COSUMNES RIVER COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE & DANCE/RIVER STAGE
proudly present
WATER BY THE SPOONFUL
By QUIARA ALEGRÍA HUDES
at the Black Box Theatre
2024-25 #THETIMEISNOW Season
Follow Us on Instagram: @seeaplayatCRC
Featuring
AGUSTÍN GUAPA ANDREW BENNER	CANDY LEMUS CHLOE ESPINOZA FAYE CROOK	PURJON BICKHAM SEVRYN MICHAEL
Creative Team
Scenic Design	Lighting, Sound & Projection Design	Costume Deisgn
MARTIN FLYNN	CARY BABKA	MARI CARSON
Fight Choreography	Production Stage Management	Properties
MATTHEW MILLER	GIANNA LEWKOWITZ & SARAH EDWARDS	TRICIA TECSON
Assistant Directed by
AUDREY DI PAOLO & MICHAEL VAUGHN
Directed by
ANTHONY D'JUAN
APRIL 25-MAY 4, 2025 Performances Fridays, April 25 & May 2 @ 7:30 pm Saturdays, April 26 & May 3 @ 7:30 pm Saturday, May 3 @ 2:00 pm Sundays, April 27 & May 4 @ 2:00 pm Tuesday, April 29 & Wednesday, April 30 @ 1:00 pm Tickets PAY WHAT YOU CAN Get WATER BY THE SPOONFUL Tickets   SHOW INFORMATION Setting & Time North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania & an internet chat room in the late 2000s. Run Time 120 minutes, including one 15 minute intermission Electronic Devices Please be courteous to your fellow audience members and to the cast & crew by turning off all electronic devices - phones, tablets, smart watches, etc. - so that you don't interrupt the show. Don't be that person!  Photography & Recording Please take selfies and pictures before the show - and don't forget to tag our Instagram account @seeaplayatCRC! During the show, there is no photography or recording of any kind.
Licensing Information WATER BY THE SPOONFUL was originally commissioned by Hartford Stage Michael Wilson, Artistic Director Michael Stotts, Managing Director Through the AETNA New Voices Fellowship Program   World Premiere Production Presented by Hartford Stage October 28, 2011 Darko Tresnjak, Artistic Director Michael Stotts, Managing Director   New York Premiere Produced by Second Stage Theatre, New York, 2013 Carole Rothman, Artistic Director

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LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We acknowledge the land currently occupied by Cosumnes River College as the traditional home of the Miwok and Nisenan people. These sovereign people have been caretakers of the area since time immemorial. The state of California is home to more than 110 Federally Recognized Indian Tribes, representing the most diverse set of tribal nations anywhere in the United States. Despite centuries of genocide and occupation, the Miwok and Nisenan people continue as vibrant and resilient federally recognized tribes, bands, and rancherias. The waters of the Sacramento, American, and Cosumnes Rivers have nourished Miwok and Nisenan tribal communities with cultural and dietary sustenance throughout time. ‘Cosumnes’ of Cosumnes River derives from the Plains Miwok language. Stemming from the words "kosumu," meaning salmon and "umne," meaning the place of, it translates as "The Place of the Salmon." Today, we celebrate our Miwok and Nisenan tribal neighbors as the ancestral stewards of this land and honor their sustained existence. It is with their blessing and continued guidance that Cosumnes River College seeks to provide an accessible, equitable, and principled institution of learning.

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About the Show

Listen to our WATER BY THE SPOONFUL Soundtrack

Pre-Show Playlist curated by Audrey Di Paolo

Show Playist curated by Anthony D'Juan

Acknowledgments

We would like to express our gratitude to the following:

• DEVIN VALDEZ, Community member
• JULIE ZALASKY, Cosumnes River College Business Office
• MARI CARSON, Faculty, Cosumnes River College for script translations
• Students of TA 430 Costume Construction, Cosumnes River College

Cast

Creative Team

Meet the Company

AGUSTÍN CHAPA

Elliot Ortiz

Agustín Chapa is a community member very happy to make his debut at River Stage. This is Agustín’s first show in the Sacramento. His previous performances have been in the Central Valley, in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (Shakespeare) with 2nd St Theater, OEDIPUS EL REY (Tiresias) with the Selma Arts Center, and ELECTRICIDAD (Nino) at Fresno State University. He thanks you for your support and hope you will enjoy the show.

ANDREW BENNER

Ghost, Policeman, Professor Aman

Andrew is currently a barista from Stockton who has been performing in theater for a couple of years. Their previous roles include Oliver Rivers in PUFFS, Pinky Atwood in THE OPENING NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, and various roles in THE VIDEO GAMAPALOOZA, all through Changing Faces Theater in Lodi. They are grateful that the students and staff at Cosumnes River College have been so welcoming throughout this reading.

CANDY LEMUS

Yazmin Ortiz

Candy began her acting journey as far back as she can remember and has taken apart of many creative projects. Here at River Stage, she has appeared as Electricidad in ELECTRICIDAD and Orlando in ORLANDO. She is very grateful for everyone involved and those who have given her the opportunity to continuously grow as an actor and embracing diverse roles that challenge her range. Off stage Candy enjoys traveling and exploring new places, as well as experimenting with fashion and style.

CHLOE ESPINOZA

Haikumom (Odessa Ortiz)

Chloe is an aspiring actress and Costume designer. She has appeared here at River Stage as Miss Prism (THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST), Emma Goldman (ASSASSINS), and Jenny (PLAY IT STRAIGHT). She works as a dresser at the Harris Center in Folsom, dressing for the Broadway tours of THE CHER SHOW, DEAR EVAN HANSEN, and ANNIE. She assists with costume construction and design for various plays at CRC.

FAYE CROOK

Orangutan (Madeleine Mays/Yoshiko Sakai)

Faye Crook is a returning student to Cosumnes River College, majoring in music. Faye has been a part of various plays and musicals here as well. She has performed in ASSASSINS, ELECTRICIDAD, and URINETOWN all at Cosumnes River College. She enjoys studying and performing many different musical theatre pieces. Faye Crook has started her journey as a vocalist and an actor, taking different opportunities at Cosumnes River College and within the community. During her time at Cosumnes River College, she began to study under Omari Tau for voice and Ryan Perez Adame for acting.

PURJON BICKHAM

Chutes&Ladders (Clayton Wilkie)

Purjon Bickham is a current Theatre Major at Cosumnes River College, and has been in multiple River Stage productions, such as THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, URINETOWN, PLAY IT STRAIGHT, SHORTAGE, and ORLANDO. He is grateful to be able to add another performance to the list with his role as Chutes&Ladders!

SEVRYN MICHAEL

Fountainhead (John)

Sevryn Michael is a Sacramento based actor, Who has been performing for most of his life! Sevryn got his start as a performer dancing in a youth Hip-Hop group. His instructor was choreographing a production of OLIVER TWIST and needed more children to play the orphans. Being the attention seeker he's always been he absolutely had to audition. Since then Sevryn Michael has been in over 20 productions. His passion for performing arts knows no bounds. Sevryn is currently a student at Cosumnes River College studying theatre arts, with dreams of performing in New York. In addition to acting Sevryn Michael has written, produced, and stared in his own short films. Sevryn Michael believes that the arts should be a break from everyday life and enjoys entertaining people and putting smiles on faces! Sevryn would like to dedicate this performance to his grandmother Susie “Thank you for your strength and thank you for your guidance. I love you” - Sev

ANTHONY D'JUAN

Director, Faculty

Anthony D'Juan is a Sacramento based director-playwright who has been active since 1996. He was assistant and protégé to Ed Claudio from 1997-2005. Playwriting credits include: THEORY OF THE DREAM, SAFE AT HOME, MEN IN RIFFS, POTENTIAL LITERATURE, 3:BLACK GIRL BLUES (with Danielle Moné Truitt), THIS IS HOW IT HAPPENED, DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE (with Carla Fleming and Joe Archie), BIRDMOCKING, US & THE REST OF ‘EM and ANY’PERSON. Directing credits include SUBURBIA, OTHELLO, FIVE WOMEN WEARING THE SAME DRESS, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (THE MUSICAL), ENDGAME (best drama 2004), BASH:LATTER DAY PLAYS, THE DISTANCE FROM HERE, THE DUMB WAITER, TOPDOG/UNDERDOG (2007), THE MOUNTAINTOP, BOOTYCANDY (nominated best director), SKELTON CREW, PASS OVER, THE ROYALE, DIRECT FROM DEATH ROW:THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS, FATSO (with Logan Heller - 2023 revival), PAPI ME AND CESAR CHAVEZ, CLYDE’S, ROBIN HOOD (world premier), THE GOAT OR WHO IS SYLVIA? (nominated best director), PROOF, FAIRVIEW (nominated best director), and FENCES (2025).

MARTIN FLYNN

Scenic Designer, Technical Director, Faculty

Martin Flynn, Professor of Technical Theatre, has been teaching at CRC since 2017. Martin has designed scenery for over 150 productions, mainly in Northern California, for theatre companies such as American Conservatory Theater, Broadway at Music Circus, Capital Stage, Berkeley Playhouse, Shotgun Players, Town Hall Theatre, TheatreFIRST, Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, and over 40 shows for Bay Area Children's Theatre where he was the resident scenic designer. In the academic world, Martin has designed for U.C. Berkeley, U.C. Davis, Montclair State University, Chabot College, Napa Valley College and Cosumnes River College. Martin's design for PICASSO AT THE LAPINE AGILE at Town Hall Theatre won a Shellie Award for Outstanding Scenic Design. His work has been nominated 3 times for the Theatre Bay Area Awards, 5 times for the Shellie Awards, and 4 times for Elly Awards. From 2007-2010 Martin was the Scenic Design Associate at American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Some of his favorite experiences were assisting Tony Award winning director John Doyle on SWEENEY TODD and THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE and designing the world premiere of Lauren Gunderson's FIREWORK, directed by the amazing Mina Morita, at TheatreFIRST in Berkeley.

MARI CARSON

Costume Designer, Faculty

Mari Carson is a costume and sound designer based in the Sacramento area. She received her BA in Architecture from UC Berkeley and her MFA in Dramatic Arts from UC Davis.

CARY BABKA

Lighting, Sound & Projection Designer, Faculty

Cary made his stage debut in 1st grade, playing the Wizard in THE WIZARD OF OZ behind a cardboard palace wall. He’s still interested in wizardry, but now it tends to run on A/C current or RF mic packs…. He is an Adjunct here at Cosumnes River College, where he teaches theatre and film, while designing and occasionally still busting out the top hat and handlebar moustache to act in shows around the Sacramento area.

MATTHEW MILLER

Fight Choreographer, Faculty

As a working actor his theatre credits extend across the country and internationally, including the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain’s production of AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE with Sir Ian McKellen. Northern California credits include roles at the Sacramento Theatre Company (over forty productions), Capital Stage Company, B Street Theatre, Davis and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festivals. As a director his credits include many productions at Sacramento Theatre Company, where he was appointed Artistic Director in 2010. He is also an award-winning playwright, fight director, dialect coach and acting teacher. His extensive film, TV and voice-over credits can be seen at his IMDB.com page. He is a proud member of American and Canadian Actors’ Equity Associations, SAG-AFTRA, the Dramatists Guild and the American Federation of Teachers.

TRICIA TECSON

Properties, Faculty

Tricia has previously worked with Capital Stage, Music Circus, Teatro Nagual, and Berkeley Playhouse. Tricia has had the privilege of designing shows such as ANTIGONE and DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE here at River Stage, and THE CHINESE LADY and ARCHDUKE at Capital Stage and has assisted in many others. Tricia would like to thank the Cosumnes River College Theatre department for their encouragement and guidance which have been immeasurable.

MIKE RUIZ

Theatre Technician

MICHAEL VAUGHN

Assistant Director, Run Crew

Michael is so excited to get to work on this show. This is their first time assistant directing but has been actively working in the theater program. Previous show crews include: JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT (Music Circus), ORLANDO (Fly/Run Crew, CRC). Previous show credits: Hot Blades Harry (URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL), Ivan Sobcik (PLAY IT STRAIGHT), Lane/Merrimen (THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST), Ensemble (ASSASSINS). Hope you enjoy WATER BY THE SPOONFUL!

AUDREY DI PAOLO

Assistant Director, Assistant Stage Manager, Pre-Show Playlist Curator

Audrey has been a student at Cosumnes River College for 2 years and is excited to be doing her first show as Assistant Director! She thanks Anthony D’Juan for the opportunity to work with the incredible cast and crew of this show. Audrey has worked tech for several other shows here at CRC (DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE, ELECTRA) and has Staged Managed for ASSASSINS and ORLANDO. As an actor, Audrey has performed in River Stage’s ELECTRICIDAD, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, and URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL, and in Trailblazer Student Productions’ NUNSENSE.

GIANNA LEWKOWITZ

Co-Stage Manger

WATER BY THE SPOOONFUL is Gianna’s first show that she’s stage managing at CRC! She has done two other shows here, doing crew work for ORLANDO and working tech for PLAY IT STRAIGHT. She started doing backstage work back in her sophomore year of high school. She has a passion for theatre work and is very excited to do more shows in the future at CRC!

SARAH EDWARDS

Co-Stage Manager

Sarah Edwards (she/her) is excited to be co-stage managing her first show at CRC! She has performed and taught locally in the Sacramento area and will be graduating from CRC this semester with her AA in Theatre Arts. Thanks to family, friends, and teachers for their support. Enjoy the show!

ALANA MOSLEY

Advanced Stagecraft Class

AVIAN MCCAIN

Stagecraft Class

CALEB BEADLES

Light Board Operator, Stagecraft Class

CAMERON MATTHEWS

Stagecraft Class

JAYASON TOWNES

Stagecraft Class

LILLY KISNER

Stagecraft Class

MACIE UTILE

Lighting Focus Assitant, Stagecraft Class

MADELEINE NICKEL

Run Crew, Stagecraft Class

NATASHA LARSON-SWENSON

Run Crew

NICHOLAS SEEL

Stagecraft Class

SAVANNA STUEPFERT

Advanced Stagecraft Class

STEVEN BAILS

Advanced Stagecraft Class

TAIYU OU

Sound Board & Projection Operator, Advanced Stagecraft

RYAN PEREZ ADAME

Box Office/Marketing Manager, Faculty

Our 2024-25 Season: The Time Is Now

TWELFTH NIGHT

July 18-August 3, 2025

Presented in community with the Cosumnes Community Services District under the stars at Laguna Town Hall in Elk Grove

Auditions: May 6-8, 2025 

Get $10 General Admission Tickets

By WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Directed by ANTHONY D'JUAN

A shipwreck, a love triangle, mistaken identity, a Fool (and a whole lot of foolishness) collide in one of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies and most beloved works. 

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