Meet the Holiday company!
Our Cast & Crew
Rebecca Almeida ’28- Julia Seton
Hi, I’m Becca and I am a Junior majoring Politics! I am excited to be playing Julia Seton in our production of Holiday. Last year was my first experience with Theatre Fairfield, I played Melpomene in our fall production Bite-Sized. The theatre community at Fairfield has been so welcoming and become a second home for me!
Cassie Arena ’28 - Susan Potter
Cassie is a junior business analytics major with a minor in marketing. She is playing Susan Potter in this fall’s production of Holiday and is so excited to be back working with Fairfield Theatre Program. She is also the Student/Alumni Relations Production Intern for the Fairfield Theatre Program this year! Recently, she has been seen in Tick…Tick…, Boom! (Susan), Bite-Sized (Terpsichore), and Next to Normal (Natalie). Cassie is so proud to perform alongside such a wonderful cast and crew! “Break legs everyone!”
Abby Bell -Sound Board Operator
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Tom Dunsby ’30 - Ned Seton
Tom Dunsby ("Ned Seton") is a freshman and history major from Easton, CT. He enjoys singing, being with friends, and nerding out over history and politics. This is his first play since the summer of 2019. He would like to thank everyone in attendance and those who made this play possible. He is so excited that you're here! Enjoy!
Caitlin Fenton - Featured Crew
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Sienna Giampaolo’30 - Delia
Sienna Giampaolo, who will be portraying Delia, is a first-year from Shelton, CT. She is a Digital Journalism major with plans to minor in both Creative Writing and Marketing. She has been involved in theater throughout her life, both in Shelton High School’s award-winning drama club and in community productions at Center Stage Theatre in Shelton. Outside of acting, Sienna is a member of the honors program, a member of Glee Club, a staff writer for The Mirror, and the host of Sounds & Haptics on WVOF Radio. She is ecstatic to be involved in her first Fairfield Theatre Program production!
David Ilagan ’29 - Nick Potter
David Ilagan is a sophomore computer science major, and is exhilarated to be part of his fourth production with the Fairfield Theater Program, playing the role of Nick Potter. Past credits with the Fairfield Theater Program include Ben & A Young Fool (Student Soloist) in “Big River: In Concert,” Featured Ensemble in “tick, tick... BOOM!,” and Paul in “Bite-Sized.” Additional previous shows from across New York and Connecticut include “42nd Street” and “Into The Woods.” Beyond theater, in his free time he enjoys gardening. He is so immensely honored and appreciative to be able to work and perform with such a dedicated cast and crew, and he sincerely hopes you enjoy the show.
Samantha Joyal-Peña-Wardrobe Crew
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Mady Leiser - Wardrobe Crew
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Caroline Mack ’ 30 - Linda Seton
Caroline Mack (Linda Seton)-Caroline is absolutely thrilled to be a part of Holiday! Theater is her passion and she is so thankful to be able to continue pursuing it beyond high school. Caroline has been in many productions before, such as Little Women the Musical (Amy March), Mean Girls (Karen Smith), The Play That Goes Wrong (Annie), and Seussical (Jojo). She has also donned the director's cap for Once Upon A Mattress Jr., Jungle Book Kids, Shrek Jr., and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Kids. Along with theater, her other passions include playing tennis, reading, baking, and playing cards. She would like to give a shoutout to her fabulous cast, crew, and production staff, and give many thanks to her family and friends for supporting her through everything. She would also like to thank you for coming to see the show (especially if you know Caroline personally which most likely means you drove many hours to be here!). She hopes you enjoy the show!
Clancy Molloy ’28 - Seton Cram
Hello! My name is Clancy Molloy and I am a Third-year here at Fairfield studying Communications and minoring in theatre and marketing. I am so excited to play the role of Seton Cram in Holiday for my third production here. My past credits include Gabe in Next to Normal and Michael in Bite Sized (End of All Things). During my time this semester I have also been running the Theater program’s social media so make sure to follow @fairfieldtheatreprogram
Laura Morel-Santiago
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Wyatt Morris
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Zachary O’Connell ’29 - Johnny Case
Zachary O’Connell is a sophomore Finance and Economics major with minors in English and Politics. He is playing Johnny Case in Phillip Barry’s Holiday. In the past with the Fairfield Theatre Program, he played Jake in Lauren Gunderson’s Two Chairs. Outside of the Fairfield Theatre Program, Zack is the Fairfield Mirror’s Staff Photographer and an Intern for the Fairfield Arts & Minds Schola.
Mia Parisi ’28- Laura Cram
Mia Parisi is a junior at Fairfield University majoring in Psychology with minors in English and Educational Studies. She is excited to be making her Fairfield Theatre Program debut as Laura Cram in Philip Barry’s Holiday this semester. Although this is her first production at Fairfield, Mia was involved in productions when she was younger and has always enjoyed performing and exploring different characters through theatre. Mia is especially excited to be part of Holiday and grateful for the opportunity to work with such a talented cast and crew. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Diego A Ramos Rivera ’30 - Henry
My name is Diego Andrés Ramos Rivera, and I am a first-year student at Fairfield University. I am doing a triple major in Digital Journalism, International Studies, and Spanish, with a minor in Latinx, Latin American, and Caribbean Studies. I am playing Henry in Holiday by Phillip Barry, directed by Rory Pelsue. I have done Twelve Angry Men, by Reginald Rose, directed by Edgardo Rodríguez (2026), as Juror #7, and four years of poetry competitions in Puerto Rico. I am very excited to be part of this play since it is the first performance I will be doing in English!
Our Team
Rory Pelsue - Director
Rory Pelsue is an Obie-winning director of new and classic plays, operas, musicals, and live-stream performances. He is best known for directing the Off-Broadway production of The Last Bimbo of the Apocalypse, the live-stream productions of This American Wife and Pulitzer Prize Finalist and Drama League Nominee Circle Jerk (and its Obie-winning in-person remount at the Connelly Theater) with Fake Friends, where he serves as Resident Director. Recent and upcoming credits include directing the world premieres of Read to Me at Portland Stage, The Show on the Roof at Boise Contemporary Theater, and Deathbed Edition at Ars Nova ANT Fest; workshops of Circle Jerk at Ars Nova Makers Lab and Alumni Relations at South Coast Repertory Theater; Something Rotten at Northwestern University; and working as an assistant director on Agrippina, Porgy and Bess, Turandot, and The Rakes Progress at the Metropolitan Opera. Originally from Newburyport, Massachusetts, Rory received his MFA in directing from the Yale School of Drama, where he received the Julian Milton Kaufman Memorial Prize for directing. As an assistant director, Rory has worked at the Metropolitan Opera, Roundabout Theater Company, McCarter Theater, Yale Repertory Theater, Irondale Theater, and Compagnia de’ Colombari. He received a BA in Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College, has trained with Carmen Morgan and Art Equity, and is one of 12 inaugural members of the Roundabout Directors Group. @rorypelsue
Lynne Porter - Set Design
Lynne Porter is a theatre professor and the Resident Designer of Theatre Fairfield. At Fairfield, Lynne has designed numerous productions such as Avenue Q, Stop Kiss, Rhinoceros, The Rocky Horror Show, She Stoops to Conquer, Lend Me a Tenor, and Waiting for Godot. In addition to her work with Theatre Fairfield, Lynne has designed extensively with Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble, where she is an Affiliated Artist of the Ensemble. She has also designed for CT Lyric Opera, Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival, Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre, Arden Theatre, Horizon Theatre, Penobscot Theatre, and the Maine Shakespeare Festival, among others. Lynne is also the Founding Artistic Director of Shakespeare Ventures, a professional classical summer theatre, where she both directed and designed. Over the past few years, Lynne has done extensive research on creativity and the design process, culminating in her book, Unmasking Theatre Design which was recently published by Focal Press. lynneporter.com
Lynne Chase - Lighting Design
Lynne Chase (lighting designer) has lit over 200 productions nationwide. Highlights include Doubt (Portland Stage Company), As You Like It and Enchanted April (Pioneer Theatre), Light Up the Sky and La Bête (Two River Theatre) and Speed-the-Plow and Over the Tavern (Merrimack Repertory Theatre.) She has spent 17 summers working in rotating repertory and counts among her favorite shows Pericles, King Lear, Hamlet and The Glass Menagerie (Theater at Monmouth.) She has worked extensively at Horse Cave Theatre and Penobscot Theatre Company (Art, Betrayal, The Crucible, and Skylight among others.) Memorable shows at Fairfield include Arabian Nights, Cabaret, Three Sisters, Romeo & Juliet, Dancing at Lughnasa, Avenue Q and The Spitfire Grill. Lynne is a graduate of Cornell, Harvard and the Yale School of Drama and is a member of United Scenic Artists Local USA 829. www.lynnechaselights.com
Julie Leavitt-Learson -Costume Design
As Costume Director for the Fairfield University Theatre Program, Julie designs and builds costumes for TF productions, manages the costume shop, and mentors student theatre artists and technicians. Her TF costume design credits include Silent Sky, The Taming of the Shrew, Dead Man’s Cellphone, The Arabian Nights, and The Rocky Horror Show, among many others. She also collaborated with Shakesperience Productions in Waterbury, CT, costuming Shakespeare from Comedy of Errors to King Lear, as well as The Sword in the Stone and Alice in Wonderland. Before coming to Fairfield, Julie was an Assistant Professor of English at Westfield State College, the Assistant Costume Designer at Chicago’s The Goodman Theatre, and a freelance costume designer at Organic Theatre Company (Mere Mortals), Pyewackett Theatre (The Belle of Amherst), and Emerald City Children’s Theatre (The Wizard of Oz). She holds an MFA in Costume Design from Northwestern University, and a BA in Theatre and English Literature from the University of New Hampshire.
Anne Kendall - Technical Director
Anne is the Technical Director and Production Manager for Theatre Fairfield. She also teaches courses in Entertainment Technology, Prop Construction, and Lighting Design.
Abigail Copeland - Production Manager
Abigail Copeland is a production manager and scenic designer originally from Indianapolis. Her most recent work has focused on creating meaningful experiences for students within university theatre programs. These include such opportunities as working with professional actors and award-winning directors, being a part of rehearsing and shaping new plays, participating in documentary theatre, and working with industry-leading designers. As a professor, she teaches courses in design, theatre management, and theater history. Her career as a scenic designer focuses on working with new material and theater companies who serve specific underrepresented communities. Prior to her time as a professor, Abigail received an MA in Theater Practice from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London (focusing on devising and producing new works) and an MFA from the University of Connecticut in scenic design. Outside of the university setting, she has worked with numerous theatres and directors as a scenic designer and collaborator in Connecticut as well as in Florida, Indiana, and the UK. www.abigailcopeland.com
Not Pictured:
Christina Ronquillo (Stage Manager)
Christopher Varanko (Sound Designer)
HB Burrows (Asst. to the Costume Designer)
Gianna Coccomo (Wardrobe Construction)
