Our 543rd Production
Directed by Theresa Bateman
November 1st, 2nd, 8th, 9th, 10th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 2024
Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m., Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
You plan the perfect Thanksgiving dinner for some special guests. Suddenly guests that were invited the next day show up and everything starts to unravel and all your plans go awry. What happened to the thanks in Thanksgiving? Come see how a traditional Thanksgiving gets turned up on its head!
Meet the Cast
Chad Curtis as Daniel Boyer
Chad Curtis is excited to be performing for the first time with Old Academy Players. He recently performed as Slank/Hawking Clam in Methacton Community Theater’s Peter and the Starcatcher. Other performance credits include Elf and Something Rotten with Willow Manor Players, and 9 to 5 with Jenkintown Music Theater (JMT). On the technical side, Chad has worked in set construction, scenic design, and prop fabrication with JMT, Willow Manor Players, Methacton Community Theater, and the Barn Playhouse. When not on stage, Chad works as a visual artist and educator at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture.
Daniel Mendoza as Adam Anderson
This will be Daniel Mendoza’s first theater production. Originally from Chicago, Daniel has lived in Philadelphia for many years and has finally taken a leap into theater. With acting training through the Philadelphia Acting school back in 2023, Daniel is looking to bring to life characters that will showcase the best out of the stories. One day he hopes to play Shakespearean characters to their fullest potential.
Guy Sims as Jerry Collins
Guy Sims is very excited to make his debut in Old Academy Players’ production of A Rainbow Holiday! Although a writer by artistic trade, he has studied improvisation with Comedy Sportz of Philadelphia. He participated in theater in both high school and college, his favorite performance was portraying Purlie in Purlie Victorious. Guy has also acted as various historical figures and characters for a variety of events throughout the years. Guy wants to thank his family and friends for their support and encouragement.
Hannah Leifheit as Julie Mason
Hannah Leifheit thoroughly enjoyed theater as a young person and, after playing a horrible boss in the summer One Acts, still does as an adult! Much appreciation to the people whose energy and passion make community theater an absolute joy. Love to Brahm, the Moffaman.
Jamaal White as Mark Mason
Jamaal White has been entertaining since 2002, featuring or starring in plays such as Leaving Still Here, Top/Down and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Jamaal’s passions have also taken him into voice acting, singing, and poetry. When he is not immersed in the arts, Jamaal enjoys spending his free time with his son, family and friends. Yet he aspires to bring future stages to life with them in mind.
Mary Waterfield as Maggie Anderson
Mary Waterfield is delighted to be making her East Coast debut at Old Academy Players. Since 1999, she’s performed in a multitude of San Francisco Bay Area productions, most notably at Coastal Rep, Palo Alto Players, and Pacifica Spindrift Players. Mary’s favorite past performances include Olwen Peel in Dangerous Corner, Conrade in Much Ado About Nothing, Maudie Atkinson in To Kill a Mockingbird, Honey in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Jean in Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Sunny Jacobs in The Exonerated, Rose Arnott in Enchanted April, Heidi in Fuddy Meers, M’Lynn in Steel Magnolias and Jane Sparks in Vieux Carre.
Micah Wagman as Adam Kent
Micah Wagman is super excited to be back on the stage with Old Academy Players. He returned to acting after several years in the One Act Bonanza where he played Danny and Jef (with one F). He had so much fun he decided to continue with Old Academy and is so happy he got selected to act in a full show!
Natalie Merlino as Alison Boyer
Natalie Merlino began acting in community theater productions as a young girl and is enthused to now be making her debut on the Old Academy stage. Natalie minored in Theater Arts at Pace University and has more recently received professional coaching for film/TV from Bryan Fox at the Actors Lab Philly. Some of her theatrical credits include Cassie Cooper in Rumors, Romaine Patterson/Others in Laramie Project and Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing. She has also been involved in various student and short film projects over the years. Outside of her passion for the performing arts, Natalie works as a licensed marriage and family therapist and enjoys the outdoors as well as being a dog mom to her maltipoo Romeo.
Terri Bateman (Director)
Terri has been involved in theater since high school. She has performed through the years at North Light Players and Old Academy Players playing a wide range of characters. She has also been involved behind the scenes for many productions as well. Terri was last seen on the OA stage in the One Act production of Stealing a Kiss, directed by Joan and Randy Shupp. She also choreographed 15 children in the cast of Daughters of Triton for Old Academy’s CAP program. This was her 15th year working in this program. Terri is excited and grateful to be working with all the new talent in A Rainbow Holiday. Thanks to my production committee: Randy and Joan Shupp, Producers; Michelle Moscicki, Assistant Director and Sonya Hearn, Stage Manager. Terri sends much love to her two children, Paul and Theresa. Also, much love to the cast and crew of A Rainbow Holiday. This wonderful show wouldn’t be possible without all of you.
Joan Shupp (Producer)
Joan and Randy Shupp are delighted to co-produce with Terri Bateman again as we did for Old Ringers. They also co-produced Arsenic and Old Lace, Unexpected Guest and Calendar Girls with Loretta Lucy Miller, and Streetcar Named Desire with our dearly departed JP Parrella. Recently they directed for the first time _ Stealing a Kiss in last season’s One Act Bonanza. Joan has run lights and sound on numerous productions, and Randy has acted in six major productions. Joan is currently OA’s Recording Secretary, and Randy has served Old Academy as Vice-President and as various committee chairs and co-chairs. For over ten years they have also worked with children building sets and props in OA’s Children’s Arts program.
Randy Shupp (Producer)
Joan and Randy Shupp are delighted to co-produce with Terri Bateman again as we did for Old Ringers. They also co-produced Arsenic and Old Lace, Unexpected Guest and Calendar Girls with Loretta Lucy Miller, and Streetcar Named Desire with our dearly departed JP Parrella. Recently they directed for the first time _ Stealing a Kiss in last season’s One Act Bonanza. Joan has run lights and sound on numerous productions, and Randy has acted in six major productions. Joan is currently OA’s Recording Secretary, and Randy has served Old Academy as Vice-President and as various committee chairs and co-chairs. For over ten years they have also worked with children building sets and props in OA’s Children’s Arts program.
Michelle Moscicki (Assistant Director)
Michelle Moscicki is excited to return to Old Academy in the role of Assistant Director and Prop Mistress Extraordinaire for Rainbow Holiday. Michelle first started as an audience member at Old Academy then evolved into a volunteer, learned how to be a Producer and Director, how to act and to Chair Theater Parties. She became a member of the Old Academy family and a Distinguished Member. She has written and directed 2 One Acts so far, Lots of Dots and Bon Ami. She has been onstage in numerous productions over her 20 plus years and enjoyed onstage interaction
with our audiences and actors. She is grateful for all the knowledge and experiences she has gained. Michelle has also enjoyed being a part of the team that makes the real magic happen backstage and onstage. Kudos to the vision of our talented Director Terri Bateman and of course our diligent
Producers Randy and Joan Shupp, Stage Manager Sonja and all our talented actors bringing this vibrant story and characters to life. This play explores how diversity can challenge and separate families. But diversity can also join them together and strengthen them by exploring their fears and their prior beliefs honestly and openly. I hope everyone that comes to our Thanksgiving feast of Rainbow Holiday leaves full with a new awareness and appreciation of different perspectives.
Sonya Aiko Hearn (Stage Manager)
Sonya Aiko Hearn’s backstage work not only includes this season’s A Rainbow Holiday, but also, Old Academy’s Arsenic and Old Lace (2023) and it’s summer theater camp for kids, the Children’s Arts Program. She was last seen onstage as Woman Among the Dead in OAP’s Our Town last season, and as Jennifer in David S. Traub’s one-act Train to Essex Junction during the 2023 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Thank you to Terri, cast, and crew for welcoming her in and making this a great experience.