Download Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus

“‘Tis in
ourselves that
we are thus
or thus”
by William Shakespeare
directed by Bridget Kathleen O’Leary
Othello
September 23 – October 25, 2015
The Modern Theatre at Suffolk University | Boston
Othello is presented in association with Suffolk University
866-811-4111 or actorsshakespeareproject.org
Dear Audience—
It is with proud and humble delight that we welcome you to ASP’s 12th
Season, a dirty dozen, and affairs of the heart. Our tenth season felt like an
enormous milestone, but there’s something especially impactful in simply
saying that we’ve been in business going on a dozen years. We are hitting
our stride here at Actors’ Shakespeare Project, and that has been almost
entirely due to your friendship, your engagement, and our dialogue with you.
Friendship is all, on every scale. All conflict results in friendship being tested
on some level, be it personal or professional, and here, among military men. The
environment of Othello represents a Petri dish of tested allegiances and what can
happen to the mind when suspicions prevail. The unraveling of human decency is
accelerated by a mind bent with bad intent. From where I sit at this writing, I can
see a hawk circle above the marsh, calmly waiting for prey to come into view.
I’m reminded of the tragedy in the close confines of a high speed train in France
in August, when an individual bent on destruction was overcome by the forces of
good. These indicators of the scope of human paranoia don’t always end well. And
in Othello’s world Iago’s destruction goes unchecked because of the power of his
subversive mind to manipulate others. The violence of this play is contained to the
safety of the stage, but it represents a darker and dangerous universe. Although
he’s often considered so, Iago is not an aberration of humankind. His motives and
tactics have often been explained away in calling him evil, and yet he is human and
possessed of conscience. We let ourselves off the hook at our peril in distancing
ourselves from what he, and others, and mankind are capable of. Othello, the play,
then becomes a cautionary tale as our hearts ache for Othello, the man, caught
up in a web of machination where so much love and good intention went before.
We are thrilled to be back at The Modern Theatre at Suffolk University
with this production, and we hope you’ll join us for the rest of the year
with The Winter’s Tale, Richard II, and The School for Scandal. Please
visit our new website for news on a host of ASP projects, including
our youth production of Othello at Charlestown Working Theater in
November, and our gala later in the year, aptly named Scandalous: A
Spectacular Spring Soiree. Thank you for being here!
3
Allyn Burrows, Artistic Director
Kimberly Dawson, Interim Executive Producer
Mara Sidmore, Director of Education
presents
Othello
by William Shakespeare
directed by Bridget Kathleen O'Leary
Set Designer – Eric Levenson***
Lighting Designer – Chris Brusberg
Costume Designer – Tyler Kinney
Sound Designer – David Reiffel***
Vocal Coach – Melissa Healey
Violence Designer – Ted Hewlett
Stage Manager – Michele Teevan*
Production Manager – Deb Sullivan
A NUMBER
by
CARyL CHURCHILL
dIReCted by
feAtURIng
CLAy HOPPeR
nAeL nACeR And dALe PLACe
Caryl Churchill’s stark and startling
examination of the theory of nature
versus nurture and individuality.
OCT 10-NOV 1/2015
charles mosesian theater
arsenal center for the arts
321 ARSENAL ST, WATERTOWN
newrep.org
617-923-8487
by bRANDEN JACObS-JENKINS
DIRECtED by M. bEVIN O’GARA
ASP’s production is part of Shakespeare in American
Communities, a national program of the National
Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
This production is also made possible in part by support
from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
SEP 12 - OCT 10
SPEAKEASYSTAGE.COM
* Member of the Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
***Member of United Scenic Artists Local 829
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WHO’S WHO
(listed alphabetically)
Elle Borders . . . . . Bianca & Montana
Josephine Elwood . . . . . Desdemona
Thomas Grenon . . . . . Gratiano, Clown & Duke
Jennie Israel* . . . . . Emilia & Brabantia
John Kuntz* . . . . . Iago
Ross MacDonald* . . . . . Cassio
Johnnie McQuarley* . . . . . Othello
Bari Robinson† . . . . . Roderigo & Lodovico
There will be one 15 minute intermission.
Recording or taking photos of the performance is not permitted.
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional Actors
and Stage Managers in the United States
†
Bari Robinson appears courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association.
Elle Borders (Bianca & Montana) is proud to be making her Actors’ Shakespeare Project
debut in Othello. Recent roles include Finn in Turtles (Boston Public Works), She in 27 Tips
for Banishing the Blues (Sleeping Weazel), and Actor 6/Black Woman in We Are Proud to
Present a Presentation… (Company One). Ms. Borders studied with the Atlantic Theatre
Company and holds a BFA in Drama from Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. She is grateful
for the continued support of her friends and family. ILYGG!
in Othello
CAST
Josephine Elwood (Desdemona) is ecstatic to be returning to Actors’ Shakespeare
Project after appearing in God’s Ear last season. Other credits include The Whale
(SpeakEasy), Macbeth (Shakespeare in the Pub), The Cherry Orchard, Long Ago and Far
Away (Walking the dog Theatre), and Anything to Declare (Emerson Stage). Josephine is a
recent graduate of Emerson College, where she received a BFA in Acting.
Thomas Grenon (Gratiano, Clown, & Duke) Thomas Grenon is thrilled to be back
with Actors' Shakespeare Project after appearing in last season’s Measure for Measure
(Escalus). Boston credits include: Bent (ensemble) with Zeitgeist Stage and Loot
(McLeavy) with Hub Theatre Company. His regional credits include roles in Hamlet
(Claudius), Macbeth (Duncan) and Much Ado About Nothing (Leonato) for The Bay
Colony Shakespeare Company. He has toured with the National Shakespeare Company
in productions of The Tempest, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer
Night’s Dream, and Oedipus Rex. He produced and directed 8 The Play, the fight for
Marriage Equality for Broadway Impact. He holds a degree in English and Theatre from
Westfield State University and attended the two-year actor training program at The
National Shakespeare Conservatory in New York City.
Jennie Israel* (Emilia & Brabantia) Actors’ Shakespeare Project: founding member
and associate artistic director 2004-2009. Roles: Queen Margaret in Henry VI, Part 2,
Jacques in As You Like It, the title role in Medea, The Duchess in The Duchess of Malfi,
Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Constance in King John, Helena in All’s Well That
Ends Well, Goneril in King Lear, Calpurnia/Trebonius/Pindarus in Julius Caesar, Elizabeth
in Richard III. Other local credits include Boston Marriage, Tartuffe, and Dollhouse at New
Repertory Theater; Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the Huntington Theatre; Table Manners
and Living Together at Gloucester Stage; Living in Exile and The Heidi Chronicles at the
Vineyard Playhouse; Molly Maguire at the Sugan Theatre; Lady Macbeth in Macbeth and
Phoebe in As You Like It for Commonwealth Shakespeare Company; Undine’s Valediction,
Summer, The Scarlet Letter, and Macbeth with Shakespeare & Company. Regional credits
include Yale Repertory Theatre, Actors’ Theatre of Louisville, Lincoln Center Theatre,
Theatre Building Chicago, The Greenwich Street Theatre, Ohio Theatre Soho, Sun Valley
Shakespeare Festival, and Chautauqua Theatre Festival. Film and television credits include
“Rudy” for TriStar Pictures, “Guiding Light,” and “Coming to Litchfield,” an independent
film. Directing credits include Measure for Measure and Romeo and Juliet for The
Hyperion Shakespeare Company at Harvard College; Twelfth Night for Commonwealth
Shakespeare’s apprentice company; The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Chicago, Macbeth,
The Beaux Stratagem and Volta (co-directed with David R. Gammons) for The Concord
Academy Performing Arts Department. In 1992 Jennie founded Chicago’s Eclipse Theatre,
still in existence today. She has taught Shakespearean text, voice, and acting at Bowdoin
College, Emerson College, Boston College, SUNY/Purchase, The Boston Conservatory,
Concord Academy, Harvard University, and Ecole International de Boston. Jennie is the
lead teacher for ASP’s yearly teacher’s institute at Salem State University and also worked
for five years as a lead teacher with incarcerated girls through ASP’s Incarcerated Youth at
Play project. Jennie holds an MFA in Acting from the Yale School of Drama.
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WHO’S WHO
Ross MacDonald* (Cassio) is delighted and honored to be part of Othello and this
ASP season. Previous shows with the company: Henry VI, Part 2; Henry VIII; Macbeth; and
Troilus and Cressida. He is a graduate of the University of Southampton and The London
Academy of Performing Arts. Previous credits in Massachusetts include Operation
Epsilon - IRNE Best Ensemble (The Nora Theatre Company), Macbeth (The Bay Colony
Shakespeare Company), Exits and Entrances, Lieutenant of Inishmore (New Repertory
Theatre), Hayfever (The Publick Theatre of Boston). His next production will be Arcadia
at The Nora Theatre Company. Before moving to the USA, Ross worked in his native UK,
for companies including The Oxford Shakespeare Company, The British Shakespeare
Company, King’s Head Islington, The Man in the Moon, Royal National Theatre and The
Globe Theatre London. Film credits include Paul Greengrass’s Bloody Sunday. He was the
Associate Artistic Director of The Bay Colony Shakespeare Company, and has directing
credits on both sides of the Atlantic. Ross happily resides in Braintree, MA with his wife
and two children.
Johnnie McQuarley* (Othello) is a resident actor with the Actors’ Shakespeare
Project here in Boston. Johnnie earned his MFA from Brandeis University (2011) and
his BA from Alabama State University in Montgomery, AL (2009). Johnnie’s theatre
credits include: Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s Henry VI, Part 2, As You Like It, Measure
for Measure, Pericles, Henry VIII, Antony and Cleopatra, and Troilus and Cressida; Fiasco
Production’s Much Ado About Nothing; Company One’s The Brother Sister Plays, You For
Me For You; Happy Medium Theatre’s Romeo and Juliet; New Repertory Theatre’s The Kite
Runner, Race (understudy); Fort Point Channel Theatre’s Hidden Faces of Courage; and
Titanic Theatre’s Wonder of the World. Film credits include Honeydripper and Joy. Johnnie
also works as a teaching artist with Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s education programs.
Bari Robinson (Roderigo & Lodovico) Bari is making his ASP debut! Recent credits
include Merry Wives of Windsor (Opera House Arts), Julius Caesar (Bridge Rep of Boston),
A Disappearing Number (Underground Railway Theater), Lauren Gunderson’s By and By
(Shotgun Players), Topdog/Underdog (Dramatic Repertory Company), The Snow Queen
(Portland Stage Company), Film: Mail.Man (Trailside Studios LLC), The Finest Hours
(Disney Studios). Education: The Public Theater Shakespeare Lab (NYC), Columbia
University (MFA), Bowdoin College (B.A.). Thanks to Bridget and the entire Othello team!
Appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association.
Bridget Kathleen O’Leary (Director) is the Associate Artistic Director at New
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Repertory Theatre. Most recently, she has directed New Rep’s productions of Scenes
from an Adultery, Muckrakers, Pattern of Life (IRNE Award, Best New Play, 2015), Lungs,
Fully Committed, Collected Stories, DollHouse, boom, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol,
and Fool for Love. Other directing credits include: The Flick at Gloucester Stage Company,
The Other Place for The Nora Theatre Company and Underground Railway Theater;
Recent Tragic Events and Aunt Dan and Lemon for Whistler in the Dark; Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern are Dead for Summer Festival Theatre, Roxbury Latin; The Boys of Winter
(IRNE Nomination, Best New Play, 2008) for BKS productions; Reconsidering Hanna(h)
and The Devil’s Teacup (IRNE Nomination, Best New Play, 2007) at Boston Playwrights’
Theatre. In 2007, she assisted Artistic Director Wendy C. Goldberg at the National
Playwrights’ Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center and worked as an assistant
on new plays by Rebecca Gilman and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Before moving to Boston,
Bridget worked in Washington, D.C. with the Olney Theatre Center, Theater Alliance, Cherry
Red Productions, Charter Theater, Studio Theatre Second Stage, and Phoenix Theatre DC,
of which she was a founding member. Since 2012, Bridget has curated the Next Voices
Reading Series, a program she established for New Repertory Theatre. She serves as the
Literary Chair for the National New Play Network and is a member of The New England
New Play Alliance. Bridget received her MFA in directing at Boston University.
in Othello
John Kuntz* (Iago) is an ASP founding company member who most recently appeared
as The Flight Attendant/GI Joe in God’s Ear. He is the author of over 15 full-length plays,
including Necessary Monsters, The Hotel Nepenthe and The Salt Girl. He is the recipient
of Elliot Norton and IRNE Awards; a New York International Fringe Festival Award; a 2015
MCC Fellowship Award in Dramatic Writing and the Michael Kanin & Paula Vogel National
Playwriting Awards. He is on the faculty of The Boston Conservatory.
Chris Brusberg (Lighting Designer) Area credits include: Muckrackers, Closer Than
Ever, Camelot, Master Class, Three Viewings, DollHouse, and Frankie and Johnny in the
Clair de Lune (New Rep); Red Hot Patriot (Lyric Stage Company); The Other Place (Central
Square Theater); Displaced Hindu Gods Trilogy and We Are Proud to Present... (Company
One); Loose, Wet, Perforated (Guerilla Opera); Bride*Widow*Hag and Distant Star (A.R.T.
Institute); Tragedy of Carmen and Cosi Fan Tutte (Boston Midsummer Opera); Monster and
I Am My Own Wife (Boston Center for American Performance); Yank (Boston Center for the
Arts); and Dead Man Walking and A Little Night Music (Boston Opera Collaborative). Chris
has also worked on projects with Worcester State University, Northwestern University, Cal
Lutheran University, and Vassar University. Mr. Brusberg earned a BFA in Lighting Design
from Boston University. Please visit ctblighting.com for upcoming projects.
Ted Hewlett (Violence Designer) Previously with ASP: (as Violence Designer, plus roles
as noted) The Comedy of Errors, Macbeth, Troilus and Cressida, Twelfth Night, Antony
and Cleopatra, Coriolanus (Aufidius), The Duchess of Malfi, Hamlet (Rosencrantz/Priest/
Fencing Master), Julius Caesar. New York: Bill W. and Dr. Bob (Off-Broadway), Mettawee
River Co., Pan Asian Rep, Lincoln Center Institute. Boston: Huntington Theatre, SITI Co./
ArtsEmerson, American Repertory Theatre, New Rep, Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Ballet,
SpeakEasy Stage, Company One, Merrimack Rep, Gloucester Stage, Stoneham Theatre,
Wheelock Family Theatre, Boston Children’s Theatre, Publick Theatre, Vineyard Playhouse,
Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, Nora Theatre, Boston Theatre Works, Shakespeare Now,
Commonwealth Shakespeare Co. Regional: Shakespeare Theatre, Elm Shakespeare,
Shakespeare & Co., Syracuse Stage, Kennedy Center, Westchester Broadway Theatre,
Fulton Opera House, Berkshire Theatre Festival, New Century Theatre, NYS Theatre
Institute. Film: Gray Area. Training: Brandeis University MFA in Acting; Academy of
Theatrical Combat. Faculty: Emerson College.
Tyler Kinney (Costume Designer) is excited to return to ASP after previously designing
Henry VI, Part 2; Henry VIII* *IRNE Award for costume design. He also designed costumes
for Appropriate; Bad Jews; Next to Normal; Striking 12 (Speakeasy Stage); Astro Boy
& The God of Comics* *Elliot Norton Award for Design (Company One); One Man, Two
Guvnors; The Temperamentals; Meet Vera Stark (Lyric Stage Company); Meet Me in St.
Louis; Marvelous Wonderettes (Stoneham); Collected Stories; Muckrakers (New Rep);
Boys in the Band; Bent (Zeitgeist); Fufu & Oreos; 60 Miles to Silverlake (Bridge Rep). Tyler
also designs for local universities and works in the MA film industry. He is a BFA Theatre
Design/Technology graduate from Emerson College and a Kennedy Center American
College Theatre Festival national finalist for his scenic design of Bud, Not Buddy. Tyler
was a designer/curator for the USA’s student design exhibition at the Prague Quadrennial
2015. www.TylerKinney.com
Samantha Layco (Assistant Stage Manager) is excited to be working on another
production with the Actors’ Shakespeare Project. Her previous ASP credits include
Measure for Measure and Henry VI, Part 2. Other Boston credits include Company One:
The Displaced Hindu Gods Trilogy-Shiv, Colossal (Production Stage Manager); Boston
9
Public Works: From the Deep. She studied theatre management at the University of
Portland, Portland, OR.
Eric Levenson*** (Scenic Designer) designed scenery for ASP’s Henry VI, Part 2
last season. For the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, he has designed Robert
Brustein’s The Last Will here at the Modern Theatre, and Julius Caesar on Boston
Common. Recent designs include sets for the upcoming Violet at SpeakEasy Stage, and
past SpeakEasy productions including Far from Heaven, Bad Jews, The Motherfucker with
the Hat, Blackbird, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and Next to Normal. Eric has been the
set designer for the Celtic Christmas Sojourn shows for the past eleven seasons. He is an
All-Categories member of United Scenic Artists Local 829.
David Reiffel*** (Composer/Sound Designer) is pleased to return to ASP, where he
created music and sound for Middletown, As You Like It, and last season’s Measure for
Measure. His work is widely heard on Boston-area stages including Apollinaire Theatre
Company (Norton award, Stupid Fucking Bird), Underground Railway Theatre (IRNE
nomination, A Disappearing Number), New Repertory Theatre (IRNE nomination,
Chesapeake), SpeakEasy Stage, Stoneham Theatre, Gloucester Stage, Brandeis Theater
Company, and The Boston Conservatory, and nationally at the Oregon Shakespeare
Festival and Chicago’s Court Theatre. His musical The Rag Doll (book by Silvia Graziano)
premiered at Blue Spruce (IRNE Nominee, Best New Play), and he wrote lyrics for Cupcake
(book: Bradley Seeman, music: Michael Wartofsky), produced in 2012 at Club Café.
His musical Glory is presently in development at the NOMTI Advanced Writers Lab. He
wrote scores and designed sound for five years on the road as a founding member and
resident composer with the nationally-acclaimed Cornerstone Theater Company. Visit
www.davidreiffel.com
Michele Teevan* (Stage Manager) Actors’ Shakespeare Project credits include
Phedre (ASM) and Henry VIII (ASM). Boston Area credits include Places, Please! (SM),
What Lips My Lips Have Kissed (SM), All About Election Eve (SM), The Blue Room (SM),
Big Fish (ASM), Sorry, Wrong Number (ASM), The Whale (PA), Tribes (PA), Clybourne
Park (PA), Other Desert Cities (PA), Next to Normal (PA), Red (PA) and The Divine Sister
(PA) at SpeakEasy Stage Company; Muckrakers (SM), Pattern of Life (SM), Amadeus
(PA), and Little Shop of Horrors (PA) with New Repertory Theatre; and Middletown (SM)
with Emerson Stage. Upcoming credits include Violet (ASM) and Dogfight (ASM) with
SpeakEasy Stage Company. Michele previously spent a year working with Blue Man Group
as a Deck 3 sub and spent the past summer touring with the Santa Clara Vanguard as a
Tour Manager. Michele earned her BFA in Stage/Production Management from Emerson
College and is currently the Business Office Manager for ArtsEmerson.
* Member of the Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
***Member of United Scenic Artists Local 829
Founded in 1913, AEA represents 45,000 actors, singers, dancers and stage managers
across the United States and seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theater
as an essential component of our society. AEA negotiates wages and working conditions
and provides a wide range of benefits including health and pension plans. AEA is a member
of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts
unions. For more information, visit www.actorsequity.org
10
Evil, Psychopath, Villain, Savage, Jealous Monster, Dishrag,
Naïve, Honorable, Honest… the list goes on. When we talk of the
play Othello, we often jump to these labels as though defining
who these people inherently are helps us grapple with the
destruction they bring upon each other. But what if they were
real, tangible, regular people, living on the edge of their own fears
and insecurities? What if we looked at all of the circumstances
that lead to these devastating actions and through that lens,
began to dismantle each choice, each obstacle, each moment?
Then we can begin to see how the “why” can lead to the “who”
and not the other way around.
NOTES
DIRECTOR’S
What happens to us when we are passed over? What do we do
when we are forced to watch others rise in the ranks, leaving us
behind? Iago is so much more than just an evil villain and his
journey through this play is rich and layered.
Othello is a man full of love, courage and honor. But he is also
an outsider, an “other” in this world. What does it take to build a
career, trust and reverence only to discover that your confidence
and your place is more fragile than you originally suspected?
Who do you become with each chink in your armor?
In asking these big questions we have uncovered big truths
within this larger than life story. Everyone in this play enters the
world wanting something they can never have—and how they
navigate that is what I think is most fascinating to discover.
I invite you to sit forward, forget everything you think you know
about this story and these people and experience them at their
rawest, most human, most frightening. It has been a fantastic
process of uncovering all of the “who’s.” I am thrilled to be able
to share this production with you.
—Bridget Kathleen O’Leary
11
Deb Sullivan – Production Manager
Michele Teevan* – Stage Manager
Samantha Layco – Assistant Stage Manager
Emily Cuerdon – Stage Management Intern
Nate Punches – Technical Director
Ie Dineen – Wardrobe Supervisor
Anne Dresbach – Master Electrician
Steve Deptula – Sound Engineer
Melissa Healey – Vocal Coach
Ted Hewlett – Violence Designer
Omar Robinson – Assistant Violence Designer
Emily Cuerdon – Board Operator
Aisha Cruse – House Manager
Chris Olmsted – House Manager
Suffolk Theatre Department
is a student-centered
department. Students
write, direct, and design
their own original plays and
intern with leading theatre
companies, both at Suffolk’s
Modern Theatre and with
organizations throughout
the United States. Students
work in classic, musical, and
experimental genres with a
special focus on new work.
Special Thanks:
Marilyn Plotkins, Jim Kaufman, Jim Bernhardt, Ben Sigda, Rachel Cardillo, Ted Hewlett,
Timothy Strauhal, The Modern Theatre in association with Suffolk University,
Cambridge Printing Co., Shirley DeLucia, Salvatore’s Restaurant, Center for Digital Arts,
Trinity Repertory Company.
Night in Venice. Venetian soldier Iago convinces the lovesick Roderigo that he
remains loyal to him and that he hates Othello, the Moorish general of the Venetian
army, who has secretly married Desdemona. Roderigo, who desires Desdemona
for himself, will only keep his chances alive by disrupting the clandestine marriage
with Iago’s help. They rouse Desdemona’s mother, the senator Brabantia, and
deliver the news that Desdemona has eloped with Othello. Enraged, Brabantia
scours Venice with armed men and confronts Othello. Violence is narrowly averted
by the news that the Duke expects Othello at a war council in progress, and the
parties hasten to the council, where it is announced that Othello will embark
for Cyprus immediately to beat back the Turkish enemy. Brabantia complains
to the Duke that Othello has bewitched her daughter. Othello responds that
he wooed Desdemona honestly, and won her love through sharing the story of
his extraordinary past. Desdemona is brought to testify and affirms Othello’s
account. Brabantia is bitter but cannot contest the marriage, and it is decided that
Desdemona will accompany Othello to Cyprus.
STORY
THE
PRODUCTION STAFF
A great storm at sea destroys the Turkish fleet, but the Venetians arrive safely in
Cyprus. First among them is Michael Cassio, lieutenant to Othello, who welcomes
Iago and his wife Emilia, lady-in-waiting to Desdemona, and Desdemona herself.
Cassio makes great show of courtesy with the ladies, under the watchful eye of
Iago. Othello is last to arrive, and after the formal greetings, Iago is again left alone
with Roderigo, and leads him to believe that Desdemona is in love with Cassio, who
now presents a second barrier to Roderigo’s desire. Together they hatch a plan for
Roderigo to draw Cassio into a brawl that night and discredit him. After Roderigo
exits, Iago vows to use the same fiction of Desdemona’s infidelity to draw Othello
into a deadly jealousy.
Night falls. Iago plies Cassio with drink beyond his tolerance, and sets Roderigo
upon him to incite him to violence. A brawl ensues, and Cassio wounds Cypriot
leader Montana, who attempts to break up the fight. Othello is roused from bed
and in his displeasure strips the drunken Cassio of his lieutenancy. Left alone, Iago
convinces the bereft Cassio that he should seek Desdemona’s help in regaining
the favor of Othello. Cassio accepts Iago’s advice, and seeks out Desdemona the
next day for her help, which she earnestly agrees to provide.
Iago arranges to have Othello witness the meeting of Cassio and Desdemona,
and with feigned reluctance, reveals suspicions of Dedemona’s infidelity
with Cassio. Othello at first refuses to believe it, and threatens Iago with dire
consequences if he cannot provide proof of his suspicions. Iago has Emilia steal
Desdemona’s prized handkerchief, which was a gift from Othello, and plants it in
the hands of an unwitting Cassio. Othello sees Cassio with the handkerchief, and
when Desdemona cannot produce it, Othello suspects adultery.
Iago’s intricate plots, daring in their complexity, create a web of deadly and
dangerous tensions. With Othello’s consent, he plans the murder of Cassio
at Roderigo’s hand, and drives Othello into an obsessive jealousy, with tragic
consequences.
13
Resident Acting Company
Seasonal Acting Company
Staff
Steven Barkhimer*
Lydia Barnett-Mulligan*
Allyn Burrows, Artistic Director
Marianna Bassham*
Austyn Davis
Kimberly Dawson, Interim Executive Producer
Jason Bowen*
Josephine Elwood
Allyn Burrows*
Nigel Gore*
Brooke Hardman*
Thomas Grenon
Jesse Hinson*
Malcolm Ingram*
Laura Bakopolus, Marketing & Development Associate / Patron Services Manager
Jennie Israel*
Ross MacDonald*
Marianna Bassham, Artistic Associate
John Kuntz*
Bari Robinson
Gregory Bloomfield, Director of Finance
Paula Langton*
Felix Teich
Sandra Cohen, Director of Design
Doug Lockwood*
Marya Lowry*
Directors
Mara Sidmore, Director of Education Programs, Projects & Partnerships
Erin Baglole, Assistant to the General Manager
Jennie Israel, Casting
Sarah Newhouse, Artistic Associate
Johnnie McQuarley*
Melia Bensussen**
Sarah Newhouse*
Allyn Burrows
Maurice Emmanuel Parent*
Bridget Kathleen O’Leary
Deb Sullivan, Production Manager
Paula Plum*
Paula Plum
Mia Tavan, Director of Marketing
Omar Robinson*
Mara Sidmore*
Designers
Richard Snee*
Costume Design: Anna-Alisa Belous***,
Bobbie Steinbach*
Adele Nadine Traub*
Michael Forden Walker*
Robert Walsh*
Daniel H. Jentzen, John Malinowski,
Karen Perlow***
Board of Directors
Consultants
David Sandberg, Chair
Joanne Barrett, Joanne Barrett Public Relations
Janie E. Howland***, Eric Levenson***,
Allyn Burrows
Sara Stackhouse, Stackhouse Creative
James Noone***
Austin de Besche
G. Neil Harper
Steven Deptula, Arshan Gailus,
Denise Jillson
David Reiffel***, Edward Young
Sarah Leaf-Herrmann
Violence Design: Ted Hewlett
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
** M
ember of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Inc., an independent national labor union
*** M
ember of United Scenic Artists Local 829
ASP Founding Artistic Director: Benjamin Evett
Lindsay Williams, Education & Project Associate
Tyler Kinney, Mary Lauve
Sound Design/Composition:
Margaret Stewart Lindsay was a citizen of
Boston and life-long supporter of the arts. The
Margaret Stewart Lindsay Foundation proudly
supports the artists at the Actors’ Shakespeare
Project so they can, in turn, inspire us.
Michael Forden Walker, Director of Youth Programs
Lighting Design: Chris Brusberg,
Scenic Design: J. Michael Griggs***,
The ASP Acting Company is sponsored by
Heather Stern, General Manager
Doug Lockwood
Geoffrey Nunes, Treasurer
a c t o r s s h a k e s p e a r e p r o j e c t. o r g
PROJECT
education
SHAKESPeaRE
inside&out
For Youth
Ages 13-19
at the Forest of Arden
Youth Studio, Charlestown
Working Theater
Othello
Directed by Abigail Dickson
Produced by ASP Youth
September 14 – November 25, 2015
ASP’s second ever youth-directed production! Dive into this powerful
tragedy with fellow youth and explore it alongside ASP’s professional
Othello cast. Acting and backstage roles available.
$400, with full and partial scholarships available
Mad Skill Sessions
December 2015
Skill-building workshops with ASP artists!
$50 with scholarships available
The Merchant of Venice
A Co-Production with the CWT Advanced Youth Ensemble
Directed by Magda Spasiano
January 4 – March 6, 2016
Take the stage in ASP’s first co-production with the youth artists at
Charlestown Working Theater. ASP and CWT will rehearse and perform
in the main black box theater at CWT. Join this special collaboration and
ensemble!
$400, with full and partial scholarships available
For more info and application materials, contact Lindsay at
[email protected] | 617.776.2200 x225,
or visit our website
For Teachers
Searching for creative ways to teach Shakespeare?
Bring a team of ASP teaching artists to your classroom
for a one-day workshop, a short-term residency, or a
year-round partnership!
For All
Master Classes
First time ever! Master Classes for adults taught by members of the
Resident Acting Company. Join us for one or join us for all.
Fall 2015 classes below
Rock Thy Brain: Shakespeare: Flesh, Blood and Bones
with Marya Lowry
Friday, October 2, 6:30-9:30pm, Saturday, October 3, 12:00-5:00pm
Tuition: $200
Revel in the size and depth of Shakespeare’s language through Marya’s
unique vocal-physical text exploration. For actors, teachers, and lovers
of Shakespeare.
The Suzuki Method: Physical Awareness for Actors
with Jesse Hinson
Saturday October 24, 10:00am-2:00pm
Tuition: $100
Jesse blends elements of Suzuki with other movement approaches to
explore the power of our physical instrument. Get in touch with your
impulses and bring more truth to your work!
Shakespeare Work Out: Fall 2015
With ASP Teaching Artists Jennie Israel & Paula Plum
Sundays, November 1, 15, & 22; Mondays, November 9, 23 & 30
6:30-9:30pm
Not 2B Studio, Center for the Arts at the Armory, Somerville
Come work out with ASP Resident Acting Company members in an
intensive scene study class.
Tuition: $650; Early Bird Tuition through September 30: $600
For more info and registration materials, contact Mara at
[email protected] | 617.776.2200 x224,
or visit our website
a c t o r s s h a k e s p e a r e p r o j e c t . o r g
Donor List
Actors’ Shakespeare Project is deeply grateful to the
donors listed here for their generosity and support.
The following list reflects donations received August 1, 2014 through August 26, 2015.
For questions concerning donations, please email [email protected].
$50,000+
$1,000 - $2,499
Anonymous
Barr Foundation
The Boston Foundation
The Sarah Hancock Family
The Klarman Family Foundation in collaboration with the Barr
Foundation Capacity Building Initiative
Margaret Stewart Lindsay Foundation
Parker Family Foundation
The Parker Family Fund at The Boston Foundation
Kathleen Rogers & Rick Teller
Anonymous
Mary Lee & Peter Aldrich
Sarah & Austin de Besche
Thomas K. Birch
Susanne & Patrick Dowdall
Hon. Stephen P Driscoll in honor of Mr. Sam Goldfarb
Geri & Steven Eddins
Gerson Family Foundation
Guy Fawkes
Irving House at Harvard
Cynthia Good & Alan Pratt
Deborah A. Hawkins
Mark & Elizabeth Kupferman
Mary Levin Koch
Sheila & Roger Lockwood
Amy Merrill
Winifred & Leroy Parker, in memory of Robin Randolph
Michael Roitman
James Sebenius
Rachael Solem
Somerled Charitable Foundation
William K. Stewart
Stone Soup Fund
Mrs. Anne Cameron Thomas & Mr. G. Anthony Siesfeld
Andrea & Arthur Waldstein
Jan M. Ziolkowski
$25,000 - $49,999
Commonwealth Corporation
Edvestors BPS Arts Expansion Fund
National Endowment for the Arts,
Shakespeare in American Communities
$10,000 - $24,999
Newcastle Foundation Trust
Deborah M. Noonan Memorial Fund
Clare & Geoff Nunes
Sue Rothenberg
John H. & H. Naomi Tomfohrde Foundation
$2,500 - $9,999
$500 - $999
Catherine England
Mrs. Anne Yost Harper & Mr. G. Neil Harper
Sarah & William Leaf-Herrmann
David Sandberg & Dina Mardell
Eric Hall Anderson
JP Baillieul
Ann Berman
Genevieve Berumen & Saul Tannenbaum
Dr. & Mrs. Eric & Elaine Bucher
James Burke
Debb & Tim Diggins
Sue Hall & David Bass
Erin Hoffer & Bruce Herrmann
Martha & Henry Jacoby
Muriel Mayman
Maxine Peck & Howard Weiss
J. Brian Potts
Adele Pressman
Gerald Slavet
Annie Thompson & Tim Gerhold
Joyce Walker & Jon Wakelyn in honor of Sara Stackhouse
Willing Suspension Productions
Wilson Butler Architects, Inc.
18
$250 - $499
Anonymous
Charles Carr
Winifred & Henry Dick
Helga & Scott Duncan
Natalie & Alden Good
Joyce Gordon & Paul Lubetkin
Amie & Tom Hesbach
Jennifer L. Hochschild & C. Anthony Broh
Alice & Paul Johnson
Cindy Kennelly
Robert Kuttner
Greg Lesher
John M. Loder
Krista & Chris Loose
Anastasia & William Lyman
Seana Moran
Margaret Newhouse
Opus Affair
Porter Square Books
Vienna Reichert & Stephen Monks
Evelyn & James Ryan
Ellen Sarkisian & John Maher
Crystal & Rich Schaaf
Sara Stackhouse & Johan de Besche
Lisa Wood
$1 - $249
Anonymous
Esme Allen
Joanna & Joseph Antebi
Richard asn
Lewis Austin
Cristin & Alexander Bagnall
Laura Bakopolus
Mari & Joel Barrera
Donald Bashline
Ben & Carlyn Bassham
Marianna Bassham
Anne Anderson & David Baxter
Paula & Howard Beale
Anne Benaquist
Sheldon Bennett
Jerry Bernhard
Susan Bigger & Kevin Belanger
Stephen Blossom
Tina Blythe & Lyle Davidson
David Bonner
Marci Booth
Borab
Alan Boyer
Mary John Boylan
Lynn Cadwallader & Richard Barran
Shirley Caldwell
Joan Caldwell
Boston Day & Evening Academy
Carr Kelly Family
William J. H. Chapman & Ricardo Barreto
Eunice Charles
Elinore Charlton
Mary Jane & Richard Cheever
Kathryn Chelini
Barbara Clough
Christine Coch
Dorothy & Richard Cole
Theresa Conti
Robert Cornell
Alice Cronin-Golomb
Sandra Cullison
Olivia D’Ambrosio
Florrie Darwin
Katharine Davis
Jeannette DeJong
Sue Delaney
Margaret dePopolo
Jean & Bill Dill
Ron Do
Dumler Beddall
Deanna Dunmyer
Marian Dunshee & Terrence Mahoney
Maureen Egan
Constance Egan
Sam Ellenport
Toby Fairbank
Jennie-Rebecca Falcetta
Amory Files
Harold Garrett-Goodyear
Judith P. Gentile
Joseph Gifford
Walter Gilbert
David Girard
Susan Glassman
Lora Goldenberg
Lynn Goldsmith & Jim Guttmann
Ron & Elizabeth Goodman
Leonie Gordon
Valerie Grande
Mark Granovsky
Thomas Grenon
Harriet & David Griesinger
Rhoda Grill
Karen Groce-Horan
Elizabeth Grube
Amy Hampe
Colleen & James Hankins
Mary Haskell
Carlottoa Hayes
Ruth & Jan Heespelink
Julia Hendrix
Joan & Eugene Hill
Gareth Hinds
Suzanne Hitchcock-Bryan
Sheila Hoadley
George L. Humphrey
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Husbands
Virginia Inglis
Malcolm Ingram
Jennie Israel & Steve Curtis
19
Anna Itkis
Nancy Jacobson
Rachel Jean-Marie
Denise Jillson
Susan B. Jones
Susan Julien & David Foss
Faith Justice
Coppelia Kahn
Mary Anne Karia
Judith & William Kates
Dorrie King & Jerry Flannelly
L. Kinne
Ben & Seana
Natalie Klavans
Ilana & Michael Kraus
Joan Lancourt
Paula Langton & Ken Cheeseman
Douglas M. Lanier
Anne Lauriat
Mary Lauve
Deborah Levey
Ellen & Steve Levine
Lynne Levitsky
James Liebau
Walter Locke
Doug Lockwood
Stephen Lozier
Joy & Andrew Lucas & Schulert
Kimberly Luiggi
Sarah Lyons
Libby Maclaren
Leo MacNeil
Bob Main & Belinda Wilkes
Cindy Marsh
Traute & Robert Marshall
Craig Mathers
Glenda Mattes
Bill Nigreen
Shawn McDermott
Lisa McDonough
Susan S. McGinnis
Don & Jeannette McInnes
Linda McIntosh & Ted Scholnick
Linda McJannet
Askold Melnyczuk
Judy Meyers & Mark Pasternack
Brandon Milardo
Beth & Larry Minear
Lynn Modell
Charles Moloney
Steve & Marjorie Moore
Stephen Morris
William Morse
Todd Morton
Ray L Morton-Ewbank
Patrick & Wendy Barnett-Mulligan
Marie & John Murray
20
Amy Ruth Nevis & Matthew Kamholtz
Sarah Newhouse & Steve Mikulka
Tatjana Odrljin
Frances Olan & Lionel Joseph
Marcia Olson
Eugene Papa
Barbara Goodwin Papesch
Sally & Rand Peabody
Maxine Peck & Howard Weiss
Einat Peled-katz
Donna Perkins
P.J. Plauger
Curtis Poole
Barbara Powell
Kimberly Prescott
Estie Rappaport
Sughra Raza
Dave Rich
Jay & Ted
Julie Rohwein & Jonathan Aibel
Stephen Rourke
Catherine Rowbotham
Stuart Rubinow & Lucy Roosevelt
Felicity Russell & Joel Kirchbaum
Valerie Sandberg
Jay O. Sanders & Maryann Plunkett
Rollin Sanders
Bonnie Schafer
Grant Schaumburg Jr.
Warren Schur
Kathy & Otis Scott
Carl Scovel
Joerg Bose
Lucia M. Shannon
Enid A. Shapiro
Sandra Shapiro & John Kirsch
Roberta Sheehan
John F. Sheehan
John Sheehan
Christopher Shera
Vivian Shortreed
Mara Sidmore & Cameron Willard
Mickail Simmons
Faye Simon
Mellicent Singham
Todd Sjoblom
Vera Spohr & Robert Bigelow
Susan & George St. Maurice
Bob & Bobbie Steinbach
Jaime Steinbach
Carol Stoltz
Ellen Sturgis & Mike Kopczynski
Elizabeth Sweeny
Jocelyn Swigger & John Kovaleski
D.J. Szczeblowski
Lori Taylor & Gabriel Kuttner
Jeff Theis
Theresa Thompson
Mark S. Throop
Maura Tighe
Richard Tonachel
Adele Nadine Traub
Wai Chu Tsang
Joyce Van Dyke
Joseph Walker
Joyce Walker & Jon Wakelyn in honor of
Sandra Cohen & Michael Forden Walker
In honor of Xavier Harvey & Kwante Johnson
Ray K. Warburton
Lee Warren
Leslie Warshaw
Wendy A Webber
Frank Wellington
Kathryn Wells
Mr. & Mrs. David A. White
Wiggy
Christine Wilkinson
Eric C. Williams
Laura Williams
Tracey Willmott
Debra Wise
J. Wood
Burns & Kathy Woodward
Amy Woodward
Sheli & Henry Wortis
Geraldine Zetzel
In-Kind Donations
Joanne Barrett Public Relations
The Boston Globe
Center of Digital Arts, Waltham
Austin de Besche
Guy Fawkes
Iggy’s Bread of the World
Market Basket, Somerville
Starbucks, Church Street
Starbucks, Melrose Center
Trader Joe’s, Cambridge
Whole Foods, Charlestown
Robert Walsh
Ron Wyman
ASPirations Fund
Anonymous
The Adams Family
Mrs. Louise Todd Ambler
Calvert & Ted Armbrecht
Sheryl Ash & Ted Sherman
Barr-Klarman Technical Assistance Fund
Beard Family Charitable Trust
Thomas K. Birch
Joseph L. Bower
Sally & Sam Butler
Jean Carney
Patricia Chappell
Cori Couture & Craig Swanson
Sarah & Austin de Besche
Christina & Fran Doran
Catherine S. England
Sandra & Hobart Fairbank
Deb & Jack French
Sandra & Dozier Gardner
Sherley & Gardner
Audrey & Mosie Gates
Cynthia Good & Alan Pratt
Susan Hall & David Bass
Harman Cain Family Foundation
Sarah Hancock
Mrs. Anne Yost Harper & Mr. G. Neil Harper
in honor of Faith Parker & Sara Stackhouse
Samuel A Hartwell
Deborah Hawkins
Julie & Bayard Henry
Hunt Alternatives Fund
Julie Idlet
Denise Jillson & George Pereira
Ruth Bauman & Edward Kahn
David Klutchman
Cara M. Kretz
Lois & Butler Lampson
Sarah & William Leaf- Herrmann
Richard Leahy
Sheila & Roger Lockwood
Lindsay Miller & Peter Ambler
Sandra Larson & Nicholas Minutillo
Cecily & Alan Morse
Mary & Bill Murdoch
The Newcastle Foundation Trust
Clare & Geoff Nunes
Steve O’Neil
Louise Ambler & Pell Osborn
The Parker Family Foundation
Sarah B. Porter
J Brian Potts
Barbara Powell
Jaird Raismes
Sue Rothenberg
Dina Mardell & David Sandberg
Nancy Buck & James Sebenius
Sara Stackhouse & Johan de Besche
Madeleine Steczynski
Ellen Sturgis
Paddy Swanson
Jane & Hooker Talcott
Kathleen Rogers & Rick Teller
The Boston Foundation
Blair Trippe
Miriam & William Truslow
Amy & Thomas Tulip
Robert H. Scott
Mason Wells
Blaikie & Bob Worth
Many of these gifts were given in honor of Geoff & Clare
Nunes. ASP extends deep gratitude to Geoff & Clare
for their stewardship of the ASPirations Fund and their
incredible generosity over the years.
up Next:
“a MiRaCUlOUS
MUSICal!”
– nY HERaLD TRIBUnE
the
Winter's
Tale
SEPT 4 OCT 10
by William Shakespeare
directed by Melia Bensussen**
December 9, 2015 – January 3, 2016
BOOK AND LYRICS BY
Alan Jay Lerner
Willet Hall at United Parish | Brookline
MUSIC BY
Frederick Loewe
ADAPTED FROM GEORGE
BERNARD SHAW’S PLAY AND
GABRIEL PASCAL’S MOTION
PICTURE “PYGMALION”
** Member of the Stage Directors and
Choreographers Society, Inc., an independent
national labor union
DIRECTED BY
Scott Edmiston
MUSIC DIRECTOR,
Catherine Stornetta
CHOREOGRAPHY BY
David Connolly
Jennifer Ellis by Nile Hawver/
nilescottshots.com
a c t o r s s h a ke s p e a r e p r o j e c t. o r g
Save the Date!
Scandalous
A Spectacular Spring Soirée
to benefit Actors’ Shakespeare Project
May 22, 2016
Courageous Cocktails
Scintillating Silent Auction
Luminous Luminary Awards
Decadent Dinner & Desserts
Daring Dance Party
Mark your calendars and join us
for this not-to-be-missed event!
For more information on sponsorship opportunities, auction
donations, program advertisements & ticket sales, contact
[email protected]
“ Be large in mirth .”
a c t o r s s h a k e s p e a r e p r o j e c t. o r g