Pear Slices | 2016 by VIA MEDIA / BAYSTAGES

P E AR T H E AT R E p r e se n t s

PEAR SLICES 2016 directed by Robyn Ginsburg Braverman and Troy Johnson graphic design + publishing

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PROGRAM 1: ANJOU SLICES

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Edward T. Eddington..................................................... Mark Vashro Various.............................................................. Stephanie Crowley Kristin Walter Chris Mahle WAVE WALKER by Bridgette Dutta Portman

Meryl........................................................................Kristin Walter Leia..................................................................................... Nicole Martin TRANSCONTINENTAL by David Schreiber

Laura.......................................................................... April Culver Jacob..........................................................................Chris Mahle BIRDERS by Barbara Anderson

Russ........................................................................... Ray Renati ● Tonya................................................................ Stephanie Crowley [ INTERMISSION ]

SHIRLEY’S CHAIR by Max Gutmann

Lillian................................................................ Stephanie Crowley Irene........................................................................... April Culver Bessie.......................................................................Kristin Walter FICTUS AEGRITUDO by Earl T. Roske

Cogita.......................................................................Nicole Martin Aplis.......................................................................... Mark Vashro

is offering a 10% discount on your meal to any Pear Theatre patrons who say the secret password: SLICES. You will also want to try their special cocktail in honor of the show.

ALTERNATIVE TEXT—SEND by Douglas Rees

Juliet........................................................................Nicole Martin Desdemona.................................................................. April Culver Lady Macbeth.............................................................Kristin Walter Shakespeare................................................................ Ray Renati ●

Performances:

May 13 to 29, 2016 Pear Theatre, 1110 La Avenida Street, Mountain View, CA 94043

(650) 254-1120 cucinaventi.com 1390 Pear Avenue Mountain View

Each program runs approximately two hours. There will be one intermission in each program. Please turn off your cell phones. Videotaping or other recording of this production is strictly prohibited. 2

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PROGRAM II: BOSC SLICES BRAIN IN A VAT by Ross Peter Nelson

Mindy.......................................................................... April Culver Kathleen....................................................................Kristin Walter Roger..........................................................................Chris Mahle IT BEGINS WITH GOODBYE by Elyce Melmon

Carter......................................................................... Ray Renati ● Liz.................................................................... Stephanie Crowley DOUBLE OR NOTHING by Diane Gribschaw

Sydney........................................................................Chris Mahle Dana.........................................................................Kristin Walter IN THE HOKY-DOKY MOJO OF WEST MILLBRAE by Leah Halper Lawrence.................................................................... Mark Vashro Mariah........................................................................ April Culver Will............................................................................. Ray Renati ● Charlotte........................................................... Stephanie Crowley [ INTERMISSION ]

MANY WINTERS by Leah Halper

Marie........................................................................Nicole Martin Jean................................................................. Stephanie Crowley NOT ALL THAT GLIMMERS IS GOLD by E. Kokkila Schumacher

Tanya.......................................................................... April Culver Sean.......................................................................... Mark Vashro THERAPY by Paul Braverman

Alan............................................................................Chris Mahle Ellen.........................................................................Nicole Martin Dr, Young..................................................................... Ray Renati ● Guest......................................................................... Mark Vashro ●

Member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers

1110 La Avenida Street Mountain View, CA 94043 650.254.1148 info@thepear.org thepear.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Beverly Altschuler Sharmon Hilfinger Dan Nitzan Ray Renati Diane Tasca

STEERING COMMITTEE Beverly Altschuler Paul Braverman Robyn Ginsburg Braverman Caroline Clark Elizabeth Kruse Craig Sharmon Hilfinger Troy Johnson James Kopp Ann Kuchins Dan Nitzan Ray Renati Jeanie K. Smith Diane Tasca Patricia Tyler

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer.................................................................. Diane Tasca Stage Manager............................................. Kelly Weber Barazza Production Manager..................................................Patricia Tyler Scenic Designer....................................................... Troy Johnson Lighting Designer....................................................... James Kopp Costume Designer.............................. Robyn Ginsburg Braverman Sound Designer.................................. Robyn Ginsburg Braverman Set Construction.......................................................Norm Beamer Publicity Directors................. Stephanie Crowley, Jeanie K. Smith Program Consultant......................................................Susan Petit Website Management....................................................Ray Renati

/peartheatre

@PearTheatre

SPECIAL THANKS: We would like to thank Palo Alto Players and Pati Bristow for their assistance with this production. 2016.05 • BAYSTAGES.COM

/pearave101

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES STEPHANIE CROWLEY is thrilled

CROWLEY

to return for her third consecutive Pear Slices! She was also seen here as Randy the cop in Superior Donuts. Other local performances include To Kill a Mockingbird, Man of La Mancha, The Odd C o u p l e , S h a ke s p e a r e i n Hollywood, Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Four Weddings and an Elvis. In her off-stage life, Stephanie works as a yoga instructor and marketing consultant. She lives in Redwood City with her husband, Mark, and tortoiseshell-tabby, Gingersnap.

APRIL CULVER is very happy to

CULVER

be working on her first Pear Slices. Recent roles include Sonya in Uncle Vanya (Pear Theatre), Olivia in Shakespeare in Hollywood and Miranda in The Tempest (Silicon Valley Shakespeare), Desdemona in Othello (Iowa Shakespeare Experience), Ophelia in Hamlet (Little Apple Creek Theatre) and Viola in Twelfth Night (Drake University). She would like to thank her friends and family for their constant love and support.

CHRIS MAHLE is making his Pear

MAHLE

debut. Previous roles include Daniel Cavanaugh in Chinglish (Palo Alto Players), Ivor in Rough Crossing, the Magistrate in The Miser and Brom Bones in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (CTC). He’s also created masks and special make-up effects for local theatre and film productions (including the Pear’s Three Tall Women in 2007). Chris teaches drama at JLS Middle School and shares a love for all things theatre with his wife, Kristin, and son, Max.

NICOLE MARTIN is happy to

be back on the Pear stage after appearing as Lucille Cadeau in 2014’s House & Garden. Staged readings at the Pear include Ripperology, Daughter of France and Fugitive Colors. Recent onstage credits include Jacqueline in Jacqueline Kennedy: A OneWoman Portrayal (Notre Dame de Namur University), Gabriella in Boeing-Boeing and Elvira in Blithe Spirit (Palo Alto Players), Dr. Zavala in Distracted (Portola Valley Theatre Conservatory), MARTIN

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Gwendolyn in The Odd Couple and Maria in Lend Me a Tenor (Hillbarn Theatre, 2014 TBA Award nomination). Endless gratitude to Robyn, Troy, and Diane for their support and guidance.

RAY RENATI is thrilled to be a

part of Pear Slices again. Ray is an actor, director and singer. Some of his favorite roles at the Pear have been Arthur in Superior Donuts, Higgins in Pygmalion and Lee in True West. Ray has been seen in numerous roles at 42nd Street Moon, Shotz SF, City Lights Theater Company and Foothill Music Theatre. He also had the good fortune to play Antonio in The Merchant of Venice in London. Ray studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he earned a certificate in acting Shakespeare. Ray is a proud member of Actors’ Equity and Theatre Bay Area. rayrenati.com

MARK VASHRO is excited to be

making his Pear Theatre debut. An award-winning actor and filmmaker, originally from Boise, Mark has performed in cities all across the country but is happy to call the Bay Area his home now. Credits include Robert in Boeing-Boeing (Ross Valley Players), Daniel in Coming Home (LongShotz, San Francisco), Mark in Gloves for Guns (Urban Theatre, New York) and Adam in Dark Play or Stories for Boys (IRNE Award for Best Ensemble, Boston).

KRISTIN WALTER was last seen

at the Pear as crazy Aunt Debra in Kimberly Akimbo. Other Bay Area credits include Jean in Dead Man's Cell Phone and Amy in Company (Los Altos Stage Company), Edith in The Women (California Theatre Center) and Rona Lisa Peretti in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Brenda in The Pajama Game (Foothill Music Theatre). She is also a playwright. Her shows were originally produced at Manhattan Children's Theatre and are available through Samuel French Publishing. Her adaptation of The Last of the Dragons ran last summer at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and was selected as one

of the top thirteen best shows for children at the festival. During the school year, Kristin teaches theatre to the amazing girls at Castilleja.

BARBARA ANDERSON (The

Telecommuter, Birders) retired from supply chain management as a lecturer, author and system designer and began writing and walking full time. Her book Letters from the Way was published in 2015. Barbara has performed improv with Blue Blanket and YouTube's The Peninsulators. Her Marsh solo performances (YouTube) include Googling for God and Swimming Under Water. Her full-length play Fugitive Colors had staged readings in San Francisco, New York, Detroit and at the Pear, and was an Ashland finalist. Her Perfect Parents will be performed at Piedmont Art Center this June. A special thanks to the Pear Playwrights Guild for their invaluable assistance.

PAUL BRAVERMAN (Therapy)

is a Bay Area playwright, actor and improviser whose plays have received more than sixty productions and readings in Bay Area venues, nationally and internationally. Pear audiences know Paul from the fourteen previous Slices, as well as the Frankie Payne trilogy, which was produced at the Pear between 2011 and 2015. His new play, Sins Borne, will premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this coming August. Paul is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America, Theatre Bay Area, the Playwrights’ Center of San Francisco and the Pear Playwrights Guild. Therapy was first staged at the “old” Pear’s opening gala in 2002, so it is fitting that it has come to the “new” Pear in 2016!

DIANE GRIBSCHAW (Double or

Nothing) loves writing short plays that explore pivotal moments between unusual people. She particularly enjoys presenting situations and emotions that transcend gender, social roles and age. Like her earlier work, What Doesn’t Kill You, this play removes all gender-based pronouns and references to open up the roles to a wide variety of

actors and interpretations. This is the third time her work has appeared in Pear Slices and she is deeply grateful to the Pear Playwrights Guild and the amazing Pear Theatre for helping her hone her craft.

MAX GUTMANN (Shirley’s Chair)

has had plays performed in New York, Orlando, Santa Barbara and throughout the Bay Area. The Orlando Sentinel greeted the premiere of his first play with an above-the-masthead headline announcing: “The Legacy thrills with every deft twist.” His book There Was a Young Girl from Verona: A Limerick Cycle Based on the Complete Works of Shakespeare has sold several copies. maxgutmann.com

RENATI

LEAH HALPER (Many Winters,

in the Hoky-Doky Mojo of West Millbrae) is an award-winning California writer with a quirky global perspective. Her plays have been widely produced on the West Coast. Her tenminute Ready was a Heideman Award finalist, and she’s an Arts Council Silicon Valley Playwriting Fellow. She is associated with the Dramatists Guild of America, PlayGround at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, City Lights Theater Company and, most importantly, her home base since 2006, the Pear Playwrights Guild. She has worked as a journalist, coffee picker, house cleaner, reporter, peace activist, historian and translator, but working as a playwright with directors and actors like those at the Pear is absolutely the best!

VASHRO

ELYCE MELMON (It Begins with

Goodbye) left the classroom to devote time and energy to writing and volunteering. The Pear provided encouragement when it produced Vehicle, her full-length play, in 2003. Since then her short plays have been performed throughout the Bay Area. Her fulllength plays Ellipsis and Room 15 have received awards and staged readings. In 2013, the Pear produced A King’s Legacy, which was recognized as a Silicon Valley stand-out new work. It Begins with Goodbye was inspired by her grief counseling experience (although the characters and

WALTER

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situation are fictitious). Elyce is grateful to the Pear and her children for their support.

ROSS PETER NELSON (Brain in a

Vat) holds an MFA in playwriting from the University of New Orleans. His plays have been produced in several states and on three continents. Ross was a member of PlayGround San Francisco, garnering their Emerging Playwright Award. He is a member of the Pear Playwrights Guild, his work appearing many times on the Pear stages. Southern Rep recently commissioned his one-act Zoloft Tango, and his Simulacra was a finalist in the Tennessee Williams/ New Orleans Literary Festival OneAct Play Contest. Ross has been active as a director and producer and is also the author of prizewinning volumes of short fiction and two technical books.

BRIDGETTE DUTTA PORTMAN

(Wave Walker) has had plays read and produced in the Bay Area, across the country and overseas. In addition to belonging to the Pear Playwrights Guild, she is currently president of the Playwrights’ Center of San Francisco, an associate artist at Wily West Productions and a founding member of Ex Nihilo Theater. Her full-length comedy La Fée Verte, which had a staged reading at the Pear, was produced this year by Acadiana Repertory Theatre in Louisiana. She wrote Wave Walker for the San Francisco Olympians Festival where it had a staged reading in 2015.

DOUGLAS REES (Alternative Text—

Send) Doug Rees. JoAnn. Turquoise. Oatmeal cookies. The Episcopal Church. Bernie Sanders. Libraries. Cats. Hats. Used books. Privacy. Precode. Coffee joints. New England. Turtles. Terrapins. Aries. Walt Kelly. Linen. White and red. USAF. The Bois Method. Shakespeare. Marlowe. Libra. Mission Revival. Sight hounds. Sycamores. Thurber. Perelman. Benchley. Quiet. Norway/ Minneapolis. Tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

EARL T. ROSKE (Fictus Aegritudo)

This is Earl's fifth appearance and sixth play in Pear Slices since 2011. Other short plays have been produced in Racine, Wisconsin (Careful What You Ask For, 2016 and Fruits of War, 2011) and across the globe in places like Manila (Backsliding, 2014), Australia (ten productions, 2009-2014) and Mumbai (Fruits of War, 2012). For Earl, however, none of those distant productions are as satisfying as the ones that happen here in the Bay Area and mostly at the Pear. He's excited to be part of the production and hopes there are many more to come in the future. He also wishes to thank his wife, Tiffany, and daughter, Brie, for their support.

DAVID

SCHREIBER

(Transcontinental) is delighted that his work is appearing as part of this year’s Pear Slices. His short play Chickens! was produced as part of Slices in 2013. His short plays Your First Time and The Basement were produced in 2011 and 2012 respectively by the Pan Theater in Oakland. David’s full-length play, Enlightenment, received a developmental reading at Pear Theatre in 2014. His play A Plague of Miracles received a developmental reading at the Playwrights' Center of San Francisco in 2011. An earlier version of Transcontinental was a 2009 Heideman Award finalist.

E. KOKKILA SCHUMACHER (Not

All That Glimmers Is Gold) has been writing plays for over a decade, including the award-winning oneacts We Need to Talk and The Wheel of Fortune. He graduated from the College of Saint Benedict | Saint John’s University with a degree in theatre and English. He co-founded and wrote for the sketch comedy group Fireplace Puppies who still perform with a younger, betterlooking cast. He also wrote the book, music and lyrics for Don’t Abandon Me, which he produced and starred in as an honors thesis project in 2009. He joined the Pear Playwrights Guild in 2014. This is his second play for Pear Slices.

ROBYN GINSBURG BRAVERMAN

(Director) has been a voiceover actor for over thirty years, currently residing in the Bay Area. In addition to once playing Carmen Sandiego, Robyn works with name clients such as OpenTable, Cisco, Google and Pennzoil. Robyn has supported the Pear Theatre since its inception, from co-founding through administration, board membership and beyond. In addition to her ongoing involvement with Slices, she serves as co-coordinator of the Pear's Developmental Reading Series. robynbraverman.com

TROY JOHNSON (Director) is

delighted, as always, to co-direct Pear Slices with Robyn and with our trusty stage manager Kelly at the helm and he's thrilled to be working with a cast and staff that is brimming with talent. This is Troy’s tenth time co-directing this annual presentation of original work by the Pear Playwrights Guild and marks his direction of forty-six Slices plays to date. His other directing credits at the Pear include Nina Raine’s Tribes, Lynn Nottage’s Intimate Apparel and Lanford Wilson’s Fifth of July. Finally, Troy would like to thank YOU for continuing to support live theatre.

KELLY WEBER BARRAZA (Stage

Manager) is ecstatic to be returning to the Pear for her sixth production, following House & Garden, Kimberly Akimbo, Birds of a Feather, Arcadia and Uncle Vanya. She has also worked for other Bay Area theatres including STOC, SCP, West Valley Light Opera, South Bay Musical Theatre and Los Altos Stage Company. Kelly appreciates and sends her love to her theatre-widowed husband, Michael, and her fur babies, Palgwe, Chumo, and Kiyap.

JAMES KOPP (Lighting Designer) is

a Pear Steering Committee member and is very proud to be working with the crew of Pear Slices 2016. This will be his third Slices production, once on stage and twice on lights. He will also be helping with the Pear's next season so long as he doesn't die.

All images and/or content provided by Pear Theatre staff, contractors and/or creative artists unless otherwise credited. Opinions expressed by contractors, contributors and/or creative artists do not necessarily reflect the views of Pear Theatre or VIA MEDIA. Photo credits are included as provided.

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DONORS Our deep and heartfelt thanks go to everyone who has contributed so generously to Pear Theatre over the years. The list of those who donated to the Pear Avenue Theatre between 2002 and 2015 is posted on our website. Going forward, Pear Theatre programs will acknowledge donations made since June, 2015.

ROOTS [$1,000+]

Carol + Ray Bacchetti • Norman Beamer + Diane Tasca Rhoda Bergen • Rosalee + Bob Clarke • Kathleen Hall + Leslie Murdock Ann Kuchins • Silicon Valley Community Foundation Donors’ Circle David Simon + Lynn Gordon Simon • Scott Solomon • Joseph Sturkey Dr. Thomasyne Lightfoote Wilson BRANCHES [$500+] Paul + Robyn Braverman • Darryl + Carolyn Compton • Marian + David Cortesi Charlotte Dickson • Joanne Engelhardt • Sharmon Hilfinger + Luis Trabb Pardo Henry + Marcia Lawson • Susan Petit • Frances Rushing • Jan + Don Schmidek Edna + Dan Shochat • Mary Lou Torre + Rich Hagen PEARS [$250+] Connie Allen + Doug Greig • Susan Barkan • Martin + Crownie Billik • Cynthia Bitner Louis Caputo • Jeremy Carl • Constance Crawford • Patricia + John Davis • JoEllen Ellis Ken + Carol Emmons • Thomas Ferry • Kurt Gravenhorst • Eunice Haas • Jenny Hopkinson Patty Irish • Yvonne Lenbergs • Patricia Levinson • Alex Meyers • Shauna Mika Roberta Morris + Phil Buchsbaum • Pear Writers Guild • Vic Prosak • Hope Raymond Elaine Rossignol • Vivan Schatz • Dana St. George • Peter + Juthica Stangl • Joyce Tenover Mike Wilber + Dianne Ellsworth BLOSSOMS [$25+] Robin Booth • Linda Brandewie • Patrick Brennan • Helena Clarkson• Gertrud Cory Anne Wellner DeVeer • Pearl + Bernard Director • Marilyn Edwardson • Dianne Gribschaw Max Gutmann • Leah Halper • Eleanor Hansen • Baba Nicole Herrick • Susan Jackson • Earl Karn Georgia + Raymond Marotta • Elyce Melmon • Brenda Miller • Elaine Moise • Albert Moon Carole Mullowney • John Musgrave • Ross Peter Nelson • Elizabeth Owen • Peter + Natalie Panfili Denise Prosser • Douglas + Joanne Rees • Toby Reitman • Sherrean Rundberg • Norma Schleunes Chalmers Smith • Marketa Spiro • Laura Stefanski • Marilyn Walter • Gayle Wiener

THANK YOU!

NEXT UP AT THE PEAR: JUNE 24 - JULY 10, 2016

August: Osage County In this searing, fiercely dark comedy of an American family, secrets and lies spill out over dysfunctional dinners and drug-laced arguments, and nothing is sacred—or safe. “Hugely entertaining! A ripsnorter full of blistering, funny dialogue, acid-etched characterizations and scenes of no-holds-barred emotional combat.” – NY Times 2016.05 • BAYSTAGES.COM

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SAN FRANCISCO PLAYHOUSE Strand Theater, 1127 Market Street, San Francisco 415.677.9596 • sfplayhouse.org

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DRAGON PRODUCTIONS THEATRE COMPANY 2120 Broadway Street, Redwood City 650.493.2006 • dragonproductions.net

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THE CUSTOM MADE THEATER CO. 533 Sutter Street, San Francisco 415.798.2682 • custommade.org

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CITY LIGHTS THEATER COMPANY 529 South Second Street, San Jose 408.295.4200 • cltc.org

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RAY OF LIGHT THEATRE Victoria Theater, 2961 16th Street, San Francisco 415.677.9596 • sfplayhouse.org

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