Welcome Back to My Channel is a virtual play that centers around the story of Martha, a popular makeup YouTube influencer. Struggling to stay relevant in the fast-paced world of social media, Martha begins to question her career as the relationships closest to her unravel and disintegrate. An honest look at modern definitions of loneliness, experience, and love, the play investigates a world in which the very concept of growing up has become commodified.

Cast

Tess Ortego (Martha) is a third-year majoring in Political Science and Global Studies. This is her first time doing University Theatre, and she is grateful it got to be with this company and cast!

Noah Friedlander (Marcus) is a fourth-year double majoring in Physics and Political Science. He has appeared in the ensembles of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Philoctetes, and Richard III. Aside from UT, he has performed with the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company of Chicago for four years. He would like to thank his girlfriend for helping him learn the makeup designs as well as Brandon for letting him attempt to set a record for the number of accents in a single scene. Enjoy the show!

Shreya Shettigar (Saskia) is a fourth-year in the college, majoring in Econ-Business (but insists she has not sold her soul thanks to a minor in Cinema and Media Studies). She has previously worked on The Rope (Pat Sweeney), Much Ado About Nothing (Antonio), I & You (Caroline), good friday (Natalie), Fun Home (Assistant Director), Twelfth Night (Antonio), The Winter’s Tale (Hermione), TAPS’s Ever in the Glades (Female Chorus), and The Old Man and the Old Moon (Assistant Puppet Designer). She is represented by Promote Talent Agency.

Nick Schwarz (Will) is a first-year. He previously appeared in My H8 Letter to the Gr8 American Theater. Watch how red his face gets, it’s hilarious.

Jayda Hart (Benny) is a second-year double majoring in Psychology and TAPS. Though she has been in high school productions of Little Shop of Horrors and Into the Woods, this is her first performance with UT! She is excited to share this experience with everyone. Whoo-hoo!

Production Staff

Brandon Zang (Director) is a third-year student at the College majoring in Anthropology and Theater and Performance Studies. His TAPS credits include My H8 Letter to Gr8 American Theater (Writer), Ever in the Glades (Z), and Yellow Face (HYH), and his UT credits include The Old Man and the Old Moon (Assistant Puppet Designer), and Company (Pit Musician). He has also participated in other campus productions, including Bodas De Sangre (Padre) and Macbeth (Doctor). Brandon is an avid fan and writer of science fiction and aspires to one day resurrect the Mass Effect series.

Jahnee Armstead (Dramaturg) is a fourth-year Economics major. Her past credits include Bodas de Sangre (Death), Winter’s Tale (Antigonus/Autolycus), and The Old Man and the Old Moon (Assistant Stage Manager). She loves chocolate chip cookies, colorful nails, and cuddly dogs.

Nicola Lustig (Production Manager) is a fourth-year majoring in Psychology and Comparative Human Development. Her past credits include My H8 Letter to the Gr8 American Theater (Assistant Production Manager), The Old Man and The Old Moon (Production Manager), Philoctetes (Production Manager), Fun Home (Assistant Production Manager), and Measure for Measure (Production Manager).

Jonathan Badonsky (Stage Manager)

Melaina Leung (Scenic & Props Designer) is a fourth-year majoring in Anthropology. Her past UT and TAPS credits include My H8 Letter to the Gr8 American Theatre (Assistant Dramaturg), Waiting for Godot (Scenic Designer), Ever in the Glades (Assistant Scenic Artist), and Julius Caesar (Scenic Designer). She also previously served on the 2020-2021 UT Committee.

Elizabeth Price (Costume & Makeup Designer)

Mary Mouton (Lighting Designer) is a third-year student studying history and fundamentals. Her most recent credits include the art installation Telephone (Production Manager), The Old Man and the Old Moon (Lighting Designer), and Company (Production Manager).

Josh Villers (Sound Designer)

Gigi Hancock (Video Coordinator) is a Geophysics major in the class of 2022 whose previous credits include Machinal (Assistant Sound Designer), Fun Home (Assistant Lighting Designer), Twelfth Night (Assistant Props Designer), Company (Co-Sound Designer/Assistant Props Designer), Waiting for Godot (Sound Designer), and the art installation Telephone: A Memorial to the Present (Electronics). Gigi currently works for TAPS in the scene and sound shops.

Justin St. Clair (Makeup Consultant)

Steve Labedz (Video Consultant)

Nayu Shimo (Assistant Director)

Tatiana Jackson-Saitz (Assistant Production Manager)

Nico Giunta (Assistant Production Manager)

Danielle Yablonovskiy (Assistant Stage Manager) is a first-year in the college. This is her first production with UT. She is super thankful for the opportunity to work on this amazing show, with even more amazing people!

Nora Schultz (Assistant Scenic & Props Designer) is a first-year probably majoring in English. They have no credits other than being involved with Theater24 the past two quarters and Dean’s Men things! She’s very excited about theatre opportunities in the future.

Jane Kelly (Assistant Scenic & Props Designer)

Cameron Drake (Assistant Costume Designer)

Spencer Ng (Committee Liaison)

Cameron Drake (Tech Staff Liaison) is a first-year currently planning on double majoring in History and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies. He has worked on smaller UT productions in the past, and he is so grateful to have gotten to work on such a great show for his first big UT show.