Presents The U.S. Premiere of
Lay Me Down Softly By Billy Roche
Directed by Kevin Christopher Fox, SDC
Production Stage Manager Stage Manager Dialect Design Makeup Design Properties Design Costume Design Assistant Costume Design Dramaturg Lighting Design Sound Design Set Design Fight Choreographer Boxing Coach
Coburn Goss+* Jen Bukovsky Eva Breneman Emylee Dahl Nadia Garofalo Beth Laske-Miller Nora Lubitsch Annaliese McSweeney Julian Pike** Stephen Ptacek Joe Schermoly John Tovar Al Ortiz
This program is partially supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, the City Arts I Program of the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the Richard H. Dreihaus Foundation, and the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation. +Denotes member of Seanachaà Theatre Company *Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association **Denotes member of United Scenic Artists Local 829
CAST (IN ORDER OF APPEAR ANCE) Theo..........................................................................................................................................Jeff Christian+* Peadar.................................................................................................................................... Michael Grant+* Dean.............................................................................................................................................Matthew Isler Junior............................................................................................................................................Dan Waller+* Lily...............................................................................................................................................Carolyn Klein+ Emer...........................................................................................................................................Jamie L. Young Understudies: Bridgette Hammond, Jill Oliver The play will be performed with one ten-minute intermission. Lay Me Down Softly is presented by special arrangement with The Agency, U.K. T H E S E A N AC H A Í E N S E M B L E Ira Amyx (Co-Artistic Director), Brad Armacost*, Jeff Christian*, Erin Diener*, Jeff Duhigg, Barbara Figgins, Jacquelyn Flaherty, Jeri Frederickson (Associate Artistic Director), Coburn Goss*, Michael Grant* (Co-Artistic Director), Robert Kauzlaric, Shane Kenyon, Carolyn Klein, Anne Sunseri, Kevin Theis*, Dan Waller* and Sarah Wellington S E A N AC H A Í W E S T Mac Brandt, Thomas Vincent Kelly, Ann Noble, Catherine O’Connor and Andrew Turner S E A N AC H A Í E N S E M B L E E M E R I T U S Matt Gibson, Dan Michel, Karen Tarjan T H E S E A N AC H A Í B OA R D O F D I R E C TO R S Amie Marks (President), Marlena Ascher, Jack Blakey, Michael Cox, Michael Grant.
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SPECIAL THANKS Billy Roche, The Agency, U.K., Emily Hickman, Al Ortiz, Oakley Fight Club, Erin Philyaw, Sam Harrod, Leslie Spiller, Dane Bolinger, Matt Byrne, Indiana University, Noel Rice and the Academy of Irish Music, John Halliburton, all the folks at The Den Theatre, Nikki Spencer, Northwest Arts Connection, Northeastern Illinois University, Stuart Ritter, Mo Wagdy, Jim Hoban and the Four Corners Tavern Group, Ian Miller, Joe Mazza with Brave Lux Photography, Brenda DuBov, Alan Hinds, Carol & Michael Trotter, Mr. & Mrs. Michael Heath, Brad Armacost, Jeff Christian, Amie Marks, Marlena Ascher, Matt Miller, Emily Schwartz, John Grant, Lynne Jordan, The Shivers, Sam Martorina, A 2 B Rentals, Jay Neander, Dan Dreesen, Scott Coleman, Propabilities, Jack Callahan, Bill Rogers, John & Dawn Palmer, Thad King, Jim Hoffman, Lena Rush, the Driehaus Foundation, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the City Arts Program and the City of Chicago, the Illinois Arts Council, Charles River Associates, The Red Lion Lincoln Square, The Atlantic Bar & Grill, Kathy O’Neill, the staff of the Fifth Province pub at the Irish American Heritage Center, Raymond James Financial Services and Women in the Know, Barbara Figgins, Ira Amyx and our Board of Directors. A special thank you to Brianne and Matthew Claeys, Jennifer Marsico, Jeffrey and Kelly Brincat, Jerome and Barbara Claeys, Walt and Fran Sunseri, Market House Restaurant - Lake Forest IL, Bella Via Restaurant - Highland Park IL, Sunset Foods - Lake Forest IL, COZ Bar - Highland Park IL, Longitud315 - Highland Park. CAST Jeff Christian+* (Theo) An ensemble member since 2003, Jeff directed Mojo Mickybo, Our Father and A Whistle in the Dark for the company, and appeared in The Shadow of a Gunman, The Weir, Our Father, Scenes From The Big Picture, War and David Cromer’s production of Journey’s End. He shared in three Jeff Awards and an After Dark Award for The Journeymen’s Angels in America, and directed The Skin of Our Teeth for The Artistic Home, Proof and Driving Miss Daisy for New American Theater, Romeo & Juliet, As You Like It, Love’s Labours Lost, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Two Gentlemen of Verona for Lakeside Shakespeare, Kill Me for WildClaw and James Krag’s one man show, According to Mark. He was the Artistic Director of The Shakespeare Project of Chicago for eight seasons and directed his adaptations of Dickens, Moliere, Ibsen, Euripides, Shakespeare, Marlowe and Goethe. His stage credits include Writers’ Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare, The Women’s Project
of New York, The Tennessee Williams Festival, Syracuse Stage, Indiana Rep, Chicago Dramatists, Milwaukee Rep, Madison Rep, The Artistic Home, Lakeside Shakespeare, Artists’ Ensemble, Illinois Theatre Center and New American Theatre. He teaches directing in Columbia College’s Department of Cinema Art + Science and was a finalist for The Excellence in Teaching Award. Film and television credits include Batman Begins, Shameless, Witches’ Night, The Express, The Poker House, Happy Hour, Helix, Pickman’s Muse, Cyrus and Good People. Michael Grant+* (Peadar) Michael is a founding ensemble member of Seanachaí Theatre Company and served as its Artistic Director from 1995 to 2003 and again from 2009 to the present. As an actor, Michael has appeared in nine of Seanachaí’s productions, including Our Father, War, Drink Me and The Clearing, as well as the world premieres of Marked Tree, And Lay Me Down Softly
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Neither Have I Wings to Fly and The Pagans. Favorite roles include Hugo (God’s Man in Texas at Northlight Theatre-Jeff Nomination for Actor in a Supporting Role), Sherlock Holmes (The Sign of the Four at Apple Tree Theatre), the Invisible Man (Scientific Romances at Next Theatre), Leo (And Neither Have I Wings to Fly - Seanachaí) and Arthur Miller (Are You Now or Have You Ever Been... at Next Theatre-Jeff Award for Best Ensemble). Other Chicago credits include work with Fox Theatricals, Interplay, Center Theater, European Repertory and other shows at Next Theatre. Michael is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. This one is for his wife, Erin, and for their sons, Liam and Dermot. Matthew Isler (Dean) Matthew was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and studied Theatre at Indiana University. Matthew is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory Program and has been seen in many productions around town. He has been seen as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet with Purple Bench Productions, Morten in Red and Green with Akvavit Theatre, and Gus in The City of Dreadful Night at The Den Theatre. Matthew first worked with Seanachaí as an understudy for the role of Nicky in The Seafarer where he was able step in for nine performances. Matthew recently made his Directing debut with Akvavit’s Co-Directed production of They Died Where They Lied and was last seen playing Halldor in Akvavit’s production of Mishap! He would like to thank Andrew and Krystal Isler for their endless support on this project. Dan Waller+* (Junior) Dan most recently appeared onstage this winter in Seanachaí’s The Seafarer directed by Matt Miller. His first Seanachaí production 4
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was Journey’s End directed by David Cromer. Other Seanachaí plays include; Mojo Mickybo, Our Father, and A Whistle in the Dark all directed by fellow ensemble member Jeff Christian. Other theatrical credits include: GNIT (Actors Theatre of Louisville), Three Sisters (Steppenwolf ); Sweet Bird of Youth, The Good Negro, Ghostwritten and Talking Pictures (Goodman Theatre); The Pitmen Painters (Timeline); Grapes of Wrath (Cardinal Stage); Coast of Chicago (Walkabout/ Lookingglass); To the Green Fields Beyond and Our Town (Writers’); MOJO (MaryArrchie); Romeo and Juliet and Two Gentlemen of Verona (Lakeside Shakespeare); The Killer Angels (Lifeline); The Cider House Rules: Parts I & II (Famous Door); Short Eyes and Streamers (Blindfaith). Film credits include: Barefoot to Jerusalem, Repetition, Of Boys and Men, Devil’s Dominoes, Witless Protection, Transformers 3, At Any Price and Precious Mettle. Television credits include: Our Little Science Story for the Starz network, TNT’s Leverage, A&E’s The Beast, FOX’s Chicago Code, Crisis and Chicago PD on NBC. Carolyn Klein+ (Lily) Carolyn last appeared as Madame Defarge in Lifeline’s Tale of Two Cities. For Seanachaí, where she is a proud Ensemble member, she most recently played Josie in A Moon for the Misbegotten. Other Chicago credits: Dancing at Lughnasa, Scenes from the Big Picture (also Seanachaí); King Phycus (Strange Tree Group- Jeff Citation, Ensemble); Macbeth (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Accidental Death of an Anarchist (Next Theatre); Faith Healer (Buffalo Theatre Ensemble), Tooth of Crime, Spring Awakening (Strawdog Theatre); The Radiant Abyss (Profiles Theatre); Henry V, Blood Wedding (The Hypocrites); Sexual Perversity in Chicago (Theo Ubique); The Dreams in the Witch House (Wildclaw). Carolyn has also served as Director for such productions as That Was Then (Seanachaí),
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The Life of Death (Wildclaw), Mr. Spacky & The Mysterious Elephant with Strange Tree. Carolyn has an MFA from IU-Bloomington. Jamie L. Young (Emer) Jamie is thrilled and honored to be joining Seanachaí (for the first time!) in Lay Me Down Softly. A graduate from the University of Idaho with a B.S. in Theatre Arts, Jamie has worked professionally with the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Idaho Theater for Youth, and Idaho Repertory
Theater for the better part of twenty years. Jamie appeared in the world premiere productions of Appleseed John and the Book of the Creature (Abby) and The Last Paving Stone (Ito) with ITY. She also traveled to over 100 elementary schools in rural Idaho as Violet in Idaho Theater for Youth’s touring production of The Boxcar Children. Jamie is currently a member of Winter Formal, a house Harold team, performing regularly at the worldrenowned iO Chicago Theater. Jamie would like to thank her dad (the mime), her mom (the teacher), and her brother (the hipster), for all of their love and support.
PRODUCTION TEA M Billy Roche (Playwright) Billy Roche’s first novel, Tumbling Down, was published by Wolfhound Press in 1986 (revised version published by Tassel Publications in 2008). His first stage play, A Handful Of Stars, was staged at The Bush Theatre in 1988. This was followed by Poor Beast In the Rain in 1990. Belfry completed this powerful trilogy at the Bush Theatre. All three plays, directed by Robin LeFevre, became known as The Wexford Trilogy and were performed in their entirety at The Bush, the Peacock and the Theatre Royal, Wexford. Later The Wexford Trilogy was filmed for the B.B.C., directed by the late and great Stuart Burge. His fourth play Amphibians was commissioned by the R.S.C. and performed at the Barbican. This was followed by The Cavalcaders at The Peacock and Royal Court, London. He wrote the screenplay for Trojan Eddie, which was directed by Gillies MacKinnon and starred Stephen Rea and Richard Harris. Trojan Eddie won the Best Film Award at The San Sebastian Film Festival in 1996. His sixth play On Such As We was performed at the Peacock in 2001, directed by Wilson Milam and starring Brendan Gleeson. Tales From Rainwater Pond, his collection of short stories was published by Pillar Press in 2006. Lay Me Down Softly, his 7th play, was originally
performed at the Peacock Theatre in 2008, directed by Wilson Milam. Billy has been Writer-In-Residence at the Bush and Writer –In-Association at Druid and the Abbey Theatre. The Eclipse, a film that was co-written with Conor McPherson, won IFTA awards for Best Screenplay and Best Film. The film is inspired by Billy’s short story Table Manners (from the Tales From Rainwater Pond collection). In 2013, his short novella The Diary Of Maynard Perdu was published by Lantern.ie. Billy Roche is a member of Aosdana. Kevin Christopher Fox (Director) is an actor and director based in Chicago. With Seanachaí he directed Hughie with Brad Armacost and Jeff Duhigg last season - and last century, he played Manus in David Cromer’s production of Translations. Chicago directing includes Accidental Rapture and Pull of the Moon (16th Street Theater), Widowers’ Houses and Androcles and the Lion (ShawChicago), St. Crispin’s Day (Strawdog), Arms and the Man and Betrayal (Oak Park Festival), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Gift Theatre Company), Beggars in the House of Plenty (MaryArrchie), Widowers’ Houses (TimeLine), Patient No. 1 (WNEP), and his debut Buicks (Precious Mettle). At TheatreSquared Lay Me Down Softly
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(Fayetteville, Arkansas) he directed world premieres of Sundown Town by Kevin Cohea and, this past fall, The Spiritualist by Robert Ford, along with Fall of the House, and a youth production of Macbeth (seriously, Lady M was 11), and numerous development projects for Arkansas New Play Festival. Recently, he adapted and directed Macbeth (Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, Shakespeare in the Schools), he served as co-director for the remount of Nick Sandys’ Chamber Opera Chicago production of Persuasion, and toured with it to England, Chicago and New York. This winter, he directed two projects for the William Inge Festival and Center for the Arts in Independence, Kansas. This summer, he directs the world premiere of The Gun Show by EM Lewis for 16th Street Theater. Coburn Goss+* (Production Stage Manager) is a founding member of Seanachaí Theater Company, appearing in their productions of A Whistle in the Dark, Journey’s End, and The Pagans to name a few. He was recently seen in Freud’s Last Session (CRC Productions). TV credits include: Chicago Fire (NBC), Mind Games (ABC), The Mob Doctor (Fox), Boss (Starz), E/R (NBC), and Prison Break (Fox); Film: Man of Steel, The Lucky Ones and What Women Want. He is the author of Marked Tree, first produced by Seanachaí, which went on to win the American Theater Critics Association’s Osborn Award. Jen Bukovsky (Stage Manager) is excited to be working with Seanachaí for the first time. She is an ensemble member of the Den Theatre and her other Chicago stage management credits include: The Drawer Boy and Hank Williams: Lost Highway with Filament Theatre Ensemble, and Faith Healer and Quality of Life with the Den Theatre. Previously, she stage managed for the Roanoke Children’s Theater and worked as a stage manager and video editor for the Miss Virginia Pageant. Jen has a B.A. in Directing and Dramatic Literature from Christopher Newport University. 6
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Eva Breneman (Dialect Designer) is delighted to be back at Seanachaí. Previous credits here: That Was Then. Other credits include: Russian Transport, Tribes (Steppenwolf ); Henry V, The Merry Wives of Windsor (Chicago Shakespeare); Les Miserables (Drury Lane Oak Brook); Port Authority, Sweet Charity (Writers Theatre); In the Heights (Paramount Playhouse); To Master the Art (Broadway Playhouse); By the Way, Meet Vera Stark (Goodman Theatre); Juno, Blood and Gifts (Timeline Theatre Company); Skylight (Court Theatre); North China Lover (Lookingglass Theatre Company). Regional: Around the World in 80 Days (Centerstage Baltimore/Kansas City Repertory); Mamma Mia! (National Tour/ Las Vegas). Television: Betrayal (ABC); The Chicago Code (Fox). Eva is an Associate Artist at Timeline, and a Production Affiliate of Lookingglass. Emylee Dahl (Makeup Designer) is from a small town in Northern Virginia, and has been active in theatre from a very young age, with the influence of her entire family helping her through. She began working in makeup at age thirteen, and fell in love instantly. With the help and support of her professors and family, she is now pursuing a degree in Theatrical Design with a focus in special effects makeup from Columbia College Chicago. Emylee would like to thank her brother Robbie, her sister Abby, her mom, and her best friend Tom, for always telling her that she could do anything. Nadia Garofalo (Properties Designer) Nadia is a Chicago based designer, working in TV, motion pictures and theater. She attended The School of The Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), where she studied interior architecture, set design and sculpture. Since graduating she has done work with local theater companies involving props and set design. In the past she has worked with Wishbone Theater Collective, Sideshow Theater and Infamous Commonwealth Theatre Company. By day she crews locally shot commercials and
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TV shows working in art department. On movies she has worked as a set decorator, prop designer and miniaturist. Nadia is very excited to have this opportunity to work with Seanachaí Theatre Company on this production. In the future she hopes to be able to continue her creative work on both stage and screen. Beth Laske-Miller (Costume Designer) Beth Laske-Miller is thrilled to return to Seanachaí! Previous credits include: The Seafarer, In Pigeon House, That Was Then and A Moon for the Misbegotten. She has also designed costumes for Prologue Theatre Company (Saturday Night/Sunday Morning and Take Her to See the Maco Lights), Promethean Theatre Ensemble (Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, A Study in Scarlet and The Caucasian Chalk Circle), and Hell in a Handbag (L’Imitation of Life). She is also an Artistic Associate with Prologue and a company member with Midsommer Flight. She holds a BA in Costume/Fashion Design from Indiana University and an MFA in Costume Design from CalArts. Nora Lubitsch (Assistant Costume Designer) Nora has worked in the film industry for 3 years as a wardrobe stylist and set dresser and has just started to move into the world of theater arts. She has special interest in fashion history and runs an online clothing store specializing in early 20th century fashions. Annaliese McSweeney (Dramaturg) is excited for this opportunity work with Seanachaí for the first time. Previously, she worked on The Little Prince and In the Garden at Lookingglass Theatre and The People’s Temple at American Theatre Company. She also works with the literary departments at Steppenwolf, Stage Left, ATC, and Route 66 Theatre Companies. And of course, she wouldn’t be able to do what she does without the wonderful support of her own lovely Irishman, Brían.
Julian Pike** (Lighting Designer) Julian attended Alma College as a Psychology Major before switching to Theatre & Dance with an emphasis in Theatre. He then studied under Victor En Yu Tan at the University of Missouri -Kansas City to acquire his M.F.A. in Theatrical Design & Technology before relocating to Chicago where he resides for +10 years. During this time, he was the Lighting Assistant at the Lyric Opera of Chicago for 3 seasons, and the Lighting Director/Assistant Lighting Designer for 2 seasons at Chicago Opera Theater. He was the Rental Manager for DesignLab Chicago & Chicago Spotlight at different occasions, and the Master Electrician of Writer’s Theatre for one season. While in Chicago he designs for varied genres and companies such as: Chicago Opera Theater, Chamber Opera Chicago, Chicago Folk’s Operetta, Porchlight Music Theatre, Seanachaí Theatre Company, Griffin Theatre Company, Bailiwick Chicago, The Strange Tree Group, Aloft Aerial Dance, Inaside Chicago Dance, Mordine & Co. Dance Theatre, Wild Claw Theater, Pine Box Theatre, Stage Left Theatre, Genesis Theatrical Productions, Joel Hall Dance Company, Piccolo Theatre Company, Apex Theatre, Reverie Theatre Company, Lifeline Theatre Company, Seven Over Seven Entertainment, Nuts ‘N Cherries Burlesque, Chicago Tap Theatre, Lord Chamberlain’s Men, Roosevelt University Opera Dept., Artistic Home Theatre, Bohemian Theatre Company, Theatre Building Chicago, Circle Theatre Company, South Shore Opera, and Evanston Children’s Theatre. Other credits include: Pippin for Kansas State University and Bee-Luther-Hatchee at the Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City; Lighting Designer and Director for the 2002-2005, and 2009 seasons for Opera in the Ozarks, where he managed and taught a singer-based electrics crew and remounted the original productions in an off-site venue annually. Julian is member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829. To see more of Julian’s work visit http://julianpike.wix.com/julian-pikelighting. Lay Me Down Softly
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Stephen Ptacek (Sound Designer) Stephen hopes you like what you’re hearing. He’s thrilled to be working with Seanachaí again after designing sound for The Seafarer. He has designed sound and music for a lot of plays with a great many theatre companies. Stephen gets too melancholy to wax nostalgic about the many shows he’s closed, he’d rather tell you about the ones he’s working on soon: The Ruckus’ The Deer, Chicago Commercial Collective’s 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, Dog & Pony’s Ludvig II and Northwestern Opera’s Cosi Fan Tutte. He’s a company member with Dog & Pony and Collaboraction, and also engineers sound for Chicago Shakes whenever he’s given the chance. This one’s for his ma. Joe Schermoly (Set Designer) is so glad to be back with Seanachaí after designing The Seafarer earlier this season. Joe is a set designer and a proud Griffin Theatre company member where he has designed and built sets for many shows including Spelling Bee, Flare Path, Punk Rock, No More Dead Dogs, Port and Constant Wife. Elsewhere in Chicago, Joe’s set design work has been seen at Lifeline Theatre (Tale of Two Cities, The Count of Monte Cristo and The City), Theatre Wit (Seven Mammoths, Completeness), Sideshow Theatre (Idomeneus, The Ugly One), Strawdog Theatre (Duchess of Malfi, Master
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and Margarita, Richard III) and more. Joe studied set design at Northwestern University and is the Technical Director at Lifeline Theatre. He has received two After Dark Awards and two Jeff Nominations. See more of his work at www.joeschermoly.com. John Tovar (Fight Choreographer) is thrilled to be working with Seanachaí for the first time. John is a recognized Fight Director and Certified Teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors. Previous companies John has choreographed violence for include A Red Orchid Theatre (2013 Equity Jeff Award for Fight Direction for the world premiere of The Opponent), The Gift, About Face, Route 66, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Fox Valley Repertory and Buffalo Theatre Ensemble. John has taught stage combat classes and workshops around the country. He is currently an adjunct faculty member of the Theatre Department at College of DuPage. Lastly, John is the Executive Director of MACE (Movement and Combat Education), which offers classes and workshops involving physical movement, including the largest stage combat workshop in the world, the Winter Wonderland Workshop, held every January in Saint Charles, Illinois. John resides in Geneva with his wonderful wife, Colleen, and their Golden Retriever, Basher.