Book byTerrence McNally
Music byStephen Flaherty
Lyrics byLynn Ahrens
Inspired by the Twentieth Century Fox Motion Pictures
By Special Arrangement with Buena Vista Theatrical
From the play by Marcelle Maurette as adapted by Guy Bolton
Directed by
Mary-Rose Amos & Andrew Schlaf
Dear Audience,
Welcome to our production of Anastasia. This sweeping musical takes us from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the boulevards of 1920s Paris, following a brave young woman in search of her past — and her future. It is a story about memory, identity, and the courage it takes to imagine a life of one's own.
Our cast and crew have poured months of dedication into bringing this world to life. From the soaring score to the elaborate period costumes, every detail has been crafted with care. We are tremendously proud of the young artists you are about to see on stage.
Thank you for supporting the arts at SHDA. Sit back, and let yourself be swept away on a journey to the past.
— Mary-Rose Amos & Andrew Schlaf, Directors
Prologue: 1906. A Small Bedroom in a Royal Palace
Scene 1: The Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg
Scene 2: The Private Theatre of an Abandoned Palace
Scene 3: A Drab Government Office
Scene 4: The Yusopov Palace, Various Rooms
Scene 5: A Drab Government Office
Scene 6: A Park on the Banks of the Neva, At Night
Scene 7: A Train Station in St. Petersburg
Scene 8: Inside the Train
Scene 9: Gleb's Office in St. Petersburg / Various Places on the Road
Scene 10: A Hill Overlooking Paris
Scene 11: Paris
Scene 12: The Alexander Bridge
Scene 13: The Parisian Townhouse of The Dowager Empress
Scene 14: Inside the Neva Club
Scene 15: Anya's Hotel Room
Scene 16: Outside the Dowager Empress's Box at the Ballet
Scene 17: The Hotel Rooms that Anya, Dmitry, and Vlad Have Been Sharing
Scene 18: A Private Reception Room at a Luxurious Hotel
Scene 19: An Anteroom
Scene 20: The Grand Ballroom at the Luxurious Hotel
Scene 21: The Alexander Bridge
Scene 22: The Hotel Ballroom / A Government Office
in order of appearance
Avani Dounde
Myra Chowdhuri · Chloe McNaughton
Noah Fernandes · Daneyal Jafary · Aanya Paradkar · Artharv Patil
Arlo Bolden · Aubrey Buswell · Katie Cottman · Sarah Gallup
Gigi Amarsaikhan · Sofia Araujo · Alex Castillo · Olivia Chen · Mia Collalto · Isabelle Dsouza · Kayla Gallup · Aleena Hakim · Alex McStay · Mikayla Rickert · Logan Steiner · Lei'lanni Yeboah
Vanessa Jones
Isabelle Dsouza · Riya Kumar · Sanvi Mohta
With marketing support from cast members Langston Andrews · Tanvi Sri Duttuluri · Brayden Jolly · Arya Mohler
cast & crew, alphabetical by last name
A 6th grader, Genevieve is excited to take the stage as a member of the ensemble. She would like to thank her parents, friends, siblings, family, and her animals — and reminds everyone to live life to the fullest!
A 6th grader, Anishka previously appeared as Dad in the SHDA production of “An Absolutely True Story As Told By A Bunch of Lying Liars.” Outside of SHDA she has performed in “Seussical Junior” and is currently in rehearsals for “Descendants the Musical.” She would like to thank her family, friends, and supporters.
A 7th grader, this is Gigi’s first SHDA production. Outside of SHDA she has performed in “Frozen Jr.” and “Wicked Jr.” She would like to thank her parents and friends for making this so much fun. Gigi always looks forward to drama club — the atmosphere is exciting and she always has a great time.
An 8th grader, Langston has appeared in numerous SHDA productions including “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” (Narrator #2/Ensemble), “Variations on a Theme” (Woman #8), and “A Recipe of Me” (Frankie). She also served on Run Crew for “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” with Broadway Bound. She would like to thank her parents, her sister Grayson, and her friends.
An 8th grader, this is Sofia’s first time working stage design and crew with SHDA. Outside of Stone Hill she played Hero in “Much Ado About Nothing.” She would like to thank Vanessa Jones and Avani.
An 8th grader, Antoinette previously appeared in the SHDA ensemble of “Beauty and the Beast.” She would like to thank her parents for taking her to and from lessons and supporting her drama journey.
An 8th grader, Aniruddha has worked on numerous shows with SHDA, including Villager 2/Ensemble in “Beauty and the Beast Jr.,” Elliot in “A Recipe of Me,” and Man 6 in “Variations on a Theme.” In addition to his theater credits, Aniruddha is an accomplished singer who has placed in numerous regional and All-Virginia choir competitions. He would like to thank Ms. Amos and Mr. Uhlir, who both help and encourage him as he works to improve himself.
A 6th grader, Arlo serves as Lead of Props and Costumes. She has helped on the SHDA one-acts. She would like to thank Avani Dounde, Aleena Hakim, Chloe McNaughton, and most especially Myra Chowdhuri.
A 7th grader, Aubrey appeared in SHDA’s “Beauty & the Beast” ensemble. She has also been in the ensemble of “The Nutcracker” at Studio Bleu for three years. She would like to thank Mrs. Amos, Mr. Schlaf, her parents, her friends, and Oliver’s mom.
A 6th grader, this is Alex’s first time working with SHDA. Before SHDA, he played Shenzi in “The Lion King.” He would like to thank Michael Jackson and Genevieve Acreman.
A 7th grader, this is Vihaan’s first time working with SHDA. He would like to thank the tech crew and the directors.
A 6th grader, this is Olivia’s first SHDA production. Outside of SHDA she has been cast three times with Broadway Bound: “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Seussical.”
An 8th grader, Myra previously appeared in the ensemble of SHDA’s “Newsies.” She has also performed with StageCoach for one year and Drama Kids for three years.
A 6th grader, this is Katie’s first SHDA production. Outside of SHDA she has appeared in “Seussical the Musical” and “The Little Mermaid.” She would like to thank Chloe (for the chicken nuggets) and Myra (for stuff).
An 8th grader, Avani — affectionately known as “General Grandma” for her role as the Grandmother in the SHDA fall one-act “A Recipe of Me” — also served as Stage Manager for the One-Acts. She is excited to bring that experience to the mainstage as Stage Manager for “Anastasia: Youth Edition.”
An 8th grader, this is Isabelle’s first SHDA production. She has previously played a lead role in a drama play. She would like to thank the cast for being so helpful, and Vanessa for being a great boss. A special shoutout to everyone in the cast and crew — amazing and hardworking people!
An 8th grader, Tanvi serves as Dance Captain and appears as Dunya, a member of the Royal Court, the People of Paris and St. Petersburg, and a Neva Club dancer. She also helps with the marketing team. She would like to thank Rose for helping her get over her anxiety and audition.
A 7th grader, Noah serves on the Lights and Sound crew. He previously worked on crew for the SHDA one-acts. He would like to thank his sister, who got him into drama club.
A 6th grader, this is Sarah’s first time on tech crew. Outside of SHDA she has performed in “Annie Jr.,” “The Lion King Jr.,” “Frozen Jr.,” “The Wizard of Oz Jr.,” “Matilda Jr.,” and “The Little Mermaid Jr.” She would like to thank her parents, her dance studio teachers, and Ms. Amos and Mr. Schlaf for showing the crew how to work behind the scenes.
A 6th grader, this is Kayla’s first year on tech crew. Outside of SHDA she has appeared as Flotsam in “The Little Mermaid Jr.,” a Police Officer in “Annie Jr.,” Big Kid in “Matilda Jr.,” Storyteller in “Frozen Jr.,” and ensemble in “The Lion King Jr.” and “The Wizard of Oz Jr.” She would like to thank her teachers at Stone Hill and at Rhythm and Arts Center.
A 6th grader, Caleigh previously appeared as Woman 5 in the SHDA production of “Variations on a Theme.” She would like to thank Ms. Amos and Mr. Schlaf for working hard and spending so much time supporting both the cast and crew.
An 8th grader, Aleena serves as Co-Stage Design and Crew Lead. She has previously worked Stage Crew on the SHDA productions of “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” and the One-Act Plays.
A 6th grader, Isobel previously appeared in SHDA’s “An Absolutely True Story.” She has also spent four years with Broadway Bound, appearing as Rafiki 1 in “The Lion King,” Tea Cup in “Beauty and the Beast,” Bass Solo in “The Little Mermaid,” and Who Ensemble in “Seussical.” She would like to thank the directors, her family, and her friends for making this possible.
An 8th grader, Nithya has previously appeared in SHDA’s “Beauty and the Beast” (Hatseller/Wolf/Ensemble) and “A Recipe of Me” (Elizabeth). She has also performed in plays at her Telugu school. She would like to thank Mr. Schlaf and Ms. Amos.
An 8th grader, Daneyal serves as Lights and Sound Manager. He previously worked lights and sound during the 2025–26 SHDA season. He would like to thank his mom, Ms. Amos, and Mr. Schlaf.
An 8th grader, Brayden has appeared in many SHDA productions including Oscar in “Newsies Jr.,” Damian in “Mean Girls Jr.,” Cogsworth in “Beauty and the Beast Jr.,” Tyler in “A Recipe of Me,” and Nick in “Variations on a Theme.” Outside SHDA, his many roles include Iago in “Aladdin Jr.,” LeFou in “Lion King Jr.,” Rooster in “Annie Jr.,” and the Beast in “Descendants Teen Edition.” He thanks his family, his amazing directors, and every performer and crew member who made the show happen. A heartfelt thank you to SHDA for being a loving, accepting place across his three years and five shows in the program.
A 7th grader, this is Kevin’s first SHDA production. Outside of SHDA he has appeared in “Peter Pan.” He would like to thank Mr. Uhlir for telling him about it, and his parents for letting him do it.
An 8th grader, Vanessa serves as Head of Marketing and Front of House. They previously worked stage crew for SHDA’s “Beauty and the Beast” and tech for “A Christmas Carol” at an alternate school. They would like to thank Isabelle for being a huge help during planning, filming, and organizing, and the actors who pitched in with marketing throughout rehearsals.
An 8th grader, Livy has appeared in numerous SHDA productions including Hazel in “Newsies Jr.,” Mrs. Duvall in “Mean Girls Jr.,” Narrator 1/Ensemble in “Beauty and the Beast Jr.,” Danielle in “Recipe of Me,” and Justin Green in “An Absolutely True Story.” She has also appeared at NoVaPA in “The Little Mermaid Jr.” (Sea Chorus) and “Seussical Jr.” (Ensemble). She would like to thank her mom for always being there, and her friends for their support.
A 7th grader, this is Mrunmayee’s first SHDA production. Outside of SHDA she has appeared in three Marathi-language plays. She would like to thank her parents as well as Mr. Schlaf and Mrs. Amos.
A 6th grader, this is Riya’s first SHDA production. She serves on the Marketing and Front of House crew as a social media handler.
An 8th grader, this is Ameli’s first SHDA production. She would like to thank everyone.
An 8th grader, Zaelynn has previously appeared in the SHDA productions of “Beauty and the Beast,” “Variations on a Theme,” “A Recipe of Me” (Harley Montgomery), and “An Absolutely True Story As Told By a Bunch of Lying Liars.” She would like to thank Mrs. Amos, who in just a year and a half has become like a third mom to her.
An 8th grader, Rose has appeared in many SHDA productions, including Pigtails/Ensemble in “Newsies,” Mrs. George/Ensemble in “Mean Girls,” Enchantress/Baker/Ensemble in “Beauty & the Beast,” and Dorrie in “Recipe of Me.” She would like to thank her family and friends for their endless support and encouragement.
A 6th grader, Sophia previously appeared as Wendy in the SHDA production of “Variations on a Theme.” She would like to thank Mrs. Amos and Mr. Schlaf for making everything run nice and smoothly.
A 6th grader, this is Epsah’s first SHDA production. She would like to thank her mom and dad for picking her up and dropping her off during rehearsals.
A 7th grader, Chloe serves as Assistant Stage Manager. She previously worked on Stage and Set Design for SHDA’s “Beauty and the Beast.” She would like to thank Ms. Amos, Mr. Schlaf, and all the helpful adults.
A 7th grader, this is Alex’s first time on Set Design with SHDA. Outside of SHDA she has performed with Broadway Bound as Shenzi in “The Lion King,” Chip in “Beauty and the Beast,” Andrina in “The Little Mermaid,” and Ensemble in “Seussical.” She would like to thank Avani and Aleena for being super helpful in making the sets possible.
An 8th grader, Arya has appeared in many SHDA productions including “Newsies” (Snyder/Dorothy), “Mean Girls” (Cady’s Mom/Teary Girl/Ensemble), “Beauty and the Beast” (Mrs. Potts), “Recipe of Me” (Leah), and “Variations on a Theme” (Man 8). Outside of SHDA she has played Gertrude McFuzz in Broadway Bound’s “Seussical” and Cruella de Vil in NoVAPA’s “Descendants.” She would like to thank her Mom, Dad, Aunt Kathy, and best friend Ivy for always believing in her, and Mr. Schlaf and Mrs. Amos for making theater the highlight of her day.
A 6th grader, this is Sanvi’s first SHDA production. She would like to thank her mom, who is always there for her and made this possible. Sanvi also thanks Ms. Amos and Mr. Schlaf for the hard work and time they pour into making each show a success.
A 6th grader, Adi previously appeared as Woman 9 in the SHDA production of “Variations on a Theme.” Outside of SHDA she has performed as Viola in “Twelfth Night” and Ursula in “The Little Mermaid.” She would like to thank her parents and her sister.
An 8th grader, Emma has previously appeared in SHDA’s “Beauty and the Beast” (Narrator/Ensemble/Bookseller), “A Recipe of Me” (Ensemble), and “Variations on a Theme.” Outside of SHDA she has appeared as Jafar in “Descendants,” Angelica in “Hamilton,” the Phantom in “Phantom of the Opera,” and Hermes/Orpheus in “Hadestown.” She would like to thank Mr. Schlaf and Ms. Amos.
A 6th grader, this is Sofia’s first SHDA production. She would like to thank Ms. Amos and Mr. Schlaf for helping everyone during all the rehearsals to make this production possible.
A 1st grader from Moorefield Station, Catherine previously appeared as Baby Angel in “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” and in the ensemble of the “Pickwick Review.” She would like to thank Arya for always supporting her and giving cues, her mom and dad for the rides, snacks, hugs, and the loudest applause, and her big sister Victoria for being her inspiration on stage. “I love you!”
A 6th grader, Victoria has previously appeared as Randy in “A Christmas Story,” Olive Herdman in “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” in the ensemble of “Once Upon A Mattress,” and as Young Anna in “Frozen.” She would like to thank her parents, her sister, and everyone who has supported her through her theater productions. This is her dream role and she is so excited to make her debut in “Anastasia: Youth Edition.”
A 7th grader, Mikayla serves on the Scene Design crew. She previously worked on the Tech News Crew at Halley Elementary.
An 8th grader, Vikky previously appeared in SHDA’s “Newsies Jr.” She would like to thank the cast, Mr. Schlaf, and Mrs. Amos who pulled this show together and tied it together perfectly. Vikky has loved the progress everyone made and the new connections built along the way.
A 6th grader, Laasya previously appeared as Ava in the SHDA production of “An Absolutely True Story.” She would like to thank her directors, and recommends this program to anyone interested.
A 6th grader, Ahaana previously appeared as Barney in the SHDA production of “An Absolutely True Story Told By A Bunch of Liars.” She would like to thank her family, teachers, and friends.
A 6th grader, Jade previously appeared as Betty the Crazy Animal Lady in the SHDA production of “An Absolutely True Story As Told By A Bunch of Lying Liars.” They have also voiced nearly every character in the online production of “Epic the Musical: Open Tech,” including Penelope, Odysseus, Calypso, Apollo, and Hephaestus. They would like to thank Alani, their sister Lola, their father, Lady Aphrodite, Lord Apollo, and their teachers.
An 8th grader, Logan has previously worked on the SHDA productions of “Recipe of Me,” “Variations on a Theme,” and “An Absolutely True Story.” He would like to thank his parents.
A 6th grader, this is Eliza’s first SHDA production. Outside of SHDA she has appeared in “Finding Nemo,” “The Little Mermaid,” “The Lion King,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Shrek,” and “Seussical the Musical.” She would like to thank Mr. Schlaf, Mrs. Amos, her sister Clara, and Katie Marie Cottman. Eliza is excited to do other shows at SHMS.
A 7th grader, Anya has previously appeared as Woman 7/Ensemble and Lady with a Cane in SHDA productions. Outside of SHDA she has performed as Seagull 1, Peregrine Pig, and Cadet 3. She would like to thank her friend Anaya for always being there for her. Anya loves being in Stone Hill Dramatic Arts plays!
A 6th grader, this is Lei’Lanni’s first SHDA production. She would like to thank her amazing manager, Arlo.
A 6th grader, Ivaanka previously appeared as Woman 1 (Meg) in an SHDA production. Outside of SHDA she has performed in “Finding Nemo” (Pelican), “101 Dalmatians” (Pongo), “The Jungle Book” (Shere Khan), “The Wizard of Oz” (Guard/Ensemble), “Mary Poppins” (Chimney Sweeper/Ensemble), and a play in Marathi. She would like to thank her family for supporting her love for drama.
love and pride from the families & friends of our cast and crew
“We can’t wait to see all the hard work you put in with the tech crew, Sarah and Kayla! Mahal Kita!”
— Mom & Dad
“Thanks to all our cast & crew! You are amazing.”
— Mr. Schlaf and all of Ms. Amos’ personalities
community partners and what’s coming next
Don’t miss our friends at the Sterling Playmakers
sterlingplaymakers.org
SHDA Summer Camp
A brand-new summer theatre camp from SHDA — opening this July!
Open to rising 5th through rising 9th graders.
Four weeks of acting, singing, and stagecraft on the SHDA stage.
Watch for sign-ups this spring!
The cast and crew of Anastasia wish to extend their deepest gratitude to the following individuals and organizations whose generosity made this production possible:
| Person / Group | For |
|---|---|
| Sterling Playmakers | Sets, Props, Costumes |
| Paul McNaughton | Building, Design, Education |
| Aron Cottman | Building, Education |
| Carol Buswell | Costume Education |
| Lucas Mohler | Design, Chaperone, Education |
| Shweta Walia | PTO Liaison & Chaperone |
| Alicia Young | Headshots |
With heartfelt thanks to the SHDA administration, the Stone Hill Middle School families, and every parent and volunteer who lent time, talent, and patience to the production. And to YOU — our audience — thank you for supporting the arts.
Please silence all mobile devices. Photography, video, and audio recording of any kind are strictly prohibited during the performance. Refreshments are available in the lobby during intermission.
Enjoy the Show!