The Graduate / The Drowning Girls - Bag&Baggage by Artslandia

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AT T H E P E R FO R M A N C E

THE

GRADUATE

DROWNING GIRLS

THE 2016-2017 SEASON PRESENTED BY RONNI LACROUTE & WILLAKENZIE ESTATE THE 2016-2017 SEASON SPONSORED BY THE HILLSBORO HOPS

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Bag&Baggage Productions presents

Scott Palmer Founding Artistic Director Beth Lewis Managing Director Cassie Greer Director of Advancement Arianne Jacques Patron Services Manager Megan Wilkerson Director of Design & Production Jim Ricks-White Technical Director & Lighting Designer Melissa Heller Resident Costume Designer

Board of Directors Carol Beauchamp Julie Case Karl Citek Kathy Gaona John Jacques Beth Lewis Eric Lewis Patricia Logan Linda Morrisson Gayle Nachtigal (chair) Scott Palmer Jan Simmons Donna Swanson K. Marie Tyler Kasi Woidyla

The 2016–2017 Season Presented by Ronni Lacroute and WillaKenzie Estate

THE GRADUATE A play adapted by Terry Johnson Based on the novel by Charles Webb and the motion picture screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry By special arrangement with StudioCanal The Graduate generously sponsored by Carol Beauchamp, Kathy Gaona, Diane Lewis, Linda Morrisson, and Jan Simmons.

THE CAST Benjamin Braddock .........................................................Eric St. Cyr** Mrs. Robinson .................................................. Kymberli Colbourne Mr. Robinson/Man in Bar ............................................... David Heath Elaine Robinson ..................................................... Arianne Jacques* Mr. Braddock/Wedding Guest................................ Michael Rouches Mrs. Braddock/Wedding Guest ........................................Kim Bogus Hotel Receptionist/Stripper/Wedding Guest................. Cassie Greer* Hotel Desk Clerk/Therapist/Barman/Priest .................. Andrew Beck*

CREW/PRODUCTION TEAM Director ......................................................................... Scott Palmer Stage Manager & Props Master ...................................Emily Trimble Resident Costume Designer ...................................... Melissa Heller Scenic Design ........................................................ Megan Wilkerson Lighting Design & Technical Direction......................Jim Ricks-White Sound Design ............................................................... Scott Palmer Assistant Stage Manager .................................... Mackenzie Joseph This performance runs approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes with one 15 minute intermission. Please remember: turn OFF your phone, do not text during the performance, and photography or recording of this performance is strictly prohibited.

The 2016–2017 Season Sponsored by The Hillsboro Hops

*Member of the Bag&Baggage Resident Acting Company, generously sponsored by David and Shirley Woodford **Bag&Baggage Associate Artist THE GR ADUATE • BAG&BAGGAGE

DIRECTOR’S NOTES By Scott Palmer There are only a few films that can be said to truly represent a generation. The Wizard of Oz, from 1939, reflecting a world moving from gray to Technicolor. The Big Chill, from 1983, calling up the angst and self-centered pain of the newlyminted baby boomer generation. Star Wars, It’s A Wonderful Life, and a few more. But few of them so completely and utterly embrace the nature of a generation, encapsulate a zeitgeist, as well or with as much style as The Graduate. Nominated for seven Academy Awards, The Graduate was the breakthrough film for Director Mike Nichols and his young star, Dustin Hoffman, and has been mimicked, referenced, spoofed, satirized, and honored hundreds of times since it first shook American cinema in 1967. The Graduate was hailed as “the freshest, funniest, and most touching film of the year…filled with delightful surprises, cheekiness, sex, satire, irreverence toward some of the most sacred of American cows…” And there were a number of sacred cows that Americans were reconsidering during the sixties. Benjamin Braddock was remarkably different from the other young men who were the center of most of the films created in the 1960s. He wasn’t a soldier, he wasn’t embroiled in the Vietnam War, he wasn’t a protester or a draft dodger, and he certainly wasn’t a peacenik or a hippie. Although the war was present in the minds of all Americans, it is never directly mentioned in the film or in the novel by Charles Webb that inspired the film. Instead, Benjamin Braddock, a young, well-educated, privileged white man, is framed in all he does by his parents and his parents’ generation—a group of people still mired in the claustrophobic, insular world of the 1950s—against a backdrop of a burgeoning counterculture that sought to not just question but dismantle the social, political, and economic world of the white suburban classes. But more than just presenting a counter-argument to the plasticized, 6

BAG&BAGGAGE • THE GRADUATE

“And yet, for all that we associate The Graduate with the film from the 1960s, it’s more a literary comment on the America of the 1950s, with its buttoned-down conformity, its suburban stifling of the soul.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review me-first, conservative bedrock of the American middle class, The Graduate questions much more basic notions in a way that had never been seen before in popular, mainstream art: questions about sexuality and age, about intergenerational relationships, about the role of sex in marriage, about the difference between love and sex, and about empowering female sexuality. Given that these issues are still with us today, and are still considered shocking even by contemporary standards, you can imagine just how much The Graduate rocked the boat in the late 1960s. When we think of The Graduate, we think of the film. But The Graduate was a groundbreaking novel before it became a movie, and that is a fact that is often forgotten. In Here’s To You, Mrs. Robinson Hanif Kureishi (critic for The Guardian newspaper’s book section) writes, “Charles Webb’s The Graduate has long been eclipsed by the film (and its soundtrack), but in its deadpan quiet stylishness it is easily its equal, being that most rare and valuable thing, a serious comic novel which both exemplifies its time and continues to speak to us.” As part of our artistic mission, B&B is interested in exploring the original source materials that inspired great works of literature, and with this production of The Graduate, we have taken our cues from Webb’s novel primarily. The spare, limber dialogue (almost completely without narration or description) in Webb’s novel is at times circular, frustrating, thin, and ultimately deeply funny and moving. What appears to be,

at first glance, a series of shallow exchanges between even shallower characters grows, over time, into a powerful examination of what lies beneath the banter and inside the bedrooms of these carefully manicured California homes. The novel was never intended to be a slick Hollywood film; it was never intended to become an icon of American cinema. As the Los Angeles Times book review says, “And yet, for all that we associate The Graduate with the film from the 1960s, it’s more a literary comment on the America of the 1950s, with its buttoned-down conformity, its suburban stifling of the soul.” This play, like the novel, isn’t shtick. It isn’t a comedic walk down memory lane, full of twodimensional Leave It To Beaver parents, one one-dimensional aging succubae, or a deeply flawed anti-hero who rejects the common wisdom to find inner peace and future success. It isn’t a story about redemption, or bell bottoms and ditzy flower-children; it wasn’t ever a story about schmaltz and nostalgia for a “simpler time” or even a more “revolutionary time.” It is about the chaos, terror, and fear underneath still water, and the joy that comes from seeing what we know in ourselves in others, before being chilled, as the smile fades from our lips and the laugh breathes out, in the moment that we realize what we thought we saw was really hiding something much darker underneath. Scott Palmer Artistic Director

ACTOR BIOGRAPHIES ANDREW BECK

(VARIOUS)

Andrew holds a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oregon. This is Andrew’s third year as a member of Bag&Baggage’s Resident Acting Company. You may have seen Mr. Beck previously with Bag&Baggage in Emma (as Frank Churchill and Mr. Elton); KBNB’s A Christmas Carol (as Donald Donaldson); Our Country’s Good (as Ralph Clark); Dial “M” for Murder (as Tony Wendice) and in Love’s Labour’s Lost (as The King of Navarre). Other companies Andrew has worked for include The Oregon Contemporary Theatre, The Great American Melodrama and Vaudeville, Willamette Stage Company, Nebraska Repertory Theatre and The Ludlow Festival (England). Other favorite roles include: The Great Gatsby (as Jay Gatsby); The Seagull (as Trigorn); In The Next Room (as Dr. Givings); and Frankenstein’s Bride (as The Monster). Andrew is a current member of The Long Con Improv troupe and recently helped produce the Cabaret Improv night at Bag&Baggage’s new building, which looks like it will become a regular event. Mr. Beck works as a Financial Advisor in his family’s practice when he is not making loud noises in front of paying audiences. Andrew is lucky to have such great family, friends, and wife, Katie. KIM BOGUS

(MRS. BRADDOCK)

Kim is honored to make her Bag&Baggage debut in The Graduate. Previous work includes The Dixie Swim Club (as Lexie) at Great Plains Theatre; Last of The Red Hot Lovers (as Jeanette) at Mt. Baker Rep; Steel Magnolias (as Ouiser) at Circle Theater Project; Company

(as Susan) at JANE; You Can’t Take It With You (as Olga Katrina) at Mt. Hood Rep; Catch Me If You Can (as Elizabeth) at Lakewood Theatre; Grease (as Patty Simcox) at Stumptown Stages; Symphony of Rats (as Peyton) at Imago; Victoria (Victoria) at a space for actors; A Sunbeam (Dr. Sylvia Lefcourt) at PassinArt; November (Bernstein) at JANE; and many more. Television includes Leverage and GRIMM, and film includes Bandits, Natural Born Killers, Kate’s Smile, and The Broadcast. Kim is represented in Portland by Arthouse Talent. www.kimbogus.com KYMBERLI COLBOURNE

(MRS. ROBINSON)

Kymberli received her BA in Theatre Performance from Scripps College and also spent her junior year in conservatory training in London through the Marymount Tarrytown/RADA Drama Program. She appeared most recently at B&B in Moby Dick Rehearsed (Ahab/Father Mapple) and at The Broadway Rose in Church Basement Ladies (Mavis). She has been seen on stage all across the country, touring with The National Theatre of the Deaf in One More Spring and Treasure Island. Regionally, she has appeared in numerous roles including productions for the Oregon Children’s Theatre (Dorothy Quimby in Ramona Quimby) Book It Rep (Mary Beth Baird in Owen Meany Christmas; Mrs. Fairfax in Jane Eyre), Seattle Children’s Theatre (Mrs. Beaver in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe; Snowball in 1984), Seattle Shakespeare Festival (Cassius in Julius Ceasar, Mad Margaret in Richard III), and the Oregon Cabaret (Patsy Cline in Just A Closer Walk), just to name a few. When not on stage, you will find Kymberli working behind the mic as a full time voice over actor in her home studio. Check out her VO work at www.kcvoice.com.

Kymberli is also over-the-moon to be working professionally once again with her husband, Jim Ricks-White. Thankful, as always, to Scott, this talented cast, and the whole B&B crew, and honored to be a part of the exciting and revealing work at Bag&Baggage. CASSIE GREER

(VARIOUS)

Cassie received her training in the MFA Acting program at Florida Atlantic University and the BA theatre program at Goshen College in Indiana. She has appeared with a number of companies around the country, some favorite shows being with New World Arts: Hello and Goodbye (as Hester) and Lysistrata (as Lysistrata); Shared Space: David’s Redhaired Death (as Jean); Festival Rep. Boca Raton: Company (as Sarah) and Twelfth Night (as Olivia); and Oregon Children’s Theatre: Gathering Blue (as Katrina) and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (as Unicorn). Cassie is a proud Resident Acting Company member at Bag&Baggage, where she has appeared in nineteen shows since the 2011/12 season. Favorites include Coriolanus (as Coriolanus); Our Country’s Good (as Duckling/Tench); The Great Gatsby (as Daisy Buchanan); Julius Caesar (as Mark Antony); and Of Mice and Men (as Curley’s Wife). A huge advocate of theatre training and education, Cassie is a certified teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework®, actively teaches acting and voice students in the greater Portland area, and coordinates Bag&Baggage’s professional development programs. She wouldn’t be here without Danny, and is incredibly grateful to her family and friends for their continual love, support, and energy.

THE GR ADUATE • BAG&BAGGAGE

ACTOR BIOGRAPHIES DAVID HEATH

(MR. ROBINSON/ MAN IN BAR)

David is pleased to be appearing in his sixth show at Bag&Baggage, where he last appeared as Peleg in Moby Dick, Rehearsed. Previous B&B shows include The Crucible, Of Mice and Men, and Death of a Salesman. He has been performing in various Northwest venues for more than 40 years. He was a long-time member of the New Rose Theatre ensemble, where he appeared as Ed Devery in Born Yesterday; Norman in The Norman Conquests; James Joyce in Travesties; Richard Rowan in Joyce’s Exiles; and the Sheriff of Nottingham in The Adventures of Robin Hood, to name but a few of his favorites. He has also appeared at Artists Repertory Theatre (including Putnam in The Crucible; Uncle Harvey in Season’s Greetings; and Jim in Passion), Storefront (Ten November), Lakewood, Portland Repertory, Portland Civic, Northwest Classical Theatre, and Profile Theatre Project. He has also appeared in an episode each of the locally filmed Portlandia and Leverage. In his spare time he is an avid birder and world traveler. ARIANNE JACQUES

(ELAINE ROBINSON)

Arianne holds a Bachelor’s in Theater Arts from Oregon State University. This is her tenth season with Bag&Baggage Productions. From the past nine seasons, favorite roles include: The Importance of Being Ernest (as Gwendolyn); Crimes of the Heart (as Babe); Julius Caesar (as Cassius); The Great Gatsby (as Jordan); Private Lives (as Sibyl); Our Country’s Good (as Mary Brenham); The Best of Everything (as Gregg Adams); Moby Dick, Rehearsed (as

BAG&BAGGAGE • THE GRADUATE

Stage Manager/Elijah); and most recently Coriolanus, or The Roman Matron (as Valeria). Arianne has been box officer for the company since 2011, and is now the Patron Services Manager for B&B. When she is away from the theater, Arianne spends her time reading, watching nature documentaries, & helping out at Basilisk (her partner’s amazing restaurant). Arianne would like to thank Jason and her mom & pop for their endless love and support. MICHAEL ROUCHES

(MR. BRADDOCK)

Michael studied theatre at Viterbo University in Wisconsin and in Los Angeles. This is Michael’s first Bag&Baggage production. He has appeared locally in Guys and Dolls (as Nathan); August Osage County (as Steve); Oklahoma! (as Ali Hakim); Noises Off (as Garry); and Jewtopia (as Dennis). Michael is pleased to step back to 1964 with the talented cast and crew of The Graduate. ERIC ST. CYR

(BENJAMIN BRADDOCK)

Born and raised a short drive outside of the city of Boston, MA, Eric holds a Bachelors of Arts in Theatre Arts from Plymouth State University. Eric is thrilled to be part of the 2016–2017 season as an Associate Artist with Bag&Baggage productions. Past B&B appearances include Lord Hastings/Second Murderer in Richard III as well as Queequeg/ Cynical Actor in Moby Dick Rehearsed. New England theatre credits include work with such companies as: New Hampshire Theatre Project (Portsmouth, NH); Artists Collaborative Theatre of New England (Portsmouth, NH); Lost Nation Theatre (Montpelier, VT); and The Players Ring (Portsmouth,

NH). Eric is humbled and honored to be entrusted in playing the role of Benjamin Braddock and would like to thank the cast and crew for their incredible work and support to bring this story to life. Eric would like to thank his mom and dad for their continued love and support, and his number one girl, his daughter Romy Mae St. Cyr, for her everyday inspiration. Peace, love, and FREE TOM BRADY!!!

DROWNING GIRLS

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Bag&Baggage Productions presents

The 2016–2017 Season Presented by Ronni Lacroute and WillaKenzie Estate

THE DROWNING GIRLS By Beth Graham, Charlie Tomlinson, and Daniela Vlaskalic The Playwright acknowledges the assistance of the 2007 Banff Playwrights Colony – A partnership between the Canada Council for the Arts, The Banff Center, and Alberta Theatre Projects This production generously supported by grant funds from The Kinsman Foundation, the Hillsboro Arts and Culture Council, and the Oregon Cultural Trust

THE CAST Alice ............................................................................. Autumn Buck Bessie ...........................................................................Jessi Walters* Margaret ................................................................... Jessica Geffen**

CREW/PRODUCTION TEAM Director ......................................................................... Scott Palmer Assistant Director .......................................................... Cassie Greer Stage Manager & Props Master ..................... Ephriam Harnsberger Resident Costume Designer ...................................... Melissa Heller Scenic Design ........................................................ Megan Wilkerson Lighting Design & Technical Direction......................Jim Ricks-White Sound Design ............................................................... Scott Palmer

This performance runs approximately 2 hours with one 15 minute intermission.

Please remember: turn OFF your phone, do not text during the performance, and photography or recording of this performance is strictly prohibited.

The 2016–2017 Season Sponsored by The Hillsboro Hops

*Member of the Bag&Baggage Resident Acting Company, generously sponsored by David and Shirley Woodford **Bag&Baggage Associate Artist THE DROWNING GIRL S • BAG&BAGGAGE

DIRECTOR’S NOTES By Scott Palmer

How could Smith get away with it? At least three times? At least three women? Three recent brides? Three drownings in nearly identical circumstances? Was it because criminal investigative techniques were so much more primitive in the late 1800s? Possibly. The Daily Mail in the UK poses a different possibility. In April of 2010, in an ongoing series detailing some of the UK’s most horrific mass murderers, they wrote, “In the 1890s, large numbers of young men were emigrating to the colonies, which left British

When Mr. Charles Burnham read the newspaper story about Margaret Lloyd, a young bride who had tragically drowned in her bath in London’s suburban Highgate neighborhood the week before Christmas 1914, the story sounded terrifyingly familiar. Mr. Burnham’s daughter, Alice, had died in an eerily similar way, almost exactly one year before, after being recently married, by drowning in her bathtub while on her honeymoon in Blackpool, England with her husband George Smith. Charles Burnham contacted the landlady of the honeymoon suite in Blackpool, one Mrs. Crossley, who confirmed that Margaret Lloyd’s husband looked suspiciously like the man who married Alice. The two went directly to London’s metropolitan police who immediately began an investigation that would ultimately reveal a horrifying history of bigamy, insurance fraud, and murder. George Smith (aka John Lloyd, Henry Williams, and other aliases) was convicted of murdering three women by drowning and was hanged on Friday, August 13, 1915. The trial lasted eight days and the jury took just 22 minutes to find George Smith guilty of the murders of Alice Burnham, Bessie Mundy, and Margaret Lofty; all of whom were married to Smith, and all of whom were drowned by him for their money or life insurance policies.

females outnumbering men by more than half a million by 1910. The newspapers of the day were full of stories about women who could not find husbands.” These “spinsters,” as they were viciously named by the popular media, were largely poor and working-class women with little to no hope for financial advancement. At a time when women were not able to find employment beyond being servants, housekeepers, or the like, the prospect of a life of poverty was not only a possibility, it was the most likely outcome. In a culture that valued being a wife and mother as

Bessie Mundy

Alice Burnham

Margaret Lofty

George Joseph Smith

Killed 1912

Killed 1913

Killed 1914

Convicted & executed 1915

BAG&BAGGAGE • THE DROWNING GIRLS

the most noble of callings to which a woman could aspire, the lack of potential mates was likely panic inducing. And it was in this environment that George Smith hunted for his victims. The Daily Mail continues, “Such spinsters were perfect prey for Smith, a smooth-talking spiv with a slim, muscular physique and a penchant for flashy gold rings and brightly-colored bow-ties. He prowled seafronts and parks in his search for lonely and vulnerable females, mesmerizing them with his deep-set grey eyes.”

“Written by contemporary female playwrights from Canada, in a style that is largely non-realistic and hauntingly simple, the story is one of tragedy and celebration; part cautionary tale, part courtroom drama, and part love story.” Backstage.com’s recent coverage of a production of The Drowning Girls says, “George Joseph Smith was working a ghastly racket. Posing as a man of independent means, he would court the daughters of wealthy families and those who were of little means. Before the wedding he would have the lady’s will and finances put into order, leaving him the sole beneficiary in the event of her untimely death. Then—sometimes a few years after the wedding, sometimes just a single day later— he drowned his new wife in a bathtub, took the money, and ran. Smith accomplished this gruesome scam at least three times within three years, leading to his conviction and execution.” The Brides in the Baths murders are among the most notorious in all of England’s history, and follow a tragically familiar narrative. Young women pressured by society to marry; a handsome gentleman with promises of love and a comfortable lifestyle; a cultural predilection to disbelieve women’s stories of abuse; a dismissive attitude towards

ACTOR BIOGRAPHIES the value of a woman’s life; and a justice system inclined to side with men over women. A tale as old as time, really. But in this remarkable reimagining of the deaths and lives of Alice, Bessie, and Margaret, the writers of The Drowning Girls do more than just illuminate sexism and the prevalence of violence against women; they also give the victims of this violence a voice, a chance to not only tell their stories but explain their choices, reflect on their lives, prove their cases, and to meet each other in a macabre sisterhood. When I first read The Drowning Girls I knew immediately that Bag&Baggage should produce the show. Not only is it based on the actual court transcripts of the trial of George Smith, but it was also written in such a way as to be almost Shakespearean in poetic style. Without question, The Drowning Girls is unique in the performance history of the company. Written by contemporary female playwrights from Canada, in a style that is largely nonrealistic and hauntingly simple, the story is one of tragedy and celebration; part cautionary tale, part courtroom drama, and part love story. The Drowning Girls gripped me while I read it. Given the remarkable women who work with this company, as actors and as artists, it was a simple decision to ask those artists to give the victims of George Smith the chance to live, breathe, laugh, love, warn, and fight again. Maybe in this sisterhood, we can all find strength together.

AUTUMN BUCK

(ALICE)

Autumn holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance from Southern Oregon University. This is Autumn’s second production at Bag&Baggage. You may have seen her this past summer in Coriolanus (as Cominius). Autumn has worked for The Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Long Day’s Journey Into Night (as Cathleen), and her other favorite roles include: Our Town (as Mrs. Webb); The Caucasian Chalk Circle (as Chantou); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (as Hippolyta); and Welcome to the Moon (as Love). Autumn currently works at Blue Star Donuts and, when she’s not covered in sugar and glaze, she’s auditioning all around the Pacific Northwest; her spare time consists of hanging out with her corgi named Applesauce and writing short stories. Autumn would like to thank her partner, mother, and father for all of everything. JESSICA GEFFEN

(MARGARET)

Jessica is a proud graduate of Southern Oregon University, where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre and studied with professionals from the worldrenowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Jessica is excited to be returning to Bag&Baggage for her fifth production. Her work with the company includes The Crucible (as Elizabeth Proctor); It’s a (Somewhat) Wonderful Life, Miracle on 43 rd Street, and A KBNB Kristmas Karol (as Lana North-Berkshire), one of her favorite roles to date. Locally, Jessica has worked with Well Arts, Public Playhouse, Portland Actors Ensemble, and Lunacy Stageworks. Some of her favorite roles include Proof (as Catherine); Crimes of the Heart (as Babe); and Doubt: A Parable (as Sister James). When not on stage or in front of the camera, Jessica works behind

the mic as a voice over artist and audiobook narrator. She also stays busy playing with her best friend and daughter, Margot. She extends a special thanks to her husband and other best friend, Tim, and her family and friends for their ongoing support and encouragement. She also thanks Scott for this wonderful opportunity and for continuing to challenge her with such exciting roles. JESSI WALTERS

(BESSIE)

Jessi holds a BA in Theatre, Film, and Dance from Humboldt State University, and has also received training from Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre, Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble (PETE), and the Actor’s Academy in Southern California. Jessi is a proud member of Bag&Baggage’s Resident Acting Company, and is thrilled to be returning for her fourth season. She was most recently seen on the Venetian stage as Ishmael, in the critically acclaimed production of Moby Dick, Rehearsed. Previous Bag&Baggage performances include A KBNB Kristmas Karol (Laverne NorthBerkshire); The Best of Everything (as Mary Agnes Russo); The Six Gentlepersons of Verona (as Launce, Silvia, Lucetta); Lear (as Regan); Our Country’s Good (as Dabby Bryant, Meg Long); The Crucible (as Ann Putnam); Love’s Labor’s Lost (as Maria); Julius Caesar (as Lucilius & Soothsayer). In Portland, Jessi has been seen on stage with Post5 Theatre (Founding Company Member 2011–2014) in Spectravagasam 8:DRUGS (multiroles), Romeo & Juliet (as Nurse); Arabian Nights (as the Jester’s Wife); The P&J Show (Co-host); and with Northwest Classical Theater Company in Much Ado About Nothing (as Borachio). When she isn’t performing, Jessi enjoys watching scary movies, spending quality time with her sweetie Phillip, and spoiling their kitty, Cheri. THE DROWNING GIRL S • BAG&BAGGAGE

CREW BIOGRAPHIES CASSIE GREER

(DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT/ ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR THE DROWNING GIRLS)

Since 2005, Cassie has worked with theaters, arts organizations, and training programs across the country, connecting with communities, facilitating events, educating actors, and helping to build frameworks that allow these organizations thrive. As a performer herself, Cassie received her training in the MFA Acting program at Florida Atlantic University, and the BA Theatre program at Goshen College in Indiana. Behind the scenes, she has worked as a Production Manager, Event Manager, and Production Stage Manager at the Goshen College Music Center; as Event Coordinator for New World Arts (Goshen, Ind.); as Publicity Coordinator for the Florida Atlantic University Department of Theatre and Dance; and as the Ten4One/ PASSPORT Coordinator, “Think It” Project Manager, and PreProfessional Internship Coordinator here at Bag&Baggage. Her current work with the company unites her passion for challenging, engaging live performance experiences with her passion for promoting the presence of arts organizations within communities, helping to ensure their success. EPHRIAM HARNSBERGER

(STAGE MANAGER/ PROPS MASTER)

Ephriam recently graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Creighton University. Over the last years, he has been involved in several productions around Portland and the Midwest. Productions include: Coriolanus (SM); Emma (ASM); The Lady Aoi (SM); ZooZoo (Deck); The Sun Serpent (Lights); The Best of Everything (ASM); Othello (SM); The 18

BAG&BAGGAGE

South Omaha Stories (SM/AD); The Spitfire Grill (SM/AD); The Tempest (ASM); Compleat Works of William Shakespeare [abridged] (ASM); Titus Andronicus (ASM); Twelfth Night (ASM); Phantom (AD); Dames at Sea (SM); Almost, Maine (SM); Julius Caesar (ASM); and Comedy of Errors (ASM). Although he is usually found backstage he has also appeared onstage in Cabaret (as Emcee); Noises Off! (as Selsdon); and Urinetown (as Bobby). Ephriam is honored to return for a fourth time to Bag&Baggage surrounded by the incredible company members of The Graduate. When he is not wandering about the stage Ephriam also enjoys cooking, camping, hiking, and singing silly songs with his sisters. He would like to thank Bag&Baggage, Nik, and his parents. MELISSA HELLER

(RESIDENT COSTUME DESIGNER)

Melissa splits her time between heading the costume shop and designing costumes at Pacific University, and designing for local area theater companies. Melissa holds a BS in Apparel Design from Oregon State University, where her interest in costumes for theater began. She began her work with costumes in 2006, and helped to create all of their productions until she graduated in 2008; she then moved to Portland to pursue her career in the apparel industry. Melissa reignited her passion for costume design in 2010 when she began work with Oregon Ballet Theater, helping to create costumes for all of their productions for the 2010/2011 season. She has designed for numerous production companies including Mt. Hood Community College, Broadway Rose Theater Company, St. Mary’s Academy, Oregon Children’s Theater, and is the Resident Costume Designer for Bag&Baggage Productions and Pacific University. Her recent works include Our Country’s Good,

Julius Caesar, Kabuki Titus, Lear, and Emma with Bag&Baggage Productions; Charlotte’s Web with Oregon Children’s Theater; and The Taming of the Shrew with Portland Actors Ensemble. Melissa thanks Bag&Baggage Productions for this engaging partnership. ARIANNE JACQUES

(PATRON SERVICES MANAGER)

Arianne holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Oregon State University. She began working as an actor with Bag&Baggage in their 2007/08 season, but has become a staff member as well. After originating the role of Box Office Manager in 2011, she then became Operations Officer in 2013 and is, as of 2015, Patron Services Manager for the company. Arianne looks forward to continuing to grow with Bag&Baggage as the company evolves. BETH LEWIS

(MANAGING DIRECTOR)

Beth has over ten years of experience in theatre administration and management. She most recently served as Managing Director of Curious Comedy Theater, Portland’s only nonprofit comedy theater. She moved back home to the Portland area in 2013, after being in Los Angeles for five years working at The Pasadena Playhouse, where she ended her tenure there as their Annual Giving Manager. Before that, she lived in New York City, where she served as the Director of Development for The Looking Glass Theatre, and the Associate of Special Events for Sonnet Repertory Theatre. In addition to her work at Bag&Baggage, she is currently a board member of the Portland Area Theatre Alliance. She also holds a BA in Theatre from Connecticut College and is a Core Company Member of the Original Practice Shakespeare Festival.

SCOTT PALMER

(ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/ DIRECTOR OF THE GRADUATE AND THE DROWNING GIRLS)

Scott received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Oregon, his Master’s Degree from Oregon State University, and completed his PhD Coursework in Theatre, Film, and Television studies at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Over the past 20 years, Scott has developed an international reputation for his approach to classical dramatic literature, and more specifically his work with major literary adaptations of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Scott has adapted and directed critically acclaimed shows for Glasgow Repertory Company, Toi Whakkari (The National Drama School of New Zealand), Salem Repertory Theatre, Oregon State University, and Bag&Baggage Productions. Scott was the Founding Artistic Director of Glasgow Repertory Company, Scotland’s only Shakespearededicated theatre company, as well as the Bard in the Quad Outdoor Shakespeare summer event at Oregon State University. Scott is a Hillsboro native and has served on the Hillsboro Arts and Culture Council and the Westside Cultural Alliance, and previously worked as the Trust Manager of the Oregon Cultural Trust. Thanks and love to Brian. JIM RICKS-WHITE

(LIGHTING DESIGNER AND TECHNICAL DIRECTOR)

With over 30+ years in theatre, The Graduate will be Jim’s debut with Bag&Baggage and he is pleased to be joining the B&B Resident Artist family. Jim has worked professionally as a Production Stage Manager and Stage Manager (Civic Light Opera Seattle, Spokane Interplayers, Stumptown Stages),

Technical Director, Lighting and Set Designer (Innovation Theatreworks, Tower Theatre, Portland Actors Ensemble), Properties Artisan and all-around Theatre Tech (the list goes on and on...)—in venues as small as 99-seat black box theatres, and as large as the Olympic Stadium for the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics. Basically, he has yet to meet a theatre tech job he didn’t like—or at least enjoy! Jim also teaches technical theatre at PCC Sylvania and has held numerous administrative positions in theatre during his career. In his free time, Jim loves to travel, explore great food and enjoys working off steam swinging a German longsword at his local HEMA gym, Indes Western Martial Arts. Jim looks forward to being able help to nail down some good story telling and bring the 2016–2017 B&B season to light!

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Artists Repertory Theatre, The New Conservatory in San Francisco, Renaissance Theaterworks, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Broadway Rose, Teatro Milagro, deFunkt Theatre, Next Act Theatre, The Skylight Opera, First Stage Children’s Theatre, The Michigan Opera Theatre, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, and the Portland Opera. She has taught theatre, design, and art courses at Lewis & Clark College, The University of Portland, Michigan State University, The University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, St. Norbert College, RandolphMacon Women’s College, Carroll University, Central Michigan University, the Milwaukee High School for the Arts, and The University of Minnesota in Minneapolis/ St. Paul.

MEGAN WILKERSON

(DIRECTOR OF DESIGN AND PRODUCTION, SCENIC DESIGNER)

Megan holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Design for the Theatre from the University of Texas at Austin and is a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829. Besides being the Resident Scenic Designer for Bag&Baggage Megan is also a Resident Artist at Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland and an Ensemble Member at Rivendell Theatre in Chicago. Megan was a Recipient of Chicago’s After Dark Award in Scenic Design for her “thoroughly creepy” set for Marisa Wegrzyn’s Psalms of a Questionable Nature with Rivendell, and was nominated for a Drammy award for her design for The Childrens Hour at deFunkt theatre in Portland. Her Design work has also been recognized by The Chicago Tribune, The Austin Critics Circle, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the South Eastern Theatre Conference, and The United States Institute for Theatre Technology. Regionally she has worked with

BAG&BAGGAGE

THANK YOU, DONORS Your financial support is CRUCIAL to our success, and we are deeply grateful for your generous contributions. Find out more about the benefits of becoming a BAGGAGE HANDLER online today at www.bagnbaggage.org! (For contributions made between August 8, 2015 and August 8, 2016) IMPRESARIO $10,000 & ABOVE

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BAG&BAGGAGE

THANK YOU, SPONSORS!

THANK YOU, 2016 GALA DONORS! Our unique PASSPORT free ticket program enables Bag & Baggage to provide free tickets to any student from any high school in Washington, Columbia, Tillamook, and Yamhill Counties…on demand. As long as there is a seat available, B&B pledges to never turn away a student who wants to see our shows. Very special thanks to our donors who have generously supported this important program through our 2016 Gala and Auction. $2500 & ABOVE

Karl Citek & Patricia Logan Andrew Hoffman & Linda Morrisson Linda & Brad Needham Sandy Palmer $1000 & ABOVE

Lila Ashenbrenner Sara Behrman & F. X. Rosica Steve & Joan Callaway Kymberli Colbourne and Jim Ricks White Nan Frederick & Michael Ponder Mary Michelle Hamm Mike & Laura McMurray Fred Williams Richard & Kasi Woidyla $500 & ABOVE

ABOUT BAG&BAGGAGE Bag&Baggage is committed to unique interpretations and novel stagings of plays by the world’s best-known authors. We seek to rethink and reinvigorate the most celebrated titles, to challenge the public to experience them in new ways, and to connect our work to the lives and experiences of our audiences. Founded by a Hillsboro native, Bag&Baggage believes that cultural experiences like live theatre play an absolutely crucial role in the health of our community. 22

BAG&BAGGAGE

Carol A. Beauchamp Dan Bergsvik & Don Hastler John Figueiredo Kathryne A. & Donald H. Gilbert Sue & Pete Harris Ralph & Marilynn Helzerman Jeff Kishlock & Anne Brennan Moon Lee-Comstock & Chuck Comstock Eric & Diane Lewis Fred & Gayle Nachtigal Scott Palmer & Brian Garner Don & Linda Sinclair R. Scott Smith Peter & Sherry Sunderland Carla Velders Patricia Vice David & Shirley Woodford

$250 & ABOVE

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Tina Arth Pam Bohling Kirsten Carpentier John Castino Staci Cenis Martin Conley Skip Farmer Kathy Gaona Beth Graser Beth & Evan Lewis Carol Loughner Elizabeth Manser Patricia O’Rourke Peter Schuyler John Shorb K. Marie Tyler Jack Whitehead Jerry & Judy Willey Shelley Wright $25 & ABOVE

Pauline Beard Segun De Silva Annette Epifano Jim Kalvelage Sima Sabahi Caroline Spooner Fred Wallace & Dana Sweet Joyce Young

The Legendary XC70

VOLVO IS CELEBRATING THE FINAL YEAR OF THE LEGENDARY XC70 WITH A SPECIAL EDITION LIMITED PRODUCTION 2016 XC70 CLASSIC.

NOV. 30 – DEC. 30

TWO HOLIDAY CLASSICS! Portland Center Stage at

Tickets at pcs.org, by phone at 503.445.3700 or drop by at 128 NW Eleventh Avenue. Above: Hershey Felder in Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin. Photo by Eighty Eight Entertainment; Below: Darius Pierce in The Santaland Diaries. Photo by Patrick Weishampel/blankeye.tv.

NOV. 26 – DEC. 24

AT TH E P E R FO R M A N C E A CIT Y PL AYBILL AND PERFORMING ARTS MAGA ZINE

ROLE OF A LIFETIME

One-of-a-kind actor Lauren Modica steels her nerve for a solo show.

andy warhol likes boring things

FEATURES EDITOR-AT-LARGE 26 by Barry Johnson EVENT CALENDAR 30 Be in the know.

THE POLITICS OF ART 32 By A.L. Adams

35 FAVORITE PLACES

Featuring Kymberli Colbourne

36 ARTIST PROFILE

Featuring Lauren Modica

ANDY WARHOL: PRINTS FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF JORDAN D. SCHNITZER AND HIS FAMILY FOUNDATION OCT 8 – JAN 1

41 ARTIST PROFILE

Featuring XX Digitus Duo

44 CROSSWORD

Think you know art?

46 DAY JOBS

Featuring Margo Yohner

portlandartmuseum.org SEP T E MB ER/O C TO B ER 2016

A RT S L A N D I A .COM

Andy Warhol (American, 1928–1987). Space Fruit: Still Lifes, Cantaloupes II (II.198), 1979. Screenprint. 30 x 40 in. Courtesy of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation. © 2016 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

SEPT | OCT 2016 • ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE

FROM THE EDTOR-AT-LARGE What I like best about Shakespeare is the way his plays, even the minor ones, can suddenly reﬂect a shard of my own experience, my own feeling, my own attempts to understand my world. In this bitter election year, I found “Timon of Athens” just about perfect when I spent a few days at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. Who is more bitter than Anthony Heald’s Timon, so gentle and generous at the beginning of the play and so savage toward humankind by the end? Here is the crucial moment, Timon at full rant, sputtering and spitting against the Athenians who had accepted his gifts and wallowed in the luxury of his table: Most smiling, smooth, detested parasites, Courteous destroyers, affable wolves, meek bears, You fools of fortune, trencher-friends, time’s ﬂies, Cap-and-knee slaves, vapours, and minute-jacks!

I had to fetch my glossary, “Shakespeare’s Words,” to discover that a “minute-jack” was a “mind-changing villain, fickle lout,” though I got the idea without a precise definition. Oh, and a “cap-and-knee slave” is a sycophant (who removes his cap, descends to one knee and flatters a great man or lady). But that was just the beginning for Timon. Sure, he abandons the precincts of Athens for the wild countryside. (And maybe you’ve threatened to the do the same if one particular candidate emerges triumphant in November.) But he goes beyond that. The general Alcibiades, who hates Athens, too, asks the hermit his name. “I am Misanthropos and hate mankind,” Timon answers. And nothing in the rest of the play proves any different. Timon is done with us. Strangely, presented with this picture of Timon, I found my own bitterness about the state of things abate a little. Shakespeare does that. He does it in the festival’s production of “Richard II” as well, another play for our times. Richard is surrounded by flatterers and bad advisers, and England is suffering for it: “A thousand flatterers sit within thy crown,” the dying John of Gaunt tells Richard. And CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE • SEPT | OCT 2016

before long Richard has created the enemy, Henry Bolingbroke, who will depose him and then assume the crown himself as Henry IV. Shakespeare doesn’t abandon Richard II, though, even if history destroys him. Instead, he gives Richard the beginning of wisdom, too late for his crown, but the peace of understanding is its own reward. On this trip, the plays were constantly speaking directly to this time and our politics, which have managed to corrupt our democracy. Qui Nguyen’s Vietgone spoke directly, sympathetically and surprisingly to the immigrant experience in America just as the very word “immigrant” has become ensnared in the worst kind of politics. And by the time “Hamlet” rolled around, the words of Marcellus to Horatio—“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”—made heads nod in affirmation all over the outdoor Elizabethan Theatre in the festival’s Doom Metal version of Shakespeare’s play. So, I really needed Twelfth Night and Viola’s optimism, though she’s caught in a tangle of love and duty: “O Time, thou must untangle this not I;/It is too hard a knot for me t’ untie.” Her prayer is even answered! For the next couple of months, we’ll conclude a hundred times that something is rotten in our body politic. We’ll watch a hundred ads attempt to ignite our most reﬂexive, least human responses. We’ll be tempted, like Timon, to turn our backs on all of it, because none of it makes sense. In “The Long Revolution”, British culture critic Raymond Williams writes, “Democracy and community have again and again been made over into the old kind of restriction and direction. Individualism has passed into selfishness and indifference by the facts of its own incompleteness.” The complexity of things in the modern era, he suggests, have led to a general sense of insecurity. But despite the failures of democracy, his thinking leads back to it: “If man is essentially a learning, creating and communicating being, the only social organization adequate to his nature is a participatory democracy, in which all of us, as unique individuals, learn, communicate and control.” In his argument Williams quotes The Brothers Karamazov. Dostoyevsky says that when a man seeks the greatest possible “fulness of life” for himself, “all his efforts result...in arriving at complete solitude.” At Timon, in short. We ﬁgure out a way to work together or we die alone. The arts lead us to a vast amount of human wisdom, but maybe this is the most important. At least for the here and now. .

“SOME OF THE BEST DANCERS YOU WILL EVER SEE” – CALGARY HERALD

TICKETS OCT 13 - 15 / 7:30PM

NWDANCEPROJECT.ORG 503.828.8285 PHOTO / CHRISTOPHER PEDDECORD ART / MONA JONES CORDELL DANCERS / CHING CHING WONG + ELIJAH LABAY

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SEPT | OCT 2016 • ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE

AT TH E P E R FO R M A N C E

PUBLISHER & FOUNDER Misty Tompoles EDITOR-AT-LARGE Barry Johnson COPY EDITOR Kristen Seidman DESIGNERS Megan C. Cutler Lisa Johnston-Smith MEDIA DIRECTOR Chris Porras PUBLISHERS REPRESENTATIVE Lindsey Ferguson PUBLISHING COORDINATOR Bella Showerman SPECIAL PROJECTS Ahnyah Krummenacker CONTRIBUTING WRITERS A.L. Adams Barry Johnson PHOTOGRAPHERS Will Nielsen EDITORIAL INTERNS Lauren Abbott Anyi Wong-Lifton Carleigh Oeth DESIGN INTERN Anna Payne

BAG&BAGGAGE Scott Palmer, Founding Artistic Director

Artslandia at the Performance is published by Rampant Creative, Inc. ©2016 Rampant Creative, Inc. All rights reserved. This magazine or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher. Rampant Creative, Inc. /Artslandia Magazine 6637 SE Milwaukie Ave. #207 | Portland, OR 97202

ARTSLANDIA.COM

ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE • SEPT | OCT 2016

LISTEN ONLINE!

THE NETHER by Jennifer Haley

MUSIC DANCE THEATRE

Buy your tickets today at www.thirdrailrep.org. September 30-October 22, 2016 — Third Rail at Imago Theatre — 17 SE 8th Ave, Portland

PHOTO BY OWEN CAREY

Just because it’s virtual doesn’t mean it isn’t real.

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SEPT | OCT 2016 • ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE

OUT & ABOUT MUSIC

DANCE

THEATER

ONE NIGHT ONLY!

FAMILY SHOW

DIAVOLO ARCHITECTURE IN MOTION WHITE BIRD

HUGHIE

IMAGO THEATRE

It’s summer of 1928 in the concrete jungle that is New York City; the sun is hot and the lights are bright, but small-time gambler Erie Smith is in a hotel lobby spinning tall tales about himself to a bored night clerk. Written by Eugene O’Neill, “Hughie” is an insightful two-character theatrical masterpiece. SEPTEMBER 2–18; IMAGO THEATRE

THE GRADUATE

BAG&BAGGAGE

Benjamin’s academic success and bright future are nearly swallowed whole by his sexual misadventures with Mrs. Robinson. This stage-set bittersweet odyssey of the ‘60s cult novel and revolutionary film, “The Graduate,” will transport you back to the beginnings of counter-culture and give you a good laugh along the way. SEPTEMBER 8–OCTOBER 2; THE VENETIAN THEATRE

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

PORTLAND CENTER STAGE

What would go on to inspire the Roger Corman film of the same name, this offBroadway musical follows florist’s assistant Seymour as he cares for a strange little plant with a lot of secrets. The mysterious plant brings about fame, fortune, and much more for our hapless but lovable protagonist, set to a score of Motown and rock n’ roll.

SW 6th between Oak & Pine hours MON–FRI 11:30am–Midnight SAT & SUN 5:00pm–Midnight reservation 503.688.5952 littlebirdbistro.com 215 SW 6TH AVE. PORTLAND, OR 97204

ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE

SEPTEMBER 10–OCTOBER 16; U.S. BANK MAIN STAGE, THE ARMORY

RENÉE FLEMING

OREGON SYMPHONY

Renée Fleming inaugurates the Oregon Symphony’s 120th season! Her rich voice and enthralling presence never fails to captivate her audiences. Known as the “people’s diva,” this Grammy Award and National Medal of

Arts winning soprano has preformed at the White House, 2008 Olympic Games, the Super Bowl and Buckingham Palace. SEPTEMBER 10; ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL

AUGUST WILSON’S HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED

PORTLAND PLAYHOUSE

Follow the life August Wilson and take a journey through the triumphs and tribulations of African-America history. This one-man autobiographical performance is both humorous and poignant, and uncovers the extraordinary mind of one of America’s most prolific playwrights. SEPTEMBER 21–OCTOBER 23 PORTLAND PLAYHOUSE

HOLD THESE TRUTHS

PORTLAND CENTER STAGE

Inspired by true events, Hold These Truths chronicles Gordan Hirabayashi’s struggle to fight the government program of mass incarceration of Japanese people during the second World War. With a passionate and unwavering belief in the constitution, Hirabayashi begins a journey towards understanding America’s triumphs— and failures. OCTOBER 1–NOVEMBER 13; ELLYN BYE STUDIO, THE ARMORY

DIAVOLO ARCHITECTURE IN MOTION

WHITE BIRD

Exhilarating athleticism and grace are showcased in this program as dancers traverse a transforming staircase and huge set of cubes. Diavolo presents three pieces including L.O.S.T. (Losing One’s Self Temporarily), a new two-part performance featuring fearless physicality. OCTOBER 6–8; NEWMARK THEATRE

OUT & ABOUT GIANTS

OREGON BALLET THEATRE

This production includes George Balanchine’s Serenade and William Forsythe’s In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated. In their time, these choreographers were innovators of modern ballet. The Oregon Ballet Theatre hopes to continue this evolution with their new production, Giants, created by Nicolo Fonte, which draws inspiration from the past and incorporates modern techniques and abilities. OCTOBER 8–15, 2016; KELLER AUDITORIUM

BOLERO+

NORTHWEST DANCE PROJECT

Opening with a bang, the season starts out with three promising choreographers who are carving their own paths in the future of contemporary dance. Ihsan Rustem, Lucas Crandall, and Felix Landerer will present three original pieces that pulse with passion and inspiration.

The Oregon Community Foundation provides tax-deductible options to help create a brighter horizon for Oregon’s future.

OCTOBER 13–15; LINCOLN PERFORMANCE HALL, PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY

CAMILLE A. BROWN & DANCERS WHITE BIRD

Award-winning choreographer Camille A. Brown’s newest work Black Girl: Linguistic Play explores African American women’s complex challenge of creating a self-identity in a politically and racially charged world. Brown is known for invigorating dance performances from the contemporary black female perspective. OCTOBER 13–15; NEWMARK THEATRE

THE DROWNING GIRLS

BAG&BAGGAGE

Rising from the watery graves of the bathtubs in which they drowned, three breathless brides convene to gather evidence against their conniving and murderous husband, George Joseph Smith. This astounding fantasia is an adaptation of the transcripts a 20th century murder trial in England, “Brides in a Bath.” OCTOBER 13–31; THE VENETIAN THEATRE

INBAL PINTO & AVSHALOM POLLAK

WHITE BIRD UNCAGED SERIES

Colorfully costumed dancers create inventive shapes against a gleaming white backdrop and poignant Japanese score in Wallflower. Inbal Pinto and Avshalon Pollak are worldrenowned choreographers and directors bringing their unique, award-winning work to White Bird for the first time in ten years. OCTOBER 20–22; LINCOLN HALL, PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY

oregoncf.org

DROWNING GIRLS

THREE BRIDES - ONE GROOM - THREE BATHTUBS - ONE HAUNTING TALE

A PACIFIC NORTHWEST PREMIERE OCTOBER 13 - 31, 2016 THE VENETIAN THEATRE, HILLSBORO BAGNBAGGAGE.ORG

SEPT | OCT 2016 • ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE

AN ARTSLANDIA FEATURE

the

of art

FUNDING I truly donʼt think of donations as a chief motivator when Iʼm at the point of decision-making about the kind of work we do. Itʼs rather the opposite direction: I work with artists and audience to identify our artistic aesthetic, then we seek funders who support the idea of the work we want to do. The other way around would feel backwards.

DAMASO RODRIGEZ

ARTIS TS REPERTORY THEATRE

GROWTH Weʼre tr ying to reach the same group of people that all other art organizations are tr ying to reach: young adults, 35 and younger! Bringing in younger audiences creates a promising future.

PAT Z A G E L O W FRIENDS OF CHAMBER MUSIC

DIVERSITY MORE PLAYS ARE MAKING IT TO THE STAGE THAT HAVE PEOPLE OF COLOR TELLING THEIR STORIES. MORE PLAYS ARE INTEGRATING PEOPLE OF COLOR INTO ROLES TYPICALLY PLAYED BY WHITE ACTORS. THE DOORS ARE OPENING, AND ARTISTS ARE WALKING THROUGH THEM.

WORLD PERSPECTIVE

K A R O L C O L LY M O R E

ARTS & EDUC ATION LEADER

In Hamburg, where I first conducted, the arts were government subsidized, whereas in the U.S., government contribution to the arts is negligible. In Europe, the best gigs went to conductors and musicians with the most experience. In the U.S., everybody wants to discover the new, the unknown talent. C A R L O S K A L M A R OREGON SYMPHONY

ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE • SEPT | OCT 2016

DIVERSITY

THE ECONOMY

We took a long, hard look at ourselves. We committed to evolving in this arena holistically and authentically—which meant self-reﬂ ection within individuals and organizationally; it meant transparent and humble examination of our presuppositions, internalized biases, relationship to privilege, and assessment of how those things play a part in the culture we create.

UPS AND DOWNS IN THE ECONOMY AFFECT THE ARTS. WHEN PEOPLE ARE FEELING FINANCIALLY SECURE AND PROSPEROUS, THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ARTS— AND THOSE ECONOMIC FACTORS ARE IMPACTED BY POLITICS.

MAUREEN PORTER

T H I R D R A I L R E P E R T O R Y T H E AT R E

ANNE MUELLER THE PORTLAND BALLET AN ARTS-FRIENDLY TOWN STARTS WITH AN ARTS-FRIENDLY MAYOR. OUR LAST MAYOR TO BE AN ALLY OF THE ARTS WAS SAM ADAMS; I’M HEARTENED TO THINK THAT OUR NEXT MAYOR WILL REASSERT THE ARTS AS A PRIORITY.

NICK FISH PORTLAND CIT Y COMMISSIONER

DIVERSITY Weʼre not a “Latinos only” club; we welcome others of different races and ethnicities to participate, enjoy, and actively collaborate. Our deepseated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion motivates and guides us.

FUNDING In my opinion, those corporations with names on the sides of high-rises should be loosening their purse strings. Come on! They have money! They have no problem funding every sports team from little league to professional. They obviously don’t see the importance of the arts.

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ASTORIA: Part One By Chris Coleman; based on the book ASTORIA: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson’s Lost Pacific Empire, A Story of Wealth, Ambition, and Survival by Peter Stark | On the U.S. Bank Main Stage Jan. 14 – Feb. 12, 2017

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A musical biography of Ethel Waters

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CONSTELLATIONS By Nick Payne On the U.S. Bank Main Stage May 13 – June 11, 2017

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Kymberli is currently starring as Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate at Bag&Baggage. Photo by David Rollins.

ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE

Photo by Will Nielsen.

One-of-a-kind actor Lauren Modica steels her nerve for a solo show.

ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE â&#x20AC;¢ SEPT | OCT 2016

AN ARTSLANDIA FEATURE

It’s

an understatement to say that Lauren Modica's in a unique position. Quick to claim that she's the “most inspirational half-Black dwarf actor in town,” she's equally quick to laugh that accolade o�f, admitting she craves a bigger challenge than winning in a category where there's technically no contest.

Oh—and she’s fully aware that that level of laboration with Chicago’s legendary Second Murray, and she’s mustering her courage for frankness can shock people...but no more City comedy troupe. That show continued one of acting’s greatest feats: the one-perthan others’ remarks have sometimes over three holiday seasons and was by all son show. The ultimate assertion of self-reshocked her. From friends who’ve insensi- accounts a physical and comedic “workout,” flection and the pure, unadorned ability to tively blurted that they “couldn’t imagine” finally gave Modica the visibility and further entertain, the solo show is also the mode of raising a dwarf child; to a homeless inebriate on-the-job training her talents deserved. expression Modica’s biggest heroes Patton yelling “midget” at her in a parking lot; to Oswalt and Jeanine Garofalo have chosen. “I’ve been so, so lucky to work with the comBut she says the idea of the “one woman family members who initially discouraged panies I have, as often as I have,” she gushes. her from following her dream of acting, Modshow” comes with unique baggage. As she ica’s lived through a rare spectrum and prospective director Pat Moran of tragicomedy. Some stories, she’ll undertake preliminary planning, I think if I weren’t a dwarf, I wouldn’t volunteer in conversation. Others, they’ve already joked about one even be a performer. I’d have just stuck woman show clichés. she’s saving for the stage.

“

Since coming of age in Portland, with journalism or public relations. Modica’s paid her dues on the theater scene, starting with community productions, then attending “the gen- “I hope that continues! But I don’t want to feel erals” and bigger companies’ open auditions bitter or helpless if it ever changes.” to snag an ever-steadier stream of ensemble Well, there’s only one surefire way to ward roles. Having earned an extraordinary repoff The Casting Blues—star in your own utation for hard work, humor and intensity, play—so that’s the actor’s next plan. Modica’s in 2013 she got her first big break: a role (or currently workshopping an original two-peractually several) in Portland Center Stage’s son show with fellow local luminary Chris sketch comedy Twist Your Dickens, a col-

”

“I feel like people will expect me to wear a black turtleneck, and at some point I’m just gonna drop to my knees and let out a primal scream!” she laughs. “But who wants to listen to that?” She’d prefer, she says, to give her material a wry twist, and to balance any dwarf-specific stories with plenty of universal themes.

“Don’t get me wrong; I have deep grief sometimes for what I rolled in, basically, genetic CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

The Role of a Lifetime

by A.L. Adams

SEPT | OCT 2016 • ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37 roulette, but I also have a fierce self-protectiveness that doesn’t let me go there. For some reason, this has been the year when people keep coming up to me and saying, ‘I know a dwarf who committed suicide.’ I realize they’re unburdening themselves by sharing...but I’m like, ‘Where does that leave me?’ Dwelling on unfairness onstage would be irresponsible. We’d all end up feeling worse. At the same time, I’m aware that many people see me as an inspiration...but I don’t want to frame myself that way, either, like:”

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to wear a black turtleneck, and at some point I’m just gonna drop to my knees and let out a primal scream! But who wants to listen to that?

”

Here, Modica perks up into her best suburban housewife impression. “Look at her! She’s doing it! Shopping at New Seasons! Living her best life!” Her switch into the funny voice evokes another Lauren—Lauren Weedman, who previewed her own solo show in progress, the PCS-commissioned Lauren Weedman Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, at this summer’s JAW Festival. Modica pulled some strings at PCS to workshop with Weedman, and came away energized. “She has such a great way of combining physicality, musicality, tragedy—and this ability to drop these profound revelations on you out of nowhere...and she doesn’t mind leaving space for you to really feel whatever she’s said.” Weedman encouraged Modica explore possibilities for props and sets, but Modica’s not sure she’s ready. “I don’t think I can wheel out some box of scarves on my first attempt,” she

September/October LAUREN MODICA laughs. “I’m more picturing just one stool in the middle of the stage. But we’ll see.” Her plans are proceeding at an interesting political moment. As Black Lives Matter haunts the national conscience, local diversity discussions are popping up with increased frequency among arts groups like Portland Emerging Arts Leaders and dedicated issue forums like The Color of Now (led by Modica’s friend and former Dickens castmate Chantal DeGroat). When it comes to “intersectionality”—the study of so-called minorities within minorities—Modica alone can address her three particular forms of “otherness.” “Dwarfism is always what people see first.” she declares, but she also admits that she’s pondered a list of “what ifs”: “I think if I weren’t a dwarf, I wouldn’t even be a performer. I’d have just stuck with journalism or public relations.” “If I were a different race—well, I am half white, and people always misidentify my race anyway. Hawaiian, Pacific Islander...most people guess wrong. Whenever they get it without guessing and just go, ‘Yeah, you’re Black,’ I’m like, ‘Thank you.’ So I guess if I were a different race, maybe not much would change?” And as a male dwarf? “I’d probably be a really loud, obnoxious, joker-partier-skater type of bro. I can totally see myself in a backwards baseball cap, taking dares, calling out strangers, with absolutely nothing to lose. Sometimes I play a character like that to tease my sisters, and they’re like, ‘Knock it off ! We don’t like that guy.’” As much as a solo show will enable Modica to explore her existing facets (bro voice optional), she also hopes it will help clear her passage into a next phase. “I’m starting to want things. Like a house. A dog. A fig tree. Maybe children? A solo show is something I’ve wanted but resisted for a long time, and this is the point when I have the fewest reasons I’ll ever have to say no. I want this show to be like building a tiny house: a secure structure that I can inhabit for a while and take it places. I intend to live without regret.”

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Modica pauses. And we feel it. . SEPT | OCT 2016 • ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE

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ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE • SEPT | OCT 2016

PDXOS-PortlandOpenStudios_Artslandia_2.23x9.6875_F.indd 8/21/16 1 2:59 PM

AN ARTSLANDIA FEATURE

THE SOUND OF TWENTY FINGERS DANCING

An afternoon practice with XX Digitus Duo YOU KNOW WHAT’S HARD TO SHARE? A PAIR OF ROLLER

by A.L. Adams

SKATES. A SINGLE TIRE SWING. OR ONE PIANO. WATCHING XX DIGITUS DUO RUN THROUGH THEIR PRACTICE, I’M GETTING FLASHBACKS OF TRYING TO SHARE WITH MY SISTER.

n Maria Garcia’s spacious Eliot living room, she and Momoko Muramatsu deftly and emotively co-pilot a Fazioli grand piano (“the Ferrari of pianos,” as Momoko calls it), pausing occasionally to discuss dynamics and scribble notes on their sheet music. As one piece percolates and rises to a rumble, the pencil flies off the piano and skitters across the hardwoods, startling Maria’s dog Cosmo from a rapturous nap. It’s easy to see why the Duo describes their coordinated playing as “choreography.” Their four hands often crisscross over each other; three of their four feet evade the piano’s three pedals while one foot plays designated driver; and whenever one player begins a run up or down the keyboard, the other fluidly completes it. As with roller skates or a tire swing, it takes a lot of synchronized swaying to move forward and stay out of each other’s way. And that’s only the half of it. “In practice, we’re more subdued. We’re giving this about fifty percent,” Momoko explains. “When we’re performing, we’re giving a hundred percent, so we’re twice as animated!” What’s more, Maria is near-sighted while Momoko is far-sighted, tempting them to lean

respectively forward and backward. They’ve long since set some ground rules: never share a bench, keep your elbows in. It’s a wonder this system works at all, and a marvel how beautifully. Each accomplished concert pianists in their own right, Maria and Momoko formed XX Digitus Duo in 2014—more recently than their rapport might suggest. That’s because the pair have been crossing paths since college. They first met while training at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, then reconnected when they both lived in New York years later. “Life brought us back together in different places,” says Maria, and each time, they discussed putting together a project; it just never happened til they were both in Portland. Embracing Portland’s reputation for flouting convention, the friends forewent an obvious name choice like “Muramatsu/Garcia” in favor of more alternative branding: XX “isn’t ex-ex,” Maria clarifies, “it’s the Roman numeral for twenty”—and “Digitus” is Latin for fingers. “We did wonder, ‘Does it sound risqué?’” she notes, “but ultimately, we like that it’s unique and sets us apart.” Their expanded tagline, “Twenty Finger Symphonic Sounds of Eclectic Repertoire,” sums up their mission as well as their name’s meaning. The novelty of four-hand piano is far from the Duo’s only hook. They’re equally if not more invested in that part about “Eclectic Repertoire,” CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

SEPT | OCT 2016 • ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE

XX DIGITUS DUO CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41

to which they could add, “rare.” Nerds for the four-hand form, they’ve collected hardto-find pieces from artists all over the world who’ve experimented with it. Today, they play from a book of Renaissance works that Hungarian composer György Kurtág reset in four-hand to pla y alongside his wife Márta well into their old age. They also bust out some four-hand arrangements of Juan Morel Compos that Maria retrieved from the closet of a former teacher in Puerto Rico who had a four-hand act with her sister. Between the pieces Maria has inherited and those Momoko’s gotten from her mother Tamiko Muramatsu, a career concert pianist in Japan, Digitus’ catalog contains some deep cuts. Some of the hardest works to adapt, oddly enough, are pieces conceived for two full pianos. They tend to be written to exuberantly engulf the whole length of both keyboards, and hence are tricky or even impossible to shrink. Surprisingly, Digitus often finds it easier to convert whole orchestra scores to piano duos, or to divvy a solo piano piece into two parts. Some works, like Morel Campos’ Tambien Lo Dudo, come notated in two distinct sets of different sheet music, while other pieces present two parts in a doubledecker stack, with two treble and two bass clefs stacked into every bar. Reading such scores is certainly not as easy as Maria and Momoko make it sound, but it’s becoming second nature.

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ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE • SEPT | OCT 2016

XX Digitus Duo debuted in the summer of 2014 at Director Park, purportedly the firstever four-hand group to grace All Classical Radio’s Thursdays @ Three. After putting in a few more appearances at the Old Church and the Community Music Center, they realized their next step should be recording, for which they sought and got a 2016 project grant from Regional Arts and Culture Council. Grant money bankrolled their debut e.p., 4 + 1, including a new commission by composer Ken Selden and an upcoming November album release at Alberta Rose Theatre. Conceived as more “event” than mere “concert”—the show will feature Agnieszka Laska Dancers and perhaps more special guests. After that, they’d like to settle into a threeshow-a-season schedule and potentially some travel, and continue to establish themselves as a fixture in Portland’s thriving chamber-tainment scene. And maybe do some gigs on two pianos? “We can dream.” . For more information about XX Digitus Duo’s upcoming performances, visit www. xxdigitusduo.com.

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DOWN

1. He is perhaps one of the most celebrated and well-known composers of all time.

17. The song “When You Wish Upon A Star” is originally from Disney’s .

3. The Drowning Girls is a play based on a murder trial in this country.

19. Jason Alexander, who is making a triumphant return to Broadway, is most famous for his character in this ‘90s sitcom .

5. First name of T.J. Miller’s character in HBO’s Silicon Valley.

6. What is the real last name of the author of Cat in the Hat (not the pen name Dr. Seuss)?

22. Female comedian originally recognized for her work on The Chris Rock Show.

8. Explosions in the Sky created the soundtrack for a television series centered around this sport.

23. Jazz vocalist Catherine Russel was born in this state.

11. This African-American playwright produced a series of 10 plays, each taking place in a different decade.

26. This dance company explores a blend of body movement and architecture.

13. Not once, not twice, but

15. An event in which participants wear a costume and a mask. 44

21. Coo-coo-cachoo, Mrs.

ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE • SEPT | OCT 2016

27. John Williams, renowned cinematic composer and pianist, produced the film score for which successful 1975 thriller? 30. What is the name of Shakespeare’s longest play?

ACROSS

A WORLD PREMIERE!

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9. This is the name of the protagonist detective in the sci-fi play The Nether.

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10. The real first name of singersongwriter Anderson Paak.

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12. Nick Jones, writer of the play Trevor, is well known for his writing of this popular Netflix original series (acronym). 14. The Legend of Zelda was originally developed by

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16. During the filming of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, actress Susan was sick with the flu.

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18. The name of this play is also the name of a specific cut of meat. 19. In the original story of The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy’s magical shoes were not red, but .

™ & © Scholastic Inc. Scholastic, Goosebumps and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered marks of Scholastic Inc. Based on Goosebumps® Phantom of the Auditorium.

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20. In Broadway’s Chicago: The Musical, who plays the lead role of Roxie Hart? 22. Roe v.

24. The year of 1776 marks America’s . 25. What is the title of the most recent album of boy band “Boyz II Men”? 28. Before premiering on Broadway, The Lion King was first performed as a musical in the state of . 29. A synonym for ghost. 31. The Old Church, one of Portland’s historical buildings and renovated event venues, is an example of what kind of architecture? 32. As his first instrument ever, David Bowie was given a at the age of 12. 33. A musical group consisting of five members.

Think you got ‘em all right? Find the answers to this crossword puzzle on our website! ARTSLANDIA.COM

SEPT | OCT 2016 • ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE

WHAT’S YOUR

DAY

MANY OF PORTLAND’S MOST TALENTED PERFORMERS HAVE SIDE JOBS—OR EVEN COMPLETE CAREERS— BEYOND THE PERFORMING ARTS. HERE’S ONE!

JOB

Margo Yohner AERIAL DANCER & PRINT COMPANY PRESIDENT BY DAY President of Bridgetown Printing Company

BY NIGHT

“In both roles, I aim to please! Whether I’m onstage or off, I’m most satisfied when customers, audience members, employees, fellow dancers, and my employer and artistic directors are elated with my performance. The biggest difference? Financial responsibility. At AWOL, I don’t have oversight of the Profit & Loss.” –Margo

PHOTO BY JASON QUIGLEY.

Margo is a performer with A-WOL Dance Collective, a company who defies gravity by using various types of apparatus—think hoops and silks—to dance aloft. She’s appeared recently in A-WOL’s Art in the Dark, a fantastical production among the trees that must be seen to be believed.

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