in 2019 as President Sanders in Trump In Space. Prior to that, he was a company member of Strange Tree Group and an itinerant actor in Chicago’s storefront theaters. Highlights with Strange Tree include Private Crippen in The Three Faces of Dr. Crippen in both the Jeff Award-nominated Steppenwolf Garage and NY Fringe Fest productions; and Player 4 in Shakespeare’s King Phycus, winner of 2011 Non-Equity Jeff Award - Ensemble. Other roles with Strange Tree include Prince Adam in The Dead Prince, Dr. Robert Elliott in Funeral Wedding (The Alvin Play), Semyon Semyonovich in Goodbye Cruel World, Mr. Clock in The Dastardly Ficus, Capt. Mandy/Cristoff in The Mysterious Elephant, and Mr. Spacky in Mr. Spacky, the Man Who Was Continuously Followed by Wolves. Other roles include John Merrick in Elephant Man, the premiere production of DOA, Lucien P. Smith in The Boys Next Door, Arthur Roeder in Radium Girls, Eel of the Deep in Rogue 8: Issues 1-3, and a Giftista in The Gift. Scott would like to thank Tracy for agreeing to take Bruce on his evening walks so he could join this production.
Laura Sturm-Rita’s Mom/Lea Laura Sturm received her MFA from Northern Illinois University and has been working professionally in the Chicago area for over 20 years. She has taught acting, movement for actors, period styles and audition skills since 2001 at various professional training studios in Chicago including Act One Studios and The Actors’ Center. She currently teaches at Columbia College Chicago and has taught at several colleges in the area including NIU, North Central College, Governors State University and Oakton Community College. Laura is a company member with Organic Theater where she appeared in the last three seasons (before the pandemic), including playing Marie Antoinette in Lauren Gunderson’s The Revolutionists and the title role in Emilie, as well as directing the Jeff Award Nominated 2019 production of Sarah Ruhl’s Melancholy Play and the world premiere of Barbara Lhota’s Phantom Pain in 2017. Over the years, Laura has worked with such Chicago theaters as New Colony, Mary-Arrchie, Remy Bumppo, Victory Gardens, Boho, Stage Left, Northlight, Raven, Signal, Promethean, Bailiwick and she also spent a summer with the Texas Shakespeare Festival. She has been seen on the Chicago stage as Emma in Stupid Fucking Bird, Blanche in Streetcar, Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Gertrude in Hamlet, Ana in The Clean House, and Mrs. Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer, to name a few roles. Other directing credits include I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change for Quest Theatre Ensemble, Sheridan’s 18th century romp, The Rivals, the world-premieres of the zoo musical Tuxedo Love and the sci-fi existential comedy Ephemera. Laura also serves as a private acting and movement coach, as well as an intimacy choreographer. Her voice/movement work is primarily based on the work of Williamson/Laban/Lessac, and she also teaches Period Styles, which incorporates text work on heightened language with movement from other time periods. Laura specializes in the Meisner Technique of Acting, but also teaches non-Meisner classes such as Scene Study and Audition Skills. More information about classes and private coaching at www.laurasturm.com.
Pages Reed-Alexander-Taylor Pages is studying acting at Northwestern University, familiar in both Meisner and Suzuki techniques. As a working actor, he has performed in several prior productions including When the Stoop Breaks and Obama-ology at Northwestern University as STUCO and Open House productions. As a creative, Pages bounces between several artistic interests and pursuits including voice-acting, radio DJing and e-sports commentary. Within voice-over, Pages intends to enter the fields of animation, video games and commercial to bring characters to life. In the context of acting, he wishes to pursue both screen and stage opportunities. Pages is happy to have other folks observe and be a part of his journey both as a creative and actor.
Beverly Munro she/her-Aunt Dorothy Beverly’s select theater credits are: The October Storm, U/S (Raven Theater); Eb & Belle (Theatre Above the Law); West Loop Paradise (NYC Workshop Theater, and McKay Arts Theatre); The Holiday Radio Show (Three Cat Productions); Punk Grandpa, (DavJasFran Productions) Purlie and Ain't Misbehavin (Fleetwood Jourdain Theatre). Recent film and video credits are for the docu-drama At Home in Evanston, and animated Mr. AI. After a degree in Theater from Northwestern University and further dance training at Chicago dance schools, she was an original member of The Najwa Dance Corps, and performed with The Earth Theater (Edinburgh Fringe Festival). “Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
Chiron Finn-Stage Manager (They/Them) Chi is a stage manager and actor originally from MI. This is their first production at Theatre Above the Law, and first foray into professional Chicago theater in general! They had previously worked as a stage manager for Kaleidoscope (Devised piece) directed by Lucky Stiff at DePaul University. And was assistant director for The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet directed by John Klak back in their hometown in Michigan. As for acting, Notable roles include Wayne Hopkins in Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic, and Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls. Their proudest work was their role in Nice Work if You Can Get It as Cookie McGee, for which they were awarded The Sutton Foster's Ovation Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Stina Taylor - Set Design (she/her) Stina is a scenic and lighting designer, technical director, and stage manager in Chicago. Recent credits include scenic design for What the Weird Sisters Saw (Idle Muse), technical direction for The Hatmaker's Wife (Theatre EVOLVE) scenic and lighting design for Grimm, scenic design for The Importance of Being Earnest, and stage management and scenic design for Cry it Out at Theatre Above the Law, where she is an ensemble member. She has been proud to take part in other productions in Chicago, such as technical direction for Marie Antoinette and the Magical Negroes (The Story Theatre), scenic design for The Last Queen of Camelot and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Idle Muse Theater Company). She holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts and Psychology from Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, MI.
Tony Lawry - Director (he/him) Tony has enjoyed every directing opportunity with Theatre Above the Law. He is very excited to bring this story to the TATL stage. He has been waiting a long time to do so. The Summer between his freshman and sophomore year of high school is when he discovered Prelude to a Kiss and it changed the trajectory of his future. Tony has also directed for Red Ink Productions, Mudlark Theater and Piccolo Theatre in the Chicago area, as well as several Detroit area theatre companies before moving to Chicago in 2002. Including Romantic Comedy by Bernard Slade that won him the P.A.G.E. Award for directing a non-musical. Tony performs for the stage and screen as well and is represented by Stewart Talent. Apologies to Olivia for missing all the bedtimes and thanks to Barb for doing all the bedtimes.
Ellie Fey - Lighting Design (she/her) Ellie is a lighting designer and electrician. She recently graduated from The Theatre School at DePaul University with a BFA in lighting design. Ellie is excited to be returning to Theatre Above the Law after designing End Days earlier this season. Ellie was recently nominated for a Non-Equity Jeff Award for her lighting design for Witch at The Artistic Home. In the coming months, she will be designing Fizz and Ginger at The Chicago Fringe Opera, Mean Girls at the Actors Training Center, and will be the master electrician for The Singularity Play at Jackalope Theatre. You can check out her portfolio at www.elliemfeydesigns.com.
Hayley Chisholm - Sound Design (she/they) Hayley is a Lighting Designer and Sound Engineer from Providence, RI. They are a Junior at Northwestern University studying Theatre and Computer Science, along with a minor in Art and modules in Theatrical Design and Theatre Management. This is their second show with TATL, having also worked on End Days. Most recently, she has worked as an Electrician/Programmer at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, and the Sound Designer/Engineer for The 81st Annual Dolphin Show presents: Kinky Boots. They are focused on the elevation of new and resonant stories through technical design, and on the intersection of rapidly advancing technology and storytelling.
Liv McDaniel (she/they) Intimacy Coordinator Liv is a Chicago-based theatre artist and loved working with this wonderful group of people for Prelude to a Kiss! Previous theatre credits include GRIMM (Theatre Above the Law - Stage Manager/Fight Coordinator), GREETINGS by: Zack Peercy, A Piece of my Heart (Director - One-Act Play). Special thanks to Liv’s friends, family and their amazing partner!
Directors Note: This play is what inspired the art of theatre in me and the desire to pursue it. Part of what did that was the idea brought in the story of what do we fall in love with? What are we attracted to? The shell or the meat inside. This is why this production is an empty shell with no props, minimal costumes and limited scenery on a bare, open stage. Let YOU, the audience, dine on the sustenance inside this story. I hope you enjoy this special permitted version of this script given to Theatre Above the Law by Craig Lucas himself.
Special Thanks: River Run Press, Tyler Core, the TATL board and ensemble, Kelly Cassidy, The casts closets, Mother Hubbard, Ward 49 staff, Haley Peters, Idle Muse Theater Company, Taiwani Property Management, The Saints, Meg Ryan and YOU, the audience!
MASKS ARE ENCOURAGED WHILE IN OUR INTIMATE SPACE.