From May 7th-10th 2008, The Cotsen Center for Puppetry and the Arts and CalArts School of Theater presented a full workshop of Growing Up Linda in Valencia, California,

Growing Up Linda was an ensemble actor-puppetry performance in which a woman who believes she’s the daughter of a famous ice cream mogul must come to terms with her troubled past.
PERFORMANCES

Ensemble Theater 2
California Institute of the Arts
24700 McBean Parkway
Valencia, California 91355
Wednesday May 7th, 2008
at 8:00PM
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
at 8:00PM
Friday, May 9th, 2008
at 8:00PM
Saturday May 10th, 2008
at 2:00PM
Saturday May 10th, 2008
at 8:00PM

This was the first time Growing Up Linda was performed in it’s entirety. There were 5 performances over the course of 4 days with two casts. The run time was about 80 minutes.
At the time, I was in my 2nd year as an MFA student in puppetry and scenic design. For this iteration, I stepped out of performing to direct and to focus on writing edits, self-producing, and leading the overall design team in preparation for the Edinburgh run.
DEDICATION
Performances were dedicated to the memory of actor, Jackie Kay Knox (1976-2006), who had been slated to reprise the title role at both CalArts and then Edinburgh.


Growing Up Linda
written by
Marsian De Lellis and P.J. McWhiskers
with additional material by Joel Egger
Directed by Marsian De Lellis
Cast
Alanna Blair
Joel Egger
Brett Waldon
Steven Wendt
DanRae Wilson
Scenic Design
Juliana de Abreau
Costume Design
Rachel Weir
Lighting Design
Brandon Stirling Baker
Sound Design
E M Giminez
Video Design
Roz Fulton
Technical Director
Jeff Arbuckle
Properties
Merrianne Nedreberg
Pop-Ups
EuGean Seo
Inflatables
Marissa Parr
Scenic Artists
Lydia Carson
JessieAnna Wilton
Stage Manager
Melissa Jean Cooper
Production Manager
Emily Orcutt-Clenard
Producer
Ian Garrett
Graphic Design
Anne Coté
Assistant Scenic Design
Jamus Grosdidier
Assistant Costume Design
Ariel Boroff

Enter the off-kilter world of Linda Carvel, fictitious daughter of the famed New York ice cream mogul. Add a heavy dollop of puppet tragicomedy, a sprinkle of kitsch-surrealism and the result is more than the recommended daily allowance of weird. Mature audiences.

SCENE OUTLINE
Act I.
Recipe for Disaster
Scene 1
The Enchanted Forest
Scene 2
The Hall of Pictures
Scene 3
Birthday Trauma

Act II.
Chocolate
Scene 4
Thirteen Years Later
Scene 5
LSD Kills
Scene 6
Fudgie The Whale
and the Brown Sea

ACT III:
Food For Thought,
Tripping Down Memory Lane
Scene 7
…Meanwhile At The Detox
Scene 8
She Shares –
A Food-O-Louge
Scene 9
She Overshares –
Little Linda Snack Treats
Scene 10
Fudgie’s Death
Scene 11
The Parade
ACT IV:
Fame
Scene 11
The Sanitarium
Scene 12
How Linda Lost Her Sweet Tooth
Scene 13
Back To The Hall of Pictures

Contributions
CalArts Office of the President,
CalArts Provost
Calarts Interdisciplinary Grant Committee
Cotsen Center for Puppetry and the Arts
Puppet Slam Network
UNIMA-USA
Atlantic Center for the Arts
Calarts School of Theater
CalArts Ahmason Grant Committee
Lynn Jeffries
JR Lighting

Assistance
Rosalie Alvarez
Lianne Arnold
Matty Baratto
Dan Barsky
Erin Brewster
Nikita Bleeker
Stephen James
Toussaint Jeanlouis
Kacey Kvanne
Sarah Ibrahim
Carla Linton
Kate-Eloise Mallor
Curtis Mueller
Sarah Sowel
Hunter Wells
Previous Casts
Alan Calpe
Peter Deffet
Vanessa Gilbert
David Hanbury
Heather Henson
Jackie Kay Knoxx
Jeff Nosach
Anton Ray
Katie Shook
Jen Swain
Anne Yatco
2007-2008 Performing Objects Lab
Mentorship
Janie Geiser
Susan Simpson
Jon Gottlieb
Paul Zaloom
Lynn Jeffries
Chris Barreca
The Scene Shop
Leslie Tamaribuchi
Carol Bixler
Michael Smith
Steve Lavine
Jermiah Theis
Jacqueline Reid
Jason Thompson
Ben White
Christy Willits
Stephanie Young
Nancy Lupo
Michael Darling
Barb Edwards
Kevin Goold
Don Holder
Mirjana Jokovic


Foreign Travel Fund

Associate Artist Funding