Lie of the Mind Press Kit

A Lie of the Mind Samshepard by

trinity repertory company THE STATE THEATER OF RHODE ISLAND

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TRINITY REP PRODUCTION Photos | May 30, 2014 A Lie of the Mind by Sam Shepard directed by Brian Mertes In Trinity Rep's Dowling Theater now playing through June 29, 2014 Two mid-western families are joined together by marriage and torn apart by a life-changing incident. Brimming with enormous vitality and humor the play asks us to look deeper into the human heart and the destructive power of love.

Trinity Rep brings its 50 th anniversary season to a close with Sam Shepard’s A Lie of the Mind, directed by Brian Mertes in Trinity Rep’s Dowling Theater from May 29-June 29, 2014, considered by many to be a modern masterpiece of American familial dysfunction. Brimming with enormous vitality and humor the play asks us to look deeper into the human heart and the destructive power of love. Two mid-western families are joined together by marriage and torn apart by a life-changing incident. “Sam Shepard is surely the only dramatist alive who could tell a story as sad and frightening as this one and make such a funny play of it without ever skimping on its emotional depth," The New Yorker asserts. Tickets are on sale now at www.trinityrep.com, by calling (401) 351-4242, or at the theater’s box office at 201 Washington St., Downtown Providence.

Thumbnails are for your reference only. HTML links are to Hi-resolution photos.Thumbnails are for your reference only. HTML links are to Hiresolution photos.

http://www.trinityrep.com/DownloadDocs/LIE_2851.jpg Brown/Trinity Rep MFA actor Britt Faulkner (’15) as Beth and Trinity Rep resident acting company member Charlie Thurston as Frankie in Sam Shepard’s A Lie of the Mind, directed by Brian Mertes in Trinity Rep’s Dowling Theater from May 29June 29, 2014. Scenic design by Eugene Lee, costume design by Cait O’Connor, lighting design by Dan Scully, sound design by Broken Chord Collective and live music written and performed

by Phillip Roebuck. PHOTO: MARK TUREK

http://www.trinityrep.com/DownloadDocs/LIE_1616.jpg Brown/Trinity Rep MFA actors Britt Faulkner (’15) as Beth and Benjamin Grills (’14) as Jake in Sam Shepard’s A Lie of the Mind, directed by Brian Mertes in Trinity Rep’s Dowling Theater from May 29-June 29, 2014. Scenic design by Eugene Lee, costume design by Cait O’Connor, lighting design by Dan Scully, sound design by Broken Chord Collective and live music written and performed by Phillip Roebuck. PHOTO: MARK TUREK

http://www.trinityrep.com/DownloadDocs/LIE_0740.jpg Trinity Rep resident acting company members Anne Scurria as Meg and Timothy Crowe as Baylor in Sam Shepard’s A Lie of the Mind, directed by Brian Mertes in Trinity Rep’s Dowling Theater from May 29-June 29, 2014. Scenic design by Eugene Lee, costume design by Cait O’Connor, lighting design by Dan Scully, sound design by Broken Chord Collective and live music

by Phillip Roebuck. PHOTO: MARK TUREK

http://www.trinityrep.com/DownloadDocs/LIE_2582.jpg Trinity Rep resident acting company member Rebecca Gibel as Sally and Brown/Trinity Rep MFA actor Benjamin Grills (’14) as Jake in Sam Shepard’s A Lie of the Mind, directed by Brian Mertes in Trinity Rep’s Dowling Theater from May 29-June 29, 2014. Scenic design by Eugene Lee, costume design by Cait O’Connor, lighting design by Dan Scully, sound design by Broken Chord Collective and live music by Phillip Roebuck.

PHOTO: MARK TUREK

http://www.trinityrep.com/DownloadDocs/LIE__1034.jpg Trinity Rep resident acting company member Janice Duclos as Lorraine and Brown/Trinity Rep MFA actor Benjamin Grills (’14) in Sam Shepard’s A Lie of the Mind, directed by Brian Mertes in Trinity Rep’s Dowling Theater from May 29-June 29, 2014.

Scenic design by Eugene Lee, costume design by Cait O’Connor, lighting design by Dan Scully, sound design by Broken Chord Collective and live music by Phillip Roebuck. PHOTO: MARK TUREK

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http://www.trinityrep.com/DownloadDocs/LIE_3340.jpg Trinity Rep resident acting company members Anne Scurria as Meg and Timothy Crowe as Baylor in Sam Shepard’s A Lie of the Mind, directed by Brian Mertes in Trinity Rep’s Dowling Theater from May 29-June 29, 2014. Scenic design by Eugene Lee, costume design by Cait O’Connor, lighting design by Dan Scully, sound design by Broken Chord Collective and live music

by Phillip Roebuck. PHOTO: MARK TUREK

http://www.trinityrep.com/DownloadDocs/LIE_0825.jpg Musician Phillip Roebuck performs in Sam Shepard’s A Lie of the Mind, directed by Brian Mertes in Trinity Rep’s Dowling Theater from May 29-June 29, 2014. Scenic design by Eugene Lee, costume design by Cait O’Connor, lighting design by Dan Scully, sound design by Broken Chord Collective. PHOTO: MARK TUREK

Curt Columbus, Artistic Director Michael Gennaro, Executive Director 201 Washington Street Providence Rhode Island 02903 www.trinityrep.com 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 1, 2014, 2014 CONTACT: Myah Shein, Public Relations & Advertising Manager, (401) 521-1100 ext. 226 mshein@trinityrep.com

SAM SHEPARD’S A LIE OF THE MIND CONCLUDES TRINITY REP’S LANDMARK 50th SEASON Savage and compelling ensemble drama takes the stage May 29-June 29 PROVIDENCE, RI: Trinity Rep brings its 50th anniversary season to a close with Sam Shepard’s A Lie of the Mind, directed by Brian Mertes in Trinity Rep’s Dowling Theater from May 29-June 29, 2014, considered by many to be a modern masterpiece of American familial dysfunction. Brimming with enormous vitality and humor the play asks us to look deeper into the human heart and the destructive power of love. Two mid-western families are joined together by marriage and torn apart by a lifechanging incident. “Sam Shepard is surely the only dramatist alive who could tell a story as sad and frightening as this one and make such a funny play of it without ever skimping on its emotional depth," The New Yorker asserts. Tickets are on sale now at www.trinityrep.com, by calling (401) 351-4242, or at the theater’s box office at 201 Washington St., Downtown Providence.

Hailed by The New York Times as the playwright’s “richest and most penetrating play…” A Lie of the Mind showcases the craftsmanship of Sam Shepard’s storytelling at his most poetic, most poignant and most striking. Husband and wife, Jake and Beth, return to their respective families after a devastatingly violent event. Winner of the New York Drama Critics Circle Award and the Drama Desk Award.

“It is only appropriate that we end our 50th celebration with Mr. Shepard, the perfect bookend to our first author of the season, John Steinbeck. As in Steinbeck’s writing, one of the hallmarks of Shepard’s cannon is his visceral, insightful, and brutally funny dissection of Americana,” states artistic director Curt Columbus.

When describing what draws him to A Lie of the Mind, director Brian Mertes articulates, “It’s a great story. It’s two families that collide against each other and you see how they got to where they are.

Those kinds of traumas, they scar people for life, every family has its scars and traumas.” He continues, “I think the play is funny, like really funny- darkly funny- but it’s really funny. I think it’s scary, shocking, the language is euphoric. It’ll be a roller coaster ride. "

A Lie of the Mind features a volatile combination of powerhouse Trinity Rep resident acting company members Timothy Crowe, Janice Duclos, Rebecca Gibel, Anne Scurria and Charlie Thurston, alongside up and coming Brown/Trinity Rep MFA students Britt Faulkner (’15), Billy Finn (’15) and Ben Grills (’14)

Trinity Rep audiences look forward to Mertes’ bold gestures and inventive approach. Guaranteed to be evocative, the design team re-imagining this unmistakably American landscape features Tony Awardwinning resident scenic designer Eugene Lee, costume designer Cait O’Connor, lighting designer Dan Scully, sound design by Broken Chord Collective and music by Phillip Roebuck.

Director Brian Mertes is head of the Brown/Trinity MFA Directing Program and directed Crime and Punishment, Clybourne Park and Steel Magnolias at Trinity Rep. In 2013 he co-directed a new production of Jedermann with Julian Crouch for the Salzburg Festival. He has taught and directed at Columbia, NYU, Juilliard, North Carolina School of the Arts, SUNY Purchase, UT Austin and Yale. Brian has developed new work at many New York and regional theaters including Massacre Sing to Your Children by Jose Rivera, The Myopia by David Greenspan, Theater for One with Christine Jones in Times Square, and with alt-country rocker Jim White on Sam Shepard’s Paris, Texas. Brian has directed for ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox. Each summer he and Melissa Kievman produce and direct Lake Lucille Chekhov in Rockland County, NY.

Playwright Sam Shepard has written nearly 50 plays and his work has been produced across the nation, in venues ranging from Greenwich Village coffee shops to commercial Broadway houses. Notable works include Curse of the Starving Class, The Tooth of Crime, Fool for Love and True West. Shepard also acts, writes and directs for film. Throughout his 40-year career Shepard has amassed numerous grants, prizes, fellowships, and awards, including the Cannes Palme d’Or and the Pulitzer Prize (Buried Child). In 1985 he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, which awarded him the Gold Medal for Drama in 1992. In 1994 he was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame.

Talkbacks with Trinity Rep Talkback leaders and a member of the cast will be held after every performance of A Lie of the Mind. Audiences are invited to share their response to the production and themes for approximately twenty minutes following the performance.

Continuing Trinity Rep’s tradition of offering affordable tickets for all, the theater will have discounted previews of A Lie of the Mind from May 29 – May 31, 2014. Friday May 30th is a Pay What You Can (PWYC) performance with tickets on sale at 6:30pm that evening, limit one per person.

Trinity Rep’s 50th Anniversary season is sponsored by NBC 10, with supporting sponsors Cox Media, Rhode Island Monthly, RISCA and the theater's official airline, Southwest Airlines.

The State Theater of Rhode Island, Trinity Repertory Company is now celebrating its 50th Anniversary Season. Since its founding in 1963, Trinity Repertory Company has been one of the most respected regional theaters in the country. Featuring the last permanent resident acting company in America, Trinity Rep presents a balance of world premiere, contemporary, and classic works for an estimated annual audience of approximately 145,000. In its 50-year history, the theater has produced 62 world premieres, mounted national and international tours, and, through its MFA program, trained hundreds of new actors and directors. This season marks the 46th year of Project Discovery, Trinity Rep's pioneering educational outreach program. Last season, Trinity Rep’s educational programs reached over 16,000 Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut students through matinees as well as inschool residencies and workshops. Brown University/Trinity Rep offers professional training for actors

and directors in a three-year MFA program. Subscriptions are now on sale for Trinity Rep's 2014-2015 Season, which includes the world premiere Curt Columbus' translation of Ivanov by Anton Chekhov, Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon, Middletown by Will Eno, The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, A Flea in Her Ear by Georges Feydeau and the world premiere of Melancholy Play: a new chamber musical by Sarah Ruhl with music by Todd Almond. For more information, call the box office at (401) 351-4242 or visit Trinity Rep's website at www.trinityrep.com.

Details at a Glance A Lie of the Mind

By Sam Shepard In Trinity Rep's Dowling Theater May 29 – June 29, 2014 Two mid-western families are joined together by marriage and torn apart by a life-changing incident.

Brimming with enormous vitality and humor the play asks us to look deeper into the human heart and the destructive power of love.

Director Set Design Costume Design Lighting Design Sound Design Composer/Musician: Cast:

Brian Mertes Eugene Lee Cait O’Connor Dan Scully Broken Chord Collective Philip Roebuck Trinity Rep resident acting company members Timothy Crowe, Janice Duclos, Rebecca Gibel, Anne Scurria and Charlie Thurston, with Brown/Trinity Rep MFA actors Britt Faulkner (’15), Billy Finn (’15) and Ben Grills (’14).

Press Night Discounted Previews

Sunday, June 1 at 7:30pm; Critics rsvp@trinityrep.com Thursday, May 29 at 7:30pm, Friday, May 30 at 7:30 pm and Saturday May 31 at 7:30pm Friday May 30 at 7:30pm, on sale at 6:30pm, limit 1 per person www.trinityrep.com (401) 351-4242, 201 Washington Street, Providence, RI 02903 Ticket $28-68

Pay What You Can Website Box Office Admission

Season Sponsor Season Supporting Sponsors Official Airline

NBC 10 Cox Media, Rhode Island Monthly and RISCA Southwest Airlines

A Lie of the Mind Performance Schedule May 29 - June 29, 2014 Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

May 29, 2014 May 30, 2014 May 31, 2014 June 1, 2014

7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM

Tuesday Wednesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Sunday

June 3, 2014 June 4, 2014 June 4, 2014 June 5, 2014 June 6, 2014 June 7, 2014 June 8, 2014 June 8, 2014

7:30 PM 2:00 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 2:00 PM 7:30 PM

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Saturday Sunday Sunday

June 10, 2014 June 11, 2014 June 12, 2014 June 13, 2014 June 14, 2014 June 14, 2014 June 15, 2014 June 15, 2014

7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 2:00 PM 7:30 PM 2:00 PM 7:30 PM

Tuesday Wednesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Sunday

June 17, 2014 June 18, 2014 June 18, 2014 June 19, 2014 June 20, 2014 June 21, 2014 June 22, 2014 June 22, 2014

7:30 PM 2:00 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 2:00 PM 7:30 PM

Thursday Friday Saturday Saturday Sunday

June 26, 2014 June 27, 2014 June 28, 2014 June 28, 2014 June 29, 2014

7:30 PM 7:30 PM 2:00 PM 7:30 PM 2:00 PM

Pay What You Can Preview Sold Out

2013–2014 Season at the Lederer Theater Center under the direction of Curt Columbus and Michael Gennaro Executive Director The Richard L. Bready Artistic Director

A Lie of the Mind

trinity repertory company by

Sam shepard

THE artistic team Directed by Brian Mertes Set design by Eugene Lee Costume design by Cait O’Connor Lighting design by Dan Scully Sound design by Broken Chord Music written & performed by Phillip Roebuck Fight direction by Zdenko Martin Speech & voice direction by Thom Jones Production stage managed by Kristen Gibbs* Stage managed by Megan Tracy Leddy*

THE CAST Baylor Timothy Crowe* Meg Anne Scurria* Beth Britt Faulkner Mike Billy Finn* Lorraine Janice Duclos* Sally Rebecca Gibel* Jake Benjamin Grills Frankie Charlie Thurston*

May 29 – June 29, 2014 in the Sarah and Joseph Dowling, Jr. Theater

Production Director Laura E. Smith

A Lie of the Mind is performed with one intermission.

* Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.

Trinity Rep’s 50th season is sponsored by

This activity is made possible in part by a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, through an appropriation by the Rhode Island General Assembly and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Please join us after the show for a 20-minute talkback.

Trinity Rep gratefully acknowledges the support of the B.B. Lederer Sons Foundation, the State of Rhode Island, and the City of Providence.

The Civic Center Parking Garage at 165 Washington St. will stay open until the discussion ends.

The Official Airline of Trinity Rep Trinity Rep is grateful to Cellar Stories Used Books for their assistance on this production.

And check out our display about A Lie of the Mind in the inner lobby.

PLEASE NOTE: Audience members are requested to turn off all cell phones, beepers, pagers, and watch alarms during the performance. Texting and other cell phone use is limited to intermission, outside the theater. Photography is not allowed during the show.

on the cover: Benjamin Grills & Britt Faulkner, photo by michael guy

TRINITY REPERTORY COMPANY • 201 WASHINGTON STREET • PROVIDENCE • RHODE ISLAND • (401) 351-4242 • WWW.TRINITYREP.COM

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FROM THE richard l. bready ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Dear Friends,

W

elcome to the final produc tion of our 50th anniversary season, Sam Shepard’s A Lie of the Mind. Appropriately, this moving, trenchant play serves as a bookend to the first production of our season, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. As in Steinbeck’s oeuvre, the main focus of Shepard’s writing is a clear-eyed meditation on the American family and the notion of the “American Dream.” I am thrilled we have found the perfect moment to consider Shepard’s work, as it seems particularly resonant today (more on that later).

Sam Shepard is a unique artist in the American landscape, one who is hard to pin down; is he an actor? A director? A screenwriter or a playwright? Indeed, he is accomplished at all of these things, although it is his actor persona that is most widely recognized and known. This screen presence is iconic — he often plays the American Everyman, a quiet, stolid, solitary citizen, sometimes also a cowboy and a loner. In real life, he is none of those things — he is a sober family man, who has been a part of the New York downtown literary and music scenes since the early ’60s — but it is this disconnect, this chimerical nature of the author, that inflects all of his work.

Are Shepard’s plays naturalism? Hardly.

They all grapple with the American myth of success and family, of ownership and belonging, but in a poetic and untethered fashion. Some critics consider Shepard a post-modern playwright whose work is a response to the unsettling fragmentation of self and society in contemporary America.

His characters are drifters, but not always in the literal sense — they are adrift in the currents of life, but certain they are in control of their own destinies. They believe they have some say in the outcome of their story.

Perhaps this is why his plays, and particularly A Lie of the Mind, seem so present tense (even though it premiered in 1985). Shepard asks not only who we are as Americans, but WHY we are who we are. His characters cling to seemingly fixed objects like family, country and home, all while the currents of life sweep them along, sweep them away. His people are caught in violent times without the tools to understand what is happening to them, and yet they must persevere.

If this sounds harsh or unyielding, I don’t mean it to be so. Frank Rich, writing about the premiere of the play nearly 30

2:45 PM

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years ago said, “A Lie of the Mind may be its author’s most romantic play. However bleak and chilly its terrain… [t]here is always hope….” Shepard’s play is filled with a poetry, with a music (both literal and figurative), with a vital sense of hope in the face of confusion that makes it essential for audiences today.

I

also want to take this opportunity to say thank you for joining us during our 50th anniversary season. As I look back on our accomplishments this year, I realize that we are blessed with so many gifts here at Trinity Rep, but everything starts on our stages. We have seen extraordinary work from our remarkably talented acting company — Stephen Thorne as Tom Joad, Anne Scurria as Ma Joad; Brian McEleney and Janice Duclos and Phyllis Kay as Vanya and Sonia and Masha; Fred Sullivan, Jr. as Scrooge; Mia Ellis, Mauro Hantman, Barbara Meek, and Joe Wilson, Jr. in Intimate Apparel; Rachael Warren as Nancy, Stephen Berenson as Fagin; Angela Brazil as Veronica Meadows; and now Timothy Crowe, Rebecca Gibel, and Charlie Thurston in Lie of the Mind. Imagine how lucky we are, as an audience, to have this level of acting in our community.

And they are in our community. They are teachers, advocates, civic-minded artists — Trinity Rep’s actors find their work offstage just as important as their work onstage. And ultimately, as proud as I am of the world class artistry, I am equally proud of Trinity Rep for our work as a cultural resource for the community. Around 20,000 students will have seen our productions this season, and many of those students will have received in-school workshops taught by our actors and incredible education department staff. Retirees, kids on the autism spectrum, college and post-college students all find programs here.

Being 50 can just mean being tired (I know, because I’m turning 50 this year, too, and some days…). But Trinity Repertory Company is a vibrant, muscular 50.

We continue to challenge our audiences with new work and re-envisioned classics, we continue to expand the minds of our students, making them better thinkers and citizens, we continue to change the face of the American Theater, as well as our local environment here at home in Rhode Island.

It has been great to stop and reflect here in the 50th season, and it’s been wonderful having you along for the ride.

Enjoy Sam Shepard’s contemporary classic A Lie of the Mind. I look forward to seeing you at the theater, and our 50 years. ­— Curt Columbus

Before the show starts…

Audience members are asked to turn off all cell phones, beepers, pagers, and watch alarms during the show. Texting and cell phone use is limited to intermission, outside the theater. Cameras (including cell phone cameras) and recording devices are not permitted.

Did you forget your reading glasses?

If you are having trouble reading this, please see our House Manager for a complimentary pair of Magnivision reading glasses, compliments of FGX International.

Want updates, behind-the-scenes info, and special offers by e-mail?

Join our e-mail list at trinityrep.com

Attention smokers:

For the comfort of all our patrons, we have designated a smoking area on the east side of the building along Adrian Hall Way.

We recycle!

If you are not adding this program to your collection, please recycle it in the bin in the lobby!

Trinity Rep Membership

Save money and be on the inside track ! With a tax- deduc tible donation of $50 or more, you save 10% on tickets, and avoid handling fees. For more info, please call Kristen at (401) 453-9235.

For a memorable evening…

Consider making your next group outing a show at Trinity Rep! Affordable group rates are available for parties of 10 or more. Contact Group Sales at (401) 351-4242.

5/13/14 7:51 AM

onstage AT TRINITY REP

The Write Stuff A Short Biography of Sam Shepard

by Molly Greene

S

ince his birth in 1943, Sam Shepard’s life has been as varied and remarkable as any of the characters in his plays. His childhood was spent following his alcoholic military father to Army bases in the Southwest, and as an adult he worked as a farmhand, theater actor, playwright, rock drummer, and finally, bona fide movie star. These diverse segments of his life are reflected in his work: rock and roll, the American West, substance abuse, fame, and family dysfunction are all signs that you may be watching a Sam Shepard play.

Shepard’s involvement in the theater began when he dropped out of college.

He spent a year at Mount Antonio Junior College studying agriculture, but when he was introduced to a group of beatniks in an English class, he became interested in the arts. In a 2003 interview with The Guardian, Shepard explained, “They lived in this big old house and one of them was a painter and they were smoking a lot of dope out there, and they had stuff lying around like Beckett plays, Jackson Pollock reproductions, which I’d never heard of. That was the

LOOKING BACK/ looking forward

More Sam Shepard at Trinity Rep

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first encounter I had with Beckett, with jazz, abstract expressionism. And then I just left [college].”

Leaving California, Shepard joined the Bishop’s Company Repertory Players and toured with them from 1962–1963. When the company stopped in New York, he stayed on and found work as a waiter at the Village Gate jazz club. He was exposed to new artists and musicians, including Ralph Cook, who was the headwaiter at the Village Gate.

Together with Cook, Shepard and several waiters started Theatre Genesis, the Off-OffBroadway venue where many of Shepard’s early plays were staged. By 1970, he had won four Obie awards for playwriting and had married actress O-Lan Jones, with whom he had a son. He was also the drummer for the cult rock band The Holy Modal Rounders.

However, due to an intense, highprofile affair with Patti Smith (with whom he wrote the one-act Cowboy Mouth) and the heavy drug use associated with the New York art scene, Shepard left to relocate in London with his family. In 1972 he wrote The Tooth of Crime, a play about warring rock gods in a dystopian future America (produced by Trinity Rep in 1974 and by the Brown/Trinity

Rep MFA Programs this spring). Shepard returned to the States in 1974, where he toured with Bob Dylan’s “Rolling Thunder Revue,” helping Dylan write the surrealist film Renaldo and Clara as well as keeping a record of the tour, later published as a book.

Settling again in California, Shepard became playwright-in-residence at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco, where he wrote his dysfunctunal family trilogy: Buried Child, Curse of the Starving Class and True West. Buried Child won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 (Trinity Rep produced Buried Child in 1980 and toured with it in India and Syria in 1981). At this height of his fame as a playwright, Shepard also gained fame as a film actor, appearing in movies such as Days of Heaven, Resurrection and the biopic Frances, where he met his longtime partner Jessica Lange. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Right Stuff in 1983.

Shepard has continued his acting career in films such as Black Hawk Down, The Notebook and, most recently, August: Osage County. His career as a playwright also continues — just last year his play A Particle of Dread (Oedipus Variations) opened at Field Day Theatre Company in Ireland. As the title suggests, the play explores the dark and complicated relationships within a family and the damage that comes from them.

A similar story is told by A Lie of the Mind (written in 1985 and first produced at Trinity Rep in 1987), in which two families find the violence and the terror that in Shepard’s world comes hand-in-hand with love.

below left, from left: Margo Skinner, George Martin and Cynthia Wells in the world premiere of Seduced, directed by Adrian Hall, set and lights by Eugene Lee, costumes by James Berton Harris, photo by Robert Emerson, 1978. top right, from left: Ed Hall, Keith Jochim and Richard Jenkins in True West, directed by David Wheeler, set by Robert D. Soule, costumes by William Lane, lights by John F. Custer, photo

by Constance Brown, 1982. Below right: Andre w Po l ec , Elise Hudson and Sophie Netanel i n th e B ro w n / Trinity Rep MFA production of The Tooth of Crime, directed by Dan Rogers(‘15), set by Deb O, costumes

by Cait O’Connor, lights by Barbara Samuels, photo by Mark Turek, 2014.

5/13/14 7:35 AM

onstage AT TRINITY REP Tim Crowe’s 44 years as a resident acting company member provide him with insight into Trinity Rep, the value of theater and the power of lies.

A The Mind of Tim Crowe

s we approach the final months of our 50th season, Lauren Ustaszewski sat down with long-time resident acting company member Tim Crowe as he shared his thoughts on what Trinity Rep has meant to him (and to Rhode Island) and to talk about playing the role of Baylor in A Lie of the Mind by Sam Shepard.

Lauren Ustaszewski: When you look back, what do you feel is the biggest impact that Trinity Rep has had on the community in the last 50 years?

Tim Crowe: Well, there are two that hit me right off. The first is our contribution to the revival of downtown Providence. When we made the Lederer Theater our home in 1974, the surrounding neighborhood was desolate. Our presence inspired the development of a number of bars and restaurants and that’s had a lasting impact.

Secondly, there has been a burgeoning of smaller theaters, and some not so small now, some very impressive theaters that were germinated by our conservatory, now the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Program. When you look at what’s being promoted by our civic fathers and mothers as selling points for Providence and Rhode Island, the arts are primary. Other cities have caught onto this now — the importance of the arts — but we were really one of the first to embrace them.

We were a real catalyst.

Lauren: What does Trinity Rep’s 50th anniversary mean to you?

Tim: The fact that we are still here is not a miracle — it’s the result of lot of hard work. There’s always the mountain in front of you that you’ve got to climb in terms of audience development and bringing people into the theater. But for me personally, it’s been a great gift to be able to work, to succeed and/or fail. I just completed the run of a show in New York recently and I hadn’t worked in New York in a long time. It made me realize how lucky I’ve been in terms of finding a home. My admiration for the New

Trinity Lie of the Mind _2014.indd 9

York actor has skyrocketed, because what they deal with is momentous. I have a great deal of gratitude for the gift of Trinity Rep and what it has meant to me personally, and to our community.

When you go to Asian countries, you see old temples everywhere. Our western theater came from the Greeks and they

Tim Crowe has been partnered with Anne Scurria innumerable times on Trinity Rep’s stages — in 1992 they portrayed the most iconic couple of all in dramatic literature, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth (directed by Richard Jenkins, with set by Eugene Lee, costumes by William Lane and lights by Michael Gianitti). In A Lie of the Mind they are once again husband and wife but with slightly less blood on their hands.

ABOVE:

Photo by Mark Morelli

started as religious festivals. It was truly a gathering place where sometimes controversial or touchy issues were explored in a safe place. To me the theater is a safe place to come, it’s a place where things are explored and examined in a hopefully entertaining and vibrant way. You come to the theater for an opportunity to witness and participate in something. Then you take it with you, accept it, think about it, reject it, or discover what it means to you. There is a desire within all of us to be together, and to have something spiritually, intellectually and emotionally in common.

Lauren: A Lie of the Mind was last produced in our 1986–1987 season. What do you know will be different about this production?

Tim: You know what? I wasn’t aware that it had been done here before! I think I might have been out of town at the time, because I know I didn’t see it. As a matter of fact, I haven’t ever seen a production of this play. However, when I was in New York, a lot of people had seen it when it was on Broadway back in 1985, and they all mentioned to me James Gammon who played Baylor, the role I’m playing, and evidently he was just fabulous.

Lauren: That’s great that you’ll be able to have a fresh perspective on this play.

That’s rare for a play like A Lie of the Mind that’s been produced so many times. What are your thoughts on this piece?

Tim: Well, look at the title. A Lie of the Mind. The title implies that within us there are many self-evasions. From what I see, it’s within the characters themselves.

They ’re evading, they ’re lying, and they’re tap-dancing around things within themselves. And when you put a group of those people together you get conflict. In that sense it’s scary, because if we want to take it seriously, it creates a great deal of self-examination. Denial takes many forms personally, culturally, and politically. There are facts in all of our lives, certainly mine as well; there are times where I’m evading things, where I’m lying to myself in order to comfort myself.

Lauren: What do you think this play says about the dynamic of a family in the midst of a catastrophic event?

Tim: If telling a lie prevents somebody from jumping off a bridge or committing murder or doing or saying something devastatingly harmful, use the lie… but know what you’re doing. We all want to survive and get along, and sometimes that takes a bit of knowing when not to say something. When I was younger I used to get into tremendous political arguments with people who disagreed with me. I remember seeing an interview with Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda, who were dear friends,

5/13/14 8:20 AM

onstage AT TRINITY REP but had vastly different political views, and the interviewer asked how you stay friends with someone you disagree with. That was during the Vietnam War and they said, “We don’t talk about it.” And I was younger and I said, “That’s so dishonest! You’ve got to comment, you’ve got to talk about it!” Now I think, no, it’s not dishonest. If you want a friendship and you want a family you have to accept certain things and therefore you might have to lie to yourself about certain things — just know you’re doing it.

Lauren: How do you think that the family in A Lie of the Mind copes?

Tim: In the very first scene that Baylor goes to visit Beth… it’s an interesting approach that he takes. He shows up, but he gives himself the out by saying, “I love you and I care for you, but I’ve got other things to do.” So there is a withholding of real love and real concern. Showing up is a rote thing for him because he knows it’s what’s expected of him and what he’s supposed to do. Once again he lies. Baylor has a scene with Meg where he’s talking about being a mountain man and then he asks Meg for his socks. Here’s a man that’s talking about all the things he could be doing and he’s asking for his socks because he can’t even move.

He’s a master of evasion who doesn’t accept that he’s a master of evasion.

Lauren: This play delves into the dark depths of family dysfunction… how do you keep going as a family? What do you think will happen? Is it open-ended?

Tim: It’s certainly open-ended. I don’t know what’s going to happen with this family once the play ends. The ‘A’ in the title is very important. A Lie of the Mind. But I think the family does continue; I think the play is saying that it’s a constant in human existence. The play reminds us that A Lie of the Mind is part of the human condition.

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LOOKING BACK/looking forward

Tim and Tim Again Timothy Crowe has been in more than 125 productions at Trinity Rep since 1970 and has played Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol nearly a dozen times. How many of these roles do you remember? above left to right: With Mia Ellis in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, directed by Tyler Dobrowsky, set by Eugene Lee, costumes by Alison Walker Carrier, lights by John Ambrosone, photo

by Mark Turek, 2012. With Stephen Berenson in The School for Wives by Moliére, directed by Richard Jenkins, set by Eugene Lee, costumes by William Lane, lights Natasha Katz, photo by Mark Morelli,1991. right: With Mina Manente in Sea Marks, by Gardner McKay, directed by George Martin, set by Robert D. Soule, costumes by William Lane, lights by John F. Custer, photo by Constance Brown, 1980. below left to right: (left to right from top) James Eichelberger, Robert J. Colonna, William Damkoehler, Dan von Bargen, Timothy Crowe, Richard Kavanaugh & Robert Black in Feasting with Panthers by Adrian Hall & Richard Cumming, directed by Adrian Hall, set by Eugene Lee, costumes by Betsey Potter, lights by Shirley Prendergast, photo by William L. Smith, 1973. With Stephen Thorne in Henry IV by William Shakespeare, directed by Amanda Dehnert, set by Michael McGarty, costumes by William Lane, lights by John Ambrosone, photo

by T. Charles Erickson, 2004. With Cynthia Strickland in Cloud Nine by Caryl Churchill, directed

by Tony Taccone, set by Loy Arcenas, costumes by William Lane, lights by Jim Vermeulan, photo

by T. Charles Erickson, 2002.

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THE ARTISTIC TEAM SAM SHEPARD Playwright Sam Shepard has written nearly 50 plays and his work has been produced across the nation, in venues ranging from Greenwich Village coffee shops to commercial Broadway houses. Notable works include Curse of the Starving Class, The Tooth of Crime, Fool for Love and True West. Shepard also acts, writes and directs for film. Throughout his 40-year career Shepard has amassed numerous grants, prizes, fellowships, and awards, including the Cannes Palme d’Or and the Pulitzer Prize (Buried Child). In 1985 he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, from which he received the 1992 Gold Medal for Drama. In 1994 he was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame.

BRIAN MERTES Director Brian is Head of the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Directing Program, and an Associate Director at Trinity Rep, where he directed Steel Magnolias, Clybourne Park and Crime and Punishment. He has taught directing for both Columbia and NYU film programs, and has been a guest director at North Carolina School of the Arts, SUNY Purchase, NYU Grad, UT Austin, and Yale. Brian has directed the many world premieres, including David Greenspan’s The Myopia for the Foundry Theater at the Atlantic and Jose Rivera’s Massacre at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in NYC. He has developed new work at Ensemble Studio Theater, Manhattan Class Company, Naked Angels, Manhattan Theater Club, The Public, PS 122, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Playwrights Center Minneapolis, New Dramatists, Ars Nova, PlayPenn, and BACA. Mertes regularly directs at Juilliard where he created a multimedia theater work based on Sam Shepard’s Paris, Texas with alt-country rocker, Jim White. Brian has directed for ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox, garnering three Emmy and three DGA nominations, and an Emmy for directing. Each summer he and Melissa Kievman produce and direct Lake Lucille Chekhov in Rockland County, NY. Co-directing with Julian Crouch, he will be remounting their production of Jedermann for the Salzburg Festival the summer of 2014.

EUGENE LEE Resident Set Designer Eugene Lee’s career has spanned over five decades and nearly all visual media: television (39 seasons of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon), regional theater (resident designer at Trinity Rep for over 40 years), Broadway and international productions (Wicked and Velocity of Autumn, recently), and film (Mr. North, Hammet, Vanya

Trinity Lie of the Mind _2014.indd 13

on 42nd Street). Recent projects include The Shadow of the Hummingbird and The Last Five Years at Long Wharf Theatre, Designated Mourner at the Public Theater, Fortress of Solitude at the Dallas Theater Center, and A Christmas Carol, Oliver, and A Lie of the Mind at Trinity Rep. He has been awarded the Tony, the Elliot Norton Award for Sustained Excellence, and the Emmy. He is a recent inductee into the New York Theater Hall of Fame, and lives in Providence with his wife, Brooke.

CAIT O’CONNOR Costume Designer Cait O’Connor is a designer, painter and illustrator working in theater, dance, film and opera and exhibiting in the United

States and abroad. Recent a projects: La Traviata, directed by Arin Arbus, Lyric Opera of Chicago/Houston Grand Opera/Canadian Opera Company; Massacre (Sing to Your Children), directed by Brian Mertes, Rattlestick Theater; Titus Andronicus, directed by Michael Sexton, The Public Theater; Witch of Edmonton, directed by Jesse Berger, Red Bull Theater. Recent painting and drawing exhibitions: High Ornament, Monique Goldstrom Gallery, NYC; HouseGuests, Dacia Gallery, NYC; Girls I Know, Grand Rapids Public Museum, MI and Blueleaf Gallery, Dublin; Prive, Contaminate, NYC. continued on next page

Conservatory training at a Tony Awardwinning regional theatre with an Ivy League degree

Brown/Trinity Rep M.F.A. Programs in Acting & Directing Brown University department of theatre Arts and Performance Studies Trinity Repertory Company Rhode Island’s world-class theatre company

APPly now and Applications for September information for2014 2015 AuDitionS auditions in New York, in new york Chicago, SanCity, Francisco Chicago, San Francisco and Providence and Providence available August, 2014

For inFormation:

Jill Jann, Program Administrator 201 Washington St., Providence, RI 02903 (401) 521-1100 x271 jjann@trinityrep.com www.browntrinity.com clockWISe fRom toP left: house & garden, he Is here he says I say, machInal, BoIng!, machInal, And marIsol. PHotoS BY mARk tURek

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Dan Scully Lighting Designer Dan is a New York-based lighting and projection designer. Trinity Rep: Crime and Punishment, Sparrow Grass, Love Alone, The Mourners’ Bench, Clybourne Park, Steel Magnolias, A Christmas Carol. New York: 1969 by Alarm Will Sound, Carnegie Hall; The Witch of Edmonton, Red Bull Theater; The Orchestra Rocks!, Carnegie Hall; Seven Last Words, Lincoln Center Chamber Orchestra Society; The Wii Plays, Ars Nova; Christmas Is Miles Away, Babel Theater; others. Regional: A Christmas Carol, Geva; The Life of Galileo, Cleveland Playhouse; The Blonde, the Brunette, and the Vengeful Redhead, Las Meninas, Searching for Eden, Asolo Rep. Other: Resident lighting designer for Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival and Abraham in Motion (Bessie Award); MFA from Tisch/NYU. Broken chord Sound Design Broken Chord composes and designs music and sound for theater. The sound design for Trinity Rep’s productions of Crime and Punishment, King Lear and Steel Magnolias were created by collective members Daniel Baker, Aaron Meicht and Daniel Kluger. New York: Atlantic Theater Company, Cherry Lane Theatre, Juilliard, Keen Company, La MaMa E.T.C., Primary Stages, Manhattan Theatre Club, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Second Stage Theatre, Signature Theater and Women’s Project. Regional: Berkeley Rep, Dallas Theater Center, Geva Theatre Center, Hartford Stage, Huntington Theatre Co., La Jolla Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare Theatre Company (Washington D.C.), Weston Playhouse, Westport Country Playhouse, Portland Center Stage, and Passage Theatre Company. Visit them at www.brokenchordcollective.com.

PHILLIP ROEBUCK Composer/Musician Songwriter/performer Phillip Ro ebuck has toured incessantly for many years. He’s released 26 commercial recordings, including six full-length solo albums, and can be heard on the TV/film soundtracks of Justified, In Search of a Midnight Kiss, Breaking Amish, Fisher Poets, Con Artist, Vile, Simply Irresistible and many more. Some career highlights include Drop Dead Diva, guest starring with Rick Springfield; TED Talks, guest speaker; The Moth, The Unchained Tour; John Peel Sessions, BBC Radio 1; Three Sisters, Platonov, Ivanov, Lake Lucille; The Greeks, Boesman and Lena, Juilliard.

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Zdenko martin Fight Choreographer Zdenko is a stage combat instructor, fight choreographer, musician and composer, as well as a graduate of the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Acting Program. Acting credits: Trinity Rep: Floyd, 3pile, The Grapes of Wrath; Brown/Trinity Rep: Autolycus, The Winter’s Tale; Husz, A Bright Room Called Day; Henry, The Skin of Our Teeth; Mammon, Jedermann; NYC Theaters: Hudson to China, St. Ann’s Warehouse; In His Bold Gaze My Ruin Is Writ Large, La Tea Theatre; The Maderati, The Red Room; Romeo and Juliet, Manhattan Rep; Cowboy Mouth, 45th Street Theatre; Other Theaters: I Am Not Batman, The Open Road Anthology, Humana Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville.

Thom Jones Speech and Voice Director Fourteen seasons with Trinity Rep. He is also the Head of Voice and Speech for Brown/Trinity Rep’s MFA program. Regional: Chautauqua Theatre Festival, The Public Theater, New York Shakespeare Festival, Yale Rep, Dallas Theater Center, Huntington Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cleveland Playhouse, McCarter Theatre, Long Wharf, Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Film/TV: Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole (Oscar nomination for Best Actress), The Paperboy, Grace of Monaco, Just Go with It, Trespass; Emma Watson, The Bling Ring; Sandra Bullock, The Heat; Alan Rickman, Vanessa Redgrave, Robin Williams, Minka Kelly, James Marsden, Alex Pettyfer, The Butler; Ben Mendelsohn, The Place Beyond the Pines, Trespass; Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Edge of Darkness; Brendan Gleeson, Melissa Leo, Black Irish; Brotherhood. additional staff Assistant Director Heidi Handelsman Assistant to the Set Designer Patrick Lynch Assistant Costume Designer Corina Chase Fight Consultant Craig Handel

THE CAST Timothy Crowe* Trinity Rep: Over 125 productions including Macbeth, The School for Wives, The Miser, The Seagull, Angels in America, A Christmas Carol, My Fair Lady, Clybourne Park, The Mourners’ Bench.

Broadway: The Shadow Box. Off Broadway: The Servant, Bill W. and Dr. Bob. Other Theaters: Annenberg Center, Speakeasy Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cleveland Play House, Virginia Stage, Long Wharf Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Berkeley

Rep, The Walnut Street Theatre, The Cutler Majestic Theatre. Film/TV: Outside Providence, Underdog, Hachiko, The Silent Eye, Easy Listening, Brotherhood, House of Cards.

Other: Mr. Crowe received his MA from St. Louis University; London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.

Janice Duclos*

Trinity Rep: 29 seasons, favorite roles include: Rose, Dancing at Lughnasa; Sister Mary, Sister Mar y Ignatius Explains It All for You; Miss Hannigan, Annie; Polonius, Hamlet; Melony, The Cider House Rules; Josie, A Moon for the Misbegotten; Wanda, The Waiting Room; Virginia, The Clean House; Henriette, Paris by Night; Beverly, The Receptionist; Lady Bracknell, The Importance of Being Earnest; Fraulein Kost, Cabaret; Jean, Dead Man’s Cell Phone; Morgan Le Fay, Camelot; M’Lynn, Steel Magnolias; and One for the Money, which she wrote and directed. This season she also directed Intimate Apparel. Other Theaters: American Repertory Theater, Arena Stage. Other: She is a graduate of CCRI and URI. Britt Faulkner

Brown/ Trinity Rep: B eatr ice, Much Ado About Nothing; Mom/ Mary, Scab; Berta, Hedda Gabbler; Carl, Bus Stop.

Off-Broadway: Sleep No More, Salon Series at the McKittrick Hotel.

Other Theaters: Ghost of Christmas Past, A Christmas Carol, Evil Queen, Snow White, Berkshire Theatre Festival; Irina, Three Sisters, Honey, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, St. Fortune Theater. Other: Britt is a second-year student in the Brown/ Trinity Rep MFA Acting Program and holds a BA in Psychology from SUNY Geneseo.

Billy finn*

Brown/ Trinity Rep: Alan, Scab; Malvolio, Twelfth Night; Don John, Much Ado About Nothing; Virgil, Bus Stop; M, Lungs.

Other Theaters: Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, The Dog in the Manger, King Lear, Shakespeare Theatre Company; Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, Folger Theatre; The Talented Mr. Ripley, Round House Theatre; Wilder Sins, Washington Stage Guild; The Scarecrow and His Servant, The Kennedy Center; Journey to the Door of No Return, Arena Stage; Othello,

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The Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Virginia Shakespeare Festival. Other: Billy is a second-year student in the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Acting Program.

Rebecca Gibel*

Tr i n i t y R e p : M r s .

Smith, Social Creatures; Gloria, Boeing-Boeing; Guenevere, Camelot; Cecily, The Importance of Being Earnest; Lucy, A Christmas Carol.

Brown/ Trinity Rep: Desdemona, Othello; Marie, Woyzeck; Nora, A Doll’s House. Other Theaters: Yentel, Cleveland Play House; Three Sisters, Arden Theatre Company; Noises Off, Actors Theatre of Louisville; Gypsy, Hangar Theatre; A Doll’s House, The Gamm; Hairspray, Theatre By The Sea; Into the Woods (workshop), Fiasco Theater/McCarter Theatre; Frogs, Fault Line Theatre; Enchanted April, Urinetown, To Fool the Eye, Creede Rep. TV: CBS’s Blue Bloods. Other: A graduate of Brown/Trinity Rep’s MFA Acting Program; IRNE Award Nomination: Best Actress in a Musical (Camelot); Denver Post Readers’ Choice Award: Best Year by an Actress.

Benjamin Grills Trinity Rep: Noah Joad/ Musician/Ensemble, The Grapes of Wrath. Brown/ Tr i n i t y R e p : C o p , Middletown; Faith, Jedermann; Lenny, Marisol; Orlando, As You Like It; Shepherd, The Winter’s Tale; Monk, Small Craft Warnings. Other Theaters: Bassanio, The Merchant of Venice; Barfee, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; Hakija, Small Tragedy; Pierce Butler, Unbound; Victor Chandebise/Poche, A Flea in Her Ear. Other: Ben is a 2014 graduate of the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Acting Program and holds a BFA in Acting from the University of RI. Anne Scurria*

Trinity Rep: Highlights from over 100 product i o n s : M r s . Co r n e y, Mrs. Bedwin, Oliver!; Ma Joad, The Grapes of Wrath; Bev/Kathy, Clybourne Park; Marion, Absurd Person Singular; Elizabeth, The Syringa Tree; Homebody, Homebody/Kabul; Vivian Bearing, Wit; Martha, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Lady Macbeth; LilBit, How I Learned to Drive; Scrooge, A Christmas Carol; Mary Tyrone, Long Day’s Journey Into Night. Other Theaters: New York Public Theater, Circle

Trinity Lie of the Mind _2014.indd 15

Rep, Intiman Theatre, Arena Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Long Wharf Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Circle Rep, Lyric Stage, SpeakEasy Stage, New Century Theater, and Perseverance Theatre. Other: Anne was a Kaplan Fellow and a graduate of the Trinity Rep Conservatory. She teaches acting in the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Program.

Charlie Thurston* Tr i n i t y R e p : B o b Cratchit, A Christmas Carol; Muley Graves, The Grapes of Wrath; Mr. Smith, Social Creatures; Edgar, The Completely Fictional — Utterly True — Final Strange Tale of Edgar Allan Poe. Brown/ Trinity Rep: Leo Frank, Parade; Eddie, Tango; Nick, The Time of Your Life; Rocky, Lake Untersee.

Other Theaters: Three Sisters, Arden Theatre Company; …Poe, Baltimore Centerstage; Hamlet, Bread Loaf Acting Ensemble; You Can’t Take It With You, Three Sisters, Carve, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Chautauqua Theater Company; To Fool the Eye, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, A Wonderful Noise, Creede Rep; Prosperity, The Long Christmas Ride Home, Riverside Theatre; Twilight Orchard, Redmoon Theater. Other: Charlie, a graduate of the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Acting Program, is thrilled to join the resident acting company.

Kristen Gibbs* Production Stage Manager Trinity Rep: Over the past seven seasons, some favorite shows include Memory House, A Christmas Carol, Cabaret, and Clybourne Park. Off-Broadway: The Library and Kicking a Dead Horse, The Public Theater; Measure for Measure and As You Like It, NYSF/Shakespeare in the Park. Enormously proud to be a part of the Public Works initiative and their inaugural productions of The Tempest and the upcoming The Winter’s Tale, featuring 200 New Yorkers from all five boroughs at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Other Theaters: Theatre By The Sea, Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Program, Brown/Trinity Playwrights Rep, and Heritage Repertory Theatre. Other: Kristen is thrilled to be a part of Trinity Rep’s 50th season after seeing her first Project Discovery performance here many years ago!

Megan Tracy Leddy* Stage Manager Trinity Rep: Production assistant for Intimate Apparel, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, The Grapes of Wrath, House & Garden.

Brown/Trinity Rep: Stage manager for Rhinoceros, Venus, The Threepenny Opera, Vieux Carre. Other Theaters: The Seagull, The Lake Lucille Project; Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom, The Stairs to the Roof, A.R.T./MXAT; The Traveling Companion, A Chalky White Substance, Absolute Theater Festival in Dublin, Ireland. *Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.

in memoriam

Remembering Robert Black Robert Black, who passed away on March 13th, was one of Trinity Rep’s resident young matinee idols from 1969 to 1983. He was a skilled actor, easy on the eyes and very handy with the guitar. It was only natural that when Trinity Rep did a very musical adaptation of Tom Jones in 1975, he played the rake himself (right). We will miss this charming and talented man.

RIGHT: Tom Jones, by Henry Fielding,adapted & directed by Larry Arrick, music by Barbara Damashek, set & lights by Eugene Lee, costumes

by James Berton Harris, photo by Michael J.B. Kelly, 1975.

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ticketstimes & dates A Lie of the Mind

by Sam Shepard • directed by Brian Mertes in the Dowling Theater A 20th-century masterpiece of familial dysfunction. Two mid-western families are joined together by marriage and torn apart by a life-changing incident. Brimming with enormous vitality and humor the play asks us to look deeper into the human heart and the destructive power of love.

A LIE OF THE MIND • May 29 – June 29, 2014 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY MAY 25

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FRIDAY SATURDAY

29 30 $ 31 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 3 4 2 PM 5 6 7 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 27

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TICKETS for A Lie of the Mind PREVIEWS: First Thurs., Fri., Sat. 7:30pm........ $22–$34 REGULAR: Wed. matinee 2pm......................... $22–$58 Sun.–Thurs. 7:30pm ....................... $22–$58 Fri.–Sat. 7:30pm............................... $22–$68 Sat. & Sun. matinees 2pm ............ $22–$68 AN ADDITIONAL $5.00 per ticket handling fee applies to phone and online orders.

DISCOUNTS: Call the box office for discounts for educators, military, police, firefighters, students, and seniors. Rush tickets ($22 main seating, $28 prime seating) are available at box office two hours prior to show.

SUBSCRIBERS: Save 20% on additional tickets with handling fees waived. Call (401) 351-4242.

MEMBERSHIP: Save 10% on tickets with handling fees waived.

Call (401) 351-4242.

2 PM 9 7:30 PM

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GROUP DISCOUNTS: call (401) 351-4242

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BOX OFFICE: (401) 351-4242 • Fax: (401) 831-1612 E-mail: boxoffice@trinityrep.com or subs@trinityrep.com Walk-up hours: noon–8pm, Tuesday–Sunday Phone hours: noon–8pm, Monday–Sunday 201 Washington St., Providence, RI 02903 Order online at www.trinityrep.com

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KEY TO CALENDARS $ Pay What You Can: limited number of tickets on sale 1 hour before curtain, limit 1 per person

PRICES, TIMES AND DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Tickets subject to availability.

First Look Thursday: talkback with artists after play Preview performance •

No performance

Are you under 35?

Any of the above?

Then you should join Under35@TRC! Why become a member?

• discounted tickets for theatergoers 21- 35 • invitations to exclusive pre- and post-show parties with the cast and crew • free drinks More like, why aren’t you a member already?

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Bored? Gorgeous?

To sign up or get more info, e-mail tchylack@trinityrep.com. tchylack@trinityrep.com And don’t forget to join our Under35@TRC Facebook group!

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For Your Information • Trinity Repertory Company 201 Washington Street Providence, RI 02903 www.trinityrep.com info@trinityrep.com • Box Office (401) 351-4242 Noon–8:00pm Tuesday–Sunday Monday: phone service only • Subscriber Services: (401) 351-4242 subscriptions@trinityrep.com Noon–8:00pm daily • Administrative Offices (401) 521-1100 9:00am–5:00pm Monday–Friday • Our performances begin on time.

Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of house management, and until then will be able to view video monitors in the lobby.

• Emergency Safety: The theater is protected by emergency lighting and sprinklers. Our house staff and security staff are experienced in first aid. In an emergency, please contact an usher or house manager.

• Assistive Listening Devices are available at the box office and reception desk at street level.

• Smoking is not permitted inside the building.

• Cameras (including cell phone cameras) and recording devices are not permitted. Please turn all cell phones and pagers to silent mode.

• Group Sales: For information on discounts and special services, call (401) 351-4242.

• Physicians and others who may need to be reached during a performance are asked to register their names and seat locations with a house manager.

Emergency contact numbers are (401) 521-1100 x241 (Dowling Theater lobby) and (401) 521-1100 x282 (Chace lobby).

• Children age four and over are welcome at performances — age two and over for A Christmas Carol. Younger children will not be admitted.

• Gift Cards: The perfect gift!

Available in any amount, at the box office, at www.trinityrep.com, or (401) 351-4242.

About Trinity Rep Tony Award-winning Trinity Repertory Company — recently named the State Theater of Rhode Island — under the leadership of The Richard L. Bready Artistic Director Curt Columbus and Executive Director Michael Gennaro, is thrilled to be celebrating their 50th Anniversary season.

From its humble roots in 1963 in the Trinity United Methodist Church, Trinity Repertory Company has undergone an incredible transformation in 50 years, becoming one of the most respected regional theaters in the country Featuring the last permanent resident acting company in America, Trinity Rep presents a balance of world premiere, contemporary, and classic works for an estimated annual audience of approximately 145,000. In its 50-year history, the theater has produced 62 world premieres which have gone on to have productions at other theaters throughout the country.

Local, national and international recognition has consistently come to Trinity Rep. In 1968, it was the first American theater company invited to perform at the Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland and in 1981 it received the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater Company.

Arts education at all levels is central to Trinity Rep’s mission. This season marks the 47th year of Project Discovery, Trinity Rep’s pioneering educational outreach program.

Last season, Trinity Rep’s educational programs reached over 16,000 Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut students through matinees as well as in-school residencies and workshops. The Young Actors Studio allows thousands of students participate in after-school enrichment activities at the theater as well as

in drama therapy programs designed for children on the autism spectrum. Brown University/Trinity Rep offers professional training for actors and directors in a three year MFA program which combines in-depth classroom curriculum with hands-on experience with a working professional theater.

Lifelong learning thrives in talkbacks after every performance, theater arts classes for adults and public forums.

In 1973, Trinity Repertory Company moved to its present home in the Lederer Theater Center at 201 Washington Street, downtown Providence. Formerly known as the Majestic Theatre, the historic building houses two performance spaces: the 500 -plus seat Chace Theater and the 300-seat Dowling Theater, as well as offices, production shops, and rehearsal halls.

The theater is wheelchair accessible and offers an Assistive Listening System for the hearing-impaired.

The Pell Chafee Performance Center, located at 87 Empire Street, is home to Brown/Trinity Rep’s MFA program and Trinity Rep’s educational activities for grades K–12, with classrooms and a flexible theater space.

As Rhode Island’s largest arts organization, Trinity Rep has a significant impact on the community, and is a linchpin of Providence’s arts and entertainment district.

The theater employs over 100 artistic and administrative staff and annually generates nearly $12 million in economic activity.

Curt Columbus became artistic director in January 2006, following Amanda Dehnert, Oskar Eustis, Richard Jenkins, Anne Bogart and Adrian Hall.

For more information, please visit www.trinityrep.com.

Trinity Rep’s

2013–2014 season

John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath adapted by Frank Galati directed by Brian McEleney • Sept. 5 – Oct. 6, 2013

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, adapted by Adrian Hall & Richard Cumming directed by Tyler Dobrowsky • Nov. 9 – Dec. 28, 2013

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike by Christopher Durang Nov. 21 – Dec. 22, 2013

Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage • Jan. 30 – March 2, 2014 Oliver! book, music & lyrics by Lionel Bart • directed and choreographed

by Richard & Sharons Jenkins • Feb. 21 – March 30, 2014

Veronica Meadows by Stephen Thorne • directed by Michael Perlman • April 3 – May 4, 2014 A Lie of the Mind by Sam Shepard • directed by Brian Mertes • May 29 – June 29, 2014

11:06 AM

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STAFF FOR TRINITY REPERTORY COMPANY Curt Columbus The Richard L. Bready Artistic Director Curt Columbus joined Trinity Rep as artistic director in Januar y 2006. His directing credits for Trinity Rep include His Girl Friday, The Merchant of Venice, Camelot, Cabaret, The Odd Couple, The Secret Rapture, The Receptionist, A Christmas Carol, Memory House, Blithe Spirit, Cherry Orchard and the world premiere of Stephen Thorne’s The Completely Fictional — Utterly

True — Final Strange Tale of Edgar Allan Poe and Jackie Sibblies Drury’s Social Creatures.

Three of his plays — Paris by Night, The Dreams of Antigone, and Sparrow Grass — premiered at Trinity Rep. His adaptation of Crime and Punishment (with Marilyn Campbell) is published by Dramatists’ Play Service. Curt’s translations of Chekhov’s plays are published by Ivan R. Dee, include a collection, Chekhov: The Four Major Plays.

The Dreams of Antigone and Sparrow Grass are published by Broadway Play Publishing.

Curt lives in Pawtucket with his husband, Nathan Watson.

Michael Gennaro Executive Director Michael joined Trinity Rep as executive director in 2007. He was executive director for eight years at Steppenwolf Theatre where Curt Columbus was associate artistic director. He has also been executive director at Pennsylvania Ballet, managing director at Ford’s Theatre and Producing Director and CEO at Paper Mill Playhouse. Michael has served on grant panels for the NEA, TCG and the Doris Duke Foundation and was a RI Foundation Fellow in 2011. He is also licensed in NY as an attorney and is currently a referee with the Providence Roller Derby. Michael’s wife Donna Lee is a special events coordinator and his son Brendan is a musician in Chicago.

Tyler Dobrowsky Associate Artistic Director Tyler has worked at Trinity Rep since 2003, where he has directed Its A Wonderful Life (2010, 2011), Love Alone (2012, co-directed with Deborah Salem Smith), A Christmas Carol (2012). As Trinity Rep’s Education Director, he was instrumental in the expansion of the Young Actors Studio after-school and summer arts programs, and helped to strengthen Trinity Rep’s landmark Project Discovery program. Tyler is the associate producer for Brown/Trinity Playwrights Rep, and teaches for the Brown/ Trinity Rep MFA program as well as Trinity Rep’s educational programs for children and adults. Tyler received his MA from Brown University, and studied theater at Holy Cross.

Laura Smith Production Director Ms. Smith is in her 17th season with Trinity Rep. She was the associate production manager at Trinity Rep for six years and the capital projects manager for two years, overseeing the construction of the Pell Chafee Performance Center. In the past, she has been the production manager for the Department of Theatre, Speech and Dance at Brown University and the Berkshire Opera Company. She has also stage managed for institutions such as the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, and the Juilliard School.

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STAFF FOR TRINITY REPERTORY COMPANY RESIDENT ACTING COMPANY Stephen Berenson, Angela Brazil, Timothy Crowe, Janice Duclos, Mia Ellis, Rebecca Gibel, Mauro Hantman, Phyllis Kay, Brian McEleney, Barbara Meek, Anne Scurria, Fred Sullivan, Jr., Stephen Thorne, Charlie Thurston, Rachael Warren, Joe Wilson, Jr. ARTISTIC AND MABEL T. WOOLLEY LITERARY DEPARTMENT The Richard L. Bready Artistic Director................... Curt Columbus Associate Artistic Director.................................... Tyler Dobrowsky Resident Designer........................................................ Eugene Lee Associate Directors...........................Brian McEleney, Brian Mertes Resident Costume Designer.......................................William Lane Resident Artist.....................................................Michael McGarty Playwright in Residence ..............................Deborah Salem Smith Director of Voice & Speech...........................................Thom Jones Literary Intern...........................................................Lexi Diamond Artistic Management Intern......................................Molly Greene EDUCATION Education Programs Manager

& Teaching Artist.................................... Jordan Butterfield School Partnerships Manager & Teaching Artist....Matthew Tibbs Education Intern............................................... Zia Affronti Morter Community Engagement Coordinator

& Teaching Artist........................................... Rebecca Noon Teaching Artists..........................Shura Baryshnikov, Angela Brazil Ted Chylack, Jackie Davis, Lexi Diamond Tyler Dobrowsky, Amanda Dolan, Billy Domineau Vicki Dorazio, Mia Ellis, Mauro Hantman, Anne Harrigan Katie Leeman, Zdenko Martin, Nikki Massoud Mike Miele, Sophie Netanel, Cari Platt, Barry Press Dave Rabinow, Matt Russell, Anne Scurria, Marcus Stacy Fred Sullivan Jr., Linda Sutherland, Stephen Thorne Hans Vermy, Rachael Warren, Joe Wilson Jr., Diana Young PRODUCTION Production Director..................................................Laura E. Smith Associate Production Director..................................... Mark Turek Asst. Production Director.....................................Anne L. Harrigan Production Assistants................. Meg Tracy Leddy, Carolyn Reich Sara Sheets Stage Management Intern.................................. Meagan E. Garcia SCENERY Technical Director...........................................................Karl Orrall Draftsman................................................................. Dylan Callery Charge Scenic Artist...................................................Philip Creech Carpenters...............................Christopher Levine, Timothy O’Neil Overhire Carpenters......................................................Jose Nunez Stage Carpenter................................................. Thomas Buckland LIGHTING Master Electrician....................................................... Ross Chabot Assistant Master Electrician..............................Matthew Donnelly First Electrician........................................................Steve McLellan Board Operator............................................................Kristen Roth Lighting Intern......................................................Virginia Herbert COSTUMES Costume Shop Director................................ Alison Walker Carrier Cutter/Draper....................................................... Kerry DeLaGarza Costume Technicians/Wardrobe................ Erin Meghan Donnelly Gillian Green, Rachel Dulude Costume Technician/Craftsperson .....................................Sylvi Re Costume Intern....................................................Patria Ferragamo PROPERTIES Master.................................................................... S. Michael Getz Artisan..........................................................................Molly Thuot AUDIO Sound Engineer............................................ Peter Sasha Hurowitz Sound Technician.......................................Andrew Bradford Ferry

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Sound Board Operator................................................Brian Merckx Sound Intern...................................................................Sarah Jick ADMINISTRATION Executive Director................................................Michael Gennaro General Manager.........................................................Katie Byrnes Senior Accounting Assistant................................ Kathy Santagata Staff Accountant ..........................................................Cyndi Wood Executive Assistant.........................................Lauren Ustaszewski Business Assistant...................................................Camron Parker House Manager............................................................ Ted Chylack Assistant House Managers...................Ann Hayes, Stephen Lehrer Kelly McDonald, Karen Pigeon, Jennifer Wilson General Management Intern................................. Christian Leahy Receptionist...........................................................Kelly McDonald BUILDING OPERATIONS Director of Operations & Capital Projects............ Robert Whitney Facilities Supervisor..............................................Michael Beasley Maintenance Technician............................................ Kaii Almeida Security Supervisor...............................................Shawn Williams Security............................................Daniel Meath, Ian Sauvageau Marketing and Public Relations Director of Marketing & PR...................................... Marilyn Busch Creative Director........................................................ Michael Guy Director of Sales.........................................................Linda Barone Public Relations and Advertising Manager.................. Myah Shein Marketing Intern......................................................Corrie Ignagni Graphic Design Intern...........................................Lauren Prospere

board of trustees BOARD OF TRUSTEES Jonathan Duffy Chair Paul Choquette Vice-Chair Barbara Schoenfeld Vice-Chair John S. Lombardo Treasurer Suzanne Magaziner Secretary Hannah Bell-Lombardo Richard Beretta Angela Brazil Acting Company Linda Cohen Curt Columbus The Richard L. Bready Artistic Director Brian Daniels Tracey Daugherty Joseph L. Dowling, Jr. Michael Gennaro Executive Director Mark K.W. Gim Philip Gould William F. Greene Laura Harris Sally Herreid Elizabeth (Beppie) Huidekoper Deb Imondi Peter L. Lewiss Doris Licht Peter Lipman Gil MacLean Joseph Madden Chris Marsella Brendan McCarthy

Jack McConnell Brian McGuirk Heidi Keller Moon John Palumbo Marc Perlman Michael Prescott Donald R. Quattrucci Kibbe Reilly Kathryn Sabatini D’Anna D. Soehnge Allison Vareika Maribeth Q. Williamson Trustees Emeritus Richard L. Bready Arnold B. Chace, Jr. Johnnie C. Chace Liz Chace Michael Corrente Geoffrey B. Davis Sally T. Dowling Constance Evrard Rhoda Flaxman Frederick G. Frost III Leslie Y. Gutterman Louis Hafken John M. Harpootian Mary D. Higgins Robert J. Higgins Barry G. Hittner Michael E. Hogue John H. Howland Charles T. Hutchinson Eugene Lee Mayer A. Levitt Robert A. Reichley Myrna K. Rosen Lila Sapinsley

DEVELOPMENT Director of Development................................... Kathryn A. Calnan Associate Director of Development....................... Jennifer Canole Manager of VIP Services & Special Events................. David Azulay Annual Fund & Database Manager............................Kristen Orrall Individual & Legacy Giving Officer........................ Carol E. Drewes Donor Programs & Individual Giving Officer.................Kate Kataja Grants Writer ..........................................................Emily Atkinson Development Intern................................................ Rebecca Miller BOX OFFICE AND AUDIENCE SERVICES Box Office Manager..................................................Brian Andrade Ticket Sales Supervisors...................Amanda Mann, Walter Prince Lead Ticket Sales Reps................. Daniel Meath, Katherine Rourke Lenny Schwartz, Evan Tessier Ticket Sales Reps.............................Stephanie Carey, Sean Carufel Joharlen Carvajal, Patricia Centofanti Theresa Rowland, Kathleen Sands, Mary Staubitz Emily Surabian, Corinne Southern Volunteer Coordinator............................................ Stephen Lehrer Audience Service Reps............ Brendon Boucher, Stephanie Carey Desiree Clements, Mike Daniels, Lexi Diamond Michael Grabosky, Alyssa Gerundio, Molly Greene Christian Leahy, Deanna Marandola, Zia Affronti Morter Dale Murgo, Dan Rowland, Marybeth Rowland Stefanie Sevcik, Meredith Wilcox Volunteers Many thanks to our dedicated volunteer ushers

Brown University/ Trinity Rep MFA PROGRAM The Richard L. Bready Artistic Director,

Trinity Repertory Company.......................... Curt Columbus Director, Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Programs...... Stephen Berenson Head, MFA Acting................................................... Brian McEleney Head, MFA Directing.................................................. Brian Mertes Head, Voice & Speech...................................................Thom Jones Head, Movement & Physical Theatre.......................... Daniel Stein Chair, Department of Theatre Arts and

Performance Studies.............................................. Erik Ehn Director, Academic Graduate Studies.......................Spencer Golub Artistic Director, Rites and Reason Theatre......Elmo Terry-Morgan Program Administrator..................................................... Jill Jann Production Manager......................................... Margaret E. O’Neil PCPC Tech Supervisor............................................Jason Eckenroth Production Coordinator............................................ Cole Ratkoski Acting ............... Stephen Berenson, Lowry Marshall, Anne Scurria Directing.................................... Curt Columbus, Melissa Kievman Kym Moore, Joanna Settle Playwriting......... Erik Ehn, Marcus Gardley, Deborah Salem Smith Voice .................................................... D’Arcy Dersham, Carol Gill Singing..............................................................Kathryne Jennings Dance .......................Shura Baryshnikov, Michelle Bach-Coulibaly Julie Adams Strandberg Design.......................................................................... Eugene Lee Clown/Mask................................................................... Kali Quinn Alexander Technique........................................... Christine Stevens Yoga ................................................................. Olivia D’Ambrosio Professional Development................................... Tyler Dobrowsky Communications......................................... Barbara Tannenbaum Theatre History................................... Patricia Ybarra, John Emigh Performance Studies................ Eng Beng Lim, Rebecca Schneider Brown/Trinity Rep Intern...................................Christina Henricks

5/13/14 7:58 AM

Season !

by Tyler Dobrowsky Trinity Rep’s 51st season figures to be a wild, hilarious, emotional journey, filled with fresh contemporary hit plays and cherished classics… but how does Trinity Rep choose which plays to produce?

It’s a simple question: how do we pick the plays for each season? The answer, though, is complicated and multi-faceted. First and foremost, it always starts with the text — we want to produce stories that entertain, challenge and stimulate our audience on a variety of levels. When considering a particular play, we’ll ask ourselves, “Why do we need to tell this story now, here, in Providence, Rhode Island?” We hope to not only provide a lively evening of theater, but also provoke thoughtful discussion about the way we live and who we are as a society. As we plan each season, we look to plays that are emotionally, socially and politically resonant.

Second, we want to make sure our season has a diversity of voices. This means plays from different time periods — classics that have stood the test of time, contemporary work by leading playwrights, as well as world premieres on the cutting edge of American theater. A diversity of voices also means playwrights with different backgrounds, cultures and perspectives. As the State Theater of Rhode Island, it’s our responsibility to represent and engage all people and populations in the plays we produce as well as in our casting.

And last but not least, with one of the last long-standing resident acting companies in the country, we are committed to plays that best suit the strengths of our tremendous company of actors. We are beyond lucky to cast our shows from this fantastic group of artists, all of whom are capable of playing either a lead or a member of an ensemble. By adding three actors to our company last year, we create even more opportunity, and lay the foundation for the next half-century of excellent work.

Curt Columbus, Trinity Rep’s Richard L. Bready Artistic Director, often describes season planning as like cooking a large dinner for your friends — the appetizer, the salad, the entrée, the dessert, the wine, etc., should all have a variety of flavors and textures, but you want the flavors to work in concert with each other in order to create a complete meal. That’s how we think about season planning. We want our plays to mix and match in interesting, provocative ways, creating a complete, satisfying experience for our audience. For this reason, we often highlight a particular theme present in each of the shows, to better unite the season and present our subscribers with a rich, year-round experience. By drawing out a theme for the season, we hope to present not just an offering of individual shows, but a more long-lasting journey, filled with moments of laughter, tears, magic, transcendence and profound grace — in other words, the best damn dinner we can offer.

For our 51st season, the theme uniting all the plays is the necessity and ineffability of true human connection. Some of the plays wear this theme lightly — Barefoot in the Park, A Flea in Her Ear, for example — while others, like Ivanov or The Glass Menagerie, are more explicit. In each of our plays, though, you will see characters exploring how necessary human connection is, while at the same time grappling with the complexity of truly understanding someone else, and the vulnerability that comes with allowing another person to truly understand you.

As we finish our truly wonderful 50th season, we hope you join us next year for what figures to be an incredibly thrilling 51st. From the “tragicomic” Ivanov by Anton Chekhov to the quirky, beautiful world premiere of Sarah Ruhl’s musical adaptation of Melancholy Play; from the poetic brilliance of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie to the wry and ultimately moving Middletown by Will Eno; with a double dose of laughs brought to you by two of the funniest playwrights of all time in Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park and Georges Feydeau’s A Flea in Her Ear. Come pull up a seat at the table and dig in — there’s sure to be something for everyone!

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Ivanov

by Anton Chekhov • translated by Curt Columbus directed by Brian McEleney World Premiere!

A fascinating early work by Anton Chekhov, often referred to as the “comic Russian Hamlet.” (The Guardian) In the talented hands of director Brian McEleney, the show promises to bring the same dramatic punch as this season’s stunning The Grapes of Wrath.

SPECIAL HOLIDAY PROGRAMMING

A Christmas Carol

by Charles Dickens adapted by Adrian Hall and Richard Cumming

Back again after a sold-out run is our annual holiday classic — now available by pre-sale to subscribers only — with performances through New Year’s Eve!

Barefoot in the Park

by Neil Simon

Just in time for the holiday chill, the theater unwraps Neil Simon’s delightful romantic confection, Barefoot in the Park.

From one of the funniest, most beloved playwrights of his generation, comes this hilarious and sweet story of two newlyweds making a life together in 1960s New York.

Middletown

by Will Eno, directed by Curt Columbus

A bittersweet metaphysical take on the everyday existence

by Massachusetts-born playwright Will Eno, hailed as “A Samuel Beckett for the Jon Stewart generation” by The New York Times.

The Glass Menagerie

by Tennessee Williams, directed by Brian Mertes

Considered by many to be one of the greatest American plays ever written, this poetic masterpiece of a memory play promises to be the dramatic highlight of the season under the taut direction of Brian Mertes (Crime and Punishment, Clybourne Park).

A Flea in Her Ear

by Georges Feydeau

No theatrical journey would be complete without a large dose of laughter. Slamming doors. Mistaken identities.

Rendezvous gone awry. See for yourself why Feydeau is considered the master of French farce!

Melancholy Play: a new chamber musical

by Sarah Ruhl, music by Todd Almond World Premiere!

The highly anticipated new musical adaptation of Sarah Ruhl’s Melancholy Play with a new score by Todd Almond.

A darkly comic look at a woman so beautifully sad that everyone falls head over heels in love with her.

Plays and dates subject to change.

5/13/14 8:08 AM

New Next Season!

Inside the

Writers’ Studio

by Kate Kataja Chekhov. Simon. Williams. Ruhl.

Trinity Rep’s 51st season celebrates great writers — playwrights so iconic that they are recognizable by surname alone! But how much do you really know about Anton, Neil, Tennessee, and Sarah?

Their lives, their inspirations, their bodies of work.

We’re pleased to introduce an exciting — and free — new discussion series for the 2014–2015 season that aims to deepen your relationship to the work onstage by taking a closer look at four great writers: Anton Chekhov (Ivanov), Neil Simon (Barefoot in the Park), Tennessee Williams (The Glass Menagerie), and Sarah Ruhl (Melancholy Play).

Hosted by Trinity Rep’s Richard L. Bready Artistic Director Curt Columbus and Associate Artistic Director Tyler Dobrowsky, this series will lift the “fourth wall,” providing an intimate, artistfocused, salon-style experience with special guests. Enjoy a glass of wine while you sit back and listen to readings of each playwright’s work performed by actors from the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Programs, alongside discussion with our resident artists and scholars.

Anton Chekhov and Tennessee Williams were once fresh new voices who relied on the support of their contemporaries in the theater to produce their justwritten, untested work. This series is part of our initiative to enhance awareness about new play development at Trinity Rep, where commitment to supporting new work runs deep and which you have seen come to fruition on our stages for the past 50 years.

Dates and times for all four sessions of this “Inside the Writer’s Studio” series will be announced over the summer. For more information, contact Kate Kataja at kkataja@trinityrep.com or (401) 521-1100, x172.

We can’t wait to see you at the theater!

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Student Playwrights Shine at Trinity Rep

by Camron Parker and Matthew Tibbs

RI, who compares his submission to a traditional morality play with an absurdist twist. The story follows the office workers of a failing fruit basket company as each struggles with personal dilemmas — all of this while suffering from the threat of having their fingers severed by bananas. Crafted with wit and intelligence, the play guides the audience through a bizarre premise in a way that leaves you cheering for the dreams of its characters.

An honorable mention was awarded to Genesis by Ivan Espinal from Classical High School, Providence, RI. An debt of gratitude is owed to Brown/ Trinity Rep MFA program actors Alex Curtis, Catherine Dupont, Benjamin Grills, Sylvia

After months of preparation and one whirlwind day of rehearsals, the third annual Write Here Write Now Student Playwriting Festival came to life on April 14. This festival gives high school students across New England a chance to see their short one-act plays performed on Trinity Rep’s Dowling stage in a celebration of the next generation of artistic voices. The selection committee was again impressed with the unique and vastly differing tones, themes and genre-bending concepts, as well as theatricality, that the 75 submissions displayed.

Welcome to Me, by Kelsey Wilson from Vernon, CT, started the night off with a wild romp through the mind of a young student with writer’s block.

This creative and insightful piece follows the adolescent struggle through the eyes of characters with personality traits and obstacles faced by many young people today.

Next up was After the Horror Movie, a profoundly dark look at a serial killer interrupted on his way to perform his nightly routine. Written L TO R: Quinn Bornstein, Mimi Heath, Kelsey Wilson and Spike

by Pawtucket, RI native Mimi Sommers. Photo by Camron Parker. Art by Lauren Prospere.

Heath as a monologue, this is a striking look at what a pop culture character Kates, Tangela Large, Nikki Massoud, and might be like when fleshed out. The play Matt E. Russell, as well as to Trinity Rep guest prompted many discussions about its social artists Tom Gleadow and Ben Thornton, who commentary later in the evening. brought these wonderfully well-written The Sacrifice is a heart-wrenching play, characters to life. which focuses on a budding relationship The evening concluded with a special between a grandfather and his young talkback with the playwrights, all of whom grandson, who are forced by circumstances voiced how meaningful it was to have their to meet for the first time. Quinn Bornstein writing taken seriously, and how much they from Barnet, Vermont submitted this piece, learned about writing and play development which is rich with beautiful and complex during the dramaturgical work that took characters, who both carry wounds from place prior to the festival. As one audience the loss of a loved one who died too member observed, “It was a wonderful young. As the play unfolds, we witness the night for young people exploring theater, human capacity for empathy as these two emerging artists bringing new characters to characters begin to heal themselves and life, and experienced theater professionals their relationship. working together to express our shared The evening ended with The Basket Case humanity.” Well done to everyone involved written by Spike Sommers from Warwick, and long live Write Here, Write Now!

5/13/14 8:46 AM

LIFELONG LEARNING

Meet the Masters

The Young Actors Summer Institute (YASI) offers intensive classes for high school and college students

by Matthew Tibbs Calling all high school or college-age students! Trinity Rep brings its wealth of professional actors and leading theater instructors together for one week, August 11–14, for a new offering — YASI Masters.

With nine different classes there’s bound to be something for everyone. There are two ways to plan your week — pick classes individually ($100 each) or be a true “master” and subscribe to eight classes for just $400. Just take a look at the menu…

Shakespeare’s Clowns, Comics and Conmen

August 11, 9:30am-12:30pm Being able to access the language in Shakespeare’s plays is a must for any aspiring actor. In this class, we’ll dig into his more raucous and lascivious characters while continuing to deepen our relationship to this timeless writer. By examining scenes from such plays as The Taming of the Shrew, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Romeo and Juliet, the class will learn to translate his 16th century language into the dirty jokes of today. Taught by Fred Sullivan, Jr.

Fosse Choreography

August 11, 1:30pm-4:30pm Bob Fosse revolutionized the world of theater dance by combining lyrical, jazz, tap, ballet, and traditional vaudeville into his own particular blend, leaving an indelible mark on musical theater. Being able to take on Fosse choreography creates a more versatile dancer, who is also ready to push the boundaries of dance. Plus it’s fun! Teacher Melody Gamba studied under a lineage of Broadway choreographers tracing back to Fosse, and is ready to share this style with you. Students will learn original Fosse choreography, as well as how to interpret the text through

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movement. This high-paced class promises to be great fun! Taught by Melody Gamba.

that tiny, well-populated island. Taught by Thom Jones.

Viewpoints Technique

Illusions of Violence

Yes!! Slam that door! Playing Outrageously in the Land of Farce

Ten-Minute Play Workshop or Look Ma! I Made a Play!

and then work on bits of Feydeau’s classic, A Flea in Her Ear. Bring your outrageousness.

Taught by Angela Brazil.

ten-minute play, which will also help the young writer craft richer language, images, and characters when the time comes to tell a more epic story. Taught by Dave Rabinow.

August 12, 9:30am-12:30pm Viewpoints is a philosophy translated into a technique for training performers, building ensemble and creating movement for the stage. In this class, we will work to cultivate a strong sense of individual and group impulse and compositional balance. Be prepared to work, play and be moved by the world around you. Taught by Shura Baryshnikov.

August 12, 1:30pm-4:30pm Take a comedy. Raise the stakes, up the ante of physical choices, add a hefty dose of the outlandish, turn up the speed, and you have a FARCE! In this class, we’ll play with all of the above: light, fast, and funny will be our watchwords. We’ll begin with a brief physical exploration of the world these plays live in,

Directing

August 13, 9:30am-12:30pm A good director is both the leader of the ensemble and the most generous collaborator. He or she must be able to craft a story clearly and dynamically, while also providing a space for other people to create. This class will explore the dynamics of telling a story in space: narrative, story-telling, text analysis, and visual composition. We will also focus on the responsibility to one’s team and ways to foster open communication and maximum creativity. Taught by Curt Columbus.

Dialects of the UK

August 13, 1:30pm-4:30pm There are hundreds of dialects across the UK. In England alone, people speak differently in South West, South East, West Midlands, East Midlands… throw in Scotland, Wales and Ireland and you see how complicated it is to “do an English accent.”

In this class, we will demystify the nature of the UK’s many dialects, offering practical tools to approximate the rhythm, melody, and mechanics of how people speak across

August 14, 9:30am-12:30pm Slaps, kicks, bashes, bites, pushes, pulls… sound like fun? Well it is when it’s safe, effective, and tells the right story.

We’ll cram as much as we can into this class while exploring the correct approach for working and imparting knowledge for all of your future encounters with illusions of violence on stage and screen. Taught by Craig Handel.

August 14, 1:30pm-4:30pm Crafting a short, and yet complete play is an art — the ten-minute play asks for immediacy and directness like no other form. Unlike a scene or snippet, a ten-minute play must stand on its own with full ideas, themes, and characterizations. In this class, we will learn skills needed to write a

Sondheim Solos

August 14, 1:30pm-4:30pm The music of Stephen Sondheim is an unparalleled experience for performers and audiences. Musically complicated and emotionally rich, Sondheim changed the musical theater with his ability to use music and lyrics to advance the story. In this class, singers will be invited to explore the rich and challenging landscape of the Sondheim solo. We’ll cover rhythm, musicality, and acting-the-song in ways that will not only help students sing today, but also in the future. Taught by Leigh Barrett.

For more information on classes and instructors or to register, please visit www.trinityrep.com.

Hurry — spots are limited! pictured from l to r: Shura Baryshnikov, Leigh Barrett, Angela Brazil, Curt Columbus, Melody Gamba, Craig Handel, Thom Jones, David Rabinow & Fred Sullivan, Jr.

5/13/14 8:00 AM

in memoriam

Remembering Nuala Pell

A

ll of us at Trinity Repertory Company were saddened to learn of Mrs. Pell’s passing on April 13. Married to Claiborne Pell (the longest ser ving S e nato r in R h o d e Isl a n d history) for more than sixty years, she shared his commitment to public service and together, their combined passionate support for education and the arts was legendary.

When Senator Pell announced his candidacy for the United State Senate in 1960, he was overwhelmingly considered a long shot to win the election. When he won the election that November with nearly 70% of the vote, it was an astounding victory.

A good deal of the credit for his win was attributed to Mrs. Pell, who served as her husband’s strategic partner and offset his occasional awkwardness with her warmth and approachability. During the Senator’s six terms in office, Mrs. Pell became a prominent advocate in her own right for the arts and humanities, education, women’s health care, and senior issues.

On the occasion of the Senator’s retirement in 1997, Trinity Rep established its annual Pell Awards, which were created to honor individuals at the national and local levels who embodied Senator Pell’s ideals — as artists, educators, leaders and philanthropists. In 2009, six months after the Senator’s death, Mrs. Pell graciously opened the doors of Pelican Ledge (their Newport home), to host the 13th Pell Awards, where the Senator was presented posthumously with a Pell Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts. Since that year, she has continued to serve as honorary co-chair of the Pell Awards, recognizing the importance of continuing this event as a way of both honoring these deserving individuals and supporting Trinity Rep by carrying on her husband’s legacy.

In addition to her longtime patronage of Trinity Rep, Mrs. Pell served as a trustee for Salve Regina University (where she received a doctorate in humane letters in 2006 and which established the Nuala Pell Leadership Program in Public Service in 2013), the University of Rhode Island Foundation, and Roger Williams University.

She also served as a trustee for the John A. Hartford Foundation, The Redwood Library in Newport, Roger Williams Hospital, and Roger Williams Medical Center.

She was a member of the International

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“O

n behalf of Trinit y Repertory Company an d the l oca l ar t s co m mu n i t y, i t i s with great sadness that we mourn the loss of Nuala Pell. Her passionate advocacy for the arts and education were astounding to all. To say that she was a lovely and gracious woman is an understatement. Mrs. Pell was a true gem, a stalwart patron of the arts and a staunch supporter of Rhode Island. Mrs. Pell generously served as honorary cochair of the Pell Awards, held annually at Trinity Rep to honor the late Senator Claiborne Pell and recognize local and regional artistic excellence. Our sincere condolences go out to Clay Pell and his entire family at this sad time. ”

by Kathy Calnan

—Curt Columbus The Richard L. Bready Artistic Director PHOTO BY MARK TUREK, 2009

Rescue Committee, director of the Board of Samaritans in Providence, past president of Democratic Congressional Wives Forum, and a member of the Women’s National and Rhode Island Women’s Democratic Clubs.

In 1997, Brown University President Vartan Gregorian bestowed upon her the school’s highest honor — a President’s Medal for her lifelong commitment to education, scholarship, public service, the arts and philanthropy.

This June marks the 18th annual Pell Awards at Trinity Rep. In addition to a special tribute to Mrs. Pell as part of this year’s ceremony, we are thrilled to be honoring four award recipients who are all Rhode Islanders that went out into the world to become talented and acclaimed artists and later returned to their home state to give back to their community. We think that both Senator and Mrs. Pell would be pleased to know that their legacy has inspired so many and will continue to do so for many years to come.

Congratulations to the recipients of the 2014 Pell Awards!

June 9, 2014 Richard & Sharon Jenkins 2014 Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Jeffrey Osborne 2014 New England Pell Award for Excellence in the Arts Mary Paula Hunter 2014 Charles Sullivan Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts

5/13/14 10:17 AM

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT:

Southwest Airlines This spring, Southwest Airlines became the official airline of Trinity Rep. Thanks to Southwest Airlines, Trinit y Rep will be able to advance the work on our stages, learn best practices, and share our knowledge and talent with the American theater community. How? With the gift of travel. Southwest Airlines is enabling Trinity Rep’s staff and artists to attend and participate in national conferences that we never could have considered because of prohibitive travel costs, and helping offset some travel expenses that we would have incurred normally, for example, bringing in an out-of-town designer to work on a show.

Associate Director of Development Jen Canole chatted with Jill Simonson, Southwest Airlines’ Regional Leader for Community Affairs & Grassroots, about how this remarkable partnership came to be.

Jen: You represent Southwest all along the Northeast. How did you hear about Trinity Rep?

Jill: It is the coolest stor y!

Southwest is the Official Airline Partner of Impact Creativity, the fantastic arts-in-education program that is managed by the National Corporate Theatre Fund. At an NCTF event last year, the great Curt Columbus was a guest speaker and there I was able to learn more about the Trinity Rep organization, which happens to call Providence its home, a city I am lucky enough to serve for SWA! In addition, Trinity Rep is always referenced when local business leaders speak of leading organizations and programs in the Providence community.

Jen: What made you decide to support Trinity Rep? Jill: I admire Curt and Michael Gennaro as not only leaders in the arts community, but as individuals that care deeply about making Trinity Rep a destination for families, students, and so many others to enjoy everything the organization has to offer.

At Southwest, we also strive to provide our

customers with friendly customer service and a great experience along the way. Trinity Rep does too.

Jen: Southwest Airlines is well known for its warm, friendly flight attendants. That spirit clearly extends beyond the planes and into your work in communities around the country. What would you like people to know about Southwest Airlines’ culture?

Jill: Where do I start! We are so fortunate to be able to provide our customers with friendly, reliable and low-cost air travel, in addition to extending our time and resources to worthy organizations across the country. This is all a part of our culture at Southwest – and if we can make you laugh at 30,000 feet, even better!

Thanks so much, Jill. We’re proud to have Southwest Airlines on board with Trinity Rep! National Corporate Theatre Fund (NCTF) raises money from national and New York City-based funders to support 10 regional theaters around the country, including Trinity Rep. “Impact Creativity” is their campaign to sustain and grow arts education programming at member theaters.

Page to Stage Trinity Rep wrapped up another season of donor appreciation events with “Page to Stage” on the Hotel Providence’s rooftop patio at on May 3. Over 50 of the theater’s supporters mixed and mingled with staff and board members, along with A Lie of the Mind cast members, resident actor Tim Crowe and Brown/Trinity Rep MFA actors Britt Faulkner (’15) and Benjamin Grills (’14).

Following a brunch buffet, coffee, and mimosas, guests were treated to a conversation with Tim, Britt, Ben, and associate artistic director Tyler Dobrowsky. They discussed working with director Brian Mertes on Sam Shepard’s unflinching — and humorous — look at the American family, as well as giving everyone a more in-depth sense of what professional training for an actor entails — what tools go into fine tuning their craft and instrument. We also celebrated Tim’s recent time spent Off-Broadway!

Curious about how you can attend events like these? E-mail Donor Programs and Individual Giving Officer Kate Kataja at kkataja@trinityrep.com.

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clockwise from top left: Karen and Michael Shell; guests share a laugh with our speakers and campaign chair Suzanne Magaziner; the view from the rooftop patio; Tim Crowe, Benjamin Grills, Britt Faulkner, and Tyler Dobrowsky.

PHOTOS BY JEN CANOLE

5/13/14 10:16 AM

Curt Columbus, Artistic Director Michael Gennaro, Executive Director 201 Washington Street Providence Rhode Island 02903 www.trinityrep.com 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 30, 2014 CONTACT: Myah Shein, Public Relations & Advertising Manager, (401) 521-1100 ext. 226 mshein@trinityrep.com

TRINITY REP SUPPORTS SOAR AND SOJOURNER HOUSE DURING A LIE OF THE MIND Raising awareness, phones and funds to benefit victims of domestic abuse Providence, RI: As Trinity Rep concludes its landmark 50th anniversary season with Sam Shepard’s A Lie of the Mind, the company announces two community initiatives inspired by the themes and events of the play. In tandem with SOAR (Sisters Overcoming Abusive Relationships), Trinity Rep has spearheaded a campaign to raise awareness about the partner organization and its services, while a used cell phone drive in Trinity Rep’s lobby raises funds for Sojourner House, which provides comprehensive services to victims of abuse. Patrons are encouraged to bring used cell phones of any condition to donate when they attend the theater. The theater lobby will also be open for donations during regular business hours. A Lie of the Mind runs May 29-June 29, 2014, in Trinity Rep’s Dowling Theater. Tickets are available at www.trinityrep.com, by calling 401-351-4242 or at the theater’s box office at 201 Washington St., downtown Providence.

“These endeavors truly exemplify what Trinity Rep is about,” states Trinity Rep artistic director Curt Columbus, “We’re taking issues being discussed on the stage and creating action in the community. A Lie of the Mind follows the story of Beth, a survivor of domestic abuse, and we knew we wanted to take the conversation a step further by connecting with local organizations. We’re thrilled to work again with SOAR, with whom we created the award-winning original play Behind Closed Doors, and for the opportunity to partner with Sojourner House for the first time.”

SOAR (Sisters Overcoming Abusive Relationships) SOAR is a grassroots taskforce of domestic violence survivors dedicated to lending their voices to change the systems that oppress women, while educating the community about the dynamics of domestic violence. SOAR was founded in 1989 by a group of domestic violence survivors to address the root causes of domestic violence and the solutions necessary for change. Since 1989, SOAR has grown to more than 100 members. Members have worked on a variety of projects that enable the voices of domestic violence victims to be widely heard. SOAR has worked on everything from public media campaigns to changing legislation, not only for survivors but also for their children who are affected by domestic violence.

Sojourner House Sojourner House is a nonprofit organization founded in 1976 by Brown University students concerned about what was then a silent epidemic, domestic violence. The students' actions were timely, since the first few domestic violence shelters opened in the United States in the early 1970s. Thanks to the efforts of many supporters, during the past 35 years Sojourner House has grown from a part-time, all-volunteer hotline into a provider of comprehensive services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to victims of abuse. Throughout the years, Sojourner House's Board, staff, volunteers, and other supporters have consistently worked to strengthen current agency programs while diligently planning for the future.

Sojourner House has taken steps to determine how best to prioritize our future efforts to help those who are most isolated due to abuse, as well as efforts to improve systemic and institutional responses to people in abusive relationships.

TRINITY REPERTORY COMPANY The State Theater of Rhode Island, Trinity Repertory Company is now celebrating its 50th Anniversary Season. Since its founding in 1963, Trinity Repertory Company has been one of the most respected regional theaters in the country. Featuring the last permanent resident acting company in America, Trinity Rep presents a balance of world premiere, contemporary, and classic works for an estimated annual audience of approximately 145,000. In its 51-year history, the theater has produced 63 world premieres, mounted national and international tours, and, through its MFA program, trained hundreds of new actors and directors. This season marks the 48th year of Project Discovery, Trinity Rep's pioneering educational outreach program. Last season, Trinity Rep’s educational programs reached over 16,000 Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut students through matinees as well as inschool residencies and workshops. Brown University/Trinity Rep offers professional training for actors and directors in a three-year MFA program. The 50th Anniversary season concludes with A Lie of the Mind by Sam Shepard. Subscriptions are now on sale for Trinity Rep's 2014-2015 Season, which includes the world premiere Curt Columbus' translation of Ivanov by Anton Chekhov, Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon, Middletown by Will Eno, The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, A Flea in Her Ear by Georges Feydeau and the world premiere of Melancholy Play: a new chamber musical by Sarah Ruhl with music by Todd Almond. For more information, call the box office at (401) 351-4242 or visit Trinity Rep's website at www.trinityrep.com.

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Curt Columbus, Artistic Director Michael Gennaro, Executive Director 201 Washington Street Providence Rhode Island 02903 www.trinityrep.com 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 25, 2014 CONTACT: Myah Shein, Public Relations & Advertising Manager, (401) 521-1100 ext. 226 mshein@trinityrep.com

JEFFREY OSBORNE TO RECEIVE 2014 NEW ENGLAND PELL AWARD TRINITY REP PAYS TRIBUTE TO NUALA PELL 18th annual Pell Awards Celebration to be held on June 9, 2014 PROVIDENCE, RI – Trinity Rep announced today that Jeffrey Osborne will be honored with the 2014 New England Pell Award for Artistic Excellence, acknowledging his artistic achievements and philanthropic work throughout Rhode Island.

Osborne will be recognized alongside former Trinity Rep artistic director and Academy-award nominated film, stage and TV actor Richard Jenkins and his wife Director/Choreographer Sharon Jenkins who will be honored with the 2014 Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts and nationally known dance educator and choreographer Mary Paula Hunter who will receive the 2014 Charles Sullivan Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts. The ceremony will include a tribute to Nuala Pell, who recently passed away after serving as honorary co-chair of the awards for many years. The 18th annual Pell Awards will be held on Monday, June 9, 2014 at Trinity Rep with a reception to follow next door at the Providence Public Library.

Richard L. Bready Artistic Director Curt Columbus is proud to award this year's New England Pell Award to Jeffrey Osborne. "As the State Theater of Rhode Island, we’re thrilled to honor an artist who shares our vision of making a difference in the lives of Rhode Islanders across the state.” He emphasizes, “Jeffrey’s numerous accolades speak to his immense talent, which combined with his generous nature and philanthropic endeavors embody the spirit of the Pell Awards.”

This upcoming awards ceremony will also acknowledge the recent passing of Nuala Pell. Mrs. Pell generously served as honorary co-chair of the Pell Awards, which honor her late husband Senator Claiborne Pell. Columbus remarked, “It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of Nuala Pell. Her passionate advocacy for the arts and education were astounding to all. To say that she was a lovely and gracious woman is an understatement. Mrs. Pell was a true gem, a stalwart patron of the arts and a staunch supporter of Rhode Island.”

The theater's annual gala event will be co-chaired by Clay Pell and Michelle Kwan alongside Barbara and Larry Schoenfeld. ogether with business, political and social leaders, guests at this creative black tie affair will mix,

mingle, and enjoy delicious food provided by Russell Morin Fine Catering with desserts by Carina & Dolce while they dance to the music of The Michelle Cruz Quartet.

Individual tickets to the full event are $500; a limited number of individual tickets to the ceremony and post-show reception are $250, and corporate sponsorships are available. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Trinity Rep at (401) 453-9237. Proceeds from ticket sales benefit Trinity Rep’s artistic programs.

The Pell Awards honor Senator Claiborne Pell and recognize artistic excellence in Rhode Island and the New England region as well as on the national level. Throughout his life, Senator Pell worked to support the arts and provide new opportunities for artists. He sponsored the landmark legislation that established the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities in 1965, and chaired the Senate Education and Arts subcommittee.

http://www.trinityrep.com/DownloadDocs/Jeffrey_Osborne.jpg 2014 New England Pell Award honoree Jeffrey Osborne Photo: Jeffry Fasano

Jeffrey Osborne began his professional singing career in 1969 at a Providence nightclub with a popular funk and soul group called Love Men Ltd. The music industry publication Radio and Records declared, “[Jeffrey Osborne] the number one hit maker of the 1980s.” Beginning with Jeffrey Osborne, his 1982 debut A&M solo album featuring the hit singles, “I Really Don't Need No Light” and the instant standard ballad, “On The Wings Of Love,” Osborne charted a sure and passionate musical course. A&M and Arista albums such as Stay With Me Tonight, Don’t Stop, One Love, One Dream and Only Human and singles like “Stay With Me Tonight,” “We’re Going All The Way,” “The Last Time I Made Love” and “Only Human” easily transcended being hits to become R&B/pop classics. Osborne continues to tour and record.

Meanwhile, Osborne enjoys a distinction that no other pop singer has achieved: A place in the annals of professional sports as the official singer of the National Anthem for NBA champions the Los Angeles Lakers and most in-demand singer of the Anthem in the history of professional sports.

Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Jeffrey Osborne was the youngest of 12 children and was surrounded by music as he was growing up. He had five brothers and six sisters, some of whom also went on to have music careers. Osborne spent his childhood patiently waiting for a turn to play his favorite records on the family turntable. Hours would go by, listening to Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald, Gloria Lynne, Della Reese, Joe Williams and Billy Eckstine spun by his brothers and sisters. Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard and Clifford Brown poured from the speakers when it was his father’s turn. His father, Clarence "Legs" Osborne, was a popular trumpeter who played with Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington, and died when Jeffrey was only 13. It was only after receiving his mother's encouragement that Jeffrey left for Los Angeles to play with L.T.D. At the age of 15, he sat in with the O'Jays when the drummer was too tired to play, and went on to play with them for two weeks. It was at a Providence nightclub that fate brought him together with the band Love Men Ltd. in 1969.

http://www.trinityrep.com/DownloadDocs/Jenkins_Pell.jpg 2014 Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts honorees Richard and Sharon Jenkins Photo: Michael Guy

Former Trinity Rep artistic director Richard Jenkins, nominated for a best actor Oscar in 2007 for his performance in The Visitor, has found great success in film and television. The 2014 Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts honoree is perhaps best known for his patriarchal role on HBO series Six Feet Under, he is frequently seen in films by the Cohen brothers and David O. Russell.

Richard Jenkins was a Trinity Rep acting company member for 14 seasons, starting in 1970. He served as artistic director for four seasons (1990-1994) and directed numerous productions during that time. Richard has appeared in over 60 feature films, and has been nominated for three Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Independent Spirit Awards, a Critics Choice Award, a Gotham Award, and won a Satellite Award as well as an Academy Award nomination for his performance in The Visitor. In 2014, he can be seen in the film God’s Pocket with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Trinity Rep’s own Peter Gerety, as well as appearing opposite Frances McDormand in the HBO miniseries Olive Kitteridge.

Fellow 2014 Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts honoree Sharon Jenkins has been a choreographer at Trinity Rep for over 40 years, where she has worked with artistic directors Adrian Hall, Richard Jenkins, Amanda Dehnert, Oskar Eustis, and Curt Columbus. She has choreographed The Music Man, Annie, West Side Story, The Fantasticks, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Cabaret, and Camelot. Sharon spent 20 years as the dance director at Hope Arts Magnet School in Providence, 15 years as a dance specialist with the RI State Council on the Arts, 10 years as a dancer with RI Dance Rep, and 10 years as choreographer for The Arabella Project. In addition to her work at Trinity Rep, Ms. Jenkins has worked at Long Wharf Theatre, Arena Stage, Hartford Stage, Center Stage, South Coast Rep and was the choreographer for Paramount Pictures feature School Ties.

http://www.trinityrep.com/DownloadDocs/Mary_Paula_Hunter.jpg 2014 Charles Sullivan Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts honoree Mary Paula Hunter Photo: R. Meckel

2014 Charles Sullivan Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts honoree Mary Paula Hunter is a well known educator, performance artist and choreographer. Her work is often text-based and always quirky, emotional, and rooted in her own neuroses. Dance Magazine's, Julinda Lewis wrote that Hunter's works " make you feel as if you’ve crossed into a time zone where human motion follows laws you’ve never learned and may never understand." Hunter is the artistic director of JUMP!, where she says she found her calling in the training of young dance artists. JUMP!’s original mission, to develop choreographic talent, has expanded and the company now produces a full season of innovative dance work, produced by its members. Hunter, a long-time choreographer and performer with a M.F.A. in Dance from the University of Michigan, trains dancers at The East Side Ballet Studio and has taught dance at many colleges including Holy Cross, Hamilton College, RISD, and Brown. She curated the New York summer Dance Festival Summer in the Square, and continues to perform as a solo artist.

Previous Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts honorees include Jane Alexander, Kate Burton, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, Viola Davis, Olympia Dukakis, Adrian Hall, Arthur Miller, Liza Minnelli, Toni Morrison, Robert Redford, Chita Rivera, Jason Robards, Maurice Sendak, Beverly Sills, Stephen Sondheim and Kevin Spacey. Past honorees for the Pell Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Arts include John Krasinski, Amy Morton and Trinity Rep's Resident Acting Company.

Past Rhode Island Pell Award for Excellence in the Arts honorees include John Benson, Howard BenTré, Dan Butterworth, Bob Colonna, Robert Coover, Umberto “Bert” Crenca, Richard Cumming, Ruth Frisch Dealy, Tony Estrella, Richard Fleischner, Peter Geisser, Malcolm Grear, Michael Harper, Bunny Harvey, Dorothy Jungels & the Everett Dance Theatre, George Kent, Eugene Lee, David Macaulay, Salvatore Mancini, Dave McKenna, Barbara Meek, Denny Moers, Timothy Philbrick, Duke Robillard, Thomas Sgouros, Sr., Consuelo Sherba, Gretchen Dow Simpson, Maria Spacagna, Judith Lynn Stillman, Chris Van Allsburg, Paula Vogel, Keith and Rosmarie Waldrop, William Warner, Rose Weaver, Steven Weinberg, and Toots Zynsky.

Among those honorees awarded the Pell Award/Charles Sullivan Award for Distinguished Service in/to the Arts are Mayor Vincent A. Cianci, Jr., Adrian Hall, P. William Hutchinson, Virginia Lynch, Lowry Marshall, Martha DouglasOsmundson and Elaine Foster Perry.

The Pell Award for Outstanding Leadership in Arts has been awarded to Joseph A. Chazan, M.D., Mihailo “Misha” Djuric, Roger Mandle, Senator Claiborne Pell, George Wein, J.L. “Lynn” Singleton, and the Pell Award for Outstanding Leadership in Arts Education to Ruth J. Simmons. Additionally, past recipients of the New England Pell Award for Excellence in the Arts were Brian Dennehy, Julie Harris, Lloyd Richards, Gunther Schuller, and John Updike.

The State Theater of Rhode Island, Trinity Repertory Company is now celebrating its 50th Anniversary Season. Since its founding in 1963, Trinity Repertory Company has been one of the most respected regional theaters in the country.

Featuring the last permanent resident acting company in America, Trinity Rep presents a balance of world premiere, contemporary, and classic works for an estimated annual audience of approximately 145,000. In its 50-year history, the theater has produced 62 world premieres, mounted national and international tours, and, through its MFA program, trained hundreds of new actors and directors. This season marks the 46th year of Project Discovery, Trinity Rep's pioneering educational outreach program. Last season, Trinity Rep’s educational programs reached over 16,000 Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut students through matinees as well as in-school residencies and workshops.

Brown University/Trinity Rep offers professional training for actors and directors in a three-year MFA program.

The2013-2014 season concludes with the world premiere of Veronica Meadows by Stephen Thorne and A Lie of the Mind by Sam Shepard. Subscriptions are now on sale for Trinity Rep's 2014-2015 season, which includes the world premiere Curt Columbus' translation of Ivanov by Anton Chekhov, Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon, Middletown by Will Eno, The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, A Flea in Her Ear by Georges Feydeau and the world premiere of Melancholy Play: a new chamber musical by Sarah Ruhl with music by Todd Almond. For more information, call the box office at (401) 351-4242 or visit Trinity Rep's website at www.trinityrep.com.

DETAILS AT-A-GLANCE What: When: VIP Reception: Awards Ceremony: Cocktail Reception:

The 2014 Pell Awards Monday, June 9, 2014 6:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm to 11:00pm

Honorees:

Richard Jenkins, Actor/Director, Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Sharon Jenkins, Choreographer, Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Jeffrey Osborne, Singer/Song writer, New England Pell Award for Excellence in the Arts Mary Paula Hunter, Charles Sullivan Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts

Co-Chairs:

Clay Pell and Michelle Kwan, and Barbara and Larry Schoenfeld

Committee Members: Paul M. Brooks, Elizabeth Z. Chace, Donna Lee Gennaro, Deborah A. Imondi, Joseph & Michele Madden, Ira & Suzanne Magaziner, Christopher J. Marsella, Heidi Keller Moon, John & Gail Palumbo, Tom & Kibbe Reilly, Kathryn M. Sabatini, Judith L. Stillman, Michael & Leslie Sweeney and Laurie White Location:

Providence Public Library, Providence, Rhode Island (VIP and cocktail receptions) Trinity Repertory Company, Providence, Rhode Island (awards ceremony)

Summary: The Pell Awards celebrates national and local excellence in the arts. Together with business, political and social leaders, guests at this creative black tie cocktail party will mingle and enjoy scrumptious small bites, an open bar, and the company of some truly distinguished artists and community leaders.

Dress Code: Creative Black Tie Tickets:

Full event including VIP reception: $500 Ceremony and post-show reception only: $250 (limited availability) Corporate sponsorships are also available.

More Info:

www.trinityrep.com or by phone at (401) 453-9237. ###