NOVEMBER 2019—JANUARY 2020
PLUS Generations of theatregoers at Berkeley Rep PigPen Theatre Co. on the power of imagination Cards and candles and confections, oh my!
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WELCOME TO BERKELEY REP!
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To ensure the best experience for everyone: Food and drink: Beverages in cans, cartons, or plastic cups with lids are welcome in the house. Food is prohibited. Phones that make noise during the performance are disruptive to everyone. Ensure phones and electronic devices are turned off during the performance. Photography: Audience members may take photos in the theatre before and after the performance, and during intermission. Photos and video during the performance are not permitted. Photos posted on social media must credit the show’s designers. Late seating is not guaranteed. If you arrive late, the house manager will provide instructions about seating. If you leave during the performance, you will be reseated at an appropriate break. Smoking/Vaping: Berkeley Rep’s public spaces are smoke- and vape-free. One of the joys of live theatre is the collective experience. Remember that people respond in different ways, and we invite you to join with other audience members and enjoy the show!
CONNECT WITH BERKELEY REP Box Office: 510 647-2949 Groups (10+): 510 647-2918 Admin: 510 647-2900 School of Theatre: 510 647-2972 Click berkeleyrep.org Email info@berkeleyrep.org We’re mobile! Download our free iPhone or Google Play app. Share with us @berkeleyrep
IN THIS ISSUE From the artistic director · 5 From the managing director · 6 Runs in the family: Berkeley Rep inspires generations of theatregoers · 9 What’s in store · 10
FEATURES PigPen Theatre Co.’s The Tale of Despereaux: A New Musical: the origin story · 12 “Anything can be anything”: PigPen on mice, men, and trusting our imaginations · 12 With the light must come the dark: The brilliance of The Tale of Despereaux · 16
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BERKELEY REP PRESENTS PigPen’s The Tale of Despereaux: A New Musical · 18 Who’s Who · 20
CONTRIBUTORS
THE BERKELEY REP MAGAZINE
2019–20 · SPECIAL PRESENTATION The Berkeley Rep Magazine is published at least seven times per season. For local advertising inquiries, please contact Pamela Webster at 510 590-7091 or pwebster@ berkeleyrep.org. Editor Karen McKevitt Graphic Designers Cheshire Isaacs Haly Roy Writers Katie Craddock Charlie Dubach-Reinhold Katherine Gunn
On the cover The original cast of The Tale of Despereaux at The Old Globe (photo by Jim Cox)
Foundation, corporate, and in-kind sponsors · 26 Individual donors to the Annual Fund · 27 Michael Leibert Society · 28
ABOUT BERKELEY REP Staff, board of trustees, and sustaining advisors · 29
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November 2019—January 2020 | Volume 15, No. 3
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FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO,
I dragged my son Jasper with me on a weekend afternoon to see a show in a basement downtown, in New York City. These things happen to you when your parents work in theatre. It’s hardly the worst thing, but it can be a bore if you’re 7 years old and would rather be on a soccer field. But that afternoon, Jasper and I were equally captivated by this ridiculously talented ensemble of young men, and a story told with music and puppets full of rough magic, ease and charm, humor, and vast imagination. It was The Old Man and The Old Moon, and my first introduction to PigPen Theatre Co. So I was thrilled to learn last year that PigPen was working with Universal and the director Marc Bruni, bringing their unique perspective and rangy set of skills to the creation of a theatrical version of The Tale of Despereaux. The combination of this delightful piece of literature with the inherent cool of an indie band — sounds like Berkeley to me! In addition to the delight of having a piece of theatre that we can share with our families over the holidays, in these times I especially love the fact that Despereaux tells the story of an individual who discovers their strength. Of someone (somemouse?) who comes to understand that the very qualities that separate them from the norm are the traits that will ultimately allow them to realize their own heroism, and help to save their community. These days I often feel that I, like Despereaux, long to be a knight, setting out to slay a dragon — there are so many that could benefit from some slaying at the moment! I think that’s above my paygrade, but together with the fantastic writer/performers of PigPen, their wonderful castmates, the brilliant Marc Bruni, the amazing design team, and the extraordinary staff here at Berkeley Rep, we can help to create a world in which people are brought together as a community, in the presence of a story that will inspire them to marshal their resources, embrace the things that make them different, and make their kingdoms safe. Happy holidays from all of us at Berkeley Rep. And a wish that, even as the days grow shorter, we may help each other to find the light.
Find us everywhere @berkeleyrep
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Cal Performances
S E A S O N
A pioneer of contemporary circus arts, “Cirque du Soleil’s hipper, sexier cousin” (The Stage, London) delivers uproarious comedy through a mix of acrobatics, aerial routines, and live music, in a show about the unexpected encounters that fuel every memorable traveler’s tale.
EMG
Feb 22 & 23 ZELLERBACH H ALL
I CAN VIVIDLY REMEMBER the first production
of a play that I attended with my family. It was Oklahoma at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre. And what stands out with such power in my mind is the color! Who knows any longer what color those rows of corn really were. But in my mind, they were greener than green could possibly be. They were more real than real could be. They embodied everything that I still love about the theatre, that heightened sense of reality that both grounds you in the real world while taking you always, ever so slightly, outside of the real. There is the pretense of realism that acknowledges the artificiality of performance. It coexists with my willing suspension of disbelief. I think kids have an innate understanding of the rules of performance. When they play they automatically operate by the same rules. Artificiality coexists with absolute belief in the reality of the moment. There is no contradiction. And that is why it is so much fun to have families in the house this month for The Tale of Despereaux. It is such a pleasure to see adults sharing this space with a new generation of theatregoers. Oftentimes I will get asked by older members of our audience, “Where are the youngsters?” So much of Berkeley Rep’s programming is created for adults that we, too, put a lot of energy into this question. And while we don’t have all the answers, we have created many opportunities to bring that next generation through our doors. Berkeley Rep has been bringing artists into Bay Area schools since 1985, first with full productions and later with teaching artists. Since the creation of the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre in 2001, we have consistently served over 20,000 people a year. Among those are the thousands who attend both our student matinees and our evening performances. Our Teen Council, which engages over 400 teens from 50 high schools, has become the model for programs across the country. Our thousands of discounts for students have an economic impact that we are happy to absorb. And as we all know, our younger generations are burdened by costs that include high interest student loans and astronomical rents. It was because of that Berkeley Rep raised the age for half-price tickets to anyone under the age of 35. Now, people under 35 often make up over 15 percent of all our single ticket buyers. While that is a number we are proud of, we want that number to keep growing over time. What we know is that we can always get a new theatregoer to come back. But to do that, we have to get them here for the first time. That’s where we need your help. The Tale of Despereaux is the perfect introduction for many young people to live theatre. If tonight you came with your spouse or friend, thank you! Now would you think about what young person you might bring back with you for a second time? Make sure Despereaux is on their radar. You’ve seen our banner: Be A Rep. This is exactly what we mean by that. Be a Rep. Stand by us, and be our champion. Help us create a next generation of theatre lovers. Best regards,
Season Sponsor:
calperformances.org
Susie Medak
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FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR
2019/20
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8 PERFORMANCES ONLY — GET YOUR TICKETS NOW! Gary Wilmes, Laurena Allan, Scott Shepherd, and Annie McNamara in Gatz (photo by Paula Court)
GATZ CREATED AND PERFORMED BY ELEVATOR REPAIR SERVICE TEXT: THE GREAT GATSBY BY F. SCOTT FITZGERALD DIRECTED BY JOHN COLLINS SPECIAL PRESENTATION · RODA THEATRE STARTS FEB 13
SEASON SPONSORS
RUNS IN THE FAMILY
BERKELEY REP INSPIRES GENERATIONS OF THEATREGOERS BY K ATHERINE GUNN
WHEN SANDY YUEN’S DAUGHTER JAMIE WAS 7, they went to see Rent on
Broadway. At intermission, waiting in line for the restroom, another woman gave Sandy a scandalized glare. “I told her, ‘We’re from San Francisco,’” Sandy says, laughing, “and she just looked so relieved!” It wasn’t the first time that Sandy took her daughter to the theatre, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Sandy and her husband, Larry Shore, started bringing Jamie to Berkeley Rep when Jamie was around 10 years old, and added her as a subscriber when she was about 12. The very first show they went to together was 36 Views by Naomi Iizuka. The play was slightly more adult than Sandy realized: “It had an adult scene in it that caught me off guard — I remember trying to cover Jamie’s eyes, and she pushed my hand away!” Sandy laughs. She remembers Jamie later telling her that “Mom must have thought I was pretty mature to bring me to this play!” According to Sandy, “It was a very sophisticated play…but obviously it didn’t turn her off to theatre.” She originally chose the play because it was created by a mixed-race playwright. Sandy and her family are mixed Asian and white, so she often seeks out plays with diverse artists. “I think it meant a lot to her, and [Jamie] remembers seeing a play written by somebody kind of like Jamie.” They continued seeing plays together throughout the years. Jamie attended Stanford, but she would still visit Berkeley to see plays with her family. In fact, Sandy says that “when she got into Stanford, one of the first things she said was ‘I get to still come to Berkeley Rep!’ I was kind of caught off guard. Obviously it’s important to me, but it wouldn’t have been the first thing I thought. Obviously it meant a lot to her too.” Jamie eventually became Berkeley Rep’s education fellow in the 2015–16 season, the same season that featured one of Sandy’s favorite Berkeley Rep shows, Aubergine by Julia Cho. “I saw it three times, and I cried each time,” she says. They also saw Treasure Island, adapted and directed by Mary Zimmerman, an artist both Sandy and Jamie love. Now Jamie is a teacher, but she is still involved in theatre in her spare time and during summers. According to Sandy, “We’ve always done theatre, but at Berkeley Rep we feel like we’re home… I think that’s why we were so comfortable bringing Jamie.” Jamie isn’t the only one who was introduced to theatre through their parents. Phyra McCandless is a current subscriber and supporter who first attended shows with her family. Her mother, Sandra McCandless, a Berkeley Rep trustee, started bringing Phyra to the theatre when she was 7. Now, Phyra and her husband, Angelos Kottas, bring their own daughter to shows, making three generations of their family who regularly attend plays at Berkeley Rep. At first Phyra and Angelos just took their daughter to select shows, mostly musicals and shows that seemed more appealing to a younger audience, like Amélie, Treasure Island, and 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips. Now Phyra’s 7-year-old daughter is part of their full subscription. “There are things she really enjoys that I wouldn’t have thought to take her to,” Phyra says. “I don’t just have to take her to musicals. I like taking her to things we can talk about, shows that make her think.” For example, Fairview was one she found a little confusing at first, but when Phyra reassured her that she wasn’t the only one,
Z
Generations of Berkeley Rep fans, top to bottom Sandy Yuen with her daughter, Jamie Yuen-Shore, at Monsoon Wedding; Phyra McCandless (left) and Angelos Kottas (right) with their daughter and Monsoon Wedding actor Michael Maliakel; (in the background) a family at a special event for Lemony Snicket’s The Composer Is Dead
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it led to some interesting conversations. Phyra admits that different shows can present certain challenges or take some explanation, but overall “You might assume that she’d miss out because she doesn’t have the same context for some of this stuff, but actually she’s a very discerning critic!” Phyra has also enjoyed seeing shows through her daughter’s eyes. “Actually, her favorite show is HOME. Her dad got pulled up onstage, which she loved. And I enjoyed it even more because of seeing her enjoy it.” Sandy and Larry also feel like they got a lot out of bringing Jamie to shows. They kept an extra ticket so that Jamie’s older brother or a friend could go with them. For Sandy, “It was like being a fly on the wall, getting to listen to them talk about the shows. That was fascinating. They came to all the shows we went to, so we got the benefit and richness of their reactions as well as our own.” As Jamie got older, she brought even more of her own perspective to the conversations they would have about the shows. “There’s something different about talking about it multi-generationally. They think about life differently than we do.” Now Jamie is 28, and she and her mom still go to Berkeley Rep shows together when they can. And when their schedules conflict and they have to miss shows or see them separately, Sandy says, “I really miss [seeing shows together]. I do really feel like our theatregoing experience is enriched by being together and by being with her.” The Tale of Despereaux is a show for all ages, and a great introduction to the theatre for younger audiences. Both Sandy and Phyra say they would highly recommend going to the theatre with multiple generations, for family-friendly shows but also any other events that might catch the interest of audiences of different ages. For Sandy, “It’s always nice to have a more heterogeneous audience, in terms of race, background, age, and so on…because it’s more like the real world.” Phyra shares, “I would encourage it. It’s a nice outing and it’s something that’s a good commitment to have planned in advance to go with family to the show. I would hope more people do it!”
WHAT’S IN STORE We’ve refreshed the Berkeley Rep Gift Shop just in time for the holidays! Check out some of the new things we’ve added — books, confections, cards, socks, candles, and more — and visit us before or after your performance.
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A WORLD PREMIERE FROM ONE OF BERKELEY REP'S BELOVED PLAYWRIGHTS
REBECCA NURSE OF SALEM BY SARAH RUHL DIRECTED BY ANNE KAUFFMAN
PEET'S THEATRE · STARTS DEC 12
SEASON SPONSORS
THE ORIGIN STORY THE SEVEN MEMBERS
of PigPen Theatre Co. — Alex Falberg, Arya Shahi, Ben Ferguson, Curtis Gillen, Dan Weschler, Matt Nuernberger, and Ryan Melia — began making art together as freshmen at the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in 2007. The group explored resourceful ways of storytelling during the Playground student festival, limiting themselves to their own budgets (i.e., “things lying around our dorm rooms”). After graduating, they made two shows that toured the fringe festival scene, and their breakout show became The Old Man and The Old Moon. That inventive, delightful production won prizes wherever it landed and became a bona fide hit in Chicago and New York. Confronted with the possibility of using more resources now that they found acclaim, PigPen instead dedicated themselves to their minimalistic, handmade aesthetic. Their folky brand of music would stay live onstage, and their plays would remain rife with puppets, flashlights, crates, and sheets. This commitment stems from a core belief for their company: to invite the audience to bring their imagination into the room. Since The Old Man and The Old Moon, the group has toured exclusively as a band (they shared a bill with Mumford & Sons), made their feature film debut, and created three more shows. During this time, Chris Herzberger, the senior vice president of Universal Theatrical Group, saw a production of PigPen’s and thought they would be the perfect group to adapt Kate DiCamillo’s book The Tale of Despereaux. He proposed the idea, the group said yes with zeal, and they were off to create their first-ever adaptation. Berkeley Rep has admired PigPen’s zany brand of theatricality from afar, so when we heard that Despereaux was in the works we thought this could finally be our chance to work together. We received script drafts and videos of workshops, and, in the winter of last year, committed to a production. After Despereaux’s summer run at The Old Globe in San Diego, we could not be more excited to bring PigPen’s latest creation to Berkeley. 1 2 · T H E B E R K E L E Y R E P M AG A Z I N E · 2 0 1 9 –2 0 · S P E C I A L P R E S E N TAT I O N
“ANYTHING WE’RE CATCHING THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX at an
exciting creative juncture. After its world premiere at The Old Globe, PigPen was eager to dive back into the Kingdom of Dor in rehearsals, further refining the piece based on discoveries made in its first incarnation. Artistic Associate Katie Craddock spoke with PigPen shortly before they arrived in Berkeley about their unique collaboration style and what’s most joyous and resonant in this Tale for them. (Yes, they answered as a collective!) Parts of this interview are excerpted from an earlier piece for The Old Globe by Danielle Mages Amato.
LISTEN TO THESE FEATURES AND HEAR EXTENDED INTERVIEWS ON REPISODES: THE BERKELEY REP PODCAST AT SOUNDCLOUD.COM/BERKELEYREP
CAN BE ANYTHING”
PIGPEN ON MICE, MEN, AND TRUSTING OUR IMAGINATIONS BY K ATIE CR ADDOCK
What compelled you to adapt The Tale of Despereaux? We cherished the story when we read it as children, and it revealed an incredible depth of wisdom when we reread it as adults. We were thrilled that a few of the more iconic plot elements would fit our style of storytelling beautifully. Despereaux’s search for “the honey-sweet sound” and Roscuro’s love of the light inspired us to reexamine our music and shadow puppetry through their respective lenses. We also share Kate DiCamillo’s love of repurposing and redefining storytelling tropes. Despereaux learns of knights, dragons, villains, and heroes early in his journey, but by the time we’ve reached our conclusion, all those simple ideas have revealed their complexities. What is the most heroic thing Despereaux can do when no one is happy with the law of the land and people seem to be retreating into isolated and fragmented communities? It’s a question that has grown even more relevant in the short time we’ve spent with the tale.
Are there things you learned at The Old Globe that inspired you to make changes for the Berkeley run? Absolutely! The Old Globe run was the first time we actualized all the ideas that were in our heads for the past five years onto a real live stage with real live actors and, most importantly, an audience! It was also the first time we assembled a team of designers and asked them to help us build this world and define its rules. There are about a million things we learned about those rules and the way an audience engages with them that will work their way into the show eventually. Of those million, we’re hoping to get two or three of the big ones and 200 to 300 of the small ones into the show for the Berkeley production. That’s what’s beautiful about this art form — each night the cast and creatives are learning the tempos, rhythms, peaks, and valleys of the piece, then making adjustments. You’ll never see the same show twice.
The shockingly talented PigPen ensemble, left to right Ryan Melia, Alex Falberg, Curtis Gillen, Ben Ferguson, Dan Weschler, Arya Shahi, and Matt Nuernberger (photo by Thom Kaine) 2 0 1 9 –2 0 · S P E C I A L P R E S E N TAT I O N · T H E B E R K E L E Y R E P M AG A Z I N E · 1 3
WE LOVE FLASH AND SPECTACLE AS MUCH AS THE NEXT THE HUMAN IMAGINATION IS CAPABLE OF GREATER
PigPen in concert (photo by Rafi Letzter)
You perform as both a theatre company and a band. Does your collaboration style change from one medium to the other? What do you love about each? The collaborative method is essentially the same. Someone brings in an idea, usually after spending some time crafting it alone, and then the group earns ownership by reshaping and rethinking the execution of the idea. We like the analogy of one person bringing in a “seed idea” that is watered and cared for by the company as it grows. We have learned that creating a play and creating a song ask for an understanding of two different sets of rules and a different level of scrutiny when applying those rules. Song creation is more impulsive; theatre creation is more iterative. Not as a rule, but in general. We love both entirely. That being said, after spending the past couple of years working hard on our upcoming theatre projects (The Tale of Despereaux, Water for Elephants, and The Phantom Folktales for Virgin Voyages) we are nostalgic for the days when we’d tour 45 cities in six weeks as a band. There is a flexibility, freedom, and irreverence that comes with being a band that you don’t often find in the theatre. The major benefit of a piece of theatre is that you really get to take your time to build a world and fully explore a series of complex ideas without stopping for audience feedback or applause every few minutes, as is common in a concert. For audiences who have seen your previous work, what will they see that’s familiar, and what’s new? That’s actually a question we’d love to ask our audiences! It’s very hard to tell from the inside, after spending years with this story and script, what will feel new or familiar to a hardened PigPen adventurer. We’ve certainly retained many elements of storytelling we’ve always loved — things like puppetry, shadow play, quick lighting shifts, folk music, Foley sound effects, onstage musicians, and ensemble work. 1 4 · T H E B E R K E L E Y R E P M AG A Z I N E · 2 0 1 9 –2 0 · S P E C I A L P R E S E N TAT I O N
But we’ve also tried plenty of new things! First and foremost, inviting incredible new performers to play in this magical world with us. We’ve been writing for ourselves for so long, we got used to the strengths and limitations of the same seven people. With new talent and energy onstage, we have a whole new range of possibilities to explore. We also wanted to double down on some of the synchronized movement work we started exploring in our earlier shows, so we brought on an incredible choreographer, Jennifer Jancuska, to help us elaborate upon that language. Our years on the road as a band spoiled us when it came to the full sound of PigPen the band, so we tried to employ those lush orchestrations as often as we could. In the end, we’re hoping The Tale of Despereaux will follow in the footsteps of our previous work, feeling old and new at the same time. How do you think about gender in your casting and creative processes when it’s a cast that’s more than just your ensemble, as in The Tale of Despereaux? A primary principle of our storytelling is simply this: anything can be anything. It’s a direct result of our time together in college, when we had no “team” and no real “resources” beyond seven friends and our combined imaginations. The fact that PigPen was made up of seven guys was not necessarily intended and it didn’t stop us from writing characters of other genders into our stories. Characters who we would then portray as honestly as we could. Gender-swapping or gender-neutral casting has always been central to story theatre and we strive to continue that tradition as responsibly as we can when the opportunity presents itself. It’s a real pleasure to be building shows that are bigger and broader in scope, which allow us to work with a team of artists full of people of all genders, and then asking those brilliant artists to live in a world where anything can be anything.
THEATRE COMPANY — WE JUST HAPPEN TO THINK SPECTACLE THAN MONEY CAN BUY.” or version of an event by empathetically listening to someone else’s. How does that resonate with you? There’s a reason forgiveness is a major theme in stories from all eras and ages — it’s always relevant and it’s always resonant. There are always people who need to hear that it is okay to forgive. For us, it’s not uncommon to view many of the major motifs and themes in our stories through the lens of a 12-yearlong collaboration we started as college freshmen. Forgiveness, the asking for and the granting of, is crucial to a healthy longterm relationship of any kind. Being able to revise your own story is key; it prevents old slights or misunderstandings from your past hardening and cementing themselves in your future. It also helps when you show up late to rehearsal for the third time that week and can’t keep blaming it on “the train.” PigPen’s The Old Man and The Old Moon (photo by Jenny Anderson)
The book The Tale of Despereaux is usually seen as geared toward children, but it seems this adaptation has qualities that can appeal to both children and adults — as do many of your pieces. How do you toe that line? Each of our stories deals with life, love, and loss. We’ve never classified any of them as children’s shows or adults’ shows. We have always wanted to create shows that might inspire friends our own age to see the world a little differently, shows that they would be eager to invite their families to see. We’ve always had an enormous amount of respect for stories that can resonate with children and adults alike. If a story doesn’t connect with an adult, why would they want to share it with their child? And if a story doesn’t connect with a child — well, where’s the fun in that? What have been the challenges of dealing with the interactions of so many types (and sizes!) of characters: mice, rats, people? How have you tackled that issue? The first five years of development were spent training live mice for the production, but ultimately we chose to go back to puppets. The smaller the actor, the bigger the ego, you know? Jokes aside, the scale shifts were some of the first visual challenges we worked on. We staged and explored multiple methods with the intention of finding the best one, but we ended up sprinkling most of them in throughout the show. Each scene or circumstance in the story where an animal interacts with a human is emotionally different, so why would we portray them the same way? In the end, theatre is a vehicle that relies on the imagination and the suspension of disbelief. Anytime we can trigger the former, the latter follows gladly. Forgiveness is a major theme in Despereaux — specifically, that forgiveness is possible when we revise our own “story”
A stereotype about musical theatre is that it can be garishly overstuffed with flashy technical elements — but there seems to be a growing movement of late toward simpler, suggestive design. You talk about your storytelling style as boiling things down to their essence and giving the impression of a whole. What are some of your favorite suggestive elements in this production? We love flash and spectacle as much as the next theatre company! We just happen to think the human imagination is capable of greater spectacle than money can buy. All of our designers share that love of the evocative, the engaging, the resourceful. We are more interested in evoking a giant instead of building a giant. We are more interested in a wall made of bowls than a wall made of marble. We are more interested in suggesting certain actors are mice rather than giving them big ears and long tails. We are most interested in showing you what’s essential…and giving your imagination the room it needs to play with us. Despereaux at one point declares, “A knight needs no one,” forsaking his family, but comes to realize there’s value and necessity in collective efforts. What are some of the challenges and advantages of making theatre collectively? What is it like to collaborate with Marc Bruni, a director from outside your company? Collaboration is everything to us. It’s the reason we get to do what we love to do. It’s the reason you’re reading these words right now. Of course it’s difficult and requires an immense amount of compromise. It requires you to constantly reevaluate yourself as an artist and as a collaborator. It requires the consistent pummeling of the ego. It has been a totally new and exciting challenge to work with Marc. He comes from a very different background than the seven of us; working with him teaches us something new every day. That’s what’s incredible about collaboration: it inevitably leads to growth. It makes a hat where there never was a hat. In the end, anything we build together is better than anything we could have built by ourselves. 2 0 1 9 –2 0 · S P E C I A L P R E S E N TAT I O N · T H E B E R K E L E Y R E P M AG A Z I N E · 1 5
THE BRILLIANCE OF THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX SPEAKS to its readers. Literally —
it is narrated by a jaunty second-person voice that alternately explains the plot and imparts bits of wisdom; and figuratively — its story captivated the world of children’s literature 15 years ago and continues to delight.
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H E D U B AC CHARLI
-REINHO
LD
The novel The Tale of Despereaux came into being in 2003 when author Kate DiCamillo set out to write a tale to please her friend’s young son. He had begged her for the story of an “unlikely hero” with “exceptionally large ears.” Over the course of a year, she wove this hero — a shy yet brave mouse called Despereaux Tilling — a fantastical world to inhabit. Young and old readers alike root for this ultimate underdog (undermouse?), a tiny, sweet rodent with giant ears, who would restore happiness to the human kingdom armed only with a needle. And like the best children’s fantasy stories, The Tale of Despereaux contains both the light and dark that are present in the real world. This begins with the title: the eponymous mouse’s name means “despair” in French. But Despereaux does anything but despair. He hopes. He dreams. He imagines. Despereaux is shunned by the other mice for his love of stories and reading, heroes and humans. What should send him to despair — rejection, terror, loneliness — instead inspires him to continue his quest, to bring his fantasies of knighthood and honor to life. The adversity that Despereaux faces supports the fairytale ending of the story. Despereaux offers a more morally complex tale than many children’s stories. Every character contains real flaws. Every character is also afforded the chance to encounter the reader on their own terms. DiCamillo gives the rat Roscuro — often described superficially as evil and dark — an entire quarter of the novel, an entire life story, so that by the time he appears in Despereaux’s quest the reader knows Roscuro is not what he may seem. Many children reading The Tale of Despereaux will not recognize the significance of his full name: Chiaroscuro. This word describes the interplay between light and dark, as popularized in Baroque painting by Italian masters like Caravaggio. Chiaroscuro in visual art such as painting creates not only contrast, but depth. It is used to reveal form and create a sense of volume. Roscuro is then such an apt name for a rat who loves the light though he is meant to revel in the darkness of the dungeon. As DiCamillo writes in Despereaux, “Do you think rats do not have hearts? Wrong. All living things have a heart.” And so, the reader must consider that a heart can turn to evildoing. The distinction between evil people (or rats) and evil actions in Despereaux is an important one, particularly given its emphasis on empathy and forgiveness. When characters are cast as antitheses, good and evil, they have no chance at redemption. But Despereaux offers characters whose regrettable actions are framed to be understood and forgiven. The evildoers are revealed as just that — evildoers, not evil beings — and the mouse with the courage to fight them finds the courage to forgive them. This nuance may not be spelled out within the book, but as DiCamillo notes, Despereaux is a story both “tragic and wonderful, light and dark,” made for children to grapple with complex relationships. Readers recognized the brilliance of the novel straight away. In 2004, The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread won the Newbery Medal, the award for the year’s “most distinguished
contribution to American literature for children.” Despereaux may be a tiny mouse, but his knightly aspiration is larger than life. So is his story, and so must be efforts to retell it. Despereaux was adapted into a movie in 2008, and the title character gained a greater sense of adventure. No longer did he faint or second-guess himself. Despereaux’s curiosity became recklessness, his timid ventures into the human world became bold, surefooted undertakings. He became the perfect hero to counter Roscuro’s villainy. But critics noted this collapsed the shades of gray — the middle grounds between good and evil — within the characters. Despereaux’s singular imagination makes it especially suitable for adaptation. DiCamillo describes that for her, a book “is like having a kid. I have to let it go out in the world, and great things will happen.” Enter PigPen — a raucous collection of college friends known for their musicianship, puppetry, and intricately crafted stories beloved by children and adults alike. PigPen describes their aesthetic as, “stories on the grand scale, epic journeys, vast landscapes, unlikely heroes.” Sound familiar? Universal Studios thought that PigPen’s artistry would be perfect to continue the evolution of Despereaux, and this new adaptation was born. The shadow puppets of PigPen manifest the contrasting dark and light of Despereaux onstage, and they ask the audience to suspend all disbelief of size and shape as a full-size actor plays the pint-size mouse as both shadow and handheld puppet. The chiaroscuro of the original novel remains, as the audience comes to know the characters through multiple mediums. DiCamillo claims that “it’s a disservice to think that kids don’t know that the world is full of all kinds of dangers and dark things,” and her Tale of Despereaux reflects her interest in showcasing such themes within the familiar, kid-friendly structure of a fairytale. But the characters of Despereaux contain more depth than those of many fairytales, they reflect more fully the hardships and joys of the real world of its young readers. Kids can see themselves in DiCamillo’s mouse Despereaux — too small to see up to the faces of the humans but with a fierce desire to affect change in the world. Despereaux transforms from shy mouse to brave knight when he reads a human fairytale in the castle library. By the power of the written word, Despereaux realizes his calling. Today, you will experience the magic that happens when that word is lifted off the page. 2 0 1 9 –2 0 · S P E C I A L P R E S E N TAT I O N · T H E B E R K E L E Y R E P M AG A Z I N E · 1 7
BERKELEY REP PRESENTS
BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATRE
JOHANNA PFAELZER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR · SUSAN MEDAK, MANAGING DIRECTOR IN ASSOCIATION WITH UNIVERSAL THEATRICAL GROUP PRESENTS
BOOK , MUSIC , AND LYRIC S BY
PigPen Theatre Co.
BA SED ON THE NOVEL BY K ATE DIC A MILLO AND THE UNIVER SAL PIC TURE S FIL M
JASON SHERWOOD
ANITA YAVICH
DONALD HOLDER
NEVIN STEINBERG
S CEN I C D E SI G N
COS T U M E D E SI G N
LI G H T I N G D E SI G N
S O U N D D E SI G N
LYDIA FINE AND NICK LEHANE SH A D OW SEQ U EN CE S A N D PU PPE T RY D E SI G N
JENNIFER JANCUSKA
CHRISTOPHER JAHNKE
CH O R EO G R A PH Y
M USI C D I R EC TO R A N D A D D I T I O N A L A R R A N G E M EN T S
TARA RUBIN CASTING/ MERRI SUGARMAN, CSA
LIBBY UNSWORTH PRO D U C T I O N S TAG E M A N AG ER
CASTING
DIREC TED BY
Marc Bruni and PigPen Theatre Co. NOVEM B ER 21, 2019 –JANUARY 5, 2020 · RODA THE ATRE · SPECIAL PRESENTATION This show has no intermission.
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CAST Lester Alex Falberg Furlough Ben Ferguson Louise, Most High Head Mouse Curtis Gillen Despereaux Dorcas Leung Librarian, Prisoner Ryan Melia Miggery Sow, Antoinette, Betsy Morgan Queen Rosemary Botticelli Matt Nuernberger Roscuro John Rapson King Phillip Arya Shahi Princess Pea, Merlot Yasmeen Sulieman Stained-Glass Knight Dan Weschler Swings Ben Euphrat Logan Foster Natasha Harris Assistant Stage Manager Hsiu-I Chiquita Lu The cast and stage managers are members of Actors’ Equity association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
Affiliations The director is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, Inc., an independent national labor union. The Scenic, Costume, Lighting, and Sound Designers in lort Theatres are represented by United Scenic Artists Local usa-829, iatse.
World Premiere at The Old Globe, San Diego, CA Barry Edelstein, Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Timothy J. Shields, Managing Director
PigPen Theatre Co.’s The Tale of Despereaux: A New Musical was made possible thanks to the generous support of SEASON SPONSORS Bruce Golden & Michelle Mercer Jack & Betty Schafer Michael & Sue Steinberg The Strauch Kulhanjian Family
SPONSORS David & Vicki Cox A S S O CIAT E S P O N S O R Helen M. Marcus 2 0 1 9 –2 0 · S P E C I A L P R E S E N TAT I O N · T H E B E R K E L E Y R E P M AG A Z I N E · 1 9
WHO’S WHO
BEN EUPHRAT
LOGAN FOSTER
Ben is an actor, musician, and musical director. Recent credits include Once with 42nd Street Moon, The Siegel at City Lights, Shakespeare in Love at Marin Theatre Company, the SF and off-Broadway productions of Ideation with SF Playhouse, Project Ahab at Central Works (nominated for Outstanding Music Direction), Mirandolina at Center Rep, Twelfth Night at Shotgun Players, and HIR at the Magic Theatre. Ben has worked extensively in film and commercial, and has studied improv in LA with the Groundlings and IO West. His debut solo album a portrait of a girl is out now. beneuphrat.com
Logan is so excited to be a part of this wonderful production. Berkeley Rep debut! His favorite credits include One Man, Two Guvnors (Francis) and All Shook Up (Chad) both at Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts. bfa Elon ’19. Insta: lofo_1
SWING
ALEX FALBERG LESTER
Originally from Kharkov, Ukraine, Alex is over the moon to have attended Bela Fleck’s second annual Blue Ridge Banjo Camp last summer. His credits include The Hunter and The Bear (Writers Theatre), The Tale of Despereaux and The Old Man and The Old Moon (The Old Globe), and Pericles (Theatre for a New Audience). His television credits include Daredevil (Netflix) and The Men Who Built America (History). He is excited to be in development with Caroline Watt on an upcoming holiday show called Juanita and the Shepherd. (For more information, please see the bio for PigPen Theatre Co. on the next page.)
BEN FERGUSON F U R LO U G H
Ben was born and raised in Austin, Texas and received his bfa in Acting alongside the rest of PigPen at Carnegie Mellon University before moving to New York City. He has since created and performed shows with PigPen such as The Nightmare Story, The Mountain Song, The Old Man and The Old Moon, and The Hunter and The Bear. @benstagramferguson (For more information, please see the bio for PigPen Theatre Co. on the next page.)
S W I N G/ DA N C E C A P TA I N
CURTIS GILLEN
LO U I S E , M O S T H I G H HEAD MOUSE
Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Curtis has appeared off Broadway in The Old Man and The Old Moon and in Pericles directed by Trevor Nunn. His other PigPen credits include The Mountain Song, The Nightmare Story, and most recently The Hunter and The Bear at Writers Theatre in Chicago. His film credits include Ricki and the Flash and HairBrained. He graduated with a bfa in Acting from Carnegie Mellon University, where he was destined to find these lifelong collaborators. (For more information, please see the bio for PigPen Theatre Co. on the next page.)
NATASHA HARRIS SWING
Natasha is grateful to be working with PigPen Theatre Co. on this brand new production. Her regional credits include The Cocoanuts, The Taming of the Shrew, Measure for Measure, and Into the Woods (Utah Shakespeare Festival); Three Sisters, Peter Pan, Hairspray, and West Side Story (Pacific Conservatory Theatre); Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (McCoy Rigby Entertainment); and The All Night Strut! (Oregon Cabaret Theatre). She received her BA in Drama at UC Irvine. natasha-harris.com @lilnutsy
DORCAS LEUNG
D E S P E R E AU X
Dorcas is making her Berkeley Rep debut. She was recently seen as Gigi Van Tranh in the Broadway revival of Miss Saigon. Soon after, she toured the country in the 1st National Tour of Hamilton as Schuyler Sister Standby performing Eliza,
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Angelica, and/or Peggy/Maria at select shows. Regional favorites include St. Louis muny (Les Misérables), Casa Mañana (Gigi in Miss Saigon), Dallas Theater Center (Cosette in Les Misérables, Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol), Goodspeed Opera House (Ursula in Bye Bye Birdie), Barrington Stage Company (Little Red in Into the Woods). TV/ film: Bull, Madam Secretary. @dorcas
RYAN MELIA
LIBR ARIAN, PRISONER
Ryan’s other shows created by PigPen include The Old Man and The Old Moon, The Nightmare Story, The Mountain Song, and The Hunter and The Bear. He also performed with PigPen in Pericles at Theatre for a New Audience, directed by Sir Trevor Nunn. (For more information, please see the bio for PigPen Theatre Co. on the next page.)
BETSY MORGAN
M I G G E RY S O W, A N T O I N E T T E , Q U E E N R O S E M A RY
Betsy is returning to The Tale of Despereaux after appearing in the world premiere at The Old Globe. She earned a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for her portrayal of Pirelli and Beggar Woman in Barrow Street Theatre’s Sweeney Todd. Betsy was in the original Broadway companies of The King and I (revival), Les Misérables (revival), A Little Night Music (revival), The Little Mermaid, and High Fidelity, and the original off-Broadway companies of First Daughter Suite (The Public Theater), Found (Atlantic Theatre), The Fantasticks (revival), and Bernarda Alba (Lincoln Center). Regionally, she’s been seen in The Who’s Tommy (Denver Center), Carousel (Arena Stage), Rain (The Old Globe), and Giant (Signature Theatre). Betsy re-created the role of Fantine in the 25th anniversary tour of Les Misérables. She was seen on television in Flight of the Conchords.
MATT NUERNBERGER BOT TICELLI
Matt is a Chicago native, graduated from Carnegie Mellon University. His previous credits include The Tale of Despereaux (The Old Globe); Pericles directed by Trevor Nunn (Theatre for a New Audience); A Little More Alive, Pocatello, and Tape (Williamstown Theatre Festival); The Old Man
and The Old Moon (The New Victory Theater, The Old Globe, Writers Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, ArtsEmerson, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, City Theatre, The Gym at Judson); and The Hunter and The Bear (Writers Theatre). His film credits include Ricki and the Flash, and his voiceover credits include commercial work for Raid. (For more information, please see the bio for PigPen Theatre Co. on this page.)
JOHN RAPSON ROSCURO
John is thrilled to be making his Berkley Rep debut with this extraordinary show and team. John was last seen in the Bay Area as the D’Ysquith Family in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, a role he originated on the first national tour. Broadway/off-Broadway credits include Sweeney Todd (Beadle Bamford), Les Misérables (Grantaire/Bamatabois), and Nassim. Regional credits include Oklahoma! (Jud Fry, Sacramento Music Circus), The Play That Goes Wrong (Robert, regional premiere at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), The Drowsy Chaperone (Aldolpho, Goodspeed Musicals), Disney on Classic (with the Orchestra Japan). John is a graduate of the University of Michigan.
ARYA SHAHI
K I N G P H I L L I P/ F I G H T C A P TA I N
Arya was raised in Tucson, Arizona. He is a member of the #bars Workshop at The Public Theater in New York, and he co-created the poetry visual-art project @inboxart on Instagram. Alongside his dearest friends, he co-created PigPen’s The Hunter and The Bear, The Old Man and The Old Moon, The Mountain Song, and The Nightmare Story. His additional credits include the film Ricki and the Flash directed by Jonathan Demme, off Broadway’s Pericles directed by Sir Trevor Nunn, off Broadway’s Exile directed by Lisa Peterson, and the video game 1979 Revolution directed by Navid Khonsari. He received his bfa in Acting from Carnegie Mellon University. aryashahi.com, @aryashahi (For more information, please see the bio for PigPen Theatre Co. on this page.)
YASMEEN SULIEMAN
P R I N C E S S P E A , M E R LO T
Broadway: Beautiful. National Tour: Little Shop of Horrors. Off Broadway: Junie B. Jones. Lincoln Center: The Scarlet Pimpernel. TV: Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Hi-5 (tlc). Yasmeen is a singer/songwriter who has written and performed overseas, with releases on mca, Defected, Nervous Records, and Strictly Rhythm, among a few others.
DAN WESCHLER
S TA I N E D - G L A S S K N I G H T
Dan grew up in Hershey, Pennsylvania before studying acting at Carnegie Mellon University. After receiving his bfa, he moved to New York. His theatre credits include The Hunter and The Bear (Writers Theatre), The Old Man and The Old Moon (Williamstown Theatre Festival, The New Victory Theater, Writers Theatre, The Gym at Judson), The Mountain Song and The Nightmare Story (PigPen Theatre Co.), Pericles (Theatre for a New Audience), and American Realism (The Invisible Dog, San Diego Museum of Art). (For more information, please see the bio for PigPen Theatre Co. below.)
His other credits include Paint Your Wagon, Pipe Dream, Fanny, and Hey, Look Me Over! (City Center Encores!), The Music Man and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (The Kennedy Center), Old Jews Telling Jokes (New York and Chicago; Joseph Jefferson Award nomination), Roman Holiday (Golden Gate Theatre), Trevor (Writers Theatre; Jeff Award nomination), The Explorers Club (Manhattan Theatre Club), The Sound of Music (Lyric Opera of Chicago), Other People’s Money (Long Wharf Theatre; Connecticut Critics Circle Award nomination), and Ordinary Days (Roundabout Theatre Company). He has directed nine musicals for The Muny in St. Louis, most recently My Fair Lady and Singin’ in the Rain, and he has twice been nominated for Kevin Kline Awards. He is a proud member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and a graduate of Dartmouth College.
JENNIFER JANCUSKA
PIGPEN THEATRE CO.
CHOREOGR APHER
B O O K , M U S I C , LY R I C S , CO -DIREC TORS
PigPen Theatre Co. began creating their unique brand of theatre, music, and film as freshmen at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama in 2007. They have since produced their original plays in New York City and toured the country, earning them Critic’s Picks from The New York Times, Time Out New York, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, The Boston Globe, and many more, ranking them in the top 10 theatrical events of 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2016. They were the first group to win the New York International Fringe Festival’s top honor for a play two years in a row (2010 and 2011), and they have since gone on to win irne (2012, 2015) and Joseph Jefferson Awards (2014) for their theatrical productions. In 2016, Sir Trevor Nunn invited PigPen to be a part of his first American acting company for a production of Shakespeare’s Pericles. PigPen’s debut album, Bremen, was named No. 10 album of the year in The Huffington Post’s 2012 Grammy Awards preview, sending PigPen on tour playing to sold-out crowds across the country. American Songwriter premiered their follow-up EP, The Way I’m Running, in 2013 while the band was playing a series of concerts that became one of the most popular residencies of the past decade at the legendary Schubas Tavern in Chicago. In 2015, PigPen released their sophomore album, Whole Sun; performed at Mumford & Sons’s return to the Gentlemen of the Road festival; and made their feature film debut in Jonathan Demme’s Ricki and the Flash starring Meryl Streep. In addition to The Tale of Despereaux, they are creating a musical based on Sara Gruen’s beloved novel Water for Elephants (in collaboration with Rick Elice). In 2020, they will premiere their first interactive theatrical experience, The Phantom Folktales, for Richard Branson’s groundbreaking cruise line Virgin Voyages.
MARC BRUNI
CO -DIREC TOR
Marc is the director of the Tony, Olivier, and Grammy Award–winning Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. He won the Helpmann Award for Best Direction of a Musical for its Australian production, and the show has played the Broadway, West End, U.S. and UK tours, and Japan.
Jennifer is a choreographer and founding artistic director of the Brooklyn-based company The BringAbout, whose development work has been engaged by award-winning writers, directors, and producers and seen on stages from New York to California. Jennifer is known for producing bc beat, described by The New York Times as a platform to “reimagine the possibilities for dance in musical theater.” Jennifer is currently working on Broadway as resident choreographer/dance supervisor of Hamilton. As choreographer, she is thrilled to be developing three new musicals with upcoming productions. They include Hood (Asolo Rep), Anne of Green Gables (Goodspeed), Johnny and the Devil’s Box (Goodspeed), and Despereaux. Cornell University graduate. Member of sdc. JenniferJancuska.com
CHRISTOPHER JAHNKE
MUSIC DIREC TOR AND ADDITIONAL ARR ANGEMENTS
Christopher orchestrated the Broadway and/or London productions of King Kong, Legally Blonde, Cry-Baby, Grease (2007 revival), Dessa Rose, A Man of No Importance, Dear Evan Hansen (additional orchestrations, with Alex Lacamoire), Stiles and Drewe’s The Wind in the Willows, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (Tony Award nomination for Best Orchestrations), and Les Misérables (new orchestrations, performed worldwide since 2006). His other orchestrations include Do You Hear the People Sing?, a symphonic tour of Boublil and Schönberg’s work; Stiles and Leigh’s Tom Jones; Stiles and Drewe’s Just So; Bartram and Hill’s Not Wanted on the Voyage; Lady Gaga’s tribute to The Sound of Music at the 2015 Oscars (with Stephen Oremus); The Wiz Live!; Radio City Music Hall’s New York Spectacular and Christmas Spectacular; and work with Rufus Wainwright, Emily Bear, Adam Schlesinger, and Jägermeister Blaskapelle. On Broadway, Christopher also served as conductor for Aida and music supervisor for Escape to Margaritaville and Memphis. He was apprentice and assistant to orchestrator William David Brohn on Sweet Smell of Success, Ragtime, The Secret Garden, The Three Musketeers, The Witches of Eastwick, Mary Poppins, and Wicked.
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WHO’S WHO
JASON SHERWOOD
SCENIC DESIGNER
Jason is a Drama Desk Award, Lucille Lortel Award, and Henry Hewes Design Award nominee. He recently designed Rent: Live (for which he won an Emmy Award); Sam Smith’s arena world tour and campaign television appearances (including The Grammy Awards, Saturday Night Live, and Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show); the Spice Girls world tour; and The People’s Choice Awards on E! He has also designed for New York Theatre Workshop, The Playwright’s Realm, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, American Repertory Theater, and Guthrie Theater, among many others. @JasonSherwoodDesign
ANITA YAVICH
COSTUME DESIGNER
Anita returns to Berkeley Rep having designed Brian Freeman’s Civil Sex, The Oresteia, Tiny Kushner, Dael Orlandersmith’s Black N Blue Boys/Broken Men, and Chinglish. Anita designed the Broadway productions of Fool for Love, Venus in Fur, Chinglish, and Anna in the Tropics. Her other New York credits include The Mother (Atlantic Theater Company); Apologia (Roundabout Theatre Company); Soft Power and Oedipus El Rey (The Public Theater’s New York Shakespeare Festival); The View Upstairs (Lynn Redgrave Theater); The Legend of Georgia McBride, Coraline, and The Wooden Breeks (MCC Theater); Nathan the Wise, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Orlando, New Jerusalem, and Texts for Nothing (Classic Stage Company); Thom Pain (based on nothing), Big Love, Kung Fu, Golden Child, and Iphigenia 2.0 (Signature Theatre Company); The Oldest Boy (Lincoln Center Theater); The Moors (The Playwrights Realm); The Explorers Club (Manhattan Theatre Club); and Macbeth, Coriolanus, and Švejk (Theatre for a New Audience). Her opera credits include Aida (San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera, Seattle Opera), Cyrano de Bergerac (La Scala, The Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House), and Les Troyens (The Met). Anita was also the puppet and costume designer for The Sound of Music (Salzburger Marionettentheater). She has received Obie, Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk, and Ovation Awards. Upcoming she will design Der Ring des Nibelungen for Opera Australia in Brisbane.
DONALD HOLDER
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Donald previously designed Zora Neale Hurston’s Spunk, Maurice Sendak’s Brundibar, and the world premieres of Paradise Square and Monsoon Wedding at Berkeley Rep. His recent work on Broadway includes Anastasia, Oslo, In Transit, She Loves Me, Fiddler on the Roof, The Father, The King and I, On the Twentieth Century, The Bridges of Madison County, Golden Boy, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Ragtime, Movin’ Out, The Boy from Oz, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and many others. He has designed over 50 Broadway productions, received two Tony
Awards (The Lion King and South Pacific) and 13 Tony nominations. Opera credits include Samson et Delilah, Otello, Two Boys, and The Magic Flute (New York Metropolitan Opera), and Porgy and Bess for the English National Opera and the Dutch National Opera. He designed the theatrical lighting for seasons one and two of Smash (nbc DreamWorks) and for the Warner Bros. film Ocean’s 8. Donald is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and is a Professor of Lighting Design at Rutgers University.
NEVIN STEINBERG
SOUND DESIGNER
Nevin’s Broadway credits include Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Hadestown (Tony Award), The Cher Show, Bandstand, Bright Star, It Shoulda Been You, Mothers and Sons, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Tony nomination), The Performers, and Magic/ Bird. His off-Broadway credits include Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton, The Landing, and Far from Heaven. He designed over 30 Broadway productions with Acme Sound Partners, receiving five additional Tony nominations, for The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Fences, Hair, and In the Heights.
LYDIA FINE
SHADOW SEQUENCES AND P U P P E T RY C O - D E S I G N E R
Lydia is a Brooklyn-based designer and award-winning creative director. She has been working with PigPen Theatre Co. since their days together at Carnegie Mellon University. Her past productions with them include the critically acclaimed The Old Man and The Old Moon, The Nightmare Story, and The Hunter and The Bear. She is also the creative director for The Phantom Folktales, a unique theatrical experience taking place on the soon-t0-be-launched Virgin Voyages. When she is not playing with shadow puppets, she is working in various media, creating worlds and characters for films, music videos, photo shoots, and immersive events. lydiafine.com
NICK LEHANE
SHADOW SEQUENCES AND P U P P E T RY C O - D E S I G N E R
Nick worked previously with PigPen Theatre Co. as the puppet designer for The Phantom Folktales and the understudy for The Old Man and The Old Moon. His puppet play Chimpanzee premiered earlier this year at here Arts Center. His original puppet work has shown at St. Ann’s Warehouse, Puppet BloK at Dixon Place, The Jim Henson Carriage House, Special Effects Festival at wild project, and Pillsbury House Theatre. Nick’s select puppet performance credits include Robin Frohardt’s The Plastic Bag Store and The Pigeoning (here Arts Center, international tour), Petrushka (Giants Are Small, New York Philharmonic, Barbican Centre), Islamic Solidarity Games Opening Ceremonies (Baku, Azerbaijan), Doug Fitch’s El Retablo de Maese Pedro
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(American Symphony Orchestra, Bard SummerScape), James Ortiz’s The Little Mermaid (Glass Bandits Theater Company, Strangemen Theatre Company), and Lore (Amazon). He also provided puppet and movement direction for SeaWife (Naked Angels). Nick received his bfa in Drama from Carnegie Mellon University.
TARA RUBIN CASTING CASTING
Tara Rubin Casting’s select Broadway credits include Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of The Temptations, King Kong, The Band’s Visit, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Prince of Broadway, Bandstand, Indecent, Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon, Dear Evan Hansen, A Bronx Tale The Musical, Cats, Falsettos, Disaster!, School of Rock, Gigi, Bullets Over Broadway, Aladdin, Les Misérables, The Heiress, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Billy Elliot: The Musical, Shrek The Musical, Young Frankenstein, Mary Poppins, Spamalot, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Producers, Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys, and The Phantom of the Opera. Their off-Broadway credits include Gloria: A Life; Smokey Joe’s Cafe; Clueless, The Musical; The Band’s Visit; Here Lies Love; and Love, Loss, and What I Wore. They have also cast regionally for McCarter Theatre Center, Yale Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, The Old Globe, and more.
LIBBY UNSWORTH
P R O D U C T I O N S TAG E M A N AG E R
Broadway: Prince of Broadway, Les Misérables, The Visit, and Scandalous. Off-Broadway: Bat Out of Hell (New York City Center), The Niceties and Sell/Buy/ Date (Manhattan Theatre Club), The Beast in the Jungle (Vineyard Theatre), At Home at the Zoo (Signature Theatre Company), Fire and Air (Classic Stage Company), Murder for Two (New World Stages), Bunnicula (DR2 Theatre), Next Fall (Naked Angels), and Speech & Debate (Roundabout Theatre Company). Regional: The Old Globe, The 5th Avenue, George Street, Two River, Williamstown Theatre Festival (eight seasons), Geffen Playhouse, Goodspeed, and Huntington Theatre Company. She received her bfa in Stage Management from Boston University.
HSIU-I CHIQUITA LU
A S S I S TA N T S TAG E M A N AG E R
Hsiu-I Chiquita Lu is delighted to return to Berkeley Rep after serving as assistant stage manager on The Great Wave. Originally from Taiwan — on the other side of the Pacific Ocean—Hsiu-I is a freelance stage manager who works internationally. Favorite past productions include Men on Boats at Playwrights Horizons, Hollywood at La Jolla Playhouse, Taiwan Season: 038 in Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and Cikawasay with Kuo Shin Chuang Pancah Dance Theatre. She earned her mfa from University of California, San Diego.
UNIVERSAL THEATRICAL GROUP Universal Theatrical Group is the live-theatre division of the world-famous motion picture studio. Universal’s record-breaking phenomenon Wicked is currently celebrating its 17th hit year on Broadway. With a national tour and multiple international productions, Wicked has been seen by over 60 million people worldwide, making it one of the most successful theatrical ventures of all time. Additional credits include Billy Elliot the Musical; Bring It On: The Musical; and Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn with Roundabout Theatre Company. Upcoming under utg’s DreamWorks Theatricals banner is the West End premiere of The Prince of Egypt, opening in February 2020.
JOHANNA PFAELZER
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ARTISTIC DIREC TOR
Johanna is delighted to join Berkeley Rep, and honored to serve as its fourth artistic director. She recently spent 12 years as the artistic director of New York Stage and Film (nysaf), a New York City–based organization dedicated to the development of new works for theatre, film, and television. nysaf is known for providing a rigorous and nurturing environment for writers, directors, and other artists to realize work that has gone on to production at the highest levels of the profession. Notable works that were developed under Johanna’s leadership include the 2016 Tony Award winners Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and The Humans by Stephen Karam, The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe, Junk and The Invisible Hand by Ayad Akhtar, A 24-Decade History of Popular Music by Taylor Mac, Hadestown by Anaïs Mitchell, The Homecoming Queen by Ngozi Anyanwu, The Great Leap by Lauren Yee, John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer- and Tony Award–winning Doubt, The Fortress of Solitude by Michael Friedman and Itamar Moses, The Jacksonian by Beth Henley, and Green Day’s American Idiot.
Who couldn’t use a little more drama? Be a Rep. Share the gift of live theatre. berkeleyrep.org/giftcert
SUSAN MEDAK
M A N AG I N G D I R E C T O R
Susan has served as Berkeley Rep’s managing director since 1990, leading the administration and operations of the Theatre. She has served as president of the League of Resident Theatres (lort) and treasurer of Theatre Communications Group (tcg), organizations that represent the interests of nonprofit theatres across the nation. Susan chaired panels for the Massachusetts Arts Council and has also served on program panels for Arts Midwest, the Joyce Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Closer to home, she is the founding chair of the Berkeley Arts in Education Steering Committee for Berkeley Unified School District and the Berkeley Cultural Trust, and served on the board of the Downtown Berkeley Association. Susan serves on the faculty of Yale School of Drama and is a member of the International Women’s Forum and the Mont Blanc Ladies’ Literary Guild and Trekking Society. She was awarded the 2012 Benjamin Ide Wheeler Medal by the Berkeley Community Fund and the 2017 Visionary Leadership Award by tcg. During her time in Berkeley, Susan has been instrumental in the construction of the Roda Theatre, the Nevo Education Center, the renovation of the Peet’s Theatre, and in the acquisition of the Harrison Street campus. She also worked with 2 0 1 9 –2 0 · S P E C I A L P R E S E N TAT I O N · T H E B E R K E L E Y R E P M AG A Z I N E · 2 3
WHO’S WHO
three consecutive mayors to help create Berkeley’s Downtown Arts District.
THERESA VON KLUG
G E N E R A L M A N AG E R
Theresa is excited to begin her fifth season at Berkeley Rep. Previously, she had over 20 years of experience in the New York not-for-profit performing arts sector where she has planned and executed events for dance, theatre, music, television, and film. Her previous positions include the interim general manager for The Public Theater; general manager/line producer for Theatre for a New Audience, where she opened its new state-of-the-art theatre in Brooklyn and filmed a major motion picture of the inaugural production of Julie Taymor’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, released June 2015; production manager at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and New York City Center, including the famous Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert; and field representative/lead negotiator for the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers. She holds a MS in Labor Relations and Human Resources Management from Baruch College.
AUDREY HOO
P R O D U C T I O N M A N AG E R
Audrey fell in love with the wild people and power of storytelling in theatre when she was 18 and has never looked back. With over 20 years of experience in production management, Audrey has worked with a wide range of international artists across all performance arts genres such as Paul Simon, Elaine Stritch, William Kentridge, Sam Mendes, Catherine Martin, and Bill T. Jones, and with institutions such as bam, Esplanade Singapore, La Jolla Playhouse, and American Conservatory Theater. Always loving a new story to tell and another “impossible” technical puzzle to solve, Audrey is grateful to be part of the Berkeley Rep family and is particularly proud to work alongside the immensely talented and dedicated production staff and artisans. Audrey holds a mfa in Technical Direction from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
AMY POTOZKIN
D I R E C T O R O F C A S T I N G/ A R T I S T I C A S S O C I AT E
Amy begins her 30th season with Berkeley Rep. Through the years she has also had the pleasure of casting plays for act (Seattle), Arizona Theatre Company, Aurora Theatre Company, B Street Theatre, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Dallas Theater Center, Marin Theatre Company, the Marsh, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Social Impact Productions Inc., and Traveling Jewish Theatre. She worked on various independent films, including Conceiving Ada, starring Tilda Swinton; The 8th Year of the Emergency by Maureen Towey; Haiku Tunnel and Love & Taxes, both by Josh Kornbluth; and Beyond Redemption by Britta Sjogren. Amy received
her mfa from Brandeis University, where she was also an artist in residence. She has been an audition coach to hundreds of actors and a presentation/communication coach to many businesspeople. She taught acting at Mills College and audition technique at Berkeley Rep’s School of Theatre, and has led workshops at numerous other venues in the Bay Area. Amy is a member of csa, the Casting Society of America, and received an Artios Award for Excellence in Casting for Angels in America.
MADELEINE OLDHAM
R E S I D E N T D R A M AT U R G/ D I R E C T O R , T H E G R O U N D F LO O R
Madeleine is the director of The Ground Floor: Berkeley Rep’s Center for the Creation and Development of New Work and the Theatre’s resident dramaturg. She oversees commissioning and new play development, and dramaturged the world premiere productions of Fairview, Aubergine, The House that will not Stand, Passing Strange, and In the Next Room (or the vibrator play), among others. As literary manager and associate dramaturg at Center Stage in Baltimore, she produced the First Look reading series and headed up its young audience initiative. Before moving to Baltimore, she was the literary manager at Seattle Children’s Theatre, where she oversaw an extensive commissioning program. She also acted as assistant and interim literary manager at Intiman Theatre in Seattle. Madeleine served for four years on the executive committee of Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas and has also worked with act (Seattle), Austin Scriptworks, Crowded Fire, the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, the Kennedy Center, New Dramatists, Playwrights Center, and Portland Center Stage.
MICHAEL SUENKEL
for an early dinner, an evening of great theatre, followed by a lively discussion with members of the cast. Over the past 25+ years, Michelle and Bruce have recognized Berkeley Rep’s almost singular role in the Bay Area in promoting courageous new works and nurturing innovative, diverse playwrights. According to Michelle and Bruce, “There’s never been a more vital time in our lives when the power of theatre to transform, compel, inspire and energize has been more necessary. We are honored to be Season Sponsors, and especially proud to do so during Johanna Pfaelzer’s first year as artistic director.”
JACK & BETTY SCHAFER
SEASON SPONSORS
Betty and Jack are proud to support Berkeley Rep. Jack is a sustaining advisor of the Theatre, having served on the board for many years, and is now on the board of San Francisco Opera. He is an emeritus board chair of the San Francisco Art Institute and the Oxbow School. In San Francisco, Betty is involved with Wise Aging, a program for adults addressing the challenges of growing older. They have three daughters and eight grandchildren.
MICHAEL & SUE STEINBERG SEASON SPONSORS
Michael and Sue have been interested in the arts since they met and enjoy music, ballet, and live theatre. Michael, who recently retired as chairman and chief executive officer of Macy’s West, served on Berkeley Rep’s board of trustees from 1999 to 2006 and currently serves on the board of directors of the Jewish Museum. Sue serves on the board of the World of Children. The Steinbergs have always enjoyed regional theatre and are delighted to sponsor Berkeley Rep this season.
P R O D U C T I O N S TAG E M A N AG E R
Michael began his association with Berkeley Rep as the stage management intern for the 1984–85 season and is now in his 26th season as production stage manager. He has also worked with the Huntington Theatre (Boston), The Public Theater and New Victory Theatre (New York), La Jolla Playhouse, Yale Repertory Theatre, and many others. Internationally he has stage managed shows in Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Among his favorite Berkeley Rep productions are Angels in America, The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures, Eurydice, Endgame, The Beaux’ Stratagem, and Mad Forest.
BRUCE GOLDEN & MICHELLE MERCER SEASON SPONSORS
Michelle and Bruce have been ardent supporters of Berkeley Rep since 1993, when they moved with two young children in tow to Berkeley. Their favorite evenings at Berkeley Rep were usually the discussion nights, where often friends would join them
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THE STRAUCH KULHANJIAN FAMILY SEASON SPONSORS
Roger Strauch has served on the Berkeley Rep board of trustees for the last 22 years and as an executive officer, including president. He is chair of The Roda Group (rodagroup.com), a high technology venture development company based in Berkeley. Roda incubated the search engine Ask.com, now located in Oakland and Cool systems (gameready.com), a medical technology company recently acquired by Avanos Medical. He is currently on the board of three cleantech companies, including a carbon capture company, Inventys (inventysinc. com), in which Roda is a major investor. Roger has served on the board of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute for 20 years and as an executive officer, including chair. He leads the Mosse Art Restitution Project which searches for family art illegally confiscated during Germany’s Third Reich. He is a board member of the Northside Center, a mental health services agency based in Harlem, NY and a member of UC
Berkeley Engineering Dean’s college advisory board. His wife, Julie Kulhanjian, is an attending physician at Benioff ucsf Children’s Hospital, Oakland. They have three adult children.
DAVID & VICKI COX SPONSORS
Dave and Vicki have been active in the theatre world for nearly 30 years, first with the Guthrie Theater, where Dave was at one-time chair of the board, and now with Berkeley Rep, where he is a board member. Vicki, a women’s rights activist, is a past national board member of Americans for the UN Population Fund and Planned Parenthood. The retired ceo of Cowles Media, Dave pursues interests in media and environmental causes. Previously, he was the board chair of Earthjustice and Link Media. The Coxes love Berkeley Rep’s dedication to risk-taking and its emphasis on contemporary plays, as well as its commitment to developing theatre works and artists.
BART
SEASON SPONSOR
Bay Area Rapid Transit (bart) is the backbone of the Bay Area transit network and serves more than 100 million passengers annually. bart’s all-electric trains make it one of the greenest and most energy-efficient transit systems in the world. Visit bart.gov/bartable to learn more about great destinations and events that are easy to get to on bart (like Berkeley Rep!). At bart.gov/bartable, you can find discounts, enter sweepstakes offering fantastic prizes, and find unique and exciting things to do just a bart ride away. While you’re there, be sure to sign up for bartable This Week, a free, weekly email filled with the latest and greatest bartable fun!
Additional staff
Production assistant James McGregor
Assistant director Tyrone Phillips
Props Kate Fitt Erin Gallagher Garner Takahashi Morris
Assistant choreographer Taylor Tucker Associate scenic designer Connor Munion
Scene shop Jennifer Costley Isaac Jacobs Carl Martin Sean Miller Henry Perkins
Associate costume designer Cole McCarty Associate lighting designer Coby Chasman-Beck
Scenic artists Chrissy Curl Lassen Hines Serena Yau
Associate sound design Jason Crystal Assistant sound design Connor Wang Automated lighting programmer Jeff Englander Costume shop Nelly Flores Milena Geary Alea Gonzales Sophie Hood
Wardrobe Claire Griffith Kaylee Pereyra Co-Producer for Universal Theatrical Group Allison Thomas
Deck crew Julia Formanek Bradley Hopper Kourtney Snow
Special thanks to Bryan Matheson and Miles Lassi of Skyline Studios, Oakland.
Fight consultant Dave Maier Interim associate sound/video supervisor Annemarie Scerra Local music supervisor Sean Kana
Sound consultant Jeremy Nelson
Medical consultation for Berkeley Rep provided by Agi E. Ban DC, John Carrigg MD, Cindy J. Chang MD, Christina Corey MD, Neil Claveria PT, Patricia I. Commer DPT, Brenton Dowdy DPT, Kathy Fang MD PhD, Steven Fugaro MD, Whitney R. Johnson DDS, Olivia Lang MD, Allen Ling PT, and Christina S. Wilmer OD.
PEET’S COFFEE
SEASON SPONSOR
Peet’s Coffee is proud to be the exclusive coffee of Berkeley Repertory Theatre and the namesake of Berkeley Rep’s state-of-the-art Peet’s Theatre. In 1966, Alfred Peet opened his first store on Vine and Walnut in Berkeley and Peet’s has been committed to the community ever since. Supporting Berkeley Rep’s high artistic standards and diverse programming is an extension of this mission. As the pioneer of the craft coffee movement in America, Peet’s is dedicated to smallbatch roasting, superior quality beans, freshness, and a darker roasting style that produces a rich, flavorful cup. Peet’s is locally roasted in the first leed® Gold certified roaster in the nation.
WELLS FARGO
SEASON SPONSOR
Wells Fargo is proud to support the award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre as a season sponsor for the last 14 years because of its dedication to artistic excellence and community engagement. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance. The bank is committed to building better every day to meet our customers’ financial goals. For more information, please visit wellsfargo.com.
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THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS
We thank the many institutional partners who enrich our community by championing Berkeley Rep’s artistic and community outreach programs. We gratefully recognize these donors to Berkeley Rep, who made their gifts between June 2018 and September 2019.
FOUNDATION AND GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS G IF T S O F $2 5,0 0 0 –49,9 9 9 Anonymous The Ira and Leonore S. Gershwin Philanthropic Fund Laurents/Hatcher Foundation Walter & Elise Haas Fund S
G IF T S O F $ 10 0,0 0 0 A N D A B OV E The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation The Shubert Foundation G IF T S O F $50,0 0 0 –9 9,9 9 9 Edgerton Foundation Jonathan Logan Family Foundation S Koret Foundation S The Bernard Osher Foundation The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust Woodlawn Foundation S
G IF T S O F $5,0 0 0 –9,9 9 9 Anonymous (2) The Reva and David Logan Foundation Kenneth Rainin Foundation Reinhold Foundation
S
G IF T S O F $ 1,0 0 0 –4,9 9 9 Joyce & William Brantman Foundation Civic Foundation S Davis/Dauray Family Fund Karl & Alice Ruppenthal Foundation for the Arts rhe Charitable Foundation S
G IF T S O F $ 10,0 0 0 –24,9 9 9 Berkeley Civic Arts Program California Arts Council S jec Foundation Miranda Lux Foundation S Ramsay Family Foundation S
CORPORATE SPONSORS SEASON SPONSORS
SPONSORS The Andreason Group at Morgan Stanley Charles Schwab + Co., Inc. Mechanics Bank Wealth Management The Morrison & Foerster Foundation S
American Express
PE R FO R M A N CE S P O N S O R S Bayer S BluesCruise.com First Republic Bank Gallagher Risk Management Services Is your company a corporate sponsor? Berkeley Rep’s Corporate Partnership program offers excellent opportunities to network, entertain clients, reward employees, increase visibility, and support the arts and arts education in the community. For details visit berkeleyrep.org/ support or call Daria Hepps at 510 647-2904.
CO R P O R AT E PA R T N E R S Armanino llp Deloitte hdr Remodeling S Panoramic Interests Schoenberg Family Law Group
E XECU TIV E S P O N S O R S
S
IN-KIND SPONSORS E XECU TIV E S P O N S O R S
SPONSORS Farella Braun + Martell llp Hugh Groman Catering Latham & Watkins llp Mayer Brown llp Rhoades Planning Group Semifreddi’s
Hotel Shattuck Plaza is the official hotel of Berkeley Rep.
PA R T N E R S Angeline’s Louisiana Kitchen Ann’s Catering Aurora Catering Autumn Press Babette at bampfa Bobby G’s Pizzeria César Comal Copain Wines Donkey & Goat Winery
Drake’s Brewing Company Eureka! Fonda Gather Restaurant Hafner Vineyard La Note ocho Candy Picante Revival Bar + Kitchen zino
SPECIAL PROJECT SUPPORTERS We gratefully recognize the generous individuals and institutions who supported special projects, including The Ground Floor: Berkeley Rep’s Center for the Creation and Development of New Work, from September 2018 to September 2019. LE A D S U PP O R T E R S Barbara Bass Bakar Bruce Golden & Michelle Mercer Louise L. Gund Frances Hellman & Warren Breslau Peet’s Coffee Michael & Sue Steinberg
S U PP O R T E R S Anonymous Kerry Francis & John Jimerson Suzanne LaFetra Collier National Endowment for the Arts Stewart & Rachelle Owen Cynthia & William Schaff Jean & Michael Strunsky Sheila Taccone The Tournesol Project Gail & Arne Wagner Felicia Woytak & Steven Rasmussen CO N T RIB U TO R S Anonymous (2) Shelley & Jonathan Bagg Robin & Rich Edwards Linda Jo Fitz David & Vicki Fleishhacker
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Jill & Steve Fugaro Ruth Hennigar Jack Klingelhofer Sandra & Ross McCandless Susan Medak & Gregory Murphy Steven & Patrece Mills Dugan Moore & Philippe Lamoise Jane & Bill Neilson Shanna O’Hare & John Davis Peter Pervere & Georgia Cassel David S. H. Rosenthal & Vicky Reich Patricia Sakai & Richard Shapiro Joan Sarnat & David Hoffman Patricia & Merrill Shanks Robert L. Sockolov and Audrey Sockolov Foundation Barry Lawson Williams & Lalita Tademy Linda & Steven Wolan
LEGEND
S
School of Theatre donor
K
in-kind gift
M
matching gift
SPONSOR CIRCLE SEASON SPONSORS Bruce Golden & Michelle Mercer Jack & Betty Schafer Michael & Sue Steinberg The Strauch Kulhanjian Family LE A D S P O N S O R S Frances Hellman & Warren Breslau Casey Keller / Peet’s Coffee Ken & Gisele Miller S Stewart & Rachelle Owen Mary Ruth Quinn & Scott Shenker Kelli & Steffan Tomlinson E XECU TIV E S P O N S O R S Anonymous Barbara Bass Bakar S Edward D. Baker Susan Chamberlin Bill Falik & Diana Cohen Kerry Francis & John Jimerson Wayne Jordan & Quinn Delaney Jean & Michael Strunsky Gail & Arne Wagner
SPONSORS Maria Cardamone & Paul Matthews David & Vicki Cox Anne & Anuj Dhanda Robin & Rich Edwards David & Vicki Fleishhacker Paul Friedman & Diane Manley Jill & Steve Fugaro Karen Galatz & Jon Wellinghoff Richard Grand Foundation Paul Haahr & Susan Karp Scott & Sherry Haber Jerry & Julie Kline Jack Klingelhofer Michael H. Kossman Suzanne LaFetra Collier Ken Lamb Sandra & Ross McCandless Marianne Mills Pam & Mitch Nichter Norman & Janet Pease Marjorie Randolph Leonard X & Arlene B. Rosenberg Jack & Valerie Rowe Patricia Sakai & Richard Shapiro Ed & Liliane Schneider Laura & Nicholas Severino M Stephen & Cindy Snow
Barry Lawson Williams & Lalita Tademy Linda & Steven Wolan Felicia Woytak & Steven Rasmussen A S S O CIAT E S P O N S O R S Anonymous (2) Shelley & Jonathan Bagg Edith Barschi Neil & Gene Barth Valerie Barth Michelle Branch & Dale Cook Rena Bransten Brook & Shawn Byers Lynne Carmichael Cindy Chang, MD & Christopher Hudson K John Dains Paul Daniels, in honor of Peter Yonka Narsai & Venus David K Cynthia A. Farner Tracy & Mark Ferron Kevin & Noelle Gibbs M Steven Goldin James C. Hormel & Michael P. Nguyen, in honor of Rita Moreno Ms. Wendy E. Jordan
Fred Karren, in memory of Beth Karren Seymour Kaufman & Kerstin Edgerton Rosalind & Sung-Hou Kim Leonard Merrill Kurz Eileen & Hank Lewis S Susan & Moses Libitzky Helen M. Marcus in memory of David J. Williamson Martin & Janis McNair Ed Messerly & Sudha Pennathur S Steven & Patrece Mills M Dugan Moore & Philippe Lamoise Peter Pervere & Georgia Cassel Barbara L. Peterson Gary & Noni Robinson Joan Sarnat & David Hoffman Cynthia & William Schaff Pat & Merrill Shanks Shirlen Fund, in memory of Shirley & Philip Schild Vickie Soulier Foundation Lisa Taylor Dave & Cindy Trummer M Susan West S Wendy Williams Martin & Margaret Zankel
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE PA R T N E R S Anonymous Tarang & Hirni Amin Berit Ashla & Aron Cramer Judy Avery Ed Brakeman Jennifer Chaiken & Sam Hamilton Constance Crawford David Deutscher Thomas W. Edwards & Rebecca Parlette-Edwards William Espey & Margaret Hart Edwards Nancy & Jerry Falk Lily Fan Karen Grove & Julian Cortella Ms. Teresa Burns Gunther & Dr. Andrew Gunther Richard & Lois Halliday K Earl & Bonnie Hamlin Lynda & Dr. J. Pearce Hurley Kathleen & Chris Jackson Barbara E. Jones, in memory of William E. Jones Duke & Daisy Kiehn Tony Kushner Dixon Long Peter & Melanie Maier Dale & Don Marshall Sumner & Hermine Marshall Charles Marston & Rosa Luevano Susan Medak & Greg Murphy Helen & John Meyer Pure Dana Fund Sue Reinhold & Deborah Newbrun David S. H. Rosenthal & Vicky Reich Jaimie Sanford & Ted Storey Beth & David Sawi Linda & Nathan Schultz Emily Shanks Ed & Ellen Smith
Audrey & Bob Sockolov Sheila Wishek Barbara & Howard Wollner B E N E FAC TO R S Anonymous (4) Norman Abramson, in memory of David Beery Martha & Bruce Atwater Nina Auerbach Anne M. Baele Linda & Mike Baker Michelle L. Barbour Eugene Borstel & Sandy Silva Re Re Boylan & Jeff Freedman Broitman-Basri Foundation Ben Brown & Louise Rankin Don & Carol Anne Brown Tracy Brown & Greg Holland Italo & Susan Calpestri Ronnie Caplane Terrence & Deborah Carlin K Leslie Chatham & Sunny St. Pierre Betsey & Ken Cheitlin Barbara & Rodgin Cohen Julie & Darren Cooke Karen & David Crommie Ed Cullen & Ann O’Connor Dr. Jim Cuthbertson Barbara & Tim Daniels Corinne & Mike Doyle James Emery & P. Irving Merle & Michael Fajans Lisa & Dave Finer Thomas & Sharon Francis Lisa Franzel & Rod Mickels Herb & Marianne Friedman Mary & Stan Friedman Dennis & Susan Johann Gilardi Daniel & Hilary B. Goldstine Nelson Goodman Garrett Gruener & Amy Slater
Migsy & Jim Hamasaki Bob & Linda Harris Vera & David Hartford Dan & Shawna Hartman Brotsky Ruth Hennigar Bonnie & Tom Herman Richard N. Hill & Nancy Lundeen Elaine Hitchcock Deirdre & Chris Hockett Bill Hofmann & Robbie Welling M James C. Hormel & Michael P. Nguyen, in honor of Rita Moreno Paula Hughmanick & Steven Berger Marilyn & Michael Jensen-Akula Bill & Lisa Kelly Stephen F. Kispersky Jean Knox, in memory of John T. Knox Wanda Kownacki Woof Kurtzman & Liz Hertz Jane & Mike Larkin, in memory of Lynn & Gerald Ungar Randy Laroche & David Laudon Louise Laufersweiler & Warren Sharp Nancy & George Leitmann, in memory of Helen Barber Sidne Long & Hank Delevati Elsie Mallonee Rebecca Martinez Henning Mathew & Michelle Deane M Erin McCune Miles & Mary Ellen McKey Kirk McKusick & Eric Allman Stephanie Mendel Toby Mickelson & Donald Brody Andy & June Monach Ronald Morrison Jerry Mosher Barbara & Michael Novogradac Carol J. Ormond
We are pleased to recognize first-time donors to Berkeley Rep, whose names appear in italics.
Linda & Gregory Orr Janet & Clyde Ostler Judy O’Young, MD & Gregg Hauser Sandi & Dick Pantages Mary Ann Peoples, in memory of Lou Peoples Malcolm & Ann Plant Linda & Eric Protiva Teresa L. Remillard M Bill Reuter & Ruth Major Audrey & Paul Richards, in honor of Barbara Peterson Carla & David Riemer Sheli & Burt Rosenberg, in honor of Len & Arlene Rosenberg Joe Ruck & Donna Ito Monica Salusky & John K. Sutherland Jeane & Roger Samuelsen Danny Scher Jackie Schmidt-Posner & Barry Posner Neal Shorstein, MD & Christopher Doane Valerie Sopher Sally & Joel Spivack Karen Stevenson & Bill McClave Deborah Taylor Barrera Alison Teeman & Michael Yovino-Young Beth Weissman Elizabeth Werter & Henry Trevor Barry Lawson Williams & Lalita Tademy Patricia & Jeffrey Williams William C. Wilson II Sam & Joyce Zanze Mark Zitter & Jessica Nutik Zitter Jane & Mark Zuercher
THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS
We thank the generous individuals in our community who help Berkeley Rep produce adventurous, thought-provoking, and thrilling theatre and bring arts education to thousands of young people every year. We gratefully recognize these donors to Berkeley Rep, who made their gifts between June 2018 and September 2019. To make your gift and join this distinguished group, visit berkeleyrep.org/give or call 510 647-2906.
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THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS
CH A M PIO N S
Anonymous (5) · George & Marcia Argyris, in honor of Tony Taccone · Naomi Auerbach & Ted Landau · Leslie & Jack Batson · Lois A. Battuello · David & Stephanie Beach · Don & Gerry Beers M · Caroline Beverstock · Naomi Black M · Marc Blakeman M · Linda Brandenburger · Eric Brink & Gayle Vassar M · Lea Chang · Terin Christensen · Richard & Linnea Christiani · Andrea Clay & Collin Smikle · Robert Council & Ann Parks-Council · John & Izzie Crane M · Lori & Michael Crowley · Richard & Anita Davis · Francine & Beppe Di Palma · Karen & David Dolder · Susan English & Michael Kalkstein · Paul Feigenbaum & Judy Kemeny · Ben & Mary Feinberg · Martin & Barbara Fishman · Patrick Flannery · James & Jessica Fleming · Dean Francis · Donald & Dava Freed · Chris R. Frostad M · Kelli M. Frostad · Marjorie Ginsburg & Howard Slyter · Mrs. Gale K. Gottlieb · Mary & Nicholas Graves · Anne & Peter Griffes · Thomas & Elizabeth Henry · Christina Herdell, in memory of Vaughn & Ardis Herdell · Don & Janice Holve · The Hornthal Family, in honor of Susie Medak · Christopher Killian & Carole Ungvarsky · Lynn Eve Komaromi, in honor of the Berkeley Rep Staff · Janet Kornegay & Dan Sykes · Susilpa Lakireddy · Kevin & Claudine Lally · Helen E. Land · Sherrill Lavagnino & Scott McKinney · Andrew Leavitt & Catherine Lewis · Glennis Lees & Michael Glazeski · Ellen & Barry Levine · Jennifer S. Lindsay · Marcia C. Linn · Mark & Roberta Linsky ·
Jay & Eileen Love · Lois & Gary Marcus, in memory of Ruth Weiland, Mose & Selma Marcus · Charlotte & Adolph Martinelli · Janet & Michael McCutcheon · Joanne Medak & Peter Katsaros · Ruth Medak · Dan Miller · Geri Monheimer, in honor of Tony Taccone · Scott Montgomery & Marc Rand · Brian & Britt-Marie Morris · Daniel Murphy · Piermaria Oddone & Barbara Saarni Oddone · Judith & Richard Oken · Lynette Pang & Michael Man · Gerane Wharton Park · Bob & MaryJane Pauley · David & Mary Ramos · Helen Richardson · Maxine Risley, in memory of James Risley · John & Jody Roberts · The Rockridge Fund at the East Bay Community Foundation · Galen Rosenberg & Denise Barnett · Boyard & Anne Rowe · Dace P. Rutland · Lisa Salomon · Dan Scharlin & Sara Katz, in honor of Tony Taccone · Dr. David Schulz M · Teddy & Bruce Schwab · Andrew & Marva Seidl · Brenda Buckhold Shank, M.D., Ph.D. · Kim Silva · Beryl & Ivor Silver · David & Lori Simpson · Amrita Singhal & Michael Tubach · Cherida Collins Smith · Alice & Scott So · Gary & Jana Stein · Monroe W. Strickberger · Susan Terris · Sam Test · Henry Timnick · William van Dyk & Margi Sullivan · Sarah Van Roo · Robert & Sheila Weisblatt · Wendy Willrich · Charles Wolfram & Peter Wolfram · Sally Woolsey
A DVO C AT E S
Anonymous (13) · Abbey Alkon & Jonathan Leonard · Dr. & Mrs. Francis Barham ·
Richard & Kathi Berman · James A. Biondi · Steve Bischoff · Patti Bittenbender · Beverly Blatt & David Filipek · Bob & Barbara Brandriff · Peter Brock · Jerome & Marguerite Buttrick · Don Campbell & Family · Robert & Margaret Cant · Laura Chenel · Ciara Cox & Margaret Wu · Pam & Mike Crane · Jill & Evan Custer · Kathleen Damron · Bill DeHart · Harry & Susan Dennis · Kathy Down & Greg Kelly · Nancy Drooker & Alix Sabin · Linda Drucker · Burton Peek Edwards · Sue J. Estey · Brigitte & Louis Fisher · Linda Jo Fitz · Daniel Friedland & Azlynda Alim M · David Gaskin & Phillip McPherson · Karl & Kathleen Geier · Linda Joy Graham · Rico & Maya Green · Sheldon & Judy Greene, in honor of Tony Taccone · Don & Becky Grether · Irene & Robert Hepps · Howard Hertz & Jean Krois · Peter Hobe & Christina Crowley · Jeff Hoel · Al Hoffman & David Shepherd · Mr. & Mrs. Harold M. Isbell · Anne & Douglas Jensen · Mr. & Mrs. C. D. Jensen · Peter & Barbara Jensen · Bill Jetton · Ann L. Johnson · Corrina Jones · Reese & Margaret Jones · Claudia & Daly Jordan-Koch · Kaarel Kaljot · Helmut H. Kapczynski & Colleen Neff · Beth & Tim Kientzle M · Peggy Kivel · Susan Kolb · Ken & Monica Kulander · Carol P. LaPlant · Barbara & Thomas Lasinski · Deborah Lewis & Martin H. Myers · Marcia C. Linn · Tom Lockard & Alix Marduel · Richard Lonergan & Marilyn Manning · Jane & Bob Lurie · Gerry & Kathy MacClelland · Bruce Maigatter & Pamela Partlow · Naomi
& Bruce Mann · Sue & Phil Marineau · M. Mathews & K. Soriano · Karen & John McGuinn · Brian McRee · Barbara Meislin & Stuart Kaplan · Jeff Miner · Daryoush Mortazavi & Caroline Razavi · Patricia Motzkin & Richard Feldman · Aki & Emi Nakao · Ron Nakayama · Luella Noles & Jeung Hyung · Judy Ogle · Suzette S. Olson · Brian D. Parsons · Lauri Paul & Mark Hamilton · Bob & Toni Peckham, in honor of Robert M. Peckham, Jr. · Jack & Charmaine Pesso · Regina Phelps · James F. Pine M · F. Anthony Placzek · Roxann R. Preston · Kathleen Quenneville & Diane Allen · Leslie & Mark Ragsdale · Danielle Rebischung · Todd & Susan Ringoen · Mrs. William C. Robison · Deborah Dashow Ruth, in memory of Leo P. Ruth · Barbara Sahm & Steven Winkel · Mitzi Sales & John Argue · Dorothy R. Saxe · Dale & Liz Schenk · Joyce Schnobrich · Libby Seifel & Pierre Capeder · Sarah E. Shaver · Steve & Susan Shortell · Arlene & Matthew Sirott · Carra Sleight · Suzanne Slyman · Jerry & Dick Smallwood · George & Camilla Smith · Sigrid Snider · LJ Strunsky & James Steinle · Gary Sullivan & Timothy Lynn · Drew & Margo Tammen · Fred & Kathleen Taylor · Nancy E. Thomas · Pate & Judy Thomson · Karen Tiedemann & Geoff Piller · Rick Trautner · Mike & Ellen Turbow · Larry Vales M · Mr. Leon Van Steen · Lisa Wade · Louise & Larry Walker · Mr. & Mrs. William Webster · Robert T. Weston · Ron & Anita Wornick · Moe & Becky Wright · Stan Zaks
We gratefully recognize the following donors whose contributions were received from August 30, 2019 to September 30, 2019.
S U PP O R T E R S
Anonymous · Gerry Abrams · Bart Connally · Susan & Don Couch · Patricia Fox · Dorothy & Michael Herman · John Kruse & Gary Beuschel · Marit Lash · Laurel & Gerald Przybylski · Frances Singer
CO N T RIB U TO R S
Anonymous (3) · Mark Aaronson & Marjorie Gelb · Rose Marie Avery · Kate & Monroe Bridges · Susan Kirk · Jean Rowe Lieber K · Katherine Nolan · Pam Whitman
FRIE N D S
Anonymous (3) · Keira Armstrong & Steve Thompson · Erin Badillo & Jonathan Fearn Badillo · Brenda Beckett · Colin Boyle · Virginia Duplessis & David White · Karen Giorgianni · Deborah Glupczynski · Mr. Thomas R. Hall · Janet Huston · Linda Laskowski · Rich Price & Caitlin Patterson · Margo Webster
Special thanks to Marjorie Randolph for establishing The Marjorie Randolph Professional Development Fund, which supports the Berkeley Rep staff.
Members of this Society, which is named in honor of Founding Director Michael W. Leibert, have designated Berkeley Rep in their estate plans. Unless the donor specifies otherwise, planned gifts become a part of Berkeley Rep’s board-designated endowment funds, where they will provide the financial stability that enables Berkeley Rep to maintain the highest standards of artistic excellence, support new work, and serve the community with innovative education and outreach programs, year after year. For more information on becoming a member, visit our website at berkeleyrep.org/mls or contact Daria Hepps at 510 647-2904 or dhepps@berkeleyrep.org.
New members:
Narsai & Venus David Emily Shanks
Sustaining members as of October 2019:
Anonymous (8) Norman Abramson & David Beery Sam Ambler Carl W. Arnoult & Aurora Pan Ken & Joni Avery Nancy Axelrod Edith Barschi Neil & Gene Barth Susan & Barry Baskin Linda Brandenburger Broitman-Basri Family Bruce Carlton & Richard G. McCall Stephen K. Cassidy Paula Champagne & David Watson Terin Christensen Sofia Close Christina Crowley Andrew Daly & Jody Taylor M. Laina Dicker Thalia Dorwick Rich & Robin Edwards Thomas W. Edwards & Rebecca Parlette-Edwards Bill & Susan Epstein William Espey & Margaret Hart Edwards Bill Falik & Diana Cohen Dr. Stephen E. Follansbee & Dr. Richard A. Wolitz Kerry Francis
Dr. Harvey & Deana Freedman Joseph & Antonia Friedman Paul T. Friedman Dr. John Frykman Laura K. Fujii David Gaskin & Phillip McPherson Marjorie Ginsburg & Howard Slyter Mary & Nicholas Graves Elizabeth Greene Sheldon & Judy Greene Don & Becky Grether Richard & Lois Halliday Julie & Paul Harkness Linda & Bob Harris Fred Hartwick Ruth Hennigar Daria Hepps Douglas J. Hill Hoskins/Frame Family Trust Lynda & Dr. J. Pearce Hurley Robin C. Johnson Janice Kelly & D. Carlos Kaslow Bonnie McPherson Killip Lynn Eve Komaromi Michael H. Kossman Scott & Kathy Law Dot Lofstrom Helen M. Marcus Dale & Don Marshall Sumner & Hermine Marshall Rebecca Martinez Sarah McArthur LeValley Suzanne & Charles McCulloch John G. McGehee Miles & Mary Ellen McKey
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Margaret D. & Winton McKibben Ruth Medak Susan Medak & Greg Murphy Stephanie Mendel Toni Mester Shirley & Joe Nedham Theresa Nelson & Bernard Smits Pam & Mitch Nichter Sheldeen G. Osborne Sharon Ott Amy Pearl Parodi Barbara L. Peterson Regina Phelps Margaret Phillips Marjorie Randolph Gregg Richardson Bonnie Ring Living Trust Tom Roberts David Rovno Tracie E. Rowson Deborah Dashow Ruth Patricia Sakai & Richard Shapiro Brenda Buckhold Shank,M.D., Ph.D. Kevin Shoemaker Valerie Sopher Michael & Sue Steinberg Dr. Douglas & Anne Stewart Jean Strunsky Mary, Andrew & Duncan Susskind Henry Timnick Guy Tiphane Phillip & Melody Trapp Janis Kate Turner Gail & Arne Wagner Dorothy Walker
Barry & Holly Walter Weil Family Trust—Weil Family Susan West Karen & Henry Work Anders Yang, JD Martin & Margaret Zankel
Gifts received by Berkeley Rep:
Anonymous Estate of Suzanne Adams Estate of Helen Barber Estate of Fritzi Benesch Estate of Carole B. Berg Estate of Nelly Berteaux Estate of Jill Bryans Estate of Paula Carrell Estate of Nancy Croley Estate of Carol & John Field Estate of Rudolph Glauser Estate of Audrey J. Lasson Estate of Zandra Faye LeDuff Estate of Ines R. Lewandowitz Estate of John E. & Helen A. Manning Estate of Richard Markell Estate of Timothy A. Patterson Estate of Gladys Perez-Mendez Estate of Margaret Purvine Estate of Leigh & Ivy Robinson Estate of Stephen C. Schaefer, in honor of Jean and Jack Knox Estate of Peter Sloss Estate of Harry Weininger Estate of Grace Williams
STAFF AND BOARD ARTISTIC
ELECTRICS
Director of Casting & Artistic Associate Amy Potozkin Director, The Ground Floor/ Resident Dramaturg Madeleine Oldham Literary Manager Sarah Rose Leonard Artistic Associate Katie Craddock Artists under Commission Todd Almond · Christina Anderson · Lisa Peterson · Sarah Ruhl · Tori Sampson · Joe Waechter
Master Electrician Frederick C. Geffken Assistant Master Electrician Sarina Renteria Production Electrician Kenneth Coté
PRODUCTION Production Manager Audrey Hoo Associate Production Manager Zoey Russo Company Manager Morgan Steele
STAGE MANAGEMENT Production Stage Manager Michael Suenkel Stage Managers Lisa Iacucci · Kelly Montgomery · Libby Unsworth · Chris Waters Assistant Stage Managers Chiquita Lu · Sofie Miller · Megan McClintock · Leslie M. Radin Production Assistants Tait Adams · James McGregor · Sofie Miller
STAGE OPERATIONS Stage Supervisor Julia Englehorn
PROPERTIES Properties Supervisor Jillian A. Green Associate Properties Supervisor Amelia Burke-Holt Props Artisan Dara Ly
SCENE SHOP Technical Director Jim Smith Associate Technical Director Matt Rohner Shop Foreman Sam McKnight Master Carpenter Jamaica Montgomery-Glenn Carpenters Patrick Keene · Read Tuddenham
SOUND & VIDEO Sound & Video Supervisor Lane Elms Sound Engineers Angela Don Michael Kelly Associate Sound & Video Supervisor Chase Nichter
ADMINISTRATION Finance Director Jared Hammond Associate General Manager Amanda Williams O’Steen Executive Assistant Kate Horton Bookkeeper Kristine Taylor Associate Finance Director Eric Ipsen Payroll Administrator Katie Riemann CRM Project Manager Destiny Askin
DEVELOPMENT Director of Development Lynn Eve Komaromi Associate Director of Development Daria Hepps Director of Individual Giving Laura Fichtenberg Stewardship Officer Woof Kurtzman Institutional Giving Manager Julie McCormick Special Events Manager Abbey Bay McSweeney Individual Giving Manager Kelsey Scott Grant & Communications Coordinator Maddie Gaw Development Coordinators Nina Feliciano · Alix Josefski Development Database Coordinator Jane Voytek
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Senior Marketing Manager Seth Macari Communications & Digital SCENIC ART Content Director Karen McKevitt Charge Scenic Artist Lisa Lázár Director of Public Relations Tim Etheridge COSTUMES Audience Development & Group Sales Manager Costume Director Arielle Rubin Maggi Yule Resident Costume Design Associate Webmaster Christina Cone Cody Von Ruden Video & Multimedia Producer Tailor Benjamin Michel Kathy Kellner Griffith Program Advertising Draper Pamela Webster Star Rabinowitz Front of House Director First Hand Kelly Kelley Janet Conery Front of House Manager Wardrobe Supervisor Debra Selman Barbara Blair
Artistic Director Johanna Pfaelzer
Managing Director Susan Medak
General Manager Theresa Von Klug
House Managers Elizabeth Anne Bertolino · Jerry Chirip · Maggie Collette · Dalia Garcia · Aleta George · Aaron Higareda · Matisse Michalski · Angelica Phung · Tuesday Ray · Debra Selman Lead Concessionaires Molly Conway · Nina Gorham · Johnny Lloyd · Nichelle Pete Concessionaires April Ancheta · Herman Angulo · Jessica Bates · Katie Braninburg · Suleekho Muse Nicole Bruno · Jason Brunswick · Benji Carver · Si Mon’ Emmett · Lorenz Gonzales · Michelle Hernandez · Julian Islas · Evan Lester · Mikayla McLaurin · Suleekho Muse · James Oh · Win Wallace · Marissa Wolden Ticket Services Manager Dora Daniels Box Office Supervisor Julie Gotsch Subscription Manager Laurie Barnes Box Office Lead Alina Whatley Box Office Agents Chelbi Dickens · Topher Hester · Oliver Kampman · Victoria Phelps · Timothy Quirus · Alina Whatley
OPERATIONS Facilities Director Mark Morrisette Facilities Manager Ashley Mills Building Engineer Thomas Tran Building Technician Kevin Pan Facilities Assistants Lemont Adams · Theresa Drumgoole · Sophie Li · Guy Nado · Jesus Rodriguez · LeRoy Thomas
Lisa Anne Porter · Diane Rachel · Rolf Saxon · Elyse Shafarman · Arje Shaw · Joyful Simpson · Cleavon Smith · M. Graham Smith · Elizabeth Vega · James Wagner · Dan Wolf Teaching Artists Miriam Ani · Martha Brigham · Nicole Apostol Bruno · Michael Curry · Allysa Evans · Adrian Gebhart · Clara Kamunde · Rebecca Longworth · Caitlyn Louchard · Dave Maier · Carla Pantoja · Slater Penny · Radhika Rao · Joyful Raven · Lindsey Schmeltzer · Kimiya Shokri · Zoe Swenson-Graham · Gabriel Vergez · Joshua Waterstone · Elena Wright Teen Core Council Milo Bailey · Simon Bhuller-Riordan · Fidela Bisseret Martinez · Eleanor Boes · Bianca Carmango · Lilly-Karin Dandenell · Scarlette De Beauvior · Dina Fukunaga · Maera Klein · Malia Lee · Tatiana Lira · Grace Nelligan Zohar Naaman · Alex Pansino · Roan Pearl · Madeleine Riskin-Kutz · Jade Rogers · Avelina Rivezzo-Weber · Sarah Schecter Docent Co-Chairs Matty Bloom, Content Joy Lancaster, Recruitment Selma Meyerowitz, Off-Sites and Procedures
2019–20 BERKELEY REP FELLOWSHIPS
Bret C. Harte Directing Fellow Nailah Harper-Malveaux Company Management Fellow Reagan O’Malley Costume Fellow Anthony Fiore Development Fellow Samuel Levit Education Fellow Zandra Starks Graphic Design Fellow Haly Roy BERKELEY REP SCHOOL OF THEATRE Harry Weininger Sound Fellow Director of the School of Theatre Jaime Tippett Rachel Hull Lighting/Electrics Fellow Associate Director Hannah Solomon MaryBeth Cavanaugh Marketing/Digital Associate Director Communications Fellow Anthony Jackson Katherine Gunn Education Communications and Peter F. Sloss Literary/ Partnerships Manager Dramaturgy Fellow Marcela Chacón Charlie Dubach-Reinhold Data and Tessitura Analyst Production Management Fellow Katie Riemann Kali Grau Community Programs Administrator Properties Fellow Modesta Tamayo Del Hanson Education Youth Associate Scenic Art Fellow Si Mon’ Emmett Samantha (Sam) Welsing Faculty Scenic Construction Fellow Bobby August Jr. · Erica Blue · Kathryn Bosch Jon Burnett · Rebecca Castelli · Stage Management Fellow Eugenie Chan · Iu-Hui Chua · Elizabeth Kamla Jiwon Chung · Sally Clawson · Deborah Eubanks · Susan Garner · Christine Germain · Nancy Gold · Gary Graves · Marvin Greene · Susan-Jane Harrison · Gendell Hing-Hernández · Melissa Hillman · William Hodgson · Andrew Hurteau · Anthony Jackson · Kasey Klem · Krista Knight · Julian López-Morillas · Dave Maier · Reid McCann · Patricia Miller · Alex Moggridge · Edward Morgan · Jack Nicolaus · Slater Penney · Greg Pierotti ·
BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Gail Wagner Vice Presidents Bruce Golden Stewart Owen Felicia Woytak Treasurer Henning Mathew Secretary Leonard X Rosenberg Chair, Governance Committee Stewart Owen Chair, Audit Committee Kerry L. Francis Board Members Berit Ashla Carrie Avery Edward D. Baker David Cox Anne Nemer Dhanda Lauren Edgerton Robin Edwards Jill Fugaro Karen Galatz Steven Goldin Scott Haber Casey Keller Michael Kossman Jonathan C. Logan Sandra R. McCandless Susan Medak Sudha Pennathur Johanna Pfaelzer Laura Severino Richard Shapiro Roger Strauch Jean Z. Strunsky Kelli Tomlinson Steven C. Wolan Past Presidents Helen C. Barber A. George Battle Carole B. Berg Robert W. Burt Shih-Tso Chen Narsai M. David Thalia Dorwick, PhD Nicholas M. Graves Richard F. Hoskins Jean Knox Robert M. Oliver Stewart Owen Marjorie Randolph Harlan M. Richter Richard A. Rubin Edwin C. Shiver Roger Strauch Martin Zankel Sustaining Advisors Rena Bransten Diana Cohen William T. Espey William Falik David Fleishhacker Paul T. Friedman Nicholas M. Graves David Hoffman Richard F. Hoskins Dale Rogers Marshall Helen Meyer Dugan Moore Peter Pervere Marjorie Randolph Patricia Sakai Jack Schafer William Schaff Emily Shanks Michael Steinberg Michael Strunsky Martin Zankel
Founding Director
Michael W. Leibert Producing Director, 1968–83 2 0 1 9 –2 0 · S P E C I A L P R E S E N TAT I O N · T H E B E R K E L E Y R E P M AG A Z I N E · 2 9
MAKING THEATRE TRAVELING TALES When PigPen Theatre Co.’s The Tale of Despereaux arrived in Berkeley, it came with a few new cast members, including Dorcas Leung as Despereaux and Yasmeen Sulieman as Princess Pea and Merlot. Immediately embraced by the other artists, Dorcas and Yasmeen jumped into and perfected their roles in rehearsals at our Harrison Street campus. (Not pictured: our third terrific new cast member, John Rapson as Roscuro.)
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Katy Owen in 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips (photo by Steve Tanner)
EVERY GIFT TELLS A STORY. Ticket sales cover only 60% of the cost of producing performances like the one you are seeing today. As a nonprofit theatre, Berkeley Rep relies on contributions from theatregoers like you to make these stories possible. Will you play your part?
OUR STORIES. OUR THEATRE. YOU HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY. Text BACKSTAGE to 71777 berkeleyrep.org/give
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R O F S U JOIN
Dianne Wiest in the Yale Repertory Theatre production of Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days P H OTO BY J OA N M A R C U S
Culture Clash (Herbert Siguenza, Richard Montoya, and Ric Salinas)
Suzan-Lori Parks
NEXT UP
Jocelyn Bioh
Lisa Peterson
John Logan
Michael Mayer
A world premiere from one of Berkeley Rep's beloved playwrights!
BECKY NURSE OF SALEM
Becky Nurse is an outspoken, sharp-witted tour guide at the Salem Museum of Witchcraft who’s just trying to get by in postObama America. She’s also the descendant of Rebecca Nurse, BY SAR AH RUHL who was infamously executed for witchcraft in 1692—but things DIREC TED BY ANNE K AUFFM AN have changed for women since then…haven’t they? After losing M AIN SEASON · PEET ’ S THEATRE her job for calling out The Crucible in front of schoolkids, Becky DEC 12, 2019–JAN 26, 2020 visits a local witch for help. One spell leads to another, and then everything really goes off the rails.
STILL TO COME...
CULTURE CLASH (STILL) IN AMERICA SWEPT AWAY WRIT TEN AND PERFORMED BY CULTURE CL ASH RICHARD MONTOYA , RIC ARDO SALINAS, AND HERBERT SIGUENZ A DIREC TED BY LISA PETERSON M AIN SEASON · PEET ’ S THEATRE FEB 20–APR 5, 2020
SCHOOL GIRLS
BOOK BY JOHN LOGAN MUSIC & LYRIC S BY THE AVET T BROTHERS MUSIC ARR ANGEMENTS & ORCHESTR ATIONS BY CHRIS MILLER & BRIAN USIFER DIREC TED BY MICHAEL M AYER LIMITED SEASON · PEET ’ S THEATRE JUN 14–JUL 26, 2020
IN FEC TIOU S COM E DY WITH TE ETH!
OR, THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY BY JOCELYN BIOH DIREC TED BY AWOYE TIMPO M AIN SEASON · RODA THEATRE M AR 19–M AY 3, 2020
HAPPY DAYS
WO RLD PRE M IE RE MU S IC AL!
BY SA MUEL BECKET T DIREC TED BY JA MES BUNDY WITH DIANNE WIEST LIMITED SEASON · RODA THEATRE M AY 26–JUL 5, 2020
PLUS A SPECIAL NONSUBSCRIPTION EVENT
GATZ
CREATED AND PERFORMED BY ELEVATOR REPAIR SERVICE TEX T: THE GREAT GATSBY BY F. SCOT T FITZGER ALD DIREC TED BY JOHN COLLINS SPECIAL PRESENTATION · RODA THEATRE FEBRUARY 13–23, 2020
SEASON SPONSORS
The Avett Brothers
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