presents SHADOWLANDS by William Nicholson Max McLean, Founder & Artistic Director presents by William Nicholson Featuring Daniel Gerroll Robin Abramson John C. Vennema Sean Gormley Dan Kremer Amy Bizjak Stephanie Cozart Daryll Heysham Jacob H Knoll John Little Jack McCarthy Jacob Morrell Scenic Design Costume Design Lighting Design Original Music & Sound Design Kelly James Tighe Michael Bevins Aaron Spivey John Gromada Voice & Dialect Casting Director Wig, Hair & Makeup Design Claudia Hill-Sparks Carol Hanzel Tommy Kurzman Casting Consultant Marketing & Advertising Press Relations Judy Henderson, C.S.A. The Pekoe Group Matt Ross Public Relations Production Manager General Management Stage Manager Lew Mead Aruba Productions Kelly Burns Executive Producer Ken Denison Directed by Christa Scott-Reed This production made possible by arrangement with The Agency (London) Ltd. 24 Pottery Lane, London W11 4LZ, [email protected] CAST OF CHARACTERS (in order of appearance) C.S. Lewis ...................................................................................... Daniel Gerroll Christopher Riley ........................................................................Sean Gormley Rev. Harry Harrington ....................................................................Dan Kremer Dr. Maurice Oakley/Waiter/Clerk/Priest ...........................Daryll Heysham Alan Gregg/Doctor ......................................................................Jacob H Knoll Major Warnie Lewis ............................................................ John C. Vennema Joy Davidman .........................................................................Robin Abramson Douglas, At Certain Performances ........................................Jack McCarthy Douglas, At Certain Performances ......................................... Jacob Morrell Woman/Registrar/Nurse .................................................... Stephanie Cozart The action takes place in Oxford, England in the 1950s. UNDERSTUDIES Understudies never substitute for the listed players unless a specific announcement is made at the time of the appearance. Understudy for C.S. Lewis – Dan Kremer; for Joy Davidman – Stephanie Cozart; for Major Warnie Lewis, Dr. Maurice Oakley, Harry Harrington, Priest, Clerk, Waiter – John Little; for Christopher Riley, Alan Gregg, Doctor – Daryll Heysham; for Woman, Registrar, Nurse – Amy Bizjak Stage Manager ...................................................................................Kelly Burns Assistant Stage Manager ....................................................Victoria Whooper Run time 2 hours and 20 minutes including one 15-minute intermission. Please turn off cell phones and personal electronic devices before the performance begins. Thank you. 3 A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR Shadowlands lives at the intersec- something; you have to learn to tion of pain and joy. stop trying to preserve yourself. When the play begins we see C.S. Once you let yourself go head first Lewis as a man confident in his without worrying where you’re studied ideas about the meaning of going to land…you’re a diver.” It’s suffering in the world. However, his this stepping away from self-pres- settled middle-aged life is absent ervation that allows him to dive both romantic love and the pain into joy, and thus into suffering, that such love risks. In the early too. Shadowlands is a play that BBC version of Shadowlands that asks us to consider what we are would later become the play, a col- willing to give up in order to gain league says to Lewis, “You’ll end up so much. the non-playing captain in the crick- These flip sides of pain and joy et game of life.” are what live in Lewis responds, the spotlight. The “The pain now is part “The spectator line that should of the happiness then, sees more of the linger with audi- sport.” that’s the deal.” ences is, “The pain Then Joy walks now is part of the in. And over the happiness then, course of the play she upends that’s the deal.” everything. She is the engine that The Platonic idea of makes him rethink love, suffering “Shadowlands” is explained this and faith. Suddenly his confident, way in the play: “This world that intellectual ideas are tested by his seems to us so substantial is no new experiences and as a result more than the shadowlands. Real he becomes more alive. His suf- life has not begun yet.” Death fering spurs doubt but also fuels looms over the characters in this an evolution that eventually moves play and so they often touch upon him into a kind of peace with the the contrast between our imper- unanswerable. He steps further out fect, shadowed human world and of the shadows. the bright, unfathomable realness It takes courage to give up all of the afterlife. But one also comes your safety. C.S. Lewis learned to to feel that Lewis was in a shad- dive the summer he became a owlands of his own until Joy illu- Christian. As the Lewis character minated his life. says in Through the Shadowlands, “You don’t have to do anything. Christa Scott-Reed All you have to do is stop doing 4 WHO’S WHO DANIEL GERROLL (C.S. Lewis) Theatre). Other favorites include has appeared on Broadway Tamara, When The Rain Stops in Plenty, High Society and Falling, The Electric Baby, Twelfth Enchanted April, and he has per- Night and Orange Water Flower. formed extensively Off Broadway, in various regional theatres and JOHN C. VENNEMA (Major on TV, Film and Radio. Recent Warnie Lewis) Mr. Vennema has theatre roles include Benedict been seen on Broadway in The in Much Ado About Nothing at Ride Down Mt. Morgan, The Royal the Guthrie Theatre, Higgins Family, Otherwise Engaged, The in My Fair Lady, Salieri in Elephant Man, Racing Demon Amadeus, Intimacy at the New and Bells Are Ringing (Encores). Group and various other roles He toured Ireland and England at the Manhattan Theatre Club, in the Druid Theater production Roundabout, Second Stage and of The Cripple of Inishmaan, eight summers at the Bay Street ending at the Atlantic Theater Theatre in Sag Harbor. Film and (Drama Desk Award). OFF TV include Chariots of Fire, Big BROADWAY: Linda, House and Business, The Namesake, The Garden, In Celebration, Terms of Starter Wife, Code Black and The Endearment and many others. Woman in White for the BBC. FILM: The Cat’s Meow, City Hall, Daniel is a recipient of a Theatre Die Hard With a Vengeance. World Award, an Outer Critic’s TELEVISION: Boardwalk Empire, Circle Award, and an OBIE Award Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, for Sustained Excellence. House of Cards (recurring roles). ROBIN ABRAMSON (Joy David- SEAN GORMLEY (Christopher man) Robin is thrilled to be mak- Riley) NY Theatre: The Weir, Rebel ing her NYC professional theatre in the Soul, Aristocrats, Da, Trans- debut! Previous regional cred- port, Yeats Project, Shaughraun, its include Othello (Pittsburgh Devil’s Disciple (Irish Repertory), Public Theatre); Tribes (Phila- Jonah and Otto (U.S. premiere, Lion delphia Theatre Company); You Theatre). A Day by the Sea (Mint, Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up (Den- dir. Austin Pendleton), The Good ver Center); The Last Match, Thief (Solo performance, Players Blackbird, Maple and Vine, Time Theatre). Regional work includes Stands Still, Mary’s Wedding and the U.S. premiere of Sucker Punch Elemeno Pea (Pittsburgh City at Studio Theatre in D.C. TV: Per- 4 5 WHO’S WHO son Of Interest (CBS), The Blacklist Festival). Upcoming TV: Hulu’s (NBC), Z: The Beginning of Every- The Path. Commercials: N.J. Lot- thing (Amazon), Treme (HBO). tery, Motorola. Proud Member Film: What Maisie Knew, Falling AEA. Prouder Daughter, Sister Apples. Numerous independent and Friend to Paul and Jan, Emily film and voiceover credits. www. and Shawn. seangormley.com STEPHANIE COZART (Registrar/ DAN KREMER (Harry Harrington, Nurse/Woman, u/s Joy David- u/s C.S. Lewis) Off-Broadway man) Off Broadway: Communion credits include Richard II (Pearl) (Urban Stages), Lost in Yonkers and Prozak and the Platypus (TACT), Seven Rabbits on a Pole (Beckett). Nationally, Mr. Kremer (Urban Stages). Regional: The has appeared with repertory Syringa Tree at Portland Stage, theatres from coast to coast Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, including Shakespeare Theatre Cincinnati Playhouse. Award-win- Company: Caesar, Julius Cae- ning actor at the Denver Center: sar; Capulet, Romeo & Juliet; 25 productions, including Sylvia, and Enobarbus, Antony & Cleo- Arcadia, Amadeus, King Lear, patra; Utah Shakespeare Festi- A Christmas Carol. Other cred- val as King Lear, Titus Andron- its: Actors Theatre of Louisville, icus and Horace Vandergelder. Paper Mill Playhouse, Laguna In 14 seasons with the Oregon Playhouse, Alabama Shake- Shakespeare Festival: Under- speare Festival, Adirondack The- shaft, Major Barbara; Prospero, atre Festival. Film/TV: Reflection, The Tempest; Jaques, As You Like The Good Wife, Law and Order: It; and Lambert LeRoux, Pravda. SVU. MFA, the National Theatre www.dankremer.com Conservatory. AMY BIZJAK (Understudy) Most DARYLL HEYSHAM (Oakley/ recently appeared as Meg in The Priest/Clerk/Waiter, u/s Riley/ Dudleys! at HERE Arts Center. Off Gregg/Doctor) Off Broad- Broadway: Elephant Girls. Other way: Much Ado About Nothing selected NYC credits: Les Belles (Leonato); Tony n’ Tina’s Wed- Soeurs (Centerstage), Cooper ding (Uncle Lou). National Tour: Savage (West Side Theatre), The The Lion in Winter (Philip), star- 12 th Labour (Gene Frankel The- ring George Peppard. Regional: atre) and Baby Girl (NY Fringe Superior Donuts (Luther, Max), 6 WHO’S WHO Pittsburgh Public Theatre, GEVA; Hamlet and As You Like