50th Season • 474th Production JULIANNE ARGYROS STAGE / OCTOBER 6-27, 2013 Marc Masterson Paula Tomei ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MANAGING DIRECTOR David Emmes & Martin Benson FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTORS presents the world premiere of FAST COMPANY by Carla Ching Keith Mitchell Ann Closs-Farley Tom Ontiveros John Ballinger SCENIC DESIGN COSTUME DESIGN LIGHTING DESIGN ORIGINAL MUSIC/SOUNDSCAPE Jason H. Thompson Kelly L. Miller Joshua Marchesi Jennifer Ellen Butler* PROJECTION DESIGN DRAMATURG PRODUCTION MANAGER STAGE MANAGER Directed by Bart DeLorenzo FAST COMPANY was workshopped and developed in the 2013 Pacific Playwrights Festival Commissioned with support from The Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science & Technology Project Developed in the Lark Play Development Center’s Playwrights Workshop Fast Company • South CoaSt RepeRtoRy • P1 CAST OF CHARACTERS (In order of appearance) Blue ......................................................................................... Jackie Chung* H .................................................................................................. Nelson Lee* Francis ................................................................................... Lawrence Kao* Mable ...................................................................................... Emily Kuroda* SETTING Time: Now LENGTH Approximately two hours, including one intermission. PRODUCTION STAFF Casting ......................................................................... Joanne DeNaut, CSA Production Assistant ........................................................................... Kristen Coen Assistant Director ................................................................................. Peter J. Kuo Magic Consultant ........................................................................ Alfonso Aceituno Fight Consultant ................................................................................... Ken Merckx Assistant/Associate/Assistant to the Costume Designer ........ Adriana Lambarri Assistant Lighting Designer .................................................... Rebecca Bonebrake Assistant Sound Designer .............................................................. Brian Svoboda Stage Management Intern ............................................................ Marissa Putnick Light Board Operator ................................................................ Sumner Ellsworth Sound Board Operator .................................................................. Bryan Williams Automation Operator ................................................................ Victor Mouledoux Projections Technician .......................................................................... Jon Hyrkas Dresser ......................................................................................... Michelle McHale * Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers. Please refrain from unwrapping candy or making other noises that may disturb surrounding patrons. Video taping and/or recording of this performance by any means whatsoever are strictly prohibited. Cellular phones, beepers and watch alarms should be turned off or set to non-audible mode during the performance. Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the theatre. This play is a recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award Media Partner P2 • South CoaSt RepeRtoRy • Fast Company A Real Life Comic Caper ction Comics No. 1, which January 21, 2000, Cage reported featured the first appear- the rare comic stolen to the Los ance of Superman in June Angeles police, along with high- 1938, is the most valuable grade copies of Batman’s first A Glossary of Grift comic book on the market appearance in Detective Comics CONFIDENCE GAME, or CON: An attempt Atoday. No. 27 and Marvel Mystery No. 71. to defraud a person or group by gaining On November 30, 2011, actor According to a collector’s website, their confidence. Nicholas Cage’s nearly pristine Cage had the books displayed in CREW: A group of con artists. security frames mounted to the FAST COMPANY: Sophisticated players who wall of his home. are more capable of spotting the cruder The exact moment of the methods of cheating (or conning) and are, theft was unknown, but the therefore, more difficult to swindle. comic might have been missing THE FIXER: The crew member who provides for a week before Cage discov- back-up to the Inside Man and obtains ered the frames were empty. props, constructs the set, and manipulates The Marvel Mystery resurfaced people to set the stage for the con to take a few months later but the other place. two comics remained lost. GRIFT: To obtain goods or money illegally In April 2011, Cage’s copy by use of skill rather than violence. of Action Comics No. 1 was GRIFTER: One who lives by her wits instead discovered in a San Fernando of by force. One who grifts. Also known as Valley storage locker by a man a con artist. who had bought the contents of THE INSIDE MAN: The crew member in the abandoned locker. charge, who actually performs the con. Cage’s copy of Action Com- THE LURE: A crew member who seduces ics No. 1 was the first comic to the Mark to get what they need. sell for more than $2 million at THE MARK: The intended victim of a con. auction. At the time, Certified Also known as a sucker, chump, or patsy. Guaranty Company (CGC), the PIG-IN-A-POKE: A classic con that leading grader of the quality originated in the Late Middle Ages, when of collectible comics, assigned meat was scarce but cats and dogs were “The most important comic book in it a grade of 9.0, making it the not. A suckling pig was sold in a poke (or the history of comic books.” highest publicly-graded copy of bag), but when the victim opened it, they’d Superman’s first appearance, to ~ ComicConnection.com find the pork had been swapped with cat that date. or dog meat. Approximately 100 copies THE ROPER: The crew member who copy of Action Comics No. 1 sold of Action Comics No. 1 remain identifies and lures in The Mark. for a record $2,161,000 in an in existence, but experts believe THE SPANISH PRISONER: A classic con online auction—but that record– that only five others, all privately that originated in the late 19th century, breaking sale was only part of the owned, approach the quality of in which a con-man tells a victim he is newsworthy story. Cage’s copy. corresponding with a wealthy person More than a decade prior, on Source: The Hollywood Reporter who has been imprisoned in Spain. The con-man extorts the victim for money to ame Theory is the study of how people interact and make decisions help secure the release of the prisoner, promising that he’ll be financially rewarded Gin both cooperative and competitive environments. It is a branch of when the prisoner returns. Modern applied mathematics used to predict outcomes in economics, business, variants include the advance-fee fraud or political science, computer science and other disciplines—even poker. Nigerian money transfer scam. Fast Company • South CoaSt RepeRtoRy • P3 Artist Biographies JACKIE CHUNG* EMILY KURODA* Blue Mable is making her SCR debut. Her is thrilled to be back at SCR (Our off-Broadway and regional cred- Town, Ballad of Yachiyo and the its include Macbeth 1969 (Long Pacific Playwrights Festival reading Wharf Theatre), microcrisis, The of Dogeaters). She has performed Children of Vonderly (Ma-Yi The- in more than 25 shows and work- ater Company), You for Me for shops at East West Players. Other You (Woolly Mammoth Theatre/Ma-Yi), Mother Cour- theatres include Kirk Douglas Theatre, Mark Taper age and Her Children (The Public Theater/New York Forum, The Public Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, Seattle Shakespeare Festival) and Trickle, Japanoir (Ensem- Repertory Theatre, Singapore Rep, Berkeley Repertory ble Studio Theatre). Chung’s other New York cred- Theatre, The Doolittle Theater, Huntington Theatre its include After. (Partial Comfort Productions), The Company, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Zephyr Theatre, Sporting Life (Studio 42) and The Director (The Flea LA Women’s Shakespeare and The Shakespeare Center Theater). Her film, television and web credits include of Los Angeles. Her television credits include seven Going Local, 4 Dates, Pretty Precious Unicorns, “For- years as Mrs. Kim on “Gilmore Girls,” Suho in “Under tune Son” and the upcoming independent film Some- One Roof” with Flavor Flav, Margaret Cho’s mother in one Else. Chung recently workshopped Jackie Sibblies “Drop Dead Diva” as well as appearances on “Medium,” Drury’s Really Really Really Really Really at the Sun- “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Bloodline.” Feature films in- dance Theatre Lab and Jiehae Park’s Hannah and the clude Red, Aussie & Ted, The Sensei, Minority Report, Dread Gazebo at the Ojai Playwrights Conference. She Stranger Inside, About Love (Emmy nominated), Peep is a member of Partial Comfort Productions, the En- World and the upcoming Justice Angel. She is the re- semble Studio Theatre and a proud volunteer with the cipient of five Drama-Logue awards, a Garland Award 52nd Street Project. for Outstanding Performance, an L.A. Ovation Award nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Play, Playwrights LAWRENCE KAO* Arena Award, the East West Players Award for Outstand- Francis ing Contribution to L.A. Theatre and the Entertainment Today Best Actress Award for Winter People. is making his SCR debut. He grew up in Hacienda Heights, Calif., as NELSON LEE* an only child left to his imagina- H tion. Playing Lysander in a high school