When I was offered this slot to direct in our department’s theatre season, I immediately put forward that I wanted to do a play for and about the LGBTQIA+ Community. My wonderful colleague suggested this show and while I had heard about it (in part by Matt Gittins, who composed our production’s version of “Lost & Found” and played Georgia in a professional production in Cleveland), I had never read or seen this play. I’m so glad this was the piece we decided on and putting it together with the students, faculty and staff has been a beautiful experience.

As Matthew Lopez so beautifully states in this play, “Drag is a raised fist inside a sequined glove”. Queer Representation Matters. Young people witnessing examples of non-heteronormative behavior saves lives. People will say this is especially true given the current political climate, and while that may be, it’s not the first nor the last time queer rights have or will be challenged in this country. I genuinely believe that most if not all the right-wing political agenda regarding queer and transgender rights are people with power punching down to maintain status, nothing more. To them I say, WE’RE HERE, WE’RE QUEER, AND IT’S ABOUT DAMN TIME YOU GOT USED TO IT.

This play offers several moments that represent drag performance. I say this to be clear that we are putting on a theatrical production with drag elements, not an actual drag show. If you wish to learn more about or experience actual drag performance, I encourage you to seek it out through many mediums, most importantly through professional live performance.

Lastly, to those who have been convinced that drag performance and/or performers are in any way trying to harm or indoctrinate youth or any individuals, I would ask you to please find me after the show and discuss one instance where this has been proven to be true or, if you’d rather, please simply sashay away.

-James Stover

This play contains descriptions of violence towards and hate speech against members of the LGBTQIA+ Community. Adult language is frequently used throughout the performance.

Director: James Stover

Assistant Director: MJ Huizenga

Stage Manager: Evelyn J. Berry

Technical Director: Daniel S. Mangan

Lighting Designer: Marcus Sherrell

Scenic Designer: Kelly Mangan

Costume Designer: Margaret McCubbin U.S.A.A.

Sound Designer: Jason Walton

Dramaturg: Dane Leasure

Intimacy Choreographer: Sara Lipinski Chambers

Elvis Movement Consultants: Brian Steinberg and Courtney Crouse

Prop Coordinator: Kelly Mangan

Choreography: Elijah Ackles, Aria Evans #, and James Stover

Costume Shop Supervisor: Laurel Daman

Assistant to Costume Designer and Makeup Designer for Mr. McIntosh: Frankie Grey #

Scene Shop Supervisor: Daniel S. Mangan

1st Assistant Stage Manager: Vic Picoult

Sound Engineer: Jason Walton

Sound Board Operator: Hannah Merkel

Master Electrician: Jim Dachik

Light Board Operator: Daisy Berry #

Scenic Artist: Kelly Mangan

Wardrobe Crew Head: Eden Sheidler

Wardrobe Crew: Izzy Brown, Quen Gill, and Mark Peoples

Deck Crew: Jo Jensen and Jon Norden

Graduate Assistants: Nikolai Dignoti, Zahra Shirvani, and Gifty Tay

Student Employees: Alivia Carpenter, Maya George, Liv Lutz #, Eden Sheidler, and Lizzy Varis

And students from THFM 1010/3010 Production Participation and THFM 1480/4690/5730 Costume Construction/Design

Shop Supervisor: Daniel S. Mangan

Graduate Assistants: Blaine Hudak, MJ Huizenga, and John Jordan

Student Master Carpenter: Leta Jorda-Talevich #

Student Employees: Kayla Collins, Max Collins, Patch Kelch, Jonathan Norden, and Ella Sidder #

And students from THFM 1010/3010 Production Participation

Box Office Manager: Story Moosa

Assistant Box Office Manager: Oreoluwa "Bukkola" Ayoola

Box Office Staff: Sarah Hopson

Ushers: Department of Theatre and Film Ambassadors

Front of House Manager: Oreoluwa "Bukkola" Ayoola

The region in which Bowling Green State University and its campuses are situated inhabit the Great Black Swamp and the Lower Great Lakes region.This land is the homeland of the Wyandot, Kickapoo, Miami, Potawatomi, Odawa and multiple other Indigenous tribal nations, present and past, who were forcibly removed to and from the area. We recognize these historical and contemporary ties in our efforts toward decolonizing history and thank the Indigenous individuals and communities who havebeen living and working on this land from time immemorial.

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, part of the Rubenstein Arts Access Program, is generously funded by David M. Rubenstein.

Special thanks to The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust for supporting the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

Additional support is provided by The Honorable Stuart Bernstein and Wilma E. Bernstein; and the Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation.

Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts.

This production is entered in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF). The aims of this national theater education program are to identify and promote quality in college-level theater production. To this end, each production entered is eligible for a response by a regional KCACTF representative, and selected students and faculty are invited to participate in KCACTF programs involving scholarships, internships, grants and awards for actors, directors, dramaturgs, playwrights, designers, stage managers and critics at both the regional and national levels.

Productions entered on the Participating level are eligible for invitation to the KCACTF regional festival and may also be considered for national awards recognizing outstanding achievement in production, design, direction and performance.

Last year more than 1,500 productions were entered in the KCACTF involving more than 200,000 students nationwide. By entering this production, our theater department is sharing in the KCACTF goals to recognize, reward, and celebrate the exemplary work produced in college and university theaters across the nation.

Originally commissioned by The Old Globe, San Diego, California (Louis Spisto, Executive Producer)

Originally developed and produced at the Denver Center Theatre Company (Kent Thompson, Artistic Director)

New York Premiere at the MCC Theater September 9, 2015

Artistic Directors; Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, & William Cantler

Executive Director; Blake West

“Lost and Found”

• Music by Joe Tippett
• Lyrics by Matthew López

"PADAM PADAM"

• Norbert Glanzberg / Henri Contet

© Ed. Salabert c/o Universal Music Publishing