Writers-Hesperia

Michael Halberstam Artistic Director

Kathryn M. Lipuma Executive Director

WRITERS’ THEATRE

Presents

Hesperia

By Randall Colburn Directed by Associate Artistic Director Stuart Carden

Featuring Rebecca Buller, Erik Hellman*, Nathan Hosner*, Kelly O’Sullivan* and Tyler Ross Scenic Designer Costume Designer Lighting Designer Sound Designer Properties Designer Dramaturg Production Stage Manager

Chelsea M. Warren Jacqueline Firkins, USA Heather Gilbert, USA Mikhail Fiksel, USA Nick Heggestad Jamie Bragg David Castellanos*

*Denotes Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers

20th ANNIVERSARY SEASON SPONSOR

CORPORATE SPONSOR PARTNER

FOUNDATION SUPPORT

SEASON SPONSOR

MAJOR PRODUCTION SPONSOR

2011/12 SEASON MEDIA SPONSOR

Additional Support for Hesperia provided by The Director’s Society Sponsors.

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

C A S T (i n

o r d e r o f a p p e a r a n c e)

Ian......................................................................................................Nathan Hosner* Claudia.............................................................................................. Kelly O’Sullivan* Trick....................................................................................................... Erik Hellman* Aaron............................................................................................................ Tyler Ross Daisy................................................................................................... Rebecca Buller

UNDERSTUDIES Claudia and Daisy..................................................................................... Laura Rook Trick and Ian............................................................................................. Nate Burger Aaron.............................................................................................................Dylan Jost

SET TING Setting: Hesperia, a small town in the Midwest Time: Now

INTERMISSION The play will be performed without an intermission.

P R O D U C T I O N S TA F F Director.................................................................................................. Stuart Carden Production Stage Manager.......................................................... David Castellanos* Scenic Designer............................................................................Chelsea M. Warren Costume Designer..................................................................Jacqueline Firkins, USA Lighting Designer...................................................................... Heather Gilbert, USA Sound Designer.............................................................................Mikhail Fiksel, USA Properties Designer.......................................................................... Nick Heggestad Assistant Director................................................................Andrew Burden Swanson Dramaturg............................................................................................... Jamie Bragg Assistant Stage Manager.................................................................... Elise Hausken Casting Consultant............................................................................. Adam Belcuore Scene Shop/Scenic Construction.............................................Means of Production Technical Supervisor.............................................................................. John Gedeon Wardrobe Supervisor................................................................................ Jane Millett Costume Supervisor........................................................................... Emily Waecker Master Electrician............................................................................ Simon Robinson Sound Board Operator..................................................................... Amanda Hosking Scenic Painter........................................................................................Ashley Woods

SPECIAL THANKS Sarah Heberlein 2 Writers’ Theatre

20 years of getting it write.

BMO Harris Bank is proud to be Season Sponsor of Writers’ Theatre as it celebrates its 20th Anniversary.

BMO Harris Bank SM and HarrisÂŽ are trade names used by BMO Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC.

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W H AT T O K N O W B E F O R E T H E S H O W Randall Colburn’s most personal play In 2002, while Randall Colburn was a freshman at Central Michigan University, he met the daughter of a fundamentalist Pentecostal preacher, joined her congregation and the two began an abstinence-based, God-centered relationship. “I fell in love and fell into religion simultaneously,” he says. When the relationship ended three years later, Colburn’s faith waned and he began an unhealthy sexual relationship with an emotionally abusive woman.

During this period of profound change, the young writer stumbled across the myspace page of an adult film star who had recently converted to born-again Christianity, which inspired him to start writing Hesperia. Colburn wrote the story as a play, then tried it as a novella, and then once again as a play, incorporating presentational monologues, traditional scenes and satirical sketches.

After rewriting the entire script from scratch in 2009, Hesperia was first presented in a full production by The Right Brain Project, a small off-Loop Chicago theatre company, in July 2010, as part of a season that the company devoted entirely to Colburn’s work. Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Associate Artistic Director Stuart Carden saw the critically-acclaimed production and invited Randall to continue developing the play at Writers’ Theatre.

The Importance of a Second Production

By Stuart Carden, Associate Artistic Director I believe that the American theater is suffering from a terrible case of “World Premiere-itis” right now. Many theaters have a tendency to pursue almost exclusively first productions. Even after a successful premiere, a play like Hesperia would rarely be produced by another theater in Chicago, even when those theaters do not share a single audience member. And while there is undoubtedly a tremendous thrill in working on and seeing the first production of a play, the current single-minded pursuit of producing exclusively world premieres is having a deleterious effect on the quality of new work being created.

A second production can be even more valuable to the development and longevity of a play’s life than the premiere. With the premiere, a writer is hearing for the first time how his/her words and characters translate to the stage and interact with an audience. It is a thrilling moment and also a hugely revealing one. Only by seeing that first production does a writer begin to understand not only how his/her play functions in space, but also whether or not audiences are hearing the play the writer believes he/ she has written. A second production allows a playwright to learn from that premiere in order to clarify and deepen their storytelling. This serves not only the writer and the quality of the play, but also audiences, who get to engage a fresh new work that is building on lessons learned in the premiere.

In a small way, Writers’ Theatre is trying to combat this trend of “World Premiere-itis”. After seeing the terrific world premiere of Hesperia, Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and I found ourselves continuing to talk about the play. Playwright Randall Colburn—who the Theatre has had a relationship 4 Writers’ Theatre

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URBAN INNOVATIONS Writers’ Theatre sincerely thanks Urban Innovations, the Corporate Sponsor Partner for Hesperia by Randall Colburn.

We are pleased to have Urban Innovations’ renewed partnership in support of this exciting new work.

CORPORATE SPONSOR PARTNER OF HESPERIA

Writers’ Theatre extends a sincere thank you to the following individuals for their sponsorship of Hesperia:

Mary Winton Green Season Sponsor

Mary Pat Studdert Major Production Sponsor

Sonia Marschak Director’s Society Sponsor

Dick & Lou Hurckes Development Support

W H AT T O K N O W B E F O R E T H E S H O W with since 2008—expressed to us how very much he wanted to continue developing his ideas. It seemed only logical that Writers’ might help him with the play’s continuing evolution, and for the past year, we’ve been a sounding board for him. We held a wildly successful developmental workshop of the play at the Theatre in August 2011, where Randall, with the help of an exceptional cast, was able to really delve into the world of Hesperia and try out some new changes based on what he learned from the premiere production. The reward for the investment in this previously produced play for both the playwright and audiences is a more confident and consequential version of Hesperia that the playwright strongly believes will be his first truly finished play.

To read an interview with director Stuart Carden and playwright Randall Colburn, pick up a copy of the Brief Chronicle, or read it online at www.writerstheatre.org/interview or by scanning the QR code with your smart phone.

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YOUR ONLINE GUIDE TO THE PERFORMING ARTS Writers’ Theatre 7

W H AT T O K N O W B E F O R E T H E S H O W The Sexuality of Hesperia: The Influence of Adult Entertainment

By Bobby Kennedy, Producing Assistant/Literary Associate In Hesperia, Claudia is trying to escape a past in the adult entertainment business when the arrival of her ex-boyfriend and co-star, Ian, threatens to disrupt her new life. Although no actual pornographic acts will be present in Writers’ Theatre’s production, some understanding of Claudia and Ian’s former profession is essential to grasping what their past meant and how it can jeopardize their future.

As traditional filmmaking has transitioned towards more realistic narrative depictions in the past few decades, so too has pornographic filmmaking.

Widespread and cheaper access to technology and the Internet has given rise to a genre of “real porn.” In these videos, everyday people—not professionals on a movie set making adult films for a living—are recording themselves having sex and distributing the videos.

Dr. Gail Saltz, an associate professor of Psychiatry at New York Presbyterian Hospital, points out that a pornographic film made by a studio has a script and uses hired actors, whereas the realism of amateur films proves more exciting to some. “Porn has always been there but it was fictional,” she says. “There’s a new trend towards the amateur everything…and, at the moment, a sensational appreciation for it.”

Roughly 43% of internet users visit pornographic websites, and amateur homemade porn has become a popular option on many of them. Like any trend or fad, the established studios have attempted to get in on the action by producing their own “realistic” videos. However, as consumer spending has dwindled during the recession, it has become difficult for studios to compete with truly amateur videos, which are cheap or often free to make and thus yield a higher profit margin. The appealingly high returns that can be reaped from homemade videos have enticed more and more cash-strapped people to put themselves on film. Nightline ran a story in October 2011 about a couple who have turned to filming live sex sessions in order to help support themselves and their 20-month-old child, earning roughly $1,000 a week from their videos.

Randall Colburn leaves the details about Claudia and Ian’s past in adult entertainment deliberately vague, but we can safely assume they began by filming themselves at home in Michigan, and only later came to Los Angeles and became involved with traditional pornography studios. Even after joining the professional industry, Claudia and Ian continued to film only with each other, never with other actors, concluding each video with an exchanged “I love you.”

These powerful, lingering emotions, in addition to the graphic video evidence of their past together, set the stage for what is to happen between Claudia, Ian and the rest of Hesperia’s cast of characters.

8 Writers’ Theatre

W H AT T O K N O W B E F O R E T H E S H O W The Church of Hesperia: The Religious Youth and the Young in Faith

By Jamie Bragg, Dramaturg Many of the characters in Hesperia practice a fundamentalist form of Christianity, which receives its name from the attempts of conservative Protestants to articulate and codify certain “fundamentals” of Christian faith: the inerrancy of scripture; the historical reality of Christ’s virgin birth, miracles and resurrection; and the belief in Christ’s death as an atonement for human sin. To better understand the religious vocabulary of the play, it is helpful to understand the significance of baptism, youth ministry and sexual abstinence in fundamentalist Christian communities.

Hesperia’s depiction of baptism is joyful, and the rite indeed celebrates new life; a Christian is washed in water to publicly recognize his or her spiritual rebirth, following the example of John the Baptist, who baptized Jesus in water. Unlike churches that practice “infant baptism” (christening), the church in Hesperia practices “believer’s baptism,” in which a person must profess Christian faith before being baptized by full immersion in water. This can be compared to the exchanging of wedding rings, in that both acts symbolize a deep commitment.

After baptism a new Christian is expected to find a church home and to devote him or herself to the leadership of a minister and youth minister. Youth ministers generally lead the worship and religious education of congregants between the ages of twelve and eighteen, and have great autonomy in planning class curriculum and events, as long as their teachings conform to church orthodoxy.

One of the greatest challenges facing any fundamentalist youth minister is exhorting his charges to sexual abstinence. Believing that sexual activity and emotional commitment are inextricably linked, fundamentalists hold that any pre-marital sexual activity will compromise the physical and emotional purity of a future marriage. Many avoid any form of physical contact or social situations that might encourage sexual thoughts and some are urged to save even one’s first kiss for the wedding day. Yet the line between voluntary sexual abstinence and involuntary (and destructive) repression is often unclear. Many of Hesperia’s characters, taught to sublimate sexual desire into religious service, find themselves deprived of a vocabulary for physical and human connection and discover their natural desires are profoundly at odds with their religious teachings.

Fundamentalist faith is often criticized for its intolerance and inflexibility, and though Hesperia’s portrayal of religion is complex, it is not cynical. Hesperia celebrates the rewards of a religious community, but at the same time it does not ignore the potentially painful bi-products of fundamentalism. Playwright Randall Colburn’s own biography has well-equipped him to explore these profoundly dramatic and compelling dichotomies.

Writers’ Theatre 9

HESPERIA PROFILES Rebecca Buller (Daisy) makes her Writers’ Theatre debut. Recent Chicago credits include The Seagull (Goodman Theatre), All My Sons, Dolly West’s Kitchen (TimeLine Theatre Company), The Cherry Orchard (Strawdog Theatre Company), Boys & Girls (Theatre Seven of Chicago) and Cut to the Quick (The Side Project Theatre). Regionally, Buller has performed in The Diary of Anne Frank (Indiana Repertory Theatre in Indianapolis and Pioneer Theatre Company in Salt Lake City), Metamorphoses (Swine Palace Theatre in Baton Rouge, Louisiana) and Ariel View (NYC International Fringe Festival).

Erik Hellman (Trick) returns to Writers’ Theatre where he previously appeared in David Mamet’s The Frog Prince.

Other Chicago credits include The Comedy of Errors, The Mystery of Irma Vep (Joseph Jefferson Award Nomination-Lead Actor), Titus Andronicus, Arcadia (Court Theatre), The Madness of George III, Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, Edward II (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Honest, Elephant Man, Huck Finn (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), All My Sons (Timeline Theatre Company), The Busy World is Hushed (Next Theatre Company), Tartuffe (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company), Hatfield and McCoy (The House Theatre of Chicago) and multiple performances as an ensemble member of Strawdog Theatre Company. Outside of Chicago, Hellman has appeared in Dracula at The Geva Center and Indiana Repertory Theatre, where he played the title role in Romeo and Juliet, as well as I Just Stopped By to See The Man (Milwaukee Repertory Theatre), Romeo and Juliet, All’s Well 10 Writers’ Theatre

That Ends Well (Shakespeare Santa Cruz), Oh The Humanity, Mr. Marmalade (Stages Repertory Theatre, Houston, TX) and Off-Broadway in Macbeth (Mirror Repertory Theatre).

Film/TV work includes The Dark Knight and The Chicago Code.

Nathan Hosner (Ian) makes his Writers’ Theatre debut.

Chicago credits include A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre), My Fair Lady (Paramount Theatre), The Madness of George III (Joseph Jefferson Award, Best Production), As You Like It (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Macbeth (First Folio Theatre), as well as staged readings with ShawChicago and The Shakespeare Project of Chicago. Regional credits include Hamlet, Othello, The Three Musketeers, Comedy of Errors, All’s Well That Ends Well (Alabama Shakespeare Festival – ASF Associate Artist), Dracula, Comedy of Errors (Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre) and various productions at Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Door Shakespeare, Madison Repertory New Play Festival and The BoarsHead Theatre. Hosner is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London.

Kelly O’Sullivan (Claudia) makes her Writers’ Theatre debut. Chicago credits include: The Seagull (Goodman Theatre), Honest, Good Boys and True, The Crucible, 100 Saints You Should Know (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Northlight Theatre), Jon, Sketchbook 7 (Collaboraction), Boom (Next Theatre Company), The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (American Theater Company),

HESPERIA PROFILES Hot ‘n Throbbing (Pine Box Theatre Company), The Glory of Living (Profiles Theatre) and Mr. Marmalade (Dog & Pony Theatre; Non-Equity Jeff Nomination for Principal Actress in a Play). Regional credits include My Wonderful Day (The Wilma Theater, Philadelphia, PA; Barrymore Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress). Film/TV credits include: The King, In Memoriam and Battleground.

O’Sullivan is a graduate of Northwestern University and The School at Steppenwolf. Love = Lucas, Emma, and Ivy. Tyler Ross (Aaron) makes his Writers’ Theatre debut.

Chicago credits include: McMeekin Finds Out (Route 66 Theatre Company; Joseph Jefferson Recommended) and Hickorydickory (Chicago Dramatists; Joseph Jefferson Recommended). He also recently led an incredible cast in Chicago Children’s Theatre’s critically acclaimed Jackie and Me. In film and television, Ross has appeared in Little Men (Big Kid Films; 2005), Searching For David’s Heart (ABC Family; 2004) and The Wise Kids (Cone Arts; 2011).

Ross has appeared in national commercials for Snickers Ice Cream, Cricket Wireless and Steak ’n Shake.

This past summer Ross completed shooting in Chicago for the feature film Nate & Margaret (Cranium Entertainment; 2012) in which he played Nate. Ross moved to Chicago in 2009 from Jacksonville, Florida, where he was born and raised, in order to pursue acting professionally. His next project is a personal one which will transplant him from his home base in dearly loved Chicago to Los Angeles later this year.

Randall Colburn (Playwright) is thrilled to be working with Writers’ Theatre on Hesperia, which played last

summer to critical acclaim at The Right Brain Project, who dedicated their 2010 season to his work. Recent past work includes productions with Victory Gardens Theater, InFusion Theatre Company, Brain Surgeon Theater, The Mammals Theatre Company and Dream Theatre Company. His play, Verse Chorus Verse, received its OffBroadway premiere with Barefoot Theatre Company after a successful run with Chicago’s Tympanic Theatre Company last spring. He is the recipient of an Individual Artist Grant from the Illinois Arts Council and a former finalist for the 2011 O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, the Alliance’s 2009 Kendeda Graduate Playwright Competition and the 2009 New York Summer Play Fest.

Colburn has been commissioned

by InFusion Theatre Company and Writers’ Theatre and has developed plays with companies including the Public Theatre, the Alliance Theatre, Stage Left Theatre Company and Chicago Dramatists, where he is also a resident playwright. This April, his dark comedy The Improv Play will open with InFusion Theatre Company as part of the Department of Cultural Affair’s 2011-2012 season. Colburn was recently named “One to Watch” by the Chicago Reader. He received his MFA in Playwriting from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

Stuart Carden (Director and Associate Artistic Director) directs on the Tudor Court stage for the first time after last directing Travels with My Aunt in the Bookstore; this marks his third season as the company’s associate artistic director. A new play specialist, Carden leads Writers’ Theatre’s Literary Development Initiative and through the course of his career has helped develop over 20 new works, directing 12 in their world premiere productions. Before joining Writers’ Theatre he was the associate artistic director of City Theatre Company in Pittsburgh. Recent

Writers’ Theatre 11

HESPERIA PROFILES regional theatre directing projects include; Circle Mirror Transformation

by Annie Baker, In the Next Room; (Or the Vibrator Play) by Sarah Ruhl, Crime and Punishment by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus and The Lieutenant Of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. Other regional directing credits include Blackbird

by David Harrower, Mary’s Wedding

by Stephen Massicotte, A Picasso

by Jeffrey Hatcher (City Theatre Company), The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh, Martin Crimp’s adaptation of Jean Marivaux’s The False Servant and Stones In His Pockets by Marie Jones (Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre). In Chicago with Silk Road Theatre Project, he directed the widely-acclaimed world premiere of Shishir Kurup’s The Merchant On Venice (a South Asian-American and Bollywood inspired adaptation of Shakespeare’s original), the world and regional premieres of Yussef el Guindi’s 10 Acrobats In An Amazing Leap Of Faith and Back Of The Throat, as well as the Chicago premiere of David Henry Hwang’s The Golden Child. Other directing projects include Spring Awakening, The Game of Love and Chance, Miss Julie, A Streetcar Named Desire and his own adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s The Diary of a Madman. Carden is a proud alum of Carnegie Mellon University and a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

Chelsea M. Warren (Scenic Designer) makes her Writers’ Theatre scenic designing debut. Chicago credits include: scenery for First Look 2011, A Separate Peace (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), The Kid Thing (Chicago Dramatists & About Face Theatre), Pornography, A Brief History of Helen of Troy (Steep Theatre Company), Educating Rita (Shattered Globe Theatre), The Metal Children (Next Theatre Company), K. (The Hypocrites), Precious Little (Rivendell Theatre 12 Writers’ Theatre

Ensemble), 13 Clocks and Mrs. Caliban (Lifeline Theatre), production design for Acis & Galatea (Chicago Cultural Center and Millennium Park Stage). International work includes: La Femme des Sables (Companie Unikaji, Paris & Zagreb) and Stones/ Air (Barossa International Sculpture Park, Southern Australia). Upcoming projects include: fml: how Carson McCullers saved my life (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), Always Patsy Cline (Milwaukee Repertory Theater). Warren received her MFA in Stage Design from Northwestern University and teaches at Columbia College and DePaul University. www.chelseaMwarren. com; www.blogminic.com.

Jacqueline Firkins (Costume Designer) returns to Writers’ Theatre where she last designed costumes for Travels with My Aunt. Design work includes costumes for TimeLine Theatre Company, The House Theatre of Chicago, Victory Gardens Theater, Goodman Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theatre and seven seasons at Court Theatre.

Firkins has also designed for Hartford Stage Company, Long Wharf Theatre, Dallas Theater Center, Portland Stage Company, Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare and Company, The Ensemble Studio Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, Brave New World Repertory, About Face Theatre, Dorset Theatre Festival and the Yale School of Drama. She is a recipient of a 2001 Princess Grace Award and is a faculty member at Loyola University Chicago.

Heather Gilbert (Lighting Designer) returns to Writers’ Theatre where she previously designed The Caretaker, The Real Thing, The Detective’s Wife, A Streetcar Named Desire and The Old Settler. Chicago credits include Home, The Comedy of Errors, The

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HESPERIA PROFILES Mystery of Irma Vep (Court Theatre), Honus and Me, Esperanza Rising, The Hundred Dresses (Chicago Children’s Theatre), The Front Page, Master Harold…and the Boys, Not Enough Air (Timeline Theatre Company), Our Town, Cabaret (The Hypocrites), The Better Half (Lucky Plush Productions), and The Infidel and A Separate Peace (Steppenwolf Theatre Company).

Regional credits include A Streetcar Named Desire (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Our Town (The Broad Stage, Los Angeles) and The Farnsworth Invention (Alley Theatre). Off-Broadway credits include Our Town (Barrow Street Theatre). Upcoming projects include Rent (ATC and About Face) and After the Revolution (Next Theatre). Gilbert was a 1999-2001 recipient of the NEA/TCG Development Program Award. She serves as the Head of Lighting Design at Columbia College and received her MFA from The Theatre School at DePaul.

Mikhail Fiksel (Sound Designer) returns to Writers’ Theatre where he last designed the sound for The Real Thing and Travels With My Aunt (Joseph Jefferson Award for Sound Design). Other recent Chicago work includes projects with Redmoon Theater, Goodman Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, Lifeline Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Albany Park Theatre Project, The Hypocrites, Strawdog Theatre Company, About Face Theatre and Collaboraction. Regional and Off-Broadway: The Geffen Playhouse, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre and Second Stage Theatre. International: Tukkers Connexion (Arnhem, Holland) and International Festival of Londrina (Londrina, Brazil). Recent film composition credits include The Wise Kids and In Memoriam. He has received five other Joseph Jefferson Awards, a Lucille Lortel Award and an After Dark Award for an Original Musical. He was also nominated for 14 Writers’ Theatre

the Henry Hewes Design Award and was recently honored with The Michael Maggio Emerging Designer Award.

Fiksel is an ensemble member of Strawdog Theatre Company and 2nd Story, an Artistic Associate with Teatro Vista, Collaboraction and Redmoon Theatre and on the faculty at Loyola University. www.mikhailfiksel.com Nick Heggestad (Properties Designer) returns to Writers’ Theatre where he has designed properties for The Caretaker, The Real Thing, The Detective’s Wife, Heartbreak House, Do The Hustle, Travels With My Aunt and She Loves Me. Additional Chicago credits include Changes of Heart, The Goat, Or Who Is Sylvia?, The Importance of Being Earnest, Night and Day, Les Liasions Dangereuses, The Island, Heroes (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company), The Doyle and Debbie Show (Royal George) and Merrily We Roll Along (The Music Theatre Company). Nick previously spent time with Feld Entertainment, working for both Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus and Disney on Ice. Upcoming projects include Pippin at The Music Theatre Company and A Little Night Music at Writers’ Theatre.

Andrew Burden Swanson (Assistant Director) makes his Writers’ Theatre assistant directing debut. He was last seen on the Tudor stage in A Streetcar Named Desire. Chicago Acting credits include: The Death of Print (Jackalope Theatre Company), Effie (The Neapolitans Theatre Company), Port (Griffin Theatre) and Waiting for Lefty (American Blues Theater). Swanson is proud to be the Resident Playwright of Jackalope Theatre Company. Writing credits for Jackalope Theatre Company include: The Last Exodus of American Men, Sic Transit Mundi, An Eve at Mctavish’s, The Death of Print and Moonshiner & Under Construction (co-writer). He is proud to be a Theatre Artist based firmly in Chicago. Swanson

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HESPERIA PROFILES expects to begin directing plays of his own in the not too distant future.

He’d also like to thank his family and cohorts for their immaculate support and the often necessary teasing.

Jamie Bragg (Dramaturg) makes her Writers’ Theatre dramaturgical debut. Bragg has directed, performed and dramaturged in Chicago for five years, including six productions with playwright Randall Colburn.

Recent Chicago dramaturgy credits include Pluto is Listening (2011’s New Play Development Workshop; administrator), Soul Samurai, Ghostbox (InFusion Theatre Company), Hesperia, Pretty Penny (Right Brain Project) and Verse Chorus Verse (Tympanic Theatre). She was also a literary intern (2005-2006) at Actors Theatre of Louisville, home of the Humana Festival of New American Plays. Special thanks, and all love, to David Boren.

David Castellanos (Production Stage Manager) returns for his eleventh season with Writers’ Theatre.

Previously, Mr. Castellanos has stage managed A Phoenix Too Frequent, The Price, Misalliance, Rocket To The Moon, Rough Crossing, Crime and Punishment, Our Town, My Own Stranger, The Doctor’s Dilemma, Seagull, To the Green Fields Beyond, Arms and The Man, The Uneasy Chair, Bus Stop, The Duchess of Malfi, Another Part of the Forest, Bach at Leipzig, Othello, The Savannah Disputation, As You Like It, The Lion In Winter, Picnic, A Christmas Carol, Old Glory, A Minister’s Wife, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, The Old Settler, A Streetcar Named Desire, She Loves Me, Do The Hustle, Heartbreak House and most recently, The Real Thing. Before Writers’ Theatre, Mr. Castellanos was the Assistant Stage Manager for Chicago Shakespeare Theater for four seasons and the Production Stage Manager for Northlight Theatre

HESPERIA PROFILES for three seasons. He is currently teaching stage management at DePaul University. He is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Michael Halberstam (Artistic Director) is the co-founder of Writers’ Theatre. He has directed over thirty productions for the company including Not About Heroes (starring Nicholas Pennell), Private Lives, Look Back In Anger, Candida, The Father, Crime and Punishment, Benefactors, Seagull, The Duchess of Malfi, Othello, The Savannah Disputation, the world premiere musical A Minister’s Wife, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, She Loves Me and The Real Thing. Halberstam has appeared in numerous Writers’ Theatre productions including Richard II (title role), Loot and Misalliance. Previously, he spent two years at The Stratford Festival in Ontario and performed in Timon Of Athens, The Knight of the Burning Pestle (title role), Much Ado About Nothing and As You Like It. Halberstam’s other Chicago acting credentials include productions with Wisdom Bridge, Court Theatre and Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Elsewhere he directed The Gamester (Northlight Theatre), A Man For All Seasons (Peninsula Players Theatre), Hamlet (Illinois Shakespeare Festival), Candida (Jean Cocteau Repertory in New York), Ten Little Indians (Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace), a highly acclaimed revival of Crime and Punishment, which Writers’ Theatre produced off-Broadway at 59E59 Theaters in New York City, Enchanted April and State of the Union (Milwaukee Repertory Theater). This past spring he directed A Minister’s Wife at Lincoln Center Theater. His forays into opera have included The Rape Of Lucretia (Chicago Opera Theater), Francesca De Ramini featuring the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Christoph Eschenbach and Le Freyshutz, a Writers’ Theatre 17

HESPERIA PROFILES Berlioz adaptation of the Weber opera conducted by Christoph Eschenbach in its North American Premiere (Ravinia Festival). He spent two and a half years teaching Shakespeare at The Theatre School at DePaul University and has received awards for excellence in theater management and/or artistic achievement from The Chicago Drama League, The Arts & Business Council, Chicago Lawyers for the Creative Arts, The Chicago Associates of the Stratford Festival and most recently, the 2010 Zelda Fichandler Award.

Kathryn M. Lipuma (Executive Director) joined Writers’ Theatre in March 2007 after nine seasons with the award-winning Signature Theatre Company in New York where she was Executive Director. At Signature, she produced 28 productions including award-winning revivals of Horton Foote’s The Trip To Bountiful, August Wilson’s Seven Guitars and Lanford

Wilson’s Burn This and worked with such acclaimed writers as Edward Albee, Lee Blessing, Horton Foote, Maria Irene Fornes, John Guare, Bill Irwin, Romulus Linney, Paula Vogel, August Wilson and Lanford Wilson.

During her tenure, the organization enjoyed consistent growth and recognition. Among its numerous awards and accolades was recognition as Outstanding National Theatre of the Year and the launch of Signature Theatre Company’s successful $15 Ticket Program, which has become a national model for subsidized ticket programming. Prior to her time at Signature, she spent six years with Chicago’s Goodman Theatre. Lipuma has consulted with not-for-profit theatres, hosted fundraising seminars for development professionals from across the country and has been a guest lecturer on arts management in the graduate programs at New York University, Marymount Manhattan

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18 Writers’ Theatre

HESPERIA PROFILES College and Northwestern University.

She has served on numerous arts and funding panels, including the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the Philadelphia Theatre Institute for the Pew Charitable Trust, the Multi-Arts Production (MAP) Fund, supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation and

the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. Lipuma currently serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the League of Chicago Theatres. She is a graduate of The George Washington University in Washington, DC.

W R I T E R S ’ T H E AT R E M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T Writers’ Theatre was founded to explore productions in which the word on the page and the artists that bring the word to life hold primary importance. Central to this mission are three important core values: valuing text, both classic and contemporary, as the fundamental source of inspiration; creating deliberately intimate performances where audiences are face to face with powerful stories; and honoring the time and commitment of our artists by remaining at the forefront of industry compensation. With a reputation for consistent artistic excellence, innovative educational programming and strong ties to our community, Writers’ Theatre has built an award-winning repertoire and today, serves as a vital and highly-regarded company in the Chicago theatre community.

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Writers’ Theatre 19

WRITERS’ HISTORY In 1992, Artistic Director Michael Halberstam founded Writers’ Theatre to create an environment where the written word and the nurturing of artists were the foundation of all productions. We opened our first venue that year in the anteroom of a newly opened bookstore in Glencoe on the North Shore of Chicago.

The limited space available gave way to a new aesthetic that has been a company hallmark ever since—-intimacy.

Very quickly, Writers’ Theatre became a welcome addition to the already vibrant Chicago arts community, garnering significant critical acclaim and quickly establishing a reputation for ourselves as a home for world-class art and artists.

Writers’ Theatre opened a second performance space in 2003. Our inviting 108seat performance space continued the company’s trademark level of intimacy while allowing for a new scale of production and affording the opportunity to expand audiences, programming and educational outreach.

Acclaimed by the Wall Street Journal as one of the top half-dozen regional theatres in the country, Writers’ Theatre has offered more than 81 productions, including 14 world premieres. It has garnered numerous awards and accolades, including 76 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and18 Awards, as well as numerous citations to Artistic Director Michael Halberstam for excellence and contributions to the field, including The 2010 Zelda Fichandler Award. In 2007, Writers’ Theatre debuted nationally with a New York premiere of Crime and Punishment, followed in 2011 by a Lincoln Center production of A Minister’s Wife—the musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Candida, conceived and directed by Halberstam.

In July, 2011, Writers’ Theatre announced the hiring of the award-winning, internationally renowned Studio Gang Architects, led by principle Jeanne Gang, FAIA to design a new home for the Theatre in downtown Glencoe which will once again allow the Theatre to grow to accommodate its audience, while maintaining its trademark intimacy. The new facility will resonate with and complement the Theatre’s neighboring Glencoe community and will add tremendous value to Chicagoland and the North Shore as a premier cultural destination.

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E D U C AT I O N O U T R E A C H & A U D I E N C E E N R I C H M E N T Writers’ Theatre’s Education Outreach Programs have served more than 30,000 students throughout Chicagoland. Our outreach programs include Write On!, an artist-in-residency program that brings students and Writers’ Theatre’s artists together to explore classroom studies; the Novel Series Study Plan, an arts and literature curriculum and The MLK Project: The Fight For Civil Rights, a touring outreach performance that chronicles a student’s journey through the Civil Rights Movement.

Our audience enrichment programming includes From Page to Stage, a free, public collaboration between Writers’ Theatre and North Shore libraries that explores the literary and theatrical themes of our stage productions and our preshow lectures and post-show discussions--all of which are free and open to the public.

Principal Foundation Supporter of the Novel Series Study Plan

Major Corporate Sponsor of the Novel Series Study Plan

For more information on any of these programs visit writerstheatre.org/education ABOUT THE WOMAN’S LIBRARY CLUB OF GLENCOE The Woman’s Library Club of Glencoe, the building that currently houses the Writers’ Theatre’s 108-seat venue, was the third women’s club to be formed in Illinois and the 61st in the entire country. Organized in 1872 for “social and intellectual improvement,” the Club enlarged its purpose in 1928 “to promote the welfare of the community.” In 1947, its purpose was again enlarged and revised “to promote philanthropic and intellectual interests and the welfare of the community.” The Club chose its name because it was designed to use funds paid by the members to form the nucleus of a library for Glencoe. The first Clubhouse, at 654 Greenleaf Avenue, was used from 1906 until 1928. The present Clubhouse was opened on October 5, 1938.

BOARD OF TRUSTEE S President Elaine Tinberg Vice-Presidents Gillian Goodman, David McGranahan and Barbara Melcher Treasurer Thomas Hodges Secretary Joseph G. Dillon Immediate Past President Christopher N. Knight Member at Large Beth L. Kronfeld Arthur Anderson, Jr. Janice Beck Susan Belgrad Julie Bernstein Amy Pope Brock Sara Cohan Howard Conant, Jr. 22 Writers’ Theatre

Jeremy Farmer Michael Halberstam Linda Havlin Avril Klaff Nelson L. Levy, Ph.D., M.D. Kathryn M. Lipuma Jennifer Litowitz

William F. Mahoney Thomas Mann Lorel McMillan Christopher S. Pfaff Pam Phillips Weston Christine Pompizzi Mary Pat Studdert

S TA F F Artistic Director................................................................................... Michael Halberstam Executive Director................................................................................ Kathryn M. Lipuma ADMINISTRATION Director of Finance & Administration.......................................................... Geoffrey Barr General Manager.................................................................................................. Jon Faris Finance Associate.................................................................................. Megan Simonson ARTISTIC Associate Artistic Director........................................................................... Stuart Carden Artistic Associate........................................................................................... Josh Schmidt Producing Assistant/Literary Associate.................................................... Bobby Kennedy AUDIENCES SERVICES Director of Audience Services..................................................................Isaac Sernoffsky Ticket Services Manager................................................................................... Mike Shaw Associate Ticket Services Manager...........................................................Meredith Webb Ticket Services Associates......................... Sam Roberson, Topher Soltys, Marcie Smith House Managers ......................................................... Rosemary Gwyther, Ingrid Brewer, Wyn Gilbert, Connie Moore, Gere Clark Concessions.......................................................................................................Al Heartley, Chris Greene, Rosie Kolbo DEVELOPMENT Director of Institutional Advancement........................................................... Kim Swinton Director of Board Development..................................................................... Carol Dawley Director of Individual Giving /Special Events............................................Amber Bel’cher Campaign Administrator/Executive Assistant.............................. Lauren Mustain-Martin Manager of Institutional Giving................................................................ Jaron Bernstein Development Assistant...................................................................... Eliana Sigel-Epstein Development Consultant............................................................................. Onnie Scheyer Campaign Counsel............................................................................. Hurley & Associates EDUCATION Director of Education................................................................................Nicole O’Connell Education Liaison........................................................................................... Nicole Ripley Teaching Artists .............................................................. Melanie Brezill, Amanda Dunne, Nicole Ripley MARKETING Director of Marketing & Communications................................................. Chad Peterson Marketing Associate.................................................................................. Jennifer Stevens Communications Assistant............................................................... Augusta Lundsgaard Publicist.......................................................................................................Cathy Taylor PR Design Services.......................................................................................... Lowercase, Inc. PRODUCTION Production Manager................................................................................. Adam Friedland Assistant Production Manager.....................................................................Andrew Porter Season Production Stage Manager.......................................................David Castellanos Stage Manager........................................................................................ Rebecca Pechter Assistant Stage Managers ................................................... Elise Hausken, Cara Parrish Wardrobe Supervisor....................................................................................... Jane Millett Ushering services provided by The Saints.

Writers’ Theatre 23

THE ARTISTS’ COUNCIL The Artists’ Council is a select group of our most devoted supporters, whose extraordinary contribution sustains the Theatre and enables it to continue to realize and expand upon ambitious artistic and institutional goals.

Members of the Artists’ Council are granted unparalleled access to the creative process as well as the unique opportunity to forge a personal connection with our artists and our art. We gratefully acknowledge our Writers’ Theatre Artists’ Council members, who made this most generous level of commitment between October 1, 2010 and December 1, 2011. $50,000 and above Gillian & Elllis Goodman Mrs. Mary Green Anonymous $25,000 - $49,999 Melvin & Randy Berlin Joyce Chelberg Sara & Dan Cohan David & Carolyn Colburn Gail & Tom Hodges Jennifer & Alec Litowitz John & Alexandra Nichols

Christopher S. Pfaff & Sara Pfaff Mary Pat Studdert Jeanne Sullivan Carl & Marilynn Thoma $15,000 - $24,999 Janice & Philip Beck Susan & Donald Belgrad Amy & Clay Brock Howard & Pam Conant Mrs. Louise Hart Ms. Linda Havlin

IDP Foundation, Inc. Michael & Laurie Jaffe Klaff Family Foundation Beth Kronfeld & Matt Means David & Larisa Kronfeld Eric & Liz Lefkofsky Eric & Denise Macey William & Amalia Mahoney David & Leslie McGranahan Roger & Pam Phillips Weston

Christine & Michael Pompizzi Christine & Mike Pope Mr. Geoffrey Richards William & Stephanie Sick Marcie & Avy Stein Elly Thaviu Elaine & Richard Tinberg Anonymous

T H E D I R E C TO R ’ S S O C I E T Y The Director’s Society of Writers’ Theatre is a group of dedicated patrons who share our passion for the written word. They provide the financial foundation that allows us to create a nurturing artistic home for world-class artists while producing nationally acclaimed productions. Writers’ Theatre extends privileges of membership to individuals who provide an annual gift of $1,000 or more. Director’s Society members enjoy opportunities to share in the creative process through exclusive events that provide unique access to the artistic process. We are proud to acknowledge our Director’s Society members for gifts received in the period between October 1, 2010 and December 1, 2011.

Visionaries $10,000 - $14,999 Lawrence & Carol Adelman Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Dillon Paul & Ellen Gignilliat Dick & Lou Hurckes Christopher & Emily Knight Dr. & Mrs. Nelson Levy Ann & Tom Mann Sonia Marschak Barbara & Richard Melcher William & Pam Hutul Ross Leaders $5,000 - $9,999 Andy & Becky Anderson Bruce & Patty Becker Julie Bernstein Nancy & George Bodeen Mrs. Lorry Borowitz Cafaro - Livingston Charitable Trust Judy & William Cottle Lloyd & Jan Culbertson Carol & Mark Dawley Mike Dooley & Carrie Bell Jeremy & Gillian Farmer Barb & Jim Ferry, III Dolores Kohl Kaplan Dagmara & Nick Kokonas Jane & Richard Lipton Lorel & Robert McMillan Mr. & Mrs. Adam Metz Mark & Elyce Metzner Jon & Lois Mills Bill & Kate Morrison Muskal Family Charitable Fund Jordan & Jean Nerenberg Robert Rasmus in memory of Annette Avery Rasmus Robert & Louise Sanborn Eric & Maggie Scheyer Mrs. Dorothy Schnadig Dave & Kristi Snyderman Pam & Russ Strobel

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Bill & Dian Taylor Bruce & Jan Tranen Byron & Tina Trott Monique Parsons & David Wecker Rachel Weinstein & Jason Pizer Nicole Williams & Dr. Lawrence Becker Anonymous Benefactors $2,500 - $4,999 Mrs. Marilynn Alsdorf Carl & Mary Boyer Mr. Marc Cerone & Mr. Nick Trakas Edith & Michael Cohen Bob & Jan Daniels Jim & Karen Frank Sam & Peggy Gutterman Barbara & Jim Herst Adam & Denise Hoeflich Scott & Nichole Humphrey Vivian Kaplan Howard & Sandra Nagelberg Nicholas & Susan Noyes Brian & Linda O’Toole Jack Segal & Michael Halberstam Hilary & Barry Weinstein John & Cynthia White 20th Anniversary Patrons $2,000 – $2,499 Mr. & Mrs. Adam Bergstein Joyce Bottum Robert & Joan Clifford Dieter & Lainie Freer Jo Ann Gavin & John Smyth Ken & Jossy Nebenzahl Roberta Olshansky Dale & Betsy Pinkert John & Alice Sabl Barry & Anne Sabloff Mrs. Shirley Solomon

Harrison & Lois Steans Mrs. Jean Stremmel Howard Trienens Randy & Lisa White Patrons $1,000 - $1,999 Richard & Ellen Anderson Bruce & Ann Bachmann Ed Bachrach Robert & Ann Bates Larry & Phyllis Berning Ted & Sonia Bloch Susan & Steven Bloch Andrew & Shaun Block George W. Blossom, III Frima Blumenthal Florence Boone Gregory & Rosalie Bork David & Cheryl Bradford Keith & Arlene Bronstein Cleve Carney Sam & Kathleen Ciulla Mr. Ben Cohen Ann & Roger Cole John & Jane Colman Molly & Julian D’Esposito William & Dale Davison James & Wendy Daverman Byron & Judy Denenberg Scott & Celia Drane Dick & Joyce Durra Stephen & Lois Eisen William & Sharon Feather Gary Feinerman & Beth Kohl Conrad & Sonia Fischer Tom Fontana Stephen R. Fussell & Christine E. Fussell Charles & Barbara Gately Virginia & Gary Gerst Adele Gidwitz Richard & Anita Gilford

T H E D I R E C TO R ’ S S O C I E T Y ( c o n t .)

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas F. Gilman Adrienne & Burt Glazov Joan J. Golder Robyn & David Grossberg Sharon Brickman Grossinger Howard & Kaye Haas Julie Hall John Hart & Carol Prins Lois & Marty Hauselman Mary P. Hines Thomas & Connie Hodson Joel & Carol Honigberg Richard & Janet Horwood The Jaquith Family Foundation Judy & Harvey Kaiser Mr. & Mrs. Richard Kehoe Kip Kelley Sheldon & Babs Kent Richard & Mary Ellen Keyser Annette Kleinman Robert & Andrea Knight Laura Kracum Larry & Tracie Kugler Lambeta Forum Group In Memory of Diana Kates Nancy & Alan Lasser Joanie & Richard Leopold Michael Litt Andrew & Janet Lubetkin Ed & Anne Lyman

Jim & Kay Mabie Mr. & Mrs. Michael Marcus Russell & Anne Mayerfeld John & Carol McKinnon J.K. Metzdorf Phil & Nancy Miller Sandi & Mike Miller Edward & Lucy R. Minor Family Foundation David & Linda Moscow Mrs. Carol Narup Fred & Susan Novy John & Pat O’Brien Mr. & Mrs. Jim O’Donnell Norma Olsen Steve & Karen Parker Suzanne Pattou Mr. Wally Petersen & Mr. Mike Tischleder Michael & Laurie Petersen Lorna & Ellard Pfaelzer, Jr. Thomas & Sue Pick Maurice & Sheila Pickard Mary Jane Pollack Charles & Roberta Price Susie & Rick Rieser Neil Ross & Lynn Hauser Bruce Sagan & Bette Cerf Hill David & Carolyn Saidel Stuart & Lois Scheyer

Frances Schnadig Marcia Schneider Frank & Wendy Serrino David & Susan Sherman Judy Silverman Patti & Bob Smietana Michael & Julie Solot Stuart & Bonnie Sondheimer Martha & Thomas Spalding David & Jennifer Spinney Michael & Andi Srulovitz Dr. & Mrs. Van Stamos Doris Sternberg Roger & Susan Stone Mr. & Mrs. Robert D. Stuart, Jr. Richard & Helen Thomas Brady Twiggs Kevin & Ellen Van Wart Robert & Mary Vihon The Warwick Foundation Robert & Roberta Washlow David & Lynne Weinberg Bruce & Jill Weininger William & Peggy Wise Sally & Shep Young Barbara La Spesa & Seymour Zitomersky Simon & Nicole Zreczny Anonymous (2)

WO R D P L A Y G A L A 2 011 The annual WordPlay Gala is Writers’ Theatre’s most important fundraising event of the year. The 2011 Gala took place on April 15th in the Grand Ballroom of the Peninsula Hotel in downtown Chicago with record breaking results. Writers’ Theatre would like to thank the following patrons who so generously supported the 2011 Gala.

Corporate Sponsors State Street Global Advisors BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois Fox, Hefter, Swibel, Levin & Carroll, LLP Harris Bank Northern Trust Visionaries $15,000 and above Sara & Dan Cohan Gail & Tom Hodges Michael & Laurie Jaffe Klaff Family Foundation Beth Kronfeld & Matthew Means David & Larisa Kronfeld Jennifer & Alec Litowitz Eric & Denise Macey Chris & Sara Pfaff IDP Foundation Mr. Geoffrey Richards

Benefactors $5,000-$7,499 Lawrence & Carol Adelman Janice & Philip Beck Bruce & Patty Becker Melvin & Randy Berlin Debra Cafaro & Terrance Livingston Howard & Pam Conant Lloyd & Jan Culbertson Carol & Mark Dawley Mike Dooley & Carrie Bell Christopher & Emily Knight Richard Kracum Tom & Ann Mann Barbara & Richard Melcher Mr. & Mrs. Adam Metz Jon & Lois Mills Monique Parsons & David Wecker Marcie & Avy Stein Carl & Marilynn Thoma Anonymous

Leaders $7,500-$14,999 Susan & Donald Belgrad Amy & Clay Brock Paul & Ellen Gignilliat Gillian & Elllis Goodman Linda Havlin & Paul Boulis William & Amalia Mahoney David & Leslie McGranahan Roger & Pam Phillips Weston Christine & Michael Pompizzi Eric & Maggie Scheyer William & Stephanie Sick Mary Pat Studdert Elaine & Richard Tinberg

Supporters $500 - $4,999 Tom Anderson Mr. Barry Avrich & Ms. Melissa Manly Gary & Kay Benson Mr. & Mrs. Adam Bergstein Timothy & Martha Boudos Mr. Marc Cerone & Mr. Nick Trakas Joyce Chelberg Peter Coblentz & Maureen Mitchel Mr. Ben Cohen Edith & Michael Cohen David & Carolyn Colburn

Bob & Jan Daniels William & Dale Davison Mr. & Mrs. Craig Dean Scott & Celia Drane Dick & Joyce Durra Tom Fontana Dieter & Lainie Freer Robyn & David Grossberg Ms. Amanda Hanley Thomas & Connie Hodson Scott & Nichole Humphrey Mr. & Mrs. John Lavelle Mr. Bruce Lee Eric & Liz Lefkofsky Dr. & Mrs. Nelson Levy Mr. & Mrs. Michael Marcus Mr. & Mrs. Fred Mardell John & Carol McKinnon Lorel & Robert McMillan The Harold & Marilyn Melcher Foundation Edward & Lucy R. Minor Family Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Jim O’Donnell Brian & Linda O’Toole Steve & Karen Parker Brad & Marcie Pickard Christine & Mike Pope Barry & Anne Sabloff Linda Schwank Jack Segal Stuart & Bonnie Sondheimer Mr. & Mrs. John Stellato Robert & Mary Vihon Katherine Wright

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I N S T I T U T I O N A L C O N T R I B U TO R S TO W R I T E R S ’ T H E AT R E Writers’ Theatre gratefully acknowledges the following corporations, foundations and government agencies that support and advance our mission. We are pleased to recognize the gifts we received in the period between October 1, 2010 and December 1, 2011. $50,000 and above BMO Harris Bank John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation* $25,000 - $49,999 The Davee Foundation Polk Bros. Foundation* The Shubert Foundation $15,000 - $24,999 Aon Magnetar Capital, LLC Urban Innovations Village of Glencoe Wintrust Commercial Banking Anonymous (2) $10,000 - $14,999 Credit Suisse The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation

Illinois Arts Council Modestus Bauer Foundation Motorola Mobility Foundation NES Rentals John G. Searle Family Trust Anonymous $5,000 - $9,999 Abbott Laboratories Allstate Corporation BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois Consolidated Electronic Wire & Cable Dr. Scholl Foundation Fox, Hefter, Swibel, Levin & Carroll, LLP The Irving Harris Foundation The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust Northern Trust Company

The Seabury Foundation State Street Global Advisors William M. Weiss Foundation Howard L. Willett Foundation Anonymous Up to $4,999 Chicago Title & Trust Company Foundation Crain’s Chicago Business The Saints Target Event Sponsors Restaurant Michael of Winnetka Good Grapes, Glencoe, IL Hel’s Kitchen Catering Rolf’s Patisserie Whole Foods of Northbrook *Multi-year gift

I N D I V I D UA L C O N T R I B U TO R S We offer our sincere thanks to the following individuals who provide foundational support to Writers’ Theatre.

We are pleased to recognize the gifts we received in the period between October 1, 2010 and December 1, 2011.

Advocates $500 - $999 Sheldon & Gela Altman Julie Aronson Mr. & Mrs. Ronald R. Baade Mr. & Mrs. William Beck Gary & Kay Benson John & Jean Berghoff Richard & Donna Bodkin Joo & Stephen Boe Timothy & Martha Boudos William & Linda Bronner Pat & Sandy Cantor James Chamberlain Barbara Clayton Peter Coblentz & Maureen Mitchel Leslie & Jules Cogan Mr. & Mrs. Ron Cordes Mark & Connie Crane Julie Deutsch Mr. & Mrs. Charles Diamond Larry & Sally Domont Lynn Donaldson & Cam Avery William & Wilma Dooley Sidney Epstein & Sondra Berman Epstein Mr. Harold F. & Suzanne D. Falk James & Joan Fencil Wayne & Joan Fickinger Jim & Linda Fiffer James & Shellie Fisch Elaine Fishman William & Rosemary Fleig Molly & Lincoln Frank Mrs. Zollie Frank Willard & Nancy Fry Donna Gerber Nancy Gidwitz Robert & Julie Gordon Mil & Barbara Grauer Sheldon Gray & Adrienne Seiler

26 Writers’ Theatre

Ms. Leila Green Mrs. Katie Hackbarth The Handelsman Family Foundation Elizabeth Hartong Katie Hazelwood & Todd Kaplan Mr. & Mrs. Thomas D. Heath Heini & Doreen Halberstam Richard & Joyce Hirsch Ken & Julie Hoffman Olwyn Kane Anne Kaplan Robert & Jeanne Kapoun John M. Keller Jill Koch Martin & Patricia Koldyke Chris Landgraff & Eileen Dordek Jules & Marilyn Last Mr. & Mrs. John Lavelle Mr. & Mrs. Dana Levenson Herbert Lippitz Richard Loewenthal Martha & John Mabie Mr. & Mrs. Edward Mack, III Jed & Miranda Mandel James & Kitty Mann William Mason & Diana Davis The Harold & Marilyn Melcher Foundation John & Madonna Merritt Robert & Ellie Meyers Ms. Nancy Milstein Judy & Bob Neiman Harvey & Shellie Nixon Brian & Linda O’Toole Norman & Katie Olson Dudley & Ann Onderdonk Jason & Jackie Peltz Margaret Pendry Jorgen & Cheryl Phillips Carl & Barbara Plochman

Kevin & Jeanne Poorman Judy & Warner Rosenthal Jeff & Debbie Ross Audrey & Michael Rubenstein Alice Rapoport & Michael Sachs Steven & Onnie Scheyer John & Shirley Schlossman Linda Schwank Diane & Bud Schwarzbach John & Cheryl Seder Ronald & Nancy Semerdjian Sandra Shane-Du Bow Mrs. Marian T. Shmickler Steven & Susan Sholl Linda Siegel & Ira Glick Richard & Barbara Silverman Joel & Jessie Solomon Dale & Caren Thomas Michael & Marilyn Vender Mr. & Mrs. Todd Vieregg Mr. John Watrous & Mrs. Sharon Kayfetz Robert & Florette Weiss Leslie & Susan West Ann Wolff Lee & Naomi Wolfson Katherine Wright Anonymous (3) Friends $350 - $499 Jeannie Balsam LLC Roberta & Hal Barron Steve & Becky Betts David & Linda Blumberg Mr. & Mrs. Matt Campbell Carolyn Cole Jim & Toni Elipas Dan & Ronda Franks Gerald & Michelle Gordon Nan & Wally Greenough Stewart & Rochelle Grill

I N D I V I D UA L C O N T R I B U TO R S ( c o n t .)

Jean Klingenstein Karen Kuehner Gregory Lewis Steven & Barbara Lewis Peter R. Lewy & Judy Nack Sheila & Harvey Medvin Gerry Moss Seymour & Adele Neems Mr. & Mrs. Rob Ospalik Gerald & Karen Pam Judy & Chuck Piper John & Betsey Puth Cy & Lolly Rosengarten Robert & Camille Rudy Mr. & Mrs. Dick Ryan Ben & Marianne Schenker James & Joan Sears Robert & Betsy Sharp Suzanne Smart Kenneth & Amy Viellieu Darlene A. Vorachek & Clifford J. Shapiro Jennifer Alter Warden & Rob Warden Anonymous Associates $200 - $349 Barbara & Ronald Altman Tom Anderson Stephen & Susan Baird Scott & Beth Bakal Maryanne Baker Frank & Kathleen Ballantine Lonnie Barefield Dr. Bruce & Sally Bauer Barbara Beck David & Laurie Benjamin; Lynne Melcher Joan & Julian Berman Joel & Laura Bernstein Karl & Diane Berolzheimer Keki & Mehroo Bhote Jerry & Kathy Biederman Marjorie Biederman Henry & Leigh Bienen Mr. John Blanchard & Ms. Joan Sugar David & Linda Blumberg The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation Fred & Kay Bosselman Bill & Betty Boyd Cliff & Joan Bregstone Rona Brown Thomas & Mary Doug Brown Richard & Ann Burnstine Susanne Bush John & Sarabess Cahill Jeannine Cleary & Frank Tenbrink Steven Cohn & Loreli Fritz Cohn Donna Cole Donna Craven Antoinette Cucco Inge de la Camp Carla Dehmlow Robert & Quinn Delaney Patty Delony Ken & Marcia Denberg Marcia & Tom Desmond Donald Deutsch Barbara & John Dick Peter & Connie Dickinson John & Sharon Dixon

Larry & Sharon Dubin Arlene C. Dwyer Peter & Neva Egan Ronald Emanuel Samuel & Catherine Epstein Bennett Epstein & Meridith Clement Jane & Jim Esser Richard & Marjorie Ettlinger Samuel & Nejmy Evins Paul & Suzanne Faberson Hazel S. Fackler Daniel Falotico Stanley & Mary Ferguson Mr. Stephen Fischer Virginia Fitzgerald Michael & Valerie Foradas James & Sylvia Franklin Robin & Jarvis Friduss Ms. June Friedlich Bryna & Edward Gamson John & Suzanne Garvin Dr. Susan Gault & Dr. Henry Gault Malcolm & Judy Gaynor Melvin & Patti Gerbie Joel & Carole Mark Gingiss Richard & Miriam Glabman Thomas F. Gleason Alexandra Goddard Glen & Lynn Goldman John & Pat Grady Marc & Sulie Grayson Ken Green Dr. & Mrs. Robert Greendale Amy & Bob Greenebaum Helen & Chuck Hall Phyllis Handelman Dr. Raymond & Arlene Handler Stephen & Leslie Hatch David & Colette Hays John & Anne Hazelwood Mitchell & Marjorie Hefter Molly Heizer John & Vonnie Held James & Carrol Herber Frederic & Katherine Hickman Elaine Hirsch & Donald Grossman Mr. & Mrs. Robert Hirsch Allen & Nancy Hirschfield Sarah P. Hoffman James & Jacquelin Holland Dorothy Holmes Edmund Horsch Steve & Jan Huels Roger & Pamela Hull Karen K. Hunken Joel & Diane Jastromb Ms. Dolores Jergensen Randee & Vance Johnson Arlene Johnson Sibyl Josephson Ms. Ruth Kane Richard & Christine Karger William Karl Leslie & Diana Kates Larry & Marie Kaufman Judy & John Keller Neil & Diana King Ms. Peggy King M. Barry & Diane Kirschenbaum Caroline Koclanes Allan & Marley Korn

Philip & Nancy Kotler Charles & Gery Kriser Peter & Linda Krivkovich Bill Kurtis & Donna La Pietra Morton & Claudia Lane Julie Larsen Caryl & Burt Lasko Robert & Linda Lawrence Gregg & Carolyn Lemein Eva & Arnold Levy Susan Lichtenstein Babs Lieberman Myron & Eleanor Lieberman Harold & Gloria Lipschultz Charlene & Gary MacDougal Joyce & Fred Marcus David & Karen Mattenson Nancy A. McDaniel John & Pam McEnroe Breece & Darlene McKinney Allen & Virginia Menke Richard & Sara Mesirow Greg & Heather Metz Nancy Meyer Sheldon & Sarah Miller Albert & Gwen Miller Michael & Carol Mitchel J. Clifford Moos David & Robin Nankin Toby & Gordon Newman Dan & Ann O’Brien Larry & Barbara Olin Edward & Barbara Olinger Jonah Orlofsky & Joan Polachek Mark & Christie Osmond Jane & Elliott Otis James Padgett & Rosanne Fitko Peggy Paulsen Jerry & Barbara Pearlman Genevieve Phelps William & Suzan Pinsof Harvey & Madeleine Plonsker Jerry Proffit Jay & Sandra Przybylo Neil & Ruth Ann Quinn Pat Rahmann Meg Rau Gabriel & Dorit Raviv Dr. Vin Rosenthal & Dr. Sue Rosenthal Nuna & Ennio Rossi Ann Roth Mr. & Mrs. Herb Rozoff Myron & Susan Rubnitz David & Susan Ruder Adrienne & Miles Russ Cheryl & Lee Sachnoff Larry & Roberta Salberg Robert & Mary Ann Savard Ann Vogel Savignac & Mark Savignac Seymour Schiff & Bernice Elbin David Schiffman Mary Schmick Robert & Barbara Schmid Don & Mary Schwartz Gordon & Carole Segal Chris & Karen Segal Patty Shanahan David & Carol Shelby Kerry & Scott Shiller Stephen & Susan Sickle Tom & Nancy Silberman

Writers’ Theatre 27

I N D I V I D UA L C O N T R I B U TO R S ( c o n t .)

Margaret & Alan Silberman Sophia & Jon Siskel Richard Skolly & Kate Feinstein Melissa & Chuck Smith Michael & Amy Sobel John & Katherine Sprenger Kenneth & Norma Spungen Nancy Stevens Sheldon & Marlene Stillman Bob & Gael Strong James & Peggy Swartchild Richard & Marilyn Swoiskin Cindy Taylor-Robinson David & Mari Terman

Barbara Thomas Nancy B. Thomas Susan Thompson Toft Family Fund Ginny Towbin David & Donna Tropp Bill & Joan Trukenbrod David & Mickey Unger Virginia Vale Rakesh & Sangeeta Vohra Mr. & Mrs. Clark L. Wagner Bruce & Carol Wald William A. & Mary Kay Walsh Herb & Karen Wander

Sue Warshauer Marjorie Watkins Alex & Bonnie Weiss Bert & Barbara Weller Gloria Wexler Denise Wilkinson Jolene Wilson Sallyan Windt Jane Woldenberg Joseph Wolnski & Jane Christino Joan S. Young Joni & Michael Wm. Zavis Nancy Zuraw Anonymous (3)

I N - K I N D D O N AT I O N S An Apple a Day Catering The Art Store & Gallery Geoff Barr Bruce & Patty Becker Susan & Donald Belgrad André Bishop Books on Vernon Columbia Pictures Judy & William Cottle Lloyd & Jan Culbertson Bob & Jan Daniels Carol & Mark Dawley Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Dillon Jon Faris Foodstuffs Garrett Popcorn Shops Glencoe Roast Coffee Glencoe Union Church Good Grapes

David Goodman Gillian & Ellis Goodman Michael Halberstam Lisa Harrison Linda Havlin Hel’s Kitchen Catering Gail & Tom Hodges Hype Media Avril & Hersch Klaff Richard Kracum Beth Kronfeld & Matt Means Lincoln Center Theater William & Amalia Mahoney Ann & Tom Mann David & Leslie McGranahan Lorel & Robert McMillan Barb & Richard Melcher Neapolitan Roger & Pam Phillips Weston

Pantheon Wine Shoppe The Peninsula Chicago Christopher & Sara Pfaff Christine & Michael Pompizzi Restaurant Michael of Winnetka John & Phyllis Russell Josh Schmidt Dorothy Schnadig Sony Pictures Entertainment Starbucks Mary Pat Studdert Carl & Marilynn Thoma Elaine & Richard Tinberg Nick Trakas Rachel Weinstein & Jason Pizer Van Duzer Vineyards Anonymous

We strive to keep our donor list accurate and up-to-date at all times. If you are not listed correctly, please accept our apologies and call 847-441-8194. We will be happy to make corrections.

Ticket SPECIALS 28 Writers’ Theatre

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