Forward Theater - 46 Plays for America's First Ladies by Footlights.com

46 PLAYS FOR AMERICA’S FIRST LADIES

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Forward Theater Company

FORWARD THEATER COMPANY presents the rolling world premiere of

46 PLAYS FOR AMERICA’S FIRST LADIES by Chloe Johnston, Sharon Greene, Genevra Gallo-Bayiates, Bilal Dardai, and Andy Bayiates Directed by Jen Uphoff Gray Scenic Designer Mike Lawler

Lighting Designer Noele Stollmack**

Costume Designer Shannon Heibler

Composer & Sound Designer Joe Cerqua**

Props Master Pamela Miles

Stage Manager Sarah Deming-Henes*

Dramaturg Marcella Kearns

Choreographer Brian Cowing

Video Editor Dave Alcorn/Microtone Media 46 Players is generously sponsored by:

Diane Kostecke & Nancy Ciezki

This project is supported by Dane County Arts with additional funds from the Endres Mfg. Company Foundation, The Evjue Foundation, Inc., charitable arm of The Capital Times, the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation, and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation. Season Sponsors: The Evjue Foundation, Inc., Distillery Design, The Madison Concourse Hotel, Wisconsin Arts Board, Wisconsin Public Radio, PBS Wisconsin * Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.

** Member of United Scenic Artists Local 829

45 Plays for America’s First Ladies first premiered with The Neo-Futurists (Chicago, IL) in the fall of 2020 as a part of a rolling world premiere. This video recording was produced by special arrangement with Andy Bayiates, Genevra Gallo-Bayiates, Bilal Dardai, Sharon Greene, and Chloe Johnston. All rights reserved. This performance is authorized for non-commercial use only. By accepting the video recording, you agree not to authorize or permit the video recording to be copied, distributed, broadcast, telecast or otherwise exploited, in whole or in part, in any media now known or hereafter developed. WARNING: Federal law provides severe civil and criminal penalties for the unauthorized reproduction, distribution or exhibition of copyrighted motion pictures, videotapes or videodiscs. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and may constitute a felony with a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and/or a $250,000.00 fine. 46 PLAYS FOR AMERICA’S FIRST LADIES

F O R WA R D T H E AT E R C O M PA N Y S TA F F ARTISTIC Artistic Director...................................................................................................................Jen Uphoff Gray Artistic Associate....................................................................................................................Karen Moeller ADMINISTRATIVE Managing Director................................................................................................................ Julie Swenson Director of Development.................................................................................................... Julia Nicholas Director of Marketing.............................................................................................................. Scott Haden Audience & Donor Relations Manager......................................................................... Samara Safarik Company Manager..................................................................................................................Celia A. Klehr Business Manager....................................................................................................................Alex Moskoff Marketing Associate......................................................................................................Hannah Goldberg PRODUCTION Stage Manager....................................................................................................... Sarah Deming-Henes* Assistant Stage Manager.............................................................................................................Abbi Hess Technical Director..................................................................................................................Kevin Zimmer Scenic Charge............................................................................................................................Pamela Miles Carpenter............................................................................................................................ Jordan Rockman Wardrobe Supervisor............................................................................................................ Megan Dickel Sound Technician...........................................................................................................Benjamin Krueger Master Electrician............................................................................................................ Brad Toberman** Sound Consultant........................................................................................................................Jim Uphoff This production of 46 Plays for America’s First Ladies is indebted to the design team that worked on Forward’s 2012 production of 44 Plays for 44 Presidents. The work of scenic designer Charles J. Trieloff (“Jen”) was a direct inspiration for our sets now, and we are also grateful to costume designer Monica Kilkus for creating the Presidential coat being used again in this production. * Member of Actors’ 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) 4

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F O R WA R D T H E AT E R C O M PA N Y B OA R D O F D I R E C TO R S Rozan Anderson, UW Hillel Foundation Dave Chaimson, Full Compass Systems Dr. Charles Ford, UW Division of Otolaryngology Dr. Amy Gilman, Chazen Museum of Art Marci Henderson, Girl Scouts of Wisconsin, Badgerland Roth Judd, Government Integrity Advisor Hallie Kuenning, WPS Health Solutions Donna Moreland, State of Wisconsin Jolen Neumann, Janus Galleries Kathie Nichols, Sort Sol Group Susan Pigorsch, Pigorsch Media Design Carol “Orange” Schroeder, Orange Tree Imports Dr. Jason Stephenson, UW School of Medicine & Public Health Steve Suleski, CUNA Mutual Group, retired Ted Waskowski, Stafford Rosenbaum LLP Jennifer Winding F O R WA R D T H E AT E R A DV I S O R Y C O M PA N Y William Bolz* Jim Buske Jo Chalhoub Sarah Day Jono De Leon Dennis Dorn

Mike Fischer Clare Arena Haden* Michael Herold Maureen Janson Jake Penner

Rána Roman Nadja Simmonds Noele Stollmack Sam D. White *On sabbatica

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 Shannon Heibler Monica Kilkus

Advisory Company Jessica Lanius Casey Martin Georgina McKee Karen Olivo Gwen Rice Scott Rött Frank Schneeberger

Chad Bartell Rebecca Baumbach Carousel Bayrd Donna Beestman Tim Crisp Am Curet Burt DeHaven Jane Elder Ellen Foley Tom Frazier

Board of Directors Jon Furlow Marta Gialamas Marcia Kasieta Gail Kohl Shana Lewis Gregory Monday Erika Monroe-Kane Dean Richards John Russell Karen Saunders

Kirk Stantis Susan Sweeney Michele Traband Charles Jennings Trieloff, II Jack Forbes Wilson Kimberly Megna Yarnall Joe Shapiro Joseph Shumow Scott Thornton Brent Wagner Sherry Wagner-Henry Erin Wenzel Lynn Wood Ledell Zellers

46 PLAYS FOR AMERICA’S FIRST LADIES

Forward Theater Company

F R O M T H E D I R E C TO R ... J E N U P H O F F G R A Y It was in the fall of 2012 that I directed 44 Plays for 44 Presidents. The story I wanted to share with that piece was that, at the end of the day, those were 43 men (thanks for making it complicated, Grover Cleveland!) who—by and large—were doing what they thought was right in a very hard job. They were also human beings, and therefore fallible, and sometimes kinda bad at that job. By giving each one of them just two minutes of stage time, the cumulative effect was to diminish their “legend” and make clear that they were each just the temporary occupant of a powerful office. The takeaway for me from Presidents was the importance every individual can have in our democracy. Or to sloganeer — “every vote counts.” The playwrights who crafted 46 Plays for America’s First Ladies didn’t want to write a piece that was simply companionate to Presidents. They wanted to write it at the right time, for the right reason. As they began this work prior to the 2016 election they thought that the story of a former First Lady winning the Presidency would offer a full-circle ending for the play as a whole. When history took another turn, the arc of what First Ladies would become curved in a different direction. Enter Forward Theater, now producing the play’s first rehearsed-in-person and captured-for-streaming premiere (along with the debut of play #46). What we’ve discovered in the rehearsal room is that the fabric of these playwrights’ takes on the role of the First Lady is a complex weave. Several prominent threads emerged. First, we’ve marveled at how unknown most of these women were to us, and not because they weren’t well-known in their own times, nor because they weren’t influential to the politics and policy of their era. (Why didn’t I know ANYTHING about Lucy Hayes or Harriet Lane before I read these plays? I was a history major, for crying out loud!) “History” didn’t accord these women much significance once their husbands (or fathers/ uncles/etc) left office. Second, we’ve explored the never-ending expectations of women to clean up the messes of life – both literal and metaphorical – from Dolley Madison to Michelle Obama. Third, speaking of expectations, we’ve confronted the impossibility of meeting society’s expectations of women, no matter what time period in which we live. (It seems we women are always too ambitious, too retiring, too clever, too uneducated, too manipulative, too passive, too focused on work, too focused on home life…. Was Hillary Clinton more polarizing than Mary Todd Lincoln? In the big picture: not so much.) Finally, the authors have been very deliberate at weaving in the thread that one can be part of an oppressed class (i.e. women) and still be responsible for the oppression of others (those who are Black, Indigenous, or other people of color). The cumulative effect of these motifs illustrates the impossibility of shouldering an ever-evolving job with no official designation, and the complexity of the lives of the women who have tried to do it anyway. Thank you for holding space with us for their stories. Jen Uphoff Gray 46 PLAYS FOR AMERICA’S FIRST LADIES

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A CLOSER LOOK…ADVISORY COMPAN Y M EM B ER MIKE FISCHER We the People In an early version of 46 Plays for America’s First Ladies, the ensemble surrounding Martha Washington presents her with a series of ceremonial laurels “that symbolize all her many sacrifices.” A fed-up Martha is having none of it. “Keep ‘em,” she says at the end of the first play. “They tell your story. Not mine.” During a pandemic year in which we’ve rightly placed so much emphasis on who gets to tell what stories, Chicago’s Neo-Futurists gave the first performance of the 46 plays you’re about to see as part of a rolling world premiere. Collectively, those plays question whether any story ever comes close to telling the whole story. Because each of these 46 plays is so short, they underscore the Neos’ long-held belief that no story is ever truly comprehensive or complete. One can’t summarize anyone’s life in just a few pages of script. By highlighting the inevitable marginalization at the center of every story, the Neos challenge us to think about what’s allowed to remain – and why. About how we frame every story – and why. About what gets left out – and why. “I was really interested in the idea of how we learn about history,” wrote Neo ensemble member and playwright Chloe Johnston in notes to 44 Plays for 44 Presidents, staged by Forward in 2013 (as with 44 Plays, Johnston is one of five playwrights who collaborated on 46 Plays). “A set of facts can be twisted, or selected, to make any case you choose,” Johnston continued. Hidden Figures In the case of America’s First Ladies – in the case of every American woman, stretching backward from Martha Washington and forward into our own moment – there’s an especially pronounced disconnect between one’s inner life and the way one’s life is projected, recorded, and remembered. “We are so much more complex than the roles they assign us,” says one of the First Ladies you’ll meet. “Everyone always underestimates the lady,” laments another. “There’s a life beyond this brief parade,” insist four more, a quartet of women playing First Lady to a single man. Even when the women you’re about to meet seem to be dutifully marching along in time, 46 Plays offers glimpses of that “life beyond” the pomp and circumstance. You’ll meet brilliant scholars and onetime slaves, shadow presidents and renowned diplomats, charismatic socialites and forgotten writers. You’ll learn things you’ve never imagined about forgotten women you never knew. You’ll learn their names. But 46 Plays isn’t just a reprise of Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own, cataloguing all the ways various women weren’t allowed to be fully themselves before so many of them were consigned to the dustbin of history.

46 PLAYS FOR AMERICA’S FIRST LADIES

A CLOSER LOOK…ADVISORY COMPAN Y M EM B ER MIKE FISCHER

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It’s also an inspiring and liberating confirmation that because every story is necessarily incomplete, there’s room for us to reshape and revise them. To tell better stories. To forge more inclusive history, while building a world in which all of us can play roles allowing each of us to be fully ourselves. 46+ Stage Managers Precisely because the role of First Lady still remains so undefined, the women holding that position have necessarily had a great deal to say about its texture and shape. Inheriting a nebulous and continually evolving role, they’ve had to dress it up and fill it out. Bottom line: because their role is ostensibly symbolic rather than substantive, the First Ladies you’ll meet are often preternaturally aware that they’re not only male politicians’ confidantes and lovers but also stage managers and prop masters, ensuring that the show goes on and looks good. (And since this is a play showcasing amazing and often unsung women, it’s worth noting that Forward’s structurally challenging and propsheavy show couldn’t have happened without three of the best in the biz: Forward Stage Manager Sarah Deming-Henes, Assistant Stage Manager Abbi Hess, and Props Master Pamela Miles). As these First Ladies don and doff various accessories, you’ll also see them perform in a broad spectrum of genres and styles: Cabaret and vaudeville. Mockumentaries and reenactments. Realism and surrealism. Agitprop and melodrama. Poetry and prose. Tragedy and farce. Gleefully imploding genre distinctions and deconstructing any notion of a unified and comprehensive history, 46 Plays flaunts its status as a variety show that’s as messy and conflicted as the nation within which it unfolds. And that’s the point. If no story dominates, the meaning of every story is up for grabs. United Stories of America Which, of course, means every member of the Forward audience has a role to play in writing the next chapter in that sprawling tale of we the people, still struggling to form a more perfect union. “Instead of suspending disbelief or building a fourth wall,” the playwrights urge in an introductory note, “be as honest as possible about the experience of being in a room together.” “Non-illusory, interactive performance,” insist the Neo-Futurists in their mission statement, can inspire “thought, feeling, and action.” Because an audience sees each of these stories being built, because each story is patently partial and incomplete, and because the stories are presented in so many styles, audience members can more readily see themselves as active storytellers – challenged to choose which stories they like, while imagining how they might tell the stories of themselves, their community, and their country.

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A CLOSER LOOK…ADVISORY COMPAN Y M EM B ER MIKE FISCHER

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Which, as it happens, is a challenge Forward has been throwing down throughout this 12th season – and not just because we’ve necessarily paid so much attention to surmounting the extraordinary difficulties involved in simply making stories during a pandemic. Opening Forward’s season last Fall, The Lifespan of a Fact self-consciously introduced the concept that we always already live within narrative. The Niceties and Lewiston/Clarkston then interrogated the stories we’ve long told ourselves about what America is, while asking whether we might write stories that better define who we as Americans are and might yet become. True to its title, 46 Plays closes the Forward season by challenging us to embrace our multiplicity, recognizing that there are many ways to tell the American story – while suggesting that we’ll be most united in the years to come if we learn to love and embrace each and every one of them, in all the power and the glory of their magnificent difference. – Milwaukee, April 24-25, 2021

46 PLAYS FOR AMERICA’S FIRST LADIES

F R O M T H E B OA R D O F D I R E C TO R S ... S T E V E S U L E S K I Creating a home base for Wisconsin theater professionals….” These are the first eight words of Forward Theater’s mission statement. They represent one of our most fundamental commitments which you, our audience and donors, have so generously supported since Forward’s founding over eleven years ago. Now, as the pandemic rages and decimates theater companies across the country, we continue to do all that we can do to sustain Wisconsin theater professionals, to maintain their “home base.” We are doing this: - By honoring all of our contracts with them for the 2020-21 Season, no matter what this Season ends up looking like, what form it will take. This provides them with a paycheck, credit for health coverage and other resources for basic survival. - By providing artistic work for them in all sorts of new and innovative ways. This allows them to practice their craft, and derive satisfaction and purpose from doing the work they’ve been called to do. - By reassuring them that they have a home in Forward when so many other parts of their support structure may be crumbling. This gives them the confidence that they can count on us no matter what as they attempt to maintain their careers in theater. You, our loyal subscribers, single ticket buyers, and donors, have risen to a new level in your support of Forward as we stay true to our mission during a uniquely challenging season. You have subscribed for season tickets and purchased single tickets in numbers that blew away our expectations when live performances and theater gatherings were outside our reach. You have opened your hearts and your minds to new ways of experiencing theater as we experimented with Zoom-like formats, innovative readings, and now recorded stage performances - things that were beyond our imagination before the start of the pandemic. And you haven’t skipped a beat in the level of your financial support, as you’ve increased your donations since the beginning of the crisis. We enthusiastically welcome you to the final mainstage production in our 2020-21 Season, a season unlike any other. And we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your relentless support in helping us, no, enabling us, to continue to provide a “home base” for Wisconsin theater professionals — a “home base” in the truest sense of what having a home means.

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Friends, thank you for joining us for 46 Plays for America’s First Ladies, our final production of a season that could be aptly titled “Forward Theater’s Wild Ride.” With this performance, we shine a proverbial spotlight on our country’s 46 First Ladies, a group whose behindthe-scenes work has, unfortunately, been unrecognized or trivialized for far too long. We hope this production inspires us all to seek out the stories of the many underrepresented people of our society. In addition to thanking you for your steadfast patronage, we would like to thank our staff, especially Celia Klehr, for their efforts in keeping everyone safe throughout the rehearsals and filming of these performances. It takes a village. May next season find us back in the Playhouse enjoying each other’s company!

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46 PLAYS FOR AMERICA’S FIRST LADIES

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, whether they’re on Zoom, in person (socially distanced, of course), or other members of your household. We also hope you will join the cast at the scheduled live talkbacks, where audience and artists will gather on Zoom to discuss these and any other issues brought to light by today’s show. And please keep the conversation going by sharing your thoughts on our Facebook page. Let’s start the conversation: • The press and public have always speculated about the extent to which every First Lady has influenced the policies of her husband. There have certainly been First Ladies who have relished political advisership and those who avoided it. And yet, the role of First Lady carries with it no actual political power. Does the enforced powerlessness of the role absolve a First Lady of complicity in the deeds done under the direction of her husband? Do you think it’s possible to evaluate the legacy of a First Lady separately from that of the President? • Who are the First Ladies about whom you learned the most? Were you surprised by any of the stories you learned in the show? • First Ladies so often tend to be beloved or reviled. And while those who are beloved have been known to fall out of favor, those who are disliked have rarely been able to turn the tide of public opinion. Why do you think certain First Ladies are adored, no matter their Party alignment? And why are other First Ladies vilified, unanimously antagonized by the American public? To learn even more about the play, playwrights, and Forward Theater’s production, please consider watching our pre-show talk, which is available for viewing from our virtual lobby. L A N D AC K N OW L E D G E M E N T 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. We respectfully recognize this Ho-Chunk land and affirm that we are better when we stand together.

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46 PLAYS FOR AMERICA’S FIRST LADIES

46 PLAYS FOR AMERICA’S FIRST LADIES by Chloe Johnston, Sharon Greene, Genevra Gallo-Bayiates, Bilal Dardai, and Andy Bayiates CAST (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER) Matt Daniels* Elyse Edelman* Phoebe González* Jamal James* Nadja Simmonds Understudies: James Carrington, Maria Cina, Brian Cowing, Karen Estrada, and Eva Nimmer *Performers appear courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

ARTIST BIOGR APHIES Matt Daniels is delighted to return to Forward after making his debut in 44 Plays for 44 Presidents in 2012, and more recently playing Bruce Bechdel in Fun Home. Based in Milwaukee, recent credits include several roles in Escape From Peligro Island at First Stage; Jeeves in Jeeves at Sea at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre; Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor 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 Theatre, as well as several independent stages in New York. He serves as an Artistic 16

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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 Elyse Edelman is thrilled to be back at Forward Theater Company where she previously appeared as Maria in Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play and as Sonia in Life Sucks! Wisconsin theater credits as an actor include multiple productions with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Door Shakespeare, Renaissance Theaterworks, First Stage, In Tandem Theatre, American Players Theatre, and Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Some other regional acting credits include The Guthrie, Park Square Theatre, People’s Centre

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Theatre (Minneapolis/St. Paul), Utah Shakespeare Festival (Cedar City), Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Accidents (Chicago), and Riverside Theatre in the Park (Iowa City). Elyse is also a teaching artist and develops curriculum for a number of professional theaters in the state. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota/ Guthrie Theater BFA Actor’s Training Program. Website: www.elyseedelman.com. Phoebe González is a Mexican-Irish-American actor born and raised in Washington Heights. She is Chicago-based but happy to be back in Wisconsin after two seasons with American Players Theatre, where she was most recently seen as Constance in She Stoops to Conquer and Fabian in Twelfth Night. Chicago credits include The Comedy of Errors (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); The Burn (Steppenwolf ); The Bridges of Madison County (The Marriott Theatre); La Havana Madrid (Teatro Vista); Quixote (Writers Theatre, understudy); You on the Moors Now (The Hypocrites); and The Late Wedding (The Neighborhood Theatre). Additionally, she did the national tour of Me... Jane: The Dreams and Adventures of Young Jane Goodall (Kennedy Center). TV: Chicago Med. She graduated from Northwestern University, where she studied acting, musical theatre, and playwriting. For Artie, Mom, Dad, and Daniel. www.phoebegonzalez.com Jamal James is ecstatic to finally make his debut at Forward Theater (and this piece specifically!) He is an actor, writer, improvisor and model based in NYC. Hailing from Centreville, VA, Jamal

graduated with a B.F.A. from Emory & Henry College and has been working in NYC and around the country ever since. A proud member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA, he spends most of his time letting out his inner kid...and forcing everyone around him to do the same. Jamal recently starred in The Royale at the Kitchen Theatre Company/Geva Theatre as well as She Stoops to Conquer at American Players Theatre. Favorite works include Fences (American Players Theatre); Welcome To Fear City (KC Rep); Jericho (Attic Theatre Company); Shakespeare in Love (Baltimore Center Stage). All thanks to God, his family, Alys (the bestie, the favorite, the feeling!) his friends, this cast and crew and the audience for the journey. Always keep hope alive! Thejamaljames.com Nadja Simmonds is excited to be back with Forward Theater after her debut in Mary Jane last season. After leaving her hometown of Cincinnati, she attended Marquette University and received degrees in both theater and digital media. Since then, she has worked with regional theaters around Wisconsin and Ohio including Milwaukee Chamber Theater, The Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Northern Sky Theater, Summit Players Theatre, CATCO, and the Children’s Theater of Madison. Favorite shows and roles include Home with the Milwaukee Black Theater Festival, Pilot in Grounded, and Luciana in The Comedy of Errors. You can catch her this summer in Door County directing with Northern Sky Theater. Lots of love goes to her family and those continuously fighting for justice and equality. Black Lives Matter. www.nadjasimmonds.com

46 PLAYS FOR AMERICA’S FIRST LADIES

PRODUCTION ARTIST BIOGR APHIES Dave Alcorn (Video Editor) is a digital marketing specialist and videographer with a focus on the performing arts. He has recorded over 500 concerts and performances and has created videos and promotional material for a wide range of music, theatre, and dance groups in Wisconsin. With a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in percussion performance, Dave has a unique perspective for video creation. Dave is the Director of Digital Marketing at Overture Center for the Arts and the President of Microtone Media. 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 Lewiston/Clarkston, Lifespan of a Fact, 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 Sonia..., 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. Future projects include 18

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composition and sound design for The Thanksgiving Play at Milwaukee Chamber and A Phoenix Too Frequent at APT. Brian Cowing (Choreographer) is elated to be working with Forward Theater for the first time! His directing and choreography work have been seen with Skylight Music Theatre, Children’s Theater of Madison, Four Seasons Theatre, Capital City Theatre, Music Theatre of Madison, Theatre Lila, and Clinton Showboat Theater. As an actor, he has performed on the National Tours of Annie and Something Rotten! Brian has extensive teaching experience in theater and music, including CTM’s Summer Stage Program, Kristin Chenoweth’s Broadway Bootcamp, Tianjin Conservatory of Music, Whoopensocker, and OCU’s Summer Music Programs. He is a proud graduate of Oklahoma City University’s musical theatre program and just received his MA in Arts and Creative Enterprise Leadership from the Bolz Center for Arts Administration at UW – Madison. Sarah Deming-Henes (Stage Manager) At FTC Sarah has joyfully stage managed in the Playhouse Skeleton Crew, Fun Home, Heisenberg, Life Sucks, Mary Jane, For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday, Every Brilliant Thing, and the Lewiston part of Lewiston/ Clarkston; and online for FTC she learned a whole bunch stage managing The Lifespan of a Fact and The Niceties. Sarah’s proudly stage managed at many Wisconsin based theaters, including 14 seasons at American Players Theatre – and 13 years in Milwaukee, for theaters including: First Stage, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre and Milwaukee Repertory Theater. In 2019 she delighted in stage managing Boswell at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and had fun guest lecturing on Stage Management at UW-Parkside. Many thanks to her family and friends for unfailing kindnesses. And an acre of gratitude to the FTC Staff & Board, and, you, the audience, for going above, beyond, and online to keep theater alive and appreciated in Wisconsin!

PRODUCTION ARTIST BIOGR APHIES Marcella Kearns (Dramaturg) is ferociously happy to return to Forward— this time behind the scenes—after appearing onstage in Life Sucks, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, the reading of Natural Shocks, the inaugural Monologue Festival, and 44 Plays for 44 Presidents, for which she also assisted with dramaturgy. A Milwaukee-based director, actor, and educator, Marcy serves as Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s Associate Artistic Director. She is an adjunct instructor at Carthage College, Marquette University, and First Stage. A proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, she completed a Fulbright Fellowship in Austria, a TCG Observership in Georgia and Illinois, and, during the pandemic at-home period in 2020, a StateraArts mentorship with Jen Uphoff Gray (thank you, Jen). She holds an MFA from the University of South Carolina. “When will our consciences grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it?” -Eleanor Roosevelt Mike Lawler (Scenic Designer) spent twenty years working in the theatre as a producer, designer, playwright, and technician. He has worked across the country, including in California, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin. He is the author of Careers in Technical Theater and has also written extensively on the theater for American Theatre, Dramatics, and TYA Today, where he was a staff writer. He is the former Associate Artistic Director of Children’s Theater of Madison and was Co-Artistic Director of Theatre LILA for two years. His designs have been seen dozens of times in The Playhouse, and around Madison. He currently works as the Director of Development & Storytelling for ARTS for ALL Wisconsin, a statewide nonprofit that works with people with disabilities through the arts (www.artsforallwi.org).

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Abbi Hess (Assistant Stage Manager) is ecstatic to be working on her first season at Forward! She graduated from Carroll University with a B.A. in Theatre Arts and History and spent last season as a Stage Management Resident at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Past favorite credits include: Bare and Wonderland (Outskirts Theatre Co.); Mary Poppins (Sunset Playhouse); Mamma Mia (Lake Country Playhouse); Next to Normal and Hamlet: A Cover (Carroll University); 2 Pianos 4 Hands and The Legend of Georgia McBride (Milwaukee Rep). She is grateful to every person that she has worked with that has got her to this point, especially her talented SM teams throughout the years, the supportive Forward staff, and her amazing family! Noele Stollmack (Lighting Designer) Forward Theater productions include the lighting for Life Sucks, I and You, Every Brilliant Thing, Mary Jane and The Lifespan of a Fact. Her work has appeared onstage at The Brooklyn Academy of Music, Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, The Library of Congress Theatre, as well as the opera companies residing in Ontario, Houston, Portland, Vancouver, New Orleans, Nashville, Madison and Milwaukee. Regional design for the theatre includes Jeff Daniels Purple Rose Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Houston’s Alley Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, Skylight Music Theatre, American Players Theatre, Children’s Theatre of Madison and First Stage Children’s Theatre. Some notable examples of Noele’s scenic realization and set design includes Meredith Monk’s international tours of mercy & impermanence, Giulio Cesare in Egitto, Albert Herring, Dido and Aeneas, Venus and Adonis, Rio de Sangre, Macbeth, Tristan und Isolde and Magic Flute for the Florentine Opera, Rape of Lucretia at Toledo Opera, Pagliacci with Columbus Opera, and Mirandolina for the Milwaukee Rep. As Lighting Director for Houston 46 PLAYS FOR AMERICA’S FIRST LADIES

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46 PLAYS FOR AMERICA’S FIRST LADIES

PRODUCTION ARTIST BIOGR APHIES Grand Opera, she supervised the lighting and special effects for over 50 productions along with designing the lighting for such productions as Andrei Serban’s Elektra, Dr. Jonathan Miller’s Der Rosenkavalier and the world premieres of Harvey Milk, Desert of Roses and Dracula Diary. Noele’s AIA award winning architectural and public space lighting is installed throughout the Midwest. Shannon Heibler (Costume Designer) is a designer and artist based in Madison, Wisconsin. She is delighted to return to Forward after designing the costumes for I & You and Heisenberg. Shannon has designed costumes for theaters around Wisconsin including Children’s Theater of Madison (Tuck Everlasting, Matilda: The Musical), Four Seasons/TheatreLILA (Big Fish), and University of Wisconsin Madison’s University Theatre (Evil Dead the Musical, Julius Caesar) where she works as Assistant Costume Studio Supervisor. Thank you so much for joining us and for supporting the arts. Endless love and gratitude to Ben. Pamela Miles (Props Master/Scenic Charge Artist) is delighted to return to Forward for her seventh 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.

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Jen Uphoff Gray (Director) is the artistic director of Forward Theater Company – this is the 24th production she’s directed for FTC. Regionally, she has also directed for Madison Rep (The Diary of Anne Frank) and Milwaukee Shakespeare (Love’s Labors Lost). She mounted 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. This one’s for Marcy, who is as brilliant a friend as she is an artist. 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.

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C O R P O R AT I O N , F O U N DAT I O N A N D G OV 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 $100,000+ US Federal Paycheck Protection Program $50,000 - $99,999 State of Wisconsin Covid-19 Cultural Organization Program $30,000 - $49,999 The Shubert Foundation

$10,000 – $29,999 Madison Gas & Electric Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation

$2,500 - $4,999 Stafford Rosenbaum Attorneys US Bank

$5,000 - $9,999 Cuna Mutual Group Custer Financial Services Dane Arts DeWitt LLP Marriott Daughters Foundation Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren Wisconsin Arts Board

$1,000 - $2,499 The Cap Times First Business Bank Husch Blackwell Numbers 4 Nonprofits Steve Brown Apartments

F O R WA R D L E A D E R S Forward Leaders show a strong personal commitment to Forward Theater’s mission by making annual gifts of $1,000 or more. $25,000+ W. Jerome Frautschi Steve & Jacqui Suleski $15,000 - $24,999 Joe & Mary Ellyn Sensenbrenner Janet Zimmerman $10,000 - $14,999 Maurice & Sybil Better Nancy Ciezki & Diane Kostecke Lawrence & Julie Midtbo Pleasant T. Rowland $5,000 - $9,999 Anonymous Diane Ballweg Catherine Bloomer Charles N. Ford & Sharon L. James Jon & Brenda Furlow 24

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Thomas Hurst & Kleo Baruth Kritz Nancy Leff & KC Lerner Don & Toni Richards $2,500 - $4,999 Anonymous Rozan & Brian Anderson Beth Bovis & David Feldstein Peggy & Christopher Bugg Jane Coleman Jean Espenshade Dolores & Paul Gohdes Betty & Walter Gray Kathleen Harker David & Paula Kraemer Richard & Meg LaBrie Jun & Sandy Lee Karen & Allan Moore Kathie Nichols Pamela Oliver & John Lemke Terry & Jean Prahl Ann Rifenberg

John & Mary Schroeder Jane Taves Don Tubesing & Nancy Loving Tubesing Fran Wong & Tom Reps $1,000 - $2,499 Anonymous (2) Anonymous (Colleen Burns Fund) Merry Anderson Steve Bablitch & Elaine Kelch Richard & Janneke Baske Dean & Nancy Baumgardner Norm & Barbara Berven Kit & Phil Blake Diane Bless Nancy & Lou Bruch Nick & Becca Curran Bill & Jan DeAtley Martin Densch (Colleen Burns Fund)

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Carla & Michael DiIorio Mary Ann Doll & Michael Williamson Alexandra & William Dove Victoria & Tim Enright Ed Feige & Elizabeth Palay Mike Fischer & Elaine Griffin Marla & Larry Frank Susan French & Brian Driscoll Jerry & Betty Fuller Deirdre Garton Thomas & Joanne Gobel Peter Gray & Jennifer Uphoff Gray Connie & Wayne Grogan JoAnn Gruber-Hagen & Doug Hagen Marci Henderson Bob Hodgson & Dot Steele William & Anne Hunnex John & Karen Icke Clark Johnson & Martha Pernokas

Roth & Lynne Judd Mary & Scott Kolar Fritz Kruger & Kathy Lawler Tim Lardinois Roger & Sheryl Lepage Laura Lindner Susan & Jonathan Lipp Efrat Livny & Ken Baun Janet & Jay Loewi Lovers of the Arts Sally & John Mather Kathleen McElroy Nancy McGill Don & Mary Metz Chad & Jolen Neumann Bess Nicholas Tom & Julia Nicholas John & Jane Norman Marilyn Oberst Zorba & Penny Paster Joan Philip & Dave Boyer Judith Pierotti Evan & Jane Pizer Pam Ploetz

Linda Reivitz Susan A. Riedel DeeDee & Bing Rikkers James & Carol Ruhly Susan & Michael Schall Linda & John Schilling Dean & Carol Schroeder Lynda Sharpe Joe & Jeanne Silverberg Tim & Pat Size The Stephenson Family Cheri Teal LaRynda Thoen & Neil Salyapongse Peter Tropman & Virginia Graves Jane & David Villa Lee & Mary Waldhart Theodora Zehner Ledell Zellers & Simon Anderson Susan & Jim Zerwick Judith Zwirlein

Jim & Jean Elvekrog Oliver Eng Adam R. Erdmann Paul & Lari Fanlund Jim & Evey Fleming Mary & Jay Gallagher Paul Gibler & Tom DeChant Amy Gilman & Doug Patterson Jeff A. Goldman Dianne Greenley Jane Hamblen & Robert Lemanske Larry Hamlin Mary Hampton & Barbara Voelker Patricia Hanson & Terri Bleck Margaret Harrigan & Richard Ross Ron & Carol Hay Honorable Paul B. Higginbotham (Ret.) and Tina Maroni Rod & Jean Jacobson Monica Jaehnig Vince Jenkins & Stefanie Moritz Rosemary & Lee Jones

Mary Kateada & Frank Schneeberger Birke Knipping & Ryan Parks Steve & Lorene Kowalsky Michael & Megan Kushner Pete & Jill Lundberg Ronald S. Luskin & Terry Ruzicka Stewart Macaulay Lee Marquardt Kathleen Massoth & Bruce Edmonson Colleen McCabe Ron Mensink LuAnn & Joe Meyers Judie Z. Moeller Binit Mohanty & Amy Lenard David Myers Fred Newmann & Carolyn Hegeler Betsy & Doug Nordstrom Linda Baldwin O’Hern & Vince O’Hern Lynette & Rex Owens Scott M. Paler Susan Paskewitz Reynold V. Peterson

A N N UA L F U N D $500 - $999 Anonymous (3) Craig & Ann Aswegan Jean M. Bahr Chuck Bauer & Chuck Beckwith Donna & George Beestman Ellen & Tim Bell Anna Biermeier & Roger Hanson Anna J. Campbell Martha & Charles Casey Sherry & Doug Caves Dave & Audra Chaimson Keith & Linda Clifford Fred & Wendy Coleman Betty & Corkey Custer Janet & David Daniel Tom & Greta DeCoster Walter & Londa Dewey Cynthia DiCamelli Kim & Bill Donovan Katie Dowling-Marcus & Ben Marcus Jim & Jessica Doyle Carla Draper & Peg Carlson Eve Drury & Peter Beatty Cedric C. Ellis

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Beth & Peter Rahko Barb Rex & Jim Eggler Theresa L. Roetter Jim & Michele Rohan Bruce Rosen & Diane Seder Ron Rosner & Ronnie Hess Tim & Ann Salutz Bela & Ruth Sandor Willa Schlecht Howard & Diane Schuck Ron & Diana Shaw Sonjia Short & Michael Croft Philip Shultz & Marsha VanDomelen Robert E. Shumaker Joseph Shumow Bud & Lisa Smith Charles Snowdon & Ann Lindsey Joe & Phyllis Stertz Marjorie Stewart Abby & Kurt Suckow Julie Swedarsky Susan Sweeney Julie Swenson Scott Thornton Karen Updike Selma Van Eyck

Peter & Alice Waldron Charles & Elizabeth Wallman Susan Young Bob & Cindy Zellers Benefactors ($250 - $499) Anonymous George Affeldt Susan & Christopher Alban Beth Ament & Steve Pudloski Jim & Marilou Angevine Alice & Richard Appen Rima & Michael Apple Dr. Joe & Kate Arena George Austin & Martha Vukelich-Austin Rose Barroilhet A Barry Larry Bechler Marshall & Wendy Beck Rachel & Daniel Bennett Holly Berkenstadt Paula Bonner & Ann Schaffer Don & Carola Breckbill Lynn Christensen Russell & Leslie Coff Carol Cohen Coleman

Margaret Corbae James Couser & Kathryn Middleton Mike & Donna Crane Nancy Daly Michael & Judith Dereszynski Kathy & Dennis Dorn Alison Dorner J. Doyle Deidre Dunn Fred & Ivy Edelman William & Lynne Eich Sandra & Norris Glick Robert & Georgia Graves Jane Grogan & Bob Blitzke Nancy & Peter Gunder Eileen Hanneman Rachel & Gil Hillman Cynthia S. Hiteman Carol Holtsapple Grace Homb Hickory Hurie Margaret & Paul Irwin Jerome & DeeDee Jones Deb Jurmu Joan Karan Jennifer N. Kraemer Peggy Krecker

$50,000 for Forward Theater Company in honor of Jen Uphoff Gray’s 50th Birthday These gifts have provided full funding for our commission of a major world premiere play (details to be announced in Spring 2022!), as well as contributing to FTC’s long-term financial stability. $25,000 Beth Bovis & David Feldstein $10,000 Steve & Jacqui Suleski $5,000 Diane Kostecke & Nancy Ciezki Kathie Nichols Pleasant T. Rowland

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$2,000 Rozan & Brian Anderson $1,000 Jane Coleman Chuck Ford & Sharon James Walter & Betty Gray Jo Laird Susan & Jonathan Lipp Julia & Tom Nicholas Orange & Dean Schroeder Jason & Laura Stephenson Charles Uphoff Jennifer & Bob Winding

$500 Amy Gilman & Doug Patterson Kathleen Harker $250 Dave & Audra Chaimson Hallie Kuenning Marci Henderson Susan & Hans Pigorsch Additional Support Jolen & Chad Neumann Ted & Cathy Waskowski

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James Krikelas Ed Krinsky & Mary Jane Armstrong John Kurtz Jo Laird Matt Larson Peggy & Terry Larson Diane Lauver Roma Lenehan Jill Maidenberg & Richard Thal Maija Maki-Laurila Dan & Mari McCarty Bev & Chan McKelvey Sue Milch & Wilton Sanders Tamara Moe Mark & Nancy Moore Donna V. Moreland Lauri Morris & Jim Cole Robert Mutton & Vera Ames Martha Nawratil Gregg Nettesheim & Maggie Steele Casey & Eric Oelkers Jennifer Ondrejka & Tom Rudy Russell & Paula Panczenko Ruth & Seymour Parter Don & Carol Reeder Sandi Reinardy & Keith Furman Barbara Samuel James & Suzanne Scheuerman Marcia Schmidt Carolyn Senty David & Margaret Sharpe Dan & Marcia Smith Bob & Jo Sparks Vicki & Jerry Stewart David & Sue Stone

Elaine B. Strassburg Arlene & John Strikwerda William & Edie Swift Marcia & Richard Taugher Ward & Elizabeth Tucker Paul & Emily Tveite Mary Weber Marybeth Wilk & Katherine Brophy Barbra Winter Lynn Wood William Zarwell & Robin Chapman Susan & John Zientek Patrons ($100 - $249) Anonymous (8) Sharon Abrams Julius & Hilde Adler Mark & Carol Albertini Ray Aldag & Deb Douglas Bob & Paula Alt Danny & Linda Andersen Gary Anderson Marge & Bruce Anderson Peggy Anderson Anne Arnesen Barbara J. Arnold Charles & Elizabeth Barnhill Jeffrey & Angela Bartell Douglas & Mary Bates Robert Bauer Cindy & Orion Bawdon David & Connie Beam Norlin Benevenga Joan Benson & Michelle Hills Thomas W. Benson

Susan & George Benton Richard & Luise Beringer Bennett Berson & Rebecca Holmes Rikhil Bhavnani & Dustin Brown Harvey Black Philip Blackwell Terry Bloom Shawn J. Bolduc John & Jan Bonsett-Veal William Bradley & Jill Anna Ponasik Patricia Brady Malcolm & Penny Brett Daniel & Joyce Bromley Diane & Rick Broughman B. Bradford Brown & Maribeth Gettinger David & Claudia Brown Mary Lou Brown Thea Brunsell Barbara Buenger Linda Bunger Sandy Carlson Colleen & Pete Chase Mo & Melissa Cheeks Grace & Jack Chosy John Chosy & Tamara Bryant Louis & Shirley Chosy Jennifer Christensen Barbara Clapp Charlie & Joyce Clark David & Wendy Coe Betty & Steve Cohen Linda Cohn Mike & Cindy Collins Louie Cornelius & Pris Boroniec

MAKE AN ENDURING INVESTMENT IN PROFESSIONAL THEATER IN MADISON Please consider including Forward Theater Company in your will or estate plan to leave a legacy of professional theater for the Madison community and its artists. LEARN MORE by clicking SUPPORT at forwardtheater.com. Forward Theater Company, P.O. Box 14574, Madison, WI 53708, Tax ID #: 26-4576271. THANK YOU 46 PLAYS FOR AMERICA’S FIRST LADIES

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Patricia Cronin Amneris Curet Wade DallaGrana & Chris Antonuzzo Betsy Curtis D’Angelo Mike Davis & Julann Jatczak Geke De Vries Jocelyn DeWitt & Kurt Riegel Donalea Dinsmore David Dohler Renae & Todd Donkle Melinda Dorris Marilyn Dreger Susan & Joe Drennan Theresa Drinka Stan & Jean Druckenmiller Richard & Doris Dubielzig Susan Eichhorn Jane Elder & Bill Davis The Elson Family Rita Emmenegger

Byron & Janet Frenz Kristin Friel & Jeff Durkee Jacki & Milt Friend Christine & Charles Frinak Barbara Furstenberg Genevra Gallo-Bayiates & Andy Bayiates Casey Garhart Jan Garske Terry Gibson Christopher & Erin Glueck Louise Goldstein & Bruce Thomadsen Marsha & Bruce Gregg Karen Gunderson & Joanie Kanter Susan Haimes Jan Hall Rich & Lori Hamann Kriss Hamilton & Paul Goldschmidt

Tom & Margaret Henzler Karen Hester Diane Highsmith Douglas & Karen Hill Christopher Holland Nancy & Bill Horns Andrew Howick & Mary Stelletello Jim Hudson & Diane Martin Ed Hughes Jean Hughes Doug & Kathy Johnson Richard & Roberta Johnson Richard Jordan Martin & Rita Kades Jean Kasten Elisabeth U Kato Dan & Leslie Kemp Suzanne & Steve Kilkus Liz King & Rick Kiley Pamela & John Kitslaar

SUSTAINING OUR ARTISTS CAMPAIGN As part of our long-standing commitment to supporting Wisconsin artists, we’re paying full artist contracts for each mainstage production as well as our Monologue Festival (142 contracts; each at $15/hr or more) this season. Our heartfelt thanks to these donors for specifically making gifts to honor and help fund the salaries of the talented artists working on the projects that make up our vibrant 2020 2021 season. $5,000 W. Jerome Frautschi Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation $2,500 David & Paula Kraemer Jun & Sandy Lee

Susan England & James Stirniman Tom & Kelley Engle Phyllis Ermer Mary Kay Fahey Suzan Fete Cindy Fillingame Ted Finman & Jean Azemove John A. Fischer Alan Fish & Susan Goodwin Charles Ford Virginia Francis 28

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$1,000 Bill & Jan DeAtley Mary Ann Doll & Michael Williamson Victoria & Tim Enright John & Karen Icke Joan Philip & Dave Boyer James & Carol Ruhly Linda & John Schilling Jane & David Villa Maria Hanson Donald Hart Paula Haseman Philip Haslanger John Hayward & Susan Roehlk Peggy Hedberg Jan & Maria Heide Neil & Nancy Christy Heinen John & Elizabeth Heiner Patricia & Paul Heiser John & Sarah Helgeson Bruce & Kathryn Heling

Additional Support Katie Dowling-Marcus & Ben Marcus Beth & Peter Rahko

Monica Klehr Carol Klukaczewski Larry M. Kneeland Milka & Ivan Knezevic Doug Knudson & Judy Lyons Joyce Knutson Voula Kodoyianni & Tom Record Penny & Jerry Koerner Andrew Krikelas Terry & Jean Kringle Carrie Kruse & Ellen Pryor Jude Kuenn

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Hallie Kuenning Richard & Judy Kvalheim Steve & Susan LaBelle Larry LaMar & Mary Struckmeyer Jan & Bob Langdon Janet & Douglas Laube David Lawver Tim & Gillian Lechmaier Kathryn Lederhause & Daryl Sherman Phyllis Lefcowitz Dale & Barbara Lenz Victor & Judy Levine

Shana Lewis & Rob Magasano Madeline & Barry Light Diane & Bill Littman Tom & Stacy Littrell Elaine Lohr Joe Lowndes Gary Lyons & Jayne Squirrell Helen Madsen Mary & Eileen Maher Karin Mahony & Adam Balin Rabbi Bonnie Margulis & Rabbi Jonathan Biatch Douglas & Joan Maynard Mary Ann McBride

Nancy McCartan Mike & June McCowin William & Carolyn McKinney Mike & Sally Miley Chuck Mitchell & Sally Weidemann Alison Mix Millie Moffett Nancy Mohs Kitty Moore Jennifer Morgan Paul & Marjorie Morgan Norman Moses & Carrie Hitchcock

IN HONOR In honor of Matt Daniels Laura Baldus Murphy

In honor of Kathy Harker Pam Ploetz

In honor of Don & Barb Dinsmore Donalea Dinsmore

In honor of Jean Holliday Huxmann Steve Huxmann

In honor of Josephine B. Fischer Jane & Duane Miller

In honor of Miranda Jones James & Nancy Youngerman

In honor of Mike Fischer Susan Haimes

In honor of Celia Klehr and the Little Players of Norman, Oklahoma Monica Klehr

In honor of Chuck Ford Carla & Fernando Alvarado In honor of the consistent, enthusiastic, and ongoing support for Forward Theater Co. that Chuck Ford has shown over the years. Hats off, Chuck! Charles Ford In honor of Forward Theater Sally Strosahl In honor of the Forward Theater Staff Rabbi Bonnie Margulis & Rabbi Jonathan Biatch In honor of Forward Theater’s New Play Festival Mary Hampton & Barbara Voelker In honor of Frances R Goldstein Louise Goldstein & Bruce Thomadsen

In honor of Celia Klehr David Ronis In honor of Suzanne Kilkus, Happy Birthday! Steve Kilkus In honor of Diane Kostecke & Nancy Ciezki Gary A Scheele In honor of Kathie Nichols Jenny & Nick White In honor of Julie Swenson Ellen & Tim Bell In honor of Maddie Ullrick The Ullrick family In honor of Louise Joan Backer Uphoff Jo Laird 46 PLAYS FOR AMERICA’S FIRST LADIES

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Patricia Ann Mullins Tess Mulrooney Judith Munger Laura Baldus Murphy Aleta Murray Dan & Joyce Muxfeld Leah Narans Sharon Nellis John Nelson Phyllis Nelson Al & Aileen Nettleton Arthur Nicholas Jules & Judy Nicolet Dan O’Brien Heather Ockler William O’Connor & Krista Roys Gail O’Neal Bonnie Orvick Ann Ostrom Jennifer Parker Pat Parks Allan and Patricia Patek Penny Patterson & Sheila Faulkner Tim & Tammy Peyton Steve & Rita Pieroni Hans & Susan Pigorsch Sharon & Ken Poniewaz Sylvia & Thomas Poppelbaum Dave Puchalsky Sandra & Chris Queram Mary & Ken Quinn Peg Rasch & Dave Stute Rick & Sally Raschick Sherry Reames Richard & Donna Reinardy Ed & Mary Lou Reisch Anne & Buck Rhyme

Jan Robertson Brian D Rodeck Alexandria Roe Susan Rogers Joyce & David Rolnick David Ronis Sarah Rose Kelda Roys & Dan Reed Robert & Nancy Rudd Steven & Lennie Saffian Christine J Johnston John & Sarah Schaffer David & JoAnn Schoengold Gary & Barbara Schultz Barb Schuster Patrick & Marlys Semple John & Liz Senseman Dee & George Seyfarth Claire Shaffer Virginia A. Shannon V + A Sheldon Karen Sielaff Maureen Skelton Meg Skinner Ted & Ina Smolker Lee Sorenseon Anne Spurgeon & David Woods Steve Stern & Florencia Mallon Jurate Stewart Mary Stoffel & Rich Novotney Karl Stoll Johanna Streyle Jim Struve Charles & Diane Stumpf Edith Sullivan Laurie Swimm Mindy Taranto & Ken Mericle Richard & Marcia Taugher

Barbara Tesch Ann Thering & David Eide James Thomas Don & Joanna Thompson John Thompson & Jane Bartell Karen Timberlake Lynn Tolcott Russell & Karen Tomar Steve & Jeannie Tomasko Rebecca & John Tradewell Carol Trapp Elizabeth Tuttle Donna Ulteig Charles Uphoff Peter Uttech Andree Valley Marjorie Van Handel Teri Venker Michael Verveer Jane & Michael Voichick Peg Wallace Judith & Skelly Warren Beth Weber & Duane Beckett Ann F. Wenzel Erin Wenzel Hank & Judith Whipple Barbara White Carl White Tripp & Nancy Widder Ann & David Wilson Meg Wise & David Tenenbaum Marcia Wright Paul & Tracy Wrycha Douglas Yanggen Jennifer A. Younger Tom & Karen Zilavy

IN MEMORY In memory of Dr. Robert Dott George Affeldt In memory of Susann “Suzy” Griffiths Christine Ahern Anna Bruckner Linda Bunger Maija Maki-Laurila Colleen McCabe In memory of Judith Klehr Scott Thornton Phyllis Lefcowitz 30

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In memory of Judie Z. Moeller In memory of Bill Owen Kathleen McElroy In memory of Dan Pierotti Judy Pierotti In memory of Patricia Struck Larry Bechler In memory of Louise Uphoff Charles Uphoff

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Friends ($25 - $99) Anonymous (5) Benjamin Adams Christine Ahern Rita Applebaum Barbara B. Arnold Heather Arnoldussen Sue & Bill Babler Laura Batzer Cynthia Baubie Kelsey Baubie Anne Beal Susan Benjamin Janine Bessemer Eric Beuerman Jill Bidlingmaier Caryn Birkhauser Jan Blakeslee Carole Blemker Judy Bluel Anastasia Bormann Gail M. Brassard Burneatta Bridge Michael Bridgeman Richard Brualdi & Mona Wasow Michele Brucker Anna Bruckner Catherine Buege Jim & Stephanie Buske Lisa Byers & John Calderone Carol & John Cantwell Joanne Chalhoub Katherine Charlton Sherren Clark Lauren Cnare & Ralph Russo Jim Cory Jane Crandall Sharon Crowson Georgeanne H. Cusic Daniel & Barbara Danahy Ian Davies & Marta Meyers Zachary Dean Eve & Carl Degen Meredith Degen Laura J. Deming Martha Deming & Ulrich Henes Susan Dinauer Cari & Stephen DiTullio Carole Doeppers Sean Douglass Jennifer Draeger Marnie Dresser Sally Drew Nancy Cross Dunham Chris Eckerman & Joe Ripp Jennie M. Ehrmann Lori Elmer David Falk & Jo Anne Robbins

Hildy Feen Nancy Feingold & Doug Green Holly Feldman Connie Finnegan & Joe Spolar Edith First Peter Fisher & Cyndy Galloway David & Maureen Flanagan Barbara & David Flesch Evelyn Fox Cynthia France Jack & Sandra Frazee Marian Fredal Russell & Suzanne Gardner Janice Gehrke Kathy Jeans Glaser Ed & Sara Gleason Karen Godshall Janice Gratch & Steve Wilensky Tom & Jeri Grogg Kristin Groth & Ed Jepsen Lauren & Christopher Gruber Emily Gruenewald Pat Guhleman & Joel Wall Geraldine Gurman Michael Haeft & Martha Schwer Juanita Halls Carol Harm Lois Harr Timothy Harrington Jr. Martin & Eileen Harrison Sharon Harrison Ellen Hartenbach Kristine Heimerl & Harry Stein Kathryn Heiser Brian & Annette Hellmer The Helmstadter Family Jim & Kathy Herman Abbi Hess Nona Hill & Clark Johnson Bill & Sara Lee Hinckley Les & Susan Hoffman Sarah Hole & Eileen Mershart Amy Horst Kirsten Houghton Judy Howard & Amy Scarr David Hubanks & Melissa Hornung Lea A. Hulsey Jean & Steven Huxmann Ann Jablonski Marcia Jablonski Joan Jacobsen & Julie Woodward Steven & Roberta Jellinek Stan & Leann Johnson Edward Jordan Donna Kapheim James Kaplan

Lois Karn Eileen Kelley Bob & Marita Kelter Rob Kimbro Gregg Kissel & Jean Bae Jennifer Klamm Sarah Klein Mary Klink & Jim Giesen Diane Knauff Kris Knight Alan & Linda Knox Teresa Kobelt Merilyn Kupferberg Ann Lacy Ashton E. Lareau Virginia Leavy Donna Leet Joanne & Bob Lenburg Eugenia Lerum Susan S. Lloyd Juli & Rex Loker Anne Lucke Lesleigh Luttrell Patricia Maddox Gordon & Donna Malaise Mary Malaney Dr. Dorothy Anne Marcic Peter & Marjorie Marion Jeanne Marshall Barbara Martin Peg Martin Janet McChesney Laura McGuire Gene & Sondy McLinn Ed Meachen & Francine Tompkins Marylynne Mehl Janet Mertz & Jonathan Kane Gene & Marjorie Miller Richard Miller Susanna & Patrick Mooney Grant Moore Nikki Muenchow & Chris Jarosh Lisa Monro Fred Nepple Christian Neuhaus Jerry & Amy Nickles Beverly Nilles Amy & Bruce Noble Margaret ODonoghue Rita Olson Carol Ottenstein Deb & Chris Pape April Paul Ellen Paul David Pausch & Karen Saari John Penisten Debi Peters

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Lauren Peterson Wendy & Lester Proctor Cassandra Rademaekers Meghan Randolph Mary Rendall Satya Rhodes-Conway Evan & Catherine Richards Phil Richarson H. Robbins Sara Roberts Elaine Rosenblatt Marlene Ross Mary & Kendall Rouse Tom Royston Jane Sadusky Diane Samdahl Lisa Saywell Sarah Schaettle Patrick Schley Mary Ellen Schmit Maureen Schuck Sarellen Schuh Richard & Nancy Schultz Christie Schwank Kristine Selk Erica Serlin & Ken Kushner

Judy Seymour J. Peter Shaw & Pam Nash Judy & Ben Sidran Debra Simon Suzannah Sisler Brittaney Smith Thomas & Sandra Solheim Hans & Mary Sollinger Bill & Roberta Sonzogni Susan Sprague Anita C. Sprenger & Michael Cain Sylvia Stalker Howard Steinberg & Barbara Andrews Linda Stephens Meg & John Stevens Prudence Stewart David & Luanne Storley Jodi Streicher Sally Strosahl David Sulman & Anne Altshuler Janet Swain Myron & Margaret Talcott Danielle Thai David & Kathy Tiffany

Dorothea Torstenson Elizabeth Tuschern Ann Ulatt The Ullrick family Peg Unger Jeanne & Bruce Venzke Mary Vilker Betty Volquardsen Randall & Marilyn Wade Kate Walker Lorette Wambach Karen Weatherwax Deborah K Weber Peter Weiler Robert L Weiss Joyce Wells Elizabeth Whitesel Cheryl Wittke Curtis Wittwer Kathryn Wodtke Sara Young James & Nancy Youngerman Peg & Tom Zanzig Allyn Ziegenhagen Karen & Doug Zweizig Marjorie & Steven Zwickel

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M ATC 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

T H A N K S TO O U R F R I E N D S O F F O R WA R D T H E AT E R VO L U N T E E R S ! Volunteers help Forward Theater by staffing events, helping with mailings and other office support. If you would like more information, please visit our website at Forwardtheater.com or contact Company Manager Celia Klehr at 608-234-5001 2020 - 2021 Volunteers:

Tammy Albrecht Rima Apple Lewis Bosworth Michele Brucker Carla DiIorio Michael DiIorio Dolores Gohdes Paul Gohdes Steve Kilkus Amy Kozak Kathryn Lederhause

Mary Metz Sue Milch Tess Mulrooney Rex Owens Jessica Podemski Barb Sanford Lynda Sharpe Daryl Sherman Dot Steele Cheri Teal Theodora Zehner Housing:

Liz King The Madison Concourse Hotel Ann Rifenberg Julie Swenson Seeliger Apartments A huge round of applause goes to:

Jon Furlow Joan Herzing Liz King Alice Seeliger Dr. Charles Ford Dr. Jason Stephenson John Penisten Ann Rifenberg

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.

46 PLAYS FOR AMERICA’S FIRST LADIES

Now you can stream more of your favorite PBS shows including Masterpiece, Finding Your Roots, NOVA, Nature, Ken Burns, and many more — online and in the PBS Video app with PBS Wisconsin Passport. Learn how to sign up or activate your membership at pbswisconsin.org/passport.

Forward Theater Company