I said a while ago that I was taking a break. Well, this is the main reason why!! I was cast in my first lead as Christine Penmark in Bad Seed. It’s been such a journey and process for me, but tonight is opening night and I think we have a show to be proud of!! I would like to invite all of you out to Wheaton Drama to see it.
Adapted by Maxwell Anderson from the novel by William March, Bad Seed takes place in a small southern town in the late spring of 1955. The Penmarks appear to be the perfect family. Gracious Christine is loving wife to handsome Kenneth and is a devoted mother to sweet Rhoda. Neighbors Monica and Emory are charmed by the family, but others have concerns about Rhoda. Could this delightful little girl have a darker side?
The Bad Seed cast is: Anthony Berg of Addison as Emory Wages; Marea Berkley Clement of Aurora as Mrs. Daigle; Pat Daly of Naperville as Mr. Daigle; Cesar Gonzales of Glendale Heights as Kenneth Penmark; Rod Kelly of Lombard as Reginald Tasker; Hannah Klose of Naperville as Rhoda Penmark; Kristin K. Morris of Chicago as Monica Breedlove; Jennifer Myers of Glen Ellyn as Miss Fern; Amy Royle of Downers Grove as Christine Penmark; Jack Smith of Bloomingdale as Leroy; Jim Van de Velde of Villa Park as Richard Bravo.
Jeni Dees (South Elgin) is directing, assisted by Jo-Ann Ledger (Bolingbrook). Ben Aylesworth (Bolingbrook) is the production manager and master carpenter. Bruce Ebner (Batavia) is the stage manager, and Amy Johnson (Lombard) is the assistant stage manager.
Additional production staff include: Tracy L. Adams (properties); Dave Amato (sound design); Ken Beach (production photography); Traci A. Cidlik (graphic design); Jeni Dees (hair and make-up); Mary Engle and Berni Raymond (set decoration); Craig Gustafson (Starboard design); Susan Hajny (costume design); Melissa Heischberg (website); Jo-Ann Ledger (publicity); Steven Merkel (publicity photography and gun wrangler); Rebecca Poole (tickets); Kate Quan (programme); Steve Schroeder (front of house); Jim Van de Velde (lighting design).
For full crew lists, special acknowledgements and ticket information, please visit the Bad Seed page at http://www.wheatondrama.org.
Performances of Bad Seed are January 27 through February 19. Shows are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 3pm. Tickets are $13 each for Thursdays, $16 each Fridays – Sundays. Bad Seed is licensed by Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
