Posted on October 4, 2017 by doghouseensembletheatre

Full Circle: A Song Cycle

About the Production

Full Circle: A Song Cycle will be presented March 23, 2019 in Rochester, NY.

About the Play

Prompted by the tragic Pulse nightclub shooting of 2016, and further motivated by recent American political shifts, Full Circle: A Song Cycle follows stories of individuals throughout history who have unfortunately and unfairly become victims of discrimination. This piece delves into the complex but common threads of insecurity, hatred, and fear, all while broadening audiences’ perspectives when it comes to hatred in our society today. Full Circle not only encourages discussion surrounding the current issues themselves but also (and perhaps more importantly), helps to ignite the kinds of discussions necessary to forge a path out of this seemingly never-ending circle.

Cast

Natalia Hulse is a junior at the Eastman School of Music studying Vocal Performance under the tutelage of Kathryn Cowdrick, with a Dual Degree in English at the University of Rochester. She has done a variety of classical works and musical theater; Most recently, she was Beth March in Little Women at Blackfriars Theater last December and Amor in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea with the Eastman Opera Theater last November. Other credits include Carmen and La Boheme with the RPO, A Christmas Carol at Geva Theater (Ghost of Christmas Past), and the National Tour of The Wizard of Oz (Munchkin/Winkie). In 2015, she was the recipient of the Lowry Award through the Rochester Music Hall of Fame. She was also the recipient of the Clase Voice Scholarship in Honor of Renee Fleming at the Eastman Community Music School, where she graduated with an Advanced Diploma in Voice with Honors in 2016.

Jeremy Lopez is a tenor at the Eastman School of Music where he studies with Professor Kathryn Cowdrick. Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Voice Performance and a certificate in Arts Leadership, Jeremy’s most recent accomplishments include his involvement in Eastman Opera Theater’s productions of Cendrillon and Iolanthe, as well as the second place prize at the National Association for Teachers of Singing competition. Jeremy is excited to make his EOT role debut as Le Petit Viellard and La Rainette in L’enfant et les sortileges by Maurice Ravel. This summer, he will travel to Inspiration Point, Arkansas to participate in Opera in the Ozarks, where he will play the role of Pedrito in the children’s opera Monkey See, Monkey Do by Robert Xavier Rodríguez. Jeremy Lopez is honored to be a part of this process, and is incredibly excited to premier Reagan Casteel’s Full Circle.

Jonathan Rhodes is a third-year vocal performance major at the Eastman School of Music, studying under Professor Anthony Dean Griffey. Originally from Orlando, FL, Jonathan made his stage debut in 2016 as Kurz in the premiere of Memory Boy, by Reinaldo Moya, with the Minnesota Opera’s Project Opera. In his collegiate career, Jonathan has performed the role of Liberto in Eastman Opera Theatre’s production of Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea and the role of Tenor I in Ricky Ian Gordan’s The Tibetan Book of the Dead in November. Jonathan has performed with the Eastman Chorale, the Bach Festival Society, and took a temporary choir member position in Hans Zimmer’s live tour in 2017. Jonathan made his professional concert debut with the Rochester Oratorio Society in February of 2018 and has been a featured performer in the Landmark Society’s 90th-anniversary concert alongside the Ying Quartet and members of the PUSH Physical Theatre. Jonathan is the recipient of the Eastman School’s Freshman Vocal Jury Award and is a two-time recipient of the ‪William Warfield Scholarship Award. Outside of music, Jonathan is pursuing a second degree in political science at the University of Rochester.

Creative Team

Reagan Casteel (Words and Music) is a music director, composer, and pianist, currently studying Composition at the Eastman School of Music. She has been involved in numerous productions since high school, including The Last Five Years, Next to Normal, and Into the Woods with UR’s ROC Players; Sunday in the Park with George and RENT at Interlochen Arts Center; and Gone Missing with UR’s International Theatre Program. She is also proud to be an Ensemble Member and one of the Communications Coordinators for Doghouse Ensemble Theatre. As a composer, she has studied with Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez, Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, David Liptak, Cherie Van Maanen, and Rob Deemer. Her works have been read by the Eastman Wind Orchestra, as well as the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra, and she has had many student performances of her chamber works.

Songs

Full Circle (Full Company)
One Day At A Time
Teach (Jonathan Rhodes)
My Home (Natalia Hulse)
What I’ve Been Thinking (Jeremy Lopez)
Kate and Jade (Natalia Hulse)
Broken (Jonathan Rhodes)
My Little Cardboard Sign
This World (Natalia Hulse)
Hold On (Full Company)
Not for You (Natalia Hulse)
Class of 2010 (Jeremy Lopez)
Orlando, FL 2:02 AM (Full Company)
Some Kind of Hero (Full Company)
Full Circle Finale (Full Company)

Special Thanks

Mike and Lori Casteel, Spencer Channell, Alex Deitrich, Rachel Kobernick, River Rawle, Yoni Weiss, and my Doghouse Family.