The year is 1968. An election year. The country is torn apart by the growing resistance to the Vietnam War, and President Lyndon Johnson sees the writing on the wall. He makes the shocking decision to not seek re-election, telling the public, “With our sons in faraway fields and the challenges at home, I don’t want to devote a single day of my life to other than the presidential duties.” Within days, peace talks to end the Vietnam War are scheduled to take place in Hawaii, and as LBJ prepares to board the plane, he gets the call. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had been shot.
The week our rehearsal began in July 2024, our country was in the throes of political free-fall. A Presidential candidate survived an assassination attack, a current President told the nation he would focus instead on the remainder of his presidency and not his re-election, wars abroad continued to gain mass division and protests at home, and the average American felt left behind on the issues of inflation and the economy. As we gathered in the rehearsal hall, our collective uncertainty was palpable. Yet as we stood in a circle of Asian Americans, African Americans, White Americans, Native Americans, and visitors from the Cayman Islands, holding hands and embracing each other in the rich South, we mused that maybe WE were the Mountaintop Dr. King had dreamed of.
The definition of “mountaintop” is a view from a different vantage point; a perspective that you’ve not seen before; a beauty and majesty that one can’t see from a valley. The boldness of Katori Hall’s writing transports us through magical realism to imagine a human view of Dr. King. It’s a startling new perspective filled with humanity and emotional truth reminding us that greatness and perfection are not one and the same. This play is a fantasy about the humanity of one of our greatest heroes and the power of an underestimated Black woman during an imagined night before Dr. King Jr. died. Hall deftly transforms the night into a reflection on mortality that’s both specific to King and universal to all of us. It invites us to acknowledge our strengths and frailties, our accomplishments and failings, while pondering what we have contributed and what more we could still accomplish if only we dare to climb!
We are so honored you have chosen to spend part of your journey with us.
“Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation!”
— Dr. Martin Luther
King
Jr. Tinashe Kajese-Bolden Jennings Hertz Artistic Director
THE MOUNTAINTOP: THERE IS A KING IN ALL OF US!
STORY BY Mashaun D. Simon
When Katori Hall began writing the first draft of what is now The Mountaintop, America, as she saw it, stood on the verge of possibility and promise. It was around the time that former President Barack Obama was in the Senate and about to run for the presidency.
“There was a feeling,” she said, “that America was finally going to cross over into a new chapter.”
“I wrote it from a place of skepticism. As a young African American who grew up in the South, who grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, specifically, which is the place that Dr. [Martin Luther] King, [Jr.] was slain, I had questions,” she said. “I embarked on a journey of talking to my mother, talking about history, engaging with history, and dreaming about a new future.”
As a young artist at the time, her biggest questions investigated the history of America, what she called “the virus of racism,” and whether the country had arrived at the proverbial Promised Land.
“When [Obama] became the president, history may have been made, but we were also exposed to how really racist America is,” she added. “It was almost as if people got more emboldened.”
It has been 15 years since the first performance of The Mountaintop and 13 years since its Broadway premiere at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. In that time, we have experienced a great many historic moments. However, in some respects, many of the ills of the world continue to plague us — with some seemingly getting worse.
“It always seems like in America we take two steps forward and 10 steps back,” said Hall.
Which is why producing The Mountaintop in Atlanta during this election year feels timely. As our time and attention are being accosted by political ads, political stunts, and chaotic debates – literally and figuratively — The Mountaintop not only entertains us but allows us the opportunity to reflect and be inspired to act on behalf of ourselves and others.
Described as a gripping reimagining of events the night before the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., The Mountaintop invites audiences to consider the person of King in ways we have never been granted permission to consider before. Hall remembers one time during its run on Broadway when a group of people walked out of the theater in a fury.
“They walked out so fast, they almost knocked off my ponytail,” she said. “The conceit of this play…the fantastical approach allows for there to be some room for a kind of deconstructing of his image — not his legacy, but his image. And I think that’s important to be able to humanize those that we have placed on pedestals. It allows us ‘ordinary people’ to find the extraordinariness in ourselves, bringing King out of the clouds, off a pedestal, making him flesh and bone and blood instead of a statue. It is what, to me, makes him more relatable, makes him more accessible, and therefore makes the things that he did, the things he achieved, more accessible and, quite frankly, more likely for us regular-degular human beings.”
Which is why she believes the play has resonated with audiences for so long. It is a story, a very specific story, about a very specific man, at a specific moment in time.
“That’s so universal,” she said. “It’s a never-ending story of how we as human beings strive for perfection. The play is as much about embracing your imperfection and pushing past our imperfections to achieve our purpose on this Earth.”
And sometimes that means ruffling feathers, which Hall believes is her responsibility as a Black artist and content creator. “King was special,” she said, “but he was also human.”
“He did things that people don’t want to admit. And I think that’s okay,” she said. “[There] is burden and responsibility, [as Black artists], placed upon our shoulders [when] inheriting a history about our people. I don’t think of art as a burden, but I do think it’s my responsibility, as a good artist, to reflect reality, truth, and the hard [stuff]. I want to create difficult conversations. Why are we doing this if we’re not willing to be bold and brave and transform people by exposing them to reality?”
Playwright Katori Hall
Not only is it never-ending in a relatable sense, but also in how it’s written. Hall intentionally wrote the play without a clear and solid ending.
“It is a play that I have never really finished because I can’t finish it. I’ll never be able to finish it because time is what it is,” she said. “At the end Camae does their roll call — this happened, this happened, this happened — so I only listed what has happened in my lifetime; what I have witnessed. Whoever produces it, whoever directs it, can add on because there’s always the most to talk about. There’s always going to be more that happens. So, [it’s written] to make sure that it’s never ending.”
“The past,” she said, “is very present.”
“I’m a reminder and a challenger and a poker, and I think even though [this] work was first produced in 2009 and now we are in 2024,” she adds, “it is still relevant. I want to always, no matter what I’m doing, challenge and create difficult conversations with my work. And so, the fact that something that I started writing in 2007, premiered in 2009, and all these years later we’re still having the same conversations, it saddens me that we are still having the same difficult conversations. But the essence of this play is that we are all kings.”
There is an African proverb that Hall considers her favorite.
“I don’t know which tribe. I don’t know which country,” she said. “But it goes, ‘All stories are true.’ Obviously, this story is not true, but it is. This was a man who had the burden and the responsibility of being one of the greatest leaders that we will ever, ever, ever see. Leaders are imperfect, they are human. They make mistakes, but they also moved mountains, and he truly, truly sacrificed time and his life to push a country forward that was not ready for progress. It takes the king and all of us, not just one person, but all of us to make it to this promised land that is so close and yet so far away.”
Actors Rob Demery and Jade Payton on the first day of rehearsals for the Alliance Theatre’s production of The Mountaintop. Photo by Kathleen Covington.
e Events Surrounding “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”
By Morgan Yhap, Kenny Leon Intern Design by Felicity Massa
THE MOUNTAINTOP takes place during the last night of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s life, imagining what the Civil Rights leader might have been contemplating and who he might have spoken with in his room at The Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, TN.
While Katori Hall fictionalizes what happens on April 3rd, 1968, many of the events leading up to and following that night are well-documented. King’s journey to the mountaintop demonstrates not only the commitment of a national leader, but also the uncertainty of a man carrying the weight of a legacy larger than himself.
King arrives in Memphis to rally the workers and organize a protest in support of the sanitation strike alongside the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
SCLC staff, concerned for King’s safety, deliberate if he should return to Memphis. King decides to lead another march in an effort to refocus the strike’s trajectory towards working conditions reform.
MAR 30th
APR 3rd
Two Memphis sanitation workers are crushed by a malfunctioning garbage truck, casting a light on their poor working conditions and low wages; this leads to calls for a strike.
King returns to Memphis to lead the march supporting the strike of sanitation workers, which quickly turns violent. King is rushed away from the scene.
The original protest is rescheduled due to a snowstorm.
King's flight to Memphis is delayed due to a bomb threat, but he arrives in time to attend the rally at Mason Temple, where he delivers his final speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.”
From media coverage surrounding the rally, James Earl Ray learns that King is staying at the Lorraine Hotel.
3:30 PM
Ray reserves a room in Bessie Brewer’s Rooming House under the name “John Willard” and asks for room 5B, which has a direct line of sight to King’s room at the Lorraine.
4 PM
Ray purchases a pair of binoculars and returns back to his room at Bessie Brewer’s.
5:55 PM
King and Reverend Abernathy emerge from their hotel rooms to leave for a dinner at the home of a local minister. King stands on the balcony to talk to his driver in the courtyard below.
6:01 PM King is shot.
6:02 PM
Ray leaves his hotel, abandoning a bundle including his rifle, binoculars, and clothing in the doorway of a nearby building.
APR 4th
6:08 PM
A local business owner informs the police that a man had run through the alley and dropped a bundle.
6:09 PM
King is rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital.
6:10 PM
The first police dispatch includes a description of the possible shooter as a "young white male, well dressed, believed in late-model white Mustang, going north on Main from scene of shooting."
6:16 PM
King arrives at St. Joseph's Hospital, unconscious but still alive.
6:30 PM
Police find Ray's abandoned bundle, identifying him as “John Willard” in room 5B who drives a white Ford Mustang. By this time, Ray has crossed state lines. (After a worldwide manhunt, Ray is arrested two months later in London.)
7:05 PM
Dr. King is pronounced dead at St. Joseph's Hospital.
APR 9th
King is buried in Atlanta in a funeral attended by a crowd of over 300,000.
THE PERSON BEHIND THE PROPHET: SEEING MLK JR. IN A NEW LIGHT
WRITTEN BY
Kailey Albus, Emory Literary Intern
“We all have weaknesses, Preacher Kang. I’m sho’ you got yo’ own. Just ain’t never let nobody...know.” — Camae, The Mountaintop
At the height of the Civil Rights movement, faith-based leaders of color carried heavy loads. These leaders, continuing in the practice of Black prophetic preaching, effectively connected scripture to the Black-lived experience, with particularly high stakes throughout the 1950s and 60s. The story of Exodus served as a foundational text for many Black preachers, who aimed to soothe a collective pain by reflecting on God’s promises of deliverance, retribution, and justice.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was among the many, eventually becoming the spokesperson for a national equality movement. In the process, his image has morphed into that of a prophet or saint, someone whose connection to God was distinctly intimate.
King stood out among faith-based activists through his commitment to both the institutional practice of religion and his internally fueled spirituality. As a Baptist, King associated with the practices of a notably “God-fearing” community; however, his own theological practices were informed by the philosophy of personalism, asserting that God is knowable, approachable, and “concerned about us.”1 King’s embrace of personalism shaped his political rhetoric. His belief in the interconnectivity of all humans justified his insistence on nonviolence, and his unique sense of hope reflected an enlightened understanding of God’s trials and tribulations. What made his leadership so compelling was his devoted exploration of his own religious and spiritual beliefs, even when they clashed.
Yet, in our “canonization” of the late Dr. King, we often forget that he was merely a man, a man tasked with carrying the rage, fear, and pain of a nation. After the violent outburst that undermined the Sanitation Worker’s Strike in Memphis, King was publicly hopeful and privately restless. In The Mountaintop, playwright Katori Hall illustrates a character that feels unfamiliar to us: someone who is lonely, anxious, and flawed. It’s a stark contrast to “the King” cherished by many, especially those of his native home of Atlanta, but examining his own humanity—challenging our understanding of the person behind the prophet—allows us to know him more deeply.
The Mountaintop uniquely reimagines King’s final night on Earth. Still, more importantly, it reimagines King himself; it demystifies him as this “unknowable” figure and shows him as a person of sincere faith, capable of mistakes and setbacks. As patrons, we become parishioners, sitting in the seats of the Coca-Cola Stage, allowing ourselves to take in a sermon on human persistence. We might laugh, sigh, or cry because we’ve been there, but we also might start to see ourselves in a new light, capable of embodying the prolific leader’s spirit and strength. In dedicating our time to one final sermon, we become a congregation of listeners, learners, and leaders who will leave the theatre more equipped to lighten each other’s loads.
Described as “moving and often sharply funny” (The New York Times), THE CHINESE LADY serves as an examination of the
By LLOYD SUH
NOV 9–DEC 24 2024
The
Directed by JESS MCLEOD
By CHARLES DICKENS
Adapted by DAVID H. BELL
Directed by CAITLIN HARGRAVES Original Direction by LEORA MORRIS
ALLIANCE THEATRE
TINASHE KAJESE-BOLDEN
Jennings Hertz Artistic Director
CHRISTOPHER MOSES
Jennings Hertz Artistic Director
MIKE SCHLEIFER Managing Director
present
KATORI HALL
SCENIC DESIGN TONY CISEK
LIGHTING DESIGN BEN RAWSON
COSTUME DESIGN KARA HARMON
SOUND DESIGN MELANIE CHEN COLE
PROJECTION DESIGN MIKO SIMMONS
CASTING JODY FELDMAN STAGE MANAGER R. LAMAR WILLIAMS*
DIRECTION BY
KAJESE-BOLDEN
SPONSORED BY
Original Broadway production produced by Jean Doumanian, Sonia Friedman Productions, Ambassador Theatre Group, Raise the Roof 7, Ted Snowdon, Alhadeff Productions/Lauren Doll, B Square + 4 Productions/Broadway Across America, Jacki Barlia Florin/Cooper Federman, Ronnie Planalp/Moellenberg Taylor and Marla Rubin Productions/Blumenthal Performing Arts, in association with Scott Delman.
THE MOUNTAINTOP was developed at the Lark Play Development Center, New York City, and was first produced by Theatre 503 in June 2009 and further produced at Trafalgar Studio One in July 2009 by Sonia Friedman Productions and Jean Doumanian, Tali Pelman for Ambassador Theatre Group, Bob Bartner, Freddy DeMann, Jerry Frankel, Ted Snowdon and Marla Rubin Productions Ltd.
THE MOUNTAINTOP was developed at the 2008 Bay Area Playwrights Festival, a program of the Playwrights Foundation (Amy L. Mueller, Artistic Director).
“The Mountaintop” is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service imprint. (www.dramatists.com) This production is supported in part by the BOLD Theater Women’s Leadership Circle. Scenic construction for the 2024/25 Season is generously supported by The Home Depot Foundation.
La’Neice Littleton, Ph.D Director of Community Collaborations Kenyan Research Center Atlanta History Center Laura B. Morse, MS, LPC, CPCS
*Denotes a member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
The Alliance Theatre 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.
Photos may be taken in the theater before the performance, and following the performance. If you share your photos, please credit the designers.
Photos, videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited, is a violation of United States Copyright Law, and is an actionable Federal Offense.
This production is approximately an hour and a half long and has no intermission.
JADÉ DAVIS (u/s Camae) [she/her] is thrilled to join the cast of The Mountaintop at the Alliance Theatre! She moved to Atlanta last year and made her debut as Luanne in Rooted at The Horizon Theater. Her favorite TV and theatre credits include: Destiny on SVU: Law & Order, Marissa on Dr. Death, and Assata Shakur in Black Panther Women at the Dorothy Streslin Theatre. She is super grateful for the unwavering support of friends and family.
ROB DEMERY (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) is excited to join the cast of The Mountaintop at the Alliance Theatre! He was a cast member of the Tony Award-winning revivals, A Soldier’s Play (2020) and Topdog/Underdog (2023) on Broadway. Rob played Dr. King in the Emmy-nominated movie, Mahalia! Demery is also one of the faces for the 2024 Ford F-150 truck. Regional Theater: Good Faith (World Premiere, Yale Rep); Too Heavy For Your Pocket (World Premiere, Alliance); Fetch Clay, Make Man; Holla If Ya Hear Me; Cardboard Piano; Sarafina!; The Watsons Go to Birmingham; Lombardi; To Kill A Mockingbird; A Christmas Carol; Othello. Film/TV: Law & Order: Organized Crime, 4400, Devil’s Knot, Get On Up, Underground, The Gifted, The Resident, Lovecraft Country. Rob is the Founder/Artistic Director of Red Light Arts. Mr. Demery has several upcoming projects. Rob would love to thank his family, Amber, Leah, and Kobe for their unwavering love and support. Love to you, Tinashe. Find out more at robdemery.com. @robdemery
JADE PAYTON (Camae) is delighted to make her Alliance Theatre debut in The Mountaintop! Previous work: Covenant at Roundabout Theatre
Company and Glamorous on Netflix. A Las Vegas suburbanite with a flair for the dramatic currently living the dream. Thank you all for your support!
MYLES WRIGHT (u/s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) is thrilled to be returning to the Alliance Theatre! An actor, poet, and teaching artist from Atlanta, GA by way of Georgetown, SC who obtained a degree in Film & Television Performance/Production from The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts in 2018. Recent understudy credits: Hands Up (Alliance Theatre) and Ghost (Alliance Theatre). Other recent theatre credits: Detroit ‘67 (Marietta Theatre in the Square), Freedom Flight (Mad River TheatreWorks), Black Bullet Dichotomy (BlackLight Community), Preacherman (Trailblazers Collective), Titus Andronicus (Rogue Ensemble), Macbeth (Adirondack Arts), The S*** Show (No Peeking Theatre), and We Have Standards (No Peeking Theatre). Myles also self-published two poetry books in 2020 and 2023 and is grateful for this beautiful opportunity to share meaningful work, and for the continued support from his family & friends! He dedicates this and all other appearances to his grandma, Bessie Lee. @whereismyleswright--
TINASHE KAJESEBOLDEN (Director, Jennings Hertz Artistic Director) began her tenure at the Alliance in 2016 as the BOLD Associate Artistic Director, assuming her current role in 2023. Originally from Zimbabwe, Kajese-Bolden combines her commitment to great art, deep education and community empowerment with an agile enthusiasm and unflappable, calm energy to inspire new possibilities. Kajese-Bolden honed her directing and producing skills as a freelance director working in regional houses
across the country and on set. As a director and actor, she fosters deep ongoing collaborations with playwrights and has mounted innovative and critically acclaimed productions that merge elegant, theatrical designs with complicated human stories. A Princess Grace Award 2019 Winner for Directing, and Map Fund Award recipient as a director and actor, she has worked on and Off-Broadway as well as recurring roles in the Marvel universe “Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special,” Suicide Squad, “Hawkeye,” and CW’s “Valor,” “Dynasty,” HBO’s “Henrietta Lacks,” Ava Duverney’s “Cherish the Day,” among others. Up next, she is developing a new Opera, Forsythe is Flooding: The Joy of Lake Lanier, and proudly serves on the ARTS-ATL Artist Advisory Council. “My mission is the pursuit of what connects our different communities and how we create art that liberates us to imagine a more inclusive future.”
KATORI HALL
(Playwright) is a playwright and performer hailing from Memphis, Tennessee. Her awardwinning play Hoodoo Love premiered at the Cherry Lane Theatre in 2007. It was developed under Lynn Nottage as part of the theatre’s 2006 Mentor Project. Hoodoo Love received three AUDELCO nominations (Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, August Wilson Playwright Award). Her other plays include: Remembrance, Hurt Village, Saturday Night/Sunday Morning, The Mountaintop, On the Chitlin’ Circuit, and Freedom Train (KCACTF ten minute play national finalist). Her work has been developed and presented at the following venues: the American Repertory Theatre, Kennedy Center, Cherry Lane Theatre, Classical Theatre of Harlem, Schomburg Center, BRICLab, Women’s Project, World Financial Center, Lark Play Development Center, New Professional Theatre, The O’Neill, the Juilliard School, Stanford University, and Columbia University. She is the
recipient of numerous awards, including the Lecompte du Nouy Prize, North Manhattan Arts Alliance Fellowship, New York State Council on the Arts Commission Grant, New Professional Theatre’s Writers’ Festival award, Fellowship of Southern Writers Bryan Family Award in Drama, New York Foundation of the Arts Fellowship in Playwriting and Screenwriting, Royal Court Theatre Residency, and the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award. She has also been a Kennedy Center Playwriting Fellow. As an actor, her credits include Law & Order: SVU, The President’s Puppets (The Public), Growing Up a Slave (American Place Theatre), Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (American Place Theatre), the world premiere of Amerika (Theatre de la Jeune Lune/American Repertory Theatre), Spring Awakening (Moscow Art Theatre School), Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death (Classical Theatre of Harlem), SCHOOLED (WOW Café Theatre), and BLACK GIRL (Sande Shurin Theatre). As a journalist, her work has been published in The Boston Globe, Essence, Newsweek, and The Commercial Appeal. She graduated from Columbia University in 2003 with a major in African-American Studies and Creative Writing. She was awarded top departmental honors from the university’s Institute for Research in African-American Studies (IRAAS). In 2005, she graduated from the American Repertory Theatre Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University, receiving a Master of Fine Arts in Acting. She is now a student in the Juilliard School’s Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program. She is a proud member of the Women’s Project Playwrights’ Lab, the Lark Playwrights’ Workshop, and the Dramatists Guild. www.katorihall.com
TONY CISEK (Scenic Design) has designed the Alliance productions of Toni Stone, Hospice/Pointing at the Moon, Disgraced, and the premiere of Edward Foote. Other recent designs include the premieres of Rubicon (Denver Center Theatre Company), Tempestuous Elements (Arena Stage),
Show Way (The Kennedy Center), Where the Mountain Meets the Sea (Signature Theatre), Blue (New Orleans Opera), Ink (Round House Theatre), The Color Purple (Denver Center and Signature Theatre), Thurgood (People’s Light), Choir Boy (Denver Center and ACT Seattle), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Folger Theatre at the National Building Museum). Tony’s work has also been seen at Roundabout Theatre, Guthrie Theatre, Goodman Theatre, South Coast Rep, Portland Center Stage, Cincinnati Playhouse, Ford’s Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Baltimore Center Stage, Indiana Rep, Syracuse Stage, New York Theatre Workshop, Cleveland Play House, Pioneer Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, and Studio Theatre. He has received numerous awards and citations for outstanding design, taught or mentored young designers at multiple universities, is a member of United Scenic Artists, and holds an MFA in Design from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. www.tonycisek.com
KARA HARMON (Costume Design) is delighted to return to the Alliance. Previous Alliance credits include: Darlin’ Cory, Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous, Toni Stone, Ethel!, and God of Carnage. OffBroadway: Watch Night, Perelman PAC; Cullud Wattah, Public Theater; The Niceties, Manhattan Theatre Club; Dot, Vineyard Theatre. Select Regional credits include: The Penelopiad, Goodman Theater; The Three Musketeers, OSF; 42nd Street, Goodspeed Musicals (CT Critics Circle Outstanding Costume Design Award); Choir Boy, Steppenwolf; Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Children’s Theatre Company; Cosi Fan Tutte, Arizona Opera; Hometown to the World, Santa Fe Opera; Shutter Sisters, Old Globe; Guys and Dolls, Guthrie Theater; Toni Stone, Milwaukee Rep; The Color Purple, Portland Center Stage; The Wiz, Ford’s Theatre (Helen Hayes Award); Nina Simone: Four
Women, Arena Stage; The Purists, Huntington Theatre; Barbecue, Geffen Playhouse (NAACP Award). Assistant Costume Design TV: “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Season 2, Amazon; “Daredevil,” Season 2, Netflix; “Boardwalk Empire,” Season 5, HBO. KaraHarmonDesign.com
BEN RAWSON (Lighting Design) is an Atlanta-based Lighting Designer for Theatre, Opera, and Dance, member USA 829. Regional Theatrical/ Opera design work can be seen at the Alliance Theatre, Utah Opera, Florida Studio Theatre, Glimmerglass Opera, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Detroit Opera, Atlanta Opera, Center Repertory Company, Theatrical Outfit, Aurora Theatre, Actors Express, and others. Dance design work includes collaborations with choreographers Johan Kabborg, Ana Maria Lucaciu, Troy Schumacher, Claudia Schreier, Jennifer Archibald, Garrett Smith, Remi Wörtmeyer, Bruce Wells, Kiyon Ross, Danielle Agami, Omar Roman De Jesus, Tara Lee, and Heath Gill as well as with Atlanta Ballet, BalletCollective, Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre, 92NY, BocaTuya, Riverside Dance Festival, Fly On A Wall, and others. benrawsondesign.com
MELANIE CHEN COLE (Sound Design) [she/her] is a San Diegobased sound designer. She is thrilled to return to the Alliance Theatre after designing Everybody. Other regional theatre credits include work at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Alley Theatre, Cincinnati Play House in the Park, Cleveland Playhouse, Dallas Theater Center, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Geffen Playhouse, Goodman Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Indiana Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, Milwaukee Rep, Northern Stage, The Old Globe, PlayMakers Rep, South Coast Rep, Studio Theatre, and Utah Shakespeare Festival. She holds a MFA in Theatre and Dance from UC San Diego. For more, check out melaniesound. com and @melaniechencole.
MIKO SIMMONS (Projection Design)
Blurring the lines between art and technology, theater and cinema, music and visuals, media and medium, Miko is an international award-winning Multimedia Artist & Projection Designer who has been innovating in the convergence of Film/Animation and Theatrical Production for more than 20 years. Theater Productions include: at the Alliance, The Boy Who Kissed the Sky; Nashville Symphony Opera, The Jonah People; Indiana Rep Theater, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; Theatre Works Palo Alto, Fannie Lou Hamer, Seattle Children’s Theater; The Boy Who Kissed the Sky, The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963; Guthrie Theater, Murder on the Orient Express, Valor, Macondo, Caviar on Credit, Postcards from Earth, Confluence, Bring Love to My Doorstep; Theatre Mu, Blended Harmony, Kung Fu Zombies Saga, Fast Company; Penumbra Theatre, Wine in the Wilderness, Sugar in Our Wounds, Ashe Lab; The Mn History Theatre, Gloria, Dirty Business; New Dawn Theatre, Crowns; Old Log Theatre, Ghost Musical, Jack & Beanstalk; Park Square Theater, Snow Queen; Mixed Blood Theater, House of the Spirits; Minnesota Opera, Art is a Verb, Salome; MotherKing Opera, TU Dance, Threads Dance, Uncertain Realties. Earth, Wind, and Fire International tour. MLK Sculpture Inauguration Ceremony on National Mall in D.C. EMK Korea; Rock Opera Musicals: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, MN Ordway Theater. In Korea: Count of Monte Cristo, Wizard of Oz, Elisabeth musical, Rudolf musical.
JODY FELDMAN (Producer & Casting Director) began her theater career as an actress in Atlanta before moving into administration as the Assistant General Manager at Frank Wittow’s Academy Theatre. It was at the Academy that Jody realized the importance of theatre to a city’s cultural values and identity. Feldman started her career at the Alliance as casting director in 1991
and added producer to her title and responsibilities in 2001. She has cast and produced more than 250 productions at the Alliance, encompassing a range of world premieres that include The Last Night of Ballyhoo by Alfred Uhry, Blues for An Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage, The Geller Girls by Janece Shaffer, In the Red and Brown Water by Tarell Alvin McCraney, more than 20 years of Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition-winning plays, such world and regional premiere musicals as Aida; The Color Purple; Sister Act: The Musical; Bring It On: The Musical; Tuck Everlasting; Ghost Brothers of Darkland County; Harmony, A New Musical; The Prom; Trading Places, and exciting new plays developed specifically for children and families, which is integral to the expansion of audience and mission for the Alliance. Jody is most proud of the thriving Alliance community engagement and partnerships that recognize theatrical work as a catalyst for civic conversation and connection.
R. LAMAR WILLIAMS (Stage Manager) is an Atlanta native who studied theatre at Florida A&M University’s Essential Theatre. His 23-year tenure at the Alliance has included stage managing Fat Ham, The Boy Who Kissed the Sky, Hands Up; Hospice/ Pointing at the Moon, The Temple Bombing, Choir Boy, In Love and Warcraft, Bike America, The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls, 22 years of The Palefsky Collision Project and assistant stage managing a slew of great shows. Rodney is opening a new frontier in his career with new Dramaturgy and Directing opportunities. For Sensei, JDawn, Chelsea & Solari and all humanity — “changing the world 1 play @ a time!”
BARBARA
GANTT O’HALEY (Assistant Stage Manager through 8/11) [she/her] Previous Alliance credits include: Pearl Cleage’s Something Moving: A Meditation on Maynard, Into the Burrow: A
Peter Rabbit Tale, Slur, Tell Me My Dream, Courage, Grimm Lives of the In-Betweens, ASM: Tale of Two Cities, Hot Wing King, Everybody. Other Atlanta credits include: Big Fish, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Simply Simone, In the Heights, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Perfect Arrangement, Indecent, Slow Food, Ms. Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, The Wickhams, Our Town, 110 in the Shade, Pitmen Painters, An Iliad (Theatrical Outfit); Support Group for Men (Horizon Theatre), as well as My Fair Lady, Cats, Young Frankenstein (Atlanta Lyric Theatre). Love to Patrick, Elliana, and Keeva! Proud Member AEA.
XIAONAN (CHLOE) LIU (Assistant Stage Manager; 8/13-9/22) is a Chinese stage manager. She recently graduated from the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale, where her credits include Next to Normal, Green Sugar Bloos, The Cherry Orchard, The Alley, Twelfth Night, and the Actor Showcase, as well as Choir Boy and Escaped Alone at Yale Rep and Pearl Cleage’s Something Moving: A Meditation on Maynard at the Alliance Theatre. Chloe holds a B.A. from the Shanghai Theatre Academy. Her work experience in China included productions of Beauty and The Beast, The Lion King, Man of La Mancha, and The Sound of Music.
SAMANTHA HONEYCUTT (Stage Management Production Assistant) studied Stage Management at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro before beginning her career working across the country. Her credits include: Year of the Rooster, When January Feels like Summer, and Five Times in One Night (Ensemble Studio Theater); Legally Blonde, Cabaret, Hello! Dolly, My Fair Lady, and Music Man (Cape Playhouse); Frankenstein, Hairspray, Penny Candy, American Mariachi, and Supreme Leader (Dallas Theater Center); Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous (Hartford Stage); and Trading Places, Everybody, A Gift of Love with Adam
L. McKnight, Hot Wing King, The Boy Who Kissed The Sky, Water For Elephants, Into the Burrow: A Peter Rabbit™ Tale, Furlough’s Paradise, and The Preacher’s Wife.
SKYLAR FOX (Magic Consultant) is an Obie Award-winning director, writer, and designer based in Brooklyn, NY. He is the co-artistic director of Nightdrive, where he has directed, designed, and co-written The Grown-Ups (Time Out New York’s Top 10 NYC Theatre Productions of the Year), Alien Nation, Providence, RI, Thank You Sorry, and Apathy Boy. Other directing includes the world premiere of Pussy Sludge (Here Arts Center), and the Boston premiere of Sarah Ruhl’s Passion Play (IRNE Award Nomination). In his other life, he designs and stages magic for theatre. Broadway: Once Upon A Mattress, Fat Ham; associate designer for Harry Potter & the Cursed Child, Back to the Future, and A Beautiful Noise. Off-Broadway/ International: The Preacher’s Wife (Alliance), Cats: The Jellicle Ball (PAC), Boop! (Broadway in Chicago), The Comeuppance (Signature Theatre, Almeida), You Will Get Sick (Roundabout Theatre Company), Wicked, Matilda (Atelier de Cultura, São Paulo), Charlie & the Chocolate Factory (London Grand, Ontario), and Damn Yankees (Shaw Festival). skylarfox.com & nightdrive.org
CHRISTOPHER MOSES (Jennings Hertz Artistic Director) has been working in professional theatre for twenty years and in 2022 was awarded the Governor’s Award for Arts in Humanities for his body of work. In January of 2011, Chris took on the position of Director of Education at the Alliance Theatre, overseeing the Alliance Theatre Institute (twice recognized as an Arts Model by the Federal Department of Education), Theatre for Youth & Families, and the Acting Program. Since taking over this position, Chris has expanded the reach and impact by making the Alliance Theatre Education department a
vital resource for advancing the civic agenda of Atlanta. This work is accomplished through deep and sustained partnerships with social service organizations throughout the city. Under his leadership, the Alliance launched its Kathy & Ken Bernhardt Theatre for the Very Young program, which provides fully interactive professional theater experiences for children of all abilities from ages newborn through five years old; the Alliance Teen Ensemble, which performs world premiere plays commissioned for and about teens; the Palefsky Collision Project, where teens produce a new work after colliding with a classic text; expanded the Alliance’s summer camp program to include over 3,000 children in multiple locations across Atlanta; and Alliance@work, a professional development program designed for the business sector — the latest offering of which uses theatre practice to create a culture of civility in the workplace. In 2014, Chris added the title Associate Artistic Director, and has continued to expand the Alliance’s education offerings. During his tenure in this position, the Alliance has produced over a dozen world premiere plays for young audiences, including Pancakes, Pancakes! by Ken Lin, The Dancing Granny by Jireh Breon Holder, Max Makes a Million by Liz Diamond, and The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Madhuri Shekar. Currently, the Alliance serves over 100,000 students pre-k—12 each season, as well as over 4,000 adults through its extensive education offerings. In 2023, he was named Artistic Director of the Alliance Theatre.
MIKE SCHLEIFER (Managing Director) joined the Alliance Theatre in 2014 as the General Manager and in 2016, assumed the role of Managing Director. During his time at the Alliance, Mike has led the administrative and producing team on over 100 productions including bringing Tuck Everlasting and The Prom to Broadway. He was one of the architects of the “On the Road”
season while a multi-million dollar renovation of the Coca-Cola Stage was underway. Mike is excited to have started the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee at the Alliance and to serve on the board of the League of Resident Theatres and True Colors Theatre Company. Prior to Atlanta, he spent 13 years at Baltimore’s Center Stage working in several roles including Associate Producer, Production Manager and Resident Stage Manager. While in Baltimore, Mike was an adjunct faculty member at Towson University and has guest-lectured all over the country. Mike began as a Stage Manager and has dozens of stage management credits between his time in New York and working regionally. Mike is married to theater director and educator Laura Hackman and the proud father of two boys, Jack and Ben.
ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION
(AEA) Founded in 1913, AEA is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional Actors and Stage Managers. Equity fosters the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors’ Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. www.actorsequity.org
Alliance Theatre Sets Wonder Free.
And what delights during performances ignites a brighter future. You can invest in better tomorrows by supporting access for youth to experience world-class theatre on a stage that’s all their own. Now is the time.
Introducing The Goizueta Stage For Youth And Families,
a transformative new space designed to inspire young audiences year-round. Research shows that early access to live theater can signi cantly combat critical issues like low literacy rates and the urgent youth mental health crisis. To ful ll this promise, the Alliance Theatre is launching a $10 million Imagine Endowment to expand our capacity to serve more young people and sustain these enriching experiences in perpetuity. With this endowment, the Goizueta Stage will be a beacon of accessibility, welcoming children from all backgrounds and removing economic, geographic, and physical barriers to ensure that every child can engage with the magic of theatre for generations to come.
Support The Imagine Endowment
For more information about the Alliance’s Imagine Campaign or to make an endowment contribution, please contact: Trent Anderson, Director of Development trent.anderson@alliancetheatre.org (404)733-4710
Scan here to learn more, contribute, or view our full donor listing.
The Mountaintop portrays Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s humanity — funny, profane, conflicted, and vulnerable — while reminding us of his profound dedication and sacrifice in pursuing his dream of racial and economic equality. Katori Hall imagines Dr. King’s final night through vibrant dialogue and magical realism, challenging us to confront racism, mortality, and the opportunity to leave the world better for future generations with the time we have.
By humanizing the civil rights icon, Hall shows that anyone can be a changemaker in the ongoing struggle for rights and dignity. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights (The Center) is honored to support this production as a community partner.
Launched in 2014, The Center shares the inspiring story of the US civil rights struggle and its connection to today’s ongoing fight for justice around the world. Our exhibitions and programs, both inside and outside our museum, reflect our mission to inspire changemakers to protect the rights of all people.
We immerse visitors in the stories of civil and human rights leaders and activists— ordinary people answering an extraordinary call. In the spirit of The Mountaintop, we encourage a deeper understanding of Dr. King’s work and legacy through our displays of papers and artifacts of the Morehouse College Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection.
This year, our tenth anniversary, we are expanding to evolve from an Atlanta attraction to a national education and cultural hub. In 2025, we will open two new wings that include:
· An immersive Family Gallery for children under 12.
· A gallery on the Reconstruction Era, a watershed chapter of US history.
· Updates to our permanent civil and human rights exhibits, plus a redesigned King Papers gallery.
· State-of-the-art classrooms and event space for school groups, meetings, and performances.
A café for visitors to reflect on their Center experience.
Visit The Center before we temporarily close to complete construction in 2025. Learn how you can support our expansion at civilandhumanrights.org.
The Mountaintop’s exploration of Dr. King’s humanity encourages us to acknowledge our imperfections and recognize that anyone has the potential to transform their communities. We invite you to join us as we work together to realize Dr. King’s dream.
Kama Pierce Chief Program Officer
National
Center
for Civil and Human Rights
SYNOPSIS
On April 3, 1968, an exhausted Dr. King retires to his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis after delivering one of his most memorable speeches. When a mysterious young woman named Camae delivers room service, the two engage in humorous conversation that progresses into a soul-searching discussion about their mutual hopes and fears. When Camae reveals a secret, King is forced to confront his destiny and his legacy to his people.
GET SOCIAL
Connect with us and other audience members on your Alliance experience. Share your comments and photos on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter, and TikTok with hashtags #TheMountaintopPlay and #AllianceTheatre. Plus, search your social media platforms with those hashtags for fun, behind-the-scenes content from our cast, crew, and creative team.
www.alliancetheatre.org
ABOUT THE ALLIANCE THEATRE
Founded in 1968, the Alliance Theatre is the leading producing theatre in the Southeast, reaching more than 165,000 patrons annually. The Alliance is led by Jennings Hertz Artistic Directors Tinashe Kajese-Bolden and Christopher Moses, and Managing Director Mike Schleifer. The Alliance is a recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award® for sustained excellence in programming, education, and community engagement. In January 2019, the Alliance opened its new, stateof-the-art performance space, The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre. Known for its high artistic standards and national role in creating significant theatrical works, the Alliance has premiered more than 135 productions including eleven that have transferred to Broadway. The Alliance education department reaches 90,000 students annually through performances, classes, camps, and in-school initiatives designed to support teachers and enhance student learning. The Alliance Theatre values community, curiosity, collaboration, and excellence, and is dedicated to representing Atlanta’s diverse community with the stories we tell, the artists, staff, and leadership we employ, and audiences we serve.
OUR MISSION
To expand hearts and minds onstage and off.
OUR
VISION
Making Atlanta more connected, curious, and compassionate through theatre and arts education.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
In the sincerest efforts to gain further understanding of the history that has brought us to reside on this land and to accept the knowledge that colonialism is a current and ongoing process under which we need to build our mindfulness of our present participation, we hereby acknowledge this native land of the Muscogee Creek Nation.
| boardofdirectors
OFFICERS
Chair
E. Kendrick Smith
Vice Chair
Allison O’Kelly
Immediate Past Chair
Jocelyn Hunter
Treasurer
Glenn Weiss
Ex-Officio
Hala Moddelmog
LIFETIME DIRECTORS
Rita Anderson
Ken Bernhardt
Frank Chew
Ann Cramer
Linda Davidson
Laura Hardman
Hays Mershon
Richard S. Myrick
Helen Smith Price
Bob Reiser
Jane Shivers
H. Bronson Smith
Ben White
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Kristin Adams
Norman Adkins
Kimberly Ajy
James Anderson
Farideh Azadi
Marc Balizer
Deisha Barnett
Alba Baylin
Maggie Blake Bailey
Bridget Blake
Kenny Blank
Terri Bonoff
Jennifer Boutté
Kristen Burke
Jeff Cashdan
Madeline Chadwick
Miles Cook
LeighAnn Costley
Joe Crowley
Katie Fahs
Reade Fahs
Howard Feinsand
Rick Gestring
Richard Goerss
Claire Gotham
Lila Hertz
Jocelyn Hunter
Malvika Jhangiani
Alexander Johnson
Jane Jordan Casavant
Anne Kaiser
John Keller
Matthew Kent
Andjela Kessler
Jim Kilberg
Jesse Killings
Carrie Kurlander
Allegra Lawrence-Hardy
Robert Masucci
Jean Ann McCarthy
Alan McKeon
Dori Miller
Jeffrey Miller
Hala Moddelmog
Phil Moïse
Allison O’Kelly
Victoria Palefsky
Jackie Parker
Paul Pendergrass
Anne Rambaud Herren
Stephanie Ray
Patty Reid
Margaret Reiser
Matthew Richburg
Robyn Roberts
Maurice Rosenbaum
Steve Selig
Kim Sewell
Mital Shah
Bill Sleeper
E. Kendrick Smith
Chandra Stephens-Albright
Charlita Stephens
Mark Swinton
Julie Teer
Richard Valladares
Benny Varzi
Roxanne Varzi
Rebekah Wasserman
Glenn Weiss
Wai Wong
Todd Zeldin
ADVISORY BOARD
Advisory Board Co-Chair
Laura Hardman
Advisory Board Co-Chair
Phil H. Moïse
Joe Alterman
Luis Andino
Johanna Brookner
Merry Hunter Caudle
Elizabeth Cooper
Mamie Dayan-Vogel
Candice Dixon
Malaika Dowdell
Everett Flanigan
Brandon Fleming
Mary Beth Flournoy
Les Flynn
Natalia Garzón Martínez
Lydia Glaize
Emmanuel Glaze
Meghan Gordon
Tevin Goss
Jeff Graham
Dr. Eve Graves, Ph.D.
Erica Greenblatt
Shauna Grovell
Della Guidry
Campbell Hastings
Elizabeth Hollister
Zenith Houston
Mallika Kallingal
Jodi Kalson
Jennifer Lee
JoJasmin Lopez
Theo Lowe
Carlton Mackey
Nelly Mauta
Tre’Von McKay
Monica McLary
Juan Meija
Caroline Moore
Laura Murvartian
Zach Nikonovich Kahn
Amy Norton King
Susan Sim Oh
Kathy Palumbo
Aixa Pascual
Kisan Patel
Marion Phillips
Alexis Rainey
Daniel Regenstein
Michelle Robinson
Wendy Schmitt
Dr. Shenara Sexton
Beverly Brown Shaw
Brian Stoltz
Maria Storts
Alicia Thompson
Ana Urrego
Emily Washburn
Melinda Weekes-Laidlaw
Angie Weiss
Stuart Wilkinson
Joni Williams
VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP
President, STARS
Andjela Kessler
Chairman, Theater
Advocates
Patricia Walsh
Chairman, Theater Ushers
Edwina Sellan
Chairman, Hospitality
Susan Stiefel
ALLIANCE 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.
$500,000+
Chick-fil-A Foundation | Rhonda & Dan Cathy
Delta Air Lines, Inc.
Lettie Pate Evans Foundation
Robert W. Woodruff Foundation
$250,000+
Anonymous
The Coca-Cola Company
Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
Shubert Foundation
WestRock
$100,000+
Accenture
Helen Gurley Brown Foundation
Georgia Power
The Home Depot Foundation
Invesco QQQ
John H. and Wilhelmina D. Harland Charitable Fund
King & Spalding
Norfolk Southern
PNC
The Rich’s Foundation
Warner Bros. Discovery
Zeist Foundation
$50,000+
AT&T Foundation
Cadence Bank
City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs
Edgerton Foundation
Bank of America
Georgia Council for the Arts
Georgia Natural Gas
Google
Jones Day
Kendeda Fund
Liz Blake Giving Fund
Molly Blank Fund of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
National Vision
Wellstar Foundation
$25,000+
Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition, powered by AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Comcast
Fulton County Board of Commissioners
Graphic Packaging
The Imlay Foundation, Inc.
Johnny Mercer Foundation
Kaiser Permanente
Northside Hospital
Peach State Health Plan
Southwire
$10,000+
AEC Trust
Alexander Babbage
Alston & Bird
Do a Good Day Foundation
Eversheds Sutherland
George M. Brown Trust of Atlanta
Georgia-Pacific
John & Mary Franklin Foundation
SCANA Energy
South Arts
The Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust
$5,000+
Anonymous
Frances Wood Wilson Foundation
Osiason Educational Foundation
Perkins&Will
Publix Super Market Charities
By attending our theater, you have made a powerful statement about how important the arts are to you. Make another statement of support louder than any standing ovation. Visit alliancetheatre.org and click on Donate.
Coca-Cola Series Sponsor Production Sponsor
Official Hotel Official Research Partner
Major funding for this organization is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners
This program is supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. GCA also receives support from its partner agencythe National Endowment for the Arts.
Major support is provided by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.
Individual, foundation, and corporate donors contribute more than $10 million to the Alliance Theatre so that we are able to present exceptional theater and educational programming to our community. We are deeply grateful for your support. To find out more about the benefits of giving or to make your gift, visit us at alliancetheatre.org/waystogive or call 404-733-5157.
Listed below are pledges and gifts to the Alliance Theatre Annual Fund.
PREMIERE SUPPORT
Spotlight $100,000+
Mr. James E. Gay*
Dan & Garnet Reardon
The SKK Foundation
Artistic Director’s Circle
$50,000+
Ms. Stephanie Blank
Starr Moore & the James Starr Moore Memorial Foundation
Chairman’s Circle
$25,000+
The Antinori Foundation Around the Table Foundation
Ann & Jeff Cramer
Heidi & David Geller
David & Carolyn Gould
Jocelyn J. Hunter
Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Ivester
Jesse Killings
Daniel Marks & Keri Powell
Rosemarie & David Thurston
Leadership Circle
$15,000+
Ali and Farideh Azadi
Maggie Blake Bailey & Andrew Bailey
Brian & Jennifer Boutté
Jane Jordan Casavant
Roxanne & Jeffrey Cashdan
Barbara & Steve Chaddick
Katie & Reade Fahs
Ellen & Howard Feinsand
Doris & Matthew Geller
Anne & Scott Herren
Kristie L. Madara
Mr. & Mrs. Barry McCarthy
Phil & Caroline Moïse
Allison & Shane O’Kelly
Victoria & Howard Palefsky
Patty & Doug Reid
Bob & Margaret Reiser
Patricia & Maurice Rosenbaum
Linda & Steve Selig
Ms. Mital Shah
William & Margarita Sleeper
Dr. & Mrs. Dennis Lee Spangler
Mark Swinton
Tim & Maria Tassopoulos
Benny & Roxanne Varzi
Mr. & Mrs. Art Waldrop
Amy & Todd Zeldin
Director’s Circle
$10,000+
Ms. Kristin Adams
Mr. & Mrs. Norman Adkins
Kim & George Ajy
James Anderson
Deborah L. Bannworth & Joy Lynn Fields
Deisha Barnett
Alba C. Baylin
Terri Bonoff & Matthew Knopf
Judge JoAnn Bowens
Martha & Toby Brooks
Madeline Chadwick
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas C. Chubb III
Ezra Cohen Charitable Fund
Miles & Nicole Cook
LeighAnn & Chad Costley
Joe Crowley & Phil Mack
Rick Gestring
Marsha & Richard Goerss
Claire Gotham
Doug & Lila Hertz
Malvika Jhangiani
Anne & Mark Kaiser
John C. Keller
Brian & Carrie Kurlander
Mr. Matthew D. Kent and Mr. Joseph C. Miller
Mr. James Kieffer
James & Lori Kilberg
Timothy Hardy & Allegra Lawrence-Hardy
Alexander Johnson & Susan
Somersille Johnson
Ms. Evelyn Ashley & Mr. Alan B. McKeon
Dori & Jack Miller
Jeffrey Miller
Paul Pendergrass & Margaret Baldwin
Diane & Mark Perlberg
Wade Rakes & Nicholas Miller
Matt Richburg
Robyn Roberts & Kevin Greiner
Mr. George Russell, Jr. & Mrs. Faye Sampson-Russell
Dean DuBose & Bronson
Smith
Mr. & Mrs. E. Kendrick Smith
Lynne & Steve Steindel
Carol & Ramon Tomé Family Fund
Richard & Melissa Valladares
Waffle House
Ms. Kathy Waller & Mr. Kenny Goggins
Mark & Rebekah Wasserman
Ramona & Ben White
Suzy Wilner
R. Wai Wong
BENEFACTORS
$5,000+
Anonymous
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh S. Asher
Lisa & Joe* Bankoff
Mr. & Mrs. Roland L. Bates
Natalie & Matthew Bernstein
Ken Bernhardt & Cynthia Currence
Franklin & Dorothy Chandler
Ann & Jim Curry
Diane Durgin
Kathy & Jason Evans
Dr. Cynthia J. Fordyce & Sharon Hulette
Dr. & Mrs. Marvin Goldstein
Tad & Janin Hutcheson
Jason & Laurie Jeffay
Dr. & Mrs. John Lee
Charlita Stephens & Delores
Stephens
Maria-Ruth Storts
Chuck Taylor & Lisa CannonTaylor
Ms. Cathy Weil
Marjan & Navid Yavari
$2,500+
Anonymous (2)
Dr. & Mrs. Raymond Allen
Mr. Andrew Benator
Ms. Raluca Bighiu
Ron & Lisa Brill Charitable Trust
Mr. & Mrs. W. Kent Canipe
Candace Carson
Melodie H. Clayton
Rita & Ralph Connell
Linda & Gene Davidson
Marcia & John Donnell
Eve Joy Eckardt
Mr. Fredric M. Ehlers & Mr. David Lile
Mrs. Anuja Gagoomal & Dr. John Stites
The Robert S. Elster Foundation
Karen & Andrew Ghertner
Mr. David F. Golden
Sandeep Goyal & Taylor
England
Dr. & Mrs. John B. Hardman
Ariana Hargrave
Henry & Etta Raye Hirsch
Heritage Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. J. Michael Hostinsky
Linda & Richard Hubert
Mr. & Mrs. Wyatt T. Johnson
Judith Lyon & Ron Bloom
Lloyd & Mary* McCreary
Hala & Steve Moddelmog
Clair & Thomas Muller
Joan Netzel & John Gronwall
Shauna Grovell
John & Helen Parker
Sam & Barbara Pettway
Ali & Layla Rahimi, ALYKA Health
Don & Rosalinda Ratajczak
Ms. Kristin L. Ray
Dana Rice
Mr. & Mrs. Mark Rosenberg
Jane & Rein Saral
Kashi Sehgal
Ms. Mallie Sharafat
Mr. & Mrs. S. Albert Sherrod
Mr. David C. Shih
Brian Shively & Jim Jinhong
Henry N. & Margaret P. Staats
Chandra Stephens-Albright & Warren Albright
Julie Teer
Dana & Obi Ugwonali
Mr. & Mrs. Glenn Weiss
Bryan & Carrie Williams
$1,500+
Judge Gregory A. Adams & Wanda C. Adams
Anonymous
Mr. E. Scott Arnold
Ellen Arnovitz
Marie and Brad Foster
Aubrey & Carol Bush
Susan & Edward Croft
Gail Crowder & Claude Wegscheider
Tim & Tina Eyerly
Mr. & Mrs. Paul A. Flexner
Della & Theo Guidry
Warren M. Gump
Mrs. Elaine L. Hentschel
Ashley & Elton James
Boland & Andrea Lea Jones
Mark Keiser
Andjela & Michael Kessler
David Long and Starane Shepherd
Greg & Gillian Matteson
Fabienne Moore
Dennis & Debra Murphy
Denis Ng & Mary Jane Panzeri
Mr. & Mrs. Armond Perkins
Peg Petersen
Dr. Denise Raynor
Dr. & Mrs. Fredric Rosenberg
Ms. Tiffany Rosetti
Ms. Amy Speas
Dr. & Mrs. Harry Strothers
Judith & Mark Taylor
Valerie & Anthony Thomas
Stan & Velma Tilley
Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Vazquez
Ms. Avril Vignos
Mamie Dayan-Vogel & Steven Vogel
John T. & Patricia Walsh
Kim Boldthen & Carolyn Wheeler
Adrienne Whitehead
William & Nancy Yang
Noam Zelman and Susan Hirsch
PATRONS
$1,000+
Anonymous
Mr. Reza Abree
Mr. George T. Baker
David Cofrin & Christine
Tryba-Cofrin
Richard & Grecia Cox
Celeste Davis-Lane
Drs. Bryan & Norma Edwards
Howard & Ellen Eisenberg
Dr. Azy Esfandiari, City Springs Dental Studio
Dr. Marla Franks & Rev. Susan Zoller
Louise S. Gunn
Drs. Cathie & Hugh Hudson
Ms. Floria Izadi
Amy & Jeremy King
Christina Kramer
Mr. & Mrs. Asghar
Memarzadeh
Anna & Hays Mershon
Mr. Kasra Naderi & Mrs.
Arezoo Akhavan
Debbie & Lon Neese
Deborah W. Royer
Jane E. Shivers
Robert & Judith Simmermon
Nossi Taheri & Hope Vaziri
Mr. and Mrs. Alex Taylor
Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth G. Taylor
Mr. and Mrs. Brent Yamaato
$500+
Dawn & Michael Adamson
William Baas
Dr. Evelyn R. Babey
Mr. and Mrs. Barry N. Berlin
Jay Bernath
Rob & Suzanne Boas
Dr. Deloris Bryant-Booker
Mr. & Mrs. Mark Bunker
Mary M. Burke
Karen and Harold Carney
Dr. & Mrs. S. Wright
Caughman
Gray & Marge Crouse
Eric & Christina Fisher
Christine & Andrew Fry
Shelley & Bruce Gaynes
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Gerakitis
Steven Goss
Richard & Debbie Griffiths
Sarah Hawbecker & William
Fuller
Ms. Jo Ann Haden-Miller & Mr. William Miller
Harris & Sharon Hobby
Mr. & Mrs. Phillip S. Hodges
Betty Jeter
Kelley J. Jordan-Monné
Jason Kahn
Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Kraft
Larry C. Larson
Ms. Lauren Linder & Mr. Jonathan Grunberg
Al Lurey
Ms. Theresa McCabe
Ms. Jaime McQuilkin
Robbie Medwed
Stacia Minton
Drs. Sharon Neulinger & Richard Kaplan
Mr. Eric Olson
Mr. Mark A. Pallansch
Lori & Jonathan Peterson
Marc & Jean Pickard
Lois & Don Reitzes
Paula Rosput Reynolds & Stephen Reynolds
Michelle & Gary Simon
C. Daniel Smith and Cynthia
Smith
Celia Till
John & Bunny Underwood
ALLIANCE THEATRE MONTHLY SUSTAINER SOCIETY
We would like to thank our donors who have committed to giving us a recurring monthly donation to the Alliance Theatre Annual Fund. Join today: www.alliancetheatre.org/sustainer
Dr. & Mrs. Marshall Abes
Mr. Faraz Ahmed
Mr. E. Scott Arnold
Dr. Evelyn Babey
Dr. Deloris Bryant-Booker
Dean Jordan & Lee Burson
Mr. Brandon Bush
Karen & Harold Carney
Mr. Quentin David Cashman
Elizabeth Corrie
Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Cowart
Christopher Cox & Draco Bohannon
Gray & Marge Crouse
Nash Ditmetaroj
Malaika Dowdell
Brenda Fleming
Les Flynn
Christine & Andrew Fry
Emmanuel Glaze
Caroline Gold
Katie Goodman
Erica Greenblatt
Bryant Gresham & Alexander Bossert
Ms. Jo Ann Haden-Miller & Mr. William Miller
Lindsey E. Hardegree
Ms. Linda Hare & Mr. Gerald Barth
Dr. & Mrs. David M. Hill
Ms. Becca Hogue
Karen Jones
Kelley J. Jordan-Monné
Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Kalista
Amy & Jeremy King
Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Kraft
Dr. Andrea W. Lawrence
Ms. Lauren Linder & Mr. Jonathan Grunberg
Christian & JoJasmin Lopez
Joyce Lewis
Stephen Lynch
Ms. Alison Main
Ms. Jaime McQuilkin
Heather & Jim Michael
Lori & Jonathan Peterson
Ms. Kendrick Phillips
Marion Phillips
Marc & Jean Pickard
Dana & Jacqueline Powe
Mr. Howard Rowe
Barbara Schreiber
Tom Slovak & Jeffery Jones
Charles Thompson
Dana & Obi Ugwonali
Ms. Stephanie Van Parys & Mr. Robert A. Cleveland
Ben Warshaw
Caitlin Way
Mr. & Mrs. Napoleon A. Williams
MOVES
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MATCHING GIFT COMPANIES
Many companies offer a matching gifts program for employees and retirees. You can double, or even triple, your gift at no additional cost to you simply by asking your employer! Think of how much further your donation can go.
We would like to thank the following companies who have matched contributions to the Alliance Theatre Annual Fund. To find out more about matching gifts, contact Emma Seif at emma.seif@alliancetheatre.org.
AIG Corporation
American Express
Aon Risk Solutions
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
AT&T
Bank of America/Merrill
BlackRock
Bryan Cave-Powell
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Chubb Charitable Foundation
The Coca-Cola Company
Deloitte
Equifax Inc. Foundation
John and Mary Franklin Foundation
GE Energy
LEGACY SOCIETY
Georgia Power
Goldman Sachs Matching Gift
Goldstein
Google
Hearst Foundations
Home Depot Foundation
Honda Motor Co.
IAC, Inc
IBM
JPMorgan Chase
Kimberly-Clark
Lynch
Macy’s Foundation
McDonald’s Corporation
McMaster-Carr Supply
Microsoft Corporation
Norfolk Southern Corporation
Principal Financial Group Foundation
Prudential Financial
Publix Super Markets
Salesforce.com, Inc.
Sprint
SunTrust Foundation
Thrivent Financial for Lutherns
Veritiv Corporation
Verizon Corporation
The Walt Disney Company
Wells Fargo Yahoo!
Celebrating our supporters who have made a legacy gift to the Alliance Theatre.
The Legacy Society celebrates individuals who have made a planned gift to the Alliance Theatre. Making a planned gift is a wonderful way to show your support and appreciation for the Alliance Theatre and its mission, while accommodating your financial, estate planning and philanthropic goals. With smart planning, you may increase the size of your estate and/or reduce the tax burden on your heirs. Just as important, you will know that you have made a meaningful and lasting contribution to the Alliance Theatre.
To learn more about the Legacy Society, please contact Lindsay Ridgeway-Baierl at lindsay.ridgeway-baierl@alliancetheatre.org.
Anonymous
Rita M. Anderson
Roland & Linda Bates
Kathy* & Ken Bernhardt
Anne & Jim Breedlove
Ezra Cohen
Ann & Jeff Cramer
Susan & Edward Croft
Sallie Adams Daniel
Linda & Gene Davidson
Terry & Stacy Dietzler
Diane Durgin
Elizabeth Etoll
Ellen & Howard Feinsand
James Edward Gay*
Laura & John Hardman
Nancy & Glen Hesler
P.J. Younglove Hovey
David A. Howell*
Lauren & David Kiefer
David Kuniansky
Virginia Vann* & Ken Large
Edith Love*
Lauren & John McColskey
Anna & Hays Mershon
Caroline & Phil Moïse
Winifred & Richard Myrick
Victoria & Howard Palefsky
Armond & Sharon Perkins
Jam Pomerantz
Helen M. Regenstein*
Margaret & Robert Reiser
Betty Blondeau-Russell*
Tricia & Neal Schachtel
Debbie* & Charles Shelton III
Jane E. Shivers
Roger Smith & Christopher Jones*
Ron* & Kathy Tomajko
Lee Harper & Wayne Vason
Terri & Rick Western
Ramona & Ben White
* deceased
ARTISTIC
Jennings Hertz Artistic Directors Tinashe Kajese-Bolden, Christopher Moses
Producer & Casting Director
Producing & Casting Assistant
Distinguished Artist in Residence
Associate Producer
BOLD Producing Associate
Spelman Leadership Fellows
Emory Summer Literary Intern
Jody Feldman
Brant Adams
Pearl Cleage
Amanda Watkins
Abrianna Belvedere
Jayla Dyas, Kerrington Griffin
Kailey Albus
Reiser Lab Artists Round 10 Emma Yarbrough, Cait Greenamyre, Melissa Word, Dalyla Nicole, K. Parker, Amanda Washington, Vynnie Meli, Jimmica Collins, and Cedwan Hooks
Production Management
Director of Production
Associate Directors of Production
Costume and Wardrobe Director
Costumes
Associate Costume Shop & Wardrobe Director
Design Assistant
Drapers
Crafts Master
1st Hands/Stitchers
Wardrobe Supervisor
Wardrobe
Wig Master
Director of Lighting & Projections
Electrics
Associate Director of Lighting & Projection
Lawrence Bennett
Courtney O’Neill, Haylee Scott
Laury Conley
Melanie Green
Summer Barnes
Tonja Petersen, Cindy Lou Who
Diana L. Thomas
Brett Parker
Hauzia Conyers
Monica Speaker
Lindsey Ewing
Rachael N. Blackwell
Steve Jordan
Staff Electricians Joy Diaz, Rochelle Riley, Neil Anderson
Properties
Props Department Director
Suzanne Cooper Morris
Props Artisans Parker Ossmann, Kathryn Andries, Bruce Butkovich
Props Artisan/Buyer
Technical Director
Associate Technical Directors
Shop Supervisor
Lead Welder
Carpenters
Charge Scenic Artist
Scenic Artist
Technical Direction Intern
Sound Director
Assistant Sound Director
Scenery
Kimberly Townsend
Kyle Longwell
Rigel Powell, Luke Robinson
Patrick Conley
Chris Seifert
Kevin Dyson, Parker Ossmann, Marlon Wilson
Kat Conley
Amanda Nerby
Evelyn Galbraith
Sound
Michael Carrico
Aaron Vockley
Sound Engineers Tamir Eplan-Frankel, Emma Mouledoux, Graham Schwartz
Stage Management
Stage Managers
Stage Management Production Assistants
National Vision Stage Management Fellow
Stage Operations Manager
Stage Operations
Assistant Stage Operations Manager
Flyman
Automation Stagehand
EDUCATION
Dan Reardon Director of Education
Naserian Foundation Head of Early Childhood Programs
Head of Youth & Family Programs
Head of Secondary Curriculum & Partnerships
Education Accounting Assistant
Administrative & Adult Program Manager
Camp Administrative Manager
Head of Strategic Initiatives
Teaching Artists
Abigail Bowers, Abigail Kincheloe, Addison Peacock, Alexandria Walker, Allison Gardner, Andi Stanesic, Andrea Washington, Angel Fabian Rivera, Ann Marie Meeker, Anna McCarthy, Anna Oakley, April Andrew Carswell, Aria Armstead, Audrey Myers, Autumn Stephens, Avery Sharpe, Barry Mann, Brad Raymond, Brandon L. Smith, Brantley Waller, Brie Wolfe, Brittani Minnieweather, Brittany Loffert, Caitlin Slotnick, Caleb Vaughn, Calyria Jyvonne Reynolds, Cara Mantella, Caroline Donica, Casey Navarro, Chanel Davis, Chase Anderson, Chelcy Cutwright, Chelsea Brown, Cece Campbell, Chloe Lomax, Christopher Nastasi, Clayton Landey, Coriana Raynor, Courtney Moors-Hornick, Da’Quan Cooney, Cody Benfield, Dan Triandiflou, Daniel Caffrey, Daniela Santiago, Danielle Montgomery, Davia Weatherill, David DeVries, David Kote, Deja Holmes, Dru Sky Berrian, E Haeberlin, Ebony Golden, Ebony Tucker, Elaina Walton, Ethan Davis, Eugene Russell, Gloria Martin, Hananya Allen, Hannah Chatham, Hannah Church, Harriet Bass, Hayden Weiss, Hollie Rivers, Imani Quinones, Isaac Breiding, Issa Solis, Ja’Siah Young, Jada Gorgor, James Patrick, James Williams, Javaron Conyers, Jeremiah Hobbs, Jessenia Ingram, Jetta Whitehurst, Jimez Alexander, John Doyle, Joseph Quintana, Josh Price, Julia Walters, Julie Woods Robinson, Julissa Sabino, Karen Aguirre, Kate Varner, Katherine Taylor, Katie Causey, Katie Wickline, Kierra Edwards, Kim Baran, Kira Rockwell, Kristian Martinez, Lamar Hardy, Lauren Alexandra, Laurin Dunleavy, Lee Osorio, Lilly Heidari, Lon Bumgarner, Lydia Rice, Maddy Roberts, Madeleine Noe, Madison Junod, Madison VandenOever, Marc Collins, Marcia Faith Harper, Marcia Harvey, Marielle Martinez, Marissa Kovach, Marquelle Young, Mary Claire Page, Mary Michael Patterson, Matt Baum, Matthew Caleb Brown, Maxwell H. Breaux, Maya Lawrence, Megan Cramer, Megan Wartell, Melissa “Mel” Ottaviano, Monteze Sutton, Morayo Otujo, Morgan Rysdon-Moulitsas, Myah Harper, Natalie Brown, Nicole Price, Nicolette Emanuelle, Patricia de la Garza, Patrick McColery, Phillia Prior, Rachel Da Silva, Razaria Denae Copeland, Riley Schatz, Rimothy Miracle Bennett, Robyn Sutton-Fernandez, Rodney Williams, Ryan Dinning, Sarah Mack Price, Sarah Oguntomilade, Sarah Wallis, Sariel Toribio, Shane Simmons, Shaniya Horton, Sharon Foote, Sierra Christensen, Stephen Ruffin, Tafee Patterson, Terence Lee, Theresa Davis, Tiffany Hobbs, Tramaine Jones, Tylia De’Armond, Vallea Woodbury, William Amato, Wynne Kelly, Zuri Petteway
Teen Ensemble Members
Alyssa Carr, Joshua Byrom, Saheim Patrick, Abigail May Watson, Jax Millarker, Caleb Thomas, Coco Perkins, Adiya Stubblefiled, Vanathi Parthiban, Ja’Kyah Jackson, Daniel McCall, Abigail Dougherty, Anshula Phadke, Eliana Leaks, Margaret Elliott, Kennedy O’Neil, Chloe Jarrett, Syrenity Hall, Helena Denton, Malaysia West-Lewis, Ella Dameron, Aja Najib, Taliyaah Muhammad
MANAGEMENT
Managing Director
Company Manager
Assistant Company Manager
Administration & Finance
Director of Finance
Mike Schleifer
Laura Thruston
Sara Cook
Valerie Thomas
Director of Community Engagement, Partnership, & IDEA Daviorr Snipes
Controller & Head of Administration
Staff Accountant
Accounting Coordinator
Accounts Payable Lead
Associate Director, Data Operations & Strategy
Management Assistant
Director of Development
Liz Campbell, R. Lamar Williams, Barbara Gantt O’Haley
