POMONA-Program-Web-2Amt.Pdf

STEEP THEATRE COMPANY ENSEMBLE MEMBERS James Allen Peter Dully Caroline Neff Julia Siple Jonathan Berry Jonathan Edwards Jim Poole Sasha Smith Lucy Carapetyan Nate Faust Egan Reich Kendra Thulin George Cederquist Alex Gillmor Joel Reitsma Robin Witt Matthew Chapman Nick Horst Melissa Riemer Brendan Melanson Brad DeFabo Akin Lauren Lassus Brandon Rivera in memoriam Maria DeFabo Akin Ashleigh LaThrop Michael Salinas Thomas Dixon Cynthia Marker Amber Sallis Patricia Donegan Peter Moore Joanie Schultz ARTISTIC ASSOCIATES Catherine Allen Jon Ravenscroft Simon Stephens Brandon Wardell Kristin Leahey Alison Siple Assoc. Playwright Chelsea M. Warren Emily McConnell Dan Stratton Ellen Willett BOARD OF DIRECTORS Doug Passmore Anne Marie Mitchell David Bock Kelly Fitzgerald President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Dave Bartusek Sonya Dekhtyar Ted Lowitz Anne Puotinen Kelly Carpenter Ian Galleher Cooper Melgreen Jessica Schrey Louis Chieng Stu Kiesow Elizabeth Moore EMERITUS BOARD FRIENDS OF STEEP Neil Jayne Jon Putnam Heidi Brock Diane Galleher Molly Johnson John White Reid & Jennifer Barry Grant Katie Kett Sara Levy Quinn Broda Christine Rousseau Jen Moore John Dunnigan Craig Steadman STAFF Peter Moore Lucy Carapetyan Lee Miller Sophiyaa Nayar Artistic Director Casting Director Photographer Program Coordinator Kate Piatt-Eckert Caroline Neff Gregg Gilman Ryan Kling Executive Director Casting Director Photographer Bar Manager Julia Siple Egan Reich Brad DeFabo Akin THE BOXCAR Managing Director Literary Manager Bartender Thomas Dixon Lisa Troi Thomas Stu Kiesow Alyssa Ratkovich Artistic Curator House Manager Graphic Designer Bartender Sasha Smith Artistic Curator Steep Theatre Company is supported by the Bayless Family Foundation, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, the Arts Work Fund, the Alphawood Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the A.L. and Jennie L. Luria Foundation, the Rothman Family Foundation, the Jordan & Jean Nerenberg Family Fund, the Rothman Family Foundation, the Saints, and the Pauls Foundation. Steep is a member of the League of Chicago Theatres and Theatre Communications Group. STEEP THEATRE COMPANY 1115 West Berwyn, Chicago, IL 60640 www.steeptheatre.com · [email protected] · (773) 649-3186 Steep Theatre Company proudly presents Pomona by Alistair McDowall CAST (in order of appearance) Zeppo.......................................................Peter Moore* Ollie ....................................................... Amber Sallis* Fay .........................................................Ashlyn Lozano Keaton .....................................................Phoebe Moore Gale ..........................................................Jamila Tyler Moe .........................................................Nate Faust* Charlie . Brandon Rivera* UNDERSTUDIES Zeppo, Moe . Wesley Scott Ollie, Keaton ............................................Cathleen Brumback Fay .............................................................Sarah Lo Gale ......................................................... Emily Ember Charlie . William Delforge PRODUCTION STAFF Director .......................................................Robin Witt* Stage Manager .............................................Lauren Lassus* Scenic Designer .............................................Joe Schermoly† Lighting Designer ........................................Brandon Wardell**† Costume Designer .........................................Aly Renee Amidei† Sound Designer .............................................Thomas Dixon* Props Designer ................................................Jenny Pinson Violence Choreographer ....................................Christina Gorman Dialect Coach ...............................................Adam Goldstein Assistant Director ..........................................J. Cody Spellman Production Manager .......................................Catherine Allen** Technical Director .............................................Evan Sposato *Steep Theatre Ensemble Member ** Steep Theatre Artistic Associate †Member of United Scenic Artists Local 829 This production of Pomona was sponsored by: Ann & Rich Carr, Timothy Sherck, Anna Wermuth & Alex Gillmor, and Lisa & Randy White Additional production support was provided by: The Pauls Foundation Pomona was first commissioned and performed by Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama with the first professional production at the Orange Tree Theatre, London, on 12th November 2014. The video and audio recording of this show is strictly prohibited. You may take photos of the stage before or after the show, but not when actors are present. If you post these photos online or elsewhere, please credit the production’s designers listed above. Taste of New Orleans Edgewater Chicago 5352 N Broadway Chicago, Illinois pearlschicago.com DIRECTOR’S NOTE “It’s all real. All of it. Everything bad is real.” - Moe from Pomona Pomona is a real place. Labeled “The Lost Island of Manchester,” Pomona is a sliver of land set between the River Irwell and the Bridgewater Canal in Manchester, UK. In the 1830s the island was known as the Cornbrook Strawberry Gardens and was home to a lovely private estate with extensive grounds located about a mile or so west of Manchester city center. The property was purchased in 1845 by William and Joseph Beardsley who sought to capitalize on the beauty of island’s apple orchards, wildflowers, and strawberry patches. The businessmen brothers sold day trips to city dwellers who were eager for time away “from the impurities of the Manchester atmosphere” where they could “enjoy all the pleasures of a rural fete, without the expense of a railway trip.” The Beardsleys renamed the island “Pomona,” after the Roman Goddess of fruitful abundance. Sold to another industrialist who was keen to build upon the success of the day trip industry, the now-named “Pomona Botanical and Zoological Gardens” included plans for a massive entertainment hall. In 1868 the Royal Pomona Palace opened on the island, and it was the largest music hall in Britain at the time (even larger than London’s Royal Albert Hall). All forms of diversions could now be found on the island including shooting galleries, a swimming pool, tearooms, horse shows, political rallies, and concerts, as well as—lamentably—“exhibitions of human oddities” or Victorian “freak shows.” Young people flocked to Pomona, where they could meet up with friends and sweethearts, unchaperoned, for an evening of drinking and dancing. Pomona was such a notorious lovers’ hangout that the phrase “don’t be the kind of girl who goes to Pomona” made it into the popular culture of the time. But by the 1880s, entertainment tastes began to change, and with urban sprawl making its way to the banks of the River Irwell and the Bridgewater Canal, Pomona Gardens found itself squeezed in by factories and could no longer attract customers. When Manchester Ship Canal proposed building docks on the island, in 1888 Pomona Gardens was sold, closed its doors, and became exclusively docklands for over 80 years. When the docks closed in the mid 1970s, Pomona fell into disuse and slowly, the island began to creep back to its natural state, with the ruins of the docklands and the Palace strewn among the vegetation. According to “Transport Statistics Greater Manchester 2016 Public Transport Section,” the Pomona tram stop was the least-used stop in the Metrolink network that year. Yet, undoubtedly, this will soon change. Although previous plans for redevelopment of Pomona had been successfully fought off, recently real estate corporations have been given permission to build housing, a wharf, and restaurants on the island, much to the sorrow of local citizens, dog walkers, and joggers. The wasteland that is currently Pomona will rise up into 19-story-high condominiums. The loop—the cycle—continues. As it does in every city. Even ours. Robin Witt June 2019 CAST Peter Moore (Zeppo) Pete is Ashlyn Lozano (Fay) Ashlyn delighted to be back home at couldn’t be happier to be Steep after last appearing working with Steep again on here in Penelope Skinner’s Pomona! Previous Chicago Linda. He is a founding theatre credits include Doubt member and the Artistic (The Gift), Birdland (Steep Director of Steep. His Steep credits include U/S), The Dream King (workshop with Teatro Birdland, Hinter, Earthquakes in London, The Vista), Don’t Look Back/Must Look Back (Pivot Cheats, The Few, Wastwater, Motortown, Arts), The Book of Joseph (workshop with Pornography, Harper Regan, Brilliant Chicago Shakes), The Memory Tour (Pivot Adventures, Love & Money, strangers, babies, Arts), District Merchants (workshop with Festen, The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Chicago Shakes), The Two Gentlemen of Argyle, If There is I Haven’t Found it Yet, A Brief Verona (Oak Park Festival Theatre), and History of Helen of Troy, and a few other others. Additionally, Ashlyn directed the world impossibly long titles. Outside credits include premiere of the musical The Book of Sebastián Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Writers Theatre); In by Eric Matthew Richardson. She holds a BFA the Canyon (Jackalope Theatre); The Crucible in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul. (Steppenwolf Theatre); and The Downpour (Route 66 Theatre), among others. TV/Film Phoebe Moore (Keaton) credits include The Red Line (CBS); Chicago

Load more