LUNCHTIME!
By Madalyn Baker
Directed by Meredith Nelson
Over the course of one lunch period at school, two erratic fifth grade friend groups grapple with each other for approval and attention while plunging into the confusing awkwardness of growing up. Through games and elaborate dream sequences, the kids attempt to better understand themselves as they prove their maturity and preserve what’s left of their childhood in the year 2005.
Strobe lights are used in this production
Runtime: 50 minutes- no intermission or late entry
Cast and Crew
Margot McCann ................ Georgia
Rachel Rittner.................... Rebecca
Bella Issa............................. Lily
Mary Coulter....................... Alex
Raaghuv Vaz....................... Zach
Nathan Nelson.................... Brandon
Stage management by Marcus Black
Technical Direction, lighting, and sound design by Nathan Nelson
Music by Madalyn Baker with additional arrangements by Nathan Nelson
What You'll Find in this Program
Click on any of the icons below to navigate this digital program
Cast Breakdown and Bios
Director's Note
Special Thanks and Sponsors
A Note from the Director
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Mary Coulter
Alex
Mary Coulter: Mary is a senior studying Theater and Cognitive Science at Case Western Reserve University. They are the president of the Players Theatre Group, the undergraduate student theater group on campus. Recent credits include: Proof (Catherine), Men on Boats (Sumner), Comedy of Errors (Dromio of Ephesus), John Proctor Is The Villain (Shelby), Rent (Mimi), and Electra (Orestes). insta: @mbcoult
Margot McCann
Georgia
Margot McCann is rising senior at CWRU and is so excited to be working with Soft Belly Theatre! She has been in several productions with the Case Theatre Department, including Cymbeline, Electra, Cabaret, and Comedy of Errors. Margot is super excited to be apart of this show, and she is so grateful for everyone involved and all their hard work. She wishes the cast and crew the best of luck and hopes you enjoy the show!
Nathan Patrick Nelson
Brandon
Nathan Nelson (Brandon) is the co-founder and co-artistic director of Soft Belly Theatre. Last summer he was the accompanist, musical director, and technical director for The Last Five Years with Soft Belly Theatre. His regional credits include Yasha in The Cherry Orchard (Cleveland Playhouse/MFA Acting season), Lt. Buzz Adams in South Pacific, Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby, and a swing in Peter and The Starcatcher (Coeur D’alene Summer Theatre), Alan in Equus (Stage Left Theatre), and Jon in tick…tick…BOOM! (Gonzaga University). His New York credits include The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Bank Street Theatre at The New School), Jackie Theoharis’ Quarter Life Crisis (music direction and arrangements) BA: Gonzaga University, MFA: The New School. AMDG.
Bella Issa
Lily
Bella Issa (she/her) is a Cleveland native and a recent graduate from Baldwin Wallace University’s theatre program. She recently performed as Faith/911 Operator in Curtain Call: No Exit at Cleveland Public Theatre, and her BW credits include Henry VI Pt. I/II (Duchess Eleanor), Uncommon Women and Others (Holly), The Laramie Project (Zubaida), The Secret in the Wings (Blind Queen), and Appropriate (Stage Directions). During her final year of college, she directed The Baltimore Waltz by Paula Vogel and presented her senior thesis on Theatre of the Oppressed and Palestine. She thanks you for coming to see the show! actorbellaissa.wixsite.com, @bellaissa2602
Rachel Rittner
Rebecca
Rachel Rittner (she/her) (Rebecca) is a rising senior in the CWRU Undergraduate Theatre program. Previous credits include Puck/Philostrate in A Midsummer Nights Dream (Cleveland Shakespeare Festival), Mollie in The Mousetrap (CWRU), and Belinda u/s in Noises Off (Great Lakes Theatre). She would like to thank Meredith and Maddy for the opportunity to embrace her inner fifth grader and play pretend. For Marin. @rachelrittner
Raghu Vazirani
Zach
Raaghuv Vazirani is a current CWRU student, studying Computer Science and Cognitive Science. He is so excited and grateful to work with these lovely people and to perform with Soft Belly Theatre! Recent roles include Antipholus of Ephesus (Comedy of Errors), Major Metcalf (The Mousetrap), and as Producer of PTG Live. He’d like to thank his family, and hopes to keep performing wherever life takes him. Outside of theater you'll often find him napping, sailing, or doing ceramics.
Marcus Black
Stage Manager
Marcus is a second year student at Case Western Reserve University studying theater and
mathematics. Most recently, Marcus was the stage manager of The Comedy of Errors and
assistant stage manager of The Mousetrap at CWRU. Back in Columbus OH, he has been a
part of numerous productions with Short North Stage and Gallery Players. Marcus has been,
among other things, a playwright, director, ASM, and SM. During the school year, you can also
find him working in Silver Hall and performing with IMPROVment.
Meredith Nelson
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Madalyn Baker
MADALYN BAKER Madalyn is an actor, illustrator, and playwright from Northern California. She earned her BA in Theatre from Fordham University, and is entering her third and final year of the CWRU/CPH MFA program. Recent credits include Lyubov Ranevskaya in The Cherry Orchard (CPH/CWRU), Mechanic/Aunt in Middletown (CPH/CWRU), and Sally Bowles in Cabaret (CWRU). She was lucky enough to work with Soft Belly Theatre last summer as Cathy in The Last Five Years. In addition to being an actor she has her own illustrative art brand called Maddle Baddle. It was her great pleasure to design Soft Belly Theatre's own mascot, the Little Feller! Thank you so much to Soft Belly, and the wonderful cast for bringing this play to life. To learn more about Madalyn, you can check out her work at Madalynbaker.com, @madmaddybaker, and @maddlebaddle.
A special thanks to the following individuals for helping make our Soft Belly mission a reality
Doug and Laura Ham
The Cleveland Playhouse
Donald Carrier
Case Western Reserve University
Michael Martinek
The Academy Tavern on Larchmere
Headshots by Demayne at the Headshop Experience