GEORGE STREET PLAYHOUSE 2017 – 2018 Board of Trustees Chairman: James N. Heston* President: Penelope Lattimer, Ph.D.* First Vice President: Lucy Hughes* Treasurer: David Fasanella* Secretary: Sharon Karmazin* Ronald Bleich Ben Sifuentes-Jáuregui, Ph.D. Kenneth M. Fisher Frances C. Stromsland, Ed.D. William R. Hagaman, Jr. Jocelyn Schwartzman Norman Politziner Janice Stolar Kelly Ryman* Lora Tremayne David Saint* Stephen M. Vajtay W. Burton “Tripp” Salisbury Alan W. Voorhees *Denotes Members of the Executive Committee Trustees Emeritus Robert L. Bramson Cody P. Eckert Clarence E. Lockett Al D’Augusta Peter Goldberg Anthony L. Marchetta George Wolansky, Jr. Honorary Board of Trustees Thomas H. Kean Eric Krebs Honorary Memoriam Maurice Aaron∆ Arthur Laurents∆ Dr. Edward Bloustein∆ Richard Sellars∆ Dora Center∆∆ Barbara Voorhees∆∆ Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.∆ Edward K. Zuckerman∆ Milton Goldman∆ Adelaide M. Zagoren John Hila ∆∆ – Denotes Trustee Emeritus ∆ – Denotes Honorary Trustee From the Artistic Director Years ago I had the pleasure of directing the national tour of Larry Shue’s comedy The Foreigner. I got to know Larry as one of our most promising writers of comedy for the stage. Unfortunately, shortly after The Nerd opened on Broadway, Larry died in a plane crash. American Theatre’s great loss. David Saint Artistic Director I have wanted to do his hysterical farce The Nerd for a long time. But this play requires an expert team of farceurs to be led by a smart and very funny director. We are so fortunate to have both with Kevin Cahoon directing some of the funniest comic actors from Broadway and television working today. We welcome back Colin Hanlon and Ann Harada – GSP favorites – as well as newcomers: the exceptionally talented Jonathan Kite, Kate Reinders, Zach Shaffer, and Stephen Wallem along with the promising young NJ actor Hayden Bercy. Together, with a top design team, they form one-of the most hilarious ensembles ever to grace our stage. We hope you enjoy this wild and joyous romp to end our first season here in our temporary home while the magnificent New Brunswick Performing Arts Center is being built on our old site. As the weather turns warm here on “the Farm” we welcome spring with a hearty laugh! Enjoy! David Saint Artistic Director For 110 years, PARKER has been challenging, changing and expanding what it means to grow older in America. We are discovering ways to make aging manageable, relatable and enriching for all. Join us in making aging part of life @Parkerlifeorg. 732-902-4200 www.Parkerlife.org Locations: New Brunswick | Piscataway Somerset | Monroe Township | Highland Park geo st playhouse_11-29-17_5.5x8.5_grayscale.indd 1 12/29/17 12:03 PM GEORGE STREET PLAYHOUSE David Saint, Artistic Director Kelly Ryman, Managing Director Presents The Nerd By Larry Shue Directed by Kevin Cahoon Set Design by David L. Arsenault Costume Design by Leon Dobkowski Lighting Design by Jason Lyons Sound Design by Fitz Patton Hair and Wig Design by Leah Loukas Production Manager Christopher J. Bailey Production Stage Manager Kristin Pfeifer* Casting by McCorkle Casting, Ltd. April 24 – May 20, 2018 The Nerd is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York. In accordance with Actors’ Equity Association regulations, we remind you that all electronic devices, including pagers, cellular phones and watches must be turned off during the performance. Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund. George Street Playhouse is a constituent of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and a member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance. The theatre operates under an agreement between LORT and Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States, and is a member of the New Brunswick Cultural Center. CAST in order of appearance Willum Colin Hanlon* Axel Zach Shaffer* Tansy Kate Reinders* Waldgrave Stephen Wallem* Clelia Ann Harada* Thor Hayden Bercy Rick Jonathan Kite* *- denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association. The Nerd is performed with one fifteen minute 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 director is a member of The Stage The stage technicians of Directors and Choreographers Society, Inc., George Street Playhouse an independent national labor union. are proud members of IATSE Local 21. The Scenic, Costume, Lighting and Sound Designers in LORT theatres are represented by United Scenic Artists Local USA-829, IATSE. The George Street Playhouse playbill is published five times a year by George Street Playhouse, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation. Please send advertising inquiries to George Street Playhouse, P. O. Box 194, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0194, attn: Playbill Advertising. Don’t have seat envy! SUBSCRIBE TODAY and enjoy The Best Seats, at The Best Price — for The Best Shows! To subscribe to our 2018/19 Season drop this form at the box office or call 732-246-7717 SIGN ME UP! Please contact me to arrange my subscription to GSP’s 2018/19 Season. name phone email company bios. Colin Hanlon (Willum Doubt, The Good Wife, House of Cards, Cubbert) returns Master of None, The Jim Gaffigan Show to George Street and Search Party. Playhouse, where he appeared in Falsettos, Jonathan Kite (Rick The Last Five Years, Steadman) is best and Tick, Tick...Boom! known as Oleg, the Broadway appearances include the hilarious, sex-crazed Falsettos revival, In Transit, and Rent. Ukrainian cook opposite Hanlon also played Fiyero in the first Kat Dennings and national tour of Wicked. He played Beth Behrs in the Adam in the New York premiere of Dot Emmy Award-nominated CBS hit by Colman Domingo, directed by Susan comedy 2 Broke Girls. Television credits Stroman (Vineyard Theatre). Hanlon include: NCIS, Family Guy, American was in the original casts of I Love You Dad, Boss Baby, Black Dynamite: The Because and Edges. Hanlon’s television Animated Series, Raising Hope. Theatre credits include Steven on the Emmy credits include: Waiting For Godot, True Award-winning Modern Family on ABC, West, Servant of Two Masters, Ubu Roi, Difficult People on Hulu, and The Sinner Murder at the Howard Johnson’s. He is on USA Network. He also starred in and also an expert mimic, boasting over produced Submissions Only. 100 celebrity impressions that include: Tom Hanks; Vince Vaughn; Anthony Ann Harada (Clelia Bourdain; Seth Rogen; Liam Neeson; Waldgrave) played Christian Bale; Jeff Bridges; Robert Christmas Eve in the Downey, Jr. and John Lithgow. Broadway and West End productions Kate Reinders (Tansy of Avenue Q and McGinnis) was last stepsister Charlotte in seen on Broadway Rodgers+Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Other in Meteor Shower Broadway: Madame Thenardier in Les (standby for Amy Miserables (Revival), 9 to 5, Seussical Schumer). She created the Musical and M. Butterfly. Film the role of Portia in credits include Sisters, Trouble, Youth in Something Rotten! and has played Glinda Oregon, Admission, Hope Springs, Feel, in Wicked (Broadway and original and Happiness. She has appeared in the Chicago company). Other Broadway: television series Smash (as Linda, the Gypsy (with Bernadette Peters, directed Stage Manager), Lipstick Jungle, 30 Rock, by Sam Mendes), Good Vibrations, company bios. Into the Woods (2002 revival), and Stephen Wallem The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Reinders (Warnock Waldgrave) was a series regular on Work It (ABC) is a SAG Award- and Sherri (Lifetime), and a guest star nominated actor on Anger Management, Modern Family best known as Thor and Ugly Betty. She has appeared in the Lundgren for seven films Russell Madness, Grudge Match, seasons on the Emmy- Such Good People, Certainty and Kinsey. winning Showtime series Nurse Jackie. Reinders is also part of the singing/ Other appearances include Randall on songwriting duo TASTiSKANK (with Horace and Pete and Chad on Difficult Sarah Litzsinger), recipient of the 2007 People. East Coast Stage: Pipe Dream Breakout Award at the HBO Comedy (Encores) Poster Boy (Williamstown Arts Festival. Theatre Festival) and teaming with Edie Falco for a sold-out run of the Zach Shaffer (Axel original cabaret The Other Steve and Hammond) Broadway: Edie at the Laurie Beechman. The Who’s Afraid of Virginia Muny: Shrek the Musical (Shrek), Woolf?, A View From Seussical (Horton) and The Wizard The Bridge, The Man of Oz (Lion). National tours include Who Came to Dinner. Forever Plaid, Into the Woods, and Additional theater Scrooge starring Richard Chamberlain. credits include: Taking Care of Baby (MTC) The Wii Plays, Playlist (Ars Hayden Bercy (Thor Nova) Mine (Slant), Brown, Love is Deaf Waldgrave) is thrilled (EST), Down the Drain, Til the Rapture to make his George Comes, Guthrie Theater, Hartford Street Playhouse Stage, Portland Center Stage. Film debut. Hayden recently and TV: Chicago Justice, Smash, The appeared as Flick in Black Donnellys, Law & Order (NBC), the National Tour of A Salt (Columbia Pictures), Black Box Christmas Story: The Musical and Ben (ABC), Strangers With Candy, Six Feet in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Under, XX/XY, Gayby. Co-directed Other theatre credits include Young and produced the NYC nightlife Tommy in The Who’s Tommy and documentary Squeezebox!, which Newsboy in Gypsy (Count Basie premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival Theatre). TV credits include Pandora’s before going on to tour film festivals Box and Wonderama. NYC cabaret around the world. appearances: Don’t Tell Mama, The Triad and Broadway Sessions at the company bios. Laurie Beechman. Thank you: Kevin and Dodd, Mead and Company. He George Street team, Lisa Calli, Emily, also wrote The Foreigner, which, Janine, Elise, Mom, Dad and Brielle. following a record-breaking run of Instagram: @haydenbercy 700 performances at New York’s Astor Place Theatre, was produced Kevin Cahoon (Director) has appeared successfully internationally.