Weekend of Workshops provides a platform for directors, devisers, and performers to hone and delve into their craft. This winter, audiences will experience a blend of new and familiar pieces, both devised and revised. The Weekend of Workshops is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of artistic expression for every participant in this intimate space.

Royal Flush by Jessie Palmer

Following a successful performance at a theatrical festival, writer/director Cassie and the small company of her musical The White Cat, consisting of actors and designers Nox, Tim, Ryan, and Aurelia, set out to produce their show, a medieval fairytale love story. As relationships naturally ebb and flow and things fall through, our frazzled protagonist is forced to reckon with who she is, ultimately coming to the realization she is asexual and aromantic and not interested in putting on the same stock standard show she’s attempting to emulate.

Cast

Maggie Banks (Cassie Peoria)

Sean Moore (Ryan Capilla) “is fourth year majoring in economics, math and philosophy. In UT he has experience with Theater[24] (Writer, Actor), and has performed in The Play that Goes Wrong (Jonathan). This is his first time performing in a musical since high school and hopes you have as much fun watching the show as the cast has performing it.”

Ellie Levy (Aurelia Arthurs) is a first-year TAPS and Political Science major from Chicago. This is her first UT credit but she has been acting in plays and musicals for almost a decade. Her favorite card in a deck is the queen of hearts.

Harry Fosbinder-Elkins (Tim Grandroads) is a PhD student in Physics. His previous credits include college productions of Jesus Christ Superstar (Jesus) and A Little Night Music (Fredrik Egerman), and a number of operas including Verdi’s Attila and Pizzetti’s Assassinio nella Cattedrale with the Opera Festival of Chicago. He has two cats, though neither of them are royalty.

Jolie Chen (Nox Lucas) is a first-year Psychology major. This is her first UT show! Her favorite card in a deck is the ace of spades.

Production Staff

Jessie Palmer (Writer & Director) is a second-year ecology and evolutionary biology major. Her theatrical career previously peaked in high school playing the Cat in the Hat in Seussical, so she’s thrilled to have a new crowning achievement in Royal Flush. Here’s a behind-the-scenes tidbit as a reward for reading the program: the characters’ names all come from various jellyfish species (the upside-down jelly Cassiopea andromeda, the big red jelly Tiburonia granrojo, the moon jelly Aurelia aurita, the lion’s mane jelly Cyanea capillata, and the mauve stinger Pelagia noctiluca). Jessie loves jellyfish and has never once claimed to be cool.

Eleni Lefakis (Co-Production Manager) is a fourth-year TAPS and RLLT major. Her Workshop credits are The Heirs (Costume Designer), Ah Wing and The Automaton Eagle (Assistant Stage Manager), Strings Attached: In Concert (Production Manager), Cassandra (Production Manager), Paper Wasters (Production Manager), and The Song of Circles (Production Manager). She also has 14 UT MainStage credits and is currently working on Much Ado About Nothing (Director/Co-Dramaturg). She wishes everyone on this show but especially Jessie and Alasdair a very happy post-show doing nothing period!

Coco Liu (Co-Production Manager) is a fourth-year Chemistry and Linguistics major. She has previously worked on Strings Attached (Co-Stage Manager), The Taming of the Shrew (Production Manager), and is also on Much Ado About Nothing (Production Manager) this quarter. She’s coming up on her fourth year in UT and unfortunately still has no fun fact to share.

Alasdair Dodd (Stage Manager) is a third-year EALC and Religious Studies major. He has previously worked on Falsettos (Lighting Designer), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Stage Manager), and is currently on The Arsonists (Lighting Designer). He doesn’t know how to play poker or what exactly a Royal Flush is, but has watched Casino Royale at least six times, so could probably manage a hand or two.

JJ Robeck (Pianist) ”is a second-year Linguistics major whose previous forays into musical theater have only been in the orchestra pit as a keyboardist and cellist. Aside from a brief stint as a designer for theater 24 earlier this year, this is JJ’s first UT production! He also plays percussion in the University Wind Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble. You’ll have to ask him later what his fun fact is, as right about now his spirit of curiosity and whimsy has been stifled by spending too much time in the Reg. (Spoiler, the fun fact may or may not have something to do with Norwegian phonology.)”

Lydia Gafford (Sound Designer) “is a second year History and Art History major. Most recently, she’s worked in Houston at 4th Wall Theater on Romeo and Juliet (Lighting Designer) and at AD Players on Ester (Lighting Assistant). She would list more credits, but she might drop off the grid soon and she doesn’t want to make it too easy to find her. “

Julian Chung (Costume/Prop/Scenic Designer) “is a first year Astrophysics major from Hong Kong. This is his first time working with UT, and first time entering the exciting world of sound, having had prior experience in lighting. One of his greatest achievements was once winning by ‘Thirteen Orphans’ in mahjong - the equivalent of a Royal Flush!”

Elisa Gao (Costume/Prop/Scenic Designer) “is a second-year Astrophysics major with a TAPS minor. She first entered the costume shop as an Assistant Costume Designer for the residents of Falsettoland (Falsettos). She knows that the Duchess of York and Lord Mayor of London must be so proud to see her returning to the FXK Theatre without needing to scream at her violent son, Richard III, again. Additionally, she is a costume coordinator for UBallet and a Quasimodo at the Rockefeller Chapel, whose goal is to ring as little atonal music as possible.”

Joseph Depaula (Committee Liaison)