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Calligraphy Calligraphy About TheatreWorks Silicon Valley March 2017 Volume 48, No. 6 Welcome to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley and our 47th season of award-winning theatre. Led by Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley and Managing Director Phil Santora, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley presents a wide range of productions and programming throughout the region. Founded in 1970, we continue to celebrate the human spirit and the diversity of our community, presenting contemporary plays and musicals, revitalizing great works of the past, championing arts education, and nurturing new works for the American theatre. TheatreWorks has produced 66 world premieres and 160 US and regional premieres. In the 2016/17 season, we add the world premiere of Confederates and four more regional premieres to our résumé. TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s 2015/16 season included the world premiere of the musical Triangle, as well as regional premieres of The Country House, Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, tokyo fish story, Cyrano, and The Velocity of Autumn. Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin broke all our box office records, becoming the highest-grossing show in TheatreWorks’ history. In the course of the year, shows that debuted here were produced at theatres around the world. With an annual operating budget of $8 million, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley produces eight mainstage productions at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto and the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. Sixteen years ago, we launched the New Works Initiative, dedicating ourselves to the development of new plays and musicals. The Initiative has since supported over 150 new works through retreats, workshops, staged readings, developmental productions, and the annual New Works Festival, inspiring The Mercury News to call us “a premiere breeding ground for new musicals, which has put the company on the national map.” TheatreWorks believes in making theatre accessible to the entire Silicon Valley community. Our Education Department reaches on average 25,000 students in 70 schools in 7 counties annually. It sponsors outreach programs that include the Children’s Healing Project at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, the Young Playwrights’ Initiative, specially-priced student matinees, extensive school tours, post-show discussions, and theatre camps, classes, and conservatories for youth. 2 THEATREWORKS Hengehold Trucks is the official trucking provider of TheatreWorks. Marilyn Kallins, Terri Reed, Rob Scott San Francisco/Bay Area Account Executives Brieanna Bright, Joey Chapman, Ann Manning Seattle Area Account Executives Jonathan Shipley Ad Services Coordinator Carol Yip Sales Coordinator ENCORE Paul Heppner President Mike Hathaway Vice President Corporate Office 425 North 85th Street Seattle, WA 98103 p 206.443.0445 f 206.443.1246 FRONT COVER: MIA TAGANO / PHOTO KEVIN BERNE The Mercury News is TheatreWorks’ 2016/17 Season Media Sponsor. J. Lohr is the official wine of TheatreWorks. Mike Hathaway Sales Director Ryan Devlin Business Development Manager operates under agreement between LORT and Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States. TheatreWorks is a constituent member of Theatre Communications Group, Inc., the national organization for the nonprofit professional theatre. TheatreWorks is a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, a national service organization for musical theatre. In addition, TheatreWorks is a member of Theatre Bay Area, the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce, and the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce. TheatreWorks’ 2016/17 Season is presented in cooperation with the City of Mountain View and the City of Palo Alto, Community Services Department, Division of Arts and Sciences. Garden Court is the official hotel of TheatreWorks. Ana Alvira, Robin Kessler, Shaun Swick, Stevie VanBronkhorst Production Artists and Graphic Design Sara Keats Marketing Manager AFFILIATIONS—TheatreWorks Silicon Valley is a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and TheatreWorks Silicon Valley is a proud home company of the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. Susan Peterson Design & Production Director Genay Genereux Accounting & Office Manager For more information on our 2016/17 season, New Works Festival, and Education programs, please visit theatreworks.org or call 650.463.1960. The director is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, Inc., an independent national labor union. The lighting, scenic, and sound designers are members of United Scenic Artists. This season is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Paul Heppner Publisher [email protected] 800.308.2898 x105 www.encoremediagroup.com Encore Arts Programs is published monthly by Encore Media Group to serve musical and theatrical events in the Puget Sound and San Francisco Bay Areas. All rights reserved. ©2017 Encore Media Group. Reproduction without written permission is prohibited. From the Board Chair Strange times we’re living in. On the one hand, I’m luxuriating in the creativity, diversity, and brilliance of TheatreWorks’ 47th season —perhaps our best ever. On the other hand, I’m increasingly worried about the future of the performing arts. Significant cuts since the recession have resulted in a 2015 national arts budget of $146 million, a paltry .002 percent of federal discretionary spending. Now there are rumblings that the impending national budget will shutter both the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for Humanities (NEH). The importance of these agencies cannot be underestimated. Since being signed into law in 1965, the NEA and NEH have administered grants annually to the fine arts, performing arts, and cultural projects in each congressional district in the country. TheatreWorks Silicon Valley has been fortunate to be one of many such grantees. Looking ahead, it’s clear that there will be fewer federal dollars available to deserving applicants. Equally important, the message that defunding these agencies will send the public, including the next generation of theatregoers, is disheartening. We must continue to support the arts. They matter! Your generosity allows nonprofit organizations like TheatreWorks to teach, entertain, and inspire, while employing creative artists on the stage, behind the scenes, in the schools, and throughout the community. In this Issue 2 About TheatreWorks 6 2017/18 SEASON 8 Coming Next at TWSV 9 From the Artistic Director 10 Director’s Notes 12 Velina Hasu Houston Gets It Silicon Valley Write with CALLIGRAPHY There is more we can do to ensure that the arts thrive and keep pace with the scientific and technological innovation that surrounds us in Silicon Valley. Your annual support can make a vital difference. In addition, a legacy gift will help TheatreWorks prosper well into the future. Through our FutureWorks program, planned gifts from bequests, trusts, life insurance, and retirement plans are easy to arrange. And they can help fulfill your personal philanthropic, retirement, and financial goals. I’m hoping you’ll join me as a donor and a member of FutureWorks. Although I believe we will survive additional federal cuts, it is comforting to know that our gifts will safeguard the art of TheatreWorks now and for generations to come. Barbara Shapiro BOARD OF TRUSTEES Playwright Velina Hasu Houston 14 Insider Access 15 TheatreWorks Silicon Valley 16 Who’s Who 19 Contributors 22 TWSV Staff 23 TWSV General Information Barbara Shapiro, Chair Jayne Booker Cabell Chinnis Bill Coughran Ciro Giammona Anne Hambly Judy Heyboer Larry Horton Charlotte Jacobs Roy Johnson Derry Kabcenell Michael Kahn Julie Kaufman Robert Kelley Phil Santora Loren Saxe Nancy Ginsburg Stern Debra Summers Lynn Szekely-Goode Ewart Thomas Tzipor Ulman Mark Vershel Holly Ward Lisa Webster Jane Weston Gayla Lorthridge Wood presents CALLIGRAPHY BOARD EMERITUS Nancy Meyer, Founder • William F. Adler • Edward T. Anderson, MD • Doug Barry • Lauren Berman • Chuck Bernstein • Sharon Anthony Bower • Michael Braun • Polly W. Bredt • Bruce C. Cozadd • Jeff Crowe • Peggy Dalal • Yogen Dalal • Jenny Dearborn • Susan Fairbrook • Michael R. Flicker • Peggy Woodford Forbes • Dan Garber • Doug Garland • Aaron Gershenberg • Marcia Goldman • Emeri Handler • Susan M. Huch • Perry A. Irvine • Nancy Lee Jalonen • Lisa Jones • Gina Jorasch • Roberta R. Katz • Tom Kelley • Robin Kennedy • Michael Kwatinetz • Dick Maltzman • Suzanne Martin • Patti McClung • Don McDougall • Bruce McLeod • Cynthia S. Miller • Leslie Murphy-Chutorian • Eileen Nelson • Karen Nierenberg • Carrie Perzow • Carey Pickus • Margot Mailliard Rawlins • John Reis • Eddie Reynolds • Sandi Risser • Lynn Wilson Roberts • Ray A. Rothrock • Adam Samuels • Denise Stanford • Rosina Lo Sun • James Sweeney • Cathie Thermond • Helaina Titus • Robert J. Van der Leest, MD • Ronni Watson • Elissa Wellikson Continue the conversation online! @TheatreWorksSV #TWSVCalligraphy encore art sprograms.com 5 “STELLAR!” “STUNNING!” A T I M E LY N E W M U S I C A L A TIMELESS MUSICAL JOURNEY The Four Immigrants: The Prince of Egypt Book, Music, & Lyrics by Min Kahng Based on Manga Yonin Shosei by Henry Yoshitaka Kiyama Translated as The Four Immigrants by Frederik L. Schodt Directed by Leslie Martinson WORLD PREMIERE From a tumultuous earthquake to an exhilarating world’s fair, this broadly comic new musical chronicles the adventures of four endearing Japanese immigrants in a world of possibility and prejudice: turn-of-the-twentieth-century San Francisco. Driven by an infectious vaudeville and ragtime score, the quartet pursues their American Dream despite limited options in the land of opportunity. Don’t miss this runaway hit of our 2016 New Works Festival. Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz Book by Philip LaZebnik Directed by Scott Schwartz WORLD PREMIERE in collaboration with Fredericia Teater, Denmark Join TheatreWorks as this inspiring world premiere musical begins its international journey towards a 2018 debut in Denmark. A soaring celebration of the human spirit, The Prince of Egypt features a dazzling, multi-ethnic cast in one of the greatest stories ever told: the saga of Moses and Ramses, his Pharaoh brother, and the indomitable people who changed them both forever. Inspired by the beloved DreamWorks Animation film and featuring a score that includes the Academy Award-winning “When You Believe” by the composer and lyricist of Wicked, this breathtaking journey of faith and family is the must-see event of the season. An American Musical Manga Jul 12 – Aug 6, 2017 Lucie Stern Theatre, Palo Alto A CONTEMPORARY ROMANTIC DRAMA Constellations By Nick Payne Directed by Robert Kelley London Evening Standard Award Best Play 2012 REGIONAL PREMIERE A tIme-bending romantic drama spun out of string theory, this unconventional Broadway and West End sensation explores the infinite possibilities of “boy meets girl” with intelligence, heart, and humor. A charming beekeeper and a Cambridge cosmologist are nerds in love, for better and for worse, their relationship an everchanging mystery of “what ifs.” Who knew that honey and higher physics could be so touching—or so sexy? Contains mature language. “Truly stellar. Five stars!” London Evening Standard Aug 23 – Sept 17, 2017 Mtn View Center for the Performing Arts 6 THEATREWORKS Oct 6 – Nov 5, 2017 Mtn View Center for the Performing Arts A H I L A R I O U S H O L I D AY A D V E N T U R E Around the World in 80 Days Adapted by Mark Brown From the Novel by Jules Verne Directed by Robert Kelley Stampeding elephants! Raging typhoons! Runaway trains! Join fearless adventurer Phileas Fogg and his faithful valet in the original “Great Race,” circling the globe in an 1870s alive with danger, romance, and comic surprises at every turn. In the hilariously theatrical style of The 39 Steps, five actors portray dozens of characters in a thrilling race against time and treachery. Grab your family, and your passport, for an ingenious, imaginative expedition around the world! “Action and hilarity to spare!” The Boston Globe Nov 29 – Dec 23, 2017 Lucie Stern Theatre, Palo Alto ACTORS LEFT TO RIGHT: TINA CHILIP, L. PETER CALLENDER, MICHELLE BECK, PUN BANDHU, HILARY MAIBERGER, & DEREK CARLEY / PHOTOS BY TRACY MARTIN & KEVIN BERNE NOT TO BE MISSED! A POWERFUL MUSICAL TRIBUTE A SOARING MUSICAL ROMANCE Our Great Tchaikovsky The Bridges of Madison County Music by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Written and Performed by Hershey Felder Directed by Trevor Hay REGIONAL PREMIERE Brilliant composer Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky springs to life through the hands and insight of piano virtuoso Hershey Felder, whose time-traveling tale of culture and repression explores the mystery surrounding some of the greatest music ever written. From the unforgettable ballets Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker, to the outrageous 1812 Overture and the brilliant symphonic works, this powerful musical tribute travels to Czarist times to ponder the inevitable enigma of genius. From the creator and performer of Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin and Beethoven. “Stunning! Potent! Brings beautiful life to Tchaikovsky.” Book by Marsha Norman Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown Based on the novel by Robert James Waller Directed by Robert Kelley 2014 Tony Award Best Score San Diego Union-Tribune Jan 10 – Feb 4, 2018 Mtn View Center for the Performing Arts A BOLD AMERICAN DRAMA This sweeping musical romance about the roads we travel and the bridges we dare to cross recalls the unexpected affair of a devoted Italian-born housewife and a roving National Geographic photographer—four sensual, heart-stirring days that would never be forgotten. Set amidst the cornfields of Iowa in 1965, it is an intimate remembrance of love both lost and found, brilliantly adapted by a Pulitzer Prize playwright and Tony Award composer from one of America’s favorite novels. “A breathtaking sweep of feelings.” The NY Times Apr 4 – 29, 2018 Mtn View Center for the Performing Arts A P L AY F O R T H E N A N D N O W Skeleton Crew FINKS By Dominique Morisseau Directed by Giovanna Sardelli A Coproduction with Marin Theatre Company REGIONAL PREMIERE By Joe Gilford Directed by Giovanna Sardelli Drama Desk Award Best Play Nominee CALIFORNIA PREMIERE A makeshift family of autoworkers navigates the recession in this funny, tough, and tender American drama. Will their Detroit plant survive? Ambitious dreams and corporate deception interweave, pushing friendships to the limit. When the line between blue collar and white begins to blur, how far over the lines is each of them willing to step? Don’t miss this riveting new drama from one of America’s hottest young writers. Contains mature language. With the 1950s Red Scare in full swing, the House Un-American Activities Committee attacks “subversion” in the arts. When a romance blossoms between a rising comic and a firebrand actress, they face being blacklisted along with their friends and fellow artists. Will they lose their careers or betray each other and be branded forever as “finks”? Based on the true story of comedian/actor Jack Gilford, this stunning comic drama is written by his son. Contains mature language. “Warm-blooded, astute. A deeply American play!” The NY Times “A testament to an indomitable spirit.” The Huffington Post Mar 7– Apr 1, 2018 Lucie Stern Theatre, Palo Alto Jun 6 – Jul 1, 2018 Mtn View Center for the Performing Arts A D D - O N E X T R A F O R T H E H O L I D AY S The Santaland Diaries By David Sedaris Adapted by Joe Mantello Directed by Jeffrey Lo When an unemployed slacker signs on as a Yuletide elf at Macy’s, a village of candy-caned kids and cynical Santas springs to hilarious, if humiliating, life. This rollicking one-man cure for an overdose of holiday hype will have you ho-ho-hoing till the red-nosed reindeer comes home! FOR MATURE AUDIENCES “A sardonic, merrily subversive tale worth more than a photo album full of Santas!” Newsday Dec 5–23, 2017 Lohman Theatre, Foothill College, Los Altos Hills THEATREWORKS S I L I C O N VA L L E Y 2017/18 Subscribe today! theatreworks.org 650.463.1960 encore art sprograms.com 7 TheatreWorks S I L I C O N V A L L E Y A Musical Saga of Immigrant America RAGS Book by Joseph Stein Music by Charles Strouse Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz Directed by Robert Kelley April 5–30 Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts theatreworks.org 650.463.1960 An Extraordinary Musical Play HERSHEY FELDER BEETHOVEN Hershey Felder Music by Ludwig van Beethoven By Directed by Joel Zwick Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts theatreworks.org 650.463.1960 8 THEATREWORKS PHOTO COURTESY EIGHTY-EIGHT LLC June 5–July 2 From the Artistic Director THE BRUSHSTROKES OF TIME We produced our first Velina Hasu Houston play 27 years ago in 1990. Simply titled Tea, it was the story of a Japanese war bride who, against the convictions of her family, married an African-American serviceman in the years following World War II. She wound up living as an immigrant in smalltown Kansas, finding solace in the company of other Japanese women who shared the same challenging life in a new world. We chose the play for its touching insight into the lives of these women, but also for its honest exploration of a racially mixed family in a reluctantly changing America. Tea became a major hit for TheatreWorks, and demonstrated an emerging Silicon Valley eager to better know its neighbors of Asian heritage. Since then, our Valley has changed dramatically, and now boasts an Asian population of over 30%. What’s more, California’s population of mixed race people has also continued to grow. That’s what makes this final chapter of Houston’s family story such an important journey for TheatreWorks. Tea was set in a late 60s America still harboring post-war prejudice toward the Japanese, and ongoing prejudice toward any mixing of the races. Calligraphy jumps forward three decades to reveal that same mother in the care of an adult daughter, Hiromi, who is determined to reconcile a different prejudice of the past, a Japanese version of racism that once tore her family apart. A Japanese cousin joins in Hiromi’s quest, and the two offer a startling contrast: a mixed-race American consumed by her Japanese roots and a native Japanese consumed by American culture. But as culture and race begin to blend in our interconnected world, the boundaries and prejudices of the past begin to blur as well. Calligraphy focuses on a generation that came to maturity in the 1950s, a time when the world’s nations and races seemed much further apart. I wonder what kind of diverse world upcoming generations will find here in Silicon Valley. What family dysfunctions will we resolve at long last; what lingering prejudices will we eventually recognize and surmount; what cultural, religious, and political conflicts will we finally put to rest? Tough questions, but here at TheatreWorks we will attempt to answer them as we always have, by turning them into art. Call it calligraphy. As we’ve rehearsed this final chapter of a story inspired by Velina Hasu Houston’s own family history, we’ve been privileged to have the playwright in residence working on the play. Following an initial production in Los Angeles, she has further shaped Calligraphy with support from TheatreWorks’ New Works Initiative. We thank you for helping to make that possible. Robert Kelley Upcoming Events Mar, Apr, May 3/15, 3/22, 3/29 CALLIGRAPHY POST-SHOW DISCUSSIONS Question and answer with the cast and staff following the performance Lucie Stern Theatre, Palo Alto 3/20 @ 6:00pm GREEN ROOM PARTY Donors of $750 or more are invited for a sumptuous reception and insider program. Garden Court Hotel Palo Alto 4/4 SNEAK A PEEK @ 7:00pm Donors of $150 or more are invited to a pre-show reception and final dress rehearsal of RAGS. 4/4 @ 7:00pm INVITED DRESS REHEARSAL WITH PHIL SANTORA Inner Circle members ($1,500 or more) are invited to attend final dress rehearsal of RAGS and meet with Managing Director Phil Santora for a casual pre-curtain chat. Limited space. RSVP required. [email protected] MVCPA 4/22 @ 10:00am BACKSTAGE TOUR Refreshments, displays, speakers, and a backstage tour of the set of RAGS. Admission: $20 Complimentary to donors of $750 or more. RSVP required. For more info: [email protected] MVCPA 5/20 @ 5:30pm BEDAZZLED Spectacular food, wine, signature cocktails, auctions, and live entertainment. Tickets start at $185. theatreworks.org/give/bedazzled/ [email protected] TWSV Headquarters Redwood Shores encore art sprograms.com 9 Director’s Notes by Leslie Martinson The gift a playwright gives us is the chance to experience the world from another person's point of view. In Calligraphy, Velina Hasu Houston does just that, with the character of Noriko. Based on Velina's own mother's story, it is Noriko’s journey that we follow, from growing up in Japan, marrying an African-American G.I. just after World War II and emigrating to Kansas with him, then moving to Los Angeles as a widow. This question of “point of view” came up over and over as I worked with the design team to create the physical world of this play. How do we let the audience know where a scene takes place, or when? We decided to stay inside Noriko's perspective. If she finds herself on a street in post-war Kobe, Japan, so will you. The butterflies which whirl about her head come to rest where you can see them. Shodo, the Japanese art of calligraphy, is an anchor for Noriko throughout her life. A blend of the visual, the verbal, and the spiritual, shodo, or “The Way of the Brush,” is described in the play as “something just for me.” So we decided to anchor the set with a platform holding her shodo table, at the heart of Noriko's new home in California. In an afterword in the script, Velina writes this: The art of calligraphy in terms of lettering is a meticulous craft that grows refined with experience if discipline and determination are applied. Life is not dissimilar. We are born, smudge the lines, learn, grow, spill ink, mature, and so forth. Even in the most finely tuned and dedicated effort, ink fades. It is part of aging. What was created hopefully with love and vigor feels, looks different. But it is still art— sometimes even more valuable than at the time of its creation and vitality. Welcome to Calligraphy. 10 THEATREWORKS My wealth. My priorities. My partner. You’ve spent your life accumulating wealth. And, no doubt, that wealth now takes many forms, sits in many places, and is managed by many advisors. Unfortunately, that kind of fragmentation creates gaps that can hold your wealth back from its full potential. The Private Bank can help. The Private Bank uses a proprietary approach called the LIFE Wealth Cycle to find those gaps—and help you achieve what is important to you. SM To learn more, contact: Ralph Dickman Vice President, Private Wealth Advisor 408-279-7734 [email protected] or visit unionbank.com/theprivatebank Wills, trusts, foundations, and wealth planning strategies have legal, tax, accounting, and other implications. Clients should consult a legal or tax advisor. ©2016 MUFG Union Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Union Bank is a registered trademark and brand name of MUFG Union Bank, N.A. Velina Hasu Houston Gets It Write with Calligraphy “N othing is precious,” says Velina Hasu Houston, about writing. “If I walk in with a precious attitude about my play, I may as well sit in my office. I want the play to get better. So that means put my ego aside and let the play get better.” Calligraphy is about two female cousins—one is Japanese/African American and lives in Los Angeles; the other is Japanese and lives in Japan. The two women are finding it difficult to cope with life’s many changes while dealing with their mothers growing old. “It’s called Calligraphy because when you draw with that dark black India ink, you make bold strokes,” explains Houston. “That’s how we live life—with bold strokes. Then it begins to fade but it fades with different forms of beauty. We should be able to appreciate the aging.” Houston, who brings uniquely pertinent credentials to her role as playwright, wrote Calligraphy in part because she was going through her own mother/ daughter concerns. “The issue of parents aging is challenging,” says Houston. “It started with my own life. The first seed was my own mother getting dementia. As I began to see my life shift from being the daughter to the mother—I had to take on responsibility. She’s Japanese and doesn’t speak English very well. I had to step in and be a business manager. It was a learning process for me—how I was living my life and looking at things differently. In a sense, my mother became my child. I began to see the world through my mother’s eyes.” Houston says that ever since she was a small child, she and her mother have always been very close. “I adore the human being that she was. Her choice to marry a black man in 1950s Japan was a huge thing. I began to understand the impact that choice had to have on her life. She had to have courage. So, I admire her pioneering spirit.” 12 THEATREWORKS After doing extensive research for the play over a five-year period, Houston realized there was a “large part of the culture that didn’t have patience for aging” and didn’t think of the natural evolution as being beautiful. “I had to move from the shock of dementia to understanding the beauty in the aging process and what I could learn from that,” she explains. “I wanted to learn about other people who were seeing their parents’ lives change. I started interviewing caregivers in their 40s and 50s and wanted to know how they thought of themselves.” Seeking a deeper understanding, Houston traveled to Japan to do more interviews and to discover whether there were cultural differences in aging there as well. “I looked at my mom’s aging from both the Japanese and American perspective,” says Houston. “I did a lot of reading about these kinds of life changes. Then I sat down to write the play.” Houston’s life story is far more intriguing than any play she could ever write. It has all the ingredients for a juicy romance novel while reading like a fascinating tome about reality, family, ethnic cultures, international affairs, survival, exclusion, assimilation, and triumph. The dramatist, who was born on a military ship outside of Japan, is the second daughter of a Japanese woman (Setsuko Takechi) and a World War ll/Korean War African-American soldier (Lemo Houston), now deceased. “I often get inquisitive looks from people who can’t quite figure out what I am,” says Houston. “Some people just ask if I’m Hawaiian or Latina. People just want you to identify yourself. If people ask, I’m Japanese and African-American. There are a lot of me out here.” Houston has an older brother who was adopted in Japan, grew up, and married an Argentinean, and a sister who married into a Chinese family and is now a professor at Cal State LA. She grew up in Kansas where she often spent time in Japanese and French war brides’ kitchens watching and learning how to cook. “There was a time in my life that parents came in different colors. It was black husbands with their international wives.” Determined to become a writer after a teacher gave her Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard to read, Houston attended the University of Kansas where she studied communications and philosophy. She also has a Master of Fine Arts in playwriting from UCLA and a PhD in Critical Studies in Cinema from USC. A lifetime member of both UCLA and USC alumni associations, she jokingly refers to herself as “biracial and bi-campus.” Once she graduated from the University of Kansas, her career took a meteoric ride. She’s written a book, Writer’s Block Busters: 101 Exercises to Clear the Dead Wood and Make Room for Flights of Fancy (Smith and Kraus), poems, essays, and more than 20 plays which have been produced worldwide. For instance, her play Tea [TW production 1990, Burgess Theatre in Menlo Park], which portrays the lives of Japanese war brides who move to the United States with their American servicemen husbands, became a trademark of her work with numerous productions and presentations around the globe including the US, Osaka, Tokyo, Hiroshima, nationwide radio in Japan, People’s Republic of China, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and Indonesia. She’s also written for television and film. Many of her plays speak to the multicultural experience, something advisors at UCLA told her would never work. “When I was at UCLA they discouraged me from writing about Japanese and black people in theatre because they didn’t think anyone would produce my plays,” says Houston. “I was discouraged from writing Japanese characters. I guess I had a multiculturalism outlook before it was popular.” It would seem Houston got the last laugh. Not only have her plays been produced, she’s been praised extensively and awarded generously from the community at large for her good works. Houston’s mastery of the written word is the direct result of several decades of study and application. As a playwright, she uses all of her life’s experiences to create her body of work. “I tell my students that humanity is your laboratory,” says Houston. “I tell them to use everything you see, taste, and smell. The most important thing for me is they need to write about things they feel the greatest passion for. Be inspired by deep critical passions so the drive to write the play doesn’t have to be forced. It’s just there organically.” Writing is more than a passion for Houston, who admittedly is so focused she can write while standing in line at the bank. “I write compulsively,” says Houston. “It’s like air and water. It’s like the necessities of life. I love writing. It’s an important relationship for me. I’d be unhappy if I couldn’t write.” —————————— By Darlene Donloe Abridged from the original interview for LA STAGE Alliance, 2010 encore art sprograms.com 13 Membership provides you the ULTIMATE THEATRE EXPERIENCE INSIDER ACCESS Imagine sharing wine with the stars of TheatreWorks’ shows or bumping into actors backstage during exclusive tours. Imagine calling your very own TW concierge to acquire house seats on Broadway, or flashing your VIP passes to the New Works Festival (don’t forget the lounge!). As a Member, you craft your Insider experience and support incredible, transformative art at the same time! Insider Access starts at $75. Join by April 2 and your name will be entered into a drawing for a private lunch and backstage tour with Artistic Director Robert Kelley. Join us at or above the $750 level and we’ll add your name to the drawing twice! (Two winners will be selected.) Make your gift or request more information online at theatreworks.org/support or call 650.463.7155. 14 THEATREWORKS TheatreWorks S I L I C O N V A L L E Y , Calligraphy presents By Velina Hasu Houston Directed by Leslie Martinson Scenic Designer C Costume Designer LLighting Designer Sound Designer S Media Designer M Casting Director C LLos Angeles Casting Director Stage Manager S E Erik Flatmo Alina Bokovikova Steven B. Mannshardt S Gregory Robinson G David Lee Cuthbert D Leslie Martinson L JJulia Flores Sara Sparks S Originally Produced by Playwrights’ Arena in association with Latino Theatre Company Jon Lawrence Rivera, Artistic Director, Playwrights’ Arena Jose Luis Valenzuela, Artistic Director, Latino Theatre Company PRODUCERS Mike & Yvonne Nevens Janne & Bill Wissel SEASON SPONSORS Garden Court Hotel • J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines • The Mercury News • Sobrato Philanthropies SPECIAL THANKS Noriko Lake, San Jose Shodo CALLIGRAPHY plays March 8–April 2, 2017 THE VIDEOTAPING OR OTHER VIDEO OR AUDIO RECORDING OF THIS PRODUCTION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. encore art sprograms.com 15 THE CAST (In order of appearance) Hiromi Jameson Noriko Matsuda Jameson Eamon Jameson/Police Officer Sayuri Matsuda/Girl in Kimono Natsuko Matsuda Mia Tagano* Emily Kuroda* William Thomas Hodgson* Elizabeth Pan* Jeanne Sakata* * 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. Understudy for Eamon Davied Morales (Performs on March 8) TIME & PLACE A season in the lives of the four Matsuda women at the turn of the 20th century, the years 2000 and 2001. Los Angeles, Tokyo, Matsuyama. Who’s Who EMILY KURODA (Noriko) has performed at Huntington Theatre Company (Tiger Style, Woman Warrior), South Coast Rep (Fast Company, Ballad of Yachiyo, Our Town), Alliance Theatre (Tiger Style), East West Players, Kirk Douglas, Mark Taper Forum, The Public Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, Seattle Repertory, Singapore Repertory, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, The Doolittle, LATC, Zephyr, LA Women’s Shakespeare Company, and the Los Angeles Shakespeare Festival. She was Mrs. Kim on Gilmore Girls for seven years and was seen in Netflix’s Gilmore Girls Revival. Other TV series include Drop Dead Diva, Rufang in Sony’s Sequestered, and Under One Roof with Flavor Flav. Films include Red, Sensei, and Take the 10. She is the recipient of five Dramalogue Awards, a Garland Award for outstanding performance, and Playwrights Arena Award and the EWP Award for Outstanding Contribution to LA Theatre. ELIZABETH PAN (Sayuri/Young Girl) is thrilled to be making her debut with TheatreWorks. Past theatre credits include Dogeaters (Center Theatre Group/SIPA), Film Chinois (Grove Theater Center, Ovation Award for Best Play), @thespeedofjake (Playwrights’ Arena), A Winter People (Boston Court Performing Arts), and Boats on a River (L.A. Theatre Works). Recent film and TV appearances include Lights Out, Better 16 THEATREWORKS Half (Best Supporting Actress nom, Philadelphia Indie Film Fest), Scandal, The Real O’Neals, Stitchers, and How I Met Your Mother. You can hear her voice in the films Penguins of Madagascar and Planes. She debuted earlier this year as a Marvel character in the Iron Man universe for Hong Kong Disney. She received her BA at UCLA and has trained at American Conservatory Theater and the Royal National Theater in London. elizabethpan.com WILLIAM THOMAS HODGSON (Eamon/ Police Officer) is making his TheatreWorks debut. Regional credits include It Can’t Happen Here (Berkeley Repertory Theatre), Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (La Jolla Playhouse), An Octaroon (Mixed Blood Theatre), El Henry (San Diego Rep), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (PCPA Theaterfest), Trufaldino Says No (Shotgun Players), Seussical the Musical (Berkeley Playhouse), and I Am My Own Wife (Ubuntu Theater Project). He recently eceived his MFA from UC San Diego, and he is Co-Artistic Director of the Ubuntu Theater Project in Oakland. Mr. Hodgson currently teaches drama at Park Day School. JEANNE SAKATA (Natsuko) is making her TheatreWorks debut. She has performed with The Public Theater, Kennedy Center, Mark Taper Forum, La Jolla Playhouse, South Coast Rep, American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, People’s Light and Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Intiman Theatre, A Contemporary Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Portland Center Stage, Syracuse Stage, and the Arizona Theatre Company. Recent TV and film: Advantageous, Dr. Ken, Bravo’s True Fiction, Big Hero 6. Special honors: LA Ovation Award, Outstanding Lead Actress, Chay Yew’s RED; Lee Melville Award, Outstanding Contribution to LA Theatre Community, Playwrights’ Arena; Outstanding Artist Award, LA Pacific American Friends of Theatre Outstanding Artist Award. She authored the nationallyacclaimed solo play Hold These Truths about civil rights pioneer Gordon Hirabayashi (2013 Drama Desk Nomination, Outstanding Solo Performance), recently produced at Portland Center Stage, A Contemporary Theatre, Guthrie Theater, PlayMakers Repertory Company, and Perseverance Theatre. jeannesakata.com MIA TAGANO (Hiromi) has performed with TheatreWorks in Snow Falling on Cedars, The Loudest Man on Earth, and M Butterfly. New York credits include Far East (Lincoln Center), 99 Histories (Cherry Lane Theatre) and Song of Singapore (Capital Repertory Theatre). Regional credits include Macbeth (Berkeley Repertory Theatre), Love and Information (American Conservatory Theater), Tamburlaine (Shakespeare Theatre), Tantalus (Denver Center for the Performing Arts and Royal Shakespeare Company co-production), Hamlet and Nicholas Nickleby (California Shakespeare Theater), Every Five Minutes (Magic Theatre), Snow Falling on Cedars VELINA HASU HOUSTON (Playwright) is an internationally celebrated writer with over twenty commissions in theatre and opera. She was the first-ever Playwright-inResidence at The Pasadena Playhouse and a Fulbright Scholar. Honored by The Kennedy Center, Smithsonian Institute, Rockefeller Foundation, Japan Foundation, The Wallace Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and others, she founded graduate playwriting studies at the University of Southern California. At the USC School of Dramatic Arts, she is Distinguished Professor of Dramatic Writing, Director of Dramatic Writing, Associate Dean of Faculty, and Resident Playwright. She is the only US playwright to amass a body of work that explores the US/Japan relationship through a bilateral, global view of identity. Her blog, Matchabook, is at matchabook.wordpress.com. She is married to Peter H. Jones of Manchester, England; and has two children, Kiyoshi and Leilani. LESLIE MARTINSON (Director) is TheatreWorks’ Associate Artistic Director and Casting Director. Her many TheatreWorks directing credits include Proof, the regional premiere of Water by the Spoonful, and the West Coast premieres of The Pitmen Painters and Superior Donuts. A graduate of Occidental College, she has been a Watson Fellow in political theatre, a member of Lincoln Center Director’s Lab, a member of the La MaMa International Directing Symposium, and has served on Theatre Bay Area’s Theatre Services Committee since 2002. Silicon Valley Creates named her an Arts Laureate for artistic achievement and community impact. She is a Performance Coach in leadership communication training with Stand and Deliver Group. Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Opera Neo, MOXIE Theatre, and more. Ms. Bokovikova has an MFA in Costume Design from UC San Diego and currently she is a Costume Design Coordinator at the Academy of Art, San Francisco. Her works were presented at Prague Quadrennial 2012, Costume Design at the Turn of Century Exhibition in Moscow in 2015. She was also featured in Role Call for American Theatre Magazine in 2016. Proud to Support the Arts in San Francisco DAVID LEE CUTHBERT (Media Designer) designed lighting for Third and lighting/ media for Wild with Happy at TheatreWorks. He lit Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays on Broadway and its subsequent US, Canadian, and Australian tours, as well as the HBO film. Off-Broadway, his lighting and projections for The Snow Queen won the award for best overall design at 2014’s New York Musical Theatre Festival. Internationally, he designed Terminal, directed by Joseph Chaikin, and his scenic and lighting design for The History (and Mystery) of the Universe has been seen at major theatres across the country. He was a regular collaborator at San Jose Repertory Theatre, and is a frequent collaborator at Arizona Theatre Company. Mr. Cuthbert is Personal attention SF Our goal is to LG preserve our thoughtful litigation final resolution L A W (Portland Center Stage and Hartford Stage), Twelfth Night (SF Shakespeare Festival), and Waiting for Tadashi (George Street Playhouse). TV/film credits include All My Children, Law & Order, and John Barton’s The Shakespeare Sessions. Ms. Tagano received her MFA in Acting from the University of Washington. F A M I LY Who’s Who client’s dignity and humanity. FA M I LY L AW G R O U P, P. C . 575 Market Street, Suite 4000 San Francisco, CA 94105 415.834.1120 www.sflg.com GLEIM ALINA BOKOVIKOVA (Costume Design) has designed more than sixty professional productions and is thrilled to come back to TheatreWorks after her debut here with tokyo fish story last year. Bay Area audiences can see her designs in 2017 at Cutting Ball Theatre (Hedda Gabler), Opera Parallele (Flight), and Opera San Jose (La Boheme). Other credits include productions for California Shakespeare Theater, The Old Globe, North Coast encore art sprograms.com 17 Who’s Who a Professor of Design at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Academy of Art San Francisco, in the Motion Picture and Television Department. ERIK FLATMO (Scenic Designer) recently SARA SPARKS (Stage Manager) previously stage managed TheatreWorks’ New Works Festival productions of Something Wicked This Way Comes and Marie and Rosetta. She most recently stage managed Scrooge in Love! at 42nd Street Moon. She has worked all around the Bay, including San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Aurora Theatre Company, San Jose Stage Company, Pear Theatre, Palo Alto Players, Silicon Valley Shakespeare, and RE:ACT. She is also a lighting designer, recently designing Uncanny Valley, Major Barbara, and Uncle Vanya at Pear Theatre. designed TheatreWorks’ productions of Water by the Spoonful, Wild with Happy, Time Stands Still, The North Pool, Opus, and Radio Golf. He has designed scenery for theatre and opera companies across the country, including Yale Repertory Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre (Florida), and American Conservatory Theater. Locally he has also worked with Magic Theatre, California Shakespeare Theatre, Marin Theatre Company and San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program. His work in dance involves collaborations with choreographers Joe Goode, Trajal Harrell, and Robert Moses. He holds an MFA from the Yale School of Drama and teaches set design at Stanford University. STEVEN B. MANNSHARDT (Lighting UTAH FEST Designer) has been the lighting designer for over 70 productions at TheatreWorks, having won numerous Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle, Theatre Bay Area and Dean Goodman Choice Awards for his work. His regional design credits include Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven; A Contemporary Theatre, Seattle; American Repertory Theater, Cambridge; Studio Arena Theatre, Buffalo; Magic Theatre; Pasadena Playhouse; The Weston Playhouse Theatre Company, Vermont; Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company; and Olympia Theatre, Dublin, Ireland. Mr. Mannshardt previously taught lighting design at Santa Rosa Junior College for 14 years and now runs an organization dedicated to improving the education system for both children and adults in Nepal. nepal.wwep.org GREGORY ROBINSON (Sound Designer) has designed sound for Water by the Spoonful (Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award, Best Sound Design), The Pitmen Painters, Snow Falling on Cedars, Living Out, You Can’t Take It With You, An American Daughter, Be Aggressive, and Present Laughter. His sound design, sound effects, music, and recordings have been featured in local, regional, and national radio and television advertisements, documentaries, corporate video, and theatre. He has created and produced for AC Transit, Amazing People LLC (London), Bank of America, Brava Theatre, California Lottery, Carlos Santana, Deborah Santana, HBO, Ivory Coast Pictures (Hollywood), Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, Magic Theatre, Safeway, The United Way, Wells Fargo, and many others. Mr. Robinson is a motion picture production sound recordist and post-production sound editor for the 18 THEATREWORKS ROBERT KELLEY (Artistic Director) is a Bay Area native and Stanford University graduate. He founded TheatreWorks in 1970 and has directed over 175 TheatreWorks productions, including many world and regional premieres. He has received the Silicon Valley Arts Council’s Legacy Laureate Award; the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Paine Knickerbocker Award and Jerry Friedman Award for Lifetime Achievement; BATCC Awards for Outstanding Direction for his productions of The Hound of the Baskervilles; Into the Woods; Pacific Overtures; Rags; Sweeney Todd; Another Midsummer Night; Sunday in the Park with George; Jane Eyre; and Caroline, or Change; and Back Stage West Garland Awards for his direction of Side Show and Sunday in the Park with George. He recently directed Daddy Long Legs, Outside Mullingar, Cyrano, Jane Austen’s EMMA, The Country House, Fallen Angels, Peter and the Starcatcher, Sweeney Todd, Marry Me a Little, and Once on This Island. PHIL SANTORA (Managing Director) joined TheatreWorks in 2007. He has served as Managing Director of Northlight Theatre (Chicago) and Georgia Shakespeare Festival (Atlanta), as well as Development Director for Great Lakes Theatre Festival (Cleveland) and George Street Playhouse (New Brunswick). He holds an MFA in Theatre Administration from the Yale School of Drama and a BA in Drama from Duke University. He is Vice President of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre Board. Prior board service includes the League of Chicago Theatres, Atlanta Coalition of Theatres, and the executive committee of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT). He was named 2000’s Best Arts Administrator by Atlanta Magazine and received the Atlanta Arts and Business Council’s 1998 ABBY Award for Arts Administrator. VISIONARY SPONSORS CORPORATE CIRCLE, FOUNDATION, & GOVERNMENT GIFTS Foundations and Corporate Circle members sponsor productions, support new works, and fund education programs for K–12 students. Sponsors may host events at the theatre, receive heightened community visibility, and enjoy other hospitality benefits. Contact Ronnie Plasters at 650.463.7135 or [email protected] for more information. Visionary Sponsors Sponsors Friends ($50,000 and above) ($10,000 to $14,999) ($1,000 to $2,499) The Garden Court Hotel* The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines* The Mercury News* Microsoft Corporation The David & Lucile Packard Foundation The Shubert Foundation Sobrato Philanthropies* Adams Wine Group* The Leonard C. & Mildred F. Ferguson Foundation Harrell Remodeling Heising-Simons Foundation Hengehold Motor Company* Anonymous Applied Materials Excellence in the Arts Grants, a program of Silicon Valley Creates ChaseVP* The Dramatists Guild Fund International ProInsurance Services LLC Nikon Precision, Inc. Regarding Arts Presenting Sponsor ($25,000 to $49,999) Avant! Foundation National Endowment for the Arts Sand Hill Foundation Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry* Supporting Sponsors ($15,000 to $24,999) PRESENTING SPONSORS Applied Materials Carla Befera Public Relations* Fenwick & West LLP The Kimball Foundation The Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust Benefactors ($5,000 to $9,999) Dodge & Cox Investment Managers Hurlbut-Johnson Charitable Trusts Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund Supporters ($2,500 to $4,999) Avidbank Cooley LLP* Los Altos Community Foundation S. H. Cowell Foundation The Morrison & Foerster Foundation Palo Alto Weekly* Perkins Coie LLP Matching Gifts Many companies will double or triple their employees’ contributions to nonprofits. It’s a great way to make your gift to TheatreWorks go further at no extra cost. Call 650.463.7155 for more information. * Indicates donors whose gifts include in-kind goods or services. ENDOWMENT FUND TheatreWorks Silicon Valley thanks the following lead donors for their extraordinarily generous Endowment gifts. SUPPORTING SPONSORS Marsha & Bill Adler • William C. Anderson • Ann S. Bowers • Polly & Tom Bredt • Bruce Cozadd & Sharon Hoffman • Peter & Melanie Cross • Yogen & Peggy Dalal • Carl H. Feldman • Kathryn Green • The John & Marcia Goldman Foundation • Emeri & Brad Handler • Hurlbut-Johnson Charitable Trusts • Charles & Roberta Katz Family Foundation • Patricia McClung & Allen Morgan • The Rathmann Family Foundation • Eddie Reynolds • John & Diane Savage • Joyce Reynolds Sinclair • Lynn Szekely-Goode & Dr. Richard Goode FUTUREWORKS FutureWorks members have made an estate gift from a will or living trust, a beneficiary designation in an IRA, a gift of life insurance, a gift that returns lifetime income, or another planned gift. Contact [email protected] for more information. SPONSORS Anonymous (6) • Marc Abramson • The Estate of William C. Anderson • Ray & Carol Bacchetti • Elaine Baskin & Ken Krechmer • Pauline Berkow & Ronald Kauffman • David & Lauren Berman • Jayne Booker • James & Diane Bordoni • Ann S. Bowers • Steve & Gayle Brugler • Carol Buchser • The estate of Cathryn Z. Cannon • Eleanor W. Caughlan • Steven & Karin Chase • Jodi Corwin & Irv Duchowny • Bruce Cozadd • G eorge & Susan Crow • John & Wynne Dobyns • John & Linda Elman • Frances Escherich • Susan Fairbrook • Harriett Ferziger • Gayle Flanagan • Carole & David Florian • Peter & Rose Friedland • Terry & Carolyn Gannon • Ed Glazier • Marcia & John Goldman • Kathryn Green • Lorie Griswold • Maureen Hoberg • Sharon Hoffman • Anne & Emma Grace Holmes • Kenny Hom • Sam & Elaine Housten • Susan M. Huch • Edward Hunter & Michelle Garcia • John W. & Nancy Lee Jalonen • Barry Lee Johnson • Stanley Earl Johnson • Claiborne S. Jones • Mike & Martha Kahn • Dr. Steve Kelem • Robert Kelley & Ev Shiro • Jane Kos • Bill & Terry Krivan • Phil Kurjan & Noel Butler • Woof Kurtzman • Mr. & Mrs. Robert Mangelsdorf • Steve Mannshardt • Monte Mansir • Suzanne Martin & John Doyle • Leigh Metzler & Jim McVey • Cynthia S. Miller • Tami & Craney Ogata • Doris Gottsegen-Reiner • Karen & John Reis • Eddie Reynolds • Betsy Boardman Ross • Adam Samuels • Philip Santora & Cristian Asher • Dorothy Saxe • Loren & Shelley Saxe • Edward & Jane Seaman • Barbara Shapiro & Mark Lewis • Joyce Reynolds Sinclair • Gerry Sipes • Carol Snell & Mindy Rauch • Esther Sobel • Jim & Mary Southam • Cherrill M. Spencer • Rick Stern & Nancy Ginsburg Stern • Susanne Stevens • Mark Stevenson • Laurie Waldman • Carol Watts • Karen Carlson White • Renee & Herman Winick encore art sprograms.com 19 TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Contributors THE PRODUCER CIRCLE TheatreWorks Producers have made a gift of $10,000 or more. They are invited to exclusive events with visiting artists, and on special theatre trips. Producers may select a production to follow from “page to stage” by attending the design presentation, rehearsals, and opening nights. Producers also receive all Inner Circle benefits. Contact Ronnie Plasters at 650.463.7135 or [email protected] for more information Visionary Producers ($50,000 and above) Ann S. Bowers Dr. & Mrs. W. M. Coughran, Jr. Anne & Larry Hambly The Dirk & Charlene Kabcenell Foundation Ray & Meredith Rothrock TheatreWorks Board Emeritus Executive Producers Mendelsohn Family Fund Morgan Family Foundation Cynthia Sears Rick Stern & Nancy Ginsburg Stern Lynn Szekely-Goode & Dr. Richard Goode Mark & Teri Vershel Lisa Webster & Ted Semple Gayla Lorthridge Wood & Walt Wood ($25,000 to $49,999) Bruce Cozadd Yogen & Peggy Dalal Frances Escherich The John & Marcia Goldman Foundation William Green Judy Heyboer & Brian Shally Robert Kelley & Ev Shiro Phil Kurjan & Noel Butler Michelle & Michael Kwatinetz Debra Leslie Producers ($10,000 to $24,999) Anonymous (2) Marsha & Bill Adler Lois & Dr. Edward Anderson Paul Asente & Ron Jenks Elaine Baskin & Ken Krechmer Lucy Berlin & Glenn Trewitt Jayne Booker Bredt Family Fund at Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation 45 for 45Circle TheatreWorks 45 for 45 Circle members have made a multi-year pledge of $45,000 or more to honor Robert Kelley and TW’s 45th Anniversary. Contact Ronnie Plasters at 650.463.7135 or [email protected] for more information. Elaine Baskin & Ken Krechmer Ann S. Bowers Suzanne Martin & John Doyle Gayle & Steve Brugler Mendelsohn Family Fund Bruce Cozadd Rebecca & James Morgan Gordon & Carolyn Davidson Cynthia Sears Sylvia & Ron Gerst Barbara Shapiro & Anne & Larry Hambly Judy Heyboer & Brian Shally Julie Kaufman Mark Lewis Rick Stern & Nancy Ginsburg Stern Tom & Sharon Kelley Mark & Teri Vershel Phil Kurjan & Noel Butler Lisa Webster Michelle & Michael Kwatinetz Watkins Family Charitable Dorothy Lazier Trust Mark & Debra Leslie Carol Watts Carole & Michael Marks Janne & Bill Wissel 20 THEATREWORKS Steve & Gayle Brugler Steven & Karin Chase George & Susan Crow Gordon & Carolyn Davidson Ranae DeSantis John & Susan Diekman Susan Fairbrook Dan & Catharine Garber Sylvia & Ron Gerst Emeri & Brad Handler William J. Higgs Larry Horton & George Wilson Charlotte Jacobs & Roderick Young Leigh & Roy Johnson Mike & Martha Kahn Julie Kaufman & Doug Klein Tom & Sharon Kelley Robin & Don Kennedy Dick & Cathy Lampman Dorothy Lazier Mark Lewis & Barbara Shapiro Marks Family Foundation THE INNER CIRCLE The Marmor Foundation/ Drs. Michael & Jane Marmor Gillian & Tom Moran Leslie & Douglas Murphy-Chutorian Yvonne & Mike Nevens Richard Partridge Adam Samuels Philip Santora & Cristian Asher Loren & Shelley Saxe Martha Seaver & Scott Walecka Leonard Shustek & Donna Dubinsky Larry & Barbara Sonsini Janet Strauss & Jeff Hawkins Debra Summers & John Baker Holly Ward & Scott Spector Watkins Family Charitable Fund Carol Watts Harriet & Frank Weiss Bart & Nancy Westcott Jane Weston & J. Horn Bill & Janne Wissel Jayne Booker, Chair Members of The Inner Circle contribute a minimum of $1,500 each season and enjoy a variety of benefits including priority subscription seating, VIP ticket purchases and exchanges, access to house seats on Broadway, and invitations to Meet-the-Artists events. Contact Hans Cardenas at 650.463.7155 or [email protected] for more information. Associate Producers ($6,000 to $9,999) Anonymous (2) Katherine Bazak & John Dohner David & Ann Crockett John & Wynne Dobyns David E. Gold & Irene Blumenkranz Linda M. Hinton & Vince Foecke Edward Hunter & Michelle Garcia Lisa & Marc Jones Sue & Dick Levy Rob & Ann Marangell Richard Niblock Bill & Janet Nicholls Ron & Lila Schmidt Directors ($3,000 to $5,999) Carol Bacchetti Paul & Debbie Baker Joel & Wendy Bartlett Jim Bassett & Lily Hurlimann The BelleJAR Foundation Steven & Michele Boal Marah & Gene Brehaut Bruce & Gail Chizen Dean & Wilma Chu Nancy Mahoney Cohen Diane & Howard Crittenden Randy Curry & Kay Simon Richard & Josephine Ferrie Gayle Flanagan Lynda & Steve Fox Peter & Rose Friedland Terry & Carolyn Gannon in honor of Robert Kelley Jerre & Nancy Hitz D & J Hodgson Family Foundation Barbara Jones Louise Karr Hal & Iris Korol John & Catharine Kristian Bill & Terry Krivan Arlene & Jack Leslie Janet Littlefield & William Coggshall Malcolm MacNaughton Suzanne Martin & John Doyle The Merrimac Fund Buff & Cindy Miller Myrna & Hy Mitchner, PhD Eileen Nelson & Hugh Franks Margo & Roy Ogus Joe, Nancy, Sam & Sara Ragey Orli & Zack Rinat Tom Rindfleisch & Carli Scott Paul & Sheri Robbins Edward & Jane Seaman Bart Sears Ron & Ellen Shulman Joyce Reynolds Sinclair & Dr. Gerald M. Sinclair Ellen & Ed Smith Sheri Sobrato Lisa & Matthew Sonsini Susanne Stevens & Monte Mansir Catherine & Jeff Thermond Odette & Ewart Thomas Brent & Michèle Townshend Ted & Betty Ullman Tzipor Ulman & Dan Rubinstein Griff & Lynne Weber Mark & Sheila Wolfson Players ($1,500 to $2,999) Anonymous (5) Marc & Sophia Abramson Douglas & Loretta Allred Mary Ann Anthony & Ken Fowkes Shirley Bailey Doug & Marie Barry Pat Bashaw & Gene Segre Jane Baxter & Steve Beck Mr. & Mrs. David W. Beach Betsy & George Bechtel Don & Deborah Bennett Dr. Barbara L. Bessey in memory of Dr. Kevin J. Gilmartin Caroline Beverstock Charlotte & David Biegelsen Wendell & Celeste Birkhofer Neil & Karen Bonke Bob & Martha Bowden Lauren & Darrell Boyle Michael & Leslie Braun Kathy Bridgman Ellen & Marc Brown Marda Buchholz & Marcie Brown Eric Butler MD & Suzanne Rocca-Butler Jeff & Deborah Byron Calvin & Jennifer Carr Ron & Sally Carter Josephine Chien & Stephen Johnson Lee & Amy Christel Larry & Sara Condit Robert A. Cook Jodi Corwin & Irv Duchowny in memory of Milt, Michael & Jack Jeff & Amy Crowe Redwood Serenity Fund Richard & Anita Davis Scott & Edie DeVine Douglas Dexter Dennis & Cindy Dillon Carl & Meredith Ditmore Monica Donovan Pamela Dougherty Jack & Marcia Edelstein Mr. & Mrs. Robert English Sue & Jeff Epstein Patrick Farris Sheldon Finkelstein & Beatriz V. Infante Kathleen Fitts Peggy Woodford Forbes & Harry Bremond Diane & Bob Frankle Barbara Franklin & Bernie Loth Francis Franklin Jay & Joyce Friedrichs Markus Fromherz & Heike Schmitz Marilee Gardner Nancy & Charles Geschke Ciro & Eileen Giammona Kenneth & Susan Greathouse Renee & Mark Greenstein Mary Ann & John Grilli Nancy & Bill Grove Barbara Gunther Peter & Laura Haas Jim & Linda Hagan Kovin Hagan Elaine & Eric Hahn Russell & Debbie Hall Jane Hamlin & Steven Schow Helen Helson David & Noreen Henig Craig & Deborah Hoffman Anne & Emma Grace Holmes Susan M. Huch Perry A. Irvine & Linda Romley-Irvine Sudhanshu & Lori Jain Nancy Lee Jalonen Mary Louise Johnson Claiborne S. Jones Hilary Jones* Craig & Gina Jorasch Family Fund Jack Jorgenson Mr. & Mrs. Abdo Kadifa Thomas Kailath & Anu Maitra Ruth Ann & David Keefer Cynthia & Bert Keely Arthur Keller Chris Kenrick Liz & Rick Kniss Woof Kurtzman & Liz Hertz Jim & Marilyn Lattin Marcia & Henry Lawson Elizabeth Leep Linda Lester Donald & Rachel Levy Robert J. Lipshutz & Nancy Wong, MD Drs. John & Penny Loeb Tom & Sally Logothetti Nancy Madison & Michael Price Richard & Charlene Maltzman in memory of Carol Adler Anne B. McCarthy Patricia McClung & Allen Morgan Kevin McCoy Patricia McGuigan Dave & Carolyn McLoughlin Rani Menon & Keith Amidon Shauna Mika & Rick Callison Sondra Murphy & Jeremy Platt Melinda Nasif & Michael Scruggs Lynn & Susan Orr Ellice & Jim Papp David Pasta in memory of Gloria J.A. Guth Beth & Charlie Perrell Carrie Perzow & Von Leirer John & Valerie Poggi Diane Posnak Susan Rabin & David Buchanan In memory of Pearl Reimer Karen & John Reis Eddie Reynolds & Ed Jones Edward & Verne Rice Bob Rodert & Bev Kiltz Alicia Rojas & Howard Lyons Betsy Boardman Ross Robert & Suzanne Rubenstein Alan Russell & Fred Thiemann Ellen & Jerry Saliman Joseph & Sandy Santandrea Charles G. Schulz & Claire E. Taylor Carolyn Schutz* Pamela & Rick Shames Jack & Dorothy Shannahan Sarah Shema & Neyssa Marina Marge & Jim Shively Carolyn & Rick Silberman Gerry Sipes Pamela Smith Todd Smith Jim Stephens & Abraham Brown Mark Stevens & Mary Murphy The Sher-Right Fund Jerry Strom & Marilyn Austin Jan Thomson & Roy Levin Helaina Titus Robert J. Van der Leest, MD Mimi & Jim Van Horne Thomas Vogelsang Margaret & Curt Weil Paul & Barbara Weiss Elissa Wellikson & Tim Shroyer Arlene & Bruce S. White Karen Carlson White Ken & Ruth Wilcox Bruce & Elinor Wilner Lynn Wilson & Howard Roberts Neil & Ann Wolff Bill & Sue Worthington Linda and Joel Zizmor Benefactors ($750 to $1,499) Anonymous • Sally Abel • Mr. & Mrs. Charles E. Benjamin • Fumiko & Carl Bielefeldt • Robert Block • Sharon & John Brauman • James B. Brennock • Marni Brown & Gabe Garcia • H. Hans Cardenas • Ron & Marion Dickel • James J. Elacqua • Suzanne & Allan Epstein • Wesley & Dianne Gardiner • Joseph & Sondra Glider • Jack & Joan Gorham • Sue & Bill Gould • James Heeger & Daryl Messinger • Susan Heller • Mitzi Henderson • Laurie T Jarrett • Dean & Patricia Johnson • Carl Jukkola & Desmond Lee • David & Joyce Kim • Brian Kleis & Jim Lock • Michael & Ina Korek • Allan & Linda Kramer • Stephen & Nancy Levy • George & Ann Limbach • Alexander & Anne Long • Anders & Juneko Martinson • Katherine Mason • Nancy & Patrick McGaraghan • Sharon & Harris Meyers • Gus Meyner in memory of Miriam • William & Sue Miklos • Vivian Nahmias • Annie Nunan • Laurie Reynolds • Susan Rinne • Mary Rodgers in memory of David Rodgers • In memory of Bridget Ross • Tom & Nan Ryan • Nancy & Magnus Ryde • Jill Sagner & Steve Lipman • Emil & Barbara Sarpa • Lee & Kim Scheuer • David & Harriet Schnur • Perry Segal • Denise & Jim Stanford • Polly Taylor in memory of Ted Taylor • The Fred Terman & Nan Borreson Fund • Marilyn Tinderholt • Judith & Peter Wolken Contributions listed were received between 01/25/2016 and 01/25/2017. Program deadlines and space limitations prevent us from listing all of our greatly appreciated patrons. For corrections, or to make a contribution, please contact Sarah Benjamin at 650.463.7132 or [email protected]. * Indicates donors whose gifts include in-kind goods or services. + Indicates members of the Encore Club, who make ongoing monthly or quarterly gifts. encore art sprograms.com 21 TheatreWorks SV Staff Artistic Director Robert Kelley Managing Director Phil Santora ARTISTIC SCENERY DEVELOPMENT MARKETING Associate Artistic Director Leslie Martinson Technical Director Frank Sarmiento Director of Development Ronnie Plasters Director of Marketing Lorraine VanDeGraaf-Rodriguez Director of New Works Giovanna Sardelli Lead Scenic Artist / Craftsman Tom Langguth Art Director Ev Shiro Company Manager/ Casting Associate Jeffrey Lo Master Carpenter Bill Roberts Associate Director of Individual Giving H. Hans Cárdenas FutureWorks Fellow Akemi Okamura Resident Musical Director William Liberatore New Works Reading Committee Bill Adler, Cristian Asher, Elaine Baskin, Doug Brook, Sue Krumbein, Shareen Merriam, Patty Reinhart, Cindi Sears, Scott Walecka Artistic Intern Grace Hoffman PRODUCTION, LIGHTING, & SOUND Production Manager David A. Milligan Assistant Production Manager Elizar Ivanov Operations Manager/ Master Electrician Steven B. Mannshardt Resident Lighting Designer Steven B. Mannshardt Production Coordinator Karen Szpaller Electricians Kat Arguello, Steven Fetter, Carolyn Guggemos, A.C. Hay, Cosmo Hom, Dan Kaminski, Sean Kramer, Nick Kumamoto, Harris Meyers, Gary Nelson, Jeff Spackman, Jarku Virtanen, Jackson Wijtman Load-in / Strike Volunteers Rick Amerson, Ed Hunter Carpenters Esteban Calvillo, Andrew Clark, Rodrigo Frausto, Henry Ing, Patrick McKenna PROPERTIES Properties Master Christopher Fitzer Properties Stock Manager Alfred Rudolph COSTUMES Costume Director Jill Bowers Assistant Costumer Noah Marin Lead Cutter/Draper Yen La Wong Costume Rentals Manager Conni Edwards Wardrobe Manager Sarah Hatton Assistant Cutter/First Hand Michelle Earney Stitchers Nhan Thi Luu, Son Pham Resident Wigmaster Sharon Ridge Hair Stylist Jeanne Naritomi Events Manager Jodi Corwin Development Operations Manager Sarah Benjamin EDUCATION Director of Education Amy Cole-Farrell Associate Education Director Katie Bartholomew Education Associate / Master Teaching Artist Meghan C. Hakes Master Teaching Artist Piper LaGrelius Teaching Artists Jake Arky Lauren Berman Brittany Caine Maggie Cole Jennifer Debevec Mary Kalita Fredrika Keefer Josh Marx Lauren Mayer Jennifer Mitchell Michileen Oberst Kelly Rinehart Martin Rojas Dietrich Cassie Rosenbrock Elissa Stebbins Kristina Sutherland Amanda Wallace Maryssa Wanlass STAGE MANAGEMENT Resident Stage Manager Randall K. Lum Lighting, Sound, & Properties Intern Noah Listgarten Associate Director of Marketing Syche Phillips Box Office Manager Alix Josefski Marketing & Communications Manager Heather Orth Digital Media Manager Jennifer Gosk Tessitura Specialist Andrew Skelton Ticket Services Supervisor Michelle Skinner Patron Services Coordinator Tracy Hayden Ticket Services Representatives Andrée Beals, Laura Henricksen, Margaret Purdy Graphics Assistant Katie Dai Public Relations & Advertising Carla Befera & Co. Carla Befera, Courtney Heimbuck Company Photographers Kevin Berne Alessandra Mello ADMINISTRATIVE General Manager Scott DeVine Database Administrator Ken Maitz Bookkeeper Jason Hyde Staff Accountant Barbara Sloss Front Desk Volunteers Joan Doherty, Cindi Sears And thanks to our fabulous TheatreWorkers! CALLIGRAPHY ADDITIONAL STAFF Assistant Director Jeffrey Lo Sound Engineer Quinn Pierron Assistant Lighting Design Show Carpenters Justin Buchs, Wil Bakal Patrick Biggs Light Board Operators Properties Runner Alison Froke Noah Listgarten, Deborah Bennett 22 THEATREWORKS Dressers Brooke Jennings, Anna Chalmers Open Captioning Michelle Skinner Five Fun Facts About TheatreWorks’ Spring Break Camps learn acting, movement, and stage craft skills in a fun, playful, ∂ Campers and engaging way! ∑ Campers make new friends and work together in a team! learn from professional Teaching Artists who are experienced ∏ Campers artists and educators! create a new character to bring to life with their new π Campers theatrical skills! show off all that they have learned during a final presentation ∫ Campers for family and friends! Grades K–5 April 3–7, 2017 in Palo Alto • April 10–14, 2017 in Menlo Park Tuition is $350 New this year: Sibling Discounts (Use code 2SBSIBS @ check-out online) TRACY MARTIN Need-based scholarships and extended care are available. For more information, contact Associate Director of Education, Katie Bartholomew, at 650.463.7154 or [email protected]. TheatreWorks SV General Information CONTACT US GROUP SAVINGS LATE ARRIVALS Mailing Address: PO Box 50458, Palo Alto, CA 94303-0458 Phone: 650.463.1950 Fax: 650.463.1963 Email: [email protected] Savings are available for groups of 8 or more. For more information, call Michelle Skinner at 650.463.7115 or email [email protected]. Latecomers will not be seated until appropriate intervals, and may not be seated in their exact seat locations until intermission. WHEELCHAIR SEATING LOST AND FOUND Seating is available for wheelchair patrons. Please telephone the Ticket Office in advance so that special arrangements may be made. For Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts lost and found, please call 650.903.6568. For Lucie Stern Theatre lost and found, please call 650.463.1960. TICKET SERVICES Tickets to all TheatreWorks Silicon Valley performances are sold through the TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Box Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 11am–6pm; Saturday-Sunday, 12pm-6pm Phone: 650.463.1960 Tickets may also be obtained through the Mountain View Center Ticket Office Hours: Wednesday–Saturday, noon–6pm Phone: 650.903.6000 WALK-UP TICKET SERVICES The walk-up ticket office will open one hour prior to each performance. PERFORMANCE TIMES Wed, Thur, Fri Previews 8pm Tuesday & Wednesday Eve 7:30pm Thursday–Saturday Eve 8:00pm Sunday Eve 7:00pm Wednesday, Saturday, & Sunday Matinee 2:00pm INDIVIDUAL TICKET PRICES Starting at $32 (balcony). Discounts available for Seniors, Educators, and Patrons 35 & Under. For pricing, call 650.463.1960 or visit theatreworks.org. LISTENING SYSTEMS Both theatres are equipped with listening systems for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Please see the house manager for details. AUDIO-CAPTIONING Audio captioning for the visually impaired is available at certain performances. Please call 650.463.1960 for details. OPEN-CAPTIONED PERFORMANCES Open-captioned performances for Calligraphy: 3/26 at 2pm & 7pm, 3/29 at 2pm Rags: 4/23 at 2pm & 7pm, 4/26 at 2pm Hershey Felder, BEETHOVEN: 6/25 at 2pm & 7pm, 6/28 at 2pm For more information about open captioning, please contact the box office at 650.463.1960 or [email protected]. PLEASE REMEMBER There is no smoking in the theatres or lobbies. Cameras and recording devices of any kind are strictly prohibited. Neither food nor drink is permitted in the theatres. Please ensure that all electronic devices are set to the “off“ position while you are in the theatre. Children 5 and under are not permitted in the theatre. Persons 14 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Every person, regardless of age, must have a ticket. Schedules, shows, casts, and ticket prices are subject to change. Single ticket purchases are non-refundable, but are exchangeable for $15 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Visit theatreworks.org for detailed information or to purchase tickets. encore art sprograms.com 23 Alameda Berkeley Campbell Castro Valley Danville Fremont Hayward Lafayette Livermore Los Altos Los Gatos Menlo Park Mountain View Oakland Palo Alto Pinole Pleasanton Portola Valley Redwood City San Jose San Leandro San Pablo San Ramon Santa Clara Stanford Walnut Creek We put good health center stage. And in your neighborhood. With our expanded locations, access to exceptional health care is closer than ever—whether you live in the Peninsula, South Bay, or East Bay. Supported by one of the best hospitals in the nation, our connected team of primary care doctors and specialists are near where you work, live, and play. For more information, call 844.394.6907 or visit stanfordhealthcare.org/primarycare