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Home , Aditi Kapil, Arthur Miller, Lucas Hnath

SC 53rd Season • 508th Production JULIANNE ARGYROS STAGE / APRIL 9-30, 2017

Marc Masterson Paula Tomei ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MANAGING DIRECTOR

David Emmes & Martin Benson FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTORS

presents the world premiere of A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2

by Lucas Hnath

Takeshi Kata Sara Ryung Clement Tom Ontiveros Cricket S. Myers Se Hyun Oh COSTUME DESIGN LIGHTING DESIGN SOUND DESIGN SCENIC DESIGN

Kimberly Colburn Joshua Marchesi Joanne DeNaut, csa Bree Sherry DRAMATURG PRODUCTION MANAGER CASTING STAGE MANAGER

Directed by Shelley Butler

The Playwrights Circle Susan Bowman and Freddie Greenfield • Mary Ann Brown and Rick Reiff •Sandy Segerstrom Daniels • Dr. Robert F. and Julie A. Davey Patricia Ellis • Margaret M. Gates • Don Hecht • Lea and Harmon Kong • Anne and Christian Mack Carl Neisser • Barbara Roberts • Peter and Joy Sloan Honorary Producer

A Doll’s House, Part 2 was commissioned by . This play is a recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award.

A Doll’s House, Part 2 • South Coast Repertory • P1 CAST OF CHARACTERS (In order of appearance) Anne Marie ...... Lynn Milgrim Nora ...... Shannon Cochran Torvald ...... Bill Geisslinger Emmy ...... Virginia Vale

SETTING Norway. Inside the Helmer house, 15 years after Nora left Torvald.

LENGTH Approximately 90 minutes, with no intermission.

PRODUCTION STAFF Production Assistant ...... Kathleen Barrett Assistant Director ...... Brittany Campbell Assistant to the Director ...... Keira Talley Costume Design Assistant ...... J. Wendy Wallace Stage Management Intern ...... Elena L. Perez Light Board Operator ...... Dan Gold Sound and Projections Operator ...... Sam Levey Dresser ...... Jessica Larsen Wig and Makeup Technician ...... Gillian Woodson Additional Costume Staff ...... Alexis Riggs, Lauren Smith, Sarah Timm

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 Media Partner

P2 • South Coast Repertory • A Doll’s House, Part 2 The Slamming Door Heard ‘Round the World by Kimberly Colburn behind women continue to be, when most plays and films still feature more male than female characters and work bsen’s controversial A Doll’s House was met with a famously dries up for older women unless they are among divided reception. The final moments of the play, as a lucky handful. It’s interesting that Ibsen, never shying seen below, portrayed Nora leaving her husband and from the controversy the play originally caused, publicly family. That slam of the door reverberated around declared that he was not a feminist. the world. Feminists hailed Nora’s actions, while oth- Given the weight and iconic status of A Doll’s Iers decried the loss of family values and argued that it House, it is no surprise playwright Lucas Hnath used the would encourage women to abandon their family duties. idea of a sequel as a framework to explore modern rela- A Copenhagen paper proclaimed, “Finally an event at The tionships. What will happen when Nora returns to knock Royal Theatre, and an event of the first class! This play on that fateful door? touches the lives of thousands of families; oh yes there are thousands of such doll-homes, where the husband The end of A Doll’s House by (translated by Eva Le treats his wife as a child he amuses himself with, and so Gallienne), first performed at The Royal Theatre in that is what the wives become… Who, after seeing this Copenhagen in December play, has the courage to speak scornfully about run-away 1879. wives?” On the other hand, the Evening Standard said “it would be a misfortune were such a morbid and un- You really mean it’s over, Nora? Really wholesome play to gain the favour of the HELMER: public.” over? You’ll never think of me again? Few plays have spawned as many NORA: I expect I shall often think of you; of sequels, parodies or adaptations from the you—and the children, and this house. very outset. A revised version with an al- HELMER: May I write to you? ternate ending premiered in Flensburg, Germany a few months following the Nor- NORA: No—never. You mustn’t! Please! wegian premiere. When leading woman HELMER: At least, let me send you— Hedwig Niemann-Raabe refused to act the NORA: Nothing! part as written, Nora did not leave home at the end of the play—the curtain instead HELMER: But, you’ll let me help you, Nora— fell after Torvald showed Nora the children NORA: No, I say! I can’t accept anything from and she sank to the ground—an amendment strangers. Ibsen later described as “a barbaric outrage.” Must I always be a stranger to you, Nora? In 1881, Norwegian MJ Bugge published How HELMER: Nora Returned Home Again: An Epilogue. The NORA: Yes, unless it were to happen—the most original script was forbidden to be performed wonderful thing of all— in London, but in 1884 an adaptation of A Doll’s HELMER: What? House by Henry Arthur Jones and Henry Her- man renamed Breaking a Butterfly premiered NORA: Unless we both could change so that—Oh, at the Princess Theatre in London. Productions Torvald! I no longer believe in miracles, you of A Doll’s House were forbidden as late as the see! me 1920s in . In the last 100 or so years, there HELMER: Tell me! Let believe! Unless we both have been far too many productions, adaptations, could change so that—? or artistic responses to list. NORA: —So that our life together might truly be The play carries great weight still—there a marriage. Good-bye. (She goes to the door.) were three high profile London revivals of A Doll’s HELMER: Nora! Nora! She is gone! How empty it House in 2013—and the role of Nora has been lik- all seems! The most wonderful thing of all—? ened to the role of Hamlet for men, something ev- From below is heard the reverberation of a ery actor strives to tackle. Nora has also become a ( heavy door closing. End of Play. symbol of what is possible and a reminder of how far )

A Doll’s House, Part 2 • South Coast Repertory • P3 Artist Biographies

Shannon Cochran Ghost Light by Tony Taccone and as assistant direc- Nora tor of . His other credits include the world premiere of Continental Divide by was last seen at SCR in System David Edgar (OSF, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Wonderland. Her recent appear- Playhouse, in the U.K. at Birmingham Repertory and ances include Lucas Hnath’s The the Barbican Center in London) and the world pre- Christians at Steppenwolf Theatre miere of X’s and O’s by K.J. Sanchez (Berkeley Reper- and Roundabout Theatre Com- tory Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage). He also has pany’s national tour of Cabaret. performed at the Old Globe Theatre, Long Wharf The- Her other theatre credits include the national tour of atre, Huntington Theatre Company, Intiman Theatre, August: Osage County, receiving a nomi- Denver Center Theatre Company, Virginia Stage Com- nation and Theatre Award; Goldfish (Route pany, Mechanic Theatre, Artists Repertory Theatre, 66 Theatre); The Little Foxes (); Merrimack Repertory Theatre and Portland Center of Death ( Joseph Jefferson Award); A Little Stage. Geisslinger’s film and television credits include Night Music, Hamlet, The Father, The Lion in Win- “Grimm,” “Cheers,” “St. Elsewhere,” “News Radio,” ter (Writers Theatre); Man From Nebraska, The Un- “Nowhere Man,” Dead by Sunset, A Thousand Heroes, mentionables, Morningstar, Your Home in the West, Imaginary Crimes and American Playhouse: The Skin The Geography of Luck (Steppenwolf Theatre); and of Our Teeth. The Last Goodbye (Old Globe Theatre). She is an Obie and TheatreWorld awards-winner for ’ Lynn Milgrim Bug (Gate Theatre, London; Barrow Street Theatre). Anne Marie She has appeared at other theatres including , Mark Taper Forum, Geffen Playhouse, appeared at SCR previously in Court Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, Marriott The- Rest, The Trip to Bountiful, The atre in Lincolnshire (Ill.), Cincinnati Playhouse in the Heiress, The Caucasian Chalk Park, Playhouse on the Square and Barbican Center Circle, Bosoms and Neglect, The (London). Her directing credits include Fallen Angels Countess, (Remy Bummpo), Dirty (Zephyr), Bug (barebones pro- and Pygmalion. On Broadway, ductions), The Rivalry, The Real Dr. Strangelove and she was seen in Charley’s Aunt; Otherwise Engaged, Judgement at Nuremberg (LA Theatre Works), Therese directed by ; Bedroom Farce, directed by Raquin (Greasy Joan & Company) and Private Pas- Sir Peter Hall; and in the international tour of Brighton sage (Odyssey Theatre). Her film and television credits Beach Memoirs, directed by Gene Saks. Her off-Broad- include Captive State (in production), The Ring, Star way appearances include Win/Lose/Draw, Echoes, Mac- Trek: Nemesis, Be Good for Rachel, The Perfect Fam- beth, Crimes of Passion, City Scene, Talking With and ily, Flowers and Weeds, “Modern Family,” “Scandal,” Ribcage at Theatre Club; and Close of Play “NCIS: LA,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Star Trek: Deep Space and Museum at New York Shakespeare Festival. She Nine,” “The Office,” and “Law & Order: SVU.” has played leading roles in regional theatres nation- wide including the Los Angeles productions of The Bill Geisslinger Marriage of Bette and Boo, , Eastern Standard Torvald (Robby Award), Treasure Hunt (Robby nomination), Accelerando and Brush Strokes. She has guest-starred appeared at SCR previously in on numerous television shows and has been a series Fool for Love. As an acting com- regular in pilots for CBS and ABC. She is a member of pany member at Oregon Shake- The Antaeus Company, where she appeared in Hedda speare Festival (OSF) for 25 years, Gabler (Robby nomination), The Malcontent (Stage- he participated in more than 70 SceneLA Award for outstanding performance by a fea- productions including most re- tured actress) and Wedding Band, A Love-Hate Story cently August: Osage County, the world premiere of in Black and White (Ovation Award nomination).

P4 • South Coast Repertory • A Doll’s House, Part 2 Virginia Vale Trainee, is a member of the Stage Directors and Chore- Emmy ographers Society, and serves as associate director on Beautiful: The Carol King Musical. is thrilled to return to SCR after previously appearing in the world Takeshi Kata (Scenic Design) returns to SCR after premieres of Eliza Clark’s Future designing Office Hour last season. His New York credits Thinking and Adam Rapp’s The include Man From Nebraska (Second Stage); Gloria Purple Lights of Joppa Illinois. and Outside People (Vineyard Theatre); Forever (New She is a graduate of The Juilliard York Theatre Workshop); BFE and Doris to Darlene School Division and winner of the John House- (Playwrights Horizons); Through a Glass Darkly, Port man Award for Excellence in the Classics. Her credits Authority and The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow (At- include Barefoot in the Park (Bucks County Play- lantic Theatre Company); Adding Machine and Orson’s house), Cape Cod Theatre Project and “The Mysteries Shadow (The Barrow Group) and Gone Missing (The of Laura” on NBC. Civilians). Regionally, Kata has worked at Alley Theatre, American Players Theatre, , Dal- Playwright, Director and Designers las Theater Center, Ford’s Theatre, Geffen Playhouse, Goodman Theatre, Hartford Stage, Kirk Douglas The- Lucas Hnath (Playwright) has written plays that in- atre, La Jolla Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, Mark clude , Red Speedo, The Christians, Taper Forum, The Old Globe, Skylight Opera, Step- A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About penwolf Theatre Company, Williamstown Theatre Fes- the Death of Walt Disney, Isaac’s Eye, and Death Tax. tival and . Kata has won an Obie His work has been produced at Actors Theatre of Lou- Award and has been nominated for Drama Desk and isville/Humana Festival of New Plays, Ensemble Studio Barrymore awards. He is an assistant professor at USC Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, New York Theatre Work- School of Theatre. shop, Playwrights Horizons, Royal Court Theatre and Soho Rep. He has been a resident playwright at New Se Hyun Oh (Scenic Design) returns to SCR after Dramatists since 2011 and is a member of Ensemble designing Office Hour last season. His upcoming sce- Studio Theatre. He has received the Kesselring Prize, a nic design project is Yoga Play at South Coast Reper- Guggenheim Fellowship, the Whiting Award, two Har- tory (starts April 19). His recent scenic design credits old and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Asso- include Building the Wall ( Theatre); Two Kids ciation New Play Award citations, an Outer Critics Circle That Blow Shit Up (Artists At Play and Lounge Theatre); Award for Best New Play and an . Hedda Gabler (Antaeus Theatre Company); and BED (Echo Theatre Company). His musical/opera credits Shelley Butler (Director) returns to SCR where she include Another Sun (associate design, Hyundai The- directed productions of OZ 2.5, The Borrowers, A Wrin- atre Group); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (associate kle in Time, The Brand New Kid, Charlotte’s Web and design, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma); and Le Roi Malgre James and the Giant Peach, NewSCRipts readings of Lui (associate design, Bard SummerScape). He holds The Groundling, Bob and Incendiary, and PPF readings an MFA in theatre design from Northwestern University of Fast Company and How the World Began. Butler and works in theatre and architecture. sehyunoh.com has worked extensively with writers on new plays and musicals accumulating more than 30 Broadway, off- Sara Ryung Clement (Costume Design) returns to Broadway and regional credits to date. Her recent pro- SCR where her recent projects include costumes for ductions include the world premiere of The Most De- 4000 Miles, Completeness and Becky Shaw; sets and serving by Catherine Trieschmann (Denver Center for costumes for How the World Began; and the set de- the Performing Arts, Women’s Project Theater), This is sign for Absurd Person Singular. Her regional theatre Fiction by Megan Hart, starring Richard Masur at Cherry credits include Vietgone (Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Lane Theatre. She has developed more than two-dozen Seattle Repertory Theatre); The Model Apartment (Gef- new plays at companies including Hartford Stage, Den- fen Playhouse); The Astronaut Farmworker (La Jolla ver Center, Yale Repertory Theatre, Geva Theatre Cen- Playhouse POP Tour); Sunsets and Margaritas (Den- ter, New York Stage and Film, Primary Stages, Ensemble ver Center Theatre Company, Theatreworks); Hearts Studio Theatre, Women’s Project, The Lark Theater, (Center Stage Baltimore); Kentucky, Washer/Dryer, PlayPenn, New Dramatists and Ma-Yi Theater Company. Steel Magnolias (East West Players); atTraction, A Holt- Butler is the recipient of a Drama League Directing ville’s Night Dream (Cornerstone Theater Company); Fellowship, was a 2005 Director’s Guild of America Hold These Truths, This Wonderful Life (Perseverance

A Doll’s House, Part 2 • South Coast Repertory • P5 Theatre); Seven Spots on the Sun, The Golden Dragon Broadway, she earned a Tony Award nomination and a (The Theatre @ Court); Night of the Iguana, for her design of Rajiv Joseph’s Ben- Hamlet (A Noise Within); Miss Julie (Yale Repertory gal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. She also has designed Theatre); They Don’t Talk Back, Off the Rails (Native regionally at the Ahmanson Theatre (Sunshine Boys), Voices at the Autry); and others. She is on the set de- Mark Taper Forum (Bent, Steward of Christendom, Joe sign faculty at UCLA School of Theater, Film and Televi- Turner’s Come and Gone, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad sion. She earned her MFA from Yale School of Drama. Zoo, The Lieutenant of Inishmore), La Jolla Playhouse sararyungclement.com (Guards at the Taj, Sideways, The Nightingale), Kirk Douglas Theatre (Endgame, Twist Your Dickens, The Tom Ontiveros (Lighting Design) returns to SCR hav- Little Dog Laughed), Pasadena Playhouse (Stoneface, ing previously designed Going to a Place where you Above the Fold), The Los Angeles Theater (Carrie), The Already Are, Fast Company, The Motherf**ker with the Montalban (I Only Have Eyes) and Geffen Playhouse Hat and The Long Road Today. His work also has been (Play Dead, Wrecks, Some Girls). Myers also designed seen off-Broadway in The Exonerated (The Culture Tangled, The Musical for the Disney Magic cruise ship. Project) and Tune in Festival (Park Avenue Armory). She has earned 20 Ovation Award nominations and won His other New York credits include Happy Days (The the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Kinetic Award for Flea), Patience, Fortitude, and other Antidepressants Outstanding Achievement in Theatrical Design and Los (INTAR), Nada Que Declarar (Danspace) and Veils, Ves- Angeles Drama Critics Circle and Garland Awards. crick- tiges and the Aesthetics of Hidden Things (Ontological etsmyers.com Hysteric Theater). His regional theatre credits include They Don’t Talk Back, Guards at the Taj, Most Wanted Kimberly Colburn (Dramaturg) is South Coast Rep- (La Jolla Playhouse); Vicuña, Gordon Davidson Memo- ertory’s literary director and co-director of the Pacific rial (Center Theatre Group); and My Old Lady, Visions Playwrights Festival. Her recent dramaturgical work has of Kerouac (Marin Theatre Company). Internationally, included the world premiere productions of Going to a he designed Schick Machine (Hong Kong Cultural Cen- Place where you Already Are by Bekah Brunstetter, Or- tre) and Garden of Deadly Sound (Hungarian National ange by Aditi Kapil, and Future Thinking by Eliza Clark. Theatre). His other Los Angeles credits include Figaro Formerly, she was the literary manager at Actors The- ¡90210! (LA Opera), Animals out of Paper (East West atre of Louisville, where she was the dramaturg for the Players), Café Vida, Seed, West Hollywood Musical (Cor- world premieres of Partners by Dorothy Fortenberry, nerstone Theater Company) and The Gospel at Colonus The Roommate by Jen Silverman and Dot by Colman (Ebony Rep). His awards include The Exonerated (Lu- Domingo, among others. Prior to that, she was associ- cille Lortel, Unique Theatrical Experience), My Barking ate literary director at SCR and was the dramaturg for Dog (L.A. Critics Choice Award, Best Lighting Design), world premieres of The Long Road Today by José Cruz Shiv (Nominated Best Projection Design, StageRaw) and González, Zoe Kazan’s Trudy and Max in Love and A Completeness (Nominated Best Lighting, Ovation). Wrinkle in Time adapted by John Glore, among dozens of other productions, workshops and readings. She has Cricket S. Myers (Sound Design) is thrilled to re- worked with companies including Los Angeles Opera, turn to SCR after designing The Siegel, Red, Mr. Wolf, Mixed Blood Theatre, Sledgehammer Theatre, Oregon Zealot, Trudy and Max in Love, 4000 Miles, The Fan- Contemporary Theatre, Critical Mass Ensemble, Artists tasticks, The Parisian Woman, Sight Unseen, Elemeno at Play and Native Voices at the Autry Museum of the Pea, The Trip to Bountiful and Three Days of Rain. On American West.

P6 • South Coast Repertory • A Doll’s House, Part 2 Bree Sherry (Stage Manager) has previously worked off-Broadway on These Paper Bullets! (Atlantic The- The Playwrights Circle consists of avid play- ater Company). Her regional theatre credits include goers who help underwrite a world premiere Destiny of Desire (SCR); These Paper Bullets! (The production each spring. Its individual members Geffen Playhouse); Kiss Me Kate (Pasadena Playhouse); include long-time subscribers, major annual Princess & Pirates (Kirk Douglas Theatre), A Snow fund donors, endowment supporters and trust- White Christmas (San Diego Repertory); Shear Madness ees. Since its inception in 2002, The Playwrights and 12 Angry Men (Florida Repertory Theatre); The Circle has underwritten works by writers in- Reduced History of Comedy Abridged, Talley’s Folly, cluding Eliza Clark (Future Thinking), Rajiv Equally Divided, Stella & Lou, Devil’s Music and Mrs. Joseph (Mr. Wolf), Beau Willimon (The Pari- Mannerly (Merrimack Repertory Theatre); Nutcracker sian Woman), Rachel Bonds (Five Mile Lake), and (The Washington Ballet); Bad Amy Freed (Safe in Hell), Richard Greenberg (A , The Motherf**ker with the Hat (Studio Theatre); Naked Girl on the Appian Way and Our Moth- A Christmas Carol, A Doll House, Dial “M” for Mur- er’s Brief Affair), Christopher d’Amboise (The der, Masquerade, Steel Magnolias and The Sunset Studio), Julie Marie Myatt (My Wandering Boy), Limited (Triad Stage); and The Servant of Two Masters Kate Robin (What They Have), Julia Cho (The and Rough Crossing (Yale Repertory Theatre). She is Language Archive), Lauren Gunderson (Silent operations manager for the International Festival of Sky) and Octavio Solis and Adam Gwon (Cloud- Arts and Ideas, touring stage manager with the Reduced lands). SCR is especially grateful to The Play- Shakespeare Company, and has served as production wrights Circle for its leadership and dedication manager for UC-Santa Barbara’s Department of Theatre to helping bring new plays to Orange County and Dance. She has worked on the Latin Grammy and audiences—and to the American theatre. the Drama Desk Awards. She earned her BA in technical theatre and design from Elon University and her MFA in stage management from Yale University, School of Susan Bowman and Freddie Greenfield Drama. Mary Ann Brown and Rick Reiff Marc Masterson (Artistic Director) is in his sixth Sandy Segerstrom Daniels season with SCR. Under his leadership, SCR has ex- Dr. Robert F. and Julie A. Davey panded community initiatives and world premieres Patricia Ellis including CrossRoads commissions with Vietgone and Margaret M. Gates Orange and the Diálogos project in Santa Ana. In recent years, SCR productions have transferred to some of the Don Hecht leading theatres in the country including Manhattan Lea and Harmon Kong Theatre Club, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Berkeley Anne and Christian Mack Repertory Theatre and The Shakespeare Theatre. His Carl Neisser recent directing credits include All the Way, Going to a Barbara Roberts Place where you Already Are, Zealot, Death of a Sales- man, Eurydice and Elemeno Pea at SCR, As You Like It Peter and Joy Sloan for the Houston Shakespeare Festival, The Kite Runner at Actors Theatre of Louisville and the Cleveland Play

A Doll’s House, Part 2 • South Coast Repertory • P7 House. He served for 11 years as artistic director of Ac- the Award for their lifetime commitment tors Theatre of Louisville and produced the Humana to theatre excellence and fostering the art and craft of Festival of New American Plays, where he produced American playwriting. They also accepted SCR’s 1988 more than 100 world premieres, expanded audiences Tony Award for Outstanding Resident Professional and the repertoire, deepened arts education programs Theatre and won the 1995 Theatre L.A. Ovation Award and spearheaded numerous community-based projects. for Lifetime Achievement. Benson has received the Los His other Louisville directing credits include A Midsum- Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished mer Night’s Dream, Shipwrecked! An Entertainment, Achievement in Directing an unparalleled seven times , The Tempest, Mary’s Wedding, for George Bernard Shaw’s Major Barbara, Misalli- , Betrayal, As You Like It, The Importance ance and Heartbreak House; John Millington Synge’s of Being Earnest and Macbeth. The world premieres Playboy of the Western World; Arthur Miller’s The Cru- he directed at the Humana Festival include works by cible; Sally Nemeth’s Holy Days; and the world pre- Lisa Dillman, Wendell Berry, Craig Wright, Eric Coble, miere of ’s Pulitzer Prize-winning , Adam Bock, Gina Gionfriddo, Melanie Marnich, Charles which he also directed at Seattle Repertory Theatre and Mee and Rick Dresser. He served as artistic director of Houston’s Alley Theatre. He has directed American clas- City Theatre in Pittsburgh for 20 years and was founder sics such as A Streetcar Named Desire and has distin- and chairman of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Alliance. guished himself in staging contemporary work includ- He has served as a theatre advisory panel member for ing the critically acclaimed California premiere of Wil- the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as numer- liam Nicholson’s Shadowlands. He directed revivals of ous foundations. He won the Man of the Year Vectors ’s Abundance and ’s The Trip Award, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award to Bountiful and Samuel D. Hunter’s The Whale and from the Pittsburgh New Works Festival. Rest (world premiere); The Whipping Man by Matthew Lopez and The Roommate by Jen Silverman (west coast Paula Tomei (Managing Director) is responsible for premiere). Benson received his BA in theatre from San leading the overall administration of SCR. She has been Francisco State University. managing director since 1994 and a member of SCR’s staff since 1979. She is a past president of the board of David Emmes (Founding Artistic Director) is co- Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national founder of South Coast Repertory. He received the service organization for theatre. In addition, she served Margo Jones Award for his lifetime commitment to as treasurer of TCG, vice president of the League of Res- theatre excellence and to fostering the art of American ident Theatres (LORT) and as a member of the LORT playwriting. In addition, he has received numerous Negotiating Committee for industry-wide union agree- awards for productions he has directed during his SCR ments. She represents SCR at national conferences of career. He directed the world premieres of Amy Freed’s TCG and LORT; is a theatre panelist for the National Safe in Hell, The Beard of Avon and Freedomland, Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the California Arts Thomas Babe’s Great Day in the Morning, Keith Red- Council; site visitor for the NEA; and has been a guest din’s Rum and Coke and But Not for Me and Neal Bell’s lecturer in the graduate schools of business at Stan- Cold ; the American premieres of Terry Johnson’s ford and UC Irvine (UCI). She teaches a graduate class Unsuitable for Adults and Joe Penhall’s Dumb Show; in nonprofit management at UCI and was appointed and the Southland premiere of Top Girls (at SCR and by the chancellor to UCI’s Community Arts Council. the Westwood Playhouse). Other productions he has She is also on the board of Arts Orange County, the directed include Red, New England, Arcadia, The Im- county-wide arts council, and the board of the Nicholas portance of Being Earnest, Woman in Mind and You Endowment. She graduated from UCI with a degree in Never Can Tell, which he restaged for the Singapore economics and pursued an additional course of study in Festival of Arts. He has served as a theatre panelist and theatre and dance. onsite evaluator for the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as a panelist for the California Arts Council. Martin Benson (Founding Artistic Director), co- After attending Orange Coast College, he received his founder of SCR, has directed nearly one-fourth of SCR’s BA and MA from State University and his productions. In 2008, he and David Emmes received 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 • A Doll’s House, Part 2