Backstage - A Number

Matthew Reeder Artistic Director Brandon Anderson Celene Mielcarek Managing Director Development Director BackStage Theatre Company Presents

A Number

by Caryl Churchill A Play in One Act Directed by Karen Kessler Jen Poulin, Stage Manager

The Building Stage 412 N Carpenter St Reservations: (312) 773-BTSC www.backstagetheatrecompany.org This show is approximately 70 minutes with no intermission

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

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CAST Salter .......................................................................................................................... Patrick Blashill Bernard/Bernard/Michael ..................................................................................Tony Bozzuto*

PRODUCTION TEA M Lighting Design..........................................................................................................Heath Hays* Scenic & Properties Design.........................................................................Angela M. Campos Costume Design.............................................................................................Megan E. Sullivan* Sound Design............................................................................................................ Joseph Court Graphic Design................................................................................................Charles Riffenburg * BackStage Theatre Company Ensemble Member

CAST Tony Bozzuto (Bernard/Bernard/ Michael) He was last seen in the Jeff recommended Memory and Orange Flower Water, and in On An Average Day. For about seven years, Tony has been honored to work his way around the Chicago theatre scene with such talented companies as Lifeline Theatre, Next Theatre, Metropolis PAC, and, of course, BackStage Theatre Co. Whether on stage, television or film, Tony credits much of his skills and successes to his studies at the incomparable Hilberry Theatre in Detroit, MI, where he received his MFA. Patrick Blashill (Salter) Patrick has been an ensemble member with Lifeline Theatre since 1996 and has been performing at Lifeline since 1994’s Miss Bianca, where he played Bernard the mouse. Other favorite animal roles include Ferdinand the bull in The Story of Ferdinand, and the Mighty Gorilla in The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, which was later remounted for

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Chicago Theatre on the Air with guest star Brent Spiner. Other favorite Lifeline roles include Old Bailey in Neverwhere, Edgar Drake in The Piano Tuner (After Dark Award-performance), Victor in Lizard Music, Hugh Thane in The Talisman Ring, Tom in Pistols for Two (Jeff citation nomination-Ensemble), and Bunter in Strong Poison (Jeff citation nomination-Ensemble). He is especially proud to have acted in all three books of Lifeline’s Lord of the Rings trilogy that spanned The Fellowship of the Ring (Bilbo), The Two Towers (Frodo), and The Return of the King (Frodo). Patrick has worked with numerous other Chicago theatres and some favorite roles include the Father in Eurydice (Filament Theatre), Lt Osbourne in Journeys End (Griffin Theatre), and Mr Knightley in Emma (Reverie Theatre). Patrick is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and is thrilled to work with the excellent cast & crew at “BackStage”.

PRODUCTION TEA M Karen Kessler (Director) Karen Kessler is tickled to be working on this amazing play with the talented people at the BackStage Theatre Company.

She is also a proud member of the ensemble of A Red Orchid Theatre where she most recently directed the Midwest premier of Louis Slotin Sonata and previously directed the Midwest premier of Pumpgirl by Irish playwright Abbie Spallen, the Chicago premier of Sarah Kane’s Blasted; the US premier of Gagarin’s Way by Gregory Burke (a play that won an After Dark award for Outstanding Ensemble) and the Midwest premier of Mr. Kolpert

by David Gieselmann. Other Chicago credits include: Collaboraction’s Sketchbook 2009 – Who Put the Dead Bird in My Mailbox? by Sarah Hammond; the US Premier of Roddy Doyle’s War for Seanachai Theatre; A Going Concern, This Lime Tree Bower, Remembrance, A Mislaid Heaven, and the award winning Early and Often for Famous Door; the Midwest premier of Sam Shepard’s The God of Hell at the Next Theatre; The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek, Wrens, Hamlet and Cyrano de Bergerac for Rivendell Theatre; and the Midwest premiere of Steve Martin’s The Underpants for Noble Fool Productions.

Credits outside of Chicago include: Glengarry Glen Ross for the Northern Stage Ensemble in Newcastle-uponTyne, England; Macbeth for the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival; Measure for Measure for Connecticut Repertory Theatre; the world premiere of a new adaptation of The Three Musketeers, Scapin, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, and All’s Well That Ends Well at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival; and The Merry Wives of Windsor and The Complete History of America (Abridged) for Idaho Repertory Theatre. Karen is an Associate Professor of Directing and Shakespeare at Ball State University in Indiana.

Jen Poulin (Stage Manager/ BackStage Associate Artistic Director) Jen is thrilled to stage manage once again for BackStage. Her journey with BackStage began with a

magical experience stage managing Aunt Dan and Lemon, and continued with stage managing the company’s productions of Memory and Three Days of Rain. This season, Jen directed the inaugural installment of BackStage’s The Listening Series and will assistant direct the upcoming production of A Scent of Flowers. In addition to her BackStage credits, Jen recently stage managed Kimberly Senior’s Old Times for Strawdog Theatre Company, been tapped to direct a new piece for Polarity Ensemble Theatre, Dionysis Fest, and has also had the pleasure of working with Chicago’s Eclipse Theatre Company, WildClaw Theatre,Serendipity Theatre Collective, Steep Theatre Company, Mary Arrchie Theatre Company, and Silk Road Theatre Project. Jen received her BFA in Theatre from University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign. She wishes love and thanks to this show’s excellent production team and cast, her family and friends, and The Boy. Angela M. Campos (Scenic & Properties Designer) Angela returns again to BackStage with her third production. Chicago credits include The Nutcracker and Death and Harry Houdini (The House Theatre of Chicago); Memory and Three Days of Rain (BackStage Theatre Company); Romeo and Juliet (First Folio Theatre); Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Polarity Ensemble); Theories of the Sun and Heddatron (Sideshow Theatre Company); and Cloud 9 (The Gift Theatre Company). She would like to thank the cast and production staff, and her friends and family for all their unwavering support and dedication.

Joseph Court (Sound Design) Joseph serves as sound engineer for the Chicago Production of the Tony Award winning musical Million Dollar Quartet. He received a Jeff nomination for his design for The Unseen at A Red Orchid Theatre, where he has also designed several shows. Other design credits include work with Theatre Seven, Seanachi, The Gift, Lifeline, BackStage Theatre Company 3

PROGR A M Infamous Commonwealth, Emerald City Theatre Company, The Clarence Brown Theatre (Knoxville, TN) and The Illinois Shakespeare Festival. Joe is also a proud company member of Mary Arrchie Theatre Company.

Heath Hays (Lighting Designer) Heath is a BackStage Ensemble member, where he has designed set for On An Average Day, The Memory of Water, Beauty on the Vine, Bloody Bess and Zombies from the Beyond as well as the Jeff-recommended shows Waiting for Lefty and Medea. He also designed sound for BackStage›s The Ruling Class and Seanachi Theatre’s drama Whistle in the Dark. He designed set for Infamous Conmmonwealth Theatre’s Keely and Du, GreyZelda’s Jeff-recommended production of A View From The Bridge as well as their Desire Under the Elms, and Hell in a Handbag’s Caged Dames.

Heath has also worked for Grounded Theatre, Arena Dinner Theatre, and Village Players.

Megan E. Sullivan (Costume Design) Hailing from the ‘burbs of Detroit, Megan has worked with BackStage Theatre Company since 2004 as a designer (Costumes, Properties, Sound), manager (Production, Stage), director, ensemble member, and as Associate

Artistic Director for the ‘05 and ‘06 seasons. She has previously served as Costume Designer for BSTC on The Play About The Baby and the Jeffrecommended production of Anton in Show Business. Megan is a director, designer, performer, and instructor in theatre, music and dance in various genres and groups in Chicago and is proudly married to Sean Sullivan (Technical Supervisor), whom she met while working with BSTC. Sean Sullivan (Technical Supervisor) Sean hails from Ohio, where he earned a BA in Theatre from The Ohio State University. He has been an ensemble member, actor and designer/carpenter with BackStage Theatre Company since 2004. Sean freelances as a carpenter and stagehand in theatre and television for companies such as Chicago Scenic Studios, Inc. and Harpo Studios. He is also a member of Actor’s Equity, represented by Stewart Talent Agency and is currently starring as “Johnny Cash” in the Chicago cast of the Tony Award Winning musical, Million Dollar Quartet. Sean takes the most pride in having met and married fellow BSTC ensemble member and best friend, Megan E. Sullivan.

C O M PA N Y P R O F I L E S Matthew Reeder (Artistic Director) In addition to shaping BackStage’s artistic vision, Matthew is an accomplished director, with credits that include last season’s critically acclaimed hit Three Days of Rain, the Jeff-Recommended BackStage productions of Memory, Aunt Dan and Lemon, The Play About The Baby the Jeff-Nominated On An Average Day, and the critically acclaimed production of Paula Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive.

Matthew has also directed Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Metropolis Performing Arts Center, and is a regular at Adventure Stage Chicago, where he directed the wildly popular 4 BackStage Theatre Company

theatrical adaptation of Louis Sachar’s Holes, The Shakespeare Stealer, and Still Life with Iris. Other selected directing credits include Accomplice for Noble Fool Theatricals, The Glass Menagerie for Illinois Repertory Theatre, A Tempest or the Playing French Festival at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, The Woman in Black for Blue Ridge Theatre Festival.

Matthew’s production of David Ives All in the Timing and English Made Simple was featured at the 1999 Sibiu International Theatre Festival in Sibiu, Romania.

Matthew holds an M.F.A in Directing from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a B.S. in Musical Theater from Ball State University.

C O M PA N Y P R O F I L E S ( c o n t .)

Brandon Anderson (Managing Director) Although Brandon was born and raised in Columbus, OH, he has known since his first trip to Chicago as a high school varsity Academic Quiz Team player that this city would be his home. In the 15 years between then and now, Brandon earned a B.S. in Public Relations from Xavier University in Cincinnati, and fell in love with live entertainment as a lead actor, vocalist, dancer and administrator with Shadowbox Live, one of the largest resident performance ensembles in the country. In addition to performing, Brandon served as the Media Relations Coordinator, Associate Marketing Coordinator, and Assistant General Manager for the company’s Greater Cincinnati venue until July 2011, handling the day-to-day operations of the 150-seat venue and 25-member ensemble of artists and staff. As an actor, Brandon’s notable stage credits include Closer (Larry), Jesus Christ Superstar, (Judas), RENT (Roger), and the Cincinnati premiere of Superior Donuts, for which he was named Best Featured Actor in a Play by the League of Cincinnati Theatres. As the new Managing Director for the BackStage Family, Brandon is beyond excited to take part in the company’s evolution, and is honored to help spill the beans on one of his new hometown’s best-kept secrets.

her B.F.A. in Theatre from Emporia State University in her home state of Kansas. Continuing to pursue her education, she completed her M.F.A. in Theatre Performance from The Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. She has performed with such theatre companies as Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (Julius Caesar), Quest Theatre Ensemble (The Wizard of Oz), 13Carat Productions (4Play: Bleach) The GreyZelda Theatre Group (The Skriker), Chemically Imbalanced Comedy (The Vietnamization of New Jersey and 2B (Or Not 2B)) and The Vittum Theater (A Woman Called Truth), while also appearing in numerous films and commercials.

Jana also works full time as the Audience Development Coordinator for the award-winning Adventure Stage Chicago.

Amy Abramson (Assistant Development Director) Amy first joined BackStage in May 2010.

She currently assists in all areas of development, focusing primarily on foundations and corporate giving.

She was formerly the Development Manager at River North Dance Chicago where she directed the annual fund and Producer Society.

She also fundraised and trained novice fundraisers for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through the Team in Training program. In that program, she completed five Celene Mielcarek (Development charity marathons, four triathlons, Director) Celene is happy to be and participated in a 100-mile cycling working with BackStage and its race - until her legs gave out. She incredible community as Development holds an A.B. from Smith College and Director. Upon graduating from a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Marquette University with a B.A. in Theatre, she performed on various Susan Hamel (Assistant Development stages before finding her calling as Director) Susan has been involved a development professional. Celene in educational and regional theatres also works in the Volunteer Programs across the country, in administrative, & Donor Events office at the Chicago creative and backstage positions, Symphony Orchestra, and is currently for more than thirty years. A retired pursuing her Master’s in Public educator, she relocated to the Chicago Administration at DePaul University. area to pursue her passion because Jana Liles (Casting Director) Jana of the broad theatre opportunities came to Chicago after receiving available. While best known as a stage

C O M PA N Y P R O F I L E S ( c o n t .) director, she is currently focusing on expanding her administrative resume and looking forward to working with BackStage Theatre in support of their fine productions. Her primary interest at BackStage is researching and writing grants. When not playing in the theatre, Susan is occupied as an educational consultant and tax accountant.

David Zoltan (Assistant Development Director) From being a secretary to owning his own business, from selling cars to being a consultant, David’s passion has always been in the theatre, and he’s excited to turn to his first love as a member

of BackStage’s Development Team.

David has worked as a fundraiser with Steppenwolf Theatre Company and is a thought leader in arts management through his new social media venture, ArtsAppeal. He sits on the Governors Circle of the Steppenwolf Auxiliary Council, and helped Victory Gardens Theatre develop its young professionals group, Pulp. David grew up in Detroit, got his bachelors degree at Michigan State in East Lansing, his Masters of Arts Management at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, but he calls Chicago the best home he’s ever known.

B AC K S TAG E T H E AT R E C O M PA N Y BackStage Theatre Company Board of Directors Aaron Andersen, Chair Brandon Williams, Treasurer Zachary Cook, Secretary Anthony Downing Heidrun Unterbeck Downing Jack Hickey Amy Monday Ensemble Members Tony Bozzuto, Heath Hays, Jessica Kuehnau, Lindsey Miller, Michael Pacas, Eric Paskey, Sean Sullivan, Rebekah Ward-Hays, Brandon Wardell

OUR MISSION BackStage Theatre is a not-for-profit ensemble of theatre artists dedicated to the exploration of family. Through the creation of bold and eclectic productions, we question and examine what family means socially, spiritually, economically, emotionally, politically, and culturally. Our BackStage family is committed to the growth of all families.

For more information, visit www.backstagetheatrecompany.org

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DONORS Thank you to our generous supporters. Your gifts make productions like tonight’s possible. $10,000+ Alphawood Foundation Chase Community Giving $2500+ Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation $1000 - $2,499 CNA Foundation Illinois Arts Council, a state agency Motorola Foundation Timothy Cagney and Michael Pacas Nancy and Barney Straus Whizzer Brandon Williams $250 - $999 Bill & Orli Staley Foundation Zachary Cook Heidrun Unterbeck and Anthony Downing Peter Fulgenzi Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Richard & Kathleen Katz Paul and Amy Monday Susan Payne Kenneth Poje Hubert Reeder Frank and Karen Schneider Timothy and Cynthia Shanahan Mary and Richard Veed Cindy Williams

$100 - $249 Aldertrack, Inc. Aaron Andersen and Amy Daigler Ron and Barbara Butts Richard Cotovsky Ben Downing Anita Jacobson and Edward Feldman Patrick and Leah Flanagan Eugene Miller Ronald Paskey Michael Pauken and Marc Harshbarger Rich Pokorny and Ellen Wehrle Terri Hilton and Matthew Roth Judith Schiefelbein Kay Schmitt Terry Schwartz Kimberly K. Taylor Nancy Thompson Edwin and Albina Troscinski Susan and Bob Wislow Donors Anonymous (6) Amy Abramson Alfred Andreychuk Janelle Brittain Gretchen Crone Ronald and Sherry Dieckman Erna M. Dinata Galen Gockel John and Tess Green Roberta Heiman Cathy Hertzberg Kathy Konieczny Gay Leffel

Colin McCormick Barbara and Ron Moline Raj Nayak Paul Nelson Gary and Alta Nichol Ronald and Karen Payne Ellen Wehrle and Richard Pokorny Nancy Rampson Elanor and Harvard Reiter Stephen W. Ryan Eva M. Skowronski Colin Theis Karen Yates In Kind Donors Zachary Cook Heidrun Unterbeck and Anthony Downing Susan Downing Paul and Amy Monday Nancy Thompson Business Supporters The Aberdeen Tap Kitsch’n on Roscoe Roscoe Village Bikes The Pork Shoppe Volo Wine Bar Special Thanks Goes To: St. Luke’s Lutheran Church of Logan Square The Aberdeen Tap, Opening Night menu sponsors

This listing includes gifts received August 1, 2010 – December 16, 2011.

Join our family of supporters by making a gift at backstagetheatrecompany.org/support.

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