OPF Playbill (3)

Cabaret Theatre Presents:
Directors’ Showcase
COORDINATED BY
Josh Rosenzweig
PRODUCTION STAFF
Producer: Thomas M. Pflanz
Artistic Director: Samkit Siyal
VIDEO DESIGN BY
Dani Hoerle & Henry Strehlo
Directors’ Showcase will be
presented virtually with no
intermission
.

Featured Plays
“Last Chat” by Emily Hageman
directed by Maria Castro
Danny - Amit Bachani
Leah - Amani Alnababteh
“The Tragic Ballad of Carl” by Rashard
directed by Prava Punnamraju
Narrator - Jason Bediako
Annette - Mary Klein
Carl - Michael Flynn
“Annette and Gina” by Mo Gaffney and Kathy Najimy
directed by Miranda Madrazo
Annette - Hannah Vliet
Gina - Amani Alnababteh
CONNECT WITH US
rutgerscabaret.org
facebook.com/rutgerscabaret
Twitter: @RutgersCabaret
Instagram: @cabaret_theatre
Email: producer.cabarettheatre@gmail.com
SUPPORT STUDENT THEATRE

A note from the Coordinator
I first became involved with Directors' Showcase when I directed "The Philadelphia" by
David Ives in last year's festival. I directed alongside absolutely brilliant individuals, and
we were able to welcome both new and old members into our little black box theatre.
The festival grew a special place in my heart because I saw how happy it makes people. I
saw how inclusive of a place Cabaret is and how it allows artistic work to thrive in new
and exciting ways. That is why the Directors' Showcase will forever be so integral to my
life as well as the appreciation I possess for performing and theatrical creation.
The year 2020 has undoubtedly been strenuous and uncertain, to say the least. That
being said, I cannot express my gratitude enough to the Cabaret team for making
theatre a possibility during such tumultuous times. Despite the challenges of having to
perform virtually, I think this format will make theatre more accessible and available for
all people, which means no matter what obstacles are thrown into the faces of artistic
creators, we will always prevail.
The plays in this show each convey something really unique and salient: "The Tragic
Ballad of Carl" describes the existentiality of our human experiences and allegorically
relates to our own individual suffering; "Last Chat" is a beautiful story about love and
grief; and "Annette and Gina" illuminates a familiar story of two best friends that
navigate through their endless insecurities and place in the world. Each of these pieces
are analogous to the state of society right now — sharing them with the world is more
important than ever before.
Thank you Prava. Thank you Maria. Thank you Miranda. None of this could be possible
without you. Virtual theatre would be dead without your dedication and perseverance to
this unprecedented format. Thank you to all the actors involved for your talent and
ambition to allow your voices to be heard. Thank you Samkit for all your help with
organization and artistic input. Thank you Sabrina for your devotion to marketing and
creative outreach. And finally, thank you to our editing team for granting us a space and
a platform to continue making theatre when the future of theatre is unknown.
The dark days will be over soon. But until then, let us shine some light on you as you
enjoy the talent that is, Cabaret Theatre.
- Josh Rosenzweig, Directors’ Showcase Coordinator

BIOS
Amani Alnababteh (Leah & Gina)
Amani Alnababteh (Leah) and
(Gina) is thrilled to be a part of
Directors' showcase! This is her
second production project with
Cabaret. Other credits include:
The Wizard of Oz (Tin Man), The
Merry Wives of Windsor (Master
Ford), As You Like It (Rosalind),
Sure Thing (Betty), and The
Merchant of Venice (Portia).
Amani is very happy to be a part
of Cabaret Theatre and looks
forward to taking on the stage in
future productions. She would
like to the rest of the cast, the
staff, and her friends and family
for all their support.
Jason Bediako (Narrator)
Jason Bediako is a junior at
Rutgers University currently
double majoring in Information
Technology and Theater. He’s
excited that his theater experience
keeps growing here at Rutgers,
with this being his second year of
performing in Director’s
Showcase and also previously
being involved with The College
Ave Players as well as the
cancelled productions of Mamma
Mia! with The LTC and The 25th
Annual Putnam County Spelling
Bee with Cabaret. He hopes that
you all enjoy this one of a kind
production!
Amit Bachani (Danny)
Amit Bachani is very excited to be a
part of the Director’s Showcase this
year! This is his second
collaboration with Maria Castro and
his third production in Cabaret
Theatre. His previous credits
include Maria Castro’s “Chai Love”
and Carson Cummins’s “Above The
Ground” in the Original Play
Festival. He would like to thank the
editorial staff and the executive
board for their immense hard work,
his wonderful director, and his
supremely talented co-star, Amani
Alnababteh, for making the artistic
process so wonderful. He would also
like to thank his amazing family for
their unconditional support and
love!
Michael Flynn (Carl)
Michael is back again with Cabaret
Theatre for a third time after
performing in last year's Director's
Showcase and this year's OPF. He is
a senior ITI major and Theatre
minor at Rutgers. He is also a
member of the Rutgers University
Choir (Bass 2) and the vice president
for the Rutgers University
Quidditch team. He would like to
thank all those involved in
Director's Showcase for making it a
great experience during this time of
uncertainty. He hopes you all enjoy
the performance!

Mary A Klein (Annette)
Mary Klein (Woman) is very
happy to play Annette and
animate The Tragic Ballad of Carl
in Director’s Showcase! You may
recognize her from Cabaret’s Next
To Normal as Diana Goodman,
Queenie in The Wild Party, and
Woman/Jenny in Chai Love as
part of Cabaret’s last virtual
production, Original Play Festival.
She is incredibly grateful theater
has been made possible for our
community in these challenging
times. She hopes everyone is
staying safe and having a happy
and healthy time. BIG thank you
to her family, friends, and all
audience members alike for
tuning in -- enjoy the show!
Hannah Vliet (Annette)
Hannah Vliet (Annette) is so
excited to be a part of Directors’
Showcase 2020! She has
previously worked with Cabaret
Theatre in this season’s OPF and
Directors’ Showcase 2018, as well
as with the College Avenue
Players in several productions.
Hannah is an Honors College
junior double majoring in Theatre
Arts and Cinema Studies,
minoring in Creative Writing.
She would like to thank Miranda
and Amani for being such
dynamic collaborators, and
Annette and Gina for being the
icons that they are.
Maria Castro
Maria Castro is so honored to have
directed "Last Chat" in this year's
Director's Showcase! Some of her
previous Cabaret credits include
directing "Chai Love" in retro-OPF, Cab
& LTC's Keep Holding On and Before
the Breakdown musical revues, and
makeup designing for Harvey. Other
credits include Pugsley in LTC's The
Addams Family and A Broadway
Cabaret with The Virtual Performers.
Maria is also on Cab's general board as
a co-house manager and box office
assistant. Much love to her extremely
supportive friends and family, and to
Amit and Amani (aka her shining stars).
Pravalika Punnamraju
This is Prava’s second time directing in
Director’s Showcase! Prava’s previous
credits include Harvey, The Pajama
Game, and Rumors. She is so thankful
to have this opportunity during these
trying times, and is so proud of the cast
and crew for all their work. She would
also like to thank her roommate for
allowing her to hold rehearsals in their
tiny bedroom. Enjoy the show!
Miranda Madrazo
Miranda Madrazo, a junior studying
geography, is delighted to make her
directorial debut with Cabaret Theatre
for “Annette and Gina.” She hopes this
short play will impart some laughter
and nostalgia to viewers. Miranda is
also in the Livingston Theatre
Company’s virtual production of The
Addams Family and previously music
directed “Keep Holding On,” the Back
to School Revue. She would like to
thank Amani and Hannah for their
positivity and dedication, and credit
her mother and grandmother for
sharing this script with her.

ABOUT CABARET
Since 1975, Cabaret Theatre has been committed to providing
opportunities to Rutgers University students to learn about all
aspects of theatre, including acting, directing, choreographing,
designing, writing, technical work, marketing, and more. Cabaret
also prides itself on providing the Rutgers and New Brunswick
community with affordable, high-quality theatrical productions
throughout the school year.
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Producer - Thomas M. Pflanz
Artistic Director - Samkit Siyal
Production Manager - Jamie White
Director of Finance - Nicole Jimenez
Director of Marketing - Sabrina Caruso
GENERAL BOARD
Associate Producer: Carson Cummins
Associate Artistic Director: Sabrina Dunn
Rutgers Night Live Representative: Jack Oliver
Director’s Showcase Coordinator: Joshua Rosenzweig
Original Play Festival Coordinator: Sam Sobel
Technical Director: Zachary Hassel
Associate Technical Directors: Kyle Cao, Michael Einiger, Grace
Finlayson, Grace Hazen, Mary Klein, Prava Punnamraju, Sagar
Singal
Sound Coordinator: Michael Einiger
House Managers: Maria Castro, Mary Klein
Box Office Manager: Grace Hazen
Box Office Assistants: Kyle Cao, Maria Castro, Kyle Higgins,
Hayden Klein, Adia Moore, Prava Punnamraju
Graphic Designer/Web Designer: Valerie Lozano
Social Media Chairs: Sophie Hill, Kate Dobbs
Visual Media Team: Dani Hoerle, Henry Strehlo
Marquee Specialist: Paige Jarusiewicz
SPECIAL THANKS
LAURA CHRISTIANSEN
MASON GROSS SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
GRAPHIC DESIGN BY VALERIE LOZANO