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FRIENDS, We sometimes say that plays at Studio ‘reflect the contemporary world.’ That feels like an understatement with respect to Chimerica. Since rehearsals began, China has dominated world news. We’ve seen the Tianjin explosion, multiple currency devaluations, record stock market losses in China that precipitated a global sell-off, stern warnings from our government about hacking and the treatment of Chinese agents on America soil, and a study linking millions of deaths to smog in Beijing. This play deals in one way or another which each of those topics, but its primary concerns are more universal and more human. Like many of this season’s plays, Chimerica deals with geopolitics writ small. Much like the set we’ve built to present it, this play presents individuals caught up in a giant machine, responding to vast trends on a human scale. This play was a critical smash in London, and we’re lucky that its US premiere happens here in Washington rather than New York. I’m even more pleased that we were able to schedule its run to coincide with Washington’s Women’s Voices Theater Festival. On average, fewer than a quarter of plays produced in America are written by women. And I’m certain that an even smaller percentage of large-scale productions have female authors. And large scale it is. Chimerica is one of the most ambitious projects Studio has undertaken: in size, scale, length, and technical complexity. It wouldn’t have been possible without a tireless staff, a devoted company of artists, and a loyal audience — all hungry for us to stretch ourselves. Welcome to the beginning of another season at Studio. YOURS,
DAVID MUSE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
DAVID MUSE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MERIDITH BURKUS MANAGING DIRECTOR
PRESENTS
CHIMERICA BY LUCY KIRKWOOD US PREMIERE
DIRECTOR DAVID MUSE SET DESIGNER BLYTHE R. D. QUINLAN COSTUME DESIGNER HELEN HUANG LIGHTING DESIGNER MARY LOUISE GEIGER SOUND DESIGNER MATT TIERNEY PROJECTIONS DESIGNER ZACHARY G. BOROVAY DRAMATURG LAUREN HALVORSEN DIALECT COACH ZACH CAMPION TRANSLATION & DIALECT CONSULTANT DR. YUAN LIU Chimerica is a professional production employing members of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), and United Scenic Artists (USA). Chimerica is presented by special arrangement with Casarotto Ramsay & Associates Ltd. Chimerica was first performed at the Almeida Theatre, London, on May 20, 2013 in a production which subsequently transferred to the Harold Pinter Theatre, in the West End of London, on August 6, 2013. Beginning September 9, 2015 in the Metheny Theatre.
FIGHT DIRECTOR CLIFF WILLIAMS III CASTING BY MCCORKLE CASTING LTD. PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER ANTHONY O. BULLOCK* ASSISTANT PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER MADISON BAHR* PRODUCTION MANAGER JOSH ESCAJEDA TECHNICAL DIRECTOR ROB SHEARIN Chimerica is generously underwritten by Gerry and Laura Rosberg.
6 01 – 2 ON 15 S 20 SEA
CHIMERICA
BY LUCY KIRKWOOD DIRECTED BY DAVID MUSE US PREMIERE SEP 9 – OCT 18, 2015
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An epic thriller that tracks two decades of US-China relations as it considers political change, personal responsibility, and lives forever changed by the crosswinds of politics and history.
MOMENT
BY DEIRDRE KINAHAN DIRECTED BY ETHAN MCSWEENY MAR 16 – APR 24, 2016
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A boisterous and unflinching dark comedy about the thorny nature of belonging, family relationships, and what it means to a call a place home. Winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize.
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BY STEPHEN ADLY GUIRGIS DIRECTED BY BRIAN MACDEVITT JAN 13 – FEB 28, 2016
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BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY
A long-absent son, an ailing mother, and the long-simmering resentments of two sisters collide in this intimate and explosive family drama.
SPECIAL REMOUNT
BAD JEWS
BY JOSHUA HARMON DIRECTED BY SERGE SEIDEN DEC 3, 2015 – JAN 3, 2016 Sa h ra ar M sh al l.
BY RICHARD NELSON DIRECTED BY SERGE SEIDEN OCT 28 – DEC 13, 2015
Over meals and through conversation, the Apples grapple with the changes the years have wrought, both for themselves and for America in the final two plays of Nelson’s cycle.
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THE APPLE FAMILY CYCLE
HEDDA GABLER
BY HENRIK IBSEN IN A NEW VERSION BY MARK O’ROWE DIRECTED BY MATT TORNEY MAY11 – JUN 19, 2016
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DA Y!
With a Main Series subscription, patrons can add three Studio X plays for just $99. Additional work will be announced. Contact the Box Office for more information.
BY NICK PAYNE DIRECTED BY DAVID MUSE
ANIMAL
F E B 1 0 – M A R 6
BY CLARE LIZZIMORE
DIRECTED BY GAYE TAYLOR UPCHURCH WORLD PREMIERE
S E P 3 0 – O C T 2 5
2015
A darkly comic play about the underside of domesticity, the complexity of the brain in chaos, and the thin line between sinking and survival.
2016
CO NS TELLATIONS
Mark O’Rowe’s stunning contemporary adaptation is a mesmerizing study of power, control, and self-deception, offering a nuanced portrait of one of the most fascinating figures in modern drama.
Kate Eastwood Norris
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Joshua Harmon’s savage comedy about family, faith, and legacy follows three cousins and their verbal battle royale over a family heirloom. The best-selling play in Studio’s history returns for a holiday run.
Theoretical physicist meets beekeeper, but the story branches off from there. An intimate and imaginative romance that plays out the infinite possibilities of a single relationship.
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CAST Joe Schofield | RON MENZEL* Frank, Herb, and others | PAUL MORELLA* Mel Stanwyck | LEE SELLARS* Tessa Kendrick | TESSA KLEIN* Zhang Lin | ROB YANG* Doreen, Maria Dubiecki, and others | JULIE-ANN ELLIOTT* Zhang Wei, Pengsi, and others | KENNETH LEE* Paul Kramer, David Barker, Peter Rourke, and others | JORDAN BARBOUR* Mary Chang, Michelle, Pengsi’s Wife, and others | DIANA OH* Young Zhang Lin, Benny, and others | JACOB YEH+ Liuli, Jennifer, and others | KELSEY WANG+ Ming Xiaoli, Feng Meihui, and others | JADE WU* Chimerica will be presented with one intermission. UNDERSTUDIES Joe Schofield | EVAN GARDNER Mel Stanwyck, Frank, Herb | JOSH ESCAJEDA Tessa Kendrick, Doreen, Maria Dubiecki, and others | KATRINA CLARK Zhang Lin | KENNETH LEE Zhang Wei, Pengsi, and others | JACOB YEH Paul Kramer, David Barker, Peter Rourke, and others | JEREMY HUNTER Liuli, Jennifer, Mary Chang, Michelle, Deng, Pengsi’s Wife, and others | LILY LIN Young Zhang Lin, Benny, and others | BRYAN K. ENG Ming Xiaoli, Feng Meihui, and others | MARY YEE * Member Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States +Equity Membership Candidate
TELL US (and the world) WHAT YOU THINK. Studio Theatre
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NEXT IN THE MAIN SERIES
BEGINS OCTOBER 28, 2015
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2015 – 2016 SEASON
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THE APPLE FAMILY CYCLE
BY RICHARD NELSON DIRECTED BY SERGE SEIDEN
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SORRY & REGULAR SINGING: Presented in rotating repertory
Over meals and through conversation, the Apples grapple with the changes the years have wrought, both for themselves and for America in the final two plays of Nelson’s cycle.
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PARKING
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Studio has a parking partnership with Washington Plaza Hotel at 10 Thomas Circle NW, three blocks south of Studio. Patrons who park at the hotel’s parking garage can purchase a $13 voucher at concessions.
During Performance Weeks Sunday and Monday: 12pm – 6pm Tuesday-Saturday: 12pm – 7pm Phones shut off 30 minutes prior to matinees. Non-Performance Weeks Monday-Friday: 12pm – 7pm
NOTE A NOTE FROM THE DRAMATURG, LAUREN HALVORSEN “Photographs, which cannot themselves explain anything, are inexhaustible invitations to deduction, speculation, and fantasy,” writes Susan Sontag in her seminal essay collection On Photography. “Photography implies that we know about the world if we accept it as the camera records it. But this is the opposite of understanding, which starts from not accepting the world as it looks.” Chimerica, Lucy Kirkwood’s transcontinental, decades-spanning epic drama, is a testament to photography’s power to suggest narratives, both insightful and misleading. The play germinated from Kirkwood’s transfixion with the iconic ‘Tank Man’ photographs of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and crackdown. Written and developed over six years, Chimerica is set against real historical events, but is heavily fictionalized: As Kirkwood writes in her Author’s Note, “It is a fact there was a Tank Man. It is a fact that photographs were taken of him. Beyond that, everything that transpires in the play is an imaginative leap.” Chimerica unfolds at a fleet pace, with thirty-eight scenes featuring more than forty-five characters scattered across two continents. With its vast thematic tapestry and constellation of connections, the play’s structure is built on intersection — but it also works by way of juxtaposition, apposing China and the United States and the commonalities and differences of the public and private worlds within them. Kirkwood frames her interrogation of these countries’ ethics, economies, and cultures through individual perspectives. And as a British playwright who describes herself as “drawn to writing English plays coming out of foreign mouths,” she is mindful of the complications of writing beyond her experience: “I don’t want to make something that tells you what I think about something; I want to ask questions. I’m trying to understand people better.” Chimerica embraces an indelible mix of intellect and emotion, as Kirkwood employs an infamous visual of the recent past to interrogate her characters’ (and her audience’s) understanding of the world. But how do we navigate the colliding historical and cultural barriers to that understanding? Is the photograph the way into that awareness, or does the primacy of the viewer’s interpretation magnify the misunderstanding? “We live in a culture in which the image is proliferating and we seek shorthand as a result,” Kirkwood says. “Are we increasingly overlaying information with our own assumptions?” Like the complex relationship between the nations at its center, Chimerica refuses easy distillation, challenging existing assumptions and moving the unconsidered into frame.
H E M P H I L L
Upcoming Exhibitions: Fall 2015
RenĂŠe Stout Winter 2016
Linling Lu Spring 2016
Colby Caldwell
Next door to Studio Theatre
PLAYWRIGHT LUCY KIRKWOOD Whether delving into the underground world of sextrafficking, exposing the politics in modern media, or addressing the complexities of US-China relations, Lucy Kirkwood is fearless in tackling situations she hasn’t experienced. But rather than hoping to reach a set of well-articulated conclusions, Kirkwood’s passion for precise and comprehensively observed moments lands her plays in the midst of irresolvable perspectives or ambiguous impulses. Her aggressive curiosity has paid off; her work has been lauded by Time Out London as “meticulously researched, dialogue-driven, snappily cut, big-issue plays.” While studying English Literature at the University of Edinburgh, Kirkwood wrote her first play, Grady Hot Potato (2005), for which she received the PMA Award for Most Promising Playwright and caught the attention of esteemed literary agent Mel Kenyon, who encouraged Kirkwood to pursue playwriting. After graduating in 2007, Kirkwood took Kenyon’s advice and devoted herself to playwriting: Guns or Butter and Psychogeography (London’s Terror Festival in 2007 and 2009, respectively), Tinderbox (2008, Bush Theatre), and her 21st century adaptation of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler (2008, The Gate) all premiered to critical acclaim. But her breakthrough work was her 2009 play it felt empty when the heart went at first but it is alright now, produced by Clean Break Theatre Co. at the Arcola Theatre earning Kirkwood the John Whiting Award and a nomination for the Evening Standard award for Best Newcomer. In 2011, Kirkwood’s stage adaptation of Beauty and the Beast (co-devised and directed by Katie Mitchell) was performed at the National Theatre as their Christmas show; earlier in the year, her play Small Hours (co-written with Ed Hime) opened at the Hampstead Theatre. One year later, the Royal Court premiered Kirkwood’s critically acclaimed workplace satire NSFW. In between writing plays, Kirkwood also crossed over to television, writing for Skins (Company Pictures) and, more recently, The Smoke (Kudos/Sky 1), which she created. The result of a six-year long development with Headlong Theatre, Chimerica premiered at the Almeida Theatre in 2013 and was a critical sensation during its sold-out run; upon its subsequent transfer to the West End, it received the prestigious Best New Play at the 2014 Olivier and Evening Standard Awards, along with the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. That same year, Kirkwood also collaborated with Lost Dog on a Brighton Festival co-commissioned dance project Like Rabbits, adapted from Virginia Woolf’s short story Lappin and Lapinova. Kirkwood is currently at work on commissions for the Royal Court Theatre, the National Theatre, and Manhattan Theatre Club in New York, as well as a new screenplay for Film4/Cowboy Films.
CAST BIOS RON MENZEL (Joe Schofield) makes his Studio Theatre debut. His regional credits include A Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); A View From the Bridge, Merchant of Venice, Edgardo Mine, Hamlet, Intimate Apparel, Pericles, and the world premiere of The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide... (Guthrie Theater); and productions with Ten Thousand Things, Geva Theatre Center, City Theatre Company, South Coast Repertory, The Cape Playhouse, Jungle Theater, and Huldufolk Theatre. PAUL MORELLA (Frank, Herb) previously appeared at Studio Theatre in Two Sisters and a Piano, Conversations With My Father, Imagine Drowning, North Shore Fish, and Romeo and Juliet. Other DC-area credits include Orpheus Descending and All My Sons (Arena Stage); Richard III and Macbeth (Folger); Angels in America and God of Carnage (Signature Theatre); Cherokee, After Ashley, Grace, Big Death & Little Death, Quills, Christmas on Mars, and Watbanaland (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company); King John and Julius Caesar (Shakespeare Theatre Company); The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, The Accident, and Either Or (Theater J); Awake and Sing!, A Christmas Carol, The Tempest, Rancho Mirage, Dinner with Friends, A Passion for Justice, Over the Tavern, Rabbit Hole, Brooklyn Boy, Sight Unseen, The Laramie Project, Becket, Broken Glass, M. Butterfly, Coffee With Richelieu, Private Lives, The Time of Your Life, and Night Must Fall (Olney Theatre Center); Midwives, Life X 3, Snakebit, and The Threepenny Opera (Round House Theatre); Sight Unseen, Shooting Star, and A Passion for Justice (Everyman Theatre); Teddy Roosevelt (The Kennedy Center); Underneath the Lintel, Ghost Writer, Sidney Bechet, Speed-ThePlow, and Burn This (MetroStage). LEE SELLARS (Mel Stanwyck) recently finished a season at Contemporary American Theatre Festival playing Stine in Steven Dietz’s On Clover Road and Roy Pillow in Michael Weller’s The Full Catastrophe, both directed by Ed Herendeen. Mr. Sellars’ Broadway credits include A Time to Kill, directed by Ethan McSweeny, and Officer Krupke in West Side Story, directed by Arthur Laurents. Off Broadway credits include Iow@ (Playwrights Horizons), by Jenny Schwartz and Todd Almond, and A Small Melodramatic Story (LAByrinth Theater Company), by Stephen Belber and directed by Lucie Tiberghien. Recent regional work includes Ether Dome (La Jolla Playhouse, Hartford Stage, Huntington Theatre), by Elizabeth Elgoff and directed by Michael Wilson; Our Town (George Street Playhouse) directed by David Esbjornson, and
Colonel Jessup in Aaron Sorkin’s A Few Good Men (Alley Theatre), directed by Greg Boyd. TESSA KLEIN (Tessa Kendrick) Broadway and Off Broadway credits include War Horse (Lincoln Center Theater), The Weir and Philadelphia, Here I Come! (Irish Repertory Theatre), and A Touch of the Poet (14th St Theatre). DC and regional credits include An Ideal Husband (Shakespeare Theatre Company); Argonautika (Shakespeare Theatre Company/McCarter/ Berkeley Rep, directed by Mary Zimmerman); The Call, The Rise and Fall of Annie Hall, and A Seagull on 16th St (Theater J); Promise (WHAT); The Trojan Women (Alabama Shakespeare Festival); and Hamlet, She Stoops to Conquer, and Aristocrats (Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre). Film and television credits include The Whitest Kids U’ Know, Disappearances, and Peter and John. She trained at the Moscow Art Theatre and holds a BA from Carnegie Mellon University. ROB YANG (Zhang Lin) makes his Studio Theatre debut. His Off Broadway credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Classic Stage Company); Shanghai Gesture (Mirror Repertory Company); the world premiere of Adam Rapp’s Bingo With The Indians, Los Angeles, I.E. In Other Words, and ‘Twas the Night Before (The Flea Theater); and Death and The Ploughman (La MaMa). Recent and upcoming films include A Bear Lands on Earth, About Ray, Me and Lizzie, The Secrets of Emily Blair, Mistress America, Stockholm, Pennsylvania, True Story, Match, and Listen Up Philip. Television credits include The Good Wife, The Blacklist, Twisted, and Bored to Death. He is originally from Chicago-land and currently resides in Los Angeles. JULIE-ANN ELLIOTT (Doreen, Maria Dubiecki, and others) previously played Officer Randy Osteen in Superior Donuts at Studio Theatre. An Artistic Associate at Olney Theatre, she has appeared in many productions there, including leading roles in The Tempest, Angel Street, Dinner with Friends, The Constant Wife, The Millionairess, Night Must Fall, Hedda Gabler, The Mousetrap, Blithe Spirit, Tartuffe, and Trip to Bountiful, and with Potomac Theatre Project: Crave, Arcadia and The Best Man. Elsewhere in the DC and Baltimore area, she has performed with Center Stage, Everyman Theatre, Folger Theatre, The Kennedy Center, MetroStage, Rep Stage, Round House Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Theater J, and Washington Stage Guild. Her television and film credits include HBO’s Veep and the film Jamesy Boy. Ms. Elliott is an Adjunct Instructor of Acting at Howard Community College and narrates books for Potomac Talking Book Services, Inc. She holds an MFA in Acting from The Catholic University of America.
KENNETH LEE (Zhang Wei, Pengsi, and others) originated the role of Dr. Hsu in The Machine (Donmar Warehouse, London; Manchester International Festival; Park Avenue Armory, NYC). Off Broadway credits include Ethel Sings (Theatre Row), Hamlet (The Pearl), and The Suitcase Trilogy (Ma-Yi Theatre). Regional credits include Henry IV Parts 1 & 2 and Hamlet (Shakespeare Theatre Company); Snow Falling on Cedars and The Completely Fictional, Utterly True Final Strange Tale of Edgar Allen Poe (Center Stage); M. Butterfly (Arena Stage); Hamlet (Arkansas Rep); 30 Fest (People’s Light and Theatre Company); Leonce & Lena, The Beaux’ Stratagem (Magic Theatre); Pericles (NJSF); Two Gentlemen of Verona, Hamlet, and The Tempest (American Players Theatre); Death of a Salesman (Singapore Repertory Theatre); The Cherry Orchard (The Substation, Singapore); Nineteen (Columbia Stages); and Allegiance (workshop with George Takei). Film and television credits include Mr. Robot, Madam Secretary, Unforgettable, The Following, Delocated, Deception, Children of Invention, Across the Universe, Law & Order: CI, One Life to Live, and Love and Adventure in NY. Mr. Lee received his BFA from NYU and his MFA from American Conservatory Theatre. JORDAN BARBOUR (Paul Kramer, David Barker, Peter Rourke, and others) returns to DC after appearing in Peter Brooks’ The Suit at The Kennedy Center in 2014. Mr. Barbour toured with The Suit around Europe, Asia, and North America. Additionally, Mr. Barbour has toured with Young Jean Lee’s The Shipment to venues around the world including the Barbican in London, the Hebbel in Berlin, and the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. His New York credits include The Civilians’ The Way They Live at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Deepest Play Ever at New Ohio Theatre, Vertebrae at New York Theatre Workshop, and Langston in Harlem at Urban Stages. His regional credits include The 12 at Denver Center Theatre Company, Stormy Weather with Leslie Uggams at Pasadena Playhouse, Rent at Syracuse Stage, Topdog/Underdog and Hair at Perseverance Theatre, Macbeth at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and three seasons at Williamstown Theatre Festival. Mr. Barbour is a graduate of a joint program between Columbia University and The Juilliard School. DIANA OH (Mary Chang, Michelle, Pengsi’s Wife, and others) is the creator of {my lingerie play}, featured in People Magazine, Huffington Post, Upworthy, Marie Claire NZ, and Fox. Recent credits include New Line Cinema’s How to Be Single, Wifey TV’s Hey Yun, the film Me and Lizzie, her concert plays Diana Oh is GOING ROGUE with terraNOVA Collective, and {my lingerie play} Installation 9/10: THE FINAL INSTALLATION (Ensemble Studio Theatre, All For One Theater, international
tour). She has performed at Lincoln Center, LAByrinth, Ars Nova, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Symphonics Live, Bowery Poetry Club, The Blue Note, Culture Project, La MaMa, Caps Lock Theatre, Gideon Productions, Ivy Theatre, BBC, and National Geographic. Ms. Oh is a Radical Diva Finalist, twotime New York Innovative Theatre nominee for Outstanding Actress, New York Theatre Now’s 2013 Person of the Year, and serves on the committee of E.S.T.’s Last Call. She is also a singer/songwriter and tours internationally. She received her MFA from the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts (Thropp Fellow), and is an alumna of Smith College, LAMDA, and NTI. JACOB YEH (Young Zhang Lin, Benny, and others) was last seen at Studio in Edgar & Annabel (2ndStage). His other credits include Rodney in Yellow Face (Theater J); Momotaro in Anime Momotaro and Machine Master in P.Nokio (Imagination Stage); and Confucius in Back to Methuselah, Kawabata in Take Me Out, Kenny in Fuddy Meers, and Dorante in Game of Love and Chance (1st Stage Tysons). He has appeared in productions at Ford’s Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Folger Theatre, Adventure Theatre MTC, The Welders, Pinky Swear Productions, Spooky Action Theater, and the Source Festival. KELSEY WANG’S (Liuli, Jennifer, and others) recently appeared as Lin Chang in the Off Broadway production of I Know What Boys Want at Theatre Row and the lead role of Fanshen in OMG! Chopsticks at the Venus/Adonis Theatre Festival in New York. A New York-based actress, Ms. Wang was born in Beijing and grew up in Singapore. She studied Economics and Theatre Studies at Duke University, and has also worked as an investment banking analyst. JADE WU (Ming Xiaoli, Feng Meihui, and others)’s New York credits include Mother Courage and Her Children with Meryl Streep and directed by George C. Wolfe, The Shanghai Gesture (Bank Street Theater), Comfort Women (Urban Stages Theater), and Primary English Class directed by Gerald Gutierrez (Minetta Lane Theatre). International credits include Medea and Yankee Doodle Dandy at Edinburgh Festival Fringe and The Changeling at the Adelaide Festival. Regional appearances include Trojan Women (Shakespeare Theatre Company), Book of Days (Arena Stage), and Red (The Wilma Theater). Film and television include The Motel (recipient of the Sundance/Humanitas Award), recurring roles on The Blacklist, Homicide: Life on the Streets, One Life to Live, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, and The Jury, and the upcoming Me and Lizzie. Writing fellowships include Disney/ABC Writers, Jerome, Ms. Foundation, and PEN USA’s Rosenthal Emerging Writers. Her solo show 2752, developed at La MaMa Umbria, will receive its world premiere in 2017.
MORE THAN 50 WORLD PREMIERE PLAYS BY WOMEN
For a full list of plays and events see
womensvoicestheaterfestival.org Photo Credits: Arena Stage: Nicholas Rodriguez and Margaret Anne Florence by Scott Suchman. Signature Theatre: Chad Fornwalt and Sherri L. Edelen by Chris Mueller. Studio Theatre: Kate Eastwood Norris by Dean Alexander. Ford’s Theatre: Mitchell Hébert, Kathryn Tkel and Josh Sticklin by Scott Suchman. Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company: Kimberly Gilbert by Dean Alexander.
NEW THIS SEASON
The first play of Studio X is the world premiere of Animal by Clare Lizzimore. Commissioned by Studio Theatre, Animal is a darkly comic play about the underside of domesticity, the complexity of the brain in chaos, and the thin line between sinking and survival.
WORLD PREMIERE
ANIMAL BY CLARE LIZZIMORE DIRECTED BY GAYE TAYLOR UPCHURCH
This season’s Fall Benefit highlights Animal, commissioned by Studio Theatre. The Fall Benefit, held October 1, 2015, includes an exclusive performance of the play, bookended by a pre-show dinner and a post-show reception with the cast and playwright. Proceeds from the night will fund Studio’s expanded new play initiatives. For more information on the Fall Benefit, contact the Development Department at 202.232.7267 x372.
Animal is presented as a part of the Women’s Voices Theater Festival.
In the fall of 2015, more than 50 of the Washington DC region’s professional theaters are banding together and each presenting a world premiere production of a work by one or more female playwrights. The landmark event aims to highlight both the scope of plays being written by women and the range of professional theater being produced in and around the nation’s capital. The Women’s Voices Theater Festival will be the largest collaboration of theater companies working to produce original works by female writers in history.
Kate Eastwood Norris
2015-2106 is the inaugural season for Studio X, a purposefully eclectic constellation of projects, encompassing work that benefits from particularly intimate or immersive stagings, presented work, and some of Studio’s world premiere projects.
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TIANANMEN SQUARE: 1989 In April 1989, following the death of former Communist Party leader Hu Yaobang, people from across China met in Tiananmen Square to mourn. Hu had been a symbol of liberal reform, and the gathering turned into a peaceful protest, calling for an end to official corruption and an acceleration of political and economic change. The demonstrators, who were mostly university students, boycotted their classes and occupied the Square in enormous numbers, organizing hunger strikes and sit-ins and refusing to leave the Square despite demands from Party officials and the police. Demonstrations spread to cities and universities across China. At the peak of the protests, more than one million students, workers, and allies occupied Tiananmen Square.
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After a first thwarted attempt to enforce martial law in May, the government ordered the People’s Liberation Army to forcibly clear the Square on the evening of June 3rd. The crackdown left an unknown number of unarmed civilians dead, with some estimates in the thousands. There is no official death toll. In the following weeks, Chinese authorities detained, tortured, imprisoned, or executed thousands of demonstrators. ro
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THE LEGACY OF TANK MAN
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On June 5th, 1989, a man holding two plastic shopping bags stepped onto Changan Avenue in front of a column of tanks, briefly halting their advance. The standoff, captured and immortalized from various vantage points by five foreign photojournalists, became not only the enduring symbol of the protests, but also one of the most iconic images of the twentieth century. Twenty-six years later, the identity and fate of the ‘Tank Man’ is unknown. Despite the image’s historical resonance, it is censored on the Internet in China by the government, along with over sixty search terms relating to the protests, including “Tiananmen”, “June 4”, and “tank man.” Public discussion of the tragedy is prohibited, and the photograph is mostly unknown to contemporary Chinese citizens. “There are stories of that photograph being taken into remote parts of China and the people there thinking it’s a piece of art,” explains Lucy Kirkwood. “I was fascinated by those unexpected consequences of censorship.”
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CHIMERICA IN DATA PEOPLE
INTERNET
1
POPULATION Number of People
1.364 billion
ACCESS Percent of Population
84.2%
45.8%
US
CHINA
(276.6 million users)
(626.6 million users)
321.5 million
US
LANGUAGE
CHINA
PRESS FREEDOM
2
Worldwide Native Speakers of Chinese (All Varieties): 1.39 billion Worldwide Native Speakers of English: 527 million 300 million
China ranked #176 out of 180 countries on the 2015 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, which measures media independence and respect for the safety and freedom of journalists. The US was #49.
ENVIRONMENT Number of Americans Learning Chinese
4
GLOBAL CO2 EMISSIONS Percent of World Total
60,000 Number of Chinese Learning English
1. United States Census Bureau 2. The Washington Post, The Asia Society
3
US: 14.5% China: 27.6%
3. Reporters Without Borders 4. Global Carbon Atlas
ECONOMIES GDP GROWTH 2005–2014 5 Percent 15 10 China 5
The World US
0
2005
2006
2007
LABOR FORCE 6 Number of People
2008
2009
2010
801.6 million
2012
2013
2014
UNEMPLOYMENT 6 Percent US: 6.2% China: 4.1% US NATIONAL DEBT 6 (August 2015): $18.2 trillion
156 million US
2011
The top creditor is China, which owns $1.261 trillion worth. CHINA
Will China replace the United States as the global superpower? (Or has it already?) 7 46% yes
67% yes
59% yes
48% yes
US
CHINA
UK
GLOBAL
5. The World Bank 6. CIA World Factbook, The World Bank, US Treasury Department
7. Pew Research Center, Global Attitudes Survey 2015
STUDIO DISTRICT Studio Theatre is the arts hub of one Washington DC’s most exciting neighborhoods. Whether you’re looking for a restaurant to enjoy a pre-performance meal, a bar to have drinks after the show, or maybe even somewhere to take your bike this weekend for a tune-up, we encourage you to support these nearby businesses that support us.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS 1. Barcelona 1622 14th St NW 202.588.5500 barcelonawinebar.com Spanish
8. Estadio 1520 14th St NW 202.319.1404 estadio-dc.com Spanish
15. The Pig 1320 14th St NW 202.290.2845 thepigdc.com Pork Centric
2. Black Whiskey 1410 14th St NW 202.800.8103 blackwhiskeydc.com Bar
9. Fainting Goat 1330 U St NW 202.735.0344 faintinggoatdc.com American
16. Policy 1904 14th St NW 202.387.7654 policydc.com American
3. B Too 1324 14th St NW 202.627.2800 btoo.com Belgian
10. Logan Tavern 1423 P St NW 202.332.3710 logantavern.com American
17. Posto 1515 14th St NW 202.332.8613 postodc.com Italian
4. ChurchKey 1337 14th St NW 202.567.2576 churchkeydc.com American
11. Maki Shop 1522 14th St NW 202.544.6333 Sushi
18. Rice 1608 14th St NW 202.234.2400 ricerestaurant.com Thai
5. Commissary 1443 P St NW 202.299.0018 commissarydc.com American 6. Cork 1720 14th St NW 202.265.CORK corkdc.com Wine Bar 7. Drafting Table 1529 14th St NW 202.621.7475 draftingtabledc.com Pub
12. Marvin 2007 14th St NW 202.797.7171 marvindc.com Belgian and American South 13. Number Nine 1435 P St NW 202.986.0999 numberninedc.com American 14. Pearl Dive Oyster Palace 1612 14th St NW 202.319.1612 pearldivedc.com Seafood
19. Slipstream 1333 14th St NW 202.450.2216 slipstreamdc.com Coffee & Cocktails 20. Tabard Inn 1739 N St NW 202.331.8528 tabardinn.com New American 21. 10 Thomas Restaurant At Washington Plaza Hotel 10 Thomas Circle NW 202.408.6136 American
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24. Whole Foods Market 1440 P St NW 202.332.4300 wholefoodsmarket.com Natural Foods Store
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23. DuPont Optical 1509 Connecticut Ave NW 202.483.9440 dupontoptical.com Eyeglass Shop
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ARENA STAGE GIVES YOU MORE 2015/16 SEASON — NOW ON SALE World-Premiere Telenovela Comedy
DESTINY OF DESIRE
By Karen Zacarías Directed by José Luis Valenzuela September 11 – October 18, 2015 Helen Hayes Award-winning playwright Karen Zacarías (The Book Club Play) infuses the Latin American telenovela genre with music, high drama and burning passion to make for a fast-paced modern comedy. Part of the Women’s Voices Theater Festival. Gold-Standard Musical
OLIVER!
Music, Lyrics and Book by Lionel Bart Directed by Molly Smith October 30, 2015 – January 3, 2016 Bursting with jubilant songs, including “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two,” “Consider Yourself” and the scrumptious “Food, Glorious Food,” director Molly Smith (Fiddler on the Roof) serves up a musical feast that will have you calling out for “More!” Children’s Theatre Company’s World Premiere of
AKEELAH AND THE BEE
Adapted by Cheryl L. West Based on the Original Screenplay by Doug Atchison Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright November 13 – December 27, 2015 Based on the beloved film, Akeelah and the Bee tells the story of an independent 11-year-old from the Chicago projects taking on the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s World Premiere of
SWEAT
By Lynn Nottage Directed by Kate Whoriskey January 15 – February 21, 2016 This gripping world premiere by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage (Ruined) explores America’s industrial decline at the turn of the millennium.
Off-Broadway Smash
THE CITY OF CONVERSATION By Anthony Giardina Directed by Doug Hughes January 29 – March 6, 2016
Politics and family make for polarizing bedfellows in this “smart, literate and funny” (New York Times) new play where a Georgetown hostess plays king-maker, opening her home for political foes to lay down arms and raise a glass.
A Personal Musical Journey
THE LION
Written and Performed by Benjamin Scheuer Directed by Sean Daniels In Association with Eva Price February 26 – April 10, 2016
Some stories have to be sung. Writer/performer Benjamin Scheuer has created a wholly original musical experience that tells a coming-of-age story that “lifts the spirit” (Time Out New York). Much like its hero, The Lion roars. Tony-Winning Drama
ALL THE WAY
By Robert Schenkkan Directed by Kyle Donnelly April 1 – May 8, 2016 It’s not personal, it’s politics. Go All the Way with LBJ, Martin Luther King Jr., J. Edgar Hoover and more in this “sure-fire, action-packed hit” (Huffington Post). Winner of the 2014 Tony Award for Best Play. Pulitzer-Winning Drama
DISGRACED
By Ayad Akhtar Directed by Timothy Douglas April 22 – May 29, 2016 Don’t miss this “breathtaking, raw and blistering” (AP) Pulitzer winner about the clash between modern culture and ancient faiths, filled “with fresh currents of dramatic electricity” (New York Times). ADD-ON EVENT World-Premiere Play
ERMA BOMBECK: AT WIT’S END
By Allison Engel and Margaret Engel Directed by David Esbjornson October 9 – November 8, 2015
From the creators of Red Hot Patriot comes a delightful look at one of America’s most beloved voices, who captured the frustrations of a generation by asking, “If life is a bowl of cherries, what am I doing in the pits?” Part of the Women’s Voices Theater Festival.
ARTIST BIOS DAVID MUSE (Director) See bio on Leadership page. BLYTHE R. D. QUINLAN (Set Designer) returns to Studio Theatre where she has designed Venus in Fur and The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow. Recent theatre work includes Coriolanus/Wallenstein at Shakespeare Theatre Company, The Wheel at Steppenwolf Theatre, Antony and Cleopatra at Hartford Stage, Cure at Troy at Seattle Repertory Theatre, Iphegenia 2.0 at Signature Theatre NYC, The Greeks at The Juilliard School, and King Lear at Yale Repertory Theatre. Recent film and television work includes Happiness, Boardwalk Empire, Gotham, A Most Violent Year, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Julie and Julia, and many others. Ms. Quinlan is a graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts and the Yale School of Drama. HELEN HUANG (Costume Designer) has designed costumes for Studio Theatre for more than 20 years. Other design credits include Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, The Washington Ballet, Ford’s Theatre, Folger Theatre, Round House Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Arena Stage, Signature Theatre Company, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Classic Stage Company (New York), Guthrie Theater, The Children’s Theatre Company (Minneapolis), George Street Playhouse, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Disney Entertainment, Syracuse Stage, PlayMakers Repertory, and Boston Lyric Opera. International credits include set and costume design at National Opera House of China and the Central Television of China. Ms. Huang is a Helen Hayes and Ivey Award recipient. Other credits include costume design works in the international exhibition Costume Design at the Turn of the Century held at the A. A. Bakhrushin Museum in Moscow, Russia in June – September 2015 and the exhibition Curtain Call: Celebrating a Century of Women Designing for Live Performance at The New York Public Library, Lincoln Center, and the Prague Quadrennial. She is a professor at the MFA Costume Design Program, University of Maryland, College Park. MARY LOUISE GEIGER (Lighting Designer) returns to Studio Theatre where she designed Time Stands Still and Invisible Man (Helen Hayes Award). Upcoming projects include The Crucible at the Cleveland Play House, The Sound of Music at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in Seattle, and the new play Native Gardens at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Her work has been seen on Broadway in The Constant Wife, and most recently in New York with Dael Orlandersmith’s new work Forever at the New York Theatre Workshop. Additional New York credits include shows with Playwrights Horizons, The Public Theater, Second Stage Theatre, The Vineyard Theatre, The Actors Company Theatre, and Ars Nova. Her design for Mabou Mines’ Dollhouse played St. Ann’s Warehouse in New York and toured around the United States and internationally. Ms. Geiger is Head of Lighting in the Department of Design for Stage and Film at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and trained at the Yale School of Drama. MATT TIERNEY (Sound Designer) recently designed the Broadway production of Machinal (2014 Tony Award nomination, Drama Desk Award). Other recent credits include The Tempest (The Public), Gloria (Vineyard Theatre), The Sound and The Fury (Elevator Repair Service/The Public), Appropriate (Center Theater Group/Mark Taper Forum). His Off Broadway work includes Our Lady of Kibeho (Signature Theatre); Pocatello, The […] Watson Intelligence, Detroit, Kin, This (Playwrights Horizons); An Octoroon, Julie Taymor’s A Midsummer Nights Dream (TFANA); Generations, Uncle Vanya, A Public Reading […]
About The Death Of Walt Disney, Blasted (Hewes Award) (Soho Rep); Luck of the Irish (LCT3); and work with the The Wooster Group and Young Jean Lee’s Theatre Company. With Elevator Repair Service, he has designed The Sound and The Fury, Arguendo, The Select (The Sun Also Rises) (OBIE and Lortel awards, 2012). His regional credits include productions at Yale Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, McCarter Theatre Center, American Repertory Theater, Alley Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Long Wharf, Great Lakes Theater, and Center Theatre Group. ZACHARY G. BOROVAY (Projections Designer) has designed projections for Broadway, Las Vegas spectaculars, circuses, concerts, theme parks, operas, museums, and art installations. Recent Broadway credits include Rock of Ages (also London, Australia, Las Vegas, Toronto, Norwegian Cruise Line, national and UK tours), Holler If Ya Hear Me, No Man’s Land, Waiting for Godot, Ann, Evita (also national tour), Elf, Lombardi (Drama Desk nomination), A Catered Affair (Drama Desk nomination), and Xanadu (also national tour, Japan). Recent regional credits include The Colored Museum (Huntington Theatre), Chaplin (La Jolla Playhouse), and Nerds (Philadelphia Theatre Company). Additional credits include The Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular, Peepshow (Las Vegas), and Voyage de la Vie (Resorts World, Singapore). Mr. Borovay is also an accomplished bassist (Berklee College of Music). LAUREN HALVORSEN (Dramaturg) is in her fifth season as Associate Literary Director of Studio Theatre. Her dramaturgy credits at Studio include The Wolfe Twins, Belleville, Water by the Spoonful, Tribes, The Real Thing, The Motherfucker with the Hat, The Aliens, Bachelorette, The Big Meal, and Time Stands Still. Previously, Ms. Halvorsen spent three seasons as Literary Manager of the Alley Theatre. She was the Artistic Associate of the WordBRIDGE Playwrights Laboratory for six years and has worked in various artistic capacities for City Theatre Company, O’Neill Playwrights Conference, First Person Arts Festival, and The Wilma Theater. Ms. Halvorsen is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College. ZACH CAMPION (Dialect Coach) is the Education Manager at Studio Theatre and a member of the Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory faculty. Last season, Mr. Campion was the Dialect Coach for Terminus for Studio 2ndStage (nominated for three Helen Hayes Awards). This fall, Mr. Campion will be the Dialect Coach for Voracious at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Other credits include projects in Richmond, VA. Mr. Campion is a certified teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework® and holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Theatre Pedagogy from Virginia Commonwealth University. CLIFF WILLIAMS III (Fight Director) has been choreographing and directing for the last twelve years, mostly in the DC area. His credits include Dracula, The Scene, and Six Years at Actors Theatre of Louisville; Shoplifters, Gem of the Ocean, and Long Day’s Journey into Night at Arena Stage; Dead Man’s Cell Phone at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Angels in America at Forum Theatre, and The Argument and Yentl at Theater J. PAT MCCORKLE, C.S.A. (Casting) and Associate Casting Director Joe Lopick cast Jumpers for Goalposts and Tribes at Studio Theatre and over 55 Broadway productions including the current hits On the Town and Amazing Grace. Other casts include the Tonynominated Broadway production End of the Rainbow as well as the highly acclaimed Off Broadway plays Tribes and Our Town both directed by David Cromer. Their Broadway casting includes High, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The Glass Menagerie, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Ride Down Mt. Morgan, Amadeus, She Loves Me, Blood Brothers, and A Few Good Men, among others. Notable Off Broadway projects include Clever Little Lies, Falling, Freud’s Last Session, Almost Maine, Ears On A Beatle, Down The Garden Paths, Killer Joe, Mrs. Klein, and Driving Miss Daisy. Feature
FOLGER
THEATRE
CELEBRATING 400 YEARS OF SHAKESPEARE
2015/16 SEASON WORLD PREMIERE
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival production of
NOVEMBER 13-DECEMBER 20, 2015 JANUARY 26–MARCH 6, 2016
SEPTEMBER 19–OCTOBER 4, 2015
A retelling of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice MAY 31–JULY 3, 2016
APRIL 21–MAY 8, 2016
NOW ON SALE
202.544.7077 • www.folger.edu/theatre 15-FT-0071_StudioTh.indd 1
Salomé
adapted and directed by Yaël Farber Begins October 6 For tickets call our Box Office at 202.547.1122 or go online at ShakespeareTheatre.org Salomé was commissioned through a grant from the Beech Street Foundation.
WOMEN’S
VOICES THEATER FESTIVAL
8/11/15 11:20 AM
film casting includes Premium Rush, Junction, Ghost Town, Bereft, Secret Window, Basic, The Thomas Crown Affair, The 13th Warrior, Madeline, Die Hard with a Vengeance, School Ties, Splash, End of the Line, Brenda Star, My Man is a Loser, and Junction, among many others, as well as the upcoming feature films Child of Grace, Year By the Sea, and Buyer and Seller, which are currently in production. Their casting for television and new media includes Twisted (ABC Family pilot), Sesame Street, 27 East, Electric Company, Californication (Emmy nomination), Hack, Education of Max Bickford, 3Lbs, Barbershop, Chapelle’s Show, and Remember Wenn, among many others. ANTHONY O. BULLOCK (Production Stage Manager) is the Resident Stage Manager at Studio Theatre, where he previously stage managed Laugh and Jumpers for Goalposts. He has worked internationally on The White Snake by Mary Zimmerman with Goodman Theatre as part of The Wuzhen Theatre Festival in Wuzhen, China. Regionally, he has worked at Classic Stage Company, McCarter Theatre Center, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Shakespeare & Company, The Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, Bristol Riverside Theatre, Passage Theatre Company, ReVision Theatre, Oklahoma City Repertory, Black Hills Playhouse, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, and Oklahoma Children’s Theatre. He holds a BFA in Theatrical Design and Production with an emphasis in Stage Management from Oklahoma City University. Mr. Bullock is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. MADISON BAHR (Assistant Production Stage Manager) has served as the Assistant Stage Manager for Murder Ballad, Bad Jews, and Torch Song Trilogy at Studio Theatre. Other regional credits include The BFG at The National Children’s Theatre in Residence at the National Theatre, The Admission and Our Suburb at Theater J, Seminar and Glengarry Glen Ross at Round House Theatre, In The Heart Of America and Mrs. Warren’s Profession at Rep Stage, and Absolutely! Perhaps at Constellation Theatre. Ms. Bahr holds a BA in Theatre from the University of Maryland College Park. SIVAN BATTAT (Assistant Director) is Studio Theatre’s Artistic Apprentice. She has worked with a number of artists including Kim Weild, Leila Buck, Lily Whitsitt, Yuri Kordonsky, and Rinde Eckert. As a student, she directed an adaptation of Jean Claude van Itallie’s The Serpent as her capstone project, exploring devised ensemble processes. She has worked at New Haven-based Elm Shakespeare Company and Collective Consciousness Theatre, as well as with the Cape Cod Theatre Project, a developmental playwrights’ workshop in Massachusetts. She has also spent time working with various peace-based groups abroad including the Arab-Hebrew Theatre of Jaffa in Southern Tel Aviv and a young artists festival in Sderot, Israel. Ms. Battat spent a semester training at the Moscow Art Theatre School and is a recent graduate of Wesleyan University where she received her BA in Theater and Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory.
STAGE COMBAT October 3 and 4, 1-5pm ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE October 10 and 11, 1-4pm MUSICAL THEATRE December 5 and 6, 2-6pm AUDITIONING December 12 and 13, 1-5pm All workshops are just $150. For more information or to register, 202.232.0714
Photo: C. Stanley Photography.
WEEKEND WORKSHOPS — FALL 2015
CHIMERICA STAFF Assistant Director SIVAN BATTAT Assistant Dramaturg SARAH COOKE Assistant Stage Manager AMANDA LANDIS Production Assistant RACHEL HAMILTON Assistant to Set Designer LUCIANA STECCONI Assistant to Costume Designer KELSEY HUNT Assistant to Lighting Designer JANE CHAN Assistant Fight Director JAKE GUINN Light Board & Projections Operator SEAN PATRICK FORSYTHE Sound Board Operator JESS HOOVER Automation Operator ERIC MCMORRIS For additional members of the production staff, please see the full staff listing.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Studio Theatre is grateful to Esthy and James Adler for their support of Chimerica. Special thanks to The University of Maryland, Round House Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, and Betty Ann Leeseberg-Lange. Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) was founded in 1913 as the first of the American actor unions. Equity’s mission is to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Today, Equity represents more than 40,000 actors, singers, dancers, and stage managers working in hundreds of theatres across the United States. Equity members are dedicated to working in the theatre as a profession, upholding the highest artistic standards. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions and provides a wide range of benefits including health and pension plans for its members. Through its agreement with Equity, this theatre has committed to the fair treatment of the actors and stage managers employed in this production. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. For more information, visit www.actorsequity.org.
ABOUT STUDIO THEATRE Now in its sixth season under the leadership of Artistic Director David Muse, Studio Theatre is dedicated to the best in contemporary theatre, producing an uncommonly rich and wide-ranging repertoire of provocative new writing from around the world alongside unique special events and inventive stagings of contemporary classics, performed by acclaimed actors in intimate spaces. Devoted to artistic excellence, Studio Theatre strives to present audiences with extraordinary writing, sophisticated design, and stunning performance. Our commitment to connecting actors and audience is built into our architecture, where none of our four performance spaces seats more than 225 patrons. No theatre of comparable budget size operates such exclusively intimate spaces. Throughout the Theatre’s 37-year history, the quality of its work has been recognized by sustained community support as well as with 329 nominations and 63 Helen Hayes Awards for excellence in professional theatre.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Bobbi Terkowitz, Chair Teresa Schwartz, Vice-Chair Jean Heilman Grier, Secretary Jon Danforth, Treasurer Fred Boyle Susan Butler Liz Cullen Mark Foster Susan Gordon Albert Lauber Wendy Luke Stan Marcuss Ginny McArthur Herb Milstein Fenner Milton
Larry Naake James Nozar Jonathan Pitt Gerry Rosberg Steve Skalet Jerome Sowalsky Robert Tracy Jonathan Tycko Janet Wittes EX-OFFICIO Meridith Burkus David Muse HONORARY BOARD Jan Carol Berris Irene Harriet Blum Vincent Brown Morris J. Chalick, M.D. Barbara Smith Coleman*
Virginia R. Crawford John G. Guffey Warren Graves S. Ross Hechinger E. C. Michael Higgins Jaylee M. Mead, Chair Emeritus* Russell Metheny Harold F. Nelson Nancy Linn Patton Marshall E. Purnell Joan Searby Victor Shargai Henry F. von Eichel* Joy Zinoman, Founding Artistic Director * In memoriam
LEADERSHIP DAVID MUSE (Artistic Director) is in his sixth season as Artistic Director of Studio Theatre. For Studio and 2ndStage, he has directed Chimerica, Murder Ballad, Belleville, Cock, Tribes, The Real Thing, An Iliad, Dirt, Bachelorette, The Habit of Art, Venus in Fur, Circle Mirror Transformation, reasons to be pretty, Blackbird, Frozen, and The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow. Previously, he was Associate Artistic Director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company, where he directed seven productions, including Henry V, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, and Coriolanus. Other directing projects include Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune at Arena Stage, The Bluest Photo: Teddy Wolff. Eye at Theatre Alliance, and Swansong for New York Summer Play Festival. He has helped to develop new work at numerous theatres, including New York Theatre Workshop, Geva Theatre Center, Arena Stage, Ford’s Theatre, and The Kennedy Center. Mr. Muse has taught acting and directing at Georgetown, Yale, and the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Academy of Classical Acting. A six-time Helen Hayes Award nominee for Outstanding Direction, he is a recipient of the DC Mayor’s Arts Award for Outstanding Emerging Artist and the National Theatre Conference Emerging Artist Award. Mr. Muse is a graduate of Yale University and the Yale School of Drama. MERIDITH BURKUS (Managing Director) joined Studio Theatre in May 2014. She brings ten years of arts management experience to the position—encompassing theatre, music, film, and public media. Most recently, Ms. Burkus held the position of Director of External Relations at StoryCorps, the Peabody Award-winning radio program and national oral history project, working to optimize StoryCorps’ impact on a national scale. Under her leadership, StoryCorps increased its operating budget by 25% and launched several new initiatives and recording locations across the country. She previously held positions in marketing, public relations, and development with several New York City organizations, including five seasons at The Public Theater as Director of Individual Giving. At The Public, she significantly increased annual contributions to various programs and initiatives such as Shakespeare in the Park, Public Lab, Joe’s Pub, and the Under the Radar Festival, in addition to being a key player in the successful completion of the recent $40 million capital campaign to renovate The Public’s historic home on Lafayette Street. She is a graduate of the Boston Conservatory of Music.
THANK YOU Without the generosity of our dedicated supporters, Studio Theatre could not continue to bring the best of contemporary theatre to our nation’s capital. $75,000+
Anonymous DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Andrew C. Mayer Charitable Trust National Capital Arts & Cultural Affairs Program and the US Commission The Shubert Foundation
$50,000 – $74,999
Paul M. Angell Family Foundation The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation David and Jean Heilman Grier Albert Lauber and Craig Hoffman Share Fund
$30,000 – $49,999
Abramson Family Foundation Beech Street Foundation Susan L. and Dixon M. Butler Dr. Mark Epstein and Amoretta Hoeber The JBG Companies PEPCO Gerald and Laura Rosberg Sherman Fairchild Foundation Steve and Linda Skalet Bobbi and Ralph Terkowitz
$15,000 – $29,999
The Adler Family Fund Don and Nancy Bliss Bruce Cohen Henry H. and Carol Brown Goldberg E.C. Michael Higgins Carolyn and Warren Kaplan Rick Kasten Helen and David Kenney The Mandy & David Team, Compass Real Estate
Joan and David Maxwell E.C. Michael Higgins and Virginia A. McArthur Daniel and Teresa Schwartz Mr. Craig Pascal and Mr. Victor Shargai United Way of the National Capital Area George Wasserman Family Foundation Weissberg Foundation
$7,500 – $14,999
Carolyn Alper Bloomberg The Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts CrossCurrents Foundation Liz and Tim Cullen Miriam Cutler and Paul Salditt Lizbeth J. Dobbins Sheryl and Rick Donaldson Kenneth B. Dreyfuss Betty and Wes Foster Family Foundation Hope and Mark Foster Dr. and Mrs. William V. Garner Susan L. Gordon Graham Holdings Company John and Meg Hauge Stephen and Judy Hopkins John Horman Lynne and Joseph Horning IBM Matching Grants Program Peter B. Kovler and Judy Lansing The Lewis & Butler Foundation Stanley and Rosemary Marcuss A. Fenner Milton Ann K. Morales Larry and Joan Naake
National Endowment for the Arts Shirley Susan Platt Trust Toni Ritzenberg Milton and Dorothy Sarnoff Raymond Foundation Jon and NoraLee Sedmak Statistics Collaborative Robert Tracy and Martha Gross Tycko & Zavareei LLP J. Watkins and Brad Frey Marvin F. Weissberg Whole Foods Market P Street Alan and Irene Wurtzel Judy and Leo Zickler
$5,000 – $7,499
Anonymous (2) Peter A. Bieger Frederick and Theresa Boyle Jon Danforth and Carol Arthur Lois England Charmaine and Albert Horvath Leonade D. Jones Nancy and Herbert Milstein Bernard Myers Fund for the Performing Arts James Nozar and Adam Unger Jonathan and Madeleine Pitt Lutz Alexander Prager Lola C. Reinsch Sotheby’s International Realty Jerry and Patti Sowalsky Stonesifer/Kinsley Family Fund Hattie M. Strong Foundation The Morningstar Foundation Mark Tushnet and Elizabeth Alexander Jonathan and Joan Tycko
$2,500 – $4,999
Drs. Stewart Aledort and Sheila Rogovin Leonard and Joy Baxt BB&T Bank Amy F. Berger and Glen Nager J. Frank Bernheisel Sue and Joe Bredekamp Capital Bank Capital One, N.A. Dr. Morris J. Chalick Nancy Chasen and Don Spero Susan Clampitt and Jeremy Waletzky Carl and Rise Cole Margery Doppelt and Larry Rothman Mona and Mark Elliot Burton Gerber Frona Hall Kenneth G. Hance, Jr. and Kamer Davis Andrea Hatfield and Buck O’Leary F. Lynn Holec William Hopkins and Richard Anderson Mark and Carol Hyman Fund IBM Anthony and Karen Kamerick Christine and Gene Kilby Jane Lang and Paul Sprenger* Stephen and Maria Lans Susan Lee and Stephen Saltzburg The Jacob & Charlotte Lehrman Foundation B. Thomas Mansbach Wallis E. McClain Carl and Undine Nash Kate Perry and George Dellinger Bob and Nina Randolph Sandy Read and Hugh Hill Rogers & Company PLLC Steve and Ilene Rosenthal Drs. Irene Roth and Vicken Poochikian Linda and Stanley Sher David and Peggy Shiffrin Patricia Smith Sidney Stolz and David Hatfield
Martha Washington StrausHarry H. Straus Foundation The Touma Foundation TrueTheatreGoer, LLC George and Trish Vradenburg Margot and Paul Zimmerman
$1,500 – $2,499
Anonymous Patricia Alper Cohn and David Cohn Jim and Mary Bellor Bruce and Deborah Berman Trudy H. Clark Continental Properties, Ltd. Dimick Foundation Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Warren Gump Karen Kaub Arlene and Martin Klepper Barry Kropf Mark Lewellyn Romana Li and Bruce Bartels Karen and Daniel Mayers Barbara and Al McConagha Carol Rabenhorst Anne & Henry S. Reich Family Foundation Bishop Gene Robinson Joan Searby Richard Seaton and John Berger Susan P. Willens Bruce and Margareta Yarwood
IN-KIND
Ace Beverage Amtrak Aram Designs B Too BakeHouse Barcelona Restaurant and Wine Bar Birch & Barley Bluebird Bakery BodySmith Gym + Studio Cava Mezze CHURCHKEY Cleveland Park Liquors & Fine Wines Colonial Parking Cork Daikaya
Dolcezza Drafting Table EatWell DC Fathom Creative Four Seasons Hotel Washington DC Ghibellina Hank’s Oyster Bar Kingsbury Confections Marvin Restaurant McWilliams Ballard Residential Brokerage Mehri & Skalet Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams New Columbia Distillers Number Nine Policy Restaurant and Lounge Posto Shugoll Research Slipstream Sotto Sweetgreen Teavine/Cider Snap The Fainting Goat Unipark Valet Services YMCA National Capital Zentan For a complete listing of our generous supporters, please visit studiotheatre.org/ support. *In Memoriam This list represents contributions received through July 31, 2015. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this listing. For more information, please contact the Development Office at 202.232.7267
YOU MAKE THINGS HAPPEN AT STUDIO A GIFT TO STUDIO HELPS US BRING THE VERY BEST IN CONTEMPORARY THEATRE TO DC. WE CELEBRATE EXCELLENCE
WE SERVE THE COMMUNITY
Studio plays explore the contemporary world with style, wit, and passion. Our uncommonly rich repertoire of provocative writing from around the world is marked by extraordinary writing, sophisticated design, and stunning performance.
Studio opens its doors to students and audiences across the region by donating tickets to schools, community organizations, and theatres. Our accessibility initiatives aim to make our work available to the widest possible audience. Last season’s production of Choir Boy reached hundreds of metropolitan DC students through Studio’s student matinee program.
WE INVEST IN WRITERS Studio supports new writing from inception to first production: commissioning new work, giving writers time and resources to develop their work, and hosting them in residence during the rehearsal process. This season, we inaugurate our new Studio X series with a play we commissioned: Clare Lizzimore’s Animal.
Studio commissioned writer, Rachel Bonds. Photo: Teddy Wolff.
Photo: E. David Luria.
WE ANCHOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD
YOU CAN INSPIRE MORE!
Studio has grown up in DC’s historic 14th Street Corridor and is the cultural hub of our energetic and revitalized neighborhood.
WAYS TO GIVE:
WE NURTURE CREATIVITY With an ambitious season of five Main Series shows and four Studio X projects, our programming is the most wide-ranging in the city. Additionally, our acclaimed Acting Conservatory reaches over 500 students in its 60 classes every year.
ONLINE STUDIOTHEATRE.ORG PHONE 202.232.7267 MAIL 1501 14TH ST NW WASHINGTON, DC 20005 EMAIL DEVO@STUDIOTHEATRE.ORG STOCK Please call 202.232.7267 for more information.
On August 1, in conjunction with Midcity Dog Days, Studio debuted a new fundraising event — Taste of Studio. The event included a multi-floor food and beverage experience featuring neighborhood restaurants and bars. Taste of Studio allowed us to open our doors to our neighbors, and allowed them to explore our three-building, four-performance space complex.
THANK YOU
TO OUR MANY PARTNERS AND SPONSORS!
STUDIO STAFF ARTISTIC DIRECTOR DAVID MUSE
MANAGING DIRECTOR MERIDITH BURKUS
Associate Artistic Director: Matt Torney Artistic Apprentice: Sivan Battat Literary Director: Adrien-Alice Hansel Associate Literary Director: Lauren Halvorsen Director of Design: Debra Booth Commissioned Writers: Mary Elizabeth Hamilton, Ike Holter, and Aaron Posner
Executive Assistant: Mary Grace Short Administrative and Education Assistant: Anderson Wells
Production Manager: Josh Escajeda Associate Production Manager: Chelsea Cranshaw Company Manager/Production Apprentice: Kat Zeringue Resident Stage Manager: Anthony O. Bullock Stage Management Apprentice: Amanda Landis Technical Director: Robert Shearin Carpenter: Bianca Hamp Carpenter: Mason Hurley Carpentry Apprentice: Alex Mathis Scenic Artist: Erich Starke Properties Director: Deborah Thomas Costume Shop Manager: Brandee Mathies Master Electrician/Sound Technician: Adrian Rooney Electrics Apprentice: Sean Patrick Forsythe Sound/Projections Apprentice: Jess Hoover Education Education Manager: Zach Campion Education/Conservatory Apprentice: Thais Menendez Instructors: Joy Zinoman (Director of Curriculum and Teacher Training), Carol Arthur, Nancy Bannon, Diana Bradley, Zach Campion, Kate Davis, Elena Day, Kate Debelack, Denise Diggs, Catherine Eliot, George Fulginiti-Shakar, Julie Garner, Robb Hunter, Nancy Paris, Madeleine Burke Pitt, Roma Rogers, Serge Seiden, Colette Yglesias Silver, Matthew Vaky
General Manager: Elisabeth Bayer Management Associate: Eric Colton Business Apprentice: Clara Blickenstaff Information Technology Director: Nick Torres Facilities Manager: Kieran Kelly Facilities Apprentice: Joe Tomaselli Director of Development: Rodney E. Trapp Manager of Major Gifts: Zack Lynch Manager of Partnerships and Events: Nikki Grizzle Development Services Associate: Tobias Franzén Development Apprentice: Tasmin Swanson Institutional Giving Consultant: Lisa Buchs Marketing and Communications Publicist and Publications Manager: Liz O’Meara-Goldberg Digital Marketing Manager: Rachael Wilkinson Communications Apprentice: Kendall Helblig Graphic Design Apprentice: Allie Dearie Graphic Designer: Shawn Helm Photographers: Teddy Wolff, Igor Dmitry Director of Ticket Sales and Audience Services: Benjamin DuGoff Box Office Manager: Stephen Notes Subscriptions Manager: Adria Gunter Associate Manager of Ticket Sales and Service: Amy Horan Audience Services Manager: Lynn Coughlin House Managers: Ric Birch, Marley Kabin, Jeff Kirkman III, Quill Nebeker Assistant House Managers: Tori Boutin, Corinne Hayes, Nick Houhoulis, Bridget Woodbury Box Office Staff: Andra Belknap, Warren Freeman, Joseph Graf, Marley Kabin, Yewande Odetoyinbo, Emma Safford
HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR NEW SEASON!
Oct 22 THE DEFENDERS: INSIDE THE WILDLIFE TRADE
Thu • 7:30 PM
Get an insider’s look at National Geographic’s new Special Investigations Unit combating the illegal wildlife trade with investigative reporter Bryan Christy.
Nov 4 BUILDING THE PHOTO ARK
Wed • 7:30 PM
Hear about photographer Joel Sartore’s comical mishaps, endearing encounters, and personal stories to document a world worth saving.
Dec 3 THE SCIENCE OF TASTE
Thu • 7:30 PM
Savor a deliciously delightful evening celebrating and learning the science—at art—behind what tastes good, what tastes bad, and why we even taste at all.
Dec 8 RHINOS, RICKSHAWS & REVOLUTIONS
Tue • 7:30 PM
Travel with Ami Vitale on her personal odyssey through the images and adventures that have made her a celebrated global photojournalist.
Tickets start at $25 @NatGeoLive
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202.857.7700 | natgeolive.org/dc KEITH LADZINSKI
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