A Nutcracker Panto
Written by Edward F. Speck
Directed by Edward F. Speck and Joshua Shack
December 12 through December 22
At the Firehouse Center for the Arts
The Creative Team:
Edward F. Speck, Director and Playwright
EDWARD F. SPECK has served as the Artistic Director of Theater in the Open since 2009. He has been seen in TITO shows for the past 25 years, including Metamorphoses, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Medea, and Much Ado About Nothing, and every Panto the theater has produced. He is a proud member of Exit Dance Theatre.
Joshua Shack, Director
Joshua Shack has been directing for Theater in the Open since 2014. This production of A Nutcracker Panto is his 22nd collaboration with TitO.
Josh decided to become a clown when he was just three years old, and at age nine, he began performing his solo show at many local events. As a teenager, he toured for four summers with Circus Smirkus. He then toured nationally as a clown with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey.
He is a co-creator and performer of The Piccolini Trio and directed their critically acclaimed stage show Circus in a Trunk. Other directing credits include Out of Orbit at The Theater at Saint Peter’s in New York City; Nothing but Nonsense, a variety musical comedy at Circus World Museum in Baraboo, WI; and the Circus Smirkus 2024 Big Top Tour The Imaginarium. He served as Creative Consultant for Ragtag (Cirque Us) and The King Stag (Boston College), and Associate Director of Pagliacci (Opera Vermont.)
He lives in Vermont where he is a teaching artist-in-residence for Circus Smirkus, and General Manager of Ballet Wolcott.
The Cast:
Esmé Speck McFarland
Pulcinella
Esme Speck has been appearing in TITO pantos since she was in the womb. Previous TITO appearances: Through the Wardrobe: A Winter Wonderland Panto! (2022), A Cinderella Panto! (2023), A Christmas Carol Panto! (2024) and Maudslay is Haunted.
Juliette DePasqua
Fred/Prince
Juliette DePasqua (she/her/hers) is so excited to be back again for the winter panto! She recently performed as Corinna in Terizen: Children of the Holocaust (The Actors Studio), Le Beau in As You Like It (Theater in the Open) and Jack Kelley in Newsies (Nock Middle School). If she is not performing, you can find her at Joppa Dance rehearsals or watching Bluey. She sends lots of hugs and high fives out to the cast and crew, and many thanks to her parents and stinky brothers.
Nadia Toth
Maria/Fritz
Nadia Toth is delighted to be back for her fifth Panto. When she’s not acting or at a poetry slam, she is probably asleep. Many thanks to her family for blessing the world with her presence, and to everyone at TITO for everything she’s been a part of.
Edward Speck
Godfather Drosselmeyer
EDWARD F. SPECK has served as the Artistic Director of Theater in the Open since 2009. He has been seen in TITO shows for the past 25 years, including Lady Lindermere’s Fan, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Medea, Much Ado About Nothing, and every Panto the theater has produced. He is artist-in-residence at the Gatekeepers House with his wonderful family, and a proud member of Exit Dance Theatre.
Amelia de Veer
Clara
Amelia de Veer has been attending Summer Workshop at TITO for nine years, and this is her first Panto. Amelia's first love is dance and has been dancing ballet for nine years and dancing with the Joppa Dance Company for four years. Amelia is very excited to bring these two interests together this year.
Vanessa Rossi
Wind-Up Ballerina
Vanessa Rossi has been working with Theater in the Open since 2015; other appearances include the Firehouse production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (2019). As a vocalist, Vanessa spent many years performing as a solo musician. She is currently Director of Creative at Berklee College of Music.
Previous TITO appearances: Jack and the Beanstalk (2018), Snow White: Through the Looking Glass (2017), A Nutcracker Panto (2021), Through the Wardrobe: A Winter Wonderland Panto! (2022), Cinderella (2023), and A Christmas Carol (2024).
Sierra Gitlin
Queen Mouserinks
Sierra Gitlin has been working with Theater in the Open as an actor since 2017, performing in Antigone, The Tempest, Metamorphoses, and POE. She has appeared as Medea and in several pantos. A former member of the Board of Directors of Theater in the Open, Sierra is passionate about the community-building power of storytelling and the arts.
Previous TITO appearances: Antigone (2017), Medea (2018), A Cinderella Panto! (2018 & 2023), The Tempest (2019), A Christmas Carol Panto (2019), A Peter Pan Panto (2019), Metamorphoses (2021), A Nutcracker Panto! (2021), and Through the Wardrobe: A Winter Wonderland Panto! (2022)
Amanda Ludeking
Cilly
Amanda Ludeking has been involved with TITO for over twenty years! She began as a student at the Summer Arts Workshop in 2002, taking the performance class and playing the Narrator in A Series of Unfortunate Events. Since then, she has adored TITO, spending many summers either as a student, counselor in training, or teacher. She graduated with an M.A. in Drama Therapy from Lesley University in May 2022 and now works at Boston Children’s Hospital as a healthcare clown with Laughter League. When not being a big old goof, she spends her time with her two cats, Buster and Dusty, her dog Brody, and her partner, Sebastian.
Adrianna Neefus
Mouse
Adrianna is delighted to be back with TITO for, what has quickly becoming her favorite holiday tradition, the holiday panto! Past TITO performances include "Pinkies Up," a part of Maudslay is Haunted, Parker in Lady Windermere's Fan, Ruby, Beaver, and Mouse #2 in Pantos 2023, 2022, and 2021. You can also catch her performing at renaissance fairs across New England in her comedy slapstick show, "Off the Mark," and ASL interpreting theater in Boston! Merry ChrismaChanuKwanzica everyone!
Anika Weliczka
Mouse
Anika Weliczka is excited to join her third Panto with Theater in the Open. Though this is her third time appearing in the Panto, she is not new to Theater in the Open. She has been involved with TITO since she was eight years old, growing from being a student to a counselor. This will be around her 25th production and she is so grateful for each and every one of them, helping her grow into the actress she aspires to be. She would like to thank this incredible cast and crew, some of which she has grown up with and is always in awe of. Happy Holidays!
Gail Box
Mouse
Gail Box is so happy you came to see this today! This is only her second Tito Panto, but she has been enjoying them for years. She has done summer workshops at Tito, performances at Acting Out, at the Leddy Center when she was younger, and school plays. She thanks her family and friends for supporting her. Gail hopes you enjoy this year’s A Nutcracker Panto!
Nora Baker
Mouse
Nora Baker made their TITO debut in Cinderella in 2023. She has been a student with Theater in the Open for over 5 years.
Fig Haseltine
Mouse
Fig Haseltine has been with Theater In The Open for over a decade now. This will be her second Panto performance with Theater In The Open. Fig enjoys working during the summer to create a positive and fun environment for kids of all ages. She is working to create a bigger impact on the world while doing what she loves best which is acting.
Vivien Sturm
Mouse
Vivien Sturm is thrilled for her first performance in TITO’s Nutcracker Panto. Viv has been a part of Theater in the Open’s summer program for many years and has enjoyed being a part of Maudslay is Haunted as well. She recently performed as Gretchen in TMS’s production of Mean Girls. She has performed in NECC Music production of A Christmas Carol , NSMT’s Beauty and the Beast and numerous musicals with Port Players. She would like to thank TiTo for this opportunity and wish everyone a happy holiday season.
River Wynne
Tin Soldier
River Wynne’s Previous TITO appearances: A Christmas Carol Panto (2024), A Nutcracker Panto! (2021), Through the Wardrobe: A Winter Wonderland Panto! (2022), and Maudslay is Haunted
River recently participated in his school’s production of the Addams Family Musical. Aside from acting he also enjoys playing the flute in his school’s band.
Artie Craig
Tin Soldier
Artie Craig first started theater two years ago and loved it ever since! He was recently the Porter in his school’s production of Macbeth and had been in shows such as Les MIs, Clue, and the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Artie enjoys singing and improv.
Nathan Lagueux
Tin Soldier
Nathan Lagueux (he/him) made his debut in last year’s Theater in the Open Panto, but has done many shows outside of Theater in the Open, including Legally Blonde, the Wizard of Oz, Aladdin.. He enjoys volunteering at Theater in the Open in the summer, and juggling.
Dru Pitman
Tin Soldier
Dru Pitman (he/him) is very excited to join us for his first panto! A long time Theater in The Open summer arts workshop attendee, he fell in love with the theater at a young age. He’s been in numerous school productions, Appropriate Audience Behavior, The Pack, and Radium Girls. His sisters have been in several pantos, so he’s hoping he can live up to their legacy and not be horrifically embarrassed by them in the process.
