BLOWN YOUTH by Dipika Guha
October 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 @ 8:00PM
October 11 @ 2:00PM
This piece is inspired by William Shakespeare’s HAMLET. The modern twist? This play
explores what happens to the universe when a woman is put at the center. We are pleased
to present the Midwest debut of this new play by Dipika Guha.
Cast

Anna Sciaccotta
as Celia
Anna is a senior BFA Acting major from Barrington, IL. Previous McPherson Theatre
credits include Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Ensemble/Ivan’s Concierge/featured
dancer), The Drowsy Chaperone (assistantdirector), andserving on the wardrobe crews
for Hay Fever, FCDC Sins, and 9 to 5: The Musical. Credits in the E. Melba Johnson
Kirkpatrick Laboratory include Treasure (Maria Reynolds), and the wardrobe crews for
Red Devils and The Memory of Water. In the Phoenix Theatre she has appeared in Matt
& Ben (Matt Damon) and Steel Magnolias (Ouiser Boudreaux). Anna recently completed
a semester abroad at the British American Drama Academy in London, England, where
appeared in Kelly Hunter’s production of MacBeth (Ross/Angus/Lennox) in the spring
of 2015. “Special thanks to my truly remarkable friends and family. All of you have
supported me so very much. Thank you for helping me pursue my passions and turn my
words into actions. Thank you for being a soft place to fall if ever I need it. Thank
you for reminding me that it’s okay to fail as long as you fail as big as you can.
I am forever grateful.”
Contact:
asciacco
@iwu.edu

Brooke Teweles
as Anne
Brooke is a sophomore BFA Acting major from Los Angeles, CA. In McPherson, crew work
includes Faculty Choreographed Dance Concert 2015: Losing It (light hang electrician),
Where In The World Is Frank Sparrow? (light hang electrician/run crew), Women on the
Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (run crew), and A Lie of the Mind (wardrobe crew). In
the E. Melba Johnson Kirkpatrick Laboratory Theatre, she served on the wardrobe crew
for The Shape of Things. She appeared in a staged reading of Upon the Fragile Shore (Actress
D) in the Phoenix Theatre. “All the love in the world to my supportive and inspiring
friends and family! You are the reason I’m able to be here doing what I love.”
Contact: bteweles@iwu.edu

Cassondra Takas
as Shia
Cassondra is a senior BFA Acting major from Grand Haven, MI. During her time here
at IWU, she has also been able to focus on makeup design, and has designed makeup
for Where in the World is Frank Sparrow?, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,
and the upcoming Giant, as well as serving on wardrobe crew for The Drowsy Chaperone,
Hay Fever, and A Class Act, all in McPherson Theatre. Credits in the E. Melba Johnson
Kirkpatrick Laboratory Theatre include The Shape of Things (wardrobe crew head) and
Problem Child (wardrobe crew). She has participated in Advanced Scene Study class
and the Directing Class Ten-Minute Play Festival, as well as performing in Voices
of Gaza (Woman 1/Mother) in the Phoenix Theatre. “I’d like to thank God and my family.
They are my rock. I couldn’t have accomplished any of this without you. Thank you
for believing in me!”
Contact:
ctakas
@iwu.edu

Maggie Patchett
as Audre
Maggie is a senior BA Theatre Arts major from Elmhurst, IL. Previous McPherson credits
include Where In The World Is Frank Sparrow? (asst. director), Women on the Verge
of a Nervous Breakdown (Ana), and other work includes The Drowsy Chaperone (usher),
Hay Fever (asst. costume designer), A Class Act (wardrobe crew), Faculty Choreographed
Dance Concert 2013: Sins (asst. costume designer), and As You Like It (wardrobe crew).
In the E. Melba Johnson Kirkpatrick Laboratory Theatre, Maggie served on wardrobe
crew for Float and performed in Problem Child (Helen), and will make her EMJK Lab
directing debut this May with Body Awareness. Her directing work has been seen in
the Phoenix Theatre and includes Doris Day and Oh, the Humanity for the Directing class
Ten-Minute Play Festival. She also appeared in the Phoenix in Steel Magnolias (Annelle).
This spring and summer, Maggie had the pleasure of serving as Production Assistant
for Route 66 Theatre Company’s 2015 New Play Development Workshop, and interned at
Lifeline Theatre in Chicago.
Contact:
mpatchet
@iwu.edu

Erica Werner
as Ray
Erica is a senior BFA Music Theatre major from Lake Forest, IL. Work in McPherson
Theatre includes Faculty Choreographed Dance Concert 2015: Losing It (dancer), Women
on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Lucia), A Lie of the Mind (assistant properties
master), The Drowsy Chaperone (Janet Van De Graff), A Class Act (Cyd), Hay Fever (light
board operator), Faculty Choreographed Dance Concert 2013: Sins (wardrobe crew), As
You Like It (light hang electrician), A Shayna Maidel (light hang electrician), and
9 to 5: The Musical (wardrobe crew). In the E. Melba Johnson Kirkpatrick Laboratory
Theatre she served as an usher for Treasure. Last spring, she performed in The New
Hopeville Comics (Pete) as part of the Music Theatre Workshop class, has performed
in the Directing class Ten-Minute Play Festival, the Student Choreographed Dance Concerts,
and serves as the Artistic Director of 24 Hour Theatre Festival. An active participant
in Music Theatre Society, Erica has performed in Redhead the Musical (Sarah Simpson),
and Bloomer Girl (Dolly). “Mom and Dad, you mean the world to me and I love you with
every last bit of my heart. Thank you for believing in me and supporting my decision
to go into theatre.”
Contact:
ewerner
@iwu.edu

Elizabeth Ferris
as Margaret
Elizabeth is a junior BFA Acting major from Fairview Heights, IL. Previous McPherson
credits include Where In The World Is Frank Sparrow? (Hare/Ensemble), and E. Melba
Johnson Kirkpatrick Laboratory Theatre credits include The Shape of Things (Evelyn)
and F2M (Linda Lou). She has acted in both the Directing Class Ten-Minute Play Festival
in the Phoenix and 24 Hour Theatre Festival. “All hail the Mama and the Papa. Always.”
Contact:
eferris
@iwu.edu

Melissa Iheakam
as Jo
Melissa is a sophomore Biology Premed student with a minor in Religion from Port Harcourt
Nigeria. She is thrilled to be making her acting debut in Blown Youth here at IWU.
“I’d like to thank Nancy Loitz for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this
great project; Forrest, Dana, and Lela for being so helpful at every single rehearsal;
and also the rest of my castmates for being patient with me while I navigated my way
through my first play and also for not laughing when I didn’t know the theatre/stage
terms such as: upstage, downstage, and cheat out. P.S. Thank you to everyone else
who contributed in making the show a success.”
Contact: oiheakam@iwu.edu

Nancy B. Loitz
Director
Nancy came to IWU in 1986 as the Coordinator of the Music Theatre program. During
her years in this role, she directed productions from a variety of genres including
Aaron Copeland’s opera The Tender Land and the operettas Most Happy Fella and Candide.
Her non-musical productions from a variety of genres including Arthur Kopit’s Wings
to Euripides’ Medea to David Mamet’s Bobby Gould in Hell. She has particularly enjoyed
her work with new playwrights on the development of original works, including The
Making of Finley Smith which was written by IWU alumni Duke Novak and Mara Hesed. Nancy
was appointed Director of the School of Theatre Arts in 1999 and served in this capacity
for seven years before taking a leave for her work at Augustana College. Moving to
this position coincided with a shift in her focus from stage directing to the incorporation
of the technique Alba Emoting into her work as an acting teacher and coach. Nancy
studied extensively with neurophysiologist Susana Block, the originator of this powerful
tool. Alba Emoting practitioners can skillfully manipulate physical manifestations
of human emotion to trigger and control genuine subjective responses which can then
be applied to an actor’s work. Dr. Bloch’s work originated in Chile (where Nancy received
her first training) and Denmark. Nancy was one of the first two American acting teachers
to be certified to train actors to use Alba Emoting. She has taught the method in
an academic setting at IWU, Augustana College and the University of Asheville. She
has also brought it to professional actors through intensive seminars in Zurich, Switzerland,
Milan, Italy, at Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago and at the Cincinnati Conservatory
of Music.
Contact: nloitz@iwu.edu

Forrest Loeffler
Assistant Director
Forrest is a senior BFA Acting major from Lexington, Kentucky. Forrest has appeared
in A Lie of the Mind (Baylor), Hay Fever (Richard Greatham) in McPherson Theatre,
as well as serving as dramaturg for last season’s Where In The World Is Frank Sparrow?.
In the E. Melba Johnson Kirkpatrick Laboratory Theatre, he appeared in Problem Child
(Phillie Phillips). As part of Play Workshop class, Forrest performed in An Actor
Prepares (Stanislavsky 1) in the Lab Theatre. “Special thanks to Mazhah and Fazhah.”
Contact: floeffle@iwu.edu
Entire cast & crew program
View entire photo gallery