An original idea developed by The Moving Company origin: Latin, literally “place of refuge;� an area in which a population of organisms can survive through a period of unfavorable conditions. Refugia:
February 12-15, 2015 B. Iden Payne Theatre
The University of Texas at Austin + Department of Theatre and Dance
An original idea developed by The Moving Company
February 12–14 at 7:30 p.m. February 14–15 at 2:00 p.m.
b. iden payne Theatre F. Loren Winship Building
utexas.edu/finearts/tad T HI S PRO D U C T IO N WAS C REAT ED IN C O LL A BORATION with the followin g ART IST S (IN ALPHABETICA L ORDER):
Rachel Alulis – Lighting Designer • Christina Baldwin – Music Coordinator Lawrence Bennett – Technical Director • Kate Ducey – Projection Designer Steven Epp – Playwright • Lacey Erb – Projection Designer • Billy Henry – Sound Designer Marian Kansas – Dramaturg • Michael Krauss – Scenic Designer Mercedes O’Bannion – Costume Designer • Kristian Wolf Piña – Stage Manager Dominique Serrand – Director
ensemble Christina Baldwin* Emma Center Josh Cole Robert Di Donato Steven Epp* Hope Higgins Nathan Keepers* Jordan Maranto Tucker Martin Madison Palomo Aya Seidemann Dominique Serrand* Max Torrez Arnoldo Treviño Jr. Katy Wicker Jesse Wormington
* Members of The Moving Company
A NOTE FROM THE DRAMATURG Refugia, a newly devised work, aims to explore current refugee situations worldwide and the universal concept of refuge. Drawing from a variety of influences such as current political events, the music of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, and biological vocabulary, Refugia approaches the complex and charged issue of refuge through multiple characters, stories and situations. True to the mission of The Moving Company, Refugia looks to the past, present and future to bring this challenging subject matter to life. The rehearsal process has been a continual reexamination and deeper exploration into refugee experiences throughout the world. Refugia is a collaboration between student designers, technicians and actors at The University of Texas at Austin and The Moving Company. The Moving Company is comprised of co-artistic directors Dominique Serrand and Steven Epp, and artistic associates Nathan Keepers and Christina Baldwin. Dominique, Steven, Nathan and Christina have a long history of creating new work together, having previously served as artistic directors and collaborators in the Tony Awardwinning theatre company Theatre de la Jeune Lune. The Moving Company’s mission is “to create and produce new and challenging theatre that builds on the past, is grounded in the present and looks to the future.” Unlike many productions at The University of Texas at Austin, the Refugia script was never set in stone and received multiple revisions throughout it’s conception based on the character choices, events and dialogue developed during the course of rehearsals, resulting in an entirely unique experience for those involved. From the first day of rehearsals, The Moving Company has stressed the importance of being brave. Telling the story of a stranger in their homeland is challenging enough, but this difficulty is magnified when you are creating that stranger and homeland in the rehearsal room. The Moving Company has brought their creative process to The University of Texas at Austin in a collaborative effort that has produced the entirely new dramatic work: Refugia. Marian Kansas Dramaturg
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.
Ensemble
Christina Baldwin
Emma Center
Josh Cole
Robert Di Donato
Steven Epp
Hope Higgins
Nathan Keepers
Jordan Maranto
Tucker Martin
Madison Palomo
Aya Seidemann
Dominique Serrand
Max Torrez
Arnoldo Trevi単o Jr.
Katy Wicker
Jesse Wormington
about the moving company The Moving Company is a new theatre company led by co-artistic directors Dominique Serrand and Steven Epp, along with artistic associates Nathan Keepers and Christina Baldwin. Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, The Moving Company is dedicated not only to crafting new works of theatre for audiences locally, nationally and throughout the world, but to a collaborative process that nurtures and empowers creativity. The Moving Company artists have work-shopped, created and produced a number of critically-acclaimed shows including The House Can’t Stand, Fissures (presented at the 2010 Humana Festival of New American Plays), Come Hell and High Water, Massoud: Lion of Panjshir, The War Within/All’s Fair, Werther and Lotte, Imaginary Invalid, Out of The Pan and Into the Fire, and a re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost. The Moving Company’s mission is to create and produce new and challenging theatre that builds on the past, is grounded in the present, and looks to the future while maintaining and nourishing an atmosphere conducive to the development of new ideas.
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the moving company Christina Baldwin (Music Coordinator, Ensemble) is a singer and actor who has engaged audiences both on stage and in a concert setting. She serves as artistic associate, music director and performer with The Moving Company, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Christina’s frequent Guthrie Theater collaborations range from Shakespearean works and contemporary plays to musical theater and operetta, including the PBS national broadcast of H.M.S. Pinafore. A collaborator with Theatre de la Jeune Lune for nearly 10 years, she co-adapted and performed the title role in their criticallyacclaimed production of Carmen. Christina has appeared in numerous regional theatres and companies such as The Jungle Theater, Park Square Theatre and American Repertory Theater (ART), Ex Machina Baroque Opera Company and the Astoria Music Festival. She also writes and performs opera outreach programs for youth, is a frequent actor on the nationally broadcasted radio show Wits, and has lent her voice to animated films by Dutch filmmaker and Cannes Film Festival awardwinner, Rosto A.D. Steven Epp (Playwright, Ensemble) is the co-artistic director of The Moving Company whose regional credits include productions at the Guthrie Theater, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Playmakers, La Jolla Playhouse, Trinity Repertory Company, The Spoleto Festival USA, American Repertory Theatre (ART), the Alley Theatre, Intiman Theatre, Center Stage, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Seattle Repertory Theatre and the New Victory Theater off-Broadway. Steve was an actor, writer and co-artistic director for Theatre de la Jeune Lune from 1983 to 2008, awarded the 2005 Tony Award for Best Regional Theatre.
Nathan Keepers (Playwright, Ensemble) has co-conceived, written, directed and performed (respectively) in For Sale, Out of the Pan and Into the Fire, Werther and Lotte, The War Within/All’s Fair, and Come Hell and High Water. Regional credits include 11 seasons with Theatre de la Jeune Lune where he co-created and performed in several productions including Chez Pierre; The Little Prince; Amerika, or The Disappearance; The Deception; The Miser; Tartuffe and Fishtank. He has also appeared in multiple productions at The Jungle Theater including Waiting for Godot, Fully Committed and The Swan, as well as works at Ten Thousand Things, the Guthrie Theater, PlayMakers Repertory Company, American Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, the Alley Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse and the Folger Theatre in Washington, D.C. Nathan has studied with Pierre Byland in Switzerland and Philippe Gaulier in London, England. Dominique Serrand (Director, Ensemble) is the co-artistic director of The Moving Company. A Paris native, Dominique studied at L’École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq (Paris). He has acted, conceived, directed and designed sets, lighting and video for most Theatre de la Jeune Lune productions for over 30 years, with a primary focus on directing. His other directing credits include The Kitchen, Lulu Noire, The Bourgeois Gentleman, Romeo and Juliet, Red Noses, 1789, Children of Paradise: Shooting a Dream, The Three Musketeers, The Pursuit of Happiness, Queen Elizabeth, Tartuffe, Gulliver, The Seagull, The Miser, The Little Prince and Amerika, or The Disappearance. He has also staged several operas including The Magic Flute, Cosi Fan Tutte, Don Juan Giovanni, Figaro, Carmen, Maria de Buenos Aires and Mefistofele.
THE COHEN NEW WORKS FESTIVAL
The University of Texas at Austin/Department of Theatre and Dance
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April 13 –17 Student Works Brought to Light
30+ shows. all new. all free.
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F /utnewworks I @utnewworks L @utnewworks 04.03–04.17.2015
MEMBER FDIC
Sites in and around the Winship Drama Building
creative team Rachel Alulis (Lighting Designer) is a thirdyear M.F.A. Design and Technology candidate with a focus in lighting design who holds a B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross. Her previous work at The University of Texas at Austin includes In the Heights and Our Country’s Good. Before coming to the university, she worked as a freelance artist in Chicago, where she returned last summer to work with Redmoon Theater Company. Lawrence Bennett (Technical Director) hails from Houston, Texas by way of Chicago, Illinois. He received his B.F.A. from the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University and his M.F.A. from The University of Wisconsin in technical direction and theatre technology, respectively. Lawrence has been the technical director and lighting designer at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, as well as the technical director at the University of South Florida. He has also worked at a variety of Summer Stock productions across the country, including Williamstown Theatre Festival, Utah Shakespeare Festival, and the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Kate Ducey (Projection Designer) is a first-year M.F.A. Design and Technology candidate with a focus in integrated media design. Before coming to The University of Texas at Austin, she was working with several dance and circus companies in Los Angeles as both a lighting designer and performer, including LA Unbound and Troupe Vertigo Circus Theater. Lacey Erb (Projection Designer) is a first-year M.F.A. Design and Technology candidate with a focus in integrated media design. Before attending The University of Texas at Austin, she was the technical director and lighting designer for the Denver School of the Arts Department of Dance and Movement. She is a member of the artistic team for Louder Than Words Dance Theatre, and was recently the interim technical director for the University of Denver Department of Theatre.
Billy Henry (Sound Designer) is a design and technology professor with the Department of Theatre and Dance. If you have watched TV or turned on a radio in the last 15 years, you have heard Billy’s work. He is proud to be a part of The University of Texas at Austin faculty and have his music played at every home football game behind Walter Cronkite as he says “get your horns up.” The music he has written and performed has won multiple awards in several disciplines through the years. Marian Kansas (Dramaturg) is a third-year double major with a B.S. in Advertising and a B.A. in Theatre and Dance with a focus in directing. She has been an active member of the student organization Round About Players as an actor, director and officer. Following this production, she will be acting in the ensemble for Enter a Woman, Pretty Enough at The University of Texas at Austin. Michael Krauss (Scenic Designer) is in his second year as an M.F.A. Design and Technology candidate with a focus in scenic design at The University of Texas at Austin. His recent works include Advance Man as part of UTNT (UT New Theatre), The Pillowman, and Fame The Musical at the Department of Theatre and Dance. In addition to Refugia, he will be working on Enter A Woman, Pretty Enough, a new piece by Diana Lynn Small, and Pirandello for The Cohen New Works Festival. Mercedes O’Bannion (Costume Designer) is a third-year M.F.A. Design and Technology candidate with a focus in costume design. She has designed work for the Department of Theatre and Dance productions of Our Country’s Good and A Streetcar Named Desire, as well as Church of the Passionate Cat (Underbelly) and Bright Now Beyond (Salvage Vanguard Theater). Her future projects include Enter A Woman, Pretty Enough and her thesis installation, This Emotional Closet, which will be presented at The Cohen New Works Festival.
creative team Kristian Wolf Piña (Stage Manager) is a thirdyear B.F.A. Theatre Studies major with a focus in stage management. His past productions include Church of the Passionate Cat with Underbelly and The Fault with The University of Texas at Austin. This past summer, he
worked with The Santa Fe Opera and this spring he will be the stage manager for RE/ Connect at The Cohen New Works Festival. He will be applying to the Professional Intern Program at The Julliard School in Stage Management for the fall of 2016.
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.
2014–2015 Director’s Council Members: Carol Smith Adams Francesca Brockett and Jim Pedicano Barrett Bruce Jean Cheever Joanne and Jack Crosby Dee Dawson Gary Farmer JoLynn Free Pam and Edmund McIlhenny Annie McKinnon
Debbie Oliver Miriam Relyea Russ Sartain Nancy Scanlan Marc Seriff Laura Sheffield Karen Skolnik Leah Stolar Sharon Watkins
Coming to the stage Dance Repertory Theatre Presents
MOVE! March 6–14, 2015 The award-winning ensemble Dance Repertory Theatre returns to the stage with MOVE! The spring concert is a showcase of unique and compelling dance works created by na tionally renowned choreographers, including New York-based artists Kate Watson-Wallace and Sidra Bell.
Enter a Woman, Pretty Enough By Diana Lynn Small March 27–April 3, 2015 Cora is a twelve year-old girl on an exciting field trip to visit a historic gold rush town in northern California. But when her best friend she’s expecting to see never appears, Cora finds herself in a totally new frontier: rough, wicked and bizarre.
Ears, Eyes + Feet May 8–9, 2015 Collaborative works by student and faculty composers, choreographers and video artists from the Department of Theatre and Dance, the Department of Art and Art History, and the Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music.
For more information about the 2014-2015 season, including additional events, visit JoinTheDrama.org Titles and dates are subject to change
cast Emma Center (Ensemble) is a first-year B.F.A. Acting student. This is her first season production on The University of Texas at Austin stage.
and “Carla” in In The Heights. After graduating in May 2017, she plans to move to Chicago to pursue a career in both stage and film acting.
Josh Cole (Ensemble) is originally from England, but spent his high school years in Texas where his passion for acting began. He is a first-year B.F.A. Acting student and aspires to one day become a professional actor in film.
Aya Seidemann (Ensemble) is a junior Theatre and Dance and Mathematics dual major at The University of Texas at Austin. Her recent roles include “Athena” in The Trojan Women, “Duckling Smith” in Our Country’s Good, “Hanna” in The Storyteller, and “Robin Hood” in The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood. She is the business manager of the university’s chapter of Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society and spent the past summer teaching theatre and math at Breakthrough Collaborative.
Robert Di Donato (Ensemble) is a secondyear dual major in Italian and Theatre and Dance. His past acting credits include the “Co-Worker” in UTNT’s production of Karlstad and “Van” in Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead with the Round About Players. Recent directing credits include The Pillowman (Eagle Company) and The Beauty Queen of Leenane with the Round About Players. Robert will be participating in The Cohen New Works Festival later this spring. Hope Higgins (Ensemble) is a first-year B.F.A. Acting student. This will be her first season performance at The University of Texas at Austin. Jordan Maranto (Ensemble) is a sophomore pursuing a B.F.A. in Acting. She is a proud member of the Gigglepants Improv Comedy Troupe and Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society. Within the department, she has been featured as “Cassandra” in The Trojan Women and “Baker” in Advance Man. She can also be seen Tuesday nights on Longhorn LateNight, Texas Student Television’s sketch comedy show. Tucker Martin (Ensemble) is a first-year B.F.A. Acting major. His previous accolades include “Chris” in Good Day, presented as part of UTNT (UT New Theatre), “Buck Barrow” in Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical, and “Duke Orsino” in Twelfth Night. Madison Palomo (Ensemble) is a second-year B.F.A. Acting student at The University of Texas at Austin. She began performing at South Middle School in Edinburg, Texas and has recently been seen as “Esperanza” in Esperanza Rising
Max Torrez (Ensemble) is a second-year B.F.A. Acting major. He was recently seen in The University of Texas at Austin’s production of Fame The Musical as “Joe Vegas.” His past credits include Esperanza Rising as “Tio Luis,” Psycho Beach Party as “Star Cat,” and In the Heights as “Sonny.” After graduating in 2017, Max plans to pursue a career on stage and in film. Arnoldo Treviño Jr. (Ensemble) is a third-year B.A. Theatre and Dance student with a focus in acting at The University of Texas at Austin. Arnoldo is an artistic associate with Underbelly theatre company and was most recently seen in Church of The Passionate Cat, Hamlet, and in Abe Koogler’s Advance Man as “The Librarian.” Katy Wicker (Ensemble) is a senior in the Department of Theatre and Dance. Her recent credits include The Sniper’s Nest, Annie Jump and the Library of Heaven, and Cellfie. She is a co-founder of the university’s chapter of Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society and currently serves as a member of the Undergraduate Advisory Council. Jesse Wormington (Ensemble) is a first-year B.F.A. Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin. He recently finished working as a disco dancer on set of Richard Linklater’s upcoming film. He also composes music and plays gigs around the Austin area.
crew ASSISTANT DIRECTOR CARA PHIPPS
PROPERTIES SUPERVISOR REBECCA SWITZER
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER ALEXANDRA VAN NIMAN
PROPERTIES ASSISTANT SUPERVISOR RIKKI PEREZ
ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNERS YI-TAI CHUNG LAUREN GALLUP ASSISTANT COSTUME DESIGNERS CASEY MCCOOL KELSEY VIDIC ASSISTANT SCENIC DESIGNER BRUNO-PIERRE HOULE ASSISTANT MEDIA DESIGNERS KAIWEN FA NATE JACKSON SCENE SHOP SUPERVISOR J.E. JOHNSON MASTER CARPENTER KATE VAUGHN LEAD CARPENTER HANK SCHWEMMER CHARGE SCENIC ARTIST KAREN MANESS ASSISTANT CHARGE SCENIC ARTIST KARA KONOP GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANTS BRUNO HOULE MICHAEL KRAUSS IAN LOVEALL DAVID MOLINA PRODUCTION LEADS OLIVIA DUNN DWIGHT MONTEITH PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS IAN ALEXANDER ALANI CHOCK FALLON CHRISTIAN TERRI HILLIS Jasmine Kurys HALEY LIBBEY KIARA MCGEE KAY MCGUIRE IAN MOSER TORI RAY SCARLET ROBERTSON CAITLYN THIBODEAUX KEVIN TRAN RYLAN VEIGEL URSULA WALKER
WARDROBE CREW SUPERVISOR ALISON REID
PROP MASTER R. SWITZER
WARDROBE CREW ANNIE BENTZ KATHERINE FARMER AUDREY GRIMES BAILEY GRIMMETT
PROP SHOP GRADUATE ASSISTANT YONGMIN LEE
COSTUME CRAFTS SUPERVISOR TANYA OLALDE
PROP ARTISANS JADA CADENA KIARA MCGEE
COSTUME CRAFT ASSISTANT EL HOHN
PROP STOCK MANAGER VICTORIA SOLORIO PROPS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT VICTORIA SOLORIO PROPS ASSISTANT YONGMIN LEE PROPS CONSTRUCTION CREW JADA CADENA MORGAN STUART
COSTUME SHOP OFFICE ASSISTANTS MATTHEW HERNANDEZ MORGYN UTZMAN COSTUME STOCK MANAGER ANDIE DAY COSTUME STOCK ASSISTANTS CASEY MCCOOL LAURA ROGERS RAMA TCHUNTE
SCENERY/PROPS CREW MADISON ALFORD TYLER BECKWITH ALFRED GOMEZ ADAM SIMMONS
LIGHTING DESIGN TEACHING ASSISTANTS rachel alulis andrew carson yi-tai chung chian-ann lu po-yang song
COSTUME SHOP SUPERVISOR PATRICIA M. RISSER
TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS LIGHTING SUPERVISOR JEFF ELLINGER
1ST HANDS SARAH ALDRIGE ANNA KIMMEL SWETA VAKANI
TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS SUPERVISING ELECTRICIAN MIKELA COWAN
COSTUME SHOP PROJECT MANAGER DARCY WEBERG COSTUME PRODUCTION CREW CHEIFS JUSTIN COLLINGS KRISTIN WOMBLE COSTUME CONSTRUCTION CREW IAN ALEXANDER TYLER CLARK SAENZ LYDIA SAMANTHA PAVICH SARA ROBILLARD WIG AND MAKEUP SPECIALIST ALLISON LOWERY
TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS LIGHTING ASSISTANTS ERICA AYALA LAUREN GALLUP NOLAN THOMAS ALLIE VAN NIMAN SHIMSHON ADAM ZEEVI SAM ZUCKERMAN THEATRE AND DANCE STUDENT ELECTRICS CREW LINDSAY KELLY LUKE LINSTEADT SOMMER NEUGEBAUER SCARLET ROBERTSON LIGHT BOARD OPERATOR CHARLOTTE YORK
AUDIO SUPERVISOR MIKE MALAK AUDIO BOARD OPERATOR JOY CLAWSON MEDIA BOARD OPERATOR LIAM DOLAN-HENDERSON MEDIA CREW KATHERINE ANDERSON SARAH CANTU NOAH COMBRINK JENNY DE LA FUENTE CAMERA AND GRIP STEPHANIE CAVAZOS KAIWEN FA KEVIN POOLE WELSEY SADEK DIRECTING ADVISOR SARAH RASMUSSEN 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 DRAMATURG ADVISORS ANDREW CARLSON LIZ ENGELMAN SCENIC DESIGN ADVISOR WILLIAM BLOODGOOD ACADEMIC PRODUCTION MANAGER DAVID STEWART PHOTOGRAPHER DANIEL CAVAZOS LAWRENCE PEART GRAPHIC DESIGNER MORGAN BATHE