The Improbable Fiction Theatre Company proudly presents:
The House on Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne and adapted by Bettye Knapp
Program Note:
We want to send a big thank-you to the city of Noblesville for the use of their Community Room for Rehearsals!
Cast
Christopher Robin- Gabrielle Morrison
Winnie the Pooh- Daniel Shock
Piglet- Diann Ryan
Owl- Scott Prill
Eeyore- Ryan Shelton
Tigger- Geoff Lynch
Kanga- Jennifer Poynter
Roo- Sean Wood
Rabbit- Barb Weaver
Early- Evelyn BeDell
Late- Paxton Shock
Production Team
Producers- Dana Lesh & Kelly BeDell
Director- Dana Lesh
Technical Director- David Melton
Assistant Director- Jeff Bick
Prop Design- Sherri Byer
Stage Manager- Becca Bartley
Set by- Kendell Roberts, Dana Roberts, Patrick Wolfe, Claudia McRae, David Melton, Natalie Long, Jeff Bick, Davide Melton, and Michael Bick
Costume Design- Tamara Rulon & Miriam Posluszny
CAST BIOS:
Dana Lesh (director) has been involved in theatre in the Indianapolis area since 2005 as a director, an actor, a producer, a stage manager, and a crew member. Favorite shows she has directed include The Foreigner, Harvey, and The Cemetery Club. Favorite roles include Poppy in Noises Off, Lucinda in Don’t Talk to the Actors, Lenny in Crimes of the Heart, Izzy in Crossing Delancey, Annelle in Steel Magnolias, and Leigh in Cake Walk. She wants to thank her husband Mark and two children for their love and support.
Ryan Shelton (Eeyore): Ryan is not sad about being a founding member of IFTC and directing and acting in many of their productions. Recently, he played Roger et. al in C.C.P.’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, directed Antony and Cleopatra at Indy Bardfest for IFTC, and played Vladimir in Waiting for Godot for IFTC. He is beyond excited to bring this passion project many years in the making to an audience. Ryan is the Partnership Manager at Nickel Plate Arts and can hook you up with all your arts needs.
Barb Weaver (Rabbit): Barb is excited to be involved in this childhood classic, playing an animal for the first time since grade school. Barb has been involved with various local community theatres since 2005. Past favorites include The Dining Room (various roles), August: Osage County (Karen), Steel Magnolias (M’Lynn), Silent Sky (Williamina), Brighton Beach Memoirs (Blanche), Deathtrap (Myra), and State of the Union (Mary Matthews). She would like to thank Dana and Jeff for giving her this opportunity and her husband for his continued support of her theatrical pursuits.
Jennifer Poynter (Kanga): Jennifer is very excited to be a part of her first production with the Improbable Fiction Theatre Company with this amazingly talented cast. Some of her favorite past roles include playing four different characters in Almost, Maine; Bunny in Inlaws, Outlaws, and Other People (That Should Be Shot); Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland; Robert Anne in Nunsense II; Mrs. Peacock in Clue: The Musical; and Diana in I Love You Because. When she’s not on stage, Jennifer works as a quality expert for IU Health. She would like to thank her husband and daughter for their constant support of her love of theatre!
Sean Wood (Roo): Sean is a sophomore at Noblesville High School. The House on Pooh Corner is their eighteenth production. Their favorite musical they have been in is Peter Pan as Wendy Darling and their favorite play was Stand Centre Stage and Bark as Sarah. Sean is truly thrilled to be playing roo and hopes you enjoy the show!
Geoff Lynch (Tigger): is excited to return on stage after a six-year acting hiatus. In the past, he’s played such roles as Big Jule in Guys and Dolls, Mr. Thayer in Titanic The Musical, and Bamatabois in Les Miserables. Geoff is also an Encore Award winning sound engineer, supporting the Belfry and Shakespeare in the Park for many years. When not on stage or in the sound booth, Geoff is the director of business solutions for DMI, and he often volunteers to run broadcast audio at Grace Church Fishers. Geoff would like to dedicate this performance to his Bengal cat, Atom, who inspired many of Tigger’s antics for this production.
Scott Prill (Owl): Scott is thrilled to once again be working with the Improbable Fiction Theatre Company after sharing the stage as Dr. Chumley in their production of Harvey! Other recent roles he has enjoyed in local theatre have been Teddy in Arsenic and Old Lace, Willum in The Nerd, Ben in Sunshine Boys, and Lloyd in Noises Off. He is looking forward to a great run with this amazingly talented cast and wants to thank Improbable Fiction Theatre Company and Dana Lesh for the opportunity. Scott is happily married to his wife, Amy, and is the proud father of the three best kids ever – Cameron, Emilie, and Evan!
Gabrielle Morrison (Christopher Robin): started ballet at the age of 2 and performed in her first ballet shortly after turning 3. At age 9, Gabby had her first tap class and knew she found her focus for her dancing passion. Gabby continued her dancing training in tap, ballet, jazz, and more with various studios across central Indiana. She has been involved in 20+ full-length ballet productions, including Cinderella in Cinderella; Dew Drop in The Nutcracker; and Peasant Pas in Giselle. She is a theatre veteran and has performed, choreographed, and stage managed for various shows and theatres over the past 15 years. Some of her favorite roles include Grace in Annie and the witch in Into the Woods. Gabby is currently a faculty member at DanceWorks Indy and Dance Magic Performing Arts Center, where she teaches tap, ballet, and more to all ages. After a near decade-long hiatus, she is excited to return to the stage. Shoutout to her support system for making this return possible!
Diann Ryan (Piglet): has appeared on various stages in the Indianapolis area for nearly 40 years. Over those years, she has been honored to be the recipient of ten Encore Awards for acting. She has twice performed in the one-woman show Becoming Dr. Ruth, the story of Dr. Ruth Westheimer. Many, many years ago she played Piglet in Winnie the Pooh. Her last appearance with The Improbable Fiction Theatre Company was as Veta Louise in Harvey. By day, she works at the Carmel Clay Public Library. Thanks to my husband Bill, for always being so supportive (although when she does a show during NCAA basketball tournament time, he actually doesn’t notice that she’s not home).