Top Girls Program

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CONTENTS

APRIL–MAY 2018

7 THE PROGRAM 10 WATCHING CARYL CHURCHILL 12 WELCOME TO THE DINNER PARTY PLUS:

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04 Backstage by Olivia J. Kiers 14 About the Company 34 Patron Services 35 Emergency Exits 39 Guide to Local Theatre 44 Boston Dining Guide 46 Dining Out: Top of the Hub

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HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY

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BACKSTAGE

T. Charles Erickson

BEHIND THE SCENES IN LOCAL AND NATIONAL THEATRE BY OLIVIA J. KIERS

NOMINATION DOMINATION: The Huntington Theatre Company recently earned a total of 35 Independent Reviewers of New England Award nominations, including 12 for last fall’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along (pictured).

IRNE Nominees Announced The Independent Reviewers of New England announced the nominees for its 22nd Annual IRNE Awards ceremony on April 23. Expect a win or two from the Huntington Theatre Company, which holds 35 nominations, 12 of which were for its musical Merrily We Roll Along.

Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine earned 12 nominations for Ragtime among the theatre’s total of 18 nods. For more details, visit IRNE’s Facebook page.

Local Performing Arts Companies Reveal New Seasons Three of Greater Boston’s most anticipated new seasons have just been announced. Get out your calendars now to block in these exciting performances from the Huntington Theatre Company, New Repertory Theatre, and Boston Ballet.

The Huntington’s season of seven plays covers new ground while also updating some old favorites. Its programming at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA kicks off in September with The Niceties, a new play by Huntington Playwriting Fellow Eleanor Burgess about a black student and a white professor, while the fall’s first performance at the Huntington Avenue Theatre 4

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is Sherlock’s Last Case, a classic comedic thriller.

Other season highlights include a spring 2019 production of Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel’s Indecent directed by Rebecca Taichman, who recreates her Tony Award-winning, Broadway hit for Boston audiences. For more information, go to huntingtontheatre.org.

New Repertory Theatre is also offering seven plays next season at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown. Centered on the theme “Awakening,” the season opens in September with the New England premiere of Young Jean Lee’s satirical comedy Straight White Men. Two additional New England premieres on the marquee are David Meyers’ drama based on the true story of Sophie Scholl, We Will Not Be Silent, and Cardboard Piano, Hansol Jung’s poetic tale of love amid the violence of civil war in Northern Uganda. There’s even a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere to catch—Heartland, Gabriel Jason Dean’s poignant exploration of culpability and forgiveness that is presented at the Mosesian’s Black Box Theater. For more information, go to newrep.org.

For its part, Boston Ballet announced a 55th season that artistic director Mikko Nissinen can’t wait to stage. “We’re presenting both the new and

BACKSTAGE (continued) old with a reflection on [Jerome] Robbins and [Leonard] Bernstein, who together created some of the most honest, human, and lively masterpieces in dance. I am also thrilled to show audiences the cutting-edge of ballet choreography by adding a brand new work by William Forsythe to our repertoire.” Robbins and Bernstein are celebrated in season opener Genius at Play, performed in honor of their 100th birthdays. Forsythe’s new work—the first world premiere he has created on an American company since 1992—is presented in the spring in Full on Forsythe. Audience favorites and the holiday classic The Nutcracker round out the Ballet’s season. For more information, go to bostonballet.org.

Rochefort Joins Cape Playhouse Team The Cape Cod Center for the Arts announced organizational changes at the Cape Playhouse that reflect a recent financial upswing following some years of struggle. The playhouse is welcoming back artistic director Michael Rader, and in early February Kathy Rochefort was named as

executive director, a new position for the playhouse. Rochefort comes with impressive credentials in the realms of theatre and fundraising. Her public relations and marketing firm, Rochefort and Associates, has been involved in the performing arts for more than 20 years, with clients ranging from Boston-area theatres to Cirque du Soleil and The Metropolitan Opera. Rochefort also directed marketing and operations for the Celebrity Series of Boston. For details on the Cape Playhouse’s upcoming season, visit capeplayhouse.com.

Rocking at the Boch Center The Rock of Ages 10th anniversary tour makes a stop at the Boch Center this October, kicking off the Boch’s fall 2018 season. At the Wang Theatre from October 23–28, this musical about ’80s hair bands in Hollywood belts out favorite hits from classic rock and glam metal legends like Journey, Bon Jovi, Twisted Sister, Poison, and more. It’s easy to see why the original Broadway production was nominated for five Tony Awards in 2009, including Best Musical. Go to bochcenter.org for tickets.

WHAT’S ON STAGE in April

Our picks for the hottest plays and musicals on local stages this month

CABARET MOONBOX PRODUCTIONS April 14–29 Moonbox presents the awardwinning 1998 Broadway revival version of Kander and Ebb’s provocative musical about cabaret denizens confronted with cultural upheaval in 1930s Berlin.

Refer to listing, page 40.

FIRST LOVE IS THE REVOLUTION APOLLINAIRE THEATRE COMPANY April 6–May 5 Described by The Guardian as “Romeo and Juliet with fur,” Rita Kalnejais’ recent play is about a teenage boy and his love for a fox. Refer to listing, page 40.

WIG OUT! AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER and COMPANY ONE April 26–May 13 From Tarell Alvin McCraney, writer of the Academy Awardwinning film Moonlight, comes a play about the wild world of early 2000s competitive ballroom drag. Refer to listing, page 42.

ANNA CHRISTIE LYRIC STAGE COMPANY April 6–May 6 Eugene O’Neill’s Pulitzer Prizewinning tale of a coal barge captain, his estranged daughter, and a shipwrecked sailor is helmed by acclaimed local director Scott Edmiston. Refer to listing, page 40.

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N E W E N G L A N D’ S BEST VIEW B OS TO N ’ S M OS T RO M A N T I C F I N E D I N I N G E X P E R I E N C E

B R U N C H / LU N C H / CO C K TA I L S / D I N N E R 52ND FLOOR OF PRUDENTIAL TOWER / TOPOFTHEHUB.NET CALL: (617) 536-1775

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by Caryl Churchill Directed by Liesl Tommy Scenic Design Rachel Hauck

Costume Design Linda Cho

Original Music & Sound Design Projection Design Broken Chord Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew Casting Alaine Alldaffer

Production Stage Manager Emily F. McMullen

Lighting Design Mary Louise Geiger Dramaturg Phaedra Michelle Scott Stage Manager Meg Tracy Leddy

Top Girls is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. Original New York production by the New York Shakespeare Festival, produced by Joseph Papp.

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STANTEC ARCHITECTURE

Draft rendering of the Huntington Avenue redevelopment project.

HUNTINGTON AVENUE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT WINS APPROVAL On December 14, 2017 the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) voted to approve the proposed redevelopment of 254-264 Huntington Avenue, which includes the renovation of the Huntington Avenue Theatre and the theatre’s support wing, as well as a new apartment building next to the theatre.

This approval sets in motion a donation by commercial developers QMG Huntington LLC of the historic Huntington Avenue Theatre and its support wing to the Huntington Theatre Company for its ownership in perpetuity. It will also lead to the creation of a new, 14,000 square feet of cultural space expanding the theatre at the base of their apartment building, with a 100-year lease for the price of $1.

The Huntington will be responsible for outfitting the new contemporary space, which will serve as the Huntington Avenue Theatre’s new entrance and will provide public amenities including increased

gathering spaces, an expansive second floor lobby that will double as an event space and intimate performance venue, and more restrooms! The Huntington will expand its programming to provide year-round activity in the theatre and lobbies, and will make these new spaces available for use by the community.

This critical moment would not have been possible without our deep and loyal community of supporters. We are excited to fulfill our bold dream, and we hope we can continue to count on your support until it is fully realized.

For the latest news and information about the Huntington Avenue Theatre, please visit huntingtontheatre.org/FAQ. 8

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CAST

(in order of appearance) Marlene.................................................................................................. Carmen Zilles Waitress / Kit / Shona.......................................................................Kiara Pichardo Isabella Bird / Louise / Mrs. Kidd..........................................................Paula Plum Lady Nijo / Win...................................................................................... Vanessa Kai Dull Gret / Angie......................................................................... Carmen M. Herlihy Pope Joan / Joyce............................................................................. Sophia Ramos Patient Griselda / Nell / Jeanine................................................ Elia Monte-Brown

ACT I Restaurant, Saturday night One 10-minute intermission

ACT II Scene 1: Joyce’s backyard, Sunday afternoon Scene 2: ‘Top Girls’ Employment Agency, Monday morning A brief pause

ACT III Joyce’s kitchen, Sunday Evening, a year earlier

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The Huntington Theatre Company is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency; the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; and more than 6,000 individual, foundation, and corporate contributors.

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Caryl Churchill

WATCHING CARYL CHURCHILL

Author of close to 50 plays, Caryl Churchill’s work focuses on themes of sexual politics, power, and societal structures. Arguably her most celebrated work, Top Girls was written in 1982, right after Churchill spent time in America and when Margaret Thatcher, the “Iron Lady,” was in office. The politics of Churchill, known as a second wave feminist with an anti-colonial perspective, was in complete opposition to Thatcher, an advocate for free markets and a small state.

Prior to the creation of Top Girls, Churchill was well known for her 1979 play Cloud 9, which pairs scenes set in Victorian-era Africa and 1970s London. In 1980, Churchill premiered Three More Sleepless Nights which explores intimate conversations that occur in bed between three couples using overlapping dialogue. This technique would go on to be expanded from two-person scenes, to a six-person dinner party in the opening scene of Top Girls.

Top Girls came from Churchill’s desire to examine success. “I remember before I wrote Top Girls thinking about women barristers — and how they were in a minority and had to imitate men to succeed — and I was thinking of them as different from me,” explains Churchill. Eventually, that thinking morphed into Churchill’s own field — playwriting. “I thought ‘wait a minute, my whole concept of what plays might be is from plays written by men.’”

Top Girls draws its power from Churchill’s use of challenging societal structures through theatrical conventions. Churchill had the concepts of “dead women at a dinner party” and “working women” and shaped those ideas into the play. Act I depicts a dinner party set in a world where time, location, physical form, and language are not barriers for the women who lived in different centuries, some real and others fictional, breaking bread and discussing their lives. The language is fast-paced, and the women often speak over each other, not really listening to what the other guests are saying.

In a complete shift in Act II, the actresses are transformed into working class women in the 1980s who are divided by the cut-throat mentality to succeed.

Split between an office setting and a backyard in a home, the two spaces show different aspects of womanhood — the professional woman and the mother.

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While this play centers around the roles of womanhood in society, it is often regarded as a piece that is feminist and political. As Churchill herself says, “It usually only gets noticed and called ‘political’ if it’s against the status quo.”

Top Girls provides a snapshot of different generations of women at an employment agency, from a younger generation adopting the capitalist agenda to the older generation who were pioneers in the workplace, but are now stuck in middle management.

Through the play, Churchill asks how we need to shift our thinking to include more voices at the table in terms of defining achievement. While Top Girls does not present answers, it asks audiences to question their own beliefs and to wonder for themselves how much of our lives have been defined by a capitalist and often masculine perspective.

In its original production, Top Girls was lauded for its clever examination of modern gender roles. Critic Benedict Nightingale from the New Statesman wrote, “What use is female emancipation if it transforms the clever women into predators and does nothing for the stupid, weak, and helpless? Does freedom, and feminism, consist of aggressively adopting the very values that have for centuries oppressed your sex?”

There are no rules to watching Churchill’s plays, and as her writing shows, every play is distinct with its own specific structure. Churchill’s writing style solidified her legacy as one of the most significant playwrights of the 20th century. Her writing stretches the boundaries of traditional theatre, and as Churchill herself says, “You invent the rules, you experiment all the time.”

NILE HAWVER

— PHAEDRA MICHELLE SCOTT

The cast of Top Girls: Kiara Pichardo, Elia Monte-Brown, Carmen M. Herlihy, Carmen Zilles, Vanessa Kai, Sophia Ramos, and Paula Plum

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WELCOME TO THE DINNER PARTY Five women who are separated by time, language, and physical form all congregate together to share a meal in Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls.

Isabella Bird (1831 – 1904) In her 50s, an unmarried Isabella Bird left her home in Scotland to travel the world and write about her experiences.

She visited Australia, the untamed West in America, and Asia. Her most prominent writings are from her time in the Rocky Mountains when she changed the perspective of the American West from something “ugly” to a location that was “spiritual.” Bird’s writings in A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains became a foundation for the early conservation movement in the United States.

Lady Nijo (1258 – after 1307) Rediscovered in the 1940s, the Confessions of Lady Nijo was a memoir written by Lady Nijo, a Japanese court lady who described her time as a concubine of an Emperor followed by her later life as a Buddhist nun. This autobiography gives an intimate portrait of the royal family in Japan, offering a perspective that was never told before. The autobiography abruptly ends when Nijo is 49; no record exists of her whereabouts after the book ends.

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Dull Gret (a painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1562) A folkloric figure, Dull Gret was inspired by the story of “Mad Meg,” a woman who leads a band of women to Hell and poses a threat to even the Devil Himself.

The story is inspired by the misogynist Flemish proverb that says, “One woman makes a din, two women a lot of trouble, three an annual market, four a quarrel, five an army, and against six the Devil himself has no weapon.”

Pope Joan (Pope between 855 – 858) Pope Joan (not to be confused with Joan of Arc) was known as John VIII. Joan was born to a peasant family, and disguised herself as a boy to study. She excelled, and rose to the position of Pope. While Pope, she became pregnant and during a procession, she gave birth on the street and was subsequently dragged by a horse and stoned to death.

Whether Joan is fact or fiction is disputed. She is referenced in chronicles of the papacy held by the Vatican, but her legacy has also been surrounded by myth and embellished stories that make her existence potentially false.

Patient Griselda (14th century) A figure in folktales throughout the 14th century written by Boccaccio, Petrarch, and later Chaucer. Griselda was a peasant woman whom Walter, the marquis, wanted to marry. The marquis chose to challenge Griselda’s faithfulness and ability to obey by putting her through a set of trials: the first was to have her children taken from her, the second was to be sent away for not having children, and the final was to prepare Walter’s wedding to his new wife who would give him an heir. At the final trial, Griselda discovers that his “new wife” is her daughter, and that it was all an elaborate scheme to test her faithfulness. Her patience is rewarded and her family restored.

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ABOUT THE COMPANY Carmen M. Herlihy* (Dull Gret, Angie) has theatre credits that include Recent Alien Abductions (Humana Festival of New American Plays); Kingdom Come (Roundabout Theatre Company); The Tomb of King Tot and Five Genocides (Clubbed Thumb); Doctor Faustus (Classic Stage Company); Bachelorette (Second Stage Theater); Buffalo Gal (Primary Stages); and Crooked (WP Theater; Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress). Her television and film credits include “Madam Secretary,” “The Unusuals,” “Cold Case,” “Six Degrees,” The Trouble with Cali, The Switch, The Rebound, Burn After Reading, Morning Glory, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and My First Kiss and the People Involved. She is a graduate of New York University Tisch School of the Arts, and studied at Experimental Theatre Wing Amsterdam, The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, and The Public Theater Shakespeare Lab. Vanessa Kai* (Lady Nijo, Win) has credits that include Ruby in KPOP (Ars Nova, in association with Ma-Yi Theater Company and Woodshed Collective); Millie Chan in Somebody’s Daughter (Second Stage Theater); Tomomi, Kid, and Viejita in Architecture of Becoming (WP Theater); Merrell in brownsville song (b-side for tray) (Seattle Repertory Theatre); Wife in The Christians (Riverside Theatre); Hope in An Infinite Ache and the Reader in Far East (Stamford TheatreWorks, Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Debut by The Connecticut Critics Circle). Film and television credits include Off the Rails, “Madam Secretary,” “Orange Is the New Black,” “The Blacklist,” and “Gotham.” She is a graduate of New York University, Gallatin School of Individualized Study (concentration in sociobiology), and LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts in drama. vanessakai.com.

Elia Monte-Brown* (Patient Griselda, Nell, Jeanine) has appeared in Blithe Spirit (Guthrie Theater), Between Riverside and Crazy (Actors Conservatory Theatre), Recent Alien Abductions (Humana Festival of New American Plays), Funnyhouse of a Negro (Yale Cabaret), Sonnets for an Old Century (Bank Street Theater), as well as other productions at HERE Arts Center, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and with Old Sound Room Performance Ensemble internationally. Film and television credits include Fort Tilden, Little Men, Collateral Beauty, “Shades of Blue,” “Search Party,” “The Affair,” “The Following,” “Person of Interest,” “Madam Secretary,” “Elementary,” “Law & Order: SVU,” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” She received a BA from the University of Southern California, an MS in early childhood education from Pace University, and an MFA from the Yale School of Drama in acting. She is the founder of the Yale School of Drama Women’s Coalition. eliamontebrown.com.

Kiara Pichardo (Waitress, Kit, Shona) has credits that include Veronica in The Motherf**ker with the Hat and Daphna in Bad Jews (Theatre on Tap). She was consecutively nominated for the Irene Ryan scholarship at The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival for her performances as Teresa in How the Other Half Loves, Cherry in The Beaux Stratagem, and Lila in Late Arrival (The Top Notch Players). Film credits include Katherine, Polite Police, and Knock Knock

* Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

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DISNEY’S BROADWAY HITS

Keith Lockhart, conductor May 12, 3pm* • May 13, 3pm* *3pm matinees are 50% off tickets for kids 17 and younger.

A BROADWAY CELEBRATION WITH SUTTON FOSTER Keith Lockhart, conductor June 6, 8pm† • June 7, 8pm †Featuring the Winners of the 2018 Young Artists Competition

GOSPEL NIGHT WITH MELINDA DOOLITTLE

Charles Floyd, conductor June 2, 8pm

DANCE TO THE MOVIES Keith Lockhart, conductor June 9, 3pm* • June 9, 8pm *3pm matinees are 50% off tickets for kids 17 and younger.

Other highlights of the season include the return of Andy Grammer, Hamilton star Leslie Odom, Jr., Bernstein’s On The Town and West Side Story, John Williams’ Film Night, and more!

888-266-1200 BOSTONPOPS.ORG

OPENING NIGHT AND SEASON SPONSOR

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ABOUT THE COMPANY (2017 Revolution Me Film Festival Best Actor Award). Ms. Pichardo graduated with honors from Fitchburg State University with a BS in communications media and a concentration in theatre.

Paula Plum* (Isabella Bird, Louise, Mrs. Kidd) appeared at the Huntington in Tartuffe, Jumpers, and Private Lives and also served as assistant to Lloyd Richards on three August Wilson premieres.

She is a founding member of the Actors’ Shakespeare Project where she has played Titania, Cleopatra, Lady Macbeth, and Phedre. Other Boston credits include Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Death of a Salesman, and 33 Variations (Lyric Stage Company); and The New Century, The History Boys, and Reckless (SpeakEasy Stage Company). She is the recipient of four Elliot Norton Awards, six IRNE Awards, and in 2009 she was one of five actors nationwide to receive the Fox Actor Fellowship. Her film and television credits include Woody Allen’s Irrational Man, Mermaids, Malice, Next Stop Wonderland, and the “The Dick & Paula Celebrity Special” for FX. Ms. Plum is a cum laude graduate and distinguished alum of Boston University. paulaplum.com.

Sophia Ramos* (Pope Joan, Joyce) has credits that include Carmelita Tropicana’s Carnival (P.S. 122); Robert Schenkkan’s musical The Twelve (Signature Theatre); Love, Janis (Arizona Theatre Company); Party People (Berkeley Repertory Theatre and The Public Theater); and Macbeth (Shakespeare Theatre Company). Ms. Ramos began as a rock singer for the ’90s New York City hard rock outfit Sophia’s Toy, signed to Epic/Sony Records. She went on to collaborate and perform with artists Joey Ramone, Rod Stewart, Paul Simon, and Big Brother & The Holding Company.

Carmen Zilles* (Marlene) has appeared in Ivo van Hove’s adaptation of the Ingmar Bergman film Scenes from a Marriage (New York Theatre Workshop), Small Mouth Sounds (Signature Theatre, directed by Rachel Chavkin), Chimichangas and Zoloft (Atlantic Theater Company), Jose Rivera’s Another Word for Beauty (Goodman Theatre), and Caryl Churchill’s Fen and Sunday in the Park with George (Yale School of Drama). Film and television credits include Bel Canto (upcoming, starring Julianne Moore), Pimp, “Blue Bloods,” and “NCIS: New Orleans.” She trained at the Yale School of Drama and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

Caryl Churchill (Playwright) wrote her first play, Downstairs, while at Oxford University. It was staged in 1958 and won the award at the Sunday Times National Union of Students Drama Festival. Her plays have been performed on international stages, on the BBC radio, and adapted for BBC television. They include Light Shining in Buckinghamshire, Cloud Nine, Fen, Three More Sleepless Nights, Top Girls, Serious Money (Laurence Olivier/BBC Award for Best New Play), Mad Forest, The Skriker, Far Away, A Number, and a new version of August Strindberg’s A Dream Play. Her plays Drunk Enough to Say I Love You? and Love and Information premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, where she served as

* Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

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ABOUT THE COMPANY Liesl Tommy (Director) is an award-winning stage director returning to the Huntington having previously directed A Raisin in the Sun, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and Ruined. Her credits include productions of Danai Gurira’s Eclipsed (Broadway and The Public Theater), starring Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o (Tony Award nomination for Best Director); Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Appropriate (Signature Theatre); Tracey Scott Wilson’s The Good Negro, UNIVERSES’ Party People, and A. Zell Williams’s Urban Retreat (The Public Theater); Les Misérables (Dallas Theater Center); Hamlet (California Shakespeare Theater); The Piano Lesson (Yale Repertory Theatre); and John Kander/Greg Pierce’s musical Kid Victory. Ms. Tommy is the recipient of an Obie Award, Lucille Lortel Award, Pioneer of the Arts Award, Lillian Hellman Award, Lee Reynolds Award, Alan Schneider Award, NEA/TCG Directors Grant, New York Theatre Workshop Casting/Directing Fellowship, and the inaugural Susan Stroman Award from the Vineyard Theatre. Ms. Tommy facilitated the inaugural Sundance East Africa Theatre Director’s Lab and is a program associate at Sundance Institute Theatre Program.

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resident dramatist in 1974 and 1975, and her most recent play, Escaped Alone, premiered in 2016. She lives in London.

Rachel Hauck (Scenic Design) previously designed Carol Mulroney for the Huntington. New York credits include Latin History for Morons on Broadway; Hadestown (New York Theatre Workshop, Citadel Theatre); The Lucky Ones (Ars Nova); Tiny Beautiful Things and Dry Powder (The Public Theater); Amy and the Orphans and On the Exhale (Roundabout Theatre Company); Parallelogram (Second Stage Theater); Fucking A, Night is a Room, and Our Lady of Kibeho (Signature Theatre); Animal (Atlantic Theater Company); What the Constitution Means to Me (Clubbed Thumb); You’ll Still Call Me by Name (New York Live Arts, Sonya Tayeh); All the Ways to Say I Love You (MCC Theater); Antlia Pneumatica (Playwrights Horizons); and An Iliad (New York Theatre Workshop). She is the recipient of the Princess Grace Award for Theater, a Lilly Award for Excellence in Scenic Design, and Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel award nominations.

Linda Cho (Costume Design) previously designed What the Butler Saw, The Blue Demon, Heartbreak House, and Amphitryon for the Huntington. Her theatre successes include the Broadway productions of Anastasia (Tony Award nomination), A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love & Murder (Tony Award), and Velocity of Autumn. Ms. Cho’s work has also been seen Off Broadway, and at numerous American regional theatre and opera companies. She will have her Metropolitan Opera debut this season with Samson et Dalila. Ms. Cho is the proud recipient of the Irene Sharaff Young Master Award and has been honored with the Ruth Morely Design Award from the League of Professional Theatre Women and is on the advisory committee of the American Theatre Wing. She is an alumnus of McGill University and holds an MFA degree from the Yale School of Drama. lindacho.com.

Mary Louise Geiger (Lighting Design) previously designed Venus in Fur (IRNE Award), Invisible Man (IRNE Award), and Burn This at the Huntington. Her New York credits include The Constant Wife (Roundabout Theatre Company); Until the Flood and Draw the Circle (Rattlestick Playwrights’ Theater); X: or Betty Shabazz v. The Nation (The Acting Company tour and St. Clements Theatre);

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ABOUT THE COMPANY Good Television and The New York Idea (Atlantic Theater Company); Nat Turner in Jerusalem and Forever (New York Theatre Workshop); and Three Wise Guys, She Stoops to Conquer, and Beyond Therapy (The Actors Company Theatre).

Regionally, she has worked with Actors Theatre of Louisville, Arizona Theatre Company, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Geva Theatre Center, Guthrie Theater, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Intiman Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare Theatre Company, and Seattle Repertory Theatre, among others. She is a graduate of Yale School of Drama and is on the faculty at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. mlgeiger.com.

Broken Chord (Original Music & Sound Design) created the sound design and original music for A Raisin in the Sun, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and Ruined at the Huntington. Broadway credits include Eclipsed and The Parisian Woman. Off Broadway credits include Scarcity, The Jammer, and The Lying Lesson (Atlantic Theater Company); OZET (Incubator Arts Project); The Insurgents (Labyrinth Theater Company); Bull in a China Shop (Lincoln Center Theater, LCT3); Spirit Control and When We Were Young and Unafraid (Manhattan Theatre Club); A Lifetime Burning, Harrison TX, and Informed Consent (Primary Stages); The Good Negro, Eclipsed, and Party People (The Public Theater); Stay, Massacre, and Charles Ives Take Me Home (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater); 10 Things to Do Before I Die, and The Other Thing (Second Stage Theater); The Dance and the Railroad and Appropriate (Signature Theatre Company); Lascivious Something and Row After Row (WP Theater). Other credits include regional theatres throughout the country and the film Fall to Rise. brokenchord.us.

Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew (Projection Design) has credits that include Relevance and Informed Consent (with Liesl Tommy), Aya Ogawa’s Ludic Proxy (Bel Geddes Design Enhancement Award), Clover (Erik Ehn), Snow White (Company XIV), Paris Commune and In the Footprint (The Civilians), So Go the Ghosts of Mexico Part One (Matthew Paul Olmos), From the Fire (Elizabeth Swados and Cecilia Rubino, 2011 MTM: UK Musical Theatre Awards for Best New Production), WATER +/- (with Kenny Leon, National Public Radio), and Inside I (7 Stages Theatre).

She also devises interdisciplinary productions with contemporary puppetry and projection. The New York Times described her recent project, Act 4 of The Iceman Cometh, as “consistently inventive.” She is the recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts/Theatre Communications Group Career Development Program. jeanetteyew.com.

Phaedra Michelle Scott (Dramaturg) has previously worked on Skeleton Crew, Merrily We Roll Along, A Doll’s House, The Who and the What, Bedroom Farce, Sunday in the Park with George, and Milk Like Sugar at the Huntington. She has worked at MCC Theater, Cleveland Play House, and Utah Shakespeare Festival, and participated in national new play development workshops, including Huntington Summer Workshops, New Harmony Project, and Salt Lake Acting Company’s PlayLab. She is a member of the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA), recipient of the Bly Creative Capacity Grant, Comegys Bight Grant, and the Frederick Douglass Fellowship, and is a graduate of Washington College. phaedrascott.com.

Alaine Alldaffer (Casting) is also the casting director for Playwrights Horizons, where her credits include Grey Gardens (also for Broadway), Clybourne Park (also for Broadway), Circle Mirror Transformation (Drama Desk and Obie awards

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ABOUT THE COMPANY

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for Best Ensemble and an Artios Award for casting), and The Flick (Playwright Horizons and The Barrow Street Theatre). Television credits include “The Knights of Prosperity” (aka “Let’s Rob Mick Jagger”) for ABC. Associate credits include “Ed” for NBC and “Monk” for USA. Ms. Alldaffer has also cast productions for Arena Stage, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and the Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville, among others. She credits Lisa Donadio as her associate casting director.

Emily F. McMullen* (Production Stage Manager) has stage managed 22 shows for the Huntington over the past five years, including Bad Dates, Tartuffe, and Merrily We Roll Along this season. She spent nine seasons as production stage manager at Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Lowell and 15 summers as production stage manager of Music Theatre of Wichita. Other credits include work with Lexington Theatre Company, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, South Coast Repertory, North Shore Music Theatre, and Capital Repertory Theatre, among others. She holds a BA from Emory University and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity.

Meg Tracy Leddy* (Stage Manager) previously stage managed Tiger Style! at the Huntington. Other credits include Death of a Salesman in rep with Skeleton Crew, Faithful Cheaters, The Mountaintop, Arnie Louis & Bob, Julius Caesar, The Glass Menagerie, and A Lie of the Mind (Trinity Repertory Company); Knyum, Women in Jeopardy, and It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (Merrimack Repertory Theatre); The Rant and Hedda Gabler (The Sandra Feinstein Gamm Theatre); Out of Sterno (Gloucester Stage Company); West Side Story and Sister Act (Theatre

By The Sea); Guys and Dolls (Ocean State Theatre Company); and The Seagull (The Chekhov Project at Lake Lucille).

Peter DuBois (Artistic Director) is in his 10th season as Artistic Director at the Huntington where his directing credits include Moliére’s Tartuffe, Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George and A Little Night Music; the world premieres of Gina Gionfriddo’s Can You Forgive Her?, Lydia R. Diamond’s Smart People, Evan M. Wiener’s Captors, Stephen Karam’s Sons of the Prophet (2012 Pulitzer Prize finalist), Bob Glaudini’s Vengeance is the Lord’s, and David Grimm’s The Miracle at Naples; the regional premieres of A. Rey Pamatmat’s after all the terrible the things I do, Stephen Belber’s The Power of Duff, and Gina Gionfriddo’s Becky Shaw and Rapture, Blister, Burn; and Craig Lucas’ Prelude to a Kiss. His West End/London credits include Sex with Strangers and Rapture, Blister, Burn (Hampstead Theatre); All New People with Zach Braff (Duke of York’s Theatre); and Becky Shaw (Almeida Theatre). His New York credits include Can You Forgive Her? (Vineyard Theatre); The Power of Duff with Greg Kinnear (New York Stage and Film/Powerhouse Theater); Rapture, Blister, Burn (Playwrights Horizons, 2013 Pulitzer Prize finalist); Sons of the Prophet (Roundabout Theatre Company, 2012 Pulitzer Prize finalist); Modern Terrorism, Becky Shaw, Trust with Sutton Foster, All New People, and Lips Together, Teeth Apart (Second Stage Theatre); Measure for Pleasure, Richard III with Peter Dinklage, Mom, How Did You Meet the Beatles?, and Biro (The Public Theater); and Jack Goes Boating with Philip Seymour Hoffman and The View From 151st

* Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY 19

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ABOUT THE COMPANY

TOP GIRLS

Street (LAByrinth Theater Company/The Public Theater). He served for five years as associate producer and resident director at The Public Theater, preceded by five years as artistic director of the Perseverance Theatre in Juneau, Alaska.

Prior to his work at Perseverance, Mr. DuBois lived and worked in the Czech Republic where he co-founded Asylum, a multi-national squat theatre in Prague.

His productions have been on the annual top ten lists of The New York Times, Time Out, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, Newsday, Variety, Entertainment Weekly, The Evening Standard, The Boston Globe, and Improper Bostonian, and he received an Honorable Mention for 2013 Bostonian of the Year by The Boston Globe Magazine.

Michael Maso (Managing Director) has led the Huntington’s administrative and financial operations since 1982. He has produced more than 200 productions in partnership with three artistic directors and is one of the most well-regarded managing directors in the theatre industry. Under his tenure, the Huntington has received over 140 Elliot Norton and Independent Reviewers of New England Awards, as well as the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. Mr. Maso received the 2016 Massachusetts Nonprofit Network’s Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as TCG’s 2012 Theatre Practitioner Award, the Huntington’s 2012 Wimberly Award, StageSource’s 2010 Theatre Hero Award, the 2005 Commonwealth Award (the state’s highest arts honor) in the category of Catalyst, and the 2000 Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence. In 2004 the Boston Herald honored him as Theatre Man of the Year. Mr. Maso led the Huntington’s ten-year drive to build the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, which opened in September 2004, and is currently leading the redevelopment and renovation of the Huntington Avenue Theatre. He currently serves on the Boston Cultural Planning Steering Committee and previously served as a member of the board for ArtsBoston, Theatre Communications Group (TCG), and StageSource, and as a site visitor, panelist, and panel chairman for the National Endowment for the Arts. From 1997 to 2005 Mr. Maso served as the president of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), an association of 70 of the country’s major not-for-profit professional theatres. In 2005, he was named as one of a dozen members of the inaugural class of the Barr Fellows Program. Prior to the Huntington, he served as the managing director of Alabama Shakespeare Festival, general manager of New York’s Roundabout Theatre Company, business manager for PAF Playhouse on Long Island, and as an independent arts management consultant based in Taos, New Mexico.

Christopher Wigle (Producing Director) is in his 18th season at the Huntington where he has produced over 80 productions. He has worked on Broadway, Off Broadway, and regionally for Lincoln Center Theater, Playwrights Horizons, the Bay Street Theater, and the Royal National Theatre. Working primarily as a stage manager, his credits include the original productions or New York premieres of Six Degrees of Separation (John Guare), subUrbia (Eric Bogosian), The Designated Mourner (Wallace Shawn), Some Americans Abroad (Richard Nelson), Desdemona (Paula Vogel), Racing Demon (David Hare), Sex and Longing (Christopher Durang), The Last Night of Ballyhoo (Alfred Urhy), and Sophistry (Jonathan Marc Sherman). Additional credits include the awardwinning Broadway revivals of The Heiress and The Most Happy Fella, as well as two seasons as workshop director for the Williamstown Theatre Festival.

HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY 21

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ABOUT THE HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY The Huntington Theatre Company is Boston’s leading professional theatre and one of the region’s premier cultural assets. Since its founding in 1982, the Huntington has received over 140 Elliot Norton and Independent Reviewers of New England Awards, as well as the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. In the past 35 years, the Huntington has played to an audience of 3.5 million, presented over 200 plays (18 of which went on to Broadway or Off Broadway), and served over 500,000 students, community members, and other cultural organizations.

Under the direction of Artistic Director Peter DuBois and Managing Director Michael Maso, the Huntington brings world-class theatre artists from Boston, Broadway, and beyond together with the most promising new talent to create eclectic seasons of exciting new works and classics made current.

Long an anchor cultural institution of the Avenue of the Arts, the Huntington’s primary home will remain on Huntington Avenue on a permanent basis. The Huntington plans to renovate and expand the current theatre into a first-rate, modern, state-of-the-art venue with enhanced services for audiences, artists, and the community.

The Huntington built the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts in 2004 as a home for its new works activities and to provide a muchneeded resource for the local theatre community. At the Calderwood Pavilion, the Huntington provides first-class facilities and audience services at significantly subsidized rates to dozens of organizations each year, including some of Boston’s most exciting small and mid-sized theatre companies.

The Huntington serves 200,000 audience members each year at the Huntington Avenue Theatre and the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. Through a diverse and impactful range of nationally renowned education and community programs, the Huntington reaches 36,000 young people and underserved audience members each year. These programs include the Poetry Out Loud national recitation contest, the August Wilson Monologue Competition, the Huntington Community Membership Initiative, and the student matinee series. The Huntington is a founding partner of Codman Academy Charter Public School and has collaborated with Codman year-round for 16 years to create and teach its innovative, interdisciplinary Humanities curriculum.

A national leader in the development of new plays, the Huntington has produced more than 120 world, American, and New England premieres to date. Through the Huntington Playwriting Fellows program, the cornerstone of its new work activities, the Huntington supports local writers through two-year fellowships and is also proud to serve as a home for Playwright-in-Residence Melinda Lopez.

The Huntington cultivates, celebrates, and champions theatre as an art form and is committed to mentoring local playwrights, educating young people in theatre, and serving as a catalyst for the growth of dozens of Boston’s emerging performing arts organizations.

HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY 23

C A M B R I D G E , MA $15,000,000

Greek Revival with carriage house set on ž acre of magnificent grounds

Building Community One Home at a Time Supporting: The Mt. Auburn Hospital, US Fund for UNICEF, The Guidance Center, Huntington Theatre Company, and Cambridge Community Foundation

gail@gailroberts.com / gailroberts.com / 617 245-4044

HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY TRUSTEES & OVERSEERS BOARD OF TRUSTEES David R. Epstein Chairman Sharon Malt President Carol B. Langer Treasurer Sherryl Cohen Clerk Carole Alkins David Altshuler Neal Balkowitsch Michael Brown John Cini Gerard H. Cohen

John Cohen Carol G. Deane James J. Dillon Betsy Banks Epstein William Finard David Firestone John Frishkopf Ann T. Hall Thomas Hamilton III Arthur C. Hodges Frederick Jamieson Nada Despotovich Kane Michelle Karol David Leathers Rumena Manolova- Senchak William P. McQuillan Ann Merrifield

Sandra Moose Anne M. Morgan Cokie Perry Bryan Rafanelli Mitchell J. Roberts Robert H. Scott John D. Spooner Linda H. Thomas Linda Waintrup J. David Wimberly Veronica Wiseman Mary Wolfson Fancy Zilberfarb Warren R. Radtke Trustee Emeritus

COUNCIL OF OVERSEERS Nancy S. Adams Kitty Ames Steven M. Bauer Camilla Bennett Nancy Brickley Jim Burns Suzanne Chapman J. William Codinha Bette Cohen Elizabeth Cregger Catherine Creighton Deborah First Anne H. Fitzpatrick Maria Farley Gerrity Eilene Davidson Grayken

Paul Greenfield Janice Hunt Alan S. Johnson Katherine Jones Linda Kanner Loren Kovalcik Sherry Lang Joie Lemaitre Tracie Longman Nancy Lukitsh Charles Marz Noel McCoy Thalia Meehan Daniel A. Mullin Tania Phillips

Gail Roberts Valerie Shey Ben Taylor Kate Taylor Stephen M. Trehu Juliet Schnell Turner Tracey A. West John Taylor Williams Bertie Woeltz Christopher R. Yens Linda Zug

as of March 30, 2018

HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY 25

BENEFACTORS CIRCLE The Benefactors Circle recognizes our lead Annual Fund donors and offers its members a range of special benefits. We are deeply grateful to the members of the Benefactors Circle and to all donors whose generous Annual Fund gifts support our artistic programs, and our awardwinning youth, education, and community initiatives. Please visit huntingtontheatre.org/support to learn about making a gift or contact the Development Office at 617 273 1523.

$100,000+ Dr. John and Bette Cohen Sherryl and Gerard Cohen Wayne Davis and Ann Merrifield Carol G. Deane Betsy and David Epstein Denise and William Finard Eilene Davidson Grayken Jane and Fred Jamieson $50,000–$99,999 Karen and David Firestone Gardner C. Hendrie and Karen Johansen Ms. Anne M. Morgan $25,000–$49,999 Nancy Adams and John Burgess Dr. and Mrs. Reinier Beeuwkes Stephen Chapman Jim Dillon and Stone Wiske Ann and John Hall Arthur C. and Eloise W. Hodges Barbara and Amos Hostetter Nancy Lukitsh Sandra Moose and Eric Birch $10,000–$24,999 M. Baldwin Family Fund Neal Balkowitsch and Donald Nelson Fay Chandler‡ John Cini and Star Lancaster Mr. and Mrs. Lewis W. Counts Jeffrey Dover and Tania Phillips Debbie and Bob First, in memory of Susan Spooner John Frishkopf Nicki Nichols Gamble Karen and Gary Gregg Tom and Nancy Hamilton Cassandra Hyland Henderson Joyce Huber and Randall Ellis Elizabeth and Woody Ives Nada Despotovich Kane Marjie and Robert Kargman Shelley and Steve Karol Adrienne Kimball 26 TOP GIRLS

Carol B. Langer Susan and David Leathers Sharon and Brad Malt Bill and Linda McQuillan Jill and Mitchell Roberts Mr. J. David Wimberly 1 anonymous gift

Jane and Neil Pappalardo Nancy and Ed Roberts 1 anonymous gift Paula and Bill O’Keeffe Cokie and Lee Perry John D. Spooner Faith and Joseph Tiberio Charitable Foundation Linda and Daniel Waintrup Howard and Veronica Wiseman Linda and Brooks Zug

Loren B. Kovalcik/IntePros Consulting Joie Lemaitre Mr. and Mrs. David Long Tracie L. Longman and Chaitanya Kanojia Mr. and Mrs. Peter E. Rawson Jan and Joe Roller Robert M. Rosenberg, in honor of Mary Wolfson Dr. Paul S. Russell Darin and Debbie Samaraweera Marilyn and Jay Sarles Mr. and Mrs. Patrick J. Sullivan Linda H. Thomas John Travis Mary Wolfson Genevieve and Justin Wyner Christopher R. Yens and Temple Gill 1 anonymous gift

PATRONS PROGRAM $5,000–$9,999 Alice and Walter Abrams Steven M. Bauer Charles and Kathleen Ames Coralie Berg and Steve Schwartz Amy and Joshua Boger Susan and Michael Brown Jim Burns Katie and Paul Buttenwieser Susan and Alfred Chandler Suzanne Chapman Nancy Ciaranello J. William Codinha and Carolyn Thayer Ross Betsy and David Cregger Laura and Neil Cronin Amey A. DeFriez‡ Margaret Eagle and Eliezer Rapaport Steve Elman and Joanne D’Alcomo

Robert Fine and Matthew Fine Mr. and Mrs. William Fink Anne H. Fitzpatrick, in honor of Dan Mullin Donald Fulton Maria and Daniel Gerrity Mary Beth and Chris Gordon Donna and Jay Hanflig Ned Murphy and Ann-Ellen Hornidge Janice and Roger Hunt Paul and Tracy Klein David A. Kronman Sherry Lang Cecile and Fraser Lemley John and Jean Lippincott Gregory Maguire Jack Fabiano and Noel McCoy Thalia Meehan and Rev. Gretchen Grimshaw

Sharon Miller Daniel A. Mullin Brant Cheikes and Janine Papesh Gail Roberts Rumena and Alexander Senchak Robert Sherblom♦ Valerie Shey Bruce and Emily Stangle Ellie Svenson and Mark Klempner Ben and Kate Taylor Jean C. Tempel Drs. Stephen and Beth Trehu Juliet Schnell Turner Norman Weeks Elizabeth and Caleb White Ike Williams Bertie and Anthony Woeltz Dr. and Mrs. Jeffrey L. Zilberfarb

$2,500–$4,999 Patricia Bellinger and Richard Balzer‡ Michael Barza and Judith Robinson Dr. Susan E. Bennet and Dr. Gerald Pier Carolyn Birmingham Edward Boesel Nancy and Richard Brickley Kevin and Virginia Byrne Catherine and Peter Creighton Ellen and Kevin Donoghue Jonathan Dyer and Thomas Foran Norman and Madeleine Gaut Thomas and Joanne Gill Mark E. Glasser and Frank G. McWeeny Paul Greenfield and Sandy Steele Betsy and David Harris

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen T. Hibbard, in honor of David Wimberly Prof. and Mrs. Morton Z. Hoffman Emily Hughey Terence Janericco Linda and Steven Kanner Paul and Elizabeth Kastner Seth and Mary Kaufman Susie and David Kohen Ted and Ann Kurland Anthony Lucas Ann D. Macomber The Mancuso Family Mary T. Marshall Charles Marz Mike and Mary McConnell Amy Merrill, in honor of Donna Glick Charles Merrill‡ Paul Odland Coleen and David Pantalone

Jackie and Bob Pascucci Mr. and Mrs. J. Daniel Powell Deborah and S. Caesar Raboy Sally C. Reid and John D. Sigel Victoria and John Rizzi Mr. and Mrs. Owen W. Robbins Mona Roberts Richard Powers and Stephen Schram Vivian and Lionel Spiro Helen and Jack Stewart Lisbeth Tarlow and Stephen Kay Mr. and Mrs. Steve Tritman Pamela Tucker‡ and George Pettee Mary Verhage Mindee Wasserman 2 anonymous gifts

HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY 27

PATRONS PROGRAM (continued) $1,000–$2,499 Carole and Leonard Alkins Carol Baker George and Katharine Baker Kate and Gordon Baty Mr. and Mrs. George Beal Howard H. Bengele Susana and Clark Bernard Jerry M. Bernhard Christina and Ky Bertoli♌ Mr. and Mrs. Kenyon C. Bolton III Lori Bornstein and Alan Rithman Joseph L. Bower and Elizabeth Potter Jane Brock-Wilson, in honor of Carol Deane Pam and Lee Bromberg Kenneth Brown Paul Buddenhagen Betsy Cabot A. William and Carol Caporizzo Ronald G. Casty Peggy and Anton Chernoff George and Mary Chin

Dorothy Coffin Kenneth R. Traub and Pamela K. Cohen Ken and Ginny Colburn Dennis Condon and Robert Cummings Beth and Linzee Coolidge Dean K. Denniston, Jr. George Dhionis Linda and Tim Diering Virginia Drachman and Douglas Jones Jerome and Vivien Facher Barbara and Larry Farrer Newell Flather Donna and Harley Frank Susan Gardner Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Garrison Sharon and Irving Gates Lori and Michael Gilman Peter and Jacqueline Gordon Phil Gormley and Erica Bisguier Mr. K. Frank Gravitt Garth and Lindsay Greimann

Irene and Stephen Grolnic Katherine Haltom H. Patricia Hanna Theodore and Sally Hansen Mr. and Mrs. James L. Hartmann Kathleen Henry and Kim Marrkand Mr. and Mrs. Thomas High Barbara Hirshfield and Cary Coen, in honor of Sherry and Gerry Cohen Bob Hiss and Mary Riffe Hiss Richard and Priscilla Hunt Susan M. Hunziker Alan Johnson Leonard W. Johnson Holly and Bruce Johnstone Katherine and Hubie Jones Rev. Dr. Katherine Kallis John Keane Cathie and Clarke Keenan Dorothy and Richard Koerner Yuriko Kuwabara and Walter Dzik Barrie Landry

Students are captivated at the student matinee of Merrily We Roll Along. Your support allows the Huntington to serve over 30,000 students each year!

Right now, your new or increased Annual Fund gift of $1,000 or more will be matched dollar for dollar through June 30 thanks to Trustees Sherry and Gerry Cohen.

Help meet the challenge today at huntingtontheatre.org/donate 28 TOP GIRLS

NILE HAWVER

DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT!

PATRONS PROGRAM (continued) Drs. Lynne and Sidney Levitsky Jon A. Levy Ms. Susan Lincoln Mr. and Mrs. Francis V. Lloyd III Janet Mack Stuart and Yvonne Madnick Mahmood Malihi Joan and John McArdle Louise and Sandy McGinnes Jack and Susan McNamara Mary Rivet and Christopher Meyer Neal and Lynne Miller Mr. and Mrs. William Mitchell, in memory of Virginia Wimberly Bill and Ginny Mullin Bob and Alison Murchison Jonette Nagai and Stephen O’Brien Fred and Julie Nagle Eric and Elizabeth Nordgren Janet and David Offensend Mary Owens

$500–$999 Lindsay Miller and Peter Ambler Elizabeth Aragao♦ John and Rose Ashby, in honor of Ann T. Hall Robin Barnes and David Bor Molly and John Beard Louis and Nancy Beckerman Kathleen Beckman Jonas Berman Martin S. Berman and Mary Ann Jasienowski Leonard and Jane Bernstein Linda Cabot Black Foundation Margaret and James Blackwell, in honor of David Wimberly Jeffrey Borenstein Stephen and Traudy Bradley Barry Brown and Ellen Shapiro Mrs. Barbara Buntrock-Schuerch Thomas Burger and Andree Robert Eric Butler♦ Carrig Kitchens LLC Cara and Anthony Casendino Patricia Chadwick and Norman Cantin Lynda and John Christian John Clippinger Herbert Stuart Cohen Janet L. Comey

Joy Pak‡ and David Deutsch Dr. and Mrs. John William Poduska, Sr. Suzanne Priebatsch Warren R. Radtke and Judith Lockhart-Radtke Jessica and David Reed Lynn and John Reichenbach Sharon and Howard Rich Jean and Richard Roberts Donna Robinson and Chris Zook Sarah Rothermel Susan and Geoffrey Rowley Allison Ryder Rohini Sakhuja Susan Pioli and Martin Samuels Mr. and Mrs. William R. Sapers Diane and Richard Schmalensee Tom Shapiro and Emily Kline Jane E. Shattuck

Ellen Sheehy and Scott Aquilina Mr. and Mrs. Ross Sherbrooke Rebecca Jean Smith Beth and Michael Stonebraker John H. Straus and Liza Ketchum Hope and Adam Suttin Lise and Myles Striar Jared Tausig, in honor of David Wimberly David Parker and Janet Tiampo Dr. Ronald Weinger Scott and Jacqueline Wellman Wendling Charitable Fund Tracey Allyson West Wilson Butler Architects Dr. Elaine Woo Jerold and Abbe Beth Young 6 anonymous gifts

SUPPORTERS PROGRAM Alison Conant and Richard Frank Paul Curtis Lloyd and Gene Dahmen Marguerite Davoren Judy DeFilippo‡ Joan Dolamore Mr. Glenn Edelson Gordon Edes Dr. Rachela Elias and Gedalia Pasternak Martha A. Erickson Maggi Farrell Pierre Fleurant Dr. and Mrs. Richard Floyd Hilary and Chris Gabrieli Tony and Melissa Gallo William Gault Drs. Laura Green and David Golan Suzanne Greenberg Tracy Griffin and David Long Gail and Jan Hardenbergh Terry Rockefeller and William Harris Dr. and Mrs. George Hatsopoulos John and Holliday Heine Dr. Galen Henderson and Dr. Vanessa Britto

Peggy and Ronald Hillegass, in honor of Nancy and Tom Hamilton Rosalind and Herbert Hill Toini and Carl Jaffe Peter K. Jenkins Peter Jenney Mr. and Mrs. Paul Karofsky Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Karon Nancy R. Karp Jane Katims and Daniel Perlman Amelia and Joshua Katzen Michael and Dona Kemp Mary S. and Duncan Kennedy John T. Kittredge Jill Kneerim Edgar Knudson John and Sharon Koch Dale Koppel Rhonda and Stewart Lassner Patricia Leighfield, in memory of Robert Crisp Jenny and Jay Leopold Nancy Levy Katherine Lewandowski and Adam Guren♦ June K. Lewin, in memory of Ted Kazanoff Elizabeth Lintz

HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY 29

SUPPORTERS PROGRAM (continued) Mark H. Lippolt Babette and Peter Loring Barbara A. Manzolillo Edward Marram Amy and Bill Marshall Bronwyn Martin, in memory of Travis Martin Kathy Martin and David Johnson Kenneth Virgile and Helene Mayer Geraldine McManus and Richard Hand Frank B. Mead Dan Miller Nicole Moceri Mary Ellen Moore Kevin Morris The Munzer Family Eileen Murray Tom Norris Ray O’Neill William Pananos Marianne Pasts Ellen C. Perrin Mr. and Mrs. Murray Preisler

Margaret Ramsey Robert Raymond Lisa and Tom Redburn Charles Reed and Ann Jacobs Gretchen Reilly Michelle and Aaron Rhodes♦ Audrey Rideout Christina Rifkin Michael and Jane Roberts Sue Robinson Christine and David Root Diane Rosenberg Sari Rosman Mr. and Mrs. Michael Rotenberg Pauline and Robert Rothenberg Kathleen and William Rousseau Phyllis and Sam Rubinovitz Susan and Bob Schechter, in honor of Donald Nelson and Neal Balkowitsch William Schutten William and Elisabeth Shields David W. Shuckra and Clifford S. Wunderlich Omar Siddiqi

Mark Smith and John O’Keefe Edward Sonn Nancy and Edward Stavis Lee Steele Gail Steketee and Brian McCorkle Jennifer Stone and Robert Waldinger Bob and Dorothy Stuart Darline Lewis and Marshall Sugarman Beth and Larry Sulak Margaret M. Talcott and L. Scott Scharer Todd Trehubenko Rosamond B. Vaule Sumer and Kiran Verma Dr. and Mrs. Raymond Walther Constance V.R. White Karolye and Fernando Cunha P.T. Withington Clark Wright and Lisa Goldthwait Wright Robert E. Zaret 5 anonymous gifts

$250–$499 Jonathan Aibel and Julie Rohwein Rosanna Alfaro Fidler Family David and Holly Ambler Robert Allen Nancy T. and Jack W. Ammerman Tammy Arcuri Tom Austin Carolyn and John Baird Mr. and Mrs. James Banker Emily Barclay and John Hawes Marilyn Barrett Peter Barrett David Barry Nancy Barry Mr. and Mrs. Milton E. Berglund James Berkman Robert Bienkowski Clinton Blackburn and Michelle Lessly♦ Donald and Ellen Bloch Drs. Brian and Rachel Bloom Scott Chisolm and Afshan Bokhari Anthony Boral and Leah Rugen Sandy Bornstein Payne/Bouchier, Inc. Eric and Sandra Brenman Ellen and Jeremiah Bresnahan S. Britt

Deborah B. Brown Ruth Budd and John Ehrenfeld Allan and Rhea Bufferd Diane Buhl and Mark Polebaum Diane Burman Daniel C. Burnes Renee Burns Margaret Bush Pauline H. Bynum Cathy Campbell and Jack Orrock Colleen Campion Charles R. Carr Frank Carrano Ronna M. Casper and Isaac Greenberg Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Cheston, Jr. Mary Chin Maria Church Krista Clouse Priscilla Cogan Phyllis Cohen Steven Cohen Stuart Cole Steven Coleman and Christine Tunstall Silvia Coulter Robert Crone Catherine Crow Anne Crowley Howard S. Crowley

James F. Crowley Zoltan and Cristina Csimma Karen Davis and Randy Block Charlotte Delaney and Steve Pattyson Raymond De Rise Joel Desilets Jane and Stephen Deutsch Mary L. Dill Mr. and Mrs. Walter L. Downey Owen Doyle Raya Dreben Grace Durrani Mr. and Mrs. James Feldman Roger Ferguson and Chris Gaucher Mr. and Mrs. Barry Fireman Kathleen McGrath Fitts Thomas M. Formicola and Lenny Goldstein Ariane and Stefan Frank Mr. and Mrs. Peter Frumkin Stephen Gaal Michael Gallerstein Judith L. Ganz Clifford Garnett Jack and Maureen Ghublikian Celia and Walter Gilbert Silvia Glick Amelia and William Graham Thomas Greeley

30 TOP GIRLS

SUPPORTERS PROGRAM (continued) Paul and Martha Green Louis and Patti Grossman Steven and Barbara Grossman and David Grossman Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Groves Susan Haller Eunice Harps Judith Harris Mary Hayes Lizbeth Hedstrom Margaret N. Henderson and Loretta Henderson Andrew Himmelblau Esther and Richard Hochman David Hollowell Lyle Howland Lindsey Humes Andrea Humez Mr. and Mrs. Donald Hunsicker Barbara Bradlee Amal Hussein Mr. and Mrs. Howard Israel Jill Jackson Maggie Jackson and Pat Mawn♦ Peter and Adrienne Jaffe Kerry James Richard Johnston The Jolly Family Jess and Aran Kadar Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Kalowski Jane Kamer Neal Kane Yetta Katz Rob and Mary Keane-Hazzard Glenn Kelly Paul Kelly Judy and Dan Kennedy, in honor of Stephen Sondheim Margie Kern David Kettner Remsen M. Kinne Jason Knutson Nancy Korman and Ken Elgart Drs. Carol and Ben Kripke Joan Kuhn Oldrich Kyn Andreas Laddis Susan Lane and William Kane Carol Lazarus Dr. and Mrs. David Lhowe Jim and Allie Loehlin Priscilla Krey Loring Ms. Barbara Lurvey Kim and Paul Mahoney

David and Christine Manns Arthur Mattuck Stephen T. McAvinn Terri-Lynn McCormick Hope and Shaw McDermott Lindsay McNair Robert McOwen Gabriella Meyer Mr. and Mrs. Tremont Miao Forrest and Sara Milder Gale Minot, in memory of Alice L. Harford Joseph Misdraji Adam and Denise Moehring Margaret Mone Barbershop Deluxe Michael and Donna Moskow Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Moynihan Bob Muti, in memory of James Robinson Martha Narten Mr. and Mrs. Francis W. Newbury, Jr. Chukwuemeka Nwanze Nancy and Chris Oddleifson Linda Ordoukhanian James Packer Marian Pasquale Mr. and Mrs. Harry Photopoulos Josephine Pizzuto, in memory of Pat Pizzuto James Poterba and Nancy Rose Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Proulx Mr. and Mrs. Martin Quitt Jennifer Rabold Kerry Mulligan Railey Peter and Suzanne Read Katharine and William Reardon Suzanne Ricco Roger Riggs Patricia Robinson Barbara Roby Anne Romney Etta and Mark Rosen Jean Rosenberg and Peter Southwick Abby Rosenfeld Leila Joy Rosenthal Mathilde and Robert Ross Debra Ruder Ryan Ruopp George and Faye Russell Nancy L. Russell Jeremy Ryan

Vinod and Gaile Sahney David and Anne Salant Kim and Eric Schultz Mark Seliber Sayre Sheldon James Shields and Gayle Merling Mr. and Mrs. Edward Siegel Drs. Margaret and Michael Simon Ellen L. Simons Peter L. Smith and Donna J. Coletti Michele Steinberg Bob and Susan Stevenson Glenn and Katherine Strehle Debbie London and Ted Sturman Ellen Beth Suderow Dr. and Mrs. Herman D. Suit Linda Sutter and Stephen Centore Kenneth Sweder Jacob Taylor and Jean Park Janet Testa Mary Anne Thadeu Karen Thompson Judy Thomson Mark Thurber Patricia Tibbetts Mr. Robert Toomey Mr. and Mrs. Mario Umana Thomas and Barbara Van Dyke Barbara Van Zoeren Christopher Wade Lori and Christopher Wadsworth, in appreciation of Dave Wimberly Mr. and Mrs. David Wahr Carolyn Walton Jerry Warshaw Susan Weiler David White Nancy White Richard and Frances Winneg Elizabeth P. Wolf Mary and Gary Wolf Janis Woodman, in honor of Christopher Woodman David C. Wright Natalie Wright Mr. and Mrs. John Wyman Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Zafft Lorena and Robert Zeller Carolyn Zern 13 anonymous gifts

This list reflects gifts received during the 14 months prior to March 30, 2018.

♦ Member of The Hunt, the Huntington’s community of young donors.

For more information or to join, visit huntingtontheatre.org/thehunt. ‡ Deceased

Every effort has been made to assure accuracy of listings. Please bring errors or omissions to the attention of Elizabeth MacLachlan at 617 273 1523 or emaclachlan@huntingtontheatre.org.

HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY 31

CORPORATE, FOUNDATION & GOVERNMENT DONORS The Huntington Theatre Company is grateful to receive support from a wide range of corporations, foundations, and government agencies that support the Huntington’s annual operations, as well as our award-winning productions and education and community programs.

For more information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Diana Jacobs-Komisar, Institutional Giving Manager, at 617 273 1514 or djkomisar@huntingtontheatre.org.

Executive Season Producers ($100,000+) The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation The Barr Foundation Liberty Mutual Insurance** Massachusetts Cultural Council The Shubert Foundation, Inc.

Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Foundation Kingsbury Road Charitable Foundation** Lucy R. Sprague Memorial Fund** MEDITECH Schrafft Charitable Trust**

Season Co-Producer ($50,000-$99,999) Hershey Family Foundation

Patrons ($10,000–$14,999) Eaton Vance Investment Counsel The Tiny Tiger Foundation**

Production Sponsors ($25,000–$49,999) Bank of America** Eaton Vance Management Edgerton Foundation National Endowment for the Arts The Boston Foundation** Benefactors ($15,000–$24,999) BPS Arts Expansion Fund at EdVestors**

Supporters ($5,000–$9,999) Berkshire Partners Cue Ball Group Goodwin Nutter Proskauer LLP Ramsey McCluskey Family Foundation** Rodgers Family Foundation Ropes & Gray LLP

Theatre Communications Group** WilmerHale Members ($2,500–$4,999) Boston Cultural Council Cambridge Savings Bank** Jackson and Irene Golden 1989 Charitable Trust** Roy A. Hunt Foundation** Surdna Foundation Thank you to our in-kind contributors Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete LLP High Output MAX Ultimate Food Noble Ford Productions

** Education and community programs donor

32 TOP GIRLS

THE HUNTINGTON LEGACY SOCIETY BUILDING A LEGACY OF GREAT THEATRE — The Huntington Legacy Society recognizes those who play a lasting role in securing the Huntington’s strong, successful future beyond their lifetime by making a bequest or other planned gift.

We are grateful to these members of the Huntington Legacy Society:

Neal Balkowitsch and Donald Nelson Howard H. Bengele Suzanne Chapman Brant A. Cheikes Sherryl and Gerard Cohen Carol G. Deane Susan Ellerin Arthur C. and Eloise W. Hodges Jane and Fred Jamieson Mary Ellen Kiddle Carol B. Langer Joie Lemaitre

Sharon and Brad Malt Bill and Linda McQuillan Mary C. O’Donnell Steve Stelovich Robert C. Volante Linda and Daniel Waintrup Margaret J. White J. David Wimberly Veronica and Howard Wiseman Genevieve and Justin Wyner 1 anonymous

THE HUNTINGTON LEGACY SOCIETY SUPPORT GREAT THEATRE NOW AND IN THE FUTURE “We’re way into the Huntington! That’s why we made it a beneficiary of our individual retirement account (IRA). We are happy to help secure the future of the Huntington and its important work on stage and in our community.”

— JANE AND FRED JAMIESON, TRUSTEE

To learn about ways to give now and for the future through your Individual Retirement Account, please visit huntingtontheatre.org/IRA

HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY 33

HUNTINGTON AVENUE THEATRE • GENERAL INFORMATION Contact Information for the Huntington Theatre Company The Huntington Theatre Company performs in three beautiful theatres in two dynamic Boston neighborhoods. The 890-seat Huntington Avenue Theatre is on the Avenue of the Arts (264 Huntington Avenue), diagonally across from Symphony Hall. The 370-seat Virginia Wimberly Theatre and the flexible 250-seat Nancy & Edward Roberts Studio Theatre are part of the Calderwood Pavilion in the historic South End, on the campus of the Boston Center for the Arts (527 Tremont Street).

Website: huntingtontheatre.org Box Office: 617 266 0800 Box Office email: tickets@huntingtontheatre.org Administrative office: 617 266 7900 Administrative office email: thehuntington@huntingtontheatre.org Lost and Found: 617 273 1666

Box Office Hours The Box Office is generally open Tuesday-Saturday, noon-curtain (or 6pm); Sunday, noon-curtain (or 4pm).

Hours change weekly. For the most up-to-date hours, please visit huntingtontheatre.org or call the Box Office at 617 266 0800.

Huntington Group Discounts Groups of 10 or more may receive a discount of up to 20% off full ticket prices and a free ticket for every 20 purchased. Space is available at the theatre for pre- or post-performance receptions. Contact Victoria Swindle for more information at 617 273 1657 or groups@ huntingtontheatre.org.

If Your Plans Change We hate to see empty seats. Please consider donating any tickets you can’t use. For more information please call the Box Office at 617 266 0800.

Refreshments Snacks, wine, beer, soft drinks, and coffee are available before opening curtain and during intermission in the main lobby. Drinks purchased at concessions are permitted inside the theatre, but food is not.

Babes in Arms Children must have their own seats. Babes in arms are not permitted in the theatre. Children under 6 are not permitted.

Cameras The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

Pagers and Cellular Phones Please silence all watches, pagers, and cell phones during the performance.

Wheelchair Accessibility The Huntington Avenue Theatre is accessible by ramp and can accommodate both wheelchair and companion seating in the orchestra section. A power assisted door is located at the far left Box Office entrance.

Please notify us when you purchase your tickets if wheelchair accommodations will be required and confirm arrangements with the House Manager at 617 273 1666.

Hearing Enhancement The Huntington Avenue Theatre is equipped with an FM hearing enhancement system.

Wireless headphones are available free of charge at the concessions stand in the main lobby for your use during a performance.

Public Transportation We encourage patrons to use public transportation to the Huntington Avenue Theatre whenever possible. The theatre is conveniently located near the MBTA Green Line Hynes or Symphony Stations; Orange Line/Commuter Rail Mass Ave. Station; the No. 1 Harvard-Dudley bus via Mass Ave. to Huntington Ave.; and the No. 39 ArborwayCopley bus to Gainsborough Street.

Huntington Avenue Theatre Parking Parking is available at many nearby locations. For details, please visit huntingtontheatre.org or call the Box Office at 617 266 0800.

Please note that these parking garages are independently owned and operated and are not affiliated with the Huntington Theatre Company or the Huntington Avenue Theatre.

Restrooms Located in the lower-level and balcony lobbies. A wheelchair-accessible restroom is located in the main lobby on the first floor.

Coat Check Located in the lower lobby.

If You Arrive Late In consideration of our actors and other audience members, latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the management.

Large Print Programs Large print programs are free of charge and are available in the main lobby.

34 TOP GIRLS

BOSTON UNIVERSITY THEATRE •• EMERGENCY MAPMAP HUNTINGTON AVENUE THEATRE EMERGENCYEVACUATION EVACUATION In addition to the lobby exits through which you entered, there are six illuminated emergency exits at the sides of the balcony and mezzanine, and four in the orchestra. = EXIT SIGN

3rd floor (balcony)

= EGRESS

2nd floor (mezzanine, opera boxes, lobby)

1st floor (orchestra, main lobby)

M AY 4 - JUNE 2

“SEE IT AND CHEER!” - The New York Daily Observer

SUPPORTING

HEALTHY OUTCOMES FREE 3-DAY PASS

COME IN FOR A TOUR TODAY!

bo ok by

M ARC ACITO, Jay KUO, & LORENZO THIONE di r e ct e d by

PAUL DAIGNEAULT

music and lyrics by

music direction by

M ATTHEW STERN

JAY KUO

choreo gr aphy by

ILYSE ROBBINS

SPEAKEASYSTAGE.COM @speakeasystage

This pass entitles an individual or family to experience the YMCA for one week before 12/31/2016.

6/30/2018 Valid for new free trial participants over the age of 18. Government issued identification is required to enter the YMCA.

HUNTINGTON AVENUE YMCA 316 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02110 HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY 35

STAFF Peter DuBois

Norma Jean Calderwood Artistic Director

ADMINISTRATION General Manager................................................Sondra R. Katz Associate General Manager.........................Conwell Worthington III Assistant General Manager..................................................Annie Walsh Company Managers........................Jazzmin Bonner, Meagan Garcia Assistant to the Managing Director........................ Gabrielle Jaques Finance Director of Financial Management................. Glenda Fishman Accounting Manager.............................................................. June Zaidan Accounting Coordinator.................................................Laura Casavant Accountants....................................Alexander, Aronson, Finning, CPA Human Resources Director of Human Resources.......................... Nina E. Nicolosi Human Resources Coordinator.................................... Michael Comey Payroll and Reporting Specialist...................................April Swiniuch Administrative Support Assistant...............................Sarah Schnebly Information Technology IT Director....................................................................................Scott Poole Network Administrator....................................................... Dan Moloney Theatre Operations Director of Theatre Operations.........................Timothy H. OConnell Associate Director of Theatre Operations — Calderwood Pavilion................................Katie Most Associate Director of Theatre Operations — Huntington Avenue Theatre...............Katrina Alix Associate Director of Theatre Operations — Patron Services.......................... Stephen Reinstein Security Coordinator...............................................................Greg Haugh Calderwood Pavilion Calderwood Pavilion House Manager........................Julie Cameron Calderwood Pavilion Management Assistant................................Matt Feldman-Campbell Calderwood Pavilion Apprentice...................................Micaela Slotin Calderwood Pavilion Assistant House Managers..........................................Paul Fox, Gabe Hughes, Ksenia Lanin, Maura Neff Calderwood Pavilion Front of House Staff.................. Chabreah Alston, Ellie Brelis, Robert Caplis, Mia Coffin, Barbara Crowther, Linnea Donnelly, Katie Flanagan, Madeleine Gibbons, Casey Greenleaf, Ryan Impagliazzo, Josh Luckens, Kerry Lydon, Terry McCarthy, Tiniqua Patrick, Nick Perron, Sarah Schnebly, Katharine Silva, Ciera-Sadé Wade Calderwood Pavilion Custodians.........Jose Andrade, Mike Brown Huntington Avenue Theatre Huntington Avenue Theatre House Manager................Andrew Elk Huntington Avenue Theatre Management Assistant................................ Kendrick Terrell Evans Huntington Avenue Theatre Assistant House Managers............Kendrick Terrell Evans, Annie Walsh Huntington Avenue Theatre Front of House Staff................................... J. Sebastian Alberdi, Terrence Dowdye, Kristina Dugas, Robin Goldberg, Kat Klein, Patrick Mahoney, Will Morrison, Samantha Myers, Katie O’Connor, Sarah Patterson, Evan Pott, Margot Spanu, Padraig Sullivan, Dan Victor Huntington Avenue Theatre Custodians....................Jose Andrade, Nelson DaSilva

36 TOP GIRLS

Michael Maso

Managing Director

Ticketing Services Assistant Manager — Patron Services.................... Victoria Swindle Calderwood Pavilion Ticketing Coordinator..........................................................Noah Ingle Huntington Avenue Theatre Ticketing Coordinator............................................ Brenton Thurston Subscriptions Coordinator...................................................Amy Klesert Ticketing Associates.............................Michaela Buccini, JB Douglas Full-Time Customer Service Reps...............................Shana Jackson, Robin Russell Customer Service Reps......................................Nick Boonstra, Sue Dietlin, Kaylah Dixon, Kristina Dugas, Patrick Mahoney, Samantha Myers, Katelyn Reinert, Brittany Schmitke, Yurika Watanabe

ARTISTIC Producing Director.......................................Christopher Wigle Associate Producer................................................... Rebecca Bradshaw Director of New Work.................................................Charles Haugland Assistant to the Artistic Director.......................................Billy Cowles Playwright-in-Residence..................................................Melinda Lopez Literary Apprentice..................................................J. Sebastian Alberdi Producing Apprentice..................................................................Kat Klein Huntington Playwriting Fellows................................. MJ Halberstadt, Brenda Withers DEVELOPMENT Chief Development Officer................................Elisabeth Saxe Director of Major Gifts................................................Margaret J. White Major Gifts Officer..............................................................Celina Valadao Special Events Manager......................................................Kirsten Doyle Institutional Giving Manager...........................Diana Jacobs-Komisar Individual Giving Manager...............................................Annalise Baird Manager of Development Operations, Research & Stewardship...............................Elizabeth MacLachlan Development Database Coordinator...........................Lisa McColgan Development Assistant........................................................ Sam Buntich EDUCATION & COMMUNITY PROGRAMS Interim Co-Directors of Education.......................Meg O’Brien, Alexandra Smith Education Associate..............................................................Marisa Jones Education Apprentices..................................Lauren Brooks, Ivy Ryan Teaching Artists................................Kortney Adams, Naheem Garcia Lydia Graeff, Keith Mascoll, Allie Meek, Trinidad Ramkissoon MARKETING Director of Marketing.............................................. Temple Gill Associate Director of Marketing...................... Meredith Mastroianni Tessitura Analytics Manager........................................... Derrick Martin Digital Content Manager............................................Carolyn MacLeod Promotions & Community Coordinator.......................... James Boyd Graphic Design Coordinator............................................Lauren Calder Community Membership Coordinator.....................................................Candelaria Silva-Collins Communications Associate...................................................Leah Reber Marketing Associate.......................................................... Clare Lockhart Co-op Student, Northeastern University........................... Carla Mirabal Rodríguez

STAFF (continued) PRODUCTION Director of Production................................... Todd D. Williams Associate Director of Production................................... Bethany Ford Production Office Assistant................................................ Juli Merhaut Stage Management Apprentice.........................................Jamie Carty Co-op Student, Northeastern University...................Rose Mancuso Scenery Technical Director.............................................. Dan Ramirez Associate Technical Director........................................ Adam Godbout Assistant Technical Director..................................................Dan Oleksy Scene Shop Foreman..............................................................Mike Hamer Master Carpenter....................................................................Larry Dersch Scenery Mechanic...........................................................Jesse Washburn Carpenters....................................................................Andrew Cancellieri, Milosz Gassan, Christian Lambrecht, Nick Hernon Carpenter/Scene Shop Assistant...........................Carolyn Daitch Calderwood Pavilion Stage Supervisor......................Rachael Hasse Huntington Avenue Theatre Stage Carpenter...........................................................Joseph Fanning Properties Properties Master.............................................Kristine Holmes Assistant Properties Master.............................................Justin Seward Properties Artisan.....................................................................Ian Thorsell Properties Run................................................................Andrew DeShazo Properties Apprentice...................................................Margot Adolphe

Paints Charge Scenic Artist............................................Kristin Krause Assistant Charge Scenic Artist...........................Romina Diaz-Brarda Scenic Artist...........................................................................Chelsey Erskin Scenic Painting Apprentice...................................................... Molly Hall Costumes Costume Director.............................................. Nancy Hamann Assistant Costume Director................................. Virginia V. Emerson Costume Design Assistant.....................................................Mary Lauve Head Draper...........................................................................Anita Canzian Draper...............................................................................................Sarah Pak Costume Crafts Artisan/Dyer................Denise M. Wallace-Spriggs First Hand............................................................................Rebecca Hylton Wardrobe Supervisor..........................................................Christine Marr Associate Wardrobe Supervisor.............................Barbara Crowther Wigmaster...............................................................................Troy Siegfreid Electrics Lighting & Projections Supervisor................. Katherine Herzig Assistant Lighting Supervisor....................................... Bridget Collins Calderwood Pavilion House Electrician............................Taylor Ness Huntington Avenue Theatre House Electrician................................................................... Sean Baird Sound Sound Supervisor................................................. Ben Emerson Sound Engineer.......................................................................... J. Jumbelic Calderwood Pavilion Sound Engineer............................................................ Jesse McKenzie Sound Apprentice...............................................................Valentin Frank

Additional Staff for Top Girls Assistant to the Director......................................... Pascale Florestal Dialect and Vocal Coach......................................Chantal Jean-Pierre Fight Consultant.................................................................Angie Jepson Production Assistants.......................................................Juli Merhaut, Annie Zaruba-Walker Carpenters.........................................................Andrew Adamopolous, Nate DeMare, Ben Frechette, Michael Huxford, Mary Kurenkov, Peter MacIntyre, Bill O’Donnell, Christina Rossi Deck Run Crew................................................................... Bill O’Donnell

First Hand................................................................................. Katie Kenna Stitchers................................................................................. Becca Jewett, Kathryn Schondek, Ash Wagner Dressers.............................................Kathryn Schondek, Jill Costello Assistant Lighting Designer...........................................Jessica Elliot Electricians....................................Kyle Blanchette, Gabe Goldman, Katie Hoolsema, Sam Layco, Tyson Miller, Connor O’Brien, David Orlando, Elliot Purcell, Jennifer Rugyt, Brian Shaw, Jennifer Timms, Corey Whittemore

The Huntington Theatre Company is a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), an association of the nation’s leading resident professional theatres; Theatre Communications Group, a national service organization for the nonprofit professional theatre; StageSource, a regional alliance of theatre artists and producers; and ArtsBoston, the voice and resource for the arts in Greater Boston.

This theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

The director and choreographer are members of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.

The scenic, costume, lighting, and sound designers in LORT theatres are represented by United Scenic Artists Local USA-829, IATSE.

HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY 37

StageSpotlight

Building Audiences for Greater Boston’s Outstanding Not-For-Profit Performing Arts Organizations Urinetown April 19-21, 2018

Eugene Onegin

April 19–21, 2018

Tickets: $20

A jaded young aristocrat cruelly rejects the love of country girl Tatyana, only to attempt to rekindle the flame years later. Sung in Russian with English supertitles. Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Libretto by Tchaikovsky with Konstantin Shilovsky.

Based on the verse novel by Alexander Pushkin.

Discounts Available Tickets: $20

Discounts 617-824-8000 available www.emerson theatres.org

April 5–8, 2018 Tickets: 617-912-9222 or bostonconservatory.berklee.edu/events

Urinetown 617-824-8000 emerson.edu/emersonstage

LYRIC STAGE Limitless Five diverse pieces by some of the most brilliant choreographers working today, including Mark Morris, Doug Varone and Nona Hendryx.

Scott Edmiston direct’s Euguene O’Neill’s fierce and humorous Pulitzer Prize-winning drama.

April 19–22, 2018

April 6–May 6, 2018 Tickets: 617-912-9222 or bostonconservatory.berklee.edu/events

Lyric Stage • Copley Square 617-585-5678 • lyricstage.com

BOSTON YOUTH SYMPHONY

MOONBOX PRODUCTIONS

Celebrating 60

with Leipzig Gewandhaus Youth Choir and Leipzig Opera Youth Choir Federico Cortese, Conductor

April 29, 2018 at 3:30 p.m.

Tickets from $25 • Symphony Hall 617-266-1200 • bysoweb.org

Music by John Kander. Lyrics by Fred Ebb. Book by Joe Masteroff. With Aimee Doherty as Sally Bowles.

April 14–29, 2018 Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA 617-933-8600 • bostontheatrescene.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PAULETTE’S BALLET STUDIO

GUIDE to LOCAL THEATRE DOWNTOWN/THEATRE DISTRICT

Paulette between shows, rooftop Radio City Music Hall

Once Upon a Time

May 26, 2018 at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.

Regis College, 235 Wellesley St., Weston 617-527-9565 • paulettesballetstudio.com

TRINITY REP Ragtime

Book by Terrence McNally, Music by Stephen Flaherty Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens Based on the novel by E.L. Doctorow A passionate musical about immigration, race relations and the American Dream

April 26–May 27, 2018 Downtown Providence 401-351-4242 • TrinityRep.com

A vivid portrait of the working men and women who are the heart and soul of the American landscape Supporting the Termeer Center for Targeted Therapies at the MGH Cancer Center

May 5, 2018 at 8 p.m., auction at 7 p.m.

North Shore Music Theatre 978-232-7200 • nsmt.org voicesofhopeboston.org

BLUE MAN GROUP, Charles Playhouse, 74 Warrenton St., 800-BLUE-MAN. Ongoing. This giddily subversive offBroadway hit serves up outrageous and inventive theatre where three muted, blue-painted performers spoof both contemporary art and modern technology. Wry commentary and bemusing antics are matched only by the ingenious ways in which music and sound are created.

COLD BLOOD, Astragales, Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont St., 617-824-8400. May 30–Jun 3. Is there life before death? That’s the big question posed by the surprisingly funny and whimsical new show from the troupe behind Kiss & Cry. THE MIGRATION: REFLECTIONS ON JACOB LAWRENCE, Step Afrika!, Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont St., 617-824-8400. May 3–6. This multimedia powerhouse production chronicles and celebrates the paths of the brave men and women who left the American South searching for better opportunities.

ON YOUR FEET!, Boston Opera House, 539 Washington St., 866-523-7469. Apr 17–29. Emilio and Gloria Estefan came to America and broke through all barriers to become a crossover sensation at the very top of the pop music world. But just when they thought they had it all, they almost lost everything. From international superstardom to life-threatening tragedy, this musical journey takes you behind the music and inside the real story of this record-making and groundbreaking couple.

SHEAR MADNESS, Charles Playhouse Stage II, 74 Warrenton St., 617-426-5225. Ongoing. It’s a day like any other at the Shear Madness salon, when suddenly the lady upstairs gets knocked off. Whodunit? Join the fun as the audience matches wits with the suspects to catch the killer in this wildly popular comedy.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Boch Center, The Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont St., 800-982-2787. May 1–13. In this brand-new production, the spirited, romantic and beloved musical story of Maria and the von Trapp Family once again thrills audiences with its Tony, Grammy and Academy award-winning Best Score, including “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “Edelweiss” and the title song.

LOCAL/REGIONAL THEATRE ALLEGIANCE, SpeakEasy Stage Company, Roberts Studio Theatre, Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont St., 617-933-8600. May 4–Jun 2.

HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY 39

GUIDE TO LOCAL THEATRE (continued) Inspired by the true childhood experience of TV/film actor and social media icon George Takei (Mr. Sulu on “Star Trek”), this East Coast premiere tells the story of the Kimura family, whose lives are upended when they and 120,000 other JapaneseAmericans are forced to leave their homes following the events at Pearl Harbor.

ANNA CHRISTIE, Lyric Stage Company, 140 Clarendon St., 617-585-5678. Apr 6–May 6. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Eugene O’Neill’s classic is a surprisingly contemporary play about a coal barge captain who, after a 20-year separation, is reunited with the daughter he unknowingly abandoned to a life of hardship. When she falls in love with a shipwrecked sailor, her father and her suitor come to recognize their own culpability in her plight as all three struggle for salvation.

BOSTON THEATER MARATHON, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, Wimberly Theatre, Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont St., 617-933-8600. May 6.

The 20th annual event features a 10-hour marathon of 50 new 10-minute plays that unite the talents of New England playwrights, directors and theatre companies.

BROKELAHOMO!, Gold Dust Orphans, Theater Machine, 1254 Boylston St., 800-838-3006. Apr 26–May 27. Brokelahomo is a town in trouble. Overrun by dirty, outlaw gays, the few law-abiding citizens left must spend their days dodging bullets, putting out church fires and fearing for their pet’s lives—that is, until a heterosexual is sent for. Enter Dusty Rhodes, the unlikely hero of this far-out parody set in the groovy 1880s.

CABARET, Moonbox Productions, Wimberly Theatre, Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont St.,617-933-8600. Apr 14–29. Kander and Ebb’s iconic musical, set in the world of the Kit Kat Klub on the eve of Hitler’s rise to power, tells the story of Cliff Bradshaw, a young American writer newly arrived in Berlin who falls in love with cabaret singer Sally Bowles. Their romance sizzles amid the back room culture of the club and the tumultuous atmosphere of pre-Nazi Germany.

CALENDAR GIRLS, Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main St., Stoneham, 781-279-2200. May 31–Jun 17. Based on the true story of 11 English Ladies Club members who posed nude for a calendar to raise money for the Leukemia Research Fund, this delightful, heartfelt comedy is adapted from the 2003 film.

COOKING WITH THE CALAMARI SISTERS, Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington, 781-646-4849. Apr 12–May 20.

Hilarity, delicious dishes and two over-the-top, plus-size Italian sisters from Brooklyn take you on a tour-de-force of Italian, pop and show tunes and cuisine as they sing, dance, joke and laugh through a very special cooking lesson.

THE DONKEY SHOW, American Repertory Theater, Oberon, 2 Arrow St., Cambridge, 617-547-8300. Ongoing. Bringing the ultimate disco experience to Boston, this crazy circus of mirror balls, feathered divas, roller skaters and hustle queens tells the story of A Midsummer Night’s Dream through great ’70s anthems you know by heart.

FALL, Huntington Theatre Company, Wimberly Theatre, Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont St., 617-266-0800. May 18–Jun 16. Playwright Arthur Miller was said to be the moral conscience of the nation, 40 TOP GIRLS

but he had a secret: a son born with Down syndrome whom he refused to acknowledge. Renowned Hollywood reporter Bernard Weinraub explores the fascinating untold story of Miller and his third wife, photographer Inge Morath, and the divide between their public personas and private lives.

FESTIVAL OF NEW PLAYS, Playwrights’ Platform, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, 949 Commonwealth Ave., 866-811-4111.

May 31–Jun 2. This 46th annual showcase of new, original works features short plays by local playwrights, performed

by Boston-area actors, with audience awards presented after each performance.

THE FIRE AND THE RAIN, Stage Ensemble Theater Unit, Belmont Town Hall Theater, 455 Concord Ave., Belmont, 781325-8171. Apr 27–29. An all-female ensemble tackles this experimental production that illuminates the age-old human relationships with gods, rituals and sacrifices, as well as the complex societal order in the Indian caste system.

FIRST LOVE IS THE REVOLUTION, Apollinaire Theatre Company, Chelsea Theatre Works, 189 Winnisimmet St., Chelsea, 617-887-2336. Apr 6–May 5. This unique, off-kilter take on young romance—a mix of comedy and tragedy by Australian playwright Rita Kalnejais—tells the story of a love affair between a teenager and a fox.

GAY SHORTS PART 2: WE ARE FAMILY, Open Theatre Project, Club Cafe, 209 Columbus Ave., 800-838-3006. May 23–Jun 2. This evening of original 10-minute plays by, for and with LGTBQ artists from all walks of life explores the ins and outs of LGTBQ family life.

HEATHERS THE MUSICAL, The Footlight Club, 7A Eliot St., Jamaica Plain, 617-524-3200. Apr 13–28. Based on the classic 1989 film, this stage adaptation tells the darkly delicious story of Veronica Sawyer, a brainy, beautiful teenage misfit who hustles her way into the most powerful and ruthless clique at Westerberg High: the Heathers.

HERITAGE HILLS NATURALS, Fresh Ink Theatre Company, Deane Hall, Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont St., 617-933-8600. May 11–26. In an effort to avoid confronting her declining mental health, recent college graduate Lucilia volunteers a month of free labor to an organic farm in rural Georgia. There, she encounters ignorance bordering on racism, religious fanaticism and too-healthy eating habits that force her to question whether escaping into a world of green living was really an escape at all.

ISABELLA UNMASKED—THE LEGACY OF A RENAISSANCE ITALIAN WOMAN, Pazzi Lazzi, Dante Alighieri Society of Massachusetts, 41 Hampshire St., Cambridge, 617-876-5160. May 11.

This original work is based on the life of Isabella Canali Andreini (1562–1604), one of the first professional actresses in the Western world, and one of her most successful performances, La Pazzia di Isabella, which took place in 1589 in Florence in occasion of the wedding of Ferdinando I de’ Medici and Christine of Lorraine.

JAGGED LITTLE PILL, American Repertory Theater, Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Cambridge, 617-547-8300.

May 5–Jun 30. Based on the 1995 album that established Canadian singer-songwriter and Grammy Award winner Alanis Morissette as an alternative rock icon, this world premiere musical directed by Diane Paulus (Waitress, Finding Neverland,

GUIDE TO LOCAL THEATRE (continued) Pippin) features a book by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody (Juno).

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, Riverside Theatre Works, 45 Fairmount Ave., Hyde Park, 800-838-3006. May 11–20. In this Tony Award-winning, smash hit musical, Georges and Albin, two men partnered for better-or-worse, get a bit of both when Georges son announces his impending marriage to the daughter of an ultra-conservative politician. Further complicating the situation, Albin and Georges run a drag nightclub in St. Tropez, where Albin is the star performer Zaza.

THE LAST ACT, Israeli Stage, Martin Hall, Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont St., 617-933-8600. May 18–Jun 1. “Theatre should be dangerous, or else it should not be!” snarls Gilly in this fiery, sexy drama that examines the Palestinian-Israel conflict through the lens of Strindberg’s Miss Julie.

THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA McBRIDE, Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main St., Stoneham, 781-279-2200. May 3–20.

How can an Elvis impersonator become a winning drag queen in the Florida Panhandle? With an empty bank account and pregnant wife, Casey’s going to have to answer that question fast in this raucous comedy filled with music, snappy zingers and a unique brand of glamour.

LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES, The Nora Theatre Company, Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 866-811-4111. May 31–Jul 1. In pre-Revolution France, two decadent, aristocratic ex-lovers conspire in drawing rooms and boudoirs, swooping down on the innocent and naïve, and playfully keeping score of their depravity with delicious ribald wit in this all-male production of Christopher Hampton’s drama.

LEST WE FORGET, The Post-Meridian Radio Players, Responsible Grace Church, 204 Elm St., Somerville, 800-838-3006.

Apr 20–28. Featuring three stories of fighting injustice and standing up for what’s right, this show reproduces two episodes of the classic 1940s radio series Lest We Forget: The American Dream, along with an original adaptation of the World War II-era comic book tale starring action heroes The War Nurse and Her Commandos.

LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION!, Zeitgeist Stage Company, Plaza Theatre, Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont St., 617-933-8600. Apr 27–May 19. In Terrence McNally’s Tony Award winner for Best Play, eight gay male friends hash out their passions, resentments and fears over the course of three summer weekends at a beautiful Dutchess County farmhouse.

Flirtations, infidelity, AIDS, truth-telling and soul-searching mix questions about life and death with skinny-dipping and a wild dress rehearsal of Swan Lake in drag.

THE LYONS, Titanic Theatre Company, Plaza Black Box Theatre, Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont St., 617-933-8600.

Apr 19–May 5. As Ben Lyons lies dying in a hospital bed, his wife of forty years, Rita, flips through decorating magazines, planning a living room make-over. When they’re joined by their children, all efforts at a pleasant visit or a sentimental goodbye are soon abandoned as terrible secrets and vicious accusations replace fond memories.

MISS HOLMES, Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main St., Stoneham, 781-279-2200. Apr 5–22. This classic, timeless

Sherlock Holmes mystery with a twist presents Sherlock and Watson as women who have to negotiate the tricky political and social realities of 1880s England while they solve crimes.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, Actors’ Shakespeare Project, Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., Cambridge, 866-8114111. Apr 11–May 6. Benedick is never getting married. Not ever. And Beatrice can’t imagine loving a man she can’t tolerate. They might just be the perfect couple. While the villain Don Jon sows seeds of rumor and discord, the success of two noble marriages hinges on the hilarious efforts of local constables in the most enchanting of Shakespeare’s romantic comedies.

NATIVE GARDENS, Trinity Repertory Company, Dowling Theater, Lederer Theater Center, 201 Washington St., Providence, R.I., 401-351-4242. Apr 5–May 6. Pablo and Tania are new to the neighborhood; Virginia and Frank have been fixtures in the area for decades. Everyone starts off on the right foot, but when the truth about an old fence separating their yards is revealed and Tania’s vision of native plants and wild flowers doesn’t align with Frank’s pesticide-dependent masterpiece, a sparkling comedy of good intentions and bad manners blooms.

NEXT TO NORMAL, The Longwood Players, Chelsea Theatre Works, 189 Winnisimmet St., Chelsea, 866-811-4111. Apr 19–28. Winner of three 2009 Tony Awards and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize, this musical explores how one suburban household copes with crisis and mental illness, taking the audience into the minds and hearts of each character and presenting their stories with love, sympathy and heart.

NONE BUT THE BEST, In Good Company, First Parish in Waltham, 50 Church St., Waltham, 781-412-4642. May 5 & 6. In the post-Civil War era, a family paper born in Boston, The Youth’s Companion, was a welcome touchstone in half a million homes across the nation, featuring the voices of poets and presidents, reports on science and tales of travel. This play by Patrick Gabridge reveals the story of reclusive publisher Daniel Sharp Ford, who quietly used his wealth to help thousands of disadvantaged people.

PIECE OF MY HEART, Wellesley Repertory Theatre, Ruth Nagel Jones Theatre, 106 Central St., Wellesley, 781-283-2000. May 31–Jun 24. Shirley Lauro’s drama presents the true stories of six courageous women sent to Vietnam and their struggle to make sense of a war that irrevocably changed them and a nation that shunned them.

THE PLAGUE, Praxis Stage, Dorchester Art Project, 1486 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, praxisstage.com, May 11–20; Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, 949 Commonwealth Ave., 866-811-4111, May 23–27. This U.S. premiere presents Neil Bartlett’s adaptation of Albert Camus’ La Peste, a timely, haunting and ultimately uplifting allegorical piece that was a hit at London’s Arcola Theatre last year.

RAGTIME, Trinity Repertory Company, Chace Theater, Lederer Theater Center, 201 Washington St., Providence, R.I., 401-3514242. Apr 26–May 27. Based on E.L. Doctorow’s celebrated novel, the Tony Award-winning musical reflects America at the turn of the 20th century—where optimism and possibility are as prevalent as burgeoning racial and social volatility. The lives of an upper-class white mother, a Jewish immigrant and a bold African American musician from Harlem intersect in ways that profoundly affect their families’ fates.

HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY 41

GUIDE TO LOCAL THEATRE (continued) ROCKABYE, Two Sharp Quills, Black Box Theater, The Dorothy and Charles Mosesian Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St., Watertown, 617-923-8487. May 18 & 19. In this new dramatic comedy exploring the definition of family in the 21st century and the longing of the LGBTQ community to build one, a young woman agrees to become a gestational surrogate for two gay men in Boston. Together they share the humor and challenges of the surrogacy process.

STUART LITTLE, Wheelock Family Theatre, 200 The Riverway, 617-879-2300. Apr 13–May 13. E.B. White’s endearing classic story follows Stuart, a mouse born into a New York family, and his many larger-than-life adventures.

THE TOUR, The Underlings Theatre Co., Black Box, Chelsea Theatre Works, 189 Winnisimmet St., Chelsea, 617-887-2336.

May 4–12. A guide and a pilgrim visit desert ruins a week before ISIS is expected to arrive and destroy the area. As the insurgents approach, the ancient battleground becomes the backdrop for a fresh clash between guest and host, as each visitor’s secrets are revealed.

TRUE WEST, The Hub Theatre Company of Boston, First Church in Boston, 66 Marlborough St., 617-267-6730. Apr 13–28.

Sam Shepard’s drama recounts the sibling rivalry between two estranged brothers—one a screenwriter and the other a thief—who reconnect while house-sitting for their mother, resulting in the rekindling of old jealousies.

TWO JEWS WALK INTO A WAR…, New Repertory Theatre, Charles Mosesian Theater, The Dorothy and Charles Mosesian Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St., Watertown, 617-923-8487.

Apr 28–May 20. What do you do if you’re the last two Jews in Afghanistan? You re-write the Torah, of course! Ishaq and Zeblyan are on a mission to save Judaism in Kabul by rebuilding their synagogue and keeping the faith alive, but only if they don’t kill each other first.

WIG OUT!, American Repertory Theater and Company One Theatre, Oberon, 2 Arrow St., Cambridge, 617-547-8300. Apr 26–May 13. Enter the fabulous world of competitive ballroom drag in this dazzling play by Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight) about the desire to be desired, finding your home and outwalking the competition.

THE WIZ, Lyric Stage Company, 140 Clarendon St., 617585-5678. May 19–Jun 24 . This soulful retelling of L. Frank Baum’s beloved The Wonderful Wizard of Oz—which features such hits as “Ease on Down the Road,” “A Brand New Day” and “Home”—combines fairy-tale glamour with street smarts to make a classic fantasy relevant for today.

THE WOMEN WHO MAPPED THE STARS, The Nora Theatre Company and Catalyst Collaborative@MIT, Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 866-811-4111. Apr 19–May 20.

In the late 1800s at Harvard College Observatory, “computers”— women employed for half a man’s salary to analyze astronomic data—discover that the universe is larger than we ever dreamed.

This thrilling world premiere presents the story of five women who changed the way astronomers saw the universe—from scientist to scientist and generation to generation.

DANCE CLASSIC BALANCHINE, Boston Ballet, Boston Opera House, 539 Washington St., 617-695-6955. May 17–Jun 9. Experi42 TOP GIRLS

ence three of the master’s iconic works: Chaconne, Prodigal Son and Stravinsky Violin Concerto.

COMPANY WAYNE McGREGOR, Boch Center, The Shubert Theatre, 265 Tremont St., 866-348-9738. May 4 & 5. Multi-award winning British choreographer and director Wayne McGregor has redefined dance in the modern era. His experiments have led him into collaborative dialogue with an array of artistic forms, scientific disciplines and technological interventions.

LA SYLPHIDE, Boston Ballet, Boston Opera House, 539 Washington St., 617-695-6955. May 24–Jun 10. August Bournonville’s romantic masterpiece—soft, light, ethereal and heartbreaking—tellis the tale of a young Scotsman who gives up everything for the love of a beautiful but unattainable wood sprite.

LIMITLESS, The Boston Conservatory Theater, 31 Hemenway St., 617-912-9222. Apr 19–22. This program presents five diverse pieces by some of the most brilliant choreographers working today, including masterworks by Mark Morris and Doug Varone, and a special project by Nona Hendryx.

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY, Boston Ballet, Boston Opera House, 539 Washington St., 617-695-6955. May 11–19. This quintessential production of the coming-of-age fairy tale features Tchaikovsky’s soaring music, sumptuous costumes, superlative dancing, the triumph of good over evil and the power of a single kiss.

OPERA CENDRILLON, The Cambridge Chamber Ensemble, Warehouse XI, 11 Sanborn Court, Somerville, 800-838-3006. May 4 & 6.

Pauline Viardot’s three-act chamber operetta with dialogue is a retelling of the Cinderella story with Gallic wit, Italianate bel canto and Viardot’s own unique charm and sense of humor.

LA BOHÈME, Boston Opera Collaborative, Turtle Swamp Brewery, 3377 Washington St., Jamaica Plain, 617-517-5883.

Apr 12–22. This site-specific production of Puccini’s beloved classic is a modern-dress staging that brings audiences face-to-face and side-by-side with bohemian 20-something characters to eat, drink, live and celebrate the joy and pain of being young, free, penniless and in love.

THE ROSENBERGS, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre and Brandeis University Department of Theatre Arts, 949 Commonwealth Ave., 866-811-4111. Apr 12–22. In 1953 during the Cold War, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg have been accused of atomic espionage and sentenced to death. In the midst of the most famous spy case of the 20th century, and leading into the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) Senate hearings, the Rosenbergs’ love affair broke all barriers. Recognized as Denmark’s Best Opera of 2015, this tragic love story is adapted from the Rosenbergs’ letters from jail.

TROUBLE IN TAHITI, Boston Lyric Opera, DCR Steriti Memorial Rink, 561 Commercial St., 617-542-6772. May 11–20. With a little white house in the suburbs, Sam and Dinah are the perfect picture of a young couple in the 1950s—and they are both desperately unhappy. Leonard Bernstein’s clever and cutting libretto matched with his jazz-infused score punctuates a candid and profound portrait of a couple longing for love and intimacy amidst the American dream, which is performed in conjunction with Bernstein’s Arias & Barcarolles, a poignant rumination on marriage, life and the nature of love.

And suddenly, you’re a morning person.

Joe Mathieu is now on Morning Edition.

wgbhnews.org

BOSTON DINING GUIDE L–Lunch • D­–Dinner • B–Breakfast C–Cocktails • VP–Valet Parking SB–Sunday Brunch • LS–Late Supper

49 SOCIAL, 49 Temple Pl., 617-338-9600. This eclectic bar and restaurant at Downtown Crossing serves refined modern American cuisine. The seasonal dinner menu draws inspiration from around the globe while also incorporating ingredients from local New England farms. D, C. 49social.com.

ARAGOSTA BAR & BISTRO, Three Battery Wharf, 617-9949001. This addition to Boston’s vibrant waterfront restaurant community offers a new take on Italian cuisine by award-winning chef David Daniels who shows his signature flair through hand-made pastas, prime meats and classic New England seafood. Using quality, local farm-raised ingredients, Aragosta offers a warm, social atmosphere in a stunning waterfront setting. Also offering an open kitchen with Chef’s Counter and an outdoor terrace. B, L, D. Mon–Sun 6:30 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sat & SB 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m. aragostabistro.com.

AVENUE ONE RESTAURANT, Hyatt Regency, One Avenue de Lafayette, 617-912-1234. Located in the heart of the Theatre District, Avenue One restaurant and lounge serves contemporary New England cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere. Enjoy a refreshing cocktail, three-course prix fixe dinner or a delectable dessert.

Discounted parking available. B 6:30–11:30 a.m., L noon–3 p.m., D 5–10 p.m. C, VP regencyboston.hyatt.com.

BACK DECK, 2 West St. (corner of Washington), 617-6700320. With three deck spaces and a menu of grill-focused favorites, Back Deck invites everyone to gather around patio tables and chairs for a charcoal-cooked meal and backyardinspired cocktails. Its ambiance brings the outdoors inside with floor-to-ceiling open windows, carriage lighting, lush green planters, glazed brick and an open kitchen. Drawing inspiration from a roof deck, this restaurant is the ultimate urban retreat.

L, D, Sat & SB, C. BackDeckBoston.com.

BLU, 4 Avery St., 617-375-8550. Located in the heart of the Theatre District next door to the Ritz Carlton on the fourth floor, blu Restaurant and Bar is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a feast for the senses. Its contemporary American menu includes the all-time favorite lobster club. Featuring spectacular floor-to-ceiling windows, blu is perfect for a pre-show dinner, corporate events, weddings, cocktail receptions and private dining. L Mon–Fri 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m., D Mon–Sat 5–10 p.m. blurestaurant.com.

44 TOP GIRLS

CITYPLACE, On Stuart Street between Tremont and S. Charles streets in the State Transportation Building. Enjoy handcrafted beers at Rock Bottom Brewery, delicious treats from Panera Bread and gourmet Chinese at P.F. Chang’s as well as flatbread sandwiches, specialty pizzas, custom burritos and more in the Food Court. B, L, D, C. cityplaceboston.com.

CLINK, The Liberty Hotel, 215 Charles St., 617-224-4004.

Clink serves the freshest North Atlantic seafood, seasonal New England fare and delicious artisanal meats, highlights of a menu that artfully marries European culinary tradition with contemporary American innovation. The dining room features vestiges of original jail cells and an open kitchen, while gold leather seats, butcher block tables and granite accents add to the contemporary style. Nightly, Clink’s lobby bar draws urban dwellers and hotel guests to an energetic and social nightlife scene in the heart of Boston. B 6:30–11 a.m., L 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m., D 5–11 p.m., SB 10 a.m.–3 p.m. clinkrestaurant.com.

DAVIO’S NORTHERN ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE, 75 Arlington St., 617-357-4810. This Boston institution is located in Park Square, within walking distance to all theatres. The Northern Italian steakhouse menu includes a selection of homemade pastas and Brandt meats (aged New York sirloin, Niman Ranch pork chop, Provini porterhouse veal chop), as well as Davio’s classics and selection of fresh seafood, before or after the theatre. Enjoy a lighter fare menu in the spacious bar and parlor area. D Sun–Tue 5–10 p.m., Wed–Sat ’til 11 p.m., LS Sun–Tue ’til 11 p.m., Wed– Sat ’til midnight, L Mon–Fri, SB 11 a.m.–3 p.m. VP. davios.com.

FAJITAS & ’RITAS, 25 West St., 617-426-1222. Established in 1989, Fajitas & ’Ritas is an easygoing restaurant and bar that features fresh, healthy Texan and barbecue cuisine at bargain prices. An all-around fun place to eat, drink and hang out, the walls are decorated with colorful murals and the bar boasts some of Boston’s best—and sturdiest—margaritas. L, D Mon & Tue 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Wed, Thu & Sat ’til 10 p.m.; Fri ’til 11 p.m.; Sun ’til 8 p.m. C. fajitasandritas.com.

THE HUNGRY I, 71½ Charles St., 617-227-3524. In a twostory townhouse with three working fireplaces and an outdoor patio, Chef Peter Ballarin celebrates 30 years of French country cuisine and creative desserts. Signature dishes include venison au poivre and braised rabbit a la moutard. Private dining rooms available. L, D, SB, C. hungryiboston.com.

JASPER WHITE’S SUMMER SHACK, 50 Dalton St., 617-8679955; 149 Alewife Brook Parkway, Cambridge, 617-520-9500.

Enjoy top-notch seafood such as pan-roasted lobster, awardwinning fried chicken and an impressive raw bar in a casual setting. L, D. summershackrestaurant.com.

LEGAL SEA FOODS, 558 Washington St., 617-692-8888; 26 Park Plaza, Park Square Motor Mart, 617-426-4444; 255 State St., Long Wharf, 617-227-3115; Copley Place, 100 Huntington Ave., 617-266-7775; 270 Northern Ave., Liberty Wharf, 617-477-2900; other locations. Legal Sea Foods, a Boston tradition for more than 50 years, features more than 40 varieties of fresh fish and shellfish as well as an award-winning wine list. Named “Boston’s Most Popular Restaurant” (Zagat 2010/2011). L & D. legalseafoods.com.

MASSIMINO’S CUCINA ITALIANA, 207 Endicott St., 617-5235959. Owner/chef Massimino—former head chef of Naples’

BOSTON DINING GUIDE (continued) Hotel Astoria and Switzerland’s Metropolitan Hotel—offers specialties like the veal chop stuffed with arugula, prosciutto, smoked mozzarella and black olives, amongst numerous other delights. L, D, C. Sun–Thu 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri & Sat ’til 11 p.m. massiminosboston.com.

MERITAGE RESTAURANT + WINE BAR, Boston Harbor Hotel, 70 Rowes Wharf, 617-439-3995. Known for its excellence in wine and food pairings, Meritage enters a new era with an exciting transformation featuring a stylish, refined dining room, sophisticated wine bar and the addition of two new private dining rooms overlooking Boston Harbor. To complement the bold and elegant interiors, Chef Daniel Bruce has introduced a unique vineyard-to-table menu. D Tue–Sat 5–10 p.m., SB 10 a.m.–2 p.m. C, VP. meritagetherestaurant.com.

“HEART-

POUNDING PULSE.”

- THEATRERMANIA

PARKER’S RESTAURANT, Omni Parker House, 60 School St. at Tremont Street, 617-725-1600. Executive chef Gerry Tice celebrates nostalgic cuisine with a contem­porary flair at Parker’s Restaurant, the birthplace of Boston Cream Pie, the Parker House Roll and Boston Scrod. B Mon–Fri 6:30–11 a.m., Sat–Sun 7–11:30 a.m., offering an elaborate buffet in addition to a la carte selections. L Mon–Fri 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m.; D Mon– Thu 5:30–10 p.m., Fri & Sat 5–10 p.m.

ROWES WHARF SEA GRILLE, Boston Harbor Hotel, 70 Rowes Wharf, 617-856-7744. Rowes Wharf Sea Grille delivers the sea straight to your table. Enjoy power breakfasts and lunches followed by a vibrant after-work cocktail and dinner scene. The sunlight-filled dining room or seasonal outdoor terrace is an ideal spot for a leisurely lunch or special date night. B 6:30–11 a.m., L 11:30 a.m.–4 p.m., Afternoon Tea 2:30–4 p.m., D 4:30–10 p.m. roweswharfseagrille.com.

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE, 45 School St., 617-742-8401.

At Ruth’s Chris Steak House, each steak is hand-selected from the top 2% of the country’s beef, broiled to perfection at 1,800 degrees and served in the restaurant’s signature style—on a sizzling, 500-degree plate so every bite stays hot and delicious. Located at Old City Hall, Ruth’s Chris also features fresh seafood, an award-winning wine list and a gracious environment with warm hospitality. L, D, C. ruthschris.com.

The Great Migration comes to life through an explosion of dance, drums and canvas.

THE TAJ BOSTON, 15 Arlington St., 617-536-5700. This 1927 landmark offers dishes reflecting the seasonal flavors of New England as well as authentic Indian dishes for dinner. The Cafe: B, L, D, Sat & SB. The Lounge: L, D, C. The Bar: L, D, C. tajhotels.com/boston.

TOP OF THE HUB, 800 Boylston St., Prudential Center, 617-536-1775. Located 52 stories above the city, Top of the Hub is Boston’s special occasion favorite. With upscale American cuisine, live entertainment nightly, a spectacular view and romantic atmosphere, Top of the Hub promises a unique experience for both visitors and native Bostonians alike.

L, D, C, SB. topofthehub.net.

YE OLDE UNION OYSTER HOUSE, 41 Union St., 617-2272750. America’s oldest restaurant, now celebrating 191 years, serves Yankee-style seafood, beef and chicken, and is famed for the oyster bar where Daniel Webster dined daily. Specialties include clam chowder and fresh lobster. L & D Sun–Thu 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m., Fri & Sat ’til 10 p.m. C ’til midnight. unionoysterhouse.com.

MAY 3 - 6 EMERSON CUTLER MAJESTIC THEATRE

ARTSEMERSON.ORG 617.824.8400

HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY 45

DINING OUT

Top of the Hub D

ining in a room perched at one of Mays old fashioned. Given the encyclopedic the highest points in the city can be wine list, it would be a grievous oversight not thrilling, yet at Top of the Hub the to point out that Top of the Hub has won Wine spectacular view is merely an appetizer Spectator’s coveted Award of Excelfor an evening of fine food, drink and lence multiple times, offering wines entertainment. And while the vista TOP OF THE HUB by the bottle, half-bottle and in large may not change, the restaurant contin- 800 Boylston St. format—not to mention the dozens of ues to evolve, not only offering season- Prudential Center vintages available by the glass.

617-536-1775 ally and regionally inspired dishes, but Refer to Dining Guide, For those looking to make an page 45 also an exciting new lounge menu that entire evening out of their Top of the makes the expansive bar area an even Hub experience, the aforementioned more welcoming destination for a lounge victuals make for a perfect The lounge menu special night on the town. prelude to the eatery’s nightly live The kitchen at Top of the Hub offers a perfect music performances. Sandwiches, continues to turn out a wide array soups, salads, flatbreads, oysters and prelude to the of fresh seafood—from appetizers shareable platters (charcuterie and like the grilled baby octopus and nightly live music. cheese or pork belly banh mi sliders, exquisitely creamy lobster bisque to anyone?) are highlights for smaller hearty entrées like the North Atlantic appetites, while more substantial swordfish served with quinoa, red lentils, brocco- dishes including New England fish & chips, duck lini, baby clams and saffron-braised fennel—as confit crispy chicken breast, spaghettini with white well as Instagram-worthy indulgences like the clam sauce and seared Georges Bank scallops are perfectly cooked, nearly fork-tender grilled filet featured as well. mignon. Speaking of indulgences, the bar also Whether you need a pre-theatre stopover, mixes it up with creative, refreshing cocktails a place to celebrate a special occasion or a such as the blueberry mojito crafted with wild memorable spot to spend time with that special Maine blueberries and classics like the Clyde someone, Top of the Hub has you covered.

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46 TOP GIRLS

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The Travel Club is a service of Show of the Month Club, a subsidiary of New Venture Media Group, publisher of Playbill, Theatrebill and Art New England magazines.