JUNE 2018
2017-18 MAINSTAGE // I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS + HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE + THE MALTESE FALCON THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO + THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY 2017-18 TOURING STORIES // WHOOSH!: LONNIE JOHNSON’S SUPER-SOAKING STREAM OF INVENTIONS INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN + ADA’S VIOLIN: THE STORY OF THE RECYCLED ORCHESTRA OF PARAGUAY
June 2018 Volume 14, No. 7
Seattle International Dance Festival
Paul Heppner Publisher
June 7–23
SUMMER 2018
Susan Peterson Design & Production Director Ana Alvira, Robin Kessler, Stevie VanBronkhorst Production Artists and Graphic Design Mike Hathaway Sales Director Brieanna Bright, Joey Chapman, Ann Manning Seattle Area Account Executives Amelia Heppner, Marilyn Kallins, Terri Reed San Francisco/Bay Area Account Executives Carol Yip Sales Coordinator
Contents Feature 3
Open-air arts for summer
Dialogue 9
Rachel Guyer-Mafune on city life and new works
11
Yussef El Guindi on belonging and knowing your audience
Intermission Brain Transmission Leah Baltus Editor-in-Chief Andy Fife Publisher Dan Paulus Art Director Gemma Wilson, Jonathan Zwickel Senior Editors Amanda Manitach Visual Arts Editor
Artists from
Israel Switzerland Japan Canada Seattle seattleidf.org
Paul Heppner President Mike Hathaway Vice President Kajsa Puckett Vice President, Marketing & Business Development Genay Genereux Accounting & Office Manager Shaun Swick Senior Designer & Digital Lead Barry Johnson Digital Engagement Specialist Ciara Caya Customer Service Representative & Administrative Assistant Corporate Office 425 North 85th Street Seattle, WA 98103 p 206.443.0445 f 206.443.1246 adsales@encoremediagroup.com 800.308.2898 x105 www.encoremediagroup.com Encore Arts Programs is published monthly by Encore Media Group to serve musical and theatrical events in the Puget Sound and San Francisco Bay Areas. All rights reserved. ©2018 Encore Media Group. Reproduction without written permission is prohibited.
2 ENCORE STAGES EAP 1_3 V template.indd 1
4/19/18 9:50 AM
15
Test yourself with our trivia quiz!
Encore Stages is an Encore Arts Program that features stories about our local arts community alongside information about performances. Encore Arts Programs are publications of Encore Media Group. We also publish City Arts, a monthly arts & culture magazine, and specialty publications, including the Offical Seattle Pride Guide and the SIFF Guide and Catalog. Learn more at encoremediagroup.com Encore Stages features the following organizations:
Arts al Fresco
From left: James Ehnes, Stephen Rose, Jordan Anderson, Edward Arron, and Jonathan Vinocour. Photo by Tom Mark Photography.
Shakespeare, chamber music, puppetry...no matter your preference, there's a way to soak up the arts and the sun this summer. Danielle Mohlman previews Seattle's arts al fresco.
Living in Seattle means living for the summer. Between hiking, biking and visits to the city’s incredible beaches and lakes, it’s easy to fill every evening and weekend with glorious outdoor activities. But while you’re solidifying your summer schedule, don’t forget to make room for the arts. Several intrepid Seattle arts organizations program their summers around the great outdoors, taking advantage of public spaces to bring art to the entire city. The Seattle Art Museum programs a biweekly concert and arts series at the Olympic Sculpture Park in Belltown, aptly named Summer at SAM. GreenStage produces the Seattle Outdoor Theater Festival at Volunteer Park in Capitol Hill each summer, a festival that boasts sixteen performances on three stages across
the park. And the Seattle Art Fair takes over the CenturyLink Field Event Center every August, attracting local and national art aficionados alike. I had the opportunity to speak with the artists behind three of our city’s most anticipated outdoor performances: Wooden O’s productions of King Lear and The Merry Wives of Windsor, Seattle Chamber Music Society’s Chamber Music in the Park and Common Area Maintenance’s inaugural puppetry production. Don’t forget the sunscreen!
George Mount, artistic director of Seattle Shakespeare Company, started encoremediagroup.com/programs 3
ON STAGE NOW!
M A I N S TAG E
H O WA R D FA M I LY S TAG E
AS YOU LIKE IT
TIMON OF ATHENS
MACBETH
LYSISTRATA
Concertgoers get into it. Photo by Tom Mark Photography.
TICKETS FROM $24 CAD Book Early for Best Seat Selection 1.877.739.0559 | bardonthebeach.org
310 Terry Avenue. Seattle, WA 98109 206-971-0717
www.bravehorsetavern.com
4 ENCORE STAGES
Wooden O twenty-five years ago as a way to reconnect with his Pacific Northwest roots. The Mercer Island native noticed that the island’s annual summer festival, Mostly Music in the Park, was entirely music in the park. Eager to bring outdoor performance to his hometown, Mount solicited the Arts Council of Mercer Island for a grant to perform Shakespeare at the Luther Burbank Park Amphitheatre—just three nights of Much Ado About Nothing to justify the “mostly” in the festival’s title. Twenty-five years later, Wooden O has expanded its scope to include parks across the Puget Sound region. But one thing remains the same all these years later: the festival opens and closes at Mercer Island’s Luther Burbank Park Amphitheatre.
monster of a play and an audacious choice to present in the summer under two hours. But Wooden O was pretty much started as an audacious endeavor.” Mount pointed out that King Lear’s cynicism makes it the perfect play for 2018. “So many of the people act out of venal self-interest and casual disregard of others around them,” Mount said. “I worry about that behavior when I look at our politics, our consumerism, digital isolation, tribal isolation and ideological insulation.”
I had the opportunity to speak with George Mount about the significance of Wooden O’s twenty-five year anniversary and his role as director of this summer’s King Lear.
Actor Vanessa Miller’s Wooden O connection is longer than the festival’s history. Miller attended Mercer Island High School with George Mount and when he asked her to return to Washington to play Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, the decision was simple.
“We’ve never done it outside,” Mount said of Shakespeare’s tragedy. “It’s a
“I really think that free theatre is important,” Miller said. “When I was
a kid, I remember seeing some park shows produced by Empty Space. Watching those shows changed my life, inspired me to follow a path into theatre. It only takes one beautiful summer evening in front of a happy crowd of people eating picnic dinners, laughing or listening to the beautiful poetry, to get hooked for life.” She loves the community aspect of Wooden O and the way the actors truly connect with the audience. And she’s always aware that she could be part of an audience member’s first Shakespeare experience. “Our job as actors is to be very specific with the language and the relationships,” Miller said. “If we know what we’re saying, and we act with intention, then it clicks for the audience too. If we, as actors, are bluffing it, or generalizing, then it’s really hard for the audience. Plus, Wooden O shows are very physical and lively. It’s not an academic experience.”
BY ALLISON GREGORY DIRECTED BY SHEILA DANIELS
A ONE-WOMAN PLAY STARRING DEDRA D WOODS
MAY 3 1–JUNE 24, 201 8 AT 12TH AVENUE ARTS 1620 12TH AVENUE, SEATTLE
YOU CAN'T CHOOSE YOUR NEIGHBORS...
BY KAREN ZACARÍAS SEPTEMBER 6–30, 201 8 AT THE JONES PLAYHOUSE, 4045 UNIVERSITY WAY NE, SEATTLE encoremediagroup.com/programs 5
“People can enjoy the weather and maybe a picnic while they listen to us play.” might not have the chance to hear us downtown at Benaroya Hall,” Ehnes said. “It’s tremendously gratifying to see all the families and young people that attend these events in the parks.” Last summer, SCMS introduced a community play-along component to Chamber Music in the Park, inviting string players from the Puget Sound region to play alongside SCMS musicians.
A lovely evening out. Photo by Tom Mark Photography.
Reginald Andre Jackson made his Wooden O debut eighteen years ago and says that there’s nothing like performing Shakespeare outdoors. He loves seeing audience members reclined on a blanket, enjoying a bottle of wine and a cheese plate or sending their kids off to play as they enjoy the performance. “Every now and again, nature will come in and lift the play in unexpected ways,” Jackson said. “We took Macbeth to Walla Walla. One night during dusk, bats began to swoop and circle in a feeding frenzy near the trees that surround the stage. Wooden O has hired some pretty great designers. But nature—she is queen.” George Mount left me with some words of advice for audience members who are hesitant to give Shakespeare a try. “Wooden O was founded on the conviction that Shakespeare’s plays are popular entertainment,” Mount said. “That’s been a driving force in how we approach the plays. Shakespeare’s plays entertain the whole person. The language challenges the brain. The romance lifts the heart. The pathos hits the gut.” Mount added that even if a play isn’t to 6 ENCORE STAGES
an audience member’s liking, they still spent two hours in a gorgeous Seattle park, with a picnic dinner, surrounded by friends and family. Who could ask for a more perfect evening?
King Lear and The Merry Wives of Windsor run July 12 to August 12 in parks throughout the Puget Sound region. Visit seattleshakespeare.org for more information.
On a walk through Capitol Hill’s gorgeous Volunteer Park one summer, James Ehnes, director of the Seattle Chamber Music Society (SCMS), and his wife Kate, came across a small stage perfectly sized for a chamber orchestra. She suggested that Ehnes program a summer concert in the space and Chamber Music in the Park was born. “Bringing this music, for free, into Seattle parks has been a wonderful way to spread this beautiful music to listeners from all over the city who
“Everyone had a really fantastic time,” Ehnes said, “and it was very meaningful and moving to see so many crosssections of Seattle represented in the group—people of different genders, ethnicities, ages and backgrounds, all sharing in the joy of music.” Violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti loves performing in any venue, but whenever she performs outdoors she feels a deep connection with the world and the lives around her. “One of my favorite memories of a Volunteer Park concert was during a performance of the Dvorak Viola Sextet,” she shared. “I had a moment when I wasn’t playing for a few measures where I was so taken by the beauty of the scenery and music-making. I saw an airplane flying over carrying people to their various destinations, heard children laughing and dancing, and just had a general sense of all being right with the world.” Violinist Erin Keefe also loves performing at Volunteer Park because the setting is more casual than the orchestra’s Benaroya Hall performances. “The nice thing about it is that parents can bring their children without worrying about upsetting anyone if they get a little restless,” Keefe said.
“People can enjoy the weather and maybe a picnic while they listen to us play. It’s very fun for the performers and it’s something I look forward to every summer.”
Chamber Music in the Park is on Saturday, July 28 at Volunteer Park. Visit seattlechambermusic.org for more information, including information on how to register for the community play-along.
When Alexander Mostov joined Common Area Maintenance (CAM), a community gallery and generative studio in Belltown, he was looking for an inspiring workspace where he could interact with fellow creatives. In the years since, CAM has provided much more than that community. It’s become a space where Mostov, an artist who works primarily in two-dimensional gouache and computer illustration, can challenge his work and experiment with new forms. Which is how he came up with the idea to produce a puppet show that audience members can view from the sidewalk. The puppetry performance will be the first of its kind in this space, but one that has the potential to become an annual summer tradition. “I saw a traditional puppet show while I was studying abroad in Barcelona and was totally inspired,” Mostov shared. “I love magic realism and the idea of injecting fantasy into one’s everyday life. There’s something about puppetry that lends itself to that everyday fantasy.” When I asked him what he was looking forward to the most about this collaborative art form, Mostov shared
THE GERSHWINS’®
PORGY AND BESS
SM
august 11–25
THE GREAT AMERICAN OPERA George Gershwin’s one-of-a-kind masterpiece boasts some of the best songs ever written—including “Summertime,” “I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin’,” “I Loves You, Porgy,” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So.” Our fullyscored, unabridged presentation retains all of the superb choral and orchestral music that enchanted sell-out McCaw Hall crowds in 2011. The vibrant mix of action, humor, romance, struggle, and celebration returns with a “perfect” (ClassicsToday.com) new production that will inspire you to “rise up singing.”
In English with English subtitles. Evenings 7:30 PM Sundays 2:00PM Featuring members of Seattle Symphony Orchestra.
MCCAW HALL 206.389.7676 SEATTLEOPERA.ORG/PORGY PRODUCTION SPONSORS: KREIELSHEIMER ENDOWMENT FUND ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM: 4CULTURE
Photo: Philip Newton
FAMILY DAY MATINEE: SUNDAY, AUGUST 19: STUDENT TICKETS JUST $20! Visit seattleopera.org/familyday for details.
encoremediagroup.com/programs 7
that he’s excited about merging his own visual style with the aesthetics of artists who work in other mediums. For example, how will an artist who works primarily in sound enhance the script? When Mostov and I spoke in the spring, he was in the process of assembling a team and writing the script, in collaboration with two other CAM artists. “We’re playing with the idea of adapting a whimsical picture book script I wrote last year,” Mostov said. “We’re planning on adding adultlevel humor, political references and sarcasm.” Sounds like we’re in for a treat.
2-5, 2018 CenturyLink Field Event Center seattleartfair.com
Common Area Maintenance’s puppetry performance will run May through June at their space in Belltown. Visit facebook. com/commonartspace for more information.
So, pack a picnic and a wide-brimmed hat. Because whether you’re a puppetry fan, a Shakespeare fiend or an orchestra aficionado, there’s a performance for everyone this summer in Seattle. < Danielle Mohlman is a nationally produced feminist playwright based in Seattle. Her play Nexus is among the 2015 Honorable Mentions on The Kilroys list. She is an alumnus of the inaugural class of Playwrights’ Arena at Arena Stage and a member of the 2018 Umbrella Project Writers Group. 8 ENCORE STAGES
Welcome to The Picture of Dorian Gray, adapted from Oscar Wilde’s provocative exploration of art and human psychology. Wilde believed that art is central to human life. Art is not just entertainment – it provides models for people to better understand themselves and the world around them. That’s why people have always created and shared stories: they inspire and guide us through the infinite possibilities that life presents. Art has power. That’s why Book-It has spent 28 years adapting some of the world’s best literature into inspiring and powerful theatre – now numbering 130 world-premiere productions! In that time, Book-It has reached over one million audience members. That includes patrons like you, and students in our education program, which brings interactive arts education into schools across the state.
Photo by Erik Stuhaug
Today we ask you to Stand Up for Book-It so that we can continue providing these opportunities to our community. We believe our plays and our education programs must be accessible and affordable for everyone, and we rely on contributions from patrons like you to make that possible. As we approach three decades of meaningful theatre in Book-It’s unique style, will you make a gift to support our work?
Stand up for meaningful stories. Stand up for literacy education. Stand up for Book-It. Thank you,
Jane Jones & Myra Platt Founding Co-Artistic Directors
encoremediagroup.com/programs A-1
MAINSTAGE
SEASON
JANE JONES Founder & Founding Co-Artistic Director MYRA PLATT Founding Co-Artistic Director KAYTI BARNETT-O’BRIEN Managing Director
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Adapted & Directed by Julie Beckman
September 13-October 14
SEASON SUPPORT
ÁN M TO Y NI A
My Ántonia by Willa Cather Adapted & Directed by Annie Lareau
November 29-December 30
American Junkie by Tom Hansen Adapted by Jane Jones & Kevin McKeon Directed by Jane Jones
AMERICAN JUNKIE
February 14-March 10
Returning the Bones Written & Performed by Gin Hammond Directed by Jane Jones
March 28-April 14
MEDIA SPONSORS
Behold the Dreamers By Imbolo Mbue Adapted by Myra Platt Directed by Lanise Antoine Shelley
June 6-30
SUBSCRIBE TODAY
book-it.org or 206.216.0833 A-2 BOOK-IT REPERTORY THEATRE
Additional generous support is provided by numerous local businesses, family foundations, and hundreds of individuals. Many thanks to all our supporters
By Oscar Wilde Adapted by Judd Parkin • Directed by Victor Pappas**
CAST Ian Bond Anastasia Higham Imogen Love* Jon Lutyens* Michael Patten* Chip Sherman Brandon J. Simmons Jon Stutzman Ruth Eitemiller Shawna Grajek
Chorus 2/Alan Campbell Sibyl/Hetty Chorus 4/Victoria Basil Hallward Chorus 1/Mr. Ashton Dorian Gray Lord Henry Wotton Chorus 3/Victor Stage Manager Assistant Stage Manager
PRODUCTION AND ARTISTIC TEAM Pete Rush *** Andrew D. Smith *** Ron Erickson Johanna Melamed Linda Kenworthy Reynolds Jennifer Oaster Gin Hammond Geoffrey Alm ** Ian Stewart Giusippe Mele
Scenic Designer Lighting Designer Costume Designer Sound Designer Properties Designer Assistant Costume Designer Dialect Coach Fight Choreographer Dramaturg Production Assistant
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Nesholm Family Foundation PRODUCER Kathy and Brad Renner
PRODUCTION STAFF Dan Schuy Benjamin Radin Jocelyne Fowler Jessica Christensen Shelby Choo Adrian Delahunt Charlie Minshall Suzi Tucker Emily Sershon Levi Plumb Jessica Jones Anna Bowen
Production Manager Technical Director Costume Shop Manager Scenic Charge Artist Master Carpenter Scenic Carpenter Scenic Carpenter Scenic Carpenters Properties Master Master Electrician Sound Engineer Dresser
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States **Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatre union ***United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 of the IATSE is the union representing Lighting and Sound designers in this Live Performance. encoremediagroup.com/programs A-3
ADAPTER NOTES I owe my love of Dorian Gray to Jack the Ripper. In my early adolescence, a time when young boys love grisly stories, my best friend John Roberts and I became obsessed with Mad Jack. After we’d exhausted every bit of Ripperania we could find in our local library, we started reading all the fiction from the gas-lit Victorian era that we could lay our hands on, and the only qualification was that the book had to have a high and preferably bloody body count. We sped through the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jekyll and Hyde, and arrived, inevitably, at The Picture of Dorian Gray, which stood above the rest for two reasons: first, it had the greatest “Twilight Zone” concept ever, and second, it was FUNNY. I missed a lot of Wilde’s sub-textual humor in my early readings of the book, but even as an idiot 11-year-old, I could recognize a great epigram in Lord Henry’s line, “To get back my youth I would do anything in the world,
ADAPTER
Judd Parkin
except take exercise, get up early, or be respectable.” This made me laugh as an 11-year-old, and it still makes me laugh as someone approaching old age, though there are melancholy shadings in this joke for me now.
“To get back my youth I would do anything in the world, except take exercise, get up early, or be respectable.” Oscar Wilde was one of the great beacons of light in his time, and he remains one in ours. Wilde said that he put his art into his life, but this is false modesty, because it vastly underrates his astounding artistic achievements. The Importance of Being Earnest? An Ideal Husband? Salome? De Profundis? Any of these works would have secured immortality for Wilde, even if he’d never written Dorian Gray. His creative output wasn’t enormous, but it was unfailingly brilliant. It has been a joy and privilege to spend this past year in Oscar’s company, and he has expanded my world, as he has done throughout my life. I dedicate my work on this adaptation to my mother, Louise Parkin of Chicago, 93-years-old and still causing trouble, who first introduced me to Ivan Albright’s wonderfully ghoulish painting of “The Picture of Dorian Gray” many years ago in The Art Institute of Chicago. Thanks, Ma. A-4 BOOK-IT REPERTORY THEATRE
DRAMATURG’S NOTE ON THE SCRIPT If you’ve read The Picture of Dorian Gray, you might think this play is missing a few scenes. This script is adapted from the original typescript that Wilde submitted to Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine, which was not published until 2011. This version is quite a bit different from the novel that most readers are familiar with, and allows for refreshing new insight into this famous story. The editor of Lippincott’s, J.M. Stoddart, was shocked when he read Wilde’s typescript. Because of the controversy it would surely cause, Stoddart and his colleagues decided to proceed with caution: “Rest assured that it will not go into the Magazine unless it is proper that it shall. In its present condition there are a number of things which an innocent woman would make an exception to. But I will go beyond this and make it acceptable to the most fastidious taste.” Stoddart removed over 500 words, primarily those that were most explicitly sexual and homoerotic, in order to confine the novel’s contents to the acceptable limits of what could be published in 1890. Wilde was not informed of these changes before it went to the presses. Despite Stoddart’s censorship, the story was sufficiently controversial. Reviewers condemned the “poisonous” and “unclean” story. Wilde counted 216 attacks on him in the press within the first two months. Britain’s largest bookseller, W.H. Smith & Son, pulled the magazine from their shelves. Wilde spent the following months defending his work in the press. He wrote impassioned letters to newspapers that had run scathing criticisms of his work. Wilde also began revising and expanding the story, which was published as a full novel in 1891. (If you’ve read The Picture of Dorian Gray, it was this version.) This version has nearly twice as many chapters, a greatly expanded cast of characters, and a vengeful villain. Dorian Gray is presented as a less sympathetic character, suggesting that Wilde may have caved somewhat to the novel’s moralistic critics. Although this is the most widely-read version of the novel, many critics contend that the 1890 typescript better represents the story Wilde wanted to tell. When Wilde
revised the story for the 1891 publication, he no longer had access to the original typescript, and had to work from the already-censored Lippincott’s edition. Furthermore, the publisher of the 1891 edition told Wilde to soften its sexual explicitness before they would release it (and Wilde had already been turned down by another publisher). Above all, Wilde needed to avoid further public scrutiny. The reaction to the censored magazine edition had been so extreme that publishing the original text might have endangered him legally, so his self-censorship was an act of self-preservation. If you’re already familiar with The Picture of Dorian Gray, or if you’re experiencing it for the first time, we hope you enjoy the version of the story that was considered too risqué for Victorian readers. This is unabashed and uncensored Oscar Wilde at the peak of his career.
SPECIAL THANKS Adrienne Reynolds Artichoke Quilts Carl Bronsdon Cornish College of the Arts Daisy Sánchez Zajonc Deborah Blankenship Edmonds Presbyterian Church John Dillon Jolene Obertin
Joyce Degenfelder Kyna Shilling Pete Olds Seattle Center Seattle Opera Seattle Repertory Theatre Taproot Theatre Theatre Puget Sound
encoremediagroup.com/programs A-5
PREFACE TO THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY Oscar Wilde was a master of aphorisms — short, pithy observations of general truths. He composed a series of aphorisms responding to critics of The Picture of Dorian Gray, and then attached them as a Preface to the 1891 novel publication. The artist is the creator of beautiful things. To reveal art and conceal the artist is art’s aim. The critic is he who can translate into another manner or a new material his impression of beautiful things. The highest, as the lowest, form of criticism is a mode of autobiography. Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault. Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope. They are the elect to whom beautiful things mean only Beauty. There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all. The nineteenth century dislike of Realism is the rage of Caliban seeing his own face in a glass. The nineteenth century dislike of Romanticism is the rage of Caliban not seeing his own face in a glass. The moral life of man forms part of the subject-matter of the artist, but the morality of art consists in the perfect use of an imperfect medium. No artist desires to prove anything. Even things that are true can be proved. No artist has ethical sympathies. An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style. No artist is ever morbid. The artist can express everything. Thought and language are to the artist instruments of an art. Vice and virtue are to the artist materials for an art. From the point of view of form, the type of all the arts is the art of the musician. From the point of view of feeling, the actor’s craft is the type. All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril. Those who read the symbol do so at their peril. It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors. Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital. When critics disagree the artist is in accord with himself. We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it. The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely. All art is quite useless.
A-6 BOOK-IT REPERTORY THEATRE
OSCAR WILDE BIOGRAPHY “Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry is what the world thinks of me: Dorian is what I would like to be — in other ages, perhaps.” and new pleasures. One can see how these ideas appealed to a young contrarian queer man like Oscar Wilde. Pater is the direct source for many of Lord Henry’s statements in The Picture of Dorian Gray. By 1883, at age 29, Wilde was a moderately successful lecturer and writer who was constantly evading both moneylenders and persistent rumors of homosexuality. For Wilde, a middle class artist, marriage to a rich woman might solve both problems. After courting a handful of women, he met and married Constance Lloyd the next year. Victorian masculinity was defined primarily by marriage, so marrying Constance allowed him to more easily live a double life.
EARLY LIFE Oscar Wilde was born in Ireland. His mother was a respected radical poet who wrote dramatic lyrical poetry about Irish independence, the cruelty of English colonizers, and the oppression of women. When he came of age, Oscar received a scholarship to Trinity College in Dublin, and after three years he left Ireland to study Classics at Oxford. Not long after moving, he learned to pass among the English by shedding his Irish accent and lisp. Even as a young man, Oscar was recognizable as the man he would become: obsessed with art, disdainful of traditional morality, and sexually ambiguous. At Oxford, Oscar met his own personal Lord Henry Wotton: Walter Pater. While studying at Oxford, Oscar read Pater’s book Studies in the History of the Renaissance, which Oscar called his “golden book.” In this study of Renaissance art, Pater espoused the value of Art for Art’s sake. Most controversially, he wrote that the true end of life is “experience itself,” encouraging his readers to indulge in new experiences
SUCCESSES In 1886, Wilde reached a turning point in his life when he lost his same-sex virginity to his friend Robert Ross. For once he felt truly able to act on his latent desires, and it even changed his outlook on himself: “After 1886 he was able to think of himself as a criminal, moving guiltily among the innocent”1. Over the next few years he wrote essays and magazine articles on society, art, and culture, and fully developed his own version of Aestheticism. Almost single-handedly, he revived the Aestheticist movement. Wilde wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray in 1890, which cemented his reputation as a writer. He was soon introduced to a fan who had read the novel fourteen times in a row. The young man, the youngest son of the Marquess of Queensberry, was a spoiled and temper-prone brat. But he was also very handsome, so Wilde offered to tutor him in reading Greats. The boy’s name was Lord Alfred Douglas, and their relationship would develop into a long and tumultuous affair.
“Apostle of the lily.” 1878 caricature of Wilde.
Wilde launched his career by latching onto the Aestheticist movement, even though it was falling out of fashion. After graduating he developed a wide reputation as a flamboyant, witty Aesthete. Wilde even embarked on a sold-out speaking tour across the United States, where he gave news-making lectures on Aestheticism, fashion, and interior design. Wilde and Douglas
encoremediagroup.com/programs A-7
Over the next few years, Wilde wrote his famous plays, including Lady Windermere’s Fan, Salome, A Woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband, and The Importance of Being Earnest. He dined frequently with groups of young men and spoiled them with gifts. They were happy to take advantage of his kindness and his sexual attraction to them. Wilde would later call this “feasting with panthers.” Soon enough, some of these young men began to blackmail him. The handsome Lord Alfred Douglas was also becoming increasingly reckless in his trysts with Wilde, and rumors of their romance spread widely across London. Douglas’ father Lord Queensberry, also a hothead, would not tolerate such a relationship. He tried accosting Wilde at a performance of The Importance of Being Earnest, but failed to get his attention. Queensberry also failed to reach Oscar at his club, so he left a calling card which read, “To Oscar Wilde posing Somdomite [sic].” This was the last straw. Wilde decided to sue Queensberry for libel.
BEFORE THE LAW The libel suit was a bad case, even in foresight. Wilde’s friends urged him to drop it. Because the law required the defendant in a libel suit to defend his words, Queensberry would have the opportunity to give evidence that Wilde was a “posing Somdomite.” Twelve young men testified that Wilde had committed sodomy, and Queensbury’s counsel presented incriminating love letters and evidence of the blackmail he’d paid to young male sex workers. Wilde lost the case, which made him legally responsible for paying for the defense. He immediately went bankrupt. Shortly thereafter, Wilde was arrested on the charge of gross indecency — a term meaning “homosexual acts not including buggery”. At this trial the jury could not reach a verdict, so a third trial was called. Wilde was convicted in short order: the witnesses for the prosecution were being paid off, Wilde was obviously guilty, and the judge was particularly homophobic. After the jury reached a verdict, the judge condemned him: “It is no use for me to address you. People who can do these things must be dead to all sense of shame, and one cannot hope to produce any effect upon them. It is the worst case I have ever tried. … I shall, under such circumstances, be expected to pass the severest sentence that the
Lord Queensberry’s consequential calling card.
law allows. In my judgment it is totally inadequate for such a case as this. The sentence of the Court is that each of you be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for two years.”
PRISON & EXILE Prison was nearly unbearable. Wilde’s imprisonment was unfortunately timed; at the end of the century, prison conditions were as inhumane as possible to act as a deterrent to crime. For his “crime,” Wilde was forced to sleep on a plank bed in the cold. Prison food was soup and gruel, measured out ounce by ounce. Disease and diarrhea were rampant. Multiple times guards became violently ill upon merely opening cells in the morning and seeing the conditions the prisoners lived in. In the first few months Wilde suffered a fall, which damaged his hearing and caused his ear to occasionally drip blood thereafter.
What is the lasting impact of Oscar Wilde’s life and art? Biographer Richard Ellman perhaps says it best: “His work survived as he claimed it would. We inherit his struggle to achieve supreme fictions in art, to associate art with social change, to bring together individual and social impulse, to save what is eccentric and singular from being sanitized and standardized, to replace a morality of severity by one of sympathy. He belongs to our world more than to Victoria’s. Now, beyond the reach of scandal, his best writings validated by time, he comes before us still, a towering figure, laughing and weeping, with parables and paradoxes, so generous, so amusing, and so right.”2a
One day in prison a fellow inmate muttered to him, “What are you doing in this place, Dorian Gray?” Wilde replied, “Not Dorian Gray, but Lord Henry Wotton.” After his release, Wilde spent the rest of his life in exile. At first he lived in France with his old friend Robert Ross, where he wrote “The Ballad of Reading Gaol”, published under the pen name C33 — his prison cell number. Its main theme described what he felt Lord Douglas had done to him: “For each man kills the thing he loves.” He soon lost all will to write; it no longer brought him any joy. Toward the end of his life, Wilde’s health and appearance deteriorated. He became covered in red rashes and wandered alone through city streets, meeting old friends and acquaintances mostly through chance encounters. He ultimately developed meningitis, a consequence of a surgery he’d had for his injury in prison. Only two friends were present at his deathbed.
Oscar Wilde’s tomb, by sculptor Jacob Epstein. It was tradition for admirers to wear lipstick and kiss the tomb.
CITATIONS 1. Ellmann, Richard. Oscar Wilde, 1988. Print. p. 278. 2. ibid. p. 589.
A-8 BOOK-IT REPERTORY THEATRE
MEET THE
CAST
Ian Bond
Chorus 2/Alan Campbell Ian Bond is delighted to return to the Book-It stage where he has been seen in Treasure Island and Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Recent credits include Teh Internet is Serious Business (Washington Ensemble Theatre), Don’t Split the Party (Transparent Storytelling Theatre), and Hamlet (The Horse in Motion). Ian has performed with Seattle Public Theater (Bad Jews), Taproot Theatre Company (Jeeves Intervenes), Seattle Shakespeare Company (Titus Andronicus), Sound Theatre Company, Forward Flux, eSe Teatro, Mt. Baker Theatre, and Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre. Ian is a former resident ensemble member of the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company where favorite roles include Romeo, Mr. Darcy, and Hamlet. He is represented by Topo Swope Talent.
Anastasia Higham Sibyl/Hetty
Anastasia is delighted to make her BookIt debut. Previous credits include Our Town, Proof, and Frost/ Nixon (Strawberry Theatre Workshop), Into the West (Seattle Children’s Theatre), and Romeo and Juliet (Seattle Shakespeare Company). She has also performed with Seattle Repertory Theatre, Annex Theatre, Theatre22, Taproot Theatre, Wooden O, ACTLab, Island Stage Left, Playing in Progress, Seattle Fringe Festival, and The 14/48 Projects.
Imogen Love* Chorus 4/Victoria
Imogen Love has been acting, directing, and writing in Seattle for 27 years. She was last seen in Seattle Shakespeare Company’s The Government Inspector, and as President Lincoln in Live Girls! Theater’s The Secret and Impossible League of the NoöSphere. Favorites over the years include Reverse Psychology, Under the Gaslight, Chicks With Dicks (Empty Space Theatre); Deflowered in the Attic, What’ve We Done To Baby Jane (Re-bar), both of which she co-wrote and co-produced; Cloud Nine (Strawberry Theatre Workshop); These
Streets (ACT Theatre). Directing credits include Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Rebar, 2004). Next she can be seen playing Mistress Quickly in Wooden O’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, and soon in her onewoman show, Dear John, at West of Lenin.
Jon Lutyens* Basil Hallward Book-It audiences last saw Jon Lutyens as Fuzzy Stone (and others) in The Cider House Rules. Younger audience members may have heard his music in their schools with Book-It’s educational tour adaptation of the SkippyJon Jones series. He has also appeared with ACT Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, The 5th Avenue Theatre, Intiman Theatre, Village Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Showtunes Theatre Company, and others in roles ranging from British intellects and ill-fated Frenchmen to an emigrant leprechaun and an East African elephant. Jon is a WWU alum and proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.
Michael Patten* Chorus 1/Mr. Ashton
Michael returns to Book-It having previously appeared in Lady Chatterley’s Lover, A Tale for the Time Being, Little Bee, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Great Expectations, and Owen Meany’s Christmas Pageant. Michael has had the good fortune to work at many of Seattle’s theaters including Seattle Repertory Theatre (Circle Mirror Transformation, All the Way, The Great Society, Noises Off, The Odyssey); Intiman Theatre (Heartbreak House, All the King’s Men); ACT Theatre (In the Next Room, The Crucible). Mr. Patten was a co-founder of New Century Theatre Company, performing in O Lovely Glowworm, Festen, The Trial, and On the Nature of Dust. He has appeared in numerous productions at Seattle Opera where he will be playing the Coroner in Porgy & Bess this August.
Chip Sherman Dorian Gray Chip is a trained dancer, actor, singer, and Core Company Member at ACT Theatre who has enjoyed playing roles from Shakespeare and Brecht to contemporary playwright Moby Pomerance. Recent local
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
productions include Beatrice and Benedict as Friar/Messenger, A Christmas Carol as Middle Scrooge, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings as Bailey/Ensemble, and Alex & Aris as Alexander the Great. Other notable roles include MacHeath in Threepenny Opera, Julian in How We Got On, Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra, Olivia in Twelfth Night, and The Tin Woodsman in The Wizard of Oz. Thank you for supporting diverse theatre; the world needs it now more than ever!
Brandon J. Simmons Lord Henry Wotton
Brandon J. Simmons is pleased to return to Book-It, having last appeared in Bud, Not Buddy. An award-winning writer, actor, producer, and director, Brandon co-founded The Seagull Project, and has appeared in The Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard, and The Seagull (both in Seattle and on tour to Tashkent, Uzbekistan). Brandon’s play Is She Dead Yet? (a white comedy) won the Gregory Award for Outstanding New Play in 2016. As an actor, he has appeared with numerous theaters in Seattle, including On the Boards, Satori Group, Artbarn, New City Theater, Seattle Children’s Theatre, and numerous appearances with Seattle Shakespeare Company. Most recently, Brandon directed the Seattle premiere of An Octoroon at ArtsWest. He will co-direct the world premiere Anansi and the Halfling at Annex Theatre this fall.
Jon Stutzman Chorus 3/Victor
Jon is excited to be working with Book-It for the first time! Recent credits include Teach in American Buffalo and the Man in Turn of the Screw with Seattle Immersive Theatre. In Chicago, he has appeared in over 20 productions with such theaters as Shattered Globe, Lifeline Theatre, The Artistic Home, Raven Theatre, Steep Theatre, Griffin Theatre, Building Stage (where he was a company member), Back Stage Theatre Company, The Side Project, and City Lit Theater Company. Regional credits include numerous shows at the B Street Theatre, the New Harmony Theatre, and touring nationally for two years in Defamation with Canamac Productions. Catch him in A Christmas Carol at ACT Theatre this winter.
encoremediagroup.com/programs A-9
MEET THE
ARTISTIC STAFF Victor Pappas Director
Over the course of a lengthy career, Victor Pappas has been an actor, a director, an educator, and an administrator. In Seattle, his work has been seen at Intiman Theatre, ACT Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, the University of Washington, Alice B Theatre, Showtunes Theatre Company, ReAct Theatre, and Civic Light Opera. He is a proud member of SDC, AEA, and SAG-AFTRA, and was a founding board member of Theatre Puget Sound.
Pete Rush
ArtsWest, On The Boards, Velocity Dance Center, and Broadway Performance Hall. National work includes Cornerstone Theatre Company, Flint Youth Theatre, Horizon Theater Company, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Roust Theater, and Cardinal Stage Company. Andrew holds a BA from Duke University and an MFA from the University of Washington, where he currently teaches.
Ron Erickson
Costume Designer Ron Erickson is pleased to be designing costumes for Book-It again. Previous costume design credits for Book-It include Jane Eyre, Hard Times, Dracula, Rebecca, Pride & Prejudice, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations, which was also remounted at Portland Center Stage. Ron was the head of costume design at Cornish College and is head of wardrobe at Seattle Opera.
Johanna Melamed
Scenic Designer Pete Rush previously designed Welcome to Braggsville, The Cider House Rules, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Sense & Sensibility, and SlaughterhouseFive for Book-It. Other select credits include The Legend of Georgia McBride, Little Shop of Horrors, Rapture, Blister, Burn (ACT Theatre), RENT, Jasper in Deadland, Spamalot (The 5th Avenue Theatre), The Government Inspector, Hamlet, Electra (Seattle Shakespeare Company), The Adding Machine, The Big Meal (New Century Theatre Company), Hir, Mothers and Sons, and Wonderful Life (ArtsWest) as well as productions at Washington Ensemble Theatre, Strawberry Theatre Workshop, West of Lenin, and Seattle Public Theater. Regional credits include Hangar Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Berkshire Theatre Festival, and Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble.
Andrew D. Smith Lighting Designer
Andrew has designed with Book-It since 2008, most recently lighting Howl’s Moving Castle. Andrew’s work has been seen at Seattle Repertory Theatre, ACT Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, New Century Theatre Company, Washington Ensemble, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Azeotrope, Strawberry Theatre Workshop, Seattle Public Theater, Theater Off Jackson, AFFILIATIONS
Sound Designer
Most recent sound designs in Seattle include Smoke & Dust and …And Starring Claire From Hollywood (Macha Theatre Works), The Flight Before Xmas (Seattle Public Theater), Sycorax (Snowflake Avalanche), Frozen (ArtsWest), The Big Meal and The Realistic Joneses (New Century Theatre Company), and Sorry (Thalia’s Umbrella). Atlanta designs include Exit Strategy, American Buffalo, and Race (Kenny Leon’s True Colors). She was also the sound designer for Anna Karenina (Book-It). Johanna has created multiple sound scores for visual and media artist Barbara Robertson in local and international venues.
Linda Kenworthy Reynolds Properties Designer
Linda is very excited to be part of the creative team for The Picture of Dorian Gray. Linda has been active in the Seattle theatre scene for many years. Her work has been seen on the stages of Seattle Opera, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Intiman Theatre, ACT Theatre, Bathhouse Theater, and the Empty Space Theatre. Before landing in Seattle, Linda worked at The Oregon Shakespeare Festival and The Portland Production Company. Linda has a BA in Drama /specialized in Technical Theater from California State University Stanislaus. This is Linda’s first show with Book-It.
Jennifer Oaster
Assistant Costume Designer Jenn is a Seattle-based costume designer for theatre and dance. Recent credits include Washington Ensemble Theatre (The Nether, Teh Internet is Serious Business, Every Five Minutes), The Horse in Motion (Hamlet and Wellesley Girl), and ACTLab (Measure for Measure), among others. Jenn is a graduate of Cornish College of the Arts. She is the resident costume designer at Washington Ensemble Theatre and also works in the costume departments at Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Seattle Repertory Theatre.
Ruth Eitemiller Stage Manager
Ruth has enjoyed spending the last ten years in Seattle working with companies such as Book-It, ACT Theatre, The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Seattle Children’s Theatre, and others. Her recent credits include Patti and the Kid with Frank Boyd & Libby King, NextFest with The 5th Avenue Theatre, and A Christmas Carol with ACT Theatre. She was a former company member and production manager with New Century Theatre Company, where she helped create shows such as Mary’s Wedding, The Trial, and The Adding Machine.
Shawna Grajek
Assistant Stage Manager Shawna Grajek has previously worked with Book-It (Howl’s Moving Castle, A Tale for the Time Being, The Brothers K), Seattle Public Theater (Ironbound), The Seagull Project (The Cherry Orchard), ArtsWest (The Nance, Holiday Cast Party), and New Century Theatre Company (The Big Meal). She is the casting associate for Book-It, and the artistic associate and ensemble liaison for The Seagull Project.
Gin Hammond Dialect Coach
Gin Hammond received her MFA from the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University/Moscow Art Theater. Recent performances include the 22-character, 11-dialect solo show Seedfolks at Seattle Children’s Theatre. She teaches a wide array of vocal techniques such as voiceover, public speaking, and accent/dialect skills. Hammond’s voice can be heard on commercials, audiobooks, and a variety of
Actors Equity Association This theater operates under an agreement within AEA, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States. Actors Equity Association (AEA) founded in 1913, represents more than 49,000 actors and stage managers in the United States.
Theatre Puget Sound
Theatre Communications Group
video games including “BattleTech,” “Undead Labs: State of Decay,” “DotA 2,” and “Halo 3: ODST.” www.ginhammond.com
Geoffrey Alm
Fight Choreographer Geoffrey is pleased to be a part of the Dorian Gray team. Recent credits include Kiss Me Kate at The 5th Avenue Theatre, Here Lies Love at Seattle Repertory, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe at Seattle Children’s Theatre. His work has been seen nationally and regionally. Mr. Alm teaches stage fighting at Cornish College of the Arts, the MFA program at University of Washington, and Freehold Theatre. He is a fight master with the Society of American Fight Directors.
Ian Stewart Dramaturg
Ian writes and directs plays. Directing credits include In Short Order (MonoMyth Theatre), New Works Festival: Family (Fantastic.Z Theatre Company), Wait Until Dark (Edmonds Driftwood Players), disappearer (Oregon Contemporary Theatre). He was the assistant director of The Brothers K (Book-It). Ian is also Book-It’s development associate. www. iancstewart.com
Jane Jones
Founder, Founding Co-Artistic Director Jane is the founder of Book-It and founding co-artistic director of Book-It Repertory Theatre, with Myra Platt. In her 30 years of staging literature, she has performed, adapted, and directed works by such literary giants as Charles Dickens, Eudora Welty, Edith Wharton, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Pam Houston, Raymond Carver, Frank O’Connor, Jim Lynch, Ernest Hemingway, Colette, Amy Bloom, John Irving, John Steinbeck, Daphne du Maurier, and Jane Austen. A veteran actress of 35 years, she has played leading roles in many of America’s most prominent regional theatres. Film and TV credits include “Twin Peaks” and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Singles, and Homeward Bound. She co-directed with Tom Hulce at Seattle Repertory Theatre, Peter Parnell’s adaptation of John Irving’s The Cider House Rules, Parts I and II, which enjoyed successful runs here in Seattle, at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles (Ovation Award, best director) and in New York (Drama Desk Nomination, best director). Recently Jane directed Book-It’s Great Expectations at Portland Center Stage, where her credits also include Pride and Prejudice, Cyrano and Twelfth Night (2008 Drammy award for Best Direction and Production). For Book-It, she has directed The Maltese Falcon, A Moveable Feast,
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, The Dog of the South, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Uncensored, Truth Like the Sun, The House of Mirth, The Highest Tide, Travels with Charley, Pride and Prejudice, Howard’s End, In a Shallow Grave, The Awakening, Owen Meany’s Christmas Pageant, A Tale of Two Cities, and The Cider House Rules, Parts I and II, winner of the 2010 and 2011 Gregory Awards for Outstanding Production. In 2008 she, Myra Platt, and Book-It were honored to be named by The Seattle Times among seven Unsung Heroes and Uncommon Genius for their 20-year contribution to life in the Puget Sound region. She is a recipient of the 2009 Women’s University Club of Seattle Brava Award, a 2010 Women of Influence award from Puget Sound Business Journal, and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation’s 20th Anniversary Founders Grant, and was a finalist for the American Union for Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation’s 2012 Zelda Fichandler Award.
Myra Platt
Founding Co-Artistic Director As an original founding member of Book-It, Myra has helped produce over 130 worldpremiere mainstage productions and over 30 education touring productions. Most recently she directed and adapted the new musical Howl’s Moving Castle. Previously, she adapted and directed The Brothers K and directed The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (2014 Gregory Award for Outstanding Production, The Seattle Times Footlight Award). She was nominated for Outstanding Director 2012 (Financial Lives of the Poets) and 2014 (Kavalier & Clay). Directing credits include Little Bee, The Financial Lives of the Poets, The River Why, Persuasion, Night Flight: An Operetta, Red Ranger Came Calling, The House of the Spirits, Plainsong, Cry, the Beloved Country, Sweet Thursday, Giant, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Cowboys Are My Weakness, Roman Fever, and A Child’s Christmas in Wales. Adapting credits include Little Bee, The Financial Lives of the Poets, The River Why, Night Flight: An Operetta, Red Ranger Came Calling, The House of the Spirits, Giant, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Cowboys Are My Weakness, Roman Fever, A Child’s Christmas in Wales, The Art of Racing in the Rain, and co-adapted Owen Meany’s Christmas Pageant with Jane Jones. Composing credits include Prairie Nocturne, Night Flight: An Operetta (with Joshua Kohl), Red Ranger Came Calling: A Musical (with Edd Key), The Awakening, Ethan Frome, Owen Meany’s Christmas Pageant, A Child’s Christmas in Wales, and I Am of Ireland. Acting credits include Seattle Repertory Theatre, Intiman Theatre, New City Theatre, the Mark Taper Forum, Prairie
Nocturne, The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, The Awakening (West Los Angeles Garland Award), and Howards End. She originated the role of Candy Kendall in The Cider House Rules, Parts I and II directed by Jane Jones and Tom Hulce. Myra is the recipient, with Jane Jones, of a Paul G. Allen Family Foundation Anniversary grant, the 2008 Women of Influence from Puget Sound Business Journal, and was named by The Seattle Times a 2010 Unsung Hero and Uncommon Genius for their 20-year contribution to life in the Puget Sound region.
Book-It Repertory Theatre’s Arts & Education Programs are dedicated to inspiring people of all ages to read. We are proud to offer you an array of programs that provide forums for learning, growth, exploration, and participation in the intangible benefits of arts integration.
2018+19 TOURING STORIES The Upside Down Boy / El niño de cabeza by Juan Felipe Herrera Illustrated by Elizabeth Gómez TOUR DATES: Oct – Dec
New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer Illustrated by Eric Velasquez TOUR DATES: Jan – March
The Trickster Tales: Raven and Coyote by Gerald McDermott TOUR DATES: March – June
Book Your Touring Story Today 206.428.6266 education@book-it.org encoremediagroup.com/programs A-11
BOOK-IT
DONORS
This list reflects gifts received March 1, 2017 – February 28, 2018.
ADVOCATES CIRCLE - $100,000+ Sage Foundation
LITERARY LEGENDS CIRCLE - $50,000+ The Boeing Company Mary Pigott True-Brown Foundation Kris & Mike Villiott
LITERARY CHAMPIONS CIRCLE - $25,000+ ArtsFund The Sheri & Les Biller Family Foundation Shirley & Dave Urdal
LITERARY HEROES CIRCLE - $10,000+ 4Culture BMGI Sonya & Tom Campion Jane & Bob Cremin The Elizabeth George Foundation Stuart Frank & Marty Hoiness Gretl Galgon Ellen & John Hill Stellman Keehnel Margaret Kineke & Dennis West Lucky Seven Foundation Holly & Bill Marklyn The Morgan Fund National Endowment for the Arts Nesholm Family Foundation The Norcliffe Foundation Michell & Larry Pihl Seattle Office of Arts & Culture Anonymous
PARTNERS CIRCLE - $5,000+ John Aldaya & Tom DeFelice Diana Carey Amy & Matthew Cockburn Laura & Greg Colman Emily Davis Ron Dohr Estate of Caroline Feiss Hazel Miller Foundation Ellen Maxson N. Elizabeth McCaw & Yahn W. Bernier Anne McDuffie & Tim Wood Mary Metastasio Nordstrom Kathy & Brad Renner Lynne & Nick Reynolds U.S. Bank Foundation
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE - $2,500+ Adobe Matching Gifts Program Monica Alquist ArtsWA Jim & Marilyn Barnett A-12 BOOK-IT REPERTORY THEATRE
Many thanks to the supporters whose gifts made The Picture of Dorian Gray possible: EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Nesholm Family Foundation PRODUCER
Kathy and Brad Renner BECOME A PRODUCER
You can bring a book to our stage! By becoming a Producer, you will earn special recognition and exclusive access to the production process of a mainstage show. Learn more by contacting us at development@book-it.org.
Patricia Britton Carolyn & George Cox Anne Fisher Ravens Margaret Griffiths Clay Gustaves Jay Hereford & Margaret Winsor Nancy Lomneth & Mark Boyd Lydig Construction Peter & Kelly Maunsell Shyla Miller Glenna Olson & Conrad Wouters Perkins Coie LLP Shirley Roberson Kate & Stephen Robinson Rachel Sage & Carlos White Steve Schwartzman & Daniel Karches Charyl Kay & Earl Sedlik SEI Giving Fund Martha Sidlo Nancy & Warren Smith Drella & Garth Stein Christine & Josh Stepherson Williams Miller Family Foundation Rachel Wilsey & Sam Bernstein Anonymous
NOBEL PRIZE CIRCLE - $1,000+ Cinnimin Avena Donna & Anthony Barnett Salli & Stephen Bauer Lenore & Dick Bensinger Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Janet Boguch & Kelby Fletcher Penny Bradley & Michael Yang Judy Brandon & H. Randall Webb Karen Brandvick-Baker & Ross Baker Mary Anne Braund & Steve Pellegrin Pablo Butler Joann Byrd Karen & Tom Challinor
Clipper Seafoods, LTD. Donna Cochener Gordon B. Davidson D.A. Davidson & Co. Nora & Allan Davis Christina & Mark Dawson Mark Dexter & Deborah Cowley Earl B. Gilmore Foundation Elizabeth & Paul Fleming Merck Foundation Jayn & Hugh Foy Mary Frances & Harold Hill Tina Ganguly & Tim Whitwell Jean Gorecki & Dick Dobyns Craig & Darcy Greene Laura & Erik Hanson Heather Howard & Roderick Cameron Melissa Huther Judith Jesiolowski & David Thompson Brent Johnson Karr Tuttle Campbell Debbie Killinger Dan Kuhn Block Leavitt Foundation Leslie Fund, Inc. Terry & Frank Michiels Martha Mukhalian Marcia Nagae Whitney & Jerry Neufeld-Kaiser Lisbet Nilson & Mark Ashida Christiane Pein & Steven Bull Michele & Kyle Peltonen Shawn & Mike Rediger Nancy Lee Smith Colleen & Brad Stangeland Gail Tanaka Cassandra Tate & Glenn Drosendahl Jennifer Teunon & Adam Smith Katherine & James Tune Ruth & Jerry Verhoff Elizabeth Warman Judith Whetzel Carol & Bryan Willison Christina Wright & Luther Black Anonymous
PULITZER PRIZE CIRCLE - $500+ Connie Anderson • Lindsay & Tony Blackner • Don & Karen Brown • Sally Brunette • Cory Carlson • Christina Chang & Paul Stucki • Elizabeth Choy & James Lobsenz • Carol & Bill Collins • Gaylee & Jim Duncan • Titia & Bill Ellis • Sara Elward • Constance Euerle • Polly & Eric Feigl • Suzanne Fry & Richard Moore • Shannon & Graham Gardner • R. Brooks Gekler • Jane & David Graham • Kathryn Greenberg • Mark Hamburg • Lenore Hanauer • Deb, Tod, Jasmine, & Eliana Harrick • Lisa & William Holderman • Mary & Eric Horvitz • Robert Hovden & Ron DeChene • Elizabeth Hubbard • Winifred Hussey • Russell Janney • Catherine Johnson • Jane Jones & Kevin McKeon • Jamie & Jeremy Joseph • Jeffrey M. Kadet • Mariko Kita & Mark Wellington • Mary Klubben • Mr. & Mrs. Gareld John Kneepkens • Tami & Rob Kowal
• Emily Krebill • Jessica Kurtz Pokorny & Eric Pokorny • Richard LeBlanc • Darcy & Lee MacLaren • Melissa & Don Manning • Medina Foundation • Beth Moursund • Jane Noland & Tom Zilly • Doris O’Connor • Cheryl & Tom Oliver • Cathy & Jeff Peda • Deborah & Jeff Parsons • Olivia Pi-Sunyer & Andrew DeVore • Myra Platt & Dave Ellis • Eleanor & Charles Pollnow • Barb & Dan Radin • Ann Ramsay-Jenkins • Doris D. & Charles K. Ray • Roberta Reaber & Leo Butzel • Priscilla Rice • Paula Riggert • Jo Ann & Jim Roberts • Mig Schaaf & Stuart Dunwoody • Lauren & George Schuchart • Pamela & Nate Searle • Gail & John Sehlhorst • Michael & Jo Shapiro • Jenness & John Starks • Janice Strand • Deborah Swets • Sara Thompson & Richard Gelinas • Amanda Twiss • Karen & Ron Van Genderen • Audrey Watson • Gregory Wetzel • Leora & Robert Wheeler • Paula & Bill Whitham • Lordia & Jeremy Williams • Anonymous
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD CIRCLE - $250+ Sara Agassiz• Melissa Albert • Ali & Robert Alexander • Gail Anderson • Virginia Anderson • Amy Arvidson • Heather & Mark Barbieri • Gene Barton • Susan Bean • Nancy L. Bittner • Inez Noble Black • Bonnie & Webb Bowie • Erin Brindley • Kim Brotherton • Thomas Buford • Linda & Peter Capell • Mary Casey-Goldstein • Sylvia & Craig Chambers • Beth Cooper • Pamela Cowan & Steve Miller • Robin Dearling & Gary Ackerman • Sandra & Paul Dehmer • Dottie Delaney • Lynn Dissinger • Ron Dohr • Carol & Kelly Dole • Mary Dombrowski • Julie Edsforth & Jabe Blumenthal • Katharine Feehan • Liz Fitzhugh & Jim Feldman • Caroline Fox • Marlene Friend • Norman Garner • Siobhan Ginnane & Dan Whelan • Vicki & Gerrie Goddard • Carla Granat & Stephen Smith • Diane Grover • Lisa Hanna • Lloyd Herman & Richard Wilson • Barbara Hieronymus • Trish & Doug Honig • Cynthia Huffman & Ray Heacox • Angela & Thomas Johnson • Alice Braverman & Patrick Kafer • Steve Kennebeck • Mary Beth & Marty King • Monique Kleinhans & Bob Blazek • Kristen Laine & Jim Collins • Eleni Ledesma & Eric Rose • Meredith Lehr & William Severson • The Lennon-Keegan Family • Susan Lerner • Arni H. Litt • Sherry & Douglas Luetjen • Vivienne & Paul Manheim • Mary Anne Stusser Martin & Charles Martin • Janet McCammon • Ruth McCormick • Ann McCurdy & Frank Lawler • Susan & Bob Mecklenburg • Microsoft Matching Gifts Program • Jen Modjeska • Richard Monroe • Min Moon • Karen O’Connor • Lauren Offenbecher • Mona & Kurt Owen • Shelley & Tim Pearce • Corliss Perdaems & Carl Kassebaum • Sherry Perrault & Michael Harding • Yumi Petersen • Linda Quirk • Maren Richter • Karen Robins • Katherine Runyon • Jain Rutherford • Linda Sahlin • Patti & Mark Seklemian • Shelton-de Clercq Family • Sharon & Tom Sherrard • Marilyn Sherron • Kathlyn & Ken Simkins • Candace Smith & Steven Bolliger •
GIFTS IN HONOR & MEMORY In honor of Samuel Bernstein Hollister Weber In honor of Erika Calhoun Andrea Calhoun In honor of Emily Davis Stephanie M. Hilbert In honor of Melinda Deane Andrea Ptak & Aaron Houseknecht In honor of Anne Fisher & Jaxon Ravens’ wedding Deborah Wolf In memory of Susan Hirasawa Anonymous In memory of Reuben “Boy” Lopez on Live for Good Day 2017 Colleen & Brad Strangeland In memory of Julia Mukhalian Martha Mukhalian In memory of Joyce Radke Sara Agassiz In honor of Rem Ryals Karen Van Genderen In honor of Christine Stepherson Nancy Ward Penny & Dan Smith • Veronica Smith & Natalie Hamrick • Barbara Snyder • Julie Stohlman • Linda & Hugh Straley • Liann & Stephen Sundquist • Lisa & Manish Tripathi • Jorie Wackerman • Susan Ward • Melinda Williams • Shannon Williams • Michael Winters • Anonymous (7)
PEN/FAULKNER AWARD CIRCLE - $100+ Doug Adams & Scott Fitzgerald • Judith Alexander • Katherine Alexander • Daemond Arrindell • Deborah Ashin • Anne & Roger Baker • Putnam Barber & Valerie Lynch • Becky Barnett & Roger Tucker • Kayti Barnett-O’Brien • Claire Beighle • Chris Bennion • Julia Bent • Roger Berger & Eileen Simmons • Hugh & Rebecca Bergeson • Beth & Benjamin Berman • Karl Bischoff & Leslie Phinney • Philip Brazil • Nicole Brodeur • Becky Brooks & Jeff Youngstrom • Chris Brown • Patricia Brunetto • Bryan Burch • Stan & Alice Burgess • Kathleen Caldwell • Erika Calhoun • Zimmie Caner & Tom Edwards • Kate Carruthers • Eric Cederwall • Susan Chiavelli • Kristy Clay • Catherine Clemens • Richard O. Coar • Kymberli Colbourne • Jennifer Collins & Jaron Cook • Mike & Janice Cummings O’Mahony • Kate Curtis • Don & Marilyn Davidson • Virginia Davis • Melinda Deane & Danny Wheetman • Wendy del Valle • Roberta DeVore • Nelson Dong &
Diane Wong • Marcia Donovan • Beth L. Dubey • Nancy E. Ellingham • Lynne & Hollie Ellis • Marilyn Endriss • Tami Erhart • Bretnie & Eric Eschenbach • Laura Fine-Morrison • Linda Finn • Judi & Steve Finney • Patricia & Richard Fiske • Corinne Fligner & Mark Wener • K Denice Fischer-Fortier & James Fortier • Ron Friedman • Alan & Lisbeth Fritzberg • Jean & Mike Gannon • Cezanne Garcia • Graham Gardner • Shelley Gibson • Dick & Faye Gillett • Pat Graves & David Nash • Laurie Greig • Dan & Bri Griep • Clay Gustaves • Linda Haas • Amy Harris • Denise Hastings • Phyllis Hatfield • Kathryn Hazzard • Anne Heavey • Ellen & David Hecht • Linda Heinen • Cynthia Hennessy • Chris Higashi • Stephanie M. Hilbert • Jean Hilde & Hunter Fulghum • Wendy Hilliker & Eric Tishkoff • Mariko & John Hirasawa • John Hoey & Lisa Olason • Ann Hollar & Steve Orser • Hollister Weber • Dorothy Hopper • Harriet Huber • Jeanne Iannucci & Terry Holme • Alison Inkley • Lani Jacobsen • Kent Johnson & Cody Blomberg • Susan Jones • Kris Jorgensen & Margey Rubado • Gil Joynt • Neil Jungemann • Joan Kalhorn • David Kasik & Jan Levine • Pam Kendrick • Anne Kiemle & Kael Sherrard • Owen Kikuta • Arleen Klasky • Klein Family • Alana & Harry Knaster • Hank Knottnerus • Marianna & Agastya Kohli • Marsha Kremen & Jilly Eddy • Mary Jo Kringas • Alan Kristal & Jason Lamb • Kikue Kubota • Akshay Kulkarni • Larry Lewin • Linda Lewis • Bonnie Lewman • Christine Livingston • Martha Lloyd • Brock Loen • Bill Logan • Craig Lorch • Mary Frances Lyons • Thomas Markl • Elizabeth Mathewson • Elaine Mathies • Paul & Anna McKee • Kay Meyers • Tami & Joe Micheletti • Alex Modelski • Vivian Montoya & Jay Livey • Cornelia & Terry Moore • Mia Morris • Elizabeth Morrison & Geoff Crooks • Christopher Mumaw • Helen & Craig Mumaw • Jaime Neal • Grace Nordhoff & Jonathan Beard • Rosemarie Oliver • Phebe O’Neill • Brendan Orta • Marsha Ose & David Shellenbarger • Cheryl Papadakis • Sara Patton • Cecilia Paul & Harry Reinert • Julie Paul • Cathy & Jeff Peda • Maggie & Clint Pehrson • Harold Pelton • Louise Perlman • Christopher Peterson • Robert Pillitteri • Wilson Wyoming Platt • Susan Porterfield • Evelyn Priestley • Andrea Ptak & Aaron Houseknecht • Lisa Quinn • Laurie Radheshwar • Monica Ramsey • Kim Raymoure • Michelle Rebert & Tom Laughlin • Esther Reese • Jane & Jay Reich • Nancy Reichley • Mary Rhyner-Saulnier & George Saulnier • Leslie & Greg Rice • Karen & Eric Richter • Carla Rickerson • Rebecca Ripley • Beth Rollinger • Erica Rose • Jennifer Cells Russell • Lee Scheingold • Paul Schiavo • Julie & Jeff Schoenfeld • B. Charlotte Schreiber • Kinza & Philip Schuyler • Lavonne & Josh Searle • Brian & Brenda Shea • Stephen F. Silha • Marcia & Peter Sill • Caren Skube • Marilyn Sloan • Virginia Sly • Barbara Smith • Jennifer Smith • Craig & Vicki Sosey • Carrie Sparlin • Diane Stark • Patty Starkovich & Greg Allen • Stickel Family • David & Elise Stokes • Ericka Stork • Alexandra Tavares • Jen Taylor • Sally H. & encoremediagroup.com/programs A-13
Robert Telzrow • Anne Terry • Matthew Tevenan • Carly Thaler • Richard Thorvilson • Carolyn True • Nancy Truitt Pierce • Carolyn & Rick Turnbaugh • Eugene Usui • Marcia Utela • Ruth Valine & Ed McNerney • Dana Van Nest & Paul Casey • John VanGilder • Curtis Vredenburg • Ava Wang • Nancy Ward • Scott Warrender & John Bianchi • Suzanne & Brent Weaver • Jennifer Weis • Jean & David White • Sara White & Robert Jordan • D.D. Wigley • Louise Wilkinson • Rob Williamson • Sarah Wilmot • Patricia Wilson • Jill O. Wolcott & Mitchell J. Olejko • Pamela Wolf • Diane Zahn & Mark McDermott • Anonymous (18)
BOOK-IT’S GLITTERATI GALA A heartfelt thanks to all the donors who supported Book-It for our Glitterati Gala! GALA SPONSORS The Boeing Company Point B Puget Sound Business Journal R. Stuart & Co. Winery Vincru GALA DONORS Josh Aaseng John Aldaya & Tom DeFelice Monica Alquist Gail Anderson Virginia Anderson Lisbet Nilson & Mark Ashida Cinnimin Avena Donna & Anthony Barnett Kayti Barnett-O’Brien Susan Bean & Ray Walton Lenore & Dick Bensinger Philip L Bereano Diane Bisset Jen Blackwood Penny Bradley & Michael Yang Karen Brandvick-Baker & Ross Baker Erin Brindley Patricia Britton Don & Karen Brown Linda Brown & Larry True Sally Brunette Christine Caldwell & Michael Richardson Linda & Peter Capell Laura Carr & Jeremy Derfner Kacee Chandler Laura & Greg Colman Beth Cooper & Dan Schuy Jane & Bob Cremin Robin Dearling & Gary Ackerman Allison Dennin Annie DiMartino Lynn Dissinger Peter Dixon & Gayle Fitzgerald Annie & Don Downing Jeremy Eknovian Laura Finn Anne Fisher Ravens Ben Fitch A-14 BOOK-IT REPERTORY THEATRE
Elizabeth & Paul Fleming Laura & Bo Ford Jessica Foss & Clint Berquist Caroline Fox Jayn & Hugh Foy Stuart Frank & Marty Hoiness Spencer Freeman Rachel & Chris Fyall Gretl Galgon Shannon & Graham Gardner John Giaever Siobhan Ginnane & Dan Whelan Craig & Darcy Greene Clay Gustaves Lisa Hanna Todd Karen Hartman & Todd London Molly Hasson & Mark Pessl Kathryn Hazzard Margy Heldring Lucy Helm Karyn Henry Jay Hereford & Margaret Winsor Delney & Gil Hilen Carol & John Hoerster Peggy Holland Joleen & Gareth Hughes Winifred Hussey Pam & Zacko Ivezic Lisa Jaret Barbara & Rob Jirsa Dave Johnson Jane Jones & Kevin McKeon Stellman Keehnel Stephanie & Phil Kimmel Margaret Kineke & Dennis West Mary Klubben & Brian Hahn Tami & Rob Kowal Dan Kuhn Jonathan Lawrence Kelly Lawton & Davis Abbott Diane Lefkow & John Baringer Jeff & Kathy Lindenbaum Nancy Lomneth & Mark Boyd Paul Martini Ann McKee & Dale Hoff Katie McKellar Jacque Mesplay Mary Metastasio Glen Miller Shyla Miller Ellen & Mark Mills Christopher Mumaw Rene & Chuck Murry Sherry & Bob Nebel Therese Ogle Michell & Larry Pihl Myra Platt & Dave Ellis Terry Podgorski Miriam Prathiba Audrey Querns Barbara & Joseph Rait Monica Ramsey Sean Rapson Shirley Roberson Kate & Stephen Robinson Deborah Rutherford
Nancy Rutstein Donna Marie & Rob Saunders Jamie Scatena Mig Schaaf & Stuart Dunwoody Bernadette Scheller Janet Schorr Steve Schwartzman & Daniel Karches Charyl Kay & Earl Sedlik Gail & John Sehlhorst Linda Shaw & Carl Christofferson Rachel Shea Martha Sidlo Laura Skelton & Thomas Buford Michael Spain Will Stachowiak Jon Staenberg Colleen & Brad Stangeland Christine & Josh Stepherson Linda & Hugh Straley Janice & Pat Strand Andrea Suarez Megan Sutherland Jennifer Teunon & Adam Smith Barry Thomas Tanya Trejo & Keane Watterson Ginny Trethewey Kris & Mike Villiott Penni & Joe Vogel Elizabeth Warman Lordia & Jeremy Williams Christina Wright & Luther Black IN-KIND DONORS The 5th Avenue Theatre Alaska Airlines The Art Bank & Oriental Rug Center Banya 5 Urban Spa Beneath the Streets The Boeing Company Café Nordo Cashmere Mountain Bed & Breakfast Chihuly Garden & Glass Cinque Terre Ristorante The Derschang Group Eterna Studios Gage Academy of Art Heavy Restaurant Group Intiman Theatre Kiehl’s Since 1851 Lloyd Martin Maritime Pacific Brewing Company Maryhill Winery München Haus & Icicle Creek Brewing Company Novelty Hill Januik Winery On The Boards OOLA Distillery Oregon Shakespeare Festival Pacific Northwest Ballet Pacific NW Life Stories Pacific Science Center Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle Point B Rhein Haus Seattle Art Museum Seattle Children’s Theatre
In-Kind Donors (cont)
Seattle International Film Festival Seattle Men’s Chorus & Seattle Women’s Chorus Seattle Opera Seattle Shakespeare Company Sheraton Seattle Hotel Solo Bar & Eatery Taylor Shellfish Third Place Books Two Beers Brewing Co. & Seattle Cider University Book Store Village Theatre W Hotel Washington Ensemble Theatre Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience Woodhouse Wine Estates Book-It makes every attempt to be accurate with our acknowledgments. Please contact Development Associate Ian Stewart at ians@book-it.org or 206.428.6202 with any changes or corrections.
Returning Summer 2018
Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay This Spanish/English bilingual play is available to tour to community centers,
STAND UP for MEANINGFUL STORIES. STAND UP for LITERACY EDUCATION. STAND UP for BOOK-IT. Book-It transforms great literature into great theatre through simple and sensitive production and inspires our audiences to read. Book-It has reached over one million audience members and students with powerful stories and innovative educational programs. Book-It is raising $100,000 by June 30 to support our 2018-19 season. Your gift makes this work possible.
DONATE TODAY! ONLINE LOBBY
camps, and schools.
Call
book-it.org Drop cash, a check, or a giving envelope into our donation box in the lobby
Mail a check to: Book-It Repertory Theatre 305 Harrison St Seattle, WA 98109
CALL
206.428.6202
206.428.6266 for info
encoremediagroup.com/programs A-15
Book-It Repertory Theatre is a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming great literature into great theatre through simple and sensitive production and to inspiring its audiences to read.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BOOK-IT STAFF Jane Jones Founder & Founding Co-Artistic Director
Myra Platt Founding Co-Artistic Director
Kayti Barnett-O’Brien Managing Director
Chief Financial Officer, Clipper Seafoods
ARTISTIC
DEVELOPMENT
ADMINISTRATIVE
Josh Aaseng Associate Artistic Director
Sally Brunette Director of Development
Charlotte Moss Bookkeeper
Shawna Grajek Casting Associate
Ian Stewart Development Associate
PRODUCTION
EDUCATION
PATRON SERVICES
Dan Schuy Production Manager
Annie DiMartino Director of Education
Sasha Bailey Patron Services Manager
Dominic Lewis Tour Manager
Aly Guzman-Dyrseth Box Office Sales & Data Specialist
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Shawna Grajek Assistant Production Manager Benjamin Radin Technical Director Jocelyne Fowler Costume Shop Manager
SERVICES
Glen Miller Director of Marketing & Communications
Wolken Communica Graphic Design
Val Brunetto Communications Manager
Chris Bennion Photography
Alabastro Photography
OFFICERS Larry Pihl, President
Shelby Choo Master Carpenter Emily Sershon Properties Master
Stephen Robinson, Vice President Writer
Stuart Frank, Secretary
Casting Manager, Entertainment, Holland America Line
John Aldaya, Treasurer
Chief Financial Officer, Carrix
BOARD MEMBERS Monica Alquist
Director of Events and Special Projects, Puget Sound Business Journal
Mark Boyd Community Volunteer
Linda Brown Community Volunteer
Laura Colman
Healthcare & Human Resources Executive, Retired
Anne Fisher Ravens
Senior Associate, Point B
Craig Greene
Vice President of Operations, Lydig Construction
Jane Jones
John Ulman Photography
Founding Co-Artistic Director, Book-It Repertory Theatre
Fat Yeti Photography
Margaret Kineke
Senior Vice President, Financial Consultant, Davidson Companies
Tom Wahl, IT Support
Mary Metastasio
Senior Portfolio Manager, Safeco, Retired
CONTACT US
Shyla Miller
Book-It is a vibrant literature-based theatre company that transforms great works of classic and contemporary literature into fully staged works for audiences young and old — more than 130 world-premiere adaptations and counting. Book-It’s combined programs ignite the imaginations of more than 80,000 people yearly through the power of live theater. Among the company’s honors: 2010 Mayor’s Arts Award, Paul G. Allen Family Foundation Founder’s Award, 2012 Governor’s Arts Award, and three Gregory Awards for Outstanding Production. www.book-it.org
Community Investor, Global Corporate Citizenship NW Region, The Boeing Company
Christopher Mumaw (Associate) Independent scenic designer
Myra Platt Founding Co-Artistic Director, Book-It Repertory Theatre
Shirley Roberson Senior Associate, Hughes Media Law Group
CENTER THEATRE AT THE ARMORY
BOX OFFICE CONTACT
BOX OFFICE
206.216.0833 • boxoffice@book-it.org
Seattle Center
Steven Schwartzman Attorney, U.S. Postal Service, Western Law Department
Earl Sedlik
Educator and Supporter
305 Harrison Street, Seattle
Christine Stepherson Founder, Team Soapbox
ADMINISTRATION CONTACT
ADMINISTRATION OFFICES
206.216.0877 • info@book-it.org
158 Thomas Street, Seattle
Lordia Williams
Senior Manager, Amazon Human Resources
EMERITUS BOARD
Ross Baker Joann Byrd Emily Davis Dan Kuhn Deborah Swets Ruth Valine Kris Villiott Liz Warman Audrey Watson
bookitrep
Sonya Campion Beth McCaw Ann Ramsay-Jenkins Tom Robbins Garth Stein
HONORARY BOARD /bookitrep A-16 BOOK-IT REPERTORY THEATRE
@book_it
Dialogue
Encore Stages in conversation
Photo from Teh Internet is Serious Business at Washington Ensemble Theatre. Photo courtesy of John Carpenter Photography.
As a fourth generation Seattelite, Rachel Guyer-Mafune lives with the Pacific Northwest in her DNA. She’s a 2016 graduate of Cornish College of the Arts and a member of ACT’s 2018 Core Company. And like any great actor, she considers her artistic identity a work in progress. She’s committed to expanding her capabilities, learning from and listening to her theatre peers and finding inspiration in everything. We had the opportunity to speak with her about her recent performance in Sarah DeLappe’s The Wolves, her commitment to new work and her passion for this city. The Wolves seems to be gaining momentum with every regional production. What attracted you to Sarah DeLappe’s script? How has working with this ensemble at ACT informed the way you rehearse and collaborate?
it means to be a teenage girl today. Everyone working on The Wolves truly became a pack, and the trustful bond we created was an imperative step to becoming a team. Looking
I played soccer as a child and was a teenager not too long ago, so this script resonated with me front to back. The characters are intelligent, strong as hell and defy reductive female stereotypes in theatre. I was so excited for the audience to get a glimpse of what
at this past season— especially Teh Internet is Serious Business at WET, Howl’s Moving Castle at Book-It and The Wolves at ACT—it’s clear you’re attracted to new plays and Seattle premieres. Are there any favorite playwrights you’re hoping to see on Seattle stages one day?
Rachel GuyerMafune. Photo by Dawn Schaefer.
I’m super amped for WET’s next season, which includes new plays written by female playwrights. Joining WET as a company member last year has motivated me to read new plays and discover playwrights I might not otherwise know about. Having a theatre family to discuss new works with is awesome. I’m also really excited about ACT’s first playwright in the Core Company, Yussef El Guindi. He’s had plays produced at ACT and all over the encoremediagroup.com/programs 9
country and he’s one talented dude. It’s been a blast reading his work with other Core Company members. You were recently named to ACT’s 2018 Core Company. Could you talk to me about what it means to be part of this company of artists?
Joining ACT has made me realize that my artistic path is not one I have to navigate alone. Knowing I’m surrounded by folks who believe in my work and have confidence in my ability to grow as an actor—it’s incredible. I am one lucky gal. John Langs, the artistic director, absolutely adores actors and he’s committed to providing us with a space to bloom and creatively flourish. I’m beyond proud to represent ACT as an artistic ambassador this year. What excites you most about being an artist in Seattle? How do you hope to grow and challenge the theatre community here?
Being part Japanese American and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I’m hungry for more characters like me. I mean, how dope would it be to see an unapologetically brazen, mixed, pansexual woman onstage right now? I’m currently working on using my voice to express our need for diverse, inclusive and relevant theatre. I’m learning how to take my space, while giving the mic to others who need to be heard first.
STRAWBERRY THEATRE WORKSHOP
HOW
I
LEARNED TO
DRIVE
BY PAULA VOGEL
strawshop.org 10 ENCORE STAGES
JUN 7 – JU L 7
Are there any musicians, dancers or theatre artists that you’re especially excited about next season?
I’m looking forward to continuously watching new artists and work I’ve never seen before. I want to see more shows and make connections with folks who are dedicated to telling honest, unvarnished stories onstage and off. It’s going to be an amazing year to find inspiration in this community. <Danielle Mohlman
Dialogue
Encore Stages in conversation
James Asher (Gamal) and Kunal Prasad (Mohsen) in the 2016 Golden Thread Productions staging of Our Enemies: Lively Scenes of Love and Combat, directed by Torange Yeghiazarian. Photo by David Allen Studio, courtesy Golden Thread Productions.
Encore Stages talks with playwright Yussef El Guindi on the immigrant—and American—experience.
If you’re an avid theatre-goer in Seattle, chances are you’ve seen a Yussef El Guindi play. This prolific playwright has become an artistic staple here in Seattle, a city he has called home since 1994. (Upon reflection, he shared that he’s lived in Seattle longer than he’s lived anywhere else—even England, where he was raised after his family emigrated from Egypt.) We had the opportunity to speak with him about his writing, being a theatre artist in Seattle and ACT’s 2018 Core Company. Many of your plays examine the immigrant experience through a
theatrical lens. Is there something that you wish Seattle residents better understood about immigration in America?
It’s not easy. Immigrating is sort of akin to walking a wobbly, wooden bridge over a precipice in a deep fog—a bridge that appears to be disappearing behind you and whose intact structure up ahead is not assured. And even if you “make it across” and achieve citizenship, world events and political shenanigans might occur that might suddenly imperil your standing as an immigrant. encoremediagroup.com/programs 11
collective group. There is no sense of guilt or worry that this might in some way impact their standing in society.
Yussef El Guindi. Photo by Ann-Margaret Johnson/Sassafras Photos.
Different racial and immigrant groups at different times will frequently get slandered in the headlines. I think it’s a phenomenon among immigrant groups, and more broadly, different racial groups within the United States, to hold their collective breaths every time there is some horrendous act of violence that makes the news. We all secretly pray it isn’t someone from our “tribe.” When a white person commits a horrific act of violence, I don’t get the sense among European Americans that they feel they have to carry the burden of that crime. The crime is not foisted on them as a
But for certain immigrant groups and people of color, that worry is real. You feel pressured to publicly disavow any connection or feeling for the individual who perpetrated that crime. If the perpetrator is an Arab or Muslim, the mainstream press won’t speak of that individual as troubled or suffering from mental health issues. Instead, they’re terrorists, monsters, and live outside the pale where everything good and civilized apparently lives. At such times, you feel you’re back on that bridge over that precipice. And the bridge feels even more wobbly than usual. How has our country’s current political climate impacted your writing?
The United States has been “Trumpland” for some time: a place where an alarming degree of xenophobia and racism are the norm. I’ve been in “crisis mode” when crafting plays for some time now. And when responding to current political events, I have to tread carefully. Mainly because,
Shanga Parker (Musa) and Carol Roscoe (Sheri) in the 2011 ACT world premiere of Pilgrims Musa and Sheri in the New World, directed by Anita Montgomery. Photo by Chris Bennion, courtesy of A Contemporary Theatre (ACT). 12 ENCORE STAGES
with rare exceptions, the turnaround between completing a first draft and a full production can range from two to three years, sometimes longer. Whatever political crisis that triggered the play may be old news by the time your piece is staged. You have to sift through the news event, or zeitgeist of that moment, to find what resonates on a more universal level—and that might transcend the particular political moment that triggered the play. Which means breaking things down into very personal, human matters—locating your protagonists, with all their personal issues, within the social and political web in which they operate and understanding that what makes us human are also the political structures that prop us up as social creatures. That’s the goal anyway: to turn something very specific, local and political into a more universal exploration of our status as citizens and humans just trying to survive. As for my home country of Egypt, after the revolution in 2011 I wrote several plays in response. One of them, The Mummy and The Revolution, I wrote too soon—feeling much too hopeful for a future that didn’t come to pass. The other two plays, Threesome and The Tyrant, I took a different tack. I know these plays are still expressive of both past and present circumstances. The shock waves from the revolution and its aftermath continue to ripple through me and will probably impact my writing in some way for some time to come. You’ve worked with a number of local theatre companies in the production and development of your plays. Do you have a favorite theatre company to collaborate with? Why?
I’m very thankful to all the theatre companies who have extended their hand out to me. Most theatres are very squeamish when it comes to putting on plays by and about Muslim and MENA (Middle Eastern, North African)
William Dao (Nasser), Mujahid Abdul-Rashid (Kevin), and James Asher (Ahmed) in the 2011 West Coast premiere of Language Rooms, directed by Evren Odcikin, a coproduction between Golden Thread Productions and Asian American Theater Company. Photo by David Allen Studio, courtesy Golden Thread Productions.
writers. They’re not quite sure where these stories and people fit in the received narratives of the day. For all the talk of diversity, most theatres lack a truly global vision that encompasses the full array of voices from around the world. Not to mention an inability to see beyond the limited diversity schemata that determines who is and is not heard from. So, I really appreciate those adventurous local theatres that have reached out to me, like West of Lenin, Theater Schmeater, 18th & Union, and ACT. ACT in particular has shown a keen interest in my work. To have a theatre of this size give me a platform for my plays has been very important in my development as a writer.
and women—itinerant individuals knocking on numerous doors, trying to get theatres to invite us in. And how humiliating it is, when more often than not, those doors are either shut on us or our knocks are ignored altogether. So, for ACT to invite me in to be part of their 2018 Core Company is huge. As for how that plays out in the future, we’ll see. We’re all sort of making up this position as we go along. As John Langs, the artistic director, likes to put it, I get to be the first pancake. But psychologically, for me, the promise of having a home where I might get to exercise my talents, where my plays may have a good chance of being staged, to have a place where I can try out new material with exceptionally good actors, well, that’s just a lovely position for a playwright to be in.
You were recently named to ACT’s 2018 Core Company. Could you talk to me about what it means to be part of this company of artists?
What excites you most about being an artist in Seattle? How do you hope to grow and challenge the theatre community here?
I joke with colleagues that as theatre people we are door-to-door salesmen
What’s interesting to me is the degree to which I have been shaped encoremediagroup.com/programs 13
as a playwright by Seattle theatre audiences. There are personal and cultural influences of course that will always infuse the heart of everything I write, and to which I am both grateful for, and to which I am a prisoner of—to the degree that we are all shaped and imprisoned by the particulars of our individual pasts. But as a playwright, having spent now twenty-four years in Seattle seeing many plays at different theatres, I realize I have not only been learning from the plays I watch, but from the reactions by the Seattle audiences to those plays. Without realizing it, my plays are being influenced by those audience reactions. I have some appreciation of what might and might not stir a Seattle audience. There are, of course, no guarantees that what you write will be to their liking. But I think any playwright who spends a long enough time in one city will invariably start unconsciously adjusting their work for the audiences they’ve attended plays with. Sort of like knowing what jokes and stories will fly at a family gathering. But that is very much countered by my non-Seattle subject matter. And that’s the challenge for me. To write about peoples and conflicts that people here don’t necessarily relate to. To humanize individuals and situations that too often get flattened in the press. People do like to see themselves up on stage in some way. My job is to bridge the gap between the non-Seattle folk I portray and the Seattle audiences who, hopefully, come to see my work. (Thank you to all those who do attend!) Do you have any plugs? How can folks find more about you and your work?
I do have a play of mine called Hostages, written almost thirty years ago (!), that’s going to be done at 18th & Union in October, directed by David Gassner. I’m curious to see how it stands up after all these years. Come see it if you can. <Danielle Mohlman 14 ENCORE STAGES
Intermission Brain Transmission Are you waiting for the curtain to rise? Or, perhaps, you’ve just returned to your seat before the second act and have a few minutes to spare? Treat your brain to this scintillating trivia quiz! Email us the answer to the last question and have a chance to win tickets to a show!
1) Book-It Repertory Theatre presents The Picture of Dorian Gray, June 6–July 1. Oscar Wilde wrote the novel, originally serialized in 1890 in which literary magazine? a) b) c) d)
Scribner’s Magazine Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine Timothy McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern Harper’s Magazine
2) Until the Flood, a play that focuses on the social unrest following the fatal police shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, will play at ACT June 8–July 8. The playwright, Dael Orlandersmith, was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. For which play was she nominated? a) b) c) d)
The Gimmick Beauty’s Daughter Yellowman Forever
3) ACT Theatre presents the one-woman show Lauren Weedman Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, July 20–August 12. Now a resident of Los Angeles, playwright and performer Lauren Weedman lived in Seattle for several years, where she was a regular contributor to which Seattle-produced radio show? a) b) c) d)
Rewind Too Beautiful to Live Robin and Maynard BJ Shea
Bonus Question What was the last arts performance you attended that you liked best and why? Email your response to production@encoremediagroup.com with "Trivia Quiz" in the subject line.
Oscar Wilde. Photo by Napoleon Sarony.
4) Playing July 11–August 18 at Taproot Theatre is Sweet Land, in which a German woman immigrates sight-unseen to marry a Norwegian farmer in post-WWI Minnesota. Seattle’s own Scandinavian neighborhood is Ballard. In what year was Ballard annexed to Seattle? a) b) c) d)
1905 1896 1907 1911
5) July 12–August 12, Seattle Shakespeare Company will run Wooden O, a series of free outdoor Shakespeare performances. This year they will perform King Lear and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Who played King Lear in the 2008 motion picture directed by Trevor Nunn? a) b) c) d)
Patrick Stewart Ralph Fiennes Ian McKellen Michael Caine
ANSWERS: 1) b. – Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine. It merged with Scribner’s in 1916. 2) c. – Yellowman was a 2002 Pulitzer Prize finalist in Drama. 3) a. – Rewind with Bill Radke was produced at KUOW and syndicated on NPR until 2004. 4) c. – The City of Ballard was annexed to Seattle in 1907 after several years of struggling with an inadequate supply of potable water. 5) c. – Ian McKellen
encoremediagroup.com/programs 15
My legacy. My partner. You have dreams. Goals you want to achieve during your lifetime and a legacy you want to leave behind. The Private Bank can help. Our highly specialized and experienced wealth strategists can help you navigate the complexities of estate planning and deliver the customized solutions you need to ensure your wealth is transferred according to your wishes. Take the first step in ensuring the preservation of your wealth for your lifetime and future generations. To learn more, please visit unionbank.com/theprivatebank or contact: Lisa Roberts Managing Director, Private Wealth Management lisa.roberts@unionbank.com 415-705-7159
Wills, trusts, foundations, and wealth planning strategies have legal, tax, accounting, and other implications. Clients should consult a legal or tax advisor.
Š2018 MUFG Union Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Union Bank is a registered trademark and brand name of MUFG Union Bank, N.A.