ELECTRA/ORESTES
BY EURIPIDES // TRANSLATION BY IAN C. JOHNSTON DIRECTED BY DESDEMONA CHIANG
C A S E W E S T E R N RESERVE UNIVERSITY // CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE MFA ACTING PROGRAM
APRIL 21 - 25 // ONLINE PERFORMANCES DEAR FRIENDS
WELCOME to Electra/Orestes by Euripides, the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program’s second remote production of the season and the first time in our history to present a Greek classical work. The decision was made very early on to deepen and expand the story of the house of Atreus and explore the concepts of fate versus free will, by joining two great tragedies: Electra and Orestes. We were fortunate to have a translator, Ian C. Johnston, who was extremely generous, giving free rein to director Desdemona Chiang to edit and reshape his work.
Our fall production, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, allowed the Class of 2022 to test the waters in remote performance. Virtual work has now become commonplace, and we are seeing more creativity in using the medium. While it does not replace live theatre, it has afforded great opportunity for focused, nuanced work.
This winter, we auditioned more than 1,000 people to find the eight actors who will compose the Class of 2024. It was uplifting to see how the desire to self-express and be heard has not been dimmed, as the number of actors interested in our program increased from our last recruitment initiative.
This semester, most of our classes have transitioned to in-person experiences, with strong safety measures and social distancing in place. It has lifted our work, given us hope, and prepared us for the day when we can once again fearlessly interact with one another. For now, our presentation must be remote, and we celebrate the idea that this play might be seen by anyone, anywhere, who is connected to the internet. It’s gratifying to know that these ancient words that have survived millennia remain relevant and powerful and that people are still moved and impacted by them.
Next fall, the current class will be in their third and final year and begin working more extensively with Cleveland Play House as actors in the 2021-22 season. We look forward to that challenge and opportunity. Until then, please enjoy the Class of 2022 in Electra/Orestes.
LAURA KEPLEY JERROLD SCOTT DONALD CARRIER Artistic Director Chair, Department of Theater Director Cleveland Play House Case Western Reserve University CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program
ELECTRA/ORESTES CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY/CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE MFA ACTING PROGRAM
Artistic Director, Cleveland Play House // LAURA KEPLEY Chair, CWRU Department of Theater // JERROLD SCOTT Director, CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program // DONALD CARRIER
WELCOMES YOU TO
ELECTRA/ORESTES
Written by EURIPIDES Translated by IAN C. JOHNSTON
Directed by DESDEMONA CHIANG
Editor Costume Coordinator Sound Designer TED RODENBORN JEFFREY VAN CURTIS JIM SWONGER
Dramaturg Stage Manager CPH Artistic & Production Liaison MONICA HAMMIL YESENIA REAL MARYANN MORRIS
APRIL 21 - 25, 2021
Cleveland Play House’s production staff are responsible for costumes, lighting, props, furniture, sound, and/or special effects used in this production.
Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Play House gratefully acknowledge the following sponsors of the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program: The Cleveland Foundation Tom F. and Anne Degnan
Special Thanks: The CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program would like to thank Hallie Marshall, Timothy Wutrich, Paul Iversen, and Jeffrey Ullom. SYNOPSIS
Siblings Orestes and Electra embark on a journey of vengeance for their late father against their mother who murdered him. PLACE: The Greek city of Argos, also known as Mycenae TIME: A few years after the Trojan War
THE CAST (in alphabetical order)
Menelaus/Body of Aegisthus // ISAAC BAKER Electra // KRISTINA GABRIELA Clytaemnestra/Hermione // SIERRA GRABOWSKA Helen/Chorus 2 // BRIDGET KIM Old Man/Apollo/Chorus 3 // GUSTAVO MÁRQUEZ Orestes // CHRISTOPHER PORTLEY Chorus 1/Phrygian // JORDAN TAYLOR Pylades/Messenger // NOAH WILLIAMS
ADDITIONAL STAFF
CWRU Department of Theater Administrator // DEBORAH HAMILTON CWRU Associate Professor/Playbill Article // JEFFREY ULLOM CPH Director of Production // TYLER JACOBSON CPH Properties Supervisor // JESSICA ROSENLIEB CPH Lighting Supervisor // MICHAEL BOLL CPH Technical Director // GEORGE BLOGNA
THIS PLAY WILL BE PERFORMED WITHOUT AN INTERMISSION.
ELECTRA/ORESTES A THEATRE OF QUESTIONS by Jeffrey Ullom // Associate Professor of Theater, Case Western Reserve University
Thanks to Oedpius Rex, we are all familiar with Sophocles’ take on Greek tragedy. His plays, popular with his contemporaries as well as with Aristotle (which is why he is routinely considered to be the best of all Greek playwrights), feature a predictable formula including the traditional Sophoclean hero who is steadfast and hell-bent on pursuing one course of action. Certainly this trait is seen with the ill-fated king and in his other popular work Antigone, but even in his lesser-known works we him utilizing the same convention: a central character who will disregard others to pursue their own desired goal. For example, in his version of the Atreus family, Orestes arrives home from exile in order to avenge his murdered father (Agamemnon) who was killed by Orestes’ own mother (Clytaemnestra) and her lover (Aegisthus). Clytaemnestra felt justified in committing regicide primarily because Agamemnon sacrificed their daughter on his way to fight in the Trojan War. Completely disregarding sympathy for the mother’s plight, Sophocles introduces Orestes (supported by his sister Electra) as a hero determined to regain his throne through murder. By the end of the play, Orestes has accomplished his goal without any qualms, and the Chorus confirms the accomplishment: “O seed of Atreus, you have emerged from so much suffering! What’s happened here is now complete, and you are free at last.” Doesn’t sound like a tragedy, does it?
Sophocles wrote to entertain, yet contemporary theatre artists frequently herald Euripides as the more accomplished playwright. As our theatre forms have shifted away from declamatory acting styles, simplified characters, and melodramatic presentations into contemporary works where playwrights and actor celebrate psychological realism and character complexity, the work of Euripides finds its way onto the stage more frequently than that of his contemporary. Euripides was not as popular as Sophocles in ancient Greece, primarily because he wrote during a time when Athens was in decline and, unlike Sophocles, his heroes questioned the morality of their decisions and, in turn, offered criticism of the city and its leadership. Euripides’ House of Atreus is a story filled with regret, doubt, psychological nuance, manipulation, insecurity, and the examination of those burdened with an unwanted responsibility. Electra/Orestes combines two masterworks by Euripides to further examine the choices of the unfortunate family members. Sophocles wants you to care about accomplishing the goal; Euripides wants you to witness the implications of a decision. Sophocles wants you to sit back and watch; Euripides wants you to engage and to identify with the characters’ trials and tribulations. With Electra/Orestes, the choices made by the titular characters are highlighted as we all wonder what we might do if we found ourselves in such an unfortunate situation. With Euripides, not only do we fear the downfall of a character, but we worry that we might see ourselves in their plight and might choose to the take same course of action.
JEFFREY ULLOM
ELECTRA/ORESTES WHO’S WHO
ISAAC BAKER (Menelaus/ love and support. Enjoy the show! Body of Aegisthus) is an actor @quirky_kris and EMC candidate who is excited to be continuing SIERRA GRABOWSKA his work and training with (Clytaemnestra/ Cleveland Play House. Isaac Hermione) is originally graduated from the University of Evansville from Shepherdstown, in the spring of 2019, where he played West Virginia though she Bruce Bechdel in the collegiate premiere of came to the CWRU/CPH Fun Home. During his tenure at Evansville he Acting Program by way of Boston. After also played Andrew Carnes in Oklahoma!, earning her BA in Theater and English Georg Zirschnitz in Spring Awakening, Pa from UMass Amherst, she performed in Joad in Frank Galati’s Grapes of Wrath, Boston with multiple touring companies Albert Thornton in Horton Foote’s Lily Dale, and is a company member of Magnificent and Antonio in Twelfth Night. Some of his Bastards, an international Shakespearean other past credits include Lorenzo in The improv comedy troupe. Other theater Merchant of Venice with the Great River credits include Juliet in Shakespeare Now’s Shakespeare Festival, John Proctor in the Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet in Boston Theater Phoenix Theatre’s The Crucible, and Ansel Company’s Hamlet, and Puck in Boston in Brute Candor Production’s premiere of Theater Company’s A Midsummer Night’s The Cyprus Hatley Chapel. Isaac made his Dream. She also works as a director, fight Cleveland Play House virtual premiere last choreographer, and teaching artist. semester, playing Satan in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. Isaac finds his continued work BRIDGET KIM (Helen/ with Cleveland Play House to be the utmost Chorus 2) galloped over privilege, and his heart has been touched from Morehead, KY, and is by witnessing this community of theatre grateful to be in her second persevere. year of the CWRU/CPH MFA program. She received KRISTINA GABRIELA her BA in Political Science and a minor in (Electra) is a second year Theatre Arts from the University of Louisville. student at the CWRU/CPH While there, she found joy as LeeAnn in A MFA acting program. Kristina Piece of My Heart, Rebecca in The Long is from Corpus Christi, Texas Christmas Ride Home, Grace in Baltimore, and received her BA in and Ginny Yang in Smart People. She was Acting/Directing at Texas A&M University- last seen in the CWRU/CPH productions Corpus Christi. Recent credits include, of Middletown as Mary and The Last Days Sweetheart/Female doctor/Female tourist of Judas Iscariot. Bridget is happy to share in Middletown CWRU/CPH, Gloria/Mother this weird moment in time with the audience, Teresa/Sigmund Freud in The Last Days of and she is especially happy that the show Judas Iscariot, Sophie in Mamma Mia, Ariel (sometimes) always goes on! in The Tempest, Mimi in Rent. She would also like to thank her friends and family for their
ELECTRA/ORESTES WHO’S WHO
GUSTAVO MÁRQUEZ (Old JORDAN TAYLOR (Chorus Man/Apollo/Chorus 3) was 1/Phrygian) is originally born in sunny California and from Ypsilanti, Michigan. She was raised in the almost just obtained her BFA in Acting as sunny state of Colorado from Oakland University in where he received a BFA in Rochester, Michigan. There Music Theatre from the Metropolitan State she played Oya in In the Red and Brown University of Denver, a university that has just Water, Shaunta Iyun in Marcus; or the Secret as long of a title as Case Western Reserve of Sweet, and Clytemnestra in Electra. Her University. Gustavo has been living in the debut in the CWRU/CPH MFA graduate not so sunny state of Ohio for over a year program was as the Librarian/Female Date now studying with the CWRU/CPH Acting in Middletown. Following that, she portrayed Program. He is very grateful to his friends, St. Monica/St. Peter/Caiaphas the Elder in mentors and family that have supported him CWRU/CPH MFA virtual production of The in his pursuit of an artistic life. Professional Last Days of Judas Iscariot. Most recently, credits: Sweat, A Christmas Carol, Native she portrayed the role of Hermia in Notre Gardens (Denver Center Theatre Company). Dame Shakespeare Festival’s staged reading Other Stage Credits: The Comedy of Errors, of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Julius Caesar, The Merchant of Venice, The Tempest, Middletown, The Last Days of NOAH WILLIAMS Judas Iscariot, Metamorphoses, You Can’t (Pylades/Messenger) Take It With You, A Funny Thing Happened came to the CWRU/CPH on the Way to the Forum, American Idiot, MFA Acting Program from Dracula, Grease. Gustavo-Marquez.com Alabama where he attended Troy University. While there, CHRISTOPHER PORTLEY he performed in numerous roles. Notable (Orestes) is from Dallas, credits include Tom in The Glass Menagerie, Texas. He earned his B.S. Petruchio in The Taming of The Shrew, and in Integrative Studies at Black Stache in Peter and The Starcatcher. the University of North Noah made his CWRU/CPH debut in a one Texas. Regional: Father night only invited audience pre-quarantine Comes Home From The Wars parts 1, 2 & special as The Cop in Middletown by Will 3 (African American Repertory Theatre). Eno and then Judge Littlefield inThe Last Educational: The Last Days of Judas Days of Judas Iscariot. Noah wants to send Iscariot (Case Western Reserve University/ a huge shout out to his family. Glad you all Cleveland Play House); Middletown (Case can see this one. Enjoy the show!! Western Reserve University/Cleveland Play House) The Tempest, Measure for Measure DESDEMONA CHIANG (Director) is a (Shakespeare Academy at Stratford); Stick stage director based in Seattle, WA and Fly (University Of North Texas). He thanks Ashland, OR. Co-Founder of Azeotrope God for this opportunity to be a part of this (Seattle). Directing credits include Guthrie visceral story and his family and friends for Theater, Alley Theatre, South Coast their support. Repertory, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Baltimore Center
ELECTRA/ORESTES WHO’S WHO
Stage, California Shakespeare Theater, Chile, and raised in Toronto. He studied Seattle Repertory Theatre, Playmakers at McGill University (BSC), University of Repertory Company, Studio Theatre, Bristol (BA) and the University of Toronto Long Wharf Theatre, Seattle Children’s (MA). Johnston is the author of The Ironies Theatre, ACT Theatre Seattle, American of War: An Introduction to Homer’s Iliad Shakespeare Center, Seattle Shakespeare (University Press of America, 1987). He Company, Village Theatre, Theatre Latte Da, has translated classics from Greek, Latin, Heritage Theatre Festival, Book-It Repertory, German, and French, including works by Aurora Theatre Company, Theatre Latte Aeschylus, Aristophanes, Aristotle, Euripides, Da, Seattle Public Theatre, Shotgun Sophocles, Homer, Kafka, and Rousseau Players, Crowded Fire Theatre Company, among many others. Several of these Azeotrope, Impact Theatre, Playwrights translated works have been published by Foundation, Golden Thread Productions, Broadview Press, including his translation Washington Ensemble Theatre, One Minute of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, and/or Play Festival, Ohio Northern University, produced as audiobooks by Naxos Audio University of Washington, and Cornish Books in the UK. A number of his translations College of the Arts, among others. Assisting have also been issued in book form by and dramaturgy credits include: Oregon Richer Resources Publications. Johnston also Shakespeare Festival, Playmakers Repertory wrote Essays and Arguments: A Handbook Company, A Contemporary Theatre, for Writing Student Essays, released by California Shakespeare Theater, Arizona Broadview Press in 2015. Theatre Company, Intiman Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Magic Theatre, Theatreworks, TED RODENBORN (Editor) is a proud Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, among graduate of the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting others. Intersection for the Arts Triangle Lab Program, class of 1999. While no longer Artist-Investigator. Adjunct Faculty, Cornish frequenting stages as an actor, he keeps College of the Arts. Awards/Affiliations: busy singing with and serving on the Princess Grace Award (Robert and Gloria operating committee of The Cleveland Hausman Theater Honor), Vilcek Prize for Orchestra Chorus. Ted is a freelance video Creative Promise in Theatre, SDC Sir John engineer and live streaming technician, living Gielgud Directing Fellowship, Drama League in Pepper Pike. He owns Factotum Media, Directing Fellowship, TCG Young Leader of LLC, a media production company, working Color, Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab locally with clients like the Cleveland and Directors Lab West. Gregory Award Clinic, and The Cleveland Orchestra. He Recipient for Outstanding Direction. BA: also travels all over the country working University of California at Berkeley. MFA on live conferences for various medical Directing: University of Washington School and corporate clients. He is thrilled to be of Drama. returning to CWRU to work on another virtual theatre project. His wife Martha, IAN C. JOHNSTON (Translator) is a is also a graduate of the CWRU/CPH Canadian author and translator, and MFA Acting Program, and they have three professor emeritus at Vancouver Island beautiful, creative, talented kids. University. Johnston was born in Valparaíso,
ELECTRA/ORESTES WHO’S WHO
JEFFREY VAN CURTIS (Costume Pioneer Theatre Company, Centerstage Coordinator) is Cleveland Play House’s Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Yale costume shop manager. CPH design credits Repertory Theatre, and premiere productions include A Carol for Cleveland, My Name of why i had to dance, The Tragic Demise of is Asher Lev, Bill W. and Dr. Bob, Doubt, I the Whaleship Essex and Swinging on a Star: Am My Own Wife, Rounding Third, Proof, A Tribute to the Music of Johnny Burke. Dinner with Friends and Art. CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program design credits include MONICA HAMMEL (Dramaturg) is a Middletown, Fifth of July, She Stoops to graduating senior in Case Western Reserve Conquer, The Philadelphia Story, Twelfth University’s theater program. Previously Night, All’s Well That Ends Well, and others, at Cleveland Play House, she was the along with several CPH Theatre for Children dramaturg for Middletown. She has also productions. Other design credits include been the dramaturg for CWRU’s Eldred Singin’ on the Ohio and The Goblins will Theater productions of Bethany and The Git You at The Lantern Theatre; and other Drowsy Chaperone. Other recent credits productions at Coconut Grove Playhouse include 2020 Hindsight, Private Eyes, and and Studio Arena Theatre; and worked on Three Sisters. She has also spent a summer the film Kansas City. He has also created working with the New World Performance wigs for a number of CPH productions. He Laboratory. She’s a great lover of all Greek holds a Master of Fine Arts, Costume Design mythology and is thrilled to be able to help and Technology from University of Missouri– create theater at this time. Kansas City. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Baldwin Wallace University. YESENIA REAL (Stage Manager) works as Jeffrey is thrilled to be doing a creative the Administrative Coordinator and Resident project during the pandemic. Stage Manager for the Academy for the Performing Arts in Chagrin Falls. She teaches JIM SWONGER (Sound Designer) has Theatre Safety & Etiquette, Prop Design, designed sound for many Cleveland Play and Stage Management to High School House productions including The Good Juniors and Seniors. She graduated in 2013 Peaches (world premiere), Vanya and from Case Western Reserve University with Sonia and Masha and Spike, Breath and a BA in Theatre and Psychology, and has Imagination, Good People, The Devil’s been fortunate to be working in Theatre Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith, ever since! Her professional assistant Bell, Book and Candle, The Game’s Afoot stage manager credits at Dobama Theater (world premiere), Bill W. and Dr. Bob, (EMC) include: The Big Meal; Cock; The Heaven’s My Destination (world premiere), Norwegians; The Call; Superior Donuts; Noises Off!, Gee’s Bend, and I Am My Marie Antoinette; Marjorie Prime; Hand to Own Wife. CWRU/CPH MFA Acting God; Night Alive. Additionally, Yesenia has Program credits include The Fifth of July, The worked on the team as Prop Master for: The Philadelphia Story, The Three Sisters, Twelfth Norwegians; The Call; Superior Donuts; An Night, and An Orchard. Additional credits Octoroon; The Mystery of Love and Sex; include Cleveland’s Lyric Opera Company, The Revisionist; Marjorie Prime; Brownsville Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre, Song; Hand to God; Night Alive; Sunset Baby; On the Grill; Appropriate; The Effect;
ELECTRA/ORESTES WHO’S WHO
This. She has Stage Managed two Test Flight by its affiliations with other University Circle shows with Cleveland Public Theater. She institutions, including Cleveland Museum of hopes to bring back her Stage Management Art, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, experiences from CWRU/CPH’s MFA The Cleveland Institute of Music, Western program to her students! Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland Institute of Art and Cleveland Play House. MARYANN MORRIS (CPH Artistic & The college offers many arts presentations, Production Liaison) is a Cleveland native lecture series and symposia. It also provides who also proudly stage manages. Recent abundant opportunities for students to mainstage works include Every Brilliant participate in music, theatre and dance Thing, Pipeline, CPH’s Borderlight reading performances. CWRU is one of our nation’s of Our Dad is in Atlantis, Native Gardens, top universities. An Iliad, The Royale, The Diary of Anne Frank, hand-over SM on A Christmas Story THE DEPARTMENT OF THEATER at Case and Sweat, and ASM for Clue, How I Western Reserve University offers education Learned to Drive and The Good Peaches. and participation in all aspects of drama, Other highlights include SM’ing CPH New with course offerings in acting, stagecraft, Ground Theatre works Grand Concourse costume design, scene design, directing, and Fairfield, Letters from Zora featuring dramatic writing, and history, literature, and Vanessa Bell Calloway at Karamu House, criticism. Bachelor of Arts students have Havana Hop with Paige Hernandez, Eric the opportunity to perform as well as to Schmiedl’s stage adaptation of the graphic serve on the design and technical teams in novel Incognegro by Mat Johnson, My four fully produced mainstage theatrical Mother Has 4 Noses with Jonatha Brooke, productions each year. The low student The Dazzle Awards at Playhouse Square, to faculty ratio ensures that students are and May 4th Voices presented by The Maltz able to work closely with our faculty of Museum of Jewish History and Kent State highly accomplished artists and scholars. University’s Democracy Symposium. As a discipline that is both performing art and humanity, the department treats all CWRU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND performances as artistic and educational SCIENCES houses educational and experiences, and welcomes the participation research programs in the arts, humanities, of students regardless of their academic social sciences, physical and biological majors and career goals. At the graduate sciences and mathematics. Students in level, the Master of Arts degree prepares the college can choose a major or minor students for work in professional theater, from almost 60 undergraduate programs, education, or for further pursuit of graduate design their own courses of study or enroll study, while the Master of Fine Arts in integrated bachelor’s/master’s degree professional actor training program–a programs. In addition, the college offers collaborative partnership between the graduate programs in several fields where Department of Theater and Cleveland CWRU’s small size and special expertise Play House–represents a unique alliance allow it to make a distinctive contribution between one of the oldest academic theater to advanced education and research. The programs in the United States and the college’s curricular offerings are enhanced nation’s first regional theater.
ELECTRA/ORESTES WHO’S WHO
JERROLD SCOTT (Chair, CWRU The Misanthrope, Too True to Be Good, and Department of Theater) is the Katharine The Violins of Hope. Other directing includes Bakeless Nason Professor of Theater at Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Seminar, Case Western Reserve University where and Really Really (Beck Center for the he teaches directing, classical acting and Arts); and Becky Shaw (Dobama Theatre). speech and dialects, and also serves as Other selected directing credits include The artistic director of the Eldred Theater. For Crucible, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, the CWRU/CPH MFA training program, Alms, Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Habeas he has directed Hay Fever, She Stoops to Corpus, The Pirates of Penzance, and Oh, Conquer, The Philadelphia Story, Present What a Lovely War! He has appeared at Laughter, Heartbreak House, The Real Thing Cleveland Play House in Shakespeare in and performed in As You Like It. Jerrold has Love; All the Way; Luna Gale; The Crucible; directed 15 productions at Eldred Theater The Little Foxes; Yentl; In the Next Room, or including The 25th Annual Putnam County the vibrator play; Ten Chimneys; Noises Off; Spelling Bee. Other local directing credits and Lincolnesque. Regional credits include include A Doll’s House, A Midsummer The National Arts Center, Notre Dame Night’s Dream and Polish Joke, (Beck Center Shakespeare Festival, Great Lakes Theater, for the Arts); As You Like It, (Cleveland The Studio Theatre, The Shakespeare Shakespeare Festival); and A Long Day’s Theatre, The Wilma Theater, The Huntington Journey Into Night, (Weathervane Playhouse Theatre, The Intiman Theatre, and Chicago in Akron). Prior to his CWRU appointment, Shakespeare Theater. He spent nine seasons he worked as a director, actor and educator at the Stratford Festival, three seasons at the in Washington, DC. He has taught at Old Globe and two seasons at the Shaw George Mason University, The Catholic Festival. Television/Film: Guns, The Time University of America and served a visiting Traveler’s Wife, The Passion of Ayn Rand, lectureship at The Ohio State University. and Dead by Monday. Don is a proud Lunt/ He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Fontanne Fellow. from the University of South Carolina/The Shakespeare Theatre, a Bachelor of Arts CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE, founded in from the University of Pittsburgh and pursued 1915 and recipient of the 2015 Regional further study in classical performance at the Theatre Tony Award, is America’s first Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Jerrold professional regional theatre. Throughout its is a member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA and an rich history, CPH has remained dedicated to associate member of SDC. its mission to inspire, stimulate and entertain diverse audiences across Northeast Ohio DONALD CARRIER (Director of CWRU/ by producing plays and theatre education CPH MFA Acting Program/Production programs of the highest professional Liaison) most recently directed Middletown standards. CPH has produced more than for the MFA Program, Othello at Texas 100 world and/or American premieres, Shakespeare Festival and As You Like It for and over its long history more than 12 the CWRU Department of Theater. For the million people have attended over 1,600 CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program, he has productions. Today, Cleveland Play House also directed Fifth of July, Clybourne Park, celebrates the beginning of its second
ELECTRA/ORESTES WHO’S WHO
century of service while performing in three state-of-the art venues at Playhouse Square in downtown Cleveland.
LAURA KEPLEY (Artistic Director) became Artistic Director of Cleveland Play House in 2013 and has directed numerous CPH mainstage productions including Every Brilliant Thing; Into the Breeches!; Tiny Houses (world premiere, also at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park); Sweat; The Diary of Anne Frank; Shakespeare in Love; The Crucible; Steel Magnolias; The Good Peaches (world premiere); Fairfield (world premiere); How I Learned to Drive (also at Syracuse Stage); The Little Foxes; Venus in Fur; Good People (also at Syracuse Stage); A Carol for Cleveland (world premiere); In the Next Room, or the vibrator play; My Name is Asher Lev and CPH readings of Roe Green Award-winning plays Tiny Houses; The Chinese Lady; Soups, Stews and Casseroles: 1976; Marjorie Prime and Daphne’s Dive. She joined CPH in 2010, having arrived from Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island where she was Resident Director and Artistic Associate for four seasons and Interim Director of the Brown/Trinity Rep M.F.A. in Directing Program for one. She has also directed for The Alliance Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Chautauqua Theater Company, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Contemporary American Theatre Festival, and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, among others. A native Ohioan, Laura received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and her Master of Fine Arts from Brown University/Trinity Rep. She is a Drama League Fellow and a recipient of the 2009- 2011 National Endowment for the Arts/ Theatre Communications Group Career Development Program for Directors.
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