*** The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.***

DIRECTOR’S NOTES

Jake Andersen, Director’s Notes:

Charley’s Aunt was written by Brandon Thomas in 1892. The play was a farcical comedy that took London by storm before moving into the U.S. and other parts of the world the following year. It remained a yearly tradition in London for several years. The play has been turned into film and musical adaptations and performed constantly since that time.

Eric Jensen’s Adaptation of Charlie’s Aunt took the wonderful story and gave it a bit of a punch, a boost of energy, and breath of fresh air. Audiences have enjoyed this version for many years, and it is requested by audiences over and over again. Once you see tonight’s performance you’ll understand why.

It was my goal to give these characters strong personalities and challenge the actors to make strong choices and take unfamiliar acting steps. This cast has worked incredibly hard to polish the comedy and find the right balance within these characters. A common misconception is that Drama is harder to perform than Comedy, which is not the case at all. It’s all in the timing as David Ives says. Indeed, these actors have pushed their talents to new levels and have found that timing. 

I am grateful to these actors and immensely proud of what they have accomplished. We have connected to the past. One hundred and thirty years later, audiences are still finding the joy and comedy in Charlie’s Aunt–where the nuts come from. May we continue to find the good and the comedy in all that we do. 

CAST BIOS

Denise Adams as Donna Lucia d’Alvadorez

This is Denise’s second opportunity to be in an OBT production. Denise has been involved in community theater from a young age and has participated both on the stage and behind the scenes. She works in pediatric audiology and spends most of her free time with her family and her “Littles” who call her Gram

Jeff Driggs as Colonel Francis Chesney

Jeff is pleased to perform in yet another Eric Jensen adaptation of a classic British drawing room comedy,  on the heels of last year‘s Importance of Being Earnest, sporting yet another facial hairstyle that raises questions and eyebrows among people in his real life. He has been delighted to work under the direction of the creative Jake Andersen and to tread the boards alongside this talented cast. He thanks his family and friends for their support and patience with him.

Viveann Godwin as Brassett                    

Viveann is very excited to be back with the OBT! This will be her third show, and quite possibly her favorite! This was such a fun show, and quite a challenge. Whipped cream anyone?

Stacee Hunsaker as Amy Spettigue

This is Stacee’s debut performance with OBT! Previous roles include Blue Bird and one of the Three Blind Mice in Shrek with Bluffdale Arts, Alabama Lamb in Big Fish with Sandy Arts Guild, and The White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland with Draper Historic Theatre. Thank you for this opportunity and to those who convinced me this was a good idea.

Tonya Huso as Amy Spettigue

Tonya is very excited to be back on stage with the Off Broadway Theatre! Charlie’s Aunt was the show that first welcomed her into the OBT family over 10 years ago and has held a special place in her heart ever since. She was last seen on stage as Gangster #1 in The Drowsy Chaperone. She would like to thank her family and friends for their continued support through the years, especially her wonderful husband. Enjoy the show!!

Jay Hutchings as Jack Chesney

Jay is excited to return to the Off Broadway Theatre for his second production! He is an aspiring voice actor for animation and games. He mostly enjoys making people laugh, which is why he’s been a lover and supporter of the OBT for years. Jay joined OBT as a volunteer when he was 14 and has grown up watching the shows with the friends he made here. He was last seen in Jurassic Park City as Dr. Malaki.

Austinn Le Jensen as Fancourt Babberly

Austinn is excited to return to the Off Broadway Theatre and perform in Eric Jensen’s Adaptation of Charlie’s Aunt a second time. In the SLC OBT location, Austinn played Jack Chesney. He’s most excited to be performing with his father once more, and now perform as Lord Babberly. You may have seen him in The Importance of Being Earnest, Peta Pun, A Murder is Announced, or some other show where he spoke in a British accent. He hopes you laugh tonight and enjoy the show!

Eric R. Jensen as Albert Spettigue

Eric Jensen has been doing plays for the last 30 years along the Wasatch Front. He is excited to do another show with his son, Austinn. Eric loved writing this adaptation and, having played Brassett before, now gets to play a different character. You may have seen him as Robert Redford in Jurassic Park City or Count Dracula in Dracula vs. Henry Botter. He is a music/drama teacher at Woods Cross Elementary, and he loves every minute of it. Eric thanks his wife, Sandy, for her loving support, as well as his son and the cast and crew for making this show come alive again.

Dominque Morrison as Kitty Verdun 

Dominique is THRILLED to be back at the OBT! She was last seen in OBT’s Peta Pun as Atlantica. Dom is going into her junior year in UVU’s acting BFA program. Her favorite past roles include Laura Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie and Clarice in King Stag. She dedicates these performances to her former voice and speech professor, Jeremy Sortore. He’s not dead: he just moved to Michigan.

Tyler Newton as Charlie Wykeham

Tyler is thrilled to return to the Off Broadway Theatre for his third show. He has had a blast getting back into theatre and has loved participating in the variety of shows that the OBT has to offer. He’s grateful to his wife for being willing to share so much of his time with the theatre, and thanks his friends and family for their support of his dabbles in thespianism.

Erin Orr as Ella Delahay

Erin has been a part of the OBT family for 11 years and has loved every moment of it. She is excited to be back on stage with this wonderful cast. Thank you so much to the director for giving her this chance to be a part of this amazing show!

Emerson Peery as Charlie Wykeham         

Emerson is fantastically excited to be part of OBT! They always wanted to participate in one of the OBT’s productions, and now a long lost dream has been realized in the form of Charlie Wykeham! Emerson has participated in other productions in local theater such as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid, Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and others! Professionally trained in voice acting and operatic singing, their grand goal is entertainment, and the goal here is to make you cry…with laughter!! They hope you have a wonderful time at the OBT, and that you will always remember his…..Aunt….

Jessica Price as Ella Delahay

Jessica is very excited to be getting back on stage again! The last time she performed was in high school, but she’s done some backstage work with Jake Anderson and OBT in the past few years. Most recently she was a stagehand for The Drowsy Chaperone. She would like to thank her loved ones for supporting her and her partner Colin for being the one to get her back on stage.

Boston Smith as Brassett/Jack Chesney

Since birth, it seems, Boston has always been a performer. You may have recently seen him in other classic roles at the OBT such as Newman/Fruit Tree/Various in Jurassic Park City, George in The Drowsy Chaperone, and Don Sneazley in Dracula vs. Henry Botter. He would like to dedicate this performance to his family and friends for their incredible love and support. And viewers like you. Thank you.

Melanie Turner as Donna Lucia d’Alvadorez

Melanie has performed in shows throughout Salt Lake and Utah Counties. She’s recently performed in Titus Productions Theater Co.’s One-Act Play Festival and Empress Theatre’s Addams Family. This is her first show at OBT, and she is thrilled to be playing Lucia d’ Alvadorez in this adaptation of Charlie’s Aunt. It has been wonderful working with this talented cast and production crew to bring this hilarious British farce to the stage. Enjoy!

Tanya Walton as Ella Delahay     

Tanya is overjoyed to be a part of this show! She has been an admirer of Eric Jensen’s Charlie’s Aunt since it debuted, and it means so much that she finally gets to be in it! Tanya has been a part of the OBT since 2011, and she is eternally grateful for the home and lifelong friendships that this wonderful place provides. Heartfelt thanks to Jake for making this show so amazing and keeping us all together! Love to Tanya’s husband, Joe, and daughter, Grace!

CREW BIOS

Matilda Black, Stage Manager:

Matilda is a technician early in her career, but has worked a variety of positions. She has been lighting designer for King Lear and Little Women, run lights and sound for OBT’s The Importance of Being Earnest and Henry Botter, been on deck crew for Pioneer Theatre’s Hello Dolly, and has been a stage manager for Lyrical Opera Theater’s Lucia Di Lammermoor and OBT’s Jurassic Park City. She considers herself quite proficient in technical arts.

Cameron Christensen, Sound & Light Tech:

Cameron is excited to participate in his third show with the Off Broadway Theatre. He has previously played Judd Fry in Oklahoma! and Sheriff Earl in All Shook Up at West Jordan High School, but his real passion is doing tech.

September 30 – October 29

November 4 – November 26

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Bing Fang, trustee and chair
Janet Gonzalez, trustee, secretary, and vice chair
Jim Morgan, trustee and past chair
Christopher Cheeney, trustee
Jeff Driggs, trustee
Ben Eddington, trustee
Sandy Hubble Jensen, trustee
Clarence Strohn, trustee
Kelly Wideman, trustee

OFFICERS

Eric R. Jensen, Co-Founder / Artistic & Technical Director
Sandy Hubble Jensen, Co-Founder / Executive Director
Bing Fang, Chief Financial Officer
Kevin Hicks, Treasurer
Kelly Wideman, Marketing Director

CONSULTANTS

Aaron Bellis, consultant
Nic Brown, consultant
Austinn Jensen, consultant
Scott Hansen, consultant
Jeff Hunsaker, consultant
Daniel Gillette, consultat

ERIC R. AND SANDY HUBBLE JENSEN’S BIOS

Eric and Sandy are co-founders of the Off Broadway Theatre and Laughing Stock improv comedy troupe. They have worked closely over the past 26 years, dedicating much of their time to building and growing the Off Broadway Theatre. They have been married for 30 years and have one son, Austinn, who has grown up acting in numerous OBT and other productions.

Eric, the artistic and technical director for the OBT, grew up in Murray, Utah. He received his bachelor’s degree in theater arts at the University of Utah and his master’s degree in secondary education at the University of Phoenix. As executive producer and lead playwright, director, set designer, costumer, actor, and improviser, he guides many aspiring talents at the OBT. He teaches improv classes while mentoring up-and-coming playwrights, directors, stage managers, and set designers. His acting, writing, and directing experience has also been featured at Desert Star, Centre Point Legacy, Hale (both Orem and West Valley), and Egyptian theaters. He has taught and performed high school workshops and elementary school assemblies, as well as for some after school programs. Eric also teaches K – 6 as a fine arts specialist  in the Davis School District, inspiring children to love theatre, music, dance, and all things art. Under Eric’s leadership, OBT won the Best Community Theatre award from the Utah Theatre Association in 2000, recognizing the quality of the theatre and Eric’s work with high schools and the community.

Sandy serves as the executive director of the theatre, as well as executive producer, box office manager, and social media specialist, with more than 30 years of experience in small business management. She has an extensive acting background, including the OBT, Hale Centre Theatre WVC, The Grand Theatre, Sundance Theatre, Salt Lake Acting Company, Pages Lane, and Stage Right Theater. Sandy continues to work tirelessly to grow volunteer opportunities at the OBT. She was born in Vietnam and has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, with endorsements in ESL, STEM, and Gifted. She teaches 1st grade in the Davis School District. She has earned two Presidential Awards for Volunteering and has been recognized in Who’s Who of America.   

The Off Broadway Theatre has been said to have a feel of “family,” and that’s because it is. Eric and Sandy’s mission has always been to provide a place where people can come together and make laughter ring true and provide a safe place to hone skills and develop friendships. Through the art of live performances, the theatre has reached many new friends, and its charitable outreach program has provided wonderful opportunities to serve our community. 

Eric and Sandy also co-founded Laughing Stock Improv and have performed together on the OBT stage as well as at corporate and  school events. They are proud to have such a long-running improv show with some amazingly talented improvisers who have been with the company for a long time.

Thank you for your many years of support and patronage at the Salt Lake downtown location, and for following us here to Draper. Please continue to donate to help us forge another 25+ years of spreading laughter in Utah! Go to www.theOBT.org to donate today.