CONTEMPORARY PHYSICAL THEATER Paata Tsikurishvili, Founding Artistic Director Irina Tsikurishvili, Co-Founding Choreographer and Associate Artistic Director SYNthesis: the coming together of distinct elements to form a whole kinETIC: pertaining to or imparting motion, active, dynamic SYNETIC THEATER: a dynamic synthesis of the arts “Certainly one of the most innovative theater arts organizations in the DC area, indeed, in the US.” - DC Examiner Founded in 1996 by the husband and wife team of Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili, Synetic Theater is the region’s premier contemporary theater, dedicated to the fusion of dynamic art forms from text and drama to movement, acrobatics, dance, film and music. In the span of 15 years, Synetic received 119 Helen Hayes nominations and 28 Awards. “Pure physical theater, pure storytelling, and a cinematic experience imparted with living, breathing bodies.” -The Washington Post BOARD OF DIRECTORS EMERITUS BOARD Michael Haskett, Chair Ina Milton Allison Foster Ruckh, Vice Chair Dimitri Simes Rick L. Hardy, Vice Chair & Treasurer Timothy Carlton, Secretary ADVISORY BOARD Peter W. Berk Angela Fox Daniel S. Cox Sue and Amnon Golan Julianna Mahley Hanna Haskett Ryan E. Merkel Terence W. Leveck, MD Blair Ruble Freddi Lipstein Jeffrey Schragg Donn B. Murphy Calvin Shintani Amy M. Nice Paata Tsikurishvili Lloyd Rose Victor Shargai Cecil Thompson Jay Zawatsky Our work is not possible without your help! Visit synetictheater.org/membership/ to learn how you can support great physical theater in the Washington, DC area! Synetic Family Theater presents... HANSEL & GRETEL Based on the Brothers Grimm fairytale December 1 >> December 23 1800 S. Bell St. in Crystal City Co-Directors, Co-Choreographers, Co-Adaptors Tori Bertocci & Elena Velasco Scenic Designer Stage Manager Philip da Costa Tess Wagner Costume Designer Resident Composer & Sound Designer Dominique Gaddy Konstantine Lortkipanidze Lighting Designer Properties Master Kelly Rudolph Philip da Costa Production Manager Phill Giggey Technical Director Phil Charlwood Master Electrician Alex Keen Assistant Costume Designer Sadie Albert Audio Engineer Thomas Sowers Light Board Operator Mira Anniballi This production is supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, & Arlington County’s Arlington Arts. Special Thanks to Special Thanks to Elizabeth and Liza Chapman, Emily Jonas and the Burgundy Farm Country Day School for their help with this production. Note from Co-Directors It seems these days that one’s perspective truly shapes our reality. Though the original Grimm’s tale shares a dark view of childhood and family, we wanted to explore how perspective shapes the world as we know it. Too often children’s stories are reductive, teaching one that there is a right way and wrong way, one is strong or weak, and people are good or bad. From the start, we are taught that there are no shades of gray. This production is crafted starting from this belief - that our individual relationship with language and communication shapes our perspective, and perspective makes us unique. As both theatre artists and educators, we know that children of all abilities have gifts to offer the world. We also know that society doesn’t always value the unique perspectives of children whose development is atypical. We - family members, educators, neighbors - don’t always know how to accept challenges in communication or interactions that require a different type of processing. Again we are polarized - we see one as able or disabled, rather than differently abled. This production recognizes the visions of every child whose world is a little different. Hansel is that boy, and Gretel, who is his true caretaker, learns to accept her brother and engage in his world of adventure. Theatre is the opportunity to celebrate our unique, diverse qualities. These differences can make us stronger, if we stop and give our attention. In this way, theatre helps build a community that fosters empathy and patience, whether with family, classmates or neighbors. In the end of Grimm’s tale, Gretel and Hansel survive. In ours, Gretel and Hansel thrive because they rely on each other and make the most of what each has to offer. Perhaps if we all accept that our survival depends on the ability to understand the world from someone else’s point of view, then we could come closer to sharing in the same reality. --Tori Bertocci & Elena Velasco Cast Hansel & Gretel Hansel/Ensemble.......................................................................................Justin J. Bell † Gretel/Ensemble....................................…….………....................................Sharisse Taylor Witch/Ensemble.................................................….....................................Raven Wilkes † Synetic Company Member Join us on December 10th for... Hansel & Gretel's Winter Wonderland Celebration See a Gingerbread Houses! Show! FREE! Sunday, December 10th 3:30pm - 5:00pm Synetic Theater’s Studio Location 2155 Crystal Plaza Arcade T-19 Arlington, VA 22202 Free with RSVP to [email protected] Cast Bios JUSTIN J. BELL (Hansel/ thank her family for their never ending Ensemble) has been love and support. with Synetic Theater since 2014 and became RAVEN WILKES (Witch/ a company member in Puppeteer/Babysitter) 2015. When not causing is super pumped to be havoc with his fellow back with Synetic Theater Syneticons, Justin is a teaching artist, in such a thrilling and director, and playwright. He has taught challenging role. Her with Gala Hispanic Theater’s award previous credits with the company winning youth program, Paso Nuevo, are The Hunchback of Notre Dame and in the Richmond Public School (Gargoyle) and The Mark of Cain System through Art 180. Past and (Understudy). She was last seen at upcoming credits include: Synetic DC Reynolds Bar performing the Theater: The Taming of the Shrew, titular character in the devised show Dante’s Inferno, Alice in Wonderland, NOAH: Apocalypse with LiveArtDC. A A Tale of Two Cities, Hamlet, Much recent migrant to the DC area, Raven Ado About Nothing, The Island of Dr. has previously worked in Children’s Moreau; Arts on the Horizon: Nutt Theatre touring the United States with and Bolt, To the Clouds; Iron Crow Hampstead Stage Company in Robin Theatre: BootyCandy; Atramental Arts: Hood (Robin/Fool) and Hercules & The Root of All Knowledge (Director); Heroes (Eurytheus), Virginia Repertory Constellation Theatre Company: Theatre in The Little Red Hen (Pig/ Journey the West; relEASE Physical Fence) and Harriet Tubman (Mary/ Theater Company: Straight on til Narrator), and The National Theatre MoUrning. He would like to thank his for Children in The Conservation support system, especially his mom Caper (Nikki Neutron). She is a proud who has been his biggest champion. company member of The Conciliation Project and teaches and performs SHARISSE TAYLOR in the surrounding schools with (Gretel/Ensemble) Educational Theatre Company’s is a bi-coastal writer, Shakespeare in the Schools and with poet, and performer Creative Tools for Teaching as a part who originally hails from of the Discovery Theatre with the Virginia. She is absolutely Smithsonian. She would like to thank thrilled to be back on the east coast and dedicate this performance to her working with such an incredible sister, mother, and little puppy Onyx. team on this magical production. Her You make everyday so magical! previous credits include As You Like It (Celia), Much Ado About Nothing (Ensemble), and The Island of Doctor Moreau (Beast 4) at Synetic Theater; For Colored Girls (Lady in Yellow) and Dontrell Who Kissed The Sea (Danielle) at Theatre Alliance; Straight on ‘til MoUrning [sic] (Tink) with relEASE; and Seasons Of Light (Ensemble) at Discovery Theater. She would like to Artistic and Leadership Bios TORI BERTOCCI (Co-Director, Co-Adaptor, the oversight, strategic direction and fiscal Co-Choreographer) Director/Choreographer/ soundness of programs and activities of Adaptor credits: relEASE- straight on Synetic. She considers herself very fortunate til moUrning (Director/Choreographer/ to spend her varied professional career Playwright), SELF (Co-Director/Co-Playwright/ living and working in Europe and Asia Pacific Co-Choreographer). Synetic Theater- Peter for several years where she continued to Pan (Co-Adaptor), The Mark of Cain (Assistant explore her deep passion in the performing Director/Co-Adaptor), The Hunchback of arts as a patron and advocate. Linda holds a Notre Dame (Assistant Director), Sleeping BA in Business Administration (Accounting) Beauty (Assistant Director), Dante’s Inferno from the University of Hawaii, Manoa, an (Assistant Director). Flying-V- It’s the Rest of MBA in International Business from Nanyang the World that Seems So Small Workshop Technological University in Singapore and (Choreographer). Upcoming Credits: Synetic is a CPA. She has served as Chair and/or Theater- The Trial (Creative Assistant), The member on the Board of various non-profit Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Assistant Director, organizations over the years. Choreographer, Co-Adaptor). Tori has been a Synetic Company member for 7 years. PHIL CHARLWOOD (Technical Director) has During her time at Synetic, Tori has performed, been working with Synetic Theater since 2008. choreographed, adapted, and assistant- His most notable achievements have been directed numerous productions, and now takes Helen Hayes Award Nominee for Outstanding on the role of director. Tori is the Education set