SC 53rd Season • 502nd Production JULIANNE ARGYROS STAGE / OCTOBER 2-23, 2016

Marc Masterson Paula Tomei ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MANAGING DIRECTOR

David Emmes & Martin Benson FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTORS

presents district merchants

by Aaron Posner inspired by William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice

Daniel Conway Garry Lennon Elizabeth Harper Peter Bayne SCENIC DESIGN COSTUME DESIGN LIGHTING DESIGN SOUND DESIGN and ORIGINAL MUSIC

Sean T. Cawelti Joshua Marchesi Joanne DeNaut, csa Sammy Brown PROJECTIONS DESIGN PRODUCTION MANAGER CASTING STAGE MANAGER

Directed by Michael Michetti

Talya Nevo-Hacohen and Bill Schenker Samuel and Tammy Tang Honorary Producers Honorary Producers

Originally commissioned and produced by Folger Theatre at Folger Shakespeare Library, Janet Alexander Griffin, Artistic Producer, Washington, D.C., 2016 DISTRICT MERCHANTS was developed at The New Harmony Project

District Merchants • South Coast Repertory • P1 CAST OF CHARACTERS (In order of appearance) Shylock ...... Matthew Boston Antoine DuPre ...... Montae Russell Jessica ...... Rachel Esther Tate Benjamin Bassanio ...... Chris Butler Finneus (Finn) Randall ...... Matthew Grondin Lancelot ...... Akeem Davis Nessa ...... Kristy Johnson Portia ...... Helen Sage Howard Simpson

SETTING Washington, D.C., in the 1870s. More or less.

LENGTH Approximately two hours and 40 minutes, including one intermission.

PRODUCTION STAFF Dramaturgs ...... Jerry Patch, Kat Zukaitis Production Assistant ...... Amber Caras Assistant Director ...... AJ Sclafani Dialect Coach ...... Nike Doukas Assistant Scenic Designer ...... Richard Ouelette Costume Design Assistant ...... Kaitlyn Kaufman Associate Lighting Designer ...... Rose Malone Stage Management Intern ...... Kayla Lindquist Light Board Operator ...... Dan Gold Sound and Video Operator ...... Sam Levey Deck Crew ...... Ben Morrow Wardrobe Supervisor/Dresser ...... Jessica Larsen Hair and Makeup Technician ...... Jessa Pruitt Additional Costume Staff ...... Lauren Graham, Lalena Hutton, Alexis Riggs Marlene Solis, Sarah Timm, J Wendy Wallace Hair and Makeup Build Staff ...... Melanie Hinchee Men’s Barbering ...... Benjamin Smith

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Play Development Team: Michael Garcés, Michele Osherow, Ayanna Thompson, Erin Weaver.

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 • District Merchants A Dream Deferred by Kat Zukaitis ist leaders hesitated to commit to full chisement that would endure for the integration and civil rights for African next century. n 1860, a free black man in Wash- Americans. But for a few volatile years, But lasting change proved ington, D.C., lived under con- the gleaming possibilities of what the easier to imagine than to effect and, stant threat of being kidnapped nation could become loomed as large in the 1870s, the political pendulum and sold into slavery. In 1870, as the challenges of rebuilding. began to reverse course. Federally that same man could vote, hold In the five years following the mandated institutions like the Freed- Ilocal office and enter government end of the war, Congress passed the men’s Bureau lacked the funding, service. But although Washington’s Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth personnel and political power nec- blacks were the first in the nation to Amendments to the Constitution. essary to restructure the social hier- gain suffrage, they also were among Collectively known as the Recon- archy of Washington and the South. the first to lose it—along with the rest struction Amendments, these mea- Congress, frustrated by a lack of of the District’s citizens—in 1874. sures abolished slavery, established quick results, dismantled the bureau What happened? birthright citizenship and extended in 1872. Alarmed by the cost of the The end of the Civil War in 1865 the vote to African American men. vast social projects they’d set in mo- did not mean an end to the nation’s In Washington, where constitutional tion in the capital—and by the size identity crisis. Declaring that people limits on federal power did not ap- and influence of the African American are not property was one thing; deter- ply, Congress embarked on ambi- electorate—the resurgent conserva- mining the fate of the approximately tious programs of reform, using the tive wing of Congress declared the four million freed slaves was a more nation’s capital as a laboratory for experiment in interracial democracy complicated question. The radical experiments in racial equality. In ad- a failure and took steps to limit vot- Republicans in Congress, buoyed by dition to abolishing slavery and im- ers’ power. Washington’s elected of- military triumph and the largesse of plementing universal manhood suf- ficials were replaced with a territorial the North’s booming industrial econ- frage ahead of the rest of the nation, governor and then, in 1874, a tribu- omy, moved forward with confidence the District of Columbia integrated nal of presidentially appointed offi- in the power of government to legis- streetcars and railroads, prohibited cials, disenfranchising the entire city. late a path to a more egalitarian racial discrimination in office hold- D.C. would not have a democratically America. Freedom in no ing and jury duty and established elected system of self-government for way guaranteed social schools for black children—all radi- another 99 years. or political equal- cal steps at the time. The first black As in so many parts of the ity, and even municipal office holder was elected country, the gains of Reconstruction abolition- in 1868. African American institu- proved to be as fragile as they were tions and culture in D.C. flourished, fleeting, but they laid the ground- even as the tens of thousands of refu- work for further development. The gees from the war drifted into pov- questions about equality and national erty, establishing patterns of identity raised during this period of economic disenfran- idealistic upheaval would endure into the next century… and beyond.

Looking southeast, down Pennsylvania Avenue, showing first row of columns on the Capitol Dome, about 1858. Photo provided by Architect of the Capitol.

District Merchants • South Coast Repertory • P3 Artist Biographies

Matthew Boston Akeem Davis Shylock Lancelot

is making his SCR debut. He origi- is making his SCR debut. He is nated the role of Shylock in District from Miami, Fla., and is a graduate Merchants at the Folger Theatre. of Florida State University. Based His other New York and regional in Philadelphia, Davis has regional credits include leading roles at such credits with the Folger Theatre (Dis- theatres as Yale Repertory Theatre, trict Merchants), People’s Light and Hartford Stage, A.C.T., Berkeley Repertory Theatre, In- Theatre Company (All My Sons), Theatre Horizon (In The timan Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Trinity Blood and Lobby Hero) and Simpatico Theatre Project Repertory, TheaterWorks, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, (The Brothers Size). He is a proud man of Omega Psi Phi Portland Center Stage, George Street Playhouse, Center Fraternity, Inc., and is the 2015 F. Otto Haas Emerging Stage, Dallas Theater Center, A Contemporary Theatre Theatre Artist Award winner. (ACT), Two River Theater Company, Cleveland Playhouse, Great Lakes Theater Festival, The Shakespeare Theatre Matthew Grondin of New Jersey, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Human Finneus (Finn) Randall Race Theatre Company, Northern Stage, Kitchen Theatre Company, 59E59, SoHo Rep, Working Theater, as well as is thrilled to be making his debut at many others. His film and television credits include “Blue SCR—with such a terrific group of Bloods,” “The Mysteries of Laura,” “Law & Order,” In people! His recent credits include the Family, Ghost Ship, Into the Blue, Camp Wilderness, Women In Jeopardy and Good Peo- “One Life to Live” and “All My Children.” ple (Ensemble Theatre Company); A Moon for the Misbegotten (Rubi- Chris Butler con Theatre Company); Bad Jews (Stage West Theatre); Benjamin Bassanio the world premiere of Everything You Touch and the West Coast premiere of Shiv (u/s The Theatre @ Boston is a two-time Ovation, NAACP, LA Court); Rabbit Hole and Spinning Into Butter (Actor’s Drama Critics Circle and Garland Co-Op); and Friends Like These (New York Fringe). He is Award-winner for his work in Yel- a member of Antaeus Theatre Company’s A2 Ensemble, lowman (The Fountain Theatre) where he has participated in various ClassicFests and and Stick Fly (The Matrix Theatre staged readings. He also is a writer—his first play, Gran- Company). His other theatre work ite, was staged at Joan Scheckel’s Collective Loft. includes the Broadway revival of 110 in the Shade (Round- about Theatre Company); Death of a Salesman (SCR); Kristy Johnson Race (A.C.T.); Julius Caesar (Shakespeare Santa Cruz); Nessa Gem of the Ocean, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (Ru- bicon Theatre Company); A Raisin In The Sun, The Piano appeared at SCR previously in Jitney. Lesson (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); Twelfth Night, Her theatre credits include Above Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo and Juliet (The Shake- The Fold (Pasadena Playhouse; speare Center of LA); Blue (Pasadena Playhouse); and A NAACP Theatre Award, Best Sup- Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Globe Theatre). His tele- porting Female Equity, alongside vision credits include “The Good Wife,” “Scandal,” “Mod- Golden Globe winner and Academy ern Family,” “True Detective,” “Major Crimes,” “Shame- Award nominee Taraji P. Henson), Jitney (Pasadena Play- less,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “Bones,” house), Intimate Apparel (Pasadena Playhouse), The “Criminal Minds,” “True Blood” and “King & Maxwell.” His Good Negro (u/s, Goodman Theatre), Ma Rainey’s Black film credits include Rescue Dawn, 30 Nights, Burning Dog Bottom (Court Theatre), A Song for Coretta (Eclipse The- and Cradle 2 the Grave. Butler holds an MFA in theatre atre; Joseph Jefferson Award nominee, Actress in a Sup- (University of California, San Diego) and a BA in dramatic porting Role), It’s a Wonderful Life (touring company, arts (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). American Theater Company) and I Am Who I Am: The

P4 • South Coast Repertory • District Merchants Story of Teddy Pendergrass (Black Ensemble Theater). at Arena Stage directed by our playwright Aaron Posner, Her film and television credits include Battle of the Year, Our Town (Emily) at Mirror Repertory Company and “Criminal Minds,” “Hart of Dixie,” “General Hospital” and Rocky Horror Show (Phantom) at Actor’s Theatre of “House.” Johnson is a graduate of Harvard University and Charlotte. Her New York credits include Saint Joan and the University of Chicago Law School. Hamlet with Bedlam Theatre and Blood Privilege with Second Skin Theatre. rachelesthertate.squarespace.com Montae Russell Antoine DuPre Playwright, Director and Designers

appeared at SCR previously in Jit- Aaron Posner (Playwright) is an award-winning ney. His New York theatre credits playwright and director. His other plays include Stupid include Broadway productions of F**king Bird (a finalist for the Steinberg Award and win- King Hedley II and Prelude to a ner of the 2014 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Kiss. He has performed in several Play), Life Sucks, No Sisters (all re-inventions of Chekhov off-Broadway and Los Angeles pro- plays), The Tempest and Macbeth (both with Teller of ductions including the portrayal of Charlie “Bird” Parker Penn & Teller), Who Am I This Time? & Other Conun- in the NAACP Theatre Award nominated Bird Lives!, as drums of Love (adapted from Kurt Vonnegut short sto- well as the August Wilson 20th Century staged readings at ries), The Chosen and My Name Is Asher Lev (adapted The Kennedy Center, and has performed in all 10 of the from the Chaim Potok novels), Sometimes a Great No- plays in August Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle. He has guest- tion (adapted from Ken Kesey), a nine-actor Cyrano starred in several television shows, most recently “Rizzoli and a musical adaptation of Mark Twain’s A Murder, A & Isles,” and spent several seasons on NBC’s “ER” as Para- Mystery and A Marriage. He is a founder and former medic Zadro White. His film credits include The Player’s artistic director of Philadelphia’s Arden Theatre and has Club, opposite Lisa Raye, Banged Out, Laurel Avenue directed at major regional theatres across the country. and Lily in Winter opposite Natalie Cole. He is an artistic associate at the Folger Theatre in Wash- ington, D.C., where District Merchants premiered. Helen Sage Howard Simpson Portia Michael Michetti (Director) is the co-artistic director of The Theatre @ Boston Court in Pasadena, where his (who goes by Sage) is thrilled to directing credits include Aaron Posner’s Stupid F**king be making her SCR debut. She is Bird, plus world premieres of Eric Whitacre’s Paradise originally from beautiful Bozeman, Lost: Shadows & Wings, his own adaptation of Oscar Mont., and studied theatre and His- Wilde’s A Picture of Dorian Gray and Tom Jacobson’s panic studies at Lewis & Clark Col- The Twentieth-Century Way, which went on to have an lege in Portland, Ore. She went on acclaimed run at New York’s Rattlestick Playwrights The- to perform with a variety of theatre companies in San ater. His other directing credits include Jacobson’s Cap- Francisco before moving south to attend UC Irvine, tain of the Bible Quiz Team for Rogue Machine Theatre; where she received her MFA in acting. Simpson now re- Figaro, The Grapes of Wrath, Hamlet, Don Juan and sides in Los Angeles and is a proud founding member of As You Like It at A Noise Within; Brecht’s Edward II for the theatre company Fugitive Kind, where she most re- Circle X; Amy’s View, starring Carol Lawrence, at Florida cently played Olivia in Shine Darkly Illyria and was nom- Repertory Theatre; Noises Off at PlayMakers Repertory inated for an Ovation Award (featured actress) for her Company; A Life in the Theatre, starring Hal Holbrook, performance as Courtney in The Pliant Girls. Her other at Pasadena Playhouse; Kiss Me, Kate, Carousel and Man recent roles with Fugitive Kind include Peter Quince of La Mancha at Reprise Theatre Company. He has re- (Midsummer Night’s Dream), Lady Macbeth (Macbeth) ceived two Ovation Awards and five Los Angeles Drama and Eugene (The Fire Room). Critics Circle Awards for his direction.

Daniel Conway (Scenic Design) previously designed Rachel Esther Tate Jessica The Tempest for SCR, American Repertory Theater and Chicago Shakespeare Theater, directed by Aaron Posner is making her SCR debut. Her re- and Teller. His recent projects include Penn & Teller on gional theatre credits include Stu- Broadway, directed by John Rando; At Wit’s End, Love pid F*cking Bird (Nina) at Cygnet in Afghanistan and Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Theatre, Appropriate (u/s River) Spike for Arena Stage; the premiere of American Song at Mark Taper Forum, Vanya and directed by Mark Clements for Milwaukee Repertory Sonia and Masha and Spike (Nina) Theater; The Game’s Afoot for Cleveland Play House;

District Merchants • South Coast Repertory • P5 Company, Hairspray, Chess and Sunset Boulevard di- Wait Until Dark, Bad Jews and Good People (Geffen rected by Eric Schaeffer for Signature Theatre; Sabrina Playhouse); The Twentieth-Century Way and The Golden Fair for Ford’s Theatre; and The Merry Wives of Wind- Dragon (The Theatre @ Boston Court); and Crescent sor for Shakespeare Theater Company. His current and City (The Industry). She served as a technical consultant upcoming productions include Jelly’s Last Jam, directed for installations at Los Angeles County Museum of Art by Matt Gardiner for Signature Theatre; At Wit’s End di- and Greene Naftali. Her industrial lighting projects in- rected by David Esbjornsen for Cincinnati Playhouse in clude events for Microsoft, On-Live, Ubisoft and Univer- the Park; and Hand to God, directed by Joanie Schultz, sal Studios. Harper holds an MFA in design for stage and Three Sisters, directed by Jackson Gay, and the premiere film from Tisch School of the Arts at New York Univer- of No Sisters written and directed by Aaron Posner for sity. She is a guest lighting design instructor and lecturer Studio Theatre. He has been nominated 12 times for the at CalArts. Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Set Design, and re- ceived the award in 2000, 2009 and 2015 for Stunning at Peter Bayne (Sound Design/Original Music) returns Woolly Mammoth Theatre, directed by Anne Kaufmann. to SCR, where he previously designed Office Hour and James and the Giant Peach. His other theatre credits Garry Lennon (Costume Design) is a Los Angeles- include A Noise Within (The Tempest, You Can Never based costume designer. Previously, at SCR, he designed Tell), The Fountain Theatre (Baby Doll, Dream Catcher, costumes for Jane of the Jungle. This summer, he de- Painter Rocks of Revolver Creek, Citizen, Reborning, signed Independent Shakespeare Company’s produc- The Brothers Size, Broomstick, In the Red and Brown tion of Richard III. At The Theatre @ Boston Court, he Water, The Normal Heart, The Blue Iris, Cyrano, On the designed Colony Collapse, My Barking Dog, Seven Spots Spectrum, Bakersfield Mist, Opus, Coming Home, El No- on the Sun and The Missing Pages of Lewis Carroll. He galar, Shining City), Antaeus Theatre Company (Cloud also has designed for Reprise Theatre Company’s pro- 9, Henry IV Part 1, The Liar, The Malcontent), Rubicon ductions of Kiss Me, Kate, Carousel, Man of La Mancha Theatre Company (Other Desert Cities), The Colony and Flora, the Red Menace. His work was seen in Cor- Theatre Company (Year Zero), The Actors’ Gang (Break nerstone Theater Company’s It’s All Bueno, Los Illegals, the Whip), Rogue Machine Theatre (Lost Girls), Skylight Waking up in Lost Hills and Mary Shelley’s Santa Claus, Theatre Company (Forever House, Disconnection), and the premiere productions of Sister Act at Pasadena Theatre of Note (Copy) and The Elephant Theatre Com- Playhouse and Alliance Theatre. He has designed at Bard pany (Unorganized Crime, Twilight of Schlomo, Para- SummerScape, Mixed Blood Theatre, Dallas Children’s site Drag, 100 Saints You Should Know, Revelation). Theater and the International City Theatre. Lennon is His other regional credits include American Repertory a professor and the chair of the Theatre Department at Theater, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, Shake- California State University, Northridge. speare and Company and Actors’ Shakespeare Project. Bayne is active as a composer in film and television. He Elizabeth Harper (Lighting Design) returns to SCR, produces dance music and performs in indie bands. He where she previously designed Office Hour, Venus in earned a BA in music from Vassar College and an MFA in Fur, tokyo fish story and Reunion. Her design credits composition and theory from Brandeis University. peter- include Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Immediate Fam- bayne.com ily (Mark Taper Forum); A Raisin in the Sun, Woman Laughing Alone with Salad and Throw Me on the Burn- Sean T. Cawelti (Projection Design) graduated from pile and Light Me Up (Kirk Douglas Theatre); Play Dead, the University of California, Irvine, with his BA in drama

P6 • South Coast Repertory • District Merchants with honors in directing and studied puppetry at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. He is the founding artistic di- rector of Rogue Artists Ensemble, a multi-media, puppet and mask company in Los Angeles. He has won awards Honorary Producers for his work as a designer, director and playwright, honored with a UNIMA Citation of Excellence for Gogol Talya Nevo-Hacohen and Bill Schenker Project and was presented the 2015 Sherwood Award by (Honorary Producers) became subscribers after the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles for his work seeing their first SCR production in 2009 and are as a director. Cawelti was selected by the City of Los now First Nighters on both stages, members of Angeles’ Cultural Affairs Department to travel to Brazil Platinum Circle and major donors to the Gala. Last for two months to study woodcarving and Candomblé, season, they joined Playwrights Circle and assisted a religion born of African and Catholic traditions. His in underwriting the world premiere of Eliza Clark’s directing and design work has been seen at the Getty Future Thinking. Talya, a real estate executive, Villa, SCR, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Cornerstone recently joined SCR’s Board of Trustees and served Theater Company, Chicago Opera Theater, L.A. Theatre on this year’s Gala Committee. Bill, a television Works, Geffen Playhouse, New York City Opera, Imago audio engineer, acted in New York and L.A. for Theatre in Portland and the Center for Puppetry Arts nearly two decades. The couple shares a passion in Atlanta. He has designed puppets, masks, props and for live professional theatre and its transformative video for theatre, music videos, museums, concerts and power, saying “It takes you to places where you arena shows including the recent Kanye West Yeezus may never go in life, whether you’re an actor or world tour. seancawelti.com an audience member.” Furthering their wonderful commitment to SCR, Talya and Bill are thrilled to Sammy Brown (Stage Manager) returns to SCR after serve as Individual Honorary Producers of Aaron previously assisting on The Madwoman in the Volvo. Posner’s District Merchants. His off-Broadway credits include Summer Valley Fair (Theatre 3, New York Musical Theatre Festival) and The Samuel and Tammy Tang (Honorary Produc- Old Man and the Old Moon (New Victory Theater). ers) are pleased to take a second turn as Individual Brown has worked regionally with Laguna Playhouse, Honorary Producers. Samuel is Vice President, De- The Actors Fund in Los Angeles, Chicago Shakespeare velopment, on the SCR Board of Trustees and Theater, Williamstown Theatre Festival and Hope Sum- also chairs the Board’s Major Gifts Committee. mer Repertory. He holds a BS in stage management The Tangs are fully engaged in the life of the the- from the University of Evansville and an MFA in drama atre as Honorary Producers of the Pacific Play- from the University of California, Irvine. wrights Festival, First Nights subscribers on both stages, and Gala underwriters. Their company is Marc Masterson (Artistic Director) is in his sixth also a member of the Corporate Circle. Describ- season with SCR. Under his leadership, SCR has ex- ing the experience of being honorary producers, panded community initiatives and world premiers in- the couple says, “This is wonderful opportunity to cluding CrossRoads commissions with plays Vietgone support a play that wrestles with timeless themes and Orange and the Diálogos project in Santa Ana. In through humor, sensitivity and thought provoking recent years, SCR productions have transferred to some dialogue.” of the leading theatres in the country including Manhat-

District Merchants • South Coast Repertory • P7 tan Theatre Club, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Berkeley Martin Benson (Founding Artistic Director), co- Repertory Theatre and The Shakespeare Theatre. His founder of SCR, has directed nearly one-fourth of SCR’s recent directing credits include All the Way, Going to a productions. In 2008, he and David Emmes received Place where you Already Are, Zealot, Death of a Sales- the Margo Jones Award for their lifetime commitment man, Eurydice and Elemeno Pea at SCR, As You Like It to theatre excellence and fostering the art and craft of for the Houston Shakespeare Festival, The Kite Runner American playwriting. They also accepted SCR’s 1988 at Actors Theatre of Louisville and the Cleveland Play Tony Award for Outstanding Resident Professional House. He served for 11 years as artistic director of Ac- Theatre and won the 1995 Theatre L.A. Ovation Award tors Theatre of Louisville and produced the Humana for Lifetime Achievement. Benson has received the Los Festival of New American Plays, where he produced Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished more than 100 world premieres, expanded audiences Achievement in Directing an unparalleled seven times and the repertoire, deepened arts education programs for George Bernard Shaw’s Major Barbara, Misalli- and spearheaded numerous community-based projects. ance and Heartbreak House; John Millington Synge’s His other Louisville directing credits include A Midsum- Playboy of the Western World; Arthur Miller’s The Cru- mer Night’s Dream, Shipwrecked! An Entertainment, cible; Sally Nemeth’s Holy Days; and Margaret Edson’s Glengarry Glen Ross, The Tempest, Mary’s Wedding, Pulitzer Prize-winning Wit, which he also directed at The Crucible, Betrayal, As You Like It, The Importance Seattle Repertory Theatre and Houston’s Alley Theatre. of Being Earnest and Macbeth. The world premieres he He has directed American classics such as A Streetcar directed at the Humana Festival include works by Lisa Named Desire and has distinguished himself in staging Dillman, Wendell Berry, Craig Wright, Eric Coble, Adam contemporary work including the critically acclaimed Bock, Gina Gionfriddo, Melanie Marnich, Charles Mee California premiere of William Nicholson’s Shadow- and Rick Dresser. He served as artistic director of City lands. He directed revivals of Beth Henley’s Abun- Theatre in Pittsburgh for 20 years and was founder and dance; Horton Foote’s The Trip to Bountiful; Samuel chairman of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Alliance. He D. Hunter’s The Whale and Rest (world premiere); has served as a theatre advisory panel member for the and The Whipping Man by Matthew Lopez. Benson National Endowment for the Arts, as well as numerous received his BA in theatre from San Francisco State Uni- foundations. He won the Man of the Year Vectors Award, versity. and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pittsburgh New Works Festival. David Emmes (Founding Artistic Director) is co- founder of South Coast Repertory. He received the Paula Tomei (Managing Director) is responsible for Margo Jones Award for his lifetime commitment to leading the overall administration of SCR. She has been theatre excellence and to fostering the art of American managing director since 1994 and a member of SCR’s playwriting. In addition, he has received numerous staff since 1979. She is a past president of the board of awards for productions he has directed during his SCR Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national career. He directed the world premieres of Amy Freed’s service organization for theatre. In addition, she served Safe in Hell, The Beard of Avon and Freedomland, as treasurer of TCG, vice president of the League of Thomas Babe’s Great Day in the Morning, Keith Red- Resident Theatres (LORT) and as a member of the LORT din’s Rum and Coke and But Not for Me and Neal Bell’s Negotiating Committee for industry-wide union agree- Cold Sweat; the American premieres of Terry Johnson’s ments. She represents SCR at national conferences of Unsuitable for Adults and Joe Penhall’s Dumb Show; TCG and LORT; is a theatre panelist for the National and the Southland premiere of Top Girls (at SCR and Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the California Arts the Westwood Playhouse). Other productions he has Council; site visitor for the NEA; and has been a guest directed include Red, New England, Arcadia, The Im- lecturer in the graduate schools of business at Stanford portance of Being Earnest, Woman in Mind and You and UC Irvine (UCI). She teaches a graduate class in Never Can Tell, which he restaged for the Singapore nonprofit management at UCI and was appointed by the Festival of Arts. He has served as a theatre panelist and chancellor to UCI’s Community Arts Council. She is also onsite evaluator for the National Endowment for the on the board of Arts Orange County, the county-wide arts Arts, as well as a panelist for the California Arts Council. council, and the board of the Nicholas Endowment. She After attending Orange Coast College, he received his graduated from UCI with a degree in economics and pur- BA and MA from San Francisco State University and his sued an additional course of study in theatre and dance. PhD from USC.

The Actors and Stage Managers em- The Scenic, Costume, Lighting and The Director is a member of the Soci- ployed in this production are members Sound Designers in LORT theatres ety of Stage Directors and Choreogra- of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union are represented by United Scenic phers, Inc., an independent national of Professional Actors and Stage Manag- Artists Local USA-829, IATSE. labor union. ers in the United States.

P8 • South Coast Repertory • District Merchants