WHAT’S INSIDE From the Managing Director | 5 Paradise Blue | 7 Cast | 8 Dramaturgy | 9-11 The Creative Team | 12-14 Board of Trustees | 15 Staff | 16 Annual Giving | 17-22 General Information | 27 ADVERTISING Onstage Publications Advertising Department 937-424-0529 | 866-503-1966 e-mail: [email protected] www.onstagepublications.com This program is published in association with Onstage Publications, 1612 Prosser Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45409. This program may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Onstage Publications is a division of Just Business, Inc. Contents ©2018. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. LONG WHARF THEATRE | 2018–19 3 from the MANAGING DIRECTOR Dear Friends, Welcome to Paradise Blue ! I hope you enjoy Dominique Morisseau’s beautiful play deftly directed by Awoye Timpo. As you know, ticket sales cover only half of our expenses, and we require contributions for the balance. While we receive significant support from institutions like foundations and corporations, our largest source of fundraising is from donors like you. Therefore, I hope you will consider participating in this year’s “Chair’s Challenge.” Our generous board chair, Laura Pappano, will match all new and increased gifts dollar for dollar, up to $20,000, which are received between now and December 31. You may know that Long Wharf Theatre produces local, world-class theatre. But did you also know that: • We serve over 6,000 students a year through our Student Matinee Series, the August Wilson Monologue Competition, and in-school residencies led by our staff of talented teaching artists. • We are a major force in new play development, investing in writers through commissions, workshops, world premiere productions, and our annual New Works Festival. • Our community engagement programs are nationally recognized for their innovation, including partnerships with the New Haven Free Public Library, The Towers, and Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS). • We are a major economic driver for the region, creating over 250 full-time and part-time jobs each year and generating over $1.6 million in economic impact every year. Yet, our work is not possible without the generosity of people like you, as Long Wharf receives minimal government funding (only 1% of our operating budget). If you have never donated to Long Wharf before, I hope you will consider doing so, or if you have, I hope you’ll consider increasing your contribution. If you have any feedback about tonight’s performance, please email me at [email protected]. Thank you so much for coming, enjoy the show, and have a terrific holiday season. All my best, Josh LONG WHARF THEATRE | 2018–19 5 the CREATIVE TEAM LEON ADDISON BROWN Film: Sleeping with Other People. TV: “Instinct,” (Corn) Long Wharf Theatre: Our “Elementary” (directed by Lucy Liu). Margaret is Town and The Bluest Eye. Broadway: a co-founder and producer for HomeBase Theatre Misery, The Trip to Bountiful, Collective. BA Brown University (Weston Acting On the Waterfront, Someone to Award recipient); MFA NYU Tisch Grad Acting. Watch Over Me, Prelude to a Kiss. www.margaretodette.com Off-Broadway: Transfers (MCC); Master Harold and the Boys (Drama League CAROLYN MICHELLE SMITH Nomination for Distinguished Performance and (Silver ) Broadway: Romeo and Audelco Nomination); The Painted Rocks at Revolver Juliet directed by David Leveaux starring Orlando Bloom and Condola Creek, The Train Driver, The Orphans ’ Home Cycle, The Alexander Plays (Signature Theatre); The Box Rashad. Off-Broadway: Hit The Wall (Foundry Theatre); The Lights (LCT); As You Like It (Barrow Street Theatre), Soldier X (TFANA); Sargent Ola... (Soho Rep); The Death of the (HEREArts Center). Film/TV: “Luke Last Black Man (BACA Downtown). Selected Regional: Cage” (Netflix), “Notorious” (ABC), “How to Get Away Baltimore Center Stage; Berkshire Playwrights Lab, With Murder” (ABC), “Law & Order: SVU” (NBC), Hartford Stage, Westport Country Playhouse (CCC “Colony” (USA), and “House of Cards” (Netflix), “Code Black” (CBS). “The Oath” (Crackle), and Award), Theatre Works, People’s Light Theatre, Arena Stage, Yale Rep, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Sunny Daze directed by Jason Wiles. Education: Hartford Theatreworks, Indiana Rep, Cleveland Fordham University and Juilliard. Special Thanks to Playhouse, Cincinnati Playhouse, Arizona Rep, Awoye Timpo for her spectacular vision and artistry, Missouri Rep, Milwaukee Rep, Portland Center Stage and Erica, James, and Paul at Calleri Casting for and Williamstown Theatre Festival. Film/TV: Ben is their wonderful dedication and support. Back, A Walk Among the Tombstones, Whirlygirl, STEPHEN TYRONE WILIAMS Hamlet, Music of the Heart, True Blood, “Elementary,” (Blue) Broadway: Lucky Guy “The Breaks,” “Madame Secretary,” “The Knick,” (Broadhurst) and Jitney (Friedman). “The Good Wife,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “The Jury.” Off-Broadway: Harper Regan (Atlantic Shorts: Mandela Was Late, Paper Cranes. Training: Theater Company), My Children! North Carolina School of the Arts. My Africa! (Signature Theatre– Drama League award & Clive Barnes (P-Sam) FREDDIE FULTON nom), Burning (New Group), and Hallway Trilogy is making his Long Wharf Theatre (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater). Regional: Gem debut with this wonderful production of the Ocean (Hartford Stage), Fences (Seattle of Paradise Blue. He’s truly grateful Repertory/Syracuse Stage–SALT nom), Ruined to this amazing team and for the (Intiman/Geffen Playhouse), Topdog/Underdog opportunity to breathe life into stories, (Actors Theatre of Louisville), and Measure for such as this one. Originally from Measure (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey). Little Rock, Arkansas, Freddie recently received Select Film: Tobacco Burn, Children of God, Restless his MFA in Acting from Columbia University. Other City, Greetings from Tim Buckley, and Da Sweet theatre credits include: Classic Stage Company’s Blood of Jesus. Select TV: “Elementary,” “Person of Julius Caesar (Brutus), Seven Guitars (Floyd), Interest,” “Unforgettable,” and “The Knick.” The Seagull (Medvedenko), Fences (Cory), A Soldier’s Play (PFC Peterson), etc. To his family, AWOYE TIMPO (Director ) The Revolving Cycles friends, and supporters (new and old) thank Truly and Steadily Roll’d (Playwrights Realm), The you for your inspiration and love, it means the Homecoming Queen (Atlantic Theater Company), world to him. Skeleton Crew (Chester Theatre Company), Sister Son/Ji (Billie Holiday Theater), Carnaval (National (Pumpkin) MARGARET ODETTE Black Theatre), Ndebele Funeral (59E59, South is thrilled to join the Long Wharf African tour, Edinburgh Festival); The Libation Bearers Theatre family with this production. (Shakespeare Theatre of NJ), In The Continuum NYC: Sensucht (JACK, NYT Critic’s (Juilliard). Producer: Classix, a reading series Pick), She Kills Monsters (The Flea/ exploring classic plays by Black playwrights. Vampire Cowboys, NYT Critic’s Broadway: Associate Director, Jitney. Other: Associate Pick), Figaro (The Pearl), The Director, Othello (Shakespeare in the Park), ABC/ Electric Lighthouse (The Flea), Asian American Disney, Cherry Lane, Ma-Yi, New Dramatists, MixFest (Atlantic). Regional: Smart People (WAM/ NOW Africa, PEN World Voices, Royal Shakespeare Williamstown); The House That Will Not Stand Company, Lincoln Center Directors Lab, Soho Rep (NYS&F); Jump (Chautauqua); Skeleton Crew, Writer/Director Lab, WNYC. A Raisin in the Sun, Good People, The Bluest Eye. 12 LONG WHARF THEATRE | 2018–19 the CREATIVE TEAM DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU (Playwright ) is the LEX LIANG (Costume Designer ) Lex is thrilled to be author of The Detroit Project (A 3-Play Cycle) which back at Long Wharf, having recently designed Ken includes the following plays: Skeleton Crew (Atlantic Ludwig’s Baskerville. He has designed over 50 NYC/ Theater Company), Paradise Blue (Signature Theatre), Off-Broadway productions, including most recently and Detroit ’67 (Public Theater, Classical Theatre of Antigone for Classical Theatre of Harlem and the Harlem and NBT). Additional plays include: Pipeline upcoming Christmas Carol in Harlem. Regionally, (Lincoln Center Theater), Sunset Baby (LAByrinth Lex has worked at Alliance Theatre, Asolo Rep, Theater); Blood at the Root (National Black Theatre) Cincinnati Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, Dallas and Follow Me to Nellie’s (Premiere Stages). Theatre Center, Denver Center, Geva Theatre, Dominique is an alumna of The Public Theater La Jolla Playhouse, PaperMill Playhouse, Portland Emerging Writer’s Group, Women’s Project Lab, and Stage, Portland Center Stage, and Wooly Mammoth, Lark Playwrights Workshop and has developed work among others. Lex is the Principal at LDC Design at Sundance Lab, Williamstown Theatre Festival and Associates, a NYC-based company specializing in Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference. Her work the design and production of bespoke creative events has been commissioned by Steppenwolf Theatre, and interiors. Recent projects include Operation Women’s Project, South Coast Rep, People’s Light Smile’s 35th Anniversary Gala, NYC Wine and Food and Theatre, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival/ Festival, and the Tony Awards Gala. Member Penumbra Theatre. She most recently served as USA-829. www.LexLiang.com Co-Producer on the Showtime series “Shameless.” Following its record breaking run at Berkeley OONA CURLEY (Lighting Design) Recent: Repertory Theatre last summer, her new musical Good Grief (Vineyard Theatre), Circus–Wandering Ain’t Too Proud—The Life