WELCOME
Welcome to Cult of Love. As I write this, the holidays are ahead, and I imagine many of us are anticipating time with family (biological or chosen) with all the joy and complication that entails! By the time you sit to read this, preparing for the lights to dim in the Roda Theatre, surrounded by friends and strangers, the celebrations will be behind us, and perhaps Cult of Love can provide an opportunity to reflect on these experiences that are so very specific and unique, and yet simultaneously full of universal truths. One of the many things Leslye Headland has captured so beautifully in this play is the particular musicality of the Dahl family. And while none of my families sing (be grateful!), each tribe has its own set of rhythms, rituals, and vernacular. To enter the Dahl home as participant or witness is to have to find one’s way into the overlapping language, the shorthand, and the memories, whether they be objectively true or simply accepted lore. Trip Cullman’s masterful orchestration of Leslye’s dialogue envelopes us in the hyper-realism of the simultaneous speech and the mini events overlapping throughout the overstuffed rooms. And Trip’s trademark deftness ensures that our eyes and ears will always be guided to the places that they most need to be. In this we benefit so greatly from the many years that Trip and Leslye have spent crafting worlds together, from their respect for and trust in the skills they each bring to a process, and the deep love they share for these exquisitely complicated characters. Enjoy! Warmly,
When I first read Cult of Love, I immediately loved it, despite it conjuring many holiday memories. Having grown up in a very Christian family, I saw myself and my relatives in the Dahls; and the family rituals, the repressed feelings, the forced cheer, and the trauma were unfortunately all too familiar. No matter how terrible we were to one another, the fact that we are family and love one another was supposed to absolve any mistreatment. There is a saying that “drama is when bad things happen to you, and comedy is when bad things happen to other people.” With a little distance from the holiday season, hopefully, through the power of laughter, we can see that the challenges we face are not unique, that we are not alone — and we can heal. Maybe we can see where pride got in the way of kindness and compassion. And that is what great theatre can do. As we pass the midpoint of the 2023/24 season, three more fantastic, theatrical stories await: the West Coast premiere of Lloyd Suh’s breathtaking epic immigration drama, The Far Country; the dazzling world premiere, Broadway-aimed musical, Galileo; and Octavio Solis’ 21st-century sequel to John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, Mother Road. We are also deep into planning your 2024/25 season, and we look forward to sharing more in the coming weeks about what thrilling times we will share together in the theatre next season. In the meantime, thank you for joining us today, and enjoy the show! With deep appreciation,
Tom Parrish Managing Director
Johanna Pfaelzer Artistic Director
Carquin
Berkeley Repertory Theatre acknowledges and honors its presence on the unceded ancestral lands of the Chochenyo-speaking Ohlone people, now colonially known as Berkeley. The land from which we benefit continues to be a place of foremost importance to the Ohlone and all descendants of the Verona Band.
Chupcan
Huchiun
Volvon
Saclan
Tatcan
BERKELEY REP
Huchiun
Ssouyen
Jalquin/Irgin
Tuibun
Seunen
Pelnen
Causen
Alson
Taunan
Awaswas Mutsun
Berkeley Rep is committed to actively pursuing our values as an antiracist institution. We are committed to living our values by promoting the history and culture of the Ohlone people and sustaining an ongoing relationship which supports the art, resources, and values of indigenous peoples and tribes. We are grateful to our friends at the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust and the Confederated Villages of Lisjan for their support and guidance as we continue to educate ourselves and our community to uplift and support our indigenous communities.
2023/24 | ISSUE 4 | 5
