Written by George Brant Sept. 25–Oct. 18, 2020 Directed by Kimberly Faith Hickman Scenic & Lighting Designer Properties Jim Othuse Darin Kuehler Costume Designer Scenic Artist Lindsay Pape Janet Morr Sound Designer Composer John Gibilisco Jay Hanson Rehearsal Stage Manager Production Coordinator Kate Whitecotton Greg Scheer Stage Manager Technical Director Steve Priesman Darrin Golden GROUNDED is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheeatricals.com GROUNDED was first produced as a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere by SF Playhouse (California), Borderlands Theatre (Arizona), and Unicorn Theatre (Missouri). For more information please visit nnpn.org The Videotaping or making of electronic or other audio and/or visual recording of this production and distributing recordings or streams in any medium, including the internet, is strictly prohibited, a violation of the author(s)’s rights and actionable under United States copyright law. For More information, please visit: www.concordtheatricals.com/resources/protecting-artists Director’s Notes Setting | Cast List The Oath of Enlistment “I [state your full name], Do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support SETTING and defend the Constitution of the Las Vegas United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear Cast true faith and allegiance to the same; The Pilot .................................................Leanne Hill Carlson and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God (optional).” Kimberly Faith Hickman Director / Artistic Director Cast Bios Artistic Team Bios CAST BIO ARTISTIC TEAM BIOS Kimberly Faith Hickman Director Kimberly Faith Hickman is the artistic director at the Omaha Community Playhouse. Her past OCP credits include directing Once, Annie (2019) Ragtime (2019), The Bridges of Madison County, Shrek The Musical, Singin’ in the Rain, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Rock of Ages, A Christmas Carol, Enron, national tours of A Christmas Carol and many others. Broadway: The Scottsboro Boys, Clybourne Park and The Assembled Parties. Off-Broadway: Manhattan Theatre Club, Roundabout Theatre Company, Atlantic Theatre Company, Women’s Project, etc. Regional: Williamstown Theatre Festival, Know Theatre of Cincinnati, Playhouse on the Square, Springer Opera House. She is a founding member of the Bechdel Project, a non-profit dedicated to telling stories that pass the Bechdel test. kimberlyfaithhickman.com Leanne Hill Carlson “The Pilot” John Gibilisco Sound Designer John Gibilisco began volunteering with Omaha Community Playhouse in 1977 and has been a member of the staff since 1988. OCP credits includeOnce , A Raisin in the Sun, The Rocky Horror Show (2019), Annie (2019), Sweat, Of Mice and Men, Singin’ In The Rain, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Superior Donuts, Rock of Ages, To Kill a Mockingbird, Caroline, or Change (Theatre Arts Guild Award), A Christmas Carol, Les Misérables, Bat Boy: The Musical (Omaha Entertainment and Arts Award), Swing! (OEA Award), South Pacific (TAG Leanne Hill Carlson is excited to be back at the Omaha Community Award), Ragtime (2006, TAG Award) and Starkweather (TAG Award), among Playhouse after appearing as Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Other many others. John even stepped out from behind the curtain and appeared on OCP credits include Sara in Murder Ballad (Theatre Arts Guild Award & stage in the OCP’s productions of Mr. Roberts and The Three Musketeers. Charles Jones Award), Elle Woods in Legally Blonde The Musical, Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire (TAG Award and Barbara Ford Award), Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof and Meg in Little Women with the Nebraska Theatre Jay Hanson Caravan. Other favorite local credits include Halina/The Prime in Indecent Composer at the BLUEBARN Theatre, Cathy in The Last Five Years at the Performing Jay Hanson returns to OCP after last appearing in Once (Mary Peckham Artists Repertory Theatre, Elena in Uncle Vanya at Brigit St. Brigit, Mary Award) and Yesterday and Today: The Interactive Beatles Experience. He also Poppins in Mary Poppins at The Rose Theater and Pitti-Sing in The Mikado composed music for OCP’s production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in at the Orpheum with Opera Omaha. Leanne is passionate about new, local the Night-Time. Jay has been creating professionally for over 20 years, having theatre and has been involved in many projects locally including the Great worked in the recording studio with artists ranging from Snoop Dogg to Larry Plains Theatre Conference, One Way to Mars, The Break and The Octopus the Cable Guy and clients including National Public Radio, ESPN and ABC’s Play. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from Sam “Grey’s Anatomy”—Jay has shared performances with music notables such Houston State University and her master’s degree from the University of as Hootie and the Blowfish, Cake, Taylor Dayne and David Lee Roth. He has Nebraska Medical Center. She is a Physician Assistant and co-owner of also lent his voice-over, singing and script supervising talents to a number Finesse Advanced Medical Aesthetics. Leanne is a proud mom of Henry of DIC Entertainment’s cartoon series, including Strawberry Shortcake, (age 9) and Nora (age 6). Thank you all for supporting the arts during this DinoSquad and Horseland. “For Campbell, my 11-year-old daughter.” difficult year! Artistic Team Bios Artistic Team Bios | Acknowledgments Darin Kuehler Steve Priesman Properties Master Stage Manager Darin Kuehler has been working as a freelance prop master in the Omaha Steve Priesman has volunteered backstage at the Omaha Community area since 2009 and has been the prop master at the Omaha Community Playhouse for more than 30 seasons—29 of those as a stage manager. He Playhouse since 2012, where he has worked on shows such as Once, A Raisin most recently stage managed the OCP productions of Once, Sweat and The in the Sun, The Rocky Horror Show (2019), Annie (2019), Ragtime (2019), A Bridges of Madison County. He says it is difficult to choose a favorite OCP Christmas Carol, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Around the World in 80 Days show, but A Christmas Carol, Ragtime, Quilters, A Man of No Importance (Theatre Arts Guild Award), The Producers (TAG Award), Les Misérables and The Secret Garden would be high on his list. Some other shows he has (TAG Award), Evil Dead: The Musical and more. Other area shows include stagemanaged at OCP include Shrek The Musical, Eminent Domain, Disney’s Two Gentleman of Verona and Romeo and Juliet with Nebraska Shakespeare Beauty and the Beast, Young Frankenstein, Ella, Les Misérables, The Wizard and In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) and Jekyll & Hyde at BLUEBARN of Oz, Annie (2005), The Marvelous Wonderettes, Frankenstein and Fiddler Theatre. Darin has an M.A. in theatre from the University of Nebraska at on the Roof. He is a recipient of the Echo Ellick Top Production Award, the Omaha. In his free time, Darin enjoys relaxing with his wonderful wife, Trustees Award and numerous backstage service awards at OCP. He also Megan, their cat, Mable, and dogs, Major and Maverick. He and Megan are served as assistant stage manager with the Omaha Symphony Christmas avid outdoor enthusiasts who like to camp, hunt and fish. Celebration in 2015. Steve manages printing and publications services at Omaha Public Schools and adores his beautiful grandchildren. Jim Othuse Scenic Designer Kate Whitcott0n Jim Othuse joined the staff of the Omaha Community Playhouse in 1974 Rehearsal Stage Manager and has served as resident scenic and lighting designer ever since. Jim has A graduate of the Technical Theatre Program from Red Deer College in AB, designed over 450 shows for OCP and has won Theatre Arts Guild Awards Canada, Kate has been working professionally in the performing arts for over for both scenic and lighting design. Other OCP credits include Once, 15 years. In 2007 Kate moved to Omaha, Nebraska to join Billy McGuigan’s A Raisin in the Sun, Annie (2019), Sweat, Ragtime (2019), Men On Boats, Rave On Productions (ROP) to Stage Manage the premiere of Yesterday One Man, Two Guvnors, The Bridges of Madison County, Fun Home, Les and Today: The Interactive Beatles Experience. Shortly after, ROP set out Misérables, The Secret Garden, Frankenstein, A Christmas Carol, Disney’s on their first national tour, and Kate quickly worked her way up to being the Beauty and the Beast, The Producers, Man of La Mancha (TAG Award), City tour manager and director of bookings. In 2016 Kate moved into her current of Angels (TAG Award) and Love, Loss and What I Wore. From 1979 to the role of CEO and has helped grow ROP into an internationally recognized present, Jim has designed the annual Ak-Sar-Ben Coronation and Ball set production company. One of Kate’s favorite accomplishments has been and has created numerous sets for the Nebraska Theatre Caravan including building a relationship with the Omaha Community Playhouse where she its popular touring productions of A Christmas Carol and The Fantasticks (à now manages their professional touring wing, the Nebraska Theatre Caravan. la Steampunk). Jim is originally from Williamsburg, MA. During COVID Kate helped to create and produce three socially distanced drive-in concert events at the OCP which has since toured the Midwest. She is delighted to be a part of this incredible production and hopes you enjoy! Lindsay Pape Costume Designer ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Lindsay Pape is the resident costume designer at the Omaha Community Playhouse. She has designed costumes for OCP shows including A Raisin in the Sun, Annie (2019), Ragtime (2019), Shrek The Musical, Singin’ In The Rain, Parade, Superior Donuts, Sirens, Deathtrap and many others.