Forward Theater Co. The Amateurs by Footlights.com

the amateurs B Y J ORDA N HARRISON

Celebratin

g 30

h Footlig ts s of n o s Sea

Madison

19-20 SEASON

VOLUME 30 | ISSUE #4

Steve Marcus Matt Thiele DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Greg Widener ART DIRECTOR Sarah Sallmann GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sydney Kornowski VENUE RELATIONS // MILWAUKEE & MADISON Ryan Albrechtson VENUE RELATIONS // CHICAGO Alicia Senior-Saywell EDITORS/WRITERS Ryan Albrechtson | Amanda Finn CONTRIBUTING WRITER Jonathan Abarbanel COMPANY COMPTROLLER Karin Marcus ACCOUNTING MANAGER Lisa Cunningham PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Kyle Jewell ADVERTISING SALES // CHICAGO Will M. McAuliffe | Dave DeGraff ADVERTISING SALES // MADISON James Boylan | Courtney Neckar ADVERTISING SALES // MILWAUKEE Jacqueline Jaske | Barbara Kluth | Daryl Skardzinski ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Allyson Imig PRESIDENT + PUBLISHER VICE PRESIDENT

CHICAGO // MADISON // MILWAUKEE Milwaukee: 262.782.9751 | Chicago 773.938.6681 | Madison: 608.257.4560

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Footlights is published by Marcus Promotions, Inc. The content of any article in this publication is based solely on the opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Marcus Promotions, Inc., Footlights, or its staff. The center program content is at the sole discretion of the performing arts group. Any errors, omissions, or inconsistencies are their responsibility. Inquiries or comments should be directed accordingly.

GREETING CARDS FOR THEATRE PEOPLE

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madison FOOTNOTES

A Diamond Anniversary: Celebrating 60 Years with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra By Ryan Albrechtson

“There are nine resident groups at the Overture Center of the Arts, and we enjoy being colleagues and friends with them,” said Andrew Sewell, who is celebrating 20 years as music director for the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. “There’s that old adage, ‘When the sea rises, everyone wins.’”

While Sewell celebrates his milestone anniversary with orchestra, the organization has become home to some new faces as well. In 2019, Joe Loehnis stepped in as the new CEO of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra.

Sewell moved to the United States in 1988, having been born and raised in New Zealand. After graduating from the University of Michigan, he worked with several orchestras around the country before joining the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra in 2000. During his tenure with WCO, he spent some time working with the Wichita Symphony, and currently also works with the San Luis Obispo Symphony in California.

“I think sometimes organizations, it is nice to have fresh perspectives,” said Loehnis. “So while we have a lot of new faces in the office, I think that has accelerated some of the change we’re seeing in terms of how we’re thinking about the business.”

“It is unusual for an orchestra of this age to have only had 3 music directors,” said Sewell. “It’s quite unique.” The orchestra was formed in 1960 by Gordon Wright, originally called the Madison Summer Symphony Orchestra. Wright served as the first music director until 1969, handing it off to David Crosby, who was with the orchestra for 28 years until his passing in 1998.

Loehnis grew up in Appleton, WI and graduated from Lawrence University, where he attended as a cellist performance major. Also a collegiate golfer, he went on to spend a few years playing professional golf in Floria, while also serving as the principal cellist for the Vero Beach Chamber Orchestra and opening a student to offer music education to kids in the area. Loehnis moved to Madison in 2013, first serving as Executive Director of The First Tee, a youth development nonprofit before accepting the position at WCO this past year. A lot has changed since the Madison Summer Symphony Orchestra started performing in 1960. “When I first came here, I had big plans for what WCO could do,” said Sewell. “At the time, there were three indoor concerts and six outdoor concerts. We’ve increased the number of concerts indoors to now performing five Masterworks concerts each season.” There’s also been quite an impressive increase in audience size for the orchestra. “When I first arrived, about 12,000 people would show up for Concerts on the Square,” said Sewell. “That has grown to about 35-40,000 on a regular weeknight.”

This season, those large audiences can expect prime entertainment on the Capitol lawn. “This summer we have some really exciting partnerships at COTS,” said Loehnis. “We’re partnering with the Ho-Chunk Nation on one of our programs, serving as a platform for Ho-Chunk to share their culture and traditions and music… We’re also partnering with Leotha Stanley at UW Madison to present an all-black gospel music program. Those types of unique collaborations really set our summer series apart from other performances around the country.” Beyond continued excellent programing, there is a lot of growth on the horizon for the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. “I was given a bold agenda to expand our operations into the Brookfield market,” said Loehnis. “We want to become Brookfield’s Chamber Orchestra just like we are Madison’s Chamber Orchestra now.” This upcoming season, WCO is also launching the Friends of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra Membership Program. “We have more than 200,000 friends come to see us every summer and watch us perform, and we want to give them an opportunity to join our family through small donations and additional events we can provide to enhance their experience,” said Loehnis. The membership program, which will officially launch in May, will give members exclusive perks including swag, discounted tickets, special events, and member-only exclusive content on their new website, which will also launch in May. “There’s a very rich cultural appetite in Madison for dance, theatre, ballet, opera, symphony, chamber orchestra… and I think we do a very good job of providing that,” said Sewell.

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Intertwined by Lynne Roark, part of the Earthly Kin exhibit

A curated guide to Overture Center art galleries By Shari Gasper

Expand your arts experience today beyond the performing arts on our theater stages to the visual arts in our multiple galleries and displays. Overture Center’s four galleries create a forum for diverse artistic expression that fosters the growth of local artists, curators and arts organizations. Three galleries radiate off Rotunda Lobby, one on each level, and the Playhouse Gallery serves as the lobby for The Playhouse theater on the lower level. The galleries are free and open to the public. Exhibits change every three months, providing frequent opportunities to showcase new artists and learn the story behind their pieces, many of which are for sale. This spring, our featured artists explore environmental topics in honor of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. From March 10 through June 1, a wide array of paintings and sculptures will challenge you with questions about the impact of human behavior on the health of our planet.

Overture Center is also home to the James Watrous Gallery, a place to learn about Wisconsin art, and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, an independent organization exhibiting modern and contemporary art. As you explore, take time to pause by our Community Photo Mosaic, a permanent art display off the Rotunda Lobby near the museum store. This artwork represents the breadth of what Overture Center provides to the Madison community—from free and low-cost programming to local performing and visual artists to Broadway touring performances. The mural conveys a powerful message that Overture belongs to the entire community. You’ll also enjoy our Community Origami Mosaic, a mural created by Ruthanne Bessman, on the third floor. During the grand opening festival in September 2004, Bessman led guests through 20 hours of origami workshops and collected 4,000 folded units which she then used in this final art piece resembling a paper quilt. Overture surrounds you with art! Take a walk around our beautiful facility to immerse yourself in the visual arts and celebrate our local artists. Overture’s galleries are another way we support and elevate our community’s creative culture, economy and quality of life through the arts. The Cloud I Carry, by Erin Liljegren, part of the Unaccountable Adobes exhibit

Investing in community The Burish Group supports the arts We proudly support the arts in our Madison community. The arts help economics thrive, communities flourish, and individuals connect with each other while educating and enriching societies. The Burish Group UBS Financial Services Inc. 8020 Excelsior Drive, Suite 400, Madison, WI 53717 608-831-4282 burishgroup@ubs.com Relationships with $1 million or more are well-served by our capabilities.

ubs.com/team/burishgroup As a firm providing wealth management services to clients, UBS Financial Services Inc. offers both investment advisory services and brokerage services. Investment advisory services and brokerage services are separate and distinct, differ in material ways and are governed by different laws and separate arrangements. It is important that clients understand the ways in which we conduct business and that they carefully read the agreements and disclosures that we provide to them about the products or services we offer. For more information, visit our website at ubs.com/ workingwithus. ÂŠ UBS 2020. All rights reserved. UBS Financial Services Inc. is aÂ subsidiary of UBS AG. Member FINRA/SIPC. VIP_01222020-3 Exp.: 03/31/2020

FORWARD THEATER COMPANY presents

THE AMATEURS by Jordan Harrison

Directed by Jen Uphoff Gray

Scenic Designer Nathan Stuber

Lighting Designer Marisa Abbott

Costume Designer Monica Kilkus

Composer & Sound Designer Joe Cerqua**

Props Master Pamela Miles

Stage Manager Sarah Deming-Henes*

Dramaturg Mike Fischer

The Amateurs is generously sponsored by:

This play was supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts, and The Evjue Foundation, Inc., the charitable arm of The Capital Times.

Season Sponsors: The Shubert Foundation, The Evjue Foundation, Inc., Distillery Design, The Madison Concourse Hotel, Wisconsin Arts Board, Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Television

* Member of Actorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.

** Member of United Scenic Artists Local 829

THE AMATEURS was produced by the VINEYARD THEATRE, Douglas Aibel, Artistic Director; Sara Stern, Artistic Director; Suzanne Appel, Managing Director; New York City, 2018 Originally commissioned by South Coast Repertory The Amateurs is produced by special arrangement with United Talent Agency THE AMATEURS

F O R WA R D T H E AT E R CO M PA N Y S TA FF ARTISTIC Artistic Director......................................................................................................... Jennifer Uphoff Gray Artistic Associate....................................................................................................................Karen Moeller ADMINISTRATIVE Managing Director................................................................................................................ Julie Swenson Director of Development.................................................................................................... Julia Nicholas Director of Marketing.............................................................................................................. Scott Haden Company Manager..................................................................................................................Celia A. Klehr Business Manager....................................................................................................................Alex Moskoff Audience & Donor Relations Manager......................................................................... Samara Safarik PRODUCTION Stage Manager....................................................................................................... Sarah Deming-Henes* Technical Director..................................................................................................................Kevin Zimmer Assistant Stage Manager............................................................................................................. Enya Nett Wardrobe Supervisor............................................................................................................ Megan Dickel Costume Assistants.................................................................Shannon Heibler, Antonia Gunnarson Scenic Charge............................................................................................................................Pamela Miles Scenic Artist......................................................................................................................................Carri Dahl Sound Technician/Board Op......................................................................................Benjamin Krueger Carpenter............................................................................................................................ Jordan Rockman Master Electrician/Light Board Op............................................................................ Brad Toberman**

* Member of Actorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

** Forward Theater is proud to work with the members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)

Forward Theater Company

THE AMATEURS

Madison Symphony Chorus, Beverly Taylor, Director EXCLUSIVE SPONSOR Rosemarie Blancke, in loving memory of Fred Blancke

APR

Fri. 4/3, 7:30 p.m. Sat. 4/4, 8:00 p.m. Sun. 4/5, 2:30 p.m.

Eric Barry Tenor PHOTO: TONI SUTER & TANUA DORENDORF

John DeMain, Conductor

Ann Toomey Soprano

PHOTO: DEVON CASS

This concert features our wonderful Madison Symphony Chorus and four debut and returning soloists in the epic Dvořák Requiem. This work has it all, from beautiful solo arias to a thrilling bombastic chorus, all supported by the gorgeous orchestral writing of Antonin Dvořák. This is a work of great beauty and also an MSO premiere. Dvořák has become a favorite composer of mine and I look forward to conducting this Requiem for the first time. I hope all of you join me. – John DeMain

PHOTO: SIMON PAULY

DVOŘÁK REQUIEM

Julie Miller Mezzo-soprano

Matt Boehler Bass

madisonsymphony.org/requiem

n Toomey, Soprano

ie Miller, Mezzo-Soprano

c Barry, Tenor

tt Boehler, Bass

March 14–July 19 Free admission • mmoca.org

Christina Ramberg, Gloved, 1974. Collection of Mark and Judy Bednar.

Forward Theater Company

F O R WA R D T H E AT E R CO M PA N Y B OA R D O F D I R E C TO R S Rozan Anderson, UW Hillel Foundation Dr. Charles Ford, UW Division of Otolaryngology Marci Henderson, Girl Scouts of Wisconsin, Badgerland Roth Judd, Government Integrity Advisor Hallie Kuenning, WPS Health Solutions Gregory Monday, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. Jolen Neumann, Janus Galleries Kathie Nichols, Sort Sol Group Susan Pigorsch, Pigorsch Media Design Carol “Orange” Schroeder, Orange Tree Imports Steve Suleski, CUNA Mutual Group, retired Ted Waskowski, Stafford Rosenbaum LLP Jennifer Winding, QTI Group Ledell Zellers, Former Madison Alder and WI Investment Board, retired

F O R WA R D T H E AT E R A D V I S O RY CO M PA N Y William Bolz Jim Buske Jo Chalhoub Sarah Day Dennis Dorn

Mike Fischer Clare Arena Haden Shannon Heibler Michael Herold Maureen Janson

Karen Olivo Jake Penner Rána Roman Susan Sweeney Sam D. White

F O R WA R D T H E AT E R C O M PA N Y A L U M N I Forward Theater would like to thank the former Board and Advisory Company members that contributed to our success: Ann Archbold Colleen Burns John Frautschy Richard Ganoung Monica Kilkus Jessica Lanius Chad Bartell Rebecca Baumbach Carousel Bayrd Donna Beestman Tim Crisp Am Curet Burt DeHaven Jane Elder Ellen Foley

Advisory Company Casey Martin Georgina McKee Gwen Rice Scott Rött Frank Schneeberger Board of Directors Tom Frazier Jon Furlow Marta Gialamas Marcia Kasieta Gail Kohl Shana Lewis Erika Monroe-Kane Dean Richards John Russell

Kirk Stantis Michele Traband Charles Jennings Trieloff, II Jack Forbes Wilson Kimberly Megna Yarnall

Karen Saunders Joe Shapiro Joseph Shumow Scott Thornton Brent Wagner Sherry Wagner-Henry Erin Wenzel Lynn Wood THE AMATEURS

F R O M T H E D I R E C T O R . . . J E N U P H O F F G R AY Dear Forward Family: it’s hard for me to describe to you the feeling I had when I first sat down and read the script for Jordan Harrison’s The Amateurs. I knew I had never read anything quite like this before. I laughed and laughed at the antics of these medieval actors, trying against all odds to put together a play that wouldn’t just entertain an audience, but – quite literally – save the actors’ lives. And I was surprised and challenged by playwright Jordan Harrison’s approach to storytelling in this script. Have you ever seen Michael Frayn’s masterful farce Noises Off? It takes place in three acts. In the first we watch a theater troupe in their final dress rehearsal onstage. In the second, the set revolves 180 degrees and we watch that same troupe during a performance, but this time we’re seeing all of their backstage shenanigans. For the third act, the set turns back around to face the front and we are seeing the play for a third go-round. But this time, we all know what’s happening behind the scenes, just out of our sight, and that knowledge is transformative. When you watch The Amateurs, I think you may see why I saw similarities in it to Frayn’s structure. I learned a tremendous amount from working on this play. About our survival instincts. About taking risks. About the ways in which theater exposes what makes us most human. If you’re one of our subscribers, you know that this has been a season of plays with some really difficult storylines. Contemporary playwrights are wrestling – as we all are – with how to make our world better. We chose to share these particular stories because we found each one of them to be focused on how to go on, to transcend, to survive and to thrive. I wish such strength for myself, and for all of you. And I thank you, as always, for choosing to join us at the theater.

SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY IS A

GROUP EFFORT

Through our investments in education and economic security, we strive for equity in the communities we serve. Learn more at cunamutual.com/about-us

CUNA Mutual Group is the marketing name for CUNA Mutual Holding Company, a mutual insurance holding company, its subsidiaries and affiliates. CORP-1221083.3-0619-0721 ©CUNA Mutual Group, 2019 All Rights Reserved.

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Delighted Sponsor of The Amateurs DeWitt attorneys see things differently while creating solutions to meet client needs. At DeWitt, we utilize our creativity to offer proactive and effective legal advice in more than 30 areas of law while serving publicly and privately held companies, individual clients, family-owned businesses, municipalities and more. With attorneys practicing in Wisconsin and Minnesota, our firm handles matters for clients nationwide. When you need a trusted, full-service law firm, please visit our website at dewittllp.com or email info@dewittllp.com for more information.

MA D I S ON

GR E ATE R M I LWAU KE E

M INN EA P O L I S

THE AMATEURS 7 dewittllp.com

F R O M T H E D R A M AT U R G . . . M I K E F I S C H E R After the Flood It began in Sicily in the fall of 1347, as ships with dead and dying sailors arrived from the Black Sea, covered in strange and frightening black swellings in the armpits and groin. By early 1348, it had spread up the Italian peninsula and entered France, reaching Paris and then England by summer. Within two years, it had killed one quarter of Europe’s population. By century’s end, it had killed nearly half. At the time, Europeans called it the Great Mortality. We call it the Black Death, and it’s where Jordan Harrison’s The Amateurs begins. In a time when professional actors didn’t yet exist, Harrison’s title refers to the traveling troupe of players you’re about to meet. Like so many Europeans in the plague-ridden 14th century, they’re on the run – trying to stay ahead of a disease they don’t understand, while wondering whether its visitation was a divine punishment striking down sinners in the hands of an angry God. “To the people at large,” writes historian Barbara Tuchman, “there could be but one explanation” for the Black Death: “the wrath of God . . . the general acceptance of this view created an expanded sense of guilt, for if the plague were punishment there had to be terrible sin to have occasioned it.” Witnessing the Black Death firsthand as a teenager, William Langland (subsequently the author of Piers Plowman) wrote, “God is dead now-a-days and deigneth not hear us/And prayers have no power the Plague to stay.” Matteo Villani – a leading 14th century Italian historian – drew an express analogy between the Black Death and the biblical Flood, noting that he believed himself to be recording “the extermination of mankind.” What’s the play we see Harrison’s troupe rehearsing and performing through most of The Amateurs, itself set in an era during which nearly all plays involved Biblical stories? It’s the frightening account in Genesis of Noah and God’s all-consuming, world-ending flood. What’s the play you’ll see today, written in an era that can often feel equally apocalyptic, as climate change raises the waters all around us, a new pandemic continues to spread, and refugees again fill the world’s roads? It’s an inspiring account of how and why we nevertheless carry on – and how the stories we tell help make it possible. Or as Harrison said in an interview, The Amateurs is “a play about how art responds to crisis.” Becoming Human What Harrison suggests and you will see is that the 14th century responded by discovering and then affirming what it means to be an individual – with unique desires, hopes and dreams – in an age when people were more likely to be cast as cardboard cutouts performing preordained roles: Husband and wife. Lord and serf. Butcher and baker. The concept of a self – indeed, the very ability to think of oneself with the pronoun “I” – was foreign. When Shakespeare’s Jaques tell us that “all the world’s a stage, and all the men 8

Forward Theater Company

F R O M T H E D R A M AT U R G . . . M I K E F I S C H E R

c o n t.

and women merely players” with predefined parts, he’s repeating a very old idea. In the medieval world of our play, people were taught to see themselves as mere instruments: types illuminating universally shared moral and philosophical patterns. Interiorized selfrecognition didn’t exist. But even as the Black Death raged, this old idea began to change, clearing the way for Shakespeare – and the creation of magnificent heroines like Rosalind who would have been unimaginable 200 years earlier. We see it in Petrarch’s Secretum and Langland’s Piers Plowman, featuring the exploratory journeys of an interior self trying to discover who and what it is. It’s present in Chaucer’s pilgrims on the road to Canterbury, and especially in Chaucer’s great, transgressive love story: Troilus and Criseyde, written as the plague returned to England in the 1380s. We find it in 14th-century courtly romances and lyrics. Hagiographic writings. And Lollard confessions, which signaled the coming Reformation by defying the Church’s authority to intervene in a person’s spiritual quest to find God. It’s also present in our play, in ways I’ll let our intrepid band of traveling actors tell you about themselves during the next two hours. Suffice it to say that some of them will look upon the mayhem around them and ask – really ask, for the very first time – why they must be defined by the roles they’ve been assigned. Maybe, they’ll ask themselves, they can do more than just recite an old script. Maybe they can write and become something new, creating stories that more fully expresses how they feel. And maybe – just maybe – those stories might offer us a way forward. Stories of Hope True to its name, Forward Theater this year has been all about sharing such stories, each of them offering hope in the darkest of times. Encouraged by the women around her, the protagonist in Amy Herzog’s Mary Jane finds the hope she needs to carry on, even as her son teeters on the brink of death. In Sarah Ruhl’s For Peter Pan on her 70th Birthday, a dead father lives on through his daughter’s stories, through which she learns to fly. And in Duncan MacMillian’s Every Brilliant Thing, actor David Daniel collaborated with the audience to write a brilliant story about all the glorious reasons to live, despite the pain and suffering that can make life seem so bleak. Building on that foundation, Harrison’s play makes us a promise as good as any covenant between God and Noah: there’s always the possibility of new and better stories, as long as we have the courage to imagine that the future might be different from the past. Yes: we must live within the history we inherit. But we also get to make our own. That’s what it means to be human.

– Madison, February 27, 2020

THE AMATEURS

FROM THE BOARD OF DIREC TORS... STE VE SULESK I The Next Chapter Thank you all for celebrating with us Forward Theater’s 10th Anniversary Season. Over the past year, we spent a lot of time remembering and appreciating our past successes: our founding, the great plays we’ve produced since then, and the phenomenal progress we’ve made in realizing our mission and establishing a strong and sustainable foundation for our beloved theater company. As we move through our 11th Season, our focus shifts to the future and what the next chapter of Forward Theater’s story will unveil. Here are some elements of our future that I am certain you will see play out over the next few years. We will continue to invest in Wisconsin’s professional artists. We will continue to champion new work. We will continue to collaborate with community organizations to move us all Forward. What forms these new efforts and initiatives will take are currently being developed and refined by our staff, our Advisory Company and our Board of Directors, and they are exciting expressions of our mission. Stay tuned as you will hear more about all of them throughout the season. And we will do these things in concert with our primary role of presenting top-quality, relevant, and engaging productions to you, our audience. So join us as this next chapter in the story of Forward Theater, your theater company, unfolds.

F R O M T H E A D V I S O R Y C O M PA N Y. . . J I M B U S K E Hello and welcome to Forward Theater’s 11th season. The first ten years were both amazing and great fun. You can look forward to more of the same in the future. This season will be full of unexpected joys and moments that will touch your heart. Now that our 10th anniversary season is behind us, it might be nice to take a few minutes and reflect on what was learned during that decade of putting on plays. Here are some things that stand out: • Our unique model for starting and sustaining a theater seems to be working – over ten seasons we have grown and matured into one of the leading professional theaters in the state. And every season has been “in the black” financially! • The wonderful Madison audiences are willing to support a theater that produces plays that both entertain and have substance – we’ve taken our audiences many different places over the 10 years and you have been willing to go on the journey with us. • Theater artists are hardworking, professional, thoughtful, kind and very, very funny – working with hundreds of theater artists over the past decade has proven that putting on plays is good for the human spirit. • Our supporters are generous – the financial support of our patrons, donors and audience members has been overwhelming. Thank you! • Making new friends is so much fun – meeting and getting to know so many of our audience members has been one of the greatest unexpected bonuses of starting a theater. There are many more things that could be added to this list. Please know that in all we do, our audience and supporters are never taken for granted. Have a great time watching the shows this year! The members of the Advisory Company will see you in the lobby. 10

Forward Theater Company

THE AMATEURS

G O I N G F O R WA R D – A C O N V E R S AT I O N We invite you to consider the topics below and discuss them with your fellow audience members. We also hope you will join the cast at a talkback after each performance, as audience and artists meet to discuss these and any other issues brought to light by today’s show. And please keep the conversation going – on the drive home, at work, with friends, or by sharing your thoughts on our Facebook page. Let’s start the conversation: · One of the big questions asked during Act 2 of The Amateurs is, when confronted with a crisis, should art record the suffering for future generations, try to make us forget the crisis, or be put aside until the crisis is over? Can you think of ways that you’ve seen art (plays, movies, music, books, etc.) respond to the crises we’ve faced as Americans, or more globally, as humans, during your lifetime? Of the three tactics above, is there one that’s been more effective for you personally? Is there one that you’ve observed as more effective on a more national or global level? · The characters in Acts 1 and 3 have different relationships with different religions, and of course, there is the overarching theme of religion contained within the Passion Plays. Consider the same question as above, but with regard to religion. What is its role in times of crisis? Can that only be answered on a personal level? To learn even more about the play, playwright, and Forward Theater’s production, please join us at our pre-show talks, one hour before every Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon performance, at the Playhouse Rotunda stage. Pre-show talks are free, and open to the public. FREE LEC TURE SERIES Forward Theater is offering three free lectures that will go into depth on various topics within The Amateurs. The lectures will take place on the Rotunda Stage in the Playhouse lobby, before each Saturday evening performance. These are open to the public - a show ticket is not required to attend. Saturday, 3/21 at 6:30pm: Dick Wagner, local historian on issues relating to the LGBTQ+ community and author of We’ve Been Here All Along: Wisconsin’s Early Gay History, will give a talk about the history of AIDS in Madison. Wagner is a scholar, activist, and the first openly gay member of the Dane County Board of Supervisors, where he served for fourteen years. He was co-chair of the Governor’s Council on Lesbian and Gay Issues in 1983 and one of the co-founders of UW-Madison’s LGBT Alumni Association and the Harvest Foundation, the LGBT foundation for southern Wisconsin. Saturday, 3/28 at 6:30pm: Martin Foys, UW Madison Professor of English, will give a talk about the traditions of medieval theater. Foys’ scholarship has explored pre- and post-Conquest England, with special attention to the intersection of literature and other visual, material, technological and media modes of cultural expression, Saturday, 4/4 at 6:30pm: Thomas Dale, Director of Medieval Studies, Professor of Art History, and Second Vice-President of The Medieval Academy of America, will offer a lecture on The Macabre and the Performance of Death in Late Medieval Art and Visual Culture, which will include a look at representations of plague saints during the period of the Black Death and its aftermath. 12

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THEbyAMATEURS Jordan Harrison CAST Larking........................................................................................................................................Matt Daniels* Brom............................................................................................................................................... Adam Estes* Hollis.............................................................................................................................................. Kat Wodtke* Rona.................................................................................................................................................Emily Glick* Gregory......................................................................................................................................Joshua Krause The Physic...........................................................................................................................................Terry Bell The play will have one 15-minute intermission. *Performer appears courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States. THE VIDEOTAPING OR MAKING OF ELECTRONIC OR OTHER AUDIO AND/OR VISUAL RECORDINGS OF THIS PRODUCTION OR DISTRIBUTING RECORDINGS ON ANY MEDIUM, INCLUDING THE INTERNET, IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED, A VIOLATION OF THE AUTHOR’S RIGHTS AND ACTIONABLE UNDER UNITED STATES COPYRIGHT LAW. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT: WWW.SAMUELFRENCH.COM/WHITEPAPER

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Forward Theater Company

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES Terry Bell (The Physic) is excited to be making his debut at Forward Theater Company! Previous theatre credits include: Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, We Are Proud... (Steppenwolf); Howards End (Remy Bumppo); Hamlet (Backroom Shakespeare); Natural Affection (Eclipse Theatre); Mies Julie (u/s Victory Gardens Theatre). Television credits include CBS’ Elementary and Showtime’s The Chi. Terry is proudly represented by Gray Talent Group. Matt Daniels (Larking) is thrilled to return to Forward after last appearing as Bruce in Fun Home. Based in Milwaukee, recent credits include Mrs Whatsit/Man With Red Eyes in A Wrinkle In Time at First Stage; Jeeves in Jeeves at Sea at Milwaukee Chamber Theater; Ford in Merry Wives of Windsor and the Chorus in Henry V at Door Shakespeare; and Cizik in Junk at Milwaukee Rep. Other theaters include Renaissance Theaterworks, Milwaukee Opera Theater, In Tandem, Milwaukee Shakespeare, and the Illinois, North Carolina, Notre Dame, and Michigan Shakespeare Festivals. Matt’s directing work has been seen at Door Shakespeare, First Stage, and Milwaukee Chamber Theater, as well as several independent stages in New York. He serves as an Artistic Associate at First Stage, where he is also the Director of the award-winning Young Company. When at home, he enjoys making music with Il Bazzone’s Jumping Flea Circus. Matt trained at the Juilliard School. www.mattydee.xyz

Adam Estes (Brom) Theatrical credits include: Forever Plaid, The Andrews Brothers, Route 66 (Milwaukee Repertory Theatre); The Story of My Life (Milwaukee Opera Theatre); A Chorus Line, La Cage Aux Folles, Cabaret (Marriott Lincolnshire); Cabaret, Buyer & Cellar, [title of show] (Lake Dillon Theatre Company); Saturday Night Fever, La Cage Aux Folles, A Chorus Line (Arvada Center); Madame Sherry, La La Lucille (Third Ave Playhouse); and Pageant (Sierra Repertory Theatre). Other credits include performances with The Goodman, The Paramount, Writers’ Theatre, The Ravinia Festival, Madison Repertory Theatre, Peninsula Players, Florentine Opera, First Stage Children’s Theatre, Skylight Music Theatre and The Fireside. Adam has also appeared in numerous TV commercials and has recorded extensively for Hal Leonard. He is originally from Middleton, WI and studied Musical Theatre at Illinois Wesleyan University. Emily Glick (Rona) Forward Theater debut! Madison: Petra, A Little Night Music (Madison Opera); Demeter, Hephaestus (Music Theatre of Madison); Mrs. Bucket, Willy Wonka… (Children’s Theater of Madison). Chicago: Rose, A Shayna Maidel, Mary Boyle, Juno (Timeline Theatre Company); Sweeney Todd (Paramount Theatre); La Cage Aux Folles (Marriott Theatre); Mrs. Obama, Jabari Dreams of Freedom (Chicago Children’s Theatre). Emily has a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan and is the current Theatre Director at Memorial High School. Upcoming: Juno, Orpheus in the Underworld (Madison Opera).

THE AMATEURS

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES Josh Krause (Gregory) is very happy to make his Forward Theater debut. He most recently appeared in Jeeves at Sea (Crumpet) with Milwaukee Chamber Theater. Regional theater credits include She Stoops to Conquer (Tony Lumpkin), Man of Destiny (Lieutenant), and Book of Will (Boy Hamlet) with American Players Theatre; Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me (Adam) with Two Crows Theatre; A Christmas Carol (Mr. C/Narrator) with Children’s Theater of Madison; Miracle on South Division Street (Jimmy) and Great Expectations (Pip) with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre; Equivocation (Sharpe/ Wintour/James) with Next Act; and Visiting Mr. Green (Ross) and Jeeves at Sea (Crumpet) with Artists’ Ensemble in Rockford, IL. Up next, he’ll be heading to APT for another summer Up the Hill. Josh lives in Menomonee Falls, WI with his wife, Rachel, and their two cats, Butters and Tweak.

Kat Wodtke (Hollis) is so pleased to be returning to Forward Theater Company for this production of The Amateurs. Kat hails from Milwaukee where she works as an actor, musician, educator, and director. Some favorite roles include Elise in Learning to Stay (Forward Theater Company); the Traveler in The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (First Stage); Catherine in Censored on Final Approach (Renaissance Theaterworks); and Ruth in Miracle on South Division Street (Milwaukee Chamber Theatre). In 2015, Kat had the privilege of playing Hermia/Starveling/ Khyahtsoo in a multilingual adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre), which was performed across Alaska in Gwich’in, Tlingit, Yupik, and English. This year, Kat looks forward to releasing a debut album with her stirring country band, Long Mama.

PRODUC TION ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES Jordan Harrison (Playwright) was a 2015 Pulitzer Prize finalist for Marjorie Prime, which premiered at the Mark Taper Forum and had its New York premiere at Playwrights Horizons. A film adaptation, directed by Michael Almereyda, premiered in the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Jordan’s play Maple and Vine premiered in the 2011 Humana Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville and went on to productions at American Conservatory Theatre and Playwrights Horizons, among others. Other plays include The Grown-Up (Humana Festival); Doris to Darlene, a cautionary valentine (Playwrights Horizons); Amazons and their Men (Clubbed Thumb); Act A Lady (Humana Festival); Finn in the Underworld (Berkeley Rep); Futura (Portland Center 16

Forward Theater Company

Stage/NAATCO); Kid-Simple (Humana Festival); The Museum Play (WET); and a musical, Suprema (O’Neill Music Theatre Conference). Jordan had two new plays premiere Off-Broadway in the ’17-’18 season: The Amateurs at the Vineyard Theatre, and Log Cabin at Playwrights Horizons. Jordan is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Hodder Fellowship, the Horton Foote Prize, the Kesselring Prize, the Roe Green Award from Cleveland Play House, the Heideman Award, a Theater Masters Innovative Playwright Award, the Loewe Award for Musical Theater, Jerome and McKnight Fellowships, a NYSCA grant, and a NEA/TCG Residency with The Empty Space Theater. His children’s musical, The Flea and the Professor, won the Barrymore Award for Best

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PRODUC TION ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES Production after premiering at the Arden Theatre. A graduate of Stanford University and the Brown MFA program, Jordan is an alumnus of New Dramatists. For three seasons, he was a writer and producer for the Netflix original series “Orange is the New Black.” Heidi Schreck (Additional Material) is a 2019 Pulitzer Prize Finalist and Tony nominated playwright, actor, and writer living in Brooklyn. Her latest plays include What the Constitution Means to Me, which is currently running on Broadway and received Tony nominations for Best Play and Best Leading Actress in a Play (for Schreck herself), and Grand Concourse, which debuted at Playwrights Horizons and Steppenwolf Theatre in 2014-15 and has been produced by theatres all over the country. Grand Concourse received a Lilly Award, the Clare Tow Award, and was a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn prize. Heidi’s other plays Creature, There Are No More Big Secrets, and The Consultant have been produced by Long Wharf Theatre, Page73, Seattle Public Theatre, ART, SpeakEasy, New George, Rattlestick Theatre Company, and more. As an actress, she has performed at Berkeley Rep (In the Wake), Roundabout Theatre, MTC, Playwrights Horizons, Shakespeare in the Park, and more. She is the recipient of two Obie Awards, a Drama Desk Award, and the Theatre World Award. In television, as both an actress and a writer, her credits include: Nurse Jackie and Billions. Additionally in television, she wrote and co-executive produced the Jill Soloway Amazon series I Love Dick. She currently has 3 television projects in development with Hulu/Big Beach, Hulu/Working Title and Amazon/ Annapurna. Marisa Abbott (Lighting Designer) works as a freelance Lighting Designer, Electrician, and Scenic Artist around the Milwaukee Area. She designed Skeleton

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Crew for Forward Theater last season. Other recent designs include Chasin’ Dem Blues, Everybody, and The All Night Strut! (Milwaukee Rep); Elf the Musical, and Elephant and Piggie’s We are in a Play! (First Stage); Happy Days (Renaissance Theaterworks); Fires in the Mirror and Ben Butler (Milwaukee Chamber Theatre); The Revolutionists (Next Act Theatre); and A Christmas Story the Musical and My Fair Lady (Fireside Dinner Theater). She has also painted scenery for the Milwaukee Rep, Renaissance Theaterworks, and Kohl’s Wild Theatre. ma-stagedesign.com Joe Cerqua (Sound Designer/Composer) is a freelance composer, producer, vocalist and sound designer. He is thrilled to be working with Forward Theater again where he has previously composed and designed sound for Every Brilliant Thing; For Peter Pan; Mary Jane; Life Sucks; Skeleton Crew; Marjorie Prime; Learning to Stay; Outside Mullingar; 4000 Miles; Mr. Burns; The Flick; Silent Sky; Vanya and Sonya...; The Other Place; From Up Here; Or; Red; Sons of the Prophet; Good People; 44 Plays for 44 Presidents; Love Stories; In the Next Room...; Going to St. Ives; Why Torture is Wrong...; and The Farnsworth Invention. He has composed music and/or designed sound for over 300 productions in Chicago, nationally, and internationally. Recent projects include original music and sound design for American Players Theatre, American Conservatory Theater, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Arizona Theater Company, First Stage, Clarence Brown Theater, Northlight Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Deaf West in LA, American Blues Theater, The Artistic Home, and Goodman Theatre. Joe is the Producing Director/Composer in residence for the Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, a critically acclaimed 13-piece jazz orchestra and 10-member dance company. He is the Creative Director and Producer for the Music Department at Columbia College Chicago. THE AMATEURS

PRODUC TION ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES Sarah Deming-Henes (Stage Manager) At Forward Theater Company Sarah has joyfully stage managed Skeleton Crew, Fun Home, Heisenberg, Life Sucks, Mary Jane, For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday, and Every Brilliant Thing. Sarah has proudly worked at many other Wisconsin-based theaters; towards the west she has delighted in stage managing at American Players Theatre for 14 seasons (spread out over several years since 2001); and towards the east, in Milwaukee, she has spent many happy seasons stage managing at theaters including; First Stage, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre and Milwaukee Repertory Theater. This past summer she spent the month of August farther east (or way, way west, depending on how you figure it) at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where she thrilled at stage managing Boswell. Currently she is also having fun guest lecturing about Stage Management at UW-Parkside. Many thanks to her family and friends for unfailing kindnesses! Mike Fischer (Dramaturg) is a dramaturg based in Milwaukee and a member of the Advisory Company for Forward Theater Company in Madison. For fifteen years, he saw over 200 plays each year on behalf of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, for which he began reviewing in 2003 and for which he served as chief drama critic from 200918. Since leaving the Journal-Sentinel, Mike has written essays and educational materials for numerous Wisconsin theater productions. He is also a Joseph Jefferson judge, charged with choosing each year’s best productions, actors, and designers in Chicagoland. Mike dedicates his work on this production to Walter Benjamin, who taught us so much about the vital role of storytellers and the power of stories. He would have loved this play. Monica Kilkus (Costume Designer) Monica’s previous costume designs for Forward Theater include 44 Plays for 44 18

Forward Theater Company

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Presidents, Sons of the Prophet. The Other Place, Exit Strategy and Skeleton Crew. She was also the Production Manager and Props Master for Vanya Sonya Masha and Spike, Silent Sky and The Flick. Elsewhere in Madison, she has designed for Children’s Theater of Madison (incl A Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, Bunnicula, and To Kill a Mockingbird), Four Seasons Theater (South Pacific, A Little Night Music, Light in the Piazza) and Theatre Lila (Suitcase Dreams and Trash). She has created costumes for Madison Opera and Madison Ballet. Prior to settling here, she was a Costume Production Supervisor for the Los Angeles Opera, working on over twenty productions including three world premieres. Pamela Miles (Props Master/Scenic Charge) is delighted to return to Forward for her fifth season. She is so proud to be a part of this generous and courageous company. Pam lives in Spring Green, WI where she has worked at American Players Theatre for eleven seasons as the Associate Scenic Charge Artist, as well as completed four fall shows as the Scenic Charge Artist. Other companies she has painted for include: Arizona Broadway Theatre, Children’s Theatre of Madison, Madison Ballet (Dracula: A Rock Ballet) and the Summit Credit Union Inspiration Branch project. She has performed the role of Props Master for the Black Theatre Troupe in Phoenix, AZ and American Players Theatre’s Mary’s Wedding. Enya Nett (Assistant Stage Manager) This is Enya’s 6th production with Forward Theater, including the 2019 summer Monologue Festival. Most of her theater background comes from her time at Ripon College where she earned a BA degree in English and Theater, and minored in art. While completing her degree, she performed a large variety of roles for many shows ranging from Director and Stage Manager, to Designer, Board Operator and

PRODUC TION ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES many others. Outside of work, Enya spends a lot of time with her family, which includes two very playful little cats. She has many hobbies such as writing, and creating art, and hopes to one day have the opportunity to use these skills to help create a movie. Nathan Stuber (Scenic Designer) designs scenery when asked nicely and time permits. He works year round at American Players Theatre. If you have seen a show out there in the past thirteen years there is a twenty seven percent chance the show you saw was designed by him and a one hundred percent chance he was asked to contribute in some form. As a rule he does not care for meta theatre but this one is pretty good. Jen Uphoff Gray (Director) is the artistic director of Forward Theater Company – this is her 21st production here. Regionally, she has directed for Madison Rep (The Diary of Anne Frank) and Milwaukee Shakespeare (Love’s Labors Lost). She mounted

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the National Tour of Michael Frayn’s Copenhagen, and served as Associate Director for the Broadway productions of Copenhagen, Sam Mendes’ Cabaret, The Blue Room (starring Nicole Kidman) and The Life. Jen grew up in the Madison area, holds a degree in Dramatic Literature & Stage History from Harvard College, and is the proud parent of Jamie, Seeger and Arden. With gratitude to Dr. Jeanne Newlin, and in loving memory of all those lost to us in our own Great Plague. Kevin Zimmer (Technical Director) has worked with Forward Theater since the 2009-2010 season, first as Master Carpenter and now as Technical Director. In addition, he worked as a Master Carpenter for Madison Repertory Theatre, Master Carpenter for CTM, and Shop Foreman and Carpenter for American Players Theatre. Additional credits include professional work in the theatre community in St. Louis and as a Welder at the St. Louis City Museum.

OVER TURE CENTER L AND ACK NOWLEDGEMENT Acknowledging Ho-Chunk Nation’s ancestral lands, Forward Theater and Overture Center for the Arts celebrate the rich traditions, heritage, and culture that thrived long before our arrival. Overture respectfully recognizes this Ho-Chunk land and affirms that we are better when we stand together.

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Andrew Megill, conductor Ten Vocal soloists, Dark Horse Consort-Sackbuts & Cornettos Baroque Violins, Violas & Violone, Viola da Gamba Organ & Harpsichord, Theorbos

Saturday, April 25, 2020 • Sunday, April 26, 2020 First Unitarian Society of Madison Atrium Auditorium

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F O U N D AT I O N A N D G O V E R N M E N T S U P P O R T Thank you for your commitment to bringing exceptional professional theater to Madison area audiences. The Great Performance Fund for Theater, a component fund of the Madison Community Foundation $20,000+ The Shubert Foundation $10,000+ CUNA Mutual Group The Evjue Foundation Inc., the charitable arm of The Capital Times Full Compass â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10th Anniversary Gala sponsor $5,000 - $9,999 Custer Plumb Financial Services Dane Arts DeWitt LLP Hausmann Johnson Insurance JH Findorff & Son Madison Gas & Electric National Guardian Life Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren Wisconsin Arts Board $2,500 - $4,999 American Transmission Company Boardman Clark LLP ETC Foundation Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation Stafford Rosenbaum Attorneys $1,000 - $2,499 First Business Bank Steve Brown Apartments Promega

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A MER IC A N P LA YERS TH E ATR E SPRING GREEN, WI

2020 SEASON JUNE 6 - NOVEMBER 15 HILL THEATRE

Jane Austenʼs SENSE AND SENSIBILITY Adapted by Jessica Swale ROUGH CROSSING By Tom Stoppard From an original play by Ferenc Molnár JULIUS CAESAR By William Shakespeare THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT By Jean Giraudoux Adapted by Maurice Valency LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST By William Shakespeare

TOUCHSTONE THEATRE THE RIVER BRIDE By Marisela Treviño Orta

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IND IV IDUAL G IV IN G Forward Theater can only serve audiences, artists, and the broader community because people like you see its value and give generously. As a non-profit organization, revenue only covers a portion of our total budget (in our case about 50%). The rest is from contributed income including from over 800 donor households. When you donate, you give the gift of professional theater and so much more to the greater Madison area. THANK YOU! We are pleased to recognize contributions received February 24, 2019 – February 26, 2020. If you notice any errors in acknowledgement or have questions about donation options, please contact Julia Nicholas at 608-234-5001 or jnicholas@forwardtheater.com. To make a tax-deductible donation to Forward Theater online or learn about donor benefits, visit our website at forwardtheater.com. To mail in a contribution, please use the following address: Forward Theater, P.O. Box 14574, Madison, WI 53708.

I N T E R E S T E D I N G I V I N G M O N T H LY ? You can give in a convenient, ongoing way. Visit forwardtheater.com, click on Support in our banner and begin an online donation. Fill in the amount you’d like to contribute per month in the gift amount, and then under CHOOSE A FREQUENCY, select “Monthly.” Each month, we’ll charge the amount you specify. $8.34/month = $100/year $20.84/month = $250/year $41.67/month = $500/year Become a FORWARD LEADER $83.34/month = $1,000/year

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F O R WA R D L E A D E R S Forward Leaders show a strong personal commitment to Forward Theaterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission by making annual gifts of $1,000 or more. Dr. Linda Garrity Mr. William Wartmann

$1,000 - $2,499 Anonymous Merry Anderson $15,000 - $24,999 Richard & Janneke Baske Diane Ballweg Dean & Nancy Baumgardner Kit & Phil Blake $10,000 - $19,999 Diane Bless Maurice & Sybil Better Lewis Bosworth Nancy Ciezki & Peggy & Christopher Bugg Diane Kostecke Margie Devereaux & Steve & Jacqui Suleski David Hall Janet Zimmerman Carla & Michael DiIorio Alexandra & William Dove $5,000 - $9,999 Katie Dowling-Marcus & Beth Bovis & David Feldstein Ben Marcus W. Jerome Frautschi Victoria & Tim Enright Kathie Nichols Jean Espenshade Threshold/Efrat Livny Ed Feige & Elizabeth Palay Mike Fischer & Elaine Griffin $2,500 - $4,999 Deirdre Garton Anonymous Thomas & Joanne Gobel Rozan & Brian Anderson Peter Gray & Jane Coleman Jennifer Uphoff Gray Charles N. Ford & Connie & Wayne Grogan Sharon L. James JoAnn Gruber-Hagen & Dolores & Paul Gohdes Doug Hagen Betty & Walter Gray Marci Henderson Kathleen Harker Bob Hodgson & Dot Steele John & Karen Icke William & Anne Hunnex Lawrence & Julie Midtbo Thomas Hurst & Terry & Jean Prahl Kleo Baruth Kritz Pleasant Rowland Roth & Lynne Judd John & Mary Schroeder Ann Kinkade & Jane Taves Thomas Zalewski Don Tubesing & Scott & Mary Kolar Nancy Loving Tubesing David & Paula Kraemer Jane & David Villa Fritz Kruger & Kathy Lawler Fran Wong & Tom Reps Richard & Meg LaBrie Tim Lardinois Jun & Sandy Lee Roger & Sheryl LePage Robert Leschke

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Jules & Judy Nicolet Richard Niess & Laurie Elwell Amy & Bruce Noble Dan O’Brien William O’Connor & Krista Roys Jennifer Ondrejka & Tom Rudy Gail O’Neal Bonnie Orvick Patricia Parks Seymour & Ruth Parter Allan and Patricia Patek Penny Patterson & Sheila Faulkner Jane Pearlmutter & Steve Scheibel Tim & Tammy Peyton Steve & Rita Pieroni Jerald & Dian Polly Sharon & Ken Poniewaz

WHY I GIVE:

“We enjoy great theater, and with each new play they present Forward Theater has set the bar higher and higher for their next play - and exceeded it.” ~ LuAnn & Joe Meyers Nancy & Bill Horns Andrew Howick & Mary Stelletello Jim Hudson & Diane Martin Jean Hughes Char & Jack Jackson Richard Jordan Martin & Rita Kades Joan Karan Bob & Marcia Kasieta Barbara Katz Dan & Leslie Kemp Richard Kiley & Victoria King Suzanne & Steve Kilkus Connie Kilmark Laurel Kinosian Pamela & John Kitslaar James & Lee Ann Kleeman Mary Klink & Jim Giesen Carol Klukaczewski Larry M. Kneeland Bob & Judy Knudtson Voula Kodoyianni & Tom Record Philip Koenig Terry & Jean Kringle Ed Krinsky & Mary Jane Armstrong Jamie & David Pekarek Krohn

Lesleigh Luttrell Gary Lyons & Jayne Squirrell Stewart Macaulay Mary & Eileen Maher Karin Mahony & Adam Balin Rabbi Bonnie Margulis Linda Marquardt Katharyn May Dan & Mari McCarty Janet McChesney Kimberly McDowell William & Carolyn McKinney Gene & Sondy McLinn John & Linda Merrill Mark Micek & Sarah Bahauddin Amanda Schmehil Micklos Alison Mix Nancy Mohs Jennifer Morgan Paul K Morgan Sr Patricia Ann Mullins Aleta Murray Carla Nagle Leah Narans Sharon Nellis John Nelson Gregg Nettesheim Al & Aileen Nettleton

Sylvia & Thomas Poppelbaum Dave Puchalsky Tim Radelet Peg Rasch & Dave Stute Rick & Sally Raschick Sherry Reames Richard & Donna Reinardy Don & Toni Richards Joe & Carol Ringeisen Jan Robertson Brian D Rodeck Susan Rogers Sarah Rose Robert & Nancy Rudd Steven & Lennie Saffian Karin Sandvik Caitlyn Saunders John & Sarah Schaffer James & Suzanne Scheuerman David & JoAnn Schoengold Gary & Barbara Schultz Patrick & Marlys Semple John & Liz Senseman Carolyn Senty Richard Shafer Claire Shaffer Neena Shah Bassam Shakhashiri THE AMATEURS

PBS Wisconsin celebrates our stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s young performers. Discover music education resources, performance videos and more at wisconsinperforms.org.

Forward Theater Company

ANNUAL FUND

c o n t.

Virginia A. Shannon Victoria Sheldon Linda Shriberg Judy Sikora & Steve Siehr Meg Skinner Dan & Marcia Smith Ted & Ina Smolker Bob & Jo Sparks Anne Spurgeon & David Woods Mona Steele Laura & Jason Stephenson Steve Stern & Florencia Mallon Jurate Stewart Prudence Stewart Karl Stoll Sue & David Stone JoAnne & Ken Streit Jim Struve Charles & Diane Stumpf Edith Sullivan

Susan & Jim Zerwick Susan & John Zientek Tom & Karen Zilavy Karen & Doug Zweizig

Friends ($25 - $99)

Anonymous (5) Tammy Albrecht Gary Anderson Mary Anglim Rita Applebaum Eric Beuerman Jill Bidlingmaier Harold & Leslie Blaize Sarah W. Blake Malcolm & Penny Brett Michael K. Bridgeman Greg & Gina Brockwell Catherine Buege Jennifer Bulleit

Genevra Gallo-Bayiates & Andy Bayiates Russell & Suzanne Gardner Peter Gascoyne & Claudia English Mari Gasiorowicz Mary Gillham Ed & Sara Gleason Susan Glotzer Karen Godshall Louise Goldstein & Bruce Thomadsen Eileen Goode Douglas Green David Griffeath & Cathy Loeb Michael Griffith Kristin Groth & Ed Jepsen Bonnie & Roger Guest Geraldine Gurman Michael Haeft & Martha Schwer

WHY I GIVE:

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Because Forward produces work that amplifies stories and voices of marginalized people, while showing the world how local professional theater can thrive.â&#x20AC;? ~ Adam Erdmann William & Edie Swift Mindy Taranto & Ken Mericle Richard & Marcia Taugher Don & Joanna Thompson Marilee & Erik Thoresen Dorothea Torstenson John Tradewell Stephen & Wendy Tupper Elizabeth Tuttle The Ullrick family Peter Uttech Andree Valley Susan Van Sicklen Michael Verveer Jane & Michael Voichick Ellen Walker Beth Weber & Duane Beckett Hank & Judith Whipple Tripp & Nancy Widder Marybeth Wilk & Katherine Brophy Eve Wilkie & James Clum Deena & Peter Williams Ann & David Wilson Michael Wright & Ray Jivoff Paul & Tracy Wrycha Peg & Tom Zanzig

Lisa Byers & John Calderone Elizabeth Campbell Katherine Charlton Grace & Jack Chosy Charlie & Joyce Clark Lauren Cnare & Ralph Russo Nora Cusack & Brent Nicastro Daniel & Barbara Danahy Cheryl Daniels & Michael Rosenberg Eve & Carl Degen Gene & Bea Dewey Susan Dinauer Stu Dolnick Sean Douglass Sally Drew Allan, Felix & Vicki Duhr Avis Elson Tom & Kelley Engle Hildy Feen Amy & Marty Fields Janet & Paul Firgens Peter Fisher & Cyndy Galloway David & Maureen Flanagan Barbara & David Flesch William & Sandra Frazee Barbara Furstenberg

Lois Harr Timothy Harrington Jr. Ellen Hartenbach Philip Haslanger Elizabeth Haynes Jan & Maria Heide Brian & Annette Hellmer Jim & Kathy Herman Diane Highsmith Nona Hill & Clark Johnson William & Sara Lee Hinckley Susan Holec Dianne Hopkins Judy Howard & Amy Scarr Joan Jacobsen & Julie Woodward Toni Jakovec Alice Y Jenson Doug & Kathy Johnson Jennifer Johnson Edward Jordan Debra Jurmu Lois Karn Jean Kasten Marilyn C Kay Dave & Rita Kelliher Gregg Kissel & Jean Bae THE AMATEURS

ANNUAL FUND

c o n t.

Noël & Steve Klapper Penny & Jerry Koerner Rebecca Kordahl Ken & Carol Koscik Andrew Krikelas Ms. Marilyn Krump Maggie & Nathan Kudick Gigi La Budde & Michael Whaley Ann Lacy John Lafontaine Matt Larson Donna Leet Craig & Kathleen Levenick Victor & Judy Levine Connie Ludlum Judith Lyons Patricia Maddox Maija Maki-Laurila Gordon & Donna Malaise Peter & Marjorie Marion Jeanne Marshall Douglas & Joan Maynard Debra McGill

Carol Nielsen Beverly Nilles Darlene & Burt Olson Norman & Darlene Olson Rita Olson Carol Ottenstein Ellen Paul David Pausch & Karen Saari Cliff & Suzanne Perkins Mary & Ken Quinn Mary Rendall Carol Roan H. Robbins Sara Roberts David Ronis Elaine Rosenblatt Marlene Ross Tom Royston Ms. Barbara Ryan Jane Sadusky Patricia Sammataro Gena Schachtschneider Gary A Scheele

Howard Steinberg & Barbara Andrews Artace & Dennis Stone David & Luanne Storley Elaine B. Strassburg Myron & Margaret Talcott Barbara Tesch James Thomas David & Kathy Tiffany Russell & Karen Tomar Bonnie Trudell Tom & Sue Ullsvik Jill Underly Peg Unger Charles Uphoff Betty Volquardsen Kate Walker Elizabeth & Steve Wallman Lorette Wambach Joseph Warnemuende Karen Weatherwax Peter Weiler Westside Psychotherapy, LLC

WHY I GIVE:

“Excellent plays & acting; interest in and engagement with the audience and greater community.” ~ Judith Howard and Amy Scarr

Ed Meachen & Francine Tompkins Marylynne Mehl Janet Mertz & Jonathan Kane Gene & Marjorie Miller Cayla Turner Minear Marianne Morton Lisa Monro John A. Nee Jr. Phyllis Nelson Amy & Jerry Nickles

Kate Schultz Erica Serlin & Ken Kushner Karen Sielaff Debra Simon Suzannah Sisler Thomas & Sandra Solheim Jeff & Sheryl Spitzer-Resnick Kim Sponem Susan Sprague Anita C. Sprenger & Michael Cain

M AT C H I N G G I F T O R G A N I Z AT I O N S Alliant Energy Foundation First Weber Realtors IBM US Bank

Forward Theater Company

Jenny & Nick White Patricia & George Whitley Elizabeth Whitesel Patricia Wilcox Julie Wilhelm Curtis Wittwer Douglas Yanggen James & Nancy Youngerman Barbara Zellmer & Mike Heffernan Susan & Jim Zerwick

IN HONOR In honor of David Daniel Karen & Allen Moore

In honor of Miranda Jones James & Nancy Youngerman

In honor of Jim DeVita Alexandra & William Dove

In honor of Diane Kostecke & Nancy Ciezki Gary A Scheele

In honor of Don & Barb Dinsmore Donalea Dinsmore In honor of Kelly Doherty Kate Schultz In honor of Josephine B. Fischer Jane & Duane Miller In honor of Chuck Ford Carla & Fernando Alvarado

In honor of Kathie Nichols Jenny & Nick White In honor of Dan Pierotti Judy Pierotti In honor of Julie Swenson Robin Washburne Cozette

In honor of Frances R Goldstein Louise Goldstein & Bruce Thomadsen

In honor of the wonderful and talented staff, cast, and board of Forward Theater Pete & Jill Lundberg

In honor of Marci Henderson Nancy McGill

In honor of Maddie Ullrick The Ullrick family

IN MEMORY In memory of Terry Lee Allen Lewis Bosworth

In memory of Patricia Struck Larry Bechler

In memory of Jayne Grant Myrna Casebolt

In memory of Louise Uphoff Charles Uphoff

THE AMATEURS

T H A N K S T O O U R F R I E N D S O F F O R WA R D T H E AT E R V O L U N T E E R S ! Volunteers help Forward Theater by staffing events, papering the town with posters and postcards, helping with mailings, and other office support. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like more information, please visit our website at ForwardTheater.com or call company manager Celia Klehr at 608-234-5001. Housing provided by: The Madison Concourse Hotel Cathy and Brent Kooistra Ann McBride Sam D. White Janet Zimmerman Special Thanks: Joan Herzing Rabbi Jonathan Biatch Costumes borrowed from American Players Theatre Costume Shop, Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Theater of Madison and University of Wisconsin Costume Shop Special mask assistants: Amelia and Gloria Butler 2019 - 2020 Volunteers: Tammy Albrecht Mary Metz Rima Apple Sue Milch Lewis Bosworth Tess Mulrooney Michele Brucker Rex Owens Joanne Chalhoub Jessica Podemski Pamela Crapp Elliott Puckette Carla Di Iorio Karen Saari Michael Di Iorio Barb Sanford Katrina Fingerson Lynda Sharpe Dolores Gohdes Daryl Sherman Paul Gohdes Dot Steele Steve Kilkus Cheri Teal Amy Kozak Mryna Williamson Kathryn Lederhause Teddy Zehner Forward Theater Company is a member of the Madison Arts Production Center (MAPC), which provides high quality, functional, affordable production space, equipment, and theatrical inventory for Madison area artists and arts organizations. For information on rentals and membership options go to ctmtheater.org.

Forward Theater Company

Dinner Show

AND A

a r n u t a s t s e r l a c o l h Arts calendar paired wit

Dinner

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Show

WICKED

Overture Center for the Arts

Wicked tells the story of a remarkable odyssey, how two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

PETER PAN

Children’s Theater of Madison

One of the most beloved family favorites of all time, Peter Pan has delighted audiences for 60 years.

THE AMATEURS

March 11 – 29 Overture Hall (608) 258-4141

March 14 – 22 Capitol Theater (608) 258-4141

March 19 – April 5

Forward Theater Co.

Hollis is a performer in an itinerant troupe of actors attempting to outrun the Black Plague in this 14th century-set comedy by the author of Marjorie Prime.

ONE NIGHT OF QUEEN

The Playhouse at Overture Center (608) 258-4141

March 24

Capitol Theater In a performance that will surely rock you, One Night of (608) 258-4141 Queen is a tribute to the popular British rock band and its front man, the electric and charismatic Freddie Mercury.

Overture Center for the Arts

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CRAFT BEERS ON TAP WINE & CRAFT COCKTAILS DAILY CHEF FEATURES

608-630-9111

Dinner

AND A

Show

YOLANDA KONDINASIS, HARP Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra

Harp virtuoso, Yolanda Kondonasis makes her debut with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra.

SWEENEY TODD SCHOOL EDITION Oregon Straw Hat Players

The infamous tale of Sweeney Todd, 19th century London barber, who seeks retribution for past wrongs in this musical thriller.

DVORÁK REQUIEM

Madison Symphony Orchestra

Composed at the peak of Dvorák’s career, the Requiem is a profound expression of his genius.

FLYING KARAMAZOV BROTHERS PRESENT 4 PLAY Overture Center for the Arts

March 27

Capitol Theater (608) 258-4141

April 2 – 5

Oregon School District PAC (608) 835-9126

April 3 – 5

Overture Hall (608) 258-4141

April 4

Capitol Theater (608) 258-4141

Expect the unexpected, featuring the four selfproclaimed eccentric lunatics.

now with 3 madison locations

7345 Mineral Point Rd, Madison, WI 53717 BONEFISHGRILL.COM

Dinner

AND A

Show

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Madison Ballet

Choreographer Peter Anastos illuminates this charming tale with a Mendelssohn score that’s as unique and memorable as the story itself.

THE REALISTIC JONESES Madison Theatre Guild

April 11 – 12 Capitol Theater (608) 258-4141

April 16 – 25 Bartell Theater

(608) 661-9696 A young couple, John and Pony Jones, end up moving next door to the older Jennifer and Bob Jones. Slowly, the two couples learn they share much more than a last name.

STEP AFRIKA!

Overture Center for the Arts

Step Afrika! blends percussive dance styles with an array of contemporary dance and art forms to create a compelling stage performance.

AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ Capital City Theatre

This three-time, Tony award-winning musical revue animates the giant world in which Fats Waller lived and largely represented: Harlem in the 20’s and 30s.

DUCK SOUP CINEMA: THE SOCIAL SECRETARY Overture Center for the Arts

April 16

Capitol Theater (608) 258-4141

April 17 - 26

Madison Elks Lodge (608) 571-4214

April 18

Capitol Theater (608) 258-4141

Mayme, an attractive woman, can’t keep a job because of unwanted advances from male clients.

DIARY OF A WOMBAT

Overture Center for the Arts

Bored with her daily routine, Mothball the wombat goes in search of shelter and food, creating chaos in the lives of the humans around her.

ERIC SILBERGER

Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra

Eric Silberger has already established himself as a leading virtuoso and we are excited to introduce him to our Madison audience.

MY FAIR LADY

Overture Center for the Arts

April 19

Capitol Theater (608) 258-4141

April 24

Capitol Theater (608) 258-4141

April 21 – 26 Overture Hall

(608) 258-4141 The story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a “proper lady.”

Dinner

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Show

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE: FROM SUMMIT TO SEA Overture Center for the Arts

April 21

Capitol Theater (608) 258-4141

Filmmaker and photographer Andy Mann uses his passions as a voice for the world’s oceans.

THE TRIUMPH OF LOVE Edgewood College

First presented by the Comediens Italians in 1732, this timeless comedy clearly demonstrates the ageless affinity of laughter and love.

BEAT BUGS: A MUSICAL ADVENTURE Children’s Theater of Madison

Five pals go on a mission to save Strawberry Fields! Based on the popular Netflix series, this delightful musical will have you singing and cheering.

PLENA LIBRE

Overture Center for the Arts

Captivating and moving audiences, this fine-tuned Puerto Rican-based ensemble of virtuoso musicians has only gotten better with age.

AIR PLAY

Overture Center for the Arts

Flying umbrellas, larger-than-life balloons, giant kites floating over the audience and the biggest snow globe you’ve ever seen will make you gasp in wonder.

PIANO POWER

Madison Symphony Orchestra

Russian-Israeli powerhouse Yefim Bronfman returns to perform Brahms’s first piano concerto.

GREG ZELEK WITH THE DIAPASON BRASS & TIMPANI Madison Symphony Orchestra

April 24 – May 1

Diane Ballweg Theatre (608) 663-6710

April 24 – May 10 The Playhouse at Overture Center (608) 258-4141

April 25

Capitol Theater (608) 258-4141

April 28

Overture Hall (608) 258-4141

May 1 – 3

Overture Hall (608) 258-4141

May 5

Overture Hall (608) 258-4141

A unique program of music written for a variety of pairings.

ALONZO KING LINES BALLET: FIGURES OF SPEECH Overture Center for the Arts

Alonzo King creates works that draw on a diverse set of deeply rooted cultural traditions.

May 6

Overture Hall (608) 258-4141

madison FOOTNOTES

Creativity, Community, and Action: Creative Wisconsin Day 2020 By Ryan Albrechtson

Calling all artists, creators, story-tellers, dreamers. It’s time for Creative Wisconsin Day. “In this important election year, it’s critical that people who care about Wisconsin’s future come together to network, learn and strategize for economic vitality, education for the 21st century, dynamic workforce, vibrant communities, and engaged residents. That’s what Creative Wisconsin Day is all about,” said Anne Katz, Executive Director of Arts Wisconsin, who present this annual event at the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison on April 16th. Formally known as Arts Day, Creative Wisconsin Day celebrates the diversity and variety of Wisconsin’s entrepreneurial creative sector. Throughout the day, they will demonstrate the ways in which creativity revitalizes communities across the state, encourage public and private investment in Wisconsin’s amazing creative resources, and share stories of artistry and power with representatives and decision-makers. “Arts Wisconsin has turned Arts Day into Creative Wisconsin Day to reflect the growing and critical importance of creativity as THE resource for the 21st century and for Wisconsin,” said Katz. “Arts Wisconsin is all about strengthening a creative Wisconsin - a state where investment in creativity is the pathway to success. Creative Wisconsin Day is the largest statewide event to celebrate that creativity from the local level on up.”

The day is packed with a variety of events, speakers, and networking opportunities. The event will kick off with breakfast keynote speaker Nina Ozlu Tunceli, Chief Counsel of Government and Public Affairs at Americans for the Arts and Executive Director of the Americans for the Arts Action Fund. “Wisconsin has a long and proud history of arts engagement starting at the local level,” said Katz. “Arts Wisconsin builds on that history to advocate for involvement and investment in the arts and creativity for all.” Creative Wisconsin Day will be held on Thursday, April 16th at the Overture Center for the Arts. More information and registration can be found at www.artswisconsin.org/ actioncenter/creative-wisconsin-day-2020/

Enjoy the viewâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve earned it!

Capitol Lakes is proud to be Madisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier retirement community, complete with gorgeous views of downtown and several floor plans to fit your lifestyle. Surround yourself with comfort and luxury, as well as resort-like amenities, a comprehensive wellness program, and an on-site health care continuum to provide you the best care as your needs change. Call 608-283-2046 to schedule a tour! Capitol Lakes is a Pacific Retirement Services community and an equal housing opportunity.