4TH WALL THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS
by STEPHEN ADLY GUIRGIS directed by KIM TOBIN-LEHL
“a glorious time at the theatre” Houston Press
DATES
May 12–June 4, 2022 Thursdays–Sundays
TICKETS
832.767.4991 or online at 4thwalltheatreco.com
CULLEN TRUST
FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
4th Wall Theatre Company is funded in part by the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance and the State of Texas through the Texas Commission on the Arts.
MISSION To produce extraordinary professional theatrical experiences and to set a high standard for excellence in acting, direction, and design. We believe that only by paying artists a fair wage can we grow and sustain the community of professional theatrical artists in Houston.
STAFF Philip Lehl, Artistic Director, Co-Founder Tim Richey, Managing Director Kim Tobin-Lehl, Resident Artist, Co-Founder Catherine Dunaway, Development Manager Gabriel Velazquez, Marketing Manager Kalin Menzel, Communications Coordinator Rubena Gracia, Box Office Associate
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gary Chiles, President Patricia Larson, Secretary Harriet Schubb, Treasurer Kenneth Bohan, Howard M. Bookstaff, Sharyn Feller Harris, Michelle Mower, Dan O’Brien, Carol Sugimoto
ADVISORY BOARD Jennifer Decker, Emma Jacobs, Ruth McCleskey, Michael Mullins, Gabriella Nissen, John and Kelly Raley, Jason Roberts, Chip Schneider, Dr. Robert Shimko, Nancy Wozny
SPECIAL THANKS Special thanks to the following people and organizations for their direct involvement with our administration or artistic efforts during this production: The Alley Theatre, Jerome Dunn, Ted Doolittle, Michael McGinity, Mark Seavers, and John Tyska 4th Wall Theatre Company is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded in 2011 by Kim Tobin-Lehl and Philip Lehl. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.
4TH WALL THEATRE COMPANY presents
By STEPHEN ADLY GUIRGIS Directed by KIM TOBIN-LEHL
Original Direction by BILL PRUITT**
CAST Walter “Pops” Washington ............................................ Byron Jacquet Junior .............................................................. Joseph “Joe P.” Palmore* Oswaldo................................................................ Juan Sebastián Cruz Lulu.................................................................................... Briana J. Resa Church Lady.................................................................... Pamela Vogel* Detective O’Connor................................................... Kim Tobin-Lehl* Lieutenant Caro................................................................... Philip Lehl*
DESIGNERS & PRODUCTION CREW Stage Manager.................................................................. Kalin Menzel* Intimacy Director................................................................Adam Noble Set Designer................................................................ Ryan McGettigan Lighting Designer................................................... Christina Giannelli Sound Designer....................................................... Robert Leslie Meek Properties Supervisor..............................................................Jack Gray Scenic Production Team.............. Mary Carol and Santiago Sepeda Chief Electrician............................................................Cassidy Stanley Assistant Electrician................................................. Joseph Blanchard Crew......................................................... Kari Leija and Daniel Regojo Original Assistant Director...........................................Alanna Dorsett Original Costume Designer............................................Cherie Acosta Original Properties Designer........................................Andrew Cloud Original Scenic Production..................................................... Jac Jones Special Thanks.................................................................. Jennifer Dean *Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Stage Actors and Stage Managers.
**BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY premiered at 4th Wall with a truncated production run in March 2020.
Runtime: Approximately 2 hours plus a 15 minute intermission BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York. Originally produced by Atlantic Theater Company, New York, 2014 (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) in association with Scott Rudin. Produced by Second Stage Theatre, New York, 2015 (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director, Casey Reitz, Managing Director)
CULLEN TRUST
FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS This organization is funded in part by the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance and by the State of Texas through the Texas Commission on the Arts. Season sponsors include the Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts and Back Pew Brewing.
DIRECTORS’ NOTES
Being able to take the lead in this remount for my friend and colleague Bill Pruitt after his amazing work at the onset of the pandemic is truly a gift for me. It would not be the production it is without the vision of Bill Pruitt from 2020. Thank you, Bill! I have been involved with and familiar with Mr. Guirgis’s work since 2002 when I was at the premiere production of Our Lady of 121st Street when presented in NYC by Labyrinth Theatre Company. In Mr. Guirgis’s Pulitzer Prize Winner Between Riverside and Crazy, he has given us something truly special in its particular attention to issues of race, inequality, and ultimately life, death, and redemption. The play grapples with how those of us who have had to climb up from the bottom of the heap are often met with a shoe in our face kicking us back down into the darkness as opposed to a helping hand to pull us up and out into the light. It challenges us to view redemption and human connection in ways that don’t fit into the mold that a culture built from an entitled and white patriarchal structure tells us are the pathways to enlightenment and freedom. The play asks us to surrender our attachments to money and things and exchange them for deeper connection to each other. Maybe we live and die each day in our ability or our willingness to heal each other? As the church lady says, “I can heal you. You don’t have to believe me. You just have to let me.” - Kim Tobin-Lehl, Director 2022
Writers are simply holes in the earth out of which is mined the raw material of stories; in short, they are garden variety versions of the Delphic oracle. The best writers carve out a piece of their heart and leave it on the page. Guirgis wrote this play in the wake of his mother’s death, a situation that rendered him alone with his father to figure out the rest of their lives. Surrounding them both was a city undergoing a dire metamorphosis that would forever change its character and the lives of those rich enough or lucky enough to afford to stay. Money moves like water through Manhattan—or any place, really— flushing out the old and making room for the new, never once stopping to consider anyone’s shame, anguish, compassion, or grief. With his play, Guirgis approaches this inevitability like an aging midwestern linebacker, keenly aware that the best days are often behind us. In each line of dialogue, he seems to be addressing the frightening mortality of it all. That his mentions of Trump, Giuliani, Justin Bieber, and Kim Kardshian—written in 2014--still land shows the incredible, enduring trashiness of our world as well as his take on it. But just like the sad, hilarious, and tragic Walter “Pops” Washington, you have to hold out for the arrival of something new, something better. It’s coming. Maybe not what you expected. But hold out. Be ready. - Bill Pruitt, Director 2020
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
STEPHEN ADLY GUIRGIS is a longtime member of NYC’s LAByrinth Theater Company. His plays have been produced on five continents and throughout the United States. They include: the extended, sold-out run of The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot, Our Lady of 121st Street (named one of the ten best plays of 2003; Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle Best Play Nominations), Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train (Edinburgh Fringe First Award, Olivier Nomination as London’s Best New Play, Barrymore Award, “Detroit Free Press” Best Play Award), and In Arabia We’d All Be Kings (Ten Best of ‘99, “TimeOut New York,” critics pick, “TimeOut London”). All four plays were originally produced by LAByrinth, directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, and are published through Dramatists Play Service and by Faber & Faber. Stephen was awarded a 2004 TCG fellowship, attended the 2004 Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab, was named one of the 25 New Faces of Independent Film by “Filmaker Magazine,” and appeared in “Entertainment Weekly’s” 2005 Summer Must List. He has received new play commissions from Manhattan Theater Club and South Coast Rep, is a member of New Dramatists and the MCC Playwright’s Coalition, and has contributed to “ESOPUS” magazine. Television writing credits include “NYPD Blue,” “The Sopranos,” David Milch’s CBS drama “Big Apple,” and Shane Salerno’s NBC drama “UC: Undercover.” As an actor, he has appeared in Brett C. Leonard’s GUINEA PIG SOLO, produced at the Public Theatre in New York, and played leading roles inTodd Solondz’s “Palindromes,” and Brett C. Leonard’s award-winning “Jailbait,” opposite Michael Pitt. Currently, he is developing a project with Mos Def and HBO, and is writing his first feature film for Scott Rudin Productions, to be directed by George C. Wolfe. He lives in New York City.
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WHO’S WHO BYRON JACQUET (Walter “Pops” Washington) Stages: Sunrise Coven, The Courage of Mandy Kate Brown, Driving Miss Daisy; Ensemble Theatre: Women in The Pit, The Waiting Room, Jitney, Seven Guitars, Livin’ Fat, The Man Who Saved New Orleans, Blue, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Short Eyes, A Soldier’s Play, Two Trains Running, Johnny B. Goode, and Distant Voices. He has performed in the touring productions of Kid Zero, The Magic Story Maker, Brer Rabbit, and Wiley and the Hairy Man; The Alley Theatre: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Of Mice and Men, and I, Barbara Jordan; in film and television in Red Ink and American Gigolo; and several industrial films. His last appearance was in The Ballad of Emmett Till performed at The University of California at Santa Cruz. Byron attended the University of Houston and the Writer’s Clinic, Inc. JOSEPH “JOE P.” PALMORE (Junior) is a product of Jack Yates HS in Houston and Clark Atlanta University. He lives with the creative purpose of exploring and establishing himself as a playwright and director, nationally televised poet, award-winning actor, and teacher. Regional Credits: 4th Wall Theatre Company: The Glass Menagerie (Tom), Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train (Lucius), Lobby Hero (William); A.D. Players: The Christmas Shoes (Derrick), Best of Enemies (Bill Riddick); Stages: The Ultimate Christmas Show (Austin), We Are Proud To Present…, (Black Man), The Whipping Man (John), and Stupid Fucking Bird (Dev); Alley Theatre: One Man Two Guvnors (Ensemble); The Ensemble Theatre: Detroit ’67 (Sly), Fly (W.W.), Jitney (Youngblood), Lotto: Experience the Dream (Junior), Livin’ Fat (Boo), Sanctified (Mister), Broke-ology (Malcolm), and The Ballad of Emmett Till (Emmett). Production Credits: Alley Theatre: The Mountaintop and SYNCing Ink. In 2019, Joe won Best Actor with the Houston Press Theatre Awards. His acting journey has since spread to commercial work and short film appearances. JUAN SEBASTIÁN CRUZ (Oswaldo) is excited to be returning to this production after a two year delay due to the pandemic. Alley Theatre: A Christmas Carol (Prop Boy/Tiny Tim), 72 Miles To Go... (Aaron), The Winter’s Tale (Mamillius). 4th Wall Theatre Company: Between Riverside and Crazy (Oswaldo). Catastrophic Theatre: Drama Squad (Team A Ensemble). Stages: My Mañana Comes (Pepe). TUTS: Guys and Dolls (Drunk/Bartender/ Ensemble). Alley All New Festival 2019: 72 Miles To Go... (Aaron). Tapestry Players: The Music Man (Jaycee). BakerShake: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Puck), Romeo and Juliet (Romeo). Rice University: Much Ado About Nothing (Don Pedro), Eurydice (Nasty Man/Lord of the Underworld). BA: Rice University. ¡Gracias ma!
WHO’S WHO BRIANA J. RESA (Lulu) is thrilled to finally share Between Riverside and Crazy with Houston audiences, after being postponed in 2020. She is the recipient of the 2020 Houston Press Theatre Award for Best Solo Show and finalist for Best Actress. Credits include: Alley Theatre: Sense and Sensibility, 72 Miles To Go…, A Christmas Carol; Main Street Theater: The Secretary, Native Gardens; Classical Theatre Company: R.U.R.; Obsidian Theater: Empanada Loca; Stages: Alma En Venta; Mildred’s Umbrella: The Hunchback of Seville, The Moors; TUTS: A Wonderful Life, Dreamgirls; Music Box Musicals: Avenue Q, Company. BFA Sam Houston State University. Featured in Houston Press “Up and Coming Actors” 2019 Edition. IG: @brianaresa PAMELA VOGEL (Church Lady) is thrilled to be returning with the full cast to Between Riverside and Crazy. She was last seen at 4th Wall Theatre in The Lifespan of a Fact and has also appeared in Small Mouth Sounds and Body Awareness for the company. Pamela is a collective member of the Houston Equity Festival who, in May 2021, during the live indoor performance lockdown, produced and performed in the digital full-feature Miss American Pie - A Historical, Political, and Culinary Monologue. Other local credits include WIT (Vivian) Houston Equity Festival at the MATCH; Leap and the Net Will Appear (Alice) Catastrophic Theatre; The Lilies of the Field (Mother Maria Marté) A.D. Players; Doubt Unity Theatre in Brenham, TX; Peace In Our Time (Best Supporting Actress Finalist Houston Press 2014) Main Street Theater; The Importance of Being Earnest, The Triumph of Love (Best Supporting Actress Finalist Houston Press 2012), Tartuffe Classical Theatre Company; In the Next Room..., Southern Rapture Stages; The Lion in Winter, WIT Texas Repertory Theatre; Othello, The Taming of the Shrew Houston Shakespeare Festival. Regional: Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Utah Shakespeare Festivals. BFA Boston University. MFA University of South Carolina. Member Actors’ Equity Association. www.pamelavogelhomepage.com PHILIP LEHL (Lieutenant Caro) is a co-founder of 4th Wall Theatre and the company’s Artistic Director. Recently at 4th Wall, he played Torvald in A Doll’s House, Part 2, Bob Jones in The Realistic Joneses, and directed The Glass Menagerie. He has acted on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in a National Tour, and in many regional theaters. Since arriving in Texas in 2001, Philip has appeared at every Equity theater in Houston, including 4th Wall, the Alley, Stages, Main Street Theater, A.D. Players, Houston Shakespeare Festival, and TUTS. He has also appeared as a guest artist at Classical Theatre Company (where he is a company member), Generations, Horse Head, and BCCM. Philip holds degrees from The Juilliard School and Drake University and also studied at NTI and Moscow Arts
WHO’S WHO Theatre School. His directing credits include plays at 4th Wall, Classical Theatre Company, A.D. Players, Stages, BCCM, Generations, and Brave Dog Theatre. He is a founder, board member, and executive of the Houston Theatre Alliance and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. KIM TOBIN-LEHL (Director and Detective O’Connor) is a co-founder of 4th Wall Theatre and the company’s first Resident Artist. She has played numerous roles over the years at 4th Wall including her most recent appearance as Nora in A Doll’s House, Part 2. She is an award-winning director with recent credits at 4th Wall and in NYC and LA. Her work has been seen in Houston at Stages, A.D. Players, Mildred’s Umbrella, and Texas Repertory. Kim has an extensive list of Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway credits and Los Angeles stage/film/TV credits. She also wrote and starred in The Barrow Group’s production of her original One Woman Show, Inside Out. While living in New York, Kim was an officer with the New Mercury Theatre Company, where (among other roles) she produced and starred in the 1995 revival of A Lie of the Mind. Kim later became the Artistic Director of the Blue Sphere Alliance East Theatre Company. Kim graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Houston with a BA in Theatre. Her conservatory training includes Stella Adler, Circle In The Square, The Barrow Group, and years of training with Gene Frankel and Sandy Marshall, among others. Kim is also a highly sought-after acting and directing teacher. The Kim Tobin Acting Studio focuses on the Sanford Meisner approach to acting and offers an array of courses from beginner to advanced levels. Kim is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA. BILL PRUITT (Original Director) is perhaps most well-known for his producer/director work in non-fiction, but he remains a diehard storyteller devoted to fiction having directed several short films that played at Sundance, Cannes, and won awards at Worldfest Houston. After graduating from Columbia University’s School of the Arts, he directed several regional and Off-Off Broadway productions including a 1995 production of Sam Shepard’s A Lie of the Mind which featured 4th Wall’s Kim Tobin in the cast. It was Kim who encouraged him to return to the theater and bask in the glories of this play and its incredible cast. He is forever grateful. Pruitt has been nominated four times by the Producers Guild of America as “Outstanding Non-Fiction Producer” and won the Excellence Award as showrunner of the hit Discovery series “Deadliest Catch.” The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences nominated him six times for the Primetime Emmy Award, and he won the Emmy four years in a row as Supervising Producer of CBS’ “The Amazing Race.” His first-ever digital series for Amazon Prime, “Eat the World” with Emeril Lagasse, was nominated for the prestigious James Beard Foundation Award, the Realscreen Award, five Daytime Emmy Awards, and won the Emmy for Best Culinary Series. This is his Houston debut.
WHO’S WHO KALIN MENZEL (Stage Manager) Credits at 4th Wall Theatre Company: Gloria; The Lifespan of a Fact; A Doll’s House, Part 2; Between Riverside and Crazy; The Realistic Joneses; The Glass Menagerie; Collected Stories; The Pussy Grabber Plays; Rapture, Blister, Burn; Pride and Prejudice; Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train (Stage Manager); Shakespeare in Vegas; Reckless (Stage Crew); Other credits include: Rogue Productions – I Love You Because (ASM). Kalin is a proud member of the Actors’ Equity Association. @kalinmenzel ADAM NOBLE (Intimacy Director) is a movement specialist with 20 years of experience in theatre, opera, and film. Notable credits include The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Alley Theatre, Lincoln Center Director’s Lab, Stages Theatre, Houston Grand Opera, and the Public Theatre. Mr. Noble is the co-founder and artistic director of the Dynamic Presence Project, a theatre company focused on the revitalization of movement theatre and embodied physical storytelling. For well over a decade, his methodology for approaching intimacy and aggression in performance has nurtured safe practices and influenced the work of students, educators, and professional artists. The Noble Method is taught at academic institutions around the country. Mr. Noble is Associate Professor of Acting & Movement at the University of Houston, where he serves as Head of the BFA Acting program. He is resident Fight Director & Intimacy Consultant for The Alley Theatre and Studio Movement Instructor for the prestigious Houston Grand Opera. He is an Intimacy Director with Intimacy Directors & Coordinators, a Fight Director and Certified Teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors, a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, and an associate member of Stage Directors & Choreographers. RYAN McGETTIGAN (Set Designer) Recent credits include: 4th Wall Theatre Company – The Lifespan of a Fact, A Doll’s House, Part 2, The Glass Menagerie, Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train, Pride and Prejudice, Lobby Hero, Shakespeare In Vegas, Ho Ho Humbug 2.0; Classical Theatre Company – Barber of Seville, Ghost Sonata, The Birds, The Cherry Orchard, A Christmas Carol, The Importance of Being Earnest, Doctor Faustus, Ubu Roi; Theatre Under the Stars – Rocky Horror Show, Million Dollar Quartet, Smokey Joe’s Café; TUTS Underground – Heathers, Striking 12, Bonnie & Clyde (BWW Houston Award for Best Scenic Design), First Date, LMNOP, Reefer Madness; Stages – Marie Antoinette (Houston Press Best Scenic Design Award), Who am I This Time?, Straight White Men, Failure: A Love Story, The Marvelous Wonderettes: Caps and Gowns, Language Archive, Next to Normal; The Catastrophic Theatre – Snow White, Trevor, Buried Child, University of Tamarie, A Very Tamarie Christmas, Middletown, Clean/Through, Old as Hell; Main Street Theater – Copenhagen, Love and Information, Putting it Together, Into the Woods, A Civil War Christmas, Close Up Space, Henry V (Prague Shakespeare Company), Memory House, Richard III (Prague Shakespeare Company); Orlando Shakespeare Theater – Julius Caesar;
WHO’S WHO Cape Rep – Jerusalem, Eurydice, Beauty Queen of Leenane, Avenue Q, Mack & Mabel; Shepherd School of Music – Volpone, Our Town, A Little Night Music; Houston Grand Opera – Bound (World Premiere), From My Mother’s Mother (World Premiere), Your Name Means the Sea (World Premiere). www.RyanMcGettigan.com CHRISTINA GIANNELLI (Lighting Designer) is so very happy to be back at 4th Wall where she has previously designed lights for A Doll’s House, Part 2, The Glass Menagerie, Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train, Pride and Prejudice, Lobby Hero, and BEDLAM’s Saint Joan. She has been the Resident Lighting Designer for Houston Grand Opera, Cleveland-San Jose Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, Houston Ballet, and the Metropolitan Opera. Favorite recent projects in Houston include Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and No One Owns Me for A.D. Players, Peer Gynt for Classical Theatre Company; MacGyver the Musical, Sensitive Guys, Replica, Veronica’s Room, and End of the Rainbow at Stages; Loving Clara for Mercury; on love and As the Shadows Fall for CORE, Pippin for TUTS, and Sideshow for Queensbury. For many years she produced Weekend of Texas Contemporary Dance and other dance events at Miller Outdoor Theatre. Ms. Giannelli has served on the Boards of Zocalo Artists Yard, Infernal Bridegroom Productions, and the DiverseWorks Artists Board. She is the founder of Dance Source Houston, a service organization that supports and promotes dance in Houston. She is also the proprietor of a guesthouse for visiting artists located in EaDo. Up next…Dido and Aeneus for Ars Lyrica and Little Shop of Horrors at Moores Opera House! ROBERT LESLIE MEEK (Sound Designer) is very excited to be back with 4th Wall and with this cast and crew again. He has Directed and done Sound Design for: The Tempest, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, The Haunting of Hill House, Veronica’s Room, Titus Andronicus, Christmas Carol, Macbeth, and Much Ado About Nothing (CCCT). He has also done sound design for Collected Stories, Pride and Prejudice, The Glass Menagerie, Between Riverside and Crazy, and The Lifespan of a Fact here at 4th Wall Theatre and for Woyzeck and Hurricane Diane at Rec Room. Robert is also a music producer and releases original music as “J U N O.” You can listen and learn more at www.junomusichtx.com. JACK GRAY (Properties Supervisor) is an undergraduate student at the University of Houston and will be graduating in May 2022 with his BFA in Technical Theatre Production and Design and a Minor in History. While at UH, Jack has worked on over 12 productions as a Scenic Designer, Assistant Director, Technical Director, Stage Manager, and Master Carpenter. He recently worked as a Production Assistant and Props Master on a feature film for VH1 with MTV Productions and is also the Co-Founder and Producer of the Rounds Play Festival held at UH. Jack has worked with several professional theatres in and around Houston, with this being his first show at 4th Wall. Jack’s Portfolio can be found at www.jackblairgray.com.
WHO’S WHO ALANNA DORSETT (Original Assistant Director) is originally from Texas, but she spent most of her childhood abroad living in Hong Kong and Australia before finishing high school in Houston. She moved to New York City at age nineteen and worked there in TV, film, and theatre for over a decade. Alanna holds an MFA in Directing from the Actors Studio Drama School, a BFA in Theatre Arts from Five Towns College, and an Associate Degree in Acting from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She has served as a Teaching Artist at the Young Performers Studio at The Alley Theatre, worked with the Center Stage program for public schools in Queens, New York, and was a member of The Playwright Directors Unit at The Actors Studio focusing on the creation of new works. A few of her favorite New York City directing credits include No Exit, Snow Angel, Savage in Limbo, and Tape. Previously at 4th Wall she was the director of A Doll’s House, Part 2 and the assistant director for The Realistic Joneses. CHERIE ACOSTA (Original Costume Designer) is an Assistant Professor of Costume Design at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, and has been working in theatre for the past 20 years. Her current project entitled Beautiful Affliction is a costume and interdisciplinary piece with Johns Hopkins University that merges textile design, dance, and medicine. Beautiful Affliction has premiered at The John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science and the State University of New York (SUNY) Gallery. Cherie has also produced costume designs for the Transitory Sound and Movement Collective, Karen Stokes Dance Company, and 6 Degrees Dance. Her works have premiered at the University of Houston, The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, The Contemporary Arts Museum, The American University in Paris, The Houston Health Museum, The Rothko Chapel, Houston Big Range Dance Festival, Diverse Works, Lamar University, and The University of Granada, Spain. For details regarding her work please visit www.cherieacostacostumedesign.com. ANDREW CLOUD (Original Properties Designer) has been Properties Associate with Houston Grand Opera since 2001. Some of his other credits include: Stages – Refuge; Betty’s Summer Vacation; Heart of a Woman; Romance, Romance; Lobster Alice; Dirty Blonde; I Love You, You’re Perfect Now Change; Searching For Eden; Five Course Love; The Great American Trailer Park Musical; Mr. Marmalade; Grey Gardens; The Complete History of America (Abridged); The Catastrophic Theatre – Anna Bella Eema, Hunters and Gatherers; Main Street Theater – Hamlet, The Miser.
open studios the 2nd saturday each month 2-5PM spring street studios • the silos at sawyer yards • winter street studios summer street studios • silver street studios • sabine street studios
t s o C The Value of Art At 4th Wall, we are committed to paying Houston’s theatre artists a living wage. While it may be impossible to monetize the value of art in our society, we believe it is imperative that we fairly compensate the artists who enrich our lives. We dream of a day when Houston’s professional theatre artists will be able to ply their trades without needing to work any other job. We aim toward a day when sustained theatrical excellence inspires our audience and community to hold our art and the artists who make it to be an indispensable and valued part of life in Houston. To this end, we have made it our mission to prioritize increasing artist pay every year, even beyond the minimum wage stipulated by the Actors’ Equity Association. This season, we are paying Equity actors $320 per week, which is 3.5% more than the mandated minimum wage for theatres of our size. Next season, we plan to increase actor pay by 11% to $355 per week. $355/ week
4th Wall's Hourly Pay for Equity Actors
$14.00
$13.00
$300/ week
$12.00
$310/ week
$320/ week
$11.00
$250/ week
$10.00
$9.00
$225/ week
$8.00
$7.00 2012 - 2013
2014 - 2015
2016 - 2017 2018 - 2019
2021-2022
Planned for Next Season
INDIVIDUAL ARTIST SPONSORSHIP 4th Wall has always prioritized improving the pay standard for Houston artists. A direct way to fund local creatives is to sponsor an individual artist contract. By making a gift at one of the tiers below, you will fund a position for one 4th Wall show and enjoy recognition and a variety of benefits. Sponsors gain premium access to 4th Wall events and other perks. All sponsors will have their name featured in the show program, venue signage, and 4th Wall website, and are invited to a special VIP Rehearsal and the Opening Night Party. Additional perks at various sponsorship levels include tickets to give to friends, and even dinner with founders Philip Lehl and Kim Tobin-Lehl!
SPONSORSHIP LEVELS $5,000 Actor Sponsorship $3,000 Stage Manager Sponsorship $2,500 Director Sponsorship $1,500 Designer Sponsorship $1,000 Backstage Crew Sponsorship $500
House Manager Sponsorship
We also have Corporate Sponsorship Packages that help underwrite our costs and bring your business into the spotlight. Opportunities include prominent logo placement, on-stage thanks, access to opening night parties, complimentary tickets, dinner with our artistic director, and more. Single show sponsorships start as low as $1,000.
To learn more, contact Tim Richey at timr@4thwalltheatreco.com or 832.668.5903.
Thank you!
4TH WALL THEATRE COMPANY CONTRIBUTORS
$75,000 and above City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance $35,000 and above Kenneth Bohan $20,000 and above The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Hamilton James Anonymous $15,000 and above Gary Chiles & Amy Sutton Carolyn Keating in honor of Kim Tobin-Lehl $5,000 and above Howard & Karen Bookstaff Robert J. Card, MD & Karol Kreymer Linda Dodge J & D Entertainment The Liberty Group Michelle Mower Texas Commission on the Arts
4TH WALL THEATRE COMPANY CONTRIBUTORS $3,000 and above Vanessa & Sergio Garza Patricia Larson Laura & Dan Pears Betty & Gerry Stacy $2,500 and above Mary & John Arensdorf English-Speaking Union, Houston Branch Duke & C.C. Ensell H-E-B Sheri Clark Henriksen The Edward & Helen Oppenheimer Foundation Carol Sugimoto & James Zimmerman $2,000 and above Michele Collins & Craig Moffatt Susan Fargason & Steve Lockless Carl Masterson Richard Moiel & Kathy Poeppel National Endowment for the Arts Diane Tobin $1,500 and above Brian & Dawn Greenberg Tom Kearns Harriet Schubb & John Harris
4TH WALL THEATRE COMPANY CONTRIBUTORS $1,000 and above June & Steve Barth Jackie & Malcolm Mazow Joel & Carol Bell
Michael McGinity
Mary Kay Casey
Beverly McPhail & Kevin Mark Kulish
John E. Drewer Nan Earle Sharyn Feller & David Harris Gene Graham Warren & Marsha Holleman Madison Charitable Foundation
Andrew & Kay McStay Wendell Mendell & Pam Henjum Virginia Miller Joyce Steensrud Nina & Michael Zilkha Robert Zinn
$500 and above Christopher Bacon Mary Jane Keller Ty Buthod
Mary & Rodney Koenig
Jim & Michelle Connor
Joseph Levitan
Katy Emde
Terrylin G. Neale
Howard Feldman
Pam & Art Nolting
Denis “Woodja” Flanigan, Ph.D.
Raquel P.
Nancy Grason & Richard Dixon Lucila & Bill Haase James H. Hazen in memory of Frank Young, Founder of TUTS
Tom & Carolyn Paul Lynette Pebernat Cheri & John Randolph Sandra & Clem Reid The Seabrook Family David & Kelley Tobin
4TH WALL THEATRE COMPANY CONTRIBUTORS $250 and above Claire Auchter Candace & Weir Kyle Buzz Bellmont & Randy Puddu Shondra Marie & Todd Boring Claire Brooks Brian Broome Elizabeth & David Connelly Sally & Philip Edmundson Susan Edwards Cheryl & Peter Fasullo Maureen Flynn Ruth Gorman
Bryn K. Larsen Renato & Linda Mello Howard Patton & Sue Owens Robert C. Richter, Jr Marti & Billy Rosenberg Mark Seavers Amy & Kevin Tones Dominique Varner Blake Weisser Peter V. Weston & Roxanne C. Cargill
Raymond Harvey
Tom & Mary Ellen Whitworth
Ann Hasselmo
Shari & Gary Winston
Cindy Hutchinson Green
Anonymous (3)
$100 and above Jill Baird in memory of Jim Tobin
Warren Burkholder & Sheryl Starry
Lary Barton in honor of Ken Bohan & Dean O’Kelley
Holly Clark
Lynn Birdwell Harry Bowles Eric Bradley & Wanderson Rezende Lynn Brown
Wesley Copeland Mary Lou & Harold Dietler Loretta Kania & Mark Doerr Bryan & Deborah Domning Nick & Daniela Farco Julie Fontenot
4TH WALL THEATRE COMPANY CONTRIBUTORS $100 and above, continued Karen Foster
Scott Orr
Michael Frewer
Stuart Purdy
Cynthia Greenwood
Don Quaintance
GROOVE at Creation Station Studio City
Elsie and Venu Rao
Herman Hsuan in honor of Carol Sugimoto & Alejandro Garza
John Rudder
Dianne Reece Irene Sasaki
Sandra Lee Jordan
Amanda Schlafer
Randy Kilpatrick
Barrett Sides
Elizabeth King
Bennie Slavik
Scott & Kate Lambert
A.D. Players Family in honor of James Tobin
Wendy & Stuart Laughton Ibituroko-Emi Lawson Gary Leach Frances Limoncelli The Lin Family Courtney Lomelo & Luis Galindo David Mailman Lona McManus in honor of Kim Tobin-Lehl
Sandra Stettler Lily & Mike Sweet Leslie Copeland Taylor Walter Ulrich Allan Van Fleet & Ruth Goldberg Eleanor & Richard Viebig Dr. & Mrs. James K. Weatherly Bradley & Lynn Winkler
Gretchen M. Michelfeld
Heather Wolfe
Belinda Mundey
Anonymous (13)
Anne Loo & Brad Nyberg This list reflects donations given from January 1, 2021 - May 9, 2022. Please call Tim Richey at (832)668-5903 to report any errors. 4th Wall Theatre Company is a a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.
Q&A WITH THE PLAYWRIGHT
Growing up in NY’s Upper West Side, were you exposed to theatre? We didn’t have a lot of money, so my mom would take us to the theatre every couple of years for a special occasion. But she took us to the movies all the time. She always talked a lot about theatre and performing, so I think that’s how it got into my blood. When you were first writing plays, how did you balance writing with supporting yourself? I worked in restaurants for twenty years—everything you can do in a restaurant. Eventually, I started doing arts education, which was a lot more fulfilling. I was always working day jobs up until Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train. Had you always wanted to write? No, my first intention was to be an actor—and I’m still an actor. I just kind of fell into writing along the way. Who or what was your biggest influence? My mother. We didn’t have money, but she made sure we saw a play once a year. She let me stay up late to watch CBS television on Saturday nights, the Tonys and old movies at the Regency. Of playwrights, Tennessee Williams, and actors, John Malkovich in Burn This and Mark Ruffalo in This Is Our Youth. What does it take to get you going on a play? Usually what gets me started writing is something that I’m feeling— something that’s going on inside of me that I either can’t articulate or can’t understand. There’s things you can’t share with your friends or your therapist or whatever. It’s usually like that. Something that’s been going on inside of me that just launches me to want to write. Then some dialogue will emerge and trying to get the feelings on the paper in the form of dialogue often times will launch the beginnings of a play. Then I keep going back at it and working on it. Do you have any theatrical superstitions or rituals? I always go to the bathroom right before I go on stage and I get down on my knees and pray, literally in front of the toilet, to be of service. This interview is compiled from Howard Sherman’s 2019 interview with The Stage and Suzanne Bixby’s 2011 interview with SpeakEasy.
ON A STAGE NEAR YOU Check out other shows happening around town! APOLLO 8 A.D. Players* May 4 - June 5 www.adplayers.org
HE CRIED FOR HIS MOTHER Mildred’s Umbrella Theater May 19 - May 22, 2022 www.mildredsumbrella.com
HURRICANE DIANE Rec Room Arts May 5 - May 28 www.recroomarts.org
CLYBOURNE PARK Dirt Dogs Theatre Co. May 27 - June 11 www.dirtdogstheatre.org
BORN WITH TEETH The Alley Theatre* May 6 - June 5 www.alleytheatre.org
SONG OF ME Stages* May 27 - June 12 www.stageshouston.com
JERSEY BOYS Theatre Under The Stars* May 10 - May 22 www.tuts.com
INNOMINATE The Catastrophic Theatre May 27 - June 19 www.catastrophictheatre.com
AUNT JULIA & THE SCRIPTWRITER Main Street Theater* May 14 - June 5 www.mainstreettheater.com
SARAH SINGS A LOVE STORY Ensemble Theatre June 30 - July 31 www.ensemblehouston.org
We regret we cannot include everyone in the Houston theatre community on this page. Please make sure to check local listings for additional theatre companies in Houston. *These theatres have committed to the fair treatment of the actors and stage managers employed in their productions through agreements with the Actors’ Equity Association (AEA). The AEA fosters the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions, and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Learn more at www.actorsequity.org.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 4th Wall Theatre Company acknowledges that we gather on the traditional lands of the Karankawa, Atakapa, and Akokisas peoples. We honor, with gratitude, the land itself and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations. This calls us to continually learn how to be better stewards of the land we inhabit. We encourage all who visit our theatre to learn more about the native history of the land and the ongoing legacy of the people who first inhabited it. There are links to additional resources on our website at 4thwalltheatreco.com/about-location.html We would like to offer special thanks to the American Indian Center of Houston for helping us draft this statement.
DISTURBING THE PEACE
POETRY SLAM June 17 / 18 / 19 4th Wall Theatre company 1824 Spring Street, Studio 101 Houston TX 77007 TICKETS: www.4thwalltheatreco.com (832) 767-4991
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THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEER USHERS! Kathleen Brown Semmes Burns Karen Cambias Ellen Candito Arianna Case Lu Chambers
Kirk Mashue Cadie McAnally Heather Meeks Frank and Eleanor Moler Michael Morrison Jeanette Murrell
Shaheen and Kalub Chandani-Stutts Wesley Copeland Shelley Finley Shaffiat Folahan Michele Harrell Pamela Hensley Megan Hotze
Sue Owens and Howard Patton Lisa Pasley Debs Ramser Sandra and Earl Reid Estela Serna Christine Smith Sandra Stettler Mia Van De Mark Andrea Vargas Magdalen Vaughn Bradley and Lynn Winkler
Elizabeth Keel and Greg Cote Avery Kenyatta Janet Lowery Pierce Markowitz
Did you know that when you volunteer to usher at 4th Wall you get to watch the show for free? Email info@4thwalltheatreco.com to learn more.
2022-2023 SEASON FOUR EXTRAORDINARY HOUSTON PREMIERE PLAYS THE THIN PLACE by Lucas Hnath
OCT 13–NOV 5, 2022
Everyone who ever died is still here, just in a different part of here. Linda can communicate with them. And if you believe, she can make you hear them, too — in the "Thin Place," the fragile boundary between our world and the other one. "Haunting... A cunning new ghost story... compelling and delicious.” -New York Times
THE SOUND INSIDE by Adam Rapp When an isolated creative writing professor at Yale begins to mentor a brilliant but enigmatic student, the two form an unexpectedly intense bond. Brimming with suspense, Rapp’s riveting play explores the limits of what one person can ask of another. "A gripping stunner!” -Chicago Tribune JAN 19–FEB 11, 2023
SANCTUARY CITY by Martyna Majok
MAR 23–APR 15, 2023
Two young DREAMers fight to establish a place for themselves in America, the only country they know as home. Poignant, timely, and highly theatrical, these lifelong friends must decide how much they are willing to risk for each other when they have everything to lose. "The American theatre needs [Majok’s] sensibility right now.” -Los Angeles Times
FAIRVIEW by Jackie Sibblies Drury
MAY 25–JUN 17, 2023
In Act 1 of this seemingly typical American family play, it’s Grandma’s birthday, and Beverly needs the party to be perfect. In Acts 2 through 3, Fairview morphs into a searing examination of families, drama, family dramas, and the insidiousness of racism in America. "…dazzling and ruthless…a glorious, scary reminder of the unmatched power of live theater”-New York Times
FLEX SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE NOW Redeem four tickets throughout the season however works best for you. Choose between either Premium ($180) or Standard ($108*) seating. Purchase online at 4thwalltheatreco.com or call (832) 767-4991. *Discounted Standard Subscriptions available (Seniors $88; Under-25 $58).