Next on our stage: IN THE HEIGHTS GOD OF CARNAGE MAKING GOD LAUGH JULY 12-AUGUST 19 SEPT. 13-OCT. 14 NOV. 15-DEC. 23 HIGHLIGHTS A companion guide to The Siegel by Michael Mitnick directed by Mark Anderson Phillips May 17-June 17, 2018 supported by producers Rich & Sally Braugh and Steve & Betsy Moulds Ethan Siegel (Ben Euphrat, center) is perfectly comfortable in between his ex Alice (Ella Dershowitz, right) and her boyfriend Nelson (Davied Morales). So what’s the problem? All show photos by Taylor Sanders. Synopsis In this new romantic comedy, Ethan Siegel is in love and about to ask Alice’s parents for her hand in marriage. But there may be a few problems: Like Alice and Ethan broke up two years ago. Like she’s seeing someone else. And like she’s falling apart from the aftermath of working on a lost election. That doesn’t stop Ethan, and he goes on a comedic journey through modern love in uncertain times. Characters Ethan (Ben Euphrat*): Early 30s. You’ll be kind of in awe of the things that come out of his mouth. Alice (Ella Dershowitz): Early 30s. Ethan’s ex. Thinks fast, but walks too slowly on the sidewalk. Nelson (Davied Morales): Early 30s. Alice’s boyfriend. Likes to be the cool guy. Does not like buffets. Deborah (Luisa Sermol*): Early 60s. Alice’s mother. Doctor. Not great with texts. Ron (Erik Gandolfi): Early 60s. Alice’s father. Lawyer. Not great with alcohol. Jordan (Laura Espino): Defies description. *Member, Actors’ Equity Association About the play & playwright Five years ago, a quirky, random and thoroughly lovable little play called Spacebar: A Broadway Play by Kyle Sugarman had its world premiere here at City Lights. The show was the theatrical equivalent of a cult classic. Though it didn’t draw huge crowds, people who saw it raved, including longtime local reviewer Susannah Greenwood, who called the show an “exceptionally wonderful, intelligent, creative piece, professionally and vividly produced from top to bottom.” (She also asked Spacebar to be her boyfriend. Y’know, if it were possible to get involved with a play.) Since then, many of us at City Lights have been hoping for just the right project to bring Spacebar playwright Michael Mitnick’s work back to our stage. That project popped up in 2017 in Orange County when The Siegel made its debut at South Coast Repertory. It was quickly clear that The Siegel was the right play for us. A smart romantic comedy with a title poking fun at the Chekhov classic The Seagull, the play calls for a tight-knit ensemble cast, which plays beautifully on the intimate City Lights stage. The action moves fast—the script says if the play lasts longer than 90 minutes, “something is wrong.” Lisa Mallette, City Lights’ executive artistic director, knew this upbeat spirit would make The Siegel an excellent pick for the May-June slot in the 2017-18 season. After the challenging Merchant of Venice, audiences would be ready for a laugh. The Siegel also has the gift of being timely—the character of Alice is reeling after working on a losing election that feels a lot like the 2016 presidential race—but it isn’t a political story at all. Which is a A drawing of Michael Mitnick good thing for people who are exhausted by the current state of politics in the U.S. from his website. The Siegel scored fine reviews when it opened last year at South Coast Rep. “As sharp as the pop of a whip, entertaining and endearing,” the OC Weekly wrote, and the Orange County Register called the play “refreshingly original.” Lead actors Ben Feldman (as Ethan Siegel) and Mamie Gummer (as Alice) earned wide praise. Recognize those faces? There’s a reason for that. Ben Feldman’s resume includes indelible roles on TV in Superstore, Silicon Valley, Mad Men and The Mindy Project. On stage, he was in the Broadway revival of The Graduate (understudying Jason Biggs) opposite Kathleen Turner and Alicia Silverstone. And Mamie Gummer has been on TV’s The Collection and The Good Wife, among others, with theater work including the Broadway revival of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. She’s also a dead ringer for the young Meryl Streep; Ms. Streep happens to be her mother. Playwright Michael Mitnick has a connection with Streep as well. His film writing work includes the screenplay for Streep’s recent science-fiction movie Alice (Mamie Gummer) and Ethan (Ben Feldman) in South Coast Repertory’s 2017 production of “The Siegel.” Photo by Debora Robinson. The Giver, along with the movie The Current War with Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Shannon. He co-wrote/composed the musical Fly By Night, which was a hit show at TheatreWorks a few years back, and his other plays include Sex Lives of Our Parents, The Happiness Trilogy and Elijah. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Michael is a Harvard University graduate and holds an MFA in playwriting from The Yale School of Drama. He is hoping to be able to attend a performance of The Siegel at City LIghts. We’ll keep you posted when we know more. ‘A cast is kind of a living, breathing organism’ When Mark Anderson Phillips’ name is in the program as director, you know you’re in for an extra-polished production. After all, he’s been acting professionally for more than 20 years, has directed all over the Bay Area, and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Screen Actors Guild and The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Actors and artists also like Mark for a more personal reason: he’s sensitive to what they need to make a safe space to create. People who dropped by City Lights during a rehearsal of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 2015, or Ideation last year, often saw group hugs, friendly games of beanbag to warm up, and lots of jokes and laughter. Just because a theater-maker is a super-pro doesn’t mean he can’t be approachable. Mark says this approach is key for him. “I like to make sure that the actors feel supported, and that they are part of the collaboration process,” he said. “I never feel like I’m a director who has all the answers. On the contrary. I don’t know much about a play, I feel, when I start working on a play. I have stuff in my head, but when I get the living, breathing beings in the room, I always learn so much from them.” He added: “Every cast is very different. A cast is kind of a living, breathing organism. Some casts like to hug, and some like to play games, and some keep to themselves, and I have to adjust to every cast that I have. I learn very quickly what they are as a group and try to foster an environment that will allow them to do the best possible work Mark Anderson Phillips. that they can.” Photo by Lisa Keating. It helps when there are already laughs written into the script. Mark lists one simple reason why he was first drawn to The Siegel: “It’s really, really, really funny.” There are few plays that make him laugh out loud from reading them on the page, and this one did. Mark likens playwright Michael Mitnick’s humor and writing to that of Neil Simon, down to the pauses that are written into the script to make room for audience laughs. Cracking an audience up is not always easy, and many actors will tell you there’s nothing tougher than comedy. Fortunately, Mark’s got plenty of experience on the acting side as well. When asked about his favorite roles, he’s quick to mention his work as Richard Hannay in the Hitchcock spoof The 39 Steps at TheatreWorks. Other credits include the Aaron Loeb comedy Abraham Lincoln’s Big Gay Dance Party at the New York International Fringe Festival and the humorous children’s video project Flummox and Friends. What’s the main reason why Mark finds The Siegel funny? Its heart. “I think the best comedy has a lot of heart in it. There’s always a touch of melancholy in a lot of things that Michael writes,” he said. “A lot of my favorite comedy is funny because it comes from truth, it comes from real experiences, much like the plays of Anton Chekhov.” Mark in a train scene of “The 39 Steps” at TheatreWorks. Photo by Tracy Martin. From stage to page: The drawings of Michael Ellner Creativity is contagious. It's incredibly gratifying when City Lights shows inspire theatergoers to express themselves through their own art. And artist Michael Ellner does just that from the audience with a pencil and a small pad of paper. While watching a show, Mike may be quietly sketching the scenery or drawing a few lines of an actor’s face. The more a production moves him, the more drawings he’ll go home and create. Last summer’s intense musical LIZZIE especially wowed him, as did this year’s poignant play Alabama Story. Drawing, painting, traveling and theater: It’s all part of a creative and well- earned retirement for this local artist. Mike and his wife, Joy, have been City Lights season-pass holders for years, and for the last few years he’s been creating drawings based on shows they see. Whether he’s inspired by the charm and friendship of Calendar Girls, or the intensity of Frankenstein and Ideation, Mike creates works that capture the unique spirit of each production.