ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
GIL CATES, JR. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
PHOTO BY JEFF LORCH PHOTOGRAPHY
MATT SHAKMAN
WELCOME TO THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE With great enthusiasm, I invite you to join us at the Geffen Playhouse for my inaugural season as Artistic Director. Ranging from world premieres to new adaptations of classic works, these nine distinctive and highly imaginative plays are deeply relevant to the time and place in which we live. Wildly theatrical, provocative and always engaging, the 2018/2019 lineup is one you will want to experience from beginning to end. On behalf of Executive Director Gil Cates, Jr. and the entire Geffen Playhouse community, I hope you will join us for a season of new voices, sweeping storytelling and world-class productions.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE SUBSCRIBE BY AUGUST 31, 2018 FOR FREE PARKING!*
Geffen Playhouse subscribers enjoy exclusive benefits including reduced ticket prices, preferred seating, complimentary parking and more. With two new packages offered for the 2018/2019 season, there are more ways than ever to experience the bold, imaginative work on Geffen stages.
SUBSCRIBERS ENJOY THESE SAVINGS: • Discounted ticket prices, for savings of up to 25% off of single ticket prices* • Complimentary parking* ($4 per visit) • Waived ticket fees ($8 per ticket)
PLUS THESE BENEFITS: • Priority access to non-season productions Matt Shakman Artistic Director
• Discounts on additional season tickets • Easy ticket exchange privileges • Reserved seats *Free parking offer valid for 9-Play, 5-Play and 4-Play subscription packages through 8/31/18. Not valid for 3-Play Flex packages. 25% off single ticket prices valid for 9-Play packages at Premium & PL-1 price levels.
GIL CATES THEATER
How many of us have wished for one more chance to say the right thing? A Better Orpheus Inc. provides an alternative to regret—a service that allows the living to communicate with the dead. When Nikki Corona loses her twin sister, A Better Orpheus puts her in touch with Orlando, a man dying too young. The ensuing love story leads to a quest through a vivid, fantastical afterlife as Orlando learns whether Nikki’s message to her sister has the ability to transcend death. In the rich literary tradition of magical realism and inspired by Dante’s Inferno comes a brand new play by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and Obie Award-winning playwright José Rivera (Motorcycle Diaries, References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot). Directed by Drama Desk Award winner and Geffen alum Jo Bonney (By The Way, Meet Vera Stark, Cost of Living), this stunning world premiere suggests that with love, all things are possible. Major support for this world premiere production provided by the Edgerton Foundation New Play Production Fund
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GIL CATES THEATER
Tony Award-nominated director Michael Arden (Once On This Island, Deaf West’s production of Spring Awakening) creates a wildly theatrical and spectacular experience. This world premiere adaptation of a beloved story of redemption offers an early—and unexpected—start to the holiday season.
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JEFFERSON MAYS PHOTO BY JOHNNY ROZSA
Tony Award winner Jefferson Mays (I Am My Own Wife, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder) breathes new life into the greatest ghost story ever told. While the heart of A Christmas Carol is evergreen, Mays brings fresh perspective to Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim and the rest, playing every role in this whirlwind one-man show.
GIL CATES THEATER
DULÉ HILL PHOTO BY MARK GARVIN
In this electrifying exploration into the soul of an American icon, Tony and Olivier Award nominee Colman Domingo and Patricia McGregor imagine Nat “King” Cole as he faces the final Christmastime broadcast of his groundbreaking variety show and weighs the advice of his friend Sammy Davis Jr. to “go out with a bang.” Cole’s hit songs, such as “Nature Boy,” “It’s a Good Day” and “Smile,” underscore this boldly original homage to the renowned performer who struggled to break through America’s color barrier in the early days of television. Reprising their roles from a sold-out run at People’s Light & Theater in Philadelphia, Emmy Award nominee Dulé Hill (West Wing; Psych; Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk) as Nat “King” Cole and Hamilton star Daniel J. Watts as Sammy Davis Jr. bring life to a play the Philadelphia Inquirer called “profound, ambitious, wide-ranging and dreamlike.” Like Cole himself, Lights Out promises to be “Unforgettable.”
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GIL CATES THEATER
When both of her brothers die in a battle for power, but only one receives a proper burial, Antigone is forced to choose between her principles and her life. Her story is ancient, but her message is vitally relevant today—in the face of death and ruin, she refuses to accept the unacceptable and buries her disgraced brother. Helmed by Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel and Outer Critics Circle Award-nominated director Kate Whoriskey (Sweat, Ruined), this daring new production is a modern take on one of the boldest characters ever conceived.
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GIL CATES THEATER
Based on a true story that’s stranger than fiction, Mysterious Circumstances explores the life and death of Richard Lancelyn Green, the world’s foremost scholar on Sherlock Holmes. When Green is found dead in his London apartment, it’s officially ruled a suicide, but what unfolds is a case worthy of Holmes himself. Inspired by a New Yorker article by David Grann (The Lost City of Z, Killers of the Flower Moon), written by Michael Mitnick (Drama Desk Award nominee for Fly by Night, The Siegel) and directed by Geffen Playhouse Artistic Director Matt Shakman, Mysterious Circumstances uses breathtaking theatricality, mystery and magic to bring to life this rumination on the fine line between love and obsession. What is fact and what is fiction? This world premiere insists that the mystery is yours to solve. This play was commissioned as part of the Geffen Playhouse’s New Play Development Program thanks to the generosity of The Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust Major support for this world premiere production provided by the Edgerton Foundation New Play Production Fund
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AUDREY SKIRBALL KENIS THEATER
When Della (Debra Jo Rupp), a North Carolina Baker and devout Christian, is asked to bake a wedding cake for her best friend’s daughter, she is overjoyed. But that joy is short-lived when she learns that the intended is another bride and realizes she is faced with an agonizing choice between faith and family. Struggling to reconcile her deeply-held belief in “traditional marriage” and the love she has for the woman she helped raise, Della finds herself in strange new territory. Inspired by a story still in the headlines, this marvelously funny new play by Bekah Brunstetter (This is Us, Switched at Birth), directed by Jennifer Chambers, is proof that love is the key ingredient in creating common ground. The Geffen Playhouse is proud to present the Echo Theater Company’s world premiere production as part of its commitment to celebrating the vibrant Los Angeles intimate theater community
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AUDREY SKIRBALL KENIS THEATER
BRIAN DENNEHY PHOTO BY T. CHARLES ERICKSON
In this masterful and memorable double-billing, two-time Tony Award winner Brian Dennehy stars in Eugene O’Neill’s Hughie and Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape. Reprising roles that have garnered critical and popular acclaim, Dennehy brings searing humanity and his extraordinary dramatic skill to this powerful production in our intimate Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater. Hughie by EUGENE O’NEILL When high-rolling gambler and small-time hustler Erie Smith loses his confidant Hughie, his life takes a turn for the worse. In his grief, Erie befriends a new hotel night clerk and sees a chance for a winning streak. Krapp’s Last Tape by SAMUEL BECKETT Preparing for his birthday ritual, Krapp stumbles upon a recording of a tender memory from a lifetime ago. As he immerses himself in his own personal history, Krapp questions whether his present lives up to his past.
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AUDREY SKIRBALL KENIS THEATER
When Sabrina loses her 14-year-old son Tramarion to a police shooting, she is unable to face the ensuing flurry of media attention. Crippled by grief, she retreats into a fantasy world of superheroes and arch-villains that inhabit the comic book created by her son before his death. Assuming the role of The Maasai Angel rather than the expected part of the grieving mother, Sabrina battles her enemies along the way to peace. This world premiere play helmed by lauded director Robert O’Hara (Barbecue, Bootycandy, Eclipsed) is both heartbreaking and highly inventive. With unbridled imagination, Los Angeles-based playwright Inda Craig-Galván’s Black Super Hero Magic Mama gives us the hero we have been waiting for. Major support for this world premiere production provided by the Edgerton Foundation New Play Production Fund A grant from The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation is providing support for this production
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AUDREY SKIRBALL KENIS THEATER
HELDER GUIMARÃES PHOTO BY CATARINA MARQUES
Magic sensation Helder Guimarães returns to the Geffen with the world premiere of his one-man show, Invisible Tango. Directed by legendary film producer and director Frank Marshall (Jurassic World, Indiana Jones, Goonies, Back to the Future), Invisible Tango explores the nature of secrets and how far we are willing to go to discover them. In the midst of the information age and our culture of over-sharing, Guimarães challenges our interaction with the unknown and explores how we can embrace the magic of wonder and mystery. Guimarães last amazed and charmed Geffen audiences in the smash hit Nothing to Hide, the two-man magic show that extended four times before transferring to New York.
4-PLAY AUDREY SKIRBALL KENIS THEATER PACKAGES AS LOW AS $120 310.882.6533 | geffenplayhouse.org/subscribe
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE SUBSCRIBE BY AUGUST 31, 2018 FOR FREE PARKING!*
SUBSCRIBERS ENJOY THESE SAVINGS: • Discounted ticket prices, for savings of up to 25% off of single ticket prices* • Complimentary parking* ($4 per visit)
Geffen Playhouse subscribers enjoy exclusive benefits including reduced ticket prices, preferred seating, complimentary parking and more.
• Waived ticket fees ($8 per ticket)
With two new packages offered for the 2018/2019 season, there are more ways than ever to experience the bold, imaginative work on Geffen stages.
• Discounts on additional season tickets
PLUS THESE BENEFITS: • Priority access to non-season productions • Easy ticket exchange privileges • Reserved seats
*Free parking offer valid for 9-Play, 5-Play and 4-Play subscription packages through 8/31/18. Not valid for 3-Play Flex packages. 25% off single ticket prices valid for 9-Play packages at Premium & PL-1 price levels.
DONATE NOW including economically-disadvantaged youth who have never stepped foot inside of a theater, students living in an area of Los Angeles where 50% of their peers drop out of high school, veterans in need of connection and seniors challenged by economic circumstances or disabilities. Theater has the power to transform lives and bring joy, hope and connection to those who need it most. Find out more at geffenplayhouse.org/impact. We are deeply committed to serving our community and need your support. Your donation helps support the work that we do both in the community and on our stages. As a thank you, we invite you to enjoy a variety of donor benefits including your name in our program and invites to exclusive events.
Students from Boyle Heights enjoy a talkback after a matinee performance of Significant Other
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PHOTOS BY JEFF LORCH PHOTOGRAPHY
EACH SEASON, THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE SERVES MORE THAN 15,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS
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9-PLAY PACKAGE
5-PLAY PACKAGE GIL CATES THEATER
AUDREY SKIRBALL KENIS THEATER
Enjoy five shows in the Gil Cates Theater and four productions in the intimate Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater, for the ultimate Geffen experience.
From The Untranslatable Secrets of Nikki Corona to Mysterious Circumstances, enjoy all five Gil Cates Theater productions.
New for 2018/2019, this package invites you to catch all four productions in the intimate Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater.
SAVE 25% OFF SINGLE TICKETS*
SAVE 20% OFF SINGLE TICKETS*
SAVE 20% OFF SINGLE TICKETS*
REGULAR
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REGULAR
PREVIEW
$480
$400
$384
$320
REG. $600
REG. $500
REG. $480
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$360
$300
REG. $450
REG. $375
$240
$200
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$150
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REG. $150
FULL 2018/2019 SEASON
PREMIUM
PL-1
PREVIEW
$810
$675
REG. $1,080
REG. $900
$549
$459
REG. $730
REG. $615
PREMIUM
PL-1
PRICE LEVEL NOT OFFERED FOR THIS PACKAGE
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$270
$270
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*25% off valid for Premium & PL-1 price levels.
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*20% off valid for Premium & PL-1 price levels.
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Audrey Skirball Kenis seat locations for VARIABLE section subject to change, depending on production design. Gil Cates Theater REAR ORCHESTRA seating subject to availability.
STAGE
Choose your own 3-Play Flex packages are only available by phone and do not include complimentary parking.* Seat locations and performance dates are subject to availability.
PL-1
SEP 4 – OCT 7, 2018
WORLD PREMIERE ADAPTATION
CHARLES DICKENS’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL NOV 1 – DEC 9, 2018
WEST COAST PREMIERE MUSICAL
LIGHTS OUT: NAT “KING” COLE FEB 5 – MAR 10, 2019
ANTIGONE
APR 9 – MAY 12, 2019 WORLD PREMIERE AND GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE COMMISSION
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AUDREY SKIRBALL KENIS THEATER 2018/2019 SEASON THE CAKE
SEP 10 – OCT 21, 2018
3
16
PREMIUM
THE UNTRANSLATABLE SECRETS OF NIKKI CORONA
A PRESENTATION OF ECHO THEATER COMPANY’S WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION
HUGHIE & KRAPP’S LAST TAPE NOV 5 – DEC 16, 2018 WORLD PREMIERE
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M
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