A WORLD PREMIERE CONFEDERATES D R O F N A T S R E T N E C G N I P P O H S July 2016 From the Board Chair About TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Volume 48, No. 1 In this Issue Welcome to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley and our 47th season of award-winning Where to begin… First, a big welcome to TheatreWorks’ Silicon theatre. Led by Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley and Managing Director Valley’s 47th season! So many terrific happenings this summer: the 2 About TheatreWorks Phil Santora, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley presents a wide range of productions world premiere of Confederates, the upcoming New Works Festival Silicon Valley and programming throughout the region. Paul Heppner (August 12–21), and rolling out the red carpet for the musical The Publisher Life of the Party (August 24–September 18) and our friends across Founded in 1970, we continue to celebrate the human spirit and the diversity 4 THE 2016/17 SEASON Susan Peterson the pond. Let’s take them in order… of our community, presenting contemporary plays and musicals, revitalizing Design & Production Director We have an amazing season ahead including a world premiere, From the Artistic Director great works of the past, championing arts education, and nurturing new works regional premieres, reprised and reimagined favorites, comedies, 7 for the American theatre. TheatreWorks has produced 66 world premieres Ana Alvira, Robin Kessler, Shaun Swick, Stevie VanBronkhorst dramas, and musicals. There’s clearly something for everyone—including students and 160 US and regional premieres. In the 2016/17 season, we add the world From the Festival to Premiere Production Artists and Graphic Design home for the summer. Which leads me to a small detour. 8 premiere of Confederates and four more regional premieres to our résumé. Did you know that attending live theatre engages students in ways that movies or on TheatreWorks’ Main Stage Mike Hathaway books never can? Researchers from the University of Arkansas confirmed that live TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s 2015/16 season included the world premiere of Sales Director theatre encourages a deeper understanding of plot while also promoting greater 10 On the Trail: A Conversation with the musical Triangle, as well regional premieres of The Country House, Hershey Brieanna Bright, tolerance and more empathy among 7th to 12th graders than either reading the play Felder as Irving Berlin, tokyo fish story, Cyrano, and The Velocity of Autumn. Joey Chapman, Ann Manning Playwright Suzanne Bradbeer or watching the movie. So what are you waiting for? Summer is the perfect time to Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin broke all our box office records, becoming the Seattle Area Account Executives bring your kids to TheatreWorks. highest-grossing show in TheatreWorks’ history. In the course of the year, Marilyn Kallins, Terri Reed, Rob Scott And the timing couldn’t be better. Confederates’ politically charged tale of media shows that debuted here were produced at theatres around the world. San Francisco/Bay Area Account Executives muckraking during a Presidential campaign is headline hot and leads directly into Brett Hamil With an annual operating budget of $8 million, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley our 15th Annual New Works Festival, an incredible array of plays and musicals about Online Editor produces eight mainstage productions at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto people and issues as diverse as the artists who created them. With their shows still and the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. Sixteen years ago, we Jonathan Shipley in development, playwrights ask our audience to experience and help shape the final Associate Online Editor launched the New Works Initiative, dedicating ourselves to the development of product. The works invariably change from reading to reading, and the process of new plays and musicals. The Initiative has since supported over 150 new works Jonathan Shipley playmaking becomes as rewarding as the product. It’s a unique theatre experience, Ad Services Coordinator through retreats, workshops, staged readings, developmental productions, ENCORE perfect for the whole family. Consider a Festival Pass, which gives you access to all and the annual New Works Festival, inspiring The Mercury News to call us “a Carol Yip five staged readings. I’ll be seeing each one at least twice and it would be great to premiere breeding ground for new musicals, which has put the company on Sales Coordinator see you there. Lastly, I want to let you know how excited we all are to partner with London’s the national map.” Director’s Notes by Lisa Rothe acclaimed Menier Chocolate Factory theatre and its very talented artistic director, 12 TheatreWorks believes in making theatre accessible to the entire Silicon Valley David Babani, on the American premiere of The Life of the Party. How wonderful it community. Our Education Department reaches on average 25,000 students in will be to celebrate the brilliant music of Broadway composer Andrew Lippa with all TheatreWorks Silicon Valley 13 70 schools in 7 counties annually. It sponsors outreach programs that include of you. presents CONFEDERATES the Children’s Healing Project at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, the Young So let the fun begin! And once again...welcome to TheatreWorks’ 47th season... Playwrights’ Initiative, specially-priced student matinees, extensive school 18 The New Works Festival tours, post-show discussions, and theatre camps, classes, and conservatories Paul Heppner for youth. President Barbara Shapiro 22 The Life of the Party Mike Hathaway For more information on our 2016/17 season, New Works Festival, and Vice President Education programs, please visit theatreworks.org or call 650.463.1960. 24 The Party of the Decade Genay Genereux BOARD OF TRUSTEES Accounting & Office Manager 25 Outside Mullingar Barbara Shapiro, Chair Sara Keats Jayne Booker Michael Kahn Lynn Szekely-Goode AFFILIATIONS—TheatreWorks Silicon Valley is a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and Marketing Manager 26 Contributors operates under agreement between LORT and Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), the union of professional actors Bill Coughran Julie Kaufman Ewart Thomas and stage managers in the United States. TheatreWorks is a constituent member of Theatre Communications Ryan Devlin Ciro Giammona Robert Kelley Tzipor Ulman Group, Inc., the national organization for the nonprofit professional theatre. TheatreWorks is a member of the Business Development Manager Anne Hambly Phil Santora Mark Vershel 28 The Healing Project Expands National Alliance for Musical Theatre, a national service organization for musical theatre. In addition, TheatreWorks is a member of Theatre Bay Area, the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce, and the Mountain View Larry Horton Loren Saxe Holly Ward Chamber of Commerce. TheatreWorks’ 2016/17 Season is presented in cooperation with the City of Mountain Charlotte Jacobs Nancy Ginsburg Stern Lisa Webster View and the City of Palo Alto, Community Services Department, Division of Arts and Sciences. 30 TWSV Staff E Roy Johnson Debra Summers Jane Weston N R Corporate Office E Derry Kabcenell Gayla Lorthridge Wood B The director is a member of the Society th N 425 North 85 Street Seattle, WA 98103 TWSV General Information I 31 of Stage Directors and Choreographers, V E K Inc., an independent national labor union. p 206.443.0445 f 206.443.1246 O The scenic, lighting, and sound designers T O [email protected] BOARD EMERITUS are members of United Scenic Artists. This H P season is supported in part by an award L 800.308.2898 x105 Continue the conversation online! A Nancy Meyer, Founder • William F. Adler • Edward T. Anderson, MD • Doug Barry • V from the National Endowment for the Arts. I T www.encoremediagroup.com Lauren Berman • Chuck Bernstein • Sharon Anthony Bower • Michael Braun • Polly W. Bredt S E F • Bruce C. Cozadd • Jeff Crowe • Peggy Dalal • Yogen Dalal • Jenny Dearborn • Susan S Become our fan on Facebook! K R Fairbrook • Michael R. Flicker • Peggy Woodford Forbes • Dan Garber • Doug Garland • O W Aaron Gershenberg • Marcia Goldman • Emeri Handler • Judy Heyboer • Susan M. Huch • Follow us on Garden Court is the official J. Lohr is the official wine W hotel of TheatreWorks. of TheatreWorks. E Perry A. Irvine • Nancy Lee Jalonen • Lisa Jones • Gina Jorasch • Roberta R. Katz • Robin Twitter and Instagram N : Kennedy • Michael Kwatinetz • Dick Maltzman • Suzanne Martin • Patti McClung • Tom Kelley R Encore Arts Programs is published monthly by Encore Media E The Mercury News is TheatreWorks’ Hengehold Trucks is the official trucking provider of V Group to serve musical and theatrical events in the Puget • Don McDougall • Bruce McLeod • Cynthia S. Miller • Leslie Murphy-Chutorian • Eileen @TheatreWorksSV O C 2016/17 Season Media Sponsor. TheatreWorks. Nelson • Karen Nierenberg • Carrie Perzow • Carey Pickus • Margot Mailliard Rawlins • John #TWConfederates T Sound and San Francisco Bay Areas. All rights reserved. N O ©2016 Encore Media Group. Reproduction Reis • Eddie Reynolds • Sandi Risser • Lynn Wilson Roberts • Ray A. Rothrock • Adam Samuels #TWNewWorks R F without written permission is prohibited. • Denise Stanford • Rosina Lo Sun • James Sweeney • Cathie Thermond • Helaina Titus • Robert J. Van der Leest, MD • Ronni Watson • Elissa Wellikson 2 THEATREWORKS From the Board Chair In this Issue Where to begin… First, a big welcome to TheatreWorks’ Silicon Valley’s 47th season! So many terrific happenings this summer: the 2 About TheatreWorks world premiere of Confederates, the upcoming New Works Festival Silicon Valley (August 12–21), and rolling out the red carpet for the musical The Life of the Party (August 24–September 18) and our friends across THE 2016/17 SEASON the pond. Let’s take them in order… 4 We have an amazing season ahead including a world premiere, From the Artistic Director regional premieres, reprised and reimagined favorites, comedies, 7 dramas, and musicals. There’s clearly something for everyone—including students From the Festival to Premiere home for the summer.