PRODUCTION TEAM
Rick Jones
author/composer/lyricist/producer
This is Rick’s sixth musical, and the third to reach the stage. He started his career as an actor in the U.K., first in repertory in Manchester, then moving to London to appear in the West End production of Fiorello!, and Spoon River Anthology, before being hired by the BBC to front two of their longest running children’s shows Playschool, and Fingerbobs, both jobs that allowed him time to develop his songwriting talents and help bring up his daughters, Leaflyn and Chrysta. He recorded two solo albums in the seventies, before joining the Country Rock band MEAL TICKET in which, with David Pierce, he wrote the songs that inspired Roger Penycate to forge the partnership that produced Laughing Daughter. He still gigs with his wife and best friend, Valerie Neale. Their CD, Life Drawing, was released this year.
Roger Penycate
author/producer
Roger has been everything from a croupier to the manager of a traveling Irish Dance company. He’s been around the world, and headed a company that played in front of the Queen’s household. In the late seventies, while training corporate executives to work as teams, he ran into Rick Jones and his band MEAL TICKET. Roger always thought the songs were great stories, and would form the core of an excellent musical. A few years back, he found Rick in California and suggested they write Laughing Daughter – although the actual title was to appear much later. As well as his duties as Producer of the show, he happens to be Operations Manager for a special events company in Richmond, Virginia..
ADDITIONAL
PRODUCTION TEAM MEMBERS
BLACK BOX THEATRE
INDIAN HEAD, MD
James D. Watson
orchestrations/arrangements/music direction
Jim has most recently music directed and sound designed The Prince Who Hopped A Bus (Natural Theatricals) and played for The Full Monty (Reston Community Players). In 2008, he music directed and accompanied Beauty and the Beast (Natural Theatricals) at the National Theatre as part of that space’s Monday Night series, played Little Women (Tantallon Community Players) and contributed original compositions for Accokeekcreek Theatreco’s production of The Odd Couple. In 2007, he orchestrated and arranged the music for the world premiere of Will You Know It’s Me? (Natural Theatricals), directed David Auburn’s Proof (Hard Bargain Players), accompanied Mame (Tantallon Community Players) and music-directed Pippin for NobleHeart Theatre Company. Previous music-directing credits include The Last 5 Years (Tantallon Community Players), Floyd Collins (Hard Bargain Players) and You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (NobleHeart). Other favorite performances include The King and I, Canterbury Tales and Jesus Christ Superstar (College of Southern Maryland). His original musical score for NobleHeart’s 2005 production of Frankenstein was revived for the Erie Playhouse (Erie, Pennsylvania) in October 2007, with new songs written for its production. Other composition credits include Painted Love (Baltimore 48 Hour Film Project), Twelfth Night and The Tempest (Lean & Hungry Theatre) and Just Like Us (Greensboro College Theatre). Next, he is writing two one-act plays with science fiction themes.
Bill Graves
director
As a thirty-year veteran if the Southern Maryland Theater community, Bill has worked in virtually all aspects of Theater. He most recently directed A Man For All Seasons for the Port Tobacco Players in LaPlata, where he also directed Company, and Jesus Christ Superstar. He directed Frankenstein, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, and Agnes Of God for Noble Heart at the Black Box Theatre in Indian Head, and Night Mother for the Hard Bargain Players in Accokeek.
Kathryn Elizabeth Kelly
choreography
Kathryn most recently was a part of creating and performing Old Lore Theatre’s Annabel Lee (Winner – 2009 Capital Fringe Best Dance Award). As an actor and dancer, her regional credits include: Everyman Theatre: The Cherry Orchard (Dunyasha); Chesapeake Shakespeare Company: The Comedy of Errors (Luciana), The Tempest (Juno), A Doll’s House (Kristine Linde); Synetic Family Theatre: The Snow Queen (Snow Queen), Aesop’s Fables (Ensemble), Galactika (Halley); TRAINING: Virginia Commonwealth University, BFA in Theatre Performance; UPCOMING: Deviated Theatre: Lore (Queen), Token (Ensemble); Chesapeake Shakespeare: Lysistrata (Ensemble). Ms. Kelly is a company member with Deviated Theatre and Fantaziya Ukrainian Dance Ensemble.
Jodie Mueller
lighting design
Jodie is pleased to return to the Black Box, her home theater, to design lights for Laughing Daughter. She started hanging, designing and running lights during college in a guerilla style theater group without a theater. Since coming to Southern Maryland, she has worked in some lighting capacity for all three local theaters on shows such as Hard Bargain’s Hot and Throbbing, and Port Tobacco Players' Sweeny Todd, and a host of Black Box shows including Frankenstein, A Christmas Carol (one man show), Driving Miss Daisy, and Wit.
Shemika Berry
makeup design
Shemika trained at the University of Maryland and Louisiana Tech University. She has been active in local theater, appearing with the Port Tobacco Players in Gypsy (Electra), Ragtime (ensemble), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hippolyta).
Melissa Gilpin
production stage manager
Melissa is excited to be back at the Black Box and working on such a unique production. Previous stage management credits at the Black Box include You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Agnes of God, and Pippin. Recently Melissa was the Assistant Director for Port Tobacco Player’s A Man for All Seasons and directed The Good Doctor at Hard Bargain Farm. Melissa is looking forward to her next position as the Assistant Producer for A Christmas Carol at Port Tobacco Players.
