CHESAPEAKE By Lee Blessing Kerr .........................................................................................Matt Daniels * Director.................................................................................. Chris Flieller Production Stage Manager.............................................. Jane Flieller Stage Manager and Board Operator..................Leah Montesinos Costume Design...................................................... Pamela J. Rehberg Set Design................................................................................... Joe Brhel Light Design......................................................... Chester Loeffler-Bell Sound Design..........................................................Jonathon Leubner Dramaturg.................................................................. Melissa Neumann * Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States, appearing under a Special Appearance Contract.
There will be one 15-minute intermission. The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited including camera phones. CHESAPEAKE is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York. This project is 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, the United Performing Arts Fund, and CAMPAC (County Funding). The opening night reception for Chesapeake is courtesy of the Ambassador Hotel / Envoy Restaurant. We thank them for their support! Chesapeake
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BIOGR APHIES Chris Flieller (Director/ Artist Director, In Tandem Theatre) A fixture both on and backstage for more than three decades in Milwaukee, Chris has numerous credits to his name. Among the companies Chris has acted with in his long career are In Tandem Theatre, Skylight Opera Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Theatre X, First Stage Children’s Theatre, and the Marcus Center/Milwaukee Repertory. In addition to playing Stasch Zielinski in over two hundred and fifty performances for In Tandem’s smash hit holiday show A CUDAHY CAROLER CHRISTMAS, Chris was recently seen as the father in W. B. Yeats’ PURGATORY for Irish Fest. His many directing credits include WONDER OF THE WORLD, nine years of SHAW SHORTS (in collaboration with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s Annual Shaw Festival), THE EIGHT: REINDEER MONOLOGUES, HOLIDAY HELL, THE CHOSEN, HOME, THE AFGHAN WOMEN, the world premier of STUCK, EQUUS (in a co-presentation with the UWM BFA Acting Program), OLD WICKED SONGS, the American premier of THE NIGHTMARE ROOM and most recently, BURYING THE BONES. Jane Flieller (Production Stage Manager/ Managing Director, In Tandem Theatre) A former stage manager, Jane toured nationally with the Great American Children’s Theatre Company and has worked locally for Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, First Stage Children’s Theatre, Theatre Tesseract, Next Act Theatre and Next Generation Theatre. For several years, Jane was the stage manager for ComedySportz, a position she originated. She co-founded In Tandem Theatre in 1998 and now unleashes her creative energies on all aspects of running a small arts organization. Jane’s directing credits include In Tandem, Whitefish Bay High School, Carroll College, Broadway Baby Dinner Theatre, South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, and Marquette University. Jane looks forward to tackling In Tandem’s spring show, 1959 PINK THUNDERBIRD when she directs the first act, 2
In Tandem Theatre Company
“Laundry and Bourbon.” As always, she gives thanks to her beloved husband, partner and best friend, through whom all things are possible. Matt Daniels (Kerr) Matt returns to In Tandem Theatre having appeared in THE CHOSEN and three seasons of SCROOGE IN ROUGE. Other Milwaukee credits include several appearances at First Stage and Milwaukee Chamber Theater, including playing the iconic gentleman’s gentleman, Jeeves. He has also performed with Forward Theater, Kentucky Repertory, Lake Geneva Theater Company, Milwaukee Shakespeare, the Notre Dame, Illinois and North Carolina Shakespeare Festivals, and on many independent stages in New York. His directing work has been seen locally at First Stage Theater Academy, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s New Play Development series, Sunset Playhouse and goats & monkeys. Matt is the Associate Director of First Stage Theater Academy’s Young Company where he teaches Viewpoints. An avid ukulelist, he enjoys time spent with Il Bazzone’s Jumping Flea Circus. Matt is a graduate of the Juilliard School. Leah Montesinos (Stage Manager/Light and Sound Board Operator) Leah is a senior in the UWM BFA-Stage Management program. She has stage-managed projects at UWM such as A PIECE OF MY HEART, SPIKE HEELS, MARISOL, GINT and the opera, HANSEL AND GRETEL. It has been a pleasure for Leah to work with and learn from Chris and Jane at In Tandem Theatre. She will be graduating in the winter of 2014 and hopes to be working around Milwaukee as a stage manager and director. Pamela J. Rehberg (Costume Design) Ms. Rehberg is happy to be returning to In Tandem for CHESAPEAKE. Other In Tandem productions have included BURYING THE BONES, VERONICA’S
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POSITION, THRILL ME, THE APPLE TREE, and EQUUS. Ms. Rehberg is a professor at UWM teaching courses in draping, patternmaking and costume design. Her work has been seen at Peninsula Players, First Stage, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Skylight Music Theatre, The Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Rocky Mountain Repertory and the Milwaukee Ballet. Recent design work includes SALOON at Peninsula Players, THE DETECTIVE’S WIFE, at Chamber Theatre and SOUND OF MUSIC at the Skylight Music Theatre. As always, love to Randy, Josh, Amanda and Matt, who help keep the world in balance. Chester Loeffler-Bell (Lighting Design) Chester is pleased to be working again with his friends at In Tandem where he designed GIRL IN THE FRAME a few seasons ago. Currently, Chester serves as Lighting Designer and Technical Director for the Marquette University Department of Performing Arts. In addition to designing lighting for many local theatre companies, his other experience includes three seasons as Production Manager for the Chamber Theatre, two years as a faculty member at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, one year as a Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Deputy, and four seasons as Lighting Supervisor with the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. He holds a BA in Theatre from Carroll College and a MFA in Lighting Design from the University of South Carolina. Chester lives in Mukwonago with his wife Susan and sons Harry, Sam and Joe.
Jonathon Leubner (Sound Design) Jonathon worked doggedly to leave you howling at this hair raising pup of a performance, but to do otherwise would be barking up the wrong tree and put him in the doghouse with his Master. Jonathon thanks his beautiful wife Mary and their three sons for their love and support and dedicates his work on Chesapeake to Chadwick, his boyhood pup and best pal of fifteen years for being the greatest mutt he has ever known. Cindy Thomas (Administrative Associate, In Tandem Theatre and Mom to Peaches) Cindy has been with In Tandem since August 2008. She has been involved with the arts, especially music, her entire life. After graduating in 1981 from Silver Lake College with a BA in Vocal Performance and a minor in music business, she moved to Milwaukee where she managed the print music departments of two local music stores and worked in sales/marketing for a print music publishing company. Cindy has performed with the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus, Music Under the Stars, Bel Canto Chorus, and is currently a member of the Florentine Opera Chorus.
Melía Gonzalez (Administrative Intern) Melía is a freshman at Marquette University, having traveled from California to pursue her theatre Joe Brhel (Set Design) A education. She is majoring in Theatre Arts man of advancing years, with an emphasis in Performance. She feels Joe has been designing that working in any aspect of the theatre will sets and building props make her happy and by working at In Tandem in the Milwaukee/ as an intern, she has learned a lot about mulChicago area for some 40 tiple aspects of the theatre business -- and years. Large productions enjoying every moment of it! Melía strives to and small, professional take every opportunity she can and is grateful and non, he has learned a thing or two - that’s to be able to work with such amazing people for sure. Joe is very happy to be working with at In Tandem. Jane and Chris Flieller, two people he holds in high regard. As always, Joe thanks his lovely Melissa Neumann (Dramaturg) Melissa is a wife, Mary, for her kind indulgence, love and graduate of UW-Milwaukee’s Playwriting/Drasupport. maturgy Program, earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in 2012 and graduating Magna Cum Chesapeake
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Laude. She previously worked as Dramaturg on In Tandem Theatre’s VERONICA’S POSITION and was an educational intern at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre during their 2012/2013 season. She has written a few plays of her own, including the dark satire SO I MARRIED A VAMPIRE. Melissa also performs in the city as
an actress and dancer. She has choreographed routines for various performers, as well as herself. She loves performing, possesses a great adoration of the artistic, and very much dreams of the day she can turn her writing and research skills into a career.
D I R E C TO R S N O T E S “Art is first of all a complaint.” -- Etienne Decroux Lee Blessing’s complaint is that there is too much complaining and Chesapeake is his humorous way to look at a serious subject; public support for the arts. Is art only a luxury for the elite, far removed from those whose lives are merely “bread and labor”? Or does it serve a more fundamental role in society? And how can we hope to address these questions when all we seem to be doing is screaming at each other across a thorny expanse, as the chasm between politics and policy grows ever wider?
Artists view the world in a different way, from a different place, and their job in this society of ours is to explore the vast territory of the human heart and bring back that which enriches and enlivens us. But they cannot hope to accomplish this if the very tool that we make available to them is used only to bludgeon those who may disagree with us. At the outset of this fable, Blessing’s characters could not be more different in their beliefs, yet through the mechanism of a set of truly extraordinary circumstances, they manage to stand on common ground and see through different eyes. You’re all invited to do the same.
S TA F F A N D B OA R D O F D I R E C TO R S BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ellen Maxey, President Dennis Kois, Vice President Scott Berkes, Secretary Dan Glaser, CPA, Treasurer Milt Flieller Richard Ippolito Greg Kliebhan Sharveta Parker Deb Revolinski Leigh Wallace Tabak
ADVISORY BOARD Charles Kakuk Dan Kattman Claude Krawczyk IN TANDEM THEATRE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Chris Flieller, Artistic Director Jane Flieller, Managing Director Cindy Thomas, Administrative Associate Melia Gonzalez, Administrative Intern
SPECIAL THANKS Brad McKendry, Mike Zei, Melissa Neumann, Scott Berkes, Milt Flieller, Gretchen Mahkorn, Ricardo Campbell, Leah Montesinos, James Clark, Ben Braun, Lance Lamont, Matt Miller T H I S S PAC E F O R R E N T The Tenth Street Theatre is available for rental (business meetings, parties, events, performances). Call us at 414-271-1371 to discuss our rates and availability. 4
In Tandem Theatre Company
ABOUT THE PL AY WRIGHT Lee Blessing’s play A WALK IN THE WOODS was produced on Broadway and London’s West End. His OffBroadway productions include A BODY OF WATER, Primary Stages; GOING TO ST. IVES, Primary Stages (Outer Critic’s Circle Award, Best Play, Obie for Best Ensemble performance); THIEF RIVER, Signature Theatre (Drama Desk nomination, Best Play); COBB, Lucille Lortel Theatre (Drama Desk award, Best Ensemble); CHESAPEAKE, New York Stage and Film at Second Stage; ELEEMOSYNARY, Manhattan Theatre Company, and DOWN THE ROAD, the Weissberger Group at the Atlantic Theatre. The Signature Theatre dedicated its 1992-93 season to his work, consisting of FORTINBRAS, LAKE STREET EXTENSION, TWO ROOMS, and the world premiere of PATIENT A. Recent world and regional premieres of his work include an adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s HEAVEN’S MY DESTINATION which had its world premiere at the Cleveland Playhouse in
Spring 2009, GREAT FALLS in the 2008 Humana New Play Festival of the Actors Theatre of Louisville, A BODY OF WATER at the Guthrie Theater and the Old Globe Theatre, LONESOME HOLLOW, FLAG DAY, and WHORES at the Contemporary American Theatre Festival, THE SCOTTISH PLAY at La Jolla Playhouse, BLACK SHEEP at Florida Stage, and THE WINNING STREAK at George Street Playhouse. Other plays include INDEPENDENCE, RICHES, OLDTIMERS GAME, NICE PEOPLE DANCING TO GOOD COUNTRY MUSIC, and PERILOUS NIGHT. Productions of Blessing’s plays have earned awards such as The American Theater Critics Circle Award, the L.A. Drama Critics Award, The Great American Play Award, The Humanitas Award, and the George and Elisabeth Marton Award, among others. He has received nominations for Tony and Olivier awards, as well as the Pulitzer Prize. Blessing is married to playwright and TV writer Melanie Marnich and lives in New York. He heads the graduate playwriting program at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University.
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Special Fundraising Event!
Featuring
Ryan Charles, Tommy Hahn, Alison Mary Forbes, Chris Flieller and Skylight Opera Theatre favorite, Ray Jivoff as King Herod!
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR By Andrew Lloyd Webber A concert version of the beloved rock opera to help support In Tandem Theatre’s programming!
Three shows only!
March 28 and 29 at 8:00pm; March 30 at 2:00pm. All seats $25 and partially tax-deductible! Performances will be held at Calvary Church, 935 W. Wisconsin Avenue (the big red church on 10th and Wisconsin). Call 414-271-1371 for tickets today!
www.intandemtheatre.org T H E “ F I N A L AC T ” O F I N TA N D E M ’ S 2 013 - 2 014 S E A S O N 1959 PINK THUNDERBIRD By James McLure April 25 - May 18, 2014 Funny and insightful playwright James McLure zeros in on the human comedy being played out in a small west Texas town in the late 1970’s. In Laundry and Bourbon, the action centers on the restlessness and hilarious gossip of three women as liquor flows and tongues wag one hot summer afternoon. In Lone Star, brothers Roy and Ray vainly try to recapture their glory days through talk of girls, cars and candy bars while out back of the local bar on a hot Texas night.
I N TA N D E M N E E D S YO U ! We’ve accomplished a great deal for a small organization since we began in 1998 and we are excited about the possibilities the future holds. As a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization, In Tandem Theatre relies on the generosity of our patrons and friends to keep moving forward. Ticket sales, which we try to keep as reasonable as possible, can’t cover the entire cost of producing professional quality theatre. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to our annual campaign and see your contribution go directly toward production costs (actor and designer salaries; props, costumes, sets, lights; script royalties and marketing). We appreciate your patronage very much and hope you can help us out! Diamonds ($10,000 and up) Greater Milwaukee Foundation and the Mary L. Nohl Fund United Performing Arts Fund Sally Marks Platinum ($5,000 - $10,000) CAMPAC (County Funding) Greater Milwaukee Fund/Nonprofit Management Fund Johnson Controls Foundation Milwaukee Arts Board Gold ($1,000 - $4,999) Anonymous Greg Chrisafis Dan and Kathy Glaser GMAR Youth Foundation Lincoln Contractors Supply Marilyn Nelsen Bibi and Greg Rosner Runzheimer Foundation Mark Sell Wisconsin Arts Board Silver ($250 - $999) Ambassador Hotel / Envoy Restaurant Anonymous (x2) Nick A. Akgulian David W. Bowman Patti and Patrick Doughman Carol and Milt Flieller Dave Glenn, Glenn Consulting, LLC John Holland Richard Ippolito and Pamela Frautschi Jamie Johns Johnson Controls Employee Matching Gift Program Mary Johnson and Bruce Miller Annie Jurczyk and John Jansen Greg and Linda Kliebhan Gary and Sarah Krenz Konrad Kuchenbach Lee Marquardt Ellen M. Maxey Howard and Sara Miller Julianna L. Olson David Paris Linda Quartaro and Skip Abbott Mark and Karen Sostarich
Jonathan West and Paula Suozzi Emerald ($100 - $249) Patricia and David Anderson Anonymous (x4) Mickey and Mary Ann Armour Byron Becker and Mary Ellen Csuka Bob and Vicki Bonadurer Steven Booth Carol Z. Dolphin Gretchen Durkin David Flores Tom and Barbara Forbes Roberta Forman Dr. and Mrs. Frankowski Sarah J. Ford and Randall Klumb Laurence and Stephanie GovinMatzat Rachel and Dennis Hafemann Angela and George Jacobi Johnson Controls Power Solutions Employees Chike Johnson and Malkia Stampley Mary Johnson and Bruce Miller Richard Kalinoski Diane Kercheck Renee’ and Don Kielich Judy Klehr Susan Klingman Pam Kriger Sandra Laedtke Karen and Dennis Leyer Bill and Marlene Listwan Bill and Kathy Lochemes Christine Marshall Rita McDonald Timothy McElhatton and Barbara Armstrong Janet and Jim McMahon Michael and Shirley Mosesson Rick Neeley Jane O’Connell John E. Peters Matthew and Laurie Piette Mark Plumb and Chris Chance Claudette and Mark Robinson Jean Ross Runzheimer Foundation Matching Gift Program Susan J. Salnajs Carol and Kevin Schuele
Sandra Seymour Carol O. Smart Eileen and George Stone Gojko and Tanja Stula Michael Switzenbaum and Gail L.Schumann Jessica Thibodo-Johnson Jack and Marlene Udovich Nancy Weiss-McQuide and Mark McQuide Wisconsin Energy Corp. Fdn. Employee Gift Program Daniel Zimmerman Mary and Herb Zimmers Opal (Up to $99) Anonymous (x4) George R. Affeldt Eleanore and Dean Alioto Sherry Aronson Mary Benes-Malone Tiger Beyer and Teri Kieffer Susan and Thomas Bremer Frits Broekhuizen Timothy Craft Diane Cristina Jean DiMotto Lucy and Bill Dinegan Lynda M. Di Pierro Richard and Nina Edelman Kathleen Falk Robert E. Hirschi J. Paul Knap Dennis Kois Steve and Tere Komorowski Linda Koszuta Claude and Sue Krawczyk Justine Leonard Joan Levine Mary Ellen Lukawzewicz Elaine McDermott Julie S. McHale Merchant Services/Auto Doc Mary Mueller Mary Ann Nagy Gregory P. and Niki K. Neal Mindy and Tony Necci Deborah Neeley Susan Niescior Judi and Neil Oldridge Corliss Phillabaum Terry Ann Peterson Marsha Poulsen Chesapeake
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I N TA N D E M N E E D S YO U ! Simon and Sarah Provan Michael and Susan Schall Maureen Schroeder Richard and Karen Schuetze Patrick M. Schumacher and Mary A. Henneman Bob Schwarz Richard Sternkopf and Kathleen Barry L. Susan Stewart Donna and Paul Tanzer Dawn Tessman Sheila Tobin-Clancy Max Tolzman James and Katherin Tonelli Mark and Yvonne Wagner Mary M. Wegener Robert Werner Marian M. Weinberg
Roe Wiersgalla Terry and Dorothy Wobick Lori Wucherer Barry Zalben and Marianne Walsh In-Kind Support Mark Frohna Photography Daniel Glaser, CPA/Lora Murray Betsy Mancosky Brad McKendry Beth Schutten of Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek, s.c. Sherry Turnacliff Ross Zentner, Photography
This list represents donations received since January 2013. We are grateful to all our donors whose generous contributions are vital to the continued growth of In Tandem Theatre. We appreciate your support and commitment. If we have inadvertently omitted or misspelled your name, please accept our sincere apologies and contact us immediately at 414-271-1371 so that we can make the correction.
IN MEMORIUM Sally Marks was a great friend to the Milwaukee theatre community and to us. Her love of the performing arts was truly inspiring and we will miss her very much. A generous gift from Sally will be used toward our artistic programming in the 2013-2014 season, with a commitment to creating work of which Sally would be proud.
M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T In Tandem Theatre is committed to producing exciting, innovative theatre, presenting a creative and eclectic program that enlightens, inspires, provokes, and entertains a diverse audience. In Tandem Theatre, Tenth Street Theatre 628 N. 10th Street Milwaukee, WI 53233
414/271-1371 www.intandemtheatre.org info@intandemtheatre.org
ABOUT THE 10TH STREET GALLERY AND OUR ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM Did you know? • In Tandem Theatre’s spacious lobby doubles as the 10th Street Gallery, displaying a number of exhibitions throughout the year? • The 10th Street Gallery hosts up to four local artists in a year-long Artist-In-Residence Program thanks in large part to the Mary L. Nohl Fund and the GMAR Youth Foundation? • Artists are given complimentary studio space in the building to create their work. Each artist is given their own exhibition to coincide with one of In Tandem’s shows. • Two MPS schools with little or no access to visual arts education are treated to workshops with the artists and the opportunity to create artwork in several types of artistic media. The students then have a “gallery opening” to show off their creations. • This unique program allows local artists to showcase their work in a creative, nurturing environment, providing them with a built-in audience. They learn administrative skills in terms of installation, marketing, and selling their work and valuable teaching experience. 8
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