Highlander Theater Company Produces The Theory of Relativity

Highlander Theater Company Produces The Theory of Relativity

Chase Collegiate School, Waterbury, CT -- Chase’s own Highlander Theater Company will be producing The Theory of Relativity, a moving and unconventional song cycle bursting with originality as it examines the interconnectedness of us all through life's shared experiences - from the hilarious to the heartbreaking. The Theory of Relativity will take place on Saturday, April 27th at 8:00 PM and Sunday, April 28th at 2:00 PM in the Fulkerson Arts Center on the Chase campus at 565 Chase Pkwy in Waterbury. Tickets are $10; $5 for senior citizens and students.

Our Spring Musical Theater endeavor is an ensemble production; the cast on stage, the band in the pit and the crew “behind the scenes” (in quotes, as the theater production class has designed and built a 3⁄4 thrust stage in the venue) are all students in the Upper School Arts Program. Costumes, Lighting, Sound, and Set Design & Build by Dylan Carmichael ‘19 of Middlebury; Evan Harte ‘20 of Cheshire; Jason Harte ‘19 of Cheshire; Maggie McGuire ‘20 of New Milford; Stephen Palluto ‘19 of Middletown; Jacob Xu ‘19 of Shanghai, China; and Nathaniel Zembruski ‘21 of Naugatuck under the guidance of Chase faculty members, Visual Artist, Brian Paturzo and Costume Designer, Lisa Carlson.

Seniors featured in the cast are John Auerbach ‘19 of Newtown; Kee Carlson ‘19 of Naugatuck; Olivia Deveau ‘19 of Southbury; Kathleen Green ’19 of Woodbury; Angelene Guglielmo ‘19 of Waterbury; and Joseph Leszczynski ’19 of Easton.

Rounding out the cast under the guidance and instruction of Chase Choral and Musical Theater Director, Marissa Famiglietti Apland, are Ricardo Croes ‘22 of Cheshire; Teigan da Cunha ‘22 of Southbury; Emma Denihan ‘20 of Waterbury; Garrett Fisher ‘21 of Southington; Ben Goth ‘21 of Watertown; Isabella Kopecky ‘20 of Waterbury; Maggie McGuire ‘20 of New Milford; and Emily Segall ‘21 of Southbury.

The Theory of Relativity will feature a live pit band comprised of five students; Nathaniel Zembruski ‘21 of Naugatuck on Keyboard 1; Bill Chen ‘19 of Huixinxijie, China on Keyboard 2; Tommii Zeng ‘19 of Shanghai, China on Keyboard 3; Karen Sun ‘19 of Chengdu, China on Guitar and Bass; and Melody Zhou ‘19 of Guangzhou, China on Percussion. The orchestra will be conducted by Chase Instrumental Ensemble Music Faculty member, Stephen Lyons.

The 2018-2019 school year represents the second year of a unified Visual and Performing Arts Department at Chase. This made the selection of The Theory of Relativity as the Spring musical easy for Director of Visual and Performing Arts, Jennifer Zembruski. “Chase Collegiate Arts Program is presenting three musical theater productions this season, all selected to underscore our school’s mission to develop, create and sustain a community of lifelong learners.” said Zembruski. “Like the stories in The Theory of Relativity, the Chase Arts Program offers the opportunity to wonder, explore, create, persist, and deliver both individual and group performance and portfolio. An integral component to learning at Chase Collegiate is our collaborative experiences. I personally can not wait for everyone to come and see this show - it will be magical!”

“But perhaps my favorite part of the experience was watching this group of young people tell a story that wasn’t about some other generation, some other time or some remote experience. It is rather a set of stories that are fundamentally about them. In their own time. Today. And yet, the audience I watched it with was easily one or two generations older than the young people playing it – as can happen at a matinee. This audience found the stories as relevant, as compelling and as truthful to them as they were to the cast and their peers. Brian (Hill) and Neil (Bartram) have written a piece that builds surprising bridges between the characters on stage, as well as between the characters and the audience – connections that are totally unexpected....I think that in the end, it is precisely this process, a shared connection, both backstage and in the house, that leads to the universality and connection of a successful musical. Provocative, thoughtful and deeply feeling work creates the same relationship of ideas within the audience. Maybe that’s what the title The Theory of Relativity really means.” —Thomas Schumacher, President & Producer, Disney Theatrical Productions

The Theory of Relativity is presented by arrangement with TAMS-WITMARK MUSIC LIBRARY, INC. 560 Lexington Ave, New York, New York 10022.