hookman_program.pdf 1 3/27/17 10:26 PM C M Y CM MY CY CMY K STEEP THEATRE COMPANY COMPANY MEMBERS Brad Akin Jonathan Edwards Jim Poole Kendra Thulin James Allen Alex Gillmor Egan Reich Robin Witt Jonathan Berry Nick Horst Joel Reitsma Brendan Melanson Lucy Carapetyan Ashleigh LaThrop Melissa Riemer in memoriam George Cederquist Cynthia Marker Michael Salinas Patricia Donegan Peter Moore Joanie Schultz Peter Dully Caroline Neff Julia Siple ARTISTIC ASSOCIATES Matthew Chapman Lauren Lassus Alison Siple Dan Stratton Maria DeFabo Kristin Leahey Simon Stephens Brandon Wardell Thomas Dixon Emily McConnell Assoc. Playwright Chelsea M. Warren BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jessica Schrey David Bock Doug Passmore Sonya Dekhtyar President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Dave Bartusek Ian Galleher Ted Lowitz Kelly Carpenter Molly Johnson Anne Marie Mitchell Kelly Fitzgerald Stu Kiesow Elizabeth Moore STAFF Peter Moore Staci Weigum Egan Reich Stu Kiesow Artistic Director House Manager Literary Manager Graphic Designer Kate Piatt-Eckert Caroline Neff Lee Miller Arianna Soloway Executive Director Casting Director Photographer Mgmt. Intern Julia Siple Lucy Carapetyan Gregg Gilman Ashley Pye Managing Director Casting Associate Photographer Operations Intern FRIENDS OF STEEP Heidi Brock Sara Foster Katie Kett Christine Rousseau Reid & Jennifer Diane Galleher Jennifer Collins Craig Steadman Quinn Broda Barry Grant Moore John C. White John Dunnigan Neil Jain Jon Putnam Steep Theatre Company is supported in part by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, the Sol R. Kaufman Family Foundation, and the Rothman Family Foundation. Steep Theatre is a member of the League of Chicago Theatres and Theatre Communications Group. STEEP THEATRE COMPANY 1115 West Berwyn, Chicago, IL 60640 www.steeptheatre.com [email protected] (773) 649-3186 Steep Theatre Company proudly presents Hookman by Lauren Yee CAST (in speaking order) Jess ............................................ Karen Isabel Rodriguez Lexi...................................................... Kiayla Ryann Yoonji .................................................... Aja Wiltshire Chloe ....................................................Sasha Smith Hookman / Sean / Adam ................................. James Doherty Kayleigh...................................................Mary Tilden UNDERSTUDIES Jennifer Cheung Zach De Nardi Mary Tilden Elizabeth Wigley PRODUCTION STAFF Director ................................................Vanessa Stalling Stage Manager ........................................Lauren Lassus** Scenic Designer .........................................Arnel Sancianco Lighting Designer ............................................Pete Dully* Costume Designer ................................... Mieka van der Ploeg Sound Designer & Original Music .............................Jeffrey Levin Props Designer ............................................Eleanor Kahn Projections & Video Designer ...............................Mark Comiskey Violence & Gore Designer ....................................... Jon Beal Assistant Director ..........................................Dani Wieder Production Manager ......................................Catherine Allen Technical Director ........................................Alan Weusthoff Stage Management Intern ....................................Natalie Day *Denotes Steep Theatre Company Member ** Denotes Steep Theatre Company Artistic Associate Steep salutes the sponsor of this production of Hookman: Ted Lowitz The videotaping or making of electronic or other audio and/or visual recordings of this production or distributing recordings on any medium, including the internet, is strictly prohibited, a violation of the author’s rights, and actionable under United States copyright law. Hookman is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. Hookman will be presented without intermission. New artwork from Susan DIRECTOR’S NOTE No matter how hard we try to lead good lives, to do the right thing, inevitably something we didn’t see coming hits us and sends us reeling. We are left to wonder what we could have done differently, and in this space of wondering we start to believe that we have the power to change how things happened, that maybe we can re-order events so that we never encounter the awful thing that came out of nowhere. “If I had just left the house a few minutes later…if I had not picked up the phone…if I had taken the other street instead.” In these moments of wondering we become, perhaps, irrational, which is why grief makes us feel crazy. For me, one of the most powerful ideas in Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking is that it has been scientifically proven that grief places us, at times, in irrational states. When it’s impossible to make sense of senseless tragedy, we lose track of rationality. What better way to examine these moments of wondering than through the medium of horror? For becoming an adult, particularly an adult woman, is a scary endeavor. Thank you for attending Lauren Yee’s Hookman. I’ve had such a fantastic time working on this incredibly unique script with a wonderful group of people. That’s a lot of adjectives, I know, but I’ve truly appreciated my time with these folks, and this script, in this theater. -Vanessa Stalling CAST Karen Isabel Rodriguez (Jess) Sasha Smith (Chloe) Sasha Karen is making her Steep is excited to return to Steep Theatre debut. She was last after appearing in the seen in Goodman Theatre’s extension of Bobbie Clearly. Blue Skies Process and in the Theater credits include Every critically acclaimed one 28 Hours (Goodman); woman show The Way She Spoke at the Johanna Faustus (The Hypocrites); The Wild Greenhouse Theater Center. Other Chicago Party, Dessa Rose (Bailiwick Chicago); Lunacy credits include Another Word for Beauty and (Jackalope Theatre Company); originated the the 2013 New Stages Festival (Goodman role of Camille Lowenstein in Horse Girls Theatre), Tumbao (Steppenwolf Theatre (Collaboraction). Television credits include Company), good friday (Oracle Productions), Chicago PD and Chicago Fire. Don Chipotle (The Storefront Theater), Graveyard of Empires and Our Holiday Stories James Doherty (Hookman / (16th Street Theater), Romeo and Juliet (Teatro Sean / Adam) James is Vista). Television credits include Chicago beyond thrilled to be making Justice. She is represented by Gray Talent his Steep debut. He is a Group. Chicago based actor born and raised on the southwest Kiayla Ryann (Lexi) side, a graduate of the Black Box Conservatory A Chicago native, Kiayla and a connoisseur of Chicago acting classes. earned her degree in theater Most recent credits include a workshop with performance from Bradley TimeLine Theatre and the Jeff Award winning University. There she was the play United Flight 232, where he was privileged Irene Ryan ACTF Region III to work with Vanessa Stalling and The House champion in 2013 and 2014. Kiayla is a proud Theatre. You may have also seen him keeping member of the School at Steppenwolf’s class the streets clean in the past season of Chicago of 2016. Her Favorite roles include Camae Fire. Looking forward to dusting off the cleats from The Mountaintop and Trisha from Five to start another year of softball in the Chicago Women Wearing the Same Dress. Hookman is Theatre League and a huge thank you to my Kiayla’s first show with Steep Theatre, and she lovely fiancé Sarah Loveland for believing in is so excited to work with such dedicated and me. Can’t wait to marry you this year. enthusiastic artists! She thanks God for all the opportunities she has been blessed with and Mary Tilden (Kayleigh) Mary, is excited about the future! originally from Columbia, South Carolina, moved to Aja Wiltshire (Yoonji) Aja is Chicago four years ago and excited to be working with now acts and performs Steep for the first time. She improv and stand-up has previously worked with regularly around the city. She improvises the Hypocrites (Cinderella at weekly at iO Chicago with her team Devil’s the Theater of Potatoes), Daughter and is a teaching artist and company Goodman (Teddy Ferrara), Griffin (Spring member at Barrel of Monkeys. Other Chicago Awakening), Haven (The Wedding Singer), credits include The Arrow Cracks (Neo- Profiles (After) and is a company member of Futurists), That’s Weird, Grandma (Barrel of AstonRep (Closer, Next Fall, The Lyons) and Monkeys), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Two founding member and Marketing Director of Pence), Much Ado About Nothing (The Arc). Adapt Theatre (Pride and Prejudice). Aja is Mary also hosts the monthly all-female HERold represented by Stewart Talent. at iO Chicago the fourth Tuesday of every month. Thanks to Steep for letting me come play with you! CAST, continued Jennifer Cheung (Understudy) This is Jennifer’s first time working with Steep. She has performed in Jeff-recommended Being productions with the Agency Theater Collective (Chagrin Falls) and Broken Nose Theatre (At The Table), and has there performed with Griffin Theatre, Level Eleven Theatre, the Waltzing Mechanics, Tabula Rasa Theatre, the Public House Theatre, and Nothing Special is why Productions. She has also worked with Shattered Globe and Victory Gardens. Comedy shows include performances at the Chicago SketchFest, Second City I’m here. Training Center, MCL, iO, and