Z SPACE & piece by piece productions present THE WOOSTER GROUP THE TOWN HALL AFFAIR photo HERVÉ VÉRONÈSE HERVÉ APR 6-16 AT Z SPACE NOV. 16 - DEC. 11 AT Z SPACE Z SPACE & piece by piece productions present THE WOOSTER GROUP THE TOWN HALL AFFAIR 1. Excerpt from Lesbian Nation 2. The Play 3. Coda: Excerpt from Lesbian Nation Sources Town Bloody Hall, a film by Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker, 1979, 88 min, color. The film documents a 1971 Theater for Ideas debate entitled A Dialogue on Women’s Liberation. Additional text by Jill Johnston from Lesbian Nation (“Tarzana from the Trees at Cocktails” and “On a Clear Day You Can See Your Mother”) © Jill Johnston. Excerpts from the film Maidstone, 1970, 110 min, color, by Norman Mailer, courtesy of the Norman Mailer Estate. Maidstone is an independent film directed by Norman Mailer with D.A. Pennebaker as one of the cinematographers. In Maidstone, Norman Mailer plays a famous film director, Norman Kingsley, who is running for President while making a movie about his campaign. THE TOWN(in the form ofHALL a one act play)AFFAIR Based on the film Town Bloody Hall by Chris Hegedus & D.A. Pennebaker with Enver Chakartash, Ari Fliakos, Mia Fliakos, Gareth Hobbs, Greg Mehrten, Erin Mullin, Scott Shepherd, Lucy Taylor, and Kate Valk KATE VALK Jill Johnston ARI FLIAKOS Norman Mailer SCOTT SHEPHERD Norman Mailer LUCY TAYLOR Germaine Greer GREG MEHRTEN Diana Trilling ERIN MULLIN Jill’s Friend / Ruth Mandel GARETH HOBBS (VOICE) Peter Fisher ENVER CHAKARTASH Usher ARI FLIAKOS Norman, The Director SCOTT SHEPHERD Rip, The Actor LUCY TAYLOR Beverly, The Wife GREG MEHRTEN A Friend MIA FLIAKOS A Daughter ENVER CHAKARTASH Man In Black ELIZABETH LECOMPTE Director JENNIFER TIPTON Lighting RYAN SEELIG Lighting ERIC SLUYTER Sound GARETH HOBBS Sound ROBERT WUSS Video and Projections ENVER CHAKARTASH Costume Supervisor ENVER CHAKARTASH Assistant Director MATTHEW DIPPLE Assistant Director ERIN MULLIN Stage Manager MATTHIAS NECKERMANN Lighting Assistant ZBIGNIEW BZYMEK Additional Video ERIC DYER Technical Director BONA LEE Production Manager KATE VALK Associate Director CYNTHIA HEDSTROM Producer PAMELA REICHEN General Manager THE WOOSTER GROUP THE WOOSTER GROUP is an ensemble of artists founded in 1975 who have made more than 40 works for theater, dance, film, and video under the direction of Elizabeth Lecompte. Wooster Group works include: Rumstick Road (1977), Nayatt School (1978), Hula (1981), L.S.D. (…Just The High Points…) (1984), Frank Dell’s The Temptation of St. Antony (1988), Brace Up! (1991), The Emperor Jones (1993), Dances with TV and Mic (1998), House/Lights (1999), To You, The Birdie! (Phèdre) (2002), Hamlet (2007), the 360º video installation There Is Still Time . Brother (2007), the opera la Didone (2009), Vieux Carré (2011), Cry, Trojans! (Troilus & Cressida) (2014), Early Shaker Spirituals: A Record Album Interpretation (2014), and The Room (2016). The Group is currently led by LeCompte and Kate Valk. Based at The Performing Garage at 33 Wooster Street in Lower Manhattan, the company regularly tours worldwide. The Performing Garage is part of the Grand Street Artists Co-op, a 1960s project of the Fluxus Art Movement. FOUNDING MEMBERS Elizabeth LeCompte and Spalding Gray with Ron Vawter, Jim Clayburgh, Willem Dafoe, Kate Valk, Peyton Smith CURRENT COMPANY Zbigniew Bzymek, Enver Chakartash, Matthew Dipple, Mike Farry, Ari Fliakos, Clay Hapaz, Cynthia Hedstrom, Gareth Hobbs, Elizabeth LeCompte, Bona Lee, Erin Mullin, Pamela Reichen, Scott Shepherd, Eric Sluyter, Kate Valk, Robert Wuss CURRENT ASSOCIATES Ruud van den Akker, Max Bernstein, Eric Berryman, Matthew Brown, Dennis Dermody, Eric Dyer, Jim Fletcher, Mia Fliakos, Teresa Hartmann, Tim Hurley, Modesto Flako Jimenez, Bill Kennedy, Ken Kobland, Christopher Kondek, Juliet Lashinsky-Revene, Young Jean Lee, Frances McDormand, Bobby McElver, Jasper McGruder, Greg Mehrten, Bebe Miller, Philip Moore, Bruce Odland, Jamie Poskin, Naomi Raddatz, Emily Rea, Scott Renderer, Suzzy Roche, Kaneza Schaal, Andrew Schneider, Ryan Seelig, Joseph Silovsky, Casey Spooner, Lucy Taylor, Maura Tierney, Jennifer Tipton, Danusia Trevino, Ariana Smart Truman, Omar Zubair The Town Hall Affair is made possible by support from: piece by piece productions and the National Endowment for the Arts Art Works program. PIECE BY PIECE PRODUCTIONS is a not for profit producing organization that was started in 1999 by Wendy vanden Heuvel. Productions have included: Medea directed by Deborah Warner with Fiona Shaw on Broadway (associate producer), The Tricky Part (2004 Obie award and two Drama Desk nominations including Outstanding Play) by Martin Moran and All The Rage, (Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Solo Show 2013) by Martin Moran produced with Rising Phoenix Repertory and The Barrow Group; The Walworth Farce by Enda Walsh; Mabou Mines DollHouse, Emma Rice’s Brief Encounter and Let The Right One In, all in association with St. Ann’s Warehouse; My Name is Rachel Corrie in association with The Royal Court Theatre; Slipping in association with Rising Phoenix Repertory and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater; Elective Affinities with Zoe Caldwell by David Adjmi, co-produced with Rising Phoenix Repertory and Soho Rep; Lee Breuer’s La Divina Caricatura in association with St. Ann’s Warehouse, La Mama ETC, Mabou Mines, and Dovetail Productions; and Hundred Days by The Bengsons and Kate E. Ryan, co produced with Z Space (TBA Outstanding New Musical 2014). piece by piece productions has been a producer with co-creators Brian Mertes and Melissa Kievman on The Lake Lucille Chekhov Project since 2010 (Ivanov, Seagull). Film: The Rest I Make Up: Documenting Irene directed by Michelle Memran (a documentary about the life and work of the playwright Maria Irene Fornes), The Seagull: The Lake Lucille Chekhov Project directed by Brian Mertes. Most recently piece by piece productions co-produced Martin Moran's The Tricky Part and All the Rage with A.C.T at The Strand Theater. Wendy lives in San Francisco with her husband Brad Coley and their daughter Lila Blue. KENDRA BATOR is a general manager and executive producer. Born and raised in the suburbs of Toronto, Kendra moved to New York City in 2004 to attend Columbia University’s MFA program in Theatre Management and Producing. In 2005 she joined the boutique general management firm of Snug Harbor Productions, founded by Steven Chaikelson. During her time at Snug Harbor, Kendra worked on commercial and not-for-profit theatrical productions, festivals and publicity and special events. She specializes in the development and nurturing of new work and non-traditional theatre. Favourite credits include: Toronto: Crawlspace; Soulpepper on 42nd Street; Matilda. San Francisco: Birdheart (Julian Crouch and Saskia Lane); Early Shaker Spirituals (The Wooster Group); Hundred Days (The Bengsons, Record Album); Off-Broadway: Piece of My Heart: The Bert Berns Story; Murder for Two; Martin Moran’s All The Rage (Lortel Award); Eve Ensler’s Emotional Creature; 3C; Elective Affinities (Starring Zoe Caldwell); Make Me a Song: The Music of William Finn; Evil Dead The Musical; Almost, Maine; Touring: Murder for Two; Other: Season of Cambodia (A Cambodian Arts Festival, produced by Cambodian Living Arts); Everybody Rise! A Tribute to Elaine Stritch. A NOTE FROM LISA STEINDLER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AT Z SPACE It’s been my belief that you can tell the soul of a country by how they honor and support the arts. With the imminent defunding of the National Endowment for the Arts, the message is clear that the present administration does not believe the arts are a valuable component of our culture. While this statement coming from the highest held office in the country is frightening, I do not believe that this is the soul of our country. Recently, Z Space was honored to be part of The Ghostlight Project, where we stood in solidarity with 850 other theaters across the country against intolerance and silence. My hope is that the arts community will sustain this powerful sense of unity and commitment, and will bring a collective spirit of conversation and inclusivity into our everyday actions. Our country is full of passionate individuals willing to stand together for creative expression. This is who we are. It has never been easy for the arts to thrive in this country; many organizations are struggling to stay open. If you believe that the performing arts are important to the fabric of our society, I ask you to support them. Buy tickets to shows, donate to a theater, or to an arts education program. If you have time or resources, consider joining a board or volunteering. Talk to your friends, family, and children about art and life and love and yes, politics. Be engaged. WE ARE COMMITTED TO GIVING OUR COMMUNITY BOLD, AUDACIOUS, AND RELEVANT NEW ART. We are proud to welcome back The Wooster Group in The Town Hall Affair, along with our partner piece by piece productions. I invite you now to lean forward and imbibe this provocative piece of theatre. With Thanks, Lisa Steindler Artistic Director, Z Space "BEST PERFORMANCE SPACE" 2016 BEST OF THE BAY Under Artistic Director Lisa Steindler, Z Space empowers artistic risk, collaboration, and camaraderie amongst artists, audience and staff in the service of creating, developing and presenting new work. Operating two venues in San Francisco’s historic Mission District, a main stage and a black box theater, Z Space hosts new works from a variety of performance disciplines year-round. Keystone initiatives include New Work, a development