Alliance Theatre April 2011 Spoon Lake Blues by Encore Magazine

Pictured Jimi Kocina, Lakisha Michelle May, Luke Robertson and Veronika Duerr. Photo by Greg Mooney.

April 1â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 24, 2011

Series on the Hertz Stage

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contents 6

Luke Robertson and Jimi Kocina. Photo by Greg Mooney

features

departments

6 Spoon Lake scribe sticks

5 15 17 18 20 22 28

to small plays, big ideas

16 Laughter from

aggressive possibility

the performance 9 Program and Notes

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What makes YOU laugh?

Folks need to celebrate. Every culture has special days of

thanks.a Even amongst the deepest and the hard- actor There’s possibly apocryphal storydisasters of the great British est times, we celebrate. The Cratchits sit together at a Edmund Kean, who supposedly was approached by table a young on Christmas Eve with barely enough food to taste. Scrooge’s actor whilememories lying on his deathbed. young man whispered, happiest are wrapped upThe in celebration—particularly “Sir, is dying “My boy,”the boomed thewhat Fezziwig party.like?” Fred proclaims seasonthe the old timeperformer, of “the year when men and women seem by one consent to open their “dying is easy. Comedy is hard.” shut up hearts freely.” He will not allow his uncle to dampen his

The one thing that’s certain is that comedy — or more precisely, celebration. the definition of what’s funny — is a wholly subjective and Maybe this is one reason Scrooge’s storydefinition affects all of of obscenity us. When personal thing. Kind of like the judicial we finally see Scrooge, perhaps the most humorless and sour ascharacter something one knows whenCELEBRATE—it one sees, comedy either tickles in literature, actually lifts us up as you or it doesn’t — but when well. it does, youmaybe knowwe it. should And your bodysome tends to to know it before Okay, all take time celebrate the gifts this “tired old world” has given us. your head does. A fewI haven’t years back, young manfornamed Josh Tobiessen came to our asnot a finalist I hope ruineda the ending anybody. If there is anyone reading thisattention who does know the seems Competition. to hold up under like the celebrations of forstory—don’t our Nationalworry—the Graduate story Playwriting He repetition—just wrote a play called Election Day that our life! me laugh out loud. (It actually made me bark like a seal, which is what happens when made I really think things are funny, and isn’t a sound I’d wish on anyone’s ears.) We asked Josh to stay in touch with us and keep sending his work our way. And when Spoon Lake Blues landed on my desk, and the seal barking happened again, well, it was time to test the play’s funny quotient on a larger audience. We circulated the script, we staged a few readings, and here’s the cool thing; a whole lot of people found a whole lot of funny. And here’s what’s even cooler — no two audience members found the same things funny. And one of our core Rosemary Newcott tests of a play here is that it has as many open doors and windows for an audience to walk Editor . . . as . . . possible. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marci Tate through Have a beautiful, celebratory holiday season!

Writer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Celise Kalke I can’t yet speak But I can attest to the difficulty of comedy, and it Cover design. . . . . . to . . .the . . .easiness . . . . . . . . of . . dying. Lee Moyer publisher/Advertising directorto. .introduce . . . . . . . Clint gives me great pleasure youSmith to one of its younger masters — Josh Tobiessen. program design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Susan Spencer CAST . . . . . . . . . . .

Go ahead. Bark like a seal. We won’t mind.

The Alliance Theatre program is published ten times a year by New World Communications. For advertising and editorial information call Clint Smith at 770.992.7808. All contents © Copyright 2008 by New World Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

Susan V. Booth Alliance Theatre phone Numbers Box Office . . Hertz, . . . . . . Jr. . . . Artistic . . . . . . .Director . . . . . . .404.733.5000 Jennings Box Office TTd . . . . . . . . Subscription Services . . . group Sales . . . . . . . . . . Administrative Office . . . . donations . . . . . . . . . . . . Education/Acting Classes

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pROFILES F E ATu R E

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Spoon Lake scribe sticks to small plays, big ideas W by kathy janich

hen Alliance audiences first met up with playwright Josh Tobiessen, it was 2008 and his dark comedy Election Day — a finalist in the Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition — was being read on the Hertz Stage. Josh was fresh from graduate school to-watch as Tarell Alvin McCraney, in California, looking to make a living Megan Gogerty, Carson Kreitzer, as a playwright. Election Day, his first Sarah Gubbins and Mat Smart. Spoon Lake Blues, another dark big play, looked at the comedy, is Josh’s heftiest price of personal and project since Election Day. political campaigns. It had It follows two brothers who a full production at Second leave no stone, stereotype Stage in New York (The or septic tank unturned Times liked it; a few other in an effort to save their publications did not). And house from the bank. In he’d begun working on both plays, the action spins Spoon Lake Blues, which on a mix of singular and he did intensively in 2009 Josh Tobiessen universal truths. at the prestigious summer Tobiessen’s main goal in writing plays lab at the Eugene O’Neill Playwright “is just not to let people get bored,” he Center in Waterford, Conn. Tobiessen (pronounced toe-BEE-sinn) says self-deprecatingly. He likes to take on weighty themes, is the first Kendeda alumnus to return to the Alliance, no small feat. The issues that we all face as a country. And Kendeda roster includes such names- he likes to make people laugh.

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In short, he writes funny plays about big ideas. His goal: to engage audience members in theatre as a means of discussion. He’s into inclusion, not polarization, whether the core topic is politics, the housing crisis or idealists creating a commune in Kentucky. Tobiessen, originally from Schenectady, N.Y., is an only child. As he played alone with his action figures, he says he made his first efforts to write dialogue. He acted in high school and in college, where he studied psychology. After college, he moved to Chicago and found more work in improv than as an actor. As he learned how to create dialogue and action on the spot, his thoughts turned to playwriting. Since he’d always wanted to live abroad and he only spoke English, he chose a graduate program in Ireland. After collecting one master’s degree and some handson experience running a theatre company, he moved on to San Diego for practical reasons. Attending graduate school there would help him make connections in American theatre, he felt. For the most part, his plan has worked. At 36, Tobiessen is no beginner, but he’s at a grateful place.

He and his girlfriend, a theatre director, are at home in Brooklyn. And, although he stills takes on temporary office work to help pay the bills, he knows he’s had it better than a lot of playwrights. “Good things have happened to me,” he says, “but they have been kind of spread out. I’m still climbing my way up.” Kathy Janich is an Atlanta theatre artist and freelance writer. After years in daily newspapers, she’s found a second career as an artistic associate at Atlanta’s Synchronicity Theatre. Visit synchrotheatre.com.

Jimi Kocina and Veronika Duerr from Spoon Lake Blues. Photo by Greg Mooney.

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PAINTING, MUSIC, AND PRETENDING. YOU LOVED IT AS KINDERGARTEN, NOW LOVE IT AS CULTURE.

EXPERIENCE the ARTS all OVER AGAIN.

As a child, there was

nothing better than using your imagination. Now there’s nothing better than stimulating it. And there’s no better place than the Woodruff Arts Center to do that. Experience one of the nation’s hottest destinations for visual and performing arts – a dynamic cultural center right in your backyard. Visit us at woodruffcenter.org

MAHLER & PUCCINI ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Haunting echoes of “The Sweet Hereafter”: Puccini’s beloved opera La bohème is entwined with Bach’s Cantata of redemption; Mahler’s original version of what became the opening movement of his famed “Resurrection” Symphony; and Purcell’s Funeral March. 4.28.11 & 4.30.11

8:00 pm

TOULOUSE-LAUTREC & CARTIER-BRESSON HIGH MUSEUM OF ART Toulouse-Lautrec & Friends features some of the world's most recognizable images of turn-of-the-century Paris. 1.29.11 - 5.01.11 Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century features photographs from one of the great portraitists of the twentieth century. 2.19.11 - 5.29.11

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY ALLIANCE THEATRE This Pulitzer Prize winning raucous dark comedy transforms one family gathering into an evening of can’t-turn-away blood sport – filled with sex, secrets, and REALLY inappropriate behavior. Revel in this searing and corrosive family trainwreck featuring an ensemble of Atlanta’s favorite actors as you’ve never seen them before. 4.13.11 - 5.08.11

ALLIANCE THEATRE Presents

Written by

Josh Tobiessen Set Design by

Costume Design by

Marion Williams

Sydney Roberts

Sound Design by

Production Stage Manager

Clay Benning

Lighting Design by

Jane Cox Dramaturg

lark hackshaw

Celise Kalke

Casting by

Jody Feldman and Harriet Bass Directed by

Davis McCallum Sponsored by:

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cast in alphabetical order

*Veronika Duerr.......................................................................................... Abigail Jimi Kocina................................................................................................ Brady *Lakisha Michelle May............................................................................... Caitlin *Luke Robertson......................................................................................... Denis

UNDERSTUDIES Understudies and Stand-Ins never substitute for listed players unless a specific announcement is made at the time of performance.

Bryan Brendle — Brady, Denis; Marisa Weatherly — Caitlin; Maureen Yasko — Abigail Brittney London......................................................................Assistant Dramaturg Jayson Waddell......................................... Production Stage Management Assistant *Denotes a member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Setting: Present A small lake town in the mountains

Spoon Lake Blues was developed at The O’Neill New Play Conference and at the New Bridges Festival with Palm Beach Dramaworks and Theater Masters. Special thanks to James Anderson and Sharon Brewer. The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited; it is a violation of United States Copyright Law and is an actionable Federal Offense Cameras and recording devices are absolutely prohibited in the theatre. Cell phones and pagers are extremely disturbing and should be silenced before the performance begins. The Alliance Theatre Company operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States, and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, an independent national labor union. The Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff is a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, and is a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young Audiences (ASSITEJ/USA), The Atlanta Coalition of Theatres, the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Midtown Alliance.

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profiles

veronika duerr

bryan Brendle

jimi kocina

lakisha michelle may

marisa weatherly

Veronika Duerr (Abigail) has been waiting with baited breath to make her debut at the Alliance and here it is! Since graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a B.F.A. in Acting, Veronika has worked in professional theatre in Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles. You may have seen her around town To Kill A Mockingbird (Theatrical Outfit); Romeo and Juliet, Merchant Of Venice and Twelfth Night (The Shakespeare Tavern); Tradin’ Paint, Suzi Award, Best Lead Actress (Theatre in the Square); Becky Shaw (Actor’s Express); Exit Pursued By A Bear (Synchronicity Theatre); and Noises Off (Aurora Theatre). Veronika is a proud member of Actors’ Equity. Many heartfelt thanks to the cast and crew of Spoon Lake Blues and the amazing staff at the Alliance! Love to the family, Curtis and the many friends that support her on a daily basis.

luke robertson

maureen yasko

Theatre during the 2006-07 season. Last fall, she played Oya in the West Coast premiere of Tarell McCraney’s In the Red and Brown Water, which originally world premiered at the Alliance Theatre in 2008. She is a recent graduate of the Master of Fine Arts program at The American Conservatory Theater. While there, she was selected to go to Bath, England, to workshop the play Riot, in which she originated the role of Kelly. Lakisha’s favorite roles at The American Conservatory Theater include Angel Allen in Blues for an Alabama Sky, Polly in Gnadiges Fraulien and Hamlet in Hamlet workshop. Lakisha is also a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta, Ga. Additionally, she enjoys sharing her passion for the arts with underserved youth of color.

Jimi Kocina (Brady) is thrilled to be performing in Spoon Lake Blues. Other Atlanta credits: True Love Lies, Suzi Bass Nominee (Horizon Theatre); Fat Pig (Aurora Theatre); 25th Annual Putnam Co. Spelling Bee (Georgia Ensemble Theatre); and Zanna, Don’t! (Actor’s Express). Jimi would like to thank Davis, Josh, Alicia, the cast and everyone involved with the show.

Luke Robertson (Denis) is very excited to be making his debut at the Alliance Theatre. Other regional credits include The Yale Repertory Theatre, Hartford Stage and Baltimore Centerstage. Television credits include “Blue Bloods,” “Law and Order,” “Law and Order: SVU,” “Third Watch” and “All My Children.” Luke has been in many independent films including Split Ends, Imaginary Heroes, and Levity. Luke is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Lakisha Michelle May (Caitlin) is thrilled to be making her Alliance Theatre stage debut. She served as the artistic intern at the Alliance

Bryan Brendle (US Denis/Brady) Bryan is tickled pink to be working at the Alliance for the first time. Recent Atlanta credits include: alliancetheatre.org

profiles Superior Donuts (Horizon Theatre), Broadsword (Actor’s Express), Dead Certain (ART Station), It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (ART Station), Mauritius (Actor’s Express) and Dracula (Aurora Theatre). Other credits include: “One Life to Live,” “Drop Dead Diva,” “Army Wives” and “Franklin & Bash.” Bryan received his B.F.A. in Acting from Florida State University. Bryan would like to thank the gang at the Alliance for the opportunity and his wife and daughter for their endless support and encouragement. Marisa Weatherly (US Caitlin), a native of Powder Springs, Ga., is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory (CCM Drama). Marisa is currently training at The Company Acting Studio in Atlanta. An athlete doesn’t become successful and then stop training, as an actor I still want to keep growing and learning and evolving. I want to be great and memorable and you can’t achieve that by being mediocre. Marisa would like to thank God for always making a way out of no way and her friends and family for their continued support of her career. Maureen Yasko (US Abigail) is thrilled and honored to be understudying such a great role! She most recently played Jeannie in Aurora Theatre’s production of Fat Pig. Maureen is also an actor/ education artist with the Atlanta Shakespeare Company, where she has graced the stage in The Three Parts of Henry VI, Romeo & Juliet, The Canterbury Tales, Hamlet! The Musical! and the title role in The Taming of the Shrew. As an education artist, she co-directed productions of Macbeth and The Comedy of Errors. Other Atlanta credits: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Synchronicity), Harvest 2010: The Backyard Plays (Onion Man Productions) and the short film No Chopsticks (Pinion Tree Productions). Regional theatre credits: The Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, American Family Theatre, Savannah Shakespeare Festival, Tybee Theatre Café, Scioto Society Inc., Johnny Appleseed Outdoor Drama. Many thanks to Jody for this opportunity. Love to Michael. Josh Tobiessen (Playwright) Originally from Schenectady, N.Y., Josh received a degree in philosophy from Grinnell College in Iowa before moving to Chicago to study at the Improv Olympic. From there, he moved to Ireland for a Masters degree in Theatre and Drama at The National

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University of Ireland, Galway. After graduating, he co-founded a Galway-based theatre company called Catastrophe, and produced his plays at such venues as the Galway Arts Festival and the Dublin Fringe Festival. From Ireland, it was off to UCSD’s M.F.A. playwriting program where his play, Election Day, was a finalist in the Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition at the Alliance Theatre. He’s been produced or developed at such places as The Alliance Theatre, The O’Neill New Play Conference, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Theater Masters and Second Stage Theatre. Election Day is published by Samuel French and in the Smith and Kraus anthology, New Playwrights, Best Plays of 2008. Davis McCallum (Director) is delighted to be working at the Alliance. He last worked in Atlanta in 2004, when he directed Cyrano de Bergerac with Chris Kayser at Georgia Shakespeare. Recent work in New York includes world premieres of Sam Hunter’s A Bright New Boise (Partial Comfort), Greg Moss’s punkplay (Clubbed Thumb), Chuck Mee’s Queens Boulevard (Signature Theater), and Quiara Hudes’ Elliot: A Soldier’s Fugue (P73; Pulitzer Prize Finalist). Regional highlights include Henry V (Guthrie), Itamar Moses’ Back Back Back (Old Globe), The Belle’s Stratagem (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Arcadia (Chautauqua Theater Company), Noah Haidle’s Western Country (Williamstown Theater Festival), and Molly Smith Metzler’s Elemeno Pea at the 2011 Humana Festival of New American Plays. He trained at LAMDA, studied at Princeton and Oxford (Rhodes scholarship), and currently teaches at the New School. Marion Williams (Scenic Designer) This is Marion’s Alliance Theatre debut, however, she has previously worked with Davis McCallum in Namaste Man by Andrew Weems. New York — Juilliard: Burn This, Savage in Limbo; MCC; Mint: The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd; Women’s Project. Off Broadway — Filumena, The Moonlight Room, The Mystery of Attraction. International — Leipzig, Germany: Turn of the Screw. Regional — Barrington Stage; Centerstage; Cincinnati Ballet Mozart’s Requiem, Firebird; Louisville Ballet — five consecutive commissions including Rite of Spring; McCarter Theatre Crimes of the Heart, The Old Globe: Death of a Salesman; Playmakers: In the Continuum, The Importance of Being Ernest, Opus, Doubt, Topdog/Underdog,

profiles The Illusion, The Underpants, Yellowman, Proof; Round House; Sacramento: Tartuffe, Amadeus, Taming of the Shrew, Othello; Shakespeare Theatre of NJ: Othello, Of Mice and Men, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, The Cherry Orchard; Two River: The Glass Menagerie, 26 Miles, ReEntry, Barefoot in the Park; Williamstown. M.F.A. University of Washington, Seattle; 2004 Princess Grace Award; 2007 PGF Grant Recipient. SYDNEY ROBERTS (Costume Designer) has designed TYA shows with Rosemary Newcott at the Alliance since 2001. Other Atlanta credits include work with Georgia Shakespeare, Horizon Theatre, Theatrical Outfit, True Colors Theatre Company, Actor’s Express and Synchronicity. Regional: Portland Center Stage (Oregon.) Film: Ruthie. Sydney holds a position in the Department of Theatre and Speech at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and is a member of USA 829. Jane Cox (Lighting Design) previous collaborations with Davis McCallum include All My Sons at Playmakers Repertory Theater. New York theatre includes designs on Broadway; for the Roundabout Theater, Manhattan Theater Club, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Playwrights Horizons, Signature Theater, the Public Theater and NYTW. Jane has designed for the Guthrie Theater, McCarter Theater and Oregon Shakespeare Festival; and for New York City Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Glimmerglass Opera and Minnesota Opera among many others. She has long term collaborations with choreographers Doug Varone and Monica Bill Barnes. Jane grew up in Dublin, Ireland, and received her M.F.A. from NYU. She teaches design at Princeton University and Vassar College and is a member of United Scenic Artists. Clay Benning (Sound Designer) has designed more than 70 productions for the Alliance Theatre including Pacific Overtures, Class of 3000 LIVE, Jelly’s Last Jam, Avenue X, Five Guys Named Moe, Eurydice and Topdog/Underdog. He is also an associate artist at Georgia Shakespeare with designs for more than 15 productions including King Lear, Metamorphoses, Julius Caesar, Titus Andronicus, Antigone and Pericles. Atlanta Ballet: The Great Gatsby, big (featuring Big Boi). Regional work: Cincinnati Playhouse, Repertory Theatre of St.Louis, Theatrical Outfit,

Synchronicity Theatre. Awards: 2006, 2007 and 2009 Suzi Bass Awards for Best Sound Design (Metamorphoses, False Creeds and Titus Andronicus). Production sound engineer for the world premiers of The Color Purple, Jesus Christ Superstar GOSPEL and Come Fly With Me. He is a graduate of Presbyterian College (B.A.), North Carolina School of the Arts (M.F.A.) and a member of IATSE. lark hackshaw (Production Stage Manager) Favorites include off-Broadway: Langston In Harlem; Hoopz (Disney); Mama, I Want to Sing. Alliance Theatre: Bring it On: The Musical, Twist, Avenue X, August Wilson Full Circle: Gem of the Ocean & Radio Golf; Eurydice; Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies; Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris; Jelly’s Last Jam; Five Guys Named Moe; Topdog/Underdog; King Hedley II; Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk; Wit; and How I Learned to Drive. National tours: Ain’t Misbehavin’; Noise/Funk starring Savion Glover; Dreamgirls starring Jennifer Holiday. Regional Theatre: Rejoice!, True Colors Theatre Company; Soldier’s Play, Black Spectrum Theatre; Blues in the Night, Arena Stage; My Castle’s Rockin’, N. Carolina Black Repertory; Grease, Muny Theatre; Dance: Urban Nutcracker; The Leopard Tale, Ballethnic Dance Company. Other credits: An Evening with Carol Burnett; line producer/executive assistant to producing artistic director, North Carolina National Black Theatre Festival 1997–present. Celise Kalke (Director of New Projects) joined the staff of the Alliance in 2005, where she manages New Play Development, the Kendeda Graduate Playwright Competition and is a production dramaturg. Before moving to the Alliance, she was the director of the Literary Department at the Public Theater in New York, curating four NEW WORK NOW reading series, working with writers including John Guare, Diana Son and Tracey Scott Wilson, and serving as the production dramaturg for the Shakespeare in Central Park productions. At the Public, she worked with many well known actors including Jeffrey Wright, Mos Def, Ben Stiller, Jimmy Smits, Peter Dinklage and Rosie Perez. Other New York affiliations include Independent Art HERE, Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Juilliard School. She was featured in American Theatre as one of 25 American Theatre Leaders of the Future.

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profiles Susan V. Booth (Jennings Hertz, Jr. Artistic Director) joined the Alliance Theatre in 2001. In the past eight seasons, she has initiated the Collision Project for teens, the Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition, created local producing partnerships and overseen regional collaborative productions, as well as commercial partnerships on projects including The Color Purple; Bring It On: The Musical; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; SISTER ACT the Musical; Bring in Da’ Noise, Bring in Da’ Funk; and Jesus Christ Superstar GOSPEL, which she also directed. As a director, she has worked nationally at theatres including Goodman, La Jolla Playhouse, New York Stage and Film, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Northlight Theatre, Victory Gardens, Court Theatre and many others. She holds degrees from Denison and Northwestern Universities and was a fellow of the National Critics Institute and the Kemper Foundation. She has held teaching positions at Northwestern and DePaul Universities, and currently serves as adjunct faculty with Emory University. She is the immediate past president of the board of directors for Theatre Communications Group (the national service organization for the field), is

on the artistic board of the Steinberg Charitable Trust in New York, and serves on the board of the Metro Atlanta Arts and Culture Coalition. Susan is married to Max Leventhal and is the proud mother of Moira Rose Leventhal. ROSEMARY NEWCOTT (The Sally G. Tomlinson Artistic Director of Theatre for Youth) has been directing, acting and teaching at the Alliance Theatre since 1988. Favorite Alliance directing credits include Middle School the Musical (world premiere); Disney’s Mulan; Class of 3000 LIVE (world premiere); Seussical the Musical; A Christmas Carol; Einstein Is a Dummy (world premiere); and the high school Collision Project. Newcott has directed at Horizon Theatre, Theatrical Outfit, Center for Puppetry Arts, Academy Theatre, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, Virginia Stage Company, Seaside Rep, La Jolla Playhouse and the Kennedy Center. Newcott was named PBA Lexus Leader of the Arts and Best Director by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for the 2001-2002 season. In 2005, she received the GTC Distinguished Career Award. Newcott is also the recipient of a Princess Grace Foundation Fellowship and the 2010 Suzi Bass Spirit Award. She is in the Board of TYA/USA.

Why this play? This play received a workshop production with the Alliance and in our education program and while it was in house, there was also a professional reading. Staff and playwright all learned when people laughed and who laughed at what. The experience taught us about differences in generational humor about issues of race and class. It was the shared experience the Alliance looks for.

Why Atlanta? The Alliance audience spans many different Atlantans who fearlessly voice their reactions to theatre. Finding plays where these reactions can come out through laughter involves both reading plays and listening to the audience. The Spoon Lake Blues experience is one of both listening and laughter and an opportunity to witness changing generational perspectives in Atlanta.

Why now? Written during the Obama presidential campaign, Spoon Lake Blues anticipated a readiness for examing American issues of race and class in a humorous medium. Twist, The Nacirema Society, Sammy and Me and Bring it On: The Musical all dramatized new ways of looking at American assumptions about identity. Spoon Lake Blues takes this one step further by finding humor in these new ways at looking at American identity and bravely coliding people from very different places on the American class ladder (with racial differences thrown into the mix) to experiment with the consequences and possibilities of that collision.

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About the Alliance Theatre A Brief History Atlanta’s nationally acclaimed Alliance Theatre, recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award®, creates the powerful experience of shared theatre for diverse people of all ages. Under the leadership of Jennings Hertz, Jr. Artistic Director Susan V. Booth, the Alliance Theatre uses contemporary classics, field leading theatre artists and a commitment to premiere as the foundation for a national theatre with a local address. The theatre’s two stages host 200,000 adult and youth patrons each season, and the Alliance engages and educates students and teachers of all ages through its extensive training programs and commitment to providing a community forum for connection and dialogue. The Alliance leads the national regional theatre field in the creation of significant American musicals and plays. This includes over 70 premieres that have enjoyed future lives in theatres across the country as well as Tony Award®-winning moves to Broadway: Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida and Alfred Uhry’s The Last Night of Ballyhoo. Following their Atlanta premieres, the Alliance transferred Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly Away to Broadway for a critically acclaimed Tony Award®-nominated run while Sister Act: the Musical will arrive on Broadway this season after its run on London’s West End. The Alliance also originated the national tours of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk as well as Bring It On: The Musical. The Alliance enjoys a national reputation for finding and developing Atlanta artists for the national stage, including New York Times bestseller Pearl Cleage whose The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at a Celebration of Their First One Hundred Years was the latest of Cleage’s Alliance world premieres. Further evidence of the Alliance’s commitment to new work is its nationally recognized National Graduate Playwriting Competition, a cutting-edge program introducing student playwrights to professional networks across the country while producing the world premiere of the winning student’s work here at the Alliance. Work by past competition winners has gone on to be produced by theatres in New York, Chicago, London, San Francisco and beyond. The Alliance continuously brings Atlanta the finest talent and finest art—proving once again that the Alliance is where great theatre lives. The Alliance Theatre is a division of the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia, which also houses the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, High Museum of Art and Young Audiences.

Our Mission As a leading national theatre, the Alliance Theatre sets the highest artistic standards, creating the powerful experience of shared theatre for diverse people. 404.733.4650 or alliancetheatre.org http://facebook.com/AllianceTheatre

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Laughter from aggressive possibility T

wo brothers trapped in a room together in a theater, particularly in an American play, rarely ends well. From Sam Shepard to Suzan-Lori Park and looking back to Eugene O’Neill, there is an interest in fraternal competition and violence that revisits again and again the Cain and Abel biblical story. There is only room for one man in the room, and the play wrestles with a primal interest in birthright and inheritance. In Spoon Lake Blues two brothers are trapped in a room together, but somehow the play never allows space for that primal competition to play out. Clinging to despair and limited choices, the brothers are assaulted by possibility and options. The world is a big place in the 21st century, and neither brother has the financial or

by celise kalke

emotional resources to maintain isolation. The result is a warm experience not unlike the comedies of Oscar Wilde or the madcap adventures of Hollywood Screwball comedy. The characters wrestle with various circumstances, often losing ground in the pursuit of an original goal, but in the end realizing that loss of control yielded greater happiness. A Tobiessen play is a warm play, with humor coming from a writer who is always on the side of his own characters, even as he creates situations where they dig their own graves, embarass themselves and insert their feet into their mouths. It’s a completely twentieth first century old fashioned experience created through warmth, good humour and an interest in a good time had by all.

If Barack Obama’s election didn’t end identity politics in American culture, it certainly complicated the matter. — Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, March 21, 2001

Words from the Playwright: For one thing, the Alliance and I have gotten to know each other pretty well. They not only know the play that they are producing, they have a broader knowledge of what’s important to me as a playwright. This familiarity brings us closer to a common language when discussing the production and clarifies what it needs to succeed. During a workshop in Atlanta last fall it was helpful to have a creative team that could keep me focused on the strengths of my storytelling style. When I stumbled into the rehearsal room with new pages written late the night before, I found it comforting to sit next to someone who could say with some authority, “that

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idea feels like a Josh Tobiessen play.” The other possibility for taking some of the unknown out of the equation is for a theatre to produce a playwright that they know. I may not have the name recognition to ensure large crowds, but the Alliance knows my work well, they trust that I’m a good collaborator, they’ve tested my plays on their audience at small readings, and they’re comfortable taking a chance. Theaters that have the resources to get to know emerging writers, and the commitment to nurture those relationships, have the chance to shape the world of contemporary theater rather than just reflect it. — Josh Tobiessen, Howl Round (online journal)

RetuRn this spRing foR Real family dysfunction

winneR of the pulitzeR pRize foR dRama

apR. 13 – may. 8 This raucous dark comedy transforms one family gathering into an evening of can’t-turn-away bloodsport. It’s an emotional Armageddon you don’t want to miss. August: Osage County The Pulitzer Prize-winning play By Tracey Letts Directed by Susan V. Booth

board of directors Officers Board Chair Vice Chair Immediate Past Chair Treasurer

Dan Reardon Victoria Palefsky Howard L. Feinsand Steve Chaddick

Directors James L. Anderson Candace Bell Kenny Blank Sarah Robinson Borders Mark Callaway Frank S. Chew Alan Colberg Linda Davidson Philippa V. Ellis Daryl Evans A.D. Frazier Patrick J. Gunning Laura Hardman P. J. Younglove Hovey

Jocelyn J. Hunter Rosthema Viener Kastin James Kilberg Jeff Levy Valarie Lischer Cynthia H. Maloy Alan McKeon S. Alan McKnight, Jr. John Hays Mershon Hala Moddelmog Philip H. MoĂŻse Maureen Morrison Richard S. Myrick Helen Smith Price

Rita M. Anderson Kenneth L. Bernhardt Ann W. Cramer

George Goodwin Helen M. Regenstein Robert E. Reiser, Jr.

Life Directors

Douglas F. Reid Maurice M. Rosenbaum William B. Rowland Karl Sachsenmaier Alan Schreihofer Stephen Selig Debbie Shelton William D. Sleeper Karen Spiegel Charles E. Taylor Robert Walker Peter D. Weitzner A. Penniman Wells, Jr.

Jane E. Shivers Sally G. Tomlinson Benjamin T. White

Advisory Board Advisory Board Chair: Ann W. Cramer Madelyn Adams Judy Anderson Mark Bell Barry Berlin Veronica Biggins Erin Brown Stephen Brown Donna Burchfield Susan Callaway James Cox Chambers Ron Clark Tony Conway Richard Cravey Jackie Cushman Sallie Daniel Debbie Dermer John Deushane Patti Dickey Sally Dorsey

Diane Durgin Charles Edwards Jo Roberson Edwards Randi Emerman Reade Fahs Kathryn Farley Ellen Feinsand Valerie Ferguson Barry Flink Jay Freer Margie Goheen Lisa Greenberg Jennifer Hale Virginia Hepner Stephanie Husk Andrea Jones John Keller David Kuniansky Valerie Hartman Levy

Constance Lewis Kristie Madara Kent Matlock Philip McAdoo Penny McPhee Cathy Missildine-Martin Dedi Mohr Cynthia Moreland Elena Mulligan Linda Newport Bill Nigut William Pate Monica Pearson Travis Reed Harrison Rohr Bobby Rosenbloum Jack Sawyer Christine Schneider Sonny Seals

Volunteer Leadership President, STARS/Alliance Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Theatre Guild President, Alliance Theatre Guild

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Valarie Lischer Sarah Larson

Linda Selig Janece Shaffer Anne Joyner Sheehan Brian Shepler Cindy Shepler Linda Silberman Chandra StephensAlbright Charlita StephensWalker Veda Storey Todd Tautfest Susan Tucker Wayne Vason Lynda Walker Rick Western Mary Williams Suzy Wilner Joni Winston

BE MOM’S FAVORITE THIS MOTHER’S DAY. APRIL 1 - MAY 8, BUY A $50 GIFT CARD GET A $10 GIFT CARD FREE! Give Mom Atlanta’s best in theatre, music, and art! The Woodruff Arts Center Gift Card is good at:

Alliance Theatre Atlanta Symphony Orchestra High Museum of Art Young Audiences It’s also good for parking, dining, and shopping at The Woodruff. With so many shows, concerts, and exhibitions, she can choose something she loves! Purchase today at woodruffcenter.org/giftcards or at The Woodruff Box Office, (404) 733-5000.

YOUNG AUDIENCES

ALLIANCE THEATRE

HIGH MUSEUM OF ART

THE MIKADO

April 15 – May 1, 2011

Gilbert and Sullivan are the undisputed masters of comic operetta and the proud parents of the modern musical. That their works are more in demand today than when they were created over a century ago is ample proof of their lasting brilliance. The hapless lovers in The Mikado are mercilessly buffeted by social restrictions, legal inconsistencies, judicial inequities, government stupidities, and that’s just the first act! Poor dears — it would be absolutely tragic if it weren’t so hysterically funny. Music by Arthur Sullivan Lyrics by W.S. Gilbert DIRECTED BY HEIDI CLINE MCKERLEY

ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

RENT

June 10 – 26, 2011

Rent is a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Broadway musical based loosely on Puccini’s opera “La Bohème.” The musical follows a year in the lives of seven friends living in the disappearing Bohemian lifestyle in New York’s Alphabet City located in the East Village. As the impoverished artists deal with their daily struggles, tragedy hits, and the love they share embodies their lives. The music, characters and story of Rent celebrate love, diversity and the power of friendship, as shown through the musical’s signature song, “Seasons of Love.” This blockbuster show will truly inspire and move any audience. Book, Music & Lyrics By Jonathan Larson DIRECTED BY ALAN KILPATRICK

(MATURE CONTENT NOT INTENDED FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES)

sponsors Alliance Sponsors are businesses, corporations and institutions that have supported the work of the Alliance Theatre. We thank them for their generosity and support.

★★★★★★★ $250,000+ The Coca-Cola Company

Kendeda Fund

U.S. Department of Education

Fulton County Arts Council The Shubert Foundation

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

North Highland Company Target

Zeist Foundation

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Georgia Council for the Arts National Endowment for the Arts Publix Super Markets Charities Rich Foundation

Theatre Communications Group (TCG) Wilmington Trust David, Helen & Marian Woodward Foundation

Georgia Power John H. and Wilhelmina D. Harland Foundation Premiere Global Services, Inc.

Price Gilbert Jr. Charitable Trust Frances Wood Wilson Foundation

Harry Norman Realtors Jones Day mediaedge: cia Plum Creek

Sharp Electronics SunTrust Wells Fargo Foundation WXIA-TV

★★★★★★ $100,000+ Delta Air Lines, Inc.

★★★★★ $50,000+ Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles The Home Depot

★★★★ $25,000+ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution AT&T Callaway Foundation, Inc. City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs Doris Duke Charitable Foundation

★★★ $10,000+ American Intercontinental University Atlanta Foundation Cartoon Network Georgia Pacific Foundation

★★ $5,000+ AON Bryan Cave Duke Realty Corporation John and Mary Franklin Foundation

★ $2,500+ Digital Arts Studio

The Suzuki School

By attending our theatre, you have made a powerful statement about how important the arts are to you. With the 2010-11 Season, the Alliance Theatre turns 42. Help us celebrate the power of great theatre for 42 years by making another statement of support louder than any standing ovation. Visit our website at alliancetheatre.org and click on Donate.

Alliance Theatre is a participant in the New Generations Program, funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation/The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and administered by Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for American theatre.

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sponsors turner broadcasting system, inc. is committed to meaningful corporate citizenship in the communities in which the company operates and its employees work and live. The arts is one focus area of Turnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s local philanthropy, in particular organizations and programs that enhance the quality of life for all residents of its Atlanta hometown.

Cast and company flowers sponsored by

Official Hotel

Wellness Partner

Foxgloves & Ivy

Restaurant Partners

government

Major funding for this organization is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

This program is supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) through the appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly. GCA is a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Major support is provided by the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs.

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annual fund

DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE A L L I A N C E

T H E AT R E

★★★★ $35,000+ Victoria & Howard Palefsky

Sally G. Tomlinson

★★★ $25,000-$34,999 Barbara & Steve Chaddick Mr. & Mrs. Howard Feinsand

James Starr Moore Memorial Foundation

Dan & Garnet Reardon

★★ $15,000-$24,999

James & Lori Kilberg

★ $10,000-$14,999 The Balloun Family Lisa & Joe Bankoff Susan V. Booth & Max Leventhal Alan & Chi Colberg Ann & Jeff Cramer Doug & Donna Curling Linda & Gene Davidson A.D. & Clair Frazier David & Carolyn Gould Mr. & Mrs. Patrick J. Gunning Doug & Lila Hertz

Andrea & Boland Jones John & Angie Keller Phillip I. Kent Foundation Mrs. J. Hicks Lanier Valerie & Jeff Levy Maureen & Angus Morrison Richard S. & Winifred B. Myrick Patty & Doug Reid Bob & Margaret Reiser Mr. & Mrs. Charles B. Shelton III Steve & Linda Selig

John & Karen Spiegel Chandra Stephens-Albright & Warren Albright Charlita Stephens-Walker, Charles & Delores Stephens Chuck & Lisa Cannon-Taylor Mr. & Mrs. Edus H. Warren, Jr. Rick & Terri Western Ramona & Ben White Joni Winston Suzy Wilner

top billing Executive Producers ★★ $7,500-$9,999 Mark & Ansley Callaway P.J. Younglove Hovey

Paul & Rosthema Kastin Phil & Caroline Moïse

Bill & Rhonda Rowland Michael & June Tompkins

Executive Producers ★ $5,000-$7,499 Eve & Bob Eckardt Matthew & Doris Geller Jay & Debbie Goldman Kathy Harris Jocelyn J. Hunter Mr. & Mrs. James C. Kennedy Leslie Leigh M.D. Cynthia & Alan Maloy Melanie & S. Alan McKnight, Jr.

James Anderson Peg & Bill Balzer Candace & Jeff Bell The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Sarah & Jim Borders Bryan Cave-Powell Goldstein Frank & Mary Anne Chew Marcia & John Donnell

Mr. & Mrs. John Hays Mershon Mr. Walter W. Mitchell Mr. & Mrs. Kenyon Murphy Helen Smith Price Hugh & Sue Ripps Patricia & Maurice Rosenbaum Sonny & Jeanne Seals Dr. & Mrs. Dennis Lee Spangler Penn & Sally Wells

Producers ★★ $3,500-$4,999 Mark & Pam Bell Kathy & Ken Bernhardt Mr. Dick Dickson & Ms. Yin Lo

Charles & Carol Edwards Philippa & Burrell Ellis Lubo Fund

William & Margarita Sleeper Dr. & Mrs. Dennis Lee Spangler Karen & Alex Stickney

Producers ★ $2,500-$3,499 Madelyn R. Adams Southern States LLC

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Mrs. Susan Beallor-Snyder & Mr. Stuart Snyder

Susan & Tom Callaway John & Lucy Cook

annual fund Alliance donors provide over $1.2 million to the Annual Fund and Annual Fundraising events so that we can continue to present exceptional theatre and educational programs to our community. We are deeply grateful for their support. *Gifts processed as of March 14, 2011

Producers ★ $2,500-$3,499 (cont.) Mrs. Helen M. Regenstein Tanya M. Rutledge Alan & Cyndy Schreihofer Michele & Glenn Shear Charlotte & Tom Shields Stu & Susan Snyder Henry N. & Margaret P. Staats Procore Solutions James Taylor Susan & Thomas Wardell John & Kathy Zamer

Mr. & Mrs. J. Michael Hostinsky Mr. & Mrs. James E. Hugh, III Booker & Birdie Izell Mr. & Mrs. Mark A. Jungers David L. Kuniansky TAYLAR Development & Associates Kristie L. Madara Jodi & Henry Niden Dr. Kathleen Nixon & Dr. Gregory Berkey John & Helen Parker

Mr. & Mrs. Edward S. Croft III Douglas & Camille Duerr Robert W. & Nikki C. Eickhoff Eierman Foundation John & Cindy Ethridge Diane & Daryl Evans Ms. Beryl Farris Rick & Leslie Fuess Dr. & Mrs. Edmond I. Griffin Mr. & Mrs. Lance E. Hall Henry & Etta Raye Hirsch

Associate Producers $1,500-$2,499 Judge Gregory A. Adams & Wanda Adams Elaine & Miles Alexander Kent & Diane Alexander Dr. & Mrs. Raymond Allen Theodore & Andrea Altholz Judy M. Anderson Herb & Myrtice Arnold Elizabeth & John Bacon Ms. Ann B. Bishop Pamela Blackburn Ron & Lisa Brill Charitable Trust Ms. Susan A. Campbell Mr. & Mrs. W. Kent Canipe Stephen & Liz Carter In Memory of Mary A. Cipolla Mr. Dale Cohen Mr. & Mrs. Malon Courts Mr. & Mrs. James L. Curry Sallie Daniel Marc & Kelli Davenport Richard & Linda Diedrich Patti Dickey Douglas & Camille Duerr Diane Durgin Ralph & Ree Edwards Elizabeth Etoll Alan & Willa Fabian Reade Fahs Kathryn T. Farley, PhD Clara Feldman Michael & Jody Feldman

Valerie Ferguson Dr. & Mrs. Arnoldo Fiedotin Melanie & Richard Fine Andy Fisher Dr. Cynthia J. Fordyce & Sharon Hulette Margie & Barry Goheen Donald & Dale Goodman Mr. Dwayne E. Greene Mrs. Jack K. Hale Rachel & Mike Hammer John & Simone Hanson Dr. & Mrs. John B. Hardman David Herskovits Pearlann & Jerry Horowitz Tycho & Marie Howle Foundation Joseph Hurley Mr. & Mrs. Harold Itkin Mr. Clay Jackson Richard & Marcia Jacobson Caroline John In honor of Carol Jones & the Alliance Theatre Education Department Mr. & Mrs. Richard Kruger Conchita Heyn & Robert Lichtefeld Mr. & Mrs. James E Hugh, III Linda Lively Tim & Jane Lundberg Dick Lyon M.C. Jackson, Sr., Family Foundation Chip Mann

Gene G. Abel, M.D. & Nora Harlow JoAnne & Charles S. Ackerman

Rita & Ted Anderson Mr. & Mrs. William Andrade

Mr. & Mrs. Michael J. Millett June M. Morrison Joyce & Michael Natbony Mr. Joseph Northington Judy Trotochaud & William Pate Bill & Carey Peard Monica K. Pearson Peg Petersen Susan & David Peterson Lynne Ragan & Jay Sampson Don & Rosalinda Ratajczak Mr. & Mrs. John Richard Alice & Peter Rogers Dr. & Mrs. Charles Rosenberg Emanuel & Peggy Roth David & Sharon Schachter Christine Schneider Mr. Kevin D. Seaway Chip & Sharon Shirley Martin & Patricia Silbiger Dean & Bronnie Smith Drs. Marjorie & Quentin Smith Dr. Paul Spiegel & Leigh Ann Wilder Sara & Paul Steinfeld Dante’s Down the Hatch, Buckhead Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth G. Taylor Judith & Mark Taylor Jackie Wallace Mr. Alex & Mr. Marc D. Weinberg Joan N. Whitcomb J.M. Wilkerson Construction Company Judy Zaban

Benefactors $1,000-$1,499 Mr. & Mrs. George Boyd Mr. & Mrs. Sam Bronfman II

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annual fund Benefactors $1,000-$1,499 (cont.) Ebony & Erin Brown Donna Burchfield & Penn Nicholson Ruth & Mark Coan Michael & Donna Coles David & Debbie Dermer Rachel Dinnerman Mr. Scott Dorfman & Ms. Susie Trotochaud Duane Morris, LLP Luxury Cars of Atlanta Jo Roberson Edwards Ms. Gail H. Evans Viki & Paul Freeman Mr. Haydn W. Fusia Mr. & Mrs. John J. Gillin Louise Staton Gunn Mr. & Mrs. Thomas B. Hyman, Jr. Bobo Jetmundsen

Kay H. & Burke C. Jones Gordon L. Joyner, Esq. Mr. Michael A. Kahn Dr. & Mrs. Michael Kalson Mr. & Mrs. Peter G. Kessenich David & Lauren Kieter Mark & Brenda Lichtenstein Mr. Alan B. McKeon & Ms. Evelyn Ashley Jim & Jo McLean Sally & Tom McNulty Mr. & Mrs. Nathan Metzger Avery & Valerie Munnings Ann Starr & Kent Nelson Linda Newport Bob & Gail O’Leary Carolyn Oppenheimer Mr. & Mrs. Markham D. Oswald

Dave & Susan Peterson Bill & Bamby Ray Dr. Susan Rifkin & Mr. David Rifkin Ms. Mary W. Rogers D. Jack Sawyer, Jr. Elizabeth & Ross Schiavo Nancy & Gerry Silverboard Mr. & Mrs. Timothy E. Sheehan Brenda J. Smith C. Austin Stephens Todd Tautfest The Elster Foundation Ms. Elizabeth Wallace Mr. Alex & Mr. Marc D. Weinberg Lynne Winship William & Nancy Yang Todd & Amy Zeldin

Legacy Society The following are members of the Legacy Society who are ensuring the future strength of the Alliance Theatre through planned gifts to benefit the Theatre. The Legacy Society is the special recognition group for those who have included the Theatre or any component of the Woodruff Arts Center in their estate plans. For more information about making a planned gift to benefit the Alliance Theatre, please contact Kristin Hathaway Hansen, Associate Director of Development, at (404) 733-4611. Rita M. Anderson Anonymous Betty Blondeau-Russell Jim & Anne Breedlove Ann & Jeff Cramer Mr. & Mrs. Edward S. Croft, III Sallie Adams Daniel Linda & Gene Davidson Laura & John Hardman

Glen E. & Nancy Hesler P.J. Younglove Hovey William C. Hyde Virginia Vann & Ken Large Mr. & Mrs. John Hays Mershon Mr. & Mrs. John McColskey Phil & Caroline Moïse Jan Pomerantz Helen M. Regenstein

Bob & Margaret Reiser Neal & Tricia Schachtel Mr. & Mrs. Charles B. Shelton, III Jane E. Shivers Wayne & Lee Harper Vason Rick & Terri Western Ramona & Ben White Lynne Winship

Matching Gift Companies We would like to thank the following companies who have donated matching gifts to the Alliance Theatre’s Annual Fund. Please check to see if your employer will match your contribution. American Express Company American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Aon Corporation AT&T Bank of America Bryan Cave-Powell Goldstein Charles Schwab and Co., Inc. Chubb & Son, Inc. CIGNA Corporation Citigroup Foundation

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The Coca-Cola Company Equifax Inc. Federated Department Stores, Inc. GE Energy Home Depot Foundation IBM Corporation JPMorgan Private Bank Kimberly-Clark Foundation Macy’s Foundation

McDonald’s Corporation Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc NDCHealth Norfolk Southern Corporation Prudential Financial Sprint SunTrust Foundation Time Warner, Inc. UPS Verizon Corporation

Patron Circle of Stars By investing $15,000 or more in The Woodruff Arts Center and its divisions — the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, High Museum of Art and Young Audiences — these outstanding Annual Corporate Campaign donors helped us raise more than $8.4 million last year. Thank you! Chairman’s Council ★★★★★★★★★★★★ $500,000+ Georgia Power Foundation, Inc. UPS ★★★★★★★★★★★ $450,000+ The Coca-Cola Company ★★★★★★★★★★ $300,000+ Cox Interests Atlanta Journal-Constitution, WSB-TV, Cox Radio Group Atlanta, James M. Cox Foundation The Honorable Anne Cox Chambers ★★★★★★★★★ $200,000+ AT&T The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Inc. Deloitte LLP, its Partners & Employees Ernst & Young, Partners & Employees The Home Depot Foundation Jones Day Foundation & Employees The Klaus Family Foundation PricewaterhouseCoopers Partners & Employees Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. ★★★★★★★★ $150,000+ Alston & Bird LLP Equifax Inc. & Employees The Rich Foundation, Inc. SunTrust Bank Employees & Trusteed Foundations Harriet McDaniel Marshall Trust

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Walter H. & Marjory M. Rich Memorial Fund Thomas Guy Woolford Charitable Trust Greene-Sawtell Foundation Wells Fargo ★★★★★★★ $100,000+ AirTran Airways Bank of America Delta Air Lines, Inc. Kaiser Permanente King & Spalding LLP KPMG LLP, Partners & Employees The Marcus Foundation, Inc. The Sara Giles Moore Foundation Novelis, Inc. Regions Financial Corporation Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. The David, Helen & Marian Woodward Fund ★★★★★★ $75,000+ Holder Construction Company The Sartain Lanier Family Foundation, Inc. Patty & Doug Reid Family Foundation ★★★★★ $50,000+ AGL Resources Inc. Lisa & Joe Bankoff Cisco Coca-Cola Enterprises Doosan Infracore International Frank Jackson Sandy Springs Toyota and Scion GMT Capital Corporation Beth & Tommy Holder ING Mr. & Mrs. M. Douglas Ivester

Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP Newell Rubbermaid Primerica Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP The Zeist Foundation, Inc. ★★★★ $35,000+ Accenture & Accenture Employees Katharine & Russell Bellman Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Bradley Currey, Jr. GE Energy The Imlay Foundation, Inc. Invesco PLC Norfolk Southern, Employees & Foundation SCANA Energy Siemens Industry, Inc. Harris A. Smith Troutman Sanders LLP Frances Wood Wilson Foundation, Inc. ★★★ $25,000+ Assurant Atlanta Companies Assurant Solutions Assurant Specialty Property BDO USA, LLP Laura & Stan Blackburn Brysan Utility Contractors, Inc. Chartis Cousins Properties Incorporated Crawford & Company Drummond Company, Inc. Eisner Family Foundation First Data Corporation Genuine Parts Company Georgia-Pacific Jack & Anne Glenn Foundation, Inc. IBM Corporation

Philip I. Kent Foundation The Ray M. & Mary Elizabeth Lee Foundation, Inc. LexisNexis Risk Solutions The Blanche Lipscomb Foundation Livingston Foundation, Inc. Macy’s Foundation McKinsey & Company, Inc. Katherine John Murphy Foundation Piedmont Charitable Foundation, Inc. J. Marshall & Lucile G. Powell Charitable Trust Mary & Craig Ramsey Rock-Tenn Company Richard D. Shirk Southwire Company Spectrum Brands Towers Watson Waffle House, Inc. Gertrude & William C. Wardlaw Fund Waste Management Charitable Foundation Yancey Bros. Co. ★★ $15,000+ 22squared, inc. A. E. M. Family Foundation ACE Charitable Foundation Acuity Brands, Inc. AGCO Corporation Alix Partners Arnall Golden Gregory LLP The Partners & Employees of Atlanta Equity Investors Atlanta Foundation Atlanta Marriott Marquis Julie & Jim Balloun BB&T Corporation Beaulieu Group, LLC Susan R. Bell & Patrick M. Morris

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Catherine S. & J. Bradford Branch George M. Brown Trust Fund of Atlanta, Georgia Bryan Cave LLP Buck Consultants The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation Talela & Beauchamp Carr Roxanne & Jeffrey Cashdan CB Richard Ellis Center Family Foundation Mr. Charles Center Mr. & Mrs. Fred Halperin Ms. Charlene Berman The Chatham Valley Foundation, Inc. Ann & Jeff Cramer DLA Piper Duke Realty Corporation Exide Technologies Mr. & Mrs. Frank L. Fernandez Fifth Third Bank Ford & Harrison LLP Robert Fornaro John & Mary Franklin Foundation, Inc. Gas South, LLC Georgia Natural Gas Grant Thornton LLP Harland Clarke HD Supply The Howell Fund, Inc. ICS Contract Services, LLC Infor Global Solutions Jenny & Phil Jacobs Mr. & Mrs. Tom O. Jewell Weldon H. Johnson Family Foundation David & Jennifer Kahn Family Foundation Sarah & Jim Kennedy Kurt P. Kuehn & Cheryl Davis Lanier Parking Solutions

Bryan Latham Karole & John Lloyd Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP Mohawk Industries, Inc. Mueller Water Products, Inc. Noonan Family Foundation Gail & Bob O’Leary Vicki R. Palmer The Sally & Peter Parsonson Foundation, Inc. Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP Printpack Inc./The Gay & Erskine Love Foundation David M. Ratcliffe J. Mack Robinson Interests Frances & Jesse A. Sasser, Jr. Emily Winship Scott Foundation Selig Enterprises, Inc./ The Selig Foundation Spencer Stuart Karen & John Spiegel Superior Essex Inc. TriMont Real Estate Advisors, Inc. United Distributors, Inc. WATL/WXIA/Gannett Foundation John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods Mr. & Mrs. James B. Williams Sue & Neil Williams Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC Carla & Leonard Wood The Xerox Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Yellowlees *As of February 8, 2011

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alliance theatre staff Artistic Jennings Hertz, Jr. Artistic Director.................................... Susan V. Booth Sally G. Tomlinson Artistic Director of Theatre for Youth..............................................Rosemary Newcott Associate Producer.............................................................. Jody Feldman Director of New Projects.........................................................Celise Kalke Artistic Associate....................................................................Bari Newport Community Engagement & Casting................................ DayRon J. Miles Artistic Assistant.........................................................................William Illg Education Director of Educational Programs............................... Christopher Moses Director of the Acting Program..............................................Al Hamacher Director, Institute for Educators and Teaching Artists......................................................Carol T. Jones Assistant Director, Institute for Educators and Teaching Artists..............................Michele Mummert Education Development Manager.......................................Sharon Brewer Education Coordinator & Producer of Drama Camps ................................. Christina Dresser Institute for Educators & Teaching Artists Assistant...........................................Padgett Ward Education Assistant..............................................................Rachel Jones Resident Artist in Education........................................... Patrick McColery Resident Teaching Artists............Kim Bowers-Rheay, Valletta Anderson Teaching Artists................................... Ricardo Aponte, Paul Armbruster, Denise Arribas, Olivia Aston, Greg Bosworth, Corey Bradberry, Enisha Brewster, Jaehn Claire, Brooke Collins Hamilton, Steve Coulter, John Doyle, Sharon Foote, Allison Gardner, Kimberly Geter, Joe Gfaller, Holly Godwin, Amy Handler, Bart Hansard, Angie Harrell, Michael Haverty, Jennifer Hebblethwaite, Laura Heckman, Charolette House, Lesley Howe, Vikki Holloway, BJ Hughes, John Jaramillio, Jan Jensen, Carol Jones, Rachel Jones, Sims Lamason, LeeAnna Lambert, Bethany Lind, Amy Lucas, Jen MacQueen, Barry Stewart Mann, Morgan McCrary, Michele McCullough Hazard, Bryan Mercer, Nancy Meyer, Tracy V. Moore, Kati Grace Morton, Jessica Muhammad, Sarah Onsager, Karen Ramps, Claire Ritzler, Manny Rivers, Kirk Seaman, Linda Sherbert, Don Slaton, Sheri Mann Stewart, Ambondem Tazano, Allison Upshaw, Rachel White, Jeanene Williams

Administration General Manager............................................................... Max Leventhal Company Manager........................................................... Laura Thruston Management Assistant............................................................Alicia Quirk Manager of Information Resources........................................ Jim Hubbert Finance Director of Finance................................................................ Brian Shively Accounting Coordinator............................................................... Julie Hall Accounting Coordinator...................................................Ashley Bradford Development Director of Development..................................Kristin Hathaway Hansen Major Contributions Manager.................................................. Ann Wilson Annual Fund Coordinator..............................................Rebecca Bowden Events Coordinator & Board Administrator.................Lindsey Hardegree Grants Manager...............................................................Davia Weatherill Development Volunteer...................................................Elaine Hentschel Development Assistant.........................................................Kat Reynolds Marketing Interim Director of Marketing................................................. Terry Sagedy Advertising & Promotions Specialist................................. Caroline Tanner E-marketing Specialist.............................................................John Maley Graphic Designer................................................................ Nadine Cheng Publications Assistant.......................................Brittney Reagler-London Marketing Volunteer.................................................................... Don Vann Public Relations Agency.............................................................. Creaxion Media Facilitation Assistant..........................................Kashara Robinson Associate Director of Group Sales ................................Quidana Bosman Group Sales Coordinator...................................................Laura Peacock Associate Director of Patron Services........................................ Shana Orr Patron Services Coordinator....................................................Ken McNeil House Managers.....................Dana Hylton Calabro, Christina Dresser, Lindsey Hardegree, DayRon Miles, Charles Swint, Lynn Vatter Assistant Manager Subcriptions.........................................Danielle Hicks Senior Ticket Agents..........................................Chad Martin, Ken McNeil

Production Production Management Production Manager........................................................ Rixon Hammond Stage Management Alliance Stage Managers................................Pat A. Flora, lark hackshaw, R. Lamar Williams TYF Stage Manager..................................................................Liz Campbell TYF Stage Management Production Assistant.................. Amy Radebaugh Hertz Management Production Assistant...................... Jayson T. Waddell Stage Operations Stage Operations Manager...................................................Scott Bowne Crew Chief....................................................................... Vincent Simons Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Theatre Crew Chief...............................................Deb Maberry Properties Stagehand.....................................................Courtney Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill Flyman....................................................................................Willie Parks Electrics Electrics Manager.......................................................................Pete Shinn Staff Electricians............................................Larry Bauer, Sean Hamilton, Steve Jordan Sound Resident Sound Designer...................................................... Clay Benning Sound Engineers/Board Ops...................... Holly Blakely, Brian Smith, Jessica Weeks

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Scenery Technical Director................................................................ Victor W. Smith Assistant Technical Director.......................................................Megan Kier Shop Foreman..................................................................... Patrick Conley Carpenters....... Manny Abreo, Jes Cottrell, Kevin Green, Travis Williams Charge Scenic Artist...................................................................Kat Conley Scenic Artist...............................................................................Phillip Male Properties Properties Manager...............................................................Robert Elliott Props Lead Artisan...................................................Dana Hylton Calabro Properties Buyer.........................................................Heather Schroeder Properties Artisians................................ Blake Anderson, Kellsey Hook, Suzanne Morris Costumes Costume Shop Manager................................................. Carol Hammond Design Assistant....................................English Benning, Emily Kramer Draper.....................................................Julie Kennedy, Cindy Lou Who Craftsmaster.................................................................. Diana L. Thomas Stitchers/First Hands.... Laury Conley, Lyudmila Fesenko, Maegan Robinson Wig Master.............................................................................Karin Craven Wardrobe............................................................. John Hardy, Niki Traxler

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We believe in life well-lived.

770-956-STAR H wellstar.org

The vision of WellStar Health System is to deliver world-class healthcare through our hospitals, physicians and services. Our not-for-profit health system, includes Cobb, Douglas, Kennestone, Paulding and Windy Hill hospitals; WellStar Medical Group; Urgent Care Centers; Health Place; Homecare; Hospice; Atherton Place; Paulding Nursing Center; and WellStar Foundation. For more information, call 770-956-STAR or visit wellstar.org