How I Learned to Stop Worrying

and Love the Frog!

a musical for someone else’s children

book, music & lyrics by

Patrick Flynn

based on his play

directed by

Kari Ginsburg

music director/additional musical arrangements

Paige Rammelkamp

SUPPORT THE FROG!

If you have it within your means to donate any amount to support the show, we thank you very much.

All performing artists are being compensated for their time and talent by the author.

CAST

  • Alex DeBard

    THE PRINCESS

  • Carl L. Williams

    THE FROG

  • Beth Amann

    NARRATOR 1

  • Jill Tighe

    NARRATOR 2

  • Ian Blackwell Rogers

    THE KING

  • Miss Kitty

    THE QUEEN MUM

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING!

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Frog! is a musical adaptation of the first theatre for young audiences play I ever wrote. It was originally commissioned by Contemporary Stage Company of Wilmington, Delaware and appeared at the New York Fringe Festival the following year.

I’m incredibly proud of this musical adaptation and of all the work that this lovely group of people have put into it.

I’d like to especially thank Melissa Sites of College Park Arts Exchange for the opportunity to debut this work for all of you in this lovely building.

Special Thanks also to Eleanor Holdridge, Briana Manente, Elyse Daniels, Tara Giordano, and Rex Daugherty & Solas Nua.

And an extra special thanks to Sara Tantillo, who always liked this script.

Bios

Beth Amann - Narrator 1

(she/her) Beth holds a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre from Catholic University and an MBA from The University of Maryland. She was the co-founder and long-time Managing Director of Monumental Theatre Company where she oversaw operations, marketing, and development. She recently returned to the stage as Rona Lisa Peretti in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Compass Rose Theater and is currently understudying Over Her Dead Body with Pinky Swear Productions in both the Capital Fringe and Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Thanks to Patrick, Kari, & Paige!

Alex DeBard - The Princess

(she/her/hers) DC AREA: Signature Theatre: Hair, Private Jones, Passing Strange, Into the Woods, Rent, Gun & Powder. Monumental Theatre Company: tick, tick…BOOM! (Helen Hayes Nominated- Outstanding Supporting Performer), 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche; Olney Theatre Center: Kinky Boots, A.D. 16; NextStop Theatre: Little Women, First Date; Bay Star Theatricals: The Condition of Ellen Mitchell; Museum of the Bible: Amazing Grace; Adventure Theatre: The Velveteen Rabbit, Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”, Fancy Nancy’s Splendiferous Christmas, Blueberries for Sal. REGIONAL: Goodspeed: Private Jones (workshop). EDUCATION: The Catholic University of America, BM. UPCOMING: Olney Theatre Center: Frozen. IG: @alexdebardmusic / @alex_debard


Patrick Flynn - author

(he/him) Patrick is a Helen Hayes Award-nominated* playwright & award-winning filmmaker based in Washington, D.C. Produced stage works include The Ferberizing of Coral (winner, Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival), Tinker Bell (licensed by Dramatic Publishing), The Velveteen Rabbit (licensed by Theatrical Rights Worldwide), Giant Box of Pr0n (licensed by Next Stage Press), Sheila and Moby (Helen Hayes Recommended), Where in North Dakota is Carmen Sandiego? (Awesome Con 2018). His podcast The Original Cast was named one of the “7 Standout Theatre Podcasts” by Playbill. Web series: I Live With This (Outstanding Series & Outstanding Writing, L.A. Webfest), Long Distance Relationship (Bronze Medal, TIVA-DC Peer Awards), Keith Powell Directs a Play (starring Keith Powell and Aubrey Plaza). His films made for the 48 Hour Film Project have won over 30 awards including 9 best-of-city citations, 3 for writing, 3 for directing, and 2 Best Films. His book Visual Literacy: A Practical Text on the Analysis, History, and Creation of Visual Media is available from Kendall-Hunt. He is a professor at American University & Catholic University and a member of the Dramatists Guild.

Kari Ginsburg - director

(she/her/hers) Kari is a DC-based award-winning director and actor. She has previously directed for the Avant Bard, Washington Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare in the Pub, The Inkwell, Page-to-Stage festival, LiveArt in a Day (Winner, Best Direction), Infinite Jest, and others. She is a student-director mentor and teaching artist for Arlington County Public Schools. A proud member of Actors Equity, Kari is a two-time Helen Hayes Award recipient and boasts over 35 years on the stage. kariginsburg.com IG: @kariginsburg

Miss Kitty - The Queen Mum

(she/her) is an AMAB/non-binary/genderqueer/transfemme stage and film actress, dancer, chanteuse, and drag artiste. She was last seen performing as the Water Nymph in Metamorphoses at Folger Theatre. Other credits include Agreste (Drylands) with Spooky Action Theater [Helen Hayes Awards nominee: Outstanding Lead Performer (Helen), Outstanding Ensemble (Helen)], Woman/Miss Foxhill in Suddenly Last Summer, Miss Fabian in Illyria or What You Will, Cleopatra/Queen Anne/Puck in She Speaks! (all with Avant Bard Theatre), Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing (Prince George's Shakespeare in the Parks), Waitress in Brunch with the Boys (Capital Fringe), and understudying in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (Imagination Stage). On film, she can be seen as Danielle in A Brighter Tomorrow: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (WILL Interactive), Specs in S.P.I.E.S. and S.P.I.E.S. 2 (Imagination Stage/Leapfrog Productions), Ebony in the industrial Shine (ISA Group/Redmon Group Inc.), and the PSA “Open to All - Three Words” (76 Words/Movement Advancement Project). She has also made appearances in the cabaret circuit with LA TI DO Productions, Capital Pride’s Music in the Night, and her virtual cabaret An Evening with Miss Kitty (with Avant Bard Theatre). "Live in FIERCE ...not in fear." XoXoX #LiveInFIERCE Instagram: @misskittylelynx

Paige Rammelkamp - music director

(she/her) Paige is a music teacher, classically trained pianist, vocal arranger, and proud alumna of American University. During the day, she works as a collaborative pianist at Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and as an audition accompanist at theaters all around the DMV. Notable music direction credits include: Urinetown (Helen Hayes nominee - Best Music Direction), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Workhouse Arts Center), Working, Ichabod: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Creative Cauldron), Reefer Madness, First Date (NextStop Theatre Co.), The Bridges of Madison County (Red Branch Theatre Co.), Bonnie & Clyde (Monumental Theatre Co.), Squeakers & Mr. Gumdrop, The Adventures of Mr. Bear (Arts on the Horizon), and FINN (Workshop - Kennedy Center TYA) .

Ian Blackwell Rogers - The King

(he/him) Ian has performed with Brave Spirits Theatre, Baltimore Shakespeare Factory, Scena Theatre, Quotidian Theatre Company, Fells Point Corner Theatre, and more. You can see Ian in Unknown Penguin's 48 Hour Film Projects The Crown Must Go On and We Need Your Help to Save the Future. You can also hear him soon in Brave Spirits Theatre's Audio Histories Project, an audio version of Shakespeare's eight history plays. Look for him this fall in Baltimore in Sisters Freehold's We Killed JWB.

Jill Tighe - Narrator 11

(she/her, he/him, they/them) Jill has been an actor in the DMV for just over ten years. Past favorites include Kat in Tame at Avant Bard, Viola in Twelfth Night with Maryland-National Capital Park, and Planning Commission’s Shakespeare in the Park. Most recently, Jill joined Adventure Theatre during the Bethesda Urban Partnership’s Play-in-a-Day under the writing and direction of Patrick Flynn - with the squad taking home the award for Best Ensemble. Jill is proud to be a part of the team that produces and performs with Shakespeare in the Pub and grown folks can catch our shenanigans in Washington, DC.

Carl L. Williams - The Frog

(he/him/his) Credits: Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie Starring Indigo Blume (National Tour) (Mules Davis) Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus! The Musical! (National Tour) (Pigeon) Ordinary Days (Warren) Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds (National Tour) (Ziggy), The Color Purple (Harpo), In The Heights (Benny), Sister Act (Sweaty Eddie), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Mitch Mahoney) and Once On This Island (Papa Ge).