Torch Song Program

Directed by

EVREN ODCIKIN

MARIN THEATRE

NATIVE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Marin Theatre acknowledges our theatre and administrative offices are located on the ancestral, occupied, and unceded land of the Coast Miwok peoples. We recognize we benefit from living and working on their traditional homelands, and affirm their sovereign rights as first peoples. We are committed to learning and to strengthening our relationships with members of our community, and to work toward dismantling the harmful effects of white supremacy and colonization. We acknowledge the Coast Miwok as the original caretakers of this land. We pay our respects to the Coast Miwok community and their elders past and present, and future generations.

The Coast Miwok, from the areas of Novato, Marshall, Tomales, San Rafael, Petaluma and Bodega, are members of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, a community which includes the Southern Pomo peoples from the Sebastopol area.

We pledge to build relationships with sovereign tribal nations and to never cease ongoing learning, to ensure Marin Theatre becomes a more inclusive and welcoming space.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COAST MIWOK AND THE FEDERATED INDIANS OF GRATON RANCHERIA:

Coast Miwok: Facebook.com/SouthernCoastMiwok coastmiwokofmarin.org marinmiwok.com

Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria: GratonRancheria.com

Support indigenous rights organizations on a national or global level:

IllumiNative

Native American Rights Fund

LABOR

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Cultural Survival

Indigenous Environmental Network

We acknowledge that the country we live in today has been made possible by the labor of enslaved Africans and their descendants. We are indebted to their labor and their sacrifice, and we acknowledge the tremors of anti-Black violence throughout the generations and the resulting impact that can still be felt and witnessed today. (Language developed by Dr. TJ Stewart)

DIRECTED BY EVREN ODCIKIN°

CAST

Arnold Beckoff Dean Linnard*

Mrs. Beckoff Nancy Carlin*

Ed Patrick Andrew Jones*

David Joe Ayers*

Laurel Kina Kantor*

Alan Edric Young*

CREATIVE TEAM

Scenic Design Sarah Phykitt+

Costume Design Jessie Amoroso+

Lighting Design Ray Oppenheimer+

Sound Design Lana Palmer+

Stage Manager Nick Carvalho*

Marin Theatre Summer Camps!

Marin Theatre will host four programs for 2nd grade to 12th grade students this June and July: Musical Makers (June 17-28), Theatre Camp - 2nd-5th Grade (July 8-19, two one-week sessions), Theatre Camp - 6th-8th Grade (July 8-19, two one-week sessions) Teen Camp (July 22-26).

Each program is taught by theatre professionals who foster and encourage the campers’ creativity and imagination as well as teach basic performance skills. For information, email education@marintheatre.org or call 415-322-6026.

Campers will enhance theatre and storytelling abilities. The skills campers learn will make them better future theatremakers and provide them with life skills.

SHOW STAFF

Intimacy Coordinator Maya Herbsman

Assistant Stage Manager Jo Davita Ortiz*

Props Lead Liam Rudisill

Sound Engineer Camille Rassweiler

Lighting Programmer Krys Swan

Board Operator Mary Clare Blake-Booth

Wardrobe Supervisor Daria Perkova

Scenic Charge Artist Stephanie P. Jucker

Painter Josh Patterson

Electricians Gabriel Dumapias, Ash M. Brown, Marshall, Libby Prink

Dresser Tiffany Cartagena (May 9 - 26), Sophie de Morellos (May 28 - June 2)

Deck Hand Genette Marie

“TORCH SONG” was initially produced by Second Stage Theater in New York, October 2017, and then in November 2018 at the Helen Hayes Theater on Broadway by Richie Jackson, Eric Kuhn & Justin Mikita, Stephanie P. McClelland, Ken Fakler, David Mirvish, Lassen Blume/Karmen Boyz Productions, CJC & Priest/Judith Ann Abrams, Burnt Umber/True Love Productions, Caiola Productions/Torchbearers and Jujamcyn Theaters, Second Stage Theater. Torch Song (2018) is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

MARIN THEATRE STAFF

Artistic Director Lance Gardner

Managing Director Meredith Suttles

General Manager Nichole Gantshar

Director of Development Anne Clark

Director of Production Jessica Marchesi

Education Programs Manager Euan Ashley

Box Office Manager Jules Simons

Literary and Casting Associate Laura Steele

Technical Director Jeff Klein

Costume Shop Manager Daria Perkova

ATD/Props Lead Liam Rudisill

Lighting and A/V Supervisor Krys Swan

Grants Manager Nina O’Keefe

Marketing Partner Carla Befera

Patron Services Manager Maxwell Bond

Front of House Leads Victoria Davis, Casey Hermann, Bridget Novak, Perry Parsons

Front of House Associates Sunny Orleans, Susan Urquhart

Administrative Intern Arantza Monge

MARIN THEATRE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Matthew Purdon President

Josh Rafner Vice President

Barbara Roberts Treasurer

Wendy Feng Secretary

Peter Bardwick

Naima Dean

Kipp Delbyck

Doug Frazier

Denmo Ibrahim

William Maushardt

Jennifer McEvoy

Vera Meislin

Stacy Scott

Penny Wright

FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

My favorite line in Torch Song, because I said it to myself a few years ago is:

“The next time you feel like saying I Love You to someone, say it to yourself and see if you believe it.”

It took me nearly forty years of living before I gave this a try, and I sure as hell didn’t believe it the first time … or the second, or any number of times after. But lo and behold: one day, out of the blue, the warm embrace of my own Love was convincing enough to be believed (for a while at least).

The pursuit of self Love is a treacherous endeavor where every voice that has put you down or pushed you to doubt takes up arms against the better you in the shape of an echo in your head. The voices come from all around: our parents, our classmates, our coworkers, television, the vast wasteland of the internet, the shadows. For some of us, these voices question not only our choices, but our very existence. The need to be loved becomes a dangerous prerequisite to self love: a cruel catch-22 of the heart.

The theatre does not present people as they should be. It presents people as they are: imperfect, frustrating, hurtful, sometimes funny, and often selfish. That’s why I love theatre. It’s a representation of everything I am, every broken or misshapen piece of myself I have set out to love. Loving those pieces of myself from outside is validating in a way that would be impossible without the reflection and distance this artform provides. In a dark room full of strangers suspending disbelief, I become the person outside of myself giving me the permission to love from within.

So go ahead. Give it a try. Love Yourself. What’s the worst that can happen?

Lance Gardner | Artistic Director

FROM DIRECTOR EVREN ODCIKIN

Welcome to Torch Song, Harvey Fierstein’s beloved piece of queer theater history which bears the mantle of being the first in many ways. This is what has been powerful about living with Torch Song over the last month — the sense of intergenerational queer legacy that Harvey has woven into his personal reclamation of who we were, who we are, and who we want to be. No surprise that the first play in the original trilogy was accused of being “a sentimental view of a transvestite extremes” in a scathing New York Times review. So much of the play was (and, let’s be honest, still is) way ahead of its time about what could be discussed and represented on a stage. Yet, Harvey smartly places the play in a series of recognizable containers (a solo play, a Noel Coward-style farce, a sitcom) to give his queer and straight audiences a sense of familiarity. And in that familiarity, I found heartful reflection and harsh truths. He bares his heart, his vulnerabilities, and his desperation to point to the violence and loneliness that continues to be formative for too many queer folks.

But as the conversation around and pushback against queer identities continues to evolve in significant ways, the question becomes: Why look back? As someone who has a deep love of modern American classics, I ponder this question often. The old adage goes: “History repeats itself.” From my insider/outsider perspective as an immigrant, I am always shocked at how short the cultural memory of Americans tends to be. We tend to forget

that we’re standing on the shoulders of giants who sacrificed everything so we can be fighting the battles we’re fighting now. And this is even truer for the queer community where so many lives of our elders were brutally cut short by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and our government’s unconscionable response to it.

On the flip side, Torch Song is a romantic comedy, and a deeply sweet one at that. I wish we celebrated those artists who are brave enough to be sweet these days. As I settle into my forties, I feel a deep need for joy and, yes, sweetness in the context of my artmaking. Our drag queen-turned-lover-turned-mother Arnold is in a lot of ways a traditional American romantic comedy heroine, but armored with Harvey’s signature wit and loving sass, he is also an iconic queer anti-hero. He’s a ball of anxiety. He is stubborn and powerful. But he is also a people-pleaser and a pushover. The boy-meets-boy storyline is messy at best and toxic at worst. Some of the things people say to each other are as ugly as life can be, but the play asks us over and over again not to write them off anyways. In all that glorious mess, Harvey continuously points to love as the answer. And that might be just what we need to be reminded of right now.

Evren Odcikin | Director Torch Song

BIOGRAPHIES

Harvey Fierstein (Playwright) is the author of the Tonywinning hit, Kinky Boots, as well as Torch Song Trilogy (Tony, Drama Desk and Obie Awards), La Cage aux Folles (Tony and Drama Desk Awards), Newsies (Tony nominated), Casa Valentina (Tony nominated), A Catered Affair (12 Drama Desk nominations), Safe Sex (Ace Award), Legs Diamond, Spookhouse, Flatbush Tosca, Common Ground and more. He has recently rewritten The Wiz for live TV broadcast, and penned a revised book for Funny Girl, currently running in London. His political editorials have been published in the New York Times, TV Guide and the Huffington Post and broadcast on PBS’s “In the Life.” His children’s book, “The Sissy Duckling” (Humanitas Award), is now in its fifth printing. As an actor, Mr. Fierstein is known worldwide for his performances in films including Mrs. Doubtfire, Independence Day, and Bullets Over Broadway, on stage in Hairspray (Tony Award), Fiddler on the Roof, La Cage aux Folles, Torch Song Trilogy (Tony Award), and on TV shows such as Smash, How I Met Your Mother, The Good Wife, Cheers (Emmy nomination), The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Nurse Jackie.

Evren Odcikin° (Director – he/ him) is a TurkishAmerican director, writer, and arts leader with a commitment to advocating for historically-excluded stories and voices in the American theater. His work is heart centered, politically engaged, and centers joy as resistance. Recent directing credits include Macbeth and Mona Mansour’s unseen at Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF), Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song at Marin Theatre, Sylvia Khoury’s Selling Kabul at Northern Stage, and Amir Nizar Zuabi’s This is Who I Am for Woolly Mammoth, PlayCo, A.R.T., Guthrie, and OSF. Prior directing credits include work at Berkeley Rep, Geva, South Coast Rep, Kennedy Center, the Lark, Interact Theatre Company, Cleveland Public Theatre, Playwrights Foundation, Golden Thread, Crowded Fire, and Magic Theatre, amongst many others. As a playwright and translator, he has been commissioned and produced by Cal Shakes, NYU Abu Dhabi, Golden Thread, Crowded Fire, and Custom Made. In 2023, he served as the Interim Artistic Director at OSF, where he had been the Associate Artistic Director and Director of Artistic Programming since 2019. At OSF, he was instrumental in “saving” the 2023 Season, programmed the 2024 Season, and oversaw the producing of five repertory seasons, including more than 30

productions. Evren is a founder of Maia Directors, an affiliated artist with Golden Thread Productions, and serves on the Boards of Middle Eastern North African Theater Makers Alliance and Playwrights Foundation. Recognitions include a “Theatre Worker You Should Know” feature in American Theatre Magazine; a National Director’s Fellowship from the O’Neill, NNPN, the Kennedy Center, and SDCF; and a TITAN Award from Theatre Bay Area. odcikin.com

Dean Linnard* (Arnold– he/him)

Dean Linnard is thrilled to make his Marin Theatre debut in this fabulous play. Bay Area credits include Born With Teeth (Aurora), Octet (Berkeley Rep), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Good Person of Szechwan, The Winter’s Tale (Cal Shakes), Twelfth Night, The Three Musketeers, Love’s Labour’s Lost (Marin Shakespeare), Bad Jews, and Hand to God (Left Edge Theatre).

Dean received San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Awards for Groundhog Day: The Musical and Indecent at San Francisco Playhouse. New York credits include performances at the Guggenheim and Met museums, as well as the world premiere of Dave Harris’ Tambo & Bones at Playwrights Horizons. Regional credits include shows with Asolo Rep, Portland Stage,

the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Vermont Shakespeare Festival, and the National Tour of The Lightning Thief. Training: BFA from NYU Tisch, Stella Adler Studio, RADA. DeanLinnard.com. Dean would like to dedicate his performance to his loving “Ma” Judith Kunitz.

Nancy Carlin* (Ma – she/her) returns to Marin Theatre where long ago she appeared in A Shayna Maidel, My Old Lady and All In . Nancy has performed and directed extensively in regional theaters, including the American Conservatory Theater, California Shakespeare Theater, Berkeley Rep, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Aurora Theater, The Jewel, Shotgun Players, Center Rep, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Marin Shakespeare, and TheatreWorks, where last summer she played Ouiser in Steel Magnolias. A former company member of A.C.T. and associate artist with Cal Shakes, Carlin is a member of PlayGround. A theater arts lecturer with SJSU and UC Berkeley, Carlin holds a BA in comparative literature from Brown University and an MFA in acting from A.C.T. Ms. Carlin is a member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and SDC. Nancy co-authored the musical Max Understood, co-produced the film Haiku Tunnel, and can be seen in Eleanor Coppola’s film, Love is Love is Love. www.nancycarlin.com

Patrick Andrew Jones* (he/him) is a New York City based actor, writer and producer. He received his MFA from the American Conservatory Theater and is thrilled to be back in the Bay Area! Jones has worked extensively in theater, film, television and commercials. Select credits- Theater: ART/NY, The Lark, Hudson Stage, The Brick, The Kraine, SF Playhouse, Capital Rep, Pacific Rep, Berkeley Rep, ACT, Livermore Shakes, Teatro Delle Due (Italian tour), Film and Television: The Worst Best Man Ever, The Traumatist, The Food That Built America, Empires, Diarra from Detroit. Special thanks to Laura, Lance and the Taylor family. Learn more at: patrickandrewjones.com

Joe Ayers* is thrilled to be making his Marin Theatre debut! He was most recently seen in The Legend of Georgia McBride at Center REP. He has had the pleasure of working on and offstage at companies such as Asolo Rep, American Stage, American Conservatory Theater, Cal Shakes, San Francisco Playhouse, Berkeley Playhouse, Los Altos Stage Company, and New Canon Theatre Company. Joe is especially passionate about uplifting Queer voices and stories and doing it with radical joy. He’s very honored for the opportunity

to do this with Torch Song. BA: UC Berkeley. MFA: Florida State University/Asolo Conservatory. He’d like to thank his loved ones for all of their support, always. IG: @joeayers13

Kina Kantor* (she/ her) is a Bay Area actor, artist, and cellist. Selected Bay Area credits include: the West Coast premiere of Mrs. Christie (TheatreWorks), originating the role of Gao-Ming in the World Premiere of The Great Khan (San Francisco Playhouse), The Far Country u/s (Berkeley Repertory Theatre), The Great Wave u/s (Berkeley Repertory Theatre), The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin (San Francisco Playhouse), Tiny Beautiful Things (San Francisco Playhouse). She also works with companies such as the Magic Theatre, American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco Mime Troupe, Crowded Fire, Word for Word, and PlayGround SF. Kina is a company member of the Actor’s Reading Collective (ARC) and has taught at the Academy of Art University in SF. @kinakantor

Edric Young* (he/ him) was born in Indiana and acted in his first play in a production of Durango by Julia Cho. More recently, he’s worked on productions with Center Rep, San

Francisco Playhouse, Theatre Rhinoceros, and SPARC Theater, and played the title role in the upcoming short film Little Chicken. He graduated from Stanford University and speaks Spanish, Korean, and a modicum of Mandarin. Edric would like to thank his sisters, his partner, and you, for opening up your heart to stories like this one.

Sarah Phykitt + (Scenic Designer – she/her) Sarah came to the Bay Area in 2008 and is thrilled to finally be designing at Marin Theatre. Design credits include West Side Story, Memphis, Into the Woods, Becoming Robin Hood, Kinky Boots, and Rent at Berkeley Playhouse, M. Butterfly, Little Brother, The Goat, or Who is Sylvia, The Lion in Winter, Hooded, or Being Black for Dummies, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, and several others for Custom Made Theater Company, Agrippina and The Cunning Little Vixen for West Edge Opera, Le Switch, This Bitter Earth, Head Over Heels, and You’ll Catch Flies for the New Conservatory Theater Company, and Star Trek Live, Sex and the City Live, Golden Girls Live, Project Lohan and many other for D’Arcy Drollinger and Oasis.

Jessie Amoroso + (Costume Designer – He/Him) is pleased to return to Marin Theater after designing Marjorie Prime here in 2018. Costume design credits at at American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) where he serves as costume director include Testament, Ah, Wilderness!, Love and Information, Underneath the Lintel, Chester Bailey, John, Vietgone, Vietgone 2/ Poor Yella Rednecks, dozens of MFA & YC productions and next season’s Private Lives.

At Cal Shakes he designed Romeo y Juliet, directed by KJ Sanchez. Bay Area theater design and styling credits include work at California Theatre Center, Julia Morgan Theater, Solano College Theater, Berkeley City Club, Marines Memorial Theater, Herbst Theater, and The Palace of Fine Arts. At Theatre Artaud/Z Space he designed Camus’ Caligua where he met Nancy Carlin and Round Heeled Woman starring Sharon Gless. Jessie is a graduate of California State University Hayward (Now CSU East Bay) and a member of United Scenic Artists local 829. In his spare time Jessie has volunteered many hours to Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids, Broadway Bares NYC/ SF and the Richmond Ermet Aid Foundation.

Ray Oppenheimer + (Lighting Designer – he/him) is a San Francisco Bay Area based lighting designer, digital artist, educator, and creator who has been bringing his boundless curiosity, chimerical aesthetic, and sisyphean perseverance to live design and education since 2005. He is excited to bring his work to Marin Theatre. His design work has also been featured locally at Berkeley Rep, Aurora Theatre, Shotgun Players, Word for Word, The Magic Threatre, Crowded Fire and many more. He also is an active company member with Shotgun Players.

Lana Palmer+ (Sound Designer – she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist with works featured in spaces around the Bay and internationally. Recently: Shotgun Players Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 (SFBATCC nomination 2023), Town Hall Turn Of The Screw, Cutting Ball R.U.R., Cal Shakes The Winter’s Tale, Zellerbach Playhouse House Of The Spirits, St. Mary’s College Cabaret, Bay Area Children’s Theatre Beautiful Oops (TBA winner 2018), Ferocious Lotus, PlayGround, Quantum Dragon, Youth Musical Theater Company, and more. Upcoming: Masquers Clybourne Park, Shotgun Players

Choir Boy. Ongoing: vinyl DJ around The Bay and online at twitch.tv/spy_hapa

Nick Carvalho* (Stage Manager, – he/him) Recent credits with Marin include Guadalis Del Carmen’s Bees & Honey, Sara Porkalob’s Dragon Lady, Where Did We Sit on the Bus?, the continued-world premiere of Justice: A New Musical, August Wilson’s Two Trains Running, and Dunsinane; the world premiere of Monument, or Four Sisters (a sloth play) (Magic Theatre); Twelfth Night (Marin Shakespeare Company); The Cherry Orchard and Cinderella: A Fairytale (2019) (Town Hall Theatre). Nick is also the Production Manager for El Campanil Theatre. Nick is an alumni of Diablo Valley College where he advises student stage managers and serves on the Technical Theatre Advisory Board. During his time at DVC, he earned three certificates of merit in stage management from KCACTF for his work on Our Lady of 121st Street, Seussical: The Musical, and The Book of Will. Proud AEA member. He would like to thank his partner, Emma for her constant love!

Maya Herbsman (Intimacy Coordinator – she/her) is an Asian American, TBA nominated, Bay Area fight director, committed to creating safe and inclusive spaces for artists of all backgrounds to tell important stories. Her

recent credits include A Soldier’s Play at Altarena Playhouse, Locusts Have No King and A Picture of Two Boys at NCTC, and Julius Caesar at Stanford TAPS. She is honored to work with the cast and crew at Marin Theatre, and wishes everyone a safe and impactful show!

LEADERSHIP & STAFF

Lance Gardner Artistic Director

A familiar face in the San Francisco Bay Area theatre scene, Lance Gardner is an actor and producer born and raised in the Bay Area. He has earned dozens of theatre credits over the last 20 years, including six mainstage shows and a school tour at Marin Theatre. He has also performed in multiple shows at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, California Shakespeare Theater, Magic Theatre, TheatreWorks, and more. He recently served as the President of the Board of Aurora Theatre. He comes to Marin from KQED, where, as a live event producer, he helped launch KQED Live, a year-round, in-person and virtual events program where he crafted unique experiences marrying journalism, arts, and entertainment. Harnessing the power of public media, he created bespoke concerts, game shows, performances, food and dining

events, interviews, and more. His work has been featured on KQED TV and on the radio at KQED and KALW.

Meredith Suttles Managing Director

(she/her) is an arts leader with an extensive background in creative and performing arts in the areas of development, management, strategic planning, fundraising, and performance. She has held senior leadership roles at TheaterWorksUSA, Soho Repertory Theatre, Theatre Communications Group (TCG), and the New York City Opera. Meredith is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and former EmcArts: Arts Leaders as Cultural Innovators (ALACI) Fellow. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., a Steering Committee Member of the Black Theatre Commons, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of viBe Theater Experience.

Nichole Gantshar General Manager (she/they) is a former dramaturg turned arts administrator. She spent six years as Executive Director of Rochester City Ballet, served as Interim Executive Director of The Louisville Ballet during the pandemic, and also worked for Tulsa Ballet and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Prior to her administrative career, she worked for Richmond

Ballet, Syracuse Stage, Hangar Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, and Milwaukee Ballet. Among her awards, she was twice nominated as an Outstanding Young Woman of America and received a LMDA residency grant to serve as the production dramaturg for the Atlanta Ballet’s production of The Great Gatsby. Early in her career, she was a Legislative Aide in the House of Representatives.

Anne Clark Director of Development (she/her), a seasoned Bay Area non-profit professional, is thrilled to assume the role of Director of Development at Marin Theatre. Dedicated to inspiring philanthropy that fuels creativity across generations, she is committed to embodying Marin’s core values. As the former Managing Director of 6th Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa, Anne adeptly navigated the challenges of the pandemic, establishing a flourishing educational program and overseeing a vibrant annual season of 17 productions. Her leadership played a pivotal role in securing the Playhouse’s permanent residence in historic Railroad Square. Anne’s extensive experience includes serving as the Director of Education at the Bay Area Children’s Theatre, where she orchestrated operations and strategy across 19 cities. A nationally recognized, award-winning director, she has directed, music directed, and choreographed over 40 productions, showcasing her

dedication to theater arts for diverse age groups. With a BA in Musical Theater from UCLA and a rich history in regional and Broadway productions, Anne brings a wealth of expertise and passion to her new role at Marin.

Jessica Marchesi Director of Production (she/her) is a native San Franciscan who has been working in production management for nearly 30 years, and she is overjoyed to return to the Bay Area and rejoin the staff at Marin after 20 years away. After starting her PM career at the San Francisco Fringe Festival and the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Jessica served as Marin’s PM from 2001-2005 under then Artistic Director Lee Sankowitz. Since leaving the Bay Area, her career has taken her all over the country to manage production and operations for a wide variety of companies, including Studio Theatre in Washington, DC, Arkansas Repertory Theatre and the Walton Arts Center in Arkansas, and Horizon Theatre in Atlanta, GA, but the bulk of her career was spent at South Coast Repertory Theatre in Southern California. SCR specializes in new play development, and while she was there she helped launch over 50 world premieres, including A Doll’s House, Part 2 (Lucas Hnath), Vietgone (Qui Nguyen), Cambodian Rock Band (Lauren Yee), Silent Sky and Emelie (Lauren Gunderson), Office Hour and The Language Archive (Julia Cho), and many more. Jessica’s journey has been

personal as well as geographical, and she is proud to have recently come out as Trans and is excited to continue her new life among old friends.

Euan Ashley Education Programs Manager (he/him) has served as the Education Programs Manager for two years. He is an actor and San Francisco native with a strong belief that the best theatre comes from a place of passion and that arts education is crucial for people of all ages. Even though his training is primarily as an actor he is happy to do anything theatre related, having started at Marin as a box office associate before moving to his current position. He recently graduated with a BA in Theatre Arts and Dance from Sonoma State.

Jules Simons Box Office Manager (she/her) is elated to be a part of the Marin team. With a background in playwriting and production management, she is

excited to gain new experiences as the Box Office Manager. She is a New Orleans native, though she spent the last five years at Ohio University, from which she holds a BA in Theater and and a Master of Art Administration with an area specialization in Theater and Production Management. She found a new passion for disability advocacy within the performing arts after serving with AmeriCorps at Easter Seals Wisconsin Respite Camp in 2021. When not petting her cat, she is working toward a world in which including people with disabilities is the standard.

Laura Steele Literary & Casting Associate (she/her) is an actor (Laura Odeh) and teacher in the Bay Area. After receiving her MFA from the Graduate Acting Program at New York University Tisch School of the Arts, she worked on Broadway, off-Broadway and regionally at theatres including Lincoln Center Theatre, Irish Repertory Theatre, The Public

Theatre, Primary Stages, Yale Repertory Theatre, Goodman Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Shakespeare Theatre, Berkeley Rep and Marin Theatre. She has worked with directors including James Lapine, Moisés Kaufman, Robert Falls, Zelda Fichandler, Bill Rauch, Don Roos and Charlie Kaufman. In addition to her acting career, Laura teaches in the Department of Theatre Arts & Dance at Sonoma State University.

Jeff Klein Technical Director (he/him) started first working at Marin as an overhire carpenter in January 2006, was hired full time as the Assistant Technical Director in October 2006. With 17 seasons and nearly 7 dozen productions to his name here, he was promoted to Technical Director in June of 2015. A native Texan originally from San Antonio, Jeff has worked in all aspects of theatre. Getting the theatre itch in high school with some minor acting roles, he attended college graduating with a B.A. in Humanities with a Theatre minor. Eventually moving into a full time technical/behind in the scenes career in his mid 20s, Jeff has a storied history working from

theme park venues in Texas to a magic show in Branson, MO and then landing in the San Francisco Bay Area which he has been proud to call home since 2005. While Jeff misses the time acting on stage, he considers himself a character of life and does his best undertaking the roles of comedy (and drama, of course) that seemingly come at him everyday.

Daria Perkova Costume Shop Manager (she/they) is a Bay Area native costume designer. She first took an interest in costuming when she was just 4 years old, watching Sailor Moon at her grandparents house and making props out of cardboard. She first stepped into theatre at her high school and fell in love with the magic of backstage production ever since. She has a BFA in Theatrical Costume Design from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri and returned here to the Bay to pursue a full time career in costuming. She is the current Costume Shop Manager and Wardrobe Lead here at Marin, as well as the Assistant Costume Designer for the current 2022-23 season. She has recently costume

designed How Black Mothers Say I Love You at Theatre Rhinoceros in SF and, Anton Chekov’s Uncle Vanya at Chabot College.

Liam Rudisill Assistant Technical Director (he/him) is a carpenter and props maker who has been working with Marin Theatre since moving to the Bay Area in 2014.

He’s excited to be back at full capacity as Assistant Technical Director. Recent design credits include Boys Go to Jupiter (Word for Word at Z Space); The Sound Inside, Pass Over, Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley, Dunsinane, August Wilson’s Two Trains Running, and Justice: A New Musical (Marin).

ABOUT MARIN THEATRE

Marin Theatre is an essential part of a vibrant and celebrated arts scene in Mill Valley. Founded in 1966 as the Mill Valley Center for the Performing Arts, we have a long history of curating, producing and presenting work that draws crowds from around the San Francisco Bay Area. Today, we are a dynamic hub that creates theater and unique artistic events to entertain and educate the community we build around and invite to our efforts. We center local artists while collaborating globally to transform lives through shared experiences. Marin Theatre is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

MARIN THEATRE DONORS

Marin Theatre acknowledges the generous support of the following individuals, foundations and corporations whose contributions make our extraordinary theatre productions and education programs possible. To join our family of contributors, receive sponsorship information or if you have questions about your gift, please contact the Development Director Anne Clark at development@marintheatre.org or 415.322.6035.

EXECUTIVE PARTNER CIRCLE

$25,000+

Christopher B. & Jeannie Meg Smith

Gerald Cahill & Kathy King

PARTNER CIRCLE

$10,000-$24,999

Anonymous

Kenneth & Vera Meislin

Betty & Jack Schafer

Fred & Kathleen Taylor Charitable Fund

Matthew Purdon & Liz Sklar

PRODUCER CIRCLE

$5,000-$9,999

Frank Amster

Lynne Carmichael

John Chesley

Thomas W. Edwards & Rebecca Parlette-Edwards

Steven & Jill Fugaro

Melanie Maier

Barbara Morrison

Kathy Roberts & Aaron Loeb

Vickie Soulier

Betty Schafer

Mr. Jack Shafer

Susan & Joel Sklar

The Tow Foundation

Michael Wall & Wendy Feng

Penny Wright

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER CIRCLE

$1,000-$4,999

Anonymous

Helen & Thomas Anawalt

Lois Kelly Ashley

Mary Jane Baird

Josh Brier & Grace Alexander

Bromley Carson Fund

The Brown Ortiz-Aragon Family Fund

Gary & Nancy Carlston

David Catania & Diana Gay-Catania

Ron Clyman & Francoise Mauray

Kipp Delbyck

Stephanie A. Douglass

Theresa W. & Richard A. Ellis, MD

Judith & Philip Erdberg

Jeff Freedman & Marie Boylan

David Gelfand & Ellen Daniell

Gary Garabedian

Gatian’s Fund

Anthony Giles and Carey Perloff

Margot Golding

Gerry Goldsholle

Michelle & Normand Groleau

Hilary Honore

Andree Jansheski

Jim and Barbara Kautz

Kelley Family Charitable Fund

Harriet & Tom Kostic, Kostic Family Fund

Paulette Lueke

Scott MacLeod & Linda Kislingbury

Greg and Brit Long

Kathryn Olson

Stephanie Moulton-Peters & Roger Peters

Robert & Donys Powell

Matthew Purdon & Liz Sklar

Gordon Radley

Josh Rafner

Bob & Paula Reynolds

Richard & Nancy Robbins

Barbara & Eric Roberts

Gary Robinson & Danny Field

Laura Scher & Ian Altman & the Barn Road

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