WaterTower Theatre's CREEP World Premiere Begins Tonight

WaterTower Theatre presents the world premiere of Donald Fowler's musical CREEP. The musical will open WaterTower Theatre's 2015-2016 Season on Monday, October 5, 2015 (with previews tonight, October 2, Saturday, October 3, and a Gala Preview performance on Sunday, October 4). Kate Galvin, Associate Producer at the 11th Hour Theatre Company in Philadelphia, will direct. CREEP is produced by Terry Martin.

The cast includes Sarah Elizabeth Smith as Mary, Christia Mantzke as Mother, Jonathan Bragg as Jackson, Daniel Rowan as Christian, Patty Breckenridge as Polly, Alyssa Gardner as Anne and Abby Chapman as Young Mary. The ensemble features Stephen Bates, Lillian Andrea De Leon, Raul Escalona, Alex Heika, Linda Leonard, Janelle Lutz, Kyle Montgomery, Calvin Scott Roberts, Kathryn Taylor Rose, Molly Welch and Seth Womack.

Making their WaterTower Theatre debut in CREEP will be Jonathan Bragg, Abby Chapman, Lillian Andrea De Leon, Raul Escalona, Alyssa Gardner, Alex Heika, Janelle Lutz, Kyle Montgomery, Kathryn Taylor Rose and Daniel Rowan.

The creative team, in addition to Kate Galvin and Donald Fowler, includes Kevin Gunter (Musical Director), Kelly McCain (Choreographer), Jeff Schmidt (Set Designer), Derek Whitener and Victor Newman Brockwell (Co-Costume Designers), Jason Foster (Lighting Designer), Curtis Craig (Sound Designer), Kellen Voss (Assistant Sound Designer/Sound Mixer), Adam C. Wright (Copyist/Transcriber), Dan Kazemi (Orchestrator), Jeff Colangelo (Fight Choreographer), Sara Lovett (Dialect Coach), Kyle Eric Bradford (Dramaturg), Caron Grant (Production Stage Manager) and Stefany Cambra (Assistant Stage Manager).

Single tickets to CREEP go on sale September 15, 2015 at 12 noon by calling 972-450-6232 or online at www.watertowertheatre.org

Donald Fowler's new musical CREEP had a workshop performance at the 2010 Out of the Loop Fringe Festival at WaterTower Theatre and later by Uptown Players in 2013. In February and June 2015, the musical was given a week-long workshop rehearsal with director Kate Galvin.

A special fundraising campaign -- the WaterTower Theatre 2015 Producers' Circle -- was established to raise funds in support of CREEP. Nicholas Even is chairing the Campaign. Barbara Daseke is chairing the Producers' Circle Gala Preview on October 4, 2015. The Producers' Circle Committee includes Heather and Scott Alexander, Derek Blount, Shannon Brame, Anita and Tom Braun, Stan Graner, Terry Martin, Karol Omlor and Lynn and Allan McBee. Contribution opportunities range from $25,000 to $1,000. Many generous donations have been received to help with the production costs of producing CREEP.

CREEP is an original musical with a cast of 18 actors and an orchestra of 10 told within the world of Jack the Ripper, the infamous Victorian serial killer. No one knows who the Ripper was, or his motivations, but he was, in a macabre way, a product of his time. Harsh and inhumane conditions of the period, an indifference towards children, and a savage lifestyle all conspired to create an environment conducive to violence and sexual deviance. It is not surprising then that the psychological and social infrastructure of the 19th century produced the first modern serial killer. CREEP explores the world that created the infamous Jack the Ripper and, more importantly, metaphorically examines the darkness possible in every individual when they are forced to adapt, use, or hide from truth in order to survive.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM:

Donald Fowler is one of Dallas' most prolific actors and writers and has performed with virtually every major theatre company in North Texas. His distinguished acting career is highlighted, in part, from his multiple appearances at WaterTower Theatre, including Man of La Mancha, Company, Rockin' Christmas Party, Sweeney Todd, Enter the Guardsman, Working,and Parade. In 2005, Mr. Fowler premiered his one man show, Jacket Required, during WaterTower Theatre's Out of the Loop Festival. Other notable appearances in the metroplex include Bells are Ringing at Irving Arts Center, Elegies and I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change! at Theatre Three; The Collection at the Bath House Cultural Center; Uptown Player's Wild Party, Kiss of the Spider Woman, A New Brain and Falsettos; Cloud 9 for Echo Theatre; and Plano Repertory Theatre's Floyd Collins (for which he won a 2001 Leon Rabin Award). Donald was subsequently nominated in 2002 and 2003 for his performances in Cabaret, Cloud 9 and A New Brain. He is the author of the plays The Politics of Up and Peggy Lee on the Midway.

Kate Galvin is an Associate Producer at the 11th Hour Theatre Company in Philadelphia, PA. Before that she was the Casting Director and Assistant to the Producing Artistic Director at the Walnut Street Theatre Company. She is the co-creator of the musical, Austentatious, which was produced by 11th Hour in 2006 and has since been produced in New York, London and Calgary. Kate is also a freelance director and audition coach. She holds a Bachelor's of Music in Vocal Performance from NYU and a Master's of Arts in Musical Theatre (Producing) from Goldsmiths, University of London.

Terry Martin's long and distinguished career in the theatre has established him as one of this country's leading actors, directors and arts administrators. As WaterTower Theatre's Producing Artistic Director for the last 15 years, Terry has placed an indelible stamp on the professional theatre scene in Texas through his stewardship of one of the nation's fastest growing theatres. During his tenure at WaterTower Theatre, the company has received 129 Dallas Theatre League Leon Rabin Award nominations and 31 Dallas-Fort Worth Critics' Forum awards. Terry's extraordinary body of work as a director at WaterTower Theatre includes a number of influential, award-winning productions such as Sexy Laundry, Full Gallop, Dogfight, The Grapes of Wrath, Putting it Together, Spring Awakening, The Diary of Anne Frank, Sweeney Todd, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, A Country Life, Take Me Out, Cabaret, Little Shop of Horrors, The Laramie Project and The Crucible. Equally comfortable directing a large, Broadway-style musical such as The Music Man or an intimate play like Doubt, Terry is widely acknowledged as one of this country's most influential directors working today. He is a proud member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. He attended the University of Alabama and has trained professionally with Sanford Meisner, Fred Kareman, Wynn Handman, Sally Johnson and Lehmann Byck. He is a committed mentor and teacher and teaches on-going classes in the Sanford Meisner technique at WTT and has periodically served as an adjunct professor of acting at the University of Texas at Dallas.

ABOUT THE CAST:

Jonathan Bragg (Jackson Crown) is thrilled to be a part of this world premiere production of CREEP in his first WaterTower Theatre show! He is a proud alumnus of the Abilene Christian University theater department. His favorite local roles include the Caliph (Kismet) at Lyric Stage, Man 1 (Songs for a New World) at Uptown Players, Sid El Kar (The Desert Song) at Lyric Stage, Father (Ragtime) at Uptown Players/TCC, Magaldi (Evita) at Casa Mañana, Dr. Madden/Fine (Next to Normal) at Uptown Players, Ben (Rags) at Lyric Stage, the Storm Trooper (The Producers) at Uptown Players, and Sir Lionel (Camelot) at Casa Mañana.

Patty Breckenridge (Polly) is a critically acclaimed musical theatre artist in the DFW area. Patty was last seen in Dallas Theater Center's World Premiere musical, The Fortress of Solitude as Rachel. Some of her other past performances include: Diana Goodman in Next To Normal (Regional Premiere), Neely O'Hara in Valley of the Dolls, Amneris in AIDA(Uptown Players), Aldonza in Man of La Mancha, Jeannie in The Great American Trailer Park Musical (WaterTower Theatre), Luisa in Nine (ICT), Susan Lawrence and BIG: The Musical (Theatre Arlington). Patty has been with CREEP since its inception several years ago and has participated in every workshop and transformation it has gone through.

Abby Chapman (Young Mary) is thrilled to make her WaterTower Theatre debut in CREEP. Abby's past theatre experience includes Les Miserables and A Christmas Carol at the Dallas Theater Center, Skippyjon Jones at Dallas Children's Theater, and Les Miserables at Repertory Company Theater. Recent film experience includes To Whom It May Concern (short). Abby has participated in productions through Kim Dawson Studio, RCT, and DTC SummerStage. She is a sixth grader at Parish Episcopal School where she is active in the theatre program.

Alyssa Gardner (Anne) graduated from Texas Christian University with a BFA in Theatre, emphasis in Musical Theatre and is thrilled to be making her WaterTower Theatre debut. She has been seen onstage at Casa Mañana in shows such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Bass Hall, Hairspray, Suessical the Musical, Big River, Cats (Demeter), 42nd Street, Camelot, Peter Pan (Peter), Cinderella (Cinderella), The Sound of Music (Leisl) and Steel Magnolias with Ruta Lee (Annelle). Alyssa has also participated in the Trinity Shakespeare Festival's productions of Hamlet (Ophelia), Much Ado About Nothing, The Comedy of Errors and The Tempest (Miranda). Other Texas theatre venues include Mame with Garland Summer Musicals, Rudolph and the Rednosed Reindeer the Musical at The Majestic Theatre in Dallas, and most recently Catch Me if You Can with Uptown Players. She has taught throughout the metroplex at The Dallas Theater Center, Kids Who Care, LifeSong Studio in Grapevine and is currently home at Casa Mañana as the Education and Outreach Manager.

Christia Mantzke (Mother) has been seen in Dallas at WaterTower Theatre in Hank Williams: Lost Highway (Waitress) and Bonnie & Clyde ( Emma Parker), at the Dallas Theater Center in Les Miserables (Madame Thenardier) and at Lyric Stage in The Human Comedy (Kate). She made her Broadway debut in Smokey Joe's Cafe and has toured the country with Fame-The Musical and My Way. Favorite regional credits include Sleeping Beauty Wakes at the Kirk Douglas (Center Theatre Group) in Los Angeles, Elaborate Lives-Aida at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta and Beehive at The Arkansas Rep.

Daniel Rowan (Christian) was most recently seen, locally, as Enjolras in Casa Mañana's LES MISERABLES, and in Dutch Kills Theatre Company's new adaptation of the Greek tragedy Trojan Women as Talthybius, in NYC. Off-Broadway: The Fantasticks (Matt). Regional credits include: Miss Saigon (Chris, Casa Mañana), Rodger's & Hammerstein's Cinderella (Prince, Casa Mañana), Sweeney Todd, starring Norm Lewis (Anthony, Casa Mañana), and My Fair Lady (Freddy, Lyric).

Sarah Elizabeth Smith (Mary) holds a B.F.A. in Theatre Performance from Baylor University. Her regional theatre credits include Bonnie & Clyde (Blanche Barrow) and Putting It Together (Woman 2) at WaterTower Theatre, The Boy From Oz (Liza Minnelli) and Kiss of the Spider Woman (Marta) at Uptown Players, Ordinary Days with Our Productions, The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Edwin Drood) at PFamily Arts, and City of Angels (Angel City 4) at Theatre Three.

WaterTower Theatre is one of the leading regional theatres in North Dallas and Texas. The Company's 2014-2015 Season is its 19th season. It is consistently recognized for its artistic excellence by the Dallas Theatre League, Dallas/Fort Worth Theatre Critics Forum, The Dallas Morning News, The Dallas Observer, D Magazine and The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, among others. WaterTower Theatre has a subscription base of more than 2,000 subscribers and serves an audience of over 32,000 patrons annually.

 

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