Milan 1880

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Milan 1880 is an original commission by
The Community College of Baltimore County.

The play runs 2 hours 30 minutes with an intermission

Director's Note

Milan 1880, a pivotal event in Deaf history, is more than just a play - it reflects our history, our resilience, and the ongoing fight for Deaf educational rights. In 1880, five courageous Americans traveled to Milan, Italy, to advocate for sign language as the most effective way to teach deaf students. Despite their efforts, the Milan Conference resulted in a global ban on sign language in classrooms, favoring oralism—a decision that deeply impacted generations of Deaf people.

Today, American Sign Language (ASL) stands strong as one of the most recognized languages in the world. However, the tension between oralism and sign language persists in Deaf education. It's crucial that we involve Deaf children in the conversation about what's 'best' for them, rather than deciding for them.

I am deeply honored to direct this important piece that reflects our shared history and the impact it continues to have around the world. I'm grateful to James Caverly for writing this play as a call to remember, reflect, and act. Deaf education remains as critical now as it was in the 1880s. Milan 1880 marked a turning point in Deaf education—its significance and impact must not be forgotten.

Furthermore, let us honor our forebears by continuing their legacy—those who fought for our right to learn, grow, and thrive through sign language.

Michelle A. Banks
Director

Cast

Creative Team

Interpreter Team

Mandy Welly
MJ Jones
Amy McDonald
Leslie Nevon Holden
Avril Brandon
Jessie Lewis
Iris Saunders
Audrey Averill

CCBC Interpreter Prep Interns
Sophia Satre
Wendy Balko

Meet the Company

Stella Marie Antonio

MC/James Denison/Claude Forestier

Stella (she/her) was born and raised in Manila, Philippines. She moved to America at the age of 20. She received a BA in Theater Education from Gallaudet University, Washington DC. She worked as a stage actress and an ensemble of Outreach Education Program with Cleveland Signstage Theatre for 6 years. She gave birth to a wonderful son Clayton who is a CODA. He now studies at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. She played several roles In Children of a Lesser God, Glass Menagerie, Christmas in Wales, The Miracle Worker, and more. She also was a theater teacher for K- Middle School at Maryland School for the Deaf 2000 to 2015. She has taught improvisation acting 3 summer camps with Visionary of Creative Arts, DC. She recently performed in the “ISM” in 2022 and 2023. She wrote her story based on her childhood and performed a one woman show called “In the Eyes of a Deaf Child” at the Kennedy Center in May 2023. She recently taught storytelling and acting at Imagination Stage in Winter 2024 She now works as a Teacher assistant at Maryland School for the Deaf.

Chris Corrigan

Edward Miner Gallaudet

Chris (he/him) is a native of Frederick, Maryland, known for his captivating work in ASL poetry, storytelling, and performances. His artistic contributions include notable productions such as Deaf West’s Big River, ASL FILMS’ Black Sand, DawnSignPress Inc.’s The Boy Who Cried Wolf, Rustic Lantern Films’ Lake Windfall, and Independence Day celebrations at The White House with Presidents Bush and President Obama. Recently, he gained recognition for his role as Thaddeus in Deaf Missions’ JESUS film. For Chris, ASL is as essential as pollen is to flowers and oxygen to the air; without it, a thriving life cannot exist.

Shanna Sorrells

Thomas Gallaudet

Shanna (she/they) is excited to be acting at CCBC, and looks forward to future collaborations. Acting credits include: City of Fairfax Theatre: Clybourne Park; Gallaudet University Theatre: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; Deaf West Theatre: Flowers For Algernon. DASL credits include: Hippodrome Theatre: ’Twas the Night Before presented by Cirque du Soleil; Signature Theatre: A Chorus Line. Shanna has also just finished co-directing Imagination Stage’s Pegasus ensemble. She is the Senior Manager of Access & Inclusion and a teaching artist at Imagination Stage. Education: University of Northern Colorado; MA in Theatre Education. Upcoming: DASL for Chicago at Hippodrome.

Rebecca Blumenfeld

Dr. Isaac Peet/Deaf Student 3

Rebecca (she/her) is currently a Deaf student in the Deaf Interpreter Training Program here at CCBC. She has a BS in Biology from Gallaudet University in 2014, an AAS in Medical Technology from AACC, and a Certificate in Histology Technology in 2015. This is her very first play, and she is very excited to be acting in Milan 1880.

Daniel Short

Rev. Dr. Charles Stoddard

Daniel (he/him) returns to theatre after 24 years away, with previous experience being in a 2001 production of See How They Run at National Technical Institute of Technology. Currently, a father to two wonderful boys and two rambunctious cats, and a supportive wife. Daniel is grateful for the opportunity to tell a story about Deaf History.

Alessandro Rossal

Abbe Giulio Tarra/Augusto Zucchi

Alessandro (he/him) attended drama school in Guatemala before moving to the USA. He has appeared in around 15 plays in Spanish and attended classes in New York at Teatro Thalia. Then he helped establish the first Spanish speaking theatre company in Sarasota, FL, where he acted in, directed, and produced several plays. He is currently a Theatre major at CCBC Essex, and this is his second play in English, after being in CCBC’s production of Anon(ymous).

Elliott Chenoweth

Marius Magnat/Richard Elliott

Elliott (he/they) is a second-year biology major at CCBC Catonsville. Last semester they played Nasreen and Belen in CCBC’s production of Anon(ymous). Previously, they appeared in Peter Pan Jr. at Catonsville Middle School and Puffs at Catonsville High School. Outside of theatre, they can be found supervising the campus cafe.

Aaron Duenas

Arthur Kinsey/Mr. J. Hugentobler/Frere Hubert

Aaron (he/him) returns to the stage at CCBC Catonsville to perform in Milan 1880. Aaron is a graduate of CCBC with an Associates of Fine Arts in Theatre. He appeared in the CCBC Fall Fest, the Annual Gala at Martin’s West, The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time as the lead, Christopher Boone.

Rebekah Mitchell

Pasquale Fornari/Brother of St. Gabriel/Interpreter

Rebekah (she/her) started at CCBC in 2022 as an ASL + Deaf Culture major. She graduated with her A.A. in the winter and is now finishing her first semester in the Interpreter Prep program. While this is her debut at CCBC, she has performed on many stages with Crashbox Theatre Troupe and To the Pointe Dance Studio. Rebekah looks forward to a continued future involvement with the Deaf theatre community.

Myles Rigsby

Padre Marchio/Rev. Thomas Arnold/Brother of St. Gabriel

Myles (he/him) returns to CCBC Catonsville. Previously, he acted in The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong. He also acted in 11 Variations of Friar John’s Failure in high school. After completing college, he plans to work his way into the voice acting industry.

Vanessa Williams

Mdme. Frida Houdin/Susanna Hull/Brother of St. Gabriel

Vanessa (she/her) is a sophomore at CCBC. This is her second production here after playing Ritu and Serza in Anon(ymous). She is a Performing Arts major studying vocal music. She has been in many productions before including Little Red Riding Hood, The Lion King, The Nutcracker, Bugsy Malone, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. She sang in the children’s choir through middle school and toured with the Singing Sensations. She plans to transfer to Howard University.

Krystal Knoll

Herr Dr. Treibel/Brother of St. Gabriel/Interpreter/Deaf Student 1

Krystal (she/they) returns to CCBC Catonsville after in appearing in the last blended Deaf/hearing production, Goya: en la quinta del sordo (in the house of the Deaf man). An alumnus of CCBC, Krystal graduated from the Interpreting program in 2022. While she acted in several CCBC productions, she is more typically found offstage interpreting plays at CCBC Catonsville and Essex.

Heather Beck

Mrs. B. St. John Ackers/Brother of St. Gabriel/Interpreter

Heather (she/her) is ecstatic to be performing here once again after a 27 year hiatus. She began her theater career on this very stage as Val in A Chorus Line and then Chrissy in Hair. More recent musical theater roles include: “A Music Man”, “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat” (Olney Theatre Center), “Mamma Mia”, “Sound of Music”, “CATS”, “Spamalot”, “Kinky Boots” (Toby’s Dinner Theater). Recently, she worked on a production of Sesame Street with her son, Mathis Beck Kettering, which received an Emmy for best direction. After graduating from CCBC’s Interpreter program, she worked as an Educational Interpreter and is currently working for the public school system. Many thanks to her family for their support, the cast and crew for making this production a reality and James Caverly for bringing this important piece of history to the stage.

James Caverly

Playwright

James (he/him) BROADWAY: Children of a Lesser God. REGIONAL: Huntington Theatre Company: I Was Most Alive with You, Studio Theatre: Tribes, Berkeley Repertory Theatre: Tribes, Olney Theatre Center: The Music Man, Kitchen Theatre Company: Tribes, Deaf Austin Theater: The Laramie Project. TV: Hulu: Only Murders in the Building, NBC: Chicago Med, Fox: Rescue HI: Surf. AWARDS: Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Performer. PLAYWRIGHT: “Trash”, “Thank You Ryan For A Clean Microwave”, “If Dogs Talk”, "See/Hear/Speak No Beast", "A Better Place", "Civil Engagement." Joey also directed CCBC’s inaugural blended Deaf/hearing, ASL/English production, Romeo and Juliet. Read more about the author blog post.

Michelle A. Banks

Director

Michelle (she/her) is a native of Washington, DC, is an award-winning actress, writer, director, and producer. She is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Visionaries of the Creative Arts (VOCA). Her most recent theater achievements include the 2022 recipient of the D.C. Area Black Deaf Advocates Award for Outstanding Achievements in Theater for Deaf BIPOC Artists and the 2017 recipient of Gallaudet University’s Laurent Clerc Award for her contribution to theater. To name a few, Michelle has an extensive professional acting career, which includes GIRLFRIENDS, SOUL FOOD (T.V. Series), COMPENSATION (film), THE C.A. LYONS PROJECT (Alliance Theatre), REFLECTIONS OF A BLACK DEAF WOMAN (one woman show), and BIG RIVER (Mark Taper Forum & Ford Theater). Her directing credits: THE DINNER NOTE (Sound Theatre), CAMELLIA FOR CAMILLE (Deaf Spotlight’s Short Play Festival), TRASH (JACK Theatre & IRT Theater), ISM and ISM II (Atlas Performing Arts Center), and A RAISIN IN THE SUN (Gallaudet University & Atlas Performing Arts Center). Director of Artistic Sign Language (DASL) credits: Olney Theatre Center’s THE MUSIC MAN and Broadway’s FOR COLORED GIRLS.

G. Maurice (Moe) Conn

Scenic & Lighting Designer/Technical Director

Moe is in his 15th year as the Fulltime Technical Director and Designer at CCBC Catonsville Center for the Arts Theatre. He has an MFA in Scene Design and Technical Theatre and a BA in both Alcohol Learning and Drug Studies and Technical Theatre. Moe has been working in technical theatre since 1993, as a Designer, Technician, Technical Director, and Educator where he has spent most of his professional career. Moe has served as the Technical Director and Designer for Cockpit in Court Theatre, Maryland’s Oldest Summer theatre. He has also worked on numerous productions at in the Baltimore area. Moe has received multiple nominations for Best Scene Design, Received Best Scenic Design from the MD Theatre Guide’s Readers’ Choice Awards for his design of Sunset Boulevard. Moe is one of the original Long Reach Long Riders starting in 2004 and has been a part of the core since its inception. He continues to serve on the ”Horde” of Directors as they continue to move forward. Moe is the last of the first 9 still riding with the LRLR. For 19 years he volunteered with Behind the Scenes charity, and in 2024, he was elected to Behind the Scene Foundation Board of Directors. He also plays a mean Kazoo.

Jess Rassp

Costume Designer

Jess (she/they) is a theatre artist, producer and puppetry specialist who works as an independent artist with various theatre companies as a leader, designer, and puppet creator. In addition to intensive studies in theatre and fine arts, she received her B.A. in English Literature from Brandeis University. jessrasspdesign.com

Jason Randolph

Projection Designer

BS Math, College of William and Mary MFA Rinehart School of Sculpture, MICA MFA Technical Theatre and Design, UVA TD/Resident Scenic Designer Single Carrot Theatre 2014-2017 TD CCBC Essex 2015-present TD Cockpit in Court Summer Theater 2016-present

JAC Cook

Director of Artistic Sign Language

JAC (they/them) known as a “JAC of all trades,” is a seasoned master of ceremonies and auctioneer for national and local organizations. With over 25 years of experience as an ASL consultant, dramaturge, and audience engagement strategist for theater venues, JAC brings deep expertise and cultural fluency to every project. JAC made history as the first ASL performer on an extensive network, Disney+, doing Marvel’s Ant-Man (2015) and served as Director of Artistic Sign Language (DASL) for MAX’s Barbie, Beetlejuice, and other major film productions, as well as for performances at The Kennedy Center, Signature Theatre, and more. In addition to holding multiple roles with MAV Communications Without Barriers as a Consultant, DASL, and Translator, JAC is the founder of Velvet Hands, an ASL theatrical interpreting company based in the San Francisco Bay Area that has been thriving for nearly 10 years. JAC currently works as a Sales & Marketing Strategist for Keystone Interpreting Solutions, a Deaf- and woman-owned agency, while also freelancing as a Deaf Interpreter.

Su Kyong Isakson

Interpreter Coordinator

Su (she/her) is an Associate Professor of Interpreting, Su Kyong serves as access coordinator for CCBC’s productions featuring American Sign Language and Deaf theatre artists. This includes Romeo & Juliet (2017), Goya: en la quinta del sordo (2023) and Milan 1880 (2025). In her role, she has developed the Maryland Theatre Interpreter Training program, offering statewide training of performance interpreting and production interpreting for Deaf theatre artists. An avid lover of the arts, she has interpreted her fair share of stand up, concerts and plays.

Bethany Slater

Stage Manager

Bethany (she/her) is a full-time freelance ASL-English interpreter with a passion for working in the Deaf Art world. DMV AREA – Visionaries of the Creative Arts (voice interpreter): ISM; In the Eyes of a Deaf Child; ISM II; Community College of Baltimore County (stage manager): Milan 1880; Goya en la Quinta del Sordo. REGIONAL – Baltimore Center Stage (accessibility coordinator & asst. audience services manager); Olney Theatre Center (apprentice interpreter): The Music Man. Education – Community College of Baltimore County: Interpreter Preparation AAS.

Sam Koch

Assistant Stage Manager

Sam (he/him) returns to CCBC to be stage manager after being assistant director for John Proctor is the Villain and stage manager for The (One-Act) Play That Goes Wrong. Sam is currently a Design and Production major at UMBC, with plans to make theatre his career.

Aaron Partin

Light Board Operator

MaeAnn Ross

Sound Designer

MaeAnn holds a BFA in Technical Production from Texas State University and a MFA in Sound Design from UC San Diego. Previously, she was the Director of Technical Theatre at Coronado School of the Arts and the Post MFA Teaching Fellow in Design at Pomona College. She also currently works at GraphicAudio as a Sound Designer. https://maeannrossdesigns.myportfolio.com

Zahria Wise

Sound Operator

Damon Krometis

Projection Operator/Production Coordinator/English Text Coach

Jen Rabbitt Ring

Voice/Accent Coach/Fight Choreographer

Jenn (she/her) is a performance Instructor in the Theatre department at CCBC and a Designated Linklater Voice Teacher. For CCBC she has directed Little Shop of Horrors and A Bright New Boise, and she appeared last spring alongside the cast of John Proctor is the Villain. Regional coaching credits include Twelfth Night at the Folger, Change Agent at Arena Stage, The Sensational Sea Mink-ettes, Public Obscenities, Incendiary, Amm(i)gone and Guac at Woolly Mammoth, Monumental Travesties and Mary's Seacole at Mosaic Theatre Company, and Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy at Rorschach Theatre Company. Jen is also a professional actor and serves as an affiliated faculty member with the Actor Training program of Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA. She holds an MFA in acting from Rutgers University.

Students of Stagecraft THTR 131

Set Construction

Amanda Sergent, Jacinda Pintuck, Jory Williams

Stage Crew

Alex Bosworth, Samuel Koch, Aaron Partin, Jacinda Pintuck

Scene Shop Assistants

Alex Bosworth, Blade Diallo, Shira Warburg

Costume Crew

Maddie Baynard, Ash Stevenson, Brittany Runk, Sarah Joyce

Costume Shop Assistants

Shealyn Jae

Production Photographer

Special Thanks

Dr. Sandra Kurtinitis
CCBC President
Dr. Joaquin Martinez
Provost & Vice President of Instruction
Dr. R. Michael Walsh
Dean, School of Arts & Communication
Brad Norris
Interim Performing Arts Manager
Professor Nick VanHorn
Chair, Performing Arts and Humanities
Tommy Parlon 
Arts Pathways Coordinator
Moe Conn
Technical Director, CCBC Catonsville
Marc W. Smith
Technical Director, CCBC Dundalk
Designer/Scenic Artist of City Drop
Jason Randolph
Technical Director, CCBC Essex
David Martin
Assistant Technical Director, CCBC Essex
Cathy Kratovil
Communications Assistant, School of Arts & Communication
Michael Elspas
Designer, CCBC Creative Services
Johari Barnes
Campus Director, CCBC Catonsville
Dundalk Community Theatre
Rebecca Minor
Ben Hardy, CCBC IT Dept
 

CCBC School of Arts and Communication

Dr. R. Michael Walsh, Dean Professor
Professor Will Niebauer, Chair, Arts and Design
Professor Nick VanHorn, Chair, Performing Arts and Humanities
Professor Rebecca Minor, Chair, Communications
Brad Norris, Interim Director of the Arts

The Arts at CCBC

Brad Norris, Interim Director of the Arts
G. Maurice “Moe” Conn III, Technical Director
Jason Randolph, Technical Director
Marc Smith, Technical Director
Jess Rassp, Resident Costumer
Lisa Boeren, Box Office Manager
Thom Purdy, Box Office Assistant
Cathy Kratovil, Communications Assistant
Lance Bankerd, Production Manager

Theatre at CCBC

Julie Lewis, Coordinator, Faculty Director
Damon Krometis, Coordinator, Faculty Director
Terri Raulie, Faculty Designer
Precious B. Stone, Faculty Director
Jennifer Ring, Faculty Director

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