The Mighty Maisie

Mighty Maisie Cast

Production Team

Director's Note

When I first was approached to direct this original piece, I was thrilled for two reasons. Firstly that I was returning back to Buffalo stage wearing my director’s (after gaining some dust!) and, secondly, to take on this wonderful original script. 
 

I have not been disappointed. 
 

The Mighty Maisie is one of those stories that has a fair share of highs and lows. The process of bringing Bella’s words to life has been an enthralling journey throughout the process all the way to opening night, and I do not regret my choice in taking this on. 
 

I hope you enjoy the story as much as I do. It’s a story of hope in the face of struggles we all can relate to. This “hope” is to rise above these obstacles and elevate ourselves to a better place. Our spaceships are our own spirit to overcome life’s difficulties. Maisie’s message is one of optimism in a modern world of the mundane and negativity. 
 

Working with this cast was a complete joy and I thank them and the wonderful production team for all their efforts. I also want to thank Matt & ART/WNY for taking on this wonderful script and bringing it to the company’s stage. 
 

Please enjoy The Mighty Maisie.

- Kelli Natale, Director 

Word from the Playwright

The Mighty Maisie is a story for anyone who has ever felt unheard, who has told their truth only to be doubted, or who has struggled to find where they belong. I think we all feel that way at one point or another in our lives, so this story, in many ways, is a universal one.

While much of my work exists in heightened, otherworldly settings, Maisie’s world is our world (though not without a generous dose of strangeness.) Science fiction has always been a way to question reality, to push the boundaries of what we think we know, and maybe—just maybe—expand what we believe is possible. In Act 1, Maisie asks Penny, "Remember when you were a kid? And you believed everything? Santa and the Tooth Fairy and monsters who would come eat you if you looked at your closet door the wrong way?" This play seeks to rekindle that childhood wonder—the joy of believing in the weird, the wild, and the wonderful.

I’m so grateful to ART/WNY, Mathew LaChiusa, Kelli Bocock Natale, and this fantastic cast for bringing The Mighty Maisie to life. Thank you for being here, and I hope you enjoy the journey. 

—Bella Poynton

Meet the Company

Marie Hasselback-Costa

Maisie

Marie has worked on and back stage in WNY for almost 30 years, but never gets sick of the magic of theatre. Thank you for joining us as we explore the ways that truth and belief overlap and challenge each other and themselves.

Maryna Sophia

Penny

Maryna is very excited to play Penny in The Mighty Maisie show with ART. Maryna has been very active in the WNY theatre community these past few years. Most recently she has been in Theatre in Hamlin park’s production of A Wrinkle in Time as Mother/Aunt Beast, The Brazen-faced Varlets production of Hamlet as Ophelia, Bellissima's productions of Rent, as well as Heather in Bellissima's production of American Idiot. Among many other shows.

Mariangela Mercurio

June Rizzo

Mariangela is a director, stage manager and performer from Buffalo, NY. Her last performing credit was Cousin Hebe in Opera-Lytes production of HMS Pinafore. While she has been able to be behind the scenes at ART as the stage manager (Shylock, When Worlds Collide, The Informer) or as a director (Mercy Seat, London Calling) this is the first time she will be performing on the ART Stage. Mariangela also owns her own theatrical events and event planning company called Mercurie Studios.

Emily Yancey

Zanna

Emily is stoked to originate a role again in another locally written world premiere! Artie recognitions include: THE…WATSON INTELLIGENCE (Eliza) RLTP: Nominee – Outstanding Leading Actress, Play; DISASTER! (Sister Downy) MusicalFare: Winner – Outstanding Musical Ensemble & Nominee – Outstanding Featured Role Performance; 1776 (Rutledge) OCC: Winner – Outstanding Musical Ensemble & Nominee – Outstanding Supporting Actress, Musical; KILLER RACK (Betty Downer, World Premiere) Alleyway: Nominee – Outstanding Leading Actress, Musical; FACTORY FOR MURDERERS (Kate/Perlman, World Premiere) Alleyway: Nominee – Outstanding Supporting Actress, Play. Emily also performed the title-role in the PBS-televised opera SUSANNAH, produced by WNED & Buffalo Opera Unlimited. Next: CHESS (Florence) Lancaster Opera House, 3/28-4/13. BA Vocal Performance, BS Biology/Psychology, Canisius University. www.eyancey.com. 93/93.

Anthony J. Grande

Briggs

Anthony makes his debut at ART. He last appeared in The A.I. at Delphi (Calos), which is another play by Dr. Bella Poynton, and is glad to work with her again. Recent roles include Rehearsal for Murder (Frank), Cops and Friends of Cops (Paul), Entertaining Mr. Sloane (Sloane), Angels in America (Louis), and Significant Other (Will/Tony). Anthony is “The Actor’s Tailor” and Owner of 2NY Video, a video production company that promotes actors in Western NY.

Scott Gattie

Dave the Mailman

Scott Gattie is thrilled to be working once again with ART of WNY. His stage debut was in “When Worlds Collide” in 2023 singing Christmas Carols and wearing a few different hats. Since then, he has worked backstage on various productions in the area for the Lancaster Opera House (“Airness”), Aurora Players (“A Wrinkle in Time”) and Bellissima Productions (“Bonnie & Clyde”). Be sure to catch him here on stage next month too, in “The Informer”! He would like to thank the great local theatre community that has welcomed him in, his wonderful friends and family, and you. Thank you for supporting local arts.

Andrew Zuccari

Rizzo

This marks Andrew's fourth ART/WNY production

Kelli Bocock-Natale

Director

Kelli Bocock-Natale has directed at various theatres in the WNY area for over 30 years. She is happy to return to the American Repertory Theatre Company, having previously directed Sam Shephard’s FOOL FOR LOVE several seasons ago. Directing credits include JACQUE BREL for the Irish Classical Theatre Company, for which she received the Artie Award for Best Direction of a Musical. For the New Phoenix Theatre Company she directed OF MICE AND MEN (Artie nominated for best direction of a play and Artie winner for best production of a play), MACBETH, PETER PAN (Artie nominated for best direction of a play), FOOL FOR LOVE (Artie nominated for best direction of a play) Blackbird, and many others. As a Buffalo United Artists (BUA) company member, she directed BUA’s production of CONFESSIONS, for which she was honored with Best Director at the 2004 National Gay and Lesbian Conference. Other BUA productions include Shakespeare's ROMEO AND JULIET, recipient of the Artie Award for Best Direction of a Play, plus AVOW, FACING EAST, THE TRICKY PART, GODSPELL, and A MY NAME IS ALICE, for which she received the Artie Award for Best Director of a Musical.

Bella Poynton

Playwright

Bella Poynton is a playwright, director, dramaturg, and theatre historian. She has had more than 40 productions of her plays locally and nationally. Poynton’s plays are published with Samuel French, Broadway Play Publishing, Applause Publishing, and Smith & Kraus. Her scholarly work has been published in Comparative Drama, Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, Global Performance Studies, and Theatre/Practice, among others. Other publications have appeared in Clockhouse, JellyBucket, and Fleas on the Dog. Poynton is senior co-chair of the Playwriting Symposium at the Mid America Theatre Conference and the director of the Playwrights Wing at First Look Buffalo Theatre Company. She is an Assistant Professor of Theatre History, Criticism, and Playwriting at SUNY Oswego. www.bellapoynton.com

Matthew LaChiusa

Technical Director

Matthew returns for another season as American Repertory Theater of WNY’s technical director. Among the favorite sets he’s designed for ART/WNY include “Paradigm Bomb”, “Something Wicked”, and “London Calling”. Lighting design favorites include “Mercy Seat”, “Something Wicked”, “When Worlds Collide” and “Paradigm Bomb”. When not designing, Matthew is the Executive/Artistic Director for American Repertory Theater of WNY. Namaste.

Kate Olena

Stage Manager

Kate Olena taught theatre arts to grades 5-8 at Nichols Middle School for over 40 years where she produced 6- 12 plays each year. Now retired from teaching, she is working in professional theatre, locally. As an actor Ms. Olena has appeared with Alleyway Theatre, Brazen-Faced Varlets, Buffalo Writers Theatre, O’Connell and Company, Shakespeare in Delaware Park, and Subversive Theatre. She is a proud member of the New York State Theatre Education Association and the Puppeteers of America.

Company Thanks

2024-25 Board of Directors

Suzanne Hibbard (President); Matthew LaChiusa (Vice President, Secretary & Treasurer); Robert Insana; Monica Morrisey;  Mark Humphrey; Danette Pawlowski; Michael Breen

Board Advisors

Catherine Burkhart; Keith Wharton

If you would like to join the ART/WNY Board of Directors, please drop the company an email at artofwny@msn.com or call/text 716-697-0837 

The Board is currently looking for members with CPA skills, Business Management skills, Familiarity with Real Estate laws, or simply real "go-getters" in our community. 

ART/WNY: Who & Why?

Who is ART/WNY:

• A company that believes in the community in which it serves

• A company that supports local artists in their creative journeys 

• A company that provides a forum for those who are passionate about their crafts but cannot find opportunities to develop them 

• A company that keeps ticket prices affordable so that all may attend theater

• A company that provides a reasonable priced space for other arts organizations to produce their works for extended periods. 

• A company with a history of taking chances on material

• A company with a core belief that theater is a craft and not a popularity contest

• A company with limited budgets but will do everything in its power to put on engaging, provocative, powerful and insightful theater despite financial limitations

This is ART/WNY

Love the Art in You. 

What's Next For ART

March 13th to March 29th

Adaptation of Liam O'Flaherty's Novel

By Matthew LaChiusa

FEBRUARY 22ND 

THE MAISIE MARDI GRAS PARTY

(FOLLOWING THE 5-7 PM PRODUCTION)