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Home , Lee Morris (musician), Rob Stewart (filmmaker), Vincent in Brixton, Will Eno

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VIEW FROM THE TOP Heather Hart’s Rooftop Installation In a time when people are more inclined to honors the idea of classical oracles, prophets Instagram a photo of art than interact with whose legends were handed down through it, artist and Seattle native Heather Hart is the ages. The construction of the installation demanding more. Her new installation The honors the time Hart spent working with her Western Oracle: We Will Tear the Roof Off the carpenter father, who put a hammer in her Mother, sits in the Olympic Sculpture Park at hand as soon as she could hold it. this very moment, daring you not to engage. The Western Oracle is the third installa- A shingled rooftop, functional enough tion in Hart’s Oracular series: The Northern to seem plucked from a home and plunked Oracle sits in Franconia Sculpture Park on a hillside, sits atop a West-facing slope in Minnesota, The Eastern Oracle at the in the Park, as though swallowed by the Brooklyn Museum. Each piece honors the earth. A small door marks the entrance to a land in which it sits. The Western Oracle still, barn-like space within—anyone over features a window with a spectacular water the age of about six will have to crouch to view surrounded by a wall made up of drum Readers enter—and the roof is low enough to clamber panels, which viewers are invited to play. on easily. “One of my favorite things about the At Seattle Art Museum’s Summer at SAM Northwest is the geography,” Hart says. “I opening event on July 11, people couldn’t wanted [the piece] to focus on the history clamber fast enough. Folks of all ages scaled of location, and that brought me to Joseph the sunny roof, as New Orleans-style jazz Seymour, the native drummer who taught band Tubaluba thumped and stomped their me how to pull the drum wall. I wanted to way up to the peak. tie into Seattle’s native history—and loosely “All my work is participatory,” Hart its musical roots—and frame the Puget explains. “I’m never satisfied until I can Sound.” actually sit and watch people play and have Hart also wants people to bring their a conversation with them. They complete own stories. At the SAM opening, one man the piece for me.” told her the piece took him back to the roof CKFM 081613 showcase 1_6v.pdf Hart graduated from Cornish in 1998 with of his boyhood garage. Another said he a degree in video and painting, but some- couldn’t help but think of the devastation of thing about working with those media fell Hurricane Katrina. “There’s a lot of nostal- flat. “I saw myself searching for something gia,” says Hart. “That always happens when Captivated flexible and diverse, I was thinking about you pick a common form, which I love.” Readers Sophisticated theory, thinking about ways to be active As twilight turned the Puget Sound into Sophisticated Consumers and talk to people and be accessible to liquid gold, Seattle dance icon Donald Byrd people that were not just within a certain climbed onto Hart’s roof, moving slowly demographic.” and methodically to the sounds of Quinton Advertise in In her search for connectivity, Hart took Morris’s ethereal violin. Hart’s rooftop is ca- Photo courtesy of Seattle Opera. Bill Mohn photographer inspiration from continuity within the pable of more than surfacing old memories. Performing for you 206.443.0445 x105 generations. The name of her installation It’s already making new ones. GEMMA WILSON [email protected] EMG07 Audience 1_12.pdf

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Middletown A1

A-1 Title Page A-2 Welcome to ACT A-3 Up Next at ACT A-4 Director’s Letter A-5 Program Notes A-8 Who’s Who A-10 ACT Partners A-16 ACT Board & Staff

ENCORE ARTS NEWS FROM CITY ARTS MAGAZINE Beautiful Dreamer Alice Gosti dances herself home.

BY AMANDA MANITACH WHO Alice Gosti, 28-year-old dancer, choreographer, performer and filmmaker from Perugia, Italy. Gosti moved to Seattle eight years ago to study dance and film at the University of Washington. Her work is inspired by durational performance art by artists like Marina Abramovic , Doug Aitken, Matthew Barney, Gina Pane, Yves Klein and Jan Fabre. STYLE GUIDE “As a kid, most of my clothes were hand-me-downs from my brother and family friends, so I’ve always mixed and matched. I love primary colors. I think of Mondrian a lot. Nail polish helps me not chew my nails. I choose a pair of shoes only if I can run in them. Underwear is the most difficult and important item of clothing.” ARCHITECT OF EXPERIENCE Gosti calls herself a “space transformer,” a title bor- rowed from Yoko Ono. Her performance pieces consider every sensual element of the environment, manipulating temperature, taste, sound, smell and textures to evoke memories and emotions in the audience. “I am interested in eradicating the misconception of dance as an art form for the elite,” Gosti says. “I would like to move beyond the fish-tank feeling in which dancers are seen as beautiful, exotic fish.” RUNS IN THE FAMILY The child of artists (her Italian father was an architect, her American mother a graphic designer), Gosti was always the kid running around at art openings. Eventually her parents began interactive installations and performances as the artist team SANDFORD&GOSTI. “Dreamers themselves, they taught me early on to follow mine,” Gosti says. HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS Growing up bilingual, Gosti never felt like she quite belonged one place or another. “Whenever I was in Italy, I fantasized about living in the States,” she says. “When I finally moved to here, I wanted to go back. Dance and art have been about creating my own language, my own world. I wanted to

create a home for myself wherever I went.” LAUREN MAX

4 ENCORE STAGES Kurt Beattie Carlo Scandiuzzi Artistic Director Executive Director ACT – A Contemporary Theatre presents

Beginning August 30, 2013 Opening Night September 5, 2013

CAST *Aaron Blakely *Renata Friedman *Sarah Harlett Sarina Hart *Matthew Floyd Miller *Marianne Owen *Eric Riedmann Ray Tagavilla *Alexandra Tavares *R. Hamilton Wright

CREATIVE TEAM John Langs Director Jennifer Zeyl Scenic Designer Rose Pederson Costume Designer Ben Zamora Lighting Designer Brendan Patrick Hogan Sound Designer *JR Welden Stage Manager Verhanika Willhelm Production Assistant Evan Christian Anderson Assistant Lighting Designer

*Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage managers in the United States.

Running Time: This performance runs approximately two hours and 10 minutes with intermission.

PRODUCTION SPONSOR:

SEASONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY: A Contemporary Theatre Foundation Eulalie Bloedel Schneider Artists Fund

MIDDLETOWN was produced by the VINEYARD THEATRE, Douglas Aibel, Artistic Director, New York City, Fall 2010

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.

encoreartsprograms.com A-1 WELCOME to ACT

Kurt Beattie

Some of us may remember the little We seem to float through life innately documentary film by Ray and Charles Eames, confident in its reality, and yet overwhelmed The Powers of Ten, and how it starts at the with how fast it passes us by, and stunned level of a man and a woman having a picnic now and then with how enigmatic and on the lakeshore in Chicago, then speeds unknowable it seems. All this resides in logarithmically above via the exponential Middletown, the heart, despair, and resilience rate of ten to arrive at a still point at a vast of different people, human life and death and distance from earth, where galaxies appear love, the seemingly mundane activities of its like single stars in the sky, somewhere at citizens, all of which give specific weight and the edge of the observable universe; then heat to its streets. The play evokes something plummets down the same trajectory minus elusive and yet clearly evident in most of us, units of ten back to earth, until the viewer no matter what we do to earn a living: the falls through the picnicking, sleeping man’s sense that a part of us is eternal and angelic, hand into the microscopic world of his even if we are mortal and our names written tissues, then eventually into the interior of on water; and how moving it is when we can one of his atoms, and ultimately to the end see and understand how large and small we of our understanding; all of it, appropriately, are at the same time. within ten minutes. That is how Will Eno’s Thank you for sharing this journey with us. Middletown strikes me. It manages to express the range of magnitudes in each human life, a bit like Wilder’s play Our Town, but in a way that is unique to this moment in our society, in our history. Kurt Beattie, Artistic Director

A-2 ACT THEATRE coming soon to Act tHEAtRE

Oct 4 – M Nov 3

be wary the kindness of strangers.

ACTChat C C Celebrating Alan Ayckbourn The Construction Zone September 23 November 19 The hit new play reading returns. Bridging the Gap and ACT have teamed up November’s installment is Boomcracklefly to create ACTChat. The inaugural program by Charise Castro Smith. will spotlight R. Hamilton Wright and Sir Alan Ayckbourn in a conversation about art, laughter,

© Andrew Higgins and life in the theatre. C The Great Soul of Russia S A Christmas Carol October 3 November 29-December 29 The Seagull Project returns with their Gather your loved ones and join ACT for beloved reading series. They kick things off Dickens’ classic tale of hope and redemption. with Red Russia.

C Red Light Winter & 25 Saints C Ham for the Holidays October 23-November 24 December 4-22 Seattle theatre company Azeotrope is excited to Outrageous. Irreverent. Very Seattle. Dos Fallopia bring two powerful shows in repertory, the critically bring their long-running holiday sketch romp to acclaimed Red Light Winter by Adam Rapp, and ACT! Chock full of wickedly funny social satire, the Seattle premiere of 25 Saints by playwright musical parody, and razor-sharp zingers, it’s a Joshua Rollins. great way to ring in the season.

ACTPass THeATRe MeMbeRSHiP, TiCkeTS, AND MORe!

Alice mitchell acttheatre.org | (206) 292-7676 | 700 Union Street, Seattle See it all with an ACTPass! #123456 Hello Neighbors. WELCOME to MIDDLETOWN.

We are all born onto this planet in pretty much the same way.

Here you are, a collection of humans who have we’re rewarded: an artist comes along who asks the chosen, for one reason or another, to come into big questions, the questions that resonate in all of this dark room to sit among a group of strangers us. What does it mean to be human? What is the facing a dimly lit stage in anticipation of what purpose of the beautiful, lonely, sad, profound, and another group of humans will do and say when joyful gift of life? How heartbreaking it is that we the lights get brighter. are each of us alone inside our skin, and the best When you break it down to basic facts, the we can do to counter that inescapable solitude is thing you’re doing seems a bit absurd. to reach towards one another with our words, our Here’s another group of basic facts to wrap thoughts, our touch. How remarkable it is that, in your head around: we are all born onto this planet the face of incalculable cosmic mystery, so many of in pretty much the same way; we all grow, eat, us continue to show up for life, and for each other. sleep, amble about, and sooner than most people I am so grateful to Will Eno for posing and expect, our time is over; we all will die. Another exploring these questions, to the cast for their fact: we live our lives on a small corner of a planet intrepid search into their own humanness, to ACT that is one of many in a large solar system inside Theatre for programming this play, and to you. one of many galaxies inside of a vast unknowable Your presence here today bears witness to the universe. These are the facts that shape our compelling need in each of us to strive towards existence. Yet amid all this vastness, uncertainty some greater understanding. Or maybe your and randomness, here you are in Seattle, in the spouse made you attend because they wanted dark, facing the same direction as the strangers to get out of the house and you said, “ah hell I next to you, waiting for something to happen. heard this show was funny.” Whatever the reason, Why is that? we are so glad you’re here sitting in these seats, Perhaps it’s because one of the reasons we go to somewhere in the middle between life and death. the theatre is that, at some level deep down, we’re It’s our hope that by the end of this evening and always hoping that we’ll be offered a glimpse of the this production, the strangers with whom you’re meaning of it all — a chance to contemplate what sitting will seem a little less strange. the hell we are all doing here. And once in a while Welcome to Middletown. Welcome home.

A-4 ACT THEATRE young there. much than whenIwas fancier become enter. much Like inourworld, else it’s can members neighborhood paying exclusivity. ofits visitors but Nobody to it alerting down of the leading stairs Now,dreams. there’s at the asign top favorite place adventure, ofsolace, safety, our summersoff.“Mybeach” was my dayto all during flocked that kids allus up where Igrew near beaches private “my baby sitter.” It oneofmany was which consideredI saw Ialways abeach opining. meconsidering, with was dad my itseemed Iwent, – andwherever Ihadn’tplaces –decades inyears seen youth. Ihadacompulsion many to visit ofmymy travels to back neighborhoods and continuing “discussions” those in andhaving him chats with times several myI found myself father’s visiting grave my timewith upto family. spend grew Marianne Owen day ofrehearsal. thefirst approached our of differently the community – thecitizens chosen and so we became invited who of actors against it resonates likein is auditions thatthescript atuning fortheplay fork–everyone We life. ofordinary today theday todiscover is began thatwe’reis context its onbecause thejourney noticing weall howextraordinary necessarily doinagain, as our without lives and back joytosorrow and from themundane tothemysterious, from prosaic tothepoetic, the small, from big tothevery thevery ahumanto be from Itglides and alive ontheearth. Will Eno’s in an way topeople intensely about what personal it’s speaks Middletown like Recently, Iwent to back the place I to share some of the thoughts and memories it inspired in them as they they toshare itinspired in themas someofthethoughts andMiddletown memories

looking upto that discover 30 some looking and,finally, ones for loved caring taxes, and bills paying working, decades, alongfor ofhaving plodded the sense Idealism. Realistic do. That’s reality, butit’s quite hopeful. third choice orfourth orwhatever) will (or donot),the second (andmost wished don’t iflives well. Imean, one outas turn I findalotof in as thatsense the play Realism.” what “Idealistic is Icall revival considered quite exclusive.city’s The whichand shops are stillthere andnow them into andturned studios buildings the old whobought artists by students, literally revived was the docks near down oftown then, the Back oldpart artists. continuing to save anddefineitnow: to die.What itthen saved what’s is the started city in the late ‘60sand‘70s, fade to began fishing) logging, building, (ship Whenbigindustries and granite. bricks red builtwith alongthecity sea In my life, I’ve recently discovered My “hometown” anortheastern is —

Margaret Layne, Casting Director Casting Margaret Layne, remembers all atremembers once. and andhow itforgets spin regardless our time;howthe world continues to deaths that weexperience throughout at atimeandallthe little andtiny joys It’sacross. one second ourlives about point toits get extreme story-telling the about play.ordinary It doesn’t need Ray Tagavilla the heavens. the and andthinking about stars studying be know Iwouldalways I Librarian, The andlike anartist as any problem but, into any “Middletown,” USAwithout now. It’s actually. honest Icouldright fit entirely as negative this observation see howaverage just Iam.Oddly,see Idon’t and my Ihadto look really hometown, average existence. Idrove around As that Ihaverealization hada completely the escape butIcannot years lot inthose Idida meby!Iknow hadpassed years There’s beautifully something In-Between From the Notes

e ncore a r t s p rograms.com

A- 5 had the play and a gig with the Renata Friedman band right after. Two nights Memories of growing up in Port Townsend, WA. of performance and sweat. Population 8k to 9k, depending on the year. That was my dream weekend. Sunsets at the End of the World and the It was the most exhilarating Forgotten Road. experience to participate in the Late nights rollerskating through the two activities I feel I was born aisles of Safeway, because it was the here to do. From that moment, only place open 24 hrs. everything in life has been a Summer afternoons climbing the bluffs sweet bonus. Today I look at and watching the cargo ships go by. death as an exciting event. The Sitting in the dark on the old pier, waiting ultimate event since birth. As for ghosts. the Female Doctor says, “Those The petrified mummy cat underneath are just two events. There is a the Taylor St. sidewalk. Someone lot in between.” I am in no rush eventually stole it. to get there. I see it more as an Knowing where all the best climbing trees upcoming vacation that I have and all the best apple trees were. no idea when I’ll be leaving for Knowing who lived in nearly every house or how I’m going to get there. on every block. Middletown has some And knowing who lived there before that. beautiful things to say about life Knowing the best place to forage for and death. I have great sympathy Matsutake mushrooms in the fall for the character of John Dodge. The secret rope ladder down the cliff to Glass He’s so alone. His fear of living Beach. (I don’t know if it’s still there). and dying is such a reflection of our to the play’s Middletown have to do with The smell of the lagoon. society, where youth is revered and age a certain, dare I say, banality about the The smell of paint-thinner and old fishing and wisdom are something to be ashamed place — but a rich banality. It’s a place nets and the paper mill. of and hidden away as something ugly and that many of the folks I grew up with were My best friend’s annual cider pressing in useless. We’ve got it all backwards. There trying to get out of, or were glad to get out the fall. Hand-cranked. is so much violence and disconnection. of. But Fresno also had, and has, the warm All the pagan solstice rituals with flaming If any war needed to be fought today, sweetness of people like the Librarian, who branches and songs and whiskey. it would be the war against any force reminds me of my mother and many of Shrimping in the boatyard. that tries to hinder the progress of Love, the women my mother worked with. She Skinny-dipping at Gibb’s Lake. Beauty, and Truth. These are the forces was a school nurse. These kind, supportive Penny candy at the general store. that affirm life. To me, these are the things people, many times conservative, whose Never being anonymous. to be embraced. Anything else is simple politics you might not agree with, but human folly that will have no impact on who could bake a mean pie, raise decent Sarina Hart that last day when we take our last breath. kids and who all seemed to have frosted That moment is ours and ours alone. Will hairdos. I think Eno has a done a good job I have always been fascinated by death. that moment be filled with Love or Fear? of capturing the ‘it is what it is-ness’ of life Not out of morbidity, but more out of How we live our lives and the choices we on Earth in even more minute detail than the fact that it is inevitable. The great make everyday directly influence what Wilder did with Our Town — which is one mystery. I stopped being afraid of death that last moment will be. I choose Joy and of my favorite plays ever! Eno’s is darker, a long time ago. I had read something Gratitude. How about you? edgier, more mysterious, but still sweet somewhere that to people of the Jewish and affirming. It’s both reverent and blunt faith, death was the sweet release from about what the world is like. I love that it all pain. No more tears, taxes, or gravity. Matthew Floyd has those elements and still the delicacy I liked that, so I held onto it. I remember Miller and beauty of life in it. the day I felt okay with my own death. I I’m from a relative Middletown. was playing drums with an all-girl band Fresno, CA. The more I go back the more in Whitefish, Montana. I was cast in a I realize just how small it is. Everyone Sarah Harlett production of Cinderella at the local knows everyone it seems. The similarities I grew up near several big cities, but theatre, and I had a weekend where I vacationed in small towns in America.

A-6 ACT THEATRE I was a child of a military family that for big or small town, but rather any of the wind in the crowns of the firs. At moved every 4-5 years, so I don’t have community larger than extended family. first it sounded to me like moaning and it a hometown. I got my first library card It’s a snapshot of humans living far away frightened me. And the dark frightened me. in Needham, MA, and learned to swim from, right beside, right on top, and But that darkness at night, the there at the local swimming pool. The nearly within each other. And it doesn’t complete absence of light, became, in best place to see the stars was Pentwater, tell us how best to do it, it simply lets time, comforting to me and later in my Michigan, laying in a lawn chair on a deck us (the audience) take a step back and adolescence I began to walk through the next to Lake Michigan far far away from provide our own outsiders perspective... woods in the dark. Even on a moonless any city lights. I saw my first shooting star without commentary on the modernity night, the heavy dark shapes of the tree there. Many of my extended family are of life, but rather an honest acceptance of trunks could be made out and if you from small towns that are becoming part where we find ourselves these days. My walked slowly you didn’t have to put of my warp & weft. I loved Middletown wife and I recently went camping on the your arms out to feel your way. I had from the first speech, the Public Speaker’s Olympic Peninsula, and from our tent at decided that that was how you showed need to give a name and inclusion to night, the stars were so bright that if felt you weren’t afraid. The trailing blackberry everyone who might possibly be in his like we could just reach up and pluck out and sword fern and salal would pull at audience. The self-correction. It was the Big Dipper. If you can see a clear sky my legs as I stepped slowly past the dark clear this wasn’t going to be an ordinary (even in the brightest city), get out there trees. And as I passed each trunk in the play. Nor would it be a simplification of and look up. There’s a humans (ie: you can only be a lady or a whole impossibly large gentleman, those are the only possible universe up there, it’s salutations). I appreciate its quirky, all real, it’s all clicking funny acknowledging of the complexity and churning away in humans — in the way we think, in every single second our dreams, in the way we just simply as we live and breathe try to move about our lives. Everyone here on Earth. I can’t in the play is searching for some kind of imagine living a life something (place in the universe, truth, without being acutely a break from work, the best tourist aware of just how big destination, release, etc.) I love that the and impressive the search (like the people) isn’t tidy. It is whole machine is, and messy and flawed and maybe a little what amazing feats we are capable of bumbling, a little awkward. Because these while playing such a small part in that dark, I knew it was an alder or a fir or a people aren’t good at the search for truth. machine. maple because of the angle of the trunk The answers do not come easily and are or the lightness or darkness of the bark. Sometimes I would touch them to feel not tied up in a bow. R. Hamilton Wright the lichen on the alder or the moss on I was born in Seattle but we moved the maple, but always with my hands and Eric Riedmann out of the city when I was seven. We lived arms low, so that they knew I was not After reading Middletown for the in the woods. My father, who was an afraid. But the huge, old stumps were first time, I put the script down and architect, had designed a house that was different. They often had huckleberry and tried to take stock of all the experiences, mostly glass. salal growing out of their tops and in the moments, locations, and people that I We called it “the property.” The house night shadows they loomed up like heavy- had just experienced. I felt like I’d lived a was long and ran beside a sort of gully bodied ogres with wild hair flying and handful of lifetimes in just a few hours. It that had been the bed of an old railway there was always a thrill of adrenaline, a wasn’t about feeling certain emotions, or grade during the time they had logged sort of silent shriek up my spine and into loving plot points, but about appreciating the land. There were huge stumps in the my brain and ears when they seemed to that the script had unapologetically set woods with holes where the men had put rise into view. They were the stumps of me into so many different people’s shoes the springboards, so they could stand giant firs and cedars that had been felled and never dumbed down enough to say above the ground and cut the trees where decades before, I knew that, and yet they why, or pretentiously told me how to feel. the trunks were not so broad. seemed for a moment to be incredibly I’m from big(ger) cities — I was born in We were surrounded by the forest and powerful beings that were standing stock Phoenix and moved to Seattle when I at night it was very dark. And very quiet. still because I was walking through the was 10 — but I don’t think this play reads I would lie in bed and listen to the sound woods, hands down at my sides, on a

encoreartsprograms.com A-7 Who's Who in Middletown

Aaron Blakely (Astronaut/ Sarina Hart (The Female Eric Riedmann (John Landscaper) Aaron is happy Doctor/Woman) is a recent Dodge) is absolutely to return to ACT where he transplant from Montana thrilled to be making his was seen previously this where she honed her mainstage debut at ACT season as Trip in Other acting chops with roles as - he first appeared at ACT Desert Cities. Regional varied as Lit’l Bit in How I in Collektor’s CHL credits include Photograph Learned to Drive, Puck in production of A Lie of the 51, Clybourne Park and A Midsummer Night’s Mind. His most recent How To Write A New Book For The Bible at Seattle Dream, Woman 1 in Samuel Beckett’s PLAY, and stage credits include Good People a co-production Repertory Theatre; the latter was a world premiere three turns, including a national tour, as Mrs. Muller at George Street Playhouse and Seattle Repertory co-production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre for in Doubt. Sarina is extremely honored to play on the Theatre, The Glass Menagerie also at Seattle Rep., which he received a Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle stage with some of Seattle’s finest. She would like to The Art of Racing in the Rain at Book-It Rep., and Awards nomination. This production received a thank the Seattle theatre community for being so A Single Shard at Seattle Children’s Theatre. He has subsequent staging at South Coast Repertory. Other welcoming, and to the wonderful audiences who also appeared on stage at Seattle Public Theatre, credits include The Lion in Winter at Shakespeare Santa support the arts. Enjoy the show!! Taproot Theatre, Second Story Theatre, and more. Cruz, Sense and Sensibility at Book-It Repertory Film & TV credits include the upcoming Lynn Shelton Theatre, Much Ado About Nothing at Idaho Rep, Matthew Floyd Miller filmLaggies , NBC’s Grimm, TNT’s Leverage, CBS’s Cloning Judson at Southern Rep, and Swansong at (The Cop) At ACT Theatre: The Fugitive, and Disney’s 10 Things I Hate About Shakespeare Walla Walla. Film credits: We Need to Talk Rock‘n Roll, The You. You may recognize his voice in the hit video About Kevin, Frayed, and We Go Way Back. Television: Underpants, and The game State of Decay; and his first national Grimm and Leverage. Aaron holds an M.F.A. in acting Pillowman. Broadway: Not commercial is airing now for Nature Valley. Eric from the University of Washington. About Nightingales, dir. sends love to Jesse & the Purrbot. Trevor Nunn (Circle in the Renata Friedman (The Square); The Invention of Ray Tagavilla Tour Guide/Sweetheart) Love (Lincoln Center Theatre). Off-Broadway: (Mechanic) is a graduate Previous ACT credits include Another Part of the Forest (Peccadillo Theatre Co.); of the University of The Female of the Species, Letters From Cuba (Signature Theatre Co.); The Washington Drama Eurydice, and Vincent in Seagull (NYU Director’s Lab). Regional Highlights: Program. Some of his Brixton. Renata has Yes, Prime Minister (Geffen Playhouse); The 39 Steps theater credits include appeared locally in The K of (Ensemble Theatre Co.); Noises Off (La Mirada Porcelain (formerly D (Seattle Rep), The Scarlet Theater Center); Private Lives (Laguna Playhouse/ NWAAT) Theater Off Letter, A Doctor in Spite of Himself (Intiman Theatre), Rubicon Theatre); Hysteria (Wilma Theatre); Around Jackson, Our Country’s Good, Money and Run Series Hamlet, Pharoah Serket, and Jason and the Golden the World In Eighty Days (San Jose Rep./ Laguna and Trojan Women at Theater Schmeater, Richard II Fleece (Seattle Children’s Theatre), and the Icicle Creek Playhouse); The Bald Soprano (Shakespeare NJ); This at Seattle Shakespeare, Sex in Seattle Series and Theatre Festival. New York: Page 73 Productions, New Wonderful Life (Portland Center Stage); A Prayer For Cowboy Vs Samurai with SISProductions, An Victory Theater, Aquila Theatre Company, FringeNYC, Owen Meany (Playmaker’s Rep.); Theophilus North American Book of the Dead and Clubfoot with Fringe Encores, and The Orchard Project. Regional: (Arena Stage/Geva Theatre); The Violet Hour (Dallas Annex Theater, Soft Rock Kid with Mark Siano, The Berkeley Rep, JAW (Portland Center Stage), Yale Rep, Theatre Center); Desire Under The Elms (Dean Mistakes Madeline Made with Washington TheatreWorks (Silicon Valley), Humana Festival, Goodman Award, San Jose Rep.); A Midsummer Ensemble Theatre, Elephant’s Graveyard and Barrington Stage Company, Illusion Theatre Night’s Dream (The Old Globe); The Tempest Zastrozzi: The Master of Discipline with Balagan (Minneapolis), Actors Theatre of Louisville, (Playmaker’s Rep.). TV/Film: Major Crimes; Criminal Theater, Spidermann with Jose Bold, Of Mice and TheatreWorks New Works Festival, Milwaukee Rep, Minds; Law &Order; Pop Rocks; All Good Things; Men with Seattle Repertory Theatre, Sauced and To and the Aquila Theatre touring company. Renata is a End of the Line. Training: NYU Graduate Acting. Savor Tomorrow with Cafe Nordo, A Lie of the Mind graduate of NYU and a former student of the Seattle Thanks J and J, Margaret, and John Langs. with Collektor (through CHL), Ramayana at ACT, Children’s Theatre Drama School. Seattle Magazine’s White Hot at West of Lenin, and Jesus Hopped the Best Actress of 2011, Gregory Award Nominee 2011. Marianne Owen (The A Train with Azeotrope for which he was the Librarian/Aunt) last recipient of the 2012 Gregory Award. For FF. Sarah Harlett (The appeared at ACT in Female Tourist/Attendant) Assisted Living, One Slight Alexandra Tavares is very happy to join this Hitch, The Trip to (Mary Swanson) is excited cast of Middletown. She Bountiful, Intimate to return to ACT. was previously seen at ACT Exchanges, and many Previously she was seen in a production of A more shows over the past here as Lenka in Rock n’ Christmas Carol. Recently 26 years. She was most recently seen in Good Roll. Recent shows seen as Demetrius in Titus People at the Seattle Rep., and has worked at Book include Titorelli in The Andronicus at Upstart Crow. Previous work: Seattle It Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Seattle Trial with NCTC and Nina Shakespeare Company, On The Boards, New City Children’s Theatre, The Empty Space, Village in The Seagull with The Seagull Project. Other Theater, Seattle Rep, Intiman,The Empty Space, and Theatre, and Intiman Theatre. A founding member credits include Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice, The Compound Collective. Favorite roles include Neely of the American Repertory Theatre Company, she Matilde in The Clean House, and Janice in Italian- O’Hara in The Valley of the Dolls, Joan in Far Away, has also worked at the Public Theatre, Arizona American Reconciliation at Actors Theatre of Hermione in The Winter’s Tale, Helena in Alls Well Theatre Company, La Jolla Playhouse, Repertory Louisville; Irina in Three Sisters, Ellie in Heartbreak That Ends Well, and the ill-fated Barbara in Night of Theatre of St. Louis, Playwrights’ Horizons, Guthrie House at Intiman Theatre, C in Three Tall Women the Living Dead at Seattle Children’s Theatre. Theatre, Goodman Theatre, the George St. at Seattle Repertory Theatre; originating the role of International work: Dessus Dessous festival with Parc Playhouse and toured nationally in The Real Thing Sheena Keener in a Jane Martin world premier of de la Villette in Paris, France with the Megan Murphy (directed by Mike Nichols). She holds her M.F.A. Somebody/Nobody at Arizona Theatre Company. Company. Film includes: Grassroots, Brand Upon the from the Yale School of Drama and is a co-founder Other local production include Medea in Jason Brain, and Police Beat. Sarah currently teaches at of Bridging the Gap, a theatrical studio for Seattle and the Golden Fleece at Seattle Children’s Theatre, Cornish College of the Arts and Freehold Theater. actors and directors. For more information, go to Hero in Much Ado About Nothing and Katherine Sarah is a graduate of Cornish College of Arts. bridgingthegapseattle.blogspot.com. in Henry V at Seattle Shakespeare Company;

A-8 ACT THEATRE Who’s Who in Middletown

Mrs. Kendall in The Elephant Man; Leni in Leni at has enjoyed directing a wide variety of productions. Shakespeare Festival, The Kennedy Center, and for Strawberry Workshop; and Crumbs Are Also Bread Some of his favorites include King Lear with Kurt Richard E.T. White’s production of The Importance and Swimming in the Shallows at Washington Beattie in the leading role, The Shaggs Philosophy of Being Earnest at The Berkley Repertory Theater Ensemble Theatre. She has received an M.F.A. from of the World (Los Angeles Drama Critic Circle where her work was nominated for a Bay Area University of Washington PATP. Award for Best Original Musical, Backstage Garland Drama Critics Award. She was also the long-time Award for Best Direction, nominated for Lucile resident designer at Seattle University’s Drama R. Hamilton Wright Lortel and Drama Desk awards celebrating Department where she worked with Ki Gottberg on (The Public Speaker/Male excellence Off Broadway.), Brothers Karamazov her original production of Mirabelle: A Breeze. Doctor/Freelancer/Ground (seven LADCC Awards including Best Production of Control) Wright has been the year and Best Direction). John received the first Ben Zamora (Lighting Designer) Previously at ACT, a professional actor for annual Seattle Gregory Award honoring excellence Ben designed In the Next Room, or the vibrator thirty-five years and in that in direction for The Adding Machine. Earlier this play and The Pitmen Painters. His projects have time he has appeared in year Seattle audiences were able to catch John’s been seen at venues around the world, including over 130 productions. He directing work in NCTC’s production of The Trial the Mariinsky Theatre in Russia; Lincoln Center for was last seen on stage at ACT as Scrooge in A and The Seagull Project’s inaugural production of the Performing Arts in New York; Royal Festival Hall Christmas Carol, as Harry Wilson in The Pitmen The Seagull. As a dedicated fan of original work and The Barbican Center in London; Stockholm’s Painters, and as Doc in One Slight Hitch. Some of John has shepherded over a dozen projects to their Baltic Sea Festival; the Helsinki Festival; the Berliner his other ACT favorites include Henry Bell in Alan premier production. Since January John has been Festspiele; the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland; Ayckbourn’s The Revenger’s Comedies, Ariel in delighted to serve as the Associate Artistic Director Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles; DeDoelen Martin McDonough’s The Pillowman, and George of ACT Theatre. in The Netherlands; Salle Pleyel in Paris; SUSHI W. Bush in David Hare’s Stuff Happens. Double Performance and Visual Art in San Diego; Madison Indemnity – which he co-adapted with David Jennifer Zeyl (Set Designer) is thrilled to return Opera; and Portland Institute of Contemporary Pichette – received its world premiere at ACT in to ACT where she previously designed The Seagull Art. Locally in Seattle, his designs have been seen 2011. His directing credits at ACT include A Project, The Mojo & the Sayso, and Pilgrims Musa at the Intiman, ACT, the Moore Theatre, Book-It Christmas Carol, Souvenir, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Sheri in the New World. Other local designs Repertory Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, and this season’s Assisted Living. Mr. Wright lives in include: I am my Own Wife, Bo-nita, Of Mice and Washington Ensemble Theatre, and On The Boards. a little brick house in North Seattle with his Men, boom. and My Name is Rachel Corrie (Seattle A frequent collaborator with director Peter Sellars, remarkably talented wife — Katie Forgette. Repertory Theatre); The Adding Machine, The Ben has implemented designs for projects including Trial (New Century Theatre Company); Trouble in The Tristan Project with video artist, Bill Viola; The Will Eno (Playwright) is a Residency Five Fellow at Mind, We Won’t Pay!, Stu for Silverton, Lysistrata, Desdemona Project, with original text by Toni the Signature Theater in New York, where his play Hedda Gabler, Dirty Story, Miracle! Romeo & Morrison, Orango, with the LA Philharmonic; and Title and Deed premiered in May 2012. His play Juliet and Heartbreak House (Intiman); Antony & most recently a European tour of John Adams’ The Gnit, an adaptation of Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, premiered Cleopatra, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Winter’s Gospel According to the Other Mary. Ben also at the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville in 2013. His Tale, Merchant of Venice and Hamlet (Seattle keeps an active presence in the world of visual art: Shakespeare); Sonic Tales and Hedwig & the Angry play The Realistic Joneses had its premiere at the last year having collaborated with artist Eleanor Inch (The Moore Theatre); Trails (Village Theatre). Yale Repertory Theater, in April 2012. Both The Antin, at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles as Jennifer is the winner of the 2006 Stranger’s Realistic Joneses and Title and Deed were on the part of the Pacific Standard Time Festival, as well as Genius Award for Theatre and recipient of funding New York Times’ “Best Plays of 2012” list. His play continuously creating new work as one half of the from the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, Artist Middletown was a winner of the Horton Foote visual art team LILIENTHAL|ZAMORA, whose large- Trust, 4Culture, The National Endowment for the Award and was produced at the Vineyard Theater in scale light installations have been seen at the Frye Arts and private patronage. Jennifer is also is the New York and Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago. His Art Museum and at the Coachella Valley Music and proud proprietress of Canoe Social Club, a salon play Thom Pain (based on nothing) ran for a year at Arts Festival in California. for civic-minded artists. the Daryl Roth Theater, was a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize, and has been translated into over a Brendan Patrick Hogan (Sound Designer) is (Costume Designer) has dozen languages. He was recently awarded the PEN/ Rose Pederson the resident sound designer at ACT Theatre where designed costumes for more than one hundred Laura Pels International Foundation Award. He was he has designed more than 30 productions since professional productions at theaters from Broadway a Hodder Fellow at Princeton University, where he 2009. Favorite productions include Other Desert to Seattle. She designed over 25 productions taught playwriting. His work is published by TCG, Cities, Rock & Roll, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Yankee DPS, playscripts, and Oberon Books, in London. for ACT including Uncle Ho to Uncle Sam, Mrs. Tavern, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Pilgrims Other work has also appeared in Harper’s, The California, Language of Flowers; Glengarry Musa and Sheri in the New World, Double Believer, and The Quarterly. Glen Ross; Merrily We Roll Along; Sunsets and Indemnity, and Ramayana. Other design and Glories; Lloyd’s Prayer; The Downside, Polish Joke; composition credits include Red (Seattle Repertory Absurd Person Singular; The Nina Variations; John Langs (Director) Theatre/Arizona Theatre Company - Gregory The Notebook of Trigorin; Temporary Help, My John’s 16-year freelance Award winner for Sound and Music Design), , ; and . On Broadway, career has afforded him Children My Africa Hapgood RoboPop!, Titus, God’s Ear and Neighborhood the opportunity to work she designed the costumes for Largely, New 3: Requisition of Doom (Washington Ensemble with many great artists at York. She has designed many productions for the Theatre), Demonology (NextStage), This Wide prestigious theatre Seattle Repertory Theatre, including An American Night (Seattle Public Theatre), and Cymbeline companies across the Daughter; The Heidi Chronicles; and The Sisters (Seattle Shakespeare Company). country. He has directed Rosenzweig. Other productions at the Rep include productions at Playwrights Horizons NY, Ensemble Jar the Floor; Oleanna; Substance of Fire; Marvin’s JR Welden (Assistant Stage Manager) Welden Studio Theater NY, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Room; Lisbon Traviata; That’s it Folks; Frankie and has stage managed Uncle Ho to Uncle Sam, Mary Lookingglass Theater Company in Chicago, Circle X Johnny in the Clair de Lune; The Beauty Part; The Stuart, One Slight Hitch, Eurydice, The Underpants, in Los Angeles, The Resident Ensemble Players in Understanding; Landscape of the Body; Happy and A Christmas Carol at ACT. He staged managed Delaware, New Century Theatre Company, Days; August Snow; and The Nice and the Nasty. 10 seasons at Intiman working on productions Washington Ensemble Theatre, and Seattle She has also designed for Seattle Childrens Theatre, including The Grapes of Wrath, Nickel and Dimed, Shakespeare Company. John received his directing New City Theater, The Empty Space, Tacoma and The Mandrake Root with Lynn Redgrave. At degree from the University of North Carolina Actor’s Guild, Portland Center Stage, The Arizona Seattle Rep, his credits include Blue Door, The School of the Arts. Over the course of his career he Theater Company, The Cleveland Playhouse, Idaho Chosen, and Pygmalion.

encoreartsprograms.com A-9 Who’s Who in Middletown Special Fund Donors Kurt Beattie (Artistic ACT Endowment Fund Donors Director) has been ACT’s endowment is administered by A Contemporary Theatre Foundation. creating theater for Puget Sound audiences for Buster & Nancy Alvord • Joan & Larry Barokas • Michael Corliss-Investco • Katharyn Alvord Gerlich • nearly 40 years as an Becky & Jack Benaroya • Charles Blumenfeld & Karla Axell • The Ewert Family • Bruce & Dawn Goto • actor, playwright, and William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fund for Education & Outreach Programs • director. His productions Kreielsheimer Remainder Fund • Doug & Nancy Norberg • Sally Pence • Katherine & Douglass Raff • at ACT include Grey Brooks & Suzanne Ragen • Herman & Faye Sarkowsky • David E. & Catherine E. Skinner • Gardens, Ramayana (with Sheila Daniels), The Kayla Skinner • Estate of Stuart Smailes • David & Joyce Veterane • The Peg & Rick Young Foundation Pitmen Painters, Double Indemnity, In the Next Room, or the vibrator play, The Lieutenant of Special Thanks Inishmore, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Becky’s New Car, Intimate ACT gratefully acknowledges the following for their contributions to this production and season: Exchanges, First Class, The Pillowman, Mitzi’s Keith Johnsen, Daqopa Brands LLC • Seattle Children’s Theatre • AJ Epstein • Abortion, The Underpants, Bach at Leipzig, Vincent in Brixton, Black Coffee, Alki, Moon for Seattle Repertory Theatre • UW Drama • Tango • Mike Dodge • Moby’s Restaurant • the Misbegotten, Fuddy Meers, Fully Committed, Avast! Recording Co. • Serenza Salon & Spa • Quinn Armstrong • Intiman Via Dolorosa, and the holiday classic, A Christmas Carol. Elsewhere he has directed at Seattle Repertory Theatre, The Empty Space, Intiman New Works For The American Stage Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, University of — A Special Thanks to ACT’s Commissioners Washington, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, The Alley Theatre in Our commissioners are venture capitalists of new ideas and we commend their bravery! Houston, and Ojai Playwrights Festival. As an actor, Becky’s New Car Title TBA Title TBA he has appeared in leading and major roles at ACT by Steven Dietz by Jason Grote by Steven Dietz (most recently as Joe Taylor in Assisted Living and Commissioned by Commissioned by Gian-Carlo Commissioned by Laurie Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol), the Charles Staadecker and Eulalie Scandiuzzi Besteman and Jack Lauderbaugh, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Intiman, The Empty in honor of Benita Staadecker Paul and Paula Butzi, Jim and Space Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, as Maggie Cassidy Jane Lyons, Charlie and Benita well as many regional theatres throughout the Hell Leaves Odessa by Chris Jeffries Staadecker, Jim and Kathy Tune country. Beattie is a recipient of the Theatre Puget by Julie Marie Myatt Commissioned by Dennis Forsyth Sound Gregory A. Falls Sustained Achievement Commissioned by Art Wahl in honor of Elaine Spencer A Long Distance Award, and the Outstanding Achievement in the in honor of Eva Wahl by Doug Lucie The Final Days of Arts Award from Arts Fund. Commissioned by Gian-Carlo How to Remove Blood NegroVille and Eulalie Scandiuzzi Carlo Scandiuzzi from a Carpet by Keith Joseph Adkins (Executive Director) is a by Laura Schellhardt Commissioned by Gian-Carlo founder of Agate Films Commissioned by and Eulalie Scandiuzzi and Clear Pictures, Paul and Paula Butzi producing such films as Prototype, Dark Drive, Outpatient, and The Flats, and Indieflix, a distribution company. In 1979, Scandiuzzi started The ACT Legacy Society Modern Productions, bringing to Seattle such The ACT legacy Society honors those who remember ACT in their wills or other estate plans. legendary bands as The Police, Devo, Nina Hagen, Legacy Society members ensure ACT’s ongoing tradition of presenting the best of contemporary Iggy Pop, The Ramones, John Cale, Robert Fripp, theatre for future generations. Investments of all sizes can make significant future gifts by using James Brown, Muddy Waters, and many more. He tax-advantaged estate and financial planning techniques. Notify ACT of your arrangements by performed in several plays at The Empty Space calling (206) 292-7660 ext. 1002. Theatre including Aunt Dan and Lemon, The Return of Pinocchio, and Dracula. In the early Nancy Alvord • Laurie Besteman • Jean Burch Falls • Linda & Brad Fowler • ‘80s, he collaborated with many Seattle Suzanne Howard • H. David Kaplan • Catherine & Barry McConnell • performance artists such as Norman Durkee, Alan Dr. Arnie & Judy Ness • Lisbeth Pisk • Brooks & Suzanne Ragen • Teresa Revelle • Lande, and Jesse Bernstein. He also acted in Chuck Sitkin • GregRobin Smith • Dorothy E. Wendler various films including Bugsy, The Public Eye, Another You, Casanova’s Kiss, and Killing Zoe. He graduated from the Ecole Superieure D’Art Patron Information Dramatique of Geneva. Carlo currently serves as a member of the Seattle Arts Commission. Emergency Evacuation Procedures In the Food Food is not allowed in the theater. Address & Website ACT Theatre is located event of an emergency, please wait for an Tuxedos & Tennis Shoes is the preferred at 700 Union Street, Seattle WA 98101. ACT operates under agreements announcement for further instructions. caterer of ACT Theatre. Ticket Office Phone: (206) 292-7676. Ushers will be available for assistance. Administrative Office Phone: with the following: Accessibility Wheelchair seating is available. (206) 292-7660. Fax: (206) 292-7670. Emergency Number The theater’s The theater is equipped with the Sennheiser Website: www.acttheatre.org. emergency number in the Union lobby Listening System for the hard of hearing; is (206) 292-7667. Leave your exact seat headsets are available from the house Theater Rental: For information regarding location with your emergency contact in manager for use, free of charge, with a valid booking, contact [email protected]. case they need to reach you. ID and subject to availability. ACT Theatre offers American Sign Language interpreted, Group Sales: Groups of 10 or more Smoking Policy Smoking is NOT allowed audio-described performances. For more can save. Call (206) 292-7676 or email in any part of the theater or within 25 feet information, email [email protected]. [email protected]. of the entrance. Lost & Found Call (206) 292-7676 Fragrance: Please be considerate and keep Firearms Policy No firearms of any kind between12:00pm and 6:00pm, Tues-Sun. personal fragrance to a minimum. are allowed in any part of the theater.

A-10 ACT THEATRE tickets on sale now

ACT’s party of the year is coming this fall. Come be a part of the adventure. Oct 25 Wander with us… 2013

For more information, please visit www.acttheatre.org/gala or call (206) 292-7660 ext.1306. ACT Community Partners ACT gratefully recognizes the following corporations, foundations, and government agencies for their generous support of our 2013 programs. Without such tremendous community support, ACT would not be able to offer outstanding contemporary theatre, in-school educational programming, or community based outreach.This list reflects community giving from July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013.

Executive Underwriters The Peg & Rick Young Foundation Graham & Dunn ($100,000+) TEW Foundation Holland America Lines* The Norcliffe Foundation The Seattle Foundation Mitch Stuart Inc.* Moby’s* Season Sponsors Stage Partners Moss Adams L.L.P. ($50,000-99,999) ($5,000-9,999) Palmer Chiropractic Clinic* 4Culture Bob & Eileen Gilman Family Foundation Pike Brewing Company* ArtsFund Horizons Foundation Pratidhwani Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, City of Seattle NW Motor Scooters ProFormance Racing School* The Boeing Company RealNetworks Foundation Schramsberg Vineyards* The Shubert Foundation, Inc. Sea-Tac Lighting & Controls, LLC TheFilmSchool* Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes* Travellers Advantage The Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum* Varmala The Schooner Zodiac* Producing Partners Wyman Youth Trust Thurston Charitable Foundation ($25,000-49,999) Tiffany & Co.* Amazon.com Inc. Benefactors Traver Gallery* Ballinger Family Foundation ($1,000-4,999) Urban Kitchen Company* Columbia Crest Grand Estates* A Contemporary Theatre Foundation Washington Holdings John Graham Foundation Alaskan Copper & Brass Company / Nesholm Family Foundation Alaskan Copper Works Media Partners The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation Alki Arts* City Arts Magazine* Washington State Arts Commission Barneys New York* KCTS 9* Wells Fargo Bella Vita Salon* KEXP* Bill Speidel Enterprises KUOW* Performance Partners Cave B Winery* KING FM* ($10,000-24,999) City Hardware* Seattle Magazine* Elizabeth George Foundation Fales Foundation Trust

HSBC Ferrari of Seattle* *Support provided through in-kind contributions Legacy Group* Flowers on 15th* Microsoft Corporation Gordon Biersch Brewing Co.*

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

BALLINGER FAMILY FOUNDATION

THE JOHN GRAHAM FOUNDATION

A-12 ACT THEATRE ACT Circle of Donors ACT creates consciousness through theatre. Our work is powered by the investment of our community. We would like to recognize and thank the many generous individuals who have made contributions to A Contemporary Theatre over the past year. You inspire and amaze us all. The following list reflects pledges and gifts made to the Annual Producing Fund between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013.

$100,000+ Jean Burch Falls Betty Bottler Linda & Brad Fowler Gregory & Diane Lind Jane & David R. Davis Katharyn Alvord Gerlich Katherine & Douglass Raff Betsy & Charles Fitzgerald Gladys Rubinstein Anonymous Richard Hesik & Barbara Johns Eulalie M. & Gian-Carlo Scandiuzzi May McCarthy & Don Smith $15,000 – $19,999 Spark Charitable Foundation Jean Walkinshaw $50,000 – $99,999 Dr. Arnie & Judy Ness Mrs. Nancy Alvord Linda & George Ojemann Linda Brown & Larry True $12,500 – $14,999 Laurie Besteman & Jack Lauderbaugh Katherine & Douglass Raff $35,000 – $49,999 Chuck Sitkin John Siegler & Alexandra Read, MD Kurt Beattie & Marianne Owen Vijay & Sita Vashee Elaine Spencer & Dennis Forsyth Kate Purwin & Sergei Tschernisch $20,000 – $34,999 $10,000 – $12,499 David & Joyce Veterane Chap & Eve Alvord Elias & Karyl Alvord Jean Viereck James Degel & Jeanne Berwick, Joan & Larry Barokas Berwick Degel Family Foundation

$7,500 – $9,999 Barry & Colleen Scovel Jo Anne & Donald Rosen Lonnie Edelheit Allan & Nora Davis Dr. Larry Hohm & Karen Shaw Gregory Seale Lori Eickelberg Thomas P. & Christine M. Griesa Tamzen Talman Debra Sinick & David Ballenger Sonya & Jason Elliott Patricia Daniels & Bill Kuhn Brian Turner & Susan Hoffman John & Rose Southall Steven Engle Kelly Miller & Ruthann Stolk Anonymous (2) Ron & Carol Sperling Jeannie Falls Margaret Stanley Charles & Benita Staadecker Jim & Gretchen Faulstich Robert & Shirley Stewart $2,000-$3,499 Garth & Drella Stein Charles & Margaret Fitzgerald David & Shirley Urdal Bill & Janette Adamucci Franklin & Stephanie Thoen Anne Foster Richard & Constance Albrecht Mark & Arlene Tibergien Mrigankka Fotedar $5,000 – $7,499 Kenneth & Marleen Alhadeff Chris Visser & Sarah Fields Visser Phyllis Hatfield Sheena Aebig & Eric Taylor Kermit & Danna Anderson Rebecca Wells Daniel & Whitney Hazzard Allan & Anne Affleck Peter & Jane Barrett Dr. Sheree Wen Rodney & Jill Hearne Daniel Alexander Peter & Fran Bigelow Steve and Diana White Marjorie Kennedy Hemphill Melinda & Walter Andrews Dennis & Aline Caulley Jane & Leonard Yerkes Julia & Michael Herschensohn Ben & Marianne Bourland Colin & Jennifer Chapman Anonymous (2) Margot & Paul Hightower Sonya & Tom Campion Steven & Judith Clifford John & Ellen Hill James & Barbara Heavey Dennis & Deborah DeYoung $1,000-$1,999 Vaughn Himes & Martie Ann Bohn Heather & Grady Hughes Mike Heckinger & Kristine Easterday John Akin & Mary Stevens Dan & Connie Hungate Linda & Ted Johnson Petra Franklin Tom Alberg & Judi Beck Judith Jesiolowski & David Thompson Eugene & Donna Mikov Natalie Gendler Marcia Engel Clare Kapitan & Keith Schreiber Douglas & Nancy Norberg Lee Dicks Guice Raj & Swati Angolkar H. David Kaplan Greg Perkins Peter Hartley & Sheila Noonan Kendall & Sonia Baker Deborah Killinger Ann Ramsay-Jenkins Ellen Hazzard Marge & Dave Baylor Agastya Kohli Eric and Margaret Rothchild Stephanie M. Hilbert Becky Benaroya Karen Koon & Brad Edwards Charitable Fund Gary & Parul Houlahan Paul & Erica Bergman Greg Kucera & Larry Yocom Lisa Simonson Katherine Ann Janeway Susan Leavitt & William Block Joanne M. Kuhns Annette Toutonghi & Bruce Oberg & H.S. Wright III Sarika & Samir Bodas George & Linda Lamb Jim & Kathy Tune Lura & David Kerschner Cynthia Briggs Craig Davis & Ellen Le Vita Marcia & Klaus Zech Gerald Kroon & Roxanne Shepherd Carla & Thomas Bucknell Eileen Lennon Steven & Anne Lipner Dr. William Calvin Jim Lobsenz & Elizabeth Choy $3,500 – $4,999 Kathleen Lower & Dr. Katherine Graubard Alice Mailloux Paul & Paula Butzi Jane W. & James A. Lyons Corinne A. Campbell Marcella McCaffray Nicole Boyer Cochran Pamela Burns McCabe Manisha Chainani Gail & John Mensher Lisa & Norman Judah Samuel B. McKinney Trevor Cobb & Cecilia Cayetano Lauren Mikov Bill & Holly Marklyn Nadine & John Murray Patricia & Theodore Collins Mark & Susan Minerich Yoshi & Naomi Minegishi The Nordhoff Family Kathleen Sneden-Cook & Jack Cook Michael Moody & Martha Jane Ninh & Randy Smith Brooks & Suzanne Ragen Steve Coulter Clatterbaugh Teresa & Geoff Revelle Cindy & Lance Richmond Tracy Dickerson & Frank Petrie Dayle Moss & David Brown

encoreartsprograms.com A-13 ACT Circle of Donors Bill & Mary Ann Mundy Midge & Steve Carstensen Kevin & Sheri McCarthy $250-$499 Shirish & Mona Nadkarni Martin Christoffel & Shirley Schultz Joy McNichols Diana & Warren Aakervik Sally Nelson Clark Family Charitable Fund Sarah B. Meardon Bob Alexander & Kathleen Devon Mardi Newman Jack Clay Bob & Sue Mecklenburg Sarah & Robert Alsdorf James Nichols Judy & Bob Cline Michael & Sarajane Milder Gilbert & Mary Jane Anderson Grace Nordhoff & Jonathan Beard Zan & Stephan Collier Adam & Shellie Moomey Jane & Brian Andrew Kristin Olson Ellen & Phil Collins Wesley Moore & Sandra Walker Basil & Gretchen Anex Hal Opperman & JoLynn Edwards Christopher Comte Sallie & Lee Morris Loren & June Arnett Valerie D. Payne John & Catherine Crowley Eleanor and Charles Pollnow Joe & Lee Ashley Bill & Beth Pitt Chris Curry Zack Mosner & Patty Friedman Adel Assaad Alan & Andrea Rabinowitz Dottie Delaney John Naye Diane & Jean-Loup Baer Sherry & James Raisbeck James & Amanda Devine Colette J. Ogle Ron & Marcia Baltrusis Alan & Barbara Rappoport Lynn Dissinger Chris & BJ Ohlweiler Karl Banse Jeff Robbins & Marci Wing Darrel & Nancy Dochow Curt & Rita Orazem Bob & Melisse Barrett David and Valerie Robinson Fund Ellen Downey Cynthia & Bruce Parks Jim & Kathleen Bellomo Evelyne Rozner & Matt Griffin Luella & Harold Drevecky Molly Pengra Dr. & Mrs. Bensinger William & Rae Saltzstein Matthew Echert Chuck Perry Lenore Bensinger Terry Scheihing & Ben Kramer Susan Elizabeth Donald Pogoloff Ruth & Greg Berkman M. Darrel & Barbara Sharrard Mr. William O Ellison Joan Potter Dennis Birch & Evette Ludman Marianna Veress Smirnes Joanne R. Euster Charles & Doris Ray Luther Black Adam Stanger Rob Faucett Cecilia Paul & Harry Reinert Gail & Randy Bohannon Winifred & Jairus Stratton Teresa Irene Ferguson Jan & Kerry Richards Pietro Borghesi Jeffrey A. Sutherland Vincent & Gillian Fernandes Nicholas & Yvonne Roberts Jerome & Barbara Bosley Taucher Family Foundation Carla Fowler Bruce F. Robertson Sean Bowles The Seattle Foundation Rick Freedman Carol Stockton & Jeffrey Robinson John Bradshaw Mani & Anu Vadari Jeffrey & Eleanor Freeman Ann Rowe Karen Brattesani & Douglas Potter Paul G. & Mary Lou Dice Vibrans Ann & Donald Frothingham Barbara Sando Roberta & Victor Bremson The W Foundation Maradel Krummel Gale Ingrid Sarapuu & Michael Anderson Beth & John Brennen Judith Warshal & Wade Sowers Richard & Mary Beth Gemperle Melissa Schafer Dorothy A. Brown Nancy Weintraub Sergey Genkin Joe & Judy Schocken Dr. James & Donna Brudvik Herbie Weisse Boyd & Ann Givan Paul & Julie Schuman Val Brustad Judith A. Whetzel Hellmut & Marcy Golde Sandra & Kenneth Schwartz Carol & Jonathan Buchter Steve and Diana White Lisa Goodman Michael C. Shannon Margaret Bustion Mary & Donald Wieckowicz Kelly & Jeffrey Greene John Shaw Mary Casey-Goldstein & Steve George & Colleen Willoughby David Guterson Barbara & Richard Shikiar Goldstein Scott & Shirley Wilson Kristi Hannigan & Robert Hood Judith Simmons Rick Compton Kathy & Chic Wilson Erik & Evy Haroldson Tom Skerritt Judith & Thomas Connor Mr. & Mrs. Clyde Wilson Sharron & David Hartman Jeff Slesinger Richard Conway & Susan Williams Rob Witmer Diana & Peter Hartwell Jen Steele & Jon Hoekstra Jan & Bill Corriston Ann P. Wyckoff Kellanne Henry Kim Stindt & Mark Heilala Bob Dahlstrom Wyman Youth Trust F. Randall & Barbara Hieronymus Derek Storm & Cynthia Gossett Susanne & Steve T. Daley Charitable Anonymous Jim & Linda Hoff Isabel & Herb Stusser Fund Joseph & Linda Iacolucci Norm & Lynn Swick Dan & Esther Darrow $500-$999 Alice Ikeda & Philip Guess Kim & Ann Torp-Pedersen Clay & Karen Dawson Barbara Anderson Dean M. Ishiki John Tschample Ron & Jan Delismon Cheryl & Jack Avery David B. Johnson Mike & Judy Waring Darrell Derochier Bruce P. Babbitt Gail & David Karges Rob & Jennessa West Paula Diehr & Frank Hughes Akhtar & Alka Badshah Alexander Grigorovitch & Vera Janet Westin & Mike McCaw Eva & Gary Dines Eric & Susan Benson Kirichuk Leora Wheeler Mary Virginia & Julian Dombrowski Luann & Irv Bertram Max Langley Philip & Susan White Vasiliki Dwyer Diane and Gordon Bissett Allan & Beth Las The Whitsitt Family Fund Amanda Ebbert & Kathryn Johnson John Boling Robert Lehman & Christopher Douglas & Dianne Wills Mickey & Jeanne Eisenberg Cleve & Judith Borth Mathews Susan Wolcott & George Taniwaki Kevin Wilson & Emily Evans Wendy Bradbury Charlotte Lin Conrad & Glenna Wouters Karen & Bill Feldt Brian Branagan & Carissa Sanchez Arni Litt Bill & Jennifer Woyski Lyn & Paul Fenton Matthew Brantley Keith Loeb Sylvia Young K. Denice Fischer-Fortier & James M. June & Alan Brockmeier C. Gilbert Lynn Joyce & Christian Zobel Fortier Jan Brucker & Lauren Barber Theodore & Mary Ann Mandelkorn Igor Zverev & Yana Solovyeva Chris Fitzgerald Carl Bunje & Patricia Costello Tony Martello Anonymous (9) Rynold & Judge Fleck Joel Buxbaum Lyle & Liz Martin Eleanor & Jeff Freeman Susan Campbell Kyoko Matsumoto Wright Jane & Richard Gallagher Jeffrey & Alicia Carnevali Eric Mattson & Carla Fowler Jean Gardner

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encoreartsprograms.com A-15 ACT A Theatre of New Ideas ACT Board ACT Advisory Council Artistic Sales and Costume Departments Sheena Aebig John Langs Audience Services Carolyn Keim† Of Trustees Dr. Ellsworth C. Alvord, Jr.* Associate Artistic Director Jessica Howard Costume Director Aubrey Davis Associate Director of Sales Brian Turner Margaret Layne† Connie Rinchiuso† Daniel D. Ederer Chairman Casting Director & Artistic Associate Robert Hankins Costume Shop Foreman Jean Burch Falls Sales Operations Manager Charles Sitkin Jeannie M. Falls Anita Montgomery† Kim Dancy† President John H. Faris Literary Manager and Lynch Resources First Hand & Lead Dresser Director of Education Telemarketing Richard Hesik Bradley C. Fowler Sally Mellis† Vice President, Governance Chair Carolyn H. Grinstein Christine Sumption Joe Mangialardi Wardrobe Master Sara Comings Hoppin Literary Associate Ticket Office Manager † Lisa Simonson C. David Hughbanks Joyce Degenfelder Rob Stewart Jonathan D. Klein Kenna Kettrick Georgina Cohen Wig Master Co-Treasurer and Finance Chairs Keith Larson* Education Associate A. Aiden Karamanyan Ticket Office Leads Bill Kuhn Jane W. Lyons Dan Rector Scenic Departments Secretary Louise J. McKinney* Literary Intern Julia Nardin Steve Coulter† Gloria A. Moses Megan Tuschoff Daniel B. Hazzard Technical Director Nadine H. Murray Ticket Office Representatives Facilities Chair Douglas E. Norberg Administration Derek Baylor † Jim Moran Judy Ness Kristin G. Olson Adam Moomey Assistant Technical Director Operations Manager House Manager Development Chair Donald B. Paterson Austin Smart† Eric Pettigrew Jeremy Rupprecht Barry Scovel Susanna Pugh Master Scenic Carpenter Pamela Powers Assistant House Manager Audience Development Chair Venue Manager Sean Wilkins Katherine L. Raff Michelle Berweiler Brian Turner Robert McDonald Lead Scenic Carpenter Brooks G. 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Scovel Secretary Karen Shaw Marketing and Production Brendan Patrick Hogan Catherine Roach Resident Sound Designer John C. Siegler Joan Toggenburger Treasurer Communications Lisa Simonson Aubrey Scheffel Producing Director Brad Howe Charles P. Sitkin Brad Fowler Central Heating Lab Associate Director of Marketing Alyssa Byer Margaret Stanley John C. Siegler Technical Associate Central Heating Lab Rob G. Stewart Charles Sitkin Ruby Wishnietsky Production Manager † Dr. Larry True Brian Turner Marketing Coordinator Denotes staff member has worked Brian Turner Mark Siano Emily Cedergreen at ACT for 10 years or more Sita Vashee Public Relations Manager Production Office Manager Kären White ACT Staff Sebastien Scandiuzzi Skylar Hansen Kyoko Matsumoto Wright Video Manager Production Runner Executive Kurt Beattie† Linas Phillips Artistic Director Video Production Associate Stage Management Jeffrey K. 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A-16 ACT THEATRE MANIFEST THIS DREAM Jerick Hoffer (left) in Seattle’s Pioneer Square and Brandon Ivie in NYC’s Times Square. Photos by STEVEN MILLER.

JERICK HOFFER rode a wave of BRANDON I can’t remember where I saw you percent—because I was so heavily working as a drag queen at that time. I kept missing good starring roles in productions of Spring perform the first time, but I think you came in while I was doing casting at the 5th, with the rest theatre stuff because I had my head in the clouds. Awakening, RENT and Hedwig before of your Cornish class. I didn’t know that Spring Awakening was going taking reality TV by storm as his alter JERICK That’s right! to be the catalyst to, like, a lot of stuff. It started a BRANDON And I think you came in and you snowball effect for me in Seattle. I don’t know if ego Jinkx Monsoon and winning sang, like, some Kurt Weill? I’ve ever thanked you for that email because it all RuPaul’s Drag Race in May. In July, he JERICK I think I did Cole Porter and 1776. would’ve been completely missed if you hadn’t made his Off-Off-Broadway debut in BRANDON Oh yeah! “Momma Look Sharp”! alerted me to it. JERICK I remember you called to offer me an BRANDON What’s it like now that you’re per- The Vaudevillians, an original musical intern role in—I think it was Candide. I had to turn forming in drag 90 percent of the time? comedy. BRANDON IVIE grew up it down because I was taking an intern role at JERICK Anything I can do to save time when I’m doing my makeup and getting ready, I’ll do. in Seattle and cut his teeth directing Seattle Shakes. BRANDON I remember thinking you were so Because when I do a show a day for six days in a and casting at the 5th Avenue. He interesting and you had this really unique perfor- row, I wanna spend as little time as possible get- now works in New York part-time mance style. It was this sort of throwback, jazzy ting into drag. performer style, as opposed to a trained musical BRANDON Of course. while running Contemporary Classics, theatre singer. You know what I mean? There’re JERICK So I shave my eyebrows off and I have a Seattle-based theatre company so many musical theatre conservatories that acrylic nails. I’ve been able to get my makeup dedicated to new musicals. He pump out talent that oftentimes I can tell where down to an hour and 15 minutes. I used to take someone’s gone to school based on how they sing like two and a half hours. Now I can go into the directed Next to Normal last winter in or how they perform. They teach you how to sing bathroom and an hour later come out as Jinkx. Seattle and he’s currently assistant properly, really high, eight shows a week and It gets tiresome being in drag all the time. My body’s sore. directing his fourth Broadway never lose your voice, ever. It’s this very specific technique and you came in with this really old- BRANDON How often do you get to be Jerick? musical, First Date, which opened school approach that was so unique and refresh- JERICK You know, during the day. [laughs] in August. Hoffer and Ivie caught up ing. I was like, who is this kid? Depending on how busy the week is, maybe every JERICK other day. Kenny—my best friend and personal over the phone in mid-June between I remember seeing you at plenty of auditions. You alerted me to Spring Awakening. assistant—always reminds me that if we went rehearsals and tour dates. I totally would’ve missed that—like 100 anywhere out of drag and I saw drag queens, I’d

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be upset that I wasn’t in drag. I’m just a Virgo wanted me to leave. Because they found someone who can’t be pleased, that’s all. else who did the job a little bit less, you know, BRANDON When I started doing the bi-coastal soul-crushed about it. thing, I had never in my entire life done the So I decided that summer to just be a drag job-to-job, only-freelance thing. As a creature queen and see how long I could do that. I actu- of habit, it’s so scary to try to find a way to do it. ally lived three months off of drag gigs, being I’ll have a month where I don’t have any work. completely freelance and going from bar show to I didn’t get offered First Date until mid-March— bar show and doing any little thing that came my and until then I didn’t have anything lined up way, like staged readings or singing at a mega- for the rest of the year. But then First Date hap- church or something. And now I’m a freelance pened. I worked on A Christmas Story last year drag queen again and I don’t have a free weekend and that’s gonna happen again this year. It’s all until December—because of reality TV. That’s falling into place. what’s crazy to me—this time last year I was JERICK First Date premiered in Seattle, right? working as a custodian at a respite center and BRANDON Yeah. The 5th got a hold of the script now I’m in a new city every day singing torch and really liked it. They did a reading or two and songs to drunk homosexuals. a big workshop. Then they convinced ACT to get BRANDON You’ve become an icon in young gay in bed on it together as a co-production—and culture. In the musical theatre community, Drag that was the world premiere. It sold out and they Race is really popular. Those girls love to work it extended it. I saw it at ACT, but I didn’t work on out, and they love to see drag queens working it it because I was in New York. I thought it was out. During the series, at every party or bar that just so fun and silly and charming.SIF So 072413 when Bill nationalI would 1_3v.pdf go to, everyone would be like, so did you called and asked, what are you doing for the see Drag Race this week? And I would keep my summer? I was like, I’m unemployed! mouth shut and ask, yeah, what do you think of JERICK I wasn’t able to see the show in Seattle. it? I’m interested to see what people have to say I think I was out filming Drag Race. But I had got- not knowing that I know you. And the thing that ten called in to audition for the son role and the I loved was that everyone would be like, he’s gay best friend, so I got to hear some of the songs. crazy, but I love that Jinkx Monsoon. And then My favorite one is “The Girl for You”—you know, I’d say, I know Jerick and he’s really sweet and about how the girl’s not Jewish. I love that song. I he’s just like that in real life. And they’d go nuts. still have it on my iPod. Absolutely nuts. BRANDON That’s amazing. The girl who sings JERICK I love it. It’s so funny because I do so that song in the show is named Sara. I’m crazy many obscure references, like with Grey Gardens, obsessed with new musicals and stuff no one’s that I’ve got a fanbase that’s really culty, you know? ever heard before—so I have demo recordings BRANDON When you did Little Edie, everyone NT Live of her singing random-ass new musicals when I I know was like, who are these drag queens that was like 17 years old. I haven’t told her yet, but I don’t know who Little Edie is?! totally have that on my iPod! JERICK We’re lucky that we grew up where we JERICK Right, don’t freak her out. grew up. Festival BRANDON I’ve spent a lot of time not pissing BRANDON Right? people off. [laughs] JERICK You know, this time last year I had never Oct 28–Nov 7 | Uptown JERICK That can do wonders for a career! been to New York. Now I’ve been a couple times BRANDON Exactly. I’m not ruffling any feath- and it’s hard because there’s so much of me that Featuring Kenneth Branagh’s ers. They’re like, well, he worked out last time, so wants to try the whole dream of living in New we’ll just ask him to come back this next time. York and working there and wondering how far I Macbeth JERICK Well, you’re good at what you do and can go with that. But I’m also so content in Seattle Nicholas Hytner’s you’re very knowledgeable in your field. But right now—even though it’s been my plan to go to that’s only a portion. It’s mostly that you don’t New York for as long as I can remember. Now I’m Othello piss people off. so comfortable in Seattle, I’m not in a rush. BRANDON The really scary thing is that I know BRANDON I miss Seattle every single day that Danny Boyle’s lots of people who are good at their craft but I’m not there. I miss it desperately. I have to go to Frankenstein still can’t make a living at it. So I feel fortunate Central Park a couple times a week just to make that I’m able to do this stuff. But I’m going broke sure I see green. Alan Bennett’s going to concerts and getting drinks and meeting JERICK Trees. Living plants. bar minimums in order to see a concert or get BRANDON Living things that are not asshole The Habit of Art to know an artist or a composer. It’s the most New Yorkers. Every time I go back to Seattle I Rory Kinnear’s expensive and underpaid job you could get. forget how stunning the area is. Driving back JERICK Right now the drag circuit tour is the from the airport I see more trees than I would in Hamlet only job I have. It’s so drastically different from an entire year in New York. the last time I was a freelance performer. I JERICK My dream is to have a small apart- remember the first job I had out of Cornish—I was ment in New York and keep my apartment here working at this health food café and it was one in Seattle and try to operate out of both. Me and of the most depressing, awful jobs I’ve ever had. Richard [Andriessen] are going to be there for The I was miserable every day at work because they Vaudevillians. We’re trying to find an apartment TICKETS ON SALE NOW! were rude to their employees. They stopped giv- or a room to rent somewhere and we’re having siff.net | 206. 324.9996 ing me hours because they were trying to phase a hell of a time. My agent called me last night me out but they didn’t wanna fire me. They just saying, what’s more important, being close to the

6 ENCORE STAGES

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live comfortably? And I was like, Is there no way to Queen Anne Lake Union split the difference? He’s like, no, it’s pretty much Queen Anne Lake Union toulouse toulouse one or the other. Mercer Queen Anne Ave Mercer Elliot Ave Queen Anne Ave

I thought when I started working on the larger Elliot Ave Seattle Center scale and traveling like this that the whole world Seattle Center Broad Denny would open up and I’d meet a million billion Broad Denny Alaskan Way Pike Alaskan Way Downtown Pike people—and I have. But I meet so many people SeattleDowntown Seattle everyday who know people I work with or have 4th 99 4th 99 I5 connections to me somehow. That’s been a huge I5 relief, you know? Not everywhere I go I’m gonna be

a complete stranger. Pinoneer Square JERICK In musical theatre you meet a lot of people Pinoneer Square who are passionate about their careers. It requires 90 Toulouse Petit 90 a hell of a lot of commitment, time and effort—and Kitchen & Lounge the tenacity to keep on trying. BRANDON Making musicals is the hardest thing to do in show business. You have speech, you have singing, you have music, you have design, dance, art. On top of that, it’s a structural monstrosity. For a straight play, you can have three people sit in a room and talk about art for two hours. That’s not Fifth Most Popular Restaurant in the Nation easy, but with a musical you’re adding songs and figuring out how to transition from talking to sing- Tenth Most Popular in the World ing. Then you maybe have a ballet in the middle and you have to find a good place to split the whole – Trip Advisor's 2012 Traveler's Choice Award story in half. JERICK And unless you’re doing a new work, which is its own challenge to tackle, you’re always Breakfast Lunch Happy Hour Dinner Late Night competing with iconic performances. You’re always 601 Queen Anne Ave North, Seattle | toulousepetit.com | 206.432.9069 competing with what people expect. 601 Queen Anne Ave North, Seattle | toulousepetit.com | 206.432.9069 BRANDON So many plays get done all the time, but musicals have cast recordings attached to them. So people remember and can actually go and listen to Ethel Merman doing Gypsy. They can compare all the Gypsies—all the Mama Roses who’ve done it on Broadway—and be like, well I liked Patti LuPone TP 061713 kitchen 1/3s.pdf the best, or I liked Angela Lansbury the best. Then anyone who does it on Broadway will be compared to those people. It’s why Funny Girl hasn’t been revived yet. Everyone can still remember Barbra Streisand doing it. JERICK That was one of the biggest challenges with Hedwig, because the same person who originated the role first played it in big theatres and then did the movie. BRANDON Totally. JERICK It’s something I thought a lot about Hedwig and something I continue to think about—because I don’t think that’s the last time I’ll ever do it. BRANDON I hope not. My god. When I found out I was doing this interview with you, I was like, oh man, what are the shows I’d like to do with Jerick? And I’m gonna be really angry if you do Sweeney Todd with anyone but me. JERICK Oh my gosh. This is putting it out into the universe. That would be a dream for both of us. That’s my dream role. BRANDON You’re kidding! JERICK Absolutely. My dream is to be a legit dragtress and my dream role in that dream is Mrs. Lovett. It’s been my dream role for forever. BRANDON Well, we will make that happen. You got a few years before you can play, unfortunately. JERICK [laughs] Yeah... BRANDON In 15 years, let’s do Sweeney Todd somewhere. n

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