MR. BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY ILLINOIS THEATRE By Anne Washburn | Lisa Gaye Dixon, director Thursday-Saturday, October 13-15, 2016, at 7:30pm Thursday-Saturday, October 20-22, 2016, at 7:30pm Sunday, October 23, 2016, at 3pm Colwell Playhouse season. What kinds of work do our students need to create at this point in their artistic development? Which plays or musicals feed that pedagogical imperative? And how do these works allow, encourage, or (sometimes) confound our ability to understand a bit more about the nature of human becoming? When we leave the theatre, do we feel more closely bound to our neighbors? If we feel alienated by the experience, do we understand why?

It is no accident that this note of welcome to our current season includes a litany of questions. Intellectual, emotional, and spiritual query are at the core of a great education. At Illinois Theatre, “we make BECOMING . . . theatre makers,” but we also ask foundational There is a saying in theatre: “Actors act. questions on our pathways to creation. Stars do what stars do.” Implicit in this Along the way, we learn to think more statement is the idea that “stars” are deeply, critically, and analytically. commodities enriched for attaining a Questions about the nature of the human certain status and function within a rather condition are never easy to resolve. The narrow definition, while “actors”—and challenging road to the answers we seek every artist, one might argue—are encourages public discourse to thrive and continually in a process of becoming. pushes our performing arts to engage in The artistic process in theatre requires positive, healthy transformation. a developing understanding of the Thank you for joining us at this performance. human body, spirit, and mind. An We hope that you will be stimulated, artist’s education demands consistent provoked, and entertained by what you development, metamorphosis, evolution. experience here, and we hope to see you Indeed, education at its best is a continual again very soon. process of becoming. At Illinois Theatre,

our artists—students, staff, and faculty—

are embarked on the exciting journey of

becoming human beings.

It is the same for us when we consider Jeffrey Eric Jenkins which dramatic works to program in a given Head, Department of Theatre Producer, Illinois Theatre

2 PHOTO REPRODUCED BY PERMISSION OF THE NEWS-GAZETTE, INC. PERMISSION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT. 3 PROGRAM MR. BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY ILLINOIS THEATRE By Anne Washburn Lisa Gaye Dixon, director

Thursday-Saturday, October 13-15, 2016, at 7:30pm Thursday-Saturday, October 20-22, 2016, at 7:30pm Sunday, October 23, 2016, at 3pm Colwell Playhouse

4 DIRECTOR’S NOTE

This is a story about the telling of stories: about Suppose, just suppose, that tonight the world how we tell them, and why. For millennia, human ended, and that tomorrow you and I had to begin beings have used story telling as a way to share anew? collective societal ethics, information, and ideals, and as a way to bring us closer together What would be the stories we would choose to inside of the communities we built, or into which carry over? What values? What ideals, hopes, we had been born. There is the pervasive and dreams? What part of our current everyday apocryphal tale told in countless “Introduction to culture would we deem important enough to Theatre” classes about early humans squatting survive THE APOCALYPSE? Popular culture is round a campfire sharing stories of the hunt, of chock-full of possibilities, but one stands out encounters with other tribes, of trying to explain as both harbinger and case in point—a clever the existence of stars. Supposedly, as humans little television show that has outlasted three became more “civilized,” our stories evolved— presidents, numerous fashion trends, and has moving from pantomimes by firelight to epic embedded countless phrases and sayings into Broadway productions with flying Spidermen American culture across all levels of society: The climbing vertical set pieces and bright-winged Simpsons. Angels soaring out over heads of audiences. Now That is what tonight’s production is about: The (for an exorbitant price) one can experience smoke, Simpsons and the apocalypse (but not necessarily mirrors, and all manner of technological spectacle in that order). and sleight of hand that serve as augmentation to or replacement for our imaginations. It is also a play about how we choose what to keep believing in, how we discover (and Though the size and complexity of our story rediscover) what is truly important to us, and telling has grown, the basic root of our stories how a shared collective memory (no matter how has not. I speak most specifically of the Western tattered, twisted, and torn) can unite our chosen canon and its roots in Greek and Roman tribes in remembrance and celebration—how mythology. Tales of Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, shared culture can give us purpose, and give our Heroines, unsuspecting everyday shepherds, lives meaning even in the darkest of times. classically beauteous young women and men—all striving toward the western ideals of “true love,” It’s weird, no doubt about it. Those of you “happiness,” and singular self-satisfaction— who know me know that I find that to be a have permeated all facets of our society on all compliment. So. . . sit back, join us on tonight’s levels, and these 6,000 year old stories are the journey to the near and far distant future, and standards by which we still measure our twenty- ponder along with us: the nature of existence, first century levels of fulfillment. memory, and connection. The WHY of it all.

And this, dear reader, is where tonight’s And, in the words of Homer Simpson, “I’ve seen performance comes in. plays better than this. . . . Honest-ta-God PLAYS!” Lisa Gaye Dixon, Director 5 MR. BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY

PLAYWRIGHT SCENIC DESIGNER Anne Washburn Jaclyn Zimmerman

MUSIC COSTUME DESIGNER Michael Friedman Nicole Zausmer

LYRICS LIGHTING DESIGNER Anne Washburn Michael Shoaf

DIRECTOR SOUND DESIGNER Lisa Gaye Dixon Tyler Stewart Knowles

MUSIC DIRECTOR STAGE MANAGER Cara Chowning Chenglin Xin

CHOREOGRAPHER TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Aaron R. White Robert J. Jenista

FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER ACT II MUSICAL ARRANGEMENT Zev Steinberg Jordan Coughtry

VOICE AND SPEECH COACHES Susan Schuld Adam Thatcher

6 CAST

MATT/HOMER/SCRATCHY GIBSON/HUSBAND/SIDESHOW BOB/ Nick Lannan HOMER Jordan Coughtry* JENNY/MARGE/LISA Ellen Magee QUINCY/BUSINESSWOMAN/BART Allie Wessel SUSANNAH/LISA/ITCHY Elana Weiner-Kaplow EDNA KRABAPPEL Alex Smith SAM/BART/MR. BURNS Chris Khoshaba SECOND FBI AGENT/MAGGIE/ ENSEMBLE COLLEEN/FIRST FBI AGENT/MARGE Ezzy Fishbein Jessica Kadish ENSEMBLE Ethan Perry

*Appears by permission of the Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

7 SCENIC BREAKDOWN ACT I The near future

Somewhere in America. The woods. A fire.

ACT II 7 years later

A rehearsal space

20-minute intermission

ACT III 75 years later

The tragic tale of the Simpson family

This production includes the use of simulated gunfire, smog effects, and strobe lights.

8 PROFILES Jordan Coughtry (Gibson/ Jessica Kadish (Colleen/ Husband/Sideshow Bob/ First FBI Agent/Marge) is Homer) is in the MFA Acting an Acting MFA student Program at the University of from Massachusetts. She Illinois. Credits include John last appeared at Krannert Steinbeck's The Grapes of Center in Kingdom City Wrath (Illinois Theatre); Very (Miriam). In Chicago, she is Very (J, J & Z); Murder an ensemble member with in the Cathedral (Hoi Teatro Aguijón and 2nd Story, Polloi); Be Story Free (InVerse Theatre); Winter and has performed with Lifeline Theatre, Chicago Journey (P.S. 122); Godspell (Olney Theatre Dramatists, 16th Street Theater, Pride Films and Center); Twelfth Night (Westport Country Plays, Voice of the City, and Colectivo El Pozo. Playhouse); Red (TheatreWorks); Emma (Pioneer Film/web series credits include You’re So Talented Theatre); Candida (Two River Theatre); Failure: (OpenTV), Easy Abby (Juicy Planet), DateSMASH! A Love Story, Macbeth, The Comedy of (XVP Comedy), Absent Father (Vanguard Cinema), Errors (Illinois Shakespeare Festival); All’s Well that and Lady of the Dead (2by2 Films). She holds a Ends Well (Alabama Shakespeare Festival); Love’s BA in Theater and Performance Studies from the Labour’s Lost (The Shakespeare Theatre/ University of Chicago and has also studied at the RSC); Amadeus, Our Town, Wittenberg, Romeo University of Buenos Aires. Jessica also works as and Juliet (Shakespeare Theatre of a director and teaching artist in Chicago and is NJ); Hamlet, Richard III, and composer of original represented by Gray Talent Group. songs for The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Arkansas Chris Khoshaba (Sam/Bart/ Shakespeare Theatre). Mr. Burns) from Skokie, Illinois, is a senior Acting BFA student Ezzy Fishbein (Second FBI at the University of Illinois. Agent/Maggie/Ensemble) is His previous credits include from Glencoe, Illinois, and is John Steinbeck's The Grapes currently a junior pursuing of Wrath (George Rustbucket), a BFA in Acting. Her most Not About Nightingales recent credit with Illinois (Schultz), and Oh What a Theatre was the production of Lovely War (Ensemble). His Armory Free Theatre John Steinbeck's The Grapes productions include Rockman (Rock) and The of Wrath (Ruthie). She has Duchess of Malfi (Ferdinand). also performed in the Armory Free Theatre’s productions of Call Me Woman (Deviser) and As Wind In Dry Grass (Gabby). She participated in the 2014 reading of Good Kids (Madison) by Naomi Iizuka.

9 Nick Lannan (Matt/Homer/ Ethan Perry (Ensemble) Scratchy) is returning to is originally from Detroit, Krannert Center’s stages after Michigan. He is a sophomore his debut in John Steinbeck's pursuing his BFA in The Grapes of Wrath (1st Acting, and this is his first Agricultural Officer/Deputy performance at Krannert Sheriff). He is currently on his Center. In high school, Ethan first semester of the Studio performed in Guys and Dolls Program working towards his (Gambler), Barnum (Amos BFA in Theatre Performance at the University Scudder), and The Music Man (Mayor Shinn). of Illinois, after spending six years in the United States Marine Corps. He has also performed at Alexandra Smith (Edna the Armory Free Theatre and the Illini Ballroom in Krabappel) is from Plainfield, such roles as Third Sheperd in Second Sheperd’s Illinois, and a junior Acting Play, Priceps 3 in The Assumption of Mary, BFA student. This is her Michael Doyle in Listen, “FAP-App” Developer third show at Krannert in Moonside Manners, and at Parkland’s Second Center, where she previously Stage Theatre as The Mute in The Fantastiks. appeared in The Other Outside of stage work, Nick has a number of film Shore and John Steinbeck's and commercial credits from the Champaign- The Grapes of Wrath. Her Urbana community. Armory Free Theatre credits include As Wind in Dry Grass, Moonside Manners, Dead Man’s Cell Ellen Magee (Jenny/Marge/ Phone, and Call Me Woman. Lisa) hails from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and is a junior Elana Weiner-Kaplow pursuing a BFA in Acting at (Susannah/Lisa/Itchy) is a junior the U of I. She appeared most in the Acting BFA program. recently in the Lyric Theatre @ Her previous productions Illinois production of Kiss Me at Krannert Center include Kate (Gangster #2) and Illinois A Dream Play (Kristin/ Theatre’s Kingdom City (Katie). Billsticker), a staged reading Other credits include Illinois Theatre’s production of Middletown, and Student of 1984 (Kid/Prole Woman), the formal reading Playwrights Outreach Theatre. of Good Kids (Skylar), and the Celebration She has also performed in a number of Armory Free Company at the Station Theatre’s production Theatre productions including Ludus de Antichristo of Appropriate (Cassidy). (Synagoga), Adaptations at the Armory, The Wild Party (Ensemble), Assassins (Emma Goldman), and Impulse 24/7. In addition to her work at the U of I, she worked in Tel Aviv for a year as the projections operator at the Na Laga’at Theatre for the Deaf and Blind. She recently returned from four months of backpacking in Nepal and India where she worked with the NGO Nyayik Snasar to provide leadership 10 training for Nepali youth. Allie Wessel (Quincy/ Women (BBC/IFC), Leading Ladies, and USING. Businesswoman/Bart) is At the University of Illinois, Lisa has directed a junior pursuing her BFA several popular productions for Illinois Theatre, all in Acting at the University dealing with a range of social and political issues of Illinois. Previous credits that address and reveal the common threads of in the Champaign-Urbana humanity, and the universality of experiences area include a reading of across racial, cultural, class, economic, gender, Naomi Iizuka’s Good Kids and sexual lines. (Amber), Will Grayson (Maura), Might (Sabrina), The Effects of Gamma Rays on Cara Chowning (Music Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (Ruth), Kingdom Director) is a coach and City (Crystal), and Call Me Woman at the Armory collaborative artist who is Free Theatre. She is also a writer and performer equally at home in vocal and with Potted Meat Sketch Comedy on the U of I instrumental repertoire. She campus. has performed extensively throughout the United States, Lisa Gaye Dixon (Director) South America, and Europe has worked professionally as duo partner, chamber across the country and around musician, and orchestral pianist. She has served the globe. She began her on the accompanying faculties of the Cleveland professional career with Institute of Music and the American Institute the Steppenwolf Theatre of Music Studies in Graz, Austria, as well as the Company of Chicago in a faculties of Simpson College, Oklahoma City revival of For Colored Girls University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana- Who Have Considered Suicide Champaign. She returns this season as a guest When The Rainbow is Enuf, and has performed coach and conductor at the University of Missouri on the stages of the Royal Shakespeare Company Kansas City Conservatory of Music/Kansas City and the New Globe Theatre in London, and Lyric Opera Apprentice Program. regionally in the US at the Attic Theatre (Detroit, Michigan), Performance Network (Ann Arbor, As music director, conductor, and pianist, Michigan), Lost Nation Theatre (Vermont), The Chowning has prepared opera and musical Kitchen Theatre (Ithaca, New York), GEVA Center theatre productions at the professional, young (Rochester, New York), the Illinois Shakespeare artist, and collegiate levels. She has served Festival, and Milwaukee Shakespeare. Most on the music staff of Cleveland Opera, Lyric recently she appeared as the Ghost of Christmas Opera Cleveland, Opera Cleveland, Kansas Lyric Present at the Goodman Theatre in their Opera, and the Bar Harbor Music Festival in perennial production of A Christmas Carol, and the capacities of Assistant Chorus Master, Staff in October 2015 premiered her one-woman show Pianist, Coach, and Musical Director. Chowning’s (which she co-wrote and performed) entitled My former students and singers from her private Case Is Altered: Tales of a 21st Century Roaring coaching studio can be heard in young artist Girl at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. programs, theatre series, and opera houses Film credits include The Trouble with Men and such as the Metropolitan Opera, Kansas Lyric, Union Avenue Opera, Minnesota Opera, San 11 Francisco Opera, and Writers Theatre. Chowning as the Technical Director (2016) and Assistant is a frequent guest on recital series throughout Technical Director (2015). Previously, he has the Midwest and Northeast Ohio and has been worked as the Assistant Technical Director for broadcast on WFMT, WCLV, and Iowa Public the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival (2010, Radio. She has performed at the National Flute ‘12, and ‘14 seasons), a faculty intern in Theatre Association’s Convention and the International at the Culver Academies (2011-13), and as a Double Reed Society Convention as competition carpenter at Syracuse Stage (2013-14). His pianist and recitalist. credits at the University of Illinois include In The Blood (Technical Director), The Other Chowning holds performance degrees in piano Shore (Technical Director), Into the Woods and collaborative piano from Northwestern (Assistant Technical Director), and having served University and the Cleveland Institute of Music as the Opera Technical Director for Lyric Theatre and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Accompanying @ Illinois’ 2014-15 season. Robert is dedicated to and Vocal Coaching from the University of Illinois safety and serving as a student advocate. at Urbana-Champaign. Tyler Stewart Knowles (Sound Designer) is Aaron R. White a second-year MFA Sound Design student. (Choreographer), a Chicago His recent credits include Kiss Me, Kate; John native, earned his MFA from Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath; Beatrice New York University Tisch and Benedict; and The Merry Widow at the School of the Arts and his U of I. During the summer of 2016, Tyler was BFA from the University of the Assistant Sound Shop Supervisor at Hope Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Summer Repertory Theatre where he designed both in Dance Performance The Cat in the Hat and Go, Dog! Go. and Choreography. He has danced for the Sean Curran Company, Trainor Lindsey Sample (Properties Master) is a third- Dance, and Project44 along with a host of other year MFA Graduate student studying Properties notable choreographers. Most recently, White Design and Management. She is a native of participated in the prestigious SpringBoard Danse Des Moines, Iowa, received her BA in Theatre Montreal, which invites 120 dancers from across from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar the world to work with various international Falls. Previous productions with Illinois Theatre dance companies and choreographers. As a Reiki include John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, Master-Teacher, Aaron R. White wishes to be 1984, and Not About Nightingales, as well as a beacon of light to support others, illuminate assisting on Oh What a Lovely War and Polaroid fears, and facilitate healing through Reiki, dance, Stories. Her most recent professional position and education. was Props Artisan for the 2016 season of the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, Utah. Robert J. Jenista (Technical Director) is a third- year MFA candidate in the Scenic Technology Susan Schuld (Voice and Speech Coach) has been program. He holds a BA in Theatre from the acting and vocal coaching nationally for over 20 University of Notre Dame. Robert recently years. She has taught at numerous institutions returned from his second season with Hope over her career, including Virginia Commonwealth Summer Repertory Theatre where he worked University; The Actor’s Studio at Pace University

12 MFA program; Rutgers University Mason Gross Theatre at the University of Illinois. School of the Arts BFA program; NYU Tisch School of the Arts CAP21; Circle in the Square Adam Thatcher (Voice and Speech Coach) Theatre School; Maggie Flanigan Acting Studio; is returning to his alma mater for this Illinois The Linklater Center for Voice and Language; Theatre production. He received his MFA in University of Northern Iowa; and served as the Acting from the U of I in 2015 after receiving Director in Residence at Shakespeare’s Globe in his BFA in Musical Theatre from the State London, UK, for Mason Gross School of the Arts University of New York at Fredonia where he in 2003-4. She is a company member of Theatre graduated magna cum laude. Adam began his Lila and Inertia Productions where she worked work in Linklater-based vocal technique in New intensely in New York City for 10 years creating York and continued this technique throughout new work in the world of physical theatre. his career, teaching other actors. Along with Additional regional acting and vocal coaching Linklater, he incorporates other vocal techniques credits include: American Players Theatre, in his teaching (such as Rodenburg and Skinner), Arkansas; Shakespeare Theatre, Henley Street/ tying them with movement techniques (such as Richmond Shakespeare; Playwrights Horizons, Feldenkrais and Laban). As an actor, Adam has New York City; Mile Square Theater, New Jersey; performed in many productions, some of which Amphibian Productions, Texas; Colonial Theater, include The Tempest, Eurydice, The Merchant of Massachusetts; Berkshire Theatre Festival, Venice, The Elephant Man, and The Fantasticks. Massachusetts; and Childsplay, Arizona. She has He has performed nationally and internationally her MFA in Acting from Rutgers University, is a in various productions and musical theatre 2007 Designated Linklater Teacher, and a 2014 workshops. Adam currently resides in Chicago Knight-Thompson Speechwork Associate. and is an artistic associate of the Polemic Theatre Company. Michael Shoaf (Lighting Designer) is a third-year MFA Lighting Design candidate at the University Chenglin Xin (Stage Manager) is a second-year of Illinois. He has a BFA in Theatre Arts studying MFA Stage Management student at the U of Lighting and has chosen to pursue his Masters I. She completed her undergraduate study in in Lighting to further develop his eye for design. China and served as event stage manager in Michael's annual Christmas light display draws the art troupe of her university. She worked for many spectators from the community. the Madagascar Live China tour and Ghost the Musical during previous summers. Her local Zev Steinberg (Fight Choreographer) is a credits include Assistant Stage Manager for visiting professor of Stage Combat, Movement, 1984 and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Stage and Acting at University of Illinois. Zev has Manager for Studio Dance II, and for I Love You, choreographed violence in theatres all over the You’re Perfect, Now Change (Parkland Second Midwest and has been recognized 11 times for his Stage). artistic achievements. Zev is a Certified Teacher and recipient of the Paddy Crean Award with Nicole Zausmer (Costume Designer) is a the Society of American Fight Directors. Zev is second-year MFA Costume Design student at also a certified yoga teacher. Zev holds his MFA the U of I. She received her BA from Indiana in Acting from Michigan State University, after University (2012). Her recent assistant design graduating with a BFA from the Department of work includes Long Lost and John Steinbeck's 13 The Grapes of Wrath (Illinois Theatre), and the Lyric Theatre @ Illinois production of Beatrice and Benedict. She has also been the designer for Man of La Mancha (Bigfork Summer Playhouse), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Metropolitan State University of Denver), Tarzan (BSP), Boeing-Boeing (Town Hall Arts Center), Chicago (BSP), and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (Oklahoma City Theatre Company).

Jaclyn Zimmerman (Scenic Designer) is a second- year MFA student at the University of Illinois. Her most recent credit is a production of Spamalot at Thunder Bay Theater. She has also worked with the Seoul Shakespeare Company in South Korea on their production of Titus Andronicus.

14 PRODUCTION STAFF

PROPERTIES MASTER HAIR/MAKEUP MASTER Lindsey Sample Sharne Van Ryneveld

SCENIC CHARGE PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS Christina Rainwater Casey Griffin Kevin Troy SHOW CARPENTER Bobby Reynolds DECK/FLY CREW Maranda Jenkins HEAD COSTUME TECHNICIAN Lily Newton Jessica Hensley Kyle Norbut Phillip A. Smith COSTUME TECHNICIAN Chante Knight PROPS CREW Michelle Pettit Alex Gill Tanatiu Ruiz-Escobedo MASTER ELECTRICIAN Zachary Fellhauer WEAPONS MASTER Alejandro Mata AUDIO AND MIX ENGINEER Luke Parker COSTUME RUNNING CREW Sam DeGiacomo ANIMATOR Erin Ryan Anja Hose Mackenzie Sinta Nicolas Shanley ASSISTANT PROPERTIES MASTER Kira Lyon HAIR & MAKEUP RUNNING CREW Kathleen Sullivan ASSISTANT COSTUME DESIGNER Edith Moreno Helen Swearingen

ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNER SOUND BOARD OPERATOR/MIC TECHNICIAN Michael Cummings Miykael Hutchins

ASSISTANT TO DIRECTOR LIGHTING BOARD OPERATOR Sofia Fey Carolyn “Kiana” Schalk

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERS FOLLOW SPOT OPERATORS Matthew Brooks Nico Krauss Roba El Shamy Jacklyn Ovassapian

15