The Baltimore Waltz

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Content Warnings

Physical violence, explicit language, cultural stereotypes towards Europeans, ageism, sexism, and portrayals of sexual interactions

Director's Note

In 1986, my brother Carl invited me to join him in a joint excursion to Europe. Due to pressures of time and money, I declined, never dreaming that he was HIV positive. This is the letter he wrote me after his first bout with pneumonia at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He died on January 9, 1988.

As executor of his estate, I give permission to all future productions to reprint Carl's letter in the accompanying program. I would appreciate letting him speak to us in his own words. The Baltimore Waltz - a journey with Carl to a Europe that exists only in the imagination - was written during the summer of 1989 at the MacDowell Colony, New Hampshire.

- Paula Vogel

March 1987

Dear Paula:

I thought I would jot down some of my thoughts about the (shall we say) production values of my ceremony. Oh God - I can hear you groaning - everybody wants to direct. Well, I want a good show, even though my role has been reduced involuntarily from player to prop.

First, concerning the choice between a religious ceremony and a memorial service. I know the family considers my Anglican observances as irrelevant as Shinto. However, I wish prayers in some recognizably traditional form to be said, prayers that give thanks to the Creator for the gift of life and the hope of reunion. For reasons which you appreciate, I prefer a woman cleric, if possible, to lead the prayers. Here are two names: Phebe Coe, Epiphany Church; the Rev. Doris Mote, Holy Evangelists. Be sure to make a generous contribution from the estate for the cleric. 

As for the piece of me I leave behind, here are your options:

     1) Open casket, full drag. 

     2) Open casket, bum up (you'll know where to place the calla lillies, won't you?).

     3) Closed casket, interment with the grandparents.

     4) Cremation and burial of my ashes.

     5) Cremation and dispersion of my ashes in some sylvan spot. 

I would really like good music. My tastes in these matters run to the highbrow: Fauré's "Pie Jesu" from his Requiem, Gluck's  "Dance of the Blessed Spirits" from Orfeo, "La Vergine degli Angeli" from Verdi's Forza. But my favorite song is " I Dream of Jeannie", and I wouldn't mind a spiritual like "Steal Away". Also perhaps "Nearer My God to Thee". Didn't Jeannette MacDonald sing that di-vinely in San Francisco?

Finally, would you read or have read A.E. Housman's "Loveliest of Trees"?

Well, my dear, that's that. Should I be lain with Grandma and Papa Ben, do stop by for a visit from year to year. And feel free to chat. You'll find me a good listener. 

                                                                Love,

                                                                    Brother

Dramaturg's Note

Written in the early 1990s by Paula Vogel, The Baltimore Waltz gives a satirical look at the harsh realities of the AIDS epidemic for both the sick and their loved ones.  It follows the story of brother and sister Carl and Anna, and is based off of a trip to Europe that Vogel did not get the chance to take with her brother before he passed away from AIDS.  

The play dives into many of the injustices and realities of the AIDS epidemic, and in my research, I was able to find many parallels.  During the AIDS epidemic, many gay men lost their jobs, housing, and medical care.  Treatments were not developed fast enough, and when they were, clinical trials were only available at federally funded universities.  This led to the frequent exclusion of POC, women, and intravenous drug users from treatment.  The government refused to address the issue, focusing on changes of behavior instead of finding proper treatment for patients with AIDS, and by 1999, AIDS was the fourth leading cause of death globally.  AIDS and HIV exposure is still criminalized today in many states, and there was a travel ban to the United States in place against people with HIV until 2010.  

This play is also heavily inspired by the 1949 film “The Third Man”.  In the film, the main character goes to post-war Vienna to meet his friend Harry Lime who has promised him a job.  Upon his arrival, he discovers Harry Lime has been hit by a car and killed.  After a series of mysterious events, he finds that Harry Lime staged his death because he was dealing penicillin on the black market.  At first glance, selling penicillin on the black market sounds ridiculous, but it was something that was really happening in post-war Vienna.  When penicillin was first produced and was beginning to be distributed, the United States and Great Britain only gave Austria enough to treat 20 patients because of their involvement with Germany in World War II.  This led to its entry into the black market, with newspapers from the time often reporting thefts of supplies from hospitals and dilution of the drug that sometimes resulted in deaths of users.

In The Baltimore Waltz, Vogel ties all of this together in such an intricate way, combining farce with political statements to make the show that you will see today.

I hope that you enjoy the show!

Cast

Creative Team

Meet the Company

Dutch Cast

Performances: Saturday/Sunday Matinee

Stephanie Reed

Anna

Stephanie Reed [she/her] is a senior BFA Musical Theatre major from Northern Virginia. Her previous department credits include Legally Blonde (Kate, Ensemble, u/s Elle Woods), Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (Ensemble, Cello, u/s Princess Mary) and Romeo + Juliet (Balthazar). Other recent credits include Little Women (u/s Amy March) and A New Brain (Swing). Steph wants to thank her friends and family for being the most loving and supportive group of people on planet earth <3 @townhouse.eats

Phineas Goodman

Carl

Phineas Goodman is a junior BFA Acting major from Saratoga Springs, New York. His credits within the Department of Theatre and Dance include Narrator/Mysterious Man U/S in Into the Woods, and Roving Violin in Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812; and he portrayed Laurie in PAC's Little Women last spring. He is thrilled to be a part of The Baltimore Waltz and to work with such a talented team!

Fisher Sullivan

The Third Man

Fisher Sullivan is so excited to be playing “The Third Man”! He is truly honored to have been given this chance to take on such a large undertaking! Fisher was recently in the wonderful production of Legally Blonde as “Nikos” and is so excited to bring the same amount of energy into every single other character you will be seeing tonight. Fisher also couldn’t take all the credit for himself as Dan Lendzian, the cast, Brent and Michael and everyone else that’s helped with this amazing show are all influences that is what makes this show so incredible! Without further adieu sit back, relax, and enjoy The Baltimore Waltz!

French Cast

Performances: Friday/Sunday

Madilyn Bunzey

Anna

Madilyn Bunzey (she/her) is so thrilled to be #Fred-Lasting with Baltimore Waltz!! She is a Senior BFA Musical Theatre major from the Hudson Valley, NY, and she makes believe with Random Acts Improv Comedy Team. Previous PAC Credits Include: This is Our Youth (Jessica), A New Brain (Choreographer), Dolls of New Albion (Assistant Choreo). Main Stage Credits Include: Legally Blonde (Margot), The Crucible (Betty Parris), Radium Girls (Swing), The Wild Party (Nadine). Madilyn would love to thank Brent and Michael for trusting her to help tell this story, and to the beautiful Stephanie for sharing Anna with her! Much love to her friends and family for their love and support! madilynbunzey.com

Andrew Giandomenico

Carl

Andrew Giandomenico is a junior BFA Musical Theatre major from Niagara Falls, NY is super excited to be a part of this production! SUNY Fredonia credits: Legally Blonde (Dewey/Ensemble), Edges (Red Cast), Great Comet of 1812 (Ensemble/Dolokhov US), and Radium Girls (Male Swing). He would like to thank his friends and family for their endless support!

Cody Gooley

The Third Man

Cody Gooley is so incredibly excited to be in his first PAC production! Cody is a senior BFA Acting major with plans of graduating this spring after transferring to SUNY Fredonia in Spring 2023. Last semester, he was in the Walter Gloor MainStage production of The Crucible as Thomas Putnam/John Proctor US and the semester before that he was The Monster in Main Street Studios’ production of Young Frankenstein. Next semester, he will be portraying the role of Sir Toby Belch in the Main Stage production of Twelfth Night. Cody cannot wait for you to see this incredible show and all of the hard work that everyone has put into it!

Brent Hetrick

Director

Brent Hetrick feels extremely blissful to be directing this production. It is his first time directing a play, and he couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to go on this fantastical journey. From the cast, to Michael, to Ava he owes and shares a deep thanks. Nothing but love!

Michael Hamill

Assist. Director

Michael Hamill is so excited to be assistant directing The Baltimore Waltz with his fellow pookie Brent. His past Fredonia credits include; Legally Blonde (Warner), Natasha, Pierre... (Balaga, us Pierre), Edges (Man 2), Into the Woods (Cinderella's Prince/ us Wolf), The Wild Party (Ensemble). Thank you so much to the whole production team, cast, and my friends and family.

Ava Ruocco

Stage Manager

Ava Ruocco [she/her] is a senior Theatre Arts major from Columbus, Ohio. Her previous department credits include Legally Blonde (Assistant Stage Manager), Fredonia Dance Ensemble 2024 (Stage Manager), Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 (Assistant Stage Manager), and Romeo and Juliet (Assistant Stage Manager). Previous PAC credits include Hamlet (Stage Manager). Next semester, Ava will be the stage manager for the mainstage production of Twelfth Night. Ava would like to thank her friends and her family for always supporting her work.

Madison Conklin

Assist. Stage Manager/Costume Designer/Hair+Makeup Designer/Photographer

Madison Conklin [she/her] is a sophomore BFA Theatre Production and Design major with a Scenic focus, from Orange County, NY. Past SUNY Fredonia departmental credits include The Book Women (Asst. Charge Artist), Legally Blonde (ASM), Natasha, Pierre, and The Great Comet of 1812 (ASM), The Crucible (Asst. Props Supervisor), and Abigail/1702: A Twice Told Tale (Asst. Props Supervisor). Mads also worked with PAC, the student-run Performing Arts Company on campus, on The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Stage Manager).

Jessica Hillman-McCord

Intimacy Director

Dr. Jessica Hillman-McCord [She/Her] A Professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, Jessica teaches musical theatre and acting courses. An Actors' Equity Association member, she has performed professionally on tour, in regional theatres across the country, and in new musicals in NYC. She has directed and / or choreographed musicals and plays across the country including at University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Denver, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Colorado Light Opera and the Fort Salem Theatre. She has published two books and multiple journal articles. She is also an Intimacy Director, trained with Theatrical Intimacy Education, and Intimacy Directors and Coordinators (IDC), with current and upcoming credits including Jewish Repertory Theatre, Irish Classical Theatre Company and Musicalfare theatre in Buffalo.

Daniel Lendzian

Dialect Coach

Daniel Lendzian is an assistant professor at SUNY Fredonia and an Artistic Associate at Alleyway Theatre. With a MFA from The University of Texas at Austin he teaches a variety of disciplines, including acting, directing, devising, Shakespeare, playwriting and scene study. At Fredonia State University, his directing work includes Antigone, Silent Sky, The Grapes of Wrath, She Kills Monsters: Digital Realms, Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play, Radium Girls, Lear, The Crucible, and Abigail/1702. He has performed with Shakespeare in Delaware Park, Irish Classical Theater Company, Starring Buffalo, O’Connell & Company, FESTA in Florence, Italy, Parallel 45, NACL, The ZACH Theater, The Seattle Children’s Theater, The Shakespeare Theater of NJ, The Winnipesaukee Playhouse, Interlochen Shakespeare, The Weathervane Repertory Theatre and many others. At Alleyway Theatre, he directed The Folks at Home, and the world premiere of Burst, which was published by Dramatic Play Publishing. He devised Stone Soup for Farm Arts Collective, and youth musicals UGLY and Alice for Parallel 45. He created a three week devising program for Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in collaboration with The New School. He has taught at Interlochen Arts Camp, PLAY Theater, Sitka Fine Arts Camp, UT Austin, SUNY Sullivan, and Kean University. He is a member of the National Alliance of Acting Teachers and hosts Buffalo Rising's WNY Soundstage podcast.

Amelia Elmen

Dramaturg

Amelia Elmen is a senior BFA Musical Theatre major from the Albany area. This will be her third time doing dramaturgy with PAC, and she is so excited to be a part of this production! Previous dramaturgy credits include: Hamlet (PAC), Fairview (PAC), and Princess Hamlet (Circle Theatre Festival). You will also see her next semester as Viola in the Mainstage production of Twelfth Night!

Emily Youtt

Lighting Designer

Emily Youtt (she/her) is super excited to be working on this production and grateful to get to help tell this story! She is originally from Leominster, Massachusetts and is currently getting her BFA in Theatrical Production and Design with a concentration in lighting design. Her previous department credits include Head Electrician [Legally Blonde], Lighting Designer [The Book Women], and Assistant Lighting Designer [Cosi Fan Tutte]. She has also previously lighting designed for PAC (Slut: The Play and Spelling Bee) as well as worked as the Head Electrician at Cortland Rep this past summer.

Jalen Dalton

Assist. Lighting Designer

Jalen is a Sophomore Musical Theater Major from Buffalo NY. MainStage Credits Include: Edges, Legally Blonde. PAC Credits include The 25th Annual… Spelling Bee. Jalen is also a member of the campus improv team Random Acts and in Acapella groups such as The Guerrillas and Dynamic Intonation. You might be wondering why a MT is on the lighting team… Jalen just thought it would be really funny (Thank you Emily Youtt). Enjoy the show!

Ronnie Swann

Scenic Designer

Ronnie Swann is a junior BFA Theatrical Production and Design major with a Scenic focus, based in Newark, NY. Ronnie was also the scenic designer of PAC’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and holds credits for multiple SUNY Fredonia mainstages including Legally Blonde (Charge Artist), The Book Women (Props Supervisor), and Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (Asst. Charge Artist). Ronnie spent their summer as a scenic artist at Stagedoor Manor helping produce 38 shows, and is the Co-Production Manager of PAC here on campus.

Aryana Ramalhete

Sound Designer

Aryana Ramalhete is currently a freshman studying Communications with a focus on Digital Film Production and minoring in Music at SUNY Fredonia. This marks her second production with PAC, following her immersive experience as the light board operator for Fairview. She is thrilled to advance her college journey by joining this production team and feels extremely thankful for this wonderful opportunity!

Christian Baez

Technical Director

Christian Baez is very excited to work on The Baltimore Waltz, and to be working with PAC again. His previous credits being the TD for Fairview and the Lead Carpenter for Legally Blonde.

Antonio Cicci

Props Supervisor

Antonio Cicci made the props. I had a lot of fun working on this show and with this team.

Lauren Shilansky

Assist. Props Supervisor

Did you know Lauren Shilansky was on the production team? Probably not. She did very little. She loved being Cicci’s manservant and would do it again. She would like to thank the Prop Gods for trusting her. She prays to them every night and before every meal. She wants to remind you all to treasure every moment, especially moments with Cicci. Goodbye audience.

PAC Executive Board

Aidan Heaney

Executive Producer

Rhiannon Craver

Associate Executive Producer

Katie Spina

Director of Finance

Leilanis Sanchez

Company Manager

Dylan Burley

Associate Company Manager

Julia Ferrara

General Manager

Gabbi Farr

Director of Performance and Outreach

Jharrel Liam Bernardo & Ronnie Swan

Co - Production Managers

Nyles Emile

DEI Chair

Nini Rodriguez

Director of Operations

Christopher Buettner

Executive Assistant

Giulia Beaudoin

Director of Development