50th Season • 475th Production SEGERSTROM STAGE / OCTOBER 18 - NOVEMBER 17, 2013

Marc Masterson Paula Tomei ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MANAGING DIRECTOR

David Emmes & Martin Benson FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTORS

presents 4000 MILES

by Amy Herzog

Ralph Funicello Sara Ryung Clement Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz Cricket S. Myers SCENIC DESIGN COSTUME DESIGN LIGHTING DESIGN SOUND DESIGN

Jackie S. Hill Sue Karutz* PRODUCTION MANAGER STAGE MANAGER

Directed by David Emmes

Steve and Laurie Duncan and Barbara Roberts and Brooke Roberts-Webb Honorary Producers

4000 MILES was originally produced by Lincoln Center Theater in 2011, New York City 4000 MILES is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.

4000 Miles • South Coast Repertory • P1 CAST OF CHARACTERS (In order of appearance) Leo Joseph-Connell ...... Matt Caplan* Bec ...... Rebecca Mozo* Amanda ...... Klarissa Mesee* Vera Joseph ...... Jenny O’Hara*

SETTING An apartment in Greenwich Village.

LENGTH Approximately one hour and 40 minutes with no intermission.

PRODUCTION STAFF Casting ...... Joanne DeNaut, CSA Dramaturg ...... Kimberly Colburn Assistant Stage Manager ...... Jamie A. Tucker* Assistant Director ...... Clint Foley Assistants to the Scenic Designer ...... Chad Dellinger, Mason Lev Costume Design Assistant ...... James David Leal Assistant Lighting Designer ...... Stacy McKenney Stage Management Intern ...... Lilly Deerwater Light Board Operator ...... Andrew Stephens Sound Board Operator ...... GW Rodriguez Wardrobe Supervisor/Dresser ...... Bert Henert Wig and Makeup Technician ...... Jenni Gilbert

* 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 • 4000 Miles The Long Road Home

“Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer de- spair for the future of the human race.” From Country to City ~H.G. Wells, novelist my Herzog has written two plays about the family fea- Atured in 4000 Miles. In an in- “You can kiss your family and friends same things back from them” terview with Lincoln Center, she good-bye and put miles between you, ~Amy Herzog, 4000 Miles talks about why she sets the play but at the same time you carry them in New York: with you in your heart, your mind, your “Consider a man riding a bicycle. Who- “The play has to take place stomach, because you do not just live ever he is, we can say three things about in NYC because it’s where Vera in a world but a world lives in you.” him. We know he got on the bicycle and lives, but I was also interested in ~Frederick Buechner started to move. We know that at some what that environment means point he will stop and get off. Most im- to Leo, outdoorsman and latter- “The test of our progress is not wheth- portant of all, we know that if at any day transcendentalist that he is. er we add more to the abundance of point between the beginning and the I biked across the country the those who have much; it is whether end of his journey he stops moving and summer after I graduated from we provide enough for those who have does not get off the bicycle, he will fall college, and almost immedi- little.” off it. That is a metaphor for the journey ately thereafter moved to this ~Franklin D. Roosevelt through life of any living thing.” city to embark on adult life. It ~William G. Golding, author of was a rude awakening in ways I “Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes Lord of the Flies, in a 1977 speech didn’t recognize at the time...I round in another form.” had been traveling across these ~Rumi, 13th-century Persian poet “Each of us has his own rhythm of suf- expansive, gorgeous, lonely fering.” landscapes for two months, “Life shouldn’t be printed on dollar ~Roland Barthes, sometimes covering upwards of bills.” Mourning Diary, 2010 seventy miles without seeing a ~Clifford Odets, Waiting for Lefty town, and urban life was a dif- “When the spirits are low, when the ficult adjustment. I missed the “If all else perished, and he remained, day appears dark, when work becomes simplicity of life on the road and I should still continue to be; and if all monotonous, when hope hardly seems the feeling of accomplishment else remained, and he were annihilat- worth having, just mount a bicycle and that came at the end of every ed, the universe would turn to a mighty go out for a spin down the road, with- day.” stranger.” out thought on anything but the ride ~Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights you are taking.” ~Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “Without alienation there can be no in Scientific American, 1896 politics.” ~Arthur Miller “Democracy is a device that insures we shall be governed no better than we “It’s so much darker when a light goes deserve.” out than it would have been if it had ~George Bernard Shaw never shone.” ~John Steinbeck, “It is worth remembering that the time The Winter of Our Discontent of greatest gain in terms of wisdom and inner strength is often that of greatest “I find if you approach people with love difficulty.” and trust you can count on getting the ~Dalai Lama Amy Herzog

4000 Miles • South Coast Repertory • P3 The Village History

reenwich Village, During the 1960s, it was a cen- where Vera’s apart- ter for hippie counterculture. ment is located, is Many gay people also began known as an en- congregating in the area; in clave for artists. By 1969, a group of patrons at Gthe turn of the 20th century, the Stonewall Inn grew angry it was ethnically diverse and with police harassment and widely known for its toler- a riot broke out that sparked ance for radicalism and non- the beginning of the gay rights conformity. In 1924, the land- movement in America. Green- mark off-Broadway Cherry wich Village has remained a Lane Theatre was established progressive center, a rallying there, and in the 30s and place for anti-war protestors 40s the Living Theatre, The- in the 1970s and a center for atre of the Absurd and the mobilization efforts for the Downtown Theater move- AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, ment all took root there. In even as gentrification of the the 1950s, Greenwich Village neighborhood has driven up had become the center of the cost of living there. the Beat movement started by writers like Jack Kerouac, Photos top to bottom: 1912 Suffragette Alan Ginsberg, and William protest in Greenwich Village; Larry Rivers, Jack Kerouac, David Amram, S. Burroughs—who inspired Allen Ginsberg and Gregory Corso (in a philosophy on innovation the hat) in the 1950s; The Stonewall in style, experimentation in riots on June 28, 1969; Senator Joe all forms, and sexual fluidity. McCarthy conferring with aide.

ences on the left-wing Progressive Politics side of the political spectrum include the he modern progressive movement labor movement. The in America has roots in the late 19th American Federation Tand early 20th centuries, founded of Labor formed with the goal of improving society by an alliance with the eliminating corruption and improving Democratic party in the welfare of citizens. Other influ- 1906, and the next several decades saw a growth in labor unions as their in the membership of the party in social and political influence grew. America, the progressive ideals did not The American Communist Party die out. People continued to spread also supported workers’ rights and the word about the socially conscious helped organize labor unions, and policies being put into place in coun- counted upwards of 200,000 mem- tries like Cuba, where laws were intro- bers in various communist-supported duced to provide equality for black organizations at its peak. While the Cubans, greater rights for women, and Second World War and subsequent improved access to healthcare, hous- McCarthyism caused severe declines ing and education.

P4 • South Coast Repertory • 4000 Miles Artist Biographies

Matt Caplan* Leo Joseph-Connell at The Colony Theatre Company; The Cherry Orchard opposite Annette Bening and Alfred Molina at Center is making his SCR debut. On Theatre Group; Ghosts at A Noise Within; and Mrs. War- Broadway he appeared in Rent, ren’s Profession, Peace in Our Time, King Lear, Cousin South Pacific and Spider-Man: Bette, Pera Palas, ClassicFest’s A Month in the Country Turn Off the Dark and he ap- and The Dresser at The Antaeus Company. She also peared regionally in American appeared in I Capture the Castle at El Portal Theatre Idiot. His television and film ap- (Ovation Award nomination for Best Actress) as well as pearances include “New Amsterdam,” “NCIS,” Ambiva- at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey where she lence, Across the Universe and Painting Abby Long. played Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Film Caplan is from New York by way of Virginia, where he and television credits include The Repatriate, Zerophil- studied theater at the Governor’s School for the Arts. ia, Headless Horseman, The Waterhole, “Pizza Time,” He is also a songwriter. mattcaplan.com “Cold Case,” “The Young and the Restless” and “Me- dium.” She recently wrapped the web series “Kittens in Klarissa Mesee* a Cage,” directed by Jillian Armenante. Mozo earned her Amanda BFA from Rutgers University and studied at The Globe Theatre in London. She is a proud member of Actors’ is thrilled to be making her SCR Equity Association and The Antaeus Company. debut. Currently she can be seen in Disney’s musical spectacular, Mick- Jenny O’Hara* ey and the Magical Map at the Dis- Vera Joseph neyland Resort. Her other credits include McCoy/Rigby’s Miss Saigon is very happy to return to SCR (Ovation Award nomination) and Richard Shermans’ after appearing in Richard Green- Pazzazz! She also had the honor of originating the role berg’s Our Mother’s Brief Affair. of Scarlet Wong in English Only: A Fight For Words in On Broadway, she appeared in The America. Her film and television credits include “Lost Odd Couple (female version), The Tapes” for Animal Planet and “Teenage Mountain Lion” Iceman Cometh, Promises Prom- (a web series to be released). Mesee is a native of South- ises, The Kid, Fig Leaves Are Falling and Dylan (debut ern California and earned her BA from The Ray Bolger with Alec Guinness). Her off-Broadway credits include Musical Theater program at UCLA’s School of Theater, John Guare’s New York Actor, Steve Martin’s Wasp, Film and Television. She would like to thank her family, Peter Hedges’ Good as New, Ensemble Studio Theatre’s friends and her team at Connor Ankrum Associates. Marathon ’93, Sedalia Run and The Fox. Regionally she appeared in Hello & Goodbye (Yale Repertory), The Fox (Back Alley), Little Egypt (the play and the musical), Rebecca Mozo* Bec Bitter Women, Bitten by a Fly, A Skull in Connemara, Bakersfield Mist and Love, Loss, and What I Wore. She appeared at SCR previously in has been a series regular on “The King of Queens,” The Parisian Woman, In the Next “Costello,” “Life’s Work,” “The Pastor’s Wife,” “My Sister Room or the vibrator play, A Wrin- Sam,” “The Facts of Life,” “Secrets of Midland Heights,” kle in Time, Emilie: La Marquise “Highcliff Manor” and has made guest appearances Du Châtelet Defends Her Life To- on “Emily Owens, M.D.” “Rizzoli and Isles,” “Frank- night, The Heiress and Doubt, a lin and Bash,” “CSI,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Drop Dead parable. Other theatre credits include, most recently, Diva,” “Boston Legal,” “Philly,” “NYPD Blue,” “Family We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Her- Law,” “The Practice,” “Roswell,” “Strong Medicine,” “ER,” ero of Namibia at The Matrix Theatre Company, The “Chicago Hope,” “Party of Five,” “Drew Carey Show,” Savannah Disputation (Ovation Award nomination), “Murphy Brown,” “Beverly Hills 90210,” “Law & Order,” Educating Rita and Trying (Ovation Award nomination) “L.A. Law” and many more. Movies of the week include

4000 Miles • South Coast Repertory • P5 If These Walls Could Talk II, The Color of Courage, My Ralph Funicello (Scenic Design) returns for his 27th Name is Jane, An Unexpected Family, Robin Cook’s Ter- season at SCR. Among his many SCR credits are the de- minal, A Mother’s Prayer, Happily Ever After, Winnie, V signs for Elemeno Pea, Misalliance, Hamlet, Brooklyn and Black Beauty. Her feature films include BFF, Sassy Boy, Major Barbara, The Circle, Private Lives, Six De- Pants, Devil, Heavy Lifting, The Hit List, Extract, Match- grees of Separation, She Stoops to Folly, Speed-The-Plow, stick Men, Mystic River, Angie, Career Opportunities and Buried Child, Good and Da. His work has been seen on Heartbeat. O’Hara is a founding member of Ensemble and off-Broadway, and at many resident theatres, includ- Studio Theatre/LA. ing Lincoln Center Theater, Mark Taper Forum, The American Conservatory Theater, Huntington Theatre Playwright, Director and Designers Company, Intiman Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Denver Center Theatre Company, Berkeley Repertory Amy Herzog (Playwright) has written numerous plays Theatre, Guthrie Theater, McCarter Theatre Center, including After the Revolution (Williamstown Theater Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Repertory The- Festival; Playwrights Horizons; Lilly Award), 4000 Miles atre, The Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford Shakespearean (Lincoln Center; Obie Award for Best New American Play, Festival of Canada, Royal Shakespeare Company, Theatre Pulitzer Prize finalist), The Great God Pan (Playwrights Royal Bath and The Old Globe, where he is an associate Horizons) and Belleville (Yale Repertory Theatre; New artist. He has also designed for New York City Opera, L.A. York Theatre Workshop; Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Opera and San Diego Opera. He has been nominated for finalist; Drama Desk nomination). Herzog is a recipient New York Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Lucille Lortel of the Whiting Writers Award, the Benjamin H. Danks and Tony awards. He has received the Merritt Award for Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Excellence in Design and Collaboration, and his designs the Helen Merrill Award, the Joan and Joseph Cullman have been recognized by the Bay Area Theatre Critics’ Award for Extraordinary Creativity, and the New York Circle, the LADCC, Drama-Logue, Back Stage West and Times Outstanding Playwright Award. She is a Usual the United States Institute for Theatre Technology. He Suspect at New York Theatre Workshop and an alumna is currently the Powell Chair in Set Design at San Diego of Youngblood, Play Group at Ars Nova and the SoHo State University. Rep Writer/Director Lab. She taught playwriting at Bryn Mawr and Yale. She earned her MFA from Yale School of Sara Ryung Clement (Costume Design) returns to SCR Drama. where her recent projects include sets and costumes for The Night Fairy and How the World Began, as well as David Emmes (Director/Founding Artistic Director) is the set design for Absurd Person Singular. Additional re- co-founder of South Coast Repertory. In May 2008, he gional and local design credits include East West Players, received the Margo Jones Award for his lifetime commit- Open Fist Theatre Company, TheatreWorks, Cornerstone ment to theatre excellence and to fostering the art and Theater Company, Denver Center Theatre, Yale Reper- craft of American playwriting. In addition, he has received tory Theatre, CenterStage, A Noise Within, Marin Theatre numerous awards for productions he has directed during Company, SPF, Elephant Theatre Company and Deaf his SCR career, including a Los Angeles Drama Critics Cir- West Theatre. Clement holds a MFA in design from the cle Award for the direction of George Bernard Shaw’s The Yale School of Drama and received her AB from Princ- Philanderer. He directed the world premieres of Amy eton University. sararyungclement.com. Freed’s Safe in Hell, The Beard of Avon and Freedom- land, Thomas Babe’s Great Day in the Morning, Keith Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz (Lighting Design) is a profes- Reddin’s Rum and Coke and But Not for Me and Neal sor at the University of California, Irvine, and a profes- Bell’s Cold Sweat; the American premieres of Terry John- sional lighting designer. He has designed for various son’s Unsuitable for Adults and Joe Penhall’s Dumb regional theatres, such as the Oregon Shakespeare Festi- Show; and the Southland premiere of Top Girls (at SCR val, Syracuse Stage, Arizona Theatre Company, Pasadena and the Westwood Playhouse). Other productions he has Playhouse, Great River Shakespeare Festival and Utah directed include New England by Richard Nelson, Arca- Shakespearean Festival. Among the productions he has dia by Tom Stoppard, The Importance of Being Earnest designed at SCR are Absurd Person Singular, Three Days by Oscar Wilde, Alan Ayckbourn’s Woman in Mind and of Rain, La Posada Mágica, Ordinary Days, Saturn Re- You Never Can Tell by George Bernard Shaw, which he turns, Goldfish, An Italian Straw Hat, Culture Clash in restaged for the Singapore Festival of Arts. He has served AmeriCCa, Doubt, My Wandering Boy and Blue Door. as a theatre panelist and onsite evaluator for the National Recent designs include The Federal Jazz Project at San Endowment for the Arts, as well as a panelist for the Cali- Diego Repertory, Steel Magnolias at East West Players, fornia Arts Council. After attending Orange Coast College, SEED: A Weird Act of Faith for Cornerstone Theater Com- he received his BA and MA from San Francisco State Uni- pany, where he is an associate artist; White Christmas at versity, and his PhD in theatre and film from USC. Syracuse Stage; and Henry the Fifth and Twelfth Night at

P6 • South Coast Repertory • 4000 Miles Great River Shakespeare Festival. He also was a designer for Universal Studios Japan. He is a member of the United Scenic Steve and Laurie Duncan (Honorary Produc- Artist/IATSE - Local 829. His complete design portfolio can be ers) are thrilled to be a part of SCR’s 50th Season found at lradesigns.com. as underwriters of Amy Herzog’s award-winning play. This SCR production marks their first time Cricket S. Myers (Sound Design) is thrilled to return to serving as Honorary Producers. The Duncans SCR after designing The Fantasticks, The Parisian Woman, have been SCR subscribers in past years, enjoying Sight Unseen, Elemeno Pea, The Trip to Bountiful, Three Days a range of SCR performances from regular season of Rain and Lucky Duck. On Broadway, she earned a Tony plays to the Theatre for Young Audiences series. nomination and a Drama Desk Award for her design of Bengal They joined Platinum Circle last season, are First Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. Her designs off-Broadway ,include Night subscribers on both stages, and support the 16-month run of The Marvelous Wonderettes (Westside our annual gala. Steve is a new member of the Arts, Upstairs). She has also designed regionally at the Ah- SCR Board of Trustees representing American manson Theatre (Sunshine Boys), Mark Taper Forum (Joe Funds Service Company. He says, “We are thrilled Turner’s Come and Gone, Vigil, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad to be able to continue to deepen our support for Zoo, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Burn This, The Subject was SCR as we celebrate 50 years of enjoying the Best Roses), La Jolla Playhouse (Sideways, The Nightingale), Berke- Theatre in America. We feel very fortunate to have ley Repertory Theatre (In the Wake), Arena Stage (Book Club this caliber of art available in Orange County. The Play), Kirk Douglas Theatre (The Little Dog Laughed, Come opportunity to be able to have more of an inside Back Little Sheba), Pasadena Playhouse (Crowns) and Geffen view into how David approaches directing has Playhouse (Wrecks, Some Girls, Emergency). Other selected been a very educational experience and very en- Los Angeles designs include The Colony Theater Company joyable.” (Mary’s Wedding, Trying, Master Harold…and the boys), The Antaeus Company (Cousin Bette), The Celebration The- Barbara Roberts and Brooke-Roberts ater (The Color Purple, Wolves, Bacchae, Stupid Kids, What’s Webb (Honorary Producers) continue their fam- Wrong with Angry), Ford Amphitheater (Norman’s Ark) and ily’s remarkable commitment to SCR as under- Circle X Theatre (Bad Apples, Battle Hymn). Myers has earned writers of 4,000 Miles. Barbara and her late hus- 13 Ovation nominations, and won LADCC and Garland awards band, Bill, began their involvement 30 years ago in Los Angeles. cricketsmyers.com. as subscribers to the Mainstage and have since supported SCR in every way. In addition to long- Sue Karutz* (Stage Manager) counts this as her 10th pro- time membership in the Platinum Circle, they duction at SCR and looks forward to more. She has toured joined the Playwrights Circle in 2007, and have with The Black Rider (London, San Francisco, Sydney, L.A.), championed the theatre’s community outreach Wicked (Chicago, L.A., San Francisco), Les Misérables (U.S., programs as Education Sponsors since 2010. They Canada, China and Korea) and Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo have been Honorary Producers of 10 productions (Russia and Belgium.) Off-Broadway she earned her Equity since the 1991-92 season, including The Philadel- card on Howard Crabtree’s When Pigs Fly. Karutz is a gradu- phia Story, Hedda Gabler, Cyrano de Bergerac, A ate of El Camino College, UC Irvine and UC San Diego, has View from the Bridge and Fences. Barbara served stage managed for Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles Opera, on the SCR Board of Trustees for nine years in the Pasadena Playhouse, Falcon Theatre, Deaf West, American 1990s and is an Emeritus Trustee. The Roberts’ Conservatory Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, Idaho Shakespeare daughter, Brooke Roberts-Webb, shares her par- Festival and The National Theatre of the Deaf, and she also ents’ love for great theatre and is pleased to join spends some of her time running the show Fantasmic! at her mom as Honorary Producer of 4000 Miles. Disneyland Resort.

4000 Miles • South Coast Repertory • P7 Jamie A. Tucker* (Assistant Stage Manager) is excited Paula Tomei (Managing Director) is responsible for the to be in his 12th season at SCR. Tucker completed his overall administration of SCR and has been managing di- MFA in dance, specializing in stage management, at the rector since 1994. A member of the SCR staff since 1979, University of California, Irvine in 1994. Since coming to she has served in a number of administrative capacities, SCR, he has stage-managed or assisted on 61 produc- including subscriptions manager, business manager and tions. Some of his favorites have been the world pre- general manager. She was the president of the board of mieres of Richard Greenberg’s Three Days of Rain, The Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national ser- Violet Hour and The Dazzle; Rolin Jones’ The Intelligent vice organization for theatre, and served two terms as a Design of Jenny Chow; and Noah Haidle’s Mr. Marma- board member. She has also served as treasurer of TCG, lade. Other favorites include Elemeno Pea, Jitney, A vice president of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) Midsummer Night’s Dream, Crimes of the Heart, Fences, and has been a member of the LORT Negotiating Com- Anna in the Tropics, The Trip to Bountiful, A View from mittee for industry-wide union agreements. In addition, the Bridge, Chinglish, Death of a Salesman and Hamlet. she represents SCR at national conferences of TCG and He has had the pleasure of working seven seasons on La LORT; is a theatre panelist for the National Endowment Posada Magica and five seasons at the helm of A Christ- for the Arts (NEA) and the California Arts Council; site mas Carol. If you can’t find him in the theatre, he is visitor for the NEA; and has been a guest lecturer in the likely to be riding his bike down PCH. Tucker is a proud graduate school of business at Stanford and UC Irvine. member of Actors’ Equity. She is on the board of Arts Orange County, the county- wide arts council, and the board of the Nicholas Endow- Marc Masterson (Artistic Director) is in his third sea- ment. Tomei graduated from UC Irvine with a degree in son with SCR. Recent directing credits include Death of economics and pursued an additional course of study in a Salesman, Eurydice and Elemeno Pea at SCR, As You theatre and dance. She teaches a graduate class in non- Like It for the Houston Shakespeare Festival, The Kite profit management at UC Irvine. Runner at Actors Theatre of Louisville and the Cleveland Play House. He previously served for 11 years as artistic Martin Benson (Founding Artistic Director), co- director of Actors Theatre of Louisville and produced founder of SCR, has directed nearly one-fourth of SCR’s the Humana Festival of New American Plays. During his productions. In 2008, he and David Emmes received the tenure, he produced more than 100 world premieres, Margo Jones Award for their lifetime commitment to the- expanded audiences and the repertoire, deepened arts atre excellence and fostering the art and craft of American education programs, and spearheaded numerous com- playwriting. They also accepted SCR’s 1988 Tony Award munity-based projects. Other directing credits include A for Outstanding Resident Professional Theatre and won Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shipwrecked! An Entertain- the 1995 Theatre L.A. Ovation Award for Lifetime Achieve- ment, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Tempest, Mary’s Wed- ment. Benson has received the Los Angeles Drama Critics ding, The Crucible, Betrayal, As You Like It, The Impor- Circle Award for Distinguished Achievement in Directing tance of Being Earnest and Macbeth in Louisville. World an unparalleled seven times for George Bernard Shaw’s premieres directed at the Humana Festival include works Major Barbara, Misalliance and Heartbreak House; by Lisa Dillman, Wendell Berry, Craig Wright, Eric Coble, John Millington Synge’s Playboy of the Western World; Adam Bock, Gina Gionfriddo, Melanie Marnich, Charles Arthur Miller’s The Crucible; Sally Nemeth’s Holy Days; Mee and Rick Dresser. He served as Artistic Director of and Margaret Edson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Wit, which City Theatre in Pittsburgh for 20 years and was founder he also directed at Seattle Repertory Theatre and Hous- and chairman of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Alliance, a ton’s Alley Theatre. He has directed American classics board member of the Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylva- such as A Streetcar Named Desire and has distinguished nia, and Leadership Pittsburgh. He served six years on himself in staging contemporary work, including the criti- the Board of the Theatre Communications Group and cally acclaimed California premiere of William Nicholson’s as a theatre advisory panel member for the National En- Shadowlands. Most recently, he directed the world pre- dowment for the Arts as well as numerous foundations. miere of Julie Marie Myatt’s The Happy Ones, a revival of He won the Man of the Year Vectors Award, and received Misalliance, Horton Foote’s, The Trip to Bountiful and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pittsburgh Samuel D. Hunter’s The Whale. Benson received his BA New Works Festival. in Theatre from San Francisco State University.

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 • 4000 Miles