THE SCHOOL OF THEATRE AND DANCE PRESENTS
THE CALL OF THE WILD
By IAN FRANK
Based on the novel by JACK LONDON
Director: Michael Beverley
Scenic Designer: Ashley Milleson*
Costume Designer: Justin Freeny
Lighting Designer: Aurrora Watkins
Properties Designer: Gracie Ruiz
Makeup Designer: Sara Kutz-Yeager
Stage Manager: Paisley Wanamaker
*Partial fulfillment of the Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre, Area of Specialization in Scenery
THE VIDEOTAPING OR MAKING OF ELECTRONIC OR OTHER AUDIO AND/OR VISUAL RECORDINGS OF THIS PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTING RECORDINGS OR STREAMS IN ANY MEDIUM, INCLUDING THE INTERNET, IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The School of Theatre and Dance acknowledges that these are the aboriginal territories of the Salish and Kalispel people, a number of whom are our colleagues, students, and friends. We honor the path they have always shown us in caring for this place for the generations to come.
*Es mistéʔes qe es lʔ, ci łu l ,T,atʔ̓ ayaqn u Qlispélixʷ sqlixʷúʔulexʷs t Nłʔaycčstm Kʷtis Snacx̓ ̣łqe̓ ym̓ ín. Qe es putʔem łu Sqélixʷ m̓ im̓ éʔeye̓ ms x̣ʷl ,olqʷštulexʷ łu x̣ʷl ,qł sqlqelixʷ.
AUDIENCE STATEMENT OF EMPOWERMENT
The School of Theatre & Dance recognizes that art can provoke; therefore, during the course of this performance, patrons are empowered to leave if themes or situations make them uncomfortable.
AUDIENCE ADVISORY
This production features depictions of violence against animals and violence between animals (adapted from the original novel); these acts will be simulated by the actors. It also features loud noises, including gunshot sound effects. Viewer discretion is advised.
CAST
Actor 1 - Buck: Elise Clayton
Actor 2 - Spitz/Red Sweater/Charles: Rory McLaverty
Actor 3 - Sol-leks/Onlooker A/Matthewson: Natalie Renk
Actor 4 - Bilee/John Thornton: Austin Mowat
Actor 5 - Jo/The Gardener/Pete/Wood Brother: Marissa Piccininni Avery
Actor 6 - Cassie/The Stranger/Burton/The Bookie: Madalyn Wellman
Actor 7 - Dave/Onlooker B/Hal/Bill: David Miller
Actor 8 - Perrault/Skeet/Scotsman/Barkeep: Karlee Palagi
Actor 9 - Francois/Gin/Teetotaler: Monroe Ayers
Actor 10 - Mercedes/Koona/Rusty Guts/Rabbit: Ellie Haag
Actor 1 - Buck Understudy: Madalyn Wellman
Ensemble Understudies: Violet Anderson, Cassie Berg
SETTING
The Masquer Theatre, Missoula, MT. 2022.
~This play is performed without an intermission.~
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
Theatre is the world’s oldest art form.
Since the dawn of humankind, we have been telling each other stories. Stories are how we engage with the world. How we learn empathy. They bring us together and give meaning to the stiffness. The theatre is where that tradition stays alive. When we perform, or view a live performance, we are connecting with something ancient and powerful. Like The Call of the Wild’s Buck, we are connecting to the past.
Stories are not possible without performers and an audience. Telling stories together is paramount to the human experience. We are doomed if we completely disconnect from each other.
It would be impossible for me to write this without thinking about the last two years. In March 2020, I was stage managing a production called Votes for Women in Columbia, Missouri. It was Opening Night. I received a phone call telling me to send the actors home and tell them we would re-mount the production in two weeks.
That never happened.
Theatre was gone—at the time, I thought it was gone forever. This is the first full-length production I’ve directed since we all came apart in 2020. It’s good to be back. The only way for the wounds of the past to heal is by coming together. The audience is not passive. The audience is a part of the event.
My goal with this production was to create a collective experience. A ritual, if you will. What you are about to see is the result of the efforts of one director, ten actors, two understudies, two stage managers, and a team of designers and technicians over four weeks of rehearsal. The actors are on stage for the entirety of the performance. They may talk to you. I hope you listen.
Always remember that we are not trying to fool you. We are not in Alaska circa 1897. We are in the Masquer Theatre, in Missoula, Montana, in the year of man 2022. Buck, the sled team, John Thornton, and The Man in the Red Sweater are not real, but the feelings they draw from us are. That is the purpose of the theatre. To have an experience together.
Thank you to this wonderful cast, thank you to the designers and crew, thank you to Paisley Wanamaker and Laila Sisson, and lastly, thank you, dear audience member. Welcome to our show.
We’re glad you’re here.
Michael Beverley
He/They
MFA Candidate
SCENIC DESIGNER'S NOTE ON SUSTAINABILITY
The scenic design for The Call of the Wild is created with the idea of sustainability in mind. My concept for this show related to the main character, Buck, gradually reverting back to the wild throughout the play. Sustainability is woven into the idea that for us to continue, we need to make a change that can not only help ourselves, but also nature as a whole.
Theatre can be incredibly wasteful in almost every aspect. From scenic elements to costumes to even heating the building, there are many ways to attack the concept of creating eco-conscious theatre. With a background in architecture, I wanted to scratch the surface of sustainability within the scenic design for this show. To accomplish this, I used a number of reused materials. I designed much of the structure to be made of cardboard instead of using new materials that would then need to be thrown away after the show. I designed the set around the platforms and other elements from our own stock instead of having to build new ones. We also worked with Missoula Children’s Theatre to use some scenic elements from their stock. The School of Theatre and Dance receives leftover paint from other building projects on campus, which I used as a base for all our paint treatments. There is a small amount of wood that was purchased for the show, but the way it was incorporated into the set allows it to be removed and reused for a future production.
I hope this encourages a dialogue among the students, faculty, and staff of Theatre and Dance to embrace sustainability in other fields, such as costumes and lighting. I also encourage our audience members to take note of how they can make small changes in their lives to be more sustainable.
Visit this page for more information on sustainability on campus.
~Ashley Milleson
MFA Candidate
PRODUCTION STAFF
Production Manager: Jason McDaniel
Original Composition/Musician: Ellie Haag
Fight Choreographer: Mark Plonsky
Fight Captains: Rory McLaverty, Austin Mowat
Movement Captain: Natalie Renk
Dialect/Vocal Coach: John Kenneth DeBoer
French Language Consultant: M. Ione Crummy
Assistant Stage Manager: Laila Sisson
Technical Director/Scene Shop Manager: Brian Gregoire
Charge Artist: Ashley Milleson
Scene Shop Staff: Ellie Haag, Ashley Milleson, Trevor Monsos, Jay Michael Roberts
Carpentry and Paint Crew: Wilder Ayer, Joy Bakkum, Seth Campbell, Octavio Jimenez, Jerome Johnson, Oskar Murphy, Walker Winterburn
Prop Shop Manager: Laila Sisson
Costume Shop Manager: Jessica Lang
Costume Shop Staff: Donna Campbell, Ember Cuddy, Jamie Howard, Megan Johnson, Jurate Varanavicius, Aurrora Watkins, Molly White
Costume Construction Crew: Violet Anderson, Cassie Berg, Sam Chavez, Hannah Davis, Peter Fedock, Brenna Holgate, Sara Kutz-Yeager, Elle Lundgren, Michael Painter, Norrah Patch, Conner Rorie, Rae Scott, Jurate Varanavicius, Shadie Wallette, Aurrora Watkins, Molly White
Costume Crafts: Violet Anderson, Ember Cuddy, Hannah Davis, Peter Fedock, Brenna Holgate, Megan Johnson, Sara Kutz-Yeager, Rae Scott, Jurate Varanavicius, Molly White
Head Dyer: Aurrora Watkins
Dye Crew: Jurate Varanavicius
Light/Sound Shop Manager: Terry Jorgensen
Lead Electrician: Mike Post
Light Shop Staff: Peter Fedock, Aurrora Watkins
Light Hang and Focus Crew: Liana Dillon, Tyler Glowinski, Alicia Griggs, Christopher Lubitz, Anthony Matury, Marcee Murphy, Anna Noah, Lexia Pilutik, Laila Sisson, Valen Underhill, Rebecca White, Paige Wisneski, Everett Works
Light Board Operator: Jules Jensen
Scenery/Props Crew: Chase Collins, Kaylee de Montigny, Mackenzie Frith, Tyler Glowinski
Wardrobe Crew: Camille Ball, Hailey Chabotte, Brenna Holgate
House Manager: Sara Kutz-Yeager
SPECIAL THANKS
Michael Legg
Paisley Wanamaker
Janet Whitesell
Missoula Children’s Theatre
UM Residence Life Maintenance/Paint Shop
UM Sustainability/Recycling
TALENT SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT 2022-2023
Hannah Dusek
Growing up in Chicago, Illinois, I was constantly surrounded by the arts and found dancing to be my passion at the young age of two. Training with my pre-professional company (Beyond Words Dance Company, under the instruction of Kate Jablonski) for eight years, I could not deny the drive and passion I had for dance and knew that it was always going to be a part of my life. Graduating from Beyond Words in 2019 allowed me to start discovering my own unique artistry through movement. Using my own experiences, emotion, and education to drive this curiosity, I was able to find a sense of comfort and strength through movement.
The fire within me fueled my determination to constantly create and move throughout my time here at the University of Montana. Once joining this amazing program in 2019, I was showered with innumerable opportunities that were graciously given to me through the love the faculty have for each one of us artists. Putting every ounce of my being into the training I’m getting here at UM has been one of the best experiences in my life … especially thanks to Brooklyn Draper and Heidi Jones Eggert, two powerhouse women who believed in me from the start. Had they not pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and find the true artist that lived right in my heart, I would not be where I am.
Performing and training in many styles including contemporary, lyrical, jazz, hip-hop, ballet, and tap have been most of my career up until my time at UM. The Dance Program of the School of Theatre and Dance introduced me to the modern style of movement; through this, I have been challenged and so beautifully introduced to the world of modern dance. The program allows for us artists to fully dive into our creative skills by consistently being shown the ins and outs of choreography and performance while being given the ability to create and showcase our own works from the very first day we walk through the studio doors. I am constantly inspired by my fellow majors, who have turned into the best family for which I could have ever asked. I want to thank all of them from the bottom of my heart for all the love and support they give me and give this program.
I am beyond grateful to have been awarded the Talent Scholarship and appreciate the help and encouragement it will bring to my senior year. This would not be possible without the generosity of donors or the encouragement from audience members, so thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. I am so honored to continue feeding my passion for dance through my senior year under this scholarship title and into the future. It is through your support and encouragement that performing artists continue to create and be seen. Thank you for believing in us and in our art.
UM THEATRE AND DANCE STUDENTS SUPPORTED BY
Ballet Beyond Borders Scholarship; Charles Ross Capps, Sr., and Agnes Ranjo Capps Scholarship; George & Louise Caras Scholarship; James Caras Family Scholarships; Sarah Crump Memorial Scholarship; Alexander & Virginia Dixon Dean Scholarships; W.K. & Alice Dwyer Scholarship Endowment; William P. Gillespie Scholarship; Riki Gordon Scholarship; Donal Harrington Scholarships; Bill Kliber Endowment for the Arts Scholarship: Jim Kriley Memorial Scholarship; Mary Cardell Moore and Robert & Florence Cardell Awards; Mott Ranch Scholarship; Odyssey of the Stars Scholarships; Sarah Ottley Memorial Scholarship; Sheila M. Sullivan Scholarship; Talent Scholarship; Thespian Scholarships; UM Dance Days Scholarships; Dick & Marith Willis Scholarships; May Carol Zeman Award
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