JAN 28–FEB 6, 2022 Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 5 8 13 14 17 26 28 30 39
Letter from Vivienne Support PlayMakers Who We Are Title Page Program Notes Bios General Information PlayMakers Staff Friends of PlayMakers Corporate and Foundation Partners
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VIVIENNE BENESCH
PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Dear Friends, Happy 2022! Thank you for being here. Coming out of a complicated holiday season (I hope filled with more joy than stress), I am thrilled to welcome you back to the theatre with Lydia Diamond’s compelling family dramedy, "Stick Fly". A huge hit on the theatre circuit when it premiered several years ago, its resonances in 2022 seem freshly profound in the midst of the national conversation about the impact of racism and equity on all of our institutions: marriage, family, education, community and on and on. As we were planning this season, in conversation with PlayMakers company member and Artistic Associate, Kathy Williams, this title kept resurfacing. It’s a play near and dear to her heart and one that she has taught in her classes for many years. Her admiration and enthusiasm for the play was clear, and it created a perfect opportunity for her directorial debut in the Paul Green Theatre. It was also a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with a stellar design team and feature five of our fantastic third-year Professional Actor Training Program actors, allowing them the challenge and opportunity to showcase their talents alongside our estimable guest actor, Oscar Best, in the role of the family’s patriarch. I am so admiring of Kathy’s thoughtful work on this play, rich with the complexity of family dynamics, where so much of the drama—as is so often the case in life—lives in what is unsaid. I am happy to shout from the rafters, however, that this is the first of three plays this season written by superb female playwrights. Lydia is joined later in the season by Dipika Guha and her fittingly brilliant "Yoga Play" and Tracy Young with a riveting adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s "A Wrinkle in Time". Three powerhouse playwrights (in the hands of three equally fabulous female directors!) offering richly diverse storytelling for our PlayMakers audiences. I hope you’ll join us for all of them. Here’s to a year ahead of health, clarity and fantastic theatre! Warmly,
Vivienne
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SUPPORT US It is my pleasure to serve another year as the chair of the PlayMakers Advisory Council and welcome you back to the Paul Green Theatre stage for our 2021-22 season. Our five-show season was born out of the need to celebrate the healing power of human connection after a year that challenged us all. We believe that the theatre will have an important role to play in making sense of the complex world in which we find ourselves in. When I walk out of PlayMakers after a show, I always say how lucky we are to have a theater with such world-class performances right here in Chapel Hill. This season, I am grateful for the opportunity to experience PlayMakers’ signature variety of shows, live and in person once again! In addition to an impressive lineup of powerful performances, PlayMakers continues its work serving the Triangle community and beyond. We are privileged to provide unique learning opportunities for K–12 classrooms and UNC students, creating new ways to engage with our local artists and advocates, and make the power and joy of theatre accessible to underserved communities. Theatre is and always will be a place for community. And it is up to us—the community—to ensure that PlayMakers continues to thrive. Gifts from patrons like you will be critical to our success as we navigate reopening after more than a year away from producing live theatre with in-person audiences. If you enjoy and believe in the power of the theatre as I do, I invite you to become a Friend of PlayMakers. Please make a tax-deductible contribution to the annual fund, pledge a monthly donation as a Sustainer, or offer a campaign gift to strengthen and sustain PlayMakers’ vision for the future. I truly believe that there has never been a more important time to support the arts. Join me in championing our local theatre—an organization that makes a difference in our community. As Joan Gillings often said, “You will sit a little taller in your theatre seat, knowing you made a difference, too.” Thank you! Warmly, Amy Guskiewicz
ADVISORY COUNCIL Amy Guskiewicz Chair
Betsy Blackwell Vice Chair
Duncan Lascelles Vice Chair
Joanne Garrett Deborah Gerhardt Bobbi Hapgood Janelle Hoskins Betty Kenan, emeritus
Stuart Lascelles Robert Long, emeritus Graig Meyer Julie Morris Florence Peacock
Diane Robertson Wyndham Robertson Carol Smithwick Jackie Tanner 5 Mike Wiley
IN MEMORIAM
WE REMEMBER
Photos by Jon Gardiner
PlayMakers Repertory Company and the Department of Dramatic Art mourn the extraordinary loss of our dear friend, Joan H. Gillings, who passed away in February surrounded by family at her home in Wrightsville Beach, NC. Joan was a lover of the arts and her dedication and support of our work was unparalleled. As a member of the PlayMakers Advisory Council for over 10 years, and its chair for 7, she worked closely with our staff on a multitude of projects including serving as chair for our annual PlayMakers Ball for many years, participating in our Producing Artistic Director search in 2015, and building lasting relationships with our students and faculty. Her transformational gift in 2017 has allowed us to 6
JOAN GILLINGS
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expand opportunities for our students, support dynamic new work on our stages, and enhance performance and outreach offerings in our community. For Joan, her philanthropy and enthusiasm always came back to one thing – “the kids,” as she liked to call them – and her love for UNC can be felt and seen all over our campus. She brought an unmistakable joy and enthusiasm every time she entered our building and we aspire to carry that spirit forward in everything we do. We are forever grateful to have known Joan and are honored to carry on her transformational legacy through our work in the building that bears her name. She will be sorely missed. 7
PLAYMAKERS IS... “One of America’s Best Regional Theatres” (American Theatre Magazine), PlayMakers Repertory Company is North Carolina’s premier professional theatre company, proudly in residence on the dynamic campus of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The professional company was founded in 1976, growing out of a storied 100 year tradition of playmaking at Carolina. Our mission is to produce relevant, courageous work that tells stories from and for a multiplicity of perspectives. We believe that theatre can have a transformational impact on individuals and entire communities, and we are committed to the work of becoming an anti-racist organization whose work is accessible to all. At the very heart of the PlayMakers experience is one of the nation’s last remaining resident theatre companies, made up of accomplished performers, directors, designers, artisans, and technicians, and supported by exceptional graduate students in UNC’s Department of Dramatic Art. Our company works side by side with guest artists from all over the world and our alumni include Pulitzer Prize, Tony®, Emmy®, and Grammy Award® winners.
Creating Tomorrow’s Classics, Today
Producing Artistic Director Vivienne Benesch is continuing PlayMakers’ tradition of producing vibrantly reimagined classics, large-scale musical theatre, and significant contemporary work, but is also broadening the company’s reach to become a home for new play development and a true hub of social and civic discourse in the region. Her first five seasons have already given life to ten important new American plays.
A Hub of Engagement
PlayMakers seeks to provoke thought, stimulate discussion and push the boundaries of the theatrical form in everything we do. Whether through our intimate @Play series, our mainstage offerings or our virtual line-up, we look for opportunities for direct, dynamic engagement between audiences, artists and thinkers. The Vision Series, post-show discussions and a host of unique engagement opportunities – including the continuation of last season’s online PlayMakers Keeping You Company – enrich our audience's experience of the live arts.
Theatre for the People
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PlayMakers Mobile is an initiative that seeks to contribute positively to the civic and social life of our region by taking world-class theatre out of our building and into the community. We create a streamlined production of a play each year and take it to schools, transitional housing facilities, and long-term treatment facilities around the Greater Triangle area. And best of all, it’s all free of charge. We look forward to getting back on the road as soon as we can do so safely.
WHO WE ARE
Leaving Eden, 2018. Photo by HuthPhoto Passing the Torch
PlayMakers’award-winning Summer Youth Conservatory is the only professionally supported training program of its kind in the region. The Theatre Quest program provides camps to area middle school students, while the Theatre Intensive and TheatreTech programs allow Triangle high schoolers to apprentice directly with professional directors, choreographers, musical directors, and technicians, culminating in a professional quality production on the PlayMakers mainstage for the whole community to enjoy.
Eliminating Barriers
With a commitment to eliminating barriers for attendance when we host live events, PlayMakers offers All Access performances for our patrons living with disabilities, we offer accessible $20 tickets for all performances, and tickets reduced to just $10 for UNC students and $12 for all other students. Our Spotlight on Service program also offers complimentary tickets to local service organizations. This season, we are proud to offer complimentary tickets to front-line workers in honor of their ongoing service to the community. For more information, please contact prcboxoffice@unc.edu.
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OUR MISSION
As the premiere professional theatre company of North Carolina, PlayMakers Repertory Company strives to produce entertaining, relevant, and courageous work that tells stories from and for a multiplicity of perspectives and creates transformational impact in our immediate and extended communities.
Provoke
OUR VISION Represent
Create
OUR VALUES
Artistic excellence and artistry Education and training Community engagement Access and equity
Financial health Discovery and innovation Collaboration and communication Culture of support
ANTIRACISM ACCOUNTABILITY STATEMENT
At the heart of PlayMakers Repertory Company’s mission is the belief that theater has the power to transform individuals and entire communities. There is no more aspirational or urgent a use of that power than working to dismantle the systems of oppression, white supremacy, and racism that pervade American life and consume the American Theatre. PlayMakers continues to assess and evaluate our own practices in order to embed equitable, antiracist policies into strategic planning, our mission, and our operations. PlayMakers Repertory Company, and those of us who work here, commit to the following: • To work intentionally to create an antiracist culture in our company. • To continually educate ourselves on the ways in which we can combat racism locally and nationally as we move to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable sense of belonging for every one of our constituents. • To demonstrate our values through action in our policies, practices, and procedures. We are grateful to Black, Indigenous and People of Color artists and administrators within our local community as well as the larger theatrical community across the country for the resources they’ve expended, both in time and emotional labor. Their work lays an important foundation for us by articulating some of the harmful practices that must change immediately as well as identifying pathways for the long-term evolution that must follow. In that light, this document is the beginning of a response to the demands for change made by the anti-racist organization #WeSeeYouWhiteAmericanTheater. 10
As a professional theatre company embedded in, and inextricably linked to the Department of Dramatic Art (DDA) at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, the path forward will be complex and singular. We will therefore be updating our action items and commitments continuously as our work evolves. We at PlayMakers understand our responsibility not only to the artists, staff, and audiences with which we engage, but significantly, to the many students training here for a career in the theatre. These are not our first steps, and by no means our last. They are not perfect. And they are not enough. But they are steps forward. We invite you to come back to our website and our theater often and monitor our progress. We take our responsibility to this effort seriously and we welcome your involvement and assessment.
Land Acknowledgement We acknowledge that the Center for Dramatic Art is located on the unceded lands of one or more of Abiayala’s (the Americas’) original sovereign nations, the name(s) of which have not yet been affirmed. The unjust acquisition of these Indigenous lands came about through a history of racism, violence, dispossession, displacement, and erasure of cultures by settlers as part of the larger, land-centered project of settler colonialism. As we look to the future, please join us in acknowledging and learning about the atrocities committed against these Nations and work with us towards inclusion, representation, and a better relationship with citizens of sovereign American Indian and Alaska Native nations. Why is Land Acknowledgement important? This statement is part of the continual interrogation of our own participation and complacency in colonial structures and a call for greater awareness, accountability, and intentionality in the work we do. As storytellers we are committed to learning and telling stories in ways that will have transformational impact in our immediate and extended communities. We are excited by future partnerships with Native Americans and look forward to sharing this journey of knowledge and growth with you. Learn more: UNC American Indian Center https://americanindiancenter.unc.edu/
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Italian Culinary Experience in the Heart of Chapel Hill. THOUGHTFULLY PREPARED. SIMPLY SERVED. DEEPLY CONNECTED.
Stick Fly by
Lydia R. Diamond Directed by
Kathryn Hunter-Williams Scenic Designer
Costume Designer
Anita Tripathi
Lighting Designer
Pamela Bond
Sound Designer
Michael A. Betts, II
Latrice Lovett
Dramaturg
Jacqueline E. Lawton
Stage Manager
Elizabeth Ray
Vocal Coach
Tia James
Assistant Stage Manager
Charles K. Bayang
JAN 28–FEB 6, 2022 STICK FLY was developed in part at Chicago Dramatists, originally produced by Congo Square Theatreand subsequently produced by McCarter Theatre Center. A further developmental production, directed by Kenny Leon, was produced jointly by Arena Stage and the Huntington Theatre Company.
The Professional Theatre of the Department of Dramatic Art Adam Versényi, Chair Vivienne Benesch, Producing Artistic Director Nichole Gantshar, Managing Director Produced in association with The College of Arts & Sciences The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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PROGRAM NOTES By Jacqueline E. Lawton, Dramaturg Lydia Diamond is a brilliant and talented playwright. Her characters are bold, passionate, intelligent, and flawed. The worlds she creates are rich, complex, and engaging. Her dialogue is pointed and intelligent. She also has a sharp mind for comedy. Her plays include The Bluest Eye, The Gift Horse, Harriet Jacobs, The Inside, Smart People, Stage Black, and Voyeurs de Venus. She has received numerous awards including the African American Arts Alliance of Chicago Black Excellence Award, an Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) Award, an LA Weekly Theater Award, and a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award. Diamond studied theatre at Northwestern University and discovered playwriting in her junior year. In an interview with Broadway Direct, she explained that through playwriting she found “an artistic outlet that was not predicated upon fitting myself into plays without characters who looked like me.” She found a sense of purpose and autonomy in writing plays. She goes on to say, “I could tell my own stories, populated with people who looked like me or the diverse array of people in my life.” The people in her plays are well-drawn, deeply human, and recognizable. Stick Fly is a perfect example of how Diamond writes characters we know or could know to help audiences better understand ourselves. Stick Fly is set in 2005 on Martha’s Vineyard. In the play, we meet the wealthy and successful LeVay family at their summer house. This is a special family weekend because the LeVay sons have invited the women in their lives home to meet the family. Diamond was inspired to write Stick Fly because she wanted to write a comedic, well-made play that explored the themes of family, legacy, and generational conflict. She was particularly interested the dynamics of fatherhood. In an interview with Writers Theatre, Diamond explains: “I knew I wanted to explore fatherhood and what that meant—absent and present fathers, and how present fathers can maybe be absent and all of that—but I wanted it to be like a comedy." Diamond also wanted to explore class and the Black experience. She was interested in the way that race informs wealth and power, and the impact of racism within the Black community by writing about a wealthy Black family, she overturns stereotypes, societal expectations, and sheds lights on part of Black history that many people do not know. In that same interview, Diamond shares: “I wanted to put in this house three classes of people and how that played
out over the course of a weekend. I knew that I wanted them to be people who had been financially privileged for generations, so I knew it was either going to be Hilton Head or Martha’s Vineyard: two of the places in America where Black people have gone for a long time. But Martha’s Vineyard had an even richer history. I didn’t go to Martha’s Vineyard until shortly before the play had its Broadway premiere, and it was fascinating because it was the first time I’d been in a place where Black people could vacation and not be questioned. There’s a freedom there that was new for me.” Through Stick Fly, we can see the power of Diamond’s skill as a storyteller. She weaves the themes of the plays into the characters and their relationships with each other. In the play, we meet Kent, the youngest son, who hasn’t quite figured out his path in life, but still hopes to impress his demanding, prominent, and well-respected father, Joe. Kent’s fiancée is Taylor, an intelligent and ambitious entomologist, who grew up middle class and feels out of place in wealth and prestige. Then there is Flip, the eldest son, who is a successful plastic surgeon and quite the charmer. He’s quite the package and has had all the advantages that wealth can afford, but he also has some growing up to do. Flip’s girlfriend, Kimber is a wealthy white woman, whose poise and confidence set her at ease in this world. On the other side of the financial spectrum is Cheryl, the daughter of the family maid, but her long-time association with the family gives her a sense of comfort that Taylor craves. Diamond has set the stage for a dramatic and dynamic weekend, and she does not disappoint. As the weekend progresses, the LeVay family secrets are revealed and the ties that bind are stretched to the seams. Like many families, the LeVays must learn how to come together, how to heal, and how to move forward. And as with most family gatherings, they find it’s best to keep the mojitos flowing!
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CAST LIST
In alphabetical order
"Spoon" Kent LeVay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anthony August* Joe LeVay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oscar Best* Kimber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tori Jewell* "Flip" Harold LeVay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Khalil Lesaldo* Taylor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AhDream Smith* Cheryl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Omolade Wey*
STAGE MANAGERS Charles K. Bayang*
Elizabeth Ray*
*Indicates members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
TIME: 2005
PLACE: Martha's Vineyard There will be one 15-minute intermission
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CAST BIOS Anthony August "Spoon" Kent LeVay
PlayMakers: Company member in third year of UNC’s Professional Actor Training Program. The Skin of Our Teeth, As You Like It, The Storyteller, Everybody, Ragtime. Wilder & Wilder (PlayMakers Mobile). Regional: The Hunchback of Seville (Mildred’s Umbrella), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (The Ensemble Theater), Fade To Black Festival, This is Modern Art (The Landing Theatre Company), Macbeth (Encore Theatre). University: When the Ancestors Call, Dutchman, A Raisin in the Sun, Last Days of Judas Iscariot, The Mountaintop (Texas Southern University). Education: Texas Southern University, B.A. in Theatre. @kingslick
Oscar Best Joe LeVay
PlayMakers: Debut. Oscar Best started as a dancer with The Dance Theater of Harlem. He is now a life time member of The Actors Studio where he studies regularly. He has performed in plays such as Wild Party, Victor Victoria, Art, A Soldiers Play, Henry V, Julius Caesar, and Bloodknot directed by Lou Gossett Jr., a production in which he won NAACP's Best Actor in LA. His television credits include NCIS L.A., Grey's Anatomy, and Murder 101 with Dick Van Dyke. His film credits include Kings, Underneath the Silver Lake, and The Last Face.
Tori Jewell Kimber
PlayMakers: Company member in third year of UNC’s Professional Actor Training Program. The Skin of Our Teeth, As You Like It, Julius Caesar, Ragtime. Wilder & Wilder (PlayMakers Mobile); Stop Kiss. References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot (PlayMakers Ground Floor). Regional: Into the Breeches (Theatre Raleigh). University: Her favorite shows throughout her undergraduate experience were A View From The Bridge (Company Carolina) and Hedda Gabler (Kenan Theatre Company). Other: College Witch (YouTube), To the Girl I Never Kissed (YouTube) Education: B.A. in Anthropology, UNC-Chapel Hill, 2019. @tori.jewell.7 @torijewell_
Khalil LeSaldo "Flip" Harold LeVay
PlayMakers: Company member in third year of UNC’s Professional Actor Training Program. The Skin of Our Teeth, As You Like It, Julius Caesar, Dairyland. Mud, References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot (PlayMakers Ground Floor). New York: Sing, Care Full, Game Night. Regional: We Can Eat Love, As You Like It, Julius Caesar (Portland Stage); Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar (Tennessee Shakespeare Company); A Manor of Speaking, Deep as Hell, Hell and Other Adventures, Deep as Hell 2: Wide as Hell (2Sheets Theater Company); Bug (60 Grit Theatre); The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Mad Horse Theater Company); Princess Kaguya (Theater at Monmouth); To Kill a Mockingbird (The Theater Project); Hellcab, After (Profiles Theatre); Wait Until Dark ( Jedlicka Performing Arts); 17
Switch Tryptych (Big Picture Group). Film / TV: Defending Jacob with Chris Evans, Chicago PD. Education/Awards/Other: Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, Bowdoin College; Alice Merrill Mitchel Prize (2011); The Telling Room Story Slam Champion, Devising and Physical Theater (Celebration Barn).
AhDream Smith Taylor
PlayMakers: Company member in third year of UNC’s Professional Actor Training Program. The Skin of Our Teeth, As You Like It, Julius Caesar. Wilder & Wilder (PlayMakers Mobile); References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot (PlayMakers Ground Floor). New York: The Talking Cure (Hudson Guild Theatre); Sistas on Fire (The Duke On 42nd Street); The Trojan Women, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Exception And The Rule (Shapiro Theatre). Television: Silent Killer, The Honeymoon Killers, Death and The Maiden (Investigation Discovery). Education/Awards/Other: Wesleyan University (B.A), William Esper, Stella Adler, Upright Citizens Brigade, Broadway Dance Center.
Omolade Wey Cheryl
UP NEXT:
PlayMakers: Company member in third year of UNC’s Professional Actor Training Program. The Skin of Our Teeth, As You Like It, The Storyteller, Julius Caesar, Everybody. Wilder & Wilder (PlayMakers Mobile); No Child, Stop Kiss, References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot (PlayMakers Ground Floor). University: God & Country, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, Insurrection: Holding History. Education/Awards: Winner of the Director’s Company Next Wave Initiative Hattie McDaniel Acting Scholarship. BSFS in Culture & Politics from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service.
FEB 23 – MAR 13 Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art
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“PlayMakers has been punching far above its weight class since the moment of its founding. This beautiful, detailed, and comprehensive examination of its remarkable past and current strength, charts the organization’s importance as one of the leading lights in the American Theatre.”
Company: A PlayMakers Repertory fifty years of the History celebrates nearly company founded e theatr sional profes North Carolina at at the University of Building upon a Chapel Hill in 1975. g activity at UNC datin legacy of theatrical appointment the when 1918, to back t rtmen Depa the in of Professor Koch formation of of English led to the akers, Tom Haas the Carolina Playm envisioned a man Hous r Arthu and integrated with professional company at a major an academic department That combination of research university. achievement coupled professional artistic y theatrical training with the highest qualit akers Repertory has characterized PlayM outset. Company from the of the resident Then as now, the core are both teachers company—faculty who ng in tandem with and practitioners worki in the Department the graduate students MFA programs— of Dramatic Arts’ three d by the best mente supple antly is const and performers directors, designers, rgraduates learn from working today. Unde and forth between faculty who move back stage, shops, and the classroom and the ledge gained in know the with workrooms, creativity in another. one realm sparking acting , costume Graduate students in ical production production, and techn training during the receive professional become their day from teachers who s at night, both offartistic collaborator and on-stage. than eighty With six essays, more dices that list images, and four appen MFA recipients, and productions, faculty, ship, this book richly administrative leader ed d and widely admir documents a belove tion. dramatic arts institu
—Joseph Haj, MFA 1988; Artistic Director of The Guthrie Theater 2015-present; and Artistic Director of PlayMakers Repertory Company 2006-2015
Get your copy today at uncpress.org PlayMakers Repertory Company: A History celebrates nearly fifty years of the professional theatre company founded at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1975, building upon a legacy of theatrical activity at UNC dating back to 1918 with the formation of the Carolina Playmakers. Then as now, the core of the resident company—faculty who are both teachers and practitioners working in tandem with the graduate students in the Department of Dramatic Arts' three MFA programs—is constantly supplemented by the best directors, designers, and performers working today. With six essays, more than eighty images, and four appendices that list productions, faculty, MFA recipients, and administrative leadership, this book richly documents a beloved and widely admired dramatic arts institution.
CREATIVE TEAM Kathryn Hunter-Williams Director
PlayMakers: Company member for 21 seasons. Recent and highlights include directing No Fear & Blues Long Gone, Count, plus acting in The Skin of Our Teeth, As You Like It, Edges of Time, The Storyteller, Julius Caesar, Everybody, Life of Galileo, Skeleton Crew, Leaving Eden, Tartuffe, Dot, Intimate Apparel, The Crucible, Trouble in Mind, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Metamorphoses, The Tempest, Love Alone, A Raisin in the Sun, Imaginary Invalid, Henry IV & V, The Parchman Hour, Angels in America, Fences, Doubt, Yellowman, among others. New York/ Regional: Living Stage, The Negro Ensemble Company, Manhattan Class Company, New Dramatists, Archipelago Theater. Education/Other: BFA, UNC School of the Arts; MFA, UNC-Chapel Hill. Kathryn is on the faculty of the Department of Dramatic Art, UNCChapel Hill, Company Artistic Associate for PlayMakers Rep and is Associate Director of HiddenVoices, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing life changing stories into a public forum.
Anita Tripathi Scenic Design
PlayMakers: Bright Star. Broadway: Associate designer for David Gallo on several productions. Regional: Previous Resident Designer at Virginia Stage Company, credits include Of Mice and Men, Private Lives, A Christmas Carol and others; To Kill a Mockingbird (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey) Currently design frequently for Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, including the world premiere of Steven Dietz’s new play, The Ghost of Splinter Cover. Education/Awards/ Other: Assistant Professor of Design and Technology at Davidson College; MFA from University of South Carolina. Member USA Local 829. anitajtripathi.com
Pamela Bond Costume Design
PlayMakers: Debut. Regional: House of George (NCCU University Theatre), Dreamgirls, WHITE, Black Nativity ( Justice Theatre Project). She also performed in Dance on Widows Row (Agape Theatre) Education/Other: B.A. in Theatre, a B.S. in Textiles & Apparel and a M.A. in Textiles & Apparel from North Carolina Central University. Member of Alpha Psi Omega Honor Society, Gamma Xi Phi Art Society and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Artistic Production Assistant for North Carolina Central University and : @pambond8 : @ Assistant Professor of Dramatic Art at UNC-Chapel Hill. PamelaBondCostumeDesigns
Latrice Lovett Lighting Design
PlayMakers: As You Like It. Regional: The Niceties, The Mountaintop (Heritage Theatre Festival); Gem of the Ocean, Savior Samuel (Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company); 5 Guys Named Moe (Skylight Musical Theatre) Education: MFA, University of Missouri Kansas City : @lovettlightingllc 21
Michael Anthony Betts, II Sound Design
PlayMakers: Debut. Durham-based sound designer whose work centers on Black & Brown bodies and their existence in white space. A 2011 UNC alumnus, Betts completed his MFA in Experimental and Documentary Arts at Duke University in 2020. Notably, Michael designed for playwright Howard Craft’s "The Miraculous and the Mundane", Sonny Kelly’s one-man show, "The Talk", and "Haunted". Betts produced the audio version of Dr. LeRhonda S. Manigualt-Bryant New York Times op-ed, "My Mother Is Busy Getting Ready To Die." Betts also assisted on her award winning film short death.everything.nothing. Current projects include: Mike Wiley Productions' "Parallel Lives", Tiffany Albright's "Keepsake"; a collaboration with death row inmate Michael J. Braxton (@RromeAlone) on an album and audio memoir; and the Duke University's Kenan Institute of Ethics's "American Hallowed Ground Project".
Jacqueline E. Lawton Dramaturg
PlayMakers: Company member in her 7th season and professor in the Department of Dramatic Art at UNC-Chapel Hill. Regional Dramaturgy: Actors Theatre of Louisville’s Humana Festival of New American Plays, Arden Theater, Arena Stage, Ensemble Studio Theater, Ford’s Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Horizons Theater, Interact Theatre, Kennedy Center VSA Program, Rorschach Theatre, Round House Theatre, the Stratford Festival, Theater J, Virginia Stage Company and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company Playwright: Anna K; Among These Wild Things; Behold, a Negress; Blackbirds; Blood-bound and Tongue-tied; Deep Belly Beautiful; The Devil’s Sweet Water; Edges of Time; Freedom Hill; The Hampton Years; Intelligence; Love Brothers Serenade; Mad Breed; Noms de Guerre; So Goes We; and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Education/Affiliations: MFA in Playwriting, University of Texas at Austin; James A. Michener Fellow. TCG Young Leaders of Color, National New Play Network (NNPN), Arena Stage’s Playwrights’ Arena, Center Stage’s Playwrights’ Collective and the Dramatist Guild of America.
Tia James Vocal Coach
PlayMakers: Company member for two seasons. As You Like It (Directing), Julius Caesar, Native Son. Vocal coaching includes Sherwood, Skeleton Crew, She Loves Me, Bewilderness, Jump, Life of Galileo, How I Learned to Drive, Your Healing is Killing Me. Director PlayMakers Mobile’s Macbeth and PlayMakers Ground Floor’s Constellations. Broadway: The Merchant of Venice. Off-Broadway/New York: The Winter’s Tale, The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare in the Park). Regional: Richard III (Allentown Shakespeare); Loving and Loving (Stella Adler Studios); Much Ado About Nothing (Two River Theatre); Civilization (all you can eat) (Woolly Mammoth Theater). Television: Nurse Jackie, Treme. Teaching/ Coaching/Directing: UNC-Chapel Hill, NYU Graduate Acting, NYU Dance, Atlantic Acting School, Montclair University. Education/Awards: MFA NYU Tisch Graduate Acting Program, BFA Virginia Commonwealth University; Teacher Training under Scott Miller and John Patrick. Recipient of the 2014 NYU Graduate Acting Diversity Mentorship Scholarship, 2003 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship winner for Best Actor; 2019 Michael Chekhov/Zelda Fichandler Scholarship. 22
Elizabeth Ray Stage Manager
PlayMakers: Company member in her fifth full season. Love, Loss, and What I Wore, The Storyteller, Everybody, Dairyland, No Fear & Blues Long Gone: Nina Simone, How I Learned to Drive, Jump, Skeleton Crew, Temples of Lung and Air, "A" Train, Tartuffe, Dot, The Cake, Into the Woods, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Private Lives. New York: Shows for Days (Lincoln Center Theater), In the Secret Sea (Theatre Row), Wallenberg, Requiem for Mr. B, Presto Change-O (Frankel Green Production Company), and Welcome to Shoofly (Playwrights Horizons). Work at other regional theatres includes productions at North Carolina Theatre, Theatre Raleigh, Palm Beach Dramaworks, and Cape Fear Regional Theatre. Elizabeth is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.
Charles K. Bayang Assistant Stage Manager
Charles is in his fourteenth season with PlayMakers. Work at other regional theatres includes productions at Studio Arena Theatre, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Dallas Theater Center and Dallas Children’s Theatre. Charles holds an MFA from the University of Alabama/Alabama Shakespeare Festival and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.
PLAYMAKERS LEADERSHIP Vivienne Benesch Producing Artistic Director
Vivienne is in her sixth full season as a company member and Producing Artistic Director at PlayMakers, where she has helmed productions of The Skin of Our Teeth, The Storyteller, Dairyland, Life of Galileo, Leaving Eden, The May Queen, Three Sisters, Love Alone, RED, and In The Next Room. In her six seasons with the theatre, she is particularly proud to have produced ten world-premieres and launched PlayMakers Mobile, a touring production aimed at reaching underserved audiences around the Triangle. For 12 seasons, she served as Artistic Director of the renowned Chautauqua Theater Company and Conservatory, presiding over the company’s transformation into one of the best summer theatres and most competitive summer training programs in the country. Vivienne has also directed for the Folger Shakespeare Theatre (Helen Hayes nomination for best direction 2019), The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Trinity Repertory Company, NY Stage & Film, and Red Bull Theatre, among others. In 2018, she directed the world premiere of Noah Haidle’s Birthday Candles for Detroit Public Theatre and will be directing it again on Broadway in 2022, starring Debra Messing. As an actress, Vivienne has worked on and off-Broadway, in film and television, at many of the country’s most celebrated theatres, and received an Obie Award for her performance in Lee Blessing’s Going to St. Ives. Vivienne is a graduate of Brown University and NYU’s Graduate Acting Program.
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As an educator, she has directed for and served on the faculty of some of the nation’s foremost actor training programs, including The Juilliard School, UNC-Chapel Hill’s Professional Actor Training Program, Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Program, and at her alma mater, NYU’s Graduate Acting Program. She is the 2017 recipient of the Zelda Fichandler Award given by the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation.
Nichole Gantshar Managing Director
Nichole Gantshar is a former dramaturg turned arts administrator. Having spent the past two years in interim leadership with Louisville Ballet and Theatre Bay Area, she looks forward to becoming part of the Triangle community. She spent five years as Executive Director of Rochester City Ballet, where she tripled grant revenue, grew audiences by 30 percent, added free (philanthropy supported) sensory-friendly performances, and earned support from the National Endowment for the Arts and The Shubert Foundation. Apart from her career in the arts, Nichole worked as a Legislative Aide in Congress and as a journalist. Regional: Hangar Theatre, Milwaukee Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, Richmond Ballet, Syracuse Stage, and Tulsa Ballet. Volunteer: Rotary, treasurer, Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA), Chair of the National Student Education Fund, treasurer, Syracuse Chapter of Girls Inc. Awards: Nominee, Outstanding Young Woman of America, LMDA Residency Grant. Faculty: Syracuse University, University at Stony Brook, University of Pittsburgh and the Wooster Center for the Arts. Education: MFA, University at Stony Brook.
Michael Rolleri Production Manager
Michael is in his 35th season with PlayMakers Repertory Company. He has been Technical Director, Project Manager, Exhibition Technician, and Lighting Designer for industrial shows in the Southeast region, as well as lead carpenter for films, the U.S. Olympic Festival, and scenic studios. He has also been a rigger in the Southeast region and has served on the executive board and as President of IATSE Local 417. Michael is a 30 year Gold Pin member of IATSE. An active member of United States Institute For Theatre Technology (USITT), he is a three-time winner at USITT's Tech Expo. He is a full Professor/Head of the Technical Production Program at UNC-Chapel Hill and was an instructor at High Point University and Tufts University. Education: MFA in Design and Technical Production, UNC-Greensboro.
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PlayMakers Repertory Company is a program of the Department of Dramatic Art, The College of Arts and Sciences, and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, recognizes PlayMakers as a professional theatre organization and provides grant assistance to this organization from funds appropriated by the North Carolina General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts. PlayMakers is a beneficiary of the Elizabeth Price Kenan Endowment and the Lillian Hughes Prince Endowment. PlayMakers Repertory Company is a Member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre. This Theatre operates under an agreement between the League Of Resident Theatres (LORT) and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. The scenic, costume, lighting and sound designers in LORT Theatres are represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of the IATSE. The Director and Choreographer are members of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union. PlayMakers is a proud partner of The Drama League, which advances the American theatre by providing a life-long artistic home for directors and a platform to dialogue with and between audiences.
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GENERAL INFO
Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art CB# 3235, UNC-Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3235 Box Office: 919.962.7529 Website: www.playmakersrep.org facebook.com/playmakersrep
instagram.com/playmakersrep
@playmakersrep
playmakersrep.org/blog
WHAT WILL SHOWS LOOK LIKE THIS YEAR?
The 21/22 season will feature five live, in-person performances featuring works that explore the resilience of family bonds in all their complicated forms, friendships that transcend language, time, and space, and one man’s connection to his community that helps him stand taller than he could alone.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
PlayMakers Repertory Company is committed to the safety and well-being of our patrons, artists and staff. We will be following state, industry and University safety guidelines in the 21/22 season. All patrons are required to wear face coverings at all times while inside the Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art. We have increased sanitation measures throughout the building and put some new protocols in place to improve safety including: • • • • •
Touch free electronic ticketing Hand sanitizers throughout the Center for Dramatic Art More frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces HEPA filtration units With the exception of onstage performances, artists, crew and staff will be required to wear masks
WHAT IF I HAVE TO MISS MY PERFORMANCE DATE?
For the safety of all our artists, patrons, and staff, if you feel unwell, please stay home. You may call our Box Office and ask to be reseated for another performance, or request a refund up to 48 hour before your ticketed performance.
If you know you will miss a performance date, we can exchange your ticket for you, based on availability. Please call our Box Office at least 48 hours before your scheduled performance, and please be aware that all exchanges are based on availability and a fee or additional cost may apply. Subscribers may exchange their tickets with no additional fee, but additional cost may apply with a change in performance or section.
BOX OFFICE HOURS
Mon, Weds, Fri 12:00 noon-5:00p.m. and 90 minutes prior to each performance.
USE OF CELL PHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONICS
Texting and using cell phones, laptops, smart watches, and other devices light- or sound-emitting devices are strictly prohibited during the performance. Please turn all electronic devices to silent, theatre mode, or off during the show.
CAMERAS OR RECORDING DEVICES
Taking photographs or videotaping inside the theatre is strictly prohibited during performances. However, before the show, during intermission, and after the show, you are invited to take and share your photos of the stage and scenery.
PARKING
There are several paid and free parking options available near PlayMakers. We recommend arriving 30 minutes before the show so that you have time to park and pay (Monday-Thursday evenings only) and find your seat. For more information and an interactive map of nearby parking options, please visit www.playmakersrep.org/parking
POLICY ON YOUNG CHILDREN
As a courtesy to our patrons, it is the policy of PlayMakers not to admit children under the age of 5. All of our shows have content ratings for each production (for example: Rated PG-13). If you are considering bringing your child, please refer to website or contact our Box Office for further information. All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket.
HEADSETS FOR HEARING IMPAIRED PATRONS
Our theatres are equipped with sound systems that amplify the sound from the stage. Patrons who wish to use the system may obtain headsets on a first-come, first-served basis from the coat check. Headsets must be returned immediately after the performance.
LATE SEATING AND LEAVING YOUR SEAT DURING THE PERFORMANCE
To minimize disruptions to the actors and other patrons, late seating will be provided at the discretion of the house manager at an appropriate break in the action on stage. Patrons who need to be seated late must be escorted by house staff to seats at the rear entrance of the auditorium, which entails climbing a flight of stairs. Patrons can take their regular seat at intermission.
PLAYMAKERS Administration
Vivienne Benesch, Producing Artistic Director Nichole Gantshar, Managing Director
ARTISTIC
MARKETING & AUDIENCE SERVICES
Tracy Bersley, Movement Coach/Choreographer Kathryn Hunter-Williams, Company Artistic Associate Chelsea James, Producing Assistant Tia James, Vocal Coach Gregory Kable, Dramaturg Jacqueline E. Lawton, Dramaturg Jeffrey Meanza, Associate Artistic Director Mark Perry, Dramaturg Gwendolyn Schwinke, Vocal Coach Jeri Lynn Schulke, Engagement Associate Adam Versényi, Dramaturg
Hannah Hendren, Communications & Advancement Asst Alex James, Audience Services Associate Diana Pineda, Director of Sales & Marketing Thomas Porter, Box Office Manager Rosalie Preston, Associate Director of Marketing Jessie Gleason, Undergraduate Marketing Assistant
ADMINISTRATION Kate Jones, Business Operations Coordinator Lisa Geeslin, Accountant
WORK STUDY STUDENTS Artistic: Josh Wehab Box Office/ Front of House: Aisha Bynum, Charity Cohen, Eli Dietrich, Chloe Jones, Olivia Mahon, Yaeelin Merino-Velasquez, Olivia Morse, Kaitlyn Rivera, Krystal Rivera, Alla Sirelkhatim, Naomi Smith, Lily Vance Development: Mahika Kawale Marketing: Belawal Ahmed
Department of Dramatic Art Adam Versényi, Professor and Chair
FACULTY
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Vivienne Benesch, Professor of the Practice Tracy Bersley, Assistant Professor Pamela Bond, Visiting Teaching Assistant Professor Jan Chambers, Professor McKay Coble, Professor Jeffrey Blair Cornell, Associate Chair, Teaching Prof. Ray Dooley, Professor Emeritus Samuel Ray Gates, Assistant Professor Julia Gibson, Associate Professor Jennifer Guadagno, Teaching Assistant Professor Kathryn Hunter-Williams, Teaching Associate Professor Tia James, Assistant Professor Gregory Kable, Teaching Professor Jacqueline E. Lawton, Associate Professor Adam Maxfield, Teaching Associate Professor
Triffin Morris, Professor of the Practice David Navalinsky, Associate Professor Bobbi Owen, Distinguished Professor Emerita Mark Perry, Teaching Associate Professor Rachel E. Pollock, Teaching Assistant Professor Michael Rolleri, Professor Gwendolyn Schwinke, Assistant Professor Aubrey Snowden, Teaching Assistant Professor
STAFF Betty Futrell, Student Services Specialist Lisa Geeslin, Accounting Technician Jordan Clodfelter, KTC Technical Director Karen Rolleri, Business Coordinator Jamie Strickland, Business Officer
OUR 21/22 SEASON Production
Michael Rolleri, Production Manager
COSTUMES Jennifer Bayang, Assistant Costume Director Amy Evans, Wardrobe Supervisor Marissa Lupkas, Costume Collection Coordinator Triffin Morris, Costume Director Rachel Pollock, Costume Craftsperson Costume Production Graduate Students: Matty Blatt, Jocelyn Chatman, Alex Hagman, Emma Hoylst, Lou Pires, Athene Wright, Sherry Wu
LIGHTING
SCENIC Noah George, Master Carpenter Adam Maxfield, Technical Director Laura Pates, Assistant Technical Director Jessica Secrest, Scenic Artist Technical Production Graduate Students: Brock Burton, Gregory Condon, Paul Edghill, Patrick Hardison, Kevin Pendergast, Luke Robinson, Garrett Weeda Spencer Ellis, Undergraduate Assistant-Scene Shop Haley Connell, Undergraduate Assistant-Paint
Benjamin Bosch, Head Electrician
WORK STUDY STUDENTS
PROPS
Carpentry: Tygia Drewhowell, Jeffrey Jones, Danielle Mou, Lillyann Nekervis Lighting: Jessica Atkins, Anthony Burch, Jahel Gomes, Sananda Jagannathan, Annabelle Jiang, Alex Mitropoulos Props: Charlotte Allsbrook, Hannah Fatool, Lydia McRoy, Marissa Romano Scenic Painting: Madison Austin, Madeleine Collins, Corinne Laverge, Faith Wang
Emma Anderson, Props Artisan Andrea Bullock, Properties Master
STAGE MANAGEMENT Charles K. Bayang, Stage Manager Elizabeth Ray, Stage Manager
SOUND Marisa Clemente, Sound Associate Mac Cohen, Undergraduate Assistant
PlayMakers’ Resident Acting Company
Jeffrey Blair Cornell Kathryn Hunter-Williams
Samuel Ray Gates Tia James
Julia Gibson Gwendolyn Schwinke
Professional Actor Training Program: Sergio Mauritz Ang, Anthony August, Hayley Cartee, Heinley Gaspard, Tori Jewell, Jamar Jones, Khalil LeSaldo, Saleemah Sharpe, AhDream Smith, Sanjana Taskar, Adam Valentine, Omolade Wey
For this Production Lormarev Jones, Intimacy Choreographer Jeff A. R. Jones, Fight Choreographer Paul Edghill, Production Technical Director Patrick Hardison, Assistant Technical Director Luke Robinson, Shop Lead
Gerald "Fitz" Morrissey, Assistant to the Lighting Designer Lou Pires, Assistant to the Costume Designer Jocelyn Chatman, Athene Wright, Drapers Alex Hagman, Matty Blatt, First Hands Emma Holyst, Stitcher
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THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A MORE IMPORTANT TIME TO SUPPORT PLAYMAKERS AND THE ARTS
WAYS TO GIVE Online
playmakersrep.org/give
Phone or Email
prc_development@unc.edu 919.962.2481
Send your check to: PlayMakers Repertory Company Development Department Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art CB 3235 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3235
PHOTO OF THE CAST OF TARTUFFE BY HUTHPHOTO
During this period of re-emergence, we are producing a smaller, “capsule” season of only five powerful shows. While this allows us to remain focused on the safety and well-being of our patrons, artists, and staff, it has substantial financial implications. As a nonprofit professional theatre, ticket sales traditionally cover only half of our annual operating costs. This year, we cannot count on ticket revenue as we have in the past. We must rely on the generosity of our community to help close the gap and keep our stages alive. You can help support and sustain all our work, both on stage and off, by making a tax-deductible gift which enables us to:
• • • •
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Bring innovative, entertaining, and relevant theatre to the Triangle Serve students across the state through our award- winning educational programs Engage with our audiences through artist and community conversations Remain flexible, safe, and better prepared for the future
Every gift, big or small, makes a huge difference!
FRIENDS OF PLAYMAKERS PlayMakers is grateful to the members of the Friends of PlayMakers for their generous support. For more information about how to join this dynamic group of supporters, call the PlayMakers Development Office at 919.962.2481 or visit us at playmakersrep.org.
Director’s Circle ($10,000+)
Anonymous Lelia Blackwell and John Watson Jr. Thomas and Holly Carr G. Munroe Cobey Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Joan H. Gillings ~ The Charles Goren and Hazen Family Foundation, Trustees Tom and Lisa Hazen Brian Hargrove and David Hyde Pierce Mrs. Frank H. Kenan Coleman and Carol Ross Schwab Charitable Shubert Foundation Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program Alan H. Weinhouse
Angel ($5,000–9,999)
Anonymous American Endowment Foundation Andrew and Katherine Asaro ^ + Betsy Blackwell and John Watson T. Chandler and Monie Hardwick Munroe and Becky Cobey Robert and Mary Ann Eubanks Drucie French and Steve Cumbie Joanne and Peter Garrett Chan and Monie Hardwick Kim Kwok Mr. and Mrs. William O. McCoy Paul and Linda Naylor Bobbi Owen Amy and Nick Penwarden The Prentice Foundation Paul McNeill Sconyers The Educational Foundation of America Theatre Projects Jim and Bonnie Yankaskas
Investor ($2,500–4,999)
Anonymous Richard and Deirdre Arnold ^ Andrew and Katherine Asaro ^ + Vivienne Benesch Stephen S. Birdsall Ed and Eleanor Burke
Cindy and Thomas Cook Cindy K. Cook Joanne and Peter Garrett Dr. Lyle V. Jones Susan J. Kelly Robert and Kathryn Kyle Mark & Bette Morris Family Foundation Sandy and Ned McClurg ^ Mark and Julie Morris Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund Jean and Joseph Ritok Dr. and Mrs. Edward Smithwick Triangle Community Foundation David and Heather Yeowell
Page to Stage ($1,500–2,499)
David and Judy Adamson Ayco Charitable Foundation Steve Benezra ^ Edmund S. Burke Capital Group Company Charitable Foundation Matching Gifts Jeffrey Blair Cornell and Maria Savage Julie R. Daniels Imre and Aniko Gaal Dustin and Susan Gillings Gross Susan G. Gross Kevin and Amy Guskiewicz David Howell IBM Corporation Matching Gifts Jacobs Preyer Family Foundation Hannelore and Konrad Jarausch Hannelore L. Jarausch Joanna Karwowska and Hugon Karwowski ^ Howard and Sandra Kaufman Kathryn and Robert Kyle Lauren Rivers Ned S. Sandra Lee McClurg Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust, Inc. Panter Foundation Rich and Marilyn Jacobs Preyer Perry Branin Silver Dr. and Mrs. William Stewart The Rev. Wendy R. and Mr. W. Riley Waugh Roger and Marlene Werner YourCause, LLC Trustee for IBM Matching Gifts
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Partner ($1,000–1,499)
Anonymous (4) Penny and Howard Aldrich Laurence Arthur Cobb Dede Corvinus Jo Anne and Shelley Earp Constance and Robert Eby Dr. and Mrs. John P. Evans John P. Evans John and Diane Formy-Duval W. Patrick Gale Joseph and Deirdre Haj Clay and Jane Harrell Carol Hazard and Winston Liao Vikram Rao and Susan Henning Ann E. Holloman Lynn Knauff Jack Knight and Margaret Brown ^ Gary and Carolyn Koch Dr. Catherine Kuhn and Glenn Tortorici Catherine M. Kuhn Shirley and Tom Kunkel Douglas and Nelda Lay Anand and Sandhya Lagoo Scott Levitan and Patrick Francisco Mort and Cheryl Malkin David and Harriet Martin Connie and Vernon Matzen Holly and Ross McKinney James and Susan Moeser Paul and Sherrie Norton Lee and Barbara Pedersen Isaac and Sabrina Presnell-Rockoff Alec Rhodes Rif Riddick Rufus M. Riddick Carole Lynne Shelby Carole Shelby David Sontag * The Shelby Family Foundation Sarah West and Thomas Dominick Jesse L. White, Jr. Paul and Sally Wright
Backer ($500–999)
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Anonymous (3) Anonymous friends of Ben Kahn, In memory of Charles Kahn Akin Akinli Virginia M. Aldige Howard and Penny Aldrich Pete and Hannah Andrews Evelyn Barrow
John W. Becton and Nancy B. Tannenbaum Shula and Steve Bernard Dr. Stanley Warren Black, III Stanley W. Black Julia A. Borbely-Brown Mr. and Mrs. Jackson Breaks Mr. Jackson Davis Breaks II and Mrs. Carolyn Snyder Breaks Maurice and Mary Hughes Brookhart Jennifer and Robert Buckmire Keith Burridge and Patricia Saling Ann and John Campbell Philip and Linda Carl Clara Cazzulino Laurence A. Cobb Adrienne and John Cox* Brooks de Wetter-Smith and Mary Lou Leiser Smith David A. Doll Mr. Alexander M. Donaldson and Ms. Georgia Cobb Donaldson Dr. Carrie Donley Mr. W. Patrick Gale and Dr. Carrie Lynn Donley Bob and Connie Eby Eli Lilly & Company Foundation Matching Gifts Program Thorsten Fjellstedt Mr. Stephen Mark Cumbie and Dr. Druscilla French Shayne C. Gad Bill Cobb and Gail Perry W. Patrick Gale ^ Nichole Gantshar Mike and Bonnie Gilliom Ugo Goetzl James P. Gogan Priscilla Alden Guild Carolyn and Jim Harris C. Hawkins ^ Dr. M. Vikram Rao and Dr. Susan June Henning Ann Holloman Betty Block James Julie and Robert Keely* Brenda W. Kirby Michael Maness and Lois Knauff Laura Koshel and Rafael de Jesus Leonard T. Kreisman and Ruth Kreisman Randy and Cathy Lambe Mr. Douglas M. Lay and Mrs. Nelda Kilcrease Lay Douglas Maclean and Susan Wolf Elaine Mangrum Janet McCarthy* Ed and Connie McCraw Cecilia D. Moore^ Mary Nunn Morrow Jill Muti Nelda K. Lay Revocable Trust Stephen Nelson
Linda Williams Norris George D. Norton Liz and Dave Nuechterlein Lois Oliver Jo Ann and Gordon Pitz Mark and Eugenea Pollock Robert and Joyce Anne Porter Jodi and Glenn Preminger David and Lisa Price Elizabeth Raft Rao Family Foundation Dr. Terry Rhodes Victor and Linda Roggli Jan F. and Anne P. Sassaman Stephanie Ann Schmitt and Kevin Zachary Kinlaw Martha Scotford* Kyle and Jenn Smith Jackie Tanner* The Marconi Hoban Tell Fund of Triangle Community Foundation Glen H. and Sandy T. Elder Ernest T. Wilkes Alan Young
Supporter ($250–499)
Anonymous Akin Akinli^ Virginia M. Aldige Dr. Richard N.L. Andrews and Dr. Hannah Wheeler Andrews David Ball and Susan Pochapsky Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund Tony and Susan Barrella Deborah Barrett Evelyn Barrow Reginald M. Barton, Jr. Adam Beck^ Mr. John William Becton and Ms. Nancy Baach Tannenbaum Dr. Stephen A. Bernard and Dr. Shulamit Landau Bernard Dr. Katherine L. Bick Sarah and Francis Binkowski Stanley W. Black Julie Blatt and Arthur Greenberg William and Patricia Blau Dr. Caryl Jane Schwartzbach and Mr. Alan David Bolzan Andrew Borba* Julia Borbely-Brown^ Mr. Jackson Davis Breaks II and Mrs. Carolyn Snyder Breaks Dr. Mary Hughes Brookhart and Dr. Maurice S. Brookhart Ken and Margie Broun Linda and David Brown Robert and Jen Buckmire David Burr and Rusty Unger Douglas Call and Susan Warwick
Ms. Ann Long Campbell and Mr. John Joseph Campbell Carlson Family Foundation Matching Gifts Clara Cazzulino Lata Chatterjee and Tiruvarur Lakshmanan Dennis Clements and Martha Ann Keels Gary and Dianne Clinton Anne F. Coenen Britta Couris* Dr. Adrienne D. Cox and Mr. John Cox Dr. Brooks de Wetter-Smith and Ms. Mary Lou Smith David DeMarini Nancy and Mark Dewhirst David A. Doll Alec and Georgia Donaldson Mr. W. Patrick Gale and Dr. Carrie Lynn Donley E.M. Eddy and D.A. O'Brien Jane E. Emeis Mr. and Mrs. Philip W. Ewing Barbara and Chris Exton Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Falvo Nicole Bruce Fine Pat Fischer Thorsten Fjellstedt Jaroslav and Linda Folda Mr. Stephen Mark Cumbie and Dr. Druscilla French Beth Furr Ann and John Gabor Ms. Beth Ragan Gad and Dr. Shayne Cox Gad Gail Perry Associates Elizabeth Galvin* Mr. Gary Clyde Gambrell and Ms. Mary Robin Wells Gambrell Nichole Gantshar James P. Gogan ^ Linda Grimm Gail and Steve Grossman Albert and Mary Guckes Priscilla Guild Mark W. Hartman Dr. M. Vikram Rao and Dr. Susan June Henning Marianna Matthews Henry Mary Cook Howes David G. Hubby Gerda (Kani) Hurow Lynne and Walter Jacobs^ Betty Block James Kathleen Johnson Eve and Rudolph Juliano Claudia Kadis Ms. Julia Booe Keely and Mr. Robert Laurence Keely Barbara Keyworth Jeanette Kimmel Dr. William W. Smith and Ms. Brenda Womble Kirby Mr. Michael Coleman Maness and Dr. Lois Ann Knauff
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Dr. Richard H. Kohn and Mrs. Lynne H. Kohn Laura Koshel and Rafael de Jesus Dr. Leonard and Ruth Kreisman^ Marie E. Kulchinski Anand and Sandhya Lagoo Dr. Randolph Leland Lambe and Mrs. Catherine Underhill Lambe Carol J. Land and Barry H. Slobin Mr. Douglas M. Lay and Mrs. Nelda Kilcrease Lay Lee and Barbara Pedersen Dayna Lucas Dr. Douglas E. Maclean and Dr. Susan Rose Wolf Mrs. Elaine Fisher Marcus and Dr. Lee M. Marcus Alice and John May Michael Mayer Janet L. McCarthy Sharon and Alan McConnell Larry McManus and Pamela Nielsen James and Susan Moeser Richard J. Muise Jill Muti National Philanthropic Trust Nelda K. Lay Revocable Trust Linda Williams Norris Paul and Cheryl Norton Pat and Mary Norris Oglesby Lois P. Oliver Glenn O'Neal Heather and Russ Owen Bobbie Owens* Lee and Barbara Pedersen Robert Peet Robert and Marilyn Pinschmidt Gordon and Jo Ann Pitz Stephen and Lyn Pizer Mr. Robert Davis Porter and Mrs. Joyce Anne Porter Gary and Susie Pratt The Honorable David Eugene Price and Ms. Lisa Kanwit Price Rao Family Foundation Andrea Reibel* Terry E. Rhodes Sandra and Stephen Rich Linda and Alan Rimer Alan Linda Rimer Mr. Victor L. Roggli and Ms. Linda Surratt Roggli Bruce Marshall Romans Beth Rosenberg Michael Kerry Salemi Stephanie Schmitt Dr. Caryl Jane Schwartzbach and Alan Bolzan Dr. Robert Sealock and Cecile Skrzynia Barbara and Jonathan Sheline Wayne Sherrill
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Sarah Elizabeth Shively Dr. Robert Sealock and Ms. Cecile Skrzynia Dr. and Mrs. Sidney C. Smith Mr. Kyle Hardee Smith and Ms. Jenn Kroohs Smith Richard L. Smith and Amy Marie Grady Meredith and Paul Snow Connie Spooner Carol Stamm, In memory of Dr. John Stamm Elizabeth L. Stanley* Jeannie Pfister Stroupe ^ Dr. Robert Joseph Sullivan Jr. and Ms. Kim Stephenson Sullivan Steven and Madeline Sunshine T. Rowe Price Program for Charitable Giving Tim and Judy Taft Monica Taylor* Margaret G. Teasley Hugh and Judy Tilson^ Bruce Tomason Barrie Trinkle Dr. Glen Holl Elder Jr. and Mrs. Sandy Aldridge Turbeville United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley Inc John and Donna van Arnold Adam Versenyi Carol and Jim Vorhaus Tovah M. Wax and Lucjan Mordzak Mary Robin Wells and Gary Gambrell Ernest T. Wilkes R. Sanders and Jennifer Williams Sarah Winkler Jane Pettis Wiseman Jerry Worsley Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP, In Memory of Joan H. Gillings Alan J. Young
Patron ($100–249)
Anonymous (10) Trudi Abel* Dwight and Robin Allen Mary Altpeter Elizabeth Amend* American Online Giving Foundation, Inc. Sherry and Mitchell Anscher Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Archie* Matthew and Linda Arnold* Dean W. Avary Krista and Michael Babbitt Pam and Don Bailey Dan and Susan Barco Cathy Barrett Phil Barrineau
Beatrice C. Treat Trust Anne Beaven and Margaret Louey Neal and Jeanette Bench Donna and Daniel Benjamin Kitty Bergel Robert A. and Christine S. Berndt Susan Berry Patricia Beyle* Jim and Martha Bick Justin and Dorothy Biddle Mr. and Mrs. David Birnbaum Peter Bleckner Blue Ridge Psychological Services Natalie and Gary Boorman Tony Boothby* Melissa Bostrom and Krisztian Horvath Thomas W. and Vicki V. Boyer Lauren Kennedy Brady and Charlie Brady Carol Brainard and Nancy Hardin Philip Breitfeld and Susan Kreissman Rev. William Sims Brettmann Eunice Brock and Sam Magill Linda and David Brown Charles and Renee Brown Bates Buckner Edward and Sheila Burgard Charles Burnett and Catherine Forneris Frances D. Burton Thomas Butler Dr. Leigh Fleming Callahan Robert Cameron* Glenn and Patricia Camp Janet F. Campbell Natalie Campbell Donna Carroll and Gale Lackey Virginia Carson* Jean Carter Michael Case and Lewis Dancy Lorna Chafe Dr. Margaret Champion Beverly Long Chapin Mimi Chapman* Nancy N. Chemtob* Corey and Christine Cicci Gabriella Cila Elizabeth Cisar* Linda G. Clarkson* Ellen Clevenger-Firley Steve Cline* Bill Cobb and Gail Perry Cathy Cole Robert F. Coleman III
in memory of Susan Hurst Rappaport Donald and Eunice Collins Jeffrey Collins and Rose Mills Jenn Collins and Paul Runkle Joseph and Elizabeth Cook Rayna Cooney Sharon Scholl Coop Lee Cope Janilyn and Vance Cope-Kasten Mary Jo and Douglas Coppola John and Belinda Corpening Sarah Clare Corporandy* Georgia Court* Rick and Patty Courtright Elizabeth Anne Cullington Fred and Jane Dalldorf Amy Elizabeth Dallen Zachary Davis Mrs. Robert Bigelow DeMaine Todd Dickinson and Helen Kalevas Teresa Dollar Sheila and Joe Dorey* Scott and Mia Doron Joy and Chet Douglass* Ginny and David Dropkin John F. Duncan, Jr. Anne Dusek* Kathleen DuVal and Martin Smith* Connie Eble The Eckert Family Bobette Eckland and Richard Kamens Mark Ransom Eis Barbara Elish Jan Elliott Jerry and Adelia Evans Joshua London Evans Dagmar and J.C. Fahr* Dr. Richard Fair and M. Clare Fair Robert Farmer Shauna and Tom Farmer Pamela Ferguson* Laurice Ferris^ Nicole and Bruce Fine* Karen Fink Jon and Sue Fish Gina Cordasco Flynn Dr. Charles Kirk Burnett and Dr. Catherine Ann Forneris Sara Franks* Douglas and Judy Frey Bennett Galef Betty and Franklin Garland
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Proud Sponsors of the PlayMakers Repertory Company
Extended Stay Suites Chapel Hill
101 Erwin Road, Chapel Hill, NC 919.933.4848 ResidenceInnChapelHill.com
36 SummitHospitality.com
Ed and Carol Gaunt Nikki and Anthony Giachetti William Glasgow Gunter Glass Debra and Eric Goldberg* Alix Goldschmidt* Eve Benesch Goldschmidt Raymond and Susan Goodmon Mrs. Lucy A. Grant and Mr. John P. Grant John and Lucy Grant Stephen Grant Grant Thornton LLP, In Memory of Joan H. Gillings Virginia Gray John Graybeal and Laura Heise Bill Green and Brett Bohnn Dr. Lawrence H. Greenblatt and Dr. Cathleen Melton Elizabeth Grey* Lucy Grey and Wilson McIver Jean Susan Gross Joseph Groves Kay Gruninger Satyaki Guha Erin and Evan Gwyn Tim Hackett and James Konold Carol and Nortin Hadler Janet Hadler Todd Haimes* Garrett Hall and Zachary Howell Bruce Hamilton and Jennifer Weiss* Jean Handy* Doranne Hans Ms. Carol Ann Brainard and Ms. Nancy W. Hardin Cheryl and Toby Harrell Joanne Harrell Edwin Harris Lynden Harris* Patti Seitz Hartel Jim and Mary Hayes Rachel Heller Richard Hendel* Eric Herget and Sherry Wilner Klaus Hermanns Ellen Herron William Hicks and William Sadler Ann Hillenbrand Margaret R. Hinkle* Marin Hinkle Jennifer Hodgson and Matthew Conley Peter Hollis Houston and Joyce Horn Mary Howes, In Memory of Jonathan B. Howes John and Joyce Hren Mr. David Hubby and Ms. Sarah F. Hubby Mary Hulett* Malcolm and Wanda Hunter Leslie Hurtig*
Beth H. Isenhour* Abby Jablin Elizabeth W. Jackson Robert and Jacqueline Little Emma Jakoi Champa and David Jarmul Perry Jenkins Mr. John Jennings and Lisa Jennings Jewish Community Foundation of Durham & Chapel Hill Suzanne Fields Jones Susan Joyner Eve and Rudy Juliano Dan and Linda Kaferle Cindy Kahler H. Richard and Sally A. Kahler Dr. Richard Miles Kamens and Ms. Bobette S. Eckland Amy Kane* Lynne Kane Howard and Joan Kastel Laura Kayser* Paul and Edith Keene Marie-Beatrice and Robert Keller Arlon Kemple and Karen Long Barbara Keyworth Brian and Moyra Kileff Dr. Harriet King Robert and Mary King, In memory of Charles H. Kahn Andrew Stewart and Peggy Kinney ^ Ann and Bill Kirkland Rabecca Klemp Joyce Kline Ted and Marilyn Koenig Stephen and Bunny Koff Elizabeth Koonce Helen Kotsher Lloyd Kramer and Gwynne Pomeroy Dave and Doris Krepp Ted and Debbie LaMay Benjamin Landman and Jen Feldman, in honor of Ms. Betty-Ann Landman Gerry and Ray Larson Robert Lauterborn, in memory of Sylvia Lauterborn Carol and Alexander Lawrence Mary and Jon Leadbetter Priscilla and Russell Leavitt Judith and Norbert Lechner Philip and Nancy Leinbach David and Carolyn Leith John and Ruth Leopold Arnold and Annette Levine Joy Lewis and Frederick Annand Betty and John Leydon Judith C.P. Lilley Ginger and Derek Long Carol Lucas
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John Ludlow and Kathy Davies Virginia Ludwig Mrs. Earl C. Lynch Sara Mack Corey Madden Dr. and Mrs. Donald Madison Dr. Samuel Hays Magill and Ms. Eunice M. Brock John Manley Raleigh and Betsy Mann^ Lee and Elaine Marcus Chris and Caroline Martens Jeff Mason Shelley J. Masters Leigh Matthews Michael Mayer Dr. and Mrs. Robert N. McCall Meredith McClurg Ann and Webb McCracken Ed and Connie McCraw J.S. McKnight Patrick Joseph Mclane^ Lee McLean John and Bonnie Medinger Ewa Meehan Larry and Jerri Meisner Cathleen Melton and Larry Greenblatt Joan and Ron Mendelsohn Brian Meredith Julia Merricks and Susan Hauser* Tracie Merrill-Wilson Molly S. Metzler* Graig Meyer Ryan Millager Herbert Miller Erik and Natalia Milz Mark and Alice Mine Sophie Jessica Mitchell Dana Mochel Jill Moore * Aela Morgan* Eric Muller and Leslie Branden-Muller Margaret Mullinix Kate Murphy Seth Murray and Jamie Newman Margaret Murray Judy Murray Lee and Ava Nackman Michael Naglich* Diane Nelson, Ph.D.* Michele and Klaus Nettesheim Barbara Nettesheim Betty Nies Linda W. Norris James and Nancy Nutt
Drs. Susan and Raphael Orenstein Marilyn and Peter Ornstein Barry and Lois Ostrow Mrs. Heather Kelly Owen and Mr. Russ Owen Norman Owen, in memory of Roberta Yule Owen^ Michael Patrick Josie Patton Michael Paul Ron and Julie Paxton Robert and Kay Pearlstein Robert Peet Nancy Pekar Arnold Pender Joanna V. Percher Imara Perera* Carol and Al Perlman Mr. Stephen Perrin and Ms. Cecelia M. Sandford Rebecca Perritt Thomas Phillips Meredith Piatt Pickett M. Gutherie Revocable Trust Jim P. Polga* Ms. Susie Post-Rust and Mr. Adam MacKenzie Rust Ted and Peggy Pratt Jane Preyer* Todd and Nicky Purves* Jeffrey Qualls Margaret Quinlan Mr. Stephen Allan Rich and Mrs. Sandra Danneman Rich Geraldine and Gary Richards Margaret Louise Robe Louise A. Robinson James and Janet Robles Philip and Jo Rodgers * Patricia Roos Joel Rosch and Carol Vatz Philip Rosoff and Dona Shikaraishi Judith L. Ruderman Jennifer Rudinger Laura and Reid Russell Patti and Dan Ryan Sylvia and Norman G. Samet, In memory of Charles H. Kahn Celia Sandford and Stephen Perrin Dale and Robert Sandler Elizabeth Saunders* Carol Elizabeth Sawyer Allie and Ian Scales^ Carol Schachner^ Ms. Karen Ann Sindelar and Mr. Douglas Brian Schiff Ernest and Mary Schoenfeld Tanya L. Schreiber
Janice and Richard Schulke Dr. Caryl Jane Schwartzbach and Alan Bolzan Gwendolyn Schwinke Maren Searle and John Skelley Rick and Georgie Searles Patricia Shane Barbara Sharf William N. Sharpe Jr. Alison Sheehy* Barbara and Jonathan Sheline Stephanie Shipman and Walter Travers* Connie Shuping, in memory of Ed and Dot Kennedy Nikki Silver* Bland Simpson* David Singley Jr. Ron and Mary Sinzdak Sim Sitkin and Vivian Olkin Barry Slobin and Carol Land Mike and Kim Slomianyj Linda Smith Dr. Richard L. Smith and Dr. Amy Grady Rosalyn Smith Dr. and Mrs. Stuart Solomon ^ Ilene Speizer* Marcia Spray, In honor of Laura Carson Spray Kimberly and David Spurr Sally and Jeremy Stander Ms. Mary Elizabeth Hall and Mr. Robert A. Stanger Jr. Allen Steckler Susanne Steinmetz* Anne Stephens* Marian Stephenson Cathy and Sefton Stevens Andy Stewart and Peggy Kinney^ Dorcas Stolper Leslie and Paul Strohm Mr. Edward Strong* Jeannie Pfister Stroupe^ Ed and Lynne Sullivan Terrence and Marguerite Sullivan Steven and Madeline Sunshine Jeff Surles Nanette and David Talaski Beverly Taylor David C. Taylor Stephen Tell and Rosemary Hoban The Boyer Living Trust Charles Thomas and Suzanne Maupin Janet Thomas Robert and Shirley Thompson David and Kelley Tobin* Beatrice Treat Nancy Trovillion*
Nancy Tunnessen Nancy Tusa and Andy Brawn Mr. David Burr and Ms. Rustine Unger Lindsay Usher Mary Van Bourgondien* Ted Van Griethuysen Barney and Vivian Varner Dr. Barbara Carol Vatz and Mr. Joel Burt Rosch Adam Versenyi Jill Vexler* Dr. Victor and Mrs. Linda Roggli Robin Visser Deborah and Jonathan Wahl Ina Wallace Mary Louise Waller Angela Walter* Helen Warner David and Marsha Warren Tovah Wax and Lucjan Mordzak George Weinhouse The Honorable Jennifer Weiss and Mr. Bruce Alan Hamilton Dr. Lynn Wesson Shirley H. White, in honor of Steven H. White Loretta Wile Mike Wiley Jane Williams Dr. Nancy E Williamson Richard D. Wilson Joy Wood Nancy Worley Jerry M. Worsley Janice and Richard Woychik David and Dee Yoder Marla Yost YourCause, LLC Trustee for Red Hat Matching Gifts Justin Yung^ Rosilene Ziegler and John Steege
^ Sustainers Club Member + Women’s Point of View (WPOV) Supporter * PlayMakers Special Event Supporter ~ Deceased
This list is current as of January 18, 2022. If your name is listed incorrectly or not at all, please contact PlayMakers Development Office at 919.962.2481. We will ensure you are recognized for your thoughtful support.
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OUR PARTNERS PlayMakers’ 2021/22 Season is Made Possible in Part by Grants from
Foundation Support National Endowment for the Arts, North Carolina Arts Council, Orange County Arts Commission, The Shubert Foundation, Fidelity Foundation, Truist Foundation, The Educational Foundation of America Additional Funding for Guest Artists is Provided by
Robert Boyer and Margaret Boyer Fund, Louise Lamont Fund, Emeriti Professors Charles and Shirley Weiss Fund
Producing Council
Mebane Lumber, Residence Inn Chapel Hill, Spoonflower, Larry's Coffee, The Siena Hotel/Il Palio Restaurant
Corporate Council
De Maison Selections, Aloft
Associates
Cambria Suites
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PERFORMING. TRANSFORMING. ADVERTISERS
WE’RE SAVING A SEAT
FOR YOU!
Photo of Lisa Brescia by Jon Gardiner
STILL TO COME THIS SEASON...
FEB 23 – MAR 13
MAR 30 – APR 17
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APR 27 – MAY 15