New Tampa Players
Polkadots
By Melvin Tunstall, III, Douglas Lyons, Greg... Borowsky
Produced with special arrangement from Broadway Licensing
Welcome to Uptown Stage!
Please silence your cell phones.
Produced with the Generous Support of
Cast (in order of appearance):
Penelope Square: Olivia Carr
Sky Square: Jaden Figueroa
Ms. Square/Mama Square: Janine Hartfield
Monica Paine: Lily Polkadot
Jackie Square: Jakob Fellerhoff
Henry Square: Daniel Fellerhoff
Kathy Square: Sarah Fellerhoff
Allie Square: Jacqueline Calhoun
Emma Square: Victoria Cantor
Molly Square: Esther Vilsaint
Olivia Carr as Penelope Square
Liv is SO excited to be back on the stage at NTP, where she calls “home.” Over the past 3 years, she has been blessed to work under the direction of some amazing directors here, and to be part of some phenomenal casts (including Violet, Snapshots, and Penguin Projects). Liv is also very involved at Dearmon CAST, and most recently was Sally in “Snoopy” (ThinkTank), Enjolras in Les Mis (Corbett Prep’s CSA), and several characters in the Laramie Project (Arts in Motion). Olivia is most grateful to so many theaters who have worked tirelessly to continue to bring live theater safely on stage during these difficult times. Furthermore, she would love to thank YOU, the audience, for supporting it!
Jaden Figueroa as Sky Square
Jaden is an 8th grader at Center Academy - Lutz, where he hosts the morning show and enjoys playing football and basketball. His first acting role was Aladdin in NTP's Penguin Project in 2019. He has also performed in NTP's Little Mermaid, Penguin Project's Peter Pan Jr, Community School of the Arts' Frozen Jr. and most recently he played Papa Ogre and 2 other roles in CSA's Shrek the Musical Jr. Jaden would like thank his mom and dad for their tireless support and encouragement.
Janine Hartfield as Ms. Square/Mama Square
Janine is so happy to be performing again with the New Tampa Players. As an NTP Founding Member, Janine has been involved onstage and off with them since 2002. Given that her last time onstage was nine long years ago, she really appreciates (and is baffled by) the faith that Nora and Carlyn had in her ability to memorize lines!! Janine has a long list of favorite roles that she has played since she was a kid, but nothing tops the role of Grandma to her favorite 7 year old. Special thanks to her husband Craig for his support and encouragement, and the many hours running lines!
Monica Paine as Lily Polkadot
Monica is a 17 yr old senior in high school. Her first show with NTP was beauty and the beast and she has been enjoying theater ever sense then. One of her favorite projects is the Penguin project, which brings theater to children of all abilities. She’s looking forward to NTP’s new season and plans to tryout for several more shows in the future.
Daniel Fellerhoff as
Henry Square & Troy Triangle
Daniel Fellerhoff is an imaginative 12-year-old who enjoys playing piano, singing with Lumina Youth Choir, and performing with NTP. When he is not on stage, he loves studying math and physics, playing chess and reading. Daniel has previously performed in Penguin Project productions and several other NTP projects. Daniel says Polkadots is a very fun show to be part of and it has a good lesson for everyone. He would like to thank his family for their support and for driving him to three quadrillion activities and rehearsals. (3,000,000,000,000,000)
Jakob Fellerhoff as Jackie Square
Jakob Fellerhoff is an energetic 10-year-old who enjoys performing, especially when he can showcase his tumbling and acrobatic talents. He is a member of the Tampa Gym and Dance Performance Team and recently attended a week of camp at the Circus Arts Conservatory. Jakob has participated in several projects and performances with New Tampa Players, including the Penguin Project’s Aladdin Jr. and Peter Pan Jr. Previously having played such roles as tiger, dog, crocodile and cat, he is excited for his debut in the part of a person in Polkadots. Jakob is thankful to have all these opportunities to be on stage and he hopes everyone enjoys the show.
Sarah Fellerhoff as Kathy Square
Sarah Fellerhoff is 14 and is a talented athlete who enjoys swimming and soccer. She likes to collect all things Eiffel Tower and hopes to visit Paris someday. Sarah played a fortune teller in Aladdin Jr. and a Lost Boy (Twin 2) in Peter Pan Jr and has been part of several other projects with New Tampa Players. Sarah is excited to be part of Polkadots and especially enjoys getting to dance on stage. She will be performing with NTP again next month in Akeela and the Bee. She thanks her parents for their support and the whole Polkadots cast and crew for being so nice and fun to work with.
Esther Vilsaint as Molly Square
Esther is a 17 year old who likes many forms of art and is likes to try new things. Her NTP debut is Polkadots The Cool Kids Musical as Molly Square. While she hasn't been there long, she is thankful for the team she's working with, and the support she has gotten from loved ones.
Jacqueline Calhoun as Allie Square
Jacqueline is excited to be apart of Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical! With a love for theater, musicals, acting, and singing, this is her first time performing live and on stage, outside of her theater classrooms. She is very grateful for the love and support of her friends, family, crew, and NTP for making this show happen.
Victoria Cantor as Emma Square
I’m Victoria and I’m 17-years-old. My NTP debut is Polkadots where I star a young Square girl named Emma Square, who is Penelope Square’s right-hand. I’m very happy to have been given this opportunity to explore theater and help expand NTP’s outreach!
Artistic Team
Carlyn Postle- Director
Carlyn Postle (Co-Director) has been in this amazing world of theater for over 45 years. Mostly in the area of High School drama programs and community theater for some of the overseas military bases for the DODDS program. She also taught drama programs in England and the US. Her great love is directing a musical with combined Youth and Adult theater such as the show “Polkadots, The Cool Kids’ Musical”
Nora Paine- Director
Nora caught the theater bug in college in the sleepy hamlet of Due West, SC. At Erskine College, she learned how to do all things technical theater— including stage managing, sets, props, costumes— duct tape goes a long way!
After moving to Tampa in 2008, Nora stage managed her first production with NTP : A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum. And the rest is history! Nora has now worked on over 50 NTP productions and directs NTP’s Penguin Project productions.
Nora has served on grant panels for the Hillsborough Arts Council and for the Florida State Division of Cultural Affairs.
Nora lives in New Tampa with her awesome husband, Joshua, and her four awesome kids.
G. Frank Meekins- Musical Direction
Originally from Boston, Frank moved to Tampa in 1998 and since that time has worked with many local high school and community theatre groups throughout the greater Tampa Bay area. He musically directed NTP’s first production, They’re Playing Our Song, in addition to A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Music Man, Camelot, Annie, Pippin, She Loves Me, Beauty and the Beast, Addams Family, Legally Blonde, Annie, and Little Mermaid. He directed and musically directed NTP’s productions of A Grand Night for Singing – Rodgers and Hammerstein Musical Revue, The Sound of Music, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, Mary Poppins, Into The Woods, Quilt, and Snapshots. Involved in all aspects of musical theatre from set design and construction to lighting design and execution, from stage management to directing and musically directing, Frank has participated in over 350 productions throughout New England and Tampa Bay including A Chorus Line, Les Miserables, Chicago, Urinetown, Honk, Mame, Hello Dolly, Jesus Christ Superstar, Oklahoma, Annie Get Your Gun, The Boyfriend, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, All Shook Up, Perfectly Frank, Anything Goes, Caba-ret, Gypsy, Tommy, La Cage aux Folles, Rag-time, Little Shop of Horrors, Baby, Damn Yankees, Fiddler on the Roof, Godspell, Into the Woods, I Do – I Do, Jane Eyre, A Little Night Music, West Side Story, Evita, Where’s Charley, The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, Once Upon a Mat-tress, Carousel, Big River, Footloose, Pirates of Penzance, South Pacific, Whoopee, Bells are Ring-ing, Brigadoon, Bye Bye Birdie, Cabaret, Nun-sense, My Fair Lady, Oliver, No No Nanette, Sweet Charity, Brigadoon, The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Legally Blonde as well as the operas Carmen, Turandot, and Die Fledermaus. Frank often participates in various events with the Florida State Thespians. Upcoming projects include Laramie Project: 10 Years Later and Children of Eden. He would like to thank his partner of 19 years, Tim Huff, for all his support.
Olivia Carr- Choreographer
Olivia is so excited to choreograph her first show! She is a dancer of ABASI Dance Lab as a trainee with Dr. Mallory Quinn, and in just a few short years of hard work and consistent training, is dancing en pointe, and performing classical variations and pas de deux under Miss Shelley Loadwick’s incredible ballet direction. Although she loves all styles of dance, lyrical is her favorite . She enjoys the creativity of coming up with choreography and thanks the ABASI teachers for their help and support in all her performance goals. She would like to thank New Tampa Players for the opportunity to explore this new creative outlet, as she strives to keep learning and hopefully choreographing more shows in the future!
Production Team
Stage Manager: Chloe Pain
Lighting: Todd Wiener
Sound Technician: Keith Postle and G. Frank Meekins
Backstage Crew:
Heather Cleveland, Carol Paine, Rajah’ria Peterson
Props: Tami Carr
Costumes: Shelley Giles, Bianca Siqueira , Megan Giles, Amelia Giles
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 Directors:
Thank you so much for coming to see New Tampa Players’ Polkadots: The Cool Kids’ Musical! at Uptown Stage!
Polkadots is inspired by the story of the Little Rock Nine: Minnijean Brown, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest Green, Thelma Mothershed, Melba Patillo, Gloria Ray, Terrence Roberts, Jefferson Thomas and Carlotta Walls. In 1957, President Eisenhower sent in federal troops to escort the Little Rock Nine into Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas after Governor Faubus had ordered the National Guard to block their entry.
We were drawn to this musical because of its beautiful message of inclusion and acceptance. Truly, our differences make us unique and COOL!
Creating live theater during a pandemic has been a challenge. Our cast and crew have met that challenge head on and grown as artists and as people through this experience. We would like to thank our cast for their dedication and determination and ENTHUSIASM! Thank you to Frank Meekins for his support and creativity through this process. Thank you to Olivia for making Polkadots her first choreography adventure!
Thank you to Keith, Todd, and James for creating this colorful world of Rockaway! Thank you to Tami for all of the amazing props—- we love the chalkboard! Thank you to Shelley and her awesome team for your adventures with dye and stamps! The costumes are wonderful!
Thank you to Chloe, Roe, and Heather for your hard work making everything run smoothly backstage and for the backstage dance parties!
Thank you to our audience for supporting New Tampa Players and live theatre!
-Carlyn and Nora
Thank you to all of our volunteers who have worked so hard to make this production of Polkadots: The Cool Kid’s Musical possible.
Carrollwood Day School
Craig Hartfield
Gene Kish
Heather Cleveland
King’s Point Chorus SCC
Support Live Theatre
Thank you so much for supporting New Tampa Players, the arts, and live theatre through your presence tonight. As NTP reopens and recovers from COVID, your financial support is crucial. With reduced seating, your support can help bridge the gap between ticket sales and operating and production expenses, keeping us financially healthy and able to provide diverse and accessible performing arts opportunities.
About Uptown Stage
Welcome to Uptown Stage, New Tampa Player’s new space! For your safety and the safety of those around you, please wear a mask while you are inside Uptown Stage. Restrooms are located in the main mall near Burlington Coat Factory. Maps are provided at the front of the theater.
Thank you so much for supporting New Tampa Players and live performance!
Our Next Production
Akeelah and the Bee
Performance Dates: September 17-26
Creators
Doug Atchison, original screenwriter
Cheryl L. West, playwright
Based on a book by James Ellison and the movie with Laurence Fishburne, Akeelah and the Bee is the perfect show for everyone!
Akeelah has a crazy passion for words: the more abstruse and labyrinthine, the better. But this gift is almost overwhelmed by the challenge of her daily life in a tough, Chicago neighborhood. Akeelah’s aptitude earns her a spot in the National Spelling Bee, which inspires the people in her neighborhood with her courage and tenacity
All performances are at Uptown Stage at the University Mall, 2200 East Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL 33612.
Directions to Uptown Stage: Once on the campus of the University Mall, park in front of the K&G Fashions main mall entrance. Enter the mall through the entrance between K&G Fashions and Famous Footwear. Turn right at the children’s playspace inside the mall. Uptown Stage is the fourth space on the left.
Produced with special arrangement with Plays for New Audiences.
Produced with the generous support of Hillsborough Arts Council, Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners, and Florida State Division of Cultural Affairs