BLKS Playbill

KELSEY FONISE, THOMIKA MARIE BRIDWELL, AND SHANELLE CHLOE VILLEGAS. PHOTO BY NILE SCOTT STUDIOS.

BLKS OCT 29 - NOV 20, 2021

SPEAKEASYSTAGE.COM SPEAKEASY STAGE COMPANY IS THE STANFORD CALDERWOOD PAVILION RESIDENT THEATRE COMPANY AT THE BOSTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS.

BY

AZIZA BARNES

617.933.8600

DIRECTED BY

TONASIA JONES

@SPEAKEASYSTAGE #BOSTONBOLD

PERFORMING AT THE

CALDERWOOD PAVILION AT THE BCA 527 TREMONT STREET IN THE SOUTH END

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New York Times Critic’s Pick! Boasting critically acclaimed, sold-out runs in both London and New York, People, Places & Things is an exhilarating new play about surviving in the modern world. The story focuses on Emma, a thirty-something actress who thinks she is having the time of her life, until she finds herself in rehab. Her first step is to admit that she has a problem. But the problem isn’t with Emma; it’s with everyone else. And when intoxication feels like the only way to survive, how can she ever sober up?

ONCE ON THIS ISLAND BOOK & LYRICS BY

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MUSIC BY

STEPHEN FLAHERTY

BASED UPON THE NOVEL MY LOVE, MY LOVE BY ROSA GUY DIRECTED BY PASCALE

FLORESTAL GOUDY

CHOREOGRAPHY BY JAZELYNN

MAR 11 - APR 16, 2022

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Winner of the 2018 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical! We are thrilled to present a rousing production of one of the most beloved musicals in SpeakEasy and Broadway history: Once on This Island.

Powered by a pulsating Calypso beat, this delightful fable tells the epic story of Ti Moune who, guided by the mighty island gods, sets out on a remarkable journey to follow her heart and find her place in the world.

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APR 22 - JUN 11, 2022

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2020 Tony Award Winner for Best Play! Interweaving lives and spanning generations, The Inheritance brilliantly transposes E.M. Forster’s novel Howards End to the 21st century New York. A generation after the peak of the AIDS crisis, what is it like to be a young gay man in New York? What do they owe to future generations and each other? Award-winning playwright Matthew Lopez explores these and many other profound themes through the turbulent and often hilarious experiences of a group of young, ambitious New Yorkers in a work that has been hailed as “perhaps the most important American play of the century so far.” (The Telegraph – UK)

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BOSTON'S HOME FOR THE BOLD The Calderwood Pavilion Resident Theatre Company at the Boston Center for the Arts Paul Daigneault, Producing Artistic Director

PRESENTS

BLKS

by Aziza Barnes

Directed by Tonasia Jones Scenic Design by Jenna McFarland Lord Costume Design by Cassandra Queen Lighting Design by Kat C. Zhou Sound Design by Anna Drummond Fight & Intimacy Choreography by Ted Hewlett† Adele Nadine Traub*, Production Stage Manager Natalie Main, Assistant Stage Manager WITH

Thomika Marie Bridwell*, Kelsey Fonise, Meghan Hornblower*, Sandra Seoane-Serí, Shanelle Chloe Villegas, Sharmarke Yusuf *Member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States †Member of The Stage Directors and Choreographers Society

New York premiere at the MCC Theater (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, and William Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) May 9, 2019 The world premiere of BLKS was produced and presented at Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Anna D. Shapiro, Artistic Director; David Schmitz, Executive Director), Chicago, IL BLKS was developed at the Ojai Playwrights Conference (Robert Egan, Artistic Director/Producer)

BLKS is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS Cathy & Harvey Cotton Danné Davis Thomas Foran & Jonathan Dyer Joey Riddle & Paul Miller Julianne Yazbek & JD Paul This production is sponsored in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

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OUR MISSION SpeakEasy produces intimate, entertaining plays and musicals that are new to Boston and compel thoughtful conversation. We champion new talent and future arts leaders, alongside a diverse community of experienced local theatre professionals who share our devotion to excellence. We treat our artists, audiences, and supporters as collaborators, working with us to make Boston a city that is sustainable for artists.

OUR PROGRAMS SPEAKEASY MAINSTAGE We create dynamic seasons full of Boston-premiere musicals and plays.

CREATING CONVERSATIONS We keep the dialogue going after the house lights come up by providing audience discussions, postshow talkbacks, and access to our artists.

CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN MUSICAL INITIATIVE We excel in presenting unique musical theatre productions that are cutting-edge and relevant in both form and subject.

THE BOSTON PROJECT We commission and provide dramaturgical support for Boston-based playwrights to develop new plays that explore what it means to live in our great city today.

FELLOWSHIPS & TECHNICAL APPRENTICESHIPS We train tomorrow's arts leaders by providing real work experience for high school and college students as well as recent graduates.

LAUNCHING EMERGING ARTISTS We cultivate the next generation of theatre artists by hiring new talent to begin their professional careers working alongside the best actors, directors, stage managers, designers, and technicians that Boston has to offer.

ACCESS PROGRAM We strive to make our programs accessible to Boston’s diverse and vibrant population through multiple community partnerships and collaborations.

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LEADERSHIP COMMUNITY 2021-2022 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Michael Appell Alex Baker Cathy Cotton Paul Daigneault, President Danné Davis Kerry A. Dowling Jonathan Dyer Andrew Fullem, Chair Constance Gist Guindo Susan Irvings Suzette Martin Peter Palladino Joey Riddle Nancy Roberts Alejandro Simoes Ann Teixeira Clea Winneg

BOARD OF ADVISORS Michael Appell Bob Band Gene Bauer & Ellen Shortell Susan Black Brian Bourquin & Paul Mataras Gregory Bulger & Richard Dix A. Joseph Castellana & Jim Seligman David Freeman Coleman Stacey & Chris Constas Anne d’Avenas Richard Davies Tom Formicola & Lenny Goldstein Joe Gimbel & Jo Strobel Meegan Gliner Curly Glynn Laura Haas Ken Hirschkind Robby Morse Levy Keith MacDonald & Thomas Webber Ben Manthei Jeffrey Mello Roberta Orlandino Grace Parker Jackie & Robert Pascucci Ellen Piccioli Kenneth & Rise Shepsle Hal Tepfer Hannah Weisman Angela Yarde Julianne Yazbek

INSIDE SPEAKEASY DIRECTOR

TONASIA JONES

Why did you decide to direct BLKS? Before I accepted this play, I asked SpeakEasy's Producing Artistic Director Paul Daigneault a question, which was “Why this play? Why now?” To which he replied, “Because joy.” Now that was not all he said, but y’all get the gist. Black Joy is the essence of this show; more specifically, Black. Femme. Joy and its resiliency in the midst of the unfathomable and outrageous. And let’s face it, our world today is outrageous.

Now I don’t need to get on my soap box about how important, lifealtering, culture-altering, and movement-altering black femme joy can be. If you need any further examples of that — please look no further than Boston’s very own theatre community, and the wonderful women who have graced SpeakEasy’s stage before me, such as Summer L Williams, Dawn M. Simmons, Monica White Ndounou, and my girl, Pascale Florestal.

All of these women have touched my career in the arts, created intentional, protected, and joyous rooms for artists and works in Boston to flourish, and begot more of, well, just that: Joy. So in this raucous comedy that celebrates black women in all our unapologetic duality, I write a love letter to all those women and more.

This play is also a love letter to our sorrows. A love letter to our double consciousness. To our loudness. To our ratchet. To our turnup. To our storytelling. To our love for each other. To the manifestation of getting our fly back as we re-enter and explore this new world of theatre. To our sisterhood. Because we all know when shit goes down, your sisters come ‘round.

BLKS is also a cultural moment. It’s not about just this story or these characters. It's about the actors that we bring into the room. It’s about the self actualization and reclamation that’s going to happen through this work. And it’s about each designer and how we engage in conversations about this piece.

What do you hope folks take away after seeing this play?

To all my fellow black femme sisters: I hope this show offers an “I see you, girl” memory back to all those low nights we spent getting our fly back, and all those nights we stood in the face of the outrageous and coped by talking shit and laying on the floors of apartments we could barely afford.

To everybody else: I hope you see the joy in this piece. I hope you see that black women & black girls should be protected and valued. I hope you see the hidden labor and unfaltering kinship. I hope you see the love.

BLKS, just like the work of visual artist Lavett Ballard which inspired our set design, is about creating a visual lexicon of African American, female, queer, self-identity. Unobstructed.

Hungry for more? Visit SpeakEasyStage.com for behind-the-scenes exclusives and insights about BLKS and the other productions in our 2021-2022 Season.

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COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS STATEMENT

We are so grateful that you have chosen to join us at SpeakEasy Stage today, and in the spirit of community, we want to share with you some of the expectations we value in our theater. At SpeakEasy, we present works that tackle contemporary and sometimes controversial subject matters. The only way we can facilitate effective and constructive conversations created by this work is by treating all people with respect. As such, we are committed to providing an inclusive, brave, and accessible environment where everyone is treated with dignity.

We expect our artists, patrons, board members, and staff to comply with this community conduct, including but not limited to: • Respecting all cultural backgrounds and identities.

• Understanding each individual's right to be at the theater and enjoy it in their own way while being mindful of those around them.

• Showing appreciation for the facility and those working within it.

If you have experienced any behavior that has negatively impacted your ability to fully participate in or appreciate the art we create, we encourage you to reach out to our team directly so that we can take appropriate action and continue to grow and improve as a community.

We extend our deepest gratitude to all those who join us in our efforts to create a better community at SpeakEasy and beyond.

If you have any questions or wish to speak to the SpeakEasy team about an experience at our theater space, please email Alex Lonati, our Community Programs Manager, at alexlonati@speakeasystage.com, or contact any other member of the SpeakEasy staff or Board of Directors. We are here to listen.

P. 6: Sabrina K. Victor, Crystin Gilmore, Shanelle Chloe Villegas, Geraldine Bogard, & Tenneh Sillah in School Girls (Maggie Hall Photography).

P. 7 (left to right): Diego Klock-Perez and cast members of In The Heights (Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo), Grace Yoo & Gary Thomas Ng in Allegiance (Nile Scott Studios), Billy Meleady, Billy Butler, & Marta Rymer in Once (Maggie Hall Photography), Sarah Elizabeth Bedard, Greg Maraio & Kris Sidberry in Significant Other (Justin Saglio), Isaiah Reynolds in Choir Boy (Nile Scott Studios).

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EQUITY & ANTI-RACISM AT SPEAKEASY On our stage and throughout our programming, we tell stories that invite us to understand ourselves and the world around us more deeply; to uplift the voices of all races, ethnicities, gender identities, economic statuses, and abilities; and envision the changes we wish to see in our society.

We acknowledge that this alone is not enough, and that we must actively and deliberately reduce harm and combat systemic oppression in all forms, both on and off our stage.

We encourage you to explore SpeakEasy’s Equity & Anti-Racism Action Plan, the culmination of vital and deliberate work to examine our own inequitable practices and complicity in systemic racism and systems of oppression that are based on ethnicity, gender, economic status, and ability.

This specific and detailed action plan is a living, breathing document that will evolve as our learning evolves and as the environment around us continues to change. We will hold ourselves accountable to this work, and we expect that you will, too. To read the plan in its entirety, please visit www.SpeakEasyStage.com/SEARAP. If you have any questions about the Equity and Anti-Racism at SpeakEasy, or want to speak to a team member about your experience at the theater, please email Community Programs Manager Alex Lonati at alexlonati@speakeasystage.com.

Our Land Acknowledgment SpeakEasy Stage Company is built on the power of storytelling and the transformative way the arts can be used to amplify voices of those historically silenced. In that spirit, we would like to acknowledge that SpeakEasy Stage and the Calderwood Pavilion, which we call our artistic home, reside on the ancestral and unceded lands of the Massachusett people, whose name was appropriated by this Commonwealth. Additionally: • We pay respect to the Massachusett elders past and present and recognize the truth of violence perpetrated in the name of this country.

• We commit to educating ourselves about the stories of indigenous people and to uplift the voices of those who have been left out of the conversation.

• We encourage you to learn more about the Massachusett people, their history and their living traditions at www.massachusetttribe.org.

Why is this important?

From our friends at Northwestern University: “It is important to understand the longstanding history that has brought you to reside on the land, and to seek to understand your place within that history. Land acknowledgements do not exist in a past tense, or historical context: colonialism is a current ongoing process, and we need to build our mindfulness of our present participation.”

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CAST (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER) June ................................................................................................. Thomika Marie Bridwell* Imani ..................................................................................................................... Kelsey Fonise That Bitch on the Couch/Drunk White Woman ............... Meghan Hornblower* Ry .............................................................................................................. Sandra Seoane-Serí Octavia ............................................................................................ Shanelle Chloe Villegas Justin/Ethnically Ambiguous Dude/Sosa .................................... Sharmarke Yusuf *Member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

UNDERSTUDIES That Bitch on the Couch/Drunk White Woman ............................... Hannah Beebe Justin/Pedro/Ethnically Ambiguous Dude ................................................ Dom Carter June/Imani/Octavia/Ry .......................................................................... Lorraine Kanyike

SETTING June 1st, 2015. New York City.

SPECIAL THANKS Alicia Anstead, Dana Knox, and the Harvard Office for the Arts; Susan Culman; Angie Jepson; Brad Schiller and Martin Lighting; Marcello Rossetti; and The Front Porch Arts Collective.

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ADDITIONAL STAFF FOR BLKS Assistant Director/Casting Consultant .......................................... Jasmine Brooks Dramaturg ................................................................................................... Raúl Ávila Muñoz Production Stage Manager (u/s) ............................................................ Rachel Sturm* Technical Director ....................................................................................... Alexander Platt Master Electrician ........................................................................................... Anna Brevetti Props Master ....................................................................................................... Emme Shaw Wardrobe Supervisor ........................................................................................... Molly Fenn Run Crew/Board Op ....................................................................... Coty Lennon Markee COVID Safety Managers ................. Dominique D. Burford, Lucas Bryce Dixon, Paul Melone, Mariah Ruben Lighting Intern ................................................................ Keislie Roble, Brighter Boston Scenery Constructed by ................... Wooden Kiwi Productions (Waltham, MA) Show Photographer ............................................................................. Nile Scott Studios Additional Photography ...................................................... Anabel Rios Photography

SPEAKEASY STAGE COMPANY STAFF Producing Artistic Director ..................................................................... Paul Daigneault General Manager/Production Manager .................................................. Paul Melone Director of Marketing & Communications ................................................ Jim Torres Director of Development ................................................................................. Cathi Ianno Community Programs & Events Manager ............................................... Alex Lonati Creative Services & Social Media Manager ...................................... Evan Turissini Assoc. Manager of Production and Operations ............ Dominique D. Burford Development Associate ............................................................................... Jenna Rehrig Community Engagement & Artistic Fellow ................................. Raúl Ávila Muñoz Literary & Artistic Fellow ................................................................. Jolie Frazer-Madge Fall Interns .......................................... Madison Burtan, Dayna Cousins, Peter Toto

SHORT TERM FURNISHED APARTMENTS

GLENN'S RENTALS

BOSTON • PROVINCETOWN • BUENOS AIRES

Glenn Rigoff

617-780-7287 · GLENNSRENTALS.COM 9

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WHO'S WHO - PLAYWRIGHT AZIZA BARNES (Playwright) is blk & alive. Z’s play BLKS has been produced at Steppenwolf Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, and MCC Theater; was nominated for the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play; and won the Antonyo Award for Best Play. Z has participated with residencies such as Sundance, Ojai Playwrights Conference, Center Theatre Group Playwriting Workshop, Callaloo, and Cave Canem.

Barnes’ play Nana, was commissioned by Williamstown Theater Festival. Z has worked on Netflix/Jenji Kohan’s Slutty Teenage Bounty Hunters, FX’s Snowfall, and Birth of Cool for Hillman Grad. Z is developing Pride for HBO with Natasha Rothwell and Alloy, and The Vanishing Half for HBO in partnership with Jeremy O. Harris. Z lives in Los Angeles. (they/them)

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WHO'S WHO - CAST HANNAH BEEBE (That Bitch on the Couch u/s) is a Bostonbased actor and is excited to be making her SpeakEasy Stage debut. Credits include: She Eats Apples (Artists’ Theatre of Boston); Always Nothing Else (Newton Theatre Company); Deal Me Out (Boston Playwrights' Theatre); The Tempest (Theater in the Open); and Twelfth Night (Firehouse Center for the Arts). Hannah has her BFA in Acting from Boston University and holds a certificate in Classical Acting from the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art. HannahBeebe.com (she/her) THOMIKA MARIE BRIDWELL* (June) is pleased to make her SpeakEasy debut. Raised in Roxbury, MA, she is grateful for the opportunity to return to live theatre in her beloved hometown, doing what she loves most: acting. During the quarantine, Thomika was honored to continue honing her craft, working on virtual productions including The MOMologues (Greater Boston Stage Company); When I Grow Up (Wheelock Family Theater/Boston Theater Marathon); Freedom Calls (TC 2 Theater New Play Festival); and Corona Came Calling (Playwrights' Platform Festival); to name a few. In New England, she has appeared in Miss You Like Hell (Company One); For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enough, Coriolanus (Praxis Stage); and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Boston Theater Company). Thomika has also appeared in numerous productions in New York City, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and L.A. Thomika dedicates this performance to the women in her tribe (family) particularly, her daughter Madyson and the next generation of Boston. #BLKGIRLMAGIC (she/her)

DOM CARTER (Justin u/s) is making his SpeakEasy debut.

Dom is a Boston-based actor and graduate of The Atlantic Acting Conservatory School in NYC. In 2021, he was named The AACT National Theater Best Actor and National winner for his work in The Mountaintop

by Katori Hall. Local credits include Twelfth Night (Lyric Stage); All My Sons (Praxis Stage – Norton Award nomination for Best Ensemble); The Greater Good (Company One); and August Wilson’s Fences (Umbrella Stage). (he/him) KELSEY FONISE (Imani) is excited to be making her SpeakEasy debut. She is a recent graduate of UMass Boston Theatre and was last seen on stage as Vera Stark in By the Way, Meet Vera Stark. Earlier this year, she founded the Haitian American Theatre Alliance (@HaitianAmTheatreAlliance) to focus on uplifting her community’s presence in the stage and film industry. Kelsey thanks her family and friends for their continuous support. (she/her) MEGHAN HORNBLOWER* (That Bitch on the Couch/ Drunk White Woman) is thrilled to make her SpeakEasy debut! Virtual theatre credits: In the Play Lab (Central Square Theater) and Seeing Violet (Hibernian Hall). Previous Boston productions: A Christmas Carol (Central Square Theater); Dark Room (Bridge Repertory Theater); Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde (Longwood Players); and Romeo & Juliet (Bay Colony Shakespeare).

Film: Principal Dancer in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women. Education & Training: Boston College, Williamstown Theatre Festival. Meghan is a Brooklyn-based actor from the Greater Boston area.

When not acting, she is an avid runner, dancer, and skier. MeghanHornblower.com (she/her) 13

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WHO'S WHO - CAST LORRAINE KANYIKE (Octavia/ Imani/June/Ry u/s) is ecstatic to make her SpeakEasy debut in BLKS. A Bostonbased actor, Lorraine graduated from the University of Massachusetts Boston in May 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and African Studies. Locally, Lorraine has appeared at Greater Boston Stage Company, Hub Theatre, Fresh Ink, Apollinaire Theatre, Central Square Theater, and Company One. She would like to thank Jasmine Brooks, the creative team behind BLKS, and SpeakEasy for such a fun and worthwhile experience, as well as her family and friends for their continued support of her craft. (she/her) SANDRA SEOANE-SERÍ (Ry) is excited to be making her SpeakEasy debut. Sandra studied at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst earning a BA in Theater and Film. She has previously performed in She Eats Apples (Artists' Theater of Boston) and Pipeline (Central Square Theater/WAM Theatre). Sandra dedicates this performance to her dear friend Sabine. SandraSeoaneSeri.com. (she/they)

painting, and living her best life! Shanelle is from the first graduating class of Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s BFA Contemporary Theater program. (she/her) SHARMARKE YUSUF (Justin/ Ethnically Ambiguous Dude/ Sosa) is thrilled to make his SpeakEasy debut! An actor and writer born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Sharmarke graduated from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee with a BFA in Contemporary Theater. Local credits include: #RomeoJuliet (New Repertory Theatre); Aaron in Titus Andronicus (Earthstone Theater Company); Buckingham/Ensemble in The Three Musketeers (Greater Boston Stage Company/Front Porch Arts Collective); Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Boston Conservatory at Berklee); and Axmed in Season Two of Castle Rock (Hulu).

Instagram @sharmarke_y. (he/him)

SHANELLE CHLOE VILLEGAS (Octavia) returns to SpeakEasy having previously appeared in School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play (Nana), which was nominated for the 2020 Elliot Norton Award for Best Ensemble. Other credits include American Repertory Theater's The Arboretum Experience (Ramona/Emcee/Major); Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s Othello (Montano); Shakespeare & Company's Autumn (Melissa Longley); and productions with New Repertory Theatre's Classic Repertory Company. When not on stage, Shanelle can be found teaching, writing, 15

WHO'S WHO - PRODUCTION TEAM RAÚL ÁVILA MUŇOZ (Dramaturg) is so happy and blessed to be making their SpeakEasy dramaturg debut, and to be a part of this company, and especially this production. Ávila is a multi-hyphenate theatre artist dedicated to impacting the community by provoking and challenging theatre and performance art in content and form by generating and reimagining stories that are timely, compelling, and intersectional. Raúl is also currently serving as SpeakEasy's Community Engagement & Artistic Fellow.

They hold a BFA in Contemporary Theatre from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Producing credits include Constellations (Producer, La Teatreria); Rabbit Hole (Producer, Playhouse Entertainment); and others. As a performer, they have been seen in numerous productions including Chelsea People (Apollinaire Theatre); Anormales (Teatro Chelsea); Meet Me In The Bathroom (Central Square Theater); Mi Corazón Es Tuyo (Univision); among others. Many thanks to their blood and chosen families for their love and support! (they/them) ANNA BREVETTI (Master Electrician) recently graduated from the Boston University School of Theatre.

They are passionate about lighting, storytelling, and equity within the theatre community. Originally from New Jersey, Anna is currently doing freelance lighting design and production in the Boston area and is excited to join the SpeakEasy team for this production. When not in a theater, they enjoy cooking, spending time outside, and tending to their ever-growing houseplant collection. (they/she) JASMINE BROOKS (Assistant Director/Casting Consultant) returns to SpeakEasy having previously worked as the company’s Boston Project Coordinator.

Jasmine is a director and producer, and lover of new plays. She previously worked for Company One as an Artistic Associate and the NNPN Producerin-Residence. Select directing/assistant directing credits include Truth or Consequences (Fresh Ink); Toward an Anti-Racist Tomorrow: Black Flag (Free Soil Arts Collective); Period Piece (directed by Karen Carpenter); Wolf Play (Company One, directed by Summer L. Williams). Jasmine holds a BFA in Theatre Arts from Boston University. JasmineRoseBrooks.com (she/her)

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PAUL DAIGNEAULT (Producing Artistic Director) was the recipient of the 2014 Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence, presented by the Boston Theater Critics Association. Since founding SpeakEasy in 1992, he has produced over 125 Boston premieres. SpeakEasy directing highlights include Admissions; The View UpStairs; Fun Home; Allegiance; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; The Scottsboro Boys; Significant Other; Dogfight; Violet (2016); Mothers & Sons; Big Fish; The Color Purple; In the Heights; Xanadu; Next to Normal; Nine; Body Awareness; [title of show]; The Great American Trailer Park Musical; The Savannah Disputation; Jerry Springer: The Opera; The New Century; Some Men; Zanna, Don't!; Parade [Elliot Norton Award — Outstanding Director]; Almost, Maine; Caroline, or Change; Take Me Out; Company; A Man of No Importance (co-production Súgán); Bat Boy: The Musical [Elliot Norton Award — Outstanding Director]; Passion; Violet (2000); A New Brain; Songs for a New World; Floyd Collins; Love! Valour! Compassion!; and Jeffrey. Regional credits: Grand Hotel and Nine (The Boston Conservatory and Cincinnati Conservatory of Music); Rent, City of Angels, Sunday in the Park with George, Merrily We Roll Along (The Boston Conservatory); Evita, Into the Woods, Urinetown (Boston College). Paul is a Professor of Musical Theater at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. He was honored in 2007 with the Boston College Arts Council's Alumni Award for Distinguished Achievement and served as the 2011-2012 Rev. J. Donald Monan S. J. Professor in Theatre Arts. (he/him) ANNA DRUMMOND (Sound Designer) is thrilled to return to SpeakEasy after previously designing sound for Pass Over. A freelance sound designer specializing in live theatre, podcasting, and audiobooks, Anna has worked within the New England area for both professional theatre companies and educational institutions, including Company One, Huntington Theatre, Trinity Rep, Brown University, Northeastern University, and Emerson College. Anna received 3 EVVY Awards for Outstanding Sound Design for the Stage, and a Cloris Leachman Award for Best Sound Design.

Anna works in the Alexa Data Services department at Amazon, and holds a BA with Honors in Sound Design/ Audio Post-Production from Emerson College. (they/ she)

WHO'S WHO - PRODUCTION TEAM (cont.)

MOLLY FENN (Wardrobe Supervisor) is delighted to return to SpeakEasy after working on The Sound Inside. Originally from Medford, MA, she is excited to jump into the Boston theatre scene. Although Molly has a background in many different areas of theatre, wardrobe is her passion. Past wardrobe credits include Celebrating the Black Radical Imagination: Nine Solo Plays (Williamstown Theatre Festival); Next to Normal, The Fantasticks, Ragtime, and A Christmas Carol (Seacoast Rep). Molly holds a BA from the University of New Hampshire. (she/her) TED HEWLETT† (Fight Choreographer/Intimacy Director) returns to SpeakEasy, having served as fight and intimacy choreographer for Choir Boy and fight director for Shakespeare In Love, Hand to God, and The Motherf**ker with the Hat. Ted also appeared as Peter in SpeakEasy’s production of Company. New York: Shōgun (original Broadway cast); Bill W. and Dr. Bob (Off-Broadway, fight director); Pan Asian Rep, Mettawee River Co., Lincoln Center Institute. Boston: Huntington Theatre, SITI Company, ArtsEmerson, Actors' Shakespeare Project, Lyric Stage, New Rep, Boston Theatre Works, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Boston Ballet, Boston Lyric Opera. Regional: Shakespeare & Company, Shakespeare Theatre (D.C.), Elm Shakespeare, Syracuse Stage, Kennedy Center.

Film/TV: Hook, Army of Darkness, Brush Up Your Shakespeare. Faculty: Emerson College, Shakespeare & Company. Education: MFA: Acting, Brandeis University. (he/him) TONASIA JONES (Director) is making her SpeakEasy directorial debut with this production. Regional director credits: 3Miles (Huntington); The Elephant in The Room (Central Square); Proclamation (A.R.T); Raza (Front Porch); Legends, Statements, and Stars (The Theater Offensive); The Tempest (Wittenberg University); It’s a Wonderful Life (Greater Boston Stage); Pay No Worship (Flat Earth); and Octavia & Kleopatra (Boston Podcast Players). Assistant director credits include How I Learned What I Learned (Huntington); The Revolutionists (Central Square); and Saturday Night/Sunday Morning (Lyric Stage). Tonasia is the Director of Programs for The Theater Offensive as well as an Affiliated Professor at Emerson College. She is located primarily in Boston and travels for freelance directing and producing opportunities. www.tjones.moonfruit.com (she/her)

NATALIE MAIN (Assistant Stage Manager) is so excited to be making her SpeakEasy debut with this wonderful cast and crew! Originally from Georgia, Natalie moved to Boston to attend Boston University.

After graduating in May, she has been working as a freelance stage manager. Her recent credits include productions with Boston Lyric Opera, Central City Opera and Wheelock Family Theatre. (she/her) COTY LENNON MARKEE (Run Crew/Board Op) is pleased to return to SpeakEasy after working on The Sound Inside. Local credits include productions with such companies as Gloucester Stage, Moonbox Productions, Seacoast Rep, and Central Square Theater. After discovering sound design in college, Coty has taken the last few years to learn and hone his craft. Being partly deaf in both ears, he has developed new ways to use his skills in the area of sound design and tech. He is so happy that theatre is back, and can’t wait to see where it all goes from here! (he/him) JENNA MCFARLAND LORD (Set Designer) returns to SpeakEasy Stage having previously worked on Shakespeare in Love, Men on Boats, Bootycandy, The Color Purple, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Jenna has also designed throughout New England for companies and educational institutions including Gloucester Stage, Lyric Stage, Actors’ Shakespeare Project, New Repertory Theatre, Greater Boston Stage Company, Central Square Theater, Boston Conservatory, Brandeis University, Northeastern University and Stonehill College. She has also designed Off-Broadway at La Mama and The New York Playwrights Lab. In addition, Ms. McFarland Lord currently teaches set design at the Boston Arts Academy, a public high school for the arts. www.jennamcfarlandlord.com (she/her) PAUL MELONE (General Manager/Production Manager) has managed over 125 plays, musicals, concerts, cabarets, and special events for SpeakEasy. His SpeakEasy directing credits include Once; Carrie: The Musical; Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson [2013 Elliot Norton Award – Outstanding Director]; reasons to be pretty; Adding Machine: A Musical [2010 Elliot Norton Award – Outstanding Director]; The Little Dog Laughed; Fat Pig; The Moonlight Room; Our Lady of 121st Street; and The Shape of Things. Local 17

WHO'S WHO - PRODUCTION TEAM (cont.) directing credits include Rent (Suffolk University); The Apple Tree (The Boston Conservatory); and Curse of the Starving Class (Apollinaire Theatre Company).

Paul is a graduate of Boston University’s Theatre Department. (he/him) ALEXANDER PLATT (Technical Director) returns to SpeakEasy after serving as technical director for The Sound Inside, Admissions, Choir Boy, and Between Riverside and Crazy. Alexander is a Boston-based actor and theatre technician. As a carpenter, he has worked throughout New England for such companies as American Repertory Theater, Trinity Rep, The Gamm Theatre, Lyric Stage, and Actors’ Shakespeare Project. As an actor, Alexander has worked all over the Boston area. He also served as the Artistic Director of Elemental Theatre Collective, a new play development company, from 2006-2012. He holds a BA in Theatre from Albion College and an MFA in Acting from Trinity Rep. (he/him)

RACHEL STURM* (Production Stage Manager u/s) is delighted to return to SpeakEasy and help these wonderful artists bring some Black femme joy to Boston, after having previously stage managed Songs for a New World, The Children, and Fun Home.

Area credits include: A Christmas Carol (The Hanover Theatre); Alice in the Pandemic, I Am a Dreamer Who No Longer Dreams (White Snake Projects); Aida, The Magic Flute (Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras); Being Earnest, Calendar Girls, She Loves Me, Gabriel (Greater Boston Stage Company); Cosi Fan Tutte (New England Conservatory); and Twelfth Night (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company). Proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. (she/her) ADELE NADINE TRAUB* (Production Stage Manager) is thrilled to return to SpeakEasy Stage after stage managing The Boston Project: Project Resilience, The Pink Unicorn, Small Mouth Sounds, appropriate, A Future Perfect, Tribes, and Clybourne Park, most with M. Bevin O’Gara at the helm. Adele is a founding company member at Actors’ Shakespeare Project, where she has stage managed over 25 productions.

Other stage management credits include A Guide for the Homesick and I Was Most Alive with You for the Huntington Theatre, plus work with the A.R.T., Israeli Stage, Boston Playwrights Theatre, Lyric Stage, Capital Repertory in Albany, NY, and Playwrights’ Horizons in NYC. Adele teaches Stage Management at Boston College. (she/her)

CASSANDRA QUEEN (Costume Designer) is making her SpeakEasy Stage debut. Credits include: Hype Man [2018 Elliot Norton Award – Outstanding Production] (American Repertory Theater/Company One); Hype Man (Mixed Blood Theatre); For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf (Praxis Stage). Education: Chemistry, Bachelor of Science, Simmons College; Chemistry, Master of Science, University of Oregon; Fashion Design Certificate, Massachusetts College of Art and Design. (she/her) KAT C. ZHOU (Lighting Designer) is pleased to make her SpeakEasy debut with BLKS. Recent(ish) theatre EMME SHAW (Props Master) is excited to be making credits: Wolf Play (Company One); Marie & Rosetta her SpeakEasy debut. This summer she designed for (Greater Boston Stage Company); and The Book Club Baskerville, Gloucester Stage Company’s outdoor Play (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre). Opera credits: return, and for the New England premiere of The Rake’s Progress (Boston University Opera Reparations. She joins SpeakEasy hot off Greater Institute); the Run AMOC! Festival (American Modern Boston Stage's production of The 39 Steps. Other Opera Company); and The Cunning Little Vixen (BU recent design credits include Gloucester Stage Opera Institute/Glimmerglass). She is also the Company’s Out of the Mouths of Babes, Cyrano, inaugural recipient of the Howell Binkley Fellowship The 39 Steps, and Native Gardens; and Greater (2021). She holds an MFA in Lighting Design from Boston Stage Company’s Miss Holmes, Onegin, The Boston University and an AB in Mathematics from Salonnieres, The Last Night at BowlMor Lanes, Million Harvard College. KatZhouDesign.com. (she/her) Dollar Quartet, and The Moors. Emme trained as an actor at Carnegie Mellon (BFA), and is a founding member of Pittsburgh Theater Labs. Thank you to Phoebe. (she/her) 18

WHO'S WHO - PRODUCTION TEAM (cont.)

THE BOSTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS (BCA) is a not-for-profit performing and visual arts campus that supports working artists to create, perform, and exhibit new works; develops new audiences; and connects the arts to community. For more information, visit bcaonline.org.

SPEAKEASY STAGE COMPANY operates under the NEAT rider to the Small Professional Theater contract with Actors’ Equity Association and is a member of NEAT (The Producer’s Association of New England Area Theatres). SpeakEasy is also proud to be the Pavilion Resident Company at the Boston Center for the Arts, and is a member of ArtsBoston, BAMA, StageSource, TAMA, and the Theatre Communications Group. www.SpeakEasyStage.com *MEMBER OF ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION (AEA) was founded in 1913 as the first of the American actor unions. Equity’s mission is to advance, promote, and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Today, Equity represents more than 49,000 actors, singers, dancers, and stage managers working in hundreds of theatres across the United States. Equity members are dedicated to working in the theatre as a profession, upholding the highest artistic standards.

AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. For more information, visit actorsequity.org. **Member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829. †The Director and/or Choreographer is a member

of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.

SpeakEasy is proud to partner with BRIGHTER BOSTON, a nonprofit organization that creates paid internships for urban teens backstage on professional shows. In its first three years, Brighter Boston has organized over one hundred internships for youth, on productions including Alison Krauss, LL Cool J, Bela Fleck, Anaïs Mitchell, Kelli O’Hara, the Celebrity Series of Boston, Vice Media, Harvard University, and WGBH. Brighter Boston interns are 68% minority and 66% female, greatly increasing the racial and gender diversity of Boston’s backstage theatre scene.

Equity negotiates wages and working conditions and provides a wide range of benefits including health and pension plans for its members. Through its agreement with Equity, this theatre has committed to the fair treatment of the actors and stage managers employed in this production.

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ADDITIONAL READING & RESOURCES Aziza Barnes' BLKS isn't your standard comedy. Sure, there's plenty to make you laugh – but past the raunchy humor and hilarious situations, BLKS has a lot to say about Black women in America. If you're looking to dig deeper into the themes and subject matter of BLKS, here's a great list of resources compiled by our staff.

Works Referenced in Our Production Butler, Octavia E. Kindred, Fledgling, & Collected Stories. Library of America, 2021.

Heguiaphal, Maia. "Lavett Ballard’s African American and Female Narratives." Daily Art Magazine, 14 Dec. 2020.

Hill, Jack, director. Coffy. American International Pictures, 1973.

MacGruder, Aaron. All the Rage: The Boondocks Past and Present. Three Rivers Press, 2017.

Murphy, Eddie. Raw. Eddie Murphy Productions, 1987.

On the Intersection of Black Liberation and Feminism Cherry, Myisha. "Black Feminism Is For Everybody." Womankind Magazine, 6 Jun. 2020.

Collins, Patricia Hill. Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. Routledge, 2008.

Combahee River Collective. "The Combahee River Collective Statement." 1997..

Crenshaw, Kimberlé. "The Urgency of Intersectionality." TED Talks, Oct. 2016. hooks, bell. Ain't I a Woman?: Black Women and Feminism. South End Press, 1981.

Hunt, Kenya. Girl Gurl Grrrl: On Womanhood and Belonging in the Age of Black Girl Magic.

Amistad, 2020.

Kendall, Mikki. Hood Feminism. Penguin Books, 1981.

Lorde, Audre. Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Crossing Press, 1984.

McMillan Cottom, Tressie. Thick: And Other Essays. The New Press, 2019.

Morris, Monique W. Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools. New Press, 2018.

Taylor, Keeanga-Yamahtta. "Until Black Women Are Free, None of Us Will Be Free." The New Yorker, 20 Jul. 2020.

Thee Stallion, Megan. "Why I Speak Up for Black Women." The New York Times, 13 Oct. 2020.

On African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) and CodeSwitching Asim, Jabari. The N Word: Who Can Say It, Who Shouldn't, and Why. Mariner Books, 2008.

Klarity. "'Black English': How AAVE Developed From Slave Resistance & African Dialects."

BET's The Breakdown, 5 Mar. 2021.

McCluney, Courtney L. “The Costs of Code-Switching.” Harvard Business Review, 15 Nov. 2019.

McWhorter, John. Talking Back, Talking Black: Truth’s About America’s Lingua Franca.

Bellevue Literary Press, 2017.

Rickford, John R. African American Vernacular English: Features, Evolution, Educational Implications. Wiley-Blackwell, 1993.

Thompson, Matt. "Five Reasons Why People Code-Switch." NPR, 13 Apr. 2013.

Thompson, Sydnee. "So Much Modern Slang Is AAVE. Here’s How Language Appropriation Erases The Influence Of Black Culture." BuzzFeed, 7 Sep. 2021.

20

ADDITIONAL READING & RESOURCES On Afro-Futurism Barton, Gina, Victoria Massie, and Joe Posner. "Afrofuturism mixes sci-fi and social justice. Here’s how it works." Vox, 4 Mar. 2016.

Dery, Mark. "Black to the Future: Interviews with Samuel R. Delany, Greg Tate, and Tricia Rose." Duke University Press, 1994.

Hicks, Cinqué. "What is Afrofuturist Art?" Africana.com, Apr. 2004.

Jemisin, N.K. How Long 'til Black Future Month?. Orbit Books, 2018.

Okorafor, Nnedi. "Sci-fi stories that imagine a future Africa." 22 Nov. 2017.

Weekes, Priscilla. "Afrofuturism: From Books to Blockbusters." PBS' It's Lit, 18 Mar. 2020.

Womack, Ytasha L. Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture. Chicago Review Press, 2013.

On White Privilege Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo. Racism without Racists: Colorblind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States. Beacon Press, 2018.

Fleming, Crystal Marie. How to Be Less Stupid about Race: On Racism, White Supremacy, and the Racial Divide. Beacon Press, 2019.

León, Felice. "How White Privilege Works." The Root, 15 Aug. 2018.

Oluo, Ijeoma. So You Want To Talk About Race. Seal Press, 2019.

Ramsey, Franchesca. "Why Does Privilege Make People So Angry?" MTV Decoded, Jan. 2016.

Local & National Organizations If you are moved by today's performance and are looking for ways that you can make a difference, or if you or a loved one are seeking assistance, here are just a few to check out.

BLACK LIVES MATTER BOSTON Website: www.BlackLivesMatterBoston.org

BLACK TRANS FEMMES IN THE ARTS COLLECTIVE Website: www.BTFAcollective.org

CITY LIFE/VIDA URBANA Address: 284 Amory Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 Phone: (617) 934-5006 Website: www.clvu.org

COMMUNITY CHANGE INC. Address: 2 Oliver St Suite 802, Boston, MA 02109 Phone: (617) 523-0555 Website: www.CommunityChangeInc.org

THE FRONT PORCH ARTS COLLECTIVE Website: www.FrontPorchArts.org

THE OKRA PROJECT Phone: (914) 984-7936 Website: www.TheOkraProject.com

RACIAL JUSTICE & HEALTH EQUITY

Address: 1010 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, MA 02118 Phone: (617) 534-5395 Website: www.bphc.org

SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE (SURJ) BOSTON Website: www.SURJBoston.org

THE THEATER OFFENSIVE Address: 565 Boylston St 3rd floor, Boston, MA 02116 Phone: (617) 661-1600 Website: www.TheTheaterOffensive.org

TRANS EMERGENCY FUND Phone: (774) 243-4647 Website: www.TransEmergencyFund.org

TRANS RESISTANCE MA Website: www.TransResistanceMA.com

VIOLENCE IN BOSTON, INC. Phone: (617) 652-0151 Website: www.ViolenceInBoston.org

Boston Public Health Commission 21

22

AN INTERVIEW WITH DESIGNER ANNA DRUMMOND SOUND DESIGNER

ANNA DRUMMOND

What did you want to be a part of this project?

I'll say it loud for anyone that will listen: Tonasia is a gift. An intuitive, thoughtful, and fearless artist in her own right, but also someone who, by just being themselves, brings out the best in people. I've been a fan of her work since I was freshly graduated from college and making the transition to the local Boston theatre scene. We got to work together producing an audio play a couple of months ago, and it was such an experience, I was honored to jump at the chance to make art together on a live stage. And especially such unabashed Black femme joy, so rightfully deserved and necessary to be shown.

What was the most challenging aspect for you in bringing the sound of this show to the stage?

I think the most challenging aspect would have to be the movement of the play. With the chaos of the night unfolding, we're getting multiple perspectives of events and chasing these three all around the city. The goal is balancing those audio transitions in a way that feels natural and pleasing to the ear, but also doesn't lose the energy or momentum of the dialogue and the action.

How does your design help us better understand the characters?

My hope with the sound design is to fully establish the world we're living in from an audible perspective, from music to backdrops to sound effects. But I also want to remove that barrier from an audience to make them feel as if they're along for this journey too. Immersion of the audience is key.

What do you hope folks take away from seeing this show?

What I want audiences to take away from this is what also drew me to the work itself: let Black women be. And when I say "be," I mean let them be anything they want to be. Ignore a monolith of what other media has told us black women should be and just let them be.

When anyone is allowed and safe to be their most authentic selves, the joy will follow.

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THANK YOU TO OUR ANNUAL FUND DONORS We are grateful to our leadership donors for their annual contributions to the company. Their gifts make it possible for SpeakEasy to continue growing and flourishing in the South End of Boston.

We deeply appreciate the amazing support and participation of this generous community.

BENEFACTORS - $25,000+ Nancy & Edward Roberts

Institutional Donors $50,000+

Barr-Klarman Massachusetts Arts Initiative Boston Center for the Arts*

$20,000-$49,999

The Shubert Foundation

$10,000-$19,999

Bank of America Mass Cultural Council

Alex Baker & Butch Chilton The Gregory E. Bulger Foundation/ Gregory Bulger & Richard Dix David Halstead Keith MacDonald & Tom Webber Nick Scandalios Paul & Jennifer Walsh Sam Yin Anonymous

PRODUCER - $5,000-$9,999

$5,000-$9,999

Boston Cultural Council Office of MassHousing City of Boston, Mayor's Office of Arts & Culture George & Alice Rich Charitable Foundation

$2,500-$4,999

Berkshire Bank Boston Veterinary Clinic Bove & Langa, P.C. O'Brien Wealth Partners

$1,000-$2,499

Barbershop Deluxe Bootleg Special* Cathy Marotta, Sotheby's Real Estate Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation Glenn's Rentals John Snow, Inc. MIDA* Roberta Orlandino, Coldwell Banker Seligman Dental Designs St. Paul's Episcopal Church Wilson Butler Architects

$500-$999

Liberty Mutual - Give With Liberty Program Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. *in-kind donor

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EXEC. PRODUCER - $10,000-$24,999

Stacey & Chris Constas Catherine & Harvey Cotton Carol G. Deane Kerry A. Dowling Jonathan Dyer & Thomas Foran Lucia & Bruce Field Andrew Fullem David S. Godkin & Pamela Haran Peter Hornstra Susan & Mark Irvings Terence Janericco Paul Kastner Joan & Paul Nunes Peter & Christine Palladino Erik & Ranesh Ramanathan Dana & Daniel Wolf

ASSOC. PRODUCER - $2,500-$4,999 Bob Band** Rick Bankhead & Kemper Thompson Susan Black & Richard O'Neal Anne d'Avenas & Jerry Brody Paul Daigneault & Jeffrey Mello Mary E. Darmstaetter Richard Davies & Alexander Albregts Danné Davis Betty Goldstein Garth & Lindsay Greimann Ken Hirschkind Jeanne Leszczynski & Diane Dicarlo Bill & Barbara Melone Network for Good† Faith & Glenn Parker**

THANK YOU TO OUR ANNUAL FUND DONORS ASSOCIATE PRODUCER - $2,500-$4,999 (CONT.) Jackie & Bob Pascucci Joey Riddle & Paul Miller Dawn & Doug Saglio Robert & Raeanne Sarazen

Alejandro Simoes & Gigi Watson Ann B. Teixeira Hal Tepfer & Stacie Simon & the Puppies

Carl & Sharon Turissini Hannah Weisman & Mike Peluse Clea & Neal Winneg Julianne Yazbek & JD Paul

PRODUCERS CIRCLE - $1,000-$2,499 Michael Appell & Guy Ronen Linda Aronson in Honor of Steven Aronson Clara & James Batchelor Gene Bauer & Ellen Shortell Edward Boesel Jon & Dixie Lee Borus Gary Buseck Don & Susan Casey Joe Castellana & Jim Seligman Pat & Mary Cogan Susan Culman* Ellen Davis & John Sullivan Sarah Delaney Dana Dilworth & Joseph O'Donnell Deborah Doktor & Marc Fisher Jeff & Erica Drazen Willis Emmons & Zach Durant-Emmons Peter & Kathy Feinmann FJN Charitable Foundation Tom Formicola & Lenny Goldstein John S. Foster Temple V. Gill & Christopher R. Yens Meegan Gliner Curly Glynn Cindy & Roger Goldstein The Rev. Gretchen Grimshaw & Thalia Meehan Barbara & Steve Grossman

Jay Hanflig & Donna Sinden Mark Hickey & Jack Cornwell Joy Howard & The Rev. Pamela Werntz Peggy Johnson Bill Kelly Edgar Knudson & Louis Mula Melissa Langa & Jeff Wulfson Nathan Levenson Roberta & Geoffrey Levy Lois Lindauer & Bill Seltz Marianne Lonati Mark & Mary Lunsford Malcolm MacDonald in honor of Keith MacDonald & Tom Webber Somerled Charitable/ Macdonald CGF Stuart & Yvonne Madnick Alyson Magliozzi Kathy McGirr & Keith Carlson Sean McGraw & Kristine Trustey Esther Messing Betsy Munzer Ann Noble & Valerie Grande Thomas Norris Bob Oldshue & Nina Calabresi Derek Osterman & Erik Johnson Ross Ozer & Scott Gortikov Grace Parker Richard Parritz

Ellen & Lou Piccioli Bruce G. Posner & Betsy Rudnick Susan & Stephen Root Leah Rugen & Andy Boral Chuck Schwager & Jan Durgin Kenneth & Rise Shepsle Robert Siefert & Maureen Shea-Siefert Gerald & Susan Slavet Nancy Stavis in memory of Edward Stavis Jim Stiles & Randy Bird Benjamin Sundin Richard G. Summers & Bill Thompson Karen Suyemoto Donna & Steve Tritman Jean Walsh & Graham Davies Jerry Wheelock & Elizabeth Wood Angela Yarde Anonymous (2) The lists on Pages 24-25 recognize donors with gifts of $1000+ to our Annual Fund and Event Sponsorships from 10/19/20-10/19/21. **Contributors to the Thomas Derrah Emerging Artists Fund †Gifts made through Facebook to the Thomas Derrah Emerging Artists Fund

Geraldine Bogard, Sabrina Victor, Shanelle Chloe Villegas, and Tenneh Sillah. Photo by Maggie Hall Photography.

25

THANK YOU TO OUR ANNUAL FUND DONORS FRIENDS CIRCLE

Thank you to these generous donors who have made a gift in the past year to support our season. We are inspired by their continued commitment to our mission.

SPONSOR - $500+ James Alexander Robert & Helen Alkon George Andreadis Diane M. Austin & Aaron J. Nurick Jeannine Ayotte Charles Baker, Sr. Kathy & Marshall Berenson Vijay Bettada Kevin Bleyle Paul Boutin & Rich Gurney Jim Bracciale & Richard Kestler Amy Brodesky Carol Carroll Sandra & Arnold Chase Kristine Clerkin & Catherine Hay Christine Coakley David Freeman Coleman Richard & Beth Compson David Crowley & Fran Pelletier Jon & Kim Davis The Daughters Fund Jim deVeer Richard & Paula Dobrow Glenn Edelson Katherine & Robert Eyre The Fife Family Foundation Mark Finklestein Foley Fiore Architecture Hilary Forbes Jim Freiman & Josh Peary Suzanne Greenberg Shelly F. Greenfield & Allan M. Brandt Laura Haas & Richard Wood Mark & Cynthia Haddad J. William Harris & Terry Rockefeller Kevin Hemenger Roz & Herb Hill Amy & Simon Horsburgh Ilene & Richard Jacobs Frederic S. Johnson Emily A. Karstetter Kate & Steve Kelley Jonathan T. Klein Marion Kuntz** Lynda Leahy Eric Levenson** William & Anastasia Lyman 26

Cathy Marotta Mary E. O'Connor Lowell Partridge Suzanne Priebatsch Wendy & Robert Reasenberg Sharon & Howard Rich Larry Rosenberg Roland W. Roy Timothy J. Rupert Pito & Chris Salas Brian Sands Dick & Dorothy Santos Bradley Seeman Henry Servinskas & Roy Du Bois Andrea Shirley & Joyce Richmond Cindy Shulak-Rome Artan Simeqi Ellen L. Simons Mark Smith & John O'Keefe Mark Staloff & Greg Bowne Jill Stauffer & Cyd Berry Martha Stearns** Crystal Tiala Patrick Turner Donald Vaughan & Lee Ridgway Brian Wagner & Tim Carlson Gregory Ward & Charles Murphy Emily & Jon Welch Robert Wilson & Sergio Mazon Maureen Brown Yoder Paula & Simon Young PATRON - $250+ Julie Arvedon Knowlton & Scott Knowlton Steve Avruch & Ed MacLean Kelly Aylward & Scott Ford Frank & Jane Bachner Rebecca Backman & Stephen Cotton Julie & Michael Bailit Judith Barr Kathleen Beckman & Theodore Postol Bender Hatch Insurance Paul Blackborow & Jessica Daniels Ben & Josette Blake Melanie Blower Daniel Borges

Don & Melinda Boroson Ken Brooks & Jim Ellis Bernice Buresh Laura Carney & Andy Clarkson Bob Chabot & Glen Doerr Lee Chelminiak & Doug Herberich John Cini & Star Lancaster Ellen Colton Jan Connery Susan & Bill Cotter Will Crumbley David Cucinotta & Jim Cove David Dalena & Brian Patton Kim Damokosh Andrea Dine & Jeffrey Wildstein Joseph-Roque Dion & David Bruce Wright Ken & Claire Edmondson Anne-Marie Enderby Maggi Farrell Harry Fatkin Michael Flier & David Trueblood David Foley Frank Fornaro Steven & Jessie Foster Arlene Franklin & Ray Jacques Joseph Frusciante Bill Furmanski Galejs Warren Family Fund Grace & Bill Gregor Wendy Bailey Hamilton Jennifer Harris & David Condon Rob Harris Nile S. Hawver & Maggie Hall Peter Haydu Chris Herring Ellen M. Hilly Megan & Chris Holding Chobee Hoy Dennis Humphrey Cathi Ianno Intel Corporation Corey & Sarah Jackson Alfred Kaplan & Ruth Sherman Michael Kaplan Thomas H. Kean Paul Kelly & Ed Dusek Paul & Sue Kilrain Stephen Knowlton & Joseph Pettigrew Pam LaRue

Christopher Lawrence & Philip White Kate Leavey Howard & Gareth Levy Peter Loewinthan David Lucey, Jr. Monica Luke Mark & Kate McKone-Sweet Lindsay McNair Peg Merzbacher Ellen & Jonathan Miller** Helaine Miller Maureen Mintz Joseph Misdraji Lynne & Richard Montross Pam Noble Jackie Norton Thomas Novak Jeff O. John Parisi Jill Pearson & Dan Ramirez Karen Perlow & Dale Place Maureen & Stephen Pike Marion & David Pollock Barbara & Frank Resnek Lee Ridgway & Donald Vaughan Glenn Rizzo & Paul Simpson Liz Ross & Bill O'Reilly Debbie & Eric Ruder Mark Saperstein & Eric Karnowski Mark Shura & Dan Harvey Peter Simkin Douglas & Karen Skillins Julie Starr & George Coggeshall Ashley Eaton & Douglas Talhelm Catherine & David Tomey Jim Torres & Bryce Avery, In Memory of Dottie Winer Bob & Nancy Tucker Paula Vassallo Thomas Verdi Andrea & Arthur Waldstein Davin & David Wedel Kerry Weiss-Pena & Gustavo Pena Christine & Richard Wellman Frances & Richard Winneg Andrew Zucker Anonymous

THANK YOU TO OUR ANNUAL FUND DONORS FRIEND - $100+ Jon Abbott & Shari Malyn Lillian Sober Ain Jason Allen-Forrest & Scott Forrest-Allen Mark Alpert & Bill Gustat Sara & Stuart Altman John Amodeo & Brian De Lorenzo Matthew Anderson Suzy Applegate Diane M. Aramony John Argos Martin Arick Bennett Aspel & Joyce Plotkin Doris Axelrod Jill Axelrod Bob & Judy Azanow Lucille & Robert Azanow Rick Barber & Mark Renaud Betsy Bard Laura K. Barooshian Denise Barreira Carol Becker Jeff Behrens Keith Bell & Brian Shannon Susann C. Benoit Rose Ann Berwald Isaac Colbert & Thomas Bessette Diane Biglow Chris Blaser & Derrick Ingram Robert Blum & Brian Haines Danny Bolton Deborah Botos Sandra Bower Linda Breen Peter Brennan Robin D. Redding Memorial Trust Fund - The Bretschneider Family Peter Britton Barbara Brown Mary Lou & Tom Buckley Matthew Burford Deborah Bower Burke Paul Butterworth Marianne Callahan Kristina Lentz Capano Richard J. Carey Margot E Carleton Matthew J. Carr Cathy Carswell Judith Chaffee F. Charnas Jessica Chartoff Barbara Christman Brian Chuang & Bruce Stewart Gerald Chuplis Bruce Churchill Ami Cipolla

Jon Clardy Jay S. Clark Edward Clasby Benny & Pat Macy Coffey James Cohen Laurence Cohen Anne Coletti Tom Collings & Lyn Sprague Kevin & Jane Connolly John Coombs Jennifer J. Coplon & Robert Frank Jenna Corcoran Ben Cornish German Crisostomo & Michael Askins Matthew Croak Harold S. Crowley, Jr. Sandra Cullison Susan Daley Kate Dare-Winters Marilyn Darling James Dawson Brian De Lorenzo Barry J. Decosta Mary Dill Glenn Dodge Terry Dolan Meghan Dorian Jackie Drapeau Erika Drezner June Duchesne Thom Dunn Greg Durkin & Jeff Goldsmith Lee W. Ellenberg & Ken Mitchell Kelly Epstein Catherine Esser Barbara Faires Paul Fallon Diane Fassino Allen Feinstein Orna Feldman Kevin & Georgia Fennessy Matthias & Rebecca Ferber Peter Ferguson Ricardo Ferrer Harry A. Fisher Carol Fishman Carol L. Fishman Glenda & Bob Fishman Kevin Forster Ouida & Brett Foster Meri Fox David & Melissa Fristrom Rolf Fuessler & Norman Goulet Lisa Furlong Terrance Gaetz

Jared Galvan Richard & Nicki Gamble David Gaylin Paula Georges Sterling B. Giles in memory of Rudy Kikel Karen & Geoffrey Gill Paul Giragos & Susan Snyder Constance Gist Guindo Amy Gitlin Nancy Gold Susan Gold Dan & Carol Goldberg Virginia Golden Priscilla Golding Susan Gonino Greg Gordon & Freya Emspak Barbara & Les Gore Charlene Grant & Carol Rosensweig Lily Grazioso Isaac Greenberg Bob Greene Daniel Greenwood Eric R. Greimann Nancy E. Grissom Debra Grossman & Kate Tyndall Julie Hackett Eric Hakansson & Phillip Perry Todd Michael Hall Michael Hallor Arleen Hardiman Mary Harmer Ellen & Mark Harmon Nancy P. Harris Carolyn & Alden Hart Timothy Harwood Daniel V. Herlihy May Herr Mary Hewson Madonna Hitchcock Dennis H Holtschneider Barbara Howland Alicia Ianiere Victor Ianno Anne James-Noonan Natalie Jensen John & Elaine Jepson Diane Fallon Johnson Donna R. Kalikow Barbara & Gerry Katz Sharon Marie Katz Sondra Katz & Jess Klarnet Timothy Kenslea Joan Klagsbrun George Klauber & Jo-Ann Ross Judith Kohler Stanley Kramer Andrea Kreitman

David Kronman Mitzi Kuroda L.L. Langlois John & Ann-Mara Lanza Catherine Laurent Thomas P. Lavin Daphne Layton Stephen Leahy Richard E. Lemire Deborah Levey & Crispin Weinberg David & Audrey Levington Winifred Li Terry Lighte Steven M. Lilly-Weber Ginny Lima David Linsky Steven Littlehale & Howard Berman Doug, Antonio, & Max Lockwood** Louise Lonabocker Marie Longo & Allison Bauer Elizabeth Lovance Danielle Maddon Mal Malme & Meg Stone Susan & Tom Mann Paul Marchesiani Martha Markowitz Emily R. Marshall Kerry Marshall & Steve Vorenberg Deena Matowik Bonnie McBride James McCloskey Tom McDonald Mary Beth McInerney & Susan Barclay Paul A. McLean & Mary-Margaret Segraves McMahon Architects Laurie McTeague Thalia Meehan Karole Mendelsohn Cheryl Mitchell Donald Mitchell Katalin Mitchell** Christopher Montani Amanda Mujica & Kim Slack Robert Mullen Mutual of America Matching Gifts Barbara Myerow & Edward Bloom Julie Nadal Leslie Nelken Nancy Nelson M.B. Nelting Peter & Beatrice Nessen 27

THANK YOU TO OUR ANNUAL FUND DONORS Paul Neumann The Nix Family Dave Nuscher & Dave Sullivan Fran O'Reilly Stephen & Margaret Ober Carol Ott Paul & Caryn Parnell Gordon Parry April Peavey Kerry Weiss-Pena & Gus Pena Nicholas Pepe Barry Perlman Richard & Margie Perse Marna Peters Stephen & Mary Linton Peters Kevin Petrovek & Nancy Cantella Deborah Anderson Phillips** Ted Pietras Judy Pike & Richard Miller Deb Poppel Frank Posluszny, In Memory of Karen Alice Yelin Norman & Susan Posner Philip Pryor Regina Pyle Debby Raboy Jim Rebitzer & Kathleen Engel Karen Reece & Mike Carvalho Suzanne E Ricco Gail A Riddle Todd Rinehart

John Ristaino Ilyse Robbins & Glen Mohr Pamela Roberts & Scott McInturff Ann Marie Rocheleau Stephen Romano & Pat Capozzi Peter Rombult Susan & Stephen Root Steve Rosenblum George Klauber & Jo-Ann Ross Sarah Rowley Richard Rubinstein Bob Ruggiero & Bruce Law Josh Ruman Allison Ryder Sakowitz Family Linda Sanches Robert Saoud Leslie Sargent Jean Scarrow Anne & Neil Schneider Claudia Schwartz Mary Scott & John Dempsey Mary Scurio Robert Seiler Judith Selden Judy Semonoff Kim Shanks David Shuckra Bert Silverberg Jill Silverstein

Ethel Slate Lisa Sloan Georgia & Christopher Smith Isabel Smith Margaret Smith Paula Spencer Mark Spiegel & Faith Rafkind Kathy St. George Edward Stanley Robert Stavins Bob & Bobbie Steinbach** Cassie Stewart Barbara Stillman David R. Sunderland Karen Sweet Nilsa Sweetser Alida Szabo Marcia Tabenken John Talbot Wesley L. Taylor Margaret Thomas Viola Thomas Maura Tighe Linda Tinkler Dawn Tucker Alexander Turchin Jill L. Turk Laurence Turka Celina Valadao E. St. John Villard Steve & Pat Vinter

Robert Volante Donna Wade George Walmsley Warm Leatherette** Michael Weingart Doug & Julie Weisman Amy & Irwin Weiss George & Gaby Whitehouse Carolyn R. Whiting Laurie Williams Mark & Rachel Winkeller Jared Wolf David B Wright Steven Yakutis & Guy Pugh David M. Young Valerie Young William Zielinski Stephen H. Zinner Aileen & Matthew Zogby Anonymous (4) The lists on Pages 26-28 recognize donors with gifts to our Annual Fund of $100-$999 from 10/19/20-10/19/21. **Contributors to the Thomas Derrah Emerging Artists Fund

WE ARE BOSTON'S HOME FOR THE BOLD It is here at SpeakEasy that you will find the most courageous and inclusive theatre in Boston. At SpeakEasy, we are driving Boston theatre forward and building community with productions that spark dialogue and inspire social change. And YOU make it possible.

We are so grateful to the thoughtful community who supported us through a year and a half of intermission, and we are thrilled to be back live on stage.

Thank you, SpeakEasy donors, for generously supporting our mission. www.SpeakEasyStage.com/support 28

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