SC 53rd Season • 507th Production SEGERSTROM STAGE / MARCH 24 - APRIL 23, 2017 Marc Masterson Paula Tomei ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MANAGING DIRECTOR David Emmes & Martin Benson FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTORS presents the world premiere of The Siegel by Michael Mitnick Michael B. Raiford David Kay Mickelsen Elizabeth Harper Cricket S. Myers SCENIC DESIGN COSTUME DESIGN LIGHTING DESIGN SOUND DESIGN Jerry Patch Jackie S. Hill Joanne DeNaut, CSa Roxana Khan DRAMATURG PRODUCTION MANAGER CASTING STAGE MANAGER Directed by Casey Stangl Laurie & Steve Duncan Honorary Producers Originally commissioned by Washington Ensemble Theatre, Seattle, Washington This play is a recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award. The Siegel • South CoaSt RepeRtoRy • P1 CAST OF CHARACTERS Alice ................................................................................................. Mamie Gummer Deborah ................................................................................................. Amy Aquino Ethan .................................................................................................... Ben Feldman Jordan ................................................................................................. Devon Sorvari Nelson ....................................................................................... Dominique Worsley Ron ..................................................................................................... Matthew Arkin SETTING Present day. A city. LENGTH Approximately 90 minutes, with no intermission. PRODUCTION STAFF Assistant Stage Manager ........................................................................... Sue Karutz Assistant Dramaturg ............................................................................... Kat Zukaitis Assistant Director ........................................................... Rachel Berney Needleman Associate Scenic Designer ....................................................................... Lisa Laratta Costume Design Assistant .............................................................. Kaitlyn Kaufman Stage Management Intern ......................................................................... Julia Bates Light Board Operator ..................................................................... Andrew Stephens Sound Board Operator ...................................................................... Danielle Kisner Wardrobe Supervisor/Dresser ................................................................. Bert Henert Additional Costume Staff ................................................................ Rebecca Clayton The Actors and Stage Managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. Please refrain from unwrapping candy or making other noises that may disturb surrounding patrons. Videotaping and/or recording of this performance by any means whatsoever are strictly prohibited. Electronic devices should be turned off or set to non-audible mode during the performance. Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the theatre. Media Partner P2 • South CoaSt RepeRtoRy • The Siegel The Siegel and The Seagull by Jerry Patch merican romances, whether on stage or in films, have “A romance must here are plenty of romances going changed through the years ac- tell a story that develops a on in Anton Chekhov’s four mas- cording to the circumstances couple’s romantic relationship terworks, one of which is Uncle and values of the generations and has an emotionally satisfying Vanya. In that one, the Profes- Afrom which they came. Brash and and optimistic ending.” sor’s daughter Sonya is enrap- sassy ’30s and ’40s comedies became –Romance Writers Ttured with the dashing Astrov; but Astrov the Technicolor trysts of the ’50s, af- of America has no feeling for Sonya and instead pines ter which came Barefoot in the Park, for the Professor’s wife, Yelena; so does “People Mary Tyler Moore and Wendy Was- Sonya’s uncle, Vanya. And Yelena won’t of other nations serstein’s The Sisters Rosenzweig. Also have either of them. poeticize love, or adorn it Harry meeting Sally, someone Sleep- To make it an equation: A loves with roses and nightingales, but we less in Seattle and love in La La Land. B who loves C and so does D, whose Russians have to adorn love with Playwright Michael Mitnick familial love is for A. And C doesn’t love imponderable problems.” is a well-educated urban millen- anybody. –Anton Chekhov nial. While life in rural America hasn’t The Seagull was influential changed much for the young enough to SCR half a century ago to people who stayed there, the inspire its logo (check it out). The great Russian “In all the world there is lives of Mitnick’s urban peers writer became popular in America when the no heart for me like yours. have. Group Theater’s artists fell in love with his di- In all the world there is Adolescence is pro- rector Konstantin Stanislavski’s “method” acting no love for you like mine.” tracted. College can take lon- techniques. But in doing so, they applied Ameri- –Maya Angelou ger, whether going beyond can values and sentiments to Russian sensi- “There’s four years for a degree or bilities. no such thing as continuing on to graduate Chekhov, who began his career as a soul mate. I don’t want or professional schools. Employment is a newspaper humorist and later became half of a shared soul. I want scarce and internships have replaced en- perhaps the greatest of short story writers my own damn soul.” try level jobs. (see “The Lady and the Dog”), believed “Girls,” with its roommates, Tinder –Rachel Cohn his plays were comedies. Because and hookups, replaced “Sex and the City” Chekhov’s would-be lovers almost as the go-to chronicle of city love life. never wound up together and at play’s end The age for moving in together is “The very essence of things returned to square one, American likely the late 20s, with a destina- romance is uncertainty. If ever productions made them chronicles of tion marriage for early 30s, and I get married I’ll certainly try to loss. The Three Sisters long for Moscow; children? Maybe later. Ranevskaya in The Cherry Orchard sorrow- forget that fact.” What hasn’t changed is hu- fully sells her estate; Sonya and Vanya vow to –Oscar Wilde man nature. It wants a shared life work at their menial, meaningless tasks until with someone to love. But death brings rest. As for The Seagull’s com- how do we know who “The one you love plex quintet of would be lovers…..oy. that person is? Isn’t and the one who loves you Russian audiences seeing the plays in their the one who heats original language thought the plays were funny. Futil- are never, ever the same person.” our insides to molten ity was comic. As Leo Tolstoy said of Chekhov’s –Charles Bukowski lava the same one who plays, “ they are just as complicated and completely pisses us simple as real life. People just having din- “We were together. I off? What if, as we edge ner while their happiness is being creat- forget the rest.” toward commitment, s/he’s the ed or torn apart.” And the futile pursuit –Walt Whitman Wrong One? of romantic happiness more often drove Plus ça change, plus c’est la Chekhov’s characters than aims of gain. même chose. The Siegel • South CoaSt RepeRtoRy • P3 Artist Biographies AMY AQUINO A Thousand Clowns at American Stage Company, Deborah Two Rooms and True West at TheatreWorks and Talley’s Folly at Bay Street Theatre. His film and is thrilled to be back at SCR, hav- television credits include Margot at the Wedding, ing performed in Sarah Treem’s Second Best, Raising Flagg, Death to Smoochy, An A Feminine Ending (2007). She Unmarried Woman, The Curse, “Aquarius,” “NCIS,” began her career in New York, “Switched at Birth,” “Harry’s Law,” “Medium,” “Res- where she had roles in numerous cue Me” (recurring), the “Law & Order” franchise, productions at Playwrights Hori- “Ed,” “Third Watch,” “100 Centre Street” (recurring), zons and Circle Repertory Company; in Wendy Wasser- “All My Children” (recurring) and “Simple Justice.” stein’s The Heidi Chronicles on Broadway and, more Arkin is director of SCR’s Acting Intensive Program recently, in Wasserstein’s Third at Lincoln Center; and and the author of the suspense novel In the Country Jonathan Tolins’ Secrets of the Trade at Primary Stages. of the Blind available at Amazon. For more informa- Her West Coast appearances include Maria in Twelfth tion, visit matthewarkin.com. Night at San Diego’s Old Globe, Mark Taper Forum’s production of Living Out and the Geffen Playhouse’s BEN FELDMAN The Underpants by Steve Martin. Aquino’s film career Ethan spans Working Girl and Moonstruck through White Oleander and In Good Company to last year’s Laza- is honored to be making his SCR rus Effect. Before landing her current role as Lt. Billets debut. Previously, he appeared on in Amazon’s hit series, “Bosch,” she was a regular on Broadway in The Graduate, op- television’s “Brooklyn Bridge” and “Picket Fences” and posite Kathleen Turner. Currently, made countless guest appearances including recurring he can be seen on the NBC com- roles in “Glee,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “ER,” “Every- edy, “Superstore.” This spring, body Loves Raymond,” “Freaks and Geeks,” “Felicity” he returns to HBO’s “Silicon Valley” as attorney Ron and SyFy’s “Being Human.” She holds an MFA in acting LaFlamme. His previous television credits include “Mad from the Yale School of Drama, is married to financial Men” (2012 Primetime Emmy Award