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- 49th Season • 466th Production SEGERSTROM STAGE / OCTOBER 19 - NOVEMBER 18, 2012 Marc Masterson Paula Tomei ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MANAGING DIRECTOR David Emmes & Martin Benson FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTORS presents by Bill Cain Scott Bradley Callie Floor Alexander V. Nichols SCENIC DESIGN COSTUME DESIGN LIGHTING DESIGN Matt Starritt Joshua Marchesi Kathryn Davies* SOUND DESIGN PRODUCTION MANAGER STAGE MANAGER Directed by Kent Nicholson Pam and Jim Muzzy Honorary Producers Corporate Producer HOW TO WRITE A NEW BOOK FOR THE BIBLE was developed at the Ojai Playwrights Conference, Robert Egan, Artistic Director and at Theatre Works, Palo Alto, CA as part of their New Works Festival It was originally produced by Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Berkeley , CA, Tony Taccone, Artistic Director/Susan Medak, Managing Director and Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle, WA, Jerry Manning, Artistic Director/Benjamin Moore, Managing Director How to Write a New Book for the Bible • South CoaSt RepeRtoRy • P1 CAST OF CHARACTERS (In order of appearance) Bill ....................................................................................................... Tyler Pierce* Mary ............................................................................................ Linda Gehringer* Paul ............................................................................................... Aaron Blakeley* Pete ........................................................................................................... Jeff Biehl* LENGTH Approximately two hours and 20 minutes including one intermission. PRODUCTION STAFF Casting .................................................................................... Joanne DeNaut, CSA Dramaturg .......................................................................................... Kelly L. Miller Assistant Stage Manager .............................................................. Jamie A. Tucker* Production Assistant ............................................................................. Deb Chesterman Associate Costume Designer ................................................ Jocelyn Leiser Herndon Stage Management Intern ........................................................................... Amber Caras Light Board Operator ............................................................................. Aaron Shetland Sound Board Operator ............................................................................ G.W. Rodriguez Wardrobe Supervisor/Dresser ...................................................................... Bert Henert ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Special thanks to: Nicole Arbusto, Joy Dickson, Amy Potozkin and Erin Kraft. * Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers. Please refrain from unwrapping candy or making other noises that may disturb surrounding patrons. Video taping and/or recording of this performance by any means whatsoever are strictly prohibited. Cellular phones, beepers and watch alarms should be turned off or set to non-audible mode during the performance. Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the theatre. Segerstrom Stage Season Media Partner Media Partner P2 • South CoaSt RepeRtoRy • How to Write a New Book for the Bible Some Questions for Bill Cain by Madeleine Oldham ILL CAIN’S STAR IS FINALLY, RIGHTFULLY, RISING ON THE HORIZON OF THE AMERICAN THEATRE. His first play, Stand-Up Tragedy, achieved success on the West Coast, went to New York and closed after 13 performanc- es. It was not until 20 years later that his second play, Equivocation, debuted at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, followed Bby runs at the Geffen Playhouse and New York’s City Center. Last season, 9 Circles had a lauded run in Los Angeles—and this production of How to Write a New Book for the Bible co-premiered at Berkeley Rep and Seattle Rep. In an unprecedented repeat performance, Cain won the Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association Award in both 2010 and 2011. With this cur- rent momentum behind him, his career is right in the middle of seriously taking off. Cain gave this interview to Berkeley Rep Dramaturg Madeleine Oldham. WHY WRITE THIS PARTICULAR PLAY? WAS THIS A PLAY THAT’S BEEN BUILDING The play focuses on three people: INSIDE YOU FOR A LONG TIME, OR DID IT my father, my mother and my brother. COME TO YOU IN A PARTICULAR MOMENT? These are exquisite human beings, and I The first part of this play was actu- wanted to ritualize in some way the won- ally written shortly after Mom died. I had der of their lives as a way of celebrating cleaned out the apartment and I found them. I think the history of both religion myself unable to leave. I stayed in the and drama is the sins of the parents are empty apartment an extra day just hang- visited on the children—as told by the ing out. Then I knew I had to go or what children. And that’s Adam and Eve have needed to happen—which is the final ruined our lives or James Tyrone and scene of the play—wouldn’t happen. The Mary Tyrone [Long Day’s Journey into apartment needed to be empty of every- Night] have ruined the lives of their chil- thing. Certainly empty of me. So I took dren. This is not my experience. My expe- SCR welcomes the return of the one thing I hadn’t been able to throw rience is the opposite of the general tra- playwright Bill Cain (above). In recent out before—the ironing board—and dition; I have a huge sense of the blessing years, we’ve produced readings of left—knowing what event would take his plays 9 Circles (Pacific Playwrights of my parents’ lives being passed to the place in my absence. That sequence—the Festival, 2009) and How to Write a next generation, and I wanted to make a New Book for the Bible (NewSCRipts, play’s ending—was written immediately ritual of that passage of life visible. 2010). He is currently writing a new on leaving the apartment. After that—bit Most of drama really is pointing the play under commission for SCR. by bit—over the next 10 years I wrote the finger backwards. And comedy is where Below, Bill’s mother, Mary. story of the play as a book—which I then we get to celebrate. There’s a drama in adapted into this play. generosity as well. I don’t think the only drama is in the scarring or the losses. I DOES THE PLAY CAUSE YOU TO RELIVE PAINFUL think there’s great drama in self-sacrifice MOMENTS? IF SO, DO YOU FIND IT CATHAR- and kindness and the cost of kindness. TIC? And that’s a ritual I would like people to I think of the play as joyous. I don’t enter, and exit less afraid and more joy- feel any regrets about any of the events ous. of the play. Compassion certainly. I feel that my parents and my brother are abso- WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE WILL WALK lutely exquisite people and I see the play AWAY WITH WHEN THEY SEE THIS PLAY? as a celebration of them. I hope they walk away with a great sense of joy, walk away carrying less fear IS THE PLAY PURE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OR IS IT A about how life ends. My parents both BLEND OF FACT AND FICTION? gave off light as they died, and they found that is my parents understood that death “Bill” says early in the play that he’s a way to make their deaths a summa- does not negate life, but it’s one of the keeping a journal and writing it all down. tion of the goodness they had received things in life. I hope the play works as “Bill” is faithful to that. Some of the fun- and given for their whole lives. The play a celebration of all of the darkness and nier sequences—including the biggest is very funny. And I think the reason for light and not just some of it. fight in the play—are virtual transcrip- How to Write a New Book for the Bible • South CoaSt RepeRtoRy • P3 tions of the events. If I were going to fic- and Dad were storytellers. Dad couldn’t luck, with some laughter—always widen- tionalize, I would have taken out some of tell a joke. He’d get laughing so hard he ing the circle of inclusion. I love theatre my more boneheaded, selfish behavior, couldn’t get to the punch line—which for its intimacy and television for its vast but I decided to let it stay as it was. annoyed us as reach. kids—but he was a WERE MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY SUPPORTIVE champion storytell- IS THIS THE MOST WHAT’S NEXT IN OF YOUR WRITING THIS PLAY? er. When we were YOUR WRITING WORLD AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL It was a book before it was a play, little, he would AFTER THIS PLAY? and my brother loved reading the (still make up stories THING YOU’VE WRITTEN? I just work- unpublished) book. He’s a little more with us and all the shopped a play concerned about the play, but he’s de- neighborhood kids NO QUESTion. called Callback. at cided to trust me on it—for which I am in them. Mom’s the Ojai Playwrights very grateful. stories always had Conference, which a point and the point was usually “Work has been kind enough to host all of my HOW DOES BEING A PRIEST AFFECT YOUR PLAY- harder!” But Bible stories mixed in with plays so far. It’s also biblically based, WRITING AND VICE VERSA? Irish lore, sports stories, neighborhood which is odd for me. Jesus refuses to I’m a Jesuit priest, and the Jesuits gossip, literature and history to create rise from the tomb. Just to get out of the weren’t founded to live in a cloister or a a rich stew of beginnings, middles and Bible, I’m working on (not really work- monastery. We’re supposed to go into endings. ing, it’s recreational writing) a screen- the world, find the presence of God there play about the sexual coming of age of and celebrate it. I’d say that was a pretty WHEN DID YOU DECIDE YOU WANTED TO BE A lifeguards on the Jersey shore. It’s an good description of what all of us in the- PLAYWRIGHT? emotional comedy. Then, finishing an atre do as well. Theatre is always pro- I had been a director for many years overdue film script about Greg Boyle— claiming “attention must be paid” to what and was working at the Boston Shake- a Jesuit who works brilliantly with gang is neglected and holy. Willy speare Company when I saw members in Los Angeles.

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