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FLORIDA REPERTORY 2017-2018 SEASON ARTSTAGE STUDIO THEATRE • FORT MYERS RIVER DISTRICT ROBERT CACIOPPO, PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

PRESENTS

SPONSORED BY BRUCE AND JANET BUNCH

STARRING ensemble member RACHEL BURTTRAM* and AMIR DARVISH* • MARY E. HODGES* • IMRAN SHEIKH* • GREGG WEINER*

DIRECTED BY ensemble member V CRAIG HEIDENREICH

SET DESIGNER COSTUME DESIGNER DENNIS C. MAULDEN*** ensemble member STEFANIE GENDA*** LIGHTING DESIGNER SOUND DESIGNER PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER ROB SILER JOHN KISELICA ensemble member AUDREY M. BROWN*

Disgraced is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Service, Inc., New York. was developed in part at the New Writers New Plays residency at Vineyard Arts Project (Ashley Melone, Founder and Artistic Director).

DISGRACED had its World Premiere in January 2012 at American Theater Company, , Illinois (PJ Paparelli, Artistic Director). New York Premiere produced by Theater, , 2012.

Original Broadway Production produced by , Lincoln Center Theater, Jenifer Evans, Amanda Watkins, Richard Winkler, Rodger Hess, Stephanie P. Mcclelland, Tulchin/Bartner Productions, Jessica Genick, Jonathan Reinis, Carl Levin/Ashley De Simone/TNTDynaMite Productions, Alden Bergson/Rachel Weinstein, Greenleaf Productions, Darren Deverna/Jere Harris, , and The Arts Foundation. 2017-18 GRAND SEASON SPONSORS

The Fred & Jean Allegretti Foundation • Naomi Bloom & Ron Wallace • Dinah Bloomhall • Jane & Bob Breisch • Alexandra Bremner • Janet & Bruce Bunch • Chippendale Audiology • Berne Davis • Mary & Hugh Denison Ellie Fox • David Fritz/Cruise Everything • Nancy & Jim Garfield • Vici and Russ Hamm John Madden • Joel Magyar • Noreen Raney • Linda Sebastian & Guy Almeling • Arthur M. Zupko This entire season sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. Florida Repertory Theatre is a fully professional non-profit LOA/LORT Theatre company on contract with the Actors’ Equity Association that proudly employs members of the national theatrical labor unions. *Member of Actors’ Equity Association. **Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. ***Member of United Scenic Artists. CAST (in order of appearance) Emily...... RACHEL BURTTRAM*† Amir...... AMIR DARVISH*† Abe...... IMRAN SHEIKH*† Isaac...... GREGG WEINER*† Jory...... MARY E. HODGES*† TIME & PLACE All scenes take place in an apartment in New York City. The second scene is two weeks later. The third scene is three months later. The fourth scene is six months later. DISGRACED will be performed without an intermission. The video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means whatsoever is strictly prohibited.

Asst. Stage Managers: Caycelynn Hoddard • Miranda Paine Fight Choreographer: Greg Longenhagen† Asst. Costume Designer: Jacquelyn Loy Wardrobe Supervisor: Pedigo Lighting/Sound Board Operator: Katie Lowe Runcrew, U/S for Abe: Sean Rodrigo Royal

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT was born in New York City and raised in , Wisconsin. He is the author of American Dervish, published in 25 languages worldwide and a 2012 Best Book of the Year at Kirkus Reviews, ’s Globe and Mail, Shelf-Awareness, and O (Oprah) Magazine. He is also a playwright and screenwriter. His play Disgraced played at New York’s Lincoln Center Theater in 2012 and premiered at the Bush Theater in London in May 2013. Disgraced won the 2013 for Drama. His play The Invisible Hand was nominated for the ATCA/Steinberg Award and won Best New Work 2013 from the St. Louis Theater Critics Circle. As a screenwriter, he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay for The War Within. He has received commissions from Lincoln Center and the Oregon . He is a graduate of Brown and Columbia Universities with degrees in Theater and Film Directing.

SPECIAL THANKS Asolo Repertory Theatre • Mario’s Meat Market & Deli • Tim Vaughn

Set Furnishings Provided by

†Member of Florida Repertory Theatre’s Ensemble of Theatre Artists. See page 23 for the entire ensemble.

* The Actors & Stage Manager *** employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the . CREATIVE TEAM RACHEL BURTTRAM*† past producing credits include: Swimming In (Emily) has been a The Shallows, In The Company of Jane Doe, company member since It’s A Wonderful Life - Radio Play and the 2002, and has performed critically-acclaimed This Lingering Life & Seen/ in over 20 plays with By Everyone. AmirDarvish.com *SAG-AFTRA Florida Rep. Additionally, & AEA she has played the roles of Company Manager, MARY E. HODGES* Front of House Manager, (Jory) is delighted to be Director of Development, and back at Florida Rep (Best Associate Director here at Florida Rep. Favorite of Enemies), and to be roles at the Florida Rep include: Outside working with V Craig Mullingar, Doublewide, Best of Enemies, Split and Rachel again! in Three, , Miracle on South She was last seen onstage Division Street, : Osage County, Trying, in Crystal Skillman’s Doubt, Amy’s View (with ). premier of The Test at /NY, in the lead Other Regional Theatre credits: Geva Theatre role (Ada), produced by Project Y. Mary Center, Actors Theatre of Louisville & the directed three projects this summer: Harlem9’s Humana New Play Festival, Riverside Theatre, celebrated 48-Hour Plays at The National Black The Kitchen Theatre, Hippodrome Theatre, Theatre, The Ballad O’ Nigg-O-Lee, Stacey Rose; City Equity Theatre, Barnstormers Theatre, New Perspective Theatre’s Short Play Lab Sex Gloucester Stage. NYC credits include: With Robots, Holly Hepp-Galvan; and Queens Actors Studio, Vital Theatre Company, NYC Theatre: The Park Plays GOAT, Ngozi Anyanwu International Festival. TV & Film: & RACE DAY, Don Nguyen. In New York City Bloodline, Emma’s Fine, Burn Notice, World Mary has performed at Here Art Space, EST, Traveler. National commercials. Rachel is New Federal Theatre, The Lark, Bric/Target a proud member of Actors’ Equity. She is Margin Theatre, Gideon Productions, Harlem married to actor Brendan Powers. Shakespeare Festival, Judith Shakespeare www.rachelburttram.com Company. Regionally she has worked at Berkeley Repertory, The National Black Theatre AMIR DARVISH* (Amir) Festival, Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Long is ecstatic to be working Wharf, and The Berkshire Theatre Festival. on Disgraced with this Mary has a MFA in Acting from The University amazing creative team of Connecticut. at Florida Rep. A few New York Theatre credits IMRAN SHEIKH* (Abe) include Seen/By Everyone, Theatre: Disgraced This Lingering Life, I (Milwaukee Rep), Love Came To Look For You On Tuesday, The (*) Inn, Person (Park Square Taxi To Janna, and the critically-acclaimed Theatre), The Invisible Off-Broadway one-man show: Mercury about Hand (ACT/ Artists Freddie Mercury. He’s a 2010 NY Innovative Rep), I Like to Be Here Theatre Award recipient for Outstanding (New Ohio), The Myth Featured Actor in Psych and a 2009 NY MITF Project (Noor Theatre), Carousel of Progress Best Actor Nominee for Higher Education. (Queens Theatre), Brahman/i (Crowded Some Film and TV credits include Shades of Fire), Disconnect (San Jose Rep), The Girl with Blue, The Blacklist, Michael J. Fox Show, Person Her Hands in the Sand & Radio Mara Mara of Interest, Damages, , Bar (FringeNYC), Chaos Theory (Crossroads Karma, Running Wilde, Love Magical, Month Theatre), Breaking Philip Glass (Planet to Month and the soon to be released feature Connections), Why We Left Brooklyn (Blue film Moon River, amongst others. In addition, Coyote). Workshops: Geva Theatre, Silk Road Amir is an Artistic Associate and Co-Producer Rising, The Araca Group, Arizona Theatre with Cake Productions and Co-Founder, Co., Ensemble Studio Theatre, Naked Angels, Creator & Producer of Five On A Match. His Cherry Lane Theatre. Television: Guy Code CREATIVE TEAM (MTV, Comedy Central), Blue Bloods (CBS), Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. She was the Pair of Normals, The Big Dogs. Film: Priceless, American Equity SM for the Royal Shakespeare Origin of Fantasy, R & J. Member: New York Company for Davidson College residencies. Madness Acting Company, Articulate Theatre She has also worked with The Shakespeare Co. Special thanks to Bob, V, cast and crew! Theatre inW ashington, DC and Dallas Theatre Follow @imransheikhinfo Center. A member of AEA since 1991, Audrey lives in Charlotte with her husband, GREGG WEINER* (Isaac) Graham Smith. is thrilled to return to Florida Repertory STEFANIE GENDA***† (Costume Designer) Theatre after his debut Florida Rep: Best of Enemies, Twelve Angry in Doublewide. Prior Men, The Unexpected Guest, One Slight Hitch, regional theatre credits: Clybourne Park, Alone Together. Regional Shining City, Dumb Theater Credits:Crossing Swords, tick, Tick... Show, Speed the Plow, BOOM!, Marry Harry (American Theater , Pitmen Painters, That Championship Group); The New Moon, Sweethearts (Light Season, Pillowman, Terror, and Our Lady of of New York); Othello (American 121st Street. TV/FILM: It’s Always Sunny in Shakespeare Center) and Kiss Me Kate, Philadelphia, War Dogs, Transporter 2, Magic , Die Fledermaus (Ohio Light City, Burn Notice. He is a proud member of Opera). Film/TV: How You Look at It (Short Actors Equity Association and NWSA Alumni. Film, Winner USA Film Festival Award for Big thanks to everyone here for the support Best Experimental Film), The Americans and hard work. www.greggweiner.net (FX, shopper, Season 3). Stefanie is also the Assistant Costume Supervisor for V CRAIG HEIDENREICH† (Director) appeared Theatre Club and has worked at Lincoln Center last season at Florida Rep as Atticus Finch Theater, The Public, SoHo Rep and MCC in To Kill a Mockingbird and directed Best Theater. She holds a BA in theatre from the of Enemies, as well as Echo Location for the College of Wooster and an MFA in Costume 2016 PlayLab festival. He also appeared in Design from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Pitmen Painters for American Stage in St. Rutgers University. Petersburg and directed Freak for the Urbanite in Sarasota. He has produced, directed, and/ JOHN KISELICA (Sound Designer) is a graduate or performed in more than 200 professional of West Virginia University with a Bachelor productions throughout the country including of Fine Arts degree in lighting and sound 15 seasons and more than eighty productions design. He is the Resident Sound and Lighting with Actors Theatre of Louisville, three seasons Designer for Endstation Theatre Company with the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, two in Central VA and acts as the Lighting and seasons with the Asolo in Florida, five with Sound Supervisor for year round consultation Shakespeare Santa Cruz in California and and project specific work. He has worked three years as artistic director of the Complete on a national tour, Buddy: the Buddy Holly Theatre Alliance and Infinite Space as well as Musical, as the master electrician after a the first three seasons of the Banyan Theater contract with Royal Caribbean International in Sarasota of which he is a founder. He as a stage technician. Commercial theatrical currently splits his time between theatre work work includes installing Prodigy Hoists, an and coaching for Banyan Voice and Speech in automated rigging system from Electronic which he and his wife, Tess Hogan, Theatre Controls. In addition to his seasonal are partners. position with Florida Rep, John continues to freelance in the professional, academic, and AUDREY M. BROWN*† (Production Stage community theatre circles. Manager), an ensemble member, happily returns to Florida Rep. She works extensively GREG LONGENHAGEN† (Fight Choreographer) with People’s Light (company member), is thrilled to be working with the talented team Riverside Theatre, NC Shakespeare Festival, of Disgraced. To date, Greg has created over Festival Stage, Blumenthal Performing Arts fifty fights for the stage. Some of his favorites Center, Charlotte Repertory Theatre and include The Rover- University of Pittsburgh CREATIVE TEAM Repertory Theatre, To Kill a Mockingbird, MIRANDA PAINE (Asst. Stage Manager) is so The Business of Murder-The Pirate Playhouse, excited to be working with the amazing cast - The Mountain Playhouse, and crew of Disgraced! This is her second , Cymbeline, Goodnight show with Florida Rep, having started off her Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) -Three internship with Outside Mullingar. Miranda is Rivers Shakespeare Festival, A Christmas a recent graduate of Florida State University Story, Dr. Cooks Garden, Moon Over Buffalo, with a BA in Theatre. Her favorite stage Death Trap- Florida Rep, Perfect Wedding- St. management credits include: , How I Vincent Theatre, Les Liaisons Dangereuses- Became a Pirate, Grand Hotel, , The Butler Theatre, Macbeth- Pittsburgh’s and Curtains. Shakespeare in the Schools, Of Mice and Men- Trilogy Theatre, Dial M for Murder- Arrow ROB SILER*** (Lighting Designer) NYC: Rock Lyceum Theatre, and Charlotte’s Web-The Hatched (Abrons Arts Center). REGIONAL Great American Children’s Theatre. Greg’s (select credits): Orfeo ed Euridice, Orphée aux stage combat training includes both the British enfers (Maryland Opera Studio); Bonnie & (BASSC) and American (SAFD) schools of Clyde, 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, discipline. S.A.F.D. certification: Carnegie (Monumental Theatre Company); Floyd Mellon University. Collins, The Full Monty, Into The Woods (Weathervane Repertory Theatre); The DENNIS C. MAULDEN***(Set Designer) Wild Party (Clarice Smith Performing Arts is delighted to be working with Florida Center); Les Misérables, Red (Riverside Repertory Theatre again after having designed Theatre); Riverside Children’s Theatre; Ocean The Mousetrap last season. He has served State Theatre Company; Adventure Theatre since 1985 as the Resident Scene Designer MTC. ASSISTANT: A Delicate Balance, The at Flat Rock Playhouse, the State Theatre Front Page (Broadway); Three Sisters (Studio of North Carolina where he also serves as Theatre DC); In the Heights, Carousel (Olney Apprentice Administrator. He has headed Theatre Center). UPCOMING: Occupied design programs at the University of Florida Territories (59E59 ); Erminia, The and the University of South Carolina, where he Enchanted Forest (Kennedy Center). BFA from also was Departmental Director of Graduate University, MFA from University Studies. Maulden, a scene designer since 1970, of Maryland. He is excited to be returning after has designed in other university, community, his Florida Rep debut in Outside Mullingar. and regional theatres as well as in New York. Thanks and love to Colleen for her love and In addition to a long list of theatre classics, he support. www.silerlights.com considers himself privileged to have designed many premiere productions of straight plays, musicals, and . MFA in Design: UNC- Greensboro. Member: USA, NY Local #829.

ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION (AEA) was is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, founded in 1913 as the first of the American an international organization of performing arts unions. Actor unions. Equity’s mission is to advance, For more information, visit www.actorsequity.org. promote and foster the art of theatre as an essential component of our society. Today, Equity FLORIDA PROFESSIONAL THEATRES represents more than 40,000 actors, singers, dancers ASSOCIATION (FPTA) is a statewide and stage managers working in hundreds of theatres organization of professional theatre companies and theatre professionals across the United States. Equity members are dedicated interested in the development and promotion of to working in the theatre as a profession, upholding professional theatre throughout Florida. Florida the highest artistic standards. Equity negotiates wages Repertory Theatre is a proud FPTA member theatre. and working conditions and provides a wide range of benefits including health and pension plans for its Florida Repertory Theatre is a member members. Through its agreement with Equity, this of THEATRE COMMUNICATIONS TICKETStheatre has committed to the fair treatment of the actors GROUP (TCG), the national and stage managers employed in this production. AEA organization for the American Theatre. DRAMATURGICAL NOTES WE ARE NOT WHAT YOU SAY AYAD AHKTAR ON RACE, RELIGION, AND “A STATE OF PRESENCE”

isgraced is a Pultizer Prize winner. It is a jolting drama with themes ripped right from the Dheadlines. And it is arguably one of the most complex and divisive plays of this decade that has troubled and critics alike with its true message.

In an interview originally published in 2013 by American Theatre Magazine, Ayad Ahktar talks with Madani Younis, the artistic director of Bush Theatre in London, about his reflections on Disgraced and the audience reactions he received at the end of the show.

“There have been two kinds of reactions,” says Ahktar. “One is people coming up to me to acknowledge that they’ve had a meaningful and emotional experience…and there isn’t much commentary. And then there’s another reaction, having to do with the trouble the play seems to release into the audience, the folks who come up to me and ask point-blank what it is I’m trying to say. Because the play has not resolved that for them.”

“The play is a provocation,” Younis adds.

And indeed it is. Through Amir, Ahktar challenges us to examine our identity and reflect on the cultural and sociopolitical expectations set by race, religion, and family. Do we fall into these expectations or do we go against them? There is no clear path toward either but there is a clear line between who we are and who we want to be.

Amir’s struggles as a Muslim-born, American-raised Manhattan lawyer exemplifies this theme. He has inherited his immigrant father’s pursuit for the American Dream while also renouncing his mother’s devout Islamic ideals and ethnic roots. He has married a Caucasian painter and seeks to have his name engraved next to his Jewish colleagues at his law firm. For all intents and purposes, you could say he has turned his back on his ethnic past and cultural identity because in doing so, he feels he would no longer be seen as a second-class citizen. He would no longer have to volunteer to be pat down at airport security just to get it over with. He’ll be someone and no longer “the Other.”

Through Amir, Ahktar looks at how it is to be a Muslim in America.

“I believe that in Amir’s case,” says Ahktar, “as well as Emily’s case, and in his own way Abe as well, the events of the play have provided access to the present – to things as they are. That’s the only way we can change anything, the only way we can change ourselves. The only way we can change the world is by recognizing what it is, now.”

To this end, Ahktar takes us in an intimate journey of cultural history amidst a torrential downpour of nuanced, raw, and combustible self-discovery of our current attitudes toward politics, religion, and race. It does not aim to resolve anything but to open the floodgates of today’s discourse.

“The play begins with a Western consciousness representing a Muslim subject,” says Ahktar. “The play ends with the Muslim subject observing the fruits of that representation. In between the two points lies a journey, and that journey has to do with the ways in which we Muslims are still beholden on an ontological level to the ways in which the West is seeing us…I do believe personally that the Muslim world has got to fully account for the image the West has of it and move on. To the extent that we continue to try to define ourselves by saying, ‘We are not what you say about us,’ we’re still allowing someone else to have the dominant voice in the discourse.” DRAMATURGICAL NOTES ISLAMIC ART IN THE WEST JUAN DE PAREJA, of Moorish The Middle East and the West have been descent, was born in 1606 in Antequera, deeply connected artistically ever since the Málaga, Spain. He was born a slave first emergence of Islamic art in the Middle but died a free man. For most of his Ages. Historical evidence asserts that several life, he served Diego Velázquez, the Islamic artists and craftspeople were not only leading artist in King Philip IV’s court influenced by Roman and Coptic works but and one of the most renowned painters might have also been trained in those styles. the Spanish Golden Age has seen. De European elites of this period also highly Pareja was Velázquez’s assistant but was admired works from the Islamic world due a painter in his own right. Conflicting to their beauty and degree of craftsmanship, reports exist regarding De Pareja’s causing widespread importation of anything training. Some say he was trained by available into Europe. Artistic exchange Velázquez himself while others assert became commonplace between these two that De Pareja practiced his craft in separate sociocultural spheres. secret. Legend has it that De Pareja placed one of his own paintings on display along with his master’s own work the day the King visited Velázquez so De Pareja could win his place as a painter and his freedom from slavery. Whether this is true or not, Velázquez did free De Pareja in 1650 – around the same time this portrait of him was painted by his old master. This same painting is what Emily attempts to emulate with her portrait of Amir. Islamic artistic themes have also found their way into various instances of Judeo- Christian art and architecture. Some famous architectural examples reside in London (Temple Church), Venice (Doge’s Palace—PICTURED ABOVE), and Sicily (Palatine Chapel). Psuedo-kufic script is also a prominent feature of several Italian Renaissance paintings as well as some liturgical objects found in France and Spain. Mudéjar art is a Spanish art style that resulted in the blending of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim cultures in medieval Spain.

For centuries, Islamic art has pervaded Western culture and vice versa, as they’ve blended and reacted with each other, thus Portrait of Juan de Pareja by Diego Velázquez, oil on canvas (Metropolitan Museum of Art, blurring the line of where one culture’s 1649-50) influence starts and another ends. UP NEXT/NOW PLAYING