UTNT (UT New Theatre) (2019)

Curated by KJ Sanchez Co-Curated by Alexandra Bassiakou Shaw

March 12-31,2019 F. Loren Winship Drama Building

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(UTNT) UT NEW THEATRE SCHEDULE TUESDAY, MARCH 12

7:30pm

Flora Circular Brockett Theatre

30 Floods

Studio Theatre 1.134

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13

7:30pm

Flora Circular Brockett Theatre

30 Floods

Studio Theatre 1.134

THURSDAY, MARCH 14

7:30pm

Three Shitty Sons

Brockett Theatre

FRIDAY, MARCH 15

7:30pm

Flora Circular Brockett Theatre

30 Floods

Studio Theatre 1.134

SATURDAY, MARCH 16

2:00pm

Flora Circular Brockett Theatre

7:30pm

Three Shitty Sons Brockett Theatre

30 Floods

Studio Theatre 1.134

There will be no performances the week of Spring Break between March 18–22.

TUESDAY, MARCH 26

7:30pm

Flora Circular Brockett Theatre

a place called the middle

Studio Theatre 2.180

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27

7:30pm

Three Shitty Sons Brockett Theatre

a place called the middle

Studio Theatre 2.180

THURSDAY, MARCH 28

7:30pm

Three Shitty Sons Brockett Theatre

30 Floods

Studio Theatre 1.134

FRIDAY, MARCH 29

7:30pm

Three Shitty Sons Brockett Theatre

a place called the middle

Studio Theatre 2.180

SATURDAY, MARCH 30

2:00pm

Three Shitty Sons Brockett Theatre

30 Floods Studio Theatre 1.134 7:30pm

Flora Circular Brockett Theatre

a place called the middle

Studio Theatre 2.180

SUNDAY, MARCH 31

2:00pm

Flora Circular Brockett Theatre

a place called the middle 7:30pm

30 Floods 2

Studio Theatre 2.180

Three Shitty Sons Brockett Theatre Studio Theatre 1.134

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A PLACE CALLED THE MIDDLE

BY I-CHIA CHIU PG. 5

THREE SHITTY SONS

BY HANNAH KENAH PG. 9

30 FLOODS

BY DARIA MIYEKO MARINELLI PG. 13

FLORA CIRCULAR

BY THOM MAY PG. 17

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NOTE FROM THE CO–CURATORS Welcome to UTNT (UT New Theatre)!

We are thrilled to present the new works written by our ascendant third-year M.F.A. in Playwrighting candidates.

Now in its twelfth iteration, UTNT (UT New Theatre) has consistently served as a launchpad for UT’s graduate and undergraduate theatre artists, artists who are continuing to change the American theatre landscape and influence hearts and minds around the world.

We’ve been fortunate this year to have four writers, I-Chia Chiu, Hannah Kenah, Daria Miyeko Marinelli and Thom May each with wildly diverse aesthetic ambitions. More than any other year, their scripts call for unique production concepts, development processes and presentation styles. Given the scope and purpose of their works, we decided to program the productions in a festival format with two shows presented in repertory in the Oscar G. Brockett Theatre and two in residence in studio theatres in the F. Loren Winship Drama Building.

The productions you are about to experience have never existed before and are the products of insight, collaboration, craft, dedication and visions for how we share stories in this changing world.

UTNT stands for “UT New Theatre.” Today is day one. As we say in theatre, thank you for being in the room.

A very special thanks to Steven Dietz, without whom UTNT (UT New Theatre) would not be what it is today. Steven’s championship of new works and his dedication cultivating an economy of generosity has and will forever have a significant impact on the work done here in the Department of Theatre and Dance and in the American theatre at large.

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.

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a place called the middle

by I-Chia Chiu Directed by Adam L. Sussman March 26-27, 29-30 at 7:30 p.m.

March 31 at 2:00 p.m.

Winship Studio Theatre 2.180 F. Loren Winship Drama Building

THEATREDANCE.UTEXAS.EDU

Rachel Atkinson — Environment Designer • Lena Barnard — Dramaturg Brittney Dolan — Stage Manager • Laura Gonzalez — Costume Designer Mikaela Kelarek — Sound Designer • Adam L. Sussman — Director David Tolin — Technical Director • Amariah K. Williams — Production Manager Mingxiang Ya — Projection Designer

CAST (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER) Ryan Cruz Frances Garnett Diana Patricia Guizado Devin Ray Ramirez Eleanor Webster The videotaping, photography or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

NOTE FROM THE PLAYWRIGHT Jean-François Lyotard once said “no self is an island; each exists in a fabric of relations that is now more complex and mobile than ever before.” In many ways, this performance is an inquiry of our relationship to our own life story. We are all writers, or writers of our life stories. We are always encountering new characters in our life. I see you, you see me, we talk to each other, and we become friends (or not). Yet, I have never experienced the beginning of your story, and it is highly likely that you will not witness the ending of my story. As someone who is far away from Taiwan, my country of origin, I feel that I am always in the middle, always traveling, both in space and in time. What is the middle? What is happening in the present? Who are we in the middle of our own stories? I hope this piece can offer a space for a dialogue for these questions. To quote Barbara Mayerhoff, “A story isn’t a good story until it receives a story in return.”

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CREATIVE I-Chia Chiu (Playwright) is a theatremaker and a storyteller. She writes plays, poems and fairy tales. She is also passionate about devising and teaching.

Chiu strives to make work with a focus on memory, reciprocity, mutual-invitation and community-building. Her works have been developed by Stumbling Ostrich, a theatre ensemble she founded in Taiwan. She is currently a M.F.A. in Playwriting candidate at The University of Texas at Austin.

Laura Gonzalez (Costume Designer) is a fourth-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in design and technology (Honors) at The University of Texas at Austin. She has designed for over 35 productions during her time at UT. Recent credits include assistant costume design for Matawan (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2018) and design for Student Bodies, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing.

Rachel Atkinson (Environment Designer) Texas Theatre and Dance credits include The Edge of Peace, 360 (round dance), Physical Language and UTNT (UT New Theatre) 2015.

Atkinson has designed recent productions for ZACH Theatre, Mary Moody Northen Theatre, paper chairs, Alanté Flamenco, Glass Half Full Theatre, The Long Center for Performing Arts, GALE Theatre and Theatre En Bloc. She received an Austin Critics Table Award for Lighting (2017-2018 season) and a B. Iden Payne Award in 2018. She received a M.F.A. from The University of Texas at Austin.

Mikaela Kelarek (Sound Designer) is a thirdyear B.A. Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in design and technology. She has previously worked as a sound board operator for UTNT (UT New Theatre, (2018)) and as the audio engineer for Mr. Burns: a post-electric play. She currently works as a student audio assistant at Texas Performing Arts.

Lena Barnard (Dramaturg) is a first-year M.F.A. in Playwriting candidate at The University of Texas at Austin. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she spent six years making theatre in Philadelphia before making her way to Austin, Texas. Her work has been presented in the SoLow Festival, Azuka Theatre’s Spotlight Series and PlayPenn New Play Development Conference. She was a member of the second class of the Philadelphia playwright’s lab, the Foundry @ PlayPenn.

Brittney L. Dolan (Stage Manager) is an award-winning first-year B.A. Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in stage management and a minor in arts management and administration. Her most recent credit is The Merchant of Venice as assistant stage manager (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2018). Her work on Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Uptown Players, Dallas, Texas) has been critically acclaimed.

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Adam L. Sussman (Director) is an awardwinning theatre maker and M.F.A. in Directing candidate at The University of Texas at Austin. Recent directing credits include The Merchant of Venice with Texas Theatre and Dance (“One of the top productions of 2018” Austin American-Statesman) and The Tiny Banger (Trinity Street Players), a film and theatre piece by Alice Stanley about urban homelessness. Prior to moving to Austin, Sussman was the literary manager at Custom Made Theatre Company, a Bret C. Hart Directing Fellow at The Berkeley Repertory Theatre and a longtime participant and co-organizer of the International Home Theater Festival. This is his third UTNT (UT New Theatre) production.

David Tolin (Technical Director) was born and raised in Casper, Wyoming. He attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he received his B.A. in Theatre with a concentration in design/technology. In 2006, he interned with Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère (Treasure Island) and served as a stagehand for Desert Entertainment for several concerts, productions and events across Las

CREATIVE Vegas. He received a M.F.A. in Scenic Technology from The University of Texas at Austin before teaching at Westlake High School for seven years. Tolin joined the staff of the Department of Theatre and Dance in 2017.

Amariah K. Williams (Production Manager) is a third-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with a minor in arts management at The University of Texas at Austin. Before coming to UT, Williams had the pleasure

of working one year in New York with acts such as Rhonda Miller, Dee Caspary and working as a second assistant director for the award-winning film La Oposición.

Mingxiang Ya (Projection Designer) is a second-year M.F.A. in Design and Technology candidate with a focus in integrated media for live performance at The University of Texas at Austin. He comes from China and graduated from Shanghai Theatre Academy.

CAST Ryan Cruz (Ensemble) is a third-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in performer’s process (Honors) at The University of Texas at Austin. His previous acting credits include “Conrad” in Stupid F*cking Bird and “Antonio” in The Merchant of Venice. In addition to acting, Cruz is also a playwright, an active member of SNAFU Improv at UT and the treasurer of UT’s Shakespeare Company.

Frances Garnett (Ensemble) is a dual B.A. in Theatre and Dance and International Relations major. Recent credits include “Bianca” in Othello, “Pamela” in The 39 Steps, the ensemble of Loverboy (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2018) and “Nerissa” in The Merchant of Venice. She made her film debut in Dex Decker’s The Clouds. In her free time, she writes plays, serves as the communications director of Aspire Scholarship Database and manages a website about artistic third culture kids.

Diana Patricia Guizado (Ensemble) is a B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in performer’s process at The

University of Texas at Austin. She has received training from Urban Bush Women and the Lesly Kahn Institute in Los Angeles.

She has recently been seen in Atlantis: A Puppet Opera (The Vortex) and Mr. Burns, a post-electric play (Performance as Public Practice Graduate Student Alliance).

Devin Ray Ramirez (Ensemble) is a thirdyear B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin. a place called the middle marks his second UTNT (UT New Theatre) performance. Ramirez was also recently seen in Matawan (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2018). Upon graduation, he plans to move to Los Angeles to further pursue the arts.

Eleanor Webster (Ensemble) is a thirdyear B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in performer’s process at The University of Texas at Austin. She is an international exchange student visiting UT from her home university in Exeter, England. She aspires to become an actor and theatre maker when she graduates and focus on devised work. Webster also enjoys directing and writing her own plays.

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CAST

Ryan Cruz

Frances Garnett

Devin Ray Ramirez

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Diana Patricia Guizado

Eleanor Webster

Three Shitty Sons

by Hannah Kenah Directed by Mason Rosenthal March 14, 16, 27-29, 31 at 7:30 p.m.

March 30 at 2:00 p.m.

Oscar G. Brockett Theatre F. Loren Winship Drama Building

THEATREDANCE.UTEXAS.EDU Sarah Carlson — Stage Manager • Mikaela Kelarek — Sound Designer Jenifer Margos — Costume Designer • Roxenia Mojica — Scenic Designer Mason Rosenthal — Director • David Tolin — Technical Director Kendra S. Wiley — Lighting Designer • Amariah K. Williams — Production Manager

CAST Woman/Priest/Emily ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Caroline Beagles Mamu ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Amaya Ananda Abalos Nancy ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Sydnie Brown John �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Gilberto Beltran Eli ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Ben Montero Sam ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Jared VosWinkel Dick �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Sebastian Ojeda The videotaping, photography or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

Plastic Jesus composed by George Cromarty and Ed Rush (© EMI April Music Inc.)

NOTE FROM THE PLAYWRIGHT I grew up in a household interested in the “beginner’s mind.” I took that to mean—assume you know nothing and start from there. It’s a good approach, and I thought of it from an individual perspective.

Mason Rosenthal—a friend, collaborator, extraordinarily talented artist and teacher, and the director of this production—taught me to rethink the beginner’s mind. It’s not about starting from your beginning but from the group’s beginning. In making theatre, we come together as a group, often in a new assembly of humans, and we begin again. We learn anew what it is to build comedic rhythms and brave physicality, learn together again what it is to investigate sentiment and detachment, discover once more what it is to make a play.

I want to thank my collaborators for their inexhaustible attention – it has improved this play immensely. I want to thank Thornton Wilder. Three Shitty Sons owes a large debt to his play Our Town, which brilliantly highlights the various layers, conventions and beliefs constantly in operation on a stage. I want to thank you for attending the show and completing an integral part of the equation that makes up a performance.

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CREATIVE Hannah Kenah (Playwright) is a playwright, performer and devising artist. She has been developing work with the Rude Mechs since 2008, most recently serving as the writer on Field Guide, which was commissioned

by Yale Repertory Theatre and premiered in their 2017–2018 season. She is also a company member with Salvage Vanguard Theater and recently did a workshop of her play Heaven Born Wind with artistic director Jenny Larson in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her play With Great Difficulty Alice Sits was selected as a semifinalist for the 2018 Relentless Award. Kenah is a Michener Fellow at The University of Texas at Austin.

Sarah Carlson (Stage Manager) is a secondyear B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in stage management. She recently stage managed A Plan and Not Enough Time (Texas Theatre and Dance) and (& Medea). Assistant stage management credits include Milton, MI (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2018) and The Drowsy Chaperone (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017).

Mikaela Kelarek (Sound Designer) is a thirdyear B.A. Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in design and technology. She has previously worked as a sound board operator for UTNT (UT New Theatre, 2018) and as audio engineer for Mr. Burns: a post-electric play. She currently works as a student audio assistant at Texas Performing Arts.

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candidate with an emphasis in scenic design. Her recent work includes La clemenza di Tito, Falstaff (Butler Opera Center) and ENRON (Texas Theatre and Dance).

This past summer, she was a Design Fellow at the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, New York, designing for the Wedge and KiddStuff series. As a University of Nevada Las Vegas alumna and a Las Vegas native, she has designed professionally both in the community and with strip headliners.

Mason Rosenthal (Director) is an original performance maker, director, actor and teacher from Skokie, Illinois. He co-directs the devised theatre company Lightning Rod Special (LRS).

LRS Productions include The Appointment premiering March 20 at FringeArts in Philadelphia and the Obie Award-winning Underground Railroad Game currently on tour. He received a B.F.A. in Acting from New York University where he studied with The Atlantic Theater Company. Rosenthal was on faculty at The Atlantic from 2007 to 2011.

In 2011, he moved to Philadelphia to be the Headlong Performance Institute’s first teaching fellow. In 2017 he left for Austin where he is currently pursuing a M.F.A. in Performance as Public Practice at The University of Texas. masonrosenthal.weebly.com

Jenifer Margos (Costume Designer) is a fourth-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in design and technology at The University of Texas at Austin. Her recent credits include costume design for Daring Greatly (Dance Repertory Theatre’s Transcendence, 2018), assistant costume designer for Hedwig and the Angry Inch (ZACH Theatre, 2019) and The Drowsy Chaperone (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017).

David Tolin (Technical Director) was born and raised in Casper, Wyoming. He attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he received his B.A. in Theatre with a concentration in design/technology. In 2006, he interned with Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère (Treasure Island) and served as a stagehand for Desert Entertainment for several concerts, productions and events across Las Vegas.

He received a M.F.A. in Scenic Technology from The University of Texas at Austin before teaching at Westlake High School for seven years. Tolin joined the staff of the Department of Theatre and Dance in 2017.

Roxenia Mojica (Scenic Designer) is a third-year M.F.A. in Design and Technology

Kendra S. Wiley (Lighting Designer) is a M.F.A. in Design and Technology

CREATIVE candidate with an emphasis in lighting design. While at the University of Texas at Austin, Wiley has designed for Fall for Dance (Dance Repertory Theatre, 2018) and is collaborating on multiple projects for The Cohen New Works Festival this spring. Professional lighting design credits include The Little Prince (Springer Opera House) and Elements: A Dance Concert (Samford University). kendraswiley.com.

Amariah K. Williams (Production Manager) is a third-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major also pursuing a minor in arts management at The University of Texas at Austin. Before coming to UT, Williams had the pleasure of working one year in New York with acts such as Rhonda Miller, Dee Caspary and working as a second assistant director for the award-winning film La Oposición.

CAST Caroline Beagles (Woman/Priest/Emily) is a third-year B.F.A. in Acting major.

She was recently seen in Texas Theatre and Dance’s production of ENRON and Anon(ymous). This past December, she acted in and served as assistant director for the UT Shakespeare Company’s production of Othello.

Amaya Ananda Abalos (Mamu) is a firstyear B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin. She has acted extensively in high school plays that inspired her to continue to pursue a career in theatre.

Sydnie Brown (Nancy) is a first-year B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin. Originally from Houston, Texas, she is an alumna of Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Some of her previous performances include The Colored Museum, …At the Apollo, Soul of the 70’s, Smokefall and Bring It On, The Musical.

This is her first mainstage performance with Texas Theatre and Dance.

Gilberto Beltran (John) is a first-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in performer’s process. He was recently seen as ‘Kip’’ in Wonder of the World (Alpha Psi Omega) and as ‘’Jason” in (& Medea) by Jess Shoemaker. Beltran plans to continue

molding his skills as a painter, singer, actor and dancer before eventually pursuing a career in Los Angeles.

Ben Montero (Eli) is a third-year UTeach Theatre major from the Rio Grande Valley.

Recent credits include “Judas” in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Alpha Psi Omega, 2016) and “Javier” in El Camino de Hierro (The Cohen New Works Festival, 2017).

Most recently, Montero served as assistant director for Round About Players’ musical production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. This is Montero’s first mainstage production with Texas Theatre and Dance.

Jared VosWinkel (Sam) is a first-year B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin. This is his first mainstage production with Texas Theatre and Dance.

He attended Wylie High School in Abilene, Texas where he performed in The Cripple of Inishmaan and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.

Sebastian Ojeda (Dick) is a first-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in performer’s process at The University of Texas at Austin. This is his first mainstage production with Texas Theatre and Dance. He is an actor, writer and budding polyglot.

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CAST

Caroline Beagles

Amaya Ananda Abalos

Sydnie Brown

Gilberto Beltran

Ben Montero

Jared VosWinkel

Sebastian Ojeda

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30 Floods

By Daria Miyeko Marinelli Directed and Developed with Anna Skidis Vargas March 12-13, 15-16, 28, 31 at 7:30 p.m.

March 30 at 2:00 p.m.

Winship Studio Theatre 1.134 F. Loren Winship Drama Building

THEATREDANCE.UTEXAS.EDU Chris Conard — Scenic and Lighting Designer • Jesse Easdon — Projection Designer Laura Gonzalez — Costume Designer • Gursimrat Kaur — Dramaturg Yessmeen Moharram — Stage Manager • James Parker — Composer Jessica Sell — Sound Designer • Anna Skidis Vargas — Director • Brisa Shaw — Composer David Tolin — Technical Director • Amariah K. Williams — Production Manager

CAST (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE) THE TOWN �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Ashley Bowen HIM ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Alfred Chou ME ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Ro Ganesh YOU ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Bishop J. Pearsall TORU ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Roberto Soto III KUMIKO ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Juleeane Villarreal The videotaping, photography or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

NOTE FROM THE PLAYWRIGHT There’s this story about Paul Farmer, a doctor who spent much of his time working to cure disease in developing nations. Part of his work brought him to a population whose beliefs in voodoo and sorcery often ran counter to his prescribed regimens of antibiotics and vaccinations. During his time working with this population, Dr. Farmer came across an elder who, when ill, eschewed their belief in sorcery: “I’m not stupid. I know tuberculosis comes from people coughing germs.” The elder had taken all their medications and been cured. A year later, Dr. Farmer came across this elder scheming to get the person who had given them their illness back, with sorcery and likely a curse.

With confusion, Dr. Farmer asked the elder why, if they believed in sorcery, had they taken medication when ill a year prior.

And with a soft sympathetic smile, the elder responded, “Dr. Farmer, are you incapable of complexity? Can you not hold two contradictory thoughts in your mind at the same time?”

I often think of that story.

This play is for those who live in both.

—DMM 13

CREATIVE Daria Miyeko Marinelli (Playwright) is a non-binary Japanese-Italian playwright.

Marinelli’s plays include We Are Samurai, Excipio, A Departure, Ravenous and 893 | Ya-ku-za. Their work has been performed at Victory Gardens, Ensemble Theatre Company, The Flea, Boston Center for the Arts, The VORTEX and Rites and Reason Theatre, among others. Marinelli has developed work with SPACE on Ryder Farm, National New Play Network’s M.F.A. Playwrights’ Workshop at The Kennedy Center and The New Harmony Project.

Their accolades include being a recipient of The Weston Award in Playwriting, an Arnold Fellowship, a semifinalist for The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference and a showcased writer at the 2018 Consortium of Asian American Theaters & Artists.

Chris Conard (Scenic and Lighting Designer) is an Austin-based scenic and lighting designer. He graduated with a B.F.A. in Technical Theater Design from Santa Fe University of Art and Design in 2014.

Conard is a first-year M.F.A. in Design and Technology candidate, a producer and cofounder of The Frank Wo/Men Collective and the proud recipient of the Austin Critics Table Award for Best Scenic Design in 2017 and 2018 as well as the B. Iden Payne Award for Outstanding Scenic Design in 2017. jchrisconard.com Jesse Easdon (Projection Designer) is a M.F.A. in Design and Technology candidate with a focus in integrated media for live performance at The University of Texas at Austin. After growing up in Branson, Missouri, he moved to Florida where he attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, majoring in electrical engineering. In addition to his theatrical credits, Easdon has worked on various projects including the UT Basketball Tip-Off, VJ Battle: Audiopixelcollider and Ears, Eyes + Feet.

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Laura Gonzalez (Costume Designer) is a fourth-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in design and technology (Honors) at The University of Texas at Austin. She has designed for over 35 productions during her time at UT. Recent credits include assistant costume design for Matawan (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2018) and design for Student Bodies, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing.

Yessmeen Moharram (Stage Manager) is a second-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in stage management. She is also a dual major in Radio– Television–Film with a minor in arts management and administration. She recently worked as the stage manager of Fall For Dance. Aside from her studies, Moharram is also the fine arts representative in Student Government, the social communications co-chair in USITT and the vice president of the Fine Arts Council.

Jessica Sell (Sound Designer) is a secondyear B.A. Theatre and Dance with an emphasis in design and technology. Her recent design credits include The Tiny Banger, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and (& Medea).

She has worked at Texas Performing Arts in the Audio Department and at Hogg Memorial Auditorium as an A/V technician for the past year. This is her first mainstage performance with Texas Theatre and Dance.

Anna Skidis Vargas (Director) is a M.F.A. in Directing candidate at The University of Texas at Austin. She holds a B.A. in Performance from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. She is the founding artistic director of Theatre Nuevo in Saint Louis and has produced and directed This is Not Funny, Orgullo, Acronyms, Luchadora! and HELL. Skidis Vargas is developing and directing Lloronx for The 2019 Cohen New Works Festival, which dissects Latinx stereo-

CREATIVE types using the folktale of La Llorona.

As an actor, Skidis Vargas has received two Saint Louis Theatre Circle Awards for outstanding performances as “Lizzie Borden” in Lizzie (New Line Theatre) and as “Ilse” in Spring Awakening (Stray Dog Theatre). skidisvargas.com David Tolin (Technical Director) was born and raised in Casper, Wyoming. He attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he received his B.A. in Theatre with a concentration in design/technology. In 2006, he interned with Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère (Treasure Island) and served as a stagehand for Desert Entertainment for several concerts, productions and events

across Las Vegas. He received a M.F.A. in Scenic Technology from The University of Texas at Austin before teaching at Westlake High School for seven years. Tolin joined the staff of the Department of Theatre and Dance in 2017.

Amariah K. Williams (Production Manager) is a third-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major also pursuing a minor in arts management at The University of Texas at Austin. Before coming to UT, Williams had the pleasure of working one year in New York with acts such as Rhonda Miller, Dee Caspary and working as a second assistant director for the award-winning film La Oposición.

CAST Ashley Bowen (THE TOWN) is a secondyear dual B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in performer’s process and government major at The University of Texas at Austin. 30 Floods will be her first mainstage production with Texas Theatre and Dance. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue a career in acting, singing and dance.

Alfred Chou (HIM) is a B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin. He was most recently seen as “Sam/Troy” in Mr. Burns, a post-electric play.

Ro Ganesh (ME) is a first-year neuroscience major pursuing a certificate in psychology at The University of Texas at Austin. They were recently seen in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Round About Players, 2018). This is their second theatre production.

Bishop J. Pearsall (YOU) is a first-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in performer’s process at The University of Texas at Austin. This will be his first mainstage production with Texas Theatre and Dance.

Roberto Soto III (TORU) is a first-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. Past credits include “Stephen Rice” in The Spiral Staircase, “Barfée” in The Twenty-Fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, “Ah-Ucu” in La Llorona and “Kike” in Tecatos.

Juleeane Villarreal (KUMIKO) is a secondyear B.A. in Theatre and Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She has recently been seen in ENRON, Loverboy (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2018) and Matawan. This spring, she will be participating in a project for The Cohen New Works Festival as a cocreator and assistant director.

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CAST

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Ashley Bowen

Alfred Chou

Ro Ganesh

Bishop J. Pearsall

Roberto Soto III

Juleeane Villarreal

Flora Circular

By Thom May Directed by Jess Shoemaker March 12-13, 15, 26, 30 at 7:30 p.m.

March 16, 31 at 2:00 p.m.

Oscar G. Brockett Theatre F. Loren Winship Drama Building

THEATREDANCE.UTEXAS.EDU Christin Sawyer Davis — Dialect Coach • Aaron Kubacak — Costume Designer Laynie McClelland — Makeup Designer • Roxenia Mojica — Scenic Designer Jessica Sell – Sound Designer • Jess Shoemaker — Director • David Tolin — Technical Director Kendra S. Wiley — Lighting Designer • Alexis Williams — Stage Manager Amariah K. Williams — Production Manager • Mingxiang Ya — Integrated Media Designer

CAST (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE) Harriet Turner ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Khali Sykes Ira Hallett �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Augustus Wheeler Matthew Hallett �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� William Hahn Dr. Emma Nadir/Mary ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Savanna Cole Flo Hallett ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Lauren Weik Colin/Tollbooth ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Henry Wheatley-Rutner Kira/Camila ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Saige Larmer Ashley ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Keila Yaseli Gonzalez The videotaping, photography or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

Get a Grip (on Yourself) composed by David Greenfield, Brian John Duffy, Jean Jacques Burnel and Hugh Alan Cornwell (© Universal Music).

NOTE FROM THE PLAYWRIGHT The history of schizophrenia is the history of blame.

—Maryellen Walsh I have a kind of Halloween mask Which I am afraid to put on.

—Charles Simic Don’t start no shit, it won’t be no shit.

—Lil Jon

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CREATIVE Thom May (Playwright) is a playwright and screenwriter from Reading, England, which he likes to refer to as the “Newark of London.” He has written for the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, been a member of the Royal Court Studio Group and in 2015 his play war war brand war won the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Other Prize. His plays have been performed in London, Austin, Edinburgh, Cambridge and Coventry and, since 2016, he has been a playwriting fellow at the Michener Center for Writers in Austin.

Christin Sawyer Davis (Dialect Coach) is an assistant professor of practice in the acting program. As an actor, she has worked in New York, Austin and regionally. Recent credits include “Bessie” in The Drowning Girls and “Adrienne” in Cry it Out. Film credits include Mr. Roosevelt, Song to Song and The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. She received her M.F.A. from American Conservatory Theater and is a member of Actor’s Equity.

Aaron Kubacak (Costume Designer) received his undergraduate degree in Radio-Television-Film from The University of Texas at Austin in 2001 and is currently a M.F.A. in Design and Technology candidate with an emphasis in costume design. Recent credits include Dance Repertory Theatre’s Momentum (2017) and Transcendence (2018); The Crucible (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017); Performance as Public Practice Graduate Student Alliance’s Telephone (2017) and Mr. Burns, a postelectric play (2018); Henry VIII (Texas Ballet Theater, 2018). akubdesigns.com Jessica Sell (Sound Designer) is a secondyear B.A. Theatre and Dance with an emphasis in design and technology. Her recent design credits include The Tiny Banger, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and (& Medea).

She has worked at Texas Performing Arts in the Audio Department and at Hogg Memorial Auditorium as an A/V technician 18

for the past year. This is her first mainstage production with Texas Theatre and Dance.

Jess Shoemaker (Director) is a director/ playwright seeking high stakes, soaring poetry, unabashed emotion and those places where violence and empathy collide. Recent projects include Loverboy by Drew Paryzer (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2018) and Venus in Fur by David Ives (Great River Shakespeare Festival, 2018). Her own plays have enjoyed extended runs in Chicago, Los Angeles and Indianapolis. Shoemaker is currently pursuing a M.F.A. in Directing from The University of Texas at Austin and holds a B.F.A. in Acting.

David Tolin (Technical Director) was born and raised in Casper, Wyoming. He attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he received his B.A. in Theatre with a concentration in design/technology. In 2006, he interned with Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère (Treasure Island) and served as a stagehand for Desert Entertainment for several concerts, productions and events across Las Vegas.

He received a M.F.A. in Scenic Technology from The University of Texas at Austin before teaching at Westlake High School for seven years. Tolin joined the staff of the Department of Theatre and Dance in 2017.

Kendra S. Wiley (Lighting Designer) is a M.F.A. in Design and Technology candidate with a focus in lighting design. While at the University of Texas at Austin, Wiley has designed for Fall For Dance (2018) and will collaborate on multiple projects this spring for The Cohen New Works Festival.

Professional lighting design credits include The Little Prince at the Springer Opera House and Elements: A Dance Concert at Samford University. kendraswiley.com.

Alexis Williams (Stage Manager) is a second-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in stage management at The University of Texas at Austin.

She most recently served as the stage

CREATIVE manager for The Tiny Banger (Trinity Street Players, 2018) and the assistant stage manager for Matawan (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2018).

major also pursuing a minor in arts management at The University of Texas at Austin.

Before coming to UT, Williams had the pleasure of working one year in New York with acts such as Rhonda Miller, Dee Caspary and working as a second assistant director for the award-winning film La Oposición.

Amariah K. Williams (Production Manager) is a third-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance

CAST Khali Sykes (Harriet Turner) is a dual B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in performer’s process and sociology major with a business minor at The University of Texas at Austin. She has extensive training and experience in dance, acting, voice and writing. Recent credits include The Realness (New Manifest Theater Company), The Tiny Banger (Trinity Street Players), Rick Said So (Frank Wo/Men Collective), Matawan (Texas Theatre and Dance) and Beauty and the Beast (ZACH Theater).

Augustus Wheeler (Ira Hallett) is a first-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in performer’s process at The University of Texas at Austin. He recently appeared in Wonder of the World (Alpha Psi Omega).

William Hahn (Matthew Hallett) is a second-year B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin. Previous credits include Wellesley Girl (Texas Theatre and Dance Studio Project), Othello (UT Shakespeare Company) and the short film Night Drive. This is his first mainstage appearance with Texas Theatre and Dance.

Savanna Cole (Dr. Emma Nadir/Mary) is a third-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in performer’s process.

She has recently been seen as “Nerissa” in The Merchant of Venice (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2018), “Robin” in Rob1n (Summer Stock Austin, 2018) and the ensemble of Loverboy (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2018).

She will be featured in the upcoming short film Access Granted.

Lauren Weik (Flo Hallett) is a B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin. She has recently been seen as “Desdemona” in Othello (UT Shakespeare Company), ENRON (Texas Theater and Dance, 2018) and The Crucible (Texas Theater and Dance, 2017).

Henry Wheatley-Rutner (Colin/Tollbooth) is a third-year UTeach Theatre major with a minor in English. Previous acting credits include “Oberon” in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare at Winedale), “Lysander” in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and “Warren” in The Velvet Sky (Alpha Psi Omega). He directed the Round About Players production of Macbeth with Madeleine Hayes in Spring 2018.

Saige Larmer (Kira/Camila) is a second-year B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin. She was most recently seen in Othello (UT Shakespeare Company) this past fall. This is her first mainstage production with Texas Theatre and Dance.

Keila Yaseli Gonzalez (Ashley) is a B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin. She has recently been in Loverboy by Drew Paryzer (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2018) and Dulce by Ramón Esquivel. She has also worked in multiple student projects.

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CAST

Khali Sykes

Augustus Wheeler

William Hahn

Savanna Cole

Lauren Weik

Henry Wheatley-Rutner

Saige Larmer

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Keila Yaseli Gonzalez

CREW ASSISTANT DIRECTORS REBECCA EAST° EMILY GARCIA° DIAMANTE MARTINEZˆ AARON MOORE* ANDREW G. RODRIGUEZ* ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERS CALLIE BLACKSTOCK° HALEY BROWER§ MIRANDA PERKINS§ BRISA SHAW* SCRIPT ADVISOR LILY GONZALEZˆ ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNERS ALYSSA FINGERˆ§ WILLIAM RIOSˆ§ ASSISTANT SOUND DESIGNERS FARHAN KAMAL° BENJAMIN CLARK* MAX WESTLUNDˆ§ SOUND ENGINEERS BEN GALVAN* MIKAELA KELAREKˆ§ JESSICA SELLˆ§ JAKE STEIN° COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAMS RYAN ALVARADO° AUDREY LOOMISˆ MIREYA LUNAˆ RACHEL ASHTON WARREN§ JILLION YOUNG§ SCENIC STUDIO SUPERVISOR J.E. JOHNSON SCENIC ART SUPERVISOR KAREN MANESS

PROP SHOP ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT AND STOCK MANAGER SKYLER TATEN

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ALY REDLAND PRODUCTION LEADS NATASHA COSME BATISTA DARSHAN DESAI CAROL ENDICOTT DAVID HERNANDEZ JAREN HORN TAYLOR JONES JUAN LEYVA JULIO MUNOZ BRIAN NGUYEN ERIC RAMIREZ CHRISTINA SCHELLER ROHIT SWAMINATHAN HENRY WHEATLEY-RUTNER

PROPS CONSTRUCTION CREW CAMRYN BASILE KAITLYN GARCIA BRANDON PEGRAM GRAYSON PENNINGTON INDIRA RAMPERSAD UTNT RUNNING CREW DORIAN ARRIAGA LEAH BENAIM KHALIL MILES COSTUME PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NANETTE ACOSTA

PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS SULTAN ABBOUSHI RYAN ALVARADO ANNA ALTAMIRANO MARIA ARELLANO NATALIE DI GRAZIA CRYSTAL GLASS VIVIAN GONZALEZ ANGEL HIMENEZ ELIJAH HOLLAND MALAIKA JHAVERI MARIANNA GARCIA MARÓN CELINA NDIBWAMI ZOE SKEWES CHRISTIANA THOMAS TONY TIMERMAN NATHAN TRAN CONSULETE WILSON AIDAN WILT

COSTUME SHOP ASSOCIATE MANAGER DARCY WEBERG DRAPERS SARAH ALDRIDGE SARAH BARBOUR JOSEPH HARRINGTON POUA YANG FIRST HANDS STEPHANIE FISHER JOSEPH HARRINGTON AARON KUBACAK JESSI ROSE ANNIE ULRICH STITCHERS MIA BARRERA LAURA GONZALEZ MELISSA WONG-SIMPSON

PROP SHOP SUPERVISOR REBECCA SWITZER ASSOCIATE PROP SHOP SUPERVISOR CAROLYN ALLINGHAM HARDIN

ASSOCIATE SCENIC STUDIO SUPERVISOR JASON HUERTA

PROP MASTER DIAMANTE MARTINEZˆ R. SWITZER*° TRAVIS TAYLOR§

MASTER CARPENTER HANK SCHWEMMER

ASSISTANT PROP MASTER MADELEINE HAYES*°

ASSISTANT CHARGE SCENIC ARTIST ASHTON MURPHY

PROP SHOP GRADUATE ASSISTANT ZOE ANDERSEN

GRADUATE PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS ZOE ANDERSEN JENNICA DOMBROWSKI

PROP ARTISANS MADELEINE HAYES DIAMANTE MARTINEZ MORGAN RIDDLE TAYLOR TRAVIS

* a place called the middle ˆ Three Shitty Sons

ADVANCED COSTUME PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES TEACHING ASSISTANT SAMANTHA GASHETTE COSTUME PRODUCTION CREW AMAYA ARMSTRONG AYLA AZIZOGLU CHRISTIAN BLAKE RYAN CRUZ JAMES HOAG KARYSHMA KHAN ISAAC KRESTA NATALIA DE MAAR INDYA MCKNIGHT KACI PELIAS SARAH POEHLER SARAH SCHNEIDER LAUREN WEIK

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Flora Circular

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CREW DEJANIRA WHITE MELISSA WONG-SIMPSON HAIR AND MAKEUP CONSULTANT TARA COOPER WARDROBE SUPERVISOR ROXANNE ROHMANN WARDROBE CREW CHIEFS HSIAO-WEI CHEN JENIFER MARGOS COSTUME CRAFTS ARTISAN TANYA OLALDE COSTUME CRAFTS ASSISTANTS SAMANTHA COLE ALEXANDER GREER COSTUME SHOP OFFICE ASSISTANT LINDSEY THURSTON COSTUME STOCK SUPERVISOR DESIREÉ HUMPHRIES COSTUME STOCK ASSISTANTS AUSTIN ALVAREZ MELISSA WONG-SIMPSON 324P LIGHTING FACULTY SUPERVISOR SADIE LANGENKAMP TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS SUPERVISING ELECTRICIANS SARAH CANTU SEB BOONE TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS LIGHTING SUPERVISOR JEFF ELLINGER

LIGHTING CREW CHARLOTTE BRUMBELOW ALLYSON GARRETT NOELLE GONZALEZ AUSTIN HILLE WILLIAM KACHI NWOBUM SOPHIA RUBIO NOAH TUCKER BRENDA VAZQUEZ

AUDREY GERTHOFFER HANNAH KELLY BELLA MEDINA SOPHIA POLLOCK AZARI SUMBLER REBEKAH URBAN

TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS LIGHTING CREW BENJAMIN GALVAN LIBBY JANTZ ALEXANDRA JEREB ADRIANA LARA BRISA SHAW

DIRECTING ADVISORS KJ SANCHEZ ALEXANDRA BASSIAKOU SHAW PLAYWRIGHTING ADVISOR PATRICK SHAW COSTUME DESIGN ADVISOR SUSAN MICKEY

AUDIO SUPERVISOR MIKE MALAK

COSTUME TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR JAMES GLAVAN

ASSOCIATE AUDIO SUPERVISOR KENNY KUYKENDALL AUDIO PRODUCTION STUDENT CREW BEN CAMPBELL BENJAMIN GALVAN MIKAELA KELAREK WYATT LASTER MALYSSA QUILES JESSICA SELL

LIGHTING DESIGN ADVISOR KEVIN LAWSON INTEGRATED MEDIA DESIGN ADVISOR SVEN ORTEL SCENIC DESIGN ADVISOR WILLIAM BLOODGOOD

TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS AUDIO CREW MIKAELA KELAREK WYATT LASTER MILA LUNA MALYSSA QUILES JESSICA SELL

SOUND DESIGN ADVISORS CAROLINA PEREZ BEN TRUPPIN-BROWN DRAMATURGY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ADVISOR ALEXANDRA BASSIAKOU SHAW

MEDIA SHOP SUPERVISOR EARNEST MAZIQUE

SENIOR LIGHTING TECHNICIANS AARON CURRY QI JIAJING WILLIAM RIOS AUSTIN SHIRLEY AMBER WHATLEY KENDRA WILEY

MEDIA GRADUATE ASSISTANTS JESSE EASDON KAIWEN FA ALEX J. GENDAL LOGAN SMITH MINGXIANG YA

TEXAS THEATRE AND DANCE

MEDIA SHOP CREW

* a place called the middle ˆ Three Shitty Sons

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STAGE MANAGEMENT ADVISOR RUSTY CLOYES

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ACADEMIC PRODUCTION MANAGER JEFF GRAPKO PHOTOGRAPHER LAWRENCE PEART GRAPHIC DESIGNER NICK GALUBAN

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