By Deena M.P. Ronayne 4 - 8 August 17:10 The Canonized Club: The Curious Lives & Deaths of the Saints 45 min. £7 / £9 Northern State University Theatre in collaboration with Hardly Working Promotions, LLC present
NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY THEATRE in collaboration with HARDLY WORKING PROMOTIONS presents Written by DEENA M.P. RONAYNE Directed by KANE ANDERSON THE CANONIZED CLUB: THE CURIOUS LIVES and DEATHS OF THE SAINTS runs approximately 45 minutes with no intermission. Warning: This show includes adult language and mild Catholicism. The Canonized Club: The Curious Lives & Deaths of the Saints By Deena M.P. Ronayne 4-8 August 17:10 45 min. £7 / £9
THE CANONIZED CLUB: THE CURIOUS LIVES and DEATHS OF THE SAINTS CAST POPE, et al. | GARYTT J. TOSTENSONΩ HOLY SPIRIT, et al. | EVELYNN CARLSONΩ SAINT BERNADETTE, et al. | SUZI FITTERERΩ SAINT PATRICK, SAINT ELMO, et al. | REESE UECKERΩ SAINT ANTHONY, et al. | ANYA JONESΩ TOMMY, et al. | BECA LANGTEAU-HODLOFSKI Ω PRODUCTION STAFF Direction | KANE ANDERSON Playwright | DEENA M.P. RONAYNE Set Design | NOAH J. FILES Lighting Design (UK) | NOAH J. FILES Sound Design | KANE ANDERSON Costume Design | KANE ANDERSON Properties Design | KANE ANDERSON, NOAH J. FILES Stage Management (UK) | DERYN LEWIS Board Operator, Assist. Stage Manager | MEGHAN SHEETSΩ Production Manager (US) | BRIAN OMLAND Lighting Design (US) | BRIAN OMLAND Stage Management (US) | NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS Production Associate | DEENA M.P. RONAYNE Production Manager (UK) | EMILY MAGERA Show P.R. and Marketing (UK) | VALERIE POTTER TOUR MARKETING and PR Script Consultant | CHUCK DENT Poster Design | NOAH J. FILES ΩDenotes membership in Northern’s Phi Tau chapter of Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS DominikaBlum, KennethBoulton, LisaKanizar, LizaKollman and theAberdeen Tuesday Night Writers Group, Brooke Louise, Michael Mohammed, Veronica Paulson, Darryl Pickett, Valerie Potter, Robert Ronayne, Aimee Roy and the Northern Foundation, Marty Sabolo and Residence Life, Xavier Scott, Brian Schultz and Aberdeen Community Theatre, Michelle Schaunaman, theSpace on the Mile, Bill Warriner, Minion Anderson, Prudence Boeshans This project was made possible by the generous support from: NSU School of Fine Arts, the kind patrons of Give-N-Day, and the Sanford Faculty Development Award. Our Give-N-Day donors include: Kane Anderson, Kristi Brownfield, Daniel Christensen, Paul Cook, Gail Egbers, Ramon Escamilla, Carol Fischer, Holly Fitterer, Roger Freedman, Kyle French, Diane Harney, Amber Henderson, Art and Michele Holden, Henry Loughman, Elizabeth Martian-Vandever, Dani McQuillen, J. Todd Ormsbee, John Schwab, Joshua and Kaylee VanLaecken, Thomas Yetman, and Anonymous.
Our production runs: • August 4-8 at 5:10 p.m. during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe at TheSpace on the Mile (Tickets available tickets.edfringe.com) • August 25-26 at 7:30 p.m. and August 27 at 3 p.m. at the Johnson Fine Arts Center Black Box Theater at Northern State University (Tickets available at the door) The Canonized Club: The Curious Lives & Deaths of the Saints An irreverent comedy where all hell breaks loose in heaven! It’s 1969, and an overworked Pope Paul VI has decided that the number of saints in the existing canon needs to be drastically reduced. The saints pitch their case to remain in the exclusive Canonized Club. How many St. Marys will survive? Which St. Nicholas is the REAL Santa Claus? Were there really any snakes in Ireland in the first place? Will the Pope ever be left in peace to watch a whole episode of The Brady Bunch undisturbed? All is revealed in an irreverent comedy that will tickle your funny bone, touch your soul, and lift your spirits. THE CANONIZED CLUB: THE CURIOUS LIVES AND DEATHS OF THE SAINTS is a collaborative venture between the Northern State University School of Fine Arts and Hardly Working Promotions.
DIRECTOR’S NOTE Kane Anderson Long have I dreamed of bringing a group of talented students to the Fringe. Over 20 years ago, my undergraduate school sent students to the Fringe to perform. Now I’m the theatre professor leading my own cohort of students from Northern State University. A milestone project decades in the making! I love developing new projects like The Canonized Club. Original projects are the lifeblood of our art and industry. They bring artists and audiences face-to-face with artistic experiments. EdFringe is easily one of the most exciting opportunities for theatre artists who love new work. The Canonized Club: The Curious Lives and Deaths of the Saints is an experiment for us as a group. Our university in Aberdeen (in South Dakota, not Scotland) is about as far from Edinburgh as you might imagine. That is why it means so much for our students to appear on this stage. The genesis of this project was, frankly, to get our students to see the world outside of the Midwest. Stepping outside of their comfort zones is setting them up for success in an industry that requires adaptability and resilience. Working with a local playwright and touring a show to the Fringe before showcasing the show back in Aberdeen (South Dakota) will be a truly formative experience for our students. PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTE Deena M.P. Ronayne Saint Augustine once said, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” It was on one such occasion that I was with my husband in Melk, Austria touring the historic abbey that we came across several “unknown saints.” The notion of someone’s remains being venerated as a saint even though it is entirely unknown who the remains belong to that got the first seeds of what became “The Canonized Club” planted in my head. As I began researching the lives and deaths of various saints, it didn’t take me long to realize that these stories are outrageous, inspirational, zany, touching, and important all at once. My goal for this piece is for absolutely anyone and everyone to enjoy it. Whether someone in the audience is a lifelong atheist, a devout Catholic, any other religion, and everything in between. My hope is for audience members to come away with a smile on their face having learned a few fun nuggets of historical info by watching a story that yes is about saints but also highlighting that all saints were fallible human beings who struggle with some of the things many of us struggle with, like status, respect, insecurity, and faith. The problems they face in this story confront all of us in society today, such as the dangers of group think, jumping to conclusions, and having to work with those with different viewpoints to get things done. This was one of the most challenging projects I have ever undertaken and it truly tested my growth as both a writer and theatrical professional and I am truly honored to work with the incredibly talented team of student and faculty artists at Northern State University and I express my unwavering gratitude to those who have chosen this play to be part of their theatrical experience. Thank you and enjoy your time at EdFringe 2023!
Rehearsal image From L to R: Reese Uecker, Suzi Fitterer, Garytt J. Tostenson, Evelynn Carlson, Beca Langteau-Hodlofski Follow NSU Theatre @theatrensu northern.edu/artsnsu NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT OF ART AND THEATRE Dean, School of Fine Arts | Kenneth Boulton Chair, Department of Art and Theatre | Peter Kilian Assistant Professor of Theatre | Kane Anderson Assistant Professor of Theatre | Noah J. Files Production Manager, Master Electrician | Brian Omland Senior Secretary, School of Fine Arts | Brooke Louise Academic Advisor, School of Fine Arts | Rhonda Carda
WHO’S WHO The Northern State University Edinburgh Cohort includes Kane Anderson, Kristin Boeshans, Evelynn CarlsonΩ, Noah J. Files, Suzi FittererΩ, Beca Langteau-HodlofskiΩ, Cole Holmes, Jayda Hunstad, Cain Ingram, Anya JonesΩ, Cadin KallenbergerΩ, Deryn Lewis, Morgan Rathjen, Meghan SheetsΩ, Tia Swiontek, Garytt J. TostensonΩ, Reese UeckerΩ, and Tessa Wiest. Some Members of the 2023 Cohort WHO’S WHO NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY STAFF KANE ANDERSON (Direction, Costumes, Props, Sound) Kane Anderson is Northern State University’s Assistant Professor of Acting and Directing. He earned his Ph.D. in Theater Studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara and his MFA in Theatre Performance from Arizona State University. He trained with the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art as well as the Moscow Art Theatre School. Dr. Anderson’s scholarly research examines fandom, cosplay, superheroes, and comic books. As an actor and director, he worked on stages across the country. His favorite directing projects include She Kills Monsters; Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet); Shoot/Get Treasure/Repeat; Bare: A Pop Opera; You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; and Stop Kiss. At Northern, Anderson directed The Brain From Planet X; Lasso of Truth; Almost, Maine; The Vagina Monologues; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; God of Carnage; The Pirates of Penzance; The Last Five Years, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein, Frankenstein in Love, First Date, and Eurydice. He is co-leading the study abroad trip to Scotland this summer.
WHO’S WHO NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY STAFF NOAH J. FILES (Lighting—UK, Props, Scenic) Noah J. Files is in his fourth year as the Assistant Professor of Theatre Design and Tech at Northern State University. Mr. Files received his MFA in Scene Design from Minnesota State University, Mankato. He has previously taught at Wabash College (Ind.), Fresno State (Calif.), and the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. Professional credits include work with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, New York Stage and Film, The Liederkranz Opera Theatre, Minot Summer Theatre, and The Western Plains Opera Company. Mr. Files is happy to be a part of this talented cohort of artists at Northern, and is excited to bring this production to the Fringe. He is co-leading the study abroad trip to Scotland this summer. BRIAN OMLAND (Production Manager—US, Master Electrician, Lighting—US) Brian Omland serves as the Production Manager for the School of Fine Arts at Northern State University. He holds an AAS in Business (entrepreneurship) from Lake Area Technical Institute and a BA in Theatre (design) from Northern State University. He specializes in technical theatre, and particularly enjoys lighting design and creating special effects for the stage. He worked on the Northern productions of The Brain From Planet X, She Kills Monsters, Lasso of Truth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, God of Carnage, The Pirates of Penzance, The Last Five Years, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Almost, Maine, Frankenstein in Love, First Date and Eurydice. Mr. Omland has directed and designed Poona the F***dog and Other Plays for Children and the segment “The Best Daddy” in An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein. WHO’S WHO PRODUCTION TEAM DERYN LEWIS (Stage Manager—UK) Deryn Lewis is a recent musical theatre graduate of Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Growing up in Aberdeen, South Dakota, Deryn has been involved in theatre since they were 12. They’ve explored many roles from actor to costume designer to assistant director to stage manager. They have participated as an actor in shows like White Christmas, Once Upon a Mattress, The Secret Garden, Puffs, and many more. They designed for shows like Ruthless! and Ordinary Days. Deryn is very excited to cap off their Bachelor’s degree with involvement in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. EMILY MAGERA (Production Manager—UK) Emily Magera has been working with Hardly Working Promotions for three years and The Canonized Club: The Curious Lives and Deaths of the Saints will be her seventh show with the company and second time at the Edinburgh Fringe! Her favorite part about Fringe is laughing at late night improv shows and falling asleep to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo!
WHO’S WHO PRODUCTION TEAM VALERIE POTTER (Show P.R. and Marketing—UK) Valerie enjoyed a long career in music business, including 15 years as successful rock music journalist, but as the glory days of that profession faded with the arrival of the ubiquitous Internet, Valerie decided to look around for a change of career and found that tour marketing piqued her interest by combining live performance and human psychology! While working with an act about to embark on his first UK tour, she visited the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for the first time in 2006 and was immediately hooked by its unique vibe and flood of creativity, returned to work there the following year. and has not missed a Fringe since. She specializes in theatre, music and dance, but loves anything quirky—magic, puppetry, site specific—bring it on! DEENA M.P. RONAYNE (Playwright, Production Associate) Deena M.P. Ronayne [She/Her] is an American playwright and the founding member of the marketing & theatrical hybrid firm, Hardly Working Promotions, LLC. Born and raised in Chelmsford, MA by a Big Fat Greek Family, Deena knew from an early age the power of performance art, accumulating a background that ranges from modeling, dancing, acting, producing, and writing. Deena believes the most important aspect of theatre is telling a story, be it serious, silly, and everything in between, with reverence, sincerity, and with the goal of sharing joy. Deena would like to thank her amazing NSU team Kane Anderson and Noah Files, her HWP righthand woman, Emily Magera, EdFringe PR whiz, Valerie Potter, and her husband, Saint Robert of Aberdeen, Patron Saint of Husbandry and Dream Supporting. MEGHAN SHEETSΩ (Board Operator, Assistant Stage Manager) Meghan Sheets is a junior at Northern State University majoring in Musical Theatre. She previously graduated from Belle Plaine High School. She has participated in her high school theatre with roles such as Glinda from Wizard of Oz, Gas House Gertie from Sherlock Holmes, and many more. She last appeared in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and worked in Properties for Frankenstein in Love. She also played Casey in First Date and Big Stone in Eurydice. Sheets recently supported Northern’s production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). WHO’S WHO CAST EVELYNN CARLSONΩ (HOLY SPIRIT, et al.) Evelynn Carlson is a sophomore majoring in Criminal Justice at Northern State University. She graduated from Minot High School and is a National Honor Thespian Alum. Carlson has performed as Rhonda in Almost, Maine, Brooke Wyndham in Legally Blonde, and Alice Heminges in Book of Will, in addition to many other roles. She previously competed in OrlandoFest and won state awards for vocal and theatre performance. She last appeared in First Date and played Orpheus in Eurydice.
WHO’S WHO CAST SUZI FITTERERΩ (SAINT BERNADETTE, et al.) Suzi Fitterer is a senior majoring in Theatre at Northern State University. She debuted in Northern’s Lab production of She Kills Monsters, and then acted in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Helena), God of Carnage (Annette), and Frankenstein in Love (Lazara). She was the Properties Supervisor for The Brain From Planet X and Lasso of Truth. Fitterer also stagemanaged The Thanksgiving Play and assistant-directed Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). She directed two plays in An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein and appeared in two more. For her Senior Project, she played the titular role in Eurydice. ANYA JONESΩ (SAINT ANTHONY, et al. ) Anya Jones is a senior Art Education major and Theater minor at Northern State University. She grew up in Pierre, South Dakota, and transferred from Black Hills State University in Fall 2022. She has been in doing theatre since she was in middle school. Her favorite productions she been a part of include Bright Star, The Love of Three Oranges, and Begets: The Fall of a High School Ronin. Her most recent work includes writing for and performing in Northern’s 24-Hour Theater Festival and playing Eurydice’s Father in Eurydice. BECA LANGTEAU-HODLOFSKIΩ (TOMMY, et al.) Beca Langteau-Hodlofski is a Theatre major who joined Northern State University after transferring from Webster University in St. Louis. Her previous appearances include Eulalie MacKecknie-Shinn in The Music Man, Mrs. Bradford in Blithe Spirit, and several characters in My Fair Lady at her high school, Wayland Academy. She’s also appeared on stage via many performances with her high school acapella group, Unaccompanied Minors. She began performing publicly at a very early age, beginning ballet and tap classes at three, and continuing to dance for 16 years, even dabbling in choreography. Last summer, she acted at the Northern Fort Playhouse in both The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) and A Charles Dickens Christmas. This year, she acted in the 24-Hour Theatre Festival, Eurydice, and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). GARYTT J. TOSTENSONΩ (POPE, et al.) Garytt J. Tostenson is a senior at Northern State University where he is majoring in Biology with a minor in Theatre. He has been acting ever since he was a small child. In his time at Northern, Tostenson has played roles in Man of La Mancha, The Brain From Planet X, She Kills Monsters, Lasso of Truth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, God of Carnage, The Pirates of Penzance, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein, Frankenstein in Love, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), and Poona, for which he also stepped in as the Technical Director. He served as Assistant Director for First Date and Eurydice. REESE UECKERΩ (SAINT PATRICK, SAINT ELMO, et al. ) Reese Uecker recently graduated from Northern State University with a BA in Theatre. He first starred as The Inventor in Northern’s production of Lasso of Truth. He acted in the Ensemble in The Pirates of Penzance and played several roles in An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein. He further performed in Don’t Hug Me and The Oregon Trail with the Northern Fort Playhouse. He also played El Coco the monster in Frankenstein in Love. He last completed his Senior Project in directing The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged).
Rehearsal image (From L to R: Suzi Fitterer, Beca Langteau-Hodlofski, Evelynn Carlson, Reese Uecker, Garytt J. Tostenson)
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