Trinity Square | Spring 2013

Spring 2013

the trinity square

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Dear Friends,

S

pring has (finally) sprung! In celebration of this fantastic season of blooming flowers and short-sleeve shirts, of dining al fresco at sunset, we here at Trinity Rep invite you to an old-fashioned English garden party. From the author of Absurd Person Singular and The Norman Conquests comes the kind of over-the-top soirée that could only be cooked up by one of our funniest living playwrights, Alan Ayckbourn.

Join us in either the House or in the Garden for a hilarious duo of plays that can be seen in any order and conclude our 49th season. Laying bare the secrets of two seemingly perfect couples who are hosting a lavish neighborhood party, these two interlocking comedies are performed simultaneously by one cast. It is a “two-story” tale, if you will, with our company racing from one theater to the other. House & Garden are like two opposite sides of a theatrical puzzle ­— the picture gets clearer, funnier and more profound, when you return to see the second side of the story.

Producing these rarely done plays in tandem is definitely an epic undertaking in problem solving and staging for our actors, the design and production staff, and for the stage management team… but the excitement throughout the building is palpable! We could not be more excited to share this theatrical event with you — it figures to be one of those shows that will leave you laughing until your sides hurt, thinking, “Only at Trinity Rep could they do something like this.”

Inside this magazine, you’ll find lots more information about our production of House & Garden as well as more information about our summer programs for young actors, a sneak peek at next year’s 50th anniversary season, plus lots and lots of other great information. I hope you enjoy it!

All the best, —Tyler Dobrowsky, Associate Artistic Director

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SPRING 2013

in this issue 3 3 4 6 6 7 8 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22

On the Cover: Trinity Rep’s First Home In the Square with Chairman of the Board Jonathan Duffy.

Fun on the Run: a candid talk about the production challenges of House & Garden — two shows, two theaters, one cast!

A Fast and Funny Fête: the very English roots of House & Garden.

Hungry for More: a heaping helping of Brit-com fun.

Tickets, Dates & Times We’re Fifty! More exciting details about Trinity Rep’s 50th anniversary season and the return of two Trinity Rep favorites.

The Plays of Our 2013–2014 Season Happy Birthday, Trinity Rep! Fifty years old as of March 19, 2013!

Postcards from the MFA Showcase: Brown/Trinity Rep MFA acting students strut their stuff in LA and NYC. Romeo and Juliet: this spring’s MFA thesis production goes onstage.

There Are No Small Parts, Just Small Actors: Young Actors Summer Institute Jr., for kids in grades 1–4, is just around the corner.

Pomp & Circumstance: staging Othello at Nathan Bishop Middle School.

Write Here, Write Now! High school playwrights compete for a chance to have their scripts read on Trinity Rep’s stage.

A Rose by Any Other Athenaeum: a miniature Romeo and Juliet explores love and tragedy in Providence’s historic library.

Celebrating Legacy: remembering the past and honoring investments in the future.

All Eyes Are On: Young Actors Studio student Elvis Artigas.

2013 Pell Awards: actor John Krasinski joins Kate Burton and local honorees to be celebrated at the Pell Awards in June.

Coming Home: General Manager Katie Byrnes returns to Rhode Island.

Around the Rep: Events of note at Trinity Rep. Subscribe Today!

trinity repertory company

(401) 521-1100 • Box Office (401) 351-4242

201 Washington Street, Providence, RI 02903

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In the Square

on the cover: Trinity Rep’s first home Fifty years ago this past March 19th, Trinity Rep came into being with the incorporation of the Foundation for Repertory Theater of Rhode Island (see page 9 for more about that). And while it was almost a full year to the day before the lights came up on our first production (The Hostage by Brendan Behan), the intervening months were filled with, among many other things, a frustrating search for a space to call home. Finally, in September 1963, an article by Ted Holmberg in The Providence Journal about the challenges facing the fledgling theater group spurred Reverend Ronald Stahl of the Trinity United Methodist Church in Providence to offer the meeting hall attached to his church. Located at Trinity Square at the intersection of Elmwood Avenue and Broad Street, the hall had been used by the previous minister to stage church-related plays for about 100 audience members seated in straight-back chairs arranged in a semi-circle. Three of the Foundation’s incorporating members — Barbara Orson, Milton Stanzler and Norman Tilles — looked at the space and decided that with some creativity, hard work and cash, they could call it home.

Not only a home, but a name! From 1964–1966 the theater was known as the Trinity Square Playhouse. Beginning with the 1966–1967 season, during which performances were also held at the Rhode Island School of Design Auditorium, we began to call ourselves Trinity Square Repertory Company.

Square was dropped from the name in 1985, at which point Trinity Rep had been in its present home in the Lederer Theater for over a decade.

—Michael Guy

The Trinity Square Issue 26 May 2013

PHOTO BY WILLIAM L. SMITH

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The Trinity Square is published quarterly and distributed free of charge

by Trinity Repertory Company, 201 Washington St., Providence, RI, 02903.

I can’t believe Trinity Rep’s 50th anniversary is finally upon us. As a board, we began having conversations about the 50th over three years ago when we were planning our Theater for Every Generation Campaign. We wanted to have the campaign culminate during the 50th anniversary. The campaign is going well and will, in fact, end next year — if you haven’t given, please consider a gift; if you have given, thank you so much for your support. The point being, we have been talking about this anniversary for quite awhile around the theater, and the announcement of the 50th season is the first real tangible, public example that we have actually made it.

“Making it” is no small achievement. Trinity Square Repertory Company started in 1963 in the Trinity United Methodist Church. From this very humble start, the theater has grown to become one of the most respected regional theaters in the country. A place that inspired Rocco Landesman, former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, to state, “To me, Trinity Rep is one of the few places in the country that’s carrying on the resident theater ideal — the idea of company… a community of people that relate to each other, that do a body of plays that relate to each other, and intersect with the community they live in.” Trinity Rep is a very special place which has had a tremendous impact on our community.

So it is time to begin the celebration. The 50th season that Curt has put together features all of the elements that have made us fall in love with Trinity Rep — great writers, great stories, and great actors coming together to create a unique Trinity Rep experience. Starting with Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and including Trinity Rep’s 63rd world premiere, Veronica Meadows, by company member Stephen Thorne, it will be a great ride for the Trinity Rep audience.

The season is just one element of our celebration. We will have a kick off event for the community in August — much more on that will be announced shortly. There will be much more during the course of this symbolic year. I hope you join us in celebrating Trinity Rep’s 50th. It’s going to be a great year.

—Jonathan Duffy, Chairman of the Board

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& house

garden

This spring, Trinity Rep will take on a rarely-produced theatrical tour-de-force, Alan Ayckbourn’s House & Garden. Taking full advantage of our two theaters, these two interlocking comedies are performed at the same time with a single cast. While the audience stays put enjoying just one play (which they can see in either order between May 16 and June 30), the actors

FUN on the RUN must navigate between interior scenes in House, which is upstairs in the Chace Theater, and outdoor scenes in Garden, downstairs in the Dowling Theater.

Recently Lauren Ustaszewski sat down with Trinity Rep’s production director Laura Smith, resident acting company member Joe Wilson, Jr. and stage manager Chris Borg to find out what the challenges are that an adventure like this presents.

illustration by michael guy

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Lauren Ustaszewski: What part of these shows are you most excited about?

Joe Wilson, Jr.: The event of it all — of having the same company in two stand-alone shows in two different spaces in the same building with two different audiences. I think we’re one of the few theaters in the country that can pull this off. And it’s only been done I believe three other times — once in London and twice in the U.S. Chris Borg: I’m excited about the every day discoveries that we had no idea were coming. I have to think about where my staff is in a way that you’ve never had to do before. It’s not harder really; it’s just a different way of processing.

Laura Smith: You can read websites where Alan Ayckbourn writes about what worked in London. In order to get someone from one theater to another, he wrote in these vamps to stall for time and allow an actor to make it… it’s going to

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Teddy and Trish are hosting a big garden party for the town. Friends, family, a London writer, and a French movie star — what could go wrong?

Anything and everything!

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be tricky.

LU: What kind of experience is it for you, Joe, to play one role in two separate plays running at the same time?

JW: Well the character, Gavin Ryng-Mayne — “spelled with a Y” — is interesting because in one show he is the bad guy and in the other show he’s described as a charming, benign, good guy.

I think the way I’m described in Garden gives me a perspective on how I should approach House. I can’t play a good guy or a bad guy. The other play reminds me that I’m so much more than just the way I’m behaving in House.

LS: It’s interesting you say that because there’s always a backstory for a character. Things happen onstage in a play and then a character goes offstage and other things happen that you, as an audience member, never see, but here, you do. Instead of the actors just going backstage and into the dressing room while action in the garden supposedly happens, the actors are actually going into the garden and the action is actually happening.

LU: How do you rehearse two interlocking plays that are to be performed simultaneously?

CB: When [director] Brian McEleney and I first talked about it, he wanted to go through all of House, finish it, and then move on to Garden.

About two days into table work we said, “That’s a bad idea, let’s trying doing this one scene at a time.”

So, we rehearse scene one of House, then scene one of Garden and then we put them together. The same with scene two, and so on. I think we would have been blind-sided had we waited four weeks before trying to put the whole thing together.

My stage management team is continuously struggling with the concept of, “Is this one show or is this two shows?” It’s not always going to be a straightforward answer. You’re not going to look at just one or the other.

LU: Joe, would you consider it to be an “immersive” experience?

JW: Yes, extremely. First of all because none of us have time to go offstage and play cards.

(Laughter) But it’s really refreshing to be in an environmental experience where the act of travel-

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ing between the theaters is your preparation as you move into the next space.

LU: What happens if an actor misses an entrance?

CB: That’s one of the things we’re struggling with! (Laughter) Like Laura said earlier, the playwright has built in these vamps. And we have some dance music and things that we can just extend a little bit if we need that extra cushion, but it’s a question of how we use those well-crafted vamps effectively.

LS: We will have a “command central” set up in the pit level of the Chace Theater. At that command center, whichever stage manager is assigned will have video of both theaters, as well as the lobby spaces, so we can track where people are walking, so we know where they are in their path. The timing will be also be very specific. Each play needs to be

I think we’re one of the few theaters in the country that can pull this off.

& housegarden by

Alan Ayckbourn

directed by Brian McEleney set design by Eugene Lee costume design by William Lane lighting design by Bryon Winn sound and video design by Peter Sasha Hurowitz speech and voice direction by Thom Jones with resident acting company members Angela Brazil, Janice Duclos, Phyllis Kay, Barbara Meek, Anne Scurria, Fred Sullivan, Jr., Stephen Thorne and Joe Wilson, Jr. with guest artists Mary C. Davis and Barry Press and Brown/Trinity Rep actors Catherine Dupont ’14, Steven Jaehnert ’14, Ted Moller ’14 and Bridget Saracino ’14

at a specific line at a specific time, and if it’s not, how do we let everybody know, you know, “Slow down,” or “Speed up!” depending on the situation.

LU: How does an actor cope with going from one audience to another with perhaps a different energy?

JW: You have to trust the rhythms that you’ve established for the scenes in rehearsal because they’re very different plays in terms of how they’re structured and how they feel. I think it’s going to require a certain amount of discipline on the part of the actor because we know we have another entrance to make in the other theater.

CB: And we’re trying to take that burden away from the actor so that we can make those decisions so Joe doesn’t have to.

JW: The beauty of the way the play is constructed with Garden, there’s a lot more room in terms of choreography with setting up the garden party. Brian also wants to find a way to remind the audiences that there is indeed another audience watching.

LS: Brian’s really trying to figure out the transitions from scene to scene and how do we bring the orchestrated chaos of performing two shows at the same time to the audience. That’s probably the trickiest part to figure out.

LU: Lastly, how are you handling curtain call?

LS: Everyone has their own ideas about what we can do, but I think we can incorporate the kids in the cast in some way. But I think you can be creative as far as the curtain call goes to allow the majority of everyone to bow in each place.

JW: Going into our 50th anniversary season, I also think that sometimes we all need to be reminded that this is a process. For all of us. To do what we do in this building takes a lot of collaboration, a lot of hard work, creativity and we are a family. And I think the 50th anniversary is a wonderful occasion to reflect on the fact that we’re a team and though we may work at different levels and we may not see each other all the time, we’re all linked inextricably at the hip. To me that’s the most exciting thing.

May 16 – June 30, 2013 in the Chace and Dowling Theaters

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A Fast and Funny Fête

by Emily MacLeod

In the 1970s, Alan Ayckbourn was the king of British comedy. Five of his plays ran on the West End and four played on Broadway, all at the same time. Absurd Person Singular, seen at Trinity Rep in 2010, played in both locations. Ayckbourn could have rested on his laurels, as a record breaker, award winner and critical darling. Instead he devised an even more ambitious project: two plays with the same cast that could run simultaneously in adjoining theaters. In 1999, he finally accomplished

this seemingly impossible task by writing House & Garden, a tour-de-force that dramatizes a quintessentially English event: the garden fête.

Originating about 100 years ago, the garden fête traditionally brings together both the villagers and the nobility of a town to raise funds for local charities. Farmers and craftsmen set up stalls to sell their wares, and children dance around the maypole.

Morris dancing, a folk tradition dating back to the fifteenth century, is also popular. Performers dress in traditional garments, sometimes wearing bells on their legs and carry handkerchiefs and sticks to dance with. Giles Mace, the village doctor in House & Garden, is part of a Morris dancing team, and he describes the tradition as “all part of our common cultural and social heritage. Unites us all in a funny way. Great leveler, the dance.”

Games are another essential component of the fete. These activities include the coconut shy, where 6 the trinity square • SPRING 2013

players attempt to knock over coconuts balanced on posts, and the hoop-la, where participants toss hoops and win whatever object they are able to encircle. Raffles, food stalls, animal displays and cricket matches also form part of the day’s celebrations. Scholar Michael Bracewell compares it to an American custom: “America has the rodeo, where man and beast pit strength and wits; England has pots of gooseberry jam and the chance to throw a wet sponge at a scout master. Ultimately, both define a national tic.”

It was this “tic” that Alan Ayckbourn, artistic director at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough (a venue with two performance spaces) decided to use as the subject of a great experiment. Since his theater was perfect for the two interlocking comedies, he wrote both plays at the same time, jumping from one scene in House to the corresponding one in Garden. This way, he could keep track of each character’s movement, and the time they would have to switch between the two stages. He instructed a stage manager to time the walk from one venue to the other — about 37 seconds. The plays literally have to run like clockwork: Ayckbourn allows each actor about 90 seconds between exit on one stage and entrance on another. These parameters were fitted exactly to the Stephen Joseph Theatre, and the playwright didn’t dream that another theater would attempt it.

He didn’t count on Trevor Nunn, the artistic director of the Royal National Theatre in London at the time, who was taken with the whole event when he saw the plays in Scarborough. The London production premiered at the National in the summer of 2000 and led to an American premiere at the Goodman Theater in Chicago the next year.

While the play’s subject matter might be more familiar to English audiences, Americans have applauded Ayckbourn’s work for the sheer ingenuity of its structure and its universal themes of love, marriage and family. Given the great demands of the show, few theaters are able to produce House & Garden. We at Trinity Rep are thrilled to embrace this challenge, letting the audience sit back and relax while the actors and production team turn mayhem backstage into magic onstage.

Hungry for More?

If House & Garden spark your interest, sample these related television shows and plays…

The Norman Conquests Before there was House & Garden, there was The Norman Conquests. Another theatrically ambitious project, in 1973 Ayckbourn wrote three plays for the same cast, playing the same characters and showing events of a single weekend. The plays, entitled Table Manners, Living Together and Round and Round the Garden, each take place in a different location — the kitchen, living room and garden — and the audience sees each play separately, sometimes all in one day as a marathon. When the trilogy was revived in New York in 2009, Ben Brantley wrote an unqualified rave: “Mr. Ayckbourn [manipulates] the conventions of theater with an abstract mathematician’s cold genius and a poet’s broken heart.”

Downton Abbey Everyone seems to love the British television phenomenon, Downton Abbey, the third season of which just aired this winter on PBS on our side of the pond. One memorable episode in the first season has the servants getting a rare night off to go to a village fair, mingling with some of their “superiors,” and playing games like those seen in House & Garden. The dynamics of this upper-class family and their servants are much like Ayckbourn’s play, with romantic rendezvous, will-they-won’t-they tension and grumpy housekeepers.

The Vicar of Dibley This television show which aired from 1994 to 2007 starred the inimitable British comedienne Dawn French as an unconventional “lady vicar,” who comes to the straight-laced village of

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Dibley and proves to be just what the town needs. She is a compassionate, kind and uproarious character, who puts up with the insane villagers on her parish board, but copes with it by hiding chocolate in every corner of her house. One of the funniest episodes in the first season revolves around the village fete and their attempts to get a celebrity, the cousin of one of the villagers (who may or may not be Elton John), to open the fete.

Jerusalem Jez Butterworth’s 2009 play, which played on the West End and Broadway, featured Mark Rylance’s sensational portrayal of Rooster Byron, a Falstaffian misleader of youth who is being evicted from his mobile home in the woods where local teenagers come to escape their mundane lives. The action all takes place on St. George’s Day when the village holds an annual fair, which includes Morris dancing and other activities referenced in House & Garden. The title alludes to William Blake’s paean to England’s “green and pleasant land,” which is sung at the start of the play by a mysterious girl in fairy wings.

Her identity and the fate of Rooster Byron unfold in a heartrending, hilarious portrait of contemporary life.

A sampling of Alan Ayckbourn’s plays How the Other Half Loves, 1969 Absurd Person Singular, 1972 Confusions, 1974 Bedroom Farce, 1975 Just Between Ourselves, 1976 Season’s Greetings, 1980 Intimate Exchanges, 1982 The Revengers’ Comedies (pt. 1 and pt. 2), 1989 Wildest Dreams, 1991 Communicating Doors, 1994 Haunting Julia, 1994 Comic Potential, 1998 Sugar Daddies, 2003 Private Fears in Public Places, 2004 My Wonderful Day, 2009

stephen berenson and timothy Crowe in Absurd Person Singular (2010)

by Alan Ayckbourn, directed by brian Mceleney. SET DESIGN BY Michael Mcgarty, COSTUME DESIGN BY william lane & LIGHTING DESIGN BY john ambrosone. photo by Mark turek.

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ticketstimes &dates Tickets for House and Garden

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 (excluding A Christmas Carol).

Subscribers: Save 20% on additional tickets with handling fees waived. Call (401) 351-4243.

MEMBERShip: Save 10% on tickets with handling fees waived. Call (401) 351-4242.

Group discounts: call (401) 351-4242 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 Prices, times and dates subject to change.

Tickets subject to availability.

Project discovery: For reservations to student matinees, contact (401) 521-1100 x114 or education@ trinityrep.com.

TALKBACKS: Audience members are invited to join us for a 20-minute discussion about issues raised by the play, held after every performance.

KEY TO CALENDARS $ Pay What You Can: limited number of

tickets on sale 1 hour before curtain, limit 1 per person First Look Thursday: talkback with the artists after play Open Captioned performance

No performance Preview performance Dates and times subject to change

HOUSE • May 16 – June 30, 2013 in the Chace SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY

WED.

THURS.

FRIDAY SATURDAY

MAY 12 13 14 15 16 17 $ 18 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

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30 31 JUNE 1

7:30 PM 7:30 PM

2 3 4 5 2 PM 6 7 8 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 9 2 PM 7:30 PM 16 2 PM 7:30 PM 23 2 PM 7:30 PM 30 2 7:30 PM

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7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 24 25 26 27 28 29 2 PM

7:30 PM 7:30 PM JULY 1 2 3 4 5 6

GARDEN • May 26 – June 30, 2013 in the Dowling SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY

WED.

THURS.

FRIDAY SATURDAY

MAY 26 $ 27 28 $ 29 30 31 JUNE 1 7:30 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 2 3 4 5 2 PM 6 7 8 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 9 2 PM 7:30 PM 16 2 7:30 PM 23 2 PM 7:30 PM 30 2 PM 7:30 PM

10 11 12 13 14 15 2 PM

7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 17 18 19 2 PM 20 21 22

7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 24 25 26 27 28 29 2 PM

7:30 PM 7:30 PM JULY 1 2 3 4 5 6

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We’re Fifty!

THE 2013–2014 SEASON

by Tyler Dobrowsky

John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath

Trinity Rep Celebrates Its Golden Anniversary

Next season marks Trinity Rep’s 50th — a remarkable achievement for any organization, let alone a frisky, non-profit theater which started performing in a church meeting hall. There have been many highlights throughout the past 50 years, from Adrian Hall’s first season as artistic director, to the creation of our historic student matinee program Project Discovery, to the purchase of the Emery’s Majestic theater (which still houses our Chace and Dowling Theaters), to winning the Tony Award for best regional theater, to the founding of the Conservatory which has become the Brown University/Trinity Rep MFA program, to the tenures of nationally- and internationally-esteemed artistic leaders like Anne Bogart, Oskar Eustis, Amanda Dehnert and, currently, Curt Columbus. It’s been a blessed, rich 50 years.

We’ll have a number of events throughout the year, including a block party and panel discussions featuring some of Rhode Island’s best scholars, as well as a few surprises along the way… but here’s one particular surprise we can announce now: Richard and Sharon Jenkins will direct and choreograph next season’s production of Oliver!

Richard Jenkins was a long-time acting company member who was also artistic director from 1990–1994. He has gone on to find great success in film and television, particularly on the HBO series Six Feet Under and with his Academy Award-nominated role in the 2007 film The Visitor, along with frequent roles in films by the Cohen brothers and David O. Russell. Sharon Jenkins has been a choreographer for Trinity Rep numerous times, most recently for Cabaret and Camelot. We could not be more thrilled to have Richard and Sharon working together on this wonderful musical as we roar into our

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50th season.

Additionally, we wanted to celebrate our subscribers and the Providence community for their continued support of the theater, while also honoring the uniquely Rhode Island spirit that allowed Trinity Rep to flourish in the first place. The idea that the arts should be a crucial part of our social fabric, that the arts are necessary, is bound up in our identity as Rhode Islanders — like Del’s lemonade in the summer.

It’s this spirit, this insistence on great art, which has inspired so many artists and organizations to take root here in the smallest state. Just look at the Rhode Island Philharmonic, The Gamm Theatre, AS220, and Festival Ballet to name only a fraction of the excellent work done all over Rhode Island!

To that end we’re inviting one and all — families, friends, subscribers, Project Discovery students, anyone and everyone — to a free block party and open house in celebration of our 50th birthday on August 17! It will start at noon and run into the evening, with a variety of quick, fun performances throughout the day from theaters from all over the state. There will also be tours of our historic building, workshops with our education staff, food trucks, mingling with our resident actors, and other fun activities. It will be a blast, and we hope to see you there!

Just Announced! Richard and Sharon Jenkins are set to direct and choreograph our production of Oliver!, sure to be a highlight of our 50th anniversary season.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL GUY

adapted for the stage by Frank Galati directed by Brian McEleney

Natural disasters. Rampant foreclosures. Corporate greed and record joblessness. Written in the wake of the Great Depression, Steinbeck’s classic speaks to the same harsh realities that America faces today.

This evocative and deeply affecting stage version lifts the novel to new heights of theatrical urgency, visceral storytelling and pure emotional impact. The story of a nation is told through the eyes of one Oklahoma clan — the Joads — driven off their farm and forced west to find work in California’s “promised land.”

Part naturalistic epic, part road novel, part inspirational gospel, The Grapes of Wrath is perhaps the definitive American tale of the strength of the human spirit.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

by Christopher Durang

Fresh from a Tony-nominated New York run, we are thrilled to bring you the New England premiere of the newest play from the outrageous comic mind of Christopher Durang. Siblings Vanya and Sonia are living in a haze of Chekhovian regret in their Bucks County farmhouse when their sister, Masha, a glamorous actress a bit past her prime, arrives unexpectedly with Spike, her handsome new boy toy. In this hilarious satire, the family battles over long-held resentments while ignoring the prophecies of their housekeeper, Cassandra. Will Vanya and Sonia’s lives be changed forever?

Is Spike going to run off with Nina, the aspiring actress next door? And who is Hootie Pie? “A laugh-out-loud new comedy.” (The Record)

Intimate Apparel

by Lynn Nottage • Rhode Island Premiere

Lace, silk, satin and beads. These are the materials that quiet and unassuming Esther Mills uses to create the exquisite corsets for fashionable brides (and other, less virtuous clientele) in turn-of-the-century Manhattan.

Approaching spinsterhood at 35, Esther has yet unfulfilled dreams — love, marriage and one day opening her own business. A letter from a faraway stranger changes everything, and Esther must decide whether she can finally open her heart and try to craft a future for herself as beautiful as one of her creations. Audiences across the country have fallen in love with this new American classic from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage.

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Happy Birthday, Trinity Rep!

Oliver!

book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart based on Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist directed and choreographed

by Richard & Sharon Jenkins

Kick up your heels with Lionel Bart’s beloved family musical Oliver!, based on the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

This boisterous, high-energy show brims with familiar songs such as “Food, Glorious Food,” “Consider Yourself,“ and “I’d Do Anything.” This new Trinity Rep adaptation of the classic will vividly bring to life Dickens’ timeless characters, from the orphan boy who dares to ask for “more” to the Artful Dodger, the kind-hearted Nancy, mischievous Fagin and the sinister Bill Sykes. Join Oliver as he navigates the streets of 19th-century London, on a search for love and family and his place in the world. Winner of three Tony Awards.

Veronica Meadows

by Stephen Thorne • World Premiere

Girl detective Veronica Meadows and her gal pal Ginny have been sleuthing and solving small town crimes for as long as anyone can remember. Time and again, they stop the evil-doers in their tracks and save the day. That is, until the day our plucky girl detective stops following her predicable habits and takes a dangerous turn into the unknown. A darkly comic gem from Stephen Thorne, resident actor and playwright of The Completely Fictional — Utterly True — Final Strange Tale of Edgar Allan Poe, which premiered two seasons ago at Trinity Rep and recently played at Baltimore’s Centerstage.

“Thorne can write lines that sing, startle and amuse.” (Baltimore Sun)

A Lie of the Mind

by Sam Shepard • directed by Brian Mertes

Hailed recently by the New York Times as the playwright’s “richest and most penetrating play, a 20th-century masterwork of a family portrait,” Sam Shepard’s storytelling is at his most poetic, most poignant and most striking. Brimming with enormous vitality and humor, the play alternates between two families joined together by marriage and torn apart by a life-changing incident. Excavating our ideas of the American family, the play asks us to look deeper into the human heart and the destructive power of love. “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)

“It did not happen because a ‘leader’ or an ‘artistic director’ or a team of ‘director-managers’ sought out Providence or the state of Rhode Island. It did not begin because it was a place where some Providence, Rhode Island theater professionals needed to establish a theater as an outlet for their theatrical inclinations, though some of the early participants may well have had that in mind.

It happened rather because in 1962 and 1963 some residents of the area — some people in the community — felt the need to see professional performances of some of the new dramas, as well as the classics, without having to take weekly or monthly or annual trips to Boston or New York.”

—Excerpted from Providence Is No Longer Just a Train Stop by Milton Stanzler The Foundation for Repertory Theater of Rhode Island Incorporated March 19, 1963 by Betsy Argo Professor James Barnhill Lawrence Goldberg Robert Kaplan Barbara Orson Norman Tilles Milton Stanzler, Coordinating Chairman Founding Trustees Betty Allen Helene Bernhardt Professor James Brasch Dr. Albert Bush-Brown Professor Arlan Coolidge Joseph Dougherty William Edwards, Esq. Harry Freeman Michael Gammino Lawrence Goldberg Rosalyn Goldberg Henry Hart, Jr. Merrill Hassenfeld Dr. Francis Horn

Robert Kaplan Susan Kaplan Isabelle Leeds Judge William Mackenzie Barbara Orson Senator Claiborne Pell Edith Potter James Rhea Bruce Ruttenberg Joseph Sinclair Lawrence Spitz Phyllis Stanzler Norman Tilles Sofia Vervena Judge Joseph Weisberger

Plays subject to change.

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POSTCARD

T

FROM THE

MFA Showcase

by Stephen Berenson

he ninth graduating class of Brown/ Trinity Rep MFA actors performed their yearly graduate showcase in Los Angeles on Monday, April 1 and in New York City on Monday, April 8. The showcase is a series of brief two-person scenes that are presented to professional agents, managers, and casting directors to help introduce the actors to members of the industry. Lasting approximately one hour, there are performances in the afternoon and evening in both cities.

I traveled to Los Angeles and New York with Thom Jones, Brown/Trinity Rep’s director of voice and speech and our vocal coach for Trinity Rep. We flew out of Providence early Saturday morning, along with five of the 13 actors. A highlight of the flight was when the students revealed to the flight attendants that it was my birthday. An announcement was made to close all the shades in the plane and turn on all the overhead lights so that all the passengers could sing “Happy Birthday” to me.

Once in LA, Thom and I spent time with some of our graduates who are living and working in California now, and on Sunday afternoon we rehearsed the showcase.

Monday morning we were able to get into the theater for the first time. We had only 90 minutes to work onstage before readying the auditorium for our first audience. That brief rehearsal was sharp and focused, since there was a great deal to be done. Thom stood in the rear of the theater to be certain that the actors could be heard. I worked closer to the stage, adjusting entrances and exits, working with the stage manager to put spike marks down to clarify furniture placement, and to go over any particularly difficult blocking.

The turnout at both performances was great.

Although it’s wonderful when there are agents in the audience who approach the students about signing exclusively with a company, I think the greater and more lasting benefits of the event often come from being seen by casting people, who will be working on various projects for many years into the future. The opportunity to be seen by these business people is invaluable in moving forward a young artist’s career. Aside from the dozens of

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agents and managers who attended, executives from ABC, CBS, Disney, and Warner Brothers, among others, saw the LA graduate showcase.

Although the students stayed in LA for most of the week, Thom and I flew back to Providence on Tuesday morning. The following weekend we went to New York, where the whole process started again and culminated in Monday performances for an audience that included casting directors from Lincoln Center, Roundabout Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, The Acting Company, and Manhattan Class Company, as well as dozens of agents and

managers.

Most universities participate in graduate showcases, but we are fortunate to have one of the largest and most prestigious audiences at our presentations, which is a credit to our graduates, our faculty, and the renown of both Brown University and Trinity Rep. —In addition to being a member of Trinity Rep’s resident acting company, Stephen Berenson is Director of the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Programs in Acting and Directing, where he also teaches acting.

The Brown/Trinity Rep MFA class of 2013 • back row from left: Aubrey Snowden (MFA Directing), Liz Morgan, Leicester Landon, Caitlin Davies, Amanda Dolan, Peter Mark Kendall, Leah Anderson, Grant Chapman, Barrie Kreinik, Brandon J. Vukovic; middle row: Ryan Guzzo Purcell (MFA Directing), Drew Ledbetter, Jaime Rosenstein, Alston Brown; seated in front: Daniel Duque-Estrada.

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Romeo and Juliet

by William Shakespeare directed by Ryan Purcell ’13 May 7–19, 2013 The classic tale of forbidden passion in a world filled with violence, jealousy and ultimately, loss. Two teens unexpectedly meet and fall in love — and then realize that their families are the most violent of enemies.

PHOTO & POSTER DESIGN BY STEPHANIE BULLARD

Tickets: $12 general admission, $6 for students (with valid ID) and seniors (62 and older) For tickets, call (401) 351-4242 or visit trinityrep.com.

All performances at the Citizens Bank Theater, Pell Chafee Performance Center, 87 Empire St., Providence

Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Programs in Acting & Directing 11 the trinity square • SPRING 2013

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There Are No

Small Parts There Are Just Small Actors Young Actors Summer Institute Jr. 2013 PHOTO BY MARK TUREK

“My child loves acting and dancing but sometimes is a bit timid at first until he starts to feel comfortable. YASI Jr. touched on that and allowed him to be himself and he embraced it.”

—parent, YASI Jr. 2012 12 the trinity square • SPRING 2013

by Jordan Butterfield You may already know about Trinity Rep’s Young Actors Summer Institute (YASI), our fiveweek program for students entering grades 5–12, but did you know that we kick off the summer with a program for children entering grades 1–4? It’s called YASI Jr. and students as young as five can join Trinity Rep teaching artists for a full week of fun and creative play. It takes place in Trinity Rep’s main rehearsal space — the same room where our professional actors create theater for our main stages.

The young performers learn the fundamentals of acting through improvisation, movement, character work and design. At the end of the week, family and friends are invited to watch an open-class performance. In the past, our YASI Jr. students have adapted classic children’s books such as How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long and David Shannon, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems, and The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer by Jimmy Carter. Students create props and costumes for their characters, explore the world of the play through improvisation and use movement to unlock their imaginations and bring the story to life.

Many of the students who take part in the YASI Jr. program graduate to our larger summer program, the Young Actors Summer Institute, as well as our more advanced after-school classes that take place throughout the year.

Our excellent staff creates a curriculum catering to children of all different backgrounds.

It’s perfect for experienced young actors or shy newcomers and everyone in between. Give the gift of theater to the dramatic child in your life.

“He felt very comfortable with the teachers and came home every day talking about what he learned.”

—parent YASI Jr. 2012

YASI Jr. runs from Monday, June 24 to Friday, June 28. The morning session from 9am– noon is for rising 1st and 2nd grade students.

The afternoon session from 1–4pm is for rising 3rd and 4th grade students. The tuition for the week is $200 and you can register your child by calling (401) 521-1100 ext. 114 or by visiting www.trinityrep.com/education.

Photos by caroline Azano

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Pomp & Circumstance Staging Othello at Nathan Bishop Middle School

by Jordan Butterfield

Photos by Laura Goldstein

I

n the fall, Nathan Bishop Middle School English teacher Theresa Fox approached Trinity Rep’s education department with one man in mind: William Shakespeare. Her seventh grade students were planning to see our production of King Lear, and in fact had secured grant money to fund the field trip thanks to Representative Gordon Fox, but the school’s testing schedule forced them to cancel. Even though the entire seventh grade had already read King Lear, they and their teachers were not discouraged, and moved onto another project and another tragedy: Othello.

With a field trip no longer an option, Theresa and our education staff brainstormed ways they could collaborate on an Othello project. It was decided that four Trinity Rep teaching artists would direct a truncated production of Othello featuring the entire seventh grade. Trinity Rep’s education department has worked with thousands of students in schools throughout the state, frequently on Shakespeare, but this particular project was more daunting than ever before. There were eight different English classes involved, totaling 170 students.

Further, time was of the essence: the students had three weeks to read the play, analyze the scenes,

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figure out the blocking and perform the play for friends, fellow students and family.

It was time for some creative thinking.

In the end, there were 15 different Othellos, 13 Desdemonas, and over 30 Iagos — all students were required to participate, with numerous students performing the same character in different scenes, and many students taking on many lines and complex monologues. Four Trinity Rep teaching artists, with the help of two Nathan Bishop Middle School teachers, helped bring this massive undertaking to life.

Not only did the students tackle the challenging Shakespearean language, they added their own voices to the play, and they were encouraged to put their own experience with the racism and gender prejudice into words.

This resulted in two student responses and some powerful theatrical moments, and showed once again not only the relevancy of Shakespeare’s beautiful text but the power of theater as well.

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Write Here, Write Now!

by Camron Parker

from left: Playwright Kirby Kochanowski with resident acting company member Stephen Thorne

from left: Brown/Trinity Rep MFA class of 2015 students Max Wolkowitz, Billy Finn, Ian McNeely, and Sophie Netanel

standing from left: Stephen Thorne with Brown/ Trinity Rep MFA class of 2015 students Whitney White and Ian McNeely. seated: Young Actors Studio student Elliot Peters

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A

fter a successful inaugural run in 2012, Trinity Rep’s education department hosted its second Write Here, Write Now! Student Playwriting Competition.

High school students from all across New England submitted plays in hopes of being selected as one of the three winners, whose scripts were then produced in a one-night festival of new works. Over 75 scripts were received and each play was read by a panel of Trinity Rep staff, board members, a n d vo l u nte e r s to narrow the pool down to the final three. The submissions were, like last year, awe-inspiring, as so many talented young play wrights bravely submitted the works they had spent many hours carefully crafting.

The winning plays were Bloom in December by K irby Ko chan owsk i f ro m Rogers High School in Newport, Rhode Island; Revision by Andy Letai from Medfield High School in Medfield, Massachusetts; and Revelation

by Bonnie Atterstrom from Framingham High School in Framingham, Massachusetts. Honorable mention awards went to Carrie Miller from Framingham High School for Choo Choo Me Home and Ahmer Kidwai from The Moses Brown School in Providence for The Gospel of Thad. The playwrights

spent one month honing their drafts, working with dramaturges from Trinity Rep’s education and literary departments before the final scripts were submitted for the performance.

Finally, on April 8, resident acting company member Stephen Thorne, Young Actors Studio participant Elliot Peters, and Brown/Trinity Rep MFA acting students Billy Finn, Ian McNeely, Sophie Netanel, Whitney White, and Max Wolkowitz, along with a talented crew of producers, directors, and technicians, brought the winning plays to life during an evening of staged readings in the Dowling Theater.

The combination of student playwrights seeing their scripts come to life for the first time paired with the meticulous planning done by Trinity

Standing from left:

Stephen Thorne, Ian McNeely, Whitney White, Sophie Netanel, co-producer Michael Williams, Elliot Peters, Max Wolkowitz, Billy Finn, and co-producer Camron Parker.

Seated from left:

Bonnie Atterstrom, Kirby Kochanowski, and Andy Letai.

Photos by Anne L. Harrigan

Rep’s interns, showcased the many remarkable opportunities presented to young artists through Trinity Rep’s education department. As a theater that prides itself on its commitment to developing new work, it was a night that meant so much to Trinity Rep as well as to the next generation of playwrights.

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A Rose by Any Other Athenaeum

by Emily MacLeod

Photos by stephanie bullard

The Trinity Rep education department began a fruitful partnership with the Providence Athenaeum earlier this year when we staged an abridged version of Romeo and Juliet on the library’s main floor, with 16 young actors from around Rhode Island, all in grades three through six.

Trinity Rep and the Athenaeum have collaborated before — often actors and playwrights will visit the Athenaeum as guests at one of their wonderful salons — but this was the first time we had brought our young students to this incredible, world-class library.

When I walked into the Providence Athenaeum for the first time, it felt like I was stepping into a childhood dream. There were stacks upon stacks of books, little nooks and crannies perfect for curling up with a book and getting lost in your imagination — it was everything you could want a library to be.

I could feel the institution’s vibrant history in the air, more than 150 years of providing Providence citizens access to the library’s extensive collection, creating a strong intellectual community.

I also noticed how similar the space was to an Elizabethan theater, like Shakespeare’s Globe folded in on itself. There was a playing space in the center, with room for action above and a perfect place for a balcony scene, and a window that opened out to look over the main library from the special collections room. (For the performances we even had “groundlings,” meaning, audience members who stood for the duration of the show — luckily it was only a half hour’s traffic on the stage.)

When I walked into our makeshift classroom the first time, a couple of early-bird students greeted me with excitement. They were already poring over an illustrated version of Romeo and Juliet, and eagerly showed me the other Shakespeare books they had. When I asked them what their favorite

15 the trinity square • SPRING 2013

play was, they answered, in unison: “Hamlet.” I thought to myself, “Well, I better step up my game.

These kids are smart.” As we started to read the play and delve into Shakespeare’s language, the young actors read carefully and thought deeply. When we put the play on its feet, they realized how comical the first half is.

“Why is this so funny?” They would ask. “Isn’t it supposed to be a tragedy?”

“Hey, the jokes are in there,” I would say. “Characters like Mercutio and the Nurse steal the show most of the time with their witty remarks. Finding the humor in the first half will only make the tragedy more unexpected, more painful.”

They would nod thoughtfully and continue working,

inevitably coming up with another question within a few seconds.

Our final performance on April 4th played to a packed house of friends and family, standing in the back, tucked into nooks, squeezed into corners, and able to enjoy the hard work of almost four months of learning text and blocking (including swordfights!) and expressing the big emotions that Shakespeare’s characters offer every minute of the play. We look forward to continuing this collaboration with such a venerable Providence institution and hope to bring more Shakespeare to young students in the coming year!

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Celebrating Legacy

by Carol Drewes

March 18th celebration remembered the past, honored investments in the future

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n March 18, Trinity Rep honored its past and celebrated patrons who have invested in its future by par ticipating in the theater’s legacy giving program. Held the night before the

left to right from top left:

Betsy Argo, Selma Stanzler, Arthur Richter, Anne Scurria, Susan Kaplan and Harris “Hershey” Rosen with the plaque honoring founder Milton Stanzler; Barbara Meek, Katie Venezia, and John Calvin Kelly, who traveled from New York City to pay tribute to his aunt, the late Margo Skinner; John Harpootian, Joan Countryman and Edward Jakmauh; Russell Field, Joanna Coppola and Anne Jencks; Myrna and Harris “Hershey” Rosen with the poster for his book.

Photos by Anne L. Harrigan

50th anniversary of the formal incorporation of Trinity Rep (March 19, 1963), the evening began with th e unveiling of a plaque honoring one of Trinity Rep’s founders, Milton Stanzler, who passed away in 2012. Mr. Stanzler’s nephew, Arthur Richter, shared his recollections of his uncle’s passion for live theater and the Stanzler family history in Rhode Island. The Milton Stanzler plaque now hangs in the first floor lobby of Trinity Rep. The theater announced the creation of three named funds within its endowment, which is managed by The Rhode Island Foundation.

Established through bequests, these new funds honor the memories of subscriber Victoria Irene Ball (formerly of Providence and Pittsburgh), Trinity Rep’s former resident composer Richard “DeeDee” Cumming, and former acting company member Margo Skinner. These funds will support

16 the trinity square • SPRING 2013

the programs and activities that were important to them during their lives.

Ms. Skinner’s nephew, New York actor John Calvin Kelly, shared stories about his aunt’s mentorship. In addition, former Trinity Rep trustee Harris N. “Hershey” Rosen gave an overview of his forthcoming book, Creating a Guide So Your Partner Can Go on Living!, which will be published this spring. Trinity Rep announced that Mr. Rosen’s book will be offered as a thank-you gift to anyone who documents a planned gift to the theater between now and December 31, 2013.

Also present were Susan Kaplan and Betsy Argo, who were both involved in the original forma-

tion of the company and its incorporation, and longtime resident acting company members Barbara Meek and Anne Scurria.

“Events like these are the heart of Trinity Rep,” said Kathryn A. Calnan, Direc-

tor of Development. “As we approach our 50th season, it’s important to remember everyone who has ensured the theater never goes dark and that the dialogue never ends. By taking the time to say thank you, we hopefully inspire the next generation to also see how their small actions have long-lasting reverberations in our community.”

Be a Part of Trinity Rep Forever!

And get a free copy of Hershey Rosen’s book, Creating a Guide so Your Partner Can Go on Living.

Mr. Rosen’s book will be offered as a thank-you gift to anyone who documents a planned gift to the theater between now and December 31, 2013. Planned gifts can be made in several ways, including naming Trinity Rep in a will or as a beneficiary of an insurance policy. The current value of these planned gifts counts towards our Theater for Every Generation Campaign, an $18 million fundraising effort to ensure the theater continues to serve the community for generations to come. For more information, contact Individual and Legacy Giving Officer Carol Drewes at (401) 453-9285.

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All Eyes Are On… Elvis Artigas Age: 17, junior at the Paul Cuffee School in Providence.

Been part of the Trinity Rep family: … since the summer of 2012, when he joined the Young Actors Summer Institute (YASI) at the urging of his teachers. Elvis, who wasn’t sure he was interested in an arts “camp,” decided to give the program a chance after speaking with a friend, who referred to it as a “dreamland.” Since ending his first YASI experience with a memorable turn as Tybalt in the YASI Shakes production of Romeo and Juliet, he’s gotten about as involved as possible, taking after-school acting classes and participating in Ambassadors Plus, an outreach program specifically geared toward high school students interested in going behind-the-scenes and learning more about the inner workings of a professional theater company. Elvis says that before attending YASI, he wasn’t really aware that such an established theater community existed in Providence, but his experience in our education programs has made him feel “enlightened” and instilled a deep desire to continue learning and discovering more about his craft. When asked if the things he’s learned at Trinity Rep have helped him decide what he wants to do in the future, he answered firmly, with a huge smile, “I want to be an actor. Now I can see that it’s possible for me, and it will happen.”

Beckoned by the Bard: Elvis loves Shakespeare. In 2012, he represented Paul Cuffee at The English-Speaking Union of the United States’ annual Shakespeare Recitation Competition, which determines which talented high school student from Rhode Island will represent the state at the National Shakespeare Competition, placing an impressive third. His first experience with Shakespeare, however, was performing in Romeo and Juliet through the Shakespeare in the City program, which he calls “really fun.” What Elvis 17 the trinity square • SPRING 2013

likes best about Shakespeare’s work, he says, is the language. “He writes some of the most beautiful things you can say,” he explained, adding that he “loves challenges” and now prefers reading and performing Shakespeare above anything else.

Speaking of challenges: Each young actor takes something different away from Trinity Rep’s education programs. For Elvis, the best part of YASI and the Young Actors Studio has been exposure to new things. He cites dialect class with John Tracey (Brown/Trinity Rep MFA ’10) with giving him a new way to look at scripts; stage combat with Zdenko Martin (Brown/Trinity Rep MFA ’14) with harnessing his physicality; and scene study with resident acting company member Mauro Hantman for pushing him as an actor, saying he was “cocky going in,” but learned from the challenges of being given characters who were completely opposite of his own personality Elvis also talks highly of the mutual respect between the students and teaching artists that is apparent in Trinity Rep’s education programs.

He says that seeing this model has helped him to grow as a person, becoming less judgmental and more accepting of the people around him. “I used to be kind of a troublemaker, but being here has helped me change my behavior and become more mature.” He mentions that he now tries to be inspiring to other kids who “might not have a shot otherwise.” Enlightenment, indeed.

by Kate Kataja

ABOVE: Elvis in Trinity Rep’s education offices, before heading to a Young Actors Studio rehearsal. PHOTO BY kate kataja below: Performing (front left) during the YASI Shakes performance of Romeo and Juliet in August 2012. PHOTO BY MARK TUREK

For information on how you can support Trinity Rep’s education programs, contact Kate Kataja, Donor Programs and Individual Giving Officer, at kkataja@trinityrep.com or (401) 521-1100, x172. For information on participating in education programs, contact Jordan Butterfield, Education Programs Manager, at jbutterfield@trinityrep.com or (401) 521-1100, x114.

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John Krasinski joins Kate Burton and local winners for the 17th Annual Pell Awards

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his June, Trinity Rep will celebrate the achievements of five individuals who have made lasting impacts on the local and national levels through their work in the arts at the 17th annual Pell Awards Gala.

Established in 1997, the Pell Awards are named for the late Senator Claiborne Pell, who sponsored the landmark legislation that established the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities in 1965.

Trinity Rep’s Richard L. Bready Artistic Director Curt Columbus talks about the award recipients and their contributions to the arts.

Kate Burton

T. CHARLES ERICKSON

Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Actor, TV: Scandal, The Good Wife, Grimm, Veep.

Film: 2 Days in New York, 127 Hours, The Ice Storm

18 the trinity square • SPRING 2013

“Kate is one of the great actors of her generation, a woman of range, intelligence, and passion who has few equals in the American Theater,” says Columbus. “Her work on Broadway, throughout the country in the regional theater, her numerous film and television appearances alone would merit a recogni-

tion as one of the great actors of her generation.

Just as important as her illustrious career, however, has been her service in promoting the arts, education, and arts education for Brown University, the American Theatre Wing, and the Williamstown Theater Festival, among other boards and national organizations. I am deeply pleased to present Kate with the Lifetime Achievement honor this year.”

John Krasinski

Pell Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Arts Actor and Writer, TV: The Office. Film: Promised Land, Big Miracle, Away We Go, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men “Since graduating from Brown in 2001, John’s comedic talents have endeared him to millions. His award-winning work on NBC’s The Office has made him one of the most immediately recognizable actors working in television and film today,” says Columbus of the native New Englander. “But he is seriously talented behind the camera as well. His work is character-driven, true to its inspiration, and

you’re invited to

2013

the

pell awards

Monday, June 10

VIP reception at 6pm Ceremony at 7pm Cocktail reception from 8 to 10pm Honorary Chair: Mrs. Nuala Pell Co-Chairs: Joe and Michele Madden Elizabeth “Beppie” Huidekoper Tickets: VIP Ticket $500, Gala Ticket $250 Sponsorships available Call 401-453-9237 for more information.

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crafted with a keen ear and eye for detail. We are excited to celebrate John’s career to date with the Pell Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Arts.”

Tony Estrella

Rhode Island Pell Award for Excellence in the Arts Artistic Director and Actor, The Gamm Theatre

Columbus calls Tony, “an immensely skilled and multi-faceted artist: a superb actor and director, a venerable artistic leader, and a true advocate for the arts on both a local and national level.” He adds that under Estrella’s visionary leadership, The Gamm has transformed into a nationally renowned and respected company; a place where challenging new work and still-trenchant classics are given vibrant life — winning, along the way, three prestigious Elliot Norton Awards and attracting a growing subscriber base and fans from across New England and beyond. “In many ways,” says Columbus, “much of this success can be directly attributed to Tony’s talent, hard work and his dogged pursuit of artistic excellence.”

Joseph A. Chazan, M.D.

Pell Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts Art Collector and Benefactor

“Joe’s kind of philanthropy fully expresses and furthers Senator Claiborne Pell’s original intention to support local artists in communities. He has spent decades promoting visual artists and other artistic institutions in Rhode Island, through the commissioning of art for community spaces around the city and state and by working to bring art to public awareness in an accessible way. He is not only a dedicated patron of the arts in Rhode Island, but one of its most tireless behind-the-scenes champions.”

Martha Douglas-Osmundson

Charles Sullivan Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts English and Theatre Teacher, The Lincoln School; creator of Shakespeare in the City

“Martha not only is a fearless educator, but has worked tirelessly on the Shakespeare in the City program over the past five years. Few people could have brought any such bold, new program into existence, much less one focused on using Shakespeare to connect children and teachers from urban public and private schools. Through belief in the vitality of her mission and a special kind of determination, Martha has positively influenced the artistic growth and educational future of so many young people in our community — and that is something we at Trinity Rep could not be happier to celebrate.”

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This spring, help us get our HOUSE in order by making a gift to Trinity Rep’s Annual Fund before the close of our fiscal year.

B

etween now and June 30, Alan and Marie Weiss will match up to $10,000 in new or increased gifts to the Annual Fund.

If you’re already a donor, the amount by which you increase your gift will be matched. If you’re a new donor, your gift will be doubled! Make a gift online at www.trinityrep.com/give, by calling Kristen Orall at (401) 453-9235, or print out and return this form with your gift. q Enclosed please find my gift of $________ for the 2013 Annual Fund q I’ve included Trinity Rep in my estate plans. q I’d like to learn more about legacy giving and The Stanzler Society. q My employer has a matching gifts program. q Form enclosed. Company name_____________________________ NAME___________________________________________________________________ (as you wish to be recognized in donor listings) ADDRESS________________________________________________________________ CITY____________________________STATE______ZIP_______________________ PHONE______________________EMAIL_____________________________________

q Enclosed is a check payable to Trinity Repertory Company. q Please charge my q Visa

q MC

q AmEx

q Discover

NAME ON CARD___________________________________________________________ CARD #__________________________________________________________________ Security Code____________________ EXP. DATE____________________________ signature______________________________________________________________

q Please bill me for the balance. q I would like to set up automatic payments. Please contact me.

I would like to take advantage of donor benefits: q Yes q No Please return to: Trinity Rep, 201 Washington St., Providence, RI 02903.

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L

Coming Home

by Camron Parker

ast fall we welcomed Katie Byrnes as our new general manager, and she has quickly made herself at home. Of course, it’s easy for her to feel so at ease considering her arrival at Trinity Rep was something of a homecoming. Katie is a Rhode Island native, and spent many of her early years working at Trinity Rep until she left the Ocean State in 1990 to pursue an MFA at the University of California at San Diego.

Still, she always had a special place in her heart for Trinity Rep, and since her return has been pinching herself that she’s helping to lead the theater where she first started her career.

We sat down with Katie to ask her a few questions about her formative years at TRC, what she’s been up to since she left, and what brought her back to Rhode Island.

Katie, you have quite a long association with this wonderful theater. Tell us about your first memories of Trinity Rep. I started off as an usher in high school. While I can’t tell you the name of every show I saw here, there are so many images that have been permanently seared onto my brain. Some of the most vivid memories come from Betrayal, Glengary Glenn Ross, and The Real Thing. Those memories are just from my first season of ushering alone! I distinctly remember Richard Jenkins in A Flea in Her Ear; it was a brilliant performance. My brother and I would see almost every show at least three times. I ushered through 1982 before I left for Saint Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana.

After I graduated from college I had that “what

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am I going to do” crisis and almost immediately applied to Trinity Rep. I became the bulk mailing girl and also was the education coordinator, creating education packets for Project Discovery performances. I held down those positions for several seasons and then became the box office manager for one season during Anne Bogart’s year.

What impression did Trinity Rep make on your early theater career?

It’s amazing to realize how many things I do as a manager are things I learned here in the first few years out of college. First and foremost, I learned how to be a cautious budgeter — Trinity Rep is amazing at what they do given their relatively small budget. Those skills are incredibly valuable in every arts organization. Frugal and smart spending is key to a non-profit’s success.

Another incredibly important thing I learned at Trinity Rep is an appreciation for actors and for companies of actors. From years of watching Trinity Rep’s resident company continually challenge themselves, I began to understand the craft. The transformation each of our company members goes through was, and still is, amazing to see.

Witnessing the journey of artists and their art throughout the years is an opportunity that is unique to Trinity Rep. We love to joke that Curt poached you from Centerstage when he went to direct Stephen Thorne’s play, The Completely Fictional — Utterly True — Final Strange Tale of Edgar Allan Poe. What had you been doing at Centerstage and what made you decide to come back?

When I met Curt I was working as the artistic administrator at Centerstage in Baltimore, Maryland. My primary job was managing visiting artists, actors, directors, and playwrights. I was often the first person at Centerstage that they heard from, and was the last one to wave goodbye after the show had closed. I had an amazing time and met some wonderful people, but after 13 years it

was time for a change. Honestly, it never occurred to me that I would come back to Trinity Rep. It was a shock to get the call and in some ways I am still in shock.

I love Rhode Island and I love the work that Trinity Rep does. You say “Trinity Rep” and almost immediately people have a story about this place.

Maybe it’s the fond memories of the resident company, or maybe it’s only one performance of A Christmas Carol they saw as a child, but they have a story. Trinity Rep is undeniably woven into the heart of Rhode Island and I missed being a part of that extraordinarily unique community. It’s important for us as an organization to remember that this theater is responsible for so many memories over its 50-year history and that we must preserve those memories while creating new memories for 50 years to come.

Speaking of 50 years of history, one of your tasks is to plan our 50th birthday party. Can you give us any secrets about the year-long soiree?

One secret would be that we will be hosting a fabulous event in August celebrating all of the theater in Rhode Island. Rhode Islanders love their drama, and while Trinity Rep plays an important role in bringing theater to the state, it is certainly not the only theater doing wonderful things in our community. We want to celebrate all theater and not just what we’ve done over the past 50 years. The event in August will give us a chance to recognize so many other rermarkable theater companies.

One other secret is a terrific campaign that will give everyone in the state an opportunity to contribute to the legacy of Trinity Rep. I can’t divulge too much yet, but stay tuned for more information. It will be a chance to recognize and appreciate Trinity Rep’s part in the life of our community and what our community has done, and continues to do, to support Trinity Rep. It’s a beautiful relationship!

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Around the Re

On April 28, donors were treated to an exclusive insider look at Brown/Trinity Rep MFA’s production of Romeo and Juliet! After joining the talented 3rd-year actors for rehearsal, guests enjoyed dinner at Bravo Brasserie and a lively talk with associate artistic director Tyler Dobrowsky (far left) and both MFA directors from the class of 2013, Aubrey Snowden and Ryan Purcell, Romeo and Juliet’s director.

PHOTO BY KATE KATAJA

Trinity Rep is always working to bring the public square to you — and on March 20, associate artistic director Tyler Dobrowsky and production director Laura Smith went to the North Kingstown Free Library to chat with the library’s patrons about Social Creatures, the importance of producing new work, and the upcoming 50th season.

21 the trinity square • SPRING 2013

PHOTO BY ANNE L. HARRIGAN

On April 10, Local 121 hosted Trinity Rep for a special pre-show reception before that evening’s performance of Social Creatures. As guests enjoyed dinner, artistic director Curt Columbus and actor Nance Williamson spoke about the fun of working with new, young playwrights like Jackie Sibblies Drury, the origin of the “zombie,” and what’s up next for Nance (hint, it’s a familiar tale of star-crossed lovers soon to be back on Broadway!).

PHOTO BY KATE KATAJA

Trinity Rep is grateful to its many community partners who provide food and venues for our events!

PHOTO BY JEN CANOLE

As part of Trinity Rep’s new Under35@TRC program, people under the age of 35 can see shows for only $25, plus receive a complimentary cocktail.

Sounds like a pretty nice deal, right? Well, in addition to the discount and the drink, members of Under35@TRC are also invited to fun events at the theater, like the one we had on April 4. The theme was “Zombie Prom” (in conjunction with our production of Social Creatures) and the crowd of about 70 was treated to a pre-show reception with a DJ, special drinks from Sons of Liberty (a local distillery) and catering from The Bradford, a great restaurant on Federal Hill. After the show, Under35@TRC moved down Washington Street to Blake’s Tavern for a post-show party sponsored by The Onion, where they mingled with the cast and crew of the show and drank reduced-price Narragansetts. It was a fun night for all! To join Under35@TRC, call the box office at (401) 351-4242 or visit www.trinityrep.com/templates/default/forms_popup/under35.php.

PHOTO BY LAURA GOLDSTEIN

On April 24, Trinity Rep education outreach coordinator Michael Williams and teaching artist Francesca Montanile (back row, far right) were among those honored at the annual Victims’ Grove Ceremony in Memorial Park in Providence. Hosted by the Rhode Island Attorney General as part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, this event recognizes individuals, projects and organizations that advocate for victims of abuse and crime. Williams and Montanile spent the fall of 2012 working with 15 survivors of domestic violence to create a play crafted from the survivors’ words and performed by the women themselves.

The resulting play, Behind Closed Doors, which was performed at Trinity Rep last December, sought to shed light on issues of domestic violence while dispelling myths.

Both Trinity Rep and our partner organization, the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, represented by members of the cast and Pauline Siebens (above), were honored at the ceremony.

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square

Issue 26, Spring 2013

A publication of Trinity Repertory Company 201 Washington St., Providence, RI 02903 (401) 521-1100 • www.trinityrep.com

Editor Tyler Dobrowsky Graphic Designer/Illustrator Michael Guy Contributors Stephen Berenson Jordan Butterfield Tyler Dobrowsky Carol Drewes Jon Duffy Kate Kataja Emily MacLeod Camron Parker Lauren Ustaszewski Michael Williams

Photographers Caroline Azano Stephanie Bullard Jen Canole T. Charles Erickson Laura Goldstein Michael Guy Anne L. Harrigan Kate Kataja Mark Turek Trinity Repertory Company Curt Columbus, The Richard L. Bready Artistic Director Michael Gennaro, Executive Director Tyler Dobrowsky, Associate Artistic Director Laura Smith, Production Director Katie Byrnes, General Manager Marilyn Busch, Director of Marketing and PR Kathy Calnan, Director of Development

one last look…

ALEXANDER PLATT & D’ARCY DERSHAM in JACKIE SIBBLIEs DRURY’s SOCIAL CREATURES, directed by CURT COLUMBUS. SET DESIGN BY eugene lee, COSTUME DESIGN BY olivera gajic & LIGHTING DESIGN

BY JOSH EPSTEIN. photo by Mark turek

22 the trinity square • SPRING 2013

Board of Trustees (Officers) Jonathan Duffy, Chair Paul Choquette, Vice Chair Suzanne Magaziner, Secretary John Lombardo, Treasurer

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