Oedipus |
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Sophocles |
Ian Johnston |
Julia Ferrara |
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Sivan Adler Christopher Buettner |
Dylan Burley Natalia Kam |
Sayge Oquendo Erik Schwab |
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CONTENT WARNINGS
Graphic Descriptions of Gore and Suicide, Depictions of Gore and Suicide via puppetry, Mentions of Incest, Descriptions of Murder, Mentions of Child Abuse, Blood
Director's Note
Fate is a very fickle thing. Earlier this year in Dr. Nestor Bravo Goldsmith’s Script Analysis class, we were assigned to create concepts for a production of Oedipus the King. Never did I imagine that about 7 months later, the concept I created would be staged, featuring the work of 20 of my incredibly dedicated and talented peers. My concept revolves around the inevitability of Oedipus’ fate and how little control he really has over it. Oedipus, despite how he feels about it, is merely a puppet of the gods, of Apollo specifically, who is mentioned repeatedly by the Thebans as they try to solve this ancient Grecian murder mystery. Throughout the show we can see Oedipus being pulled around by Apollo as he learns more and more the truth of his birth and who he really is, and as Oedipus’ story concludes, we also get to see Apollo relinquish the power to puppeteer Oedipus as he has now fulfilled his fate. As the production process of Oedipus comes to a close with three shows this weekend, I feel that I too have fulfilled my fate (despite the many months of indecision about whether I really wanted to commit to pitching this show for the PAC season). I am beyond proud and feel endlessly blessed to have been able to work with the talented, dedicated, devoted artists I have shared this project with for the past month. To produce a show of this caliber in approximately 25 days was no small feat, and to my actors, designers, and the PAC board, I thank you for working with me always and never once letting me down. Audience, I hope you enjoy spending some time with us in the Thebes we have built a community in this past month, and can walk away from this experience with a lasting awareness of what role fate plays in your own lives.
“Fate, a fickle mistress whose sense of justice is exceeded only by her sense of humor.”
- Teresa Medeiros
Dramaturg's Note
The name “Oedipus” (Oidipous) is translated as “swollen foot”, a constant reminder of the moment he was left to die on a mountainside, his ankles pierced and bound together. Infanticide meant to prevent the fulfillment of a horrible prophecy – that this child would one day kill his father and marry his mother.
But prophecies in Greek tragedy are not so easily avoided.
Athenian audiences were already familiar with the story of Oedipus when Sophocles premiered his play around 429 BCE. The power of the tragedy did not lie in what happened, but in how it happened—how such a brilliant and determined man could stumble blindly into his fate while doing everything in his power to outrun it.
Oedipus was not a passive victim of destiny. He was the savior and ruler of Thebes, solved the Sphinx’s riddle, and was determined to get answers by any means necessary. Now his intellect turns inward as he tries to solve the riddle of his own identity to save his people from this plague consuming Thebes. With each question he draws closer to a truth too devastating to bear: that he is the source of the plague consuming his city—that in his ignorance, in all the information kept from him by the people in his life, in his unwillingness to see the truth that stood in front of him, he had unknowingly fulfilled this prophecy in his attempt to escape it.
This is a play of paradoxes: sight and blindness, knowledge and ignorance, power and helplessness. Teiresias, the blind prophet, sees the truth. Oedipus, whose name evokes injury to the feet, is symbolically hobbled by his past. Even as he moves toward knowledge, he is trapped by what he doesn’t want to see. When Oedipus is finally able to see the truth of his tale, it is too much for him and he takes his own eyesight. In detailing his journey and eventual unravelling, Sophocles asks: what does it mean to know oneself? And at what cost?
In watching Oedipus, we are tasked with recognizing that we, too, are made by forces we do not fully comprehend—our histories, our choices, our wounds, and the questions we dare to ask. It asks us to see what others may conceal from us and challenges the audience to question how far they are willing to go for the truth.
We live in a world where information is manipulated, forced to conform to established narratives. We are living in an era where misinformation and disinformation are spread easily and at times, purposely. Do not allow yourself to live in ignorance. Ask questions. Demand answers. Refrain from sitting passively in feelings of helplessness. Live in truth. It may hurt at times. It is often uncomfortable, but it is better to live truthfully than to die ignorant.
Cast
Creative Team
Julia Ferrara
Emily LoPorto
Valeria Ortiz
Bri Thiel
Casper Clester
Colton Baum
Vanessa Newbold
Matthew Kenyon
Fletcher Dickmann
Oakley Pero
Leiana Van Schaffel
Sim Smith
Mads Conklin
Meet the Company
Ryan Okun
Ryan Okun (he/him) is a Senior BFA Acting major with a Dance minor from Buffalo, New York! Previous Credits include: Richmond in Shakespeare in Delaware's Park's production of Richard lll. SUNY Fredonia Credits include: Jimbo (Fairview), John Brown (Abigail 1702), Francis Nurse (The Crucible), and The Minister (A New Brain). Ryan is so thankful for this opportunity! He would like to thank his family and friends for all their support. He would like to dedicate the show to Leslie Okun. Ryan wishes the cast and crew to break a leg!!!
Sivan Adler
Sivan Adler (she/her) is a Senior BFA Acting major. Up next, she will be playing Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit. She would like to thank the entire cast and creative team for this experience.
Sydney La Salle
Sydney (she/they) is a Junior BFA Acting and BA Psychology major. She is super excited to be making her PAC debut in this production! She is forever grateful for this opportunity and the wonderful cast and crew she has had the pleasure of working with. She’d like to thank the friends and family who have always supported and uplifted her. Big shoutout to Mom and Seth! (P.S. - Everything happens for a reason.)
Christopher Buettner
Christopher Buettner (he/him) is a junior musical theatre major who is extremely excited to be performing again with PAC. He has performed with PAC before in “Lord of the Flies” (Henry, Good Ralph U/S, Simon U/S, Fight Captain) and “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” (Actor/Divisor). He has performed here in MainStage productions such as “Legally Blonde” (Swing), Fredonia Dance Ensemble 2025 (Dancer), and will be in “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged” (Man 1). Along with his performing at Fredonia he has also performed professional in productions of “Cabaret” (Victor, Emcee U/S, Cliff U/S) and “American Idiot” (Joshua/Favorite Son) with Broadway Upstate, as well as performing in a number of shows at Six Flags Great Escape (Peter Pan, Billy the Goat, Greaser). Along with performing, Chris is also a trained intimacy choreographer and serves as the director of finance for PAC. He would like to thank his friends, family, and as always, Jocelyn, for always supporting his dreams.
Tali Kam
Tali Kam (she/her) is a Sophomore B.F.A. Acting and B.A. History Major from Westchester, New York. She is overjoyed to be working with the marvelous cast and crew of Oedipus. Previous roles include: Piggy (Lord of the Flies), Mercutio (Romeo & Juliet), & Pontius Pilate (Jesus Christ Superstar). Later this semester, Tali will be making her mainstage debut in Shakespeare Abridged. In the spring, she will be directing Uncle Vanya through PAC. When offstage, she can be spotted drinking absurdly large iced teas, taking photos, or meandering about campus. She would like to give a huge thank you to the cast and crew of Oedipus and send her love and thanks to her wonderful friends and family. For Mom, Dad, and Eddie, our family is anything but a Greek tragedy!!
Dylan Burley
Dylan Burley (they/them) is so excited to be PAC’s production of Oedipus! Dylan is a senior Musical Theatre major at SUNY Fredonia with credits including Legally Blonde (Ensemble), The Crucible (Giles Corey), and Natasha, Pierre… of 1812 (Swing). Credits outside Fredonia include RENT (Ensemble) at Blackfriars Theatre and Little Shop of Horrors (Orin) with Geneva Theatre Guild. They have also worked in student films both with Alumni from Fredonia (Love’s a Wash, Death’s a Toast) and Florida Southern University (Bewitched, The Heist, Sandisk_027). Dylan would like to thank the team and cast for putting their all into this show and their friends and family for their support. @dylanjburley
Ava Heffron
Ava Heffron (she/her) is a Junior BFA Acting major who is SO excited to be performing in "Oedipus"! This is her first time acting in a PAC production and she couldn't be more grateful for this opportunity. Her previous credits at Fredonia include Malvolio's Understudy (Twelfth Night), Young Cora (The Knitting Club), Assistant Stage Manager (Fairview), Stage Manager (Art of Choosing), and you most likely recognize her as the current Stage Manager of the Random Acts Improv Team! Ava would like to deeply thank her friends, family, and everyone who has supported and believed in her. She would like to dedicate this performance to Gary Robinson. Look twice and save a life. <3
Sayge Oquendo
Sayge (they/them) is a senior Theatre Arts and Music Industry double major. They have recently made his MainStage debut as the Queen of Hearts in Alicia's Lens, Swing in Duality of man, and is now apart of the Oedipus cast as Chorus 2. Sayge can’t wait for audiences to see this amazing production!
Erik Schwab
Erik is a Senior Theatre Arts student. This is his second PAC show, he previously appearing in Duality of Man, directed by Elijah Smalls. He’s “super excited to be working with everyone!”
Julia Ferrara
Julia (she/her) is beyond proud to present her directorial debut, and the work of her incredible cast and team, in Sophocles’ Oedipus! Julia is a senior BFA Acting major with minors in Music and Dance from LI, NY. She is the Executive Producer of the Performing Arts Collaborative and has worked on previous PAC productions as the Assistant Director/Fight Captain for Company, Marmee in Little Women, and the Assistant Stage Manager for SLUT: The Play. Outside of PAC, she is also President of her beloved acapella group, Dynamic Intonation, as well as a member of STEPS and APO. She sincerely thanks her team and her actors who have worked tirelessly to bring to life her wildest dreams for this show in just 1 month (!); their drive and dedication have made this show what it is, and she would be nowhere without each and every one of them. Julia feels such a depth of gratitude for the peers and faculty who have guided and supported her through her time at Fredonia. She never imagined she would be a director, but much like Oedipus, her fate unfolded exactly the way it was meant to.
Emily LoPorto
Emily (she/her) is thrilled to be making her directorial debut with PAC'S Oedipus! She would like to thank her endlessly supportive family, friends, Gagi, and Gabriel. She hopes you enjoy the show.
Valeria Ortiz
Valeria Ortiz (she/her) is a second year Theatre Arts major. Her previous PAC credit includes Assistant Stage Manager in Company. She is also the general manager of PAC. She is excited for this show and wants to thank all of the cast and crew for this experience. She hopes everyone enjoys the show! <3
Bri Thiel
This is Bri's (he/him) first time Assistant managing a show but they've had experience in the past working backstage and performing on stage. Eventually he hopes to direct a show of his own and maybe even run his own theater company.
Casper Clester
Casper Clester (they/he) is a sophomore Theatrical Production and Design major. Previous PAC credits include Props Supervisor and Assistant Stage Manager for Company, they are currently Assistant Charge Artist for The Lightning Thief, and they have worked on paint crew for five other shows on campus. Love that I get to work with this team, and super proud of everybody for pulling it off!
Colton Baum
Colton Baum (he/him) is a Senior BFA Theatrical Production & Design major at SUNY Fredonia. He is incredibly excited to be the Lighting Designer for Oedipus! He is originally from Syracuse, NY.
Vanessa Newbold
Vanessa Newbold (they/she) is a junior BFA Theatrical Production and Design major from Massachusetts. Previous credits include Lighting Designer (Company), Assistant Props Supervisor (The Book Women), and Lighting Designer (Fredonia Dance Ensemble).
Matthew Kenyon
Matthew (he/him) is a Junior violist Music Composition and Music Education double major. This is my first collaboration with PAC.
Fletcher Dickmann
Fletcher (he/him) is a BA Theatre Arts major and Creative Writing minor. He is very excited to bring his love of props and puppets to campus for the first time after a busy summer serving as prop supervisor, elephant puppeteer, and stage manager for Theatre444’s production of Big Fish. Previous PAC credits include Laugh Sign/Mack u/s in Fairview and assistant stage manager of Duality of Man, as well as writing and directing the upcoming world premiere of Stormboy. (Feb. 20-22! Come see it!) He would like to thank Julia for offering him this opportunity, and his friends, family, and incredible partner Olivia for all their support.
Oakley Pero
Oakley (they/them) is a sophomore BA theatre major and this is their first PAC show! They would like to thank everyone on the team for this opportunity!
Leiana Van Schaffel
Lei (they/them) is so excited to be working on their first-ever PAC show here at Fredonia! They are a sophomore BA Theatre Arts student pursuing a minor in Film Studies. Lei has had the opportunity to design the hair and makeup for shows at their high school and for other local theaters in the Rochester area. Some favorite past productions include Shrek The Musical (2024), Finding Nemo (2024), and The 39 Steps (2023). Lei would like to thank their family and friends for all of their love and support!
Sim Smith
Sim Smith (she/he/they) is a Sophomore BFA Musical Theatre major from Mount Vernon, NY. He is thrilled to join the production team of a PAC show for the first time. Her previous credits at Fredonia include PAC's Lord of the Flies (Bill, Bad Ralph/Roger swing) and Fredonia Dance Ensemble (Dancer). She will also be in the 2025 Merrins Fall Chamber Concert in November. She'd like to thank her friends and family for their unwavering support as well as the cast and crew for their energy and effort in bringing this incredible production to life.
Mads Conklin
Mads Conklin (she/her) is a junior BFA Theatrical Production and Design major with a Scenic focus, from Orange County, NY. Her previous PAC credits include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (SM and Props Supervisor), The Baltimore Waltz (Costume Design, ASM), and The Lord of the Flies (Props Supervisor and Photography/Videography). Also shameless plug, follow mads_c_photography on Instagram for headshots.
Executive Board
Executive Producer: Julia Ferrara (she/her)
Associate Executive Producer: Jharrel Liam Bernardo (he/they)
Director of Finance: Chris Buettner (he/him)
Executive Assistant of Finance: Giulia Beaudoin (she/her)
Company Manager: Dylan Burley (they/them)
Assistant Company Manager: Byron Ramos Maldonado (he/they)
General Manager: Valeria Ortiz (she/her)
Director of Performance and Outreach: Gabbi Farr (they/she/he)
DEI Chair: Sunny Custer (she/her)
Co-Production Manager: Casper Clester (they/he)
Co-Production Manager: Carder Pawlak (he/him)
Director of Operations: Nini Rodriguez (she/her)
Faculty Advisor: Czerton Lim (he/him)
