ANON (YMOUS) BY
NAOMI IIZUKA
OCTOBER 4-15, 2017 OSCAR G. BROCKETT THEATRE
OCTOBER 4-6, 10-14 AT 7:30 P.M. OCTOBER 8, 15 AT 2:00 P.M.
OSCAR G. BROCKETT THEATRE F. LOREN WINSHIP BUILDING
THEATREDANCE.UTEXAS.EDU
Iman Corbani – Scenic Designer • Alex Gendel - Projection Designer • Alex Hanna – Lighting Designer Jason Huerta – Technical Director • Khristián Méndez Aguirre – Dramaturg Adam Miller-Bateau – Fight Choreographer • Alaina Monts – Dramaturg Lirit Pendell – Costume Designer • Kate Proietti – Community Engagement Coordinator Sam Provenzano – Director • Joshua Secor – Stage Manager • Peter Stopschinski – Sound Designer
CAST (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE)
There will be no intermission. There will be a post-show talkback on October 12 following the 7:30 p.m. performance and October 15 following the 2:00 p.m. performance featuring members of the dramaturgy and community engagement teams. The Ancient Song was composed by Alania Monts. Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. | www.playscripts.com
COVER PHOTO: LAWRENCE PEART
Teddy Santiesteban . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anon Tiffany Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nemasani Jade Jackson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Naja/Chorus William Kachi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pascal/Chorus Jose A. Figueroa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ali/Ignacio/Chorus Ximena Alvarez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nasreen/Belen/Sewing Lady/Chorus Annemarie Alaniz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ritu/Sewing Lady/Chorus Ariane Stier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sereza/Sewing Lady/Chorus Austin Hille . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Senator Laius/Mr. Zyclo/Nice American Father/Barfly/Chorus Caroline Beagles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mrs. Laius/Bird/Nice American Mother/Chorus Jesse Wormington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. Mackus/Strygal/Chorus Elise Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Calista/Nice American Daughter/Barfly/Chorus
NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR This play starts in the middle. Like this play, we are in the middle…of major cultural, political and social questions and tensions. Many of these questions relate to the rights and experiences of young people in the U.S. This play is for young audiences. As a director of theatre for young audiences, I love this script because it treats young audiences as complete humans. So often work for young people is easily dismissed as simple. But this story contains the complex, sometimes dangerous, often confusing territories young people navigate. This play demands that we, as artists, critically engage with the tensions and responsibilities of representation. How can we make choices that disrupt some of the vocabulary or ideas society uses in relation to young people and refugee populations? How often does society relegate entire complex and multi-dimensional groups of people to just one word? Where in your life have you allowed anonymity to fade into nothing? How can we actively seek to understand or acknowledge the complexities in others?
NOTE FROM THE DRAMATURGS Preparing for this production, our entire artistic team faced ethical dilemmas, all of which impacted the show you’re about to see. As dramaturgs, we mediated between three contexts: the context in which the play was written in, the story and dramatic action within the play and your context as audience members in Austin, Texas. Chief to our concern was the ethical representation of the refugee experience—how did we preserve the multiple meanings present in the term ‘refugee’ and present a story that could be understood without getting mired in a huge burden. We believe this is a refugee story, not the refugee story. As you and your loved ones prepare to enjoy this show, remember: children are smart. A show for younger people is not a simpler show, just a different show. We’d like to thank the eighth-graders from Lamar Middle School for expanding our notions of what young imaginations can do.
The Department of Theatre and Dance is a world-class educational environment that serves as the ultimate creative incubator for the next generation of artists, thinkers and leaders in theatre and performance.
CREATIVE Iman Corbani (Scenic Designer) is a graduate of Concordia University in Montreal, Québec. She worked as a freelance designer for a year before joining the M.F.A. in Design and Technology program at The University of Texas at Austin. Now in her second year, Corbani has had the opportunity to work on multiple shows, including When New Orleans Becomes a Brown Sea, 105 and Intro to Being Here (The Cohen New Works Festival, 2017). Anon(ymous) is her first main stage production. She will design the lighting for The Rape of Lucretia with the Butler Opera Center next year. Alex Gendal (Projection Designer) is a secondyear M.F.A in Design and Technology candidate with a focus in Integrated Media for Live Performance. He graduated from the Purchase College Conservatory of Theatre Arts with a B.F.A. in Theatre Design/Technology with a concentration in lighting design. Several of his design credits include Gondal, Slumber Party, Ears, Eyes + Feet, The Laramie Project, Into The Woods, Not On This Night, Blood Wedding, Theater Decomposed, Marat/Sade and The Canterbury Tales. Alex Hanna (Lighting Designer) is an M.F.A. in Design and Technology candidate with a focus in lighting design at The University of Texas at Austin. Hailing from Colorado, he received his B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of Northern Colorado. Last semester, Hanna designed the lighting for Die Zauberflöte (Butler Opera Center). He will be designing work for UTNT (UT New Theatre) at Texas Theatre and Dance in Spring 2018. Jason Huerta (Technical Director) is the associate scenic studio supervisor for Texas Performing Arts. He holds an M.F.A. in Scenic Technology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Prior to coming to Austin, he worked in Chicago at the Goodman Theatre as a craftsman. He has worked on shows such as Wonderful Town, The Sign in Sydney Brustein’s Window and War Paint.
Khristián Méndez Aguirre (Dramaturg) is a native of Guatemala and a second-year M.F.A. student in the Performance as Public Practice program. He has an eclectic background in graphic design, activism and translation–but he came to theatre because he realized that collaborative work is an ideal to aspire to. He served as the dramaturg for A Nervous Breakdown (The Cohen New Works Festival, 2017) and directed a production of Ariana Reines’ Telephone earlier this fall. Adam Miller-Bateau (Fight Choreographer) is a director, fight choreographer and theatre educator new to the Austin area. Miller-Bateau has choreographed fights for over a decade, staging violence in over 100 productions. Previous credits at The University of Texas include Little Women the Broadway Musical, Galactic Orphans and Gondal. Other Austin fight choreography credits include Animal Farm (McCallum Theatre); directing credits include Julius Caesar (Shakespeare in Detroit) Macbeth (Stagedoor Manor), Henry V (Brass Tacks Ensemble) and A Few Good Men (Malicious Wicket Productions), among others. Training/Education: University of Michigan (B.F.A. in Acting), Exeter University (M.F.A. in Shakespeare Performance), Society of American Fight Directors (Certified Teacher). Miller-Bateau currently teaches stage combat at Texas Theatre and Dance. Alaina Monts (Dramaturg) is a M.A. in Performance as Public Practice student at The University of Texas at Austin. Last year, they codirected Rage to Heal as part of the Cohen New Works Festival. They have additional experience as a critic and artist-scholar. Lirit Pendell (Costume Designer) is a third-year M.F.A. in Design and Technology candidate with a focus in costume design at The University of Texas at Austin. Recent work includes Fall For Dance and UTNT (UT New Theatre) (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017); The Mikado: Reclaimed (Generic Ensemble Company, The Vortex) and Fahrenheit 451 (Different Stages).
CREATIVE Kate Proietti (Community Engagement Coordinator) is a second-year M.F.A. in Drama and Theatre for Youth and Communities candidate. Previous community engagement work includes: In the Red and Brown Water (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2016) and Galactic Orphans (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2017).
Joshua Secor (Stage Manager) is a fourth-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance student with an emphasis in stage management and playwriting. Most recently he served as the stage manager for Zoom and Focus: The Musical as part of the 2017 Cohen New Works Festival, and Galactic Orphans (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2017).
Sam Provenzano (Director) is a M.F.A. in Drama and Theatre for Youth and Communities candidate. She has directed several projects in Austin and Denver focusing on work for young audiences and performance in museum spaces. She recently co-created Bored with Strangers as part of the Cohen New Works Festival (2017).
Peter Stopschinski (Sound Designer) composed music for The Curious Case of the Watson Intelligence which was nominated for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in Drama; composed music/lyrics for New York Musicals Festival’s 2015 Winner Best in Show, The Calico Buffalo, string arrangements for Grupo Fantasma’s Grammy Award winning album, El Existential; and the film score for two-time Academy Award winning director Al Reinert’s film Rara Avis: The Life of John Audubon. In 2017 Stopschinski released 50 albums of original music. peterstopschinski.com.
DIRECTOR’S COUNCIL The Department of Theatre and Dance Director’s Council is a premier volunteer group designed to foster strong and collaborative connections between The University of Texas at Austin and the local community by supporting initiatives in marketing, public relations, student recruitment and development. As advocates for the department, this group of alumni, parents and fine arts supporters play a key role in continuing to build a professional theatre and dance training program serving thousands of talented Texans for generations. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF OUR 2016/2017 DIRECTOR’S COUNCIL MEMBERS Carol Smith Adams Francesca Brockett and Jim Pedicano Barrett Bruce Jean Cheever Joanne and Jack Crosby Dee Dawson Laura Eastman
Gary Farmer JoLynn Free Missy Grimes Pam and Edmund McIlhenny Annie McKinnon Debbie Oliver Miriam Relyea
Diane Robinson Russ Sartain Nancy Scanlan Marc Seriff Laura Sheffield Karen Skolnik Leah Stolar Sharon Watkins
CAST
Teddy Santiesteban
Tiffany Thomas
Jade Jackson
William Kachi
Jose A. Figueroa
Ximena Alvarez
Annemarie Alaniz
Ariane Stier
Austin Hille
Caroline Beagles
Jesse Wormington
Elise Martin
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CAST Teddy Santiesteban (Anon) is a fourth-year B.F.A. in Acting major originally from Denton, Texas. Recently he was seen as “Toodles/Boy” in Lost Girl (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2016) and as “Nick” in Speaking in Tongues. After graduating in the spring, Santiesteban plans to pursue acting in Los Angeles. Tiffany Thomas (Nemasani) is a B.A. in Theatre and Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. Since coming to UT in 2016, she has expanded her work to film and commercials. She has recently been seen in The Bigot (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2017). Jade Jackson (Naja/Chorus) is a B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin. She has an extensive background in acting and dance. Jackson was recently seen as “Anna” in Girls in Cars Underwater (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2016) and as “Amber” in Gondal (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2017) . She was recently involved in the Cohen New Works Festival 2017. William Kachi (Pascal/Chorus) has been performing since middle school. He was recently seen in various projects as part of the Cohen New Works Festival (2017). He plans to continue to pursue acting upon graduating with a B.A. in Theatre and Dance. Jose A. Figueroa (Ali/Ignacio/Chorus) is a B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin. He was recently seen as “Ri” in Galactic Orpahns (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2017) and as “Curio” in Twelfth Night (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2016). He also participated in several projects as part of the 2017 Cohen New Works Festival, including Open Mic Night and El Camino de Hierro. Ximena Alvarez (Nasreen/Belen/Sewing Lady/ Chorus) is a third-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major. She was last seen as “Girl” in Luna directed by Roxanne Schroeder-Arce (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017). Previous roles include “Chris Boone” in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and “Conrad” in Much Ado
About Nothing. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue acting professionally. Annemarie Alaniz (Ritu/Sewing Lady/Chorus) began performing in middle school in the Rio Grande Valley. Most recently she performed as “Emily Bronte” in Gondal (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2017), “Nina/D” in Lost Girl (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2016) and “Molly Aster” in Peter and the Starcatcher. After graduating in 2019, Alaniz plans to move to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career in television and film. Ariane Stier (Serza/Sewing Lady/Chorus) is a second-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major also pursuing a B.S. in Public Relations at the University of Texas at Austin. Most recently, she performed in Intro to Being Here as part of The Cohen New Works Festival (2017). Austin Hille (Senator Laius/Mr. Zyclo/Nice American Father/Barfly/Chorus) is a second-year B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin. He comes to Austin by way of Ft. Worth, Texas. This is his first performance with Texas Theatre and Dance. Caroline Beagles (Mrs. Laius/Bird/Nice American Mother/Chorus) is a second-year B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin. She recently performed in Intro To Being Here and Bloodthirsty Fiends as a part of the Cohen New Works Festival (2017). Jesse Wormington (Mr. Mackus/Strygal/Chorus) is a fourth-year B.F.A. in Acting major from Dallas, Texas. Recent credits include The Moving Company ‘s Refugia (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2015) and The Orange Garden (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2016). Elise Martin (Calista/Nice American Daughter/ Barfly/Chorus) is a B.A. in Theatre and Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She has recently been seen as “Marty” in GREASE the Musical and as “Mrs. McGarragher” in No Body to Murder.
CREW ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER MIGUEL TAMEZ ASSISTANT SCENIC DESIGNER TUCKER GOODMAN ASSISTANT COSTUME DESIGNER DELENA BRADLEY ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNER KENDRA WILEY ASSISTANT SOUND DESIGNER BEN GALVAN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM DIANA GUIZADO HANNAH WINKLER SCENIC STUDIO SUPERVISOR J.E. JOHNSON SCENIC ART SUPERVISOR KAREN MANESS ASSOCIATE SCENIC STUDIO SUPERVISOR JASON HUERTA MASTER CARPENTER HANK SCHWEMMER ASSISTANT CHARGE SCENIC ARTISTS KARA KONOP KRISTINA TIJERINA GRADUATE PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS ZOE ANDERSON IMAN CORBANI TUCKER GOODMAN ROXY MOJICA ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT SAM HINDERT PRODUCTION LEADS JACOB CAIRE CAROL ENDICOTT JARED WAYNE HORN CHRISTINA JANSEN ASHTON MURPHY REED NEAL GOBI-KLA VONAN PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS DARSHAN DESAI LIAM DOLAN-HENDERSON CARLY DOLLIGER BRIAN NGUYEN REBEKAH URBAN NAT WATKINS HENRY WHEATLEY-RUTNER SCENIC ART INTERNS TAYLOR JONES GLORIA KWON ANTONIO SERVIN MIGUEL TAMEZ GUSTAVO ZAMARRIPA
COSTUME CONSTRUCTION CREW MORGAN BROMGARD CLAIRE DAVIS MIA DEDEAR ISAAC KRESTA LAURA LINDSEY LAYNIE MCCLELLAND SOPHIA QUIROGA ARIANA SONSINO
AUDIO SUPERVISOR MIKE MALAK
PROP SHOP SUPERVISOR REBECCA SWITZER
WIG AND MAKEUP SPECIALIST ALLISON LOWERY
AUDIO BOARD OPERATOR JAVIER RODRIGUEZ
ASSISTANT PROP SHOP SUPERVISOR CAROLYN HARDIN
WARDROBE CREW SUPERVISOR SAMANTHA GASHETTE
PROP MASTER R. SWITZER
WARDROBE CREW TORI BAKER ANAYA GREEN CECILIA IBARRA
FALL 2017 SCENIC ART CLASS AL BALLI IMAN CORBANI TUCKER GOODMAN CAITLIN GRAHAM LAURA GONZALEZ MIKAELA KELAREK AARON KUBACAK ASHTON MURPHY MARIKA WYNN
PROP SHOP GRADUATE ASSISTANT ZOE ANDERSON PROP ARTISANS DI MARTINEZ MORGAN STUART TAYLOR TRAVIS PROP STOCK MANAGER JACKIE PEREZ
COSTUME CRAFTS SUPERVISOR TANYA OLALDE COSTUME CRAFTS ASSISTANTS ALEXANDER GREER ANANDA KEATOR
PROPS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT JACKIE PEREZ
COSTUME SHOP OFFICE ASSISTANTS DELENA BRADLEY TORI HUSTINGS
PROPS CONSTRUCTION CREW JULIA ZUNIGA
COSTUME STOCK SUPERVISOR STEPHANIE FISHER
SCENERY/PROPS CREW ALAYA BALDERAS-GALLEGOS MAEGAN MCCRAY
COSTUME STOCK ASSISTANTS CECELIA IBARA RAMA TCHUENTE
COSTUME SHOP SUPERVISOR NANETTE ACOSTA COSTUME PROJECT MANAGER DARCY WEBERG DRAPERS SARAH ALDRIDGE BETTY CHLYSTEK 1ST HANDS JOSEPH HARRINGTON AARON KUBACAK STITCHERS MIA BARRERA LAURA GONZALEZ COSTUME SHOP ASSOCIATE SUPERVISOR DARCY WEBERG COSTUME PRODUCTION CREW TEACHING ASSISTANTS CHUN KANG CHEN VANESSA LOPEZ
TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS MASTER ELECTRICIAN MIKELA COWAN TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS LIGHTING SUPERVISOR JEFF ELLINGER SENIOR LIGHTING TECHNICIANS AARON CURRY ALEX HANNA MERCEDES MCCLEARY JIAJING QI KENDRA WILEY TEXAS THEATRE AND DANCE LIGHTING CREW ALEX JEREB MICHAEL LOGUE REAGAN MURDOCK JOSHUA SECOR TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS LIGHTING CREW JAKE BRINKS CASEY CANAMAR BEN GALVAN ALEX JEREB LIGHT BOARD OPERATOR MEGGIE HUNT
ASSOCIATE AUDIO SUPERVISOR KENNY KUYKENDALL AUDIO PRODUCTION STUDENT CREW JAKE BARDIN
MEDIA SHOP SUPERVISOR MATT SMITH MEDIA GRADUATE ASSISTANTS JESSE EASDON KAIWEN FA ROBERT MALLIN AUSTIN SHIRLEY MINGXIANG YA MEDIA SHOP CREW HAILEY BAILEY GRIFFIN HANSON ALFRED HURTADO CARTER SIRIANNI NEHA SUKUMAR TIFFANY THOMAS NANCY TRAN FRANCISCO URIBE TIMOTHY ZAWISTOWSKI MEDIA BOARD OPERATOR MANUELA GUERRA STAGE MANAGEMENT ADVISOR RUSTY CLOYES COSTUME DESIGN ADVISOR SUSAN MICKEY COSTUME TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR JAMES GLAVAN LIGHTING DESIGN ADVISOR MICHELLE HABECK INTEGRATED MEDIA DESIGN ADVISOR SVEN ORTEL SCENIC DESIGN ADVISOR WILLIAM BLOODGOOD SOUND DESIGN ADVISOR CAROLINA PEREZ DRAMATURGY/COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ADVISORS MEGAN ALRUTZ ANDREW CARLSON LIZ ENGELMAN ACADEMIC PRODUCTION MANAGER JEFF GRAPKO PHOTOGRAPHER LAWRENCE PEART GRAPHIC DESIGNER JEFF GRAY