40th Season • 384th Production JULIANNE ARGYROS STAGE / SEPTEMBER 28 - OCTOBER 19, 2003

David Emmes Martin Benson PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR presents ANNA IN THE TROPICS

by NILO CRUZ

SCENIC DESIGN COSTUME DESIGN LIGHTING DESIGN Christine Jones Joyce Kim Lee Christopher Akerlind

ORIGINAL MUSIC/SOUND DESIGN PRODUCTION MANAGER STAGE MANAGER Christopher Webb Jeff Gifford *Jamie A. Tucker

DIRECTED BY Juliette Carrillo

HONORARY PRODUCERS Sue and Ralph Stern

Anna in the Tropics was commissioned and originally produced by New Theatre, Miami, Florida, Rafael del Acha, Artistic Director, Eileen Suarez, Managing Director, in 2002 with support from the NEA/TCG Theatre Residency Program for Playwrights.

Anna in the Tropics • SOUTH COAST REPERTORY P1 CAST OF CHARACTERS (In order of appearance) Eliades/Palomo ...... *Jonathan Nichols Santiago ...... *Tony Plana Cheché ...... *Geoffrey Rivas Marela ...... *Onahoua Rodriguez Conchita ...... *Adriana Sevan Ofelia ...... *Karmín Murcelo Juan Julian ...... *Julian Acosta

SETTING 1929 Tampa, Florida. A small town called Ybor City.

LENGTH Approximately two hours, including one 15-minute intermission.

PRODUCTION STAFF Casting Director ...... Joanne DeNaut Dramaturg ...... Jennifer Kiger Assistant Director ...... Michael Baez Production Assistant ...... Chrissy Church Assistant Set Designers ...... Ed Coco, Jennifer Zeyl Costume Design Assistant ...... Julie Keen Assistant Lighting Designer ...... Tony Mulanix Stage Management Intern ...... Nina Evans Additional Costume Staff ...... Denitsa Bliznakova, Bronwen Burton, Catherine Esera, Tracy Gray, Yen Trang Le, Stacey Nezda

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Willie García, Judge Emiliano Salcines, Paul Vincent, Gus Jimenez, Patrick Manteiga, Julio Cordero, Rodriguez and Menendez Cigar Factory, Sally Zarate, Rene Zarate, Vincent and Tampa Cigar Company, University of South Florida Special Collections, J.C. Newman Cigar Company, Mursuli Cigars, especially Oscar Mursuli, Oscar Mursuli, Jr., Cindy Mursuli, Angel Gonzalez, Omar Madruga, Juan Muñoz and Eileen Galindo. Sandy Rosenbaum at LACMA Research Center. Umberto Accardi with Artistic Costumes.

Please refrain from unwrapping candy or making other noises that may disturb surrounding patrons. The use of cameras and recorders in the theatre is prohibited. Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the theatre. Cellular phones, beepers and watch alarms should be turned off or set to non-audible mode during the performance.

* Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers.

This production is part of Eclectic Orange Festival 2003, a project of the Philharmonic Society of Orange County.

Official Airline Media Partner Media Partner

P2 SOUTH COAST REPERTORY • Anna in the Tropics El Lector ears before Nilo Cruz set out to write Anna in the Tropics, he became fascinated with the tradition of the lectores, well dressed men who were paid toY read to cigar workers as they rolled. The tradition arrived in the United States with the Cuban cigar workers and remained until the 1930s, when the rollers and the readers were replaced by mecha- nization. Eventually, the tradition found its way into the heart of Cruz’s drama about a family of cigar work- ers whose lives are A mass meeting of Tampa cigar forever altered by the workers on November 28, 1931, arrival of a new lector protesting the removal of readers from Cuba. from the factories. The lectores were educated men ciation so the workers [would] un- with beautiful voices. derstand every word you read….It In those days, loudspeaker systems tributed a portion of their salaries to was exactly like theater. When we were not popular, so the lectores pay for the services of the lectores. were reading a novel we were to had to read loud enough to be They demanded precision and pas- make ourselves as though we were heard by the hundreds of workers sion from the lectores, and they took the character talking—whether it in the factory. The workers con- the literature seriously. The workers was a woman or a child, an old man were largely illiterate, but they could or an old lady. Not everybody recite passages from Don Quixote could do that.” and Shakespeare. The tradition of the lectores in Days in the cigar factories Tampa came to an end following were divided into four periods. In the Depression. The introduction of the first, the lectores read from machines into the factories inter- newspapers; in the second they read fered with the workers’ ability to lis- news from labor organizations. The ten. Meanwhile, the factory owners third and fourth periods were re- became increasingly hostile toward served for culture, entertainment the lectores for reading the labor and novels. The finest lectores were press to the workers. more than readers. They were per- In the fall of 1931 thousands formers who brought life to the of cigar workers went on strike to world’s great literature and teachers protest the removal of readers from who informed the workers about the factories. In support of the labor and political movements. protest, nearly every business in Wilfredo Rodriguez recalled Ybor City and West Tampa closed his days as a lector in a 1981 inter- its doors. Eventually, the cigar view in the Tampa Tribune: “In workers returned to the factories, A lector at the Perfecto-García factory those days we didn’t have any mi- but the lectores were no longer wel- (1930), following the return of read- crophones…You had to have a very come. It was the end of an era. ers in 1926. strong voice and very clear pronun- –Jennifer Kiger

Anna in the Tropics •SOUTH COAST REPERTORY P3 The Capital of Cigars

Set in 1929 in a section of Tampa, lorida’s cigar Florida known as Ybor City, Anna in Findustry began the Tropics paints an evocative por- at Key West in trait of the lost world of Cuban cigar 1831, when W. factories. Ybor City, the “Cigar Cap- H. Hall chose ital of the World,” was the manufac- the island city as turing center of Havana hand-rolled a site for a fac- cigars until the industry hit hard tory because of times in the 1930s. The entire na- its climate and tion was reeling from the Great De- its proximity to pression. Increased cigarette con- Cuban tobacco A cigar brand created to honor Vi- sumption led to a decreased de- fields. In 1868, with open revolu- cente Martínez Ybor, one of the Span- mand for cigars, and the introduc- tion and business demoralization in ish cigar manufacturers who founded tion of machinery into the cigar fac- Havana, many cigar makers migrat- Ybor City. tories emphasized mass production ed to Key West, where established over individual workmanship. The bor City is like stepping following excerpts are taken from Yfrom one country into Tampa Cigar Workers: A Pictorial another….It is a revelation History by Robert P. Ingalls and to many to pass through Louis A. Perez, Jr. (University Press the atmosphere in that of Florida, 2003), a fascinating ac- section, truly Latin, with count of the world of the Tampa habits and customs almost cigar workers. identical to those of Cuba. The main business district of Ybor City is stretched along Seventh Avenue, lined on either side with a white way, supported by merchants, equal to any- thing in Tampa….The streets of Ybor City are factories offered usually lined with people from five employment. o’clock in the afternoon until late at When fire swept night. The restaurants are always the city in 1886, open as well as many of the stores. destroying the —Tampa Daily Times, larger factories, February 17, 1917 and labor dis- putes further ampa-made Havana cigars did not disrupted pro- Tneed advertising. They were duction, the ma- known throughout the country by jority of the smokers of fine cigars. They were manufacturers constantly in demand, and every moved their dealer stocked them. Tampa man- Above, Tampa Cigar makers during plants to a district east of Tampa, ufacturers simply filled the orders the 1920s. Above right, the Sánchez y Haya factory, the first to produce which they named Ybor City for with quality cigars as they came in. cigars in Ybor City, was located on Vincent Martínez Ybor, one of their —A. Stuart Campbell, the corner of Seventh Avenue and Fif- leaders. The Cigar Industry of Tampa, teenth Street. —Federal Writer’s Project, 1939 Florida, (1939)

P4 SOUTH COAST REPERTORY • Anna in the Tropics igar workers usually and generally n many cases entire Cwear good working clothes and Ifamilies of Latins have are prone to appear after working worked together for hours neatly and freshly dressed. years in the cigar facto- To the Latin workmen, especially ries. Father, mother, those of the younger state, the daily sons and daughters afternoon or evening change is a worked side by side. necessity, and the women workers Boys and girls of thir- also follow that practice with a fi- teen and fourteen were delity that becomes a fixed habit. employed as appren- Evidences of this love of good tices. In some in- clothes is found in Tampa’s well stances members of stocked and modern shops. three generations are —Tampa Daily Times, employed together. In December 20, 1922 prosperous times, with all members of the he Latin cigar worker considers family employed ex- himself more of an artist than a cept the younger children, the com- Above, a bunch maker working with T a mold and below left a label for a worker. This feeling has caused bined income of the family would Tampa-made cigar, emphasizing its him to resent plant rules and restric- frequently exceed $100 per week. quality and connection to Cuba. tions and oppose measures which —Federal Writers Project, 1937 are a part of the standard o my manner of thinking, discipline in American Tthe cigar-making machines plants….He has a tenden- are at the root of all the evil in cy to take things pertain- Ybor City. They have gradual- ing to his work or his art, ly displaced the cigar makers. as he thinks of it, very seri- As an example, the factory of ously….Once an issue is Santaella installed five ma- before him, he will fight chines, and threw out thirty desperately for it, which cigar makers. helps explain some of the —Fernando Lemos controversies between the in an interview with the workers and employers in Federal Writer’s Project, 1936 the industry. Many of the employers, for their part, are just as stubborn about compromising an issue. —A. Stuart Campbell, The Cigar Industry of Tampa, Florida, 1939

respectable fraction of the work- Amen in tobacco are women— dark-eyed, olive skinned and Castil- ian señoras and señoritas—who until four short years ago lived their tropic lives in the patios and plazas of Havana. —New York Herald, quoted in Tampa Tribune, February 14, 1890

Cigar makers (1930) using molds, which are stacked in the presses that appear in the left and right fore- ground.

Anna in the Tropics •SOUTH COAST REPERTORY P5 ‘Anna’ in the Tropics Literary Disagreement or playwright Nilo Cruz, Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina opened a window into n 1903 the Tampa Tribune told of a fascinating turn of events. In the soul of his play. “Once I discov- all of my research and reading on the role of lectors, I had never Fered the book that was being read by run across such an unusual example of literature’s impact on the the lector, the whole play came to me. I Imasses. started to read Anna Karenina through the Two cigar makers worked side by side in a factory for years eyes of the characters.” (Read Nilo Cruz’s and were fast friends. One was a Mexican, the other a Spaniard.... entire interview in the SCR’s SubSCRiber When the time came for the lector to announce his selection for newsletter at www.scr.org) the month’s reading, the workers stopped their work to listen. He As its title suggests, the spirit of Leo announced that he would be reading Emile Zola’s Germinal. Tolstoy’s masterpiece echoes throughout The Mexican objected immediately. He would not have filth Anna in the Tropics. Life and art collide as read to his wife, who would have to sit in mixed company and bear Juan Julian, the new lector, reads the classic the obscenities of tale of love and adultery set against the that French novel. backdrop of high society in late 19th Centu- (Zola’s novels ry Russia. were known to go A young, elite woman married to a into the kind of powerful government minister, Anna falls graphic detail that in love with the elegant Count Vronsky. should not be She becomes pregnant by Vronsky and heard in public.) leaves her husband and son to live with her The Spaniard lover. disagreed. Why Unable to obtain a divorce, Anna lives should the men be isolated from the society that once valued deprived of hear- her. She descends into fits of jealousy, and ing the work of a Vronsky’s love for her fades. Finally, un- great novelist be- able to bear her plight, Anna throws herself cause he described on the tracks beneath an oncoming train, the acts that each and dies. adult there per- Meanwhile, the journey of another love formed? The other “Literary Disagreement,” painted by Ferdie affair unfolds. A thoughtful young man married men pre- Pacheco, 1995. named Levin hopes to marry the Princess sent reacted vio- Catherine, affectionately known as Kitty. At lently, and an argument started which sputtered and flickered dur- first she rejects Levin’s proposal because ing the tense week. she believes that Vronsky, who flirted with “Tell the women to leave the room when the lector reads the her before he met Anna, intends to marry Zola novel,” the bachelors said with what they felt was reason. her. “What, and miss an hour of work?” the married men answered. Devastated, Levin withdraws to his The Spaniard and the Mexican had eaten supper together at the country estate to work in seclusion. In Fourth of July Café since they were bachelors, and they continued time, the couple reunites and discovers that to do so after the Mexican took his bride. But on this night, both they are deeply in love. Kitty happily ac- men appeared at the café in an agitated state, and both were armed. cepts Levin’s second proposal. They marry, The argument at the factory had reached a climax. Harsh words live happily in the country and have a son. had been exchanged. Considered by some to be one of the According to the Tampa Tribune, violence broke out as soon as greatest novels ever written, Anna Kareni- the two men spotted each other. The Spaniard was armed with two na shocked the world with its powerful revolvers, and the Mexican carried one six-shooter Colt. portrayal of the human need for love and When the smoke cleared, the Mexican lay on the floor with four happiness weighed against the rigid de- holes in his chest. The Spaniard was down with one bullet in his. mands of society. –Ferdie Pacheco, –J.K. Pacheco’s Art of Ybor City University Press of Florida, 1997)

P6 SOUTH COAST REPERTORY • Anna in the Tropics JULIAN ACOSTA KARMíN MURCELO JONATHAN NICHOLS Juan Julian Ofelia Palomo

Artist Biographies

*JULIAN ACOSTA (Juan Julian) ap- Under,” “Diagnosis Murder” and Rain, The Long Goodbye and Much peared in Loose Ends, Stags and “Air America” (in the recurring role Ado About Nothing at The Acting Hens at the Guthrie Theater and in of Alma). In Spanish television, Company; and Once in a Lifetime, Anna Deveare Smith’s Piano at she has had leading roles in Tele- Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Lower IACD/American Repertory Theatre visa Mexico’s daytime serials “In- Depths and Troilus and Cressida at in Cambridge. He was a series reg- famia” and “Shadows” and most re- the Juilliard Theatre Center. He is ular on ABC’s “The Job,” and a re- cently in Univision’s “Te Amare En a member of the Antaeus Theatre curring character on Lifetime’s Silencio.” In films, she is best re- Company where he has performed “Strong Medicine.” Other television membered for her performances in in Of Mice and Men directed by credits include “Kingpin” (pilot), Right to Kill, Borderline and Blood Frank Dwyer and Mercadet direct- “Law and Order,” and “One Life to In, Blood Out. ed by Dakin Matthews. Television Live.” credits include guest starring roles *JONATHAN NICHOLS (Eliades/ on “Judging Amy,” “Roswell,” *KARMIN‘ MURCELO (Ofelia) ap- Palomo) appeared at SCR in the “Becker,” “Family Law,” “NYPD peared at SCR in California Sce- 2003 Pacific Playwrights Festival Blue,” “Friends” and “The West narios. Other regional theatre ap- reading of Anna in the Tropics and Wing.” Film credits include Pay It pearances include Death and Life the 2002 Hispanic Playwrights Pro- Forward and Desert Saints. Mr. of Jesse James, The Maids and Red ject reading of Nilo Cruz’s The Nichols would like to thank the Cross at the Mark Taper Forum; Beauty of the Father. Theatre cred- Mursuli family for their cigar exper- Once Removed at Long Wharf The- its include Measure for Measure at tise and kind generosity. For my ater; Roosters at New Mexico Reper- Lincoln Center; Othello at the Clas- Father, “Para ti papi, te quiero tory and The Boiler Room at the sic Stage Company; Julius Caesar at mucho.” Old Globe in San Diego. Her most Hartford Stage; La Fiaca, Necessi- recent television guest appearances ties, Hamlet and As You Like It at *TONY PLANA (Santiago) was born are “The Division,” “Six Feet the Old Globe; Talk to Me Like the in Cuba, raised in Miami and Los

Anna in the Tropics •SOUTH COAST REPERTORY P7 TONY PLANA GEOFFREY RIVAS ONAHOUA RODRIGUEZ Santiago Cheché Marela

Angeles and trained at London’s as Showtime’s Noriega: God’s Fa- Barrio Boy which received two Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. vorite. Other leading roles include ALMA award nominations and an He first garnered notices for his the series “Veronica Claire,” “Bak- IMAGEN award for best television portrayal of Rudy in the musical ersfield P.D.,” “Total Security” and movie. On television he has di- Zoot Suit, a role he reclaimed in “City of Angels.” He has also ap- rected several episodes of “The the subsequent Broadway and fea- peared in several Emmy Award- Brothers Garcia” for Nickelodeon ture film productions. Other no- winning programs such as Sweet and won an IMAGEN award for table stage roles have included the Fifteen, Drug Wars: The Camarena the third season finale. He has SCR productions of Rum and Coke Story, The Burning Season: The Life also directed several episodes of and Charley Bacon and His and Death of Chico Mendes and a Resurrection Boulevard receiving a Family; the sergeant in the Broad- special episode of L.A. Law, which GLAAD award and a SHINE award way production of The Boys of received an IMAGEN Award. nomination. He has just complet- Winter; Richard III, Widows and Plana currently portrays a recurring ed directing an episode of “Greet- The Reader at Mark Taper Forum; role in “John Doe” and on the ings From Tucson,” a half-hour Figaro Gets a Divorce at La Jolla award-winning drama “The West comedy for the Warner Bros. net- Playhouse; Rum and Coke and Wing” as the U.S. Secretary of work. Plana is the proud father of Bang Bang Blues at the New York State. He has starred in more than Alejandro and Isabel and has been Public Theater; and The Wonderful 60 films including JFK, Nixon, Sal- happily married for 15 years to the Ice Cream Suit (the musical) at the vador, An Officer and a Gentle- actress Ada Maris. Pasadena Playhouse. He is also man, Lone Star, Three Amigos, the co-founder and executive artis- Born in East L.A., El Norte, 187, *GEOFFREY RIVAS (Cheché) is a tic director of the East L.A. Classic Primal Fear, Romero, One Good native Californian who graduated Theatre which is dedicated to im- Cop, Havana, The Rookie, Silver from UCLA with a Master of Fine proving the academic performance Strand and Picking Up the Pieces Arts Degree with a concentration of disadvantaged students through with Woody Allen. He recently on acting. He received a 1999 its award-winning Beyond Borders: appeared in the action thriller Half Ovation nomination for the role of Performing Arts Literary Interven- Past Dead with Steven Segal, Mor- Martin in Sam Shepard’s Fool for tion Program. Plana currently stars ris Chestnut and JaRul. He is the Love at the newly opened Madrid as widowed patriarch Roberto San- recipient of two Nosotros Golden Theatre in Canoga Park. He has tiago in Showtime’s Resurrection Eagle awards for outstanding work performed at Los Angeles Theatre Boulevard for which he received in film and television, as well as Center in Luminarias (now out on 2001 and 2002 ALMA award nomi- five Los Angeles Drama-Logue DVD and VHS), I Don’t Have to nations for best actor. He also re- Awards for Theatre. He has direct- Show You No Stinking Badges for cently starred in the Showtime ed two feature films, A Million to Luis Valdez and Piano by Anna Original Miniseries, Fidel, as well Juan and The Princess and the Deavere Smith; at SCR in the 2003

P8 SOUTH COAST REPERTORY • Anna in the Tropics Edition,” “Pensacola,” “Air Ameri- for a better life, hard work and ca” and “Promised Land.” Current- never ending love and support. ly he has a recurring role as Det. She is a better person through the Vega on the CBS show “C.S.I.” He love of Andy, her family and is a member of the Latino Theatre friends. God bless. Co. created by Jose Luis Valen- zuela at LATC, whose recent play *ADRIANA SEVAN (Conchita) is by Evelina Fernandez, Dementia, delighted to return to SCR where just won the GLAAD award. He she was last seen in the 2003 Pacif- derives great pleasure from his ic Playwrights Festival reading of work with the Virginia Ave. Pro- Anna in the Tropics and previously ject, an organization that uses the as Maria Celia in Nilo Cruz’s Two performing arts to encourage chil- Sisters and a Piano and at the 1999 dren growing up under difficult Pacific Playwrights Festival in Illu- circumstances to achieve their full minating Veronica. Past credits ADRIANA SEVAN potential. include Derek Walcott’s The Conchita Odyssey at Willow Cabin Theatre, *ONAHOUA RODRIGUEZ (Marela) Another Part of the House at Classic appeared at SCR in the 2003 Pacific Stage, Two Sisters and a Piano and Pacific Playwrights Festival reading Playwrights Festival reading of Indian Ink at The Public Theatre, of Anna in the Tropics, and previ- Anna in the Tropics. She is grate- A Royal Affair at Intar, Macbeth at ously in Man of the Flesh and La ful to be a part of this production HERE and Sodom and Gomorrah at Posada Mágica, both by Octavio and thanks everyone involved. the O’Neill Festival. Her recent Solis; and at New Mexico Reperto- Theatre credits include Blood Wed- guest starring appearances on tele- ry in Once Removed by Eduardo ding at La Jolla Playhouse, One vision include “Law and Order: Machado. Film credits include La Step from Death at the MCC The- Criminal Intent,” “Sex and the Bamba, Born in East L.A., Pow atre, Fools Journey at Intar, The City,” “Law and Order” and “Dead- Wow Highway, Bound by Honor, Next Stop at Repertorio Espanol, line.” She is a founding member Above Suspicion, Notes From Un- Home Girls on the Prowl at the La of Kristen Linkater’s all female derground, Eye for an Eye, The Tea Theatre, Aphrodite’s Dungeon Shakespeare company, The Com- Right to Remain Silent and Foto at the Looking Glass Theatre and pany of Women, with whom she Novelas for PBS (for which he won Greenfeld’s “Shakespeare’s Haunt- performed Henry V and King Lear. an ALMA Award in 1998). Numer- ed House” at the Belvedere Castle. Last year, her first solo perfor- ous television credits include Film and television credits include mance piece was produced at movies of the week Little Assassin, The Rhythm of the Saints (official Intar. She is currently at work on Drug Wars: The Camarena Story, selection of the 2003 Sundance her second piece, Shut Up and Overkill, Blind Side, Ambush at Film Festival), the Allison Anders Dance which was just work- Waco, Trial by Fire, The Lake; and project In the Echo, “ER,” “For the shopped at the Lark Theatre. Ms. the television shows “Jake and the People,” “Judging Amy,” “Boston Sevan dedicates her performance Fat Man,” “L.A. Law,” “E.R.,” “Rela- Public,” “Cover Me” and “Third with love and thanks to her hus- tivity,” “Chicago Hope,” “Brooklyn Watch.” She dedicates this perfor- band Dennis. Love to Mom, Dad, South,” “Alright Already,” “Early mance to her parents, their journey Peter and Olga.

Anna in the Tropics •SOUTH COAST REPERTORY P9 PLAYWRIGHT, Gregory Murphy’s The Countess and tance of Being Earnest at The Mc- DIRECTOR & DESIGNERS Stuart Flack’s Sidney Bechet Killed a Carter Theatre in Princeton, N.J.; Man. She has directed regionally at Twelfth Night at The Shakespeare NILO CRUZ (Playwright) was born the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Theatre in Washington, D.C.; The in Cuba and lives in New York. He the Actors Theatre of Louisville, the Chairs at The Intiman in Seattle; returns to SCR following the west New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, Resurrection Blues at The Guthrie coast premiere of Two Sisters and a Cornerstone Theatre Company in Lab; and Texts for Nothing at New Piano and readings of Hortensia Los Angeles, the Alliance Theatre York Shakespeare Festival. Opera and the Museum of Dreams and Company in Atlanta and the West includes Lucia di Lammermoor and The Beauty of the Father. His other Coast premiere of Sam Shepard’s Giulio Cesare at the Houston Grand plays include A Park in Our House, Eyes for Consuela at the Magic The- Opera. She has also designed cos- Night Train to Bolina, A Bicycle atre in San Francisco. In New tumes and a music video for Ben Country, and Dancing on her York, she directed projects for the Folds Five. Currently she is a Lec- Knees. Some of the theatres that New York Theatre Workshop, The turer at Princeton University. have developed and performed his Women’s Project, The Joseph Papp works include New York’s Public Public Theater and the Dance The- JOYCE KIM LEE (Costume Design) is Theater, New York Theatre Work- atre Workshop. She is a winner of pleased to return to SCR, where she shop, McCarter Theatre, Oregon many awards and grants, including and director Juliette Carrillo last col- Shakespeare, Florida Stage, The Al- the NEA/TCG Directing Fellowship, laborated on Sidney Bechet Killed a liance, The Studio Theatre, New and is a graduate of the Yale Man. Other SCR credits include Theatre, Coconut Grove Playhouse School of Drama. She recently The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and the Children’s Theatre of Min- completed her first short film, Spi- Hold Please, Art, The Summer Moon neapolis. His play Anna in the ral. directed by Mark Rucker and Enter- Tropics received the Pulitzer Prize taining Mr. Sloane directed by Mar- and the American Theatre CHRISTINE JONES (Set Design) re- tin Benson. Recent credits include Critics/Steinberg Award. He teach- turns to SCR where she designed The Country at La Jolla Playhouse, es playwriting at Yale University the sets for Much Ado about Noth- Ten Unknowns and The House of and is a New Dramatists alum. ing. On Broadway she designed Bernarda Alba (LA Ovation Nomi- sets for The Green Bird directed by nation) at the Mark Taper Forum JULIETTE CARRILLO (Director) is an Julie Taymor (Drama Desk and and Under the Blue Sky at the Gef- Artistic Associate at SCR where she Outer Critic Circle Award nomina- fen Playhouse. She has also de- directs regularly in the season and tions when the show was originally signed costumes for the Los Ange- is the Director of the Hispanic Play- staged at The New Victory Theatre). les Opera, Berkeley Repertory The- wrights Project. Favorite produc- She has been designing Off-Broad- atre, East West Players, the Indiana tions at SCR include the world pre- way and across the country since Repertory Theatre, Chicago’s Court mieres of the site-specific Califor- graduating from New York Univer- Theatre, Santa Fe Chamber Music nia Scenarios by various Latin writ- sity where she received her MFA. Festival, Arena Stage, the Berkshire ers and José Rivera’s References to Highlights include: Flesh and Blood Theatre Festival Children’s Theatre, Salvador Dali Make Me Hot. Other and Nocturne at New York Theatre the Latino Theatre Company and projects for SCR include the world Workshop; True Love at The Zipper; the Singapore Repertory Theatre. premiere of Lucinda Coxon’s Nos- Silver River at The Spoleto and Lin- Ms. Lee is a recipient of an talgia, the West Coast premieres of coln Center Festivals; The Impor- NEA/TCG Grant for Designers.

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P10 SOUTH COAST REPERTORY • Anna in the Tropics CHRISTOPHER AKERLIND (Lighting lence in Design and Collaboration, cializing in Stage Management, at Design) returns to SCR where he three Drama-Logue Awards, and UCI in 1994. Last year he had the designed Much Ado about Nothing, numerous nominations for Outer pleasure of stage managing the The Beginning of August and Cali- Critics Circle, Bay Area Critics, world premiere of Richard Green- fornia Scenarios. Recent work in- Drama Desk and Lucile Lortel berg’s The Violet Hour, the West cludes the world premiere of Debo- Awards. Coast premiere of Horton Foote’s rah Drattell’s Nicholas and Alexan- The Carpetbagger’s Children, Rela- dra at the LA Opera, Tony Kushn- CHRISTOPHER WEBB (Original tively Speaking and Rolin Jones’ The er’s Homebody/Kabul for the Mark Music/Sound Design) is pleased to Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow. Taper Forum and Adam Guettel return to SCR where he scored and He worked as SCR’s stage manager and Craig Lucas’ new musical The designed productions of Nostalgia for the Second Stage productions of Light in the Piazza at the Intiman and The Countess, directed by Juli- The Dazzle, True West, Play Strind- Theater in Seattle. New York cred- ette Carrillo, and Art, directed by berg, the world premiere of But Not its include the American premieres Mark Rucker. Mr. Webb composes for Me and the Pacific Playwrights of Caryl Churchill’s The Skriker and original scores for film, theater, Festival production of Landlocked. Mad Forest, the world premieres of dance and animation. Theater He also was stage manager of La Craig Lucas’ The Dying Gaul and credits include the West Coast Pre- Posada Mágica for two seasons and the New York premieres of Tony miere of Sam Shepard’s Eyes for SCR’s Festival Latino ’97 production Kushner’s Slavs!, Ellen McLaughlin’s Consuela at the Magic Theater, of Rick Najera’s Latinologues. He Iphigenia and Other Daughters, Greg Sarris’ Joyride and Migdalia has worked as assistant stage man- Charles Busch’s The Tale of the Al- Cruz’s Fur at the Intersection for ager on the Mainstage productions lergist’s Wife, Claudia Shear’s Blown the Arts (San Francisco); Barriers of New England, Our Town and Ar- Sideways Through Life and August by Rehana Mirza at Stages Theatre cadia, and the Second Stage pro- Wilson’s Seven Guitars, for which Center (Los Angeles); Green Eyes ductions of BAFO and Three Days he received a Tony nomination. Dreaming and Righteous Acts Like of Rain. Mr. Tucker has worked at His work has been seen at Hartford Filthy Rags by Jason Sinclair Long the Long Beach Civic Light Opera Stage, La Jolla Playhouse, the Mc- for the Lincoln Center’s Director’s on No, No, Nanette, Can Can, A Carter Theatre, the Goodman The- Lab, and Shishir Kurup’s On Caring Chorus Line, The King and I and atre, the Guthrie Theater, ACT, For The Beast at the Currican The- Man of La Mancha. If you can’t ART, Seattle Repertory and Berke- ater (New York). Film credits in- find him in the theatre, he is likely ley Repertory Theater. His exten- clude Spiral by Juliette Carrillo and to be on the diamond. sive credits in opera include more These Are Our Kids for the Annie E. than 30 productions, four world Casey Foundation. His original DAVID EMMES (Producing Artistic premieres and two American pre- scores for dance have been per- Director) is co-founder of SCR, one mieres at Opera Theatre of St. formed at the University of Texas, of the largest professional resident Louis, as well as productions at the Austin and the ArtWallah Festival in theatres in California. He has re- Glimmerglass, Santa Fe, Dallas, LA and New York. Mr. Webb ceived numerous awards for pro- Houston Grand, Tulsa, Boston would like to dedicate this perfor- ductions he has directed during Lyric, Nissei and Hamburg Operas. mance to his parents. SCR’s 39-year history, including a He has received the Obie Award 1999 Los Angeles Drama Critics for Sustained Excellence, the *JAMIE A. TUCKER (Stage Manager) Circle Award for the direction of Michael Merritt Award for Excel- completed his MFA in Dance, spe- George Bernard Shaw’s The Phi-

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Anna in the Tropics •SOUTH COAST REPERTORY P11 landerer. He directed the world one of SCR’s chief directors, Mr. version of Holy Days using the premieres of Amy Freed’s The Benson has directed nearly one original SCR cast. Along with Beard of Avon and Freedomland, third of the plays produced here in David Emmes, he accepted SCR’s Thomas Babe’s Great Day in the the last 39 years. He has distin- 1988 Tony Award for Outstanding Morning, Keith Reddin’s Rum and guished himself in the staging of Resident Professional Theatre and Coke and But Not for Me and Neal contemporary work, including won the 1995 Theatre LA Ovation Bell’s Cold Sweat; the American Horton Foote’s The Carpetbagger’s Award for Lifetime Achievement. premiere of Terry Johnson’s Un- Children and the world premiere Mr. Benson received his BA in suitable for Adults; the West Coast of his Getting Frankie Married— Theatre from California State Uni- premieres of C.P. Taylor’s Good and Afterwards, the critically ac- versity, San Francisco. and Harry Kondoleon’s Christmas claimed California premiere of on Mars; and the Southland pre- William Nicholson’s Shadowlands, PAULA TOMEI (Managing Director) miere of Top Girls (at SCR and the Athol Fugard’s Playland, Brian is responsible for the overall ad- Westwood Playhouse). Other pro- Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa, ministration of South Coast Reper- ductions include the West Coast David Mamet’s Oleanna, Harold tory and has been Managing Direc- premieres of Three Viewings by Jef- Pinter’s The Homecoming, David tor since 1994. A member of the frey Hatcher, The Secret Rapture by Hare’s Skylight and the West Coast SCR staff since 1979, she has David Hare and New England by premieres of Peter Hedges’ Good served in a number of administra- Richard Nelson; and Arcadia by As New and Martin McDonagh’s tive capacities including Subscrip- Tom Stoppard, Six Degrees of Sepa- The Lonesome West. He has won tions Manager, Business Manager ration by John Guare, The Impor- accolades for his direction of five and General Manager. She cur- tance of Being Earnest by Oscar major works by George Bernard rently serves as President of the Wilde, Ayckbourn’s Woman in Shaw, including the Los Angeles Theatre Communications Group Mind and You Never Can Tell by Drama Critics Circle (LADCC) (TCG), the national service organi- George Bernard Shaw, which he Award winners Major Barbara, zation for the professional not-for- restaged for the Singapore Festival Misalliance and Heartbreak House. profit theater. In addition, she has of Arts. His producing responsibil- Among the numerous world pre- served as Treasurer of TCG, Vice ities involve the overall coordina- mieres he has directed are Tom President of the League of Resi- tion of SCR’s programs and pro- Strelich’s BAFO and Margaret dent Theatres (LORT) and has jects. He has served as a consul- Edson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Wit, been a member of the LORT Nego- tant to the Orange County Per- which he also directed at Seattle tiating Committee for industry- forming Arts Center and as a the- Repertory Theatre and the Alley wide union agreements. She rep- atre panelist and onsite evaluator Theatre in Houston. He has di- resents SCR at national conferences for the National Endowment for rected American classics including of TCG and LORT; is a theatre the Arts. He has served on the Ex- Ah, Wilderness!, A Streetcar panelist and site visitor for the Na- ecutive Committee of the League Named Desire, A Delicate Balance tional Endowment for the Arts and of Resident Theatres, and as a pan- and All My Sons. Mr. Benson has the California Arts Council; served elist for the California Arts Council. been honored with the Drama- on the Advisory Committee for the After attending Orange Coast Col- Logue Award for his direction of 21 Arts Administration Certificate Pro- lege, he received his BA and MA productions and received LADCC gram at the University of Califor- from California State University, Distinguished Achievement in Di- nia, Irvine; and has been a guest San Francisco, and his PhD in the- recting awards an unparalleled lecturer in the graduate school of atre and film from USC. seven times for the three Shaw business at Stanford. She graduat- productions, John Millington ed from the University of Califor- MARTIN BENSON (Artistic Synge’s Playboy of the Western nia, Irvine with a degree in Eco- Director) shares co-founder credit World, Arthur Miller’s The nomics and pursued an additional and artistic leadership of SCR with Crucible, Sally Nemeth’s Holy Days course of study in theatre and his colleague David Emmes. As and Wit. He also directed the film dance.

The Actors and Stage Managers em- The Scenic, Costume, Lighting and The Director is a member of the Soci- ployed in this production are members Sound Designers in LORT theatres ety of Stage Directors and Choreogra- of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union are represented by United Scenic phers, Inc., an independent national of Professional Actors and Stage Man- Artists Local USA-829, IATSE. labor union. agers in the United States.

P12 SOUTH COAST REPERTORY • Anna in the Tropics