Program - The Convent

Hilarious, brilliant, and provocative. At sea in their lives, five modern women seek answers at a spiritual retreat in a medieval convent. Run by an impassioned, mysterious leader, the regimented retreat takes a left turn when a sexy, dissatisfied alumna returns for another go-round. Summit's production is directed by Artistic Director Lauren Briggeman.

NOTE: The show will run approximately 105 minutes with no intermission. Herbal cigarettes will be smoked onstage during the show.

THE CONVENT was produced by Rising Phoenix Repertory and Weathervane Productions, in association with Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in New York, New York from January to February 2019.

CAST

Bertie

Chynna Fry

Tina

Shawnté P. Gaston

Wilma

Miki Mathioudakis

Mother Abbess

Jolene Mentink Moffatt*

Patti

Dekyi Rongé

Dimlin

Carrie Ann Schlatter

Jill

Maria Argentina Souza*

*Appearing through an Agreement between Summit Performance Indianapolis and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Chynna Fry (Bertie) is excited to make her debut with Summit Performance Indianapolis. She previously appeared in One Man, Two Guvnors at the Phoenix Theatre, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Bard Fest. She recently returned to Indianapolis after five years working as an actor in Los Angeles, where she performed with her improv team at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade theatre.

Shawnté P. Gaston (Tina) is a proud company member for the Indianapolis Shakespeare Company, where she was recently seen in Ricky III, Comedy of Errors, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Some of her favorite shows she’s been in include Rent, As You Like It, Yas Twain, A Very Phoenix Xmas: Merry Superstitious, A Madwoman’s Late-Nite Cabaret, To Kill A Mockingbird, and Lysistrata. She can also be seen performing with the Sapphire Theatre Company and in classrooms as a teaching artist for several theatre companies. Shawnté is a graduate of the University of Southern Indiana.

Miki Mathioudakis (Wilma) is thrilled to be playing with this fabulous ensemble of strong and searching women! A retired and now very part time chaplain at OI, miki’s spiritual journey intersects with aspects of Sr. Wilma! Hildegard de Bingen was the mystic she chose to study and write about as a student at CTS. Post pandemic, Miki has appeared in Jan White’s play What is this Place?, Women’s Work a Betty Rage production for INDYFRINGE, and Lysistrata at Bardfest. Next... the Predictor for American Lives Theatre. Thank you for coming!

Jolene Mentink Moffatt* (Mother Abbess) is thrilled to return to The Convent with Summit after having been a part of the staged reading last summer. Other credits include Bakersfield Mist, Hotel Nepenthe, Static, Acid Dolphin Experiment, Typhoid Mary, The Book of Merman, One Man Two Guv’nors, Rancho Mirage, Spring Awakening, and Zippers of Zoomerville at Phoenix Theatre. Other acting credits include work at IRT, Jewish Theatre of Bloomington, ShadowApe Theatre Company, DivaFest, and iNDYfRINGE. Jolene also teaches the 2-year intensive Meisner Acting Technique for Phoenix Theatre.

Dekyi Rongé (Patti) is delighted to join Summit Performance Indianapolis this season. Selected production credits - Theatre: Birds of North America (Urbanite Theatre), Wife of a Salesman (Writers Theatre), Birds of North America (Third Avenue Playworks), The Tempest, A Christmas Carol (A Noise Within), Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo and Juliet (Pacific Repertory Theater), Antony and Cleopatra (Kingsmen Shakespeare Company), Macbeth (San Francisco Shakespeare Festival), Swimmers, Richard III, Mrs. Phu’s Cleansing Juices, The House of Bernarda Alba, Satyagraha: Gandhi/King (The Theatre School at DePaul) The Stinky Cheese Man, Into America (Griffin Theatre Company), Television - “Chicago Med,” Education - MFA, The Theatre School at DePaul/BA, UC Berkeley. Dekyi is represented by Gray Talent Group.

Carrie Ann Schlatter (Dimlin) is very excited to be working with Summit Performance Indianapolis again. You may have seen her previous work for them as Henrietta in Silent Sky, Bari in Be Here Now or last summer, as Marie in their staged reading of This Wide Night. She appeared most recently in the one-woman show Natural Shocks for Southbank Theatre Company.

Maria Argentina Souza* (Jill) is delighted to join this incredible ensemble in her first Summit production. Off-Broadway credits include: Miranda in The Tempest, Mel in Does This Woman Have a Name, and Woman in HAK. Recent Regional credits: IRT’s A Christmas Carol, June (Alabaster), Jordan Baker (The Great Gatsby), Juliet (Romeo and Juliet), Lucinda (The History of Cardenio), Lily Booker (Current Economic Conditions: A Comedy), Antigone (The Theban Plays). Maria received her MFA from the Actors Studio Drama School. A special thank you to those who make sure the light doesn’t go out. Thank you for supporting the arts!

PRODUCTION TEAM

Director

Lauren Briggeman

Associate Director

Lori Wolter Hudson

Stage Manager

Erin Robson-Smith*

Scenic Design

Mara Ishihara Zinky

Costume Design

Brittany Kugler

Lighting Design

Laura E. Glover

Sound Design & Composition

Caitlin Cafiero

Props Design

Molly Dykstra

Intimacy Direction

Claire Wilcher

Assitant Stage Manager

Maryssa Small

COVID-19 Safety Manager

Jackie Mahon

Set Construction

Sapphire Theatre Co.

Master Electrician

Tim Dick

Understudies

Nathalie Cruz, Morgan Morton

Lauren Briggeman (Director) is the Founding Artistic Director of Summit Performance Indianapolis and a local professional actor, director, and writer. Acting credits include Alabaster, The Agitators, and Cry It Out (Phoenix Theatre); To Kill a Mockingbird and Finding Home (Indiana Repertory Theatre), and As You Like It, Taming of the Shrew and Othello (Indianapolis Shakespeare Company). Previous directing credits include Mary Jane, and several original one-act plays (Summit Performance Indianapolis). In 2019 Lauren was named one of the Indianapolis Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” and was recently named one of Indy Maven’s “Women to Watch in 2023.” Lauren is so grateful to have worked with this amazing group of artists and hopes you enjoy your time at The Convent! She would like to thank Isaiah and her wife Sally for their support, flexibility and love.

Erin Robson-Smith* (Stage Manager) Since moving to Indianapolis in 2013, Erin has had the pleasure of working with many talented creators and is delighted to add Summit into the mix! Favorite productions include: A Christmas Carol and Pipeline at IRT; Lovebird and The Hotel Nepenthe at the Phoenix Theatre; Sometimes a Great Notion and Frost/Nixon at Portland Center Stage; and Metamorphoses and Humble Boy at Artists Repertory Theatre. Erin spent the summers of 2008 and 2009 working with the JAW Festival at Portland Center Stage. For Hazel, Bea and Edith.

Maryssa Small (Assistant Stage Manager) is a theatre artist based in Indianapolis, Indiana. This is her first experience working with Summit Performance. Maryssa’s technical credits include The Lifespan of a Fact with American Lives Theatre, Apples in Winter and Winston’s Big Day with Phoenix Theatre, Uncle Vanya with Character House, and In the Next Room with University of Indianapolis. She extends deep love and gratitude to the hardworking, inspiring artists who contributed to this production.

Mara Ishihara Zinky (Scenic Design) is a Chicago-based scenic designer, and is thrilled to be here with Summit. Her most recent shows include Last Hermanos at A Red Orchid Theatre, Threepenny Opera at Theo, and Routes at Remy Bumppo Theatre. After graduating from The Theatre School at DePaul University, she was the 2017-2018 properties fellow at The Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Her work as a props artisan can also be seen onstage at The Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, and Steppenwolf.

Caitlin Cafiero (Sound Design) is a sound designer and accessibility consultant (and grad student, and educator, and cat mom, and…) Previous designs: All of Me (assistant; world premiere); Gloria; Mary Jane; Silent Sky; In the Next Room. Previous accessibility consulting and professional development: Summit Performance Indy; American Lives Theatre; Barrington Stage Company. They are a graduate of Earlham College and a current student at Syracuse University. Caitlin is excited to work on a show that lets her explore medieval liturgical music and Madonna with equal fervor! Thanks to Summit for the opportunity!

Laura E. Glover (Lighting Design) is the Resident Lighting Designer for Dance Kaleidoscope and a company member of the Indianapolis Shakespeare Company. She is honored to have designed Silent Sky, Mary Jane, Be Here Now, and Skeleton Crew for Summit Performance Indianapolis. Ms. Glover also has also designed lighting for the Phoenix Theatre, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Indiana Repertory Theatre and Butler University. She is a Creative Renewal Arts Fellow with the Arts Council of Indianapolis and holds an M.F.A. in Lighting Design from SUNY Purchase, where she studied with Brian MacDevitt and William Mintzer.

Brittany Kugler (Costume Design) is a costume designer/stitcher and social practice artist based in Indianapolis, Indiana. In Indiana, she has designed costumes for Cardinal Stage, Indianapolis Shakespeare Company, The Phoenix, Fonseca Theatre Company, Storefront Theatre of Indianapolis, Marian University, and Cathedral High School. She is pleased to be designing her second show with Summit! brittanykugler.com.

Molly Dykstra (Props Design) is an Indianapolis based artist with experience in filmmaking, visual arts and theatre. She last worked with Summit designing props for Skeleton Crew. She has credits working as a props designer, on the art design team, managing, writing and acting. In addition, she creates visual art and enjoys community projects. Ms. Dykstra is happy to wear a variety of hats and bring her diversity of talent to projects which inspire her. For more information, feel free to visit her at mollydykstra.com.

Claire Wilcher (Intimacy Direction) is happy to be back home in Indianapolis after earning her Master of Fine Arts in Theatre from Michigan State University in 2021, where she specialized in acting, pedagogy, and intimacy direction. Claire is a trained professional intimacy director/choreographer with IDC Professionals, where she also works as a teaching artist alongside the industry’s leading educators and practitioners, advocating for consent-based theatre spaces, bodily autonomy for actors, and safe-yet-creative storytelling. Her intimacy choreography has been seen on the stages of the IRT, Phoenix Cultural Center, Summit Performance, Marian University, Williamston Theatre in Michigan, Three Brothers Theatre in Waukegan, and Redtwist Theatre in Chicago, among others. More at clairewilcher.com.