Caitlin Kozak – Spotlight Operator, Crewtipede Wrangler
Caitlin Koczak is a senior and this is her 4th year of Hands on Stage. She will be doing spotlight for this show and is very excited for her last fall play. In free time she also loves trying new foods, going on hikes, and art. Caitlin wishes best of luck to the cast and crew and hopes you enjoy the show!
Gillian Leblanc - Lighting Design, Lighting Manager
Eston Leykekhman – Stagehand, Set Construction
Pierce McMillan - Sound Manager
Meghan O'Keefe – Spotlight Operator, Set Construction
Meghan O’Keefe (Crew) is a junior at Daniel Hand and it is her second year participating in Hands on Stage. Meghan is involved in other extracurriculars including Latin Club and GASP. She plays softball in the spring. Meghan also enjoys art and movies in her free time. Meghan is excited to have worked on the play with the cast and crew!
Annabelle Torre - Stagehand, Set Construction, Arborist
THE CREATIVE TEAM
Joy Grabow - Director/Choreographer
Joy has been actively involved in theatre as a performer, teacher, director, musical director and choreographer for over 35 years. She has appeared in film, stage, commercials, television, soap operas and on radio. Some of her favorite directorial credits include A CHORUS LINE, M*A*S*H, LES MIS, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, WORKING, CALIFORNIA SUITE, GODSPELL, ALTAR BOYZ, and SEUSSICAL. Some of her favorite acting roles include GUYS AND DOLLS (Adelaide), CHICAGO (June), GREASE (Patty Simcox), ARMS AND THE MAN (Raina Petkoff), THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (Anne), OKLAHOMA (Ado Annie), as well as roles in WORKING GIRL (with Melanie Griffith), RYAN’S HOPE and ALL MY CHILDREN. Joy can be seen around CT performing in various dinner theatres and murder mysteries. Joy has written, directed and produced over a dozen original children’s musicals and is a featured singer on the CD, THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY, released in October, 2000 through Original Cast Records. Several of Joy’s former students have been seen on Broadway pursuing their dreams. Justin Paul (Composer, Dear Evan Hansen), Mia Gentile (Kinky Boots), Adam Kaplan (Newsies, Kinky Boots National Tour), Haley Bond (Fiddler on the Roof, American Idol), Jacob Heimer (Beautiful,),and of course her own son, Chris Bannow (The Elephant Man/Oklahoma/Oklahoma National Tour). Putting on a showTH is definitely a GROUP effort and she couldn’t have done it without such a stellar team to work with. Joy lives in North Haven, CT with her three dogs, Taffy, Sawyer and Ollie. It is Joy’s goal to bring the wonderful world of theatre to all those who are interested at DHHS.
Clare Stone - Assistant Director
Ms. Stone (she/her) has been an art teacher in Madison since 2015, teaching film, photography, and general art at Hand and Brown. Prior to that, she was a World and American Literature Teacher at The Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. This is her ninth show with Hands On Stage. She is originally from outside of Albany, New York, and is a proud Union and Wesleyan alum. She lives in Madison with her husband, Kevin Siedlecki, Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach at Southern, and her two and 3/4 year old son James, a wheeled vehicle identification expert and skilled vegetable evader.
Eli Sherer - Technical Advisor
Eli feels fortunate to be allowed to “play in the theatre sandbox,” helping where he can to suggest, advise, and participate in the shows at DHHS since 2016. Though the students change through the years, new talent coming in and out, he continues to stress that the evolution and execution of what you see on-stage is the product of the creative “hands” of these talented students (whether seniors grizzled with experience, or shiny new freshmen working their very first show). Eli would like to thank Joy and Mr. Salutari for the opportunity, and his wife her understanding and flexibility when the schedule gets crazy. Remember: Theatre without Stage Crew is a dark and quiet place!
