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Forward 

Chantal Bilodeau

STAGE MANAGER

Kansas State University

World Premiere

Purple Masque Theatre, Winter 2016

The second play of the Arctic Cycle, Forward presents a poetic and humorous history of Norway, from the initial passion that drove explorer Fridtjof Nansen to the North Pole to our present-day anxiety over the rapidly changing climate. Woven through this history is the passionate love affair between Nansen and the character Ice. A blend of theatre, opera, and electropop music, the play progresses backwards from 2017 to 1893 and zeroes in on 40+ characters whose choices have unintended consequences that ripple through the generations.

The Arctic Cycle is a series of eight plays that look at the social and environmental changes taking place in the eight Arctic states.

Production Team

Director: Jennifer Vellenga 

Stage Manager: Mitchell Ward

Music by: Aggie Peterson 

Dramaturg: Tale Naess

Lighting Designer: John Uthoff

Sound Designer: Blake Cordell

Costume Designer: Dana Pinkston

Scenic Designer: Kathy Voecks

Cast

Nansen: Sam Massey 

Ice: Nichole Casonhua

Eva: Kristan Crawford

Sverdrup: Sterling Oliver

Johansen: Jacob Edelman-Dolan

Sigrun: Tori Ptacek

"From the beginning, I was impressed with Mitchell’s professionalism, with the way he stayed calm under pressure, and with his attention to detail."

-Chantal Bilodeau, Playwright

"The play was complex- spanning a full century across Norway and the US, with six actors playing about 30 different characters; Mitch had a lot to handle. Add poetry and movement work on top if it and most student stage managers would have crumbled. To the contrary, Mitch was our rock." 

-Jennifer Vellenga, Director

Photos by K-State Theatre

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