By: Allison Moore Directed By: Allison Heishman
June 14 – July 1, 2012 The Off-Broad Street Theater
Kevin Glaccum Producing Artistic Director
Virginia and Harvey Kimmel Arts Education Fund Honorary Producers
AZUKA THEATRE presents
by ALLISON MOORE Featuring BRANDI BURGESS JULIA KING JIHAD MILHEM BRIAN RATCLIFFE BAILEY SHAW Scenic Design EVAN LEIGH
Lighting Design CHRIS HALLENBECK
Costume Design JAMIE GRACE-DUFF
Sound Design DANIEL KONTZ
Dramaturg SARAH OLLOVE
Production Manager MEREDITH SONNEN
Production Stage Manager CARRIE RYAN Directed by ALLISON HEISHMAN
Philadelphia Premiere!
June 14 – July 1, 2012 Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. (playscripts.com) Azuka Theatre is a 501(c)(3) Not for profit organization
CAST Ruth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brandi Burgess Camille . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Julia King Blake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jihad Milhem Quinn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brian Ratcliffe Quintin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bailey Shaw Time & Place: The Present. A very small town in southwestern Kentucky, and the spaces between New York and California. There will be one 15 minute intermission. Please turn OFF all electronic devices prior to the performance. Photography or recording of this production, including cellular phones, is strictly prohibited
Proud member of Off-Broad Street. Celebrating Philadelphia Independent Theater!
Azuka Theatre is a member of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance (GPCA).
Azuka Theatre is a member of the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia (TAGP).
Azuka Theatre proudly participates in the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre.
A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR I was born in Kentucky, but grew up in New Hampshire and Maryland. My immediate and extended family is spread throughout the country - North, South, East and West. And it may seem a little odd, but I identify geographically as being from all three of the locations mentioned above, and now add to that my chosen home of Philadelphia. The ways in which we identify ourselves are inextricably linked to some kind of location; often this is true of how others identify us as well. What comes to mind when you think of someone from Vermont? Or Texas? Someone from Cali or Washington, DC? How about the 'backwoods' of Kentucky? How about North Philly?
These snap judgments are almost impossible to avoid. For instance, what happens when you see someone driving a Hummer or a Ford F-150? Wearing a Chanel Suit or a wife-beater? How often do we take other people's opinions of us into consideration when we decide what we are going to wear, or what information we are going to share about ourselves?
Are we more than where we're from, or what kind of car we drive? Of course. Are we judged on those things despite understanding this fact? You betcha. And so we choose how we present ourselves, what stories we tell people we meet. We place the image we most want to be associated with out in the open, only later revealing certain details and facts that we've kept hidden away.
Of course I watched it.
I had THE biggest crush on Bo Duke. The Dukes were so cool, always 'righting' those 'wrongs' and putting the completely bumbling authority figures in their place, which was generally in the river, or off a bridge, or up a tree. Complete with obligatory flaming arrows and some killer car chases in that sweet 69 Charger. Did I comprehend the full meaning of the Confederate Flag that covered the roof of the General Lee? Not really. Did I know at that point who General Lee was? Nope. Did any of that historical context actually matter? Well, that's the real question now, isn't it?
– Allison Heishman
WHO’S WHO Brandi Burgess (Ruth) Brandi is thrilled to be making her Azuka Theatre debut in Hazard County. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, she moved up to Philly to attend University of the Arts, where she just received her BFA in Acting. Past productions: Women of Manhattan, Little Women, Midsummer Night’s Dream (performed in London), The Crucible , Under Milkwood, and To Kill A Mockingbird. She sends love and gratitude to her Heavenly Savior (Ruach Elohim), and her beautiful Alabama and Philly families. “If we could read the secret history of our enemies, there we would find enough suffering and sorrow to disarm all hostility” -H.W. Longfellow Julia King (Camille) Julia is ecstatic to be making her Philly theater debut with Azuka Theatre! She is a proud graduate of Temple University, where she was in the first graduating class of the Musical Theater concentration (2011). Most recently, Julia has been seen in Sweet Charity and A View from the Bridge at Temple. Many thanks to Kevin and Allison for this opportunity. Love to Mom!
Jihad Milhem (Blake) Jihad is originally from Columbus, OH and a graduate of Otterbein University with a BFA in Acting. Since graduating from college Jihad has lived in New York City and now Philadelphia. He has appeared at the National Constitution Center and at the South Camden Theatre Co., as well as last year’s Philly Fringe festival. Jihad has played Hal in Proof, The Player in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Martini in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and has appeared as a freestyle MC on the streets of Midtown Manhattan for The Ride, Inc. Jihad is incredibly excited to be a part of this challenging and provocative play with such an enormously talented, giving and kind group of people. He sends his love and thanks to his family, friends, Allison Heishman for giving him this opportunity, and the person that is unlike anyone he has ever met – Ms. Allison Caw. Brian Ratcliffe (Quinn) Brian is a recent graduate of Swarthmore College, where he studied Chemistry, Chinese, and Theater. Brian regularly performs improv comedy with ZaoGao, a house team at the Philly Improv Theater. Previous local acting credits include Karl van Beethoven in Vainglorious (Applied Mechanics), Packer in Caryl Churchill’s Vinegar Tom (Allen’s Lane Theater), and Jake in Daniel Talbott’s Slipping (Quince Productions). He is delighted to be in his first show with Azuka.
Bailey Shaw (Quintin) Bailey is a recent graduate of Arcadia University’s BFA Acting program and is absolutely thrilled to be making her Philadelphia debut with Azuka! Previous Credits include: Our Town (Emily Webb), The Music Man (Zaneeta Shinn), Club California (Livia Prodi), Inspector Richard Voss (The Physicists), The Misanthrope (Eliante), The Princess Rescuers (Sinya), Visit to a Small Planet (Ellen), and Wind in the Willows (Badger). Bailey is a three-time Irene Ryan Scholarship nominee for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Off-stage, Bailey greatly enjoys her work as a teaching artist at the Cheltenham Center for the Arts where she teaches improvisation. Bailey would like to thank Allison for this incredible opportunity, Kevin for continuing to share his wealth of knowledge, the cast, crew, and the rest of the Azuka family for all of their hard work. Bailey would also like to thank her wonderful family and friends for their continuous belief, love, and support! Special thanks to CD, LM, RM, and SS! Allison Moore (Playwright) Allison Moore is a displaced Texan living in Minneapolis, where she is a Core Member of The Playwrights’ Center. Her plays include Hazard County, Eighteen, Urgent Fury, The Strange Misadventures of Patty, CowTown, and American Klepto. Her work has been developed or read at the O’Neill Playwrights Conference, Williamstown Theatre Festival, InterAct Theatre, and Manhattan Theatre Club; and produced at the Cherry Lane Alternative, Kitchen Dog Theatre, Actor’s Express, Actors Theatre of Louisville, and The Playwrights’ Center, among others. Ms. Moore has received two Jerome Fellowships, a McKnight Advancement Grant, and the Iowa Arts Fellowship. She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, and received her MFA from the Iowa Playwrights Workshop.
Allison Heishman (Director) In addition to being an Artistic Associate at Azuka Theatre, Allison Heishman is a freelance actor, director and dramaturg. She made her professional directorial debut with last year’s World Premiere of the terrible girls, and looks forward to developing and directing Skin & Bone and the rest of the southern gothic trilogy being developed by Azuka Playwright in Residence, Jacqueline Goldfinger. Heishman has worked for Flashpoint Theatre, Madhouse Theatre, Quince Productions, Secret Room Theatre, and Philadelphia Young Playwrights. She has written and directed for Theatre Programs at the National Constitution Center and is currently working as Assistant Director to Blanka Zizka on Angels in America: Parts I and II at The Wilma Theater. This August she will be directing Holly Hughes’ play The Well of Horniness – a sexy, fast-paced romp, for Quince Production’s GayFest! Many, many thanks to the Azuka Family, the Washington College Family, the Orange House Family and of course the Family that doesn’t hear from her for weeks at a time when she’s in production, but loves and supports her anyway. Evan Leigh (Scenic Designer) Evan is a Designer operating in the Philadelphia area. He is a recent graduate of the Theater Design and Technology program at the University of the Arts. Recent credits include: UArts’ production of The Seagull, 2011 Fringe All Places From Here, an assistant design for Lady M, and Off Color Theatre Company’s Tiny Tales. He has also been involved with productions by Inis Nua, Theatre Exile, Azuka, BRT, Act II Playhouse, and a myriad of other companies as a scenic carpenter. He is grateful to Azuka for offering him the opportunity to work on Hazard County. He would also like to thank his family, friends, and colleagues who have all helped him so far. Chris Hallenbeck (Lighting Designer) Chris is excited to begin his collaboration with Azuka. He just received his MFA in Lighting Design from Temple University. In Philly, Chris has previously designed in the Studio at the Walnut Street Theatre. His work was most recently seen in Temple Theater’s production of A Chorus Line. Love and thanks to his family. Jamie Grace-Duff (Costume Designer) Jamie graduated from Temple University in May with a MFA in Costume Design where she had the opportunity to design Pudd’nhead Wilson, Richard III, A Flea in Her Ear and the world premiere of The Belly. Last summer, she designed Buried Child and Tartuffe for Temple Repertory Theater’s second season. Prior to her studies, she assisted on Philadelphia Theater Company’s Unusual Acts of Devotion, and she designed for Ego Po Productions (Bluebird, Spring Awakening), Nice People Theater Co. (Killing Women), and Represented Theatre Co. (Hugging the Shoulder, Jeffrey). This summer will mark her third year as a Machine Sewing Camp Instructor for The Handwork Studio. Daniel Kontz (Sound Designer) Daniel is a freelance Multimedia Designer based in Philadelphia. As an Associate Artist for The Renegade Company, he most recently designed Sound & Atmosphere for HamletMachine/MedeaPlays, as well as the Audio Engineer for The Arden Theatre Company’s reworking of Cyrano de Bergerac. As a WCU alumnus, he has designed for such shows as Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Euripidis’ The Trojan Women, and O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show. Outside of WCU, his work has been seen and heard in the NYC Fringe Festival and The Left Out Festival. Avista Custom Theatrical Services, LLC (Properties) Avista was founded in 2007 as a properties design and construction firm. Avista specializes in custom construction, upholstery, soft goods construction, and also owns a lighting and prop rental house in Norristown. Avista’s work has been seen at Azuka Theatre, Flashpoint Theatre, Theatre Horizon, and Drexel University. Avista is in its fifth season as resident prop team at Act II Playhouse, its third season at InterAct Theatre, and joined the design teams at Theatre Exile, 1812 Productions and Bristol Riverside for the 2011-12 season. Sarah Ollove (Dramaturg) Sarah is a freelance Dramaturg. She works as a production research dramaturg, new play development dramaturg, and devised work dramaturg. Locally, she has worked with Philadelphia Theatre Company, Theatre Exile, Arden Theatre Company, and Gas & Electric Arts among others. Nationally, she has collaborated with theatres including Signature Theatre, Untitled Theatre Company #61, and the Flea (New York) as well as ART (Cambridge, MA). Sarah is also a director and adapter of classic work with Radio Future, a new ensemble based out of New York. Wars and Whores, a folk musical version of Henry IV Pt 1, for which she wrote the libretto will be seen this summer, followed by her adaptation of Romeo & Juliet, which she will also direct. Previous works include an adaptation of Macbeth, An Ideal Husband, and Doctor Faustus. Sarah holds an MFA in dramaturgy from the ART/MXAT Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University. Carrie Ryan (Stage Manager) Carrie is a recent graduate of Arcadia University where she focused on Stage Management. Her favorite show that she SM’d while in undergrad was Club California, a new musical about the sex trade in Kosovo. She is living in Philadelphia and enjoying the post-collegiate shuffle. Carrie previously stage managed Meanwhile for Brat Productions and is currently the ASM for Quintessence Theatre’s production of The Seagull. She would like to thank Kevin, Allison, and everyone at Azuka for their support, and for putting the spotlight on young professionals.
PAST SEASONS
the terrible girls (2011)
Nerve (2010)
Kid Simple (2008)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2008)
The Long Christmas Ride Home (2009)
Four (2005)
2010-11 **Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom by Jennifer Haley *the terrible girls by Jacqueline Goldfinger 2009-10 **Nerve by Adam Szymkowicz **The Long Christmas Ride Home by Paula Vogel 2008-09 **Kid Simple by Jordan Harrison *Whiskey Neat by Bruce Walsh 2007-08 *Sweetie Pie by Madi Distefano Hedwig and the Angry Inch by John Cameron Mitchell music & lyrics by Stephen Trask 2006-07 *Azuka One-Acts by various ‘Twas the Night by Veronica Griego Two Rooms by Lee Blessing Co-Produced with Blue Ridge Theatre Festival 2005-06 *‘Twas the Night by Veronica Griego *The Boys by Kris Elgstrand
2004-05 **Laura’s Bush by Jane Martin **Four by Christopher Shinn 2003-04 *An Artist’s Workshop conceived and created by Alden Moore written by Raelle Myrick-Hodges 2001-02 **Sincerity Forever by Mac Wellman **Friends by Kobo Abe 2000-01 **Polaroid Stories by Naomi Iizuka 1999-2000 *Trouble With Bohemia by Raelle Myrick-Hodges Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka adapted by Steven Berkoff 1999 *La Rue des Faux by Raelle Myrick-Hodges adapted from James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room
*World Premiere **Philadelphia Premiere
STAFF & CREDITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2011-2012 David Fedor - President Heather Evans - Vice-President Andrea Sheaer - Treasurer Mark Andrews - Secretary Natalie Diener Kevin Glaccum Brian Moore Adam Travia
PRODUCTION MENTORS Scenic Meghan Jones Sound Dan Perelstein Costumes Alisa Sickora Performance Kevin Meehan
AZUKA THEATRE STAFF General Manager Natalie Diener Producing Artistic Director Kevin Glaccum Director of Marketing Mark H. Andrews Artistic Associates Allison Heishman Mike Dees Production Manager Terry Smith
CREDITS Photo Credit Johanna Austin/AustinArt.org Graphic Design Mark H. Andrews & Derek Carnegie IT, Website Design & Maintenance Andrew Nelson Printing Quaker Printing SPECIAL THANKS Kate Tejada, Tyler Melchior & everyone at 1812 Productions, Roy Harker, Pete Wool, and Tanya Ward from First Baptist Church; Erin Wilson & Annemarie Vaeni.
SUPPORT FOUNDATION SUPPORT William Penn Foundation The Wyncote Foundation The Lida Foundation Virginia and Harvey Kimmel Arts Education Fund Partners for Sacred Spaces CHG Foundation
PRODUCERS CIRCLE Honorary Producer ($2500 - $4999) Annie and Ken Goldenberg
INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT Dreamer ($1000 - $2499) Mark Andrews & Derek Carnegie David Fedor Matthew & Marie Garfield Dan & Christiane Geisler Kevin Glaccum Bob & Sue Ann Marburg Harmelin Media Anne O’Donnell Andrea Sheaffer Patrick & Robin Tracy Optimist ($500 - $999) Louis Bluver Chris Colucci Karen & David Jones Michael Norris Marilyn Steinbright
Idealist ($100 - $499) Mary Anne & Robert Andrews Patrick Bell Martin Bodtmann Marie Conti Natalie Diener & Michael Cosenza Heather Evans Andrew Fatek & Andrea Levin Jill & Michael Feighan Dan Gannon Greg Gephart Bryan & Kathy Glaccum Maureen Glaccum Stephen Heishman Betsy & Ted Hershberg Kate & John Kerrigan Josephine Klein Tom Korman & Ann Kirschner Robert Mandel Brian Moore Dan Perelstein Joel & Roberta Porter Lee Porter Dito van Reigersberg Kevin Riordan John Tobin Lee Cooper Van de Velde Peter Wool Anonymous Realist (up to $99) Judy Adamson & Fred Jackes Ralph Andracchio & Daniel Kelly Todd Armstrong Larry Biren
Gail Bourguignon Tony Braithwaite Pearl Carpel Daniel Cheever Christopher Cline Joseph Distanislao Melanie Einbund Quinn Eli Tony & Sue Faillace Molly Frantz Pat & Narinder Garg Amber Gaynor Grace Gonglewski Gene Gualtieri Terry Guerin Joann & Michael Kean Andrea Kocerha Jean Markovitz Jay May Jr. Christopher McCarrick Antonio Muniz Judie Nodler Sara Pilling Peter Reynolds Tom Shotkin Richard St. Clair (List complete as of June 1, 2012) Azuka Theatre thanks all of our donors for their continued support of the work we do. If you have questions about supporting Azuka, please call Kevin Glaccum at 215.563.1100
Azuka Theatre is a proud participant in the Melissa Lynch Theater Memorial Fund for Saint Hubert’s, a Philadelphia Theater Communitywide effort to raise funds for the drama club and theatre at Melissa’s high school alma mater, St. Hubert Catholic High School For Girls. All proceeds directly benefit St. Hubert’s in Mel’s name and honor. If you are interested in making an individual contribution, checks can be made payable to “St. Hubert Catholic High School For Girls”, with “Melissa Lynch Theater Memorial Fund” noted in the memo line, and can be sent to:
St. Hubert Catholic High School For Girls 7320 Torresdale Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19136 Thank you for your consideration of joining the effort to honor such a wonderful actor, person and friend.
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