Beech Creek Sponsor
Content Warning: We understand that certain types of content could trigger past traumatic experiences for some viewers. Please be aware that this production contains scenes discussing suicide and also it contains some adult language.
Fun Home
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Lyrics and Book by Lisa Kron
Based on the Graphic Novel by Alison Bechdel
We would like to begin
by acknowledging that the land
on which we gather is the unceded territory
of the Yuchi and Cherokee People.
We offer our gratitude for the land itself,
and the Indigenous people that
stewarded it for generations.
About The Play
Fun Home
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Lyrics and Book by Lisa Kron
Based on the Graphic Novel by Alison Bechdel
Originally produced on Broadway by
Fox Theatricals Barbara Whitman
Carole Shorenstein Hays
Tom Casserly Paula Marie Black Latitude Link
Terry Schnuck/Jane Lane The Forstalls
Nathan Vernon Mint Theatricals Elizabeth Armstrong
Jam Theatricals Delman Whitney
and Kristin Caskey & Mike Isaacson
The world premier production of FUN HOME was produced by The Public Theatre
Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Patrick Willingham, Executive Director
In New York City on October 22nd, 2013
CHARACTERS
Alison
Medium Alison
Smal Alison
Bruce Bechdel
Helen Bechdel
Christian Bechdel
John Bechdel
Roy
Mark
Joan
Pete
Bobby Jeremy and The Susan Deys
NOTES:
** Fun Home runs approximately 95 minutes and will be performed without an intermission.
Song List
“It All Comes Back (Opening)”
“Welcome to our House on Maple Avenue”
“Come To The Fun Home”
“Helen’s Etude”
“Party Dress”
“Changing My Major”
“Maps”
“Raincoat of Love”
“Pony Girl”
“Ring of Keys”
“Days and Days”
“Telephone Wire”
“Edges of the World”
“Flying Away (Finale)”
Cast
Alison — Laura Beth Wells**
Medium Alison — Anna Catherine Smith
Small Alison — Zoë Belle Sullivan
Bruce Bechdel — Brian Gligor**
Helen Bechdel — Katy Wolfe**
Christian Bechdel — Lillian Wells Crawford
John Bechdel — Penny Peterson
Roy/Mark/Pete/Bobby Jeremy — Robert Parker Jenkins
Joan — Emily Helton
The roles of Roy, Mark, Pepe, and Bobby Jeremy are performed by the same actor. The Susan Deys are played by the actors playing Medium Alison and Joan.
** Appearing Courtesy of Actor’s Equity Association
The Band
Conductor/Keyboard — Carol Zinavage Shane
Electric/Acoustic Bass — Ashton Williams
Percussion — Emily Shane
Violin/Viola — Rachel Szewc
Abbie Fields — Cello
Reeds/Flute — Tom Johnson
Electric/Acoustic Guitar — Adam Whipple
Creative and Production Team
Director — Jessica Holt
Production Stage Manager — Randy Lawson**
Assistant Stage Manager — Rachel Bass
Assistant Stage Manager — Sarah Wahrmund
Assistant Director/Choreographer — Meghan Nelson
Scenic Designer — Sophie Smrcka
Technical Director — Scott Baron
Lighting Designer — Jordan Vera
Sound Designer — Allison Bucher
Costumes Designer — Kyle Schellinger
Properties Designer — Rachel Winenger
Spotlight Operator — Harper Miller
Intimacy Choreographer — Amelia Peterson
Child Supervisor — Amy Zahn
Marketing Coordinator — Oslo Cole
Director of Photography — David A. Johnson
Assistant Photography — Chris Alley
House Manager — Wymon Anderson
Artistic Director and Producer — Joshua Peterson
Assoc. Artistic Director and Marketing Co-Lead — Emily Ernst
Production Assistant — Tamsin Keh
** Appearing Courtesy of Actor’s Equity Association
Show Sponsors
Season Sponsors
Set Acknowledgments
Thank you to The Knoxville Opera for generously lending us a number of Props for this beautiful show.
A Special Thanks
The Chairs at the Old City PAC were donated to River & Rail by the Angel Capital Group in memory of Sam McCamy.
Who's Who
CAST
Laura Beth "LB" Wells* (Alison)
Broadway: Emily Osborn in Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark (original cast). Regional theatre highlights: Patsy Cline in Always, Patsy Cline (CBT), Annie in In The Next Room; or The Vibrator Play (River and Rail), Christmas Present/Mrs. Fezziwig in A Christmas Carol (CBT), Heather in Gideon’s Knot (Bridge Street Theatre), Mrs. Walker in The Who’s Tommy (CT Rep), Kafka/The Waitress in All in the Timing (Hangar Theatre). Teaching Artist: UTK, Maryville College, Pellissippi State, Knoxville Children's Theatre, SF Shakespeare Festival, Hangar Theatre, Cornell University, Syracuse University, SUNY Binghamton. LB holds a BA in Theatre from UTK and an MFA in Acting from Kent State University. Love you, Tiny Family, and Sing Out, Louise!
Anna Catherine Smith (Medium Alison)
Anna Catherine Smith is honored to make her R&R debut telling this incredibly special story. Regionally: Mamma Mia! (Sophie) at the Argyle, Beauty and the Beast & The Little Mermaid (Belle/Ariel) at Timber Lake Playhouse, The Scarlet Pimpernel at the Engeman Theater, Head Over Heels (Philoclea) at the Schimmel Theater, and Sunday in the Park with George (Mrs./Dot u/s). TV/Film: Saturday Night Live! PACE MT, NYC. Huge thanks to Josh and Jessica for bringing her back to her hometown of Knoxville, TN, and always, for her family.
Zoë Belle Sullivan (Small Alison)
Zoë is beyond thrilled to make her regional theater debut as Small Alison in Fun Home at the River and Rail Theater! At home in Brooklyn, NY, Zoë has performed since the age of seven. Favorite roles include Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Tessie in Annie, Young Anna in Frozen, and Sam in the new musical Everyday Charlie for the 2023 APAP Conference in NYC (a role she originated). Watch for her on the new series Harlan Coben’s Shelter premiering on Amazon Prime Video later this year. A member of the Broadway Star Project, she has performed at Radio City Music Hall, the Cutting Room, the Triad Theater, and Don’t Tell Mama. As an avid singer-songwriter, she has written and performed her songs at various venues across NYC. Stay tuned for her new single releasing with producers Little Bird Big Sound this summer! Huge thanks to her team: the Carson-Adler Agency, Amelia DeMayo, Kurt/BKA, Coty and Eduardo/BSP, Kristen/Kidz Theater, Kristen/Brooklyn Acting Lab, Raina/Blue Balloon, Kelli Gautreau, Jody Prusan, David Hibbard, and Berkeley Carroll School. Zoë is so thankful to the Fun Home creative team for believing in her and giving her this role of a lifetime, and to this amazing cast and crew. Finally, so much love, gratitude, and thanks to Mom, Dad, Zeke, and her entire extended family. She wouldn’t be here without you. IG: @zoebellesullivan
Brian Gligor* (Bruce Bechdel)
Brian remembers the night he came out very well, in New Jersey over Thanksgiving in 1999, first to his siblings and his Mom. Thankfully it is a lovely story… His career highlights include playing Mark in National and Japan tours of RENT, as well as many regional productions from coast to coast. Brian earned his MFA at the University of Tennessee and spent several years as an Artist in Residence at the Clarence Brown Theatre, where he played leading roles in Blithe Spirit, King Charles III, Alias Grace, Three Sisters, South Pacific, The 39 Steps, Titus Andronicus, The Threepenny Opera, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Noises Off, Monty Python’s Spamalot, and A Christmas Carol. He also produced and performed the Pulitzer Prize winning one-man-show I Am My Own Wife at the Clarence Brown in 2015. His film and television credits include All My Children, Guiding Light, One Life to Live, 30 Rock and leading roles in several independent features. He is a proud member of Actors Equity and SAG-AFTRA. IG: @briangligor, www.BrianGligor.com.
Katy Wolfe* (Helen Bechdel)
Katy Wolfe has appeared extensively in this region as well as overseas as a versatile performer fluent in both opera and musical theatre. Favorite roles include Marian in Music Man, Aldonza in Man of La Mancha, Kate in Kiss me Kate, Musetta in La Bohème and the Beggarwoman in Sweeney Todd. Other highlights include the Knoxville Symphony’s Fourth of July Celebration at World’s Fair Park and the 75th Anniversary of the Smoky Mountain National Park. Katy spent the past 14 years as the voice teacher for the Department of Theatre at the University of Tennessee and as a Company Member with the Clarence Brown Theatre.
Katy is passionate about bringing her training in bel canto vocal technique together with the study of a deep connection to text to actors and singers. She continues to train an impressive roster of Broadway, Film, and TV professionals with her private Voice Studios in Knoxville and in New York City, including Tramell Tillman (Apple TV’s Severance), Conrad Ricamora (How to Get Away with Murder, Here Lies Love, King & I) and Bailey McCall (Waitress National Tour). Katy also produces several cabarets every year in NYC with her studio.
Katy holds degrees from Belmont University where she studied with Marjorie Halbert and the University of Tennessee where she studied with George Bitzas. She is a proud member of Actors Equity Association.
Lillian Wells Crawford (Christian Bechdel)
Lillian Crawford (Christian) is excited to be making their River and Rail debut with this production of Fun Home. A rising 6th grader at Vine Magnet Middle School, Lillian's previous roles include Miss Honey in Matilda at Beaumont Magnet Academy and Grace/Pink Fluffy Girl in Junie B. Jones Is Not A Crook at Oak Ridge Junior Playhouse. When not performing, Lillian enjoys music and art.
Penny Peterson (John Bechdel)
Penny Peterson is a 2nd Grader at Beaumont Magnet Academy in Knoxville. You may have seen her on stage this past Christmas at the Clarence Brown Theatre as Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol. Penny loves to read adventure books and play pretend with her friends. When she grows up she wants to be a scientist who figures out whether or not magic is real. Penny is grateful for all of the people in her life who love her and dream big with her.
Robert Parker Jenkins (Roy/Pete/Mark/Bobby Jeremy)
Previously at River & Rail Theatre: In the Next Room (Leo Irving) and The Unusual Tale…(Benjamin/Ensemble). Clarence Brown Theatre: Hair (Berger); King Charles III (Cootsey/Nick); Candide (Ensemble); Peter and the Starcatcher (Ted/Ensemble); Violet (Leroy Evans/Radio Soloist); Mr. Burns, and A Post Electric Play (Matt/Homer) among others. He holds a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Tennessee. Thanks to the cast, crew, and artistic team for their care and efforts in bringing this story to life. Love to his family, Katy & David, Cody, and Candace. Feel the fear and do it anyway!
Emily Helton (Joan)
Emily Helton earned her Bachelors in Theatre from the University of Tennessee in 2019. Currently she serves as the Academy Director at Knoxville Children's Theatre. Recent stage credits include #00 in The Wolves, Mrs. Daldry in The Vibrator Play (2021), Mary in Mary's Wedding (2019), and Mrs. Cratchit in A Christmas Carol (2018). She is looking forward to her upcoming appearance in Fun Home at River and Rail Theatre Co. She would like to thank her dogs, Dempsey and Duncan, for their unwavering support, and her partner, Kelsi, for always being up for Mexican food. emilyannhelton.com knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com
BAND
Carol Zinavage Shane (Conductor/Pianist/Co-Music Director)
As Principal Keyboardist for the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and coach/accompanist for Knoxville Opera and UT Opera Theater for over three decades, Carol Zinavage Shane has shared a piano bench with Henry Mancini, traded shtick with Martin Short, accompanied Bernadette Peters and backed up the Moody Blues. She has music-directed more musicals, cabarets and set pieces than she can count. She is thoroughly besotted with FUN HOME and is forever grateful to Katy Wolfe for bringing her on board.
Ashton Williams (Electric/Acoustic Bass)
Emily Shane (Percussion)
Rachael Szewc (Violin/Viola)
Rachael Szewc earned an M.M. in Viola Performance from Southern Illinois University and a B.M. in Music Education and Violin Performance from the University of Maine. She is passionate about collaborating with other musicians through orchestra and chamber music. Rachael regularly freelances in the Knoxville area, as well as participates with the Symphony of the Mountains and Johnson City Symphony Orchestra. In the past, she has performed in a variety of ensembles and workshops throughout the United States, including the Pierre Monteux School and Music Festival, Paducah Symphony Orchestra, and Bangor Symphony Orchestra. During her time at the University of Maine, Rachael also developed an interest in Baroque music. She attended multiple sessions of the Mainely Baroque workshops that were held in both Maine and Spongano, Italy. Rachael believes in the value of music education and the joy of sharing music with listeners and musicians of all ages. She has taught privately, coached chamber groups, and directed multiple youth orchestras. Rachael seeks to cultivate a lifelong enjoyment of music and is thrilled to join the River & Rail Theatre Company for the first time this summer.
Abbie Fields (Cello)
Abbie Fields is a teaching and performing cellist based in Knoxville, TN. She grew up in nearby Maryville, where she was first introduced to the cello in the Maryville City Schools orchestra program. She has been an active participant in the East Tennessee music scene for over 15 years, from her time as a young musician with the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra, Tennessee All State Orchestra, and University of Tennessee Symphony and Opera Orchestras to her current engagements with regional groups such as the Symphony of the Mountains (Kingsport), Johnson City Symphony Orchestra, Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, Marble City Opera, and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. In addition to performing on a regular basis, Abbie maintains a studio of private cello students. She is passionate about making lessons accessible and enjoyable to everyone, from children to retirees. Alongside her teaching and performing commitments, Abbie also works part-time at local violin shop Wilhite Strings, where she enjoys setting up new string players with a quality rental outfit, selling instruments, bows, and accessories to beginners and professionals alike, and performing repairs and setup work on violin-family instruments. Outside of music, Abbie enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time at home with her family and two dogs.
Tom Johnson (Reeds/Flute)
Tom Johnson (woodwinds) holds degrees in Studio Music and Jazz from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he studied with Jerry Coker, Bill Scarlett and Donald Brown. Johnson performed at the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville, where he worked with Bob Hope, Dinah Shore and Red Skelton, among others. After several years in South Florida playing keyboards in a trio, Johnson returned to Knoxville and began teaching, first at Knoxville College, then at Maryville College. Since 1994, he has led the jazz band and taught woodwinds and jazz piano at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville. Beginning in 1999, he has been a regular performer with the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra, which has appeared at jazz festivals in the U.S. and Europe and released four critically acclaimed CDs. Guest performers with this ensemble have included such jazz artists as Hank Jones, Monty Alexander, Eric Reed, Jimmy Heath, James Moody, Paquito D’Rivera, Ken Peplowski, Doc Severinsen, Terrell Stafford, James Morrison, Delfeayo Marsalis, Wycliffe Gordon, Regina Carter, John Pizzarelli, Bill Frisell, John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton, Herlin Riley, Maria Schneider, Cecile McLorin-Salvant, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Carmen Bradford. Johnson has performed in pit orchestras in Knoxville, Chattanooga and Kingsport for such shows as “Cabaret”, “Chicago”, “Kiss Me, Kate”, “The Threepenny Opera” and “White Christmas”. He has also performed for Knoxville Symphony pops concerts with such artists as Bernadette Peters, Johnny Mathis, Manhattan Transfer, Michael Feinstein and Natalie Cole.
Adam Whipple (Electric/Acoustic Guitar)
Adam Whipple is a songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, writer, and editor with more instruments than social skills. His poems and articles appear in places like The Rabbit Room, Blue Mountain Review, Calla Press, and Pigeon Parade Quarterly. He lives in Knoxville, in a house called The Watershed, with his wife, their four children, and a dog so big it might be a horse. In his spare time, he can be found hiking or deglazing an iron skillet with whiskey. His latest musical releases, the Basement Apartment EP and the critically-lauded The Broken Seasons, can be found at all major digital outlets.
AUTHORS
Jeanine Tesori (Music)
American musical theatre composer, arranger, pianist, and conductor Jeanine Tesori (b. 1961, known earlier in her career as Jeanine Levenson) has been thrice nominated for Tony Awards® for her Broadway scores: Twelfth Night (1998) at Lincoln Center, Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002) at the Marquis, and Caroline, or Change (2004) at the Eugene O’Neill. Her first musical, Violet, produced off-Broadway in 1997, was nominated for seven Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding New Musical and won the Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Musical, the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical, and a Special Obie Citation for Tesori’s music. In the field of film, she has composed new songs for The Emperor’s New Groove 2: Kronk’s New Groove (2005), Wrestling With Angels (the 2006 documentary about Tony Kushner), Shrek the Third (2007), and three animated Disney DVDs (Mulan II, Lilo and Stitch II, The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning). She also wrote the scores for Show Business: The Road to Broadway (2007) and Nights in Rodanthe (2008).
Lisa Kron (Lyrics and Book)
Lisa Kron has been writing and performing theater since coming to New York from Michigan in 1984. Her work has been widely produced in New York, regionally, and internationally. Her plays include the musical Fun Home, a musical written with composer Jeanine Tesori and based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel; The Ver**zon Play, which premiered 2012 Humana Festival; In The Wake which received Lortel and GLAAD Media Award nominations, was a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, named a “Best Play of 2010” by TimeOut and Backstage, and was included in the Best Plays Theater Yearbook 2010-2011; Well, which premiered at the Public Theater, was named a “Best Play of 2004” by the New York Times, the Associated Press, the Newark Star Ledger, Backstage, and the Advocate, included in the Best Plays Theater Yearbook of 2003-2004, and moved to Broadway where both she and Jayne Houdyshell received Tony nominations for their performances. 2.5 Minute Ride, which had its New York premiere at the Public Theater, received OBIE, L.A. Drama-Logue, New York Press, and GLAAD Media Awards, and continues to be performed by Lisa and others all over the world; 101 Humiliating Stories, which received a Drama Desk nomination for its PS122 premiere andwas a part of Lincoln Center’s 1993 “Serious Fun!” performance series.
Alison Bechdel (Graphic Novel)
Alison Bechdel was born September 10, 1960, in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. She grew up in Beech Creek, Pennsylvania, and attended high school where both of her parents taught English literature. After college, she began cartooning the lesbian-centered comic strips Dykes to Watch Out For. They were later compiled into a series of books with a quarter of a million copies in print. She also wrote and drew Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic (2006), a graphic memoir that encompasses her coming out story along with chronicling the perplexing relationship she had her father in response to his mysterious life. In 2012, Bechdel published another graphic memoir exploring the relationship she had with her other parent titled, Are You My Mother? A Comic Drama (2012). She has drawn comics for Slate, McSweeney's, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times Book Review, and Granta. Her work is widely translated and anthologized.
Creative & Production Team
Jessica Holt (Director)
Jessica Holt (she/her) is thrilled to make her River and Rail Theater debut directing Fun Home. Jessica’s recent projects include The Great Leap by Lauren Yee (Oklahoma City Repertory Theater), the new pop-rock musical The Code by The Kilbanes (American Conservatory Theatre), Uncovering Downtown: A Magical Expedition of Unrecorded Dreams, a devised site-specific immersive walking tour of lower Manhattan she directed and co-wrote with Mona Mansour (En Garde Arts), Ironbound by Martyna Majok (A.C.T.), The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa FastHorse, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, adapted by Kate Hamill, Fun Home by Lisa Kron & Jeanine Tesori, Venus in Fur by David Ives (Virginia Stage Company), The Resting Place by Ashlin Halfnight, Bright Half Life by Tanya Barfield, The Lily's Revenge by Taylor Mac (Magic Theatre), Speech and Debate by Stephen Karam (Barrington Stage Company), Rich Girl by Victoria Stewart (Florida Studio Theatre), The Daughters by Patricia Cotter (San Francisco Playhouse), and Ugly Lies the Bone by Lindsey Ferrentino (Alliance Theater), among others. Additionally, she has developed new work at Cape Cod Theatre Project, Santa Cruz Shakespeare, Berkeley Rep, Rivendell Theatre, NYU, Pocono Mountains Music Festival, AADA, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Sewanee Writers Conference, Cutting Ball Theater, among others. Jessica is an alumna of the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center/NNPN’s National Directors Fellowship, the Yale/Phil Kent Directing Fellowship (Alliance Theatre) and is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama (MFA, Directing). Proud member: SDC, Wingspace & Ring of Keys. www.jessicaholt.org
Randy Lawson* (Production Stage Manager)
Native Knoxvillian & UT Theater Alum, where Randy acted in and directed over 50 productions. Broadway: The Phantom of the Opera (Sub Stage Manager) Sugar Babies (Broadway Revival workshop) Million Dollar Quartet (National Tour) A Chorus Line (Ogunquit Playhouse & Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival ) Into The Woods (Fulton Opera House) A Gentleman’s Guide To Love And Murder, Into The Woods, The Sound Of Music and Mamma Mia! (CSTC) Elf: The Musical (Nashville Rep) Miss Saigon (VMT) The 39 Steps (Ivoryton Playhouse) The Drowsy Chaperone (Totem Pole) Gypsy & 1776 (Maine State Music Theater) Smokey Joe’s Cafe (Casa Mañana) De La Guarda (Off Broadway -2yrs) Singin’ In The Rain, 42nd Street, & Cabaret (Atlantic City & Miami) Jesus Christ Superstar & West Side Story (Tennessee Rep / Founding Member) Aida (Tuacahn) Catch Me If You Can (Tent Theater) Circle Rep, Williamstown Theater Festival, Goodspeed Opera House, Lincoln Center Theater, New York Theater Workshop, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Actor’s Theater of Louisville (Humana Festival) The Magic Theater (San Francisco) & The Grand Ole Opry House. Also: Script Supervisor for the The Drama Desk Awards, & Street Coordinator for The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (6yrs). Randy worked with Director Harold Prince on Flight of the Lawn Chair Man & 3hree. As an actor, Randy created the role of the “kiss of death” waiter in John Guare’s New York Actor, directed by Jerry Zaks.
Rachel Bass (Assistant Stage Manager)
Sarah Wahrmund (Assistant Stage Manager)
Sarah Wahrmund is a student at the University of Tennessee Knoxville studying Theatre with a minor in Vocal Performance. They have mainly worked with Clarence Brown Theatre, having crewed in many shows, and acted in Adaptive Radiation (Mel) and Men on Boats (O.G/Tsauwiat). This is her first show with River and Rail and her first musical since COVID. They are so grateful to have been able to work with such great professionals and is excited to see what she does with R&R next!
Meghan Nelson (Assistant Director/Choreographer)
Student at Florida State University in Theatre and Performance Research. Her research centers on the intersection between narrative storytelling performed through musical theatre dance and how dancing bodies carry and store trauma. Directing/AD/Choreographing credits include: The Last Day of Judas Iscariot, Cancel Me: A New Play by Stephen Adly Guirgis, Sweet Charity, and As You Like It (Florida State University), Bright Star (Wordplayers Theatre. Co), Every Brilliant Thing (River and Rail Theatre Co.), as well as performing as Congressmen George Read in the 2022 Broadway revival workshop of 1776 in partnership with the School at Jacob's Pillow. Teaching/dramaturgy credits include work at the Atlantic Acting Conservatory, Atlantic Acting Studio (NYU Tisch), Pipeline Theatre Co., LCT3, River and Rail Theatre Co. (Sweat), and The Parsnip Ship. Many thanks to Jessica, Josh, and this entire team of amazing artists for bringing this story to life. Much love to M^5, MJ, and Porter June.
Sophie Smrcka (Scenic Designer)
University of Denver in 2022, with B.A.s in Theatre and Communications. She is now an MFA candidate in Scenic Design at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Fun Home is Sophie's first design with River and Rail Theatre. Most recently Sophie designed Men on Boats at the Clarence Brown Theatre. More of her work can be found at @smrckadesigns on instagram.
Scott Baron (Technical Director)
Originally from Nashville, Scott Baron is a graduate of Samford University where he graduated with a B.A in theatre with a concentration in directing. He joined River and Rail for the first time as the technical director for The Little Prince, and has since joined the staff as R&R’s technical director. Some of his previous technical credits include The Little Prince, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde a devised piece, Good Christian Girls, and Vanities. He is honored and privileged to work with this cast and crew and to be a part of telling this story.
Jordan Vera (Lighting Director)
Originally from Miami, Florida, Jordan Vera resides in Knoxville after completing his MFA in Lighting Design at the University of Tennessee. He has had the opportunity to work for the Miami Summer Opera Festival, the Clarence Brown Theatre, Oak Ridge Playhouse, Contemporary American Theatre Festival, Cincinnati playhouse at the park, Flying Anvil Theatre, and North Carolina stage Co. Some of his design work includes Detroit 67 (Clarence brown theatre), I and You (Flying Anvil Theatre), Stones in his Pockets (North Carolina Stage Co.) Urine Town (Clarence brown theatre) and The Marriage of Figaro (Miami Opera Festival). To see more of Jordan’s work, please visit his online theatre portfolio www.JveraDesigns.com. Jordan is honored to work alongside a talented group of artistic collaborators at the River & Rail Theatre Company and is excited to present Fun Home.
Allison Bucher (Sound Designer/Mixer)
Allison Bucher is from New Orleans, Louisiana. In 2022 she graduated with a BFA in Theatre: Design and Technology from the University of Southern Mississippi. She is now an MFA Candidate in Sound and Digital Media Design at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Recently, she sound designed Men on Boats at the Clarence Brown Theatre. Fun Home is her first production with River and Rail Theatre. More of her work can be found at
Kyle Schellinger (Costumes Designer)
Kyle Schellinger is a draper at the Clarence Brown Theatre at the University of Tennessee where he has patterned the costumes for over 90 productions and designed the costumes for various plays such as Moonlight and Magnolias, Our Country’s Good, Outside Mullingar, and Alabama Story. His design work has been seen at Oak Ridge Playhouse (Hollywood, Nebraska) Great River Shakespeare Festival (Pericles; Macbeth; Great Expectations), Utah Shakespeare Festival (Othello; Hamlet), Actor’s Theatre of Indiana (Alabama Story), Lexington Children’s Theatre (Flat Stanley; The Little Mermaid), and Arizona Theatre Company (Titus Andronicus; How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying; Candide; Scenes from and Execution) among others. His technical work has been seen at theatres across the United States. Kyle holds a B.A in Theatre from Truman State University and an M.F.A. in Costume Design and Technology from the University of Arizona. More of his work can be found at www.kyleschellinger.com.
Rachel Winenger (Properties Designer & Production Assistant)
Rachel Winenger has been a part of 19 theatrical productions since she moved to the Knoxville area from Indiana in 2014. She’s a Pellissippi State graduate, and will be continuing her studies in theatre at the University of Tennessee in the fall. Rachel is thrilled to be working again with River and Rail. Previously she has been a part of three other River and Rail productions (Sweat, The Little Prince, and The Mountaintop). She has also participated in shows produced by the Oak Ridge Playhouse, and other local entities and schools (namely: The Sound of Music, Beauty and the Beast, and Frozen). She is incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of the amazing team for Fun Home!
Harper Miller (Spotlight Operator)
Amelia Peterson (Intimacy Coordinator)
Amelia Peterson is a Knoxville native and a graduate of Bearden High School. She earned her BFA in Theatre Studies from Southern Methodist University where she studied directing under Stan Wojewodski, Jr. (former Artistic Director of Yale Repertory Theatre). She has spent much of her career working with budding playwrights on new works. In New York, she co-directed the world premier of MORBID POETRY at the Incubator Arts Project and a folktale adaptation series LONG, LONG AGO with Firebone Theatre Company. She has also directed new works for the CalArts Arts in the One World conference (Valencia, CA), the Kennedy Center’s Page to Stage Festival (Washington, DC), and the Inkwell Theatre’s Showcase Reading Series (Washington, DC). She is a mother, a teacher, and a writer.
Amy Zahn (Child Supervisor)
Oslo Cole (Marketing Co-Coordinator)
David A Johnson (Director of Photogarphy)
David Johnson is Director of Photography for River & Rail Theatre Company. David has a degree in photojournalism from the University of Texas, and has worked in photography for more than 40 years. David loves creating photographic expressions of River & Rail’s productions which communicate the beauty and passion of theatre.
Chris Alley (Assistant Photography)
Wymon Anderson (House Manager)
Joshua Peterson (Artistic Director & Producer)
Joshua Peterson is a Texas transplant via Paris and New York but is now proud to claim Knoxville as his home. Prior to moving to Knoxville, Joshua served as the Artistic Director of Firebone Theatre Company in New York City. Joshua received his MFA in Acting from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He also holds a BA in Theatre from Oklahoma Baptist University. Between pursuing his degrees Joshua spent two years living and working for a humanitarian aid organization outside of Paris, France. He made his Knoxville acting debut in Clarence Brown Theatre's A Christmas Carol. Other Selected Regional Acting credits include Measure for Measure and Much Ado About Nothing (Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival), Barry Love in House and Garden (Theatre Three), Gail in Our Lady of 121st Street (Kitchen Dog Theatre) and Jon in Tape (Dallas Theatre Center.)
Emily Ernst (Associate Artistic Director, Marketing Co-Lead, & Producer)
Emily Ernst is a Lecoq-trained actor, director, movement director, and co-founder and Artistic Director of the Dallas-based ensemble theatre company, Fair Assembly. She served as the Associate Director of Flatwater Shakespeare Company and taught acting and directing at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Emily currently serves as the Associate Artistic Director of Teatro Dallas and teaches Advanced Acting at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. She has previously held staff positions at the Lincoln Playhouse in Nebraska, Cry Havoc Theater Company in Dallas and Theatre for a New Audience in New York City. She studied movement at L’École internationale de théâtre in Paris from 2017-2018, and received her BFA in Acting from SMU in 2008. www.fairassembly.com
Kenneth Herring (Managing Director)
Kenneth Herring grew up in Oak Ridge, TN, just 25 miles from downtown Knoxville. Kenneth holds a BA in Communications for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a Masters in Business Administration from Bethel University. Kenneth has a non-traditional theatre background, having spent the 10 years working in Information Technology sales. Kenneth is a former member of the Hammer Ensemble, which performed at Knoxville's Flying Anvil Theatre. Kenneth is passionate about content creation and creating inclusive environments. Kenneth enjoys basketball and spending time with his son, Rayne.
Tamsin Keh (Administrative Assistation & Production Assistant)
Tamsin Keh (They/She) is a University of Tennessee Knoxville graduate, with a B.A. in Theatre and a minor in Religious Studies. They have previously worked with the Clarence Brown Theatre, crewing wardrobe for both The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Murder on the Orient Express. Tamsin is very excited to be on the River & Rail Theatre Co. team, first as Operations Intern and now as Administrative Assistant and production assistant. When not engaged with theatre, Tamsin enjoys creative writing, illustration, and planning D&D sessions. They are so excited for you to see this beautiful show.
River & Rail Board of Directors
David Brown
Tyler Hays
Logan Mahan
Tommy Nguyen
Joshua Peterson
Deaver Shattuck
Katy Wolfe, President
River & Rail Staff
Founding Artistic Director — Joshua Peterson
Assoc. Artistic Director — Emily Ernst
Managing Director — Kenneth Herring
Technical Director — Scott Baron
Director of Photography — David A. Johnson
Administrative Assistant — Tamsin Keh
Operations & Marketing Intern — Rachel Winenger
Support River & Rail
When you look at the demographics of Knoxville, the people that live on the river and the people that live near the railroad experience Knoxville from vastly different perspectives. Our neighborhoods, churches, community groups, and social circles seem deeply divided along various lines. Some are the literal lines of the Tennessee River or the tracks of the railroad, and some are metaphorical, like the lines between races, religions, and ethnic groups or the cultural lines between east, west, north, and south Knoxville. The goal of River & Rail Theatre is to not just create professional theatre accessible to all Knoxvillians, but to create theatre true to the stories of Knoxville, shared collectively by those on every side of every line.
If you share this vision of Knoxville with us, if you can see it too – a packed house at the Old City Performing Arts Center, full of people who don’t look, smell, hear, see, walk, and talk the same way yet who share in the same deep, beautiful humanity; then we invite you to help us make that happen. Your contributions enable us to pay our staff, artists and team members living, professional wages; they allow us to offer pay-what-you-wish tickets, so that people can attend our performances for as little as three dollars; they cover the cost of professional lighting and sound equipment, costumes and sets, because we want to make work that holds itself to a national professional standard, that pushes the limits of what Knoxville can do. Every dollar is tax-deductible, and every penny makes a difference. Consider making your mark on this city with us.
Interested in supporting the work of River & Rail Theatre Company? Click the button below to make a one-time or recurring donation. We are so grateful for your support!
River & Rail Theatre Company is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Thank You!
This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SLFRP5534 awarded to the State of Tennessee by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
