MARCH 6 — MARCH 30
2024/2025 SEASON
Laughs in Spanish is dedicated to the memory of Hartford Stage founder Jacques Cartier who passed away in December at age 94.
Jacques Cartier 1930–2024
In the early 1960s, an eager theater director, literary scholar, and war veteran campaigned throughout Hartford to bring his vision of a world-class theater to life. In 1963, Jacques Cartier founded Hartford Stage: a 225seat theater converted from an old supermarket warehouse. Jacques directed a number of successful productions in Hartford, including works by Molière, Beckett, Genet, Shakespeare, Williams, Albee, and a particularly notable production of Eugene O’Neill’s A Long Days’ Journey into Night in 1971. He led
The original Hartford Stage building on Kinsley Street.
Hartford Stage from its founding in 1963 through 1968 when he was succeeded by Paul Weidner. Hartford Stage would move to its present location on Church Street in downtown Hartford in 1976 and go on to
receive the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater in 1989. Jacques is survived by his wife of 66 years, Diana F. (Barry) Cartier; and his son, Nicholas Cartier, a lawyer in Washington, D.C. There is much to be learned and admired from Jacques long and rich life, particularly his dedication to live theater, and we are honored to continue his legacy.
Watch Now
Jacques Cartier on founding Hartford Stage.
HIS LEGACY LIVES ON.
Hartford Stage is proud to continue the legacy Jacques began in 1963. More than 60 years later, Hartford Stage honors that vision by being a renowned theater for the region, honoring this city and connecting with our community. You can honor Jacques Cartier by making a gift to our Set the Stage Campaign and be a part of the legacy of Hartford Stage. Make a gift today at HartfordStage.org/Set-the-Stage
Othello (1964) directed by Jacques Cartier was Hartford Stage’s first production.
FROM THE ARTISTIC & MANAGING DIRECTORS
Welcome to Hartford Stage and our production of Laughs in Spanish.
Alexis Scheer’s play explores with heart and humor the challenges of juggling work and life, family and career, while balancing two different languages and cultures. Though specifically dealing with the shifts that occur between English and Spanish, the production shows how we all shift tones of voice and attitude when toggling between cultures and environments. Who among us has not used different vocabulary and tones in different settings? What fun to watch this terrific cast demonstrate the tensions and humor in the code-switching of life.
This (at times!) absurd code-switching becomes even more central as the play focuses on how families communicate. At the heart of Laughs in Spanish is how we forgive each other, our parents, our children, for not living up to our expectations of what family should be. At this time when there is so much division and stress in our culture, what a relief to welcome a play that says: let’s laugh in every language, forgive each other, and celebrate the genuine connections between us.
Que distruten el show — enjoy the show!
Melia Bensussen Artistic Director
Cynthia Rider Managing Director
Artistic Director
CYNTHIA RIDER
Managing Director
By Alexis Scheer
Directed by Lisa Portes
Scenic Design Brian Sidney Bembridge
Costume Design Harry Nadal
Lighting Design Sherrice Mojgani
Original Music & Sound Design Daniela Hart/UptownWorks
Dialect & Voice Coach Cynthia Santos DeCure
Casting Bass/Valle Casting, Gama Valle
Production Stage Manager
Assistant Stage Manager
Theresa Stark
Christina M. Woolard
Associate Artistic Director Zoë Golub-Sass Director of Production Bryan T. Holcombe
General Manager Emily Van Scoy
MARCH 6 – MARCH 30, 2025
Originally produced at the Denver Center Theatre Company, Chris Coleman, Artistic Director
SEASON SPONSORS
LEAD PRODUCTION SPONSOR
PRODUCERS
David & Janice Klein
Rick & Beth Costello
POST-SHOW DISCUSSION SPONSOR
MELIA BENSUSSEN
THE COMPANY
Estella ..............................................................................................................Maggie Bofill
Mariana .............................................................................................. Stephanie Machado
Carolina ..........................................................................................
María Victoria Martínez
Juan Luis Vega
Jenny Olivia Hebert
SETTING
Wynwood. Miami, FL. • December, during Art Basel.
THERE WILL BE NO INTERMISSION.
ADDITIONAL PRODUCTION SUPPORT
Associate Director Allie Moss
Associate Sound Design............................................................................. Molly McGill
Assistant Lighting Design ............................................................... Samantha Weiser
Dance Coordinator ........................................................................... Jason Ramos-Jarrin
Production Assistant Alyssa Edwards
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.
The Scenic, Costume, Lighting and Sound Designers in LORT theatres are represented by United Scenic Artists Local USA-829, IATSE.
The Director is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.
Laughs in Spanish is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
The videotaping or making of electronic or other audio and/or visual recordings of this production and distributing recordings or streams in any medium, including the internet, is strictly prohibited, a violation of the author(s)’s rights and actionable under united states copyright law. For more information, please visit: https://concordtheatricals.Com/resources/protecting-artists
MIAMI welcome to
WRITTEN BY THE HARTFORD STAGE ARTISTIC DEPARTMENT
Laughs in Spanish takes place in Wynwood, a neighborhood in Miami, Florida. Once Miami's garment district, the neighborhood is filled with old warehouses that are now being flipped into art galleries and housing to support its bustling arts scene. The boom of this arts scene is the result of two larger trends: the city’s embrace of street art and a rapidly growing art market through a massive event called Art Basel.
Many curators, collectors, and tourists invested in making Miami a city for world-renowned art. This effort was centered around the arrival of Art Basel Miami Beach. While Art Basel originally started in Switzerland, it has expanded internationally to cities such as Hong Kong and Paris. The fair first arrived in Miami Beach in December of 2002, with a unique emphasis on displaying the latest work of top artists in contemporary and modern art. Every year, the event takes place in the Miami Beach Convention Center.
At the last Art Basel Miami Beach in December 2024, the Convention Center housed 286 international galleries from 38 countries and territories, saw 75,000 visitors over 5 days, and the highest sale totaled $4.75 million, for an untitled painting by David Hammons. With the limited space and highentry fees in the Convention Center, only select galleries can participate in the official Art Basel Miami Beach.
Art Basel, Miami Beach Convention Center. © Felix Mizioznikov | Dreamstime.com
Untapped is by Miami-based artist Ivan Roque. According to Roque, the painting “represents the untapped potential and unexplored potential that we all carry as humans. The squid represents the exploration of the soul diving deep beneath our consciousness mind and finding the truth and purpose within us.”
Still, with so many people traveling to Miami for Art Basel on the hunt for new exciting art, the entire city wanted to make the best of the attention. This excitement led to the creation of Miami Arts Week — though most people just call the week-long celebration “Art Basel,” as it is the center of the festivities.
Beyond the Convention Center walls, you’ll find local galleries and artists showing off their best work, live music performances, and new murals on city buildings. Miami becomes filled with parties and events both celebrating the work of the artists and encouraging visitors to explore and see all the city has to offer.
In addition to the art that is displayed in Miami galleries, we also have Wynwood’s famous street art landscape. Even before the dawn of Art Basel, residents in Wynwood used walls in their community to create stunning murals. These murals were a reflection of the cultures, values, and diversity of the residents. It was this artistic spirit that made Miami an alluring host for Art Basel. As Miami’s international arts profile began to rise, these murals started to get more attention. Street artists from around the world began to travel to Miami to leave their mark. Now you can find work from artists from a variety of countries, backgrounds, and artistic practices that add to the energetic life of the city.
A Love Supreme (Wynwood Saints) is by El Mac, an LA-based artist. While he isn't from Miami, he is dedicated to creating work that is rooted in and connected to the local community. He partnered with a Miami organization called YoungArts to meet the young folks who inspired the three Saints depicted in the mural.
IN CONVERSATION WITH
MODERATED BY THE HARTFORD STAGE
ARTISTIC DEPARTMENT
LisaPortes Director
Playwright &
Alexis, where did this play come from?
Alexis Scheer: My brain! Laughs in Spanish was my graduate thesis play. I went to Boston University’s MFA playwriting program, and something I was hearing a lot — and really resonated with me — was encouragement to go home in my writing. My time at BU, and this play, was the start of me owning my experience and expressing it through my work.
I was really inspired by the art-ification of the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami. Formerly the garment district, where my family had deep roots, Wynwood turned into a hotspot for art, food, and nightlife seemingly overnight. This play was a way for me to imagine who would populate the space that was once my parents’ button company or grandparents’ dress shop, and it’s a love letter to the city and community of artists who raised me. This play came from my home, my backyard.
Speaking of parents. A core piece of the play is the mother and daughter relationship. Can you chat a little bit about the relationship between Mari and Estella?
Lisa Portes: I don’t want to give too much away… but while this is an art heist play, within it is a story about what it means to be a woman pursuing what she is passionate about, trying to make a place for herself in a field. There’s the question of: how does motherhood intersect with that kind of ongoing trailblazing? This is a question for Estella and Mari, but also Caro, who is an artist and about to have a baby and is asking the same question. So, we have three different layers of impact in the play.
There was this idea that you could do it all that was sold in the early seventies. I’m Gen-X, I grew up with that idea. And I think the truth is: you can, but you can’t. In other words, you can, but there will be sacrifices — there will be costs. And you don’t always know what they are until after they’ve happened.
The play explores the aftermath. We meet Estella and Mari when Estella’s already established and Mari’s coming up. They’re processing what has happened and testing whether they can find their way back to one another. And in order to do so, they both have to change. Mari has to change her perspective on her mom, and her mom has to understand her daughter differently.
The play explores communication, seeing others and being seen by others in many ways. Can you speak to the code-switching in the play?
AS: I come from a mixed household. My mom’s Colombian and my dad is Jewish, descended from the Eastern European shtetls. So I think I’ve always been interested in how language shifts based on who’s in the room and
Cast and Director of Laughs in Spanish (Front) Luis Vega, Director Lisa Portes, Olivia Hebert • (Back) María Victoria Martínez, Maggie Bofill, Stephanie Machado. Photo by The Defining Studios.
what that says about the power dynamics at play. I remember being really conscious of it with my mom, who has an accent, when she was working. She had her business voice, which sounded a little bit white, more “American.” Equal parts funny and sad. I’m really moved by this idea that language gives us different avenues of expression and sense of belonging. The way I sound talking to my mom, to my husband, to an audience at a talk back, or to the lady behind the counter at El Palacio de los Jugos are all slightly different but they’re all still me–and I find that so fascinating!
LP: One of the things that connects Alexis and me is that we’re both mixed. My father’s Cuban and my mother is an American Air Force brat of German descent. Something Alexis and I share is this living on this hyphen of biculturalism. Right there on the hyphen of Colombian-American and CubanAmerican. Having grown up in a mixed family, I can switch to either world. I have a personal experience of code-switching that is familial, but I also am very aware of the ways in which one can use those skills productively.
In our play, it’s interesting to watch the inside of this gallery where everybody is Latine. They’re behaving one way, but the minute the outside world calls in, we pick up the phone and go “Studio Six Miami, this is Mariana speaking” in a different voice. We go to a dominant majority voice. Codeswitching is about navigating different power dynamics, different class dynamics, different cultural dynamics.
In a group of people that are of the same culture — in this case, it’s Latine — when one code-switches because there’s an outside force — in this case, a phone call — everybody in the room gets it. It’s an inside joke. Except that in this play, we let the audience into that inside joke, which I love.
AS: Yes! The play is, I hope, this big window for people. Of course it’s for Latine audiences to be in a familiar place and feel seen. But if you’re not of this culture, it’s an invitation to the party.
Latine Joy was a big reason I wrote this play. When we talk about Latine representation in all media, not just theater, so much of it is centered on hardship within working class communities. We need those stories, but we also need more to better reflect the full expanse of the Latine experience in this country – stories where characters are successful and artists, and they have different kinds of problems that, in a comedy, they’ll deal with on comedic proportions. But they’re still real problems and real issues that they’re going through.
This goes back to the question of: where did this play come from? I knew I wanted to write about Wynwood, and my first thought was, “Oh, I’m going to write a gentrification play.” But then I thought, “Somebody else is doing that, and doing it so well. They can go work on that little quilt piece and I’ll go work on this little quilt piece that’s right next to it.” And we’re just building this big, rich fabric of the full experience. All of these pieces are necessary, and we rely on each other to help tell a larger story.
That’s a beautiful image. Before we go, what does the title of this play mean to you?
AS: There’s this famous meme — which is a screen grab of a Spanish telenovela — of a woman who’s crying, with this big dramatic expression. The subtitle is “Cries in Spanish.” I saw that years and years ago, and I’ve never forgotten it. I always thought it may be a title for a play. I came back to it when I was working on this play and went with Laughs in Spanish, because it’s a comedy.
But within the play, the title refers to a game that Mari played with Estella when she was a kid learning Spanish, and Mari having the awareness that her mom was also code-switching. That her mom can be both “mom,” but also “mami.” But I’m not going to give away how that happens — enjoy the play!
From viral internet meme to play title! The subtitle on this screen capture from the telenovela Maria del la Barrio inspired Alexis to title the play: Laughs in Spanish.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
ALEXIS SCHEER | Playwright
Alexis Scheer’s breakout play was the Off-Broadway hit Our Dear Dead Drug Lord (NYT Critics Pick, John Gassner Award; LTC Carnaval of New Latinx Work; Kilroy’s List), and she made her Broadway debut adapting the book for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Bad Cinderella. Alexis is currently writing the book for the stage adaptation of Jerry Herman’s Mrs. Santa Claus, premiering at Goodspeed Musicals in 2025. Other plays include Breaking The Story (2ST commission), Laughs In Spanish (Edgerton Award, Kennedy Center’s Harold & Mimi Steinberg Award), and Christina (Roe Green Award; O’Neill Finalist). Alexis is currently under commission by Manhattan Theatre Club and Miami New Drama. TV: Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (Max). BFA Musical Theatre: The Boston Conservatory. MFA Playwriting: Boston University. Alexis lives in Boston with her conductor husband and their mini Aussie, Sagan. IG: @scheer_madness
MAGGIE BOFILL | Estella
Hartford Stage: Debut. Regional: December: A Love Years in the Making (world premiere, Alley Theater); Judgement Day (with Jason Alexander; world premiere, Chicago Shakes); American Mariachi (Two River Theater); War Words (world premiere, NewYorkRep/New Light Theater Project); American Mariachi (Alley Theater); Laughs In Spanish, (world premiere, Denver Center); A Doll’s House, Part 2 (Long Wharf Theatre). Television: Elsbeth, FBI Most Wanted, Smash, High Town, The Path, Law & Order: SVU. Film: Cuban American Gothic (Short; also writer/co-producer, Pata De Perro Productions; nationally aired on PBS). Awards: Henry Award nominee (Laughs in Spanish, Denver Center). Professional Positions: Founding member, LAByrinth Theater Company; Member, Ensemble Studio Theater. Thank you all you beautiful powers that be.
Maggie Bofill
Olivia Hebert
Stephanie Machado
María Victoria Martínez
Luis Vega
Lisa Portes, Director
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
OLIVIA HEBERT | Jenny
Hartford Stage: Debut. Off-Broadway: The Hard Problem (Lincoln Center Theater). Regional: John Proctor is the Villain (Huntington Theatre); Laughs In Spanish, (world premiere, Denver Center); Holiday (Arena Stage); Rat Jaw (Stomping Ground); Nothing Can Stop What is Coming (GreenHouse Theatre Project); The Importance of Being Earnest (Cape Playhouse). Television: Black Rabbit (upcoming). Education/Training: MFA, NYU; BS, University of Evansville (productions include Henry V, An American Daughter, Thyestes, An Ideal Husband, The Big Knife).
STEPHANIE MACHADO | Mariana
Hartford Stage: Debut. Off-Broadway: Gods Untitled (Playwrights Horizons New Works Lab); Bartolomé de las Casas Ruins My Pool (The Public New Work Series). Regional: Two Sisters and a Piano (Miami New Drama); Laughs in Spanish (world premiere, Denver Center); The Gradient (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis); Measure for Measure (Fiasco Theater, Actors Theatre of Louisville); Sabina (Portland Stage); An Enemy of the People, Indecent, and Assassins (Yale Repertory Theatre). Television: Evil. Education/Training: MFA Acting, Yale School of Drama (productions include Passion; Amy and the Orphans; Blood Wedding; The Winter’s Tale; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Bulgaria! Revolt!; This Sweet Affliction; Circling the Drain; Cloud Tectonics).
MARÍA VICTORIA MARTÍNEZ | Carolina
Hartford Stage: Debut. Off-Broadway: In the Time of the Butterflies. Regional: Sanctuary City (Berkeley Rep/Arena Stage); I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (Denver Center). Film: City Wide, Un Día de Mayo (Becoming Mayo). Television: Law & Order SVU. Education: BA Theater UPR; MFA A.R.T/MXAT, Harvard University.
LUIS VEGA | Juan
Hartford Stage: Debut. Off-Broadway: Buena Vista Social Club, Tell Hector I Miss Him (Atlantic Theater Company); Tartuffe (Molière in the Park); The Gett (Rattlestick Theater); Animals Out of Paper (Chautauqua Theater Company); Hindsight (Fault Line Theatre); The Underlying Chris (Second Stage Theater); i thought i would die but i didn’t (New Georges/The Tank NYC). National Tours: The Humans. Regional: December (Alley Theatre); Derecho, Seize the King (La Jolla Playhouse); Laughs in Spanish (world premiere, Denver Center); Change Agent (Arena Stage); Where Storms Are Born (Williamstown Theatre Festival); The Underpants (The Old Globe); As You Like It (Guthrie Theater). Film: Another Earth. Television: Elsbeth, Blue Bloods, The Good Fight, Madam Secretary. Education: MFA, UCSD.
LISA PORTES | Director
Lisa Portes is an award-winning director, leader, educator and advocate. She is a co-founder of the Latinx Theatre Commons, and serves on the board of
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) and on the Directors Council of the Drama League. Her work has been seen regionally at Cal Shakes, Cincinnati Playhouse, Denver Center, Goodman Theatre, Guthrie Theatre, Olney Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Seattle Rep, South Coast Repertory Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, and Victory Gardens Theatre. In New York she has developed and/or directed new work for Soho Rep, Playwrights Horizons, the Public, and New York Theatre Workshop. In 2016 she was honored with the SDC Zelda Fichandler Award for Directors and was the first freelance director to be so honored. Recent projects include the world premieres of Laughs in Spanish by Alexis Scheer (Denver Center) and Clean/Espejos by Christine Quintana (South Coast Rep), as well as numerous productions of Quixote Nuevo by Octavio Solís (Denver Center, South Coast Rep, Seattle Rep, Portland Center Stage, and Round House Theatre). She serves as Chair of the UCSD Department of Theatre & Dance and is the proud mom of two amazing college students: Eva Rose & Carlos Alejandro. lisaportes.com
BRIAN SIDNEY BEMBRIDGE | Scenic Design
Hartford Stage: Debut. Off-Broadway: The Public, Second Stage Theater, Jean Cocteau Repertory, Kids With Guns, Theater at St. Clements. International: Theatre Royal Stratford East (London, UK), Town Hall Theatre (Galway, Ireland), Illawarra Performing Arts Centre (Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia). Regional: TheaterWorks Hartford, Guthrie Theater, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, The Second City, Lookingglass Theatre Company, A Contemporary Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Alliance Theatre, Geffen Playhouse, American Conservatory Theater, Drury Lane Theatre, Ravinia Festival, Children’s Theatre Company, Pittsburgh Public Theater, City Theatre, Writers Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, Circle X Theatre, TimeLine Theatre, Opera Omaha, Virginia Opera, Juneau Lyric Opera, Asolo Rep, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Milwaukee Rep, and Madison Repertory Theatre. Film: Marie and Bruce, Holding Out, Stray Dogs, Late for Church, Muppets from Space. Awards: Recipient of multiple awards from the Jeff Awards, Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, LA Weekly Theater Award, Back Stage Garland Awards, Gregory Awards, and Ovation Awards. United States representative, the 2011 Prague Quadrennial (The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity).
HARRY NADAL | Costume Design
Hartford Stage: Debut. New York: Lincoln Center Institute, Atlantic Theater Company, Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Juilliard School, WP Theater, LAByrinth Theater Company, and Pregones/PRTT, among others. Regional: Arena Stage, TheaterWorks Hartford, Seattle Opera, Baltimore Center Stage, Des Moines Metro Opera, ZACH Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Fulton Theatre, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Florida Studio Theatre, Boise Contemporary Theater, and People’s Light, among many. Professional
COMING SOON: Spring Fundraising Events
April 25 – May 18
Prepare to Spring into Action
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Positions: Faculty member at Pratt Institute’s Film School. Education/ Training: MFA, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. harrynadal.com
SHERRICE MOJGANI | Lighting Design
Hartford Stage: Debut. Regional: Bulrusher, Blues for an Alabama Sky (McCarter Theatre Center); The Mountaintop, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Round House Theater); Tiny Beautiful Things, The Folks at Home (Baltimore Center Stage); The High Ground, The Heiress, August Wilson’s Two Trains Running (Arena Stage); Spunk, Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Scottsboro Boys (Signature Theatre Company); A Raisin in the Sun, Murder on the Orient Express, A Few Good Men, Sweat (Pittsburgh Public Theatre); Derecho, The Garden (La Jolla Playhouse); Trouble in Mind, What You Are, Skeleton Crew (The Old Globe). Professional Positions: Associate Professor at Tulane University. Education/Training: MFA Lighting Design, UC San Diego; B.A. Theater Arts, UC Santa Cruz. smojgani.com
DANIELA HART/UPTOWNWORKS | Sound Design
Hartford Stage: Espejos: Clean UptownWorks is a collaborative design team specializing in theater, film, podcasts installations and other media. Select sound design highlights include Grandiloquent (Lortell); Franklinland (EST); I’m Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (DCPA); Blood of the Lamb (59E59); Tiny Father (Geffen Playhouse, Barrington Stage, Chautauqua); Problems Between Sisters (Studio Theatre DC); Dangerous Days (Miami New Drama); Las Borinqueñas (EST); Murder on the Orient Express (Syracuse Stage); FIVE The Parody Musical (Visceral Entertainment); Lady Day (Baltimore Center Stage); Bloodwork (NBT); Avaaz (South Coast Rep); Singularity Play (HarvardTDM); Black Odyssey (Classic Stage); Espejos:Clean (Syracuse Stage); the ripple, the wave ... (Berkeley Rep/Goodman); Blues Clues & You! (Round Room Live); Fires in the Mirror (Baltimore Center Stage); already there (The REACH, Kennedy Center). This design was led by Daniela Hart (uptownworksnyc.com), Bailey Trierweiler (btsounddesign.com) and Noel Nichols (noelnicholsdesign.com). Daniela, Noel & Bailey received their MFAs in Sound Design from Yale School of Drama.
CYNTHIA SANTOS DECURE | Dialect & Voice Coach
Hartford Stage: August Wilson’s Two Trains Running, The Hot Wing King. Off-Broadway: Cymbeline (New York Classical Theatre). Regional: The Hot Wing King (Baltimore Center Stage); Wish You Were Here; Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles, Today is My Birthday, El Huracán (Yale Repertory Theatre); La Broa’ (Trinity Repertory Company); Queen of Basel (TheaterWorks Hartford); Quixote Nuevo (Seattle Rep; Portland Center Stage at The Armory; South Coast Repertory; Denver Center; Round House Theatre); In The Heights (Marriott Theater; world premiere, Phoenix Theatre; Chance Theater); Laughs in Spanish (Denver Center); Scenes with Cranes (REDCAT); I Come From Arizona (Children’s Theatre Company). Television: Orange is the New Black,
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
The Affair. Education/Training: BA Acting, University of Southern California; MFA Acting, California State University, Los Angeles. Professional Positions: Voice and Dialect Coach; Associate Professor of Acting at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale; certified teacher of Knight-Thompson Speechwork and Fitzmaurice Voicework®; Member of SAG/AFTRA, AEA; Co-editor of Scenes for Latinx Actors and Latinx Actor Training.
KELSEY RAINWATER | Intimacy Coordinator
Hartford Stage: August Wilson’s Two Trains Running, The Hot Wing King. Broadway: Hell’s Kitchen. Off-Broadway: Jordan’s, Sally and Tom, Manahatta, White Noise, The Tempest, Measure For Measure (The Public); Walden (Second Stage); Liberation (Roundabout). Regional: Wish You Were Here, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles, the ripple, the wave that carried me home, Choir Boy (Yale Rep); Between Two Knees (McCarter Theater Center). Film: Baby Ruby. TV: The Artist, The Green Veil. Professional Positions: Lecturer in acting at David Geffen School of Drama, Resident Fight and Intimacy Director for Yale Rep.
THERESA STARK | Stage Manager
Hartford Stage: All My Sons, Pride and Prejudice, The Winter’s Tale, Trouble in Mind, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, Dishwasher Dreams, An Opening in Time, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer’s Night Dream (with Hartford Symphony Orchestra), A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas (Youth Director). Workshops: Tocada, Her Math Play, The Last Survivor, Queens for a Year, Oakdale, Somewhere, Seder, George Dandin. Broadway: The Scarlet Pimpernel. Off-Broadway: Second Stage Theater, Primary Stages, 78th Street Theatre Lab, New Georges. Regional: Westchester Broadway Theatre, TheaterWorks Hartford, Long Wharf Theatre, Ivoryton Playhouse, The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, HartBeat Ensemble, Westport Country Playhouse, Goodspeed Musicals, Stamford Theatre Works, Summer Theatre of New Canaan, Elm Shakespeare Company, Barrington Stage Company, The Hangar Theatre, Yale Opera. Professional Positions: Dog Handler for William Berloni Theatrical Animals, Inc.
CHRISTINA M. WOOLARD | Assistant Stage Manager
Hartford Stage: Debut. Off-Broadway: A Good Day to Me Not to You (Waterwell); Will You Come With Me?, Notes on My Mother’s Decline (The Play Company); Space Dogs (MCC Theater); Preparedness (The Bushwick Starr); Wilder Gone (Clubbed Thumb). Regional: Summer Stock, Passing Through (Goodspeed Musicals); Into the Woods, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Great Lakes Theater); Clyde’s; A Doll’s House, Part 2; American Hero (George Street Playhouse); Kinky Boots (Bucks County Playhouse); Stalker (New World Stages). Education/Training: MFA, Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. For Mom — your song is in my heart.
ABOUT HARTFORD STAGE
Hartford Stage has been led by Artistic Director Melia Bensussen and Managing Director Cynthia Rider since the summer of 2019. The theater’s mission is to enlighten, entertain, and educate by creating programming of the highest caliber that has a transformative impact on audiences, the community, and its field. Under Bensussen’s artistic vision, the theater has reimagined classics including Eugene O’Neill’s Ah, Wilderness! which reopened the theater to great acclaim following the pandemic and brought more work celebrating the Latiné heritages in the region, including Quixote Nuevo, the virtual American Voices New Play Festival, Kiss My Aztec!, Espejos: Clean, and Simona’s Search. Hartford Stage has produced various world premieres including the Broadway successes Anastasia and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (winner of four 2014 Tony Awards), and Quiara Alegría Hudes’ Water by the Spoonful (winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama). Hartford Stage’s vast education programs engage students of all ages from across the state through student matinee performances, in-school programs, theatre classes, and youth productions. HartfordStage.org
Krystina Alabado and Matt Saldivar in Kiss My Aztec! (2022). Photo by T. Charles Erickson.
ABOUT HARTFORD STAGE
MELIA BENSUSSEN
Artistic Director
Melia Bensussen is an award-winning director and artistic leader who has directed extensively at leading theatres throughout the country. The first woman to lead Hartford Stage, she has been its Artistic Director since the summer of 2019. Devoted to new work as well as to classic texts, she was appointed Artistic Director of the National Playwrights Conference at the O’Neill Theater Center in 2024. Raised in Mexico City, Bensussen is fluent in Spanish and has translated and adapted a variety of texts, including her edition of the Langston Hughes translation of Federico Garcia Lorca’s Blood Wedding, published by Theater Communications Group. Among her credits developing and premiering new works, she co-conceived and directed, alongside playwright Kirsten Greenidge, the theatrical adaptation of Anthony J. Lukas’ Pulitzer Prize winning Common Ground, which premiered at the Huntington Theater in Boston. A graduate of Brown University, Bensussen serves on the Arts Advisory Board for the Princess Grace Foundation, and on the executive board of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC). Prior to her position at Hartford Stage, she was Chair of the Performing Arts Department of Emerson College, in Boston. She is the recipient of an OBIE Award for Outstanding Direction, as well as the Statue Award from the Princess Grace Foundation for Excellence in Directing.
CYNTHIA RIDER
Managing Director
Cynthia Rider has been the Managing Director of Hartford Stage since 2019. Previously, she was the Executive Director at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and prior to joining OSF, Cynthia Rider spent nine years at Kansas City Repertory Theatre as Managing Director and the Associate Director for Advancement & Administration. Her experience also includes six years as Executive Director of the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey. In her early non-arts career, she served as Associate Director of the Massachusetts Manufacturing Partnership, which worked to strengthen small and medium-sized manufacturers across the state. Rider’s theatre experience also includes time spent on the stage. After graduating from Boston University, she started her theatre career as a resident company member at the Alley Theatre in Houston.
Our award-winning education programs provide students of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds with innovative opportunities that challenge and inspire. Using theater techniques, we build community and citizenship, promote a passion for literacy and creative expression, and encourage lifelong learning.
ADULT & YOUTH CLASSES: Throughout the year, we have classes for youth and adults looking to improve their acting skills.
STUDENT MATINEES: Middle and high school students are invited to join us for special performances throughout the year. They’ll get to see the show, plus participate in a talkback with the cast. Add-on workshop with a teaching artist available! Tickets start at $20, with discounts available for Title 1 schools.
CONNECTIONS: Connections is an in-school program that brings teaching artists into classrooms to explore a book through drama, strengthening reading comprehension skills and building excitement about reading.
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS: Bring a Hartford Stage teaching artist to your afterschool program! Programs range from drama classes to full productions and are designed based on the needs of each individual school.
ABOUT HARTFORD STAGE
Diversity, Equity, and Belonging.
At Hartford Stage, equity is not a destination—it’s an ongoing journey.
From the stories we bring to life on our stage to the voices behind the scenes at our organization, we are committed to amplifying diverse perspectives and fostering inclusion in every aspect of our work.
See Equity in Action at HartfordStage.org
Artistry & Craft
We believe artistic excellence is achieved through a collaborative process that is rooted in creativity and a willingness to take risks.
Relationships
We believe in developing connections within and beyond the theater, extending our reach into the community and fostering a sense of mutual belonging.
Integrity & Responsibility
Lifelong Learning
We believe theater creates opportunities for personal growth and learning for people of all ages.
We believe that fiscal, operational, and programmatic decisions must embrace physical safety, financial sustainability, and equity with kindness and respect.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
Michael D. Nicastro, President
Elease Wright, Vice President
Devon Francis, Treasurer
Richard G. Costello, Secretary
GOVERNING DIRECTORS
Douglas Adkins
Don Allan
Patti Broad
Marla J. Byrnes
Shari Cantor
Jamie Hait Cohen
Julio Concepción
Mark G. Contreras
Alana Curren
Anne D’Alleva
Jarret Eamiello
John Doran
Marilda Lara Gándara
Rev. Darrell L. Goodwin
Emily Harrington
Rydell Harrison
Annie Hildreth
Barnaby Horton
Very Rev. Miguelina Howell
Jackie B. Iacovazzi
Katherine Lambert
Aaron Lyles
Kelly M. Lyman
Sibongile Magubane
Amy Leppo Mandell
Barri Marks
Marjorie E. Morrissey
Andy Pace
Sarah M. Patterson
Esther A. Pryor
Allan B. Taylor
Judith E. Thompson
William J. Thompson
Rhonda J. Tobin
Nicole Vitrano
Patty Willis
Yvette Yelardy
STAGE ONE
Young Professional Board Directors
Cordelia Brady
Kentavis Brice, Co-Chair
Brennden D. Colbert
Angel Cotto
Brittnee Johnson-Colbert
Kaitlyn Keeler
Greidy Miralles
TJ Noel-Sullivan
Malia Peres
Claire Stermer, Co-Chair
Nathan Sykes
Maxwell R. Toth
Alia Walwyn-James
LIFE DIRECTORS
George L. Estes III
Arnold C. Greenberg
Walter Harrison
Jeffrey S. Hoffman
George A. Ingram+
David M. Klein
Roger S. Loeb+
Belle K. Ribicoff
Christina B. Ripple
Linda Fisher Silpe
Sherwood S. Willard
HONORARY DIRECTORS
Carrie Hammond
Barbara Hennessy
Nancy P. Hoffman
Robert A. Penney
Rosalie Roth
Bruce Simons
EMERITUS DIRECTORS
Margaret B. Amstutz+
R. Kelley Bonn
Sara Marcy Cole
Susan J. Copeland
Susan G. Fisher
Judith C. Meyers
PAST PRESIDENTS
Jill Adams
Joel B. Alvord
Paul L. Bourdeau
David W. Clark Jr.+
Sue Ann Collins
Ellsworth Davis+
Elliot F. Gerson
Thomas J. Groark Jr.+
John W. Huntington+
Walter Harrison
David R. Jimenez
David M. Klein
Edward Lane-Reticker+
Janet Larsen+
Thomas D. Lips
Scott McAlister+
Tuck Miller+
Christina B. Ripple
Jack Sennott
Deanna Sue Sucsy
Jennifer Smith Turner
Peter R. Wilde+
EX OFFICIO DIRECTORS
John B. Larson
US Representative, First Congressional District of Connecticut
Arunan Arulampalam
Mayor City of Hartford
Melia Bensussen
Artistic Director
Hartford Stage
Cynthia Rider
Managing Director
Hartford Stage
+ Deceased
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
LEADERSHIP
Melia Bensussen, Artistic Director
Position endowed by Janet S. Suisman
Cynthia Rider, Managing Director
ADMINISTRATION
Emily Van Scoy, General Manager
Sara Walnum, Business Manager
ARTISTIC
Zoë Golub-Sass, Richard P. Garmany Associate Artistic Director
DEVELOPMENT
Jennifer Levine, Director of Development
Evan Kudish, Manager of Board & Donor Relations
Sierra Vazquez, Annual Fund Manager
Travis Kendrick-Castanho, Development Associate
EDUCATION
Jennifer Roberts, Director of Education
Nina Pinchin, Associate Director of Education
Emely Larson, Studio Manager
2024/2025 Teaching Artists
Marie Altenor, Isaiah Artis, Thomas Beebe, Lauren Cavanaugh, Grace Clark, Caitlin Collazo, Levi Cote, Brandon Couloute, Robert H. Davis, Shelby Demke, Erica LuBonta, Greg Ludovici, Jan Mason, Jessica MacLean, Tori Mooney, Justin Pesce, Erin Rose, Kevin Scott
MARKETING
Todd Brandt, Director of Marketing
Molly Flanagan, Marketing Associate House Management
Scott McEver, Audience Experience and Front of House Manager
Lindsay Abrams, Events Coordinator/ Assistant House Manager
Aarron Schuelke, Assistant House Manager
Bartenders:
Tanya Bermudez, Sam Chiasson, Tracy Chinnici, Karen Kudish, Kimberly Quinn, Nefris Quiterio, Erica Santa Lucia, Kerry Yerkes
Gift Shop Attendants/Event Bartenders:
Art Arpin, Paulette Caldwell, John Harbison
Patron Services
Lindsey Hoffman, Box Office Manager
Briana Maia, Box Office Supervisor
Corey Welden, Box Office Supervisor
Box Office Representatives: Julie Borsotti, Amaris Diaz, Rick Sahlin, Lindsey Taft
PRODUCTION
Bryan T. Holcombe, Director of Production
Wesley McCabe-Schroeder, Assistant Production Manager
Alyssa Edwards, Production Assistant
Christian Collazo-Roman, Hartt School Technical Theater Intern
Set Construction & Scenic Art
Aaron D. Bleck, Technical Director
Jared Wolf, Assistant Technical Director
Ian Sweeney, Lead Carpenter
Audra Giuliano, Scenic Carpenter
Nathalie Schlosser, Charge Scenic Artist
Costumes & Wardrobe
Alex Meadows, Costume Shop Director
Grace Petersen, Assistant Costume Director
Joshua Richardson, Wardrobe Supervisor
James Weeden, Draper
Rio Cañas, First Hand/Stitcher
Props
Joe Dotts, Props Manager
Claire Linden-Dionne, Assistant Props Manager
Lighting
Jackie Costabile, Lighting Manager
Ethan Sepa, ALDM, Programmer
Sara Dorinbaum, Light Board Operator
Sound
Lucas Clopton, Audio/Video Manager
Jim Busker, Assistant Audio/Video Manager
Company Management
Christopher Rowe, Company Manager
Facilities
Michael Langer, Facilities Manager
FOR THIS PRODUCTION
Krizzia Cruz, Prompter
Ariana Harris, Deck Crew
Erin Sagnelli, Scenic Artist
Stitchers: Margaret McFarland, Joseph O’Brien, Allison Nishimura
SPECIAL THANKS
Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company
Downtown Hartford YMCA
Residence Inn by Marriott Hartford Downtown
You’re Invited to Play a Part
You are invited to join the leaders of the Set the Stage campaign.
As we look ahead, we envision a thriving theater that continues to tell compelling and relevant stories—from the classics to the contemporary— that tell of our common humanity and welcomes intergenerational audiences that reflect the communities around us.
The $20 million raised will secure our vision and enhance our community.
The Set the Stage campaign is focused on two areas where donors like you can impact the future.
ENDOWMENT Building a robust endowment will ensure Hartford Stage is here fulfilling its mission for decades to come.
PROGRAMMING Donations are a crucial component to creating the world-class art you see on our stage, and for sharing the power of what theater can do with our community.
After 60 years of bringing world-class theatrical programming to audiences in our theater, and students in our schools, Hartford Stage is making an important investment in our future. Be a part of the legacy. Play a role in our $20 million goal.
Please join us in setting the stage for Hartford Stage’s next 60 years.
Contact Director of Development Jennifer Levine at 860-520-7249 or jlevine@hartfordstage.org
The cast of The Mousetrap (2022).*
Photo Credits *by T. Charles Erickson. ^by The Defining Studios.
Alejandra Escalante in Simona’s Search (2024). Photo by T. Charles Erickson.
SET THE STAGE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTORS
$2 MILLION+
Stanley Black & Decker*
$1 MILLION+
The Hartford* Travelers*
$750,000+
Don & Marilyn Allan
Rick & Beth Costello
$500,000+
Jill Adams & Bill Knight
The Richard P. Garmany Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
Jack & Donna Sennott
$250,000+
David & Janice Klein
$100,000+
Douglas & Sheryl Adkins
Sue Ann Collins
The Robert & Francine Goldfarb Family Fund
Wes & Chloe Horton
Thomas & Margah Lips
Chrissie & Ezra Ripple
$50,000+
John & Suzanne Bourdeaux
Ellen Brown & Jim Bean
Carrie & Jonathan Hammond
Walter & Dianne Harrison
Barbara & Matthew Hennessy
Barnaby Horton & Hannah Granfield-Horton
Estate of Mary Jean Kilfoil
Marjorie E. Morrissey
$20,000+
Anonymous
David & Kathleen Jimenez
Barri Marks
Judith Meyers & Richard Hersh
Mike & Colleen Nicastro
Linda & Donald Silpe
$10,000+
Anonymous
Sara Bareilles
Marla & John Byrnes
The Edgemer Foundation
Marilda Gandara & Scott O’Keefe
Estate of Christine Hunihan
Andy & Jen Pace
Rosalie Roth
Elease & Dana Wright
$5,000+
Jaime & Isaac Cohen
Devon & Thomas Francis
David Hawkanson
Annie Hildreth & Ted Potters
George A.+ & Helen Ingram
Theodore & Nancy Johnson
Dan & Arlene Neiditz
Dr. William Petit Jr.
Ted Whittemore
Sherwood & Maggie Willard
Zachs Family Foundation
$100 - $4,999
William H. & Rosanna T. Andrulat Charitable Foundation
Kathleen & David Bavelas
Robert & Catherine Boone
Alana & Matt Curren
Mary Ellison
George & Laura Estes
Matthew & Katherine Grosso
Emily & Patrick Harrington
Carolyn Johnson
Marcia Lattimore
Amy & Neal Mandell
Andrew Palmer
Robert Parrott & Sally Wister
Michael Ross
Gil & Kathy Salk
Pam & Peter Sobering
Claire Stermer
Rhonda Tobin & Jeffrey Smith
Paul & Karen Torop
Richard Wenner
Kathleen & Rick White
+ Deceased *Business Partner
ANNUAL CONTRIBUTORS
Thank you to all our donors. We are grateful for the generosity throughout our entire community and recognize all of our supporters on our website at HartfordStage.org/ Recognition. We are happy to acknowledge here those with leadership contributions in the past 12 months, February 5, 2024 – February 5, 2025.
ANNUAL FUND
PRODUCER CIRCLE • $25,000+
Jill Adams & Bill Knight
Don & Marilyn Allan
The Cheryl Chase & Stuart Bear
Family Foundation
Rick & Beth Costello
Greg & Renata Hayes
Wes & Chloe Horton
David & Janice Klein
Jack & Donna Sennott
Sally Speer
Judith & William Thompson
OVATION SOCIETY • $10,000+
Sheryl & Douglas Adkins
Sue Ann Collins
Francine & Robert Goldfarb
Arnold Greenberg
Dianne & Walter Harrison
George A.+ & Helen Ingram
Jane & Roger+ Loeb
The Pryor Family Foundation
Chrissie & Ezra Ripple
Elizabeth Schiro & Stephen Bayer
Elizabeth Vandeventer
ENCORE SOCIETY • $5,000+
Andra Asars
Duff Ashmead & Eric Ort
Jennefer Carey Berall
Patti Broad
Jamie & Isaac Cohen
Devon & Thomas Francis
Nancy Goodwin
Barbara & Matthew Hennessy
Jeffrey & Nancy Hoffman
Barnaby W. Horton & Hannah Granfield-Horton
+ Deceased
Konover Coppa Family Fund
Katherine J. Lambert
Christopher Larsen
Barri Marks
Harry E. Meyer
Judith Meyers & Richard Hersh
Michael & Colleen Nicastro
Kristen Phillips & Matthew Schreck
Douglas H. Robbins
Rosalie B. Roth
Suzanne B. Ruffee
Donald & Linda Silpe
Helen & Nelson Sly
Sally & Allan Taylor
Maggie & Sherwood Willard
Mark & Patty Willis
Elease & Dana Wright
The Zachs Family Foundation
PATRON SOCIETY • $3,500+
Paul & Joanne Bourdeau
John & Suzanne Bourdeaux
Marla & John Byrnes
Robert L. & Susan G. Fisher
Ruth Fitzgerald & Dave Sageman
Marilda Gandara & Scott O’Keefe
Doris & Ray Guenter
David & Gail Hall
Carrie & Jonathan Hammond
Jackie & Drew Iacovazzi
Adlyn & Theodore Lowenthal
Ed & Kelly Lyman
Cynthia K. Mackay
Amy & Neal Mandell
Ernest & Mickey Mattei
Robert A. & Joan C. Penney
Rhonda Tobin & Jeffrey Smith
Nicole Vitrano & Art Wallace
Yvette Yelardy & Daniel Morgenstern
ANNUAL CONTRIBUTORS
HONORARY GIFTS
IN HONOR OF MELIA BENSUSSEN
Tracy King
William V. & Patrick M. Madison-McDonald
IN HONOR OF ANNIE HILDRETH
Diane Hildreth
IN HONOR OF DAVID & JAN KLEIN
Wendy Avery
IN HONOR OF KATHERINE LAMBERT
Janet Faude
IN HONOR OF AMY & NEAL MANDELL
Debi & Peter Miller
IN HONOR OF CYNTHIA RIDER
Anne Rider & Rob Hinrichs
Ellen Rider & Stanley King
IN HONOR OF BELLE RIBICOFF’S 100TH BIRTHDAY
Chrissie & Ezra Ripple
Rosalie Roth
IN HONOR OF ROSALIE ROTH
Karl Krapek Jr.
IN HONOR OF ROSALIND SPIER
Karen & Phillip Will
IN HONOR OF RHONDA TOBIN
Shari & Jay Tobin
IN HONOR OF HANS WALSER & CAROL SCOVILLE
Karen Kleine
IN HONOR OF PATTY WILLIS
The Burkehaven Family Foundation
IN HONOR OF YVETTE YELARDY
Benna Kushlefsky
MEMORIAL GIFTS
IN MEMORY OF ROBERT EPSTEIN
David & Janice Klein
IN MEMORY OF GALINA FAYNGERSH
Diana Lee
IN MEMORY OF BEVERLY G. HIMELSTEIN
Michael J. Moran
IN MEMORY OF GEORGE INGRAM
Scott Bartelson
Sue Ann Collins
Craig T. Ingram
Jonathan & Rita Johnson
David & Janice Klein
Judith Kronick
Tom & Margah Lips
Chrissie & Ezra Ripple
Donald & Linda Silpe
Mike Stotts
Sharon & Rodger Stotz
Kevin Truex & Frank Burnes
IN MEMORY OF ROGER LOEB
Anonymous
Theresa I. Awad Roe
Bank of America Private Bank
Dr. & Mrs. Robert Berland
Patty Bernstein
Suzan & Keith Bickel
Bros. Associates
Brown Forman Inc.
Edgar B. Butler Jr.
Elizabeth Casanovas
The Cheryl Chase & Stuart Bear Foundation
Edgar B. Butler Jr.
Cardon’s Hair Designs Ltd
Elizabeth Casanovas
The Cheryl Chase & Stuart Bear Foundation
Crazy Bruces Discount Liquors
John Cummings
Diageo North America
Eder Brothers Inc.
Epstein & Rubenstein Families at HB
F & F Distributors Inc.
Rick & Judie Goldenthal
Drivers and Warehousemen of Allan S. Goodman
Arnold Greenberg
The Greggains Family
Bill & Paula Hannon
Bonnie & John Harte
Jill & Brad Hutensky
David & Janice Klein
Melanie & David Landau
Larry Levine & Addison Reserve
Eliot N. Mag
Joan Merritt
Harold & Janet Moskowitz
Robert Naboicheck
Arlene & Daniel Neiditz
Nicola, Yester & Co.
Elizabeth Paquin
Continued on next page.
Entertain clients, engage vendors, or reward employees and support Hartford Stage.
Your charitable or in-kind contribution will support the artistic, educational, and community programming at Hartford Stage. Select benefits that align best with your priorities, and receive prominent recognition all season-long.
It’s easy to become a Business Partner and all partnerships will be fully customized to meet your needs!
Benefit options include:
• Complimentary Show Tickets
• Recognition Opportunities
• Unique Private Event Spaces
• Fully Catered Events
• Conversations with Artists
• Invitations to Special Events
Call us today to create your unique partnership agreement! Contact Director of Development Jennifer Levine at jlevine@hartfordstage.org or 860-520-7249.
ANNUAL CONTRIBUTORS
Gail Perfetti
Susan & Michael Perl
John & Roselie Polo
Chrissie & Ezra Ripple
Judith Satlof
Sue Shechtman
Donald & Linda Silpe
Lainy Silver
Mike Stotts
Kathy Suisman
Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of CT
IN MEMORY OF MARGARET MACDONNELL
William MacDonnell
IN MEMORY OF BOB MONTSTREAM
Ami Monstream
IN MEMORY OF LOIS M. O’HARE
Mr. & Mrs. Michael E. O’Hare
IN MEMORY OF BERNICE POKSAY KIM O’NEAL
Anonymous
IN MEMORY OF ELIZABETH PIERCE
Dorella Bond
IN MEMORY OF MARGARET RUMFORD
Robert & Marilyn Anderson
Dariel Muldonn
INSTITUTIONAL GIVING
$200,000+
The Shubert Foundation
Stanley Black & Decker*
$125,000+
Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development
Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
$100,000+
The Richard P. Garmany Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
Raytheon Technologies*
$75,000+
Burry Fredrik Foundation
The Katherine K. McLane & Henry R. McLane Charitable Trust
$50,000+
Connecticut Judicial Branch
Greater Hartford Arts Council
The John and Kelly Hartman Foundation
SBM Charitable Foundation, Inc.
The Scripps Family Fund for Education and the Arts
Travelers*
$25,000+
Cigna
The Elizabeth M. Landon & Harriette M. Landon Charitable Foundation
Ensworth Charitable Foundation
Roberts Foundation for the Arts
Robinson & Cole LLP*
$15,000+
Global Atlantic
Lucille Lortel Foundation
The MorningStar Fund
Talcott Resolution*
United States Treasury
$10,000+
The BFA Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving Conning
The Hartford Hartford Steam Boiler
Liberty Bank
The William & Alice Mortensen Foundation
$5,000+
Allan S. Goodman, Inc.
Bradley, Foster & Sargent
The Burton & Phyllis Hoffman Foundation
The George A. & Grace L. Long Foundation
Grunberg Realty
Jana Foundation
JCJ Architecture
McDonald Family Trust
Stanley D. & Hinda N. Fisher Fund
William H. & Rosanna T. Andrulat Charitable Foundation
$2,500+
The Blair Fund
Bartlet Brainard Eacott
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation
Fiducient Advisors
Mabel F. Hoffman Charitable Trust
IN-KIND
The University of Saint Joseph
+ Deceased
*Business Partner
Hartford Stage has an exciting new partnership with FreeWill, a free will-making tool, for YOU to:
• Protect your loved ones and assets
• Designate beneficiaries for your 401(k), IRA, & retirement accounts
• Ensure that your wishes and values are honored
• Support the theater’s future with an optional gift
A simple yet powerful way to build your legacy for the people and causes that matter most to you, and a small way for us to show our gratitude for your support — and our commitment to serving you.
At Hartford Stage, we believe in planning for our future by nurturing new plays, new artists, and new audiences. We’re honored to help you plan for your future, too.
Including Hartford Stage in your plans is optional. Consider leaving your legacy here, and make a lasting investment in the power of storytelling.
The cast of Pride and Prejudice (2023). Photo by T. Charles Erickson.
SHAKESPEARE SOCIETY
The Shakespeare Society comprises individuals who have provided for the future of Hartford Stage in their estate plans. Hartford Stage is deeply grateful for their generosity and foresight. The members of this group help to ensure the legacy of Hartford Stage. Have you included Hartford Stage in your estate plans? Tell us about it! Call Evan Kudish, Manager of Board & Donor Relations, at 860-520-7241 to share your plans and allow us to thank you.
Anonymous (15)
Brian & Betty Ashfield
Richard & Alice Baxter
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Bourdeau
Mrs. Joan Brown
Kimberley & Christopher Byrd
Marla & John Byrnes
Mario R. Cavallo
Sue Ann Collins
Richard G. Costello
Ms. Linda Diana DeConti
Mr. Reginald Gregory DeConti
Robert L. & Susan G. Fisher
Kathy Frederick & Eugene Leach
Victoria E. Gallo
Carrie & Jonathan Hammond
Walter & Diane Harrison
Helen Ingram
David & Janice Klein
Joel M. & Naomi Baline Kleinman
Katherine J. Lambert
Christopher Larsen
William C. Leary
Tom & Margah Lips
Mark & Liisa Livingston
Elaine T. Lowengard
Donna Matulis
Judith Meyers & Richard Hersh
Ki Miller
Arthur & Merle Nacht
Judge Jon O. Newman
Lyn Oliva & John Brighenti
Belle K. Ribicoff
Ezra & Chrissie Ripple
Prudence P. Robertson
Barbara Rubin
Carol W. Scoville
Donald & Linda Silpe
Marjorie K. & Jack S. Solomon, Doreen A. Cohn, Faith L. Solomon Fund
Jennifer Smith Turner & Eric Turner
Mary L. Stephenson
Elsa Suisman
Robert & Gretchen Wetzel
Michael Wilson & Jeff Cowie
Henry M. Zachs
Michael & Ellen Zenke
IN MEMORIAM
Hartford Stage fondly remembers these late members of the Shakespeare Society.
Anonymous (6)
Margaret Atwood
Cynthia Kellogg Barrington
Maxwell & Sally Belding
Susan R. Block
Clifford S. Burdge
Edward C. Cape
Ruth Cape
Anna & David Clark
James H. Eacott, Jr.
David Geetter
Yummy Graulty
George A. Ingram
Dieter & Siegelind Johannes
Hugh M. Joseloff & Helen J. Joseloff
Nafe E. Katter
Janet M. Larsen
Joe Marfuggi
Mr. & Mrs. Henry R. McLane
Mary & Freeman Meyer
Tuck Miller
Ann & George Richards
Dr. Russell Robertson
Robert K. Schrepf
Talcott Stanley
Janet S. & Michael Suisman
Helen S. Willis
Louise W. Willson
