The Colonial Players, Inc.

CP 25 BUMP L1 CP Web

Written by Chiara Atik
Directed by Shannon Benil
Performance Dates: April 25 - May 17, 2025
Run time: 1h 30m
(no intermission)

A car mechanic on the verge of becoming a grandfather, a community of expectant mothers on a pregnancy message board, and a pregnant woman in colonial New England each question the mechanics of childbirth. Based on the true story of Jorge Odón and the birthing device he invented in his garage, Bump spans time and space in an effort to grapple with the mystery and the miracle of maternity.

To download the production postcard for Bump to share with your friends, visit the Downloads page of our website and look under the Production Postcard heading.

About the Director

Shannon Benil has been performing with The Colonial Players for over 30 years. Her first production was A Christmas Carol at 16 years old and she has gone on to do that show five more times over the years along with about 20 other CP productions. She previously directed a one-act at CP as well as the one-weekend musical—I Love You Because—as we were coming out of the pandemic. This is her first time directing a full-length regular season show. She could not have done this without her amazing hand-picked team of dear friends Laura, Alicia, and Lois, but most of all, Kathy Parrott for being her sidekick in ALL the things on this production. She truly would not have survived this without Kathy’s design expertise, discount shopping prowess, ability to get things done, and overall friendship! And to her wife, Marcy, and son, Nilsson, you may have missed her at home during the past couple of months, but she hopes to make you proud with this show and promises lots of family time to come! And just like the mothers in Bump, their own two-year journey to have their son was fraught with challenges, questions and triumphs (and WAY too much Googling of every little thing!), but he is worth every moment of that journey 12 years ago and still to come.

Director's Notes

Live theater in a digital world. In an age when everything is carefully curated to be broadcast on YouTube, TikTok or Instagram, we are presenting a show in which these characters rely heavily on their devices. Translating technology onto a stage is a real challenge. We don’t have filters or editing tools or re-records. But what is live theater if it’s not happening right in front of you with potential mistakes and mishaps and all! We have to ask the audience to believe that the women on the message board are not in the same room but are actually typing away in their own homes, that the YouTube guy’s video is an exact replay of the same thing (even if the wine bottle trick occasionally goes awry!), that the videos of the women in labor are being watched on the characters’ phone screens even though they are standing in a birthing pool in the middle of our stage. This play takes us from the bare bones of the late 18th century to the insanely digital world of too much information at our fingertips that we live in today. But the one consistent in this show is a woman’s pregnancy—a process as old as life on this planet. The hopes and fears, the desperation and elation, the trials and triumphs of each woman on her pregnancy journey wherever it may take her. If you’ve ever been involved with a pregnancy, yours or a loved one’s, you will find the moments to connect with in this show. — SHANNON BENIL

The Cast

Tom Byrne (YouTube Guy) Tom is delighted to be back onstage after an eleven year break, and excited that his daughter Maeve will see him perform for the first time. This is his second play at The Colonial Players where he last appeared as Gidger in The Violet hour. Other theater acting credits include Stop Kiss (Dignity Players); Philadelphia Here I Come, Rising of the Moon, Riders to the Sea, A View from the Bridge (Performance Workshop Theater); James McBride (Run of The Mill Theater); The Memo (Single Carrott Theater); Salome, Mein Kampf, A Clockwork Orange (Scena Theater); Translations (Rockville Little Theater). TV credits include Netflix, HBO, Fox, and a bunch of independent movies that no one watched.

Gemma Davimes (Mary) Gemma has met women who have given birth. She has been acting for nearly half her life, with previous favorite shows including Bad Jews (Daphna Feygenbaum), Wait Until Dark (Susy Hendrix), Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Suzanne), Flowers for Algernon (Norma Gordon), and most recently, Communicating Doors (Poopay/Phoebe). The back of her head can be seen in HBO's We Own This City, and the front of her head can be seen in Showtime's The Good Lord Bird and Netflix's Rustin. She would like to thank her boyfriend for his love and support, the strong women around her for sharing their stories and friendship, and technological advances in medicine so that no one has to go through Mary's experience again. In her free time, Gemma likes to discover her next hipster cafe obsession, go to concerts, and think about the perfect alternate universe with a female president and a pet cat. She is very excited to be making her CP debut.

Rick Estberg (Luis) Rick is elated to be appearing in his tenth CP production since 2013. The last eight have included an accent of one sort or another! Earlier favorite roles include Superior Donuts (Max), Lucky Stiff (Luigi Gaudi), The Lost Boy (James Barrie), and most recently, Alabama Story (Garth Williams). He has also appeared in almost a dozen Pasadena Theatre Company productions. Rick recently closed out a 46-year career in the Dept. of Defense, with 14 years spent in Europe. He now teaches for Anne Arundel Community College, serves as a docent at the National Cryptologic Museum at Ft. Meade, and has been a math tutor at a county correctional facility for years. Special thanks to Shannon for her skillful and thoughtful directing, and to this entire talented cast and crew. Finally, a special shout-out to Rick's new "line coach" Monika, whose sunny disposition and ever-smiling support has meant the world to him.

Melanie Gordon (Grapefruit) Melanie is incredibly excited to be in her third production with The Colonial Players. Most recently Melanie played Catherine Winslow in The Winslow Boy (Outstanding Lead WATCH award nomination) and was in the ensemble (No 40/ATM/Information Desk) in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Outstanding Ensemble WATCH award winner, Outstanding Play WATCH award winner). When not on stage, Melanie can be found with a book or three in her hands, obsessing over a Broadway show, or learning some sort of bladed weaponry. “To my fellow castmates, thank you for making me laugh and making this journey such an enjoyable experience. Thank you Mom, Dad, and Molly for supporting my love of theater and accepting my crazy schedule as normal at this point. Mandy, the best friend anyone could ever ask for, thank you for your continual support (shoutout to Bob and Mrs. Barb)! To my partner, thank you for encouraging me to reach for the stars and pursue my passions. I love you all more than words can say. To all of my friends, family, loved ones, strangers, and lovers of the arts, thank you for coming out and seeing this show and for your continued support!”

Lena Hanrahan (Lemon) Lena is very excited to be making her Colonial Players debut. A born and raised Annapolitan, this is her first venture into live theater and she is very grateful for the incredibly talented and welcoming cast and crew of Bump. Lena thanks her family and friends for their support. Enjoy the show!

Colleen Isaiah (Avocado) Colleen hits the stage tonight in her third role with The Colonial Players. You may have seen her as Dolly the maid in Ravenscroft with CP or as the Clown/Henchman/Sheriff/Old Lady and approximately 472 other characters in The 39 Steps with Upstage Artists. Offstage, she loves studying residential architecture and interior design.

Mary MacLeod (Maria) Mary is excited to be part of the cast of Bump. She has acted in many theater productions in the Washington, DC/Annapolis area over the years. Some of her favorite roles at CP are Mother Miriam Ruth in Agnes of God (WATCH Award Nominee-Lead Actress), Hazel in The Children, Eileen Osbourne in The Cripple of Inishmaan, Terry Glimmer in Side Man (DC Metro Theater Arts 2015 List of Best Performances in Community Theater - Actress in a Play), Lady Boyle in Superior Donuts (WATCH Award Nominee-Cameo), Lettice Douffet in Lettice and Lovage, and Nancy Shirley in Frozen (WATCH Award Nominee - Lead Actress). Mary dedicates this performance to her sister Ellen and brother Martin. Their strength inspires her every day.

Amanda L Matousek (Walnut) Amanda is no stranger to the stage but she is happy to be making her Colonial Players debut. Recently you may have seen her in Little Shop of Horrors (Compass Rose Theater), as Teddy in Arsenic and Old Lace (Bowie Community Theatre), as Bradley in Men on Boats (Silver Spring Stage), or as Antigone in Antigone (Anne Arundel Community College). She has also been involved in productions with Baltimore Theatre Collective, Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre, Artistic Synergy of Baltimore, and The Capital Fringe Festival. Amanda would like to thank Shannon and this incredible cast and crew for all their support; and she dedicates this role to Kristina, Berit, Ashley, Stephanie, and her mom.

Carrie Shade (Plum) Carrie is thrilled to be making her CP stage debut in Bump! At CP, she is usually designing props (recent credits include Alabama Story and Tiny Beautiful Things) and serving on the Board as Production Director. Previous theater experience includes many college productions at the University of Pennsylvania, where she dabbled in designing, acting, directing, and producing. “Special thanks (and apologies) to Mom for birthing triplets (among other babies). Yay birth!”

Vanessa Van Note (Claudia) Vanessa is privileged to join this talented cast of lovable characters on a journey of illustrating the astounding capabilities of the human body exemplified through pregnancy and childbirth... and just how inspiring a cork and wine bottle combination can be. Vanessa was last seen in The Baker's Wife and Tiny Beautiful Things at CP. Her character Claudia's excitement for experiencing birth was contagious, her desperate attempt to plan everything was relatable and her ultimate display of bravery pushing past fear of the known and unknown was admirable. While we may be able to clearly explain the mechanics of birth through a scientific lens, there is no doubt that there is only one word for it — Miraculous.

Julia Williams (Midwife) Julia is happy to be rejoining The Colonial Players! Recent credits include Agnes (u/s) in A Bright Room Called Day (Nu Sass), ensemble in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (CP), Aunt March/Hannah/Mrs. Kirke in Little Women (Strand) and Charlotte Cushman in The Lady Was A Gentleman (Strand). She is a cast member at the Maryland Renaissance Festival and can be seen as Lady Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford in the lanes of Revel Grove. Julia earned her BA in Theater & English from McDaniel College ('11), her MLIS in School Librarianship from the University of Maryland (‘23), and trained in improvisation at the Maryland Ensemble Theatre in Frederick. She completed her training at The Second City Conservatory and ComedySportz in Chicago. She is a Media Specialist for Anne Arundel County Public Schools. Julia thanks her coworkers and friends for their patience and love. She dedicates her performance to her friends Matt Lewis and Sammie Berger—”thank you both for holding my hands!”

Hui Zhu (Apple) Hui is thrilled to make her acting debut in Bump at CP. Originally from Shanghai, China, she recently graduated from the Honors Program at The Theatre Lab in Washington, D.C. By day, Hui works as an accountant, but by night, she brings stories to life onstage. When she's not performing, she enjoys yoga, snowboarding, hiking, and hanging out with her cat. Hui would like to thank her husband for his support—he's been there through every “stage” of this journey!

The Production Staff

Laura Gayvert (Assistant Director) Laura first started volunteering at The Colonial Players when Rick Wade cast her in Trip to Bountiful in 2001. Since then, she has performed in a number of plays, both at CP and at various theatres around the Annapolis area. She has really enjoyed Assistant Directing Bump and appreciates Shannon Benil for allowing her the opportunity to learn from her. It has been a great experience!

Eric Hufford (Lighting Designer) Eric is happy to be back light designing at his home theater after a quick jaunt over to Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre where he designed lights for Big Fish. Other recent favorite credits of his include the LED floor special effects in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Usually he thanks his wife here, but she got roped into sound for this show so they ended up working together this time around! Enjoy the show!

Kathy Parrott (Stage Manager) This is Kathy's fourth Colonial Players production as Stage Manager, including last year's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. She has loved all the shows, but this one has been super special working with Shannon, Laura, and Alicia. A special shout out to Sophie Reed, the best back stage assistant ever!

Alicia B. Sweeney (Producer) Alicia has been involved with The Colonial Players since 2002 as a performer, choreographer, director and box office volunteer—however this is her first opportunity as Producer. When not involved in theater she can be found teaching yoga or working for the State of Maryland. Generally her motto is #catsnotkids but it has been a wonderful opportunity to work with this amazing cast and crew. Thank you to the audience for supporting live theater.

Sarah Wade (Sound Designer) Last seen onstage in last season's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (WATCH Winner: Outstanding Play, Outstanding Ensemble, and more), Sarah is pleased to be designing again. She was last "heard" in this season’s holiday production A Visit from St. Nicholas. Favorite roles include Honey in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (WATCH Winner: Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play), Cecily Cardew in Ernest in Love, Elaine Harper in Arsenic and Old Lace, Sabine/Isabel in The Liar, Catherine Donahue in These Shining Lives, Jessica in Communicating Doors, and Kitty in Taking Steps. Favorite sound designs include Sex with Strangers, Calendar Girls, Watch on the Rhine, and Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike. She would like to give many thanks to Shannon!