I'd like to start with a special dedication to Mr. Renzo Ventrella, The Chair of the Fine Arts Department, who passed away suddenly last month. I miss his spirit and joy tremendously, and this place will never be the same without him. I would like to dedicate this show to him, as I know he would've enjoyed this production in particular immensely. And while he will not be physically here to see it, I know he will be watching from above, filling the heavens with the sound of his roaring laughter.
I have been blessed with an amazing team and I am beyond grateful for all their help and support. This show could not have happened without their dedication and vision. A HUGE thank you to the Stage Crew students, Conor Hurley '14 (moderator), Anna Brown, Desmond O'Byrne, Jennifer Hill, and Daniel Schreckengost who all worked countless hours behind the scenes to make this show possible. Thank you to Mr. Frank Leahy and his crew for once again preparing this space and allowing us to make this production happen. A special thanks to my longtime friend, colleague, creative companion and assistant director, Lisa Hickman for her time, help, vision and hard work; she brings characters to life and I could not have done this without her! A thank you is in order for Tim Eliot, our Shakespeare consultant extraordinaire, who spent countless hour teaching this cast how to tackle the language of Shakespeare, which helped their performances tremendously. He is a wealth of knowledge, and really helped these kids prepare for their roles. A HUGE thank you to Isobel Stanger '20 (Notre Dame), our director's assistant, for all her hard work during rehearsals and behind the scenes. Also a thank you to Justin Wong '18, who designed the flyer and playbill for this show. Thank you to Greg Stelzer and the CFX volunteers for their time and generosity. I’d also like to thank Notre Dame High School and St. Vincent Ferrer for sharing their talented and dedicated students. I’m also incredibly grateful to the parents of the students in the cast and crew for their patience, understanding, and support. Finally, I’d like to thank Mr. Jack Raslowsky, Mr. Mike LiVigni, and the entire Xavier administration for their tremendous support of the Xavier Dramatics Society and all the fine arts here at Xavier. I am filled with gratitude to for the opportunity to work at a school that is so devoted to its students and their artistic needs and aspirations.
-Nicole DiMarco, Director and Producer of Dramatics
