RH
Russell Hammond
  • English
  • Dumont, NJ

Russell Hammond of Dumont takes part in Saint Michael’s fall main-stage theater production, THE CONTRAST, Nov. 7-9 and 14-16

2013 Oct 25

Steeped in the gossip, costumes, scenery and behavior of 18th century post-Revolutionary America, the comic play, THE CONTRAST, zeroes in on characters struggling to break free from the cultural influences of Europe.

Russell Hammond, son of Larry Hammond of Dumont, plays the part of Jessamy, servant to Dimple in the Saint Michael's College main-stage fall theater production, THE CONTRAST, directed by Professor Peter Harrigan, running Nov. 7-9, and Nov. 14-6, in the McCarthy Arts Center at 7 p.m. each evening. All shows are free and open to the public, without reservations.

Hammond, a junior English major, graduated from Saint Joseph Regional High School before coming to Saint Michael's College in Burlington, VT, one of the top 10 college towns in America.

"The Contrast," a comedy, written in 1787 by Royall Tyler, who later located to Vermont and became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, is patterned after Sheridan's "The School for Scandal." It features typical romantic intrigue, gossip, and eavesdropping, but goes further to comment on the formation of the American character.

"This delicious comic feast proves that eavesdropping, private messaging and backstabbing were alive and well long before the invention of the smartphone,” said SMC Professor Peter Harrigan, director of the show. “The students are mastering the use of corsets, petticoats, fans, swords, period heels and hats, and conquering the challenge of a raked (or slanted) stage,” he said. “They truly enjoy the exploration of period language and behavior in this lively and fun history lesson."

Cast in order of appearance (with their class year):

Letitia – Kit Rivers '14

Charlotte – Evyn Whiteley '15

Betty, maid to Charlotte – Anna Maria Forger '17

Maria – Jordan Dekett '16, Ashley James '15 (alternating nights)

Van Rough – Jack Bradt

Servant to Van Rough – Zack Johnston '17

Colonel Manly – Zac Pesner '15

Jessamy, servant to Dimple – Russell Hammond '15

Jonathan, waiter to Colonel Manly – Jay Swartz '17

Dimple – Richie Bernache '16

Jenny, maid to Maria – Shelby Davis '16, Michelle Kazanowski '15 (alternating nights)

Production crew

Director & Costume Designer – Professor Peter Harrigan

Scenic & Lighting Designer – Professor John Paul Devlin

Sound Designer - Katelyn Whitman '14

Properties Designer - Jill Holland '15

Stage Manager - Lexi Goyette '16

Assistant Stage Managers - Lindsey Baldwin '17, Dustin Kenyon '15, Jordan Moore '16

About Saint Michael’s

At Saint Michael’s College www.smcvt.edu students are challenged to do their best, find their niche, take on opportunities to grow, and immerse themselves in academic pursuits. A residential Catholic college, Saint Michael’s is steeped in the social justice spirit of its founding priests, the Edmundites. Saint Michael’s is located three miles from Burlington, Vermont, one of America's top 10 college towns. Headed by President John J. Neuhauser, the college has 1,900 undergraduate students and 500 graduate students. A prestigious Phi Beta Kappa institution, Saint Michael’s also features an extraordinary Wilderness Program and rare Fire & Rescue Squad, both of which other colleges use as models. Identified by the Princeton Review, 2014 as one of the nation’s Best 378 Colleges, and included in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014, Saint Michael's students and professors have received Rhodes, Woodrow Wilson, Goldwater, Pickering, Guggenheim, Fulbright, and other awards. The college is one of the nation's top-100, Best Liberal Arts Colleges as listed in the 2014 U.S. News & World Report rankings.