Michael John LaChiusa’s First Daughter Suite is described as a “historical fantasia” which explores the lives of the mothers and daughters of some of the most complicated and tumultuous presidencies of the late twentieth century.
LaChiusa’s words and music create a portrait of these historical figures as complicated, impolite, and flawed. The audience has a front row seat to LaChiusa’s imagined inner lives of these women and girls.
First Daughter Suite allows us to visit these characters’ dreams and nightmares. We witness the embodiment of what haunts them, and are swept up in the undercurrent of what appears to be the perfect wife, mother, and daughter.
Many of the characters are loosely connected by their “mother hunger,” a term coined by Kelly McDaniel. These daughters look to their mothers for guidance, and we can empathize with the outsized difficulty of the task of mothering under global scrutiny.
As they all lived in a pre-social media world, we don’t have an Instagram feed of perfectly curated images depicting how they wanted to be captured, their fleeting thoughts on Threads, or their fun TikTok dances or skits on vacation.
Instead, we are left with snapshots from the media, print publications, news interviews, and for some, more bold memoirs.
But once a paper doll comes to life, what will it do with its own free will?
By exploring their inner lives, we are confronted with the beauty and harrowing ugliness of their humanity. Little girls can be heroic and emulate the violence they hear about on the news. Wives can be their husband’s biggest cheerleaders and be completely unraveled by their actions. Mothers can be disappointed in their children and be complete failures to their children, leaving permanent emotional and physical scars.
When I began preparing to direct this production, my first read of the libretto left me appalled by the problematic ignorance and prejudice displayed by these characters. They wield their limited power carelessly and are Icarus-like in their desire to break out of the roles crafted by late twentieth-century society.
The women of these times understood that speaking their minds and participating in the political process could risk how their femininity was viewed by others. The goal was to be protected by these men who were voted to lead. And yet these presidents have fallen short, and the women are left to pick up the pieces or go down with the ship.
First Daughter Suite forces the audience to forgo propriety and take on the risky etiquette of talking politics in mixed company. My vision for the production is not only for these girls to be seen but also heard.
We often go to the theatre hoping for a bit of escape, to capture a heightened sense of living, emotion, and beauty. LaChiusa’s text demands that we see and hear the ugliness in equal measure.
In particular woman and girls are often silenced. I hope we can listen even if what they have to say isn’t what we want to hear.
And yet I hope we are willing to listen. We are allowed to reject their thoughts and opinions and criticize them. We are allowed to be offended by the views of these women and girls, but I believe there is power in listening, especially to the things we don’t want to hear.
Part of my story growing up and growing older is the heartbreaking experience of discovering the inner perspective of people I felt I was in alignment with, look up to or was rooting for, only to learn that I vehemently disagree with them or they don’t respect me because of my race, class, or gender.
My vision for this show was to confront the cracked porcelain of these characters. My goal was not to leave them broken or try to hide their flaws, but to present them like the art of kintsugi. Repairing pottery with this Japanese technique highlights its fissures with lacquer in gold, silver, or platinum; the cracks are not hidden but now visible.
In these turbulent times, I hope that we can challenge ourselves to resist turning away from one another when cracks are revealed, but turn towards one another and bear with one another in love. And be radical with our gentleness toward one another.
During our rehearsal process, we all woke up on a Saturday morning to find that we were once again at war with Iran. This news was deeply unsettling and immediately changed our perspective. Conflict with Iran is mentioned in the libretto many times, and now has a connection to our present circumstances.
Now that the horrors of war are present with us, we decided to present Amy’s dream (which turns nightmarish) with more whimsy and surprise.
As a person born in the 1980s, I’ve only known Barbara Bush as the “granite granny”. I was fascinated to see photos of her life during her youth and during the time when her daughter Robin was alive. It made me become curious about if Barbara, like me, as I get older continue to see myself as the way I feel and not always as I present. I decided to present Barbara as she looked during her days with her daughter Robin, instead of how she looked in 2003, as the show explores the day she spends time remembering the daughter she lost.
As a Director, I’ve enjoyed the challenge of wrestling with, listening to, and trying to empathize with these characters. To reveal their desires and present them as three-dimensional. My artistic mission in all my work is to reexamine embedded ideas. My goal is to ignite reconsideration and new understanding.
The most wonderful part of this experience is working with these talented performers. LaChiusa’s composition is technically difficult, not only in the subject matter but also in the musical structure. It’s been wonderful to see the cast grow in their artistry through the process. They were eager, curious, and willing to push themselves from day one of this rehearsal process.
I appreciate the difficult conversations with the cast, production team, and our dramaturg as we worked through the complicated nature of the material. It’s been a joy to listen to one another and work through it together with compassion, urgency, and thoughtfulness.
I am so proud of the work of the incredible students, and my fellow faculty and staff in our production of First Daughter Suite.
-Alexandra Joye Warren
Assistant Professor of Performing Arts
Director of First Daughter Suite
Bios
Alexandra Joye Warren
Haidee Dollak
Kayla Higbee
Jessica Hightower
Suzanne Polak
Michael Smith
Cassidy May Benullo
Emmalynn Bruce
Treasure Capers
Lainey Gaston
Sabetha Hersini
Maddie Hewgley
Tinkie Jones
Allie Joseph
Ana Sofía Hernández López
Victoria Martinez
Leilani Miranda
Samantha Probst
Addy Reese
Sierra Safran
Grace Santo
Jordyn Sutton
Lauren Trethaway
Mia Basulto
Mitchell Brown
Elliot Choate
Sadie Gompf
Gracie Guess
Juliette-Elise Hill
JT Loveless
Alex McLemore
JonAshton Reid
Jakob Robinson
Yaira Spears
Owen Tesch
Alexandra Joye Warren
Alexandra Joye Warren is a Director/Choreographer, an Assistant Professor at Elon University’s Music Theatre Program, and the Founding Artistic Director of JOYEMOVEMENT.
Alexandra is the 2025 recipient of the Jan Van Dyke Legacy Award, which honors an individual who makes NC a great place to dance.
Alexandra’s choreographic work has been commissioned by and/or presented at the Microsoft Corporation, American Dance Festival, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, and beyond.
She is a contributing author of Dance in Musical Theatre: A History of the Body in Movement, edited by Phoebe Rumsey and Dustyn Martincich, published by Methuen Drama.
She has completed post-graduate study and training at the Uprooted Jazz Dance Educators Workshop, the Summer Directing Intensive at Yale University, and at L’Ecole De Sables in Toubab Dialaw, Senegal.
She is a graduate of Spelman College (BA) and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (MFA).
Haidee Dollak grew up in a home surrounded by classical music. Her formative years were spent practicing Clementi sonatinas while her peers developed social skills. She went on to get a degree in choral music education from UNC-Greensboro, and then, to her mother’s horror, she started playing show tunes. She has been an accompanist for Elon University since 2001, playing for musicals, voice lessons, and classes. She has accompanied singers in masterclasses with Adam Guettel, Jason Robert Brown, Andrew Lippa, Andréa Burns, Quentin Darrington, Julia Murney, Norm Lewis, and Kristin Chenoweth, among others.
Kayla Higbee
Kayla Higbee (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in Theatrical Design and Technology. She has a BA in English from Centre College and an MFA in Production Design & Technology from Ohio University. Professionally, she has worked with Berkshire Theatre Group as wardrobe supervisor and Texas Shakespeare Festival as assistant costume designer. She was also resident costume designer and costume shop supervisor at Centre College for four years. At Elon, she is part of the Performing Arts Inclusivity Committee and serves as an Elon College Fellows mentor for multiple disciplines in Theatrical Design & Technology.
Jessica Hightower
Jessica Lynn Hightower has worked as a scenic designer & scenic fabricator in various venues across the U.S.. Recent designs include Little Women, The Seagull, and People, Places & Things. She has received two Kennedy Center national awards for her projection design work on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, a national award for the ASTC-USITT Venue Renovation Challenge, and multiple regional awards in both scenic and media design from Southwest USITT, USITT Ohio-Valley, and KCACTF Region 6. Jessica received her MFA in Scenic Design from The Ohio State University. Visit her website, jessicalynndesigns.com.
Suzanne Polak
Suzanne U. Polak is a versatile and genre-defying artist whose career spans concert halls, ballet stages, and theatrical productions. Polak has performed with many including Pittsburgh Symphony, Carolina Ballet, North Carolina Symphony, and Charlotte Symphony. An advocate for ensemble work, she serves on adjunct faculty at Elon University and staff at UNC Greensboro, and she accompanies the North Carolina Master Chorale. As a composer, she has received numerous commissions, featured in festivals, theatre productions, and recordings. She holds a Doctorate from UNC Greensboro and currently resides in North Carolina, where she continues to inspire through performance, teaching, and composition.
Michael Smith
Michael is an Associate Professor in the Theatrical Design and Technology program at Elon University. Michael has been designing in theatre for over 20 years, designing in professional, academic, regional and community theatre across the county. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and being in the outdoors.
Cassidy May Benullo
Cassidy May Benullo is a junior Music Theatre Major from Los Angeles. Some of her favorite roles include Sonya in Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812 at Elon University and Kira in Xanadu at the Red Barn Summer Theatre. Cassidy has done voiceovers for Disney and Cartoon Network, with credits including Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, Peanuts, Whisker Haven Tales with the Palace Pets, and The Mandalorian and Grogu. She has also done commercial VO work for Burger King, Xfinity Mobile, and Sea World. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Emmalynn Bruce
Emmalynn Bruce is thrilled to be part of First Daughter Suite. She loves exploring deep, complex topics through this piece and is so grateful to do so alongside such an amazing company. Endless thanks to her family and friends for their constant sacrifices and support. THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP – LOVE YOU GUYS! Psalm 37:4. @emmalynn.bruce
Treasure Capers
Treasure Capers is a first-year BFA Musical Theatre student at Elon University. Her performance credits include Once On This Island (2024), Memphis: The Musical (2024), A Chorus Line (2023), Bring It On (2023), Once Upon a Time (2022), Sweeney Todd (2021), and SpongeBob the Musical (Sandy, understudy, 2025). Currently, she is the Understudy for Amy Carter in First Daughter Suite. She, later, will appear in Bring It On at a summer stock theatre in Summer 2026. Treasure gives all glory to God and endless gratitude to her father, whose support made it all possible.
Lainey Gaston
Lainey Gaston is a First Year Music Theater major from Concord, North Carolina. You may have seen her at the 2024 Jimmy Awards for her role as the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Lainey has been given the honor of winning many awards including the Blumey and Maestro Awards. She is very excited to be making her Elon debut as an understudy for this show! She would like to thank God, her parents, Dr. Corey and Laura Gaston and the full creative team for First Daughter Suite. Enjoy the show! Instagram: @lainery_06
Sabetha Hersini
Sabetha Hersini is a junior Music Theatre major from Ithaca, NY. Past Elon credits include RENT (Mark’s Mom & Others, Maureen u/s), Legally Blonde (Ensemble), and Renegade’s The Drowsy Chaperone (Kitty). She is a three year member of Elon’s A Capella group The Shirley Tempos. Sabetha is very grateful to be a part of First Daughter Suite with this powerful and beautiful cast of women. It has been a joy to work on this show. Shoutout to her tempo girls! So much love for them. Endless thanks to her friends and family for their love and support in her passions. @sabethahersini
Maddie Hewgley
Maddie Hewgley is so excited and humbled to be taking her final bow at Elon! Her past Elon credits include Bebe (A Chorus Line), Swing (…Great Comet…), Ensemble (An American in Paris), and Assistant Choreographer (RENT.) She would like to thank Professor Warren, Suzanne, and Haidee for their incredible leadership throughout this process, and a special thank you to her family and MT ’26 for endless love and support.
Tinkie Jones
Tinkie Jones is a junior Music Theatre major from Atlanta, Georgia. She has previously been in Love and Information, Merrily We Roll Along, Legally Blonde, and Myths & Hymns. She owes her support system the world- shout out Mom, Dad, Ains, Henry, and all the rest. Enjoy the show!
Allie Joseph
Allie is a first-year Music Theatre major born & raised in Charlotte, NC, and this is her first Elon MainStage production! Favorite past credits credits include Miss Adelaide (Guys & Dolls), Hope Harcourt (Anything Goes), Brooke Wyndham (Legally Blonde), Ursula (Sweet Charity), and Fritzie (Cabaret). She would like to thank her family for always supporting her and for helping make her Elon dreams become reality!
Ana Sofía Hernández López
Ana Sofía Hernández López is a sophomore Elon Music Theatre international student, originally from Querétaro, Mexico. Some of her past performances include: An American in Paris at Elon (Ensemble), Vanessa (In The Heights), Ensemble, u/s Rosie/Pepper (Mamma Mia!) and Dorothy (The Wizard of Oz). She also served as the Dance Captain for the Musical Theater company: “Tecnológico de Monterrey, campus Querétaro” in México. Ana is so grateful to be here at Elon!
Victoria Martinez
Victoria Martinez is a sophomore Music Theatre major at Elon University. She is a 2024 Jimmy Awards semifinalist for her role as Penelope Pennywise in Urinetown. She also joined NHFA’s “Artist in Residence” program in 2024, where she performed at the White House in Washington, D.C. She is so excited to finally be making her Elon debut in First Daughter Suite. She is proud to be from the Rio Grande Valley, Texas, and wants to thank her Mom, Dad, her sister Sam, and Grandma for all their support.
Leilani Miranda
Leilani Miranda is a sophomore double majoring in Music Theatre and Arts Administration with a minor is Business Administration. She is thrilled to be in the cast of First Daughter Suite. Favorite credits include: Mopsa in Head Over Heels (Forestburgh Playhouse), Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family (Herberger Theatre Center), Marty in Grease (Shadow Ridge Theatre). She would like to thank her family for giving her the support and motivation to pursue her dreams, I love you all. “Si puedes soñarlo, puedes lograrlo” @leilani.mirandaa
Samantha Probst
Samantha is so grateful to have been a part of First Daughter Suite alongside her talented friends! As a first-year student and Vocal Scholar, she is also a member of Shirley Tempos A Cappella and Elon’s Student Government. This summer she’ll be competing in the NATS vocal competition final round, thanks to her coach, Dr. Polly. She has recently played Anna in Frozen, Rusty in Footloose, and was awarded “best leading actor in a female dramatic role” at the JRay awards for her performance as Alice Murphy in Bright Star! Sam would like to thank her family and teachers!
Addy Reese
Addy is a sophomore Music Theatre major from Tampa, Florida! She was previously seen dancing in the ensemble of An American in Paris last Fall, and in Merrily We Roll Along last Spring as Beth Spencer. Addy is so excited to be part of her second Grand Night, and she would like to thank her family and her incredible classmates for all their love and support. Enjoy the show!
Sierra Safran
Sierra is honored to be apart of this really cool show! She is a junior and is so happy to be at Elon. Last fall she was a swing for An American in Paris and last year she was in the ensemble of The Great Comet. Other favorite shows include The Light in the Piazza (Clara) and Spring Awakening (Wendla). All the love to her Haus of Bob girls and all her lovely friends. Infinite thanks to the creative team, cast, JCV, her family, and to you for coming to the show!
Grace Santo
Grace Santo is a freshman in the Musical Theatre department at Elon University! She is originally from Virginia Beach, VA, but has just relocated to Huntsville, AL. Some recent credits include SIX (Katherine Howard), Footloose (Rusty), and Something Rotten (Portia) at The Governor’s School For The Arts in Norfolk, VA. Grace is so excited to make her Main Stage debut at Elon! She is so grateful for all the support from her cast mates and professors. Please enjoy the show!
Jordyn Sutton
Jordyn is so excited to be in another show at Elon! Past performances include An American in Paris (swing), and Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (ensemble/ Sonya US). She thanks all of her professors, friends, and family for their support!
Lauren Trethaway
Lauren is a junior BFA Music Theatre student from Westford, Massachusetts. Prior Elon productions include Merrily We Roll Along, Legally Blonde the Musical, and As You Like It. She is so grateful. She could not have done it without the support of her family and friends. Enjoy the show.
Mia Basulto
Mia Basulto is an Acting BFA student and an English double major! At Elon, Mia has participated in the 24 Hour Play Festival three times as a writer, and been apart of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, The Grapes of Wrath, and Love & Information as an actor. She thanks her mom, her dad, and her teachers for always supporting her in what she’s passionate about, and she thanks her cat for being cute!
Mitchell Brown
Mitchell is so excited to be a part of Grand Night this year. Previously at Elon, he has appeared as Gordon in RENT, Andrey/Bolkonsky in Great Comet, Speaker of the Temple in The Magic Flute, and Man in Chair in Renegade’s production of The Drowsy Chaperone.
Elliot Choate
Elliot Choate is a first-year BFA Music Theatre major from the San Francisco Bay Area, California. A California Arts Scholar, he has been passionate about the performing arts since childhood and is grateful to pursue what he loves today. This summer he will make his international theatrical debut as Henry in Antigone 1989: A Town Hall Musical at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Favorite credits include Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, Billy Flynn in Chicago, Bobby Child in Crazy For You, and Billy J. Crocker in Anything Goes. He thanks his family for their love and support always and forever.
Sadie Gompf
First Daughter Suite is Sadie’s first Costume Design at Elon however she has assisted with costumes for RENT, Love and Information, An American in Paris, Grapes of Wrath, Legally Blonde, and several Dance Concerts. She would like to dedicate this show to her Grandma Cindy for teaching her how to sew.
Gracie Guess
Gracie is thrilled to be making her Elon SM debut with First Daughter Suite. Previous Elon Credits: RENT (Asst. LD), Describe the Night (Asst. LD), Grapes of Wrath (Asst. SM). She would like to thank her friends, professors, family, and her awesome ASM Mitchell for all of their love and support!
Juliette-Elise Hill
Juliette is thrilled to be assistant directing her 6th mainstage show here at Elon. She would like to thank Professor Warren for her incredible direction and leadership during this semester. She would also like to thank her parents and siblings for always being loving and supportive.
JT Loveless
JT Loveless is a sophomore Music Theatre major from Bentonville, AR. Past Elon roles include Pierre in Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812 and Papageno, The Magic Flute. In April, he will perform with the Anvil Chorus in North Carolina Opera’s Il Trovatore. He placed 1st at 2025 NATS Nationals in MT Voice, 1st at Mid-Atlantic Regionals & North Carolina NATS for both 1st Year MT & Classical Voice, & won MT Best Overall Male Performance at NC NATS. He was a 2023 Jimmy Awards Nominee & Discovery Awards winner and is grateful to train at Elon! @jtluvless
Alex McLemore
Alex McLemore is a sophomore Music Theatre major at Elon University. Most recently at Elon, Alex appeared in Rent as Steve. This past summer Alex worked at Harmony Dinner Theater, where he was in the ensemble as well as the male principal swing of Oklahoma. Other stage credits include Moritz in Spring Awakening, Pippin in Pippin, and Laurie in Little Women. He thanks his family and friends, especially his mom and dad, for their endless support and love.
JonAshton Reid
JonAshton Reid is a Freshman Music Theatre major from Jacksonville, Florida and is so excited to make his McCrary debut in his first production at Elon. Credits include Twelfth Night (Malvolio), Next to Normal (Dr. Madden) and The Little Mermaid at The Muny. JonAshton would like to thank Professor Brent, Professor Liu and Professor Rayis for this special opportunity. He would also like to thank his family and his friends. Finally, he would like to give a special thank you to God for His blessings and for always being with him. Enjoy this beautiful show!
Jakob Robinson
Jakob Robinson is a first year in Elon’s Musical Theatre BFA program. He is thrilled to be a part of his first Elon Production! His favorite credits include Edward Bloom (Big Fish), Jason (Bare: A Pop Opera), Sonny Malone (Xanadu), Chip Tolentino (Spelling Bee), and Jack (Into The Woods). Jakob would like to thank the entire creative team, cast, and crew for all of the support during this process. Enjoy the show!
Yaira Spears
Yaira Spears (Ensemble) is thrilled to be apart of her first Elon Mainstage show! She is a first-year Music Theatre major from Sarasota, FL (shoutout). She’s previously been seen in Legally Blonde (Elle Woods) at Booker High School, and Cabaret (Frenchie, Kost U/S) at the Players Summer Rep! “Much love to MT29!”
Owen Tesch
Owen Tesch is a first year Acting Major from Charlotte, NC. He is so honored to be apart of this amazing show and being able to witness the show being built in a different perspective. His previous credits include: Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing, Casca in Julius Caesar, and Willard in Footloose. Owen would like to say thank you to Prof. Julian, Lillian, Prof. Liu, and the rest of the creative team for helping create such an amazing show. Lastly, he would like to acknowledge his parents for being the best inspirations ever.
