PHOTO BY JEFF LORCH
We are proud to present the world premiere production The Ants to close our 2022/2023 Season, developed by Geffen alum Ramiz Monsef in our own Writers’ Room. Geffen Playhouse’s ongoing commitment to foster new, innovative works is an essential component of our overall mission, and we are grateful you are here on the journey with us.
As this season nears its close, I invite you to explore our exciting new lineup of plays for next season. The Geffen Playhouse 2023/2024 Season is filled with inspired storytelling at its best, and we look forward to bringing new voices to our LA stages, artists we are sure you will love for years to come. We hope you will join us in experiencing these plays that run the gamut from comedy to tragedy and give us new takes on stories we thought we knew.
I would also like to offer a special thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Backstage at the Geffen, honoring Debbie Allen and Greg Berlanti. This annual benefit raises funds to support our ongoing commitments to educational outreach, artistic excellence, and new play development—making the performance you are about to experience possible.
Welcome home, and thank you for supporting live, local theater here at the Geffen.
Gil Cates, Jr. Executive Director
WELCOME TO
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GIL CATES, JR.
ART LIVES HERE
Geffen Playhouse celebrates the diversity in our audiences and our productions, and it is our mission to create, foster, and nourish an environment that is open and welcoming for all. We are a home for the arts, and we believe our physical space should also reflect and be representative of our ongoing commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion in everything we do and the communities we support.
Next season, we welcome Terrell Tilford (Band of Vices) as Creative Director of Art Lives Here. For more information, visit geffenplayhouse.org/artliveshere.
FEATURED WORK #8
The Storyteller
ARTIST
Zachary Bones
ON DISPLAY
June 6 – July 30, 2023
Theatre is in my blood. By the time I was 5 years old, I knew that I wanted to be a performer. I was a child of adoption and it wasn’t until
I was 17 and already well on my way to theatre school that I discovered that not only were both of my biological parents actors, but that they had actually met while performing. Thinking about my own origins often makes me think about the origins of theatre itself... not the Greeks, but the earliest theatre. The cave paintings of theatre. My painting seeks to imagine the FIRST theatre and pay tribute to these early actors. In a time when human life was little more than survival, these storytellers gave meaning to our lives, and a name for our fears. Theatre is innately and uniquely human—it is our birth right passed down from these first storytellers.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Zachary Bones is an LA based visual artist, performer, activist, and arts educator who believes that art and storytelling have the power to grow our
capacity for understanding and empathy in the world. Zach is passionate about social justice and holds the conviction that the creation of art is vital to the progress of anti-racist work, the social evolution of our country, and even the survival of our species. Zach has worked on a variety of artistic projects over the years including: working as a storyboard artist for film and television, live speed painter, and a comissioned portrait and memorial artist. Zach has worked as a muralist, designer, scenic painter, and master carpenter with: Theatre of Note, Finite Films, Illyrian Players, Escape Room LA, Encore Entertainers, and more. You can learn more and see some of Zach’s work on his website at www.zachbart.com, or follow him on Instagram
@art_on_my_sleeve.
NOW ON DISPLAY IN THE LOBBY
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT VISIT GEFFENPLAYHOUSE.ORG/ARTLIVESHERE
ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AMY LEVINSON
Welcome to our final play of the 2022/2023 Season, The Ants. We are thrilled to premiere this new play by Geffen alumnus Ramiz Monsef. After powerhouse performances in Guards at the Taj and Mysterious Circumstances, Ramiz joined the 2019/2020 Geffen Playhouse Writers’ Room, where he developed this piece. Part horror story, part social satire, the play takes us on an unexpected and unsettling ride. Ramiz’s voice as a writer is as complex and layered as his performances as an actor; if you have been lucky enough to see him onstage here, you already know his capacity to transport an audience to an alternative time and place.
At the helm of this world premiere production is director Pirronne Yousefzadeh, who has expertly assembled a stellar cast and team of designers to execute this technically and emotionally ambitious play. Together, the team has transformed this intimate space into a domestic fortress that strives to keep its inhabitants safe from the rest of the world. Pirronne’s production keeps us on the edge of our seats as The Ants explores the haves vs. the have nots.
As we wind down on the 2022/2023 Season, I want to take this opportunity to thank you, the patrons, for continuing to invest in and engage with us. We continue to be inspired by your reactions to the work we are presenting, by your willingness to join us in conversation, and by your enthusiasm for new plays. Our work is made possible only by your participation. We look forward to beginning a new season in your company with Every Brilliant Thing in the fall.
Enjoy the show!
Amy Levinson Associate Artistic Director
Adi Greenberg CHAIR
Dr. Gene D. Block
Gil Cates, Jr. Executive Director
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
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
Jerry Moss
Bruce M. Ramer
Founding Chair
Victoria Mann Simms
Andy Spahn
Steven Spielberg
Steve Tisch
Dr. Charles E. Young Chair Emeritus
IN MEMORIAM
Gilbert Cates Founder
Marcia Israel-Curley
Audrey Skirball Kenis
Charles Kenis
Karl Malden
Ginny Mancini
Jerry Perenchio
Edie Wasserman
Lew Wasserman
LEGAL COUNSEL
Nikki Kerman Venable LLP
ADVISORY BOARD
John Sonego Chair
Stephanie Carson
Lori Collins
Ellyce R. Cooper
Debra Davis
Giovanna Desselle
Ann Gianopulos
Priscila Giraldo
Laura Kennedy
John McCrite
Audrey Povar
Eric Rollins
Scott Sandler
Cela Devine Sutton
Uma Swami
Miranda Tollman
Rebecca Vail
Laurie Ziegler
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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PHOTO BY ISAAK BERLINER
THANK YOU!
THANK YOU TO OUR 2023 SPONSORS, DONORS, HONOREES & STORYTELLERS VIEW EVENT PHOTOS & TRIBUTE MESSAGES AT GEFFENPLAYHOUSE.ORG/BACKSTAGE ryteller MI MI ROGERS nce by TH E STRINGQ rformanc e by ADAM PRESENTING SPONSORS TITLE SPONSOR PLATINUM SUPPORTERS heater Award Honoree D rvice Award HonoreeG I
BACKSTAGE AT THE GEFFEN
THE ANTS
WRITTEN BY RAMIZ MONSEF
DIRECTED BY PIRRONNE YOUSEFZADEH
SCENIC DESIGNER CAROLYN MRAZ
LIGHTING DESIGNER PABLO SANTIAGO
PROJECTION DESIGNER HANA S. KIM
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
SUSANNA JARAMILLO
PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER DARLENE MIYAKAWA
COSTUME DESIGNER DOMINIQUE FAWN HILL
ORIGINAL MUSIC & SOUND DESIGN BY JOHN NOBORI
MAGIC CONSULTANT DOMINIK KRZANOWSKI
FIGHT DIRECTOR JULIE OUELLETTE
DRAMATURG OLIVIA O’CONNOR
CASTING DIRECTOR PHYLLIS SCHURINGA, CSA
OPENING NIGHT
THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2023
This play was created during the Geffen Playhouse’s The Writers’ Room program, in which Los Angeles playwrights develop new works with the support and guidance of the Geffen Playhouse artistic team
Major support for this world premiere production provided by the Edgerton Foundation New Play Production Fund
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THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE PRODUCTION OF
THE ANTS
CAST OF CHARACTERS
(IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
The Brain HUGO ARMSTRONG †
Nami NICKY BOULOS
Meredith MEGAN HILL
The Pizza Guy JEREMY RADIN
Shahid RYAN SHRIME
†Fight Captain
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
The City. Soon.
RUNNING TIME
2 hours and 20 minutes Including one 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!
OPENING NIGHT SPONSORS
THE ROLE OF NUNZIO’S PIZZA IS PLAYED BY FRESH BROTHERS PIZZA
GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE 7
HUGO ARMSTRONG (he/him)
The Brain
Hugo Armstrong was most recently seen in Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 at the Mark Taper Forum, Uncle Vanya at Pasadena Playhouse, and Power of Sail here at the Geffen Playhouse. TV includes recurring roles on Bosch: Legacy and NCIS as well as stints on True Lies, The Blacklist, Room 104, and Fear the Walking Dead. Movies include Lucky, Coherence, Roman J. Israel, Esq., and Daniel Martinico’s OK, Good and Excursions. Recent VO includes podcast series DUST, Agent Stoker, and Blood Weed on Audible Originals, as well as voices for Cinema Toast and the MCU. He’s recurring on the Oldhead Two Hour Radio Hour on Blast Radio, and is a CalArts grad.
and Stonestreet Studios. Nicky’s TV credits include New Amsterdam, 9-1-1: Lone Star, and God Friended Me, acting opposite Navid Negahban, who later enlisted Nicky in a reading of the powerful play Asher’s Command. During the pandemic Nicky wrote an Arab superhero origin screenplay and is now working on the comic book so he can see more people like him represented on the big screen! Nicky co-founded Arcana Den, a creative, mindful studio in DTLA that offers breathwork workshops, figure drawing, tarot reading workshops, and sound bath meditations. Check out @arcana.den on Instagram for more details. Nicky is excited to be a part of this production and make his Geffen debut!
@nickyboulos
www.nicky-boulos.com
Nelson Greenberg’s Do You Feel Anger?; Robert Askins’ Hand to God; Lonesome Winter (co-written with Joshua Conkel). In 2019, Megan was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for her portrayal of David Lee Roth in Eddie and Dave and was named one of the Best Comedic Performances of the Year by the New York Times. Her play The Last Class: A Jazzercize Play has had acclaimed runs in New York, DC, and Seattle. B.F.A. in Acting & Original Works from Cornish College of the Arts. M.F.A. in Acting from ART/ MXAT IATT at Harvard. For more info: www.meganhill.net or follow on Instagram: @meganhillwhat.
NICKY BOULOS
Nami
Nicky Boulos is thrilled to be appearing in the world premiere of The Ants. Nicky earned his B.F.A. at NYU Tisch, and has continued his studies at Stella Adler Studio of Acting
MEGAN
Meredith
HILL (she/her)
Megan is delighted to be making her Geffen Playhouse debut and to be in collaboration again with Ramiz and Pirronne. Megan is a Brooklyn-based actor and writer. As an actor, she has originated roles in the world premieres of: Leah Nanako Winkler’s The Brightest Thing in the World and Kentucky; Crystal Skillman’s Open and Cut; Amy Staats’s Eddie and Dave; Mara
Jeremy Radin is an actor and writer and is absolutely thrilled to be making his professional LA theater debut at the Geffen Playhouse! He’s appeared in films such as The Way Back (directed by Gavin O’Connor) and The New World (directed by Terrence Malick), and TV shows like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Criminal Minds, and CSI. He’s an original member of the LA-based theater company The Public Assembly and Krymov Lab NYC. He studied and taught at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. His poetry has been
JEREMY RADIN The Pizza Guy
PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES 8 PLAYBILL
published widely in magazines and journals and he’s the author of two full-length collections: Slow Dance with Sasquatch (Write Bloody, 2017) and Dear Sal (Not A Cult, 2022). He owns and operates Lanternist Creative Consulting, through which he coaches writers and performers. This one’s for mom, who knew I was an actor before I did. Instagram: @germyradin
RAMIZ MONSEF (he/him)
Playwright
RYAN SHRIME (he/him)
Shahid
Ryan is thrilled to be back on stage making his Geffen debut in The Ants! An actor, singer, writer, producer, and voice performer, his favorite credits include Hulu’s Pam & Tommy and Grimcutty, Netflix’s On My Block, Nickelodeon’s Sam & Cat, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, as well as The Engine of Our Ruin at The Victory Theatre, and his recent voice role in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
II. Ryan trained at the William Esper Studio in NYC, the Berg Studios in LA, is currently studying at The Last Acting Studio in LA, and he holds a B.A. in Economics from Harvard University.
Socials: @ryanshrime
Ramiz is an alumnus of The Writers’ Room at Geffen Playhouse, where The Ants was developed. It also was developed at the Ojai Playwrights Conference in 2021. Ramiz is co-author of the musical The Unfortunates produced at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and A.C.T. in San Francisco. He wrote that show’s accompanying graphic novel as well. He also co-wrote The Many Deaths of Nathan Stubblefield, which premiered in the 2017 Humana Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville. His play 3 Farids was part of The Bushwick Starr reading series and selected to be in the New Works Festival at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, the DNA New Work Series at La Jolla Playhouse, and at Playwrights Horizons. Ramiz is an actor and has appeared in major theatres across the country, most recently playing the title role in Rajiv Joseph’s Letters of Suresh off-Broadway at Second Stage Theater, numerous television series including NCIS, S.W.A.T., SEAL Team, Kidding, Shameless, Modern Family, and Young Sheldon. He is also in the film Synchronic. Ramiz would like to thank Rachel Wiegardt-Egel, as well as Bob Egan at Ojai, for their championing of this piece. Ramiz is a former member of
the Evolving Playwrights Group at Circle X Theatre Co., and a current member of the L.A. Writers’ Workshop at Center Theatre Group, here in Los Angeles.
Pirronne Yousefzadeh is a director, writer, and educator, and serves as the Interim Associate Artistic Director at Playwrights’ Center. Prior to this appointment, she served as Geva Theatre Center’s Associate Artistic Director and Director of Engagement, where her directing credits include Vietgone by Qui Nguyen, Queen by Madhuri Shekar, The Royale by Marco Ramirez, Heartland by Gabriel Jason Dean, and The Lake Effect by Rajiv Joseph. She has a passion for new work that centers and uplifts the stories of global majority communities and has developed and directed work at Playwrights Horizons, New York Theatre Workshop, The Public Theater, Soho Rep, Ars Nova, The Kennedy Center, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cleveland Play House, and many more. Pirronne is a Usual Suspect at New York Theatre Workshop, New Georges Affiliated Artist, and member of EST, No More 10 Out
PIRRONNE YOUSEFZADEH (she/her) Director
PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE 9
of 12s, and Wingspace. She is an alumna of the 2050 Fellowship at NYTW, Sagal Fellowship at Williamstown, SDC Denham Fellowship, Lincoln Center Directors Lab, Soho Rep Writer/ Director Lab, New Georges Jam, and Drama League Directors Project. Pirronne was a finalist for the 2020 Zelda Fichandler Award from SDC and is a proud member of the union. M.F.A., Columbia University. Representation: Ben Izzo at A3 Artists Agency. www.pirronne.com
CAROLYN MRAZ (she/they)
Carolyn has collaborated on over 70 world premiere new works such as off-Broadway musicals, regional theater productions, immersive events, performance art, and international tours, including some favorite design challenges: a magic show, a spaceship, a sexy lounge on a decommissioned ferry, a rock musical staged in a church sanctuary, and a collapsible performance tent. For their experimental work in NYC, Carolyn has earned five Hewes Design Award nominations. Carolyn is a longtime associated artist of Target Margin Theater and Clubbed Thumb in NYC, and A Host of People in Detroit. Carolyn recently moved to LA and teaches at California State University, Fullerton. Proud union member USA 829. Please visit www.cmraz.com for a visual peek.
DOMINIQUE FAWN HILL
Costume Designer
Broadway: Fat Ham. Off-Broadway: Tambo & Bones (Playwrights Horizons and Center Theatre Group); Where the
Mountain Meets the Sea (Manhattan Theatre Club); The Dark Girl Chronicles: CHRONICLE X (The Shed); 125th & FREEdom (National Black Theatre); Fat Ham (The Public Theater and National Black Theatre). Regional: Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Rent (Portland Center Stage). Awards and Nominations: Obie Award, the USITT/USA Prague Quadrennial Best Costume Design Award, Lucille Lortell Award nomination, and Tony Award nomination. M.F.A., University of California, San Diego. Website: www.dominiquefhill.com
PABLO SANTIAGO (he/him)
Lighting Designer
Pablo is a live performance and digital film lighting designer. Winner of the Richard E. Sherwood Award, Stage Raw Award, and multiple Ovation Award nominations. Pablo’s designs aim to find evocative images that embody the emotional moment of the show. Images that can spark the imagination of the audience to worlds beyond the stage. Pablo has worked at Geffen Playhouse, Santa Fe Opera, LA Opera, Opera Omaha, Boston Lyric Opera, Detroit Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Long Beach Opera, Prototype Festival, The Industry, Opera Columbus, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Music Academy of the West, Opera Santa Barbara, The Kennedy Center, Teatro Municipal São Paulo Brazil, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Goodman Theatre, Arena Stage, BAM Harvey Theater, Mark Taper Forum, Denver Center
for the Performing Arts, Los Angeles Theatre Center, South Coast Repertory, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, The Broad, Kirk Douglas Theatre, Ensemble Theater Company Santa Barbara, Hollywood Bowl. Visit pablosantiagodesign.com and follow him on Instagram @pablosdesign.
JOHN NOBORI
Original Music & Sound Designer
John Nobori is a California-based sound designer, composer, and ensemble member of Cornerstone Theater Company. His work has been heard in plays produced by such organizations as Pasadena Playhouse and Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Other recent credits include Center Theatre Group’s production of Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue and South Coast Repertory’s production of Our Town. He has been nominated for several awards for excellence in sound design and is the recipient of an Ovation Award for his work on The Golden Dragon at Boston Court Pasadena. B.A. University of California, Irvine.
HANA S. KIM (she/her) Projection Designer
Broadway: The Old Man & The Pool (Lincoln Center Theater), Summer, 1976 (Manhattan Theatre Club). Off-Broadway/ New York: The Harder They Come (The Public Theater), The Visitor (The Public Theater, Lucille Lortel nomination), Eve’s Song (The Public Theater), Everything Rises (BAM), Magdalene (Prototype Festival). New music/opera: Sweet Land (The Industry), The Anonymous Lover (LA Opera). Regional: Geffen
PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES 10 PLAYBILL
Playhouse, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, South Coast Repertory, Magic Theatre, A.C.T., among others. Awards: Princess Grace Award, Dorothy and Richard E. Sherwood Award, Helen Hayes Award, Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Distinguished Achievement Award, among others. www.hananow.com
DOMINIK KRZANOWSKI
Magic Consultant
Dominik Krzanowski discovered magic at age 5 while watching Paul Daniels on British TV. His passion grew in Northern California, inspired by David Copperfield. Moving to Los Angeles, he became a Junior Member at the Magic Castle at 17. Dominik immersed himself in the magic library, performing in the Magic Castle each summer. Soon, he began designing illusions for himself and other magicians, showcasing his creations worldwide on cruise ships, TV, movies, and in Las Vegas. Credits include Guards at the Taj, Dracula the Musical, Dynamo: Magician Impossible, The Carbonaro Effect, Masters of Illusion Live!, Penn & Teller: Fool Us, and Carnival Cruise Lines. For 12 years, Dominik served as stage manager at the Magic Castle, and now directs and stages Milt Larsen and Terry Hill’s It’s Magic! show. Outside of magic, he trains horses and develops his own show at www.sebastiankraine.com.
SUSANA
JARAMILLO (she/her)
Assistant Director
Susanna Jaramillo is a Queensbased director who believes in radical inclusion and aims to create work that subverts our
expectations of identity, uplifts voices that are historically excluded from the theatrical canon, and interrogates the societal structures that limit us. Recent credits include: Jesus 2.0 (The Workshop Theater), Fucking A (PPAS), Best Life (JACK), Daddy (John Jay College). Assisting credits include: Wolf Play (MCC Theater), Dom Juan (Bard SummerScape), Wine in the Wilderness and Bite Me (Roundabout Theatre Company), African Caribbean MixFest (Atlantic Theater Company). Select academic theatre direction includes: Yellow Face (Front Row Theatre Company), Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play (iNtuitons Experimental Theatre), Little Shop of Horrors (Quadramics Theatre Company), Susanna is a member of Cohort 4 of the Roundabout Directors Group and the inaugural Drama League Stage Directing Assistantship Program and would like to thank the Drama League for this opportunity!
www.susannajaramillo.com
JULIE OUELLETTE (they/she)
Fight Director
Julie Ouellette is a Queer feminist actor and fight director committed to building safer spaces for marginalized artists by fighting for authentic representation, radical accessibility, and systemic racial equity in the entertainment industry (and beyond). Recent: A Transparent Musical (Center Theatre Group), The Inheritance (Geffen Playhouse), Little Shop of Horrors (Pasadena Playhouse). Upcoming: Julie will return to the stage this summer, appearing as the Major General in a wildly re-
bellious production of The Pirates of Penzance (Ophelia’s Jump).
www.hellojulieo.com
OLIVIA O’CONNOR (she/her) Dramaturg
Olivia O’Connor joined the Geffen as Literary Manager & Dramaturg in July 2022. Her previous creative development experience includes staff positions at Pittsburgh CLO (Manager of New Work Development) and Roundabout Theatre Company (Artistic Associate), as well as dramaturgy and selection committee work with City Theatre Company, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Bricolage Production Company, Third Space Theatre, The Flea Theater, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, and the 5th Avenue Theatre. Outside of her institutional work, Olivia has experience as a script consultant, copywriter, and playwright. www.oliviaannoconnor.com
DARLENE MIYAKAWA (she/her) Production Stage Manager
Darlene Miyakawa is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and the American Guild of Musical Artists and has worked around the U.S. including at: South Coast Repertory, Geva Theatre Center, L.A. Dance Project, Barrington Stage Company, Long Beach Opera, The Watermill Center Festival, Playwrights’ Arena, Piedmont Opera, Opera San Jose, California Symphony, Fort Worth Opera, Opera Memphis, Tri-Cities Opera, New York City Opera, OPERA San Antonio, Los Angeles Philharmonic, LA Opera, East West Players, Getty Villa, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley.
PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE 11
PHYLLIS SCHURINGA, CSA (she/her)
Casting Director
Phyllis is an Artistic Associate and the Casting Director for Geffen Playhouse. Recent casting includes The Inheritance: Part 1 & Part 2 and TRAYF. She has received 8 Artios nominations: 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.
GIL CATES, JR.
Executive Director
Gil Cates, Jr. is Executive Director of Geffen Playhouse. In this role, he is responsible
for managing the Geffen’s dayto-day 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 is currently directing 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, set for release in 2023. He studied at the National Theatre Institute in Waterford, Connecticut, and holds a B.F.A. in Drama from Syracuse University.
During her tenure at the Geffen, Amy has spearheaded numerous programs for commissioning and developing new plays and has shepherded more than 150 plays into production. Dramaturgy credits include the commissions and world premieres of Donald Margulies’ Time Stands Still and Coney Island Christmas, Jane Anderson’s The Quality of Life and The Escort, Amanda Peet’s Our Very Own Carlin McCullough, and Michael Mitnick’s Mysterious Circumstances. Other dramaturgy credits include Actually, Invisible Tango, Extraordinary Chambers, Build, Equivocation, Joan Rivers: A Work in Progress by a Life in Progress, Guards at the Taj, and Geffen Stayhouse virtual shows including Helder Guimarães’ The Present and The Future, and David Kwong’s Inside the Box. She holds an M.F.A. in Dramaturgy from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
AMY LEVINSON (she/her) Associate Artistic Director
PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES 12 PLAYBILL
BEHNAZ ATAEE
Chief Financial Officer
Behnaz “Nazy” Ataee is Chief Financial Officer of Geffen Playhouse. In this role, she has oversight responsibility
for accounting functions of the theater, including operating and capital budgets. In addition, she supports all IT and HR activities. Behnaz was named Chief Financial Officer in 2015 after serving as General Manager since 2002. She first joined Geffen Playhouse in 1999. Previously, Ataee worked as a senior financial analyst for Ultratech Inc., an international semiconductor company based in San Jose. Prior to Ultratech, she was an auditor for Van Sloten
CPA, after holding the position of Director of Accounting at FABS Management, where she was responsible for overseeing the finances of more than 25 non-profit organizations. As a financial professional with more than 30 years’ experience in for-profit and non-profit financial management and auditing, Ataee began her career in the Bay Area as a partner in a small tech startup. She holds a master’s degree from Pepperdine University.Mint aut
THE NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
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.
For more information on the 2023/2024 cycle of The Writers’ Room, please visit geffenplayhouse.org/thewritersroom.
The Writers’ Room is made possible through the generous support of the William Randolph Hearst Foundation and Jerry and Terri Kohl.
PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES
GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE 13
GEFFEN AT A GLANCE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
PRODUCTION STAFF FOR THE ANTS
Assistant Scenic Designer
Destiny Manewal
Assistant Costume Designer
Jennifer Deck
Assistant Lighting Designer
Edgar Alamo
Assistant Sound Designer
Caitlin Leong
Assistant Projection Designer
Jesus Hurtado
Assistant Fight Director
Collin Bressie
Production Assistant
Danielle Jaramillo
UCLA Directing Observorship Intern
Adrian Clark
Deck Crew
Chris Cowan, James Stanley
Automation Operator
Enrique Garcia
Carpenter Crew Lead
Philip Rossi
Wardrobe Supervisor
Kassidy Kleinsmith
Lighting Programmer
Nicole Jaja
Light Board Operator
Jesus Cambero Elias
Light Board Operator Swing
Erica Ammerman
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Scenery Built & Painted By
Centerline Scenery
Lighting Equipment Provided By
Kinetic Lighting
Sound Equipment Provided By
Jon Sound Inc., DnB Design, Launch
Projection Equipment Provided By
PXT Studio
SPECIAL THANKS
Sound Board Operator
Michael Svolos
Projections Programmer
Erin Teachman
Properties Artisans & Carpenters
Christopher R. Baab, Sigourney Chin, Danny Dolan Carpenters
Austin Bosley, Oliver Brink, James Chew, Chris Cowan, David Foubert, Ryan Fischer, Enrique Garcia, Rob Hille, Shadow LaValley, Claudia Peterson, Lila Schmitz, Syd Shoell, James Stanley, Eiden Weissblum
Scenic Painter
Vanessa Lara Dresser
Meghan Gottschalk
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Meghan Gottschalk, Kassidy Kleinsmith Stitcher/Wardrobe Swing
Stephanie Castro
Electricians
Shannon Barondeau, Ezra Fisher, Emily Moore, Ezra Muthiah, Keannak Parvaz, Sydney Smith, Christiana Saldibar, James Tatsch
CONTACT
Geffen Playhouse
10886 Le Conte Avenue
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ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES
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Monday – Friday, 10:00am – 6:00pm
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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.
ACCESSIBILTY
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.
Production Photographer
Aaron Epstein
Media Filming
Ramon Garcia
Design + Art Direction
Base Design Photography
Justin Bettman
UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television Scene, Prop, Sound, and Costume Shops; Rafi Barsoumian, Owais Ahmed, Behzad Dabu, Wade McCollum; Ali Ahn, Lucy DeVito; Souad Shrime, George Shrime
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
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. Susana Jaramillo’s participation as Assistant Director on this production was made possible by the Stage Directing Assistantship Program of The Drama League (Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Artistic Director; Bevin Ross, Executive Director).
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.
14 PLAYBILL
Join us for the culminating performance of the Veterans Cultural Identity Monologue Writing & Performance Workshop. Following an 8-week theater-making intensive, an ensemble of military veterans will come together to share personal, original monologues with the community. FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
REGISTER FOR FREE TICKETS AT geffenplayhouse.org/veterans BEYOND THE BARRACKS AN EVENING OF VETERAN CULTURAL IDENTITY MONOLOGUES MONDAY, JULY 31, 2023 • 8PM FREE COMMUNITY PERFORMANCE
PHOTO BY JEFF LORCH
THE CATHARSIS OF HORROR
AN INTERVIEW WITH PLAYWRIGHT RAMIZ MONSEF
BY OLIVIA O’CONNOR, DRAMATURG FOR THE ANTS
OLIVIA O’CONNOR: You grew up in the Bay Area. How does your experience in that city— and your experience watching the city change over the past decades—show up in The Ants?
RAMIZ MONSEF: I have a really complicated relationship with the Bay. I love it so much and also really don’t love what it’s become.
As a kid, San Francisco always felt liberating. It’s not a place that feels like that anymore, and that breaks my heart. It’s prohibitively expensive to exist there unless you’re a millionaire. I really see how life has left that city. And it’s because we put our faith in the almighty dollar rather than putting our faith in what built that city in the first place, which is the people.
I started writing The Ants when I was doing a show at ACT [American Conservatory Theater]. We were at The Strand on Market Street, and I was staying right around the corner, in the heart of the Tenderloin. Being there and seeing the huge disparity of wealth was shocking. It was shocking to step over bodies to walk
into the Twitter building. It seemed ridiculous to me that there was all this money and we couldn’t help people.
OO: How long have you lived in LA?
RM: I’ve lived here about eight years, but I’ve been in a different financial situation here. As an adult, I lived in the Bay between [the ages of] 18 and 24, during and after my time at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. During those years, I was dirt poor. I was selling CDs to eat. I was selling weed. I was piecing together whatever money I could to pay my rent and have food.
I haven’t had that same experience during my years in LA, but I still see economic disparity across the city. That is the reason why I don’t specify a city in this play. I don’t want anyone to be like, oh, that takes place in Chicago. That’s not here. Or that takes place in LA; that’s not here. It’s everywhere. It’s in different forms, but this is a problem everywhere. And it’s a problem to do with capitalism.
BEHIND THE SCENES Q&A
16 PLAYBILL
PHOTO BY BING PUTNEY
Playwright Ramiz Monsef
OO: Our audiences are going to experience [that disparity] coming to the Geffen to watch this play: just walking from the parking garage to the theater.
RM: Yeah. It’s so easy for people to distance themselves from it or throw out [explanations] like mental health. But I’ve known homeless people; I’ve been friends with homeless people by name. And being that poor would make you crazy too, you know? I wish we were all a little bit better at recognizing the difference between somebody who is dangerous and a threat and somebody who is just trying to check with the world if they exist anymore.
OO: The Ants is a horror play. Talk to me about your history with that genre.
RM: I love horror. I love to be scared. It’s a kind of catharsis to be scared, as it is to laugh.
Horror is having a bit of a moment. I think it’s because we are all dealing with some very pent up and complex emotions about the last few years. The last six, seven years have been horrific for a lot of people. We’re looking for some way to get that out of us.
When I was a kid, I was terrified of the “Thriller” video. And then I found a VHS of the making of “Thriller” where it’s Rick Baker putting on the zombie makeup and zombies having a great time off camera. All of a sudden, it wasn’t scary anymore. It was just fascinating. And then my obsession with monsters and creatures began.
OO: You’ve cited Night of the Living Dead, which makes a cameo in this play, as a source of inspiration. What about that movie spoke to you?
RM: It was one of the early [horror movies] that hooked me. Those three actually: Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and Day of the Dead are brilliant, because they are a perfect example of horror as metaphor.
Night of the Living Dead came out in ’68. Our country was going through some things in 1968. [The movie is] very much to do with race. Dawn of the Dead is about consumerism. Day of the Dead is about the military-industrial complex. They are three movies that are a perfect example of horror as social commentary and how this really is an elevated art form that masquerades as lowbrow entertainment.
OO: How has your experience as an actor influenced your approach to writing?
RM: Working in this business is a little like
working in a restaurant. I would hope that whoever the artistic director is, whoever’s managing the restaurant, at one point also washed dishes and mopped the floors. So that they know how every little piece in that machine works.
The only pieces I have are being an actor. But luckily, as a writer, most of what I’m doing is giving a thing to an actor. So I do feel like I have a leg up in terms of knowing what I as an actor would want from a writer. I also feel very lucky that I have worked with some really great playwrights. I’ve gotten to watch them and their process.
I always say that a good play is an emotional map that you give to an actor. All they should need to do is follow the instructions. I want to give actors all of the clues and all of the directions that they need to get to where they need to go.
OO: You and [director] Pirronne Yousefzadeh have worked together before. How did you start collaborating?
RM: We met a long time ago at UCSB, and then we reconnected when she did the apprentice show at Actors Theatre of Louisville years ago. Pirronne’s show was exquisitely directed. At the time, I didn’t realize that we had met before. I just was like, I want to know you because I want to know other dope artists. And then she reminded my forgetful ass that we actually had met a number of years ago.
So we reconnected in Louisville and then I wrote 3 Farids. And immediately I was like, do you want to direct a reading of this? It was one of those collaborations that was like, yes, of course. She gets what I’m trying to say, and there’s a very natural balance: we listen to each other; we respect each other. I feel like we’re both in it for the same reason, and that’s to make good art in a world that’s really hard to make good art in.
OO: The Ants came out of The Writers’ Room and was then developed at the Ojai Playwrights Conference. Coming into this process, the first full production, what are you hoping to learn or discover about the play?
RM: I guess we’ll learn if it works or not. I really want to make people uncomfortable. My favorite movies to experience are ones where I walk out and I feel different. That’s what I’m hoping for. I hope it doesn’t just feel like another fun night at the theater. I hope it really is hard for people to shake.
To read the full interview with Ramiz, visit geffenplayhouse.org/blog.
BEHIND THE SCENES Q&A GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE 17
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I’ve been working tirelessly to raise awareness about diabetes and its contributions to kidney disease, heart disease and more. It’s plagued my family for generations.
I am thrilled that UCLA Health is partnering with the Geffen because there is nothing like the arts to help address situations that need our attention, like health and wellness. The performing arts, like dance and theater, are transformative. I applaud UCLA Health and the Geffen Playhouse for coming together to help people.
—DEBBIE ALLEN
actress, dancer, choreographer, director, producer, and Geffen Playhouse alum
“ ”
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Petrossian Restaurant & Boutique
HOSPITALITY SPONSORS
Thank you to our year-round in-kind hospitality sponsors for their incredible generosity and support of the arts:
Skylight Gardens
STK | The ONE Group
W Los Angeles — West Beverly Hills
CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE
As we celebrate our 25th Anniversary, the leadership wishes to acknowledge the historical contributions of these individuals to the Geffen Playhouse who have made the original vision of our founder, Gil Cates, 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
Donors at the $150 level and up are recognized on our website at geffenplayhouse.org/thankyou.
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.
ANNUAL DONORS 24 PLAYBILL
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
Colm Summers
Director in Residence
PRODUCTION
Renee Duron
Director of Production
Jill Barnes
Artistic & Production Administrator
Melissa Hartman
Interim Technical Director
Patty Squibb
Interim Technical Director
Alexandre Norkus
Automation Supervisor
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
Behnaz Ataee
Chief Financial Officer
Erick R. López
General Manager
Berenice Campos
Director of Human Resources
Janice Gompers
Payroll Manager & HR Admin
Youra Kim
Senior Accountant
Tara Alexander
Junior Accountant
Clay Dzygun
Office Coordinator
Marguerite Harris Receptionist
Gil Cates, Jr. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
DEVELOPMENT
Sarah Weinberg
Director of Development
Elizabeth Kegley
Director of Institutional Giving
Tracy Reich
Director of Individual Giving
Christine Drew Benjamin
Director of Donor Engagement
Vaneh Assadourian
Interim Donor Relations Associate
Jessica Brusilow Rollins
Grant Writing Consultant
EDUCATION
Brian Allman
Director of Education & Community Engagement
Paloma Nozicka
Education Associate
Sean Michael Boozer, DeJuan Christopher Conner, Lyssa Deehan, BJ Lange, Tara Ricasa, Kenzo Rice, Maddy Wagner
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
Jacob Feller
Box Office Manager
Brianna Barrett, Rachel Jacoby, Sean James, Lauren Machain, Katie Sparks, Sara Turken, Anika Waco, Dennis Woullard Box Office Staff
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
Cristiana Barbatelli, Savanna Chute, Elizabeth Fritsch, Tony Jose Garcia, Alia Mahboob, Shannon Noel, Autumn Oyemade, Adam Simers
Guest Services
Brynn Allen, Lulu Altabbakh, Hannah Battersby, Blaire Battle, Avery Brown, Marlon Campos, Matt Clark, Sofia Constantine, Lauren Curet, Enzo De Cunto, Cecily Dowd, Camille Edwards, Blake Elder, Hector Eribez, Sydney Fleischman, Aja Hinds, Meredith McClure, Austin Merrill, Kenneth Sambula Jr., Elena Scaringe-Peene, Areany Tolentino, Lanae Wilks
Ushers
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
Karim 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
GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE 25
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.