among others. He is a Senior Fight Director with OUR SPONSORS ABOUT CENTER REPERTORY COMPANY Dueling Arts International and a founding member of Dueling Arts San Francisco. He is currently Chevron (Season Sponsor) has been the Center REP is the resident, professional theatre CENTER REPERTORY COMPANY teaching combat related classes at Berkeley Rep leading corporate sponsor of Center REP and company of the Lesher Center for the Arts. Our season Michael Butler, Artistic Director Scott Denison, Managing Director School of Theatre. the Lesher Center for the Arts for the past nine consists of six productions a year – a variety of musicals, LYNNE SOFFER (Dialect Coach) has coached years. In fact, Chevron has been a partner of dramas and comedies, both classic and contemporary, over 250 theater productions at A.C.T., Berkeley the LCA since the beginning, providing funding that continually strive to reach new levels of artistic presents Rep, Magic Theatre, Marin Theater Company, for capital improvements, event sponsorships excellence and professional standards. Theatreworks, Cal Shakes, San Jose Rep and SF and more. Chevron generously supports every Our mission is to celebrate the power of the human Opera among others including ten for Center REP. Center REP show throughout the season, and imagination by producing emotionally engaging, Her regional credits include the Old Globe, Dallas is the primary sponsor for events including Theater Center, Arizona Theatre Company, the intellectually involving, and visually astonishing Arena Stage, Seattle Rep and the world premier the Chevron Family Theatre Festival in July. live theatre, and through Outreach and Education of The Laramie Project at the Denver Center. Her Chevron has proven itself not just as a generous programs, to enrich and advance the cultural life of the film and television credits include “Fruitvale,” supporter, but also a valued friend of the arts. communities we serve. “Metro,” “Duets,” “The Land of Milk and Honey” and What does it mean to be a producing theatre? “America’s Most Wanted.” Soffer works frequently as Diablo Regional Arts Association (DRAA) We hire the finest professional directors, actors and a professional actor and acting teacher and is the (Season Partner) is both the primary fundraising designers to create our productions at Center REP. recipient of the 2011 Actors’ Equity Lucy Jordan organization of the Lesher Center for the Arts (LCA) Humanitarian Award. These are not touring productions – they’re conceived and the City of Walnut Creek’s appointed curator and developed here, the sets and costumes are built MICHAEL BUTLER (Artistic Director) This is for the LCA’s audience outreach. DRAA’s role in in our shops, and the actors rehearse in our rehearsal By Michael’s tenth season as Artistic Director of Center the community is all about building partnerships hall. Whether the production is a Bay Area premiere REP, where his directing credits include Anything with the focused goal of enhancing artistic or a Shakespearean classic, each is devised to be a one Goes, Clybourne Park, Real Housewives of Walnut quality at the LCA and providing opportunities for of a kind, artistic creation that will be a unique theatre Garson Kanin Creek, Don’t Dress for Dinner, The Underpants, everyone to enjoy the arts. Through partnerships experience for our audience. A Number, Dracula, Boeing-Boeing and To Kill a with the LCA and its producers, individual donors, Mockingbird, as well as the Shellie and BATCC corporate and foundation sponsors and the What does it mean to be a professional theatre? It Award-winning productions of Around the World City of Walnut Creek, DRAA plays a vital role in means that all our artists and artisans are career theatre- in 80 Days, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, The Marriage practitioners. Many of the actors in this production are advancing the arts for the betterment of the of Figaro, How the Other Half Loves, A Midsummer members of Actors’ Equity Association; our directors Scenic Designer Costume Designer Lighting Designer community. Please visit us online at www.draa.org. Night’s Dream, Enchanted April, and Witness For The and designers are members of professional unions. Erik Flatmo Victoria Livingston-Hall Kurt Landisman Prosecution. His directing work has also been seen All do theatre because it is their profession and their at San Jose Rep, Cleveland Playhouse, Seattle Rep, Lesher Foundation (Foundation Sponsor) Since passion. Laguna Playhouse, ACT in Seattle, Marin Theatre 1994, the Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation has Sound Designer Stage Manager Props Master Company, Aurora Theatre Company, San Jose Stage, awarded grants totaling more than $40 million We are very proud to have the opportunity to Hannah Birch Carl Megan McClintock* Roger Anderson Shakespeare Santa Cruz, and The Juilliard School, and reaching citizens in all parts of Contra Costa produce professional theatre for our community in of which he is a graduate. As an actor, Michael has County. True to the original wishes of Dean and the beautiful theatres here at the Lesher Center for Fight Director Wig Designer Dialect Coach worked on Broadway and off, in regional theatres, the Arts. Thank you for your support! film and television, as well as REP’s productions of Margaret Lesher, the Foundation continues to build Dave Maier Judy Disbrow Lynne Soffer Mirandolina!, The Mousetrap, Noises Off and Rumors. on the strengths of the community by supporting He is a published songwriter and the co-writer organizations and programs that provide help and Center REPertory Company and composer of numerous music-theatre pieces, support to people in need; enhance and enrich Managing Director - Scott Denison which he has directed and performed in NY, LA, the lives of all citizens; and promote a healthy and Artistic Director - Michael Butler and at festivals in India and Morocco. In his career exciting future for the community. Established in Cast as a performer he has also danced with the Erick Production Services Marketing 1989, the Foundation received its principal assets Production Services Marketing Director Hawkins Dance Company, portrayed the villainous from Dean Lesher’s estate in 1993 and 1995. In Pierre LeChance on “The Guiding Light”, and played Coordinator Gabe Marin Michael Abts Jesse Caldwell* Monica Cappuccini 1997, an additional endowment from Dean Lesher’s Toni Kilcoyne guitar and harmonica in many rock, blues, and Marketing Assistant estate followed the death of Margaret Lesher. A Technical Staff Ariel Brewer Jackson Davis* Val Garrahan Justin Gillman country western bands at all the notable dives in Steve Pino Casting Director NYC. significant and final bequest from Mr. Lesher’s estate was received in 2003. As a family foundation, John Earls Jennifer Perry Adrienne Krug Jason Kuykendall* Dominic Lessa Michael Arlen Production SCOTT DENISON (Managing Director) has been a support for the Contra Costa community will leader in the arts for 40 years for Walnut Creek and Chris Currie Production Manager Sharon Rietkerk* Will Springhorn* Colin Thomson* be carried on by the next generation of family Kieren McEntee the surrounding communities. For the last 24 years Jeff Collister members. Grant-making decisions are based on the Garrick Schuster Technical he has been the General Manager of the Lesher Stephen Spleiss Technical Director Center and oversees over 850 public events each vision of Dean and Margaret Lesher who felt quality education, diverse art programs, and healthy Josh Stouffer Joshua Lipps year. He coordinates performing arts activities with Audience Services children and families are the building blocks of a Master Electrician over 85 producers and producing organizations. He Audience Svcs Coordinator Del Medoff Directed by Timothy Near is also the Managing Director of Center REPertory strong and vibrant community. The Leshers defined Courtney Egg Carpenters Company producing 6 professional productions the “spirit of giving” as “investing in the community Ticket Office Staff Sean Bryan each season; and is the director and co-founder of and its people.” By providing financial support and Jeremiah Vierling Gabriel Johnson Fantasy Forum Actors Ensemble, an adult family direction in these critical areas, the Dean & Margaret Rami Kim Caleb Salmon performing arts company which presents programs Lesher Foundation is investing every day, every Robert Nolan Assistant BORN YESTERDAY is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. for the young and Young at Heart. Scott directed Vaughn Edward Stage Manager week and every year in the health and well-being Kiersten Jones Joe Coe CCMT’s hits The Music Man, Les Misérables, Disney’s The video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means whatsoever are strictly prohibited. Beauty and the Beast, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s of this county that Dean and Margaret so loved. Ashley Rossi Production Assistant Cinderella, Hairspray, and for the past 16 seasons Shannon Taylor Tony Gabrielson Center REP’s A Christmas Carol. Denison has directed SPECIAL THANKS TO: Sarah Walker Dressers Usher Coordinator Alea R. Gonzales over 150 productions including REP’s The Lady with Vince Perry Margaret Lesher Theatre All the Answers starring Kerri Shawn. In 1979 he Pat Mitchell Jenine Hillaire Lori Scheper & Christopher Kesel Costumes Administration January 29 - February 27, 2016 created the Shellie Awards, which annually honors Bethany Deal Asst. to Managing Director Lesher Center for the Arts outstanding performing arts achievement in