Cast members discuss their characters in the new musical, "Campus Chatter."

'Campus Chatter' cast

Cast of new musical 'Campus Chatter' announced by Master Players

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8:19 a.m., March 3, 2015--The University of Delaware Master Players Concert Series’ UDare Talent project has announced the cast of the edgy and fun new musical, Campus Chatter, to be staged at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, March 20 and 21, in Mitchell Hall.

The first musical theatre production professionally presented by the Master Players is part of its UDare Talent project to showcase the most talented UD performing art students, alumni and faculty in original musical productions promoting cultural understanding and exchange as well as important social issues facing young Americans. 

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Through an open audition, many UD students were selected to be part of the cast. For information and photographs, click here.

The cast members are:

Ahisha Bisram (Sarena) said she is excited to be performing in Campus Chatter. She is a UD sophomore from Bear, Delaware, who has not yet chosen her major and is hoping to be exposed to new things and get out of her comfort zone. Bisram is also a singer in the University’s Concert Choir and a member of the University of Delaware Marching Band. She said she would like to thank her friends, and especially Abena, for all the support and help with this role, and would like to thank the directors and staff for allowing her to enjoy this valuable experience.

Jamila Blake (Julissa) is a UD junior wildlife conservation major with a minor in sociology. She and her two sisters grew up in Tampa, Florida, where she attended Wharton High School. She was part of the LSA Repertory Theatre Company for four years, competing in one act competitions and performing in and working technical crew for shows including Our Town, A Christmas Carol, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, and Godspell. Here in Newark she has participated in the Campus Chatter Workshop Theatre Troupe, New Student Orientation leader staff and the Wildlife Society, and is currently an intern for the AGcelerate Enrichment Program. In her free time she enjoys volunteering for organizations such as Girl Scouts and Invisible Children, and reading and working with animals.  Blake was also in the November 2013 workshop production of Campus Chatter and notes, "I love working with this cast and crew. They all work so hard and everyone is so supportive. It is a great environment to be working on an original show, which is exciting in itself."

William René Bryant (Hunter) is a junior at UD pursuing his second bachelor’s degree in vocal performance. After missing out on theatrical opportunities early on in life, Bryant came to college eager to try his hand at musical theatre. After being cast in the spring of 2012 as Raoul in a student production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, Bryant re-evaluated many things, including his major, and that fall he auditioned to be a music major in addition to his studies in physics. After joining the Department of Music, Bryant never looked back and said he has been happier than ever. Recent roles include Schaunard in Puccini's La Bohème and Figaro and Don Alfonso in scenes from Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro and Così fan tutte, respectively. Bryant hopes to pursue both opera and musical theatre in the future.

Dennis Conner (Michael) said he is excited to participate in this new musical and feels that it is an interesting challenge to learn a musical as it is actually being written. Conner has participated in many musicals previously, but Campus Chatter is his first entirely new musical. He notes that the cast and directors have been a true joy to work with, and he hopes the audience will enjoy the show as much as he and the rest of the cast did creating and shaping it. Conner’s character Michael is generally "undeclared" about nearly everything. Conner notes, "Michael's character can speak to anyone. We have all had a time in our lives when we were unsure about our direction. He is very easy to relate to."

Heather Conrad (Chris) is a freshman communication major at UD. Some of her previous roles include Liesl in the Sound of Music, Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, Sophia in Fools, and Nancy in Oliver. Conrad has also participated in a traveling concert choir and has performed at Longwood Gardens and the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, and in various theatres in Myrtle Beach, South Caroline. Conrad plays transgender Chris and cut her beautiful long hair for the part. She notes, "The most exciting part about being asked to play Chris in Campus Chatter is knowing that these characters' stories are based on real American students' stories. Although I don't have the same exact story as Chris' I can relate, as I'm sure many others can, to his search for identity. After all, we are all just looking to feel comfortable in our own skin and maybe sing a few songs along the way."

Seraphina Cromwell (Monique) said she is very excited and grateful for the opportunity to be in this new musical. A junior English drama major at UD, she has had the opportunity to perform both on stage and in class. During her musical theatre work in high school, she appeared in the choruses of Copacabana, White Christmas, Hairspray (as Dynamite), and Anything Goes (as Purity). In the course of her college career, she has appeared in two Harrington Theatre Arts Company musicals, Little Shop of Horrors as Chiffon and Legally Blonde as Sorority Girl/Judge.

Abena Dapaah (Aneka/Burka Girl/Greek Female/Bullied Female) is a junior and three-language major at UD, studying Japanese, Spanish and Chinese, and a theatrre performance minor. This native of Ghana has previously starred in numerous musical productions including Bye-Bye Birdie, Sweet Charity, The Wizard of Oz and Annie. She appeared in E-52's production of Measure for Measure. Dapaah is also a singer in the UD concert choir and a member of the UD Marching Band. When she is not performing on stage or singing her heart out, Dapaah can be found playing the guitar, drawing, or taking a quiet walk. She notes, "Being in the show is an exciting and exhilarating experience. It reminds me to be more socially conscious and reflective of my experiences as well as those of others."

Rebecca Jackson (Erin) said she is thrilled to be playing the role of Erin in Campus Chatter. Her summer stock credits include Cinderella in Into the Woods, Cosette in Les Miserables and Poopsie in The Pajama Game. In 2013, she was crowned Miss Delaware and performed a one-woman musical in schools across the state. As Miss Delaware, she appeared on Extra, ABC's Miss America and Delmarva Life and sang at the Colgate Games, Governor’s Day, University of Delaware's Holiday Pops, and Delaware Chamber of Commerce. Her opera credits include Musetta in La Bohème, Nanetta in Falstaff, and Nella in Gianni Schicchi. She is looking for forward to continuing her musical career as a professional singer and said she is keeping her heart and spirit open for all opportunities to come.

Christopher Jentzsch (Jeremy/Walking Man/RA/Mark/Freshman Male/Male Lover) is a UD freshman vocal performance major. He is involved in many on-campus music organizations such as the UD Chorale and Vocal Point. Jentzsch plans to continue his education well past the undergraduate level in order to eventually teach music at the college level. He was involved in the Maryland All-State Choir all four years of high school and participated in the National Association for Music Education All-National Choir his senior year. He also participated in the solo and ensemble competition every year, receiving superior ratings at the state level. Previously Jentzsch was involved in musicals including A Funny Thing that Happened on the Way to the Forum and The Music Man with the Rising Sun High School music department. He said he is very excited to be a part of Campus Chatter.

Mari Ma (Peter) is a junior entertainment and arts management major at Drexel University. In the past, he was part of Drexel Co-op Theatre Company’s Apple Tree and Kiss Me Kate. Recently, he was involved as a cellist in Blood Wedding, a Philadelphia Artists’ Collective residency with Drexel, and as an actor on AE$OP (“Tohd/Fido”), Drexel’s third student-produced show in the Fringe Festival. Outside of theatre, Ma is also involved in chamber choir and a cappella, 8toTheBar. He said he is thrilled to be a part of this wonderful new musical and is honored for the opportunity to work with all the talented artists in Delaware. He said he greatly appreciates everyone who has supported him throughout his college career.

Bethany Joy Miller (Casey) has a bachelor of arts degree in theatre from Messiah College and studied voice for the actor and stage combat at Temple University. Her local credits include Priest/Soul Girl/Ensemble in Jesus Christ Superstar (Wilmington Drama League), Clown No. 2 in The 39 Steps (Chapel Street Players), and Princess Anna in The Frozen Experience (Jump on Over). Additional acting credits include Emily Webb in Our Town, Celia in As You Like It, Marianne in The Miser, Lady Lucille in Once Upon a Mattress, and Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof. Miller plays Casey, who is actually the cyberbully of the show. She noted a scene in the second act of Campus Chatter in which Peter, an international student from China, tells Chris, a transgender student, that in Chinese the words for "he" and "she" are pronounced the same. Peter tells his Chinese friends about Chris, saying, "it's not about he or she ... it's just about Chris." Miller said, “And that's what I love about this show ... While it brings to light the issues that we deal with in our society, it emphasizes our shared humanity. Because it's not about disembodied social issues, it's about Peter and Chris and Casey and Hunter and ... you and me.”

Ethan Udovich (Justin) is a UD freshman majoring in applied music-voice with a minor in theatre performance. He is a member of the UD Chorale and Vocal Point. A native of Delaware, Udovich has been involved in theatre since the third grade. His past theatrical experiences have included shows such as Hairspray, as Zoser in Elton John’s Aida and as Javert in Les Miserables. He has also been cast in UD Opera Theatre’s production of Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio, where he will be playing the role of Pedrillo. Udovich said he would like to thank his parents, brother, friends, past and current directors and teachers, and his fellow cast members for all of their support. He added a thank you to the Campus Chatter production team for all of their hard work and collaboration.

Tickets

To order advance tickets or discounted subscription series by mail, download the ticket order form or visit the Master Players website. To order by phone, call 302-831-2204.

Tickets for all Master Players events are $25 for adults; $20 for senior adults, alumni, faculty and staff; and $10 for students with ID.

Starting this season, online purchase for tickets and pre-paid parking vouchers is available to all.

Also, $5 student rush tickets will also be sold 30 minutes prior to the concert as a special offer from Master Players.

About Campus Chatter

Pursuing a degree in higher education continues to be a rite of passage to adulthood for many Americans. But, as the college population has risen since the 1970s, and the times have changed from beanies and separate dorms with curfews to campus violence and more diversity than ever faced before, the realities of today’s college life have inspired a team of talented local artisans, according to UD’s Xiang Gao, Trustees Distinguished Professor of Music and producing artistic director. 

Based on interviews with college students conducted in 2012-13, Scott F. Mason, senior associate director with University Student Centers and an award-winning local playwright, has created 12 characters facing challenges common to all 21st-century college students.

They include an over-achieving African American on a predominantly white campus, a drug-dependent and competitive student leader with a dark secret, a transgender man/student, an international student struggling with American idioms, a Christian-raised young woman with a Muslim father questioning her faith, a closeted gay football player coping with intolerance, and others dealing with the harsh challenges of campus shootings, cyberbullying, bystanders, alcohol and generally just “fitting in” while establishing ones own “identity.” 

In 15 songs by Gao, an internationally-celebrated musician and 2014 Governor’s Award recipient, and Joyce Hill Stoner, Off-Broadway and New York Fringe lyricist, the students sing songs such as the Rotten Roommate Rap, discuss “PLDs” (poor life decisions) and dance to a Bollywood number Strange American Way.

The musical, presented by the University’s Master Players Concert Series, though provocative and thought-provoking, is also fun and funny and leaves the audience to debate its own perceptions, misperceptions and judgments, Gao said.

The cast consists of college students and community members with direction by Brian M. Touchette, musical direction by Marji Eldreth and choreography by Jody Anderson, who has danced with the Alvin Ailey company.

Set design is by Qi Wei, who co-designed the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, and William Browning, designer for UD’s Resident Ensemble Players (REP), and light design is by Steve Litterst. Also, Broadway veteran Larry Raiken contributed additional material to the script.

One of the goals of the artistic team, after the full-length version opens in March, is to reimagine and produce a shorter version of the show that could tour high schools and colleges to help spread important messages about contemporary life for young adults entering a challenging and complex society, Gao said.

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