InMotion Theatre: THE
JOURNEY
A response to Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick Produced by Boston Center for American Performance Conceived, Co-Created & Directed by Yo-EL Cassell Co-Created & Written by Corianna Moffatt Script Contributions & Dramaturgy by Georgia Williamina Zildjian Scenic Designer Installation Designer Costume Designer Puppetry Designer Lighting Designer Projections Designer Sound Designer Technical Director Stage Manager Production Manager
The Elements: North Wind South Wind/Junior East Wind West Wind The Whale The Seagull/Osprey The Deep One/Captain Cuffee The Deep One The Family: Margaret, Celeste’s Mother Celeste (Dusk) Celeste (Noon) Celeste (Dawn) Ahab Loie, Celeste’s Daughter Macy/Celeste’s Butler
Ryan Bates Won Ju Lim Zane Kealey Londeen McEachron Austin Boyle Stephanie Elrod Kaitlyn E. Sapp Maria Pinggera Kendra L. Green Rachael Hasse
Klaudyna Astramowicz Mallika Chandaria Mary Healy Sophronia Grace Vowels Mark Cohen* Nicholas Walker Maurice Emmanuel Parent* Thomas Leacu
Elaine Vaan Hogue* Paula Langton* Elena Morris Dana DePirri Michael Ofori Tatiana Talia Webster Adam M. Kassim
*Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association
DESIGN & PRODUCTION TEAM Assistant Director Sea Shanty Arrangement & Coaching Movement Captains Assistant Stage Manager Associate Production Manager Production Assistant Automation Run Crew Run Crew
Paint Charge Properties Master Assistant Technical Director Paints/Scenic Build Crew Assistant Costume Designer Draper Costume Build Crew Wardrobe Head Wardrobe Crew Assistant Lighting Designer Master Electrician Moving Lights Programmer Light Board Operator Follow Spot Operators Lighting Crew Associate Sound Designer Sound Board Operator Sound Crew Audience Services Manager Box Office & Front of House
Installation Student Artists
MFA Sculpture and Painting Artists
Jeremy Ohringer Christine Hamel Dana DePirri & Nicholas Walker Becca Sundberg Stephanie Elrod Sarah Lindquest & Devin Sullivan Londeen McEachron Emma Finnerty, Neil Kell, Savannah Jooste, Isabella Lampson, Samuel Orlov & Jaclyn Romankow Jackie Kempe Londeen McEachron Emilia Kaczmarkiewicz School of Theatre Technical Crew Cami Wright Chloe Chafetz School of Theatre Costume Shop Whitney Vaughan Anna Brevetti Danielle Elegy Andrea Sala Zach Sager Isabelle Goodman Ashby Gentry & Amanda Harris School of Theatre Lighting Dept. Ben Lenk Zoe Garrick School of Theatre Sound Dept. Brian Dudley Tramaine Bembury, Selah Boughner, Jailyn Duong, Asher Ehrenberg, Trey Shields & John Tomlinson Sofija Chroneos, Johnnie Doley, Anya Fasolyak, Samantha Feingold, Tanner Gauvin, Margaret Knutzen, Erica Lee, Kristen Mallia, Aidan Newell, David Orlando, Mackenzie Ring & Devin Wilson Kayla Arias, Max Bard, Marissa Graziano, Erin Jesson & Zak Shiff
ABOUT THE JOURNEY It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. –Joseph Campbell In this case, the abyss may just be the belly of the Whale. This isn’t a story about Ahab, nor a story of the Mighty Whale. This is a story of a woman who passes through grief and obsession to find her truth… In the height of the American Whaling industry, Celeste’s idyllic Nantucket childhood ends abruptly with the untimely death of her brave and pioneering mother, Margaret. Not yet healed from this blow, she finds a different but equally deep love with the complicated whaling captain, Ahab. They build a home together with the help of Macy, a devoted servant, and soon welcome a child, Loie. But Ahab, obsessed with evening the score with the Whale who took his leg, leaves their home never to return, presumably swallowed by the deep. Celeste soon nurses her own obsession, a gnawing feeling she believes will be quelled when she vanquishes her husband’s killer: The Whale. Celeste leaves her daughter and everything she holds dear in pursuit of the mighty leviathan, more myth than reality. Throughout her life and her perilous journey, she is guided by the elemental powers of the Four Winds, or Whalers widows, returned to conquer their own grief through Celeste. Before she can confront her beast, she must surmount a series of maritime trials, familiar to us as inhabitants of the American Mythos, made new by the tenacity of a woman’s spirit. Celeste must pass through three trials before she comes to realize what she is truly seeking: Sailing Celeste stows away on a whaling ship, finding the strength in herself to become seaworthy, and gaining the trust of her fellow sailors so she can pursue the Whale. While she achieves this, the elements have other ideas about how her voyage will progress… Sea floor Plunged into the deep, Celeste first encounters the Deep Ones, elemental forces of the sea floor, before coming face to face with the creature she believes to be her nemesis: The White Whale. The Belly of The Whale Celeste enters an otherworldly space when she is swallowed by the Whale. There, she will encounter the figures of her past who can illuminate for her what she is truly seeking. Saved from death by the protecting belly of the Whale, Celeste is cast ashore on the island where her journey began.
Although her life begins like a shipwreck, through revisiting memories of her younger self she is able to move forward and see clearly that everything she truly sought is in the present moment: the love of her daughter, Loie; and their community. The Journey includes original text composed by Georgia Williamina Zildjian coupled with excerpts from John Milton’s Paradise Lost, Edna St. Vincent Millay’s Witch Wife, Ella Wheeler Wilcox’s The Winds of Fate, and Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick.
DIRECTOR’S NOTE “One must take off her fear like clothing; One must travel at night: This is the seeking after God.” –Maureen Morehead “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” –Joseph Campbell “After sorting and piecing together the ruins, I find myself again.” –Anonymous I always wondered about her story—Captain Ahab’s wife story. I always wondered about the movement of her story—what if we follow her journey? After years of accumulating ideas and inspiration, the time we are living in now seemed like the right time to fuse impressionism and expressionism with poetic realism to tell this story and embrace the power of what is needed and cherished most to move forward. This idea also spoke dearly as the first one to be presented by our brand new annual initiative, InMotion Theatre. Inspired by a vast variety of sources and movement influences, including Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, Both Corianna Moffatt and I were interested in creating an original physical theatre production that would focus on what it means to embark on a journey to find the self and what if the “whale” is metaphorically our own very being? The hero in this production goes on a journey chasing after what she lost, only to find her “center” has been beside her all along. Everyone is chasing their own whale—sometimes we need to travel into the depths of the ocean to approach and confront “the belly of the beast” to view what is inside our heart and discover who we really are and to see clearly that everything we need is in the present moment. And what if the “whale” is not who we assume it to be? The Journey is about overcoming fear, embracing empowerment and the tenacity of the human spirit. It is also about connecting, disconnecting, listening, learning, observing, searching, embracing, embodying, trusting, building, passing on, sharing, opening, relationships, holding on while letting go and the celestial power of moving forward, however risky it may appear. And nothing is more indicative of stepping forward than movement. Thank you deeply for joining us on The Journey.
CREATIVE TEAM BIOGRAPHIES Ryan Bates (Scenic Designer) is a BU alumnus and Boston-based designer. Selected recent credits include Ideation, Brecht on Brecht and Thurgood (New Repertory Theatre), Los Meadows (Boston Public Works); Blasted (Off the Grid Theatre Company); and The Last Five Years (Arts After Hours). Up next: Dark Room (Bridge Rep). Austin Boyle (Lighting Designer) is a senior BFA Lighting Design major. Lighting design credits at Boston University include: Mother Courage and Her Children, God’s Ear, The Werther Project, I and You, These Three Sisters, Trout Stanley, and By the Bog of Cats. austinboylelighting.com Yo-EL Cassell (Conceiver, Cocreator & Director) is an assistant professor, Head of Movement and Co-Chair of Dance Minors at BU. He is the recipient of the Lotte Kaliski Award for Gifted Artists, The Kennedy Center Thought Leadership Fellowship, and an IRNE Award nominee for his movement direction of The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time. Locally, his movement direction and choreography has been featured at The A.R.T., Lyric Stage, SpeakEasy Stage Company, and Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, for which he was the Resident Choreographer. His work has been featured in an original Off-Broadway production, Moonlight Interior. Yo-EL dedicates this production to his wife, Melodie and son, Keaton, and is deeply grateful for the incredible artistic and humanistic contributions embraced by the cast, creative team, design team, and crew of this “journey.” Stephanie Elrod (Projections Designer/Assistant Production Manager) is a firstyear Production Management graduate student. She is also pursuing a graduate certificate in Project Management. She also works professionally as a freelance production/stage manager for corporate events. Kendra L. Green (Stage Manager) hails from San Jose, California, and is a fourthyear BFA Stage Management student. Recent credits include Albert Herring (Stage Manager) with the BU Opera Institute and Carmen (Production Assistant) with Central City Opera. She is thrilled to be part of the inaugural production from InMotion Theatre as her final production at BU. Rachael Hasse (Production Manager) is a third-year graduate student in Production Management. Rachael hails from West Chicago, Illinois, and proudly holds a BFA from Ithaca College. Rachael also currently works full-time with Huntington Theatre Company. Credits include Production Manager with Dorset Theatre Festival and Hope Summer Repertory Theatre, and Scene Shop Supervisor with Illinois State University. rachaelhasse.com
Zane Kealey (Costume Designer) is a first-year graduate student. Her background encompasses an engineering degree, several years working oil rigs abroad, and a lot of swing dancing. She plans to pursue design for dance and movement after graduation and is thrilled to be part of the inaugural InMotion team. Won Ju Lim’s (Installation Designer) multimedia installations examine the interactions of real and imaginary spaces. Her 20 years of experience as an artist include exhibitions at San Jose Museum of Art, Hammer Museum, Yerba Buena Art Center, and MoCA, Los Angeles. She is the chair of Graduate Studies in Sculpture at BU. Many thanks to Yo-EL Cassell for being an inspirational collaborator, and to Jen Guillemin for her support. Londeen McEachron (Properties and Puppets Designer) is a sophomore studying Technical Production. He is from Brooklyn, New York, and is excited to be able to help in the pursuit of the vision that is The Journey. Corianna Moffatt (Co-Creator and Writer) is pursuing an MFA in Theatre Education at BU focusing on Dramaturgy and Voice & Speech. She is on staff at Company One Theatre as their Connectivity Associate, and is the VP of Conferences for Literary Managers & Dramaturgs of the Americas. Jeremy Ohringer (Assistant Director) is a second year directing MFA candidate. Credits at BU include Melancholy Play (a chamber musical), These Three Sisters, Mother Courage and Her Children, Lord of the Flies, and Of Blood and Dirt. Maria Pinggera (Technical Director) is a junior studying Technical Production under the advisement of Joel Brandwine. Being from the New York area, she brings a passion for story-telling. Credits include Carpenter with The Cape Playhouse, Technical Director on The War Reporter, and Assistant Technical Director on Tiger at the Gates. Kaitlyn E. Sapp (Sound Designer) is a graduating senior at Boston University School of Theatre. She grew up enjoying the diverse theatre scene in Chicago. Credits include sound for Great River Shakespeare Festival and The Naples Players. Georgia Williamina Zildjian (Dramaturg) is a first year Theatre Education MFA candidate, specializing in playwriting and dramaturgy. Zildjian is a co-founder and the Playwright in Residence of Tandem Theatre Collective and founder of the Castine Youth Summer Theatre Program. Her heart belongs to the Sea.
CAST BIOGRAPHIES Klaudyna Astramowicz (North Wind/Ensemble) is a Polish actress and director in her final year as a Theatre Arts major at BU School of Theatre. Educational credits include: Fraulein Kost in Cabaret, Yasha in The Cradle Will Rock, Czesio in Hunting Cockroaches, and Corporal in The Caucasian Chalk Circle. Klaudyna has also worked for Phiphen Pictures (a film production company based in New York City) and has contributed on sets of projects such as Like Father, a new Netflix original starring Kristen Bell & Kelsey Grammer. Mallika Chandaria (South Wind/Ensemble) is a sophomore Theatre Arts major at Boston University. This is her third production at BU, and she has been absolutely thrilled to work with an incredible cast of movers and creators. Mark Cohen (The Whale) is a full-time faculty member teaching Acting in the School of Theatre. As an actor he has appeared at Gloucester Stage, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, and Israeli Stage, among others. Mark’s association with Abuela Luna, Ltd., in San Francisco resulted in his one-man film Shakespeare in the Shadows, and a series of Bay Area PBS spots celebrating the centenary of Jack London. He is a proud AEA member. Dana DePirri (Celeste Dawn/Ensemble) is a sophomore Acting major at BU School of Theatre. She is thrilled to be playing the role of Celeste: Dawn and to get the opportunity to work with such a talented and inspiring group of artists. She would like to extend her gratitude to director Yo-EL Cassell and the entire cast and crew of this production for making the process such a deeply creative and joyous experience. Break a leg, Journey cast! Mary Healy (East Wind/Ensemble) is a sophomore Acting major excited to be in her second show at BU! Many thanks to every person who has helped her along the way, especially her wonderful red-headed family. Past favorite productions include Intimate Apparel, Singin' in the Rain, and Oklahoma. Adam M. Kassim (Macy/Ensemble) is a School of Theatre triple threat. He received his BFA in Theatre Studies in 2005, is currently a graduate student in the MFA Directing program, and has served as the 855 Production Manager for the past five years. He thanks Greg for all his love and support. Paula Langton (Celeste Dusk) is honored to be a part of InMotion Theatre's first production at Booth Theatre. Other productions with BCAP include The Glass Menagerie, A Question of Mercy, Good, Walking the Volcano, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds, Wit, and A Taste of Honey.
Thomas Leacu (Deep One/Ensemble) is a sophomore Theatre Arts major at BU School of Theatre. He comes from Wayland, Massachusetts. Outside of acting, he makes music and writes. He would like to thank all teachers and friends who have supported him at BU. Elena Morris (Celeste Noon/Ensemble) is graduating from Boston University in May with a BFA in Theatre Arts and recently studied abroad at the Accademia dell'Arte in Arezzo, Italy. Credits include S.T.A.M.P.'s Seminar, Cabaret, The Cradle Will Rock (Assistant Choreographer), and Mother Courage and her Children. Elena is also a dramaturg, theatre educator, and dancer, and she is proud to be working on InMotion Theatre's first production! Michael Ofori (Ahab) is a final year Theatre Education graduate student. He hails from the Ashanti Region in the West African country, Ghana. Michael's most recent show was Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act (New Rep/BCAP). He is very excited to be a part of InMotion Theatre's debut season and to share the experience with such a wonderful group of artists. Maurice Emmanuel Parent (Captain Cuffee/Deep One/Ensemble) is an actor, singer, dancer, educator, and mentor originally from the Washington, D.C., area. He has performed Off-Broadway and regionally at The York Theatre, Classical Theatre of Harlem, Futon Opera House, Neighborhood Opera Company, Barrington Stage, Music Theatre of Wichita, Cape Playhouse, Northern Stage, Huntington Theatre Co., New Repertory Theatre, SpeakEasy Stage Co., Central Square Theatre, Lyric Stage Co., Commonwealth Shakespeare Co., and Boston Theatre Works. Maurice has performed internationally with Gardner and Wife productions in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and is a resident company member of the Actors’ Shakespeare Project. He is the winner of the 2015 Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) award for Best Supporting Actor (Musical) for his performance in The Color Purple and the 2008 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Actor Small/Midsize Company for his performances in Angels in America (Belize/Mr. Lies), The Wild Party (Black), and Some Men (Angel Eyes). Elaine Vaan Hogue (Margaret) is delighted to be immersed in this compelling journey. Collaborating with this remarkable ensemble and creative team is a joy. Previous BCAP productions include playing the role of Miss Helen in The Road to Mecca and directing Baltimore, Imagining Madoff, Metamorphosis, and Walking the Volcano. Sophronia Grace Vowels (West Wind/Ensemble) is a sophomore Theatre Arts major with an English minor. Last semester she worked as an assistant dramaturg, and earlier this quartet she played Benvolio in the STAMP production of Romeo & Juliet. She is grateful to be working with such a strong cast and brilliant production team. Thanks, Yo-EL!
Nicholas Walker (Seagull/Osprey/Ensemble) is delighted to be performing in InMotion Theatre’s production of The Journey. He is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, and is currently a sophomore Theatre Arts major. He has previously performed in the BU productions of Gem of the Ocean and I and You. He looks forward to having movement remain an integral part of his process at BU, going abroad, and discovering joy in the day to day. He extends a special shout out to his wonderful family back home. “Love y'all! Thank you to Yo-el, Corianna, Jeremy, and Georgia for allowing me to soar freely. This process is one I will never forget.” Tatiana Talia Webster (Loie/Ensemble) is currently a sophomore Theatre Arts major at Boston University College of Fine Arts. She is originally from the West Indies and hails from North Atlanta, Georgia. Tatiana loves storytelling through movement, and she is excited to be a part of InMotion Theatre’s first production. Thank you to Yo-EL for showing me how to find joy through movement in the studio and in life.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS Established in 1954, Boston University College of Fine Arts (CFA) is a community of artist-scholars and scholar-artists who are passionate about the fine and performing arts, committed to diversity and inclusion, and determined to improve the lives of others through art. With programs in Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts, CFA prepares students for a meaningful creative life by developing their intellectual capacity to create art, shift perspective, think broadly, and master essential 21st century skills. CFA offers a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, as well as a range of online degrees and certificates. Learn more at bu.edu/cfa.
JOAN & EDGAR BOOTH THEATRE Opened in December 2017, this bold, state-of-the-art structure encourages innovation, conversation, and collaboration. The flexible design of Booth Theatre allows for inventive evolution of performances and deep engagement with audiences. Research is at the core of Boston University, and the College of Fine Arts practices it every day. Creative experimentation is CFA’s research. Booth Theatre and the adjacent CFA Production Center are laboratories in the pursuit of creative research, and in every detail, these spaces are purpose-built for discovery. Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre is funded in part by a $10 million gift from BU Trustee Stephen M. Zide (LAW’86), who named the venue in honor of his wife’s parents, who shared their passion for the dramatic arts with him and his family. Learn more at bu.edu/booth.
BOSTON CENTER FOR AMERICAN PERFORMANCE BCAP is the professional extension of the Boston University School of Theatre. BCAP employs professional artists to collaborate with student artists in a way that encourages intergenerational learning not only through the forging of strong teacher/student relationships, but through the creation of artistic collaborations between artists of differing levels of experience. It is BCAP’s conviction that such collaborations will have a profound impact on the University’s educational mission, become a significant source of inspiration for the creation of new work and/or new approaches to existing work, and provide the School with a professional extension of its expanding and diverse aesthetic. BCAP's 2017-2018 season—our 10th!—celebrates both our long-standing partnership with New Repertory Theatre and our commitment to creating new work and new approaches to existing work. The season included a quartet of coproductions with New Rep: IDEATION by Aaron Loeb, a darkly comic psychological thriller directed by Jim Petosa and presented at New Rep’s home, the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown, MA; LONELY PLANET by Steven Dietz and STATEMENTS AFTER AN ARREST UNDER THE IMMORALITY ACT by Athol Fugard, directed by Jim Petosa and presented in rep at the Mosesian Center for the Arts; and the rolling world premiere of RIPE FRENZY by Jennifer Barclay, winner of the National New Play Network’s 2016 Smith Prize for Political Theatre, directed by Bridget Kathleen O’Leary and presented at the Boston University College of Fine Arts. Our 10th season concludes with this presentation of the first annual InMotion Theatre production of THE JOURNEY, a devised movement piece based on MobyDick that marks BCAP’s first production in Boston University’s new Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre.
Jim Petosa Liz Mazar Phillips Johnny Kontogiannis Tim Spears Clay Hopper Adam Kassim
bu.edu/cfa/bcap
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ABOUT INMOTION THEATRE ENGAGE with, EXPLORE and DISCOVER storytelling through the lens of Physical Theatre. Let your words have fingers. –Jerzy Grotowski WHAT? The mission of INMOTION THEATRE is to produce and present, original works and adaptations, theatrical experiences that highlight transformative, dynamic, thought provoking, and imaginative storytelling—allowing accessibility primarily through the channels of physical expression. HOW AND WHY? Fusing a variety of movement/physical acting approaches with the overall School of Theatre curricular program, the intent is to showcase how the actor as movement artist can create a three dimensional transformative experience to the act of storytelling.
SPECIAL THANKS Bridge Repertory Theater, Ilana Brownstein, McCaela Donovan, FAE Boston, Jeanette Guillemin, Innovate BU, Won Ju Lim, James Noone, Sean Perreira, Matt Stern, Emily Trantanella & Patrick Yananton
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