GIRLFRIEND

Todd Almond and Matthew Sweet

Opening night March 23 Running through April 14, 2019

Romance unfolds in a new musical wound around the tender love songs of Matthew Sweet's landmark album, Girlfriend.

Romance unfolds in a new musical wound around the tender love songs of Matthew Sweet’s landmark album, Girlfriend. Two teenage boys – one a social outcast, the other a quintessential jock – realize there’s more to life than what high school has taught them. This rock musical, taking place between high school graduation and the rest of life, gives voice to everyone who has ever felt they do not quite fit in – and anyone who remembers the terror and thrill of first love will relate.

Girlfriend is the breathless testimony of a fool for love, a rock ‘n’ roll valentine that delivers subtle wisdom with an exhilarating kick. –Rolling Stone

Meet The Cast

Sam Hamashima

Mike

Sam Hamashima is thrilled to be making his Detroit Public Theatre debut! Sam is a New York based performer and creator originally from North Carolina. Credits include Playwrights Horizon’s Off-Broadway revival of Comfort Women: A New Musical (Mr. Komino, Matsui u/s), Studio Theatre’s Vietgone (Nhan u/s), Music Theatre Wichita’s 2017 Summer Stock season incl.Thoroughly Modern Millie (Ching Ho), and University of Michigan’s The Little Mermaid (Chef Louis). Member and Founder: Asian College Theatre Ensemble (ACTE). Much love to Mom and Dad, Ellie and Grace, YoungArts. Represented by The Price Group. University of Michigan, BFA in Musical Theatre. @samhamashima, samhamashima.com

Peter Scattini

Will

Peter Scattini is a Brooklyn-based actor, writer and director in his first production with the Detroit Public Theatre. A graduate of the University of Michigan with a degree in Musical Theatre, Peter has performed regionally with the American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) in San Francisco in shows like DARLING and A CHRISTMAS CAROL. As a writer and composer, his work has been performed on stage in cities around the United States and internationally. Scattini also studied Shakespeare in Performance at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and was named a distinguished young artist by ACT in 2014. Special thanks to my parents, Barry and Oscar and the Umich MT staff. Twitter/Insta: @jpscattini Youtube: A Working Catalogue

Meet The Creative Team

Todd Almond

Book

Todd Almond is a composer, lyricist, and playwright. For The Public Theater/Shakespeare in the Park, he wrote the music and lyrics for the Public Works production of The Tempest at the Delacorte Theater (a production in which he also starred as Ariel). His musicals include Girlfriend (Berkeley Rep., and Actors Theatre of Louisville, with songwriter Matthew Sweet, dir: Les Waters); Melancholy Play (13P, with playwright Sarah Ruhl, dir: Davis McCallum); We Have Always Lived in the Castle (Yale Repertory Theater, with playwright Adam Bock, dir: Anne Kauffman); On The Levee (LCT3, dir: Lear deBessonet); The Odyssey (The Old Globe, dir: Lear deBessonet) and Iowa (Playwrights Horizons, 2015, with playwright Jenny Schwartz, dir: Ken Rus Schmoll). Almond music-directed and arranged Sherie Rene Scott’s hit show Piece of Meat (54 Below and Hippodrome in London) and can be heard on Laura Benanti’s live album “In Constant Search of the Right Kind of Attention.” He has released two solo albums: “Mexico City,” and “Memorial Day.”

Matthew Sweet

Music & Lyrics

Matthew Sweet (Music and Lyrics) is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician. He was part of the burgeoning music scene in Athens, Georgia, during the 1980s before gaining commercial success in the 1990s. His latest albums, Tomorrow Forever and Tomorrow’s Daughter, were followed by Wicked System of Things, released in 2018.

Joe Bailey

Director

Joe is the founding artistic director of The Ringwald Theatre in Ferndale. He has performed and/or directed at many theatres in SE Michigan including the JET, Theatre Nova, Planet Ant, and Williamston Theatre. He was seen in the original Los Angeles and off-Broadway productions of Ronnie Larsen’s 10 Naked Men. He has toured the country in that show as well as Making Porn, Sleeping with Straight Men, and My Boyfriend, the Stripper which he co-wrote with Larsen.

Jeremy St. Martin

Music Director & Keyboard

Jeremy is thrilled to be making his music directing debut with Detroit Public Theatre. His theater credits: Into the Woods (Baker); The Complete Works of Shakespeare…Abridged (Himself); The Music Man (Ewart Dunlop). Music Directing credits: The Last 5 Years; Oliver!; Little Shop of Horrors; The Rocky Horror Show; Company. Jeremy is also an improviser and music director at GO Comedy in Ferndale MI, as well as part time improviser and music director at Pointless Improv and Brewery in Ann Arbor. He has worked with such artists as The 313 (featuring Keegan Michael-Key and Jamie Moyer) and Paul F. Tompkins. He is a classical/jazz pianist as well as a conductor for many groups in the Detroit Area, including Sing Out Detroit and assistant director/Accompanist for Henry Ford College Chorale.

Jeromy Hopgood

Scenic Designer

Jeromy Hopgood is glad to be back designing at DPT. He is a Michigan-based designer, creating scenery, lighting, and projection designs for professional theatres across the country. Select design credits include People’s Light in Philadelphia (Skeleton Crew – Barrymore nominated projection design), Williamston Theatre (Out of Orbit, Outside Mullingar, Taking Shakespeare), Detroit Public Theatre (Skeleton Crew, Pipeline, Girlfriend), Michigan Shakespeare Festival (Julius Caesar, The Taming of the Shrew, The Seagull, The Killer Angels, Richard II, Cymbeline, Hamlet, Richard III, The Winter’s Tale), Tipping Point Theatre (The Rainmaker), Performance Network Theatre (Circle Mirror Transformation), the Lexington Shakespeare Festival (The Tempest, Merry Wives), and the Williamstown Theatre Festival during its Tony Award-winning season. In addition to his freelance work, Jeromy serves as a Professor of Entertainment Design & Technology at Eastern Michigan University, and is the author of QLab 4: Projects in Video, Audio, & Lighting Control, and Dance Production: Design & Technology, and the forthcoming Digital Media Designer’s Toolkit. Jeromy’s design work can be seen at www.hopgooddesign.com

Katherine Nelson

Production Stage Manager & Costume Designer

Katherine has been stage managing with Detroit Public Theatre since its inaugural season, with highlights including the coproduction of Detroit ’67 with Baltimore Center Stage and the world premiere of Birthday Candles. They have also stage managed with the Wharton Center for the Performing Arts and Chautauqua Theater Company. Additionally, Katherine is a costume designer. Recent Off-Broadway design at The New Victory Theatre (Riddle of the Trilobites). In addition to design credits with Detroit Public Theatre, regional designs include shows with Purple Rose Theatre Company, Flint Youth Theatre, Flint Repertory Theatre (Wilde Award nomination: Best Costume Design, Riddle of the Trilobites), Tipping Point Theatre, Williamston Theatre, and the Wharton Center. They are a graduate of the Purple Rose Theatre Company apprenticeship program. Katherine is a proud member and National Councilor of Actors’ Equity Association. www.knelsondesigns.com.

Jennifer Fok

Lighting Designer

Jennifer is a New York City based Lighting Designer for theatre and dance. Select designs have been seen at Lincoln Center Education, HERE Arts Center, Portland Stage, Intar, Teatro Sea, Theatre At Monmouth, The Flea, NCPA Beijing, Stella Adler, Queens Theatre In The Park, Company One , Flynn Space, Ars Nova, Dixon Place, Theatre 167, Wild Project, Bushwhick Starr, Jack, Martha Graham Studio, Ithaca College, Colby College, Bates Dance Festival, among others. BFA in Theatre Production and Design from Ithaca College.

Tim Franquist

Sound Designer

Tim Franquist is a 20-year veteran of the concert touring industry. He has worked for and mixed sound for some of the biggest names in music from rock to R&B, funk, soul, and jazz as well as theatrical productions.

Pegi Marshall

Props designer & props master

Mother of twins, Union Scenic Designer, props artisan, set builder, scenic painter, and advocate for green and sustainable theatre practices. Once upon a time, Pegi professed to students at such places as Baltimore School for the Arts, Morgan State University, Wayne State University, University of North Carolina and California Polytechnic State University. Nowadays, she is happy to get a full night of sleep and overjoyed that her children are growing up witness to her making art for the stage with her beloved Mike James!

Stephanie Buck

Production Stage Manager

Stephanie is proud to be back at Detroit Public Theatre. Though most of the time she can be found stage managing, her true passion lies in directing. Stephanie has directed for The Purple Rose, Shakespeare Royal Oak, BoxFest Detroit, Young People’s Theatre, as well as high school and college productions. She is thrilled to finally be working on a McDonagh piece and grateful to be in the room with so many talented artists. Stephanie would like to thank everyone in her village who helped care for Lily during this process. Super special thank you to Gigi, Papa, Nonno, and Nonna.

Meet The Band

Sarah Reznich

Guitar

Sarah is a unique Detroit-bred artist who has been performing in the area for many years. She is a dynamic multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, equally at home singing and playing guitar, bass, and piano—a versatility which lends to her distinct style and sound. Some highlighted performances include the Detroit Music Awards, Concert of Colors, SXSW, and Metamorphosis Festival in Japan. Sarah can be found performing in the band Brother Hallow and with various other artists around Detroit.

Dionna Marie Beavers

Drums

Keeping the beat on drums is Cleveland, Ohio, native Dionna Marie. After earning her BA in Professional Music from the Berklee College of Music, she moved to Detroit, where her virtuoso talent and eclectic taste helped her become an established presence on the local music scene. Demonstrating a mastery of pop, rock, R&B, funk, gospel and neo-soul, Dionna has played with local and national artists including: renowned saxophonist Darron McKinney; all-female jazz group Straight Ahead; legendary Motown keyboardist Rudy Robinson; and Daughter of the Blues Ejuana “Fire” Taylor. She’s even fronted her own funk/R&B band called GroovEssential. Currently, she’s backing BeatMob international recording artist Yvette Meadows, wowing the crowds at their club gigs around town and at regional festivals like River Days; Arts, Beats and Eats; and Winter Blast. When not performing, she enjoys her second favorite passion—giving drum lessons to students.

Emily Rogers

Bass

Boldly blazing trails into uncharted artistic vision, Emily Rogers is a prolific producer. An interdisciplinary artist, she actively works as a songwriter, musician, dancer, choreographer, event curator, musical director, host, and DJ. When Emily picked up the bass, she found a musical soulmate. In her hometown of Detroit, Emily is recognized and respected for her musicianship and showmanship. She is an accomplished bandleader, instrumental in the formation of eM Theory, My Detroit Players, RIB, Lola Valley, J Hill and the Wolves, Clear Grey and YIN: projects which have received nominations for Detroit Music Awards for best band, best song-writing, most outstanding live show, and best audio recording. In 2013, she received the Detroit Music Award for best rock instrumentalist. Her skillful playing and powerful stage presence have awarded her many live performance and studio recording appearances nationally and internationally. Highlights include: acclaimed hip-hop emcee Royce Da 5’9, Techno pioneers Underground Resistance, actor Jon Michael Hill (Detroit 187, Empire), Chicago house diva Screamin’ Rachel, One Be Lo of Binary Star, Black Women Rock, Sean Blackman’s InTransit, P-A-U-L, Buppy Lenox Brown, and other industry icons such as the Bass brothers, Barrett Strong, Ortheia Barnes, Wesley Snipes, Phuture Trax Records, George Clinton, the Russell Simmons Camp, and Westbound Records. In addition to her endeavors as a musician and songwriter, Emily contributes to the vibrancy of the Detroit community by curating inclusive concerts, recordings/jam sessions, micro festivals, and multimedia events. Emily has an eclectic catalog of available music, a plethora of performance chronicles, fantastic stories, and artistic adventures