A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder Digital Program
Book and Lyrics by
ROBERT L. FREEDMAN
Music and Lyrics by
STEVEN LUTVAK
Based on a Novel by
ROY HORNIMAN
Directed and Choreographed by
Karla Knudsen
Musical Director
Diane Houseman
Executive Producer
Chris Bass
Stage Manager
Ty Palmer
Backstage Manager
Alexander Holcey
Stage Manager
Kristen Osborne
Costume Designer
Maggie Franz
Lighting Designer
Devon Garbus
Set Designer
Jodi Waters
Sound Engineer
Jacob Boisvert
Light Operator
Lukas Evans
Props
Lisa James
Set Construction
Helen Bass
Walter Dimmick
Logan Western
Backstage Crew
Helen Bass
Alexander Holcey
Danielle Houston
Katie Grace Lanier
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder Is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
NOTE
This production features a prop gun and gunshot sound effect.
CAST
The D’Ysquith Family
Justin P. Kent
Monty
Jordan Jones
Sibella
Sareé Fioravanti
Phoebe
Jane Marie Price
Miss Shingle
Valerie America Lavelle
Ensemble
Molly Alexander
Ezra Ali-Dow
Luisa Nolasco
Malcolm Sturdevant
Elliot Szabo
Lindsay Windler
Garrett Zajac
MUSICAL NUMBERS
ACT ONE
A Warning to the Audience
(Ensemble)
You’re a D’Ysquith
(Miss Shingle, Monty)
I Don’t Know What I’d Do Without You
(Sibella)
Foolish to Think
(Monty)
A Warning to Monty
(Ensemble)
I Don’t Understand the Poor
(Lord Adalbert, Ensemble)
Foolish to Think (Reprise)
(Monty)
Poison in My Pocket
(Monty, Asquith Jr., Miss Barley)
Poor Monty
(Sibella, Company)
Better With a Man
(Henry, Monty)
Inside Out
(Phoebe, Monty)
Lady Hyacinth Abroad
(Lady Hyacinth, Ensemble)
The Last One You’d Expect
(Company)
ACT TWO
Why Are All the D’Ysquiths Dying?
(Lord Adalbert, Mourners)
Sibella
(Monty)
I’ve Decided to Marry You
(Phoebe, Sibella, Monty)
Final Warning
(Ensemble)
Poison in My Pocket (Reprise)
(Monty)
Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun
(Lord Adalbert)
Stop! Wait! What?!
(Monty)
That Horrible Woman
(Sibella, Phoebe, Ensemble)
Finale
(Company)
Jordan Jones (Monty)is thrilled to join the Savannah Performing Arts Festival’s inaugural musical performance of A Gentleman’s Guide…!, affectionately calling this production: “Sweeney Todd, but stupid.” He holds a degree in Acting from the University of Connecticut, with further training in classical theater at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA, and Shakespeare’s Globe in London. Savannah credits include Richard Hannay in The 39 Steps (Savannah Rep) and Mr. Brooke in Little Women (Sav Rep). Jordan won Savannah Connect’s 2024 Best Actor category for his work in The 39 Steps. Regional roles include Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakeapeare & Company), and Silvius in As You Like It (Shakes & Co.), Lancelot in Camelot (Palm Canyon Theatre), Fred Graham/Petruchio in Kiss Me Kate (North Street Playhouse), and King Arthur in Spamalot (North Street Playhouse). Other favorites roles: Cinderella’s Prince/The Wolf in Into the Woods, Dr. Craven in The Secret Garden, and Officer Lockstock in Urinetown. Jordan dedicates this performance to his late father Paul, and as always, to his three dogs: Ellie, Summer, and Alfred.
Justin P. Kent (The D’Ysquith Family)has been performing in Savannah for 20 years as an actor, singer, improvisational performer, and more. He also performed outside Savannah for an additional 20 years, which all together adds up to… an old guy who performs a lot. You can often find him hosting shows under the name Marty Milquetoast, and recently produced his own show of Stand Up Comedy and Burlesque to great success. Give him a stage, he’ll give you a show. Please! Give him a stage! He’s very excited to be part of the inaugural Savannah Performing Arts Festival, and looks forward to many more! Follow him on instagram: @grandmoffjustin
Sareé Fioravanti (Sibella)is thrilled to be a part of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder! Sareé recently relocated from New York City, and is grateful for the theater community in Savannah welcoming her in. Favorite credits include The Office! A Musical Parody Off-Broadway. You also may have seen her at the Savannah Children’s Theater as Belle in Beauty and the Beast. She thanks her family and friends for their support – especially Matt and Reggie! Break a leg to the cast!
Jane Marie Price (Phoebe) has wanted to be Phoebe in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder since she saw it on Broadway in 2014, so this production has been a dream come true! She is a proud company member at Savannah Stage Company where she has recently portrayed Emma Goldman in Ragtime and Ilsa in Spring Awakening. She cannot wait to continue performing here in Savannah! Undergrad: NYU (Atlantic Acting School). Instagram: @janemarie19
Valerie America Lavelle (Miss Shingle) has been performing and directing in Savannah for over 15 years. Some of her favorite roles include Mae Coleman in Reefer Madness, Janet Weiss in The Rocky Horror Show Live, and Diwata in Speech and Debate. Valerie was the recipient of Connect Savannah’s Best Local Actress award in 2023. She is also the producer and director of The Assembly of Phantasms, a dark, vaudeville performance troupe that was featured in The Atlanta Fringe Festival last year. Their next show will be Alice in Wonderland the first weekend of April. When she’s not performing she enjoys spending time with her family and the pursuit of the best jalapeno margarita!
Molly Alexander (Ensemble) is delighted to be a part of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder with the inaugural Savannah Performing Arts Festival! She has been on the Savannah theatre scene since 2016 with Savannah Cabaret, The Bay Street Theater, Savannah Shakes, and Odd Lot Improv. She also teaches musical theatre dance at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center and voice acts for independent online projects. Behind the scenes, she is primarily a STEM-major sort of person (shhh, don’t tell anyone) with degrees in Wildlife and Veterinary Technology.
Ezra Ali-Dow (Ensemble)is a stage and film actor, and arts educator from Philadelphia, PA. He is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design MFA, the National Theatre Institute Acting Semester, and Albright College BFA. Recent performances include Shakespeare’s Secret Play (Front Porch Improv), Stupid Fu*king Bird, and Everybody. Huge thanks to the entire production and creative team ofGentleman’s Guide,and the Savannah Performing Arts Festival!
Luisa Nolasco (Ensemble)is ecstatic to be a part of this cast & the debuting year of the Savannah Performing Arts Festival. An actor, singer and advocate, originally from Brazil. She has been calling Savannah home for the past 9 years. With a B.F.A. in Performing Arts from SCAD. Some of her local credits include: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Rocky Horror Show Live, Once, The Full Monty, Dracula, The Metromaniacs, Men on Boats, Man of La Mancha, Blast Force Turbo, In the Blood, Top Girls & Julius Caesar. Luisa is also a member of the Samba Savannah band. She would like to applaud all folks that have been supporting this great event. She also would like to thank the cast & crew of Gentleman’s Guide for this ghastly journey.
Malcolm Sturdevant (Ensemble) is excited to be a part of this production of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. You may have caught him on stage as Tateh in Savannah Stage Company’s production of Ragtime or as Ethan Girard in their production of The Full Monty. Previous roles include the title role in William Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus, Limping Man in Fuddy Meers, and Hal McLeavy in Loot. Malcolm thanks his long suffering wife Heidi and their cacophony of fur babies for their love and ongoing support.
Elliot Szabo (Ensemble) is a multifaceted artist who has made a name for himself as a critically acclaimed Alt-Americana singer-songwriter, and actor. He has appeared in production of Violet, Rumors and most recently Almost, Maine. When not on stage he enjoys going to bull fights on acid and skinny skiing.
Lindsay Wheeler (Ensemble)is an Elementary School teacher from Southern Illinois. She attended Murray State University where she performed in shows such as All Shook Up and Legally Blonde. She’s enjoyed getting back into theatre after graduation. Recent performances include Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. A huge thank you to everyone who helped create this incredible show. A special thanks to Chris and Helen Bass for getting her involved in this project and to her roommate for taking care of her cat while she was constantly at rehearsal.
Garrett Zajac (Ensemble)is a local improv comedian and performer. He is originally from Chicago, where he studied at the Annoyance Theatre. He has performed in various roles at the Savannah Theatre and the Tybee Post Theater. He currently produces and performs in “Ghosted: Savannah’s Haunted Improv Show” which is a comedy show about a ghost tour gone terribly wrong. He is utterly grateful for the support of his wife Samantha McKean and his daughter Vera.
MEET THE PRODUCTION TEAM
Karla Knudsen (Director/Choreographer) For Savannah Repertory Theatre: The Christians, Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some), The 39 Steps. For Savannah Shakes: Much Ado About Nothing, King Lear. For The Collective Face: W;t. For SCAD: “Master Harold”…and the Boys, Waiting for Godot, How I Learned to Drive, The Elephant Man, Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat. Karla is director/co-collaborator of the one-man shows, box., bag-, and bloodline as well as the acoustic musical, A Sea Full of Stars. She is the grateful recipient of Savannah Rep’s Founders Award and Connect Savannah’s Best Director award. Originally from Iowa, Karla came to Savannah to teach with SCAD’s performing arts and foundations departments. Summers, she can be found in the PNW hiking glaciers, farming, and painting with the family art collective, HORSEY. Karla holds degrees from SCAD and Carnegie Mellon University.
Diane Houseman (Musical Director)has adored working with this cast and crew! She’s been involved in the musical theater world ever since the Phantom of the Operacaptured her heart as a Sophomore in high school. She was the recipient of Mary Jane Theater awards in Wichita, Kansas for her work as music director/pianist inUrinetown,A Man of No Importance, Into the Woodsand33 Variations. She has been seen around Savannah music directing and/or playing keys for shows such as,Hello Again (The Collective Face Theatre Ensemble), Quilters (The Collective Face Theatre Ensemble) Beauty and the Beast (Savannah Stage Company), Cabaret (Savannah Stage Company), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee(Tybee Arts Association),The Rocky Horror Show Live (Bay Street Theater)and most recently as the pianist for “Ghosted: Savannah’s Haunted Improv Show,” playing at The Historic Savannah Theatre. Thanks to the SPA production team, Chris, Karla, Kristen, to this cast for making her laugh until she cried, to Nathan and to YOU for supporting live theater!
Chris Bass (Executive Producer) is delighted to help bring to the Stages in Savannah A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. The way that the community has come together to help create this production truly inspires us to keep creating. Chris Bass has been an actor and advocate for performing arts in Savannah since 2011 appearing on stage As Walter Hobbs in Elf the Musical at the Historic Savannah Theatre, As Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast at the Savannah Children’s Theatre and as the Hermit in Savannah Cabaret’s production of Young Frankenstein. He would like to thank the nonstop support of his family and friends and the community for helping to make this happen especially his wife, Helen, who has supported every effort of this show.
Ty Palmer (Stage Manager) is originally from The Bahamas and a recent graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design majoring in Production Design with a concentration in Set Design and Art Direction. Ty has stage managed many shows from Sense and Sensibility to School Girls; the African Mean Girls Play, and they are excited and grateful to be a part of this production. When they are not backstage, you can find them in local theatres performing and they are currently a guest artist with the Tybee Ballet Company.
Kristen Osborne (Stage Manager) relocated from the wild and wonderful hills of West Virginia, to Savannah GA seven years ago to pursue an artistic career in film and theater production. Thus far Kristen has stage manager for The Savannah Underground immersive theater, Savannah Cabaret, and Tybee Arts Association.
Maggie Franz (Costume Designer) is a costume designer from Baltimore, Maryland who specializes in period costuming. She is currently working at the Savannah Theater and dressed shows such as Elf the Musical, The Christmas Tradition, Divas through the Decades and The Great American Trailer Park Musical.
Devon Garbus (Light Design) is excited to design his first show in Savannah in almost 20 years! Recent design credits include Camelot, and Forbidden Broadway for Gulf Coast Symphony, Little Shop of Horrors at New Tampa Players, and Wizard of Oz at Manatee Players. Past work includes Cleveland Playhouse, New World Stages, Home Shopping Network, Carnival Cruise Lines, and more! Thank you to Ryan McCurdy and Chris Bass for bringing me back to Savannah. Find him at “Devon Garbus Designs” on Facebook.
Jacob Boisvert (Sound Engineer) is a senior SCAD student in sound and immersive design. Working as an AV technician for hotels in Savannah, he’s always ready to help out with any tech issues you might have. He is very happy to be here.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The producers, production team, cast, and crew wish to thank Jenn Bishop, Randy Canady, Renee DeRosset, Cami Nicole Hall, Tom Haverdine, Glenda Lanier, Katie Grace Lanier, Marcia McManus, DJ Queenan, and everyone at Asbury Memorial, Savannah Children’s Theatre, Savannah Repertory Theatre, Savannah Theatre, and Tybee Arts Association. We couldn’t have done it without you!