The Hipp unplugged:
A Staged Reading Series
Thanksgiving Play by Larissa Fasthorse Directed by Nichole Hamilton Nov. 23 at 7 p.m.
“The Thanksgiving Play� is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com Funded in part by Visitwith Gainesville, Alachua County Produced by special arrangement Playscripts, Inc. (www.playscripts.com)
The Hipp unplugged:
A Staged Reading Series
Thanksgiving Play by Larissa Fasthorse Directed by Nichole Hamilton
Actors’ Equity Association Actors’ Equity Association (“Equity”), founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 50,000 actors and stage managers. Equity seeks to foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors’ Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. #EquityWorks
Hippodrome programs are sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts & Culture; Visit Gainesville Alachua County, and by the City of Gainesville, Dept. of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs. Please do not use the entrances and exits during the performance. The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.
Performed By: Jaxton.....David Patrick Ford*^ Logan......Laura Shatkus* Caden....Cameron Francis* Alicia...........Grace Serrano ^ Member of the Hippodrome Theatre’s company of actors. *Appearing through an Agreement between the Hippodrome Theatre and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
“The Thanksgiving Play” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com Playwrights Horizons, Inc., New York City, produced the World Premiere of “THE THANKSGIVING PLAY’’ in 2018 “THE THANKSGIVING PLAY was commissioned and originally produced by Artists Repertory Theatre Damaso Rodriguez, Artistic Director Sarah Horton, Managing Director Portland, Oregon” Playwrights Horizons.is dedicated to cultivating the most important American playwrights, composers, and lyricists, as well as developing and producing their bold new plays and musicals. Tim Sanford became Artistic Director In 1996 and Leslie Marcus has been Managing Director since 1993. Under their decades of leadership, Playwrights builds upon its diverse and renowned body of work, counting 400 writers among its artistic roster. In addition to its onstage work each season, Playwrights' singular commitment to nurturing American theater artists guides all of the institution's multifaceted initiatives: our acclaimed New Works Lab, a robust commissioning program, an innovative curriculum at its Theater School, and more. Robert Moss founded Playwrights in 1971 and cemented the mission that continues to guide the institution today. Andre Bishop served as Artistic Director from 1981-1992. Don Scardino succeeded him and served until 1996. Over its 47-year history, Playwrights bas been recognized with numerous awards and honors, includin · six Pulitzer Prizes 13 Ton Awards and 39 Obie Awards.
WHO’S WHO AT THE HIPP Stephanie Lynge (Artistic Director) is an accomplished
actor, director, producer, teacher and coach. Stephanie has enjoyed a career of more than 27 years in professional theater and education. Since 2013 she has worked on more than 40 productions at the Hippodrome either as an actor, director, choreographer, or dramaturg. She was seen on stage this season in The Wolves and Let The Right One In. Her other acting credits include performances in New York City on Broadway and Off Broadway at Lincoln Center, BAM, Jean Cocteau Rep, and the York Theater Workshop. Regional theaters include Freefall, Goodspeed Opera House, Sacramento Music Circus, Pasadena Playhouse, Rep Theater of St. Louis, Flat Rock Playhouse, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Seaside Music Theater, as well as several National Tours. Directing credits include the Hippodrome’s Every Christmas Story Ever Told, The Legend of Georgia McBride, and The Ultimate Christmas Show as well as plays at the 45th Street Theater (NYC), New York Musical Theater Festival, and the University of Florida. Stephanie has served as a Visiting professor at Indiana University, and an Adjunct professor at New Jersey City University and University of Florida. After receiving her BA in Musical Theater from Indiana University, Stephanie lived and worked as an actor in New York City for over 20 years. Stephanie holds a Master of Fine Arts in acting from University of Florida and is a proud member of Actors Equity Association since 1996.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Larissa FastHorse (Playwright) is a Sicangu Lakota award-winning playwright. Larissa’s produced plays include The Thanksgiving Play (Playwrights Horizons, Artists Rep), What Would Crazy Horse Do? (KCRep, Relative Theatrics), Urban Rez (Cornerstone Theater Company, ASU Gammage, NEFA National tour 2019-20), Landless and Cow Pie Bingo (AlterTheater), Average Family (Children’s Theater Company of Minneapolis), Teaching Disco Squaredancing to Our Elders: a Class Presentation (Native Voices at the Autry), Vanishing Point (Eagle Project) and Cherokee Family Reunion (Mountainside Theater). Additional theaters that have commissioned or developed plays with Larissa include Yale Rep, History Theater, Kennedy Center TYA, Baltimore’s Center Stage, Arizona Theater Company, Mixed Blood, Perseverance Theater Company, The Lark Playwrights Week, the Center Theatre Group Writer’s Workshop and Berkeley Rep’s Ground Floor. Larissa’s awards include the PEN/Laura Pels Theater Award for an American Playwright, NEA Distinguished New Play Development Grant, Joe Dowling Annamaghkerrig Fellowship, AATE Distinguished Play Award, Inge Residency, Sundance/Ford Foundation Fellowship, Aurand Harris Fellowship, the UCLA Native American Program Woman of the Year and numerous Creative Capital, Ford, Mellon and NEA Grants. Larissa is the vice chair of the board of directors of Theater Communications group and represented by Jonathan Mills at Paradigm NY. More info at hoganhorsestudio.com.
WHO’S WHO IN THANKSGIVING PLAY Nichole Hamilton (Director) is an Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts at New Mexico State University and teaches undergraduate courses in Vocal Production and Acting. She is a member of Actor’s Equity and a company member at the Hippodrome Theatre in Gainesville Florida. She has acted and directed in regional theatre across the country and performs her solo show Dame DaDa & the Meta Show in fringe venues. Nichole holds a BA in Theatre from the University of Montevallo and an MFA in Acting from the University of Florida. www.nichole-hamilton.com David Patrick Ford*^ (Jaxton) Broadway National Tours: The Full Monty (Keno, Ethan U/S, Dance Captain); Footloose (Lyle, Chuck U/S) Off-Broadway: Sessions (Dylan) Peter Jay Sharp Theater Off-Off Broadway: Macbeth (Macbeth) and Othello (Iago) Gallery Players; Year One of the Empire (Beveridge) Metropolitan Playhouse & NY Theater Workshop Regional: Many shows: Pittsburgh CLO, Sacramento LOA, Walnut St. Theater, N. Carolina Theater, North Shore MT, The Alliance, Playhouse on the Sq., Westchester Broadway, Kansas City Starlight, MUNY St, Louis, Struthers Library, and here at the Hipp. David is a member of the Hippodrome acting company. Visit www.DavidPatrickFord.com. Laura Shatkus* (Logan) is thrilled to return to the (virtual) stage at The Hippodrome where she was last seen in Miracle on South Division Street and also appeared in Ripcord, 1984 and A Christmas Carol. Most recently, she directed an original adaptation of The Walmart Book of the Dead for the Hipp Unplugged and Sana, Sana Colita de Rana for the Hippodrome New Works Festival. Other notable regional credits include: Damascus (Florida Rep), As You Like It (Northwest Arkansas Shakespeare Festival), Romeo and Juliet (North Dakota Shakes), and Intimate Apparel, The Fall Of The House, All The Way, and Amadeus (TheatreSquared). Chicago credits include: The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Talk Radio (The Gift Theatre), Accidental Rapture and Mariposa Nocturna (16th Street Theatre), Macbeth (Muse of Fire), and Berwyn Avenue (VonOrthal Puppets), among others. She holds an MFA in theatre from the University of Arkansas. www.laurashatkus. com
WHO’S WHO IN THANKSGIVING PLAY Cameron Francis* (Caden) is thrilled to be partnering with the Hippodrome Theatre again. He was last seen as Arthur DeBourgh in Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberly at the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre. Mad Cow Theatre: Pride & Prejudice and Dinner With Friends. Hippodrome State Theatre: Shear Madness, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Moonlight and Magnolias, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Over the Tavern and many more productions. Off- Broadway: Dick Sanford in The Flashing Stream (Mirage Theatre Company). Other NYC productions: All In The Tming (HERE Arts Center); High Maintenance (Chekhov Now Festival); Venus Observed (Verse Theatre Manhattan). Cameron has appeared in countless commercials and several movies, including the upcoming Kevin Smith film Killroy Was Here. He received his MFA in acting from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC and is a proud member of the Actor’s Equity Association. Grace Serrano (Alicia) was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico and grew up outside of Orlando, Florida. Some of her favorite theatre credits include Homeward LA at The Celebration Theatre, Enemy at The Arena Stage, Legitimate Violence at The Blank Theatre, Layover in L.A at hereandnow Theatre Co., A Line is Drawn at Ruby Tuesday at Studio C, and Blood on Gold at The Cox Theatre. Grace starred in the feature film Thou Shalt Not Kill, the television pilots Hummingbird and L.A.tinos, and has been seen in dozens of short films and national commercials. She recently completed principal photography for the new feature film The Inheritance. Grace is a stand-up comedian and has performed regularly at The World Famous Comedy Store. She is on the executive board of Dog House Films, a founding member of No Pants Theatre Co. and holds a BA in Theatre Arts from the University of Florida. Find her on Twitter & Instagram @thegraceserrano www.graceserrano.com