When the possibility of losing the ones you love is highly probable, how does one embrace memory? After a series of natural disasters, two people cling to hope embracing even the smallest moments of magic in the world. In this new play, playwright Lisa Flora Meyers and director and multimedia designer Mario El Caponi Mendoza explore the steadfastness of love even in times of great suffering.

Cast

Artistic Team

and i will hold you/when you are broken contains adult themes.

Cast Bios

John Whitney (Branch)
John is a 2nd year MFA actor candidate from Danvers, MA. Past credits at the University of Iowa include Medusa Undone (Poseidon), She Stoops to Conquer (Hastings), and Spring Awakening (Adult Men). He is so excited and thankful to be a part of this fantastic group of collaborators and would like thank Mario for welcoming him on this incredible journey.

Ashley Sorensen (Daphne)
Ashley feels incredibly lucky to be a part of this great adventure. She is a senior student graduating this May and is planning on moving to France in September to teach English before pursuing a career in acting. She would like to thank everyone involved in this magic production. I hope everyone in the audience feels hope and sadness and above all things, love.

Allyson Jean Malandra (Rose)
Allyson is so thankful to be a part of this family. Much love to her parents, her star, and her fishy. “At three minutes past eight, the curtain goes up, and you’ve got to pretend to believe because no one else will believe you unless you believe it yourself. A great deal of our work is simply making ourselves dream. That is the task at three minutes past eight–you must dream.”

Jordan Corpman (Alma)
Jordan is an Iowa City native. Recent projects have been Water by the Spoonful and a cameo in The Playwright. He is very excited to be a part of the broken cast and grateful for this opportunity to create art in the New Play Festival.

Artistic Team Bios

Lisa Flora Meyers (Playwright)
Lisa is days away from graduating from the University of Iowa Playwrights' Workshop. Previous productions include Dreams I Have About Killing My Sister and Dust & Ash, two plays about lesbians, love, and death. She'd like to thank her professors, colleagues, parents, mentors, and especially her partner James, for holding her when she is broken.

Mario El Caponi Mendoza (Director)
Mario is currently pursuing his theatre MFA in directing at the University of Iowa.

Madison Colquette (Dramaturg)
Madison is a first year MFA dramaturgy candidate. She most recently served as the dramaturg for The Playwright and Water by the Spoonful. She moved to Iowa City from Atlanta where she served as a dramaturg with several theatres in the city. Special thanks to Sarah Johnson and Kristi Banker for their unparalleled guidance this past year.

Josh Christoffersen (Scenic Designer)
Josh is excited to be a part of this year’s New Play Festival as the scenic designer for and I will hold you/when you are broken. Past credits at the University of Iowa include The Imaginary Invalid, Pocketful of Sand, half sick of shadows, and MOLD/Dust and Ash. His work can also be seen this summer on the Riverside Theatre Summer Festival Stage with Othello, and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged.

Jae Hee Kim (Costume Designer)
Jae Hee is an adjunct assistant professor and guest artist at the University of Iowa and adjunct instructor, residential costume designer, and costume supervisor and at Kirkwood Community College. She has designed costumes and makeup for theatre, dance, fashion magazines, and corporate events. She has also exhibited costumes, makeup, mask & costume illustrations, body painting, puppet costumes, and props with oil paintings, internationally and domestically. She would like to thank all of the production teams and a special thank you to the UI faculties and students. They make me love Iowa’s unbelievably GORGEOUS weather and trap me in Iowa.

Cassie Malmquist (Lighting Designer)
Cassie is a second year MFA lighting designer. UI credits include The Imaginary Invalid, Pocketful of Sand, You Lost Me, MOLD, Dust and Ash, The Cost of a Goat, and i will hold you/when you are broken, and Dance Thesis II. She assisted on Makeover, She Stoops to Conquer, Spring Awakening, and Lady M. Credits from Western Oregon University include Deathtrap, Proof, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, and a dance thesis. Thank you to my family for all their love and support.

Amber K. Lewandowski (Stage Manager)
Amber is an MFA candidate in stage management from Cleveland, Ohio. Credits include work in opera, deaf theatre, and various touring productions, as well as productions with Seattle Repertory Theatre, Lexington Children's Theatre, and Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre. Before pursuing her masters, Amber was the Company Manager for Opera New Jersey in Princeton. Amber received her bachelor's degree from Otterbein University where she specialized in stage management and vocal performance.

R. Mathias Blake (Assistant Stage Manager)
Mathias is very excited to be the assistant stage manager for broken! This is his first time officially being an ASM, experiencing a new side of theatre parallel to performing in shows like Spamalot, Makeover, and Titanic: The Musical. Mathias would like to thank his fellow cast members, family, and friends for supporting him through his endeavors with theatre. He wishes them all the absolute best.

New Play Festival Information

Link to the New Play Festival homepage.