DRESSING TARTUFFE

Tartuffe is shaping up to be The Rogue’s most elaborately costumed production yet—a fun challenge for our hundredth play! We’ve never had so many wigs, plunging bodices, or men in heels on stage before, what Madame Pernelle might call “costly fripperies.”

Click here or on the above image to take a fun look behind the scenes with Costume Designer Cynthia Meier and her sewing team as they build the majority of the play’s decadent silk garments from the ground up.

Supporting Materials

Free “Open Talk” Video

Click here to see the video.

Molière: The Reluctant Comedian

A Free Open Talk on Saturday, August 30 at 2:00 P.M.

Joseph McGrath, co-founder of The Rogue Theatre and director of Tartuffe, gives a presentation covering the life and career of Molière himself, commedia dell’arte, and a summary of the play, with an extended scene from the play presented by our actors.

This open talk is supported in part by a generous gift from Barbara Martinsons & Larry Boutis.

Essay

For more background on the play, check out Jerry James’ essay

The Actor, the King, and the Secret Society:
Molière, Louis XIV and “Tartuffe”

Poster

View the full-sized poster for the play.

Joseph McGrath (Director) is a graduate of the Juilliard School of Drama and is the Artistic Director for The Rogue Theatre. For The Rogue, Joe authored and directed Immortal Longings, and directed The Skin of Our Teeth, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Babette’s Feast, The Oresteia, Blithe Spirit, Much Ado About Nothing, The Grapes of Wrath, A House of Pomegranates, Uncle Vanya (2016 Mac Award for Best Director), The Bridge of San Luis Rey, By the Bog of Cats, The Lady in the Looking Glass, Dante’s Purgatorio, Mistake of the Goddess, Mother Courage and Her Children, As I Lay Dying, The Real Inspector Hound (2010 Mac Award for Best Director), The Decameron, Our Town, Red Noses, Endymion, The Maids (winner of the Arizona Daily Star 2007 Mac Award for Best Play), and The Balcony. Joe was most recently seen as Friar Lawrence in Romeo and Juliet, Old Mahon in The Playboy of the Western World, the Bookseller and others in If on a winter's night a traveler, First Voice in Under Milk Wood, King Argavan in The Left Hand of Darkness, Captain Shotover in Heartbreak House, Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mr. Lockhart in The Seafarer, and Magwitch/Jaggers in Great Expectations. In 2009 Joe won the Arizona Daily Star Mac Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Tobias in A Delicate Balance. He has toured with John Houseman’s Acting Company, performed with the Utah Shakespearean Festival, and he was a frequent performer with Ballet Tucson appearing in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Cinderella, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Dracula and The Nutcracker. He has also performed with Arizona Theatre Company, Arizona Opera, Tucson Art Theatre, and Arizona OnStage.

Joseph McGrath’s direction of Tartuffe is supported in part
by generous gifts from Jerry James and Lori Levine & Gary Benna

Director’s Notes

Tartuffe is the 100th production that The Rogue Theatre has produced in its twenty-year existence. It is, perhaps, appropriate that it is rather unlike anything we have ever done. When Cindy and I began, we were determined to push back on the tendency to produce light-weight and easy-going theatre. Our mission specifically states that we offer complex and provocative points of view related to important social, political, and personal issues. We weren’t officially committed to drama and tragedy, but we were, for many years, steering clear of comedy (though we always carefully distinguished that from humor—of which Hamlet has a great deal!).

Yet we’ve always been into the classics, and it would be a bit foolish to avoid an author like Molière merely because his wheelhouse was comedy. And I think Tartuffe certainly fits the bill for being provocative socially, politically, and personally. Tartuffe so outraged certain figures in Paris when it was first presented that it was banned after its first performance, and it took Molière six years to finally get it securely back on the stage. So for a light comedy, it sure seemed to draw blood. Certain people in the powerful religious establishment were deeply stung. And as we view it even today, we can see that some cult-blinded aspects of Orgon and his mother, though presented as absurd and silly, aren’t actually absurd at all.

Although we have been dipping our toes in the waters of comedy in recent years, the richness of the design of this production is a departure. Costuming, set, wigs, and the presence of a harpsichord—ornamental aspects of the Baroque world—are mandatory, we think, in combination with Molière’s ornamented language and performance style as translated by Richard Wilbur. The actors have had to learn to “stand and deliver” this language. It’s uncomfortable at first, given our contemporary performance training, but it pays off when blended with Baroque music, fashion, and architecture. The language and grace of Molière’s world against the fury of its obsessions makes for a rich and heavily seasoned cuisine. And as our actors craft away in the kitchen, I hope they have a sense of what you will be experiencing in the dining room.

Of course against all this elegance is Molière’s reliance on the broad comedic devices of commedia dell’arte, the Italian street theatre tradition of masked physical comedy and storytelling. We move sometimes seamlessly from Molière’s verbal world to the commedia performance world of disciplined timed turns and takes . . . and back. And sometimes the two worlds are blended, an added challenge and delight.

It’s not hard at all to see the relevance of Tartuffe to us today. But I will avoid interpreting for you. It’s remarkable—and maybe reassuring?—that this was written 362 years ago. Regardless of the vastness of our universe (as we know it now compared to then), and our medical advances, and creature comforts, we nevertheless must deal with the same human limitations, obsessions, and absurdities. One thing I won’t avoid, however, is telling you that love and hope, for this production at least, will suddenly and unexpectedly triumph.

—Joseph McGrath, Director
director@theroguetheatre.org

About the Playwright

Molière, born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (1622–1673), was a renowned French playwright, actor, and poet. Often regarded as one of the greatest masters of comedy, he is best known for his satirical works that critique the societal norms of 17th-century France. Molière's career began as an actor, but he later founded his own theater troupe, which gained the patronage of King Louis XIV. His most famous plays, including Tartuffe, The Misanthrope, The Imaginary Invalid, and Don Juan, blend sharp wit with biting social commentary, often highlighting hypocrisy, pretentiousness, and the human condition. Despite facing criticism from religious and political authorities, Molière's influence on the development of French theater remains profound.

About the Translator

Richard Wilbur (1921–2017) was an American poet, translator, and teacher, renowned for his clear, formal verse and philosophical depth. A two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Wilbur’s poetry often explored themes of nature, human experience, and the interplay between language and perception. His works include Things of This World (1956), New and Collected Poems (1988), and his translations of works by Molière and Voltaire. Wilbur was a professor at Wesleyan University and held the position of U.S. Poet Laureate from 1987 to 1988.

CAST

ORGON, the head of the household - Aaron Shand*
ELMIRE, Orgon’s wife - Sophie Gibson-Rush*
MARIANE, Orgon’s daughter - Bryn Booth*
DAMIS, Orgon’s son - Bear McDonald

MME. PERNELLE, Orgon’s mother - Cynthia Meier*
CLÉANTE, Orgon’s brother-in-law - Christopher Pankratz*

VALÈRE, in love with Mariane - Hunter Hnat*
DORINE, Mariane’s maid - Chelsea Bowdren*
M. LOYAL, a bailiff - Jim Fye
FLIPOTE, Mme. Pernelle’s maid / POLICE OFFICER - Christopher Johnson*

TARTUFFE, the pious hypocrite - Matt Walley*

*Member of The Rogue Resident Acting Ensemble


Stand-Bys: Shannon Elias, Leslie Monthan & Owen Saunders

Biographies

Bryn Booth (Mariane) is a graduate of the BFA Acting program at the University of Arizona. She was most recently seen as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Pegeen Mike in The Playboy of the Western World, Rosaline in Love’s Labor’s Lost, Ellie Dunn in Heartbreak House, and Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This is Bryn’s eighth season as a member of the Resident Acting Ensemble and her 31st show with The Rogue. Some of her favorite shows in which she’s performed here are Romeo & Juliet, The Awakening, Much Ado About Nothing, and Passage. Bryn has also been seen at the Scoundrel and Scamp Theatre as Mag in Lovers and Gowdie in The Love Talker. Bryn is also very active in the Tucson Indie Film Community where she has worked as an actor and writer. Bryn wants to thank Joe and Cindy for giving her the best job she’s ever had with the most amazing people she’s ever met.

Bryn Booth’s performance is supported in part by generous gifts
from Eloise Gore & Allen Hile and Robert & Rhonda Fleming

Chelsea Bowdren (Dorine) is excited to be in her fourth season as a member of The Rogue Resident Acting Ensemble. She has previously performed on The Rogue stage in The Playboy of the Western World, If on a winter’s night a traveler, The Skin of Our Teeth, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Under Milk Wood, The Left Hand of Darkness, Heartbreak House, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Great Expectations, Sweat, Mrs Dalloway, Death of a Salesman, Twelfth Night and Immortal Longings. For Archer, Eloise, and Felix. 

Chelsea Bowdren’s performance is supported in part by generous gifts
from Denice Blake & John Blackwell and Peggy Houghton & Paul Garner

Jim Fye (M. Loyal) is very happy to be back at The Rogue, debuting here in 2023’s Babette’s Feast. Other roles here: Snug the Joiner in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Dull and Forester in Love’s Labour’s Lost, and Doug in last year’s reading of The Great God Pan. Before returning to Tucson in 2018 he spent forty-some years in the San Francisco Bay Area; favorite roles performed there include Gloucester in King Lear, the Player in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Charles in Blithe Spirit, Mr. Dussel in The Diary of Anne Frank, Norman in The Dresser, Bellomy in The Fantasticks, Truscott in Loot, and Salieri in Amadeus. Jim is an avid hiker and an amateur backyard gardener. 

Jim Fye’s performance is supported in part by
generous gifts from Nancy Bissell and Julie Cohn

Sophie Gibson-Rush (Elmire) is a musician and actor based in Tucson, Arizona. She is proud to be a resident ensemble member with The Rogue Theatre and the front woman and primary songwriter for critically acclaimed alternative rock quintet Holy Faint. She attended Boston University and London Academy of Music and Drama where she earned a BFA in acting. She continued her education at Double Edge Theater studying devised theatre. Favorite acting credits include Polly Garter (& others) in Under Milk Wood, Katherine in Love’s Labour’s Lost, Marc Antony in Julius Caesar, Peggy in The London Cuckolds, and Thomasina Coverly in Arcadia. She's honored to be included in The Rogue ensemble—a group of people as kind as they are curious. She looks forward to her full season of acting with The Rogue Theatre, and can be found playing music on stages all around Tucson and Southern Arizona. Always for Jojo with love. IG: @soatgoat

Sophie Gibson-Rush’s performance is supported in part by
generous gifts from Vicki Ettleman and Dennis & Kathy Karsh

Hunter Hnat (Valère) is grateful to be in his eighth season as a member of The Rogue Resident Acting Ensemble. He was most recently seen as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. He has performed in over 30 shows with The Rogue, some notable favorites include Christopher Mahon in The Playboy of the Western World, Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pip in Great Expectations, Happy in Death of a Salesman, Sebastian in Twelfth Night, Edmund Tyrone in Long Day’s Journey Into Night, and Christopher in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Other credits include Salomé (Scoundrel & Scamp), U/S in Romeo and Juliet (Arizona Theatre Company), and How the House Burned Down (Live Theatre Workshop). He is a U of A alumnus with his BFA in Musical Theatre, class of 2015. Enjoy the show!

Hunter Hnat’s performance is supported in part by generous
gifts from Barbara & Gerald Goldberg and Shawn Burke

Christopher Johnson (Flipote / Officer) first came to The Rogue in 2011 to play Jewel in As I Lay Dying and now serves as Assistant Artistic Director, Play-reading Producer, and Resident Ensemble Member. Select acting credits at The Rogue include Il Maestro in If on a winter’s night a traveler, Biff Loman in Death of a Salesman, and Prior Walter in Angels in America: Millennium Approaches (2016 Mac Award Winner – Best Actor, Drama).Notable roles elsewhere include Joshua in Corpus Christi, Peter in Bug, Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Alan in Lemon Sky, Pale in Burn This, Chicklet in Psycho Beach Party, Thom Pain in Thom Pain (based on nothing), and The Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret (2013 Mac Award Winner – Best Actor, Musical).

Christopher Johnson’s performance is supported in part by generous
gifts from Susan Tiss and Susan Miller-Cochran & Stacey Cochran

Bear McDonald (Damis) graduated with an AOS degree in Performing Arts at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Hollywood, California, where he took various classes on wide ranging subjects and learned from incredible professors, mentors, and students. Some of his biggest career highlights are Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Randy in Almost, Maine, Arthur Holmewood in Dracula, Kenickie in Grease, and recently as the U/S for Bob in Bob and Jean a Love Story at ATC. This is Bear’s first staged show with The Rogue. He wants to send a huge amount of thanks to his loved ones for believing in him, the cast and crew for their incredible energy, support, and infectious love of the craft. Finally a huge thanks to his girlfriend Jynx for loving every facet of him! Enjoy the show and follow for more! @bear_mcdonald

Bear McDonald’s performance is supported in part by generous
gifts from John Wilson and Paul Winick & Ronda Lustman

Cynthia Meier (Mme. Pernelle) is Co-Founder and Managing/Associate Artistic Director for The Rogue, and has previously appeared in Romeo and Juliet, Marjorie Prime, Under Milk Wood, Heartbreak House, Babette’s Feast, Great Expectations, Death of a Salesman, The Awakening, The Oresteia, A View from the Bridge, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Blithe Spirit, The Crucible, Three Tall Women, and The Grapes of Wrath. Cynthia has been nominated for nine Mac Awards for Best Actress from the Arizona Daily Star and received the 2008 Mac Award for her portrayal of Stevie in Edward Albee’s The Goat. She has also performed with Arizona Repertory Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Michigan Repertory Theatre, and Borderlands Theatre. In the 1990s, Cynthia co-founded a women’s theatre company, Bloodhut Productions, which toured throughout the American West and was published by St. Martin’s Press. Cynthia holds a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from the University of Arizona.

Cynthia Meier’s performance is supported in part by generous
gifts from Kathy Ortega & Larry Johnson and Todd Hansen

Christopher Pankratz (Cléante and Property Master) Christopher’s Rogue acting credits include Romeo and Juliet, The Playboy of the Western World, If on a winter’s night a traveler, The Skin of Our Teeth, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Under Milk Wood, The Left Hand of Darkness, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Great Expectations, The Awakening, As You Like It, A View from the Bridge, Moby Dick, The Crucible, Much Ado About Nothing, King Lear, and The Grapes of Wrath. Christopher also directed An Enemy of the People, Constellations, and The Sun Also Rises for the John and Joyce Ambruster Play-Reading Series. Christopher formerly taught theatre at Flowing Wells High School where he wrote and produced numerous new plays including The Longest Day of April, The Story Seller’s Tale, and You Can’t Make Wine from Raisins, which are available online for licensing and performance. While attending the University of Arizona, Christopher earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts, as well as a master’s degree from the College of Education.

Christopher Pankratz’s performance is supported in part by
generous gifts from John Heman and Sylvia Pozarnsky & Tom Riley
His work as prop master is supported in part by a generous gift from Katherine Jacobson

Aaron Shand (Orgon) was last seen on The Rogue stage as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet. Now in his eighth season as a member of The Rogue Theatre’s Resident Acting Ensemble, Aaron has also appeared in The Playboy of the Western World, If on a winter’s night a traveler, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Under Milk Wood, The Left Hand of Darkness, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Seafarer, Twelfth Night, The Awakening, As You Like It, The Weir, A View from the Bridge, Moby Dick, Middletown, Much Ado About Nothing, Galileo, The Grapes of Wrath and King Lear. Born and raised in Tucson, he received his B.F.A. in Acting from the University of Arizona, performing for the Arizona Repertory Theatre in Bus Stop, The Miracle Worker and Romeo & Juliet. He also spent a season with the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, performing in The Cherry Orchard and A Christmas Carol.

Aaron Shand’s performance is supported in part by generous gifts
from Eloise Gore & Allen Hile, Carol Mangold and Kristi Lewis

Matt Walley (Tartuffe) is a member of The Rogue Theatre Resident Acting Ensemble and was most recently seen as Lord Capulet in Romeo and Juliet. Other appearances include Jon in Marjorie Prime, Jimmy Farrell in The Playboy of the Western World, Marana in If on a winter’s night a traveler, Mr. Antrobus in The Skin of Our Teeth, Don Armado in Love’s Labor’s Lost, Captain Cat in Under Milk Wood, Estraven in The Left Hand of Darkness, Boss Mangan in Heartbreak House, Francis Flute in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Richard in The Seafarer, Stan in Sweat, and Stubb in Moby Dick. He co-created and performed in Oaf at The Scoundrel and Scamp Theatre. He is also a strength coach at The Protocol gym in Tucson. Thank you to Laura for thinking ‘clown’ a decent occupation. 

Matt Walley’s performance is supported in part by generous gifts from
Ann & Andrew Lettes, Brock & Chantal McCaman, Cheryl Lockhart and Bill & Nancy Sohn

Russell Ronnebaum - Harpsichord

Preshow Music

Les Soupirs
Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683–1764)

Les Sentiments
François Couperin (1668–1733)

La Pateline
Couperin

La Séduisante
Couperin

L’Indiscrète
Rameau

Incidental music

Improvisations on themes by
Couperin, Rameau, and Ronnebaum

Russell Ronnebaum (Music Director/Harpsichordist) serves as The Rogue Theatre’s Resident Director of Music.  This is his 29th production at The Rogue, and he has composed original music for 18 of them.  Some favorites include Marjorie Prime, If on a winter’s night a traveler, Under Milk Wood, The Left Hand of Darkness, Mrs. Dalloway, Death of a Salesman, The Awakening, As You Like It, Frankenstein, Moby Dick, and Much Ado About Nothing. Russell holds a Master of Music degree in collaborative piano from the University of Arizona. He is the assistant director of music at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Oro Valley. As a pianist, Russell often performs with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. Russell made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2016, performing the music of Dan Forrest. Russell also composes music for Rogue Radio, a radio play series produced in partnership with Arizona Public Media, NPR 89.1 FM. Recordings, videos, sheet music, and more can be found at www.RRonnebaum.com.

Russell Ronnebaum’s music direction is supported in part by generous
gifts from Todd Hansen and George Bradbury & C.M. Peterson

Music Director’s Notes

The harpsichord was invented in the 14th century but eventually fell out of fashion with the invention of the piano in the 1700s. The harpsichord produces its sound by a plucking mechanism, compared to the piano, which strikes a string with a hammer. The plucking of the strings makes for a soft and delicate sound. To amplify the volume, it’s common practice for the player to add frilly ornamentation like trills, mordents, and arpeggios.

The harpsichord on stage is modeled after the 17th-century French harpsichord tradition, which features two separate keyboards, each with its own set of strings that can be coupled together to achieve a variety of sound qualities. The white and black keys are inverted in color, and the soundboard is hand-painted with intricate floral and bird motifs. This harpsichord was hand-built by the Richard Kingston Company in 1983 and is generously on loan from St. Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church.

The preshow features pieces from French Baroque composers, and their compositional conventions inspired the incidental music.

—Russell Ronnebaum, Music Director and Harpsichordist

Designers and Production Staff

Cynthia Meier (Costume Design) worked her way through college at Eastern Michigan University by assisting in the costume shop. Most of what she knows about Costume Design, she learned from Katie Holkeboer, the costume designer and professor at EMU. After graduating with her MA in Speech & Theatre, Cynthia stayed on at EMU to teach Costume Design, Costume Construction, Stage Makeup, and Introduction to Technical Theatre while designing the university mainstage plays and supervising the costume shop. She has designed costumes for each and every one of The Rogue plays since 2005. 

Cynthia Meier’s costume design is supported in part by generous gifts
from Brock & Chantal McCaman, Gian & Marykay Morelli and Fred Corey

Joseph McGrath (Scenic Design) worked in the scene shops at West Virginia University and the Juilliard School of Drama while he was studying to become an actor. He served as Technical Director for Arizona Theatre Company from 1987–88, and opened his own scene shop, Sonora Theatre Works, in the 1990s. Joe has designed and built scenery for Ballet Tucson for most of their ballets for over 20 years, as well as various projects with UA Opera Theatre. He has designed each and every set for The Rogue since its inception in 2005.

Joseph McGrath’s scenic design is supported in part
by a generous gift from Marcia & Tyler Tingley

Mandy Spartz (Stage Manager) From Muppets to Shakespeare, Mandy’s previous works include Touring: Tomás and the Library Lady (Childsplay, National Tour); Summer Stock: The Importance of Being Earnest, The Story of My Life, Richard II, and As You Like It (Theater at Monmouth); Dinner Theater: The Spitfire Grill, Urinetown, Flashdance, Elf (Arizona Broadway Theatre); and Theme Parks: Sesame Street at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Most recently Mandy worked on the Michigan Premier of Primary Trust and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Hope Summer Repertory Theatre in Holland, MI. Mandy is a member of the Stage Managers’ Association and serves on several committees. She is also the owner of Thank You, Five! Greeting Cards. She received her BFA from the University of Arizona, Class of 2021 (Bear Down!). She would like to thank her family and her partner for their continued loving support. You can find her on Instagram @mandyspartzsm.

Mandy Spartz’s stage management is supported in part
by a generous gift from Denice Blake & John Blackwell

Shannon Wallace (Lighting Designer and Production Stage Manager) first came to The Rogue in 2015 to stage manage The Picture of Dorian Gray, and now serves as their Production Stage Manager and Operations Manager. She has worked on over 30 shows with The Rogue, some favorites include: The Bridge of San Luis Rey, The Grapes of Wrath, Curious Incident, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, As You Like It, and If on a winter’s night a traveler. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Arizona, with a dual emphasis in stage management and lighting design. During her college years, she worked on over 25 productions with Arizona Repertory Theatre and dabbled in production & company management at Arizona Theatre Company and the Contemporary American Theatre Festival. After graduating, she continued to expand her breadth of experience to include different arts management positions such as Operations Assistant at Mudlark Theater Company. Apart from a one-year sojourn to Chicago, The Rogue has been her home for almost 10 years, and she is grateful every day to be a part of this vibrant and loving community.

Shannon Wallace’s production stage management is supported in part by
generous gifts from Marcia & Tyler Tingley and Clem & Sharie Shute
Shannon Wallace’s lighting design is supported
in part by a generous gift from John & Kay Wallace

Amy Novelli (Scenic Artist) received her Cum Laude BFA from the Columbus College of Art & Design and her MFA from Carnegie Mellon. Novelli’s scenic art career began in New York City at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Studio. As Charge Scenic Artist for the Arizona Theatre Company (2010–2014), Amy also painted several sets for Arizona Opera and UA Opera, and presently paints for The Rogue Theatre. Amy created monstrous Halloween decor for Hotel Congress for 20 years, and was lead painter for Marshal-Fields 1998 award-winning Easter Window display “Alice in Wonderland.” She supervised four public art projects in the Tucson area with high school youth and won commissions to design and paint five large scale outdoor murals across the country as well as at Biosphere II and La Posada Hotel. She has taught at the University of Arizona and Pima Community College. Novelli’s fine art work has been exhibited at several Tucson Galleries, and she had a one woman show at the Tucson International Airport in 2020. Amy currently lives in New Orleans where she designs and paints floats for the annual Carnival Season of Mardi Gras.

Amy Novelli’s scenic painting is supported in part by
a generous gift from Felicia & Warren May.

Nanalee Raphael (Costume Shop Supervisor) has known from age five that she would work in theatre. Of course, she thought it would be as an actor, not as someone who flings fabric around. She feels blessed that she has always been employed in costuming, for both professional and academic theatres, and has never had to have a “day job.” Until moving to Tucson in 1995, she was peripatetic in her work situations, desiring to work with theatres all over the country. She has worked as a costume designer, costume director and/or draper in professional theatres in Michigan, (Hope Summer Repertory, Holland), Wisconsin (American Players Theatre, Spring Green), Illinois (Goodman, Wisdom Bridge, and Steppenwolf, Chicago), New York (The Public, NYC), Arizona (ART & ATC, Tucson), at Shakespeare Festivals in Vermont and New Jersey, and California (The Old Globe, San Diego). She received both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Costume Design and Technology from Syracuse University. She is one of the “Pioneering Seven,” the first group of women to study full-time at Dartmouth College.

Peter Bleasby (Master Electrician) has been actively involved with lighting for theatre and other entertainments for 70 years. That is not a typo! Professionally it includes stints with BBC Television, and with UK lighting designer Richard Pilbrow for the opening of the National Theatre (Director: Laurence Olivier). Non-theatrical lighting has included Commercial/Industrial, Cathedrals, Major Sports Venues and Fashion Shows. He assisted with The Rogue’s initial lighting rig at the Historic “Y” in 2009 and has been the master electrician for every show since the 2013/14 season. His most recent contribution was the design and oversight of the $95K LED lighting installation in time for Tartuffe - the 100th production - in September 2025. From light bulbs in coffee cans to LED lights with internal software, it’s been an amazing  technological journey, but always in the service of the productions.

Connor J. Greene (Assistant Master Electrician) first came to The Rogue as a volunteer electrician on Miss Julie in 2016. In 2018, he interned for Peter Bleasby on The Grapes of Wrath. Starting with The Awakening in 2020, he began drafting for Deanna Fitzgerald’s designs. In 2021, when a piece of lighting technology misbehaved during Twelfth Night, he became a special projects electrician. Now, in 2025, Connor is excited to serve as The Rogue’s Assistant Master Electrician. He is looking forward to the learning and growth that comes from making good art with the wonderful community who supported and fostered him throughout his entire career. Connor holds a BFA from the University of Arizona, with an emphasis in lighting design. He was a Journeyman Electrician for Williamstown Theatre Festival in 2019, a freelance electrician in NYC from 2019-2020, and the Lighting Programmer for Arizona Opera Company from 2021-2023. He would like to thank his families of both blood and water.

Matt Elias (House Manager, Sound Consultant) is constantly seeking out art whether it be theatre, music, television or video games. He became enamored with live performance at The Rogue Theatre in 2014 while joining his wife, Shannon, as an usher. His experience as a touring musician, his penchant for audio production and his general obsession with how stuff works, makes him useful in all sorts of tight places throughout the production process. Nowadays you’ll see him as House Manager, trading off shows with Woods Fairchild and you might not see him sneaking a peek at each of those shows from behind the scenes. Matt has experience as a Master Bicycle Technician, Emergency Medical Technician, Fire/EMS 911 Dispatcher, and most recently a Production Brewer at Dragoon Brewing Company.

Woods Fairchild (House Manager, she/they) first met the Rogue by assisting their installation of “The Object” art piece in preparation for The Left Hand of Darkness. The Object’s designer, John Farrell, is a dear friend of Woods’ through her work with his wife, Carol Farrell, in costume design. John’s invitation to Woods to help assemble the art kindled an immediate friendship between Woods and the Rogue team. Woods formally joined the Rogue family in October 2023. In overlap with performance arts, Woods has an artistic background in dance and movement practice studies, as well as sewing and costume design. Woods also worked as a Project Manager with the Arts Foundation who manage public art projects, as well as distribute funding to support artists and arts organizations in Southern Arizona, including the Rogue Theater! Woods is a photographer, crafter, biker and her little old pickup truck is her true love. Grateful to be with the Rogue!

Megan Coy (House Manager, Box Office Staff) is excited to return to the Rogue after taking a few years away! As the resident stage manager in 2019-2020, she worked on Middletown, Long Day’s Journey into Night, Moby Dick, and The Beauty Queen of Leenane. In 2020, she decided to leave the Rogue to be home with her daughter Eleanor and has now welcomed a son, Esben. Always looking for a creative outlet, Megan started her jewelry business, Coy Creative, in 2020 as well! Prior to working at the Rogue, she worked in marketing and production at The Magik Theatre in San Antonio, traveled internationally with a touring production, and graduated from the U of A in 2013 with a BFA in Theatre Production. She is so excited to be back with her friends at the Rogue!

Thomas Wentzel (Box Office Manager, Program, Website) is a Scientific Programmer for the National Solar Observatory and holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Arizona. Previously he has worked as a Data Manager for several prevention programs in the Arizona Cancer Center and the Mel and Enid Zuckerman Arizona College of Public Health. He has served on the Board of the Tucson Men’s Cooperative, editing its newsletter for five years, and on the Executive Committee of Sons of Orpheus—The Male Choir of Tucson. He has sung with Furry Day Singers, Sons of Orpheus, AwenRising and Arizona Repertory Singers, and has performed with Tucson Art Theatre in Viktor Slavkin’s Cerceau and Clifford Odets’ Waiting for Lefty. Thomas has designed and built The Rogue Theatre Web site (with great assistance from Bill Sandel and Bryan Falcón in creating the 2020 Website update), and serves as Webmaster and Business Manager. He has also served on The Rogue’s Board of Directors since the founding of the theatre.

Shannon Elias (Box Office Associate, Volunteer Coordinator) got her first big break in theatre at age 11 when she was cast as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz in school. After that first applause, she was hooked. She began at The Rogue Theatre as an usher in 2008, and volunteered in various roles until she was hired to the box office in 2018. She made her debut on The Rogue stage in The Oresteia in 2020 and has since appeared in The Playboy of the Western World, The Skin of Our Teeth, Babette’s Feast, The Left Hand of Darkness, and the staged-readings of Everybody and The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window. She also worked backstage with The Rogue as Assistant Stage Manager for The Awakening, Mrs Dalloway, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Love’s Labor’s Lost. Shannon holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts from the University of Arizona with a minor in Special Education and Rehabilitation Psychology.

Our Thanks

Performance Schedule

Performance run time of Tartuffe is 2 hours 10 minutes, including one 10-minute intermission.