A Baltimore premiere production, 13 Dead Husbands tells the fanciful story of

Dee-Dee, “the most beautiful woman in the world,” and the men who come

from far and wide to woo and wed her, only to end up dead under mysterious

circumstances. As friends Marcel and Jean Pierre compete for her hand, they

ask: if one of them should marry her, will they live to enjoy it? Told with charming

humor and a surreal and fantastic design, 13 Dead Husbands champions the

simplicity of love, and the joy of possibility.

“Do you ever worry that people will realize that we are just saying

things that we want to do?”

Those were the fearful words spoken to me by my partner in

crime, Alicia Stanley, one night in the parking lot after an early

rehearsal of Coriolanus. We had just received a very positive write

-up in the Baltimore Sun, an amazing review of our Season

Launch Party by The Bad Oracle, and had a request pending for

a second interview with The Baltimore Guide. All of this before

we’d put on one single show, or made good on any of the hopes

for our company we’d so foolishly written into press releases. “All

the time,” I said.

There’s no reason for you to be here tonight. We aren’t masters of

our craft, or heavy-weights in artistic and non-profit circles. This

play isn’t even new. It’s over 400 years old; in fact, you should

have read it by now. The fact that you are here, though, speaks

to what we think is achievable in Baltimore as artists. The fact that

with less than six months of planning we could go from two

people with a vision to a company with a physical presence in

this community, a production under our belts, and a season to

look forward to is nothing short of astounding. To no one more

than us.

We could have given up so many times in just that six months if

not for the support of our friends, family, and especially the artistic

community of Baltimore. Thank you for your belief in our ideas,

and your willingness to come on this adventure with us. We are

grateful that you’ve taken the things that we said we wanted to

do, and helped us make them a reality that lives and breathes on

the stage.

Welcome to Cohesion Theatre Company’s Inaugural Season.

Brad Norris

A Baltimore premiere production. Deb and John are married. Deb

and John are strangers. Deb saves John's life on a mountain. John

blinds Deb on the Serengeti. John works at an office. John works at

a different office. Deb is a doctor, or an exterminator. The Pillow

Book is a journey through the real, the imagined, the absurd, and

the parallel. Told with a cast of three, The Pillow Book examines the

life in and around one couple’s past, present, and the possibilities

that could have been.

The Pillow Book By Anna Moench

Coriolanus is a strange and complex play. It

is a war story, a political thriller, and a family

drama at the same time. It is both very

public, as there are only two moments in

the entire script where a character is alone on stage for any stretch of

time; and very intimate, showing us a noble family conversing familiarly

and affectionately in prose. When the play opens, there is no character

named Coriolanus, and whether this character becomes hero or villain is

ultimately up to each audience member’s discretion. I was attracted to

this play precisely for these complexities, for the sympathy I inevitably

feel with the title character, and for the questions I find myself asking

when I think about Coriolanus.

The action takes place at the very beginning of Roman democracy; in

the first scene, we see the first ever appointment of tribunes, who speak

for the common people in the Senate. As events unfold, I often find

myself asking: Is democracy a good form of government? Is it true that

all men are created equal? Does Coriolanus believe he is superior due to

arrogance, or is he simply correct? Democracy and equality are our

highest principles, and we ask ourselves these questions infrequently.

They are necessary to ask, however, to reach a deeper understanding of

the world we have built for ourselves.

Historically, democracy has not been a successful form of government.

In 1831, French historian Alexis de Tocqueville came to America to

investigate why it had been successful here, and compiled his

observations in the volume Democracy in America. He writes of our

beliefs: “The nearer men are to a common level of uniformity, the less are

they inclined to believe blindly in any man or any class. But they are

readier to trust the mass, and public opinion becomes more and more

mistress of the world...For they think it not unreasonable that, all having

the same means of knowledge, truth will be found on the side of the

majority.” Public opinion plays an important and disastrous role in the

action of this play.

Shakespeare is careful, I think, not to show democracy to be good or

bad, or even for Coriolanus to be good or bad, in this play. And I don’t

think it’s worth condemning either. I love this play because it forces me

to ask those questions about the nature of government and the city, and

because I can’t help but sympathize with our title character. I hope this

production inspires you to think deeply about these questions, and most

of all, I hope you enjoy the performance. Welcome to Cohesion Theatre

Company!

Alicia Stanley

The play opens on a riot: the

citizens of Rome are in uproar and

on their way to the Capitol due to

a corn shortage. They believe the

ruling class has plenty of corn that is not being fairly distributed.

Menenius, a Senator, calms the riot, but then Caius Martius, a Roman

general, enters and berates the citizens. Another segment of the

mob was quieted by the appointment of five tribunes, who will speak

for the people in the Senate. News comes that the Volscians, led by

Martius’ old enemy Aufidius, are moving toward Rome, and Martius

prepares for battle; the new tribunes worry that Martius will not allow

their power to continue, as he hates the common people.

Martius goes to war alongside Cominius and Titus Lartius, where he

enters the city of Corioles alone and still returns triumphant, covered

in the blood of others. He fights his nemesis Aufidius and wins, though

Aufidius lives. For his deeds, Martius is named Coriolanus after the city

Corioles. They return to Rome, where Cominius publicly praises

Coriolanus and the Senate passes him for Consul, an executive

Roman office.

In order to become Consul, Coriolanus must stand in the gown of

humility and beg the common people’s voices. He does so

begrudgingly and is passed by the people; the tribunes then

convince the people not to pass him, and a brawl ensues between

the people and Coriolanus wherein the tribunes sentence him to

death. Coriolanus returns home at the urging of Menenius, where he

is calmed by his mother Volumnia and convinced to apologize to

the people and tribunes. He attempts to do so but is angered again,

and the tribunes pronounce his banishment. He leaves the city, to

the dismay of his mother, wife, and friends.

Coriolanus then goes to the home of his old enemy Aufidius and re-

quests that Aufidius either kill him then and there, or lead an attack

against Rome with him. In Rome, Cominius and Menenius hear the

news and blame the tribunes. Cominius goes to ask Coriolanus not to

attack, but he refuses; Menenius then goes, and is again refused.

Finally, Coriolanus’ mother, wife, and friend go to persuade him, and

he chooses to abandon the attack on Rome, instead forging a

peace treaty between the Romans and Volscians. This is

unforgivable to Aufidius, who was already plotting Coriolanus’

downfall, and he kills Coriolanus back in the Volscian city of Corioles.

Alicia Stanley Founding Artistic Producer

Brad Norris Founding Artistic Producer

is presented with the generous support from

413 S. Conkling Street owners, Dr. Ahsan Khan and Conkling LLC

By William Shakespeare

Directed by Alicia Stanley

Stage Manager: Sandra Welty

Setting: Rome, Corioles, and Antium

Caius Martius Coriolanus………...…………Dave La Salle

Tullus Aufidius………………….……………Matt Ancarrow

Menenius Agrippa…………………………….....Sean Coe

Cominius…………………...………………..Frank Mancino

Titus Lartius…………………….………………...Jessica Kim

Volumnia……………………………………..Nancy Linden

Virgilia…………………………..……………..Kelsey Painter

Valeria…………………….…………………...Lauren Engler

Sicinius Velutus…………………..………Theresa Buechler

Junius Brutus…………..……………………….Sean James

Roman & Volscian Citizens & Soldiers:

Lauren Engler

Bobby Henneberg

Jessica Kim

Kelsey Painter

Robby Rose

Chris Uehlinger

Phil Vannoorbeeck

Director………………………...………….Alicia Stanley

Stage Manager……………………………..Sandra Welty

Technical Director/Assistant Director………..Brad Norris

Scenic Designer………………………………Casey Dutt

Lighting Designer……………………………Lana Riggins

Costume Designer/Asst. Stage Manager..Heather Johnston

Music Director………………………….Kathleen Stanley

Co-Fight Choreographer…...………………....Jamie Jager

Co-Fight Choreographer……………..…......Kelsey Painter

Fight Captain…………………………..Bobby Henneberg

Dr. Ahsan Khan, Amanda Smitt, Kari Snyder, Kristina Wil-

liams, The Southeast CDC, The Highlandtown Arts and En-

tertainment District, Abbott Memorial Presbyterian Church,

Pastor Paul Warren, Julius Fischer, Samantha Kuczynski, Jen-

nifer Stearns, Bevin Miyake, Matthew Payne, FilipCenter

Stage, Marcia Norris, and everyone who has gotten us this

far.

August 27, 1935 – September 21, 2014

Founding member of The Second City & longtime Chair of

The Theatre Department at Columbia College Chicago.

Dedicated writer, director, teacher, and friend.

Cohesion Theatre Company wouldn’t exist without you.

Matthew Ancarrow (Tullus Aufidius) is ecstatic to join Cohesion Theatre

Company's inaugural season. As a member of Chesapeake

Shakespeare Company's Ensemble, he has recently appeared in

Dracula (Renfield), As You Like It (Oliver), A Midsummer Night’s Dream

(Snug), Taming of the Shrew (Tranio), among others. Matthew has also

performed with the Cumberland Theatre, the National Theatre for

Children, Lexington Children's Theatre and numerous others. Love to

Rachel and his family, and thank you for supporting live theatre!

www.matthewancarrow.weebly.com

Theresa Buechler (Sicinius) is proud to be a part of Cohesion Theatre

Company’s premiere season. She was last seen in A Midsummer Night’s

Dream, the inaugural show of Chesapeake Shakespeare Company’s

downtown theater. Other recent credits include: Flying V Fights: Love is a

Battlefield, the 1st DC One Minute Play Festival, and the 65th tour of Olney

Theatre Center’s National Players, performing Macbeth, The Odyssey,

and The Comedy of Errors. Theresa has a BA in Theatre, University of

Maryland. www.theresabuechler.com

Sean Coe (Menenius) has performed with various theatre companies in

the DC-Baltimore area. Previous roles include: Sam in Porch with Peters

Alley, Peter Peters in The Politician with Capital Fringe Festival, Ty Green

in All This Intimacy with Arts Alive, and Mountain in Requiem for a

Heavyweight with Heritage-O'Neill. In 2015, he will play France in a new

film version of King Lear to be directed by Alexander Barnett. He resides

in Baltimore and is very pleased to be part of Cohesion Theatre

Company's inaugural production.

Lauren Engler (Valeria) has most recently performed as Hippolyta in A

Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Chesapeake Shakespeare

Company. She has also just finished Stage Managing CSC’s production

of Richard II. Lauren graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in

Performance Theater from High Point University where she performed in

Urinetown, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Kiss Me Kate, Our Town and Picnic.

Bobby Henneberg (Ensemble, Fight Captain) is ecstatic to be a part of

Cohesion’s inaugural show. Other recent roles include Flute in A

Midsummer Night’s Dream with Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

and Lawrence in Southern Crisis at Howard Community College. Thanks

to everyone at Cohesion for making this amazing show.

Sean James (Junius Brutus) is very excited to be in the inaugural

production of the Cohesion Theatre Company. He was previously seen

on stage as the villainous Don John is the Baltimore Shakespeare

Factory’s production of Much Ado About Nothing, and supercharged

hulk zombie “The Dozer” in the inaugural zombie-themed interactive

production, DC Dead. Sean will soon be seen on-camera in the highly

anticipated superhero web series, The B League. When not performing,

Sean thoroughly enjoys hanging out with friends, going to the movies

and FINALLY clearing up his DVR! He would like to thank his “Team

James” family and all his friends for their love and support.

Jessica Kim (Titus Lartius/Ensemble) is super stoked to be in the inaugural

production of Cohesion Theatre Company as both the obviously

muscular and intimidating Titus Lartius and the classic ensemble

characters. She has previously been seen in performances at the

University of Baltimore and Stevenson University theatres, as well as short

films and movies that will be released in the upcoming year. An avid

improv enthusiast with Charm City Comedy Project and a member of

the Murder Mystery Company, when Jess is not acting, she works

incognito doing science research for the army and exploring the

wilderness.

Dave LaSalle (Coriolanus) is thrilled to be in Cohesion's inaugural

production. He regularly appears onstage as a member of the Baltimore

Improv Group, and in the annual improvised play, Unscripted. Dave has

performed in improv festivals in Chicago, New York City, Washington

D.C., Providence, and Austin. When not onstage, Dave teaches at the

Jemicy School and is the proud father of two wonderful kids and two

neurotic cats. He lives in Baltimore with his fiancée, Kelly Lloyd. Dave

dedicates this performance with love and gratitude to the memory of his

mother, Paula LaSalle.

Nancy Linden (Volumnia) has appeared in Agnes of God at Spotlighters

Theatre, Warren and The Laramie Project at UB, She Stoops to Conquer

at Mobtown Players, The Cocktail Hour at Bowie Playhouse, The Mai at

the Strand Theatre, several film projects and background for VEEP and

House of Cards. She also makes art and serves as second mate on a

square-rigged ship. She and her husband are recently back from two

years sailing throughout Europe and the Caribbean.

Frank Mancino (Cominius) is both playwright and actor, and has

performed in a number of Shakespeare and classical plays in the DC/

Baltimore area. His favorite roles have been as Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth

Night, and Sparkish in The Country Wife. As part of DC Fringe, he

originates and runs his own shows at (http://www.shoestringtheatre.org).

To learn more, go to: http://mancino.org.

Kelsey Painter (Virgilia/Ensemble/Co-fight choreographer) is pleased to

be working with Cohesion Theatre Company on their inaugural

production. A company member at Chesapeake Shakespeare

Company, previous productions include the 2014 and 2011 productions

of A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Merchant of Venice, and Our Town.

Glitter squats. Kelsey has also worked locally with Pumpkin Theatre, Live

Action Theatre, Stillpointe Theatre Initiative, Pallas Theatre, Venus

Theatre, and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Co. She holds a bachelors

degree from Towson University's Theatre Department.

Robby Rose (Ensemble) is excited to be working with Cohesion on this

project. His most recent acting credits include Richard II, A Midsummer

Night's Dream, and Dracula, all with the Chesapeake Shakespeare

Company where he also works as a teaching artist, and The Diary of

Anne Frank and Let's Murder Marsha with the Johns Hopkins Applied

Physics Lab.

Chris Uehlinger (Ensemble) is excited to be returning to the stage for the

first time since getting home from teaching in Thailand! Coriolanus has

been an awesome experience, and he is honored to be in Cohesion

Theatre's debut production. Chris also plays various roles for the Baltimore

troupe of the Murder Mystery Company. He'd like to thank his family,

friends and castmates for making this a great show!

Phil Vannoorbeeck (Ensemble) is happy to join Cohesion Theatre in their

inaugural production. Previous works in the area include Brad Majors in

The Rocky Horror Show, Abraham in Eve's Big Fat Family Reunion, The

Stewart in Into the Woods, Sid Phillips in Singing in the Rain, and James

Monroe Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. Phil is an alumnus of the

University of Maryland Baltimore County where he studied Theatre and

Ancient Studies. This production marks Phil's one year anniversary of

working as an actor in Maryland, after previous working as a tour

manager in New Jersey. Love and thank you to Samantha, who he has

not seen much due to rehearsals.

Alicia Stanley (Founding Artistic Producer/Director) is the Founding

Artistic Producer of Cohesion Theatre Company. She has worked as an

actor, director, and house manager at Chesapeake Shakespeare

Company. At St. John’s College in Annapolis, she directed

Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus (2011) and Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and

Guildenstern Are Dead (2013). Most recently, she assistant directed

Marlowe’s Edward II at Spotlighters Theatre. She is very grateful to the

cast and crew of Coriolanus for working so hard to make Cohesion’s

inaugural production a success. Brad Norris (Founding Artistic Producer/Technical Director/Assistant

Director) graduated from Columbia College in Chicago with a BA in

Theatre with a focus in Directing. He worked as a freelance Director,

Actor, Lighting Designer, and Technician in the Chicago Theatre and

Dance Community for nearly a decade before moving to Baltimore in

2009. Brad is a company member at the Jewish Theatre Workshop,

where he served as Artistic Director from 2012-2014. Brad has directed

several productions in the Chicago and Baltimore areas. Most recently

he worked with Jonas David Grey and Alicia Stanley on a new

adaptation of Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II at Spotlighter’s Theater. It

was during this production that the idea to create Cohesion Theatre

Company was formed. He thanks Gideon, Isaac, and Suzannah Norris for

making every day worth living.

Cassandra Dutt (Set Designer) is thrilled to be designing for Cohesion af-

ter working with Brad and Alicia on their recent production of Edward II.

A Pennsylvania native and recent Lehigh University grad, Cassandra

spends her days working as a structural engineer with the McLaren Engi-

neering Group. At Lehigh, she scenic designed productions of Knowing

Cairo and The Laramie Project. Cassandra is currently appearing as Izzy

in the Baltimore premiere of Seminar at the Fells Point Corner Theater.

She would like to thank her family and friends for their continued support

and the insanely talented production team for helping to make her cra-

zy ideas a reality!

Jamie Jager (Co-Fight Choreographer)James Jager (Co-Fight Choreog-

rapher) is an Advanced Actor Combatant with the Society of American

Fight Directors, and the Resident Fight Captain, Lead Teaching Artist,

and a Resident Company Member of the Chesapeake Shakespeare

Company. James has been the fight choreographer for many theaters in

the area and was the fight consultant on the Helen Hayes Award win-

ning Three Musketeers at Synetic Theater.

Heather Johnston (Costume Designer/Assistant Stage Manager) is ecstat-

ic to be a part of the Cohesion Theatre production of Coriolanus. Her

previous theater experience includes Lady Kent in Edward II at Spotlight-

ers Theatre. Heather spends her days corrupting the youth of tomorrow

as a high school English teacher, and spends her evenings sewing cos-

tumes. She is appreciative of Jonas and Alicia’s belief in her, and their

continued work for her in the theater community. She is forever grateful

for the love and support from her husband Steve, and children Anna

and Olivia.

Lana Riggins (Lighting Designer) is excited to be working with the fabu-

lous people at Cohesion. She has performed various lighting-related roles

with several Baltimore-area theatres including Rep Stage, Single Carrot

Theatre, the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, and Towson Universi-

ty. Lana has a degree in Theatre Design and Production from Towson

University. Lana would like to thank Mrs. Tobiason, Mr. Gross, and her par-

ents.

Sandra Welty (Stage Manager) is thrilled to join Cohesion Theatre in their

inaugural production. She stage managed Edward II at Spotlighters The-

atre in the spring. As a member of the Resident Technical and Design

Company at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, she has worked be-

hind the scenes on many productions. Her favorites have been A Mid-

summer Night’s Dream and Dracula.

In-Kind Supporters:

Baltimore Threadquarters

Chara Bauer

Center Stage

The Charmery

Chesapeake Shakespeare

Company

Di Pasquale’s Italian Marketplace

Everyman Theatre

Hoehn’s Bakery

The Interrobang Theatre

Company

Iron Crow Theatre Company

Luigi’s Italian Deli

Matthew’s Pizza

Sotto Sopra

Warehouse 518

Union Craft Brewing

Organisms $1000+

Craig & Kathleen Stanley

Atoms $200+

Michael James

Marcia Norris

Aladrian Wetzel

John Wright

Neutrons $100+

Dan & Jessica Cassin

James Jager

Michal Johnson

Heather Johnston

Thomas Sinn

Michael Sullivan

Protons $50+

Alan & Diana Bauer

Robert Connors

Cassandra Dutt

Elizabeth Floyd

Jesse Hellman

Katherine & Joshua McKerrow

Matthew Payne

Amanda Smit-Peters

Gavin Witt

Electrons $20+

Bethany Arnold

Rachel Bennick

Deborah Best

Sarah Bichsel

Connor Callahan

Daniel Douek

Lauren Engler

Dustin Gable

Jeffrey Gangwisch

Turner Gillespie

Robert & Julie Harlan

Sam Hayder

Sean James

William Kamberger

Jessica Kim

Yelena Kostakis

Ashley Kowalski

Lindsay Litwin

Caitlin Magness

Tyler Mains

Katherine Marmion

Michele Massa

Arielle Medford

Cassandra Miller

Molly Moores

Lana Riggins

Carolyn Shayte

Jessica Strasser

Jean Suh

Christopher Uehlinger

Julianna Watson

Naomi Weber

Ross Weber

Sandra Welty

If you would like to make a

donation to support Cohesion, see

our staff at the box office, or visit:

www.cohesiontheatre.org/support

The following two productions will be holding their

auditions together in Mid-December, with rehearsals

to begin for 13 Dead Husbands in Mid-January. For

information about audition dates and times visit

www.cohesiontheatre.org or contact Brad Norris at

Brad@cohesiontheatre.org

A Baltimore premiere production, 13 Dead Husbands tells the

fanciful story of Dee-Dee, “the most beautiful woman in the

world,” and the men who come from far and wide to woo and

wed her, only to end up dead under mysterious circumstances.

As friends Marcel and Jean Pierre compete for her hand, they

ask: if one of them should marry her, will they live to enjoy it? Told

with charming humor and a surreal and fantastic design, 13

Dead Husbands champions the simplicity of love, and the joy of

possibility.

A Baltimore premiere production. Deb and John are married.

Deb and John are strangers. Deb saves John's life on a mountain.

John blinds Deb on the Serengeti. John works at an office. John

works at a different office. Deb is a doctor, or an exterminator.

The Pillow Book is a journey through the real, the imagined, the

absurd, and the parallel. Told with a cast of three, The Pillow Book

examines the life in and around one couple’s past, present, and

the possibilities that could have been.