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encoreartsseattle.com 3 Contents

SEPTEMBER 2015 Sep 11–Oct 11, 2015

Bloomsday 9 9 Title Page 10 Welcome to ACT 13 About the Play and Who’s Who 18 ACT Partners 24 ACT Board & Staff

World Premiere Illustration by Barry Blankenship by Illustration

Planting the Seeds of BY NICKY DAVIS, ACT LITERARY INTERN

he team of Bloomsday The commissioning of new work is an important way that contemporary theatres commissioners includes: Charles around the country support playwrights. ACT has a variety of programs designed T& Benita Staadecker, Jim & Kathy to foster new work, from the ACT New Play Award to workshops and readings in Tune, Paul & Paula Butzi, Jim & Jane The Construction Zone and other ACTLab programs. One of these programs is Lyons, and Laurie Besteman & Jack ACT’s partnership with the Icicle Creek Center for the Arts in Leavenworth (now known as the Icicle Creek New Play Festival, ICNPF). Lauderbaugh. ACT first approached Founded in 2008, ICNPF gives playwrights a chance to develop new plays the Staadeckers about the opportunity, while working with actors and directors in a workshop setting. The whole creative as they had worked with Dietz on a team for the play is lodged in cabins in the Cascade Mountains where they have previous commission. Charles recalls, ample time, resources, and inspiration to push the play to its next stage. The “We did not know Steven’s work prior process culminates in a reading series at the Snowy Owl Theatre in Leavenworth to our experience of commissioning and as part of ACTLab back in Seattle. Plays that are under consideration for full Becky’s New Car. It was Kurt Beattie production on ACT’s stages often get their start at Icicle Creek. who knew it would be the right fit. Of With a long history of collaboration with Steven Dietz, ACT organized a team course, we now know about all his plays, of commissioners to support the creation of his new play Bloomsday in 2012. In either having seen them or read them. 2014, with a draft of Bloomsday completed, Dietz took the play to Icicle Creek. When you commission a play you are It was at the final reading in Leavenworth that several of the commissioners not picking the playwright. The theatre were able to hear, for the first time, the new play they had sponsored. Those does that. So you have to trust that the who couldn’t attend the reading will be seeing the play for the first time in its full production at ACT. The generosity and support of the commissioning team theatre will make a good match.” comes from a shared love of the theatre and complete trust in the playwright. The Staadeckers brought the team for Bloomsday together in under 24

4 ACT – A Contemporary Theatre Steven Dietz hours. “We called the first four people we thought would be interested and all said yes,” Charles says. The Tunes note that, “the very positive experience the Staadeckers had in commissioning [Becky’s New Car] influenced all of us,” and indeed, every commissioner attached to the Bloomsday project cites Becky’s New Car as a favorite play by Dietz. Other favorites include Lonely Planet and Inventing Van Gogh. There’s a magic in Dietz’ writing that several commissioners cite as the key to his great success. “Steven’s plays speak to the soul of truth. He has a way with words that makes the ideas just sing,” says Paula Butzi. It’s easy to imagine why this group was excited to support the creation of Bloomsday. However, it’s not just Dietz’ work that excites the commissioners. All of them share a passion for new work in general. Here’s what some of them had to say about the importance of supporting creativity: New work from creative minds is always exciting, whether it’s a play, a painting, a symphony, or a piece of art. Those who create don’t seem to have the limits the rest of us do—they often “color outside the lines,” and produce stimulating, thought-provoking, beautiful, CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

encoreartsseattle.com 5 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

possibly even offensive works which World Hope Outreach seeks to meet both the physical and spiritual evoke a variety of emotions in needs of those who have been confronted with challenges in their all of us who are lucky enough to lives. We provide services to needy families and work with other experience them. organizations — training and equipping volunteers — to help restore —Laurie Besteman the lives of those families, thereby creating better lives for them and for the world as a whole. New plays are what keep theatre To support us and our mission please visit us at: going. We strongly believe in WorldHopeOutreach.org/support supporting new work so that there are new stories to tell. After all, shows that are classics today STRAWBERRY E((66)) were once performed for the first THEATRE WORKSHOP time somewhere.

it is a mob. I'm a humanist and

idea that every single member of GROSS: You call it masses, but my concept of directing this language, created by the

organization derives from the the staff is human and must

become more and more human. If we take from him his human

fully human and plunge him centuries-old tradition of

prevented him from becoming national culture, we shall have

innermost conviction I can never straight into the jaws of self-alienation. I'm not against Man. In accordance with this my communications, but I'm for it precision in official only in so far as it humanizes —Paula Butzi E((6601 E((6603 E((6602

E((6604 E((6605 New work is always exciting as it No. 997 E((6606 is a reflection of the time we live Ra ko huru d dekoru ely trebomu E((6607 emusohe, vdegar yd, srro reny er in. There is nothing wrong with gryk kendy, alyv zvyde dezu, E((6608 kvyndal fer tekynu sely. Degto yl watching Shakespeare or Stoppard rre entvester kyleg gh: orka epyl THE y bodur depty-depe emete. Grojto E((6609 or any of the other wonderful afxedob yd, kyzem ner osonfterte ylem kho dent dedet denym gynfer works on the shelf, but as with any bro enomuz fechtal agni laj kys dejyj rokuroch bazuk suhelen. art, new is always interesting and Gakvom ch ch lopve rekto elkvestrete. Dyhap zuj bak challenging—and isn’t that what dygalex ibem nyderix tovah gyp. Ykte juh geboj. Fyx dep butrop art is about. It is a current reflection gh— MEMORANDUM of who we are and what we are BALLAS: Well, what of it! The situation was E((6610entirely different at that time. Then it had a doing at a specific time and place. profound significance! But we've progressed since then, and that's why I propose the If we don’t support art (in any following simplifications in the procedure of translating all Ptydepe texts. These will come form) we will be less of ourselves in

into effect at once. byFirst: VHelena isá permittedclav to issue the personal Havel E((6611 the long run. We need art and we

registration documents without knowing the contents of the memos. E((6612 believe that art needs donors of all Second: Alex is permitted to authorize all translations without the personal registration types and sizes to make our culture documents. the interjection 'boo' is used in Third: Otto is permitted to thetranslate daily routinewithout ofan an office, a reflect who and why we are. It is a authorization from Alex. Is company,that quite a largeclear? organization whenSEP 10– The fact that we can afford onethese employee measures wants is to sham-ambush very satisfying use of your treasure. One more eloquent proof of theanother. rightness In those of our cases where the path! (Hands his letter to STROLL.)endangennent And of an employee who isOCT 10 It is a legacy gift that will live now-translate this for me! in full view and quite unprepared 1620 12TH AVE, SEATTLE WWW.STRAWSHOP.ORGfor the impending peril800-838-3006 is being THU-FRI-SAT 7:30PM beyond your lifetime. shammed by an employee who is himself bidden, 'boo' is rendered —Charles Staadecker by 'gedynrelom'. The word 'osonfterte' is used in substantially the same situation when, however, the imperilled employee is aware of the danger. 'Eg gynd y ttojadus' is used when an employee Kimberly King and R. Hamilton Wright LODG E E in Becky’s New Car. H S

T

O N N O VA S H

© CHRIS BENNION

6 ACT – A Contemporary Theatre Suzanne Bouchard and Michael Winters in Becky’s New Car.

© CHRIS BENNION

Though the commissioners will be We all agreed, and then Bloomsday was a great feeling to know that something seeing the final product for the first written after the Dietz family took a we were part of at the beginning has time with the rest of the audience, they vacation to Ireland.” come to fruition and that we will soon are excited for the newest iteration Kathy Tune remembers, “When I be able to see and share it with other of the play. “[Steven] changes plays read the first short description about Seattle theatergoers.” up until they are published, and even the play I thought, ‘Oh, no! I detest ACT extends a huge thank you to after!” exclaim the Tunes. They “can ’s !’ However, that this commissioning team for coming hardly wait to see how Bloomsday has is not really what the play is about.” together and supporting the creation ‘grown up.’” Seeing the workshop changed her of this lovely, moving play. The theatre For the Staadeckers, the major feeling about the play: “the workshop has welcomed new plays by Dietz for changes to the script were the biggest of Bloomsday had many audience many years, and we’re always glad when surprise. Charles recalls how “it members in tears, thinking about his work makes its debut on our stages. originally started out as a completely missed opportunities, different life With the help of our generous donors different play, and Steven explained to choices, and the choices that one’s and the hard work of skilled playwrights, all of us that he felt he had a better/ older self would make that might differ ACT looks forward to another 50 different play within him and asked if from the choices made when younger.” years of community involvement, it would be okay to write the new one. And Laurie Besteman says, “it is such collaboration, and new work.

encoreartsseattle.com 7 An Interview with Playwright STEVEN DIETZ BY NICKY DAVIS, ACT LITERARY INTERN

“...what would it be like to live here, to live this way?”

© CHRIS BENNION

How did you get started as a “grad school.” I had dabbled in playwriting Second: No one has ever had an idea for playwright? prior to this, though I never studied a play. Never once. What they’ve (I’ve) had I was working as a freelance director of it, but working on these other writers’ is an idea for a moment, a move, a turn, a new plays in Minneapolis in the early plays showed me that playwriting is not scene, a relationship, a title, a monologue, 1980s—doing lots of new work at the a mystery: it is a hands-on enterprise. etc. Be grateful that you have something to Playwrights Center and at other theatres Eventually, I took a stab at plays of my own. trigger your play, but be patient when that around the country, including the Humana I’ve been very fortunate to have been able thing (your “great idea!”) does not give you Festival in Louisville. Working on all to write plays now for 30+ years—but to a whole play. That is not the job of an idea. these new plays—with a great variety of this day I still think of myself as a director An idea is meant to trigger the real work: amazing playwrights—was, I suppose my who writes plays. to apply the machinery of craft to the music of inspiration. You teach playwriting Third: Revise, refine, invite scrutiny, Suzanne Bouchard, at University of Texas apply rigor. Be the last one done with John Procaccino, and Austin. What do you Emily Cedergreen in your play. The only way to kill a play is to Fiction. think are the most coddle it. important elements for writing a good play? What is your process for writing? Oh, so many things but I’ll Does it change from play to play? pick three. I would swear it’s different every time First: Define for yourself but I bet if I could look at it from the what a “good” play is, rather outside I would say, “gee, I do the same than accepting anyone else’s damn thing over and over.” Thoughts and definition. What is the theatre notes and sentences and titles accrue in you want to see, be impacted my little beat-up blue notebook. And at by? That is the theatre you likely want to make. CONTINUED ON PAGE 26 © CHRIS BENNION 8 ACT – A Contemporary Theatre Kurt Beattie Carlo Scandiuzzi Artistic Director Executive Director ACT – A Contemporary Theatre presents

By Steven Dietz Directed by Kurt Beattie

Beginning September 11, 2015 • Opening Night September 17, 2015

CAST Sydney Andrews Caithleen Eric Ankrim Robbie Peter Crook Robert Marianne Owen Cait

CREATIVE TEAM Kurt Beattie Director Robert Dahlstrom Scenic Designer Catherine Hunt Costume Designer Duane Schuler Lighting Designer Chris Walker Sound Designer JR Welden Stage Manager Ruth Eitemiller Production Assistant Alyssa Keene Dialect Coach Geoffrey Alm Fight Coach Marcella Barbeau Assistant Lighting Designer

Time: The Present & 35 years earlier. Dublin, Ireland Running Time: This performance runs approximately one hour and 45 minutes. There will be one intermission. The Actors and Stage Managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. The video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means whatsoever are strictly prohibited.

Bloomsday was commissioned by A Contemporary Theatre as part of the New Works for the American Stage by Laurie Besteman and Jack Lauderbaugh, Paul and Paula Butzi, Jim and Jane Lyons, Charlie and Benita Staadecker, and Jim and Kathy Tune; and developed in part at the Icicle Creek New Play Festival.

THEATRE AND SEASON SPONSORS:

A Contemporary Theatre Foundation

The Norcliffe

Foundation Theatre Development Fund

Katharyn Alvord Gerlich, Eulalie M. & Gian-Carlo Scandiuzzi, Nancy Alvord, Linda Brown & Larry True

Audience members are cordially reminded to silence all electronic devices. All forms of photography and the use of recording devices are strictly prohibited. Please do not walk on the stage before, during, or after the show. Patrons wearing Google Glass must power down the device if wearing them in the theatre.

encoreartsprograms.com 9 WELCOME to ACT

Kurt Beattie

Ever eating, never cloying, All-devouring, all destroying, Never finding full repast, Till I eat the world at last. —JONATHAN SWIFT

The fact of time inhabits everything. “Nothing can amoebas. Leaving aside the head-spinning ramifications outrun it,” as Big Momma says in Cat on a Hot Tin of quantum theory, backward causal research, and Roof. Psychologists tell us that young children begin their attendant paradoxes—most of which this writer understanding time in terms of repeatable events, like understands imperfectly or not at all—science tells bed- or mealtime; but as we grow older we become more us that there is only one direction for the universe to and more conscious of its abstract and absolute nature, go: forward. Cause must come before effect. There is its disquieting enigmas. As Atropos quietly readies her no going back, no possible device such as H. G. Wells’ shears, the stunned how did it go by so fast seems to time machine that would allow us to change the future. crop up more and more in familiar conversation. And it Although we can imagine eternity, our mortality is seems that, with this feeling, a duality constantly makes inevitable. If we were able to live as long as the universe, itself known, crying out I am still I, and at this end of according to theory, we would still wear out when our the journey, there is still a part of my young self that entropic version of the universe does. continues to live in me, despite that old face in the mirror. In ACT’s 50th year, for those of us who have Philosophers like John Searle point to this as evidence of been around long enough to experience this theatre mind, of consciousness, the irrevocable sense that you throughout its lifetime, reflection is inescapable. For are yourself, more than, and apart from, your physical yours truly, ACT has been a part of my life for 47 years. self, a state of awareness that they claim might never be I was a student at the University of Washington when replicable by machines. I saw Waiting for Godot in 1968 at ACT, a production The reality of time seems to be twofold for human I still remember parts of vividly today. The nostalgia is beings: psychological time, which is amorphous, linked unavoidable, not only because the theatre gave me an to the emotions, and can run faster or slower for each overwhelming first encounter with a great play, but for individual depending on the circumstances; and physical the fact that many more of them kept happening to me time, consistently measurable by an infinitely extendable within the walls of this institution, both at Queen Anne ruler that is universally applicable to the lifetime of and in its present location. And one of those enduring stars, radiation, mountain ranges, Kim Kardashian, and encounters—one of those exceptionally nurturing

10 ACT – A Contemporary Theatre strands of artistic continuity ACT has provided me—is have an obvious historical unity, but also a subjective one the work of Steven Dietz. buried in the pathos of the underlying work and ruins, Dietz is one of America’s most distinguished the evidence of people like you and me hoping and trying playwrights. His first professionally produced play, for their personal salvation in eternity, or in the making More Fun Than Bowling, debuted at the Actors Theatre of art. As for the latter, this can be made even more real of St. Paul in 1986. Since then, he’s had 35 full-length for you if you walk around ACT and look closely. You can premieres at theatres all over the U.S. and abroad, find a box of ashes of an actor who worked here often, averaging more than one per year. Only two living Jim Monitor, who wished them to rest here. And there playwrights of note who write in English can be thought are plaques around the building with the names of other of as equally or more prolific, and are produced as often actors and artisans who enriched the place with their professionally: Alan Ayckbourn and Neil Simon. ACT expertise and performances, like Carolyn Keim, Robert has had the good fortune to have been a steady partner Nadir, Clayton Corzatte, and Mark Chamberlin. in this journey, with some of Dietz’ most often seen Given Dietz’ long history with the company, and plays premiering at ACT: God’s Country, Becky’s New my own history with his work, it’s sweetly appropriate Car, and The Nina Variations, to name a few. His plays to me that Bloomsday should appear in our 50th have had hundreds of professional productions, and well anniversary season. The moment for both reflection over a thousand amateur ones. and being exactly in the here-and-now is at the heart Bloomsday references June 16, 1904, the day in of Bloomsday. The ancient Greeks had two words for Joyce’s novel Ulysses when the central characters, time: kairos and kronos. Kairos means a moment, the Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus, peregrinate fleeting second, if you will. Kronos means all time, or a through Dublin and briefly encounter one another. The large expanse of time framed as a whole, an epoch. The geography of Dublin is factually rendered: Joyce had one is always imminent in the other, just as it is in Joyce’s friends walk and time the routes of his characters in his evocation of all human history in each little moment of effort to structure a backbone of durable reality into the one common day in dirty old 1904 Dublin. Likewise, in book. Some of the establishments visited still exist, and a bit of time back in 1965, Greg and Jean Falls made a are stops on Joyce tours in Dublin today. And this sort of decision out of their love of the theatre to create ACT. tour, as you will see, is the basic event of Dietz’ play. The And that has made a little epoch, and influenced time basic event, that is. to move in the direction of that love. And it became If we cannot, according to physics, go back in time, a fertile birthing chamber of many other little bits of we habitually do so imaginatively. And the fact that time in which the same love of the theatre generated our past influences us continually, moving back and more little epochs made of that love. This is the epochal forth between our conscious and unconscious selves, explanation and actual limited moment of Bloomsday as is weirdly synchronous with the theme of Dietz’ play, it is about to be performed for you, all wrapped into one. its relationship to Joyce’s Ulysses, and ACT’s 50-year And at its center, something enduring, for those of us moment. And, I should add, personally, with my as long as we or the town or the world can remember it, retirement as artistic director. They all lie on top of one something like love or passion, moving ACT in the only other, these events in their linked journey, like a church direction it can, forward. I know in Rome, whose present aspect, a mash-up of Norman austerity and 18th-century meddling, stands on top of a fourth-century Christian basilica, which in turn is on top of an even older Mithraic temple, which was possibly built on an even earlier sacred site. They Kurt Beattie, Artistic Director

encoreartsprograms.com 11 COMING SOON TO ACT You know that one episode of The Simpsons…

By Anne Washburn Directed by John Langs

Oct 16–Nov 15 Illustration by Barry Blankenship by Illustration

Sound Exploring the Work of Sep 9–Oct 4 Quiara Alegría Hudes Sound by Don Nguyen navigates the waters off of Oct 3, Nov 11 Martha’s Vineyard and the impassioned dispute Enjoy two readings in Spanish from Pulitzer between a fiercely protective Deaf father and his Prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes. hearing ex-wife over the use of cochlear implants to October features Water by the Spoonful, followed by restore their daughter’s hearing. Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue in November. Photo by Paul Lippert Paul by Photo

Endangered Species Project The Construction Zone Sep 14, Oct 12 Oct 6 Explore the great plays you seldom see. This fall Caution–plays under construction! Join ACT and Live features Sidney Kingsley’s Dead End in September, Girls! Theater for their fourth reading in 2015 of followed by J.M. Barrie’s Dear Brutus in October. exciting new work before one of the selections for the series comes to the stage in the 2016 ACTLab season.

The Great Soul of Russia A Glimmer of Hope, or Skin, Sep 30, Oct 21 or Light The Seagull Project explores how various Russian Oct 30–Nov 14 artistic roads begin and end with Chekhov. September A dance-theatre-cabaret-glam-rock musical full features a reading of Chekhov’s The Wood Demon, of uncommon encounters, raucous spectacle, and followed by “The Seventh Siege” in October. virtuosic dancing, choreographed and directed by KT Niehoff. Photo by Kevin Kauer acttheatre.org | 206.292.7676 | 700 Union Street, Seattle

12 ACT – A Contemporary Theatre “For me it will always be the first city in the world.” —James Joyce on Dublin

About Ulysses hen Ulysses was deemed too obscene for publication in the U.S., American bookseller and expatriot Sylvia BeachW made the decision to publish the novel herself. “What a dark age we are living in,” she wrote scathingly to a friend, “and what a privilege to behold the spectacle of ignorant men solemnly deciding whether the work of some great writer is suitable for the public to read or not!” She borrowed the money to keep her store afloat in Paris while financing the At Sandymount Strand, scene of “Nausicaa” (episode 13) of Ulysses printing of Ulysses, and brought it out in a limited edition of 1,000 copies in February 1922. A British edition, printed from Beach’s French plates, came out in October of that year through another small independent publisher, Egoist Press. The book continued to be prohibited in the United States, although pirated copies from abroad were much sought after. America would not have an official edition until 1934, after a landmark court case brought by Random House in which it was declared publishable under the right to freedom of speech. LEFT: 7 Eccles Street, scene of “Calypso” “I hold that Ulysses is a (episode 4), and scene of “Ithaca” sincere and honest book,” (episode 15) of Ulysses ABOVE: Davy Byrne’s Pub, 21 Duke Street Dublin, U.S. District Court Judge scene of “Lestrygonians” (episode 8) of Ulysses John M. Woolsey wrote in his favorable ruling on the book’s publication. “The words which are criticized “I was happier then. Or was that I? Or am I as dirty are old Saxon words James Joyce with Sylvia Beach known to almost all men now I? Can’t bring back time. Like holding in the doorway of her Parisian bookshop Shakespeare & and, I venture, to many water in your hand. Would you go back to Company, a gathering place women, and are such words then? Just beginning then. Would you?” between the wars for ex-pat writers including Hemingway, as would be naturally and —James Joyce, Ulysses Fitzgerald, , and habitually used, I believe, by Gertrude Stein. the types of folk whose life, physical and mental, Joyce is seeking to describe. In respect of the recurrent emergence of the theme of sex in the minds of his characters, it must always be remembered that his locale was Celtic and his season Spring … I am quite aware that owing to some of its scenes Ulysses is a rather strong draught to ask some sensitive, though normal, persons to take. But my considered opinion, after long reflection, is that whilst in many places the effect of Ulysses on the reader undoubtedly is somewhat emetic, nowhere does it tend to be an aphrodisiac. Ulysses may, therefore, be admitted into the United States.” Legend has it that Random House began typesetting Ulysses within ten minutes of hearing the judge’s ruling. A copy of Judge Woolsey’s opinion was included with every copy of Ulysses sold.

Barney Kiernan’s Pub on Little Britain Street, scene of “Cyclops” (episode 12) of Ulysses

encoreartsprograms.com 13 Sweny’s Chemist Shop

“After that long kiss I near lost my breath yes he said I was a flower of the mountain yes so we are flowers all a woman’s body yes that was one true thing he said in his life and the sun shines for you today yes that was why I liked him” —James Joyce, Ulysses

What is Bloomsday?

ames Joyce first began writing Ulysses in March of 1914, before putting it aside to finish his play . On June 16, 1915, Joyce wroteJ to his brother Stanislaus to say he had finished the first episode of Ulysses. After the book was published in 1922, Joyce’s friends began to mark June 16, the day on which the novel is set, as “Bloomsday”, named for the novel’s protagonist, Leopold Bloom. In 1924, Joyce was in the hospital after one of many operations on his eyes. His friends sent him a bunch of white and blue flowers (white and blue being the colors of the cover of Ulysses), but Joyce, unable to see the flowers with his eyes bandaged, dejectedly scrawled in his notebook, ‘Today 16 of June 1924 twenty years after. Will anybody remember this date?’ The first major celebration of Bloomsday came in 1929. In February of that year, Adrienne Monnier, partner of Sylvia Beach, the publisher of Ulysses, published the French translation Ulysse. Celebrating the first ever Bloomsday on Wednesday, June 16 1954— Anthony Cronin, John Ryan and Patrick Kavanagh at the Martello She then organized a Déjeuner Ulysse at the Hotel Leopold near Tower, at Sandy Cove in Dublin, scene of “Telemachus” (episode 1) of Versailles to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the first Ulysses, Dublin. NLI ref.: WIL pk 11(9) Bloomsday, though the event belatedly took place on June 29 and not June 16. by Joyceans around the world with readings, performances, Bloomsday was first celebrated in Ireland in 1954, on the 50th reenactments, and a number of other events. In Dublin, anniversary of the first Bloomsday. Writers Patrick Kavanagh and enthusiasts dress in Edwardian costume and gather during the day Flann O’Brien visited the Martello Tower at Sandycove, Davy at many of the locations where episodes of Ulysses take place. The Byrne’s pub, and 7 Eccles Street, reading aloud parts of Ulysses hosts Bloomsday Breakfasts and other events and drinking heavily as they went. Today, Bloomsday is celebrated in the run-up to June 16, as well as on the day.

Paraphrased from: http://jamesjoyce.ie/bloomsday/

14 ACT – A Contemporary Theatre Girl’s Song “Ulysses is a book which pours along for seven hundred and thirty-five pages, a By William Butler Yeats stream of time of seven hundred and thirty-five days which all consist in one single and senseless every day of Everyman, the completely irrelevant 16th day of June I went out alone 1904, in Dublin—a day on which, in all truth, nothing happens. The stream begins To sing a song or two, in the void and ends in the void. Is all of this perhaps one single, immensely long My fancy on a man, and excessively complicated Strindbergian pronouncement upon the essence of And you know who. human life, and one which, to the reader’s dismay, is never finished? Perhaps it does touch upon the essence of life; but quite certainly it touches upon life’s ten thousand Another came in sight surfaces and their hundred thousand color gradations. As far as my glance reaches, That on a stick relied there are in those seven hundred and thirty-five pages no obvious repetitions and not To hold himself upright; a single hallowed island where the long-suffering reader may come to rest. There is I sat and cried. not a single place where he can seat himself, drunk with memories, and from which he can happily consider the stretch of the road he has covered, be it one hundred And that was all my song - pages or even less … But no! The pitiless and uninterrupted stream rolls by, and its When everything is told, velocity or precipitation grows in the last forty pages till it sweeps away even the Saw I an old man young marks of punctuation. It thus gives cruelest expressions to that emptiness which is Or young man old? both breathtaking and stifling, which is under such tension, or is so filled to bursting, as to grow unbearable.” —Carl Jung vvv “There are men in Dublin who will tell you that out of Ireland a great voice has gone; and there are a few women, lost to youth, who will add: “One night he was singing and the next he wasn’t, and there’s been no silence the like of it!” For the singing voice of James Joyce … is said to have been second to none. The thought that Joyce was once a singer may not come as a revelation to the casual reader of his books. One must perhaps have spent one of those strangely aloof evenings with him, or have read passages of his Ulysses as it appeared in The Little Review, to have realized the singing James Joyce quality of his words. For tradition has it that a singer must have a touch of bravado, a and in joyous putting-forth of first the right leg and then the left, and a sigh or two this side of 1904 the cloister; and Joyce has none of these. [But] I realized Joyce must indeed have begun life as a singer, and a very tender singer. And, because no voice can hold out over the brutalities of life without breaking, “And I ask you now he turned to quill and paper, for so he could arrange, in the necessary silence, the abundant inadequacies of life, as a laying-out of jewels—jewels with a will to decay … Tell me what would you do People say of him that he looks both sad and tired. He does look sad and he does If her hair was black and her look tired, but it is the sadness of a man who has procured some medieval permission eyes were blue?” to sorrow out of time and in no place; it is the weariness of one self-subjected to the —Steve Earle creation of an overabundance in the limited. If I were asked what seemed to be the most characteristic pose of James Joyce, I should say that of the head, turned farther away than disgust and not so far as death.” —Djuna Barnes vvv “[Joyce’s] universe of words was a torrent of puns, palindromes, parallels, parodies, and plagiarisms (with a good deal of Parnell stirred into the alliteration). Every now and then I will see a word as if for the first time, and suddenly appreciate that Evian is “naïve” spelled backward, or that Bosnia is an anagram of “bonsai.” Preparing some salad the other day, I murmured, “I knew Olive Oyl before she was an extra virgin.” Joyce could do this, at an infinitely higher standard of multiple entendre, drawing on several languages, for pages on end, so that—depending on your level of awareness, and your capacity to spot new allusions and analogies—you never reopen the same book of his, or even the same chapter, without realizing that you are holding a new text in your hands and haven’t really read it before. “ —Christopher Hitchens The Clifton School, Mr. Deasy’s School in Dalkey, scene of “Nestor” (episode 2) of Ulysses

encoreartsprograms.com 15 Who's Who in Bloomsday Sydney Andrews Heart (Strawberry Workshop Theatre), The Fiction, The Nina Variations, Handing Down (Caithleen) is so happy Walworth Farce (New Century Theatre the Names, Lonely Planet, Trust, Halcyon to be returning to Company), The Cider House Rules (Book-It Days, Happenstance, and God’s Country. ACT! Past productions Repertory Theatre), The Fever and The These plays, and others, have been seen at with ACT include Designated Mourner (New City Theater), over one hundred regional theatres in the Vanya and Sonia and Frozen (The Empty Space Theatre), Richard II United States, as well as Off-Broadway and in Masha and Spike (Seattle Shakespeare Company), Angels in twenty countries internationally. His work has (Nina) and A Christmas Carol (Ghost of America (Intiman Theatre), and The been translated into ten languages. Mr. Dietz Christmas Past). Recently, she played Sarah Notebooks of Leonardo at Seattle Repertory is a two-time winner of the Kennedy Center O’Rourke in Book-It Repertory Theatre’s Theatre, where he was a company member Fund for New American Plays Award, for production of Little Bee. Sydney is a proud for two seasons. He has been in over a dozen Fiction and Still Life with Iris; as well as a member of The Seagull Project and played shows with Seattle Children’s Theatre, two-time finalist for the American Theatre Irina in their production of The Three Sisters. including The Wizard of Oz and the premiere Critic’s Steinberg New Play Award, for Last of She has also worked with New Century of Steven Dietz’s Honus and Me. He has the Boys and Becky’s New Car. He received Theatre Company, Seattle Shakespeare worked at Hartford Stage, Huntington the PEN USA West Award in Drama for Company, Seattle Children’s Theatre, and Theatre, The Public Theatre, Williamstown, Lonely Planet; the Edgar Award for Best Annex Theatre. Outside of Seattle, she has Sundance, The Old Globe, Geffin Playhouse, Mystery Play for Sherlock Holmes: The Final worked at the Heartland Actors’ Repertory, Waseda Sho-gekijo, and Ilkhom Theatre. On Adventure; and the Edgerton New Play NY International Fringe Festival, ZACH Scott Broadway and on tour he played Mozart in Award for his recent dark comedy, Rancho Theatre, Austin Shakespeare, The Berkshire Amadeus. Television and film credits include Mirage. Other widely produced plays and Theatre Festival, and The Children’s Theatre Max Headroom, Designing Women, Chaplin, adaptations include Shooting Star, Jackie & of Charlotte. Sydney holds an M.F.A. from and Snow Falling on Cedars. He is a graduate Me, Honus & Me, Go Dog Go! (co-written the University of Texas at Austin. of PCPA and The Juilliard School. with Allison Gregory), Dracula, Private Eyes, Inventing Van Gogh, Rocket Man, Paragon Eric Ankrim, born and Marianne Owen Springs, Force of Nature, and The raised in Tacoma, WA, (Cait) last appeared at Rememberer. His new thriller, On Clover has worked in many ACT in Cat on a Hot Road, recently premiered at the capacities throughout Tin Roof, Vanya and Contemporary American Theatre Festival and the Seattle theatre Sonia and Masha and will receive numerous productions across the community, as well as Spike, Middletown, U.S. as a National New Play Network “rolling in Los Angeles, Assisted Living, One world premiere.” His new intimate drama, regional theatres, and on Broadway. Acting Slight Hitch, and many more shows over the The Shimmering, was recently given readings credits include: First Date on Broadway and past 29 years in Seattle. She was most at Contemporary American Theatre Festival Seattle’s Carousel, Oklahoma!, RENT, Into the recently seen in Grease at The 5th Avenue and Seattle Repertory Theatre. Mr. Dietz and Woods, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Miss Theatre and has worked at Seattle Repertory his family (playwright Allison Gregory, Saigon (The 5th Avenue Theatre); The Time Theatre, Book-It Repertory Theatre, Seattle teenagers Ruby and Abraham) divide their of Your Life, Rejoice! (Seattle Repertory Shakespeare Company, Seattle Children’s time between Seattle and Austin, where he Theatre); Annie, The Secret Garden, Girl of Theatre, Empty Space, Village Theatre, teaches playwriting and directing at the My Dreams, The Gypsy King (Village Theatre); Intiman Theatre, and Strawberry Theatre University of Texas. Thanks to David Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Workshop. A founding member of the Goldstein and Jeff Steitzer who first brought Paris, First Date, A Christmas Carol (ACT); American Repertory Theatre Company, she me to ACT in 1988. This production is for and Peter Pan (Seattle Children’s Theatre). For has also worked at N.Y. Public Theatre, Carolyn, Scott, Mark, Bob, Jim, Phil, and Michele. Arizona Theatre Company, La Jolla Playhouse, Greg. You changed my life. Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Playwrights’ Peter Crook (Robert) Horizons, Guthrie Theatre, Goodman Robert Dahlstrom (Scenic Designer) has is grateful to return to Theatre, George St. Playhouse, and toured designed scenery, lighting, and costumes the role of Robert from nationally in The Real Thing (directed by Mike for many companies including, locally: the Icicle Creek New Nichols). She earned an M.F.A. from the Yale ACT, Intiman Theatre, Seattle Repertory Play Festival last year. School of Drama and is also a weaver and Theatre, Seattle Opera, and Village Theatre. He was Ebenezer fiber artist. Theatres elsewhere include: Alliance Scrooge in A Christmas Theatre, American Conservatory Theater, Carol at ACT the past two years. Peter has Steven Dietz is American Repertory Theatre, and Den also performed here in Mary Stuart, Rock ‘n honored to be part of Nationale Scene of Bergen International Roll, Stuff Happens, A Number, Fuddy Meers, ACT’s 50th Anniversary Theatre Center of Moscow. Opera elsewhere and in The Seagull Project’s The Three Sisters Season. Bloomsday is includes Grand Théâtre de Genève, Royal and The Seagull. He was recently Herr the 11th play of his Opera Copenhagen, Opéra Décentralisé Schultz in Cabaret (Village Theatre) and that ACT has de Neuchâtel, Washington Opera at the Polonius in Hamlet (New City Theatre). Other premiered/produced— Kennedy Center, San Francisco Opera, favorite Seattle credits include: The Normal following Yankee Tavern, Becky’s New Car,

16 ACT – A Contemporary Theatre Cincinnati Opera, and the opera companies Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Carlo Scandiuzzi of Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Houston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington (Executive Director) is Montreal. Dahlstrom enjoyed a long D.C., and New York. Internationally, he a founder of Agate association with the M.F.A. Design Program has designed in Taiwan, Singapore, and Films and Clear at University of Washington’s School of Moscow. Commercially, he has composed Pictures, producing Drama, 1971–2010. for Intel and Starbucks. He holds a B.A. such films as in Classical Piano Performance from Prototype, Dark Drive, Catherine Hunt (Costume Designer) is Cornish College. Outpatient, and The Flats, and Indieflix, a delighted to be back at ACT. Previous ACT distribution company. In 1979, Scandiuzzi productions include Bethany; Grey Gardens; JR Welden (Stage Manager) has stage started Modern Productions, bringing to The Pitmen Painters; In The Next Room, or managed Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Seattle such legendary bands as The Police, the vibrator play; Vanities; The Lieutenant of Invisible Hand, Uncle Ho to Uncle Sam, Devo, Nina Hagen, Iggy Pop, The Ramones, Inishmore; and Becky’s New Car. Catherine’s Mary Stuart, One Slight Hitch, Eurydice, John Cale, Robert Fripp, James Brown, work has been seen at Seattle Repertory The Underpants, and A Christmas Carol Muddy Waters, and many more. He Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle at ACT. He stage managed 10 seasons at performed in several plays at The Empty Opera, Intiman Theatre, and Village Theatre. Intiman Theatre, working on productions Space including Aunt Dan and Lemon, The Catherine is a Gregory Award winner, and including The Grapes of Wrath, Nickel Return of Pinocchio, and Dracula. In the also won a Los Angeles Theatre Drama Logue and Dimed, and The Mandrake Root, early ‘80s, he collaborated with many Seattle Award and a San Diego Theatre Critics Award with Lynn Redgrave. At Seattle Repertory performance artists such as Norman Durkee, for her production of The Women with Anne Theatre, his credits include Blue Door, The Alan Lande, and Jesse Bernstein. He also Bogart. She designed for the computer game Chosen, and Pygmalion. acted in various films including Bugsy, The Riven, is a NEA/TCG design fellow, and a Public Eye, Another You, Casanova’s Kiss, guest lecturer at both Cornish College of the Kurt Beattie and Killing Zoe. He graduated from the Ecole (Director/Artistic Arts and the University of Washington. Superieure D’Art Dramatique of Geneva. Director) has been Carlo currently serves as a member of the (Lighting Designer) work creating theatre for Duane Schuler Seattle Arts Commission. encompasses opera, ballet, and theatre. Puget Sound Opera productions include Turandot (La audiences for over 40 ACT operates under agreements with Scala), La Traviata (Metropolitan Opera), years as an actor, the following: Norma (Seattle Opera), La Fanciulla del playwright, and director. His productions at West (Opéra Paris), Elektra (Salzburg ACT include Vanya and Sonia and Masha Festival), and Fidelio (Covent Garden). and Spike; Grey Gardens; Ramayana (with Theatre credits include House and Garden, Sheila Daniels); The Pitmen Painters; Double A Picasso (Manhattan Theatre Club), The Indemnity; In the Next Room, or the vibrator Royal Family (Ahmanson Theatre), and The play; The Lieutenant of Inishmore; Rock ‘n’

Importance of Being Earnest (Broadway). Roll; Becky’s New Car; Intimate Exchanges; This theatre operates under an agreement between Ballet credits include Swan Lake, The Snow First Class; The Pillowman; Mitzi’s Abortion; the League of Resident Theatres and Actors’ Equity Maiden (American Ballet Theatre), The The Underpants; Bach at Leipzig; Vincent in Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Sleeping Beauty (Stuttgart Ballet), and Giselle Brixton; Black Coffee; Alki; Moon for the Stage Managers in the United States (Deutsche Ballet). Upcoming productions Misbegotten; Fuddy Meers; Fully Committed; include Beatrice et Benedict (Glyndebourne), Via Dolorosa; and the holiday classic, A and Cendrillon (Metropolitan Opera). Mr. Christmas Carol. Elsewhere he has directed Schuler is also a founding partner of Schuler at Seattle Repertory Theatre, Empty Space Shook, the theatre planning and architectural Theatre, Intiman Theatre, Seattle Children’s lighting design firm whose projects include Theatre, University of Washington, San Jose Seattle’s Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, Lyric Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Opera of Chicago, and the David H. Koch Theater, The Alley Theatre in Houston, and Theater in New York. Ojai Playwrights Festival. As an actor, he has appeared in leading and major roles at ACT Chris Walker (Sound Designer) is very (most recently as Ebenezer Scrooge in A pleased to be returning to ACT this season. Christmas Carol), Seattle Repertory Theatre, In Seattle he has worked at The 5th Avenue 5th Avenue Theatre, Intiman Theatre, Empty Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, and Space Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Intiman Theatre. He has also been the Company, as well as many regional theatres resident sound designer at Seattle Children’s throughout the country. Beattie is a recipient Theatre since 2002. Previously he spent of the Theatre Puget Sound Gregory A. Falls seven years as resident sound designer for Sustained Achievement Award, and the the American Repertory Theatre in Boston. Outstanding Achievement in the Arts Award He has designed at regional theatres in San from ArtsFund.

encoreartsprograms.com 17 PATRON INFORMATION Special Fund Donors ACT Endowment Donors Emergency Evacuation Procedures In the event of an emergency, please wait for ACT’s endowment is administered by the A Contemporary Theatre Foundation. an announcement for further instructions. Buster & Nancy Alvord • Joan & Larry Barokas • Michael Corliss-Investco • Katharyn Alvord Gerlich • Ushers will be available for assistance. Becky & Jack Benaroya • Charles Blumenfeld & Karla Axell • Ron & Jan Delismon • The Ewert Family • Bruce & Dawn Goto • William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fund for Education & Outreach Programs • Emergency Number The theatre’s emergency number in the Union Kreielsheimer Remainder Fund • Doug & Nancy Norberg • Sally Pence • Katherine & Douglass Raff • lobby is 206.292.7667. Leave your exact seat Brooks & Suzanne Ragen • Herman & Faye Sarkowsky • David E. & Catherine E. Skinner • location with your emergency contact in case Kayla Skinner • Estate of Stuart Smailes • John & Rose Southall • David & Joyce Veterane • they need to reach you. The Peg & Rick Young Foundation • Anonymous Smoking Policy Smoking is NOT allowed in any part of the theatre or within 25 feet of the entrance. The ACT Legacy Society Firearms Policy No firearms of any kind are allowed in any part The ACT Legacy Society honors ACT patrons who continue to support and of the theatre. ensure the ongoing tradition of presenting the best contemporary theatre for future generations through estate planning, wills, and living trusts. Investments Food of all sizes can make significant future gifts by using tax-advantaged estate and Food is not allowed in the theatre. Tuxedos & financial planning options. Specific areas where ACT can benefit from your legacy Tennis Shoes is the exclusive caterer of ACT. are scholarships, endowments, capital projects, or operating costs. Questions or Accessibility arrangements can be discussed with our Development Department at 206.292.7660 x1330. Wheelchair seating is available. The theatre is equipped with the Williams Sound® Listening ACT Legacy Society Members System for the hard of hearing; headsets are Nancy Alvord • Laurie Besteman • Jean Burch Falls • Linda & Brad Fowler • Tal & Carol Godding • available from the house manager for use, Suzanne Howard • H. David Kaplan • Carolyn Keim & Connie Rinchiuso • David Mattson • free of charge, with a valid ID and subject Mike McCaw & Janet Westin • Catherine & Barry McConnell • Dr. Arnie & Judy Ness • Lisbeth Pisk • to availability. ACT offers American Sign Language interpreted and audio-described Brooks & Suzanne Ragen • Teresa Revelle • Chuck Sitkin • GregRobin Smith • John & Rose Southall • performances. For more information, email Judith Warshal & Wade Sowers • Dorothy E. Wendler [email protected].

Lost & Found Call 206.292.7676 between 12:00pm and 6:00pm, Tues–Sun. Special Thanks ACT gratefully acknowledges the following professionals and organizations who have helped Address & Website make this season a success: ACT is located at 700 Union Street, Seattle, WA 98101. Keith Johnson, Daqopa Brands LLC • Seattle Children’s Theatre • Ticket Office Phone: 206.292.7676. AJ Epstein • Seattle Repertory Theatre • UW Drama • Administrative Office Phone: 206.292.7660. Seattle Eye Care & Optical, Grady Hughes, MD • Elinor Gunn Fax: 206.292.7670. Website: www.acttheatre.org.

Theatre Rental For information regarding booking, contact [email protected]. Group Sales Join us for Dinner! Groups of 10 or more can save. Supporting Partners join ACT’s Call 206.292.7676 or email [email protected]. Executive and Artistic staff and other guests for celebratory dinners on Fragrance Please be considerate and keep personal Opening Night of our Mainstage fragrance to a minimum. productions. This special benefit is one of the many ways we bring our friends closer to the art they love. In addition to Opening Night dinners, members giving $500 or more are invited to Tech Talks where they hear stories from behind the scenes and witness actors, technicians, and the director work through the first technical rehearsal for an upcoming show.

For information on these or other benefits of our Partner Program, please call Clare Hausmann Weiand at 206.292.7660 x1002.

18 ACT – A Contemporary Theatre SAVE THE DATE OCTOBER 9, 2015 GoldenACT CELEBRATION

It’s 2015. ACT is 50 years old. It’s time to Celebrate!

Join ACT for a special night when we recognize Kurt Beattie’s 12th and final year as Artistic Director and celebrate 50 years in Seattle!

For more information contact [email protected] or call 206.292.7660 x1330.

encoreartsprograms.com 19 ACT Corporate, Foundation & Government Sponsors ACT gratefully recognizes the following corporations, foundations, and government agencies for their generous support of our 2015 programs. Without such tremendous community support, ACT would not be able to offer outstanding contemporary theatre, in-school educational programming, or community-based outreach.

THEATRE SPONSORS STAGE SPONSORS Morrison Hershfield Corporation $100,000+ $5,000–$9,999 Northwest Asian Weekly ArtsFund AHS Foundation Seattle P-I Office of Arts & Culture Bob & Eileen Gilman Family Foundation UBS Financial Services Charlie’s Produce Wyman Youth Trust SEASON SPONSORS Encore Media Group $50,000–$99,999 Gordon Biersch Brewing Co† MEDIA PARTNERS 4Culture † Horizons Foundation City Arts Magazine Boeing Management Association † RealNetworks Foundation Classical KING FM Shubert Foundation Inc. † Seattle Foundation KCTS9 † Tateuchi Foundation KEXP SHOW SPONSORS KUOW† $25,000–$49,999 U.S. Bank Foundation The Seattle Times† John Graham Foundation WA State Arts Commission The Stranger† National Endowment For Arts SUSTAINING SPONSORS Nesholm Family Foundation $1,000–$4,999 † Support provided through in-kind contributions. EVENING SPONSORS Alaskan Copper & Brass Company $10,000–$24,999 BNSF Railway Foundation Daqopa Brands Break-Away Tours Elizabeth George Foundation Butler Transportation LLC Harvest Foundation Coffman Engineers Inc. Microsoft Corporation DCI Engineers Peg & Rick Young Foundation Dramatists Guild Fund, Inc. Theatre Development Fund Jewish Transcript Media Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes† KUOW 94.9 Lewis/Bill

ACT gratefully acknowledges the following for their contributions to this production and season:

THE JOHN GRAHAM FOUNDATION

20 ACT – A Contemporary Theatre ACT for the Future Campaign Many thanks to the individuals and organizations helping ACT to invest in artistic vision, maximize our facility’s potential, deepen and broaden community connection, and assure sustainability.

$100,000+ Gary & Parul Houlahan $5,000-$9,999 Linda & Brad Fowler Joshua Green Foundation Laurie Besteman & Jack Lauderbaugh The Norcliffe Foundation Katherine & Douglass Raff Colin & Jennifer Chapman Eric and Margaret Rothchild Don & Goldie Silverman Trevor Cobb & Cecilia Cayetano Mr. & Mrs. Clyde Wilson Heather & Grady Hughes $50,000-$99,999 Yoshi & Naomi Minegishi Allan & Anne Affleck $10,000-$24,999 Barry & Colleen Scovel Gladys Rubinstein Kermit & Danna Anderson Lisa Simonson Chuck Sitkin Joan & Larry Barokas Margaret Stanley Brian Turner & Susan Hoffman Dr. Eric Bennett Kären White David & Joyce Veterane Richard Hesik & Barbara Johns Wyman Youth Trust Bill Kuhn & Patricia Daniels $1,000-$4,999 Gregory & Diane Lind Bob & Kristi Diercks $25,000-$49,999 Jane W. & James A. Lyons Geraldine Hashisaki & Frank Tubridy 4Culture May McCarthy & Don Smith Ross Henry Peter & Fran Bigelow Dr. Arnie & Judy Ness Stephanie M. Hilbert Betty Bottler Ingrid Sarapuu & Michael Anderson Abha Khanna & Adam Porsch Allan & Nora Davis Dr. Greg Perkins Betsy & Charles Fitzgerald Teresa & Geoff Revelle Eulalie M. & Gian-Carlo Scandiuzzi Dr. Larry Hohm & Karen Shaw Robert & Shirley Stewart Susan Yates ACT for All Seasons Gala 2014 Donors Please join us Saturday, October 9th for the ACT Golden Celebration. Tickets are on sale now at www.acttheatre.org.

$10,000+ $1,000-$2,499 Barry & Colleen Scovel Eugene & Donna Mikov Kirsi Hall May McCarthy & Don Smith Jason Astorquia Dr. Larry Hohm & Karen Shaw Paul & Linda Niebanck Marja Hall Eulalie M. & Gian-Carlo Scandiuzzi Dr. Eric Bennett Don & Goldie Silverman Nicholas & Yvonne Roberts Wanda Herndon Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes Laurie Besteman & Jack Sheila Smith & Don Ferguson Seattle Executive Fitness Stephanie M. Hilbert Lauderbaugh John & Rose Southall Jen Steele & Jon Hoekstra Tula Holmes $5,000-$9,999 Dennis & Aline Caulley Margaret Stanley Robert & Shirley Stewart John Hynes Sheena Aebig & Eric Taylor Cave B Winery True Fabrications Franklin & Stephanie Thoen Inn at Cannon Beach Becky Benaroya Colin & Jennifer Chapman Joan Toggenburger Inn at Laurel Point Linda & Brad Fowler Dottie Delaney $500-$999 Linda Brown & Larry True Graciela Kawa Fran’s Chocolates Monica Alcabin Mike Dey Kate Purwin & Sergei Tschernisch Letter Press Distilling Richard Hesik & Barbara Johns Kurt Beattie & Marianne Owen Bob & Kristi Diercks Vijay & Sita Vashee Kevin Lynch Heather & Grady Hughes Ben Bridge Jeweler Foster Pepper & Shefelman Marianna Veress Smirnes Kyoko Matsumoto Wright Gregory & Diane Lind Bon Vivant Wine Tours Gordon Biersch Brewing Co. Shanna Waite Neiman Marcus Dr. Arnie & Judy Ness Crane Jewelers Nicholas Hart Rob & Becky Witmer Chris & BJ Ohlweiler Prop Gallery James M. Curtis III Rodney & Jill Hearne Pamela Reed & Sandy Smolan Teresa & Geoff Revelle Dacels Jewelers Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum $250-$499 Robert Rosner Herman & Faye Sarkowsky Timothy De Clue Alexandria Rossoff Jewels & Rare Inn at Langley Ivan Rouzanov E & J Gallo Winery Finds Bill Johnson Marybeth & Jerry Satterlee $2,500-$4,999 Anonymous Chase Anderson Maria Kolby-Wolfe & Michael Lisa Schaures Allan & Anne Affleck Shmuel El-Ad & Patricia Emmons Joan & Larry Barokas Wolfe School of Acrobatics & New Marcia Bartholme Burke Museum Bill Kuhn & Patricia Daniels Joselynn & Randy Engstrom Circus Arts Viktoriya Mya Berlyant Mr. R. B. Cairns La Spiga Osteria Frank Ferrante Susan Simons Beth & John Brennen Jack Candy Lee & Rocke Koreis Ferrari of Seattle Lisa Simonson Trevor Cobb & Cecilia Cayetano Patricia Dill Dan & Carol Madigan Mrigankka Fotedar Mathew Smucker Rhonda & Jim Greer El Gaucho Menashe & Sons Jewelers Fernando Garcia UW School of Drama Linda & George Ojemann Finn River Farm & Cidery Yoshi & Naomi Minegishi Ross Henry Washington Ensemble Theatre Marie Peters Jude Fisher The Nordhoff Family Stephen B. Hilbert Robin Weiss Ann Ramsay-Jenkins Betsy & Charles Fitzgerald Palmer Chiropractic Clinic Cynthia Huffman & Ray Heacox Martina Welke Sub Pop Records Jean Fleischfresser John Peeples Victor Janusz Woodland Park Zoo Cathy & Ron Thompson Ariel Glassman Dr. Greg Perkins Linda & Jason Lowry Law Offices of Karen Zimmer Brian Turner & Susan Hoffman Ingrid Sarapuu & Michael Anderson Erika Michael Bernadine & Sean Griffin Virginia Wyman Christian Gruye

encoreartsprograms.com 21 ACT Partners ACT is dedicated to producing relevant works on contemporary themes. This is made possible by generous contributions from people in our community. We would like to recognize and thank the many kind individuals who have partnered with ACT this year. You inspire us all. Thank you.

THEATRE SPONSOR $100,000+ EVENING SPONSOR Katharyn Alvord Gerlich $10,000–$24,999 Eulalie M. & Gian-Carlo Scandiuzzi* Joan & Larry Barokas* SEASON SPONSOR $50,000–$99,999 Allan & Nora Davis* Nancy Alvord James Degel & Jeanne Berwick, Berwick Degel Family Foundation Linda Brown & Larry True Jean Burch Falls Anonymous Betsy & Charles Fitzgerald* SHOW SPONSOR $25,000–$49,999 Linda & Brad Fowler* Marion B. Keen Yoshi & Naomi Minegishi* Ellen Hazzard Anonymous Linda & George Ojemann

ASSOCIATE SUSTAINING PARTNER D.W. & Shirley Logan Cleve & Judith Borth $5,000–$9,999 $1,000–$2,499 Laura Lundgren Margaret Bullitt Allan & Anne Affleck* John Akin & Mary Stevens Stephen & Ellen Lutz Tina Bullitt Laurie Besteman & Jack Lauderbaugh* Kermit & Danna Anderson* Meg & Jake Mahoney Susan Campbell Gary & Parul Houlahan* Marge & Dave Baylor Tony Martello Kathryn & Bill Carruthers Gregory & Diane Lind* Benjamin & Marianne Bourland Barbara Martyn Dennis & Aline Caulley McKibben Merner Family Foundation June & Alan Brockmeier Kyoko Matsumoto Wright Colin & Jennifer Chapman* Dr. Arnie & Judy Ness* Dr. William Calvin & Dr. Katherine Peter & Kelly Maunsell Martin Christoffel & Shirley Schultz Katherine & Douglass Raff* Graubard Joy McNichols Clark Family Charitable Fund Barry & Colleen Scovel* Corinne A. Campbell Lauren Mikov Trevor Cobb & Cecilia Cayetano* Don & Goldie Silverman* Donald Cavanaugh Dayle Moss & David Brown Ellen & Phil Collins Chuck Sitkin* Clement Family Foundation John Muhic Patricia & Theodore Collins David & Shirley Urdal Steven & Judith Clifford Bill & Mary Ann Mundy Kevin & Lisa Conner Jean Viereck Steve Coulter Nadine & John Murray Kathleen Sneden-Cook & Jack Cook Jean Walkinshaw Chris DeGracia James Nichols Jan & Bill Corriston Marcia & Klaus Zech Dennis & Deborah DeYoung Hal Opperman & JoLynn Edwards Joan Cremin Anonymous Lonnie Edelheit Valerie D. Payne Linda Crome Lori Eickelberg Pamela & Gilbert Powers Chris Curry FRIEND Joanne R. Euster Matthew & Linda Radecki Richard & Nancy Davis $2,500–$4,999 Jeannie M. Falls Richard Rafoth Kathy & Don DeCaprio Peter & Jane Barrett Anne Foster Ken Ragsdale Dottie Delaney Peter & Fran Bigelow* Eleanor & Jeff Freeman Cindy & Lance Richmond Patrick J. & Lanie Dineen D.T. & Karen Challinor Natalie Gendler David & Valerie Robinson Fund Darrel & Nancy Dochow Bob & Kristi Diercks* Genevra Gerhart Richard Andler & Carole Rush Rick Freedman Thomas P. & Christine M. Griesa Lawrence & Hylton Hard William & Rae Saltzstein Ann & Donald Frothingham James & Barbara Heavey Rodney & Jill Hearne Frank & Leslie Schipper Dot Fuller Richard Hesik & Barbara Johns* Arlene & Doug Hendrix M. Darrel & Barbara Sharrard Gary J. Fuller & Randy L. Everett Heather & Grady Hughes* Ross Henry* John Shaw Lucy Gaskill-Gaddis & Terry Gaddis Linda & Ted Johnson Margot & Paul Hightower Robert & Shirley Stewart* Boyd & Ann Givan Lisa & Norman Judah Stephanie M. Hilbert* Timothy Tomlinson Hellmut & Marcy Golde Karen Koon & Brad Edwards Vaughn Himes & Martie Ann Bohn Jim & Kathy Tune Kelly & Jeffrey Greene Bill Kuhn & Patricia Daniels* Nancy & Martha Hines Brian Turner & Susan Hoffman* Rhonda & Jim Greer Frances & Casey Mead Dale & Donna Holpainen Dirk & Mary Lou Van Woerden Peter Hartley & Sheila Noonan Eugene & Donna Mikov Joseph & Linda Iacolucci Tom & Connie Walsh Phyllis Hatfield Lee Ann & Randy Ottinger Katherine Ann Janeway & H.S. Wright III Nancy Weintraub Marjorie Kennedy Hemphill Brooks & Suzanne Ragen Judith Jesiolowski & David Thompson Mary & Donald Wieckowicz Jean Henderson Donald & Jo Anne Rosen Clare Kapitan & Keith Schreiber George & Colleen Willoughby Eric & Mary Horvitz Evelyne Rozner & Matt Griffin Abha Khanna & Adam Porsch* Kathy & Chic Wilson Cynthia Huffman & Ray Heacox Ingrid Sarapuu & Michael Anderson* Agastya & Marianna Kohli Ann P. Wyckoff Earl & Mary Lou Hunt Dr. Larry Hohm & Karen Shaw* Greg Kucera & Larry Yocom Anonymous (9) Peter & Winifred Hussey David & Catherine Skinner Craig Davis & Ellen Le Vita Dean M. Ishiki Ron & Carol Sperling Ed & Barbara Lee SUPPORTING PARTNER David B. Johnson Garth & Drella Stein Eileen Lennon $500–$999 Ms. Joan E. Mathews Julnes Mark & Arlene Tibergien Bill Lewis Chase Anderson Jerry Kenney Judith Warshal & Wade Sowers Charlotte Lin Jane & Brian Andrew Lura & David Kerschner Anonymous Jim Lobsenz & Elizabeth Choy Luann & Irv Bertram Steven & Patricia Kessler

22 ACT – A Contemporary Theatre David & Karen King Joyce & Christian Zobel Cynthia Haboush Lisa & John Stewart Dr. Edward & Mimi Kirsch Anonymous (3) Robyn & David Hagel Margaret Stoner & Robert Jacobsen George & Linda Lamb Don Fleming & Libby Hanna Derek Storm & Cynthia Gossett Max Langley CONTRIBUTING PARTNER Judy Wasserheit & Jeff & Ash Harris Sally Sullivan Paul & Linda Larson $250–$499 Nancy R. Harris Jeffrey A. Sutherland Rhoda & Thomas Lawrence Richard & Susan Hecht Margaret Taylor Rhett Alden & Marcia Engel Christopher Mathews & Robert Lehman Lloyd Herman & Richard Wilson Bill & Pat Taylor Bob Alexander & Kathleen Devon Loeb Family Foundation F. Randall & Barbara Hieronymus Hazel Thomas Bob & Sarah Alsdorf C. Gilbert Lynn Pat Highet Dennis M. Tiffany Connie Anderson & Tom Clement Alex & Lynn MacDonald Deborah Horne Kim & Ann Torp-Pedersen Sherri M. Anderson Janet McAlpin Cynthia & John Howe Sarah & Russell Tousley Basil & Gretchen Anex Frank Lawler & Ann McCurdy Jenefer Hutchins Pieter & Tjitske Van Der Meulen Bruce P. Babbitt Kathy McGoldrick Joel Ivey & Sheyrl Murdock Padmaja Vrudhula Mark Barbieri Samuel B. McKinney Wendy Jackson Mary & Findlay Wallace Dr. & Mrs. J.E. Bassingthwaighte Mary Metastasio Ann Janes-Waller & Fletch Waller Mike & Judy Waring Kathleen Bemis & Don Blair Mark & Susan Minerich Michael Dryfoos & Ilga Jansons Jim & Sharron Welch Neil & Bekki Bergeson Aaron Moore Christine Jew Leora Wheeler Ruth & Greg Berkman Ken Moore & Kali Sakai Ted & Kris Johnson Peggy & Dennis Willingham Dennis Birch & Evette Ludman Wesley Moore & Sandra Walker Paul Kassen Erin Wong Siggi Bjarnason Sallie & Lee Morris John & Nancy Jo Keegan Nancy Worsham Pirkko Borland Zack Mosner & Patty Friedman Omie Kerr Kairu Yao Wendy Bradbury Cynthia & Morris Muscatel Alexander Grigorovitch & Vera Kirichuk Diane & John Yokoyama Dr. James & Donna Brudvik Craig & Deanna Norsen Weldon Ihrig & Susan Knox Sylvia Young Anne Buchinski & Marc Coltrera David Nyberg Jim & Jean Kunz Anonymous (4) Carol & Jonathan Buchter John Oconnell & Joyce Latino Bob & Janet Lackman *Denotes ACT for the Future Michael & Lynne Bush Chris & BJ Ohlweiler Elizabeth Leber & Andrew Coveler Campaign Donor Rose Cano Donald Pogoloff David Longmuir John & Arlene Carpenter Judy G. Poll Mark P. Lutz Gifts in Tribute Mary Casey-Goldstein & Steve Megan & Greg Pursell Jeffrey & Barbara Mandula Happy Birthday to ACT, and In honor of Goldstein Charles & Doris Ray Arthur Mazzola Clayton & Susan Corzatte: Anonymous Daniel Ciske Cecilia Paul & Harry Reinert Catherine & Barry McConnell In memory of Victoria D. Anderson: John & Catherine Crowley Stephen Reynolds & Paula Rosput David Johansen & Patrice McDermott Kermit & Danna Anderson Barb & Phil Cutler Reynolds Carol McDonald In honor of Joan Barokas: Carol & Bruce Ruth Darden Bruce F. Robertson Sarah B. Meardon Backer; Frank & Jan Gonzalez; Susan Dan & Esther Darrow Marc Rosenshein & Judy Soferman Bob & Sue Mecklenburg & Jim Powell; Lynn & Anthony Wartnik Emily Davis Beverly Rowe John Mettler In honor of Kurt Beattie: Dawn Clay & Karen Dawson Barbara Sando Michael & Sarajane Milder Maloney; Jeff Robbins & Marci Wing Paul & Sandy Dehmer Harold Sanford Jim Mullin In honor of Laurie Besteman: Gabriela James & Amanda Devine Marybeth & Jerry Satterlee Sarah Navarre Acero Mike Dey Mike Scully John Naye In memory of Clayton Corzatte: Paula Diehr & Frank Hughes Darshana Shanbhag Mari Osuna & Adam de Boor Anonymous Luella & Harold Drevecky Michael C. Shannon DJ Padzensky & Melissa Bloor In honor of Emily Davis: Stephanie Hilbert Jeff Dubrule Peter Shattuck Cynthia & Bruce Parks In honor of Jean Falls: Susan & Patrick Jan Tervonen Barbara & Richard Shikiar A. Paulson Dunn Vasiliki Dwyer Lisa Simonson* Susan Perkins In loving memory of Melissa Hines: Glenn & Bertha Eades Jeff Slesinger & Cynthia Wold Chuck Perry Martha Hines Amanda Ebbert & Kathryn Johnson Gail & Robert Stagman Barbara Phillips In memory of Carolyn Keim: David & Suzanne Edison Margaret Stanley* Darryn Quincey & Kristi Falkner Marjorie Baylor; Sarah Nash Gates; Karen Elledge & Gerald Ginander Jen Steele & Jon Hoekstra Linda Quirk Ken & Josie Johnson; Local 887 Kevin Wilson & Emily Evans Isabel & Herb Stusser Jeff & Pat Randall Theatrical Wardrobe Union; Angela Carol Finn Norm & Lynn Swick Sharon Redeker Owens; Braunell Price; Carl & Lonnie Rynold & Judge Fleck Dr. Barbara Thompson Craig & Melissa Reese Price; Grant & Leigh Price; Jeff Penny A. Freedman Kevin Tighe Emily Riesser & Tom Sunderland Robbins & Marci Wing; Kevin Tighe; Jean Garber & Clyde Moore Vanguard Charitable Endowment Jeff Robbins & Marci Wing Claudine Trujillo Jean Gardner Program Carol Stockton & Jeffrey Robinson In memory of Mrs. Louise McKinney: Jeff & Jeanne Garland Ellen Wallach & Tom Darden Randy & Willa Rohwer Dr. John & Callie Vassall Sergey Genkin Dr. & Mrs. Kevin J. Ward Richard & Nancy Rust In honor of Judy Ness: James & Sheila Bruce & Peggy Gladner Jeff & Carol Waymack M. Lynn Ryder Gross Woodcock Carol & Tal Godding Janet Westin & Mike McCaw Werner & Joan Samson In honor of Carlo Scandiuzzi: Frank & Debra Godfrey & Jeffrey Sconyers Greg Wetzel Betsy & Jason Schneier M.D. Leslie Schipper Connie Gould & Philip Rudman Dianne & Douglas Wills George Schuchart In honor of Rob Stewart: Brenda & Drs. Verena & Basil Grieco Scott & Shirley Wilson Sandra & Kenneth Schwartz Jeffrey Atkin Nancy & Joe Guppy Susan Wolcott & George Taniwaki Zoa & William Shumway In honor of Kyoko Matsumoto Paul & Sheila Gutowski Josette Yolo Sarah & Bharat Shyam Wright: Debra Corner John Siegler & Alexandra Read, MD In memory of Leda Yolo: Josette Yolo ACT works to maintain our list of donors as accurately as possible. Jeanne Simpson We apologize for any misspellings or omissions. Should you find any, please contact Don & Kathy Smith-DiJulio Gifts made to the Annual Fund between our office so that we may correct any mistakes in future publications. Helen F. Speegle June 1, 2014 and June 1, 2015 Email [email protected] or call 206.292.7660 x1330.

encoreartsprograms.com 23 ACT A Theatre of New Ideas ACT Board A Contemporary ADMINISTRATION SALES AND AUDIENCE COSTUME DEPARTMENTS Susanna Pugh SERVICES Lisa A. Knoop Of Trustees Theatre Operations Manager Jessica Howard Costume Director Charles Sitkin Foundation Hannah Schirman Director of Sales and Audience Connie Rinchiuso† Chair Events and Venue Manager Services Costume Shop Foreman Kermit Anderson Scott Herman † Ross Henry President Robert McDonald Kim Dancy Vice President Facilities Maintenance Customer Service Manager Cutter Lucinda Richmond Ada Karamanyan † Gary Houlahan Vice President AC/R Services Sally Mellis Treasurer Engineer Front Office Representative Wardrobe Master Katherine Raff Kelton Engle † Bill Kuhn Secretary Rica Wolken Joyce Degenfelder Secretary IT Director Amelia Wade Wig Master Brian Turner Kathryn Wahlberg Joan Barokas Treasurer Ashley Schalow Ticket Office Representatives Eric Bennett Database Manager SCENIC DEPARTMENTS Colin Chapman James Moran Laurie Besteman Steve Coulter† Brad Fowler Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes Audience Services Manager Trevor Cobb Technical Director Gary Houlahan Catering Rayner D’Souza Jeremy Rupprecht Catherine Roach Bar and Concessions Derek Baylor† Bob Diercks House Manager John Siegler Assistant Technical Director Charles Fitzgerald Charles Sitkin Kristi Quiroz Richard Hesik FINANCE Austin Smart† Brian Turner Assistant House Manager Stephanie Hilbert Sheila Smith Master Scenic Carpenter Lynch Resources Grady Hughes Director of Finance Sean Wilkins Telemarketing Abha Khanna ACT Staff Sandi Hogben Lead Scenic Carpenter Diane Lind Katie Bicknell Payroll and Accounts Payable Nick Murel Kyoko Matsumoto Wright EXECUTIVE Specialist Ty Bonneville May McCarthy Scenic Carpenter † Hana Christenson Kurt Beattie Dave Clelland Lauren Mikov Rome Davis Jeff Scott Artistic Director Accountant Naomi Minegishi Monika Holm Scenic Charge Artist John Muhic Carlo Scandiuzzi Robin Obourn Lisa Bellero† Judy Ness Executive Director DEVELOPMENT Becky Plant Assistant Charge Artist George Ojemann Becky Witmer Clare Hausmann Weiand Luke Sayler Marne Cohen-Vance† Leslie Ray General Manager Director of Development Shane Unger Properties Master Teresa Revelle Adam Vanhee Samantha Detzer Robert Hankins Ingrid Sarapuu Nina Yarbrough Ken Ewert† Executive Assistant Associate Director of Development Barry Scovel Audience Services Master Properties Artisan Karen Shaw Sarah Guthu Thomas Verdos John Siegler ARTISTIC Grants Manager Christine Jew Audience Services Affiliate Lead Properties Artisan Goldie Gendler Silverman John Langs Andrew P. Storms Rob Stewart Associate Artistic Director Development Coordinator Larry True PRODUCTION STAGE OPERATIONS Margaret Layne† and Board Liason Ryan Waite Joan Toggenburger† Nick Farwell† Director of Casting Shanna Waite Producing Director Stage Operations Supervisor Anita Montgomery† MARKETING AND Alyssa Byer James Nichols† Literary Manager and Director of COMMUNICATIONS ACTLab Production Manager Master Stage Carpenter Advisory Council Education Kevin Boyer Director of Marketing and Skylar Hansen Pam Mulkern† Sheena Aebig Emily Penick Communications Production Office Manager Master Electrician Daniel D. Ederer Artistic Associate Jean Burch Falls Aubrey Scheffel Megan Tuschhoff Max Langley Kenna Kettrick Jeannie M. Falls Associate Director of Marketing Production Runner Master Sound Engineer John H. Faris Education Associate Karoline Nauss Michael Cornforth Brad Fowler Spencer Hamp Marketing Coordinator ACTLab Technician Carolyn H. Grinstein Literary Intern STAGE MANAGEMENT † Sara Comings Hoppin Jillian Vasquez Jeffrey K. Hanson C. David Hughbanks Temporary Marketing Coordinator Production Stage Manager FOR THIS PRODUCTION Jonathan D. Klein Marissa Stein JR Welden Sherif Amin Jane W. Lyons Graphics and Email Coordinator Erin B. Zatloka Directing Intern Gloria A. Moses Stage Managers Nadine H. Murray Danielle Walker Ruth Eitemiller Douglas E. Norberg Marketing Intern Production Assistant Kristin G. Olson Valerie Brunetto Donald B. Paterson Public Relations and Eric Pettigrew Communications Manager Pamela Powers Sebastien Scandiuzzi Katherine L. Raff Video Manager Brooks G. Ragen Catherine Roach Apex Media Jo Anne Rosen Advertising Faye Sarkowsky Chris Bennion David E. Skinner Production Photographic Services Brian Turner George V. Willoughby Christa Fleming David E. Wyman, Jr. Graphic Design Jane H. Yerkes

EMERITUS COUNCIL Richard C. Clotfelter † Denotes staff member has worked at ACT for 10 years or more Esther Schoenfeld

24 ACT – A Contemporary Theatre SPOTLIGHT on Women Painters of Washington CARLO Gallery at the Columbia Center SCANDIUZZI Showcasing art by women since 1930 BY NICKY DAVIS, ACT LITERARY INTERN

The Summer Day by Larine Chung

© CHRIS BENNION 701 5th Ave #310 , M-F 11-4

Carlo Scandiuzzi at 2012 ArtsFund Lunch

There are few greater joys than sitting with Kurt to found the annual ACT New down with ACT’s Executive Director Play Award. In 2004, there wasn’t a great Carlo Scandiuzzi. Now in his eighth year amount of financial support available for working with the theatre, and his seventh as writers working on developing new pieces. Executive Director, Carlo has so many fond In response, Kurt and the Scandiuzzis memories of shows he has worked on at designed the New Play Award to provide ACT that he says to choose a favorite would playwrights with funding and a ten-day be like choosing a favorite child. play-development workshop at ACT. The A friend of Kurt Beattie’s for over thirty workshop culminated with a reading of the years, Carlo first joined the ACT staff in new play. The ACT New Play Award is one 2007 at the advent of the Central Heating of the largest in the nation and has launched Lab, now known as the ACTLab. “When several successful plays into production at I read Kurt’s manifesto for making theatre theatres across the country. In 2015 ACT I was thrilled and enthralled by his ideas,” and the Scandiuzzis celebrated the 10th Carlo says, referring to Kurt’s artistic ACT New Play Award. manifesto which has supported ACT’s Carlo’s passion for theatre began in the mission statement during his 12 years as 1970s when he attended a conservatory Artistic Director. In light of their past artistic as an actor in Switzerland. He studied collaboration and his admiration for his everything from acting and directing manifesto, Carlo was delighted to be invited to dramaturgy and even fencing. He to join ACT’s staff as Director of New Works remembers having a rose-tinted naïveté in the Central Heating Lab. That first year of about American theatre when he left programming in the Lab, finding what Carlo Europe and came to the States at age 23. In calls “companion pieces” to complement the reality, he discovered that, like the theatre works in the Mainstage season, is a time that he’d moved away from, American theatre Carlo looks back on as among the best in his has an array of genres, styles, and levels time here. The growth of the Lab expanded of production. “You can work on a lot of the breadth of ACT’s programming different strata,” Carlo says with a smile, considerably, from 12 productions in the “but, of course, that’s wonderful.” building in 2006 to more than 40 by 2009. Working as Executive Director was a Adding variety and possibility is something change of pace for Carlo, who had been that Carlo loves most about the Lab. In 2008 a producer of films and live music before he became the Executive Director of ACT. coming to ACT. His favorite thing about Carlo and his wife Eulalie have been his job is being with the people. “I love longtime supporters of art and education meetings” he declares with sincerity, “I love in the Seattle community. Before he joined to come to work, to talk, to imagine, to It’s still summer! the ACT staff, the two of them worked innovate. It’s all about empowering people to (206) 285-7846 THERUINS.NET

CONTINUED ON PAGE 27 encoreartsseattle.com 25 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 Steven Dietz on set with cast of Fiction: Suzanne Bouchard, John Procaccino, and Emily Cedergreen. some point, on some inexplicable day, one of those small thoughts gets under my skin and won’t go away. And then I write toward the things I don’t know … which are blissfully endless. What I read and what music I listen to certainly impact this process. As does travel. And of course once some play-in- process has a “hold” on me—and those months of generating the first draft are wonderful months in the great long messy slog of being a professional playwright— nearly everything I encounter seems to have something to do with the play I’m working on.

What subject would you be most nervous to write about? © CHRIS BENNION Camus said that “no man has ever truthfully described himself as he is.” in Dublin on 10 June 2013: “I am aware with the theatre’s heart, damn the rest, Enough said. that travel in my youth led me to ask ‘what come what may—and it continues to this would it be like to live here, to live this day. Kurt Beattie has always spoken about What is your favorite way?’ … but travel now, later in life, leads human engagement and the responsibility genre to write? me to say ‘this is a place and a way that I to tell the stories that are among us, inside No single favorite. I’m grateful to Artistic will never live.’” us—to “lay bare the questions that have Directors like Kurt Beattie and David And then on 18 June, I scribbled: “The been hidden by the answers” as James Goldstein and Jeff Steitzer and Linda Joyce tour guide and the visiting American Baldwin said—and that is a fierce mission. It Hartzell who challenged me to write man. It is a romance of regret. Who might is precisely that mission that has challenged in many genres: political work, drama, these people be?” me to write these 11 plays (and others). comedy, adaptation, thriller, work for And then, blessed with all the many ACT made me grow up as a young audiences, etc. things I did not know about my story, I playwright. ACT called my bluff in 1988 started working. when I said I wanted to write a play What inspired Bloomsday? about hate groups (God’s Country); ACT Loss. Ache. Regret. Walking around This will be your 11th Mainstage called my bluff in 1992 when I said I Dublin and Galway with my wonderful show produced at ACT. What wanted to write a play for Larry Ballard family. Reading (or sometimes trying to do you love about working with and Michael Winters (Lonely Planet); read) Ulysses. this theatre? ACT called my bluff in 2008 when I said And then, in the beat-up blue notebook Since I first encountered the artists, I had an idea for a comedy (Becky’s New I mentioned earlier, I wrote these words artisans, and audiences of ACT in 1988, I Car); and on and on. have been in awe of There is no theatre more central, no

Charles Leggett and R. Hamilton Wright in the level of personal theatre more instrumental to my life and Yankee Tavern. investment in making career than ACT. Each play I’ve done at theatre. ACT is a ACT—each remarkable group of artistic potent and rigorous collaborators I have worked with—has enterprise which broadened and deepened not only my is fundamentally work, but my life, immeasurably. humanistic in ACT owes me nothing; I owe them the its dealings with world. I will never take their investment people and the in me for granted. My great wish for my work of living in the playwriting students—and all playwrights— world. This started is that they find a theatre like ACT to with Greg Falls, of challenge and advocate for them over time,

© CHRIS BENNION course—leading over many years. How lucky I’ve been.

26 ACT – A Contemporary Theatre CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 make the best art that they can make.” It’s a good thing Carlo truly loves CONCERT MONDAY, meetings, because as Executive Director SELLS OUT his day is often comprised of back-to-back QUICKLY, SO GET NOVEMBER 30, YOUR TICKETS meetings with various departments. “I EARLY! 7:30 P.M., wear a lot of different hats,” he explains, MCCAW HALL, “you go to one meeting with development about fundraising, and then you go to a SEATTLE CENTER finance meeting about budgeting, and Seattle Pacific then an artistic meeting … and many University’s 16th meetings about things in which I am not annual Sacred Sounds an expert.” He likens the experience to of Christmas concert being a symphony conductor: “You have features the acclaimed SPU Concert Choir, the winds, the strings, the percussion, and Symphonic Wind everyone is an expert, everyone is brilliant Ensemble, Symphony … and then there comes the time when Orchestra, and other you have to raise the baton and everyone performing groups. has to work together. It requires a huge Tickets start at $16.50. amount of trust.” Use “SPU” promo code. But for Carlo, everything is worth it Group rates available. for the sake of the art. The thing he most wants people to understand is the complex For more information, relationship between art and money, a visit Ticketmaster or dichotomy that is at the center of his job spu.edu/sacredsounds. at ACT. Though he recognizes that money allows for the creation of art, the success of the art cannot be measured by the revenue it generates through sales. Carlo describes 5th Avenue Theatre • ACT Theatre • Book-It Repertory Theatre • Broadway Center for how art “relies heavily on emotion, the Performing Arts • Pacific Northwest Ballet • Paramount & Moore Theatres • Seattle connection, and catharsis,” saying, “It’s not Children’s Theatre • Seattle Men’s Chorus • Seattle Opera • Seattle Repertory Theatre • unlike a church.” And with that in mind, Seattle Shakespeare Company • Seattle Symphony • Seattle Women’s Chorus • Tacoma our mission is to explore “how well can City Ballet • Tacoma Philharmonic • Taproot Theatre • UW World Series at Meany Hall • Village Theatre we use the money we have so that the Reach a congregation, the audience, leaves the theatre a little bit better. Changed.” And when that balance of money SophiSticated and art is struck, and the symphony of Issaquah & Everett • American Conservatory Theater • Berkeley Repertory Theatre • all the departments comes together, audience Broadway San Jose • California Shakespeare Theater • San Francisco Ballet • San Francisco it makes for truly remarkable theatre. Opera • SFJAZZ • Stanford Live • TheatreWorks • Weill Hall at Sonoma State University Standouts in Carlo’s memory include the • 5th Avenue Theatre • ACT Theatre • Book-It Repertory Theatre • Broadway Center for 2008 production of Eurydice by Sarah the Performing Arts • Pacific Northwest Ballet • Paramount & Moore Theatres • Seattle Ruhl for its magical realism, Trieu Tran’s Children’s Theatre • Seattle Men’s Chorus • Seattle Opera • Seattle Repertory Theatre • Uncle Ho to Uncle Sam in 2012 for its Seattle Shakespeare Company • Seattle Symphony • Seattle Women’s Chorus • Tacoma City Ballet • Tacoma Philharmonic • Taproot Theatre • UW World Series at Meany Hall • political poignancy and power, and The Village Theatre Pillowman by Martin McDonagh in 2006. Issaquah and put your business here The Pillowman was particularly resonant Everett • American Conservatory Theater • Berkeley Repertory Theatre • Broadway San for Carlo as it was before he joined the Jose • California Shakespeare Theater • San Francisco Ballet • San Francisco Opera • staff at ACT, he helped to organize an SFJAZZ • Stanford Live • TheatreWorks • Weill Hall at Sonoma State University • 5th Avenue Theatre • ACT Theatre • Book-It Repertory Theatre • Broadway Center for the opening night, site-specific dance event to Performing Arts • Pacific Northwest Ballet accompany the show that was curated by • Paramount & Moore Theatres • Seattle his friend Michelle Steinwald. “That was Children’s Theatre • Seattle Men’s Chorus such a beautiful night,” he recalls, “But there Seattle Opera • Seattle Repertory Theatre have been so many great plays. I’ll have to www.encoremediagroup.com keep thinking to remember them all.”

encoreartsseattle.com 27 EAP House Ad Reach 1_3sq 3.19.13.indd 1 3/20/13 2:54 PM The Most ACTive ACTPass Member: Manning introducing Elizabeth Kenny, who was part of this discussion panel, by saying “This is Elizabeth Kenny, her show Sick is playing at New City Theater, and KAIRU it’s really great and you should go see it.” Which I did, and it was amazing, and it was effectively responsible for the amount YAO of theatre I see now—like getting on a treadmill that just keeps going faster so you have to run faster to keep up. Across town, the Pinter Fortnightly series at ACT (I think it had started in 2009) was really picking up steam. I remember thinking, wait, theatre artists love what they do so BY EMILY much that they do it on their one night PENICK, off? For free? I wanted to be a part of ACT ARTISTIC something that was so much bigger than ASSOCIATE what I had previously imagined. I remember almost every play I see, and almost every actor I’ve seen. I love

BECKY WITMER recognizing people, some of whom I’ve been watching since they were students What do you wish more people roaring fire—it was one of those plays you at UW or Cornish; how are they pushing knew about ACT and the can’t stop thinking about, because of all themselves as artists? How do they ACTPass? these layers of details, they stay with you. continue to grow and learn? Are they I think people still don’t quite understand going to stick around Seattle, or are they Why do you see so much theatre? just how much is being produced at ACT going to head to New York or LA? What besides the Mainstage season, and that The short answer: Because so much great does it mean to build a body of work—not there is so much going on at any given theatre is being produced in Seattle! just for the actors, but for playwrights, time. The ACTPass is really the best ACT represents about one-third of my or directors, stage designers, sound theatre bargain there is. total theatergoing. There really is just so designers? What does it mean when all much going on, so many different theatre these artists work together again and again What do you love most about companies to experience, and most of it is over time, as an ensemble, or just as artists your ACTPass? shockingly affordable. who’ve worked together a lot? I love that it gives me access to so many The long answer: I grew up here, and What’s the most unexpected productions from other smaller companies my parents were always hugely interested or bizarre thing that’s happened that hadn’t previously been on my radar, in the performing (as well as visual) arts: to you as an audience member such as New Century Theatre Company, theatre, dance, music, opera. We had at ACT? Azeotrope, UMO Ensemble, 14/48, subscriptions to a lot of different theatres, Theater Schmeater—the list goes on. I also one of which was ACT. I started coming One time I showed up on the wrong night! love talking to other ACTPass members— here when I was in seventh grade. After Luckily they were able to get me into the since we see all the same shows, I run into my parents moved back to Taiwan 12 very last seat in the house and I wound up the same people all the time, and not just years ago, I began venturing out on my sitting next to Kurt Beattie. I’m actually at ACT. own, but I didn’t fully realize just how surprised that I don’t do this more often. much great theatre happens here until Please tell me a little bit about a Intiman closed in the spring of 2011. If you had to guess, how many favorite show you’ve seen using Mike Daisey was in town with his Steve shows do you think you’ve your ACTPass: Jobs monologue at the Rep, and he did seen at ACT since you started coming here? The Seagull Project’s The Three Sisters a benefit performance of How Theatre (2015) was so beautiful, I went back and saw Failed America, and there was kind of a I’ve been coming here, off and on, since it again (I also did this with The Seagull). town hall meeting afterwards. People were 1992. I counted 56 Mainstage productions The choreography of that little silent angry, and heartsick, and suddenly I began that I definitely remember seeing, but prologue, the different scene transitions, to really pay attention to what was going with all the Central Heating Lab/ACTLab and that incredible moment when the on around me, all the other theatres I had shows I’ve seen the number is probably sound of crumpling paper becomes a been missing out on. I remember Jerry closer to 200.

28 ACT – A Contemporary Theatre ORIGINAL WORKS by Steven Dietz *Designates plays produced at ACT John Aylward, Gordon Carpenter, Brothers and Sisters (1981) *The Nina Variations Anne Christianson, Linda Emond, Rex McDowell, Marianne Owen, and (1996) (variations on the Ben Prager in God’s Country Railroad Tales (1983) last scene of Chekhov’s The Random Acts (1983) Seagull, produced at ACT in 1997) Wanderlust (1984) Private Eyes (1996) More Fun Than Bowling (1986) Still Life with Iris (1997)

Painting It Red (1986) (music Rocket Man (1998) by Gary Rue and Leslie Ball) *Fiction (2002, produced at Burning Desire (1987) (short ACT in 2004) play) Left to Right (2002) (short) Foolin’ Around with Infinity Louis A. Lotorto Inventing van Gogh (2004) and Kristie Dale (1987) Sanders in Trust Last of the Boys (2004) Ten November (1987) (music by Eric Bain Peltoniemi) The Spot (2004) (short)

*God’s Country (1988) September Call-Up (2006) (short) *Happenstance (1989) (music by Eric Bain *Yankee Tavern (2007, Peltoniemi) produced at ACT in 2010)

After You (1990) (short play) Shooting Star (2008)

*Halcyon Days (1991) *Becky’s New Car (2008)

To The Nines (1991) Rancho Mirage (2012) (short play) Laurence Ballard and *Bloomsday (2013, Michael Winters in *Trust (1992) workshopped at Icicle Lonely Planet Creek New Play Festival in *Lonely Planet (1993) 2014 and produced at ACT *Handing Down the Names in 2015) (1994, produced at ACT in On Clover Road (2015) 1995)

Charley McQuary and Robert Andrew de Ryche Nadir in Happenstance and Stephanie Shine in Halcyon Days Anne Chistianson and Lori Larsen in Handing Down the Names

PHOTOS BY CHRIS BENNION encoreartsseattle.com 29 THROUGH THE DECADES

Kurt Beattie in 1960s rehearsal for Ramayana. The ‘60s saw the birth of ACT. Beginning as just an experiment during the summer season, over the course of the decade Gregory A. Falls’ brainchild bloomed into an established home for bold contemporary theatre in Seattle.

1965: ACT’s first season, a summer season run by Greg Falls as a new Seattle theatre experiment. ACT becomes incorporated as a non-profit organization with a board of directors. 1966: ACT expands to a seven-show season running from June to September. 1990s The ‘90s at ACT saw three different artistic directors (from Steitzer to Shannon to Edelstein) and two different theatre 1970s spaces. The theatre moved into the heart ACT in the ‘70s was building a significant audience, of downtown in the middle of this decade, growing to nearly ten times the size of its first season, making the ‘90s a period of resettling and and beginning to outgrow its first home in lower reimagining the possibilities for Seattle’s Queen Anne. The ‘70s also saw the beginning of contemporary theatre. a major ACT tradition: The Falls adaptation of 1994/1995: Peggy Shannon takes over the Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. reins as Artistic Director at ACT. 1996/1997: 1976: ACT begins a beloved holiday ACT stages its final tradition with its first production performance in its Lower Queen Anne of A Christmas Carol, as adapted home: Laughter on the 23rd Floor by Neil by Greg Falls. The theatre’s regular Simon, and transitions into the downtown season also expands, now running location. ACT opens the doors at its new from June all the way through multiplex style home in the former Eagles’ Thanksgiving and giving each play a auditorium in the heart of downtown full 24-peformance run. Seattle, launching the new space mid-season James W. Monitor as 1978: with Tom Topor’s Cheap. ACT and the On opening night of Henry IV: Part One, the mayor Marley’s Ghost in A declares it to be ACT Theatre Day in Seattle. Christmas Carol. Seattle theatre community suffer a major loss when Greg Falls passes away at age 75. © CHRIS BENNION

1980s Jeff Steitzer in rehearsal for The ‘80s was a decade of transition for ACT, with the retirement of Greg Falls Red Noses. after 23 years, handing over the reins to Jeff Steitzer. Additionally, the ‘80s was the theatre’s final decade in Lower Queen Anne.

1982: ACT is now considered to be one of the six major cultural institutions in Seattle, alongside the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Seattle Art Museum. 1988: Falls retires from his 23-year run as Artistic Director, to be replaced by ACT Resident Director, Jeff Steitzer. Steitzer turns the theatre’s focus toward the production of new works by English and American playwrights.

© CHRIS BENNION 30 ACT – A Contemporary Theatre 2000s Turmoil and rebirth marked the early 2000s at ACT, taking a brief hiatus during a financial crisis in 2003, and then coming back with clarity and precision to close out the decade. 2007 saw the beginning of the Central Heating Lab (now ACTLab), which has since become an integral part of the ACT experience.

2002: Edelstein leaves ACT in the hands of his Associate Artistic Director, Kurt Beattie. 2007: Kurt Beattie and ACT’s Executive Director Carlo Scandiuzzi open the doors of the Central Heating Lab, an experiment designed to foster new work and fill up the five theatre spaces available in ACT’s new building.

Joshua Carter in Little Shop of Horrors ©TRACY MARTIN

2010s ACT continues to grow and change, increasing and strengthening its presence as a home for bold, provocative Delicious, elevated. voices in theatre, and challenging At Davids & Co., we balance the classics audiences with works both old and new. In 2015, ACT celebrates its 50th with the creative to produce craveable fare anniversary and its 40th year of A Christmas Carol. with a culinary pedigree.

2011: ACT begins a musical co-production relationship with The 5th Avenue Theatre. We’re open two hours before most performances 2015: ACT celebrates its 50th anniversary, in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium opening the season with a throwback from its very first season in 1965, Tennessee Williams’ for bites that are quick and casual, yet deeply delicious. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Kurt Beattie ends his Also open weekdays for lunch from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. 12-year run as Artistic Director at the end of another season of great theatre, leaving ACT in the hands of Associate Artistic Director WWW.TUXEDOSANDTENNISSHOES.COM John Langs as it moves into the future.

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