Bloom

Welcome to Uptown Stage!

Please silence your cell phones.

There will be one 15 minute intermission.

Cast (in order of appearance):

Michelle – Monica Van Nort

Bobby – Jonathan Scott Hartman

Daniel – Saleem A. Sekkat

Lisa – Alexandra Hiotakis

Ashley – Saphia Garrison

Artistic Team

Production Team

Stage Manager: Paige Millirons

Lighting Design: Joshua Eberhart

Lighting Setup: Craig Hartfield, Todd Wiener, Joshua Eberhart, Mark Weisenmiller

Lighting Technician: Joshua Eberhart and Mark Weisenmiller

Sound Design: David Valdez

Sound Technician: Paige Millirons

Backstage Crew:

Jacqueline Calhoun, Victoria Cantor, Rajah’ria Peterson, Elysia Rosado

Props: Barbara Trax

Set Design: David Valdez

Set Construction:

Keith Postle, Carlyn Postle, Todd Wiener, Ken Price, Mark Weisenmiller, and Blaise Paine

Scenic Artist: James Cass

Production Manager: Joshua Eberhart

A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR, DAVID J. VALDEZ

What do I do when my love is away?

Does it worry you to be alone?

How do I feel by the end of the day?

Are you sad because you’re on your own?

—“With a Little Help from My Friends,” The Beatles

It is hard to imagine that so many important topics are able to fit into a two hour play: teen angst, aging parents, first love, first heartbreak, death, divorce, mentorship, and, of all things, gardening. There are more, of course, to keep us on our toes. On the page, Bloom is a seemingly straightforward, surface-level, easy-to-produce piece. Ha!

One of my favorite characteristics of theatre is that it is fleeting. It is incredibly real in one moment and then gone the next. That is part of the magic. I have directed a lot of shows; most productions stay with me long after they come down. It is a give and take; I leave part of myself on the stage, and a piece of the show becomes a part of me. Certainly, because of our own personal experiences, some shows are more relatable than others. With Bloom, though, I feel that this story exemplifies us all: it is a real-time manifestation of issues we can all relate to. For me, I see a lot of myself in Daniel. There were times when I felt like the whole world was laughing at me and I struggled to find a place where I belonged. There were times when I felt animosity toward adults when they tried to give me advice. And I never wanted to do yard work, for sure.

BOBBY.           …did people tell you, “It’ll get easier”?

DANIEL.         Yeah. A lot.

BOBBY.           Well, it doesn’t. You just get used to it, that’s all.

—Bloom, Act I, Scene V

When I first read Bloom, I was drawn to the idea of mentorship between two men, a concept that is celebrated, but rarely talked about openly. Bobby, a gardener and widower, is, even if he will not admit it, struggling to exist alone after the loss of his wife. Bobby’s daughter, Michelle, a social worker also coping with the death of her mother, introduces him to Daniel, a teenager in need of some structure and nurturing. This was an obvious, straightforward plot where I focused my energy until we got into rehearsals, and that is when things started to… blossom. We found out that Bobby learns several important lessons from his new friend, Daniel. We learned that Lisa, Daniel’s mother and a recent widow herself, has more questions than answers. And Ashley, bless her, brings a whole new meaning to “complicated adolescent.” We realized that the most beautiful moments in Bloom come from heartbreak and deep, almost unbearable, sadness.

All said, ultimately, this is a play about hope. Not to say that after a significant event, like the death of a parent or spouse, there is a specific date that everything goes back to normal. The pain may never subside and life may never get easier. But we might be able to deal with it a little better with time (and a little help from our friends). When we allow someone to help us through tragedy or trauma, it should never been perceived as weakness, but rather, a source of great strength. If at any point we lose our hope, that is the true tragedy.

I have certainly grown professionally during my time as director for Bloom, but more importantly, I have grown personally. This exceptionally talented company has pushed me from assuming Bloom was a straightforward, surface-level, easy-to-produce piece to realizing its lessons are more meaningful than I ever expected.

I don't think you have to leave
If to change is what you need
You can change right next to me
When you're high, I'll take the lows
You can ebb and I can flow
And we'll take it slow
And grow as we go

                                    —“Grow As We Go,” Ben Platt        

Enjoy the show.

Message from the President:

Thank you so much for supporting live theater and New Tampa Players! The cast and crew of Bloom have worked very hard to bring this very detailed show to life! Thank you to David Valdez for taking on the challenge of this show with its myriad of props! Thank you to Paige Millirons for stage managing and keeping everything organized and running! Thank you to Barbara Trax for providing and organizing all the props you see tonight— everything from food to flowers to gardening tools! Thank you to our amazing set crew for building Bobby’s house and to James Cass for painting it! Thank you to Joshua Eberhart, Craig Hartfield, Todd Wiener, Keith Eisenstadt, and Mark Weisenmiller for working together to light this show. Thank you to the amazing backstage crew who is keeping the props running backstage and making sure the cast has everything it needs. Thank you to the cast of Bloom, you are amazing!

As you can see it takes a community to create this story on this stage for you. As we create art, we build community.

Thank you for supporting our New Tampa Players community! We hope you enjoy Bloom and will be back to see Polkadots in August and our new season in September!

-Nora Paine