Prepare yourself for the Wonderland experience.
Havoc Movement would like to acknowledge, with respect, that the land we are on today is not only the Qualla Boundary, but is also part of the ancestral lands of the Anikituwagi, more commonly known as the Cherokee. We recognize the Cherokee as the people native to this land and as the original stewards of this land. Despite years of genocide, stolen land, and forced removal, the Cherokee people are still living and thriving here in their ancestral homelands, and they are still the stewards of the Qualla Boundary.
Director’s Note
Come as you are. Leave changed. These words, most frequently encountered on a roadside church sign, might just as easily sum up the entire value system in Alice’s Wonderland. The story is one of growth, both intellectual and physical; marked with starts and stops. At times it even seems to run in reverse as is the perception of many a child, despite hurling themselves anxiously towards the greener grass of adulthood. In Appalachia, this experience is often magnified by a desire to escape circumstance, defying limitations owing to the geographic and often socio-economic hand we’re dealt. Whether these restrictions are real or imagined, learning to appreciate the tenacity and resourcefulness gained by an Appalachian upbringing is often difficult without the opportunity to venture beyond its parameters and sample the world beyond. In our exploration of Alice’s relationship to Appalachia, we are transported to her dreams; played out in a sandbox on the edge of a forest filled with oversized toys and storybook creatures. Here, she yo-yos between the life she yearns to attain, but is just outside her grasp; and that which she is certain she’s outgrown. Restricted by her own lived experience, even the most exotic luxuries she can imagine are rooted in the visual vernacular of home. In this way, Alice recognizes that familiarity can breed both the fearful and fantastical; and that in choosing her own community; she is not divorced from the need to stand up for what she believes is fair.
- Jason Paul Tate
Cast
Bailey Frankenberg
Alice
Bailey can’t wait to fall down the Rabbit Hole with Havoc Movement as ALICE this spring! She’s so honored to return to the Mountainside Theatre after tasting blood as Lucy in “Dracula: The Failings of Men” last October. Bailey is originally from Oklahoma and is an enrolled tribal member of Cherokee Nation with Choctaw decent. In the before-times, Bailey lived, studied, and trained in NYC with some of her favorite artistic credits being Doralee in “9 to 5” (Arrow Rock Lyceum), Eleanor Dare in “The Lost Colony” (2021 Revision), Every Female Human in “Alvin and the Chipmunks Live! (North American Tour), and singing with the mouse at Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan. She’s also a certified Advanced Actor Combatant with the SAFD and a fresh baby aerialist. (Gotta start somewhere!) Bailey has since taken the vagabond life in these new times and is so happy and honored it has landed her in the Qualla Boundary to make art with incredible people. Wado!
Kristen Noonan
Queen of Hearts/Mouse + Aerial Choreographer
After Aerial Directing last fall's Dracula, Noonan is pleased to collab with Cherokee Historical Association once again! As one of the cofounders of Havoc Movement, she brings a deep and varied background stemming from rhythmic gymnastics, dance, musical theatre, and circus arts. As a theatre artist, she has performed and choreographed across the midwest, Chicago, NYC, and Atlanta. She has also appeared on TV as an aerialist/flyer on Americas Got Talent, Little Big Shots, and truTV’s Fake Off--the latter being where she met fellow Havoc cofounder, Jake Guinn. Noonan has also assisted with flying effects for Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Lines as well as many a Peter Pan production. When she is not in “Havoc mode,” she is probably bending her body into weird noodle shapes (peep @krisnoon for evidence).
Samantha Lancaster
Rabbit
Samantha Lancaster is an actor and movement artist hailing from the Pacific Northwest. She is currently based in Atlanta, Georgia, and is a member of Havoc Movement Company. A lover of all things movement based, she has trained in everything from aerial arts to Irish dance to fighting for stage and screen. Sam is thrilled to be making her Mountainside Theatre debut this spring!
Barry Westmoreland
Caterpillar/ Possum/ Turkey/ Box Turtle/ Card
Barry Westmoreland is an actor based out of Atlanta, Georgia who hails from West Virginia. He is thrilled to be performing as the Caterpillar and some other "Wonderlandians"! He is excited to be making his debut with Havoc Movement Company in their production of Alice in Wonderland, as well as in the North Carolina theatre scene! Some of his recent credits include Destination Theatre (Sharktooth), Narnia (Peter), Sleepy Hollow (Storyteller), The True Story of Pocahontas (Christopher/Fish) with Serenbe Playhouse. Let’s go down the rabbit hole and see what adventures await us!
Willie Frierson Jr.
Wampus Cat/ Kingfisher/ Card/ Crawfish
Willie Frierson Jr. is an Atlanta based actor from Memphis Tn. with a love for Theatre, movement, and the great outdoors! Always on the lookout for the next adventure and to build community through art. This is is third production with Havoc Movement and his first production with Mountain side theatre.
Jon Meyer
Mad Hatter/ Hummingbird/ Card/ Crawfish
Jon Meyer is many things, but in short he’s an actor from Kentucky. He’s so excited to be playing the role of Mad Hatter in this version of Alice In Wonderland! Recent credits include: STAGE - Dr. Jack Seward (Dracula: The Failings of Men), Sir Walter Raleigh (The Lost Colony), Gallipot (The Roaring Girl), Baron Tuzenbach (Three Sisters) FILM - the Young Man (Aqua Vitae, short film), Gregory (Sun Wolf, short film), Featured Stunt (Night Sweats, feature film) TV - Featured Stunt (ESPN, commercial), Michael (LoveAsterisk*, web series). Jon is immensely excited and grateful to be working once again beside all the talented artists with Havoc Movement Company, as well as the entire cast and crew of Alice In Wonderland!
Lauren Longyear
March Hare/ Goose/ Card/ Crawfish
Lauren Longyear is thrilled and tea-lighted to party with you lovely mad people here at Mountainside Theatre this spring! No stranger to outdoor drama, Lauren has performed in Johnny Appleseed, Horn in the West, and The Passion of Dracula at Tecumseh. Favorite regional credits include The Wizard of Oz, The Laramie Project, Kindertransport, A Christmas Carol (Festival 56); Blithe Spirit, Nunsense (Maples Rep); Goodnight Moon (TREAT); A Midsummer Night's Dream, Tom Sawyer, Peter Pan (PFCT), and Peter and the Wolf (BCT). Lauren would like to thank the entire team at Havoc Movement Company for their care, creativity, and joy throughout this process and she'd like to thank you, the audience, for going on this journey down the rabbit hole with us!
Crew
Chelsey Moore
Production Stage Manager
Chelsey is excited to help bring Havoc Movement Company's work to life at Mountainside Theatre once again! Chelsey is from northeast Georgia and obtained her BFA from Marshall University in Huntington, WV. She has been fortunate to work at various theatres from southwest Florida to upstate New York and is thrilled and thankful that this profession has finally landed her here on the Qualla Boundary. Chelsey stage managed the summer 2021 season of Unto These Hills, as well as Havoc's production of Dracula: The Failings of Men last fall. In the off-season, she works as the Communications and Development Director for Cherokee Historical Association.
Ciera Flinkingshelt
Assistant Stage Manager
Ciera Flinkingshelt grew up all over the world, but has called Detroit home for the past 10 years. She graduated from Wayne State University with a BFA in Technical Theatre Design and Technology/Stage Management. Previous credits include working at Florida Studio Theatre as an SM intern on the world premiere production of America in One Room, stage managing Burns Park Players 162 person production of Mary Poppins, and being on the stage management team for various Wayne State University shows. She is very excited to be working with the Cherokee Historical Association on Alice in Wonderland and Unto These Hills. She would like to thank her family and friends for their support. Enjoy the show!
Larry LuckeyDoo III
Props Master
Fresh off of Dracula: The Failings of Men, Larry is thrilled to be designing props once again with Havoc Movement. Larry hails from Wild and Wonderful West Virgina and is very thankful for the opportunity to be able to be a part of this whimsical collision of Appalachian culture and Lewis Carroll's classic novel. After graduating from Marshall University in 2015, he's gone on to work professionally at several different theaters such as Highlands Playhouse, Gulfshore Playhouse, and right here at Mountainside Theatre with Unto These Hills. He would like to thank the cast and crew for their hard work and dedication.
Alexander Hilgartner
Technical Director
Alexander Hillgartner is a projection and scenic designer hailing from Hunstville, Alabama with a BFA in Technical Theatre. He has been residential crew for Mountainside Theatre for four years now, where he works for Unto These Hills, a drama that tells the history of the Cherokee Nation. He has poured a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into maintaining and improving the theatre space—somebody has to move all that sand! Alexander is ecstatic that Havoc Movement Company is bringing a Spring and Fall Season to the theatre, and hopes you enjoy the light-hearted silliness of Alice.
Michael Brewer
Asst. Technical Director
Michael Brewer is filled with wonder(land) to be working with Havoc again, this time behind the scenes. Recently, you may have seen him die on stage (as he normally does) in the fall as Arthur for their production of Dracula. He's also a Resident Company Member for Unto These Hills going on year 3 (or 4? Did 2020 actually happen?) This summer you'll see him as Sam Houston and he'll also be working as the Pyrotechnics Master. Lastly, Michael teaches at Western Carolina University (wow, they let this guy in front of students?!) Special shout-out to all my students here tonight. And thanks as always to my supporters, friends, and family that continue to help me make my dreams come true.
Aidan Crowe
Master Electrician/ Audio Engineer
Aidan is excited to be returning to Mountainside Theater this season and to work with Havoc Movement on Alice in Wonderland. Recently, he worked as master electrician for Horizon Theatre Company’s production of Every Brilliant Thing. Aidan attended the University of Alabama in Huntsville where he received a BA in Theatre Design & Technology.
Creative Team
Jason Paul Tate
Director/ Choreographer
Jason Paul Tate is a bicoastal director, choreographer and performer who has spent the last 15 years collaborating with world renowned actors, acrobats, tango dancers and string musicians to create work with incredibly high concentrations of physicality. Credits include the Edinburgh and New York Fringe, A.R.T., BAM, Ars Nova, Rattlestick, Classic Stage, Tuacahn, Great Lakes Theatre, Idaho Shakes, Lake Tahoe Shakes, Opera Western Reserve and The Lost Colony. He has been doubly fortunate to perform elements of his own creations in specialized movement at the Public’s Delacorte, the Metropolitan Opera, and at numerous live stunt shows across the country. Jason is a proud member of SDC and AEA, a certified instructor of stage combat with the Society of American Fight Directors; and the co-founder of Neutral Chaos, a movement solutions company dedicated to training artists to tell physical stories. He moonlights as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Practice at his alma mater, Florida State University where he shares responsibility in Theatre, Opera and Film.
Jake Guinn
Assistant Director/ Choreographer/ Playwright
Jake Guinn is an Atlanta based Director, Playwright, and Movement Artist. He is the current Creative Development Director and Co-owner of Havoc Movement Company. Jake is a second generation Fight Director following in the footsteps of his father and mentor. His selected credits include Marvel Universe Live! Age of Heroes, TruTV’s Fake/Off, Titanic, Hero’s Wife at Synchronicity Theatre, the Woodruff Arts Center, Actor's Theatre Lousiville, Florida Repertory Theatre, Unto These Hills Outdoor Drama, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Cincinnati Playhouse, Folding Chair Theatre, Southern Arkansas University, Louisiana Tech University, and The Seedling Project of Atlanta.
Darby Guinn
Playwright/Producer
Darby Guinn is a playwright, editor, and marketing associate from Ruston, LA. When she’s not working for Peachtree Publishing Company in Atlanta, she’s a dedicated company member of Havoc Movement . She co-wrote their first original production, Just Another Play About Rainbows, as 1/2 of the Guinn Twins writing duo. She is currently a developmental editor and producer for Havoc’s current projects, and boy, is she having a good time.
Darby would like to thank the entire cast, crew, and writing team for bringing even more to this nonsensical show than she could even imagine. Sgi sgi sgi!
Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle
Story Editor
Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle, a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, resides in Qualla, NC. She holds degrees from Yale University and the College of William and Mary. Her debut novel, Even As We Breathe (UPK 2020), was a finalist for the Weatherford Award, named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2020, and received the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award (2021). Clapsaddle’s work appears in Yes! Magazine, Lit Hub, and The Atlantic. She teaches secondary English and Cherokee Studies, is an editor for the Appalachian Futures Series (UPK), and serves on the board of trustees for the North Carolina Writers Network.
Jonah Lossiah
Editor
Born and raised in these mountains, Jonah is currently a reporter for the Cherokee One Feather. With the paper he has spent the last three years covering his Tribe, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. While not working in theatre full-time, he has always had a passion for performance and the stage. Jonah enjoys long hikes, sharing stories, and whimsical conversations that may or may not make sense. He responds to Jonah, Yona, or Bear – depending on how you’re feeling. This is his first time working with Havoc Movement.
Austin ‘Gus’ Zimmerman
Lighting Designer
Austin ‘Gus’ Zimmerman is on an adventure and is having a wild time navigating through it. Having escaped the flat and mundane terrain of the American Midwest, he found home in the astonishing Great Smoky Mountains. Gus has been working with Cherokee Historical Association for 5 years now as their lighting pal, as well as at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. He enjoys hiking, stargazing, camping, and spending time with his friends around a campfire. In the future, Gus dreams of learning guitar, becoming a notary public, and being able to afford a house atop a mountain.
Cole Spivia
Costume Designer
Cole Spivia is a Costumer Designer and technician from Atlanta, Georgia. She's thrilled to be back with her friends at Havoc and delighted to be at Mountainside Theatre. Previous Havoc credits: Dracula: The Failings of Men and Go: Safely. She's designed for many companies in Atlanta and around the South East. Her work on Sunday in the Park with George (Jennie T. Anderson Theater) was honored with the 2021 BroadwayWorld Atlanta Best Professional Costume Design Award. Outside of theatre she is an antique dealer, vintage clothier, fine artist, and cosplayer. You can view her work, pictures of her dogs, and the seemingly endless restoration of her 1880s farmhouse on Instagram @colespivia . All my love to Travis, Mom, Scout, and Boo Radley.
Joz Vammer
Sound Designer/ Composer
Joz Vammer is a performer, creative developer, producer, and director. Recent projects include readings and shows with The Old Globe in San Diego, stunts in an upcoming feature filmed in New York, performing in Opera Western Reserve’s Romeo and Juliet,and developing and producing The Film Reroll podcast, which also includes voice acting and improv muscles. Joz is a published poet, journalist, and playwright, as well as an aerial yoga teacher. Thanks to Havoc for inviting me to make music I want to dance to, and to Jason for your unwavering belief and love.
Sarah Beth Hester
Puppet Master
Sarah Beth “SB” Hester is thrilled to rejoin Havoc as puppet builder and coach! SB has been performing out of the Atlanta area since her apprenticeship with the Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern in 2014, where she acts and teaches. She was a head puppeteer for BBC’s “Moon and Me” and is a cast member of The Center for Puppetry Art’s “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. Currently, SB is expanding her “trash-puppet” fabrication to spread the fun and joy of taking care of our earth. Her puppet construction aims to reimagine how we see our daily waste, using primarily recycled and reclaimed materials to create something new.
SB hopes you enjoy her hot garbage.
Special Thanks To:
Cherokee Historical Association for their continued support; Tony C. Thomas for his permission and research on the Legend of the Wampus Cat, which you can watch below; Autumn Eldridge for our painted rocks; Larry LuckeyDoo II for donating props; Mary Fran Crook for her flamingo donation; The Good Morning Nags, Southpaw Green, The Susie Glaze New Folk Ensemble and Skunkweed Juju for use of their songs in our preshow; Sherra Dickerson, Makayla Yacuzzo, and Glynn Henderson for their initial script notes; and to all of you for coming out to support the arts in Cherokee! Sgi!
And lastly…
Jason and Darby wanted to leave you with just one of the many brilliant inspirations
behind our adaptation. We hope you love him as much as we do.