DIRECTED BY STEVEN SAPP SPREAD THE WORD!

Regional Premiere

September 7 - October 12

Season Sponsors Platinum Show Sponsor Silver Show Sponsors Social Justice Partner Diana and Mike Kinsey Roscoe Hill Abasi and Toni Baruti The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Linda Brotman-Evans Charitable Trust Gold Show Sponsors David Price Shelley Fleetwood and Jim Gusek Season Patron Susan Tucker HOPE vs. OPPRESSION The World of the Play

When developing Pass Over, the playwright imagined the play as three layers: each overlap and inform the others. Ultimately, all three can be felt within the play.

modern EXODUS america SAGA ANTEBELLUM SOUTH Enslaving people pre-dates the United States itself. The first African slaves were brought to the now-US in the early 1500s. The slave trade thrived throughout the With the advent of cell In Exodus, Moses is chosen by following centuries and existed phone cameras, our news God to free the Israelites from in all thirteen colonies. The and newsfeeds are filled with slavery in Egypt and lead them agricultural South was particularly videos of black and brown to the promised land. After dependent upon slavery. The men and women mistreated Pharaoh refuses to free them, Emancipation Proclamation by police. Thanks to the God sends ten plagues to Egypt. of 1863 and subsequent 13th #blacklivesmatter movement, Pharaoh finally relents and Amendment gave over four million there is newfound awareness. releases the Israelites, only to slaves their freedom, but left them High school drop-out rates change his mind and chase them. without property, transportation, and homelessness rates are Moses parts the Sea and the or true equality. high among young black men Israelites walk to freedom while in particular due in large part Pharaoh’s army is destroyed in to the systemic racism that has the water. defined and persisted within our nation for generations. A Note from the Producing Artistic Director

It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to our 22nd tremendous years of collaboration at Curious. It is also an Season here at Curious! After all of those years, it still honor to welcome two new Chicago artists to our stage, as continues to be an honor to serve this community through well as a longtime company member. And it is equally an thought-provoking professional theatre and engaging honor to welcome all of you to also be an integral part of cultural communion. Whether you are a longtime patron this important work. or a new audience member, we hope that Curious will be your cultural home! We all hold the future in our hands; what will we choose to make of it? After twenty-two years of producing theatre, rarely does a play deeply surprise me; even more rare is a play that disturbs me. That is what is so exciting about opening our season with Antoinette Nwandu’s Pass Over – a play that does both, and so much more. Challenging, fierce, funny Chip Walton and disturbing, this is a play for our time that is as necessary Producing Artistic Director as it is complicated and unrelenting. Weaving together the Book of Exodus, African-American history and Waiting for Godot, this is a play that simply demands our attention. And for good reason; our canary in the coalmine is long dead. A look into, An inside peek into According to a recent study by the University of California, Two homeless African American men conservative estimates are that an unarmed black person Passing their time chilling on corners. is 3.5 times more likely to be shot than an unarmed white Stopped and frisked person. And in some counties across the US, that figure Angry and frustrated rises to as much as 20 times more likely. As Werner Herzog Dreaming of a better life observed: “Dear America: You are waking up, as Germany A riff on Waiting for Godot once did, to the awareness that 1/3 of your people would And the murder of Trayvon Martin in 2012 kill another 1/3, while 1/3 watches.” So allow yourself to take A look into Here at Curious, we work together as citizens, audiences An inside peek into and artists to explore and extrapolate the contemporary world in which we live through the intersection of art by Steven Sapp, Director and social justice. Even when that becomes difficult work; perhaps especially when it does. It is an honor to welcome back Director Steven Sapp to do that work with us, after 13

SEASON 22 | 303-623-0524 | CURIOUSTHEATRE.ORG 3 Peeling layers with Antoinette Nwandu

By Katie Maltais, Curious Managing Director crossing the river of Jordan, and to getting to the promised land—from the Antebellum south all the way through the Hearing Antoinette Nwandu talk Civil Rights Movement. When you look at the writings and about Pass Over, it’s clear there the speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., for instance, is much more going on than there’s always biblical imagery as a reference point. So, it originally meets the eye. This was important for me when thinking about this play and complex play has more layers thinking about these two young men to meditate on the than an onion and each brings kinds of stories they had been told and the kinds of images symbolism and power into the they might have access to, to describe their situation,” said piece in new and interesting ways. Antoinette. “But then also that sort of Brechtian existential dread and questioning—is this story ever actually going to Perhaps this is because the piece come true?” draws inspiration from so many varied places. From her church upbringing to the trial That core conflict – hope vs. oppression – is the heart of following the murder of Trayvon Martin, Pass Over is not only this play, but the existence of so many black and Antoinette’s grappling with all of these influences. Given brown Americans today, something Antoinette wanted to this complexity, she chose to set the play – simultaneously – lift up, especially for white audience members. in three different eras. “On a macro scale, the structure of the play tells a pretty “I had a lot of takes with Pass Over at the beginning, and macabre joke: Let’s say that a miracle happened tomorrow then I finally sort of hit on the combination of talking and a Moses-type figure were able to call down plagues to about these themes in three layers…: the biblical layer, eradicate the police state in the United States as we know which is set in Egypt, of Moses; the slavery layer, which is it,” muses Antoinette. “So, the state-sanctioned murders of set on a plantation—and you can just think of these two black people, people just like me, whose murders are on my young men a hundred and fifty years ago as slaves wanting mind in some capacity every moment of every day, just stop. to escape; and then the modern layer,” shared Antoinette in That would be amazing. A true miracle. But then I’d still an earlier interview. have every other white person to worry about, you know what I mean? All the ones who aren’t wearing a uniform. At “In the Exodus story, the children of Israel do get to the least a police officer announces their power with a badge.” promised land, and knowing how important that story structure and that language has been in the African After an irresponsibly white-centric review of Pass Over ran American community, especially, like with all the negro in the Chicago Sun-Times, it sparked a national controversy spirituals that are biblical in nature, and the references to and uproar. Antoinette responded via a letter that ran in American Theatre Magazine which read, in part: “My

4 CURIOUSTHEATRE.ORG | 303-623-0524 | SEASON 22 play Pass Over… engages a majority white audience in a conversation about the violent effects of white oppression on black bodies…Weiss’s review perpetuates a toxic discourse in which black lives do not matter and white lives TrayvonTrial Martins' murder remain unburdened by the necessary work of reckoning Is there with white privilege and the centuries-long legacy of following a Promised violence by which it is secured.” ChristianLand? Later, Antoinette told another interviewer, “Ultimately, [the upbringing controversy in Chicago] was affirming, because I knew that my play was affecting people and that it was making people Teaching at talk and that it was making people feel things. I think so community often in the theatre, unfortunately, I’ve had the experience college of seeing a play on Tuesday and forgetting exactly what I saw by Wednesday.” Waiting for Godot Pass Over is not an easy, carefree night at the theatre; it is an exploration that will keep you engaged for days, weeks, months, maybe years to come. The layers that are stacked into this piece will continue to unpeel in the moments ahead, revealing themselves at key moments. “I write plays that hold a mirror up to society, that expose the darkness as a means to finding light. This is necessary work.” Indeed it is, Antoinette.

The playwright doesn’t prescribe what any audience member should take away from the play, going so far as to distance herself from any such assumptions. Instead, she said simply, “I write to heal. I think to heal myself and to heal any audience member who’s willing to be healed.”

To learn more about Pass Over, go to our Go Deeper section go deeper: on the Curious website: CuriousTheatre.org/event/pass-over >>> SEASON 22 | 303-623-0524 | CURIOUSTHEATRE.ORG 5 Curious Theatre Company

presents

Passby Antoinette Over Nwandu Directed by Steven Sapp

CAST This play does not have an intermission. If Moses and Kitch Greg Geffrard, Moses cannot leave, neither can you. Gregory Fenner*, Kitch Erik Sandvold*, Mister/Ossifer From the Author: A Note About Language in this Play – Let me be crystal clear: Aside from the actors saying lines of dialogue TIME while in character, this play is in no way, shape or form an invitation now. right now. for anyone to use the n-word. When you want to talk about the but also 1855 n-word, say “the n-word.” but also 13th century BCE Pass Over is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, PLACE Inc., A Concord Theatricals Company. a ghetto street, a lamppost, night. The world premiere of PASS OVER was produced and presented but also a plantation at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago IL; Anna D. Shapiro, but also Egypt, a city built by slaves Artistic Director and David Schmitz, Managing Director PRODUCTION TEAM Produced by Lincoln Center Theatre, New York City, 2018 Scenic Concept by Chip Walton Costume Design by Janice Benning Lacek** Developed by Cherry Lane Mentor Project, Lighting Design by Richard Devin** Angelina Fiordellisi, Founding Artistic Director. Sound Design by Jason Ducat Props Design by Donna Kanne THE VIDEOTAPING OR MAKING OF ELECTRONIC OR Fight Choreographer, Dane Torbenson OTHER AUDIO AND/OR VISUAL RECORDINGS OF THIS Stage Manager, A Phoebe Sacks* PRODUCTION OR DISTRIBUTING RECORDINGS ON Scenic Charge Artist, Sarah Talaba ANY MEDIUM, INCLUDING THE INTERNET, IS STRICTLY Assistant Stage Manager/Wardrobe, CeCe Smith PROHIBITED, A VIOLATION OF THE AUTHOR’S RIGHTS Scenic Construction, You Want What Productions AND ACTIONABLE UNDER UNITED STATES COPYRIGHT Board Operator, Frieda Dunkelberg LAW. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT: https:// shop.samuelfrench.com/content/files/pdf/piracy-whitepaper.pdf

Bold = Curious Artistic Company Member | *Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. | **Member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 IATSE Bios

Greg Geffrard (Moses) is an actor, Theatre, a graduate from the Second City conservatory, and is educator, and spoken word artist. proudly represented by Paonessa Talent. Previous acting credits include Lottery Day (Goodman Theatre; u/s); Miss Bennett Erik Sandvold (Ossifer/Mister) Along (TheatreSquared); Tilikum (Sideshow with appearances in many readings, Theatre); Another Jungle (Cloudgate Curious New Voices plays, and Denver Theatre); Smart People (Writers Theatre; Stories, Erik Sandvold has been featured in u/s); Puff Believe It Or Not(Remy Bumppo); 20 full productions over Curious’ 21 years Pass Over (Steppenwolf; u/s), Earthquakes In London (Steep including: Your Best One, Appropriate, Theatre); BBC: Romeo & Juliet (Along The Way Productions); The Luckiest People, Lucky Me (Best Of Carroll Gardens (16th Street Theatre); Our Lady Of 121st Westword: Best Actor in a Comedy), Street (Eclipse Theatre); Carlyle & Upstairs Concierge (Goodman 9 Circles, , Up, Homebody/Kabul, Opus, Rabbit Theatre; u/s), Treasure Island (Lookingglass Theatre; u/s); Coming Hole, The War Anthology, Fuddy Meers, Bright Ideas, Closer, Take Home (Erasing The Distance); Stick Fly (Windy City Playhouse); Me Out (The Denver Post Ovation Award, Best Performance A Plank In Reason (Prologue Theatre); HAIR (American Theatre by an Actor in a Comedic Role) and (The Company); one week in spring (Halcyon Theatre); And The Snow Denver Post Ovation Award, Best Solo Performance). Erik has Came Down (Step Up Productions); Bud, Not Buddy (Chicago worked often with other leading theatre companies in Colorado, Children’s Theatre), and Seascape (Remy Bumppo Theatre). TV in productions such as Plainsong, When We Are Married, Well, A Credits: Chicago Justice (NBC). Proudly represented by Paonessa Flea in Her Ear (Denver Center Theatre Company); Moonlight Talent Agency. and Magnolias, 1940’s Radio Hour (Arvada Center); Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, The Rivals (Colorado Shakespeare Festival); Gregory Fenner (Kitch) is a Chicago- and Big River and The Explorers’ Club (Lone Tree Performing Arts based artist whose credits include Richard Center). Erik performed the one-actor musical Bubs (The Denver III, Hang Man, Hamlet, and Cosmologies Post Ovation Award, Best Solo Performance) and narrated all the (The Gift Theatre); Megastasis (Eclipse Harry Potter books for The Library of Congress. He is an alumnus Theatre-Jeff Nominated); A Small Oak of Northwestern University. Tree Runs Red (Congo Square Theatre); 10 out of 12 (Theater Wit); Love and Antoinette Nwandu (Playwright) Steppenwolf presented the Information (Remy Bumppo Theatre); World Premiere of her play Pass Over, a mashup of the biblical Native Son (Court Theatre, u/s); Angels in America: Parts I & II Exodus story and Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, which sparked a and Six Degrees of Separation (Stray Dog Theatre);The Whipping national conversation about bias in the theater community. Her Man (New Jewish Theatre); and the one-man, 40 character play Breach: a manifesto on race in america through the eyes of a comedy Fully Committed (Stray Dog Theatre-St. Louis Theatre black girl recovering from self-hate, about a black woman forced to Circle Award Winner for Best Leading Actor in a Comedy). TV confront her self-loathing after unexpectedly getting pregnant, credits include The Chi (SHOWTIME), Empire (FOX), Chicago received a World Premiere at Victory Gardens. Antoinette is Fire (NBC), and Chicago P.D.(NBC). Next up you can see him currently under commission from Echo Theater Company and in the world premiere of The First Deep Breath at Victory Gardens Colt Coeur. Her work has been supported by The MacDowell Theatre in Chicago. He is an ensemble member at The Gift Colony, The Sundance Theater Lab, The Cherry Lane Mentor SEASON 22 | 303-623-0524 | CURIOUSTHEATRE.ORG 7 Bios

Project (mentor: Katori Hall), The Kennedy Center, Page73, honored to be a Fellow of the College of Fellows of the American PlayPenn, Space on Ryder Farm, Southern Rep, The Flea, Naked Theatre. Dick received his BA in Drama from the University of Angels, Fire This Time, and The Movement Theater Company. Northern Iowa and an MFA from the Yale School of Drama. He She is an alum of the Ars Nova Play Group, the Naked Angels is a Member of the United Scenic Artists of America. Issues PlayLab, and the Dramatists Guild Fellowship. Honors include The Whiting Award, The Paula Vogel Playwriting Award, Jason Ducat (Sound Design) has designed many shows at The Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award, The Negro Ensemble Curious including Gloria, The Humans, Your Best One, Company’s Douglas Turner Ward Prize, and a Literary Fellowship ’67, Appropriate, The Luckiest People, Venus in Fur, Good People, at the Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference. Antoinette’s plays The Brothers Size, and Maple and Vine. Jason worked as a resident have been included on the 2016 and 2017 Kilroys lists, and she sound designer at Denver Center Theatre Company where he has been named a Ruby Prize finalist, PONY Fellowship finalist, designed Glengarry Glen Ross, When Tang Met Laika, The House of Page73 Fellowship finalist, NBT’s I Am Soul Fellowship finalist, the Spirits, Lord of the Flies, Shadowlands, Reckless, Superior Donuts, and two-time Princess Grace Award semi-finalist. Antoinette Heartbreak House, and Othello. Other designs include Henry IV, graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College with a The Tempest, I Hate Hamlet, Macbethand Richard II (Colorado bachelor’s degree in English and holds a Master’s of Science degree Shakespeare Festival); Marat/Sade, The Winter’s Tale (Purdue in Cultural Politics from The University of Edinburgh, and an University); Lab Coats on Clouds (Prague Quadrennial); Hedwig MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. and the Angry Inch (Elemental Theatre Company); Sideways Stories from Wayside School (Hope Summer Repertory Theatre); and Richard Devin (Lighting Design) has designed lighting for many Tribulation and the Demolition Squad (Chicago Dance Crash). Curious productions including Skeleton Crew, The Cake, Detroit Jason received his MFA in sound design from Purdue University. ’67, Appropriate, the three Elliot plays, The Flick, All the Rage, Good People, Rancho Mirage, Maple and Vine, 9 Circles, Charles Ives Donna Kanne (Props Design) is back at Curious after designing Take Me Home, On an Average Day (Denver Post Ovation Award), for Sanctions, Skeleton Crew, The Humans, and The Cake last A Number, Opus, Yankee Tavern, , The Long season. Her other designs include The Spitfire Grill and The Oldest Christmas Ride Home, and scene and lighting design for Speech Boy for Vintage Theatre. Donna received her BFA in Theatre from and Debate and Aphrodisiac. He recently designed Disgraced, Fade, Metropolitan State University of Denver. and The Christians for the Denver Center Theatre Company. Dick also worked with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival for 17 years Janice Benning Lacek (Costume Design) has designed costume as Producing Artistic Director, and 26 years as lighting designer. across the US and internationally for theatre, opera, and dance He has designed lighting for more than 250 productions at 35 since 1987. Highlights include La Jolla Playhouse, A.C.T., of America’s regional theatres, as well as designing Off-Broadway Syracuse Stage, San Diego Rep, American University of Cairo, and in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Cairo. He was Managing Director Egypt, and more than 28 productions of Shakespeare including and Lighting Designer with Massachusetts’ Williamstown Theatre credits with the Colorado, Utah, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival for eight years and is past president of the United States Festivals, the Tennessee Shakespeare Company and Great River Institute for Theatre Technology. Dick taught for 40 years in the Shakespeare in Minnesota. CSF’s Richard II was included by Theatre Departments of Temple University, The University of invitation in the US entry at the 1999 Prague Quadrennial. Janice Washington and The University of Colorado. He has served as is a former company member and designed dozens of Curious theatre consultant on numerous new and renovated theatres. He is productions from 1999 until 2009’s production of Sarah Ruhl’s 8 CURIOUSTHEATRE.ORG | 303-623-0524 | SEASON 22 Bios

Eurydice. She returned to Colorado (and Curious) in 2016 and Chip Walton (Scenic Concept and Producing Artistic Director) has since designed The Body of an American, and the first two co-founded Curious Theatre Company in 1997 and has served installments of Merideth Friedman’s family trilogy, The Luckiest as Producing Artistic Director for the entire history of the People and Your Best One, as well as August Wilson’s for organization. Named Denver’s “2005 Theatre Person of the Lone Tree Arts Center in 2018 and will open Plaza Suite at the Year,” he has directed 50 shows for Curious over the past 21 years Arvada Center this October. Janice has taught costume and and his work has garnered more than 100 local and national theatre at the University of Memphis, the University of Colorado awards. In 2008, Curious was honored with the Mayor’s Award at Boulder and Kenyon College. She is an Associate Professor of for Excellence in the Arts. Chip has served as the President and Theatre at DU and holds an MFA from UC San Diego at LaJolla. Vice President of the National New Play Network, a network of professional, non-profit theatres across the country dedicated to A. Phoebe Sacks (Stage Manager) has been the stage manager for the development and production of new plays for the American Skeleton Crew, The Humans, The Cake, The Intelligent Homosexual’s theatre. Chip was also selected in the inaugural class of the Guide…, The Body of an American, Appropriate, Hand to God, Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Livingston Fellows, recognizing Constellations, The Luckiest People, White Guy on the Bus, and Sex exceptional non-profit leaders with significant potential for with Strangers. She previously served as stage manager or assistant contribution, change and leadership in Colorado’s nonprofit stage manager for more than 30 productions at Denver Center sector; additionally, he served on the Board of Directors of the Theatre Company. Favorites include the world premieres of The Bonfils-Stanton Foundation as their first Community Trustee. Legend of Georgia McBride and The Whale. Phoebe has also stage Chip has participated in the Visiting Professionals program at managed for Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, New Denver the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, as well as serving on the Civic Theatre and Lizard Head Theatre Company. She holds a B.A. Leadership Group for Imagine 2020: Creating a Future for Denver’s in Technical Theatre from the University of Northern Colorado, is Culture. He has directed in the National New Play Network a member of Actors’ Equity Association, and is on the Curious staff Showcase of New Plays, the Kennedy Center’s MFA Playwriting team as Production Manager. Festival in Washington, D.C., and accepted a National Theatre Company Award in New York for Curious from the prestigious Steven Sapp (Director) is a playwright, actor and Co-Founder/ American Theatre Wing. Most recently, Chip was honored to Core Member of UNIVERSES since 1995. He previously serve as a 2017 Aspen Ideas Festival Speaker. worked with Curious on Ameriville and The Denver Project. His playwriting and acting credits include Party People, Ameriville, Actors’ Equity Association (“AEA” or “Actors’ Equity”), founded in The Denver Project, One Shot in Lotus Position, Blue Suite, 1913, represents more than 49,000 actors and stage managers in Slanguage, Rhythmicity (Playwright/Actor/Director), and The Ride the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the (Playwright/Actor/Director). He also appeared in The Comedy art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity of Errors. Steven’s directing credits include The Architecture of negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range Loss (Assistant Director to Chay Yew), Will Powers’ The Seven of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member (Director-The Univ. of Iowa), and Alfred Jarry’s Ubu: Enchanted of the AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international (Director-Teatre Polski, Poland). He has won many awards and organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our several of his works have been published including Universes’ The mark of excellence. www.actorsequity.org Revolution will be Live! (2017 release-TCG Books).

SEASON 22 | 303-623-0524 | CURIOUSTHEATRE.ORG 9 Racial Inequity Persists

Statistic upon statistic has shown that people of color are disproportionately negatively affected in nearly every aspect of modern life. From access to healthcare, housing, and education to far more volatile interactions with law enforcement and the justice system, the inequities faced by black and brown Americans persist a century and a half post-slavery and decades after the Civil Rights Movement.

Black men are 3.5x MORE likely to be killed by police than white men. 7x Black people are 4x AS LIKELY to Black men are 7x MORE likely to experience the threat or use of DIE UNARMED than white men. force during interactions with police.

1 in 3 black 4x men can expect to go to jail at some point in their lifetimes

10 CURIOUSTHEATRE.ORG | 303-623-0524 | SEASON 22 IN COLORADO…

THERE ARE CURRENTLY MORE BLACK PEOPLE LOCKED Black Coloradans are: UP IN PRISON THAN THERE WERE ENSLAVED IN 1850. of the state of our 4% population 18 % prison > > > > yet population

Black and Latino students represent MORE THAN 70% of those involved in school-related arrests For violent offenses, black or referrals to law enforcement. 28% people were sentenced to 18 % BLACK prison in 28% of the cases WHITE compared to 18% of whites.

Black and Latino students make up 60% of confined youth today. 60% Overall Colorado unemployment: 3.5% Black Coloradan unemployment: 6.6%

Black men make 72¢ High School Graduation Rates: for every dollar Black students 74% a white man makes. White students 85%

All three men on Colorado’s death row are black men.

To learn more or for sources on these statistics, check out the go deeper: Go Deeper tab of our website: CuriousTheatre.org/event/pass-over >>> SEASON 22 | 303-623-0524 | CURIOUSTHEATRE.ORG 11 Who is Curious?

WE ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY IN IMPORTANT CONTEMPORARY ISSUES THROUGH PROVOCATIVE MODERN THEATRE

Now in our third decade, Curious Theatre Company is Denver’s home for feisty, unapologetically progressive, professional theatre that you won’t see anywhere else in Colorado. We have the guts to make theatre that can change the world.

We focus on plays with something to say, something to explore, something to make you curious. We focus on playwrights that have a unique point of view and thrilling storytelling, often introducing them to our region. Both onstage and off, we are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and to paying our artists a living wage. 75% OF OUR PLAYS IN THE LAST 10 YEARS WERE WRITTEN BY WOMEN, LGBTQ+, OR PEOPLE OF COLOR.

Curious works at the intersection of art and social justice, connecting our community with pressing issues and social justice partners taking action in Colorado and beyond. Our plays inspire understanding and empathy while driving change in our world. We focus our community engagement efforts on creating authentic relationships throughout Denver's many diverse communities. Skeleton Crew, 2019 We are Curious. And we hope you are too. 12 CURIOUSTHEATRE.ORG | 303-623-0524 | SEASON 22 Board, Company & Staff

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Lisa Boehm, Finance Manager Brynn Starr Sater, Patron Development Associate Steve Choquette, Co-Chair Ashley Campbell, Sidney Fairbrother, Hattie Hodes, Elizabeth Steele, Co-Chair Sophie Smrcka, Patron Services Team John Flanigan, Treasurer Susan France, Secretary COMPANY Nate Barker Lisa Boehm Toni Baruti Kevin Brainerd Peter R. Bornstein Dee Covington Kristel Jelinek Brown Richard Devin Tara Cleare Jada Suzanne Dixon Eric Fonacier Jason Ducat Scott Gannon Patton Brian Landis Folkins Roscoe Hill Kathryn Gray Rich Southwick William Hahn Susan Tucker Josh Hartwell Alyssa Williams Markas Henry *Chip Walton, Producing Artistic Director Jim Hunt *Erik Sandvold, Artistic Company Member John Jurcheck *Jeremy Shamos, Lifetime Honorary President Cajardo Lindsey *non-voting members Kristin MacFarlane Shannon McKinney STAFF Michael McNeill Christy Montour-Larson Artistic Michael Morgan Chip Walton, Producing Artistic Director Josh Robinson Dee Covington, Education Director Erik Sandvold Marike Fitzgerald, Associate Producer Karen Slack A. Phoebe Sacks, Production Manager Chip Walton Michael Morgan, Technical Coordinator Todd Webster Administrative Katie Maltais, Managing Director Maggie Schlundt, Patron Development Manager Jeannene Bragg, Community Engagement Organizer Emily Whalen, Patron Services Manager

SEASON 22 | 303-623-0524 | CURIOUSTHEATRE.ORG 13 Our Audacious Supporters

BELOW IS A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THAT THEATRE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD, AND WHO GAVE BOLDLY, FIERCELY, AND GENEROUSLY TO SUPPORT FEARLESS ART. THEY MAKE IT ALL POSSIBLE. To donate to Curious, to make a difference, and to see your name on this list, call 303-327-4193, talk to the box office today, or visit curioustheatre.org/donate

$25,000+ Fine Arts Foundation Tara Cleare and Jesse LaNunziata Bloomberg Philanthropies John and Stephanie Flanigan The David and Mary Davies Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Florence R. and Ralph L. Burgess Trust Family Foundation The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Roscoe Hill Lucy Dinneen Charitable Trust Imagine 2020: Denver’s Cultural Plan Nancy and Samuel Gary SCFD: Scientific and Cultural Hal and Ann Logan Rhondda and Peter Grant Facilities District Jon and Lynne Montague-Clouse Shelley Fleetwood and Jim Gusek The Shubert Foundation National New Play Network Amy Harmon Michael Potts Ellen and Dale LaGow $10,000-$24,999 Redline Contemporary Art Center Karolynn Lestrud Merle C. Chambers Sidney E. Frank Foundation– Sabrina and Kevin Lofton Colorado Creative Industries Colorado Fund Maude B. Lofton, MD The Denver Foundation Spencer Wedum Memorial Fund Dr. Nita Mosby Tyler Diana and Mike Kinsey Elizabeth Steele Jay Seller, PhD and Paul Ferraresi The Nord Family Foundation The Virginia W. Hill Foundation Sheila Fortune Foundation Occasions Catering Toni and BJ Rodgers June Travis Susan Tucker Jeremy and Susan Shamos Judi Wagner Shamos Family Foundation Juanita Walls and Tina Walls $5,000-$9,999 Shine Investment Advisory Services Wiegand- Attorneys and Counselors LLC Anonymous Stacey A Wilson - Reflection Signs Robert Wiegand II and Richard and Joanne Akeroyd and Graphics Kimberly Raemdonck Brent and Christine Case Carol E. Wolf Isabelle Clark $1,500-$2,499 Ann Corrigan and Kent Rice $2,500-$4,999 Rick and Margot Acosta Laura Cowperthwaite and Janet and Eula Adams Linda Brotman-Evans LiveWork Denver Elizabeth and Evan Anderman Darin and Kristel Brown Les Crispelle and Glenn Tiedt Abasi and Toni Baruti The Honorable Karen Brody and Susan and John France Barbara Bridges Mr. Michael Hughes The Colorado Health Foundation Steve Choquette and Toni Ozeroff Hannah Christian

14 CURIOUSTHEATRE.ORG | 303-623-0524 | SEASON 22 Kirsten and Tim Collins Erin Trapp Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Rebecca Czarnecki and Nate Barker* John Vaughey Sybil Barnes Gary and Kathryn Dudley Alison Watrous Robert Blauvelt Eric Fonacier and Rebecca Holmes Yone and Frank Wells Bonnie and Rick Brandl Bequest of Paul Gery Honora and John Caldwell John Goff $500-999 Shelly Catterson Lee Ann Huntington and Neil Toribara Anonymous Elizabeth Comeaux Rhonda Knop and Tim McManus Rose Andom Paul and Anita Conkling Jim and Elizabeth Neid Lauren Andrews Arthur “Tee” Cowperthwaite and Newman Center for the Performing Arts Rosalyn and Robert Benson Brenda Stockdale Lori Pidick and Mark Niles Mary Lou Brown Lotte Lieb Dula David Price Armando and Shawn Bustamante Felicia Furman Kelci Price and Jason Stoddart Dr. Carmen A. Casis, Professor Emerita, Sigrid H. and Dick Freese* Carole and Robert Slosky Regis University* Patty Gilbert Patricia Kingsbury Simpson* Gwen and Richard Chanzit Margaret and Russell Givens Katie Cymbala Steve Goldhaber $1,000-$1,499 Max and Joyce Douglas Kathryn Gray* Peter Bornstein Eugene O’Neill Memorial Theater Center, Inc. Janet Greiner Howard and Kathleen Brand Louis Freese Chuck and Pat Griffith* Moses and Gwendolyn Brewer Paul and Darcie Frohardt Linda Hansen Charles Casteel Jeane and John Garment Leanna and Jamie Harris Joan and Dale Coplan Tim Grant Markas Henry and Kevin Brainerd Donorly Arlene and Barry Hirschfeld Lenora Hill The Edmund T & Eleanor Quick Dianne Howell Bill Hoffman Foundation Inc. Kendra and Ben Ingram Sylvia Jackson Mark Falcone Jay’s Valet John and Courtney Jurcheck Sherry and David Fitzpatrick Jim and Kathryn Kaiser Judith Karp Jeannie and John Fuller Diane and Jim Knutzon Tony and Tammy Khorouzan Mr. Julian Grand and Mr. Peter Lighte Lila F. Laux Roberta and Mel Klein Dr. Mark Groshek and Dr. Carl Clark Fred and Rosie Pittroff Janet Mackenzie Lee Everding Fay and Mark Plummer Dr. Gail Martz Paula Hanson David Rosentrater Lon B. Mason and Kevin Fitzpatrick Jessie Harris Gerald and Ann Saul Nancy McMahon Alicia Harvey Marjorie and Bob Schaffner Pamela and Michael McNeill Kathy Heidtbrink Harry and Vicki Sterling Medtronic Katrina and Byron Jacquot Sandy Tenenbaum Henry and Mary Milgrom Little Rock Nine Foundation Hanna Warren Norman Mueller Carol and Larry Levin Tobi Watson Christie Murata The Miral Family Fund Pam and Sonny Wiegand Shen Nagel* Paul Manoogian Bonnie O’Connell Donna Motta $240-499 Dan Peregoy Wayne New Anonymous Jane Pigford Linda and Frank Plaut Antonio Amadeo Beth Rabin Olivia Thompson Ilene Americus Harland and Mary Ann Ranney

SEASON 22 | 303-623-0524 | CURIOUSTHEATRE.ORG 15 $240-499 (continued) Karen and Ray Czizik Judy Kozlowski David Rochlin Cynthia Dash and Trent Novak Susan LaHoda Elizabeth Rohrbough Carole Richter Devers Esther Langmack Ronald Sandgrund Edna Diament Mark Lawson William and Patricia Shaffer David and Susan Donaldson Lisa Lee Patricia and David Shelton Robert Edwards and Anthony Colarelli Arthur Lieb Leni and David Slack* Hubert Farbes Jr Ingrid Lindemann Barbara Stannard* Andrew Felser Michael Livesay Ann Sutton and Moe Sherman Felice and Robert Fenwick-Smith Constance and Walter Lucy JeanAnne Swope and Jim Mechem Karen Fisher Beth Lyford Nancy Thoennes Doug and Barbara Flahive Anne and Barry Mahoney Carol Whitley Larry and Jan Foster Rebecca Martin Sylvia and David Walker Nancy Foster Joseph Nelson and Anne McDonald Ronald Walton Sheldon and Ellen Friedman Christopher Merrell* Bob Van Wetter Helen and Robert Gair Carla Mestas Chuck Zabel June and Ivor Garlick Dr. Julie Meyers Linda Zinn Judy and Duane Givens Mr. Thomas Migaki Sandy Goldman Tom Miller $100-239 Emily Goodin Carolee Miller Anonymous Barbara Goodman Kerry Morimoto Liz Amaral Susann Gordon Margaret Nelson Marcelle Arak Harry and Donna Gordon Victoria and David Norris Denise Arnold William Gorham Josephine O’Brien Schaefer Rosie Backes Susan Greenwald Barbara and Martin O`Brien Christina Baur* Korin Haight Allison Olien Donna Baker-Breningstall Becky Hammond Susan Osgood Nancy and Jeff Balter Randall Hansen Mark Overmeyer Belden Melissa Harris Charles Packard Fran Benton Lisa Hartman Noel Pazour* Susan Berzac and Ralph Jollensten Rudi Hartmann and Kathy Newman Mrs. Judy Pendleton Jeannene Bragg and Dane Torbenson* Jean Hodges Barbara Pollack Susan and Jim Brickey Michael Homyak David Posner and Helen Buchsbaum A. Brock Terri Hoopes Bettina Proctor Stanley and Pamela Barsam Brown Phillip Howard and Joseph Mauro John and Kathleen Pushor Pat and Ellen Call Steve and Chryse Hutchins* Ellen Rehmar and Jeffrey Allen Sue Cannon David Ickovic Ellen Reiter Shelly Catterson David and Deb Janik Kurt Rhodus Anne Christner Sharon Jewell Jennifer Rhulen Dorothy Ciarlo Chad Johnston Robert Rich Linda and Ted Ciavonne Ron Katz Karen and Curtis Rokala Rachel Clark Michael Keating Cathy Rolland Robert and Liane Clasen Theresa and Robert Keatinge Sylvia Romo Marla Corwin Kingsbery CPAs Lee and Nancie Sammons Barbara and Herschel Cravitz Stuart and Lauren Kingsbery Jo and Richard Sanders

16 CURIOUSTHEATRE.ORG | 303-623-0524 | SEASON 22 Carol and Michael Sarche Michael Tapp* Jacquelyn Wonder and Jerry Conover P.B. Schechter and Naomi Reshotko Carol E. and Otis Taylor Matt and Deanna Young Marshall Schecter Jeffrey Thomas Gifts received between August 1, 2018 Donald Schiff Mary Toornman and July 31, 2019 Robin Schlundt Jan Trimmer Katrina Shanks Richard and Janet Tyrrell-Ead *Provocateur Monthly Giving Club Members Martin and Judy Shore Jack Walker Sheila Silverman Michael Walker Daniel Skiff* Barbara Walton Howard Skolnik Donna and Tom Ward Jacob and Katherine Smiles Matthew Wardlow 486 people donated less Sylvia Smith Hanna Warren than $100 last year, Nancy Stalf Kathy Wells giving a total of $12,996! Charlotte Stelmok Brenda & Sterling West We are fiercely grateful Anne Stowers Kenneth Wilson for their generosity. Michael and Palma Talamantes Thomas Wolf

SEASON 22 | 303-623-0524 | CURIOUSTHEATRE.ORG 17 Discuss & Take action

At Curious, we’re here to engage you in important issues. We use theatre as a catalyst for WHAT thinking about big, often uncomfortable topics and a way to connect you to vital steps NEXT? forward to improving the world for everyone.

DISCUSS TAKE ACTION >>> 1. How did you feel during the final monologue of the Learn More: There are so many amazing books and play? If you attended with someone of a different articles about race, white privilege, and our criminal race, ask them how they felt. How and why are your justice system. If you are white and new to the topic try reactions different? Waking up White by Debby Irving; for a definitive look at race in the criminal justice system we recommend The New 2. What privileges do you take for granted that Moses and Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander; for a hard-hitting look Kitch do not have? How does this play reflect Denver? into the life of a black man in America, check out Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. 3. The playwright was inspired by the contradiction of Waiting for Godot–waiting for something that will Talk about it: Get involved in one of the many excellent never arrive – and the Exodus Saga’s narrative –if we discussion groups and forums in Denver or start your own. believe and work hard, we will get to the promised land. A few of our favorites include The Second Tuesday When you consider your upbringing and your current Race Forum, Soul to Soul’s Facing Racism, and Race situation, which do you believe? Has that changed Talk University. throughout your life? Why or why not?

Invest your time, talent, testimony, or treasure

by aligning with a local group working on racial justice or criminal justice reform, by reaching out to your elected >>>officials, or supporting a person of color who is running for office. We recommend you check out the opportunities to work on racial justice hosted by our Social Justice go deeper: Partners at the ACLU of Colorado at aclu-co.org/volunteer. For links to these resources and more, check out the Go Deeper tab of our website: CuriousTheatre.org/event/pass-over

18 CURIOUSTHEATRE.ORG | 303-623-0524 | SEASON 22 what's new in Much of what we do here at Curious isn't visible from the audience. We are fearless pioneers of new work, new play dedicating time and resources to supporting playwrights at every stage. Our work in New Play Development development? doesn't always appear in our mainstage season, but it always leaves an impact on Denver, Curious, and the artists.

World Premiere Ready … Inheritance Written by local playwright, poet, and racial equity activist Norma Johnson, Inheritance explores Denver's KKK History, asking us to look back before we can move forward as a city. Under the direction of Jada Suzanne Dixon Inheritance will get its world premiere at a fundraiser supporting its run on September 24. Join us for this unique event! … CuriousTheatre.org/provisions

In Development … Refuge Bilingual. Puppets. Music. Refuge by Andrew Rosendorf tackles the immigration crisis on our Texas border with a beautiful unique lens. This piece has brought together incredible artists and partners to collaborate on an evocative and meaningful way to tell this tale. Look for public workshop readings in Denver and Longmont this November. … CuriousTheatre.org/refuge

Next Generation … CNV Companion Plays Taking cues from Pass Over, the young playwrights from this summer's Curious New Voices Summer Playwriting Intensive will develop short companion plays that speak to the same themes. The festival of their works will appear on this stage October 6. … CuriousTheatre.org/cnv-companion

Please join us to support our young writers! EAT UP, PARTY ON

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