Winter Shorts, Fall 2025

The UAF Student Drama Association presents:

Two pairs of frozen shorts on a clothesline. SDA Winter Shorts logo

October 9-12, 2025
Lee Salisbury Lab Theatre

The UAF Student Drama Association presents the 2025 Winter Shorts lineup:
100 Love Letters I Never Sent by Adam Szymkowicz, directed by Macy Waarvik
Late: A Cowboy Song by Sarah Ruhl, directed by Seamus Knight

Showtimes
Thursday, October 9 @ 7:30pm
Friday, October 10 @ 7:30pm
Saturday, October 11 @ 7:30pm
Sunday, October 12 @ 2:30pm

Tickets
FREE for UAF students with their Polar Express ID card
$10 general admission

Tickets are available at the door and are first come, first serve. Come early for the best seats.
Doors open at 7:00pm Thursday, Oct. 9-Saturday, Oct. 11, and at 2:00pm on Sunday, October 12.


Winter Shorts Production Team

Faculty Advisor
Kade Mendelowitz
Scene Shop Director
Alex Gagne-Hawes
Scene Shop Employees
Rori Kattnig, Alex Armstrong,
Ben Hedrick, Clark Milstead
Lighting Designer
Kade Mendelowitz
Lighting Programmer
Seamus Knight
Master Electrician
Alex Gagne-Hawes
Light Board Operator
Taylor Kamrath
Sound Board Operator
Fritz Lutrell
Stage Manager
Taylor Kamrath
Publicity Photos
Eric Marshall
Winter Sorts 2025 poster
Winter Shorts 2025 poster by Seamus Knight

In the News

 

 

100 Love Letters I Never Sent banner. Photos by Eric Marshall, graphic by Seamus Knight
Eric Marshall/Seamus Knight
Left to right: JB Brown, Ben Hedrick, Daisy Massey, Alexanna Thomas, Bethany Cohen, Lily Larson, Jaiden Yaskulski, Clark Milstead, and Melody Helmericks

100 Love Letters I Never Sent

by Adam Szymkowicz,
directed by Macy Waarvik


100 Love Letters I Never Sent, written by Adam Szymkowicz, is a monologue format in one act, set in modern times. The theme explores love (mostly romantic love) and how different people experience it. We see a brief snapshot into 9 characters’ lives and their experiences with love, whether that be unrequited love, being in a relationship, not believing in love, just wanting love, etc. It is funny, silly, and dramatic, but also meaningful and very human.

Cast

Character 1
Bethany Cohen
Character 2
Alexanna Thomas
Character 3
Melody Helmericks
Character 4
JB Brown
Character 5
Clark Milstead
Character 6
Daisy Massey
Character 7
Jaiden Yaskulski
Character 8
Ben Hedrick
Character 9
Lily Larson
Narrator
Moody Pierce

Production Team

Director
Macy Waarvik
Stage Manager
Taylor Kamrath

 

Left to right: Clark Milstead, Bethany Cohen, Ben Hedricks, Alexanna Thomas, Lily Larson, JB Brown, Jaiden Yaskulski. Photo credit: Eric Marshall
Eric Marshall
Cast, left to right: Clark Milstead, Bethany Cohen, Ben Hedricks, Alexanna Thomas, Lily Larson, JB Brown, Jaiden Yaskulski.

Ӱpro the Director

 

Macy Waarvik. Photo credit: Eric Marshall
Macy Waarvik

Macy Waarvik is a sophomore at UAF double majoring in Film & Performing Arts and Psychology. Macy has asst. stage managed STRIKE! (2025) and done props for Tiny Beautiful Things (2024) at UAF.

Macy has performed in a number of productions including The Fibre Arts Conspiracy (Claire), with SDA, Marian, Or The True Tale of Robin Hood (Will Scarlet) with Treefort Theatre, Greece is the Word: The Zeusical (Artemis), Jekyll and Hyde: The Musical (Ensemble), and The Lion King (Ensemble) with Kenai Performers.

Macy is one of SDA’s officers this year & has been a driving force in bringing back Winter Shorts. Come see Macy’s directorial debut, 100 Love Letters I Never Sent by Adam Szymkowicz this October, 10/9 - 10/11 at 7:30 (doors open @ 7pm) and 10/12 at 2:30pm (doors open @ 2pm)!

 

 


Cast members Graham Granger and Arianna Hammond holding a frame with Deyanira Van Acker peering out. Photos by Eric Marshall, graphic by Seamus Knight
Eric Marshall/Seamus Knight
Left to right: Graham Granger, Deyanira Van Acker, and Arianna Hammond

Late: A Cowboy Song

by Sarah Ruhl,
directed by Seamus Knight

Mary and Crick are young adults from rural Pennsylvania. The couple have a baby together, and Crick gets a job at an art museum. As Crick's juvenility erodes Mary’s resolve, she embarks on a dangerous & forbidden friendship with a woman they went to high school with, a cowboy named Red. When Mary gives birth to an intersex child— who Crick names Jill and Mary names Blue— the couple must contend with their different philosophies.

"This play is for all the lady cowboys of heart and mind who ride outside the city limits of convention.” - Sarah Ruhl

Cast

Mary
Deyanira Van Acker

Crick

Graham Granger
Red
Arianna Hammond

Production Team

Director
Seamus Knight
Stage Manager
Fritz Lutrell
Assistant Stage
Manager
Moody Pierce
Sound Design    
Seamus Knight
Lights  & Projection
Seamus Knight
Projection Board Op
Moody Pierce

Run Crew /

Shadow Play

Bethany Cohen, Ben Hedrick, Clark Milstead
Props
Seamus Knight
Costumes
Rixha Parsons
Music Composed by
Seamus Knight, Arianna Hammond

 

Left to right: Seamus Knight, Graham Granger, Deyanira Van Acker, Arianna Hammond, Fritz Lutrell. Photo credit: Eric Marshall
Eric Marshall
Left to right: Seamus Knight (Director), Graham Granger ("Crick"), Deyanira Van Acker ("Mary"), Arianna Hammond ("Red"), Fritz Lutrell (Stage Manager)

Ӱpro the Director

 

Seamus Knight. Photo credit: Eric Marshall
Seamus Knight

Seamus Knight is in his fourth year as a Film & Music double major at UAF, where he has lighting-designed three main stage productions and done audio tech around campus. He works as an editor for FRAME productions under the Department Chair Maya Salganek.

Seamus is a performer, cellist, and sound designer. As a stage actor, his favorite roles have included Augustus/Gus in Concord Theatre Players’ Arcadia by Tom Stoppard, and Ralph in Fourth Wall Stage Company’s Awake and Sing. He has composed film scores for One World is Writing (Her Republic Films, 2021), and Strange Embrace (Theatre & Film UAF, 2024).

Seamus has been the president of SDA for three years now, and is thrilled that the club is once again rooted enough to be able to facilitate winter shorts. Come see Late: A Cowboy Song this October, 10/9 - 10/11 at 7:30 (doors open @ 7pm) and 10/12 at 2:30pm (doors open @ 2pm)!

 

 


2025 Winter Shorts Cast & Crew Headshots

JB Brown

JB Brown. Photo credit: Eric Marshall

Bethany Cohen

Bethany Cohen. Photo credit: Eric Marshall

Graham Granger

Graham Granger. Photo credit: Eric Marshall

Arianna Hammond

Arianna Hammond. Photo credit: Eric Marshall

Ben Hedrick

Ben Hedrick. Photo credit: Eric Marshall

Melody Helmericks

Melody Helmericks. Photo credit: Eric Marshall

Taylor Kamrath

Taylor Kamrath. Photo credit: Eric Marshall

Seamus Knight

Seamus Knight. Photo credit: Eric Marshall

Lily Larson

Lily Larson. Photo credit: Eric Marshall

Fritz Lutrell

Fritz Lutrell. Photo credit: Eric Marshall

Daisy Massey

Daisy Massey. Photo credit: Eric Marshall

Clark Milstead

Clark Milstead. Photo credit: Eric Marshall

Moody Pierce

Moody Pierce. Photo credit: Eric Marshall

Alexanna Thomas

Alexanna Thomas. Photo credit: Eric Marshall

 

Deyanira Van Acker

Deyanira Van Acker. Photo Credit: Eric Marshall

Macy Waarvik

Macy Waarvik. Photo credit: Eric Marshall

Jaiden Yaskulski

Jaiden Yaskulski. Photo credit: Eric Marshall