WELCOME TO
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / CEO GIL CATES, JR.Welcome to the world premiere of Black Cypress Bayou! We are very proud to present this thrilling and funny play from playwright Kristen Adele Calhoun in our intimate and immersive Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater.
As we look ahead to 2024/2025, our new artistic director Tarell Alvin McCraney and his team have been in planning mode to curate a collection of plays that promise to innovate, inform, entertain, and inspire, true to our mission as a home for the performing arts.
We’ve also been busy this season making improvements and upgrades to our systems and infrastructure to provide you with the best experience possible. These include a seamless new ticketing system, state-of-the-art backstage improvements, as well as enhancing the front-of-house experience for all our guests.
Alongside these efforts, we are also working to expand our programs within the community to broaden our relationships, as well as bring in new collaborators to Geffen Playhouse.
None of the work we do, on stage or off, would be possible without your presence here today. We thank you for your support and for being a part of the Geffen family.
Enjoy the show!
Gil Cates, Jr. Executive Director / CEOBLACK PARTNERS APPRECIATION NIGHTS
In the spirit of Broadway’s Black Out Nights, we welcome Black-identifying audiences and their allies to experience a powerful Black drama alongside passionate community partners in a celebratory environment.
100% of ticket proceeds for these peformances benefit our community partner organizations.
UPCOMING BLACK PARTNER APPRECIATION NIGHTS
BLACK CYPRESS BAYOU................TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20
THANK YOU TO OUR EXCLUSIVE HOSPITALITY SPONSOR
From January 15, 2024 (in honor of MLK Jr. Day) through June 19, 2024 (in honor of Juneteenth), Uncle Nearest is partnering with bars, restaurants, retailers, e-Commerce partners, and our Uncle Nearest #WhiskeyFamily to raise up to $1.4 Million for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in order to provide one full in-state tuition scholarship to each of the accredited schools.
FAT HAM TUESDAY, APRIL 2 FOR TICKETS AND FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT geffenplayhouse.org/blackpartners
PHOTO BY JEFF LORCHAMY LEVINSON
Welcome to Black Cypress Bayou! We are thrilled to welcome playwright Kristen Adele Calhoun to the Geffen with her wildly funny, mysterious, affecting play. Black Cypress Bayou is a genre-defying piece of writing that beautifully explores familial relationships, ancestral ties, and the possibility of healing within even the most painful legacies of pain. Kristen instills her characters with power both natural and supernatural as they navigate through an unsettling night in the Texas bayou. What initially drew us to the piece were the vividly drawn relationships between a mother and her daughters, as well as the audacious surprises of Kristen’s plot (which I won’t spoil here). But as we came to know the play more, we grew to appreciate the multi-generational elements of the story: in moving towards shared knowledge, rather than secrets, these women find a way to both illuminate the past and reshape the future.
We also welcome Tiffany Nichole Greene, who has directed this play with extraordinary precision and passion. She has assembled a singularly spectacular cast and team of designers, who transport us into the bayou the moment we set foot in the theater. Both Texas-raised, Kristen and Tiffany understand this place and the people who live there in a profound way; this authenticity comes through in everything they have created together.
Thank you for being here to share in this world premiere play. We at the Geffen are grateful to have been part of the process of bringing it to life. Enjoy the show!
Amy Levinson Associate Artistic DirectorBOARD OF DIRECTORS
Adi Greenberg CHAIR
Dr. Gene D. Block
Gil Cates, Jr. Executive Director / CEO
Mary Ann Cloyd Vice Chair
Merle Dandridge
Dr. Brad Edgerton
Bonnie E. Eskenazi
Mark Fleischer
Susan Nahley Fleishman
Brenda Garcia
Patricia L. Glaser
Eric Heer
Carla Malden
Brian Mann
Tiffany Mayberry
Tarell Alvin McCraney Artistic Director
Mary Osako
Danny Passman
Holly Rice
Linda Bernstein Rubin
Matt Shakman
Richard Sherman
Cynthia P. Stafford
Howard Tenenbaum Chair Emeritus
JaHan Wang
Marc Weinstock
FOUNDING TRUSTEES
Harold A. Brown
Kirsten Combs
Robert A. Daly
David Geffen
Herbert M. Gelfand Chair Emeritus
Quincy Jones
Jeffrey Katzenberg
Glorya Kaufman
Frank G. Mancuso Chair Emeritus
Ron Meyer
Bruce M. Ramer
Founding Chair
Victoria Mann Simms
Andy Spahn
Steven Spielberg
Steve Tisch
IN MEMORIAM
Gilbert Cates
Founder
Marcia Israel-Curley
Audrey Skirball Kenis
Charles Kenis
Karl Malden
Ginny Mancini
Jerry Moss
Jerry Perenchio
Edie Wasserman
Lew Wasserman
Dr. Charles E. Young
LEGAL COUNSEL
Nikki Kerman
Venable LLP
NOTE FROM PLAYWRIGHT KRISTEN ADELE CALHOUN
LIKE THE CHURCH FOLK SAY—“YOU COULD HAVE BEEN ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD TODAY BUT YOU CHOSE TO BE HERE.” And for that, we give thanks! Welcome to the Bayou.
I started writing this play in April 2020 when, like many people, I was consumed with the questions of:
• What must change for humanity to thrive?
• How do we co-conspire with nature for the good of the planet?
• What ancestral practices can we reclaim in the name of healing?
I trace my roots at least seven generations back (on both sides) to Deep East Texas. We are of red clay, big sky, an illogical hope in better days, and the audacity to bring those days to bear. I am grateful to the people of this place—like my paternal grandparents, R.L. and Octeria Calhoun—for showing me that all of our survival is connected. I am grateful to the communities of care they created in the midst of unthinkable horrors. I am grateful for the shout, the rocking chair, the wail, the altar call, the belly laugh, the garden and all the tools they passed down with no name but deep power.
I hope you feel some of that power in this play. Here in this sacred space we call the theater, I honor the genius and generosity of the Black South and strive to be in conversation with the works of Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, Israel Hicks, Jeffrey Nickelson, Ebony Noelle Golden, Shay Wafer, Lorraine Hansberry, Dr. Ron Himes, vickie washington, Woodie King Jr., Tarell Alvin McCraney, Eric Lockley, Belynda M’Baye, Lynn Nottage, Lynda Gravatt, Katori Hall, Tricia Hersey, August Wilson, Dominique Morisseau, Jenny Koons, Nikki Vera, Marcus Gardley, Jonathan McCrory, Sade Lythcott, York Walker, Princeton James, Roberta Uno, Michael Thomas Walker, Rodney Hicks, Marshall Jones III, Cajardo Lindsey and all collaborators past, present and future who believe in the transforming power of the stage.
And while this play is hyperspecific to a culture and region, I hope no matter where you’re from it touches something familiar and unearths healing for you too.
If at any point during our time together, you should feel a quickening in your spirit— let it out. I invite you to laugh loud, cut up, carry on and let us know how you feel. Thank you again for being in our number.
CAN I GET A WITNESS?
BY LINDSAY A. JENKINS, DRAMATURG FOR BLACK CYPRESS BAYOUIn her book, Black Imagination, Natasha Marin offers “Seeing ourselves as whole and healthy is an act of pure rebellion in a world so titillated by our constant subjugation.” The creation of art in response to racial violence is a part of the legacy of Black theatremakers. For example, during the pandemics of lynchings and terror that spread across the U.S. in the early 1900s, it was playwrights such as Angelina Weld Grimké and Georgia Douglas Johnson who acknowledged the impact of this violence on the interior lives of Black women and Black families.
This act of seeing and being seen is an important aspect of performance that can lead to healing. And so, we take our role as audience members seriously as we come together for the collective witnessing of Black Cypress Bayou by Kristen Adele Calhoun.
Natasha Marin also observes that “witnessing is sacred work.” In honor of Marin’s beautifully sacred work, I offer you a ritual for witnessing this performance :
Close your eyes. Take a breath. Think about the people who have come before you. Did they have the luxury of leisure? Of free-time? Of disposable income? Bring them with you into the space. Say their names. During the show, if someone puts out a call, lean into the response.
When the play ends, please fellowship. Linger in the lobby chatting. Touch and agree. Remember that ritual results in transformation. These transformations can look like:
• Closed to Open
• Hurt to Healed
• Denial to Acceptance
• Secrecy to Transparency
• Sadness to Joy
I leave you with this reflection from Alexis Pauline Gumbs from her soul-stirring book
Undrowned:
“What is the scale of breathing? You put your hand on your individual chest as it rises and falters all day. But is that the scale of breathing? You share air and chemical exchange with everyone in the room, everyone you pass by today. Is the scale of breathing within one species? All animals participate in this exchange of release for continued life. But not without the plants. The plants in their inverse process, release what we need, take what we give without being asked. And the planet, wrapped in ocean breathing, breathing into the sky. What is the scale of breathing? You are part of it now. You are not alone.”
Scan the QR code to see the research (and the memes, and the videos) that supported this beautiful work.
BLACK CYPRESS BAYOU
WRITTEN BY KRISTEN ADELE CALHOUN
DIRECTED BY TIFFANY NICHOLE GREENE
SCENIC DESIGNER LAWRENCE E. MOTEN III
LIGHTING DESIGNER DONNY JACKSON
COSTUME DESIGNER MYLETTE NORA
SOUND DESIGN & MUSIC BY EVERETT ELTON BRADMAN
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR VELANI DIBBA
PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGERS
GABRIELLE J. BRUNO
CLARA KING
KESIA ROSS
ADDITIONAL SOUND DESIGN FAN ZHANG
DRAMATURG LINDSAY A. JENKINS
CASTING DIRECTOR PHYLLIS SCHURINGA, CSA
OPENING NIGHT
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024
BLACK CYPRESS BAYOU
CAST OF CHARACTERS
(IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE)
LadyBird Manifold ................................................................
Vernita Manifold
RaeMeka Manifold-Baler
Taysha Hunter
BRANDEE EVANS
KIMBERLY SCOTT
ANGELA LEWIS
AMBER CHARDAE ROBINSON
UNDERSTUDIES
(IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
RaeMeka Manifold-Baler / Taysha Hunter
Vernita Manifold
LadyBird Manifold / RaeMeka Manifold-Baler
ASIA MARTIN
INGER TUDOR
AKILAH A. WALKER
Understudies never substitute for listed players unless specified.
The Actors and Stage Managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
SETTING/TIME
Deep East Texas. August 2020.
RUNNING TIME
80 minutes
There will be no intermission.
PLEASE NOTE
There is no photography or filming of any kind allowed during the performance. Please turn off all electronic devices, including cell phones. Thank you!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
PRODUCTION STAFF FOR BLACK CYPRESS BAYOU
Associate Scenic Designer
Danielle DeLaFuente
Assistant Costume Designer
Wendell Carmichael
Tech Production Stage Manager
Alyssa Escalante
Production Assistant
Lanae Wilks
On-Book Production Assistants
Gia Blakey, Cecelia Bonner, Sidney Edwards, Aja Houston, Kimleigh Smith, Jasmine Williams
Script Assistants
Aja Hinds, Rediet Yared
Weapons Instructors
Ito Aghayere, Julie Ouellette
Lead Scenic Carpenter
Philip Rossi
Scenery Built & Painted By Undefined Laboratories
Lighting Equipment
Provided By Kinetic Lighting
Sound Equipment
Stage Supervisors
Gabrielle Bruno, Greg Mueller
Deck Assistant
Greg Mueller
Wardrobe Supervisor/Dresser
Haley Powell
Lighting Programmer
Nicole Jaja
Light Board Operator
Jesus Cambero Elias
Sound Board Operator
Michael Svolos
Properties Artistans & Carpenters
J. Cody Andersen, Christopher R. Baab, Mikayla Bettner, Sigourney Chin, Danny Dolan, Rowan Knight, Aaron Lyons Carpenters
Oliver Brink, Ryan Fischer, Ezra Fisher, Dave Foubert,
Mason Irwin, Shadow LaValley, Greg Mueller, Lyn Nguyen, Beth Scorzato, Syd Shoell
Scenic Painters
Vanessa Lara, Chandish Nester Stitchers
Stephanie Castro, Kiko Cheyenne, Kassidy Klinesmith, Michayla
Van Treeck
Electricians
Erica Ammerman, Shannon Barondeau, Ezra Fisher, Miri Henerson, Emma Inglehart, Justin Kelley-Cahill, Juan Lozano, Ezra Muthiah, Keannak Parvaz, Keanu Ross-Cabrera, Christiana Saldibar, James Tatsch, Benjamin Wendel
Sound Technicians
Oliver Brink, Guillermo Cervera, Michael Svolos
PRODUCTION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Production Photographer
Jeff Lorch
Media Filming
Ramon Garcia
Provided By DnB Design, Jon Sound Inc., Launch
SPECIAL THANKS
Design + Art Direction Base Design
Photography
Justin Bettman
UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television Scene, Prop, Sound, and Costume Shops; You Go Natural Headwraps; Kristen Adele Calhoun would like to thank: Glo Calhoun, Ryan Calhoun, Dr. Ron Calhoun, Loretta Calhoun, Joseph Calhoun and the whole Calhoun Family, Will and Morgan Adams, Vera Jorden, William Heard and the Heard Family, The Edmond Family, The Henderson Family, Tramell Tillman, Margaret Odette, Richard Prioleau, Jessica Kitchens, Brandi Holmes, Cherish Robinson, Melissa Firlit, Josh Levine, Kate Walker, Patty Kingsbaker, Michael Kingsbaker, Seth Michael White, Marron Moore, Mya James, Sicley Williams, Jada Suzanne Dixon, Russell Taylor, Danielle Pinnock, Tiffany Wright, Dionn Richardson, Lee Edward Colston II, Tarell Alvin McCraney, and Kemiyondo Coutinho; My agents: Olivier Sultan, Lauren Jane Holland, Angela Dallas, and Christina Chou; The earliest readers and supporters of this work: York Walker, Nikki Vera, Jenny Koons, Bobby LeFebre, Kerrie Joy, SuCh, Michael Thomas Walker, Anasa Troutman, Amy Levinson, Theatre Tuscaloosa, and the National Black Theatre; and my collaborators: Tiffany Nichole Greene, Resmaa Menakem, Darnell Brown, Jenina Kibuka, Raven Jackson, Morgan Grain, Shannon M. Houston, Stephanie Allain, Janet Mock, Kahlil Joseph, Onye Anyanwu, Francie Calfo, Gina Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Rock Bythewood for pushing me deeper in all of my writing. Tiffany Nichole Greene would like to thank: My bloodline, the Strong Black Women in My Life: Jackie Cross Ecford, Aniece Cross, Jonda Cross, My Great-grandma “Red” Regina Knight, Ester Greene, Emma Greene; My agents, Alex Gold and Olivier Sultan; Jamie Kaye-Phillips for all of the support; The Ancestors. And always and forever, my brother, James Weldon Ecford. I miss you so. Angela Lewis would like to thank: Jamal Mallory-McCree and Priscila Diaz for holding down the home front.
This theater operates under agreement between the League of Resident Theaters and Actors Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.
The Actors and Stage Managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
This theater operates under agreement between the League of Resident Theaters and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, an independent national labor union.
The Director is a Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.
The scenic, costume, lighting, and sound designers in LORT theaters are represented by United Scenic Artists Local USA-829, IATSE.
Geffen Playhouse is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.
This project was also funded in part by the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles.
Geffen Playhouse, a not-for-profit theater company, is proudly affiliated with the University of California at Los Angeles.
AMBER CHARDAE ROBINSON
Taysha Hunter
Amber Chardae Robinson was born and raised in Port Arthur, Texas. Amber is a proud graduate of Prairie View A&M University (B.A. Theatre 2012) and Columbia University (M.F.A. Acting 2015). Recent film credits include: Judas and the Black Messiah, Moving On, 80 for Brady, So Help Me Todd, Loot, Stuber, Always a Bridesmaid, The Neighborhood, Hell On Wheels. Additionally, Amber recently performed as “Virginia” in Apple TV+’s Palm Royale which is set to release in 2024. Theatre credits include: off-Broadway: The Comedy of Errors, Light, Fen, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Classic Stage Company); regional: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (California Shakespeare Company). Amber dedicates this performance in honor of her mother Cherel Lynette Sanders. @amberchardae
BRANDEE EVANS
LadyBird Manifold
Brandee Evans is an actress and caregiver. She appears as a lead on the Starz network show P-Valley, in the role of “Mercedes.” Brandee received two NAACP Image Award nominations in the Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series category for her work on seasons one and two of P-Valley. She won the Women’s Image Network Awards in 2021 for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series. She will next be seen in the Bleecker Street comedy The Fabulous Four playing Sheryl Lee Ralph’s daughter, Color Book alongside Will Catlett which will premiere at Tribeca Film Festival June 2024, and starring in the independent feature film Incision. Brandee’s first career was as an educator. She held the Chair position of the English department in Memphis, her hometown. Brandee is also an accomplished dancer and choreographer—she has appeared in multiple music videos and has toured, danced, and created for artists all over the world. She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
IG: @TheRealBrandee www.BrandeeEvans.com
ANGELA LEWIS (she/her)
RaeMeka Manifold-Baler
Angela Lewis, hailing from Detroit with a B.F.A. from the University of Michigan, is a versatile actress known for her world premiere off-Broadway and on-camera roles, most recently, her acclaimed portrayal of “Aunt Louie” on the FX hit series Snowfall. Prior television appearances include Showtime’s The Big C, Law & Order: SVU, TNT’s The Last Ship, and CBS’s Code Black Alongside her acting career, she co-founded BlüRemedi Media with her husband (a production company that illuminates the vast diversity within diversity) and a non-profit, Moon Child Collaborative. In 2019, Angela became a mom, and the beautiful experience moved her to create Birth Village, the first program under the MCC umbrella, dedicated to eliminating the Black maternal health crisis by raising awareness, educating, and advocating for Black (and Brown) birthing people and their families. In 2023, she gave birth again and cemented her commitment to fostering joyful birthing experiences. You can follow Angela Lewis on social media: @luvangelalewis, @birthvillage_org or visit her website www.luvangelalewis.com.
KIMBERLY SCOTT
Vernita Manifold
Broadway: Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations). Regional: The XIXth (world premiere at The Old Globe); Sweat (co-world premiere at Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Arena Stage); Familiar (world premiere at Yale Repertory Theatre); Head of Passes (Berkeley Repertory Theatre); Her Portmanteau (A.C.T. Strand Theatre); American Night: The Ballad of Juan José (Kirk Douglas Theatre); Ruined and The Liquid Plain (world premiere) (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); A Raisin in the Sun (The Huntington), Death of a Salesman (Yale Repertory Theatre); and The Gospel at Colonus (Mabou Mines/Moscow Gorky Art Theatre), among many others. TV recurring: Bob Hearts Abishola, Medium, Family Law, The Commish. Film: Respect, The Abyss, Love & Other Drugs, Guess Who, K-PAX, I Am Sam, The Client, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin. M.F.A.: The David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. Two-time Beinecke Fellow at Yale Repertory Theatre and Board Member for the extraordinary environmental non-profit Mujeres de la Tierra (www.mujeresdelatierra.org).
KRISTEN ADELE CALHOUN (she/her)
Playwright
Kristen Adele Calhoun is a writer, actor, producer, and curator. Her playwriting commissions include Penumbra Theatre, Lucille Lortel Theatre, the NAACP, St. Louis Black Repertory Company, 651 ARTS, and the Black American West Museum. Other plays include WILDCAT, blood work, Out the Mud, and Canfield Drive. She is the co-curator of BLKSPACE, a two-week, rest-centered residency for Black artists and is currently an I AM SOUL Playwriting Resident at Dr. Barbara Ann Teer’s National Black Theatre. Her film and television writing credits include: HBO’s adaptation of Toni Morrison’s novel SULA helmed by showrunner Shannon M. Houston and Stephanie Allain’s Homegrown Pictures, and BLKNWS directed by Kahlil Joseph, produced by A24 and Participant. Kristen’s television and film acting credits include: House of Cards, Orange Is the New Black, Elementary, Blue Bloods, The Good Wife, Everything I Whispered to Dorothy, and The Astronaut Who Lost His Helmet. A native of
Dallas, Texas, she is a graduate of the University of North Texas (Bachelor of Fine Arts) and the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University (Master of Fine Arts). She splits her time between Ghana, Mexico, and the United States of America. Instagram: @kristenadelecalhoun
Tiffany Nichole Greene was the original resident director of Hamilton: An American Musical (Philip Tour). Her most recent credits include, York Walker’s Covenant at Roundabout Theatre Company; Jonathan Larson’s Rent at Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Steph Del Rosso’s 53% Of at Second Stage Theater; Christina Ham’s Nina Simone: Four Women at Arizona Theatre Company; the world premiere of Vichet Chum’s High School Play: A Nostalgia Fest at the Alley Theatre; the world premiere of Invincible at The Wallis, featuring the music of Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo; and Adrienne Kennedy’s Ohio State Murders for the Goodman Theatre’s LIVE series. During
TIFFANY NICHOLE GREENE (she/her) Directorthe pandemic, Tiffany directed the world premieres of Lydia R. Diamond’s whiterly negotiations and Lynn Nottage’s What Are The Things I Need To Remember for Theatre For One: Here We Are, produced by Octopus Theatricals (NYT Critic’s Pick). She is a Lincoln Center Directors Lab alum, a Soho Rep Directors Lab alum, and a proud member of SDC. She holds an M.F.A. from Brown University/Trinity Rep. www.tiffanynicholegreene.com
LAWRENCE E. MOTEN III (he/him)
Scenic Designer
Broadway: Chicken & Biscuits (Circle in the Square). New York: The White Chip (MCC Theater), Covenant (Roundabout Theatre Company), Patience (Second Stage Theatre Uptown), STEW (Page 73), The White Chip (59E59 Theaters). Regional: Bulrusher (McCarter Theatre Center & Berkeley Repertory Theatre); Sir John in Love (Bard Music Festival); Faust (Wolf Trap); Proof, Once Upon a Bridge, The Brothers Size (American Players Theatre); Twelfth Night (The Old Globe); Sherlock Holmes and The Case of The Jersey Lily (Alley Theatre); Blues for an Alabama Sky (McCarter Theatre Center & Guthrie Theatre); Appropriate, The Little Foxes (South Coast Repertory); Christmas in Connecticut (Goodspeed Musicals); Requiem (IN Series); This Little
Light of Mine (Santa Fe Opera); Much Ado About Nothing (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company); Fairview (Wilma Theater); it’s not a trip it’s a journey, We declare you a terrorist… (Round House Theater); Gem of the Ocean (Portland Center Stage); Trouble in Mind (The Old Globe). Member: Local USA 829. www.motendesigns.com
IG: @motendesigns
MYLETTE NORA Costume Designer
Mylette Nora designs costumes for film, TV, stage, and music videos. She is the esteemed recipient of an NAACP Theatre Award and the prestigious Ovation Award for Best Costumes. Her theater credits include: August Wilson’s King Hedley II, Radio Golf, and Seven Guitars; Shay Youngblood’s Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery; David Austin’s Has Anyone Seen My Rainbow?; Dura Temple and Sheri Bailey’s Southern Girls; Matt Donnelly and Jamelle Dolphin’s Recorded in Hollywood; Kathryn Taylor Smith’s A Mile In My Shoes; Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop; and Boni B. Alvarez’s Bloodletting Off-Broadway credits include: Karen Abercrombie’s Ciao Bella and Mark Wilding’s Our Man In Santiago. Her designs have been seen at numerous theaters and theater companies in Los Angeles including Kirk Douglas Theatre, Geffen Playhouse, LATC,
Playwrights’ Arena, East West Players, Open Fist Theatre Company, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, Atwater Village Theatre, Skylight Theatre Company, and The Hudson Theatres. Her film credits include: All American Family and Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story. Mylette worked for thirteen years in television on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
DONNY JACKSON
Lighting Designer
Donny Jackson is an award-winning lighting designer based in Los Angeles. Work highlights: In the Heights (La Mirada Theatre, Orange Curtain Review Award); If I Forget, directed by Jason Alexander (The Fountain Theatre); Closely Related Keys (International City Theatre, StageSceneLA Scenie Award); Four Clowns (La MaMa, New York Premiere); God Looked Away, starring Al Pacino (Macha Theatre); KJazz Concert 2017 (The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts); Arrival & Departure (The Fountain Theatre, BroadwayWorld Award); and Transition (Lounge Theatre, NAACP Theatre Award). Recent projects: Is God Is (Lobby Theatre), A Doll’s House, Part 2 (International City Theatre), A Little Night Music (Greenway Court Theatre), and Angels in America (Long Beach Playhouse). He is Head of Technical Theatre and Design at
Cypress College and holds an M.F.A. in lighting from UCLA. www.donnyjackson.com
EVERETT ELTON BRADMAN (he/him)
Sound Design & Music
Everett Elton Bradman’s composer/sound designer credits include world premieres (Lear at Cal Shakes), West Coast premieres (TRAYF at Geffen Playhouse), audio dramas (Aurora Theater Company’s The Bluest Eye), student productions (UC Riverside’s Red Oleanders), Zoom theater (Actors Theatre’s Romeo & Juliet: Louisville 2020), podcasts (Z Space/Word for Word’s Retablos trilogy), filmed theater (San Francisco Playhouse’s [hieroglyph]), hybrid visual/audio (New Conservatory Theatre Center’s Interlude), and outdoor performances (Oakland Theater Project’s The Waste Land). Other recent adventures include teaching a sound design class and co-writing a musical for Bay Area Children’s Theatre and The Rose Theater in Omaha, Nebraska. Stop by and say hello at eltonsounds.com!
FAN ZHANG (she/her)
Additional Sound Design
Recent off-Broadway: The Far Country (Atlantic Theater Company); At the Wedding (Lincoln Center Theater); This Land Was Made (Vineyard Theatre); Snow in Midsummer (Classic Stage
Company); On That Day in Amsterdam (59E59 Theaters), A Kid Like Rishi (Origin Theatre Company), Paris (Atlantic Theater Company), Our Dear Dead Drug Lord (Second Stage Theater & WP Theater), Pumpgirl (Irish Repertory Theatre), Suicide Forest (Ma-Yi Theater Company), Molly Sweeney (Theatre Row), Behind the Sheet (Ensemble Studio Theater), The Trail of the Catonsville Nine (Transport Group). Her designs have been seen at numerous theaters across the country including: Arena Stage, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Milwaukee Rep, Capital Repertory Theatre, Artists Repertory Theatre, American Repertory Theater, Long Wharf Theatre, City Theatre Company, Portland Center Stage, Studio Theatre, Two River Theater, Westport Country Playhouse, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Yale Repertory Theatre, Huntington Theatre Compant, and The Old Globe. Member of Local 829, TSDCA. Head of the sound program at Purdue University. Education: M.F.A., Yale School of Drama. www.fanzhangsound.com
VELANI DIBBA (she/her) Associate Director
Velani Dibba is an LA-based director and multidisciplinary artist. Her work focuses on the
collision of cultures through design-focused and ensemble-driven pieces. Select credits include Pride and Prejudice (The Dramat at Yale Repertory Theatre), we need your listening (New Ohio Theatre Ice Factory Festival), Apologies to the Bengali Lady (Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Tank NYC, The Gathering), I Pledge Allegiance (UNESCO International Theatre Festival and World Congress, TCG National Conference), Space Odyssey (Columbia School of the Arts). She is an Inaugural Fellow at the Laboratory for Global Performance & Politics in Washington
D.C., a former Global Cultural Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, a founding member of The SuperGeographic Ensemble Theatre, and a former SITI Company Artistic Associate. Her work has been reported on by The New York Times, Vulture, The Scotsman, and various other outlets. M.F.A. Columbia University, B.S.F.S. Georgetown School of Foreign Service.
LINDSAY A. JENKINS (she/her) Dramaturg
Lindsay A. Jenkins (L.J.) is a dramaturg and cultural consultant based in Los Angeles by way of Dallas, TX. Her area of specialty is Black Performance Heritage, connecting past performances to contemporary experiences. L.J. loves supporting the development of new work, most
recently in residence at the Ojai Playwrights Conference. Other dramaturgical work includes The First Deep Breath at Geffen Playhouse, Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 at the Mark Taper Forum and Lines in the Dust produced by Collaborative Artist Bloc. She considers herself an Afrocentric dramaturg, rooted in ritual and employing embodied practices in her approach to research and development. L.J began her career as a middle school teacher and is currently on the faculty at Pomona College. She is the Founder of Maroon Arts and Culture, an arts organization dedicated to illuminating the richness of Black experiences through innovative theatre and performance.
GABRIELLE J. BRUNO (she/her)
Production Stage Manager
Gabrielle J. Bruno is a proud graduate of California State University, Northridge and is so excited to be back at the Geffen for Black Cypress Bayou! Previous Geffen credits include Assistant Stage Manager for Ava: The Secret Conversations and Production Assistant for Mindplay. Additional stage management credits: A Raisin in the Sun at South Coast Repertory; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, A Raisin in the Sun, Mrs. Warren’s Profession, A Christmas Carol, and Man of La Mancha at A Noise Within;
Native Gardens at Coachella Valley Repertory; Seven Loves at the Getty Villa; the 2023 Cycle of Poverty reading series presented by Lower Depth Theatre. Additional theatre experience as the Production Manager of the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival from 2021-2023 presented by Independent Shakespeare Co. Currently the Stage Supervisor of the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at the Geffen Playhouse.
CLARA KING (she/they)
Production Stage Manager
Clara is thrilled to be working on her first show with the Geffen. She is an AEA stage manager and theatre artist based on the West Coast. Recent select stage management credits include: The Manager (The Bourbon Room, Workshop); Did You See What Walter Paisley Did Today? (La Mirada Theatre, World Premiere); Big Fish (Broadway Rose Theatre Company); Head Over Heels, The Wedding Singer (Playhouse Stage Company); HAIR (Staged!); and Marabella (CalArts, World Premiere).
M.F.A. in Stage Management, California Institute of the Arts. All my love to Richard and Ella. www.ckingsm.com
KESIA ROSS (she/her)
Production Stage Manager
Kesia is excited to be returning to the Geffen Playhouse! As a
Las Vegas native, Kesia came to California to attend Chapman University and received her B.A. in Theatre Technology with an emphasis in Stage Management. Some of Kesia’s highlights include A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Los Angeles Philharmonic; Annie at the Hollywood Bowl; the Ojai Playwrights Conference; Power of Sail, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Ava: The Secret Conversations, and The Mountaintop at the Geffen Playhouse; and various shows at the Disneyland Resort as a Production Stage Manager.
PHYLLIS SCHURINGA, CSA (she/her)
Casting Director
Phyllis is an Artistic Associate and the Casting Director for Geffen Playhouse. She has received 9 Artios nominations: The Inheritance: Part 1 & Part 2, Power of Sail, Man of God, Witch, Significant Other, Actually, Barbecue, Barcelona, and The Country House. Before joining the Geffen, she was the Casting Director for Steppenwolf Theater Company in Chicago where her favorites include Frank Galati’s adaptation of The Grapes of Wrath (also La Jolla Playhouse, National Theatre in London, and Broadway, where it received the Tony Award for Best Play), the original production of Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile (and subsequent
productions including Westwood Playhouse and Briar Street Theater in Chicago). Broadway transfers include One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Tony Award for Best Revival), The Song of Jacob Zulu, and The Rise and Fall of Little Voice. She is a member of the Casting Society of America.
TARELL ALVIN M c CRANEY (he/him)Artistic Director
Tarell Alvin McCraney is Artistic Director of Geffen Playhouse. In this role, he is responsible for identifying, developing, and programming new works and re-envisioned classics. He sets the strategic artistic course for the Geffen’s Gil Cates and Audrey Skirball Kenis Theaters. McCraney is an award-winning writer, producer, and educator, best known for his acclaimed trilogy, The Brother/Sister Plays. His script In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue is the basis for the Oscar–winning film Moonlight directed by Barry Jenkins, for which McCraney and Jenkins also won a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar. He is an ensemble member at Steppenwolf Theatre and a member
of Teo Castellanos D-Projects in Miami, a graduate of New World School of the Arts, The Theatre School at DePaul University, and the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Warwick. He was recently Co-Chair of Playwriting at the David Geffen School of Drama, where he remains on faculty. He is an associate at the Royal Shakespeare Company, London, and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Writers Branch).
GIL CATES, JR. Executive Director / CEOGil Cates, Jr. is Executive Director / CEO of Geffen Playhouse. In this role, he is responsible for managing the Geffen’s day-today operations; developing new, ongoing theater partnerships and leading its mission to inform, entertain and inspire diverse audiences with live theater of the highest caliber. Prior to being named Executive Director in 2015, Cates served as Geffen Playhouse Board Vice Chairman since 2012 and served as a producer and director in theater, film and television. His theater
credits include the award-winning Names (Matrix Theatre Company) and Three Sisters and David Mamet’s A Life in the Theatre (both at Syracuse Stage). Cates’ film credits include The Surface (starring Sean Astin and Geffen Playhouse alumnus Chris Mulkey), Jobs (starring Ashton Kutcher, Josh Gad, Dermot Mulroney, as well as Geffen Playhouse alumni Matthew Modine and Ron Eldard) and the 2011 feature film Lucky (starring Colin Hanks, Ari Graynor and Ann-Margret). In addition, Cates co-produced and co-directed the critically acclaimed Life After Tomorrow, featuring Sarah Jessica Parker, which premiered on Showtime. His other films include Deal (starring Burt Reynolds, Bret Harrison and Charles Durning) and The Mesmerist (starring Jessica Capshaw and Geffen Playhouse alumnus Neil Patrick Harris). Cates’ television directorial debut was an episode of the NBC comedy Joey, starring Emmy winner Matt LeBlanc. He recently directed Displaced, a documentary short chronicling the journey of one of the first refugee families to flee Ukraine and arrive in the U.S. after escaping the Russian invasion. He studied at the National Theatre Institute in Waterford, Connecticut, and holds a B.F.A. in Drama from Syracuse University.
GEFFEN AT A GLANCE THE NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
CONTACT
Geffen Playhouse
10886 Le Conte Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90024
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES
310.208.6500
Monday – Friday, 10:00am – 6:00pm
AUDIENCE SERVICES
310.208.2028
Tuesday – Sunday, 12:00pm – 6:00pm
Please visit geffenplayhouse.org for hours, parking and more information.
BOX OFFICE WINDOW
Tuesday – Sunday, 12:00pm – 6:00pm, as well as on performance days up until 15 minutes after curtain.
Please note: the box office window is unable to process exchanges or future sales one hour prior to curtain time on performance days.
ACCESSIBILITY
Geffen Playhouse is fully committed to providing access to patrons with mobility, visual and hearing impairments. Parking spaces directly outside the theater are zoned for drop off and pick up, as well as disabled parking spots for patrons with appropriate placards and plates. For more information, visit geffenplayhouse.org/access or call Audience Services.
LATE SEATING
Should you arrive late to the theater or vacate your seat during the performance, please expect to be held in the lobby until an appropriate pause in the action on stage. Some productions or circumstances may not allow for late or return seating. To minimize disturbances to other patrons, you may be seated in the first available location by the house staff even if it is different from your assigned seat.
NO PHOTOGRAPHY
There is no photography or filming of any kind allowed during the performance. Please turn off all electronic devices, including cell phones.
UCLA SCHOOL OF THEATER, FILM AND TELEVISION
Geffen Playhouse is affiliated with the University of California at Los Angeles, specifically the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Geffen Playhouse values its role as an important educational resource by providing students with master classes, workshops and internships. Students are also able to work and learn from distinguished visiting Geffen artists in areas of directing, playwriting, acting, design, dramaturgy, management and production.
Geffen Playhouse also draws upon the distinguished experts in the university to enhance the theater’s programs and research.
Supporting artists is central to the mission of the Geffen Playhouse, and play commissions are a cornerstone of that support. To commission a playwright to write a play means making a commitment to their voice, craft, and vision, with the hope of sharing the fruits of their work on our stage.
The Geffen Playhouse’s New Play Development Program is made possible, in large part, through the leadership and generosity of donations from: The Edgerton Foundation, The Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Fay & Frank Mancuso, Sandra Krause & William Fitzgerald, Hilary & Jack Angelo, and Mary Bianco, The MOCA Foundation.
We are proud to have the following artists under commission:
LUIS ALFARO
JONATHAN CAREN
COLMAN DOMINGO
MICHAEL GOLAMCO
MEGHAN KENNEDY
MATTHEW LÓPEZ
MARTYNA MAJOK
QUI NGUYEN
STACY OSEI-KUFFOUR JIEHAE PARK
JOHN POLLONO
ROBERT SCHENKKAN
JEN SILVERMAN
DAVID WIENER
CRAIG WRIGHT
LAUREN YEE
For more information on this program, please visit geffenplayhouse.org/newplays.
THE WRITERS’ ROOM
A group for Los Angeles-based playwrights, The Writers’ Room is a product of the Geffen’s deep commitment to supporting new plays and specifically to fostering bold, relevant work by the vibrant artistic community of this city. During this one-year residency, playwright members gather monthly at the Geffen to share their work and receive feedback from their peers and the Geffen’s artistic staff, culminating in a play reading series.
We are proud to have the following artists in the 2023/2024 Writers’ Room:
ASHLEY AUGUST
JENNIFER CHANG & INARA GEORGE
PARIS CRAYTON III
CHRISTINA HAM
PALOMA NOZICKA
ALEXIS ROBLAN
The Writers’ Room is made possible through the generous support of the William Randolph Hearst Foundation and Jerry & Terri Kohl.
For more information on this program, please visit geffenplayhouse.org/thewritersroom.
development series, the
Storytelling Workshop for Young Adults (ages 18-24) explores creative dramatic writing. Each session invites participants to expand their writing skills, discover their own unique style, and share their most authentic artistic voice. This workshop also explores the process of giving and receiving useful feedback and encourages artistic integrity.
ANNUAL DONORS
Geffen Playhouse recognizes the following individuals and organizations for their generous support of our Annual Fund. Donors are listed at the Partner’s Circle level and higher for gifts made between December 1, 2022 and January 15, 2024. A full listing of our supporters can be found at geffenplayhouse.org/thankyou.
† Geffen Playhouse Board of Directors
^ Geffen Playhouse Founding Trustees
In appreciation, Annual Fund donors enjoy a host of special benefits including house seats, complimentary drinks, receptions, and much more.
For more information, please call Tracy Reich at 310.208.6500 ext. 113.
PREMIERE CIRCLE
$100,000+
Anonymous (2)
The Ahmanson Foundation
Jana & Trevor Bezdek
California Arts Council
City National Bank
Edgerton Foundation
The Adi† & Jerry Greenberg Foundation
William Randolph Hearst Foundation
Jerry & Terri Kohl
Linda Bernstein Rubin† & Tony Rubin
Shubert Foundation
The Simms/Mann Family Foundation
Jodi & Howard Tenenbaum†
Miranda & Brett Tollman
UCLA
UCLA Health
INNOVATOR CIRCLE
$50,000 – $99,999
The Berlanti Family Foundation
Kevin & Claudia Bright
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation
Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer
Loretta Everett Kaufman & Victor Kaufman
John McCrite & Juan Lopez
Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation
The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
Holly Rice† & Vince Gilligan
Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation
PRODUCER’S CIRCLE
$25,000 – $49,999
Anonymous (2)
Marcy Carsey
Capital Group
City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs
The Walt Disney Company
Dwight Stuart Youth Fund
Eric Flamholtz & Yvonne Randle
Susan & Mark Fleischer†
Carol & Paul Frimmer
Patty Glaser† & Sam Mudie
Samantha & Eric Heer†
Martha Henderson
Cindy & Alan Horn
Stanley Iezman & Nancy Stark
Marcia Israel-Curley Foundation
Los Angeles County Arts Commission
Matt Shakman† & Maggie Malone
Allen Blue & Kira Snyder
State of California, Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development
Judith & Bruce Stern
Shel & Cynthia Stone
PLAYWRIGHTS’S CIRCLE
$10,000 – $24,999
Anonymous
Pat & Sandy Adams
The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy
Mary Ann Cloyd†
Merle Dandridge†
Dr. & Mrs. Paul Eisenberg
Robyn Field & Anthony O’Carroll
Alexander & Katie & Grey Grosvenor
In Memory of Morris A. Hazan
Julie & David Kavner
Carla Malden† & Norman Beil
Carol & Bill Ouchi
Soundis & Danny Passman†
Thomas L. Safran
Carol ‘Jackie’ & Charles Schwartz
Marcia & Robert Shuwarger
The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust
Deborah Tavlin
U.S. Bank Foundation
Julie & Peter Weil
Daniel Tongbai & Henry Clancy
Joanne & Ken Weinman
Susan & Dan White
Ken Willner & Jim Stine
CREATOR’S CIRCLE
$5,000 – $9,999
Anonymous
Eva Aaronson—
In Memory of Bucky Hazan
Laura & Harvey Alpert
Aversa Foundation
Dr. Joan Denson & Dr. Victoria Berck
Shelly & Libby Bergen
SPARK Theatrical
Mara W. Breech Foundation
Robert Brook & Jacqueline Kosecoff
Katherine Brown & Rene Mendoza
Jay Butterfield & Susan Ewert
Glenn & Lynn Cardoso
Marissa Caudill & David Merrill
Steven Cerasale & Mary Katherine Cocharo
In Loving Memory of Ed Cypert
Mary Jo & Caleb Deschanel
In Honor of Virginia Field
Lynn T. Franklin
Sonia & Robert Freedman and Family
The Freedman Fund
Steve Freedman & Helen Sideris
Bob & Diana Friedman
G2 Graphic Service, Inc.
Fariba Ghaffari
Waterman and Glicksteen Families
The Goldenberg Family
Jill Grey
Richard Rasiej & Joan Herman
Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation
Stephen Sass & Steven Hochstadt
David & Martha Kadue
Mannon Kaplan
Kling Family Foundation / Allen & Jessica Kling
Norman Koplof & Leslie Falick
Sandra Krause & William Fitzgerald
Karen & Walter Loewenstern
Tania Lotia & Tamar Tokat
Marcia E. Williams & Gene Lucero
Renee & Meyer Luskin
Cara Gardenswartz & David Melnick
Bradley & Lisa Mindlin—
In Memory of Sandra Tenenbaum
Dan & Margie Mintz
Rio & Frank Morse
Benedicta & Geoffry Oblath
Cheryl Petersen & Roger Lustberg
Reed Wayne Pigman Jr. & Pamela Pigman
Carolyn A. Poer & John M. Poer
Judith Reichman, M.D.
Susan Rogers
Nancy & Ted Sanborn
Amy & Andy Schwartz
John Shustitzky & Christine Chakoian
Jerome & Joan Snyder
Jane Rissman & Richard Sondheimer
Nancy Heller & Fred Specktor
Johnese Spisso, MPA
Gerry Szeman
Anne C. Taubman
William & Karen Timberlake
Kathryn & Alan Van Vliet
JaHan Wang†
Julie & Peter Weil
Alison Whalen & Steve Marenberg
Susan & Dan White
Karen & Rick Wolfen
Lisa Yen & Tom Bajoras
DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE
$2,500 – $4,999
Robert E. & Maria H. Barron
Madelyn Bennett & Eric Gibson
VJ Boyd
Noora Raj Brown
Brown Family Fund
Jay Butterfield & Susan Ewert
Cindy Clark
Joanne Cohen
Linda & John Coleman
Ginger Conrad
Ellyce R. Cooper & Barry Cohen / Sidley Austin LLP
Tim Curtis & Shandon Youngclaus
Jacki & Murray Drechsler
Kathryn Falberg & Monique Predovich
Dennis & Jackie Fox
Ellie Goodman
Karney Guren Family Foundation
Zvia Hempling
Barbara Herman
Rand Hoffman & Charlotte Robinson
Linda & David Kagel
Stephanie Kramer
Cookie Miller
Thaine & Elizabeth Morris
Joyce & Harvey Reichard
Carol Risher
Allison & Bennett Rosenthal
David A. & Karen Richards Sachs
Leonard Sharzer
Snyder Family Foundation
Gelena & Seth Weissman
Leslie White & Al Limon
DESIGNER’S CIRCLE
$1,000 – $2,499
Anonymous (4)
Miriam Aguiar
Jan & David Altemus
Patti Amstutz
Bonnie & Bill Apfelbaum
Eloise & Mark Appel
Margaret Campbell Arvey
Karen Bell & Robb Cox
Wendy & John Bergquist
Westmount Asset Management
Susan Bloch-Kay & Stephen Kay
Artie & Ellie Berrick
John Bjorge & Mary McKelvey
Mrs. Carol K. Block & Chancellor Gene D. Block†
Paula Brand
Dr. Adrienne Brandriss
Chancellor Albert Carnesale & Mrs. Robin Carnesale
Dr. Fanya Carter, Ph.D.
Peter & Heidi Cartmell
Shelby & Lee Chaden
Martha J. Chase
Stephen Cook
Susan Dashe
Brock Dewey
Dr. & Mrs. William M. Duxler
Colleen M. Ellis
Terri & David Elston
Carl & Courtenay Enright
Lynne & Michael Feldman
Dr. Kimberly Finney
In Honor of Frank & Betty Fouce
Joan & Charles Fox
Anita Dann Friedman & Harvey Friedman
Catherine Froloff
Diane Futterman
Priscila Giraldo
Charlotte Gold
Lorain Goldberg
Ellie Goodman
Barry Gribble
Jill Grigsby & Rett Bull
Penny Grosz & Eugene Korney
Mary Hartley
Murray & Gail Heltzer
Jackson Henry
Hella Hershson
Jack Hileman & Roxanne Huddleston
Jean Himmelstein
Dr. John D. Hofbauer & Dr. Laura E. Fox
Iris Tuesday Productions
Freya & Mark Ivener
Lynn Hunt & Margaret Jacob
Nancy & Len Jacoby
Linda & David Kagel
Sally & Dr. Manny J. Karbelnig
Corrinne Mann Kempinsky & Louis Kempinsky
King Nutronics Corporation
Ann & Jonathan Kirsch
Wendy Kirshner
Katherine Kleindienst & Marc Goldsmith
Dr. Leonard & Stella S. Kleinrock
Trice Koopman & Mark Freund
Lena & Mark Labowe
Linwei Li
Judith Locke
Carl Levinger
Trini Lewis
Linwei Li
Cathleen Fitzpatrick Linder
Dr. Jennifer Lucero
The Malins Family Foundation
David Israeli & Dr. Marie Mazzone
Michael N. Marks
Douglas McAvoy, Jr.
Jeanne McDonald-Powers & Travis Powers
Alice Greene McKinney and E. Kirk McKinney, Jr. Fund
S. McQueen & D. Whalen
Ali Meghdadi
In Memory of Jane Hall
Norma & Larry Meyers
Lance & Hillary Milken Foundation
Joan & Phil Miller
Andrew & Laura Mintzer
Thomas W. Mitchell
Ron Myrick
Mark & Diane Neubauer
Ornest Family Foundation
Ralph Page
Philip & Leslie Paton
Sallie Patrick
Jacalyn & Paul Pepperman
Phil & Agnes Peters
Clark & Kathryn Porter
Joyce & Harvey Reichard
Dolores Rogers
Allison & Bennett Rosenthal
Oren Rosenthal
The Ross Family
Susan Schwarz & Stuart Berton
Sylvan & Sandra Seidenman
John Shaw
Rita & Jose Sigal
Ron Silverman & Soraya Ross
Mitch & Sherry Stein
Eric Strom & Eileen Goodis
Patrick Summers
Melora Sundt & Rob Kadota
Mr. & Mrs. David Tann
Audri & Stan Tendler
Marjorie Thomson
Ricardo Torres
Catherine & Leonard Unger
Theodore H. Sweetser & Jane L. Valentine
Daniel & Shauna Valenzuela
Marcia & Charles Wasserman Ph.D
Judith Leslie Waxman & Leo Stytle
Herbert Wolas
Cherie Wrigley
Richard Yaffe
Arnold & Tricia Zane
Ellen & Arnold Zetcher
PARTNER’S CIRCLE
$500 – $999
Anonymous (2)
Toshka & Norman Abrams
Carol Ahmanson
Robert C. Anderson
Greg Angstreich
Eloise & Mark Appel
Bonnie R. Arnold
In Memory of Janet Birnkrant
John B. Balen
Larry & Julie Blivas— In Honor of Phyllis Blivas
Susan & Michael Bordy
Howard Brightman
Marlene Bronson
Diane Burbie
Laura D. Campbell
Anthony Carbone
Sandra Chan & Richard Pezner
Mike Clements
Pam Coats
Hedva & Dr. Dudley Danoff
Susan Dashe
Bert Deixler
Kristin Diehl
Jan & Thea Drayer
Jeff Eckerle & Marilyn Osborn
Elizabeth A. Evans
Katherine A. Evans
Ron Rafay
Kenneth J. Friedman & Marilynn J. Friedman Family Foundation
Elaine & Larry Friedman
Burt & Nanette Forester
Carol & John Fox
Lynn & Barry Friesen
Corinne B. Garson
Francine Golden & Marvin Schlossman
Dorit Goldstein
Howard Gradet
Roger Gordon
Howard Gradet
Marcy Gross
Eve Haberfield & David N. Johnson
Roberta L. Haft
In Memory of Jane Hall
Michael & Candie Herman
Hella Hershson
Dr. Shelley Hill
James G. Hirsch
Robin & Edgar Hirst
Paul Gordon Hoffman & Sue Caren Hoffman
Robert & Gail Israel
Drs. Sharon & Lou Ignarro
Dr. Vito Imbasciani
Victoria Jackson & Bill Guthy
Linda Kaplan
Elodie Keene
Sharon Kerson
Cynthia A. King
Dr. & Mrs. Klausner
Dr. Phyllis H. Klein
Leana Kleinman & Jerald Johnson
Patricia Klous
Delores Komar & Susan Wolford
Sharon & Joel Koppelman
Deborah Lacusta & Daniel Castellaneta
Christo & Jeanne Lavagnino
Rhonda K. Lawrence
Rena & Craig Leeds
Gina Maria Leonetti
Lydia & Chuck Levy
Wendie Malick
Eric & Eva Plaza Mandel
Mark Mandel
Barbara Marshall
Douglas McAvoy, Jr.
Kathy & Jim McCaffery
Erin McKenzie
Christina Medigovich
Cynthia Melville
On Shore Foundation
Andrea & Patrick Murray
Bonnie Nash
Lorna Osunsanmi
Carol F. Phillips
Gloria & Michael Rausch
Faye Ray
Julie Rogers
Wil Rosser
Valerie & Bennett Roth
Lisa Rowley
Maxine Savitz
Lorin Schiff
Joel & Sonia Schneider
Nancy & Steven Schneider
John H. Scott
Marlene Sklar & Joel Moskowitz
Karen Smits
Jill & Scott Spiwak
Kirk & Mei-lan Stark
Andrew Stearn
Mr. & Mrs. David Tann
The Tatasciore Family
Barbara & Larry Tenan
Ms. Cathy Thomas
Johnson Thurston
Brigitta Troy
Ira & Laurie Waldman
Elizabeth Wheat
Mr. & Mrs. Mark Whitman
Herbert Wolas
Albert Wolsky
HOSPITALITY SPONSORS
Thank you to our year-round in-kind hospitality sponsors for their incredible generosity and support of the arts:
STK | The ONE Group
W Los Angeles — West Beverly Hills
Wolfsglen
CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE
The Chairman’s Circle acknowledges the historical contributions of the following individuals, whose support of Geffen Playhouse made the original vision of our founder, Gil Cates, Sr., possible:
Anonymous
Annenberg Foundation
Mrs. Carol K. Block & Chancellor Gene D. Block†
City National Bank
Kirsten^ & Donald Combs
Maria Israel-Curley & Jim Curley
Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman, Inc.
The David Geffen Foundation
Herbert M.^ & Beverly J. Gelfand
Rabbi Uri D. Herscher & Dr. Myrna Herscher
Audrey & Charles Kenis
Lincy Foundation
Fay & Frank^ Mancuso
Tina & Jerry^ Moss / The Moss Foundation
Perenchio Foundation
The Shubert Foundation
The Simms/Mann Family Foundation
Skirball Foundation
University of California, Los Angeles
Wasserman Foundation
Judy & Chancellor Charles^ E. Young
If your name has been misspelled or omitted from the list in error, please contact Tracy Reich, Director of Individual Giving at 310.208.6500 ext. 113.
ARTISTIC
Amy Levinson
Associate Artistic Director
Daniel Ionazzi
Producer
Phyllis Schuringa
Artistic Associate / Casting Director
Bella Luna
Company Manager
Olivia O’Connor
Literary Manager & Dramaturg
Lexy McAvinchey
Artistic Coordinator
Dionn Richardson
Assistant to the Artistic Director
PRODUCTION
Renee Duron
Director of Production
Jill Barnes
Artistic & Production Administrator
Alyssa Escalante
Production Coordinator / Resident Production Stage Manager
Melissa Hartman
Technical Director
Patty Squibb
Technical Director
Alexandre Norkus
Automation Supervisor
Philip Rossi
Lead Scenic Carpenter
Rick Gilles
Properties Master
Daniel Lynn
Associate Properties Supervisor
Audrey Lastar
Costume Supervisor
Sarah Lindsley
Costume Shop Supervisor
Spencer Doughtie
Lighting & Projection Supervisor
Jesus Cambero-Elias
Assistant Lighting Supervisor
James Grabowski
House Sound Supervisor
Bob Gilmartin
Resident A1
Chloe Shi
Production Assistant
ADMINISTRATION
Sarah Sturdivant
Chief Financial Officer
Erick R. López
General Manager
Berenice Campos
Director of Human Resources
Janice Gompers
Payroll Manager & HR Admin
Youra Kim
Accounting Manager
Jake Jones
Staff Accountant
Clay Dzygun
Office Coordinator
Marguerite Harris Receptionist
DEVELOPMENT
Sarah Weinberg Chief Development Officer
Elizabeth Kegley
Director of Institutional Giving
Tracy Reich
Director of Individual Giving
EDUCATION
Brian Allman
Director of Education & Community Engagement
Mark J. Chaitin
Manager of Education & Community Engagement
Paloma Nozicka
Education Associate
Sean Michael Boozer, DeJuan Christopher Conner, Lyssa Deehan, Sidney Edwards, Ryan Hallahan, Aja Houston, Bethany Koulias, BJ Lange, Tara Ricasa, Kenzo Rice, Gerry Tonella, Maddy Wager
Teaching Artists
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Patrick Brown
Director of Marketing
Zenon Dmytryk
Director of Communications
Karen Gutierrez
Director of Advertising & Audience Development
Brian Dunning
Director of Content & Creative
Zack Hamra
Director of Audience Services & Ticketing
Isaak Berliner
Social Media & Communications Manager
Alyssa Tyson
Audience Services Manager
Janice Bernal
Box Office Manager
Gil Cates, Jr. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / CEOJacob Feller
Box Office Manager
Rachel Jacoby, Anika Waco
Donor Relations Ticketing Associates
Brianna Barrett, Rachel Jacoby, Lauren Machain, Sara Turken, Anika Waco, Dennis Woullard
Box Office Staff
Theater Direct
Outbound Sales
OPERATIONS
Jeni Pearsons
Director of Operations
Mel Yonzon
Front of House Manager
Amy Farkas
Lead Concierge
Rob Mersola
Event Manager
Sarah Chute, Anya Pryjmak, Emir Yonzon
Part Time House Managers
Savanna Chute, Elizabeth Fritsch, Alia Mahboob, Shannon Noel, Autumn Oyemade, Adam Simers Guest Services
Brynn Allen, Blaire Battle, Avery Brown, Marlon Campos, Lauren Curet, Enzo De Cunto, Cecily Dowd, Camille Edwards, Kosi Eguchi Blake Elder, Sydney Fleischman, Aja Hinds, Dylan La Rocque, Cassidy LeClair, Meredith McClure, Austin Merrill, Elena Scaringe-Peene, Lanae Wilks Ushers
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Abdelkrim Bouzzit
Cloud System Administrator
Dream Warrior Group System Administrator
FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
Art Guillen
Facilities Manager
Martin Ayala, Felipe Ayala
Building Maintenance
Mario Santillan-Perez
Custodial
Juan Carlos Umaña, Camerina Martinez
Cleaning Custodial
Tarell Alvin McCraney ARTISTIC