Geva Guide: Fall 2015 by Geva Theatre Center

FALL 2015 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE Spamalot director Melissa Rain Anderson

SEEING RED

Inside the Studio of Red painter Mark Rothko

A SHOW THAT ROARS Benjamin Scheuer tames The Lion

LIFE ON THE FRINGE

The Rochester Fringe Festival returns to Geva

TELLING STORIES IN THE DARK A glimpse at the Festival of New Theatre

THE KIDS OF CAROL

One family’s Christmas story at Geva

TRANSFORMING A HISTORIC TREASURE Renovating Geva’s historic armory building

CLASS ACT

Young actors grow at the Summer Academy

DISCOVER LEARN CONNECT DO August - December 2015 www.GevaTheatre.org | (585) 232-4382

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FALL 2015 Whether you are a long-time patron or new to Geva, you can create a customized and entertaining journey that will fill you with joy, surprise, curiosity, excitement, and pride in the quality and breadth of professional theatre made right here in Rochester. This fall, your theatre’s 43rd Season kicks off with the much anticipated Journey to the Son: A Celebration of Son House. This four day blues festival and celebration of Rochester’s adopted son will fill both stages and the neighborhood with music, art, lectures, demonstrations and theatre. The Wilson Stage season launches in grand scale with the hilarious Broadway musical, Spamalot. You can then sample “theatrical tapas” in the Rochester Fringe Festival, which takes over the Fielding Stage with exceptional offerings of dance, theatre, magic, family shows and comedy. During the Festival of New Theatre, meet and join with playwrights working on their newest plays during two weeks of free play readings and discussions. You’ll also find the Tony Award-winning Red about artist Mark Rothko; a smash-hit musical by a modern day troubadour in The Lion; and a chance to make special holiday memories at A Christmas Carol, Rochester’s holiday tradition. In addition to seeing great theatre, you can learn how theatre is made, connect with friends new and old, or find a platform to speak your mind in one of the many community engagement programs. Go behind-the-scenes to explore backstage or the creative process. Network with other theatre lovers or have a special night out with yours. From new friendships and lifelong romances to lasting memories of happiness and wonder for youth and adults, Geva Theatre Center is here for you to nurture relationships, expand horizons and create unique experiences. There is something for everyone. Great theatre lives here at your Geva Theatre Center.

Mark Cuddy Artistic Director

Tom Parrish Executive Director

About this guide

Geva Theatre Center is more than just a venue for live entertainment. In addition to over 450 performances each year, Geva offers many other ways that you can connect with artists and your community. Throughout this guide, we’ve highlighted some upcoming events, grouped them with other offerings that might interest you, and noted some of the key aspects with an icon key like the one you see below. If you have any questions about an event, you can get more information at www.GevaTheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at (585) 232-4382. We’d love for you to discover a new way to engage with your theatre!

Reservation Required

Discussion

Fielding Stage Performance

Free Event

Donor Exclusive

Wilson Stage Performance

Sunday Salon Discuss the play with the cast after select performances. Follows Second and Fourth Sunday Matinees More info: www.GevaTheatre.org

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Geva veteran, actor/director Melissa Rain Anderson, returns to direct Spamalot, the first show of ESL Federal Credit Union Wilson Stage Series. Geva spoke with her about the art of adaptation and the Monty Python brand of humor. For a longer version of this interview, check out the Geva blog. Geva: You’ve worked at Geva as an actor (most notably in A Christmas Carol) and recently directed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. How have those experiences prepared you to make Spamalot at Geva? Anderson: I think I have an insight into the pulse of the Geva audience. Traditionally, I have a very specific aesthetic about comedy that I think (I hope!) has been proven to be successful with Geva audiences. I believe in a very specific sort of buoyancy and zaniness to the tone. I also want to be careful not to pull the rug out from under the audience too many times

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www.GevaTheatre.org | (585) 232-4382

since I feel that becomes tedious. Spelling Bee was a good barometer for me since audiences seemed to jump on board with that. I’m going to stick to my guns and my aesthetic and bring that kind of joy and buoyancy to this production. Geva: How much of Monty Python and the Holy Grail can fans expect to see in Spamalot? Anderson: The Spamalot tagline, “A new musical (lovingly) ripped off from the motion picture” says it perfectly. It is definitely lovingly ripped off. The show is great for the true Python fan because the sight gags are all there – the French taunters, the Trojan rabbit, the Black Knight, the killer bunny – all those big classic moments from Holy Grail are live and onstage, which is extraordinary. One thing we’ve done with this production that I think is really exciting is that our scenic designer, Jim Morgan, based the look of the set on Terry Gilliam’s original artwork. That artwork became so synonymous with the Python sketch comedy, and it’s specifically in Holy Grail in the cartoons of the transition. The whole look of the set will be a wonderful homage to that sort of whimsical style and color that the film has in its transition.

Discussion

Fielding Stage Performance

Free Event

Donor Exclusive

Wilson Stage Performance

Ask a question, make a suggestion or join the discussion! Geva is your theatre, and your voice matters. Be part of the conversation!

YOUR MIND

SPEAK

Reservation Required

Geva comedy improv

THE HORNETS’ NEST

Sunday Salon

Inspire a story and laugh out loud as it comes to life!

Debate polarizing questions raised by a play reading.

Discuss the play with the cast after select performances.

Most tickets are $10

December 7, 7pm

Follows Second and Fourth Sunday Matinees

www.GevaComedyImprov.org

Free, but reservations are required

More info: www.GevaTheatre.org

Geva: What do you hope audiences will take away from the production? Anderson: I’m hoping the evening will feel like a crazy party that everyone wants to be invited to. There’s so much going on in every aspect of this piece. I want it to be so enjoyable and ridiculously hilarious that audiences will want to come back and bring their friends. To take home the mantra, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” which is the heart and soul of the piece - you can’t get much better than that. Geva: The script calls for a cow to be launched over a wall. Do you think this will be a problem? Melissa Rain Anderson Another really important thing about the adaptation is that the rhythm of the script, and the verbal Monty Python humor, is still intact. Eric Idle (the book writer and lyricist), being one of the Pythons from the beginning, knew exactly where the humor needed to land in order to support a musical number coming out of it, and it works great as a musical comedy.

Anderson: Absolutely not! We have a lot of tricks up our sleeves. n

WILSON STAGE SERIES

SEPTEMBER 9 - OCTOBER 11

Geva: How will you maintain what people love about the movie while giving the Geva production its own identity? Anderson: It’s about the casting of the actors. The key is in finding the people that can inhabit the Python rhythm while maintaining a sense of freedom and balance. That’s what the Pythons did best: it always feels like they’re just riffing with each other, but in actuality that level of comedy takes great technique and skill. There’s a fine line to find the actors that can accomplish that in the true Python style, and then on top of that are able to sing and dance. We have a wonderful team assembled that can inhabit the sense of fun and silliness in an organic way.

Book & Lyrics by Eric Idle | Music by John Du Prez & Eric Idle Directed by Melissa Rain Anderson

A hilarious, Tony Award®-winning musical parody with heart-stopping musical numbers With Support from:

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Mark Rothko

Jonathan Binstock, the Mary W. and Donald R. Clark Director of the Memorial Art Gallery, describes his experience of artist Mark Rothko’s studio.

Jonathan Binstock seated in front of The Clown by George Condo

I first visited Mark Rothko’s studio, the same studio where the fictional exchange in John Logan’s play Red is meant to take place, on September 12, 2012. Of course the space didn’t legally belong to Mark Rothko at the time as he had been dead since 1970; but the space was still Rothko’s…in spirit at least. Abstract Expressionist painter Michael Goldberg took over the studio from Rothko in the 1960s. Located in the building at 222 Bowery in New York City, the edifice is home to New York artistic and literary history. The artist and poet John Giorno lives and works in three of the building’s loft spaces. He was an early boyfriend of Warhol and one of Warhol’s Superstars, most famously the protagonist in the 1963 experimental film Sleep. Author William S. Burroughs lived there in an apartment he called “The Bunker,” which Giorno took over after Burroughs died in 1997. Goldberg, who died in 2007, worked in Rothko’s studio for about 50 years. On that fall day in 2012 when I visited, it was to look at and learn about Goldberg’s art. His widow, artist Lynn Umlauf, was giving me a retrospective view of Goldberg’s life and work.

any painter could. He preserved an area of the studio floor where the remnants and drippings of Rothko’s much storied red paint remained. I would call that area a memorial to the great artist, but it wouldn’t be fair. With Goldberg there all those years, the studio was a living, breathing space, and the paint may have been for Goldberg more inspiration than memorial, more present than past. For me, as I lingered in amazement over Rothko’s red, that section of the floor was history made material.

Goldberg cherished the fact that he occupied Rothko’s studio, and he grappled with this awesome responsibility as best as

To help celebrate Geva’s presentation of John Logan’s Red, the Memorial Art Gallery has brought a major Mark Rothko

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www.GevaTheatre.org | (585) 232-4382

Photo by Annette Lein

WITH YOUR COMMUNITY

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CONNECT

Reservation Required

Discussion

Fielding Stage Performance

Free Event

Donor Exclusive

Wilson Stage Performance

Attending the theatre can be a great opportunity to share an experience with friends or make new ones. Meet, mix and mingle!

Business Member Night

Out at Geva

YoPro Night

Network with other business members at a local eatery.

Mingle with the LGBTQ community in a pre-show reception.

Become a Business Member for as little as $500

Second Thursday of each ESL Wilson Stage Series production

Party with other Young Professionals at a special pre-show reception. First Thursday of each ESL Wilson Stage Series production

For more information, call (585) 420-2011

Mention “Out at Geva” when you call.

Mention “YoPro” when you call.

conveys Rothko’s struggle with paint, with life, and with the awesome challenge of creating an artistic form that could encompass the struggle to define meaning in life as it played out against the always attendant backdrop of death. It all happened there, in that studio on the Bowery, and here, on this canvas. Come to the Memorial Art Gallery before or after you see Red so I can share with you this remarkable work of art. n

SUBSCRIBER BENEFIT Splotches of red paint as seen on the floor of Rothko’s studio

Don’t forget you can use your Buy-One-Get-One-Free coupons for the Memorial Art Gallery, included in your Subscriber Benefits handbook!

Photo taken on iPhone by Jonathan Binstock WILSON STAGE SERIES

October 20 - November 15 painting to Rochester. Rothko’s more than seven-foot-tall 1961 painting, Untitled, is on extended loan to the MAG and you can see it now, thanks to a partnership with Buffalo’s Albright-Knox Gallery.

Untitled features the artist’s legendary red paint, but also a very dark and rather dreadful mass that hovers above the deep red. Rothko struggled with depression, and scholars have written about how this struggle played out increasingly in his work as 1970, the year of his suicide, approached. With its burdensome, almost brutal upper-half, Untitled

By John Logan | Directed by Skip Greer

Painter Mark Rothko confronts his demons in this electrifying and riveting drama With Support from:

BUCKINGHAM PROPERTIES

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The Lion, an autobiographical one-man musical by Benjamin Scheuer directed by Geva veteran Sean Daniels, has received rave reviews in Edinburgh, London and Manhattan. Geva asked Scheuer – who generously took a break from writing his next show – to share where The Lion came from and how it grew into a transatlantic hit. Geva: What was the process of writing The Lion? Scheuer: John Lennon said, “tell the truth and make it rhyme.” I tried to take his advice. He knew a thing or two about songwriting. The Lion is a true story. Geva: Had you written any other plays or musicals? Scheuer: I have written, and had produced, other musicals. Five, in fact. All of them are very bad. I LOVED writing them all. I learned a great deal about how to tell a story with music and words; I learned how to work with a cast; and (without meaning to) I learned how to be IN a cast, when one of the actors dropped out four days before opening night. Geva: How did your first audiences respond to The Lion? Scheuer: I first started playing the songs from The Lion in coffee shops in Greenwich Village. And if someone got up to go pee, or checked their phone, I knew that they were bored, so I’d better make that part of the show more interesting. In the current version of The Lion, while people tend not to leave mid-show to get a beer, about once every ten performances we do get someone fainting in the more intense part of the show. I’ve gotten used to stopping the show and calling – from the stage – to hold the show, asking for the lights in the theatre to be turned on and for medical personnel to be called. It’s a weird part of my job. Geva: How did Sean Daniels get involved?

Benjamin Scheuer, photo by Nilaya Sabnis

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www.GevaTheatre.org | (585) 232-4382

Scheuer: The Lion wouldn’t exist without Sean, plain and simple. I was a writer-in-residence at Goodspeed Musicals in January 2013, and in the house next to me were Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis, the fellas who wrote Urinetown.

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Discussion

Fielding Stage Performance

Free Event

Donor Exclusive

Wilson Stage Performance

Check out something you’ve never seen before. It might just be the next big thing – and if it is, you saw it here first!

DISCOVER SOMETHING NEW

Reservation Required

Journey to the son

THE Fringe AT GEVA

Festival of New Theatre

A 4-day festival honoring blues legend and Rochester’s adopted son, “Son” House. August 26 - August 29

This 10-day festival features diverse performances in the Fielding Stage.

Step into the writers’ studio and be part of the creative process.

September 17 - September 26

October 19 - November 1

Many free events, reservations required

Tickets at www.RochesterFringe.com

Free, but reservations are required

They were there working on their new show about zombies with a director called Sean Daniels. And I was working on my coffee-shop show. We’d all meet around the piano in the evenings, share songs, ask advice, chat. Sean understood, from a very personal place, the kind of story that I was working on. Sean had recently been in a relationship that had ended badly; his father had recently died; he’d battled a lifethreatening illness. I got invited to the Weston Playhouse in Vermont to work on my piece for a week in April 2013. The artistic director, the lovely Steve Stettler, said “Ben, bring a director; you could use another pair of eyes and ears.” Going to Weston for a week with Sean was very much a first date. We found out what it was like to work with one another. I’d write from 6:30am-10:30am, at which point I’d come out of my room, exhausted, and then we’d make breakfast. Sean makes very good breakfast. And then we’d go hiking in the afternoons. We talked about our fathers. We talked about girls. And we outlined the show on note-cards. White ones for scenes. Blue ones for songs. And really, you want to turn the white cards into blue ones. (Meaning you want the songs to do most of the moving-the-plot-along, the character-development, the tension-building.)

Oh, and I’m better at playing the guitar now then when I first started performing the show. Geva: What’s next for you after The Lion? Scheuer: I’m making an album called Songs from The Lion with record producer Geoff Kraly. And I’m working on two new music videos of songs from this album, “Weather the Storm” and “Cure,” with the brilliant British animator/director Peter Baynton, who made the videos for my songs “Cookietin Banjo” and “The Lion.” The Williamstown Theatre Festival has commissioned me to write a new musical. It’s in the early figuring-out-what-the-show-is stage. I’m interested in writing about how the things we want most are the things we’re least comfortable asking for. (Think of YOUR version of that thing. I know you know what it is.) n

Fielding STAGE SERIES

November 11 - NOVEMBER 22

Geva: What changes have you made since the first production? Scheuer: The first production of The Lion was called The Bridge, and it was at the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Since then I’ve cut two songs, written six new songs and completely re-written the script. We’ve gotten a set designer (Neil Patel), a sound designer (Leon Rothenberg) and a costume designer (Jen Caprio, with Kirk Miller.) In every run, I keep tweaking the script, tightening it, making the show sharper and crisper.

Written and performed by Benjamin Scheuer Directed by Sean Daniels

A charming new musical about love, loss, loyalty, and the redemptive power of music With Support from: The Fielding Stage Series is supported in part by the Gouvernet Arts Fund at the Community Foundation

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August 26-29, 2015

A four-day festival honoring blues legend Son House “If you tell a lie, it will be all over the country in a day or two. But if you tell the truth, it will take ten years to get there.” - Son House In 1943, a young man named Eddie “Son” House moved to Rochester from rural Mississippi, and took a series of industrial jobs. What very few people knew at the time was that House was already a blues giant, one who had been recorded by Paramount Records and by Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress. He had influenced musicians, entertained throngs in juke joints on Saturday evenings, and preached from the pulpit on Sunday mornings. But in Rochester, he kept those facets of his life quiet. That is, until 1964, when three blues enthusiasts from Massachusetts drove to the South to find him, and wound up on his porch in what was then the Third Ward, right here in Rochester. One of them, Dick Waterman, became his manager and launched him back into the national and international spotlight, where he was able to influence a whole new generation of musicians and audiences. The list of artists inspired by House is a veritable who’s who of blues and rock and roll, including Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, Jack White, Bonnie Raitt, John Mooney, the Rolling Stones, and many, many more. In 2013, inspired by a grant opportunity from the Max and Marian Charitable Foundation, Geva began planning a festival celebrating the life and legacy of Son House. From August 26-29, Geva invites you to take a journey through Son’s life. Theatre, music, visual art and insightful presentations will guide audiences through his life and legacy, and offer opportunities to celebrate the blues legend who lived right here in our midst.

With support from

Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, most of the events in the festival are free. To reserve your seat at any of these events, visit our website at www.GevaTheatre.org.

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE Photo by Dick Waterman

Event venues vary. For full descriptions and event information, visit www.GevaTheatre.org

Wednesday, August 26: Introducing…Son House Festival Kickoff and Opening Event The Billy Thompson Band Son House on Screen with Carvin Eison Audio Blues – Following Son House with Lindsay Jones Happy Hour with The David Miller Band at Dinosaur BBQ Workshop: Fundamentals of Blues Guitar Playing with Billy Petito and Bob Sneider at Eastman School of Music 8:00pm Concert-Style Reading of Revival: The Resurrection of Son House by Keith Glover 1:00pm 1:30pm 2:30pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm

Thursday, August 27: How Mississippi Influenced the Blues World

John Hammond

The Role of Mississippi in the Blues with Jim O’Neal Music Demonstration: Son’s Style with John Mooney Son in Popular Culture with John Covach, Dave Headlam and Lauren Onkey Son’s Life in Mississippi with Jenni Werner, Jim O’Neal and Daniel Beaumont Happy Hour with Fred Vine at The Beale St. Café A Drink and a Chat with Keith Glover and Scott Regan Workshop: Son House Guitar Style and Repertoire with Genesee Johnny and Friends (Bottleneck slide recommended) at Eastman School of Music 8:00pm Concert: Grammy Award-winner John Hammond ($)

10:30am 12:00pm 2:30pm 4:30pm 5:30pm 6:00pm 6:00pm

Friday August 28: Son in Rochester

John Mooney

10:30am Son House on Tour: Photos of a Second Career with Dick Waterman 12:00pm Open Mic: Stories About Rochester’s Adopted Son emceed by Skip Greer 2:30pm Celebrating Rochester’s Blues Roots with The Crawdiddies and Steve Grilles and the Roadmasters 5:00pm Mississippi Blues Trail Marker Dedication in Corn Hill 5:30pm Happy Hour with Genesee Johnny and Gordon Munding 6:00pm Blues Harp Workshop with Jerry Portnoy 8:00pm Concert: John Mooney and Friends (Joe Beard, Brian Williams, Fred Vine and Rockin’ Red) ($) Post-show Jam Session emceed by Genesee Johnny

Saturday, August 29: Son Shines into the Future 10:30am 12:00pm 12:00pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 2:30pm 3:15pm 4:30pm 4:45pm 8:00pm

Chris Thomas King

Son House Looking Forward with Steve Grills, Doug Curry, Edward Komara and Jeff Harris Story of a Life in the Blues with Jerry Portnoy The Blues in Washington Square Park: Lisa Bigwood The Blues in Washington Square Park: Gordon Munding The Blues in Washington Square Park: Fred Vine Son House’s Extended Family with Daniel Beaumont, John Mooney and Joe Beard The Blues in Washington Square Park: The David Miller Band Gallery Walk with Dick Waterman The Blues in Washington Square Park: The Tabletop Three Concert: Grammy Award-winner Chris Thomas King ($)

All events at Geva Theatre Center unless otherwise indicated

EVENTS CALENDAR SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

AUG 9

12 Renovation Tour

15 Academy Showcase 1pm

18 SPAM Meet + Greet

24 Volunteer Appreciation

SEP 1

10 SPAM 7:30pm YoPro Night 6pm

11 SPAM 8pm

12 ACC Youth Auditions SPAM 2pm SPAM 8pm

13 ACC Youth Auditions SPAM 2pm SPAM 7pm

15 SPAM 7:30pm

16 SPAM 7:30pm

17 SPAM 7:30pm OUT at Geva 6pm Fringe Fest - see website

18 SPAM 8pm Fringe Fest - see website GCI 10:30pm

19 SPAM 4pm SPAM 8:30pm Fringe Fest - see website GCI 10:30pm

20 SPAM 2pm Sunday Salon SPAM 7pm Fringe Fest - see website

21 ACC One Day Sale 8am - 8pm

22 SPAM 6pm Fringe Fest - see website

23 SPAM 7:30pm Fringe Fest - see website

24 SPAM 7:30pm Fringe Fest - see website

25 RED Meet + Greet SPAM 8pm Fringe Fest - see website GCI 10:30pm

26 SPAM 4pm SPAM 8:30pm Fringe Fest - see website GCI 10:30pm

27 SPAM 2pm SPAM 7pm

28 Business Ethics Event

29 SPAM 7:30pm

30 SPAM 7:30pm

OCT 1

SPAM 2pm Sunday Salon SPAM 7pm

Producer’s Circle Dinner S.I.S Event

11 SPAM 2pm

Alumni Invited Dress

SPAM 7:30pm

Python Film Series at the Little Theatre

SON - see website Python Film Series at the Little Theatre Python Film Series at the Little Theatre SPAM 7:30pm Python Film Series at the Little Theatre

SPAM 2pm SPAM 7:30pm

SON - see website

SPAM Student Matinee SPAM 7:30pm SPAM Student Matinee SPAM 7:30pm

SON - see website

SPAM 8pm

SON - see website

SPAM 4pm SPAM 8:30pm

10 SPAM 4pm SPAM 8:30pm

16 GCI 8:30pm

17 Tech Talk GCI 8:30pm

FONT - see website

20 RED 7:30pm FONT - see website

21 RED 7:30pm FONT - see website

22 RED 7:30pm YoPro Night 6pm FONT - see website

23 RED 8pm FONT - see website

24 RED 2pm RED 8pm FONT - see website

25 RED 2pm RED 7pm FONT - see website

26 Blood Drive 8am-1pm FONT - see website

27 RED 6pm FONT - see website

28 RED 7:30pm Business Member Event FONT - see website

29 RED 7:30pm OUT at Geva 6pm FONT - see website

30 RED 8pm FONT - see website

31 RED 4pm RED 8:30pm FONT - see website

NOV 1

RED 2pm Sunday Salon RED 7pm FONT - see website

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RED 7:30pm

www.GevaTheatre.org | (585) 232-4382

RED 7:30pm

RED 8pm

RED 4pm RED 8:30pm

SUNDAY 8

RED 2pm RED 7pm

MONDAY 9

Riedel Book Signing

TUESDAY

AUG 2015 - JAN 2016 WEDNESDAY

Reservation Required

Discussion

Fielding Stage Performance

Free Event

Donor Exclusive

Wilson Stage Performance

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

10 ACC Meet + Greet RED 7:30pm

11 RED 2pm LION 7pm RED 7:30pm ACC at The Strong

12 LION 7pm RED 7:30pm

13 LION 7pm RED 8pm

14 LION 3pm RED 4pm LION 7pm RED 8:30pm

15 RED 2pm Sunday Salon LION 3pm LION 7pm

17 Open Rehearsal LION 7pm

18 LION 2pm LION 7pm

19 LION 7pm

20 LION 7pm

21 LION 3pm LION 7pm

22 LION 3pm LION 7pm

25 ACC 7:30pm

27 ACC 7:30pm GCI 8:30pm

28 ACC 2pm ACC 7:30pm GCI 8:30pm

29 ACC 2pm ACC 7pm

DEC 1

ACC 12pm ACC 4:30pm

ACC 7pm

Hornets’ Nest 7pm

ACC Student Matinee

ACC Student Matinee ACC 7pm

ACC Student Matinee

ACC 7:30pm

10 ACC Student Matinee ACC 7pm

11 ACC 7:30pm

12 ACC 2pm ACC 7:30pm

13 ACC 12pm ACC 4:30pm

15 ACC Student Matinee ACC 7pm

16 ACC Student Matinee ACC 7pm

17 Holiday 7pm Screenplays Presents ACC 7pm

18 MIR Meet + Greet Holiday 7pm Screenplays Presents ACC 7:30pm

19 ACC 2pm Holiday 7pm Screenplays Presents ACC 7:30pm

20 ACC 12pm Holiday 2pm Screenplays Presents ACC 4:30pm

21 ACC 7pm

22 ACC 7pm

23 ACC 2pm ACC 7pm

24 ACC 12pm ACC 4:30pm

26 ACC 2pm Holiday 2:30pm & 7pm Screenplays Presents ACC 7:30pm

27 ACC 12pm Holiday 2pm Screenplays Presents Home for the Holidays

31 GCI 7:30pm GCI 10:30pm

JAN 1

12 MIR 7:30pm

13 MIR 7:30pm

14 MIR 7:30pm YoPro Night 6pm

15 MIR 8pm

16 MIR 2pm MIR 8pm

17 MIR 2pm MIR 7pm

18 Magic in the Making Open House 4pm-7pm VIP Tour

19 MIR Student Matinee MIR 6pm

20 MIR 7:30pm

21 MIR 7:30pm OUT at Geva 6pm

22 MOCK Meet + Greet MIR 8pm GCI 8:30pm

23 MIR 4pm MIR 8:30pm GCI 8:30pm

Audio Description

Open Captioned

Sign Interpreted

Opening Night

Dates, times, shows and artists subject to change. Visit www.GevaTheatre.org for the most up to date information.

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LIFE ON TH E

Diaghilesque, photo by John Schlia

10 days. 25 venues. 500 performances. 2015 is the biggest year yet for the First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival, which last year attracted 60,000 attendees. With offerings to suit almost anyone’s taste and budget, it’s easy to see why audiences love the Fringe. But perhaps the Fringe’s biggest fans are the artists who perform in it, many of whom return year after year, from around town and across the country, to share new work with Rochester audiences. Of the eleven Fringe shows that will perform in Geva’s Fielding Stage this year, five are created by returning Fringe veterans. Choreographer and Nazareth College professor Heather Roffe has performed at Geva each year since the Fringe’s inception in 2012; her 2015 show, Merged III, is her third annual collaboration with College at Brockport professor James Hansen. Roffe keeps coming back because the Fringe “brings in audience members who are arts-curious, and usually come with a very open mind and engaged spirit.” Joe Cappon, who’s returning for his second Fringe as Amazing Magic Joe, agrees with Roffe: “I decided to perform again because of the great audiences that came out to see the

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show last year. The shows went great, and I can’t wait to show everyone what craziness I have in store for this year.” But what all the returning performers emphasize most about the Fringe is the community it creates. That’s especially important to out-of-town performers like New York City-based choreographer Arrie Davidson, who will make her second Fringe appearance this year with NO SAFE WORD. Last year, Davidson and the cast of her show Diaghilesque enjoyed the hospitality of colleagues in the Brockport community during the Fringe, so she’s looking forward to “reconnecting with people we met last year and forging brand new relationships” in 2015. Performing for the first time in a new city was a “fun and scary challenge” made easier and more rewarding by those personal connections. For out-of-town and local artists alike, being part of the Fringe community means being audience members, too. When they’re not performing, artists rush to see each other’s shows, often using their performer passes to purchase last-minute tickets. For Roffe, the biggest excitement of each Fringe is “sharing the stage with other talented artists, and getting to see as much other live/performance art as I can possibly squeeze into 1.5 weeks!” That makes for a busy, possibly exhausting ten days, but Fringe only comes once a year. How many shows can you squeeze in? n The Fringe Festival runs September 17 - 26. Tickets and information are available at www.RochesterFringe.com

O ctober 1 9 - N o v ember 1

The plays in this year’s Festival of New Theatre will be announced in early October. Keep an eye out for the schedule, or email GevaTalk@GevaTheatre.org to be placed on Geva’s new play email list. What mysteries might unfold in an hour or two in a darkened room? What new ideas can be stirred up? What will surprise and delight? These are the questions that keep Geva’s literary department reading new plays, meeting new writers, and looking for opportunities to help them strengthen their stories. The great American playwright Thornton Wilder (Our Town) once wrote in an essay about the craft of playwriting, “The gathered audience sits in a darkened room, one end of which is lighted. The nature of the transaction at which it is gazing is a succession of events illustrating a general idea – the stirring of the idea; the gradual feeding out of information; the shock and counter-shock of circumstances; the flow of action; the interruption of action; the moments of allusion to earlier events; the preparation of surprise, dread, or delight...” Throughout the year, the literary staff reads plays by writers all over the world, and makes a selection of plays to support through in-depth dramaturgical conversations; intensive rehearsals with playwrights, directors and actors discussing and clarifying the play; and concert-style readings with actors at music stands.

From October 19 to November 1, Geva’s Festival of New Theatre (FONT) invites audiences to participate in this search for new stories. Every story starts out somewhere, and even classics like Our Town were new plays once. Birthing a new play isn’t easy, and it takes a great deal of collaboration from artists and audiences alike. During FONT, it’s as if the audience is a guest in the writers’ studios, while they investigate the stories they’re telling on the stage. For two weeks, Rochester audiences play a critical part in the playwrights’ process – no playwright is finished with their story until it’s presented, until they hear how it works in that darkened room Wilder describes. During FONT, Rochester audiences can sit with the playwrights in their midst, as they hear their stories in front of an audience, sometimes for the first time. Because the plays are presented as readings, the play is performed without the embellishment of a realistic setting or theatrical design, so the actions and ideas of the play resonate in the audience’s imagination. Stay after the reading for a conversation with the playwright, who is looking to learn from the audience – their newest collaborator. And what does the audience gain from the experience? The opportunity to be on the ground floor, meet the writer, and imagine the world of this play before any designer has even read the script. And, who knows, the play might just be in a future Geva season! And then you can say you were there at its birth. n

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Kyle Mueller front row center A Christmas Carol, photos by Huth Photography

Geva has been producing A Christmas Carol for over 30 years. It is indeed Rochester’s holiday tradition, but for a group of young actors and their families, it has special meaning. Geva casts 16 local children annually in this production. While most children are looking forward to the Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, these young actors’ days and evenings are scheduled around rehearsals and performances. It begins in mid-September when Geva holds open auditions for area children. Over 100 kids audition for a coveted spot in the cast. Rehearsals commence in early November when the children arrive after school on weekdays to rehearse with Geva’s professional cast until about 10pm. On weekends, rehearsals commence at 10am and end at 8pm. The week prior to the first performance is “tech week” when the actors rehearse with the scenery, costumes, lighting and sound. During this lengthy technical rehearsal process, it is not unusual to see kids with their schoolbooks littered around the theatre, getting in some homework while waiting for their turn on stage. During the eight weeks of rehearsals and performances, having a child in A Christmas Carol is an extraordinary commitment for any family. Deborah and Jeff Mueller have had four of their children appear in the show: Jonathan, Kyle, Megan and Erin. “Our schedule revolves around the rehearsals and performances,” says Deborah. “With this great experience comes an ever changing schedule,” adds Jeff. “With rehearsal calls coming the night before, we have to shuffle lessons and

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sports practice pick-up times and still try to sit down as a family for dinner.” “We have to work closely with the schools to make sure everyone gets out of school when they are supposed to and that the kids keep up with the school work,” said Deborah. “The Webster School District has been very accommodating of the schedule. There was one year where we had to work with the elementary school, middle school and high school and make pick-ups at all three.” “Being in the shows at Geva has been a wonderful experience for the kids,” said Deborah. “There is a tremendous amount of responsibility required – being on time, remembering lines and blocking, sitting through rehearsals and always being on their best behavior. But the kids absolutely love it – they make wonderful friends and get to work with professional actors and staff. They love the costumes and quick changes, the music, greeting guests in the lobby after shows, playing cards in the green room and the sheer excitement of every show. It is a very emotional time when the season comes to an end, especially for those kids who ‘age out’ and will be too old to do another show.” Jonathan Mueller, now 17, was in the 2011 cast before he “aged out.” (Union rules dictate that young actors cannot be over the age of 13.) “Balancing schoolwork with rehearsals and performances has proven to be a valuable life lesson of time management and multi-tasking. It truly reaffirmed the need to budget every spare moment and be able to fit academic work into study halls, car rides, and spare time.” Kyle Mueller, now 14, appeared in A Christmas Carol from 2012 to 2014 having previously appeared in A Christmas Story and The Music Man. “As I have grown and matured, the story gains

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Actors Jim Poulos and Megan Mueller rehearse with director Mark Cuddy

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For Jonathan, it is the way in which the show “lifts the spirits of the cast and audience members alike.” “The cast has become like extended family,” added Jeff. “We have spent the last six Christmas seasons with them. Participation certainly gets you in the spirit of Christmas and reminds you what the season is truly about. A Christmas Carol has definitely become a tradition in our home. Since our children have performed almost every child role in A Christmas Carol, each season has given us a fresh look at the production, and helps bring to light the subtle details that make this such a wonderful story to see again and again.”

meaning, and I learn many lessons as I perform and watch great actors perform this production. During ‘Geva season’ – as my family calls it – the cast and crew become an extended family who we spend as much time with as our own families.” Megan, now 13, appeared in A Christmas Carol from 2010 to 2013, playing Tiny Tim in the premiere of the current adaptation and the Ghost of Christmas Past in 2013. The latter requires being suspended 12 feet above the stage in a specially-crafted safety harness for about 20 minutes. “The special mechanics used to make me fly are fascinating,” said Megan. “The results seem like magic on the stage.” Each of the Mueller children has their favorite part of the show. For Erin, it is the Fezziwig Party because “it’s cheerful and bright and has fun songs, costumes, dances, and festive decorations.” For Kyle, it is the Cratchit family scene with Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Present. “Coming from a large family, I love the warm family aspect of the scene. The arguing, the playing, the joking, and the constant noise remind me of my family and the joy of being in a large household.” For Megan, it is when Scrooge is shown his young life by the Ghost of Christmas Past.

presents

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

“My three youngest children cannot remember Christmas without Geva,” says Deborah. “I was pregnant with my youngest child, Allie (now 4) when Megan was Tiny Tim. Allie has been a huge Marley fan for the past two seasons. It is hard to believe that next year Allie will be able to try out for Tiny Tim!” n

YOUNG ACTOR AUDITIONS Geva Theatre Center will hold auditions for young actors for A Christmas Carol on: Saturday, September 12 from 9am-1pm and 2pm-5pm Sunday, September 13 from 9am-1pm Callbacks will take place on September 13 from 2pm-6pm Auditionees must be between the ages of 5 and 13. Auditions are by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, call (585) 232-1366, between 9:00am and 5:00pm, Monday through Friday.

NOVEMBER 25 - DECEMBER 27 | 2015

The sparkling holiday classic full of spectacular magic, music and tradition

With Support from:

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Before and during renovation work on the 2nd floor reception area

TRANSFORMING

A HISTORIC TREASURE This summer, Geva Theatre Center completed the first phase of an interior renovation, funded by the ongoing Front & Center: The Campaign for Geva. The interior renovation has three main goals: to create a home for first class artists, to enhance the audience experience, and to nurture support and service. Front & Center: The Campaign for Geva, which to-date has raised over $9 million of its $10 million goal, will transform Geva Theatre Center’s historic home, the former New York State Arsenal, into a dynamic world-class cultural asset that serves people from all over the country, provides exceptional arts and cultural programs, and contributes to the economic vibrancy of the region. As a result, Geva will provide more opportunities to entertain, inspire, educate, engage and lead. The building in its current form has served Rochester well for over a generation, and these renovations will prepare it to serve and attract future generations.

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The first phase of the interior renovation included improvements to the top floor and basement. The front half of the building’s top floor is now a multi-use space to benefit students, educators, patrons, artists and staff. The renovated space is well equipped to offer the best learning experience for the children and youth Geva serves and an exceptional environment for creating national level theatre productions and events. This reconfiguration establishes a dynamic hub of creativity, innovation and education, including the ability to expand in-house education programs and events. In the basement, the dressing rooms and green rooms received a much-needed update. These spaces serve over 200 professional performers and artists each season. Improvements included replacing the bathrooms and showers, improving the layout and amenities to better serve Geva’s first-class performers, and updating the dressing rooms. In addition, this project improved the adjoining wardrobe facilities to allow for the proper care and maintenance of Geva’s costumes and wigs, which are handmade right here in Rochester for each production. Quality artist support spaces will help give Geva a competitive advantage in recruiting the country’s top artists and performers.

IN THE ART YOU LOVE

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Artist and patron services are supported by a full-time professional staff of 50 administrators, technicians and resident artists. To recruit and retain top talent, Geva’s office spaces also underwent improvements to encourage collaboration, creativity, efficiency and professionalism. The second phase of the renovation during Summer 2016, which will improve Geva’s first floor, will greatly enhance the audience experience. Geva’s lobby will become a warm and cozy environment, featuring wood, brick and texture, that showcases the spectacular verticality, volume and historic character of the space. Last updated in the 1980s, Geva’s lobby and café spaces require significant renovations to serve the needs of the next generation of theatergoers. Among the improvements will be enhanced display areas; a larger and centralized bar featuring Finger Lakes beverages; an open concept kitchen providing more menu options throughout the day; and additional seating and lounge areas. Geva’s performance spaces are praised for their intimacy and warm aesthetic. Improvements to these spaces will update finishes after 30 years of wear and tear, while maintaining the characteristics audiences have come to know and love. In addition, the second phase will create entertainment suites on a new mezzanine level above the main entrance. This flexible event space located on the balcony level will also enable elevator access to the Wilson Stage balcony. This comfortable, well-appointed lounge level will feature a bar and private restrooms. The sub-dividable event space will accommodate donor receptions, business meetings, group outings, and community rentals for 20-75 people. This new patron amenity will increase the square footage and seating capacity of the lobby, restrooms and event spaces, while providing a valuable perk and thank you for Geva supporters. n

Seat Campaign Be a part of Geva history, and participate in Geva’s Front & Center Seat Campaign. Sponsor one of the new seats with a pledge of $5,000 per seat ($1,000/year for 5 years) and play a leading role in creating a first class facility for students, artists, audiences, and community members to experience theatrical excellence.

Ways to Give n n n n

Outright Cash Gifts and Pledges Matching Gifts Transfer Securities Bequests and Other Estate Gifts

For more information, please call (585) 420-2013 or visit www.GevaTheatre.org.

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Summer Academy photos by Huth Photography

CLASS

ACT

Geva’s 19th annual Summer Academy program concluded on August 15th with a public performance on the Wilson Stage for the participants’ family and friends to showcase the students’ talent, effort and growth. The Summer Academy is a five-week professional theatre training program for 30 selected young actors between the ages of 12 and 18 who work to explore, define and develop the actor within throughout their time at Geva. This summer’s program focused on Shakespeare, led by Geva’s renowned faculty of professional, working artists who act, direct and teach throughout the country. The Academy students studied acting, movement, voice and diction, monologues, expansions, text analysis, and scansion. They also created music and movement ensemble pieces, discovered the foundations of armed and unarmed stage combat, explored Elizabethan-era music and choreography, learned about clothing and costuming of the time period, and rehearsed their showcase scenes. The Academy program serves to equip young actors with a broad range of practical knowledge and skills - a toolbox for the working artist, to foster an environment of safe risk-taking where the artistic process can be explored with confidence, and to connect students to an artistic family, both professional and personal, that extends beyond the Academy. This summer’s students came from a dozen area communities including Brighton, Fairport, Geneseo, Greece, Hamlin,

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Academy alum Chris Perfetti in NBC’s “Crossbones”

Honeoye Falls, Hunt, Penfield, Pittsford, Rochester, Webster, Williamson, and West Henrietta. One Academy student shared: “There are not words profound enough to explain how I feel about Academy. I am a completely different person than I was three years ago when I first attended this program. I am a different listener, writer, thinker, learner and actor. I have acquired so many wonderful things, and I will surely continue to use each and every one of them throughout my life.” Parents agreed: “My child really seemed to grow as a person and as a performer. He was pushed to try new things and was able to see how this is hard work - fun, but something to work toward. To be taught by people who love theatre and impart that mindset, I believe, was the mission of the program. He told me that Geva is the first place he truly felt he could be himself.” Geva Summer Academy 2004 & 2005 alumni Chris Perfetti (Fletch in NBC’s “Crossbones” with John Malkovich, “Next Caller,” “Looking,” and Sons of the Prophet) said: “The Academy ignited a fire in me. Geva stretched and strengthened my mind, body and heart allowing me to REALLY fall in love with being an actor and telling stories. It was a valuable, defining moment in my life.” Scholarships for the program were granted by a number of generous individuals and foundations to ensure that any accepted student could participate regardless of their financial situation. n

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March 29 – April 24

Talent. It's our good fortune to witness it. We We celebrate celebratethe thework work of of GEVA Geva Theatre Center Center Hugh Hamlin Senior Vice President - Wealth Management Financial Advisor 585-218-4542 Hugh.A.Hamlin@ubs.com UBS Financial Services Inc. 400 Linden Oaks Rochester, NY 14625-2818 585-218-4500 800-462-1233

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SCENE@GEVA N ews from YO U R T heatre

Summer Curtain Call Celebrity Cast

Summer Curtain Call 2015

Magic in the Making

Saying goodbye to the rehearsal room before its renovation

Directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Forum Dinner

Legacy Award Winners Emily Neece and Alan Ziegler

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Geva Theatre Center 75 Woodbury Blvd. Rochester, NY 14607

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AUGUST - DECEMBER 2015 www.GevaTheatre.org | (585) 232-4382

FALL 2015

15/16 SEASON W

Monty Pythonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spamalot Sep 9 - oct 11

Red

The Lion

Miracle on South Division Street jan 12 - feb 7

An Iliad

To Kill a Mockingbird feb 16 - mar 20

A Moon for the Misbegotten

Dancing Lessons

The May Queen

oct 20 - nov 15 nov 11 - nov 22 feb 4 - feb 21 mar 29 - apr 24

apr 14 - may 1 may 3 - may 29

Benjamin Scheuer in The Lion, photo by Nilaya Sabnis

Wilson Stage Series

Fielding Stage Series