Download By Caryl Churchill Directed by Michael Butler Starring James

Center REPertory Company of Walnut Creek
Artistic Director, Michael Butler
presents
Managing Director, Scott Denison
By Caryl Churchill
Starring
James Carpenter & Gabriel Marin
Scenic Design
Butler & Denison
Costume Designer
Melissa Anne Davis
Lighting Designer
Scott Denison
Assistant Stage Manager
Alex Logemann
Stage Manager/Sound Design
Jeff Collister
Directed by Michael Butler
A NUMBER was first presented by the English Stage Company
at the Royal Court Theatre, London, September 2002
U.S. Premiere by New York Theatre Workshop, December 2004
A NUMBER is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.
Knight Stage 3 Theatre
January 21 - February 7, 2010
Season
Sponsor
Season Partner
Season Media Sponsor
The Actors and Stage Manager employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association,
the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
The Director of this production is a member of the Society of Stage Directors
Center REP is a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG),
The National Organization for the American Theatre and Theatre Bay Area
Cast of Characters
James Carpenter.............................. Salter
Gabriel Marin..... Bernard 1, Bernard 2, Michael Black
CAST BIOGRAPHIES
James Carpenter (Salter) has appeared
before at Center REP in Agatha
Christie’s The Mousetrap. He has just
finished his fourth year as Scrooge at
ACT and his other Bay Area credits
include The Aurora Theatre, Marin
Theatre Company, Shakespeare Santa
Cruz, and Theaterworks.
James was
an Associate Artist for 14 years with
Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and is now an Associate
Artist with the California Shakespeare Theatre. Out
of town credits; The Old Globe Theatre, The Oregon
Shakespeare Festival, The Intiman, Arizona Theatre
Company, Dallas Theatre Center, and the Huntington.
He is the recipient of many Bay Area Critic’s Circle
awards, The 2007 Barbara Bladen Porter award for
consistent Exellence in Theatre, and has recently
been awarded the 2010 Lunt-Fontaine Fellowship
from the Ten Chimneys Foundation.
Screen credits
include the feature films The Rainmaker and Metro, the
independents Singing and the Sunflower Boy, Presque
Isle and the series Nash Bridges.
Gabriel Marin (Bernard 1, Bernard
2, Michael Black) is excited to
return to Center REP, previously
appearing in Tuesdays with Morrie.
Recent credits include The Creature
(Victor) with James Carpenter, Jack
Goes Boating (Clyde) and The Devil’s
Disciple (Richard) at Aurora Theatre
Company, Landscape of the Body (Durwood, Raulito) and
Bug (Peter) at the SF Playhouse, A Streetcar Named
Desire (Mitch) at Marin Theatre Company, and Dead
Mother (Daniel) for A Traveling Jewish Theatre/Thick
Description.
Locally he has appeared at A.C.T.,
Aurora Theatre Company, A Traveling Jewish Theatre,
Bay Area Playwrights Foundation, Center REPertory
Company, Central Works, Marin Theatre Company, Magic
Theatre, PlayGround, San Francisco Playhouse, Thick
Description, Word for Word and Z Space Studio. Marin
has appeared in the independent feature Opal, Trauma
(NBC) and Nash Bridges (CBS) and is the narrator of
the PBS documentary Paperback Dreams.
DIRECTOR NOTES
Leave it to brilliant playwright Caryl Churchill to
take one of our greatest fears – identity theft - and
one of our greatest fascinations – human cloning – and
combine them into a Rubik’s Cube of a play. Even her
writing itself is a kind of recombinant DNA, mixing
strands of sci-fi, murder mystery, ethical treatise
and good old fashioned dysfunctional family drama.
At its heart is the question of individuality. The
idea of individuality has been a presumed foundation
of human being-ness since the Renaissance. Churchill
reopens the Nature vs. Nurture argument with a
cautionary tale of parenting as a “do-over.”
Don’t
we all want our children to grow to their full
potential? Don’t we all sometimes wish we could have
a second chance?
This production is part of Center REP’s inaugural
Off Center season.
It’s our first production in
the Knight Stage 3, which we’ve reconfigured in
the round.
I couldn’t be more excited to do this
extraordinary play with these extraordinary artists.
I wish to thank everyone at Center REP, especially
managing director Scott Denison, production manager
Jeff Collister, technical director Joshua Lipps and
costume shop manager Melissa Anne Davis, for making
Off Center a reality.
-Michael Butler
CREATIVE TEAM
Caryl Churchill (Playwright) was born on 3 September
1938 in London and grew up in the Lake District and
in Montreal. She was educated at Lady Margaret Hall,
Oxford, where she read English. Downstairs, her first
play, was written while she was still at university,
was first staged in 1958 and won an award at the Sunday
Times National Union of Students Drama Festival. She
wrote a number of plays for BBC radio including The
Ants (1962), Lovesick (1967) and Abortive (1971).
The Judge’s Wife was televised by the BBC in 1972
and Owners, her first professional stage production,
premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London in the
same year. She was Resident Dramatist at the Royal
Court (1974-5) and spent much of the 1970s and 1980s
working with the theatre groups ‘Joint Stock’ and
‘Monstrous Regiment’. Her work during this period
includes Light Shining in Buckinghamshire (1976),
Cloud Nine (1979), Fen (1983) and A Mouthful of Birds
(1986), written with David Lan. Three More Sleepless
Nights was first produced at the Soho Poly, London, in
1980. Top Girls brings together five historical female
characters at a dinner party in a London restaurant
given by Marlene, the new managing director of ‘Top
Girls’ employment agency. The play was first staged
at the Royal Court in 1982, directed by Max StaffordClark. It transferred to Joseph Papp’s Public Theatre
in New York later that year. Serious Money was first
produced at the Royal Court in 1987 and won the
Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy of the Year
and the Laurence Olivier/BBC Award for Best New Play.
More recent plays include Mad Forest (1990), written
after a visit to Romania, and The Skriker (1994).
Her plays for television include The After Dinner
Joke (1978) and Crimes (1982). Far Away premiered at
the Royal Court in 2000, directed by Stephen Daldry.
She has also published a new translation of Seneca’s
Thyestes (2001), and A Number (2002), which addresses
the subject of human cloning. Her new version of
August Strindberg’s A Dream Play (2005), premiered at
the National Theatre in 2005. Caryl Churchill lives
in London. Her latest play is Drunk Enough to say I
Love You? (2006), which premiered at the Royal Court
Theatre in Winter 2006.
Michael Butler (Director and Artistic Director) most
recently directed REP’s productions of Witness for
the Prosecution and Enchanted April, as well as the
award-winning productions of Around the World in 80
Days, Picasso at the Lapin Agile and The Marriage
of Figaro.
His directing work has also been seen
in New York, L.A. and at regional theatres around
the country.
As an actor, Michael has worked on
Broadway, off-Broadway, in regional theatres, film
and television.
He is a published songwriter and
the co-writer and composer of numerous music-theatre
pieces, which he has directed and performed in NY,
LA, and at festivals in India and Morocco. In his
career as a performer he has also danced with the
Erick Hawkins Dance Company, portrayed the villainous
Pierre LeChance on The Guiding Light, and played
guitar and harmonica in many rock, blues, and country
western bands at all the notable dives in NYC.
Scott Denison (Lighting Designer and Managing
Director) has been the General Manager for the Lesher
Center for the Arts since it opened 19 years ago and
has worked for the Arts in this area for 36 years.
Scott has directed over 150 productions, including
The Wizard of Oz,
the musical hit Cinderella and
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and for the past 13
seasons Center REP’s A Christmas Carol as well as all
Fantasy Forum productions since 1972. He created and
produces the annual Shellie Awards now celebrating
31 years. Scott has also designed lights for over 250
productions, including the national touring production
of Sylvia. In 1979 he created the Shellie Awards,
which annually honors outstanding performing arts
achievement in Contra Costa County. Under Denison’s
guidance the Lesher Center for the Arts presents
over 900 public events each year. He coordinates
performing arts activities with over 85 producers and
producing organizations. Scott created the Chevron
Family Theatre Festival which hosted over 7,000
guests this year. He is also the Managing Director of
the Center REPertory Company producing professional
productions each season; and is the director and
co-founder of Fantasy Forum Actors Ensemble, an
adult family performing arts company which presents
programs for the young and Young at Heart.
Melissa Anne Davis (Costume Designer) In addition to
running the costume shop for Center REP, Melissa has
also designed many shows for the company including
Suds: A Rockin’ 60’s Musical Soap Opera, Rocket Man,
Cowgirls, A Christmas Carol, Hank William’s Lost
Highway, and All Shook Up. She frequently works with
Contra Costa Musical Theatre (Annie, Damn Yankees,
Grease, South Pacific, Beauty and the Beast (Shellie
Award) Guys and Dolls (Shellie Award), Cinderella,
(Shellie Award),
42nd St.) Other notable credits:
Town Hall Theatre Co.; MacBeth,
5 Women Wearing
the Same Dress, The Rocky Horror Show, Copenhagen,
Let’s Go To Casablanca!, Lend Me A Tenor, Bleacher
Bums, The Weir, Moonlight and Magnolias, Baby Be
Mine. Antioch Rivertown Theatre Co.; A Funny Thing
Happened… (Shellie Award), Pump Boys and Dinettes
(Shellie Award). Thanks to Michael, Amy, and Erin
for all their hard work and wonderful friendship!
Jeff Collister (Production Stage Manager/Sound
Designer) has been Production Manager for Center REP
since 1995.
He has stage-managed 40 productions
since starting with the company in 1989. Favorites
include Almost Heaven - John Denver’s America,
Becoming Memories, Suds:
The Rockin’ 60’s Musical
Soap Opera, Godspell, The Mystery of Edwin Drood and
numerous productions of A Christmas Carol. Jeff has
been nominated for Shellie Awards for his direction
of Urinetown, the Musical and Grease for Contra
Costa Musical Theatre.
He worked as Production
Stage Manager for Dame Edna - The Royal Tour in San
Francisco. Jeff is a Shellie Award winning actor and
a member of Actors Equity Association.
Alex Logemann (Assistant Stage Manager) would like
to thank you. Alex has been backstage with Center
REP off and on, for eight seasons and is beyond
pleased to be continuing wearing all black for such an
amazing group. Alex has also crewed shows for Contra
Costa Musical Theatre and with Diablo Theatre Company
(DLOC). Alex wishes to express how much fun it is to
do theatre here in Walnut Creek and is very thankful
for our community. This theatre community is like a
family that supports him and it is truly remarkable.
Alex is excited to see what the future holds for
Center REP and wants you to please join him as we
‘celebrate the power of the human imagination’!
OUR SPONSORS
Chevron (Season Sponsor) has been the leading
corporate sponsor of Center REP and the Lesher
Center for the Arts for the past eight years. In
fact, Chevron has been a partner of the LCA since
the
beginning,
providing
funding
for
capital
improvements, event sponsorships and more. Chevron
generously supports every Center REP show throughout
the season, and is the primary sponsor for events
including the Chevron Family Theatre Festival in
July. Chevron has proven itself not just as a generous
supporter, but also a valued friend of the arts.
Diablo Regional Arts Association (DRAA) (Season
Partner) is both the primary fundraising organization
of the Lesher Center for the Arts (LCA) and the City
of Walnut Creek’s appointed curator for the LCA’s
audience outreach. DRAA’s role in the community is
all about building partnerships with the focused goal
of enhancing artistic quality at the LCA and providing
opportunities for everyone to enjoy the arts.
Through partnerships with the LCA and its producers,
individual donors, corporate and foundation sponsors
and the City of Walnut Creek, DRAA plays a vital
role in advancing the arts for the betterment of the
community. Please visit us online at www.draa.org.
Contra Costa Times (Season Media Sponsor) In the East
Bay, the largest newspaper of the Bay Area News Group
is the Contra Costa Times and its sister editions,
the West County Times, Valley Times, San Ramon Valley
Times and East County Times. The Times, was judged
the best newspaper in its circulation category in the
state five times in a six-year period by the California
Newspaper Publishers Association. In 2005, it won the
prestigious national Freedom of Information Award
from Associated Press Managing Editors. And, in 2007,
it was honored by the California Newspaper Publishers
Association for its leadership on public records.
ABOUT CENTER REPERTORY COMPANY
Center REP is the resident, professional theatre
company of the Lesher Center for the Arts.
Our
season consists of six productions a year – a variety
of musicals, dramas and comedies, both classic and
contemporary, that continually strive to reach new
levels of artistic excellence and professional
standards.
Our mission is to celebrate the power of the human
imagination by producing emotionally engaging,
intellectually involving, and visually astonishing
live theatre, and through Outreach and Education
programs, to enrich and advance the cultural life of
the communities we serve.
What does it mean to be a producing theatre?
We
hire the finest professional directors, actors and
designers to create our productions at Center REP.
These are not touring productions – they’re conceived
and developed here, the sets and costumes are built in
our shops, and the actors rehearse in our rehearsal
hall. Whether the production is a Bay Area premiere
or a Shakespearean classic, each is devised to be
a one of a kind, artistic creation that will be a
unique theatre experience for our audience.
What does it mean to be a professional theatre? It
means that all our artists and artisans are career
theatre-practitioners. The actors in this production
are members of Actors’ Equity Association; many of our
directors and designers are members of professional
unions. All do theatre because it is their profession
and their passion.
We are very proud to have the opportunity to produce
professional theatre for our community in the theatres
here at the Lesher Center for the Arts. Thank you
for your support!
Center REPertory Company
Managing Director - Scott Denison
Artistic Director - Michael Butler
Production Services
Production Services Coordinator
Toni Kilcoyne
Technical Staff
Doug Alvey
John Earls
Nicole Iannaccone
Iain McKay
Steve Pino
Garrick Schuster
Josh Stouffer
Audience Servuces
Audience Services Coordinator
Courtney Egg
Ticket Office Staff
Rebecca O’ Connor
Caitlin Downing
Elizabeth Fazzio
Kiersten Jones
Karla Kopfhammer
Sarah Leahy
Hillary Pearsall
Amy Rogers
Production
Production Manager
Jeff Collister
Technical
Technical Director
Joshua Lipps
Master Electrician
Tirzah Tyler
Carpenters
Brandon Davis
Stewart Munson
Daniel Neely
Ryan Shew
Cameron Swartzell
Assistant Stage Manager
Alex Logemann
Props Coordinator
Joe Coe
Production Assistant
Stephen Gozza
Casting
Casting Director
Jennifer Perry
Education
Education Directors
Jeff Draper
Kerri Shawn
Marketing
Marketing Director
Gabe Marin
Marketing Assistant
Casi Maggio
Costumes Costume Manager
Melissa Anne Davis
Assistant Costumers
Michael A. Berg
Amy Nielson
Erin O’Donoghue
Administration
Asst. to the Managing Director
Gail Pfeifer
Usher Coordinator
Jody Cook
Program
Linda Nomura
ADDITIONAL THANKS TO:
Hyatt Summerfield Suites
Massimo’s Ristorante
Walnut Creek Baking Company
Waters Moving and Storage
Associated Services-Alta Water
Selix Formal Wear of Pleasant Hill
Shannon and Mike Demers
Contra Costa Musical Theatre
Diablo Theatre Company
present your ticket stub from this
production to
receive $10 off
the regular ticket price
CITY COUNCIL
Susan McNulty Rainey, Mayor
Kish Rajan
Cindy Silva
Robert Simmons
Gary Skrel
CITY MANAGER
Gary Pokorny
DIRECTOR
Arts, Recreation and Community Services
Barry Gordon
ARTS COMMISSION
Fritz Brunner, Chair
Vice Chair Suzanne Masella
Carol Fowler
Reginald Marshall
Jacquelyn Smith
THANK YOU TO OUR OPENING NIGHT DINNER SPONSORS:
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
Oi-C Bowl