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ROBERT & MERCEDES EICHHOLZ FOUNDATION ROBERT & MERCEDES ROBERT & MERCEDES EICHHOLZ FOUNDATION EICHHOLZ FOUNDATION
RONNI LACROUTE RONNI RONNI LACROUTE LACROUTE
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JAN 20 - FEB 18
See the last two shows of the season for $35 each with code 35YEARS artistsrep.org • 503.241.1278 ROBERT & MERCEDES EICHHOLZ FOUNDATION
RONNI LACROUTE
DAVID & CHRISTINE VERNIER
BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY BY STEPHEN ADLY GUIRGIS
Dámaso Rodríguez, Artistic Director/Interim Managing Director
CAST (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE)
Walter “Pops” Washington...................................................... Kevin Jones^* Oswaldo.................................................................................. Illya Torres-Garner Lulu......................................................................................... Julana Torres* Junior...................................................................................... Bobby Bermea* Detective Audrey O’Connor..................................................... Val Landrum^* Lieutenant Caro....................................................................... Ben Newman* Church Lady............................................................................ Ayanna Berkshire^*
CREATIVE TEAM
Director................................................................................... Adriana Baer~ Scenic Designer....................................................................... Kristeen Willis Crosser# Costume Designer................................................................... Alison Heryer# Lighting Designer..................................................................... Carl Faber# Sound Designer....................................................................... Sharath Patel^ Dramaturgs.............................................................................. Luan Schooler, Logan Starnes Voice & Text Director............................................................... Mary McDonald-Lewis^ Intimacy Choreographer.......................................................... Amanda K Cole Stage Manager........................................................................ D Westerholm* Props Master........................................................................... Sarah Andrews Production Assistant................................................................ Megan Moll Production Assistant 2............................................................. Amanda Kishlock Board Op................................................................................. Jason Coffey 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) Between Riverside and Crazy is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.
TIME: Summer, recently. SETTING: Pre-war apartment on Riverside Drive in New York City. RUN TIME: Approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes, including an intermission. The video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means is strictly prohibited.
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. Actors’ Equity Association, founded in 1913, represents more than 49,000 actors and stage managers in the U.S. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Equity seeks to foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. www.actorsequity.org ^ Artists Repertory Theatre Resident Artist # The scenic, costume, lighting, projection and sound designers are represented by United Scenic Artists + Equity membership candidate ~ Stage Directors & Choreographers Society This theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatre and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
LORT League of resident theatres
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A MESSAGE FROM ARTISTIC DIRECTOR DÁMASO RODRÍGUEZ POPS: “YOU CAN’T HEAL ME—I WON’T BE HEALED.” CHURCH LADY: “YOU ARE HEALING.”
A moment of communion between Walter “Pops” Washington and the unnamed Church Lady, played by Resident Artists Kevin Jones and Ayanna Berkshire, in Between Riverside and Crazy. Welcome to Artists Rep and to the Portland premiere of Between Riverside and Crazy by Stephen Adly Guirgis. This 2015 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama marks the return to our stage of Guirgis’ brutally funny and tender style of poetic prose, last experienced by our audiences in 2014’s hit production of The Motherfucker with the Hat. I am thrilled that that productions’ director, Resident Artist Kevin Jones, reached out to me in 2015 with his interest in the central role of Walter “Pops” Washington. Kevin is an extraordinary actor best known in Portland as one of our best and most prolific directors and the Artistic Director of the vitally necessary August Wilson Red Door Project, which we are proud to have as a resident company. It took a couple of seasons to get the timing just right, but I am so glad we are finally able to bring this important and timely play to you with Kevin in the pivotal role. At the helm of this Guirgis production is another of our city’s leading directors, Adriana Baer, who brings meticulous attention to complex characters with all her work. With Baer and Jones on board, it was particularly easy to stack our cast and creative team with a thrilling mix of performers and designers. Please be sure to get to know these artists by reading their bios. After five years living in Portland, I continue to be impressed and inspired 4 | Artists Repertory Theatre
by the ever-increasing breadth and depth of our local professional talent. I’d like to take this space to make sure you are aware of the incredible news that we recently announced: In late January, Artists Rep received an anonymous donation of $7 million. This historic gift is in support of our mission to produce intimate, provocative theatre and provide a home for artists and audiences to take creative risks. This is the largest donation made to Artists Rep in our 35-year history, and one of the largest gifts ever made to an Oregon arts institution. I am deeply grateful for this transformational gift and the trust that comes with it. These funds afford us an incredible opportunity to carefully plan our future as a theatre company, while continuing to support Portland artists and arts organizations through the ArtsHub residency program. This generous demonstration of philanthropy acknowledges the value of our mission, our 35-year body of work and our potential to impact our community in the years ahead. This extraordinary financial windfall followed the announcement of our plans to sell half of our property to create a sustainable home and operating model for the organization. With this incredible act of generosity, Artists Rep is still proceeding with the building sale for several reasons, but most
importantly, because we believe it is the best way to secure a lasting future for our company. This gift gives us the stability to examine and consider this building project from all angles and make the best decisions for our organization throughout the process. We will maintain the south side of the block, located on Morrison Street between SW 15th and 16th Avenues. The plan empowers us to remodel the south half of the block in a way that rightsizes our facility and creates two new theatres, multiple rehearsal spaces and offices, which includes increased space for the many Portland arts organizations that call Artists Rep home. I believe that our transformation will benefit the entire neighborhood and elevate the experience of making and attending theatre at Artists Rep. This is an exciting time for our theatre, and we’re honored to have both longtime supporters and those new to
SHOW SPONSORS:
Artists Rep along for the journey ahead. I expect you may have many questions. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our staff members today in the lobby to discuss your ideas and concerns. If you’d like to receive regular updates on all plans as they develop, please be sure our Box Office has your contact information. Warmly,
P.S. I am looking forward to sharing our 2018–19 season announced in April! It’s shaping up to be a thrilling mix of local premieres, coveted Broadway and Off-Broadway hits along with at least one World Premiere developed in our Table|Room|Stage new works program. I hope you’ll agree that each one is a can’t-miss experience and sign up for the entire ride with a full-season subscription!
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ADDITIONAL MAJOR CORPORATE & FOUNDATION SUPPORT:
Artists Repertory Theatre receives support from the Oregon Arts Commission, a state agency funded by the State of Oregon and the National Endowment for the Arts. Artists Repertory Theatre | 5
W HO IS WHO IS POPS? POPS? with Kevin Jones
Artists Rep audiences are familiar with Kevin Jones’ work as director of We Are Proud to Present… in 2016 and The Motherfucker with the Hat in 2014. In addition to being a Resident Artist at Artists Rep, he is the Artistic Director of the August Wilson Red Door Project—a company whose mission is to change the racial ecology of Portland through the arts. A few days before rehearsals began for Between Riverside and Crazy, Luan Schooler (Director of New Play Development & Dramaturgy) sat down with him to talk about his thoughts on the play, his character Pops and the commonality between this project and his work at the August Wilson Red Door Project. LUAN SCHOOLER: You’ve been excited about Between Riverside and Crazy for a couple of years now. So, what was it about this play that particularly excited you? KEVIN JONES: Well I’ve been a big fan of Stephen Adly Guirgis’ work since Jesus Hopped the A Train. To me he’s the best thing since August Wilson. His characters are murky, gloomy, gritty, dishonest and obscure. August Wilson celebrated common, everyday working-class black folks, while Stephen celebrates all of us by insisting that we see the ugly, because the ugly is necessary. I also love the character of Pops because he feels like a contemporary August Wilson character. The rhythm of Pops’ 6 | Artists Repertory Theatre
language is very reminiscent of August Wilson’s lexicon. To tell you the truth, the prospect of playing Pops scared me at first. I’m still a little scared, but it’s a healthy fear. I also love the twist in the story. At the beginning it seems predictable, but the twist took me by complete surprise. LS: So what is it about Pops that engages you so much? KJ: He is me in a lot of ways. I’m not a cop like Pops is, but I can relate to the regret he has in his life. As an African American man he is still trying to figure out what’s next, and if it’s worth it to keep going. He lost his wife, he almost lost his own life, and with that he’s lost his passion for life. He could spend more time on the important things in his life, like his relationship with his son and old friends, but he doesn’t. He has the chance to start that journey of redemption, but he’s not willing to do the deep psychological work it would take because he’s resentful and angry. There was a point in my life where I could relate to that anger, and I still wonder what’s next for me like Pops does. I can also relate to his excitement about his “could-be” grandchild and the hope it brings him. I have a grandson who I’m in love with and sometimes I just want to lose myself to that. I also relate to the way Pops talks, as I mentioned earlier. It’s music to my ears because it’s what I was raised with in New York. When I first started messing around with the lines, I found they were so hard to remember. There’s double negatives all over the place and he’ll start with one point of view and then
kind of go in a different direction. But when I relax and remind myself that I know this language, it feels like home. LS: Are there aspects of him that you find very challenging to get a hold of? KJ: Yes, definitely. Pops is a very angry and hopeless man and that’s a challenging thing to get a hold of. When I was younger I had that more in me, but as I get older I let the anger roll off. Pops is still on edge and ready to tear somebody’s head off, but at the same time he’s hopeless and depressed. It’ll also be interesting to tap into his mentality as a police officer. One thing I’ve learned about cops, because we’re [August Wilson Red Door Project] developing a show [Hands Up] about cops right now and interviewing police officers all over the country, is that some of them are very close to being criminal themselves. You have to have the mind of a criminal to be a good cop. They hang out with criminals, and they hang out with people who hang out with criminals, and they hang out with people who put criminals in jail. In the play, you can see how Pops has sort of developed the mind of a criminal. Pops is always plotting and thinking and never shows his hand. So there’s this part of him that is very much a criminal—ruthless and in some ways calculating. I find that challenging to make believable (wink wink) and accessing that part of him is going to be fun. He’s also agoraphobic…he doesn’t leave his house. So, that’s another place where my research comes in and where I am trying to explore and understand him better. LS: We touched on this a little bit, but can you talk about how working on Hands Up has given you insight into Pops? KJ: The journey of Hands Up started with the desire to do a show about police
profiling that will help bring attention to something that’s been a part of life since I was 12 years old. Now here we are, almost two years later, and we’ve done over 50 shows in front of 10,000 people. The thing we didn’t expect was how much we’ve connected with the police through the process of creating this show. If I didn’t do Hands Up and spend so much time in their world, I’d never be able to see it from a different perspective. When I think about doing Between Riverside and Crazy, I have to believe that it provides me insight on some level. A secret hope and wish for me is that cops will come see this show. I think the last scene in Act I is very powerful. The self-hatred and the pain that’s depicted is so real. I’ve talked to cops who share that very lonely place. LS: You’re a busy man, and you have turned down other roles. What’s that “secret sauce” that makes you want to take a role? KJ: It feels like the right time. For a while at the beginning, I was thinking of ways to get out of it because of my busy schedule. But on a personal note as an artist and an actor, you just have to get back in the game. I felt that given the climate in our country around police profiling that this was an important role to take on. I thought it’d be a great opportunity for me, August Wilson Red Door Project and Artists Rep to explore a relationship and market it to our audiences. There’s so much more to be explored with the dialogue around police profiling. And of course, I’m excited to be working with Adriana and I’m excited to work with the cast and Artists Rep. I worked with Bobby in Radio Golf years ago and directed Val in The Motherfucker with the Hat. I had a great experience with all of them, and have wanted to work with Ayanna for a long time.
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PLAYWRIGHT’S BIO
STEPHEN ADLY GUIRGIS Stephen Adly Guirgis is a member and former co-artistic director of LAByrinth Theater Company. His plays have been produced on five continents and throughout the United States. His most recent play, Between Riverside and Crazy (dir: Austin Pendleton) premiered at Atlantic Theater Company, moved to Second Stage Theatre, and garnered numerous awards including the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Other plays include: The Motherfucker with the Hat (six Tony Award nominations, including Best Play, dir: Anna D Shapiro), Den of Thieves (dir: Max Daniels), Dominica The Fat Ugly Ho (dir: Adam Rapp), as well as Our Lady of 121st Street, Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train, In Arabia We’d All Be Kings, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Public Theater) and The Little Flower of East Orange (Public Theater)— all five directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman and World-Premiered at
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LAByrinth Theater Company. In London, his plays have premiered at The Donmar Warehouse, The Almeida (dir: Rupert Goold), The Hampstead (dir: Robert Delamere) and at The Arts Theater in the West End (dir: Philip Seymour Hoffman). As an actor, he has appeared in theater, film and television, including roles in Alejandro Inarritu’s Oscar winning Birdman, Kenneth Lonergan’s Margaret, Todd Solondz’s Palindromes and Brett C. Leonard’s Jailbait opposite Michael Pitt. He co-created and executive produced Netflix’s The Get Down with Baz Luhrmann. Other awards include: Yale Wyndham-Campbell Prize, The Harold & Mimi Steinberg Award, PEN/ Laura Pels Award, Whiting Award, TCG Fellowship, Fringe First Award, N.Y. Drama Critics Circle Award, L.A. Drama Critics Prize and a Lucy Lortel Award. A former violence prevention specialist and H.I.V. educator, he lives in New York City.
DIRECTOR’S NOTE ADRIANA BAER For the years I was in graduate school at Columbia University, I lived on the corner of 115th and Riverside in Manhattan, within a few blocks of where this play takes place. It was a time when Columbia was acquiring more and more property in both Morningside Heights and neighboring Harlem. When I took the train one stop north to 125th Street, I saw huge banners reading, “West Harlem is not for sale!” and “Stop Columbia! We won’t be pushed out!” and the tongue-firmly-in-cheek, “Gentrification in progress! There’ll be cupcakes!” Until I saw those signs, I had never considered the history of my own apartment. Like many apartments in Pops’ building in Between Riverside and Crazy, mine was a converted prewar residence; once a large flat, now two smallish one-bedroom apartments garnering likely quadruple the rent than it did under rent-control in the 1970s and 80s. And now I wondered: who lived there before me? Who was pushed out to make room for me, a privileged white woman in her 20s studying theatre in the Ivy League? It is easy for me to think of one’s identity as being connected to place when I think of our forests, state parks and the natural world, but I often forget that for most of our country’s population, that place-based identity is rooted in urban environments. When gentrification comes along and pushes people out, we are sending the message, “you are no longer welcome here. You no longer belong.” When we
take someone’s home, we often also take their identity, their “self.” This is something that our community in Portland is in the throes of in a very real way right now. As Mayor Wheeler switches sides from the tenants to landlords and back again, and more and more “don’t tear down old Portland homes and neighborhoods” signs go up around town, we must consider if by making way for the future, we are erasing and nullifying someone’s past. Between Riverside and Crazy is about much more than real estate, of course.
IT IS A MESSY PROJECT, THIS ONE OF FIGURING OUT WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU REALLY WANT FROM LIFE. IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE FULLY YOURSELF, TO STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN HONESTLY AND TRUTHFULLY, AND NOT HURT SOMEONE ELSE IN THE PROCESS? It asks us to mine what it is that makes us who we are. Is it our actions? Our jobs? Our addictions? Who and what we stand up for? Our lineages, families we are born into or the families we make? It is a messy project, this one of figuring out who you are and what you really want from life. Is it possible to be fully yourself, to stand up for what you believe in honestly and truthfully, and not hurt someone else in the process? In the complicated, unsexy reality that is most of our day to day, Stephen Adly Guirgis shows us that you really do have to go through it to break out of it.
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The FIGHT FOR
CONTROL BY LOGAN STARNES
The action in Between Riverside and Crazy happens in retired cop and recent widower Walter “Pops” Washington’s rent-controlled, New York apartment on Riverside Drive; a space that becomes an uncredited character in the play. Also sharing the apartment are Pops’ son, Junior, Junior’s girlfriend Lulu and Junior’s
challenged by his landlords, who are using his “suspicious” houseguests and unkempt apartment as means for eviction. These rentals were originally established after World War II to protect the returning soldiers and their families from being priced out of their homes by landlords. In the early 1950s there were an estimated 2 million RENT-CONTROLLED APARTMENTS IN NEW rent-controlled YORK ARE LIKE URBAN LEGENDS. CITY apartments. DWELLERS ALL HAVE A FRIEND OF A FRIEND According to THAT HAS MANAGED TO SCORE THE ELUSIVE the most recent LEASE, BUT RARELY DO YOU FIND ONE. Housing and Vacancy Survey there are around 27,000 rentfriend (and recovering addict), controlled apartments in NYC as of Oswaldo. Pops’ prime piece of real 2014. Most of the apartments today are estate could easily be rented for ten occupied by seniors on fixed incomes times the amount that he is paying, so and, because of tenancy succession his landlord is pushing the family to rules, this may be the last generation vacate. of rent-controlled residents. The Rent-controlled apartments in New rules surrounding succession are also York are like urban legends. City strict. The person assuming the rentdwellers all have a friend of a friend controlled apartment must be related that have managed to score the elusive by blood or law and have been living lease, but rarely do you find one. in the apartment for at least two years According to the NYC website for the before the current occupant passes Rent Guidelines Board, “to qualify for away or moves out in order to qualify. rent control, a tenant must have been This means that Junior, who was in continuously living in an apartment jail and unable to live in the apartment since July 1, 1971, or be the qualifying with Pops for the past few years, is not family member who succeeded to eligible to take over if something were such tenancy.” Pops’ tenancy is being to happen to his father.
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Pops’ identity as a husband, cop and father has been on rocky ground for years, and his apartment is all he has left. Even though Pops has let the apartment fall into complete disrepair, he seems to be the only one who wants to keep it. Junior won’t let him ignore the eviction notices, his landlord keeps trying to sweeten the deal and his former partner in the NYPD advises him to take the cash payout. Pops is determined to hang onto what’s left of his home, revealing the complicated relationships between identity and
place that spring from living in the city for as long as Pops has. On top of that, Pops has been pursuing a discrimination suit against the NYPD for being shot by a white rookie cop while off-duty. The tension between Pops and his landlord is an implied but fundamental piece to Pops’ struggle to remain relevant and grounded in his own story. Ultimately, his apartment is used as leverage by the city of New York in an attempt to get Pops to agree to the settlement of his case against the NYPD.
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DESIGN PROCESS WITH KRISTEEN CROSSER BY LOGAN STARNES
K
risteen Crosser (Associate Producer and Production Manager for Artists Rep) is primarily a lighting designer but enjoys mixing it up with set design. This particular script calls for a lot of different pieces to inform the audience of the setting and convey the history of its occupants. Since the apartment is a central part of the play, the design process of moving it from the page to the stage is complicated. Kristeen started out with the descriptions given in the script and expanded from there. “The script has very specific requirements of the place. It doesn’t necessarily require us to see the entire apartment at one time but we do need to imagine that the whole apartment could exist within the space. The script imagines this play taking place in a proscenium theatre in terms of the grandeur, size, and scope. So, putting it into our threequarter thrust theatre was an interesting challenge.”
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The next step was the actual logic of the script descriptions and how she could fit that into the Alder Stage. “It’s a pre-war apartment [and the script] doesn’t specify that there are three bedrooms but there are three individuals that have lived and slept in this apartment at some point. It’s fair to guess that it’s a three bedroom apartment. It’s intended to have some level of grandeur, in that it’s initially talked about with chandeliers in the rooms. Typically pre-war apartments in that area of New York have pretty tall ceilings, a lot of decoration, and a lot of detail work in the decoration of the structure itself. So, trying to put all of that into our space, which has a 14.5 [foot] grid and a 13 foot proscenium is interesting. The total depth of our stage is, I think, 30 feet. It’s also described as a railroad apartment, which is very specific and means it is long and skinny.” Making the long and thin apartment fit into a square space without losing the feeling of a large apartment was difficult.
I asked who she collaborated with and The solution came to Kristeen on the way how they came to their solution for the into work on the morning of the design design. “Ultimately, the main collabo- presentations. “I had this idea and I ration was spent between me and [the came in and drafted it. I spent a whole director] Adriana Baer. We both spent a of 50 minutes coming up with this idea. good deal of time imagining how that full I threw away the notion that we would apartment could live within that room. represent it all on the floor but [instead] We went through a world in which we that we would create some sort of crown did the box thing, it was molding effect that would on a jaunty angle so it carry over to the audience was not just a box but and would give us a sense SINCE THE APARTMENT IS it did not represent a of room shape with the A CENTRAL PART OF THE railroad apartment.” perimeter.” Everybody PLAY, THE DESIGN PROCESS Early versions of the on the design team had OF MOVING IT FROM THE design included more of a part in the concept, PAGE TO THE STAGE IS a box layout but after rethough the vast majority COMPLICATED. evaluating with Adriana of it was Baer and Crosser and the rest of the design reaching an understandteam, they realized that ing of what version of the they needed a different play this space requires of approach. “Adriana wanted the audience them. They realized, “we don’t have to do to be clear on where all the rooms are so that, that would be a much less interesting she was initially talking about a paint version of the play in this room because treatment that represented the three we would spend a lot of time watching bedrooms, the kitchen, the living room people move things around than if we and the hallway. She very much wanted just represent it all from the beginning.” to see the whole apartment even though Why such painstaking considerations and we do not go into at least two of those details? Well, Crosser asked that same bedrooms.”
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13
question. “The apartment is very important to the play, a lot of the plotline— there are several plotlines throughout the script—but one of the through lines of the play has to do with whether this family should or could continue to live in this apartment. This apartment needs to be of a certain level of grandeur for the audience to also question and to go a little bit into their discomfort about who they are in judging that.” The play does a lot to make the audience question how they feel about their preconceived notions of folks. “For many of our audience members here in Portland, Oregon, where we are very white, we would assume the patriarch of this family would not necessarily live in this apartment. So, trying to create enough wall space to have that level of detail and to have that feeling of height and grandeur and chandeliers with audience on three sides of the space is an interesting challenge.” Surprisingly, one of the big considerations for this play were two matching chaises that the script calls for. “Oddly enough finding two period chaises that match is astronomically expensive and the style
or period of the chaise says a lot about the rest of the decor in the apartment. A lot of my time has been spent looking at chaise lounges to try and answer other questions about the play. We ultimately gave ourselves permission to only have one but still that one will influence the rest of the choices.” Who knew that a single piece of furniture could have so many deliberations and influence other choices? The level of detail in the set dressings is also addressed in the script. There’s supposed to be family pictures throughout the apartment but depicting this without walls is a challenge. “We also had to look at the rent-control and when they would have had to move in to have that rentcontrolled apartment, which is the early mid-seventies. That then informs what era of decoration the apartment has, they may have purchased items more recently, but we are presuming that the vast majority of the decor is from when they moved into the apartment.” From start to finish the design process can be complex, but it is nevertheless vital to the vision of the play as a whole.
SERIES
WHITE RABBIT
RED
A different actor each night is handed a script sealed in an envelope — to perform cold.
April 12-15 @ Artists Rep
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Artists Repertory Theatre’s mission is to produce intimate, provocative theatre and provide a home for artists and audiences of varied backgrounds to take creative risks. Founded in 1982, Artists Repertory Theatre is Portland’s premiere mid-size regional theatre company. Artists Rep became the 72nd member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) in May 2016 and is an Associate Member of the National New Play Network (NNPN).
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STUDENT MATINEE PROGRAM OPEN CAPTIONED PERFORMANCES
ACTOR BIOS KEVIN JONES Pops Kevin has enjoyed working on the American stage for more than 30 years. Regional theatres include American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida, Florida Studio Theatre, The Fountain Theatre (L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award), Los Angeles Theatre Center, East West Players (L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award for Actor in a Supporting Role), Great Lakes Theater, The Magic Theatre in San Francisco, Berkeley Repertory Theatre and Arkansas Repertory Theatre. Locally he has performed at Artists Rep, Portland Center Stage, Third Rail Repertory Theatre and Portland Playhouse, where he received a Drammy Award for Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role in Radio Golf by August Wilson. Kevin most recently directed August Wilson Red Door Project’s production of Hands Up: 7 Playwrights, 7 Testaments. Prior to that he directed How I Learned What I Learned (Drammy Award for Best Director of a Play), and highly acclaimed productions Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and The Piano Lesson, all at Portland Playhouse and all plays by August Wilson. Other directing credits include We Are Proud To Present… (Jackie Sibblies Drury), The Motherfucker with the Hat (Stephen Adly Guirgis) and Seven Guitars (August Wilson) at Artists Rep and A Lesson Before Dying and Blood Knot (Athol Fugard) at Profile Theatre. His past work also includes TV and film.
Kevin is a Resident Artist at Artists Rep and the co-founder of the August Wilson Red Door Project.
ILLYA TORRES-GARNER Oswaldo Illya Torres-Garner was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba to a proud and progressive family of six kids. He attended many theatre schools and honed his talents and passion for acting at the University of Winnipeg Theatre Honours Program. Illya has been performing on stage and screen for local and national audiences since he was 12. He played a recurring character on Canadian sci-fi 2030 CE and by the end of his time at the U of W played a very well received Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Most recently, Illya has been performing with StageWorks, Ink in various rock opera productions, and dancing with TriptheDark Dance Company in their story-based dance productions. He recently performed in Davita’s Harp with the Jewish Theatre Collaborative and re-sparked his taste for dramatic stage performing. When Illya is not wearing his acting hat, he plays music and runs a construction company, ITG Construction. Illya is thrilled to be working with Artists Rep for the first time.
JULANA TORRES Lulu Julana Torres is ecstatic to be returning for her second production with Artists Rep since performing the role of Grandma in Cuba Libre. She is a Portland local with an extensive career in dance, music and theatre. Graduate
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ACTOR BIOS of Jefferson Dance Program, Julana moved on to train with Eveoke Dance Theater of San Diego, Salsa Con Clave in Puerto Rico, Alvin Ailey, Peridance Capezio and Broadway Dance Center in New York. She has also choreographed and appeared in shows for Disney, New York, New York Hotel, Nike, Will Vinton Claymations, Oregon Symphony, Oregon Ballet Theater, American Diabetes Association, Dance West, Urban Arts Dance Company and more. Recently Julana decided to return to the stage after a long hiatus of teaching with Portland Public Schools where she established the fulltime dance program for Franklin High School. Since returning, she has been seen in Water by the Spoonful (Profile Theatre), 26 Miles (Profile Theatre) and Óye Oyá (Milagro Theatre). She recently filmed feature film Losing Addison starring Sherilyn Fenn, and can be seen performing as the lead singer for popular Latin Jazz orchestra The Bobby Torres Ensemble. Julana is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.
BOBBY BERMEA Junior Bobby Bermea returns to the Artists Rep stage where he has been previously seen in A Raisin in the Sun, Blue/Orange, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Topdog/Underdog and Exiles. Bermea is co-artistic director of The Beirut Wedding World Theatre Project, a proud member of Sojourn Theatre, a founding member of Badass Theatre and a long-time member of Actors’ Equity Association. Bermea has worked in theatres literally
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from New York, NY to Honolulu, HI including La MaMa Theatre Club in New York, Baltimore Center Stage, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Vortex Repertory in Austin, Albuquerque Little Theatre, Hawaii Theatre in Honolulu, Intiman Theatre, ACT Theatre, The Group Theatre, The Langston Hughes Cultural Center, A-Ha, The Empty Space, The New Mercury Theatre in Seattle and most recently at Cleveland Public Theatre in Ohio. In Portland, besides Artists Rep, Bermea has performed with Profile Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Milagro Theatre, Cygnet Productions, BaseRoots Theatre and can be seen next at Portland Playhouse in their production of Fences.
VAL LANDRUM Detective Audrey O’Connor Val Landrum enjoys being stuck between anything and crazy. She is a proud and grateful Resident Artist here at Artists Rep where credits include Killer Joe, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Cherry Orchard, Circle Mirror Transformation, Red Herring, The Big Meal, The Motherfucker with the Hat, Blithe Spirit, The Liar, The Miracle Worker, The Skin of Our Teeth, American Hero, A Civil War Christmas and The Humans. She has also worked locally in productions for Portland Center Stage, Third Rail Repertory Theatre, CoHo Productions and Profile Theatre to name a few. Val has worked in several world-class regional theatres and has some TV and film credits. She teaches theatre at Oregon Children’s Theatre and at the Portland Actors
Conservatory. Sometimes she directs plays. Sometimes she writes them.
BEN NEWMAN Lieutenant Caro Ben is a theatre artist and fly fisherman based out of Portland, OR. He is delighted to be making his Artists Rep debut. International: Edinburgh Fringe Festival ’13 (Underbelly, High Plains, A Western Myth, The List: Best Solo Performance). New York: Classic Stage Company (Henry VI, P3), Columbia Stages (Romeo and Juliet), Wide Eyed Productions (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest). Regional: Portland Center Stage (Astoria: Parts 1 and 2, JAW ’14-‘16), Portland Shakespeare Project (Pericles Wet), Creede Repertory Theatre (General Store), Shaking the Tree Theatre (A Doll’s House), Third Rail Repertory Theatre (Middletown), Profile Theatre (True West, Orlando, Blood Knot), Kansas City Repertory Theatre (King Lear), Denver Center for the Performing Arts (Cyrano de Bergerac), Actors Theatre Kansas City (Fifth of July, Talley and Son), Riverside Shakespeare Festival (The Imaginary Invalid, Twelfth Night). TV: Grimm (Recurring, Guest Star), The Librarians (Guest Star). Ben has devised and directed new and classical ensemble-based stories in Portland, Israel, the University of Northern Colorado and New York City. BA University of Northern Colorado. MFA University of Missouri-Kansas City. AEA/SAG-AFTRA. www.mbennewman.com
AYANNA BERKSHIRE Church Lady Ayanna’s career goals have always been to do great work, develop truthful, dynamic characters and to work alongside outstanding colleagues. She has been extremely lucky on all counts. As a Resident Artist at Artists Rep and full-time performing artist, she splits her work between stage and screen, never happier than when she’s able to tell new and exciting stories like Between Riverside and Crazy! Ayanna’s previous works at Artists Rep include: An Octoroon, The Importance of Being Earnest, A Civil War Christmas, Grand Concourse, The Understudy, Intimate Apparel and Race. Other stage works include: The Scottsboro Boys (Ahmenson Theatre, Los Angeles), Back Bog Beast Bait, Bang, Curtain. End of Show. and The Investigation of the Murder in El Salvador (defunkt theatre), Fuente Ovejuna (Milagro Theatre), The Tales of Canterbury (Ensemble Loupan) and more. Film credits include: Twilight, Extraordinary Measures, Wendy and Lucy, Lean On Pete, Say Uncle, The Dust Factory and The Record Keeper. Coming in 2018: American Vandal, Resound and Boundary Springs. TV credits include: Chicago PD, Portlandia, Grimm, Parenthood, Castle, Grey’s Anatomy, Awake, Leverage, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Significant Mother and more! Member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAGAFTRA. Ayanna would like to thank you for actively supporting the arts!
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CREATIVE TEAM BIOS ADRIANA BAER Director Adriana previously directed Marjorie Prime by Jordan Harrision and The Price by Arthur Miller for Artists Rep. Other Portland credits include Dead Man’s Cell Phone and In the Next Room, or the vibrator play by Sarah Ruhl, Buried Child and True West by Sam Shepard, and The Road to Mecca and My Children! My Africa! by Athol Fugard (Profile Theatre, Artistic Director 2012–2015). Other directing credits include Woyzeck (Bay Area Critics Circle Award for Best Direction), The Maids and No Exit at the Cutting Ball Theater in San Francisco (Associate Artistic Director, 2004–2007), and productions in New York including Romeo and Juliet, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Seagull and The Hairy Ape (Columbia Stages), and work at Atlantic Theatre Company Stage 2 and The Acting Company. New play development workshops and festivals include Profile Theatre’s In Dialogue Series, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, The Cutting Ball Theater, Primary Stages and The Lark Play Development Center. Additionally, Adriana has worked with Opera Boston, The Public Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, San Francisco Circus Center/Pickle Circus, Theatre Communications Group, American Conservatory Theater, California Shakespeare Theater and Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Adriana teaches at local universities and coaches theatre artists through her coaching company Adriana Baer Creative. She holds a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and an MFA in Directing from Columbia 20 | Artists Repertory Theatre
University. Baer is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) theatrical union.
KRISTEEN WILLIS CROSSER Scenic Designer Kristeen received her BA from Centre College in Danville, KY and received her MFA in lighting design from Wayne State University, Hilberry Company in Detroit, MI. Previously, she designed lights for several Artists Rep productions, including The Humans, Feathers and Teeth, American Hero, The Skin of Our Teeth, The Miracle Worker, The Understudy, Tribes, Foxfinder, The Cherry Orchard and Eurydice. She designed the set for Marjorie Prime, We Are Proud To Present…, Broomstick, 4000 Miles and Foxfinder. She has designed scenery and/or lighting for several area theatres including Northwest Children Theatre’s Shrek The Musical; Profile Theatre’s True West, Master Harold and the Boys (2013 Drammy) and Thief River; CoHo Production’s Frankie and Johnny in the Clair De Lune and The Outgoing Tide; Miracle Theatre’s Oedipus El Rey (2012 Drammy) and Third Rail Repertory Theatre’s The Aliens, A Bright New Boise (2014 Drammy) and Gideon’s Knot (2014 Drammy). As always, she is grateful to her husband, Mike, for all of his love and support.
ALISON HERYER Costume Designer Alison Heryer is a costume designer for theatre, film and print. Her design credits include productions
with Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 59E59 Theaters, La MaMa, The New Victory Theater, Portland Center Stage, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Portland Opera, Artists Repertory Theatre and The Hypocrites. Recent awards include the Arts KC Inspiration Grant, the Michael Phillippi Prize, the Austin Critics Table Award, and the Portland Drammy Award for Costume Design. She is a faculty member in the School of Art + Design at Portland State University and a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829. alisonheryerdesign.com
CARL FABER Lighting Designer Carl’s Artists Rep design credits include Magellanica, Grand Concourse, Broomstick, 4000 Miles, and The Price. Other recent Portland-area credits include designs with Third Rail Repertory Theatre (The Angry Brigade, The Realistic Joneses), Broadway Rose (Trails, Beehive - Drammy for Best Lighting Design), Profile Theatre (Water by the Spoonful, The Happiest Song Plays Last, Orlando, Dead Man’s Cell Phone), Theatre Vertigo (Carnivora) and Northwest Children’s Theater (Chitra, Mary Poppins, The Wizard of Oz). Carl has designed regionally and internationally with Arena Stage, Boston Institute of Contemporary Art, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Ars Nova, Theater Freiburg and Shanghai Centre Theatre. He has worked in Touring Production for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, The National and Bon Iver, and he is a Founding
Member of the NYC-based immersive theatre company, Woodshed Collective. Other notable positions include: Light Artist at the Eaux Claires Music Festival, Lighting Supervisor at the Williamstown Theatre Festival (2008–2009), Assistant Lighting Designer for Portland Opera, and Assistant Lighting Designer for the Broadway productions of The Book of Mormon, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and August: Osage County. He attended The Catlin Gabel School here in Portland and holds a BA in Drama from Vassar College where he was a recipient of the Kazan Prize. Member: United Scenic Artists Local USA-829. www.carlfaber.com
SHARATH PATEL Sound Designer Sharath was raised between Appalachia and India while spending the following years studying across Europe and New England. Before arriving in the Pacific Northwest, he spent nearly a decade as a lead sound designer in New York City. Recent design highlights include Grand Concourse, The Price, Tribes, The Motherfucker with the Hat (Artists Rep); Ibsen in Chicago (Seattle Repertory Theatre); The Crucible, The Royale (ACT Theatre, Seattle); As You Like It (California Shakespeare Theater, Oakland); Coriolanus: Fight Like a Bitch (12th Avenue Arts, Seattle); Free Outgoing (East West Players, Los Angeles); 26 Miles, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Buried Child (Profile Theatre, Portland); The Piano Lesson, Jitney, King Hedley II, The Brother Sister Plays (Portland Playhouse). Regional/ International credits include designs
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CREATIVE TEAM BIOS in New York City, Washington D.C., Boston, Norfolk, Raleigh, Aspen, India, France, England, Germany, and Romania. Sharath recently completed a yearlong Visiting Assistant Professorship at Reed College and co-led the Light and Sound Training Program in Vietnam in conjunction with the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Consulate and World Learning Inc. He has previously served as a lead designer, guest artist, instructor, or lecturer at Yale, Fordham, Columbia, Willamette, Ohio, Portland State, and Butler Universities. Sharath is a member of the Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association (TSDCA) and is an Arts Envoy for the U.S. Department of State. He holds an MFA in Sound Design from the Yale School of Drama and is very proud to be a Resident Artist at Artists Rep. www.sharathpatel.com
LUAN SCHOOLER Dramaturg Luan Schooler was born in West Texas, where she trailed her big sister into dance classes and community theatre. When she was 12, the family packed up and moved to Anchorage, Alaska, where play practice and recitals continued to consume her. After being kicked out of high school, she was eventually accepted into the theatre program at CalArts. One thing led to another and a life in theatre was launched. Over the years, she morphed from acting, directing and writing, into dramaturgy and literary management. She has worked with many theatres around the country, most notably with Perseverance Theatre in Juneau, Alaska (where she met and 22 | Artists Repertory Theatre
married the marvelous Tim), Denver Center Theatre Company, Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Berkeley Rep, and developed new plays with exceptional artists including David Edgar, Naomi Iizuka, Salman Rushdie, Dominique Serrand, Leon Ingulsrud, Lisa Peterson, Paula Vogel and Molly Smith. In the Mid-Aughts, she took a sabbatical from theatre to open a cheese shop, but happily left it behind to return to theatre. In 2015, she joined Artists Rep to launch Table | Room| Stage, the theatre’s new play development program. Here, she is developing work with Yussef El Guindi, Larissa FastHorse, Andrea Stolowitz, Linda Alper, Dael Orlandersmith, Hansol Jung, Steve Rathje, Anthony Hudson and Susannah Mars. She also does production dramaturgy on most of Artists Rep’s shows, and keeps her thumb in a variety of other pies (including working with Lisa Peterson on her translation of Hamlet for Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Play On! Project).
MARY MCDONALD-LEWIS Voice & Text Director Mary McDonald-Lewis has been a professional artist since 1979. She resides in Portland, Oregon, and is an international dialect coach for film, television and stage. She also works as a voice actor, on-camera actor, stage actor and director. Between Riverside and Crazy is MaryMac’s 33rd show with the company, and you can also hear her work at Portland Center Stage, where she is also resident dialect coach, and on other stages around town. She is deeply grateful to the patrons and audience members of Artists Rep,
whose support allows the theatre to provide her services to the actors. MaryMac holds her MFA in Directing from the University of Portland. She loves what she does, and she thanks Finnegan, Sullivan and Flynn for always wagging their tails when she comes home. www.marymac.com
AMANDA K COLE Intimacy Choreographer This is Amanda’s first show at Artists Rep, and she is honored to be a part of the team. Amanda is a movement director, intimacy and violence choreographer whose work has been seen throughout the L.A. area and the Pacific Northwest at such venues as CalArts, LACMA, Human Resources L.A., Willamette University and Portland Shakespeare Project. Amanda is a fierce advocate for safe, sustainable and respectful practice around the staging of intimacy and violence in the industry. She is currently an Intimacy Director Candidate with Intimacy Directors International. Amanda is recommended by the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD) as an Advanced Actor/Combatant. She is also an associate teacher with Revenge Arts Stage Combat. Amanda holds an MFA in Acting from California Institute of the Arts. www.amandakcole.com
D WESTERHOLM Stage Manager With Adriana Baer: In the Next Room, or the vibrator play (Profile Theatre, 2015); The Price (Artists Rep, 2015); Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Profile Theatre, 2015); True West
(Profile Theatre, 2014); Buried Child (Profile Theatre, 2014); The Road to Mecca (Profile Theatre, 2013), Romeo and Juliet (2010), A Streetcar Named Desire (2009). For Artists Rep: Trevor (2016); The Skin of Our Teeth (2016, Assistant Stage Manager). Other notable credits: Lang Double Bill of The Difficulty of Crossing A Field & Little Match Girl Passion and The Man of La Mancha (Portland Opera, 2016, Assistant Stage Manager); The Light in the Piazza (Portland Playhouse, 2014); 2014–2016 Seasons at Profile Theatre; 2011-2013 Seasons at Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Production Assistant); The Break of Noon (Manhattan Class Company, 2010, Production Assistant). BA in Theatre Management from Western Washington University, MFA in Stage Management from Columbia University. Active member of Actors’ Equity Association and American Guild of Musical Artists.
SARAH ANDREWS Props Master Sarah Andrews earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting in 2014. Since then, she has worked and lived in Portland. In 2013 she wrote, produced and directed an original adaptation of Life is a Dream and the children’s show Pearl and the FiveHeaded Dragon in 2012. Since moving to Portland, she has worked with many theatre companies including Tears of Joy Theatre, Staged!, Post 5 Theatre, Imago Theatre, Lakewood Center for the Arts, Oregon Children’s Theatre, defunkt theatre and is currently the resident prop designer at Milagro Theatre. Recently, she directed Thom Pain (based on nothing) for Crave Artists Repertory Theatre | 23
CREATIVE TEAM BIOS Theatre, a company she co-founded. She also works on community-based projects such as Buskers in the Burg in Ellensburg, WA and the Summer Solstice in Seattle, WA. When the opportunity arises, she tries to find ways to volunteer with theatre projects in prisons here in Oregon. She has also taught workshops on puppetry at the Kennedy Center Theatre Festival in Boise, ID. Sarah most recently directed From the Ruby Lounge at Steep and Thorny way to Heaven and is currently producing and directing Crossing with Crave Theate. This is Sarah’s first show with Artists Rep and she looks forward to working with this company in the future.
MEGAN MOLL Production Assistant Megan Moll is excited to return to Artists Rep this season after working on An Octoroon this past fall. She also worked on Feathers and Teeth and The Importance of Being Earnest in Artists Rep’s 16–17 season. Recently, Megan made her debut at CoHo Productions, stage managing for both Year of the Rooster and Philip’s Glass Menagerie (part of the Fertile Ground Festival). Megan enjoys spending her time in the theatre in any way she can. She is thrilled to be a part of Artists Rep’s season once again.
AMANDA KISHLOCK Production Assistant 2 Between Riverside and Crazy marks Amanda’s second show working for Artists Rep and she would like express her gratitude to the company for having her on board again. A Portland
24 | Artists Repertory Theatre
native, she works for companies such as Third Rail Repertory Theatre, Milagro Theatre, Imago Theatre and Northwest Dance Theatre in positions ranging from Stage Manager to Master Electrician and everything in between. In recent years she has discovered a love of ballet and is found behind the scenes for most companies who rent the Sylvania Performing Arts Center. She would like to thank her husband Trevor who is her constant support and inspiration in everything she does.
JASON COFFEY Board Op Jason is thrilled to be back for his 15th season at Artists Rep as board op. He has been a part of such notable productions as An Octoroon, American Hero, Marjorie Prime, The Talented Ones, Broomstick, Mothers and Sons, Invisible Hand, as well as numerous productions dating back to 2002/2003 season. Not only has Jason worked back stage for Artists Rep, but he also had the privilege of being on stage in A Streetcar Named Desire as Steve Hubbell back in 2008. Jason has been working professionally as an actor and technician/stage manager since 1994, with many other companies including Triangle Productions!, Milagro Theatre, Northwest Children’s Theater and The 3rd Floor Sketch Comedy Troupe. Most recently, he stage managed Triangle Productions! third remount of Avenue Q, Buyer & Cellar, and Green Day’s American Idiot. Jason has also been seen on an episode of Leverage and has done several local industrial films and commercials.
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STAFF Artistic Director/Interim Managing Director: Dámaso Rodríguez
Concessions: Jennifer Zubernick, Geraldine Sandberg, Paul Jacobs
ARTISTIC
DEVELOPMENT
Artistic Producer: Shawn Lee
Development Director: Sarah Taylor
Associate Producer: Kristeen Willis Crosser
Annual Fund & Corporate Sponsorship Manager: Molly Moshofsky
Director of New Play Development & Dramaturgy: Luan Schooler ArtsHub Director: Jerry Tischleder Company Manager & Casting Director: Vonessa Martin Resident Artists: Linda Alper, Ayanna Berkshire, Bobby Brewer-Wallin, Chris Harder, Michelle Jazuk, JoAnn Johnson, Kevin Jones, Val Landrum, Sarah Lucht, Susannah Mars, Gilberto Martin Del Campo, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Michael Mendelson, Allen Nause, Amy Newman, Vana O’Brien, Rodolfo Ortega, Sharath Patel, Gregory Pulver, John San Nicolas, Vin Shambry, Andrea Stolowitz, Joshua J. Weinstein, Megan Wilkerson, Carol Ann Wohlmut Literary Intern: Logan Starnes
ADMINISTRATIVE
PRODUCTION Production Manager: Kristeen Willis Crosser Operations & Sound Technician: David Petersen Resident Stage Managers: Michelle Jazuk, Carol Ann Wohlmut Interim Technical Director/ Scene Shop Foreman: Nathan Crone Master Carpenter: Eddie Rivera Master Electrician: Ronan Kilkelly Scenic Charge: Sarah Kindler Voice & Text Director: Mary McDonald-Lewis Resident Fight Choreographer: Jonathan Cole Costume Shop Manager: Clare Hungate-Hawk Operations Specialist: Sean Roberts
Director of Finance & Administration: Jim Neuner
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Finance & Administrative Associate: Vonessa Martin
Jeffrey Condit, Vice-Chair
Management Associate: Allie Rangel
Mike Barr, Chair Cyrus Vafi, Treasurer Patricia Garner, Secretary
MARKETING
Marcia Darm, MD, Past Chair
Director of Marketing & Audience Development: Kisha Jarrett
Tom Gifford
Publicist: Nicole Lane
Blake Johnson
Graphic Designer & Marketing Associate: Jeff Hayes
Erik Opsahl
Audience Development & Marketing Associate: Mary Beth Leavens Marketing Intern: Jen Bigoness
Julie Ball
Michael Parsons Pancho Savery Andrea Schmidt
AUDIENCE SERVICES Audience & ArtsHub Services Director: Karen Rathje Audience & ArtsHub Services Manager: Christina DeYoung Box Office Manager: Jon Younkin Box Office Systems Associate: Jack Ridenour Box Office Associates: Stephanie Magee, Miranda Russ Music Events Specialist: Susannah Mars House Managers: Deborah Gangwer, Valerie Liptak, Tara McMahon, Miranda Russ, Shelley Matthews, Joe Myhra
26 | Artists Repertory Theatre
FOR THIS PRODUCTION Scenic artists: Heidie Ambrose, Elizabeth Carlson, Michael Wax
Electricians: Alan Cline, Molly Gardner, Connery MacRae, Ben Sereau-Raskin, Mike Wax Carpenters: Ben Serreau-Raskin, Charlie Capps
OUR SUPPORTERS We built the set, sewed the costumes, adjusted the lights, called the cues, and rehearsed, and rehearsed, and rehearsed. YOU GENEROUSLY DONATED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. TAKE A BOW. This list celebrates Artists Rep donors of $100 or more who gave between February 1, 2017 and February 1, 2018. Join this cast of characters with a gift today. Call Sarah Taylor at 503.972.3017 or visit www.artistsrep.org.
GAME CHANGERS ($100,000+)
Anonymous Robert & Mercedes Eichholz Foundation James F. & Marion L. Miller Foundation Renaissance Foundation
VISIONARIES ($50,000–$99,999)
The Collins Foundation Ronni Lacroute Meyer Memorial Trust Oregon Community Foundation Creative Heights The Regional Arts & Culture Council, including support from the City of Portland, Multnomah County and the Arts Education & Access Fund David & Christine Vernier
PRODUCERS ($25,000–$49,999)
Edgerton Foundation Arthur & Virginia Kayser The Shubert Foundation Ed & Rosalie Tank The Estate of David E. Wedge
PATRONS ($10,000–$24,999)
Anonymous (2) Ausplund Tooze Foundation The Boeing Company Ginger Carroll, In Memory of J. Michael Carroll Margaret Dixon The Kinsman Foundation The National Endowment for the Arts - ArtWorks Rafati’s Catering Charlotte Rubin Arlene Schnitzer
Marcy & Richard Schwartz John & Jan Swanson Darci & Charlie Swindells William Swindells Work for Art, including contributions from more than 75 companies and 2,000 employees
STAGEMAKERS ($5,000–$9,999)
Anonymous Julia & Robert S. Ball Mike Barr Karl & Linda Boekelheide Marcia Darm MD & Bruce Berning Jeffrey G. Condit Robert & Janet Conklin Dark Horse Wine Steve Fenwick & Martha Wilson Denise & Robert Frisbee Patricia & Bennett Garner Dan Gibbs & Lois Seed Tom Gifford & Patti Fisher Hotel deLuxe Intel Matching Gift Program The Jackson Foundation Romy Klopper Hugh & Mair Lewis Charitable Fund of the Southwest Washington Community Foundation Lynn & Jack Loacker Mentor Graphics, a Siemens Business Kristine Olson Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation Oregon Arts Commission, a state agency Lorraine Prince Rose E. Tucker Charitable Trust
Standard Insurance Company US Bank Foundation OCF Joseph E. Weston Public Foundation
DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE ($2,500-$4,999)
Anonymous (3) Molly Butler & Robin Manning Kitt & Butch Dyer Stephen Fuller Diane Herrmann Drs. Dolores & Fernando Leon Allen & Frances Nause Bob & Linda Palandech Michael Parsons & Katelyn Randall Patricia Perkins Alan Purdy Leonard & Susan Magazine Charles & Miriam Rosenthal Steve & Trudy Sargent Norm & Barb Sepenuk James G. & Michele L. Stemler Tom Trotter Lora & Andy Woodruff
BACKSTAGE PASS ($1,000-$2,499)
Anonymous (3) Ruth Alexander F. Gordon Allen & Janice M. Stewart Rachael & Scott Anderson Phyllis Arnoff The Autzen Foundation Bruce Blank & Janice Casey Nita Brueggeman Denise Carty & Roger Brown Family Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation Richard & Nancy Chapman Michael & Lynne Chartier
Nathan Cogan Family Fund of the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation The Collier Smith Charitable Fund Barbara & Tom Cooney Allison Couch & Tom Soals Susan Dietz Betty & Richard Duvall Marc Franklin & Mary Lou Moriarty Carol Fredlund & John Betonte Free Geek Jane & Howard Glazer Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation Polly Grose Jan & Dave Halsey Curtis Hanson Marlene & Clark Hanson Pam Henderson & Allen Wasserman Higgins Restaurant Cody Hoesly & Kirsten Collins Dr. Kathleen P. Holahan Barbara Holisky & Gary McDonald Robert Holub Mark Horn & Mark Wilkinson Sarah & Alan Horton Jessie Jonas Juan Young Trust Kristen & Michael Kern Jody Klevit Bruce & Cathy Kuehnl Leslie R. Labbe Ann Laskey Kirsten & Christopher Leonard Jim & Eva MacLowry Carter & Jenny MacNichol Susannah Mars & Gary Johnson James Mast Dr. Robert & Kimberly Matheson Laurie & Gilbert Meigs
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OUR SUPPORTERS CONTINUED Deanne & Wilfried Mueller-Crispin Megan Murphy Erik & Raina Opsahl Pacific Power Foundation Joan Peacock, In Loving Memory of Ben Buckley Kay Parr Duane & Corrine Paulson David Pollock Gregory Pulver & Rick Woodford Richard & Wendy Rahm Julia Rea & Jim Diamond Bonnie & Peter Reagan Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation Robert Reed John Ridenour Richard & Mary Rosenberg
Joanne & James Ruyle Marilynn & Richard Rytting Dr. & Mrs. William Sack Dianne Sawyer & Pete Petersen Drea Schmidt & Emilee Preble Roy Schreiber & Carole Heath Bert Shaw & Liana Colombo Elizabeth Siegel Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, In Honor of Marcia Darm Faye & Lucille Stewart Foundation Marilyn & Gene Stubbs Tonkin Torp LLP Marcia Truman & Allen Tooke U.S. Bank Matching Gifts Elaine & Ben Whiteley Carole Whiteside
SUPERSTARS ($500-$999)
Anonymous (2) Kay & Roy Abramowitz Kip Acheson & Elizabeth Carr Adventure Connection Amelia Albright & Aaron Woldrich Kirby & Amelia Allen Bakersfield Cotton Warehouse Cheryl Balkenhol Dennis Bash Leslie & Richard Bertellotti Lesley Bombardier Michele Bowler-Failing & Bill Failing Dan Brook & Teresa St. Martin Charles & Barbara Carpenter Cleveland H. Dodge Foundation Sherrill Corbett & Scott Pillsbury
Marie-Jose & Martyn Corden Patsy Crayton Berner Jim & Vicki Currie Edward & Karen Demko Cheri Emahiser Leslye Epstein & Herman Taylor Peg & John Espie Kyle & Charles Fuchs Don & Judy Fuller Susan & Dean Gisvold Jason Glick & Kristen Kyllingstad Lynn Goldstein Melissa & Bob Good Penny & Alan Greenwood Dick Hamlet & Corinne McWilliams Richard L. Hay Kirk Hirschfeld Mike & Judy Holman Robert Holub Lois Hrella John & Judy Hubbard
OUR THEATRE CANNOT EXIST ON TICKET PURCHASES ALONE. We depend on you to pick up the mantle of funding art in our community. Ticket sales alone only cover 40% of what it takes to keep this theatre running. Your donations are essential to making great art possible. Questions? Contact Sarah Taylor at staylor@artistsrep.org or 503.972.3017 to ask how you can set up a recurring monthly donation or discuss other ways to support Artists Rep!
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Joan Jones Judith & Gregory Kafoury Beth & Chris Karlin Keeton Corporation Carol Kimball PJ Kleffner Elisa & Steven Klein Leslie Kolisch & Roland Haertl Susanne Dziepak Kuhn Linda & Ken Mantel Dan McKenzie Robert & Jessica McVay Dolores & Michael Moore Don & Connie Morgan Katherine Moss Verne & Aki Naito Chris & Tom Neilsen Barry & Jane Newman David & Anne Noall Marcy Norman Northwest Film Center Ted Olson, Linda Nelson & Roz Babner, In Loving Memory of Madeline Nelson Alfred & Eileen Ono Patrick Lumber Company Matching Gift Program Olliemay Phillips John Ragno Brennan P. Randel & Matthew Corwin Scott & Kay Reichlin Vernon Rifer & Linda Czopak DĂĄmaso RodrĂguez & Sara Hennessy The Carol Schnitzer Lewis Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation Wayne D. Schweinfest Peter & Jeanette Scott Jinny Shipman & Dick Kaiser Nick & Sandra Snell Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation Wendy Sternberg & Winhard Bohme Greg & Martha Struxness Donald & Roslyn Sutherland Julia Tank & Jim Prihoda Paul Thompson & Portia Sipes Trew Gear Karen Whitaker Andrew Wilson & Dr. Ronnie-Gail Emden
Pam Whyte & Ron Saylor Cynthia Yee
INSIDERS ($250-$499)
Anonymous (3) Meg & Chuck Allen Ted & Fran Ames Bob Amundson & Sully Taylor Linda Apperson F. Blair Batson Eric Beach Jane Bergin Earle & Kathleen Bevins Ann Brayfield & Joe Emerson Sonia Buist, M.D. Carol Burns Cambia Health Foundation Don Caniparoli & Sarah Rosenberg Cecile Carpenter Chuck Carpenter & Carl Brown Valri & Vince Chiappetta Elaine & Arnold Cogan Deborah Correa Priscilla & Nick Cowell Debbie Cross & Paul Wrigley Robert Daasch & Linda Schaefer Nancy & John Decherd Wolfgang Dempke & Alise Rubin Linda Dinan Steven Dotterrer Norma Dulin & James Barta Kari Easton Carmen Egido & Abel Weinrib Elizabeth & John Ehrsam Marilyn Kay Epstein George & Donna Evans Jim & Betty Ferner Donna Flanders & Carl Collins, In Honor of Cody Hoesly Larry & Marilyn Flick Don & Marlys Girard Roswell & Marilynn Gordon Barbara & Marvin Gordon-Lickey Paul & Theresa Graham Allan Griffin Candace Haines Paul Harmon Edward & Leah Hershey Stephen Hillis
Eric & Keena Hormel Lynnette & Don Houghton Icenogle Family Fund, a Donor Advised Fund of Renaissance Charitable Foundation Joni & Bill Isaacson Blake Johnson & Mara Krinke Janice and Benjamin Isenberg Philanthropic Fund of the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation Marianne KeddingtonLang & William Lang Edward & Elaine Kemp Karen Kemper Carol & Jeff Kilmer Ted Labbe & Kelly Rogers Barbara LaMack & Jim Kalvelage Bill & Shelley Larkins Literary Arts Roger Leo Peter & Janice Linsky Steve Lovett & Connie Sullivan Dorothy Lyman John Lynch Mary Lyons Ralph Maiano Earlean Marsh Stacey Martinson & Brad Sealey Ruth Medak Bob Mensel Judy & Steven Miller Paul Miller Scott & Jane Miller David & Anne Munro Evelyn & Tom Murphy Robert Nimmo & Linda Jensen Stephanie Oliver Pacific Power Matching Gift Program Sue Pickgrobe & Mike Hoffman Karen & John Rathje Andrew & Peggy Recinos Helen Richardson & Don Hayner Jane Robinson & Michael Sands Rebecca Ross Ms. Cara Rozell Natalie Sue Schmitt Luan Schooler & Timothy Wilson Erika Schuster & Clay Biberdorf Mary Ann Seth-Wish & John Wish
John Shipley H. Joe Story Milan & Jean Stoyanov Pat & Larry Strausbaugh David & Rosemarie Sweet Diane Taylor Sarah & Robert Taylor Teutonic Wine Company Chris Ullom Tony & Gail Vander Heide Paul Vandeventer Sue & Jim Walcutt Robert & Ann Watt Anthony Wilcox Carl Wilson & Evan Boone Carol Ann & Patrick Wohlmut Maureen Wright & Lane Brown Janet Young & Robert Hinger Helen Youngelson-Neal Alan & Janet Zell
FRIENDS ($100-$249)
Anonymous (4) Christine Abernathy Aesop John Ahlen & Don Main Michael Allen & Anne Schagen Kris Alman & Mike Siegel Thomas Robert Anderson Andina Restaurant Kristin Angell Ruby Apsler ArborBrook Vineyards Elizabeth & Stephen Arch Herman Asarnow & Susan Baillet Arlene Aschraft Nancy Ashton Ruth Beiser Bach Susan Bach & Douglas Egan Matt Baines Dale Bajema & Diana Coleman Debbie & John Bakum Ann Balzell & Joe Marrone, In Memory of Deforest Arn Piper Linda Barnes & Robert Vanderwerf Laura Barton George Bateman Joan Baucus Artists Repertory Theatre | 29
OUR SUPPORTERS CONTINUED Mary Beach Anne Becklund Alan & Sherry Bennett William Bennington Pamela Berg Dr. Dana Bjarnason Catherine Blosser Joe Blount Dawn Bonder Betty & Fred Brace Gerry & Nancy Brown Lauretta Burman Marlene Burns & Jon Dickinson Thomas A. Burns Ida Rae Cahana Douglas Campbell Robin Carpenter Michael Carter & Teresa Ferrer
Jean Carufo & Barbara Engelter Tom & Anne Caruso Chamber Music Northwest Lou & John Chapman Russ & Mary Chapman Julie Child John & Kathryn Cochran Molly Cochran & Sam Ellingson Bradley Coffey Ilaine Cohen CoHo Productions Rick & Jean Collins Leslie & Alan Comnes Anne Conway & Louis Baslaw Abigail & Michael Corbet
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30 | Artists Repertory Theatre
Harriet Cormack Gerald Corn Linda Crane Fran & Roddy Daggett Joel Datloff & Linda Wiener Elaine & Earl Davis Marvin & Abby Dawson Carolyn DeLany-Reif Barbara & George Dechet Tonya DeCroce & Gary Weiss Jewel Derin Deschutes Brewery Elaine & Bill Deutschman Lisa Dodson Jeanne & Lauren Donaldson Ed Doyle & Judy Posey Anne Driscoll K. Eaton The Ellermeiers Laury Ellis & Kathy Fode Jim & Joan English Nevill Eschen David Evans Jeff Feiffer Sherry Fishman Greg & Carol Flakus Heidi Franklin Patricia Frobes & Richard Smith John & Chris Gardner Vanessa & John Gebbie Susan GendeinMarshall & Lee Marshall Andy Ginsburg & Danielle L. Erb Linda Gipe Nick Giustina & Patricia Brewer George Goodstein Gretta Grimala Kathleen Haley & Steven Wax John Hall & Jean Jensen Hall Gail & Irvin Handelman Ulrich Hardt Kimberly Harrison Meredith Hartley & Jeremiah Pyle Andrea Heid Thomas Hellie & Julie Olds Joe & Diana Hennessy Sarah Hershey Charles & Margaret Hickman Mary Higgins John Hirsch
Laurie Holland Hot Diggity Pet Sitting Kristine & Steve Hudson Carol & T.A. Hull Deborah Indihar Constance Jackson & Xavier Le HÊricy Chris Jacomino Jeri Janowsky & John Crabbe Katharine Jansen Kay & Steve Jennings Betsy & Jerold Jeronen Colleen & Jeff Johnson Phyllis Johnson Erika & Tom Kane Ron & Ruth Katon Nancy G. Kennaway Karen Kervin Heather Kientz Shawn Kilburn Doris & Eric Kimmel Larry King & Daniel Hutchison Frederick Kirchhoff Anneliese Knapp Tom & Judy Kovaric Norman Krasne Elyse & Ron Laster Kelly & Brenda Lawrence Mary Lawrence Mary Lou & Ross Laybourn Mark J. Lee Nathan B. Leverenz Eli Levine Richard Lewis & Meg Larson Scott Lewis Literary Arts Little Red’s Bakeshop Ralph London Leslie Louderback Henry C. Louderbough Una Loughran Jane Luddecke & Robert Anderson Dr. Christine Mackert Sheila Mahan Michelle Maida & James Hager Jim & Midge Main Michael & Deborah Marble Sara Marchus John & Renee Manson Ellen Margolis Ms. Nancy Matthews Lynn Mayer Debra Mazer Robert McAdams Carla McKelvey
Meg McGill & Mark Ramsby Anne & Kathy McLaughlin Kathy McLaughlin Andy C. McNiece & Nancy L. Haigwood Katie McRae Cynthia Meduri Mariellen Meisel Michael Mendelson & Tim Thompson Linda Meng Libby & Miles Merwin William Meyer JJ Miner Susan & Greg Miner Monique’s Boutique Michael Morgan & Nancy Babka Nancy Moss Diane Morris Patrick Mulcahey Molly Jo Mullen, Alternative Dispute Resolution Multnomah Whiskey Library New Deal Distillery Terry O’Brien Kevin O’Donnell Patricia Oldham Joan Oramas Oregon Ballet Theatre Oregon Symphony Nancy Park Kathy Parker
Katherine Patricelli & Dennis Reichelt Gordon & Sondra Pearlman Carla Pentecost Robert Pescovitz Pierre & Linda Pham Kevin Phaup Donna Philbrick Janet Plummer & Donald Rushmer Roger Porter Terrance & Barbara Porter Portland Baroque Orchestra Portland Opera Dee Poujade Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club The Qualls Family Charitable Fund Carole Quick Ana Quinn Jay & Barbara Ramaker Edward & Kara Lynn Rankin Harry & Susan Rectenwald Dick & Linda Reedy Ed Reeves & Bill Fish Betty & Jacob Reiss, In Memory of Andy Glass Bob & Marilyn Ridgley Mark Rittenbaum Charles & Judith Rooks Kathryn Ross
Ms. Cara Rozell Ellen Rubinstein David Saft & Laura Lehrhoff Jane Sage Darrell Salk & Tricia Knoll Pancho Savery William & Meredith Savery Curtis Schade Magda Schay Jean Scott & Myrth Ogilvie Ursula Scriven Joyce Semradek Gil Sharp & Anne Saxby Mary & KC Shaw Laurel & Dan Simmons Karen & E. Smith Neil Soiffer & Carolyn Smith Olivia Solomon Karen & Charles Springer Stash Tea Company Scott Stephens & Leslie Houston Scott Stuart & Brenda Meltebeke Julia Surtshin & Richard Sessions Gary Taliaferro Roberta Taussig Leslie Taylor & Doug Beers
Tektronix Matching Gift Program Robert Thinnes Margaret Thompson Marilee Thompson Tracy Thornton Cyrus Vafi Kaye Van Valkenburg Phil VanderWeele & Joan Snyder David & Julie Verburg Alec Vesely Pamela Vohnson & David Streight Marilyn Walkey & Mike McClain Judi & J. Wandres Janet F. Warrington Maureen K. Wearn & Frederick Wearn, MD Mike & Linda Wells Ann Werner, In Honor of Rosalie Tank Victoria Wetle Larry & Erleen Whitney Pat & Frank Wilson Richard Winkel Lawrence W. Woelfer Sabina Wohlfeiler Ed Woodruff Susan Woods Kathleen Worley John & Pat Zagelow Kurt & Heather Zimmer Deb Zita & Maryka Biaggio
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Artists Repertory Theatre’s mission is to produce intimate, provocative theatre and provide a home for artists and audiences of varied backgrounds to take creative risks. Artists Rep is Portland’s premiere mid-size regional theatre company and is led by Artistic Director/Interim Managing Director Dámaso Rodríguez. Founded in 1982, Artists Rep is the longest-running professional theatre company in Portland. Artists Rep became the 72nd member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) in 2016 and is an Associate Member of the National New Play Network (NNPN).
Artists Repertory Theatre | 31
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A group of mismatched teachers and actors have been charged by the school district to devise an ethnically sensitive play to somehow celebrate both Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Month. In order to be as respectful and accurate as possible, the three white actors defer to the only Native American in the room for guidance and find their expectations of her insights are wildly misguided. In this wickedly funny satire, this foursome must find their way through a hilarious thicket of assumptions, historical perspectives and school district policies as the absurd pageant must go on!