SEPTEMBER - NOVEMBER 2017 SYRACUSE STAGE: [1] THE THREE MUSKETEERS [5] THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA: [9] CRAZY FOR YOU [11] THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS
1 | SYRACUSE STAGE
By Joseph Whelan
W
ith swords in hand, it’s best to start slowly.
Fight choreographer D.C. Wright emphasizes this as he works with three actors in an early rehearsal for the season opener The Three Musketeers. A sequence of moves—advance and retreat, advance and retreat—first taught then repeated and practiced slowly and deliberately. “Aim only for between the shoulder and the waist,” Wright instructs. Safety is paramount, so is footwork.
“Don’t shuffle. Step,” he cheerfully corrects.
involves shaping the “little bits of dialogue that connect the fights.”
For now, Wright is working with just three actors. Through the rehearsal process, his work will expand exponentially. He will choreograph fights large and small, comedic and vicious, all in service of telling an exciting and engaging story.
Hupp’s good-humored self-deprecation, though, belies a significantly more cogent observation about why The Three Musketeers makes a great opening for Syracuse Stage’s 45th season. The sweep of the story and the scale of production celebrate an expansive scope of theatre. It is a classic story that invites imaginative response from artists and audience alike. In short, it is unabashedly and wonderfully theatrical, or as Hupp would have it: “It demands to be told on stage.”
“It’s not just about swords clanking. For me, that’s the least interesting part,” he recently explained. “It’s about character. What the fight means for each character involved, and how that shapes the overall story.” Artistic director Bob Hupp, who has chosen this Alexandre Dumas classic for his Syracuse Stage directorial debut, joked that his own work simply
And it is big. There are many little and not so little bits Hupp must seamlessly connect. For instance, Stanley A. Meyer’s set
PHOTOS – COVER: ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, ROBERT HUPP. OPPOSITE: ALEXANDRE DUMAS IN 1855. SYRACUSE STAGE | 2
MARIANNE CUSTER'S COSTUME RENDERINGS FOR THE SHOW (L TO R) CARDINAL RICHELIEU, ATHOS AND KING LOUIS
”I
’m drawn to epic plays: plays that have the sweep and scope of history, plays that are messy and a little dangerous, and with one wrong turn, could spin out of control...
- BOB HUPP, Artistic Director
3
| SYRACUSE STAGE
”
must accommodate almost 20 locations from a Paris street to Cardinal Richelieu’s chambers to an inn in Calais, while providing ample space for Wright’s swashbuckling fights. (Wright calls the design a wonderful gymnasium that will allow some special physical abilities of the cast to shine.) Inspired by the lush beauty of Baroque painting, Marianne Custer’s costume plot swells with some 58 costumes, including period gowns, and topped-off with wigs by Robert Pickens. As with Meyer’s set, Custer’s costumes must be up to the special demands of the stage combat “so that the actors can perform lunges during the sword fights.” As Hupp anticipates a good amount of underscoring throughout, Jonathan Herter's sound design incorporates original music composed specifically for this production by Ryan Rumery. In addi-
THE THREE MUSKETEERS SEPT 20 - OCT 8 wed. SEPT 20
7:30 pm p
thur. SEPT 21 7:30 pm p fri. SEPT 22
8 pm op
sat. SEPT 23
3 pm, 8 pm
sun. SEPT 24 2 pm pl, 7 pm d tues. SEPT 26
7:30 pm
wed. SEPT 27
2 pm w,o 7:30 pm
thur. SEPT 28
7:30 pm h
fri. SEPT 29
8 pm
sat. SEPT 30
3 pm s, pl, 8 pm
sun. OCT 1 wed. OCT 4
2 pm 7:30 pm
thur. OCT 5
7:30 pm pl
fri. OCT 6
8 pm
sat. OCT 7
3 pm ad, 8 pm o
sun. OCT 8
2 pm o
p = preview op = opening d = discussion s = ASL interpreted o = open captioning ad = audio described h = happy hour pl = prologue w = Wed@1 SEPTEMBER 23 - Wine & Chocolate OCTOBER 4 - Dinner & Show PRESENTING SPONSORS
tion, there is dance choreography by Anthony Salatino, and songs to learn with the help of Rebecca Karpoff.
It is also an opportunity for him to share his passion for classic tales that transport audiences to realms beyond the ordinary.
Creating an adventure on this scale requires the coordination of multiple and sizable moving parts. It is not for the actors alone to heed Wright’s advice to mind the footwork. Each step in this complex process matters—from the measured paces of the early stages to the final leaps that bring The Three Musketeers bounding onto the Archbold stage.
“I’m drawn to epic plays: plays that have the sweep and scope of history, plays that are messy and a little dangerous, and with one wrong turn, could spin out of control,” he explained. “And I love plays about passion and villains and true love. The Three Musketeers has all of that and more. It’s a larger-than-life story that’s perfectly suited to my directing debut at Syracuse Stage.”
Since his arrival last season, Hupp has expressed admiration for the Archbold Theatre as a space big enough to embrace an epic, yet small enough to bring the audience right into the action. With its sprawling, brawling physicality and intimate intrigue, The Three Musketeers is the perfect vehicle for Hupp to explore the possibilities of his new artistic home.
En Garde!
SPONSOR
MEDIA SPONSORS
OPENING NIGHT CHAMPAGNE TOAST SPONSOR
SEASON SPONSORS
SYRACUSE STAGE |
4
A THEATRICAL FIRST
T
ACTOR MICKEY ROWE
by Jerald Raymond Pierce
he Tony Awardwinning play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Simon Stephens, based on the novel by Mark Haddon, centers around Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old boy on the autism spectrum.
Rowe, who is on the autism spectrum, is set to portray Christopher in Syracuse Stage’s production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. He says he “almost cried with joy” when he received the news director Risa Brainin had cast him in the role. He has identified with Christopher since he first read the novel.
When Christopher finds his neighbor’s dog stuck through with a pitchfork, he temporarily becomes the police’s prime suspect, a development that prompts him to seek out the real culprit. The role of Christopher is demanding. Each performance is emotionally draining and physically punishing. It is the kind of meaty role that leads to awards. Luke Treadway took the 2013 Olivier Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Christopher in the London production. Alex Sharp
5 |
SYRACUSE STAGE
Seattle-based Mickey Rowe is the first actor on the autism spectrum to be cast as Christopher in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
took the 2015 Tony Award for Best Actor when he played the role on Broadway. Until now, this exceptional role has never been portrayed by an actor on the autism spectrum. Seattle-based actor Mickey Rowe is changing that.
“I really connected with Christopher on so many levels,” Rowe explained in an interview with huffingtonpost.com. “To give one example Christopher says, ‘I really like little spaces… as long as there’s no one else in them with me. Sometimes when I want to be on my own I go into the airing cupboard, slide in next to the boiler, and pull the door closed behind me, and sit there and think for hours, and it makes me feel very calm.’ When I was a kid I had a wooden trunk I kept my magic tricks in, and I would often sit inside of it with the lid closed for hours until my mom would make me get out because she was worried
A phone call from Allen to the advocacy organization Inclusion in the Arts put Rowe on track to this groundbreaking part. Since Rowe resides in Seattle and Syracuse Stage and IRT were casting in Chicago, Allen had Rowe submit a video audition. Hupp and Brainin saw the video and were impressed. “We were immediately taken with his rendition of Christopher,” Rainin said. “We then explored his website and discovered he has phenomenal movement skills. I was blown away by two video clips: elements from a beautiful devised piece based on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory and a hilarious 3.5 minutes of Mickey juggling knives while riding a unicycle! We all agreed he was our leading candidate for the role.”
about how much air might be left inside.” Rowe was diagnosed with autism at age 21. He believes his life with autism has prepared him not only to play Christopher but to pursue a career as an actor as well. “Autistics use scripts every day,” he explained. “We use scripting for daily situations that we can predict the outcome of, and stick to those scripts. My job as an autistic is to make you believe that I am coming up with words on the spot, that this is spontaneous, the first time the conversation has ever happened in my life; this is also my job on stage as an actor. “As an autistic, I have felt vulnerable my entire life,” he added. “To be vulnerable on stage is no biggie.” The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is co-produced with Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT). Last spring, advocacy organizations reached out to Syracuse Stage artistic director Robert Hupp and IRT artistic director Janet Allen to ask if they were looking to cast actors on the spectrum. Hupp said that they were open to the idea, but they were not specifically asking actors if they were on the spectrum because he saw it as an inappropriate question.
INCLUSION IN THE ARTS Mickey Rowe, the first actor on the autism spectrum to be cast as Christopher in a production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, relates what he says is an old joke. “What’s the surest way to win an Oscar, Tony, Emmy, etc.? Have a non-disabled person play a disabled character. “Only it’s not really a joke,” he continues. “There is so much misinformation and so many stereotypes around autism because we nearly always learn about autism from others instead of going straight to the source and learning about autism from autistic adults.” To underscore Rowe’s point, Luke Treadway and Alex Sharp each won a major award for portraying Christopher in London and on Broadway respectively. A 2016 study on the employment of actors with disabilities in television done by the Ruderman Family Foundation found, while people with disabilities make up 20 percent of the population, they comprise less than one percent of characters on television. Of that, able-bodied actors play 95 percent of those characters with disabilities. Organizations like Inclusion in the Arts look to facilitate more cases like Rowe’s. Inclusion in the Arts originated as an online database for companies looking to achieve greater diversity in casting, specifically actors of color. Over the years, the organization has broadened its reach to include, among others, actors with disabilities. The Inclusion in the Arts model has evolved from that original online database to a process where theatre companies, producers, and casting directors reach out to the
SYRACUSE STAGE
|
6
CURIOUS INCIDENT
“Clearly his video put him in the top contenders for the role,” Hupp said. “He just really brought a life to the role that we hadn’t seen.”
OCT 25 - NOV 12
Brainin then traveled to Seattle to meet Rowe. “After spending time with Mickey, there was no question in my mind that he was the right person for the role,” she said. “He is a wonderful actor, a joy to work with, and brings a deeply personal understanding of Christopher’s autism to the role. I could not be more thrilled with the choice of Mickey Rowe for Christopher.”
wed. OCT 25 7:30 pm p thur. OCT 26 7:30 pm p fri. OCT 27 8 pm op sat. OCT 28 3 pm, 8 pm sun. OCT 29 2 pm pl, 7 pm d
organization directly for actor suggestions. This allows for more individualized attention and fosters positive relationships between the organization and those looking to cast diverse actors.
This play, Hupp adds, allows audiences to learn from the story of someone who may experience the world differently. Rowe believes that his performance could deepen the experience for the audience.
For Inclusion in the Arts' disability advocate Christine Bruno, an actor with a disability herself, representation is crucial for combating stereotypes and misinformation.
His portrayal of Christopher, he hopes, will give audiences something “more real and more honest and more human.”
“One of the things we’ve been saying for years is: disabled people aren’t even allowed to play themselves most of the time,” Bruno said. Noting labels like “cripface” and “disability drag,” Bruno points to problematic, widely accepted trends. Bruno sees audiences still thinking of disabilities as a technical skill—as something actors do. “I think people don’t see disability as part of the larger picture of diversity,” Bruno said. “Disability is still kind of looked at as the ‘other’ or an afterthought.” Rowe’s casting marks a step toward adequate representation for people with autism and offers a glimpse into the next wave of advocacy. This wave includes Deaf West’s innovative production of Spring Awakening and the casting of Madison Ferris as Laura in The Glass Menagerie, which marked the first time an actor in a wheelchair played a leading role on Broadway. – JERALD RAYMOND PIERCE
7
| SYRACUSE STAGE
2 pm o,w, 7:30 pm
thur. NOV 2
7:30 pm h
fri. NOV 3
Hupp agrees with Brainin’s assessment of Rowe. “He’s not only a skilled actor, but also physically accessible,” he said. “The role of Christopher is very demanding intellectually, emotionally, and physically, and I believe that Mickey brings all of that to the table through his passion and authenticity as an actor.”
“Nearly every time we see autism portrayed in our media, it’s being portrayed by nonautistic actors, non-autistic writers, and non-autistic directors,” Rowe said. “There’s very rarely anyone on the spectrum involved anywhere on the team.”
wed. NOV 1
8 pm
sat. NOV 4
2 pm pl,s, 8 pm
sun. NOV 5
2 pm
tues. NOV 7 7:30 pm wed. NOV 8 7:30 pm thur. NOV 9 7:30 pm pl fri. NOV 10 8 pm sat. NOV 11
3 pm ad, 8 pm o
sun. NOV 12 2 pm o p = preview op = opening d = discussion s = ASL interpreted o = open captioning ad = audio described h = happy hour pl = prologue w = Wed@1 NOVEMBER 5 - Poetry & Play NOVEMBER 8 - Dinner & Show MEDIA SPONSOR
OPENING NIGHT CHAMPAGNE TOAST SPONSOR
SEASON SPONSORS
MADISON FERRIS, WHO PLAYED LAURA ON BROADWAY, DURING A 2017 REHEARSAL OF THE GLASS MENAGERIE. PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER ANDERSON FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES
EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH
Word to the World
Young Playwrights for Change National Competition Grades 6-8 Regional host: Syracuse Stage, accepting two entries per school for consideration in national contest. Plays should be 10 minutes. We are looking for the authors of your school’s top two ten-page plays to attend playwriting workshops with Syracuse Stage.Visit SyracuseStage.org for more info. PLAYS DUE: NOVEMBER 14, 2017
Children's Tour
Metamorphan Nov. 4, 11:00 a.m. Public Performance Written & Directed by Lauren Unbekant Scenic & Costume Design by Lindsey Vandevier | Original Composition & Sound Design by Emmett Van Slyke
S
yracuse Stage continues to provide students with enriching theatre experiences through a variety of educational programming. This year we are pleased to announce the continuation of our in-school initiatives with Backstory and The Bank of America's Children's Tour. Both feature new works, Metamorphan by Lauren Unbekant and Airborn by Evan A. Starling-Davis. With over 400 attendees to last year's sensory friendly performance, Syracuse Stage will provide a matinee of The Wizard of Oz on December 30, at 3:00 p.m. The performance allows for families with members on the autism spectrum or with other sensory processing issues to attend theatre in a judgement-free zone.
FREE PUBLIC PERFORMANCE
of this year's Bank of America Children's Tour production, Metamorphan: Saturday, November 4 at 11:00 a.m., Syracuse Stage.
Backstory: NOW BOOKING
The Backstory program is a live, interactive, and creative history lesson for upper elementary students through adults. Actors visit classrooms and other venues to bring historical characters to life. Anne Frank: My Secret Life By Patricia Buckley Her diary, which has been translated into 67 languages, remains one of the most widely read books in the world. Through the eyes of this remarkable girl, we see into the annex of her father’s office, and in her own voice, hear her dreams for a better world. Airborn By Evan A. Starling-Davis In the midst of the Second World War, while at odds with a racially segregated military and Jim Crow South, a squadron of African-American pilots train at an overpopulated base in Tuskegee, Alabama. When they're called to fly out on their first mission, a mix of personalities transform into a historic beginning.
Metamorphan is the story of a young orphan boy named Gregory, whose difficult foster home has made his life at school miserable. Gregory is teased by his classmates and the school bully “Skeet” for his shabby clothes, second-hand sneakers and lack of kickball chops. Then one day, with a little magic from the school custodian Frank, Gregory awakes to find himself transformed into a super-sports beetle and all bets are off! Metamorphan is a fast-paced comical yet endearing story of how a young boy overcomes obstacles, stands up to bullies, and makes valuable friends. The Tour will visit 21 schools in the CNY area from September 14 - December 7.
Sensory Friendly
Performance of The Wizard of Oz is scheduled for December 30 at 3:00 p.m. Special accommodations include: - Lower sound levels, especially for loud or startling noises - Reduced stage lighting - Increased lighting in the theatre to allow easier movement if necessary - Preparatory materials provided to parents and children before the show so families know what to expect - Use of iPads or smartphones if being used as a child's communication device - Designated rooms outside the theatre for those who may be overwhelmed and need a minute to self-regulate - Specially trained ushers, staff, and volunteers
FOR BOOKING AND MORE INFORMATION: KATE LAISSLE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION CALL: 315-442-7755, OR EMAIL: KMLAISSL@SYR.EDU
SYRACUSE STAGE | 8
OCT. 6 - 15
A Joyous and Uplifting Gershwin Musical opens DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA SEASON
GEORGE AND IRA GERSHWIN have long been a part of the history of American music. The opening clarinet from “Rhapsody in Blue,” the taxi horn theme from An American in Paris, and the songs “Embraceable You,” “The Man I love,” “My One and Only,” and so many others are instantly recognizable. Even the mention of the name “Gershwin” brings to mind the glamour of the 1920s and 1930s, personified by the Gershwin brothers who gave a musical voice to the time. Their talents brought them fame on Broadway with Porgy and Bess, Funny Face, and Of Thee I Sing. The Gershwin musical comedy, Crazy for You, was based on the 1930s hit Girl Crazy, and follows a well-to-do young New Yorker named Bobby Child. When Child’s mother forces him to foreclose on a theatre owned by the family business (an act that would lose him the heart of his one true love, Polly), he decides to put on a play to pay the mortgage. Though the mounting at first is unsuccessful, the endeavor lays the foundation for career success and true love. Crazy for You first opened at the Shubert Theatre in 1992 and ran for four years. The production was one of the first shows to be considered a jukebox musical, and included an array of beloved songs by the Gershwin brothers, “Someone To Watch Over Me,” “I Got Rhythm,” and “What Causes
9 | DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA
That?” The show first came together when director Mike Ockrent (Me and My Girl) desired to create a musical honoring the Gershwin legacy, years after Ira and George’s deaths. Ockrent then hired up-and-coming choreographer Susan Stroman to help. Ockrent and Stroman fell in love during the making of the show and eventually married, but sadly, their marriage was cut short when Ockrent died of Leukemia in 1999. His death occurred just as they were starting work on The Producers with Mel Brooks. After Ockrent’s death, Stroman took over the show, which won a record of 12 Tony Awards in 2001. Assistant Acting professor in the Department of Drama Brian J. Marcum directs and choreographs this production of Crazy for You. Marcum is also a dancer and choreographer, with a career spanning from Broadway to teaching at some of the finest institutions of higher education in the country. As a dancer, Marcum performed in six Broadway shows: The Gershwins, Fascinating Rhythm, Saturday Night Fever, 42nd Street, The Boy from Oz starring Hugh Jackman, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Spamalot. As a choreographer, Marcum was the original associate choreographer for the Broadway holiday musical Elf. Marcum explained that the choreography process for Crazy for You was a fun challenge to envision.
“I like to take the whole musical and look at it as an eight-bar-phrase at a time and figure out what sounds best,” said Marcum. “Then I envision what kind of stage pictures I want to create and how I’m going to get the story across.” Marcum’s vision stays within some of the confines of Stroman’s choreography to pay homage to her work, but there are a few changes he has made to accommodate the Storch Theatre space as well as add his own personal flare. The original production’s ensemble consisted of 10 men and 10 women, but in the Department of Drama production there are six men and six women in the ensemble. The remaining cast will consist of seven principles and offstage vocalists that Marcum says will make up more than 20 members. “I have chosen to make things a tad different because I find the original Stroman choreography a bit more time intensive, especially with the limited amount of time we have,” said Marcum. “So we’ve cut the cast down and focused on each student actor’s personal strengths and talents. To be able to see what they will bring to the table is most exciting to me as a director and choreographer. I love seeing the light in their eyes when they hear the music, or they do a step, or we finally get through a number.”
n GEORGE AND IRA GERSHWIN Another change Marcum is working on is the location of the orchestra. Marcum said his goal is to put the orchestration at the forefront of the show. “This is going to be a different kind of production than anyone has ever seen before because the orchestra is on stage,” said Marcum. “I wanted the orchestra to be incorporated into the choreography because the music is so important. In order to make this happen we had to consider the theatre’s limited fly space. So what we’ve done with this production is created kind of
a second level to the set. All entrances and exits will happen mostly underneath that second level platform.” Crazy for You is credited with bringing American musical comedy back on Broadway after decades of British spectacles such as The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables.
The music is so beautiful, timeless and oh so fun! Our hope is that we can take audiences away from whatever it is they're dealing with and make them forget about the bad stuff in the world for a moment. We hope to be able to give them that gift, and to have them leave uplifted and joyous. whatever it is they're dealing with and make them forget about the bad stuff in the world for a moment. We hope to be able to give them that gift, and to have them leave uplifted and joyous.”
–TIONGE JOHNSON
“The lyrics of the Gershwin brothers’ music translates almost 100 years later after it was originally written,” said Marcum. “The music is so beautiful, timeless and oh so fun! Our hope is that we can take audiences away from
Presented by Syracuse University’s Department of Drama in the College of Visual and Performing Arts | Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin | Book by Ken Ludwig | Co-conception by Ken Ludwig and Mike Ockrent | Inspired by Material by Guy Bolton and John McGowan | Originally produced on Broadway by Roger Horchow and Elizabeth Williams | Original Broadway Choreography by Susan Stroman | Directed and Choreographed by Brian J. Marcum | Musical Direction by Brian Cimmet | Performed in the Storch Theatre at 820 East Genesee Street | October 6 - 15 | Tickets are $16-$18, available at 315-443-3275 or by visiting vpa.syr.edu/dramatickets DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA | 10
:
THE IMPORTANCE OF MEMORY
O
n January 8, 1981, Isabel Allende received word that her beloved grandfather, nearly 100 years old, was dying. That evening, Allende sat at her kitchen table and began a letter to the man who helped raise her and who she knew she would not see before his death. Allende was an exile. Forced out of her native Chile by the 1973 military coup, she had been working as a school administrator in Venezuela. Night after night she added to the letter “to tell him that I remembered everything he had ever told me.” He died before receiving the letter, which by the end of a year, had grown in length to 500 pages.
NOVEMBER 10 - 18 13 |
DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA
Allende recognized that what she had written was no longer a letter. It became her first novel, the muchacclaimed The House of the Spirits, a story set in an unnamed South American country undergoing a political nightmare not unlike Chile under General Augusto Pinochet. Allende’s family suffered significantly during the September 11, 1973 coup and its aftermath. Backed by the Nixon administration and supported by the CIA, the Chilean military overthrew the elected socialist government of President Salvador Allende, the author’s second cousin. President Allende died during the coup, reportedly having committed suicide as military jets bombed the Presidential Palace in Santiago. The author’s mother and stepfather, a diplomat, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in Argentina. Then Isabel began receiving death threats and fled to Venezuela. Although she had worked as a journalist, she did not aspire to a career as a novelist. The coup and the death of her grandfather changed her. “The House of the Spirits was an attempt to recover the world I’d lost in exile—my family, my country, my past, my grandfather—and I think I did. It will forever be in that book,” she explained in a 2016 interview. “I think I needed to lose my country to start writing.” The atrocities of the Pinochet regime are well known. Nearly 3,000 Chileans were executed or “disappeared” during his 17-year rule. Almost 30,000 more were detained and tortured. Chile became a country where “terror reigned” Allende has said, and that brutal
history forms a significant part of The House of the Spirits. In adapting The House of the Spirits for the stage, award-winning playwright Caridad Svich took an instance of that brutality and used it as a gateway to the wider story. The first scene of her adaptation takes place in a prison where Alba—the youngest of the three generations of women in the Trueba family—undergoes interrogation. From this point forward, Alba becomes at once a participant in and a witness to history. The play spans the 1920s through the 1970s, as the country moves through change and the upheaval that results in dictatorship. The memories of her family and of happier times help her survive the ordeal. Svich has explained that she never set out to present a verbatim reproduction of the novel. She considers her play more of a “meditation and reflection” of Allende’s work. Her aim was to stay “true to the spirit” of the writer. Her choice to refract the entire story through the imprisoned Alba achieves that, especially with its focus on the family, which is at the heart of the novel. “I was thinking of our very own Latin American families,” Allende once wrote. “I live in a continent where the family is very important, so it seemed natural to tell the story of a country and continent through the eyes of a family. My theory is that in my continent the state is generally my enemy. It’s every single citizen’s enemy. You can’t hope for anything from the state…. Where is your protection, your security? In your family, and to the extent
that you have your tribe around you, you are safe. That’s why the family is so important, and that’s why it’s constantly present in Latin American literature.” Equally apparent in both play and novel is the importance of memory. “Maybe the most important reason for writing is to prevent the erosion of time, so that memories will not be blown away by the wind. Write to register history, and name each thing. Write what should not be forgotten,” Allende has noted. This point informed Svich as she worked on the adaptation. “The play, The House of the Spirits is an elegant ghost story,” she explained in a 2013 interview. “But ultimately, it’s a teaching story. We Americans in the U.S.A. still haven’t reconciled ourselves with our past. I wrote this play with former George Bush and the abuses of Abu Ghraib in mind. We have to look at the past—both good and bad. Don’t whitewash history. Learn from it.” The date January 8 is now sacred for Allende. She has written more than twenty books, each begun on a January 8. She maintains the ritual, the discipline, whether or not she knows what she is going to write. She trusts the story will come and she wants to connect with her readers. She wants people to know what “has happened before will happen again.” She knows from experience the value of experience. Before September 11, 1973, she never believed Chile would ever be governed by a dictator.
- JOSEPH WHELAN
Presented by Syracuse University’s Department of Drama in the College of Visual and Performing Arts | A New Play with Songs by Caridad Svich | Based on the Novel by Isabel Allende | Directed by Celia Madeoy | Performed in the Storch Theatre at 820 East Genesee Street | November 10 - 18 | Tickets are $16-$18, available at 315-443-3275 or by visiting vpa.syr.edu/dramatickets
DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA | 12
NEW & NOTEWORTHY
A
New Dates for Cold Read: A Festival of Hot New Plays APRIL 5 – 8
April 5: Kick-off party and script reading April 6: Staged reading of a play under consideration for a future Syracuse Stage season April 7: Solo performance of a new work by a writer-performer April 8: Reading of a brand new work followed by a moderated discussion
New Assistive Listening System B
D
C
E
With support from the Dorothy and Marshall M. Reisman Foundation, we have replaced our assistive listening system with a Wireless FM system. The new technology and use of additional microphones significantly improves the experience for patrons, who may use the system with headphones we supply, their own earbuds or headphones, or with t-coil technology for those who use hearing aids equipped with a t-switch.
Saturday Evening Open Captioned Performances Added The Three Musketeers: October 7 at 8 p.m.
GALA 2017
T
hree hundred guests came out to celebrate at Syracuse Stage’s largest fundraising event of the season. The evening began with a cocktail reception and silent auction in the Panasci Lounge at the Syracuse University Schine Student Center. Following cocktails was dinner and a tribute to former artistic director Robert Moss. After dinner, the crowd was treated to the lively music of Los Lobos. The event raised over $100,000 for artistic and educational programming at Syracuse Stage.
17 SYRACUSESTAGE STAGE DEVELOPMENT 13 || SYRACUSE
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: November 11 at 8 p.m. PHOTOS BY JERRY KLINEBERG A.) GUESTS DANCING TO LOS LOBOS
The Wizard of Oz: December 16 at 8 p.m.
B.) DR. RUTH CHEN, CHANCELLOR KENT SYVERUD, AND STAGE TRUSTEES HELENE GOLD, BOB POMFREY, AND NEIL GOLD
Next to Normal: February 10 at 8 p.m.
C.) HONOREE OF THE EVENING, STAGE’S FORMER ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ROBERT MOSS, POSES WITH MANAGING DIRECTOR JILL ANDERSON AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR BOB HUPP
The Magic Play: May 12 at 8 p.m.
D.) AUCTION CHAIR/STAGE TRUSTEE JACKI GOLDBERG, GALA COMMITTEE COCHAIR/STAGE TRUSTEE ROBIN CURTIS, GALA COMMITTEE MEMBER CLEA HUPP, GALA COMMITTEE MEMBER/STAGE TRUSTEE JOHN STEIGERWALD, AND GALA CO-CHAIRS/STAGE TRUSTEES SUZANNE AND KEVIN MCAULIFFE E.) STAGE BOARD PRESIDENT BEA GONZÁLEZ, MICHAEL LEONARD, AND LOS LOBOS BAND MEMBER CESAR ROSAS AT THE POST-SHOW MEET AND GREET
A Raisin in the Sun: March 10 at 8 p.m.
Restroom Renovation
Expansion and renovations have been completed on new accessible bathrooms and a single-user accessible restroom in the Archbold Theatre lobby.
Pay-What-You-Will
We believe everyone should be able to attend Syracuse Stage performances. With this in mind, we are offering 76 tickets to the first preview (Wednesday evening) performance of each show on a pay-what-you-will basis. Tickets must be claimed in person at the Box Office on the day of performance only, limit of two per person.
EVENTS SEPTEMBER - NOVEMBER 2017 Adapted by Catherine Bush From the Novel by Alexandre Dumas Directed by Robert Hupp Co-produced with the Syracuse University Department of Drama September 20 - October 8
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Wednesday, November 1: Speaker: Christine Ashby, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Teaching and Leadership Department of the School of Education at Syracuse University. Her teaching and research focuses on inclusive education, with specific emphasis on supports for students with autism. *Speakers and topics subject to change
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
ACTOR TALKBACK SERIES
SYRACUSE STAGE The Three Musketeers
By Simon Stephens Adapted from the Novel by Mark Haddon Directed by Risa Brainin Co-produced with Indiana Repertory Theatre October 25 - November 12 PROLOGUE
During the run of each show, join us for free, intimate, pre-show talks led by a member of the cast. One hour prior to curtain, three times during the run of each show. The Three Musketeers Sunday, September 24 at 1 p.m. Saturday, September 30 at 2 p.m. Thursday, October 5 at 6:30 p.m. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Sunday, October 29 at 1 p.m. Saturday, November 4 at 2 p.m. Thursday, November 9 at 6:30 p.m.
A lively discussion with the actors following the 7 p.m. Sunday night performance. The Three Musketeers Sunday, September 24
The Three Musketeers Friday, September 22 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Friday, October 27 WEDNESDAY@1 LECTURES
Pre-show lecture at 1 p.m. in the Sutton Pavilion before the 2 p.m. matinee performance. The Three Musketeers Wednesday, September 27 Speaker: Hobart and William Smith Colleges professor Nicola Minott-Ahl will delve deeper into Alexandre Dumas' famous work. Minott-Ahl holds a Ph.D. in comparative literature and is currently working on a book-length study: The Architectural Novel: How William Ainsworth, Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas Constructed the National Identities of 19th Century England and France.
Enjoy a buffet dinner with fellow theatre lovers in the Sutton Pavilion. Seasonal fare prepared by Phoebe’s Restaurant followed by great theatre. The Three Musketeers Wednesday, October 4 at 6 p.m. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Wednesday, November 8 at 6 p.m. WINE & CHOCOLATE
Tastings of select wines paired with exquisite chocolate prior to the performance
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Sunday, October 29
The Three Musketeers Saturday, September 23 prior to the 8 p.m. performance
HAPPY HOUR SERIES
POETRY & PLAY
Warm up before the show with half-priced drinks, signature cocktails, and complimentary appetizers from fine local restaurants. Located in the Sutton Pavilion at Syracuse Stage, Happy Hours start at 6 p.m. with performances at 7:30 p.m.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Sunday, November 5 at 1 p.m. (2 p.m. show)
The Three Musketeers Thursday, September 28: Scavenger Hunt The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Thursday, November 2: Murder Mystery Happy Hour
OPENING NIGHT PARTY
Join us for a post-show party with live music and complimentary food following each opening night performance. Performances at 8 p.m.
DINNER & SHOW
OPEN CAPTIONING
The Three Musketeers Wednesday, September 27 at 2 p.m. Saturday, October 7 at 8 p.m. Sunday, October 8 at 2 p.m. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Wednesday, November 1 at 2 p.m. Saturday, November 11 at 8 p.m. Sunday, November 12 at 2 p.m.
A reading series that connects the literary arts to the work on our stage.
DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA
Crazy for You
Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin Book by Ken Ludwig | Co-conception by Ken Ludwig and Mike Ockrent | Inspired by Material by Guy Bolton and John McGowan | Originally produced on Broadway by Roger Horchow and Elizabeth Williams | Original Broadway Choreography by Susan Stroman | Directed and Choreographed by Brian J. Marcum | Musical Direction by Brian Cimmet Oct. 6 - 15 | Opening Night Oct. 7
The House of the Spirits
A New Play with Songs by Caridad Svich | Based on the Novel by Isabel Allende | Directed by Celia Madeoy Nov. 10 – 18 | Opening Night Nov. 11
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETED
The Three Musketeers Saturday, September 30 at 3 p.m. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Saturday, November 4 at 3 p.m. AUDIO DESCRIPTION
The Three Musketeers Saturday, October 7 at 3 p.m. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Saturday, November 11 at 3 p.m.
is published by Syracuse Stage and Department of Drama throughout the season for their subscribers and alumni. Editor: Joseph Whelan (jmwhelan@ syr.edu). Designers: Brenna Merritt & Jonathan Hudak.
ROBERT HUPP, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR; JILL A. ANDERSON, MANAGING DIRECTOR; KYLE BASS, ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR; SYRACUSE STAGE. RALPH ZITO, CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA.
SYRACUSE STAGE/ DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA
|
14
Syracuse Stage: THE THREE MUSKETEERS | SEPTEMBER 20 - OCTOBER 8 THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME | OCTOBER 25 - NOVEMBER 12 The Syracuse University Department of Drama: CRAZY FOR YOU | OCTOBER 6 - 15 THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS | NOVEMBER 10 - 18 820 East Genesee Street
Syracuse, NY 13210-1508 www.SyracuseStage.org