Thursday and Friday, December 13– 14, 2018, 8pm Saturday, December 15, 2018, 2pm and 8pm Sunday, December 16, 2018, 3pm Zellerbach Playhouse Big Dance Theater 17c

Conceived and directed by Annie-B Parson Co-directed by Paul Lazar Choreographed by Annie-B Parson and the company Tei Blow, s ound design Joanne Howard, s et design Oana Botez, c ostume design Joe Levasseur, l ighting design Jeff Larson, v ideo design Performed by Elizabeth DeMent, Cynthia Hopkins, Paul Lazar, Mikéah Jennings, and Kourtney Rutherford Produced by Aaron Mattocks Aaron Amodt, p roduction manager Ilana Khanin, p roduction stage manager David Bova, “ Elizabeth” wig design and construction Eben Hoffer, a ssociate sound design Andreea Mincic, a ssociate set design Andrew Lulling, s ound engineer Jorge Morales Picó, v ideo assistant/operator Joseph Silovsky and Infinite Studios, s et construction Talla Dia/Talla Design, Karen Boyer, c ostume construction Written and freely adapted by Annie-B Parson from source texts by Samuel Pepys, Margaret Cavendish, Euripides, Eugène Ionesco, Claire Tomalin, e Nerd Next Door/Leesa Ricci, Jill Johnston, and annotator comments on www.pepysdiary.com. 17c will be performed without an intermission and will last approximately 70 minutes.

Cal Performances’ 2018 –19 season is sponsored by Wells Fargo.

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ABOUT THE ARTISTS

17c is the newest Big Dance eater ensemble each piece over months of collaboration with its work, built around the problematic 17th-cen - associate artists, a longstanding, ever-evolving tury diaries of Samuel Pepys. Pepys danced, group of actors, dancers, composers, and de - sang, strummed, shopped, strove, bullied, and signers. groped—and he recorded all of it in his diary, Big Dance eater received New York Dance completely unfiltered. From his bunions, to his and Performance Bessie Awards in 2002 and infidelities, to his perversions, to his meetings 2010; the company was awarded an OBIE in with the King, he needed to get his daily life 2000 and BDT company members have re - down on paper, or he felt lost. While Pepys has a ceived five other Bessie Awards and an OBIE shockingly contemporary self-awareness, he is award for their work with Big Dance. In 2007 emboldened by—and oblivious to—his unac - the company received the first-ever Jacob’s knowledged bias against women and aggression Pillow Dance Award. Big Dance eater has toward them, and writes openly about it. He is been presented around the world, including in complicated, and this makes him valuable to France, Italy, Belgium, United Kingdom, e observe, interrogate, and challenge through the Netherlands, Brazil, and Germany, and in lens of a contemporary feminist discourse. A the USA in venues including the Brooklyn startling precursor to our own social media cul - Academy of Music, Dance eater Workshop, ture, Pepys possessed a similar compulsion to e Kitchen, City Center, e Performing assign an almost constant real-time meaning to Garage, New York Live Arts, e Chocolate his daily existence, to examine himself, and ob - Factory, , Japan Society, sessively report it. Under the Radar, American Realness, PS122’s Using all the data we can find—the copiously COIL Festival, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, prolific diaries themselves, Margaret Caven - the Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago), dish’s 17th-century radical feminist play e Walker Art Center, Yerba Buena, On the Convent of Pleasure , three centuries of margin - Boards, UCLA Live, ICA Boston, American alia, and the ongoing annotations of the web- Dance Institute (ADI), Fusebox Festival/Austin, based devotees at www.pepysdiary.com— 17c CounterCurrent Festival/Houston, and Spoleto dismantles an unchallenged historical figure Festival USA. Additionally, in 2013 –14, the and embodies the women’s voices omitted from artistic directors and design team were invited Pepys’ intimate portrait of his life. Big Dance to create a commission featuring Mikhail eater continues its formal fascination with Barysh nikov; under the Big Dance eater cre - building systems of dance that challenge the - ative umbrella in partnership with Baryshnikov ater, while allowing the structure of the work Productions, Man in a Case toured nationally itself to bring contemporary meaning to the to Hartford Stage, Shakespeare eater in making and un-making of our subjective past. Washington (DC), Berkeley Repertory eater, the Broad Stage in Los Angeles, Arts Emer son/ Founded in 1991, Big Dance eater is known Boston, and the MCA/Chicago. Other recent for its inspired use of dance, music, text, and commissions have come from Dance Umbrella visual design. e company oen works with Festival/e Old Vic in London, Les Subsis - wildly incongruent source material, weaving tances in Lyon, Chaillot eatre National in and braiding disparate strands into multi- Paris, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Walker Art dimensional performance. Led by artistic di - Center, Carolina Performing Arts, and the Old rector Annie-B Parson, Big Dance has delved Vic/London. into the literary work of such authors as Twain, Recent Awards: 2015 Olivier Award nomi - Tanizaki, Wellman, Euripides, and Flaubert, nee (London) for Annie-B Parson ( Here Lies and dance is used as both frame and metaphor Love ); 2014 Prelude Festival’s FRANKY Award: to theatricalize these writings. For more than 25 Annie-B Parson and Paul Lazar; 2014 Doris years, Big Dance eater has worked to create Duke Performing Artist Award: Annie-B Par - more than 20 dance/theater works, generating son; 2014 Foundation for Contemporary Arts

Opposite: 17c . Photo by Scott Shaw.  ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Grants to Artists Award: Annie-B Parson; 2013 about , among others. Her work for New York Foundation for the Arts Artist theater, opera, and film includes plays by Lucas Fellowship: Annie-B Parson; 2012 United States Hnath, Sarah Ruhl, and Suzann Lori Parks, Artists Fellowship : Annie-B Parson; 2010 New as well as the Meryl Streep/Jonathan Demme York Dance and Performance Bessie Award movie Ricki and the Flash and Nico Muhly’s for Outstanding Production: Comme Toujours opera Dark Sister . She has also choreographed Here I Stand. for orchestras and bands, including a full-length work for the ETHEL string quartet. Annie-B Parson co-founded Big Dance eater Her awards include the Doris Duke Per - in 1991. She has choreographed and co-created forming Artist Award (2014), an Olivier Award more than 20 works for the company, ranging nomination in choreography (2015), a Founda- from pure dance pieces, to adaptations of found tion for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists text, plays, and literature, to original works Award (2014), a USA Artists Grant in theater combining wildly disparate materials. Her work (2012), a Guggenheim Fellowship in chor e - with Big Dance has been commissioned by ogra ph y (2007), two Bessie Awards (2010, organizations including the Brooklyn Academy 2002), and a “Frankie” Award (2016). Parson of Music, National eater of Paris/Chaillot, was honored by PS122 in 2016; has been nom - Japan Society, Walker Art Center, Les Subsis- inated for the CalArts/Alpert Award seven tances in Lyon, and many others. times; and has received three Lucille Lortel Outside of Big Dance, Parson has created Award nominations (2014, 2012, 2011). She choreography for opera, pop stars, television, was a YCC choreographer at the American movies, theater, ballet, symphony orchestras, Dance Festival, and she is currently a Fellow at advertising, objects, museums, augmented re - the Center for Ballet Arts. ality, and 1,000 amateur singers. Most recently, Since 1993 Parson has been an instructor of Parson directed and choreographed David choreography at New York University’s Experi- Byrne’s new American Utopia tour; and earlier mental eater Wing. She was featured in this year, a dance for Sadler’s Wells/Co. of Elders BOMB magazine, and has contributed articles in London. Other work includes David Byrne’s to Ballet Review and Movement Research musical at both the Public Journal , a drawing to e Brooklyn Rail , and a eater and the National eater in London; piece for Dance USA on the state of dance/the - Byrne’s 2012 world tour with St. Vincent and a ater in the United States. Parson has also given marching band; and Byrne’s and ’s a talk on the synthesis of poetics and the film 2008 world tour. Parson also created the stag - script Terms of Endearment at the Poetry Cen - ing/choreography for St. Vincent’s 2017 and ter. As an artist curator, she has curated shows 2014 world tours, as well as St. Vincent’s collab - including Merce Cunningham’s memorial We oration with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Give Ourselves Away at Every Moment, Dancer e Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon , and e Crush at NYLA, and Sourcing Stravinsky at Late Show with Stephen Colbert . Parson cur - DTW. Parson tours a lecture on abstraction rently has two large-scale works in repertory in called e Virtuosity of Structure, and her book the Martha Graham Dance Company, and she Dance by Letter is published by 53rd State Press. created a solo for Wendy Whelan commis - She is at work on drawing a dance autobiogra - sioned by the Royal Ballet. Parson choreo - phy in charts. graphed 1,000 singers for a work by David Lang at the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center. Paul Lazar (performer ) is a founding member She choreographed the world premiere of of Big Dance eater. He has co-directed and David Bowie/Ivo Van Hove’s Lazarus at New acted in works for Big Dance since 1991, in - York eatre Workshop, which opened in cluding commissions from the Brooklyn Aca - London in 2016 at the King’s Cross eatre . Her demy of Music, the Walker Art Center, Dance dances are featured in the film Ride, Roar, Rise eater Workshop, Classic Stage Company, and

 PLAYBILL ABOUT THE ARTISTS the Japan Society. Outside of Big Dance, Lazar will settle for a humid summer in New York. directed Howard Fishman’s A Star Has Burnt He started out by doing pyro for Seaworld and My Eye at BAM in 2016, Christina Masciotti’s Ringling Brothers Circus, but now builds sets Social Security at the Bushwick Starr in 2015, in downtown NYC. Work as technical director Elephant Room at St. Ann’s Warehouse for the includes Gatz (Elevator Repair Service), Every - company Rainpan 43 in 2012, and Young Jean one’s Fine With Virginia Woolf (Elevator Repair Lee’s Obie Award-winning We’re Gonna Die in Service), objects in mirror AR closer than they 2011. He directed a new version of We’re Gonna appear (Sensor ium), ms. estrada (e Flea), Fill Die in 2015, featuring David Byrne, at the Melt - Fill Fill Fill Fill Fill Fill (e Flea), and A Billion down Festival in London . Lazar also directed Nights On Earth (Lucidity Suitcase Inter conti - Bodycast: An Artist Lecture by Suzanne Boca - nental). Other credits include Othello (New York negra and starring Frances McDormand for the eatre Work shop), Lazarus (New York ea - 2014 BAM Next Wave Festival; and Major Bang tre Workshop), e Select (Elevator Repair for the Foundry eatre at St. Ann’s Warehouse. Ser vice). Find Amodt’s theater photography at He recently created a solo dance with text by http://www.aaronamodt.com. John Cage, live music by Lea Bertucci, and choreography by Annie-B Parson called Cage Tei Blow ’s ( sound designer ) work incorporates Shuffle , which premiered at the American photography, video, and sound from live in - Realness festival in and has strumentation and found media artifacts. It has toured to the Walker Arts Center in Minnea- been featured at Hartford Stage, Dance eater polis and A.P.E. Arts in Northampton, MA. Workshop, Lincoln Center Festival, e Kitchen, Lazar has performed with the Wooster Group BAM, the Public eater, Broad Stage, MCA in Brace Up! , Emperor Jones , North Atlantic, and Chicago, MFA Boston, Kate Werble Gal lery, e Hairy Ape . Other stage acting credits in - , Wadsworth Athene - clude Richard Maxwell’s Samara at Soho Rep, um, and at theaters around the world. He has Tamburlaine at eatre For A New Audience, performed and designed for: e Laboratory Young Jean Lee’s Lear , e ree Sisters at Clas - of Dmitry Krymov, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Big sic Stage Company, Richard Maxwell’s Cowboys Dance eater, and David Neumann/Advanced and Indians at Soho Rep, Richard III at Classic Beginner Group. Blow has received a New York Stage Company, Svejk at eatre for a New Dance and Performance Bessie Award for Out- Audi ence, Irene Fornes’ Mud at the Signature standing Sound Design and a 2016 NYSCA eater, and Mac Wellman’s 1965 UU at the Individual Artist Grant. Chocolate Factory eatre. He has acted in over 30 feature films, including Snowpiercer, e Oana Botez (costume designer ) is a Princess Host , Mickey Blue Eyes , Silence of the Lambs , Grace, Barrymore, and Drammy Award win - Beloved , Lorenzo’s Oil, and Philadelphia . His ner, and a NEA/TCG Career Development Pro - honors include two Bessie Awards (2010, 2002), gram Recipient. New York: BAM Next Wave, the Jacob’s Pillow Creativity Award in 2007, and Bard SummerScape, Baryshnikov Arts Center, the Prelude Festival’s Frankie Award in 2014, as e David H. Koch eater/Lincoln Center, well an Obie Award for Big Dance in 2000. Soho Rep, LCT3, e Public eater, Classic Lazar has taught at Yale, Rutgers, the William Stage Company, e Joyce eater, Big Apple Esper Studio, and the Michael Howard Studio, Circus, BRIC Arts Media, 59East59, La MaMa, and currently teaches at New York Uni versity. and HERE Arts Center. Regional: e Wilma Last spring, he directed Mac Well man’s ree eater, Portland Stage Company, Jacob’s Pillow Americanisms at the eater, Dance, and Media Dance Festival, Hartford Stage Company, Long Department of Harvard University. Wharf eater, Berkeley Rep, ArtsEmerson, Shakespeare eatre Company, e Walker Aaron Amodt (production manager ) is a Flor - Arts Center, Peak Performances, ADI, Curtis idian who is most at home in the swamp but Institute of Music. International: Bucharest

 ABOUT THE ARTISTS

National eater, Arad National eater, Bu - Joanne Howard (set design ) has been designing landra eater, éâtre National de Chaillot, sets for Big Dance eater since 1992. In addi - Les Subsistances, Budapest National eater, tion to set design, Howard works in a variety of Cluj Hungarian National eater, Bu charest media, including sculpture, works on paper, Operetta eater, International Festival of ceramics, and video. She has received a Bessie Contemporary eater, Le Quartz, La Fila ture, Award for her collaboration with BDT for Centro Cultural Universidad del Pacífico, Comme Toujours Here I Stand and is a New Palazzo Simoncelli, Edinburgh International York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship recip - Festival, and Singapore Arts Festival. Botez is a ient for architecture/environmental structures. graduate of Bucharest Art Academy and re - Howard has exhibited in New York, Chicago, ceived her MFA in design from NYU/Tisch and Los Angeles. A recent installation was in - School of the Arts. She teaches figure drawing cluded in Call and Response , an exhibition at and costume design at MIT, and resides in Wave Hill, e Bronx (2017). Manhattan. www.oanabotez.com. Mikéah Ernest Jennings (performer ), a New Elizabeth DeMent (performer ) is a New York- York City-based artist, has been performing based performer originally from Ukiah, CA. in the city and all around the world for She is a graduate of the Juilliard School and has many years. His works include: MASTER (e been working as a dancer/performer/actor ever Foundry eatre), Drowning/Funnyhouse of since. DeMent has worked with Peridance a Negro (Signature eater, NY), e Shipment Ensemble, the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Liz (Sydney Opera House, e Barbican, e Gerring Dance Company, Stephen Petronio, Kitchen NY, La Maison Des Arts, DeSingel), Jodi Mel nick, Patrick Corbin, Dance Hegin - PULLMAN, WA (Chelsea eater, London) by botham, Christina Masciotti, and Half-Strad- Young Jean Lee, e Box (e Foundry ea - dle. She is proud to have worked extensively tre), Bellona, Destroyer of Cities (ICA Boston), as associate choreographer to Annie-B Parson and World of Wires (La Maison des Arts, Paris) on several projects, including Here Lies Love , by Jay Scheib. His regional credits include St. Vincent’s Digital Witness tour, and David Platonov, Or e Disinherited by Jay Scheib (La Byrne’s American Utopia tour. DeMent won a Jolla Playhouse), I Promised Myself to Live Faster Bessie Award for her outstanding performance (Actors eater of Louisville, Humana Festival), in 17c presented by the Brooklyn Academy of and e Legend of Georgia McBride (e Arden Music in November 2017. ea ter, PA). Jennings has taught in the Depart- ment of Music and eater at MIT, and is cur - Cynthia Hopkins (performer ) is an internation - rently a member of the faculty at the College of ally acclaimed musical performance artist; Performing Arts at the New School, NY. she writes songs, records , and creates ground breaking musical performance works Ilana Khanin (stage manager ) is a New York- that intertwine truth and fiction, blurring the based stage manager and director. Recent stage lines between edification and entertainment. management credits include Miles for Mary She has produced eight performance works, (e Mad Ones/Bushwick Starr), Football Head eight albums of original music, and one mu - (La MaMa), Some of the ings Inside (Water - seum installation. Her work has received many well), e Wolves (Clubbed umb workshop), awards, including a 2015 Doris Duke Artist Men on Boats (Clubbed umb). She has also Award, a 2010 Guggenheim Fellowship, and worked on productions at Samuel French, the 2007 Alpert Award in eater. Hopkins also PTP/NYC, e Tank, New Victory, e Brick, works as a performer, composer, voice-over Women’s Project, Drama League, Governors artist, and musician for many other artists. She Island, Baryshnikov Arts Center, Dixon Place, resides in West Philadelphia, PA. cynthiahop - New York City Players, and BAM. Khanin kins.com. earned her master’s degree in performance

 PLAYBILL ABOUT THE ARTISTS studies, and her bachelor’s degree in drama Andreea Mincic (associate set designer ) returns from NYU. www.ilanakhanin.com. to Big Dance eater aer being the associate set designer for e Man in the Case . Recent Andrew Lulling ( ) has had the work: 3Fihs with James Scruggs (costumes), opportunity to work closely with many dy - Primitive Tissue with Catharine Dill (set and namic and vibrant musicians and artists, and costumes), Dead Time Of Plenty (set and cos - has mixed sound for past productions such as tumes) with Mallory Catlett, Elements of Oz Robert Wilson’s Zinnias, e Life of Clementine (costumes) with the Builders Association, I’m Hunter , Robert Whittman’s Passport , and Pig Bleeding All Over the Place (set) with Brooke Iron’s Pay Up and e Elements of Oz from the O’Hara, Long Yarn (set and costumes) with Builders Association, among others. Lulling is Banana Bag and Bodice, Vine of e Dead (cos - also currently production manager and audio tumes) with Jim Findlay, and e Return (pup - engineer for the Peter Sellars and Reggie Grey petry) with Tom Lee. Other collaborators in show FLEXN , produced by the Park Avenue NYC include Half Strad dle, 31Down, Radio - Armory. When not touring, Lulling is the house hole, Hoi Polloi, and Kyle De camp. engineer at BRIC Arts Media, in Brooklyn. Jorge Morales (video engineer ) is a Puerto Rican Jeff Larson (video designer ). 17c marks Larson’s sound designer, actor, and composer currently fih collaboration with Big Dance eater, hav - based in New York City. Drawing inspiration ing previously designed video for Alan Smithee from both classical theater and experimental Directed this Play , Man in a Case , Supernatural techniques, his work sits at the intersection of Wife , and the Bessie Award-winning Comme formal experimentation and artistic relevance. Toujours Here I Stand . He is also co-curator of He has designed and composed for plays the Obie Award-winning performance series such as e Burma Project (directed by Kate CATCH (catchseries.org). Larson has taught in Whoriskey) and Artaud Artaud (eatre for the Department of Drama and the Department a New City), and his work has been featured in of Design for Stage and Film at New York places such as Signature eatre and NYTW. University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and has Apart from sound design, he has also acted in been a visiting professor at Bennington College. various projects, including Bohemian Lights, He is currently resident designer and produc - (HERE Arts Center), Macbeth (Park Avenue tion manager at Hamilton College. Armory, Kenneth Branagh), Othello (No Stone Productions), and Reinar después de morir Joe Levasseur (lighting design ) has collaborated (Repertorio Español). He is also the founding with dance and performance artists including co-artistic director of What Will the Neighbors Jennifer Monson, John Jas perse, Sarah Michel - Say?, an international theater company com - son, Neil Greenberg, David Dorfman, Donna mitted to provoking questions through the Uchizono, RoseAnne Sprad lin, John Kelly, presentation of untold stories. For more infor - Ishmael Houston-Jones, and Meredith Monk. mation about the company and its program - His work has been seen throughout the United ming, please visit wwtns.org. States, Eur ope, and South America, and has received two Bessie Awards. In 2009 his Drop Eben Ofer (associate sound designer ) is a theater Clock instal lation was featured in the lobby of artist focusing on the embodied relationship Dance eater Workshop (New York Live between longing, the body, and technology. Arts). In 2010 he showed a collection of original Originally from Portland (OR) and now based paint ings at Performance Space 122, and in in New York City, he works as a director, com - 2013 he was commissioned to paint an original poser, and sound designer for new plays and mural for AUNTS. Ongoing projects include performance pieces. His directing and design lighting work for Brian Brooks, Jodi Melnick, work with Royal Osiris Karaoke Ensemble has and Palissimo. www.joelevasseur.com. toured nationally and been seen at the Public

 ABOUT THE ARTISTS

eater, the Bushwick Starr, Abrons Arts Cen - 17c is also supported by the Howard Gilman ter, and JACK in New York City. Ofer’s original Foundation and the National Endowment for physical theater with Tugboat Collective per - the Arts. 17c was created with residency support formed at various NYC venues (2012 –15), in - from the MacDowell Colony and the AIR space cluding HERE Arts Center and e Brick. He program at Abrons Arts Center. 17c is funded, in is a candidate for a master’s degree in theater part, by the Big Dance eater Crea tion Circle, directing at Carnegie Mellon University. individual contributors committed to the devel - opment and support of the company’s newest Kourtney Rutherford (performer ) has worked works. Big Dance eater is supported by the with Big Dance eater since 1997, appearing Doris Duke Performing Artist Awards program, in company productions including Alan Smithee the Emma A. Sheafer Chari ta ble Trust, the An - Directed is Play, Ich Kurbisgeist, Comme drew W. Mellon Foundation New York eater Toujours Here I Stand, Shunkin, and Antigone . Program, the W Trust, and by public funds She has also worked with cutting-edge ensem - from the New York City Department of Cultural bles and theater artists including Radiohole, Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the Half Straddle, Witness Relocation, Sibyl Kemp- New York State Coun cil on the Arts with the son, Eliza Bent, and Normandy Sherwood. She support of Gov ernor Andrew Cuomo and the has created original work with the Operating New York State Legislature, and the Mid Atlantic eater, which she co-founded with Jason Arts Foun dation through USArtists Interna - Schuler. Her interpretation of the rhetorical ges - tional in partnership with the National Endow - ture “Scorn” was recently published in A New ment for the Arts. Practical Guide to Rhetorical Gesture and Action by National eater of the United States of Special thanks to Aaron Mattocks, producer America, available on 53rd State Press. Ruther - and generative performer in the original cast of ford received her BFA in acting from the 17c ; Anne Delaney and the Big Dance eater Experi mental eater Wing at NYU, and has a board for their leadership; Chris Giarmo for master’s degree in education from City College/ helping us sing; and David R. White, Ben Pryor, CUNY. An avid supporter of arts-in-education Jay Wegman, and Craig T. Peterson, for provid - programs, Rutherford has taught acting, dance, ing homes for each stage of this process. anks and theater throughout the New York City pub - to Brian Teare, Amber Reed, and Ted Zeiter lic school system. Love to and gratitude for her for inspiration. anks to Molly Hickok for family, especially to her husband, Mathieu. everything.

Big Dance eater Credits Annie-B Parson, artistic director 17c is produced by Big Dance eater and co- Molly Hickok, co-founder commissioned by FringeArts (Philadelphia), Sara Pereira da Silva, executive director Carolina Performing Arts/UNC Chapel Hill, Sara Procopio, finance and development Brooklyn Academy of Music, Old Vic/London, manager e Yard (Chilmark, MA), Diane and Adam E. Estelle Woodward Arnal, development Max, Virginia and Timothy Millhiser, the Starry consultant Night Fund, Helen and Peter Haje, and the Heim binder Family Foundation. Jason Collins, associate producer Artspool, administration management

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 PLAYBILL