IRT Program: Steel Magnolias by Indiana Repertory Theatre

2021-2022 SEASON

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ONEAMERICA MAINSTAGE | MAY 10 – JUNE 5 IRTLIVE.COM | 317.635.5252

Original artwork by Kyle Ragsdale

Community Engagement That’s Built to Last Building a better future together The spirit of giving is strong at OneAmerica®. A community leader since our inception, we proudly support organizations, like the Indiana Repertory Theatre, that make a difference. OneAmerica is pleased to have further extended our support of the IRT. Our community commitment focuses on strategically investing in education; workforce development; community safety, wellness and success; and community vibrancy.

Visit OneAmerica.com to learn more about our involvement with local nonprofits.

C-34420 08/18/21

Proud supporter of the Indiana Repertory Theatre

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A STANDING OVATION TO ARTISTIC EXPRESSION

ONEAMERICA | 2021-2022 SEASON SPONSOR

OneAmerica is proud to support IRT, with our relationship among the longest running sponsorships in theater nationwide. As one of Central Indiana’s champions of imagination, innovation and inspiration, we sincerely hope you enjoy their 2021-2022 season.

—Scott Davison, chairman, president and CEO OneAmerica, 2021-2022 season sponsor

Through its community outreach efforts, the Navient Community Fund supports organizations and programs that address the root causes which limit financial success for all Americans. The Navient Community Fund is proud to support the Indiana Repertory Theatre as the Education Partner for the 2021-2022 Season. Navient is a leading provider of asset management and business processing solutions to education, healthcare, and government clients at the federal, state, and local levels. Millions of Americans rely on financial support to further their education and improve their lives. We work hard each day to help our customers navigate financial challenges and achieve their goals. We at Navient have a deep appreciation for the arts and for the hard work, passion, and emotion that go into them, as well as the positive influences the arts have on individuals and their communities. Our employees in central Indiana are proud to support our community through amazing programs like those offered by IRT. Enjoy the show.

OUR MISSION & VISION

CONTENTS

MISSION Live theatre connects us to meaningful issues in our lives and has the power to shape the human experience. The mission of the Indiana Repertory Theatre is to produce top-quality, professional theatre and related activities, providing experiences that will engage, surprise, challenge, and entertain people throughout their lifetimes, helping us build a vital and vibrant community.

3.................................................Mission & Values 4..................Land & Building Acknowledgment 5..................................................................Profile 7.....................................................................IDEA 8.........................................................Leadership 12...................................................................Staff 14............................................Board of Directors 24...............................................Steel Magnolias 35...................................................Company Bios 40...........................Interview: Danielle M. Dove 44...................................................Donor Listing

VISION The Indiana Repertory Theatre will be a life-long destination of choice for an everexpanding audience of all ages and backgrounds seeking enjoyable and meaningful experiences. Using theatre as a springboard for both personal reflection and community discussion, our productions and programs will inspire our neighbors to learn about themselves and others. As an arts leader in the state of Indiana, the IRT's goal is to make Indiana a dynamic home of cultural expression, economic vitality, and a diverse, informed, and engaged citizenry.

AS AN INSTITUTION, WE VALUE... SUSTAINING A PROFESSIONAL, CREATIVE ATMOSPHERE The professional production of plays that provide insight and celebrate human relationships through the unique vision of the playwright • Professional artists of the highest quality working on our stages in an environment that allows them to grow and thrive • Our leadership role in fostering a creative environment where arts, education, corporate, civic, and cultural organizations collaborate to benefit our community. PRUDENT STEWARDSHIP OF OUR RESOURCES Our public-benefit status, where the focus is on artistic integrity, affordable ticket prices that allow all segments of our community to attend, and community service • Fiscal responsibility and financial security based on achieving a balanced budget • Growing our endowment fund as a resource for future development and to ensure institutional longevity. INCLUSIVENESS The production of plays from a broad range of dramatic literature addressing diverse communities • The involvement of all segments of our community in our activities • Using theatre arts as a primary tool to bring meaning into the lives of our youth, making creativity a component of their education • The employment of artists and staff that celebrates the diversity of the United States.

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CONTACT US IRTLIVE.COM TICKET OFFICE: 317.635.5252 ADMIN OFFICES: 317.635.5277 140 W. Washington Street Indianapolis, IN 46204

PHOTO POLICY Photography of the set without actors and with proper credit to the scenic and lighting designers is permitted. Due to union agreements, photography, video, and audio recording are not permitted during the performance. The videotaping of productions is a violation of United States Copyright Law and an actionable Federal Offense.

HERITAGE AND TRADITION Our role as Indiana’s premiere theatre for more than 40 years, recognized by the 107th Indiana General Assembly in 1991 as “Indiana’s Theatre Laureate.” • The historic Indiana Theatre as our home, as a cultural landmark, and as a significant contributor to a vital downtown • Our national, state, and local reputation for 40+ years of quality creative work and educational programming • Our board, staff, volunteers, artists, audiences, and donors as essential partners in fulfilling our mission.

2021 | 2022

ACKNOWLEDGING THE LAND Every community owes its existence and vitality to generations from around the world who contributed their hopes, dreams and energy to making the history that led to this moment. Some were brought here or removed from here against their will, some were drawn to leave their distant homes in hope of a better life, and some have lived on this land for more generations than can be counted. Acknowledgment of the land which the IRT now occupies is critical to building mutual respect and connection across all barriers of heritage. We want to acknowledge that what we now call Indiana is on the ancestral lands of many indigenous peoples including the Miami, Piankashaw, Wea, Potawatomi, Kickapoo, Delaware, and Shawnee. We pay respects to their elders past and present. Please take a moment to consider the many legacies of displacement, migration, violence, and settlement that bring us together here today. This land acknowledgment was created in collaboration with Scott Shoemaker, PhD (Miami Tribe of Oklahoma). Portions of this acknowledgment come from the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture (usdac.us).

ACKNOWLEDGING OUR BUILDING’S HISTORY The Indiana Repertory Theatre moved to its current site on Washington Street in 1980, renovating and reopening a building that had been shuttered for nearly a decade. The historic Indiana Theatre was built in 1927, a time when the shameful practice of racial segregation was the standard in movie theatres and public buildings across the United States. The Indiana Theatre building was originally segregated and at some point in its history this practice ceased. Many Indiana residents and their families’ heritage stories recall being treated as less than equal citizens in this building, with some even being barred from entering. We cannot erase this history. We honor and respect all those who have faced discrimination and harm in this building. We strive every day to make the IRT a place that welcomes all people.

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE PROFILE HISTORY Since the Indiana Repertory Theatre was founded in 1971, it has grown into one of the leading regional theatres in the country, as well as one of the top-flight cultural institutions in the city and state. In 1991 Indiana’s General Assembly designated the IRT as “Theatre Laureate” of the state of Indiana. The IRT’s national reputation has been confirmed by prestigious grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Lila Wallace–Reader’s Digest Fund, the Theatre Communications Group–Pew Charitable Trusts, the Shubert Foundation, and the Kresge Foundation; and by a Joyce Award from the Joyce Foundation. The IRT remains the largest fully professional resident not-forprofit theatre in the state, providing more than 100,000 live professional theatre experiences in a typical season. The Theatre regularly serves thousands of students from more than half of Indiana’s 92 counties. A staff of year-round employees creates six productions exclusively for Indiana audiences. Actors, directors, and designers are members of professional stage unions. The IRT’s history has been enacted in two historic downtown theatres. The Athenaeum Turners Building housed the company’s first eight seasons. Since 1980 the IRT has occupied the 1927 Indiana Theatre, which was renovated to contain three performance spaces (OneAmerica Mainstage, Upperstage, and Cabaret) and work spaces, reviving this historic downtown entertainment site. To keep ticket prices and services affordable for the entire community, the IRT operates as a not-for-profit organization, deriving more than 50% of its operating income from contributions. The Theatre is generously supported by foundations, corporations, and individuals, an investment which recognizes the IRT’s mission-based commitment to serving Central Indiana with top-quality theatrical fare.

PROGRAMS The OneAmerica Season includes six productions from classical to contemporary, including the INclusion Series. Young Playwrights in Process The IRT offers Young Playwrights in Process (YPiP), a playwriting contest and workshop for Indiana middle and high school students. Community Gathering Place Located in a beautiful historic landmark, the IRT offers a wide variety of unique and adaptable spaces for family, business, and community gatherings of all types. Call Marissa Klingler at 317.916.4872 for more information. Opportunities The IRT depends on the generous donation of time and energy by volunteer ushers; call 317.916.4872 to learn how you can become involved. Meet the Artists Virtual pre-show chats offer audiences unique insights into each production. Student Matinees The IRT continues a long-time commitment to student audiences with school-day student matinee performances of all IRT productions. These performances are augmented with educational activities and curriculum support materials. This season A Christmas Carol, Fahrenheit 451, The Reclamation of Madison Hemings, and The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin offer opportunities for student attendance. Educational Programs The IRT has a long-time commitment to student audiences. This season, we are sharing five of our six productions with students virtually. If you are interested in bringing IRT to your students through streaming productions, or hosting a virtual workshop with an artist, please email education@irtlive.com. Auxiliary services include study guides.

AT THE HEART OF THE ARTS Barnes & Thornburg is proud to support the talent and vitality that is the Indiana Repertory Theatre.

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ANSWERING THE WORLD’S MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION: WHAT’S FOR DINNER?

INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND ACCESS (IDEA)

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE: WELCOMING THE WHOLE COMMUNITY We strive to celebrate and serve the diverse people and cultures that make up our whole community. The IRT is committed to providing access for all; to creating and maintaining an antiracist theatre that is inclusive, safe, and respectful. Whether you have been coming for years or are here for the first time—welcome to your Theatre!

VALUES • Our community thrives when diverse voices and peoples gather to make, watch, and support theatre. • It is our responsibility as a community resource to open our doors wide, welcoming all to our high-quality, relevant art. • We must acknowledge our history of privilege as a predominantly White institution in order to effectively support dismantling systems of oppression. • In order to be an antiracist and inclusive organization we must seek knowledge and understanding to identify discriminatory practices and increase cultural awareness in collaboration with, and learning directly from, BIPOC, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex (LGBTQI+), functionally diverse, and other historically excluded communities.

COMMITMENTS • We will represent and engage the diverse people, cultures, and communities of central Indiana. • We will employ more people of color and foster an inclusive culture of artists, staff, board, and vendors. • We will deepen our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) training for all board and staff. • We will be accessible to all audiences inviting those who have been unheard or unseen in the past, including people with disabilities, BIPOC, LGBTQI+, and under-resourced communities. If you would like to read more about our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) work, go to irtlive.com/about/idea. Katie Bradley, Andrew May, and Gavin Lawerance in the IRT’s 2020 production of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. Photo by Zach Rosing.

MARGOT LACY ECCLES WAS A LEADING PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORTER OF THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES. THE INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE CHERISHES ITS HISTORY WITH MRS. ECCLES AS A SUBSCRIBER, BOARD MEMBER, DONOR AND CHAMPION OF OUR ORGANIZATION IN BOTH ITS EDUCATIONAL AND ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP. IN RECOGNITION OF MRS. ECCLES’S LEGACY AS BENEFACTOR AND ADVISOR, THE INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE IS PROUD TO HAVE NAMED ITS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR POSITION THE MARGOT LACY ECCLES ARTISTIC DIRECTOR.

LEADERSHIP: JANET ALLEN

Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director

Creating world-class professional theatre for Central Indiana audiences of all ages has remained a career-long passion for Janet Allen. She began at the IRT in 1980 as the theatre’s first literary manager–dramaturg. After four years in New York City, she returned to serve ten years as associate artistic director. Named the IRT’s fourth artistic director in 1996, she is now in her 26th season in that role. In January 2020, she was named the Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director. During Janet’s tenure, the IRT has significantly diversified its services to both adults and children, expanded its new play development programs, solidified its reputation as a top-flight regional theatre dedicated to diverse programming and production quality. Janet’s passion for nurturing playwrights has led to a fruitful relationship with James Still, the IRT’s playwright-in-residence for 24 years, and the creation and production of 16 new works—the Indiana Series— that examine Hoosier and Midwestern sensibilities (seven of them by James Still). Her collaboration with playwrights has brought the theatre prestigious grants from the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Joyce Foundation, and the Doris Duke Foundation, as well as numerous grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Janet’s leadership skills and community service have been recognized by the Network of Women in Business–IBJ’s “Influential Women in Business” Award, a Distinguished Hoosier Award conferred by Governor Frank O’Bannon, Girls Inc.’s Touchstone Award for Arts Leadership, and the Indiana Commission on Women’s “Keeper of the Light” Torchbearer Award. She is a proud alumna of the Stanley K. Lacy Leadership program (Class XIX) and was a 2013-2014 Arts Council of Indianapolis Creative Renewal Arts Fellow. She is a member of two honorary gatherings in the America Theatre: the College of Fellows of the American Theatre at the John F. Kennedy Center, and the National Theatre Conference. In 2017 she was named an Indiana Living Legend by the Indiana Historical Society. Janet is a member of the Indianapolis Woman’s Club, the Gathering, and Congregation Beth-El Zedeck. She serves on the board of Summit Performance, a small professional theatre company that produces work by and about women. She lives in an historic house built in 1855 in the Chatham Arch neighborhood with her husband, Joel Grynheim, and a lovely canine mutt. They enjoy following the adventures of their three adult children and their new grandchild, who are thriving on various continents.

Among the memorable productions she has directed on the IRT’s stages are The Glass Menagerie (1999), Ah! Wilderness (2002), The Drawer Boy (2004), James Still’s The House That Jack Built (2012 & 2021), To Kill a Mockingbird (2016), Looking Over the President’s Shoulder (2008 & 2017), The Diary of Anne Frank (2011 & 2018), Morning After Grace (2020), and Cyrano (2021.) Constance Macy and David Shih in the IRT’s 2021 production of The House That Jack Built. Photo by Zach Rosing.

LEADERSHIP: SUZANNE SWEENEY Managing Director

Suzanne is a 23-year veteran of the IRT and is proud to work alongside her mentor and friend, Janet Allen, as co-CEO of the Theatre. Suzanne oversees all of the administrative functions of the organization, including marketing, fundraising, ticket office, house management, finance, human resources, information technology, and building operations. During her tenure, the Theatre has secured a long-term lease for the building with the City of Indianapolis and renovated the Upperstage Lobby and restrooms. In June 2020 the Theatre surpassed its $18.5 million goal for its Front and Center campaign, raising $20 million. Suzanne was elected Treasurer of the League of Resident Theatres, a nationwide association of regional theatres, and she serves as a member of their board of directors.

In 2021 and 2016, she was honored to serve as a panelist for Shakespeare in American Communities in cooperation with Arts Midwest. Suzanne is active in the community, having been the treasurer of Irish Fest for nine years, a member of the board of directors and treasurer of the Day Nursery Association (now Early Learning Indiana) for three years, and a past treasurer of IndyFringe. Suzanne is an alumna of the College of William & Mary (undergraduate) and Indiana University (M.B.A.). She started her career as a CPA; prior to coming to Indianapolis, she worked in finance for more than 10 years, living in such varied locales as Washington, DC; Dallas, Texas; Frankfurt, Germany; Honolulu, Hawaii; and even working for three months in Auckland, New Zealand (where, yes, she went bungee jumping). She is a proud alumna of the Stanley K. Lacy Leadership Program (Class XXXI). Suzanne lives in Fall Creek Place with her 18-year-old son, Jackson, and their foxhound rescue dog, Gertie, and spends some of her downtime in Palatine, Illinois, with her partner, Todd Wiencek.

Top: Michael Stewart Allen and Jamaal McCray in the IRT’s 2021 production of N0. 6 Bottom: Celeste M. Cooper and Mary Williamson in the IRT’s 2021 production of Mrs. Harrison. Photos by Zach Rosing.

AS PART OF THE FRONT & CENTER CAMPAIGN, SARAH & JOHN LECHLEITER HAVE GIVEN A GIFT TO THE IRT IN HONOR OF JAMES STILL’S LONG-TIME RELATIONSHIP WITH THE IRT, CREATING THE JAMES STILL PLAYWRIGHT-IN-RESIDENCE FUND, WHICH PROVIDES FUTURE SUPPORT FOR THE PLAYWRIGHT-IN-RESIDENCE AS WELL AS THE CREATION OF NEW WORK FOR THE IRT. Distinguished Play Award from the American Alliance for Theatre & Education, and his work has been produced throughout the United States, Canada, China, Japan, Europe, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

LEADERSHIP: JAMES STILL Playwright-in-Residence

During his 24 years as Playwright-in-Residence, IRT audiences have seen all three plays in James’s The Jack Plays trilogy (The House That Jack Built, Appoggiatura, and Miranda), as well as Looking Over the President’s Shoulder; And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank; Amber Waves; The Little Choo-Choo That Thinks She Can; April 4, 1968: Before We Forgot How to Dream; I Love to Eat: Cooking with James Beard; The Velveteen Rabbit; The Heavens Are Hung in Black; Interpreting William; Iron Kisses; The Gentleman from Indiana; Searching for Eden; He Held Me Grand, and The Secret History of the Future. James has directed many productions at the IRT, including Twelve Angry Men, A Doll’s House Part 2, The Originalist, Dial “M” for Murder, The Mystery of Irma Vep, Red, Other Desert Cities, God of Carnage, Becky’s New Car, Rabbit Hole, Doubt, The Immigrant, and Dinner with Friends. This season he directed A Christmas Carol.

The Jack Plays is the 2020 winner for drama of the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award. Also in 2020 James wrote the short film A City of Stories commissioned by the New Harmony Project. Current projects include his new plays The Cratchits (in America) commissioned by the IRT, his adaptation of the classic Black Beauty, (A) New World, Dinosaur(s), and new play commissions with Prison Performing Arts (St. Louis) and American Blues (Chicago). He has recently written dozens of short new plays that are being performed on digital platforms across the country. James also works in television and film and has been nominated for five Emmys and a Television Critics Association Award; he has twice been a finalist for the Humanitas Prize. He was a producer and head writer for the TLC series PAZ, the head writer for Maurice Sendak’s Little Bear, and writer for the Bill Cosby series Little Bill. He wrote The Little Bear Movie and The Miffy Movie as well as the feature film The Velocity of Gary. James grew up in Kansas and lives in Los Angeles.

James is a member of the National Theatre Conference in New York, and a Kennedy Center inductee of the College of Fellows of the American Theatre. Other honors include the Todd McNerney New Play Prize from the Spoleto Festival, William Inge Festival’s Otis Guernsey New Voices Award, and the Orlin Corey Medallion from the Children’s Theatre Foundation of America. His plays have been nominated four times for the Pulitzer Prize, and have been developed at Robert Redford’s Sundance, the New Harmony Project, Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference, Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, Colorado New Play Summit, the Lark, Launch Pad at UC–Santa Barbara, Telluride Playwright’s Festival, New Visions/ New Voices, and Fresh Ink. Three of his plays have received the 10

The cast of the IRT’s 2021 production of The House That Jack Built. Photo by Zach Rosing.

organization in addressing historical inequities and ensuring that the company’s work reflected the diversity of the local community. Prior to his role at CTC, Ben spent five years in California’s Bay Area, dividing his time between Berkeley Repertory Theatre and the Bay Area Children’s Theatre. In his native Minnesota, Ben was honored to serve on the education staff of Penumbra Theatre Company, the nation’s leading African American theatre, where he helped to expand their education and outreach offerings. His proudest accomplishments during his four years with the company include growing the nationally recognized Summer Institute for Activist Artists into a threeyear multidisciplinary social justice theatre training program, developing a multigenerational quilting circle, and helping to create and facilitate a racial equity training program through the company’s RACE workshop series.

LEADERSHIP: BENJAMIN HANNA Associate Artistic Director

Ben holds a degree in theatre arts from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. He grew up on a small rural farm and fell in love with theatre at the age of eleven. He continues to create for his favorite audience: his five nieces and nephews.

Ben is a director, educator, and community engagement specialist whose passion for multigenerational theatre has influenced his work across the country. In all of his myriad roles, Ben is guided by the belief that access to high-quality theatre helps build creative, empathetic people and healthy communities. Ben is thrilled to be in his fifth season at Indiana Repertory Theatre, where he has directed Tuesdays with Morrie, This Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol (twice), The Little Choo-Choo That Thinks She Can, Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!,” and The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse. This season he directed The Book Club Play and Fahrenheit 451. As associate artistic director, Ben manages casting both locally and nationally, helps guide education and community programming, and connects IRT to new artists and ideas. Dedicated to eradicating systems of oppression, he is an advocate for creating and maintaining an anti-racist culture that breaks down historical barriers of access to the theatre. Along with Sarah Bellamy, IRT’s Equity Consultant, he guides IRT’s work to develop thoughtful, sustainable Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access initiatives. Ben is the recipient of a Theatre Communications Group Leadership University Award funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The award supported his artistic mentorship at the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, the nation’s largest theatre for young audiences. During his tenure at CTC, Ben directed in-house productions and took shows across the globe, as far afield as South Africa; he played a key role in fundraising, management, education, and strategic planning processes; and he helped guide the Henry Woronicz in the IRT’s 2021 production of Tuesdays with Morrie. Photo by Zach Rosing.

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE STAFF EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

ELECTRICS

Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director Janet Allen Managing Director Suzanne Sweeney

Assistant Master Electrician Kayla Brown Electrician Kathryn Burke Master Electrician

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

FINANCE

Office Administrator Ariana Fisher ARTISTIC

Production Manager Malia Argüello Associate Artistic Director Benjamin Hanna Company Manager Hillary Martin Resident Dramaturg Richard J Roberts General Manager Jane Robison Playwright-in-Residence James Still COSTUME SHOP

Draper Erica Anderson Costume Shop Manager Guy Clark Wardrobe Supervisor Isabella Garza Stitcher Rebecca Reyes DEVELOPMENT

Development Systems Brady Clark Institutional Giving Manager Eric J. Olson Individual Giving Manager Kay Swank-Herzog Director of Development Jennifer Turner EDUCATION

Education Coordinator Anna E. Barnett

Beth A. Nuzum

Director of Finance Jeffrey Bledsoe Payroll & Benefits Specialist Jen Carpenter Business Manager Will Turpin-Doty MARKETING

Marketing Communications Manager Kerry Barmann Director of Marketing & Sales Danielle M. Dove Graphic Designer Noelani Langille Associate Director of Marketing Elizabeth Petermann

Tessitura Administrator Molly Wible Sweets PROPERTIES SHOP

Properties Manager Geoffrey Ehrendreich Properties Carpenter Madelaine Foster Properties Artisan Abigail Stuckey SCENE SHOP

Carpenters WonJun Brendon Choi Nick Kilgore Technical Director Chris Fretts Master Carpenter David Sherrill Automation Carpenter Hal Wenk SOUND & VIDEO

Audio/Video Engineer John Chung Audio Engineer Brittany Hayth PAINT SHOP Resident Sound Designer Charge Scenic Artist Todd Mack Reischman Claire Dana Scenic Artist STAGE MANAGEMENT Jim Schumacher Production Stage Manager Nathan Garrison PATRON SERVICES Stage Manager Building Services Erin Robson-Smith Eric Argyelan Assistant Stage Manager Housekeeping Becky Roeber Dave Dunaway Production Assistants House Manager Andrea Haskett Marissa Klingler Jalen Jones Ticket Office Manager Judy Lombardo TELESERVICES Assistant Ticket Office Manager Group Sales & Teleservices Manager Eric Wilburn Doug Sims Customer Service Representatives Geneva Denney-Moore Ashlee Lancaster Jacob Lang Courtney Plummer Kim Reeves Tim Salamandyk Cara Wilson

Opposite: Ryan Artzberger, Melisa Pereyra, and Jeb Burris in the IRT’s 2021 production of Cyrano. Photo by Zach Rosing.

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE STAFF PART-TIME STAFF AND ASSOCIATES ASL INTERPRETERS Tara Parchman Robin Reid AUDIO DESCRIBER Edie McDonnel FINANCE ASSOCIATES

External Auditors Crowe Horwath LLP Legal Counsel Heather Moore PAINT SHOP

Scenic Painter Drew Newlin PATRON SERVICES

Assistant House Managers Pat Bebee Grace Branam Stacy Brown Preston Dildine Christine Gordon Marilyn Hatcher Sarah James Jacob Lang Alicia McClendon Dianna Mosedale Jade Perry Jeff Pigeon Phoebe Rodgers Kathy Sax Ashley Saunders Karen Sipes Leila Spicklemire Sam Stucky Katy Thompson Bartenders Jade Perry Cheryl Statzer Tina Weaver PRODUCTION Lee Edmundson

BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS CHAIR

TREASURER

VICE CHAIR & CHAIR ELECT

SECRETARY

Mark Shaffer KPMG LLP

After one of the most challenging years in our history, we are very excited to welcome you in person to the Indiana Repertory Theatre! Great theatre sparks conversations, thoughtful questions, and ideas that reflect on and enlighten our lives, workplaces, and communities. Whether you’ve been part of the IRT family for years or are a first-time visitor, we are glad you are with us! I am very grateful for the hard work, dedication, and adaptability of our staff, bringing theatre to our audience in these extraordinary times. We are blessed with amazing leadership and talent. I also want to give a special thank you to all our patrons and partners for their loyal and tireless support, ensuring the IRT’s future for generations to come. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I thank you for joining us this season—one which will inspire and entertain.

– Mark E. Shaffer, IRT Board Chair

Andrew Michie OneAmerica Financial Partners, Inc.

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR

Nadine Givens* PNC Wealth Management

Detra Mills The Basement

MEMBERS Tammara D. Avant American Electric Power Allison Barkel LifeOmic IRT Offscript Advisory Council Liaison Kathryn Beiser Eli Lilly & Company Keith A. Bice Dentons Bingham Greenebaum LLP Amy Burke Lacy School of Business Butler University Michael P. Dinius Noble Consulting Services, Inc. Laurie Dippold KAR Auction Services, Inc. Dan Emerson* Indianapolis Colts Troy D. Farmer BKD CPAs & Advisors Ashley Garry Roche Diagnostics Ron Gifford RDG Strategies LLC

Bruce Glor J.P. Morgan Julian Harrell Faegre Drinker Mike Harrington Eli Lilly & Company, Retired Michael N. Heaton Katz Sapper & Miller Holt Hedrick Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. Brenda Horn Ice Miller LLP, Retired Rebecca Hutton Leadership Indianapolis Lauren James TechPoint Elisha Modisett Kemp Corteva Agriscience Jill Lacy The Lacy Foundation Alan Mills Barnes & Thornburg LLP Michael Moriarty Frost Brown Todd, Retired

Brian Payne Central Indiana Community Foundation Peter Racher Plews Shadley Racher & Braun LLP Susan O. Ringo Community Volunteer Myra C. Selby Ice Miller LLP Darshan Shah BioCrossroads Mike Simmons Jupiter Peak, LLC Shelly Smith Ernst & Young LLP Sue Smith Community Volunteer Amy Waggoner Salesforce L. Alan Whaley Ice Miller LLP, Retired Heather Wilson Frost Brown Todd LLC

BOARD EMERITUS Robert Anker* Rollin Dick Berkley Duck* Dale Duncan* James W. Freeman Michael Lee Gradison* (in memoriam) Margie Herald (in memoriam) David Klapper David Kleinman*

* Past Board Chairs

Joy Kleinmaier American Specialty Health

Sarah Lechleiter E. Kirk McKinney Jr. (in memoriam) Richard O. Morris* (in memoriam) Jane Schlegel* Wayne Schmidt Jerry Semler* Jack Shaw* William E. Smith III* Eugene R. Tempel*

CELEBRATE OUR 50TH SEASON!

SIGNATURE SIX

The

Chinese Lady

by Lloyd Suh

SEPT 14 – OCT 9, 2022 beloved romance

OCT 11 – NOV 6, 2022 piercing & poetic portrait

Oedipus

Shakespeare’s Will

by Sophocles adapted by David Daniel

by Vern Thiessen

FEB 22 – MAR 18, 2023 timeless tragedy

MAR 15 – APR 16, 2023 a forgotten woman

Flyin’ West

by Pearl Cleage

JAN 11 – FEB 5, 2023 the strength of sisterhood

Clue

based on the screenplay by

Jonathan Lynn written by Sandy

Rustin

additional material by

Hunter Foster & Eric Price

APR 19 – MAY 20, 2023 let the games begin!

Part of IRT’s INclusion Series: Celebrating Diverse Storytelling

ADD-ON PRODUCTION Charles Dickens’

A Christmas Carol adapted by

Tom Haas

NOV 19 – DEC 24, 2022 Indy’s holiday tradition Banish your bah humbugs, and celebrate the season at the IRT! Scrooge’s visits to the past, the present, and the future bring us hope in the dark of winter, when we need it most. A Christmas Carol celebrates the power of kindness, family, and love in this treasured tale filled with laughter, tears, and redemption.

PACKAGES ON SALE NOW! | IRTLIVE.COM | 317.635.5252

THEATER DANCE VISUAL LITERARY MUSIC FILM POETRY/ SPOKEN WORD

crafting a

CREATIVE COMEBACK Reconnect with your favorite Indy arts & culture experiences and discover new ones. Everything’s happening at

IndyArtsGuide.org 16

Kay Bae, Algae & Wildflowers, 2020 Banner artwork at Meridian and Washington streets

THE REPERTORY SOCIETY Exclusive Access and Support

Theatre is about community, coming together to share stories, allowing us to laugh together, cry together, and experience perspectives both familiar and new. CONTINUING OUR MISSION WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF OUR DONORS.

YOUR GENEROSITY TRANSFORMS THE COMMUNITY BY: Providing an evening of laughter and entertainment with friends Illuminating bold new perspectives Enlightening young minds Bringing our community together, one story at a time Become a member of our Repertory Society and be part of what makes our city a great artistic community. Donors giving $1,500 or more each season will join this exclusive group and gain access to a slate of benefits created to extend your access to our art and enhance your theatergoing experience. REPERTORY SOCIETY BENEFITS INCLUDE: Exclusive Special Events, Discounts on single tickets purchased, VIP Ticket Concierge, and much more! Jennifer Johansen, Aaron Kirby, Constance Macy and David Shih in the IRT’s 2021 production of The House That Jack Built. Photo by Zach Rosing.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO JOIN THE REPERTORY SOCIETY

Contact Kay Swank-Herzog, Individual Giving Manager: kswankherzog@irtlive.com | 317.916.4830

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INDIA N A

arts4u

CELEBRATE THE ARTS

Arts and creativity make us stronger – as individuals, families, communities, and as a state. Make your license plate purchase count. Purchasing an Arts Trust License Plate contributes to an established endowment and, along with funds from the Indiana General Assembly, supports arts projects across the state.

www.arts.in.gov Pictured Arts Trust License Plate Project: Early Learning Indiana, Marion County

EQUITY IS JUSTICE. EQUITY IS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. EQUITY BENEFITS US ALL.

OUR MISSION:

to mobilize people, ideas and investments to make this a community where all individuals have equitable opportunity to reach their full potential—no matter place, race or identity.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT TO BUILD A STRONGER COMMUNITY FOR ALL BECOME AN EQUITY PARTNER

Learn more at CICF.org/equity

317.634.2423 CICF.org

Support in the Wings At Faegre Drinker, community takes center stage. We’re proud to stand with the IRT in honoring the resiliency of our city and reimagining the way forward.

Every day, the arts inspire us all.

The arts make us think, make us feel, and make us wonder. And being able to support the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s INclusion series this season makes us proud.

Visit us at www.pnc.com

SUMMER YOUTH WORKSHOPS: BRING THEATRE TO LIFE AT THE IRT!

Summer Youth Workshops are now available for actors age 8-15. We welcome students both new to theatre and those with experience that want to take their skills to the next level. For more information about Summer Youth Workshops and how to register: irtlive.com/summeryouthworkshops

More Education needs? Please contact our Education Coordinator, Anna Barnett | abarnett@irtlive.com | 317.916.4841 2323

REVIEWS!

Share your review on social media by tagging us at @IRTLIVE, using #IRTLIVE or by emailing REVIEWS@IRTLIVE.COM PHOTO CREDIT (SET ONLY):

ONE AMERICA MAINSTAGE MAY 10 – JUNE 5

ARTISTIC

Director_______________________ LAURA GORDON Scenic Designer__________________________REGINA GARCÍA Costume Designer_________________________ HOLLY PAYNE Lighting Designer_______________________ JAYMI LEE SMITH Sound Designer ______________________ MELANIE CHEN COLE Dramaturg__________________________ RICHARD J ROBERTS Stage Manager_______________________ NATHAN GARRISON Assistant Stage Manager____________________ BECKY ROEBER Casting _______________________ STEPHANIE KLAPPER, CSA CO-PRODUCED WITH CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK.

ARTS PARTNERS

m a k i n g t h e a rts h a p p e n

SCENIC DESIGNER: Regina García LIGHTING DESIGNER: Jaymi Lee Smith SEASON SPONSOR

SEASON PARTNER

ASSOCIATE SPONSOR

CORPORATE PARTNER

JANET ALLEN

Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director

SUZANNE SWEENEY Managing Director

Original artwork by Kyle Ragsdale

THE CAST (IN ORDER OF SPEAKING)

SETTING

Annelle Dupuy DeSoto __________ BRITTANY ANIKKA LIU Truvy Jones _____________________ SUSAN LYNSKEY Clairee Belcher ____________________ GINA DANIELS Shelby Eatenton Latcherie___________ KATE ABBRUZZESE M’Lynn Eatonton ________________ ANNIE FITZPATRICK Ouiser Boudreaux ________________ NAOMI JACOBSON

Chinquapin, Louisiana. The late 1980s. APPROXIMATE RUN TIME: 2 hours and 20 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Steel Magnolias is produced by arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York. Steel Magnolias was originally produced in 1987 by the W.P.A. Theatre, New York City, Kyle Renick, Artistic Director. Dialect Coach: Julia Guichard Cosmetology Consultant: Amy Whitaker Understudies: For Truvy, Ouiser, M’lynn, & Claree: Jennifer Joplin, AEA | For Annelle & Shelby: Kelsey Leigh Miller Actors and stage managers in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. The director is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union. The scenic, costume, lighting, and sound designers are represented by United Scenic Artists Local 829, IATSE. Photography and recording are forbidden in the Theatre. The videotaping of this production is a violation of United States Copyright Law and an actionable Federal Offense.

WORTH THE WAIT

BY JANET ALLEN, MARGOT LACY ECCLES ARTISTIC DIRECTOR We’ve waited quite a while to do a production of Steel Magnolias. In the category of “things happen for a reason,” I’d say that the wait (while unpleasant, in that some of it was about surviving COVID) has turned out for the best. We need this story now more than perhaps any time in the recent past. Why? I don’t think anyone would gainsay, in this moment, another well-known aphorism: “laughter is the best medicine.” And yes, you will laugh while you are in the Theatre enjoying this production. A fast Google search of the play will bring you many articles like “32 Funny and Sweet Quotes from the Southern Classic.” Other aspects of the play, however, are equally memorable. There are tremendous human challenges meted out to the characters, and they are very recognizable ones: widowhood, major health issues, failing marriages, poverty, lost love, addiction, loneliness, self-doubt, even death. For those of you who know the play or movie well, you may wince at that list of plot downers, because that isn’t really what we remember, or why people flock to see it. It’s the “laughter through tears,” as Truvy says. The play is about how we survive and how laughter plays a big role in that. It’s also about how we depend on community (if we are lucky enough to have that) to help us survive, and how important gathering places are to creating community, to commiserating, to laughing despite the pain, to making human contact. 26

This last aspect is perhaps the most poignant in this time of COVID, when so many of our gathering places have been closed. We have gone long months—two years—without the solace of public classes, coffee shops, religious gatherings, art gatherings, gyms, restaurants, even hair salons. The way that Truvy makes place for these women to gather is one of the chief things that binds them together: they can come to Truvy’s and let their hair down—literally. May we all be re-energizing places like that in our own lives. We share this production with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, where it originated. Having seen it there, I know that you are in for laughter as well as the plucking of heart strings. These women are magnificent! For men, this play is an amazing insight into how women talk (about themselves and about men!) when they are alone. For women, it is a familiar experience of sisterhood where emotions and conversational content can change in an instant. For all of us, it is a very real experience of humanity—one we wanted to make sure you would see in the theatre LIVE! This production was supposed to close our season last year, but we delayed it, knowing how important it would be to experience it in person. There’s no substitute for that live exchange of energy and emotion. We’re very glad you are here to share it with us.

Above: Susan Lynskey in Steel Magnolias at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, the IRT’s co-producing partner for this production. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

OLD FRIENDS

BY LAURA GORDON, DIRECTOR

Robert Harling wrote Steel Magnolias in 1987 as a tribute to the courage of his sister, his mother, and their support system of neighborhood women in Nachitoches, Louisiana. Their gathering place—the familiar environs of Truvy’s beauty shop—is the perfect setting for a play that celebrates female friendships in all their complicated, quirky glory. The film version of the play came out in 1989 and immediately captured the hearts of millions of moviegoers around the world. And here we are 35 years later with a story that continues to resonate with people, I believe, because it is grounded in truth. There’s a wonderful anecdote about the original production in New York: the cast was reportedly shocked by the laughter they received in front of their first audience. They had never thought of the play as a comedy, but had rather invested in the reality of

the story and the richness of the relationships. The characters are very real, and they just so happen also to be incredibly funny.

Steel Magnolias is a brilliant mix of warmth, honesty, and wit. I think it’s the perfect play to see right now. Let’s face it: these past two pandemic years have been incredibly challenging, to say the least. As I return to the theatre, I want to see stories of resilience, with characters who see each other through the dark times and celebrate the good, who speak with candor, generosity, and great humor. I want to feel lifted up. I need to be moved, and I really need to laugh. I feel certain that these women will provide you with all of that. If this story is new to you, you’re in for a real treat. For the rest of us, I hope it feels a bit like visiting old friends that you haven’t seen in a while, and experiencing some good old Southern hospitality.

Above: The cast of Steel Magnolias at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

WELCOME TO

What we get with this play is access to the alchemy of friendship. And we all know this salon, right? It’s the type of place where you would get dropped off for the day, and you would return home with plenty of stories, not to mention gossip. I have provided different nooks within the salon for the women to sit and read, get some tea or coffee, get their hair done, and still have visual access across the space to one another. And then of course this converted garage would have had certain

things done to it so that it would feel like an extension of Truvy’s home—she wouldn’t have it any other way! The side entrance to the original garage has now become the back door, and a new more impressive entryway through the garden has been built adjacent to the cinder wall of the original garage. Storage possibilities are everywhere for both family memorabilia and overage stock product for the salon.

The danger of designing for such well-known and loved characters like those in Steel Magnolias is to balance the established look for the characters, the vision the director has for the play, and the insights that the actors in this production bring about how they are playing the character. My goal, along with Laura Gordon’s, was to craft real people, not stereotypes of the 1980s or southern

women. To accomplish this, we sought out vintage garments from the eighties: real clothes from the period that also came with their own wear and tear. The actors brought opinions and information from their exploration of the character to fittings, and together we were able to craft specific looks that help the audience see these women as people, not characters.

TRUVY’S SALON JAYMI LEE SMITH | LIGHTING DESIGNER Steel Magnolias is the kind of play where, as a lighting designer, I need to get out of its way. The story is about community, loss, friendship, and endurance; adding too heavy of a designerly hand or concept to a play like this could easily interfere with the human connection between the characters on stage and between the characters and the audience. Don’t get me wrong,

there are plenty of stunning plays that need lighting to help express their poetry, to help us metaphorically see in the dark ... but this play is about the authenticity between people. To aid in that story, I’m keeping the lighting design grounded in realism while helping to heighten the comedy and energy of the salon through intensity, color, and texture.

Music and sound can transport us to a different time and place. Steel Magnolias gives us the chance to go back in time to the 1980s and brings us to this particular small town in Louisiana. In this production, the radio is basically another character

that interacts with the actors. The curated playlist gives us an opportunity to be transported and spend quality time in this beauty parlor. The gunshots, dogs, and other fun sound effects give the story another dimension and life outside of the text.

Above: The cast of Steel Magnolias at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Scenic design by Regina García, costume design by Holly Payne, lighting design by Jaymi Lee Smith. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

PLAYWRIGHT ROBERT HARLING ON WRITING STEEL MAGNOLIAS Everything they talk about in the play is true. Not every diabetic is the same, but because of Susan’s particular condition, the doctors were concerned that carrying a child would affect her. But she wanted a child, she went ahead and had a child, and then, sure enough, her metabolism started to fail—circulatory system, kidneys, the whole thing. It was much grimmer than I portrayed it in the play. Nobody could sit through the actual health dilemmas that my sister went through. It was so powerful to me because here was this incredibly strong woman—my mother—who had really 30

fought Susan when she said she was going to try to have a baby. And now here was Susan having to turn back to her and say, “Mama, you need to help me now.” When she needed a kidney, we were all tested to see if we were matches, but my mom basically said the buck stops here, and that’s how it was. The last time I talked to Susan was on her birthday, October 7, 1985. She was on dialysis, and they were going to put in some shunts to facilitate it, and that required some minor surgery. I actually had to get off the call because I was going to an

Robert Harling, who grew up in Natchitoches, Louisiana, did not set out to be a playwright. When he graduated from Tulane University Law School in 1977, he chose acting over lawyering and moved to Manhattan. He had some success in regional theatre and was cast in lots of commercials. Then, eight years after his arrival, his beloved younger sister, Susan, who had been a diabetic since she was twelve, got sick. Harling’s mother donated one of her kidneys, but in the end, the transplant couldn’t save her daughter.

audition. She said, “Good luck,” and they rolled her down to the operating room. She never woke up. I had two dear friends, Kathy and Michael Weller. Michael is a wonderful playwright [Moonchildren, Spoils of War]. They saw what I was going through, and Michael suggested I write something. I wasn’t a writer, so I fought that demon for a while, and then one day I said, “Why not?” I’d planned to write a short story, and I was a couple of pages into it when I realized I wasn’t capturing the way these women talked. So I started writing in dialogue form. After my sister’s funeral, everybody came over to the house, and there was all this food. I was watching the men in the den, and they were a mess. My dad couldn’t talk about anything; none of them knew what to do. And I could see into the kitchen, and there were all these women, and they were laughing and telling stories and dishing things out. They were saying things like, “You know, this would be a lot better if she had just put a little white pepper in it.” And I thought, “This is very interesting. The women are getting it done, and the guys cannot function.” And then one of the men walked into the kitchen, and I saw how the women’s body language completely changed. They weren’t leaning against the counter anymore; the dish towel that was slung over a shoulder was all of a sudden being folded and hung up on the rack. Later I thought, “This play needs to be somewhere there can be no men.”

When I finished the play, I took it to a literary agency. The feedback was “It’s not commercial because it’s a bunch of women, but we’ll send it out.” Well, all these people wanted to do it. We did a reading of it at a small off-Broadway theatre, the WPA, which had an amazing reputation—Little Shop of Horrors started there. And there was an equally amazing director, Pamela Berlin, who totally got it. She would tell me things like, “You’ve only allowed a minute and fifteen seconds to wash and set a woman’s hair. We have to move the dialogue around so we have time to do these things.” As we were going into production, Michael and Kathy Weller asked me what my parents thought about the play, and I said I hadn’t told them. I was just chicken. Kathy said, “You weren’t there through all of that pain, you didn’t watch your child die. If there is one moment of joy to be gained out of this experience, you cannot deny them that. If you don’t tell them, I will.” They came to New York to visit a week before we went into rehearsal, and I got up some courage. They were just flummoxed—I wasn’t a writer. When Mama asked me if she could read it, I said, “You don’t want to. It’s about you and Susan and the whole thing.” But she’s a steel magnolia—she was going to read it. I gave her the script, and I’d walk past and she’d be sobbing, and I felt terrible. Afterward, I said, “Mom, we’ll just kill it, I can’t put you through this.” And she said, “It’s wonderful because it’s true.” She just closed it, and that was it, end of topic.

When I was a kid, the mystique of the beauty parlor was that guys were never allowed. You didn’t know what went on in there, and they all came back different somehow. I realized this hermetically sealed environment would be the best place to have these women express their true feelings.

I’m still working out the ramifications of this whole insane journey that only art can let you move through. Because what is art other than taking the pieces around you and re-forming them into some vision that satisfies you and enriches others?

All the characters were based on real people, Mama’s friends. It only took me ten days to write it. In my head I had the voices of the women I grew up with. It takes your breath away how quick they are. It’s the kind of humor that would sear through treacle. The default was not to break down, the default was to change the conversation or lift it somehow.

Quotes from playwright Robert Harling excerpted from “Thirty Years of Steel Magnolias”by Julia Reed courtesy of Garden & Gun magazine, 2017

1980

1981

1982

US Olympic hockey team defeats Soviet Union at Lake Placid CNN, first 24-hour cable news network, begins broadcasting Rubik’s Cube introduced Pac-Man video game introduced 350 million people watch Dallas to find out “Who shot J.R.?” Ronald Reagan elected President

First Space Shuttle, Columbia, is launched CDC publishes the first official report on what will come to be called AIDS MTV begins broadcasting IBM releases first IBM personal computer Sandra Day O’Connor appointed first woman on the Supreme Court Prince Charles marries Lady Diana Spencer The Church of England votes to allow women to serve as priests

The film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is released Dolly Parton hits No. 1 with “I Will Always Love You”—for the second time Equal Rights Amendment fails ratification Vietnam War Memorial opens in Washington, DC Michael Jackson releases Thriller First artificial heart surgery

1986

1987

1988

Space Shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after lift-off First Martin Luther King Jr. Day observed Chernobyl nuclear meltdown The Oprah Winfrey Show begins airing nationally

Dow Jones hits 2000 for the first time Iran-Contra hearings Black Monday ravages Wall Street as the Dow plunges 22.6%. The play Steel Magnolias opens off Broadway in New York

The Phantom of the Opera opens on Broadway George H. W. Bush elected President Nike introduces the slogan “Just Do It” CDs outsell vinyl records and tapes for the first time

1983

1984

1985

TV series M*A*S*H ends Sally Ride is first American woman astronaut United States invades Grenada Korean Air Lines flight 007 shot down by the Soviets, killing 269 Cabbage Patch Kids introduced

First Mac computer: Apple Macintosh Bell Telephone system broken up Bruce Springsteen releases Born in the U.S.A. PG-13 film rating introduced

“We Are the World” raises $75 million to feed people in Africa Mikhail Gorbachev introduces glastnost and perestroika in the Soviet Union Wreckage of the Titanic is discovered Nintendo Entertainment System debuts Robert Harling’s sister, Susan, dies of complications from Type 1 diabetes

1989

THE 1980S

Exxon Valdez spills millions of gallons of oil on Alaskan coastline Student protesters killed in China’s Tiananmen Square F. W. De Klerk becomes president of South Africa, promising apartheid reforms Berlin Wall is torn down The film Steel Magnolias is released

STUDENTS FROM ACROSS INDIANA WILL EXPERIENCE LIVE THEATRE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME, BRINGING THEIR CLASSROOMS TO LIFE. Thanks to the Alan and Linda Cohen Education Fund, students are able to attend IRT performances. Help us continue to give students the experiences they deserve by donating to the Cohen Education Fund today. “Without the assistance, our students would not have been able to have this experience. We read this book in class. Students loved the story and learning about the characters. However, the play brought these characters to life.” -An Indiana Teacher and her students regarding The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963

Xavier Adams in the IRT’s 2020 production of The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963. Photo by Zach Rosing.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SUPPORTING STUDENT MATINEES, CONTACT: KAY SWANK-HERZOG: KSWANKHERZOG@IRTLIVE.COM | 317.916.4830

THE COMPANY KATE ABBRUZZESE | SHELBY EATENTON LATCHERIE

Kate is making her IRT debut. In New York, she has workshopped plays such as The Good Ones, As You Like It, and Richard II at the acclaimed Public Theater, and Unicorn, Tiny Houses, Catch as Catch Can, and Love at the New Dramatists Theatre Company. She has performed Off-Broadway with the Gingold Theatrical Group, the Tank Theater, and the 52nd Street Project, and opposite Christopher Lloyd in Pound. Regionally, she has played leading roles at the Old Globe, the National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Chautauqua Theater Company, Baltimore Center Stage, Shakespeare & Company, and more. Kate’s television credits include NCIS: New Orleans and The Blacklist. Her film credits include The Chaperone and Siren. Kate is a two-time winner of the Red Bull Short New Play Festival for her plays Motley Fool and An Evening with the Macbeths, the latter of which she expanded into full-length during her 2021 residency at the Bethany Arts Community.

GINA DANIELS | CLAIREE BELCHER

Gina makes her IRT debut. Her Broadway credits include Network and All the Way. She has performed in Judgment Day at Park Avenue Armory, in The White Snake at Wuzhen Theatre Festival, and as the Angel in Angels in America: Parts One and Two at Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. She has appeared at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, American Players Theatre, Arena Stage, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Studio Theatre in Washington DC, Syracuse Stage, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Paper Mill Playhouse, Arden Theatre Company, TheaterWorks Hartford, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Delaware Theatre Company, Baltimore Center Stage, Virginia Theatre, Willamette Repertory Theatre, Geva Theatre Center, and Pittsburgh Public Theater. In 10 seasons over 25 years as a company member of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Gina was in more than 30 productions, originating roles in a dozen world premieres and running Shakespeare’s gamut from Perdita to Portia to Puck. Gina played Representative Sydney Milsap in Studio Theatre’s audio play KINGS and can be heard in the Audible Original Crowded Hours and as Goneril in the Next Chapter King Lear podcast. Her film and television credits include The First Lady, FBI, Manifest, Orange is the New Black, High Maintenance, and Lapsis. gina-daniels.com

ANNIE FITZPATRICK | M’LYNN EATENTON

Annie is making her IRT debut. She was a founding member of the New Group Theater Company in New York City and toured both nationally and internationally with Murder a la Carte. Regionally, Annie has performed at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Geva Theatre Center, Florida Stage, Florida Studio Theatre, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Know Theatre of Cincinnati, Porthouse Theatre, and the Human Race Theatre Company. Film and television credits include Chicago P.D., Army Wives, Those Who Kill, Fun Size, Milk Money, Broken Hearts, The Old Man and The Gun, Dark Waters and the upcoming Netflix film White Noise.

THE COMPANY NAOMI JACOBSON | OUISER BOUDREAUX

Naomi is delighted to be at IRT for the first time. She is a Shakespeare Theatre Company Affiliated Artist and a Woolly Mammoth Theatre company member in Washington DC. Theatre credits include The Kennedy Center, Ford’s Theatre, Arena Stage, Guthrie Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Signature & Studio Theatres, Center Stage, Theatre J, Olney Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, Arizona Theatre Company, Delaware Theatre Company, the Berkshire Theatre Festival, and Wolf Trap Opera. Naomi has received three Helen Hayes Awards, twelve nominations, the Inaugural Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship, the Anderson-Hopkins Award for Excellence in Theatre, and a DC Arts Commission Individual Artist grant. TV credits include a few guest spots for Homicide (NBC), and Indie films and shorts for AFI and A&E. Voice Over work includes NPR, PBS, Discovery Channel, the Smithsonian, and Maryland Public Television. Naomi holds an International Federation of Coaches certification (Active Communication) and coaches professionals in acting, public speaking, and presentations at theatres, universities, government agencies, and corporations, as well as privately. Visit naomijacobson.com. for full credits, and follow her on Instagram @naomijactive

BRITTANY ANIKKA LIU | ANNELLE DUPUY DESOTO

Brittany is making her IRT debut. Her off-Broadway credits include The Convent (Alliance of Resident Theatres) and Chekhov/Tolstoy: Love Stories (Mint Theater Company). Her New York appearances include Period Sisters (HERE Arts Center): Rapture, Blister, Burn and Buffalo Heights (Tongue in Cheek Theater); and Preexisting Conditions (Corkscrew Theatre Festival). Brittany’s regional credits include Ah, Wilderness! (Hartford Stage); The Diary of Anne Frank (People’s Light); Airness (Geva Theatre); Tranquil (Luna Stage); Romeo & Juliet, All’s Well That Ends Well, Antony and Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, and Illyria: The Musical (Virginia Shakespeare Festival); and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Brittany has appeared in the films The Christmas Experience and Fenced Off and on TV in Younger (TV Land). She received her B.A. in Film & Media Studies and B.B.A. in Marketing from the College of William & Mary. brittanyanikkaliu.com | Instagram: @brittany_anikka_liu | Photography: b-liustudio.com

SUSAN LYNSKEY | TRUVY JONES

Susan is delighted to make her IRT debut with this extraordinary ensemble of gifted women. Recent credits include Margaret Thatcher in Handbagged (59e59St Theaters, Off-Broadway), The Jewish Wife (title role, New Light Theater), and Manke in Paula Vogel’s Indecent (Arena Stage, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, CenterStage). Bicoastal and regional credits include The Kennedy Center, Berkeley Rep, ACT, Arena Stage, Roundhouse, Theatre J, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Dedicated to new work, Susan’s recent world-premiere commissions include Daniel Handler’s (Lemony Snicket’s) Imaginary Comforts, Sarah Ruhl’s Becky Nurse, and Lisa Loomer’s Roe. TV/Film: Last season for Epix, Susan went toe-to-toe with Vincent D’Onofrio on TV’s amazing series Godfather of Harlem, and she is a series regular on Thespian (Amazon). She is a nationally-acclaimed teaching artist, served as a professor at Georgetown University for over a decade, and is a Disability-in-Performance access artist-advocate, directing and developing cross-cultural performances with D/deaf and hearing communities in ASL and spoken word. Susan’s acting accolades include numerous Helen Hayes nominations for Outstanding Lead/Supporting Actress and the Audience Choice Award. She has had profiles in Broadway World, WTR Magazine, and American Theatre, and was named in the Washington Post as “one of the top ten actors to watch.” Upcoming productions include Intimate Apparel and Gloria Steinem in Gloria: A Life. Susan is represented by HCKR Agency. “With such appreciation to Lawrence, Susie, and my extraordinary parents (Steel Magnolias in their own right) for their unwavering support, belief, and love.” susanlynskey.com 36

ROBERT HARLING | PLAYWRIGHT

Robert Harling’s first play was the 1987 off-Broadway hit Steel Magnolias, based on events in his own family (see article page 30). Harling adapted his original play into the popular 1989 film of the same title starring Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, and then-newcomer Julia Roberts. Harling’s other screenplays include Soapdish and The First Wives Club. He wrote and directed The Evening Star, the sequel to Terms of Endearment.

LAURA GORDON | DIRECTOR

A Milwaukee-based actor and director, Laura has directed Boeing Boeing at the IRT. Other directing credits include productions at American Players Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Santa Cruz Shakespeare, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Renaissance Theaterworks, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Forward Theater, and Actors Theatre of Louisville. A longtime member of the Milwaukee Repertory’s resident acting company, her credits there include Margie in Good People, Linda Loman in Death of a Salesman, and Sister Aloysius in Doubt. A member of both the Stage Director and Choreographers Association and Actors’ Equity Association, Laura received her M.F.A. in acting from the University of Iowa and is a Lunt-Fontanne Theatre Fellow.

REGINA GARCÍA | SCENIC DESIGNER

Regina is a Chicago-based scenic designer from Puerto Rico. At the IRT she has designed Mrs. Harrison. Regina has had long standing relationships with the Latinx theatre’s renowned teatros including Repertorio Español, the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, Teatro Vista, and Pregones Theater. She has also completed projects for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, American Players Theatre, and the Goodman Theatre, amongst others. Upcoming shows include Chicago Children’s Theatre, the Guthrie Theater, and Yale Rep. Regina is a Fellow of the NEA/TCG Career Development Program for Designers and the Princess Grace Awards, USA; a regional associate member of the League of Professional Theatre Women; and a company member with Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Chicago, and Boundless Theatre Company, San Juan/New York. She is the head of the Scenic Design program at the Theatre School, DePaul University, and a founding organizational member of La Gente: The Latinx/é Theatre Production Network. garciaportfolio.com

HOLLY PAYNE | COSTUME DESIGNER Holly is currently teaching costuming at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. She has designed for Utah Shakespeare Festival; Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre; Skylight Music Theatre in Milwaukee; Orlando Shakespeare Theatre; Milwaukee Chamber Theatre; Renaissance Theaterworks in Milwaukee; Delaware Theatre Center; Milwaukee Shakespeare; the Florentine Opera Company in Milwaukee; Milwaukee Repertory Theater; the Riverside Theater in Vero Beach, Florida.; the First Stage Children’s Theater in Milwaukee; the University of Tulsa; the University of North Carolina at Pembroke; the University of Arkansas; Parkview Arts and Science High School; Wildwood Park for the Arts; Arkansas Repertory Theater; TheatreSquared in Fayetteville, Arkansas; and the Argenta Community Theater. Holly is a proud union member of United Scenic Artists and runs a small farm with her sweet husband, Aaron. porchswingfarms.com

THE COMPANY JAYMI LEE SMITH | LIGHTING DESIGNER Jaymi has been designing around the country for the last 20 years at theatres such as Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Dallas Theater Center, South Coast Repertory, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the Alley Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Goodman Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Court Theatre, The Pasadena Playhouse, Hartford Stage, Alliance Theatre, Getty Villa Theater, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, and Lookingglass Theatre Company. Her work has been seen in China, Italy, Spain, Scotland, and Ireland. She is currently a professor of lighting design and the Associate Dean for Student Success at University of California Irvine. jaymismith.com

MELANIE CHEN COLE | SOUND DESIGNER Melanie has designed Mrs. Harrison and Tuesdays with Morrie at the IRT. Her recent regional theatre credits include Macbeth at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, High School Play: A Nostalgia Fest at the Alley Theatre, The Supreme Leader at the Dallas Theater Center, and Witch at the Huntington Theatre Company. Additionally, she has designed for Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, the Goodman Theatre, the Huntington, La Jolla Playhouse, the Old Globe Theatre, PlayMakers Rep, and South Coast Rep. Melanie received her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of California San Diego. melaniesound.com

RICHARD J ROBERTS | DRAMATURG

This is Richard’s 32nd season with the IRT, and his 24th as resident dramaturg. He has also been a dramaturg for the New Harmony Project, Write Now, and the Hotchner Playwriting Festival. He has directed IRT productions of A Christmas Carol (four times), Bridge & Tunnel, The Night Watcher, Neat, Pretty Fire, The Cay, The Giver, The Power of One, and Twelfth Night. Other directing credits include Actors Theatre of Indiana, the Phoenix Theatre, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Edyvean Repertory Theatre, Indianapolis Civic Theatre, Carmel Symphony Orchestra, Butler University, University of Indianapolis, and Anderson University. Most recently he directed Pippin at Marian University. Richard studied music at DePauw University and theatre at Indiana University and has been awarded a Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship from the Arts Council of Indianapolis.

NATHAN GARRISON | STAGE MANAGER

This is Nathan’s 26th season at the IRT. He has also worked with Center Stage in Baltimore, Utah Shakespeare Festival, and Brown County Playhouse; and he is a company member with the Indianapolis Shakespeare Company.

BECKY ROEBER | ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Becky hails from the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania where they attended East Stroudsburg University for musical theatre and technical theatre. This is their fifth season at Indiana Repertory Theatre; they joined Actor’s Equity Association with this season’s production of A Christmas Carol. They also serve as production manager for Summer Stock Stage and as production stage manager for Eclipse productions. “I am grateful to be producing beautiful productions with this talented company during these trying times.” 38

THANK YOU 2021-2022 SEASON ARTIST ENGAGEMENT SUPPORTERS

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE USING THEIR GIFTS NOT ONLY TO SUPPORT THE IRT, BUT ALSO TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE FOLLOWING ARTISTS WHO MAKE THE STORIES WE TELL POSSIBLE.

BOB & TONI BADER SEASON SUPPORTERS OF JANET ALLEN

SUSAN & CHARLIE GOLDEN

SEASON SUPPORTERS OF ROB JOHANSEN

GARY DENNEY & LOUISE BAKKER

LEAD INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTION SUPPORT, FAHRENHEIT 451

MIKE & JUDY HARRINGTON

SEASON SUPPORTERS OF BEN HANNA

MIKE & LIZ SIMMONS SEASON SUPPORTERS OF INCLUSION SERIES

MICHAEL DINIUS & JEANNIE REGAN-DINIUS SEASON SUPPORTERS OF SUZANNE SWEENEY

SARAH & JOHN LECHLEITER

SEASON SUPPORTERS OF JAMES STILL

DAVID P. WHITMAN & DONNA L. REYNOLDS SEASON SUPPORTERS OF COSTUME & PROP SHOPS

IRT’S DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & SALES DANIELLE M. DOVE DANIELLE M. DOVE HAS BEEN THE IRT’S DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & SALES FOR FIVE YEARS.

WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND RAISED? I was born in Ashland, Kentucky. We moved around a lot with my dad’s career: Lexington, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, and back to Ashland. Since we moved around a lot, we developed a tight-knit family. My love for arts and culture came from my mom—I like to say that she has been my cultural concierge. We went to the touring Broadway shows and to museums. I learned from my mom, and we were learning about art together at the same time. I participated in ballet, tap, and jazz when I was younger, and I was a cheerleader from youth all through high school. I worked on the high school yearbook. I loved language arts and English, and I loved being social. I went to the University of Kentucky in Lexington. My major was journalism, my minor was photography. I wanted to be an arts and entertainment journalist. And then I started seeing how the news would sensationalize things, and that’s not what I wanted to do. I always loved to create, and I loved photography and being in the dark room, but I realized that my administrative skills would pay the bills more so than my creative endeavors. I was working as an intern in the editing department at the University Press of Kentucky, and when I graduated I was hired on full time.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR CAREER PATH? I was with the Press for nine years. I worked for the director, and then I worked with the production department, and ultimately

became an assistant production manager. I made books. I worked through the whole process with the graphic designers and the printing team. Plus, I got my Masters in Communication at UK while I was working full-time at the Press. My publishing background has been a solid baseline for the rest of my career. But eventually I thought, I don’t want to be sitting at my computer all day every day. And from working with the marketing and PR department at the Press, I thought, that’s really what I want to do. I moved to be the marketing director at the Lexington Philharmonic. Just after I started, the conductor who had been there for 27 years announced his retirement, and we began a two-year conductor search. So there was a lot of press around that process. It was amazing on-the-job training. After a couple of years I went to be with the Good Foods Coop, a not-for-profit member-owned-and-operated $11 million operation. I was their marketing manager. I oversaw everything with brand, memberships, signage, being out in the community talking about fresh local food, working with farmers. It was an amazing opportunity. Then I was lured away by a for-profit restaurant and hotel company. I was their first director of marketing. It was a very corporate, family-owned company. All the other directors were men, and they didn’t know what to do with me. Let’s just say, I was ready to get back to my not-for-profit roots.

I moved to Indianapolis in 2014 and served as the director of marketing and community engagement for the Arts Council of Indianapolis. Talk about boots on the ground, and really learning about Indy’s dynamic arts and culture scene! It gave me a tremendous vantage point from which to learn the city. That experience was very challenging in terms of growth in a new city, and phenomenal. Ultimately, that opportunity led me to the IRT.

coming to the Theatre for the first time; I can look at a play with their perspective as well. I have always been a generalist when it comes to marketing, and I like to be a Jill-of-all-trades. I am very blessed to work with team members who are experts at what they’re doing, so I can manage the teams, and move us forward.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? My love of Indy, my love of all things arts and culture and humanities WHAT IS YOUR JOB HERE AT THE IRT? has continued to evolve. I love theatre and performing arts. I love I oversee marketing and sales, including marketing, ticket office, teleservices, group sales, and house management—that whole curb-to-curtain experience. There’s never a dull moment, either with staff or with welcoming patrons. We were on an amazing trajectory until the pandemic hit, and since then we’ve had to constantly redirect, and reimagine, and rebuild—any kind of rethat you can think of, we’ve done. I do feel that we’re going to be rebuilding staff and audiences for the next several years. On one level it’s incredibly daunting, on another level it’s incredibly exciting. Anybody who has been in this business for the last two years, and is still in this business, I think we should all win awards. There’s a lot that we’ve experienced! I view our shows from both an administrative viewpoint and my own personal vantage point. I feel like I can look at the work we’re doing and see it from the viewpoint of a patron. We have subscribers who have been with us for decades—amazing! I try to put myself in their seat. And there are also folks who are

walking into this beautiful building every day. We are constantly curating and creating. The IRT is a great place to explore, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be here. We are a strong not-forprofit organization. I have always responded well to dynamic female leadership, and to have Janet Allen and Suzanne Sweeney at the helm of this organization is just a blessing. They create an open forum in which we are able to make decisions and create campaigns. The fact that as a staff we are able to personally and professionally grow, through initiatives like our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) work, and other personal and professional training—that’s huge. And the thing that fuels me is my passion for the work we are doing. We open minds and open hearts with the work that we put on stage. At the end of the day our work is about serving folks throughout the state and throughout their lifetimes. Every production does that in different ways. We are doing good work in our community, and we are working to make the world a better place.

We’re back! Live and In-Person (as well as live-streamed) The 2022 56th Indianapolis Early Music Festival presents a FREE spring concert of baroque music on Sunday, May 15 at 2:30 at the Indiana History Center

WWW.IEMusic.org ~ 317-537-2458

THAT OLD CAR GETTING YOU DOWN? THEN DONATE IT TO THE IRT! Yes, we will sell it at auction and proceeds will benefit the Theatre. You can qualify for a tax deduction for your generous gift!

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: KAY SWANK-HERZOG: KSWANKHERZOG@IRTLIVE.COM | 317.916.4830 The cast of the IRT’s 2020 production ofThe Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963. Photo by Zach Rosing.

the arts enrich our entire community. The largest locally-owned national bank is proud to be a major supporter of the Arts.

THE SUPPORTING CAST

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE DONORS

Ticket revenue covers just half of what it costs to produce world-class professional theatre at the Indiana Repertory Theatre. The IRT gratefully acknowledges the remarkable support we receive from our generous and committed donors whose contributions ensure that the show does go on!

ANNUAL CAMPAIGN GIFTS $1,500+ | JULY 1, 2021 - APRIL 11, 2022

PLAYWRIGHT CIRCLE $10,000

DIRECTOR CIRCLE $5,000 - $9,999

Bob & Toni Bader David & Jackie Barrett AJ & Erin Bir Scott & Lorraine Davison Gary Denney & Louise Bakker Michael Dinius & Jeannie Regan-Dinius Nancy & Berkley Duck Dan & Ginny Emerson David & Ann Frick Tom & Jenny Froehle Susan & Charlie Golden Mike & Judy Harrington David & Betty Klapper Jill & Peter Lacy Sarah & John Lechleiter Bill & Susie Macias David & Leslie Morgan Jackie Nytes & Patrick O’Brien Mel & Joan Perelman Sue & Bill Ringo Mary Frances Rubly & Jerry Hummer Wayne & Susan Schmidt Simmons Family Foundation, a fund of CICF Cheryl Gruber Waldman David P. Whitman & Donna L. Reynolds

A.J. Allen Susie & Joel Blum Darcy K. Burthay Charitable Fund, a Donor-Advised Fund of the U.S. Charitable Gift Trust Rollie & Cheri Dick Drs. Cherryl & Shelly Friedman Dr. Gregory Gaich & Ms. Erin Fulton Nadine & Alvin Givens Derek & Elizabeth Hammond Ann Hinson Bill & Nancy Hunt Phil & Colleen Kenney Steve & Bev Koepper John & Laura Ludwig Kathryn Maeglin Dod & Laura Michael David & Robin Miner Mr. & Mrs. Kimball Morris Carl Nelson & Loui Lord Nelson Mr. Stephen Owen Sr. & Dr. Cheryl Torok Owen Jill Panetta & Leo Bianchi Ben Pecar & Leslie Thompson Noel & Mary Phillips* Drs. Eric Schultze & Marcia Kolvitz Marguerite K. Shepard, M.D. Cynthia & William Smith III The Michael L. Smith and Susan L. Smith Family Fund, a fund of Hamilton County Community Foundation

John & Kathy Vahle Lainie Veenstra James & Linda Wesley Dr. Christian Wolf & Elaine Holden-Wolf ARTIST CIRCLE $3,000 - $4,999 Don Anderson Dan Bradburn & Jane Robison Dick & Brenda Freije Charles Goad & James Kincannon Christopher & Sheila Gramling Donald & Teri Hecht Tom & Nora Hiatt Brenda Horn Pegg & Mike Kennedy David Kleiman & Susan Jacobs John & Susan Kline Kevin Krulewitch & Rosanne Ammirati* Douglas and Detra Mills Giving Fund Dr. Christine Phillips & Mr. Michael Phillips N. Clay & Amy McConkey Robbins Jerry & Rosie Semler Mark & Gerri Shaffer Joe & Jill Tanner Gene & Mary Tempel Jeff & Benita Thomasson Lynne & Alex Timmermans Carol Weiss Bob & Dana Wilson The Winner Family

ANNUAL CAMPAIGN GIFTS $1,500+ | JULY 1, 2021 - APRIL 11, 2022

PATRON CIRCLE $1,500 - $2,999 Janet Allen & Joel Grynheim Anonymous (2) Trudy W. Banta Sarah C. Barney Frank & Katrina Basile Ray & Kathy Brinkmeyer Thomas & Victoria Broadie Dr. Mary R. Brunner Amy Burke Sherry A. Butler David & Judith Chadwick Steve & Kim Chatham Alan & Linda Cohen Don & Dolly Craft Daniel & Catherine Cunningham Frank & Norah Deane Dr. Gregory Dedinsky & Dr. Cherri Hobgood Ann & Kenneth Dee Dr. Brian Dillman & Erin Hedges* Laurie Dippold* Paul & Glenda Drew Craig & Marsha Dunkin Troy D. Farmer Drs. Richard & Rebecca Feldman Barrie & Gary R. Fisch Joan M. FitzGibbon Mary L. Forster, M.D. Edward & Elizabeth Frazier Jim & Julie Freeman Brian & Lorene Furrer Future Keys Foundation Garth & Christine Gathers Robert & Christy Gauss Mr. Jim Gawne* Dorothea & Philip Genetos

Kathy & Gene Gentili Robert Giannini Ron & Kathy Gifford Bruce Glor Walter & Janet Gross Bill & Phyllis Groth Chad & Kelli Grothen Ricardo & Beatriz Guimarães Mary & Gary Gustafson Lisa Harris, M.D.* Michael N. Heaton Holt Hedrick William & Patricia Hirsch Randy & Becky Horton Drs. Meredith & Kathleen Hull Rebecca Hutton The Indianapolis Fellows Fund, a fund of The Indianapolis Foundation Lauren James Patrick & Barbara James Tom & Kathy Jenkins Daniel T. Jensen & Steven Follis Andrew & Brianna Johnson Mrs. Janet Johnson Denny & Judi Jones Elisha & Reed Kemp Max Kime Joy Kleinmaier Dr. Michael & Molly Kraus Kurt & Judy Kroenke Dr. & Mrs. Alan Ladd Ed & Ann Ledford Dan & Martha Lehman Margaret Lehtinen & Lawrence Mark Joe & Deborah Loughrey Barbara MacDougall Donald & Ruth Ann MacPherson Kellie McCarthy Mike & Pat McCrory Sharon R. Merriman Andrew & Amy Michie

Michael D. Moriarty The Blake Lee and Carolyn Lytle Neubauer Charitable Fund, a fund of Hamilton County Community Foundation Dr. Ayesha Nichols & Troy Nichols Rob & Sara Norris Steve & Debbie Oldham Dr. Joseph M. Overhage Larry & Louise Paxton The Payne Family Foundation, a fund of CICF Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth A. Peterson Dr. & Mrs. Lee Phipps Gail & William Plater Bob & Kathi Postlethwait Phil & Joyce Probst Scott & Susan Putney Peter Racher & Sarah Binford Michael & Melissa Rawlings Peter & Karen Reist Ken & Debra Renkens Karen & Dick Ristine Chip & Jane Rutledge Paula F. Santa Jane W. Schlegel Alice Schloss Donor Advised Fund, a fund of Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis Tim & Karen Seiler Mike & Holly Semler Jack & Karen Shaw Michael Skehan Linda & Carl Smith Edward & Susann Stahl Jim & Cheryl Strain Kathryn Godwin Stuart, DDS Kay Swank-Herzog & Robert Herzog Suzanne Sweeney & Todd 45

THE SUPPORTING CAST

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE DONORS

ANNUAL CAMPAIGN GIFTS $1,500+ | JULY 1, 2021 - APRIL 11, 2022

Wiencek Jonathan T. Tempel John & Deborah Thornburgh Jennifer C. Turner Bill & Jana Varanka Jennifer & Gary Vigran

Amy Waggoner Dr. Rosalind Webb Emily A. West Alan & Elizabeth Whaley Cliff Williams Heather Wilson

John & Margaret Wilson Frederick & Jacquelyn Winters William Witchger, II & Kimberly Witchger John & Linda Zimmermann

ANNUAL CAMPAIGN GIFTS $300 - $1,499 | JULY 1, 2021 - APRIL 11, 2022

DRAMA GUILD $750 - $1,499 David & Mary Allen Bob & Pat Anker Anonymous Andrea Best Mr. & Mrs. Joseph B. Black III Charlie & Cary Boswell Dr. Mellonee Burnim Paul & Renee Cacchillo Brady Clark CNO Financial Group Mr. & Mrs. Michael R & Rochelle F Cohen Daniel P. Corrigan Susan M. Cross Daniel’s Vineyard Sherry Faris Priscilla Gerde Phylis & Paul Gesellchen Richard & Sharon Gilmor Nadine & Alvin Givens Emily F. (Cramer) Hancock* Andrea Hatch & Rich Dionne Dennis & Amy Haworth Kurt & Charlene Heinzman Aldy & Natinne Keene John Krauss & Marnie Maxwell 46

David H. Moore, M.D. & M. Kristine Beckwith, M.D. John & Carolyn Mutz Ann Marie Ogden & Brian Murphy Paul Pickett & William A. Powell Roger & Anna Radue Peter & Karen Reist Lamar & Margaret Jean Richcreek Aleatha Romig, NY Times Bestselling Author Judy Roudebush Sallie Rowland Richard & Christine Scales Thomas & Teresa Sharp Lee Shevitz Stephen J. Shideler Charitable Fund, a donor-advised fund Spence Family Vision Fund Ed & Jane Stephenson The Ruth E. Stilwell Endowment Fund, a fund of CICF Dorothy Webb Karen J. Weyrauch Dan Wheeler & Susan Wakefield Philip & Shandon Whistler

THEATRE GUILD $300-$749

John & Eileen Ahrens* The Todd A. Andritsch Family Fund Anonymous (4) Jon & Laura Baugh Mark K. Bear Constance C. Beardsley* Donald & Carla Bennett Pamela J. Bennett Dan & Barb Bickel Jesse L. & Carolynne Bobbitt Barbara & Christopher Bodem* Joseph & Louise Boling Karry K. Book & John P. Hansberry III Paul Boykas Stuart & Patricia Breslin Charles W. Brown & Louise Tetrick David & Beverly Butler Vince & Robyn Caponi Allen B. Carter & Patricia Hester Clarence & Carol Casazza Robert Cedoz John Champley & Julie Keck Jeffrey & Jeni Christoffersen Jerry & Carol Collins Norma & Carl Crabiel Shane and Andrea Crouch*

ANNUAL CAMPAIGN GIFTS $300 - $1,499 | JULY 1, 2021 - MARCH 20, 2022

Karen Dace* Fr. Clem Davis* Paul & Carol DeCoursey* Steve & Mary DeVoe Rosemary Dorsa Bob & Patricia Edwards Nikki Eller Drs. Eric Farmer & Tate Trujillo & Christopher Scott* Anna Fender Margie Ferguson* Arthur Field IV Roger & Susan Frick Peter Furno & Pamela Steed Phyllis & Ed Gabovitch Gamma Nu Chapter of Psi Iota Xi Richard Goehring & Kevin Petsche Thecla Gossett Howard & Linnea Green John & Mary Ann Grogan Greg Grossart Ron & Ellie Hackler Diane Hall Mr. & Mrs. David & Jeanne Hamernik Don & Carolyn Hardman Don & Elizabeth Harmon Mark & Laurie Hartman David & Tish Haskett Tony & Amy Hatton Steve & Kathy Heath Catherine Herber The Steven Herker Charitable Fund, a donor-advised fund Sandra Hester-Steele Tim & Jennifer Holihen Greg & Pat Jacoby Dr. & Mrs. Louis Janeira Dave & Donna Kaiser Sunah C Kim Dorantes*

Jay & Carole Kirkpatrick Betsy & Ted Kleinmaier Rachel Barrett Knight & Jacob Knight* Steven & Mary Koch* Michelle Korin* Mary & Rick Kortokrax Shirley M. & Heather Kulwin Kathy & David Lentz Katie Lenz Andra Liepa Charitable Fund, a fund of The Indianapolis Foundation Carlos & Eleanor Lopez Linda Lough* Mark Magee* Michael R. & Sue Maine Lyle & Deborah Mannweiler Dr. & Mrs. Peter Marcus* William McNiece R. Keith & Marion Michael Rev. Mary Ann Moman* James & Valerie (Purcell) Monn Jay & Tammy Morris Lauren Morris Jim & Judi Mowry Terry & Lew Mumford Steven & Pat Mundy John & Beth Murphy Sharon & Dan Murphy* Susan & Jim Naus Dr. LeeAnne M. Nazer The Ostergaard Family Merrell & Barbara Owen Mr. & Mrs. Robert M. & Kelli DeMott Park Judy & Sidney Pellissier Steve & Paula Pletcher Davie & Dorian Poole Greg Pugh & Jill Woerner Debbie Rawlings

Flora Reichanadter Douglas Paul Reichl Richard & Diane Rhodes Richard & Ann Riegner Rev. Robert & Dr. Rita Schilling John Shearin* Dr. Jill Shedd* Vicky Sherman, M.D. Randy & Linda Shields Lillian Smith* Kimberly Sorg-Graves Luke Stark* David & Lori Starr Gregg & Judy Summerville SunWarrior Solar Nela Swinehart* Dr. Tim & Tina Tanselle Steve & Barb Tegarden* Garrett & Elaine Thiel Mary Ann Thiel The Lori Thompson & Ben Downing Charitable Fund Donald & Shirley Trapp Dr. James & Linda Trippi Robert & Barbetta True* Barbara S. Tully* Norma B. Wallman A. Donald & Jeanette Wiles Angie & Andy Wilkinson Prof. Gail F. Williamson Carleigh & Joel Wilson John & Judy Wilson Patricia Johnson & Michael Wilson Reba Boyd Wooden* Robina Zink Family Charitable Fund Zionsville Physical Therapy* Chuck & Ruth Ann Zwolle *Denotes sustaining members

THE SUPPORTING CAST

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE DONORS

IN MEMORY OF RON BOWLER | Pat Bebee Mike, & Pat Cracraft, Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Grosvenor IN HONOR OF GENE & MARY TEMPEL | Mervis Family Foundation IN HONOR OF MARY & JOEL O’BRIEN | Anna Fender IN MEMORY OF JEAN WIBLE | With our love – Molly & Christopher Sweets

The Ovation Society is an exclusive program that recognizes donors that have made a legacy gift to the IRT. The IRT truly appreciates those individuals whose gift will ensure that the Theatre can continue to provide meaningful and inspirational experiences for future generations of Hoosiers. Gary Addison Janet Allen & Joel Grynheim Bob & Pat Anker Frank & Katrina Basile Charlie & Cary Boswell Ron & Julia Carpenter John R. Carr (in memoriam) John & Mary Challman Sergej R. Cotton Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Dapp Nancy Davis & Robert Robinson Rollie & Cheri Dick Nancy & Berkley Duck Dale & Karen Duncan Jim & Julie Freeman Meg Gammage-Tucker David A. & Dee Garrett

(in memoriam) Michael Gradison (in memoriam) Emily F. (Cramer) Hancock Bruce Hetrick & Cheri O’Neill Tom & Nora Hiatt Bill & Nancy Hunt David Kleiman & Susan Jacobs Frank & Jacqueline La Vista Andra Liepa Charitable Fund, a fund of The Indianapolis Foundation Barbara MacDougall Donald & Ruth Ann MacPherson Stuart L. Main (in memoriam) Michael R. & Sue Maine Megan McKinney Sharon R. Merriman

David & Leslie Morgan Michael D. Moriarty Richard & Lila Morris Mutter Marines--Jim & Carol Deena J. Nystrom Marcia O’Brien (in memoriam) George & Olive Rhodes (in memoriam) Jane W. Schlegel Michael Skehan Michael Suit (in memoriam) Gene & Mary Tempel Jeff & Benita Thomasson Christopher J. Tolzmann Alan & Elizabeth Whaley John & Margaret Wilson

ANNUAL CAMPAIGN GIFTS $300+ | JULY 1, 2021 - APRIL 11, 2022

CORPORATE

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath Frost Brown Todd Barnes & Thornburg LLP Katz, Sapper & Miller, LLP Barnes Dennig KPMG LLP Corteva Agriscience Elliott Company of Indianapolis, Inc. Navient Community Fund 48

OneAmerica Financial Partners Oxford Financial Group, Ltd. PNC Printing Partners

FOUNDATION The Ackerman Family Foundation Actors’ Equity Foundation, Inc. Elba L. & Gene Portteus Branigin Foundation, Inc. The Jerry L. and Barbara J. Burris Foundation

Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation Christel DeHaan Family Foundation The Margot L. Eccles Arts & Culture Fund, a fund of CICF The Glick Family Foundation Lacy Foundation

Lilly Endowment, Inc. Nicholas H. Noyes Jr. Memorial Foundation, Inc. The Penrod Society The Shubert Foundation

GOVERNMENT Arts Council of Indianapolis Indiana Arts Commission

ANNUAL CAMPAIGN GIFTS $300+ | JULY 1, 2021 - APRIL 11, 2022

National Institute of Fitness & Sport

Thank you to the following individuals and organizations whose contributions and support helped make the 2022 Celebrity Radio Show another fabulous night to raise money to support the plays and programs of the IRT. 500 Festival Inc. Frank Alan & Donna Eide Janet Allen & Joel Grynheim Anonymous Tammara D. Porter Avant & Jesse Avant Bar Bosco Kerry Barmann Photography Kit Barmann Bazbeaux Pizza Elizabeth Belange Matt & Desma Belsaas Jason & Karen Berty Big Woods Speedway Elizabeth Binford

Jeffrey Bledsoe Michael Bluem Susie & Joel Blum Barbara & Christopher Bodem Dan Bradburn & Jane Robison Stacy Brake Ceceily Brickley Andrew Bridge John & Catherine Bridge Roger & Janet Brinkman Neal Brown Brown County Music Center Sarah Browning Amy Burke Butler University

Mary Ann Carter Photography Central Indiana Community Foundation Central Indiana Land Trust Cliff Chapman Cheese Desert’s Children’s Museum of Indianapolis Brady Clark Climb Time Indy ComedySportz Jessica Contos Kate Copeland Don & Dolly Craft Daniel & Catherine Cunningham Claire Dana & Chris Fretts 49

THE SUPPORTING CAST

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE DONORS

Dance Kaleidoscope Allan & Joanna Day Martin Dezelan Michael Dinius & Jeannie Regan-Dinius Laurie Dippold Collette Duvalle Easley Winery Hillary Egan Geoffrey Ehrendreich Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art Ellis Mechanical, Inc. Zachary Elrod Dan & Ginny Emerson Rebecca Engle Ernst & Young Joe Everhart & Ken Ramsay Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath Troy D. Farmer Drs. Richard & Rebecca Feldman Brian Ferris Tom Fields Foundry Provisions Dick & Brenda Freije French Lick Springs Hotel Donald & Gina Frey Tom & Jenny Froehle Frost Brown Todd Dr. Gregory Gaich & Ms. Erin Fulton Ashley Garry Mr. Jim Gawne Gentspa at the Hilton Indy Bruce Glor Lindsay & Greg Gotwald Graeter’s Ice Cream Sabrina Greene Laurie Gutmann Christine M. Hansen Mike & Judy Harrington Steve Hazelbaker 50

Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County Heartland Film Michael N. Heaton Donald & Teri Hecht Holt Hedrick Sotiris Hiji-Avgoustis Douglas Hodge Glenn E. Hoge Holiday World Splashin’ SAFARI Brenda S. Horn David Hudson Lori Hudson Rebecca Hutton Ice Miller LLP Illinois Street Food Emporium India Garden Indiana Beach Amusement & Water Park Indiana Landmark Indiana Medical History Museum Indiana State Museum Indianapolis City Market Catacombs Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Fellows Fund, a fund of The Indianapolis Foundation Indianapolis Indians Indianapolis Zoo Indy Parks Invoke Studio IUPUI Office of Community Engagement Lauren James Suzanne Jannetta Java House Jet Linx Aviation Andrew & Brianna Johnson Blake Johnson James Johnson Just Pop In

Katz, Sapper & Miller, LLP Elisha & Reed Kemp Kendra Scott Eric Kilbride Linda Kirby Joy Kleinmaier Kathryn Koehler KPMG LLP Lacy Foundation Sarah & John Lechleiter Ed & Ann Ledford Lilly Endowment, Inc. The MacKay Family Brent Marty Mark McAlister Catherine McCann McGowan Insurance Group Keelin McNally Katie Meares Kristina Moorhead Heidi Muller Carl Nelson & Loui Lord Nelson Jackie Nytes & Patrick O’Brien Joel & Mary O’Brien Patrick O’Brien Offscript Advisory Council OneAmerica Financial Partners Ellen Pactor Nickolas & Tracy Pappas Parlor Public House Rita Patel Lauren James Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth A. Peterson Ryan Peterson Petite G Jewelers Greg Petrowich Phoenix Theatre, Inc. Plews Shadley Racher & Braun George & Christine Plews Printing Partners Rebecca Quintana Peter Racher & Sarah Binford

Tommy Reddicks Red’s Classic Barber Shop Co. Paul Reis Sue & Bill Ringo Kassie Ritman Riverside Rentals Roberts Camera Megan Robertson Amy Romig Ian Rupert Tim Salamandyk Wayne & Susan Schmidt The Secret Ingredient Mark & Gerri Shaffer Marguerite K. Shepard, M.D. Mark E. Sherer DDS General Dentistry Simmons Family Foundation, a fund of CICF Sky Zone Indy South Trampoline Park Julie Slavens The Michael L. Smith and Susan L. Smith Family Fund, a fund of Hamilton County Community Foundation Tawn Parent Spicklemire Nora Spitznogle STAR Financial Group Robert Summers Sun King Brewery Co. Kay Swank-Herzog & Robert Herzog Joe & Jill Tanner Gene & Mary Tempel Thompson Thrift Development Tinker Coffee Company Topgolf Total Wine & More Tim Trostle Jeradon Viehweg Stephan Viehweg Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library MaCharri Vorndran-Jones & Tony Jones Amy Waggoner

Cheryl Gruber Waldman Kavanaugh Ward Amy C. Warner Madison Weintraut Darla Werner James & Linda Wesley Mindy Westrick Brown Alan & Elizabeth Whaley David P. Whitman & Donna L. Reynolds Thomas Whittaker Brian & Susan Brock Williams Cliff Williams Jerry & Sandy Williams Bob Wood Sandra Zeckel Joseph Zielinski & Rev. Bethany Lowery

OFFICIAL CATERERS

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Indianapolis, IN 46282

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IRT STAGE DOOR RESTAURANTS DISCOUNTS FOR OUR SEASON TICKET HOLDERS

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IRT Program: Steel Magnolias

Articles inside

Staff

Donor Listing

Profile

IDEA

Land & Building Acknowledgment

Mission & Values