GEOFFREYBSHORT.COM
  • Home
  • About
  • MUSIC PRODUCTION
  • Theatre
    • Directing Credits
    • Violet >
      • Making a Musical
    • Dreamgirls
    • Some Enchanted Evening
    • Oklahoma
    • City of Angels
    • Assassins
    • Gypsy
    • Jesus Christ Superstar
    • Zombie Prom
    • Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
    • Gypsy 2
    • Marvin's Room
    • Annie Get Your Gun
    • Disney's The Little Mermaid
    • See Rock City
    • In the Heights
    • Jesus Christ Superstar-PPTOPA
    • West Side Story
    • The Wedding Singer
    • Something Rotten
    • Evita
  • Band
    • BAND RAVES
  • DJ
    • DJ RAVES
  • VIDEO /PHOTOS
    • STAGES
  • Writing Portfolio
  • CONTACT
Picture


Picture
Brecksville Theatre on the Square 
Brecksville, Ohio April-May, 2010
Music by Jule Styne, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a Book by Arthur Laurents

Directed by Geoff Short
Musical Direction by Georgiann Bodle
Choreography by Katie Kocik
Costumes by David Glowe

Starring
MONICA OLEJKO as Rose
ROB GIBB as Herbie
BRIDGET CHEBO as Louise
KATIE O'CONNOR as June
TIA KARAPLIS as Baby Louise
EMILY TABAR as Baby June
KIM BUSH as Tessie Tura
HEATHER HERSH as Mazeppa
JEANETTE LULI as Electra
SHANE SINISCALCHI as Tulsa
LUKE SCATTERGOOD as L.A.
DEBBIE LENARZ as Angie
NICK ROYAK as Yonkers
THERESA PEDONE as Marjorie May/Miss Cratchitt
BOB KENDERES as Pop/Goldstone/Cigar
MICHAEL PITT as Jocko/Weber/Kringlein/Pasty
JOEY STEFANKO as Young Tulsa
JORDAN STEFANKO as Young Yonkers
MEGHAN JOYCE as Young Angie
CAROLINA MANFREDI as Young Yonkers
and KATIE KOCIK
Picture
Picture
Monica Olejko as Rose

Picture
Geoff's production of Gypsy at BTOTS was featured in a full page newspaper story. The story used the production to focus on community theatre in general and the people who create it.
Picture
"Geoff Short's mama was mad.Geoff was a latchkey kid, on his own while his single mom went to work. And here he'd gone and done it again: He'd made their garage a shambles by turning it into a theater to stage a show he'd written, starring every kid in the community he could corral.

Here it is a few years later, and a 44-year-old Geoff Short is still rounding up kids in the community to be in shows."

- Cleveland Plain Dealer, Sunday April 25th, 2010


Picture
Sun News review of "Gypsy"

Picture
A video look behind the scenes of the Brecksville Theatre on the Square production of Gypsy.


Picture
Geoff's Director's Note:

I dedicate this production to my mother Linda Short.  Like so many strong and amazing women - including Mama Rose - she was a single mom raising two kids, my younger brother and me.  When I think of Rose, it’s not the image of her as the epitome of a manic stage mother who won’t let anything – including her daughters’ happiness – get in the way of her dream of fame and fortune that I think of. I’ve always identified with Gypsy as simply the story of an extraordinary single mom doing whatever she thinks is necessary for her and her kids to survive. Just like my mom.  And just like the extraordinary performer playing Rose in this production, Monica Olejko, the first and only person I wanted to play the part from the very beginning. It’s only now that I’m a parent of two daughters myself, that I can truly appreciate the fact that the sheer fear these incredible women - and so many others like them -  must have felt while wondering where the next meal was going to come from, was tempered only by the pride, determination and strength to overcome it.  It’s easy to judge an iconic character like Rose as being selfish and overbearing.  Indeed, it may be a vast understatement to say the real-life mother of Gypsy Rose Lee - Rose Thompson Hovick -  was, at times colorful, unusual and disturbing.  But no one can doubt the love she had for her kids and the lengths she would go to to protect them.  And no one who knows my family can doubt my mom has always been the same way.  And when she sees this production I hope she knows that there is no doubt that the feeling is mutual. 

This production wouldn’t be possible without the incredible work of our creative team – Music Director Georgiann Bodle, Choreographer Katie Kocik, Costumer David Glowe, Stage Manager Annmarie Steffes, Scenic Artist Michael Lenzo, Props Managers Mary Ann Hippsley and Judy Pekarik and the entire BTOTS team, Scott McPherson, Don Albainy, Hadden Hippsley, Michelle Albainy, Kim Bush and Pam Ciccarello.  Thank you.

I am in awe of the talent and dedication of this cast and crew.  Love and thanks to you all.  But most of all, love and thanks to my family Lisa (another incredible mom) and my kids Mikey and Bailey…and of course to Mom.  I love you.

- Geoff Short


Picture
Monica Olejko as Rose
Rob Gibb as Herbie
Bridget Chebo as Louise
Bridget Chebo as Louise
Katie O'Connor as June
Bridget Chebo (l) as Louise and Katie O'Connor as June
(l. to r.) Bridget Chebo as Louise, Monica Olejko as Rose and Katie O'Connor as June
Monica Olejko as Rose and Rob Gibb as Herbie
(l. to r.) Jeanette Luli as Electra, Kim Bush as Tessie Tura and Heather Hersh as Mazeppa
Shane Siniscalchi as Tulsa
(l. to r.) Jordan Lawhorn, Luke Scattergood, Debbie Lenarz and Shane Siniscalchi
Tia Karaplis (l) as Baby Louise and Emily Tabar as Baby June
Monica Olejko as Rose, Tia Karaplis as Baby Louise and Emily Tabar as Baby June
Tia Karaplis as Baby Louise
(l. to r.) Jordan Stefanko, Carolina Manfredi, Joey Stefanko and Meghan Joyce
Bob Kenderes (l) and Michael Pitt
Katie Kocik
Theresa Pedone

Set Concepts
"I am sort of a minimalist by nature when it comes to set design. I don't like literal rooms and walls or long, clunky set changes.  On a small stage like the one at BTOTS, they're impossible anyway.  I wanted to tie in the themes of burlesque and vaudeville into the set for Gypsy so I used the concept of dressing screens as the main set pieces. These oversized units were on casters and could be moved by the cast to form different rooms and walls quickly and smoothly while serving as a thematic reminder that this story is based on the memoirs of a famous burlesque artist.  I even inserted a brief scene at the beginning of the show where Gypsy was writing her memoirs and presenting her story in flashback." 
- Geoff Short
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Production Photos

Picture
Geoffrey Short
South Florida Entertainer
GeoffreyBShort.com
​©Copyright 2018 Geoffrey Short
  • Home
  • About
  • MUSIC PRODUCTION
  • Theatre
    • Directing Credits
    • Violet >
      • Making a Musical
    • Dreamgirls
    • Some Enchanted Evening
    • Oklahoma
    • City of Angels
    • Assassins
    • Gypsy
    • Jesus Christ Superstar
    • Zombie Prom
    • Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
    • Gypsy 2
    • Marvin's Room
    • Annie Get Your Gun
    • Disney's The Little Mermaid
    • See Rock City
    • In the Heights
    • Jesus Christ Superstar-PPTOPA
    • West Side Story
    • The Wedding Singer
    • Something Rotten
    • Evita
  • Band
    • BAND RAVES
  • DJ
    • DJ RAVES
  • VIDEO /PHOTOS
    • STAGES
  • Writing Portfolio
  • CONTACT