Indecent

Paula Vogel’s Indecent is deeply personal to me. My Jewish roots, my Eastern European background, the heartbreaking stories of my grandparents about their family members who perished in the Holocaust, my journey as an immigrant arriving in America in my early twenties with a small suitcase that contained several pairs of clothes and a stack of favorite books — all these experiences and memories profoundly connect me with the complex world of this play. Steeped in a multilayered Jewish cultural landscape, Indecent raises difficult questions about identity, belonging, erasure of cultures and languages, censorship within communities and by government, and hypocrisy that ruins people’s lives and professional careers. The play is also a compelling testament to the power of theatre to trample prejudice and intolerance and to celebrate love, resilience and cultural differences. We hope that the journey we are taking you on will resonate with your personal experiences as well!

– Julia Listengarten, Director

Indecent is the remembering and re-telling of a story that began in 1906 in Warsaw and, despite fear, anti-Semitism, and the loss of its original storytellers, continues to survive today. As we bring this story to life again on our own stage, we recognize the people, cultures and experiences that live within this play.

Throughout the process, we have added more collaborators to the play’s collective history. Rabbi Rick’s knowledge of Jewish traditions and historical figures influenced actors’ character development. Jewish students at UCF formed a cultural ambassador committee to provide current, Jewish American perspectives on our work. Aspects of movement and handling of the Torah were crafted by Jewish members of our cast and creative team. Language is also a collaborator in this script. As the play moves through different countries and translations, language determines how the story is told and who gets to tell it. Vogel emphasizes its role by asking actors to speak in their own accents when using their character’s native tongue and using a Yiddish dialect when their character speaks in English as their second language. To assist us with this task, members of the Jewish Community Center shared their voices with us, and Ayelet Golan, our Israeli friend and colleague, brought authenticity to the Yiddish translations projected on our stage. In Indecent, Lemml argues that “the play belongs to the people who labor in it.” We are grateful for the labor of our collaborators who have helped us remember and re-create this story collectively.

– Sage Tokach, Associate Director

Billy Banks III (U/S Avram) is a first-year transfer student in the B.A. Theatre Studies program. This will be his Theatre UCF debut. Other credits include Footloose (Ren), Once on this Island (Agwe) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Philostrate). He is involved in Project Spotlight and the Improv Academy. 

Andre Braza (Solomon Krauss, Ensemble) is a second-year MFA Acting student. Some of his favorite roles include Moritz from Spring Awakening, Ted from Peter and the Starcatcher, and Zachary Briddling from The Grumpiest Boy in the World. He plays many instruments including ukulele, accordion and 10+ years of experience with piano. He plays for Playback UCF, an improv troupe on campus. In helping underscore stories on the spot, he finds freedom and truth in spontaneity with the goal of healing and connecting.

Jonathan Gardon (U/S Lemml, U/S Mendel) is a second-year student in the BFA Acting program. His previous Theatre UCF credits include Much Ado About Nothing (Messenger, U/S Verges) and the Assistant Director/Stage Manager for Moment 2 Moment's production of The Crucible. His other favorite credits include All in the Timing (Bill, Milton, Philip Glass, Leon Trotsky) and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Edmund) He has also worked as a Scareactor at Universal Orlando Resort's Halloween Horror Nights in Wicked Growth: Realm of the Pumpkin. @jonathan.gardon.

Kimber King (Vera) is in her second year of the MFA Acting program. She has performed professionally on stage and screen for over 18 years. Previous Theatre UCF credits include The Grumpiest Boy in the World (Scientist 1), Dear Helena (Tessa) and The Wolves (Soccer Mom). Kimber has directed over 20 productions and produced three of her original plays.

Rosalind Krabill (U/S Chana) is a second-year student in the BFA Acting program. She was last seen in Welcome to the Moon (U/S Mary), As It’s Written (Robin) and Moment 2 Moments production of The Crucible (Ann Putnam). Some of her other favorite productions include And Then There Were None (Vera), Hamlet (Ophelia) and A Wrinkle In Time (Meg). 

Kate Milazzo (Halina) is in her second year in the MFA Acting program. She recently appeared in Pegasus PlayLab’s Dear Helena (Helena) and To Saints and Stars (Sofia), as well as Scaramouch in Naxos (Ione). Before UCF, Kate studied at the University of Evansville, where she starred in The Three Musketeers (Aramis), The Wolves (#7) and a reading of Q2: A New Musical (Rue). 

Blake Parker (U/S Halina) is a senior in the BFA Acting program. Her Theatre UCF credits include Blood at The Root (Toria), Project Spotlight’s First Miss (Michelle), Break (Julie) and Anomalies Anonymous (Reese). Other theatre credits include Leading Ladies (Meg), I Hate Hamlet (Deirdre) and Legally Blonde (Whitney, Delta Nu). @blakeparker82

Paul Pelletier Jr (Stanislaus Pucylowski, U/S Otto Godovsky) is a junior in the BFA Acting program. He has been seen on the Theatre UCF stage in The Rover (Risky) and Much Ado About Nothing (Francis Seacoal). He is involved in Project Spotlight, having recently been in a 10-minute pllay, Stellar Law (Flint Baringe) and is a recent addition to the improv comedy troupe Quadruple Stuffed Oreos. paulpelletierjr.com

Giuseppe Michael Pipicella (Mendel) is a second-year MFA Acting student. He recently portrayed Sarmion in Scaramouch in Naxos and Don Pedro in Theatre UCF’s virtual production of Much Ado About Nothing. A graduate of UNC Wilmington, his credits include Doctor Faustus (Lucifer), Hedda Gabler (Eilert Løvborg) and The Children’s Hour (Dr. Joe Cardin), among many other fascinating roles. He is involved in Pegasus Playlab, which will be produced in the summer. @gmpipicella

Hannah Schorr (U/S Elder Vera) is a sophomore in the BFA acting program. Hannah’s Theatre UCF credits include Scaramouch in Naxos (Bacchante 1) and As It’s Written (Stage Directions). Hannah has stage managed an equity production of Driving Miss Daisy at JCAT Miami. Her favorite onstage roles include Uncle Fester in The Addams Family and Kate Keller in The Miracle Worker. Her goal is to one day have a career in educational theatre.

Drew Stark (Otto) is a second-year MFA Acting student. He graduated with his B.A. from the College of William and Mary. Theatre UCF credits include Scaramouch in Naxos (Bacchus), Much Ado About Nothing (Borachio) and TYA’s El Viaje de Beatriz (Narrator). Professional credits include Young Frankenstein (Frederick), Damn Yankees (Applegate), and The Diary of Anne Frank (Van Daan). Drew is a recognized artist on the Mississippi Artist Roster. drewstarkactor.squarespace.com

Forrest Stringfellow (Avram) is a second year transfer student in the BFA Acting program. He has been seen in prior Theatre UCF productions such as The Grumpiest Boy in the World (Dad/Grump 2) and in the original Zoom reading of As It’s Written (Ethan). Regional credits include American Idiot (St. Jimmy) and The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Joey).

Emmitt Williams (Lemml) is a fourth-year transfer student in the BFA Acting Program. His previous Theatre UCF credits include The Wolves, (#00), The Grumpiest Boy in the World (Mom, Grump), Much Ado About Nothing (Don John), The Rover (Masquerader, U/S Lucetta) and Sweat (U/S Tracey). His directing credits include Blood at the Root (Assistant Director), Dear Helena (Assistant Director), Sombra Del Sol (Assistant Director) and Birdbrains (Director). @EmmitttWilliams

Mia Woods (Chana) is a sophomore in the BFA Acting program. Her previous Theatre UCF credits include The Grumpiest Boy in the World (U/S Zachary) and the Moment 2 Moment production of The Crucible (Betty).

Olivia Belichki (Wardrobe Crew) is a second-year transfer student in the BFA Acting program. Some theatre credits include The Crucible (Mary Warren) with Moment2Moment and Talkback (Kendall) with Project Spotlight.

Raymond Bromante (Sound Designer, Mixer) is a third-year transfer student in the BFA Design and Technology program, with a focus on sound. This is his first design for Theatre UCF. His previous works include A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (Lead A2) and Much Ado About Nothing (Assistant to the Sound Designer). His sound effect, voiceover and editing work can be heard in the Knights' Ghostlight podcast.

Alexis Calderwood (Deck Crew) is a first-year student in the B. A. Theatre Studies program. This will be her first Theatre UCF production.

Michael Ghysels (Deck Crew) is a first-year transfer student in the BFA Stage Management program. This is his second production at UCF. Originally from California, his previous theatre credits include Clybourne Park (Stage  Manager), Hand to God (Stage Manager), Pride & Prejudice (Stage Manager), Significant Other (Asst. Stage Manager) and A Christmas Story (Asst. Stage Manager). Last semester, he was the PA for Welcome to the Moon.

Christopher Hancock (Wardrobe Crew) is a senior in the BFA Acting program. His favorite credits include A Gentleman’s Guide… (Ensemble), Titanic (Bellboy), Of Mice and Men (U/S Curly, U/S Whit), The Nerd (Willum), 25th Annual... Spelling Bee (Chip) and The Complete History of America (abridged). @chrishancxck

Jessica Lang (Wardrobe Crew) is in her senior year in the BFA Acting program with a minor in Dance. Her previous Theatre UCF credits include Project Spotlight’s production of The Second Circle (Gabby) and various understudy and ensemble roles in The Rover. Over the summer, she participated in the reading of Dear Helena and As It’s Written as part of Pegasus Playlab. Most recently, she appeared as #11 in The Wolves.

Gabby Lawlor (Dramaturg) is a first-year graduate student in the MFA Theatre for Young Audiences program. This is her very first Theatre UCF production and she is thrilled to be working on it in this capacity. She is also a Teaching Artist at Orlando Repertory Theatre and will be Assistant Choreographer for their Youth Academy production of Pickle Chiffon Pie later this spring.

Madalyn Nave (Stage Manager) is a recent graduate of the BFA Stage Management program. Their Theatre UCF credits include Assistant Stage Manager for Songs of Inspiration and Much Ado About Nothing, and Production Assistant for Water by the Spoonful. Their other theatre credits include Whisper Darkly (Production Assistant), Avenue Q (Stage Manager), Free to Be… You and Me (Assistant Stage Manager) and girl. (Assistant Stage Manager). 

Cameron Sparks (Assistant Stage Manager) is a first-year transfer student in the BFA Stage Management program. Before Indecent, he worked on the Orlando Repertory Theatre’s Writes of Spring (Production Assistant). His other theatre credits include Fun Home (Stage Manager), Heathers: The Musical (Stage Manager), The Harvest (Stage Manager) and The Robber Bridegroom (Stage Manager).

Cory Sweat (Light Board Operator) is a second-year student in the BFA Acting program. A few previous credits include The Crucible (Giles Corey), A Christmas Carol (Young Jacob Marley), A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Ensemble, U/S D’Ysquith Family) and Museum (Georgio). @corysweat

Sage Tokach (Associate Director) is a third-year graduate student in the Theatre for Young Audiences MFA program. Her past Theatre UCF credits include The Wolves (Associate Director), The Grumpiest Boy in the World (Director), Writes of Spring (Playwright) and Playback @ UCF (Director). Sage also works in Orlando as a teaching artist at Orlando Repertory Theatre and the Florida State Parks.

Cameron Wynne (Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore in the BFA Stage Management program. His previous work with Theatre UCF includes A Knight of Dance (Production Assistant) at UCF Celebrates the Arts 2021 and The Amphibians (Assistant Stage Manager). Other credits include White Christmas (Stage Manager), Les Misérables (Stage Manager) and Joseph (Stage Manager)

“We really have to come together as a community in this moment in time. And that’s what theatre does.” – Paula Vogel

In a sit-down interview prior to the Broadway opening of Indecent in 2017, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel discusses the inspiration and drive behind this riveting play. In that very same interview, Vogel speaks about the importance of theatre in bringing people together. These words are even more relevant today. 2017 was marked by major political controversy, the #MeToo Movement, social and cultural protest, “fake” news, and so much more. Coming together to create was necessary for many to connect with other like minds and kindred spirits. Fast forward to 2022, and people all over the world are craving that connection more than ever.

The COVID-19 pandemic has distorted friendships, relationships and even individuality. The act of connecting to one another has been forever transformed. It has forced us to be creative in the ways we gather, celebrate and mourn. Classrooms, weddings, birthdays, happy hours, celebrations of life and even book clubs now take place via online platforms as we strive to stay connected to each other. This all begs the question: how do we hold onto the important parts of ourselves in the face of extreme challenge?

Indecent beautifully examines and dissects this very question. The troupe of players is the community that comes together to cope with the terror that surrounds them. They have a story they need to tell, and it is their lifeline to who they are. As the audience is welcomed into their world, they are immediately transported into the story of The God of Vengeance — yes, a play within a play. Written in 1906 by Polish-Yiddish playwright Sholem Asch, The God of Vengeance was a huge success in Europe as it tackled religion, sex, love, prostitution and a lesbian relationship. After making its way to the United States, the play faced immediate censorship that led to the arrest of the entire cast and crew on its Broadway opening night for “obscenity." It is the boldest play of its generation and made Sholem Asch one of the greatest Yiddish playwrights of all time. Asch’s "little play" changed the face of theatre and showed just how powerful it can be.

Indecent, in its most basic form, is a love letter to the power of theatre, playwrights and community. It shows that our stories and memories represent who we are, and by continuing to tell them, we can hold onto ourselves even when all hope seems lost.

– Gabby Lawlor, Dramaturg

THEATRE UCF PRODUCTION STAFF, FACULTY, AND ADVISORS

Director of the School of Performing Arts: Michael Wainstein
Theatre UCF Artistic Director: Julia Listengarten
Theatre UCF Director of Production: Bert Scott

* Theatre UCF student