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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