Neurochemicals: a virtual therapy play by Austin Russell Creative

Playwright

Austin Russell

Austin M. Russell (he/him) is a Memphis-based Theatre Artist, with a heart for storytelling and the spirituality of performance. Other works of his are: Is There A Next Morning, and Foam Bullets, both currently on New Play Exchange for perusal. Having Union College put on the World Premiere of Neurochemicals has been the most fitting and incredible experience for him, and being able to see the work and life they have all brought to this piece makes his heart grow exponentially. He would like to thank. Christie, the cast and crew, and most importantly God for allowing these words to have the power and impact that a story deserves. As well as Sarah Guinee, Naivell Steib, and Bennett McCluskey for being voices of encouragement and love through this crazy experience.

Director

Christie Connolly

Christie Connolly is the Program Director and Assistant Professor of Theatre at Union College in Barbourville, KY. She has an MFA in Performance & Pedagogy from Texas Tech University and a BA in Theatre from Birmingham-Southern College. She designed and currently teaches the new theatre minor curriculum at Union College. It includes courses in Theatre for Social Change, Directing & Devising, and Voice & Movement. She served as Artistic Director for the BurkTech Players, a company with adults on the autism spectrum. She is currently a cast member of the devised production Remember This: A Participatory Performance Experience that studies attitudes towards dementia. You can see her in the documentary, Exit, Screen Left: Theatre through a Pandemic.

Assistant Director

Haley Smith

Haley is a junior Psychology major and theatre minor. She is on theatre scholarship and has assistant directed Almost, Maine (Fall 2019) and Rehearsal for Murder (Spring 2020). Last semester she was recognized by the Region IV Kennedy Center American Theatre Festival for her outstanding assistant direction of Time Zones Apart. She played a lead role in Return to Me by Matt Rifenburg at the Roots of the Bluegrass New PLay Festival. Haley was voted "Most Accepting" & "MVP Sophomore" by her peers for the 2019-2020 Union College Theatre Awards. You can see Haley prominently featured in the documentary, Exit Screen Left: Theatre Through a Pandemic.

Stage Manager

Jazmine Blevins

Jazmine is from Barbourville, KY, and is a Pre-Nursing student at Union College. She is currently the Community Engagement Director for Union College Theatre. She is helping develop the children’s theatre play, The Fat Man: An Appalachian Folk Tale, which will be performed at local schools. Jazmine was the Makeup and Hair Designer and Sound Operator for Time Zones Apart last semester. She is excited about being more involved with Union's campus.

Technical Director & Sound Designer

Chandler Mills

Chandler is a junior Education major at Union College. He played "Lendall" in Almost, Maine (Fall 2019), "Lloyd" in Rehearsal for Murder (Spring 2020), and “Brian” in Time Zones Apart (Fall 2020). He was involved in the Roots of the Bluegrass New Play Festival as Stage Manager for two new plays. He is on theatre scholarship and is on the tennis team. For the 2019-2020 Union College Theatre Awards, Chandler was voted "Most Trustworthy" and "MVP Junior" by his peers. You can see Chandler in the documentary, Exit Screen Left: Theatre through a Pandemic.

Costume Designer

Hope Sullivan

Hope is a sophomore Media Communications major and Theatre minor. She is on theatre scholarship as the Conference Involvement Coordinator. She played “Glory” in Almost, Maine, “Sally Bean” in Rehearsal for Murder, and was on stage crew for Time Zones Apart. Hope appeared in the Roots of the Bluegrass New Play Festival in Return to Me by Matt Rifenburg. Hope was voted "Most Genuine" by her peers for the 2019-2020 Union College Theatre Awards.

Scenic Designer

Giovani Batista

Giovani is on Theatre scholarship. Last semester he was recognized by the Region IV Kennedy Center American Theatre Festival for his innovative approach to scenic design for Time Zones Apart during this unprecedented time in theatre.

KENNEDY CENTER AMERICAN THEATRE FESTIVAL REGION IV

We are pleased to host respondents from Region IV Kennedy Center American Theatre Festival to adjudicate our performance.

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) is a national theater program involving 18,000 students annually from colleges and universities across the country. KCACTF aims to:

Encourage, recognize, and celebrate the finest and most diverse work produced in university and college theater programs;
Provide opportunities for participants to develop their theater skills and insight, and achieve professionalism;
Improve the quality of college and university theater in the United States; and
Encourage colleges and universities to give distinguished productions of new plays, especially those written by students; the classics, revitalized or newly conceived; and experimental works.

Since its inception, KCACTF has given more than 400,000 college theater students the opportunity to have their work critiqued, improve their dramatic skills, and receive national recognition for excellence. More than 16 million theatergoers have attended approximately 10,000 festival productions nationwide.

Visit https://www.kcactfresources.com/ for resources on anti-racism, self-care, and innovative theatre in the time of a global pandemic