The Department of Performing and Media Arts (PMA) 

presents

Saving for 17

Written and Directed by Owen Reynolds

September 30: 7:30 p.m.

October 1: 5:00 p.m.

October 2: 2:00 and 7:30 p.m.

The vision of the Department of Performing and Media Arts is to nurture and mentor artists, performers, writers, and thinkers through the process of event programming. We recognize that all people should see their stories represented, and envision their stories as valuable. We commit ourselves to creating spaces that actively seek to break down systems of oppression based on race, gender, sexuality, class, ability, and place of origin and empower all to be involved. We seek to stimulate thoughtful discussion and enact social change within our productions and our audiences. It is our goal to make our events accessible to the wider Cornell and Ithaca community, to strengthen bonds and engage inquiry, dialogue, and impact around social and cultural change.
 
In the 2021-2022 academic year we will help realize a wide range of students’ creative projects, from original plays, to solo performances, to readings, to choreographies, to acting, directorial, and curatorial projects. We are particularly happy that in addition to supporting live performances, we are now also supporting the production of several student thesis films. Enjoy the shows!

I wrote Saving for 17 as part of a theatre class I was taking here at Cornell. We had to center it around one of three main themes we discussed in the class: commerce, community, or conquer. I decided focusing on "community" would be the best path for me. I figured that due to the last four years, and more now than ever because of COVID, we have lost our sense of community as a society and that writing about it may allow for an interesting plot and reaction from the audience. Drawing from my own experiences from 2017, during Hurricane Irma and what was supposed to be my birthday party, I began writing a semi-autobiographical recount about the struggle of crippling loneliness I endured as a young teenager. The show focuses on a version of myself, Oliver, and how his loneliness and newfound lack of community drove him to learn more about himself and become comfortable without the need for friends. Saving for 17 also gives insight into a family's dynamic during the preparation and clean-up of a hurricane, which allows not only drama but plenty of comedy to be produced. Writing and directing this show has not only been a dream come true, but it has allowed me to become peaceful and gain a little closure from what happened all those years ago. Thank you to everyone involved, you have no idea what this process has meant to me.

Tim Johnson (Oliver)
Tim Johnson is excited to be making his Cornell PMA debut in Saving for 17. Tim hails from the Midwest, where he has been performing and directing theatre for more than ten years. Some of his favorite roles have been Hamlet in Hamlet, Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Judge Danforth in The Crucible. Tim looks forward to many more years with Cornell PMA!

Amanda Juan (Candice)
Amanda is a senior studying Mechanical Engineering. She has been acting since the tender age of 12 and is ecstatic to be in her second PMA production! Her previous credits include Asiamnesia (Anna May Wong, Sarah (Poem), other roles) and Festival 24.  On campus, Amanda is involved in the Women’s Health Initiative and Cornell’s most esteemed publication, CU Nooz. She would like to thank her friends and family for their support and she hopes you all enjoy the show!

Kriti Sinha (Emily)
Kriti Sinha is thrilled to join the PMA department in restarting live theatre with Saving for 17. She is currently completing her masters degree in Computer Science. Since being introduced to theatre as a freshman at Cornell, she has acted in short films and directed/acted at Risley Theatre and WSH Theatre. After performing in An Evening at the Caffe Cino and The Next Storm, she is excited to be involved in her third production with Cornell PMA. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Trence Wilson-Gillem (Bill)
Trence (he/him) is a senior at Cornell studying Performing and Media Arts. He is a member of the PMA department's Programming & Curriculum Committee. He spent the past summer at the Hangar Theatre where he played the following roles: Slightly in Lost Girl; Tin Woodsman in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; and Tiresias in The Bacchae 2.1. Last spring he played Omari in the play Pipeline, written by Dominique Morriseau. Some of his hobbies include filmmaking, walking in nature/hiking, and watching sports.

Jack McManus (Lighting)
Jack McManus is a freshman at Cornell University, currently studying Biological sciences. Saving for 17 is Jack's first production working as light operator at Cornell. Previous works at Cornell include performing in Festival 24 2021.

Jack Donnellan (Stage Manager)
Jack Donnellan is a first-year student in the College of Arts and Sciences. While Saving for 17 is his first production with PMA at Cornell, Jack has prior technical theatre experience, and has stage managed both traditional theatrical productions and dance performances. He is eager to continue his work with the PMA Department in the coming years.

Julianna Lee (Sound/Projection)
Julianna is excited to work on Saving for 17 in-person after experiencing her freshman year completely online. She has done backstage work in her high school since sophomore year and is glad to be back wearing all black. She's also the technical chair for Cog Dog Theatre Troupe this semester where she gets to do even more theatre tech. When not in the theatre, she's in the ag quad because all of her classes are there as an Agricultural Science major. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Owen Reynolds (Writer/Director/Producer)
Owen is truly delighted to be making his directorial debut at his beloved Cornell University with Saving for 17. Some of his most recent credits include [title of show] (Hunter Bell) in his professional stage debut, Matilda the Musical (Agatha Trunchbull), Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical (Jekyll & Hyde) and Women of Lockerbie (Bill Livingston). A fourth-generation Miamian, Owen is proud to be a founding member of Miami Theatre Works Inc., South Florida's newest theatrical company and to have helped bring professional summer theatre to sold out audiences in 2021 with its production of [title of show]. An actor, singer, writer, and composer, Owen is an Architecture major in the College of AAP and a Theater minor in Cornell's PMA Department as well as an member of Cornell’s Midnight Comedy Troupe. He wishes to thank the PMA Department for their support of Saving for 17, the entire cast and crew for its amazing art and his family for their love (and being an endless supply of meme material).

PRODUCTION CREW
Kayla Bouazouni, Kaitlyn Cui, Jacob Duffles-Andrade, Julianna Lee, Anusua Nath, Bella Peters, Cole Romero, Yifan Tong

ELECTRICS CREW
Emlen Brown, Anastasia Kreisel, Matthew Secondine, Ariel Shaked

BUILDING/HOUSE MANAGERS
Sofia Aguirre, Mackenzie Closson, Naomi Daniel, Samantha Granja, Deepak Ilango, Anastasia Kreisel, Jack McManus, Maxwell Ringer, Matthew Saylor, Ariel Shaked, Sarah Zaragoza-Smith

PMA PRODUCTION STAFF
Director of Productions & Events: Pamela Lillard
Technical Director: Fritz Bernstein
Stage Manager: Howard Klein
Assistant Technical Director: Savannah Relos
Props Coordinator: Tim Ostrander
Master Electrician: Steven Blasberg
Costume Shop Supervisor: Lisa Boquist
Computer Support: Chris Christensen
Media Assistant: Randy Hendrickson
Communications & Events Coordinator: Youngsun Palmer
Communications Manager: Gary Gabisan
Box Office Manager: Julie Tibbits
Department Manager: Christopher Riley