arizona premiere written by Frederick Knott adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher Printer’s Ad Printer’s Ad LEARNING & EDUCATION USING THEATRE AS A CATALYST TO INSPIRE CREATIVITY “ATC’S EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN NOTHING SHORT OF A MIRACLE.” -Cheryl Falvo, Crossroads English Chaira / Service Learning Coordinator Theatre skills help support critical thinking, decision-making, teamwork and improvisation. It can bridge the gap from imagination to reality. We inspire students to feel that anything is possible. LAST SEASON WE REACHED OVER 11,000 STUDENTS IN 80 SCHOOLS ACROSS 8 AZ COUNTIES For more information about our Learning & Education programs, visit EDUCATION.ARIZONATHEATRE.ORG IN THIS ISSUE October / November 2014 Title Page ........................................................................... 6 Cast List ............................................................................. 8 About the Play .......................................................................12 ATC Leadership .....................................................................20 About Arizona Theatre Company ..................................................... 22 The Cast ............................................................................ 28 The Creative Team ...................................................................34 Board of Trustees ...................................................................40 Theatre Information ................................................................. 47 Corporate and Foundation Donors ....................................................49 Individual Donors ...................................................................50 Staff ...............................................................................59 Brooke Parks in Arizona Theatre Company’s production of Wait Until Dark. Photo by Ken Huth. FROM THE INTERIM MANAGING DIRECTOR For nearly 20 years, I’ve worked in and with Arizona arts and cultural organizations, but my responsibilities always seemed to be from the audience side of the stage. As we wait for the house lights to dim and curtain to go up, I wholeheartedly share your excitement for the experience of theatre about to unfold. Recently being named Arizona Theatre Company’s Interim Managing Director is causing my perspective to shift. No longer can I take for granted the massive effort and incredible teamwork required to create a moment theatre. These days, I’m allowed to wander backstage and into the scene shop, the costume department, the wig room, the props department and more. Producing professional theatre is a humongous undertaking – and requires the skills, experience, dedication, talents and teamwork of a great many people. Our annual Gala in Tucson in September was themed “Backstage Pass” and much of the event’s focus was on the talented individuals who work in the wings or rafters or anywhere that doesn’t involve being on stage. Generous ATC supporters contributed to purchase state-of-the-art audio equipment, electric scene moving devices and sophisticated workshop tools. The equipment may not be sexy (except to the production department) – but the results should be evident on the stage. Once the show starts, allow the actors to entertain you and the plot to grab you attention. But right now, please take a moment to appreciate the efforts of all the talented and dedicated group of people working back stage that are responsible to make this production happen. They are – WE ARE – the Arizona Theatre Company and we are delighted to welcome you. Matt Lehrman Interim Managing Director PHOTO CREDITS FOR PAGE 5: Top Left: Paige Lindsey White in Other Desert Cities. Top Right: Anneliese van der Pol & Loren Dunn in The Importance of Being Earnest. Middle Right: Kyle Sorrell, Mark Anders, Jon Gentry and Bob Sorenson in Around the World in 80 Days. Bottom Left: James T. Alfred in The Mountaintop. Bottom Right: Jessica Skerritt & Company in Xanadu. Photos by Tim Fuller. 4 48 YEARS OF AWARD-WINNING T H EATRE ARIZONA’S NATIONALLY-RENOWNED PROFESSIONAL THEATRE Special Thanks to I. Michael and Beth Kasser Season Sponsors David Ira Goldstein Matt Lehrman Jessica L. Andrews Artistic Director Interim Managing Director Managing Director Emeritus presents a co-production with Geva Theatre Center Mark Cuddy Tom Parrish Artistic Director Executive Director WAIT UNTIL DARK written by Frederick Knott adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher David Ira Goldstein ............................................................Director Vicki Smith .............................................................Scenic Designer Marcia Dixcy Jory ....................................................Costume Designer Don Darnutzer. Lighting Designer Brian Jerome Peterson ................................................Sound Designer Adriano Gatto ............................................................Fight Director Jean Gordon Ryon .........................................................Dramaturg Elissa Myers, CSA & Paul Fouquet, CSA. .Casting Timothy Toothman* .................................................... Stage Manager Glenn Bruner* ..................................................Assistant Stage Manager David A. Cap ...................................................Assistant Stage Manager *Member of Actors’ Equity Association. On this original Arizona Theatre Company and Geva Theatre Center co-production, the ATC and GTC Production Staffs are responsible for scenic construction, costume construction, lighting, projections, sound, props, furniture, wigs, scene painting and special effects. Wait Until Dark is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. Wait Until Dark adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher was Originally produced by Geffen Playhouse, Randall Arney, Artistic Director; Ken Novice, Managing Director; Behnaz Ataee, General Manager; Regina Miller, Chief Development Officer The video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means whatsoever is strictly prohibited. COVER ART BY: Esser Design 2014-2015 SEASON SPONSORS: I. MICHAEL AND BETH KASSER 6 Printer’s Ad CAST (in order of appearance) Craig Bockhorn* ............................................................. CARLINO Ted Koch* .......................................................................ROAT Brooke Parks* ................................................................. SUSAN Remi Sandri* .....................................................................SAM Peter Rini* ....................................................................... MIKE Lauren Schaffel* ..............................................................GLORIA *Member of Actors’ Equity Association. SETTING: The action takes place in October, 1944, in a basement apartment of an old brownstone in Greenwich Village. ACT I: ACT II: Scene 1: Friday evening. Scene 1: About an hour later Scene 2: Saturday afternoon. THERE WILL BE ONE 15-MINUTE INTERMISSION. ADDITIONAL STAFF Ashley Simon .............................................Assistant to the Stage Manager Jonathan Snipes ........................................................Original Music Arizona Theatre Company operates under agreements between the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States; Stage Directors and Choreographers, an independent national labor union; and United Scenic Artists Local USA-829, IATSE. To learn more about Wait Until Dark, please visit the Education page on our website at arizonatheatre.org for a comprehensive free Play Guide. The Play Guide contains information about Film Noir, cultural context of 1940s America, and more. Play Guides are also available in The Temple Lounge for a nominal charge to cover printing. Cell phones and other devices that make a noise can greatly disturb your fellow audience members and the performers. PLEASE TURN THEM OFF before the performance and again at intermission. 8 Printer’s Ad Printer’s Ad Printer’s Ad ABOUT THE PLAY THE MORE IT CHANGES, THE MORE IT STAYS THE SAME By Jean Gordon Ryon, Dramaturg, Geva Theatre Center What happens when you take a thriller from the 1960s and reset it in another time period? In this case, a surprising intensification of the elements that made the play a success to begin with. Wait Until Dark was written by Frederick Knott (who had previously written Dial ‘M’ for Murder) and was a hit on Broadway in 1966 with Lee Remick and Robert Duvall. It was subsequently turned into the now-classic movie with Audrey Hepburn and Alan Arkin. It has been a staple at regional and community theatres ever since. This thriller is famous for building suspense to a terrifying last half-hour. (The movie’s climactic scene was included as number 10 in Bravo’s 100 Scariest Movie Moments.) The play is based on a time-honored premise: helpless woman forced to defend herself against all odds. A recently blinded woman, still adjusting to her new reality, is beset by dangerous con men who believe she is in possession of a valuable object. Will she survive? Will help arrive in time? These questions have kept audiences on the edge of their seats for years. The finely wrought plot has a million-dollar payoff at the end, and yet, the piece has not had quite as many productions in recent years. Could it be that the piece felt slightly…dated? Old-fashioned without being vintage? Would there be value in revisiting the script, and perhaps changing the time period, making whatever changes were dictated by the new era? These were the thoughts of