T h e C h I C A G O P r e m I e r e October 6 – November 7, 2010 Translated by Linda Gaboriau Directed by Dale Heinen GLOBAL THEATRE FOR A GLOBAL CITY The historic Chicago Temple Building 77 West Washington Street, Chicago www.srtp.org TABle Of Written by Wajdi Mouawad CONTENTS Translated by Linda Gaboriau 3 Cast List and Production Team for Scorched 4 Cast Bios Scorched received its world premiere in 7 Production Bios 2007 in a coproduction by Canada’s National Arts Centre English 10 Artistic Ruminations on Theatre (Ottawa) and Tarragon Scorched: Conscience and Theatre (Toronto). Consciousness by Jamil Khoury Scorched, the English language version 11 Letter from the Founders by of Incendies, was commissioned Jamil Khoury and Malik Gillani and developed by the National Arts Centre English Theatre (Ottawa) 12 Dramaturgical Notes and with the financial support of the by Neal Ryan Shaw Government of Canada through the Interdepartmental Partnership with 15 Map: The Lebanon of Scorched the Official-Language Communities (IPOLC), an initiative of the 16 About Silk Road Theatre Project Department of Canadian Heritage. 17 SRTP Company Members and Scorched received public readings in Board of Directors 2005 at the National Arts Centre English Theatre / Canadian High 18 Supporting Donations Commission 4play Canada showcase (London, UK) and the NAC English 20 Neighborhood Partners Theatre On the Verge festival (Ottawa). 21 Sponsor Acknowledgments and Special Thanks Scorched is published at Playwrights Canada Press; First edition July 2005. 2 Cast PrODuCTIOn LIST TEAM Adam Poss* | Nihad, Doctor, Ralph, Man Producers | Malik Gillani and Jamil Khoury Diana Simonzadeh* | Old Nawal, Nazira Director | Dale Heinen Fredric Stone* | Alphonse Lebel, Abdessamad, Stage Manager | Michelle Dane Janitor Technical Director | Jason Pikscher Lacy Katherine Campbell | Janine Scenic Designer | Tom Burch, U.S.A.** Rinska M. Carrasco | Young Nawal, Guide Lighting Designer | Sarah Hughey Nick Cimino | Simon, Wahab Costume Designer | Carol J. Blanchard, U.S.A.** Justin James Farley | Antoine, Photographer, Malak, Chamseddine, Militia Sound Designer | Peter J. Storms Carolyn Hoerdemann | Middle Nawal, Jihane Projection Designer | Mike Tutaj Fawzia Mirza | Sawda, Elhame Prop Designer | Jesse Gaffney Atra Asdou | Understudy for Janine, Young Dramaturg | Neal Ryan Shaw Nawal, Guide, Doctor Casting Coordinator | Becca Knights Katie Mack | Understudy for Middle Nawal, Fight Director | David Chrzanowski Sawda, Jihane, Elhame Dialect Coach | Eva Breneman Kipp Moorman | Understudy for Alphonse, Antonie, Malak, Chamseddine, Militia, Assistant Director | Patrick Walsh Janitor Assistant Stage Manager | Amanda Vevers Devorah Eizikovic Richards | Understudy for Nazira, Abdessamad, Old Nawal Assistant Lighting Designer | Jill Bowarchuk Arthur Luis Soria | Understudy for Nihad, Wardrobe Supervisor | Page Domikaitis Simon, Wahab, Ralph, Man, Photographer Box Office Staff | Jerry O’Boyle, and Kathryn Pruyn Program Editor & House Manager | Sarah Ibis Community Outreach Coordinator | Roxane Assaf *Denotes member of Actors’ Equity **Denotes member of United Scenic Artists, Association, the union of professional the union of professional designers, artists, actors and stage managers and craftspeople. 3 cast bIOS Adam Poss (Nihad, Fredric Stone (Alphonse Doctor, Ralph, Man) is very Lebel, Abdessamad, Janitor) happy to be making his Silk is pleased to make his Silk Road Theatre Project debut. Road Theatre Project debut. He has been seen at the He has worked at most Goodman Theatre for three of the Chicago theatres, seasons of A Christmas Carol including the Writers’ and at the 2006 Latino Theatre, Northlight, Victory Theatre Festival in Dark Play or Stories for Boys. Gardens, and Drury Lane. He has appeared in Adam has worked in Washington DC at The The Chosen at the Steppenwolf, Trojan Women at Studio Theatre’s production of The History Boys, the Goodman, and in numerous productions at which earned a Helen Hayes nomination for best Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Regional credits ensemble. Most recently Adam workshopped the include the New American Theatre, BoarsHead new play The North Pool at Northlight Theatre Theatre, Madison Repertory, Arkansas Repertory, and at TheatreWorks in Palo Alto, California. and The Utah Shakespearean Festival. Broadway Adam holds a BFA from The Theatre School at and Off Broadway credits include All Over Town DePaul University. and Awake and Sing. Film and television credits include Thief, The Untouchables, Crime Story, and Diana Simonzadeh (Old Missing Persons. Nawal, Nazira) is proud to make her Silk Road Lacy Katherine Theatre Project debut. She Campbell (Janine) makes recently played Safiyeh in her Silk Road Theatre Next Theatre’s Return to Project debut with Scorched. Haifa. Favorite roles include Recent roles include Carrie Mahala in Homebody/Kabul in Lisa Dillman’s The at Steppenwolf, Samira in Perfect Mendacity at Walls (Rivendell Theatre Asolo Rep, Violet in Le Bourgeois Avant-Garde, Ensemble), Helena in Roxie Hart in Chicago, and Anita in West Side Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Story. When not on stage, Diana is busy acting and Cassandra in Troilus and Cressida (Chicago for television and film. A member of Actors’ Shakespeare Theater). She has worked with Will Equity Association, Diana is represented by Gray Act For Food, Redmoon Theater, Irish Repertory, Talent Group of Chicago. Crew of Patches, and frequently performs in That’s Weird, Grandma with Barrel of Monkeys, where she is a proud company member. 4 Rinska M. Carrasco Carolyn Hoerdemann (Young Nawal, Guide) is (Middle Nawal, Jihane) is honored that Scorched is a graduate of the Theatre her first Silk Road Theatre School at DePaul University Project experience. Other as well as The School credits include In Arabia of the Art Institute in We’d All Be Kings which Chicago. Carolyn was a earned a citation by the Jeff company member at the Committee. She has worked with Collaboraction European Repertory Company where favorite (where she is a proud company member,) roles included Elena in Uncle Vanya, Galactia in Teatro Vista, Goodman, American Theatre Scenes from an Execution, and Zoyka in Zoyka’s Company, Sketchbook, Stage Left, and Steep. Apartment, among others. She has also worked Rinska expresses love and thanks to her mother, at Trapdoor Theatre, TUTA, Chicago Children’s grandmother, family, partner-in-mime-crime Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and Marvin Quijada, roommates, Taco, Gray Talent, American Players Theatre. She is a company Columbia College theatre department, the Sarah member at Collaboraction where she has Siddons Society, the Scorched cast and crew, and performed in two original pieces for Sketchbook all the family/friends/audience members that 9 and 10. Carolyn teaches performance at support us. DePaul University. Nick Cimino (Simon, Fawzia Mirza (Sawda, Wahab) received his BFA Elhame) is a Pakistani- in Acting from The Theatre Canadian-American School at DePaul. Recently, who loves her Silk Road he played in the ensemble adventures. She was in cast of Lilita at the Spoleto Silk Road Theatre Project’s Festival in Charleston, and last production, The DNA at the Underbelly Theatre at Trail and its first film, the Edinburgh Festival. Chicago credits include Jamil Khoury’s WASP. Her favorite role was The Meek at Red Orchid, The Chosenat Writer’s Scheherezade/Dahna in 1001 at Mixed Blood Theatre, War at Seanachi Theatre, Romeo and Theatre in Minneapolis. She is an ensemble Juliet at Theatre Classics, and Marathon 33 at member of Rasaka Theatre, has performed at the Straw Dog. Nicholas has also been in numerous NYC Fringe Festival, studied at IO, tours with the productions at the Dock Street Theatre, the show Sex Signals, and produced the documentary, oldest theatre in America. He is very excited for Fish out of Water with her partner. Thanks and love his first role at Silk Road Theatre Project. to Jamil, Malik, Dale, and everyone at SRTP. Justin James Farley Atra Asdou (Understudy (Antoine, Photographer, for Janine, Young Nawal, Malak, Chamseddine, Guide, Doctor) recently Militia) is thrilled to make graduated from Loyola his Silk Road Theatre Project University Chicago, with a debut. He was last seen in BA in Theatre. Credits at Dental Society Midwinter Loyola included the young Meeting at Chicago lover, Lydia, in Big Love and Dramatists and previously at The Gift Theatre the chubby man-clown, Touchstone, in As You and Steppenwolf Theatre Company. He wants to Like It. Atra is super excited to be working with thank his fiancée Ashley, Dawn, all of his family, Silk Road Theatre Project as an understudy in and everyone involved with Scorched. Thank you. this production of Scorched. She would like to 5 (CASTbios continued) thank her family, friends, former professors, Gray Devorah Eizikovic Talent Group, and the extraordinary cast and Richards (Understudy for production team for this wonderful opportunity! Nazira, Abdessamad, Old Nawal) last appeared in Katie Mack (Understudy Silk Road Theatre Project’s for Middle Nawal, Sawda, staged reading of Into the Jihane, Elhame) is a 2009 BFA Numbers. Recent credits Columbia College graduate, include Mrs. Malaprop a Chicago Cabaret Project in The Rivals at Polarity Ensemble Theatre member, and a La Costa where she is an ensemble member, Amanda Theatre company member. She in The Glass Menagerie under the direction of just closed Last Daughters of Kimberly Senior, and Dolly in American Theater Oedipus with Babes