PUBLIC SPEAKING
A REFLECTION OF THE 2013/2014 SEASON
Photo by Joan Marcus
IT WAS A SEASON OF REMARKABLE PRODUCTIONS,
and even more remarkable variety. The Public has always aspired to be a big tent, an expansive institution that tries to extend the democratic impact of theater in all directions. To strive to represent the astonishing diversity of our nation requires not only constant ingenuity, but also sheer quantity - of shows, of artists, of ideas, of audiences. To execute these ambitious plans, we rely on the most dedicated, talented and hard-working staff in the American theater. From the ushers to the production crews, from the box office staff to the administrative offices, The Public’s staff delivered on the promise of The Public every day and every evening, all year long. We are immensely grateful to them all. The Board of Trustees, under the joyous leadership of Arielle Tepper Madover, have been equally as crucial in creating this wonderful season. Arielle and the Board have been supportive, wise, and determined, and I daresay we have never in the history of this theater had such harmony between our Board and our staff. We have all, honestly, felt like part of one team. The artists who work at The Public are, of course, our largest donors. None of them is paid a fraction of what they are worth, but their brilliance and courage are the reason we exist. In order to live, we need health care, housing, good government, sound finances: but in order to know why life is worth living, we need artists. It is their job to articulate our hopes, our fears, our anxieties, and bring us into collective dialogue around the subjective feelings that are the heart of any human life, personal or civic.
IT’S BEEN A WONDERFUL YEAR
at The Public. We have a lot to celebrate. This report provides an overview of our activity between September 2013 and September 2014. It’s astonishing to reflect on how much we have achieved together in the past 12 months. Under the leadership of our Board of Trustees, we have balanced the budget while producing our most critically acclaimed, vibrant and varied season yet. None of this could have been accomplished without your support. We, the staff, artists, donors and audience, are one Public. We have deepened our relationship with the community around us through programs like Public Works and the Mobile Shakespeare Unit, and we have recommitted ourselves to removing barriers for our artists and audience to create and witness work that will shape the field of the American Theater. This year we must specially recognize The LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust who created the Mertz Challenge to support sustainability efforts here at The Public. Through their grant and your generous donations in response to their challenge, we have improved everything from our infrastructure, our website, our staffing levels, and our planning capability. This has positioned us to move into the next year with a strong framework in place that will help us realize and expand the full breadth of our mission.
We strive, every day, to be a theater worthy of the artists who work here and the audiences we serve. Here is our report on how we did last year.
It is our shared belief that culture belongs to everyone. We look forward to sharing the next 12 months with you as you make The Public Theater your cultural home. We hope you are as excited about the year to come as we are to share it with you.
Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director
Patrick Willingham, Executive Director
Arielle Tepper Madover Board Chair
WE BELIEVE: CULTURE BELONGS TO EVERYONE. ARTISTS ARE A FORCE FOR CHANGE.
WE ARE ONE PUBLIC.
The Public is open for business 365 days a year. We produce theater and music, develop new work, support artists, and connect with communities in wholly unique ways. We did all this and more during our 2013-2014 season. We also took this time to define our highest values as a cultural institution. We hope that you find evidence of these values within these pages. Thank you for reading.
OVER LAST YEAR AND WE HAD
MORE DONORS THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR!
132+ 224= 356 Full-time employees
AUDIENCE MEMBERS FROM
76,409
DIFFERENT ZIP CODES VISITED THE PUBLIC DURING THE ‘13/’14 SEASON.
THEY CAME FROM ALL FIVE BOROUGHS IN NEW YORK,
NEARLY EVERY STATE IN THE US AND FROM OVER 65 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.
THE BRONX
MANHATTAN
10% 17%
PUBLIC BY NUMBERS
MEMBERSHIP IS UP
QUEENS
BROOKLYN
STATEN ISLAND
Part-time employees
PEOPLE EMPLOYED AT THE PUBLIC
25% 20%
OF ATTENDEES TO FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK WERE FIRST TIMERS.
MORE WOMEN ATTENDED FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK IN 2014 THAN THE YEAR BEFORE… WE ARE NOT SURE WHY, BUT WE HAVE A GOOD GUESS…
HAVE BEEN FIVE OR MORE TIMES
NEARLY
40% OF THE AUDIENCE AT JOE’S PUB IS
The bar is always open before the show…
PATRON, QUEENS
WE OFFERED
130,000 LOW-PRICED TICKETS FOR NEW PLAYS, CLASSICS, AND EXPERIMENTAL WORK
at our Downtown home, including FREE tickets to see Sting. Yes, that Sting.
WE OFFERED
100,000
FREE TICKETS IN THE LAST YEAR
(and 5 million free tickets over the last 50 years) - to the greatest plays with the greatest actors in the city’s greatest theater.
Photo by Joan Marcus
SINGLE!
“I JUST WANT TO THANK THE PUBLIC FOR BRINGING BOLD AND NEW WORK TO THE STAGE IN SUCH A COMPELLING AND TRUTHFUL WAY. I AM TRULY GRATEFUL.”
“Like the other ERS plays I’ve seen at The Public, this was smart, funny, and beautifully staged.” Patron, Manhattan
Set Design: David Zinn Lighting Design: Mark Barton | Costume Designer: Jacob A. Climer | Sound Designer: Matt Tierney Sept 10-Oct 27, 2013
Lighting Design: Jason L. Miller Sept 5-Oct 3, 2013
Set Design: Eugene Lee Costume Design: Dona Granata | Lighting Design: Howard Harrison Music and Sound Design: Bruce Odland Oct 28-Nov 10, 2013
DOWNTOWN SEASON
“Brilliant. Thank you for this cycle: for the playwright to develop the ideas, characters, concept, and for this experience for spectators.” Member, Los Angeles
Set Design: Matt Saunders Costume Design: Clint Ramos | Lighting Design: Tyler Micoleau | Sound Design: Brandon Wolcott Oct 18-Nov 24, 2013
Elevator Repair Service’s Arguendo Created & Performed by Elevator Repair Service Directed by John Collins A 1991 provocative Supreme Court case, a group of exotic dancers, citing the First Amendment, challenged a ban on public nudity. All The Faces of the Moon Created and Performed by Mike Daisey Directed by Jean-Michele Gregory A breathtakingly epic theatrical event: a story told over the course of a lunar month, a new monologue every night, in 29 unique consecutive performances. The Wallace Shawn – André Gregory Project Grasses of a Thousand Colors Written by Wallace Shawn Directed by André Gregory A disturbing and anomalously beautiful play that explores the role of human beings in Nature and the role of Nature in human beings. The Foundry Theater’s Good Person of Szechwan By Bertolt Brecht | Translation by John Willett Directed by Lear deBessonet | Music by César Alvarez with The Lisps Shen Tei, the good-hearted, penniless, crossdressing prostitute, is forced to disguise herself as a savvy businessman named Shui Ta to master the ruthlessness necessary to be a “good person” in a cruel world of limited resources.
Set and Costume Design: David Zinn | Lighting Design: Ben Stanton | Sound Design: Kai Harada Sept 30-Nov 03, 2013
Fun Home Music by Jeanine Tesori | Book and Lyrics by Lisa Kron | Based on the book by Alison Bechdel | Directed by Sam Gold When her father dies unexpectedly, graphic novelist Alison dives deep into her past to tell the story of the volatile, brilliant, one-of-a-kind man whose temperament and secrets defined her family and her life.
Scenic design by Timothy R. Mackabee | Costume Design by Clint Ramos | Music by Shane Rettig Nov 25 – Dec 15
Much Ado About Nothing MOBILE SHAKESPEARE UNIT PRODUCTION By William Shakespeare | Directed by Kwamei Kwei-Armah Beatrice & Benedick drive each other crazy until their friends push them together. Hero & Claudio are crazy in love until their enemies drive them apart. With a wedding around the corner, and all the spying, lying, and fake dying...what could possibly go wrong?
Photo by Joan Marcus
“Fun Home was one of the most gorgeous, bravest, most provocative pieces I have seen in quite some time. I was absolutely knocked out by it.� Patron, Manhattan
Sets by Riccardo Hernandez | Costumes by Gabriel Berry | Lighting by David Lander | Sound by Darron L West and M. Florian Staab March 25 - April 27, 2014
The Library Written by Scott Z. Burns Directed by Steven Soderbergh After Caitlin Gabriel survives a deadly shooting at her high school, she struggles to tell her story to her parents, the authorities and anyone who will listen.
“We’re scared, we’re dazzled, we’re hooked. Steven Soderbergh brings a master’s skill to his maiden outing on the New York Stage.” Patron, Manhattan
Set and Costume Design: Susan Hilferty | Lighting Design: Jennifer Tipton | Sound Design: Scott Lehrer and Will Pickens Oct 22-Dec 13, 2013
“SWEET AND CONTAGIOUS! Brian and Diane Sutherland’s performances are infused with passion and warmth.” Maxamoo
The Apple Family: Scenes From Life in the Country Written & Directed by Richard Nelson A powerful and timely series about the fascinating, fictional, liberal Apple Family. Played in repertory. That Hopey Changey Thing, 2010 Sweet And Sad, 2011 Sorry 2012 Regular Singing, 2013
Set Design: Tom Piper Lighting Design: Stephen Strawbridge Feb 18-Mar 23, 2014
Antony & Cleopatra New York Premiere | By William Shakespeare | Edited & Directed by Tarell Alvin McCraney At the fringes of a war-torn empire, a man and a woman have fallen desperately, passionately in love. But for a soldier set to enforce the imperial will and the queen of a people intent on throwing off the yoke of empire, there is no place for personal desire.
Set Design: Neil Patel Costume Design: ESOSA Lighting Design: Lap Chi Chu | Sound Design: Dan Moses Schreier Mar 11-Mar 30, 2014
Father Comes Home From the Wars (Parts 1,2&3) | Public Lab By Suzan-Lori Parks | Directed By Jo Bonney An explosively powerful drama about the mess of war, the cost of freedom, and the heartbreak of love. Father Comes Home From The Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3) is a profound and powerful tale about love and hope in a world of impossible choices.
Set Design: Robert Brill Costume Design: Susan Hilferty | Lighting Design: Jen Schriever | Sound Design: Jonathan Deans Mar 18-Apr 13, 2014
Set Design: Mimi Lien Costume Design: Sarah Beers | Lighting Design: Jeff Croiter | Sound Design: Alex Hawthorn Apr 08-Apr 27, 2014
A Second Chance Book, Music, & Lyrics by Ted Shen | Directed by Jonathan Butterell The story of a recent widower and a divorcee who meet in mid-life, uncovering together something they both least expected to find. The Civilians’ The Great Immensity Public Lab | Written and Directed by Steve Cosson | Songs by Michael Friedman A continent-hopping thriller that follows a woman, Phyllis, as she pursues someone close to her who disappeared from a tropical island while on an assignment for a nature show.
“Witty and written with enlivening humor! From the frisky, inquisitive theater company the Civilians – perky postmodern show tunes that fall lightly on the ear as they plant a black seed of knowledge about our imperiled planet.” The New York Times
Photo by Joan Marcus
“Shakespeare in the Park is a treasure.” Member, Brooklyn
“This production of [Much Ado About Nothing] is almost perfect. Very light on its feet and beautifully acted and staged.” Patron, Brooklyn
Photo by Joan Marcus
“WONDROUS! One of the most thoroughly enjoyable SITP productions I’ve ever seen.” Time Out New York
Set Design: John Lee Beatty | Costume Design: Jane Greenwood | Lighting Design: Jeff Croiter | Sound: ACME Sound Partners June 3 - July 6, 2014
Set Design: John Lee Beatty | Costume Design: Susan Hilferty | Lighting Design: Jeff Croiter | Sound: ACME Sound Partners July 22 - August 17, 2014
Much Ado About Nothing Directed by Jack O’Brien | By William Shakespeare Hamish Linklater and Lily Rabe returned to the Park this summer as the wise-cracking, would-be lovers Beatrice and Benedick. Central Park became sun-drenched Sicily at the turn of the last century for this delightful skirmish of wit between two self-declared bachelors tricked by their mischief-making friends into falling in love against their will and in spite of their own hearts. King Lear Directed by Daniel Sullivan | By William Shakespeare Revenge, rage, grief and delusion thundered upon the Delacorte stage as John Lithgow portrayed one of theater’s great tragic heroes, King Lear, Shakespeare’s classic drama about a King who loses everything—including his mind—when he disowns his favorite daughter, and finds himself betrayed in return.
STORIES FROM THE LINE Since 1962, more than five million free tickets have been given away to The Public’s performances at The Delacorte. New York City has changed a lot since then, but one thing has remained the same: the experience of waiting in line for the opportunity to experience Free Shakespeare in the Park continues to unite thousands of people all summer long, turning strangers into friends in a summer tradition that goes on year after year.
I REMEMBER
ONE DAY THE TICKET LINE WAS SO LONG THAT
IT WAS POURING RAIN ON THE BACK OF THE LINE WHILE THE SUN WAS SHINING BRIGHTLY ON THE FRONT OF THE LINE. I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT.
“@waffletruck waiting in the delacorte line, will y’all be here today? #ReallyWantWaffles”
WE KNEW WITH
MERYL STREEP STARRING AS
“Will be standing in line with the rest of the Shakespeare geeks to get tix for tonight’s performance @ Central Park. Wish me luck!!”
MOTHER COURAGE WE NEEDED TO GET IN LINE EARLY We drove down from Canada and arrived at 7am armed with coffee and muffins. It was a gorgeous summer day, and we happily chatted with all the people around us, some Publicstand-in-line veterans and some tourists, like us. After getting to know everyone in the morning, it was so fun to come back that night and sit with the same people—new friends. The show was outstanding and the whole experience so joyful that we didn’t think twice about dedicating a whole day of our trip to this adventure.
WE ARRIVED AT THE PARK RELATIVELY EARLY
6:15am but were already the 99th and 100th people in line. Right in front of us was a large group of friends and family who came equipped with lawn chairs, board games, a picnic basket, and a lot of good cheer. Watching them have a great time and bond with each other was really inspiring. It also became obvious to us that this was an annual tradition for them, and that it was something they had started when their then teenage kids were still in elementary school. It was their New York thing to do as family and beyond the fact that it’s a cool family tradition, it was also amazing to see how the Public’s awesome productions not only appealed to multiple generations, but were also timeless (in that the children remain interested in it over the years). Since then, we’ve tried to see Shakespeare in the Park every year we can. We can’t wait for our daughter to be old enough to join us.
“Reward for standing in line for Shakespeare in the Park tix - you meet your favorite actor, Pedro Pascal.”
It was the night before the final performance of Twelfth Night, and there we all were arranged in lawn chairs and sleeping bags along Central Park West when the torrential rains came. Out come the garbage bags and umbrellas and you do anything you can to stay dry, which is hard in a typhoon… It must have been around 2am when the rain stopped, and suddenly there was
ANNE HATHAWAY AND THE CAST,
PIZZA BOXES IN HAND,
handing out hot slices to us. My advice? Make friends with your line-mates, and definitely thank the cast when they offer out pizza.
“There’s a race going by as I am relaxing in line for Shakespeare in the Park tickets. I’m definitely being more productive.”
I was waiting in line for The Comedy of Errors when I struck up a conversation with the group of people next to me. Coincidentally, one of the women in the group had just been admitted to the graduate program I was attending at the time! She introduced me to her friends, and we spent the afternoon laughing, playing cards, and talking about school. Don’t worry about getting hungry, because you can buy food at the refreshment stand outside the theater, or, better yet, order breakfast from a nearby diner that delivers to people waiting in line. Also,
“One hour down, 3.5 hours to go. In line for Shakespeare in the Park. #fingerscrossed”
MY HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDS AND I
HAD A
SYSTEM TAKES THE SAXOPHONE
PLAYER WHO SERENADES THE LINE-GOERS
REQUESTS
that those not fully employed for segments of those summer vacation days would take turns on the line, and those of us who had jobs would bring a picnic dinner as the time got close.
WE LAY OUT BLANKETS, PLAY GAMES,TAKE NAPS, ORDER BREAKFAST
from Andy’s Deli (the phone number is programmed into my phone), watch the dogs…what other time do you allow yourself to just spend the morning in the park with good friends enjoying the day? It’s bliss. And then, when it’s all done, you get free tickets to Shakespeare! Sure, you get up early in the morning (or maybe spend the night on the street) but it’s a small price to pay for a morning in the park and an amazing night of theater.
THANK YOU
to Karen Lichtman, Leora Morris, Pamela Adams, Benjamin Ehrenreich, Carly Zien, Elaine Chien, and Michael Miraflores for sharing your stories from the line!
Photo by Joan Marcus
“This show was amazing! I absolutely loved it, and I felt really privileged to have seen it, especially knowing that I was having a shared experience with an audience that does not have the opportunities that I do.� Patron, Brooklyn
37
Artists represented from
790 shows
We got a new Yamaha
BABY GRAND
countries
15 Celebrated our
Commissioned
DAWN LANDES
MARTHA REDBONE & DANIEL BREAKER through our New York Voices Program
We installed a
BRAND SPANKING
NEW
year anniversary
sound system
Launched our
YOUTUBE
Channel
Presented the US debut of the world’s foremost yodeling, crooning comedy duo Polkabjørn & Kleine Heine
From major outlets like
THE NEW YORK TIMES ASSOCIATED PRESS PEOPLE to niche publications like India Abroad and Irish Voice to trade magazines like Hospitality Design
50 Ranked in top
club venues worldwide in every quarter in Pollstar magazine
Joe’s Pub at The Public has been featured and/or mentioned in
270 FEAR I love that The Public is
outlets, achieving approximately 153 million impressions… but the most important impressions are felt by our audience
LESS
in presenting artists like Bridget Everett. – Patron, Manhattan
Shanta Thake, Director, Joe’s Pub
JOE’S PUB
at The Public is one of New York City’s most celebrated venues for emerging and established performing artists. Named for Public Theater founder Joe Papp, Joe’s Pub debuted in 1998 and plays a vital role in The Public’s mission of supporting young artists while providing established artists with an intimate space to perform and develop new work. The diverse roster of programming featured at Joe’s Pub includes top performers from Broadway, cabaret, dance, world, singer-songwriter, jazz, country and indie genres and today’s rising stars and Grammy Award winners. Joe’s Pub also collaborates with other Public Theater programs to present events such as the Under the Radar Incoming series and the Public Forum lecture and debate series.
JOE’S PUB AT THE PUBLIC
Photos by Zack DeZon, Tammy Shell, Paul Wagtoucz
“We want to make sure you feel your voice, your neighborhood and your city reflected back at you through the work that is presented.”
Joe’s Pub at 15 Shanta Thake, Director, Joe’s Pub In Fall 2013, Joe’s Pub at The Public began its year-long 15th Anniversary celebration. Sometimes it’s hard to envision a New York that existed without Joe’s Pub. Other times, it feels as if we are just getting started. Joe’s Pub began in 1998 as a cabaret space and pre-performance dining option for Public Theater patrons. Since then, we have grown to present and produce approximately 800 shows a year and bring in over 100,000 audience members annually. As part of The Public Theater, we contribute to its large and incredible vision to serve the people of New York, and we are constantly looking for new and better ways to interact with our audiences and artists. When we talk to artists and community members about what Joe’s Pub at 15 means to them, the words that often come up are “family” and “freedom.” Joe’s Pub has been at the heart of what it means for artists in New York to experiment, to grow their audience and to think of our stage as their playground. We are actively pursuing, highlighting and nurturing artists that we feel have a perspective that can change the way we perceive the world. From Adele’s breathtaking U.S. debut to Richie Havens’ solo performance, from country music superstars Dierks Bentley and Little Big Town, to Our Hit Parade’s incredible downtown performance art countdown of pop chart hits, Joe’s Pub has been a bellwether of talent to watch and a safe space for the legends of our time. Sometimes it feels as if we have truly seen it all—the beauty and challenge is that we absolutely have not! I hope that you are able to find a way to Joe’s Pub in the coming months and see for yourself what it means to be a part of our community. We want to make sure you feel your voice, your neighborhood and your city reflected back at you through the work that is presented, and more than anything we want to make sure you have a great time!
Under the Radar at The Public Theater is an explosively diverse festival of new theater from the U.S. and around the world that spotlights artists ranging from emerging talents to masters in the field. The festival engages New York and its citizens, as well as many cultural visitors, in a 12-day intensive dialogue about the times we live in, seen through the lens of the world’s most innovative theater creators. UTR is: 16 shows, 150 artists (from USA, Argentina, Chile, Japan, Switzerland, Belgium, UK) 16 companies, 13,000 attendees from 18 countries, 103 performances
“Simple but sublime… The show alerts us to the awesome strangeness, and the utter ordinariness, too, of being alive in the here and now.” Charles Isherwood, New York Times
Photos by Marek Berry, Tammy Shell
Q. UTR celebrated its 10th Anniversary in 2014. How has it changed, and where do you think it’s headed? What do the next 10 years look like? Over the past 10 years, we’ve presented 161 companies from over 37 countries. We’ve evolved from a scrappy festival (although in our hearts we will forever feel scrappy) to a festival with Meiyin Wang is the a solid reputation, both at Director of the Devised home and overseas. That is in no small part Theater Initiative at The Public, as well as because some of the Co-Director of the Under most exciting artists in the Radar Festival, along the world - Nature with founder and Festival Theater of Oklahoma, Co-Director Mark Russell. Elevator Repair Service, Guillermo Calderón, and She talks about the Gob Squad, consider us festival and its 10 year anniversary. their New York home. UTR was created to find more homes for these independent artists – whether it was touring venues, commissions by international festivals, or scarce resources like
itself. This also means that the different forms in which these stories reveal themselves should also be explosively diverse. That’s where Under the Radar comes in. We carve space for the art that redefines the act of making theater and telling stories: from theater performed by the audience, theater devised with the community, theater without people, theater that emphasizes the body or technology. How does UTR tie into the We make space for disruption – for the active overall mission of The Public? Where does it fit collision of aesthetics, disciplines and alongside new play perspectives. development, Free Shakespeare in the Park, What’s the biggest challenge in putting and the democratization together UTR? of theater? We believe The visa process for our that art belongs to the international artists can people and should be get very complicated, accessible to everyone. especially when we bring The stories we tell and artists from more the people who make unfamiliar countries, theater should be as such as Cambodia, diverse as the country residencies of funding. Ten years later, the culture is beginning to embrace this kind of independent, devised, and ensemble theater. The world is changing fast. More than ever, these artists will play a crucial part in imagining a new world and our shared future. Blurring the distance between artist and audience, community participation, or robotic theater - UTR will be tracking it all.
Belarus, Iran, or Mali. Last year, for example, the visa application process for an Iranian actor (from Hamlet, Prince of Grief) was downright Kafka-esque. We ended up getting on the bureaucratic merry-go-round and got his visa on the same day he had to fly to New York. In the case of Belarus Free Theatre, we were not sure whether the U.S. embassy would be able to issue the visas because of restrictions on the U.S diplomatic presence in Minsk. UTR gives American audiences the chance to experience theater created by numerous international artists and artistic ensembles. Do you think this creates an added element of cultural dialogue and cultural exchange that transcends just experiencing a performance?
The international component is crucial to the identity of Under the Radar - it is important to showcase the diverse landscape of theater, and to broadcast voices and perspectives from communities that are not usually heard in the U.S. It is also important to have American artists and international artists at the same festival, showing their work side by side. It is the lively collision of differing nationalities, identities, aesthetics, politics, ideologies, experiments that make the theater experience unique and even transformative. It gives both the audience and the artists different ways of looking, experiencing and engaging with the world.
Curated by Jeremy McCarter, the popular Public Forum series presents the theater of ideas: conversations and performances with leading voices in politics, media, and the arts. Expanding on its concept as a forum for addressing issues of the day, Drama Club debuted with authors, musicians, journalists, scholars, and actors coming together for readings that have resonance in our lives today, concluding with a discussion of the hard questions that the evening raises about politics, culture, and the way we live. Drama Club: “Life by Asphyxiation” by Kia Corthron | October 20, 2013 A reading and discussion featuring Kirk Bloodsworth, Kia Corthron, Holly Hunter, Ron Cephas Jones, Wendell Pierce, and Barry Scheck. Drama Club: “Only We Who Guard the Mystery Shall Be Unhappy” by Tony Kushner | November 3, 2013 A reading and discussion featuring Tony Kushner, Rachel Maddow, Elizabeth Marvel, and Denis O’Hare. Solo: Joseph Stiglitz December 9, 2013 A lecture from Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz on inequality and the arts followed by a discussion between Stiglitz, Lear deBessonet, Oskar Eustis, and Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels. Drama Club: “The Long Christmas Dinner” by Thornton Wilder December 10, 2013 A reading and discussion featuring Edward Hoke, Lisa Kron, Persephone Mozes, Cynthia Nixon, Douglas Rushkoff, Anne-Marie Slaughter, Sam Waterston, and Tappan Wilder. Drama Club: “Venus & Adonis” by William Shakespeare February 10, 2014 A reading and discussion featuring Audra McDonald, Stephin Merritt, Will Swenson, & Adelle Waldman. Drama Club: An Evening with Tevye and Chava | March 17, 2014 A evening of songs, readings, and discussion featuring Harvey Fierstein,
Sheldon Harnick, Austin Pendleton, Jenny Romaine, Alisa Solomon & Taneisha Duggan. Solo: Sarah Lewis | April 7, 2014 A lecture from Sarah Lewis on pictures, progress, and Frederick Douglass followed by a discussion between Lewis, Carrie Mae Weems, & Jose Rivera. Drama Club: “The People” by Susan Glaspell | May 18, 2014 A reading and discussion featuring David Brooks, Michelle Goldberg, Christopher Hayes, Hendrik Hertzberg, Maria Hinojosa, Reihan Salam, Ben Smith, Bhaskar Sunkara, & Tom Tomorrow. Moderated by Jeremy McCarter. Shakespeare in America June 30, 2014 An evening celebrating Shakespeare’s influence on American culture featuring (in order of appearance): Billy Collins, James Earl Jones, Cynthia Nixon, Brian Dennehy, Michael Stuhlbarg, Andre Holland, Bryan Stevenson, Harold Holzer, Alec Baldwin, Annette Bening, F. Murray Abraham, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Whitney Bashor, E.L. Doctorow, Elizabeth Alexander, Vijay Seshadri, Colin Donnell, Bryce Pinkham, Caesar Samayoa, Justin Levine, Jessica Chastain, Michael Friedman, Stephin Merritt, Colman Domingo, Annie-B Parson, Micah Stock, Sarah Amengual, Steven Pasquale, Jackie Hoffman, Julie Klausner. Hosted by Jeremy McCarter & Jim Shapiro.
IN OTHER NEWS...
Spring at The Public got a lot more adrenalinefueled as Here Lies Love returned to The Public for a commercial run. Sting performed songs from his new album, The Last Ship, with tickets sold to benefit The Public Theater. Sting in Concert: The Last Ship ran September 25-October 9, 2013. One Thrilling Combination was an unforgettable one night-only, star-studded gala celebration of the 40th anniversary of the creation of The Public’s groundbreaking musical, A Chorus Line, and the legendary man behind the music, Marvin Hamlisch. For the second year in a row, New York City Center partnered with The Public Theater to bring dance back to the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Fall for Dance showcased amazing dancers and choreographers for two free evenings of dance on September 12 and September 13, 2014.
“Here Lies Love is a life-giving, roof-raising, booty-shaking blast of pure joy!” Vogue
Photos by Joan Marcus, Chie Morita
PUBLIC WORKS & Public Works, helmed by Lear deBessonet, works with partner organizations in all five boroughs, inviting members of diverse communities to participate in workshops, take classes, attend performances, and, most importantly, to join in the creation of ambitious works of participatory theater. Following last year’s acclaimed Public Works production of The Tempest, The Public Theater continued this community based initiative with a free original musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. Featuring more than 200 New Yorkers from all five boroughs performing alongside professional actors and The Public’s community partners, Public Works’ The Winter’s Tale ran for three nights only, September 5-7, at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Community Partners: Brownsville Recreation Center, Domestic Workers United, Fortune Society, Children’s Aid Society, DreamYard Project. Cameo Groups: Capoeira Luanda, New York Theatre Ballet, Megha Kalia’s NYC Bhangra Dance Company, Rosie’s Theater Kids, Sesame Street, Shinbone Alley Stilt Band, Staten Island Lions, NYC Parks Urban Park Rangers. Equity Actors: Todd Almond, Christopher Fitzgerald, Isaiah Johnson, Lindsay Mendez, David Turner.
What Public Works Means to Me Brittany Franklin, Community Ensemble Joining the Public Works community last year was more than an opportunity to participate in a play or keep myself busy for the summer, it was about overcoming fear of performing that had crippled me for many years. My first audition was a true test of bravery, every day since then seeing the many loving faces of my cast members has brought me immense joy. I am grateful that I have begun to overcome my anxiety. At times, there is still a feeling of being inadequate in the back of my mind, but with the support of my new family I am positive that this will cease to handicap my abilities. I hope to be the same anchor for the Public Works community.
Photos by Joan Marcus, Tammy Shell
Mobile Shakespeare Unit Continuing its commitment to bringing culture to everyone, we mounted the Mobile Shakespeare Unit with a three-week tour to the five boroughs of Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado About Nothing. The Mobile tour (November 4-22) brought free Shakespeare to audiences who have limited or no access to the arts by visiting prisons, homeless shelters, centers for the elderly, and other community venues: Charlotte’s Place, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, St. John’s Recreation Center, Rikers Island Correctional Facility, Roy Wilkins Recreation Center, Greenbelt Recreation Center, Jackie Robinson Recreation Center, Queensboro Correctional Facility, Brownsville Recreation Center, Fortune Society, Osbourne Association Re-Entry Center, Crossroads Juvenile Detention Facility, Taconic Correctional Facility, Dreamyard Community Center, Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, Hamilton Partnership
Photo by Zack DeZon
ARTIST DEVELOPMENT
New Work Now! is the free reading series that allows audiences an opportunity to experience new work by a diverse selection of established and emerging theater artists. New Work Now! ran September 9 to September 21 in The Public’s Martinson Theater. It is an important part of the Theater’s ongoing commitment to developing and mentoring new voices for the American Theater. This year’s New Work Now! playwrights are Jessica Blank, Radha Blank, Mikhail Durnenkov, Kathryn Grody, Adi Hanash, Erik Jensen, Harry Kondoleon, Ethan Lipton, Dominique Morisseau, Mary Kathryn Nagle, Dan O’Brien, Robert O’Hara, Pavel Pryazhko, Ethan Sandler, Patrick Vassel, and Natal’ya Vorozhbit. This New Work Now! series also includes New Work Then, an opportunity for The Public to celebrate seminal works from the past. The Public presented a reading of Zero Positive by Harry Kondoleon. Emerging Writers Group In January 2014 we announced 10 new playwrights selected for the 2014-15 Emerging Writers Group. The Emerging Writers Group is an ongoing initiative that targets playwrights at the earliest stages in their career, creating an artistic home, and offering support and resources for a diverse group of up-and-coming playwrights. The 2014-15 Emerging Writers are Kevin Artigue, Damon Chua, Keli Goff, Ricardo Pérez González, Glenn Gordon, Elizabeth Irwin, Paola Lázaro-Muñoz, Patricia Ione Lloyd, Jiehae Park, and Sarah Sander. Public Studio is a new performance series dedicated exclusively to developing the work of emerging writers. In a laboratory environment, writers will be in rehearsal with actors and a director, incorporate bare bones design elements, and then the process is opened to an audience over a series of performances. More than a reading or workshop, but not a full production, this middle step affords early career writers the important opportunity to deepen their experience of working collaboratively over an extended rehearsal period and to see their work staged in front of an audience. In its inaugural year, Public Studio presented The Urban Retreat by A. Zell Williams, directed by Liesl Tommy, in repertory with Manahatta, written by Public Theater Emerging Writers Group alumnus Mary Kathryn Nagle and directed by Kate Whoriskey. The two plays ran May 15 to May 25, 2014.
So how does a play or musical get from the author’s idea to opening night at The Public?
HOME
Ethan joins the inaugural class of The Public Theater’s Emerging Writer’s group.
Lisa Kron (book writer) and Jeanine Tesori(composer) begin adapting the graphic novel into a musical.
Alison Bechdel publishes the graphic novel Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. The New York Times names it “One of the Best Books of 2006” and Time Magazine calls it “The # 1 Book of 2006.”
2003
2004
2005
2006
FEBRUARY
Every show is different, so we’ve put together a timeline showing the developmental milestones of four very different productions that have made their way to The Public’s stages.
MAY
FROM PROCESS TO PRODUCTION
FUN
Ethan Lipton applies for the inaugural year of The Public’s Emerging Writers Group (EWG). Literary Manager Liz Frankel sees the play he submitted, Goodbye April, Hello May, in production at Here Arts Center.
JANUARY
JUNE
JULY
Director of Joe’s Pub Shanta Thake hears Ethan Lipton sing at Low Bar at Rice in DUMBO and is “totally blown away by the simplicity and hilarity” of his solo a cappella performance.
Ethan plays his first show at Joe’s Pub opening for singersongwriter Eleni Mandell, whom he had known since high school in Los Angeles.
SUMMER
SEPTEMBER
NO PLACE TO GO
Ethan Lipton and his Orchestra, as he would soon name his band, play a gig at Joe’s Pub to support the release of their first CD. The band becomes a Pub mainstay.
HERE LIES
David Byrne begins writing songs for Here Lies Love which tells the life story of Imelda Marcos.
MARCH
LOVE
2007
Here Lies Love is performed as a songcycle at Carnegie Hall.
David Byrne meets with Oskar Eustis to discuss turning the songs into a musical.
Here Lies Love is performed as a song-cycle at the Adelaide Festival of Arts in Australia.
2008
DECEMBER
Here Lies Love is named one of the Best Musicals of 2013 by Time magazine, New York Magazine, Vogue, Entertainment Weekly, and Playbill.com.
The Public decides to present The Urban Retreat as part of Public Studio.
FEBRUARY
JANUARY
The Public receives a grant from the Tow Foundation to pilot an Emerging Playwright Residency program. Over the next 12 months, Zell is provided with resources to develop and produce his play in Public Studio.
2014
APRIL
DECEMBER
Here Lies Love begins its run at The Public Theater in Luesther Hall.
DECEMBER
FEBRUARY
The Public presents an in-house reading directed by Liesl Tommy. Also this month, Zell receives Philadelphia Theatre Company’s Terrence McNally New Play Award, which supports development of The Urban Retreat.
MAY
FALL
Oskar Eustis encounters Zell’s play The Urban Retreat via a playwright/ director/actor collaboration class he teaches at NYU (with co-professor SuzanLori Parks). Oskar is intrigued and meets with Zell about the play.
Fun Home is named one of the best musicals of 2013 by The New York Times, Time Out New York, New York magazine, The Advocate and Playbill. com.
2013
APRIL
JUNE A. Zell Williams works in The Public Theater’s box office while getting his MFA in Playwriting at NYU.
Workshop of the full show at The Williamstown Theatre Festival in collaboration with MASS MoCA.
No Place To Go runs for a month at the Gate Theatre in London following performances at various venues across America.
The Public produces the mainstage production in the Newman. The critically acclaimed run, which receives multiple extensions, ends in January.
2012
Second workshop. Alex Timbers stages the second act.
Workshop at Sundance Institute’s Theatre Lab in Utah.
NOVEMBER
MAY JULY
Two-week workshop at The Public, directed by Sam Gold.
No Place To Go wins an Obie award.
One–week closed workshop at The Public to continue script development
SEPTEMBER
DECEMBER
RETREAT
MARCH - JANUARY
THE URBAN
The Public presents a sold-out run of Fun Home as part of its Public Lab developmental performance season.
MAY
Lisa and Jeanine participate in a writer’s retreat at the Sundance Institute’s Theatre Lab at White Oak in Florida.
OCTOBER
The Public produces the first workshop. Alex Timbers stages the first act.
No Place To Go begins its run in Joe’s Pub directed byLeigh Silverman.
OCTOBER
Joe’s Pub presents three performances of No Place To Go. The presentations are a major success and the show is brought back for a 3.5 week run as an addition to The Public Theater season.
2011
JUNE
David Byrne and Fatboy Slim release the concept album Here Lies Love on Nonesuch Records.
NOVEMBER
2010
Oskar Eustis introduces David to Alex Timbers and Alex joins the creative team of Here Lies Love as director. Work begins on adapting the album into a stage musical.
NOVEMBER
Lisa and Jeanine spend a week writing in Washington, DC.
The Public commissions Ethan Lipton as part of its inaugural Joe’s Pub Series funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. The goal of the program is to inspire Joe’s Pub regulars to move beyond concerts and to write a piece of theater.
MARCH
MARCH
2009
AUGUST
AUGUST
First workshop at the Ojai Playwrights Conference in California.
FALL
APRIL
Ethan’s EWG play Luther is presented as a reading in the Public’s Spotlight Series. Leigh Silverman directs. The play goes on to be produced by Clubbed Thumb in 2012.
Ethan receives word that all employees of his long term, part-time day job will have to relocate if they want to keep their jobs, sparking the idea to build a show around his experience. This would eventually become No Place To Go.
The Public Theater’s production returns to the LuEsther Hall.
The Urban Retreat receives reading in Philadelphia Theatre Company’s PTC@Play Festival.
The Urban Retreat will be presented in Public Studio, a new performance series dedicated exclusively to developing the work of emerging writers. Directed by Liesl Tommy, it will be rehearsed over two weeks, followed by seven performances with bare-bones design.
OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS
Winner, Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical, Fun Home
OBIE AWARDS Winner, Sydney Lucas, Fun Home Winner, Lisa Kron, Jeanine Tesori, and Sam Gold, Fun Home Winner, Ben Rubin, Projection Design, Arguendo
AWARDS
Alison Bechdel won a MacArthur
“GENIUS” Award for her work, including the graphic memoir Fun Home that the new Broadwaybound musical is based on.
FUN HOME was recognized as a finalist for the 2014
PULITZER PRIZE FOR DRAMA
11
15
NEW YORK TIMES CRITICS PICKS The Public's Master Writer Chair Suzan-Lori Parks was honored with the 2014 Horton Foote Prize for Promising New American play for
FATHER COMES HOME FROM
THE WARS (PARTS 1, 2 & 3)
WE ARE
‘IN VOGUE’
Vogue Magazine voted “The Public Theater’s whole 2013 Season” as a Top Ten of the year. “From its Under the Radar Festival in January to Shakespeare in the Park, a season of Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory shows, a musical adaptation of Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel Fun Home, and Richard Nelson’s Apple Family plays - among others, including the above-mentioned Here Lies Love— the Public, under its artistic director Oskar Eustis, put on such a varied, engaged and consistently excellent slate of productions this year that it’s starting to look like the closest thing we have to a national theater.” -Vogue
RECOGNITION
OFF-BROADWAY
ALLIANCE AWARDS Winner, Best New Musical, Fun Home Winner, Best Musical, Fun Home Special Citation, The Apple Family Plays
NEW YORK DRAMA
CRITICS CIRCLE The Public Theater has been mentioned in more than
380 different media outlets ranging from New York Times to USA Today to NPR to New Yorker to Vanity Fair to Rolling Stone to Haaretz to Japan Times.
LORTEL AWARDS
23 TOP TEN “END OF YEAR” MENTIONS FOR PUBLIC THEATER SHOWS IN 2013
Winner, Outstanding Musical, Fun Home Winner, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, Michael Cerveris Winner, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Judy Kuhn Winner, Outstanding Director, Alex Timbers Winner, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Ruthie Ann Miles Winner, Outstanding Costume Design, Clint Ramos Winner, Outstanding Lighting Design, Justin Townsend Winner, Outstanding Sound Design, M.L. Dogg and Cody Spencer
Photo courtesy of Ennead Architects
Board of Trustees Chair Arielle Tepper Madover Vice Chair Pat Fili-Krushel Treasurer Jim Steinberg Secretary Gail Merrifield Papp Trustees Renée Beaumont Andrea E. Bernstein Zach Buchwald Gordon J. Davis, Esq. Eric Ellenbogen Oskar Eustis Stephen L. Feinberg Hilary C. Feshbach Candia Fisher Faith E. Gay Anne Hathaway Kevin Kline Debby Landesman Barbara Manocherian Lisa Garcia Quiroz Charlotte Relyea Wendi Rose Lizanne Rosenstein Mark Rosenthal Liev Schreiber Alexandra Shiva Warren J. Spector Steven C. Taub Teresa Tsai Grace Lyu Volckhausen Robin Wagner Sam Waterston Audrey Wilf Frances Wilkinson Patrick Willingham Anne Clarke Wolff Founder Joseph Papp† Honorary Council Laurie Beckelman Colin Callender Joan K. Davidson Morgan Freeman Ruth W. Houghton Gil Shiva George C. Wolfe
Current as of Dec 2014
Ex-Officio Honorable Bill de Blasio Mayor of the City of New York Honorable Melissa Mark-Viverito Speaker of the New York City Council Honorable Tom Finkelpearl Commissioner, Department of Cultural Affairs Chairmen Emeriti Kenneth B. Lerer Warren J. Spector Government Support City of New York, Department of Cultural Affairs New York State Council on the Arts New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation Bill de Blasio, Mayor of the City of New York New York City Council, Melissa Mark-Viverito, Speaker Councilmember, Rosie Mendez New York City Council, Manhattan Delegation Andrew Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York New York State Assembly & Senate, Manhattan Delegations State Senator Thomas K. Duane National Endowment for the Arts † Deceased
Master Writer Chair: Suzan-Lori Parks Associate Artistic Director: Mandy Hackett Assistant to the Associate Artistic Director: Jack Phillips Moore Literary Manager: Elizabeth Frankel Artistic Associate and Assistant to the Master Writer Chair: Jesse Alick Musical Theater Initiative Consultant: Ted Sperling Literary Interns: Samantha Egle, Ryan Haddad Associate Producer: Maria Goyanes Assistant to the Associate Producer: Jarrett Key Line Producer: Jacob Padrón Assistant Line Producer: Trent Anderson Associate Producer Intern: Caroline Gart, Molly Houlahan Casting: Jordan Thaler, Heidi Griffiths Casting Associate: Kate Murray Casting Assistant: Rebecca Feldman Casting Intern: Toula Scordilis Director of the Devised Theater Initiative/ Co-Director Of The Under The Radar Festival: Meiyin Wang Co-Director of the Under the Radar Festival: Mark Russell Under the Radar Associate Producer: Andrew Kircher Devised Theater Initiative Program Assistant: Lily Lamb-Atkinson Producing Apprentice: Skye Kunstelj Interns: Andrea CastroOsorio, Jocelyn Shratter Director Of Joe’s Pub: Shanta Thake Associate Director of Joe’s Pub: Alex Knowlton Marketing Manager: Michele Renkovski Press Manager: Yuri Kwon Artist Relations Manager: Ben Easton Production Manager: Jon Shriver Artist Relations & Production Associate: Natalie Wirshbo Archival Artist: Michael Arthur
House Photographer: Kevin Yatarola Director Of Public Works: Lear deBessonet Associate Director of Public Works: Laurie Woolery Public Works Associate: Sarah E.R. Grosman Public Works Intern: Shariffa Ali Resident Artists: Tarell Alvin McCraney, Daniel Sullivan Director Of Voice And Speech: Andrew Wade Shakespeare Scholar In Residence: James Shapiro Music Contractor In Residence: Dean Sharenow Director of Special Artistic Projects: Stephanie Ybarra Special Artistic Projects Assistant: Andrew Broussard Assistant Line Producer to Mobile Shakespeare Unit: Roxanna Barrios Director Of Public Forum: Jeremy McCarter Senior Director Of Development: Jill Garland Assistant to the Senior Director of Development: Hemmendy Nelson Director of Special Events: Kristina Hoge Director, Individual and Major Gifts: Sandra Klass Hueskes Senior Development Officer, Institutional Partnerships: Alex Tonetta Associate Director, Development Administration: Leslie Brand Corporate Relations Manager: Marquez Andrews Donor Systems Manager: Jason Cabral Institutional Giving Manager: Kristen Gongora Individual Giving Manager: Gina Napolitano Development Manager: Becca Niemeyer Donor Communications Coordinator: Dani Lencioni Development Associate, Special Events: Brooke Benedetto Development Associate, Institutional Giving: Kim Furano Development Associate, Individual Giving: Kelsey Moriarty Individual Giving Resident: Michael Norton Major Gifts Resident: Gina DiRado Special Events Intern: Sophie Solow Major Gifts Consultant: Jan Gura Chief Financial Officer: Rachel Pivnick Director of Finance: Danny Williams Director of Human Resources: Liz Sharp IT Director: Arthur Pinori
Tessitura Business Services Manager: Frances O’Connell Finance and Budget Manager: Sara Harris Accounts Payable Administrator: Josiah Grimm Human Resources Assistant: Gina Chung Finance Intern: Michelle Strauss Applications Manager: Brian Benns Network Administrator: Ian Malinowski Web Developer: Peter Appleby IT Analyst: Joe Reeker Senior Director Of Marketing: Tom McCann Director of Marketing: Shannon Lacek Art Direction and Senior Graphic Designer: Kirstin Huber Membership and Marketing Manager: Reynaldi Lindner Lolong Digital Marketing Associate: Alaina Bono Marketing Associate: David Shum Graphic Designer and Photographer: Tammy Shell Intern: Jordan Bean Marketing Resident: Ashley Birdsell Sponsorship Consultant: Rose Polidoro Director of Communications: Candi Adams Press Manager: Julie Danni Press Associate: Laura Rigby Press Intern: Katherine Bianco Director of Ticket Services: Jimmy Godsey Associate Directors of Ticket Services: Anthony Conty, Zachary Ford Call Center Manager: Katherine Longosky Head Call Center Representative: Kaleda Davis Ticket Services Staff: David Armstrong, Iyanna Betaudier, Jessica Cauttero, Sheyla Bultron Echevarria, Joseph Ford, Brian LaPerche, Brandon O’Sullivan, Marvin Rodriguez, Josh Rozett, Bryna Turner, Gina Yolango Theater Manager: Richard C. Denney III Assistant Theater Manager: Frank Gambino Jr. Seasonal Assistant Managers: Chris Capozzi, Marissa Colon House Managers: Allegra Cottone, Stefanie Febus, Jennifer Gaspard, Kat Glaudini, Michael Raymond, Michelle Resto Emergency Assistants: Peter Kendall, David Levario, Karen Lichtman, Anne Marie Neisler Staff: Robert Ackerman, Christopher Albrigo, Katherine Banos, Eric Bello, Rachel Czwartacky, Bonnie Davis, Jeff Deglow, Tiana DeLorge, Rosemarie
DeSapio, Wesley Doucette, Cameron Fehring, Ashley Finnerty, Lauren Fiorelli, Joseph Fusco, Alexander Gustafson, Leslie Guzman, Gabriela Hammond, Fabian Harvey, Garrison Harward, Sahar Helmy, Yahaira Hernandez, Geoffrey Hymers, Scott Jackoway, Kevin Joyce, Rachel Kunstadt, Gabriel Laracuente, Cherie Marcus, Lourdes Mendez, Emily Oliveira, Morris Rhodes, Jaye Rodkin Hunt, Karen Rojas, Isabel Rotstein, Manuel Vega, Constance Williams Production Executive: Ruth E. Sternberg Assistant General Manager: Elisabeth Bayer General Management Administrator: Emily Hammond Senior Company Manager: Rebecca Sherman Company Manager: Liza Witmer General Management Assistant: Heather Lessard Associate Production Executive: Angela Delaney Kircher Senior Production Manager: Jim Szekely Production Managers: Jonathan Grenay, Jonathan Pellow, Jeff Harris Associate Production Manager: Caity Joy Production Administrator: Kelly Moore Assistant to the Production Executives: Leandro Zaneti Production Office Assistant: Rachel London Programming Budget Manager: Casey Cordon Scenery Supervisor: Joseph Powell Assistant Scenery Supervisors: Mary Beth Griffin, Jason Paradine Charge Painter: Hugh Morris-Stan Scene Shop Foreman: Aaron Treat Costume Master: Luke McDonough Costume Shop Manager: Vanessa Watters Audio Supervisor: Corrine Livingston Assistant Audio Supervisor: Matt Bell, Malachy Kronberg, Kenien Spann Video Supervisor: Bryan Maier Audio/Video Office Assistant: Carrie Miller Freeman Properties Master: R. Jay Duckworth Prop Shop Manager: Sara Swanberg Lighting Supervisor: Zach Murphy Assistant Lighting Supervisors: Holly Burnell, Alex Taylor, Kate DeWall Director of Operations and Facility Management: Ishmael (Izee) Figueroa Associate Operations Manager: Helen Bennett
Building Engineer: Al Rios Assistant Building Engineer: Winslow Harrington Maintenance Supervisor: Rob Resto Assistant Maintenance Supervisor: Amparo Lopez De Nova Operations Assistants: Jefferson David Aguilar, Darnell Brown, Adonis Garcia, Javier Morales, , Jose Paulino, Hector Rivera, Jessie Saltzman Cleaners: Frank Fried, Efrain Martinez, Alba Mendez, Aracelis Mendez, Rafael Paulino, Luisa Vargas Front Desk Administrator: Eric Delgado, Jasmine Ford Information Desk: Jose Paulissen-Dougan, Andy Reinhardt, Derek Nelson Script Readers: Dominique Brillon, Laura Caton, Bradley Cherna, Tom Herman, Lauren Keating, Lisa Kopitsky, Paul Mancini, Jessica Owens, Eric Meyer, Elena Sheppard, Niegel Smith, Kevin Christopher Snipes, Michele Travis, Rebecca Wear 2014-15 Emerging Writers Group: Kevin Artigue, Damon Chua, Keli Goff, , Glenn Gordon, Elizabeth Irwin, Paola Lázaro-Muñoz, Patricia Ione Lloyd, Jiehae Park, Ricardo Pérez González, Sarah Sander Special Services Organizational Development Consultant: Susan Adam Managing Director of Joe’s Pub LLC: Kevin Abbott Associate Managers: K.B. Berton, Ali Grieb, Christine McKenna, Jersey Katz Zachary Faulisi, Chef of The Public Institutional Design: Pentagram/Paula Scher Photographers: Michal Daniel, George E. Joseph, Joan Marcus, Carol Rosegg, Martha Swope Attorneys: Davis Wright Tremaine LLP/Graham Coleman; Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP/ Gerald T. Hathaway; Proskauer Rose LLP/Allan Bloom; Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP/ Andrew Lance; Venable LLP /Susan E. Golden, Sharon M. Connelly Capital Projects Consultant: Levien & Company House Physician: Dr. Bruce Yaffe Accountants: Lutz & Carr LLP Architectural Consultant: Ennead Architects Insurance: Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services/ AliceFay Prine
PUBLIC THEATER STAFF
Artistic Director: Oskar Eustis Executive Director: Patrick Willingham Executive Assistant to the Artistic Director: Leah Cloney-Matthes Administrative Chief of Staff: Rosalind Barbour Administrative Assistant to the Artistic Director and Executive Director: Ellen Shadburn Strategy and Planning Manager: Ciara Murphy
The LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust provides leadership support for The Public Theater’s year-round activities. Bank of America is the proud Season Sponsor of Shakespeare in the Park. Public support is provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; the New York City Theater Subdistrict Council; the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency; and the National Endowment for the Arts, an independent federal agency. Under the Radar is made possible with the generous support of the Howard Gilman Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation. Lead support for Public Works is provided by the New York City Theater Subdistrict Council, and the Ford Foundation. Additional support is provided by the David Rockefeller Fund, the SHS Foundation, and Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, LLP. Support for our new work development programs is provided by The Harold and Mimi Steinberg New Play Fund at The Public Theater and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Time Warner is the Founding Sponsor of the Emerging Writers Group, and provides continued program support through the Time Warner Foundation. The Mobile Shakespeare Unit is made possible with the support of the Ford Foundation and The Stavros Niarchos Foundation. Additional generous support is provided by Bloomberg, and Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, LLP. Special thanks to the following donors who provided support for productions in our downtown season: The Wilf Family Foundation, Frederick Loewe Foundation, Nina and Michael Zilkha, New England Foundation for the Arts.
$500,000+ The Blavatnik Family Foundation Bernard & Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust Ford Foundation The LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust Anonymous $100,000 - $499,999 Patty & Jay Baker Bank of America Timothy & Michele Barakett Foundation Bloomberg The New York Community Trust - The George T. Delacorte Fund for Performances at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park Delta Air Lines The Howard Gilman Foundation The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation The Ian Madover & Arielle Tepper Madover Family Foundation The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation The Shubert Foundation Stavros Niarchos Foundation The Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust Theater Subdistrict Council, LDC Time Warner Inc. Audrey and Zygi Wilf Anonymous $50,000 - $99,999 Robert Sterling Clark Foundation The Ruth Easton Fund of the Edelstein Family Foundation The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc. Hilary & Joe Feshbach Tiger Baron Foundation The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation One57 and Extell Development Company Penguin Group (USA), Inc. TIDE Teresa Tsai The Tow Foundation
$25,000 - $49,999 The Lenore Annenberg Fellowship in the Performing and Visual Arts as a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, funded by the Annenberg Foundation Backstage Trust The Blackstone Group Cantor Fitzgerald/BGC Partners, Inc. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP Debevoise & Plimpton LLP The George T. Delacorte Fund for Maintenance Scott M. Delman The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation Susan Edelstein Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP Gail Furman Rebecca Gold The Marc Haas Foundation Herman Goldman Foundation Rhoda R. Herrick JANA Partners LLC Sharon Karmazin Debby & Rocco Landesman Gary K. Lippman William & Aimee Maroney Sally Klingenstein Martell McKinsey & Company, Inc. The McKnight Foundation The MetLife Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Donald E. Newhouse The Jerome A. & Estelle R. Newman Assistance Fund Neil & Karen Ortenberg The Pannonia Foundation Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP Judith B. Resnick The David Rockefeller Fund Royce & Associates, LLC Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP The SHS Foundation Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP The Skirball Foundation Sarah & Jeffrey Stafford The Starr Foundation The Ira and Leonore S. Gershwin Philanthropic Fund Sally K. Tycher Walt Disney Company Kenneth & Anna Zankel Anonymous (5)
Reflects donors from 9/1/13 – 8/31/2014. Thank you to all of our generous supporters. A full list of donors can be found in our Playbill.
THE LUESTHER T. MERTZ CHARITABLE TRUST
Photo by Kevin Yatarola